The domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris, plays many roles in the lives of humans. Additionally, the dog is recognized for its potential as a model for many human hereditary diseases. Thus, the genetics and genomics of the dog are being studied extensively in order to facilitate its use as a model, as well as to help the dog for its own sake. As part of this research effort, our laboratory has added type I markers (i.e., the acidic and basic keratins, c-kit, type I and IV collagens, and the gene encoding uromodulin) to the emerging map of the canine genome. The mapping of genes, particularly those in large gene families such as the collagens, is valuable because it rapidly increases the density of gene loci on the map and provides insight regarding conservation of synteny between the dog and other mammals. The major focus of work reported here is the genetics of X-linked Alport syndrome (XLAS), a terminal renal disease that affects the human and the dog. The disease results from mutations in COL4A5, a type IV collagen gene. Reported here are the 1) sequencing and mapping of the canine cDNA encoding uromodulin, 2) mapping of the type I and type IV collagen genes, 3) sequencing of the full-length cDNA of canine COL4A5, 4) identification of a 10 bp deletion in COL4A5, causative for XLAS in our colony of mixed breed dogs, 5) development of a genetic test for identification of affected and carrier dogs in the colony and 6) assessment of gene expression in the kidneys of normal and XLAS-dogs. This assessment was performed using a canine-specific oligonucleotide microarray. XLAS dogs demonstrated up-regulation of many genes involved in extracellular matrix reorganization, cell structure, and immune response, as expected in a glomerulopathy with tubulointerstitial nephritis. Trends were verified by quantitative RT-PCR. A review of the current status of canine genetics research, and current understanding of hereditary diseases in the dog, concludes this dissertation.

The study should be seen as an attempt to examine how a group of selected muslims from seven different cities in Sweden relate to Lars Vilks’s drawings of the prophet Muhammed (also called the roundabout dog) and if they feel that their attitude towards the drawings has changed during the seven years that have passed since the first drawing was published in the newspaper Närkes Allehanda in 2007. To understand these selected muslims’ approach, experiences and feelings in regards to the drawings I examine in what aspect they find the drawings provocative. I also examine what consequences Vilks’s roundabout dog-project might have had  for individual muslims in Sweden. The result portrays their individual reactions, experiences, feelings, views and thoughts on Vilks’s roundabout dog-project. The answers from the informants have been analyzed and discussed based on hermeneutic research theory. The informants own recount and the following analysis the study contributes to the understanding of the facts behind the perceived provocation of the images of the prophet Muhammad.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka erfarenheter hundägare har upplevt av samvaro med hund. Femton individuella intervjuer genomfördes och alla respondenter var hundägare samt medlemmar av en brukshundklubb. Den insamlade datan analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Uppsatsen handlar generellt om de olika erfarenheterna hundägare har upplevt av att äga en hund, samt hur detta kan kopplas till tidigare forskning kring hälsa. Erfarenheter så som bidragande till bättre hälsa, kärlek till hunden, glädje och sällskap tas upp vid flera tillfällen i uppsatsen. Efter analysen framställdes fyra slutgiltiga teman: bättre hälsa, aldrig ensam, intresse, samt relation och känslor. Resultatet av denna studie visade att en hund kan ge människan en god hälsa genom att ägarna bland annat får komma ut och gå. Den visar även att hunden sprider kärlek, glädje och inte minst att ägarna aldrig behöver känna sig ensamma. Slutsatsen av denna studie var att hunden bidrar till en bättre hälsa både psykiskt, fysiskt och socialtNyckelord: hund, hundägarskap, hälsa, känslor, intresse / The purpose of this study was to examine dogowners’ experiences of the relation to their dog. Fifteen individual interviews were conducted and all respondents were dog owners as well as members of a Swedish brukshundklubb. The collected data was analyzed by a so called thematic analysis. What the paper generally comes down to is the different experiences dog owners have experienced in owning a dog, and how this can be linked to previous research in health. Experience as contributing to better health, love the dog, joy and companionship raised on several occasions in the essay. After the analysis was made, four final themes were found: better health, never lonely, interest, and relationship and emotion. The results of this study showed that a dog can give a good health to the owners, for an example by getting out for a walk. It also shows that the dog is spreading love, joy, and not least the owners never have to feel alone. The conclusion of this study was that the dog contributes to better health, both mentally, physically and socially.Keywords: dog, dogownership, health, emotions, interests

The object I purposed to myself was to sift from top to bottom nutrition of the dogs and the main problems that are close to it, to describe it and to make inferences about it. To find what harm commercial food does for the organism of the dog. We discussed about the allergies, bad breath, bad teeth, fatty degeneration, digestive troubles and decisions. The operation was made with reference to the results of the blood test, nutriment analysis, questioning data and communication with kennels and veterinarians. We produced detailed information about what nutriment should we feed our dogs and about the after-effects, that will visit if the dog feeding is incorrect. Summarised data is offered in tables and diagrams. We find that dogs, which are feeding by middle and low class commercial dog food, are often suffering by diseases of the digestive tract. 40 percent of dogs fall ill by allergic reactions, till 45 percent appears lesions of the teeth and gum. Dogs, which were fed by home-made food, were more active, the structure of their coat was very good and the colour was bright, digestive tract was food change resistant. Those dogs had stronger immunity. The blood test showed, that dog’s, which were fed by home-made food, cholesterol was less, than dog’s, which ate commercial dog food. So, if we feed our dogs by a commercial food, the probability to display diseases of some organs (as kidney, liver, blood-vessels) and allergy. We recommend feed our dogs by home-made food, or the... [to full text]

The objectives of this study were to determine the cardiopulmonary effects and pharmacokinetics of fentanyl in dogs during isoflurane anesthesia and during anesthetic recovery with or without dexmedetomidine or acepromazine sedation. This was investigated in 7 healthy dogs using a randomized cross over study design. Dogs were given fentanyl as an initial IV loading dose (5 μg/kg) followed by an infusion (5 μg/kg/hr) for 120 minutes during isoflurane anesthesia and for 60 minutes following isoflurane discontinuation. Dogs received IV dexmedetomidine (2.5 μg/kg), acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) or saline at the time of isoflurane discontinuation. Cardiopulmonary variables were measured and blood samples were obtained at multiple time points during the anesthetic maintenance and recovery phases. Plasma concentrations of fentanyl were measured using HPLC-MS, and subsequent population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed. During isoflurane anesthesia, fentanyl bolus administration resulted in significant changes in measured cardiopulmonary variables, however, many returned to baseline values during the maintenance of anesthesia. During anesthetic recovery, dexmedetomidine administration resulted in significant increases in PaCO2, and decreases in PvO2 and CI. Systemic arterial blood pressures were significantly lower in dogs receiving acepromazine, however CI and PvO2 were significantly higher compared to the other treatments. Analysis of fentanyl plasma concentrations showed that fentanyl pharmacokinetics best fit a 2-compartmental model, with average concentrations in the treatment groups ranging from 1.6 to 4.5 ng/mL during isoflurane anesthesia, and from 1.6 to 2.0 ng/mL during anesthetic recovery. Plasma concentrations of fentanyl were significantly higher with dexmedetomidine administration compared to the other treatments during the recovery period. Compared to the maintenance phase of anesthesia, anesthetic recovery with dexmedetomidine administration did not significantly change fentanyl pharmacokinetics, while acepromazine administration increased systemic and intercompartmental clearance, and recovery without sedation increased the central volume of distribution and systemic clearance. In conclusion, recovery from anesthesia with concurrent fentanyl administration, with or without sedation, caused clinically significant alterations in cardiopulmonary function that influenced fentanyl disposition in healthy dogs. / Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a minimally invasive technique utilized in human and veterinary medicine to sample the lower generation bronchi and alveolar spaces. The basic technique for BAL involves infusion of sterile saline into the lower airways and re-aspiration of the fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; BALF). Certain aspects of BAL technique and BALF processing affect sample quality, and sample quality is important to ensure meaningful cytology. Aspiration techniques for retrieval of BALF have not been critically evaluated in companion animal medicine. This research project compared three aspiration techniques for retrieval of BALF in dogs [manual aspiration without tubing (MA), manual aspiration through polyethylene tubing (MAPT) and suction pump aspiration (SPA)] and their effect on sample quality in healthy dogs and dogs with respiratory tract disease. SPA consistently retrieved a higher proportion of BALF than MA and MAPT. In addition, SPA yielded improved sample quality compared to MA and MAPT. The improved BALF retrieval and cellularity scores in SPA samples did not significantly increase the diagnostic rate achieved from BALF cytology in dogs with pulmonary disease. The results indicated that both MA and SPA are suitable for BAL in dogs with respiratory tract disease. Yet, for the purpose of creating a standardized BAL technique in dogs, SPA is recommended for BALF retrieval due to the improved sample quality parameters. / Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust

Tema - Visuomenės požiūris į kinologinę kultūrą Lietuvoje. Darbo problema. Tik brandžios visuomenės pajėgios skirti pakankamai dėmesio tokių vertybinių nuostatų kaip savanorystė, globa, atjauta, pagalba silpnesniajam, atsakomybė už tuos, kurie negali apsiginti, puoselėjimui. Agresijos, smurto apraiškų gausa būdingesnė neturtingų, besivystančių šalių visuomenėms, sunkmečio laikotarpiais, kai žmonės apimti frustracijos, o didelė visuomenės dalis kenčia nuo anomijos. Susidaro užburtas ratas: šunys savo prieraišumu, ištikimybe ir dėmesingumu gali praskaidrinti vienišų, kenčiančių, socialiai pažeidžiamų, o ypač vaikų kasdienybę, tačiau visuomenėje klestintys stereotipai apie šunį, kaip apie vienintelės – sargo – funkcijos vykdytoją, trukdo platesniam šių gyvūnų panaudojimui ir kinologinės kultūros plėtrai. Darbo tikslas: ištirti, koks yra mūsų visuomenės požiūris į kinologinės kultūros raišką, sklaidą ir poveikį atskiroms socialinėms grupėms ir visuomenei apskritai. Darbe sieksime atskleisti prieš šunis nukreipto žmonių agresyvumo ir deviantinio elgesio priežastis, išsiaiškinti suaugusiųjų ir aplinkos įtaką vaikų požiūriui į šunis bei nustatyti, ar tikslinga šunis pasitelkti ugdymo ir socializacijos procese. Darbo uždaviniai: • Ištirti kinologinės kultūros sampratą, raišką ir paplitimą skirtingose visuomenėse. • Išanalizuoti artimiausios suaugusiojo ir vaiko aplinkos (šeimos, mokymo įstaigos ir kt.) įtaką prieš gyvūnus nukreipto agresyvumo bei atsainaus ir neatsakingo požiūrio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Society‘s approach to the cynological culture of Lithuania Only mature society able to devote sufficient attention to the cherishing of such securities as volunteering, care, compassion, support to soft persons, responsibility for those who can not defend themselves.. Aggression, violence is more common manifestations of poor, developing country societies, periods of recession when people include frustration, and a large part of society suffer from anomie. A vicious circle emerges: the dogs affection, loyalty and attention can brighten a lonely, suffering, disadvantaged, especially children's everyday life, but prosperous society stereotypes about the dog, as a single - guard - features prevents wider use of these animals and dog culture development . In this work the different groups approach to dog related cultural expression, dissemination and impact of various social groups is studied in the society of Lithuania. The directed aggression against the dogs and deviant behavior is disclosed. It was found that the rural and urban understanding of dog uprising culture is fundamentally different. The village dog usually lives tied to the way he was identified with agricultural land animal, usually carried out by the guard function. Urban people more likely looks to dogs like the companions and family members, like some fashionable attributes. City dwellers have more antropomorfizative love to dogs, dog to some townspeople become like a fetish, and this approach angers... [to full text]

Since the 1980’s horizontal drilling has been a game-changing technology as it allowed the oil and gas industry to produce from reservoirs previously considered marginal or uneconomic. However, while it is considered a mature technology, directional drilling is still done in a reactive fashion. Although many directional drillers are quite adept at predicting the directional response of the bottomhole assembly (BHA) in a given well, the ability to manage all of the drilling parameters on a foot by foot basis while accurately predicting the effects of each parameter is impossible for the human brain alone. Given current rig rates, any amount of increased slide time and its reduced ROP which occurred due to poorly predicted directional response can result in a significant economic impact. There exist many measured parameters or system inputs which have been proven to affect the directional response of a drilling system. One parameter whose effect has not been investigated is mechanical specific energy or MSE. MSE is measure of how efficient the drilling process is in relation to rate of penetration. To date, MSE has primarily been used with for vibration analysis and rate of penetration optimization. The following dissertation covers research into the effect of MSE on the overall wellbore direction change or dog-leg severity. Using published experimental data, a correlation was developed which shows a clear relationship between the dog-leg severity, rate of penetration (ROP) and MSE. The correlation requires only a few hundred feet of drilling before it is able to be tuned to match an individual well’s results. With minimal tuning throughout the drilling of a well, very good results can be obtained with regards to forecasting dog-leg severity as the wellbores were drilled ahead. The correlation was tested using data from multiple, geo-steered wells drilled in a shale reservoir. The analysis of the correlation using real-world data proved it to be a robust and accurate method of predicting the magnitude of dog-leg severity. The use of this correlation results in a smoother wellbore, drilled with a faster overall ROP with a better chance of staying within the geologic targets.

The ecological role of apex predators in ecosystems is increasingly recognized not only as a result of their affects on prey species, but also on the numbers and behaviour of other predator species within their guilds. In an African context, dominant apex predators such as lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) have been implicated in limiting endangered intraguild species such as wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) via direct intraguild interactions, such as interference and predation. As a result of this it has been predicted that spatial and temporal refugia are critical for wild dogs to co-exist with lions and spotted hyaenas. Whether such refugia are actually present within small protected areas, such as Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP), within which these three species co-exist, has been questioned. For wild dogs, interference or predation refugia may be equated to areas or periods which contain a relatively low level of encounter probability with spotted hyaenas and lions respectively. By combining well established field research techniques, such as radio telemetry and audio playbacks, with novel geographic information system tools, I investigated the two key drivers of the probability of encounter with spotted hyaenas and lions, namely density and utilization intensity. Results from the analyses showed that substantial spatial and temporal variation existed in the utilization intensity of lions, as well as the density of both lions and spotted hyaenas, at short and intermediate time scales, in HiP. The spatial scale across which these patterns resolved appear to be well suited to the movement capabilities of wild dogs. This indicated that wild dogs may be able to exploit such areas of temporary lower density and/or utilization intensity, suggesting the dynamic nature of refugia involved in the interactions within these two species-pairs. Results from the lion analyses further suggest that groups rather than individuals are the basic units around which intraguild interactions of social predator and prey species should be investigated, and that social grouping in combination with predator territoriality may stabilize intraguild interactions. An important prediction emerging from this work is that wild dogs, or other subordinate African large predator species, may be forced to trade-off safety from hyaena interference vs. safety from lion predation. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009. / National Research Foundation, The Green Trust (WWF–SA), The Wildlands Conservation Trust, University of KwaZulu-Natal, The Endangered Wildlife Trust, Smithsonian Institution, Sichel Family Endowment, Friends of the National Zoo, THRIP, Wild about Cats, Hluhluwe Tourism Association, Bateleurs, Third World Academy of Science, The Wild Dog Foundation, and The Sally Club.

The obligate cooperative nature of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), unique among social canids, is thought to be driven by high levels of interspecific competition and intra-guild predation with other large socially-organised predators. Research exploring how wild dogs maintain social bonds through social communication, while avoiding detection from potential competitors, is therefore vital for understanding this species. While olfactory and vocal communications are well represented in the literature concerning L. pictus, these channels of communication pose significant risks to wild dog survival, as they are inherently susceptible to eavesdropping by unintended receivers. In comparison, display communication, which requires visual contact between the signaller and receiver, poses comparatively less risk of attracting the attention of eavesdroppers. In spite of this, few studies have explored the use of display communication in wild dogs, leaving its potential significance in maintaining social bonds within packs unexplored. Using video analysis, I investigate how display communication and subsequent social interaction are affected by several pressures of the captive environment. Captivity did not appear to affect the presence of many social display types also used by free-ranging wild dogs. However, sexual behaviour was absent from the study groups, likely due to the use of contraception and pack sex composition. The effects of pack sex composition (single-sex versus mixed-sex) revealed that while the frequencies and durations of many social behaviours were not affected by sex composition, the distribution of social interactions did differ depending on group structure. Here, a highly related, single-sex group was more stable than a highly related, mixed-sex group of the same size. Differences in the captive management strategies, specifically enclosure size and feeding regime, of the two packs, may explain the behavioural differences observed. The death of a pack member permitted investigation of the effects of death on social interactions. While many of the social interactions were unaffected by the death, behaviours relating to the formation and maintenance of social dominance and social hierarchy increased after the dog’s death. The distribution of social interactions was non-random, suggesting that individuals were reorganising the social structure of the pack during this period. Finally, a small study into the effects of simultaneously added enrichments in the pack (post death) revealed that enrichment reduced the frequencies of dominance behaviours and allowed for a more even distribution of social interaction within the pack. This demonstrates how enrichment may potentially be used to reduce aggression within captive animals. Overall, this research reveals that display-based communication is important for the maintenance of sociality in captive African wild dogs. To better understand this endangered species, future studies in free-ranging populations should include this channel of communication.