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Abstract. Background: Tocodynamometry is an approach in small animal obstetrics to diagnose initiation, progress, completion, and problems related to parturition in queens. Aims: The present study was conducted to monitor uterine contractions using tocodynamometry at full term pregnancy and during queening and to correlate uterine contractile pattern with progression of queening. Methods: Once the signs of impending parturition were noted, the pressure transducer of tocodynamometer was placed on the lateral abdomen to monitor queening. The recordings were plotted as graph of time against pressure in mmHg. Uterine contractile patterns were assessed in order to study their relation to the progression of queening. Results: The initial uterine contractions had a baseline and peak pressures of 7-20 and 15-36.5 mmHg with mean time interval and frequency of 5.53 min and 1.91 peaks per 10 min, respectively, with mean change of amplitude of 15.35 mmHg. The progressive baseline and peak pressures of 15-32.5 and 24-62.3 mmHg increased to 20-55 and 30-89.2, respectively, with an increase in mean frequency from 3.88 to 5.25 peaks per 10 min and increase in mean change of amplitude from 25.21 to 33.87 mmHg, followed by decrease in mean time interval from 2.82 to 1.91 min in expulsive uterine contractions. Conclusion: Monitoring uterine contractions using tocodynamometer helps in understanding progression of queening and problems that may rise during parturition. It was observed that during queening, baseline and peak pressures of uterine contractions remain the same, irrespective of presentation of kittens at birth.
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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Mastitis is a serious disease of dairy animals causing great economic losses due to a reduction in milk yield as well as lowering its nutritive value. The application of somatic cell count (SCC) and alkaline phosphatase activity in the milk for diagnosis of mastitis in buffalo is not well documented. Therefore, the present study was conducted to observe the SCC and alkaline phosphatase activity for evaluation of mastitis in buffalo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Milk samples of forty apparently healthy lactating buffaloes were selected and categorized into five different groups viz. normal buffaloes, buffaloes with subclinical mastitis with CMT positive milk samples (+1 Grade), (+2 Grade), (+3 Grade), and buffaloes with clinical mastitis with 8 animals in each group. The milk samples were analyzed for SCC and alkaline phosphatase activity. RESULTS: The levels of SCC (×10(5) cells/ml) and alkaline phosphatase (U/L) in different groups were viz. normal (3.21±0.179, 16.48±1.432), subclinical mastitis with CMT positive milk samples with +1 Grade (4.21±0.138, 28.11±1.013), with +2 Grade (6.34±0.183, 34.50±1.034), with +3 Grade (7.96±0.213, 37.73±0.737) and buffaloes with clinical mastitis (10.21±0.220, 42.37±0.907) respectively, indicating an increasing trend in the values and the difference observed among various group was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that the concentration of milk SCC and alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in the milk of buffaloes with mastitis than in the milk of normal buffaloes.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine, for elective patients with colorectal cancer, if associations exist between the length of symptom history at surgical resection and Dukes stage, completeness of the surgical procedure and patient survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was undertaken. Five hundred and eighty-two patients with colorectal cancer, admitted for surgical resection after outpatient consultation, divided into four equal quartiles according to length of symptom history (short: n = 131, 0-103 days; medium: n = 136, 104-177 days; long: n = 136, 178-318 days; very long: n = 137, 319-1997 days). The main outcome measures used were the Extent of tumour (Dukes stage) at resection, completeness of resectional surgery (curative vs palliative), patient survival after resection. RESULTS: For patients undergoing elective surgical resection of colorectal cancer we did not find an association between Dukes stage and duration of patient history (Dukes stage C tumours were seen in 37% (CI: 26.2%-48.0%) of patients with a short symptomatic history as opposed to 34% (CI: 32%-62%) with a very long symptomatic history). Elective curative resection was not associated with a significantly different symptom duration than elective palliative resection (Palliative resections were performed in 24% (CI: 11.7%-36.4%) of patients with a short symptomatic history as opposed to 16% (CI: 2.4%-29.9%) with a very long symptomatic history). The median survival time for the four elective colorectal patient groups defined by length of symptomatic history was not significantly different - (short: n = 131, 4.3 years; medium: n = 136, 5.9 years; long: n = 136, 7.1 years; very long: n = 137, 5.0 years). CONCLUSION: Tumour extent, completeness of resection and patient outcome after elective colorectal cancer resection was not found to have an association with length of patient history at the time of surgery.
