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Endoparasites in dogs diagnosed at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH)-University of Bologna, combined with clinicopathological results. A long-term retrospective secondary data study
No full textHumans and dogs commonly share the same domestic environment. Europe, and Italy specifically, have a substantial and growing dog population. Potentially zoonotic parasites may be harbored even by dogs receiving regular veterinary care. Thus, transmission of zoonotic or potentially zoonotic parasites to owners and their families should not be underestimated. Frequently, endoparasite infections occur as a subclinical infection and clinicopathological alterations have been documented including anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and eosinophilia. The aim of this large retrospective secondary data study was to analyze coprological endoparasite results and putative risk factors obtained from owned dogs, through a 9-year-period (2011–2019). Possible associations between diagnosed endoparasites and sex, age, seasonality, and year of examination were evaluated. Additionally, parasitological diagnoses were combined to complete blood count parameters and biochemical profiles, when available, to check for any possible hematological alteration from parasitism. A total of 1,972 dogs were evaluated for endoparasites using common fecal diagnostic tests over a 9-year period. The overall proportion of endoparasite-positive animals was 10%. The most common endoparasites detected were Cystoisospora spp. (3%), Toxocara canis (2.8%), Giardia duodenalis (1.6%), and Trichuris vulpis (1.2%). Of these parasites detected, Toxocara poses the greatest zoonotic risk, while Giardia species are considered to have a low potential to be zoonotic. There was no significant diagnostic trend across the years through the study period. Dogs were more frequently diagnosed endoparasite-positive when young and during cold seasons compared to the baselines of mature dogs and warm seasons. The clinicopathological profiles indicated that parasitized dogs had mild hematological alterations. The frequency of detected potentially zoonotic endoparasites in this study highlights that the risk should not be underestimated. Parasitic infection was found to be mostly dependent on age and season. Having this information may help clinicians to develop anthelmintic protocols to reduce the risk of transmission
Reflections on mathematics ability, anxiety, and interventions
No full textCompetency in mathematics is needed to respond to the vast employment opportunities available in the STEM sectors. These employment opportunities all require basic foundational mathematics skills, yet there is a shortfall of mathematics abilities due, in-part, to mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety can surface as fear and avoidance of mathematics and has been linked to low mathematics performance and ability (Ashcraft, 2002; Luttenberger et al., 2018). This thought paper (Snell, n.d.), paper begins with a synthesis of research on mathematics anxiety including the known causal factors: cognitive/affective, social, and genetic as well as the recently proposed causal factor, missed opportunity (Brewster & Miller, 2020). Missed opportunity refers to cases where an individual who is capable academically to comprehend mathematics but has missed the opportunity to learn basic foundational skills in mathematics. Missing the opportunity to learn foundational concepts in mathematics places great stress, which can result in feelings of anxiety. Next, a synthesis of interventions for mathematics anxiety such as mindfulness exercises (Brunyé et al., 2013) and expressive writing (Brewster & Miller, 2022; Park et al., 2014) are discussed, which led to the realization that interventions are more complex than previously reported given that other factors can affect interventions such as duration of writing, quality of instruction, or additional stressors causing anxiety, including test anxiety. Knowing the causal factors influencing an individual’s mathematics anxiety may prove beneficial to designing more focused and influential interventions
Bovine viral diarrhoea testing and vaccination on smallholder dairy farms in Kenya
No full textSmallholder dairy (SHD) farming is a critical sector supporting many households’ income in rural Kenya. The SHD farmers are faced with numerous challenges that impair the optimal performance of their dairy cattle. Among these challenges are the poor state of infectious disease diagnosis and prevention, such as Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV), and the low awareness of the potential benefits of vaccination commonly used in high-income countries. The aims of this research on SHD farms in Kenya were: 1) to evaluate the possible cross-reactivity between Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) testing
with BVDV testing using both antibody and antigen Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA); 2) to determine associations between vaccination status for a multivalent BVDV vaccine and disease occurrence in a cohort study; 3) to determine associations between vaccination status for a multivalent BVDV vaccine and disease occurrence in a randomized controlled trial (RCT); and 4) to determine antibody titer response variability from BVDV vaccination when given to cows under different planes of nutrition, management, and body condition score (BCS). For objective 1, a cross-sectional study was based on a single visit to farms to collect serum samples and other descriptive farm and animal information. IDEXX ELISA testing for BVDV antigen (Ag) and antibody (Ab) was conducted on 320 dairy cows’ and heifers’ serum samples, with CSFV Ag and Ab being tested on a subset of 133 and 74 serum samples, respectively. The CSFV testing was based on BVDV test results and the availability of enough sample volume from cattle on farms that kept pigs. For the 74 Ab tests, 40 (54.0%) were BVDV Ab positive, while 63 (85.1%) were CSFV Ab positive. Of the 40 BVDV Ab-positive samples, 36 cattle (90.0%) tested positive for CSFV Ab. However, of the 34 BVDV Ab negative samples, 27 (79.4%) were CSFV Ab test positive. For the 133 Ag tests, 125 (94.0%) were BVDV Ag positive, while 2 (1.5%) samples were CSFV Ag positive. None of the eight BVDV Ag negative samples was positive for CSFV Ag and only two (1.6%) of the 125 BVDV Ag positive samples were positive for CSFV Ag. For objective 2, a retrospective cohort study compared 226 cows and 85 heifers vaccinated with a single multivalent modified live vaccine, including BVDV, against 215 cows and 60 heifers in the non-vaccinated cohort. One year after vaccination, during a follow-up visit, we recorded reported disease outcomes, and farm and animal factors during the previous year. Mixed multivariable logistic and Poisson regression modeling was used for the heifers and cows, respectively, to determine factors associated with the reported disease, allowing the control for other factors when exploring vaccine associations. There was significantly lower reported pneumonia, diarrhea, and overall disease for both cows and heifers in the vaccinated cohort. For the cows, poor appetite, tick-borne diseases, and uterine diseases were significantly lower in the vaccinated versus unvaccinated cohort. For the final cow model, factors associated with the disease count included: feeding grass weeds (Incidence risk ratio (IRR)=1.294); having more than two diseases in the farm (IRR=1.415); above 3rd parity (IRR =1.134); milking mastitis cow last (IRR=0.669); herd size (IRR=1.796); only one breeding to conception (IRR =0.778); Body Condition Score (BCS) above 2.25 (IRR=0.813); and an interaction between vaccination status and pregnancy checking practice. Cows in farms that did not do pregnancy checking had more reported disease counts for the unvaccinated cohorts than cows in the vaccinated cohort while there was no difference for farms that did pregnancy checking. In the final heifer mixed effects logistic model, factors associated with disease likelihood in the last year included: age of female farmer (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.23); farm size over 2 acres (OR=0.13); Napier grass height fed in the dry season (OR=6.51); loss of a vaccinated cow in the farm (OR=8.91); concrete floor in the stall (OR=0.02); buying replacement heifers (OR=3.26); vaccination status (OR=0.11) and heifers over 30 months (OR=6.11). Higher categories of BCS, 2.25 – 2.75 (OR=4.00) and above 3 (OR=10.77) had higher OR compared to BCS of 2 and lower. For objective 3, a randomized controlled trial recruited a total of 384 cows on 292 SHFs and 352 heifers on 290 SHFs, all randomly selected. On the first farm visit, using a questionnaire and animal examinations, baseline level information of current disease and reported diseases in the last 12 months were collected, along with other cow- and farm-level management and production data. With random block allocation, 185 cows and 172 heifers were injected with a single dose of multivalent modified live vaccine, including BVDV (Pyramid® FP 5; Boehringer Ltd.), while 199 cows and 180 heifers were injected with a placebo. After one year, a return visit to the farms recorded the same data for time-varying variables. The vaccine is against four pathogens: bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine herpesvirus type 1, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza virus type 3. Mixed effects multivariable logistic and Poisson regression modeling were used for the heifers and cows, respectively, to determine factors associated with the reported disease in the last 12 months. There was an overall reduction in reported disease occurrence in the vaccinated group during the second visit compared to the first visit, in both cows and heifers. The specific reported disease conditions that were reduced in the vaccinated group included: pneumonia, diarrhoea, anorexia, and uterine disease. For both the cows and heifers, there was a significant reduction in reported disease count and likelihood, respectively, in the last 12 months for the vaccinated group versus the placebo group on the second visit, while adjusting for the reported disease counts and likelihood on the first visit. In the final cow model, the following factors were associated with reported disease counts in the last 12 months: farms that bought in-calf replacement heifers (IRR= 0.80); farms having more than three acres of land (IRR= 0.81); farms which had more diseases in calves (IRR= 1.32); cows that had been bred within the last 12 months (IRR= 1.43) and cow’s weight in kilograms (IRR=1.001). For categorical variables, there were higher disease counts for cows on farms which had reported one case of mastitis prior to the study (IRR=1.27) and those that reported two or more cases of mastitis (IRR=1.50) compared with cows on farms that did not report any case of mastitis. There were higher counts of
reported diseases in cows on farms using different towels for udder cleaning (IRR=1.00) and farms that did not use udder cleaning towels (IRR=1.31) than in farms using a single udder cleaning towel. The cow mixed multivariable model also had four significant interactions between the following variables: 1) household income dependency on dairy above 50% and number of cows; 2) farms feeding maize silage and cow pregnancy status; 3) number of farms feeding extra supplement post-calving and cow body condition score (BCS) and 4) visit number with intervention group. In the final heifer model, higher likelihood of disease within the last 12 months was associated with: farms feeding grass silage (OR=3.27); buying replacement heifers (OR=2.45); heifers over two years during the visit (OR=2.16); heifers on farms that fed at least 4 kg colostrum to calves within the first 12 hours of life (OR=0.30) and heifers that had been bred within the last 12 months (OR=0.31). Ayrshire and other breeds had OR=1.88 and 0.45, respectively, compared to Holstein heifers. There were two significant interactions in the heifer model: 1) number of diseases in cows for the last one year, and season during the visit; and 2) visit number and intervention group. For objective 4, we evaluated the variability in antibody response in 128 cows and 109 heifers, all non-pregnant, after a single modified live vaccine injection, including BVDV (Pyramid® FP 5; Boehringer Ltd.). The ELISA tests before and four weeks after vaccination determined pre- and post-vaccine sample-to-positive (S/P) ratios for BVDV antibody levels. A questionnaire and animal examination were used to collect information on animal health status, management practices, and reported disease outcomes for the last 12 months. Multivariable linear regression analysis modeling was used to determine factors associated with the change in antibody levels. Before vaccination, 40.6% and 7.3% of cows and heifers tested positive for BVDV antibodies (S/P ratio > 0.3), respectively. The mean increase in S/P ratio post-vaccination was 0.476 and 0.804 for cows and heifers, respectively. In the final cow model, the factors associated with the change in BVDV antibody S/P ratios included: body condition score (BCS) (Coefficient = 0.132); feeding protein supplements (Coefficient = -0.170); post-partum disease (Coefficient = -0.137); abnormal physical exam findings (Coefficient = -0.160) and BVDV antibody test status on visit one (Coefficient = -0.507). There was a significant three-way interaction between days in milk (DIM), age, and post-calving supplementation. For heifers, factors associated with the change in BVDV antibody S/P ratios included: heifer numbers (Coefficient= -0.059); acaricide application (Coefficient=0.13); number of people living on farm (Coefficient=-0.053); and BVDV antibody test status on visit one (Coefficient=-0.574). There was a significant interaction between BCS and raising one’s replacement heifers for the heifer model. Management type was also a significant categorical factor for both the heifers and cows. Zero-grazed cows had better antibody response compared to mixed management farms and communal grazing farms (Coefficient=-0.137 and -0.124, respectively), and for the heifers, the coefficients were -0.33 and -0.34, respectively. We recommend the planning vaccination against BVDV when cattle have a BCS between 2 to 2.75. Generally, the results indicated substantial cross-reactivity of the two Ab ELISA tests (BVDV and CSFV) or reactivity with some other protein in the samples that led to the positive Ab test results, and only limited evidence for cross-reactivity of the two Ag ELISA tests (BVDV and CSFV). The multivalent vaccine, including the ML BVDV component, was beneficial in reducing reported diseases in both cows and heifers after one year’s follow-up, while controlling for other farm-level and animal-level factors. The benefit of vaccination was evident in both the retrospective cohort and randomized controlled trial. The BVDV antibody response to vaccination varied with the current health status of animals, nutritional status, and BCS of both cows and heifers, as well as other farm management factors. Our research supports the recommendation of a multivalent vaccination that includes a BVDV component to cattle within the SHD sector of Kenya. We also recommend planning multivalent ML vaccination, including BVDV, to non-pregnant cows and heifers who are not sick and have a BCS of 2 to 2.75 for best immune response
Exhaustive exercise alters native and site-specific H2O2 emission in red and white skeletal muscle mitochondria
No full textMitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis is intricately linked to energy conversion reactions and entails regulation of the mechanisms of ROS production and removal. However, there is limited understanding of how energy demand modulates ROS balance. Skeletal muscle experiences a wide range of energy requirements depending on the intensity and duration of exercise and therefore is an excellent model to probe the effect of altered energy demand on mitochondrial ROS production. Because in most fish skeletal muscle exists essentially as pure spatially distinct slow-twitch red oxidative and fast-twitch white glycolytic fibers, it provides a natural system for investigating how functional specialization affects ROS homeostasis. We tested the hypothesis that acute increase in energy demand imposed by exhaustive exercise will increase mitochondrial H2O2 emission to a greater extent in red muscle mitochondria (RMM) compared with white muscle mitochondria (WMM). We found that native H2O2 emission rates varied by up to 6-fold depending on the substrate being oxidized and muscle fiber type, with RMM emitting at higher rates with glutamate-malate and palmitoylcarnitine while WMM emitted at higher rates with succinate and glyceral-3-phosphate. Exhaustive exercise increased the native and site-specific H2O2 emission rates; however, the maximal emission rates depended on the substrate, fiber type and redox site. The H2O2 consumption capacity and activities of individual antioxidant enzymes including the glutathione- and thioredoxin-dependent peroxidases as well as catalase were higher in RMM compared with WMM indicating that the activity of antioxidant defense system does not explain the differences in H2O2 emission rates in RMM and WMM. Overall, our study suggests that substrate selection and oxidation may be the key factors determining the rates of ROS production in RMM and WMM following exhaustive exercise
Searching for a life beyond law: Agamben, Henry, and a coming Christianity
No full textThis paper addresses the claim that the social orders of Western civilization operate on the basis of the law’s presumed sovereignty over life. I demonstrate how the respective works of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and French phenomenologist Michel Henry are joined in their concern over this issue, and in their shared belief that life can be made sovereign over the law through a communal life based upon habit. At the same time, I argue that their respective conceptions of this communal life are flawed, and that they would benefit from being brought into a productive dialogue with one another. More specifically, I show that Henry’s account of a Christian communal life based upon the habitual practice of love moves at least some way toward addressing Agamben’s account of a coming community that is decidedly abstract and lacking in a substantial ethic. However, I maintain that Henry’s own account of this community is founded upon a problematic conception of potentiality that would benefit from Agamben’s study of the matter. By bringing these two figures together and drawing out the lessons that can be learnt from each of them, this work provides a more concrete and substantial account of how a coming Christian community can play a role in making life sovereign over the force of the law
Assessing future climate change impacts on potato yields — A case study for Prince Edward Island, Canada
No full textCrop yields are adversely affected by climate change; therefore, it is crucial to develop climate adaptation strategies to mitigate the impacts of increasing climate variability on the agriculture system to ensure food security. As one of the largest potato-producing provinces in Canada, Prince Edward Island (PEI) has recently experienced significant instability in potato production. PEI’s local farmers and stakeholders are extremely concerned about the prospects for the future of potato farming industries in the context of climate change. This study aims to use the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) potato model to simulate future potato yields under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate scenarios (including SSP1–1.9, SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0, and SSP5–8.5). The study evaluates the combined effects of changing climatic conditions at local scales (i.e., warming temperature and changing precipitation patterns) and increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere. The results indicate future significant declines in potato yield in PEI under the current farming practices. In particular, under the high-emission scenarios (e.g., SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5), the potato yield in PEI would decline by 48% and 60% in the 2070s and by 63% and 80% by 2090s; even under the low-emission scenarios (i.e., SSP1–1.9 and SSP1–2.6), the potato yield in PEI would still decline by 6–10%. This implies that it is important to develop effective climate adaptation measures (e.g., adjusting farming practices and introducing supplemental irrigation plans) to ensure the long-term sustainability of potato production in PEI.Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of CanadaGovernment of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research FundGovernment of Prince Edward Islan
A narrative review of occupational scheduling that impacts fatigue and recovery relevant to veterinarian well-being.
No full textSleep insufficiency is a worldwide affliction with serious implications for mental and physical health. Occupational factors play a large role in determining sleep habits. Healthcare workers are particularly susceptible to job-mediated sleep insufficiency and inadequate rest in general. Little is published on sleep practices among veterinarians, and overall recognition of the impacts of inadequate rest within the veterinary profession is poor. Objectives and procedures This review describes occupational factors affecting sufficiency of rest and recovery, reviews veterinary-specific and relevant adjacent literature pertaining to sleep patterns, and discusses potential solutions for addressing occupational schedules contributing to sleep insufficiency and inadequate rest. Online databases were searched to extract contemporary literature pertaining to sleep, insufficient rest, and occupational factors, with a focus on veterinary medicine and other healthcare sectors.
Results Occupational factors leading to inadequate rest among healthcare workers include excessive workloads, extended workdays, cumulative days of heavy work hours, and after-hours on-call duty. These factors are prevalent within the veterinary profession and may contribute to widespread insufficient rest and the resulting negative impacts on health and well-being among veterinarians.
Conclusion and clinical relevance Sufficient sleep quantity and quality are critical to physical and mental health and are negatively affected by many aspects of the veterinary profession. Critical review of current strategies employed in clinical practice is essential to promote professional fulfillment, health, and well-being among veterinarians.journal articlereview2023 Julimporte
Successful treatment of 5‐fluorouracil toxicosis with hemodialysis
No full textObjective
To describe the successful treatment of lethal dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) toxicosis using hemodialysis.
Case Summary
A 4-month-old intact female Golden Retriever was presented to the emergency department after ingesting 20 g of 5% 5-FU cream. The puppy developed refractory seizures and became comatose with uncontrolled tonic–clonic convulsions. Because of the low molecular weight and minimal protein binding of 5-FU, a single hemodialysis treatment was employed for detoxification. The puppy improved clinically posttreatment and was successfully discharged 3 days after admission. Postingestion leukopenia and neutropenia occurred but were responsive to treatment with filgrastim. The puppy is neurologically normal and has no lasting effects 1 year postingestion
The archangel fragment and C. S. Lewis’s world-building project
No full textIn this article, we argue that, from a few hints in the Bodleian archive and elsewhere, we have discovered C. S. Lewis’s singular attempt at an Archangelic sequel to The Screwtape Letters. By analyzing this small fragment and its contextual clues, we can hear the heaven-scented voice of this anti-Screwtape world. Through this discovery we can unlock hidden links among Lewis’s fiction project of the late 1930s and early 1940s and the ways he created the speculative worlds of those stories, including a spirit of playfulness and discovery, themes critical to his theological perspective, and potential links that draw his 1937–1945 work together into a cohesive whole. Finally, considering this fragment provides an opportunity to test the Lewis Handwriting Chart and open possibilities for further archival research
Prevalence of and risk factors associated with skin lesions and lameness in dairy cattle in the Maritime Provinces of Canada and the use of benchmarking to motivate reductions in the herd-level prevalence of these conditions
No full textAnimal-based measurements, such as skin lesions and lameness, are often included in on-farm assessments for dairy cow welfare and quality assurance programs, for example proAction® in Canada. Following the introduction of proAction® in Canada in 2017, the prevalence and risk factors for these animal-based measurements for dairy cattle were studied to evaluate whether there were specific risk factors in the Maritime Provinces that could be identified and used to provide a basis to assist producers to meet the acceptable targets defined by proAction®. Using an assessment protocol that was the basis for proAction®, 79 herds housed in both tie-stall (n=33) and free-stall (n=46) barns within the Maritime provinces were evaluated twice, approximately one year apart. During these assessments numerous animal-, environmental-, and management-based measurements were collected and used to provide results and feedback to the study participants. Results were provided in both paper form and through a benchmarking website created using the data from this study, allowing for comparison of results to herds of similar size and facility type. We found that the prevalence of hock lesions, knee lesions, neck lesions, and lameness were 39%, 14%, 1% and 21%, respectively for all free-stall cows. For the tie-stall cows assessed the prevalence of hock lesions, knee lesions, neck lesions and lameness were 39%, 17%, 5% and 15%, respectively. As management and the assessment protocol differed between facility types, risk factors for each animal-based measurement of interest were explored separately for free-stalls and tie-stalls using multivariable logistic regression. Numerous environmental-based factors, such as, stall design and management were associated with lesions on the hocks, knees, neck and Animal-based measurements, such as skin lesions and lameness, are often included in on-farm assessments for dairy cow welfare and quality assurance programs, for example proAction® in Canada. Following the introduction of proAction® in Canada in 2017, the prevalence and risk factors for these animal-based measurements for dairy cattle were studied to evaluate whether there were specific risk factors in the Maritime Provinces that could be identified and used to provide a basis to assist producers to meet the acceptable targets defined by proAction®. Using an assessment protocol that was the basis for proAction®, 79 herds housed in both tie-stall (n=33) and free-stall (n=46) barns within the Maritime provinces were evaluated twice, approximately one year apart. During these assessments numerous animal-, environmental-, and management-based measurements were collected and used to provide results and feedback to the study participants. Results were provided in both paper form and through a benchmarking website created using the data from this study, allowing for comparison of results to herds of similar size and facility type. We found that the prevalence of hock lesions, knee lesions, neck lesions, and lameness were 39%, 14%, 1% and 21%, respectively for all free-stall cows. For the tie-stall cows assessed the prevalence of hock lesions, knee lesions, neck lesions and lameness were 39%, 17%, 5% and 15%, respectively. As management and the assessment protocol differed between facility types, risk factors for each animal-based measurement of interest were explored separately for free-stalls and tie-stalls using multivariable logistic regression. Numerous environmental-based factors, such as, stall design and management were associated with lesions on the hocks, knees, neck and herd, viewing the benchmarking website and changing the type of bedding used in the stall. The herd assessments performed on the study herds in the Maritime Provinces, showed that lesions to the hock, knee and neck and lameness were observed in dairy herds. Although differences were seen between facility types, in general, the results suggest that with improved design (i.e. meeting specific stall dimensions) and management of the stalls and feed-bunk, the number of dairy cattle with skin lesions and lameness could be reduced. Making producers aware of the prevalence within their herds is an important first step in helping in the reduction of these welfare concerns in dairy cattle. Showing producers that changes that are associated with a reduction in the within herd prevalence can be simple and easy to implement could also help motivate them to make improvements