Ten North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) were anesthetized with Telazol and instrumente... more Ten North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) were anesthetized with Telazol and instrumented with ingestable radiotelemetry temperature sensors for measuring core body temperature. The otters were then subjected to a washing protocol to simulate rehabilitation following an oil spill contamination. This protocol consisted of a 30-min wash in a 1:16 dilution of dishwashing liquid using either cold (24 degrees C) water or water near baseline core body temperature (38.4 degrees C), followed by a 30-min rinse with water of the same temperature, followed by 10 min of forced hot air drying. Core body temperatures of the otters washed in cold water fell at a median rate of 0.1 degrees C/min, whereas otters washed in warm water maintained stable core temperatures until the completion of the protocol, at which time their core temperatures began to drop at a similar rate. Core temperatures restabilized in both groups, and no statistical difference in core temperature between groups remained 180 min after initiation of the protocol. Efforts to examine the efficacy of supplemental squalene administration to speed the recovery of fur condition and waterproofing were unsuccessful because the washing protocol did not cause loss of coat waterproofing in 8 of the 10 subjects.
Remote thermal telemetry was performed on North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during t... more Remote thermal telemetry was performed on North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during the 1995 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Otter Restoration Project. Otters were anesthetized with either ketamine-midazolam (n = 11) or tiletamine-zolazepam (n = 9) combinations. Based upon initial rectal temperatures, mild to moderate hyperthermia (39.4-40.5 degrees C) developed in five otters given ketamine-midazolam and three otters given tiletamine-zolazepam. Following anesthetic induction, each otter received an ingestible temperature transmitter. Dependent upon gastrointestinal transit time and transmitter battery life, core body temperature was monitored for up to 13.75 hr postanesthesia. Thermal telemetry revealed a gradual decline in core temperature in all otters after anesthetic recovery (30-60 min). Median core temperature stabilized subsequently within 0.3 degrees C of resting temperature (38.4 degrees C) 1.75 hr after initial injection in otters given tiletamine-zolazepam and 2.75 hr in otters given ketamine-midazolam. Minor fluctuations in body temperature (less than 1 degree C) occurred in most otters from 6 to 13.75 hr and were attributed to variations in physical activity.
The authors have investigated early changes in liver cell gap and tight junctions that occur when... more The authors have investigated early changes in liver cell gap and tight junctions that occur when rats are fed a carcinogenic diet. Animals were fed a choline-deficient diet that contained 0.1% ethionine (CDE) for periods up to 6 weeks. Short-term feeding of this diet results in the rapid proliferation of so-called "oval cells" within the liver, which is reversible upon returning the rats to a normal diet. Livers from animals fed the diet were removed at various times during feeding and during recovery from the diet and were analyzed by light and electron microscopy. The freeze-fracture technique was used to produce extended views of the internal structure of liver cell membranes at each stage under study. The characteristic junctional complex surrounding canalicular regions in normal liver disappears after only 2 weeks of the CDE regimen. Gap junctions were not found after 4 weeks of the diet, and tight junctions became increasingly disorganized. Tight junction elements were observed, however, between hepatocytes and oval cells, which indicated that these two cell types do interact directly. Changes occur in the structural complexity of tight junction elements between hepatocytes and between hepatocytes and oval cells. Recovery from the CDE diet results in a rapid increase in junctional complexity, and the large gap junction plaques characteristic of normal liver are visible within 2 weeks after cessation of the CDE regimen. These and other observations demonstrate that reversible alterations in hepatocyte gap and tight junctions occur as a result of administration of a diet that induces oval cell proliferation. The relationship of these changes to those that have been reported during other processes of cell proliferation are discussed.
This study was designed to develop a simple, noninvasive method for saliva collection: a first st... more This study was designed to develop a simple, noninvasive method for saliva collection: a first step toward developing new diagnostic tests to survey gorillas for infectious diseases. The subjects included free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda, and a group of orphan mountain and Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla heringei graueri) housed nearby in a temporary holding facility. Three collection methods were used to recover saliva from discarded forest food: swabbing, soaking, and washing. Saliva was also collected from orphan gorillas maintained in a captive setting by using dental ropes inside mesh bags. The presence of gorilla saliva in each sample was confirmed by using a salivary s-amylase assay and forensic press test paper. The recovery of gorilla DNA was verified by polymerase chain reaction by using primers specific to mountain and Grauer's gorillas. Of the three collection techniques used to recover saliva from forest food, directly swabbing plant bite marks was the most effective. Wild celery (Peucedanum linderi) provided for the most consistent saliva recovery and is eaten year round by mountain gorillas in Rwanda. This study shows that gorilla saliva can be recovered easily and noninvasively from known individual free-ranging gorillas by collecting pieces of wild celery discarded as the gorillas forage and from captive gorillas by offering them juice-soaked dental ropes inside mesh bags. Both methods can be used to recover gorilla DNA for genetic studies. Saliva collected from free-ranging and captive gorillas may prove to be a useful biologic sample for the development of new diagnostic tests and hormonal analysis.
The most complete kids animal encyclopedia on the market, "The NG Animal Encyclopedia" ... more The most complete kids animal encyclopedia on the market, "The NG Animal Encyclopedia" is packed with more than 1,000 full-colour photographs, diagrams, and range maps, as well as lively, authoritative text, presenting a riveting (and often surprising) survey of the animal kingdom. Featuring a mind-boggling 2,500 species, thousands of fascinating facts, the latest conservation data, and exclusive from-the-field reports from "National Geographic's" explorers, this amazing resource will find a permanent spot on every child's desk or bedside.
The Biomedical Field Monitoring System (BFMS) was designed to telemeter body core temperature, am... more The Biomedical Field Monitoring System (BFMS) was designed to telemeter body core temperature, ambient and two skin temperatures, heart rate, and physical activity estimates from untethered military personnel engaged in high-stress activities. A laboratory human study of controlled exercise and thermal stress showed the expected relations among the monitored variables. The BFMS was also used in an exploratory study of
Ten North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) were anesthetized with Telazol and instrumente... more Ten North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) were anesthetized with Telazol and instrumented with ingestable radiotelemetry temperature sensors for measuring core body temperature. The otters were then subjected to a washing protocol to simulate rehabilitation following an oil spill contamination. This protocol consisted of a 30-min wash in a 1:16 dilution of dishwashing liquid using either cold (24 degrees C) water or water near baseline core body temperature (38.4 degrees C), followed by a 30-min rinse with water of the same temperature, followed by 10 min of forced hot air drying. Core body temperatures of the otters washed in cold water fell at a median rate of 0.1 degrees C/min, whereas otters washed in warm water maintained stable core temperatures until the completion of the protocol, at which time their core temperatures began to drop at a similar rate. Core temperatures restabilized in both groups, and no statistical difference in core temperature between groups remained 180 min after initiation of the protocol. Efforts to examine the efficacy of supplemental squalene administration to speed the recovery of fur condition and waterproofing were unsuccessful because the washing protocol did not cause loss of coat waterproofing in 8 of the 10 subjects.
Remote thermal telemetry was performed on North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during t... more Remote thermal telemetry was performed on North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during the 1995 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Otter Restoration Project. Otters were anesthetized with either ketamine-midazolam (n = 11) or tiletamine-zolazepam (n = 9) combinations. Based upon initial rectal temperatures, mild to moderate hyperthermia (39.4-40.5 degrees C) developed in five otters given ketamine-midazolam and three otters given tiletamine-zolazepam. Following anesthetic induction, each otter received an ingestible temperature transmitter. Dependent upon gastrointestinal transit time and transmitter battery life, core body temperature was monitored for up to 13.75 hr postanesthesia. Thermal telemetry revealed a gradual decline in core temperature in all otters after anesthetic recovery (30-60 min). Median core temperature stabilized subsequently within 0.3 degrees C of resting temperature (38.4 degrees C) 1.75 hr after initial injection in otters given tiletamine-zolazepam and 2.75 hr in otters given ketamine-midazolam. Minor fluctuations in body temperature (less than 1 degree C) occurred in most otters from 6 to 13.75 hr and were attributed to variations in physical activity.
The authors have investigated early changes in liver cell gap and tight junctions that occur when... more The authors have investigated early changes in liver cell gap and tight junctions that occur when rats are fed a carcinogenic diet. Animals were fed a choline-deficient diet that contained 0.1% ethionine (CDE) for periods up to 6 weeks. Short-term feeding of this diet results in the rapid proliferation of so-called "oval cells" within the liver, which is reversible upon returning the rats to a normal diet. Livers from animals fed the diet were removed at various times during feeding and during recovery from the diet and were analyzed by light and electron microscopy. The freeze-fracture technique was used to produce extended views of the internal structure of liver cell membranes at each stage under study. The characteristic junctional complex surrounding canalicular regions in normal liver disappears after only 2 weeks of the CDE regimen. Gap junctions were not found after 4 weeks of the diet, and tight junctions became increasingly disorganized. Tight junction elements were observed, however, between hepatocytes and oval cells, which indicated that these two cell types do interact directly. Changes occur in the structural complexity of tight junction elements between hepatocytes and between hepatocytes and oval cells. Recovery from the CDE diet results in a rapid increase in junctional complexity, and the large gap junction plaques characteristic of normal liver are visible within 2 weeks after cessation of the CDE regimen. These and other observations demonstrate that reversible alterations in hepatocyte gap and tight junctions occur as a result of administration of a diet that induces oval cell proliferation. The relationship of these changes to those that have been reported during other processes of cell proliferation are discussed.
This study was designed to develop a simple, noninvasive method for saliva collection: a first st... more This study was designed to develop a simple, noninvasive method for saliva collection: a first step toward developing new diagnostic tests to survey gorillas for infectious diseases. The subjects included free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda, and a group of orphan mountain and Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla heringei graueri) housed nearby in a temporary holding facility. Three collection methods were used to recover saliva from discarded forest food: swabbing, soaking, and washing. Saliva was also collected from orphan gorillas maintained in a captive setting by using dental ropes inside mesh bags. The presence of gorilla saliva in each sample was confirmed by using a salivary s-amylase assay and forensic press test paper. The recovery of gorilla DNA was verified by polymerase chain reaction by using primers specific to mountain and Grauer's gorillas. Of the three collection techniques used to recover saliva from forest food, directly swabbing plant bite marks was the most effective. Wild celery (Peucedanum linderi) provided for the most consistent saliva recovery and is eaten year round by mountain gorillas in Rwanda. This study shows that gorilla saliva can be recovered easily and noninvasively from known individual free-ranging gorillas by collecting pieces of wild celery discarded as the gorillas forage and from captive gorillas by offering them juice-soaked dental ropes inside mesh bags. Both methods can be used to recover gorilla DNA for genetic studies. Saliva collected from free-ranging and captive gorillas may prove to be a useful biologic sample for the development of new diagnostic tests and hormonal analysis.
The most complete kids animal encyclopedia on the market, "The NG Animal Encyclopedia" ... more The most complete kids animal encyclopedia on the market, "The NG Animal Encyclopedia" is packed with more than 1,000 full-colour photographs, diagrams, and range maps, as well as lively, authoritative text, presenting a riveting (and often surprising) survey of the animal kingdom. Featuring a mind-boggling 2,500 species, thousands of fascinating facts, the latest conservation data, and exclusive from-the-field reports from "National Geographic's" explorers, this amazing resource will find a permanent spot on every child's desk or bedside.
The Biomedical Field Monitoring System (BFMS) was designed to telemeter body core temperature, am... more The Biomedical Field Monitoring System (BFMS) was designed to telemeter body core temperature, ambient and two skin temperatures, heart rate, and physical activity estimates from untethered military personnel engaged in high-stress activities. A laboratory human study of controlled exercise and thermal stress showed the expected relations among the monitored variables. The BFMS was also used in an exploratory study of
Uploads
Papers by Lucy Spelman