Characterising injuries and pathologies of common dolphin Delphinus delphis mortalities in the South Australian Sardine Fishery.

Mortality of dolphins in fishing operations is often under-estimated, as shown by studies of beach-washed carcasses. Linking evidence obtained during necropsies with fishing method is fundamental to understanding the extent of mortality and the manner in which animals die. The South Australian Sardine Fishery (SASF) has operated a purse-seine industry since 1991. This study characterised injuries, pathological changes and life history of 49 dead dolphins collected from SASF during 2006-2019. Histology examination was conducted on 25 animals. Neonates, calves and juveniles accounted for 63% of the sample. Of mature females (n = 14), 11 were pregnant or lactating, with cryptic mortality estimated to be 20% of dolphins studied. Body condition was robust in 48 dolphins. Net marks were seen on 82%, mostly on the head, trunk and peduncle. Broken/missing teeth were noted in 63%. All dolphins had subdermal haemorrhage (moderate to severe in 96%), particularly around the head. Deep haemorrhage was common, including around occipital and flipper condyles, and organs. Copious fluid was present in the thoracic (pleural) and abdominal (ascites) cavities of half of the dolphins. Within the lungs, watery fluid and froth were observed in 100 and 39%, respectively. Recent bone fractures were documented in 43% of dolphins, mostly associated with haemorrhage. Severe blunt trauma appeared to be the primary cause of death, and 10 dolphins also had other significant pathologies. Visceral organ congestion and mild cardiomyopathy were observed. Stomachs contained prey remains in 75% of cases. The results of this study may help identify unreported purse-seine mortalities washed up in South Australia and elsewhere.

Image adaptive point-spread function estimation and deconvolution for in vivo confocal microscopy.

Visualizing deep inside the tissue of a thick biological sample often poses severe constraints on image conditions. Standard restoration techniques (denoising and deconvolution) can then be very useful, allowing one to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and the resolution of the images. In this paper, we consider the problem of obtaining a good determination of the point-spread function (PSF) of a confocal microscope, a prerequisite for applying deconvolution to three-dimensional image stacks acquired with this system. Because of scattering and optical distortion induced by the sample, the PSF has to be acquired anew for each experiment. To tackle this problem, we used a screening approach to estimate the PSF adaptively and automatically from the images. Small PSF-like structures were detected in the images, and a theoretical PSF model reshaped to match the geometric characteristics of these structures. We used numerical experiments to quantify the sensitivity of our detection method, and we demonstrated its usefulness by deconvolving images of the hearing organ acquired in vitro and in vivo.

Morbillivirus-associated unusual mortality event in South Australian bottlenose dolphins is largest reported for the Southern Hemisphere.

Cases of morbillivirus have been recorded in the Southern Hemisphere but have not been linked to significant marine mammal mortality. Post-mortems were conducted on 58 carcasses (44 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, two common bottlenose dolphins, 12 short-beaked common dolphins) from South Australia during 2005-2013, including an unusual mortality event (UME) in St Vincent Gulf Bioregion (SVG) during 2013. Diagnostic pathology, circumstance of death, body condition, age and stomach contents were documented for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. At least 50 dolphins died during the UME, 41 were Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and most were young. The UME lasted about seven months and had two peaks, the first being the largest. Effect on the population is unknown. Diagnostic testing for morbillivirus was conducted on 57 carcasses, with evidence for infection in all species during 2011-2013. All tested UME bottlenose dolphins were positive for cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), and the pathology included interstitial pneumonia, lymphoid depletion and syncytia. Concurrent pathologies, including lung parasite and fungal infections, and severe cutaneous bruising were observed in many dolphins. The event coincided with elevated water temperatures, a diatom bloom and significant fish die-offs. We conclude that the cause for the UME was multifactorial and that CeMV was a major contributor.

Morphological classification of the masticatory muscles in dogs based on their innervation.

The masticatory muscles and their innervations in dogs are classified, from deep to superficial layers, as follows: 1) medial pterygoid muscle and medial pterygoid nerve, 2) lateral pterygoid muscle and lateral pterygoid nerve, 3) anterior deep part of temporal muscle and anterior deep temporal nerve, 4) posterior deep part of temporal muscle and posterior deep temporal nerve, 5) superficial part of temporal muscle and superficial temporal nerve, the only branch of the temporal nerve which passes out from the infratemporal fossa, 6) zygomaticomandibular part of masseter muscle, which is thought to belong to the masseter muscle, and masseter nerve, 7) deep layer of masseter muscle and masseter nerve, 8) superficial layer of masseter muscle and masseter nerve.

[The first period in the history of the Institute for General Biology]. / Prvé obdobie histórie Ustavu pre vseobecnú biológiu.

Of the history of the Institute for General Biology, School of Medicine, Comenius University, the study deals with the first period, namely the years 1923-1945. The institute greatly benefited from the activities of Prof. MUDr. Zdenek Frankenberger who established it and was its Head in the first year of its existence. From 1925 till 1943 the institute was directed by Prof. MUDr. Jozef Florian Babor. Professor Babor's main interest was focused on malacology and he achieved international reputation in this field of zoology. He investigated the flora and fauna of Slovakia, was engaged in limnology, and cooperated with Professor Frankenberg in the field of anthropology and primatology. Over these years, prof. Vojtech Nábelek and MUDr. Bohumil Krajnik greatly contributed to the activities and development of the institute along with Prof. Babor. The Institute for General Biology was already in the first period of its existence reknown not only for its teaching activities but was also internationally appreciated in the medical, biological and historiographic community.

Development of mandibular cartilages in the rat.

BACKGROUND: The mammalian mandible develops around Meckel's cartilage and other secondary cartilages, including the dentary. There have already been many studies of the development of the rat mandible that have employed histological serial sections. However, no previous investigators have captured the three-dimensional features of the developmental process. METHODS: In this study, the technique of double staining with alizarin red S and alcian blue was employed directly on whole body specimens to investigate the three-dimensional development of the rat mandible. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found that the molar socket obstructs the developing mandible, causing it to emerge medial to Meckel's cartilage. Our results also indicate that the secondary mandibular cartilages may contribute to supplementary growth in response to local factors.

[Possibilities of prevention of congenital developmental defects]. / Moznosti prevencie vrodených vývinových chýb.

One of the still open questions of teratology is the relationship between experimental teratological investigations and their validity in human medicine. The aetiology of the development of inborn developmental defects comprises factors the ratio of which is the subject of discussions. The category of still unknown factors is the largest one. This means that in 70% of inborn developmental defects there is nothing to go by. The influence of the deteriorated living or working environment need not be manifested by a higher incidence of seriously damaged foetuses. Comprehensive preconception care is a way which may lead to improvement in the sphere of prevention, although its application is not unequivocal. An essential prerequisite of effective prevention of inborn developmental errors is recognition of the causes of and laws governing their development.

Digastric muscle of the kangaroo: a comparative anatomical study.

Although the human digastric muscle is classified as a suprahyoid muscle, none of the digastric muscles in other mammals are classed as suprahyoid in textbooks of veterinary anatomy. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomical relationship of the digastric muscle in a marsupial, the kangaroo, and to consider factors thought to be important in leading to the different position of the muscle in quadrupeds compared with humans. Eight heads of the common wallaroo (Macropus robustus) were used in this study. They were fixed by injection of 10% formalin solution into the carotid arteries and dissected under a stereomicroscope. The digastric muscle in the common wallaroo arose from the paroccipital process of the temporal bone and inserted into the mandible but had no intermediate tendon or any connection with the hyoid bone. It was supplied by both the mandibular and facial nerves. The hyoglossus muscle attached to the inferior surface of the hyoid bone and its ventral border overlapped the mylohyoid muscle. The hypoglossal nerve passed between these two muscles. Therefore, in contrast to humans, the digastric, hyoglossus, and mylohyoid muscles in the kangaroo were all located inferior to the hyoid bone. Differences in head posture and the position of the larynx between kangaroos and humans may account for the observed difference in the digastric muscle's position relative to the hyoid bone between these species.

The morphology and innervation of the lateral pterygoid muscle of the dog.

The number of heads possessed by the lateral pterygoid muscle was investigated in the dog. Only a single head was observed which it is suggested may correspond to the lower head in other mammals. It inserted both onto the condyle and into the articular disc. The nerve which innervated this muscle arose directly from the mandibular nerve, separate from the medial pterygoid nerve. Because of this, it should be termed the lateral pterygoid nerve and not the pterygoid nerve.

Case report: the cleidocervical muscle with speculation as to its origin.

The occurrence of a cleidocervical muscle, which arose from the anterior tubercle of the transverse process of the 6th cervical vertebra and was inserted onto the superior margin of the clavicle, is described. Detailed observations on its innervation, which was derived from the 5th cervical nerve, and its topographic anatomy suggest that the muscle originated from longus colli.