Effects of surgical and chemical sterilization on the behavior of free-roaming male dogs in Puerto Natales, Chile.

Population management of free-roaming domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) is of interest due to the threat these animals pose to people, other animals and the environment. Current sterilization procedures for male dogs include surgical and chemical methods. However, little is known about how these procedures affect their behavior. The primary objective of this study was to investigate changes in selected behaviors following chemical and surgical sterilization in a male free-roaming dog (FRD) population in southern Chile. We also examined the association between serum testosterone levels and behaviors thought to be influenced by circulating androgens. A total of 174 dogs were randomly assigned to either a surgical or chemical sterilization group, or a control group. At the onset of the intervention period, 119 dogs remained and 102 dogs successfully completed the study. Each dog was monitored pre- and post-intervention using video recordings, GPS collars, and blood samples for the measurement of testosterone. Analysis of behavior revealed that surgically castrated dogs showed no reduction of sexual activity or aggression when compared to their pre-intervention behavior. Chemically sterilized dogs showed a statistically significant increase in dog-directed aggression, but no change in sexual activity. There was no change in home range size in any groups between the pre- and post-intervention measurement. We found no consistent association between levels of serum testosterone concentration and behavioral changes in any of the groups. This study presents the first detailed behavioral observations following surgical and chemical sterilization in male FRDs. The information generated is highly relevant to communities struggling with the control of FRDs. Complementary studies to further our understanding of the effects of male sterilization on the behavioral and reproductive dynamics of FRD populations are needed.

Changes in blood testosterone concentrations after surgical and chemical sterilization of male free-roaming dogs in southern Chile.

There is a growing interest in chemical sterilization as an alternative to surgical castration in large-scale sterilization campaigns to control canine populations. An important step toward understanding the short-term and long-term effects of chemical sterilants is to determine their impact on blood testosterone concentrations, particularly as these could influence dog behavior after treatment. A field trial was conducted with 118 free-roaming male dogs in the Chilean Patagonia, where 36 dogs were chemically sterilized using EsterilSol, 39 dogs were surgically castrated, and 43 dogs remained intact as controls. Blood testosterone levels were determined at four time periods: on enrollment 6 months before treatment (t-6m), at the time of treatment (t0, within one hour after surgical castration or chemical sterilization and during a concurrent 2-week period for the control group), four (t+4m), and six (t+6m) months after treatment. Intrinsic and temporal factors were evaluated; age was significantly associated with testosterone, where dogs 2- to 4-year-old had the highest testosterone concentrations (P = 0.036), whereas body weight and body condition scores were not associated with testosterone; testosterone concentration was not influenced by time of day, month, or season. After treatment (t+4m and t+6m), all of the surgically castrated dogs had testosterone concentrations below 1.0 ng/mL. On the basis of this cut point (<1 ng/mL), testosterone remained unchanged in 66% of the chemically sterilized dogs at both t+4m and t+6m; it remained low for 22% of dogs at both t+4m and t+6m; it was unchanged at t+4m but low at t+6m in 9% of dogs; and, it was low at t+4m but reverted back to unchanged at t+6m in one dog (3%). Incidentally, testosterone in chemically sterilized dogs increased dramatically within 1 hour of treatment (t0), more than doubling (131%) the concentration of control dogs at the time of treatment (t0), likely because of severe necrosis of interstitial cells. The use of EsterilSol as a method of sterilizing dogs had a variable effect on blood testosterone concentrations. Approximately, 30% of chemically sterilized dogs had a reduced testosterone concentration (actual maximum, 1 ng/mL) after 6 months, similar to that of surgically castrated dogs. Most chemically sterilized dogs, however, showed no long-term changes in blood testosterone concentrations.

Necrosuppurative orchitis and scrotal necrotizing dermatitis following intratesticular administration of zinc gluconate neutralized with arginine (EsterilSol) in 2 mixed-breed dogs.

Intratesticular injection of EsterilSol (zinc gluconate neutralized with arginine) is a chemical sterilant for male dogs sometimes used in population control campaigns. Adverse reactions have been reported in 1% to 4% of treated dogs, but detailed histomorphologic descriptions are lacking. During a behavioral study conducted in the Chilean Patagonia in 2012, severe necrosuppurative orchitis and ulcerative dermatitis were observed in 2 of 36 (6%) dogs sterilized with EsterilSol according to the manufacturer's instructions. Reactions were noted on days 8 and 7 postinjection and required scrotal ablation on days 8 and 13, respectively; neither reaction was associated with the injection site. Although self-trauma following administration may have contributed, the cause of the adverse reactions is uncertain. EsterilSol is a relatively uncomplicated method to sterilize male dogs, but the occurrence of severe adverse reactions several days after administration emphasizes the need for the provision of long-term monitoring and veterinary care during sterilization campaigns using this product.

Public health and clinical implications of high hemoglobin A1c levels and weight in younger adult Native American people with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major public health issue for Native American people. Because glycemic levels are predictive of diabetes outcome, understanding determinants of high hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) levels may provide targets for prevention efforts. OBJECTIVES: To investigate determinants of high HbA(1c) levels in Native American people. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of 206 participants with diabetes from 8 Native American communities in New Mexico. We used linear regression to assess the relationship of HbA(1c) level with age, body mass index (BMI), treatment type, duration of diabetes, physical activity, and diet. RESULTS: Age, dietary pattern, and treatment type were determinants of HbA(1c) levels. Participants younger than 55 years had the highest adjusted HbA(1c) levels at 9.5% and those 65 years and older had the lowest levels at 7.8%. According to a participant's dietary intake, HbA(1c) levels were highest for those who consumed the most fat and sugar, and high consumption of fat and sugar affected HbA(1c) levels most among those younger than 55 years. Participants treated with insulin had the highest hemoglobin A(1c) levels. Physical activity was not associated with HbA(1c) level. CONCLUSIONS: We found an increasing severity of diabetes among younger people. To avoid increased morbidity and mortality in the future, young Native American adults with diabetes need vigorous therapy to maintain tight glucose control. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:3471-3476.

Comparative performances of an HTLV-I/II EIA and other serologic and PCR assays on samples from persons at risk for HTLV-II infection.

BACKGROUND: HTLV-I and HTLV-II are related exogenous pathogenic human retroviruses. Until recently, ELISAs based on HTLV-I antigens have been used to screen for the presence of HTLV-I or -II antibodies. The HTLV-I-based assays have not been as sensitive in detecting antibodies to HTLV-II as in detecting antibodies to HTLV-I. The Abbott HTLV-I/HTLV-II ELISA uses a combination of HTLV-I and HTLV-II antigens to detect antibodies to the whole HTLV group. The performance of this ELISA was compared to that of several HTLV-I-based serologic assays and an HTLV-II PCR assay in cohorts of South American Indians and New York City IV drug users (IVDUs) in whom HTLV-II is endemic. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Sera from 429 South American Indians and New York City IVDUs were evaluated for HTLV antibodies by the use of three ELISAs (rgp21-enhanced HTLV-I/II, Cambridge Biotech; Vironostika HTLV-I/II, Organon Teknika; and HTLV-I/HTLV-II, Abbott), and a Western blot (WB) assay. Peripheral blood leukocyte DNA from each person was analyzed for HTLV-I and HTLV-II pol DNA via PCR. The HTLV-II PCR-positive samples were further subtyped via cloning and sequencing and/or oligomer restriction. RESULTS: Two hundred four samples (48%) were positive for HTLV-II by serologic and/or PCR assays. All of the positive samples from the Indians and approximately one-third of the positive samples from the IVDUs were of the HTLV-IIB subtype. Comparative analyses indicate that the sensitivity and specificity of the various assays were: PCR, 98 and 100 percent; Abbott HTLV-I/HTLV-II, 78 and 95 percent; Cambridge Biotech HTLV-I/II, 76 and 96 percent; Vironostika HTLV-I/II, 71 and 98 percent; and WB, 73 and 100 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences among the sensitivities and specificities of the HTLV-I/II ELISAs (p values, 0.056-0.438). The WB and PCR assays were much more specific than the other serologic assays (p

Communicating through stories: experience of the Native American Diabetes Project.

Stories appear to provide an indirect way of confronting the inherent conflict between the concepts of disease and wellness and assisting in the transition to a new concept of living well with the disease. This new concept may engender feelings of acceptance and hope that can facilitate application of knowledge and behavior change. In addition, culturally appropriate stories allow people to draw from their own personal beliefs and values to interpret and apply new information to their own lives. A good story takes listeners on a collective journey with many paths; each path is uniquely suited to the needs of the individual, with wisdom gained that is uniquely suited to their own life.

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to physical activity among Native Americans with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Native Americans (NA) have higher diabetes morbidity and mortality compared to other ethnic groups. Although exercise plays an important role in diabetes management, little is known about exercise among Native Americans with diabetes. Our goal was to describe knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to exercise in Native American participants in New Mexico. DESIGN: Bilingual community members administered a questionnaire to assess knowledge, stage of change (a measure of exercise readiness), and physical activity behavior. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured by DCA 2000 analyzer. Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). Average random blood glucose (RBS) levels and diabetes duration were assessed through chart audit. SETTING: Questionnaires were completed in offices in or near the communities. PARTICIPANTS: 514 Native Americans with diabetes were identified as potential participants, 40% (142 women, 64 men) participated. RESULTS: 37% of participants knew exercise lowers blood sugar. 82% reported they were in the preparation, action, or maintenance stage of change for exercise behavior. Seventy seven percent of this population did not meet the Surgeon General's recommendation for accumulating 30 minutes of leisure time endurance exercise on most days of the week. However, 67% of participants fell within the "high activity" category for all moderate and vigorous activities. Average age, BMI and HbA1c were 58.5 yrs., 30.5 kg/m2, 8.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to increase physical activity awareness and participation could improve diabetes management and overall health for Native Americans. When evaluating physical activity, researchers need to consider usual activities of daily living and leisure time activities specific to that population. Failure to do so would be ethnocentric and could lead to inappropriate conclusions.

The complete genomic sequence of an HTLV-II isolate from a Guahibo Indian from Venezuela.

A polyclonal CD3(+), CD8(+) T-cell line, G2, was derived from the peripheral blood of a seropositive, PCR-positive, HTLV-IIB infected Guahibo Indian from Venezuela. The cell line is productively infected with HTLV-IIB. The entire HTLV-II G2 proviral DNA was sequenced via PCR using overlapping HTLV-II primer pairs. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that HTLV-II G2 is the most divergent HTLV-IIB strain identified to date. Characterization of its deduced proteins and its relationship to other members of the PTLV/BLV genus of retroviruses are discussed.

[HTLV-I/II seroprevalence in Gay men and female sex workers on Margarita Island, Venezuela]. / Seroprevalencia de HTLV-I/II en hombres gays y trabajadoras sexuales de la Isla de Margarita, Venezuela.

In attention to the important HIV-1 seroprevalence observed in Margarita Island, we carried out this study to establish HTLV-I/II seroprevalence into target groups for sexual transmission. Therefore the survey was done with 141 female sex workers and 40 Gay men between 1994 and 1997. We found HTLV-I infection in one man. This is the first known report to describe epidemiological features of HTLV-I/II infection in Margarita Island.

Adaptation of the Dartmouth COOP Charts for use among American Indian people with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To adapt the Dartmouth COOP Charts for use among American Indians with diabetes and to evaluate the operating characteristics of the adapted charts because measures of health status have not been evaluated for use among American Indians with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: American Indian adults participated in focus group conferences to adapt and review the Dartmouth COOP Charts for use in American Indian communities. American Indian participants with diabetes were interviewed and administered the adapted charts. The operating characteristics of the charts were evaluated by measuring internal and external consistency, reliability, and acceptability. RESULTS: Some of the wording and pictures were considered to be offensive and culturally inappropriate in American Indian communities. The adapted charts showed internal consistency in a comparison of interchart variables. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted Dartmouth COOP Charts are more culturally acceptable than the original charts and appear to measure constructs adequately.

Rapid HbA1c testing in a community setting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the DCA 2000 analyzer provides valid and reliable HbA1c results when used under field conditions and operated by nonmedical personnel. This study was part of a community diabetes education program, the Native American Diabetes Project, in which HbA1c was measured as an indicator of average glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two study samples were taken, the first in the spring of 1994 and the second in the spring of 1995. Seven community members in 1994 and six new community members in 1995 were trained over 2 days, using standard protocol, to operate the DCA 2000 HbA1c analyzer and to collect two capillary blood samples from participants in the Native American Diabetes Project. Duplicate DCA 2000 HbA1c measurements performed by the community workers were compared with measurements from a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. Validity and reliability measures were calculated. RESULTS: Of the participants, 43 were studied in 1994 and 14 in 1995. Comparison of the mean DCA 2000 results with those of HPLC showed high validity, with the absolute relative difference between the mean DCA 2000 and the external reference of HPLC (magnitude of mean DCA 2000-HPLC magnitude of /HPLC) as 4.0 and 2.0% for 1994 and 1995, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficients (r) between these two measures were 0.968 and 0.996 for 1994 and 1995, respectively. While the 1994 data appeared to have less validity for values > 10%, they included only one value with a 60-min warm-up of the DCA analyzer. The 1995 data, all collected after a 60-min warm-up, had good correlation throughout the range of values. The within-run reliability was excellent, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of reliability of 0.959 and 0.975 for paired samples, for 1994 and 1995 respectively. The mean coefficient of variation for these paired measures was 3.0% in 1994 and 2.8% in 1995. Both validity and reliability were improved by changing the warm-up period of the DCA 2000 analyzer from 5 to 60 min. All correlation coefficients were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The DCA 2000 gave valid and reliable HbA1c results when operated in a community setting by nonmedical personnel. Extending the warm-up period of the device to 60 min slightly improved the validity and reliability of the test.

Estudio comparativo en el trastorno degenerativo discal lumbar entre radiculografía, tomografía axial computarizada contrastada e imagen de resonancia magnética nuclear, con los hallazgos quirúrgicos

El propósito de este estudio fue establecer una comparación entre los métodos de imagen diagnóstica, empleados en la enfermedad degenerativa discal lumbar, con los resultados quirúrgicos, con la finalidad de determinar el examen que nos ofrezca una mayor sensibilidad y especificidad, además de su aplicación en nuestro medio. Para lo cual se evaluaron 100 pacientes de los cuales 75(75 por ciento) pertenecen al sexo masculino y 25 (25 por ciento) al femenino, y sus edades estaban comprendidas entre los 21 y 65 años (Pm=41.3 años). Pertenecientes a los Hospitales General de las Fuerzas Armadas (51 pacientes) y Carlos Andrade Marín (49 pacientes). Los que presentaron dolor lumbar o cuadro clínico manifestó de síndrome de compresión radicular y que asociado a la evaluación radiológica fueron intervenidos quirurgicamente por primera ocasión de hernia discal lumbar. Los estudios de imagen (radiculografía RAD, tomografía axial computarizada contrastada TCC e imagen de Resonancia Magnética IRM), se realizaron de manera conjunta o individualmente, explorándose en total 208 espacios vertebrales, con 145 exámenes (52 RAD, TCC Y 41 IRM) Posteriormente fueron reevaluados por tres observadores especialistas en neuroimagen sin conocimiento previo del diagnóstico. La cirugía se realizó abordando el disco vertebral por métodos quirúrgicos convencionales en los servicios de traumatología-ortopedia y neurocirugía de los hospitales mencionados, realizandose un total de 139 exploraciones discales en los 100 pacientes. (2 pacientes se exploraron tres espacios y 37 pacientes 2 espacios). La mayoría de pacientes correspondió al grupo de edad de 30 a 39 años 37 pacientes (37 por ciento). el disco vertebral más afectado tanto clinicamente como en los hallazgos de cirugía e imagen correspondió al nivel L4-L5 53 pacientes (53 por ciento)., siendo para el nivel L5-S1 (43 por ciento) 43 pacientes. el miembro más afectado fue el izquierdo 62 pacientes (62 por ciento). Quirurgicamente se diagnosticaron dos pacientes de canal estrecho lumbar. En relación a la sensibilidad y especificidad los tres estudios de imagen no presentaron una diferencia significativa en sus resultados. Todos sobreestimaron el valor real de los verdaderos positivos y subestimaron el valor real de los verdaderos positivos y subestimaron los verdaderos negativos. RAD (por 52/56 neg 4/12) tcc (pos 54/61 neg5/23) IRM (pos 52/54 neg 3/12). con lo que podemos co...

[Absence of delta agent infection in high risk male subjects infected with B virus and human immunodeficiency virus]. / Ausencia de infección por virus delta en sujetos masculinos de alto riesgo infectados por virus B y virus de inmunodeficiencia humana.

Positive contacts to DV were investigated among 50 males, 48 homosexuals and 2 heterosexuals intravenously drug-addicts. None shown presence of anti-VD antibodies, while 98% and 50% from the total group demonstrated confirmed reactivity to HIV and HBV respectively. Further, 19 subjects who notified 5 or more sexual partners per year, shown one or more positive HBV markers, finding only observed in 6 subjects from 31 who notified less than 5 partners per year (p less than 0.001). The absence of DV positive contacts suggest that epidemiologically the DV seems to be loss of non-influenced by the sexual condition of the exposed population.

Immunopathology of human schistosomiasis mansoni: immunodulatory influences on T cell function

A resposta imune celular foi estudada em pacientes com infecçäo recente ou crônica por Schistosoma mansoni. Células mononucleares do sangue periférico pré-cultivadas reagiram significantemente a antígenos do verme adulto (SA. WA) do S.mansoni quando comparadas à preparaçäo contendo células frescas. A adiçäo de soro autólogo às células pré-cultivadas resultou em inibiçao da reaçäo frente a SAWA ou antígenos de memória; o mesmo efeito foi notado quando os soros de pacientes foram adicionados a culturas de células alogénicas obtidas de indivíduos normais. A subpopulaçäo CD4 foi a principal populaçäo celular respondedora a SAWA, sendo que esta reatividade foi intensamente suprimida na presença de preparaçöes purificadas contendo monócitos-macrófagos. Estes resultados sugerem a açäo de fatores inibidores, tanto humorais como celulares, sobre a resposta imune celular específica ao S.mansoni