Hemangiosarcoma of the third eyelid in a cat

A case of hemangiosarcoma of the third eyelid in a 15-year-old Domestic Short-haired cat is reported. A small red mass protruding from the anterior surface of the third eyelid in the left eye was present. Only mild bilateral conjunctivitis and nuclear sclerosis were revealed on initial ophthalmic examination. After anti-inflammatory treatment, surgery and cryotherapy were performed. On histopathologic examination the mass was located just beneath the conjunctival epithelium, suggesting that the conjunctiva was the tissue of origin. The tumor showed high cellularity and was composed of pleomorphic spindle and polygonal cells arranged in interlacing bundles and solid sheets. The presence of slit-like spaces between tumor cells containing erythrocytes demonstrated the vascular differentiation. Mitotic activity was moderate, but atypical mitoses were detected. The surgical area healed uneventfully and after 7 months there was no recurrence. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of conjunctival hemangiosarcoma of the third eyelid in a cat.     

Anaesthetic management for balloon dilation of cor triatriatum dexter in a dog

A three-month-old female Rottweiler puppy was referred for intravascular correction of a previously identified cor triatriatum dexter. Echocardiography confirmed the presence of a hyperechoic membrane that divided the right atrium into a cranial and caudal chamber. A foramen in this membrane allowed the blood to flow from the caudal to the cranial chamber. Balloon dilation of the defect under transthoracic echocardiographic guidance was scheduled for the following day. The dog was premedicated with 0.5 μg/kg sufentanil and 0.2 mg/kg midazolam administered intravenously. General anaesthesia was induced with 2 mg/kg propofol and maintained with inhaled isoflurane in oxygen; at the same time, a constant rate infusion of 0.5 μg/kg/h sufentanil was administered by means of an infusion pump. Uneventful ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias developed during the placement of catheters and balloon dilation. At the end of procedure, when the guide wire and balloon catheter were removed, normal sinus rhythm was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, no previous reports have described the anaesthetic management of a balloon dilation procedure for cor triatriatum dexter in dogs.     

Survey of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-furans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and mineral components in Italian citrus cold-pressed essential oils

Investigation of PCDDs, PCDFs, PCBs, Al, As, Pb, Ba, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ag, Sn, Zn, and Hg contents in 60 samples of cold-pressed essential oils produced in Calabria and Sicily in 2003-2005 was carried out. PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs were analyzed by HRGC-HRMS techniques using U.S. EPA 1613/94 and U.S. EPA 1668/A (1999) analytical methods. Mineral components were determined through GFAAS techniques; Hg content was determined by FI-M/H-AAS. The results of this study showed that essential oil contamination was due to a widespread pollution, typical background of rural areas, with relatively higher concentrations of PCDDs compared to PCDFs and little presence of PeCDF. Congeners OCDD, HpCDF, and OCDF were found at high concentrations. Regarding mineral components, mean values of Cr, Fe, and Ni were in agreement with data reported in the literature. Concentrations of As and Pb were below the maximum limits accepted by the current legislation. Finally, none of the samples analyzed were contaminated with Hg.     

Use of Thermography Techniques in Equines: Principles and Applications

This review of the use of thermographic technique in equines introduces the principles upon which infrared radiation and thermoregulatory physiology are based and describes the instrumentation used and its practical use. The advantage of this imaging technique is that it is a noninvasive thermographic examination, both from an operational (the animal and the operator) and health (no penetrating radiation is used) standpoint. Advantages and disadvantages of this technique, equine applications, and physiological assessments are discussed.     

Acquisition capability of the grapevine Flavescence dorée by the leafhopper vector Scaphoideus titanus Ball correlates with phytoplasma titre in the source plant

Flavescence dorée (FD) is one of the most economically important grapevine diseases in Southern Europe, and it is associated with phytoplasmas, phloem-limited wall-less bacteria. Recovery from disease naturally occurs in infected grapevines during the following seasons after infection. The capability of the leafhopper vector Scaphoideus titanus to acquire FD phytoplasma (FDP) from recovered and infected grapevines of Barbera and Nebbiolo varieties was investigated in North-western Italy vineyards monitored from 2007 to 2011. Pathogen concentration was quantified by real-time PCR in FDP-infected grapevines and broad beans, also used as source plants under controlled conditions, to correlate acquisition capabilities and phytoplasma titre in source plants. S. titanus acquired FDP from infected, but not from recovered, grapevines. FDP titre was higher in Barbera than in Nebbiolo and higher in summer than in spring, and acquisition efficiency and pathogen titre in source plants were positively correlated, both in field and laboratory conditions. Recovered plants do not represent a source of inoculum for the vector and therefore do not contribute to FDP spread. The inability of recovered plants to serve as FDP acquisition sources for the vector as well as the effect of the season and of the two grapevine varieties on the FDP acquisition efficiency are relevant results to re-design disease management practices, especially since insecticide treatments against the vector are not fully effective, and newly designed successful control strategies are required.     

Improving cereal grain carbohydrates for diet and health

Starch and cell wall polysaccharides (dietary fibre) of cereal grains contribute to the health benefits associated with the consumption of whole grain cereal products, including reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. The physiological bases for these effects are reviewed in relation to the structures and physical properties of the polysaccharides and their behaviour (including digestion and fermentation) in the gastro-intestinal tract. Strategies for modifying the content and composition of grain polysaccharides to increase their health benefits are discussed, including exploiting natural variation and using mutagenesis and transgenesis to generate further variation. These studies will facilitate the development of new types of cereals and cereal products to face the major health challenges of the 21st century.     

Cytogenetic and genetic relationships between populations of Aegilops ventricosa Tausch

Summary Five samples of Aegilops ventricosa (2n=4x=28, genome formula DDNN) from different geographical origins, were crossed in a diallelic scheme. Metaphase I chromosome pairing of the hybrids, accounting for all the possible genetic combinations, was analysed. Only bivalents were formed in some hybrids, while multivalents were scored in other ones. Seed storage proteins, gliadins and albumins, were also analysed by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Based on the presence of multivalents in hybrids, and on the differences in seed protein profiles, the samples could be grouped into two clusters. Meiosis was regular in hybrids obtained within samples of the same group, while multivalents were present in hybrids involving a sample of one group and one of the other. The evolutionary trends in Ae. ventricosa are discussed.