Dogs attending primary-care practice in England with clinical signs suggestive of Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia

Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia (CM/SM) in dogs describes a developmental disorder that can cause pain and reduced quality of life. This retrospective study aimed to report the period prevalence, clinical signs and risk factors for diagnosis of symptomatic CM/SM in the veterinary primary-care setting using a cross-sectional design. The study population included all dogs within the VetCompass Programme (September 1, 2009–June 13, 2014). Overall, the period prevalence of symptomatic CM/SM was 0.05 per cent (95 per cent CI 0.04 per cent to 0.06 per cent) for all breeds. The period prevalence in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) was 1.6 per cent (95 per cent CI 1.2 to 2.06). Other breeds at increased odds included the King Charles Spaniel (KCS), Affenpinscher, Chihuahua and Pomeranian. Insured dogs had 4.6 times the odds (95 per cent CI 2.95 to 7.17) of having a diagnosis of CM/SM compared with uninsured dogs. Pain was the most commonly associated clinical sign (67 dogs, 72 per cent). Analgesics were prescribed to 72 (77.4 per cent) of the symptomatic dogs. Despite its low overall period prevalence, the high proportion of affected dogs identified with chronic pain suggests a significant welfare issue. Financial implications could impede the diagnostic process and lead to underestimation of the true prevalence. This study may help to inform clinicians about the clinical relevance and the need for improved awareness of clinical signs, particularly in high-risk breeds, to optimise the management of CM/SM in primary-care practice

Establishing a community-based approach to electronic journal archiving: the UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme

Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS ) represents a sophisticated combination of technical and business-aware elements that can be deployed to ensure the long-term accessibility to electronic journal content even if the publisher ceases to exist, a subscription is terminated, or the already acquired content becomes damaged. Given the potential benefits of LOCKSS to the UK community, and in consideration of the implications of the NESLi2 licences, the Joint Information Systems Committee and the Consortium of University Research Libraries (JISC/CURL) co-funded a UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme to explore issues associated with the practical implementation of LOCKSS in UK Higher Education institutions. The pilot launched in March 2006 and concluded in July 2008. Following on from our experiences throughout the UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme, this paper discusses the organizational attributes of the LOCKSS approach that we expect to further develop in the UK, describes the types of journal content that the current generation of LOCKSS seems best suited to handle and as a result how LOCKSS may fit into the broader journal archiving environment, and it describes the steps we are taking to ensure both the LOCKSS software and Technical Support Service grow effectively to support library use and information management

Syringomyelia in three small breed dogs secondary to Chiari-like malformation: clinical and diagnostic findings

Three small breed dogs were referred for the evaluation of neurologic deficits. Upon physical and neurologic examination, all dogs displayed hyperesthesia, pain, and neck stiffness. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on the brain and spinal cord, and all three dogs presented Chiari-like malformations and syringomyelia. These dogs were treated with prednisolone and furosemide, and showed rapid improvement of clinical signs. Chiari malformations and syringomyelia were not improved because of congenital disorders. This case report demonstrates the clinical and diagnostic features of Chiari-like malformations and syringomyelia in three small breed dogs

Language teaching after COVID: real world priorities

In his recent discussion of the consultation about in the teaching of Modern foreign Languages, Sarn Rich reminds us that learning lists of words and rules does constitute language teaching. The distinction between “cultural content” and “ the language”, he is right to point out, is a falsehood that risks being perpetuated by new developments in MFL teaching at GCSE level. This is part of a current crisis in this area

Technical alignment

This essay discusses the importance of the areas of infrastructure and testing to help digital preservation services demonstrate reliability, transparency, and accountability. It encourages practitioners to build a strong culture in which transparency and collaborations between technical frameworks are valued highly. It also argues for devising and applying agreed-upon metrics that will enable the systematic analysis of preservation infrastructure. The essay begins by defining technical infrastructure and testing in the digital preservation context, provides case studies that exemplify both progress and challenges for technical alignment in both areas, and concludes with suggestions for achieving greater degrees of technical alignment going forward

Characterization of the GnRH-induced corpus luteum in the cycling heifer

Although recent studies in other laboratories have greatly increased our understanding of luteal function in cattle, we are still unable to accurately synchronize luteolysis, preovulatory follicular growth and ovulation with commercially available pharmacological preparations. The aim of these studies was to investigate the factor(s) which controls the formation, function and regression of the GnRH-induced corpus luteum (CL).Initially, we sought to develop an experimental model to examine the characteristics of the CL induced in intact heifers with normal oestrous cyclicity, by GnRH injection in the early luteal phase. Administration of GnRH on Day 6 after the synchronized oestrus resulted in ovulation and formation of an additional CL in >70% of animals. Following prostaglandin F₂α (PGF₂α) in the mid-luteal phase, the spontaneously-formed CL underwent luteolysis while the induced CL did not, leading to a delay in return to oestrus associated with a persistence of luteal function.Having demonstrated the ovulatory competence of the dominant follicle of the first follicular wave, and the formation of a functional CL, it was of interest to examine the reason for the premature demise of the induced CL in the GnRH responders when compared to the spontaneouslyformed CL. Administration of steroid-stripped bovine follicular fluid (bFF), which suppressed the growth of the dominant follicle, and reduced serum oestradiol concentrations, resulted in a further delay in the return to oestrus and a significant extension in the lifespan of the induced CL, when compared to the untreated responders, and provided circumstantial evidence that oestradiol was the endogenous agent responsible for regression of the induced CL.Although luteal lifespan was extended by the use of bFF, the function of the induced CL was still limited compared to the spontaneously-formed CL. A comparison of the structure and composition of the induced CL with the spontaneously-formed CL of the same age, revealed no differences in concentrations of progesterone and oxytocin 7 days after formation, but a significant increase in LH receptor concentration in the induced CL. This suggests that the limitation in lifespan of the induced CL was not due to a lack of luteotrophic support. Furthermore, a subsequent study examining the interaction between the induced CL and the uterine endometrium, demonstrated that the GnRH responders with an induced CL were competent to respond to an oxytocin challenge with a 13,14-dihydro-15-ketoprostaglandin F₂α (prostaglandin F metabolite) response of similar magnitude to animals with a spontaneous CL. The similarity in response suggested that the premature demise of the induced CL was not the result of advanced release of PGF₂α, or of oxytocin-induced reduction in luteotrophic supportTo investigate the possibility of an additional direct effect of bFF on the induced CL, the development of a simple procedure for the dispersion and culture of bovine luteal cells in our laboratory, enabled a study of the effect of bFF on luteal cell function in vitro. The study demonstrated that bFF contained a factor(s) that inhibited progesterone production by mixed populations of cultured luteal cells in vitro. The inhibitory effect was seen in both steroid-stripped, inhibin-enriched and inhibin-depleted fractions of bFF. Thus, bFF appears to inhibit luteal function in vitro by a direct effect on the CL, but extend luteal funcion in vivo indirectly by suppression of follicular growth and a reduction in peripheral oestradiol concentrations.Finally, we compared the steroidogenic capacity in vitro, of dispersed luteal cells from induced and spontaneous CL 7 days after ovulation, in response to treatment with LH (the primary luteotrophin in the bovine), and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dbcAMP), which is independent of receptor integrity. Both spontaneous and induced dispersed cells were non-responsive to LH, but spontaneous luteal cells dramatically increased progesterone production in the presence of dbcAMP, suggesting that dispersion had damaged the LH receptor. Progesterone production in response to dbcAMP by luteal tissue from induced CL was markedly reduced, suggesting a failure of the steroidogenic response at an as yet unidentified point in the second messenger pathwayCollectively, we have demonstrated that administration of GnRH in the early luteal phase results in formation of an additional CL of limited functional capacity. The premature demise of the induced CL appears to be a consequence of an endogenous signal, which is probably oestradiol, from the dominant follicle. This functional association between luteal and follicular elements in the ovary is a target for future research attempting to improve oestrous synchronization techniques in cattle

Syringomyelia and Craniocervical Junction Abnormalities in Chihuahuas

Background: Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) are widely reported in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Griffon Bruxellois dogs. Increasing evidence indicates that CM and SM also occur in other small and toy breed dogs, such as Chihuahuas. Objectives: To describe the presence of SM and craniocervical junction (CCJ) abnormalities in Chihuahuas and to evaluate the possible association of CCJ abnormalities with SM. To describe CM/SM-related clinical signs and neurologic deficits and to investigate the association of CM/SM-related clinical signs with signalment, SM, or CCJ abnormalities. Animals: Fifty-three client-owned Chihuahuas. Methods: Prospective study. Questionnaire analyses and physical and neurologic examinations were obtained before magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging. Images were evaluated for the presence of SM, CM, and atlantooccipital overlapping. Additionally, medullary kinking, dorsal spinal cord compression, and their sum indices were calculated. Results: Scratching was the most common CM/SM-related clinical sign and decreased postural reaction the most common neurologic deficit in 73 and 87% of dogs, respectively. Chiari-like malformation and SM were present in 100 and 38% of dogs, respectively. Syringomyelia was associated with the presence of CM/SM-related clinical signs (P = 0.034), and medullary kinking and sum indices were higher in dogs with clinical signs (P = 0.016 and P = 0.007, respectively). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Syringomyelia and CCJ abnormalities are prevalent in Chihuahuas. Syringomyelia was an important factor for the presence of CM/SM-related clinical signs, but many dogs suffered from similar clinical signs without being affected by SM, highlighting the clinical importance of CCJ abnormalities in Chihuahuas.Peer reviewe

Low-field magnetic resonance imaging and multislice computed tomography for the detection of cervical syringomyelia in dogs

Background: Syringomyelia (SM) is defined as the presence of fluid- containing cavities within the parenchyma of the spinal cord. Sagittal magnetic resonance (MR) images have been described as the preferred technique for visualizing SMin dogs and humans. Objective: To investigate whether computed tomography (CT) can be used to diagnose SM. Animals: Thirty- two client- owned dogs referred for investigation of the cervical spine on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT. Methods: Two reviewers retrospectively analyzed sagittal and transverse T1- weighted spin echo (T1WSE) MR images and CT images from each dog for the presence of SM and, if SM was present, the width (mm, syrinx width [ SW]) was measured. The results were analyzed statistically. Results: For the presence of SM there was a moderate interobserver agreement for MR (81%, j = 0.54) and almost perfect agreement for CT (94%, j = 0.87). There was a moderate intramodality agreement for both observers (observer 1 81%, j = 0.59; observer 2 81%, j = 0.57). For measurement of SW the repeatability was the best on the midsagittal T1WSE images (95% repeatability coefficient < 0.52 mm) and the reproducibility was the best on midsagittal images in both modalities (95% limits of agreement 0.55- 0.45; P = 0.002). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Both techniques can be used to detect SM. Midsagittal MR and CT images are best used for measuring SW. Computed tomography can be used as a diagnostic tool for SM when MRI is not available, but CT cannot replace MRI as the standard screening technique for the detection of SM in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for breeding purposes

Establishing a community-based approach to electronic journal archiving: the UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme

Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS ) represents a sophisticated combination of technical and business-aware elements that can be deployed to ensure the long-term accessibility to electronic journal content even if the publisher ceases to exist, a subscription is terminated, or the already acquired content becomes damaged. Given the potential benefits of LOCKSS to the UK community, and in consideration of the implications of the NESLi2 licences, the Joint Information Systems Committee and the Consortium of University Research Libraries (JISC/CURL) co-funded a UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme to explore issues associated with the practical implementation of LOCKSS in UK Higher Education institutions. The pilot launched in March 2006 and concluded in July 2008. Following on from our experiences throughout the UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme, this paper discusses the organizational attributes of the LOCKSS approach that we expect to further develop in the UK, describes the types of journal content that the current generation of LOCKSS seems best suited to handle and as a result how LOCKSS may fit into the broader journal archiving environment, and it describes the steps we are taking to ensure both the LOCKSS software and Technical Support Service grow effectively to support library use and information management. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down