Survival analysis in dogs with urinary transitional cell carcinoma that underwent whole‐body computed tomography at diagnosis

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate factors associated with survival and to compare characteristics between tumour localizations in dogs with urinary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) that underwent whole‐body computed tomography (CT) at diagnosis. Dogs with histologically confirmed TCC that received medical therapy between 2010 and 2017 were included; dogs that underwent surgery or radiotherapy for the primary tumour were excluded. According to the CT findings, primary tumour localization (classified into the Bladder, Urethra and Bladder and Urethra groups), prostate involvement, iliosacral lymphadenomegaly, sternal lymphadenomegaly and metastasis to the bone and lung were evaluated for survival analysis. CT at diagnosis revealed iliosacral lymphadenomegaly, sternal lymphadenomegaly, bone metastasis and lung metastasis in 47.7%, 18.5%, 24.6% and 35.4% of the 65 included dogs, respectively. The overall median survival time was 196 days. On multivariable analysis, TCC localization (hazard ratio [HR], 1.90; P = .037), bone metastasis (HR, 2.76; P = .013) and sternal lymphadenomegaly (HR, 3.56; P = .004) were significantly associated with survival. Compared to the Bladder group (n = 16), the Urethra group (n = 26) had higher metastasis rates to the bone (6.3% vs 42.3%; P = .045) and lung (6.3% vs 46.2%; P = .022). The survival time was shorter in the Urethra group than in the Bladder group (121.5 vs 420 days; P < .001), and it was similar only in female dogs (247 vs 420 days; P = .031). These findings suggest that whole‐body CT could be valuable for predicting the prognosis in urinary TCC.     

The rubble-pile asteroid Itokawa as observed by Hayabusa

During the interval from September through early December 2005, the Hayabusa spacecraft was in close proximity to near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa, and a variety of data were taken on its shape, mass, and surface topography as well as its mineralogic and elemental abundances. The asteroid's orthogonal axes are 535, 294, and 209 meters, the mass is 3.51 x 10(10) kilograms, and the estimated bulk density is 1.9 +/- 0.13 grams per cubic centimeter. The correspondence between the smooth areas on the surface (Muses Sea and Sagamihara) and the gravitationally low regions suggests mass movement and an effective resurfacing process by impact jolting. Itokawa is considered to be a rubble-pile body because of its low bulk density, high porosity, boulder-rich appearance, and shape. The existence of very large boulders and pillars suggests an early collisional breakup of a preexisting parent asteroid followed by a re-agglomeration into a rubble-pile object.     

Furan-2,5-dimethylene-tethered bis-imidacloprid insecticide conferring high potency

Bis-imidacloprid (bis-IMI) analogues with suitable alkylene spacers have plant-systemic insecticidal properties. The alkylene-tethered bis-IMI binds in a unique mode to the insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) wherein the chloropyridine moieties are embraced by two distinct and distant domains. The heptamethylene spacer optimally bridges these two subsites, yet the linker itself binds in a relatively nonspecific manner. This investigation examines the hypothesis that a bis-IMI analogue with a heteroaromatic tether, which undergoes specific interaction(s) with the newly recognized receptor cavity, may enhance the potency relative to those of the alkylene-tethered derivatives. Remarkably, a novel bis-IMI with a furan-2,5-dimethylene fulcrum showed highest receptor potency and insecticidal activity among the analogues with various chemotype spacers. The nAChR structural model, simulating the binding site interactions of the furan-2,5-dimethylene-tethered bis-IMI, reveals that the furan ring is nestled in a hydrophobic pocket, consisting of three aromatic amino acids, and is stabilized via hydrogen bonding.     

The effect of the cytoplasms of Brassica napus and B. juncea on some characteristics of B. carinata, including flower morphology

This study was conducted to assess the cytoplasm effects of Brassica napus and B. juncea on the some characteristics of B. carinata, as well as the phylogenetic distances separating the three species. Alloplasmic lines of B. carinata were developed from B. napus × B. carinata and B. juncea × B. carinata hybrids by recurrent backcrossing to the BC₇ generation. Sixteen populations from three generations were compared for a number of characteristics. Plants with the cytoplasm of B. napus flowered later, had shorter filaments and longer pistils, lower pollen amount, lower seed set, lower petal length and width and different petal color; plants with the cytoplasm of B. juncea had shorter pistils and filaments, and lower petal length and width than their corresponding euplasmic sibs, respectively. The results suggest that the cytoplasm is involved in the development of flower organs. The natural species, B. carinata showed a balance between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The cytoplasm from B. napus showed a stronger disturbing effect than that of B. juncea, suggesting that B. carinata might be genetically closer to B. juncea than to B. napus. The significant difference in the alloplasmic effect of the cytoplasms of B. napus and B. juncea also suggests that in B. carinata the B genome may play a greater role than the C genome. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Determination of true absorption and fecal endogenous loss of zinc in goats

We determined the true absorption and endogenous fecal loss of zinc (Zn) in goats using its stable isotope. Three goats were fed with the diet containing 50 mg/kg Zn twice a day for 17 days. In the morning of day 11, the goats were given a meal labeled by ⁶⁷Zn as the tracer with dysprosium as the unabsorbed marker. Then the goats were given unlabeled diet as the rest of the morning feed. We measured dietary and fecal Zn concentration, ⁶⁷Zn abundance and dysprosium concentration in feces. The excretion pattern of the tracer Zn into feces differed from that of dysprosium. Therefore, we directly calculated the true absorption of Zn from Zn concentration and ⁶⁷Zn abundance in fecal samples collected after the labeled diet was given. The apparent absorption of Zn was –0.009 ± 0.016 mg/kg bodyweight (fractional absorption, ?1.07 ± 1.85%). The true absorption of Zn was 0.162 ± 0.018 mg/kg bodyweight (fractional absorption, 18.25 ± 2.01%). The endogenous fecal loss of Zn was 0.172 ± 0.004 mg/kg bodyweight and the intestinal secretion of Zn was 0.210 ± 0.009 mg/kg bodyweight. The present experiment indicates that stable isotopic Zn is a powerful tool for examining Zn metabolism in ruminants.     

Evaluation of the Autonomic Nervous System in a Canine Model of Chronic Embolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Veterinary Research Communications - Sildenafil improves autonomic dysfunction caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH) in humans, but its effect is unknown in dogs with PH. This prospective study...     

Intramolecular carbon isotope distribution of acetic acid in vinegar

Compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of acetic acid is useful for origin discrimination and quality control of vinegar. Intramolecular carbon isotope distributions, which are each carbon isotope ratios of the methyl and carboxyl carbons in the acetic acid molecule, may be required to obtain more detailed information to discriminate such origin. In this study, improved gas chromatography-pyrolysis-gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-Py-GC-C-IRMS) combined with headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was used to measure the intramolecular carbon isotope distributions of acetic acid in 14 Japanese vinegars. The results demonstrated that the methyl carbons of acetic acid molecules in vinegars produced from plants were mostly isotopically depleted in (13)C relative to the carboxyl carbon. Moreover, isotopic differences (δ(13)C(carboxyl) - δ(13)C(methyl)) had a wide range from -0.3 to 18.2‰, and these values differed among botanical origins, C3, C4, and CAM plants.     

High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals rotary catalysis of rotorless F₁-ATPase

F(1) is an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-driven motor in which three torque-generating β subunits in the α(3)β(3) stator ring sequentially undergo conformational changes upon ATP hydrolysis to rotate the central shaft γ unidirectionally. Although extensive experimental and theoretical work has been done, the structural basis of cooperative torque generation to realize the unidirectional rotation remains elusive. We used high-speed atomic force microscopy to show that the rotorless F(1) still "rotates"; in the isolated α(3)β(3) stator ring, the three β subunits cyclically propagate conformational states in the counterclockwise direction, similar to the rotary shaft rotation in F(1). The structural basis of unidirectionality is programmed in the stator ring. These findings have implications for cooperative interplay between subunits in other hexameric ATPases.