Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for characterization of focal splenic lesions in dogs

Background: Contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography with perflubutane microbubbles improves the diagnostic accuracy to differentiate benign and malignant focal liver lesions in dogs. Hypothesis: Perflubutane microbubbles‐enhanced ultrasonography is useful for differentiation of benign from malignant focal splenic lesions in dogs. Animals: Twenty‐nine clinical dogs with single or multiple focal splenic lesions detected by conventional ultrasonography. Methods: Prospective clinical observational study. Perflubutane microbubbles‐enhanced ultrasonography was performed in 29 dogs with focal splenic lesions. Qualitative assessment of the enhancement pattern was performed in the early vascular, late vascular, and parenchymal phases. Results: In the early vascular phase, a hypoechoic pattern was significantly associated with malignancy (P= .02) with sensitivity of 38% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25–38%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 84–100%). In the late vascular phase, a hypoechoic pattern was significantly associated with malignancy (P= .001) with sensitivity of 81% (95% CI, 66–90%) and specificity of 85% (95% CI, 65–95%). There was no significant difference between malignant and benign lesions during the parenchymal phase. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Hypoechoic splenic nodules in the early and late vascular phases with perflubutane microbubbles‐enhanced ultrasonography are strongly suggestive of malignancy in dogs.     

Response of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) to an Increasing Natural Temperature Gradient under Different Crop Management Systems

Increasing temperatures pose a significant threat to crop production in the tropics. A field experiment was conducted with mung bean at three locations in Sri Lanka representing an increasing temperature gradient (24.4–30.1 °C) during two consecutive seasons to (i) determine the response of mung bean to increasing temperature and (ii) test a selected set of crop management practices aimed at decreasing essential inputs such as water, synthetic pesticides and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer. The control treatment (T₁) consisted of standard crop management including irrigation, chemical crop protection and inorganic fertilizer application. Adaptation system 1 (T₂) included mulching with rice straw at 8 t ha^?1 with 30 % less irrigation and crop protection and nutrient management as in T₁. Adaptation system 2 (T₃) included crop protection using a pretested integrated pest management package with water and nutrient management as in T₂. In adaptation system 3 (T₄), 25 % of the crop's nitrogen requirement was given as organic manure (compost) at 0.8 t ha^?1 while 75 % was given as inorganic fertilizer with water management and crop protection as in T₃. Durations of both pre‐ and post‐flowering phases were reduced with increasing temperature. In the warmer (25.4–30.1 °C) yala season, seed yield (Y) of T₁ decreased with increasing temperature at 366 kg ha^?1 °C^?1. However, in maha season, Y did not show a significant relationship across the narrower temperature gradient from 24.4 to 25.8 °C. Pooling the data from both seasons showed a second‐order polynomial response with an optimum temperature of 26.5 °C. In addition to shortened durations, reduced crop growth rates and reduced pod numbers per plant were responsible for yield reductions at higher temperatures. In yala, yields of all adaptation systems at all locations were on par with yields of the respective controls. Furthermore, yala yields of T₂ and T₃ were less sensitive than T₁ to increasing temperatures (265 and 288 kg ha^?1 °C^?1). In maha, T₃ and T₄ had greater yields than the control at the relatively cooler site while having lower yields than the control at the warmer site. Maha yields of T₂ were on par with the control at both temperature regimes. While demonstrating the significant temperature sensitivity of mung bean yields, results of the present work showed that components of the tested adaptation systems could be promoted among smallholder farmers in Asia, especially in view of their long‐term environmental benefits and contributions to sustainable agriculture in a warmer and drier future climate.     

Influence of seed position within the fruit on seedling quality and in vitro shoot tip production of jackfruit

This study reports on the influence of seed position within the fruit and shoot development on the production of jackfruit in vitro. Seeds were extracted from the different sections in the fruit and shoot tips excised from the resultant seedlings. The tips were cultured in vitro on media supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or thidiazuron (TDZ). The seeds from the middle and basal sections of the fruit were larger and produced larger seedlings than those from the top. Seeds from the basal position took 10 days to germinate and produced seedlings 11 cm tall with four or five leaves. Partially covered and fully open shoots from 6–8 week-old seedlings performed best. The highest frequency of shoot induction (100%) and multiple shoot production (7.31 ± 1.2) with a mean length of 3.6 ± 0.13 cm was observed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 3.0 mg/L BAP. Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW), and MS media were equally effective in shoot multiplication. More than 80% of the rooted plants survived culture, indicating that this technology could be used to conserve wild germplasm.     

Dimensional ultrasonographic relationship of the right lobe of pancreas with associated anatomic landmarks in clinically normal dogs

The purpose of this prospective study was to establish the ultrasonographic characteristics of the dimension of the right pancreatic lobe with that of the associated anatomic landmarks in healthy dogs. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed on 25 dogs. The thickness of the right pancreatic lobe was compared with that of mural thickness of duodenum, diameter of duodenum, pancreatic duct, abdominal aorta, portal vein, caudal vena cava, and length and width of the right kidney and right adrenal gland. The correlation between each pancreatic parameter and the dimensions of the anatomical landmarks were assessed using linear regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) test. Significant, but weak linear correlations were observed between thickness of right pancreatic lobe with that of duodenum mural thickness (r=0.605, R²=0.339, P=0.001); duodenum diameter (r=0.573, R²=0.299, P=0.003); and right adrenal gland length (r=0.508, R²=0.052, P=0.01). There was no significant dimensional relationship with other selected anatomic landmarks. The ratio between the thickness of right pancreatic lobe and the mural thickness of duodenum, diameter of duodenum and length of right adrenal gland were 2.88 ± 0.53, 1.27 ± 0.27 and 0.81 ± 0.15, respectively. Calculating the ratio of thickness of the right pancreatic lobe with the dimension of significantly correlated anatomic landmarks is a useful and simple method for evaluating the size of the right pancreatic lobe in dogs in clinical practice.     

Species diversity of birds in mangroves of Kundapura,Udupi District,Karnataka, Southwest Coast of India

We quantified species diversity of birds in mangroves at Kundapura from April-2010 to March-2013. We recorded 79 species of 36 families and 14 orders. Of these 71% are resident species, 22% are residential migrants and 8% are migratory. One endangered species, three near threatened species, and a few occasional visitors were re-corded. Species diversity and abundance of birds were greater during from October through May as there was availability of food, increased vegetation and the arrival of migratory birds. Minimum diversity was recorded from June through September owing to heavy rains, increased flow of water, limited availability of food and return of migratory birds.     

Genetic correlations between growth and reproductive traits in Zandi sheep

For the first time, the current study reports the genetic and phenotypic correlations between growth and reproductive traits in Zandi sheep. The data were comprised of 4,309 records of lamb growth traits from 1,378 dams and 273 sires plus 2,588 records of reproductive traits from 577 ewes. These data were extracted from available performance records at Khojir Breeding Station of Zandi sheep in Tehran, Iran, from 1993 to 2008. Correlations were estimated from two animal models in a bivariate analysis using restricted maximum likelihood procedure between lamb growth traits [birth weight (BW), weaning weight at 3 months of age (WW), as well as six-month weight (6 MW)] and ewe reproductive traits [litter size at birth (LSB), litter size at weaning (LSW), total litter weight at birth (TLWB), and total litter weight at weaning (TLWW)]. The genetic correlations between BW and reproductive traits varied from low to high ranges from 0.10 for BW–LSB to 0.86 for BW–TLWB. WW was moderately (0.37) to highly (0.96) correlated with all the reproductive traits. Moreover, the genetic correlations were observed between 6 MW and reproductive traits, varied from 0.19 to 0.95. Relationships between growth and reproductive traits ranged from 0.01 for BW–LSW to 0.28 for BW–TLWB in phenotypic effects. Results indicated that selection to improve WW would have high effect on genetic response in TLWW, and also, these results could be effective for all of the reproductive traits in Zandi sheep.     

Insect pest management agents: hormonogen esters (juvenogens)

The chemical part of this investigation focused on designing structures and synthesizing a series of six new esters (juvenogens), derived from biologically active insect juvenile hormone bioanalogues (juvenoids, JHAs) and unsaturated short-chain linear and branched fatty acids for possible application as biochemically targeted insect hormonogen agents. The structures of the new compounds were assigned on the basis of a detailed NMR analysis of their (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. The biological part of this investigation focused on introductory biological screening tests with these compounds against the red firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus), termites (Reticulitermes santonensis and Prorhinotermes simplex), and the blowfly (Neobellieria bullata). The biological activity of the juvenogens was studied in relation to the fatty acid functionality in the structures. Notable biological activity in topical tests and medium activity in peroral tests was found for the juvenogens 3 and 7 with P. apterus. The compounds 6 and 8 showed the lowest activity in both topical and oral assays with P. apterus. Considerable effect of all tested juvenogens was observed in P. simplex; however, the juvenogens 5 and 6 (derivatives of the only branched short-chain fatty acid) showed no activity against R. santonensis. The effect of the compounds 3-8 on larval hatching of N. bullata was only moderate (larval hatching 80-90%); however, the proliferation effect caused by 5, 6, and 8 is more pronounced than the effect caused by 3, 4, and 7.     

Early detection of maedi-visna (ovine progressive pneumonia) virus seroconversion in field sheep samples.

The aim of this work was to investigate whether an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was useful for early detection of maedi-visna virus (MVV) infection in sheep under field conditions. An ELISA based on p25 recombinant protein and a gp46 synthetic peptide was used. Sequentially obtained serum samples (n = 1,941) were studied for 4 years. ELISA results were compared with those of the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, and results of both tests were compared with a reference result established using consensus scores for at least 2 of 3 serologic techniques (AGID, ELISA, and western blotting, which was used to resolve result discrepancies between the other 2 techniques). A total of 247 discrepancies were observed between ELISA and AGID. Of these, 131 were due to an earlier detection of 120 sera by the ELISA and 11 sera by AGID. The remaining discrepancies (116) were due to the presence of false reactions in both tests. Fewer false-negative results were found by ELISA than with AGID (6 vs. 69 sera, respectively), whereas the number of false-positive results was virtually the same for ELISA and AGID (21 vs. 20, respectively). In relation to the reference result, ELISA sensitivity and specificity were 97.8% and 98.2%, respectively, whereas values for AGID were 76.3% and 98.3%, respectively. The agreement between ELISA and the reference result was higher than that between AGID and the reference result (K value: 0.96 and 0.77, respectively). A variation in the ELISA signal (based on optical density) was observed during the study period, suggesting different antibody levels throughout the animal's life. The ELISA was useful for detecting MVV-infected sheep in field conditions and has potential for use in control and eradication programs.     

Periparturition alterations to liver ultrasonographic echo-texture and fat mobilization parameters in clinically healthy Holstein cows

The objective of present study was to record the sequential alterations in liver echo-texture through digital analyzing of the B-mode ultrasonography in three groups of under-conditioned (UC), moderate-conditioned (MC), and over-conditioned (OC) clinically healthy Holstein cows from 30 days to calving until 30 days in milk. Furthermore, to compare their changes in association with the changes of fat mobilization parameters of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), betahydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), and body condition score (BCS). Although the cows lost significant (P < 0.05) BCS from calving and the NEFA values showed an increasing trend near calving and the BHBA values significantly inclined postparturition, the mean grey scale histogram (MGSH) of liver images did not reveal significant fluctuations unless a significant decrease on calving day (P < 0.05). The MGSH drop was predicted to be the result of anatomical changes in abdominal cavity, related to delivery and liver’s blood flow. OC cows had higher NEFA on day +20 than UC and MC cows (P < 0.05). UC cows showed higher MGSH values on day −30 than MC cows and again on day −10 comparing to MC and OC cows (P < 0.05). MGSH values correlated with BCS values (r _UC = −0.186; r _MC = −0.283; r _OC = −0.158). It was concluded that the studied cows did not show significant alterations in textural changes in their liver ultrasound whilst going through fat mobilization. As quantitative ultrasonography has shown the potential to detect cases of fatty liver, it could gain the attention to become a feasible device for liver health monitoring on a herd basis.