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Anatomy of the feline and canine spleen and pancreas regarding vascular supply – an anatomical study comparing cats and dogs with the extant literature
No full textDiplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Die in der Literatur beschriebene Anatomie des Pankreas und der Milz bezüglich Blutgefäßversorgung bei Hund und Katze wird in dieser Arbeit erneut aufgegriffen und mit der vorherrschenden Anatomie bei Sektionen von sechs Hunden und sechs Katzen verglichen. Ziel ist es dabei, individuelle Abweichungen aufzuzeigen beziehungsweise die vorliegende Literatur inklusive Illustrationen zu ergänzen. Dies soll dazu dienen, zukünftige chirurgische Eingriffe im cranialen Quadranten des kaninen und felinen Abdomens, wie eine partielle Pankreatektomie oder eine Splenektomie, besser planen zu können und auf etwaige Individualitäten gefasst zu sein. Um dies zu erreichen, wurden im Vorfeld sechs Hunde und sechs Katzen unabhängig von Größe, Geschlecht, Alter und Todesursache mittels einer Laparotomie in der Region des Pankreas und der Milz genau untersucht. Es wurden die zwei Organe sorgfältig freipräpariert und deren Blutgefäße identifiziert und freigelegt. In der Folge wurden die Gefäße genau verfolgt und mit der Literatur verglichen. Nach vollständiger Präparation wurden die Ergebnisse in Form einer Checkliste dokumentiert und die anatomischen Strukturen fotographisch festgehalten. Besonderer Wert wurde auf die Form des Pankreas bei Katzen, auf die Aufzweigung der A.lienalis in einen dorsalen und ventralen Ast, sowie auf die Anzahl der Aa.gastroepiploicae sinistrae sowohl bei felinen als auch kaninen Kadavern gelegt. Während der Sektionen wurden Abweichungen von der Literatur vorgefunden. Dies ist vor allem auf individuelle Unterschiede zurückzuführen, da es auch innerhalb der Stichprobe Varietäten gab. Es zeigte sich der Lobus pancreatis dexter der Katzen zum Teil zirkulär anstatt hakenförmig laut Angelou et al. (2023). Die Aufzweigung der A.lienalis in einen dorsalen und ventralen Ast erfolgte durchaus mehr als 1 cm von der Milz entfernt (Langley-Hobbs et al. 2014). Zudem wurden im Gegensatz zu der Beschreibung von Nickel et al. (2004) im Durchschnitt zwei Aa.gastroepiploicae sinistrae sowohl bei Hunden als auch Katzen anstelle von nur einer vorgefunden. Diese Ergebnisse werden mit Hilfe von Fotographien in dieser Arbeit genau aufgezeigtDiploma thesis - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna - 2024The anatomy of the pancreas and spleen concerning blood supply in dogs and cats, as described in the literature, is revisited in this study and compared with the prevailing anatomy observed in dissections of six dogs and six cats. The aim of this thesis is to highlight individual variations and complement the existing literature, including illustrations. This is intended to better plan future surgical procedures in the cranial quadrant of the canine and feline abdomen, such as partial pancreatectomy or splenectomy, and to be prepared for possible individual variations. To achieve this, six dogs and six cats were thoroughly examined through a laparotomy in the region of the pancreas and spleen, regardless of their size, gender, age and cause of death. The two organs were carefully dissected, and their blood vessels were identified and isolated. Subsequently, the vessels were meticulously traced and compared with the literature. After complete dissection, the results were documented in the form of a checklist, and the anatomical structures were photographed. Special emphasis was placed on the shape of the pancreas in cats, the branching of the A.lienalis into dorsal and ventral parts, and the number of Aa.gastroepiploicae sinistrae in both feline and canine cadavers. During the dissections, deviations from the literature were found. This is primarily due to individual differences, as there were also variations within the sample. The right pancreatic lobe of the cats was partially circular instead of hook-shaped according to Angelou et al. (2023). The branching of the A.lienalis into dorsal and ventral parts occurred more than 1 cm away from the spleen (Langley-Hobbs et al. 2014). Additionally, contrary to the description by Nickel et al. (2004), an average of two Aa.gastroepiploicae sinistrae were found in both dogs and cats instead of just one. These results are precisely illustrated with photographs in this study
Empfohlene Maßnahmen und Richtlinien verschiedener Organisationen bei Verdacht eines Druse-Ausbruches im Pferdebestand
No full textDiplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Diese Arbeit setzt sich aus drei Teilen zusammen:
Erstens werden die Hauptmerkmale der Erkrankung Druse bezüglich Erreger, Symptomatik und Verlauf der Erkrankung sowie Komplikationen erläutert.
Zweitens, wurde ein Pferdebestand in Niederösterreich mit aktuellem Druse-Ausbruch besichtigt, sowie ein Interview mit der bestandsbetreuenden Tierärztin geführt. Hierbei wurden insbesondere die gesetzten Maßnahmen und die dabei auftretenden Schwierigkeiten abgefragt. Des Weiteren werden Aspekte zur allgemeinen Biosicherheit und die mögliche Erregereinschleppung beleuchtet. Darüber hinaus wurde auf die Symptomatik, die Therapie und die Diagnostik eingegangen.
Drittens, wurde dieser Druse-Ausbruch zum Anlass genommen veterinär- und pferdesportassoziierten Organisationen hinsichtlich ihrer Empfehlungen zu Druse-spezifischen Maßnahmen, mögliche Testverfahren, Probenmaterial (inklusive der Diagnostik zur Identifizierung von Druse infizierten Tieren und potentielle Träger sowie Freitesten) und Prävention (inklusive Impfung) bei dem Verdacht eines Druse-Ausbruches zu vergleichen. Hierzu wurden, die von den Organisationen auf ihren Webseiten zur Verfügung gestellten, Informationen verwendet. Der Vergleich beschränkte sich auf Organisationen im deutsch- und englischsprachigen Raum der Europäischen Union, sowie des Vereinigten Königreiches, der USA und der Schweiz. Die Liste der verglichenen Organisationen umfasst dabei ECEIM, ACVIM, FEI, OEPS, Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung, Swiss Equestrian, HSI, HBLB, BHA, AAEP und EDCC.
Die Hypothese, dass die Organisationen zumindest geringfügig unterschiedliche Richtlinien und Maßnahmen bei einem Druse-Ausbruch empfehlen, bestätigte sich. Die verglichenen Organisationen waren sich bezüglich, Meldung von Erkrankungsfällen, Quarantäne inklusive Ampelsystem, Monitoring und Testverfahren im Großen und Ganzen einig. Unterschiede gab es allerdings bezüglich der Empfehlungen zur Beendigung der Quarantäne, Prävention (inklusive Impfung) und Diagnostik.Diploma thesis - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna - 2024This work consists of three parts: First, the main features of the disease strangle in terms of pathogens, symptoms of the disease as well as complications are explained. Secondly, a herd of horses in Lower Austria that had a recent outbreak of strangles was visited and an interview with the veterinarian who supervised the herd was conducted. In addition, aspects of general biosecurity and the possible introduction of pathogens are highlighted. Moreover, symptoms, therapy and diagnostics were discussed. Third, this outbreak prompted to compare the guidelines from veterinary and equestrian associated organizations regarding possible testing procedures and sample material (including diagnostics to identify strangles and potential carriers as well as tests to get out of quarantine) and prevention (including vaccination). For this purpose, the information provided by the organisations on their websites was used. The comparison was limited to organisations in the German- and English-speaking countries, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland. The list of compared organisations includes ECEIM, ACVIM, FEI, OEPS, Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung, Swiss Equestrian, HSI, HBLB, BHA, AAEP and EDCC. The hypothesis that the organisations recommend at least slightly different guidelines in the event of strangles is confirmed. The organisations compared were broadly in agreement on disease reporting, quarantine including “traffic light systems,” monitoring and testing procedures. However, there were differences in recommendations for ending quarantine, prevention (including vaccination) and diagnosis
Certainties and the Bedrock of Moral Reasoning: Three Ways the Spade Turns
No full textIn this paper, we identify and explain three kinds of bedrock in moral thought. The term “bedrock,” as introduced by Wittgenstein in §217 of the Philosophical Investigations, stands for the end of a chain of reasoning. We affirm that some chains of moral reasoning do indeed end with certainty. However, different kinds of certainties in morality work in different ways. In the course of systematizing the different types of certainties, we argue that present accounts of certainties in morality do not reflect their diversity. Our analysis yields three types of moral certainty: quasi-undoubtable certain propositions, certain propositions, and transcendental certainties. We show that the first two types can, at least to some extent, be intelligibly doubted. Therefore, they do not possess the characteristics that would classify them as bedrock in the strictest sense. Transcendental certainties cannot likewise be doubted because they are rules that enable moral thinking. Thus, deviating from them is unintelligible. We shall argue that all three types reflect ways in which moral language games come to an end, while only one, transcendental certainties, displays the characteristic of being solid bedrock.Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issu
GoFish: A low-cost, open-source platform for closed-loop behavioural experiments on fish
No full textFish are the most species-rich vertebrate group, displaying vast ecological, anatomical and behavioural diversity, and therefore are of major interest for the study of behaviour and its evolution. However, with respect to other vertebrates, fish are relatively underrepresented in psychological and cognitive research. A greater availability of easily accessible, flexible, open-source experimental platforms that facilitate the automation of task control and data acquisition may help to reduce this bias and improve the scalability and refinement of behavioural experiments in a range of different fish species. Here we present GoFish, a fully automated platform for behavioural experiments in aquatic species. GoFish includes real-time video tracking of subjects, presentation of stimuli in a computer screen, an automatic feeder device, and closed-loop control of task contingencies and data acquisition. The design and software components of the platform are freely available, while the hardware is open-source and relatively inexpensive. The control software, Bonsai, is designed to facilitate rapid development of task workflows and is supported by a growing community of users. As an illustration and test of its use, we present the results of two experiments on discrimination learning, reversal, and choice in goldfish (Carassius auratus). GoFish facilitates the automation of high-throughput protocols and the acquisition of rich behavioural data. Our platform has the potential to become a widely used tool that facilitates complex behavioural experiments in aquatic species
Negative effect and removal of trace amounts of 1,3-dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids in samples from biorefineries
No full textIonic liquids (ILs), based on 1,3-dialkylimidazolium cations, are frequently used solvent components or auxiliaries for various types of biomass in biorefinery approaches. Unless washing and sample preparation have been carried out very carefully, analytical samples often contain residual traces of such ionic liquids. These residues can compromise the quality of physicochemical analyses, as was demonstrated for monosaccharide analysis after hydrolysis by gas chromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography, or ion chromatography (IC), and even damage analytical equipment, such as gas chromatographic capillaries or IC electrodes. We suggest a simple procedure-short stirring with solid elemental sulfur adsorbed on alumina as the scavenger-as a pretreatment of the analytical samples to remove interfering imidazolium IL traces. The chemistry underlying this pretreatment is the conversion of the 1,3-dialkylimidazolium cation to the corresponding, water-insoluble, neutral, volatile 1,3-dialkylimidazole-2-thiones. Given the negative effect of imidazolium IL impurities, the minor extension of the sample preparation by one short additional step appears to be a small price to pay for an unperturbed and instrument-safe analysis
N-glycan Core Tri-fucosylation Requires Golgi ?-mannosidase III Activity that Impacts Nematode Growth and Behaviour
No full textN-glycans with complex core chitobiose modifications are observed in various free-living and parasitic nematodes but are absent in mammals. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we demonstrated that the core N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues are modified by three fucosyltransferases (FUTs), namely FUT-1, FUT-6, and FUT-8. Interestingly, FUT-6 can only fucosylate N-glycans lacking the ?1,6-mannose upper arm, indicating that a specific ?-mannosidase is required to generate substrates for subsequent FUT-6 activity. By analyzing the N-glycomes of aman-3 KOs using offline HPLC-MALDI-TOF MS/MS, we observed that the absence of aman-3 abolishes ?1,3-fucosylation of the distal GlcNAc of N-glycans, which suggests that AMAN-3 is the relevant mannosidase on whose action FUT-6 depends. Enzymatic characterization of recombinant AMAN-3 and confocal microscopy studies using a knock-in strain (aman-3::eGFP) demonstrated a Golgi localization. In contrast to the classical Golgi ?-mannosidase II (AMAN-2), AMAN-3 displayed a cobalt-dependent ?1,6-mannosidase activity toward N-glycans. Using AMAN-3 and other C. elegans glycoenzymes, we were able to mimic nematode N-glycan biosynthesis in vitro by remodeling a fluorescein conjugated-glycan and generate a tri-fucosylated structure. In addition, using a high-content computer-assisted C. elegans analysis platform, we observed that aman-3 deficient worms display significant developmental
delays, morphological, and behavioral alterations in comparison to the WT. Our data demonstrated that AMAN-3 is a Golgi ?-mannosidase required for core fucosylation of the distal GlcNAc of N-glycans. This enzyme is essential for the formation of the unusual tri-fucosylated chitobiose modifications in nematodes, which may play important roles in nematode development and behavior
Phenotypic divergence across populations does not affect habitat selection in an Amazonian poison frog
No full textUnderstanding intraspecific variation in habitat selection by polytypic species, where distinct variants occur in separate populations, can improve our knowledge of population-specific selective pressures and inform conservation measures. Here, we investigated differences in habitat selection across six populations of the dyeing poison frog ( Dendrobates tinctorius), an aposematic species characterized by great phenotypic variation. In each population, we recorded the locations and associated habitat of frogs and systematically scored available habitat. We hypothesized that habitat selection differs (1) among populations containing different variants, predicting that larger-bodied frogs are less dependent on moisture-retaining structures; (2) between disturbed and pristine areas, predicting frogs in disturbed areas being more reliant on structural diversity and water bodies; and (3) between males and females, predicting stronger differences in habitat selection in populations with greater sexual size dimorphism. We found little variation in habitat selection among populations or between disturbed and pristine areas but detected strong general patterns across populations. Frogs selected for proximity to tree falls, dead woody material, presence of water pools, and avoided areas with extensive ground vegetation and little canopy cover. Moreover, males tended to show a stronger selection for proximity to water and females stronger selection for tree falls. Combined, our results suggest that in aposematic species, habitat selection might be relatively constant across populations, potentially because of reduced susceptibility to local predation risk. Our findings provide important baseline data regarding the habitat requirements of this emblematic species, which can be relevant for efficient conservation measures in the future
Detection and phylogenetic analysis of blood-associated pathogens from spleen samples of wild raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Germany
No full textRaccoons (Procyon lotor) originated in North America and have been introduced to Europe. Due to their close contact with human settlements, they are important reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens, such as Baylisascaris procyonis. The relevance and prevalence of vector-borne pathogens have not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we screened 285 spleen samples of raccoons, collected between 2019 and 2022 in Germany. The samples were analysed by PCR to detect Mycoplasma spp., Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella spp., Babesia spp., Rickettsia spp., Filarioidea, Trypanosomatida and Hepatozoon spp., and positive PCR products were sequenced. In total, 104 samples were positive for Mycoplasma spp. (36.49%), making this the first study to detect Mycoplasma spp. in raccoons outside of North America. Three samples were positive for Babesia spp. (1.05%) and two for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (0.7%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Mycoplasma spp. detected all belong to the haemotrophic mycoplasmas cluster and were grouped within a single phylogenetic clade. Two different Babesia spp. were detected, one of which was closely related to Babesia canis, while the other was more closely related to Babesia sp. from ruminants. It is unclear whether the pathogens detected have an impact on the health of raccoons or whether they may serve as a reservoir for other animals
The modulating role of uniaxial straining in the IL-1? and TGF-? mediated inflammatory response of human primary ligamentocytes
No full textBiomechanical (over-)stimulation, in addition to inflammatory and fibrotic stimuli, severely impacts the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) biology, contributing to the overall chronic nature of desmopathy. A major challenge has been the lack of representative two-dimensional (2D) in vitro models mimicking inflammatory processes in the presence of dynamic mechanical strain, both being crucial for ligament homeostasis. Physiological levels of strain exert anti-inflammatory effects, while excessive strain can facilitate inflammatory mechanisms. Adhering to the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) principles of animal research, this study aims to investigate the role of a dynamic biomechanical in vitro environment on inflammatory mechanisms by combining a Flexcell culture system with primary human ligamentocytes for the study of ligament pathology. Primary ligamentocytes from OA patients were cultured under animal-free conditions with human platelet lysate, and exposed to either IL-1? or TGF-?3 to simulate different inflammatory microenvironments. Cells were subjected to different magnitudes of mechanical strain. Results showed that cells aligned along the force axis under strain. This study highlights the critical role of the mechanical microenvironment in modulating inflammatory and fibrotic cellular responses in ligamentocyte pathology, providing valuable insights into the complex interplay between biomechanical stimuli and cytokine signaling. These findings not only advance our understanding of ligament biology but also can pave the way for the development of more targeted therapeutic strategies for ligament injuries and diseases, potentially improving patient outcomes in orthopedic medicine
Launching Austria\u27s One Health network: paving the way for transdisciplinary collaborations
No full textIn the post-COVID-19 era, stakeholders, including policymakers, funders, and the public, are increasingly seeking for a cross-sectoral systems-based approach to health risks extending beyond conventional measures. Anchored on three health pillars -human, animal, and environmental- One Health offers a promising framework to effectively address this demand. While some nations have already implemented national One Health strategic plans, European countries, in general, are lagging behind the global agenda. On 22 February 2024, an initiative was launched in Austria toward addressing this gap, bringing together multiple sectors and disciplines, marking the initial step in creating a national One Health network. The workshop emphasized the importance of enhancing One Health education and addressed key topics, such as incorporating the environmental pillar of One Health as well as socio-economic and cultural drivers to further our understanding of outbreaks, and establishing trusted communication channels, including data sharing, between disciplines and sectors. Identified challenges encompassed the need for more funding of transdisciplinary research. Opportunities for advancement include initiating local One Health projects and showcasing their positive impacts. Moving forward, efforts will focus on establishing a mature and globally connected One Health framework in Austria and supporting the integration of One Health aspects into education curricula, research programs, and policies