Australian elapid snake envenomation in cats: Clinical priorities and approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 1131-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudi J Mcalees ◽  
Linda A Abraham
Keyword(s):  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Professional Experience ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Snake Envenomation ◽  
Brown Tree Snake ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
The Family ◽  
Venom Glands

Practical relevance: No fewer than 140 species of terrestrial snakes reside in Australia, 92 of which possess venom glands. With the exception of the brown tree snake, the venom-producing snakes belong to the family Elapidae. The venom of a number of elapid species is more toxic than that of the Indian cobra and eastern diamondback rattle snake, which has earned Australia its reputation for being home to the world’s most venomous snakes. Clinical challenges: The diagnosis of elapid snake envenomation is not always easy. Identification of Australian snakes is not straightforward and there are no pathognomonic clinical signs. In cats, diagnosis of envenomation is confounded by the fact that, in most cases, there is a delay in seeking veterinary attention, probably because snake encounters are not usually witnessed by owners, and also because of the tendency of cats to hide and seek seclusion when unwell. Although the administration of antivenom is associated with improved outcomes, the snake venom detection kit and antivenom are expensive and so their use may be precluded if there are financial constraints. Evidence base: In providing comprehensive guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of Australian elapid snake envenomation in cats, the authors of this review draw on the published veterinary, medical and toxicology literature, as well as their professional experience as specialists in medicine, and emergency medicine and critical care.

Chronic Otitis in Cats: Clinical management of primary, predisposing and perpetuating factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-446
Author(s):  
Bailey Brame ◽  
Christine Cain
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Management ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Ear Canal ◽  
Clinical Resolution ◽  
The Common ◽  
Patient At Risk

Practical relevance: Chronic otitis can be one of the most frustrating diseases to manage for a small animal practitioner. While it occurs less commonly in the cat than the dog, it is no less challenging. The purpose of this review is to discuss the common and uncommon causes of chronic otitis in the cat within the clinical framework used for diagnosis and treatment. The focus is on diseases that affect the ear canal, rather than those restricted to the pinnae. Clinical challenges: Otitis is multifactorial, which complicates management. A common clinical mistake is to focus solely on treating the infection present. Only by addressing all factors will a clinician successfully control chronic otitis. For the purposes of this review, the authors have adopted the established model of separating primary, predisposing and perpetuating causes of otitis. Primary factors are those that directly cause otitis (inflammation); predisposing factors are those that put the patient at risk for development of otitis; and perpetuating factors are those that result in ongoing clinical signs of otitis or that prevent clinical resolution. Audience: This review is aimed at veterinarians who treat cats and particularly those with an interest in feline dermatology and otology. Equipment: While many practitioners rely on a hand-held otoscope, a video-otoscope can be very helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic otitis. Evidence base: This review presents up-to-date information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of chronic otitis in cats, with emphasis on the most recent peer-reviewed literature.

scholarly journals Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in cats: A literature review to raise clinical awareness

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 428-441
Author(s):  
Ingo Schäfer ◽  
Barbara Kohn
Keyword(s):  
Anaplasma Phagocytophilum ◽  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Granulocytic Anaplasmosis ◽  
The Family ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Cat Diseases ◽  
Clinical Awareness

Practical relevance: Granulocytic anaplasmosis is a disease in humans and animals caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum within the family Anaplasmataceae. The pathogen is transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes species. Infections with A phagocytophilum have often been described in dogs but reports on natural infections in cats are rare. An infection with A phagocytophilum should be considered as a differential diagnosis in cats if the history reveals tick infestation and/or outdoor access in combination with the relevant clinical signs. Global importance: A phagocytophilum is also important in human medicine because of its zoonotic potential. Due to the risk of vector-borne infections for both feline and public health, cats should be protected with ectoparasiticides, especially in endemic areas. Aim: The aim of this review is to give an overview of the published data and summarise the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical signs and therapy of feline granulocytic anaplasmosis. As clinical signs are vague and non-specific, this review aims to raise awareness of A phagocytophilum infection, both among clinicians, so that they consider testing potentially exposed cats, and scientists, in order to prompt further research. Evidence base: Sixteen publications describing 55 cats have been reviewed. Thirty-four cats were well diagnosed based on guidelines of the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases and blood analyses were performed to varying extents for these cats. Because of the limited number of studies and a lack of knowledge in cats, clinical signs and blood analyses are compared with available data in dogs.

Compact specification of polar codes

2019 ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
R. A. Morozov ◽  
P. V. Trifonov
Keyword(s):  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Polar Codes ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Memory Consumption ◽  
Full Size ◽  
The Family ◽  
Erasure Probability ◽  
Binary Erasure Channel

Introduction:Practical implementation of a communication system which employs a family of polar codes requires either to store a number of large specifications or to construct the codes by request. The first approach assumes extensive memory consumption, which is inappropriate for many applications, such as those for mobile devices. The second approach can be numerically unstable and hard to implement in low-end hardware. One of the solutions is specifying a family of codes by a sequence of subchannels sorted by reliability. However, this solution makes it impossible to separately optimize each code from the family.Purpose:Developing a method for compact specifications of polar codes and subcodes.Results:A method is proposed for compact specification of polar codes. It can be considered a trade-off between real-time construction and storing full-size specifications in memory. We propose to store compact specifications of polar codes which contain frozen set differences between the original pre-optimized polar codes and the polar codes constructed for a binary erasure channel with some erasure probability. Full-size specification needed for decoding can be restored from a compact one by a low-complexity hardware-friendly procedure. The proposed method can work with either polar codes or polar subcodes, allowing you to reduce the memory consumption by 15–50 times.Practical relevance:The method allows you to use families of individually optimized polar codes in devices with limited storage capacity. 

Traumatic abdominal wall rupture in cats: Decision-making and recommended repair techniques

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-240
Author(s):  
Julie M Hennet ◽  
John Williams
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Abdominal Wall ◽  
Postoperative Morbidity ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Postoperative Patient ◽  
Surgical Equipment ◽  
Serious Injury ◽  
Repair Techniques

Practical relevance: Traumatic abdominal wall rupture is a potentially serious injury in cats. Feline and general practitioners should be up to date with the significance of these injuries and the procedures required to correct them. Clinical challenges: It is essential that the surgeon understands the local anatomy and adheres to Halsted’s principles in order that postoperative morbidity and mortality are kept to a minimum. Equipment: Standard general surgical equipment is required together with the facilities to provide adequate pre-, intra- and postoperative patient care. Evidence base: The authors have drawn on evidence from the published literature, as well as their own clinical experience, in developing this review aimed all veterinarians who want to update their skills in managing feline abdominal wall trauma.

scholarly journals Molecular diversity and evolutionary trends of cysteine-rich peptides from the venom glands of Chinese spider Heteropoda venatoria

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Luo ◽  
Yiying Ding ◽  
Zhihao Peng ◽  
Kezhi Chen ◽  
Xuewen Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Expressed Sequence Tags ◽  
Molecular Diversity ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Spider Venom ◽  
Evolutionary Trends ◽  
The Family ◽  
Venom Glands ◽  
Venom Evolution ◽  
Expressed Sequence

AbstractHeteropoda venatoria in the family Sparassidae is highly valued in pantropical countries because the species feed on domestic insect pests. Unlike most other species of Araneomorphae, H. venatoria uses the great speed and strong chelicerae (mouthparts) with toxin glands to capture the insects instead of its web. Therefore, H. venatoria provides unique opportunities for venom evolution research. The venom of H. venatoria was explored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight and analyzing expressed sequence tags. The 154 sequences coding cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) revealed 24 families based on the phylogenetic analyses of precursors and cysteine frameworks in the putative mature regions. Intriguingly, four kinds of motifs are first described in spider venom. Furthermore, combining the diverse CRPs of H. venatoria with previous spider venom peptidomics data, the structures of precursors and the patterns of cysteine frameworks were analyzed. This work revealed the dynamic evolutionary trends of venom CRPs in H. venatoria: the precursor has evolved an extended mature peptide with more cysteines, and a diminished or even vanished propeptides between the signal and mature peptides; and the CRPs evolved by multiple duplications of an ancestral ICK gene as well as recruitments of non-toxin genes.

Venom gland morphology in Pepsis pallidolimbata pallidolimbata and biological use and activity of Pepsis venom

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1014-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Schoeters ◽  
J. Billen ◽  
J. O. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Venom Gland ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Morphological Organization ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family ◽  
Venom Glands ◽  
Glandular Structures ◽  
Sibling Family

Spider wasps, i.e., the family Pompilidae, in general, and those belonging to the genus Pepsis in particular, are acknowledged to possess venoms that are algogenic to humans and thus have the parsimonious functions of causing paralysis and providing defense against predators. The morphological organization of the venom system and its complex convoluted gland closely resembles that in social members of the Vespidae. These features distinguish the venom glands of the Pompilidae from those of the sibling family Mutillidae as well as those of the family Sphecidae, which lack convoluted glands. Although the venom glands in Pepsis species are very similar in morphology to those of social vespids, the lethality of Pepsis venom to mammals is several times less than that of the social common wasps. These findings suggest that in terms of the evolution of venom activity and the associated glandular structures, there was apparently no need for social wasps to develop extra parts of the venom system for producing toxic, lethal, or powerful algogenic components. All of the glandular parts of the venom gland of social wasps were already present in pompilids (and eumenids) and, presumably, in their ancestors.

Family interventions in psychosis

2020 ◽  
pp. 531-537
Author(s):  
Juliana Onwumere ◽  
Elizabeth Kuipers
Keyword(s):  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Family Interventions ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

Families can play an important role in supporting individuals living with psychosis disorders and helping to facilitate their improved outcomes. This chapter, offered by Juliana Onwumere and Elizabeth Kuipers, provides an overview of the literature reporting on family involvement in the care of adults with lived experiences of psychosis, the impact of the caregiving role on carer well-being, and the predictive links between caregiving relationships and key patient outcomes including relapse. The chapter reports on the application of family interventions, the evidence base supporting its application and inclusion in treatment guidelines, and implementation issues.

Common feline problem behaviors: Aggression in multi-cat households

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Clinical Behavior ◽  
The People ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior

Practical relevance: Being able to understand and intervene in cases of cat–cat aggression in multi-cat households is important for all veterinarians and behavior counsellors dealing with feline behavior cases. Clincal challenges: Feline conflicts are common, perhaps not helped by many owners’ assumption that this is the norm. Interventions can be complex in multi-cat households with large numbers of cats as there are more interactions to evaluate and monitor, and care needs to be taken not to negatively affect the other cats. There may be limitations due to the environment or the people involved and so behavior guidelines should always be tailored to the individual situation. Aims: This article reviews the main forms of aggression in multi-cat households and the appropriate behavioral interventions, considering both the typical scenarios and emotions/motivations most likely involved. It details essential environmental management for multi-cat homes, as well as an approach to friendly cat introductions. Audience: This article is aimed at veterinarians dealing with feline behavior cases as well as behavior counsellors, as both professionals are likely to experience cases of aggression in multi-cat households. Evidence base: The author draws on the published literature where available and, where there is a lack of research, on hypotheses derived from her own clinical behavior experience.

scholarly journals The Cat with Neurological Manifestations of Systemic Disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 395-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Kent
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Systemic Diseases ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prompt Diagnosis

Practical relevance A number of systemic diseases are associated with neurological deficits. Most systemic diseases that impact on the nervous system result in multifocal neurological signs; however, isolated deficits can also be observed. This article reviews the clinical signs, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of four important systemic diseases with neurological consequences: feline infectious peritonitis, toxoplasmosis, hypertension and hepatic encephalopathy. Clinical challenges Early recognition of systemic signs of illness in conjunction with neurological deficits will allow for prompt diagnosis and treatment. While neurological examination of the feline patient can undoubtedly be challenging, hopefully the accompanying articles in this special issue will enable the clinician to approach these cases with more confidence. Evidence base The veterinary literature contains numerous reports detailing the impact of systemic disease on the nervous system. Unfortunately, very few references provide detailed descriptions of large cohorts of affected cats. This review summarises the literature underpinning the four key diseases under discussion.

Systematic Review of Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions for Children With Autism

2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Howlin ◽  
Iliana Magiati ◽  
Tony Charman
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Comparison Groups

Abstract Recent reviews highlight limitations in the evidence base for early interventions for children with autism. We conducted a systematic review of controlled studies of early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) for young children with autism. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria (including two randomized controlled trials). At group level, EIBI resulted in improved outcomes (primarily measured by IQ) compared to comparison groups. At an individual level, however, there was considerable variability in outcome, with some evidence that initial IQ (but not age) was related to progress. This review provides evidence for the effectiveness of EIBI for some, but not all, preschool children with autism.

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