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Feminism for Robots is a novel in four movements.

Subclinical cardiomyopathy (CM) sometimes is identified after abnormalities are detected during auscultation of apparently healthy cats. Little is known regarding the prevalence of CM in this population. Furthermore, the clinical importance of auscultatory abnormalities in apparently healthy cats is unclear. In order to estimate the prevalence of murmurs and CM, we prospectively evaluated a sample of apparently healthy cats. Cats with systemic hypertension or hyperthyroidism were excluded. 103 cats were subject to physical and echocardiographic examinations which were performed by two different investigators; the echocardiographer was unaware of the physical findings. Left ventricular wall thickness was determined by two-dimensional echocardiography in short- and long-axis planes. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as an end-diastolic wall thickness greater than or equal to 6 mm. Cats with LVH but without left ventricular dilation were considered to have hypertrophic CM (HCM). Cardiomyopathy was identified in 16 cats (15.5%; 95% CI: [9.2, 24.0]); 15 had HCM and one had arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Murmurs were detected in 16 cats (15.5%; 95% CI: [9.2; 24.0]); of these cats, 5 had CM. Of 15 cats with HCM, 11 had segmental LVH, three cats had diffuse LVH, and one cat had borderline LVH and marked systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. The sensitivity and specificity of murmurs for detection of a CM was 31% and 87%, respectively. The prevalence of feline subclinical CM in Southwest Virginia is near 16%; approximately a third of these cats had murmurs. In apparently healthy cats, a cardiac murmur is an insensitive marker of the presence of CM. / Master of Science

The poems in Tincture want to understand and to be understood.  Much of the work in Tincture concerns itself with making a connection, be it intellectual, emotional, or both, with the outside world.  The speakers in many of the poems seek to explain, sometimes desperately so, their stories in ways that will allow them to be digested by both the reader and by the other characters that inhabit the worlds of the poems.  Other poems concern themselves more not with the life of the speaker, but with the lives of others the speaker encounters: loved ones, students, people in the news, icons of popular culture, and animals.  The speaker in these poems pushes for empathy as a way to make a connection -- between subject and speaker, between subject and reader, and, as a not-so-secret hidden desire, between speaker and reader. The poems that reach toward empathy do so by truly trying to feel what the subject of the poem is feeling.  Unlike a sympathetic poem, which may just paint a picture of a subject's situation to elicit an emotional reaction, the empathetic poems in Tincture try to toil through a reasoning for the subject's thoughts, feelings, or actions.  This strategy attempts to open the door toward understanding, both for the speaker and for the reader. These poems freely admit things, which could label them as confessional.  However, these confessions rarely result in catharsis, since the same troubles pop up again and again.  Instead, these confessions come from a place of fear, perhaps the most pervasive emotion throughout the entire collection.  If the poems air these fears and these observations, perhaps they can then be released into the world, tamed.  Perhaps then there's the hope that they can't come back to haunt, though they inevitably do.  It all circles back to the concept of connection, of a want to be an active participant in humanity and to invite readers to do the same. / Master of Fine Arts

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 1999. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 4, 2005). Includes bibliographical references.

Despite the popularity of companion animal ownership in Australia, recent and comprehensive information with regard to the prevalence, epidemiology and public health significance associated with gastrointestinal parasites of pet dogs and cats in Australia is largely lacking. The primary aims of this study were to close this knowledge gap and to evaluate the veterinarian’s perception, awareness and knowledge of GI parasites in their locality, from a veterinary and public health stand-point. This included sourcing information with regard to commonly recommended deworming protocols. The awareness of pet owners regarding parasitic zoonoses and the degree of education provided to them by veterinarians was also determined. A total of 1400 canine and 1063 feline faecal samples were collected from veterinary clinics and refuges from across Australia. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs and cats was 23.9% (CI 21.7-26.1) and 18.4% (CI 16.1-20.7), respectively. Overall Giardia duodenalis was the most prevalent parasite in dogs (9.3%, CI 7.8-10.8) followed by hookworm (6.7%, CI 5.4-8.0). Isospora felis was the most prevalent parasite in cats (5.6%, CI 4.2-7.0), followed by Toxocara cati (3.2%, CI 2.1-4.3). A highly sensitive and species-specific PCR-RFLP technique was utilized to differentiate the various hookworm species which can infect dogs and cats directly from eggs in faeces. Ancylostoma ceylanicum was detected for the first time in Australia in 10.9% of the dogs found positive for hookworm. This was a significant finding in terms of the zoonotic risk associated with this parasite. The zoonotic potential of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was investigated by genetically characterising isolates recovered from dogs and cats. All but one of the Giardia isolates successfully genotyped were host specific, indicating a low zoonotic risk. It was hypothesized that the lack of zoonotic Giardia Assemblages was a consequence of there being a low prevalence of Giardia in the human population. The Cryptosporidium recovered from dogs and cats was determined to be Cryptosporidium canis and Cryptosporidium felis respectively, a finding which supports growing evidence that Cryptosporidium in companion animals is of limited public health significance to healthy people. Very few of the veterinarians surveyed in the study routinely discussed the zoonotic potential of pet parasites with clients. Most of the veterinarians recommended the regular prophylactic administration of anthelmintics throughout a pet’s life. The low national prevalence of GI parasites reported is most likely a consequence of the widespread use of anthelmintics by pet owners. There is an over-reliance on anthelmintics by veterinarians to prevent and control parasites and their zoonotic risk. This has resulted in veterinarians becoming complacent about educating pet owners about parasites. A combination of routinely screening faecal samples for parasites, strategic anthelmintic regimes and improved pet owner education is recommended for the control of GI parasites in pet dogs and cats in Australia.

Thesis (MMedVet (Anaes) (Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.