Results suggested that PDA occurs rarely in cats, and clinical signs and diagnostic findings were consistent with those previously reported for dogs. Surgical versus nonsurgical treatment did not result in a significant difference in life expectancy in this small cohort. Evaluation of laryngeal function after surgical ligation is recommended. Further study of the outcome associated with various treatment options in a larger population of patients is recommended.

Many specialist herbivores eat foods that are apparently low quality. The compensatory benefits of a poor diet may include protection from natural enemies. Several bee lineages specialize on pollen of the plant family Asteraceae, which is known to be a poor-quality food. Here we tested the hypothesis that specialization on Asteraceae pollen protects bees from parasitism. We compared rates of brood parasitism by Sapyga wasps on Asteraceae-specialist, Fabeae-specialist, and other species of Osmia bees in the field over several years and sites and found that Asteraceae-specialist species were parasitized significantly less frequently than other species. We then tested the effect of Asteraceae pollen on parasites by raising Sapyga larvae on three pollen mixtures: Asteraceae, Fabeae, and generalist (a mix of primarily non-Asteraceae pollens). Survival of parasite larvae was significantly reduced on Asteraceae provisions. Our results suggest that specialization on low-quality pollen may evolve because it helps protect bees from natural enemies.

The COVID-19 pandemic made traditionally proctored in-person exams impossible. This article provides a summary of the arguments against institutional adoption of remote proctoring services with a focus on equity, an account of the decision to avoid remote proctoring on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus, and conclusions and suggestions for other teaching and learning professionals who would like to take a similar approach. Remote proctoring services require access to technology that not all students are guaranteed to have, can constitute an invasion of privacy for students, and can discriminate against students of color and disabled students. Administrators and teaching and learning staff at the University of Michigan-Dearborn made the decision to avoid adopting remote proctoring technologies and to instead invest in instructional design staff and faculty development programming to help faculty transition to authentic assessments. Lessons learned and recommendations are provided for other educational developers or institutions who want to resist remote proctoring on their campuses.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited disease in some feline breeds including the Maine Coon and Ragdoll. In these breeds, distinct causative genetic mutations have been identified. The two breeds appear to have slightly different clinical presentations, including age of diagnosis. The observation that these two breeds may have different clinical presentations, as well as different genetic mutations, suggests that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a diverse disease in the cat. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is poorly described in the Sphynx. The objective of this study was to phenotypically characterize Sphynx hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and to evaluate for a familial etiology. Records of 18 affected cats (11 female, seven male) were evaluated. Age of affected cats ranged from 0.5 to 7 years (median, 2 years). Four affected cats were from a single family and included an affected cat in each of four generations (three females, one male). Further studies are warranted to evaluate for a causative mutation and better classify the phenotypic expression.