Cervical injury following a horse kick to the head in two dogs

Two dogs were presented to North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital following blunt trauma to the head delivered by a horse kick. On presentation, both dogs had resolving clinical signs directly related to the head trauma, but both also had compromise to their upper airway as a result of indirect injury to the soft tissues of the neck, visible on plain radiographs. One dog made a full recovery following a period of assisted ventilation. The other dog was euthanized at the request of the owner. These injuries illustrate the importance of evaluating the cervical spine and soft tissues of the neck following blunt trauma to the head.     

Accuracy of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate measurements for the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis in 116 dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-OHB) measurements for the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in dogs. One hundred sixteen diabetic dogs were prospectively enrolled in the study: 18 insulin-treated (IT) diabetic dogs that had a positive urine ketone test and 88 untreated, newly diagnosed diabetic dogs. Venous blood gas tensions and pH, serum glucose and urea nitrogen (SUN), and electrolyte (Na+, Cl-, and K+) and urine acetoacetate (AA) concentrations were measured concurrently with serum beta-OHB concentrations. On the basis of laboratory findings, the patients were assigned to I of 3 groups: diabetic ketoacidosis (n = 43); diabetic ketosis (DK, n = 41); and nonketotic diabetes (NDK, n = 31). Serum beta-OHB concentrations differed significantly (P < .001) among the study groups. Although marked differences in beta-OHB concentrations were found, a considerable overlap exists between the distributions of dogs with DK and those with DKA. The overall accuracy of beta-OHB determination as a diagnostic test for DKA, determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, was 0.92. In the 1.9- to 4.8-mmol/L range, serum beta-OHB determination sensitivity varied from 100 to 35.7%, whereas specificity varied from 39 to 100%. The cutoff value of 3.8 mmol/L showed the best equilibrium between specificity (95%), sensitivity (72%), and likelihood ratio (14.8). We concluded that the quantitative measurement of serum beta-OHB may be a potential tool for diagnosing and monitoring ketosis and ketoacidosis in diabetic dogs.     

Radiographic features of the limbs of juvenile and subadult loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)

This study aimed to provide the normal radiographic anatomic appearance of the limbs of the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Dorsopalmar and dorsoplantar radiographs were taken of the forelimbs and hindlimbs of 15 juvenile and 15 subadult loggerhead sea turtles, 17 alive and 13 dead. For comparison, computed tomographic, gross anatomic, osteologic, and histologic studies were performed on the limbs of 5 of the sea turtles. Bones from the distal part of the fore and hind flippers were seen in detail with a mammographic film-screen combination. The pectoral and pelvic girdles, superimposed by the carapace, were better seen on standard radiographs with the use of rare-earth intensifying screens. Mammographic radiographs of the manus of 5 small juvenile turtles showed active growth zones. Visualization of bone contours in the distal part of the limbs was clearer than in mammals owing to the very few superimpositions. The presence of a substantial amount of cartilage in the epiphyses produced better visibility of limb ends. We conclude that use of a mammography film-screen combination is the best way to evaluate the bony and joint structures of the limbs of sea turtles. Radiography provides reliable images for clinical purposes. Considering the low cost and logistics of this technique, it is a practical ancillary test for marine animal rehabilitation centers to use.     

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of canine pyoderma isolates of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius for biofilm formation

Biofilm-forming ability is increasingly being recognized as an important virulence factor in several Staphylococcus species. This study evaluated the biofilm-forming ability of sixty canine derived clinical isolates of S. pseudintermedius, using three phenotypic methods, microtiter plate test (MtP), Congo red agar method (CRA) and tube adherence test, and the presence and impact of biofilm-associated genes (icaA and icaD). The results showed that icaA and icaD genes were detected concomitantly in 55 (91.7%) of 60 isolates. A majority (88.3%) of the strains screened had matching results by the tube adherence test, MtP and PCR analysis. Better agreement (95%) was found between the PCR-based analysis and the CRA. Results of the icaA and icaD gene PCRs showed good agreement with CRA results, with a kappa of 0.7. Comparing the phenotypic methods, the statistical analysis showed that the agreement among the phenotypical tests using categorical data was generally good. Considering two classes (biofilm producer and biofilm non-producer), the percentage of matching results between the CRA method and the tube adherence test and between the CRA method and the MtP was 93.3%. A concordance of 100% was revealed between the MtP and the tube adherence test. The results indicate a high prevalence of the ica genes within S. pseudintermedius isolates, and their presence is associated with in vitro formation of a biofilm. A combination of phenotypic and genotypic tests is recommended for investigating biofilm formation in S. pseudintermedius.     

Spectrophotometric evidence for the solubilization site of betalain pigments in membrane biomimetic systems

The solubilization site of two betalain pigments, namely, betanin and indicaxantin, into l-alpha-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles was investigated by a spectrophotometric study. Pigment absorbance was monitored by varying phospholipid concentration, at a constant temperature that was varied in a range including the main phase transition temperature (Tm) of the relevant phospholipid bilayer. Maximum betanin absorption increased with the increase of DPPC concentration within the entire temperature range, reaching a plateau. The binding constant (Kb) of the pigment, calculated according to a pseudo-two-phase model, varied with the temperature, indicating that betanin is located at the hydrophobic interior of the bilayer. Other measurements of binding of betanin to DMPC and of indicaxanthin to either DPPC or DMPC vesicles ruled out that these compounds were solubilized in the hydrophobic interior of these bilayers.     

Dynamics of African swine fever virus shedding and excretion in domestic pigs infected by intramuscular inoculation and contact transmission

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly virulent swine pathogen that has spread across Eastern Europe since 2007 and for which there is no effective vaccine or treatment available. The dynamics of shedding and excretion is not well known for this currently circulating ASFV strain. Therefore, susceptible pigs were exposed to pigs intramuscularly infected with the Georgia 2007/1 ASFV strain to measure those dynamics through within- and between-pen transmission scenarios. Blood, oral, nasal and rectal fluid samples were tested for the presence of ASFV by virus titration (VT) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Serum was tested for the presence of ASFV-specific antibodies. Both intramuscular inoculation and contact transmission resulted in development of acute disease in all pigs although the experiments indicated that the pathogenesis of the disease might be different, depending on the route of infection. Infectious ASFV was first isolated in blood among the inoculated pigs by day 3, and then chronologically among the direct and indirect contact pigs, by day 10 and 13, respectively. Close to the onset of clinical signs, higher ASFV titres were found in blood compared with nasal and rectal fluid samples among all pigs. No infectious ASFV was isolated in oral fluid samples although ASFV genome copies were detected. Only one animal developed antibodies starting after 12 days post-inoculation. The results provide quantitative data on shedding and excretion of the Georgia 2007/1 ASFV strain among domestic pigs and suggest a limited potential of this isolate to cause persistent infection.     

Excavating sponges that are destructive to farmed pearl oysters in Western and Northern Australia

Species of the family Clionaidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) that excavate shell of the silver‐lip pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, in north Western and Northern Australia are described. Two species belong to the genus Cliona and one species to the closely related genus Pione. Cliona orientalis has only recently been reported from Australia in living and dead coral on the Great Barrier Reef, and this is the first report of this species from north Western and Northern Australia. Cliona dissimilis is reported from Australia for the first time. Pione velans was first described from Shark Bay, Western Australia and this study extends its distribution from Albany, south Western Australia to Port Bremer in the Northern Territory. The most common species found was C. dissimilis. Pione velans and C. orientalis were also present, although the latter species was rare. Cliona dissimilis and P. velans were found to be sexually reproductive in some shells with specimens of C. dissimilis with oocytes in May and P. velans in September 1999. Egg development was synchronous, indicating that the sponges were oviparous and would broadcast gametes in a spawning event.     

Separation of olive proteins combining a simple extraction method and a selective capillary electrophoresis (CE) approach: application to raw and table olive samples

A simple extraction method was developed to extract proteins from olive samples based on chloroform/methanol extraction followed by a protein precipitation with cold acetone. Then, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was carried out using an acid buffer (1 M formic acid at pH 2) to ensure a positive net charge for proteins and a neutral charge for potential interferents as polyphenols. The method developed was applied to raw and table olive samples. Interestingly, raw olive samples showed differences in protein profiles depending upon the botanical variety of olives and their geographical region. Protein profiles obtained for table olives also showed differences according to the sample treatment. Thus, a signal reduction in the electropherograms obtained for black olives was observed in comparison to those achieved for treated green olives. In this work, the use of protein profiles was demonstrated to be a powerful tool for studying variations among olive samples.