Effects of rainfall, host demography, and musth on strongyle fecal egg counts in African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in Namibia.

Wild African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are commonly infected with intestinal strongyle parasites. Our objective was to determine baseline fecal strongyle egg counts for elephants in the northeast region of Etosha National Park, Namibia and determine if these numbers were affected by annual rainfall, elephant demography (age of individuals and composition of groups), and hormonal state of males. We found that matriarchal family group members have significantly higher fecal egg counts than male elephants (bulls). Among family group members, strongyle egg counts increased with age, whereas among bulls, strongyle egg counts decreased with age. Years of higher rainfall were correlated with decreased numbers of strongyle eggs among bulls. Finally, bulls were not affected by their physiologic (hormonal) status (musth vs. nonmusth). These results suggest that infection by strongyle parasites in Namibian African elephants is a dynamic process affected by intrinsic and extrinsic factors including host demography and rainfall.

Comparison of rectal and tympanic core body temperature measurement in adult Guyanese squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus sciureus).

BACKGROUND: Measuring core body temperature in a manner that is safe for animals and veterinary personnel is an important part of a physical examination. For nonhuman primates, this can involve increased restraint, additional stress, as well as the use of anesthetics and their deleterious effects on body temperature measurements. The purpose of this study was to compare two non-invasive methods of infrared tympanic thermometry to standard rectal thermometry in adult squirrel monkeys. METHODS: Tympanic temperatures were collected from 37 squirrel monkeys and compared to rectal temperatures using a human and veterinary infrared tympanic thermometer. RESULTS: Compared with rectal temperature measurements, the human tympanic thermometer readings were not significantly different, while the veterinary tympanic thermometer measurements were significantly higher (P<0.05). There were no differences between sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The tympanic thermometer designed for use in humans can be used in adult squirrel monkeys as an alternative to rectal thermometry for assessing core body temperature.

A comparison of non-contact, subcutaneous, and rectal temperatures in captive owl monkeys (Aotus sp.).

BACKGROUND: Three methods of body temperature measurement were compared in owl monkeys: non-contact infrared thermometry, subcutaneous transponder, and rectal probe. METHODS: Forty owl monkeys (Aotus sp.) were used. Animals were implanted with subcutaneous microchip transponders. Infrared thermometry was used at three different sites. All measurements were taken and repeated randomly. RESULTS: Infrared and subcutaneous measurements did not agree well with rectal thermometry. Subcutaneous and rectal temperatures were highly repeatable, and subcutaneous temperatures were most agreeable to rectal temperatures. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation is needed into subcutaneous implant sites and use of different infrared thermometers in this species.

Evaluation of a timed and repeated perianal tape test for the detection of pinworms (Trypanoxyuris microon) in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae).

The purpose of this project was to determine if the detection of pinworm infections in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymae) could be improved by performing perianal tape testing at specific times of the day and/or by performing repeated sampling. Eight Aotus known to be infected with pinworms were sampled at four selected time points (06:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 24:00 hours) over the course of a 3-week period. Samples were examined microscopically and oxyurid eggs were quantified. Results revealed no significant differences in time points, but did indicate that repeated sampling significantly improved pinworm egg detection. Results also determined that Aotus housed with an infected cage mate are at an approximately 14-times greater risk of being infected than animals housed without an infected cage mate. Lastly, results indicated no significant difference between peripheral eosinophil and basophil numbers from infected and clean animals.

Immunocytochemical and histological differences in the interrenal axis of feral brown trout, Salmo trutta, in metal-contaminated waters.

There are more CRH-like immunoreactive neurons in the preoptic nucleus and nucleus lateralis tuberis in the brain of feral brown trout, Salmo trutta, living in cadmium- and zinc-contaminated regions of the Eagle River than in fish from an uncontaminated control site. Histological analyses revealed that interrenal cells are more stimulated (exhibiting both hypertrophy and hyperplasia) in fish living in contaminated sites than interrenal cells of fish at the control site. These results suggest that the hypothalamo-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis of fish living in the metal-contaminated water shows evidence of chronic stimulation. We suggest that assessment of these parameters of the HPI axis may be useful indices of chronic environmental stress in trout.

22-Oxa calcitriol is a less potent regulator of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation due to decreased cellular uptake and enhanced catabolism.

22-oxa calcitriol (OCT) is a recently synthesized analog of calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3) with potent biologic actions both in vivo and in vitro. Because it is considerably less hypercalcemic than 1,25(OH)2D3 when given in vivo, OCT is of potential use for the treatment of diseases, such as psoriasis, that respond to the antiproliferative, prodifferentiating actions of 1,25(OH)2D3. To determine the potential usefulness of OCT in hyperproliferative skin diseases, we compared the ability of OCT to that of 1,25(OH)2D3 with respect to regulation of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation in vitro. These studies were performed in serum-free media to eliminate differences in potency secondary to differences in binding to the serum vitamin D-binding protein. We observed that OCT was considerably less effective than 1,25(OH)2D3 in inhibiting keratinocyte proliferation and stimulating differentiation. The decreased potency of OCT appeared to be due to decreased uptake and increased catabolism rather than decreased affinity for the vitamin D receptor. We conclude that under the conditions of our experiments OCT was less potent than 1,25(OH)2D3 because it failed to achieve comparable concentrations within the cell.

Reconciling practice and theory: challenges in monitoring Medicaid managed-care quality.

The massive shift to managed care in many State Medicaid programs heightens the importance of identifying effective approaches to promote and oversee quality in plans serving Medicaid enrollees. This article reviews operational issues and lessons from the ongoing evaluation of a three-State demonstration of the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Quality Assurance Reform Initiative (QARI) for Medicaid managed care. The QARI experience to date shows the potential utility of the system while drawing attention to the challenges involved in translating theory to practice. These challenges include data limitations and staffing constraints, diverse levels of sophistication among States and health plans, and the practical limitations of using quality indicators for a population that is often enrolled only on a discontinuous basis. To overcome these challenges, we suggest using realistically long timeframes for system implementation, with intermediate short-term strategies that could treat States and managed-care plans differently depending on their stage of development.

Rural and urban hospital closures, 1985-1988: operating and environmental characteristics that affect risk.

Due to congressional concern that rural hospitals were particularly disadvantaged by Medicare's Prospective Payment System, the U.S. General Accounting Office investigated the role of Medicare and other factors in hospitals' risk of closure. This paper reports on the findings of that study, which compared the risk of closure among urban and rural hospitals during 1985 to 1988, the period after implementation of PPS. When hospital operating and environmental characteristics were held constant, the odds of closure in rural and urban areas differed significantly only for private nonprofit hospitals. Although a number of factors were associated with hospitals' higher risk of closure, we did not find evidence that Medicare was a major factor associated with financial distress or closure during the 1985 to 1988 period.