773 research outputs found
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Clinicopathologic and Histopathologic Renal Abnormalities in Dogs with Coccidioidomycosis.
BackgroundWe observed evidence of protein-losing nephropathy in some dogs with coccidioidomycosis, suggestive of immune complex glomerulonephritis (ICGN). The goal of this study was to understand the prevalence of renal histopathologic lesions and proteinuria in dogs with coccidioidomycosis.HypothesisBiochemical and histopathological evidence of glomerular lesions is present in dogs with coccidioidomycosis.AnimalsHundred and fifty-six dogs with naturally occurring coccidioidomycosis.MethodsRetrospective case series. Clinical information and results of clinicopathologic testing were retrieved from the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). Microscopic sections of renal tissue procured from necropsy of dogs with coccidioidomycosis were examined to evaluate the nature and distribution of lesions.ResultsA total of 156 dogs with coccidioidomycosis were identified; 87 dogs had serum biochemistry and a urinalysis performed, 17 had urine protein:creatinine ratios (UPCs), and 24 had renal tissue available for histopathology. Eleven (13%) of the 87 dogs were azotemic, 55 (63%) were proteinuric (of which 14 [25%] had clinically relevant proteinuria defined as ≥3+ or ≥500 mg/dL), and 14 dogs had UPC ≥0.5 (range, 0.5-21.5, median 4.2). Thirteen (54%) of 24 dogs had renal histopathologic lesions suggestive of ICGN. Seven of these dogs had urinalyses performed; 5 (71%) had clinically relevant proteinuria as described above. Two dogs (33%) with normal glomeruli had granulomatous nephritis, 1 of which had intralesional Coccidioides spherules.Conclusions and clinical importanceCoccidioidomycosis should be considered as a possible contributor to glomerular disease in dogs. Whether similar lesions occur in other mammalian hosts, including humans, warrants further investigation
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of high dose short duration enrofloxacin treatment regimen for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in dogs.
BackgroundUncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) in dogs usually are treated with antimicrobial drugs for 10-14 days. Shorter duration antimicrobial regimens have been evaluated in human patients.HypothesisA high dose short duration (HDSD) enrofloxacin protocol administered to dogs with uncomplicated UTI will not be inferior to a 14-day treatment regimen with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.AnimalsClient-owned adult, otherwise healthy dogs with aerobic bacterial urine culture yielding ≥ 10(3) CFU/mL of bacteria after cystocentesis.MethodsProspective, multicenter, controlled, randomized blinded clinical trial. Enrolled dogs were randomized to group 1 (enrofloxacin 18-20 mg/kg PO q24h for 3 days) or group 2 (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 13.75-25 mg/kg PO q12h for 14 days). Urine cultures were obtained at days 0, 10, and 21. Microbiologic and clinical cure rates were evaluated 7 days after antimicrobial treatment was discontinued. Lower urinary tract signs and adverse events also were recorded.ResultsThere were 35 dogs in group 1 and 33 in group 2. The microbiologic cure rate was 77.1 and 81.2% for groups 1 and 2, respectively. The clinical cure rate was 88.6 and 87.9% for groups 1 and 2, respectively. Cure rates between groups did not differ according to the selected margin of noninferiority.Conclusions and clinical importanceHDSD enrofloxacin treatment was not inferior to a conventional amoxicillin-clavulanic acid protocol for the treatment of uncomplicated bacterial UTI in dogs. Further research is warranted to determine if this protocol will positively impact owner compliance and decrease the emergence of antimicrobial resistance
2010 ACVIM Small Animal Consensus Statement on Leptospirosis: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention
This report offers a consensus opinion on the diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of leptospirosis in dogs, an important zoonosis. Clinical signs of leptospirosis in dogs relate to development of renal disease, hepatic disease, uveitis, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Disease may follow periods of high rainfall, and can occur in dogs roaming in proximity to water sources, farm animals, or wildlife, or dogs residing in suburban environments. Diagnosis is based on acute and convalescent phase antibody titers by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), with or without use of polymerase chain reaction assays. There is considerable interlaboratory variation in MAT results, and the MAT does not accurately predict the infecting serogroup. The recommended treatment for optimal clearance of the organism from renal tubules is doxycycline, 5 mg/kg PO q12h, for 14 days. Annual vaccination can prevent leptospirosis caused by serovars included in the vaccine and is recommended for dogs at risk of infection
Interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages or increase water intake: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis
A systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of interventions to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) or increase water intakes and to examine the impact of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) in consumption patterns. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials published after January 1990 and until December 2016 reporting daily changes in intakes of SSB or water in volumetric measurements (mL d¯¹) were included. References were retrieved through searches of electronic databases and quality appraisal followed Cochrane principles. We calculated mean differences (MD) and synthesized data with random-effects models. Forty studies with 16 505 participants were meta-analysed. Interventions significantly decreased consumption of SSB in children by 76 mL d¯¹ (95% confidence interval [CI] −105 to −46; 23 studies, P < 0.01), and in adolescents (−66 mL d¯¹, 95% CI −130 to −2; 5 studies, P = 0.04) but not in adults (−13 mL d¯¹, 95% CI −44 to 18; 12 studies, P = 0.16). Pooled estimates of water intakes were only possible for interventions in children, and results were indicative of increases in water intake (MD +67 mL d¯¹, 95% CI 6 to 128; 7 studies, P = 0.04). For children, there was evidence to suggest that modelling/demonstrating the behaviour helped to reduce SSB intake and that interventions within the home environment had greater effects than school-based interventions. In conclusion, public health interventions – mainly via nutritional education/counselling – are moderately successful at reducing intakes of SSB and increasing water intakes in children. However, on average, only small reductions in SSBs have been achieved by interventions targeting adolescents and adults. Complementary measures may be needed to achieve greater improvements in both dietary behaviours across all age groups
Field evidence for the upwind velocity shift at the crest of low dunes
Wind topographically forced by hills and sand dunes accelerates on the upwind
(stoss) slopes and reduces on the downwind (lee) slopes. This secondary wind
regime, however, possesses a subtle effect, reported here for the first time
from field measurements of near-surface wind velocity over a low dune: the wind
velocity close to the surface reaches its maximum upwind of the crest. Our
field-measured data show that this upwind phase shift of velocity with respect
to topography is found to be in quantitative agreement with the prediction of
hydrodynamical linear analysis for turbulent flows with first order closures.
This effect, together with sand transport spatial relaxation, is at the origin
of the mechanisms of dune initiation, instability and growth.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Version accepted for publication in
Boundary-Layer Meteorolog
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Spatial and temporal variability of the concentration field from localized releases in a regular building array
Spatial and temporal fluctuations in the concentration field from an ensemble of continuous point-source releases in a regular building array are analyzed from data generated by direct numerical simulations. The release is of a passive scalar under conditions of neutral stability. Results are related to the underlying flow structure by contrasting data for an imposed wind direction of 0 deg and 45 deg relative to the buildings. Furthermore, the effects of distance from the source and vicinity to the plume centreline on the spatial and temporal variability are documented. The general picture that emerges is that this particular geometry splits the flow domain into segments (e.g. “streets” and “intersections”) in each of which the air is, to a first approximation, well mixed. Notable exceptions to this general rule include regions close to the source, near the plume edge, and in unobstructed channels when the flow is aligned. In the oblique (45 deg) case the strongly three-dimensional nature of the flow enhances mixing of a scalar within the canopy leading to reduced temporal and spatial concentration fluctuations within the plume core. These fluctuations are in general larger for the parallel flow (0 deg) case, especially so in the long unobstructed channels. Due to the more complex flow structure in the canyon-type streets behind buildings, fluctuations are lower than in the open channels, though still substantially larger than for oblique flow. These results are relevant to the formulation of simple models for dispersion in urban areas and to the quantification of the uncertainties in their predictions
An investigation on the presence of Chlamydiaceae in Swedish dogs
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bacteria belonging to the family <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>cause a broad spectrum of diseases in a wide range of hosts, including man, other mammals, and birds. Upper respiratory and genital diseases are common clinical problems caused by <it>Chlamydiaceae</it>. Very little is known about chlamydial infections in dogs. Few clinical reports on natural disease in dogs describe mainly conjunctival and upper respiratory signs, and the role of <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>in genital disease is unclear. The present study aimed at studying the prevalence of <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>in healthy dogs and in dogs with genital or upper respiratory disease, including conjunctivitis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>was used to detect any chlamydial species within this family. Swab samples from the conjunctiva and the mucosal membranes of the oropharynx, rectum and genital tract were taken from 79 dogs: 27 clinically healthy dogs, 25 dogs with clinical signs from the genital tract and 28 dogs with conjunctivitis. There were 52 female and 27 male dogs. From 7 of the male dogs, additional semen samples were analysed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>were detected from any dog.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although the number of dogs that was included is limited, the results suggest that cases of <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>in dogs probably are related to infection from other species, and that dogs in general do not harbour <it>Chlamydiaceae</it>. Bacteria belonging to the family <it>Chlamydiaceae </it>do not seem to be of major importance for genital or ocular disease in Swedish dogs.</p
Dusty Planetary Systems
Extensive photometric stellar surveys show that many main sequence stars show
emission at infrared and longer wavelengths that is in excess of the stellar
photosphere; this emission is thought to arise from circumstellar dust. The
presence of dust disks is confirmed by spatially resolved imaging at infrared
to millimeter wavelengths (tracing the dust thermal emission), and at optical
to near infrared wavelengths (tracing the dust scattered light). Because the
expected lifetime of these dust particles is much shorter than the age of the
stars (>10 Myr), it is inferred that this solid material not primordial, i.e.
the remaining from the placental cloud of gas and dust where the star was born,
but instead is replenished by dust-producing planetesimals. These planetesimals
are analogous to the asteroids, comets and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) in our
Solar system that produce the interplanetary dust that gives rise to the
zodiacal light (tracing the inner component of the Solar system debris disk).
The presence of these "debris disks" around stars with a wide range of masses,
luminosities, and metallicities, with and without binary companions, is
evidence that planetesimal formation is a robust process that can take place
under a wide range of conditions. This chapter is divided in two parts. Part I
discusses how the study of the Solar system debris disk and the study of debris
disks around other stars can help us learn about the formation, evolution and
diversity of planetary systems by shedding light on the frequency and timing of
planetesimal formation, the location and physical properties of the
planetesimals, the presence of long-period planets, and the dynamical and
collisional evolution of the system. Part II reviews the physical processes
that affect dust particles in the gas-free environment of a debris disk and
their effect on the dust particle size and spatial distribution.Comment: 68 pages, 25 figures. To be published in "Solar and Planetary
Systems" (P. Kalas and L. French, Eds.), Volume 3 of the series "Planets,
Stars and Stellar Systems" (T.D. Oswalt, Editor-in-chief), Springer 201
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