Suspected air embolism associated with post-anesthetic pulmonary edema and neurologic sequelae in a horse

A 523 kg Quarter Horse was anesthetized for unilateral eye enucleation. The anesthetic period was unremarkable. During anesthetic recovery the cap on the jugular venous catheter became dislodged. Clinical signs of pulmonary edema associated with moderate arterial hypoxemia subsequently developed. Although pulmonary edema resolved with medical therapy, the day following anesthetic recovery, clinical signs of vestibular disease and blindness developed. Treatment included nasal oxygen insufflation, flunixin meglumine, furosemide, dexamethasone, thiamine, dimethylsulfoxide, antimicrobials, and phenylbutazone. The horse recovered and was discharged from the hospital after 7 days of treatment and was neurologically normal at 6 weeks. While venous air embolism was not confirmed in this case, the catheter cap complication followed by signs of pulmonary edema and neurologic sequelae support the presumptive pathogenesis of this horse's complications. Diagnostic confirmation of air embolism in horses with compatible acute clinical signs should be documented with echocardiography.     

Expression of the limited‐transpiration trait under high vapour pressure deficit in peanut populations: Runner and virginia types

Drought can be a critical limitation on peanut yield. A physiological trait that may help to ameliorate drought is limited transpiration (TR_lim), defined as a limitation on further increases in transpiration rate (TR) under high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) conditions. The advantage of the TR_lim trait is that it allows plant water conservation to increase soil water availability for use during late‐season drought. While this trait has been identified in peanut, there is no information of how readily the trait may be transfer to progeny lines. The objective of this study was to obtain preliminary information on the expression of the TR_lim trait in two peanut progeny populations. One population was runner type of 88 RILs derived from the mating of Tifrunner × NC 3033. The second set was selected for the virginia‐type phenotype of large pods obtained from mating of PI 585005 (ICGV 86015) and N0808olJCT, both of which expressed the TR_lim trait. A two‐tier screen was applied to both populations. The initial screen was based on exposure of de‐rooted shoots to silver ions. Fifteen runner type and 12 virginia type were selected for direct measures of transpiration response to varying VPD. The results from each of the two populations showed that an effective expression of the TR_lim trait occurred in about 30% of the progeny in each population. While these results do not offer a definitive index of inheritance, they do indicate that there appears to be a strong possibility of transferring the TR_lim trait to progeny genotypes.     

A specific, highly active malate dehydrogenase by redesign of a lactate dehydrogenase framework

Three variations to the structure of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent L-lactate dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus were made to try to change the substrate specificity from lactate to malate: Asp197----Asn, Thr246----Gly, and Gln102----Arg). Each modification shifts the specificity from lactate to malate, although only the last (Gln102----Arg) provides an effective and highly specific catalyst for the new substrate. This synthetic enzyme has a ratio of catalytic rate (kcat) to Michaelis constant (Km) for oxaloacetate of 4.2 x 10(6)M-1 s-1, equal to that of native lactate dehydrogenase for its natural substrate, pyruvate, and a maximum velocity (250 s-1), which is double that reported for a natural malate dehydrogenase from B. stearothermophilus.     

Cytokine dysregulation in aged horses and horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction

BACKGROUND: Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is the result of a loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the pars intermedia secondary to neurodegeneration of periventricular hypothalamic neurons. The pathologic events contributing to development of neurodegeneration or clinical signs in equids with PPID are unknown. Chronic inflammation may contribute to initiation or progression of PPID. HYPOTHESIS: Horses with PPID have a distinct systemic cytokine profile compared with that of normal adult or aged horses. The cytokine profile of healthy aged horses differs from that of adult horses. ANIMALS: Aged horses with PPID, healthy aged-matched controls, and adult controls (n = 14 per group). METHODS: Total leukocyte cytokine expression was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha plasma concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) TNF-alpha response after endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) treatment was assessed by ELISA. RESULTS: Aged healthy horses had increased expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and interferon-gamma as well as PBMC TNF-alpha release after LPS stimulation compared with healthy adult horses. In contrast, aged horses with PPID had increased IL-8 expression, but expression of other cytokines was similar to that of healthy adult horses, not age-matched controls. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Aged horses show evidence of a proinflammatory state that may contribute to development of age-associated diseases. Horses with PPID have increased expression of IL-8, which may influence the ability of horses with PPID to respond to bacterial pathogens. The general decrease in proinflammatory cytokine expression observed in horses with PPID may be the outcome of high plasma concentrations of anti-inflammatory hormones.     

天然保鲜剂壳聚糖对白桃的保鲜效果

为了探讨源东白桃的保鲜技术,以市售壳聚糖保鲜液为原料,进行了常温和4℃条件下源东白桃贮藏保鲜的研究.结果表明,市售壳聚糖保鲜液处理后的白桃失水率、腐烂率明显降低,能抑制可溶性固形物含量的增加,提高总糖的含量,可有效降低果实膜透性.表明,市售壳聚糖是一种安全、高效的天然保鲜剂,可作为常温下贮藏白桃的一种简单有效、安全的方法.     

Field confirmation of genetic variation in soybean transpiration response to vapor pressure deficit and photosynthetic compensation

Plants with limited transpiration rate (TR) under high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) offer the potential to conserve soil water and thus decrease the occurrence of soil water deficit. Genetic variability in TR response to VPD has been observed in the greenhouse for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) genotypes related to PI416937, but these differences have yet to be measured in the field. The objective of this study was to observe under field conditions leaf gas exchange properties of PI416937 in comparison to nine other genotypes to determine if it expressed limited TR at high VPD. Genotypic differences in stomatal conductance measurements (a proxy for TR) matched those obtained under controlled environment conditions. Genotypes varied from no stomatal response to VPD, to strong negative responses resulting in full stomata closure at ∼4 kPa. There was a greater proportional genetic variability in stomatal conductance in the field (75% at high VPD) than was observed in the greenhouse, but this variation was correlated with greenhouse TR. However, photosynthesis was considerably limited in genotypes that had a stomatal response to VPD. Although field differences in photosynthetic capacity among genotypes were not correlated with greenhouse measurements, there was sufficient genetic variation to allow the possibility of selection of high photosynthetic capacity to overcome about a 34% decrease in stomatal conductance. Thus, a targeted breeding program to combine the water conserving TR-VPD response with increased photosynthetic capacity has the potential to increase soybean yields in field water-deficit environments.     

Effects of supplemental dietary vitamin C on quality of semen from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) breeders

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin C on growth and quality of semen from Oreochromis niloticus breeders. One hundred and sixty males were fed with different levels of vitamin C (0, 261, 599 and 942 mg/kg diet). The higher weight values were recorded for 599 (166 g) and 942 (175 g) mg of vitamin C/kg diet. Sperm motility, vigour and concentration were higher with 599 and 942 mg of vitamin C/kg diet. The semen volume, gonadosomatic index and plasma protein data from the last week showed a direct relationship with increasing levels of vitamin C. No changes were observed in the hepatosomatic index and blood glucose. The haematocrit and erythrocyte showed higher values estimated by equations derived at 850 and 638 mg vitamin C/kg diet, respectively. The leucocytes were inversely proportional to the increasing levels of vitamin C. After 100 days of feeding, animals fed the diet containing 942 mg vitamin C/kg diet had higher sperm motility, linearity, curvilinear velocity, straight line velocity and average path velocity (p < .05). Higher values of beat cross‐frequency were observed in broodfish fed diets containing 942 and 599 mg vitamin C/kg. The different vitamin C levels did not cause differences in straightness, lateral head displacement and sperm morphology. For Nile tilapia males on intensive rearing and handling conditions, vitamin C levels between 599 and 942 mg/kg may be used for a better performance and quality of semen.     

Status of Sensitivity of Northern German Botrytis Populations to the New Sdhi Fungicide Fluopyram Prior to its Release as a Commercial Fungicide

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In a survey of Botrytis populations in Northern Germany in 2012-2014, an average of 67.7% and 73.8% of isolates from strawberry and raspberry fields...     

Ancillary tests for assessment of the nervous system.

This article addresses the minimum data base needed to assist the clinician's diagnostic approach to neurologic diseases. The collection, storage, and processing of cerebrospinal fluid samples are discussed. Additional diagnostic tests are described under selected specific etiologies.