The effect of claw horn disruption lesions and body condition score at dry-off on survivability, reproductive performance, and milk production in the subsequent lactation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL; sole ulcers and white line disease) and body condition score (BCS) at dry-off on survivability, milk production, and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation. An observational prospective cohort study was conducted on a large commercial dairy in Cayuga County, New York, from September 2008 until January 2009. A total of 573 cows enrolled at dry-off were scored for body condition and hoof trimmed; digits were visually inspected for the presence of CHDL. The BCS data were recategorized into a 3-level variable BCS group (BCSG), with cows with BCS \u3c3 placed in BCSG 1 (n = 113), cows with BCS = 3 placed in BCSG 2 (n = 254), and cows with BCS \u3e3 placed in BCSG 3 (n = 206). Cows in BCSG 2 were 1.35 and 1.02 times more likely to conceive than cows in BCSG 1 and 3, respectively. The cull/death hazard for BCSG 1 cows was 1.55 and 1.47 times higher than for cows in BCSG 2 and BCSG 3, respectively. Milk yield for cows in BCSG 2 (44.6 kg/d, 95% CI 43.4–45.8) was significantly greater than that for cows in BCSG 1 (41.5 kg/d, 95% CI 39.8–43.3). Cows with previous lactation days open ≤91 had 1.6 times higher odds of being classified into BCSG 1 at dry-off; cows with previous lactation mature-equivalent 305-d milk \u3e14,054 kg had a similar 1.6 times higher odds of being classified into BCSG 1. Claw horn disruption lesions were found in 24.4% of the cows (n = 140) at dry-off. Cows without CHDL were 1.4 times more likely to conceive than cows with CHDL. Additionally, lesion cows were 1.7 times more likely to die or be culled than nonlesion cows. Absence of CHDL did not have a significant effect on milk yield. These findings highlight the importance of claw health and BCS at the end of lactation on future survival and performance

Ciclooxygenase inhibitor and metronomic chemotherapy association for the treatment of metastatic anal sac carcinoma in dog: case report

ABSTRACT Metronomic chemotherapy consists of an anticancer modality treatment. It is applicable in patients at an advanced stage, with the objective of increasing overall survival. The aim of this study was to report an anal sac apocrine carcinoma case in a dog with lymph node metastasis treated with metronomic chemotherapy sequential to surgery and conventional chemotherapy using gemcitabine and carboplatin. Metronomic chemotherapy was associated with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, due to strong tumor COX-2 immunohistochemistry expression. Metronomic chemotherapy was initiated with cyclophosphamide, but it was replaced by lomustine, also in metronomic dosage, due to adverse effects. Treatment showed effectiveness, since the patient's overall survival exceeded 1095 days (36 months), considerably higher than the mean overall survival expected for this pathology. Keywords: dog, oncology, angiogenesis inhibitor, cyclophosphamide, lomustine Palavras-chave: cão, oncologia, inibidor de angiogênese, ciclofosfamida, lomustina RESUM

Laringectomia total associada à traqueostomia definitiva como tratamento da paralisia laríngea grave em cão

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Schistosoma mansoni SmKI-1 or Its C-Terminal Fragment Induces Partial Protection Against S. mansoni Infection in Mice

Current schistosomiasis control strategies are mainly based on chemotherapy, but the development of a vaccine against this parasitic disease would contribute to a long-lasting decrease in disease spectrum and transmission. When it comes to vaccine candidates, several genes encoding Schistosoma mansoni proteins expressed at the mammalian host–parasite interface have been tested. Among the most promising molecules are the proteins present on the tegument and digestive tract of the parasite. In this study, we evaluate the potential of SmKI-1, the first Kunitz-type protease inhibitor functionally characterized in S. mansoni, as a vaccine candidate. Bioinformatic analysis points to the C-terminal fragment as the main region of the molecule responsible for the development of a potential protective immune response induced by SmKI-1. Therefore, for the vaccine formulations, we produced the recombinant (r) SmKI-1 and two different fragments, its Kunitz (KI) domain and its C-terminal tail. First, we demonstrate that mice immunized with recombinant SmKI-1 (rSmKI-1) or its fragments, formulated with Freund’s adjuvant, induced the production of IgG-specific antibodies. Further, all vaccine formulations tested here also induced a Th1-type of immune response, as suggested by the production of IFN-γ and TNF-α by protein-stimulated cultured splenocytes. However, the protective effect conferred by vaccination was only observed in groups which received rSmKI-1 or C-terminal domain vaccines. Mice administered with rSmKI-1 demonstrated reduction of 47% in worm burden, 36% in egg number in mouse livers, and 33% in area of liver granulomas. Additionally, mice injected with C-terminal domain showed reduction of 28% in worm burden, 38% in egg number in liver, and 25% in area of liver granulomas. In contrast, KI domain immunization was unable to reduce worm burden and ameliorate liver pathology after challenge infection. Taken together, our data demonstrated that SmKI-1 is a potential candidate for use in a vaccine to control schistosomiasis, and its C-terminal tail seems to be the main region of the molecule responsible for protection conferred by this antigen

Quantifying and mapping species threat abatement opportunitiesto support national target setting

The successful implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020Global Biodiversity Framework will rely on effective translation of targets from global tonational level and increased engagement across diverse sectors of society. Species conserva-tion targets require policy support measures that can be applied to a diversity of taxonomicgroups, that link action targets to outcome goals, and that can be applied to both global andnational data sets to account for national context, which the species threat abatement andrestoration (STAR) metric does. To test the flexibility of STAR, we applied the metric to vascular plants listed on national red lists of Brazil, Norway, and South Africa. The STARmetric uses data on species’ extinction risk, distributions, and threats, which we obtainedfrom national red lists to quantify the contribution that threat abatement and habitatrestoration activities could make to reducing species’ extinction risk. Across all 3 coun-tries, the greatest opportunity for reducing plant species’ extinction risk was from abatingthreats from agricultural activities, which could reduce species’ extinction risk by 54% inNorway, 36% in South Africa, and 29% in Brazil. Species extinction risk could be reducedby a further 21% in South Africa by abating threats from invasive species and by 21% inBrazil by abating threats from urban expansion. Even with different approaches to red-listing among countries, the STAR metric yielded informative results that identified wherethe greatest conservation gains could be made for species through threat-abatement andrestoration activities. Quantifiably linking local taxonomic coverage and data collection toglobal processes with STAR would allow national target setting to align with global targetsand enable state and nonstate actors to measure and report on their potential contributionsto species conservation. habitat restoration, national red lists, species’ extinction risk, threat reduction, threatened species, vascular plantspublishedVersio

In vitro leishmanicidal, antibacterial and antitumour potential of anhydrocochlioquinone A obtained from the fungus Cochliobolus sp

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of the fungus Cochliobolus sp. highlighted leishmanicidal activity and allowed for anhydrocochlioquinone A (ANDC-A) isolation. MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra of this compound were in agreement with those published in the literature. ANDC-A exhibited leishmanicidal activity with EC50value of 22.4 \uc2\ub5g/mL (44 \uce\ubcM) and, when submitted to the microdilution assay against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, showed a minimal inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25295 of 128 \uce\ubcg/mL (248.7 \uce\ubcM). It was also active against five human cancer cell lines, showing IC50values from 5.4 to 20.3 \uce\ubcM. ANDC-A demonstrated a differential selectivity for HL-60 (SI 5.5) and THP-1 (SI 4.3) cell lines in comparison with Vero cells and was more selective than cisplatin and doxorubicin against MCF-7 cell line in comparison with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ANDC-A was able to eradicate clonogenic tumour cells at concentrations of 20 and 50 \uce\ubcM and induced apoptosis in all tumour cell lines at 20 \uce\ubcM. These results suggest that ANDC-A might be used as a biochemical tool in the study of tumour cells biochemistry as well as an anticancer agent with durable effects on tumours