A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON THE SONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF ABDOMINAL CARCINOMATOSIS IN 14 CATS

A retrospective review was performed on 14 cats with histology- or cytology-proven carcinomatosis. The mean age was 12.7 years with a median of 11 years. The diagnosis of carcinomatosis was made by histology in 11 cats and cytology in three cats. Twelve cats had cytologic examination of the peritoneal free fluid and seven cats (58.3%) had evidence of malignant cells. The primary tumor site was determined in 13 cats. The most common organ locations for the primary tumor were the liver (n = 5), pancreas (n = 3), and small intestine (n = 3). Other sites were stomach and spleen in one cat each. Epithelial cell neoplasia was the primary tumor type in 11 cats. Two cats had abdominal lymphomatosis and one cat had abdominal sarcomatosis secondary to metastatic hemangiosarcoma. Free peritoneal fluid and masses in the connecting peritoneum were found in all cats (100%). Additional findings included primary or metastatic masses in abdominal organs in 10 cats (71.4%), lymph node enlargement in five cats (35.7%), pleural effusion in three cats (21.4%), parietal peritoneal masses in two cats (14.3%), and visceral peritoneal masses in one cat (7.1%). Masses in the connecting peritoneal may be a very specific finding for carcinomatosis in cats, especially with a concurrent abdominal neoplastic mass. Parietal and visceral peritoneal masses, while uncommon in this series of cats, have not been reported for other diseases and seem to strongly support a diagnosis of carcinomatosis.     

Pancreatic Pseudocysts in 4 Dogs and 2 Cats: Ultrasonographic and Clinicopathologic Findings

Pancreatic pseudocysts were diagnosed in 4 dogs and 2 cats based on ultrasonographic and clinicopathologic findings. All 6 animals had a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis. Five of 6 pseudocysts were in the left pancreatic limb, and in 1 cat the pseudocyst was in the pancreatic body region. Cyst size ranged from 2 x 2 cm to 7 x 6 cm. All pseudocysts had anechoic regions that were aspirated using ultrasound guidance for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. No morbidity was associated with the aspiration procedures. Cytologically the pseudocyst fluid was aseptic in all patients and had low numbers of inflammatory cells in 5 of 6 patients. All animals had high lipase activity in the pseudocyst fluid and in 2 dogs and 1 cat the lipase activity in the fluid was greater than in serum. Three of the 4 dogs were managed medically. In the 1 dog that had long-term follow-up ultrasound examination, the pseudocyst persisted for several days following aspiration and had disappeared 8 months after diagnosis. All 3 of these dogs were clinically normal 1.5-4 years after presentation. The 4th dog underwent surgical exploration and was euthanized shortly thereafter because of bronchopneumonia and chronic pancreatitis. The 2 cats died 10 days and 2 months, respectively, following initial diagnosis of the pseudocyst, but necropsies were not performed in either case. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of pancreatic pseudocysts and clinicopathologic evaluation of cystic fluid are useful for diagnosis of pancreatic pseudocysts.     

Structural requirements for repellency: norsesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoid derivatives of nootkatone against the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

BACKGROUND: Research has shown that the family of grapefruit flavors called nootkatones have significant repellant and toxic effects to Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki). RESULTS: Nineteen synthetic nootkatone derivatives, along with three commercially available nootkatone derivatives, were tested for repellent activity against C. formosanus by a choice assay in a petri dish with a two‐step triage procedure. Based on the repellency threshold value, the relationships between structure and activity are discussed. CONCLUSION: Four derivatives of nootkatone have very high repellency and toxicity to C. formosanus, 9 times the potency of the primary compound nootkatone. Four other compounds have between 2 and 3 times the repellency of nootkatones, and three compounds are equal in their repellency to nootkatone. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

姬松茸深层发酵生产胞外多糖的碳氮源研究

研究表明摇床振荡培养有利于姬松茸菌丝体生长，而静止培养有利于其胞外多糖的合成。以胞外多糖为目标的研究中。为排除定粉类多糖（碳源）的干扰，红糖是比较理想的碳源，红糖的浓度以20g／L以内，酵母膏是较好的氮源。     

Lung worm (Marsupostrongylus spp.) infection in common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Marsupostrongylus spp. are the metastrongyloid nematodes most commonly associated with verminous pneumonia in Australian marsupials. Currently, there is a scarcity of information regarding this parasite in the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Thirty-four free-living possums submitted to two wildlife hospitals in Sydney, Australia, between 2008 and 2015 were diagnosed with verminous pneumonia on postmortem examination. The majority of possums presented ill with multiple comorbidities. However, only five cases had clinical signs of respiratory disease. Necropsy and histopathology revealed extensive lung lesions characterised by diffuse, mixed interstitial infiltrates of macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells with mild to marked concentrations of eosinophils. Bronchopneumonia, pulmonary oedema, interstitial fibrosis, atelectasis and type II pneumocyte hyperplasia were also present in most cases. Adult nematodes, first-stage larvae and embryonating eggs were present in the large airways and alveolar spaces. The parasites were definitively identified as Marsupostrongylus spp. in eight cases with presumptive diagnoses based on histopathological characteristics reached in a further 26 cases. Twenty-nine of the 34 affected possums were adults with no sex predisposition. A review of the brushtail possum records at Taronga Wildlife Hospital from 1999 to 2015 revealed no lungworm infections were reported in the 45 possums examined before 2008. However, between 2008 and 2015, 30 of 47 possums (63.8%) examined were diagnosed with metastrongyloid lungworms. This case series is the first detailed report of Marsupostrongylus nematodes in common brushtail possums and highlights the clinical and pathological features, along with epidemiological findings.     

Viruses associated with outbreaks of equine respiratory disease in New Zealand

AIM: To identify viruses associated with respiratory disease in young horses in New Zealand.

METHODS: Nasal swabs and blood samples were collected from 45 foals or horses from five separate outbreaks of respiratory disease that occurred in New Zealand in 1996, and from 37 yearlings at the time of the annual yearling sales in January that same year. Virus isolation from nasal swabs and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) was undertaken and serum samples were tested for antibodies against equine herpesviruses (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4 and EHV-5), equine rhinitis-A virus (ERAV), equine rhinitis-B virus (ERBV), equine adenovirus 1 (EAdV-1), equine arteritis virus (EAV), reovirus 3 and parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3).

RESULTS: Viruses were isolated from 24/94 (26%) nasal swab samples and from 77/80 (96%) PBL samples collected from both healthy horses and horses showing clinical signs of respiratory disease. All isolates were identified as EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5 or untyped EHV. Of the horses and foals tested, 59/82 (72%) were positive for EHV-1 and/or EHV-4 serum neutralising (SN) antibody on at least one sampling occasion, 52/82 (63%) for EHV-1-specific antibody tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 10/80 (13%) for ERAV SN antibody, 60/80 (75%) for ERBV SN antibody, and 42/80 (53%) for haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody to EAdV-1. None of the 64 serum samples tested were positive for antibodies to EAV, reovirus 3 or PIV3. Evidence of infection with all viruses tested was detected in both healthy horses and in horses showing clinical signs of respiratory disease. Recent EHV-2 infection was associated with the development of signs of respiratory disease among yearlings [relative risk (RR)=2.67, 95% CI=1.59-4.47, p=0.017].

CONCLUSIONS: Of the equine respiratory viruses detected in horses in New Zealand during this study, EHV-2 was most likely to be associated with respiratory disease. However, factors other than viral infection are probably important in the development of clinical signs of disease.     

THE EFFECT OF BODY WALL ON VIDEO SIGNAL ANALYSIS MEASUREMENTS

Rectangular body wall specimens were extracted from 16 juvenile swine and 9 adult beagle hounds after euthanasia. The body wall specimen included the epidermis to parietal membrane, with falciform fat removed. Ten images of a reference phantom with known attenuation and 10 additional images of the phantom with the specimen placed between the transducer and phantom surface were collected with a 5-MHz ultrasound system and computer with frame grabber board. Mean pixel values were converted to relative echogenicities. Echogenicity versus depth yielded an estimate of attenuation. An unpaired t test was applied to compare reference attenuation values with and without body wall, and a Pearson correlation was applied to body wall parameters versus measured attenuation through body wall. Measured attenuation through body wall increased significantly in dogs (P = 0.0016) and swine (P < 0.0001) when compared with phantom material alone. Increased attenuation positively correlated to body wall thickness (r = 0.6442) and mean gray level within body wall (r = 0.5069) for swine but not in canine. The presence of body wall in images used for video signal analysis significantly increases the measured attenuation in a phantom. This increase does not correlate with a measurable body wall parameter in dogs.