Endometrial Adenocarcinoma and Mucometra in a 6-year-old Alaska Malamute Dog

A 6-year-old female Alaska Malamute dog was presented for evaluation of abdominal enlargement referred by a local veterinarian. On the history, the owner complained of chronic abdominal enlargement initiated more than 4 months ago, reduced appetite, occasional vomiting and general dullness. He also complained of greenish mucous intermittent vaginal discharge starting 10 days ago. The bitch was chronically treated with medroxiprogesterone acetate. A laparatomy was performed and fluid in the abdomen was found and aspirated during the surgery. Also a very fluid-filled distended uterus and a mass in the distal part of the left uterine horn were found. The mass was encapsulated by the omentum, but areas of necrosis and calcification were identified. Histopathological diagnosis was endometrial adenocarcinoma.     

Subnanometer-Diameter Wires Isolated in a Polymer Matrix by Fast Polymerization

The preparation and analysis of inorganic-organic polymer nanocomposites consisting of inorganic nanowires and multiwire "cables" in a random-coil organic polymer host is reported. Dissolution of inorganic (LiMo3Se3)n wires in a strongly coordinating monomer, vinylene carbonate, and the use of a rapid polymerization in the presence of a cross-linking agent produce nanocomposites without phase separation. Polymerization of dilute solutions yields a material containing mostly (Mo3Se3(-))n mono- and biwires, 6 to 20 angstroms in diameter and 50 to 100 nanometers long. Polymerization of more concentrated liquid crystalline solutions yields a nanocomposite containing oriented multiwire cables, 20 to 40 angstroms in diameter and up to 1500 nanometers long, that display optical anisotropy and electrical conductivity.     

A pilot study to investigate the measurement of immunoglobulin A in Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals’ faeces and their dam’s milk

ABSTRACT

Aims: To determine if an ELISA for measurement of IgA in equine serum could be used to measure concentrations of IgA in foal faeces and to determine correlations with concentrations in the milk of the dam.

Methods: Faeces from 20 Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals and milk from their dams were collected within 12?hours (Day 0) and at 6 days after parturition (Day 6). On Day 6, faeces could not be collected from 2/20 foals, and milk samples could not be collected from 3/20 mares. An equine IgA ELISA validated for serum and plasma was used to measure concentrations of IgA in all samples in triplicate. The precision of the assay for each sample type was determined using modified CV.

Results: IgA was not detectable in 7/20 Day 0 faecal samples and in 2/18 Day 6 faecal samples. For samples with detectable IgA, the mean modified CV was 10.5 (95% CI?=?6.0–15.0)% for Day 0 faecal samples, and was 6.8 (95% CI?=?4.3–9.4)% for Day 6 faecal samples. Median concentrations of IgA in faeces on Day 0 were lower than concentrations on Day 6 (0.7?mg/g vs. 37?mg/g dry matter; p?=?0.003). Concentrations of IgA in milk and faeces on Day 6 were statistically correlated (r?=?0.59; p?=?0.006).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: The IgA ELISA showed acceptable precision when used to estimate concentrations of IgA in foal faeces during the first week of life, but IgA could not be detected in 37% of meconium samples collected on Day 0. This assay may be useful for investigation of the role of maternal milk IgA in the gastrointestinal tract of neonatal foals, but further assessment of both accuracy and precision of the ELISA is required.     

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome in a Miniature Schnauzer Dog with Signs of Feminization and a Sertoli Cell Tumour

A 5‐year‐old male Miniature Schnauzer was presented with unilateral cryptorchidism and signs of feminization. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an enlarged right testis and a large, fluid‐filled cavity that appeared to arise from the prostate. Computed tomography revealed the cavity to be consistent with an enlarged uterine body, arising from the prostate, and showed two structures resembling uterine horns that terminated close to the adjacent testes. The dog had a normal male karyotype, 78 XY. Gonadohysterectomy was performed and both the surgical and the histological findings confirmed the presence of a uterus in this male animal, resulting in a diagnosis of persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS). The enlarged intra‐abdominal testis contained a Sertoli cell tumour. Computed tomography proved to be an excellent diagnostic tool for PMDS.     

Comparison of Quality Characteristics and Breadmaking Functionality of Hard Red Winter and Hard Red Spring Wheat

Various whole‐kernel, milling, flour, dough, and breadmaking quality parameters were compared between hard red winter (HRW) and hard red spring (HRS) wheat. From the 50 quality parameters evaluated, values of only nine quality characteristics were found to be similar for both classes. These were test weight, grain moisture content, kernel size, polyphenol oxidase content, average gluten index, insoluble polymeric protein (%), free nonpolar lipids, loaf volume potential, and mixograph tolerance. Some of the quality characteristics that had significantly higher levels in HRS than in HRW wheat samples included grain protein content, grain hardness, most milling and flour quality measurements, most dough physicochemical properties, and most baking characteristics. When HRW and HRS wheat samples were grouped to be within the same wheat protein content range (11.4–15.8%), the average value of many grain and breadmaking quality characteristics were similar for both wheat classes but significant differences still existed. Values that were higher for HRW wheat flour were color b*, free polar lipids content, falling number, and farinograph tolerance. Values that were higher for HRS wheat flour were geometric mean diameter, quantity of insoluble polymeric proteins and gliadins, mixograph mix time, alveograph configuration ratio, dough weight, crumb grain score, and SDS sedimentation volume. This research showed that the grain and flour quality of HRS wheat generally exceeds that of HRW wheat whether or not samples are grouped to include a similar protein content range.     

Natural Fluorescence of Red and White Wheat Kernels

Red and white wheats must be segregated for marketing purposes because they have different end uses. Identification of wheat color is not straightforward, and currently there is interest in characterizing red and white wheats using spectroscopic methods and chemical tests. The kernels of both red and white wheats exhibit natural fluorescence that can be readily viewed under UV light, although it is not possible to differentiate the fluorescence spectra of red and white wheats by visual inspection only. Fluorescence emission spectra in the wavelength range of 370–670 nm for 91 wheat samples consisting of 48 red (from 30 cultivars) and 43 white (from 18 cultivars) were analyzed by partial least squares (PLS) and neural networks analyses (NNA). Samples included cultivars that were difficult to classify visually as well as wheat harvested after rainfall. Classification accuracies were ≈85% for calibration and ≈72% for the validation samples by both analyses. A plot of β‐coefficient vs. wavelength in PLS analysis indicated that fluorescence of red wheat cultivars was greater than that for white wheat cultivars at 425 (±20) nm wavelength. Fluorescence of white wheat cultivars was greater than that for red cultivars at 587 (±35) nm. Fluorescence emission at ≈450 nm from wheat samples increased in intensity after treatment with NaOH. The increase was greater for red than for white wheat. Wheat harvested after rainfall also exhibited a slight increase in fluorescence.