[Efficiency of includes of bioactive substances in diet of patient with hepatic encephalopathy].

PubMed

Kaziulin, A N; Petukhov, A B; Kucheriavyĭ, Iu A

2006-01-01

We includes 66 patients with liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh B class with hepatic encephalopathy of 0 to 2nd stages in randomized interventional study. 36 patients received standard treatment and 30 patients received standard treatment + bioactive substances in formula CognoBlend in capsules (2 capsules twice a day) in course of 5 weeks. Formula includes extracts of plants: Bacopa monneria, Gingko biloba, Cat's Claw, Gotu Kola, Rosemary. In group combined treatment was significant improvement of clinical signs, psychometric tests, electroencephalography and serum biochemistry than in group with standard therapy, on term of 2 to 5 weeks.

Effect of different flooring systems on claw conformation of dairy cows.

PubMed

Telezhenko, E; Bergsten, C; Magnusson, M; Nilsson, C

2009-06-01

The effect of different flooring surfaces in walking and standing areas on claw conformation, claw horn growth, and wear was studied in 2 experiments during 2 consecutive housing seasons in a research dairy herd of 170 cows. In experiment 1, the flooring systems tested were solid rubber mats, mastic asphalt with and without rubber-matted feed-stalls, and aged concrete slats. In experiment 2, slatted concrete flooring was compared with slatted rubber flooring. The cows were introduced to the respective flooring systems in early lactation and their claws were trimmed before the exposure period. Toe length, toe angle, sole concavity, and claw width, as well as claw growth and wear rates were recorded for lateral and medial claws of the left hind limb. Claw asymmetry calculations were based on these claw measurements and on differences in sole protrusion between lateral and medial soles. Asphalt floors caused shorter toe length and steeper toe angle. They also increased wear on rear claws (5.30 +/- 0.31 and 5.95 +/- 0.33 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively; LSM +/- SE) and horn growth rate (5.12 +/- 0.36 and 5.83 +/- 0.31 mm/mo of lateral and medial claws, respectively). Rubber mats instead of asphalt in walking areas reduced wear (1.36 +/- 0.19 and 2.02 +/- 0.20 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively) and claw growth (3.83 +/- 0.23 and 3.94 +/- 0.17 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). Rubber-matted feed-stalls together with asphalt walkways decreased claw wear (3.29 +/- 0.31 and 4.10 +/- 0.32 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). The concavity of claw soles was reduced on asphalt, especially in the lateral rear claws. Rubber matting in feed-stalls prevented loss of sole concavity compared with asphalt. Claw asymmetry did not differ between flooring systems. While different access to abrasive flooring affected claw conformation, there was no evidence that flooring system influenced the disproportion between lateral and medial claws.

Evolutionary variation in the mechanics of fiddler crab claws

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Fiddler crabs, genus Uca, are classic examples of how intense sexual selection can produce exaggerated male traits. Throughout the genus the enlarged “major” cheliped (claw) of the male fiddler crab is used both as a signal for attracting females and as a weapon for combat with other males. However, the morphology of the major claw is highly variable across the approximately 100 species within the genus. Here we address variation, scaling, and correlated evolution in the mechanics of the major claw by analyzing the morphology and mechanical properties of the claws of 21 species of fiddler crabs from the Pacific, Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the Americas. Results We find that the mechanics that produce claw closing forces, the sizes of claws and the mechanical strength of the cuticle of claws are all highly variable across the genus. Most variables scale isometrically with body size across species but claw force production scales allometrically with body size. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts, we find that the force that a claw can potentially produce is positively correlated with the strength of the cuticle on the claw where forces are delivered in a fight. There is also a negative correlation between the force that a claw can potentially produce and the size of the claw corrected for the mass of the claw. Conclusions These relationships suggest that there has been correlated evolution between force production and armoring, and that there is a tradeoff between claw mechanics for signaling and claw mechanics for fighting. PMID:23855770

Milking performance evaluation and factors affecting milking claw vacuum levels with flow simulator.

PubMed

Enokidani, Masafumi; Kawai, Kazuhiro; Shinozuka, Yasunori; Watanabe, Aiko

2017-08-01

Milking performance of milking machines that matches the production capability of dairy cows is important in reducing the risk of mastitis, particularly in high-producing cows. This study used a simulated milking device to examine the milking performance of the milking system of 73 dairy farms and to analyze the factors affecting claw vacuum. Mean claw vacuum and range of fluctuation of claw vacuum (claw vacuum range) were measured at three different flow rates: 5.7, 7.6 and 8.7 kg/min. At the highest flow rate, only 16 farms (21.9%) met both standards of mean claw vacuum ≥35 kPa and claw vacuum range ≤ 7 kPa, showing that milking systems currently have poor milking performance. The factors affecting mean claw vacuum were claw type, milk-meter and vacuum shut-off device; the factor affecting claw vacuum range was claw type. Examination of the milking performance of the milking system using a simulated milking device allows an examination of the performance that can cope with high producing cows, indicating the possibility of reducing the risk of mastitis caused by inappropriate claw vacuum. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Invited review: Genetics and claw health: Opportunities to enhance claw health by genetic selection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Routine recording of claw health status at claw trimming of dairy cattle have been established in several countries, providing valuable data for genetic evaluation. In this review, issues related to genetic evaluation of claw health are examined, data sources, trait definitions and data validation p...

Curvature facilitates prey fixation in predatory insect claws.

PubMed

Petie, Ronald; Muller, Mees

2007-02-21

Insects show a large variety in prey capture strategies, with a correspondingly large diversity in predatory adaptations. We studied a specific type of predatory claws, these can for example be found in praying mantis species. The claw is closeable over its entire length and the prey is fixed between the femur (upper arm) and the tibia (lower arm) of the insect leg. The morphology of these predatory claws is diverse. Some species have straight claws covered with spines, while other species have smooth, curved claws. We have studied the mechanics of this femur-tibia type of predatory insect claws, by making a physical model, eventually trying to explain why in some insect species the claws are curved instead of straight. The main results are (1) when comparing curved claws to straight claws, curvature leads to a strong reduction of forces driving the prey away from the pivoting point, thereby reducing the need for friction generating structures. (2) In the curved claw model a position exists where the resulting force on the prey is exactly zero. This is because the normal forces on the femur and tibia are opposed, and in line. At this position the prey is perfectly clamped and not driven out of the claw. This feature does not exist in straight claws. (3) In the curved claw, the prey cannot be placed at a position further than a certain maximum distance from the pivoting point. Near this maximum position, the resulting force on the prey reaches high values because moment arms are near zero. (4) Between the zero position and the maximum position the resulting force is directed toward the pivoting point, which stabilizes prey fixation.

Claw and limb disorders in 12 Norwegian beef-cow herds

PubMed Central

Fjeldaas, Terje; Nafstad, Ola; Fredriksen, Bente; Ringdal, Grethe; Sogstad, Åse M

2007-01-01

Background The main aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of claw and limb disorders in Norwegian beef-cow herds. Methods Twenty-six herds with ≥15 cow-years were selected by computerized systematic assignment from the three most beef cattle-dense regions of Norway. The study population consisted of 12 herds with 28 heifers and 334 cows. The animals were trimmed and examined once by claw trimmers during the late winter and spring of 2003. The seven claw trimmers had been taught diagnosing and recording of claw lesions. Environment, feeding and management routines, age and breed, culling and carcass characteristics were also recorded. Results Lameness was recorded in 1.1% of the animals, and only in hind claws. Pericarpal swellings were recorded in one animal and peritarsal lesions in none. In total, claw and limb disorders including lameness were recorded in 29.6% of the animals, 4.1% with front and 28.2% with hind limb disorders, respectively. Most lesions were mild. Laminitis-related claw lesions were recorded in 18.0% of the animals and infectious lesions in 16.6%. The average claw length was 84 mm in front claws and 89 mm in hind claw. Both laminitis-related and infectious claw lesions were more prevalent with increasing age. Carcasses from animals with claw and limb disorders were on average 34 kg heavier than carcasses from animals without such disorders (p = 0.02). Our results also indicate association between some management factors and claw lesions. Conclusion The study shows that the prevalence of lameness was low in 12 Norwegian beef-cow herds compared to beef-cattle herds in other countries and also that there were less claw and limb disorders in these herds compared to foreign dairy-cattle herds. The prevalence of lameness and white-line fissures was approximately the same as in Norwegian dairy herds whereas less dermatitis, heel-horn erosions, haemorrhages of the sole and the white line and sole ulcers were recorded. PMID:17892582

A simple formula for predicting claw volume of cattle.

PubMed

Scott, T D; Naylor, J M; Greenough, P R

1999-11-01

The object of this study was to develop a simple method for accurately calculating the volume of bovine claws under field conditions. The digits of 30 slaughterhouse beef cattle were examined and the following four linear measurements taken from each pair of claws: (1) the length of the dorsal surface of the claw (Toe); (2) the length of the coronary band (CorBand); (3) the length of the bearing surface (Base); and (4) the height of the claw at the abaxial groove (AbaxGr). Measurements of claw volume using a simple hydrometer were highly repeatable (r(2)= 0.999) and could be calculated from linear measurements using the formula:Claw Volume (cm(3)) = (17.192 x Base) + (7.467 x AbaxGr) + 45.270 x (CorBand) - 798.5This formula was found to be accurate (r(2)= 0.88) when compared to volume data derived from a hydrometer displacement procedure. The front claws occupied 54% of the total volume compared to 46% for the hind claws. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Roughness-dependent friction force of the tarsal claw system in the beetle Pachnoda marginata (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae).

PubMed

Dai, Zhendong; Gorb, Stanislav N; Schwarz, Uli

2002-08-01

This paper studies slide-resisting forces generated by claws in the free-walking beetle Pachnoda marginata (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) with emphasis on the relationship between the dimension of the claw tip and the substrate texture. To evaluate the force range by which the claw can interact with a substrate, forces generated by the freely moving legs were measured using a load cell force transducer. To obtain information about material properties of the claw, its mechanical strength was tested in a fracture experiment, and the internal structure of the fractured claw material was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The bending stress of the claw was evaluated as 143.4-684.2 MPa, depending on the cross-section model selected. Data from these different approaches led us to propose a model explaining the saturation of friction force with increased texture roughness. The forces are determined by the relative size of the surface roughness R(a) (or an average particle diameter) and the diameter of the claw tip. When surface roughness is much bigger than the claw tip diameter, the beetle can grasp surface irregularities and generate a high degree of attachment due to mechanical interlocking with substrate texture. When R(a) is lower than or comparable to the claw tip diameter, the frictional properties of the contact between claw and substrate particles play a key role in the generation of the friction force.

Claw asymmetry in lobsters: case study in developmental neuroethology.

PubMed

Govind, C K

1992-12-01

An enduring debate in the study of development is the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors in the genesis of an organism, that is, the nature vs. nurture debate. The behavior of the paired claws in the lobster offers promising material for pursuing this debate because of the way they develop. The paired claws and their closer muscles are initially symmetrical; both are slender in appearance and have a mixture of fast and slow fibers in their closer muscles. During a critical period of development, they become determined into a major (crusher) and minor (cutter) claw and during subsequent development acquire their final form and behavior: The crusher becomes a stout, molar-toothed claw capable of closing only slowly because its closer muscle has 100% slow fibers while the cutter becomes a slender, incisor-toothed claw capable of closing rapidly because its closer muscle has 90% fast fibers. Our initial hypothesis was that the more active claw became the crusher and its less active counterpart the cutter. Presumably, nerve activity would influence muscle transformation, which in turn would influence the exoskeleton to which they attach and hence claw morphology. Curtailing nerve activity to the claw prevented crusher development, while reflex activation of a claw promoted its development; both results support the notion that nerve activity directly regulates claw form and function. This is not, however, the case, for when both claws were reflexly exercised neither formed a crusher, signifying rather that bilateral differences in predominantly mechanoreceptive input to the paired claws somehow lateralized the claw ganglion [central nervous system (CNS)] into a crusher and cutter side. The side experiencing the greater activity becomes the crusher side while the contralateral side becomes the cutter and is also inhibited from ever becoming a crusher. This initial lateralization in the CNS is expressed, via as yet unknown pathways, at the periphery in claw morphology, muscle composition, and behavior. The critical period defines a time when the CNS is susceptible to being lateralized into a crusher and cutter side. Such lateralization is dependent upon experience of the environment in the form of mechanoreceptive input. In the absence of such experience, the CNS is not lateralized and paired cutter claws develop. Thus, while the critical period for crusher determination is genetically determined the actual trigger is influenced by experience.

Axially aligned organic fibers and amorphous calcium phosphate form the claws of a terrestrial isopod (Crustacea).

PubMed

Vittori, Miloš; Srot, Vesna; Žagar, Kristina; Bussmann, Birgit; van Aken, Peter A; Čeh, Miran; Štrus, Jasna

2016-08-01

Skeletal elements that are exposed to heavy mechanical loads may provide important insights into the evolutionary solutions to mechanical challenges. We analyzed the microscopic architecture of dactylus claws in the woodlice Porcellio scaber and correlated these observations with analyses of the claws' mineral composition with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Extraordinarily, amorphous calcium phosphate is the predominant mineral in the claw endocuticle. Unlike the strongly calcified exocuticle of the dactylus base, the claw exocuticle is devoid of mineral and is highly brominated. The architecture of the dactylus claw cuticle is drastically different from that of other parts of the exoskeleton. In contrast to the quasi-isotropic structure with chitin-protein fibers oriented in multiple directions, characteristic of the arthropod exoskeleton, the chitin-protein fibers and mineral components in the endocuticle of P. scaber claws are exclusively axially oriented. Taken together, these characteristics suggest that the claw cuticle is highly structurally anisotropic and fracture resistant and can be explained as adaptations to predominant axial loading of the thin, elongated claws. The nanoscale architecture of the isopod claw may inspire technological solutions in the design of durable machine elements subjected to heavy loading and wear. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative evaluation of bone development of the distal phalanx of the cow hind limb using computed tomography.

PubMed

Tsuka, T; Ooshita, K; Sugiyama, A; Osaki, T; Okamoto, Y; Minami, S; Imagawa, T

2012-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) was performed on 400 claws (200 inner and 200 outer claws) of 100 pairs of bovine hind limbs to investigate the etiological theory that an exacerbating factor for ulceration is exostosis of the tuberculum flexorium within the distal phalanx. A variety of morphological changes of the tuberculum flexorium of bovine hind limb claws was visualized by 3-dimensional CT, and the geometry of these claws suggested a growth pattern of bone development with respect to the assumed daily loading patterns. This growth occurs initially at the abaxial caudal aspect of the distal phalanx and is followed by horizontal progression toward the axial aspect. The length of downward bone development on the solar face of the distal phalanx was 2.73±1.32 mm in the outer claws, significantly greater than in the inner claws (2.38±0.96 mm). Ratios of downward (vertical) bone development to the thickness of the subcutis and the corium (VerBD ratios) did not differ between the outer and inner claws (36.7 vs. 38.3%, respectively). Ratios of horizontal bone development to the axial-to-abaxial line of the tuberculum flexorium (HorBD ratios) were approximately 60% for both outer and inner claws. These quantitative measures regarding horizontal and vertical bone development within the distal phalanx were positively correlated with age and VerBD ratios (r=0.53 and r=0.36 for the inner and outer claws, respectively). Correlations between claw width of the outer claw and length of vertical bone development (r=0.43), the HorBD ratio (r=0.51), and the VerBD ratio (r=0.42) suggested that the relative size difference between the inner and outer claws enhances bone development in the outer claw. Correlation coefficients between VerBD and HorBD ratios (r=0.52 and 0.63 for the inner and outer claws, respectively) suggested that horizontal and vertical bone development occurs as a synchronized process within the tuberculum flexorium. This age-related progress of bone development within the tuberculum flexorium is associated with increased exposure to several exacerbating factors and the laminitic process. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unique fatality due to claw injuries in a tiger attack: a case report.

PubMed

Pathak, Hrishikesh; Dixit, Pradeep; Dhawane, Shailendra; Meshram, Satin; Shrigiriwar, Manish; Dingre, Niraj

2014-11-01

This paper describes a unique case of a fatal tiger attack in the wild. In the present case, a tiger fatally mauled a 34-year-old female with its claws, instead of the usual mechanism of killing by the bite injury to the neck. The autopsy revealed multiple fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by the tiger claws. The characteristic injuries due to the tooth impacts were absent as the teeth of the offending tiger were either fallen or non-functional. To the best of our knowledge, probably this rare case would be the first reported human fatality due to the tiger claw injuries in the world. The purpose of the present article is to highlight the fatal injuries due to the tiger claws, as the claw-induced fatal injuries in a tiger attack are not reported in the medico-legal literature. Moreover, this report would be an illustrative one for differentiation between the fatal injuries due to the claws and tooth impacts in a tiger attack. Furthermore, the present report establishes the importance of the tiger claws as a source of fatal injuries in a tiger attack. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Claw size of Scottish Highland Cows after pasture and housing periods].

PubMed

Nuss, K; Kolp, E; Braun, U; Weidmann, E; Hässig, M

2014-09-01

The claws of pastured Scottish Highland Cattle are large and this may raise the question if regular claw trimming is necessary. Therefore, the claws of the right thoracic and pelvic limbs were measured in 22 Scottish Highland cows 4 times 8 weeks apart. The cows were kept on various alpine pastures before the first measurement, on a two-hectare low-land pasture before the second measurement, in a welfare-compliant straw-bedded free stall before the third measurement and on alpine pasture before the fourth measurement. Housing conditions significantly affected claw dimensions. The claws were composed of dry, hard horn during pasture periods, and had prominent weight-bearing hoof-wall borders and soles with a natural axial slope. Long dorsal walls and heels and a greater symmetry were common. Claw lesions were absent. In contrast, free-stall housing was associated with shorter toes and steeper toe angles, but white line deterioration, heel horn erosion, wearing of the axial slope and hoof wall edges were common.

Central Asian mountain Rhithrogenini (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) with pointed and ephemeropteroid claws in the winged stages.

PubMed

Kluge, Nikita J

2015-08-03

Among mountain species of Heptageniidae from Central Asia, six species belonging to the taxa Cinygmula McDunnough 1933, Himalogena Kluge 2004 and Caucasiron Kluge 1997 have all claws of the winged stages (subimago and imago) pointed. In this area Cinygmula is represented by two species: C. hutchinsoni (Traver 1939) (with pointed claws) and C. joosti Braasch 1977 (with the more typical ephemeropteroid claws); for both species all stages of both sexes associated by rearing are redescribed. The Central Asian mountain taxon Himalogena includes seven species: Rhithrogena (Himalogena) tianshanica Brodsky 1930, Rh. (H.) pamirica sp. n., Rh. (H.) carnivora sp. n., Rh. (H.) semicarnivora sp. n., Rh. (H.) stackelbergi Sinitshenkova 1973, Rh. (H.) gunti sp. n. and Rh. (H.) nepalensis Braasch 1984; for five of them, all stages of both sexes associated by rearing are redescribed; Rh. (H.) semicarnivora is known as male imagoes reared from larvae; Rh. (H.) nepalensis formerly known only as larvae, is redescribed based on an anomalous female imago (with gynandromorphism caused by helminth in abdomen) reared from the larval stage. Among these species, Rh. (H.) tianshanica, Rh. (H.) pamirica, Rh. (H.) carnivora and Rh. (H.) semicarnivora have mandibles and the labrum modified for carnivorism, while the other three species have the usual Rhithrogena mouth apparatus. Imagoes and subimagoes of Rh. (H.) pamirica, Rh. (H.) carnivora, Rh. (H.) gunti and Rh. (H.) nepalensis, have both claws of each leg pointed, while the other species have ephemeropteroid claws. Corrections to the description of Rh. minima Sinitshenkova 1973 claw denticulation and to original figure references are given. The taxon Ironopsis/g1 is represented by two species in the Central Asian mountains: Epeorus (Caucasiron) guttatus (Braasch & Soldán 1979) (with pointed claws) and Epeorus (Ironopsis) rheophilus (Brodsky 1930) (with ephemeropteroid claws); for both species all stages of both sexes associated by rearing are redescribed. The character distribution patterns of pointed and ephemeropteroid claws within mayfly phylogeny leads one to assume that both types of claws repeatedly change back and forth within Ephemeroptera. However, within Heptageniidae, those species whose winged stages have pointed claws have overlapping ranges of distribution limited to high mountain systems of Central Asia; their larvae inhabit the same biotopes (stones in rapid streams), have the same habitat and can come into contact with one another when they aggregate on a stone. These observations allow for a hypothesis that explains the repeated change to pointed claws from ephemeropteroid claws among various Heptageniidae species via horizontal transfer of some hereditary factor during the evolutionary history of each of those species with the peculiar claw morphology.

Quantitative evaluation of the relationship between dorsal wall length, sole thickness, and rotation of the distal phalanx in the bovine claw using computed tomography.

PubMed

Tsuka, T; Murahata, Y; Azuma, K; Osaki, T; Ito, N; Okamoto, Y; Imagawa, T

2014-10-01

Computed tomography (CT) was performed on 800 untrimmed claws (400 inner claws and 400 outer claws) of 200 pairs of bovine hindlimbs to investigate the relationships between dorsal wall length and sole thickness, and between dorsal wall length and the relative rotation angle of distal phalanx-to-sole surface (S-D angle). Sole thickness was 3.8 and 4.0 mm at the apex of the inner claws and outer claws, respectively, with dorsal wall lengths <70 mm. These sole thickness values were less than the critical limit of 5 mm, which is associated with a softer surface following thinning of the soles. A sole thickness of 5 mm at the apex was estimated to correlate with dorsal wall lengths of 72.1 and 72.7 mm for the inner and outer claws, respectively. Sole thickness was 6.1 and 6.4 mm at the apex of the inner and outer claws, respectively, with dorsal wall lengths of 75 mm. These sole thickness values were less than the recommended sole thickness of 7 mm based on the protective function of the soles. A sole thickness >7 mm at the apex was estimated to correlate with a dorsal wall length of 79.8 and 78.4mm for the inner and outer claws, respectively. The S-D angles were recorded as anteversions of 2.9° and 4.7° for the inner and outer claws, respectively, with a dorsal wall length of 75 mm. These values indicate that the distal phalanx is likely to have rotated naturally forward toward the sole surface. The distal phalanx rotated backward to the sole surface at 3.2° and 7.6° for inner claws with dorsal wall lengths of 90-99 and ≥100 mm, respectively; and at 3.5° for outer claws with a dorsal wall length ≥100 mm. Dorsal wall lengths of 85.7 and 97.2 mm were estimated to correlate with a parallel positional relationship of the distal phalanx to the sole surface in the inner and outer claws, respectively. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lameness and Claw Lesions of the Norwegian Red Dairy Cattle Housed in Free Stalls in Relation to Environment, Parity and Stage of Lactation

PubMed Central

Sogstad, ÅM; Fjeldaas, T; Østerås, O

2005-01-01

Approximately 88% of Norwegian dairy cattle are housed in tie stalls. Free stall housing for all dairy cattle will be implemented within 20 years. This means that the majority of existing stalls will be rebuilt in the near future. Fifty-seven free stall herds of the Norwegian Red breed were randomly selected and 1547 cows and 403 heifers were trimmed by 13 claw trimmers during the late winter and spring of 2002. The claw trimmers had been taught diagnosing and recording of claw lesions. Environment, management- and feeding routines were also recorded. Fifty-three herds had concrete slatted alleys while 4 had solid concrete. Thirty-five herds had concrete as a stall base, while 17 had rubber mats, 2 had wood and 3 had deep litter straw beds. The prevalence of lameness was 1.6% in hind claws. Models for lameness and claw lesions were designed to estimate the influence of different risk factors and to account for the cluster effects within herd and claw trimmer. Detected risk factors for lameness were: parity three and above and narrow cubicles; for heel horn erosions: lactation stage around 5–7 months after calving and solid concrete alleys; for haemorrhages of the white line: lactation stage around 3–5 months after calving and solid concrete alleys; for haemorrhages of the sole: parity one, lactation stage around 5–7 months after calving and short cubicles, for white line fissures: slatted concrete alleys; for asymmetrical claws: parities two and above and for corkscrewed claws: solid concrete alleys. The prevalence of lameness in heifers was low, however 29% had one or more claw lesions. Heifers that were housed in pens or free stalls had more heel-horn erosions, haemorrhages of the sole and white-line fissures than heifers in tie stalls. As new free stalls are being built, it is important to optimise the conditions for claw health. PMID:16398332

Two new tardigrade species from Sicily.

PubMed

Pilato, Giovanni; Sabella, Giorgio; Lisi, Oscar

2014-01-14

Two new species of tardigrades are described from Sicilian moss samples: Macrobiotus insuetus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) procerum sp. nov.        Macrobiotus insuetus sp. nov. is a species of the harmsworthi-group characterized by both posterior and anterior claws of the hind legs, which are different in shape from those of the first three leg pairs. The IV claws have extended basal tract where the branches are joined and the secondary branch breaks at near right angle to the primary branch and is clearly shorter than the main branch and the secondary branch of claws I-III. The eggs are not areolated and have conical processes with a reticular ornamentation.        Diphascon (D.) procerum sp. nov. has a delicate cuticular ornamentation of very small tubercles, almost dots; two macroplacoids and septulum are present; thin accessory points are present on the main branches of the slender claws; lunules are absent but the base of the external claws of the hind legs are enlarged and slightly indented; a cuticular bar is present near the internal claw of the first three leg pairs and two cuticular bars are present on the hind legs between the base of the claws and near the base of the anterior claw. 

Bionic Design for Mars Sampling Scoop Inspired by Himalayan Marmot Claw

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Cave animals are often adapted to digging and life underground, with claw toes similar in structure and function to a sampling scoop. In this paper, the clawed toes of the Himalayan marmot were selected as a biological prototype for bionic research. Based on geometric parameter optimization of the clawed toes, a bionic sampling scoop for use on Mars was designed. Using a 3D laser scanner, the point cloud data of the second front claw toe was acquired. Parametric equations and contour curves for the claw were then built with cubic polynomial fitting. We obtained 18 characteristic curve equations for the internal and external contours of the claw. A bionic sampling scoop was designed according to the structural parameters of Curiosity's sampling shovel and the contours of the Himalayan marmot's claw. Verifying test results showed that when the penetration angle was 45° and the sampling speed was 0.33 r/min, the bionic sampling scoops' resistance torque was 49.6% less than that of the prototype sampling scoop. When the penetration angle was 60° and the sampling speed was 0.22 r/min, the resistance torque of the bionic sampling scoop was 28.8% lower than that of the prototype sampling scoop. PMID:28127229

Corkscrew Claw.

PubMed

van Amstel, Sarel R

2017-07-01

Corkscrew claw (CSC) is a conformational abnormality of the digit and affecting mostly but not exclusively the claws of the back leg, first reported during the 1950s in Dutch black and white cattle. The affected claws are longer and narrower than the claw and have an inward and upward spiral rotation of the toe. Similarly, the bearing surface of the wall is displaced inward. The animal starts to bear weight on the abaxial wall surface, particularly the caudal segment, and the sole may become completely non-weight bearing. The axial wall is displaced dorsomedially and a fold develops in the wall. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Invited review: Genetics and claw health: Opportunities to enhance claw health by genetic selection.

PubMed

Heringstad, B; Egger-Danner, C; Charfeddine, N; Pryce, J E; Stock, K F; Kofler, J; Sogstad, A M; Holzhauer, M; Fiedler, A; Müller, K; Nielsen, P; Thomas, G; Gengler, N; de Jong, G; Ødegård, C; Malchiodi, F; Miglior, F; Alsaaod, M; Cole, J B

2018-06-01

Routine recording of claw health status at claw trimming of dairy cattle has been established in several countries, providing valuable data for genetic evaluation. In this review, we examine issues related to genetic evaluation of claw health; discuss data sources, trait definitions, and data validation procedures; and present a review of genetic parameters, possible indicator traits, and status of genetic and genomic evaluations for claw disorders. Different sources of data and traits can be used to describe claw health. Severe cases of claw disorders can be identified by veterinary diagnoses. Data from lameness and locomotion scoring, activity information from sensors, and feet and leg conformation traits are used as auxiliary traits. The most reliable and comprehensive information is data from regular hoof trimming. In genetic evaluation, claw disorders are usually defined as binary traits, based on whether or not the claw disorder was present (recorded) at least once during a defined time period. The traits can be specific disorders, composite traits, or overall claw health. Data validation and editing criteria are needed to ensure reliable data at the trimmer, herd, animal, and record levels. Different strategies have been chosen, reflecting differences in herd sizes, data structures, management practices, and recording systems among countries. Heritabilities of the most commonly analyzed claw disorders based on data from routine claw trimming were generally low, with ranges of linear model estimates from 0.01 to 0.14, and threshold model estimates from 0.06 to 0.39. Estimated genetic correlations among claw disorders varied from -0.40 to 0.98. The strongest genetic correlations were found among sole hemorrhage (SH), sole ulcer (SU), and white line disease (WL), and between digital/interdigital dermatitis (DD/ID) and heel horn erosion (HHE). Genetic correlations between DD/ID and HHE on the one hand and SH, SU, or WL on the other hand were, in most cases, low. Although some of the studies were based on relatively few records and the estimated genetic parameters had large standard errors, there was, with some exceptions, consistency among studies. Various studies evaluate the potential of various data soureces for use in breeding. The use of hoof trimming data is recommended for maximization of genetic gain, although auxiliary traits, such as locomotion score and some conformation traits, may be valuable for increasing the reliability of genetic evaluations. Routine genetic evaluation of direct claw health has been implemented in the Netherlands (2010); Denmark, Finland, and Sweden (joint Nordic evaluation; 2011); and Norway (2014), and other countries plan to implement evaluations in the near future. The Authors. Published by FASS Inc. and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Mechanisms of herb-induced nephrotoxicity.

PubMed

Allard, T; Wenner, T; Greten, H J; Efferth, T

2013-01-01

Herbal therapies gained much popularity among the general public, but compared to therapies approved by official authorities, toxicological studies are frequently not available for them. Hence, there may be inherent risks and the kidneys may be especially vulnerable to toxic effects. Herbs may induce nephrotoxicity by induction of apoptosis. High oxalate contents in Star fruit (Averrhoa carambola L.) may induce acute nephropathy. Triptolide from Thunder God Vine (Triperygium wilfordii Hook) is a diterpenoid epoxide with induces reactive oxygen species and nephrotubular apoptosis. Cranberry juice is discussed as promoter of kidney stone formation (nephrolithiasis). Abuse of guaifenesin from Roughbark (Guaicum officinale L.) increases stone formation. Aristolochia acids from Aristolochia fangchi Y.C.Wu ex L.D. Chow & S.M. Hwang causes the well-known aristolochic acid nephropathy and carcinogenesis by DNA adduct formation. Carboxyatractyloside from Impila (Callilepsis laureola DC.) inhibits mitochondrial ATP synthesis. Acute allergic interstitial nephritis was diagnosed after intake of Peruvian Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa Willd. DC.). Whether or not Willow Bark (Salix alba L.) induces analgesic nephropathwy is a matter of discussion. Other herbal therapies are considered to affect the rennin-angiotensisn-aldosterone (RAA) system Ephedra sinica Stapf with its ingredient ephedrine. Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens DC. Ex Meisn.) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) may inhibit major renal transport processes needed for filtration, secretion, and absorption. Strategies to minimize nephrotoxicity include (1) quality control and standardization of herbal products, (2) research on the molecular modes of action to better understand pathophysiological mechanisms of herbal products as well as (3) clinical trials to demonstrate efficacy and safety.

Effects of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide on physical and biochemical properties of the claw horn of Holstein cows

PubMed Central

Higuchi, Hidetoshi; Kurumado, Hisatoshi; Mori, Maya; Degawa, Aiko; Fujisawa, Hideyo; Kuwano, Atsutoshi; Nagahata, Hajime

2009-01-01

The effects of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide on the physical and biochemical properties of the claw horn of Holstein cows were evaluated. Significant (P < 0.05, 0.01) decreases in hardness and elasticity were found in claw horns soaked in ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) solutions compared with those that were soaked in water for 12, 24, and 48 h. Water absorption rate, as a indicator of permeability barrier function, increased significantly (P < 0.05) over time during the soaking period and was found to be dependent on the concentrations of NH3 and H2S in the solutions. The contents of ceramide, the main lipid component for the permeability barrier system of the stratum corneum, were significantly decreased in claw horns soaked in NH3 and H2S solutions compared with the values before soaking. Quantities of eluted protein released from claw horns treated with NH3 and H2S solutions were approximately 20 times and 30 to 40 times greater than those released from claw horns treated with water alone. Interestingly, the quantities of cytokeratin 10, the main cytoskeletal protein of the stratum corneum, eluted from claw horns treated with NH3 and H2S solutions were markedly greater than the quantity released from horns soaked in water. Our results suggest that abnormal changes in the physical property of claw horn caused by NH3 and H2S treatment are due to disruption of the biochemical property of the claw horn induced by these chemical agents derived from slurry. PMID:19337390

Claw health and prevalence of lameness in cows from compost bedded and cubicle freestall dairy barns in Austria.

PubMed

Burgstaller, J; Raith, J; Kuchling, S; Mandl, V; Hund, A; Kofler, J

2016-10-01

Claw health and lameness data from five dairies with compost bedded barns (n = 201 data sets) were evaluated and compared with data from five dairy herds housed in freestall cubicle barns (n = 297 data sets). They were matched for having the same cow numbers, flooring type and similar milk yield. The prevalence of lameness, claw lesions and their severity grades were analysed. Two claw health indicators, the cow claw score (CCS) and the farm claw score (FCS), were calculated using a computerised claw trimming database programme; there was no significant difference in overall lameness prevalence in cows from five compost bedded barns (18.7%) compared to cows from five freestall cubicle herds (14.9%). A cumulative link mixed model (CLMM) did not show significant differences in locomotion between different types of bedding material, flooring system, breed, visit number, observer and time since last trimming, but locomotion was significantly influenced by CCS. Another CLMM tested the impact of parameters mentioned on CCS and showed significant influence of flooring type, visit number and cattle breed. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of claw disorders between compost bedded and freestall cubicle barns were found for white line disease (WLD; 20.4% and 46.6%, respectively), heel horn erosion (HHE; 26.9% and 59.9%, respectively), concave dorsal wall as a result of chronic laminitis (6.5% and 15.9%, respectively) and for interdigital hyperplasia (0.2% and 3.1%, respectively). The results of this study indicate that compost dairy barns are a good alternative to common cubicle housing systems in terms of lameness, claw health and animal welfare. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristic Examination of New Synchronous Motor that Composes Craw Teeth of Soft Magnetic Composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enomoto, Yuji; Ito, Motoya; Masaki, Ryozo; Asaka, Kazuo

We examined the claw type teeth motor as one application of the soft magnetic composite to a motor core. In order to understand quantitatively the characteristics of the claw type teeth motor, we used the 3-dimensional electromagnetic field analysis to predict its characteristics in advance and manufactured a trial motor to estimate it. And we examined the advantages of the claw type teeth motor comparing with a conventional slot type motor. The results are: 1. By using the 3-dimensional electromagnetic field analysis, it is able to estimate with high accuracy the characteristics of the 3-phase permanent magnet synchronous claw type teeth motor having a core composed of the soft magnetic composite. 2. The claw type teeth motor is able to achieve about 20% higher output than a conventional slot type motor having an electromagnetic steel core, while both volumes are equal. 3. The motor efficiency of the claw type teeth motor is about 3.5% higher than the conventional motor.

A new tardigrade, Mutaparadoxipus duodigifinis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Heterotardigrada: Arthrotardigrada), from the Southeastern United States.

PubMed

Gross, Vladimir; Miller, William R; Hochberg, Rick

2014-07-10

A new genus and species of Arthrotardigrada is described from Florida, USA based on its unique adhesive pad/claw combinations. Mutaparadoxipus duodigifinis gen. nov., sp. nov., is characterized by well-developed, ventral secondary clavae that are adjacent to the mouth, pointed lateral and caudal alae, seminal receptacles with coiled ducts opening lateral to the gonopore, and all legs with digits bearing proximal adhesive pads. Distal claws are present on digits I-III of legs I-III, but are missing from digit IV. On leg IV, distal claws are present only on digits II & III. A single accessory point is present on claws II & III only. This is the fourth species discovered to date with proximal adhesive pads, increasing support for a clade of adhesive-padded arthrotardigrades, and is likely the sister taxon of Paradoxipus orzeliscoides. The incomplete set of claws may represent an evolutionary step in a progressive loss of claws hypothesized to have occurred within the Halechiniscidae. The subfamily Orzeliscinae is amended as a result.

Development and evolution of the mammalian limb: adaptive diversification of nails, hooves, and claws.

PubMed

Hamrick, M W

2001-01-01

Paleontological evidence indicates that the evolutionary diversification of mammals early in the Cenozoic era was characterized by an adaptive radiation of distal limb structures. Likewise, neontological data show that morphological variation in distal limb integumentary appendages (e.g., nails, hooves, and claws) can be observed not only among distantly related mammalian taxa but also among closely related species within the same clade. Comparative analysis of nail, claw, and hoof morphogenesis reveals relatively subtle differences in mesenchymal and epithelial patterning underlying these adult differences in distal limb appendage morphology. Furthermore, studies of regulatory gene expression during vertebrate claw development demonstrate that many of the signaling molecules involved in patterning ectodermal derivatives such as teeth, hair, and feathers are also involved in organizing mammalian distal limb appendages. For example, Bmp4 signaling plays an important role during the recruitment of mesenchymal cells into the condensations forming the terminal phalanges, whereas Msx2 affects the length of nails and claws by suppressing proliferation of germinal epidermal cells. Evolutionary changes in the form of distal integumentary appendages may therefore result from changes in gene expression during formation of mesenchymal condensations (Bmp4, posterior Hox genes), induction of the claw fold and germinal matrix (shh), and/or proliferation of epidermal cells in the claw matrix (Msx1, Msx2). The prevalence of convergences and parallelisms in nail and claw structure among mammals underscores the existence of multiple morphogenetic pathways for evolutionary change in distal limb appendages.

Conservation in the Teaching Laboratory--Substitution of Xenopus for Rana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernhart, David M; And Others

1991-01-01

Reports on experimental comparisons between the leopard frog, currently captured for laboratory use, and the African clawed frog, raised specifically for research. Except for the increased longevity of isolated nerve axons in the clawed frog, no other significant differences were established. Recommends laboratory use of clawed frogs as…

Effects of alley and stall surfaces on indices of claw and leg health in dairy cattle housed in a free-stall barn.

PubMed

Vokey, F J; Guard, C L; Erb, H N; Galton, D M

2001-12-01

A 15-wk 2 x 3 factorial trial in a university dairy herd compared the effects of two alley surfaces and three free-stall beds on indices of lameness. Alley surfaces were grooved concrete (Ct) or 1.9-cm-thick interlocking rubber mats (R). Stalls were deep sand (S), rubber mattresses (M), or concrete (C). Mattress and concrete stalls were bedded with sawdust. At wk 1 and 15, the hind claws and hocks of 120 primi- (n = 69) and multiparous (n = 51) cows were scored for lesions and three claw measurements (dorsal wall length, heel depth, and toe angle) were recorded. Rates of lateral and medial claw growth and wear were calculated by measuring the migration of a reference mark away from the coronet. Digital photographs of claw surfaces were used to rescore claw lesions. Clinical lameness was evaluated by assigning a locomotion score from 1 to 4 to each cow during wk 1, 5, 10, and 14. Digital dermatitis (present/not present) and interdigital dermatitis (mild, moderate, or severe) were recorded at wk 15. The number of days that cows spent in a hospital barn was recorded. Before assignment, cows were professionally foot trimmed, sorted by initial claw lesion score, and then randomized in consecutive blocks of three to stall treatments. Photograph scores were highly repeatable. Nonparametric statistical techniques were used for analyses of rank data. Claw lesion score increased significantly for all treatment groups except RC and RS; however, when early lactation cows were excluded, no differences were found between treatment groups. Hock scores increased significantly more for cows in CtC than in CtS or RS. Significantly more animals from RC spent more than 10 d in the hospital pen compared with RM and RS. Groups did not significantly differ for clinical lameness. Cows in RS and RC had significantly lower rates for lateral claw net growth than those in CtM. Having moderate or severe interdigital dermatitis at wk 15 was associated with greater increases in claw lesion score and more treatments for digital dermatitis. All claw measurements were correlated; however, toe angle was most strongly correlated with the other two. In this experiment, stall and alley configurations did not lead to significant differences in several indices of lameness.

Effect of rubber flooring on claw health in lactating dairy cows housed in free-stall barns.

PubMed

Vanegas, J; Overton, M; Berry, S L; Sischo, W M

2006-11-01

Multiparous dairy cows between 10 to 30 d in milk (DIM) were enrolled in a clinical trial to evaluate the effects of rubber flooring on the development of claw lesions, locomotion scores, clinical lameness, and rates of hoof growth and wear. Two groups of cows were housed in identical free-stall facilities, except that 1 pen (rubber, n = 84) had rubber alley mats covering the entire concrete floor of the pen, whereas cows in the second pen were exposed to concrete flooring (concrete, n = 82) without rubber alley mats. All cows were evaluated 3 times between 10 and 30, 74 and 94, and 110 and 130 DIM for 1) the presence of claw lesions on their rear feet, 2) the occurrence of clinical lameness based on a locomotion score, and 3) rates of claw growth and wear as observed on the dorsal wall of the right lateral claw. No differences between flooring groups at the time of enrollment were detected for lactation number, mean DIM at first examination, body condition score, and proportion of cows with claw lesions at the first examination. Odds of developing claw lesions between examinations were not different for cows exposed to the rubber surface compared with those exposed to concrete. Cows on concrete, however, had greater odds of developing or exacerbating existing heel erosion than cows on rubber flooring. Regardless of the flooring surface, the lateral claw was more likely to develop lesions than the medial claw. Odds of becoming lame by the third examination and the proportion of cows requiring therapeutic hoof trimming because of lameness were greater for concrete-exposed cows than those on rubber. Cows on rubber flooring had decreased claw growth and wear between the first and last examination compared with cows on concrete. Regardless of flooring surface, second-lactation cows had greater wear rates than those in third or greater parities. Results of our study suggest that a soft flooring surface, such as interlocking rubber, is beneficial for hoof health.

Structure and function of the elastic organ in the tibia of a tenebrionid beetle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichikawa, Toshio; Toh, Yoshihiro; Sakamoto, Hirofumi

2016-06-01

Many insects have a pair of claws on the tip of each foot (tarsus and pretarsus). The movement of the pretarsal claws is mediated by a long apodeme that originates from the claw retractor muscles in the femur. It is generally accepted that the pulling of the apodeme by the muscles flexes the claws to engage with a rough surface of a substrate, and the flexed claws return to their initial position by passive elastic forces within the tarso-pretarsal joint. We found that each tibia of the tenebrionid beetle Zophobas atratus had a chordal elastic organ that tied the apodeme to the distal end of the tibia and assisted the pulled apodeme to return smoothly. The elastic body of the elastic organ consists of a bundle of more than 1000 thin fibrils (0.3-1.5 μm in diameter) with a hairy yarn-shaped structure made by assemblies of intricately interwoven microfibers. Both ends of the fibrillar elastic body were supported by clusters of columnar cells. Ablation of the elastic organ often disturbed the rapid and smooth return of claws from a flexed position when the tarsal segments were forced to curve in order to increase the friction between the apodeme and surrounding tissues in the segments. The result suggests that rapid claw disengagement is an important step in each cycle of leg movements, and the elastic organ may have evolved to assist the reliable detachment of claws that engage tightly with the substrate when climbing or traversing inverted surfaces.

Hypsibius vaskelae, a new species of Tardigrada (Eutardigrada, Hypsibiidae) from Russia.

PubMed

Tumanov, Denis V

2018-03-21

Hypsibius vaskelae sp. nov. (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Hypsibiidae) is described from a freshwater sample collected in the vicinity of Saint-Petersburg. The new species has wrinkled cuticle, bucco-pharyngeal apparatus with two elongate macroplacoids and septulum, and cuticular bars between the bases of inner and outer claw and near the base of the inner claw on legs I-IV. Hypsibius vaskelae sp. nov. is most similar to Hypsibius marcelli Pilato, 1990 and H. septulatus Pilato, Binda, Napolitano Moncada, 2004, but differs from both in having wrinkled dorsal cuticle, thinner claws, and presence of lunules on the claws of all legs.

Effect of different flooring systems on weight and pressure distribution on claws of dairy cows.

PubMed

Telezhenko, E; Bergsten, C; Magnusson, M; Ventorp, M; Nilsson, C

2008-05-01

Weight and pressure distribution on the claw were studied in Swedish Holsteins housed in different flooring systems. A total of 127 cows housed in different sections of the experimental barn were used. Each section had different flooring in the walking and standing areas. There were rubber mats or abrasive mastic asphalt flooring on the alleys or a low-abrasive slatted concrete floor. Some sections had feed-stalls equipped with rubber mats; other sections did not. The vertical ground reaction force, contact area, and average contact pressure were determined on the left hind foot using the I-Scan system and analyzed with the F-scan system. These determinations were made in each of the following 3 zones of the claw: bulb, wall, and sole. Most of the weight on claws exposed to concrete floors was carried by the bulb (37.4 +/- 3.5 and 18.3 +/- 2.9% of weight exerted on the foot in the lateral and medial claw, respectively) and the wall zone (20.0 +/- 2.6 and 13.4 +/- 2.4% on lateral and medial claw, respectively). The weight and pressure distribution in cows kept on sections with rubber covered alleys but passing daily over the asphalt floor on their way to the milking parlor did not differ in any zones, except for lateral bulbs, compared with those exposed to slatted concrete alone. Still, the weight bearing of the sole zone in cows kept on rubber mats without access to asphalt was less than that of cows kept on concrete slatted floors (5.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 12.7 +/- 1.1% and 1.1 +/- 0.5 vs. 8.7 +/- 0.7% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). In cows kept on asphalt flooring without feed-stalls, most weight was exerted to the sole zone (36.2 +/- 2.9 and 22.2 +/- 1.8% in lateral and medial claws, respectively). Feed-stalls in combination with asphalt flooring yielded a decreased total contact area (30.1 +/- 1.2 cm(2)) compared with asphalt floors without feed-stalls (35.7 +/- 1.2 cm(2)). The largest total contact area was obtained on the asphalt floor without feed-stalls, resulting in a lower contact pressure (39.8 +/- 2.3 N/cm(2)) than in claws exposed to concrete (66.0 +/- 2.7 N/ cm(2)) or rubber mats (56.7 +/- 1.7 N/cm(2)). In conclusion, housing with abrasive floors resulted in claws with increased contact area at the sole surface and therefore, decreased contact pressure, but reduced the weight-bearing role of the strongest part of the claw capsule, the claw wall.

Locomotion and claw disorders in Norwegian dairy cows housed in freestalls with slatted concrete, solid concrete, or solid rubber flooring in the alleys.

PubMed

Fjeldaas, T; Sogstad, A M; Osterås, O

2011-03-01

This study was part of a cross-sectional project on freestall housing, and the aim was to compare locomotion and claw disorders in freestall dairy cattle herds with slatted concrete, solid concrete, or solid rubber flooring in the alleys. The final population for studying claw disorders consisted of 66 dairy herds with 2,709 dry or lactating cows, whereas the population for studying locomotion consisted of 54 herds with 2,216 cows. All herds used Norwegian Red as the main breed. The herds were visited by 15 trained claw trimmers one time during the period from the beginning of February to summer let-out onto pasture in 2008. The trimmers assessed locomotion scores (LocS) of all cows before trimming. At trimming, claw disorders were diagnosed and recorded in the Norwegian Claw Health Card. Estimates describing locomotion and claw disorders in the hind feet were identified by use of multivariable models fit with LocS and each claw disorder as dependent variables, respectively. Herd nested within claw trimmer was included in the model as random effects. The odds ratio (OR) of having LocS >2 and LocS >3 was 1.9 and 2.1, respectively, on slatted concrete compared with solid concrete. Fewer cases of dermatitis were found on slatted than solid concrete (OR=0.70) and a tendency was observed for fewer heel horn erosions on slatted concrete than solid rubber (OR=0.47). Hemorrhages of the white line and sole were more prevalent in herds housed on slatted and solid concrete than in those housed on solid rubber (OR=2.6 and OR=2.1, respectively). White line fissures were also more prevalent in herds housed on slatted and solid concrete than in those housed on solid rubber (OR=2.1 and OR=2.0, respectively). Double soles were more prevalent on solid concrete than solid rubber (OR=4.4). However, sole ulcers were less prevalent in herds with slatted and solid concrete than solid rubber (OR=0.39 and OR=0.53, respectively). Fewer corkscrewed claws were found on slatted concrete than both solid rubber and solid concrete (OR=0.60 and OR=0.44, respectively). More white line crossing fissures were recorded on slatted and solid concrete than solid rubber (OR=3.6 and OR=3.1, respectively). This shows that solid rubber flooring was favorable when most laminitis-related lesions were considered, whereas slatted concrete was favorable for infectious claw lesions and corkscrewed claws but not for locomotion. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A combined model for Sediment TRansport In Coastal Hazard Events (GeoClaw-STRICHE): Theoretical formulation and validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, H.; Weiss, R.

2016-12-01

GeoClaw-STRICHE is designed for simulating the physical impacts of tsunami as it relates to erosion, transport and deposition. GeoClaw-STRICHE comprises GeoClaw for the hydrodynamics and the sediment transport model we refer to as STRICHE, which includes an advection diffusion equation as well as bed-updating. Multiple grain sizes and sediment layers are added into GeoClaw-STRICHE to simulate grain-size distribution and add the capability to develop grain-size trends from bottom to the top of a simulated deposit as well as along the inundation. Unlike previous models based on empirical equations or sediment concentration gradient, the standard Van Leer method is applied to calculate sediment flux. We tested and verified GeoClaw-STRICHE with flume experiment by Johnson et al. (2016) and data from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Kuala Meurisi as published in Apotsos et al. (2011). The comparison with experimental data shows GeoClaw-STRICHE's capability to simulate sediment thickness and grain-size distribution in experimental conditions, which builds confidence that sediment transport is correctly predicted by this model. The comparison with the data from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reveals that the pattern of sediment thickness is well predicted and is of similar quality, if not better than the established computational models such as Delft3D.

Effect of claw horn lesion type and severity at the time of treatment on outcome of lameness in dairy cows.

PubMed

Miguel-Pacheco, Giuliana G; Thomas, Heather J; Huxley, Jonathan N; Newsome, Reuben F; Kaler, Jasmeet

2017-07-01

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of claw horn lesions in cattle affects the likelihood of recovery; however, it is unknown if the type of lesion influences the likelihood of recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the type, severity and frequency of claw horn lesions in newly lame cows (lame for no more than 2 weeks) at the time of corrective foot trimming affects the probability of recovery from lameness after treatment. The images of 112 feet (224 claws) from newly lame cows (n=112; lame in only one hind foot), which were treated with a standardised therapeutic hoof trim only, were used to score claw horn lesions (sole ulcer, sole haemorrhage, white line haemorrhage or white line separation). Most cows (n=107/112; 95.5%) were classified as mildly lame at the time of treatment. The proportion of cows that recovered 2 weeks after therapeutic hoof trimming was 88/112 (78.6%). Results of a multilevel logistic regression model indicated that severely lame cows were less likely to recover than those that were mildly lame (odds ratio, OR, 0.16; P=0.04). White line haemorrhage had a significant negative impact on the likelihood of recovery from lameness (OR 0.14; P>0.01); however, recovery of cows with white line haemorrhage was positively associated with the length of the lesion (OR 1.05; P=0.03). This latter finding may be associated with the severity of the lesion, since mild claw horn lesions affected a significantly larger area of the claw than more severe lesions. The length and type of claw horn lesion were associated with recovery from lameness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Residue depletion of oxytetracycline (OTC) and 4-epi-oxytetracycline (4-epi-OTC) in broiler chicken's claws by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

PubMed

Cornejo, J; Pokrant, E; Araya, D; Briceño, C; Hidalgo, H; Maddaleno, A; Araya-Jordán, C; San Martin, B

2017-04-01

Antibiotics are widely used in poultry production for the treatment of bacterial diseases. However, residues may remain in products and by-products destined for human consumption or animal feeding. The claws of chickens, which are a by-product of the poultry industry, can directly or indirectly enter the food chain as meals destined to feed other productive animals. Thus, it becomes necessary to determine and quantify antimicrobial residues present in this matrix. The objective of the study was to assess the depletion of oxytetracycline (OTC) and its metabolite 4-epi-OTC in broiler chicken's claws. Claws of 32 broilers treated with a therapeutic dosage of 10% OTC during 7 days were analysed. Samples were taken at days 3, 9, 15 and 19 post-treatment. As for the control group, eight broiler chickens were raised under the same conditions. Extraction was carried out through EDTA-McIlvaine buffer, and clean-up employed a SPE C-18 Sep-Pak®. Instrumental analysis was performed through LC-MS/MS. The concentrations of both analytes were determined in claw samples until day 19 post-treatment. Average concentrations were within the LOD (20 μg kg - 1 ) and LOQ (22 µg kg - 1 ) for OTC and 84 μg kg - 1 for 4-epi-OTC. Withdrawal times (WDTs) of 39 days for OTC and 54 days for 4-epi-OTC were established in claws based on 95% confidence. These findings demonstrate that claws can be a source of antimicrobial residue entry into the food chain, since the results showed that OTC and its metabolite can be found in chicken's claws for long periods, even exceeding the average lifespan of a broiler chicken.

Parallelization of GeoClaw code for modeling geophysical flows with adaptive mesh refinement on many-core systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, S.; Yuen, D.A.; Zhu, A.; Song, S.; George, D.L.

2011-01-01

We parallelized the GeoClaw code on one-level grid using OpenMP in March, 2011 to meet the urgent need of simulating tsunami waves at near-shore from Tohoku 2011 and achieved over 75% of the potential speed-up on an eight core Dell Precision T7500 workstation [1]. After submitting that work to SC11 - the International Conference for High Performance Computing, we obtained an unreleased OpenMP version of GeoClaw from David George, who developed the GeoClaw code as part of his PH.D thesis. In this paper, we will show the complementary characteristics of the two approaches used in parallelizing GeoClaw and the speed-up obtained by combining the advantage of each of the two individual approaches with adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), demonstrating the capabilities of running GeoClaw efficiently on many-core systems. We will also show a novel simulation of the Tohoku 2011 Tsunami waves inundating the Sendai airport and Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants, over which the finest grid distance of 20 meters is achieved through a 4-level AMR. This simulation yields quite good predictions about the wave-heights and travel time of the tsunami waves. ?? 2011 IEEE.

Effects of two trimming methods of dairy cattle on concrete or rubber-covered slatted floors.

PubMed

Ouweltjes, W; Holzhauer, M; van der Tol, P P J; van der Werf, J

2009-03-01

This study monitored claw health, claw conformation, locomotion, activity, and step traits of cows from a single dairy herd that were trimmed according to the standard Dutch method or with an alternative "concave" trimming method. Half of the cows were kept in a stall section with concrete slatted floors in the alleys. The other cows were kept in a pen within the same housing with an identical concrete slatted floor in the alleys, but with a rubber top layer. All experimental cows were kept in the same environment for at least 3 mo before and after trimming. It was hypothesized that trimming for more-concave soles (i.e., with 3 to 5 mm of sole dug out under the claw bone) was preferred to the standard Dutch trimming with flat sole surfaces for cows kept in stalls with soft alley floors. None of the claw health or locomotion traits differed for the trimming methods. No interactions were found between flooring and trimming method. Floor effects were significant for several traits. Cows on the rubber-topped floors had significantly fewer sole hemorrhages (prevalence of 22 vs. 48% in mo 3) and larger claws (claw length 76.1 +/- 5.0 vs. 72.5 +/- 4.9 mm; heel height 49.3 +/- 6.3 vs. 46.0 +/- 6.4 mm; claw diagonal 129 +/- 6.4 vs. 125 +/- 6.9 mm), spent more time standing in the alleys (55.4 +/- 2.8 vs. 49.6 +/- 2.8%), and had higher activity (61.0 +/- 3.7 vs. 53.0 +/- 3.7 steps/h). This suggests greater claw comfort on rubber flooring compared with concrete flooring. Kinetic patterns during claw-floor contact while walking were similar for all treatments. During the double-support (stance) phase, claw-floor contact area increased to a maximum in the first 30% of double-support phase time, remained more or less stable until 80% of double-support phase time, and sharply decreased as the animal pushed off as shown by the change in center of pressure. A gradual change of center of pressure in the medial direction during double-support phase time was shown. The research hypothesis was rejected, but soft alley floors had subtle beneficial effects.

Influence of Soft or Hard Floors before and after First Calving on Dairy Heifer Locomotion, Claw and Leg Health

PubMed Central

Bergsten, Christer; Telezhenko, Evgenij; Ventorp, Michael

2015-01-01

Simple Summary In this study the effect of different flooring systems on locomotion, claw conformation, loading, claw- and leg disorders was assessed in heifers from one year before to one year after calving. After calving, heifers kept on alleys covered with rubber flooring were found to develop less lameness, fewer claw disorders of the sole horn and fewer leg lesions than those kept on concrete alleys. Recruitment heifers reared on soft deep straw bedding had fewer sole horn lesions and more overgrown claws before calving, but were more prone to severe sole horn lesions after calving, than those reared in cubicles with hard concrete floors. Abstract Claw health, an important dairy cow welfare parameter, may be affected by early-life foot/leg stresses. To investigate this, groups of pregnant heifers were allocated to deep straw bedding (Soft) or cubicles (Hard), both with scraped concrete feeding alleys. After the grazing season, they were re-housed in cubicle systems, half on slatted concrete (Hard) and half on slatted rubber (Soft) alleys. Claw measurements, contact area and pressure distribution claw/flooring, claw disorders and leg lesions were recorded at the start and end of each housing season. Locomotion and leg lesions were also scored monthly after calving. Prevalence of sole haemorrhages was higher among pregnant heifers in cubicles than in deep straw. After calving, first-calvers on Hard floors had higher odds for lameness (OR = 3.6; p < 0.01), sole haemorrhages/ulcers (OR = 2.2; p < 0.05), white-line haemorrhages (OR = 2.8; p < 0.01) and leg lesions (OR = 2.6; p < 0.02) than those on Soft floors. Lowest prevalence and severity of sole and white-line haemorrhages (non-significant) in first-calvers was found in those on Soft floors and reared on Hard floors and the highest prevalence and severity on those on Hard floors reared on Soft floors. Soft flooring after calving is of most importance for healthy feet and legs. PMID:26479380

Morphological and functional diversity in therizinosaur claws and the implications for theropod claw evolution.

PubMed

Lautenschlager, Stephan

2014-06-22

Therizinosaurs are a group of herbivorous theropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of North America and Asia, best known for their iconically large and elongate manual claws. However, among Therizinosauria, ungual morphology is highly variable, reflecting a general trend found in derived theropod dinosaurs (Maniraptoriformes). A combined approach of shape analysis to characterize changes in manual ungual morphology across theropods and finite-element analysis to assess the biomechanical properties of different ungual shapes in therizinosaurs reveals a functional diversity related to ungual morphology. While some therizinosaur taxa used their claws in a generalist fashion, other taxa were functionally adapted to use the claws as grasping hooks during foraging. Results further indicate that maniraptoriform dinosaurs deviated from the plesiomorphic theropod ungual morphology resulting in increased functional diversity. This trend parallels modifications of the cranial skeleton in derived theropods in response to dietary adaptation, suggesting that dietary diversification was a major driver for morphological and functional disparity in theropod evolution.

A Claw is Like My Hand: Comparison Supports Goal Analysis in Infants

PubMed Central

Gerson, Sarah A.; Woodward, Amanda L.

2012-01-01

Understanding the intentional relations in others' actions is critical to human social life. Origins of this knowledge exist in the first year and are a function of both acting as an intentional agent and observing movement cues in actions. We explore a new mechanism we believe plays an important role in infants' understanding of new actions: comparison. We examine how the opportunity to compare a familiar action with a novel, tool use action helps 7- and 10-month-old infants extract and imitate the goal of a tool use action. Infants given the chance to compare their own reach for a toy with an experimenter's reach using a claw later imitated the goal of an experimenter's tool use action. Infants who engaged with the claw, were familiarized with the claw's causal properties, or learned the associations between claw and toys (but did not align their reaches with the claw's) did not imitate. Further, active participation in the familiar action to be compared was more beneficial than observing a familiar and novel action aligned for 10-month-olds. Infants' ability to extract the goal-relation of a novel action through comparison with a familiar action could have a broad impact on the development of action knowledge and social learning more generally. PMID:22099543

Vortex formation with a snapping shrimp claw.

PubMed

Hess, David; Brücker, Christoph; Hegner, Franziska; Balmert, Alexander; Bleckmann, Horst

2013-01-01

Snapping shrimp use one oversized claw to generate a cavitating high speed water jet for hunting, defence and communication. This work is an experimental investigation about the jet generation. Snapping shrimp (Alpheus-bellulus) were investigated by using an enlarged transparent model reproducing the closure of the snapper claw. Flow inside the model was studied using both High-Speed Particle Image Velocimetry (HS-PIV) and flow visualization. During claw closure a channel-like cavity was formed between the plunger and the socket featuring a nozzle-type contour at the orifice. Closing the mechanism led to the formation of a leading vortex ring with a dimensionless formation number of approximate ΔT*≈4. This indicates that the claw might work at maximum efficiency, i.e. maximum vortex strength was achieved by a minimum of fluid volume ejected. The subsequent vortex cavitation with the formation of an axial reentrant jet is a reasonable explanation for the large penetration depth of the water jet. That snapping shrimp can reach with their claw-induced flow. Within such a cavitation process, an axial reentrant jet is generated in the hollow cylindrical core of the cavitated vortex that pushes the front further downstream and whose length can exceed the initial jet penetration depth by several times.

Claw length recommendations for dairy cow foot trimming

PubMed Central

Archer, S. C.; Newsome, R.; Dibble, H.; Sturrock, C. J.; Chagunda, M. G. G.; Mason, C. S.; Huxley, J. N.

2015-01-01

The aim was to describe variation in length of the dorsal hoof wall in contact with the dermis for cows on a single farm, and hence, derive minimum appropriate claw lengths for routine foot trimming. The hind feet of 68 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were collected post mortem, and the internal structures were visualised using x-ray µCT. The internal distance from the proximal limit of the wall horn to the distal tip of the dermis was measured from cross-sectional sagittal images. A constant was added to allow for a minimum sole thickness of 5 mm and an average wall thickness of 8 mm. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and two-level linear regression models with claw nested within cow. Based on 219 claws, the recommended dorsal wall length from the proximal limit of hoof horn was up to 90 mm for 96 per cent of claws, and the median value was 83 mm. Dorsal wall length increased by 1 mm per year of age, yet 85 per cent of the null model variance remained unexplained. Overtrimming can have severe consequences; the authors propose that the minimum recommended claw length stated in training materials for all Holstein-Friesian cows should be increased to 90 mm. PMID:26220848

Factors influencing the attitudes of cattle veterinarians, farmers, and claw trimmers towards the pain associated with the treatment of sole ulcers and the sensitivity to pain of dairy cows.

PubMed

Becker, Johanna; Reist, Martin; Steiner, Adrian

2014-04-01

This study assessed the attitudes of personnel involved in therapeutic claw trimming of dairy cattle in Switzerland towards pain associated with sole ulcers and their treatment. Data from 77 farmers, 32 claw trimmers, and 137 cattle veterinarians were used. A large range of factors were associated with whether the respondents thought that anaesthesia during the treatment of sole ulcers was beneficial; these included year of graduation, work experience, attitude to costs of analgesia, perception of competition between veterinarians and claw trimmers, estimation of pain level associated with treatment, estimated sensitivity of dairy cows to pain, knowledge of the obligation to provide analgesia, and whether the respondent thought lesion size and occurrence of defensive behaviour by the cow were important. Respondents' estimation of the pain level associated with sole ulcer treatment was linked to frequency of therapeutic claw trimming, age, farmers' income, estimated knowledge of the benefits of analgesia, and estimated sensitivity of dairy cows to pain. The latter factor was associated with profession, frequency of therapeutic claw trimming, capability of pain recognition, opinion on the benefits of analgesia, knowledge of the obligation to provide analgesia, and self-estimation of the ability to recognise pain. Improving the knowledge of personnel involved in therapeutic claw trimming with regard to pain in dairy cows and how to alleviate it is crucial if management of pain associated with treatment of sole ulcer and the welfare of lame cows are to be optimised. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of claw health and milk yield in dairy cows on elastic or concrete flooring.

PubMed

Kremer, P V; Nueske, S; Scholz, A M; Foerster, M

2007-10-01

This article reports on the effects of elastic (rubber) flooring compared with concrete flooring on claw health and milk yield in dairy cows. Milk yield and activity data of 53 complete lactations from 49 cows were recorded by an automatic milking system in the University of Munich Livestock Center dairy herd. Cows were kept in a loose housing system on concrete-slatted or rubber-matted slatted flooring. Claws were trimmed and measured linearly in combination with claw lesion diagnosis 3 times during one lactation period (including the transition phase). An automatic milking system recorded milk yield and activity. The net horn growth of the claws increased on elastic flooring. Therefore, correct and frequent claw trimming is at least as important for claw health in dairy herds kept on rubber flooring as for those on concrete-slatted flooring. Cows housed on rubber had an increased incidence of sole ulcers. Sole hemorrhages (except for hemorrhages associated with sole ulcers) occurred less frequently on rubber than on concrete. Results concerning digital dermatitis were difficult to assess, because manual manure scraping on rubber required sprinkling the flooring twice daily, which additionally moistened the digital skin of the cows. This might explain the greater incidence of digital dermatitis on elastic flooring. The incidence of clinically lame cows did not differ between flooring types. Cows showed greater activity on rubber, most likely caused by the more comfortable walking surface compared with the concrete-slatted flooring. The greater activity may indicate better overall health of high-yielding dairy cows on rubber flooring. Milk yield, however, did not differ between flooring types.

[Healing process of claw lesions in dairy cows in alpine mountain pastures].

PubMed

Lischer, C J; Wehrle, M; Geyer, H; Lutz, B; Ossent, P

2000-07-01

The field study investigated severity, localisation and incidence of claw lesions of dairy cows and their healing process during a period of three months on selected mountain pastures in the central part of Switzerland. In 60 cows, which were at least 120 days in their lactation, the healing process was compared with the biochemical profiles. In 141 cows 197 claw lesions were recorded. Diagnosed were only sole ulcers (38%) and white line lesions (62%). In the first and second half of the summer term, the number of claw lesions was equal, although more severe lesions occurred mainly during the second half (89%). The lesions were treated surgically and the affected claw was elevated on a wood block or a plastic shoe. Average time for formation of a close layer of horn was 14 days. A delayed healing process was observed in dairy cows with an milk yield over 5500 kg per lactation, as well as in the second half of the summer term. Cows with a delayed healing process had significantly higher concentrations of free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate, and higher plasma enzyme activities for AST than cows with adequate healing process. This indicates that cows with a relatively high milk production touch upon the limits of their physical capacity under harder conditions on alpine pastures, which may affect also the healing process of claw lesions.

Paroxysmal Hemicrania

MedlinePlus

... adulthood. Patients experience severe throbbing, claw-like, or boring pain usually on one side of the face; ... adulthood. Patients experience severe throbbing, claw-like, or boring pain usually on one side of the face; ...

Claw hand

MedlinePlus

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003169.htm Claw hand To use the sharing features on this page, ... Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map ...

Adhesive foot pads: an adaptation to climbing? An ecological survey in hunting spiders.

PubMed

Wolff, Jonas O; Gorb, Stanislav N

2015-02-01

Hairy pads relying on dry adhesion are fascinating structures that convergently evolved among spiders and lizards. Numerous studies underline the functional aspects leading to their strong adhesion to smooth surfaces, but rarely has their role been studied in the context of natural habitats and surfaces that animals are faced with. In hunting spiders, the hairy foot pads (claw tufts) underneath the paired claws are assumed to be an adaptation to a climbing lifestyle, particularly on smooth plant surfaces. However, surfaces that are too smooth for claws to generate a sufficient grip are rather rare in natural habitats and above-ground habitats are occupied by hunting spiders both with and without claw tufts. In this study we estimated the proportion of claw tuft-bearing hunting spiders (ct+ ratio) among microhabitat-specific assemblages by conducting both a field study and a meta-analysis approach. The effect of surface characteristics, structure fragmentation and altitude of the microhabitat niche on the ct+ ratio was analyzed. We hypothesized that the ct+ ratio will be higher in (i) hunting spider assemblages obtained from microhabitats above the ground than from those at the ground and (ii) in hunting spider assemblages obtained from microhabitats with smoother surfaces (tree foliage) than those with rougher surfaces (barks, stones), and lower in (iii) hunting spider assemblages obtained from microhabitats with more fragmented structures (small leaves) than in those with comparable but less fragmented structures (large leaves). We found the ct+ ratio to be significantly affected by the microhabitat's distance from the ground, whereas surface characteristics and fragmentation of the substrates were of minor importance. This suggests that claw tufts are highly beneficial when the microhabitat's height exceeds a value where the additional pad-related costs are exceeded by the costs of dropping. We assume the benefit to be mainly due to gaining a high safety factor at a lower energy demand if compared to alternative attachment devices (claws, silk). The previously presumed enhanced access to new microhabitat sites may play only a minor role as hunting spiders without claw tufts are present in most microhabitats. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Hybrid excited claw pole generator with skewed and non-skewed permanent magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardach, Marcin

2017-12-01

This article contains simulation results of the Hybrid Excited Claw Pole Generator with skewed and non-skewed permanent magnets on rotor. The experimental machine has claw poles on two rotor sections, between which an excitation control coil is located. The novelty of this machine is existence of non-skewed permanent magnets on claws of one part of the rotor and skewed permanent magnets on the second one. The paper presents the construction of the machine and analysis of the influence of the PM skewing on the cogging torque and back-emf. Simulation studies enabled the determination of the cogging torque and the back-emf rms for both: the strengthening and the weakening of magnetic field. The influence of the magnets skewing on the cogging torque and the back-emf rms have also been analyzed.

Milnesium minutum and Milnesium sandrae, two new species of Milnesiidae (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela).

PubMed

Pilato, Giovanni; Lisi, Oscar

2016-01-01

Two new species of Milnesium are described, Milnesium minutum sp. n. from Sicily and Milnesium sandrae sp. n. from the Hawaiian Archipelago. The body size of Milnesium minutum is the smallest of the known species of the genus. The stylet supports are inserted on the buccal tube at 63-66% of its length and the claws have a [3-3]-[3-3] configuration. Milnesium sandrae has stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at 58-60.5% of its length, a [3-3]-[3-3] claw configuration, and the percent ratio between the secondary claw and primary claw length on legs I-III (78.6%-85.5%) clearly higher than on legs IV (70.5%-71.4%). With the description of these two new species, the number of species in the genus is increased to 31.

[Anatomo-functional consideration of an aponeurosis on the caudal radiocarpus in the tiger, lion and domestic cat (Panthera tigris, Panthera leo and Felis catus)].

PubMed

Graziotti, G H; Victorica, C L

1997-09-01

This study describes a strong aponeurosis on the caudal surface of the antebrachium, between the Mm. Flexoris and the M. pronator quadratus. This aponeurosis has not been experimentally validated. By dissection and macroscopic examination of formaldehyde-prepared material, and experimental surgical transection of the structure in F. catus, the aponeurosis is described and its functional capacity is determined. The origin of the aponeurosis is the Facies caudalis, Margo medialis of the Radius and distal Ulna and inserts on the Crista transversa of the Radius and the Ligg. radiocarpeum palmare and ulno-carpeum palmare, and a strong Pars radialis. Its disposition is similar to that of the supernumerary M. anterior radialis brevis in humans. Surgical transection of the aponeurosis in F. catus resulted in hyperextension of the Manus and a decrease in the Carpus in its weight-bearing ability. These findings indicate the anatomico-functional importance of the aponeurosis in providing support to the claws.

Study of progesterone and cortisol concentrations in the Italian Friesian claw.

PubMed

Comin, A; Peric, T; Magrin, L; Corazzin, M; Cornacchia, G; Prandi, A

2014-09-01

The present research was conducted to study progesterone and cortisol concentrations in the claw of cattle and to verify whether the cattle claw could be considered an efficient matrix to provide retrospective information regarding progesterone and cortisol concentrations related to pregnancy and peripartum periods. These 2 steroids are involved in hoof growth. The study was performed on 32 calves and 24 pregnant milking cows of the Holstein breed, which were clinically healthy and lacking any claw disorders. Samples of at least 0.5cm in thickness were taken from the sole. Progesterone and cortisol concentrations were determined by RIA. The cortisol concentration in the horny shoe of calves from 0 to 30 d of age was significantly higher than the concentration at 31 to 60 and 61 to 120 d of age. Conversely, the progesterone concentration showed no statistically significant difference in relation to age. The horn progesterone concentrations recorded in the milking dairy cows at 7 mo of pregnancy showed high variability in the horizontal sections of the sole (the individual coefficient of variation ranged between 0.09 and 1.11). In 6 cows, genuine extreme values (genuine outliers) of the progesterone level were found. Moreover, significant differences existed among the progesterone concentrations of the sole's transverse sections. We detected a significant positive correlation between the weight of the horn samples after freeze-drying and their weight after hydration. The cortisol and progesterone levels in soaked horn samples were found to be significantly lower than in the same dry samples. These results show that cortisol and progesterone can be measured in the cattle claw horn. The claws of mature dairy cows could not be used as a matrix to provide a retrospective measure of cumulative hormone secretion, whereas the analysis of the calves' claw horns showed retrospective hormonal information similar to hair samples. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Milnesium minutum and Milnesium sandrae, two new species of Milnesiidae (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela)

PubMed Central

Pilato, Giovanni; Lisi, Oscar

2016-01-01

Abstract Two new species of Milnesium are described, Milnesium minutum sp. n. from Sicily and Milnesium sandrae sp. n. from the Hawaiian Archipelago. The body size of Milnesium minutum is the smallest of the known species of the genus. The stylet supports are inserted on the buccal tube at 63–66% of its length and the claws have a [3-3]-[3-3] configuration. Milnesium sandrae has stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at 58–60.5% of its length, a [3-3]-[3-3] claw configuration, and the percent ratio between the secondary claw and primary claw length on legs I–III (78.6%–85.5%) clearly higher than on legs IV (70.5%–71.4%). With the description of these two new species, the number of species in the genus is increased to 31. PMID:27110205

Establishing the identity of the massacred tigress in a case of wildlife crime.

PubMed

Gupta, Sandeep Kumar; Bhagavatula, Jyotsna; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Singh, Lalji

2011-01-01

We report a case study, where we have established the identity from a challenging biological sample of a deceased tigress by parentage analysis. A wildlife crime was committed in one of the zoological parks in India in the year 2000, where one young tigress was killed for its claws. This was of media interest for several days and remained an unsolved case for four years. A framed claw and decomposed tiger hide were seized from the accused in 2005. Biological samples of the victim tigress was not available for further forensics examination, therefore; DNA samples of the biological parents and a male sibling were used to establish the identity of the claw using STRs and mitochondrial DNA markers. Our analysis indicates that the seized claw belongs to the victim tigress. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome profiling of claw muscle of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) at different fattening stages

PubMed Central

Jiang, Qingling; Bao, Chenchang; Yang, Ya’nan; Liu, An; Liu, Fang; Huang, Huiyang; Ye, Haihui

2017-01-01

In crustaceans, muscle growth and development is complicated, and to date substantial knowledge gaps exist. In this study, the claw muscle, hepatopancreas and nervous tissue of the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) were collected at three fattening stages for sequence by the Illumina sequencing. A total of 127.87 Gb clean data with no less than 3.94 Gb generated for each sample and the cycleQ30 percentages were more than 86.13% for all samples. De Bruijn assembly of these clean data produced 94,853 unigenes, thereinto, 50,059 unigenes were found in claw muscle. A total of 121 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were revealed in claw muscle from the three fattening stages with a Padj value < 0.01, including 63 genes with annotation. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs clusters represented the predominant gene catalog with roles in biochemical processes (glycolysis, phosphorylation and regulation of transcription), molecular function (ATP binding, 6-phosphofructokinase activity, and sequence-specific DNA binding) and cellular component (6-phosphofructokinase complex, plasma membrane, and integral component of membrane). qRT-PCR was employed to further validate certain DEGs. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis obtained 159,322, 125,963 and 166,279 potential SNPs from the muscle transcriptome at stage B, stage C and stage D, respectively. In addition, there were sixteen neuropeptide transcripts being predicted in the claw muscle. The present study provides a comprehensive transcriptome of claw muscle of S. paramamosain during fattening, providing a basis for screening the functional genes that may affect muscle growth of S. paramamosain. PMID:29141033

Inadequate thickness of the weight-bearing surface of claws in ruminants.

PubMed

Shakespeare, A S

2009-12-01

The term 'thin soles' refers to the suboptimal thickness of the weight-bearing surface of claws in ruminants. These palmar/plantar surfaces of the claws support the weight of the animal and consist of the distal wall horn, the sole proper, the heel and the minute white line area. The sole should normally only bear weight on uneven or undulating surfaces. A decrease in the thickness of the weight-bearing claw surface will decrease the protective function of this structure and may alter the proportion of weight-bearing by each section with possible detrimental effects on hoof function. Horn tissue readily absorbs water and becomes softer which can lead to increased wear rates. Growth rates normally match wear rates but, unlike the latter, time is needed for the growth rate response to adapt to changes in wear rate. Concrete surfaces can be abrasive and dairy cows that spend their lactation cycle on these floors should be let out to pasture in the dry period so that their claws can recoup lost horn. Frictional coefficient is a measure of the'slipperiness' of hooves on various surfaces. Newly laid or fresh concrete is not only abrasive but the thin surface suspension of calcium hydroxide that forms has a very alkaline pH which causes keratin degradation and is mostly responsible for the excessive claw wear that occurs. Four case studies are used to illustrate the importance of the distal wall horn, the dangers of over-trimming and the effects of disease and concrete on horn growth and wear rates.

Management of bipseudophakia with implantation of an iris claw lens.

PubMed

Izak, Milan G J; Werner, Liliana; Izak, Andrea M; Apple, David J

2003-07-01

We discuss a case of bipseudophakia with secondary dislocation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) into the anterior chamber that was managed by explantation of the anterior and posterior chamber IOLs and implantation of an iris claw IOL.

In the Grip of the Scorpion Claw

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-21

Gripped in the claw of the constellation Scorpius sits the reflection nebula DG 129, a cloud of gas and dust that reflects light from nearby, bright stars. This infrared view of the nebula was captured by NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.

ICAR claw health atlas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Awareness of the importance of a properly functioning locomotor system to bovine health and welfare has increased around the world. Several countries have recently introduced electronic systems to routinely record foot and claw disorders in dairy cattle and many more countries are developing plans o...

Iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw intraocular lens implantation for the management of iris-lens injured patients.

PubMed

Hu, Shufang; Wang, Mingling; Xiao, Tianlin; Zhao, Zhenquan

2016-03-01

To study the efficiency and safety of iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in the patients with iris-lens injuries. Retrospective, noncomparable consecutive case series study. Eleven patients (11 eyes) following iris-lens injuries underwent iris reconstructions combined with iris-claw IOL implantations. Clinical data, such as cause and time of injury, visual acuity (VA), iris and lens injuries, surgical intervention, follow-up period, corneal endothelial cell count, and optical coherence tomography, were collected. Uncorrected VA (UCVA) in all injured eyes before combined surgery was equal to or <20/1000. Within a 1.1-4.2-year follow-up period, a significant increase, equal to or better than 20/66, in UCVA was observed in six (55%) cases, and in best-corrected VA (BCVA) was observed in nine (82%) cases. Postoperative BCVA was 20/40 or better in seven cases (64%). After combined surgery, the iris returned to its natural round shape or smaller pupil, and the iris-claw IOLs in the 11 eyes were well-positioned on the anterior surface of reconstructed iris. No complications occurred in those patients. Iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw IOL implantation is a safe and efficient procedure for an eye with iris-lens injury in the absence of capsular support.

[Proximal chemical composition and functional properties of fresh meat of crab claws (Homalaspis plana)].

PubMed

Abugoch, L; Barrios, J; Guarda, A

1996-12-01

The research of alternative technological processes is being necessary in order to obtain a better utilization of hydrobiologic resources and food products, with higher added value. Crab (Homolaspis plana) is a crustacean found along the Chilean coast, whose flesh is exported as a frozen product. The resource crab is scantly studied in Chile and could became an excellent raw material for "delicatessen" products, with a high market value. The proximal composition, through the protein, fat, moisture and ashes content was determined. The non nitrogen extract was calculated by difference. The functional properties (water retention, emulsifying and gel-forming capacities) of fresh crab claws meat without additives were measured. The proximal composition for the claw meat was: 79,34 +/- 1.12% moisture, 16.75 +/- 1.29% protein, 1.86 +/- 0.11% ashes, 0.11 +/- 0.01 fat % and 1.93 +/- 1.07% N.N.E. In relation with the emulsifying capacity, claw meat was able to emulsify 2,259.03 +/- 73.04 g vegetal oil/g protein. The water retention was 154.49 +/- 6.85% representing the increase in mass percent; and the force of the gel formed in claw meat was 195.3 +/- 17.16 g-force x cm. According to these results, the claw crab is an attractive food, with a high protein and low fat content. Crab meat showed an excellent emulsifying capacity and water retention, so it can be used as a good raw material for the development of smearing products. In the case of gel-like products, further studies will be required, in order to optimize the conditions in which a stronger gel could be obtained.

PHENOBARBITAL AFFECTS THYROID HISTOLOGY AND LARVAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AFRICAN CLAWED FROG XENOPUS LAEVIS

EPA Science Inventory

The abstract highlights our recent study to explore endocrine disrupting effects of phenobarbital in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. In mammals, this chemical is known to induce the biotransforming enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) resulting in increased thyroid...

Genome evolution and speciation genetics of clawed frogs (Xenopus and Silurana).

PubMed

Evans, Ben J

2008-05-01

Speciation of clawed frogs occurred through bifurcation and reticulation of evolutionary lineages, and resulted in extant species with different ploidy levels. Duplicate gene evolution and expression in these animals provides a unique perspective into the earliest genomic transformations after vertebrate whole genome duplication (WGD) and suggests that functional constraints are relaxed compared to before duplication but still consistently strong for millions of years following WGD. Additionally, extensive quantitative expression divergence between duplicate genes occurred after WGD. Diversification of clawed frogs was potentially catalyzed by transposition and divergent resolution--processes that occur through different genetic mechanisms but that have analogous implications for genome structure. How sex determination is maintained after genome duplication is fundamental to our understanding of why allopolyploidization is so prevalent in this group, and why clawed frogs violate Haldane's Rule for hybrid sterility. Future studies of expression subfunctionalization in polyploids will shed light on the role and purviews of cis- and trans-regulatory elements in gene regulation.

Two new freshwater eutardigrade species from Sicily.

PubMed

Pilato, Giovanni; Sabella, Giorgio; Lisi, Oscar

2015-02-11

Two new species of freshwater Eutardigrada are described from Sicily: Isohypsibius rusticus sp. nov. and Isohypsibius zappalai sp. nov. The former species has eye spots, ornamented body surface with many, variously sized tubercles; bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of the Isohypsibius type; pharyngeal bulb with apophyses and two rod-shaped macroplacoids; microplacoid absent; claws, of the Isohypsibius type, well developed, with long and thin common basal portion; main branches of all claws without free accessory points; very thin lunules present; cuticular bars on the legs absent. Isohypsibius zappalai sp. nov. has eye spots; entire body surface with small tubercles rounded in shape, fairly uniformly sized and tending to form transverse lines; bucco-pharyngeal apparatus of the Isohypsibius type, pharyngeal bulb with apophyses and two macroplacoids; microplacoid absent; claws of the Isohypsibius type, well developed, with long common basal portion and both main and secondary branches with a wide proximal portion. Main branches of all claws with accessory points; small, flexible lunules present; cuticular bars on the legs absent.

Growth and fatbody cycles in feral populations of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis (Pipidae), in California with comments on reproduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCoid, M.J.; Fritts, T.H.

1989-01-01

Feral populations of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) exist in several areas of southern California. By following the first cohort of progeny produced by African clawed frogs at a recently colonized site, data on the growth rates and age at first maturity were obtained in field conditions. Females reached maturity at an earlier age than males, grew faster than males, and attained body lengths up to 25% larger than males. Larger females were capable of producing larger numbers of eggs than small females and, therefore, had greater reproductive potential. The relatively stable ambient temperatures of southern California contributed to the possibility of reproduction of clawed frogs during all but the coolest periods of the year. Cycles detected in the mass of fatbodies suggested that nutrients were mobilized from fat prior to and during ovulation. The amount of fat in females varied widely, but fat in males tended to accumulate as the males grew during the study period.

Growth and fat-body cycles in feral populations of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis (Pipidae), in California with comments on reproduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCoid, Michael J.; Fritts, Thomas H.

1989-01-01

Feral populations of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) exist in several areas of southern California. By following the first cohort of progeny produced by African clawed frogs at a recently colonized site, data on the growth rates and age at first maturity were obtained in field conditions. Females reached maturity at an earlier age than males, grew faster than males, and attained body lengths up to 25% larger than males. Larger females were capable of producing larger numbers of eggs than small females and, therefore, had greater reproductive potential. The relatively stable ambient temperatures of southern California contributed to the possibility of reproduction of clawed frogs during all but the coolest periods of the year. Cycles detected in the mass of fatbodies suggested that nutrients were mobilized from fat prior to and during ovulation. The amount of fat in females varies widely, but fat in males tended to accumulate as the males grew during the study period.

Effect of rubber flooring on group-housed sows' gait and claw and skin lesions.

PubMed

Bos, E-J; van Riet, M M J; Maes, D; Millet, S; Ampe, B; Janssens, G P J; Tuyttens, F A M

2016-05-01

This study evaluated the influence of floor type on sow welfare in terms of lameness, claw lesions, and skin lesions. In a 2 × 3 factorial design, we have investigated the effect of rubber coverings on concrete floors and the effect of 3 levels of dietary zinc supplementation on locomotion and claw and skin lesions in group-housed sows. Six groups of 21 ± 4 hybrid sows were monitored during 3 successive reproductive cycles. The sows were group housed from d 28 after insemination (d 0) until 1 wk before expected farrowing date (d 108) in pens with either exposed concrete floors or concrete floors covered with rubber in part of the lying area and the fully slatted area. During each reproductive cycle, locomotion and skin lesions were assessed 4 times (d 28, 50, 108, and 140) and claw lesions were assessed twice (d 50 and 140). Results are given as least squares means ± SE. Locomotion and claw scores were given in millimeters, on analog scales of 150 and 160 mm, respectively. Here, we report on the effect of floor type, which did not interact with dietary zinc concentration ( > 0.10 for all variables). At move to group (d 28) and mid gestation (d 50), no differences between floor treatments were seen in locomotion ( > 0.10). At the end of gestation (d 108), sows housed on rubber flooring scored 9.9 ± 4.1 mm better on gait ( < 0.001). Regarding claw disorders, both parameters "heel overgrowth and erosion" (difference of 4.6 ± 1.8 mm; = 0.01) and "heel-sole crack" (difference of 3.1 ± 1.5 mm; = 0.04) scores were better for sows on rubber flooring at mid gestation (d 50). However, sows on rubber flooring scored worse for "vertical cracks in the wall horn" (difference of 3.4 ± 1.7 mm; = 0.04). At the end of lactation (d 140), both "white line" (difference of 2.9 ± 1 mm; = 0.02) and "claw length" (difference of 4.7 ± 1.4 mm; < 0.001) had better scores on rubber flooring. No differences for skin lesions were observed between floor treatments. The improved scores for gait toward the end of gestation and some types of claw disorders at mid gestation suggest that rubber flooring in group housing has a beneficial effect on the overall leg health of sows. The documented increase in vertical cracks in the wall horn at d 50 requires further investigation.

Inorganic elements in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas): relationships among external and internal tissues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faust, Derek R.; Hooper, Michael J.; Cobb, George P.; Barnes, Melanie; Shaver, Donna; Ertolacci, Shauna; Smith, Philip N.

2014-01-01

Inorganic elements from anthropogenic sources have entered marine environments worldwide and are detectable in marine organisms, including sea turtles. Threatened and endangered classifications of sea turtles have heretofore made assessments of contaminant concentrations difficult because of regulatory restrictions on obtaining samples using nonlethal techniques. In the present study, claw and skin biopsy samples were examined as potential indicators of internal tissue burdens in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Significant relationships were observed between claw and liver, and claw and muscle concentrations of mercury, nickel, arsenic, and selenium (p < 0.05). Similarly, significant relationships were observed between skin biopsy concentrations and those in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues for mercury, arsenic, selenium, and vanadium (p < 0.05). Concentrations of arsenic, barium, chromium, nickel, strontium, vanadium, and zinc in claws and skin biopsies were substantially elevated when compared with all other tissues, indicating that these highly keratinized tissues may represent sequestration or excretion pathways. Correlations between standard carapace length and cobalt, lead, and manganese concentrations were observed (p < 0.05), indicating that tissue concentrations of these elements may be related to age and size. Results suggest that claws may indeed be useful indicators of mercury and nickel concentrations in liver and muscle tissues, whereas skin biopsy inorganic element concentrations may be better suited as indicators of mercury, selenium, and vanadium concentrations in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues of green sea turtles.

Iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw intraocular lens implantation for the management of iris-lens injured patients

PubMed Central

Hu, Shufang; Wang, Mingling; Xiao, Tianlin; Zhao, Zhenquan

2016-01-01

Aim: To study the efficiency and safety of iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in the patients with iris-lens injuries. Settings and Design: Retrospective, noncomparable consecutive case series study. Materials and Methods: Eleven patients (11 eyes) following iris-lens injuries underwent iris reconstructions combined with iris-claw IOL implantations. Clinical data, such as cause and time of injury, visual acuity (VA), iris and lens injuries, surgical intervention, follow-up period, corneal endothelial cell count, and optical coherence tomography, were collected. Results: Uncorrected VA (UCVA) in all injured eyes before combined surgery was equal to or <20/1000. Within a 1.1–4.2-year follow-up period, a significant increase, equal to or better than 20/66, in UCVA was observed in six (55%) cases, and in best-corrected VA (BCVA) was observed in nine (82%) cases. Postoperative BCVA was 20/40 or better in seven cases (64%). After combined surgery, the iris returned to its natural round shape or smaller pupil, and the iris-claw IOLs in the 11 eyes were well-positioned on the anterior surface of reconstructed iris. No complications occurred in those patients. Conclusions: Iris reconstruction combined with iris-claw IOL implantation is a safe and efficient procedure for an eye with iris-lens injury in the absence of capsular support. PMID:27146932

DNA "nano-claw": logic-based autonomous cancer targeting and therapy.

PubMed

You, Mingxu; Peng, Lu; Shao, Na; Zhang, Liqin; Qiu, Liping; Cui, Cheng; Tan, Weihong

2014-01-29

Cell types, both healthy and diseased, can be classified by inventories of their cell-surface markers. Programmable analysis of multiple markers would enable clinicians to develop a comprehensive disease profile, leading to more accurate diagnosis and intervention. As a first step to accomplish this, we have designed a DNA-based device, called "Nano-Claw". Combining the special structure-switching properties of DNA aptamers with toehold-mediated strand displacement reactions, this claw is capable of performing autonomous logic-based analysis of multiple cancer cell-surface markers and, in response, producing a diagnostic signal and/or targeted photodynamic therapy. We anticipate that this design can be widely applied in facilitating basic biomedical research, accurate disease diagnosis, and effective therapy.

Mixibius parvus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) ziliense sp. nov., two new species of Eutardigrada from Sicily.

PubMed

Lisi, Oscar; Sabella, Giorgio; Pilato, Giovanni

2014-05-28

Two new species, Mixibius parvus sp. nov. and Diphascon (Diphascon) ziliense sp. nov. are described from Sicily. Mixibius parvus sp. nov. has three macroplacoids and a microplacoid and differs from M. tibetanus, the only other known species of the genus with those characteristics, in having a wrinkled cuticle without true small tubercles, a shorter microplacoid, smaller claw pt index values, and in lacking a cuticular bar on the first three pairs of the legs.Diphascon (Diphascon) ziliense sp. nov. lacks eye spots, has a pharyngeal bulb with two macroplacoids and a septulum, and possesses lunules and cuticular bars on the legs. It is similar to D. (D.) ramazzottii and D. (D.) procerum but differs from them in characters of the cuticular ornamentation and, in addition, from D. (D.) ramazzottii in having lunules and slightly longer claws in proportion to the body size and to the buccal tube. The new species differs from D. (D.) procerum in having stouter claws with a wider common portion and with the main branches shorter in proportion to the total length of the respective claws.

The clinical application of absorbable intramedullary nail and claw plate on treating multiple rib fractures.

PubMed

Chai, X; Lin, Q; Ruan, Z; Zheng, J; Zhou, J; Zhang, J

2013-08-01

The absorption intramedullary nail and claw plate indications and efficacy were investigated in the treatment of a life-threatening multiple rib fractures. A retrospective analysis of 248 surgically treated rib fracture patients was performed who admitted to our hospital from March 2007 to December 2012. Intramedullary nailing was performed in 28 cases, a claw-type bone plate was fixed in 141 cases, and a combination of both was fixed in 79 cases. All internal fixation patients were clinically cured except 1 patient died 14 days after a massive pulmonary embolism. The patients with flail chest and floating chest wall causing respiratory and circulatory disorders were promptly corrected. Routine follow-up was from 1 to 2 years, displaced fractures were in 2 cases, and there were 11 cases of internal fixation and extraction. Internal fixation is a simple and reliable method for the treatment of multiple rib fractures. Both internal fixation materials have their pros and cons but the claw bone plate is more robust. The actual selection of appropriate treatment options helps to improve the treatment efficacy.

Metabolic incentives for dishonest signals of strength in the fiddler crab Uca vomeris.

PubMed

Bywater, Candice L; White, Craig R; Wilson, Robbie S

2014-08-15

To reduce the potential costs of combat, animals may rely upon signals to resolve territorial disputes. Signals also provide a means for individuals to appear better than they actually are, deceiving opponents and gaining access to resources that would otherwise be unattainable. However, other than resource gains, incentives for dishonest signalling remain unexplored. In this study, we tested the idea that unreliable signallers pay lower metabolic costs for their signals, and that energetic savings could represent an incentive for cheating. We focused on two-toned fiddler crabs (Uca vomeris), a species that frequently uses its enlarged claws as signals of dominance to opponents. Previously, we found that regenerated U. vomeris claws are often large but weak (i.e. unreliable). Here, we found that the original claws of male U. vomeris consumed 43% more oxygen than weaker, regenerated claws, suggesting that muscle quantity drives variation in metabolic costs. Therefore, it seems that metabolic savings could provide a powerful incentive for dishonesty within fiddler crabs. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The relation between the effect of a subhypnotic dose of thiopental on claw pain threshold in rats and adrenalin, noradrenalin and dopamine levels.

PubMed

Aksoy, Mehmet; Ahiskalioglu, Ali; Ince, Ilker; Celik, Mine; Dostbil, Aysenur; Kuyrukluyildiz, Ufuk; Altuner, Durdu; Kurt, Nezahat; Suleyman, Halis

2015-01-01

Thiopental sodium (TPS) needs to be applied together with adrenalin in order to establish its analgesic effect in general anesthesia. We aimed to investigate the effect of TPS on the claw pain threshold in rats and evaluated its relationship with endogenous adrenalin (ADR), noradrenalin (NDR), and dopamine (DOP) levels. Intact and adrenalectomized rats were used in the experiment. Intact animals were divided into the following groups: 15 mg/kg TPS (TS), 0.3 mg/kg ADR+15 mg/kg TPS (ATS) and 0.3 mg/kg ADR alone (ADR). Adrenalectomized animals were divided into the following groups: 15 mg/kg TPS (A-TS), 0.3 mg/kg ADR+15 mg/kg TPS (A-ATS) and 0.3 mg/kg ADR alone (A-ADR). Claw pain threshold and blood ADR, NDR, and DOP levels were measured. The TS group's claw pain threshold was found low. However, the claw pain thresholds of the ATS and ADR groups increased significantly. In the A-TS group, the pain threshold decreased compared with normal, and in the A-ATS and A-ADR groups, the pain threshold increased. TPS reduced the blood ADR levels in intact rats; however, no significant changes were observed in the NDR and DOP levels. #TPS provides hyperalgesia by reducing the production of ADR in rats. The present study shows that to achieve analgesic activity, TPS needs to be applied together with ADR.

The relation between the effect of a subhypnotic dose of thiopental on claw pain threshold in rats and adrenalin, noradrenalin and dopamine levels

PubMed Central

Aksoy, Mehmet; Ahiskalioglu, Ali; Ince, Ilker; Celik, Mine; Dostbil, Aysenur; Kuyrukluyildiz, Ufuk; Altuner, Durdu; Kurt, Nezahat; Suleyman, Halis

2015-01-01

Thiopental sodium (TPS) needs to be applied together with adrenalin in order to establish its analgesic effect in general anesthesia. We aimed to investigate the effect of TPS on the claw pain threshold in rats and evaluated its relationship with endogenous adrenalin (ADR), noradrenalin (NDR), and dopamine (DOP) levels. Intact and adrenalectomized rats were used in the experiment. Intact animals were divided into the following groups: 15 mg/kg TPS (TS), 0.3 mg/kg ADR+15 mg/kg TPS (ATS) and 0.3 mg/kg ADR alone (ADR). Adrenalectomized animals were divided into the following groups: 15 mg/kg TPS (A-TS), 0.3 mg/kg ADR+15 mg/kg TPS (A-ATS) and 0.3 mg/kg ADR alone (A-ADR). Claw pain threshold and blood ADR, NDR, and DOP levels were measured. The TS group’s claw pain threshold was found low. However, the claw pain thresholds of the ATS and ADR groups increased significantly. In the A-TS group, the pain threshold decreased compared with normal, and in the A-ATS and A-ADR groups, the pain threshold increased. TPS reduced the blood ADR levels in intact rats; however, no significant changes were observed in the NDR and DOP levels. #TPS provides hyperalgesia by reducing the production of ADR in rats. The present study shows that to achieve analgesic activity, TPS needs to be applied together with ADR. PMID:26211784

Inorganic elements in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas): relationships among external and internal tissues.

PubMed

Faust, Derek R; Hooper, Michael J; Cobb, George P; Barnes, Melanie; Shaver, Donna; Ertolacci, Shauna; Smith, Philip N

2014-09-01

Inorganic elements from anthropogenic sources have entered marine environments worldwide and are detectable in marine organisms, including sea turtles. Threatened and endangered classifications of sea turtles have heretofore made assessments of contaminant concentrations difficult because of regulatory restrictions on obtaining samples using nonlethal techniques. In the present study, claw and skin biopsy samples were examined as potential indicators of internal tissue burdens in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). Significant relationships were observed between claw and liver, and claw and muscle concentrations of mercury, nickel, arsenic, and selenium (p < 0.05). Similarly, significant relationships were observed between skin biopsy concentrations and those in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues for mercury, arsenic, selenium, and vanadium (p < 0.05). Concentrations of arsenic, barium, chromium, nickel, strontium, vanadium, and zinc in claws and skin biopsies were substantially elevated when compared with all other tissues, indicating that these highly keratinized tissues may represent sequestration or excretion pathways. Correlations between standard carapace length and cobalt, lead, and manganese concentrations were observed (p < 0.05), indicating that tissue concentrations of these elements may be related to age and size. Results suggest that claws may indeed be useful indicators of mercury and nickel concentrations in liver and muscle tissues, whereas skin biopsy inorganic element concentrations may be better suited as indicators of mercury, selenium, and vanadium concentrations in liver, kidney, and muscle tissues of green sea turtles. © 2014 SETAC.

Treatment of patella fracture by claw-like shape memory alloy.

PubMed

Hao, Wei; Zhou, Lugang; Sun, Yujie; Shi, Peng; Liu, Hongzhi; Wang, Xin

2015-07-01

Titanium-nickel shape memory alloy (Ti-Ni SMA) is characterized by shape-memory effect, super-elasticity, excellent fatigue behavior, corrosion resistance, acceptable biocompatibility and high damping capacity. Claw-like Ti-Ni SMA fixator (SMA-claw) has been used to treat transverse fracture of patella. 29 patients (19 males, 10 females) aged from 21 to 71 years old (averaged 43.0 years old) have been received open reduction and internal fixation with SMA-claw from January 2011 to December 2011. After operation, patients have been received gradual knee function exercises, followed by radiographic analysis and Lysholm Knee Score at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postoperation. The mean follow-up time was 11.48 months (25 patients finished, 1 lost after 6 months and 3 lost after 9 months). Radiographic bone union occurred at 2 months (7 patients) or 3 months (22 patients). Satisfied range of motion for the knee joint has been observed with 1.90/141.72° (hyperextension/flexion) at 3 months, 4.83/143.97° at 6 months, 4.82/144.82° at 9 months and 5.2/145° at 12 months postsurgery. The Ti-Ni SMA-claw fixator produced good osteosynthesis effect by continuous recovery stress with relatively simple and minimally invasive handling process, which can be introduced as an alternative to traditional tension band technique for treatment of patellar transverse fracture.

A new technique using roentgen stereophotogrammetry to measure changes in the spatial conformation of bovine hind claws in response to external loads.

PubMed

Ouweltjes, W; Gussekloo, S W S; Spoor, C W; van Leeuwen, J L

2016-02-01

Claw and locomotion problems are widespread in ungulates. Although it is presumed that mechanical overload is an important contributor to claw tissue damage and impaired locomotion, deformation and claw injury as a result of mechanical loading has been poorly quantified and, as a result, practical solutions to reduce such lesions have been established mostly through trial and error. In this study, an experimental technique was developed that allowed the measurement under controlled loading regimes of minute deformations in the lower limbs of dissected specimens from large ungulates. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) was applied to obtain 3D marker coordinates with an accuracy of up to 0.1 mm with optimal contrast and to determine changes in the spatial conformation. A force plate was used to record the applied forces in three dimensions. The results obtained for a test sample (cattle hind leg) under three loading conditions showed that small load-induced deformations and translations as well as small changes in centres of force application could be measured. Accuracy of the order of 0.2-0.3 mm was feasible under practical circumstances with suboptimal contrast. These quantifications of claw deformation during loading improve understanding of the spatial strain distribution as a result of external loading and the risks of tissue overload. The method promises to be useful in determining load-deformation relationships for a wide variety of specimens and circumstances. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current nutraceuticals in the management of osteoarthritis: a review

PubMed Central

Akhtar, Nahid

2012-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease that has a major impact on joint function and quality of life. Nutraceuticals and dietary supplements derived from herbs have long been used in traditional medicine and there is considerable evidence that nutraceuticals may play an important role in inflammation and joint destruction in OA. We review the biological effects of some medicinal fruits and herbs – pomegranate, green tea, cat’s claw, devil’s claw, ginger, Indian olibaum, turmeric and ananas – in an attempt to understand the pivotal molecular targets involved in inflammation and the joint destruction process and to summarize their toxicities and efficacy for OA management. So far there is insufficient reliable evidence on the effectiveness of ginger, turmeric and ananas. Pomegranate and green tea only have preclinical evidence of efficacy due to the lack of clinical data. In vivo and clinical studies are required to understand their targets and efficacy in OA. Limited in vitro and in vivo evidence is available for cat’s claw and Indian olibaum. More extensive studies are required before long-term controlled trials of whole cat’s claw and Indian olibaum extracts, or isolated active compounds, are carried out in patients with OA to determine their long-term efficacy and safety. Devil’s claw has not been rigorously tested to determine its antiarthritic potential in in vitro and in vivo models. There is strong clinical evidence of the effectiveness of devil’s claw in pain reduction. However, high-quality clinical trials are needed to determine its effectiveness. No serious side effects have been reported for any fruits and herbs. Overall, these studies identify and support the use of nutraceuticals to provide symptomatic relief to patients with OA and to be used as adjunct therapy for OA management. More high-quality trials are needed to provide definitive answers to questions related to their efficacy and safety for OA prevention and/or treatment. PMID:22850529

Influence of bill and foot morphology on the ectoparasites of barn owls.

PubMed

Bush, Sarah E; Villa, Scott M; Boves, Than J; Brewer, Dallas; Belthoff, James R

2012-04-01

Preening is the principle behavioral defense used by birds to combat ectoparasites. Most birds have a small overhang at the tip of their bills that is used to shear through the tough cuticle of ectoparasitic arthropods, making preening much more efficient. Birds may also scratch with their feet to defend against ectoparasites. This is particularly important for removing ectoparasites on the head, which birds cannot preen. Scratching may be enhanced by the comb-like serrations that are found on the claws of birds in many avian families. We examined the prevalence and intensity of ectoparasites of barn owls (Tyto alba pratincola) in southern Idaho in relation to bill hook length and morphological characteristics of the pectinate claw. The barn owls in our study were infested with 3 species of lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera): Colpocephalum turbinatum , Kurodaia subpachygaster, and Strigiphilus aitkeni . Bill hook length was associated with the prevalence of these lice. Owls with longer hooks were more likely to be infested with lice. Conventional wisdom suggests that the bill morphology of raptors has been shaped by selection for efficient foraging; our data suggest that hook morphology may also play a role in ectoparasite defense. The number of teeth on the pectinate claw was also associated with the prevalence of lice. Owls that had claws with more teeth were less likely to be infested with lice, which suggests that larger pectinate claws may offer relatively more protection against ectoparasitic lice. Experiments that manipulate the bill hook and pectinate claw are needed to confirm whether these host characters are involved in ectoparasite defense. Finally, we recovered mammalian ectoparasites from 4 barn owls. We recovered species of mammalian lice (Phthiraptera:Anoplura) and fleas (Siphonaptera) that are commonly found on microtine rodents. The owls probably acquired these parasites from recently eaten prey. This represents 1 of the few documented cases of parasites "straggling" from prey to predator.

COMPARATIVE TOXICITY OF DIURON ON SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF PACIFIC TREEFROG, BULLFROG, RED-LEGGED FROG, AND AFRICAN CLAWED FROG EMBRYOS AND TADPOLES

EPA Science Inventory

The effects of the herbicide diuron on survival and growth of Pacific treefrog (Pseudacris regilla),bullfrog(Rana catesbeiana), red-legged frog(Rana aurora),and African clawed frog(Xenopus laevis)embryos and tadpoles were determined in static-renewal tests. P.regilla and X.laevis...

Inhibitory effects of devil's claw (secondary root of Harpagophytum procumbens) extract and harpagoside on cytokine production in mouse macrophages.

PubMed

Inaba, Kazunori; Murata, Kazuya; Naruto, Shunsuke; Matsuda, Hideaki

2010-04-01

Successive oral administration (50 mg/kg) of a 50% ethanolic extract (HP-ext) of devil's claw, the secondary root of Harpagophytum procumbens, showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect in the rat adjuvant-induced chronic arthritis model. HP-ext dose-dependently suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)] in mouse macrophage cells (RAW 264.7). Harpagoside, a major iridoid glycoside present in devil's claw, was found to be one of the active agents in HP-ext and inhibited the production of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha by RAW 264.7.

Primary iris claw IOL retrofixation with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in cases of inadequate capsular support.

PubMed

Kelkar, Aditya; Shah, Rachana; Vasavda, Viraj; Kelkar, Jai; Kelkar, Shreekant

2018-02-01

To assess the outcomes and analyze complication rates following primary iris claw IOL retrofixation with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. This is a retrospective interventional case series. Patients with poor capsular support-diagnosed preoperatively or owing to intraoperative complications-were treated with iris claw IOL retrofixation with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. The data were retrospectively analyzed. 104 eyes of 102 patients with poor capsular support who underwent the procedure between 2010 and 2013 were analyzed. The minimum follow-up period was 12 months (ranging from 12 to 36 months). Iris claw IOL was implanted in-traumatic subluxated cataracts-24 cases (23.07%), non-traumatic subluxated cataracts in 16 cases (15.38%), or as a complication of cataract surgery-intraoperative posterior capsular rent in 48 cases (46.15%) and intraoperative nucleus drop in 16 cases (15.38%). The final mean best-corrected logMAR visual acuity improved from 1.36 ± 0.64 preoperatively to 0.36 ± 0.32 at 1-year follow-up. Complications included pupil ovalization in 11 cases (10.57%), transient elevation in intraocular pressure in 7 eyes (6.73%), postoperative hypotony in 5 eyes (4.80%), cystoid macular edema in 2 eyes (1.92%), retinal detachment in 1 eye (0.96%), vitreous hemorrhage in 1 eye (0.96%), and hyphema in 1 eye (0.96%). Primary iris claw IOL retrofixation provided excellent alternative in patients with inadequate capsular support. The visual outcomes were good along with favorable rates of complications. The addition of triamcinolone acetonide helps in reducing the chances of cystoid macular edema.

Retropupillary fixation of iris-claw lens in visual rehabilitation of aphakic eyes.

PubMed

Jayamadhury, G; Potti, Sudhakar; Kumar, K Vinaya; Kumar, R Madhu; Divyansh Mishra, K C; Nambula, Srinivasa Rao

2016-10-01

Surgical outcome of retropupillary fixation of iris claw lens. To evaluate the various indications, intra and post-operative complications, and visual outcome of retropupillary fixation of iris claw lens in aphakic eyes. The study design is a retrospective study at a tertiary eye care center. Review of medical records of 61 aphakic eyes of 61 patients, who were rehabilitated with retropupillary fixation of an iris claw lens, with a follow-up duration of at least 1 year. Data analysis was performed using paired t-test and Chi-square test. Mean preoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 1.66 ± 0.3 LogMAR and postoperative acuity at 1 year was 0.53 ± 0.5 LogMAR (P = 0.00001). Preoperative distant best-corrected visual acuity was 0.30 ± 0.48 LogMAR and postoperative acuity at 1 year was 0.27 ± 0.46 LogMAR (P = 0.07). Mean preoperative astigmatism was 1.43 ± 1.94 D and postoperatively was 1.85 ± 2.16 D (P = 0.0127). Mean endothelial cell count was 2353.52 ± 614 cells/mm2 preoperatively which decreased to 2200 ± 728 cells/mm2 at 1 year follow-up (P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in central macular thickness and intraocular pressure pre and post-surgery. Complications included ovalization of pupil in 9.83%, hypotony in 1.63%, toxic anterior segment syndrome in 1.63%, cystoid macular edema in 11.47%, epiretinal membrane in 3.27%, and iris atrophy in 6.55%. Iris claw is a safe and an effective method of rehabilitating aphakic eyes.

Fractionation of rare earth and other trace elements in crabs, Ucides cordatus, from a subtropical mangrove affected by fertilizer industry.

PubMed

Bosco-Santos, Alice; Luiz-Silva, Wanilson; Silva-Filho, Emmanoel Vieira da; Souza, Monique Dias Corrêa de; Dantas, Elton Luiz; Navarro, Margareth Sugano

2017-04-01

Fractionation of rare earth elements (REE) and other trace metal concentrations (Th, U, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) between mangrove sediments and claw muscles and shells of male crabs (Ucides cordatus) from a subtropical estuary highly impacted by fertilizer industry activities was investigated. This is the first record of REE distribution in these organisms, and the results showed higher accumulations of these metals, U and Th in shells, probably related to the replacement of Ca during molting. Contents of Cd, Cr and Ni were similar in both tissues, but Cu, Zn and Pb were mostly accumulated in the claw muscle with concentrations above those considered safe for human consumption according to the Brazilian legislation. REE fractionation was different in the analyzed tissues being softer in the shells. The results provided evidences that the water absorbed during molting controls the chemistry of REE in shells. In contrast, the chemistry of REE in the claw muscle, in which was observed preferential absorption of light REE, is controlled by diet. REE fractionation obtained for the claw muscles was closely correlated to the observed in the contaminated substrate and in materials related to the production of phosphate fertilizers (contamination source), which supports their transference to this Ucides cordatus tissue without fractionation by the ingestion of sediments. Our results showed the potential use of crab tissues for monitoring REE and trace element sources in mangrove areas, with claw muscle exhibiting the contaminant source fingerprint. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Inverse Effects on Growth and Development Rates by Means of Endocrine Disruptors in African Clawed Frog Tadpoles ("Xenopus Laevis")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackney, Zachary Carl

2007-01-01

Previous work on fish, frogs, and salamanders, showed the ability for estrogen (EE2) and anthropogenic endocrine disruptors to skew sex ratios and cause hermaphrodism. This study addressed the effects of estrogens on growth and development rates of African clawed frog tadpoles ("Xenopus laevis") during their gender determination stages. The…

Two new species of shrews (Soricidae) from the western highlands of Guatemala

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodman, Neal

2010-01-01

The broad-clawed shrews (Soricomorpha: Soricidae: Cryptotis) encompass a clade of 5 species—Cryptotis alticolus (Merriam), C. goldmani (Merriam), C. goodwini Jackson, C. griseoventris Jackson, and C. peregrinus (Merriam)—that is known collectively as the Cryptotis goldmani group and is characterized by broadened forefeet, elongated and broadened fore claws, and broadened humeri. These shrews are distributed in highland regions from central Mexico to Honduras. Two broad-clawed shrews, C. goodwini and C. griseoventris, occur in southern Mexico and Guatemala and are presumed sister species whose primary distinguishing feature is the larger size of C. goodwini. In an investigation of variation within and between these 2 species, I studied characteristics of the postcranial skeleton. Statistical analyses of a variety of character suites indicate that the forelimb morphology in this group exhibits less intraspecific variation and greater interspecific variation than cranio-mandibular morphology, although most skull characters support groupings based on forelimb characters. Together, these characters define 4 distinct groups among the specimens examined. C. griseoventris is restricted to the northern highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, and C. goodwini occurs in the southern highlands of Chiapas and Guatemala. Herein, I describe 2 new species of broad-clawed shrews from the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Guatemala.

Isotomidae (Collembola) of Buryat Republic. III. The genera Vertagopus and Agrenia, with a note on 'Claw index'.

PubMed

Potapov, Mikhail; Gulgenova, Ayuna; Babykina, Marina

2016-03-07

Two genera are revised based on material from Buryatia (Russia, East Siberia). Vertagopus ceratus sp. nov. and V. asiaticus sp. nov. are described of which the former species is strictly alpine and is defined by pale colouration, the presence of chaetae on the anterior side of the ventral tube, and abundant sensillar chaetotaxy. V. asiaticus sp. nov. is widely distributed in Asia and is unusual due to only 9 chaetae in apical whorl on tibiotarsi. A key to species of Vertagopus Börner, recorded in the republic is given, and notes on morphology, distribution, and ecology are provided. In the genus Agrenia Börner, a form similar with A. bidenticulata was recorded in mountainous areas. Buryatian populations considerably differ from the diagnosis of the typical arctic A.bidenticulata (Tullberg) by a much longer claw. A conception of A. bidenticulata sensu lato complex is temporarily proposed basing on available materials from Palearctic, including High Arctic, sub-Arctic and South Siberian mountains. The complex consists of several local forms which are different in Claw index and associated Tibiotarsus/Claw ratio, while the dependence of the two indexes on the latitude is shown.

The Genome of the Western Clawed Frog Xenopus tropicalis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hellsten, Uffe; Harland, Richard M.; Gilchrist, Michael J.

2009-10-01

The western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis is an important model for vertebrate development that combines experimental advantages of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis with more tractable genetics. Here we present a draft genome sequence assembly of X. tropicalis. This genome encodes over 20,000 protein-coding genes, including orthologs of at least 1,700 human disease genes. Over a million expressed sequence tags validated the annotation. More than one-third of the genome consists of transposable elements, with unusually prevalent DNA transposons. Like other tetrapods, the genome contains gene deserts enriched for conserved non-coding elements. The genome exhibits remarkable shared synteny with humanmore » and chicken over major parts of large chromosomes, broken by lineage-specific chromosome fusions and fissions, mainly in the mammalian lineage.« less

Voltage directive drive with claw pole motor and control without rotor position indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroenisch, Volker Ewald

Design and testing of a voltage directive drive for synchronous variable speed claw pole motor and control without rotor position indicator is described. Economic analysis of the designed regulation is performed. Computations of stationary and dynamic behavior are given and experimental operational behavior is determined. The motors can be used for electric transportation vehicles, diesel motors, and electric railway engines.

Anatomical characterization of hoof growth pattern in six Iranian sheep breeds and its possible implication for trimming recommendations.

PubMed

Azarpajouh, S; Marchewka, J; Segura Correa, J C; Calderón Díaz, J A

2018-03-11

The objective of this study was to compare hoof anatomy, hoof growth pattern, and hoof weight-bearing surface of six different Iranian sheep breeds to identify possible differences in the hoof anatomical features that could help to minimize adverse effects of hoof trimming methods. Front and hind hooves of 2-year-old, previously untrimmed, pastured dairy ewes of six Iranian breeds (Afshari, Moghani, Kurdi, Makoui, Chaleshtori, and Lori-Bakhtiari; n = 180 ewes; 30 ewes per breed) were collected after slaughter. Medial and lateral claws were incised sagittally and anatomical measurements such as toe length, heel height, toe height, sole thickness, sole length, and toe angle were recorded in each claw. Data were analyzed using mixed model equations including breed, claw (lateral or medial), hoof (front or hind) and their interactions as fixed effects, and ewe as random effect. Breed differences were observed for all hoof measurements (P < 0.05). Chaleshtori sheep had higher measurements for most of the traits studied while Afshari and Makoui sheep had lower measurements. All measurements, except for toe length and toe height to solar surface to heel height ratio, were significantly greater in the front hooves than in the hind hooves (P < 0.05). Soles were longer in the medial claws compared to the lateral claws of the front hooves (P < 0.05). Results suggest the observed breed differences could interfere with establishing a standard, uniform hoof trimming method for sheep. For instance, it might be possible that while Afshari and Makoui sheep could require more conservative trimming, Chaleshtori sheep could require to be trimmed more. In consequence, hoof trimming methods might need to be adjusted to specific breed characteristics to avoid possible tissue damage.

A new tardigrade Doryphoribius maasaimarensis sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae) from Kenya.

PubMed

Fontoura, Paulo; Lisi, Oscar; Pilato, Giovanni

2013-01-01

A new tardigrade, Doryphoribius maasaimarensis sp. nov., is described from a moss sample collected in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya. The new species is characterized by having a reticulate dorsal cuticle with small tubercles; nine transverse rows of dorsal gibbosities (configuration IX:4-6-4-6-4-6-4-4-2); pharyngeal bulb with two macroplacoids and no microplacoid; claws with short and thin accessory points; small, smooth lunules under the claws. The new species is most similar to Doryphoribius zyxiglobus (Horning, Schuster & Grigarick, 1978). Both exhibit two macroplacoids, similar cuticular pattern and the same configuration of gibbosities. However, in Doryphoribius maasaimarensis sp. nov. the cuticular tubercles are less close, buccal tube slightly longer with respect to the body length, more gradual curvature of the buccal tube, different claws shape and thinner accessory points.

Granulocytes of the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus can endocytose beads, E. coli and WSSV, but in different ways.

PubMed

Duan, Hu; Jin, Songjun; Zhang, Yan; Li, Fuhua; Xiang, Jianhai

2014-10-01

The hemocytes of the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus are classified by morphologic observation into the following types: hyalinocytes (H), semi-granulocytes (SG) and granulocytes (G). Density gradient centrifugation with Percoll was developed to separate these three subpopulations of hemocytes. Beads, Escherichia coli, and FITC labeling WSSV were used to investigate the characteristics of granulocytes by using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and laser scan confocal microscope. Results showed that granulocytes could phagocytose beads and E. coli by endocytic pathways. WSSV could rely on caveolae-mediated endocytosis to mainly enter into granulocytes. These results could elucidate the mechanism of the innate immunity function of granulocytes, and it also showed the mechanism by which WSSV invaded granulocytes in the red claw crayfish. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a drive system for a sequential space camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharpsteen, J. T.; Solheim, C. D.; Stoap, L. J.

1976-01-01

Breadboard models of single and dual motor drives for the shutter, claw and magazine of a space camera system were designed and tested. The single motor technique utilizes a single electronically commutated motor to drive the claw and shutter without resorting to a solenoid actuated clutch for pulse operation. Shutter speed is established by a combination of the cinemode speed and the opening of the conventional DAC two piece shutter. Pulse mode operation is obtained by applying power at a fixed clock rate and removing power at an appropriate point in the mechanical cycle such that the motor comes to rest by system friction. The dual motor approach utilizes a stepper motor to drive the shutter and an electronically commutated dc motor to drive the claw and magazine functions. The motors are synchronized electronically.

A Systematic Review of Human Bat Rabies Virus Variant Cases: Evaluating Unprotected Physical Contact with Claws and Teeth in Support of Accurate Risk Assessments.

PubMed

Dato, Virginia M; Campagnolo, Enzo R; Long, Jonah; Rupprecht, Charles E

2016-01-01

In the United States and Canada, the most recent documented cases of rabies have been attributed to bat rabies viruses (RABV). We undertook this systematic review in an effort to summarize and enhance understanding of the risk of infection for individuals who have been potentially exposed to a suspect or confirmed rabid bat. United States rabies surveillance summaries documented a total of 41 human bat-rabies virus variant verified non-transplant cases between 1990 and 2015. All cases were fatal. Seven (17.1%) of 41 cases reported a bite from a bat. Ten (24.3%) cases had unprotected physical contact (UPC); these included seven cases that had a bat land or crawl on them (contact with claws) and one case that touched a bat's teeth. Seven (17.1%) cases had probable UPC. Insectivorous bat teeth are extremely sharp and highly efficient for predation upon arthropod prey. Bats also have sharp claws on the end of their thumbs and feet. One of the most common bat RABV variants has an ability to replicate in non-neural cells. Questioning individuals about unprotected contact with bat teeth and claws (including a bat landing or crawling on a person) may help identify additional exposures.

More than just slippery: the impact of biofilm on the attachment of non-sessile freshwater mayfly larvae.

PubMed

Ditsche, Petra; Michels, Jan; Kovalev, Alexander; Koop, Jochen; Gorb, Stanislav

2014-03-06

While terrestrial insects can usually attach directly to a substrate, for aquatic insects the situation is more complicated owing to the presence of a biofilm on the primary substrates. This important fact has been neither the subject of investigation nor commonly taken into account in the interpretation of functional aspects of attachment in mobile freshwater animals. In this study, we investigate the impact of a biofilm on the attachment of living mayfly larvae. We performed in vivo attachment experiments in a flow channel using different substrates with defined surface roughness. Additionally, we measured friction forces directly generated by dissected tarsal claws on the same substrates. On substrates with smooth or slightly rough surfaces, which have little or no surface irregularities large enough for the claws to grasp, the presence of a biofilm significantly increases the friction force of claws. Consequently, larvae can endure higher flow velocities on these smooth substrates. The opposite effect takes place on rough substrates, where the friction force of claws decreases in the presence of a biofilm. Consequently, a biofilm is a critical ecological structure for these larvae, and other aquatic organisms, not only as a food source but also as a factor influencing attachment ability.

A Systematic Review of Human Bat Rabies Virus Variant Cases: Evaluating Unprotected Physical Contact with Claws and Teeth in Support of Accurate Risk Assessments

PubMed Central

Campagnolo, Enzo R.; Long, Jonah; Rupprecht, Charles E.

2016-01-01

In the United States and Canada, the most recent documented cases of rabies have been attributed to bat rabies viruses (RABV). We undertook this systematic review in an effort to summarize and enhance understanding of the risk of infection for individuals who have been potentially exposed to a suspect or confirmed rabid bat. United States rabies surveillance summaries documented a total of 41 human bat-rabies virus variant verified non-transplant cases between 1990 and 2015. All cases were fatal. Seven (17.1%) of 41 cases reported a bite from a bat. Ten (24.3%) cases had unprotected physical contact (UPC); these included seven cases that had a bat land or crawl on them (contact with claws) and one case that touched a bat’s teeth. Seven (17.1%) cases had probable UPC. Insectivorous bat teeth are extremely sharp and highly efficient for predation upon arthropod prey. Bats also have sharp claws on the end of their thumbs and feet. One of the most common bat RABV variants has an ability to replicate in non-neural cells. Questioning individuals about unprotected contact with bat teeth and claws (including a bat landing or crawling on a person) may help identify additional exposures. PMID:27459720

Propagation method of saving valuable strains from a Mycobacterium liflandii infection in Western clawed frogs (Silurana tropicalis).

PubMed

Chai, Norin; Bronchain, Odile; Panteix, Gilles; Godreuil, Sylvain; de Medeiros, Christophe; Saunders, Richard; Bouts, Tim; de Luze, Amaury

2012-03-01

Mycobacterium liflandii has been responsible for an emerging infection reported in the international trade of Western clawed frogs (Silurana tropicalis). This study shows that this mycolactone-producing Mycobacterium (MPM) has expanded its distribution range to France. The results of this study suggest that the use of in vitro fertilization to maintain genetic lines could be a temporary solution for valuable S. tropicalis propagation.

Clawed forelimbs allow northern seals to eat like their ancient ancestors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hocking, David P.; Marx, Felix G.; Sattler, Renae; Harris, Robert N.; Pollock, Tahlia I.; Sorrell, Karina J.; Fitzgerald, Erich M. G.; McCurry, Matthew R.; Evans, Alistair R.

2018-04-01

Streamlined flippers are often considered the defining feature of seals and sea lions, whose very name `pinniped' comes from the Latin pinna and pedis, meaning `fin-footed'. Yet not all pinniped limbs are alike. Whereas otariids (fur seals and sea lions) possess stiff streamlined forelimb flippers, phocine seals (northern true seals) have retained a webbed yet mobile paw bearing sharp claws. Here, we show that captive and wild phocines routinely use these claws to secure prey during processing, enabling seals to tear large fish by stretching them between their teeth and forelimbs. `Hold and tear' processing relies on the primitive forelimb anatomy displayed by phocines, which is also found in the early fossil pinniped Enaliarctos. Phocine forelimb anatomy and behaviour therefore provide a glimpse into how the earliest seals likely fed, and indicate what behaviours may have assisted pinnipeds along their journey from terrestrial to aquatic feeding.

Two new tardigrade species from Romania (Eutardigrada: Milnesiidae, Macrobiotidae), with some remarks on secondary sex characters in Milnesium dornensis sp. nov.

PubMed

Ciobanu, Daniel Adrian; Roszkowska, Milena; Kaczmarek, Łukasz

2015-04-02

In two moss and lichen samples collected in Romania, two new eutardigrade species were found. Milnesium dornensis sp. nov. belongs to the granulatum group and differs from most of other species in this group mainly by having a different claw configuration ([3-3]-[3-3]) and by some morphometric characters. Minibiotus diversus sp. nov. is very similar to M. gumersindoi Guil & Guidetti, 2005 and M. weglarskae Michalczyk et al., 2005, but differs from these and other congeners by the cuticular pore arrangement and morphometric characters of both adults and eggs. Males and females of the newly described Milnesium species differ not only by the shape and structure of claws I, but also by other morphometric characters. Males of Milnesium dornensis sp. nov. are smaller, more slender, have shorter papillae and relatively longer claws on legs III-IV.

Behaviour of the Pleistocene marsupial lion deduced from claw marks in a southwestern Australian cave.

PubMed

Arman, Samuel D; Prideaux, Gavin J

2016-02-15

The marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex, was the largest-ever marsupial carnivore, and is one of the most iconic extinct Australian vertebrates. With a highly-specialised dentition, powerful forelimbs and a robust build, its overall morphology is not approached by any other mammal. However, despite >150 years of attention, fundamental aspects of its biology remain unresolved. Here we analyse an assemblage of claw marks preserved on surfaces in a cave and deduce that they were generated by marsupial lions. The distribution and skewed size range of claw marks within the cave elucidate two key aspects of marsupial lion biology: they were excellent climbers and reared young in caves. Scrutiny of >10,000 co-located Pleistocene bones reveals few if any marsupial lion tooth marks, which dovetails with the morphology-based interpretation of the species as a flesh specialist.

Artificial intelligence (AI) based tactical guidance for fighter aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmanus, John W.; Goodrich, Kenneth H.

1990-01-01

A research program investigating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to aid in the development of a Tactical Decision Generator (TDG) for Within Visual Range air combat engagements is discussed. The application of AI programming and problem solving methods in the development and implementation of the Computerized Logic For Air-to-Air Warfare Simulations (CLAWS), a second generation TDG, is presented. The knowledge-based systems used by CLAWS to aid in the tactical decision-making process are outlined in detail, and the results of tests to evaluate the performance of CLAWS versus a baseline TDG developed in FORTRAN to run in real time in the Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator, are presented. To date, these test results have shown significant performance gains with respect to the TDG baseline in one-versus-one air combat engagements, and the AI-based TDG software has proven to be much easier to modify and maintain than the baseline FORTRAN TDG programs.

Clawed forelimbs allow northern seals to eat like their ancient ancestors

PubMed Central

Sattler, Renae; Harris, Robert N.; Pollock, Tahlia I.; Sorrell, Karina J.; Fitzgerald, Erich M. G.; McCurry, Matthew R.

2018-01-01

Streamlined flippers are often considered the defining feature of seals and sea lions, whose very name ‘pinniped’ comes from the Latin pinna and pedis, meaning ‘fin-footed’. Yet not all pinniped limbs are alike. Whereas otariids (fur seals and sea lions) possess stiff streamlined forelimb flippers, phocine seals (northern true seals) have retained a webbed yet mobile paw bearing sharp claws. Here, we show that captive and wild phocines routinely use these claws to secure prey during processing, enabling seals to tear large fish by stretching them between their teeth and forelimbs. ‘Hold and tear’ processing relies on the primitive forelimb anatomy displayed by phocines, which is also found in the early fossil pinniped Enaliarctos. Phocine forelimb anatomy and behaviour therefore provide a glimpse into how the earliest seals likely fed, and indicate what behaviours may have assisted pinnipeds along their journey from terrestrial to aquatic feeding. PMID:29765684

Clawed forelimbs allow northern seals to eat like their ancient ancestors.

PubMed

Hocking, David P; Marx, Felix G; Sattler, Renae; Harris, Robert N; Pollock, Tahlia I; Sorrell, Karina J; Fitzgerald, Erich M G; McCurry, Matthew R; Evans, Alistair R

2018-04-01

Streamlined flippers are often considered the defining feature of seals and sea lions, whose very name 'pinniped' comes from the Latin pinna and pedis , meaning 'fin-footed'. Yet not all pinniped limbs are alike. Whereas otariids (fur seals and sea lions) possess stiff streamlined forelimb flippers, phocine seals (northern true seals) have retained a webbed yet mobile paw bearing sharp claws. Here, we show that captive and wild phocines routinely use these claws to secure prey during processing, enabling seals to tear large fish by stretching them between their teeth and forelimbs. 'Hold and tear' processing relies on the primitive forelimb anatomy displayed by phocines, which is also found in the early fossil pinniped Enaliarctos . Phocine forelimb anatomy and behaviour therefore provide a glimpse into how the earliest seals likely fed, and indicate what behaviours may have assisted pinnipeds along their journey from terrestrial to aquatic feeding.

Genetic evaluation of claw health traits accounting for potential preselection of cows to be trimmed.

PubMed

Croué, Iola; Fikse, Freddy; Johansson, Kjell; Carlén, Emma; Thomas, Gilles; Leclerc, Hélène; Ducrocq, Vincent

2017-10-01

Claw lesions are one of the most important health issues in dairy cattle. Although the frequency of claw lesions depends greatly on herd management, the frequency can be lowered through genetic selection. A genetic evaluation could be developed based on trimming records collected by claw trimmers; however, not all cows present in a herd are usually selected by the breeder to be trimmed. The objectives of this study were to investigate the importance of the preselection of cows for trimming, to account for this preselection, and to estimate genetic parameters of claw health traits. The final data set contained 25,511 trimming records of French Holstein cows. Analyzed claw lesion traits were digital dermatitis, heel horn erosion, interdigital hyperplasia, sole hemorrhage circumscribed, sole hemorrhage diffused, sole ulcer, and white line fissure. All traits were analyzed as binary traits in a multitrait linear animal model. Three scenarios were considered: including only trimmed cows in a 7-trait model (scenario 1); or trimmed cows and contemporary cows not trimmed but present at the time of a visit (considering that nontrimmed cows were healthy) in a 7-trait model (scenario 2); or trimmed cows and contemporary cows not trimmed but present at the time of a visit (considering lesion records for trimmed cows only), in an 8-trait model, including a 0/1 trimming status trait (scenario 3). For scenario 3, heritability estimates ranged from 0.02 to 0.09 on the observed scale. Genetic correlations clearly revealed 2 groups of traits (digital dermatitis, heel horn erosion, and interdigital hyperplasia on the one hand, and sole hemorrhage circumscribed, sole hemorrhage diffused, sole ulcer, and white line fissure on the other hand). Heritabilities on the underlying scale did not vary much depending on the scenario: the effect of the preselection of cows for trimming on the estimation of heritabilities appeared to be negligible. However, including untrimmed cows as healthy caused bias in the estimation of genetic correlations. The use of a trimming status trait to account for preselection appears promising, as it allows consideration of the exhaustive population of cows present at the time a trimmer visited a farm without causing bias in genetic parameters. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA barcode based wildlife forensics for resolving the origin of claw samples using a novel primer cocktail.

PubMed

Khedkar, Gulab D; Abhayankar, Shil Bapurao; Nalage, Dinesh; Ahmed, Shaikh Nadeem; Khedkar, Chandraprakash D

2016-11-01

Excessive wildlife hunting for commercial purposes can have negative impacts on biodiversity and may result in species extinction. To ensure compliance with legal statutes, forensic identification approaches relying on molecular markers may be used to identify the species of origin of animal material from hairs, claw, blood, bone, or meat. Using this approach, DNA sequences from the COI "barcoding" gene have been used to identify material from a number of domesticated animal species. However, many wild species of carnivores still present great challenges in generating COI barcodes using standard "universal" primer pairs. In the work presented here, the mitochondrial COI gene was successfully amplified using a novel primer cocktail, and the products were sequenced to determine the species of twenty one unknown samples of claw material collected as part of forensic wildlife case investigations. Sixteen of the unknown samples were recognized to have originated from either Panthera leo or P. pardus individuals. The remaining five samples could be identified only to the family level due to the absence of reference animal sequences. This is the first report on the use of COI sequences for the identification of P. pardus and P. leo from claw samples as part of forensic investigations in India. The study also highlights the need for adequate reference material to aid in the resolution of suspected cases of illegal wildlife harvesting.

Assigning king eiders to wintering regions in the Bering Sea using stable isotopes of feathers and claws

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oppel, S.; Powell, A.N.

2008-01-01

Identification of wintering regions for birds sampled during the breeding season is crucial to understanding how events outside the breeding season may affect populations. We assigned king eiders captured on breeding grounds in northern Alaska to 3 broad geographic wintering regions in the Bering Sea using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes obtained from head feathers. Using a discriminant function analysis of feathers obtained from birds tracked with satellite transmitters, we estimated that 88 % of feathers were assigned to the region in which they were grown. We then assigned 84 birds of unknown origin to wintering regions based on their head feather isotope ratios, and tested the utility of claws for geographic assignment. Based on the feather results, we estimated that similar proportions of birds in our study area use each of the 3 wintering regions in the Bering Sea. These results are in close agreement with estimates from satellite telemetry and show the usefulness of stable isotope signatures of feathers in assigning marine birds to geographic regions. The use of claws is currently limited by incomplete understanding of claw growth rates. Data presented here will allow managers of eiders, other marine birds, and marine mammals to assign animals to regions in the Bering Sea based on stable isotope signatures of body tissues. ?? Inter-Research 2008.

Foot ulcer risk and location in relation to prospective clinical assessment of foot shape and mobility among persons with diabetes.

PubMed

Cowley, Matthew S; Boyko, Edward J; Shofer, Jane B; Ahroni, Jessie H; Ledoux, William R

2008-11-01

We assessed baseline clinical foot shape for 2939 feet of diabetic subjects who were monitored prospectively for foot ulceration. Assessments included hammer/claw toes, hallux valgus, hallux limitus, prominent metatarsal heads, bony prominences, Charcot deformity, plantar callus, foot type, muscle atrophy, ankle and hallux mobility, and neuropathy. Risk factors were linked to ulcer occurrence and location via a Cox proportional hazards model. Hammer/claw toes (hazard ratio [HR] (95% confidence interval [CI])=1.43 (1.06, 1.94) p=0.02), marked hammer/claw toes (HR=1.77 (1.18, 2.66) p=0.006), bony prominences (HR=1.38 (1.02, 1.88), p=0.04), and foot type (Charcot or drop foot vs. neutrally aligned) (HR=2.34 (1.33, 4.10), p=0.003) were significant risk factors for ulceration adjusting for age, body mass index, insulin medication, ulcer history and amputation history. With adjustment for neuropathy only hammer/claw toes (HR=1.40 (1.03, 1.90), p=0.03) and foot type (HR=1.76 (1.04, 3.04), p=0.05) were significantly related to ulceration. However, there was no relationship between ulcer location and foot deformity. Certain foot deformities were predictive of ulceration, although there was no relationship between clinical foot deformity and ulcer location.

The Clawpack Community of Codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandli, K. T.; LeVeque, R. J.; Ketcheson, D.; Ahmadia, A. J.

2014-12-01

Clawpack, the Conservation Laws Package, has long been one of the standards for solving hyperbolic conservation laws but over the years has extended well beyond this role. Today a community of open-source codes have been developed that address a multitude of different needs including non-conservative balance laws, high-order accurate methods, and parallelism while remaining extensible and easy to use, largely by the judicious use of Python and the original Fortran codes that it wraps. This talk will present some of the recent developments in projects under the Clawpack umbrella, notably the GeoClaw and PyClaw projects. GeoClaw was originally developed as a tool for simulating tsunamis using adaptive mesh refinement but has since encompassed a large number of other geophysically relevant flows including storm surge and debris-flows. PyClaw originated as a Python version of the original Clawpack algorithms but has since been both a testing ground for new algorithmic advances in the Clawpack framework but also an easily extensible framework for solving hyperbolic balance laws. Some of these extensions include the addition of WENO high-order methods, massively parallel capabilities, and adaptive mesh refinement technologies, made possible largely by the flexibility of the Python language and community libraries such as NumPy and PETSc. Because of the tight integration with Python tecnologies, both packages have benefited also from the focus on reproducibility in the Python community, notably IPython notebooks.

Ca2+-recruitment in tachykinin-induced contractions of gut smooth muscle from African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

PubMed

Johansson, Agot; Holmgren, Susanne

2003-04-01

Changes in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration control many essential cellular functions like the contraction of smooth muscle cells. The aim of this study was to investigate if the tachykinin substance P (SP) engages external Ca(2+)-sources, internal Ca(2+)-sources, or both in the contraction of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Strip preparations made of either longitudinal smooth muscle of proximal intestine or circular smooth muscle of cardiac stomach were mounted in organ baths and the tension was recorded via force transducers. Ca(2+)-free Ringer's solution containing the Ca(2+) chelating agent EGTA (2mM) abolished all spontaneous contractions. Exposure to SP in Ca(2+)-free solution decreased the response. Preparations were also treated with the Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (10 microM) during 30 min. Thapsigargin reduced the effect of SP on intestinal longitudinal smooth muscle in rainbow trout and on stomach circular smooth muscle in the African clawed frog and to a less extent in the intestinal longitudinal smooth muscle. The results show that external Ca(2+) is of great importance, but is not the only source of Ca(2+) recruitment in SP-activation of gastrointestinal smooth muscle in rainbow trout and the African clawed frog.

Retropupillary iris-claw intraocular lens for the surgical correction of aphakia in cases with microspherophakia.

PubMed

Fouda, Sameh Mosaad; Al Aswad, Mahmoud A; Ibrahim, Basem M; Bori, Ashraf; Mattout, Hala K

2016-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of retropupillary fixation of an iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL; Verisyse polymethyl methacrylate IOL, Abbott Medical Optics [AMO], Netherlands) for the surgical correction of aphakia in microspherophakic eyes without sufficient capsular support. This was a prospective, interventional, noncomparative case series. This interventional case series comprised 17 eyes of 9 microspherophakic patients. Retropupillary fixation of the Verisyse iris-claw IOL (AMO) was performed in all cases. The surgical time was measured. Corrected distance visual acuity, astigmatism, intraocular pressure (IOP), tissue reaction, pigment dispersion, and stability of the IOL were studied 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 6 months postoperatively. Eight patients had familial microspherophakia and one patient had Marfan's syndrome. Eighty-two percent of the cases achieved a visual acuity of 0.3 or better. There was no significant postoperative inflammatory reaction. Transient elevation of IOP was recorded in two cases in the 1st week only. One IOL developed disengagement of one of the haptics from the iris and was successfully re-engaged. All the other IOLs were well centered and stable. The mean surgical time was 18.0 ± 4.5 min. Retropupillary fixation of an iris-claw IOL is a safe and effective procedure that provides early visual recovery. It is also a time-saving method for correcting aphakia in microspherophakic eyes without sufficient capsular support.

Effect of trace mineral source on lactation performance, claw integrity, and fertility of dairy cattle.

PubMed

Siciliano-Jones, J L; Socha, M T; Tomlinson, D J; DeFrain, J M

2008-05-01

Two hundred fifty multiparous and primiparous cows were assigned to a study at approximately 70 d prepartum to determine the effect of trace mineral source on lactation performance, claw integrity, and fertility. Cows received treatments from 3 wk prepartum through wk 35 postpartum. Treatments consisted of 1) all supplemental Zn, Mn, Cu, and Co provided in sulfate form (Sulfate) and 2) 360 mg of Zn, 200 mg of Mn, 125 mg of Cu, and 12 mg of Co supplied daily by Sulfate minerals replaced with similar amounts of minerals supplied by Availa-4 (CTM). Individuals involved with daily animal care or data recording, or both, were blinded to treatment assignments. Cows from all treatments were housed in common pens, and treatments were dispensed to cows via a computerized feeder. All claws of cows were examined before treatment administration and at 16 and 36 wk postpartum by personnel trained in identifying claw lesions. Cows fed the CTM diet tended to produce more milk and energy-corrected milk than cows fed the Sulfate diet. Cows fed the CTM diet also produced more milk protein and solids (fat + protein) than cows fed the Sulfate diet. Replacing Sulfate minerals with those supplied by CTM decreased incidence of sole ulcers at wk 36 postpartum and tended to decrease incidence of interdigital dermatitis at wk 16 and 36 postpartum. Severity of heel erosion tended to be less for cows fed CTM than cows receiving the Sulfate diet. Despite first service conception rates tending to be greater for cows fed the Sulfate diet, there was no effect of treatment on rate of conception. A greater percentage of cows fed the Sulfate diet tended to be culled from the herd before wk 36 postpartum than cows fed the CTM diet. Replacing Sulfate minerals with CTM resulted in improved lactation performance and claw integrity.

Development of a superconducting claw-pole linear test-rig

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radyjowski, Patryk; Keysan, Ozan; Burchell, Joseph; Mueller, Markus

2016-04-01

Superconducting generators can help to reduce the cost of energy for large offshore wind turbines, where the size and mass of the generator have a direct effect on the installation cost. However, existing superconducting generators are not as reliable as the alternative technologies. In this paper, a linear test prototype for a novel superconducting claw-pole topology, which has a stationary superconducting coil that eliminates the cryocooler coupler will be presented. The issues related to mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal aspects of the prototype will be presented.

Tooth, hair and claw: comparing epithelial stem cell niches of ectodermal appendages

PubMed Central

Naveau, Adrien; Seidel, Kerstin; Klein, Ophir D.

2014-01-01

The vertebrate ectoderm gives rise to organs that produce mineralized or keratinized substances, including teeth, hair, and claws. Most of these ectodermal derivatives grow continuously throughout the animal’s life and have active pools of adult stem cells that generate all the necessary cell types. These organs provide powerful systems for understanding the mechanisms that enable stem cells to regenerate or renew ectodermally derived tissues, and remarkable progress in our understanding of these systems has been made in recent years using mouse models. We briefly compare what is known about stem cells and their niches in incisors, hair follicles, and claws, and we examine expression of Gli1 as a potential example of a shared stem cell marker. We summarize some of the features, structures, and functions of the stem cell niches in these ectodermal derivatives; definition of the basic elements of the stem cell niches in these organs will provide guiding principles for identification and characterization of the niche in similar systems. PMID:24530577

A concurrent distributed system for aircraft tactical decision generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmanus, John W.

1990-01-01

A research program investigating the use of AI techniques to aid in the development of a tactical decision generator (TDG) for within visual range (WVR) air combat engagements is discussed. The application of AI programming and problem-solving methods in the development and implementation of a concurrent version of the computerized logic for air-to-air warfare simulations (CLAWS) program, a second-generation TDG, is presented. Concurrent computing environments and programming approaches are discussed, and the design and performance of prototype concurrent TDG system (Cube CLAWS) are presented. It is concluded that the Cube CLAWS has provided a useful testbed to evaluate the development of a distributed blackboard system. The project has shown that the complexity of developing specialized software on a distributed, message-passing architecture such as the Hypercube is not overwhelming, and that reasonable speedups and processor efficiency can be achieved by a distributed blackboard system. The project has also highlighted some of the costs of using a distributed approach to designing a blackboard system.

The case against climate regulation via oceanic phytoplankton sulphur emissions.

PubMed

Quinn, P K; Bates, T S

2011-11-30

More than twenty years ago, a biological regulation of climate was proposed whereby emissions of dimethyl sulphide from oceanic phytoplankton resulted in the formation of aerosol particles that acted as cloud condensation nuclei in the marine boundary layer. In this hypothesis--referred to as CLAW--the increase in cloud condensation nuclei led to an increase in cloud albedo with the resulting changes in temperature and radiation initiating a climate feedback altering dimethyl sulphide emissions from phytoplankton. Over the past two decades, observations in the marine boundary layer, laboratory studies and modelling efforts have been conducted seeking evidence for the CLAW hypothesis. The results indicate that a dimethyl sulphide biological control over cloud condensation nuclei probably does not exist and that sources of these nuclei to the marine boundary layer and the response of clouds to changes in aerosol are much more complex than was recognized twenty years ago. These results indicate that it is time to retire the CLAW hypothesis.

Myobiid mites (Trombidiformes, Myobiidae) of the golden bat Mimon cozumelae from Mexico. Description of the male and tritonymph of Ioanella mimon and new records of Eudusbabekia mimon

PubMed Central

Herrera-Mares, Angel; Guzmán-Cornejo, Carmen; León-Paniagua, Livia; Rivas, Gerardo

2017-01-01

Abstract The male and the tritonymph of Ioanella mimon are described for the first time parasitizing to Mimon cozumelae from Yucatan, Mexico. Male of Ioanella mimon is characterized by the presence of legs I with the tibia and tarsus fused forming a small complex devoided of apical claws, legs II–IV with two claws, setae vi at level of anterior end of genital plate, genital plate rounded with an anterior projection, all intercoxal setae short; while the tritonymph is characterized by the presence of legs I unequal; legs II–IV with 2-1-1 claws, and posterior region of dorsal idiosoma with 3 pairs of cylindrical and toothed setae. Additionally, we include new locality and host records for Eudusbabekia mimon which was also found on Mimon cozumelae. Both species were described originally in association with Mimon bennettii at Bartica, Guyana. PMID:28435382

Milnesium berladnicorum sp. n. (Eutardigrada, Apochela, Milnesiidae), a new species of water bear from Romania.

PubMed

Ciobanu, Daniel Adrian; Zawierucha, Krzysztof; Moglan, Ioan; Kaczmarek, Lukasz

2014-01-01

In a lichen sample collected from a tree in Bârlad town (Vaslui County, Romania), a new tardigrade species belonging to the genus Milnesium (granulatum group) was found. Milnesium berladnicorum sp. n. is most similar (in the type of dorsal sculpture) to Milnesium beasleyi Kaczmarek et al., 2012 but differs from it mainly by having a different claw configuration and some morphometric characters. Additionally, the new species differs from other congeners of the granulatum group by the different type of dorsal sculpture, claw configuration and some morphometric characters.

Effects of flooring and restricted freestall access on behavior and claw health of dairy heifers.

PubMed

Ouweltjes, W; van der Werf, J T N; Frankena, K; van Leeuwen, J L

2011-02-01

Claw health, locomotion, feed intake, milk yield, body weight, activity, and lying and standing behavior of dairy heifers were monitored in a single dairy herd during the first 3 mo after calving. During the first 8 wk after calving, 2 treatments were applied: restricted freestall access by closing the stalls between 2300 h and 0500 h (yes or no) and alley flooring (concrete or rubber topped slatted floors). Apart from treatments, housing was identical. The animals were kept in small groups (n=4 to 6) in adjacent barn pens. Thereafter, the animals were kept in 1 group in a freestall section with concrete slatted floor and unrestricted access to the stalls for 5 wk. All animals were fed the same partial mixed ration. We hypothesized that (1) hard flooring causes high mechanical load of the claws and (2) restricted freestall access causes prolonged standing bouts and reinforced effects of hard flooring on claws. The heifers had only minor claw lesions before first calving, and the prevalence and severity of sole hemorrhages increased during the first 3 mo after calving (from 0.24 ± 0.08 to 1.18 ± 0.14 and from 0.04 ± 0.01 to 0.24 ± 0.02, respectively), particularly in the outer hind claws. Animals kept on rubber alley flooring had lower average hemorrhage scores in wk 9 (0.13 ± 0.03 vs. 0.21 ± 0.03) and wk 14 (0.20 ± 0.03 vs. 0.27 ± 0.03) after calving, had a slower feed intake (3.05 ± 0.14 vs. 3.46 ± 0.14 g/s) and spent more time feeding (7.3 ± 0.3 vs. 6.6 ± 0.3 min/h) than animals kept on hard concrete alley floors. Restricted freestall access resulted in fewer standing bouts per day (14.4 ± 1.0 vs. 17.9 ± 1.0) and more strides per hour (99.8 ± 5.4 vs. 87.2 ± 5.4) without changing overall standing time (15.0 ± 0.3 vs. 14.7 ± 0.3 h/d) and did not affect the occurrence of sole hemorrhages. The animals with no overnight freestall access spent more time standing (55.9 ± 0.9 vs. 35.8 ± 0.9 min/h) and feeding (7.8 ± 0.3 vs. 4.3 ± 0.3 min/h) between 2300 and 0500 h and less during the rest of the 24-h period (31.3 ± 0.8 vs. 37.0 ± 0.8 min/h and 6.8 ± 0.3 vs. 7.6 ± 0.3 min/h). Thus, the animals adapted to restricted freestall access, that caused increased overnight standing, by additional lying down during the day and used part of the extra standing time at night for feeding. The restrictions probably had only a minor effect on the mechanical load of their claws. Therefore, the first part of the hypothesis was confirmed and the second part was rejected. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of perches in cages during pullet rearing and egg laying on hen performance, foot health, and plumage.

PubMed

Hester, P Y; Enneking, S A; Jefferson-Moore, K Y; Einstein, M E; Cheng, H W; Rubin, D A

2013-02-01

Enrichment of pullet cages with perches has not been studied. Our objective was to determine if access to metal perches during all or part of the life cycle of caged White Leghorns affected egg traits, foot health, and feather condition. Treatment 1 represented control chickens that never had access to perches during their life cycle. Treatment 2 hens had perches only during the egg laying phase of the life cycle (17 to 71 wk of age), whereas treatment 3 chickens had perches during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens always had access to perches (0 to 71 wk of age). Comparisons between chickens that always had perches with controls that never had perches showed similar performance relative to egg production, cracked eggs, egg weight, shell weight, % shell, and shell thickness. More dirty eggs occurred in laying cages with perches. Feed usage increased resulting in poorer feed efficiency in hens with perch exposure during the pullet phase with no effect during egg laying. Perches did not affect hyperkeratosis of toes and feet. The back claw at 71 wk of age broke less if hens had prior experience with perches during the pullet phase. In contrast, during egg laying, the back claw at 71 wk of age broke more due to the presence of perches in laying cages. Perches in laying cages resulted in shorter trimmed claws and improved back feather scores, but caused poorer breast and tail feather scores. In conclusion, enriching conventional cages with perches during the entire life cycle resulted in similar hen performance compared with controls. Fewer broken back claws but poorer feed efficiency occurred because of prior experience with perches as pullets. Perch presence during egg laying improved back feather scores with more trimmed nails but caused more dirty eggs, broken back claws, and poorer breast and tail feather scores. Although perches allow chickens to express their natural perching instinct, it was not without causing welfare problems.

Oxindole: A chemical prism carrying plethora of therapeutic benefits.

PubMed

Kaur, Maninder; Singh, Manjinder; Chadha, Navriti; Silakari, Om

2016-11-10

Oxindole has emerged as a valuable scaffold in medicinal chemistry possessing diverse range of pharmacological activities. Its value has further been increased by its natural occurrence as alkaloids in variety of plants. It was first extracted from the cat claw's plant Uncaria tomentosa found in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of South and Central America. Traditionally as well as present emerging therapeutic potential of oxindole nucleus has captured the interest of medicinal chemists to synthesize novel oxindole derivatives. In the present review the authors have integrated its chemistry and synthetic strategies developed after 1945. Also the information of naturally occurring oxindole alkaloids has been incorporated. The detailed pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, anti-HIV, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antioxidant, kinase inhibitory, AChE inhibitory, anti-leishmanial, β3 adrenergic receptor agonistic, phosphatase inhibitory, analgesic, spermicidal, vasopressin antagonists, progesterone antagonists, neuroprotection, and NMDA blocker activities of oxindole derivatives alongwith their SAR has also been discussed in detail. Additionally, information regarding the oxindole derivatives in clinical trials has been incorporated. Thus, this review will provide insights for the synthetic as well as medicinal chemist for the designing and synthesis of novel oxindole derivatives with novel improved range of pharmacological implications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses of the claw of the nesting dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae

PubMed Central

Zheng, Wenxia; Schweitzer, Mary H.

2016-01-01

One of the most well-recognized Cretaceous fossils is Citipati osmolskae (MPC-D 100/979), an oviraptorid dinosaur discovered in brooding position on a nest of unhatched eggs. The original description refers to a thin lens of white material extending from a manus ungual, which was proposed to represent original keratinous claw sheath that, in life, would have covered it. Here, we test the hypothesis that this exceptional morphological preservation extends to the molecular level. The fossil sheath was compared with that of extant birds, revealing similar morphology and microstructural organization. In living birds, the claw sheath consists primarily of two structural proteins; alpha-keratin, expressed in all vertebrates, and beta-keratin, found only in reptiles and birds (sauropsids). We employed antibodies raised against avian feathers, which comprise almost entirely of beta-keratin, to demonstrate that fossil tissues respond with the same specificity, though less intensity, as those from living birds. Furthermore, we show that calcium chelation greatly increased antibody reactivity, suggesting a role for calcium in the preservation of this fossil material. PMID:28120795

Microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses of the claw of the nesting dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae.

PubMed

Moyer, Alison E; Zheng, Wenxia; Schweitzer, Mary H

2016-11-16

One of the most well-recognized Cretaceous fossils is Citipati osmolskae (MPC-D 100/979), an oviraptorid dinosaur discovered in brooding position on a nest of unhatched eggs. The original description refers to a thin lens of white material extending from a manus ungual, which was proposed to represent original keratinous claw sheath that, in life, would have covered it. Here, we test the hypothesis that this exceptional morphological preservation extends to the molecular level. The fossil sheath was compared with that of extant birds, revealing similar morphology and microstructural organization. In living birds, the claw sheath consists primarily of two structural proteins; alpha-keratin, expressed in all vertebrates, and beta-keratin, found only in reptiles and birds (sauropsids). We employed antibodies raised against avian feathers, which comprise almost entirely of beta-keratin, to demonstrate that fossil tissues respond with the same specificity, though less intensity, as those from living birds. Furthermore, we show that calcium chelation greatly increased antibody reactivity, suggesting a role for calcium in the preservation of this fossil material. © 2016 The Author(s).

The influence of the environment on dairy cow behavior, claw health and herd lameness dynamics.

PubMed

Cook, Nigel B; Nordlund, Kenneth V

2009-03-01

Free stall housing increases the exposure of dairy cows' claws to concrete walk-ways and to manure between periods of rest, and generally shows the highest rate of lameness compared with other dairy management systems. However, there is great variation within a system, and the rate of new cases of lameness can be reduced to very low levels provided time spent resting per day is maximized through good stall design, access to stalls through stocking density control and comfortable transition cow facilities, limiting the time spent milking, provision of adequate heat abatement, and good leg hygiene. Sand bedded stalls are useful as they also permit lame cows to maintain adequate daily rest. Rubberized alley flooring surfaces benefit the cow by reducing claw wear and trauma compared to concrete, making them ideal for parlor holding areas and long transfer lanes and walk ways. However, caution is required when using rubber floors in pens with uncomfortable stalls due to apparent adverse effects on cow time budgets, which may in turn have a detrimental effect on lameness.

Doryphoribius chetumalensis sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Isohypsibiidae) a new tardigrade species discovered in an unusual habitat of urban areas of Mexico.

PubMed

Pérez-Pech, Wilbert Andrés; Anguas-Escalante, Abril; Cutz-Pool, Leopoldo Querubin; Guidetti, Roberto

2017-11-07

A new species, Doryphoribius chetumalensis, is described from specimens collected in the city of Chetumal (Quintana Roo state, Mexico). The species was found in a new and unusual habitat for urban tardigrades, i.e. the soil sediment accumulated on the border of streets. This discovery shows that tardigrades can live in this habitat, demonstrating once again the wide capacity of this taxon to tolerate adverse habitats, and to survive in environments with high anthropogenic impact. Doryphoribius chetumalensis sp. nov. differs from all the other species of the genus in having enlarged and wide bulbous base of the claws. Within Doryphoribius, it belongs to the zappalai group, and differs from the species in this group, not only in the claw shape, but also by the orange body colour, the smooth cuticle, the absence of a tooth in the wall of the buccal ring, and the absence of lunules under the claws. This is the first record of tardigrades, identified to species level, in Quintana Roo state. A taxonomic key of the Doryphoribius genus is also presented.

Design and Implementation of a Brain Computer Interface System for Controlling a Robotic Claw

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelakis, D.; Zoumis, S.; Asvestas, P.

2017-11-01

The aim of this paper is to present the design and implementation of a brain-computer interface (BCI) system that can control a robotic claw. The system is based on the Emotiv Epoc headset, which provides the capability of simultaneous recording of 14 EEG channels, as well as wireless connectivity by means of the Bluetooth protocol. The system is initially trained to decode what user thinks to properly formatted data. The headset communicates with a personal computer, which runs a dedicated software application, implemented under the Processing integrated development environment. The application acquires the data from the headset and invokes suitable commands to an Arduino Uno board. The board decodes the received commands and produces corresponding signals to a servo motor that controls the position of the robotic claw. The system was tested successfully on a healthy, male subject, aged 28 years. The results are promising, taking into account that no specialized hardware was used. However, tests on a larger number of users is necessary in order to draw solid conclusions regarding the performance of the proposed system.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Tactical Guidance for Fighter Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McManus, John W.; Goodrich, Kenneth H.

1990-01-01

A research program investigating the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to aid in the development of a Tactical Decision Generator (TDG) for Within Visual Range (WVR) air combat engagements is discussed. The application of AI programming and problem solving methods in the development and implementation of the Computerized Logic For Air-to-Air Warfare Simulations (CLAWS), a second generation TDG, is presented. The Knowledge-Based Systems used by CLAWS to aid in the tactical decision-making process are outlined in detail, and the results of tests to evaluate the performance of CLAWS versus a baseline TDG developed in FORTRAN to run in real-time in the Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS), are presented. To date, these test results have shown significant performance gains with respect to the TDG baseline in one-versus-one air combat engagements, and the AI-based TDG software has proven to be much easier to modify and maintain than the baseline FORTRAN TDG programs. Alternate computing environments and programming approaches, including the use of parallel algorithms and heterogeneous computer networks are discussed, and the design and performance of a prototype concurrent TDG system are presented.

A Matter of the Heart: The African Clawed Frog Xenopus as a Model for Studying Vertebrate Cardiogenesis and Congenital Heart Defects

PubMed Central

Hempel, Annemarie; Kühl, Michael

2016-01-01

The African clawed frog, Xenopus, is a valuable non-mammalian model organism to investigate vertebrate heart development and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of human congenital heart defects (CHDs). In this review, we outline the similarities between Xenopus and mammalian cardiogenesis, and provide an overview of well-studied cardiac genes in Xenopus, which have been associated with congenital heart conditions. Additionally, we highlight advantages of modeling candidate genes derived from genome wide association studies (GWAS) in Xenopus and discuss commonly used techniques. PMID:29367567

[Legal aspects of the use of footbaths for cattle and sheep].

PubMed

Kleiminger, E

2012-04-24

Claw diseases pose a major problem for dairy and sheep farms. As well as systemic treatments of these illnesses by means of drug injection, veterinarians discuss the application of footbaths for the local treatment of dermatitis digitalis or foot rot. On farms footbaths are used with different substances and for various purposes. The author presents the requirements for veterinary medicinal products (marketing authorization and manufacturing authorization) and demonstrates the operation of the "cascade in case of a treatment crisis". In addition, the distinction between veterinary hygiene biocidal products and veterinary medicinal products and substances to care for claws is explained.

A decrease in heat insulation of the black-clawed brush-furred rat (Lophuromys melanonyx, Petter) during adaptation to high altitudes.

PubMed

Ivlev, Y F; Lavrenchenko, L A

2016-01-01

The results of the body-surface infrared thermography of rodents of the genus Lophuromys suggest that heat insulation of the black-clawed brush-furred rat L. melanonyx, a large specialized species of the AfroAlpine zone, is worse than that of the related smaller species, the golden-footed (L. chrysopus) and shorttailed (L. brevicaudus) brush-furred rats, that inhabit tropical forest and Erica shrub, respectively. A decrease in heat insulation of the alpine species may facilitate the use of solar radiation for supporting heat balance of these diurnal animals.

Milnesium berladnicorum sp. n. (Eutardigrada, Apochela, Milnesiidae), a new species of water bear from Romania

PubMed Central

Ciobanu, Daniel Adrian; Zawierucha, Krzysztof; Moglan, Ioan; Kaczmarek, Łukasz

2014-01-01

Abstract In a lichen sample collected from a tree in Bârlad town (Vaslui County, Romania), a new tardigrade species belonging to the genus Milnesium (granulatum group) was found. Milnesium berladnicorum sp. n. is most similar (in the type of dorsal sculpture) to Milnesium beasleyi Kaczmarek et al., 2012 but differs from it mainly by having a different claw configuration and some morphometric characters. Additionally, the new species differs from other congeners of the granulatum group by the different type of dorsal sculpture, claw configuration and some morphometric characters. PMID:25147467

Water footbath, automatic flushing, and disinfection to improve the health of bovine feet.

PubMed

Fjeldaas, T; Knappe-Poindecker, M; Bøe, K E; Larssen, R B

2014-05-01

Disinfecting footbaths are used to treat and prevent interdigital dermatitis (ID) and heel horn erosion (HHE). However, many disinfectants are disadvantageous for the environment and, as an alternative, washing of the feet has been introduced. Our aim was to investigate the effect of water footbaths (trial 1), footbaths with CuSO4 (trial 2), automatic water flushing (trial 3), and water flushing followed by disinfection with a glutaraldehyde-based compound (trial 4) in 4 randomized controlled clinical trials performed in a freestall dairy herd of approximately 45 Norwegian Red cows. At trimming before and after each trial, hind foot diseases, hardness of the claw horn (in D-units), locomotion, and cleanliness of the claws were recorded. Before each trial, the cows were divided in comparable study and control groups, based on prevalence of ID and HHE, parity, and days in milk. Using a transponder-regulated gate, the study groups were led through a footbath (trials 1 and 2) or an automatic washer (trials 3 and 4), whereas the control groups were left untreated. Each trial lasted 3 mo and the curative effect in diseased cows and the preventive effect in cows with healthy feet on ID, HHE, and ID + HHE were analyzed. In trial 2, a preventive effect of CuSO4 on HHE compared with the untreated cows was observed. During trial 1, 100% (11/11) of the treated cows with ID got better and 22% (2/9) without ID became diseased, whereas 92% (11/12) of the treated cows with ID + HHE got better and 38% (3/8) without ID + HHE became diseased. During trial 2, 69% (9/13) of the treated cows with ID got better and 11% (1/9) without ID became diseased. During trial 4, 19% (3/16) of the untreated cows with ID + HHE got better and 71% (5/7) without ID + HHE became diseased. In trial 3, no significant effects on ID, HHE, or ID + HHE were revealed. In trial 2 (CuSO4), the treated cows' claw horn was harder after the trial compared with the controls (D-unit difference: 13.25). In trial 3 (stationary water flushing) the treated cows' claw horn was softer after the trial when compared with the controls (D-unit difference: -15.66). The CuSO4 footbaths were useful to prevent HHE and indicate that automatic stationary flushing with only water had no beneficial effect on ID or HHE. The claw horn of cows walking through CuSO4 became harder and the claw horn of cows that had their hind feet flushed with water became softer compared with the controls. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Re-description of the Arctic tardigrade Tenuibiotus voronkovi (Tumanov, 2007 (Eutardigrada; Macrobiotidea), with the first molecular data for the genus.

PubMed

Zawierucha, Krzysztof; Kolicka, Małgorzata; Kaczmarek, Łukasz

2016-11-24

Tardigrada is phylum of micrometazoans widely distributed throughout the world, because of old descriptions and insufficient morphometric data, many species currently need revision and re-description. Tenuibiotus voronkovi (Tumanov, 2007) is tardigrade previously only recorded from the Svalbard archipelago. This species' original description was based on two individuals with destroyed claws on the fourth pair of legs and a lack of complete morphometric data for buccal tube and claws. In this paper, we present a re-description of T. voronkovi, supplementing the original description using the original paratype and additional material from Svalbard: Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. This species is characterised by two macroplacoids and a microplacoid, claws of Tenuibiotus type, dentate lunules under claw IV, and faint granulation on legs I-III and strong granulation on the legs IV. We include a new morphological description with microphotographs, morphometric, and molecular data (including: mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2), and nuclear ribosome subunits 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA). These are the first published molecular data for the genus Tenuibiotus Pilato and Lisi, 2011, analysis of which indicated an affiliation of Tenuibiotus to the family Macrobiotidae. We found no differences in body size between individuals from different islands (Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya), but did observe variability in the eggs. After revision of the literature and the published figures, we concluded that Dastych's (1985) report of T. willardi (Pilato, 1976) from Svalbard, was actually T. voronkovi, which has the greater distribution in Svalbard, and other Arctic locations, than previously believed.

The Impact of Nitinol Staples on the Compressive Forces, Contact Area, and Mechanical Properties in Comparison to a Claw Plate and Crossed Screws for the First Tarsometatarsal Arthrodesis.

PubMed

Aiyer, Amiethab; Russell, Nicholas A; Pelletier, Matthew H; Myerson, Mark; Walsh, William R

2016-06-01

Background The optimal fixation method for the first tarsometatarsal arthrodesis remains controversial. This study aimed to develop a reproducible first tarsometatarsal testing model to evaluate the biomechanical performance of different reconstruction techniques. Methods Crossed screws or a claw plate were compared with a single or double shape memory alloy staple configuration in 20 Sawbones models. Constructs were mechanically tested in 4-point bending to 1, 2, and 3 mm of plantar displacement. The joint contact force and area were measured at time zero, and following 1 and 2 mm of bending. Peak load, stiffness, and plantar gapping were determined. Results Both staple configurations induced a significantly greater contact force and area across the arthrodesis than the crossed screw and claw plate constructs at all measurements. The staple constructs completely recovered their plantar gapping following each test. The claw plate generated the least contact force and area at the joint interface and had significantly greater plantar gapping than all other constructs. The crossed screw constructs were significantly stiffer and had significantly less plantar gapping than the other constructs, but this gapping was not recoverable. Conclusions Crossed screw fixation provides a rigid arthrodesis with limited compression and contact footprint across the joint. Shape memory alloy staples afford dynamic fixation with sustained compression across the arthrodesis. A rigid polyurethane foam model provides an anatomically relevant comparison for evaluating the interface between different fixation techniques. Clinical Relevance The dynamic nature of shape memory alloy staples offers the potential to permit early weight bearing and could be a useful adjunctive device to impart compression across an arthrodesis of the first tarsometatarsal joint. Therapeutic, Level V: Bench testing. © 2015 The Author(s).

Two new species of Milnesium (Tardigrada: Milnesiidae).

PubMed

Pilato, Giovanni; Sabella, Giorgio; Lisi, Oscar

2016-07-01

Two new species of Milnesium are described: Milnesium vorax sp. nov from Sicily and Milnesium tumanovi sp. nov. from Crimea. Milnesium vorax sp. nov. is uncoloured, with eye spots, smooth cuticle, wide buccal tube, stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at almost 62 % of its length; claws with configuration [2-3]-[3-2]; accessory points present on the main branches. Milnesium tumanovi sp. nov. is also uncoloured, has eye spots, smooth cuticle, and wide buccal tube, but it has the stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at about 52 % of its length, and claws with configuration [3-3]-[3-3]; the accessory points are present on the main branches.

Tardigrades of the Tree Canopy: Milnesium swansoni sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Apochela: Milnesiidae) a new species from Kansas, U.S.A.

PubMed

Young, Alexander; Chappell, Benjamin; Miller, William; Lowman, Margaret

2016-02-04

Milnesium swansoni sp. nov. is a new species of Eutardigrada described from the tree canopy in eastern Kansas, USA. This species within the order Apochela, family Milnesiidae, genus Milnesium is distinguished by its smooth cuticle, narrow buccal tube, four peribuccal lamellae, primary claws without accessory points, and a secondary claw configuration of [3-3]-[3-3]. The buccal tube appears to be only half the width of the nominal species Milnesium tardigradum for animals of similar body length. The species adds to the available data for the phylum, and raises questions concerning species distribution.

Convergent Evidence of Eagle Talons Used by Late Neanderthals in Europe: A Further Assessment on Symbolism

PubMed Central

Romandini, Matteo; Peresani, Marco; Laroulandie, Véronique; Metz, Laure; Pastoors, Andreas; Vaquero, Manuel; Slimak, Ludovic

2014-01-01

To contribute to have a better understanding of the symbolic or not use of certain items by Neanderthals, this work presents new evidence of the deliberate removal of raptor claws occurred in Mediterranean Europe during the recent phases of the Mousterian. Rio Secco Cave in the north-east of Italy and Mandrin Cave in the Middle Rhône valley have recently produced two golden eagle pedal phalanges from contexts not younger than 49.1–48.0 ky cal BP at Rio Secco and dated around 50.0 ky cal BP at Mandrin. The bones show cut-marks located on the proximal end ascribable to the cutting of the tendons and the incision of the cortical organic tissues. Also supported by an experimental removal of large raptor claws, our reconstruction explains that the deliberate detachment occurred without damaging the claw, in a way comparable at a general level with other Mousterian contexts across Europe. After excluding that these specimens met the nutritional requirements for human subsistence, we discuss the possible implications these findings perform in our current knowledge of the European Middle Palaeolithic context. PMID:25010346

Tardigrada from a sub-Andean forest in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia) with the description of Itaquascon pilatoi sp. nov.

PubMed

Lisi, Oscar; Londoño, Rosana; Quiroga, Sigmer

2014-07-29

Currently only 32 species of limno-terrestrial tardigrades have been reported in the literature for Colombia. Our study focused on both heterotardigrades and eutardigrades, which were extracted from eight samples of bryophytes and lichens collected in a sub-Andean forest transect in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Fourteen species were found, six of which are new records for Colombia: Echiniscus madonnae Michalczyk & Kaczmarek, 2006, Echiniscus virginicus Riggin, 1962, Milnesium krzysztofi Kaczmarek & Michalczyk, 2007, Doryphoribius amazzonicus Lisi, 2011, Isohypsibius sattleri (Richters, 1902) and Diphascon higginsi Binda, 1971; and one new to science. Itaquascon pilatoi sp. nov., is characterized by having smooth cuticle, no eyes, buccal tube almost as long as the pharyngeal tube, well developed, obvious stylet furcae with long branches, slender claws, no lunules and no cuticular bars on the legs. The new species differs from I. umbellinae Barros, 1939, the most similar species, in having the stylet supports inserted precisely at the border between buccal and pharyngeal tube, more slender claws and more pronounced length differential between the external and internal claws of each leg. The total number of Colombian limno-terrestrial tardigrade species is raised to 37. 

The effects of dietary biotin supplementation on vertical fissures of the claw wall in beef cattle.

PubMed Central

Campbell, J R; Greenough, P R; Petrie, L

2000-01-01

A clinical field trial was performed on a herd of Hereford beef cows in central Saskatchewan. The herd had a history of being severely affected with vertical fissures. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of supplemental dietary biotin on the prevalence of vertical fissures in beef cows. In June 1994 and June 1995, 1- and 2-year-old heifers were randomly allocated into 2 treatment groups, each composed of 79 animals. One group received a 10 mg/head/day biotin-supplemented free-choice mineral supplement, while the other groups received an identical free-choice mineral without the biotin supplementation. The claws from these animals were evaluated in June 1994, October 1994, June 1995, October 1995, and June 1996 for the presence of vertical fissures. Supplemental dietary biotin significantly increased serum levels of biotin and significantly increased claw hardness in supplemented cows. Both groups of heifers started the trial without vertical fissures. After 18 months, 15% of the cows fed supplemental dietary biotin had vertical fissures compared with 33% in the nonsupplemented group. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.01). PMID:10992986

Effect of claw disorders on milk production, fertility, and longevity, and their economic impact in Spanish Holstein cows.

PubMed

Charfeddine, N; Pérez-Cabal, M A

2017-01-01

The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the phenotypic association between different degrees of severity of claw disorders and production, fertility performance, and longevity in Spanish dairy cattle, and (2) to quantify its economic impact at the animal and herd level. In this study, claw data comprised 108,468 trimmings collected between 2012 and 2014 by 25 trimmers from 804 Holstein dairy herds. The claw disorders considered were the 3 most frequent disorders in Spanish dairy herds: dermatitis (DE), sole ulcer (SU), and white line disease (WL). The presence of SU or WL was associated with a significant decrease in milk production and was more important in cows in second or later lactations. A severe lesion of SU or WL lead to twice the milk losses associated with a mild lesion, ranging from 1.47 to 2.66kg/d of energy-corrected milk. The presence of SU or WL during the early lactation period was associated with more days open, fewer inseminations to get pregnant, and longer calving to first service interval (4.83 and 8.0 d longer due to mild and severe lesions of SU, respectively, and 4.94 and 17.43 d longer due to mild and severe lesions of WL, respectively). The occurrence of a case of SU or WL in first lactation had a significant effect on longevity, with severe lesions reducing up to 71 d of productive life. The cost of a mild lesion ranged from $53 to $232 per affected cow and year, whereas the cost of a severe lesion ranged from $402 to $622 per affected cow and year. The annual costs per cow for DE, SU, and WL were $10.80, $50.9, and $43.2, respectively. An average herd with 64 cows had an extra expenditure of $691/yr due to DE, $3,256/yr due to SU, and $2,765/year due to WL. Milk losses, longer calving intervals, and premature culling contributed to more than half of the costs. Therefore, providing this information to farmers could help decide on strategies to reduce the incidence of claw disorders on the farm. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatal tiger attack: a case report with emphasis on typical tiger injuries characterized by partially resembling stab-like wounds.

PubMed

Pathak, Hrishikesh; Borkar, Jaydeo; Dixit, Pradeep; Dhawane, Shailendra; Shrigiriwar, Manish; Dingre, Niraj

2013-10-10

Fatalities due to attacks by tigers on humans are uncommon and are rarely described in the medico-legal literature. We herein present a forensic investigation in a unique case of a fatal tiger attack in the wild on a 35 year old female in India by an Indian Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). The attack resulted in two pairs of puncture wounds over the nape area with occult cervical spine injuries resulting from transfixing of spine due to the tiger canines; multiple puncture wounds, numerous scratches and abrasions consistent with the tiger claw injuries and injury to the right jugulocarotid vessels. This case outlines the characteristic injury pattern from such an attack along with the multiple sources of the tiger injuries. The analysis of these injuries might reveal the motivation behind the attack and the big cat species involved in the attack. A tiger injury is sometimes compared with a stab injury, as the patterned injuries due to a tiger bite are characterized by multiple penetrating, stab-like wounds. So, a special attention is paid toward establishment of the cause of death from bites by the animal teeth under unknown circumstances of trauma and to exclude the possibility of a homicide beyond reasonable doubt in such cases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uncaria tomentosa increases growth and immune activity in Oreochromis niloticus challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae.

PubMed

Yunis-Aguinaga, Jefferson; Claudiano, Gustavo S; Marcusso, Paulo F; Manrique, Wilson Gómez; de Moraes, Julieta R Engrácia; de Moraes, Flávio R; Fernandes, João B K

2015-11-01

Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) is an Amazon herb using in native cultures in Peru. In mammals, it has been described several effects of this herb. However, this is the first report of its use on the diet of fish. The aim of this study was to determinate the effect of this plant on the growth and immune activity in Oreochromis niloticus. Nile tilapia (81.3 ± 4.5 g) were distributed into 5 groups and supplemented with 0 (non-supplement fish), 75, 150, 300, and 450 mg of U. tomentosa.kg(-1) of diet for a period of 28 days. Fish were inoculated in the swim bladder with inactivated Streptococcus agalactiae and samples were taken at 6, 24, and 48 h post inoculation (HPI). Dose dependent increases were noted in some of the evaluated times of thrombocytes and white blood cells counts (WBC) in blood and exudate, burst respiratory activity, lysozyme activity, melanomacrophage centers count (MMCs), villi length, IgM by immunohistochemistry in splenic tissue, and unexpectedly on growth parameters. However, dietary supplementation of this herb did not affect red blood cells count (RBC), hemoglobin, and there were no observed histological lesions in gills, intestine, spleen, and liver. The current results demonstrate for the first time that U. tomentosa can stimulate fish immunity and improve growth performance in Nile tilapia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parasites of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, in southern California, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuperman, Boris I.; Matey, Victoria E.; Fisher, Richard N.; Ervin, Edward L.; Warburton, Manna L.; Bakhireva, Ludmila; Lehman, Cynthia A.

2004-01-01

A total of 230 feral African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis, from 3 localities in southern California were examined for parasites. The following species were found: 3 species of Protozoa, Nyctotherussp., Balantidium xenopodis, Protoopalina xenopodus; 2 species of Monogenea, Protopolystoma xenopodis, Gyrdicotylus gallieni; 1 species of Digenea, Clinostomum sp. (as metacercariae); 1 species of Cestoda, Cephalochlamys namaquensis; 2 species of Nematoda, Contracaecum sp. (as larvae), Eustrongylides sp. (as larvae); and 1 species of Acanthocephala, Acanthocephalus sp. (as cystacanth). Of these, the protozoans P. xenopodus and B. xenopodis, both monogeneans, and the cestode have an African origin. Contracaecum sp., Eustrongylides sp., and Acanthocephalus sp. have not been previously reported from X. laevis.

The relationship between circulating ecdysteroids and chela allometry in male tanner crabs: Evidence for a terminal molt in the genus Chionoecetes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tamone, S.L.; Taggart, S. James; Andrews, A.G.; Mondragon, Jennifer; Nielsen, J.K.

2007-01-01

Whether male Tanner crabs, Chionoecetes bairdi, undergo a terminal molt associated with a change in claw allometry has long been debated. We measured molting hormone levels in captured male C. bairdi to assess the potential for molting. We plotted a frequency histogram of chela height to carapace width ratios and found a bimodal distribution of crabs with a ratio of approximately 0.18 separating the two modes. Male crabs with a ratio less than 0.18 were classified as "small-clawed" (SC) while crabs with a ratio greater than 0.18 were classified as "large-clawed" (LC). Circulating molting hormones between SC and LC crabs were compared. Significantly lower ecdysteroid levels were found in LC crabs, indicating that this morphotype had negligible potential for molting. Circulating ecdysteroids were measured in SC males of different shell conditions (soft, new, old, and very old) and no significant differences were found. This research suggests that the molt to LC morphology is a terminal molt. The results from this study have important implications for fisheries management because sub-legal LC males will not recruit into the fishery and removal of larger males may have long term effects on population size structure.

Microanatomy of passerine hard-cornified tissues: Beak and claw structure of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Hemert, C.; Handel, Colleen M.; Blake, J.E.; Swor, R.M.; O'Hara, T. M.

2012-01-01

The microanatomy of healthy beaks and claws in passerine birds has not been well described in the literature, despite the importance of these structures in avian life. Histological processing of hard-cornified tissues is notoriously challenging and only a few reports on effective techniques have been published. An emerging epizootic of beak deformities among wild birds in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of North America recently highlighted the need for additional baseline information about avian hard-cornified structures. In this study, we examine the beak and claw of the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), a common North American passerine that is affected by what has been described as "avian keratin disorder." We use light and scanning electron microscopy and high-magnification radiography to document the healthy microanatomy of these tissues and identify features of functional importance. We also describe detailed methods for histological processing of avian hard-cornified structures and discuss the utility of special stains. Results from this study will assist in future research on the functional anatomy and pathology of hard-cornified structures and will provide a necessary reference for ongoing investigations of avian keratin disorder in Black-capped Chickadees and other wild passerine species. ?? 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

First record of cysts in the tidal tardigrade Echiniscoides sigismundi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clausen, Lykke K. B.; Andersen, Kasper N.; Hygum, Thomas L.; Jørgensen, Aslak; Møbjerg, Nadja

2014-12-01

Tardigrades are microscopic metazoans that withstand environmental extremes by entering dormant states, such as cryptobiosis (latent life). In addition, they may also form cysts. Here, we present the first report of cyst formation in a marine heterotardigrade, i.e., Echiniscoides sigismundi, which constitutes a cryptic species complex present worldwide in tidal zones. The cysts were initially discovered during experimental series constructed to investigate osmotic stress tolerance. The animals, which eventually formed cysts, showed signs of an imminent molt at the beginning of experimentation. We use the term "cyst" for stages, where a total of three or more cuticles have been synthesized. Our observations show that encystment in E. sigismundi involves synthesizing of at least two new cuticle layers. Legs with discharged claws are present in connection with the first outer cuticle, as well as the second cuticular layer. In the most developed cyst, a third cuticle lacking claws seems to surround the animal, which is delineated by a fourth cuticle. Many features are shared with the well-studied cysts of eutardigrades. The cysts of E. sigismundi, however, lack pigmentation and have an extra set of claws, and the animal inside retains buccopharyngeal sclerified parts, until discharging the third cuticle. The finding of cysts in a marine heterotardigrade is novel and confirms that encystment also occurs within this major evolutionary lineage.

Microanatomy of Passerine hard-cornified tissues: beak and claw structure of the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Handel, Colleen M.; Blake, J.; Swor, Rhonda; O'Hara, Todd M.

2012-01-01

The microanatomy of healthy beaks and claws in passerine birds has not been well described in the literature, despite the importance of these structures in avian life. Histological processing of hard-cornified tissues is notoriously challenging and only a few reports on effective techniques have been published. An emerging epizootic of beak deformities among wild birds in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of North America recently highlighted the need for additional baseline information about avian hard-cornified structures. In this study, we examine the beak and claw of the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), a common North American passerine that is affected by what has been described as “avian keratin disorder.” We use light and scanning electron microscopy and high-magnification radiography to document the healthy microanatomy of these tissues and identify features of functional importance. We also describe detailed methods for histological processing of avian hard-cornified structures and discuss the utility of special stains. Results from this study will assist in future research on the functional anatomy and pathology of hard-cornified structures and will provide a necessary reference for ongoing investigations of avian keratin disorder in Black-capped Chickadees and other wild passerine species.

New Methodology for Computing Subaerial Landslide-Tsunamis: Application to the 2015 Tyndall Glacier Landslide, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, D. L.; Iverson, R. M.; Cannon, C. M.

2016-12-01

Landslide-generated tsunamis pose significant hazards to coastal communities and infrastructure, but developing models to assess these hazards presents challenges beyond those confronted when modeling seismically generated tsunamis. We present a new methodology in which our depth-averaged two-phase model D-Claw (Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 2014, doi: 10.1098/rspa.2013.0819 and doi:10.1098/rspa.2013.0820) is used to simulate all stages of landslide dynamics and subsequent tsunami generation and propagation. D-Claw was developed to simulate landslides and debris-flows, but if granular solids are absent, then the D-Claw equations reduce to the shallow-water equations commonly used to model tsunamis. Because the model describes the evolution of solid and fluid volume fractions, it treats both landslides and tsunamis as special cases of a more general class of phenomena, and the landslide and tsunami can be simulated as a single-layer continuum with spatially and temporally evolving solid-grain concentrations. This seamless approach accommodates wave generation via mass displacement and longitudinal momentum transfer, the dominant mechanisms producing impulse waves when large subaerial landslides impact relatively shallow bodies of water. To test our methodology, we used D-Claw to model a large subaerial landslide and resulting tsunami that occurred on October, 17, 2015, in Taan Fjord near the terminus of Tyndall Glacier, Alaska. The estimated landslide volume derived from radiated long-period seismicity (C. Stark (2015), Abstract EP51D-08, AGU Fall Meeting) was about 70-80 million cubic meters. Guided by satellite imagery and this volume estimate, we inferred an approximate landslide basal slip surface, and we used material property values identical to those used in our previous modeling of the 2014 Oso, Washington, landslide. With these inputs the modeled tsunami inundation patterns on shorelines compare well with observations derived from satellite imagery.

Biomechanical analysis of a novel hook-screw technique for C1-2 stabilization.

PubMed

Reis, Marco Túlio; Nottmeier, Eric W; Reyes, Phillip M; Baek, Seungwon; Crawford, Neil R

2012-09-01

The Food and Drug Administration has not cleared the following medical devices for the use described in this study. The following medical devices are being discussed for an off-label use: cervical lateral mass screws. As an alternative for cases in which the anatomy and spatial relationship between C-2 and a vertebral artery precludes insertion of C-2 pedicle/pars or C1-2 transarticular screws, a technique that includes opposing laminar hooks (claw) at C-2 combined with C-1 lateral mass screws may be used. The biomechanical stability of this alternate technique was compared with that of a standard screw-rod technique in vitro. Flexibility tests were performed in 7 specimens (occiput to C-3) in the following 6 different conditions: 1) intact; 2) after creating instability and attaching a posterior cable/graft at C1-2; 3) after removing the graft and attaching a construct comprising C-1 lateral mass screws and C-2 laminar claws; 4) after reattaching the posterior cable-graft at C1-2 (posterior hardware still in place); 5) after removing the posterior cable-graft and laminar hooks and placing C-2 pedicle screws interconnected to C-1 lateral mass screws via rod; and 6) after reattaching the posterior cable-graft at C1-2 (screw-rod construct still in place). All types of stabilization significantly reduced the range of motion, lax zone, and stiff zone compared with the intact condition. There was no significant biomechanical difference in terms of range of motion or lax zone between the screw-rod construct and the screw-claw-rod construct in any direction of loading. The screw-claw-rod technique restricts motion much like the standard Harms technique, making it an acceptable alternative technique when aberrant arterial anatomy precludes the placement of C-2 pars/pedicle screws or C1-2 transarticular screws.

Identification of an anti-lipopolysacchride factor possessing both antiviral and antibacterial activity from the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus.

PubMed

Lin, Feng-Yu; Gao, Yan; Wang, Hao; Zhang, Qiu-Xia; Zeng, Chang-Lin; Liu, Hai-Peng

2016-10-01

It is well-known that anti-lipopolysacchride factors (ALFs) are involved in the recognition and elimination of invading pathogens. In this study, the full-length ALF cDNA sequence of the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (termed CqALF) was cloned from a suppression subtractive hybridization library constructed using red claw crayfish hematopoietic tissue cell (Hpt cell) cultures following challenge with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The full-length cDNA sequence of CqALF was 863 bp, and the open reading frame encoded 123 amino acids with a signal peptide in the N-terminus and a conserved LPS-binding domain. Unlike most ALFs, which are highly expressed in haemocytes, high expression levels of CqALF were detected in epithelium, the stomach and eyestalks, while lower expression was detected in Hpt, nerves, the heart, muscle tissue, gonads, haemocytes, intestines, gills and the hepatopancreas. To further explore the biological activities of CqALF, mature recombinant CqALF protein (rCqALF) was expressed and purified using a eukaryotic expression system, and an antimicrobial activity test was carried out. rCqALF clearly exerted antiviral activity, as evidenced by the severe disruption of the envelope of intact WSSV virions following co-incubation of virions with rCqALF. Additionally, pre-incubation of WSSV with rCqALF resulted in both a significant reduction in WSSV replication in red claw crayfish Hpt cell cultures and an increased survival rate among animals. Furthermore, rCqALF was effective against both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Shigella flexneri and Staphylococcus aureus. A membrane integrity assay suggested that rCqALF was unlikely to disrupt bacterial membrane integrity compared to cecropin P1. Taken together, these data suggest that CqALF may play an important role in immune defence in the crustacean C. quadricarinatus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two fast-type fibers in claw closer and abdominal deep muscles of the Australian freshwater crustacean, Cherax destructor, differ in Ca2+ sensitivity and troponin-I isoforms.

PubMed

Koenders, Annette; Lamey, Tina M; Medler, Scott; West, Jan M; Mykles, Donald L

2004-07-01

One type of fast fiber and two types of slow (slow-twitch, S1 and slow-tonic, S2) fibers are found in decapod crustacean skeletal muscles that differ in contractile properties and myofibrillar protein isoform compositions. In this study the structural characteristics, protein isoform compositions, and Ca2+-activation properties of fast fibers in the claw closer (F1) and abdominal deep flexor (F2) muscles of Cherax destructor were analyzed. For comparison, myofibrillar protein isoform compositions of slow (long-sarcomere) fibers from claw and abdomen were also determined; our results indicate that the slow fibers in the claw closer were the slow-twitch (S1) type and those in the abdominal superficial flexor were primarily slow-tonic (S2) type. F1 fibers had shorter resting sarcomere lengths (2.93 microm in unstretched fibers and 3.06 microm in stretched fibers) and smaller fiber diameter (256 microm) than F2 fibers (sarcomere lengths 3.48 microm in unstretched and 3.46 microm in stretched; 747 microm diameter). Moreover, F1 fibers showed a narrower range in sarcomere lengths than F2 fibers (2.81 to 3.28 microm vs. 2.47 to 4.05 micro m in unstretched fibers). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting showed that the fast fibers from claw and abdomen differed in troponin-I composition; F1 fibers expressed two isoforms of troponin-I (TnI1 and TnI2) in approximately equal amounts, whereas F2 fibers expressed primarily TnI3 and lower levels of TnI1. F1 fibers were more sensitive to Ca2+, as shown by higher pCa values at threshold activation (pCa(10)=6.50+/-0.07) and at 50% maximum force (pCa(50)=6.43+/-0.07) than F2 fibers (pCa(10)=6.12+/-0.04 and pCa(50)=5.88+/-0.03, respectively). F1 fibers also had a greater degree of co-operativity in Ca2+ activation, as shown by a higher maximum slope of the force-pCa curve (n(Ca)=12.98+/-2.27 vs. 4.34+/-0.64). These data indicate that there is a greater fast fiber-type diversity in crustacean muscles than was previously supposed. Moreover, the differences in activation properties suggest that the TnI isoform composition influences the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile mechanism. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Crustaceans as a model for microgravity-induced muscle atrophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mykles, D. L.

Atrophy of skeletal muscles is a serious problem in a microgravity environment. It is hypothesized that the unloading of postural muscles, which no longer must resist gravity force, causes an accelerated breakdown of contractile proteins, resulting in a reduction in muscle mass and strength. A crustacean model using the land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis, to assess the effects of spaceflight on protein metabolism is presented. The model is compared to a developmentally-regulated atrophy in which a premolt reduction in muscle mass allows the withdrawal of the large claws at molt. The biochemical mechanisms underlying protein breakdown involves both Ca^2+-dependent and multicatalytic proteolytic enzymes. Crustacean claw muscle can be used to determine the interactions between shortening and unloading at the molecular level.

Crustaceans as a model for microgravity-induced muscle atrophy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mykles, D. L.

1996-01-01

Atrophy of skeletal muscles is a serious problem in a microgravity environment. It is hypothesized that the unloading of postural muscles, which no longer must resist gravity force, causes an accelerated breakdown of contractile proteins, resulting in reduction in muscle mass and strength. A crustacean model using the land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis, to assess the effects of spaceflight on protein meatabolism is presented. The model is compared to a developmentally-regulated atrophy in which a premolt reduction in muscle mass allows the withdrawal of the large claws at molt. The biochemical mechanisms underlying protein breakdown involves both Ca2(+) -dependent and multicatalytic proteolytic enzymes. Crustacean claw muscle can be used to determine the interactions between shortening and unloading at the molecular level.

Compliant, low profile, independently releasing, non-protruding and genderless docking system for robotic modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khoshnevis, Behrokh (Inventor)

2010-01-01

An apparatus for coupling with a mating coupling module to facilitate the joining of two disjoined structures without requiring precise alignment between the disjoined structures during the coupling of them may include a rotating drive mechanism, a hollow cylindrical body operatively connected to the rotating drive mechanism, wherein the hollow cylindrical body has at least one internal spiral channel, and at least one connector claw positioned within the hollow cylindrical body and guided by the internal spiral channel, wherein the at least one connector claw is configured to extend outwardly from the coupling module to engage the mating coupling module when brought in close proximity but not necessarily in precise alignment with the mating coupling module.

Effect of biotin supplementation on claw horn growth in young, clinically healthy cattle

PubMed Central

da Silva, Luiz Antônio Franco; Franco, Leandro Guimarães; Atayde, Ingrid Bueno; da Cunha, Paulo Henrique Jorge; de Moura, Maria Ivete; Goulart, Daniel Silva

2010-01-01

The effects of orally administered biotin supplementation on the growth of claw horn in young, clinically healthy cattle were analyzed. Twelve, 1-year-old Girolando cattle were randomly assigned to receive either 12.5 mg of diluted powdered biotin (GI) or a control treatment (GII) for 40 consecutive days. Cattle in the GI group showed an average hoof growth of 11.3 ± 0.72 mm, while those in GII had an average hoof growth of 7.2 ± 0.78 mm. The results confirmed the positive effect of biotin supplementation on the growth of angle and length of the dorsal hoof wall, hoof sole length, and on resistance to wearing, in young cattle extensively managed. PMID:20808571

A depth-averaged debris-flow model that includes the effects of evolving dilatancy: II. Numerical predictions and experimental tests.

USGS Publications Warehouse

George, David L.; Iverson, Richard M.

2014-01-01

We evaluate a new depth-averaged mathematical model that is designed to simulate all stages of debris-flow motion, from initiation to deposition. A companion paper shows how the model’s five governing equations describe simultaneous evolution of flow thickness, solid volume fraction, basal pore-fluid pressure, and two components of flow momentum. Each equation contains a source term that represents the influence of state-dependent granular dilatancy. Here we recapitulate the equations and analyze their eigenstructure to show that they form a hyperbolic system with desirable stability properties. To solve the equations we use a shock-capturing numerical scheme with adaptive mesh refinement, implemented in an open-source software package we call D-Claw. As tests of D-Claw, we compare model output with results from two sets of large-scale debris-flow experiments. One set focuses on flow initiation from landslides triggered by rising pore-water pressures, and the other focuses on downstream flow dynamics, runout, and deposition. D-Claw performs well in predicting evolution of flow speeds, thicknesses, and basal pore-fluid pressures measured in each type of experiment. Computational results illustrate the critical role of dilatancy in linking coevolution of the solid volume fraction and pore-fluid pressure, which mediates basal Coulomb friction and thereby regulates debris-flow dynamics.

Rapid Evolution of Beta-Keratin Genes Contribute to Phenotypic Differences That Distinguish Turtles and Birds from Other Reptiles

PubMed Central

Li, Yang I.; Kong, Lesheng; Ponting, Chris P.; Haerty, Wilfried

2013-01-01

Sequencing of vertebrate genomes permits changes in distinct protein families, including gene gains and losses, to be ascribed to lineage-specific phenotypes. A prominent example of this is the large-scale duplication of beta-keratin genes in the ancestors of birds, which was crucial to the subsequent evolution of their beaks, claws, and feathers. Evidence suggests that the shell of Pseudomys nelsoni contains at least 16 beta-keratins proteins, but it is unknown whether this is a complete set and whether their corresponding genes are orthologous to avian beak, claw, or feather beta-keratin genes. To address these issues and to better understand the evolution of the turtle shell at a molecular level, we surveyed the diversity of beta-keratin genes from the genome assemblies of three turtles, Chrysemys picta, Pelodiscus sinensis, and Chelonia mydas, which together represent over 160 Myr of chelonian evolution. For these three turtles, we found 200 beta-keratins, which indicate that, as for birds, a large expansion of beta-keratin genes in turtles occurred concomitantly with the evolution of a unique phenotype, namely, their plastron and carapace. Phylogenetic reconstruction of beta-keratin gene evolution suggests that separate waves of gene duplication within a single genomic location gave rise to scales, claws, and feathers in birds, and independently the scutes of the shell in turtles. PMID:23576313

Phylogenetic position of the enigmatic clawless eutardigrade genus Apodibius Dastych, 1983 (Tardigrada), based on 18S and 28S rRNA sequence data from its type species A. confusus.

PubMed

Dabert, Miroslawa; Dastych, Hieronymus; Hohberg, Karin; Dabert, Jacek

2014-01-01

The systematics of Eutardigrada, the largest lineage among the three classes of the phylum Tardigrada, is based mainly on the morphology of the leg claws and of the buccal apparatus. However, three members of the rarely recorded and poorly known limno-terrestrial eutardigrade genus Apodibius have no claws on their strongly reduced legs, a unique character among all tardigrades. This absence of all claws makes the systematic position of Apodibius one of the most enigmatic among the whole class. Until now all known associates of the genus Apodibius have been located in the incertae sedis species group or, quite recently, included into the Necopinatidae family. In the present study, phylogenetic analyses of 18S and 28S rRNA sequence data from 31 tardigrade species representing four parachelan superfamilies (Isohypsibioidea, Hypsibioidea, Macrobiotoidea, Eohypsibioidea), the apochelan Milnesium tardigradum, and the type species of the genus Apodibius, A. confusus, indicated close relationship of the Apodibius with tardigrade species recently included in the superfamily Isohypsibioidea. This result was well-supported and consistent across all markers (separate 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and combined 18S rRNA+28S rRNA datasets) and methods (MP, ML) applied. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gymnema

MedlinePlus

... combination of gymnema, hydroxycitric acid, and niacin-bound chromium by mouth can reduce body weight in people ... these products include alpha-lipoic acid, bitter melon, chromium, devil's claw, fenugreek, garlic, guar gum, horse chestnut, ...

21 CFR 874.4720 - Mediastinoscope and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier. (b...

21 CFR 874.4680 - Bronchoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... foreign body claw, bronchoscope tubing, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, flexible biopsy curette, and rigid bronchoscope aspirating tube, but...

21 CFR 874.4680 - Bronchoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... foreign body claw, bronchoscope tubing, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, flexible biopsy curette, and rigid bronchoscope aspirating tube, but...

21 CFR 874.4720 - Mediastinoscope and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier. (b...

21 CFR 874.4680 - Bronchoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... foreign body claw, bronchoscope tubing, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, flexible biopsy curette, and rigid bronchoscope aspirating tube, but...

21 CFR 874.4720 - Mediastinoscope and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier. (b...

Devil's Claw

MedlinePlus

... is an herb. The botanical name, Harpagophytum, means "hook plant" in Greek. This plant gets its name ... appearance of its fruit, which is covered with hooks meant to attach onto animals in order to ...

The GeoClaw software for depth-averaged flows with adaptive refinement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berger, M.J.; George, D.L.; LeVeque, R.J.; Mandli, Kyle T.

2011-01-01

Many geophysical flow or wave propagation problems can be modeled with two-dimensional depth-averaged equations, of which the shallow water equations are the simplest example. We describe the GeoClaw software that has been designed to solve problems of this nature, consisting of open source Fortran programs together with Python tools for the user interface and flow visualization. This software uses high-resolution shock-capturing finite volume methods on logically rectangular grids, including latitude-longitude grids on the sphere. Dry states are handled automatically to model inundation. The code incorporates adaptive mesh refinement to allow the efficient solution of large-scale geophysical problems. Examples are given illustrating its use for modeling tsunamis and dam-break flooding problems. Documentation and download information is available at www.clawpack.org/geoclaw. ?? 2011.

Fertilization and development of eggs of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, on sounding rockets in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubbels, Geertje A.; Berendsen, Willem; Kerkvliet, Sonja; Narraway, Jenny

Egg rotation and centrifugation experiments strongly suggest a role for gravity in the determination of the spatial structure of amphibian embryos. Decisive experiments can only be made in Space. Eggs of Xenopus laevis, the South African clawed toad, were the first vertebrate eggs which were successfully fertilized on Sounding Rockets in Space. Unfixed, newly fertilized eggs survived reentry, and a reasonable number showed a seemingly normal gastrulation but died between gastrulation and neurulation. Only a few reached the larval stage, but these developed abnormally. In the future, we inted to test whether this abnormal morphogenesis is due to reentry perturbations, or due to a real microgravity effect, through perturbation of the reinitiation of meiosis and other processes, or started by later sperm penetration.

Fertilization and development of eggs of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, on sounding rockets in space.

PubMed

Ubbels, G A; Berendsen, W; Kerkvliet, S; Narraway, J

1992-01-01

Egg rotation and centrifugation experiments strongly suggest a role for gravity in the determination of the spatial structure of amphibian embryos. Decisive experiments can only be made in Space. Eggs of Xenopus laevis, the South African clawed toad, were the first vertebrate eggs which were successfully fertilized on Sounding Rockets in Space. Unfixed, newly fertilized eggs survived reentry, and a reasonable number showed a seemingly normal gastrulation but died between gastrulation and neurulation. Only a few reached the larval stage, but these developed abnormally. In the future, we intend to test whether this abnormal morphogenesis is due to reentry perturbations, or due to a real microgravity effect, through perturbation of the reinitiation of meiosis and other processes, or started by later sperm penetration.

Differential gene expression profile from haematopoietic tissue stem cells of red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, in response to WSSV infection.

PubMed

Liu, Hai-peng; Chen, Rong-yuan; Zhang, Qiu-xia; Peng, Hui; Wang, Ke-jian

2011-07-01

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most important viral pathogens in crustaceans. During WSSV infection, multiple cell signaling cascades are activated, leading to the generation of antiviral molecules and initiation of programmed cell death of the virus infected cells. To gain novel insight into cell signaling mechanisms employed in WSSV infection, we have used suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to elucidate the cellular response to WSSV challenge at the gene level in red claw crayfish haematopoietic tissue (Hpt) stem cell cultures. Red claw crayfish Hpt cells were infected with WSSV for 1h (L1 library) and 12h (L12 library), respectively, after which the cell RNA was prepared for SSH using uninfected cells as drivers. By screening the L1 and L12 forward libraries, we have isolated the differentially expressed genes of crayfish Hpt cells upon WSSV infection. Among these genes, the level of many key molecules showed clearly up-regulated expression, including the genes involved in immune responses, cytoskeletal system, signal transduction molecules, stress, metabolism and homestasis related genes, and unknown genes in both L1 and L12 libraries. Importantly, of the 2123 clones screened, 176 novel genes were found the first time to be up-regulated in WSSV infection in crustaceans. To further confirm the up-regulation of differentially expressed genes, the semi-quantitative RT-PCR were performed to test twenty randomly selected genes, in which eight of the selected genes exhibited clear up-regulation upon WSSV infection in red claw crayfish Hpt cells, including DNA helicase B-like, multiprotein bridging factor 1, apoptosis-linked gene 2 and an unknown gene-L1635 from L1 library; coatomer gamma subunit, gabarap protein gene, tripartite motif-containing 32 and an unknown gene-L12-254 from L2 library, respectively. Taken together, as well as in immune and stress responses are regulated during WSSV infection of crayfish Hpt cells, our results also light the significance of cytoskeletal system, signal transduction and other unknown genes in the regulation of antiviral signals during WSSV infection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 874.4710 - Esophagoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the...

21 CFR 874.4710 - Esophagoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the...

21 CFR 874.4760 - Nasopharyngoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., salpingoscope, flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biospy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier...

21 CFR 874.4760 - Nasopharyngoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., salpingoscope, flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biospy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier...

21 CFR 874.4760 - Nasopharyngoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., salpingoscope, flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biospy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier...

Genomic regression of claw keratin, taste receptor and light-associated genes provides insights into biology and evolutionary origins of snakes.

PubMed

Emerling, Christopher A

2017-10-01

Regressive evolution of anatomical traits often corresponds with the regression of genomic loci underlying such characters. As such, studying patterns of gene loss can be instrumental in addressing questions of gene function, resolving conflicting results from anatomical studies, and understanding the evolutionary history of clades. The evolutionary origins of snakes involved the regression of a number of anatomical traits, including limbs, taste buds and the visual system, and by analyzing serpent genomes, I was able to test three hypotheses associated with the regression of these features. The first concerns two keratins that are putatively specific to claws. Both genes that encode these keratins are pseudogenized/deleted in snake genomes, providing additional evidence of claw-specificity. The second hypothesis is that snakes lack taste buds, an issue complicated by conflicting results in the literature. I found evidence that different snakes have lost one or more taste receptors, but all snakes examined retained at least one gustatory channel. The final hypothesis addressed is that the earliest snakes were adapted to a dim light niche. I found evidence of deleted and pseudogenized genes with light-associated functions in snakes, demonstrating a pattern of gene loss similar to other dim light-adapted clades. Molecular dating estimates suggest that dim light adaptation preceded the loss of limbs, providing some bearing on interpretations of the ecological origins of snakes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Length asymmetry of the bovine digits.

PubMed

Muggli, E; Sauter-Louis, C; Braun, U; Nuss, K

2011-06-01

The lengths of the digital bones of the fore- and hind-limbs obtained post mortem from 40 cattle of different ages were measured using digital radiographs. The lengths of the individual digital bones and the overall length of the digit were determined using computer software. The lateral metacarpal/metatarsal condyle, and lateral P1 and P2 were significantly longer than their medial counterparts, whereas P3 of the medial digit was longer than its lateral partner. Measured from the cannon bone epiphysis to the tip of the pedal bone, the mean increased length of the lateral digit was 0.8 mm in the fore- and 1.5 mm in the hind-limb. When the lengths of the digital bones were summed, the mean length of the lateral digit was 1.8 mm longer in the fore-limb and 2.1 mm longer in the hind-limb. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the lengths of the paired digits differ in cattle. The majority of cattle have longer lateral digits in the fore- and hind-limbs. This asymmetry might explain why the lateral hind-limb claws are predisposed to sole ulcers on hard surfaces. In the hind-limbs, the impact is transferred from the pelvis directly to the longer lateral digit. In the fore-limb claws, the tenomuscular attachment to the trunk may be involved in a more even weight distribution and in a shift of weight to the medial claw. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Fishery and biometrics of genus Calappa crabs (Brachyura: Calappidae) in northeastern Venezuela].

PubMed

Alió, José J; Marcano, Luis A; Altuve, Douglas E

2005-01-01

The box crabs, genus Calappa, are important crab species landed by the industrial trawl fleet in Venezuela. These crabs have a wide distribution in the country, from the Gulf of Venezuela to the Orinoco River, but major landings take place in such gulf, near Margarita Island and northern Sucre State. Average annual landing in the eastern region was 69 t during 1970-2001, with a maximum of 221 t. For this study a sample of 2 398 box crabs was collected by observers on board of industrial trawl vessels, which operated in eastern Venezuela from 1994 to 2000. Three species were found in the landings, Calappa sulcata and C. flammea. each represented 47% of the sample, and C. nitida, which accounted for 5% of the sample. Sex ratio was strongly biased towards males in C. sulcata (2.8:1) and in C. flammnea (1.9:1). while it was only slightly biased in C. nitida (1.4:1). Due to its large size, C. sulcuta is of great commercial interest, with average weight 290 g and a maximum weight of 720 g: C. flammea showed an average weight of 140 g and a maximum weight of 418 g, while C. nitida is the smallest species, with average weight 46 g and maximum weight not beyond 113 g. Box crabs were captured by day and night in similar proportions, and were found in a wide depth range, from a few meters to 126 m deep; however, the largest captures were obtained in the interval 38 - 54 m. Regressions between weight of chelae and total weight were linear, and significantly different between sexes. The relation between total weight and carapace width was allometric, with a power exponent ca. three in C. sulcata, and less than three in C. flamea and C. nitida. Females of C. sulcata and C. nitida showed power exponents significantly smaller than males. Since claws are removed from the animal to be commercialized, while the rest of the animal is returned alive to the sea, for practical purposes a common equation among species and sexes to convert claws weight into total body weight is: total weight - 3 x claws weight. The relationship between catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and effort did not show a significantly decreasing trend, but landings follow the effort trend, with a decreasing tendency in recent years. No mature females were found in any of the three species, thus there could be reproductive migrations towards deeper waters from October to January, when abundance of crabs is lower in the study area. It is recommended that the practice of exploiting only one claw, returning the rest of the animal alive to the sea, should be promoted among fishers, while the removal of claws from female crabs should be avoided.

[Abundance and body size of Menippe mercenaria (Crustacea: Brachyura), in artificial refuges in Quintana Roo, Mexico].

PubMed

Cervantes-Martínez, A; Ramírez-González, A

2001-01-01

In Florida and Cuba the stone crab Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818) is under strong fishing-pressure; nevertheless in the Mexican Caribbean it is considered as sub-utilized and poorly known resource. Artificial shelters ("condominios cubanos") were used to study relative abundance, age structure, claw length-carapace amplitude relation, and population in three seasons and four sectors at Bahía Ascension, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The abundance varied according to the sector and sampling season: population was higher in the south and during the north wind ("Nortes") season (January to March). The carapace amplitude was directly proportional to claw length (r2 = 0.83, 0.97 and 0.89; p < 0.05 in females, males and total, respectively). The results suggest that specimens with 37.5 and 67.5 mm of carapace amplitude are the most limited regarding refuge availability in the Bay.

Sequential Turnovers of Sex Chromosomes in African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus) Suggest Some Genomic Regions Are Good at Sex Determination

PubMed Central

Furman, Benjamin L. S.; Evans, Ben J.

2016-01-01

Sexual differentiation is fundamentally important for reproduction, yet the genetic triggers of this developmental process can vary, even between closely related species. Recent studies have uncovered, for example, variation in the genetic triggers for sexual differentiation within and between species of African clawed frogs (genus Xenopus). Here, we extend these discoveries by demonstrating that yet another sex determination system exists in Xenopus, specifically in the species Xenopus borealis. This system evolved recently in an ancestor of X. borealis that had the same sex determination system as X. laevis, a system which itself is newly evolved. Strikingly, the genomic region carrying the sex determination factor in X. borealis is homologous to that of therian mammals, including humans. Our results offer insights into how the genetic underpinnings of conserved phenotypes evolve, and suggest an important role for cooption of genetic building blocks with conserved developmental roles. PMID:27605520

Social partner discrimination based on sounds and scents in Asian small-clawed otters ( Aonyx cinereus)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemasson, A.; Mikus, M.-A.; Blois-Heulin, C.; Lodé, T.

2013-03-01

Ability to discriminate familiar conspecifics is an essential competence in any group-living species, ensuring socio-spatial cohesion, but in many animals, such as mustelids, the relative importance of the different communicative modalities for discrimination is poorly understood. In otters, there is evidence of intra-specific variation in physical appearance and in feces chemical profile, but the potential for acoustic identity coding as well as for identity decoding in visual, acoustic and olfactive domains remains unexplored. We investigated the acoustic structure of contact calls in five captive groups of small-clawed otters and found that it is possible to reliably assign one particular call to a given adult male caller. Females discriminated between familiar and unfamiliar adult males based on their sound (playback) and smell (feces) but not based on their picture, suggesting abilities to memorize and use acoustic and olfactive signatures in their daily social life.

The recreation of a unique shrimp's mechanically induced cavitation bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Ryan; Dougherty, Christopher; Eliasson, Veronica; Khanolkar, Gauri

2014-11-01

The Alpheus heterochaelis, appropriately nicknamed the ``pistol shrimp,'' possesses an oversized claw that creates a cavitation bubble upon rapid closure. The implosion of this bubble results in a shock wave that can stun or even kill the shrimp's prey (Versluis et al., 2000). Additionally, the implosion is so violent that sonoluminescence may occur. This light implies extreme temperatures, which have been recorded to reach as high as 10,000 K (Roach, 2001). By developing an analogous mechanism to the oversized claw, the goal of this experiment is to verify that cavitation can be produced similar to that of the pistol shrimp in nature as well as to analyze the resulting shock wave and sonoluminescence. High-speed schlieren imaging was used to observe the shock dynamics. Furthermore, results on cavitation collapse and light emission will be presented. USC Provost Undergraduate Research Fellowship/Rose Hills Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Aromatic claw: A new fold with high aromatic content that evades structural prediction: Aromatic Claw

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sachleben, Joseph R.; Adhikari, Aashish N.; Gawlak, Grzegorz

2016-11-10

We determined the NMR structure of a highly aromatic (13%) protein of unknown function, Aq1974 from Aquifex aeolicus (PDB ID: 5SYQ). The unusual sequence of this protein has a tryptophan content five times the normal (six tryptophan residues of 114 or 5.2% while the average tryptophan content is 1.0%) with the tryptophans occurring in a WXW motif. It has no detectable sequence homology with known protein structures. Although its NMR spectrum suggested that the protein was rich in β-sheet, upon resonance assignment and solution structure determination, the protein was found to be primarily α-helical with a small two-stranded β-sheet withmore » a novel fold that we have termed an Aromatic Claw. As this fold was previously unknown and the sequence unique, we submitted the sequence to CASP10 as a target for blind structural prediction. At the end of the competition, the sequence was classified a hard template based model; the structural relationship between the template and the experimental structure was small and the predictions all failed to predict the structure. CSRosetta was found to predict the secondary structure and its packing; however, it was found that there was little correlation between CSRosetta score and the RMSD between the CSRosetta structure and the NMR determined one. This work demonstrates that even in relatively small proteins, we do not yet have the capacity to accurately predict the fold for all primary sequences. The experimental discovery of new folds helps guide the improvement of structural prediction methods.« less

Assessing seasonal changes in animal diets with stable-isotope analysis of amino acids: a migratory boreal songbird switches diet over its annual cycle.

PubMed

Gómez, Camila; Larsen, Thomas; Popp, Brian; Hobson, Keith A; Cadena, Carlos Daniel

2018-05-01

Tools to study seasonal changes in animal diets are needed to address a wide range of ecological questions. This is especially true of migratory animals that experience distinct environments where diets may be substantially different. However, tracking diets of individuals that move vast distances has proven difficult. Compound-specific isotope analysis has emerged as a valuable tool to study diets but has been little used to study dietary changes of migratory animals. Using this technique, we quantify seasonal variation in the annual diet of a migratory songbird (gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus) and test the hypothesis that migrants change their diet in response to the energetic requirements of different periods of the annual cycle. By measuring δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of amino acids from feathers grown on the breeding grounds, blood formed during migration and claw grown on the wintering grounds, we found that migration is associated with greater consumption of fruit, compared to the breeding or wintering periods. This was confirmed by the lower trophic position of blood compared to feather and claw, by a decrease in the δ 15 N value of the source amino acid phenylalanine in blood as a function of days of stopover, and by the positive correlation between δ 15 N and δ 13 C values of phenylalanine in blood, and not in feather or claw. This study illustrates how isotopic analysis of amino acids can contribute to understand food webs, seasonal dietary changes and metabolic routing of nutrients in migratory animals.

Is digestive cathepsin D the rule in decapod crustaceans?

PubMed

Martínez-Alarcón, Diana; Saborowski, Reinhard; Rojo-Arreola, Liliana; García-Carreño, Fernando

2018-01-01

Cathepsin D is an aspartic endopetidase with typical characteristics of lysosomal enzymes. Cathepsin D activity has been reported in the gastric fluid of clawed lobsters where it acts as an extracellular digestive enzyme. Here we investigate whether cathepsin D is unique in clawed lobsters or, instead, common in decapod crustaceans. Eleven species of decapods belonging to six infraorders were tested for cathepsin D activity in the midgut gland, the muscle tissue, the gills, and when technically possible, in the gastric fluid. Cathepsin D activity was present in the midgut gland of all 11 species and in the gastric fluid from the seven species from which samples could be taken. All sampled species showed higher activities in the midgut glands than in non-digestive organs and the activity was highest in the clawed lobster. Cathepsin D mRNA was obtained from tissue samples of midgut gland, muscle, and gills. Analyses of deduced amino acid sequence confirmed molecular features of lysosomal cathepsin D and revealed high similarity between the enzymes from Astacidea and Caridea on one side, and the enzymes from Penaeoidea, Anomura, and Brachyura on the other side. Our results support the presence of cathepsin D activity in the midgut glands and in the gastric fluids of several decapod species suggesting an extracellular function of this lysosomal enzyme. We discuss whether cathepsin D may derive from the lysosomal-like vacuoles of the midgut gland B-cells and is released into the gastric lumen upon secretion by these cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Great Silk Alternative: Multiple Co-Evolution of Web Loss and Sticky Hairs in Spiders

PubMed Central

Wolff, Jonas O.; Nentwig, Wolfgang; Gorb, Stanislav N.

2013-01-01

Spiders are the most important terrestrial predators among arthropods. Their ecological success is reflected by a high biodiversity and the conquest of nearly every terrestrial habitat. Spiders are closely associated with silk, a material, often seen to be responsible for their great ecological success and gaining high attention in life sciences. However, it is often overlooked that more than half of all Recent spider species have abandoned web building or never developed such an adaptation. These species must have found other, more economic solutions for prey capture and retention, compensating the higher energy costs of increased locomotion activity. Here we show that hairy adhesive pads (scopulae) are closely associated with the convergent evolution of a vagrant life style, resulting in highly diversified lineages of at least, equal importance as the derived web building taxa. Previous studies often highlighted the idea that scopulae have the primary function of assisting locomotion, neglecting the fact that only the distal most pads (claw tufts) are suitable for those purposes. The former observations, that scopulae are used in prey capture, are largely overlooked. Our results suggest the scopulae evolved as a substitute for silk in controlling prey and that the claw tufts are, in most cases, a secondary development. Evolutionary trends towards specialized claw tufts and their composition from a low number of enlarged setae to a dense array of slender ones, as well as the secondary loss of those pads are discussed further. Hypotheses about the origin of the adhesive setae and their diversification throughout evolution are provided. PMID:23650526

Br-rich tips of calcified crab claws are less hard but more fracture resistant: a comparison of biomineralized and heavy-element biomaterials

PubMed Central

Schofield, Robert M. S.; Niedbala, Jack C.; Nesson, Michael H.; Tao, Ye; Shokes, Jacob E.; Scott, Robert A.; Latimer, Matthew J.

2009-01-01

We find that the spoon-like tips of the chelipeds (large claws) of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes differ from the rest of the claw in that they are not calcified, but instead contain about 1% bromine – thus they represent a new example of a class of structural biomaterials that contain heavy elements such as Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Br bound in an organic matrix. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data suggest that the bromine is bound to phenyl rings, possibly in tyrosine. We measure a broad array of mechanical properties of a heavy-element biomaterial (abrasion resistance, coefficient of kinetic friction, energy of fracture, hardness, modulus of elasticity and dynamic mechanical properties) for the first time, and we make a direct comparison with a mineralized tissue. Our results suggest that the greatest advantage of bromine-rich cuticle over calcified cuticle is resistance to fracture (the energy of fracture is about an order of magnitude greater than for calcified cuticle). The greatest advantage relative to unenriched cuticle, represented by ant mandible cuticle, is a factor of about 1.5 greater hardness and modulus of elasticity. The spoon-like tips gain increased fracture resistance from the orientation of the constituent laminae and from the viscoelasticity of the materials. We suggest that fracture resistance is of greater importance in smaller organisms, and we speculate that one function of heavy elements in mechanical biomaterials is to reduce molecular resonant frequencies and thereby increase absorption of energy from impacts. PMID:19422071

Br-rich tips of calcified crab claws are less hard but more fracture resistant: a comparison of mineralized and heavy-element biological materials.

PubMed

Schofield, Robert M S; Niedbala, Jack C; Nesson, Michael H; Tao, Ye; Shokes, Jacob E; Scott, Robert A; Latimer, Matthew J

2009-06-01

We find that the spoon-like tips of the chelipeds (large claws) of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes differ from the rest of the claw in that they are not calcified, but instead contain about 1% bromine--thus they represent a new example of a class of structural biological materials that contain heavy elements such as Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Br bound in an organic matrix. X-ray absorption spectroscopy data suggest that the bromine is bound to phenyl rings, possibly in tyrosine. We measure a broad array of mechanical properties of a heavy-element biological material for the first time (abrasion resistance, coefficient of kinetic friction, energy of fracture, hardness, modulus of elasticity and dynamic mechanical properties), and we make a direct comparison with a mineralized tissue. Our results suggest that the greatest advantage of bromine-rich cuticle over calcified cuticle is resistance to fracture (the energy of fracture is about an order of magnitude greater than for calcified cuticle). The greatest advantage relative to unenriched cuticle, represented by ant mandible cuticle, is a factor of about 1.5 greater hardness and modulus of elasticity.The spoon-like tips gain additional fracture resistance from the orientation of the constituent laminae and from the viscoelasticity of the material. We suggest that fracture resistance is of greater importance in smaller organisms, and we speculate that one function of heavy elements in structural biological materials is to reduce molecular resonant frequencies and thereby increase absorption of energy from impacts.

10 CFR 1.51 - Description and custody of NRC seal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) of brown and tan with claws and beak of yellow, behind a shield of red, white, and blue, clutching a... field of white, with the words “United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission” in dark blue encircling the...

10 CFR 1.51 - Description and custody of NRC seal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) of brown and tan with claws and beak of yellow, behind a shield of red, white, and blue, clutching a... field of white, with the words “United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission” in dark blue encircling the...

The effect of claw horn disruption lesions and body condition score at dry-off on survivability, reproductive performance, and milk production in the subsequent lactation.

PubMed

Machado, V S; Caixeta, L S; McArt, J A A; Bicalho, R C

2010-09-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of claw horn disruption lesions (CHDL; sole ulcers and white line disease) and body condition score (BCS) at dry-off on survivability, milk production, and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation. An observational prospective cohort study was conducted on a large commercial dairy in Cayuga County, New York, from September 2008 until January 2009. A total of 573 cows enrolled at dry-off were scored for body condition and hoof trimmed; digits were visually inspected for the presence of CHDL. The BCS data were recategorized into a 3-level variable BCS group (BCSG), with cows with BCS<3 placed in BCSG 1 (n=113), cows with BCS=3 placed in BCSG 2 (n=254), and cows with BCS>3 placed in BCSG 3 (n=206). Cows in BCSG 2 were 1.35 and 1.02 times more likely to conceive than cows in BCSG 1 and 3, respectively. The cull/death hazard for BCSG 1 cows was 1.55 and 1.47 times higher than for cows in BCSG 2 and BCSG 3, respectively. Milk yield for cows in BCSG 2 (44.6 kg/d, 95% CI 43.4-45.8) was significantly greater than that for cows in BCSG 1 (41.5 kg/d, 95% CI 39.8-43.3). Cows with previous lactation days open14,054 kg had a similar 1.6 times higher odds of being classified into BCSG 1. Claw horn disruption lesions were found in 24.4% of the cows (n=140) at dry-off. Cows without CHDL were 1.4 times more likely to conceive than cows with CHDL. Additionally, lesion cows were 1.7 times more likely to die or be culled than nonlesion cows. Absence of CHDL did not have a significant effect on milk yield. These findings highlight the importance of claw health and BCS at the end of lactation on future survival and performance. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twelve actin-encoding cDNAs from the American lobster, Homarus americanus: cloning and tissue expression of eight skeletal muscle, one heart, and three cytoplasmic isoforms.

PubMed

Kim, Bo Kwang; Kim, Kyoung Sun; Oh, Chul-Woong; Mykles, Donald L; Lee, Sung Gu; Kim, Hak Jun; Kim, Hyun-Woo

2009-06-01

Lobster muscles express a diverse array of myofibrillar protein isoforms. Three fiber types (fast, slow-twitch or S1, and slow-tonic or S2) differ qualitatively and quantitatively in myosin heavy and light chains, troponin-T, -I, and -C, paramyosin, and tropomyosin variants. However, little is known about the diversity of actin isoforms present in crustacean tissues. In this report we characterized cDNAs that encode twelve actin isoforms in the American lobster, Homarus americanus: eight from skeletal muscle (Ha-ActinSK1-8), one from heart (Ha-ActinHT1), and three cytoplasmic type actins from hepatopancreas (Ha-ActinCT1-3). All twelve cDNAs were products of distinct genes, as indicated by differences in the 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs). The open reading frames specified polypeptides 376 or 377 amino acids in length. Although key amino residues are conserved in the lobster actins, variations in nearby sequences may affect actin polymerization and/or interactions with other myofibrillar proteins. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed muscle fiber type- and tissue-specific expression patterns. Ha-Actin-HT1 was expressed exclusively in heart (87% of the total; 12% of the total was Ha-ActinCT1). Ha-ActinCT1 was expressed in all tissues, while CT2 and CT3 were expressed only in hepatopancreas, with Ha-ActinCT2 as the major isoform (93% of the total). Ha-ActinSK1 and SK2 were the major isoforms (88% and 12% of the total, respectively) in the S1 fibers of crusher claw closer muscle. Fast fibers in the cutter claw closer and deep abdominal muscles differed in SK isoforms. Ha-ActinSK3, SK4, and SK5 were the major isoforms in cutter claw closer muscle (12%, 48%, and 37% of the total, respectively). Ha-ActinSK5 and SK8 were the major isoforms in deep abdominal flexor (31% and 65% of the total, respectively) and extensor (46% and 53% of the total, respectively) muscles, with SK6 and SK7 expressed at low levels. These data indicate that fast fibers in cutter claw and abdominal muscles show a phenotypic plasticity with respect to the expression of actin isoforms and may constitute discrete subtypes that differ in contractile properties.

In Vitro Screening for the Tumoricidal Properties of International Medicinal Herbs

PubMed Central

Mazzio, Elizabeth A.; Soliman, Karam F. A.

2009-01-01

There is growing use of anticancer complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) worldwide. The purpose of the current study is to assess a sizeable variety of natural and plant sources of diverse origin, to ascertain prospective research directives for cancer treatment and potential new chemotherapy drug sources. In this study, 374 natural extracts (10 μg/mL-5 mg/mL) were evaluated for dose-dependent tumoricidal effects using immortal neuroblastoma of spontaneous malignant origin. The findings indicate no pattern of tumoricidal effects by diverse plants with similar families/genus under the classes Pinopsida, Equisetopsida, Lycopodiosida, Filicosida, Liliopsida Monocotyledons or Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons. The results indicate that many of the most commonly used CAMs exhibited relatively weak tumoricidal effects including cats claw, astragalus, ginseng, echinacea, mistletoe, milk thistle, slippery elm, cayenne, chamomile, don quai, meadowsweet, motherwort and shepherd's purse. The data demonstrate that the most potent plant extracts were randomly dispersed within the plantae kingdom (LC50 = 31-490 μg/mL) in order of the lowest LC50 Dioscorea villosa (Dioscoreaceae) > Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) > Dipsacus asper (Dipsacaceae) > Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) > Boswellia carteri (Burseraceae) > Cyamopsis psoralioides (Fabaceae) > Rhamnus cathartica (Rhamnaceae) > Larrea tridentate (Zygophyllaceae) > Dichroa febrifuga (Hydrangeaceae) > Batschia canescens (Boraginaceae) > Kochia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) > Solanum xanthocarpum (Solanaceae) > Opoponax chironium (Umbelliferae) > Caulophyllum thalictroides (Berberidaceae) > Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Dryopteridaceae) > Garcinia cambogia (Clusiaceae) > Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae) > Calamus draco (Arecaceae). These findings show tumoricidal effect by extracts of wild yam root, bloodroot, teasel root, bakuchi seed, dichroa root, kanta kari, garcinia fruit, mace, dragons blood and the biblically referenced herbs: balm of gilead bud, frankincense and myrrh gum. PMID:18844256

The use of isoelectric focusing to identify rhinoceros keratins.

PubMed

Butler, D J; De Forest, P R; Kobilinsky, L

1990-03-01

Keratins represent the principal structural proteins of hair. They are also found in horn, nail, claw, hoof, and feather. Hair and nail samples from human and canine sources and hair samples from mule deer, white tail deer, cat, moose, elk, antelope, caribou, raccoon, and goat were studied. Parrot and goose feathers were also analyzed. Keratins are polymorphic, and species differences are known to exist. Proteinaceous extracts of deer and antelope antlers and bovine and rhinoceros horn were prepared by solubilizing 10 mg of horn sample in 200 microL of a solution containing 12M urea, 74mM Trizma base, and 78mM dithiothreitol (DTT). Extraction took place over a 48-h period. A 25-microL aliquot of extract was removed and incubated with 5 microL of 0.1 M DTT for 10 min at 25 degrees C. Keratins were then separated by isoelectric focusing (IEF) on 5.2% polyacrylamide gels for 3 h and visualized using silver staining. At least 20 bands could be observed for each species studied. However, band patterns differed in the position of each band, in the number of bands, and in band coloration resulting from the silver staining process. Horn from two species of rhinoceros was examined. For both specimens, most bands occurred in the pH range of 4 to 5. Although similar patterns for both species were observed, they differed sufficiently to differentiate one from the other. As might be expected, the closer two species are related phylogenetically, the greater the similarity in the IEF pattern produced from their solubilized keratin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vitro screening for the tumoricidal properties of international medicinal herbs.

PubMed

Mazzio, Elizabeth A; Soliman, Karam F A

2009-03-01

There is growing use of anticancer complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) worldwide. The purpose of the current study is to assess a sizeable variety of natural and plant sources of diverse origin, to ascertain prospective research directives for cancer treatment and potential new chemotherapy drug sources. In this study, 374 natural extracts (10 microg/mL-5 mg/mL) were evaluated for dose-dependent tumoricidal effects using immortal neuroblastoma of spontaneous malignant origin. The findings indicate no pattern of tumoricidal effects by diverse plants with similar families/genus under the classes Pinopsida, Equisetopsida, Lycopodiosida, Filicosida, Liliopsida Monocotyledons or Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons. The results indicate that many of the most commonly used CAMs exhibited relatively weak tumoricidal effects including cats claw, astragalus, ginseng, echinacea, mistletoe, milk thistle, slippery elm, cayenne, chamomile, don quai, meadowsweet, motherwort and shepherd's purse. The data demonstrate that the most potent plant extracts were randomly dispersed within the plantae kingdom (LC(50) = 31-490 microg/mL) in order of the lowest LC(50) Dioscorea villosa (Dioscoreaceae) > Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) > Dipsacus asper (Dipsacaceae) > Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) > Boswellia carteri (Burseraceae) > Cyamopsis psoralioides (Fabaceae) > Rhamnus cathartica (Rhamnaceae) > Larrea tridentate (Zygophyllaceae) > Dichroa febrifuga (Hydrangeaceae) > Batschia canescens (Boraginaceae) > Kochia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) > Solanum xanthocarpum (Solanaceae) > Opoponax chironium (Umbelliferae) > Caulophyllum thalictroides (Berberidaceae) > Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Dryopteridaceae) > Garcinia cambogia (Clusiaceae) > Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae) > Calamus draco (Arecaceae). These findings show tumoricidal effect by extracts of wild yam root, bloodroot, teasel root, bakuchi seed, dichroa root, kanta kari, garcinia fruit, mace, dragons blood and the biblically referenced herbs: balm of gilead bud, frankincense and myrrh gum. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reproductive Maturation of the Tropical Clawed Frog, Xenopus tropicalis

EPA Science Inventory

The model species Xenopus tropicalis is being widely used in developmental biology and amphibian toxicology studies. In order to increase our understanding of the role of steroid hormones in maturation in this species, we collected baseline reproductive data from metamorphosis t...

Global gene expression during early differentiation of Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis gonad tissues

EPA Science Inventory

African clawed frog Xenopus sp. has been used extensively for developmental biology and toxicology research. Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis has been coveted more recently for genomics research because its diploid genome has been sequenced. Amid concerns of environmental pollutants...

TOXIC TRACE METALS IN MAMMALIAN HAIR AND NAILS

EPA Science Inventory

Data have been compiled from the available world literature on the accumulation and bioconcentration of selected toxic trace metals in human hair and nails and other mammalian hair, fur, nails, claws, and hoofs. The toxic trace metals and metalloids include antimony, arsenic, bor...

Fluoride bioaccumulation and toxic effects on the survival and behavior of the endangered white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet).

PubMed

Aguirre-Sierra, Arantxa; Alonso, Alvaro; Camargo, Julio A

2013-08-01

Laboratory experiments were performed to examine the toxic effects of fluoride (F(-)) on the survival and behavior of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes). Body fluoride contents (bioaccumulation) of test crayfish were also examined. No significant differences between male and female crayfish regarding mortality, escape (tail-flip) response, and fluoride bioaccumulation were detected. For mortality, 48-, 72-, 96-, 120-, 144-, 168-, and 192-h median lethal concentrations (LC50) were estimated to be 93.0, 55.3, 42.7, 36.5, 32.9, 30.6, and 28.9 mg F(-)/l, respectively. For the escape response, 48-, 72-, 96-, 120-, 144-, 168- and 192-h median effective concentrations (EC50) were estimated to be 18.4, 11.1, 8.6, 7.4, 6.7, 6.2 and 5.9 mg F(-)/l, respectively. Average food consumption in test crayfish tended to decrease with increasing water fluoride concentration with a 192-h lowest-observed effect concentration of 10.7 mg F(-)/l. These results indicate that the escape response was the most sensitive end point to fluoride toxicity followed by food consumption and mortality. Fluoride bioaccumulation in test crayfish increased with increasing water fluoride concentration and exposure time. The exoskeleton accumulated more fluoride than muscle. A comparison of the obtained results with previous data for other freshwater invertebrates shows that white-clawed crayfish are relatively tolerant to fluoride toxicity. We conclude that fluoride pollution in freshwater ecosystems should not be viewed as an important risk factor contributing to the catastrophic decrease of A. pallipes in many European countries. Our results indicate that fluoride bioaccumulation in A. pallipes might be used as a bioindicator of fluoride pollution in freshwater ecosystems where it is present.

Inability to perform posterior segment monitoring by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy or optical coherence tomography with some occlusive intraocular lenses in clinical use.

PubMed

Yusuf, Imran H; Peirson, Stuart N; Patel, Chetan K

2012-03-01

To evaluate whether occlusive intraocular lenses (IOLs) produced by several manufacturers for clinical use equivalently transmit near-infrared (IR) light for scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Oxford University, United Kingdom. Evaluation of diagnostic test or technology. The study evaluated 6 black IOLs of 2 designs: 3 poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and 3 iris-claw anterior chamber IOLs. Each IOL was placed between a broad-spectrum white light source and a spectroradiometer to generate transmission spectra. Transmission in the near-IR range was examined using an 850 nm light-emitting diode. Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy or OCT imaging using Spectralis spectral-domain SLO or OCT was attempted through occlusive IOLs in a model eye. Artisan iris-claw and MS 612 PMMA occlusive IOLs totally occluded all wavelengths of light, including in the near IR range in which SLO and OCT imaging systems operate. It was not possible to capture SLO or OCT images through the iris-claw and PMMA occlusive IOLs in a model eye. Results suggest the property of near-IR transmission that permits SLO or OCT imaging through occlusive IOLs is restricted to the Morcher range of occlusive IOLs. Patients with non-near IR transmitting IOLs will not be able to receive detailed posterior segment monitoring with SLO or OCT. This finding may have a significant impact on preoperative occlusive IOL selection and the management of current patients with occlusive IOLs. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2012 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A test of phenotypic selection on petal form in the wild carnation, Dianthus inoxianus.

PubMed

Herrera, J; Balao, F

2015-11-01

Floral phenotypes are considered a product of pollinator-mediated selection, which also has the side effect of decreasing floral variation within species. Correlates of flower visibility and function were studied in a carnation species (Dianthus inoxianus), which has crepuscular anthesis and scent-based pollination by the hawkmoth Hyles livornica. We also assessed constancy of flower form in nature and in cultivation and, using fruit set as an estimate of plant relative fitness, tested whether the main pollinator exerted phenotypic selection on floral traits. Petal claw, which is roughly equivalent to the average depth at which an insect's proboscis must be inserted to reach nectar, was remarkably constant among wild plants (coefficient of variation 8%). In contrast, the area of the visible part of the petal, and the intensity of a coloured dot pattern on the petal was very variable (respectively CV = 34% and 102%). Cultivation in a common environment revealed significant variation among genotypes as regards petal area, degree of laciniation and extension of the dot pattern, but not petal claw length, which remained steady. Petal area, shape and colour did not affect relative fitness during the year of study, but plants with intermediate petal claws (i.e. floral tubes) set significantly more fruit. Results are compatible with low response of the main pollinator to variation in visual traits (petal area, laciniation, colour) and high responsiveness to variation in other aspects (tube length). Inconsistent phenotypic selection by pollinators may add to other causes of floral variation in the genus Dianthus, the causes of which are discussed. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Mercury in alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jagoe, C.H.; Arnold-Hill, B.; Yanochko, G.M.; Winger, P.V.; Brisbin, I.L.

1998-01-01

Mercury methylation may be enhanced in wetlands and humic-rich, blackwater systems that crocodiles and alligators typically inhabit. Given their high trophic level and long life-spans, crocodilians could accumulate significant burdens of Hg. Our objectives were to survey Hg concentrations in alligators from several areas in the southeastern United States to test their utility as sentinels of Hg contamination, to examine relationships among Hg concentrations in various tissues and to look for any differences in tissue Hg concentrations among locations. We measured total Hg concentrations in alligators collected in the Florida Everglades (n = 18), the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia (n = 9), the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina (n = 49) and various locations in central Florida ( n = 21), sampling tissues including blood, brain, liver, kidney, muscle, bone, fat, spleen, claws and dermal scutes. Alligators from the Everglades were mostly juvenile, but Hg concentrations in tissues were high (means: liver 41.0, kidney 36.4, muscle 5.6 mg Hg/kg dry wt.). Concentrations in alligators from other locations in Florida were lower (means: liver 14.6, kidney 12.6, muscle 1.8 mg Hg/kg dry wt.), although they tended to be larger adults. Alligators from the Okefenokee were smallest and had the lowest Hg concentrations (means: liver 4.3, kidney 4.8, muscle 0.8 mg Hg/kg dry wt.). At some locations, alligator length was correlated with Hg concentrations in some internal organs. However, at three of the four locations, muscle Hg was not related to length. Tissue Hg concentrations were correlated at most locations; however, claw or dermal scute Hg explained less than 74% of the variation of Hg in muscle or organs, suggesting readily-obtained tissues, such as scutes or claws, have limited value for nondestructive screening of Hg in alligator populations.

Short communication: infrared thermography and visual examination of hooves of dairy cows in two stages of lactation.

PubMed

Nikkhah, A; Plaizier, J C; Einarson, M S; Berry, R J; Scott, S L; Kennedy, A D

2005-08-01

Hooves of 16 lactating Holstein cows were examined twice for sole hemorrhages and underrun heels. Images of hooves were taken using infrared thermography to determine the temperatures of the coronary band and that of a control area above the coronary band. To adjust for skin (control) temperature, the difference (DeltaT) between the coronary band and the control area was calculated. Effects of stage of lactation, that is, 200 DIM, on temperature of the coronary band, DeltaT, and visual abnormalities were determined. Temperatures of the coronary bands of cows were greater for cows 200 DIM (6.1 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.9 degrees C). The DeltaT was greater for lateral claws than for medial claws (5.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 4.2 +/- 0.6 degrees C). Chi-square analysis revealed that the frequency of sole hemorrhages in hind lateral claws was significantly higher for cows 200 DIM. Increased temperatures of the coronary band and DeltaT in early/midlactation coincided with increased incidence of sole hemorrhages, but not to incidences of underrun heels. Because higher hoof temperatures occurred in cows

Hybridization between the African clawed frogs Xenopus laevis and Xenopus muelleri (Pipidae) increases the multiplicity of antimicrobial peptides in skin secretions of female offspring.

PubMed

Mechkarska, Milena; Meetani, Mohammed; Michalak, Pawel; Vaksman, Zalman; Takada, Koji; Conlon, J Michael

2012-09-01

Peptidomic analysis was used to compare the distribution of host-defense peptides in norepinephrine-stimulated skin secretions from laboratory-generated female F1 hybrids of the common clawed frog Xenopus laevis (Daudin, 1802) and Mueller's clawed frog Xenopus muelleri (Peters, 1844) with the corresponding distribution in skin secretions from the parent species. A total of 18 peptides were identified in secretions from the hybrid frogs. Eleven peptides (magainin-1, magainin-2, CPF-1, CPF-3, CPF-4, CPF-5, CPF-6, CPF-7, XPF-1, XPF-2, and PGLa) were identified in secretions of both the hybrids and X. laevis. Four peptides (magainin-M1, XPF-M1, CPF-M1, and tigerinin-M1) were previously found in skin secretions of X. muelleri but magainin-M2 and CPF-M2 from X. muelleri were not detected. Three previously undescribed peptides (magainin-LM1, PGLa-LM1, and CPF-LM1) were purified from the secretions of the hybrid frogs that were not detected in secretions from either X. laevis or X. muelleri. Magainin-LM1 differs from magainin-2 from X. laevis by a single amino acid substitution (Gly(13)→Ala) but PGLa-LM1 and CPF-LM1 differ appreciably in structure from orthologs in the parent species. CPF-LM1 shows potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and is hemolytic. The data indicate that hybridization increases the multiplicity of skin host-defense peptides in skin secretions. As the female F1 hybrids are fertile, hybridization may represent an adaptive strategy among Xenopus species to increase protection against pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 1915.165 - Ship's deck machinery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Ship's Machinery and Piping... claws (also known as chain stoppers) shall be made fast to the anchor chains. (2) The riding pawls shall...

21 CFR 874.4720 - Mediastinoscope and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... The device is made of materials such as stainless steel. This generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier. (b...

21 CFR 874.4720 - Mediastinoscope and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... The device is made of materials such as stainless steel. This generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier. (b...

21 CFR 874.4680 - Bronchoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... such as stainless steel or flexible plastic. This generic type of device includes the rigid ventilating... foreign body claw, bronchoscope tubing, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biopsy brush, rigid biopsy forceps, flexible biopsy curette, and rigid bronchoscope aspirating tube, but...

42 CFR 71.50 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... importations of various animal hosts or vectors or other etiological agents from foreign countries into the... the following meanings: Animal product or Product means the hide, hair, skull, teeth, bones, claws, blood, tissue, or other biological samples from an animal, including trophies, mounts, rugs, or other...

42 CFR 71.50 - Scope and definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... importations of various animal hosts or vectors or other etiological agents from foreign countries into the... the following meanings: Animal product or Product means the hide, hair, skull, teeth, bones, claws, blood, tissue, or other biological samples from an animal, including trophies, mounts, rugs, or other...

Host-defense and trefoil factor family peptides in skin secretions of the Mawa clawed frog Xenopus boumbaensis (Pipidae).

PubMed

Conlon, J Michael; Mechkarska, Milena; Kolodziejek, Jolanta; Leprince, Jérôme; Coquet, Laurent; Jouenne, Thierry; Vaudry, Hubert; Nowotny, Norbert; King, Jay D

2015-10-01

Peptidomic analysis of norepinephrine-stimulated skin secretions from the octoploid Mawa clawed frog Xenopus boumbaensis Loumont, 1983 led to the identification and characterization of 15 host-defense peptides belonging to the magainin (two peptides), peptide glycine-leucine-amide (PGLa; three peptides), xenopsin precursor fragment (XPF; three peptides), caerulein precursor fragment (CPF; two peptides), and caerulein precursor fragment-related peptide (CPF-RP; five peptides) families. In addition, caerulein and three peptides with structural similarity to the trefoil factor family (TFF) peptides, xP2 and xP4 from Xenopus laevis were also present in the secretions. Consistent with data from comparisons of the nucleotides sequence of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, the primary structures of the peptides suggest a close phylogenetic relationship between X. boumbaensis and the octoploid frogs Xenopus amieti and Xenopus andrei. As the three species occupy disjunct ranges within Cameroon, it is suggested that they diverged from a common ancestor by allopatric speciation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of 4-tert-octylphenol on Xenopus tropicalis in a Long Term Exposure

EPA Science Inventory

Endocrine disrupting chemicals that activate the estrogen receptor are routinely detected in the environment and are a concern for the health of both exposed humans and indigenous wildlife. We exposed the western clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis) to the weak estrogen octylphenol f...

21 CFR 874.4760 - Nasopharyngoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... made of materials such as stainless steel and flexible plastic. This generic type of device includes..., salpingoscope, flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biospy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier...

21 CFR 874.4760 - Nasopharyngoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... made of materials such as stainless steel and flexible plastic. This generic type of device includes..., salpingoscope, flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy curette, flexible biospy brush, rigid biopsy forceps and flexible biopsy curette, but excludes the fiberoptic light source and carrier...

Comparative Metabolic Physiology in the 'omics' Era: A Call to Arms, Paws, Flippers, and Claws

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In nutrition, medicine, and animal science, metabolism research is often focused on solving questions using a single organism. Outcomes are most often linked to translational outcomes--understanding or treating a disease, optimizing nutritional status, improving select qualities of production anima...

Biochemical Connections Between the Atmosphere and the Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liss, P. S.

INTRODUCTION THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE AIR-SEA EXCHANGE OF GASES OF IMPORTANCE Ozone Manmade Carbon Dioxide Dimethyl Sulphide Dimethyl Selenide Ammonia IMPACT OF ATMOSPHERIC DUST ON OCEAN BIOCHEMISTRY GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON BIOGEOCHEMICAL FLUXES ACROSS THE AIR-SEA INTERFACE DMS and the CLAW Hypothesis Iron REFERENCES

21 CFR 874.4710 - Esophagoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... disease, or to remove foreign bodies from the esophagus. When inserted, the device extends from the area.... 874.4710 Section 874.4710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy...

21 CFR 874.4710 - Esophagoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... disease, or to remove foreign bodies from the esophagus. When inserted, the device extends from the area.... 874.4710 Section 874.4710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy...

21 CFR 874.4710 - Esophagoscope (flexible or rigid) and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... disease, or to remove foreign bodies from the esophagus. When inserted, the device extends from the area.... 874.4710 Section 874.4710 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... generic type of device includes the flexible foreign body claw, flexible biopsy forceps, rigid biopsy...

Cultural Projects. Indian Education Program. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore Public Schools, OK.

The eight projects in this guide, developed for grades K-6, present various aspects of American Indian culture. The activities include discovering the importance of bear claw necklaces, making Kachina doll sack puppets, understanding the lifestyle of Plains Indians, interpreting the stories of Indian shields, making Indian games and toys, doing…

DC drive system for cine/pulse cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerlach, R. H.; Sharpsteen, J. T.; Solheim, C. D.; Stoap, L. J.

1977-01-01

Camera-drive functions are separated mechanically into two groups which are driven by two separate dc brushless motors. First motor, a 90 deg stepper, drives rotating shutter; second electronically commutated motor drives claw and film transport. Shutter is made of one piece but has two openings for slow and fast exposures.

Endocrine Toxicity of Trenbolone in the Western Clawed Frog, Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis

EPA Science Inventory

Trenbolone is a veterinarian pharmaceutical that acts as an androgen agonist and is used extensively in the beef industry. It is excreted from cattle is an active form and has been measured in aquatic systems associated with or near concentrated animal feeding operations. In an...

Red in Tooth, Claw, and Trigger Finger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barash, David P.

2005-01-01

Quoting literary and scientific works, the duality of good and evil in human nature is analyzed. Article discusses mankind's detrimental behavior towards the environment and extreme acts of violence among human beings while examining similar violent behavior in animals. It is concluded that humanity's deeds stem from shared cultural traits,…

In vitro synergism of a water insoluble fraction of Uncaria tomentosa combined with fluconazole and terbinafine against resistant non-Candida albicans isolates.

PubMed

Moraes, Renata Cougo; Carvalho, Anderson Ramos; Lana, Aline Jacobi Dalla; Kaiser, Samuel; Pippi, Bruna; Fuentefria, Alexandre Meneghello; Ortega, George González

2017-12-01

Uncaria tomentosa D.C. (Rubiaceae) has several biological activities, including activity against resistant Candida strains. The synergistic interaction with terbinafine or fluconazole can be an important alternative to overcome this resistance. The potential synergy between a water insoluble fraction (WIF) from Uncaria tomentosa bark and the antifungals terbinafine (TRB) and fluconazole (FLZ) against non-Candida albicans resistant strains was investigated. TRB and FLZ, alone and combined with WIF, were tested by the checkerboard procedure using the micro-dilution technique against seven isolates of Candida glabrata and C. krusei. The molecular interactions occurring outside the cell wall were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The checkerboard inhibitory assay demonstrated synergy for WIF:TRB and WIF:FLZ combinations, respectively. The best synergistic cell damage was demonstrated unequivocally for the associations of WIF and TRB (1.95:4.0 μg/mL) and WIF and FLZ (1.95:8.0 μg/mL). The comparison of the FT-IR spectra of the antifungal alone, and in combination with WIF, allows recognizing clear differences in 3000, 1600, 1400, and 700-800 cm -1 bands. Additionally, modifications on TRB and FLZ thermograms were clearly noticed after their combination with WIF. DSC and infrared analysis demonstrated intermolecular interactions between WIF and either TRB or FLZ. Hence, quite likely the synergistic effect is related to interaction events occurring outside the cell wall between antifungal and cat's claw proanthocyanidins. A direct action on the cell wall is suggested, without connection with the ABC efflux pump mechanism.

Potential pharmacokinetic interactions between antiretrovirals and medicinal plants used as complementary and African traditional medicines.

PubMed

Müller, Adrienne C; Kanfer, Isadore

2011-11-01

The use of traditional/complementary/alternate medicines (TCAMs) in HIV/AIDS patients who reside in Southern Africa is quite common. Those who use TCAMs in addition to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment may be at risk of experiencing clinically significant pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions, particularly between the TCAMs and the protease inhibitors (PIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Mechanisms of PK interactions include alterations to the normal functioning of drug efflux transporters, such as P-gp and/or CYP isoenzymes, such a CYP3A4 that mediate the absorption and elimination of drugs in the small intestine and liver. Specific mechanisms include inhibition and activation of these proteins and induction via the pregnane X receptor (PXR). Several clinical studies and case reports involving ARV-herb PK interactions have been reported. St John's Wort, Garlic and Cat's Claw exhibited potentially significant interactions, each with a PI or NNRTI. The potential for these herbs to induce PK interactions with drugs was first identified in reports of in vitro studies. Other in vitro studies have shown that several African traditional medicinal (ATM) plants and extracts may also demonstrate PK interactions with ARVs, through effects on CYP3A4, P-gp and PXR. The most complex effects were exhibited by Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Sutherlandia frutescens, Cyphostemma hildebrandtii, Acacia nilotica, Agauria salicifolia and Elaeodendron buchananii. Despite a high incidence of HIV/AIDs in the African region, only one clinical study, between efavirenz and Hypoxis hemerocallidea has been conducted. However, several issues/concerns still remain to be addressed and thus more studies on ATMs are warranted in order for more meaningful data to be generated and the true potential for such interactions to be determined. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Renal pelvic and ureteral ultrasonographic characteristics of cats with chronic kidney disease in comparison with normal cats, and cats with pyelonephritis or ureteral obstruction.

PubMed

Quimby, Jessica M; Dowers, Kristy; Herndon, Andrea K; Randall, Elissa K

2017-08-01

Objectives The objective was to describe ultrasonographic characteristics of cats with stable chronic kidney disease (CKD) and determine if these were significantly different from cats with pyelonephritis (Pyelo) and ureteral obstruction (UO), to aid in clinical assessment during uremic crisis. Methods Sixty-six cats with stable CKD were prospectively enrolled, as well as normal control cats (n = 10), cats with a clinical diagnosis of Pyelo (n = 13) and cats with UO confirmed by surgical resolution (n = 11). Renal ultrasound was performed and routine still images and cine loops were obtained. Analysis included degree of pelvic dilation, and presence and degree of ureteral dilation. Measurements were compared between groups using non-parametric one-way ANOVA with Dunn's post-hoc analysis. Results In total, 66.6% of CKD cats had measurable renal pelvic dilation compared with 30.0% of normal cats, 84.6% of Pyelo cats and 100% of UO cats. There was no statistically significant difference in renal pelvic widths between CKD cats and normal cats, or CKD cats and Pyelo cats. On almost all measurement categories, UO cats had significantly greater renal pelvic widths compared with CKD cats and normal cats ( P <0.05) but not Pyelo cats. Six percent of stable CKD cats had measurable proximal ureteral dilation on one or both sides vs 46.2% of Pyelo cats and 81.8% of UO cats. There was no statistically significant difference in proximal ureteral width between normal and CKD cats, or between Pyelo and UO cats. There was a statistically significant difference in proximal ureteral width between CKD and Pyelo cats, CKD and UO cats, normal and UO cats, and normal and Pyelo cats. Conclusions and relevance No significant difference in renal pelvic widths between CKD cats and Pyelo cats was seen. These data suggest CKD cats should have a baseline ultrasonography performed so that abnormalities documented during a uremic crisis can be better interpreted.

Constitutive expression of catABC genes in the aniline-assimilating bacterium Rhodococcus species AN-22: production, purification, characterization and gene analysis of CatA, CatB and CatC

PubMed Central

Matsumura, Eitaro; Sakai, Masashi; Hayashi, Katsuaki; Murakami, Shuichiro; Takenaka, Shinji; Aoki, Kenji

2005-01-01

The aniline-assimilating bacterium Rhodococcus sp. AN-22 was found to constitutively synthesize CatB (cis,cis-muconate cycloisomerase) and CatC (muconolactone isomerase) in its cells growing on non-aromatic substrates, in addition to the previously reported CatA (catechol 1,2-dioxygenase). The bacterium maintained the specific activity of the three enzymes at an almost equal level during cultivation on succinate. CatB and CatC were purified to homogeneity and characterized. CatB was a monomer with a molecular mass of 44 kDa. The enzyme was activated by Mn2+, Co2+ and Mg2+. Native CatC was a homo-octamer with a molecular mass of 100 kDa. The enzyme was stable between pH 7.0 and 10.5 and was resistant to heating up to 90 °C. Genes coding for CatA, CatB and CatC were cloned and named catA, catB and catC respectively. The catABC genes were transcribed as one operon. The deduced amino acid sequences of CatA, CatB and CatC showed high identities with those from other Gram-positive micro-organisms. A regulator gene such as catR encoding a regulatory protein was not observed around the cat gene cluster of Rhodococcus sp. AN-22, but a possible relic of catR was found in the upstream region of catA. Reverse transcriptase-PCR and primer extension analyses showed that the transcriptional start site of the cat gene cluster was located 891 bp upstream of the catA initiation codon in the AN-22 strain growing on both aniline and succinate. Based on these data, we concluded that the bacterium constitutively transcribed the catABC genes and translated its mRNA into CatA, CatB and CatC. PMID:16156722

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the cathepsin S inhibitor, LY3000328, in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Payne, Christopher D; Deeg, Mark A; Chan, Melanie; Tan, Lai Hock; LaBell, Elizabeth Smith; Shen, Tong; DeBrota, David J

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of LY3000328 when administered as single escalating doses to healthy volunteers. This was a phase 1, placebo-controlled, dose escalation study with LY3000328 in 21 healthy male volunteers. Subjects were administered escalating LY3000328 doses up to 300 mg with food in this single dose study. Blood samples were collected at set times post-dose for the assessment of LY3000328 pharmacokinetics and the measurement of cathepsin S (CatS) activity, CatS mass and calculated CatS specific activity. All doses of LY3000328 were well tolerated, with linear pharmacokinetics up to the 300 mg dose. The pharmacodynamic activity of LY3000328 was measured ex vivo showing a biphasic response to LY3000328, where CatS activity declines, then returns to baseline, and then increases to a level above baseline. CatS mass was also assessed post-dose which increased in a dose-dependent manner, and continued to increase after LY3000328 had been cleared from the body. CatS specific activity was additionally calculated to normalize CatS activity for changes in CatS mass. This demonstrated the increase in CatS activity was attributable to the increase in CatS mass detected in plasma. A specific inhibitor of CatS which is cleared quickly from plasma may produce a transient decrease in plasma CatS activity which is followed by a more prolonged increase in plasma CatS mass which may have implications for the future clinical development of inhibitors of CatS. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the cathepsin S inhibitor, LY3000328, in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Payne, Christopher D; Deeg, Mark A; Chan, Melanie; Tan, Lai Hock; LaBell, Elizabeth Smith; Shen, Tong; DeBrota, David J

2014-01-01

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of LY3000328 when administered as single escalating doses to healthy volunteers. Methods This was a phase 1, placebo-controlled, dose escalation study with LY3000328 in 21 healthy male volunteers. Subjects were administered escalating LY3000328 doses up to 300 mg with food in this single dose study. Blood samples were collected at set times post-dose for the assessment of LY3000328 pharmacokinetics and the measurement of cathepsin S (CatS) activity, CatS mass and calculated CatS specific activity. Results All doses of LY3000328 were well tolerated, with linear pharmacokinetics up to the 300 mg dose. The pharmacodynamic activity of LY3000328 was measured ex vivo showing a biphasic response to LY3000328, where CatS activity declines, then returns to baseline, and then increases to a level above baseline. CatS mass was also assessed post-dose which increased in a dose-dependent manner, and continued to increase after LY3000328 had been cleared from the body. CatS specific activity was additionally calculated to normalize CatS activity for changes in CatS mass. This demonstrated the increase in CatS activity was attributable to the increase in CatS mass detected in plasma. Conclusion A specific inhibitor of CatS which is cleared quickly from plasma may produce a transient decrease in plasma CatS activity which is followed by a more prolonged increase in plasma CatS mass which may have implications for the future clinical development of inhibitors of CatS. PMID:25039273

50 CFR 654.21 - Harvest limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... body when the entire appendage is extended. (See Appendix A, Figure 1, of this part.) (b) Egg-bearing stone crabs. An egg-bearing stone crab in or from the management area must be returned immediately to the water unharmed—without removal of a claw. An egg-bearing stone crab may not be stripped of its...

Red in Tooth and Claw? Images of Nature in Modern Picture Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marriott, Stuart

2002-01-01

Questions whether the mediated experience provided by picture books contributes toward or hinders a realistic and appropriate appreciation of the natural world. Argues that picture books present highly misleading images of animals and their habitats. Examines a few exceptional books that give an accurate and sensitive account of the animal kingdom…

Post-Sandy, Schools Claw Back

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2012-01-01

David Weiss, the superintendent in Long Beach, N.Y., wrestled with a slew of considerations last week as he weighed when to restart school, nine days after Hurricane Sandy wrecked his community. Just one of seven buildings had most of the essentials: electricity, heat, working fire alarms, sewage, and food. And, with many students and staff…

Female freshwater crayfish adjust egg and clutch size in relation to multiple male traits

PubMed Central

Galeotti, Paolo; Rubolini, Diego; Fea, Gianluca; Ghia, Daniela; Nardi, Pietro A; Gherardi, Francesca; Fasola, Mauro

2006-01-01

Females may invest more in reproduction if they acquire mates of high phenotypic quality, because offspring sired by preferred partners may be fitter than offspring sired by non-preferred ones. In this study, we tested the differential maternal allocation hypothesis in the freshwater crayfish, Austropotamobius italicus, by means of a pairing experiment aimed at evaluating the effects of specific male traits (body size, chelae size and chelae asymmetry) on female primary reproductive effort. Our results showed that females laid larger but fewer eggs for relatively small-sized, large-clawed males, and smaller but more numerous eggs for relatively large-sized, small-clawed males. Chelae asymmetry had no effects on female reproductive investment. While the ultimate consequences of this pattern of female allocation remain unclear, females were nevertheless able to adjust their primary reproductive effort in relation to mate characteristics in a species where inter-male competition and sexual coercion may mask or obscure their sexual preferences. In addition, our results suggest that female allocation may differentially affect male characters, thus promoting a trade-off between the expression of different male traits. PMID:16600888

Vocal classification of vocalizations of a pair of Asian small-clawed otters to determine stress.

PubMed

Scheifele, Peter M; Johnson, Michael T; Fry, Michelle; Hamel, Benjamin; Laclede, Kathryn

2015-07-01

Asian Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinerea) are a small, protected but threatened species living in freshwater. They are gregarious and live in monogamous pairs for their lifetimes, communicating via scent and acoustic vocalizations. This study utilized a hidden Markov model (HMM) to classify stress versus non-stress calls from a sibling pair under professional care. Vocalizations were expertly annotated by keepers into seven contextual categories. Four of these-aggression, separation anxiety, pain, and prefeeding-were identified as stressful contexts, and three of them-feeding, training, and play-were identified as non-stressful contexts. The vocalizations were segmented, manually categorized into broad vocal type call types, and analyzed to determine signal to noise ratios. From this information, vocalizations from the most common contextual categories were used to implement HMM-based automatic classification experiments, which included individual identification, stress vs non-stress, and individual context classification. Results indicate that both individual identity and stress vs non-stress were distinguishable, with accuracies above 90%, but that individual contexts within the stress category were not easily separable.

Population structure of the African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) in maize-growing areas with atrazine application versus non-maize-growing areas in South Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Du Preez, L.H.; Solomon, K.R.; Carr, J.A.; Giesy, J.P.; Gross, T.S.; Kendall, R.J.; Smith, E.E.; Van Der Kraak, G. L.; Weldon, C.

2005-01-01

The herbicide atrazine has been suggested to cause gonadal deformities in frogs and could possibly impact on reproduction. Since the early 1960s, atrazine has been used in large amounts in maize production areas of South Africa. These areas overlap with populations of the African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) that has a wide distribution in southern Africa and is found in most water-bodies including those where atrazine residues are detected. The aim of this study was to compare various attributes of individual- and population-level responses of X. laevis from maize-growing and non-maize-growing areas. Xenopus laevis were studied in three reference and five maize-growing sites. Sex ratio, snout-vent length, body-mass and age profiles were found to be similar for populations in maize-growing and non-maize-growing areas. Our mark-recapture data indicated that all sites had robust populations. There were no significant relationships between exposure to atrazine and any of the parameters investigated in populations of X. laevis.

Body burdens of heavy metals in Lake Michigan wetland turtles.

PubMed

Smith, Dayna L; Cooper, Matthew J; Kosiara, Jessica M; Lamberti, Gary A

2016-02-01

Tissue heavy metal concentrations in painted (Chrysemys picta) and snapping (Chelydra serpentina) turtles from Lake Michigan coastal wetlands were analyzed to determine (1) whether turtles accumulated heavy metals, (2) if tissue metal concentrations were related to environmental metal concentrations, and (3) the potential for non-lethal sampling techniques to be used for monitoring heavy metal body burdens in freshwater turtles. Muscle, liver, shell, and claw samples were collected from painted and snapping turtles and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Turtle tissues had measurable quantities of all eight metals analyzed. Statistically significant correlations between tissue metal concentrations and sediment metal concentrations were found for a subset of metals. Metals were generally found in higher concentrations in the larger snapping turtles than in painted turtles. In addition, non-lethal samples of shell and claw were found to be possible alternatives to lethal liver and muscle samples for some metals. Human consumption of snapping turtles presents potential health risks if turtles are harvested from contaminated areas. Overall, our results suggest that turtles could be a valuable component of contaminant monitoring programs for wetland ecosystems.

The amazing diversity of the genus Monospilus Sars, 1862 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Aloninae) in South America.

PubMed

Sousa, Francisco Diogo R; Elmoor-Loureiro, Lourdes M A; Panarelli, Eliana A

2017-03-13

The main goal of this paper is to describe three new species of the genus Monospilus Sars, 1862 (Crustacea: Cladocera). Monospilus macroerosus sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus in several peculiar morphological traits, the most striking being the presence of a saw-shaped pecten of teeth on the postabdominal claw. This species inhabits semiterrestrial habitats (wet leaf litter on hydromorphic soil from gallery forest), exhibiting adaptations related to movement and food handling in this type of habitat. Monospilus brachyspinus sp. nov. inhabits truly aquatic habitats, where lives being associated with macrophytes and submerged leaves. It may be recognized by the postabdominal claw, which is armed with proximal spinulae modified in a short spine. In Monospilus sp., the proximal spinulae are modified in a long and slender spine. So far, Monospilus sp. occurs in southern South America, while Monospilus macroerosus sp. nov. and Monospilus brachyspinus sp. nov. occur in the Cerrado biome in Brazil, in the central portion of South America. Some conclusions about the conservation status of new species also are made.

Methyl farnesoate levels in male spider crabs exhibiting active reproductive behavior.

PubMed

Sagi, A; Ahl, J S; Danaee, H; Laufer, H

1994-09-01

The concentration of methyl farnesoate (MF) in the hemolymph and its synthesis by the mandibular organs (MOs) were investigated to determine whether this compound is related to the differences in the size of the reproductive system and the mating behavior among male morphotypes of the spider crab, Libinia emarginata. Large-claw abraded males displayed mating behavior under competitive conditions. They have the largest reproductive systems, their MOs synthesize large amounts of MF in vitro, and the concentration of MF in their hemolymph is high. Small-claw abraded males displayed mating behavior with receptive females only when isolated. These smaller crabs have intermediate-sized reproductive systems, their MOs synthesize the most MF, and they have the highest circulating level of MF relative to their body size. The unabraded males did not display mating behavior; their reproductive systems are smaller; their MO activity is low, as is their circulating level of MF. The strong relationship between MF levels and the intensity of reproductive behavior suggests that MF may be one of the driving forces behind mating behavior in Crustacea.

Assessment of Hg Pollution Released from a WWII Submarine Wreck (U-864) by Hg Isotopic Analysis of Sediments and Cancer pagurus Tissues.

PubMed

Rua-Ibarz, Ana; Bolea-Fernandez, Eduardo; Maage, Amund; Frantzen, Sylvia; Valdersnes, Stig; Vanhaecke, Frank

2016-10-04

Hg pollution released from the U-864 submarine sunk during WWII and potential introduction of that Hg into the marine food chain have been studied by a combination of quantitative Hg and MeHg determination and Hg isotopic analysis via cold vapor generation multicollector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (CVG-MC-ICP-MS) in sediment and Cancer pagurus samples. The sediment pollution could be unequivocally linked with the metallic Hg present in the wreck. Crabs were collected at the wreck location and 4 nmi north and south, and their brown and claw meat were analyzed separately. For brown meat, the δ 202 Hg values of the individuals from the wreck location were shifted toward the isotopic signature of the sediment and, thus, the submarine Hg. Such differences were not found for claw meat. The isotope ratio results suggest direct ingestion of metallic Hg by C. pagurus but do not offer any proof for any other introduction of the submarine Hg into the marine food chain.

Identification and characterization of amelogenin genes in monotremes, reptiles, and amphibians

PubMed Central

Toyosawa, Satoru; O’hUigin, Colm; Figueroa, Felipe; Tichy, Herbert; Klein, Jan

1998-01-01

Two features make the tooth an excellent model in the study of evolutionary innovations: the relative simplicity of its structure and the fact that the major tooth-forming genes have been identified in eutherian mammals. To understand the nature of the innovation at the molecular level, it is necessary to identify the homologs of tooth-forming genes in other vertebrates. As a first step toward this goal, homologs of the eutherian amelogenin gene have been cloned and characterized in selected species of monotremes (platypus and echidna), reptiles (caiman), and amphibians (African clawed toad). Comparisons of the homologs reveal that the amelogenin gene evolves quickly in the repeat region, in which numerous insertions and deletions have obliterated any similarity among the genes, and slowly in other regions. The gene organization, the distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments in the encoded protein, and several other features have been conserved throughout the evolution of the tetrapod amelogenin gene. Clones corresponding to one locus only were found in caiman, whereas the clawed toad possesses at least two amelogenin-encoding loci. PMID:9789040

Coherent launch-site atmospheric wind sounder - Theory and experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, James G.; Targ, Russell; Henderson, Sammy W.; Hale, Charley P.; Kavaya, Michael J.; Moerder, Daniel

1993-01-01

The coherent launch-site atmospheric wind sounder (CLAWS) is a lidar atmospheric wind sensor designed to measure the winds above space launch facilities to an altitude of 20 km. In our development studies, lidar sensor requirements are defined, a system to meet those requirements is defined and built, and the concept is evaluated, with recommendations for the most feasible and cost-effective lidar system for use as an input to a guidance and control system for missile or spacecraft launches. The ability of CLAWS to meet NASA goals for increased safety and launch/mission flexibility is evaluated in a field test program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in which we investigate maximum detection range, refractive turbulence, and aerosol backscattering efficiency. The Nd:YAG coherent lidar operating at 1.06 micron with 1-J energy per pulse is able to make real-time measurements of the 3D wind field at KSC to an altitude of 26 km, in good agreement with our performance simulations. It also shows the height and thickness of the volcanic layer caused by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.

A review of over three decades of research on cat-human and human-cat interactions and relationships.

PubMed

Turner, Dennis C

2017-08-01

This review article covers research conducted over the last three decades on cat-human and human-cat interactions and relationships, especially from an ethological point of view. It includes findings on cat-cat and cat-human communication, cat personalities and cat-owner personalities, the effects of cats on humans, and problems caused by cats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of coal combustion residues and their immunological effects in the yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta).

PubMed

Haskins, David L; Hamilton, Matthew T; Jones, Amanda L; Finger, John W; Bringolf, Robert B; Tuberville, Tracey D

2017-05-01

Anthropogenic activities such as industrial processes often produce copious amounts of contaminants that have the potential to negatively impact growth, survival, and reproduction of exposed wildlife. Coal combustion residues (CCRs) represent a major source of pollutants globally, resulting in the release of potentially harmful trace elements such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and selenium (Se) into the environment. In the United States, CCRs are typically stored in aquatic settling basins that may become attractive nuisances to wildlife. Trace element contaminants, such as CCRs, may pose a threat to biota yet little is known about their sublethal effects on reptiles. To assess the effects of CCR exposure in turtles, we sampled 81 yellow-bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) in 2014-2015 from CCR-contaminated and uncontaminated reference wetlands located on the Savannah River Site (Aiken, SC, USA). Specific aims were to (1) compare the accumulation of trace elements in T. s. scripta claw and blood samples between reference and CCR-contaminated site types, (2) evaluate potential immunological effects of CCRs via bacterial killing assays and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) assays, and (3) quantify differences in hemogregarine parasite loads between site types. Claw As, Cd, copper (Cu), and Se (all p ≤ 0.001) and blood As, Cu, Se, and strontium (Sr; p ≤ 0.015) were significantly elevated in turtles from CCR-contaminated wetlands compared to turtles from reference wetlands. Turtles from reference wetlands exhibited lower bacterial killing (p = 0.015) abilities than individuals from contaminated sites but neither PHA responses (p = 0.566) nor parasite loads (p = 0.980) differed by site type. Despite relatively high CCR body burdens, sliders did not exhibit apparent impairment of immunological response or parasite load. In addition, the high correlation between claw and blood concentrations within individuals suggests that nonlethal tissue sampling may be useful for monitoring CCR exposure in turtles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detiding Tsunami Currents to Validate Velocities in Numerical Simulation Codes using Observations Near Hawaii from the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, L. M.; LeVeque, R. J.

2015-12-01

The ability to measure, predict, and compute tsunami flow velocities is ofimportance in risk assessment and hazard mitigation. Until recently, fewdirect measurements of tsunami velocities existed to compare with modelresults. During the 11 March 2001 Tohoku Tsunami, 328 current meters werewere in place around the Hawaiian Islands, USA, that captured time seriesof water velocity in 18 locations, in both harbors and deep channels, ata series of depths. Arcos and LeVeque[1] compared these records againstnumerical simulations performed using the GeoClaw numerical tsunami modelwhich is based on the depth-averaged shallow water equations. They confirmedthat GeoClaw can accurately predict velocities at nearshore locations, andthat tsunami current velocity is more spatially variable than wave formor height and potentially more sensitive for model validation.We present a new approach to detiding this sensitive current data. Thisapproach can be used separately on data at each depth of a current gauge.When averaged across depths, the Geoclaw results in [1] are validated. Withoutaveraging, the results should be useful to researchers wishing to validate their3D codes. These results can be downloaded from the project website below.The approach decomposes the pre-tsunami component of the data into three parts:a tidal component, a fast component (noise), and a slow component (not matchedby the harmonic analysis). Each part is extended to the time when the tsunamiis present and subtracted from the current data then to give the ''tsunami current''that can be compared with 2D or 3D codes that do not model currents in thepre-tsunami regime. [1] "Validating Velocities in the GeoClaw Tsunami Model using Observations NearHawaii from the 2001 Tohoku Tsunami"M.E.M. Arcos and Randall J. LeVequearXiv:1410.2884v1 [physics.geo-py], 10 Oct. 2014.project website: http://faculty.washington.edu/lma3/research.html

European organic dairy farmers' preference for animal health management within the farm management system.

PubMed

van Soest, F J S; Mourits, M C M; Hogeveen, H

2015-11-01

The expertise and knowledge of veterinary advisors on improving animal health management is key towards a better herd health status. However, veterinary advisors are not always aware of the goals and priorities of dairy farmers. To dairy farmers animal health is only one aspect of farm management and resources may be allocated to other more preferred areas. Veterinary advisors may experience this as non-compliant with their advice. To explore the preferences of European Union (EU) organic dairy farmers for improved animal health management relative to other farm management areas an adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) was performed. A total of 215 farmers participated originating from organic dairy farms in France (n = 70), Germany (n = 60), Spain (n = 28) and Sweden (n = 57). The management areas udder health and claw health represented animal health management whereas barn, calf and pasture management represented potential conflicting management areas. Results indicate that EU organic dairy farmers differ in their preferences for improved animal health management within the farming system. In general, improved calf management was the most preferred area and improved claw health management was found to be least preferred, the remaining areas were of intermediate interest. Cluster analyses on claw health measures and udder health measures resulted in respectively seven and nine distinct preference profiles. The results indicate a high degree of variation in farmers' preference, which cannot be explained by the typical herd characteristics. With the individual preferences revealed by ACA, a veterinary advisor can now find out whether his intended advice is directed at a favourable or unfavourable management area of the farmer. If the latter is the case the veterinarian should first create awareness of the problem to the farmer. Insights in individual farmers preferences will allow veterinary advisors to better understand why farmers were incompliant with their advice and improve their advice by showing, for example, the potential benefits of their advice.

Effects of environmentally relevant sub-chronic atrazine concentrations on African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) survival, growth and male gonad development.

PubMed

Rimayi, Cornelius; Odusanya, David; Weiss, Jana M; de Boer, Jacob; Chimuka, Luke; Mbajiorgu, Felix

2018-06-01

Sub-chronic toxicity of environmentally relevant atrazine concentrations on exposed tadpoles and adult male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) was evaluated in a quality controlled laboratory for 90 days. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of atrazine on the survival, growth and gonad development of African clawed frogs. After exposure of tadpoles to atrazine concentrations of 0 (control), 0.01, 200 and 500 μg L -1 in water, mortality rates of 0, 0, 3.3 and 70% respectively were recorded for the 90 day exposure period. Morphometry showed significantly reduced tadpole mass in the 500 μg L -1 atrazine exposed tadpoles (p < 0.05). Light microscopy on testes of adult frogs exposed to the same atrazine concentrations using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Van Gieson staining techniques revealed gonadal atrophy, disruption of germ cell lines, seminiferous tubule structure damage and formation of extensive connective tissue around seminiferous tubules of frogs exposed to 200 μg L -1 and 500 μg L -1 atrazine concentrations. Ultrastructural analysis of the cellular organelles using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed significant amounts of damaged mitochondria in testosterone producing Leydig cells as well as Sertoli cells. Biochemical analysis revealed reduced serum testosterone levels in adult frogs at all exposure levels as well as presence of six atrazine metabolites in frog serum and liver. The results indicate that atrazine concentrations greater than the calculated LC50 of 343.7 μg L -1 cause significant mortality in tadpoles, while concentrations ≥200 μg L -1 adversely affect reproductive health of adult frogs and development of tadpoles sub-chronically exposed to atrazine. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Survey of Public Opinion on Cat (Felis catus) Predation and the Future Direction of Cat Management in New Zealand

PubMed Central

Walker, Jessica K.; Bruce, Stephanie J.; Dale, Arnja R.

2017-01-01

Simple Summary The need to balance the benefits of cat ownership with the prevention of wildlife predation in New Zealand evokes strong and opposing views. This paper evaluates public concern for wildlife predation by four categories of cats; owned cats, managed-stray cats, unmanaged-stray cats, and feral cats. In addition, public support for a National Cat Management Strategy and a range of management techniques are investigated. Although the participants expressed concern regarding wildlife predation by all four categories of cats, the highest levels of concern were predation by feral cats, followed by unmanaged stray cats, then managed stray cats, and finally owned cats. The large majority of participants were found to support the implementation of a National Cat Management Strategy. Management techniques for owned cats that obtained public support included; cat exclusion zones, limits on ownership numbers, microchipping, Council registration, and de-sexing. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) was the favoured management technique for managed stray cats, while TNR and lethal management techniques were equally favoured for unmanaged stray cats. Lethal control methods were favoured for feral cats. The findings presented in this paper will be useful to consider during the development of legislation relating to cat management and predation in New Zealand. Abstract Cat predation is a prominent issue in New Zealand that provokes strong and opposing views. We explored, via 1011 face-to-face questionnaires, public opinion on (a) support for a National Cat Management Strategy (78% support); (b) concern regarding predation of wildlife by owned and un-owned cats (managed stray, unmanaged stray, and feral cats); (c) the acceptability of management techniques for owned cats; and (d) the acceptability of population management techniques for un-owned cats. The highest concern was expressed regarding the predation of non-native and native wildlife by feral cats (60 and 86% repectively), followed by unmanaged stray cats (59 and 86% respectively), managed stray cats (54 and 82% respectively), and finally owned cats (38 and 69% repectively). Limits to the number of cats owned and cat restriction zones received high levels of support (>65%), and compulsory microchipping, Council registration, and de-sexing were supported by the majority (>58%). Public support of population control methods for unowned cats was explored, and the influence of participant demographic variables on responses is described. These findings provide insight into public opinion regarding the management of cats in New Zealand, which should be considered during the development of legislation in this area. PMID:28671609

The Feline Mystique: Dispelling the Myth of the Independent Cat.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soltow, Willow

1984-01-01

Describes learning activities about cats for primary and intermediate grades. Primary grade activity subjects include cat behavior, needs, breeds, storybook cats, and celestial cats. Intermediate grade activity subjects include cat history, care, language, literary cats, and cats in art. (BC)

Multistate matrix population model to assess the contributions and impacts on population abundance of domestic cats in urban areas including owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in shelters

PubMed Central

Coe, Jason B.

2018-01-01

Concerns over cat homelessness, over-taxed animal shelters, public health risks, and environmental impacts has raised attention on urban-cat populations. To truly understand cat population dynamics, the collective population of owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in the shelter system must be considered simultaneously because each subpopulation contributes differently to the overall population of cats in a community (e.g., differences in neuter rates, differences in impacts on wildlife) and cats move among categories through human interventions (e.g., adoption, abandonment). To assess this complex socio-ecological system, we developed a multistate matrix model of cats in urban areas that include owned cats, unowned cats (free-roaming and feral), and cats that move through the shelter system. Our model requires three inputs—location, number of human dwellings, and urban area—to provide testable predictions of cat abundance for any city in North America. Model-predicted population size of unowned cats in seven Canadian cities were not significantly different than published estimates (p = 0.23). Model-predicted proportions of sterile feral cats did not match observed sterile cat proportions for six USA cities (p = 0.001). Using a case study from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, we compared model-predicted to empirical estimates of cat abundance in each subpopulation and used perturbation analysis to calculate relative sensitivity of vital rates to cat abundance to demonstrate how management or mismanagement in one portion of the population could have repercussions across all portions of the network. Our study provides a general framework to consider cat population abundance in urban areas and, with refinement that includes city-specific parameter estimates and modeling, could provide a better understanding of population dynamics of cats in our communities. PMID:29489854

Multistate matrix population model to assess the contributions and impacts on population abundance of domestic cats in urban areas including owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in shelters.

PubMed

Flockhart, D T Tyler; Coe, Jason B

2018-01-01

Concerns over cat homelessness, over-taxed animal shelters, public health risks, and environmental impacts has raised attention on urban-cat populations. To truly understand cat population dynamics, the collective population of owned cats, unowned cats, and cats in the shelter system must be considered simultaneously because each subpopulation contributes differently to the overall population of cats in a community (e.g., differences in neuter rates, differences in impacts on wildlife) and cats move among categories through human interventions (e.g., adoption, abandonment). To assess this complex socio-ecological system, we developed a multistate matrix model of cats in urban areas that include owned cats, unowned cats (free-roaming and feral), and cats that move through the shelter system. Our model requires three inputs-location, number of human dwellings, and urban area-to provide testable predictions of cat abundance for any city in North America. Model-predicted population size of unowned cats in seven Canadian cities were not significantly different than published estimates (p = 0.23). Model-predicted proportions of sterile feral cats did not match observed sterile cat proportions for six USA cities (p = 0.001). Using a case study from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, we compared model-predicted to empirical estimates of cat abundance in each subpopulation and used perturbation analysis to calculate relative sensitivity of vital rates to cat abundance to demonstrate how management or mismanagement in one portion of the population could have repercussions across all portions of the network. Our study provides a general framework to consider cat population abundance in urban areas and, with refinement that includes city-specific parameter estimates and modeling, could provide a better understanding of population dynamics of cats in our communities.

Comparative study of aural microflora in healthy cats, allergic cats and cats with systemic disease.

PubMed

Pressanti, Charline; Drouet, Clémence; Cadiergues, Marie-Christine

2014-12-01

Twenty healthy cats (group 1) with clinically normal ears, 15 cats with systemic disease (group 2) and 15 allergic cats (group 3) were included in a prospective study. The experimental unit was the ear. A clinical score was established for each ear canal after otoscopic examination. Microbial population was assessed on cytological examination of smears performed with the cotton-tipped applicator smear technique. Fungal population was significantly more prominent in allergic cats (P <0.001) and in diseased cats compared with healthy cats (P <0.02). Bacterial population was significantly higher in allergic cats than in healthy cats (P <0.001) and cats suffering from systemic disease (P <0.001). Bacterial overgrowth was also higher in cats with systemic disease than healthy cats. In cats from group 2, only fungal overgrowth was associated with otitis severity. In group 3, only bacterial overgrowth was associated with otitis severity. © ISFM and AAFP 2014.

Cat Ownership Perception and Caretaking Explored in an Internet Survey of People Associated with Cats

PubMed Central

Zito, Sarah; Vankan, Dianne

2015-01-01

People who feed cats that they do not perceive they own (sometimes called semi-owners) are thought to make a considerable contribution to unwanted cat numbers because the cats they support are generally not sterilized. Understanding people’s perception of cat ownership and the psychology underlying cat semi-ownership could inform approaches to mitigate the negative effects of cat semi-ownership. The primary aims of this study were to investigate cat ownership perception and to examine its association with human-cat interactions and caretaking behaviours. A secondary aim was to evaluate a definition of cat semi-ownership (including an association time of ≥1 month and frequent feeding), revised from a previous definition proposed in the literature to distinguish cat semi-ownership from casual interactions with unowned cats. Cat owners and semi-owners displayed similar types of interactions and caretaking behaviours. Nevertheless, caretaking behaviours were more commonly displayed towards owned cats than semi-owned cats, and semi-owned cats were more likely to have produced kittens (p<0.01). All interactions and caretaking behaviours were more likely to be displayed towards cats in semi-ownership relationships compared to casual interaction relationships. Determinants of cat ownership perception were identified (p<0.05) and included association time, attachment, perceived cat friendliness and health, and feelings about unowned cats, including the acceptability of feeding unowned cats. Encouraging semi-owners to have the cats they care for sterilized may assist in reducing the number of unwanted kittens and could be a valuable alternative to trying to prevent semi-ownership entirely. Highly accessible semi-owner “gatekeepers” could help to deliver education messages and facilitate the provision of cat sterilization services to semi-owners. This research enabled semi-ownership to be distinguished from casual interaction relationships and can assist welfare and government agencies to identify cat semi-owners in order to develop strategies to address this source of unwanted cats. PMID:26218243

Direction discrimination learning in normal and visually deprived cats and the effects of lateral suprasylvian lesions.

PubMed

Burnat, K; Zernicki, B

1997-01-01

We used 5 binocularly deprived cats (BD cats), 4 control cats reared also in the laboratory (C cats) and 4 cats reared in a normal environment (N cats). The cats were trained to discriminate an upward or downward-moving light spot versus a stationary spot (detection task) and then an upward versus a downward spot (direction task). The N and C cats learned slowly. The learning was slower than in previously studied discriminations of stationary stimuli. However, all N and C cats mastered the detection task and except one C cat the direction task. In contrast, 4 BD cats failed in the detection task and all in the direction task. This result is consistent with single-cell recording data showing impairment of direction analysis in the visual system in BD cats. After completing the training the upper part of the middle suprasylvian sulcus was removed unilaterally in 7 cats and bilaterally in 6 cats. Surprisingly, the unilateral lesions were more effective: the clear-cut retention deficits were found in 5 cats lesioned unilaterally, whereas only in one cat lesioned bilaterally.

50 CFR 654.21 - Harvest limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-bearing stone crabs. An egg-bearing stone crab in or from the management area must be returned immediately to the water unharmed—without removal of a claw. An egg-bearing stone crab may not be stripped of its... container that is shaded from direct sunlight and it is wet with sea water as necessary to keep it in a damp...

Butterfly Chronicles: Imagination and Desire in Natural & Literary Histories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacRae, Ian J.

2008-01-01

Fragile, ethereal, beautiful, the butterfly is at the same time decidedly strange in appearance. They are without mandibles, unlike most insects, but sport instead a proboscis, sometimes one and a half times their body length, which they use to drink liquids as if through a straw. They have large, compound eyes, tiny nails or claws, and strange…

Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

(the Crab; abbrev. Cnc, genitive Cancri; area 506 sq. deg.) A northern zodiacal constellation which lies between Gemini and Leo, and culminates at midnight in late January. It represents the crab that, in Greek mythology, Hercules crushed underfoot during his fight with the multi-headed Hydra. The name of α Cancri, its brightest star, is Acubens, which comes from the Arabic word meaning `the claw...

Effect of single-cat versus multi-cat home history on perceived behavioral stress in domestic cats (Felis silvestrus catus) in an animal shelter.

PubMed

Broadley, Heidi M; McCobb, Emily C; Slater, Margaret R

2014-02-01

This study investigates the effect of living with other cats in a prior home on stress levels of cats recently surrendered to an animal shelter. A total of 63 cats was evaluated using a Cat-Stress-Score and an approach test. Cats were categorized in terms of previous home history with or without other cats. No significant difference was found in stress scores between cats from single-cat households and those from multiple-cat households, although single cats that had been in the shelter less than 4 days demonstrated higher stress levels. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of approach results. Results of this study suggest that, in traditional individual cage settings, cats that are not accustomed to living with other cats may experience more stress in the initial few days of attempting to adjust to shelter existence. Through the use of such assessments, shelter personnel may develop an increased awareness to the needs of these cats and attempt to provide measures to improve their well-being within the shelter environment.

Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter.

PubMed

Patronek, G J; Glickman, L T; Beck, A M; McCabe, G P; Ecker, C

1996-08-01

To identify feline and household characteristics associated with relinquishment of a pet cat to an animal shelter. Case-control study. Households that relinquished cats for adoption (case households) and a random sample of current cat-owning households in the same community (control households). Potentially modifiable risk factors with the highest population attributable risk for relinquishment were owners having specific expectations about the cat's role in the household, allowing the cat outdoors, owning a sexually intact cat, never having read a book about cat behavior, cats having daily or weekly inappropriate elimination, and inappropriate care expectations. Frequency of inappropriate elimination and aggression toward people were not associated with declaw status, but these behaviors were more common among sexually intact cats, compared with sterilized cats. Owners of cats in case households were more likely than owners in control households to cite cost of sterilization as a reason a cat was sexually intact. Cats found as strays and cats acquired with minimal planning were at decreased risk of relinquishment. The identified risk factors can be modified by cat owners and veterinarians to decrease the estimated 4 million cats euthanatized annually in animal shelters. Owner education programs are needed as well as increased awareness on the part of cat owners and veterinarians of the importance of resolving feline inappropriate elimination problems.

Feral Cats: Too Long a Threat to Hawaiian Wildlife

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hess, Steven C.; Banko, Paul C.

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Domestic cats (Felis catus) were first brought to Hawai`i aboard sailing ships of European explorers and colonists. The job of these predators was to control mice and rats on the ships during the long voyages. As in other places, cats were taken in and adopted by the families of Hawai`i and soon became household pets known as popoki. But cats have always been very well equipped to live and hunt on their own. On tropical archipelagos like the Hawaiian Islands where no other predatory mammals of comparable size existed, abundant and naive prey were particularly easy game, and cats soon thrived in the wild. Although the details of when cats first came to live in the wild remain little known, adventurers, writers, and naturalists of the day recorded some important observations. Feral cats were observed in remote wilderness around K?ilauea volcano on Hawai`i Island as early as 1840 by explorer William Brackenridge. Mark Twain was so impressed by the great abundance of cats when he visited Honolulu in 1866 that he reported his observations in the Sacramento Union newspaper, which were later reprinted in his book Roughing It: I saw... tame cats, wild cats, singed cats, individual cats, groups of cats, platoons of cats, companies of cats, regiments of cats, armies of cats, multitudes of cats, millions of cats...

Demographics, lifestyle and veterinary care of cats in Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

Johnston, Laura; Szczepanski, Julia; McDonagh, Phillip

2017-12-01

Objectives The aim of this survey was to provide up-to-date information on the demographics, lifestyle and veterinary care of cats in Australia and New Zealand. Methods An online survey consisting of 19 questions was created using SurveyMonkey. Cat owners were invited to participate through advertisements in veterinary clinics and social media. Results The average number of cats in a household was two. The majority of cats lived in free-standing houses (78%) in the suburbs (66%). The majority of cats were desexed (94% [49% female neutered; 45% male neutered]). A total of 57% of cats had been strays or came from an animal shelter. A total of 40% of owners had intended not to let the cats outside when they first acquired them. A total of 63% of cats were described as indoor-outdoor cats. Although owners described 34% of cats as 'indoor only', 58% of those cats had access to the outdoors. The majority of respondents' cats were vaccinated annually (63%) and visited a vet at least annually (79%). The most common reasons to take a cat to the vet were vaccinations or the cat being unwell. The most common reasons not to regularly take the cat to the vet were that the cat was never unwell, cost or stress for the cat. Conclusions and relevance Consideration of the lifestyle of cats is important to optimise veterinary care. Cats across Australia and New Zealand have a variety of different and changing lifestyles. Therefore, careful owner questioning is required at each visit to maximise healthcare outcomes for cats.

Effects of a synthetic facial pheromone on behavior of cats.

PubMed

Griffith, C A; Steigerwald, E S; Buffington, C A

2000-10-15

TO evaluate the effects of a synthetic feline facial pheromone (FFP) on behavior and food intake of healthy versus clinically ill cats. Original study. 20 cats were used in each of 2 studies. In each study, 7 cats were considered healthy, and 13 cats were determined to be clinically ill. In study 1, cats were assigned either to exposure to FFP (treated group; 4 healthy, 6 ill cats) or to exposure to the vehicle (70% ethanol solution; control group; 3 healthy, 7 ill cats). Cats were placed in a cage containing a small cotton towel that had been sprayed with FFP or vehicle 30 minutes previously. Cats were then videotaped for 125 minutes, and food intake was measured during this period. Videotapes were scored at 5-minute intervals for various behaviors. In study 2, cats were categorized in 1 of 2 groups; group 1 (2 healthy, 8 ill cats) had a cat carrier placed in their cages, and group 2 (5 healthy, 5 ill cats) did not. All cats were exposed to FFP, and 24-hour food intake was measured. Differences between behaviors of healthy versus clinically ill cats were not identified. In the first study, significant increases in grooming and interest in food were found in cats exposed to FFP compared with vehicle. For all cats, significant positive correlations were detected between grooming and facial rubbing, walking and facial rubbing, interest in food and facial rubbing, eating and facial rubbing, grooming and interest in food, and grooming and eating. In the second study, 24-hour food intake was significantly greater in cats exposed to FFP and the cat carrier, compared with cats exposed to FFP alone. Results suggest that exposure to FFP may be useful to increase food intake of hospitalized cats.

Feline immunodeficiency virus testing in stray, feral, and client-owned cats of Ottawa

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Abstract Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) seroprevalence is evaluated in 3 groups of cats. Seventy-four unowned urban strays were tested, as well as 20 cats from a small feral cat colony, and 152 client-owned cats. Of the 246 cats tested, 161 (65%) were male and 85 (35%) were female. Seroprevalence for FIV was 23% in the urban strays, 5% in the feral cat colony, and 5.9% in the client-owned cats. Ten cats (4%) were also positive for Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen, including 2 cats coinfected with FeLV and FIV. Seroprevalence for FIV in cats from Ottawa is similar to that found in other nonrandom studies of cats in North America. PMID:16454381

Feline immunodeficiency virus testing in stray, feral, and client-owned cats of Ottawa.

PubMed

Little, Susan E

2005-10-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) seroprevalence is evaluated in 3 groups of cats. Seventy-four unowned urban strays were tested, as well as 20 cats from a small feral cat colony, and 152 client-owned cats. Of the 246 cats tested, 161 (65%) were male and 85 (35%) were female. Seroprevalence for FIV was 23% in the urban strays, 5% in the feral cat colony, and 5.9% in the client-owned cats. Ten cats (4%) were also positive for Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) antigen, including 2 cats coinfected with FeLV and FIV. Seroprevalence for FIV in cats from Ottawa is similar to that found in other nonrandom studies of cats in North America.

Metabolic and hormonal alterations in cats with hepatic lipidosis.

PubMed

Brown, B; Mauldin, G E; Armstrong, J; Moroff, S D; Mauldin, G N

2000-01-01

Hepatic lipidosis in cats is a commonly diagnosed hepatobiliary disease of unknown cause. The purpose of this prospective study was to characterize the blood hormone and lipid status of cats with hepatic lipidosis, and to compare this status to that of cats with other types of liver disease and to control cats. Twenty-three cats with hepatic disease were assigned to 1 of 2 groups on the basis of cytopathologic or histopathologic examination of the liver: group 1, hepatic lipidosis (n = 18); or group 2, cholangiohepatitis (n = 5). Ten healthy young adult cats were used as controls. Food was withheld from control animals for 24 hours before blood collection. Concentrations of plasma glucagon and serum insulin, cortisol, thyroxine, triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids, and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were determined in all cats, in addition to routine hematologic and serum biochemical testing. Cats with hepatic lipidosis had higher serum NEFA concentrations than cats with cholangiohepatitis or control cats (P < .05). Cats with cholangiohepatitis had higher serum cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations than those of cats with lipidosis or control cats (P < .05); their plasma glucagon concentrations were higher than those of control cats (P < .05), but were not different from those of cats with hepatic lipidosis. Serum insulin concentrations were significantly higher in control cats than in diseased cats (P < .05), but neither serum insulin nor the insulin to glucagon ratio was significantly different among the cats with hepatic disease. The high concentration of NEFAs in cats with hepatic lipidosis suggests that at least 1 factor in the pathogenesis of this syndrome may involve the regulation of hormone-sensitive lipase.

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in domesticated and feral cats in eastern Australia.

PubMed

Shapiro, Amanda J; Bosward, Katrina L; Heller, Jane; Norris, Jacqueline M

2015-05-15

The seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) in cats in eastern Australia is unknown, and the risk of transmission from cats to humans is undetermined. This study aimed to determine the exposure of cats to C. burnetii in four distinct cat subpopulations. An indirect immunofluoresence assay (IFA) and an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used for detection of anti-C. burnetii antibodies in humans were adapted, verified for use on feline serum, and compared. Cat serum samples (n=712) were tested with IFA from four subpopulations [cattery-confined breeding cats, pet cats, feral cats and shelter cats]. The proportions of seropositive cats were; cattery-confined breeding cats (35/376, 9.3%), pets (2/198, 1%), feral cats (0/50), shelter cats (0/88). The significant variables in C. burnetii seropositivity were cattery-confined breeding cat subpopulation and sterilisation status, with infected cats 17.1 (CI 4.2-70.2; P<0.001) times more likely to be cattery-confined breeding cats and 6.00 (CI 2.13-16.89; P<0.001) times more likely to be entire than sterilised. ELISA was used on 143 of 712 sera tested with IFA, and the Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.75 indicated 92.2% agreement between the two assays. These results confirm that Australian cats have been exposed to C. burnetii and that a higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii is seen amongst cattery-confined breeding cats. Cat breeders and veterinary personnel involved in feline reproductive procedures may be at higher risk of exposure to C. burnetii. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of inciting causes, alternative targets, and risk factors associated with redirected aggression in cats.

PubMed

Amat, Marta; Manteca, Xavier; Brech, Susana Le; Ruiz de la Torre, José Luís; Mariotti, Valentina M; Fatjó, Jaume

2008-08-15

To identify inciting causes, alternative targets, and risk factors associated with redirected aggression in cats. Case-control study. 19 cats with a history of redirected aggression and 64 cats with no such history. Medical records were reviewed to identify cats evaluated for problems with redirected aggression (case cats), in which the primary inciting stimulus and alternative target of aggression were clearly identifiable. Data obtained from the records and from follow-up interviews included details about the cats and incidents of redirected aggression. Owners of control cats were interviewed via telephone to obtain similar information on their cats. 22 incidents of redirected aggression were reported for the 19 case cats. In 95% of those incidents, loud noises or interactions with other cats were identified as the inciting stimuli. Case cats most commonly redirected their aggression toward the owner, followed by another cat living in the same household. Compared with control cats, case cats were more likely to have a sound phobia but were less likely to be outdoor cats. In addition, case cats were more likely to be from small households (

Reconciling actual and perceived rates of predation by domestic cats

PubMed Central

McDonald, Jennifer L; Maclean, Mairead; Evans, Matthew R; Hodgson, Dave J

2015-01-01

The predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) is a complex problem: Cats are popular companion animals in modern society but are also acknowledged predators of birds, herpetofauna, invertebrates, and small mammals. A comprehensive understanding of this conservation issue demands an understanding of both the ecological consequence of owning a domestic cat and the attitudes of cat owners. Here, we determine whether cat owners are aware of the predatory behavior of their cats, using data collected from 86 cats in two UK villages. We examine whether the amount of prey their cat returns influences the attitudes of 45 cat owners toward the broader issue of domestic cat predation. We also contribute to the wider understanding of physiological, spatial, and behavioral drivers of prey returns among cats. We find an association between actual prey returns and owner predictions at the coarse scale of predatory/nonpredatory behavior, but no correlation between the observed and predicted prey-return rates among predatory cats. Cat owners generally disagreed with the statement that cats are harmful to wildlife, and disfavored all mitigation options apart from neutering. These attitudes were uncorrelated with the predatory behavior of their cats. Cat owners failed to perceive the magnitude of their cats’ impacts on wildlife and were not influenced by ecological information. Management options for the mitigation of cat predation appear unlikely to work if they focus on “predation awareness” campaigns or restrictions of cat freedom. PMID:26306163

Study of relapse and failure cases of CAT I retreated with CAT II under RNTCP--an eleven year follow up.

PubMed

Mehra, R K; Dhingra, V K; Nish, Aggarwal; Vashist, R P

2008-10-01

To analyse the treatment outcome of Cat I smear positive relapse and failure cases and their fate when treated with Cat II regimen under RNTCP. All Cat I smear positive relapse and failure TB patients treated with Category II regimen from 1994 to 2005 in a chest clinic of Delhi were analysed in this retrospective study. The re-treatment outcome data for relapse and failure cases of Cat I when treated with Cat II regimen was reviewed. The study population included 5576 registered as Cat I sputum positive cases in Gulabi Bagh chest clinic from 1994 to 2005. A total of 190 (3.4%) failed on Cat I regimen. Further out of 4905 (87.9%) successfully treated Cat I patients, 442 (9%) presented as relapses. The treatment success rate for relapse and failure cases of Cat I when subsequently treated with Cat II regimen were 76.4% and 48.8% respectively, with a significantly higher failure rate (27.6%) among Cat I failures subsequently treated with Cat II regimen. The failure cases of Cat I subsequently treated with Cat II were observed to have a significantly lower success rates (p < 0.05) as compared to relapse cases. The need for reappraisal of Cat II re-treatment regimen for failure cases among Cat I is suggested.

Are cats (Felis catus) from multi-cat households more stressed? Evidence from assessment of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis.

PubMed

Ramos, D; Reche-Junior, A; Fragoso, P L; Palme, R; Yanasse, N K; Gouvêa, V R; Beck, A; Mills, D S

2013-10-02

Given the social and territorial features described in feral cats, it is commonly assumed that life in multi-cat households is stressful for domestic cats and suggested that cats kept as single pets are likely to have better welfare. On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that under high densities cats can organize themselves socially thus preventing stress when spatial dispersion is unavailable. This study was aimed at comparing the general arousal underpinning emotional distress in single housed cats and in cats from multi-cat households (2 and 3-4 cats) on the basis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) measured via enzyme immunoassay (EIA). GCM did not significantly vary as a function of living style (single, double or group-housing); highly stressed individuals were equally likely in the three groups. Young cats in multi-cat households had lower GCM, and overall cats that tolerate (as opposed to dislike) petting by the owners tended to have higher GCM levels. Other environmental aspects within cat houses (e.g. relationship with humans, resource availability) may play a more important role in day to day feline arousal levels than the number of cats per se. © 2013.

A cross-sectional study of Tritrichomonas foetus infection in feral and shelter cats in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

PubMed

Raab, Oriana; Greenwood, Spencer; Vanderstichel, Raphael; Gelens, Hans

2016-03-01

A cross-sectional study examined the occurrence of Tritrichomonas foetus, and other intestinal parasites, in feral and shelter cats in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Fecal samples were collected from 100 feral cats, 100 cats from the PEI Humane Society, and 5 cats from a private residence. The occurrence of T. foetus, based on fecal culture, was 0% in feral and shelter cats. A single positive sample was obtained from an owned Abyssinian cat that was imported to PEI. Intestinal parasites were identified via fecal flotation in 76% of feral cats and 39% of cats from the humane society. Feral cats had a higher incidence of Toxocara cati than cats from the humane society (P < 0.001), conversely, shelter cats had a higher incidence of Cystoisospora spp. (P < 0.001). These results suggest that while T. foetus is not of importance in feral and shelter cats in PEI, imported cats could serve as reservoirs.

A cross-sectional study of Tritrichomonas foetus infection in feral and shelter cats in Prince Edward Island, Canada

PubMed Central

Raab, Oriana; Greenwood, Spencer; Vanderstichel, Raphael; Gelens, Hans

2016-01-01

A cross-sectional study examined the occurrence of Tritrichomonas foetus, and other intestinal parasites, in feral and shelter cats in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Fecal samples were collected from 100 feral cats, 100 cats from the PEI Humane Society, and 5 cats from a private residence. The occurrence of T. foetus, based on fecal culture, was 0% in feral and shelter cats. A single positive sample was obtained from an owned Abyssinian cat that was imported to PEI. Intestinal parasites were identified via fecal flotation in 76% of feral cats and 39% of cats from the humane society. Feral cats had a higher incidence of Toxocara cati than cats from the humane society (P < 0.001), conversely, shelter cats had a higher incidence of Cystoisospora spp. (P < 0.001). These results suggest that while T. foetus is not of importance in feral and shelter cats in PEI, imported cats could serve as reservoirs. PMID:26933262

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in cats from Durango City, Mexico.

PubMed

Alvarado-Esquivel, C; Liesenfeld, O; Herrera-Flores, R G; Ramírez-Sánchez, B E; González-Herrera, A; Martínez-García, S A; Dubey, J P

2007-10-01

The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was determined in sera from 105 domestic cats from Durango City, Mexico. Using a modified agglutination test, antibodies to this parasite were found in 21% of the 105 cats, with titers of 1:25 in 3 cats, 1:50 in 4 cats, 1:200 in 5 cats, 1:400 in 2 cats, 1:800 in 2 cats, 1:1,600 in 4 cats, and 1:3,200 or higher in 2 cats. Cats older than 1 yr had a significantly higher frequency of infection than that found in cats younger than 0.5 yr (41 vs. 13.2%, respectively; odds ratio = 4.55; 95% CI = 1.24-17.18; P = 0.01). Overall, the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in cats in Durango, Mexico, is much lower compared with those reported in other countries.

Association between characteristics of cats and satisfaction of owners who adopted cats from an animal hospital in Japan.

PubMed

Onodera, Nodoka; Uchida, Keiko; Kakuma, Yoshie

2014-05-01

A follow-up questionnaire survey was conducted with 29 cat owners who adopted cats from an animal hospital in Japan. Physical characteristics were found to be important factors for the owners when choosing a cat. There were significant differences between impression of the cat for the owners at present and images of their ideal cats, and the levels of aggression and activeness of the cats at present were rated higher than their ideal cats. A significant negative correlation was found between the degree of satisfaction with the cat and occurrence of house soiling; thus, some behavioral problems may deteriorate the relationship between the owner and the cat.

Expression of cathepsin S antisense transcripts by adenovirus in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PubMed

Rakoczy, P E; Lai, M C; Baines, M G; Spilsbury, K; Constable, I J

1998-10-01

To show the production of sense or antisense transcripts by recombinant adenoviruses, to investigate whether the transcripts produced were suitable for downregulating the expression of the targeted gene, cathepsin S (CatS), and to examine the effect of antisense transcript production on the biologic function of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, including the regulation of endogenous aspartic protease expression. Ad.MLP.CatSAS, Ad.RSV.CatSAS, and Ad.MLP.CatSS recombinant viruses were produced by homologous recombination. The recombinant viruses were tested by restriction enzyme digestion to confirm the orientation of the inserts. The expression of antisense transcripts was tested by northern blot analysis. Western blot analysis was used to study the regulation of the endogenous CatS protein in ARPE19 cells. The biologic effect of CatS downregulation in ARPE19 cells was tested by proliferation and phagocytosis assays, de novo cathepsin D (CatD) synthesis, and measurement of aspartic protease activity. After characterization of the recombinant adenovirus constructs, the production of antisense and sense CatS transcripts was shown in ARPE19 cells. The transcripts appeared at approximately 1.9 kb 48 hours after transduction, and the expression of the antisense transcripts was similar in constructs carrying either the MLP or the RSV promoter. Western blot analysis showed that ARPE19 cells transduced with Ad.MLP.CatSAS and Ad.RSV.CatSAS had no detectable CatS. In contrast, there was a strong signal appearing at 24 kDa in ARPE19 cells transduced with Ad.MLP.CatSS. ARPE19 cells were transduced to a high level. The transduction of ARPE19 cells with the recombinant adenoviruses did not affect the morphologic appearance of the cells, their proliferation, or their phagocytosing ability. However, ARPE19 cells transduced by Ad.MLP.CatSAS recombinant adenovirus showed a significant downregulation of de novo CatD synthesis and a twofold decrease in aspartic protease activity. Recombinant adenoviruses were shown to be suitable for producing antisense CatS transcripts to modulate endogenous CatS expression in RPE cells. It is proposed that CatS may play an important role, directly or indirectly, in the lysosomal digestion of outer segments through the regulation of other lysosomal enzyme activity, such as the expression of CatD.

Corrosion Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

April 2010 8-10 June 2010 3-5 August 2010 5 Corrosion Assistance Team ( CAT ) Visits Classroom Briefing • General Corrosion Theory • Preventive Maintenance...MD DC CAT Visit 2009 CAT Visit 2008 CAT Visit 2007 CAT Visit 2006 CAT Visit 2005 CAT Visits (calendar year) ME HI Germany ROK Honduras Egypt Japan DE 8

Differences between vocalization evoked by social stimuli in feral cats and house cats.

PubMed

Yeon, Seong C; Kim, Young K; Park, Se J; Lee, Scott S; Lee, Seung Y; Suh, Euy H; Houpt, Katherine A; Chang, Hong H; Lee, Hee C; Yang, Byung G; Lee, Hyo J

2011-06-01

To investigate how socialization can affect the types and characteristics of vocalization produced by cats, feral cats (n=25) and house cats (n=13) were used as subjects, allowing a comparison between cats socialized to people and non-socialized cats. To record vocalization and assess the cats' responses to behavioural stimuli, five test situations were used: approach by a familiar caretaker, by a threatening stranger, by a large doll, by a stranger with a dog and by a stranger with a cat. Feral cats showed extremely aggressive and defensive behaviour in most test situations, and produced higher call rates than those of house cats in the test situations, which could be attributed to less socialization to other animals and to more sensitivity to fearful situations. Differences were observed in the acoustic parameters of feral cats in comparison to those of house cats. The feral cat produced significantly higher frequency in fundamental frequency, peak frequency, 1st quartile frequency, 3rd quartile frequency of growls and hisses in agonistic test situations. In contrast to the growls and hisses, in meow, all acoustic parameters like fundamental frequency, first formant, peak frequency, 1st quartile frequency, and 3rd quartile frequency of house cats were of significantly higher frequency than those of feral cats. Also, house cats produced calls of significantly shorter in duration than feral cats in agonistic test situations. These results support the conclusion that a lack of socialization may affect usage of types of vocalizations, and the vocal characteristics, so that the proper socialization of cat may be essential to be a suitable companion house cat. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cathepsin S Cleavage of Protease-Activated Receptor-2 on Endothelial Cells Promotes Microvascular Diabetes Complications

PubMed Central

Kumar VR, Santhosh; Darisipudi, Murthy N.; Steiger, Stefanie; Devarapu, Satish Kumar; Tato, Maia; Kukarni, Onkar P.; Mulay, Shrikant R.; Thomasova, Dana; Popper, Bastian; Demleitner, Jana; Zuchtriegel, Gabriele; Reichel, Christoph; Cohen, Clemens D.; Lindenmeyer, Maja T.; Liapis, Helen; Moll, Solange; Reid, Emma; Stitt, Alan W.; Schott, Brigitte; Gruner, Sabine; Haap, Wolfgang; Ebeling, Martin; Hartmann, Guido

2016-01-01

Endothelial dysfunction is a central pathomechanism in diabetes-associated complications. We hypothesized a pathogenic role in this dysfunction of cathepsin S (Cat-S), a cysteine protease that degrades elastic fibers and activates the protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) on endothelial cells. We found that injection of mice with recombinant Cat-S induced albuminuria and glomerular endothelial cell injury in a PAR2-dependent manner. In vivo microscopy confirmed a role for intrinsic Cat-S/PAR2 in ischemia–induced microvascular permeability. In vitro transcriptome analysis and experiments using siRNA or specific Cat-S and PAR2 antagonists revealed that Cat-S specifically impaired the integrity and barrier function of glomerular endothelial cells selectively through PAR2. In human and mouse type 2 diabetic nephropathy, only CD68+ intrarenal monocytes expressed Cat-S mRNA, whereas Cat-S protein was present along endothelial cells and inside proximal tubular epithelial cells also. In contrast, the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C was expressed only in tubules. Delayed treatment of type 2 diabetic db/db mice with Cat-S or PAR2 inhibitors attenuated albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis (indicators of diabetic nephropathy) and attenuated albumin leakage into the retina and other structural markers of diabetic retinopathy. These data identify Cat-S as a monocyte/macrophage–derived circulating PAR2 agonist and mediator of endothelial dysfunction–related microvascular diabetes complications. Thus, Cat-S or PAR2 inhibition might be a novel strategy to prevent microvascular disease in diabetes and other diseases. PMID:26567242

Seroprevalences of antibodies against Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii and fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium spp, Giardia spp, and Toxocara cati in feral and pet domestic cats.

PubMed

Nutter, Felicia B; Dubey, J P; Levine, Jay F; Breitschwerdt, Edward B; Ford, Richard B; Stoskopf, Michael K

2004-11-01

To compare seroprevalences of antibodies against Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii and fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium spp, Giardia spp, and Toxocara cati in feral and pet domestic cats. Prospective cross-sectional serologic and coprologic survey. 100 feral cats and 76 pet domestic cats from Randolph County, NC. Blood and fecal samples were collected and tested. Percentages of feral cats seropositive for antibodies against B. henselae and T. gondii (93% and 63%, respectively) were significantly higher than percentages of pet cats (75% and 34%). Percentages of feral and pet cats with Cryptosporidium spp (7% of feral cats; 6% of pet cats), Giardia spp (6% of feral cats; 5% of pet cats), and T. cati ova (21% of feral cats; 18% of pet cats) in their feces were not significantly different between populations. Results of CBCs and serum biochemical analyses were not significantly different between feral and pet cats, except that feral cats had a significantly lower median PCV and significantly higher median neutrophil count. Results suggested that feral and pet cats had similar baseline health status, as reflected by results of hematologic and serum biochemical testing and similar prevalences of infection with Cryptosporidium spp, Giardia spp, and T. cati. Feral cats did have higher seroprevalences of antibodies against B. henselae and T. gondii than did pet cats, but this likely was related to greater exposure to vectors of these organisms.

Association between Characteristics of Cats and Satisfaction of Owners who Adopted Cats from an Animal Hospital in Japan

PubMed Central

ONODERA, Nodoka; UCHIDA, Keiko; KAKUMA, Yoshie

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT A follow-up questionnaire survey was conducted with 29 cat owners who adopted cats from an animal hospital in Japan. Physical characteristics were found to be important factors for the owners when choosing a cat. There were significant differences between impression of the cat for the owners at present and images of their ideal cats, and the levels of aggression and activeness of the cats at present were rated higher than their ideal cats. A significant negative correlation was found between the degree of satisfaction with the cat and occurrence of house soiling; thus, some behavioral problems may deteriorate the relationship between the owner and the cat. PMID:24419973

A Survey of Public Opinion on Cat (Felis catus) Predation and the Future Direction of Cat Management in New Zealand.

PubMed

Walker, Jessica K; Bruce, Stephanie J; Dale, Arnja R

2017-07-03

Cat predation is a prominent issue in New Zealand that provokes strong and opposing views. We explored, via 1011 face-to-face questionnaires, public opinion on (a) support for a National Cat Management Strategy (78% support); (b) concern regarding predation of wildlife by owned and un-owned cats (managed stray, unmanaged stray, and feral cats); (c) the acceptability of management techniques for owned cats; and (d) the acceptability of population management techniques for un-owned cats. The highest concern was expressed regarding the predation of non-native and native wildlife by feral cats (60 and 86% repectively), followed by unmanaged stray cats (59 and 86% respectively), managed stray cats (54 and 82% respectively), and finally owned cats (38 and 69% repectively). Limits to the number of cats owned and cat restriction zones received high levels of support (>65%), and compulsory microchipping, Council registration, and de-sexing were supported by the majority (>58%). Public support of population control methods for unowned cats was explored, and the influence of participant demographic variables on responses is described. These findings provide insight into public opinion regarding the management of cats in New Zealand, which should be considered during the development of legislation in this area.

Left atrial function in cats with left-sided cardiac disease and pleural effusion or pulmonary edema.

PubMed

Johns, S M; Nelson, O L; Gay, J M

2012-01-01

Congestive heart failure (CHF) in cats with left-sided heart disease is sometimes manifest as pleural effusion, in other cases as pulmonary edema. Those cats with pleural effusion have more severe left atrial (LA) dysfunction than cats with pulmonary edema. 30 healthy cats, 22 cats with pleural effusion, and 12 cats with pulmonary edema. All cats were client owned. Retrospective study. Measurements of LA size and function were made using commercial software on archived echocardiograms. Cases were identified through searches of medical records and of archived echocardiograms for cats with these conditions. There was no difference (P = .3) in LA size between cats with pleural effusion and cats with pulmonary edema. Cats with pleural effusion had poorer (P = .04) LA active emptying and increased (P = .006) right ventricular (RV) diameter when compared with cats with pulmonary edema and healthy cats. Cats that exhibited LA active emptying of <7.9%, total emptying of <13.6% (diameter) or <19.4% (area), or RV diameter of >3.6 mm were significantly (P < .001) more likely to manifest pleural effusion. Poorer LA function and increased RV dimensions are associated with pleural effusion in cats with left-sided heart disease. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Plasma free metanephrines in healthy cats, cats with non-adrenal disease and a cat with suspected phaeochromocytoma.

PubMed

Wimpole, Justin A; Adagra, Carl F M; Billson, Mark F; Pillai, Dilo N; Foster, Darren J

2010-06-01

Phaeochromocytomas are catecholamine-secreting tumours of the adrenal glands and are rare in cats. Plasma metanephrine levels are widely considered the diagnostic test of choice for phaeochromocytoma in people but have not been investigated in cats. In this study plasma free normetanephrine and metanephrine levels were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography in healthy cats, sick cats with non-adrenal disease and in a cat with a suspected phaeochromocytoma. Plasma normetanephrine was significantly higher in sick cats with non-adrenal disease compared to healthy cats (P<0.05) and markedly higher in the cat with a suspected phaeochromocytoma when compared to either group. Plasma metanephrine was not significantly different in any of the groups. This study establishes a first-line guide reference range for plasma metanephrine and normetanephrine levels in healthy cats and cats with non-adrenal disease. These results provide rationale for further studies to establish the use of plasma normetanephrine levels as a potential diagnostic test for phaeochromocytoma in the cat. Copyright 2009 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 11578 - Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-27

...,703 associated funerary objects are 4 animal bones, 3 animal claws, 7 antler artifacts, 1 antler fragment, 9 bone artifacts, 32 bone awls, 3 bone awl fragments, 4 bone beads, 2 bone hairpins, 2 bone needles, 1 bone needle fragment, 3 bone ornaments, 14 bone rings, 1 bone spatula, 1 bone wand, 556 ceramic...

Lake

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wien, Carol Anne

2008-01-01

The lake is blue black and deep. It is a glaciated finger lake, clawed out of rock when ice retracted across Nova Scotia in a northerly direction during the last ice age. The lake is narrow, a little over a mile long, and deep, 90 to 190 feet in places according to local lore, off the charts in others. The author loves to swim there, with a sense…

A Claw Is like My Hand: Comparison Supports Goal Analysis in Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerson, Sarah A.; Woodward, Amanda L.

2012-01-01

Understanding the intentional relations in others' actions is critical to human social life. Origins of this knowledge exist in the first year and are a function of both acting as an intentional agent and observing movement cues in actions. We explore a new mechanism we believe plays an important role in infants' understanding of new actions:…

Displaying Force and Torque of A Manipulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bejczy, A. K.; Dotson, R. S.; Primus, H. C.

1984-01-01

Display combines bar charts, vector diagrams, and numerical values to inform operator of forces and torques exerted by end effector of manipulator. On voice or keyboard command, eight-channel strip-chart recorder traces force and torque components and claw position of raw measurements from eight strain gage sensors in end effector. Especially helpful when operator's view of end effector is obscured.

Unequal contribution of native South African phylogeographic lineages to the invasion of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, in Europe

PubMed Central

Courant, Julien; Herrel, Anthony; Rebelo, Rui; Rödder, Dennis; Measey, G. John; Backeljau, Thierry

2016-01-01

Due to both deliberate and accidental introductions, invasive African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) populations have become established worldwide. In this study, we investigate the geographic origins of invasive X. laevis populations in France and Portugal using the phylogeographic structure of X. laevis in its native South African range. In total, 80 individuals from the whole area known to be invaded in France and Portugal were analysed for two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes, allowing a comparison with 185 specimens from the native range. Our results show that native phylogeographic lineages have contributed differently to invasive European X. laevis populations. In Portugal, genetic and historical data suggest a single colonization event involving a small number of individuals from the south-western Cape region in South Africa. In contrast, French invasive X. laevis encompass two distinct native phylogeographic lineages, i.e., one from the south-western Cape region and one from the northern regions of South Africa. The French X. laevis population is the first example of a X. laevis invasion involving multiple lineages. Moreover, the lack of population structure based on nuclear DNA suggests a potential role for admixture within the invasive French population. PMID:26855879

A Large Pseudoautosomal Region on the Sex Chromosomes of the Frog Silurana tropicalis

PubMed Central

Bewick, Adam J.; Chain, Frédéric J.J.; Zimmerman, Lyle B.; Sesay, Abdul; Gilchrist, Michael J.; Owens, Nick D.L.; Seifertova, Eva; Krylov, Vladimir; Macha, Jaroslav; Tlapakova, Tereza; Kubickova, Svatava; Cernohorska, Halina; Zarsky, Vojtech; Evans, Ben J.

2013-01-01

Sex chromosome divergence has been documented across phylogenetically diverse species, with amphibians typically having cytologically nondiverged (“homomorphic”) sex chromosomes. With an aim of further characterizing sex chromosome divergence of an amphibian, we used “RAD-tags” and Sanger sequencing to examine sex specificity and heterozygosity in the Western clawed frog Silurana tropicalis (also known as Xenopus tropicalis). Our findings based on approximately 20 million genotype calls and approximately 200 polymerase chain reaction-amplified regions across multiple male and female genomes failed to identify a substantially sized genomic region with genotypic hallmarks of sex chromosome divergence, including in regions known to be tightly linked to the sex-determining region. We also found that expression and molecular evolution of genes linked to the sex-determining region did not differ substantially from genes in other parts of the genome. This suggests that the pseudoautosomal region, where recombination occurs, comprises a large portion of the sex chromosomes of S. tropicalis. These results may in part explain why African clawed frogs have such a high incidence of polyploidization, shed light on why amphibians have a high rate of sex chromosome turnover, and raise questions about why homomorphic sex chromosomes are so prevalent in amphibians. PMID:23666865

Multimodal communication in courting fiddler crabs reveals male performance capacities.

PubMed

Mowles, Sophie L; Jennions, Michael; Backwell, Patricia R Y

2017-03-01

Courting males often perform different behavioural displays that demonstrate aspects of their quality. Male fiddler crabs, Uca sp., are well known for their repetitive claw-waving display during courtship. However, in some species, males produce an additional signal by rapidly stridulating their claw, creating a 'drumming' vibrational signal through the substrate as a female approaches, and even continue to drum once inside their burrow. Here, we show that the switch from waving to drumming might provide additional information to the female about the quality of a male, and the properties of his burrow (multiple message hypothesis). Across males there was, however, a strong positive relationship between aspects of their waving and drumming displays, suggesting that drumming adheres to some predictions of the redundant signal hypothesis for multimodal signalling. In field experiments, we show that recent courtship is associated with a significant reduction in male sprint speed, which is commensurate with an oxygen debt. Even so, males that wave and drum more vigorously than their counterparts have a higher sprint speed. Drumming appears to be an energetically costly multimodal display of quality that females should attend to when making their mate choice decisions.

Substrate texture affects female cricket walking response to male calling song

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmiento-Ponce, E. J.; Sutcliffe, M. P. F.; Hedwig, B.

2018-03-01

Field crickets are extensively used as a model organism to study female phonotactic walking behaviour, i.e. their attraction to the male calling song. Laboratory-based phonotaxis experiments generally rely on arena or trackball-based settings; however, no attention has been paid to the effect of substrate texture on the response. Here, we tested phonotaxis in female Gryllus bimaculatus, walking on trackballs machined from methyl-methacrylate foam with different cell sizes. Surface height variations of the trackballs, due to the cellular composition of the material, were measured with profilometry and characterized as smooth, medium or rough, with roughness amplitudes of 7.3, 16 and 180 µm. Female phonotaxis was best on a rough and medium trackball surface, a smooth surface resulted in a significant lower phonotactic response. Claws of the cricket foot were crucial for effective walking. Females insert their claws into the surface pores to allow mechanical interlocking with the substrate texture and a high degree of attachment, which cannot be established on smooth surfaces. These findings provide insight to the biomechanical basis of insect walking and may inform behavioural studies that the surface texture on which walking insects are tested is crucial for the resulting behavioural response.

Temperature-independent energy expenditure in early development of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis.

PubMed

Nagano, Yatsuhisa; Ode, Koji L

2014-08-01

The thermal dissipation of activated eggs and embryos undergoing development from cleavage to the tailbud stage of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis was measured as a function of incubation time at temperatures ranging from T = 288.2 K to 295.2 K, using a high-precision isothermal calorimeter. A23187-mediated activation of mature eggs induced stable periodic thermal oscillations lasting for 8-34 h. The frequency agreed well with the cell cycle frequency of initial cleavages at the identical temperature. In the developing embryo, energy metabolism switches from embryonic to adult features during gastrulation. The thermal dissipation after gastrulation fit well with a single modified Avrami equation, which has been used for modeling crystal-growth. Both the oscillation frequency of the activated egg and the growth rate of the embryo strongly depend on temperature with the same apparent activation energy of approximately 87 kJ mole(-1). This result suggests that early development proceeds as a single biological time, attributable to a single metabolic rate. A temperature-independent growth curve was derived by scaling the thermogram to the biological time, indicating that the amount of energy expenditure during each developmental stage is constant over the optimal temperature range.

Proteomic analysis by iTRAQ in red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, hematopoietic tissue cells post white spot syndrome virus infection.

PubMed

Jeswin, Joseph; Xie, Xiao-lu; Ji, Qiao-lin; Wang, Ke-jian; Liu, Hai-peng

2016-03-01

To elucidate proteomic changes of Hpt cells from red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, we have carried out isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) of cellular proteins at both early (1 hpi) and late stage (12 hpi) post white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. Protein database search revealed 594 protein hits by Mascot, in which 17 and 30 proteins were present as differentially expressed proteins at early and late viral infection, respectively. Generally, these differentially expressed proteins include: 1) the metabolic process related proteins in glycolysis and glucogenesis, DNA replication, nucleotide/amino acid/fatty acid metabolism and protein biosynthesis; 2) the signal transduction related proteins like small GTPases, G-protein-alpha stimulatory subunit, proteins bearing PDZ- or 14-3-3-domains that help holding together and organize signaling complexes, casein kinase I and proteins of the MAP-kinase signal transduction pathway; 3) the immune defense related proteins such as α-2 macroglobulin, transglutaminase and trans-activation response RNA-binding protein 1. Taken together, these protein information shed new light on the host cellular response against WSSV infection in a crustacean cell culture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A torque estimator for a traveling wave ultrasonic motor--application to an active claw.

PubMed

Giraud, Frédéric; Semail, Betty

2006-08-01

Depending on its electrical-to-mechanical energy conversion process, the torque on a traveling wave ultrasonic motor (TWUM)'s shaft is not directly proportional to a measurable electrical variable, such as current or voltage. But it is derived from a complicated process at the stator/rotor interface. The load torque is thus quite unknown, and this can be a disadvantage in applications in which a torque limitation is required or a torque measurement is needed. The aim of this article is to come up with a straightforward torque estimator on a TWUM. For that purpose, the motor is modeled; this modeling leads to different estimator strategies. More specifically, we chose a strategy for which a speed sensor is useless, relying only on the stator's resonant behavior. The parameters of the motor needed for the estimator are measured afterward, and some nonlinearities are identified and taken into account. Several experimental trials then are carried out to check the performance of the estimator. A claw actuated by a TWUM is presented because this is a typical application in which the knowledge of the torque helps guarantee the safety of the device.

Two new species of Tardigrada (Eutardigrada: Ramazzottiidae, Macrobiotidae) from the supralittoral zone of the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula rocky shores.

PubMed

Fontoura, Paulo; Rubal, Marcos; Veiga, Puri

2017-05-10

Two new species of Eutardigrada were found in supralittoral lichens, growing on rocky shores at two localities of the Western Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Ramazzottius littoreus sp. nov., found in San Cibrao (North of Spain), has the dorsal cuticle sculptured with small tubercles and claws with accessory points similar to R. oberhaeuseri. It can be distinguished from all the other known Ramazzottius species with the same type of cuticular sculpture by the dotted egg shell and the peculiar reticulation visible at the bulbous base of egg processes. Macrobiotus halophilus sp. nov., found in Cascais (Centre of Portugal), belongs to the Macrobiotus hufelandi group. The slightly wrinkled egg shell and egg processes in the shape of inverted chalice with dentate distal disc, identifies it as a member of the Macrobiotus persimilis subgroup. The new dioecious species differs from the six other species of the M. persimilis subgroup by a unique combination of some characters (small and very sparse circular cuticular pores, granulation on legs I-III and dentate lunules on legs IV), by measurements of some structures (claws and buccal apparatus), and by the number, dimension and shape of egg processes.

Edge Effect of Strained Bilayer Nanofilms for Tunable Multistability and Actuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zi; Hu, Nan; Han, Xiaomin; Huang, Shicheng; Grover, Hannah; Yu, Xiaojiao; Zhang, Lina; Trase, Ian; Zhang, John X. J.; Zhang, Li; Dong, Lixin

Multistability, the capability of a structure to exhibit more than one stable shape, has received increasing attention due to its applications in robotics, and energy harvesters, etc. Programming multistability into nano-electromechanical systems allows for microscale manipulation, energy harvesting and robotic operation for biomedical applications. In a spontaneous scrolled Si/Cr bilayer, two stable shapes were achieved after detaching from the substrate. We employed both theoretical and computational models to study the multistable behavior of a Si/Cr micro-claw and illustrated the mechanical principles involved. Besides the biaxial strain that serves as the primary driving force, we found residual edge stresses to be inducing bistability. In both models, individual Si/Cr micro-claws consistently demonstrate either monostability or bistability as the magnitude of the edge effect is varied. Both macroscopic and microscopic experimental designs were studied, supported by analytical and finite element simulation results. The results from this study provide a means to guide the on-demand design of strained nanobelts and nanosheets with tunable multistability and actuating capability. Z.C. acknowledges the Society in Science-Branco Weiss fellowship. J.X.J.Z. acknowledges the NIH Directors Transformative Award(1R01 OD022910-01).

Two new species of the genus Monstrillopsis Sars, 1921 (Copepoda: Monstrilloida: Monstrillidae) from South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Jimin; Kim, Dongsung; Chang, Cheon Young

2016-10-11

Monstrilloid copepods of the genus Monstrillopsis Sars, 1921 are recorded from Korea, as well as from the northwestern Pacific, for the first time. Specimens were obtained using a light trap set overnight at piers or seawalls in small harbors. Males of two new species were found and are described herein with remarks on their affinities and detailed drawings and SEM photographs of their morphological features. Monstrillopsis longilobata sp. nov. is allied to M. chathamensis Suárez-Morales & Morales-Ramírez, 2009 and M. sarsi Isaac, 1974 in having the character combination of a long, claw-like apical spinous process on the male antennule and elongate genital lappets. It differs from them in having conspicuous transverse striations on the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax and extremely long male genital lappets, which extend far beyond the anterior margins of the caudal rami. Monstrillopsis coreensis sp. nov. also has a claw-like apical spinous process of the male antennule and conspicuous transverse striations on the dorsal surface of the cephalothorax, but it differs from M. longilobata in having a much longer and stronger apical spine of the antennule and a relatively shorter and undulating genital apparatus.

Iris-Claw Intraocular Lens and Scleral-Fixated Posterior Chamber Intraocular Lens Implantations in Correcting Aphakia: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Jing, Wu; Guanlu, Liang; Qianyin, Zheng; Shuyi, Li; Fengying, He; Jian, Liu; Wen, Xu

2017-07-01

A meta-analysis to compare iris-claw intraocular lens (IC-IOL) and scleral-fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens (SF-PCIOL) implantations in correcting aphakia without sufficient capsular support. Eligible studies were collected through PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library. The pooled relative risks (RR), pooled standardized mean difference (SMD), and their 95% confidence interval of the eligible studies were then calculated. Seven studies met our inclusion criteria, involving 232 and 158 eyes in IC-IOL and SF-PCIOL groups, respectively. The pooled SMD of the mean postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) (logMAR) was -0.25. The pooled RR of the eyes achieving 20/40 or better postoperatively was 1.16. The pooled SMD of the surgical time was -2.97. The pooled RR of the surgical complications was 0.86. The pooled RR of IOL dislocation, retinal detachment (RD), and cystoid macular edema (CME) between the two groups were 0.22, 0.63, and 0.64. Implantation of IC-IOL has a more simple procedure and shorter learning curve than SF-PCIOL implantation in correcting aphakia without sufficient capsular support.

The colloidal thyroxine (T4) ring as a novel biomarker of perchlorate exposure in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hu, F.; Sharma, Bibek; Mukhi, S.; Patino, R.; Carr, J.A.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if changes in colloidal thyroxine (T4) immunoreactivity can be used as a biomarker of perchlorate exposure in amphibian thyroid tissue. Larval African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to 0, 1, 8, 93, and 1131 ??g perchlorate/l for 38 and 69 days to cover the normal period of larval development and metamorphosis. The results of this study confirmed the presence of an immunoreactive colloidal T4 ring in thyroid follicles of X. laevis and demonstrated that the intensity of this ring is reduced in a concentration-dependent manner by perchlorate exposure. The smallest effective concentration of perchlorate capable of significantly reducing colloidal T4 ring intensity was 8 ??g perchlorate/l. The intensity of the immunoreactive colloidal T4 ring is a more sensitive biomarker of perchlorate exposure than changes in hind limb length, forelimb emergence, tail resorption, thyrocyte hypertrophy, or colloid depletion. We conclude that the colloidal T4 ring can be used as a sensitive biomarker of perchlorate-induced thyroid disruption in amphibians. ?? Copyright 2006 Oxford University Press.

Systolic blood pressure, routine kidney variables and renal ultrasonographic findings in cats naturally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

PubMed

Taffin, Elien Rl; Paepe, Dominique; Ghys, Liesbeth Fe; De Roover, Katrien; Van de Maele, Isabel; Saunders, Jimmy H; Duchateau, Luc; Daminet, Sylvie

2017-06-01

Objectives Hypertension is a common cause of proteinuria in HIV-infected people. In cats, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection appears to be associated with proteinuria. Therefore, the results from systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements in naturally infected FIV-positive cats were reviewed to assess whether hypertension contributes to the observed proteinuria in these cats. Ultrasonographic findings in FIV-positive cats were reviewed to complete renal assessment and to extend the scant knowledge on renal ultrasonography in cats. Methods Data from client-owned, naturally infected FIV-positive cats were retrospectively reviewed. To obtain a control group, records were reviewed from age-matched, privately owned, FIV-negative cats. Results Data from 91 FIV-infected and 113 control cats were compared. FIV-infected cats showed a significantly lower SBP ( P <0.0001) and significantly fewer FIV-infected cats were hypertensive (⩾160 mmHg) compared with control cats ( P = 0.025). The prevalence of renal azotaemia did not significantly differ between groups, although FIV-infected cats had significantly lower urine specific gravity (USG) ( P = 0.0273) and a higher incidence of USG below 1.035 ( P = 0.043). Urinary protein:creatinine ratio (UPC) was significantly higher in FIV-infected cats ( P = 0.0005) and proteinuria (UPC >0.4) occurred more frequently in FIV-infected cats ( P <0.001). Renal ultrasonography showed abnormalities in 60/91 FIV-infected cats, with hyperechogenic cortices in 39/91 and enlarged kidneys in 31/91. Conclusions and relevance Hypertension can be excluded as a common cause of renal damage leading to proteinuria in FIV-infected cats. Proteinuria and poorly concentrated urine are common in naturally infected FIV-positive cats, in contrast to azotaemia. Clinicians should cautiously interpret ultrasonographic abnormalities as these occur in over half of FIV-infected cats.

Who's behind that mask and cape? The Asian leopard cat's Agouti (ASIP) allele likely affects coat colour phenotype in the Bengal cat breed.

PubMed

Gershony, L C; Penedo, M C T; Davis, B W; Murphy, W J; Helps, C R; Lyons, L A

2014-12-01

Coat colours and patterns are highly variable in cats and are determined mainly by several genes with Mendelian inheritance. A 2-bp deletion in agouti signalling protein (ASIP) is associated with melanism in domestic cats. Bengal cats are hybrids between domestic cats and Asian leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), and the charcoal coat colouration/pattern in Bengals presents as a possible incomplete melanism. The complete coding region of ASIP was directly sequenced in Asian leopard, domestic and Bengal cats. Twenty-seven variants were identified between domestic and leopard cats and were investigated in Bengals and Savannahs, a hybrid with servals (Leptailurus serval). The leopard cat ASIP haplotype was distinguished from domestic cat by four synonymous and four non-synonymous exonic SNPs, as well as 19 intronic variants, including a 42-bp deletion in intron 4. Fifty-six of 64 reported charcoal cats were compound heterozygotes at ASIP, with leopard cat agouti (A(P) (be) ) and domestic cat non-agouti (a) haplotypes. Twenty-four Bengals had an additional unique haplotype (A2) for exon 2 that was not identified in leopard cats, servals or jungle cats (Felis chaus). The compound heterozygote state suggests the leopard cat allele, in combination with the recessive non-agouti allele, influences Bengal markings, producing a darker, yet not completely melanistic coat. This is the first validation of a leopard cat allele segregating in the Bengal breed and likely affecting their overall pelage phenotype. Genetic testing services need to be aware of the possible segregation of wild felid alleles in all assays performed on hybrid cats. © 2014 The Authors. Animal Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Evaluation of fenbendazole for treatment of Giardia infection in cats concurrently infected with Cryptosporidium parvum.

PubMed

Keith, Carey L; Radecki, Steven V; Lappin, Michael R

2003-08-01

To determine whether fenbendazole effectively eliminates Giardia organisms from chronically infected cats that have a concurrent Cryptosporidium parvum infection. 16 clinically normal cats. Eight cats with chronic concurrent Giardia and C parvum infections received fenbendazole (50 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h) for 5 days (treatment-group cats). Feces from each cat were collected and processed 3 days weekly for 23 days after treatment. By use of an immunofluorescent assay for detection of Giardia lamblia cysts and C parvum oocysts, organism numbers were counted and scored. Fecal results from treatment-group cats were compared with those of 8 untreated cats with Giardia infection but no C parvum infection (control-group cats). Four of 8 treatment-group cats had consistently negative results for Giardia infection after treatment. These 4 cats had consistently positive results for C parvum oocysts prior to treatment and consistently negative results after treatment. One treatment-group cat had positive results for cysts on all fecal samples, and 3 treatment-group cats had 1 to 3 negative results and then resumed shedding large numbers of cysts; each of these cats had consistently positive results for C parvum oocysts. When compared with control-group cats, treatment-group cats shed less Giardia cysts during week 1 after treatment but not during week 2. Administration of fenbendazole decreases Giardia cyst shedding to less than detectable numbers in some cats. In our study, persistent C parvum infection may have been associated with failure of fenbendazole to eliminate Giardia infection.

Interspecies Transmission of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus from the Domestic Cat to the Tsushima Cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura) in the Wild

PubMed Central

Nishimura, Yoshiaki; Goto, Yuko; Yoneda, Kumiko; Endo, Yasuyuki; Mizuno, Takuya; Hamachi, Masaharu; Maruyama, Hiroyuki; Kinoshita, Hirotoshi; Koga, Susumu; Komori, Mitsuru; Fushuku, Seigo; Ushinohama, Kanji; Akuzawa, Masao; Watari, Toshihiro; Hasegawa, Atsuhiko; Tsujimoto, Hajime

1999-01-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was isolated from a wild-caught Tsushima cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura), an endangered Japanese nondomestic subspecies of leopard cat (F. bengalensis). Phylogenetic analysis of the env gene sequences indicated that the FIV from the Tsushima cat belonged to a cluster of subtype D FIVs from domestic cats. FIVs from both the Tsushima cat and the domestic cat showed similar levels of replication and cytopathicity in lymphoid cell lines derived from these two species. The results indicated the occurrence of interspecies transmission of FIV from the domestic cat to the Tsushima cat in the wild. PMID:10438892

Serum and urinary cystatin C in cats with feline immunodeficiency virus infection and cats with hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Ghys, Liesbeth Fe; Paepe, Dominique; Taffin, Elien Rl; Vandermeulen, Eva; Duchateau, Luc; Smets, Pascale My; Delanghe, Joris; Daminet, Sylvie

2016-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate serum cystatin C (sCysC) and urinary cystatin C (uCysC) in cats with hyperthyroidism and cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Thirty cats with FIV, 26 hyperthyroid cats and 28 healthy cats were included. sCysC and uCysC:creatinine (uCysC/uCr) ratio were measured with a human particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay, previously validated for feline CysC measurement. Routine renal variables (serum creatinine [sCr], urine specific gravity, urinary protein:creatinine ratio [UPC]) were also measured in the three groups. Cats with hyperthyroidism had significantly higher sCysC and higher uCysC/uCr ratio, lower sCr and a higher UPC than healthy cats. Cats with FIV infection did not show a significantly higher sCysC concentration but had a significantly higher sCr and UPC than healthy cats. uCysC could be detected in only four of them. This study demonstrated that sCysC is increased in cats with hyperthyroidism, in contrast with sCr, but not in cats with FIV. Many hyperthyroid cats, but only four cats with FIV, had an elevated uCysC/uCr ratio. Further studies may reveal if uCysC might be a valuable marker for tubular dysfunction in cats. © The Author(s) 2015.

Energy requirement and food intake behaviour in young adult intact male cats with and without predisposition to overweight.

PubMed

Wichert, Brigitta; Trossen, Julia; Uebelhart, Daniel; Wanner, Marcel; Hartnack, Sonja

2012-01-01

Obesity is a common problem in cats. In the experimental cat family of the institute of animal nutrition besides a "normal" lean phenotype, cats with predisposition to an overweight phenotype are present. To investigate energy requirements and food intake behaviour of intact male cats of different phenotypes, six "normal" lean cats (GL) and six cats disposed to overweight (GO) were used. At the beginning of the experiment, all cats had an ideal body condition score of 5. To reach this the GO cats had to pass a weight-loss program. Energy requirements of the cats were determined using respiration chambers, whereas the amount and frequency of food intake was measured with a feeding station recording the data automatically. Energy requirement at weight constancy of the GO cats was even on fat-free mass (FFM) significantly (P = 0.02) lower (162.6 kJ/kg FFM/d) than that of the "normal" lean cats (246 kJ/kg FFM/d). The GO cats also showed a higher food intake 34.5 ± 1.5 g dry matter/kg body weight(0.67) compared to the GL cats (24.0 ± 2.1 g dry matter/kg body weight(0.67))(P = 0.001). In conclusion quantifiable differences in food intake and behaviour in cats predisposed to overweight compared to "normal" lean cats were found.

α-Catenin is an inhibitor of transcription

PubMed Central

Daugherty, Rebecca L.; Serebryannyy, Leonid; Yemelyanov, Alex; Flozak, Annette S.; Yu, Hui-Jun; Kosak, Steven T.; deLanerolle, Primal; Gottardi, Cara J.

2014-01-01

α-Catenin (α-cat) is an actin-binding protein required for cell–cell cohesion. Although this adhesive function for α-cat is well appreciated, cells contain a substantial amount of nonjunctional α-cat that may be used for other functions. We show that α-cat is a nuclear protein that can interact with β-catenin (β-cat) and T-cell factor (TCF) and that the nuclear accumulation of α-cat depends on β-cat. Using overexpression, knockdown, and chromatin immunoprecipitation approaches, we show that α-cat attenuates Wnt/β-cat–responsive genes in a manner that is downstream of β-cat/TCF loading on promoters. Both β-cat– and actin-binding domains of α-cat are required to inhibit Wnt signaling. A nuclear-targeted form of α-cat induces the formation of nuclear filamentous actin, whereas cells lacking α-cat show altered nuclear actin properties. Formation of nuclear actin filaments correlates with reduced RNA synthesis and altered chromatin organization. Conversely, nuclear extracts made from cells lacking α-cat show enhanced general transcription in vitro, an activity that can be partially rescued by restoring the C-terminal actin-binding region of α-cat. These data demonstrate that α-cat may limit gene expression by affecting nuclear actin organization. PMID:24706864

Understanding public perceptions of risk regarding outdoor pet cats to inform conservation action.

PubMed

Gramza, Ashley; Teel, Tara; VandeWoude, Susan; Crooks, Kevin

2016-04-01

Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) incur and impose risks on ecosystems and represent a complex issue of critical importance to biodiversity conservation and cat and human health globally. Prior social science research on this topic is limited and has emphasized feral cats even though owned cats often comprise a large proportion of the outdoor cat population, particularly in urban areas. To address this gap, we examined public risk perceptions and attitudes toward outdoor pet cats across varying levels of urbanization, including along the wildland-urban interface, in Colorado (U.S.A.), through a mail survey of 1397 residents. Residents did not view all types of risks uniformly. They viewed risks of cat predation on wildlife and carnivore predation on cats as more likely than disease-related risks. Additionally, risk perceptions were related to attitudes, prior experiences with cats and cat-wildlife interactions, and cat-owner behavior. Our findings suggest that changes in risk perceptions may result in behavior change. Therefore, knowledge of cat-related risk perceptions and attitudes could be used to develop communication programs aimed at promoting risk-aversive behaviors among cat owners and cat-management strategies that are acceptable to the public and that directly advance the conservation of native species. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Maternal-Neonatal Pheromone/Interomone Added to Cat Litter Improves Litter Box Use and Reduces Aggression in Pair-Housed Cats.

PubMed

McGlone, John J; Garcia, Arlene; Thompson, William G; Pirner, Glenna M

2018-03-27

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social behaviors and litter box use. Study 1 determined that cats preferred to eliminate in litter containing 2M2B; other semiochemicals tested did not change litter box use. Cats prone to aggression were identified in an intermediate pilot study, and eight pairs of these cats were selected for Study 2. In Study 2, cat pairs were provided litter containing either vehicle or 2M2B for 24 hours. Cats experiencing control litter displayed more aggression during the first 6 hours (p < .01) and spent more time using the litter box 12 hours and 18 hours after pairing compared with cats experiencing litter with 2M2B (p = .02). These results suggest 2M2B-infused cat litter may act as an interomone in cats housed domestically to prevent initial occurrences of aggression and may improve cat welfare in multicat households.

Direct transmission of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) between cats exhibiting social behaviour.

PubMed

Franc, Michel; Bouhsira, Émilie; Beugnet, Frédéric

2013-01-01

A study design was created to assess the potential for fleas to infest cats directly from other cats. In the first experiment, six cats were infested with 100 fleas each and then immediately put in contact with six flea-free cats for 24 h. After removal of all fleas the study was repeated and the contact between cats lasted 48 h. The total numbers of fleas recovered out of the 600 fleas deposited on the 6 donor cats after each infestation were 499 and 486 at 24 h and 48 h respectively. At 1 h post-contact, five fleas were found on the receiver cats, with three cats having one flea and one cat, two fleas. The number of fleas recovered on receiver cats increased towards the end of the study. At 24 h, 20% of the fleas were found on the receiver cats, and at 48 h, 23%. In a second experiment, the six flea-free cats were put in contact with the six donor cats which were each infested by 100 fleas 48 h before. Fewer fleas were found on the receiver cats (n = 15), representing 3.8% of all fleas recovered (n = 403). All the observed fleas had fed. The fleas collected on receiving cats comprised 10 males and 5 females, and 4 of the 5 females were engorged and contained eggs. The fleas collected on donor cats comprised 153 males and 235 females, they were all fed and all females contained eggs. This experiment demonstrated that gravid female fleas have a tendency to become permanently but not exclusively parasitic. Nevertheless, a few can change their cat host in as little as 1 h, which may play a role in the rapid introduction of a new flea population into a cat environment. © M. Franc et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2013.

The legal status of cats in New Zealand: a perspective on the welfare of companion, stray, and feral domestic cats (Felis catus).

PubMed

Farnworth, Mark J; Dye, Nicholson G; Keown, Natasha

2010-01-01

Pinpointing and safeguarding the welfare status of domestic cats is problematic, especially in New Zealand where cats are introduced predators with significant impact on indigenous fauna. Usually the identification of welfare status depends on conservational, legal, and public attitudes that are often contrasting. Cats may rapidly transgress definitions placed on them, confounding attempts to categorize them. In 1 generation, cats can move from a human-dependent state ("stray" or "companion") to wild ("feral"). Often this categorization uses arbitrary behavioral and or situational parameters; consequent treatment and welfare protection for these cats are similarly affected. Terminology used to describe cats is not equitable across research. However, the New Zealand Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare 2007 seeks to create a new definition of the terms companion, stray, and feral. It distinguishes between cats who live within and without human social constructs. This legislation mandates that cats in human environments or indirectly dependent on humans cannot be classified as feral. Such definitions may prove vital when safeguarding the welfare of free-living domestic cats and cat colonies.

[Health status and causes of mortality in feral cats in a delimited area of the inner city of Berlin].

PubMed

Kalz, B; Scheibe, K M; Wegner, I; Priemer, J

2000-01-01

Results of the veterinary examination of feral cats living in a delimited area of Berlin city are presented. Between 1996 and 1999 thirty nine cats were investigated, among them eleven individuals twice. All animals were positive for one or several pathologies, but only seven cats were in bad condition. Most common were periodontal and gingival diseases, followed by conjunctivitis. Five cats were positive for FIV, seven for FeLV, one tomcat for both. Twenty six cats vanished during the study period of 42 months, only one third of cats survived and remained in the study area throughout. Four cats were given to pet lovers, nine cats disappeared without trace, seven animals died in traffic accidents and six cats died of illnesses. Cats less than three years of age vanished more often than expected from their representation in the population. Dirty or large feeding places for cats constitute a source of infections. Feeding sites should be accessible to only few individuals and left-overs that may attract stray cats, rats or birds should not remain at feeding places.

Prevalence of seizures in cats after head trauma.

PubMed

Grohmann, Kristina S; Schmidt, Martin J; Moritz, Andreas; Kramer, Martin

2012-12-01

To determine the prevalence of seizures in cats after head trauma. Retrospective cross-sectional study. 52 cats with head trauma. Information was obtained from medical records of cats with head trauma and via telephone interviews of owners at least 2 years after cats had head trauma. Severity of head trauma in cats was classified with the modified Glasgow coma scale (mGCS), and the association between scores and development of seizures was determined. 9 cats had moderate head trauma (mGCS score, 9 to 14), and 43 cats had mild head trauma (mGCS score, 15 to 18). None of the cats developed seizures during the follow-up period (≥ 2 years after head injury). The calculated 95% confidence interval for prevalence of seizures in cats after head injury was 0% to 5.6%. There was no significant relationship between severity of head trauma and the risk of seizures in cats. Results indicated the probability that cats with mild to moderate head trauma would develop posttraumatic seizures was low. However, clinicians should monitor cats with a history of head trauma for development of secondary epilepsy.

Genetics of carbon catabolite repression in Saccharomycess cerevisiae: genes involved in the derepression process.

PubMed

Zimmermann, F K; Kaufmann, I; Rasenberger, H; Haubetamann, P

1977-02-28

A recessive mutant cat1-1, wild type CAT1, was isolated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It did not grow on glycerol nor ferment maltose even with fully constitutive, glucose resistant maltase synthesis. It prevented derepression of isocitrate lyase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase and maltase in a constitutive but glucose sensitive maltase mutant. Derepression of malate dehydrogenase was retarded and slowed down. Sucrose fermentation and invertase synthesis was not affected. Respiration was normal. From this mutant, two reverse mutants were isolated. One was recessive, acted as a suppressor of cat1-1 and was called cat2-1, wild type CAT2; the other was dominant and allelic to CAT1 and designated CAT1-2d and cat2-1 caused an earlier derepression of enzymes studied but did not affect the repressed nor the fully derepressed enzyme levels. CAT1-2d and cat2-1 did not show any additive effects. It is proposed that carbon catabolite repression acts in two ways. The direct way represses synthesis of sensitive enzymes, during growth on repressing carbon sources whereas the other way regulates the derepression process. After alleviation of carbon catabolite repression, gene CAT1 becomes active and prevents the activity of CAT2 which functions as a repressor of sensitive enzyme synthesis. The CAT2 gene product has to be eliminated before derepression can actually occur. The time required for this causes a delay in derepression after the depletion of a repressible carbon source. cat1-1 cannot block CAT2 activity and therefore, derepression is blocked. cat2-1 is inactive and derepression can start after carbon catabolite repression has ceased. CAT1-2d permanently active as a repressor of CAT2 and eliminates the delay in derepression.

Assessing the impact of different persuasive messages on the intentions and behaviour of cat owners: A randomised control trial.

PubMed

McLeod, Lynette J; Hine, Donald W; Bengsen, Andrew J; Driver, Aaron B

2017-10-01

Owners of free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) are under increasing pressure to keep their pet contained within their house or yard, in an effort to reduce adverse impacts on cat welfare, ecosystem biodiversity and neighbourhoods. We conducted a randomised online experiment to assess the effectiveness of two persuasive messages to encourage cat owners to contain their pets. A total of 512 Australian cat owners, who currently do not contain their cats, were randomly assigned to view one of three short video messages: one framed to highlight the negative impact of cats' on wildlife and biodiversity ('wildlife protection' frame), one framed to highlight the health and safety benefits of keeping cats contained ('cat benefit' frame), and a control message focused on general information about cats ('neutral' frame). We assessed the impact of these video messages on two post-treatment outcome variables: (1) the intention of owners to contain their cat; and (2) the adoption of containment practices, based on a 4-week follow-up survey. Mediation analysis revealed both the 'wildlife protection' and 'cat benefit' messages increased owners' motivation to contain their cat and their beliefs that they could effectively contain their cat to achieve the desired outcomes (response efficacy). In turn, higher levels of motivation and response efficacy predicted increased cat containment intentions and increased adoption of cat containment. In addition, the response efficacy effects of the 'cat benefit' message were strengthened by the cat owner's bond to their pet, suggesting audience segmentation may improve the effectiveness of interventions. Implications for future intervention development are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and properties of the glandular surface in the digestive zone of the pitcher in the carnivorous plant Nepenthes ventrata and its role in insect trapping and retention.

PubMed

Gorb, Elena; Kastner, Victoria; Peressadko, Andrei; Arzt, Eduard; Gaume, Laurence; Rowe, Nick; Gorb, Stanislav

2004-08-01

Carnivorous plants of the genus Nepenthes grow in nutrient-poor habitats and have evolved specialised trapping organs, known as pitchers. These are composed of different surface zones serving the functions of attraction, capture and digestion of insects, which represent a main source of nitrogen. To investigate the role of the glandular digestive zone in the trapping mechanism of the pitcher, structural, mechanical and physico-chemical studies were applied to N. ventrata and combined with insect behavioural experiments. It was found that the glandular surface is microscopically rough since it is regularly structured with multicellular glands situated in epidermal depressions. The presence of downward-directed 'hoods' over the upper part of glands and sloped depressions in the proximal direction of the pitcher causes a marked anisotropy of the surface. The glandular zone surface is composed of relatively stiff material (Young's modulus, 637.19+/-213.44 kPa). It is not homogeneous, in terms of adhesive properties, and contains numerous areas without adhesion as well as adhesive areas differing greatly in tenacity values (range, 1.39-28.24 kPa). The surface is readily wettable with water (contact angle, 31.9-36.0 degrees C) and has a high surface free energy (56.84-61.93 mN m(-1)) with a relatively high polar component (33.09-52.70 mN m(-1)). To examine the effect of the glandular secretion on attachment systems of insects having hairy and smooth adhesive pads, forces generated on different surfaces by Calliphora vicina flies and Pyrrhocoris apterus bugs, respectively, were measured. Flies attached equally well to both fresh and air-dried glandular surfaces whereas bugs generated a significantly lower force on the fresh glandular surface compared with the air-dried one. It is assumed that the contribution of the glandular surface to insect retention, due to its effect on insect attachment, differs depending on insect weight and the type of insect attachment system. Surface anisotropy does not facilitate effective claw interlocking so that insects possessing only claws are probably not able to cling to the glandular surface. However, stiffness of the pitcher wall material in the digestive zone can provide claw clinging via punching of the pitcher wall by claws. Small insects lacking pads may use adhesive areas on the plant surface to attach themselves, but such solitary points with very strong adhesion possibly impede their overall locomotion and chance of escape. Pad-bearing insects are presumably able to attach to smooth parts of the glandular surface located between glands. High free surface energy of the plant substrate may promote adhesion. Gland secretion may decrease attachment ability in insects with smooth adhesive pads but not influence attachment of insects with hairy attachment systems.

Search Methods Used to Locate Missing Cats and Locations Where Missing Cats Are Found

PubMed Central

Huang, Liyan; Coradini, Marcia; Rand, Jacquie; Morton, John; Albrecht, Kat; Wasson, Brigid; Robertson, Danielle

2018-01-01

Simple Summary A least 15% of cat owners lose their pet in a five-year period and some are never found. This paper reports on data gathered from an online questionnaire that asked questions regarding search methods used to locate missing cats and locations where missing cats were found. The most important finding from this retrospective case series was that approximately one third of cats were recovered within 7 days. Secondly, a physical search increased the chances of finding cats alive and 75% of cats were found within a 500 m radius of their point of escape. Thirdly, those cats that were indoor-outdoor and allowed outside unsupervised traveled longer distances compared with indoor cats that were never allowed outside. Lastly, cats considered to be highly curious in nature were more likely to be found inside someone else’s house compared to other personality types. These findings suggest that a physical search within the first week of a cat going missing could be a useful strategy. In light of these findings, further research into this field may show whether programs such as shelter, neuter and return would improve the chances of owners searching and finding their missing cats as well as decreasing euthanasia rates in shelters. Abstract Missing pet cats are often not found by their owners, with many being euthanized at shelters. This study aimed to describe times that lost cats were missing for, search methods associated with their recovery, locations where found and distances travelled. A retrospective case series was conducted where self-selected participants whose cat had gone missing provided data in an online questionnaire. Of the 1210 study cats, only 61% were found within one year, with 34% recovered alive by the owner within 7 days. Few cats were found alive after 90 days. There was evidence that physical searching increased the chance of finding the cat alive (p = 0.073), and 75% of cats were found within 500 m of the point of escape. Up to 75% of cats with outdoor access traveled 1609 m, further than the distance traveled by indoor-only cats (137 m; p ≤ 0.001). Cats considered to be highly curious were more likely to be found inside someone else’s house compared to other personality types. These findings suggest that thorough physical searching is a useful strategy, and should be conducted within the first week after cats go missing. They also support further investigation into whether shelter, neuter and return programs improve the chance of owners recovering missing cats and decrease numbers of cats euthanized in shelters. PMID:29301322

Positive Impact of Nutritional Interventions on Serum Symmetric Dimethylarginine and Creatinine Concentrations in Client-Owned Geriatric Cats

PubMed Central

Hall, Jean A.; MacLeay, Jennifer; Yerramilli, Maha; Obare, Edward; Yerramilli, Murthy; Schiefelbein, Heidi; Paetau-Robinson, Inke; Jewell, Dennis E.

2016-01-01

A prospective study was conducted in client-owned geriatric cats to evaluate the short- term effects of a test food on serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and creatinine (Cr) concentrations. Test food contained functional lipids (fish oil), antioxidants (vitamins C and E), L-carnitine, botanicals (vegetables), highly bioavailable protein, and amino acid supplements. Cats (n = 80) were fed either test food or owner’s-choice foods (non-nutritionally controlled cohort). Cats were included based on age (≥ 9 years), indoor only, neutered, and free of chronic disease. At baseline, all cats had serum Cr concentrations within the reference interval. Renal function biomarkers and urinalysis results at baseline and after consuming test food or owner’s-choice foods for 3 and 6 months were evaluated. Cats consuming test food showed significant decreases in serum Cr and BUN concentrations across time. Overall, cats consuming owner’s-choice foods showed significant increases in serum SDMA concentrations at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline (P ≤ 0.05), whereas in cats consuming test food serum SDMA concentrations did not change. At baseline or during the 6-month feeding trial, 23 (28.8%) cats had increased serum SDMA, but normal serum Cr consistent with IRIS Stage 1 chronic kidney disease. This included 6 cats fed test food and 17 cats fed owner’s-choice foods. In the 6 cats fed test food, serum SDMA decreased in 3 cats and remained stable in 1 cat, whereas in the 17 cats fed owner’s-choice foods, serum SDMA increased in 13 cats and decreased or remained stable in 4 cats. The increase in serum SDMA concentration was significant (P = 0.02) only for cats fed owner’s-choice foods. These results suggest that nonazotemic cats with elevated serum SDMA (early renal insufficiency) when fed a food designed to promote healthy aging are more likely to demonstrate stable renal function compared with cats fed owner’s-choice foods. Cats fed owner’s-choice foods were more likely to demonstrate progressive renal insufficiency. PMID:27078852

Seroprevalence study of feline coronavirus in owned and feral cats in Sydney, Australia.

PubMed

Bell, E T; Toribio, J A L M L; White, J D; Malik, R; Norris, J M

2006-03-01

i) To establish the seroprevalence of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) infection in two defined groups of cats in Sydney: owned and feral cats; ii) to identify factors associated with an increased risk of infection with FCoV; and iii) to establish the seroprevalence and FCoV antibody titres of owned cats with immunohistochemically confirmed feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Prospective multi-institutional cross sectional study. Procedure Serum samples from owned cats presented to three inner city veterinary clinics in Sydney and feral cats from a colony in South Western Sydney over an 11-month period were tested for FCoV antibodies using the Immunocomb test kit. The relationship between serological score and six major factors (breed, age, gender, number of cats per household, living environment and health status) in the owned cat sample population was analysed and compared to cats with FIR RESULTS: The seroprevalence of FCoV infection in the sample population of owned and feral cats was 34% and 0%, respectively. The median Immunocomb scores of DSH, Persian, Siamese and Devon Rex cats were significantly lower than that of Burmese, BSH, Abyssinian, Birman, Ragdoll and Russian Blue. The median lmmunocomb score of pedigree cats less than 2 years-of-age was significantly higher than for pedigree cats greater than 2 years-of-age. This distinction was not evident in DSH cats in these age groups. The number of cats per household at the time of blood collection had a strong positive association with Immunocomb score. The median Immunocomb score of cats with immunohistochemically confirmed FIP was significantly higher than cats in the sample population of owned cats but there was sufficient overlap between these two groups to make definitive diagnosis of FIP by serology impossible. This represents the first seroprevalence study of FCoV in Australia. The major determinants of antibody score of owned cats identified in this study were breed, age and the number of cats per household. The significant relationship between the breed of the cat and the FCoV antibody titre further supports the notion, proposed previously by the authors, that breed related differences exist in the immunological response to FCoV infection.

The contribution of cat owners' attitudes and behaviours to the free-roaming cat overpopulation in Tel Aviv, Israel.

PubMed

Finkler, Hilit; Terkel, Joseph

2012-04-01

The attitudes and behaviours of cat owners in regard to treatment of cats may have a cumulative effect on the food availability, reproduction, density and welfare of the free-roaming cat population and thus also on the extent of cat overpopulation. Understanding this is thus a vital step in the a priori planning of cat management programs on any scale, as well as in developing public education programs on this issue. Although recent years have seen an accumulation of knowledge in regard to cat owners' attitudes and behaviours, the findings vary among countries and locations and in Israel this has never been investigated systematically. Using a questionnaire provided to cat owners in veterinary clinics, this study aimed at identifying those attitudes and behaviours that may be contributing to cat overpopulation in Tel Aviv, Israel, and at exploring the socio-economic factors that influence this problem. The findings show that the influential factors can be predicted from the cat owners' socio-economic status, mainly education and income, as well as gender and age. A consistency in those cat owner behaviours that contribute to cat overpopulation was also uncovered, revealing a sub-population of individuals who persist in the undesirable behaviours. Finally, a strong relationship between attitude and consequent behaviour was demonstrated, indicating the importance of education and targeted publicity as a means to influence attitudes and thereby change behaviours in this respect. We propose several measures by which to reduce the current extent of cat owners' contribution to the cat overpopulation: discouraging unwanted owner behaviours such as abandonment of their cats and allowing them to breed; promoting awareness of the neutering option among cat caretakers; and increasing pre-adoption neutering rates in shelters. Regional and national laws promoting responsible pet ownership need to be enacted. By improving the current level of knowledge and awareness among cat owners regarding cat overpopulation issues, and encouraging a more responsible attitude, cat owners' bond with their cats could be strengthened, as well as their bond with and contribution to their environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Born to roam? Surveying cat owners in Tasmania, Australia, to identify the drivers and barriers to cat containment.

PubMed

McLeod, Lynette J; Hine, Donald W; Bengsen, Andrew J

2015-12-01

Free-roaming domestic cats, Felis catus, are a major public nuisance in neighbourhoods across the world, and have been linked to biodiversity loss and a host of community health problems. Owners who let their cats roam, also place their cats at risk of serious injury. One management strategy that is gaining considerable support involves encouraging cat owners to contain their pets within their property. Contemporary behaviour change models highlight the importance of identifying drivers and barriers that encourage and discourage target behaviours such as cat containment. Results from a random dial phone survey of 356 cat owners in northern Tasmania identified four distinct cat containment profiles: owners who contained their cat all the time, owners who only contained their cat at night, owners who sporadically contained their cat with no set routine, and owners who made no attempt to contain their pet. Our results indicated that cat-owners' decisions to contain or not contain their cats were guided by a range of factors including owners' beliefs about their ability to implement an effective containment strategy and their views about the physical and psychological needs of their cats. The results are discussed in terms of improving the behavioural effectiveness of cat containment interventions by selecting appropriate behavioural change tools for the identified drivers and barriers, and developing targeted engagement strategies and messaging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Energy Requirement and Food Intake Behaviour in Young Adult Intact Male Cats with and without Predisposition to Overweight

PubMed Central

Wichert, Brigitta; Trossen, Julia; Uebelhart, Daniel; Wanner, Marcel; Hartnack, Sonja

2012-01-01

Obesity is a common problem in cats. In the experimental cat family of the institute of animal nutrition besides a “normal” lean phenotype, cats with predisposition to an overweight phenotype are present. To investigate energy requirements and food intake behaviour of intact male cats of different phenotypes, six “normal” lean cats (GL) and six cats disposed to overweight (GO) were used. At the beginning of the experiment, all cats had an ideal body condition score of 5. To reach this the GO cats had to pass a weight-loss program. Energy requirements of the cats were determined using respiration chambers, whereas the amount and frequency of food intake was measured with a feeding station recording the data automatically. Energy requirement at weight constancy of the GO cats was even on fat-free mass (FFM) significantly (P = 0.02) lower (162.6 kJ/kg FFM/d) than that of the “normal” lean cats (246 kJ/kg FFM/d). The GO cats also showed a higher food intake 34.5 ± 1.5 g dry matter/kg body weight0.67 compared to the GL cats (24.0 ± 2.1 g dry matter/kg body weight0.67)(P = 0.001). In conclusion quantifiable differences in food intake and behaviour in cats predisposed to overweight compared to “normal” lean cats were found. PMID:22623906

Mapping of cat albumin using monoclonal antibodies: identification of determinants common to cat and dog.

PubMed Central

Boutin, Y; Hébert, J; Vrancken, E R; Mourad, W

1989-01-01

Cat and dog albumins from commercial extracts were used to produce monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). Anti-cat albumin MoAb recognized both cat and dog albumin equally, as did anti-dog albumin MoAb; this confirms cross-reactivity between cat and dog. The MoAb were separated into two groups according to their epitopic specificity; they recognized two overlapping epitopes of cat albumin. Furthermore, by competitive inhibition of radio-allergosorbent test (RAST), it was shown that one MoAb group inhibited significantly the binding of human IgE antibodies (from a pool of 13 patients allergic to both cats and dogs) to insolubilized cat or dog extracts. These observations suggest that murine anti-cat or anti-dog MoAb and human IgE antibodies recognize identical or closely related determinants on cat and dog albumin. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 PMID:2478325

3 alpha-Hydroxylated bile acid profiles in clinically normal cats, cats with severe hepatic lipidosis, and cats with complete extrahepatic bile duct occlusion.

PubMed

Center, S A; Thompson, M; Guida, L

1993-05-01

Concentrations of 3 alpha-hydroxylated bile acids were measured in serum and urine of clinically normal (healthy) cats (n = 6), cats with severe hepatic lipidosis (n = 9), and cats with complete bile duct occlusion (n = 4). Bile acid concentrations were measured by use of a gradient flow high-performance liquid chromatography procedure with an acetonitrile and ammonium phosphate mobile phase and an in-line postanalytic column containing 3 alpha-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase and a fluorescence detector. Specific identification of all bile acid peaks was not completed; unidentified moieties were represented in terms of their elution time (in minutes). Significant differences in serum and urine bile acid concentrations, quantitative and proportional, were determined among groups of cats. Cats with hepatic lipidosis and bile duct occlusion had significantly (P > or = 0.05) greater total serum and urine bile acids concentrations than did healthy cats. The proportion of hydrophobic bile acids in serum, those eluting at > or = 400 minutes, was 1.9% for healthy cats, 3.3% for cats with lipidosis, and 5.4% for bile duct-obstructed cats. Both groups of ill cats had a broader spectrum of unidentified late-eluting serum bile acids than did healthy cats; the largest spectrum developed in bile duct-occluded cats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Search Methods Used to Locate Missing Cats and Locations Where Missing Cats Are Found.

PubMed

Huang, Liyan; Coradini, Marcia; Rand, Jacquie; Morton, John; Albrecht, Kat; Wasson, Brigid; Robertson, Danielle

2018-01-02

Missing pet cats are often not found by their owners, with many being euthanized at shelters. This study aimed to describe times that lost cats were missing for, search methods associated with their recovery, locations where found and distances travelled. A retrospective case series was conducted where self-selected participants whose cat had gone missing provided data in an online questionnaire. Of the 1210 study cats, only 61% were found within one year, with 34% recovered alive by the owner within 7 days. Few cats were found alive after 90 days. There was evidence that physical searching increased the chance of finding the cat alive ( p = 0.073), and 75% of cats were found within 500 m of the point of escape. Up to 75% of cats with outdoor access traveled 1609 m, further than the distance traveled by indoor-only cats (137 m; p ≤ 0.001). Cats considered to be highly curious were more likely to be found inside someone else's house compared to other personality types. These findings suggest that thorough physical searching is a useful strategy, and should be conducted within the first week after cats go missing. They also support further investigation into whether shelter, neuter and return programs improve the chance of owners recovering missing cats and decrease numbers of cats euthanized in shelters.

Effect of high-impact targeted trap-neuter-return and adoption of community cats on cat intake to a shelter.

PubMed

Levy, J K; Isaza, N M; Scott, K C

2014-09-01

Approximately 2-3 million cats enter animal shelters annually in the United States. A large proportion of these are unowned community cats that have no one to reclaim them and may be too unsocialized for adoption. More than half of impounded cats are euthanased due to shelter crowding, shelter-acquired disease or feral behavior. Trap-neuter-return (TNR), an alternative to shelter impoundment, improves cat welfare and reduces the size of cat colonies, but has been regarded as too impractical to reduce cat populations on a larger scale or to limit shelter cat intake. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of TNR concentrated in a region of historically high cat impoundments in a Florida community. A 2-year program was implemented to capture and neuter at least 50% of the estimated community cats in a single 11.9 km(2) zip code area, followed by return to the neighborhood or adoption. Trends in shelter cat intake from the target zip code were compared to the rest of the county. A total of 2366 cats, representing approximately 54% of the projected community cat population in the targeted area, were captured for the TNR program over the 2-year study period. After 2 years, per capita shelter intake was 3.5-fold higher and per capita shelter euthanasia was 17.5-fold higher in the non-target area than in the target area. Shelter cat impoundment from the target area where 60 cats/1000 residents were neutered annually decreased by 66% during the 2-year study period, compared to a decrease of 12% in the non-target area, where only 12 cats/1000 residents were neutered annually. High-impact TNR combined with the adoption of socialized cats and nuisance resolution counseling for residents is an effective tool for reducing shelter cat intake. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Practical Physical and Behavioral Measures to Assess the Socialization Spectrum of Cats in a Shelter-Like Setting during a Three Day Period

PubMed Central

Slater, Margaret; Garrison, Laurie; Miller, Katherine; Weiss, Emily; Makolinski, Kathleen; Drain, Natasha; Mirontshuk, Alex

2013-01-01

Simple Summary Animal welfare organizations accept large numbers of cats with no known history. Because shelters are often highly stressful environments for cats, it is likely to be difficult to differentiate a frightened cat that is socialized to humans from a feral cat that is not. However, this distinction can help channel cats into appropriate dispositions. We conducted structured assessments to measure various behaviors and their potential to distinguish socialization levels. Our results show that a specific set of behaviors are only exhibited by more socialized cats. Many cats needed time to adjust to the shelter-type setting to show these socialized behaviors. Abstract Animal welfare organizations routinely accept large numbers of cats with unknown histories, and whose backgrounds vary from well-socialized pets to cats that have had little or no contact with humans. Agencies are challenged with making the determination of socialization level in a highly stressful environment where cats are often too frightened to show typical behaviors. A variety of structured behavioral assessments were conducted in a shelter-like environment, from intake through a three day holding period, on cats from the full range of socialization as reported by their caregivers. Our results show that certain behaviors such as rubbing, playing, chirping, having the tail up or being at the front of the cage were found to be unique to More Socialized cats. While not all more socialized cats showed these behaviors, cats that did were socialized. Assessing the cats throughout the three day period was beneficial in eliciting key behaviors from shyer and more frightened cats. These results will be used in future work to develop an assessment tool to identify the socialization status of cats as a standardized guide for transparent and reliable disposition decisions and higher live release rates for cats in animal shelters. PMID:26479757

Molecular Detection of Rickettsia felis in Humans, Cats, and Cat Fleas in Bangladesh, 2013-2014.

PubMed

Ahmed, Rajib; Paul, Shyamal Kumar; Hossain, Muhammad Akram; Ahmed, Salma; Mahmud, Muhammad Chand; Nasreen, Syeda Anjuman; Ferdouse, Faria; Sharmi, Rumana Hasan; Ahamed, Farid; Ghosh, Souvik; Urushibara, Noriko; Aung, Meiji Soe; Kobayashi, Nobumichi

2016-05-01

High prevalence of Rickettsia felis in patients with fever of unknown origin was revealed in the north-central Bangladesh from 2012 to 2013. Subsequently, in this study, prevalence of R. felis in cats and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), together with febrile patients, was studied by PCR detection of 17 kDa antigen gene and DNA sequencing. R. felis was detected in 28% (28/100) and 21% (14/68) of cat blood and cat flea samples, respectively, whereas 42% (21/50) of patients were positive for R. felis. R. felis-positive cat fleas were detected at significantly higher rate on R. felis-positive cats. The results suggested a potential role of cats and cat fleas for transmission of R. felis to humans in Bangladesh.

Treatment of fibroadenomatous hyperplasia in cats with aglépristone.

PubMed

Görlinger, S; Kooistra, H S; van den Broek, A; Okkens, A C

2002-01-01

Fibroadenomatous hyperplasia (FAH) is characterized by a rapid proliferation of mammary stroma and duct epithelium of 1 or more glands and predominantly affects younger female cats. Endogenous progesterone and exogenous progestogens play an important role in the genesis of FAH. The presence of progesterone receptors in fibroadenomatous tissue allows for targeted endocrine therapy with progesterone receptor blockers. We report on 22 young cats with FAH, none of which had responded to the withdrawal of progestogens or ovariectomy. The common signs were tachycardia (11 cats); skin ulceration, painful mammary glands, or both (16 cats); lethargy (8 cats); and anorexia (4 cats). The cats were treated with subcutaneous injections of the progesterone receptor blocker aglépristone on 1 (7 cats, 20 mg/kg) or 2 consecutive days (15 cats, 10 mg/kg/d) once weekly. All but 1 cat responded with a complete and lasting remission of signs after 1-4 weeks of treatment. Two cats had a short-term skin irritation at the site of the aglépristone injection. Two pregnant cats with FAH aborted after treatment with aglépristone and subsequently developed endometritis. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that FAH in cats can be treated successfully with the progesterone receptor blocker aglépristone.

Treatment of pyonephrosis with a subcutaneous ureteral bypass device in four cats.

PubMed

Cray, Megan; Berent, Allyson C; Weisse, Chick W; Bagley, Demetrius

2018-03-15

CASE DESCRIPTION 4 cats were examined because of ureteral obstruction. CLINICAL FINDINGS Clinical and clinicopathologic abnormalities were nonspecific and included anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and azotemia. A diagnosis of pyonephrosis was made in all cats. The presence of bacteriuria was confirmed by means of urinalysis in 2 cats, bacterial culture of a urine sample obtained by means of preoperative cystocentesis in 2 cats, and bacterial culture of samples obtained from the renal pelvis intraoperatively in 3 cats. Ureteral obstruction was caused by a urolith in 3 cats; ureteral stricture associated with a circumcaval ureter was identified in 1 cat. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME All 4 cats underwent renal pelvis lavage and placement of a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) device for treatment of obstructive pyonephrosis. Postoperatively, the cystostomy tube became occluded with purulent material in 1 cat, requiring exchange. The procedure was successful in relieving the obstruction and pyonephrosis in all cats. Three of 4 cats had documented resolution of urinary tract infection. One cat had persistent bacteriuria without clinical signs 1 month after SUB device placement. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this small series suggested that renal pelvis lavage with placement of an SUB device may be a treatment option for cats with obstructive pyonephrosis.

Surrenderers’ Relationships with Cats Admitted to Four Australian Animal Shelters

PubMed Central

Zito, Sarah; Paterson, Mandy; Rand, Jacquie; Phillips, Clive J. C.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary The surrender of cats to animal shelters results in financial, social and moral burdens for the community. Human caretaking of cats was explored in a sample of people surrendering cats to shelters in Australia. At the shelters surrenderers classified themselves as owners or non-owners and a questionnaire identified that this was related to their method of acquisition of the cat, their association time with the cat, the closeness of their relationship with the cat and their degree of responsibility for the cat’s care. A model of ownership perception was developed to provide a better understanding of factors influencing ownership perception. Understanding ownership perceptions in cats surrendered to shelters is important as these can inform the development of more targeted and effective intervention strategies to reduce numbers of unwanted cats. Abstract The surrender of cats to animal shelters results in financial, social and moral burdens for the community. Correlations of caretaking and interactions with surrendered cats were calculated, to understand more about humans’ relationships with surrendered cats and the contribution of semi-owned cats to shelter intakes. A questionnaire was used to collect detailed information about 100 surrenderers’ relationships with cats they surrendered to four animal shelters in Australia, with each surrenderer classifying themselves as being either the owner or a non-owner of the surrendered cat (ownership perception). Method of acquisition of the cat, association time, closeness of the relationship with the cat and degree of responsibility for the cat’s care were all associated with ownership perception. Many non-owners (59%) fed and interacted with the cat they surrendered but rarely displayed other caretaking behaviours. However, most surrenderers of owned and unowned cats were attached to and felt responsible for the cat. Based on these results and other evidence, a causal model of ownership perception was proposed to provide a better understanding of factors influencing ownership perception. This model consisted of a set of variables proposed as directly or indirectly influencing ownership perception, with connecting arrows to indicate proposed causal relationships. Understanding ownership perception and the contribution of semi-owned cats to shelter intake is important as these can inform the development of more targeted and effective intervention strategies to reduce numbers of unwanted cats. PMID:29414867

Desires and management preferences of stakeholders regarding feral cats in the Hawaiian islands.

PubMed

Lohr, Cheryl A; Lepczyk, Christopher A

2014-04-01

Feral cats are abundant in many parts of the world and a source of conservation conflict. Our goal was to clarify the beliefs and desires held by stakeholders regarding feral cat abundance and management. We measured people's desired abundance of feral cats in the Hawaiian Islands and identified an order of preference for 7 feral cat management techniques. In 2011 we disseminated a survey to 5407 Hawaii residents. Approximately 46% of preidentified stakeholders and 20% of random residents responded to the survey (1510 surveys returned). Results from the potential for conflict index revealed a high level of consensus (86.9% of respondents) that feral cat abundance should be decreased. The 3 most common explanatory variables for respondents' stated desires were enjoyment from seeing feral cats (84%), intrinsic value of feral cats (12%), and threat to native fauna (73%). The frequency with which respondents saw cats and change in the perceived abundance of cats also affected respondent's desired abundance of cats; 41.3% of respondents stated that they saw feral cats daily and 44.7% stated that the cat population had increased in recent years. Other potential environmental impacts of feral cats had little affect on desired abundance. The majority of respondents (78%) supported removing feral cats from the natural environment permanently. Consensus convergence models with data from 1388 respondents who completed the relevant questions showed live capture and lethal injection was the most preferred technique and trap-neuter-release was the least preferred technique for managing feral cats. However, the acceptability of each technique varied among stakeholders. Our results suggest that the majority of Hawaii's residents would like to see effective management that reduces the abundance of feral or free-roaming cats. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Does the COPD assessment test (CAT(TM)) questionnaire produce similar results when self- or interviewer administered?

PubMed

Agusti, A; Soler-Cataluña, J J; Molina, J; Morejon, E; Garcia-Losa, M; Roset, M; Badia, X

2015-10-01

The COPD assessment test (CAT) is a questionnaire that assesses the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on health status, but some patients have difficulties filling it up by themselves. We examined whether the mode of administration of the Spanish version of CAT (self vs. interviewer) influences its scores and/or psychometric properties. Observational, prospective study in 49 Spanish centers that includes clinically stable COPD patients (n = 153) and patients hospitalized because of an exacerbation (ECOPD; n = 224). The CAT was self-administered (CAT-SA) or administered by an interviewer (CAT-IA) based on the investigator judgment of the patient's capacity. To assess convergent validity, the Saint George's Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL) instrument were also administered. Psychometric properties were compared across modes of administration. A total of 118 patients (31 %) completed the CAT-SA and 259 (69 %) CAT-IA. Multiple regression analysis showed that mode of administration did not affect CAT scores. The CAT showed excellent psychometric properties in both modes of administration. Internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) were high (0.86 for CAT-SA and 0.85 for CAT-IA) as was test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.83 for CAT-SA and CAT-IA). Correlations with SGRQ and LCADL were moderate to strong both in CAT-SA and CAT-IA, indicating good convergent validity. Similar results were observed when testing longitudinal validity. The mode of administration does not influence CAT scores or its psychometric properties. Hence, both modes of administration can be used in clinical practice depending on the physician judgment of patient's capacity.

Insulin sensitivity, fat distribution, and adipocytokine response to different diets in lean and obese cats before and after weight loss.

PubMed

Hoenig, M; Thomaseth, K; Waldron, M; Ferguson, D C

2007-01-01

Obesity is a major health problem in cats and a risk factor for diabetes. It has been postulated that cats are always gluconeogenic and that the rise in obesity might be related to high dietary carbohydrates. We examined the effect of a high-carbohydrate/low-protein (HC) and a high-protein/low-carbohydrate (HP) diet on glucose and fat metabolism during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, adipocytokines, and fat distribution in 12 lean and 16 obese cats before and after weight loss. Feeding diet HP led to greater heat production in lean but not in obese cats. Regardless of diet, obese cats had markedly decreased glucose effectiveness and insulin resistance, but greater suppression of nonesterified fatty acids during the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp was seen in obese cats on diet HC compared with lean cats on either diet or obese cats on diet HP. In contrast to humans, obese cats had abdominal fat equally distributed subcutaneously and intra-abdominally. Weight loss normalized insulin sensitivity; however, increased nonesterified fatty acid suppression was maintained and fat loss was less in cats on diet HC. Adiponectin was negatively and leptin positively correlated with fat mass. Lean cats and cats during weight loss, but not obese cats, adapted to the varying dietary carbohydrate/protein content with changes in substrate oxidation. We conclude that diet HP is beneficial through maintenance of normal insulin sensitivity of fat metabolism in obese cats, facilitating the loss of fat during weight loss, and increasing heat production in lean cats. These data also show that insulin sensitivity of glucose and fat metabolism can be differentially regulated in cats.

Comparison of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) in a Clinical Population.

PubMed

Sundh, Josefin; Ställberg, Björn; Lisspers, Karin; Kämpe, Mary; Janson, Christer; Montgomery, Scott

2016-01-01

The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) are both clinically useful health status instruments. The main objective was to compare CAT and CCQ measurement instruments. CAT and CCQ forms were completed by 432 randomly selected primary and secondary care patients with a COPD diagnosis. Correlation and linear regression analyses of CAT and CCQ were performed. Standardised scores were created for the CAT and CCQ scores, and separate multiple linear regression analyses for CAT and CCQ examined associations with sex, age (≤ 60, 61-70 and >70 years), exacerbations (≥ 1 vs 0 in the previous year), body mass index (BMI), heart disease, anxiety/depression and lung function (subgroup with n = 246). CAT and CCQ correlated well (r = 0.88, p < 0.0001), as did CAT ≥ 10 and CCQ ≥ 1 (r = 0.78, p < 0.0001). CCQ 1.0 corresponded to CAT 9.93 and CAT 10 to CCQ 1.29. Both instruments were associated with BMI < 20 (standardised adjusted regression coefficient (95%CI) for CAT 0.56 (0.18 to 0.93) and CCQ 0.56 (0.20 to 0.92)), exacerbations (CAT 0.77 (0.58 to 0.95) and CCQ 0.94 (0.76 to 1.12)), heart disease (CAT 0.38 (0.17 to 0.59) and CCQ 0.23 (0.03 to 0.43)), anxiety/depression (CAT 0.35 (0.15 to 0.56) and CCQ 0.41 (0.21 to 0.60)) and COPD stage (CAT 0.19 (0.05 to 0.34) and CCQ 0.22 (0.07 to 0.36)). CAT and CCQ correlate well with each other. Heart disease, anxiety/depression, underweight, exacerbations, and low lung function are associated with worse health status assessed by both instruments.

Plasma and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity, serum selenium concentration, and plasma total antioxidant capacity in cats with IRIS stages I-IV chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Krofič Žel, M; Tozon, N; Nemec Svete, A

2014-01-01

Serum selenium concentrations and the activity of plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decrease with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in human patients. Selenium is considered a limiting factor for plasma GPx synthesis. Plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is decreased in CKD cats in comparison to healthy cats. Serum selenium concentrations and plasma and erythrocyte GPx activity in cats with CKD are lower than in healthy cats. Serum selenium concentrations, the activity of enzymes, and plasma TAC progressively decrease with the progression of kidney disease according to IRIS (International Renal Interest Society) classification. Twenty-six client-owned cats in IRIS stages I-IV of CKD were compared with 19 client-owned healthy cats. A CBC, serum biochemical profile, urinalysis, plasma and erythrocyte GPx activity, serum selenium concentration, and plasma TAC were measured in each cat. Cats in IRIS stage IV CKD had a significantly higher (P = .025) activity of plasma GPx (23.44 ± 6.28 U/mL) than cats in the control group (17.51 ± 3.75 U/mL). There were no significant differences in erythrocyte GPx, serum selenium concentration, and plasma TAC, either among IRIS stages I-IV CKD cats or between CKD cats and healthy cats. Erythrocyte GPx activity, serum selenium concentration, and plasma TAC do not change in CKD cats compared with healthy cats. Selenium is not a limiting factor in feline CKD. Increased plasma GPx activity in cats with stage IV CKD suggests induction of antioxidant defense mechanisms. Antioxidant defense systems might not be exhausted in CKD in cats. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Preventive efficacy of a topical combination of fipronil--(S)-methoprene--eprinomectin--praziquantel against ear mite (Otodectes cynotis) infestation of cats through a natural infestation model.

PubMed

Beugnet, Frédéric; Bouhsira, Emilie; Halos, Lénaïg; Franc, Michel

2014-01-01

A study based on naturally infested cats was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a single treatment with a topical formulation containing fipronil, (S)-methoprene, eprinomectin and praziquantel, for the prevention of Otodectes cynotis infestation in cats. Six treated cats and six untreated cats were housed with three chronically Otodectes cynotis-infested cats, respectively. The cats of each group were kept together in a 20-m(2) room for 1 month. Both clinical examination and ear mite counts were conducted on Day 28. All donor cats were confirmed to be chronically infested with Otodectes cynotis on Day -1 and Day 28. From untreated control cats, 129 live mites were recovered on Day 28 and all cats were found to be infested. In the treated group, three cats were found to be infested, with a total of five live mites recovered, the difference between the two groups being significant (p = 0.003). One treatment corresponded to 96% preventive efficacy at Day 28 based on ear mite counts. With regard to cerumen, the clinical score increased significantly for untreated cats between Day -1 and Day 28 (p = 0.00026) and not for treated cats (p = 0.30). The difference in cerumen abundance was significant between untreated and treated cats on Day 28 (p = 0.0035). Concerning the pruritic reflex in at least one ear, all cats were negative at inclusion. All six untreated cats became positive and showed a reflex on Day 28, whereas no treated cat showed ear pruritus (p = 0.00026). © F. Beugnet et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2014.

Management Practices of Cats Owned by Faculty, Staff, and Students at Two Midwest Veterinary Schools

PubMed Central

Stella, Judith L.

2016-01-01

Understanding cat owners' housing, care, and management practices is important for promoting cat welfare. A survey study was conducted on the housing and management practices used for cats by students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University and Purdue University veterinary colleges. Subjects were 138 cat-owner dyads. Most cats (74%) were housed strictly indoors in keeping with common US veterinary recommendations. However, many did not implement best practices outlined for behavior and other welfare needs of indoor cats. The percentage of respondents placing resources where cats could be disrupted while using them was 31%, 53%, and 30% for resting areas, food/water dishes, and litter boxes, respectively. Many cats were not provided a litter box in a private area (35%), in multiple areas of the house (51%), or that was regularly washed (73%). Horizontal scratching opportunities were not provided to 38% of cats; 32% were not provided toys that mimic prey and 91% of cats were fed a diet consisting of >75% dry food. These findings suggest a need for more concerted efforts to educate owners about meeting their cats' welfare needs so as to attenuate risks and improve cat physical and behavioral welfare outcomes. PMID:28090571

Sex specific differences in hepatic and plasma lipid profiles in healthy cats pre and post spaying and neutering: relationship with feline hepatic lipidosis.

PubMed

Valtolina, Chiara; Vaandrager, Arie B; Favier, Robert P; Tuohetahuntila, Maidina; Kummeling, Anne; Jeusette, Isabelle; Rothuizen, Jan; Robben, Joris H

2017-08-08

A link between lipid metabolism and disease has been recognized in cats. Since hepatic lipidosis is a frequent disorder in cats, the aim of the current study was to evaluate liver and plasma lipid dimorphism in healthy cats and the effects of gonadectomy on lipid profiling. From six female and six male cats plasma and liver lipid profiles before and after spaying/neutering were assessed and compared to five cats (three neutered male and two spayed female) diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis. Intact female cats had a significantly lower level of plasma triacylglycerides (TAG) and a higher liver level of the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) compared to their neutered state. Both male and female cats with lipidosis had a higher liver, but not plasma TAG level and an increased level of plasma and liver sphingomyelin compared to the healthy cats. Although lipid dimorphism in healthy cats resembles that of other species, intact female cats show differences in metabolic configuration that could predispose them to develop hepatic lipidosis. The increased sphingomyelin levels in cats with lipidosis could suggest a potential role in the pathogenesis of hepatic lipidosis in cats.

Determinants of Cat Choice and Outcomes for Adult Cats and Kittens Adopted from an Australian Animal Shelter

PubMed Central

Zito, Sarah; Paterson, Mandy; Vankan, Dianne; Morton, John; Bennett, Pauleen; Phillips, Clive

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Commonly, more adult cats than kittens are euthanized in animal shelters. We surveyed 382 cat adopters to assess adoption outcomes and potential determinants of adopters’ choice of cat age group and price. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and responsible ownership requirements. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive in all age and adoption price groups. This study provides evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. Abstract The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor adoption outcomes. We surveyed 382 cat adopters at the time of adoption, to assess potential determinants of adopters’ cat age group choice (adult or kitten) and, for adult cat adopters, the price they are willing to pay. The same respondents were surveyed again 6–12 months after the adoption to compare outcomes between cat age groups and between adult cats in two price categories. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and requirements for responsible ownership. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive for both adult cats and kittens and for adult cats adopted at low prices. The latter finding alleviates concerns about the outcomes of “low-cost” adoptions in populations, such as the study population, and lends support for the use of “low-cost” adoptions as an option for attempting to increase adoption rates. In addition, the results provide information that can be used to inform future campaigns aimed at increasing the number of adult cat adoptions, particularly in devising marketing strategies for adult cats. PMID:26479236

77 FR 11568 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-27

... arrow-shaft smoother fragment, 2 arrow-shaft straighteners, 2 bear canines (badly decayed), 1 bird bone... trade beads, 1 bone comb, 2 bone fragments, 1 bone pin, 1 brass pendant, 2 carved bone fragments, 1 celt... claws, 1 eagle bone whistle, 2 flakes, 1 flesher, 9 glass beads, 1 Glycymeris fragment, 1 graver or...

The Interagency Breakdown: Why We Need Legislative Reform to Coordinate Execution of the National Security Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

what A Goldwater- Nichols accomplished for the U.S. Military, improve responsiveness, improve command relationships , and educate our interagency...See Appendix A] further refined command relationships within the military and centralized control of the services. While military command... relationships improved with these reforms, command and control issues within the services remained. Operation Eagle Claw, the failed Iranian hostage rescue

Polymer Claw: Instant Underwater Adhesive

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-23

technology is the use of pressure sensitive microcapsules , which release reactive amine crosslinkers into an adhesive putty when pressed against the...PROIECT GOALS AND OBIECTIVES 2 2 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2 3.1 KICKOFF MEETING 3 3.2 AMINE MICROENCAPSULATION 3 3.3 CAUSTIC CLEANING AGENT 5 3.4...caustic, and the abrasive brush. We successfully synthesized amine-filled microcapsules and a dry mixture of caustic ingredients that only activate when

Numerical Modeling of the 2014 Oso, Washington, Landslide.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, D. L.; Iverson, R. M.

2014-12-01

Numerical simulations of alternative scenarios that could have transpired during the Oso, Washington, landslide of 22 March 2014 provide insight into factors responsible for the landslide's devastating high-speed runout.We performed these simulations using D-Claw, a numerical model we recently developed to simulate landslide and debris-flow motion from initiation to deposition. D-Claw solves a hyperbolic system of five partial differential equations that describe simultaneous evolution of the thickness,solid volume fraction, basal pore-fluid pressure, and two components of momentum of the moving mass. D-Claw embodies the concept ofstate-dependent dilatancy, which causes the solid volume fraction m to evolve toward a value that is equilibrated to the ambient stress state andshear rate. As the value of m evolves, basal pore-fluid pressure coevolves,and thereby causes an evolution in frictional resistance to motion. Our Oso simulations considered alternative scenarios in which values of all model parameters except the initial solid volume fraction m0 were held constant.These values were: basal friction angle = 36°; static critical-state solidvolume fraction = 0.64; initial sediment permeability = 10-8 m2; pore-fluid density = 1100 kg/m3; sediment grain density = 2700 kg/m3; pore-fluid viscosity = 0.005 Pa-s; and dimensionless sediment compressibility coefficient = 0.03. Simulations performed using these values and m0 = 0.62 produced widespread landslide liquefaction, runaway acceleration, andlandslide runout distances, patterns and speeds similar to those observed or inferred for the devastating Oso event. Alternative simulations that usedm0 = 0.64 produced a much slower landslide that did not liquefy and that traveled only about 100 m before stopping. This relatively benign behavioris similar to that of several landslides at the Oso site prior to 2014. Our findings illustrate a behavioral bifurcation that is highly sensitive to the initial solid volume fraction. They suggest that the destructiveness of the2014 Oso event may have resulted in part from prior slope deformation that produced a dilated sediment state that made the sediment susceptible to contraction and liquefaction as it began to fail on March 22.

Association of CAT-262C/T with the concentration of catalase in seminal plasma and the risk for male infertility in Algeria.

PubMed

Bousnane, Nour El Houda; May, Sadiq; Yahia, Mouloud; Abu Alhaija, Abed Alkarem

2017-10-01

Catalase (CAT) plays a central role in the protection of different cell types against the deleterious effects of hydrogen peroxide. In human, CAT is implicated in many physiological and pathological conditions including idiopathic male infertility. In this study we examined the association between CAT levels in seminal plasma with different sperm parameters and with CAT-262 C/T polymorphism and their risk for idiopathic male infertility in Algeria. Semen and blood samples were obtained from 111 infertile males and 104 fertile controls from the region of Eastern Algeria following informed consent. Standard semen parameters, DNA integrity, and CAT concentration in seminal plasma were evaluated. CAT-262C/T genotypes were screened using allele specific PCR. Seminal CAT activity was significantly different (p<0.0001) between infertile males and controls, it was also markedly decreased in oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (p<0.0001), azoospermia (p<0.0001), and normozoospermia (p=0.045) subgroups compared to controls. Positive correlations between CAT activity and semen parameters (volume, motility, concentration, and morphology) were detected, but not with sperm DNA integrity. There was no direct association between CAT-262C/T polymorphism and general male infertility. However, the results presented in this study showed that CAT activity is remarkably associated with the CAT-262T allele (p=0.001) and the different CAT-262C/T genotypes. This study highlighted the major differences in the seminal plasma CAT content between infertile and fertile males and the differences of CAT concentration between different CAT-262C/T genotypes carriers.

Survival time and effect of selected predictor variables on survival in owned pet cats seropositive for feline immunodeficiency and leukemia virus attending a referral clinic in northern Italy.

PubMed

Spada, Eva; Perego, Roberta; Sgamma, Elena Assunta; Proverbio, Daniela

2018-02-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are among the most important feline infectious diseases worldwide. This retrospective study investigated survival times and effects of selected predictor factors on survival time in a population of owned pet cats in Northern Italy testing positive for the presence of FIV antibodies and FeLV antigen. One hundred and three retrovirus-seropositive cats, 53 FIV-seropositive cats, 40 FeLV-seropositive cats, and 10 FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats were included in the study. A population of 103 retrovirus-seronegative age and sex-matched cats was selected. Survival time was calculated and compared between retrovirus-seronegative, FIV, FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to study the effect of selected predictor factors (male gender, peripheral blood cytopenia as reduced red blood cells - RBC- count, leukopenia, neutropenia and lymphopenia, hypercreatininemia and reduced albumin to globulin ratio) on survival time in retrovirus-seropositive populations. Median survival times for seronegative cats, FIV, FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats were 3960, 2040, 714 and 77days, respectively. Compared to retrovirus-seronegative cats median survival time was significantly lower (P<0.000) in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats. Median survival time in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats was also significant lower (P<0.000) when compared to FIV-seropositive cats. Hazard ratio of death in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats being respectively 3.4 and 7.4 times higher, in comparison to seronegative cats and 2.3 and 4.8 times higher in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats as compared to FIV-seropositive cats. A Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed that FIV and FeLV-seropositive cats with reduced RBC counts at time of diagnosis of seropositivity had significantly shorter survival times when compared to FIV and FeLV-seropositive cats with normal RBC counts at diagnosis. In summary, FIV-seropositive status did not significantly affect longevity of cats in this study, unlike FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositivity. Reduced RBC counts at time of FIV and FeLV diagnosis could impact negatively on the longevity of seropositive cats and therefore blood counts should always be evaluated at diagnosis and follow-up of retrovirus-seropositive cats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency, clinicopathological features and phylogenetic analysis of feline morbillivirus in cats in Istanbul, Turkey.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Huseyin; Tekelioglu, Bilge K; Gurel, Aydin; Bamac, Ozge E; Ozturk, Gulay Y; Cizmecigil, Utku Y; Altan, Eda; Aydin, Ozge; Yilmaz, Aysun; Berriatua, Eduardo; Helps, Chris R; Richt, Juergen A; Turan, Nuri

2017-12-01

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate feline morbillivirus (FmoPV) frequency, phylogeny and associated pathology in cats in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods Samples from sick (n = 96) and dead ( n = 15) cats were analysed using reverse transcription PCR. Blood and urine analyses and histopathology were also performed. Results FmoPV RNA was detected in six cats (5.4%), including three sick (in the urine) and three dead cats (tissues). A significantly greater proportion of FmoPV RNA-positive cats had street access compared with non-infected cats. Blood samples from the morbillivirus-positive cats were negative for morbillivirus RNA. Tubular parenchymal cells, lymphoid and plasma cells in kidney and hepatocytes, lymphoid and plasma cells in liver from dead cats were also positive by immunohistochemistry for the viral N protein. Two FmoPV-positive cats were also positive for feline coronavirus RNA and one cat for feline immunodeficiency virus RNA and feline leukaemia virus proviral DNA. Phylogenetic analysis of the six FmoPV-positive cats showed that the strains were grouped into cluster D and had high similarity (98.5-100%) with strains from Japan and Germany. In the three FmoPV RNA-positive sick cats, respiratory, urinary and digestive system signs were observed as well as weight loss, fever and depression in some cats. Similar clinical signs were also seen in the morbillivirus RNA-negative sick cats. FmoPV RNA-positive cats had lower median red blood cell count, haemoglobin, albumin, albumin/globulin and urobilinogen and higher alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin compared with non-infected cats. Significant histopathology of FmoPV RNA-positive dead cats included tubulointerstitial nephritis characterised by severe granular and vacuolar degeneration of the epithelial cells of the cortical and medullary tubules as well as mononuclear cell infiltrates. Widespread lymphoid cell infiltrates were detected in the renal cortex and medullary regions of the kidneys. Cellular infiltration, cholangiohepatitis and focal necrosis in the liver were also found. Although virus-infected cells were found in the kidney and liver of FmoRV RNA-positive cats, tubulointerstitial nephritis, cholangiohepatitis and focal necrosis seen in FmoRV RNA-positive cats were similar to those observed in FmoRV RNA-negative cats. Conclusions and relevance This is the first study to show the presence of FmoPV infection in cats in Turkey. Sick cats, particularly those with kidney disease, should be tested for this virus. The genotypes found in this study were similar to previously reported strains, indicating that circulating morbilliviruses in Turkey are conserved.

Prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus among client-owned cats and risk factors for infection in Germany.

PubMed

Gleich, Sabine E; Krieger, Stefan; Hartmann, Katrin

2009-12-01

This study was conducted to determine prevalence and risk factors for retrovirus infection of infected cats in a large cat population in Germany by evaluation of 17,462 client-owned cats that were tested for the presence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibodies or feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) antigen. The owners of a subset of 100 cats were contacted to determine their cat's survival times. Prevalence of FIV and FeLV was 3.2% and 3.6%, respectively, remaining stable for FIV, but decreasing for FeLV (6-1%) over 10 years. Median age was 6 years in FIV- and 3 years in FeLV-infected cats. Risk factors for FIV infection were male gender, older age, mixed breed, access to outdoor, aggressive behaviour, and FeLV co-infection; and for FeLV infection contact to other cats, aggressive behaviour, and FIV co-infection. Median survival time of FIV-infected cats was not significantly different to non-infected cats, whereas FeLV-infected cats had significantly shorter median survival times than non-infected cats.

Levels of house dust mite-specific serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) in different cat populations using a monoclonal based anti-IgE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

PubMed

Bexley, Jennifer; Hogg, Janice E; Hammerberg, Bruce; Halliwell, Richard E W

2009-10-01

Levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) specific for the house dust mites (HDMs) Dermatophagoides farinae (DF) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) in 58 cats with clinical signs suggestive of atopic dermatitis (allergic dermatitis cats), 52 cats with no history of allergic or immunological disease (nonallergic cats) and 26 specific pathogen-free (SPF) cats were measured using a monoclonal anti-IgE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Reactivity to both native and reduced HDM allergens was compared. SPF cats had significantly lower levels of HDM-specific serum IgE than cats with allergic dermatitis and nonallergic cats. The difference in levels of HDM-specific IgE in the serum of cats with allergic dermatitis and nonallergic cats was significant for native DF allergen, but not for native DP allergen or reduced HDM allergens. The results suggest that DF in its native form may be a significant allergen in cats with allergic dermatitis. The clinical relevance of these reactions, however, remains to be proven.

Do cats with a cranial cruciate ligament injury and osteoarthritis demonstrate a different gait pattern and behaviour compared to sound cats?

PubMed

Stadig, Sarah; Lascelles, B Duncan X; Bergh, Anna

2016-10-20

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of chronic pain and dysfunction in older cats. The majority of cats with OA do not show signs of overt lameness, yet cats with orthopaedic disease are known to redistribute their body weight from the affected limb. OA can cause changes in the cat's behaviour, which is often misinterpreted as signs of aging. The aim of the present study was to investigate if cats with a previous cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury perform differently on the pressure mat and exhibit different behaviour compared to sound cats according to the owner´s subjective assessment. Ten cats with a previous CCL injury were assessed with a pressure mat system and their owners were asked to complete an assessment questionnaire. The results were compared to those of 15 sound cats, matched to have the same weight and body condition score. The front/hind limb index for peak vertical force (PVF) was significantly higher for CCL cats, and there was a decreased PVF and vertical impulse (VI) on the affected hindlimb compared to the unaffected one. The results indicate that cats with a previous CCL injury put less weight, on the affected hindlimb but for a longer time. There was a significantly higher owner assessment questionnaire score for the group of cats with CCL injury compared to sound cats. Cats with a previous CCL injury have a different gait pattern compared to sound cats and a different behaviour according to owner subjective assessment. It is of great importance that further studies are performed to investigate the long term effects of CCL injury as a cause of pain and physical dysfunction, and its role in the development of OA in cats. Improved assessment tools for chronic pain caused by OA in cats are needed, both to facilitate diagnosis and to evaluate pain-relieving treatment.

Short- and long-term outcome after perineal urethrostomy in 86 cats with feline lower urinary tract disease.

PubMed

Ruda, L; Heiene, R

2012-12-01

Perineal urethrostomy is a surgical method for alleviating urethral obstruction in cats with complicated or recurrent obstructive feline lower urinary tract disease. However, long-term outcome of perineal urethrostomy in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease has only been described in studies with relatively few cats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term prognosis, recurrent episodes, quality of life and survival times in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease who underwent perineal urethrostomy. Data was collected from 86 cats from medical records, including 75 cats with at least 6 months survival, whose owners responded by questionnaire-based telephone interviews. Long-term follow-up ranged from 1·0 to 10·4 years. The median survival time for all cats was 3·5 years after surgery. Forty-seven cats were still alive at the time of the study. Five cats (5·8%) did not survive the first 14 days after perineal urethrostomy surgery; another six cats (7·0%) did not survive 6 months. Seventy-five cats (87%) lived longer than 6 months; 45 (60%) of these were asymptomatic after surgery; 8 of 75 cats (10·7%) experienced severe signs of recurrent feline lower urinary tract disease. For 19 cats, data were available for more than 6 years. Among these, 13 cats were still alive at the time of this study. The six non-surviving cats had all been euthanased for diseases unrelated to the urinary tract. Eighty-eight percent of the owners categorised their cat's long-term quality of life as good. This study shows that long-term quality of life after perineal urethrostomy in cats with obstructive feline lower urinary tract disease is good (as assessed by owners) and the recurrence rate is low. © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus infection in domesticated and feral cats in eastern Australia.

PubMed

Norris, Jacqueline M; Bell, Erin T; Hales, Louise; Toribio, Jenny-Ann L M L; White, Joanna D; Wigney, Denise I; Baral, Randolph M; Malik, Richard

2007-08-01

Serum samples from 340 pet cats presented to three inner city clinics in Sydney Australia, 68 feral cats from two separate colonies in Sydney, and 329 cattery-confined pedigree and domestic cats in eastern Australia, were collected over a 2-year period and tested for antibodies directed against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) using immunomigration (Agen FIV Rapid Immunomigration test) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods (Snap Combo feline leukaemia virus antigen/FIV antibody test kit, IDEXX Laboratories). Western blot analysis was performed on samples in which there was discrepancy between the results. Information regarding breed, age, gender, housing arrangement and health status were recorded for all pet and cattery-confined cats, while the estimated age and current physical condition were recorded for feral cats. The FIV prevalence in the two feral cat populations was 21% and 25%. The majority of FIV-positive cats were male (60-80%). The FIV prevalence in cattery-confined cats was nil. The prevalence of FIV in the pet cat sample population was 8% (27/340) with almost equal prevalence in 'healthy' (13/170) and 'systemically unwell' (14/170) cats. The age of FIV-positive pet cats ranged from 3 to 19 years; all FIV-positive cats were domestic shorthairs with outside access. The median age of FIV-positive pet cats (11 years) was significantly greater than the median age of FIV-negative pet cats (7.5 years: P<0.05). The prevalence of FIV infection in male pet cats (21/172; 12%) was three times that in female pet cats (6/168; 4%; P<0.05). With over 80% of this pet cat population given outside access and continued FIV infection present in the feral population, this study highlights the need to develop rapid, accurate and cost-effective diagnostic methods that are not subject to false positives created by concurrent vaccination against FIV. This is especially important in re-homing stray cats within animal shelters and monitoring the efficacy of the new vaccine, which has not been challenged against Australian strains. The absence of FIV within cattery-confined cats highlights the value in routine screening and indoor lifestyles. This study provides cogent baseline FIV prevalences in three cat subpopulations which can be used for appraising potential disease associations with FIV in Australia.

Prevalence and risk factors for cats testing positive for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus infection in cats entering an animal shelter in New Zealand.

PubMed

Gates, M C; Vigeant, S; Dale, A

2017-11-01

AIMS To estimate the prevalence of cats testing positive for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) antigens in domestic cats entering a New Zealand animal shelter, based on a commercial point-of-care ELISA, to identify risk factors associated with cats testing positive, and to compare the results obtained from the ELISA with those obtained using PCR-based testing. METHOD A cross-sectional study was performed on 388 cats entering the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals animal shelter in Auckland, New Zealand between 7 February 2014 and 30 May 2014. Whole blood samples were collected from each cat and tested for FIV antibody and FeLV antigen using a commercial point-of-care ELISA. Information on the signalment and health status of the cat at the time of entry was also recorded. Blood and saliva samples from a subset of cats were tested for FIV and FeLV proviral DNA using a real-time PCR assay. RESULTS Of the 388 cats in the study sample, 146 (37.6%) had been relinquished by owners, 237 (62.4%) were strays, and 5 (1.3%) were of unknown origin. Overall, 53/388 (13.7%) cats tested positive for FIV antibodies and 4/388 (1.0%) were positive for FeLV antigen. Stray cats had a higher FIV seroprevalence than relinquished cats (42/237 (17.8%) vs. 11/146 (7.5%); p=0.008). Of 53 cats that were FIV-seropositive, 51 (96%) tested positive for FIV proviral DNA using PCR testing of blood. Of these 51 cats, 28 (55%) were positive by PCR testing of saliva. Of the four cats that were FeLV antigen-positive by ELISA, two (50%) were positive for FeLV proviral DNA by PCR testing of blood. The odds of a cat being seropositive for FIV were greater for intact compared to desexed cats (OR=3.3; 95% CI=1.6-7.4) and for male compared to female cats (OR=6.5; 95% CI=3.2-14.0). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The seroprevalence for FIV was 14% among cats entering an animal shelter in Auckland, whereas the prevalence of FeLV antigen-positive cats was only 1%. These findings suggest differences in the transmission dynamics of each virus in free-roaming cat populations in New Zealand. Our study also highlights the potential role of desexing cats in reducing transmission of FIV. However, further data from first-opinion veterinary practices are required to confirm that these findings may be generalised to the wider domestic cat population in New Zealand.

Cat scratches, not bites, are associated with unipolar depression--cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Flegr, Jaroslav; Hodný, Zdeněk

2016-01-05

A recent study performed on 1.3 million patients showed a strong association between being bitten by a cat and probability of being diagnosed with depression. Authors suggested that infection with cat parasite Toxoplasma could be the reason for this association. A cross sectional internet study on a non-clinical population of 5,535 subjects was undertaken. The subjects that reported having been bitten by a dog and a cat or scratched by a cat have higher Beck depression score. They were more likely to have visited psychiatrists, psychotherapists and neurologists in past two years, to have been previously diagnosed with depression (but not with bipolar disorder). Multivariate analysis of models with cat biting, cat scratching, toxoplasmosis, the number of cats at home, and the age of subjects as independent variables showed that only cat scratching had positive effect on depression (p = 0.004). Cat biting and toxoplasmosis had no effect on the depression, and the number of cats at home had a negative effect on depression (p = 0.021). Absence of association between toxoplasmosis and depression and five times stronger association of depression with cat scratching than with cat biting suggests that the pathogen responsible for mood disorders in animals-injured subjects is probably not the protozoon Toxoplasma gondii but another organism; possibly the agent of cat-scratched disease - the bacteria Bartonella henselae.

77 FR 66535 - Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-06

... RWY 34L, ILS RWY 34L (CAT II), ILS RWY 34L (CAT III), ILS RWY 34L (SA CAT I), Amdt 2 Denver, CO, Denver Intl, ILS OR LOC RWY 34R, ILS RWY 34R (CAT II), ILS RWY 34R (CAT III), ILS RWY 34 (SA CAT I), Amdt...

42 CFR 71.51 - Dogs and cats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dogs and cats. 71.51 Section 71.51 Public Health... QUARANTINE Importations § 71.51 Dogs and cats. (a) Definitions. As used in this section the term: Cat means all domestic cats. Confinement means restriction of a dog or cat to a building or other enclosure at a...

42 CFR 71.51 - Dogs and cats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dogs and cats. 71.51 Section 71.51 Public Health... QUARANTINE Importations § 71.51 Dogs and cats. (a) Definitions. As used in this section the term: Cat means all domestic cats. Confinement means restriction of a dog or cat to a building or other enclosure at a...

42 CFR 71.51 - Dogs and cats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dogs and cats. 71.51 Section 71.51 Public Health... QUARANTINE Importations § 71.51 Dogs and cats. (a) Definitions. As used in this section the term: Cat means all domestic cats. Confinement means restriction of a dog or cat to a building or other enclosure at a...

42 CFR 71.51 - Dogs and cats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dogs and cats. 71.51 Section 71.51 Public Health... QUARANTINE Importations § 71.51 Dogs and cats. (a) Definitions. As used in this section the term: Cat means all domestic cats. Confinement means restriction of a dog or cat to a building or other enclosure at a...

42 CFR 71.51 - Dogs and cats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dogs and cats. 71.51 Section 71.51 Public Health... QUARANTINE Importations § 71.51 Dogs and cats. (a) Definitions. As used in this section the term: Cat means all domestic cats. Confinement means restriction of a dog or cat to a building or other enclosure at a...

PEO Integration Acronym Book

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

Command CASE Computer Aided Software Engineering CASEVAC Casualty Evacuation CASTFOREM Combined Arms And Support Task Force Evaluation Model CAT Center For...Advanced Technologies CAT Civil Affairs Team CAT Combined Arms Training CAT Crew Integration CAT Crisis Action Team CATIA Computer-Aided Three...Dimensional Interactive Application CATOX Catalytic Oxidation CATS Combined Arms Training Strategy CATT Combined Arms Tactical Trainer CATT Computer

Serum Beta Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations in Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease, Hyperthyroidism, or Hepatic Lipidosis.

PubMed

Gorman, L; Sharkey, L C; Armstrong, P J; Little, K; Rendahl, A

2016-01-01

Ketones, including beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB), are produced in conditions of negative energy balance and decreased glucose utilization. Serum BHB concentrations in cats are poorly characterized in diseases other than diabetes mellitus. Serum BHB concentrations will be increased in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), hyperthyroidism (HT), or hepatic lipidosis (HL). Twenty-eight client-owned cats with CKD, 34 cats with HT, and 15 cats with HL; 43 healthy cats. Prospective observational study. Serum BHB concentrations were measured at admission in cats with CKD, HT, and HL, for comparison with a reference interval established using healthy cats. Results of dipstick urine ketone measurement, when available, were compared to BHB measurement. Beta hydroxybutyrate was above the reference interval (<0.11 mmol/L) in 6/28 cats (21%) with CKD, 7/34 cats (20%) with HT, and 11/15 cats (73%) with HL, significantly exceeding the expected 2.5% above the reference interval for healthy cats (P < .001 for all groups). Elevations were mild in CKD and HT groups (median BHB 0.1 mmol/L for both groups, 80th percentile 0.12 and 0.11 mmol/L, respectively), but more marked in HL cats (median BHB 0.2 mmol/L, 80th percentile 0.84 mmol/L). None of 11 cats with increased serum BHB concentration having urine dipstick analysis performed within 24 h of sampling for BHB were ketonuric. Increases in serum BHB concentrations occur in cats with CKD, HT, and HL, and might provide an useful index of catabolism. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Development of a laboratory model to assess fear and anxiety in cats.

PubMed

de Rivera, Christina; Ley, Jacqui; Milgram, Bill; Landsberg, Gary

2017-06-01

Objectives The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop a laboratory-based model to assess fear and anxiety in cats using the feline open-field test (OFT) and the feline human interaction test (HIT); and (2) to validate the model using diazepam, a known anxiolytic. Methods Laboratory-housed cats (n = 41) were first classified as fearful, mildly fearful or non-fearful by a technician familiar with the cats and also by veterinary behaviorists (GL, JL), by assessing the cats' behavior in their home rooms. In experiment 1, each cat's behavior was assessed in an OFT and an HIT. In experiment 2, after administration of the anxiolytic diazepam, a subset of the cats was re-tested. Results In experiment 1, the OFT revealed significant group effects on two measures: duration of inactivity, and vocalization. Fearful animals had significantly longer periods of inactivity than non-fearful animals. Non-fearful and mildly fearful cats vocalized more frequently than fearful cats. In the HIT, fearful cats travelled less than non-fearful and mildly fearful cats. Fearful and mildly fearful animals had significantly longer durations of inactivity, and non-fearful and mildly fearful cats had a significantly higher frequency of vocalization compared with fearful cats. In experiment 2, in the OFT, treatment with diazepam caused an increase in distance travelled, shorter durations of inactivity, and more frequent inactivity and vocalization. In the HIT, diazepam increased distance travelled and decreased duration of inactivity. Fearful cats spent significantly less time near the human compared with non-fearful cats, and this persisted under diazepam. Conclusions and relevance The feline OFT and feline HIT can be used jointly to assess the effects of medications or other therapies on fear and anxiety in the domestic cat.

A phase I clinical trial evaluating imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) in tumor-bearing cats.

PubMed

Lachowicz, Joshua L; Post, Gerald S; Brodsky, Edwin

2005-01-01

A phase I clinical trial evaluating the toxicity of orally-administered imatinib mesylate was performed in 9 tumor-bearing cats. Imatinib is a small molecule, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which selectively blocks the function of overexpressed proteins associated with various malignancies. Cats included in the study had diagnoses of fibrosarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and mast cell tumor, and each cat was staged using CBC and serum biochemistry; urinalysis, thoracic radiographs, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed in some cats. Most cats were treated previously by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or some combination of these treatments. None of the cats received any concurrent chemotherapy. Six cats were treated with imatinib mesylate at 1-2 mg/kg PO q24h. Dose escalations were made to 2, 4, and 10 mg/kg PO q24h in 5 cats. Two cats started therapy at 10 mg/kg PO q24h, and 1 cat started therapy at 15 mg/kg PO q24h; all 3 cats remained at these dosages. No signs of toxicity, as evaluated by CBC and serum biochemistry, were noted in 8 of the 9 cats, and minimal gastrointestinal toxicity was observed. Due to the low frequency of adverse effects, further evaluation of imatinib is ongoing at a dosage of 10 mg/kg PO q24h.

Purring in cats during auscultation: how common is it, and can we stop it?

PubMed

Little, C J L; Ferasin, L; Ferasin, H; Holmes, M A

2014-01-01

When cats purr during examination it is difficult to perform auscultation. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of purring in cats during examination, and identify interventions that could be used to stop purring. Cats seen at a first opinion clinic were enrolled in the study and their purring status recorded. Thirty of the purring cats were exposed to up to three different interventions in an attempt to stop purring in a randomised controlled trial including blowing at the ear, use of an ethanol-based aerosol near the cat and proximity to a running tap. The 30 cats in the trial were subjected to a total of 54 attempts to stop purring, proximity to a running tap caused 17 of 21 (81%) cats to stop purring, blowing at the cat's ears worked in 2 of 15 (13%) cats, spraying an aerosol close to the cat was effective in 9 of 18 (50%) cases. In 2 cats (7%), none of the interventions interrupted purring. This study provides evidence that placing a purring cat near a running tap and in proximity to the discharge of an ethanol-based aerosol are effective measures to stop purring in order to allow auscultation. © 2013 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Human cationic amino acid transporter hCAT-3 is preferentially expressed in peripheral tissues.

PubMed

Vékony, N; Wolf, S; Boissel, J P; Gnauert, K; Closs, E I

2001-10-16

At least five distinct carrier proteins form the family of mammalian cationic amino acid transporters (CATs). We have cloned a cDNA containing the complete coding region of human CAT-3. hCAT-3 is glycosylated and localized to the plasma membrane. Transport studies in Xenopus laevis oocytes revealed that hCAT-3 is selective for cationic L-amino acids and exhibits a maximal transport activity similar to other CAT proteins. The apparent substrate affinity and sensitivity to trans-stimulation of hCAT-3 resembles most closely hCAT-2B. This is in contrast to rat and murine CAT-3 proteins that have been reported to display a very low activity and to be inhibited by neutral and anionic L-amino acids as well as D-arginine (Hosokawa, H., et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 8717-8722; Ito, K., and Groudine, M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 26780-26786). Also, in adult rat and mouse, CAT-3 has been found exclusively in central neurons. Human CAT-3 expression is not restricted to the brain, in fact, by far the highest expression was found in thymus. Also in other peripheral tissues, hCAT-3 expression was equal to or higher than in most brain regions, suggesting that hCAT-3 is not a neuron-specific transporter.

Environmental Assessment for a Global Reach Deployment Center and Ancillary Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-07-07

MDV ), and motorcycles (MCY) to their work places. Each vehicle type was further classified into catalyst (CAT... MDV -NCAT MDV -CAT MDV -DSL MCY-NCAT MCY-CAT MCY-DSL Solano County Mobile Source Emissions Inventory, 2010 Vehicles 1,388 144,079 301 595 38,715 503...DSL LDT1- NCAT LDT1- CAT LDT1- DSL LDT2- NCAT LDT2- CAT LDT2- DSL MDV - NCAT MDV - CAT MDV - DSL MCY- NCAT MCY- CAT MCY- DSL Total Vehicles

In the Eye of the Beholder: Owner Preferences for Variations in Cats’ Appearances with Specific Focus on Skull Morphology

PubMed Central

Packer, Rowena M. A.; Sordo, Lorena; Chen, Ruoning; Caney, Sarah M. A.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Recently, there has been an increase in popularity of cats with different skull shapes, including shortened or lengthened muzzles. Skull shape, like other physical features, may affect human preferences; however, it is also more likely to have an impact on the welfare of the cat. We asked people to score their preference for 15 pictures of cats across two surveys. Extreme face shapes (those that were very short or very long) were least preferred. Short-faced cats were less popular amongst cat owners from animal related jobs as opposed to other people. Respondents that had a short or long-faced cat preferred cats with the same skull shape, but also had lower preferences for the opposite skull shape. Respondents from Asia, as compared to those from elsewhere, gave higher preference scores to both long and short-faced cats. Amongst the other features, green eyes, a ginger coat color and medium length coat were most preferred, although the ability to draw conclusions around these features is limited, given they are not necessarily independent of skull shape. This study provides the first evidence that preferences for cat breeds, and their associated skull morphologies, are driven by both culture and owner experience. This information may inform future research concerning the preferences of cat owners. Abstract Changes in the popularity of cat breeds are largely driven by human perceptions of, and selection for, phenotypic traits including skull morphology. The popularity of breeds with altered skull shapes appears to be increasing, and owner preferences are an important part of this dynamic. This study sought to establish how and why a range of phenotypic attributes, including skull shape, affect preferences shown by cat owners. Two questionnaires were distributed on-line to cat owners who were asked to rate preferences for pictures of cats on a 0–10 scale. Veterinarian consensus established the skull types of the cats pictured (i.e., level of brachycephaly (BC) or dolichocephaly (DC)). Preferences were then explored relative to cat skull type, coat and eye color, and coat length. Generalized estimating equations identified relationships between physical characteristics and respondent ratings. Further sub-analyses explored effects of respondents’ occupation, location and previous cat ownership on rating scores. Overall, cats with extreme changes in skull morphology (both BC and DC) were significantly less preferred than mesocephalic cats. Green eyes, ginger coat color and medium length coat were most preferred. Current owners of a BC or DC pure bred cat showed significantly greater preference for cats with similar features and significantly lower preference for the opposite extreme. Respondents from Asia were significantly more likely to prefer both BC and DC cats as compared to respondents from other locations. Finally, those in an animal care profession, as compared to other professions, provided a significantly lower preference rating for BC cats but not for DC cats. This work, despite the acknowledged limitations, provides preliminary evidence that preferences for cat breeds, and their associated skull morphologies, are driven by both cultural and experiential parameters. This information may allow for better targeting of educational materials concerning cat breeds. PMID:29461472

Determinants of Cat Choice and Outcomes for Adult Cats and Kittens Adopted from an Australian Animal Shelter.

PubMed

Zito, Sarah; Paterson, Mandy; Vankan, Dianne; Morton, John; Bennett, Pauleen; Phillips, Clive

2015-04-29

The percentage of adult cats euthanized in animal shelters is greater than that of kittens because adult cats are less likely to be adopted. This study aimed to provide evidence to inform the design of strategies to encourage adult cat adoptions. One such strategy is to discount adoption prices, but there are concerns that this may result in poor adoption outcomes. We surveyed 382 cat adopters at the time of adoption, to assess potential determinants of adopters' cat age group choice (adult or kitten) and, for adult cat adopters, the price they are willing to pay. The same respondents were surveyed again 6-12 months after the adoption to compare outcomes between cat age groups and between adult cats in two price categories. Most adopters had benevolent motivations for adopting from the shelter and had put considerable thought into the adoption and requirements for responsible ownership. However, adult cat adopters were more likely to have been influenced by price than kitten adopters. Adoption outcomes were generally positive for both adult cats and kittens and for adult cats adopted at low prices. The latter finding alleviates concerns about the outcomes of "low-cost" adoptions in populations, such as the study population, and lends support for the use of "low-cost" adoptions as an option for attempting to increase adoption rates. In addition, the results provide information that can be used to inform future campaigns aimed at increasing the number of adult cat adoptions, particularly in devising marketing strategies for adult cats.

Clinical evaluation of cats with nonobstructive urinary tract diseases.

PubMed

Buffington, C A; Chew, D J; Kendall, M S; Scrivani, P V; Thompson, S B; Blaisdell, J L; Woodworth, B E

1997-01-01

To identify the underlying cause of clinical signs in cats with nonobstructive diseases of the bladder and urethra. Prospective case series. 109 cats examined by the urology service of The Ohio State University's veterinary teaching hospital because of stranguria, hematuria, pollakiuria, or urination in inappropriate locations. History was obtained and a CBC, serum biochemical analyses, serologic tests for FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus, urinalysis, bacterial culture of urine, and contrast radiography or urethrocystoscopy (females only) were performed. 16 cats had cystic calculi: 8 had struvite uroliths, 7 had calcium oxalate uroliths, and 1 had a urolith of unknown composition in conjunction with an anatomic defect. Anatomic defects, including diverticulae, urethral strictures, and a malpositioned urethra, were identified in 12 cats. A urinary tract infection was identified in 1 cat, and neoplasia was diagnosed in 2. One of the cats with neoplasia also had a struvite urolith. The remaining 80 cats did not have an anatomic defect, urolith, or tumor. Ten of these cats also did not have radiographic or cystoscopic abnormalities and were presumed to have a behavioral disorder. The remaining 70 cats had radiographic or cystoscopic abnormalities, and idiopathic cystitis was diagnosed. In 14 of the cats with idiopathic cystitis, results of a urinalysis were normal. Cats with idiopathic cystitis were significantly more likely to eat dry food exclusively (59%) than were cats in the general population (19%). Results suggest that idiopathic cystitis occurs commonly in cats with stranguria, hematuria, pollakiuria, or inappropriate elimination and is associated with consumption of dry foods. Contrast radiography or cystoscopy is necessary for differentiating idiopathic cystitis from behavioral disorders in some cats.

Observation and Modeling of Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) over Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprenger, M.; Mayoraz, L.; Stauch, V.; Sharman, B.; Polymeris, J.

2012-04-01

CAT represents a very relevant phenomenon for aviation safety. It can lead to passenger injuries, causes an increase in fuel consumption and, under severe intensity, can involve structural damages to the aircraft. The physical processes causing CAT remain at present not fully understood. Moreover, because of its small scale, CAT cannot be represented in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. In this study, the physical processes related to CAT and its representation in NWP models is further investigated. First, 134 CAT events over Europe are extracted from a flight monitoring data base (FDM), run by the SWISS airline and containing over 100'000 flights. The location, time, and meteorological parameters along the turbulent spots are analysed. Furthermore, the 7-km NWP model run by the Swiss National Weather Service (Meteoswiss) is used to calculate model-based CAT indices, e.g. Richardson number, Ellrod & Knapp turbulence index and a complex/combined CAT index developed at NCAR. The CAT indices simulated with COSMO-7 is then compared to the observed CAT spots, hence allowing to assess the model's performance, and potential use in a CAT warning system. In a second step, the meteorological conditions associated with CAT are investigated. To this aim, CAT events are defined as coherent structures in space and in time, i.e. their dimension and life cycle is studied, in connection with jet streams and upper-level fronts. Finally, in a third step the predictability of CAT is assessed, by comparing CAT index predictions based on different lead times of the NWP model COSMO-7

Environmental Aspects of Domestic Cat Care and Management: Implications for Cat Welfare.

PubMed

Stella, Judith L; Croney, Candace C

2016-01-01

Domestic cats ( Felis silvestris catus ) are the most commonly kept companion animals in the US with large populations of owned (86 million), free-roaming (70 million), research (13,000), and shelter (2-3 million) cats. Vast numbers of cats are maintained in homes and other facilities each year and are reliant on humans for all of their care. Understanding cat behavior and providing the highest quality environments possible, including positive human-cat interactions, based on research could help improve the outcomes of biomedical research, shelter adoptions, and veterinary care, as well as overall cat welfare. Often, however, cats' needs are inadequately met in homes and some aspects may also not be well met in research colonies and shelters, despite the fact that similar problems are likely to be encountered in all of these environments. This paper provides a brief overview of common welfare challenges associated with indoor housing of domestic cats. Essential considerations for cage confinement are reviewed, along with implications of poor cat coping, such as weakening of the human-animal bond and relinquishment to shelters. The important role that environmental management plays in cat behavior and welfare outcomes is explored along with the need for additional research in key areas.

Sensitization to cat and dog allergen molecules in childhood and prediction of symptoms of cat and dog allergy in adolescence: A BAMSE/MeDALL study.

PubMed

Asarnoj, Anna; Hamsten, Carl; Wadén, Konrad; Lupinek, Christian; Andersson, Niklas; Kull, Inger; Curin, Mirela; Anto, Josep; Bousquet, Jean; Valenta, Rudolf; Wickman, Magnus; van Hage, Marianne

2016-03-01

Sensitization to individual cat and dog allergen molecules can contribute differently to development of allergy to these animals. We sought to investigate the association between sensitization patterns to cat and dog allergen molecules during childhood and symptoms to these furry animals up to age 16 years. Data from 779 randomly collected children from the Barn/Children Allergy/Asthma Milieu Stockholm Epidemiologic birth cohort at 4, 8, and 16 years were used. IgE levels to cat and dog were determined by using ImmunoCAP, and levels to allergen molecules were determined by using an allergen chip based on ISAC technology (Mechanisms for the Development of Allergy chip). Allergy was defined as reported rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or asthma at exposure to cat or dog. Cross-sectionally, IgE to Fel d 1 and cat extract had similar positive predictive values for cat allergy. IgE to Can f 1 showed a higher positive predictive value for dog allergy than dog extract IgE. Sensitizations to Fel d 1 and Can f 1 in childhood were significantly associated with symptoms to cat or dog at age 16 years. Polysensitization to 3 or more allergen molecules from cat or dog was a better longitudinal predictor of cat or dog symptoms than results of IgE tests with cat or dog allergen extract, respectively. Cross-sectionally, cat/dog-polysensitized children had higher IgE levels and more frequent symptoms to cat and dog than monosensitized children. Sensitization to Fel d 1 and Can f 1 in childhood and polysensitization to either cat or dog allergen molecules predict cat and dog allergy cross-sectionally and longitudinally significantly better than IgE to cat or dog extract. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Overweight adult cats have significantly lower voluntary physical activity than adult lean cats.

PubMed

de Godoy, Maria Rc; Shoveller, Anna K

2017-12-01

Objectives The objectives of the current pilot study were to evaluate whether body condition score (BCS) and body weight are significantly related to physical activity counts, and to evaluate potential interaction between BCS and voluntary physical activity measured over a 14 day period. Methods Ten (five lean, five overweight), neutered, adult American Shorthair cats were selected for this study (median age 4 ± 0.5 years). Cats with a BCS of ⩽3.0 were considered lean, whereas cats with a BCS >3.0 were considered overweight, using a 5-point scale. Cats were housed in a free-living environment with indoor/outdoor access and were individually fed once daily a commercially available dry extruded diet and allowed 1 h to eat. Voluntary physical activity was measured consecutively for 14 days using the Actical Activity Monitors that were worn parallel to the ribs and attached via a harness. Results Lean cats had a greater mean total daily voluntary physical activity ( P = 0.0059), and a greater voluntary physical activity during light ( P = 0.0023) and dark ( P = 0.0446) periods, with overweight cats having 60% of the physical activity of lean cats. Lean cats were more active before feeding and during animal care procedures. These data suggest that lean cats have a greater anticipatory physical activity prior to feeding and are more eager to have social interaction with humans than overweight cats. A significant interaction was observed between day of physical activity measurement and BCS for total daily voluntary physical activity ( P = 0.0133) and activity during the light period ( P = 0.0016) where lean cats were consistently more active than overweight cats. In general, cats were more active during weekdays vs weekends. Conclusions and relevance The results of this study suggest that overweight cats are less active than lean cats and that voluntary physical activity level appears to be influenced by social interaction with humans.

Bacterial microbiome in the nose of healthy cats and in cats with nasal disease

PubMed Central

Tress, Barbara; Suchodolski, Jan S.; Nisar, Tariq; Ravindran, Prajesh; Weber, Karin; Hartmann, Katrin; Schulz, Bianka S.

2017-01-01

Background Traditionally, changes in the microbial population of the nose have been assessed using conventional culture techniques. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes demonstrated that the human nose is inhabited by a rich and diverse bacterial microbiome that cannot be detected using culture-based methods. The goal of this study was to describe the nasal microbiome of healthy cats, cats with nasal neoplasia, and cats with feline upper respiratory tract disease (FURTD). Methodology/Principal findings DNA was extracted from nasal swabs of healthy cats (n = 28), cats with nasal neoplasia (n = 16), and cats with FURTD (n = 15), and 16S rRNA genes were sequenced. High species richness was observed in all samples. Rarefaction analysis revealed that healthy cats living indoors had greater species richness (observed species p = 0.042) and Shannon diversity (p = 0.003) compared with healthy cats living outdoors. Higher species richness (observed species p = 0.001) and Shannon diversity (p<0.001) were found in middle-aged cats in comparison to healthy cats in different age groups. Principal coordinate analysis revealed separate clustering based on similarities in bacterial molecular phylogenetic trees of 16S rRNA genes for indoor and outdoor cats. In all groups examined, the most abundant phyla identified were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, 375 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. In healthy cats and cats with FURTD, Moraxella spp. was the most common genus, while it was unclassified Bradyrhizobiaceae in cats with nasal neoplasia. High individual variability was observed. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the nose of cats is inhabited by much more variable and diverse microbial communities than previously shown. Future research in this field might help to develop new diagnostic tools to easily identify nasal microbial changes, relate them to certain disease processes, and help clinicians in the decision process of antibiotic selection for individual patients. PMID:28662139

In the Eye of the Beholder: Owner Preferences for Variations in Cats' Appearances with Specific Focus on Skull Morphology.

PubMed

Farnworth, Mark J; Packer, Rowena M A; Sordo, Lorena; Chen, Ruoning; Caney, Sarah M A; Gunn-Moore, Danièlle A

2018-02-20

Changes in the popularity of cat breeds are largely driven by human perceptions of, and selection for, phenotypic traits including skull morphology. The popularity of breeds with altered skull shapes appears to be increasing, and owner preferences are an important part of this dynamic. This study sought to establish how and why a range of phenotypic attributes, including skull shape, affect preferences shown by cat owners. Two questionnaires were distributed on-line to cat owners who were asked to rate preferences for pictures of cats on a 0-10 scale. Veterinarian consensus established the skull types of the cats pictured (i.e., level of brachycephaly (BC) or dolichocephaly (DC)). Preferences were then explored relative to cat skull type, coat and eye color, and coat length. Generalized estimating equations identified relationships between physical characteristics and respondent ratings. Further sub-analyses explored effects of respondents' occupation, location and previous cat ownership on rating scores. Overall, cats with extreme changes in skull morphology (both BC and DC) were significantly less preferred than mesocephalic cats. Green eyes, ginger coat color and medium length coat were most preferred. Current owners of a BC or DC pure bred cat showed significantly greater preference for cats with similar features and significantly lower preference for the opposite extreme. Respondents from Asia were significantly more likely to prefer both BC and DC cats as compared to respondents from other locations. Finally, those in an animal care profession, as compared to other professions, provided a significantly lower preference rating for BC cats but not for DC cats. This work, despite the acknowledged limitations, provides preliminary evidence that preferences for cat breeds, and their associated skull morphologies, are driven by both cultural and experiential parameters. This information may allow for better targeting of educational materials concerning cat breeds.

Abnormal spatial frequency channels in esotropic cats.

PubMed

Holopigian, K; Blake, R

1984-01-01

A noise masking paradigm was used to measure spatial tuning for the deviating and nondeviating eyes of two esotropic cats and for one eye of a control cat. With increasing noise contrast, masking grew more slowly for both the deviating and the nondeviating eyes of the esotropic cats than for the control cat; apparently, contrast coding is impaired for both eyes of the esotropic cats. Masking with band-reject filtered noise indicated that detection channels for either eye of the esotropic cats were twice as broadly tuned as those for the control cat. In a subsequent experiment, the spatial tuning characteristics of two human esotropes were found to be normal, indicating a fundamental difference between human esotropia and esotropia induced in cats by the section of an eye muscle.

Development of the cat-owner relationship scale (CORS).

PubMed

Howell, Tiffani J; Bowen, Jonathan; Fatjó, Jaume; Calvo, Paula; Holloway, Anna; Bennett, Pauleen C

2017-08-01

Characteristics of the human-animal bond can be influenced by both owner-related and pet-related factors, which likely differ between species. Three studies adapted the Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) to permit assessment of human-cat interactions as perceived by the cat's owner. In Study 1293 female cat owners completed a modified version of the MDORS, where 'dog' was replaced with 'cat' for all items. Responses were compared with a matched sample of female dog owners. A partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed systematic differences between cat and dog owners in the Dog (Cat)-Owner Interaction subscale (MDORS subscale 1), but not for Perceived Emotional Closeness or Perceived Costs (Subscales 2 and 3). Study 2 involved analysis of free-text descriptions of cat-owner interactions provided by 61 female cat owners. Text mining identified key words which were used to create additional questions for a new Cat-Owner Interaction subscale. In Study 3, the resulting cat-owner relationship scale (CORS) was tested in a group of 570 cat owners. The main psychometric properties of the scale, including internal consistency and factor structure, were evaluated. We propose that this scale can be used to accurately assess owner perceptions of their relationship with their cat. A modified scale, combining items from the CORS and MDORS (a C/DORS), is also provided for when researchers would find it desirable to compare human-cat and human-dog interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lateral bias and temperament in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris).

PubMed

McDowell, Louise J; Wells, Deborah L; Hepper, Peter G; Dempster, Martin

2016-11-01

Research points to a relationship between lateralization and emotional functioning in humans and many species of animal. The present study explored the association between paw preferences and emotional functioning, specifically temperament, in a species thus far overlooked in this area, the domestic cat. Thirty left-pawed, 30 right-pawed, and 30 ambilateral pet cats were recruited following an assessment of their paw preferences using a food-reaching challenge. The animals' temperament was subsequently assessed using the Feline Temperament Profile (FTP). Cats' owners also completed a purpose-designed cat temperament (CAT) scale. Analysis revealed a significant relationship between lateral bias and FTP and CAT scale scores. Ambilateral cats had lower positive (FTP+) scores, and were perceived as less affectionate, obedient, friendly, and more aggressive, than left or right-pawed animals. Left and right pawed cats differed significantly on 1 trait on the CAT scale, namely playfulness. The strength of the cats' paw preferences was related to the animals' FTP and CAT scores. Cats with a greater strength of paw preference had higher FTP+ scores than those with a weaker strength of paw preference. Animals with stronger paw preferences were perceived as more confident, affectionate, active, and friendly than those with weaker paw preferences. Results suggest that motor laterality in the cat is strongly related to temperament and that the presence or absence of lateralization has greater implications for the expression of emotion in this species than the direction of the lateralized bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Study of the effect on shelter cat intakes and euthanasia from a shelter neuter return project of 10,080 cats from March 2010 to June 2014.

PubMed

Johnson, Karen L; Cicirelli, Jon

2014-01-01

Cat impoundments were increasing at the municipal San Jose animal shelter in 2009, despite long-term successful low cost sterilization programs and attempts to lower the euthanasia rate of treatable-rehabilitatable impounds beginning in 2008. San Jose Animal Care and Services implemented a new strategy designed to control overall feral cat reproduction by altering and returning feral cats entering the shelter system, rather than euthanizing the cats. The purpose of this case study was to determine how the program affected the shelter cat intakes over time. In just over four years, 10,080 individual healthy adult feral cats, out of 11,423 impounded at the shelter during this time frame, were altered and returned to their site of capture. Included in the 11,423 cats were 862 cats impounded from one to four additional times for a total of 958 (9.5%) recaptures of the previously altered 10,080 cats. The remaining 385 healthy feral cats were euthanized at the shelter from March 2010 to June 2014. Four years into the program, researchers observed cat and kitten impounds decreased 29.1%; euthanasia decreased from over 70% of intakes in 2009, to 23% in 2014. Euthanasia in the shelter for Upper Respiratory Disease decreased 99%; dead cat pick up off the streets declined 20%. Dog impounds did not similarly decline over the four years. No other laws or program changes were implemented since the beginning of the program.

Cat and Dog Bites

MedlinePlus

... Wellness Staying Healthy Pets and Animals Cat and Dog Bites Cat and Dog Bites Share Print Cat and dog bites are common injuries. A family pet or ... bites. Path to safety If a cat or dog bites you, you should: Wash the wound gently ...

Vitiligo susceptibility and catalase gene (CAT) polymorphisms in sicilian population.

PubMed

Caputo, Valentina; Niceta, Marcello; Fiorella, Santi; La Vecchia, Marco; Bastonini, Emanuela; Bongiorno, Maria R; Pistone, Giuseppe

2017-02-15

Catalase gene (CAT) polymorphisms were analyzed as responsible for the deficiency of catalase enzyme activity and concomitant accumulation of excessive hydrogen peroxide in Vitiligo patients. Catalase is a well known oxidative stress regulator that could play an important role in the pathogenesis of Vitiligo. This study was conducted to evaluate three CAT gene polymorphisms (-89A/T, 389C/T, 419C/T) and their association with Vitiligo susceptibility in Sicilian population. 60 out of 73 Sicilian patients with Vitiligo were enrolled and submitted to CAT gene analysis. Contrary to the Northern part of Europe but likewise to the Mediterranean area, the frequency of the CAT genotypes in Sicily is equally distributed. Out of all CAT genotypes, only CAT -89 T/T frequency was found to be significantly higher amongst Vitiligo patients than controls. Despite the involvement of the CAT enzyme in the pathogenesis of Vitiligo, the biological significance of CAT gene polymorphisms is still controversial. With the only exception for CAT variant -89A/T, the other studied CAT gene polymorphisms (389C/T and 419C/T) might not to be associated with Vitiligo in Sicilian population.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fan, Qi; Wang, Xuedi; Zhang, Hanguang

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cat S is highly expressed in HCC cells with high metastatic potential. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Knockdown of Cat S inhibits growth and invasion of HCC cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Knockdown of Cat S inhibits HCC-associated angiogenesis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cat S might be a potential target for HCC therapy. -- Abstract: Cathepsin S (Cat S) plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis by its ability to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM). Our previous study suggested there could be a potential association between Cat S and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. The present study was designed to determine the role of Cat S in HCCmore » cell growth, invasion and angiogenesis, using RNA interference technology. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences for the Cat S gene were synthesized and transfected into human HCC cell line MHCC97-H. The Cat S gene targeted siRNA-mediated knockdown of Cat S expression, leading to potent suppression of MHCC97-H cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis. These data suggest that Cat S might be a potential target for HCC therapy.« less

Coexistence of Bartonella henselae and B. clarridgeiae in populations of cats and their fleas in Guatemala.

PubMed

Bai, Ying; Rizzo, Maria Fernanda; Alvarez, Danilo; Moran, David; Peruski, Leonard F; Kosoy, Michael

2015-12-01

Cats and their fleas collected in Guatemala were investigated for the presence of Bartonella infections. Bartonella bacteria were cultured from 8.2% (13/159) of cats, and all cultures were identified as B. henselae. Molecular analysis allowed detection of Bartonella DNA in 33.8% (48/142) of cats and in 22.4% (34/152) of cat fleas using gltA, nuoG, and 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer targets. Two Bartonella species, B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae, were identified in cats and cat fleas by molecular analysis, with B. henselae being more common than B. clarridgeiae in the cats (68.1%; 32/47 vs 31.9%; 15/47). The nuoG was found to be less sensitive for detecting B. clarridgeiae compared with other molecular targets and could detect only two of the 15 B. clarridgeiae-infected cats. No significant differences were observed for prevalence between male and female cats and between different age groups. No evident association was observed between the presence of Bartonella species in cats and in their fleas. © 2015 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Effects of feral cats on the evolution of anti-predator behaviours in island reptiles: insights from an ancient introduction

PubMed Central

Li, Binbin; Belasen, Anat; Pafilis, Panayiotis; Bednekoff, Peter; Foufopoulos, Johannes

2014-01-01

Exotic predators have driven the extinction of many island species. We examined impacts of feral cats on the abundance and anti-predator behaviours of Aegean wall lizards in the Cyclades (Greece), where cats were introduced thousands of years ago. We compared populations with high and low cat density on Naxos Island and populations on surrounding islets with no cats. Cats reduced wall lizard populations by half. Lizards facing greater risk from cats stayed closer to refuges, were more likely to shed their tails in a standardized assay, and fled at greater distances when approached by either a person in the field or a mounted cat decoy in the laboratory. All populations showed phenotypic plasticity in flight initiation distance, suggesting that this feature is ancient and could have helped wall lizards survive the initial introduction of cats to the region. Lizards from islets sought shelter less frequently and often initially approached the cat decoy. These differences reflect changes since islet isolation and could render islet lizards strongly susceptible to cat predation. PMID:24943365

Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of zoonotic significance in dogs and cats in lower Northern Thailand.

PubMed

Pumidonming, Wilawan; Salman, Doaa; Gronsang, Dulyatad; Abdelbaset, Abdelbaset E; Sangkaeo, Khamphon; Kawazu, Shin-Ichiro; Igarashi, Makoto

2017-01-10

Gastrointestinal zoonotic helminths of dogs and cats have a public health concern worldwide. We investigated the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths of zoonotic significance in dogs and cats in lower Northern Thailand and utilized molecular tools for species identification of hookworms and Opisthorchis viverrini. Fecal samples of 197 dogs and 180 cats were collected. Overall prevalence of infection using microscopy was 40.1% in dogs and 33.9% in cats. Helminth infection found in both dogs and cats included hookworms, Spirometra spp., Taenia spp., Toxocara spp., O. viverrini, Strongyloides spp. and Trichuris spp. Hookworms were the most common helminth in dogs, while Spirometra spp. were the most prevalent in cats. Among hookworm infection in dogs and cats, Ancylostoma ceylanicum was the most prevalent hookworm, being 82.1% in hookworm infected dogs and 95.8% in hookworm infected cats. Mixed-infection due to hookworms and Spirometra spp. was the most dominant in both dogs and cats. Our finding showed that zoonotic helminth infection is highly prevalent in dogs and cats in the lower Northern area of Thailand.

Dog and Cat Allergies and Allergen Avoidance Measures in Korean Adult Pet Owners Who Participated in a Pet Exhibition.

PubMed

Yang, Min Suk; Lee, Sang Pyo; Kwon, Young Jae; Lee, Sang Min

2018-03-01

This study evaluated dog and cat allergies and their association with allergen avoidance measures in Korean adults. The study population consisted of 537 adults who currently kept dogs or cats and participated in a pet exhibition in Korea. The subjects were asked to complete questionnaires regarding pet ownership, allergen avoidance, and allergy symptoms, and underwent skin prick tests. They were considered to have a dog or cat allergy if they suffered from one or more of allergy symptoms during contact with their pets. In total, 103 of 407 dog owners (25.3%) and 45 of 130 cat owners (34.6%) had a dog or cat allergy, respectively. Dog owners kept 1.3±1.5 dogs; this number did not differ according to the presence of dog allergy. Dog owners with a dog allergy had owned their dogs longer than those without (88.0±72.0 vs 67.5±72.7 months, P<0.05). Cat owners kept 2.1±3.6 cats; this number did not differ according to the presence of cat allergy, nor did the duration of cat ownership. Cat owners with a cat allergy had facial contact and slept with their cats less frequently (8.6±11.9 vs 18.3±27.0 times/day, P<0.01; 71.1% vs 81.2%, P<0.05); however, they had their cats shaved and beds cleaned less frequently than those without (1.8±3.3 vs 3.2±4.4 times/year, P<0.05; 1.5±1.5 vs 3.9±6.0 times/month, P<0.01). Cat owners with a cat allergy tried to minimize contact with their cats, but efforts to avoid indoor cat allergens were lower than those without. In comparison, dog owners with a dog allergy had kept their dogs for longer time than those without; however, current contact with their dogs and allergen avoidance measures did not differ between the 2 groups. Copyright © 2018 The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology · The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease

Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria).

PubMed

Bol, Sebastiaan; Caspers, Jana; Buckingham, Lauren; Anderson-Shelton, Gail Denise; Ridgway, Carrie; Buffington, C A Tony; Schulz, Stefan; Bunnik, Evelien M

2017-03-16

Olfactory stimulation is an often overlooked method of environmental enrichment for cats in captivity. The best known example of olfactory enrichment is the use of catnip, a plant that can cause an apparently euphoric reaction in domestic cats and most of the Pantherinae. It has long been known that some domestic cats and most tigers do not respond to catnip. Although many anecdotes exist of other plants with similar effects, data are lacking about the number of cats that respond to these plants, and if cats that do not respond to catnip respond to any of them. Furthermore, much is still unknown about which chemicals in these plants cause this response. We tested catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root on 100 domestic cats and observed their response. Each cat was offered all four plant materials and a control, multiple times. Catnip and silver vine also were offered to nine tigers. The plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to quantify concentrations of compounds believed to exert stimulating effects on cats. Nearly all domestic cats responded positively to olfactory enrichment. In agreement with previous studies, one out of every three cats did not respond to catnip. Almost 80% of the domestic cats responded to silver vine and about 50% to Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian root. Although cats predominantly responded to fruit galls of the silver vine plant, some also responded positively to its wood. Of the cats that did not respond to catnip, almost 75% did respond to silver vine and about one out of three to Tatarian honeysuckle. Unlike domestic cats, tigers were either not interested in silver vine or responded disapprovingly. The amount of nepetalactone was highest in catnip and only present at marginal levels in the other plants. Silver vine contained the highest concentrations of all other compounds tested. Olfactory enrichment for cats may have great potential. Silver vine powder from dried fruit galls and catnip were most popular among domestic cats. Silver vine and Tatarian honeysuckle appear to be good alternatives to catnip for domestic cats that do not respond to catnip.

A computer adaptive testing version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV): The Addiction Severity CAT.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Black, Ryan A; McCaffrey, Stacey A; Ainscough, Jessica; Doucette, Ann M

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a computer adaptive testing (CAT) version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV), the Addiction Severity CAT. This goal was accomplished in 4 steps. First, new candidate items for Addiction Severity CAT domains were evaluated after brainstorming sessions with experts in substance abuse treatment. Next, this new item bank was psychometrically evaluated on a large nonclinical (n = 4,419) and substance abuse treatment (n = 845) sample. Based on these results, final items were selected and calibrated for the creation of the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Once the algorithms were developed for the entire assessment, a fully functioning prototype of an Addiction Severity CAT was created. CAT simulations were conducted, and optimal termination criteria were selected for the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Finally, construct validity of the CAT algorithms was evaluated by examining convergent and discriminant validity and sensitivity to change. The Addiction Severity CAT was determined to be valid, sensitive to change, and reliable. Further, the Addiction Severity CAT's time of completion was found to be significantly less than the average time of completion for the ASI-MV composite scores. This study represents the initial validation of an Addiction Severity CAT based on item response theory, and further exploration of the Addiction Severity CAT is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Urinary orotic acid-to-creatinine ratios in cats with hepatic lipidosis.

PubMed

VanSteenhouse, J L; Dimski, D S; Swenson, D H; Taboada, J

1999-06-01

To determine urinary orotic acid (OA) concentration and evaluate the urinary OA-to-creatinine ratio (OACR) in cats with hepatic lipidosis (HL). 20 cats with HL and 20 clinically normal cats. Hepatic lipidosis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, results of serum biochemical analyses, exclusion of other concurrent illness, and cytologic or histologic evaluation of liver biopsy specimens. Urine samples were collected from each cat and frozen at -20 C until assayed. Urine creatinine concentrations were determined, using an alkaline picrate method followed by spectrophotometric assay. Urine OA concentration was determined, using high-performance liquid chromatography. Minimum amount of detectable OA in feline urine was 1 microg/ml. Because of small interfering peaks near the base of the OA peak, the minimum quantifiable concentration of OA was determined to be 5 microg/ml. Urinary OACR was compared in both groups of cats. Differences in urinary OACR were not detected between clinically normal cats and cats with HL. Peaks were not detected for urinary OA in any of the 20 clinically normal cats. Of the 20 HL cats, 14 did not have detectable peaks for urinary OA. Of the 6 HL cats that had detectable urinary OA peaks, 3 had values of <5 microg/ml. Apparently, OACR does not increase significantly in cats with HL. Urinary OACR is not a useful diagnostic test for HL in cats.

Serum thyroxine concentrations after radioactive iodine therapy in cats with hyperthyroidism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meric, S.M.; Hawkins, E.C.; Washabau, R.J.

Thirty-one cats with hyperthyroidism were given one dose of radioactive iodine (131I) IV. Serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations were measured before treatment in all cats, at 12-hour intervals after treatment in 10 cats, and at 48-hour intervals after treatment in 21 cats. Serum T4 concentrations also were measured one month after /sup 131/I therapy in 29 cats. Activity of 131I administered was 1.5 to 6.13 mCi, resulting in a dose of 20,000 rads to the thyroid. Serum T4 concentrations before /sup 131/I administration were 5.3 to 51.0 micrograms/dl, with a median T4 concentration of 11.0 micrograms/dl. Serum T4 decreased most rapidlymore » during the first 3 to 6 days after treatment. Sixteen cats (55%) had normal serum thyroxine concentrations by day 4 after 131I administration, and 23 cats (74%) were euthyroxinemic by day 8 after treatment. One month after administration of 131I, the 29 cats evaluated were clinically improved, and 24 (83%) of the 29 cats evaluated had normal serum T4 concentrations, 3 cats (10%) remained hyperthyroxinemic, and 2 cats (7%) were hypothyroxinemic. Therefore, administration of 131I was a safe and effective method to quickly decrease serum T4 concentrations in hyperthyroid cats.« less

A comparison of cat-related risk perceptions and tolerance for outdoor cats in Florida and Hawaii.

PubMed

Wald, Dara M; Lohr, Cheryl A; Lepczyk, Christopher A; Jacobson, Susan K; Cox, Linda J

2016-12-01

Risk perceptions and attitudes toward animals often explain tolerance for wildlife and management preferences. However, little is understood about how these relationships vary across different geographic regions and stakeholder groups. To address this gap in knowledge, we compared differences in acceptance capacity, risk perceptions, perceived enjoyment from outdoor cats, and experiences with outdoor cats among 3 groups (general public, conservation community, and animal-welfare community) in Hawaii and Florida, two states with large conservation challenges. We combined independently collected data from Florida and Hawaii, to determine how perception of the risks presented by outdoor cats, group membership, and state of residence influenced people's tolerance for outdoor cats. Florida respondents were significantly more tolerant of outdoor cats and less concerned about cat-related risks than Hawaii respondents (p < 0.05). In both states, animal-welfare group members reported greater enjoyment seeing cats and perceived a smaller increase in the cat population and lower levels of risk than other groups (p < 0.05). All groups exhibited similar relationships between acceptance capacity and enjoyment and the perceived increase in the cat population. Our results suggest public tolerance for cats varied due to the influence of local or geographical concerns, but that strongly held beliefs, risk perceptions, and feelings about cats explained more of the variance in stakeholder tolerance. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Risk factors for road traffic accidents in cats up to age 12 months that were registered between 2010 and 2013 with the UK pet cat cohort ('Bristol Cats').

PubMed

Wilson, J L; Gruffydd-Jones, T J; Murray, J K

2017-02-25

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a common cause of death and injury in domestic cats, and a concern to many owners. This study assessed potential risk factors for RTAs in cats up to 12 months of age within a UK cat cohort known as 'The Bristol Cats study'. Data were obtained from three questionnaires, completed by cat owners when their cats were approximately 8-16 weeks old, 6 months old and 12 months old. Information was gathered regarding environmental conditions, cat characteristics and owner management factors. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations between these factors and RTAs. Of 1264 eligible study cats, 49 (3.9 per cent) had been involved in an RTA, of which 71.4 per cent (35/49) were known to result in fatal injuries. Rural locations were associated with a higher odds of RTAs than towns, cities or suburban locations. An increased odds of an RTA was also associated with cats that were reported by their owners to hunt at the roadside, as well as cats whose owners classified the road by their house as being a 'long straight section of road'. No significant associations were found between coat colour, breed, sex or neuter status and the odds of an RTA. British Veterinary Association.

Prevalence of clinical abnormalities in cats found to have nonneoplastic middle ear disease at necropsy: 59 cases (1991-2007).

PubMed

Schlicksup, Michael D; Van Winkle, Thomas J; Holt, David E

2009-10-01

To determine the prevalence of nonneoplastic middle ear disease among cats undergoing necropsy and the prevalence of clinical abnormalities in cats in which nonneoplastic middle ear disease was identified. Retrospective case series. 59 cats that underwent necropsy between January 1991 and August 2007. Medical records were searched to identify cats in which nonneoplastic middle ear disease was identified at necropsy. For cats included in the study, data that were recorded included signalment, initial complaint, whether the cat had any clinical signs of middle or external ear disease, whether the cat had upper respiratory tract disease, necropsy diagnosis, gross appearance of the bullae, and reason for euthanasia. Signs of middle ear disease that were considered included unilateral peripheral vestibular disease without motor deficits, Horner syndrome, and facial nerve paralysis. Of the 3,442 cats that underwent necropsy during the study period, 59 (1.7%) had nonneoplastic middle ear disease. Six of the 59 (10%) cats, including 1 cat that was affected bilaterally, had clinical signs of middle ear disease. Of these, 5 had signs of unilateral peripheral vestibular disease, and 1 had Horner syndrome. Results suggested that most cats with nonneoplastic middle ear disease did not have associated clinical signs. Findings may be of clinical relevance for cats in which middle ear disease is identified as an incidental finding during computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging for unrelated diseases.

Role of nasal challenge and local eosinophilia in indirect exposure to cat in allergic rhinitis patients.

PubMed

Al Ahmad, M; Arifhodzic, N; Nurkic, J; Jusufovic, E; Hanoun, A L; Rodriguez, T

2018-01-17

Introduction. Sensitization to cat allergens is common worldwide. Currently, there is a trend towards costly and often unavailable diagnostic analysis. Objectives. The aim is to assess the reliability of skin prick test (SPT) and serum specific IgE (ssIgE) to cat sensitization, by performing nasal challenge test (NCT) in a community with low cat ownership but common presence of stray cats. Patients and methods. Forty-one pa-tients with perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) who were mono or polysensitized (including cat) were included. We had 31 cat non-owners and 10 present cat owners. SPT (> 5 mm / diameter), ssIgE (≥ 0.70 IU/ml), nasal smear for eosinophil (Eo) and NCT were compared between groups. Outcomes included nasal challenge score, nasal Eo positivity, peak inspiratory and expiratory flow (PIF and PEF) 2 and 8 hours after the NCT, and were compared to baseline. Results. Baseline SPT wheal size and ssIgE level were similar in both groups. NCT positivity was more frequent in cat owners. The strongest nasal reaction was on the top concentration in both groups. Nasal Eo positivity in cat owners was higher before and 2 hours after NCT, but similar to non-owners at last measurement. NCT positive cat non-owners had bigger SPT wheal size than NCT negative non-owners, but smaller than NCT positive cat owners. In contrast to PEF, a significant fall in PIF was noticed in both groups. Mono and polysensitised patients showed similar NCT positivity. Conclusion. Stray cats may pose a relevant risk of developing perennial AR. Regardless of cat ownership status, SPT and ssIgE should be the first diagnostic tool. Nasal Eo and NCT seem to be good diagnostic tools in cat non-owners if diagnosis is elusive.

Thyroid Cysts in Cats: A Retrospective Study of 40 Cases.

PubMed

Miller, M L; Peterson, M E; Randolph, J F; Broome, M R; Norsworthy, G D; Rishniw, M

2017-05-01

Thyroid cysts are rare in cats and poorly documented. To report distinguishing clinical features and treatment responses of cats with thyroid cysts. Forty client-owned cats. Retrospective review of medical records for cats with thyroid cysts confirmed by scintigraphy, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, or necropsy at 4 referral centers between 2005 and 2016. Signalment, clinical findings, diagnostic testing, treatment, and outcome were recorded. Cats ranged in age from 8 to 20 years with no apparent breed or sex predilection. 37 of 40 (93%) cats were hyperthyroid (duration, 1-96 months). Clinical findings included palpable neck mass (40/40, 100%), weight loss (15/40, 38%), dysphagia (8/40, 20%), decreased appetite (5/40, 13%), and dyspnea (4/40, 10%). Cysts were classified as small (≤8 cm 3 ) in 16 (40%) and large (>8 cm 3 ) in 24 (60%) cats. Of 25 cats treated with radioiodine, hyperthyroidism resolved in 23 (92%), whereas thyroid cysts resolved in 12 (50%). Radioiodine treatment resolved small cysts in 8 of 13 (62%) cats and large cysts in 4 of 11 (36%) cats. Eight cats, including 2 euthyroid cats, underwent thyroid-cystectomy; 3 with bilateral thyroid involvement were euthanized postoperatively for hypocalcemia. Excised cystic thyroid masses were identified as cystadenoma (4) and carcinoma (4). Thyroid cysts are encountered in hyperthyroid and euthyroid cats with benign and malignant thyroid tumors. Radioiodine treatment alone inconsistently resolved thyroid cysts. Thyroid-cystectomy could be considered in cats with unilateral thyroid disease or when symptomatic cysts persist despite successful radioiodine treatment of hyperthyroidism. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Assessment of domestic cat personality, as perceived by 416 owners, suggests six dimensions.

PubMed

Bennett, Pauleen C; Rutter, Nicholas J; Woodhead, Jessica K; Howell, Tiffani J

2017-08-01

Understanding individual behavioral differences in domestic cats could lead to improved selection when potential cat owners choose a pet with whom to share their lives, along with consequent improvements in cat welfare. Yet very few attempts have been made to elicit cat personality dimensions using the trait-based exploratory approaches applied previously, with some success, to humans and dogs. In this study, a list of over 200 adjectives used to describe cat personality was assembled. This list was refined by two focus groups. A sample of 416 adult cat owners then rated a cat they knew well on each of 118 retained words. An iterative analytical approach was used to identify 29 words which formed six personality dimensions: Playfulness, Nervousness, Amiability, Dominance, Demandingness, and Gullibility. Chronbach's alpha scores for these dimensions ranged from 0.63 to 0.8 and, together, they explained 56.08% of the total variance. Very few significant correlations were found between participant scores on the personality dimensions and descriptive variables such as owner age, cat age and owner cat-owning experience, and these were all weak to barely moderate in strength (r≤0.30). There was also only one significant group difference based on cat sex. Importantly, however, several cat personality scores were moderately (r=0.3-0.49) or strongly (r≥0.5) correlated with simple measures of satisfaction with the cat, attachment, bond quality, and the extent to which the cat was perceived to be troublesome. The results suggest that, with further validation, this scale could be used to provide a simple, tick-box, assessment of an owner's perceptions regarding a cat's personality. This may be of value in both applied and research settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) on public lands: estimating density, activity, and diet in the Florida Keys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cove, Michael V.; Gardner, Beth; Simons, Theodore R.; Kays, Roland; O'Connell, Allan F.

2017-01-01

Feral and free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) can have strong negative effects on small mammals and birds, particularly in island ecosystems. We deployed camera traps to study free-ranging cats in national wildlife refuges and state parks on Big Pine Key and Key Largo in the Florida Keys, USA, and used spatial capture–recapture models to estimate cat abundance, movement, and activities. We also used stable isotope analyses to examine the diet of cats captured on public lands. Top population models separated cats based on differences in movement and detection with three and two latent groups on Big Pine Key and Key Largo, respectively. We hypothesize that these latent groups represent feral, semi-feral, and indoor/outdoor house cats based on the estimated movement parameters of each group. Estimated cat densities and activity varied between the two islands, with relatively high densities (~4 cats/km2) exhibiting crepuscular diel patterns on Big Pine Key and lower densities (~1 cat/km2) exhibiting nocturnal diel patterns on Key Largo. These differences are most likely related to the higher proportion of house cats on Big Pine relative to Key Largo. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from hair samples of free-ranging cats (n = 43) provided estimates of the proportion of wild and anthropogenic foods in cat diets. At the population level, cats on both islands consumed mostly anthropogenic foods (>80% of the diet), but eight individuals were effective predators of wildlife (>50% of the diet). We provide evidence that cat groups within a population move different distances, exhibit different activity patterns, and that individuals consume wildlife at different rates, which all have implications for managing this invasive predator.

Prevalence of antinuclear and anti-erythrocyte antibodies in healthy cats.

PubMed

Abrams-Ogg, Anthony C G; Lim, Sophia; Kocmarek, Helen; Ho, Kim; Blois, Shauna L; Shewen, Patricia E; Wood, R Darren; Bienzle, Dorothee

2018-03-01

Positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests support diagnoses such as systemic lupus erythematosus and immune-mediated anemia, respectively. Positive tests may occur in cats, but the prevalence of positive results in healthy cats is not well known. The study's purpose was to determine prevalences of positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests in healthy cats. Antinuclear antibody titers were measured by indirect immunofluorescence, and anti-erythrocyte antibodies were measured by the microtitration direct antiglobulin test at 37, 23, and 4°C in 61 client-owned and 28 facility-owned cats. Differences between the 2 groups were examined using chi-squared tests. For the antinuclear antibody tests, 70% of client-owned cats were negative, 10% had weak titers (1:40-1:80), and 20% had strong titers (1:160-1:320). Facility-owned cats had significantly fewer positive titers with 96% negative and one positive (1:8). For the antiglobulin test at 37°C, 93% of all cats were negative, 2 cats in each group were positive at low dilutions (1:2), and 2 client-owned cats were transiently positive at high dilutions (≥ 1:2048). At 23°C, 90% of all cats were negative, and 2 client-owned and 5 facility-owned cats were positive at low dilutions (1:2-1:8). At 4°C, 67% of client-owned cats had invalid results (negative control well agglutination), and 33% had negative results, while of facility-owned cats 14% had invalid results, 14% had agglutination at low dilutions, and 72% were negative. Healthy cats may have positive antinuclear antibody and direct antiglobulin tests, but the prevalence of strong reactions is low. © 2018 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Severe anemia in cats with urethral obstruction: 17 cases (2002-2011).

PubMed

Beer, Kari Santoro; Drobatz, Kenneth J

2016-05-01

To characterize clinical parameters of cats with severe anemia due to suspected urinary bladder hemorrhage associated with urethral obstruction. Retrospective case-control study. University teaching hospital. Seventeen cats with urethral obstruction and severe anemia (group "UO-A") that required transfusion were identified via medical record database search. Thirty cats with urethral obstruction and mild or no anemia (group "UO") were included as controls. None. The median PCV of all cases at presentation was 28% (range, 9%-47%). Seven cats had PCV ≤20% at presentation, and all transfused cats had PCV ≤20% at the time of transfusion. Three cats did not receive a transfusion despite PCV ≤18%. Cats in the UO-A group had a significantly longer duration of clinical signs (P = 0.001), and were more likely to have a history of previous urethral obstruction (P = 0.011), have a heart murmur (P = 0.002), have a gallop rhythm (P = 0.005), and have lower blood pressure (P = 0.007) compared to those in the UO group. Additionally, UO-A cats had significantly lower pH, more negative base excess, higher BUN, and higher creatinine compared to UO cats. Duration of urinary catheterization was significantly (P = 0.016) longer in UO-A cats. All UO cats survived to discharge, whereas 4/17 (23.5%) UO-A cats were euthanized (P = 0.013). A history of previous urethral obstruction and longer duration of clinical signs may be important risk factors for severe anemia in UO cats. Additionally, UO-A cats appeared to be more severely affected, as evidenced by lower blood pressure, more severe metabolic acidosis, higher BUN and creatinine, and worse outcome. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2016.

Serotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in Cats (Felis domesticus) Reveals Predominance of Type II Infections in Germany

PubMed Central

Maksimov, Pavlo; Zerweck, Johannes; Dubey, Jitender P.; Pantchev, Nikola; Frey, Caroline F.; Maksimov, Aline; Reimer, Ulf; Schutkowski, Mike; Hosseininejad, Morteza; Ziller, Mario; Conraths, Franz J.; Schares, Gereon

2013-01-01

Background Cats are definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii and play an essential role in the epidemiology of this parasite. The study aims at clarifying whether cats are able to develop specific antibodies against different clonal types of T. gondii and to determine by serotyping the T. gondii clonal types prevailing in cats as intermediate hosts in Germany. Methodology To establish a peptide-microarray serotyping test, we identified 24 suitable peptides using serological T. gondii positive (n=21) and negative cat sera (n=52). To determine the clonal type-specific antibody response of cats in Germany, 86 field sera from T. gondii seropositive naturally infected cats were tested. In addition, we analyzed the antibody response in cats experimentally infected with non-canonical T. gondii types (n=7). Findings Positive cat reference sera reacted predominantly with peptides harbouring amino acid sequences specific for the clonal T. gondii type the cats were infected with. When the array was applied to field sera from Germany, 98.8% (85/86) of naturally-infected cats recognized similar peptide patterns as T. gondii type II reference sera and showed the strongest reaction intensities with clonal type II-specific peptides. In addition, naturally infected cats recognized type II-specific peptides significantly more frequently than peptides of other type-specificities. Cats infected with non-canonical types showed the strongest reactivity with peptides presenting amino-acid sequences specific for both, type I and type III. Conclusions Cats are able to mount a clonal type-specific antibody response against T. gondii. Serotyping revealed for most seropositive field sera patterns resembling those observed after clonal type II-T. gondii infection. This finding is in accord with our previous results on the occurrence of T. gondii clonal types in oocysts shed by cats in Germany. PMID:24244652

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging and feral cats on Amami Oshima Island, Japan.

PubMed

Matsuu, Aya; Yokota, Shin-Ichi; Ito, Keiko; Masatani, Tatsunori

2017-11-17

On Amami Oshima Island, free-ranging and feral cats are harmful to wildlife populations. In this study, the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in these cats was examined using a newly developed Gaussia luciferase immunoprecipitation system assay. Of 1,363 cats, 123 cats (9.0%) was positive for T. gondii. The prevalence was significantly different in different areas; among cats in the rural area, where many wild animals live, including endangered species, T. gondii infection was more prevalent than in the urban area of the island. This finding indicates a possible risk to wildlife of infection from free-ranging and feral cats. Therefore, management of cats is important for wildlife conservation.

Molecular identification of catalases from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia (L.).

PubMed

Willekens, H; Villarroel, R; Van Montagu, M; Inzé, D; Van Camp, W

1994-09-19

We have isolated three different catalase cDNAs from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia (cat1, cat2, and cat3) and a partial sequence of a fourth catalase gene (cat4) that shows no discernible expression based on Northern analysis. The catalase sequences were used to determine the similarity with other plant catalases and to study the transcriptional response to paraquat, 3-aminotriazole, and salicylic acid. 3-Aminotriazole induces mRNA levels of cat1, cat2 and cat3, indicating that a reduction in catalase activity positively affects catalase mRNA abundance. Salicylic acid that binds catalase in vitro, had no effect on catalase transcript levels at physiological concentrations. Paraquat resulted in the induction of cat1.

Uncaria tomentosa stimulates the proliferation of myeloid progenitor cells.

PubMed

Farias, Iria; do Carmo Araújo, Maria; Zimmermann, Estevan Sonego; Dalmora, Sergio Luiz; Benedetti, Aloisio Luiz; Alvarez-Silva, Marcio; Asbahr, Ana Carolina Cavazzin; Bertol, Gustavo; Farias, Júlia; Schetinger, Maria Rosa Chitolina

2011-09-01

The Asháninkas, indigenous people of Peru, use cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) to restore health. Uncaria tomentosa has antioxidant activity and works as an agent to repair DNA damage. It causes different effects on cell proliferation depending on the cell type involved; specifically, it can stimulate the proliferation of myeloid progenitors and cause apoptosis of neoplastic cells. Neutropenia is the most common collateral effect of chemotherapy. For patients undergoing cancer treatment, the administration of a drug that stimulates the proliferation of healthy hematopoietic tissue cells is very desirable. It is important to assess the acute effects of Uncaria tomentosa on granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (CFU-GM) and in the recovery of neutrophils after chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, by establishing the correlation with filgrastim (rhG-CSF) treatment to evaluate its possible use in clinical oncology. The in vivo assay was performed in ifosfamide-treated mice receiving oral doses of 5 and 15 mg of Uncaria tomentosa and intraperitoneal doses of 3 and 9 μg of filgrastim, respectively, for four days. Colony-forming cell (CFC) assays were performed with human hematopoietic stem/precursor cells (hHSPCs) obtained from umbilical cord blood (UCB). Bioassays showed that treatment with Uncaria tomentosa significantly increased the neutrophil count, and a potency of 85.2% was calculated in relation to filgrastim at the corresponding doses tested. An in vitro CFC assay showed an increase in CFU-GM size and mixed colonies (CFU-GEMM) size at the final concentrations of 100 and 200 μg extract/mL. At the tested doses, Uncaria tomentosa had a positive effect on myeloid progenitor number and is promising for use with chemotherapy to minimize the adverse effects of this treatment. These results support the belief of the Asháninkas, who have classified Uncaria tomentosa as a 'powerful plant'. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compound mechanism of fatal neck injury: A case report of a tiger attack in a zoo.

PubMed

Szleszkowski, Łukasz; Thannhäuser, Agata; Jurek, Tomasz

2017-08-01

Fatal injuries caused by attacks by large wild cats are extremely rare in forensic medical practice in Europe. There are very few cases described in the forensic medical literature concerning incidents in zoos similar to the tiger attack on a 58-year-old male zoo employee that we present here. While preparing a runway for tigers, the man was attacked by a male Sumatran tiger. Another zoo employee was an eyewitness to the accident; in his testimony he described the sequence of events in detail. The autopsy showed the injuries typical of a tiger attack: traces of claws and canine teeth indicating that the victim of the attack was knocked down from behind, along with deep and extensive fatal wounds to the neck. The injuries were inflicted by means of a compound mechanism: tissues were penetrated by the animal's canines, crushed with great force (transfixing injury), and violently distended. The skin revealed four characteristic deep wounds caused by canines as well as bite marks resulting from the action of six incisors. The neck area revealed extensive damage, including torn muscles, the esophagus and trachea, large blood vessels of the neck, and fractures of vertebrae C2 and C5 with internal channels resulting directly from penetration by the animal's canines. The mechanism of distension, as a result of the animal jerking its head after biting the victim in the neck, produced a complete tear of the spine and the vertebral arteries, as well as an intramural rupture of the carotid arteries which has never been described before. In the interests of a detailed assessment of bone damage, the cervical spine was macerated. The applied autopsy techniques and detailed analysis of injuries enabled us to demonstrate the compound mechanism that inflicted them, combining penetration of tissues by the canines, crushing, and distension. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

National Defense Center for Energy and Environment 2007 Annual Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

Catcher does this and more. Using a unique, self - healing elastomeric top cover that keeps out moisture and minimizes oxygen content, the Bullet...claw to enable remote-controlled excavation of UXO. In this effort the NDCEE teamed with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Robotic Research...Group, whose mission is to “develop and advance robotic technologies that will protect, support, and augment the warfighter in the accomplishment of

Polymer Claw: Instant Underwater Adhesive

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-27

technology is the use of pressure sensitive microcapsules , which release reactive amine crosslinkers into an adhesive putty when pressed against the surface...CLEANING AGENT RHEOLOGY 3 3.3 PRESSURE-ACTIVATED ADHESIVE 5 3.3.1 PROCESSING IMPROVEMENTS 5 3.3.2 MICROCAPSULE DIAMETER 5 3.3.3 MICROCAPSULE /RESIN...to attain a reasonable shelf life (- l wk.). The microcapsule diameter has been halved in order to improve mixing in the pressure-activated

Variation in the myosoricine hand skeleton and its implications for locomotory behavior (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodman, Neal; Stabile, Frank A.

2015-01-01

Substrate use and locomotory behavior of mammals are typically reflected in external characteristics of the forefeet, such as the relative proportions of the digits and claws. Although skeletal anatomy of the forefeet can be more informative than external characters, skeletons remain rare in systematic collections. This is particularly true for the Myosoricinae (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), a small clade of African shrews that includes both ambulatory forest shrews (Myosorex) and semifossorial mole shrews (Surdisorex). Most species in this subfamily have restricted distributions, and their behavior and ecology are mostly unstudied. To better understand the potential range of locomotory behavior among myosoricines, we used digital x-rays to image and facilitate measuring the forefoot skeletons of 9 species. As a gauge of potential variation, we compared them with the ambulatory talpid Uropsilus (Talpidae) and the semifossorial talpid Neurotrichus. The hand morphologies of myosoricines show a graded range of potential substrate use between ambulatory and semifossorial. Some of these shrews exhibit adaptations for increased burrowing efficiency that are similar to those seen in talpids and other mammals, such as longer, broader distal phalanges and claws and shorter, wider metacarpals and proximal and middle phalanges. They also, however, have characteristics that are distinct from talpids, such as maintenance of forefoot asymmetry and an increased emphasis of ray III.

A new species of Peltidium Philippi, 1839 (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Pacific coast of Mexico

PubMed Central

Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Jarquín-González, Jani

2013-01-01

Abstract During the analysis of phytal meiobenthic samples collected from a rocky-sandy beach in the state of Nayarit, in the Mexican Pacific, several specimens of harpacticoid copepods were obtained and taxonomically examined. These specimens were found to represent an undescribed species of the peltidiid genus Peltidium Philippi, 1839. The new species, Peltidium nayarit sp. n. is described herein. It resembles Peltidium nichollsi Geddes and Peltidium lerneri Geddes from Bahamas but also the widespread Peltidium speciosum Thompson & Scott and Peltidium purpureum Philippi. The new species from the Mexican Pacific differs from its known congeners by its possession of a unique combination of characters, including a modified pectinate seta on the antennary exopod, three terminal setae on the second endopodal segment of leg 1, third exopodal segment of leg 1 with three elements, inner terminal claw twice as long as outer claw, female fifth leg with 5 exopodal setae, exopodal setae I-III stout, spinulose and seta IV being as long as seta V. This is the second species of the family known to be distributed in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and in Mexico. Pending additional data, the distribution of this species appears to be restricted to this area of the Mexican Pacific. PMID:24003319

Characterization of a Crabs Claw Gene in basal eudicot species Epimedium sagittatum (Berberidaceae).

PubMed

Sun, Wei; Huang, Wenjun; Li, Zhineng; Lv, Haiyan; Huang, Hongwen; Wang, Ying

2013-01-08

The Crabs Claw (CRC) YABBY gene is required for regulating carpel development in angiosperms and has played an important role in nectary evolution during core eudicot speciation. The function or expression of CRC-like genes has been explored in two basal eudicots, Eschscholzia californica and Aquilegia formosa. To further investigate the function of CRC orthologous genes related to evolution of carpel and nectary development in basal eudicots, a CRC ortholog, EsCRC, was isolated and characterized from Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. and Zucc.) Maxim. A phylogenetic analysis of EsCRC and previously identified CRC-like genes placed EsCRC within the basal eudicot lineage. Gene expression results suggest that EsCRC is involved in the development of sepals and carpels, but not nectaries. Phenotypic complementation of the Arabidopsis mutant crc-1 was achieved by constitutive expression of EsCRC. In addition, over-expression of EsCRC in Arabidopsis and tobacco gave rise to abaxially curled leaves. Transgenic results together with the gene expression analysis suggest that EsCRC may maintain a conserved function in carpel development and also play a novel role related to sepal formation. Absence of EsCRC and ElCRC expression in nectaries further indicates that nectary development in non-core eudicots is unrelated to expression of CRC-like genes.

Characterization of a Crabs Claw Gene in Basal Eudicot Species Epimedium sagittatum (Berberidaceae)

PubMed Central

Sun, Wei; Huang, Wenjun; Li, Zhineng; Lv, Haiyan; Huang, Hongwen; Wang, Ying

2013-01-01

The Crabs Claw (CRC) YABBY gene is required for regulating carpel development in angiosperms and has played an important role in nectary evolution during core eudicot speciation. The function or expression of CRC-like genes has been explored in two basal eudicots, Eschscholzia californica and Aquilegia formosa. To further investigate the function of CRC orthologous genes related to evolution of carpel and nectary development in basal eudicots, a CRC ortholog, EsCRC, was isolated and characterized from Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. and Zucc.) Maxim. A phylogenetic analysis of EsCRC and previously identified CRC-like genes placed EsCRC within the basal eudicot lineage. Gene expression results suggest that EsCRC is involved in the development of sepals and carpels, but not nectaries. Phenotypic complementation of the Arabidopsis mutant crc-1 was achieved by constitutive expression of EsCRC. In addition, over-expression of EsCRC in Arabidopsis and tobacco gave rise to abaxially curled leaves. Transgenic results together with the gene expression analysis suggest that EsCRC may maintain a conserved function in carpel development and also play a novel role related to sepal formation. Absence of EsCRC and ElCRC expression in nectaries further indicates that nectary development in non-core eudicots is unrelated to expression of CRC-like genes. PMID:23299438

Surface tension dominates insect flight on fluid interfaces.

PubMed

Mukundarajan, Haripriya; Bardon, Thibaut C; Kim, Dong Hyun; Prakash, Manu

2016-03-01

Flight on the 2D air-water interface, with body weight supported by surface tension, is a unique locomotion strategy well adapted for the environmental niche on the surface of water. Although previously described in aquatic insects like stoneflies, the biomechanics of interfacial flight has never been analysed. Here, we report interfacial flight as an adapted behaviour in waterlily beetles (Galerucella nymphaeae) which are also dexterous airborne fliers. We present the first quantitative biomechanical model of interfacial flight in insects, uncovering an intricate interplay of capillary, aerodynamic and neuromuscular forces. We show that waterlily beetles use their tarsal claws to attach themselves to the interface, via a fluid contact line pinned at the claw. We investigate the kinematics of interfacial flight trajectories using high-speed imaging and construct a mathematical model describing the flight dynamics. Our results show that non-linear surface tension forces make interfacial flight energetically expensive compared with airborne flight at the relatively high speeds characteristic of waterlily beetles, and cause chaotic dynamics to arise naturally in these regimes. We identify the crucial roles of capillary-gravity wave drag and oscillatory surface tension forces which dominate interfacial flight, showing that the air-water interface presents a radically modified force landscape for flapping wing flight compared with air. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Macroscopic, histologic, and ultrastructural lesions associated with avian keratin disorder in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Hemert, C.; Armién, A. G.; Blake, J.E.; Handel, Colleen M.; O'Hara, T. M.

2013-01-01

An epizootic of beak abnormalities (avian keratin disorder) was recently detected among wild birds in Alaska. Here we describe the gross, histologic, and ultrastructural features of the disease in 30 affected adult black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Grossly, there was elongation of the rhamphotheca, with varying degrees of lateral deviation, crossing, and gapping between the upper and lower beak. Not uncommonly, the claws were overgrown, and there was alopecia, scaling, and crusting of the skin. The most prominent histopathologic features in the beak included epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, and core-like intrusions of necrotic debris. In affected birds, particularly those with moderate to severe beak overgrowth, there was remodeling of premaxillary and mandibular bones and various dermal lesions. Lesions analogous to those found in beaks were present in affected claws, indicating that this disorder may target both of these similar tissues. Mild to moderate hyperkeratosis occurred in other keratinized tissues, including skin, feather follicles, and, occasionally, sinus epithelium, but typically only in the presence of microbes. We did not find consistent evidence of a bacterial, fungal, or viral etiology for the beak lesions. The changes observed in affected birds did not correspond with any known avian diseases, suggesting a potentially novel hyperkeratotic disorder in wild birds.

Genetics, Morphology, Advertisement Calls, and Historical Records Distinguish Six New Polyploid Species of African Clawed Frog (Xenopus, Pipidae) from West and Central Africa

PubMed Central

Evans, Ben J.; Carter, Timothy F.; Greenbaum, Eli; Gvoždík, Václav; Kelley, Darcy B.; McLaughlin, Patrick J.; Pauwels, Olivier S. G.; Portik, Daniel M.; Stanley, Edward L.; Tinsley, Richard C.; Tobias, Martha L.; Blackburn, David C.

2015-01-01

African clawed frogs, genus Xenopus, are extraordinary among vertebrates in the diversity of their polyploid species and the high number of independent polyploidization events that occurred during their diversification. Here we update current understanding of the evolutionary history of this group and describe six new species from west and central sub-Saharan Africa, including four tetraploids and two dodecaploids. We provide information on molecular variation, morphology, karyotypes, vocalizations, and estimated geographic ranges, which support the distinctiveness of these new species. We resurrect Xenopus calcaratus from synonymy of Xenopus tropicalis and refer populations from Bioko Island and coastal Cameroon (near Mt. Cameroon) to this species. To facilitate comparisons to the new species, we also provide comments on the type specimens, morphology, and distributions of X. epitropicalis, X. tropicalis, and X. fraseri. This includes significantly restricted application of the names X. fraseri and X. epitropicalis, the first of which we argue is known definitively only from type specimens and possibly one other specimen. Inferring the evolutionary histories of these new species allows refinement of species groups within Xenopus and leads to our recognition of two subgenera (Xenopus and Silurana) and three species groups within the subgenus Xenopus (amieti, laevis, and muelleri species groups). PMID:26672747

Flightless I Expression Enhances Murine Claw Regeneration Following Digit Amputation.

PubMed

Strudwick, Xanthe L; Waters, James M; Cowin, Allison J

2017-01-01

The mammalian digit tip is capable of both reparative and regenerative wound healing dependent on the level of amputation injury. Removal of the distal third of the terminal phalange results in successful regeneration, whereas a more severe, proximal, amputation heals by tissue repair. Flightless I (Flii) is involved in both tissue repair and regeneration. It negatively regulates wound repair but elicits a positive effect in hair follicle regeneration, with Flii overexpression resulting in significantly longer hair fibers. Using a model of digit amputation in Flii overexpressing (FIT) mice, we investigated Flii in digit regeneration. Both wild-type and FIT digits regenerated after distal amputation with newly regenerated FIT claws being significantly longer than intact controls. No regeneration was observed in wild-type mice after severe proximal amputation; however, FIT mice showed significant regeneration of the missing digit. Using a three-dimensional model of nail formation, connective tissue fibroblasts isolated from the mesenchymal tissue surrounding the wild-type and FIT digit tips and cocultured with skin keratinocytes demonstrated aggregate structures resembling rudimentary nail buds only when Flii was overexpressed. Moreover, β-catenin and cyclin D1 expression was maintained in the FIT regenerating germinal matrix suggesting a potential interaction of Flii with Wnt signaling during regeneration. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Endocrine effects of 2,2{prime},4,4{prime}-tetrachlorobiphenyl in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diana, S.; Hansen, L.; Foley, G.

1995-12-31

Ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls are known to exhibit estrogenic activity and, in some cases, to enhance excretion of tetraiodothyronine (T4), resulting in hypothyroxinemia in mammals. Since thyroxine activity is essential for amphibian metamorphosis, and amphibian sex determination can be altered or reversed by exposure to exogenous estrogens or androgens, the effects of exposure of larvae of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) to 2,2{prime},4,4{prime}-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB 47) were investigated. Eggs and larvae of X. laevis were exposed to nominal concentrations of CB 47 of 0.05 or 0.25 ppm (1 ppm was found to result in 100% mortality) throughout the period of larvalmore » development, and effects on rates of metamorphosis and body growth and on gonad morphology were determined. Stage of metamorphosis, body length and body weight did not differ between treatment and control groups, following exposure to these sub-lethal concentrations, at any time during larval development. Effects of exposure on gonad morphology will be discussed. The failure of CB 47 to delay or prevent metamorphosis under these conditions may be due to poor responsiveness of hepatic UDP-glucuronyl transferases to induction, or novel systems of thyroxine and/or PCB transport, metabolism and excretion in larval amphibians.« less

Surface tension dominates insect flight on fluid interfaces

PubMed Central

Mukundarajan, Haripriya; Bardon, Thibaut C.; Kim, Dong Hyun; Prakash, Manu

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Flight on the 2D air–water interface, with body weight supported by surface tension, is a unique locomotion strategy well adapted for the environmental niche on the surface of water. Although previously described in aquatic insects like stoneflies, the biomechanics of interfacial flight has never been analysed. Here, we report interfacial flight as an adapted behaviour in waterlily beetles (Galerucella nymphaeae) which are also dexterous airborne fliers. We present the first quantitative biomechanical model of interfacial flight in insects, uncovering an intricate interplay of capillary, aerodynamic and neuromuscular forces. We show that waterlily beetles use their tarsal claws to attach themselves to the interface, via a fluid contact line pinned at the claw. We investigate the kinematics of interfacial flight trajectories using high-speed imaging and construct a mathematical model describing the flight dynamics. Our results show that non-linear surface tension forces make interfacial flight energetically expensive compared with airborne flight at the relatively high speeds characteristic of waterlily beetles, and cause chaotic dynamics to arise naturally in these regimes. We identify the crucial roles of capillary–gravity wave drag and oscillatory surface tension forces which dominate interfacial flight, showing that the air–water interface presents a radically modified force landscape for flapping wing flight compared with air. PMID:26936640

Identification of proteins interacting with lactate dehydrogenase in claw muscle of the porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes

PubMed Central

Cayenne, Andrea P.; Gabert, Beverly; Stillman, Jonathon H.

2011-01-01

Biochemical adaptation of enzymes involves conservation of activity, stability and affinity across a wide range of intracellular and environmental conditions. Enzyme adaptation by alteration of primary structure is well known, but the roles of protein-protein interactions in enzyme adaptation are less well understood. Interspecific differences in thermal stability of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in porcelain crabs (genus Petrolisthes) are related to intrinsic differences among LDH molecules and by interactions with other stabilizing proteins. Here, we identified proteins that interact with LDH in porcelain crab claw muscle tissue using co-immunoprecipitation, and showed LDH exists in high molecular weight complexes using size exclusion chromatography and Western blot analyses. Co-immunoprecipitated proteins were separated using 2D SDS PAGE and analyzed by LC/ESI using peptide MS/MS. Peptide MS/MS ions were compared to an EST database for Petrolisthes cinctipes to identify proteins. Identified proteins included cytoskeletal elements, glycolytic enzymes, a phosphagen kinase, and the respiratory protein hemocyanin. Our results support the hypothesis that LDH interacts with glycolytic enzymes in a metabolon structured by cytoskeletal elements that may also include the enzyme for transfer of the adenylate charge in glycolytically produced ATP. Those interactions may play specific roles in biochemical adaptation of glycolytic enzymes. PMID:21968246

Phylogeography of the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata): distinct evolutionary lineages and hybridization with the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus).

PubMed

Moretti, Beatrice; Al-Sheikhly, Omar F; Guerrini, Monica; Theng, Meryl; Gupta, Brij K; Haba, Mukhtar K; Khan, Waseem A; Khan, Aleem A; Barbanera, Filippo

2017-01-27

We investigated the phylogeography of the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) to determine its spatial genetic structure for aiding an adaptive conservation management of the species. Fifty-eight modern and 11 archival (dated 1882-1970) otters sampled from Iraq to Malaysian Borneo were genotyped (mtDNA Cytochrome-b, 10 microsatellite DNA loci). Moreover, 16 Aonyx cinereus (Asian small-clawed otter) and seven Lutra lutra (Eurasian otter) were sequenced to increase information available for phylogenetic reconstructions. As reported in previous studies, we found that L. perspicillata, A. cinereus and A. capensis (African clawless otter) grouped in a clade sister to the genus Lutra, with L. perspicillata and A. cinereus being reciprocally monophyletic. Within L. perspicillata, we uncovered three Evolutionarily Significant Units and proved that L. p. maxwelli is not only endemic to Iraq but also the most recent subspecies. We suggest a revision of the distribution range limits of easternmost L. perspicillata subspecies. We show that smooth-coated otters in Singapore are L. perspicillata x A. cinereus hybrids with A. cinereus mtDNA, the first reported case of hybridization in the wild among otters. This result also provides evidence supporting the inclusion of L. perspicillata and A. cinereus in the genus Amblonyx, thus avoiding the paraphyly of the genus Aonyx.

Antioxidant effects of herbal therapies used by patients with inflammatory bowel disease: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Langmead, L; Dawson, C; Hawkins, C; Banna, N; Loo, S; Rampton, D S

2002-02-01

Herbal remedies used by patients for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease include slippery elm, fenugreek, devil's claw, Mexican yam, tormentil and wei tong ning, a traditional Chinese medicine. Reactive oxygen metabolites produced by inflamed colonic mucosa may be pathogenic. Aminosalicylates (5-ASA) are antioxidant and other such agents could be therapeutic. To assess the antioxidant effects of herbal remedies in cell-free oxidant-generating systems and inflamed human colorectal biopsies. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in a xanthine/xanthine oxidase cell-free system was used to detect superoxide scavenging by herbs and 5-ASA, and fluorimetry to define peroxyl radical scavenging using a phycoerythrin degradation assay. Chemiluminescence was used to detect herbal effects on generation of oxygen radicals by mucosal biopsies from patients with active ulcerative colitis. Like 5-ASA, all herbs, except fenugreek, scavenged superoxide dose-dependently. All materials tested scavenged peroxyl dose-dependently. Oxygen radical release from biopsies was reduced after incubation in all herbs except Mexican yam, and by 5-ASA. All six herbal remedies have antioxidant effects. Fenugreek is not a superoxide scavenger, while Mexican yam did not inhibit radical generation by inflamed biopsies. Slippery elm, fenugreek, devil's claw, tormentil and wei tong ning merit formal evaluation as novel therapies in inflammatory bowel disease.

Alteration of Neutrophil Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Extracts of Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum).

PubMed

Muzila, Mbaki; Rumpunen, Kimmo; Wright, Helen; Roberts, Helen; Grant, Melissa; Nybom, Hilde; Sehic, Jasna; Ekholm, Anders; Widén, Cecilia

2016-01-01

Harpagophytum, Devil's Claw, is a genus of tuberiferous xerophytic plants native to southern Africa. Some of the taxa are appreciated for their medicinal effects and have been traditionally used to relieve symptoms of inflammation. The objectives of this pilot study were to investigate the antioxidant capacity and the content of total phenols, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, and selected iridoids, as well as to investigate the capacity of various Harpagophytum taxa in suppressing respiratory burst in terms of reactive oxygen species produced by human neutrophils challenged with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), opsonised Staphylococcus aureus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Harpagophytum plants were classified into different taxa according to morphology, and DNA analysis was used to confirm the classification. A putative new variety of H. procumbens showed the highest degree of antioxidative capacity. Using PMA, three Harpagophytum taxa showed anti-inflammatory effects with regard to the PBS control. A putative hybrid between H. procumbens and H. zeyheri in contrast showed proinflammatory effect on the response of neutrophils to F. nucleatum in comparison with treatment with vehicle control. Harpagophytum taxa were biochemically very variable and the response in suppressing respiratory burst differed. Further studies with larger number of subjects are needed to corroborate anti-inflammatory effects of different taxa of Harpagophytum.

Alteration of Neutrophil Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Extracts of Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum)

PubMed Central

Muzila, Mbaki; Wright, Helen; Roberts, Helen; Grant, Melissa; Nybom, Hilde; Sehic, Jasna; Ekholm, Anders

2016-01-01

Harpagophytum, Devil's Claw, is a genus of tuberiferous xerophytic plants native to southern Africa. Some of the taxa are appreciated for their medicinal effects and have been traditionally used to relieve symptoms of inflammation. The objectives of this pilot study were to investigate the antioxidant capacity and the content of total phenols, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, and selected iridoids, as well as to investigate the capacity of various Harpagophytum taxa in suppressing respiratory burst in terms of reactive oxygen species produced by human neutrophils challenged with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), opsonised Staphylococcus aureus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Harpagophytum plants were classified into different taxa according to morphology, and DNA analysis was used to confirm the classification. A putative new variety of H. procumbens showed the highest degree of antioxidative capacity. Using PMA, three Harpagophytum taxa showed anti-inflammatory effects with regard to the PBS control. A putative hybrid between H. procumbens and H. zeyheri in contrast showed proinflammatory effect on the response of neutrophils to F. nucleatum in comparison with treatment with vehicle control. Harpagophytum taxa were biochemically very variable and the response in suppressing respiratory burst differed. Further studies with larger number of subjects are needed to corroborate anti-inflammatory effects of different taxa of Harpagophytum. PMID:27429708

Rabies Prevention and Management of Cats in the Context of Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release Programs

PubMed Central

Roebling, Allison D.; Johnson, Dana; Blanton, Jesse D.; Levin, Michael; Slate, Dennis; Fenwick, George; Rupprecht, Charles E.

2016-01-01

Summary Domestic cats are an important part of many Americans’ lives, but effective control of the 60–100 million feral cats living throughout the country remains problematic. Although Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) programs are growing in popularity as alternatives to euthanizing feral cats, their ability to adequately address disease threats and population growth within managed cat colonies is dubious. Rabies transmission via feral cats is a particular concern as demonstrated by the significant proportion of rabies postexposure prophylaxis associated with exposures involving cats. Moreover, TNVR has not been shown to reliably reduce feral cat colony populations because of low implementation rates, inconsistent maintenance, and immigration of unsterilized cats into colonies. For these reasons, TNVR programs are not effective methods for reducing public health concerns or for controlling feral cat populations. Instead, responsible pet ownership, universal rabies vaccination of pets, and removal of strays remain integral components to control rabies and other diseases. PMID:23859607

Rabies prevention and management of cats in the context of trap-neuter-vaccinate-release programmes.

PubMed

Roebling, A D; Johnson, D; Blanton, J D; Levin, M; Slate, D; Fenwick, G; Rupprecht, C E

2014-06-01

Domestic cats are an important part of many Americans' lives, but effective control of the 60-100 million feral cats living throughout the country remains problematic. Although trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programmes are growing in popularity as alternatives to euthanizing feral cats, their ability to adequately address disease threats and population growth within managed cat colonies is dubious. Rabies transmission via feral cats is a particular concern as demonstrated by the significant proportion of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis associated with exposures involving cats. Moreover, TNVR has not been shown to reliably reduce feral cat colony populations because of low implementation rates, inconsistent maintenance and immigration of unsterilized cats into colonies. For these reasons, TNVR programmes are not effective methods for reducing public health concerns or for controlling feral cat populations. Instead, responsible pet ownership, universal rabies vaccination of pets and removal of strays remain integral components to control rabies and other diseases. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Epidemiological evaluation of cats rescued at a secondary emergency animal shelter in Miharu, Fukushima, after the Great East Japan Earthquakes.

PubMed

Tanaka, Aki; Martinez-Lopez, Beatriz; Kass, Philip

2017-03-01

The aims of this research were to report characteristics of rescued cats at a secondary emergency animal shelter in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, and evaluate how adoptability, stress level, upper respiratory infection (URI) syndrome incidence, and URI pathogen prevalence were associated with the cat's shelter intake source and shelter characteristics. All cats admitted to the Miharu shelter, Fukushima Prefecture from 2012 to 2014 were included in the study. The results demonstrate that in situ corticosteroid and antibiotic use were associated with cats subsequently developing upper respiratory infections (URI). Disease and cat behavior were unassociated with adoption. Cats in group housing had lower stress metrics than cats individually housed. Prevalences of URI pathogens exceeded 80%, but symptomatic cats were uncommon. Environmental enrichment and stress reduction strategies are important in controlling URI and reducing the need for corticosteroids and antibiotics in shelters. Preemptive protocols are important in preventing shelter admission of cats during disasters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Uroliths of cats in Switzerland from 2002 to 2009].

PubMed

Gerber, B; Brandenberger-Schenk, F; Rothenanger, E; Müller, C

2016-10-01

In this study data on composition of uroliths collected from cats and epidemiologic data of affected cats in Switzerland from 2002 to 2009 are summarised. Of 884 stones analysed 50% (n=441) were composed of calcium oxalate, 45% (n=398) of struvite, 3% (n=18) of ammonium urate, 1% (n=12) were mixed stones, 1% (n=9) were composed of silica, 3 stones were solidified blood, 2 consisted of cystine and 1of xanthine. 40% of the ureteral stones were composed of struvite. Domestic cats had significantly less calcium oxalate stones compared to British Shorthair or Persian cats. Cats with calcium oxalate stones were older and cats with struvite stones were younger than other affected cats. Female and male cats were equally affected with stones. Compared to studies from other countries, in Switzerland silica stones occurred more often and ureteral stones were more often composed of Struvite. The present study shows that occurrence and prevalence of urinary calculi of cats from Switzerland exhibited only slight differences to studies from other countries.

Feline Non-repetitive Mitochondrial DNA Control Region Database for Forensic Evidence

PubMed Central

Grahn, R. A.; Kurushima, J. D.; Billings, N. C.; Grahn, J.C.; Halverson, J. L.; Hammer, E.; Ho, C.K.; Kun, T. J.; Levy, J.K.; Lipinski, M. J.; Mwenda, J.M.; Ozpinar, H.; Schuster, R.K; Shoorijeh, S.J.; Tarditi, C. R.; Waly, N.E.; Wictum, E. J.; Lyons, L. A.

2010-01-01

The domestic cat is the one of the most popular pets throughout the world. A by-product of owning, interacting with, or being in a household with a cat is the transfer of shed fur to clothing or personal objects. As trace evidence, transferred cat fur is a relatively untapped resource for forensic scientists. Both phenotypic and genotypic characteristics can be obtained from cat fur, but databases for neither aspect exist. Because cats incessantly groom, cat fur may have nucleated cells, not only in the hair bulb, but also as epithelial cells on the hair shaft deposited during the grooming process, thereby generally providing material for DNA profiling. To effectively exploit cat hair as a resource, representative databases must be established. This study evaluates 402 bp of the mtDNA control region (CR) from 1,394 cats, including cats from 25 distinct worldwide populations and 26 breeds. Eighty-three percent of the cats are represented by 12 major mitotypes. An additional 8.0% are clearly derived from the major mitotypes. Unique sequences were found in 7.5% of the cats. The overall genetic diversity for this data set was 0.8813 ± 0.0046 with a random match probability of 11.8%. This region of the cat mtDNA has discriminatory power suitable for forensic application worldwide. PMID:20457082

Biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) nanosphere encapsulating superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes.

PubMed

Singh, Sushant; Singh, Abhay Narayan; Verma, Anil; Dubey, Vikash Kumar

2013-12-01

Biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) nanosphere encapsulating superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were successfully synthesized using double emulsion (w/o/w) solvent evaporation technique. Characterization of the nanosphere using dynamic light scattering, field emission scanning electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed a spherical-shaped nanosphere in a size range of 812 ± 64 nm with moderate protein encapsulation efficiency of 55.42 ± 3.7 % and high in vitro protein release. Human skin HaCat cells were used for analyzing antioxidative properties of SOD- and CAT-encapsulated PCL nanospheres. Oxidative stress condition in HaCat cells was optimized with exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2; 1 mM) as external stress factor and verified through reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis using H2DCFDA dye. PCL nanosphere encapsulating SOD and CAT together indicated better antioxidative defense against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in human skin HaCat cells in comparison to PCL encapsulating either SOD or CAT alone as well as against direct supplement of SOD and CAT protein solution. Increase in HaCat cells SOD and CAT activities after treatment hints toward uptake of PCL nanosphere into the human skin HaCat cells. The result signifies the role of PCL-encapsulating SOD and CAT nanosphere in alleviating oxidative stress.

Acute pancreatitis in cats with hepatic lipidosis.

PubMed

Akol, K G; Washabau, R J; Saunders, H M; Hendrick, M J

1993-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence, clinical features, and prognosis of acute pancreatitis in cats with hepatic lipidosis. Of 13 cats histologically diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis between July 1988, and November 1989, 5(38%) were also histologically diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. In cats with hepatic lipidosis alone, the signalment, history, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings were generally indistinguishable from those of cats with concurrent acute pancreatitis except that cats with acute pancreatitis were more likely to be cachectic and to have coagulation abnormalities. Hepatomegaly was seen on abdominal radiographs in both groups. Of the 5 cats with concurrent acute pancreatitis, abdominal ultrasonography detected 1 cat with a hypoechoic pancreas and 5 with peritoneal effusion; those abnormalities were not seen in cats without concurrent acute pancreatitis. Cats with concurrent acute pancreatitis had only a 20% recovery rate, compared with a 50% recovery rate in cats with hepatic lipidosis alone. We conclude that cats with hepatic lipidosis should be rigorously evaluated for concurrent acute pancreatitis because of 1) the rate of disease coincidence, 2) the inability of signalment, history, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings to adequately distinguish between hepatic lipidosis and acute pancreatitis, 3) the worse prognosis associated with concurrent acute pancreatitis, and 4) the opposing nutritional strategies for hepatic lipidosis and acute pancreatitis.

Hypophosphatemia and hemolytic anemia associated with diabetes mellitus and hepatic lipidosis in cats.

PubMed

Adams, L G; Hardy, R M; Weiss, D J; Bartges, J W

1993-01-01

Hypophosphatemia associated with hemolytic anemia was diagnosed in five cats with diabetes mellitus and in one cat with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis. The hematocrit began decreasing within 24 to 48 hours after documented hypophosphatemia in each case. The anemia resolved in all five surviving cats. Because of the temporal relationship and lack of other detectable causes, hemolytic anemia was presumed to be caused by hypophosphatemia. There were increased Heinz bodies in three of six hypophosphatemic cats during episodes of hemolysis. Intravenous potassium phosphate administration corrected the hypophosphatemia in four of five cats. The effective dosages of intravenous phosphate ranged from 0.011 to 0.017 mmol of phosphate/kg/h for 6 to 12 hours. Hypocalcemia (5.4 to 8.7 mg/dL) occurred in four of five cats treated with intravenous phosphate; however, only one cat developed clinical signs attributable to hypocalcemia. Based on this retrospective study, we recommend monitoring serum phosphorus concentration every 6 to 12 hours in cats likely to become hypophosphatemic. Treatment of hypophosphatemia in cats is warranted because of the apparent increased susceptibility of cats to hypophosphatemia-induced hemolysis. Cats with severe hypophosphatemia (< or = 1.5 mg/dL) should be given oral or parenteral phosphate if contraindications do not exist.

Pamidronate Disodium for Palliative Therapy of Feline Bone-Invasive Tumors

PubMed Central

Wypij, Jackie M.; Heller, David A.

2014-01-01

This study sought to quantify in vitro antiproliferative effects of pamidronate in feline cancer cells and assess feasibility of use of pamidronate in cats by assessing short-term toxicity and dosing schedule in cats with bone-invasive cancer. A retrospective pilot study included eight cats with bone invasive cancer treated with intravenous pamidronate. In vitro, pamidronate reduced proliferation in feline cancer cells (P < 0.05). One cat treated with pamidronate in combination with chemotherapy and two cats treated with pamidronate as a single agent after failing prior therapy had subjective clinically stable disease; median progression free interval in these cats from initial pamidronate treatment was 81 days. Three cats developed azotemia while undergoing various treatment modalities including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pamidronate. Median overall survival was 116.5 days for all cats and 170 days for cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Median progression free survival was 55 days for all cats and 71 days for cats with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Pamidronate therapy appears feasible for administration in cancer bearing cats with aggressive bone lesions in the dose range of 1-2 mg/kg every 21–28 days for multiple treatments. No acute or short-term toxicity was directly attributable to pamidronate. PMID:25013741

Congenital heart defects in cats: A retrospective study of 162 cats (1996-2013).

PubMed

Tidholm, Anna; Ljungvall, Ingrid; Michal, Jenny; Häggström, Jens; Höglund, Katja

2015-12-01

To study the prevalence and distribution of congenital heart defects in cats presented at two referral centers in Sweden between 1996 and 2013. 162 client-owned cats with congenital heart defects. Case records of cats diagnosed with congenital heart disease were reviewed retrospectively. The overall prevalence of congenital heart disease was 0.2% of the total number of patient cats, and 8% of cats diagnosed with heart disease. A total of 182 heart defects were identified as 16 cats were diagnosed with more than one defect. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) was most prevalent, found in 50% of cats, followed by tricuspid valve dysplasia (11%), pulmonic stenosis (10%), atrial septal defect (10%), aortic stenosis (9%), mitral valve dysplasia (9%), tetralogy of Fallot (5%), patent ductus arteriosus (3%), common atrioventricular canal (2%), and the following defects that each accounted for 0.6% of cats: double chamber right ventricle, double outlet right ventricle, endocardial fibroelastosis, dextroposition of the aorta, persistent right aortic arch, and pulmonary atresia. The prevalence of congenital heart disease was 0.2% of the total number of patient cats, and 8% of cats diagnosed with heart disease. Ventricular septal defect was the most common congenital heart defect in this study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental Aspects of Domestic Cat Care and Management: Implications for Cat Welfare

PubMed Central

Stella, Judith L.

2016-01-01

Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are the most commonly kept companion animals in the US with large populations of owned (86 million), free-roaming (70 million), research (13,000), and shelter (2-3 million) cats. Vast numbers of cats are maintained in homes and other facilities each year and are reliant on humans for all of their care. Understanding cat behavior and providing the highest quality environments possible, including positive human-cat interactions, based on research could help improve the outcomes of biomedical research, shelter adoptions, and veterinary care, as well as overall cat welfare. Often, however, cats' needs are inadequately met in homes and some aspects may also not be well met in research colonies and shelters, despite the fact that similar problems are likely to be encountered in all of these environments. This paper provides a brief overview of common welfare challenges associated with indoor housing of domestic cats. Essential considerations for cage confinement are reviewed, along with implications of poor cat coping, such as weakening of the human-animal bond and relinquishment to shelters. The important role that environmental management plays in cat behavior and welfare outcomes is explored along with the need for additional research in key areas. PMID:27774506

Cat admissions to RSPCA shelters in Queensland, Australia: description of cats and risk factors for euthanasia after entry.

PubMed

Alberthsen, C; Rand, J S; Bennett, P C; Paterson, M; Lawrie, M; Morton, J M

2013-01-01

A lack of information limits understanding of the excess cat problem and development of effective management strategies. This study describes cats entering Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Queensland shelters and identifies risk factors for euthanasia. Data for cats entering relevant shelters (July 2006-June 2008) were obtained from the RSPCA's electronic database. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for euthanasia. Of 33,736 cats admitted, 46% were adult cats (≥3 months) and 54% were kittens (<3 months). The most common reason for admission was stray (54%), followed by owner surrender (44%). Euthanasia was the most common outcome (65%), followed by adoption (30%). The odds of euthanasia were lower for kittens and for cats that were desexed prior to admission. Of the strays, 8% had been desexed. For cats of similar age, sex, desexed and feral status, stray cats were more likely to be adopted than owner-surrenders. Strategies are needed to reduce numbers of cats admitted and euthanased. Given the high proportion of admissions that were kittens, reducing the incidence of delayed sterilisation of owned cats may be an important strategy for reducing the number of unwanted kittens. Many cats admitted as strays were rehomable, but given the high proportion of admissions that are strays, further research on stray populations is needed. Future studies of cats entering shelters would be enhanced if data collection definitions, categories and methods were standardised. © 2013 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2013 Australian Veterinary Association.

Increased plasma cathepsin S and trombospondin-1 in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Befekadu, Rahel; Christiansen, Kjeld; Larsson, Anders; Grenegård, Magnus

2018-04-03

The role of cathepsins in the pathological progression of atherosclerotic lesions in ischemic heart disease have been defined in detail more than numerous times. This investigation examined the platelet-specific biomarker trombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and platelet function ex vivo, and compared this with cathepsin S (Cat-S; a biomarker unrelated to platelet activation but also associated this with increased mortality risk) in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The STEMI patients were divided into two groups depending on the degree of coronary vessel occlusion: those with closed (n = 90) and open culprit vessel (n = 40). Cat-S and TSP-1 were analyzed before, 1-3 days after and 3 months after percutanous coronary intervention (PCI). During acute STEMI, plasma TSP-1 was significantly elevated in patients with closed culprit lesions, but rapidly declined after PCI. In fact, TSP-1 after PCI was significantly lower inpatient samples compared to healthy individuals. In comparison, plasma Cat-S was significantly elevated both before and after PCI. In patients with closed culprit lesions, Cat-S was significantly higher compared to patients with open culprit lesions 3 months after PCI. Although troponin-I were higher (p < 0.01) in patients with closed culprit lesion, there was no correlation with Cat-S and TSP-1. Cat-S but not TSP-1 may be a useful risk biomarker in relation to the severity of STEMI. However, the causality of Cat-S as a predictor for long-term mortality in STEMI remains to be ascertained in future studies.

A voyage to Terra Australis: human-mediated dispersal of cats.

PubMed

Koch, K; Algar, D; Searle, J B; Pfenninger, M; Schwenk, K

2015-12-04

Cats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations. In Australia, feral cats have caused decline and extinction of native mammals, but their time of introduction and origin is unclear. Here, we investigate hypotheses of cat arrival pre- or post-European settlement, and the potential for admixture between cats of different invasion events. We analyse the genetic structure and diversity of feral cats from six locations on mainland Australia, seven Australian islands and samples from Southeast Asia and Europe using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data. Our results based on phylogeographic model selection are consistent with a European origin of cats in Australia. We find genetic distinctiveness of Australian mainland samples compared with Dirk Hartog Island, Flinders Island, Tasman Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island samples, and genetic similarities between some of the island populations. Historical records suggest that introduction of cats to these islands occurred at the time of European exploration and/or in connection with the pearling, whaling and sealing trades early in the 19th century. On-going influx of domestic cats into the feral cat population is apparently causing the Australian mainland populations to be genetically differentiated from those island populations, which likely are remnants of the historically introduced cat genotypes. A mainly European origin of feral cats in Australia, with possible secondary introductions from Asia following the initial establishment of cats in Australia is reasonable. The islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations and are of particular interest. The results of the study provide an important timeframe for the impact of feral cats on native species in Australia.

Study of the effect on shelter cat intakes and euthanasia from a shelter neuter return project of 10,080 cats from March 2010 to June 2014

PubMed Central

Cicirelli, Jon

2014-01-01

Cat impoundments were increasing at the municipal San Jose animal shelter in 2009, despite long-term successful low cost sterilization programs and attempts to lower the euthanasia rate of treatable-rehabilitatable impounds beginning in 2008. San Jose Animal Care and Services implemented a new strategy designed to control overall feral cat reproduction by altering and returning feral cats entering the shelter system, rather than euthanizing the cats. The purpose of this case study was to determine how the program affected the shelter cat intakes over time. In just over four years, 10,080 individual healthy adult feral cats, out of 11,423 impounded at the shelter during this time frame, were altered and returned to their site of capture. Included in the 11,423 cats were 862 cats impounded from one to four additional times for a total of 958 (9.5%) recaptures of the previously altered 10,080 cats. The remaining 385 healthy feral cats were euthanized at the shelter from March 2010 to June 2014. Four years into the program, researchers observed cat and kitten impounds decreased 29.1%; euthanasia decreased from over 70% of intakes in 2009, to 23% in 2014. Euthanasia in the shelter for Upper Respiratory Disease decreased 99%; dead cat pick up off the streets declined 20%. Dog impounds did not similarly decline over the four years. No other laws or program changes were implemented since the beginning of the program. PMID:25374785

A randomized, controlled clinical trial of intravenous lipid emulsion as an adjunctive treatment for permethrin toxicosis in cats.

PubMed

Peacock, Rachel E; Hosgood, Giselle; Swindells, Katrin L; Smart, Lisa

2015-01-01

To assess for any clinical benefit of intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) for permethrin toxicosis in cats by comparing the progression of clinical signs of cats before and after treatment with ILE to cats treated with a saline control. To accomplish this objective, a clinical staging system for cats with permethrin toxicosis was developed and validated. Prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial. University veterinary teaching hospital and 12 private veterinary emergency hospitals. Thirty-four client-owned cats with permethrin toxicosis. A clinical staging system was designed based on abnormalities found on physical examination of cats with permethrin toxicosis. The clinical staging system had 6 stages, ranging from Stage A for cats with no abnormalities to Stage F for cats with grand mal seizures. The system was validated for intraviewer and interviewer variability. Cats in the clinical trial were randomized to receive 15 mL/kg of either intravenous 0.9% saline (control) or 20% ILE over 60 minutes. For each cat, a clinical stage was recorded at set time points before and after the randomized treatment was administered. The distribution of clinical stage stratified over time was compared across treatment groups. The clinical staging system showed excellent repeatability (P = 1.0) and reliability (P = 1.0). In the clinical trial, there was a significant difference in the distribution of clinical stages over time (P < 0.001) and from presentation stage to Stage B (P = 0.006), with ILE-treated cats (n = 20) having lower clinical stages earlier than control cats (n = 14). There was no significant difference in signalment, body weight, or supportive treatment between the groups. The clinical staging system was repeatable and reliable. Clinical stages of permethrin toxicosis in ILE-treated cats improved earlier compared to control cats, suggesting ILE may be a useful adjunctive therapy in the treatment of permethrin toxicosis in cats. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2015.

Community Attitudes and Practices of Urban Residents Regarding Predation by Pet Cats on Wildlife: An International Comparison

PubMed Central

Adams, Nigel A.; Bradley, J. Stuart; Bryant, Kate A.; Davis, Alisa A.; Fujita, Tsumugi; Pollock, Kenneth H.

2016-01-01

International differences in practices and attitudes regarding pet cats' interactions with wildlife were assessed by surveying citizens from at least two cities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, China and Japan. Predictions tested were: (i) cat owners would agree less than non-cat owners that cats might threaten wildlife, (ii) cat owners value wildlife less than non-cat owners, (iii) cat owners are less accepting of cat legislation/restrictions than non-owners, and (iv) respondents from regions with high endemic biodiversity (Australia, New Zealand, China and the USA state of Hawaii) would be most concerned about pet cats threatening wildlife. Everywhere non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that pet cats killing wildlife were a problem in cities, towns and rural areas. Agreement amongst non-owners was highest in Australia (95%) and New Zealand (78%) and lowest in the UK (38%). Irrespective of ownership, over 85% of respondents from all countries except China (65%) valued wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas. Non-owners advocated cat legislation more strongly than owners except in Japan. Australian non-owners were the most supportive (88%), followed by Chinese non-owners (80%) and Japanese owners (79.5%). The UK was least supportive (non-owners 43%, owners 25%). Many Australian (62%), New Zealand (51%) and Chinese owners (42%) agreed that pet cats killing wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas was a problem, while Hawaiian owners were similar to the mainland USA (20%). Thus high endemic biodiversity might contribute to attitudes in some, but not all, countries. Husbandry practices varied internationally, with predation highest where fewer cats were confined. Although the risk of wildlife population declines caused by pet cats justifies precautionary action, campaigns based on wildlife protection are unlikely to succeed outside Australia or New Zealand. Restrictions on roaming protect wildlife and benefit cat welfare, so welfare is a better rationale. PMID:27050447

Regulation of Benzoate Degradation in Acinetobacter sp. Strain ADP1 by BenM, a LysR-Type Transcriptional Activator

PubMed Central

Collier, Lauren S.; Gaines, George L.; Neidle, Ellen L.

1998-01-01

In Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1, benzoate degradation requires the ben genes for converting benzoate to catechol and the cat genes for degrading catechol. Here we describe a novel transcriptional activator, BenM, that regulates the chromosomal ben and cat genes. BenM is homologous to CatM, a LysR-type transcriptional activator of the cat genes. Unusual regulatory features of this system include the abilities of both BenM and CatM to recognize the same inducer, cis,cis-muconate, and to regulate some of the same genes, such as catA and catB. Unlike CatM, BenM responded to benzoate. Benzoate together with cis,cis-muconate increased the BenM-dependent expression of the benABCDE operon synergistically. CatM was not required for this synergism, nor did CatM regulate the expression of a chromosomal benA::lacZ transcriptional fusion. BenM-mediated regulation differs significantly from that of the TOL plasmid-encoded conversion of benzoate to catechol in pseudomonads. The benM gene is immediately upstream of, and divergently transcribed from, benA, and a possible DNA binding site for BenM was identified between the two coding regions. Two mutations in the predicted operator/promoter region rendered ben gene expression either constitutive or inducible by cis,cis-muconate but not benzoate. Mutants lacking BenM, CatM, or both of these regulators degraded aromatic compounds at different rates, and the levels of intermediary metabolites that accumulated depended on the genetic background. These studies indicated that BenM is necessary for ben gene expression but not for expression of the cat genes, which can be regulated by CatM. In a catM-disrupted strain, BenM was able to induce higher levels of catA expression than catB expression. PMID:9573203

Bioavailability of phenanthrene in the presence of birnessite-mediated catechol polymers.

PubMed

Russo, Fabio; Rao, Maria A; Gianfreda, Liliana

2005-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants and contribute to the pollution of aquatic and terrestrial environments. In soil, their fate may be affected by interactions with the soil biological community and soil colloids. This study was conducted to investigate the fate of phenanthrene (Phe), selected as a representative PAH, in simplified model systems, which simulate processes naturally occurring in soil. Phe was interacted with catechol (Cat), an orthodiphenol, and common intermediate in the microbial degradation of PAHs, and birnessite (Bir), an abiotic strong oxidative catalyst abundant in soil. Two experimental conditions were investigated: Cat (5 mM)+Bir (1 mg ml(-1))+Phe (0.05 mg ml(-1)) mixed at the same time and incubated for 24 h at 25 degrees C (Cat-Bir-Phe) and Cat+Bir incubated for 24 h at 25 degrees C before Phe addition and then incubated for a further 24 h (Cat-Bir+Phe). After incubation, the systems were analysed for residual Cat and Phe, supplied with a selected Phe-degrading mixed bacterial culture, and then the microbial degradation of Phe and the growth of cells were monitored. Complex phenomena simultaneously occurred. Cat was completely removed after a 24-h incubation with Bir, and no interference by Phe in the Bir-mediated transformation of Cat was observed. Elemental analysis and UV-Vis and Fourier transfer infrared spectra showed that Cat transformation by Bir produced soluble and insoluble polymeric aggregates involving Phe. The hydrocarbon also interacted with the surfaces of Bir either previously coated (Cat-Bir+Phe sample) or not by Cat polymers. When a Phe-degrading bacterial culture was added to the systems after Bir-mediated Cat polymerisation, a different behaviour was observed in terms of Phe consumption and bacterial growth, thus suggesting differentiated availability of Phe to the microbial cells. The hydrocarbon was completely transformed in the presence of Bir and/or Bir covered by Cat polymers. By contrast a reduced degradation was measured when the Phe was involved in the polymerisation of Cat and entrapped in the Cat polymers (Cat-Bir-Phe). Although Cat showed a toxic, lethal effect on the bacterial cells, microbial growth was observed in the presence of Cat and Cat polymers, as the only C source. The mechanism leading to the different availability of Phe in the presence of Cat and Bir is still not clear. Further investigations are requested to provide more insight into such a complex phenomenon.

An Introduction to the Computerized Adaptive Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tian, Jian-quan; Miao, Dan-min; Zhu, Xia; Gong, Jing-jing

2007-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has unsurpassable advantages over traditional testing. It has become the mainstream in large scale examinations in modern society. This paper gives a brief introduction to CAT including differences between traditional testing and CAT, the principles of CAT, psychometric theory and computer algorithms of CAT, the…

ISFM guidelines on population management and welfare of unowned domestic cats (Felis catus).

PubMed

Sparkes, Andrew H; Bessant, Claire; Cope, Kevin; Ellis, Sarah L H; Finka, Lauren; Halls, Vicky; Hiestand, Karen; Horsford, Kim; Laurence, Christopher; MacFarlaine, Ian; Neville, Peter F; Stavisky, Jenny; Yeates, James

2013-09-01

GUIDELINES RATIONALE: Cats are among the most commonly kept domestic pets, and coexist with humans in a variety of different circumstances. Cats are sentient beings and, as such, humans have a responsibility for cat welfare where humans and cats coexist. Because cats reproduce efficiently, measures to control populations are frequently needed, but these should be based on ethical and humane approaches. These consensus guidelines from the International Society of Feline Medicine's Welfare Advisory Panel provide a framework for the approach to welfare and population control measures, primarily among unowned cats and those going through a homing programme.

Tuna fish diet influences cat behavior. [Elevated levels of selenium and mercury in commercial tuna fish cat food

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houpt, K.A.; Essick, L.A.; Shaw, E.B.

1988-01-01

When observed in their home cages, cats fed commercial tuna fish cat food were less active, vocalized less, and spent more time on the floor and more time eating than cats fed commercial beef cat food. There were no differences in response to human handling between the two groups. There were no differences in learning ability on a two-choice point maze or in reversal learning in the same maze between beef- and tuna-fed cats. The behavior of the groups differed in a 15-min open field test only in the number of toys contacted. Cats fed the tuna had elevated tissuemore » levels of mercury and selenium.« less

Comparison of plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle carnitine concentrations in cats with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis and in healthy cats.

PubMed

Jacobs, G; Cornelius, L; Keene, B; Rakich, P; Shug, A

1990-09-01

Concentrations of total, free, and esterified carnitine were determined in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle from cats with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis and compared with values from healthy cats. The mean concentrations of plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle total carnitine; plasma and skeletal muscle free carnitine; and plasma and liver esterified carnitine were greater (P less than 0.05) in cats with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis than in control cats. The mean for the ratio of free/total carnitine in plasma and liver was lower (P less than 0.05) in cats with idiopathic hepatic lipidosis than in control cats. These data suggest that carnitine deficiency does not contribute to the pathogenesis of feline idiopathic hepatic lipidosis.

Prevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in cats from Virginia and Pennsylvania.

PubMed

Hsu, Vasha; Grant, David C; Dubey, J P; Zajac, Anne M; Lindsay, David S

2010-08-01

Sarcocystis neurona is best known as the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis of horses in the Americas. Domestic cats ( Felis domesticus ) were the first animals described as an intermediate host for S. neurona . However, S. neurona -associated encephalitis has also been reported in naturally infected cats in the United States. Thus, cats can be implicated in the life cycle of S. neurona as natural intermediate hosts. The present study examined the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to merozoites of S. neurona in populations of domestic cats from Virginia and Pennsylvania. Overall, sera or plasma from 441 cats (Virginia = 232, Pennsylvania = 209) were tested by an indirect immunofluorescent assay at a 1ratio50 dilution. Antibodies to S. neurona were found in 32 (7%) of 441 cats. Of these, 22 (9%) of the 232 cats from Virginia and 10 (5%) of the 209 cats from Pennsylvania were seropositive for S. neurona .

Transitional cell carcinomas in four fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus).

PubMed

Sutherland-Smith, Meg; Harvey, Catherine; Campbell, Mark; McAloose, Denise; Rideout, Bruce; Morris, Patrick

2004-09-01

Transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the urinary bladder were diagnosed in four related fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus). The major clinical sign in each case was persistent hematuria unresponsive to medical therapy. Cystotomy and biopsy provided an antemortem diagnosis in three of the fishing cats before euthanasia because of progression of clinical signs. The diagnosis was made in the fourth cat after euthanasia because of renal failure. Hematuria improved temporarily in one of the cats diagnosed antemortem and treated with piroxicam and carboplatin. Attempts to isolate a herpesvirus in two of the cats failed. Histopathologic appearance of the TCC was similar to that described for other species. TCC metastasis to the lungs was noted at necropsy in one cat; metastatic disease was not noted in the other fishing cats on gross or histopathologic examination. TCC of the urinary bladder appears to be more prevalent in fishing cats than in other species of domestic or nondomestic felids.

Hybrid cardiac imaging with MR-CAT scan: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Hillenbrand, C; Sandstede, J; Pabst, T; Hahn, D; Haase, A; Jakob, P M

2000-06-01

We demonstrate the feasibility of a new versatile hybrid imaging concept, the combined acquisition technique (CAT), for cardiac imaging. The cardiac CAT approach, which combines new methodology with existing technology, essentially integrates fast low-angle shot (FLASH) and echoplanar imaging (EPI) modules in a sequential fashion, whereby each acquisition module is employed with independently optimized imaging parameters. One important CAT sequence optimization feature is the ability to use different bandwidths for different acquisition modules. Twelve healthy subjects were imaged using three cardiac CAT acquisition strategies: a) CAT was used to reduce breath-hold duration times while maintaining constant spatial resolution; b) CAT was used to increase spatial resolution in a given breath-hold time; and c) single-heart beat CAT imaging was performed. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of cardiac imaging using the CAT approach and the potential of this technique to accelerate the imaging process with almost conserved image quality. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XLVIII. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting domestic cats and wild felids in southern Africa.

PubMed

Horak, Ivan G; Heyne, Heloise; Donkin, Edward F

2010-11-24

Ticks collected from domestic cats (Felis catus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus),caracals (Caracal caracal), African wild cats (Felis lybica), black-footed cats (Felis nigripes), a serval (Leptailurus serval), lions(Panthera leo), and leopards (Panthera pardus) were identified and counted. Thirteen species of ixodid ticks and one argasid tick were identified from domestic cats and 17 species of ixodid ticks from wild felids. The domestic cats and wild felids harboured 11 ixodid species in common. The adults of Haemaphysalis elliptica, the most abundant tick species infesting cats and wild felids, were most numerous on a domestic cat in late winter and in mid-summer, during 2 consecutive years. The recorded geographic distribution of the recently described Haemaphysalis colesbergensis, a parasite of cats and caracals, was extended by 2 new locality records in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Prevalence of infectious diseases in feral cats in Northern Florida.

PubMed

Luria, Brian J; Levy, Julie K; Lappin, Michael R; Breitschwerdt, Edward B; Legendre, Alfred M; Hernandez, Jorge A; Gorman, Shawn P; Lee, Irene T

2004-10-01

Objectives of this study were to determine prevalence of infection in feral cats in Northern Florida with a select group of infectious organisms and to determine risk factors for infection. Blood samples or sera from 553 cats were tested with a panel of antibody, antigen or PCR assays. Male cats were at higher risk for FIV, Mycoplasma haemofelis, and M. haemominutum. Infection with either FeLV or FIV was associated with increased risk for coinfection with the other retrovirus, M. haemofelis, or M. haemominutum. Bartonella henselae had the highest prevalence and was the only organism that did not have any associated risk for coinfection with other organisms. Feral cats in this study had similar or lower prevalence rates of infections than those published for pet cats in the United States. Thus, feral cats assessed in this study appear to be of no greater risk to human beings or other cats than pet cats.

CatSperζ regulates the structural continuity of sperm Ca2+ signaling domains and is required for normal fertility

PubMed Central

Chung, Jean-Ju; Miki, Kiyoshi; Kim, Doory; Shim, Sang-Hee; Shi, Huanan F; Hwang, Jae Yeon; Cai, Xinjiang; Iseri, Yusuf; Zhuang, Xiaowei; Clapham, David E

2017-01-01

We report that the Gm7068 (CatSpere) and Tex40 (CatSperz) genes encode novel subunits of a 9-subunit CatSper ion channel complex. Targeted disruption of CatSperz reduces CatSper current and sperm rheotactic efficiency in mice, resulting in severe male subfertility. Normally distributed in linear quadrilateral nanodomains along the flagellum, the complex lacking CatSperζ is disrupted at ~0.8 μm intervals along the flagellum. This disruption renders the proximal flagellum inflexible and alters the 3D flagellar envelope, thus preventing sperm from reorienting against fluid flow in vitro and efficiently migrating in vivo. Ejaculated CatSperz-null sperm cells retrieved from the mated female uterus partially rescue in vitro fertilization (IVF) that failed with epididymal spermatozoa alone. Human CatSperε is quadrilaterally arranged along the flagella, similar to the CatSper complex in mouse sperm. We speculate that the newly identified CatSperζ subunit is a late evolutionary adaptation to maximize fertilization inside the mammalian female reproductive tract. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23082.001 PMID:28226241

Effects of feral cats on the evolution of anti-predator behaviours in island reptiles: insights from an ancient introduction.

PubMed

Li, Binbin; Belasen, Anat; Pafilis, Panayiotis; Bednekoff, Peter; Foufopoulos, Johannes

2014-08-07

Exotic predators have driven the extinction of many island species. We examined impacts of feral cats on the abundance and anti-predator behaviours of Aegean wall lizards in the Cyclades (Greece), where cats were introduced thousands of years ago. We compared populations with high and low cat density on Naxos Island and populations on surrounding islets with no cats. Cats reduced wall lizard populations by half. Lizards facing greater risk from cats stayed closer to refuges, were more likely to shed their tails in a standardized assay, and fled at greater distances when approached by either a person in the field or a mounted cat decoy in the laboratory. All populations showed phenotypic plasticity in flight initiation distance, suggesting that this feature is ancient and could have helped wall lizards survive the initial introduction of cats to the region. Lizards from islets sought shelter less frequently and often initially approached the cat decoy. These differences reflect changes since islet isolation and could render islet lizards strongly susceptible to cat predation. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Effects of cat exposure and cat odors on subsequent amphetamine-induced stereotypy.

PubMed

Williams, J L; Barber, R G

1990-06-01

The effect of exposure to a cat, as a predatory stressor, was examined in male and female rats during subsequent tests of amphetamine-induced stereotypy in which cat odors were present or absent. Rats in Group C/O were given a 15-min exposure session to a male cat while they were protected in a wire cage. They were then given an IP injection of d-amphetamine (1 mg/kg) and tested 30 min later for stereotypy in the presence of cat odors (soiled cat litter). Rats in Group NC/O were given a no-cat-exposure control session, and amphetamine tested with cat odors. Groups C/NO and NC/NO were both tested without cat odors (fresh litter), with the former group having been previously exposed to a cat. During the 90-min test sessions, female rats showed significantly more stereotypy than males. More importantly, the male subjects in group C/O exhibited significantly more stereotypy than the males in the other groups, and group NC/NO males showed the least amount of stereotypy. These findings clearly indicate that amphetamine reactivity is influenced by prior exposure to a predator, the presence of predatory odors during testing, and the subject's sex.

Receptor-mediated transfer of pSV2CAT DNA to mouse liver cells using asialofetuin-labeled liposomes.

PubMed

Hara, T; Aramaki, Y; Takada, S; Koike, K; Tsuchiya, S

1995-12-01

Asialofetuin-labeled liposomes (AF-liposomes) were developed as a nonviral vector having high transfection activity for receptor-mediated gene transfer to hepatocytes by systemic administration. Initially, the majority of pSV2CAT, a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene expression plasmid, was associated with AF-liposomes (AF-liposome-pSV2CAT), and they were injected into the portal vein of an adult mouse. Significantly high CAT activity was observed in the liver. The CAT activity in the liver was further increased two-fold by using AF-liposomes completely encapsulating pSV2CAT. Nonlabeled control liposomes, on the other hand, showed lower CAT activity in the liver than in the spleen or lung. The level of CAT mRNA reflected the CAT activity obtained by each liposome preparation in each tissue. Immunohistochemical staining showed that CAT was produced in a large number of parenchymal cells localizing in the periportal area. The plasmid encapsulated in the internal aqueous layer of the liposomes was effectively protected from environmental degradation. Thus, by administration into the blood circulation, AF-liposomes would be successfully incorporated into hepatocytes through receptor-mediated endocytosis, and the encapsulated plasmid would be transferred to the intracellular pathway.

Behavior and Welfare of Domestic Cats Housed in Cages Larger than U.S. Norm.

PubMed

Stella, Judith L; Croney, Candace C; Buffington, C Tony

2017-01-01

The effect of providing additional floor space on cat behavior and welfare is not well documented. This study involved replication of an investigation of cats' responses to enhanced cage and room environments using cages of 0.56 m 2 with the same methodology but an increased space allowance of 1.1 m 2 . Singly housed adult cats (n = 59) were randomly assigned to a treatment group that was a combination of a managed or unmanaged room and an enriched or unenriched cage environment. Cats were observed for 2 days for maintenance, affiliative, and avoidant behaviors using scan sampling and 5-min, continuous focal sampling. At the end of Day 2, cats' reactions to the approach of an unfamiliar person were assessed. Cats housed in enriched/managed environments exhibited more maintenance and affiliative behaviors and fewer avoidant behaviors than cats in unmanaged/unenriched environments, suggesting that macro and micro environments may be equally relevant to the cat. Increased space did not enhance the cats' welfare outcomes, suggesting that the provision of additional cage space may not be as important to the cat as a managed housing environment.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae in cats and their effects on morphology of adjacent joints.

PubMed

Newitt, Anna L M; German, Alexander J; Barr, Frances J

2009-12-01

The present study aimed to describe the radiographic appearance of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae in the cat and compare prevalence of hip dysplasia and lumbosacral spondylosis with a population of cats without transitional vertebrae. Pelvic radiographs of cats were reviewed retrospectively, providing a population of 100 cats without transitional vertebrae and 14 examples of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae. All cats were assessed for hip dysplasia and lumbosacral spondylosis; the lumbosacral transitional vertebrae identified were also assessed for asymmetry or rotation of sacro-iliac (SI) attachment. The transitional vertebrae demonstrated a wide variety of morphology; six cats had asymmetry or rotation of SI attachment in a dorsal plane; four of those six cats had lumbosacral spondylosis and two of these had hip dysplasia. No further examples of degenerative changes were identified in the remaining eight cats with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae. The frequency of lumbosacral spondylosis was higher in the population with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, but this was not statistically significant. There was a marked trend towards lumbosacral spondylosis in cats with pelvic rotation or asymmetry. The frequency of hip dysplasia in cats with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae was very similar to those without.

Overview and current management of computerized adaptive testing in licensing/certification examinations.

PubMed

Seo, Dong Gi

2017-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been implemented in high-stakes examinations such as the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses in the United States since 1994. Subsequently, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians in the United States adopted CAT for certifying emergency medical technicians in 2007. This was done with the goal of introducing the implementation of CAT for medical health licensing examinations. Most implementations of CAT are based on item response theory, which hypothesizes that both the examinee and items have their own characteristics that do not change. There are 5 steps for implementing CAT: first, determining whether the CAT approach is feasible for a given testing program; second, establishing an item bank; third, pretesting, calibrating, and linking item parameters via statistical analysis; fourth, determining the specification for the final CAT related to the 5 components of the CAT algorithm; and finally, deploying the final CAT after specifying all the necessary components. The 5 components of the CAT algorithm are as follows: item bank, starting item, item selection rule, scoring procedure, and termination criterion. CAT management includes content balancing, item analysis, item scoring, standard setting, practice analysis, and item bank updates. Remaining issues include the cost of constructing CAT platforms and deploying the computer technology required to build an item bank. In conclusion, in order to ensure more accurate estimations of examinees' ability, CAT may be a good option for national licensing examinations. Measurement theory can support its implementation for high-stakes examinations.

Investigation into the use of plasma NT-proBNP concentration to screen for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Hsu, Adonia; Kittleson, Mark D; Paling, Anna

2009-05-01

To evaluate the utility of feline NT-proBNP plasma concentration [NT-proBNP] as a screening tool for cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Forty adult Maine Coon or Maine Coon crossbred cats from the feline HCM research colony at the University of California, Davis were studied. All cats had previously been genotyped as heterozygous or negative for the A31P myosin binding protein C (MYBPC) mutation. Echocardiograms were performed to assess the severity of HCM in each cat. Blood samples were collected for evaluation of [NT-proBNP]. In these cats with severe HCM, [NT-proBNP] was significantly elevated (P<0.0001) when compared to all other groups of cats and an [NT-proBNP]>44pmol/L accurately predicted the presence of severe HCM. However, [NT-proBNP] was not increased in cats with moderate or equivocal HCM when compared to normal cats. Cats heterozygous for the MYBPC mutation had a significantly elevated [NT-proBNP] when compared to cats without the A31P mutation (P=0.028). Measurement of [NT-proBNP] has a high sensitivity and specificity as a means of detecting severe HCM in cats, but it is not sensitive for the identification of moderate HCM as judged by the evaluation of Maine Coon and Maine Coon cross cats in our colony. Consequently, we conclude that this test cannot be used to screen cats for the presence of mild to moderate HCM.

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication

PubMed Central

Hu, Yaowu; Hu, Songmei; Wang, Weilin; Wu, Xiaohong; Marshall, Fiona B.; Chen, Xianglong; Hou, Liangliang; Wang, Changsui

2014-01-01

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets globally, but the process of their domestication is not well understood. Near Eastern wildcats are thought to have been attracted to food sources in early agricultural settlements, following a commensal pathway to domestication. Early evidence for close human–cat relationships comes from a wildcat interred near a human on Cyprus ca. 9,500 y ago, but the earliest domestic cats are known only from Egyptian art dating to 4,000 y ago. Evidence is lacking from the key period of cat domestication 9,500–4,000 y ago. We report on the presence of cats directly dated between 5560–5280 cal B.P. in the early agricultural village of Quanhucun in Shaanxi, China. These cats were outside the wild range of Near Eastern wildcats and biometrically smaller, but within the size-range of domestic cats. The δ13C and δ15N values of human and animal bone collagen revealed substantial consumption of millet-based foods by humans, rodents, and cats. Ceramic storage containers designed to exclude rodents indicated a threat to stored grain in Yangshao villages. Taken together, isotopic and archaeological data demonstrate that cats were advantageous for ancient farmers. Isotopic data also show that one cat ate less meat and consumed more millet-based foods than expected, indicating that it scavenged among or was fed by people. This study offers fresh perspectives on cat domestication, providing the earliest known evidence for commensal relationships between people and cats. PMID:24344279

Visual classification of feral cat Felis silvestris catus vocalizations.

PubMed

Owens, Jessica L; Olsen, Mariana; Fontaine, Amy; Kloth, Christopher; Kershenbaum, Arik; Waller, Sara

2017-06-01

Cat vocal behavior, in particular, the vocal and social behavior of feral cats, is poorly understood, as are the differences between feral and fully domestic cats. The relationship between feral cat social and vocal behavior is important because of the markedly different ecology of feral and domestic cats, and enhanced comprehension of the repertoire and potential information content of feral cat calls can provide both better understanding of the domestication and socialization process, and improved welfare for feral cats undergoing adoption. Previous studies have used conflicting classification schemes for cat vocalizations, often relying on onomatopoeic or popular descriptions of call types (e.g., "miow"). We studied the vocalizations of 13 unaltered domestic cats that complied with our behavioral definition used to distinguish feral cats from domestic. A total of 71 acoustic units were extracted and visually analyzed for the construction of a hierarchical classification of vocal sounds, based on acoustic properties. We identified 3 major categories (tonal, pulse, and broadband) that further breakdown into 8 subcategories, and show a high degree of reliability when sounds are classified blindly by independent observers (Fleiss' Kappa K  = 0.863). Due to the limited behavioral contexts in this study, additional subcategories of cat vocalizations may be identified in the future, but our hierarchical classification system allows for the addition of new categories and new subcategories as they are described. This study shows that cat vocalizations are diverse and complex, and provides an objective and reliable classification system that can be used in future studies.

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication.

PubMed

Hu, Yaowu; Hu, Songmei; Wang, Weilin; Wu, Xiaohong; Marshall, Fiona B; Chen, Xianglong; Hou, Liangliang; Wang, Changsui

2014-01-07

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets globally, but the process of their domestication is not well understood. Near Eastern wildcats are thought to have been attracted to food sources in early agricultural settlements, following a commensal pathway to domestication. Early evidence for close human-cat relationships comes from a wildcat interred near a human on Cyprus ca. 9,500 y ago, but the earliest domestic cats are known only from Egyptian art dating to 4,000 y ago. Evidence is lacking from the key period of cat domestication 9,500-4,000 y ago. We report on the presence of cats directly dated between 5560-5280 cal B.P. in the early agricultural village of Quanhucun in Shaanxi, China. These cats were outside the wild range of Near Eastern wildcats and biometrically smaller, but within the size-range of domestic cats. The δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of human and animal bone collagen revealed substantial consumption of millet-based foods by humans, rodents, and cats. Ceramic storage containers designed to exclude rodents indicated a threat to stored grain in Yangshao villages. Taken together, isotopic and archaeological data demonstrate that cats were advantageous for ancient farmers. Isotopic data also show that one cat ate less meat and consumed more millet-based foods than expected, indicating that it scavenged among or was fed by people. This study offers fresh perspectives on cat domestication, providing the earliest known evidence for commensal relationships between people and cats.

Overview and current management of computerized adaptive testing in licensing/certification examinations

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been implemented in high-stakes examinations such as the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses in the United States since 1994. Subsequently, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians in the United States adopted CAT for certifying emergency medical technicians in 2007. This was done with the goal of introducing the implementation of CAT for medical health licensing examinations. Most implementations of CAT are based on item response theory, which hypothesizes that both the examinee and items have their own characteristics that do not change. There are 5 steps for implementing CAT: first, determining whether the CAT approach is feasible for a given testing program; second, establishing an item bank; third, pretesting, calibrating, and linking item parameters via statistical analysis; fourth, determining the specification for the final CAT related to the 5 components of the CAT algorithm; and finally, deploying the final CAT after specifying all the necessary components. The 5 components of the CAT algorithm are as follows: item bank, starting item, item selection rule, scoring procedure, and termination criterion. CAT management includes content balancing, item analysis, item scoring, standard setting, practice analysis, and item bank updates. Remaining issues include the cost of constructing CAT platforms and deploying the computer technology required to build an item bank. In conclusion, in order to ensure more accurate estimations of examinees’ ability, CAT may be a good option for national licensing examinations. Measurement theory can support its implementation for high-stakes examinations. PMID:28811394

Up-regulation of microglial cathepsin C expression and activity in lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation.

PubMed

Fan, Kai; Wu, Xuefei; Fan, Bin; Li, Ning; Lin, Yongzhong; Yao, Yiwen; Ma, Jianmei

2012-05-20

Cathepsin C (Cat C) functions as a central coordinator for activation of many serine proteases in inflammatory cells. It has been recognized that Cat C is responsible for neutrophil recruitment and production of chemokines and cytokines in many inflammatory diseases. However, Cat C expression and its functional role in the brain under normal conditions or in neuroinflammatory processes remain unclear. Our previous study showed that Cat C promoted the progress of brain demyelination in cuprizone-treated mice. The present study further investigated the Cat C expression and activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation in vivo and in vitro. C57BL/6 J mice were intraperitoneally injected with either 0.9% saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) were used to analyze microglial activation, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS mRNAs expressions and cellular localization of Cat C in the brain. Nitrite assay was used to examine microglial activation in vitro; RT-PCR and ELISA were used to determine the expression and release of Cat C. Cat C activity was analyzed by cellular Cat C assay kit. Data were evaluated for statistical significance with paired t test. Cat C was predominantly expressed in hippocampal CA2 neurons in C57BL/6 J mice under normal conditions. Six hours after LPS injection, Cat C expression was detected in cerebral cortical neurons; whereas, twenty-four hours later, Cat C expression was captured in activated microglial cells throughout the entire brain. The duration of induced Cat C expression in neurons and in microglial cells was ten days and three days, respectively. In vitro, LPS, IL-1β and IL-6 treatments increased microglial Cat C expression in a dose-dependent manner and upregulated Cat C secretion and its activity. Taken together, these data indicate that LPS and proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 induce the expression, release and upregulate enzymatic activity of Cat C in microglial cells. Further investigation is required to determine the functional role of Cat C in the progression of neuroinflammation, which may have implications for therapeutics for the prevention of neuroinflammation-involved neurological disorders in the future.

Semen quality and interval to sterility in tom cats treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant.

PubMed

Romagnoli, Stefano; Baldan, Anna; Righetti, Camilla; Milani, Chiara; Mollo, Antonio; Stelletta, Calogero

2017-02-01

Objectives Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists like deslorelin are being increasingly used in tom cats for their efficacy in controlling reproductive behaviour and fertility. Deslorelin implants have been widely available in Europe since 2008. Little, if anything, is known about the interval between treatment and onset of sterility, as well as semen quality, after treatment in tom cats. The purpose of this study was to investigate semen quality and interval to sterility in tom cats treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant. Methods Fifteen healthy adult tom cats were treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant (Suprelorin 12). For each cat, semen collection and a GnRH stimulation test (intramuscular administration of 50 μg gonadorelin [Fertagyl], followed by blood sampling 1 h later, to assay serum testosterone) were performed on the first consultation and then repeated every 15 days until complete sterility was achieved. Semen collection was performed by introducing a 14 cm, open-end feline catheter (Argyle) 9 cm into the distal urethra 10 mins after sedation by intramuscular injection of 100 μg/kg medetomidine (Domitor). Results Semen collection was not successful in all cats at each attempt. In the first month after treatment, the semen of only four cats could be evaluated, while the semen of eight cats could be evaluated during the second and third months of the study. Semen quality (ejaculate volume, progressive motility and morphological abnormalities) improved slightly during the first 19-25 days in 2/4 cats, and in 1/4 cats motility was still very high (80%) 25 days post-treatment (PT), but we have no data regarding fertility prior to treatment in this cat. The last cat never produced spermatozoa. Subsequently, semen quality gradually worsened in all cats from 30 days onwards. At 70 days PT, one cat was still potentially fertile. After 72 days all cats were sterile. Conclusions and relevance Semen quality increased slightly in treated cats during the first month after treatment, and then gradually decreased over the following months. Complete sterility was reached within 40-72 days following implantation.

Toxoplasma gondii: A study of oocyst re-shedding in domestic cats.

PubMed

Zulpo, Dauton Luiz; Sammi, Ana Sue; Dos Santos, Joeleni Rosa; Sasse, João Pedro; Martins, Thais Agostinho; Minutti, Ana Flávia; Cardim, Sérgio Tosi; de Barros, Luiz Daniel; Navarro, Italmar Teodorico; Garcia, João Luis

2018-01-15

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the re-shedding of T. gondii oocysts in cats fed tissue cysts of homologous and heterologous strains 12, 24 and 36 months after the first infection. Thirteen cats were used in the present study and were divided into four groups: G1 (n=2), G2 (n=3), G3 (n=5), and G4 (n=3). G1, G3 and G4 cats were infected with brain cysts of ME49 and G2 with TgDoveBr8, both genotype II strains of T. gondii. The G1 and G2 cats were re-infected after twelve months with brain cysts of VEG strain (genotype III), and G3 cats were re-infected with TgDoveBr1 (genotype II). The G3 cats were re-infected a third time after 24 months from the second infection, and the G4 cats were re-infected 36 months after the initial infection with cysts of the VEG strain. The cats' feces were evaluated using fecal flotation and genotyped with PCR-RFLP. The serological responses for IgM, IgA and IgG were determined by ELISA. All cats shed oocysts after the initial infection. Only one G1 cat shed oocysts when re-infected after twelve months with the VEG strain. No G2 cats excreted oocysts after the second infection with VEG. G3 cats, when re-infected after twelve months with the TgDoveBr1 strain, did not shed oocysts. However, when challenged after a third time with the VEG strain, three out of four cats shed oocysts. In the G4 group, when re-infected after thirty-six months with the VEG strain, two out of three cats shed oocysts. All oocyst samples were genotyped and characterized as the same genotype from the inoculum. Protection against oocyst re-excretion occurred in 90%, 25%, and 33.4% of cats after 12, 24, and 36 months from the initial infection, respectively. Therefore, the environmental contamination by oocysts from re-infected adult cats is only 30% lower than from kittens. In conclusion, the excretion of T. gondii oocysts was higher in experimentally re-infected cats throughout the years, especially when a heterologous strain was used. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD) induced by immature adult Dirofilaria immitis in cats.

PubMed

Dillon, A Ray; Blagburn, Byron L; Tillson, Michael; Brawner, William; Welles, Betsy; Johnson, Calvin; Cattley, Russell; Rynders, Pat; Barney, Sharron

2017-11-09

A controlled, blind research study was conducted to define the initial inflammatory response and lung damage associated with the death of immature adult Dirofilaria immitis in cats as compared with cats developing adult heartworm infections and cats on preventive medication. Three groups of cats were utilized, 10 per group. All cats were infected with 100 third-stage (L3) larvae by subcutaneous injection. Group A cats were treated topically with selamectin (Revolution®; Zoetis) per label directions at 28 days post infection (PI) and once monthly for 8 months. Group B cats were treated orally with ivermectin (Ivomec®; Merial) at 150 μg/kg at 70 days PI, then every 2 weeks for 5 months. Group C cats were untreated PI. At baseline (Day 0) and on Days 70, 110, 168, and 240 PI, peripheral blood, serum, bronchial lavage, and thoracic radiographic images were collected on all cats. Upon completion of the study (Day 245), cats were euthanized and necropsies were conducted. Results were analyzed statistically between groups by ANOVA and by paired sample T testing for changes within the group over time. The selamectin-treated cats (Group A) did not develop radiographically evident changes throughout the study and were free of adult heartworms or worm fragments at necropsy. The heartworm life cycle was abbreviated with oral doses of ivermectin (Group B), shown by the absence of adult heartworms or worm fragments at necropsy. The early stage of immature adult worm in Group B cats, however, did induce severe pulmonary airway, interstitial, and arterial lung lesions, revealing that the abbreviated infection is a significant cause of respiratory pathology in cats. Cats in Groups B and C could not be differentiated based on radiographic changes, serologic antibody titers, complete blood count, or bronchoalveolar lavage cytology at any time point throughout the study. Eighty percent of cats in Group A and 100% of cats in Groups B and C became heartworm antibody positive at some time point post infection. The clinical implications of this study are that cats that become infected with immature adult heartworms may not develop fully mature heartworms and are only transiently heartworm antibody positive, but do develop Heartworm-Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).

Magnesium status and the effect of magnesium supplementation in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Freeman, L M; Brown, D J; Smith, F W; Rush, J E

1997-07-01

Magnesium deficiency has been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease in several species. Cats may be predisposed to alterations in magnesium status because of recent changes in the composition of commercial feline diets. The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the dietary history of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 2) to study magnesium status of cats with HCM compared to normal cats, and 3) to determine the effects of magnesium supplementation in cats with HCM. In part 1 of the study, diets of 65 cats with HCM were examined retrospectively. Forty of the 45 cats for which diets could be determined (89%) ate a diet designed to be magnesium-restricted and/or to produce an acidic urine. In part 2 of the study, 10 cats with HCM were compared to 10 healthy control cats for serum creatinine and magnesium; urine creatinine and magnesium, urine specific gravity and pH, and fractional excretion of magnesium. Urine creatinine and specific gravity were higher in control cats than in cats with HCM. No other differences were found between the 2 groups. In part 3, cats with HCM were supplemented with either 210 mg magnesium chloride (n = 15) or 210 mg lactose (n = 15) for 12 wk. No differences between the 2 groups were found for changes in either magnesium status or echocardiographic parameters. However, the 30 cats with HCM, as a group, did show significant improvements in measures of cardiac hypertrophy over the 12-week period. This was likely the result of treatment with other medications, rather than the magnesium supplementation. The results of this study suggest that cats with HCM are likely to be fed magnesium-restricted diets, but that they do not appear to have altered magnesium status compared to healthy controls.

Use of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary St/Ox to Dissolve Struvite Cystoliths.

PubMed

Torres-Henderson, Camille; Bunkers, Jamie; Contreras, Elena T; Cross, Emily; Lappin, Michael R

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of feeding the commercially available diet, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary St/Ox, for the dissolution of struvite cystoliths in cats with naturally occurring disease. Twelve cats with clinical signs of lower urinary tract disease and cystoliths confirmed via radiographs were enrolled. The cats were fed the study diet ad libitum and assessed by abdominal radiographs weekly. Cats with cystoliths that resolved based on radiographs and confirmatory ultrasound examination were considered diet successes. Cats with no change in cystolith size after 2-6 weeks underwent cystotomy for stone removal, aerobic culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and analysis. All cats accepted the study diet, and weight loss was not noted over the course of the study. Total cystolith dissolution was achieved by week 2 for 5 cats, which were presumed to have struvite cystoliths. All other cats underwent cystotomy for stone removal after radiographic evidence of cystoliths were still present at 2 weeks (1 cat with severe signs), 4 weeks (5 cats), or 6 weeks (1 cat). The cystoliths that were surgically removed were calcium oxalate (5 cats) and mixed (2 cats) and would not be expected to dissolve with this diet. Follow-up radiographs from 6 cats fed the diet long term (3 presumed struvite and 3 with other cystoliths removed surgically) were collected from 1 to 6 months after beginning the study and showed no evidence of cystolith recurrence. While larger case numbers are needed, these results suggest that feeding Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary St/Ox can successfully dissolve cystoliths that are likely struvite and may lessen the risk of recurrence of struvite and calcium oxalate cystoliths. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Feline leukemia virus infection: importance and current situation in Switzerland].

PubMed

Hofmann-Lehmann, R; Gönczi, E; Riond, B; Meli, M; Willi, B; Howard, J; Schaarschmidt-Kiener, D; Regli, W; Gilli, U; Boretti, F

2018-02-01

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) leads to fatal disease in cats with progressive infection. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of FeLV infection in Switzerland and make a comparison with previous studies. Of 881 blood samples taken from cats living in Switzerland (minimum of 20 samples per Canton), 47 samples were provirus-positive (5.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9-7.0%) and 18 samples were antigen-positive (2%; 95% CI 1.2-3.2%). Together with data previously collected in similar studies, these findings demonstrated a decrease in prevalence between 1997 and 2003 followed by a relative constant low prevalence thereafter. Young cats (=2 years) were more frequently infected than older cats, but FeLV-positive cats were up to 15 (antigen-positive) and 19 (provirus-positive) years old. Sexually intact cats were more frequently viremic than neutered cats; purebred cats were somewhat less frequently FeLV-positive than non-purebred cats. In a second study, in which 300 saliva samples were analyzed, samples from 5 cats were FeLV-RNA positive (1.7%; 95% CI, 0.5-3.8%), although one young feral cat had been falsely assumed to be FeLV-negative based on a point-of-care test. Of the 300 cats, only 50% were FeLV tested or vaccinated, although 90% of the cats were at risk of exposure to FeLV. Testing and vaccination of all cats with exposure risk may help further decrease the prevalence of FeLV infection. Moreover, characteristics of FeLV tests should be considered, such as the risk of false negative results in the early phase of infection when performing antigen testing.

A retrospective study of 77 cats with severe hepatic lipidosis: 1975-1990.

PubMed

Center, S A; Crawford, M A; Guida, L; Erb, H N; King, J

1993-01-01

The physical, clinicopathologic, and survival rates of 77 cats with severe spontaneous hepatic lipidosis are detailed in this report. Cats were subdivided into groups designated as idiopathic lipidosis if no other disease process was recognized, or secondary lipidosis if another disease process was diagnosed. Cats were also subdivided into groups designated as survivors or nonsurvivors on the basis of successful recuperation at 4 months after initial diagnosis. Differences between disease and survival groups were evaluated for significance. Overall, more female cats and middle-aged cats were affected. Presenting complaints of vomiting, anorexia, weakness, and weight loss were common. Physical assessment of most cats showed obvious hepatomegaly, jaundice, dehydration, and a weight loss > or = 25% of usual body weight. Neurobehavioral signs indicative of hepatic encephalopathy, other than ptyalism and depression, were rare. Clinicopathologic features are characterized by hyperbilirubinemia and increased activities of serum ALT, AST, and ALP, with only small if any increase in gamma GT activity. Clinical features distinguishing cats with hepatic lipidosis from those with other serious cholestatic disorders include absence of hyperglobulinemia and low gamma GT activity relative to ALP activity. Although coagulation tests were abnormal in 45% of cats tested (n = 44), few cats showed clinical bleeding tendencies. Most cats received prophylactic vitamin K1 therapy. Forty two cats received aggressive nutritional and supportive care and of these 55% survived. Cats with idiopathic disease were significantly younger, had significantly higher ALP activity and bilirubin concentration, and had a slightly better survival rate than cats with secondary lipidosis. Low PCV, hypokalemia, and an older age were significantly related to nonsurvival. Because of the variety of diets and food supplements used in case management, the influence of nutritional factors on survival could not be evaluated.

COMPANION ANIMALS SYMPOSIUM: Sustainable Ecosystems: Domestic cats and their effect on wildlife populations.

PubMed

Kitts-Morgan, S E

2015-03-01

Domestic cats are estimated to kill billions of small mammals and birds each year. In certain areas of the world, it is not uncommon for either feral or free-ranging cats to have high population densities, creating concern regarding their level of hunting. Many cats are considered to be subsidized predators, as they receive care and food from humans. Arguments abound regarding the presence of cats in the habitats of native small mammals and birds and whether or not local ecosystems can sustain this predator-prey relationship. The effects of cats on native wildlife can depend on several factors, including cat classification (feral vs. free ranging vs. indoor-outdoor), geographical location (islands vs. mainland), and type of habitat (rural vs. suburban vs. urban). Feral and free-ranging cats may have a greater impact on native species on islands because habitat is severely limited. Continued urbanization and development of rural areas also creates fragmented habitats, and native species may struggle to survive with the added pressure of hunting by domestic cats. Additionally, cats in rural areas are frequently fed by humans, which can support high population densities and intensify pressure on native species. Species targeted by cats may also vary based on prey availability in different areas, but small mammals are generally preferred over birds, reptiles, or invertebrates. Domestic cats certainly have the potential to roam and hunt in very large areas inhabited by native species and loss of biodiversity is a major concern. Therefore, it is possible that ecosystems may not be able to sustain hunting by domestic cats. Because this predator-prey relationship is probably not sustainable, it is necessary to responsibly manage outdoor domestic cats.

A survey of the views of US veterinary teaching faculty to owned cat housing practices.

PubMed

Salo, Allen L; Stone, Elizabeth

2015-12-01

According to the American Pet Products Association, in the USA there are an estimated 86.4 million owned cats, and approximately 40% of these are allowed to roam outdoors. Little has been written about the contribution of owned cats to problems attributed to feral cats, including wildlife predation, spread of zoonotic diseases and overpopulation. A recent study found that 64% of cats have visited the veterinarian within the past year, suggesting frequent opportunity for veterinarians to communicate risks and benefits of indoor vs outdoor living. We conducted the following survey to evaluate current views about this role of veterinarians, by surveying veterinary school faculty (n = 158). Our objectives were to assess (i) the degree to which veterinary teaching faculty believe that the issue of clients maintaining owned cats indoors vs outdoors is appropriate for discussion with students within the veterinary school curriculum; (ii) the degree of agreement and understanding there is among the faculty as to the reasons that clients maintain cats either inside or outside the home; and (iii) the degree to which veterinary faculty believe owned cats that are allowed to go outdoors contribute to various identified problems. The results indicated that many participants believed that the discussion of maintaining cats indoors is relevant to the profession, that it belongs in the veterinary school curriculum, that they understand client motivations, that they feel that more practicing veterinarians should discuss cat housing practices with clients and that cat overpopulation continues to be a significant concern for owned cats being outdoors. Additional ways to help maintain the health and wellbeing of cats that are primarily housed indoors is briefly discussed, including through such means as environmental enrichment or by providing cats access to safe areas while outdoors. © ISFM and AAFP 2014.

The impact of obesity, sex, and diet on hepatic glucose production in cats.

PubMed

Kley, Saskia; Hoenig, Margarethe; Glushka, John; Jin, Eunsook S; Burgess, Shawn C; Waldron, Mark; Jordan, Erin T; Prestegard, James H; Ferguson, Duncan C; Wu, Shaoxiong; Olson, Darin E

2009-04-01

Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in cats. The risk of developing diabetes is severalfold greater for male cats than for females, even after having been neutered early in life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of different metabolic pathways in the regulation of endogenous glucose production (EGP) during the fasted state considering these risk factors. A triple tracer protocol using (2)H(2)O, [U-(13)C(3)]propionate, and [3,4-(13)C(2)]glucose was applied in overnight-fasted cats (12 lean and 12 obese; equal sex distribution) fed three different diets. Compared with lean cats, obese cats had higher insulin (P < 0.001) but similar blood glucose concentrations. EGP was lower in obese cats (P < 0.001) due to lower glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis (GNG; P < 0.03). Insulin, body mass index, and girth correlated negatively with EGP (P < 0.003). Female obese cats had approximately 1.5 times higher fluxes through phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (P < 0.02) and citrate synthase (P < 0.05) than male obese cats. However, GNG was not higher because pyruvate cycling was increased 1.5-fold (P < 0.03). These results support the notion that fasted obese cats have lower hepatic EGP compared with lean cats and are still capable of maintaining fasting euglycemia, despite the well-documented existence of peripheral insulin resistance in obese cats. Our data further suggest that sex-related differences exist in the regulation of hepatic glucose metabolism in obese cats, suggesting that pyruvate cycling acts as a controlling mechanism to modulate EGP. Increased pyruvate cycling could therefore be an important factor in modulating the diabetes risk in female cats.

Efficacy of Droncit Spot-on (praziquantel) 4% w/v against immature and mature Echinococcus multilocularis in cats.

PubMed

Jenkins, D J; Romig, T

2000-07-01

The causative agent of alveolar hydatidosis in humans, the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, is extending its geographical range in Europe and has been found in domestic cats in some areas. A dermally applied cestocidal treatment for domestic cats has been developed and the efficacy of this treatment is reported. Thirty purpose-bred cats were experimentally infected each with 10000 protoscoleces of Echinococcus multilocularis. Ten days later one group of ten cats was treated with Droncit(R) Spot-on (Praziquantel) 4% w/v dermally in one place on the dorsal aspect of the neck at a dose of 8 mg/kg. Eleven days later (21 days p.i.) a second group of ten cats was also treated with Droncit(R) Spot-on the same way. One group of ten cats was left untreated as controls. Twenty three days after infection the cats were examined for the presence of E. multilocularis tapeworms. No E. multilocularis were recovered from any of the cats in either of the treated groups. Echinococcus multilocularis were recovered from eight of the ten cats left untreated as controls. The worm burdens in the untreated cats were 0, 0, 5, 15, 75, 110, 220, 815, 2635, and 3045 worms per cat. The worms ranged in development from the three to four segment stage. Many of the E. multilocularis with four segments contained unshelled eggs in the terminal segment. This study indicates that Droncit(R) Spot-on (Praziquantel) 4% w/v applied dermally at 8 mg/kg is highly effective in removing E. multilocularis from the small intestine of cats infected with immature and mature (prepatent) infections of E. multilocularis. In the cats with the mature infections all tapeworms were absent from the small intestine within 2 days of treatment.

Influence of interaction of environmental risk factors and sensitization in young asthmatic children.

PubMed

Lindfors, A; van Hage-Hamsten, M; Rietz, H; Wickman, M; Nordvall, S L

1999-10-01

The increasing prevalence of asthma and allergy in many countries demands evaluation of potential risk factors to improve the possibility of prevention. We studied the association between exposure to cat and dog allergen and allergic sensitization in young children with asthma and interactions with potential environmental risk factors. One hundred eighty-nine young children with asthma were evaluated. IgE antibodies to cat and dog were analyzed. Questionnaires were filled in focusing on exposure to cats and dogs, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and signs of home dampness as indicated by window pane condensation (WPC) during the first years of life. House dust was analyzed for content of cat (Fel d 1) and dog (Can f 1) allergen. There was a strong association between the degree of reported exposure to cat and dog and the concentration of the respective allergens in floor dust. A dose-response relationship was found between cat exposure, measured as either reported degree of cat exposure or cat allergen levels in dust, and sensitization both to cat and dog. No such relationship was found between exposure and sensitization to dog. WPC increased the risk for sensitization to cat (odds ratio = 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2-5.8), whereas ETS strongly tended to do so both to cat and dog. Interaction was found between exposure to ETS, WPC, and high levels of cat allergen (>8 microg/g dust). The presence of all 3 risk factors revealed a multiplicative interaction with a high risk of sensitization to cat (odds ratio = 42.0, 95% confidence interval 3.7-472.8). Keeping cats indoors may be a health hazard for infants and young children at risk for development of asthma, particularly when they live in a damp house and their parents smoke.

CAT-8015: A Second-generation Pseudomonas Exotoxin A-Based Immunotherapy Targeting CD22 -Expressing Hematological Malignancies

PubMed Central

Alderson, Ralph F.; Kreitman, Robert J.; Chen, Tianling; Yeung, Peter; Herbst, Ronald; Fox, Judy A.; Pastan, Ira

2009-01-01

Purpose To compare the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of CAT-8015, a second-generation recombinant immunotoxin composed of disulfide linked affinity matured VH and VL chains of the mouse anti-CD22 monoclonal antibody RFB4 fused to PE38, to the parental compound CAT-3888. Experimental Design The biological activity of CAT-8015 was examined in vitro using B cell tumor lines and in vivo in a JD38-based subcutaneous tumor model in NCr athymic mice. Pharmacokinetics and interspecies scaling of CAT-8015 were evaluated in mice, rats, and Cynomologus monkeys. The potential toxicity of CAT-8015 was assessed in monkeys in a toxicological study and compared to CAT-3888. Results The IC50s of CAT-8015 in vitro using the EHEB, MEC1, Daudi, CA46, and JD38 cell lines ranged from 0.3 - 8.6 ng/mL. Pharmacokinetic studies with CAT-8015 were conducted in mouse, rat and Cynomolgus monkey. The T1/2 was calculated to be 0.42, 0.61, and 0.79 hr and the Vss was 1.37, 5.57, and 140.3 mL in mouse, rat, and monkey, respectively. In vivo, when JD38 tumor-bearing animals were treated with CAT-8015 at doses ≥ 75 μg/kg at 48 hr intervals for a total of 3 doses, a rapid reduction in tumor volume and in some cases complete remission in tumor growth was observed. The comparative toxicological study showed comparable clinical and anatomical pathology changes for CAT-8015 and CAT-3888. Conclusions CAT-8015 is a CD22-targeting immunotoxin that, in preclinical studies, has greatly improved efficacy as compared to CAT-3888. PMID:19188153

Significance of coronavirus mutants in feces and diseased tissues of cats suffering from feline infectious peritonitis.

PubMed

Pedersen, Niels C; Liu, Hongwei; Dodd, Kimberly A; Pesavento, Patricia A

2009-09-01

The internal FECV→FIPV mutation theory and three of its correlates were tested in four sibs/half-sib kittens, a healthy contact cat, and in four unrelated cats that died of FIP at geographically disparate regions. Coronavirus from feces and extraintestinal FIP lesions from the same cat were always >99% related in accessory and structural gene sequences. SNPs and deletions causing a truncation of the 3c gene product were found in almost all isolates from the diseased tissues of the eight cats suffering from FIP, whereas most, but not all fecal isolates from these same cats had intact 3c genes. Other accessory and structural genes appeared normal in both fecal and lesional viruses. Deliterious mutations in the 3c gene were unique to each cat, indicating that they did not originate in one cat and were subsequently passed horizontally to the others. Compartmentalization of the parental and mutant forms was not absolute; virus of lesional type was sometimes found in feces of affected cats and virus identical to fecal type was occasionally identified in diseased tissues. Although 3c gene mutants in this study were not horizontally transmitted, the parental fecal virus was readily transmitted by contact from a cat that died of FIP to its housemate. There was a high rate of mutability in all structural and accessory genes both within and between cats, leading to minor genetic variants. More than one variant could be identified in both diseased tissues and feces of the same cat. Laboratory cats inoculated with a mixture of two closely related variants from the same FIP cat developed disease from one or the other variant, but not both. Significant genetic drift existed between isolates from geographically distinct regions of the Western US.

Differential Expression Patterns of Pleurotus ostreatus Catalase Genes during Developmental Stages and under Heat Stress

PubMed Central

Wang, Lining; Wu, Xiangli; Gao, Wei; Zhao, Mengran; Zhang, Jinxia

2017-01-01

Catalases are ubiquitous hydrogen peroxide-detoxifying enzymes. They participate in fungal growth and development, such as mycelial growth and cellular differentiation, and in protecting fungi from oxidative damage under stressful conditions. To investigate the potential functions of catalases in Pleurotus ostreatus, we obtained two catalase genes from a draft genome sequence of P. ostreatus, and cloned and characterized them (Po-cat1 and Po-cat2). Po-cat1 (group II) and Po-cat2 (group III) encoded putative peptides of 745 and 528 amino acids, respectively. Furthermore, the gene structures were variant between Po-cat1 and Po-cat2. Further research revealed that these two catalase genes have divergent expression patterns during different developmental stages. Po-cat1/Po-cat1 was at a barely detectable level in mycelia, accumulated gradually during reproductive growth, and was maximal in separated spores. But no catalase activity of Po-cat1 was detected by native-PAGE during any part of the developmental stages. In contrast, high Po-cat2/Po-cat2 expression and Po-cat2 activity found in mycelia were gradually lost during reproductive growth, and at a minimal level in separated spores. In addition, these two genes responded differentially under 32 °C and 40 °C heat stresses. Po-cat1 was up-regulated under both temperature conditions, while Po-cat2 was up-regulated at 32 °C but down-regulated at 40 °C. The accumulation of catalase proteins correlated with gene expression. These results indicate that the two divergent catalases in P. ostreatus may play different roles during development and under heat stress. PMID:29160795

Significance of Coronavirus Mutants in Feces and Diseased Tissues of Cats Suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Niels C.; Liu, Hongwei; Dodd, Kimberly A.; Pesavento, Patricia A.

2009-01-01

The internal FECV→FIPV mutation theory and three of its correlates were tested in four sibs/half-sib kittens, a healthy contact cat, and in four unrelated cats that died of FIP at geographically disparate regions. Coronavirus from feces and extraintestinal FIP lesions from the same cat were always >99% related in accessory and structural gene sequences. SNPs and deletions causing a truncation of the 3c gene product were found in almost all isolates from the diseased tissues of the eight cats suffering from FIP, whereas most, but not all fecal isolates from these same cats had intact 3c genes. Other accessory and structural genes appeared normal in both fecal and lesional viruses. Deliterious mutations in the 3c gene were unique to each cat, indicating that they did not originate in one cat and were subsequently passed horizontally to the others. Compartmentalization of the parental and mutant forms was not absolute; virus of lesional type was sometimes found in feces of affected cats and virus identical to fecal type was occasionally identified in diseased tissues. Although 3c gene mutants in this study were not horizontally transmitted, the parental fecal virus was readily transmitted by contact from a cat that died of FIP to its housemate. There was a high rate of mutability in all structural and accessory genes both within and between cats, leading to minor genetic variants. More than one variant could be identified in both diseased tissues and feces of the same cat. Laboratory cats inoculated with a mixture of two closely related variants from the same FIP cat developed disease from one or the other variant, but not both. Significant genetic drift existed between isolates from geographically distinct regions of the Western US. PMID:21994544

Cathepsin B & L are not required for ebola virus replication.

PubMed

Marzi, Andrea; Reinheckel, Thomas; Feldmann, Heinz

2012-01-01

Ebola virus (EBOV), family Filoviridae, emerged in 1976 on the African continent. Since then it caused several outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever in humans with case fatality rates up to 90% and remains a serious Public Health concern and biothreat pathogen. The most pathogenic and best-studied species is Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV). EBOV encodes one viral surface glycoprotein (GP), which is essential for replication, a determinant of pathogenicity and an important immunogen. GP mediates viral entry through interaction with cellular surface molecules, which results in the uptake of virus particles via macropinocytosis. Later in this pathway endosomal acidification activates the cysteine proteases Cathepsin B and L (CatB, CatL), which have been shown to cleave ZEBOV-GP leading to subsequent exposure of the putative receptor-binding and fusion domain and productive infection. We studied the effect of CatB and CatL on in vitro and in vivo replication of EBOV. Similar to previous findings, our results show an effect of CatB, but not CatL, on ZEBOV entry into cultured cells. Interestingly, cell entry by other EBOV species (Bundibugyo, Côte d'Ivoire, Reston and Sudan ebolavirus) was independent of CatB or CatL as was EBOV replication in general. To investigate whether CatB and CatL have a role in vivo during infection, we utilized the mouse model for ZEBOV. Wild-type (control), catB(-/-) and catL(-/-) mice were equally susceptible to lethal challenge with mouse-adapted ZEBOV with no difference in virus replication and time to death. In conclusion, our results show that CatB and CatL activity is not required for EBOV replication. Furthermore, EBOV glycoprotein cleavage seems to be mediated by an array of proteases making targeted therapeutic approaches difficult.