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Selected AbstractsCurve skeleton skinning for human and creature charactersCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 3-4 2006Xiaosong Yang Abstract The skeleton driven skinning technique is still the most popular method for animating deformable human and creature characters. Albeit an industry de facto due to its computational performance and intuitiveness, it suffers from problems like collapsing elbow and candy wrapper joint. To remedy these problems, one needs to formulate the non-linear relationship between the skeleton and the skin shape of a character properly, which however proves mathematically very challenging. Placing additional joints where the skin bends increases the sampling rate and is an ad hoc way of approximating this non-linear relationship. In this paper, we propose a method that is able to accommodate the inherent non-linear relationships between the movement of the skeleton and the skin shape. We use the so-called curve skeletons along with the joint-based skeletons to animate the skin shape. Since the deformation follows the tangent of the curve skeleton and also due to higher sampling rates received from the curve points, collapsing skin and other undesirable skin deformation problems are avoided. The curve skeleton retains the advantages of the current skeleton driven skinning. It is easy to use and allows full control over the animation process. As a further enhancement, it is also fairly simple to build realistic muscle and fat bulge effect. A practical implementation in the form of a Maya plug-in is created to demonstrate the viability of the technique. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Pose Controlled Physically Based MotionCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 4 2006Raanan Fattal Abstract In this paper we describe a new method for generating and controlling physically-based motion of complex articulated characters. Our goal is to create motion from scratch, where the animator provides a small amount of input and gets in return a highly detailed and physically plausible motion. Our method relieves the animator from the burden of enforcing physical plausibility, but at the same time provides full control over the internal DOFs of the articulated character via a familiar interface. Control over the global DOFs is also provided by supporting kinematic constraints. Unconstrained portions of the motion are generated in real time, since the character is driven by joint torques generated by simple feedback controllers. Although kinematic constraints are satisfied using an iterative search (shooting), this process is typically inexpensive, since it only adjusts a few DOFs at a few time instances. The low expense of the optimization, combined with the ability to generate unconstrained motions in real time yields an efficient and practical tool, which is particularly attractive for high inertia motions with a relatively small number of kinematic constraints. [source] Expression of the pyrG gene determines the pool sizes of CTP and dCTP in Lactococcus lactisFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 12 2004Casper M. Jørgensen The pyrG gene from Lactococcus lactis encodes CTP synthase (EC 6.4.3.2), an enzyme converting UTP to CTP. A series of strains were constructed with different levels of pyrG expression by insertion of synthetic constitutive promoters with different strengths in front of pyrG. These strains expressed pyrG levels in a range from 3 to 665% relative to the wild-type expression level. Decreasing the level of CTP synthase to 43% had no effect on the growth rate, showing that the capacity of CTP synthase in the cell is in excess in a wild-type strain. We then studied how pyrG expression affected the intracellular pool sizes of nucleotides and the correlation between pyrG expression and nucleotide pool sizes was quantified using metabolic control analysis in terms of inherent control coefficients. At the wild-type expression level, CTP synthase had full control of the CTP concentration with a concentration control coefficient close to one and a negative concentration control coefficient of ,0.28 for the UTP concentration. Additionally, a concentration control coefficient of 0.49 was calculated for the dCTP concentration. Implications for the homeostasis of nucleotide pools are discussed. [source] Growth and Transfer of Monolithic Horizontal ZnO Nanowire Superstructures onto Flexible SubstratesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2010Sheng Xu A method of fabricating horizontally aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with full control over the width and length is demonstrated. A cross-sectional view of the NWs by transmission electron microscopy shows a "mushroom-like" structure. Novel monolithic multisegment superstructures are fabricated by making use of the lateral overgrowth. Ultralong horizontal ZnO NWs of an aspect ratio on the order of ten thousand are also demonstrated. These horizontal NWs are lifted off and transferred onto a flexible polymer substrate, which may have many great applications in horizontal ZnO NW-based nanosensor arrays, light-emitting diodes, optical gratings, integrated circuit interconnects, and high-output-power alternating-current nanogenerators. [source] Template Deformation-Tailored ZnO Nanorod/Nanowire Arrays: Full Growth Control and Optimization of Field-EmissionADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 19 2009Haibo Zeng Abstract Here, a facile and effective route toward full control of vertical ZnO nanorod (NR)/nanowire (NW) arrays in centimeter-scale areas and considerable improvement of field-emission (FE) performance is reported. Controlled deformation of colloidal crystal monolayer templates is introduced by heating near glass-transition temperature. The NR/NW density, uniformity, and tapering were all adjusted through selection of template size and deformation, and electrolyte composition. In line with the adjustments, the field-emission performance of the arrays is significantly improved. A low turn-on electric field of 1.8,V µm,1, a field-enhancement factor of up to 5,750, and an emitting current density of up to 2.5,mA cm,2 were obtained. These improved parameters would benefit their potential application in cold-cathode-based electronics. [source] Islam in Northern Mozambique: A Historical OverviewHISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 7 2010Liazzat Bonate This article is a historical overview of two issues: first, that of the dynamics of Islamic religious transformations from pre-Portuguese era up until the 2000s among Muslims of the contemporary Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and to a certain extent, Niassa provinces. The article argues that historical and geographical proximity of these regions to East African coast, the Comoros and northern Madagascar meant that all these regions shared a common Islamic religious tradition. Accordingly, shifts with regard to religious discourses and practices went in parallel. This situation began changing in the last decade of the colonial era and has continued well into the 2000s, when the so-called Wahhabis, Sunni Muslims educated in the Islamic universities of the Arab world brought religious outlook that differed significantly from the historical local and regional conceptions of Islam. The second question addressed in this article is about relationships between northern Mozambican Muslims and the state. The article argues that after initial confrontations with Muslims in the sixteenth century and up until the last decade of the colonial era, the Portuguese rule pursued no concerted effort in interfering in the internal Muslim religious affairs. Besides, although they occupied and destroyed some of the Swahili settlements, in particular in southern and central Mozambique, other Swahili continued to thrive in northern Mozambique and maintained certain independence from the Portuguese up until the twentieth century. Islam there remained under the control of the ruling Shirazi clans with close political, economic, kinship and religious ties to the Swahili world. By establishing kinship and politico-economic ties with the ruling elites of the mainland in the nineteenth century, these families were also instrumental in expanding Islam into the hinterland. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Portuguese rule took full control of the region as a result of military conquests of the ,effective occupation', and imposed new legal and administrative colonial system, called Indigenato, impacting Muslims of northern Mozambique to a great extent. After the independence in 1975, and especially since 1977, the post-independence Frelimo government adopted militant atheism and socialist Marxism, which was short-lived and was abolished in 1983 owing to popular resistance and especially, because of government's perception that its religious policies were fuelling the opposition groups to take arms and join the civil war. The 1980s and 1990s were marked by an acute rivalry and conflicts between the two emerging national umbrella Islamic organizations, the Islamic Council and the Islamic Congress, each representing largely pro-Sufi and anti-Sufi positions. In the 2000s, these organizations became overshadowed by new and more dynamic organizations, such as Ahl Al-Sunna. [source] Corruption in Africa , Part 1HISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2009John Mukum Mbaku As Africans struggled against colonial exploitation, there was near universal agreement among the freedom fighters and other nationalists that one of the most important determinants of poverty in the colonies was the control of the instruments of economic and political governance by foreign interlopers, all of whose objectives were in conflict with those of the Africans. Colonial institutional arrangements were primarily instruments for the exploitation of Africans and their resources. Europeans came to Africa to maximize metropolitan objectives and hence, established within each colony, institutional arrangements that enhanced their ability to exploit Africans and their resources for the benefit of the metropolitan economies. With their comparative advantage in the employment of military and police force, the Europeans were able to impose on the African colonies laws and institutions that enhanced their objectives but significantly impoverished Africans. Hence, independence was considered critical not only to the elimination of the psychological effects of foreign occupation but also to the empowerment of Africans and the enhancement of their ability to take full control of their governance systems. First, independence was expected to expel the European interlopers from the continent and allow the in-coming African leaders to rid their societies of the exploitative, despotic and non-democratic institutions that had been brought to the colonies by the Europeans. In the post-independence period, Africans were expected to have full control of their own destiny, allocate their own resources, and generally take responsibility for the design and implementation of policies affecting their own welfare. Second, the new leaders were then expected to engage all relevant stakeholder groups in each country in democratic constitution making to develop and adopt locally focused, participatory, inclusive and politically and economically relevant institutional arrangements. Finally, Africa's post-independence leaders were expected to use public policy as an instrument for the effective eradication of mass poverty and deprivation. [source] Magnonics: Spin Waves on the NanoscaleADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 28 2009Sebastian Neusser Abstract Magnetic nanostructures have long been in the focus of intense research in the magnetic storage industry. For data storage the nonvolatility of magnetic states is of utmost relevance. As information technology generates the need for higher and higher data-transfer rates, research efforts have moved to understand magnetization dynamics. Here, spin waves and their particle-like analog, magnons, are increasingly attracting interest. High-quality nanopatterned magnetic media now offer new ways to transmit and process information without moving electrical charges. This new functionality is enabled by spin waves. They are confined by novel functioning principles, which render them especially suitable to operate at the nanoscale. Magnonic crystals are expected to provide full control of spin waves, similarly to what photonic crystals already do for light. Combined with nonvolatility, multifunctional metamaterials might be formed. We report recent advances in this rapidly increasing research field called magnonics. [source] OLEX: new software for visualization and analysis of extended crystal structuresJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2003Oleg V. Dolomanov We have developed new software (OLEX) for the visualization and analysis of extended crystal structures. This software has a Windows-compatible mouse-driven graphical interface which gives full control over all structural elements. OLEX provides the user with tools to construct topological networks, visualize interpenetrating or overlapping fragments, and analyse networks constructed fully or partially by exploiting short interactions. It is also easy to generate conventional ellipsoid, ball-and-stick or packing plots. [source] Application of dynamic diffractive optics for enhanced femtosecond laser based cell transfectionJOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS, Issue 10-11 2010Maciej Antkowiak Abstract We demonstrate the advantages of a dynamic diffractive optical element, namely a spatial light modulator (SLM) for the controlled and enhanced optoinjection and phototransfection of mammalian cells with a femtosecond light source. The SLM provides full control over the lateral and axial positioning of the beam with sub-micron precision. Fast beam translation enables time-sequenced irradiation, which is shown to enhance the optoinjection efficiency and alleviate the problem of exact beam positioning on the cell membrane. We show that irradiation in three axial positions doubles the number of viably optoinjected cells when compared with a single dose. The presented system also enables untargeted raster scan irradiation which provides a higher throughput transfection of adherent cells at the rate of 1 cell per second. Additionally, fluorescent imaging is used to demonstrate cell selective two-step gene therapy. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Microalbuminuria, Chronic Renal Disease, and the Effects of the Metabolic Syndrome on Cardiovascular EventsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 7 2007Marvin Moser MD In March 2007, a panel discussion was held following a hypertension symposium in New York, New York. The panel was moderated by Marvin Moser, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. Serving on the panel were James R. Sowers, MD, Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, and Henry R. Black, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York. This expert panel discussion was supported by Novartis and each author received an honorarium from Novartis for time and effort spent participating in the discussion and reviewing the transcript for important intellectual content prior to publication. The authors maintained full control of the discussion and the resulting content of this article; Novartis had no input in the choice of topic, speakers, or content. [source] The Management of Hypertension in the African American PatientJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 6 2007Jackson T. Wright MD A panel was convened to discuss the topic of the management of hypertension in the African American patient. Jackson T. Wright, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, moderated the panel. Kenneth A. Jamerson, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc, and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, participated in the discussion. This expert panel discussion was supported by Novartis and each author received an honorarium from Novartis for time and effort spent participating in the discussion and reviewing the transcript for important intellectual content prior to publication. The authors maintained full control of the discussion and the resulting content of this article; Novartis had no input in the choice of topic, speakers, or content. [source] The ALLHAT Study Revisited: Do Newer Data From This Trial and Others Indicate Changes in Treatment Guidelines?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2007Marvin Moser MD Following a hypertension symposium in Washington, DC, in November 2006, a panel was convened to discuss new data from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) and to revisit the significance of this trial in the management of hypertension. Based on these data and information from other trials, the expert panel also addressed the questions, "Is it time for a new Joint National Committee report?" and "Should the 2003 hypertension treatment recommendations be updated or are they still valid?" The panel was moderated by Marvin Moser, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. On the panel were Suzanne Oparil, MD, Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and President of the American Society of Hypertension (ASH); William Cushman, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Medicine at the University of Tennessee in Memphis and attending physician at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center; and Vasilios Papademetriou, MD, Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and attending physician at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center. This expert panel discussion was supported by Pfizer Inc and each author received an honorarium from Pfizer Inc for time and effort spent participating in the discussion and reviewing the transcript for important intellectual content prior to publication. The authors maintained full control of the discussion and the resulting content of this article; Pfizer had no input in the choice of topic, speakers, or content. (Please note that Dr Oparil's comments herein do not represent the official opinion of ASH.) [source] Ecological, environmental and socioeconomic aspects of the Lake Victoria's introduced Nile perch fishery in relation to the native fisheries and the species culture potential: lessons to learnAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007John S. Balirwa Abstract Inland fishery ecosystems in Africa are characterized by patterns of overexploitation, environmental degradation and exotic species introductions. Ecological complexity and diversity of aquatic habitats dictate that fishes in general are not evenly distributed in a water body. However, fisheries management regimes tend to ignore this basic principle, assume generalized conditions in a water body, and focus more on ,desired' objectives such as maximizing catch. The result is to disregard fish habitat boundaries and anthropogenic influences from the catchment that influence fish production. Overexploitation and environmental degradation disrupt sustainable socioeconomic benefits from the fisheries, create uncertainty among investors, but leave some managers calling for more information with the expectation that the fisheries will recover with time. Open access to the fisheries and full control of fishing effort remain challenges for managers. Exotic species introductions and fish farming can increase production, but such interventions require firm commitment to sound ecological principles and strict enforcement of recommended conservation and co-management measures in capture fisheries. The general tendency to downplay fishing effort issues, other ecosystem values and functions or rely on temperate fisheries models until a new cycle of overexploitation emerges, characterizes many management patterns in inland fisheries. Aquaculture is not an option to challenges in capture fisheries management. Aquaculture should be developed to increase fish production but even this practice may have negative environmental impacts depending on practice and scale. Decades of information on Lake Victoria fisheries trends and aquaculture development did not stop the collapse of native fisheries. The successfully introduced Nile perch (Lates niloticus) has shown signs of overexploitation and aquaculture has again been considered as the option. By reviewing significant trends associated with Nile perch and its feasibility in aquaculture this paper uses Lake Victoria to illustrate ,special interest management' targeting selected species of fish rather than the fisheries. Résumé Les écosystèmes africains où se pratique la pêche intérieure se caractérisent par des schémas de surexploitation, de dégradation environnementale et d'introductions d'espèces exotiques. La complexité et la diversité des habitats aquatiques impliquent que les poissons ne sont, en général, pas distribués de façon uniforme dans une entité aquatique. Pourtant, les divers régimes de gestion des pêcheries tendent à ignorer ce principe élémentaire, présument de conditions uniformes dans une entité aquatique et visent plus les objectifs « souhaités », comme des prises maximales. Le résultat, c'est que l'on ne tient pas compte des limites de l'habitat des poissons et des impacts anthropiques du bassin versant qui influencent la production de poisson. La surexploitation et la dégradation de l'environnement compromettent les bénéfices socio-économiques durables de la pêche, engendrent l'incertitude parmi les investisseurs et font que certains gestionnaires sollicitent plus d'informations dans l'attente que la pêche se redresse avec le temps. L'accès libre à la pêche et le contrôle total des efforts de pêche restent de vrais défis pour les gestionnaires. Les introductions d'espèces exotiques et les fermes piscicoles peuvent augmenter la production, mais ces interventions exigent un engagement solide vis-à-vis des principes écologiques responsables et l'application stricte des mesures de conservation et de co-gestion recommandées pour la pêche. La tendance générale à minimiser les problèmes des efforts de pêche et les autres valeurs et fonctions de l'écosystème, ou à se baser sur des modèles de pêche tempérés jusqu'à ce qu'un nouveau cycle de surexploitation émerge, caractérise de nombreux schémas de gestion de pêche intérieure. L'aquaculture n'est pas une option pour les défis auxquels fait face la gestion de la pêche. L'aquaculture devrait être développée pour augmenter la production de poisson, mais même cette pratique peut avoir des impacts environnementaux négatifs dus à l'échelle et à la façon dont on la pratique. Des décennies d'informations sur les tendances de la pêche et le développement de l'aquaculture dans le lac Victoria n'ont pas empêché l'effondrement de la pêche originale. La perche du Nil (Lates niloticus), introduite avec succès montre des signes de surexploitation et l'aquaculture a de nouveau été envisagée. En passant en revue les tendances significatives liées à la perche du Nil et la faisabilité de son aquaculture, cet article se sert du lac Victoria pour illustrer la « gestion d'intérêt spécial » qui vise des espèces de poissons sélectionnées plutôt que la pêche. [source] Complex genital system of a haplogyne spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Tetrablemmidae) indicates internal fertilization and full female control over transferred spermJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Matthias Burger Abstract The female genital organs of the tetrablemmid Indicoblemma lannaianum are astonishingly complex. The copulatory orifice lies anterior to the opening of the uterus externus and leads into a narrow insertion duct that ends in a genital cavity. The genital cavity continues laterally in paired tube-like copulatory ducts, which lead into paired, large, sac-like receptacula. Each receptaculum has a sclerotized pore plate with associated gland cells. Paired small fertilization ducts originate in the receptacula and take their curved course inside the copulatory ducts. The fertilization ducts end in slit-like openings in the sclerotized posterior walls of the copulatory ducts. Huge masses of secretions forming large balls are detectable in the female receptacula. An important function of these secretory balls seems to be the encapsulation of spermatozoa in discrete packages in order to avoid the mixing of sperm from different males. In this way, sperm competition may be completely prevented or at least severely limited. Females seem to have full control over transferred sperm and be able to express preference for spermatozoa of certain males. The lumen of the sperm containing secretory balls is connected with the fertilization duct. Activated spermatozoa are only found in the uterus internus of females, which is an indication of internal fertilization. The sperm cells in the uterus internus are characterized by an extensive cytoplasm and an elongated, cone-shaped nucleus. The male genital system of I. lannaianum consists of thick testes and thin convoluted vasa deferentia that open into the wide ductus ejaculatorius. The voluminous globular palpal bulb is filled with seminal fluid consisting of a globular secretion in which only a few spermatozoa are embedded. The spermatozoa are encapsulated by a sheath produced in the genital system. The secretions in females may at least partly consist of male secretions that could be involved in the building of the secretory balls or play a role in sperm activation. The male secretions could also afford nutriments to the spermatozoa. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The treatment of faecal incontinence following ileostomy takedown after rectal surgery for cancerJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009Federico Attene MD Aim., The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitative treatment of the pelvic floor on faecal incontinence after ileostomy take-down. Background., Several conditions can induce surgeons to fashion an excluding ileostomy. In our experience 40% of patients subjected to ileostomy takedown refer faecal incontinence which becomes a chronic condition if not treated. Design., Between 2006 and 2008 we observed fourteen patients with faecal incontinence after ileostomy takedown. Previous manometric assessment of the pelvic floor functionality they underwent rehabilitative treatment by electrostimulation of the anal sphincter. Methods., The rehabilitation program was organised in 10 sessions each of 15 minutes. In each session a double electrode probe was introduced through the anus which is able to conduct electric impulses at a frequency of 75 Hz with an intensity of 15,50 mA and duration of 150 ,s. Results., All patients showed important clinical and manometric improvement. Three patients needed a second rehabilitative treatment with subsequent clinical resolution of faecal incontinence. Conclusions., Improvement in all patients was found although the data are not statistically significant. Consideration of social and psychological implications of treatments is important. Patients need to acquire full control of their body and its functions. Considering that faecal incontinence is a pathology with high social costs it appears necessary to establish an effective and repeatable method of treatment. Electric stimulation seems to be the most adequate tool for this purpose. Relevance to clinical practice., The standardisation of parameters in the treatment protocol of incontinence could allow to extend this therapy to a lot of colo-proctological units. [source] Florida's Pension Election: From DB to DC and BackJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 3 2004Moshe A. Milevsky During the year 2002, the State of Florida's 600,000 public employees were given the choice of converting their traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plan into an individual-account defined contribution (DC) plan with full control over asset allocation and investment decisions. To mitigate some of the risk and uncertainty in the decision, the State granted each employee electing the DC plan an additional option to switch back (i.e., change their mind once) at any point prior to retirement. This option has been labeled the 2nd election by the State and the cost of reentry is fixed at the accumulated benefit obligation of their pension entitlement, which is the present value of the life annuity. Our article presents some original analytic insights relating to the optimal time and financial value of this unique 2nd election. Although our model is deterministic in nature, we believe that it provides a number of intuitive insights that are quite robust. Our results can be contrasted with Lachance, Mitchell, and Smetters (2003). We estimate that the increase in retirement wealth that arises from having the 2nd election is equivalent to at most 30 percent in future value, and only when utilized optimally. Furthermore, for most State employees above the age of 45, the 2nd election has little economic value because the DB plan dominates the DC plan from day one. Of course, it remains to be seen what percent of Florida's 600,000 employees will elect to behave rationally with their newfound pension autonomy. [source] Microstructured horizontal alumina pore arrays as growth templates for large area few and single nanowire devicesPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI - RAPID RESEARCH LETTERS, Issue 2 2008Ying Xiang Abstract We demonstrate the fabrication of horizontally aligned and well-defined nanopore structures by anodic oxidation of aluminum thin films and micro stripes on a Si substrate. We are able to control both, the pore diameters and interpore distances from 10 nm to 130 nm and from 30 nm to 275 nm, respectively. The anisotropy of the system induces some deviations in the pore configuration from the typical honeycomb structure. By decreasing the dimensions of the Al structures, the final pore diameter and interpore distance remains constant, enabling the transition from multiple to a few nanowire porous structures. Finally, we successfully filled the nanopores by pulsed electroplating, as demonstrated both by Scanning Electron Microscopy and by current,voltage measurements. Having full control over the size, the density, the position and the orientation of the porous structure, our approach is promising for many exciting applications, including nanoelectronics and sensing. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Trilostane treatment in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadreno-corticismAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 10 2003JA BRADDOCK Objective To evaluate the efficacy of trilostane in treating dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Design Prospective clinical trial using client-owned dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism treated at University Veterinary Centre, Sydney from September 1999 to July 2001. Procedure Thirty dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism treated with trilostane, a competitive inhibitor ,-HSD, were monitored at days 10, 30 and 90 then 3-monthly by clinical examination, tetracosactrin stimulation testing, urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio measurement and by client questionnaire. Results Twenty-nine of 30 dogs were successfully treated with trilostane (median dose 16.7 mg/kg; range 5.3 to 50 mg/kg, administered once daily); one responded favourably but died of unrelated disease before full control was achieved. Conclusion Trilostane administration controlled pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in these dogs. It was safe, effective and free of side-effects at the doses used. Most dogs were initially quite sensitive to the drug for 10 to 30 days, then required higher doses until a prolonged phase of stable dose requirements occurred. Urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio was useful in assessing duration of drug effect. Some dogs treated for more than 2 years required reduction or temporary cessation of drug because of iatrogenic hypoadrenocorticism. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||