The efficacy of short term (3 day) oral amoxicillin therapy was compared to conventional (14 day) oral therapy in an experimental model of bacterial lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in the cat. Chemical cystitis was induced using an infusion solution of salicylic acid, 70% ethanol, and normal saline via transabdominal cystocentesis. Cats were challenged with a Staphylococcus intermedius inoculum twenty-four hours later introduced via urethral catheterization. Serial quantitative aerobic bacterial urine cultures obtained via cystocentesis were used to evaluate groups of cats. Eighteen adult cats (9 males and 9 females) were divided into 3 groups of 6 cats (3 males and 3 females): Group I = conventional amoxicillin therapy (14 day), Group II = control group (no treatment), and Group III = short term therapy (3 day). Results indicated the conventional therapy successfully eradicated infection, however, the short term therapy did not eradicate infection when compared to controls. During the study period the diuretic furosemide was used in some cats to facilitate cystocentesis procedures. Those cats were observed to exhibit less stranguria, which is a common sign of lower UTI. The second study evolved from observations made in the first study and evaluated the effect of furosemide on conventional antibiotic therapy in an experimental model of bacterial lower UTI in the cat. A similar experimental design was utilized with Group I = control group (no treatment), Group II = oral furosemide (14 day), and Group III = oral furosemide and oral amoxicillin (14 day). Statistical analysis failed to demonstrate the efficacy of the furosemide and amoxicillin combination, but showed furosemide alone was not an appropriate therapy when compared to controls. It was again observed that those cats receiving furosemide showed fewer secondary signs of lower UTI such as stranguria which suggests a possible role for furosemide as adjunct therapy in the treatment of lower UTI in the cat. / Master of Science

The larval stage of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouche), was found to exhibit behaviors that were conducive to its security in carpet. Larvae exhibited positive geotactic, and negative phototactic behaviors. This resulted in the larvae spending greater than 80% of their time at the base of the carpet pile. Cat flea larvae also exhibited a positive hydrotaxis, and appeared to exhibit undirected movements when foraging. Larva were observed to respond to disturbances by coiling their body longitudinally. Cat flea hatched and unhatched eggs, and larval exuviae were found to be dispersed in a contagious fashion within carpet. The spatial pattern of the immature stages and remains was influenced by the habits of the pet host within a given room. First-instar larvae do not move far, if at all, from the location of eclosion. The movement of the larval stage is influenced by biotic and abiotic factors in the environment. Areas of high pedestrian or pet traffic are not conducive to successful eclosion from the egg or for successful larval development. Various methods of control exist for controlling an indoor infestation including both non-chemical and chemical tactics. A method for the physical control of immature stages in carpet is vacuuming. A beater-bar vacuum removes about 50% of the eggs but less than 30% of the larvae from a carpet. Chemical control tactics indoors are normally conducted using a compressed-air sprayer. Pressure within the application system is critical for creating spray patterns which can be overlapped to allow even insecticide coverage of the substrate. A compressed-air application system is not capable of delivering pesticides in a manner that will completely penetrate the carpet substrate to reach the base of the carpet. No significant differences in carpet penetration were observed over a range of 20 to 70 psi. Regardless of pressure, more than 93% of the solution applied to carpet was deposited in the upper third (6 mm) of the carpet. Pet owners were surveyed about their knowledge and perceptions of household infestations of the cat flea, and also about financial expenditures and their willingness to pay for a flea-free environment. The importance and the pest status of flea infestations were determined to be based on physical, psychological, and economic impacts on homeowners. Respondents' perceptions of infestations on their pet were associated with infestation levels in the house. The respondents were willing to pay more for flea control in July, the onset of the flea season, than they were at the peak or decline of the season. They were also willing to pay more as their perception of the intensity of the problem on the pet or in the home increased. Household income was not shown to affect a respondent's actual financial expenditures or his willingness to pay for flea control on the pet or in the home. / Ph. D.

Feral and fearful cats and kittens in animal shelters are not likely to be adopted as companion animals because they emit fearful or aggressive behaviors in the presence of humans. The purpose of the fearful to friendly (F2F) research was to investigate a shaping procedure to increase friendly behaviors of feral and fearful domestic cats and kittens with the goal of achieving animal shelters’ adoptability criteria. The results showed the F2F procedure was a safe and very effective procedure to quickly tame feral kittens deemed unadoptable. The day after implementing F2F, three out of four kittens approached me and accepted petting and holding without any additional training.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. College of Veterinary Medicine. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Programa de Apoio aos Planos de Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais / The first study aimed to find the epidemiological, clinical and histological aspects of this intriguing cat myelopathy. Three travels for a rural area of Alegrete (southwest of Rio Grande do Sul) were done and a questionnaire with owners and residents was conducted. Neurological examinations, necropsy and histopathology were performed in four cats. Affected cats initially developed tail paralysis followed by progressive paraparesis in the pelvic limbs, gait abnormality, plantigrade position and proprioceptive ataxia. Long time after first symptoms (12-24 months), when they became markedly paraparetic and began to present scabs of decubitus, they were sacrificed. Necropsy showed varying degrees of atrophy of the pelvic muscles and some degree of redness of the meninges between T10 and L7 due to the presence of myriads of tiny blood vessels. Histologically, these lesions were distended by the subarachnoid space dilated and tortuous blood vessels filled with blood and occasionally thrombus, which partially or totally occluded their lumens. In the lumen of varicose venules transverse and longitudinal session of parasites were found. Based on the morphology of the parasite, in their anatomical location (meningeal blood vessels) and affected species (cat), the nematode was identified as Gurltia paralysans, and this was first feline parasite crural paraplegia case diagnosed in Brazil. The second study is a syringomyelia case report, a rare neurological disease in cats. In this study syringomyelia was found associated with congenital scoliosis, both are frequently found in human medicine reports, but are underdiagnosed in Veterinary Medicine. This paper describes the necropsy and histopathology findings in a cat with syringomyelia and scoliosis. The cat presented paraplegia and congenital urinary and fecal incontinence. At necropsy a shift right side of the spine in the thoracolumbar region was found and was interpreted as scoliosis. Histologically there was a cystic cavitation in the white matter from thoracic to lumbar region, ventral to the central channel and not delineated by ependymal, thus confirming the spinal cord injury to be syringomyelia. The third study aimed in a preliminary study to determine the main diseases that cause death or euthanasia in cats in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul. The Veterinary Pathology Laboratory (LPV-UFSM) files were reviewed from 1964 to 2013 and a total of 1,247 cat necropsies protocols were found. In 878 (70.40%) protocols the cause of death and/or reason for euthanasia were established. The final diagnosis were evaluated and classified into different categories. The category which includes the largest number of causes of death or reason for euthanasia in cats are disorders due to physical agents (15.63%), followed by infectious and parasitic diseases (13,15%), tumors (10.50%), other disorders (8.34%), poisoning and toxinfection (5.29%), degenerative diseases (4.81%), iatrogenic disorders (3.76%), metabolic and endocrinological diseases (2.72%), immune-mediated diseases (2.08%), nutritional diseases (1.60), convenience euthanasia (1.44%) and congenital disorders (1.04%). The most important diseases were also evaluated according to age and the results demonstrated that adult cats are most affected by lower urinary tract disease, trauma and iatrogenic disorders. Elderly cats are most affected by tumors and chronic renal failure. However, in young cats, feline peritonitis disease was found to be the most important cause of death or euthanasia. / A primeira parte desta tese objetivou desvendar os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos de uma intrigante mielopatia de gatos. Para isso foram realizadas três incursões na área rural do município de Alegrete, no sudoeste do Rio Grande do Sul e realizado um questionário com proprietários e moradores da região. Foram realizados exames neurológicos, necropsia e histopatológico em quatro gatos. Os gatos afetados desenvolviam inicialmente paralisia da cauda, seguida de paraparesia progressiva nos membros pélvicos, alteração da marcha, posição plantígrada e ataxia proprioceptiva. Após longos períodos de evolução clínica (12-24 meses), quando se tornavam marcadamente paraparéticos e começavam a apresentar escaras de decúbito, eram sacrificados pelos proprietários. Na necropsia, demonstravam graus variados de atrofia dos músculos pélvicos e algum grau de avermelhamento das meninges entre T10 e L7, devido à presença de miríades de pequenos vasos sanguíneos. Histologicamente, tais lesões consistiam de distensão do espaço subaracnoideo por vasos sanguíneos dilatados e tortuosos, repletos de sangue e, ocasionalmente, de trombos, que ocluíam parcial ou totalmente seus lúmens. No lúmen das vênulas varicosas havia secções transversais e longitudinais de parasitas. Com base na morfologia desses parasitos, em sua localização anatômica (vasos sanguíneos meníngeos) e na espécie afetada (gato), o nematódeo foi identificado como Gurltia paralysans. Sendo assim, foi diagnosticada pela primeira vez no Brasil a paraplegia crural parasitária felina . O segundo trabalho que compõe esta tese trata-se de um relato de siringomielia, uma doença neurológica rara em gatos. Este caso de siringomielia estava associado a escoliose congênita, ambas malformações encontradas com frequência em relatos da área médica, porém pouco diagnosticadas em Medicina Veterinária. O gato apresentava paraplegia, incontinência urinária e fecal congênitas. Na necropsia observou-se um desvio lateral direito da coluna vertebral na região tóraco-lombar (interpretado como escoliose). Na histologia observou-se uma cavitação cística na substância branca desde a região torácica à região lombar, ventral ao canal central e não delineada por epêndima. O terceiro artigo a fazer parte desta tese determinou a prevalência das doenças que causam a morte ou que levam à eutanásia em gatos da Região Central do Rio Grande do Sul. Para isto foram revisados os arquivos do Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária (LPV) da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) entre 1964 a 2013. Neste levantamento foram encontrados um total de 1.247 protocolos de necropsias de gatos. Em 878 protocolos (70,4%) a causa da morte e/ou razão para eutanásia foi estabelecida. Os diagnósticos encontrados foram incluídos em diferentes categorias. Os grupos responsáveis pelo maior número de causas de morte ou razão para eutanásia em gatos foram os distúrbios causados por agentes físicos (15,6%), seguidos das doenças infecciosas e parasitárias (13,2%) e dos tumores (10,50%). Intoxicações e toxi-infecções (5,3%), doenças degenerativas (4,8%), distúrbios iatrogênicos (3,8%), doenças metabólicas e endocrinológicas (2,7%) foram categorias comuns. Doenças imunomediadas (2,1%), doenças nutricionais (1,6%), eutanásia por conveniência (1,4%) e distúrbios congênitos (1%) foram categorias incomuns. Outros distúrbios perfizeram 8,34% dos casos. As doenças mais importantes foram avaliadas com relação à idade e os resultados obtidos demonstram que os adultos são mais acometidos pelo distúrbio do trato urinário inferior dos felinos, por traumas e por distúrbios iatrogênicos. Os gatos idosos são mais acometidos por tumores e por doenças degenerativas como a insuficiência renal crônica. Já nos filhotes, a principal doença que causa a morte ou leva à eutanásia é a peritonite infecciosa felina.

Les méthodes d’apprentissage profond connaissent une croissance fulgurante. Une explication de ce phénomène est l’essor de la puissance de calcul combiné à l’accessibilité de données en grande quantité. Néanmoins, plusieurs applications de la vie réelle présentent des difficultés: la disponibilité et la qualité des données peuvent être faibles, l’étiquetage des données peut être ardu, etc. Dans ce mémoire, nous examinons deux contextes : celui des données limitées et celui du modèle économique CATS. Pour pallier les difficultés rencontrées dans ces contextes, nous utilisons des modèles d’apprentissage profond pour images avec structure additionnelle. Dans un premier temps, nous examinons les réseaux de scattering et étudions leur version paramétrée sur des petits jeux de données. Dans un second temps, nous adaptons les modèles de diffusion afin de proposer une alternative aux modèles à base d’agents qui sont complexes à construire et à optimiser. Nous vérifions empiriquement la faisabilité de cette démarche en modélisant le marché de l’emploi du modèle CATS. Nous constatons tout d’abord que les réseaux de scattering paramétrés sont performants sur des jeux de données de classification pour des petits échantillons de données. Nous démontrons que les réseaux de scattering paramétrés performent mieux que ceux non paramétrés, c’est-à-dire les réseaux de scattering traditionnels. En effet, nous constatons que des banques de filtres adaptés aux jeux de données permettent d’améliorer l’apprentissage. En outre, nous observons que les filtres appris se différencient selon les jeux de données. Nous vérifions également la propriété de robustesse aux petites déformations lisses expérimentalement. Ensuite, nous confirmons que les modèles de diffusion peuvent être adaptés pour modéliser le marché de l’emploi du modèle CATS dans une approche d’apprentissage profond. Nous vérifions ce fait pour deux architectures de réseau de neurones différentes. De plus, nous constatons que les performances sont maintenues pour différents scénarios impliquant l’apprentissage avec une ou plusieurs séries temporelles issues de CATS, lesquelles peuvent être tirées à partir d’hyperparamètres standards ou de perturbations de ceux-ci. / Deep learning methods are booming. An explanation of this phenomenon is the rise of computing power combined with the accessibility of large data quantity. Nevertheless, several real-life applications present difficulties: the availability and quality of data can be low, data labeling can be tricky, etc. In this thesis, we examine two contexts: that of limited data and that of the CATS economic model. To overcome the difficulties encountered in these contexts, we use deep learning models for images with additional structure. First, we examine scattering networks and study their parameterized version on small datasets. In a second step, we adapt diffusion models in order to propose an alternative to agent-based models which are complex to build and to optimize. We empirically verify the feasibility of this approach by modeling the labor market of the CATS model. We first observe that the parameterized scattering networks perform well on classification datasets for small samples of data. We demonstrate that parameterized scattering networks perform better than those not parametrized, i.e. traditional scattering networks. Indeed, we find that filterbanks adapted to the datasets make it possible to improve learning. Moreover, we observe that the learned filters differ according to the datasets. We also verify the property of robustness to small smooth deformations experimentally.. Then, we confirm that diffusion models can be adapted to model the labor market of the CATS model in a deep learning approach. We verify this fact for two different neural network architectures. Moreover, we find that performance is maintained for different scenarios involving training with one or more time series from CATS, which can be derived from standard hyperparameters or perturbations thereof.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Briana S. Goff / The purpose of the current study is to understand the lived experiences of military couples regarding the effects of war-related trauma and deployment on couple functioning. An interpretive phenomenological perspective was utilized during data analysis. This type of phenomenological perspective suggests that human phenomena can only be understood in a situated context (Packer & Addison, 1989). This is to suggest that a person’s emotions, behaviors, and experiences cannot be separated from the context in which they occur. For the purpose of this study, the “context” under consideration was the Army culture and customs in which each of the participant couples was embedded. The Couple Adaptation to Traumatic Stress Model (CATS; Nelson Goff & Smith, 2005) offers a constructive step forward in systemically understanding and treating the impediments created by war-related trauma and deployment. The current study utilized the core terms included in the CATS Model (Nelson Goff & Smith, 2005) as sensitizing concepts to guide the qualitative analysis process. This includes the CATS Model couple functioning variables of attachment, satisfaction, stability, adaptability, support/nurturance, power, intimacy, communication, conflict, and roles. Using qualitative interviews from 90 participants (n = 45 couples), five themes were identified as salient, including communication, conflict management, roles, support/nurturance, and post-traumatic growth. Participants were divided into subgroups (n = 15 couples, 30 total participants) according to their scores on the Purdue Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale – Revised (PPTSD-R; Lauterbach & Vrana, 1996) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; Spanier, 1976). This subsample was selected to examine differences in themes among couples with high and low levels of marital satisfaction, as well as those with high and low levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Many similarities were found among the couples with high marital satisfaction and those with low levels of post-traumatic symptoms. Likewise, similarities were also discovered among the couples with lowest levels of marital satisfaction and those with highest levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms. From the current study, there is clear evidence in support of the CATS Model elements of communication, conflict, roles, support/nurturance, and satisfaction. A new contribution to the CATS Model can be made from the current study, which is the inclusion of post-traumatic growth.

Sensory neocortex contains a significant number of inhibitory neurons that use gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as their neurotransmitter. Functional roles for these neurons have been identified in physiological studies. For example, in primary somatosensory cortex (SI), blockade of GABAa receptors with bicuculline leads to expansion of receptive fields (RFs). The magnitude of RF enlargement varies between SIpopulations of GABAergic neurons were identified by labeling specific calcium binding proteins.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 H644 / Master of Science / Anatomy and Physiology

Orientador: Alexandre Lima de Andrade / Resumo: Avaliaram-se os sinais clínicos oculares da ceratoplastia lamelar, utilizando-se a membrana de biocelulose (MB) embebida em ciprofloxacina em duas espessuras, no tratamento de úlceras de córneas profundas e/ou perfuradas, em cães e gatos, com ceratite ulcerativa com sequestro de córnea. A celulose possui aplicações importantes na engenharia de tecidos, como a reparação e cicatrização de feridas. Os principais exemplos são as aplicações que incluem engenharia de vasos sanguíneos, tecido neural, osso, cartilagem, fígado e tecido adiposo, reconstrução da uretra e dura-máter, reparação de tecido conjuntivo e defeitos cardíacos congênitos, construção de barreiras protetoras e aplicações oftalmológicas, principalmente construção de contato lentes. Os animais foram divididos igualmente em dois grupos, onde um (G-HE) recebeu a membrana hidratada espessa e outro recebeu (G-HD) hidratada delgada. Previamente ao emprego da MB, as mesmas foram recortadas em discos de 3-4mm e adaptadas ao leito das úlceras, utilizando-se sutura não perfurante total, em pontos simples isolados. Instituiram-se, por terapia pós-operatória, colírios à base de ciprofloxacina, diclofenaco sódico, atropina, lubrificante ocular e colar do tipo elizabetano. As causas das úlceras foram, também, tratadas. Avaliaram-se os sinais clínicos oculares no pós-operatório aos 3, 7, 15, 30 e 60 dias. A MB e os pontos de suturas foram removidos ao trigésimo dia. Sinais clínicos como blefarospasmo, presença de secreção ocular, ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Clinical ocular signs of lamellar keratoplasty were evaluated using a two-thickness ciprofloxacin-embedded biocellulose membrane (MB) in the treatment of deep and / or perforated corneal ulcers in dogs and cats with sequestered ulcerative keratitis. of cornea. Cellulose has important applications in tissue engineering, such as wound repair and healing. Top examples are applications that include blood vessel engineering, neural tissue, bone, cartilage, liver and adipose tissue, urethral and dura mater reconstruction, connective tissue repair and congenital heart defects, protective barrier construction and ophthalmic applications, mainly construction of contact lenses. The animals were divided equally into two groups, where one (G-HE) received the thick hydrated membrane and the other received thin hydrated (G-HD). Prior to the use of MB, they were cut in 3-4mm discs and adapted to the ulcer bed, using total nonperforating suture, in isolated single stitches. Postoperative therapy was followed by eye drops based on ciprofloxacin, diclofenac sodium, atropine, eye lubricant and Elizabethan collar. The causes of ulcers were also treated. Postoperative ocular clinical signs were evaluated at 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days. MB and suture stitches were removed on day 30. Clinical signs such as blepharospasm, presence of ocular discharge, conjunctival hyperemia, and corneal vascularization were present in both groups until the 15th postoperative day, gradually decreasing over time. No sign... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre