Impact of canine overweight and obesity on health-related quality of life.

Canine obesity is increasing in prevalence in the UK and raises concerns about dog welfare. This study compares the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of dogs of varying body condition: overweight and obese (BCS 4 and 5) versus non-overweight dogs (BCS 2 and 3), obese (BCS 5) versus non-overweight (BCS 2 and 3) and an overall comparison between all four BCS (BCS 2, 3, 4 and 5) using a novel, validated HRQL instrument which is both web and mobile tablet/phone app based. Of 271 dog owners who were approached, 174 completed a web-based instrument (2013) or a mobile tablet app instrument (2014) during the summers of 2013 and 2014. Automatically generated scores in four domains of HRQL (energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable, calm/relaxed) were compared for dogs with each of the body condition scores (BCS 2-5). For all body condition scores a statistically significant difference was found between the HRQL scores in two of the domains: energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.02) and active comfortable (p=0.004). When BCS 2 and 3 were compared to BCS 4 and 5, statistical significance was found in the same two domains - energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.01) and active comfortable (p=0.001) - as it was in comparison of non-overweight (BCS 2 and 3) compared to obese dogs (BCS 5): energetic/enthusiastic (p=0.012) and active comfortable (p=0.004). These results suggest that overweight and obese dogs have a reduced HRQL in two of the domains compared to non-overweight dogs, and that differences in HRQL are detectable between BCS scores 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Malaria in penguins - current perceptions.

Avian malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by protozoans of the genus Plasmodium, and it is considered one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in captive penguins, both in zoological gardens and rehabilitation centres. Penguins are known to be highly susceptible to this disease, and outbreaks have been associated with mortality as high as 50-80% of affected captive populations within a few weeks. The disease has also been reported in wild penguin populations, however, its impacts on the health and fitness of penguins in the wild is not clear. This review provides an overview of the aetiology, life cycle and epidemiology of avian malaria, and provides details on the strategies that can be employed for the diagnostic, treatment and prevention of this disease in captive penguins, discussing possible directions for future research.

Personal safety, violence, and home health.

A critical issue facing the health care industry today is the potential impact of community and interpersonal violence on home health care. The purposes of this study were to (1) serve as a source for understanding the personal safety risk issues facing home care staff in a large Midwest region and its surrounding rural areas; (2) provide an understanding of how perceived threats to personal safety may impact patient care and patient outcomes; (3) identify strategies for increasing the personal safety of direct care staff; and (4) identify organizational, educational, and procedural issues that impede or enhance staff safety. A triangulated qualitative design was used including focus groups, in-depth individual interviews, critical event narratives, and a participant self-report form. The study used a purposive sample consisting of 5 men and 56 women who were either administrators or direct care staff from 13 home health agencies. Seven major themes emerged: (1) unsafe conditions that direct care staff must face; (2) organizational and administrative issues that impede or promote the personal safety of staff; (3) ethical issues staff face daily; (4) protective factors associated with maintaining safety; (5) issues of gender, race, age, and experience; (6) education and training; and (7) the potential impact that staff's fear of interpersonal and community violence can have on patient care and patient outcomes.

Analysis of promoter activity for the gene encoding pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase in stably transformed C4 flaveria species

The C4 enzyme pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase is encoded by a single gene, Pdk, in the C4 plant Flaveria trinervia. This gene also encodes enzyme isoforms located in the chloroplast and in the cytosol that do not have a function in C4 photosynthesis. Our goal is to identify cis-acting DNA sequences that regulate the expression of the gene that is active in the C4 cycle. We fused 1.5 kb of a 5' flanking region from the Pdk gene, including the entire 5' untranslated region, to the uidA reporter gene and stably transformed the closely related C4 species Flaveria bidentis. beta-Glucuronidase (GUS) activity was detected at high levels in leaf mesophyll cells. GUS activity was detected at lower levels in bundle-sheath cells and stems and at very low levels in roots. This lower-level GUS expression was similar to the distribution of mRNA encoding the nonphotosynthetic form of the enzyme. We conclude that cis-acting DNA sequences controlling the expression of the C4 form in mesophyll cells and the chloroplast form in other cells and organs are co-located within the same 5' region of the Pdk gene.

The Promoter of the Gene Encoding the C4 Form of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Directs Mesophyll-Specific Expression in Transgenic C4 Flaveria spp.

The function of the C4 mechanism of photosynthesis depends on the strict compartmentation of the enzymes involved. Here, we investigate the regulatory mechanisms that ensure the mesophyll-specific expression of the C4 isoform of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. We show that 2 kb of the 5[prime] flanking region of the Flaveria trinervia C4 PpcA1 gene is sufficient to direct mesophyll-specific expression of the [beta]-glucuronidase reporter gene in transgenic F. bidentis (C4) plants. In young leaves of seedlings, the activity of this promoter is dependent on the developmental stage of the mesophyll cells. It is induced in a basipetal fashion (leaf tip to base) during leaf development. The promoter region of the orthologous nonphotosynthetic Ppc gene of F. pringlei (C3) induces reporter gene expression mainly in the vascular tissue of leaves and stems as well as in mesophyll cells of transgenic F. bidentis plants. Our experiments demonstrate that during the evolution of the C4 Flaveria species, cis-acting elements of the C4 Ppc gene must have been altered to achieve mesophyll-specific expression.

Expression of the C4 Me1 Gene from Flaveria bidentis Requires an Interaction between 5[prime] and 3[prime] Sequences.

The efficient functioning of C4 photosynthesis requires the strict compartmentation of a suite of enzymes in either mesophyll or bundle sheath cells. To determine the mechanism controlling bundle sheath cell-specific expression of the NADP-malic enzyme, we made a set of chimeric constructs using the 5[prime] and 3[prime] regions of the Flaveria bidentis Me1 gene fused to the [beta]-glucuronidase gusA reporter gene. The pattern of GUS activity in stably transformed F. bidentis plants was analyzed by histochemical and cell separation techniques. We conclude that the 5[prime] region of Me1 determines bundle sheath specificity, whereas the 3[prime] region contains an apparent enhancer-like element that confers high-level expression in leaves. The interaction of 5[prime] and 3[prime] sequences was dependent on factors that are present in the C4 plant but not found in tobacco.

Antisense RNA Inhibition of RbcS Gene Expression Reduces Rubisco Level and Photosynthesis in the C4 Plant Flaveria bidentis.

The C4 dicot Flaveria bidentis was genetically transformed with an antisense RNA construct targeted to the nuclear-encoded gene for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco; RbcS). RbcS mRNA levels in leaves of transformants were reduced by as much as 80% compared to wild-type levels, and extractable enzyme activity was reduced by up to 85%. There was no significant effect of transformation with the gene construct on levels of other photosynthetic enzymes. Antisense transformants with reduced Rubisco activity exhibited a stunted phenotype. Rates of photosynthesis were reduced in air at high light and over a range of CO2 concentrations but were unaffected at low light. From these results we conclude that, as is the case in C3 plants, Rubisco activity is a major determinant of photosynthetic flux in C4 plants under high light intensities and air levels of CO2.