Treatment of an 18‐year‐old mare for bilateral,branchial remnant cysts

This report describes the treatment of an aged mare for bilateral, branchial remnant cysts by marsupialisation and sclerotherapy the cysts. Treatment to resolve the cysts was prolonged, but the mare had no long‐term complications.     

Stress Relaxation of Wheat Kernels and Their Relationship with Milling,Rheological, and Breadmaking Quality of Wheat

The stress relaxation behaviors of soft and bread‐type wheat kernels were studied using the generalized Maxwell model. The data showed two phases, a fast phase at short times of about 1.52–16.88 sec (τ₁ and τ₂) and a slow phase with longer times of about 81.28–793.81 sec (τ₃ and τ₄). The shorter decay of σ₁ can be explained by very weak forces that affect mainly the rheological properties. The slow decay (σ₄) located at longer relaxation times resulted from strong forces. The first derivative obtained from the stress relaxation curve of intact wheat kernels was quite similar in shape to the dough farinograms. The stress relaxation parameters showed differences in springs, relaxation times, and viscosities of bread wheat compared with soft‐type wheat kernels. The stresses σ₁ and σ₄ were correlated with wheat kernel, flour, rheological, and breadmaking properties; so especially were the elasticity of the spring (σ₀) and viscosity of the fourth Maxwell element (η₄), which were significantly correlated with all the quality properties, whereas σ₂, σ₃, η₁, and η₂ did not show correlation at all, except that η₂ was correlated with falling number and volume of CO₂.     

A chimeric recombinant crustacean hyperglycemic hormone from Litopenaeus schmitti (Burkenroad) obtained as C‐terminus fusion protein boost hemolymph glucose concentration in Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone)

To date, no hormonal treatments are available for control of shrimp reproduction and only eyestalk ablation is of practical use. The crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) is the most abundant neuropeptide of the eyestalk CHH family. It plays an important role in the regulation of hemolymph glucose levels, as its principal function, but it is also implicated in additional physiological processes such as moulting and reproduction. In the present study, the cDNA encoding Litopenaeus schmitti (Burkenroad) mature CHH was cloned into the Escherichia coli pTYB2 expression vector. Using this strategy we have obtained, for the first time, the recombinant CHH from L. schmitti with its C‐terminus fused to an intein tag. The expected fused protein of about 63 KDa was expressed in E. coli forming inclusion bodies. It was purified in a soluble form by electroelution following molecular size fractionation in sodium dodecil sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The ability of the chimeric CHH protein to elevate glucose levels in the hemolymph of the eyestalk‐ablated Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) shrimps indicates that its biological activity as hyperglycemic protein is preserved. The results provide an alternative tool to obtain soluble recombinant proteins from the CHH family of neuropeptides to get a better understanding of shrimp endocrinology.     

Status of the digestive gland and feed index in juvenile green abalone Haliotis fulgens fed rehydrated macroalgae

One of the bottlenecks in cultivating juvenile green abalone Haliotis fulgens is the lack of well‐adapted natural or formulated food for optimal growth. The goal of this study was to analyse the digestive gland structure of juvenile green abalone fed rehydrated natural feed, Ulva sp. (Chlorophyta), Eisenia arborea, Macrocystis pyrifera, Egregia menziesii (Phaeophyta) and Porphyra perforata (Rhodophyta), using histochemical techniques. Structure of the digestive gland was described, and proteoglycan granules were detected in the digestive cells. The abundance of granules was variable, depending on the feed provided to the abalone, and this was reflected in their growth. Granular content in digestive cells fed Ulva sp. was scarce, leading to low growth rate and high feed conversion ratio (FCR). Digestive cells of juveniles fed E. menziesii led to the best nutritional condition, including many proteoglycans cellular granules, best weight growth rate and a low FCR. Histochemical analysis of the digestive gland, differentiated by a modified Goldner trichrome method that included Alcian blue, was a useful tool for determining the nutritional status of farmed abalone, therefore recommended for assessing adjustments to the natural feed or formulation to meet the nutritional needs of abalone.     

How to perform combined cutting balloon and high pressure balloon valvuloplasty for dogs with subaortic stenosis

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is one of the most common congenital cardiac malformations in dogs. Unfortunately, the long term success rate and survival data following either open heart surgery or catheter based intervention has been disappointing in dogs with severe subaortic stenosis. Medical therapy is currently the only standard recommended treatment option. A cutting balloon dilation catheter has been used successfully for resistant coronary artery and peripheral pulmonary arterial stenoses in humans. This catheter is unique in that it has the ability to cut, or score, the stenotic region prior to balloon dilatation of the stenosis. The use of cutting balloon valvuloplasty combined with high pressure valvuloplasty for dogs with severe subaortic stenosis has recently been reported to be a safe and feasible alternative therapeutic option. The following report describes this technique, outlines the materials required, and provides some ‘tips’ for successful percutaneous subaortic balloon valvuloplasty.     

Acaphu: A tetraploid,fertile breeding line,selected from anS. acaule ×S. phureja cross

An artificial, fertile breeding line was obtained by crossingS. acaule, Bitter toS. phureja Juz et Buk. It has 2n = 48 chromosomes and was formed by fertilization ofS. acaule eggs (n = 24) andS. phureja pollen grains (2n = 24). It possesses valuable characters ofS. acaule andS. phureja combined, and is highly male and female fertile, producing abundant seed by selfing or by crossing to tetraploid, cultivated potato clones. Since it is tetraploid and easy to cross, it is expected to be more efficient for transferring valuable genes fromS. acaule to cultivars than the natural, well known, hybridogenic speciesS. ×juzepczukii (2n = 36) and S. ×curtilobum (2n = 60).     

Effects of vaccination against viral haemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis on long-term mortality rates of European wild rabbits

The effects of vaccination against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) on long-term mortality rates in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were studied from 1993 to 1996 by radiotracking a free-living population of wild rabbits. During the three months after immunisation, unvaccinated young rabbits weighing between 180 and 600 g were 13.6 times more likely to die than vaccinated young rabbits. In adult rabbits, vaccination did not significantly decrease mortality, mainly owing to the high proportion of rabbits which had previously been exposed to the antigens of both diseases. Compared with adult rabbits with natural antibodies to VHD, rabbits without these antibodies were 5.2 times more likely to die of VHD during annual outbreaks.