bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral selamectin in the treatment of canine generalised demodicosis
Authors: Schnabl B. , Bettenay S. , Glos N. , Linek M. , Loewenstein C. , Mueller R. S.
Published: October 2010

The success rates and adverse effects of a selamectin spot‐on preparation, given orally weekly or every other week, against canine generalised demodicosis were evaluated in 44 dogs, 39 with juvenile‐onset demodicosis and five with adult‐onset demodicosis. The dogs received selamectin at a dose of 24 to 48 mg/kg once a week, or the same dose every two weeks. Thirty‐eight dogs completed the study, four dogs were lost to follow‐up and two dogs died. Nine dogs went into remission: all had the juvenile‐onset form of the disease. There was no difference between the two treatment groups, but dogs with clinical scores of 65 or less responded significantly better than those with a score of over 65 (P=0.0015). The most frequent adverse effects were vomiting and diarrhoea. Two dogs exhibited mild reversible neurological side effects, which resolved with cessation of treatment. Difficulties in oral administration were observed in several dogs.
Salmonellosis in garden birds in Scotland, 1995 to 2008: geographic region, Salmonella enterica phage type and bird species
Authors: Pennycott T. W. , Mather H. A. , Bennett G. , Foster G.
Published: October 2010

Salmonellosis was diagnosed in garden birds from 198 incidents in Scotland between September 1995 and August 2008. Salmonellosis was essentially a disease of finches in the north of Scotland, but in the south of Scotland it was also a problem in house sparrows. Almost all of the incidents were caused by Salmonella Typhimurium phage types 40 or 56/variant, but regional variation in phage types was observed. In the north of Scotland, one phage type (DT 40) predominated, but in the south of Scotland two phage types were commonly isolated (DTs 40 and 56/variant, with the latter the more common of the two phage types). This regional difference was statistically significant for salmonellosis in greenfinches, chaffinches and ‘other garden birds’, but not for house sparrows. Different temporal patterns for different species of bird and different phage types were also observed within regions. These findings suggest that the epidemiology of salmonellosis in garden birds varies depending on the phage type of Salmonella and the species of garden bird, with additional regional differences depending on the wild bird populations and the phage types of Salmonella in circulation. An awareness of these differences will help when formulating guidelines aimed at reducing the impact of salmonellosis in garden birds.
Infectious canine hepatitis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the United Kingdom
Authors: Thompson H. , O'Keeffe A. M. , Lewis J. C. M. , Stocker L. R. , Laurenson M. K. , Philbey A. W.
Published: October 2010

The pathological findings are described in three cases of infectious canine hepatitis in free‐ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in England. The foxes died after short periods of clinical illness. Mild jaundice and hepatic congestion were evident grossly. On histopathological examination, intranuclear inclusion bodies were visible in hepatocytes, in association with hepatocyte dissociation and necrosis, as well as in renal glomeruli, renal tubular epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells. Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV‐1) was isolated from all three foxes. In a serological study, antibodies to CAV‐1 were detected in tissue fluid extracts taken from 11 of 58 (19 per cent) frozen red fox carcases from England and Scotland.
Effects of adding butorphanol to a balanced anaesthesia protocol during arthroscopic surgery in horses
Authors: Caure S. , Cousty M. , Tricaud C.
Published: October 2010

Three groups of horses scheduled for arthroscopic surgery were premedicated with 0.025 mg/kg acepromazine, 88 μg/kg romifidine and 25 mg/kg guaifenesin, and anaesthesia was induced with 2.2 mg/kg ketamine. In group 1 (14 horses), anaesthesia was maintained by halothane vaporised in oxygen, with supplementary doses of 20 μg/kgromifidine and 0.5 mg/kg ketamine every 20 minutes. The 17 horses in group 2 were maintained as for group 1; however, an additional dose of 0.05 mg/kg butorphanol was administered before the first incision. The 14 horses in group 3 were maintained as for group 2, except that the dose of romifidine was halved to 10 μg/kg. The mean (sd) dose of vaporised halothane (6.5 [1.1], 4.8 [1.3] and 4.8 [1.3] μl/kg/minute, for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively), vaporiser dial setting (2.3 [0.2], 1.6 [0.4] and 1.3 [0.1] per cent) and dose of dobutamine administered to correct episodes of hypotension (0.16 [0.08], 0.07 [0.09] and 0.0 [0.0] μg/ kg/minute) were all significantly lower in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly higher in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (71 [3], 74 [5] and 80 [5] mmHg, for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively).
Clinical aspects of multinodular pulmonary fibrosis in two warmblood horses
Authors: Niedermaier G. , Poth T. , Gehlen H.
Published: October 2010

Two warmblood horses with a history of chronic weight loss and inappetence were referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich, Germany, for further examination. The clinical signs in horse 1 were fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and chronic ulcerative keratopathy of both eyes. Horse 2 had severe oral ulcerations and was coughing during feeding. In both horses, increased bronchovesicular sounds were heard during auscultation of the lungs. Laboratory findings included mild anaemia, lymphopenia and hypoalbuminaemia. Radiographic examination of the thorax revealed a severe nodular interstitial pattern. Multiple nodular lesions on the surface of the lung were observed by ultrasonographic examination. Light microscopy of lung biopsy specimens obtained from horse 1 revealed a severe chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia. Both horses were eventually euthanased because of a poor prognosis. Postmortem examination confirmed severe multinodular fibrosing interstitial pneumonia in both horses, and lung tissue yielded positive results for equine herpesvirus type 5 DNA using PCR assay. On the basis of the clinical, radiographic and pathological findings, as well as the PCR results, the diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis was established.
Effects of short‐term oral administration of trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole on Schirmer II tear test results in clinically normal rabbits
Authors: Shirani D. , Selk Ghaffari M. , Akbarein H. , Haji Ali Asgari A.
Published: October 2010

Fifteen New Zealand white rabbits were used in a study to determine whether oral administration of trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole affects the rate of tear secretion in healthy rabbits. Ten rabbits received 40 mg/kg trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole orally twice a day for 14 days; the other five rabbits were used as a control group and received a placebo during the study. The Schirmer II tear test (STT‐II) was performed in both groups during administration of the drugs or placebo on the first, third, seventh and 14th days. Significant decreases in STT‐II values were observed in the treatment group on the 14th day of the study in comparison with baseline values (P<0.001).
Views on euthanasia and the rehoming of dogs in Norway and Iceland
Authors: Lund H. S. , Eggertsson S. , Grøndahl A. M. , Eggertsdóttir A. V.
Published: October 2010

According to several previously published studies, large populations of dogs are sent to animal shelters in the UK and USA each year, and estimates indicate that a substantial percentage of the dogs in such shelters are euthanased annually. However, anecdotal evidence indicates a different situation in Norway and Iceland. This study explores the attitudes toward euthanasia of dogs in Norway and Iceland, and investigates the practice of rehoming of dogs in the two countries. A general reluctance toward euthanasia of dogs was expressed, and participants stressed the need to consider alternatives such as rehoming. Rehoming of dogs was found to be negligible in Norway relative to international trends, and less than 10 per cent of the dogs assigned for rehoming were euthanased. In Iceland, the rehoming of dogs is yet to reach levels that necessitate the setting up of animal shelters. There is, nevertheless, reason to continue to explore the attitudes toward euthanasia and rehoming of dogs in Norway and Iceland, because there is a lack of statistical data on the reasons behind the owners’ decisions to give away or euthanase their dogs.
Risk factors for tail injuries in dogs in Great Britain
Authors: Diesel G. , Pfeiffer D. , Crispin S. , Brodbelt D.
Published: October 2010

The aim of the current study was to quantify the risk of tail injury, to evaluate the extent to which tail docking reduces this risk, and to identify other major risk factors for tail injury in dogs in Great Britain. A nested case‐control study was conducted during 2008 and 2009. Data were obtained from a stratified random sample of veterinary practices throughout Great Britain, and questionnaires were sent to owners of dogs with tail injuries and owners of a randomly selected sample of dogs without tail injuries. The risks of injury were reported adjusting for the sampling approach, and mixed effects logistic regression was used to develop a multivariable model for risk factors associated with tail injury. Two hundred and eighty‐one tail injuries were recorded from a population of 138,212 dogs attending 52 participating practices. The weighted risk of tail injuries was 0.23 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 0.20 to 0.25 per cent). Thirty‐six per cent of injuries were reportedly related to injuries sustained in the home, 17.5 per cent were outdoor‐related injuries, 14.4 per cent were due to the tail being caught in a door, for 16.5 per cent the cause was unknown and the remainder were due to other causes. Dogs with a wide angle of wag and dogs kept in kennels were at significantly higher risk of sustaining a tail injury. Dogs with docked tails were significantly less likely to sustain a tail injury; however, approximately 500 dogs would need to be docked in order to prevent one tail injury. English springer spaniels, cocker spaniels, greyhounds, lurchers and whippets were all at significantly higher risk when compared to labradors and other retrievers. Differences between countries (England, Scotland and Wales) and between rural and urban environments were not significant.
Detection of avian metapneumovirus subtypes in turkeys using RT‐PCR
Authors: Ongor H. , Karahan M. , Kalin R. , Bulut H. , Cetinkaya B.
Published: October 2010

This study investigated the prevalence of avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) and the detection of molecular subtypes of field strains of the virus using RT‐PCR in clinically healthy turkeys and those showing signs of respiratory disease. In the RT‐PCR examination of 624 tracheal tissue samples collected from a local turkey abattoir, 2.9 per cent (18/624) of samples tested positive. In the examination of tracheal swab samples collected from flocks with respiratory problems, 18 of 20 samples tested positive. When the results were assessed at flock level, aMPV infection was detected in only one of the 23 clinically healthy turkey flocks, whereas all four flocks with respiratory problems were infected. Molecular typing using primers specific to the attachment glycoprotein (G) gene showed that all 36 positive samples belonged to subtype B. Partial sequence analysis of DNA samples showed 95 per cent homology between the field types and the reference strain aMPV subtype B. Whereas clinically healthy turkeys had been vaccinated with a subtype A virus vaccine, the flocks with respiratory problems had been vaccinated with a subtype B virus vaccine. Despite four blind passages of RT‐PCRpositive samples on Vero and chicken embryo fibroblast cells, no cytopathic effect was detected by microscopic examination.
Surveillance turns to wildlife
Authors: Duff J. P. , Holmes J. P. , Barlow A. M.
Published: October 2010

Wildlife is highly valued, and a source of interest and enjoyment for many people, but wildlife disease is a cause for concern. Identifying and investigating pathogens harboured by wild species is no easy task. Paul Duff and colleagues from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) discuss why surveillance for wildlife diseases is important, and how it is being approached in the UK
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy as a cause of unexpected cardiac death in two horses
Authors: Freel K. M. , Morrison L. R. , Thompson H. , Else R. W.
Published: October 2010

Postmortem and histological examination of the hearts from two horses, a five‐yearold Clydesdale gelding and a 15‐year‐old cob gelding, revealed changes characteristic of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In both cases, on gross examination, the right ventricular endocardium and interventricular septum were almost entirely replaced with a gelatinous yellow fibroareolar tissue. This tissue was histologically a combination of fibrous and adipose tissue that had replaced the normal myofibres and disrupted the Purkinje fibres.
Epidemiology of canine parvovirus and coronavirus in dogs presented with severe diarrhoea to PDSA PetAid hospitals
Authors: Godsall S. A. , Clegg S. R. , Stavisky J. H. , Radford A. D. , Pinchbeck G.
Published: October 2010

Canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine enteric coronavirus (CECoV) are often cited as causes of diarrhoea in dogs. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of CPV and CECoV in dogs presenting with severe diarrhoea to PDSA PetAid hospitals throughout the UK. A total of 355 samples were collected from the PDSA between 2006 and 2008. All samples were tested for CPV using a long range PCR and for CECoV using RT‐PCR. The prevalence of CPV was 58 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 52 to 63 per cent), with some evidence for regional variation. The prevalence of CECoV was 7.9 per cent (95 per cent CI 5.1 to 10.7 per cent). Analysis showed that animals with no history of vaccination were more likely to be CPV positive, with greatest effect in younger animals. CPV‐positive animals were more likely to present with depression/lethargy than CPV‐negative cases. The volume of diarrhoea and the presence of haemorrhage did not appear to be associated with the likelihood of detecting CPV. This study shows that CPV is a common finding in dogs presenting to PDSA hospitals with severe diarrhoea, and that CECoV is a less common but still potentially important pathogen. It also confirms that young and unvaccinated animals appear to be more at risk of presenting with CPV.
Severity and outcome of equine pasture‐associated laminitis managed in first opinion practice in the UK
Authors: Menzies‐Gow N. J. , Stevens K. , Barr A. , Camm I. , Pfeiffer D. , Marr C. M.
Published: October 2010

Data from 107 cases of pasture‐associated laminitis were obtained from first opinion practices to study factors associated with severity, survival and return to ridden exercise. There were 43 mares and 64 geldings, with a median age of 11 years. Of the 107 animals, 33 were small ponies, 45 were large ponies/cobs, 17 were small horses and 12 were large horses. Ninety‐seven animals were categorised as having laminitis as defined by Cripps and Eustace 1999): 76 had mild (Obel grade 1 or 2) laminitis and 31 had severe (Obel grade 3 or 4) laminitis. Forty‐three animals had previously had laminitis, and were significantly less likely (P=0.02) to have severe laminitis than those that had not. Eighty‐nine animals were overweight, and there was a trend (P=0.09) towards severe laminitis cases having a higher body mass index. Eight weeks after disease onset, 102 animals were alive. Lower bodyweight, optimal body condition, mild laminitis and category of acute/chronic founder as defined by Cripps and Eustace (1999) were significantly associated with survival. There was a trend (P=0.06) towards treatment with acepromazine being associated with survival. Of the 81 animals that were used for riding, 48 were being ridden again; this was 2.6 times more likely in animals without previous laminitis. The clinical outcome was judged by a panel of three veterinarians as ‘good’ in 77 of 107 of cases. Clinical outcome was significantly associated (P=0.03) with horse type: the outcome was ‘bad’ in none of the small horses, compared with 15 of 45 large ponies/cobs, 11 of 33 small ponies and three of 12 large horses.
Skin injuries identified in cattle and water buffaloes at livestock markets in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam M. R. , Gregory N. G. , Jabbar M. A. , Uddin M. S. , Kibria A. S. M. G. , Silva‐Fletcher A.
Published: October 2010

Skin injuries were assessed in 560 imported and local cattle and water buffaloes at two livestock markets in Bangladesh. The body of each animal was divided into 11 anatomical regions, and abrasions, lacerations, penetrations, ulcerations, bleeding, swelling, hyperkeratosis and scars were recorded for each region. Among the 560 animals studied, 501 were found to have at least one injury. The prevalence of skin injuries was 89 per cent, with 84 per cent of the cattle and 99 per cent of the water buffaloes having obvious skin injuries. The most common types of injury were abrasions that were found in 73 per cent of the animals, followed by scars (50 per cent), and lacerations (41 per cent). Buffaloes had more abrasions (95 per cent), lacerations (57 per cent), swelling (15 per cent) and hyperkeratosis (32 per cent) compared with cattle, whereas scars (60 per cent) were more common in cattle (P<0.001). Within the 11 different anatomical regions, all types of injuries were present but in different proportions. The buttock region had a higher proportion of abrasions (36 per cent) followed by the hip, hindlimb and back regions. Penetration, ulceration, bleeding and swelling were present at lower frequencies in all regions. Causes for these injuries included rubbing against the inside wall of vehicles used for transportation and stock‐handler abuse (59 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively). Buffaloes sustained more transport injuries than cattle, and the number of injuries was higher in imported than local animals.
Thymus atrophy and regeneration following dexamethasone administration to beef cattle
Authors: Cannizzo F. T. , Spada F. , Benevelli R. , Nebbia C. , Giorgi P. , Brina N. , Bollo E. , Biolatti B.
Published: October 2010

Thymus atrophy and regeneration were studied in 13‐ to 22‐month‐old beef calves treated with dexamethasone (DMT), using anabolic dosages and implementing different withdrawal times. Two trials were conducted. In trial 1, group A (n=6) received 0.7 mg/day DMT orally for 40 days, group B (n=6) received 1.4 mg/day orally for 40 days and group C (n=6) was the control. In trial 2, group D (n=6) received 0.7 mg/day DMT orally for 40 days, group E (n=6) received 1.4 mg/day orally for 40 days and group K (n=6) was the control. DMT withdrawal times before slaughter were six days (groups A and B) and 26 days (groups D and E). At slaughter, thymus atrophy was severe and progressive in animals from groups A and B. In contrast, thymus weight and volume of the animals from groups D and E were almost normal. Slight atrophy was also detected in the calves in these groups. Histological changes and Ki67 immunostaining revealed a large number of positive lymphoid cells, mostly in the cortical area, associated with higher expression of apoptosis in the medulla compared with controls. This demonstrated that the thymus of beef cattle is still able to regenerate following DMT administration.
Comparison of toltrazuril and sulphadimethoxine in the treatment of intestinal coccidiosis in pet rabbits
Authors: Redrobe S. P. , Gakos G. , Elliot S. C. , Saunders R. , Martin S. , Morgan E. R.
Published: October 2010

Treatment of intestinal coccidiosis was studied in domestic pet rabbits. In 45 rabbits aged four months or more, coccidial oocysts were observed in the faeces of 35 rabbits at a mean density of 806 opg (range 50 to 6800 opg). Eimeria magna was the dominant species, with Eimeria media and Eimeria intestinalis also being common. The presence of the hepatic species Eimeria stiedae was not recorded. A single oral dose of 2.5 mg/kg or 5.0 mg/kg toltrazuril, or a single oral dose of 50 mg/kg sulphadimethoxine followed by its inclusion in drinking water at 1 g/4 l for nine days, were all found to significantly reduce the faecal oocyst count by 73 to 99 per cent. The extent of oocyst reduction in the faeces was not dependent on the dose of toltrazuril. Oocyst counts began to rise again in the days after treatment ceased.
Genetic diversity amongCampylobacter jejuniisolates from pets in Ireland
Authors: Acke E. , McGill K. , Lawlor A. , Jones B. R. , Fanning S. , Whyte P.
Published: October 2010

Campylobacter jejuniisolates obtained from pets housed in shelters and in private households were subtyped byflatyping (usingDdeI andHinfI restriction enzymes) and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) techniques. Compositeflacluster analysis on 78C jejuniisolates was more discriminative than either singleflatyping technique with 39.7 per cent single isolate patterns. PFGE on 52C jejuniisolates revealed 53.8 per cent single isolate patterns and was the most discriminative method applied. A database ofC jejunisubtyping profiles from pets in Ireland was assembled. The presence of genetic heterogeneity detected in theC jejunisubtypes suggests that pets can acquire the organisms from multiple potential sources. In addition, heterogeneity was detected in theC jejunisubtypes obtained by different culture methods within the same pet. There was a link between isolates from dogs in close contact in the same environment, confirming that this is a potential route of infection, and clusters were detected containing both cat and dogC jejuniisolates, suggesting possible interspecies transmission.
A public or private profession?
Authors: Lowe Philip
Published: October 2010

As the trend continues for veterinary practices to concentrate their services more on pet owners than the food industry, Philip Lowe asks whether vets run the risk of forfeiting their input into UK policy development and being branded as ‘just another private sector service industry’
Repeatability and reproducibility of the Obel grading system for equine laminitis
Authors: Menzies‐Gow N. J. , Stevens K. B. , Sepulveda M. F. , Jarvis N. , Marr C. M.
Published: October 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate both the repeatability (intraobserver agreement) and reproducibility (interobserver agreement) of Obel grading, the most widely accepted method for describing the severity of equine laminitis. The study comprised two parts. In study A, to test intraobserver agreement, 25 ponies were graded twice by a single blinded experienced equine veterinary surgeon, on the first occasion via clinical examination and on the second occasion via a video recording of the initial clinical examination. In study B, to test interobserver agreement, video recordings of 13 ponies were graded independently by 58 blinded experienced equine veterinary surgeons. A weighted kappa (κw) statistic was used to determine the measure of agreement between gradings. Intraobserver agreement of Obel grading was shown to be moderate (κw=0.54), and interobserver agreement was found to be substantial (κw=0.65). In addition, intraobserver agreement improved from moderate to substantial (κwincreased from 0.54 to 0.70) when the Obel grades were grouped and horses were categorised as either sound, or as having mild (grade 1 or 2) or severe (grade 3 or 4) lameness.
Height measurement in horses and ponies: optimising standard protocols
Authors: Curtis G. C. , Grove‐White D. , Ellis R. N. W. , Argo C. M.
Published: October 2010

Standard and modified measuring sticks were used to record height at the withers and a ‘non‐contact’ laser was used to measure withers and loin heights. Sixty horses and ponies, ranging in height (115 to 155 cm) and body condition score (BCS) (moderate to obese) were measured by each method at 10‐minute intervals for 40 minutes. Measurement series were repeated over three successive days. Unique regression models were constructed for method‐specific data. Coefficients of variation were similar for stick and laser methods (0.002 to 0.004 per cent). Models were not influenced by day of measurement or BCS. Withers height decreased significantly (0.48 cm, 95 per cent confidence intervals ‐0.61 to ‐0.36 cm, P<0.001) over the first 20 minutes. In living animals, laser‐derived measurements of withers height at T20 exceeded stick measurements by approximately 1 cm (P<0.001). Loin height remained similar across time. Some alteration in relaxed withers height is an inevitable consequence of changes in muscle tone at the scapulothoracic synsarcosis.
Use of liquid carbon dioxide for whole‐house gassing of poultry and implications for the welfare of the birds
Authors: Sparks N. H. C. , Sandilands V. , Raj A. B. M. , Turney E. , Pennycott T. , Voas A.
Published: October 2010

The use of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) was evaluated as a means of culling a flock of five‐week‐old pullets in situ. It took five minutes and 20 seconds for sufficient liquid CO2 to be injected (3.24 tonnes) to achieve the target concentration of 45 per cent CO2. Although very low ambient temperatures were recorded (below ‐80°C) during gassing, on the basis of postmortem reports and other data it is inferred that the birds died within minutes of exposure to the gas and before experiencing the extremely low temperatures recorded in the house.
Mitomycin C, with or without surgery, for the treatment of ocular squamous cell carcinoma in horses
Authors: Malalana F. , Knottenbelt D. , McKane S.
Published: October 2010

Ocular lesions in horses, confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma, were treated topically with mitomycin C. Fourteen horses with confirmed ocular squamous cell carcinoma, three of which were affected bilaterally, were included in the study. Eight of the affected eyes were treated topically with mitomycin C alone; in the other nine eyes, the tumours were surgically removed and topical treatment with mitomycin C was then applied. The treatment protocol consisted of 0.2 ml of 0.04 per cent mitomycin C instilled into the conjunctival sac of the affected eye, every six hours, in rounds of seven days of treatment followed by seven days without treatment. This was repeated until full regression of the tumour occurred (up to four rounds of treatment with mitomycin C). Of the eight eyes treated with mitomycin C alone (without surgery), clinical resolution occurred in six cases. Of the nine eyes treated with a combination of surgery and topical mitomycin C, clinical resolution occurred in seven cases. No complications were observed.
Possible means of introduction of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV‐8) to Sweden in August 2008: comparison of results from two models for atmospheric transport of the Culicoides vector
Authors: Ågren E. C. C. , Burgin L. , Lewerin S. Sternberg , Gloster J. , Elvander M.
Published: October 2010

In September 2008, bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV‐8) infection was detected for the first time in Sweden, in a dairy herd on the west coast. Two different previously published operational atmospheric dispersion models indicate that midges from infected regions in Europe are likely to have reached Sweden by atmospheric transport during an estimated infection window. Both models indicated that the likely dates for the incursion of midges were overnight on August 6 to 7 and August 14 to 15; however, the less constrained model indicated a number of additional possible dates. The distribution of infected herds detected by active surveillance coincides with the regions that were indicated by the models to have been reached by midges from regions in Denmark and Germany with infected herds. It is likely that several points of introduction of infected midges occurred, possibly on different occasions. No alternative routes for introduction of the infection to Sweden were identified, supporting the theory that BTV‐8 was introduced by infected midges carried by the wind.
Use of a saline chaser to reduce the dose of contrast material for dynamic CT in cattle
Authors: Lee K. , Shimizu J. , Iwasaki T. , Miyake Y. , Yamada K. , Ikeo S. , Kishimoto M.
Published: October 2010

To investigate the effectiveness of a saline chaser in reducing the required dose of contrast material while carrying out dynamic CT scans in cattle, six clinically normal Holstein calves were subjected to CT scans of the head in a study using a crossover design. The calves were studied as three groups: group A received only contrast material (600 mgI/kg); group B received a 30 per cent lower dose of the same contrast material followed by 50 ml of saline solution; and group C received a 40 per cent lower dose of the same contrast material followed by 50 ml of saline solution. In all the animals, a power injector was used for administering the contrast material, with an injection rate of 4 ml/s and a pressure of 4.7 to 5.7 kg/cm2. Attenuation values were obtained from the right and left maxillary arteries and dorsal sagittal sinus. There were no significant differences in the maximum enhancement value (MEV) of the maxillary arteries and dorsal sagittal sinus between groups A and B. The MEVs of the maxillary arteries and dorsal sagittal sinus in groups A and B were significantly greater than the MEV in group C (P<0.05). The use of a saline chaser allowed a 30 per cent reduction in the dose of contrast material without decreasing vascular enhancement.
Risk factors for seropositivity to bovine coronavirus and bovine respiratory syncytial virus in dairy herds
Authors: Ohlson A. , Heuer C. , Lockhart C. , Tråvén M. , Emanuelson U. , Alenius S.
Published: October 2010

A cross‐sectional study was conducted to evaluate the association between herd‐level characteristics, management routines and farm‐level antibody status of bovine coronavirus (BCV) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) in 257 Swedish dairy herds. The possible spatial clustering of positive herds compared with negative herds was also investigated. For each herd, a pooled milk sample from five primiparous cows was analysed for the presence of antibodies to BCV and BRSV. Herd‐level information was obtained by a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between predictors and antibody status to BCV and BRSV. Large herd size, being located in southern Sweden, and not providing boots for visitors were found to be associated with being antibody‐positive to BCV and BRSV. A short distance to the nearest cattle herd was an additional risk factor for BCV. One of the studied areas was suitable for spatial analysis. Positive herds were not spatially autocorrelated when compared with negative herds as estimated by the K‐function regarding both BCV and BRSV. This indicates that local factors such as daily visiting milk trucks and wild animals were unlikely to be important sources of infection in this area. Moran’ I statistics and semivariogram showed no evidence of spatial autocorrelation in the residuals, indicating that remaining unidentified factors are not spatially dependent in the areas under study.
Retrospective study of Achilles mechanism disruption in 45 dogs
Authors: Corr S. A. , Draffan D. , Kulendra E. , Carmichael S. , Brodbelt D.
Published: October 2010

Forty‐five cases of canine Achilles mechanism disruption were reviewed, mostly involving medium‐sized dogs, among which dobermanns, labradors and border collies were most commonly represented. Most cases were acute in onset (66.7 per cent), and were usually closed injuries (75.6 per cent). In the majority of cases, the damage involved all tendons (26.7 per cent), all tendons except the superficial digital flexor tendon (22.2 per cent), or the gastrocnemius alone (20 per cent). Damage most commonly occurred at the tendo‐osseous junction (60 per cent), with injury occurring less commonly at the musculotendinous junction (20 per cent) or in the body of the tendon (13.3 per cent). A plantigrade posture was not predictive of involvement of specific tendons, but was more likely if the injury involved the musculotendinous junction. The most common method of treatment was a primary tendon repair using polydioxanone suture in a locking‐loop pattern, with placement of a temporary calcaneotibial screw and cast. The outcome was not significantly influenced by whether the injury was open or closed, the duration of the injury, the tendons involved, or the method of repair. Complications were recorded in 16 cases (35 per cent), of which 10 were minor and six major. Complications were significantly more likely if the damage involved the body of the tendon. Long‐term follow‐up was available for 19 dogs; the outcome of surgery was considered to be good to excellent in 18 dogs.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of adrenal glands in dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism or mimicking diseases
Authors: Wenger M. , Mueller C. , Kook P. H. , Reusch C. E.
Published: October 2010

The adrenal glands of 30 dogs with primary adrenal insufficiency (hypoadrenocorticism) were measured ultrasonographically and compared with those of 14 healthy dogs and those of 10 dogs with diseases mimicking hypoadrenocorticism. Thickness and length of the adrenals were measured on abdominal ultrasonography and the results for each group were compared. Dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism had significantly thinner adrenals compared with the other two groups, and their left adrenal glands were also significantly shorter than those of healthy dogs. Adrenal ultrasonography may be of diagnostic value in dogs with clinical signs suggestive of primary hypoadrenocorticism, as a left adrenal gland measuring less than 3.2 mm in thickness is strongly suggestive of the disease.
Clinical and clinicopathological features of non‐suppurative meningoencephalitis in young greyhounds in Ireland
Authors: Shiel R. E. , Mooney C. T. , Brennan S. F. , Nolan C. M. , Callanan J. J.
Published: October 2010

The clinical and clinicopathological features of non‐suppurative meningoencephalitis in 30 greyhounds were reviewed. The dogs were from 21 separate litters, comprised both sexes (16 males and 14 females) and ranged in age from five to 18 months. In 14 (66.7 per cent) litters, more than one case was suspected or confirmed, and the number of siblings affected within individual litters ranged from one to seven. Clinical signs were progressive and varied from five days to 12 months in duration; 12 dogs had signs of two weeks' duration or less. The rate of progression of signs was variable. Common features included dullness or lethargy (22), altered behaviour (21), proprioceptive and postural reaction deficits (18), circling (17), ataxia (17), decreased appetite (15) and weight loss (13). No consistent haematological or biochemical abnormalities were identified and serology failed to implicateToxoplasma gondiiorNeospora caninum. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed mild or moderate mononuclear pleocytosis in 12 (70.6 per cent) of 17 dogs. No definitive antemortem diagnosis could be made in any affected dog.
Haemoperitoneum in horses: a retrospective review of 54 cases
Authors: Conwell R. C. , Hillyer M. H. , Mair T. S. , Pirie R. S. , Clegg P. D.
Published: October 2010

This retrospective study was conducted in the UK and identifies the most frequent causes, diagnoses, treatment and prognoses for short‐ and long‐term survival in 54 cases of horses with haemoperitoneum. Clinical signs of haemorrhagic shock and colic were common, and abdominal ultrasound was very useful for the identification of haemoperitoneum. Causes of haemoperitoneum included uterine injury (22 per cent), involvement of specific blood vessels (20 per cent), splenic injury (19 per cent), neoplasia (13 per cent) and other (4 per cent). No source was identified in 22 per cent of cases. Fifty‐seven per cent of cases underwent exploratory laparotomy. Of the surgical cases, a diagnosis was made in 65 per cent, with 42 per cent surviving to discharge. It was felt that exploratory laparotomy had both diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Twenty‐eight per cent of cases died, and 33 per cent were euthanased, whereas 39 per cent survived to be discharged from the hospital, with 35 per cent of these surviving in the long term. Idiopathic haemoperitoneum was associated with the best outcome for long‐term survival.
Technical and financial evaluation of assays for progesterone in canine practice in the UK
Authors: Moxon R. , Copley D. , England G. C. W.
Published: October 2010

The concentration of progesterone was measured in 60 plasma samples from bitches at various stages of the oestrous cycle, using commercially available quantitative and semi‐quantitative ELISA test kits, as well as by two commercial laboratories undertaking radioimmunoassay (RIA). The RIA, which was assumed to be the ‘gold standard’ in terms of reliability and accuracy, was the most expensive method when analysing more than one sample per week, and had the longest delay in obtaining results, but had minimal requirements for practice staff time. When compared with the RIA, the quantitative ELISA had a strong positive correlation (r=0.97, P<0.05) and a sensitivity and specificity of 70.6 per cent and 100.0 per cent, respectively, and positive and negative predictive values of 100.0 per cent and 71.0 per cent, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 90.0 per cent. This method was the least expensive when analysing five or more samples per week, but had longer turnaround times than that of the semi‐quantitative ELISA and required more staff time. When compared with the RIA, the semi‐quantitative ELISA had a sensitivity and specificity of 100.0 per cent and 95.5 per cent, respectively, and positive and negative predictive values of 73.9 per cent and 77.8 per cent, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 89.2 per cent. This method was more expensive than the quantitative ELISA when analysing five or more samples per week, but had the shortest turnaround time and low requirements in terms of staff time.
Postal survey of contacts between cattle farms on the Isle of Lewis
Authors: Vernon M. C. , Webb C. R. , Heath M. F.
Published: October 2010

The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) database contains an unprecedented quantity of data on the movement of cattle within the UK. These data may be used to construct models of the contact structure of the UK cattle herd, for epidemiological purposes. There are two significant potential sources of inaccuracy within such models: movements that are not reported or are reported inaccurately to the BCMS, and contacts between farms that might transmit infection, but are not animal movements. This field study addressed these issues. Cattle farmers on the Isle of Lewis were recruited with the assistance of the local veterinary surgeon, and asked to record a range of potential risk behaviours for a one‐month period. They were also asked questions about husbandry practices on their farm. Comparison of the BCMS contact data with that reported by Lewis' farmers highlighted use of common grazing land as a significant source of contact, and potential disease transmission, between cattle that currently goes unreported; around half of responding holdings on Lewis use common grazing land at some point during the year, and these movements are not reported to the BCMS.
ON THE STRUCTURE OF FINITELY GENERATED SEMIGROUPS OF UNARY REGULAR LANGUAGES
Authors: AFONIN SERGEY , KHAZOVA ELENA
Published: October 2010

The set of all regular languages is closed under concatenation and forms a monoid known as the monoid of regular languages. In this paper the structure of finitely generated subsemigroups of this monoid in case of one letter alphabet is investigated. We prove that finitely generated semigroups of regular languages over a one letter alphabet are Kleene, rational and thus automatic. It is already known that not all of finitely generated commutative semigroups are automatic, thus we may conclude that semigroups of unary regular languages have more rigid structure.
SUBLINEARLY SPACE BOUNDED ITERATIVE ARRAYS
Authors: MALCHER ANDREAS , MEREGHETTI CARLO , PALANO BEATRICE
Published: October 2010

Iterative arrays (IAs) are a parallel computational model with a sequential processing of the input. They are one-dimensional arrays of interacting identical deterministic finite automata. In this paper, realtime-IAs with sublinear space bounds are used to recognize formal languages. The existence of an infinite proper hierarchy of space complexity classes between logarithmic and linear space bounds is proved. Some decidability questions on logarithmically space bounded realtime-IAs are investigated, and an optimal logarithmic space lower bound for non-regular language recognition on realtime-IAs is shown. Finally, some non-recursive trade-offs between space bounded realtime-IAs are emphasized.
SOME REMARKS ON THE HAIRPIN COMPLETION
Authors: MANEA FLORIN , MITRANA VICTOR , YOKOMORI TAKASHI
Published: October 2010

We consider several problems regarding the iterated or non-iterated hairpin completion of some subclasses of regular languages. Thus we obtain a characterization of the class of regular languages as the weak-code images of the k-hairpin completion of center-disjoint k-locally testable languages in the strict sense. This result completes two results from [3] and [11]. Then we investigate some decision problems and closure properties of the family of the iterated hairpin completion of singleton languages. Finally, we discuss some algorithms regarding the possibility of computing the values of k such that the non-iterated or iterated k-hairpin completion of a given regular language does not produce new words.
BLURRED MAXIMAL CYCLICALLY MONOTONE SETS AND BIPOTENTIALS
Authors: BULIGA MARIUS , DE SAXCÉ GÉRY , VALLÉE CLAUDE
Published: October 2010

Let X be a reflexive Banach space and Y its dual. In this paper, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a bipotential for a blurred maximal cyclically monotone set. Equivalently, we find a necessary and sufficient condition on ϕ ∈ Γ0(X) so that the differential inclusion [Formula: see text] can be put in the form y ∈ ∂b(·, y)(x), with b a bipotential.
SEMIGROUP METHODS FOR A PARALLEL MAINTENANCE SYSTEM WITH TWO COMPONENTS
Authors: HAJI ABDUKERIM , YUNUS BILIKIZ
Published: October 2010

By using the theory of C0-semigroups and spectral theory of positive operators, we prove well-posedness of the parallel maintenance system with two components and study the asymptotic behavior of the time-dependent solution.
TRANSMUTATION OPERATORS AND PALEY–WIENER THEOREM ASSOCIATED WITH A CHEREDNIK TYPE OPERATOR ON THE REAL LINE
Authors: MOUROU MOHAMED ALI
Published: October 2010

We consider a singular differential-difference operator Λ on the real line which generalizes the one-dimensional Cherednik operator. We construct transmutation operators between Λ and first-order regular differential-difference operators on ℝ. We exploit these transmutation operators, firstly to establish a Paley–Wiener theorem for the Fourier transform associated with Λ, and secondly to introduce a generalized convolution on ℝ tied to Λ.
A memory-efficient pipelined implementation of the aho-corasick string-matching algorithm
Authors: Pao Derek , Lin Wei , Liu Bin
Published: October 2010

With rapid advancement in Internet technology and usages, some emerging applications in data communications and network security require matching of huge volume of data against large signature sets with thousands of strings in real time. In this article, we present a memory-efficient hardware implementation of the well-known Aho-Corasick (AC) string-matching algorithm using a pipelining approach called P-AC. An attractive feature of the AC algorithm is that it can solve the string-matching problem in time linearly proportional to the length of the input stream, and the computation time is independent of the number of strings in the signature set. A major disadvantage of the AC algorithm is the high memory cost required to store the transition rules of the underlying deterministic finite automaton. By incorporating pipelined processing, the state graph is reduced to a character trie that only contains forward edges. Together with an intelligent implementation of look-up tables, the memory cost of P-AC is only about 18 bits per character for a signature set containing 6,166 strings extracted from Snort. The control structure of P-AC is simple and elegant. The cost of the control logic is very low. With the availability of dual-port memories in FPGA devices, we can double the system throughput by duplicating the control logic such that the system can process two data streams concurrently. Since our method is memory-based, incremental changes to the signature set can be accommodated by updating the look-up tables without reconfiguring the FPGA circuitry.
Ancient Chinese zither (guqin) music recovery with support vector machine
Authors: Sun Qing , Zhang Deyun , Fan Yifeng , Zhang Kaizhong , Ma Bin
Published: October 2010

The Chinese zither, called guqin, has existed for over 3,000 years and always played an important role in Chinese social history. An interesting but unfortunate fact is that the traditional notation of guqin music does not provide the duration information for each music note which requires the player to learn from his teacher and memorize. As a result, among several thousands of compositions that have been created and recorded with guqin music notation, only around 100 of them are still being played today. In this article we use a machine learning method to study the guqin music recovery problem which tries to use the guqin music notation to recover the duration of each music note. Information provided by the music note is used as features to predict the duration information with a support vector machine. The experimental result shows that our system can predict with fair accuracy, and can be used as a valuable reference for human guqin masters to recover guqin music.
State-dependent importance sampling for a Jackson tandem network
Authors: Miretskiy Denis , Scheinhardt Werner , Mandjes Michel
Published: October 2010

This article considers importance sampling as a tool for rare-event simulation. The focus is on estimating the probability of overflow in the downstream queue of a Jacksonian two-node tandem queue; it is known that in this setting “traditional” state-independent importance-sampling distributions perform poorly. We therefore concentrate on developing a state-dependent change of measure, that we prove to be asymptotically efficient.

More specific contributions are the following. (i) We concentrate on the probability of the second queue exceeding a certain predefined threshold before the system empties. Importantly, we identify an asymptotically efficient importance-sampling distribution for
any
initial state of the system. (ii) The choice of the importance-sampling distribution is backed up by appealing heuristics that are rooted in large-deviations theory. (iii) The method for proving asymptotic efficiency relies on probabilistic arguments only. The article is concluded by simulation experiments that show a considerable speedup.
X-Ray Pore Optics Technologies and Their Application in Space Telescopes
Authors: Bavdaz Marcos , Collon Max , Beijersbergen Marco , Wallace Kotska , Wille Eric
Published: October 2010

Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) is a new X-ray optics technology under development in Europe, forming the ESA baseline technology for the International X-ray Observatory candidate mission studied jointly by ESA, NASA, and JAXA. With its matrix-like structure, made of monocrystalline-bonded Silicon mirrors, it can achieve the required angular resolution and low mass density required for future large X-ray observatories. Glass-based Micro Pore Optics (MPO) achieve modest angular resolution compared to SPO, but are even lighter and have achieved sufficient maturity level to be accepted as the X-ray optic technology for instruments on board the Bepi-Colombo mission, due to visit the planet Mercury. Opportunities for technology transfer to ground-based applications include material science, security and scanning equipment, and medical diagnostics. Pore X-ray optics combine high performance with modularity and economic industrial production processes, ensuring cost effective implementation.