Some Genetic and Environmental Effects on Equine Asthma in Polish Konik Horses.

Current knowledge of the genetic and environmental backgrounds of equine asthma seems to be insufficient, especially for primitive horse breeds. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the effects of sex, birth period, stud, parentage line and inbreeding on asthma morbidity in Polish Konik horses. Records of 274 horses (housed in two studs) were analysed.

The examination of biophysical parameters of the skin in Polish Konik horses.

This study aimed to assess the biophysical parameters of the skin in Polish Konik horses (Polish primitive horses). According to the authors, this is the first assessment performed on such a wide scale in this group of animals. The evaluation carried out is innovative both with regards to the breed of the animals and the wide scope of the physicochemical skin assessment.

Welfare of Free-Roaming Horses: 70 Years of Experience with Konik Polski Breeding in Poland.

To prevent abuse and to assure the welfare of domestic horses, attempts to assess welfare in a standardized way have been made. Welfare-assessment tools often refer to the physical and social environments of feral domestic horses as examples of welfare-friendly conditions for horses. However, free-roaming horses are often exposed to conditions or states that may be regarded as welfare threats or abuse.

Harem stallion changes are not associated with diminished reproductive performance of females in semi-feral Konik polski horses (Equus caballus).

Infanticide, related to a stallion's aggression toward a foal sired by another stallion, and feticide related to a new stallion's aggression and/or pheromonal influence (the Bruce effect) inducing loss of a fetus sired by another stallion, a female's counteraction to infanticide, have been proposed for domestic horses (Equus caballus) in human-managed conditions. The aim of the present study was, in conditions close to natural, to investigate the influence of the natural succession of a harem stallion on the mares' subsequent reproductive performance. In a population of semi-feral Konik polski horses observed for 31 years (reproductive seasons) in 8 bands, harem stallion changed 10 times.

Parasitic fauna of Polish konik horses (Equus caballus gmelini Antonius) and their impact on breeding: a review.

The influence of internal and external parasites on the health of Polish konik horses housed in different types of management strategies in Poland is discussed. This study includes consolidated data of different authors from the past 50 years, supplemented by results of more recent research. A total of 38 species of helminths (i.

Morphology and elemental analysis of free range and stabled Polish Konik horses hair using Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).

Hair is a more biologically stable material than other tissues and contains a relatively constant level of minerals, drugs or toxins. The content of essential elements in hair depends on dietary and non-dietary factors. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effect of diet on the elemental composition and morphological properties of the hair of healthy Polish Konik horses.

Comparative PIV and LDA studies of Newtonian and non-Newtonian flows in an agitated tank.

The paper presents results of an experimental study of the fluid velocity field in a stirred tank equipped with a Prochem Maxflo T (PMT) type impeller which was rotating at a constant frequency of  = 4.1 or 8.2 s inducing transitional ( = 499 or 1307) or turbulent ( = 2.

Assessment of genomic inbreeding in Polish Konik horses.

The aim of this study was to assess the inbreeding coefficient of Polish Konik horses based on runs of homozygosity (ROH). Ninety six horses kept in 6 herds located across Poland were genotyped with the use of EquineSNP60 BeadChip (Illumina). SNP markers with a Minor Allele Frequency lower than 0.

Do olfactory behaviour and marking responses of Konik polski stallions to faeces from conspecifics of either sex differ?

The aim of the study was to assess whether adult stallions differentiate their olfactory and marking behaviour towards the excreta of their potential male rivals and mares. Four Konik polski stallions were individually exposed simultaneously to their own and each others' faeces as well as faeces of mares in oestrus vs. dioestrus.

A Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Stresses of a Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell.

A typical operating temperature of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is quite high above 750 °C and affects the thermomechanical behavior of the cell. Thermal stresses may cause microstructural instability and sub-critical cracking. Therefore, a joint analysis by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational structural mechanics based on the finite element method (FEM) was carried out to analyze thermal stresses in a planar SOFC and to predict potential failure locations in the cell.

A new model of cavern diameter based on a validated CFD study on stirring of a highly shear-thinning fluid.

Results of numerical simulations of momentum transfer for a highly shear-thinning fluid (0.2% Carbopol) in a stirred tank equipped with a Prochem Maxflo T type impeller are presented. The simulation results were validated using LDA data and both tangential and axial force measurements in the laminar and early transitional flow range.

Evaluation of serum cytokine levels in recurrent airway obstruction.

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) represents a serious health problem and is traditionally classified as an allergic disease, where contact with an antigen can induce clinical airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and reversible airway obstruction. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of the Th2 response in the lungs of human patients with asthma and horses with heaves. These cells are involved in the production of cytokines which regulate the synthesis of immunoglobulins.

Serum 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine as a marker of DNA oxidative damage in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.

Background: It has been reported that equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a state of oxidative stress. Oxidant-antioxidant imbalance is known to increase the conversion of deoxyguanosine to 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in DNA. 8-OHdG can easily be measured using ELISA tests in serum or urine samples.

Serum concentrations of allergen-specific IgE in horses with equine recurrent airway obstruction and healthy controls assessed by ELISA.

Background: Equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), also known as heaves, is one of the most common respiratory problems in older horses. When RAO-affected horses stay pastured or in a dust-free environment for a prolonged time, clinical signs as well as airway inflammation wane. A number of environmental, immunologic, infectious, and genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of RAO, and the immunologic basis of this disease is still poorly understood.

Circulating immune complexes and markers of systemic inflammation in RAO-affected horses.

The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of circulating immune complexes (CICs) and concentration of haptoglobin, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein in the serum of horses with recurrent airway obstruction and healthy controls. The study was conducted on a group of 14 adult Polish Konik horses, kept in uniform environmental and living conditions. Horses were divided into two groups: 7 horses were not affected by any respiratory problem (control group) and 7 horses had a history of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) (study group).

Oxidant-antioxidant status in the blood of horses with symptomatic recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).

Background: Systemic oxidative stress in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is poorly characterized.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate whether equine RAO is associated with systemic disturbances in the oxidant-antioxidant equilibrium.

Animals: Seven healthy horses and 7 horses with symptomatic RAO.

Fuzzy logic-based diagnostic algorithm for implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Objective: The paper presents a diagnostic algorithm for classifying cardiac tachyarrhythmias for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The main aim was to develop an algorithm that could reduce the rate of occurrence of inappropriate therapies, which are often observed in existing ICDs. To achieve low energy consumption, which is a critical factor for implantable medical devices, very low computational complexity of the algorithm was crucial.

Neutrophil and macrophage apoptosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from healthy horses and horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).

Background: Dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in a range of diseases including tumors, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, as well as allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in humans. Although it has a different pathophysiology, delayed apoptosis of various inflammatory cells may play a pivotal role in the development of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses. Reduction of inflammatory cell apoptosis or a dysregulation of this process could lead to chronic inflammation and tissue injury.

Serum biochemical reference intervals for the Polish Konik horse (Equus cabalus gmelini Ant.).

Background: Establishment of reference intervals (RI) for serum biochemical analytes is important for monitoring the health of different breeds of horses.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure and report RI for serum biochemical analytes of the Polish Konik horse.

Material And Methods: Blood samples were collected from 74 clinically healthy Polish Konik horses living under controlled natural conditions.

Differences in seasonal changes of fecal androgen levels between stabled and free-ranging Polish Konik stallions.

Blood and feces samples were collected from Polish Konik stallions kept under conventional stable conditions and in the forest reserve during a 1-year study period. Levels of testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A(4)) were measured using radioimmunoassay. Positive correlation between fecal and plasma concentrations of androgens was observed.

Heavy metal concentration in coat hair and hoof horn in stabled and reserve Polish Konik horses.

The objective of the study was to determine if there were differences in Cr, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Ni levels in coat hair and hoof horn between Polish Konik horses maintained in stabled and reserve systems in Roztocze National Park in Poland. Summer and winter feeding seasons (seasons of the year in case of hooves) and age of horses were taken into account. 107 samples of hair and hooves, as well as all kinds of feed and sources of water available for the horses were examined.

Serologic survey of potential vertebrate hosts for West Nile virus in Poland.

A survey for antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV; genus ,Flavivirus) was carried out by plaque-re-duction neutralization microtesting in 78 horses, 20 domestic chickens, and 97 wild birds belonging to 10 species from different areas in Poland. Specific antibodies were detected in five juvenile (hatching-year) birds collected in 2006: three white storks (Ciconia ciconia) in a wildlife rehabilitation center (5.4% of all examined storks; the antibody titers in each bird were 1:320, 1:160, and 1:20), one free-living mute swan (Cygnus olor; the titer was 1:20), and one hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix; the titer 1:20) in a wildlife rehabilitation center; thus the overall seropositivity to WNV was 5.

Heritability of hair whorl position on the forehead in Konik horses.

There are studies on the relationship between the position and shape of hair whorls on bovine forehead and phenotypic traits. According to anecdotal beliefs by horse users and handlers, temperamental traits may be related to the position of hair whorls in horses. No previous research on the mechanisms of inheritance of hair whorls has been performed, so the aim of the present study was to determine the heritability of the position of the hair whorl on the forehead of Konik horses.

[Multiorgan trauma complicated by purulent processes and occlusion of the digestive tract].

Authors presented a case of multiorgan trauma complicated, during a treatment by purulent course and occlusion of digestive tract. They punctuate an important rate of intensive care and postoperative care, which enabled a diagnose of early dangerous complications and effective treatment.