JOURNAL OF VETERINARY EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE, Issue S1 2004
Gayle D Hallowell
Pulse contour analysis is a relatively new method of continuously monitoring cardiac output. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the human algorithm for calculation of continuous cardiac output from the pulse waveform, for use in anaesthetised horses. Cardiac output was measured in 27 anaesthetised clinical cases comparing lithium dilution (LiDCO) with a preceding, calibrated cardiac output measured from the pulse waveform (PulseCO) using a commercial system (LiDCOplus, LiDCO Ltd., Cambridge, UK). These comparisons were repeated every 20,30 min. Positive inotropes or vasopressors were administered when clinically indicated. Cardiac output values obtained ranged from 15.2,52.2 L/min, with cardiac indices from 30.7,114.9 ml/kg/min. Eighty-nine comparisons were obtained. The mean bias was 0.24 ml/kg/min +/,6.48 ml/kg/min. The limits of agreement were ,12.72,13.2 ml/kg/min. The 95% confidence interval for the upper limit of agreement was 12.07,14.33 ml/kg/min and for the lower limit of agreement was ,11.59,13.85 ml/kg/min. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.89 and produced an equation of PulseCO (mls kg,1 minute,1)=0.9226LiDCO (mls kg,1minute,1) +5.354. This method of pulse contour analysis is a relatively non-invasive and reliable way of monitoring continuous cardiac output in the horse under anaesthesia. The ability to easily continuously monitor cardiac output may improve morbidity and mortality in the anaesthetised horse. [source]

,Social Development' as Neoliberal Trojan Horse: The World Bank and the Kecamatan Development Program in Indonesia

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2009
Toby Carroll
ABSTRACT This article seeks to reconceptualize the post-Washington consensus (PWC) by focusing not simply upon the institutional structures and ideology promoted by it, but the manner in which these are promoted on the ground. The aim is to reveal a central distinction between the Washington consensus and the PWC that has been somewhat neglected: their diverging approaches to implementation. The author focuses on the World Bank-funded Kecamatan Development Program (KDP) in Indonesia, a project that is viewed by some as being somewhat unorthodox. He argues that in addition to its promotion of the latest round of institutional reforms, what is really different about KDP, compared with older approaches to market-led development typical of the Washington consensus, is the manner in which it delivers its mix of neoliberalism. What is radical about a programme like KDP is that it constitutes a new Trojan horse for embedding market-centred norms and practices.1 In general, this is demonstrative of a key difference between the Washington consensus and the PWC that has been undervalued in many analyses of the dominant development paradigm: the methods used to embed and sustain liberal markets. [source]

Multisystemic eosinophilic disease in a Quarter Horse

EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION, Issue 5 2004
J. Carmalt
First page of article [source]

Arthroscopic reattachment of osteochondritis dissecans lesions using resorbable polydioxanone pins

EQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2004
A. J. NIXON
Summary Reasons for performing study: Debridement of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) cartilage lesions results in fibrocartilage and imperfect hyaline repair tissue, and forms a permanent irregularity to the subchondral bone plate. Objective: To evaluate the clinical, radiographic and outcome effects of OCD cartilage flap reattachment for select lesions as an alternative to OCD debridement. Hypothesis: Separated cartilage flaps resulting from OCD lesions may be re-incorporated into the hyaline cartilage surface by reattachment rather than debridement and removal. Methods: Resorbable polydioxanone pins were used to reattach OCD flap lesions in 16 joints of 12 horses. Criteria for attachment, rather than removal, included an unmineralised cartilage flap on preoperative radiographs and a relatively smooth surface with some residual perimeter attachment at surgery. Results: There were 12 subjects, 6 males and 6 females, 7 Thoroughbred or Standardbred weanlings, 3 Warmbloods, 1 Arabian and 1 Quarter Horse, mean age at surgery 6.8 months. All horses had effusion of the affected femoropatellar joint (n = 9), tarsocrural joint (n = 1) or fetlock (n = 2). Radiographic lesions varied in length between 1.8,6.3 cm; reattachment was used in 16 of 18 affected joints and the OCD cartilage was not satisfactory for salvage in 2 stifles. Number of pins required was 2,10. One horse was subjected to euthanasia due to a tendon laceration 8 weeks after surgery; of the remaining 11 horses, mean duration of follow-up was 3.9 years (range 4 months-8 years). Nine of these were sound and had entered work, while 2 were sound but remained unbroken 4 and 6 months post operatively, respectively. Radiographic resolution of the OCD lesion occurred in 14 of 16 pinned joints in the 9 horses with long-term follow-up. The 2 remaining joints had a 3 and a 5 mm mineralised flap in the original defect sites. Conclusions: This study indicated cartilage flap reattachment was an alternative to removal in selected OCD lesions. Potential relevance: Relatively smooth OCD cartilage flaps may be salvaged by reattachment and can result in normal radiographic subchondral contour and a high likelihood of athletic performance. Further case numbers are required to determine which lesions are too irregular or contain too much mineral for effective incorporation after reattachment. [source]

European Banking Integration: Don't Put the Cart before the Horse

FINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 2 2006
Jean Dermine
This paper reviews the progress in European banking integration over the last twenty years, and evaluates the current system of banking supervision and deposit insurance based on ,home country' control. The public policy implications to draw from the paper are threefold: First, after a relatively slow start, European banking integration is gaining momentum, in terms of cross-border flows, market share of foreign banks in several domestic markets, and cross-border M&As of significant size. If this trend continues, the issue of adequate supervision and safety nets in an integrated European banking market will become even more pressing. Second, although until recently banks have relied mostly on subsidiary structures to go cross-border, this is changing with the recent creation of the European company statute, which facilitates cross-border branch banking. A review of the case of the Scandinavian bank, Nordea Bank AB, helps to understand some remaining barriers to integration, and the supervisory issues raised by branch banking. Third, it is argued that the principle of ,home country' supervision is unlikely to be adequate in the future for large international banks. Because the closure of an international bank would be likely to have cross-border spillovers, and because some small European countries might be unable to finance the bail-out of their very large banks, centralization, or at least Europe-wide coordination, of the decision to close or bail-out international banks is needed. This raises the issue of European funding of bail-out costs, European banking supervision, and European deposit insurance. [source]

Genealogical analyses in open populations: the case of three Arab-derived Spanish horse breeds

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 5 2009
I. Cervantes
Summary This research assesses the genetic composition of three Arab-derived Spanish horse breeds as an example to highlight the major shortcomings related to genealogical analyses in open populations and to propose approaches useful to deal with this task. The studbooks of three Spanish Arab (SA)-derived horse breeds, Spanish Anglo-Arab (dAA), Hispano-Arab (dHA) and Spanish Sport Horse (dSSH) and those of their parental breeds SA, Spanish Purebred (SPB) and Thoroughbred (TB), totalling 211 754 individuals, were available. The genealogies of the dAA, dHA and dSSH were analysed not only using the corresponding studbook (breed exclusive dataset) but also including the genealogies of the founders from parental breeds (completed dataset). Coancestry analyses revealed that the present SA-derived populations share more genes with the Arab than with the other parental breeds. Effective population size was computed by accounting for migration rates to obtain an equivalent closed-population effective size (eqNe) of 39.2 for the dAA, 56.3 for dHA and 114.1 for dSSH. The essayed methodologies were useful for characterising populations involving migration. The consequences of the management of the analysed breeds are discussed. The results emphasize the need to include the complete genealogies of the individuals to attain reliable genealogical parameters. [source]

Genetic structure of Norwegian horse breeds

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 5 2000
G. Bjørnstad
The evaluation of the genetic structure of four native Norwegian horse breeds was investigated using 35 genetic markers including nine biochemical loci and 26 microsatellites. The proportion of genetic variation measured as heterozygosity and the number of alleles indicated high variation in Fjord Horse and Coldblooded Trotter, but somewhat reduced variation in Døle Horse. No clear signs of bottleneck effects were found in either of the breeds, but significant inbreeding estimates in Nordland/Lyngen Horse may indicate subdivision of this breed. Significant population differentiation was detected between all breeds, also between the recently diverged Døle Horse and Coldblooded Trotter. The principal component analysis supports the close genetic relationship between these two breeds. Zusammenfassung Die genetische Struktur von vier in Norwegen heimischen Pferderassen wurde mit Hilfe von 35 genetischen Markören bestehend aus neun biochemischen Loci und 26 Mikrosatelliten untersucht. Der Umfang der genetischen Variation, gemessen als Heterozygozität und Anzahl Allelen, deutet eine grosse Variation beim Norwegischen Fjordpferd und Kaltbluttraber an, aber eine geringere beim Dölepferd. In keine der Rassen wurden klare Anzeichen eines Flaschenhalseffektes gefunden, aber hohe Inzuchtschätzwerte des Nordland/Lyngenpferdes lassen eine Unterteilung dieser Rasse vermuten. Zwischen allen Rassen wurde signifikante Populationsunterschiede gefunden, auch zwischen den erst neulich getrennten Dölepferd und Kaltbluttraber. Die enge genetische Beziehung zwischen diesen beiden Rassen wird durch die Hauptkomponentenanalyse unterstützt. [source]

Antemortem Diagnosis of a Distal Axonopathy Causing Severe Stringhalt in a Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2010
L. Armengou
First page of article [source]

The Use of Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Urethral Urolithiasis in the Horse: A Preliminary Study

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008
D. Verwilghen
Background: Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is widely used in equine practice for the treatment of orthopedic problems. However, its original use as a lithotripsy device in human and canine urology led us to postulate that it could be used as an alternative to the surgical treatment of urethral calculi in horses. Hypothesis: Radial ESWT can easily and safely fragment calculi in the distal urethra of the horse. Animals: Two postmortem cases and 1 live case of obstructive urinary disease admitted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Liege. Methods: A radial shockwave device was directly applied to the urethra in an attempt to fragment calculi. An ex vivo trial was performed on the same retrieved calculi to investigate pressure settings in order to obtain complete fragmentation of the calculus. Results: In all cases, radial ESWT was able to fragment the calculus partially, enabling retrieval of the remaining fragments via the urethra. Much higher pressure settings than those used for in vivo partial fragmentation were necessary to obtain complete destruction of the calculi ex vivo. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This brief report suggests the use of radial ESWT as a safe and useful alternative to more invasive surgical management of urethral calculi in horses. [source]

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in a Horse with Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus Meningoencephalitis and Interstitial Pneumonia

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2007
Nicola Pusterla DVM
First page of article [source]

Lymphoma, Erythrocytosis, and Tumor Erythropoietin Gene Expression in a Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2006
Thomas G. Koch
First page of article [source]

Hypoglycemia and Tumor Lysis Syndrome Associated with Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2006
Alison M. LaCarrubba
First page of article [source]

Cardiac Output Technologies with Special Reference to the Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2003
Kevin T.T. Corley
Critical illness, anesthesia, primary cardiovascular disease, and exercise may result in marked hemodynamic alterations. Measuring cardiac output (CO) is central to defining these alterations for both clinician and researcher. In the past 10 years, several new methods of measuring CO have been developed for the human medical market. Some of these methods are now validated in the horse and are in clinical use. The Fick method has been used in equine research for more than a century. It depends on simultaneous measurement of mixed venous (pulmonary arterial) and peripheral arterial oxygen content and oxygen uptake by the lungs. The technique is technically demanding, which restricts its clinical use. Indicator dilution techniques, with indocyanine green, cold (thermodilution), or lithium as the marker, have also been widely used in the horse. The indocyanine technique is cumbersome, and thermodilution requires right heart catheterization, which is not a benign procedure, making both of these methods less than ideal for clinical use. Lithium dilution requires catheterization of a peripheral artery and a jugular vein. It has recently been validated in anesthetized adult horses and neonatal foals. Doppler echocardiography is a noninvasive ultrasound-based technique. More accurate measurements are obtained with transesophageal than with transthoracic measurements; however, both methods require considerable technical expertise. Bioimpedance and pulse contour analysis are 2 new methods that have yet to be validated in the horse. With the currently available technology, lithium dilution appears to be the method of measuring CO best suited to the equine clinic. [source]

Clostridium sordelli Infection as a Suspected Cause of Transient Hyperammonemia in an Adult Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2003
Anne M. Desrochers
First page of article [source]

Tumor-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmia in a Horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2002
Cathérine Delesalle
First page of article [source]

Chemostimuli implicated in selection of oviposition substrates by the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
P JEANBOURQUIN
Abstract Horse and cow dung were tested as substrates for oviposition by the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (L) (Diptera: Muscidae) in laboratory cages. Odour alone from either horse or cow dung was sufficient to attract flies for oviposition. This was confirmed in wind tunnel experiments, where both horse and cow dung were shown to attract gravid stable flies. However, when S. calcitrans was offered a choice between these two oviposition substrates, flies always chose horse dung over cow dung, both when allowed to contact the substrates and when relying on dung odour alone. Analyses of volatile compounds emanating from horse and cow dung by gas chromatography linked antennogram recordings from S. calcitrans antennae revealed no differences in the chemostimuli released from the two substrates. The predominant chemostimulant compounds in both substrates were carboxylic acids (butanoic acid), alcohols (oct-1-en-3-ol), aldehydes (decanal), ketones (octan-3-one), phenols (p -cresol), indoles (skatole), terpenes (,-caryophyllene) and sulphides (dimethyl trisulphide). Higher levels (20,40 p.p.m.) of carbon dioxide were recorded over horse dung compared with cow dung, a factor that may contribute to the preference exhibited by S. calcitrans for this substrate for oviposition. [source]

Cumulus,Oocyte Communications in the Horse: Role of the Breeding Season and of the Maturation Medium

REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, Issue 2 2004
S Colleoni
Contents Horse is a seasonal breeder and information on oocyte quality outside the breeding season is very limited. Ovaries obtained at the slaughterhouse are a convenient but often limited source of oocytes in this species. As the low quantity of ovaries leads to an intensive use of all available material, it would be useful to know whether ovaries collected during the non-breeding season are suitable for in vitro maturation (IVM). In an attempt to characterize the effect of season on oocyte quality, we investigated the permeability of the gap junctions (GJ) present between cumulus cells and oocytes because of their important role in oocyte growth and maturation. We also compared the effect of supplementing the maturation medium with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or oestrus mare serum (EMS). A total of 645 oocytes isolated from 158 and 154 ovaries collected during the breeding and the non-breeding season, respectively, were used in this study. Oocytes were matured for 30 h in TCM 199 supplemented either with 10% EMS or with 4 mg/ml BSA. The presence of permeable GJs between cumulus cells and oocytes was investigated with the injection of a 3% solution of the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow into the ooplasm. No differences in efficiency of oocyte retrieval or oocyte meiotic competence were detected between oocytes collected during the breeding and non-breeding season. The vast majority (90%) of the oocytes collected during the breeding season had fully functional communications with their surrounding cumulus cells but such communications were completely interrupted in 55.3% of the oocytes collected during the non-breeding season. During the non-breeding season, the proportion of oocytes whose communications with cumulus cells were classified as closed or intermediate at the end of maturation was lower in the group matured with BSA than with EMS (71.4 vs 97.7, p < 0.05). The same trend, although not statistically significant, was observed during the breeding season also. The presence of BSA caused an incomplete cumulus expansion during both seasons. Our data indicate that oocytes collected during the non-breeding season do not show any meiotic deficiency but lack active communication with the surrounding cumulus cells at the time of their isolation from the ovary. No data are available at present for determining the consequences on the developmental competence even if data from other species suggest that this is likely. [source]

REVIEW ARTICLE: Maternal Immune Responses to Trophoblast: The Contribution of the Horse to Pregnancy Immunology

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Leela E. Noronha
Citation Noronha LE, Antczak DF. Maternal immune responses to trophoblast: the contribution of the horse to pregnancy immunology. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010 The horse has proven to be a distinctively informative species in the study of pregnancy immunology for several reasons. First, unique aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the equine conceptus facilitate approaches that are not possible in other model organisms, such as non-surgical recovery of early stage embryos and conceptuses and isolation of pure trophoblast cell populations. Second, pregnant mares make strong cytotoxic antibody responses to paternal major histocompatibility complex class I antigens expressed by the chorionic girdle cells, permitting detailed evaluation of the antigenicity of these invasive trophoblasts and how they affect the maternal immune system. Third, there is abundant evidence for local maternal cellular immune responses to the invading trophoblasts in the pregnant mare. The survival of the equine fetus in the face of strong maternal immune responses highlights the complex immunoregulatory mechanisms that result in materno,fetal tolerance. Finally, the parallels between human and horse trophoblast cell types, their gene expression, and function make the study of equine pregnancy highly relevant to human health. Here, we review the most pertinent aspects of equine reproductive immunology and how studies of the pregnant mare have contributed to our understanding of maternal acceptance of the allogeneic fetus. [source]

Anatomical Features of the Carpal Flexor Retinaculum of the Horse

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 6 2008
A. Probst
Summary This study aims to elucidate the topographical anatomy of the carpal flexor retinaculum or palmar anular carpal ligament (PACL) in the horse. Ten specimen of the carpus of five healthy horses were studied by dissection in layers. Slices of 5 mm in thickness facilitated observation of the soft tissues. The superficial layer of the PACL subdivides into five compartments: one for the palmar nerve and the arterial and venous branches, one for only the radial artery, one for the radial vein, and one for the tendon of the radial carpal flexor muscle, and finally for the deep layer that supports all tendinous structures located palmar to the carpus, as well as the median artery and palmar medial nerve. The sections of the segmented PACL that are affected by carpal canal syndrome may vary with the aetiology of the space-occupying process. Precise anatomical knowledge of the structures may help in understanding the pathological processes and determining the most appropriate therapy. [source]

Histology, Immunohistochemistry and Ultrastructure of the Tonsil of the Soft Palate of the Horse

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 1 2006
P. Kumar
Summary The tonsil of the soft palate was an oval, flat structure located centro-rostrally on the oral surface of the soft palate. Its stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium was perforated by holes or small crypts the deeper parts of which were loosely spongiform inter-digitated with lymphoid tissue. These unusual features have not previously been reported in tonsils of any species. Crypts and reticulated epithelium as found in the lingual and palatine tonsils were not observed. Lectins showed varying affinities for specific layers of the epithelium. M cells were not observed. A few Langerhans cells were distributed among surface epithelial cells. Lymphoid tissue was arranged loosely and in isolated lymphoid follicles in the subepithelial lamina propria mucosae. Although IgA+ cells and macrophages were proportionately more numerous the amount of lymphoid tissue was much less than in the lingual and palatine tonsils. Most of the follicular germinal centres lacked a darkly stained corona. CD4 positive were more numerous than CD8+ lymphocytes and were distributed in the parafollicular and inter-follicular areas. Large clusters of mucus acini positive for glycogen, acidic and neutral mucopolysaccharides separated lymphoid tissue from deeply placed striated muscle. Only a few high endothelial venules were observed in the parafollicular and inter-follicular areas. These had relatively few vesiculo vacuolar or other organelles in their high endothelial cells and few lymphocytes attaching to their walls. [source]

Light and Electron Microscope Studies on the Nasopharynx and Nasopharyngeal Tonsil of the Horse

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 2 2001
P Kumar
Light and electron microscope studies were conducted on the nasopharynx and the nasopharyngeal tonsil of 15 young horses. The nasopharynx and nasopharyngeal tonsil was lined with pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium and goblet cells. The lymphoepithelium of the nasopharyngeal tonsil was folded forming crypts, the mucosa of which was modified into follicle associated epithelium characterized by stratified cuboidal epithelium, loss of cilia, absence of goblet cells and infiltration of lymphocytes. The lamina propria mucosae of the nasopharyngeal tonsil contained well-developed lymphoid tissue and clusters of seromucus acini. Scanning electron-microscopy revealed a dense mat of cilia covering the nasopharynx and nasopharyngeal tonsil. The follicle-associated epithelium consisted of different populations of microvillus cells in addition to M cells with very short microvilli and a few squamous and intermediate cells. Microvillus cells in the deeper part of the FAE had larger microvilli and their cytoplasm contained a dense population of mitochondria, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complexes and lysosomes. The flat surfaced M cell had a more electron-dense cytoplasm and contained small supranuclear vacuoles in addition to the organelles seen in microvillus cells. [source]

Fine Structure of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Bruch's Membrane and Choriocapillaris in the Horse

ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 3 2000
H. Altunay
Summary The fine structure of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Bruch's membrane and choriocapillaris was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy in both the tapetal and non-tapetal fundus of the horse eye. In all locations, the RPE consisted of a single layer of low cuboidal cells. The epithelial cells were joined laterally by apically located tight junctions. These cells displayed numerous basal infoldings and abundant thin apical processes which enclosed the rod outer segments. The epithelial cell nuclei were large and located basally. Within the epithelial cells, smooth endoplasmic reticulum was very abundant, while rough endoplasmic reticulum was scarce. polysomes and mitochondria, which often display a ring-shaped struccture, were abundant. Melanosomes were abundant in the non-tapetal area but absent in the tapetal area. Bruch's membrane was pentalaminate throughout the retina. The endothelium of the choriocapillaris was heavily fenestrated. [source]

Seven novel KIT mutations in horses with white coat colour phenotypes

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2009
B. Haase
Summary White coat colour in horses is inherited as a monogenic autosomal dominant trait showing a variable expression of coat depigmentation. Mutations in the KIT gene have previously been shown to cause white coat colour phenotypes in pigs, mice and humans. We recently also demonstrated that four independent mutations in the equine KIT gene are responsible for the dominant white coat colour phenotype in various horse breeds. We have now analysed additional horse families segregating for white coat colour phenotypes and report seven new KIT mutations in independent Thoroughbred, Icelandic Horse, German Holstein, Quarter Horse and South German Draft Horse families. In four of the seven families, only one single white horse, presumably representing the founder for each of the four respective mutations, was available for genotyping. The newly reported mutations comprise two frameshift mutations (c.1126_1129delGAAC; c.2193delG), two missense mutations (c.856G>A; c.1789G>A) and three splice site mutations (c.338-1G>C; c.2222-1G>A; c.2684+1G>A). White phenotypes in horses show a remarkable allelic heterogeneity. In fact, a higher number of alleles are molecularly characterized at the equine KIT gene than for any other known gene in livestock species. [source]

Partial deletion of the LAMA3 gene is responsible for hereditary junctional epidermolysis bullosa in the American Saddlebred Horse

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2009
K. T. Graves
Summary Laminin 5 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane protein integral to the structure and function of the dermal,epidermal junction. It consists of three glycoprotein subunits: the ,3, ,3 and ,2 chains, which are encoded by the LAMA3, LAMB3 and LAMC2 genes respectively. A mutation in any of these genes results in the condition known as hereditary junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB). A 6589-bp deletion spanning exons 24,27 was found in the LAMA3 gene in American Saddlebred foals born with the skin-blistering condition epitheliogenesis imperfecta. The deletion confirms that this autosomal recessive condition in the American Saddlebred Horse can indeed be classified as JEB and corresponds to Herlitz JEB in humans. A diagnostic test was developed and nine of 175 randomly selected American Saddlebred foals from the 2007 foal crop were found to be carriers of the mutation (frequency of 0.026). [source]

A GYS1 gene mutation is highly associated with polysaccharide storage myopathy in Cob Normand draught horses

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2009
B. Herszberg
Summary Glycogen storage diseases or glycogenoses are inherited diseases caused by abnormalities of enzymes that regulate the synthesis or degradation of glycogen. Deleterious mutations in many genes of the glyco(geno)lytic or the glycogenesis pathways can potentially cause a glycogenosis, and currently mutations in fourteen different genes are known to cause animal or human glycogenoses, resulting in myopathies and/or hepatic disorders. The genetic bases of two forms of glycogenosis are currently known in horses. A fatal neonatal polysystemic type IV glycogenosis, inherited recessively in affected Quarter Horse foals, is due to a mutation in the glycogen branching enzyme gene (GBE1). A second type of glycogenosis, termed polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), is observed in adult Quarter Horses and other breeds. A severe form of PSSM also occurs in draught horses. A mutation in the skeletal muscle glycogen synthase gene (GYS1) was recently reported to be highly associated with PSSM in Quarter Horses and Belgian draught horses. This GYS1 point mutation appears to cause a gain-of-function of the enzyme and to result in the accumulation of a glycogen-like, less-branched polysaccharide in skeletal muscle. It is inherited as a dominant trait. The aim of this work was to test for possible associations between genetic polymorphisms in four candidate genes of the glycogen pathway or the GYS1 mutation in Cob Normand draught horses diagnosed with PSSM by muscle biopsy. [source]

Genetic diversity in German draught horse breeds compared with a group of primitive, riding and wild horses by means of microsatellite DNA markers

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 4 2004
K. S. Aberle
Summary We compared the genetic diversity and distance among six German draught horse breeds to wild (Przewalski's Horse), primitive (Icelandic Horse, Sorraia Horse, Exmoor Pony) or riding horse breeds (Hanoverian Warmblood, Arabian) by means of genotypic information from 30 microsatellite loci. The draught horse breeds included the South German Coldblood, Rhenish German Draught Horse, Mecklenburg Coldblood, Saxon Thuringa Coldblood, Black Forest Horse and Schleswig Draught Horse. Despite large differences in population sizes, the average observed heterozygosity (Ho) differed little among the heavy horse breeds (0.64,0.71), but was considerably lower than in the Hanoverian Warmblood or Icelandic Horse population. The mean number of alleles (NA) decreased more markedly with declining population sizes of German draught horse breeds (5.2,6.3) but did not reach the values of Hanoverian Warmblood (NA = 6.7). The coefficient of differentiation among the heavy horse breeds showed 11.6% of the diversity between the heavy horse breeds, as opposed to 21.2% between the other horse populations. The differentiation test revealed highly significant genetic differences among all draught horse breeds except the Mecklenburg and Saxon Thuringa Coldbloods. The Schleswig Draught Horse was the most distinct draught horse breed. In conclusion, the study demonstrated a clear distinction among the German draught horse breeds and even among breeds with a very short history of divergence like Rhenish German Draught Horse and its East German subpopulations Mecklenburg and Saxon Thuringa Coldblood. [source]

Putting the Cart before the Horse: Accountability or Performance?

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 2009
Hon S. Chan
Conventional wisdom argues that a good set of performance measures builds accountability and that improved accountability generates better productivity in the organisation. By way of an analysis of a case study in one inland Chinese county, this article shows that the assumed relationship between performance and accountability is more rhetoric than real. In practice, the implementation of performance measurement in local China leads to an accountability paradox, in which enhanced accountability tends to hinder the improvement of government productivity. The implementation of the Chinese target-based responsibility system risks boosting the short term accountability of public employees while undermining the long term productivity of government agencies. With the deepening of China's market-oriented reform, this choice appears to put the cart before the horse. [source]

Lead toxicosis in the horse: A review

EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION, Issue 10 2010
B. Puschner
Summary Lead intoxication is rarely diagnosed in horses and can present a major challenge to the equine practitioner because of the variety of clinical signs. Horses with lead poisoning can develop gastrointestinal disturbances, neurological abnormalities, haematological changes, or nonspecific signs of weight loss, weakness and rough hair coat, which makes early diagnosis difficult. Fortunately, lead analysis of whole blood is routinely available and can confirm intoxication. Because of the well-described lead-induced peripheral neuropathies in horses, a thorough neurological examination is essential in the investigation of a suspect case. Once diagnosed, the source of lead has to be identified and further exposure prevented. Intoxication can be treated by administering chelating drugs and providing symptomatic and supportive care. [source]