A time series model of the occurrence of gastric dilatation-volvulus in a population of dogs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition of mammals, with increased risk in large breed dogs. The study of its etiological factors is difficult due to the variety of possible living conditions. The association between meteorological events and the occurrence of GDV has been postulated but remains unclear. This study introduces the binary time series approach to the investigation of the possible meteorological risk factors for GDV. The data collected in a population of high-risk working dogs in Texas was used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Minimum and maximum daily atmospheric pressure on the day of GDV event and the maximum daily atmospheric pressure on the day before the GDV event were positively associated with the probability of GDV. All of the odds/multiplicative factors of a day being GDV day were interpreted conditionally on the past GDV occurrences. There was minimal difference between the binary and Poisson general linear models.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Time series modeling provided a novel method for evaluating the association between meteorological variables and GDV in a large population of dogs. Appropriate application of this method was enhanced by a common environment for the dogs and availability of meteorological data. The potential interaction between weather changes and patient risk factors for GDV deserves further investigation.</p

Differences in Academic Performance by School District Size for Students in Special Education: A Multiyear, Statewide Investigation

In this empirical statewide multiyear analysis the extent to which the academic performance of students enrolled in special education was influenced by school district student enrollment was determined Five years of Texas statewide data on the Texas Assessment Knowledge Skills Reading Mathematics Science Social Studies and Writing exams were analyzed as a function of three school district sizes a small-size up to 1 599 students b moderate-size 1 600 to 9 999 students and c large-size 10 000 or more students Inferential statistical procedures revealed that students in special education who were enrolled in large-size school districts had statistically significantly higher passing rates on all five exams than did students in special education who were enrolled in either moderate-size or small-size school districts for all 5 years Effect sizes were smal

Homotransplantation of multiple visceral organs

It was technically possible to perform simultaneous homotransplantation of multiple visceral organs including the liver, spleen, pancreas, omentum and the entire gastrointestinal tract. Arterialization of the cooled graft was accomplished through the donor aorta which was removed with the graft and attached to that of the recipient dog. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage after surgery accounted for a high operative mortality and was thought to be due to denervation of the graft. The five dogs which survived the immediate trauma of surgery lived for five and a half to nine days. After the second day, these animals were physically active and able to resume oral alimentation. In three dogs, there was metabolic evidence of rejection of the liver. In two others, jaundice did not develop. These observations were compared with chemical, hematologic and pathologic data obtained in previous experiments involving homotransplantation of the liver alone. In some cases, there was less evidence of host versus graft rejection after the multiple organ transplants. Other data in the present study suggested the possibility that a significant graft versus host reaction may have been an important contributory cause of death. © 1962

Bowhead Whales Along the Chukotka Coast in Autumn

Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) were seen in autumn 1992 and 1993 only along the northern coast of Chukotka, Russia, although an extensive area of the Chukchi Sea was searched during ship cruises. Single-day counts for 76 and 50 bowheads were made on 1 October 1992 and 3 October 1993, respectively, with only a few whales seen on other days. Whales seen between Cape Schmidt and Cape Vankarem on 1 October 1992 appeared to be feeding, but there was no means to detect or sample subsurface forage that year. On 3 October 1993, bowheads appeared to be feeding in an area where a 5 m x 8 km patch of zooplankton was identified, via acoustics, at 25-30 m in water 35 m deep. A vertical-tow sample near the patch indicated the euphausiid Thysanoessa rachii, a common bowhead prey species, was abundant in the water column. The location of the zooplankton patch corresponded with a sharp salinity (proxy density) gradient. In addition, whale distribution coincided with a surface thermal boundary, identified by satellite-borne Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery. The confinement of bowhead sightings to the northern coast of Chukotka in 1992-93 corresponds to reports from autumn surveys in 1979, 1980 and 1990, while the association of whales with physical oceanographic fronts is similar to findings from a study of bowhead feeding areas in the southern Beaufort Sea. These observations suggest that the Chukotka coast may be an important feeding or staging area for the Bering Sea stock and that oceanographic patterns influencing whale occurrence may be identifiable from standard oceanographic measurements.Key words: bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, migration, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, Chukotka, Thysanoessa rachii, satellite imagery, AVHRRDurant l'automne de 1992 et celui de 1993, on n'a pu observer de baleines bor&eacute;ales (Balaena mysticetus) que le long de la c&ocirc;te nord de Chukotka (Russie), bien que des recherches aient eu lieu dans une zone &eacute;tendue de la mer des Tchouktches lors de croisi&egrave;res en bateau. Des comptages de 76 et 50 baleines bor&eacute;ales ont &eacute;t&eacute; obtenus respectivement le 1er octobre 1992 et le 3 octobre 1993, alors qu'on n'en a observ&eacute; que quelques-unes les autres jours. Les baleines observ&eacute;es entre Cape Schmidt et Cape Vankarem le 1er octobre 1992 semblaient &ecirc;tre en train de s'alimenter, mais on ne disposait pas de moyens pour d&eacute;tecter le genre de nourriture sous la surface, ni pour en pr&eacute;lever un &eacute;chantillon cette ann&eacute;e-l&agrave;. Le 3 octobre 1993, les baleines semblaient s'alimenter l&agrave; o&ugrave; une plaque de zooplancton de 5 m x 8 km avait &eacute;t&eacute; identifi&eacute;e par m&eacute;thode acoustique entre 25 et 30 m de profondeur, dans une zone de 35 m de fond. Un &eacute;chantillon pr&eacute;lev&eacute; par h&acirc;lage vertical pr&egrave;s de la plaque a indiqu&eacute; que l'euphausiac&eacute; Thysanoessa rachii, une proie courante de la baleine bor&eacute;ale, &eacute;tait abondant dans la colonne d'eau. L'emplacement de la plaque de zooplancton correspondait &agrave; un fort gradient de salinit&eacute; (approximation par la densit&eacute;). De plus, la distribution des baleines co&iuml;ncidait avec une limite thermique de surface identifi&eacute;e au moyen de l'imagerie par radiom&egrave;tre perfectionn&eacute; &agrave; tr&egrave;s haute r&eacute;solution, transport&eacute; par satellite. Le confinement des observations de baleines &agrave; la c&ocirc;te nord de Chukotka en 1992-93 correspond aux rapports des relev&eacute;s d'automne de 1979, 1980 et 1990, tandis que l'association des baleines &agrave; des fronts physiques oc&eacute;anographiques cadre avec les r&eacute;sultats d'une &eacute;tude des zones d'alimentation de la baleine bor&eacute;ale dans le sud de la mer de Beaufort. Ces observations sugg&egrave;rent que la c&ocirc;te de Chukotka pourrait &ecirc;tre une importante zone d'alimentation ou de rassemblement pour la population de la mer de B&eacute;ring, et que les caract&eacute;ristiques oc&eacute;anographiques qui influencent la pr&eacute;sence des baleines pourraient &ecirc;tre identifiables &agrave; partir des mesures oc&eacute;anographiques courantes.Mots cl&eacute;s: baleine bor&eacute;ale, Balaena mysticetus, migration, mer des Tchouktches, mer de B&eacute;ring, Chukotka, Thysanoessa rachii, imagerie par satellite, radiom&egrave;tre perfectionn&eacute; &agrave; tr&egrave;s haute r&eacute;solutio

Baffin Island Fjord Macrobenthos: Bottom Communities and Environmental Significance

Cluster analysis of the benthos from ten Baffin Island fjords defines six faunal associations. The macrotidal Sunneshine Fiord has a shallow kelp-related Isopod Association. Cambridge Fiord supports a shallow Onuphid Association controlled by gravel from dropstones. A widespread Portlandia Association typified the shallow zones of more recently glaciated fjords where sedimentation rates are high. An Ophiuroid-Anemone Association was defined from current-affected submarine channel environments. A Maldanid Association covered the greatest area in all fjords and passed into an Elasipod Association in the deepest water in Cambridge Fiord. Fjord-head faunas are used to model ecological changes accompanying glacier retreat, from monospecific Portlandia, through mature Portlandia Association to Onuphid Association accompanied by diverse filter feeders and herbivores. Chlamys islandica was found living in Cambridge Fiord, which substantially increases its northern limit.Key words: macrobenthos, Arctic, cluster analysis, bivalve, Quaternary, sedimentMots cl&eacute;s: macrobenthos, Arctique, analyse d&rsquo;ensemble, bivalve, quaternaire, s&eacute;diment

Bowhead whale distribution and feeding near Barrow, Alaska, in late summer 2005–06

Author Posting. © Arctic Institute of North America, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Arctic Institute of North America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Arctic 63 (2010): 195-205.Aerial surveys for bowhead whales were conducted in conjunction with oceanographic sampling near Barrow, Alaska, in late summer of 2005 and 2006. In 2005, 145 whales were seen, mostly in two distinct aggregations: one (ca. 40 whales) in deep water in Barrow Canyon and the other (ca. 70 whales) in very shallow (< 10 m) water just seaward of the barrier islands. Feeding behaviours observed in the latter group included whales lying on their sides with mouths agape and groups of 5–10 whales swimming synchronously in turbid water. In 2006, 78 bowheads were seen, with ca. 40 whales feeding in dispersed groups of 3–11 whales. Feeding behaviours observed included surface skimming, echelon swimming, and synchronous diving and surfacing. Surfacing behaviour included head lunges by single animals and groups of 2–4 whales. Of 29 whales harvested at Barrow, 24 had been feeding. Euphausiids were the dominant prey in 2006 (10 of 13 stomachs), but not in 2005 (4 of 11 stomachs). Copepods were the dominant prey in the stomachs of three whales harvested near Barrow Canyon in 2005. Mysiids were the dominant prey in four stomachs, isopods in two, and amphipods in one although these taxa were not routinely captured during plankton sampling conducted in the weeks prior to the autumn harvest.Much of the field portion of this work was supported by the NSF/SNACS program

2023 Updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs.

Since publication of the last consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs, there has been revision of leptospiral taxonomy and advancements in typing methods, widespread use of new diagnostic tests and vaccines, and improved understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the disease. Leptospirosis continues to be prevalent in dogs, including in small breed dogs from urban areas, puppies as young as 11 weeks of age, geriatric dogs, dogs in rural areas, and dogs that have been inadequately vaccinated for leptospirosis (including dogs vaccinated with 2-serovar Leptospira vaccines in some regions). In 2021, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Board of Regents voted to approve the topic for a revised Consensus Statement. After identification of core panelists, a multidisciplinary group of 6 experts from the fields of veterinary medicine, human medicine, and public health was assembled to vote on the recommendations using the Delphi method. A draft was presented at the 2023 ACVIM Forum, and a written draft posted on the ACVIM website for comment by the membership before submission to the editors of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. This revised document provides guidance for veterinary practitioners on disease in dogs as well as cats. The level of agreement among the 12 voting members (including core panelists) is provided in association with each recommendation. A denominator lower than 12 reflects abstention of ≥1 panelists either because they considered the recommendation to be outside their scope of expertise or because there was a perceived conflict of interest