Recovery from rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block was longer in the larynx than in the pelvic limb of anesthetized dogs

Objective

To determine if neuromuscular monitoring at the pelvic limb accurately reflects neuromuscular function in the larynx after administration of rocuronium in anesthetized dogs.

Studies on supplementary desalted mother liquor on digestibility of nutrients,ruminal fermentation,and energy and nitrogen balance in Thai native cattle

Four Thai native steers were used to determine the adequate levels of supplementary desalted mother liquor (DML) for energy and nitrogen balances and ruminal fermentation. The crude protein and sodium chloride contents of DML were 25.5% and 60.3% on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. A 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment was conducted by adding different amounts of DML to three experimental diets (T1: 1.1%, T2: 2.2%, T3: 3.4% sodium chloride concentration with supplementary DML on a DM basis) and comparing their effects with those of a control diet (C) containing 1.0% commercial salt on a DM basis. The animals were given the experimental diets and rice straw daily at 1.2% and 0.8% of body weight, respectively, on a DM basis. No significant differences in the apparent digestibility of nutrients were observed among treatments. T3 achieved the lowest nitrogen retention (P < 0.05), followed by C, T2 and T1. The ratios of energy retention to gross energy were higher in T1 and T3 than T2, and that in C was lowest (P < 0.05). Supplementary NaCl concentration at 1% and 2% can be replaced with DML without an adverse effect on the digestibility of nutrients or on the nitrogen and energy retention.     

Effect of increased feeding of dietary α‐linolenic acid by grazing on formation of the cis9,trans11–18:2 isoform of conjugated linoleic acid in bovine milk

Feeding systems such as grazing affect the fatty acid profile of bovine milk fat. In addition, milk fat is formed as the product of fatty acid metabolism in cow bodies before being secreted into milk. However, how grazing influences milk fatty acid profile through the metabolism has not been completely characterized. When fatty acid concentrations in Holstein milk were compared between grazing and non‐grazing periods, α‐linolenic acid was significantly higher in the grazing period than in the non‐grazing period. This could be explained with an increase in α‐linolenic acid feeding with grazing. α‐linolenic acid had a linear positive correlation with conjugated linoleic acid (9c,11t‐18:2) (CLA) and vaccenic acid (VA) during the grazing period, whereas CLA had higher correlation with linoleic acid rather than with α‐linolenic acid during the non‐grazing period. These data indicate that the high content of dietary α‐linolenic acid affects CLA and VA formation in milk of grazing periods via α‐linolenic acid metabolism into VA.     

Serum hyaluronic acid in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts

Objectives : To compare the serum level of hyaluronic acid in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt with that in healthy dogs and to investigate the perioperative change in serum hyaluronic acid following shunt attenuation. Methods : Blood samples were obtained from 29 congenital portosystemic shunt dogs before the operation, and 2 and 4 weeks after the operation from 17 and 7 dogs, respectively. The serum hyaluronic acid level of these dogs was measured and compared with that of 10 healthy beagles. Results : The median preoperative hyaluronic acid level in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt was significantly elevated compared with that in healthy dogs. Furthermore, the median postoperative hyaluronic acid level significantly decreased compared with the median preoperative levels in congenital portosystemic shunt dogs. Clinical Significance : In the case of dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt, the reduction of intrahepatic portal blood flow might lower the clearance rate of hyaluronic acid in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, so hyaluronic acid clearance could be improved by attenuation of a shunt vessel. Hence, serum hyaluronic acid levels might be useful to evaluate liver function and also have the potential to evaluate successful attenuation of a shunt vessel in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt. Further investigations are required to clarify whether serum hyaluronic acid offers significant benefits over existing markers such as serum bile acid or ammonia concentrations.     

A 90-day Feeding Toxicity Study of l-Serine in Male and Female Fischer 344 Rats

A subchronic feeding study of l-serine (l-Ser) was conducted with groups of 10 male and 10 female Fischer 344 rats fed a powder diet containing 0, 0.06, 0.5, 1.5 or 5.0% concentrations of l-Ser for 90 days. There were no toxicologically significant, treatment-related changes with regards to body weight, food intake, water intake or urinalysis data. In several of the hematology, serum biochemistry and organ weight parameters, significant changes were observed between some of the treated groups and the controls. All these changes, however, were subtle and lacked any corresponding pathological findings. In addition, the increased or decreased values remained within the range of the historical control values. In fact, histopathological assessment revealed only sporadic and/or spontaneous lesions. In conclusion, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for l-Ser was, therefore, determined to be at least a dietary dose of 5.0% (2765.0 mg/kg body weight/day for males and 2905.1 mg/kg body weight/day for females) under the present experimental conditions.     

Cytologic,histologic, and immunohistochemical features of maxillofacial alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in a juvenile dog

Abstract: A 15‐month‐old castrated male dog with a history of intermittent epistaxis and sneezing was admitted for the examination of a maxillofacial mass. An impression smear of a biopsy sample from the cauliflower‐shaped gingival mass contained numerous round cells, 5–25 μm in diameter, which contained a moderate amount of clear to pale blue cytoplasm and resembled lymphoid cells. Mitotic figures were frequently observed. The mass was diagnosed as malignant round cell neoplasia. On histologic examination the tumor was composed of diffusely arranged, small, atypical round cells with a small amount of fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemically, the cells were negative for CD3, CD18, CD20, CD79α, cytokeratin, melan‐A, chromogranin A, α‐smooth muscle actin, and myoglobin but positive for vimentin and desmin. The cells also had strong positive nuclear staining for myogenin and MyoD1. A diagnosis of solid‐pattern alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma was made on the basis of morphologic and immunohistochemical results. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors in juvenile dogs, especially when cytologic findings reveal round, undifferentiated cells.     

Comparison of effects of ultraviolet and<Superscript>60</Superscript>Co gamma ray irradiation on nylon 6 mono-filaments

The effect of UV and⁶⁰Co gamma radiations on the physical and mechanical properties of nylon 6 mono-filaments with different draw ratios has been studied. Specimens were exposed to either up to 25 Mrad of gamma or up to 168 hrs of intense UV irradiation. The results show that nylon mono-filaments exposed to gamma rays, with much higher quantum energy than UV, undergo a larger extent of molecular chain scission. Higher irradiation dose also results in the production of insoluble, macroscopic three-dimensional cross-linked network structure. The amorphous regions with a lower density of cohesive energy (lower molecular orientation) show a higher extent of cross linking reaction whereas amorphous regions with a higher density of cohesive energy (higher orientation) show higher extent of chain scission reaction, irrespective of UV ray or gamma ray irradiation.     

Glomerular lipidosis accompanied by renal tubular oxalosis in wild and laboratory-reared Japanese rock ptarmigans (Lagopus mutus japonicus)

Glomerular lipidosis is a disease characterized by lipid accumulation in mesangial cells but that has not been fully investigated in avian species. We examined four wild and two laboratory-reared Japanese rock ptarmigans (Lagopus mutus japonicus)--an endangered avian species--presenting vacuolar deposits in the glomeruli. All cases had vacuolar deposits in the glomeruli. In the wild cases, fewer than 30% of all glomeruli were affected, compared with more than 90% in the laboratory-reared cases. In the wild cases, most deposits were mild and restricted to the mesangial areas of glomeruli. In the laboratory-reared cases, nearly all of the deposits covered entire glomeruli. Electron microscopy of mild deposits revealed vacuoles in the cytoplasm of mesangial cells. These vacuoles were positive for Sudan III, Sudan black B, oil red O, Nile blue, periodic acid-Schiff, Schultz test, and digitonin stain and were negative for performaric acid-Schiff stains. Based on these results, we diagnosed the glomerular lesion as glomerular lipidosis caused by uptake of low-density lipoprotein in mesangial cells. Except for one wild case, all cases exhibited renal tubular oxalosis. The severity of tubular oxalosis tended to be related to the severity of glomerular lipidosis: In cases of mild glomerular lipidosis, tubular oxalosis was also mild or absent. We therefore diagnosed the primary lesion as glomerular lipidosis accompanied by tubular oxalosis. The four wild cases came from different zones and therefore had no opportunities to interbreed and no common relatives. We believe these data support the hypothesis that glomerular lipidosis is a disease of the general population ofJapanese rock ptarmigans. This is the first report of glomerular lipidosis accompanied by renal tubular oxalosis in an avian species.     

Decadal changes in the rice-cropping system in the Ayeyarwady Delta using a large archive of satellite imagery from 1981 to 2020

In the last 40 years, the rice-cropping system has considerably changed in the Ayeyarwady Delta. The large archive of satellite imagery provides a history of how land and water resource managements have changed in the face of growing populations, resource demand, and climate change. This study aimed to assess the decadal changes in the rice-cropping system in the Ayeyarwady Delta by using the large archive of satellite imagery for the last 40 years (1981???2020). The long-term NDVI dataset provided various information on rice cultivation. Signal processing techniques were used to detect on the historical changes in the rice-cropping system, and the impact of climate change was assessed by using trend analysis. Until the 1980s, single-cropping of summer rice was dominant in the Delta. To enhance the grain yield of rice, the irrigation facilities were introduced in 1992 under an initiative of the Myanmar government. As a result, the annual cropping intensities increased from 1.087?±?0.390 in the 1980s to 1.422?±?0.499 in the 2010s. The information on historical change in the rice-cropping system would be useful to consider the practical and cost-effective utilization of remaining land and water resources. Moreover, the trend analysis of NDVI time-series showed negative trends in coastal areas. This indicates that the rice production in coastal areas has been constrained by the saline intrusion. The salt-affected areas are expected to expand under future climate change scenarios. Government support is highly required for sustainable rice production in the Delta.

     

Use of tween 20 as a substrate for assay of lipase activity in soils

Abstract

A method for assaying the soil lipase activity is described. It involves the titrimetric estimation of the amount of lauric acid released by the lipase activity when the soil is incubated with Tween 20 in the presence of toluene at 30°C for 18 h under agitation. The method is simple and precise and incubation without agitation is also possible. The method has been applied to six different kinds of soils. The lipase activity in the cultivated soils ranged from 22.5 to 75.5 mmol min^?1 g^?1 of dried soil. The K _m value for Tween 20 was 1.8 × 10^?4 m. The optimum pH was approximately 7.5. The hydrolysis of liveen 20 in soil was inhibited by glycerol which was the essential moiety of glyceride. The inhibition by glycerol was found to be competitive. These results indicate that Tween 20 is a potential substrate for the assay of the glyceride hydrolytic activity in soils.