The effects of maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation on the location and abundance of hexose and cationic amino acid transporters in beef heifer uteroplacental tissues

We hypothesized that maternal nutrition during the first 50 d of gestation would influence the abundance of hexose transporters, SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC2A5, and cationic amino acid transporters, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2, in heifer uteroplacental tissues. Angus-cross heifers (n = 43) were estrus synchronized, bred via artificial insemination, and assigned at breeding to 1 of 2 dietary intake groups (CON = 100% of requirements to achieve 0.45 kg/d of BW gain or RES = 60% of CON intake) and ovariohysterectomized on day 16, 34, or 50 of gestation (n = 6 to 9/d) in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Uterine cross-sections were collected from the horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, sectioned at 5 µm, and stained via immunofluorescence for transporters. For each image, areas of fetal membrane (FM; chorioallantois), luminal epithelium (ENDO), superficial glands (SG), deep glands (DG), and myometrium (MYO) were analyzed separately for relative intensity of fluorescence as an indicator of transporter abundance. Analysis of FM was only conducted for days 34 and 50. No transporters in target areas were influenced by a day × treatment interaction (P ≥ 0.06). In ENDO, all transporters were differentially abundant from days 16 to 50 of gestation (P ≤ 0.04), and SLC7A2 was greater (P = 0.05) for RES vs. CON. In SG, SLC7A1 and SLC7A2 were greater (P ≤ 0.04) at day 34 vs. day 16. In DG, SLC2A3 and SLC7A1 were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for CON vs. RES heifers; furthermore, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) at day 50 vs. days 16 and 34 of gestation. In MYO, SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES and was greater (P = 0.02) at days 34 and 50 vs. day 16. There were no differences in FM (P ≥ 0.06). Analysis of all uterine tissues at day 16 determined that SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC7A2 were all differentially abundant across uterine tissue type (P < 0.01), and SLC7A1 was greater (P = 0.02) for CON vs. RES. Analysis of all uteroplacental tissues at days 34 and 50 demonstrated that all transporters differed (P < 0.01) across uteroplacental tissues, and SLC7A1 was greater (P < 0.01) for CON vs. RES. These data are interpreted to imply that transporters are differentially affected by day of gestation, and that hexose and cationic amino acid transporters are differentially abundant across utero-placental tissue types, and that SLC7A1 is responsive to maternal nutritional treatment.     

Limb Salvage Surgery for Osteosarcoma of the Proximal Humerus: Outcome in 17 Dogs

Objective —To describe function and identify factors that affect outcome in dogs undergoing limb salvage surgery for osteosarcoma (OS) of the proximal humerus.
Study Design —A retrospective study of dogs in which OS of the proximal humerus was treated with limb salvage surgery.
Animals —17 client-owned dogs.
Methods: Records were analyzed for functional outcome, recurrence, metastasis, and survival.
Results —Outcome was good to excellent in 12% of dogs. Recurrence, metastasis, and survival were significantly affected by completeness of surgical margins. Double plating of the distal allograft-host junction significantly reduced frequency of biomechanical failure.
Conclusions —Limb salvage surgery for OS of the proximal humerus did not result in acceptable function and was fraught with postoperative complications. Outcome was significantly affected by completeness of surgical margins.
Clinical Relevance —Limb salvage surgery for OS of the proximal humerus in dogs cannot be recommended until improvement in functional outcome and reduction in postoperative complications can be achieved. The dependence of outcome on completeness of surgical margins supports aggressive en bloc resection and marking and evaluating surgical margins.     

Effects of thyroxine and growth hormone treatment of dairy cows on milk yield, cardiac output and mammary blood flow

Four cows received thyroxine injections (T4; 20 mg/d) and three cows received growth hormone injections (GH; 44 mg/d) for 4 d during successive 16-d experimental periods. Measurement was made of milk yield, protein yield, mammary tyrosine and phenylalanine uptake, blood plasma hormone concentrations, mammary blood flow and cardiac output. Milk yield increased by 25% with T4 and 21% with GH treatment. Milk protein content tended to decline during T4 treatment and increase following GH treatment. Cardiac output increased by 8.9 liter/min (20%) and 4.6 liter/min (10%) with T4 and GH injection. Mammary blood flow (half-udder) increased from 3.6 to 4.9 liter/min (35%) and from 3.3 to 4.4 liter/min (33%) with T4 and GH treatment, respectively. These increases calculated on a whole-udder basis, accounted for 28% (T4) and 48% (GH) of the increases in cardiac output. The proportion of cardiac output perfusing the (whole) udder increased to 19.1% (T4) and 18.7% (GH), increases of 17 and 30%, respectively. Heart rate increased with T4 (but not GH treatment) from 80 to 115/min. Ratio of blood flow to milk yield was not changed by either treatment. The proportion of cardiac output perfusing the udder likely plays a major role in facilitating the partitioning of nutrients for milk synthesis.     

A comparison of fatty acid composition and quality aspects of eggs and larvae from cultured and wild broodstock of common sole (Solea solea L.)

Eggs from a F₁ cultured broodstock of sole were compared with eggs from wild‐caught breeders throughout one spawning season, to evaluate if egg quality may be affected by culture‐related conditions. Fourteen batches of eggs from cultured broodstock and 17 batches from wild‐caught sole were compared with respect to fatty acid (FA) composition, egg size, fertilization rate and hatching rate. Based on a multivariate analysis of the FA profiles, it was possible to discriminate between culture and wild inheritance. Eggs from cultured broodstock had high levels of C20:1(n‐9), C18:2(n‐6) and C18:3(n‐3), whereas eggs from wild fish had high levels of C16:1(n‐7), C20:4(n‐6) and C20:5(n‐3). Differences in FA profiles were most likely related to dietary differences. Fertilization and hatching rates were generally low and lowest in eggs from cultured broodstock, but not related to FA composition. Larval growth of one batch from each group was compared. Larval growth was not correlated to broodstock origin, FA composition or egg or larval size. However, larval survival was significantly lower for larvae from cultured broodstock.     

Epidemiological observations of pancreas disease of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Ireland

Epidemiological investigations into the pancreas disease (PD) of farmed salmon were conducted on populations of Atlantic salmon reared in Ireland during 2003 and 2004. The investigations surveyed all marine salmon farms operating in Ireland through a detailed questionnaire with follow-up farm visits. Information was gathered on 21 populations of fish in 2003 and 14 populations in 2004. Thirteen of the 21 populations suffered PD in 2003 and 12 of the 14 in 2004. The mean mortality due to PD on affected farms was 18.8% in 2003 and 14.8% in 2004 and the loss of growth due to PD was estimated at 11.4% over the 2-year period. The highest risk periods for outbreaks of PD were early summer and early autumn and the farms most seriously affected by PD mortality were in the western counties of Ireland. Factors which showed an indication of association with a PD outbreak or high mortality during a PD outbreak were: livestock movement to another sea site, high feeding rate prior to any PD outbreak, the presence of another PD positive farm in the same water body, greater than 250000 fish on a site, a previous history of PD on a site, a high sea lice burden, and sites located in the western regions of Ireland which reared a specific strain of salmon.     

Computed tomographic evaluation of canine radioulnar incongruence in vivo

OBJECTIVE: To compare radioulnar incongruence (RUI) of normal canine elbows and elbows with arthroscopically confirmed medial compartment disease in vivo using systematic computed tomography (CT) measurements. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective comparison of RUI measurements in normal and dysplastic canine elbows. SAMPLE POPULATION: Right elbows of 25 medium-large breed, adult dogs with medial compartment disease and 9 medium-large breed, adult dogs with no elbow disease. METHODS: Transverse CT images of proximal radioulnar articulation were reformatted to dorsal and sagittal planes. RUI in 3 locations of the forelimb's medial coronoid was measured. Arthroscopy confirmed diagnosis of medial compartment disease in the diseased group. RUI measurements of the diseased and normal elbows were compared. RESULTS: Cumulative statistical analysis of RUI in all planes revealed no significant difference between the normal and abnormal elbows (P = .61). The abnormal elbows had negative mean RUI at the mid (P = .56) and cranial (P = .24) coronoid regions that were not significantly different from normal elbows and mean positive RUI at the base coronoid that was significantly greater than in normal elbows (P = .00082). CONCLUSION: Canine elbows with established medial compartment disease do not have significant RUI at the medial coronoid region at the time of diagnosis when compared with normal elbows. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: If RUI is a significant factor in the pathophysiology of medial compartment elbow disease in the dog, it does not appear to be present at the time of diagnosis of disease. Ulnar or radial osteotomies do not appear to be indicated for restoration of normal radioulnar articular surface alignment.     

Galaxies, human eyes, and artificial neural networks

The quantitative morphological classification of galaxies is important for understanding the origin of type frequency and correlations with environment. However, galaxy morphological classification is still mainly done visually by dedicated individuals, in the spirit of Hubble's original scheme and its modifications. The rapid increase in data on galaxy images at low and high redshift calls for a re-examination of the classification schemes and for automatic methods. Here are shown results from a systematic comparison of the dispersion among human experts classifying a uniformly selected sample of more than 800 digitized galaxy images. These galaxy images were then classified by six of the authors independently. The human classifications are compared with each other and with an automatic classification by an artificial neural network, which replicates the classification by a human expert to the same degree of agreement as that between two human experts.     

Effects of a synthetic facial pheromone on behavior of cats

OBJECTIVE: TO evaluate the effects of a synthetic feline facial pheromone (FFP) on behavior and food intake of healthy versus clinically ill cats. DESIGN: Original study. ANIMALS: 20 cats were used in each of 2 studies. In each study, 7 cats were considered healthy, and 13 cats were determined to be clinically ill. PROCEDURE: In study 1, cats were assigned either to exposure to FFP (treated group; 4 healthy, 6 ill cats) or to exposure to the vehicle (70% ethanol solution; control group; 3 healthy, 7 ill cats). Cats were placed in a cage containing a small cotton towel that had been sprayed with FFP or vehicle 30 minutes previously. Cats were then videotaped for 125 minutes, and food intake was measured during this period. Videotapes were scored at 5-minute intervals for various behaviors. In study 2, cats were categorized in 1 of 2 groups; group 1 (2 healthy, 8 ill cats) had a cat carrier placed in their cages, and group 2 (5 healthy, 5 ill cats) did not. All cats were exposed to FFP, and 24-hour food intake was measured. RESULTS: Differences between behaviors of healthy versus clinically ill cats were not identified. In the first study, significant increases in grooming and interest in food were found in cats exposed to FFP compared with vehicle. For all cats, significant positive correlations were detected between grooming and facial rubbing, walking and facial rubbing, interest in food and facial rubbing, eating and facial rubbing, grooming and interest in food, and grooming and eating. In the second study, 24-hour food intake was significantly greater in cats exposed to FFP and the cat carrier, compared with cats exposed to FFP alone. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that exposure to FFP may be useful to increase food intake of hospitalized cats.