This paper addresses the issue of antibacterial drugs, estrogens and cytostatic drugs’ presence in
surface waters and their influence on animals. The ecotoxicity and the impact of three active compounds: ciprofloxacin, 17α-ethinylestradiol and 5-fluorouracil on protozoa, crustaceans and fish were examined. Acute
tests (crustaceans’ immobilization test, fish survival test, enzymatic test on Daphnia magna) and chronic tests
(growth test on protozoa, reproduction test on crustaceans and juvenile growth test on two species of fish) were
performed. Acute toxicity studies revealed diversified species - sensitivity to the tested compounds. Crustaceans Artemia salina were the most resistant to all three pharmaceuticals. Fish also demonstrated low sensitivity
to ciprofloxacin and 5-fluorouracil (LC(EC)50-96h > 100 mg/l). In the survival tests, the greatest harm in respect
to fish and crustaceans was demonstrated by 17α-ethinylestradiol, and in the enzymatic tests - by ciprofloxacin.
In all chronic tests, the toxic effects of drugs were proven. Tested compounds limited reproduction of crustaceans and growth of protozoa and fry. The risk assessment, conducted on the basis of the PEC/PNEC quotient,
showed a significant risk in relation to aquatic animals caused by the presence of 17α-ethinylestradiol and
5-fluorouracil in concentrations detected in surface waters.
We talk to Dr. Andrzej Kruszewicz, director of Warsaw Zoo, about animals being held in “captivity.”
The amount and composition of lipids m some Antarctic animals were studied. The material consisted of crustaceans (Euphausia superba, Paramoera sp., Orchomene sp.), tunicates (Salpa thompsoni) and vertebrates (Notothenia rossi marmorata and Hydrurga leptonyx). The author's data are discussed on the background of available literature information.
How can we learn about the diet, health and parasites of animals which have long since gone extinct? One excellent, although perhaps slightly revolting way is to study pieces of fossilized excrement, known as coprolites.
Empathy is one of the traits that make us human. In exploring the origins of empathy disorders, however, we can learn a lot by studying animals.
Enterococcus hirae belongs in the Enterococcus faecium group within the genus Enterococcus. This species occurs naturally in the environment, commensally in the alimentary tracts of animals, and pathologically for example in humans with urinary infections. Some strains of E. hirae possess virulence factors, including biofilm formation. Biofilm growth protects bacteria against host de- fences; biofilm can be a source of persistent infection. Testing bacterial strains for their ability to form biofilm might therefore facilitate their treatment or prevention. This study focuses on bio- film formation by E. hirae strains derived from various animals. This kind of testing has never been done before. A total of 64 identified E. hirae from laying hens, ducks, pheasants, ostriches, rabbits, horses and a goat were tested by means of three methods; using Congo red agar, the tube method and microtiter plate agar. The majority of strains were found to form biofilm. 62.5% of strains were biofilm-forming, four categorized as highly positive (OD570 ≥1); most strains were low-grade biofilm positive (0.1 ≤ OD 570 < 1). Related to poultry, 55 E. hirae strains were tested nd found to produce biofilm; 24 strains did not form biofilm, 31 strains were biofilm-forming; 27 strains showed low-grade biofilm formation, and four strains were highly biofilm-forming. Four strains from hens and ostriches reached the highest OD570 values, more than 0.500. Rabbit-derived E. hirae strains as well as strains isolated from horses and the goat were low-grade bio- film-forming. Microtiter plate assay proved to be the best tool for testing the in vitro biofilm for- mation capacity of E. hirae strains from different species of animals.
The aim of this paper is to analyse various animal-specifi c complex lexical units together with patterns that can be held responsible for their underlying conceptual structure. Many examples of the data investigated in the paper seem to represent compounds as they are traditionally understood in the literature of the subject (see, among others, Bauer 2003; Katamba and Stonham 2006; Lieber and Štekauer 2009; Fàbregas and Scalise 2012; Bauer et al. 2013); however, others do not meet the basic criteria for compoundhood as postulated by, for example, Altakhaineh (2016). In my research I use the term animal-specifi c complex lexical units with reference to all animal-related composite expressions being the result of the working of metaphor-metonymy interaction.
The pace of climate change observed since the beginning of the industrial era has prompted scientists to seriously consider whether human activity is to blame for global warming. On the geological timescale, however, climate change is certainly nothing new or exceptional – as is clear when one looks at the record of plant and animal fossils.
Animals kept outside their natural environment often suffer from boredom. They don’t hunt or have a chance to conduct their mating rituals, and their natural tendency for physical activity is limited by space. These deficiencies affect their psychological well-being. But when it comes to dogs, we can help them by exploiting their excellent sense of smell.
Pseudorabies (PR) outbreaks have devastated many swine farms in several parts of China since late 2011. The outbreak-associated pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant strains exhibited some typical amino acid changes in glycoprotein E (gE), a diagnostic antigen used for discriminating between PRV-infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). To counteract the potential impact of epitope variations on current serological diagnostics of PRV, we produced monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against gE protein of one representative PRV variant strain and developed a blocking immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (b-IPMA) for DIVA. The b-IPMA was based on the inhibition of binding between PRV-infected cells and mAb by PRV-specific antibodies present in clinical swine sera and was validated by comparison with a commercial PRV gpI Antibody Test Kit (IDEXX Laboratories, USA). The diagnostic sensitivity, diagnostic specificity and agreement were determined to be 99.25%, 98.18% and 99.02% respectively upon testing 509 serum samples. b-IPMA detected only PRV-specific antibodies and showed no cross- -reactivity with antibodies elicited by gE-deleted vaccine or other common swine pathogens. Thus, b-IPMA has the potential to be used for high-throughput screening of PRV-infected animals in veterinary clinics.
Artykuł podejmuje problematykę pedagogiki miejsca, ze szczególnym naciskiem na kontekst miejski. Bazując na zasadniczych tezach, iż miasto jest tekstem (Władymir Toporow), a miejsca są pedagogiczne (Maria Mendel) – koncentruje się na problematyce symbolu. Zarówno definicja pojęcia, jak i jego poszczególnych egzemplifikacji stanowi bazę teoretyczną do dalszych rozważań o charakterze praktycznym. Przybliżając metodologię zrealizowanego w latach 2015–2016 projektu badawczego Czytanie miasta, autorka prezentuje nowe wyzwania badawcze dla pedagogów. Przedstawienie szerokiej kafeterii symbolicznej miast – obejmującej zarówno obszar manifestacji kulturowych (wieże, mosty), jak sferę natury (góra, rzeka) – prowadzi do propozycji ich aplikacji edukacyjnych. Podsumowanie tekstu stanowią opisy zrealizowanych animacji opartych na badaniach.
Introduction: Effective and safe anesthesia for rodents has long been a leading concern among biomedical researchers. Intraperitoneal injection constitutes an alternative to inhalant anesthesia.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify a safe, reliable, and effective anesthesia and postoperative analgesia protocol for laboratory rats exposed to painful procedures.
Material and methods: Twenty-seven female Wistar rats in an ongoing study that required surgery were randomized into groups for three different intraperitoneal anesthesia protocols and three different analgesia regimens. The anesthesia groups were (1) medetomidine + ketamine (MK), (2) ketamine + xylacine (KX), and (3) fentanyl + medetomidine (FM). Three analgesia groups were equally distributed among the anesthesia groups: (1) local mepivacaine + oral ibuprofen (MI), (2) oral tramadol + oral ibuprofen (TI), and (3) local tramadol + oral tramadol + oral ibuprofen (TTI). A core was assigned to measure anesthesia (0-3) and analgesia (0-2) effectiveness; the lower the score, the more effective the treatment.
Results: The mean MK score was 0.44 versus 2.00 for FM and 2.33 for KX. Mean score for analgesia on the first postoperative day was TTI (4.66) TI (9.13), and MI (10.14). Mean score 48 hours after surgery was TTI (3.4), TI (6.71), and MI (9.5). These differences were statistically significant.
Conclusion: MK was shown to be a reliable, safe, and effective method of anesthesia. The TTI analgesia regimen is strongly recommended in light of these results.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the visualization of the rabbit common calcanean tendon and adjacent structures in the high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 1.5 T field strength and to compare the results with those previously obtained for the low-field MRI (0.25 T). Eight New Zealand rabbits were used in the post-mortem study and the results indicate that the high-field MRI provides more detailed images only in transverse scans, where the outer outline of the tendon was visualized more accurately. Other analysed structures were imaged with a resolution comparable to the low-field MRI.
The presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in blood induces an inflammatory response which leads to multiple organ dysfunction and numerous metabolic disorders. Uncontrolled, improper or late intervention may lead to tissue hypoxia, anaerobic glycolysis and a disturbance in the acid -base balance. The effects of LPS-induced toxemia on biological and immunological markers were well studied. However, parameters such as base excess, ions, and acid-base balance were not fully investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine these blood parameters collectively in LPS-induced inflammatory toxemia in rat’s model. After induction of toxemia by injecting LPS at a rate of 5 mg/kg body weight intravenously, blood was collected from the tail vein of twenty rats and immediately analyzed. After 24 hours, the animals were sacrificed and the blood was collected from the caudal vena cava. The results revealed that the levels of pH, bicarbonate, partial pressure of oxygen, oxygen saturation, Alveolar oxygen, hemoglobin, hematocrit, magnesium (Mg2+), and calcium (Ca2+) were significantly decreased. On the other side, the levels of Base excess blood, Base excess extracellular fluid, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, lactate, Ca2+/Mg2+, potassium, and chloride were significantly increased compared to those found pre toxemia induction. However, sodium level showed no significant change. In conclusion, Acute LPS-toxemia model disturbs acid-base balance, blood gases, and ions. These parameters can be used to monitor human and animal toxemic inflammatory response induced by bacterial LPS conditions to assist in the management of the diagnosed cases.
The article places the environmental history on the map of historical research. It contains a problematised definition of environmental history, outlines its key determinants, describes its research issues and methodology, and analyses the question of the historical sources that are used by environmental historians. The article also reflects on the relationship between environmental history research and theoretical reflection, primarily from the field of post-human studies and postcolonial studies. It also considers the interdisciplinary potential of these in relation to the humanities as well as natural and earth sciences. The article also contains a review of the state of research on environmental history in the Polish historiography of the last five years.
The article is an attempted analysis of the literary genre of fable as a case study of a selection of fables by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya. In particular, the analysis focuses on the fable cycles: The New Adventures of Helen the Beautiful, Adventures of Barbie and Wild Animal Fables. The perspective adopted in the article focuses mainly on the axiological aspect of the fables and the reconstruction of their moral message. The moral sense in Petrushevskaya’s fables is veiled under their overt sense. Even the overt sense is hidden deeply under the multiple levels of “intertextual irony” (Eco). The analysis also explores the links between Petrushevskaya’s works, folk magical fairy tales and the prototypical genre of the classical Russian fable. The innovative fables created by Petrushevskaya de-conventionalize the classical schemata of the genre, and as such they constitute an ironic, mocking and sometimes a bitter commentary on the contemporary world. The fables exhibit a high degree of “poetics of everyday life” – a merger of popular and high culture. They both recreate and at the same time mock the schemata and rituals of pop culture, also displaying noticeable feminist tones. In their poetics, the fables employ cyclic and serial arrangement, and are completed with “words of wisdom” that are far from naïve moral judgements.