Accessory nictitating membrane in a Lipizzaner colt

A 2‐year‐old Lipizzaner colt presented for removal of a mass over the left eye. The colt had no blepharospasm or significant ocular discharge, but the cornea underlying the mass was mildly oedematous. The mass protruded from the conjunctiva at the dorsotemporal aspect of the globe and was covered in normal conjunctiva. It had a gross appearance similar to the cartilaginous flap of a nictitating membrane, but in an aberrant location. It was moveable to cover the dorsal aspect of the cornea when the globe was retropulsed. Excision of the mass under general anaesthesia was elected. Histopathology supported a diagnosis of an accessory nictitating membrane, consisting of a cartilaginous band surrounded by glandular epithelium. The colt recovered from surgery without complication and no problems were reported by the owner at 8.5 months post‐operatively. To the author's knowledge, there have not been previous reports of accessory or ectopic nictitating membranes in equine or other species.     

植酸酶对不同类型的断乳仔猪日粮粗蛋白、氨基酸和能量的消化率的影响

通过对4个安装了简易T型瘘管的断奶仔猪研究表明,添加植酸酶并没有提高玉米-豆粕型日粮(试验组1)、小麦-豆粕型日粮(试验组2)和大麦-豌豆-菜籽粕型日粮(试验组4)粗蛋白和氨基酸的回肠表观消化率(AID),而使小麦-豆粕-菜粕型日粮的粗蛋白和氨基酸回肠表观消化率或粗蛋白和消化能的总消化道表观消化率(ATTD)得到了显著的提高(P<0.05)或呈提高的势态(P<0.10)。这些结果表明,氨基酸对细菌性植酸酶的反应因子取决于日粮的组成。     

Metabolic Profiling and In Vitro Assessment of the Biological Activities of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Penicillium chrysogenum “Endozoic of Cliona sp. Marine Sponge” from the Red Sea (Egypt)

Marine sponge-derived endozoic fungi have been gaining increasing importance as promising sources of numerous and unique bioactive compounds. This study investigates the phytochemical profile and biological activities of the ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium chrysogenum derived from Cliona sp. sponge. Thirty-six compounds were tentatively identified from P. chrysogenum ethyl acetate extract along with the kojic acid (KA) isolation. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS positive ionization mode was used to analyze and identify the extract constituents while 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy were used for kojic acid (KA) structure confirmation. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities were assessed in vitro. Both the extract and kojic acid showed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC 250 ± 0.82 µg/mL. Interestingly, the extract showed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 93.75 ± 0.55 and 19.53 ± 0.48 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, KA showed the same potency against Fusarium oxysporum and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 39.06 ± 0.85 and 39.06 ± 0.98 µg/mL, respectively. Ultimately, KA showed strong antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ 33.7 ± 0.8 µg/mL. Moreover, the extract and KA showed strong cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma (with IC₅₀ 22.6 ± 0.8 and 23.4 ± 1.4 µg/mL, respectively) and human larynx carcinoma (with equal IC₅₀ 30.8 ± 1.3 and ± 2.1 µg/mL, respectively), respectively. The current study represents the first insights into the phytochemical profile and biological properties of P. chrysoenum ethyl acetate extract, which could be a promising source of valuable secondary metabolites with potent biological potentials.     

Cardiovascular effects of intermittent or continuous treadmill conditioning in horses

Nine mature Quarter Horse mares were trained for ten weeks by continuous (n=4) or intermittent (n=5) treadmill work. Both groups of horses trotted at 3.3m/sec. The continuous work was performed at a 3% incline while the intermittent work was done at a 9% incline. Heart rate, cardiac output and blood lactate concentration were measured during a standard exercise test that included work on both treadmill grades before and after five and ten weeks of training. The two conditioning programs did not produce differences in the measured parameters of the two groups of horses. However, there was an overall conditioning effect observed in both groups of horses throughout the ten weeks of treadmill conditioning. Heart rate decreased (P<.05) during exercise on both treadmill grades after ten weeks of training. Lactate concentration decreased (P<.05) during the 9 percent grade trot after five weeks of training. Only slight further decreases occurred between week five and week ten of conditioning. Cardiac output increased (P<.05) between rest and exercise on both grades but there was no conditioning effect.     

Clostridium piliforme infection (Tyzzer disease) in horses: retrospective study of 25 cases and literature review

Tyzzer disease (TD) is caused by Clostridium piliforme, a gram-negative and obligate intracellular bacterium. The disease occurs in multiple species. A triad of lesions, namely colitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis, is described in cases of TD in some species, such as rats and mice. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 25 equine cases with a diagnosis of TD; 24 of 25 cases occurred in foals <45 d old; the remaining foal was 90 d old. There were 12 males and 12 females; no sex information was available for one foal. The affected breeds were Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Arabian, Paint, and Hanoverian. Most of the cases (19 of 25) occurred in the spring. There were 9 cases of sudden death; the remaining animals had diarrhea, fever, distended abdomen, depression, weakness, non-responsiveness, and/or recumbency. Gross findings included icterus, hepatomegaly with acinar pattern, serosal hemorrhages, pulmonary edema, and/or fluid content in small and large intestine. Microscopically, all foals had severe, multifocal, necrotizing hepatitis. Necrotizing lymphohistiocytic colitis was observed in 10 of 25 foals, and multifocal necrotizing myocarditis was found in 8 of 25. Gram-negative, Steiner-positive, intracytoplasmic filamentous bacteria were observed in hepatocytes, enterocytes, and myocardiocytes, respectively. PCR detected C. piliforme DNA in the liver (24 of 24), colon (20 of 24), and heart (5 of 25). Our results indicate that necrotic hepatitis is the hallmark of TD in horses; the so-called triad of lesions is not a consistent characteristic of the disease in this species.     

An aggregation index (AI) to quantify spatial patterns of landscapes

There is often need to measure aggregation levels of spatial patterns within a single map class in landscape ecological studies. The contagion index (CI), shape index (SI), and probability of adjacency of the same class (Qi), all have certain limits when measuring aggregation of spatial patterns. We have developed an aggregation index (AI) that is class specific and independent of landscape composition. AI assumes that a class with the highest level of aggregation (AI =1) is comprised of pixels sharing the most possible edges. A class whose pixels share no edges (completely disaggregated) has the lowest level of aggregation (AI =0). AI is similar to SI and Qi, but it calculates aggregation more precisely than the latter two. We have evaluated the performance of AI under varied levels of (1) aggregation, (2) number of patches, (3) spatial resolutions, and (4) real species distribution maps at various spatial scales. AI was able to produce reasonable results under all these circumstances. Since it is class specific, it is more precise than CI, which measures overall landscape aggregation. Thus, AI provides a quantitative basis to correlate the spatial pattern of a class with a specific process. Since AI is a ratio variable, map units do not affect the calculation. It can be compared between classes from the same or different landscapes, or even the same classes from the same landscape under different resolutions.     

Tanner crab Chionocetes bairdi Rathbun haemocyte classification and an evaluation of using differential counts to measure infection with a fungal disease

Abstract. The circulating haemocytes of the tanner crab, Chionocetes bairdi , were studied and classified as hyalinocytes, intermediate granulocytes and eosinophilic granulocytes. Differential haemocyte counts of normal crabs and crabs infected with an apparently pathogenic unnamed ascomycete fungus revealed a shift in the hyalinocyte-granulocyte ratio in infected crabs. There was a highly significant increase in the percentage of granulocytes and a corresponding decrease in hyalinocytes in infected crabs. This shift was thought to be caused by a marked increase in the relative number of eosinophilic gianulocytes. There was also a highly significant statistical relationship between the severity of the internal fungus infection, established by histopathological analysis of the major organ systems, and the increased number of circulating eosinophilic granulocytes. The results of the study indicate that differential haemocyte counts may be a valuable tool in monitoring the health of C. bairdi populations.     

Toxicity and efficacy of Furanace on channel catfish Ictalurus punctatm (Rafinesque) infected experimentally with Aeromonas hydrophila

Abstract. The 96-h medium tolerance limit of Furanace (nifurpirinol: P-7138) for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus at 21°C was 0-94 mg/1. The most effective treatment level for channel catfish, experimentally infected with Aeromonas hydrophila , was 2mg/1 for 6.5 h. Furanace at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/1 in brain heart infusion agar reduced in vitro growth of A. hydrophila and at 2.0 mg/1 growth was completely     

DC polarography of cephradine and its application to capsules.

A polarographic method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of cephradine and its dosage forms. Direct determinations on capsules are carried out; excipients and coloring matter do not interfere in the determination. The electroactive product is formed by acidic hydrolysis with 5.0N HCl and heating at 80 degrees C for 60 min. Two polarographic waves are obtained: I = -0.46 V and II = -0.78 v vs. SCE. Both reduction waves are diffusion controlled. Wave I is preferred for analytical purposes. The precise chemical identity of the electroactive product has not been determined, but UV spectral data and the TLC Rf value are reported. A linear relation is established for levels of cephradine between 10(-2) and 10(-5)M in 5.0N HCl.