A survey on the use of spirometry in small animal anaesthesia and critical care

The objective was to document the use of spirometry and ventilation settings in small animal anaesthesia and intensive care through a descriptive, open, online, anonymous survey. The survey was advertised on social media and via email. Participation was voluntary. The google forms platform was used. It consisted of eight sections in English: demographic information, use of spirometry in spontaneously ventilating/mechanically ventilated dogs, need for spirometry, equipment available and calibration status, ventilation modes, spirometry displays, compliance (CRS) and resistance (RRS) of the respiratory system. Simple descriptive analyses were applied. There were 128 respondents. Respondents used spirometry more in ventilated dogs than during spontaneous breathing. Over 3/4 of the respondents considered spirometry essential in “selected” (43%) or “most” cases (33%). Multiple devices and technologies were used. The majority of the respondents were not directly involved in or informed about the calibration of their equipment. Of all displays, pressure-volume loops were the most common. Values of CRS and RRS were specifically monitored in more than 50% of cases by 44% of the respondents only. A variety of ventilation modes was used. Intensivists tend to use smaller VT than anaesthetists. More information on reference intervals of CRS and RRS and technical background on spirometers is require

Assessment and comparison of the Marennes-Oléron Bay (France) and Carlingford Lough (Ireland) carrying capacity with ecosystem models

Based on the individual growth, food limitation, population renewal through seeding, and individual marketable size, a theoretical model of the cultured species population dynamics was used to assess the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. It gave a domeshape curve relating the annual production and the standing stock under the assumption of individual growth limited by the available food in an ecosystem. It also showed the influence of mortality rate and marketable size on this curve and was introduced as a means to explore the global properties resulting from the interactions between the ecophysiology of the reared species and the environment at the ecosystem level. In a second step, an ecosystem model was built to assess the carrying capacity of MarennesOl ´eron bay, the most important shellfish culture site in France, with a standing stock of Crassostrea gigas around 100 000 tonnes fresh weight (FW) and an annual production of 30 000 tonnes FW. The ecosystem model focused on the oyster growth rate and considered the interaction between food availability, residence time of the water, oyster ecophysiology and number of individuals. It included a spatial discretization of the bay (box design) based on a hydrodynamicmodel, and the nitrogen or carbon cycling between phytoplankton, cultured oysters, and detritus. From simulations of the oyster growth with different seeding values, a curve relating the total annual production and the standing stock was obtained. This curve exhibited a dome shape with a maximum production corresponding to an optimum standing stock. The model predicted amaximum annual production of 45 000 tonnes FWfor a standing stock around 115 000 tonnes FW. The prediction confirmed some results obtained empirically in the case of MarennesOl ´eron bay and the results of the theoretical model. Results were compared with those obtained in Carlingford Lough (Ireland) using a similar ecosystem model. Carlingford Lough is a small intertidal bay where the same species is cultured at a reduced scale, with current biomass less than 500 tonnes FW. The model showed that the standing stock can be increased from 200 tonnes FW to approximately 1500 tonnes FW before any decrease of the production

Assessment and comparison of the Marennes-Oléron Bay (France) and Carlingford Lough (Ireland) carrying capacity with ecosystem models

Based on the individual growth, food limitation, population renewal through seeding, and individual marketable size, a theoretical model of the cultured species population dynamics was used to assess the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. It gave a domeshape curve relating the annual production and the standing stock under the assumption of individual growth limited by the available food in an ecosystem. It also showed the influence of mortality rate and marketable size on this curve and was introduced as a means to explore the global properties resulting from the interactions between the ecophysiology of the reared species and the environment at the ecosystem level. In a second step, an ecosystem model was built to assess the carrying capacity of MarennesOl ´eron bay, the most important shellfish culture site in France, with a standing stock of Crassostrea gigas around 100 000 tonnes fresh weight (FW) and an annual production of 30 000 tonnes FW. The ecosystem model focused on the oyster growth rate and considered the interaction between food availability, residence time of the water, oyster ecophysiology and number of individuals. It included a spatial discretization of the bay (box design) based on a hydrodynamicmodel, and the nitrogen or carbon cycling between phytoplankton, cultured oysters, and detritus. From simulations of the oyster growth with different seeding values, a curve relating the total annual production and the standing stock was obtained. This curve exhibited a dome shape with a maximum production corresponding to an optimum standing stock. The model predicted amaximum annual production of 45 000 tonnes FWfor a standing stock around 115 000 tonnes FW. The prediction confirmed some results obtained empirically in the case of MarennesOl ´eron bay and the results of the theoretical model. Results were compared with those obtained in Carlingford Lough (Ireland) using a similar ecosystem model. Carlingford Lough is a small intertidal bay where the same species is cultured at a reduced scale, with current biomass less than 500 tonnes FW. The model showed that the standing stock can be increased from 200 tonnes FW to approximately 1500 tonnes FW before any decrease of the production

Enantiospecific pharmacokinetics of intravenous dexmedetomidine in beagles

The goal of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic (PK) behaviour of dexmedetomidine in dogs administered as a pure enantiomer versus as part of a racemic mixture. Eight unmedicated intact purpose-bread beagles were included. Two intravenous treatments of either medetomidine or dexmedetomidine were administered at 10- to 14-day intervals. Atipamezole or saline solution was administered intramuscularly 45 min later. Venous blood samples were collected into EDTA collection tubes, and the quantification of dexmedetomidine and levomedetomidine was performed by chiral LC–MS/MS. All dogs appeared sedated after each treatment without complication. Plasma concentrations of levomedetomidine were measured only in the racemic group and were 51.4% (51.4%–56.1%) lower than dexmedetomidine. Non-compartmental analysis (NCA) was performed for both drugs, while dexmedetomidine data were further described using a population pharmacokinetic approach. A standard two-compartment mammillary model with linear elimination with combined additive and multiplicative error model for residual unexplained variability was established for dexmedetomidine. An exponential model was finally retained to describe inter-individual variability on parameters of clearance (Cl1) and central and peripheral volumes of distribution (V1, V2). No effect of occurrence, levomedetomidine or atipamezole could be observed on dexmedetomidine PK parameters. Dexmedetomidine did not undergo significantly different PK when administered alone or as part of the racemic mixture in otherwise unmedicated dogs

Ion-exchanged geopolymer for photocatalytic degradation of a volatile organic compound

In thepresentworkitisshownhowgeopolymerscanbeusedtocontrolindoorandoutdoorair pollution byphotolysisof2-ButanoneasaVolatileOrganicCompound(VOC).Anionexchange procedurewasfollowedtoincorporateTiO2 into ageopolymer(IEG),anddifferent2-Butanone concentrations wereusedinabatchreactorunderdryandhumidconditions.Variationon 2-Butanone concentrationwasfollowedbygaschromatography.ALangmuir Hinshelwood modelwas used todeterminethedisappearancerateofreactantattheinitialstageofthereaction.Gasca-Tirado, J.; Manzano-Ramirez, A.; Vazquez-Landaverde, PA.; Herrera-Diaz, EI.; Rodriguez-Ugarte, ME.; Rubio-Avalos, JC.; Amigó Borrás, V.... (2014). Ion-exchanged geopolymer for photocatalytic degradation of a volatile organic compound. Materials Letters. 134:222-224. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2014.07.090S22222413

A Study of Nuclear Transcription Factor-Kappa B in Childhood Autism

BACKGROUND: Several children with autism show regression in language and social development while maintaining normal motor milestones. A clear period of normal development followed by regression and subsequent improvement with treatment, suggests a multifactorial etiology. The role of inflammation in autism is now a major area of study. Viral and bacterial infections, hypoxia, or medication could affect both foetus and infant. These stressors could upregulate transcription factors like nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a master switch for many genes including some implicated in autism like tumor necrosis factor (TNF). On this hypothesis, it was proposed to determine NF-κB in children with autism. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples of 67 children with autism and 29 control children were evaluated for NF-κB using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). A phosphor imaging technique was used to quantify values. The fold increase over the control sample was calculated and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 15. RESULTS: We have noted significant increase in NF-κB DNA binding activity in peripheral blood samples of children with autism. When the fold increase of NF-κB in cases (n = 67) was compared with that of controls (n = 29), there was a significant difference (3.14 vs. 1.40, respectively; p<0.02). CONCLUSION: This finding has immense value in understanding many of the known biochemical changes reported in autism. As NF-κB is a response to stressors of several kinds and a master switch for many genes, autism may then arise at least in part from an NF-κB pathway gone awry

Intramolecular Epistasis and the Evolution of a New Enzymatic Function

Atrazine chlorohydrolase (AtzA) and its close relative melamine deaminase (TriA) differ by just nine amino acid substitutions but have distinct catalytic activities. Together, they offer an informative model system to study the molecular processes that underpin the emergence of new enzymatic function. Here we have constructed the potential evolutionary trajectories between AtzA and TriA, and characterized the catalytic activities and biophysical properties of the intermediates along those trajectories. The order in which the nine amino acid substitutions that separate the enzymes could be introduced to either enzyme, while maintaining significant catalytic activity, was dictated by epistatic interactions, principally between three amino acids within the active site: namely, S331C, N328D and F84L. The mechanistic basis for the epistatic relationships is consistent with a model for the catalytic mechanisms in which protonation is required for hydrolysis of melamine, but not atrazine

Assessment of coastal management options by means of multilayered ecosystem models

This paper presents a multilayered ecosystem modelling approach that combines the simulation of the biogeochemistry of a coastal ecosystem with the simulation of the main forcing functions, such as catchment loading and aquaculture activities. This approach was developed as a tool for sustainable management of coastal ecosystems. A key feature is to simulate management scenarios that account for changes in multiple uses and enable assessment of cumulative impacts of coastal activities. The model was applied to a coastal zone in China with large aquaculture production and multiple catchment uses, and where management efforts to improve water quality are under way. Development scenarios designed in conjunction with local managers and aquaculture producers include the reduction of fish cages and treatment of wastewater. Despite the reduction in nutrient loading simulated in three different scenarios, inorganic nutrient concentrations in the bay were predicted to exceed the thresholds for poor quality defined by Chinese seawater quality legislation. For all scenarios there is still a Moderate High to High nutrient loading from the catchment, so further reductions might be enacted, together with additional decreases in fish cage culture. The model predicts that overall, shellfish production decreases by 10%–28% using any of these development scenarios, principally because shellfish growth is being sustained by the substances to be reduced for improvement of water quality. The model outcomes indicate that this may be counteracted by zoning of shellfish aquaculture at the ecosystem level in order to optimize trade-offs between productivity and environmental effects. The present case study exemplifies the value of multilayered ecosystem modelling as a tool for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and for the adoption of ecosystem approaches for marine resource management. This modelling approach can be applied worldwide, and may be particularly useful for the application of coastal management regulation, for instance in the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

AN ASSESSMENT OF TWO METHODS OF DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL MILK

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