bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survey of badger access to farm buildings and facilities in relation to contact with cattle
Authors: Ward A. I. , Tolhurst B. A. , Walker N. J. , Roper T. J. , Delahay R. J.
Published: October 2010

Thirty‐six farms in parishes in western England that had recently experienced herd breakdowns of bovine tuberculosis were surveyed for signs of badger activity and for husbandry practices relating to the access of badgers to the farm buildings and facilities. Signs of activity were detected within the farmyards and buildings of 14 of the farms and were associated with water troughs at pasture on two of them. Few of the farmers implemented practices to reduce contact between badgers and cattle. Stored cattle feed was freely accessible to wild animals in 88 per cent of the feed stores. Two badger carcases, and two of 66 samples of badger droppings, cultured positive for Mycobacterium bovis. Signs of badgers within farmyards were significantly positively associated with the number of badger setts and latrines in the immediate vicinity, but were not related to any recorded farm husbandry procedures.
Pseudolayering artefact on postcontrast magnetic resonance images of the bladder of 18 dogs and three cats
Authors: Mai W.
Published: October 2010

An artefact was observed on postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging (mri) of the urinary bladder of several small animals; it took the form of a dark layer in the dependent (dorsal) part of the bladder, with a thin hyperintense layer on top of it, and a hypointense signal in the rest of the non‐dependent (ventral) part. The mri database was searched for animals with T1 ‐weighted images of the urinary bladder after the injection of gadolinium. Eighteen dogs and three cats were included in the study. The artefact was observed in 16 of the animals on the postcontrast images but not on the T1 ‐weighted and T2 ‐weighted precontrast images. A phantom experiment showed that the signal intensity observed on T1 ‐weighted images decreased rapidly as the concentration of gadolinium increased from 6·25 mmol/l to 25 mmol/l. It is hypothesised that the early excretion of concentrated gadolinium into the bladder causes the pseudolayering artefact observed, which has also been reported in human patients.
Animal‐based measurements of the severity of mastitis in dairy cows
Authors: Kemp M. H. , Nolan A. M. , Cripps P. J. , Fitzpatrick J. L.
Published: October 2010

A range of clinical parameters were studied to assess their usefulness as objective markers of the severity of clinical mastitis in dairy cows. Cows with moderate clinical mastitis had significantly higher rectal temperatures and heart and respiratory rates than cows with mild clinical mastitis or control cows. The difference in temperature between quarters did not vary significantly between the control cows and the cows with mastitis, but there was a larger difference between quarter temperatures in the cows with moderate mastitis than in the cows with mild mastitis or the control cows. The hock‐to‐hock distance in the control cows was significantly smaller than in the cows with mild to moderate mastitis, but there was no significant difference in the distance either between the cows with mild mastitis and those with moderate mastitis, or between the cows with mastitis in the front quarters and those with mastitis in the hind quarters. The mechanical threshold to pain of the cows with mild and moderate mastitis was significantly lower than that of the control cows.
Neurological signs in juvenile harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) with fatal phocine distemper
Authors: Philippa J. D. W. , van de Bildt M. W. G. , Kuiken T. , ’t Hart P. , Osterhaus A. D. M. E.
Published: October 2010

In 2002, the northern European harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) population experienced an epidemic of phocine distemper virus (PDV) in which 22,000 seals died. Clinical signs were recorded in 20 harbour seal pups admitted to the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre with clinical disease, and they were diagnosed PDV infection‐positive by RT‐PCR postmortem. All 20 had respiratory signs, 14 had conjunctivitis and 10 had neurological signs. Severe neurological signs were one of the criteria for euthanasia during the epidemic, and many pups that were euthanased were not included in this study owing to the lack of complete datasets. Neurological signs were therefore among the most prevalent signs of fatal PDV infection in harbour seal pups. The lymphoid depletion reported in dead seals during the epidemic was not reflected in the total mononuclear leucocyte count of the seal pups, but they had an absolute granulocytosis, thrombocytosis, anaemia, and high total white blood cell counts. When first examined, 11 of the pups had a positive serum IgG titre, and four had a positive serum IgM titre. High levels of PDV‐specific serum IgG antibodies were not correlated with an absence of clinical signs or longer survival.
International disease monitoring, October to December 2008
Authors: Sabirovic M. , Roberts H. , Hall S. , Elliott H. , Coulson N.
Published: October 2010

African swine fever in wild boar in the Caucasus region

BTV‐1 in northern France and BTV‐6 in the Netherlands and Germany

Classical swine fever in domestic pigs and wild boar in central Europe, particularly in the western Balkans

Foot‐and‐mouth disease in parts of sub‐Saharan Africa and China

Increased frequency of HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in domestic poultry in south‐east Asia and the Indian subcontinent

These are among matters discussed in the international disease monitoring report for October to December 2008, prepared by Defra’s Food and Farming Group, International Animal Health
17β‐oestradiol‐induced gene expression in cattle prostate: biomarkers to detect illegal use of growth promoters
Authors: De Maria R. , Divari S. , Bollo E. , Cannizzo F. T. , Biolatti B. , Goria M. , Olivero M. , Barbarino G.
Published: October 2010

The effects of 17β‐oestradiol (E2) on gene expression in cultures of bovine primary prostate stromal cells (BPSCs) and prostate gland tissue were studied. In the first part of the study, BPSCs were grown in the presence of E2 from the first passage to the end of the experiment; a second group was treated in the same way but the treatment was suspended for 48 hours before the end of the experiment; a third group of BPSCs served as a control. In the second part of the study, five male veal calves, aged 130 days, were treated four times intramuscularly with 10 mg of E2 at intervals of two weeks and then euthanased two weeks after the last treatment. Quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors (FGFRs), FGFs, progesterone receptor, androgen receptor and oestrogen receptor in BPSCs and prostate tissue. E2 induced a significant over‐expression of progesterone receptor in both BPSCs and prostate tissue. There was also a marked up‐regulation of FGFR types 1, 2 and 3 genes observed in the BPSCs.
Evaluating veterinary education in Europe
Authors: de Lange Karin
Published: October 2010

Weaknesses in the current system for evaluating the standards of veterinary education in Europe came under the spotlight last November, when both the Union of European Veterinary Practitioners and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe discussed the issue during their general assemblies. The meetings were held in Hannover to coincide with the culmination of the events marking European Veterinary Week.
Assessing techniques for disinfecting sites for inserting intravenous catheters into the jugular veins of horses
Authors: Geraghty T. E. , Love S. , Taylor D. J. , Heller J. , Mellor D. J. , Hughes K. J.
Published: October 2010

The sites of insertion of catheters into the jugular veins of six horses were investigated to determine common isolates and to assess the effectiveness of two disinfection protocols with the hair coat left long, clipped or shaved. Skin commensals (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Micrococcus species) and environmental contaminants (Bacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Aspergillus and Mucor species) were the microorganisms most frequently isolated. Chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone‐iodine‐based skin disinfection protocols resulted in significant reductions in the number of bacterial isolates from clipped sites. With chlorhexidine, there were no significant differences between the reductions observed at sites with the hair coat left long, clipped or shaved.
Retrospective study of 871 dogs with thrombocytopenia
Authors: Botsch V. , Küchenhoff H. , Hartmann K. , Hirschberger J.
Published: October 2010

Eight hundred and seventy‐one dogs with thrombocytopenia were divided into the following five categories: immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia (49; 5·6 per cent), thrombocytopenia caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (52; 6·0 per cent), thrombocytopenia caused by miscellaneous disorders (222; 25·5 per cent), neoplasia‐associated thrombocytopenia (244; 28 per cent) and inflammatory/infectious thrombocytopenia (304; 34·9 per cent). The incidence of thrombocytopenia among the hospital population was 6·7 per cent. The dogs with immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia and thrombocytopenia caused by DIC had significantly (P<0·001) lower platelet counts (median 32·0 x 109/l and 55·0 x 109/l, respectively) than the dogs in the other three categories.
Animal welfare: whose responsibility?
Authors: Morris Arianwen
Published: October 2010

The BVA Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) aims to improve the welfare of animals through veterinary science, education and debate. The foundation’s annual discussion forum, held this year at the Royal College of Physicians in London on May 12, highlighted a number of topical issues.
Survey of the characteristics of cats owned by households in the UK and factors affecting their neutered status
Authors: Murray J. K. , Roberts M. A. , Whitmars A. , Gruffydd‐Jones T. J.
Published: October 2010

Data were collected on 1260 cats owned by a random sample of UK households in 2007, by means of telephone questionnaires, which were completed by 33 per cent of the households contacted. Cats were owned by 26 per cent of these households, 42 per cent of which owned more than one cat. The owners of 622 female cats reported a total of 110 unplanned litters of kittens. Excluding cats with an unknown neutered status 92 per cent of the cats aged six months or more were neutered, but only 66 per cent of the cats aged six to 12 months were neutered. Multivariable logistic regression, based on data collected for one randomly selected cat aged four months or more in each cat‐owning household, was used to identify factors affecting the cats' neutered status. Analysis of 48 sexually entire cats and 501 neutered cats showed that cats aged 10 months or more, with indoor access, that had been vaccinated within the last year or were currently registered with a veterinary practice, were more likely to be neutered than cats aged less than 10 months, without indoor access, that had been vaccinated more than one year ago or were not registered with a veterinary practice.
Bilateral laryngeal paralysis associated with hepatic dysfunction and hepatic encephalopathy in six ponies and four horses
Authors: Hughes K. J. , McGorum B. C. , Love S. , Dixon P. M.
Published: October 2010

Six ponies and four horses with a mean (sd) age of 15·9 (6·0) years developed sudden‐onset bilateral laryngeal paralysis (BLP) in association with hepatic dysfunction. Nine of them had been referred for the investigation of respiratory distress, and one pony had been referred for weight loss before BLP developed. Nine of the animals had clinicopathological evidence of liver disease, and nine had histological evidence of liver disease. All of the animals had one or more of the following: hepatic encephalopathy (in eight), hyperammonaemia (in six) and endoscopic evidence of BLP (in nine). Three of the animals had signs of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, a diagnosis supported in two by endocrine function testing, and in two by histopathological examination. Histopathological examination of the intrinsic laryngeal musculature and recurrent laryngeal nerves of four of the horses and of the region of the nucleus ambiguus of two did not reveal any abnormalities. Three of the animals were euthanased after they had first been examined, and one improved temporarily before the condition recurred. A temporary tracheostomy was performed in six of the animals, five of which subsequently died or were euthanased; one pony recovered.
Potential for the cross‐contamination of the hides of cattle while they are held in lairage
Authors: Small A. , Buncic S.
Published: October 2010

Foodborne pathogens that may contaminate the carcase are often found on the hides of cattle presented for slaughter for human consumption, and can be transferred from animal to animal during the immediate preslaughter phase. This study quantifies the opportunities for such cross‐contamination to occur during lairage of cattle. Cattle were most active in the first 10 minutes of holding, when at 2·5 m2 or less space allowance per animal there were 12·55 animal‐to‐animal and 0·99 animal‐to‐wall contacts per minute, compared with 8·17 and 0·60 per minute, respectively, in the subsequent 20 minutes. During holding, contact between animals can be reduced by manipulating the stocking density. When the animals were given 2·5 m2 or more each, there were 9·63 animal‐to‐animal contacts per minute over 30 minutes holding, whereas at 5 m2 or more, there were only 1·71 contacts per minute. Whatever the space allowance, animal‐to‐wall contacts were 0·66 to 0·73 per minute over 30 minutes' holding. When space allowance is optimised, contacts with the lairage structure become more important than contacts between animals. The immediate preslaughter handling equipment (race, crush and stun box) was a significant source of potential indirect cross‐contamination.
Use of tylvalosin‐medicated feed to control porcine proliferative enteropathy
Authors: Guedes R. M. C. , França S. A. , Machado G. S. , Blumer M. A. , da Costa Cruz E. C.
Published: October 2010

The effect of an oral treatment with the tartrate salt of tylvalosin on the development of proliferative enteropathy in 60 experimentally challenged pigs was studied. Thirty of the pigs were fed a diet medicated with 50 ppm tylvalosin and 30 were fed the unmedicated diet. The treated animals started to receive the medicated feed the day before they were inoculated, and continued to receive it for 14 days. The pigs' bodyweight, feed consumption and clinical signs were evaluated, and they were examined postmortem 20 days after inoculation, and samples of ileum were collected for immunohistochemistry (IHC) forLawsonia intracellularis. Clinical signs of the disease were more evident in the untreated group than in the treated group. The average daily weight gain, average daily feed consumption and feed conversion efficiency were better in the treated group. The combined length of intestine with lesions was 2847 cm in the untreated group and 183 cm in the treated group. The tylvalosin treatment significantly reduced the level ofL intracellularisinfection; almost half of the treated pigs were IHCnegative compared with 3˙3 per cent of the untreated pigs.
Is EMS up to the mark?
Authors: Clark Kathryn
Published: October 2010

‘Could do better’ was the verdict reached on EMS during a contentious issues debate at this year's BVA Congress in Cardiff. Delegates heard that, while EMS might be considered ‘the jewel in the crown’ of undergraduate veterinary education, changes were needed to ensure it remained so.
Outbreak of New castle disease due to pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 in grey partridges (Perdix perdix) in Scotland in October 2006
Authors: Irvine R. M. , Aldous E. W. , Manvell R. J. , Cox W. J. , Ceeraz V. , Fuller C. M. , Alexander D. J. , Brown I. H. , Wood A. M. , Milne J. C. , Wilson M. , Hepple R. G. , Hurst A. , Sharpe C. E.
Published: October 2010

In October 2006, following an initially non‐statutory disease investigation affecting 12‐week‐old grey partridges (Perdix perdix), an outbreak of Newcastle disease due to infection with the avian paramyxovirus type 1 virus responsible for the current panzootic in pigeons (PPMV‐1) was confirmed in Scotland. Two pens of partridges were affected by signs including loss of condition, diarrhoea, progressive neurological signs and mortality totalling approximately 24 per cent, and laboratory evidence of the infection was obtained only in these groups. The premises had approximately 17,000 poultry including a collection of 375 birds of rare breeds, containing endangered breeds of significant conservation value, which were not culled but subjected to a health monitoring and testing programme. Investigations suggested that a population of feral pigeons living above the affected pens of partridges was the likely source of the outbreak. Laboratory and genetic analyses confirmed that the isolate recovered from the clinically affected partridges was PPMV‐1, belonging to genetic lineage 4b. However, the virus could not be isolated from or detected in dead pigeons collected from the affected buildings.
Variations in serum concentration of phenobarbitone in dogs receiving regular twice daily doses in relation to the times of administration
Authors: Monteiro R. , Anderson T. J. , Innocent G. , Evans N. P. , Penderis J.
Published: October 2010

The laboratory records of 1427 client‐owned dogs on chronic phenobarbitone treatment were analysed. They were divided into two groups: the 918 dogs from which blood samples were collected at the trough, that is, within two hours before the next dose of phenobarbitone, and the 509 dogs from which samples were taken during the non‐trough period. There were no significant differences between the mean serum concentrations of phenobarbitone in the trough and non‐trough samples from dogs receiving doses ranging from 2 mg/kg per day to more than 10 mg/kg per day. However, the higher doses of phenobarbitone were associated with progressively lower phenobarbitone concentrations in the trough group relative to the non‐trough group, and this difference was significant at doses of more than 10 mg/kg per day.
Renal dysplasia and nephrosclerosis in calves
Authors: Philbey A. W. , Mateus A. , Bexiga R. , Barrett D. C. , Haining H. A. , McCandlish I. A. P. , Thompson H.
Published: October 2010

Renal dysplasia and nephrosclerosis in six calves, which were aged three to six months and from different farms in western Scotland and north‐west England, was characterised clinically by stunted growth and renal failure with uraemia. Affected animals were depressed and one case exhibited severe neurological signs. Reduced erythrocyte counts were evident in three of four animals from which blood samples were submitted for haematology. At postmortem examination, the kidneys were bilaterally small, pale and firm, with marked fibrosis and sometimes contraction of the capsule. Histologically, affected calves had disorganised atrophic glomeruli, dilatation of tubules, loss of nephrons, areas of undifferentiated mesenchyme and diffuse interstitial and periglomerular fibrosis. There was minimal inflammation. Renal dysplasia and nephrosclerosis is a form of juvenile nephropathy of unknown aetiology that occurs sporadically in calves in the UK.
Developing veterinary education for a safer world
Authors: de Lange Karin
Published: October 2010

A ‘world first’ took place in Paris in October, when a global conference was held to address shortcomings in worldwide veterinary curricula. Organised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the conference proposed new policies for the improvement of initial and continuing veterinary education.
Veterinary profession united
Authors: McKellar Quintin , May Stephen
Published: October 2010

Far from being divided and in decline, as some have suggested, the veterinary profession is united and in ascendancy, argue Quintin McKellar and Stephen May
Exposure to pathogens and incidence of respiratory disease in young bulls on their arrival at fattening operations in France
Authors: Assié S. , Seegers H. , Makoschey B. , Désiré‐Bousquié L. , Bareille N.
Published: October 2010

The incidence of clinical respiratory disease in 698 young beef bulls kept in 68 pens, and their exposure to respiratory pathogens after their arrival at 51 fattening operations in western France were assessed. Antibodies against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV‐1),Mannheimia haemolyticaandMycoplasma boviswere measured by ELISA. The incidence risk of respiratory disease was 18.5 per cent during the first six weeks. Cases occurred in 37 of the 68 pens, and in these pens 30.9 per cent of the bulls were affected. Their exposure to BHV‐1 was very limited. When they arrived a high proportion of the bulls were seropositive toM haemolyticaand a high proportion seroconverted to BRSV,M haemolyticaandM boviswithin the first six weeks. The risk of incidence of respiratory disease was lower in the pens in which the bulls had been vaccinated againstM haemolytica. Higher proportions of the bulls were affected in pens in which small proportions of the bulls were seropositive toM haemolyticaor BRSV on arrival, and in pens in which high proportions of the bulls were exposed toM haemolyticaor BRSV during the first six weeks.
Identification of first‐stage larvae of metastrongyles from dogs
Authors: McGarry J. W. , Morgan E. R.
Published: October 2010

By examining larvae from dogs in which the adult stages had been identified, the morphology of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Filaroides osleri, Filaroides hirthi and Crenosoma vulpis from samples of faeces or bronchoalveolar lavage was compared. The tail morphology of the four species was distinctive: A vasorum had a typical cuticular indentation and projection on the dorsal surface of the tail (referred to as the dorsal notch and dorsal spine, respectively) and a smaller indentation on the ventral surface. The tails of the other species are described. A vasorum was significantly longer (mean [sd] 358·4 μm [10·28], range 334 to 380 μm) than the other species (range 229 to 281 μm).
Response to azolic antifungal agents for treating feline sporotrichosis
Authors: Pereira S. A. , Passos S. R. L. , Silva J. N. , Gremião I. D. F. , Figueiredo F. B. , Teixeira J. L. , Monteiro P. C. F. , Schubach T. M. P.
Published: October 2010

The effectiveness and safety of treatment with ketoconazole and itraconazole were compared in 773 sporotrichosis‐infected cats over a four‐year period (2002 to 2005). Five hundred and ninety‐eight cats received oral ketoconazole and 175 received oral itraconazole. Treatment was successful in 238 (30.8 per cent) cats, of which 171 (28.6 per cent) of 598 received 13.5 to 27.0 mg/kg/day ketoconazole and 67 (38.3 per cent) of 175 received 8.3 to 27.7 mg/kg/day itraconazole. Adverse effects were reported in 306 (39.6 per cent) of the cats, 105 (13.6 per cent) died and 430 (55.6 per cent) dropped out of treatment or were still under treatment at the time of data analysis.
Use of a novel serological test for exposure toStreptococcus equisubspeciesequiin hospitalised horses
Authors: Knowles E. J. , Mair T. S. , Butcher N. , Waller A. S. , Wood J. L. N.
Published: October 2010

Thirty horses with no external signs of strangles were tested for exposure toStreptococcus equisubspeciesequi (S equi) using a new, commercially available serological test. The horses were also tested for persistent carriage ofS equiby endoscopy of the guttural pouches and PCR analysis of lavage samples. The owners were questioned about the recent medical history of the horses. Serology suggested that four horses had been recently exposed toS equi. None of the horses had a known history of strangles but three of the four seropositive horses had recently shown non‐specific signs of respiratory disease. One asymptomatic horse was positive forS equiby PCR, but none had both guttural pouch abnormalities and a positive PCR result. Ten additional horses known to have strangles were all seropositive by the serological test.
Possible pathogenic interplay betweenChlamydia suis, Chlamydophila abortusand PCV‐2 on a pig production farm
Authors: Schautteet K. , Beeckman D. S. A. , Delava P. , Vanrompay D.
Published: October 2010

A concurrent outbreak of chlamydial disease in boars, sows and gilts and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in weaned piglets was investigated on a large pig production farm in Estonia.Chlamydia suisDNA was detected in conjunctival swabs from boars, sows and gilts, but also in the faeces of boars and sows.Chlamydophila abortusDNA was found in semen, and in conjunctival swabs from sows; DNA was demonstrated by microarrays. Serum samples from boars were examined using a Chlamydiaceae‐specific recombinant ELISA. All 10 serum samples examined were positive (1:960 to 1:3840). Chlamydiosis was characterised by reproductive failure and conjunctivitis. Piglets were not examined for Chlamydiaceae, as eye problems were not observed. Piglets showed wasting, respiratory signs, diarrhoea, enlargement of lymph nodes and increased mortality (10 per cent). Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV‐2) was detected in the lymph nodes of piglets by immunohistochemistry, and PCV‐2 antibodies were demonstrated in all 10 serum samples from sows examined using an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay.
Malignant histiocytosis and other causes of death in Bernese mountain dogs in Denmark
Authors: Nielsen L. , Andreasen S. N. , Andersen S. D. , Kristensen A. T.
Published: October 2010

To determine the causes of death in Bernese mountain dogs, to assess the prevalence of malignant histiocytosis in the Danish Bernese mountain dog population, and to assess whether a hereditary pattern for this disease exists, 756 questionnaires were sent to members of the Danish Bernese Mountain Dog Club requesting information regarding the life span and causes of death of their dogs. A response rate of 57.7 per cent was achieved, giving information for 812 dogs, of which 290 had died. The average life span was 7.1 years. The most prevalent causes of death were neoplasia (42.1 per cent), old age (10.3 per cent), kidney disease (6.9 per cent), infection (5.9 per cent), skeletal problems (5.2 per cent), heart disease (3.8 per cent) and behavioural causes (3.5 per cent). Thirteen dogs were diagnosed with malignant histiocytosis, 11 of which were genealogically related.
Urinary catecholamine and metadrenaline to creatinine ratios in dogs with a phaeochromocytoma
Authors: Kook P. H. , Grest P. , Quante S. , Boretti F. S. , Reusch C. E.
Published: October 2010

Urinary adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenaline, dopamine, metadrenaline (metanephrine) and normetadrenaline to creatinine ratios were measured from spot samples of seven client‐owned dogs with a histologically confirmed phaeochromocytoma. Urine was collected on day 0 in the hospital in six dogs, and additionally on days 2, 6 and 7 after discharge in two of these dogs. In one dog, urine was sampled on day 7 only. Samples were also collected from 10 healthy control dogs on days 0, 1 and 7. In dogs with phaeochromocytomas, normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios at all time points ranged from 103 to 6430 nmol/mmol. From day 0, ratios of samples taken at the hospital (range 157 to 925 nmol/mmol) were significantly higher (P<0.0012) compared with control samples (range 14 to 91 nmol/mmol). The highest normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios were found in two dogs with bilateral phaeochromocytomas. Adrenaline:creatinine and noradrenaline:creatinine ratios were also significantly increased (P<0.016) in dogs with a phaeochromocytoma at day 0 compared with controls, although the difference was less pronounced than that between controls and dogs with a phaeochromocytoma for the normetadrenaline:creatinine ratio. Urine normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios may be useful in the diagnosis of canine phaeochromocytomas.
Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral head in two small‐breed dogs
Authors: Bruggeman M. , Van Vynckt D. , Van Ryssen B. , Bolln G. , Chiers K. , Gielen I. , de Rooster H.
Published: October 2010

Shoulder pathology consistent with osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral head was diagnosed in two small‐breed dogs. In both cases, the diagnosis was made tentatively on the basis of radiography and confirmed by arthroscopy of the affected shoulder joint. Both dogs were successfully treated by surgical removal of a flap of cartilage from the affected area. Clinical and radiographic follow‐up was available in both cases. The excised cartilage flaps were examined histopathologically and showed the same characteristics as cartilage flaps from dogs of large breeds prone to developing osteochondritis dissecans of the shoulder.
Data from the Danish Veterinary Cancer Registry on the occurrence and distribution of neoplasms in dogs in Denmark
Authors: Brønden L. B. , Nielsen S. S. , Toft N. , Kristensen A. T.
Published: October 2010

From May 15, 2005 to April 15, 2008, 1878 cases of neoplasms in dogs were reported to the web‐based Danish Veterinary Cancer Registry. The proportions of malignant (38 per cent) and benign (45 per cent) tumours were similar. The most common malignant neoplasms were adenocarcinomas (21 per cent), mast cell tumours (19 per cent) and lymphomas (17 per cent). The benign neoplasms most commonly encountered were lipomas (24 per cent), adenomas (22 per cent) and histiocytomas (14 per cent). Skin (43 per cent) and the female reproductive system including mammary tissue (28 per cent) were the most common locations of neoplasia. There was a distinct breed predisposition for tumour development, with a high standard morbidity ratio (indicating a higher risk of cancer) for boxers and Bernese mountain dogs. A standard morbidity ratio below 1 was observed in German shepherd dogs and Danish/Swedish farm dogs, suggesting a lower risk of cancer in these breeds.
New aspects of hereditary ataxia in smooth‐haired fox terriers
Authors: Rohdin C. , Lüdtke L. , Wohlsein P. , Hultin Jäderlund K.
Published: October 2010

Hereditary ataxia was diagnosed in three smooth‐haired fox terrier puppies from Sweden, 25 years after the previous known case in the breed. In addition to the characteristic spinal cord pathology, brain involvement was evident clinically, in the form of behavioural changes and bilaterally decreased menace responses, and histopathologically, with degenerative changes in the brainstem. The striking similarities to hereditary ataxia in the Jack Russell terrier suggest the same disease process in both breeds. A common ancestor, a female dog born in 1951 and considered a carrier of the disease at that time, was found in both the maternal and paternal lines of the three puppies.
Dystocia in Formosan sambar deer (Cervus unicolor swinhoei) in semi‐domesticated herds
Authors: Su N‐Y. , Hsu T‐H. , Tung K‐C. , Tsai H‐Y. , Chan J. P‐W.
Published: October 2010

Over a nine‐year period (2000 to 2008), 22 instances of dystocia and 50 normal fawnings in Formosan sambar deer (Cervus unicolor swinhoei) hinds from semi‐domesticated herds were investigated. The majority of the hinds (17, 77.3 per cent) that suffered dystocia were categorised as having a body condition score (BCS) in the medium range (between 2.5 and 3.5 inclusive), indicating that there was no significant relationship between obesity (BCS >3.5) in hinds and the occurrence of dystocia. In addition, maternal body condition had no effect on the birthweight of the offspring. Among the 22 instances of dystocia, 16 of the fawns (72.7 per cent) did not survive; one of these deaths was anteparturient and the other 15 were parturient. Eighteen (81.8 per cent) of the cases of dystocia involved male fawns, and 15 (93.8 per cent) of the deaths were of male fawns (P=0.044). Nine (40.9 per cent) of the instances of dystocia resulted from maternal excitement, mainly attributable to disturbances caused by human beings. In 12 of the cases that resulted in the death of the fawn, the request for veterinary assistance had been delayed at least one day. There were six cases in which the fawns survived; these were the ones that had received assistance within six hours after the onset of parturition.
Progesterone receptor gene expression in the accessory sex glands of veal calves
Authors: De Maria R. , Divari S. , Spada F. , Oggero C. , Mulasso C. , Maniscalco L. , Cannizzo F. T. , Bianchi M. , Barbarino G. , Brina N. , Biolatti B.
Published: October 2010

This study investigated progesterone receptor (PR) cDNA expression in the testes, prostate and bulbourethral glands of prepubertal calves treated experimentally with high and low doses of 17β‐oestradiol and with testosterone. Tissue samples were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for PR. Western blot analysis and quantitative PCR against PR was performed on cDNA and protein extracted from the same tissues. Bulbourethral glands from animals treated with low and high dosages of 17β‐oestradiol had 39‐ and 429‐fold increases of PR transcript, respectively, compared with controls. In the prostate there were 7.5‐ and 16‐fold increases, respectively. Animals treated with testosterone showed no increases in PR transcript. The results demonstrate that 17β‐oestradiol specifically induces marked overexpression of the PR gene and protein, particularly in the bulbourethral gland.
Foot‐and‐mouth disease viral loads in pigs in the early, acute stage of disease
Authors: Murphy C. , Bashiruddin J. B. , Quan M. , Zhang Z. , Alexandersen S.
Published: October 2010

The progress and pathogenesis of foot‐and‐mouth disease virus (FMDV) was studied in infected pigs by observing the development of clinical signs in two separate experiments. Viral loads were determined by real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR in the liver, spleen, cervical lymph node, mandibular lymph node, retropharyngeal lymph node, soft palate, pharynx, tonsil, tongue and skin (coronary band area). Tissue samples were collected from both inoculated and contact‐infected pigs at several time points during infection, and blood samples were collected to assess viraemia and its relationship to tissue viral load. Virus first appeared in the lymph nodes, followed by viraemia and then clinical signs. The results suggested that FMDV accumulated in lymphoid tissue up to six hours after infection, in the tissues drained by the mandibular lymph node and tonsil and then disseminated throughout the body where epithelial cells were the favoured sites of replication.
Predisposition to repeat breeding in UK cattle and success of artificial insemination alone or in combination with embryo transfer
Authors: Canu S. , Boland M. , Lloyd G. M. , Newman M. , Christie M. F. , May P. J. , Christley R. M. , Smith R. F. , Dobson H.
Published: October 2010

To investigate whether there was a subpopulation of repeat breeders (cows or heifers that returned to oestrus after three inseminations) that were less fertile after a fourth artificial insemination (AI) with or without additional embryo transfer, and to estimate the efficacy of AI plus embryo transfer to overcome repeat breeding problems, a two‐part investigation was carried out. Part 1 involved 85 repeat breeders and 85 controls subjected to AI alone. In part 2, 128 repeat breeders received AI on day 0 plus an embryo transfer seven days later, while controls received embryo transfer alone on day 7. In repeat breeders, the interval between calving and pregnancy was 80 days longer than in the controls (P=0.01), irrespective of previous fertility treatment which had mainly focused on the ovaries. The incidence of dystocia was similar in repeat breeders and in controls, but repeat breeders had a higher previous incidence of moderate uterine infection compared with controls (P=0.04). In repeat breeder cows, pregnancy rates for AI alone were 30 per cent after the fourth AI (controls: 45 to 64 per cent after one to three inseminations) compared with 52.6 per cent after a fourth AI with embryo transfer (controls with embryo transfer alone: 49 per cent). Successful pregnancies after a fourth AI plus embryo transfer produced a 6.25 per cent incidence of twins.
Comparison of anaesthetic and cardiorespiratory effects of xylazine or medetomidine in combination with tiletamine/zolazepam in pigs
Authors: Lee J. Y. , Jee H. C. , Jeong S. M. , Park C. S. , Kim M. C.
Published: October 2010

Two different combinations of anaesthetics were evaluated and compared in a prospective randomised crossover experimental study in pigs. One of the two combinations was administered intramuscularly to each of six Landrace x Yorkshire mixed‐breed pigs. The combinations were: 2.2 mg/kg xylazine and 4.4 mg/kg tiletamine/zolazepam (2.2 mg/kg tiletamine plus 2.2 mg/kg zolazepam) (XTZ); and 0.04 mg/kg medetomidine and 4.4 mg/kg tiletamine/zolazepam (MTZ). The anaesthesia and recovery times, score for anaesthetic effect and cardiopulmonary parameters were recorded for each pig. Anaesthesia was successfully induced in all of the pigs. Both drug combinations provided smooth induction and good immobilisation, and their anaesthetic effects were similar. In both treatment groups, the mean heart rate decreased significantly five minutes after the drugs were administered and remained consistent for 70 minutes, with no significant difference between the XTZ and MTZ groups. However, there were differences in cardiopulmonary effects between the groups. The arterial pressure was significantly higher in the MTZ group than in the XTZ group. The initial hypertension associated with medetomidine was more marked than the initial hypertension associated with xylazine. Arterial oxygen partial pressure and arterial oxygen saturation decreased significantly from baseline in both groups. The respiratory rates and levels of blood gases were similar in both groups. Hypoventilation and hypoxaemia were observed in both groups. The scores for anaesthetic effect, induction time, anaesthesia time and recovery times were similar in the two groups.
Modifications of some acute phase proteins and the white blood cell count in thoroughbreds during training
Authors: Fazio F. , Assenza A. , Tosto F. , Casella S. , Piccione G. , Caola G.
Published: October 2010

The concentrations of plasma fibrinogen and serum haptoglobin and the white blood cell count (WBC) were assessed in 17 thoroughbreds. All horses were trained for 80 days, six days a week, with one day of rest per week. Blood samples were collected from each animal by jugular venepuncture, at 06.00, every 20 days for a period of 80 days, and the fibrinogen and haptoglobin concentrations and WBC were determined. One‐way repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by the Bonferroni test, was used to determine significant differences. Training was associated with a significant increase in the concentrations of plasma fibrinogen (Plt;0.01) and serum haptoglobin (Plt;0.0005), but had no significant effect on the WBC count.
Comparison of a PCR assay in whole blood and serum specimens for canine brucellosis diagnosis
Authors: Keid L. B. , Soares R. M. , Vasconcellos S. A. , Salgado V. R. , Megid J. , Richtzenhain L. J.
Published: October 2010

The performance of a serum PCR assay was compared with that of a blood PCR assay for the diagnosis of canine brucellosis caused by Brucella canis in 72 dogs. The dogs were classified into three groups (infected, non‐infected and suspected brucellosis) according to the results of blood culture and serological tests. The sensitivities of blood PCR and serum PCR were, respectively, 97.14 per cent and 25.71 per cent. The specificities of both were 100 per cent. In the group of dogs with suspected brucellosis, three were positive by blood PCR and none was positive by serum PCR. Serum PCR showed little value for the direct diagnosis of canine brucellosis as the assay had low diagnostic sensitivity and fewer positive dogs were detected by this test than by blood culture, blood PCR, rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT) and RSAT with 2‐mercaptoethanol.
Risk factors for culling in Holstein‐Friesian dairy cows
Authors: Bell M. J. , Wall E. , Russell G. , Roberts D. J. , Simm G.
Published: October 2010

Risk factors associated with voluntary and involuntary culling within a Holstein‐Friesian dairy cow research herd were identified. Data were studied from 3498 completed lactations from the Langhill Holstein‐Friesian dairy herd between January 1990 and June 2008. During this period the cows were based on two different farms in Scotland. The culling rate of the milking herd was approximately 25 per cent per annum. Approximately 68 per cent of cows culled were classified as involuntary. The association between different risk factors and the incidence of culling was investigated using a general linear mixed model. Of the 838 cows culled, 59 per cent were culled before the fourth lactation. Culling was associated with cows that had an assisted calving (P<0.01), aborted (P<0.01) and/or suffered from mastitis (P<0.05). Cows that were culled were also more likely to be older cows (P<0.01), have a low number of milking days (P<0.001) and/or a greater number of days from calving to conception (P<0.01). Culling was also associated with conception failure (r=0.752, P<0.001). Further work might help reduce the number of animals culled involuntarily, by identifying key factors associated with the incidence of an assisted calving, abortion and mastitis, and improving milking and fertility performance using detailed data from the Langhill herd.
Effect of diet on plasma tryptophan and serotonin in trained mares and geldings
Authors: Alberghina D. , Giannetto C. , Visser E. K. , Ellis A. D.
Published: October 2010

Concentrations of tryptophan (TRP) and serotonin (5‐HT) in plasma were measured in 36 moderately trained Dutch warmblood horses after eight weeks on a high fibre (n=18) or high starch (n=18) diet. Samples were taken three hours after feeding, when the horse was at rest, either at 11.00 or 14.00 hours. Plasma 5‐HT and pH were significantly higher in horses fed a high fibre diet than those fed a high starch diet (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), and significantly higher levels of TRP were found in mares than geldings (P<0.05). Plasma 5‐HT may therefore be a good marker of serotonergic activity.
International disease monitoring, October to December 2009
Authors: Sabirovic M. , Roberts H. , Lopez M. , Hancock R.
Published: October 2010

African swine fever outbreaks in the Caucasus region, and one in the Leningrad region

Bluetongue virus serotype 4 (BTV‐4) outbreaks in Morocco and Tunisia pose a threat to Spain and Portugal

Feral pigeon with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in Russia

Rift Valley fever in South Africa

Continuing spread of West Nile virus in Italy

These are among matters discussed in the international disease monitoring report for October to December 2009, prepared by Defra's Food and Farming Group, Global Animal Health
Lives worth living?
Authors: Wathes Christopher
Published: October 2010

To date, animal welfare measures have focused primarily on the avoidance of cruelty and the provision of basic needs. Christopher Wathes, chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council, argues that it is important to take animals’ positive experiences into account as well
Oral rehydration: measuring what matters
Authors: Michell A. R.
Published: October 2010

Progress in veterinary medicine is usually driven by advances originating from the much larger biomedical research community. However, the reverse can also be true, and this needs to be more widely acknowledged, argues Bob Michell, who discusses oral rehydration as an example
GENERATIVE CAPACITY OF SUBREGULARLY TREE CONTROLLED GRAMMARS
Authors: DASSOW JÜRGEN , STIEBE RALF , TRUTHE BIANCA
Published: October 2010

Tree controlled grammars are context-free grammars where the associated language only contains those terminal words which have a derivation where the word of any level of the corresponding derivation tree belongs to a given regular language. We present some results on the power of such grammars where we restrict the regular languages to some known subclasses of the family of regular languages.
LITERALLY IDEMPOTENT LANGUAGES AND THEIR VARIETIES — TWO LETTER CASE
Authors: KLÍMA ONDŘEJ , POLÁK LIBOR
Published: October 2010

A language L ⊆ A* is literally idempotent in case that ua2v ∈ L if and only if uav ∈ L, for each u, v ∈ A*, a ∈ A. We already studied classes of such languages closely related to the (positive) varieties of the famous Straubing-Thérien hierarchy. In the present paper we start a systematic study of literal varieties of literally idempotent languages, namely we deal with the case of two letter alphabet. First, we consider natural canonical expressions for such languages. Secondly, we describe all possible classes of the form [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a literal variety of literally idempotent languages. At the end we consider also positive literal varieties of literally idempotent languages.
ON STATELESS TWO-PUSHDOWN AUTOMATA AND RESTARTING AUTOMATA
Authors: KUTRIB MARTIN , MESSERSCHMIDT HARTMUT , OTTO FRIEDRICH
Published: October 2010

Restarting automata and two-pushdown automata are investigated that have a single internal state only. As such an automaton must always stay in the same state, this state is of no importance for the behaviour of the automaton. Accordingly, these automata are called stateless. We consider various types of stateless two-pushdown automata and restarting automata. We investigate their expressive power, comparing them in particular to each other and to the corresponding types of automata with states.
Automatic feedback-directed object fusing
Authors: Wimmer Christian , Mössenbösck Hanspeter
Published: October 2010

Object fusing is an optimization that embeds certain referenced objects into their referencing object. The order of objects on the heap is changed in such a way that objects that are accessed together are placed next to each other in memory. Their offset is then fixed, that is, the objects are colocated, allowing field loads to be replaced by address arithmetic. Array fusing specifically optimizes arrays, which are frequently used for the implementation of dynamic data structures. Therefore, the length of arrays often varies, and fields referencing such arrays have to be changed. An efficient code pattern detects these changes and allows the optimized access of such fields.

We integrated these optimizations into Sun Microsystems' Java HotSpot™ VM. The analysis is performed automatically at runtime, requires no actions on the part of the programmer, and supports dynamic class loading. To safely eliminate a field load, the colocation of the object that holds the field and the object that is referenced by the field must be guaranteed. Two preconditions must be satisfied: The objects must be allocated at the same time, and the field must not be overwritten later. These preconditions are checked by the just-in-time compiler to avoid an interprocedural data flow analysis. The garbage collector ensures that groups of colocated objects are not split by copying groups as a whole. The evaluation shows that the dynamic approach successfully identifies and optimizes frequently accessed fields for several benchmarks with a low compilation and analysis overhead. It leads to a speedup of up to 76% for simple benchmarks and up to 6% for complex workloads.