Population status and trend of the threatened ivory gull Pagophila eburnea in Svalbard

The ivory gull Pagophila eburnea is a high-Arctic seabird associated with sea ice throughout the year. It breeds at high latitudes, mostly in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic. It is rare (<11500 breeding pairs globally) and remains one of the most poorly known seabirds in the world. Although Svalbard (Norway) supports breeding populations of international significance, the population trend in the region was unknown prior to this study. We conducted annual surveys of known breeding sites from 2006 to 2019 to estimate the size of the ivory gull population in Svalbard and to assess the population trend. We visited 117 colonies, 60 of which were new discoveries during this study. All breeding sites were situated in cliffs, and no ground-breeding ivory gulls were found. Based on the most complete survey in 2019, we estimated the Svalbard breeding population to be between 1500 and 2000 breeding pairs. We recorded an overall 40% decline in the number of breeding ivory gulls, but the trends varied significantly among colonies. The inter-annual fluctuations in the number of breeding pairs were not synchronous among colonies, which can be explained by the movements of adult breeding birds between colonies. The current decline in the Svalbard ivory gull population could be related to the ongoing decline in sea ice extent and quality in the Barents Sea. It may also be driven by ecological changes along the migration routes or at the wintering grounds, as hypothesized for the Canadian breeding population.

A Quantitative Assessment of the Subchondral Changes in Osteoarthritis and its Association to the Cartilage Degeneration

In order to quantify the alterations in subchrondral bone and to compare the changes with the severity of the cartilage lesions, a quantitative histological analysis of articular cartilage and subchrondral bone from osteoarthritic and normal femoral heads was performed.

The analyses were based on 12 femoral heads, seven which were osteoarthritic and five controls. Coronal sections were made and divided into four separate sites to include two weight-bearing and two non-weight-bearing. For each area the percentage volume of trabecular bone was determined by histomorphometry and the degree of cartilage degeneration was evaluated according to a histologicalhistochemical grading system.

The data obtained showed wide variations from site to site, in osteoarthritic femoral heads, with consistently more pronounced alterations in cartilage and subchrondral bone in the weight-bearing areas. Bone thickening and cartilage degeneration were distinctly increased in osteoarthritic joints, in contrast to the control group. By comparing the bony changes with the severity of the cartilage lesions, a correlation of moderate significance was found between the degeneration of the cartilage and sclerosis of the subchrondral bone.

Sections from osteoarthritic and normal canine femoral heads were obtained and divided into weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing areas. The trabecular bone area (%) and the severity of cartilage degeneration were determined by bone histo-morphology and a cartilage histological-histochemical grading system.

Bone thickening and cartilage degeneration were increased in osteoarthritic joints, when compared to normal controls with consistently more pronounced alterations in weight-bearing areas. The severity of the cartilage lesions were found to corre-late with subchrondral bone sclerosis.

Road traffic accident risk in patients with diabetes mellitus receiving blood glucose-lowering drugs. Prospective follow-up study

AIM

To investigate, at a national level, whether patients using insulin or oral glucose-lowering agents had an increased risk of road traffic accidents compared with non-users.

METHODS

All Norwegians aged 18-69 years (3.1 million) were followed from April 2004 until September 2006. Information on drug prescriptions, road traffic accidents and emigration/death was obtained from the following population-based registries: the Prescription Database, the Road Accident Registry and the Central Population Registry. The exposure period was the time from the first prescription of insulin or oral glucose-lowering agent during the study period. The incidence of accidents in the exposed person-time was compared with the incidence of accidents in the unexposed person-time by standardized incidence ratio (SIR).

RESULTS

During the study period, 20 494 road traffic accidents with personal injuries were registered in Norway. One hundred and eighty-three accidents were registered for insulin users not taking oral glucose-lowering agents and 219 for users of oral blood glucose-lowering drugs without insulin. The SIR (95% confidence interval) for all ages and both genders combined were: insulin 1.4 (1.2-1.6), oral glucose-lowering agents 1.2 (1.0-1.3) and users of drugs for peptic ulcer and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (negative comparators) 1.3 (1.2-1.4). The highest SIRs were found among the youngest insulin users (18-34 years old).

CONCLUSIONS

A slightly increased risk of being involved in a road traffic accident was observed for drivers prescribed insulin, while no increased risk was observed for drivers prescribed oral glucose-lowering agents. The increased risk observed for insulin users was similar to that observed for users of drugs for peptic ulcer and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Cellular, hemostatic, and inflammatory parameters of the surgical stress response in pigs undergoing partial pericardectomy via open thoracotomy or thoracoscopy

BACKGROUND

Thoracoscopy has been shown to reduce the inflammatory and immunologic response to surgical stress, as compared with corresponding open procedures in humans. The influence on the hemostatic system, however, has not been thoroughly evaluated. The current study aimed to compare the perioperative and immediate postoperative changes in cellular, hemostatic, and inflammatory parameters after a partial pericardectomy performed by either thoracoscopy or thoracotomy.

METHODS

For this study, 16 pigs were randomly assigned to have a partial pericardectomy performed thoracoscopically or by thoracotomy. Blood was collected intraoperatively, then 10 min, 3 h, and 6 h after surgery. Whole ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-stabilized blood and plasma were examined for cellular, hemostatic, and inflammatory parameters, respectively, and thromboelastography (TEG) was performed on citrated whole blood.

RESULTS

No significant difference in any of the parameters measured was found between the two groups except for the TEG parameter R-time, which was significantly shorter in the thoracoscopic group 3 h postoperatively. In both groups, a significant postoperative state of hypercoagulability and increase in inflammatory parameters was found. Additionally, pig blood showed a high degree of hypercoagulability in preoperative measurements, as compared with other species.

CONCLUSIONS

Partial pericardectomy performed by thoracotomy or thoracoscopy in pigs produces a surgical stress response of equal magnitude, as measured by cellular, hemostatic, and inflammatory changes.

Different versions of the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification system and the defined daily dose--are drug utilisation data comparable?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether published drug utilisation studies contain satisfactory references to the ATC/DDD version applied and thus are usable for comparative purposes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A literature survey of drug utilisation studies was made. Seventy-three articles were identified by two Medline searches, one in 1996 and another in 1998. The articles were classified into four different groups. Groups 1 and 2 give proper references to the defined daily doses (DDDs) used in the studies, either by full reference to the version of the ATC Index with DDDs or by listing the actual DDDs used. The articles in groups 1 and 2 represent 46% of the articles in the survey. The articles classified in groups 3 and 4 give references only to general articles about the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification (ATC)/DDD system or no references at all. Fifty-four percent of the articles in the survey were classified in these groups. In these articles it is not possible to identify which DDDs have been used in the presentation of drug consumption data.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results from our literature survey, it is not common practice to include the ATC codes and the DDD values used or to make reference to the versions of the ATC/DDD index used when results from drug utilisation studies are published. One possible reason for this might be little or no knowledge about the ATC/DDD system as a dynamic system in which alterations are made annually. The lack of references to the actual DDDs used in the studies make comparisons between different data sets difficult and misleading.

Procollagen type-III aminoterminal peptide in serum and synovial fluid of dogs with hip dysplasia and coxarthrosis

Hip dysplasia is an affection of the coxofemoral joint that progresses until stabilization is caused by fibrosis and osteoarthritic changes. This stabilization process can be examined by clinical and radiographic methods. The capability of evaluating the procollagen concentrations in liquids, such as serum and synovial fluid, has further offered the basis for an objective biochemical evaluation of the stabilization process. Our study was performed to evaluate whether determination of procollagen concentrations was suitable for the use in practice. The procollagen type-III aminoterminal peptide (P-III-NP) concentration was measured in serum and in synovial fluid from coxofemoral joints in 20 dogs. Dogs were grouped on the basis of evidence of dysplasia and osteoarthritic changes of the hip: (1) a control group of 6 dogs without clinical or radiographic signs of hip dysplasia, and (2) dysplastic group of 14 dogs, which was further grouped with respect to the coxofemoral joint laxity, as determined by the Ortolani test. Synovial fluid concentration of P-III-NP was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in fluid from dysplastic joints than in fluid from normal joints. Serum concentrations of P-III-NP were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in dogs in which results of the Ortolani test were positive.

Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on canine neutrophil chemotaxis

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exhibit differences in their ability to suppress polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) functions in different species. The present study investigated the in-vitro and ex-vivo effects of phenylbutazone and flunixin on leukotriene-B4-directed migration of canine PMN. Furthermore, in-vitro comparison was made to indomethacin and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). In vitro, flunixin and NDGA were the most potent inhibitors, with IC50S of 13 and 7 mumol/l, respectively. Phenylbutazone had an IC50 of 42 mumol/l whereas indomethacin did not achieve 50% inhibition at concentrations less than 100 mumol/l. Ex vivo, flunixin almost completely abolished the LTB4 response at 1 h, and still possessed significant inhibitory activity 24 h after a dosage of 1 mg/kg i.v. Phenylbutazone was less active ex vivo but did suppress chemotaxis by 23% (P less than 0.05) at 1 h following an i.v. dose of 20 mg/kg. It is suggested that part of the anti-inflammatory action of flunixin in dogs may be attributed to inhibition of PMN recruitment.

Synovial fluid proteins in degenerative joint disease in dogs

Concentrations of three immunoglobulins, albumin, ceruloplasmin, alpha-2 macroglobulin and pregnancy zone protein were estimated by immunoelectrophoresis in paired samples of synovial fluid and serum from 12 dogs with degenerative joint disease (DJD) and six normal dogs. The ratios of synovial fluid to serum concentrations (SF/S) of the four non-immunoglobulins showed an almost inverse linear relationship with their molecular weight in both groups. The SF/S were higher in the DJD synovial fluid than in normal synovial fluid. The difference increased with increasing molecular weight and was highly significant for the largest molecules, reflecting an increased permeability and inflammation in the synovial membrane of DJD joints. The SF/S ratios of the three immunoglobulins studied were compared to the diffusion curves of the four non-immunoglobulins. The SF/S ratios of IgM from dogs with DJD exceeded those calculated from the molecular weights. The present observations support the concept that DJD should be considered an inflammatory disease and suggest that immunologic processes may initiate and/or sustain the inflammation.

Biological variation in random and leukotriene B4-directed migration of canine neutrophils

Seasonal, sexual, parental and age-related effects on peripheral blood neutrophil migration were studied in 25 dogs. Random and chemotactic movements were estimated by measuring migration towards buffer and leukotriene B4, respectively. Significant effects were seen only in the comparison between the two sexes. Neutrophils from bitches exhibited 19% greater random migration but 10% smaller chemotactic responsiveness than neutrophils from male dogs. A progesterone-mediated suppression of chemotaxis is hypothesized in metoestral bitches. It is concluded that the observed differences are probably too subtle to play any role in combatting bacterial infections, but may constitute a source of bias in the evaluation of isolated cases of disease-associated defective chemotaxis.