Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Controlling Viral Immuno-Inflammatory Lesions By Modulating Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling, Tamara Veiga-Parga, A Suryawanshi, B T. Rouse

Tamara Veiga-Parga

Ocular herpes simplex virus infection can cause a blinding CD4+ T cell orchestrated immuno-inflammatory lesion in the cornea called Stromal Keratitis (SK). A key to controlling the severity of SK lesions is to suppress the activity of T cells that orchestrate lesions and enhance the representation of regulatory cells that inhibit effector cell function. In this report we show that a single administration of TCDD (2, 3, 7, 8- Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), a non-physiological ligand for the AhR receptor, was an effective means of reducing the severity of SK lesions. It acted by causing apoptosis of Foxp3- CD4+ T cells but had …

Socioeconomic Determinants Of Geographic Disparities In Campylobacteriosis Risk: A Comparison Of Global And Local Modeling Approaches, Jennifer Weisent, Barton Rohrbach, John Dunn, Agricola Odoi

Agricola Odoi

Background: Socioeconomic factors play a complex role in determining the risk of campylobacteriosis. Understanding the spatial interplay between these factors and disease risk can guide disease control programs. Historically, Poisson and negative binomial models have been used to investigate determinants of geographic disparities in risk. Spatial regression models, which allow modeling of spatial effects, have been used to improve these modeling efforts. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) takes this a step further by estimating local regression coefficients, thereby allowing estimations of associations that vary in space. These recent approaches increase our understanding of how geography influences the associations between determinants and …

Anesthesia Of The Geriatric Equine, Reza Seddighi Dvm, Ms, Phd, Dip Acva, Cvma

Reza Seddighi

Advancements in veterinary medicine have resulted in an increased number of geriatric horses being presented for medical or surgical procedures that require general anesthesia. Due to the physiological changes associated with aging and the likelihood of concurrent disease conditions, the geriatric equine is at an increased risk during anesthesia. The main physiological changes associated with aging, and their impact on anesthesia, are discussed in this review.

Exclusion Of Rpgrip1 Ins44 From Primary Causal Association With Early-Onset Cone–Rod Dystrophy In Dogs, Tatyana Kuznetsova, Simone Iwabe, Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, Sue Pearce-Kelling, Yim Chang-Min, Kendra Mcdaid, Keiko Miyadera, Andras Komaromy, Gustavo D. Aguirre

Gustavo D. Aguirre, VMD, PhD

Hovering Energetics And Thermal Balance In Anna's Hummingbirds (Calypte Anna), Dennis Evangelista, Maria J. Fernandez, Madalyn S. Berns, Aaron M. Hoover, Robert Dudley

Aaron M. Hoover

We studied the energetics of hover-feeding Anna's hummingbirds, using three different simultaneous techniques: heat loss as estimated via thermal imaging, metabolic rate as measured at a feeder mask using flow-through respirometry, and aerodynamic power estimated from wingbeat kinematic data. These three methods yielded comparable estimates of power output at ambient air temperatures ranging from 18 degrees to 26 degrees C, whereas heat imbalance at higher air temperatures (up to 34 degrees C) suggested loss by mechanisms other than convection and radiation from the body, such as evaporative cooling and enthalpy rise associated with exhaled air and excreted water and convective …

Haemorheology Of The Eastern Grey Kangaroo And The Tasmanian Devil, Michael Simmonds, Oguz Baskurt, Herbert Meiselman, Michael Pyne, Michael Kakanis, Ekua Brenu, James Keane, Rhys Christy, Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik

Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik

The blood of two Australian marsupials, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), has been reported to have greater oxygen-carrying capacity (i.e. haemoglobin content) when compared with that of placental mammals. We investigated whether alterations of blood rheological properties are associated with the increased oxygen-carrying capacity of these marsupials. Eastern grey kangaroos (n = 6) and Tasmanian devils (n = 4) were anaesthetised for blood sampling; human blood (n = 6) was also sampled for comparison. Laboratory measurements included blood and plasma viscosity, red blood cell (RBC) deformability, RBC aggregation and the intrinsic tendency of …

A Biography Of And Interview With Charles W. Raker, Vmd, Sarah Khatibzadeh

Charles W. Raker (1920 - 2014)

Charles W. Raker was one of the leading equine surgeons of the second half of the 20th century. Raised in Daylesford, Pennsylvania, he received his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania (UP) in 1942. After several years in general practice, he joined the faculty of the UP as a surgeon involved with all large animal species. As one of the founding faculty of New Bolton Center, he gradually developed a strong clientele for cases involving general and orthopedic surgery of horses. Starting in the 1970s, he began to concentrate on upper respiratory surgery and became a preeminent leader in that …

Does Place Of Residence Affect Risk Of Suicide? A Spatial Epidemiologic Investigation In Kentucky From 1999 To 2008, Daniel M. Saman, Sabrina Walsh, Anna Borowko, Agricola Odoi

Agricola Odoi

Background: Approximately 32,000 people take their own lives every year in the United States. In Kentucky, suicide mortality rates have been steadily increasing since 1999. Few studies in the United States have assessed spatial clustering of suicides. The purpose of this study was to identify high-risk clusters of suicide at the county level in Kentucky and assess the characteristics of those suicide cases within the clusters. Methods: A spatial epidemiological study was undertaken using suicide data for the period January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2008, obtained from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Descriptive analyses using Pearson's chi-square test …

Transient Silencing Of A Type Iv P-Type Atpase, Atp10c, Results In Decreased Glucose Uptake In C2c12 Myotubes, S E. Hurst, S C. Minkin, J Biggerstaff, Madhu S. Dhar

Madhu S Dhar

Atp10c is a strong candidate gene for diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes. To identify molecular and cellular targets of ATP10C, Atp10c expression was altered in vitro in C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes by transient transfection with an Atp10c-specific siRNA. Glucose uptake assays revealed that insulin stimulation caused a significant 2.54-fold decrease in 2-deoxyglucose uptake in transfected cells coupled with a significant upregulation of native mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38, and p44/42. Additionally, glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1) was significantly upregulated; no changes in glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) expression were observed. The involvement of MAPKs was confirmed using the specific inhibitor SB203580, which downregulated …

A Spatial Cluster Analysis Of Tractor Overturns In Kentucky From 1960 To 2002, Daniel M. Saman, Henry P. Cole, Agricola Odoi, Melvin L. Myers, Daniel I. Carey, Susan C. Westneat

Agricola Odoi

Background: Agricultural tractor overturns without rollover protective structures are the leading cause of farm fatalities in the United States. To our knowledge, no studies have incorporated the spatial scan statistic in identifying high-risk areas for tractor overturns. The aim of this study was to determine whether tractor overturns cluster in certain parts of Kentucky and identify factors associated with tractor overturns. Methods: A spatial statistical analysis using Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic was performed to identify county clusters at greatest risk for tractor overturns. A regression analysis was then performed to identify factors associated with tractor overturns. Results: The spatial analysis …

Comparison Of High Fiber And Low Carbohydrate Diets On Owner-Perceived Satiety Of Cats During Weight Loss, Martha Cline, Angela Witzel, T Moyers, Joe Bartges Dvm, Phd, Dacvim, Dacvn, Claudia Kirk

Joe Bartges

Food-seeking behaviors exhibited by cats during weight loss programs are frustrating to owners. Two categories of therapeutic weight loss diets are available for cats: High Fiber (HF) and Low Carbohydrate (LC). The objective of this study was to determine if cat owners perceive a difference in satiety when their cats are fed either a HF or LC diet during a weight loss regimen. Twenty-eight client-owned cats were randomly assigned to either an HF or LC canned diet and fed to 80% of their ideal weight resting energy requirements. Cats were rechecked at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks and food …

Does Immunocontraception In Feral Horses (Equus Caballus) Extend Reproductive Cycling Beyond The Normal Breeding Season?, Cassandra M.V. Nuñez, James S. Adelman, Daniel I. Rubenstein

Cassandra M.V. Nuñez

Although the physiological effects of immunocontraceptive treatment with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) have been well studied, little is known about PZP’s effects on the scheduling of reproductive cycling. Recent behavioral research has suggested that recipients of PZP extend the receptive breeding period into what is normally the non-breeding season. To determine if this is the case, we compiled foaling data from wild horses (Equus caballus) living on Shackleford Banks, North Carolina for 4 years pre- and 8 years post-contraception management with PZP (pre-contraception, n = 65 births from 45 mares; post-contraception, n = 97 births from 46 mares). Gestation lasts …

Transient Pharmacologic Lowering Of Aβ Production Prior To Deposition Results In Sustained Reduction Of Amyloid Plaque Pathology, Pritam Das, Christophe Verbeeck, Lisa Minter, Paramita Chakrabarty, Kevin Felsentein, Thomas Kukar, Ghulam Maharvi, Abdul Fauq, Barbara A. Osborne, Todd E. Golde

Lisa Minter

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly. Disease modifying therapies targeting Aβ that are in development have been proposed to be more effective if treatment was initiated prior to significant accumulation of Aβ in the brain, but optimal timing of treatment initiation has not been clearly established in the clinic. We compared the efficacy of transient pharmacologic reduction of brain Aβ with a γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI ) for 1–3 months (M) treatment windows in APP Tg2576 mice and subsequent aging of the mice to either 15M or 18M. Results: These data show that reducing …

Chimeric Protein A/G Conjugate For Detection Of Anti–Toxoplasma Gondii Immunoglobulin G In Multiple Animal Species, John J. Schaefer, Holly A. White, Stephanie L. Schaaf, Hussni O. Mohammed, Susan E. Wade

John J Schaefer

Serological testing for toxoplasmosis diagnosis remains the method of choice in human medicine due to the accessibility of the requisite sample, the difficulty in predicting the parasite’s location in the host for direct detection, and the availability of established commercial methods. In veterinary medicine, although the first 2 conditions are unchanged, there is a need for commercially produced test methods that are validated for Toxoplasma gondii detection across the range of animal species that can serve as intermediate hosts. The development of such a serological method for animals would allow the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in individual animals and a higher …

Exogenous Sialic Acid And Cysteine Protease Inhibition Block Aherence Of Tritrichomonas Foetus To The Intestinal Epithelium, M Katherine Tolbert, J L. Gookin

M Katherine Tolbert DVM, PhD, DACVIM

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Investigation Of A Terbinafine Impregnated Subcutaneous Implant For Veterinary Use, Marcy J. Souza, Tim Cairns, Jason Yarbrough, Sherry Cox

Marcy J Souza

No abstract provided.