The Oklahoma State University Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) recognized 23 inductees during its inaugural induction ceremony earlier this month. Among those honored were Drs. Sahlu Ayalew and Katherine Kocan of OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.

Sahlu Ayalew, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, is part of a Veterinary Pathobiology team that studies Mannheimia haemolytica, a bacterium that is one of the causative agents of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The team’s goal is to develop protective vaccines against this bacterium. BRD costs the beef industry more than a billion dollars per year. The team’s research involves, identifying immunogenic proteins of M. haemolytica by immunoproteomic methods, mapping regions (epitopes) of candidate proteins and genetically engineering single vaccines (chimeric or multivalent vaccines) that contain immunodominant epitopes from several proteins. Over the past few years, the team has secured two U.S. patents and the work is ongoing.

Katherine Kocan, Ph.D., OSU Regents Professor, Walter Sitlington Endowed Chair in Food Animal Research and Fellow, Society for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, is known internationally for her work with ticks and tick-borne diseases. She leads a team that partnered with researchers at the University of Minnesota to develop a cell culture system (the first in vitro system of growing the pathogen outside of a tick or cow) for Anaplasma marginale (the organism that causes bovine anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease of cattle). The patent involves the method of growing the rickettsia, Anaplasma marginale, in cultured tick cells and for the use of antigens generated from this system in vaccine formulations.

According to the NAI’s information, the academy ‘supports the systematic application of organized knowledge and information that can generate technology and produce creative solutions to existing problems. Inventors are the discoverers and creators of these solutions and, as such, are key contributors to the advancement of technology.’

“OSU’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is proud to have such forward thinking researchers,” says Dr. Jean Sander, dean of the veterinary center. “New technologies or inventions play a key role in the economic development of the world and the veterinary center’s researchers make an important contribution to that system.”

Animal cruelty is illegal, so the filming and dissemination of that material should be also. To make a crude comparison, it’s like pornography. We’re able to distinguish between illegal child pornography and legal adult pornography. I think the Supreme Court should have looked at it that way. But then again, maybe that’s why I’m not on the Supreme Court.

Hopefully idiots will continue to tape these illegal activities. That way they’ll put themselves and their buddies in jail.

You can read more about the ruling here.

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

• Pet Tales: Never say never. (Moore)
• Newborn dies in mauling. (Florida)
• Meat, poultry rules may aid competition. (nationwide)

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

But that can happen with all the commotion and extra temptations during the holidays.

Most animals visit their vets on Christmas day because of tummy trouble, according to a VPI Pet Insurance of claims. Here’s a list of the top five reasons pet owners take their animals to the vet on Dec. 25.

1. Gastritis/Enteritis
2. Lacerations or Bite Wounds
3. Soft Tissue Trauma
4. Foreign Body Ingestion
5. Chocolate Poisoning

During the rest of the year, skin conditions, ear problems and other conditions are the top insurance claims. Only gastritis is in the top 10.

Long story short: keep your food to yourself.

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

• Norman zoo examines safety after boy’s attack. (Norman)
• A butterfly haven: Monarchs winging to Mexico may appear for area event. (Cole)
• Whale death investigated. (Virginia)
• Crash leads to bee stings. (Turkey)

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

• Neighbor saves boy from dogs. (Noble)
• Getting a glimpse of nature. (Norman)
• Zebra mussel gains ground in Oklahoma. (Lake Texoma)
• Couple start family with injured pooch. (Tulsa)
• Work begins on vets’ clinic. (Colorado)
• Debate focuses on value of autism service dogs. (Illinois)
• A dog’s holiday. (Monday, page 1c, nationwide)

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

• For kids in therapy, a new best friend. (Oklahoma City, video below)
• Funding issues hamper animal rescue’s efforts. (Harrah)
• Two men hurt in attack by pit bulls. (Midwest City)
• Car show benefits pets. (Oklahoma City)
• Horse show to draw top trainers. (Ardmore)
• Rescue calls charges in cruelty case “sad.” (Sayre)
• More arrests expected in illegal horse racing. (Guymon)
• Report: Goodell decides on Vick. (New Jersey)
• Owens says NFL unfair in handling Vick’s status. (New York)
• Film may put critters in false light. (California)
• Meat packer suspended. (Kansas)

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

• Drug results may influence sentence term / Woman’s infant son died after hungry puppy mauled him. (Tulsa)
• Noodlers bring home the catfish. (Pauls Valley)
• Death doesn’t halt bulls’ running. (Spain)
• Attract feathered friends by using proper incentives.
• Racing pigeons program took flight in Oklahoma City. (blog)

Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll

A 2 year old girl in Oxford, Fla. died when an 8 foot pet Burmese python owned by her mother’s boyfriend escaped from a terrarium and strangled the child to death.

My girlfriend, Sarah, has a pet store, and reptiles are one of her specialties. She’s always been a big fan of snakes and lizards, and I too am fascinated by them. Sarah doesn’t carry Burmese or reticulated pythons. Both species are common in the pet industry, and they grow to lengths of 15 feet or more.

What people don’t realize is that owning a snake that size isn’t much different from owning a leopard or grizzly bear. They are capable of hurting or killing a human and should be kept only by professionals or others who are very experienced.

If you are interested in keeping a snake as a pet, I would highly recommend sticking with something smaller. Corn snakes and king snakes grow to about five feet.  If you want a python, try a ball python. They look similar to larger pythons but stay a manageable four feet. All of these snaked tend to have good temperaments and make good pets.

Because they stay a reasonable size, they also can be kept in a decent-sized aquarium. Larger snakes need huge enclosures that can be very expensive.

If you insist on owning a large snake, do your homework and know what you are getting into. And for goodness sake, keep the snake in a secure area where it absolutely can’t reach children.

- Staff Writer Bryan Dean