Transient megaoesophagus and oesophagitis following diaphragmatic rupture repair in a cat

A 6-month-old domestic shorthair female cat was presented with suspected diaphragmatic hernia (DH) that was later confirmed by thoracic radiography. The cat underwent exploratory celiotomy with a diaphragmatic rupture (DR) repair and recovered. Six days later, it was represented with vomiting and anorexia. Megaoesophagus (MO) and gastric dilatation were diagnosed by contrast radiography. A second celiotomy revealed no abnormalities and gastropexy was performed. Endoscopy demonstrated MO, oesophagitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux. MO persisted for several weeks and was an unexpected complication as no association between DR (or DH) and MO has never been described in the veterinary literature. The cat was treated medically with aggressive prokinetic and antacid therapy along with prolonged temporary oesophageal diversion (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube) with an excellent outcome.     

Coinfection with multiple tick-borne and intestinal parasites in a 6-week-old dog

Coinfection with Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis, Hepatozoon canis, Isospora spp., Giardia spp., and Dipylidium caninum were detected in a 6-week-old dog. The effect of multi-pathogen infection was a fatal combination of gastrointestinal and hematologic abnormalities, including diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, distended painful abdomen, intussusception, severe thrombocytopenia, anemia, and hypoproteinemia.     

Characterization of monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam.), a potential new crop for arid regions

The green monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa Lam., Loganiaceae), a tree indigenous to tropical and subtropical Africa, produces juicy, sweet-sour, yellow fruits containing numerous hard brown seeds. The species has recently been introduced into Israel as a potential new commercial crop. However, little is known about its agronomical performance, fruit development and ripening, or postharvest physiology. The current study shows that during ripening in storage, the peel color changes from green to yellow, accompanied by a climacteric burst of ethylene and carbon dioxide emission. Total soluble solids slightly increased during storage, whereas total titratable acidity and pH did not change significantly. The major sugars that accumulated during ripening in storage were sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and the main acids, citric and malic acids. The main volatiles present in the peel of ripe fruits were phenylpropanoids, trans-isoeugenol being the major compound.     

Canine spirocercosis: clinical,diagnostic, pathologic,and epidemiologic characteristics

The nematode Spirocerca lupi is a parasite of dogs with beetles of several species serving as intermediate hosts. The medical records of 50 dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis at the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (HUVTH) in Israel during 1991-1999 were retrospectively reviewed and compared to a control group (n=100). There was a seven-fold increase in the annual number of dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis during these years while the hospital caseload increased by 80%, indicating an emerging outbreak of this infection. Dogs from the greater Tel Aviv area were at the highest risk of being diagnosed with spirocercosis with 74% of the cases originating from this region compared to only 17% of the controls. The disease appeared to have a primarily urban pattern of distribution with a significantly higher percentage (P=0.025) of dogs from cities versus rural areas, as compared to the control group. Sixty-two percent of the cases were diagnosed during the colder months of December through April. The median age of infected dogs was 5 years, with dogs 1 year old or younger at the lowest risk of being diagnosed with spirocercosis. Large breeds were at a higher risk of infection in comparison to small breeds and the Labrador Retriever was significantly over represented (P=0.027) in the study group compared to the control population. The most common signs were vomiting or regurgitation (60%), pyrexia (24%), weakness (22%), respiratory abnormalities (20%), anorexia (18%), melena (18%) and paraparesis (14%). A caudal esophageal mass was identified by radiography in 53% of the dogs and spondylitis of the thoracic vertebrae in 33%. Fecal flotation was positive for S. lupi eggs in 80% of the dogs, and endoscopy was found to be the most sensitive diagnostic procedure and allowed diagnosis in 100% of the examined dogs. Fifty-three percent of the dogs were anemic and creatine kinase (CK) activities were elevated in 54%. Necropsy of 14 dogs revealed esophageal or gastric granulomas in 13 dogs, and an esophageal osteosarcoma in a single animal. Aortic aneurysms were found in six (43%) dogs. Out of 24, 15 dogs (63%) for which follow-up information was available died or were euthanized within 1 month of admission. The case-fatality rate decreased toward the end of the study period when improved therapy with avermectins became available.     

Adsorption of systemic pesticides on ground stems and in the apoplastic pathway of stems,as related to lignification and lipophilicity of the pesticides

The adsorption of five systemic fungicides (carbendazim, triadimefon, nuarimol, triarimol, and fenarimol) and one herbicide (fluometuron) on ground stems and in the apoplastic pathway of excised pepper, cotton, and bean stems was studied. Adsorption on ground and water extracted stems, as well as retention in the apoplast of excised stems, increased with the 1-octanol/water partition coefficients of the pesticides. Methylation of ground stems increased their adsorption capacity (carbendazim excluded), while extraction with organic solvents did not affect it. Woody stems adsorbed more of the pesticides than herbaceous ones. Binding of pesticides in the apoplastic pathway of stems seems to be related to their degree of lignification and to the lipophilicity of the pesticides.     

Glutathione synthesis in response to captan: A possible mechanism for resistance of Botrytis cinerea to the fungicide

Two Botrytis cinerea isolates, field captan-resistant and normal type, were grown in liquid medium for 4 days prior to captan application. The glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) of their mycelium and medium were analyzed at various times during the fifth day of their growth. Only slight differences in GSH levels between the isolates were observed, but marked differences in mycelial GSH were found in response to captan. Following the application of captan, less GSH was produced and after a longer lag period by the normal type of the fungus compared to the resistant isolate. This increase in the GSH level in the resistant isolate could make more nonvital thiol compound available for detoxifying captan and therefore prevent damage the fungicide could cause to the vital protein thiols of fungal cells.     

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF OTITIS MEDIA IN A DOG

Otitis media/interna was diagnosed in a 20-month-old German shepherd with the assistance of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The MR images were acquired primarily to exclude a brain lesion responsible for vestibular signs. No brain lesion was detected, but obvious signs of chronic changes in the left bulla and external ear canal were confirmed. Thickening of the epithelium and soft tissue surrounding the external ear canal and a laminated appearance of high and low T2 intensities in the tympanic bulla's mucosa were present. The hypointense lines were suspected to be fibrous tissue, indicating chronic changes. This report suggests that MR imaging may serve as a useful imaging tool for otitis media and that it supplies information not obtained with radiography or computed tomography.     

Performance of polymer-coated urea in transplanted rice: effect of mixing ratio and water input on nitrogen use efficiency

Polymer-coated urea (PCU) is an important alternative to uncoated urea for improving nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE). Only a few studies discuss their utility for lowland rice systems. A 2-year field study was conducted to examine if nitrogen loading is reduced in lowland rice ecosystem by using mixture of PCU and uncoated urea without sacrificing yield. Five treatments involving two mixtures of PCU with 50 and 70% coated urea each at 70 and 50% of recommended dose (80 kg N ha⁻¹) and one with uncoated urea at 100% recommended dose were laid out in a completely randomized design. Selected plant growth parameters and plant available N contents (NH₄–N plus NO₃–N) in soil solution and ponded water were measured over a period of 65 days after transplanting. Results showed no significant difference for vegetative and yield parameters among different treatments suggesting that treatments receiving lower doses of nitrogen exhibited higher NUE. Analysis of partial factor of productivity (PFP) for N suggested that the total N dose may be reduced by 50% using mixtures of coated and uncoated urea. Similarly, statistically similar PFP values for treatments receiving the same amount of total N for both years and for both total N dose suggested that the proportion of coated urea may also be reduced to as low as 50% without sacrificing yield. Correlation analysis on nitrogen contents in ponded water and soil solutions and the analysis of water productivity and PFP showed that soil water regime could also significantly influence the nitrogen status in soil even when PCU are applied. In turn, both the water regime and N contents in soil ultimately influences grain yield. Although the constant release of N from coated fertilizer ensures adequate N supply for plant uptake, it may not completely avoid N deficit condition especially during heavy rainfall. Analysis of the developed production function suggested that 55–65% polymer coating and about 100 cm total water input may be ideal for achieving maximum yield. The production function was developed for PCU treatments using data observed in treatments receiving 70% recommended N dose. The range of water input in these treatments was 86.5–174.0 cm.