Combined contraceptive ring versus combined oral contraceptive (30-µg ethinylestradiol and 3-mg drospirenone).

OBJECTIVES: To compare the adverse effects, cycle control, and metabolic effects of NuvaRing and a combined oral contraceptive (COC). METHODS: Women seeking contraception received NuvaRing (n = 300) or a COC (n = 300) for 12 cycles in a randomized, open-label trial. RESULTS: The total number of women with adverse effects did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Leucorrhea, vaginitis, decreased libido, and ring-related problems were more common with NuvaRing, whereas weight increase, acne, and emotional lability were more common with the COC. Breakthrough bleeding occurred in 11.3% of women receiving NuvaRing and in 14.7% of women receiving the COC; 2.1% and 2.9% of women, respectively, had no withdrawal bleeding. Differences in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, lipid profile, liver enzyme activity, and anticoagulant activity were not statistically significant, with the exception of low-density lipoprotein levels measured at 6 and 12 months, which were significantly lower in the NuvaRing group than in the COC group. CONCLUSIONS: NuvaRing is a good alternative to a COC. It is associated with a slightly reduced incidence of breakthrough bleeding and there were no clinically relevant adverse effects or changes in blood pressure, blood sugar levels, lipid profile, or anticoagulant activity when compared with the COC.

Circadian rhythm of metabolic changes associated with summer heat stress in high-producing dairy cattle.

The current study aimed to investigate the circadian rhythm of blood metabolic parameters associated with summer heat stress (HS) in dairy cows. Ten healthy lactating Holstein Friesian cows were followed during HS for three successive days at six different time points. Blood was sampled from each cow starting from 07:00 AM: ; at 4-h intervals. Ambient air temperature and relative humidity were recorded, and temperature-humidity index (THI) was calculated as well. Respiration rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) were recorded for each cow at the time of blood sampling. Concentrations of glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), total cholesterol (TC) and urea were measured in each blood sample. The THI values were >68 at all times of the day, and the highest values were recorded at 11:00 AM: , 03:00 PM: and 07:00 PM: (80.9, 83.7, and 80.8, respectively). All the cows showed a significantly higher RR and RT coinciding with higher THI values (93 +/- 4 and 39.6 +/- 0.1; 90.2 +/- 3.4, and 40.1 +/- 0.1; 87.6 +/- 4.1, and 39.8 +/- 0.1, respectively, P < 0.05). The concentrations of glucose were the lowest at 11:00 AM: and 03:00 PM: (3.75 +/- 0.1 and 3.44 +/- 0.1 mmol/L, respectively, P < 0.05). Decreased glucose concentrations coincided with increased NEFA concentrations, (0.43 +/- 0.01 and 0.56 +/- 0.02 mmol/L, respectively, P < 0.05), and were highly negatively correlated (r = -0.50, P < 0.001). The highest urea and TC concentrations were registered at 11:00 AM: (6.11 +/- 0.15 mmol/L and 109.9 +/- 2.2 mg/dl, respectively) whereas the lowest urea and TC values were recorded at 03:00 AM: (4.97 +/- 0.18 mmol/L and 99.5 +/- 1.7 mg/dl, respectively, P < 0.05). The results of the present study indicate that there was a circadian variation in glucose, NEFA, urea, and TC resulting in the most unfavorable metabolic condition during the hottest moment of the day in dairy cattle. Earlier work revealed that HS-metabolic changes are reflected in the follicular fluid. The circadian changes observed in the present study associated with HS may imply that also the microenvironment of the oocyte is affected.

Alighting of Tabanidae and muscids on natural and simulated hosts in the Sudan.

Alighting of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) and non-biting muscids (Diptera: Muscidae) was studied at Khartoum, Sudan, using black cylindrical models mimicking a goat, calf and cow. Flies were intercepted by attaching electrocution grids or clear adhesive film to models. Alighting sites and defensive behaviour were also documented on hosts through observation. Female Tabanus sufis (Jennicke), T. taeniola (Palisot) and Atylotus agrestis (Wiedemann) were the main tabanids captured. Muscids landed in equal numbers on all sizes of models. They had a strong preference for the upper portions of both models and hosts. Landings of T. taeniola and A. agrestis increased with model size, but not so for T. sufis. T. taeniola and A. agrestis scarcely alighted on the legs of models whereas 60-78% of T. sufis did so. Landings of T. sufis on artificial legs did not vary with model size. Landings of all tabanids on the lower and upper portions of a model increased with model size. For both hosts and models, most tabanids (88-98%) alighted on the lower half and legs. Most muscids (63-89%) alighted on the upper half. Landing of tabanids on the cow was 34.9 and 69.3 times greater than that on the calf and goat, respectively. These results are discussed in relation to strategies for the control of blood-sucking flies associated with farm animals using either insecticide-treated live baits or their mimics.

Trypanosome infection rate of Glossina morsitans submorsitans in Bahr El Arab, South Darfur Province, Sudan.

Trypanosome infection rate of Glossina morsitans submorsitans in Bahr El Arab fly belt, Sudan was investigated in four areas using fly rounds with screen and bait animals together with traps during the dry season February to May 1985. The overall infection rate of tests flies captured in the four areas was 5.1%. The infection rate of vivax group trypanosomes comprised 64.7% of total infections, congolense group 31.2% and brucei group trypanosomes 3.9%: 27.3% of the vivax and 31.3% of the congolense were immature trypanosome infections. Mixed trypanosome infections were encountered in a few flies. Trypanosome infection rate of flies differed with the sampling technique employed. A linear positive correlation existed between the physiological age of males and their trypanosome infection rates.

Trypanosome infection rate of Glossina pallidipes during wet and dry seasons in Somalia.

Using biconical traps the distribution, population composition, insemination rate, pregnancy, age structure and trypanosome infection rate of G. pallidipes were studied during the wet season 1982 and the dry season 1983 at Mareerrey Somalia. Flies restricted to the riverine gallery forest in the dry season become dispersed into approximately 1 km of the Acacia thickets in the wet season. There was no significant variation in population components of G. pallidipes between wet and dry seasons. The male:female ratio remained at 0.5:1 in both seasons. The insemination rate of females was significantly high during the wet season. Pregnancy stages were not statistically different between the two study periods. A significantly greater proportion of females that were below age category 4 were found in the wet season. The trypanosome infection rate was 2.6% and 1.5% in the wet and dry seasons respectively. Flies were found infected with only the vivax and congolense group trypanosomes. A linear positive correlation existed between the trypanosome infection rate and the physiological age of females.