Outcomes and prognostic variables associated with primary abdominal visceral soft tissue sarcomas in dogs: A Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology retrospective study

Primary abdominal visceral soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare tumours in dogs with little information available on outcomes. The goal of this retrospective, multi‐institutional study was to describe the common tumour types, location and prognostic factors associated with primary abdominal visceral STSs. Medical records were searched for dogs with primary abdominal visceral STSs at six institutions and were retrospectively reviewed. Tumours were graded using the previously described grading scheme for STSs of the skin and subcutis when information in the histopathology report contained adequate details. Forty‐two dogs were included in the study. Five dogs had grade I tumours, 11 had grade II and 15 had grade III tumours. The most common tumour type was leiomyosarcoma (38.1%). The most common tumour locations were the spleen (47.6%) and small intestine (23.8%). The local recurrence rate was low (4.7%). Metastasis was present at the time of surgery in 23.8%, and the overall metastatic rate was 40.4%. Mitotic index of ≥9 was associated with significantly shorter survival time (MST 269 days) compared with a mitotic index of <9 (MST not reached). The MST for grade I STSs was not reached, was 589 days for grade II and 158 days for grade III. Dogs with grade III tumours were more likely to develop metastatic disease. Neither location of the primary tumour nor the histologic subtype was associated with survival time. Histologic grading of abdominal visceral STSs using the previously described scheme is prognostic and should be provided on histopathology reports.     

Survey of Intraoperative Bacterial Contamination in Dogs Undergoing Elective Orthopedic Surgery

Objective

To investigate the frequency, source, and risk factors of intraoperative (IO) surgeon and patient bacterial contamination during clean orthopedic surgeries, and to investigate the relationship between IO contamination and surgical site infection (SSI) in dogs.

Study Design

Prospective clinical study.

Sample Population

Client‐owned dogs undergoing stifle surgery (n = 100).

Methods

IO cultures were taken in each case from surgical foot wrap, peri‐incisional skin, surgical gloves, and the surgical team's hands. The environment (operating room [OR] lights, computers, scrub sink faucet, anesthesia gurney, and radiology table) was sampled every 5 months. Bacteria were identified and the contamination of each case was categorized. All gloves from the surgical team were collected and tested for perforations using a water infusion test. Cases were followed for at least 8 weeks to determine the presence or absence of SSI. Perioperative variables were evaluated for association with IO contamination and SSI.

Results

Bacterial isolates were yielded from 81% of procedures from 1 or more sources; 58% had positive hand cultures, 46% had positive glove cultures, 23% had positive patient skin cultures, and 12% had positive foot wrap cultures. Staphylococcus spp. was the most commonly recovered bacteria. There was no apparent association between IO contamination and SSI. The highest level of environmental contamination was associated with the scrub sink faucet, followed by the radiology table, anesthesia gurney, and OR computers. The IO glove perforation rate was 18%.

Conclusion

Clean orthopedic procedures commonly had clinically insignificant bacterial contamination. In our study, bacteria responsible for SSI did not appear to colonize the patient in the OR.     

Follicle Development in Mares

The mare provides a unique experimental model for studying follicle development in monovular species. Development of antral follicles in horses is characterized by the periodic growth of follicular waves which often involve the selection of a single dominant follicle. If properly stimulated, the dominant follicle will complete development and eventually ovulate a fertile oocyte. Regulation of follicular wave emergence and follicle selection involves an interplay between circulating gonadotropins and follicular factors that ensures that individual follicles are properly stimulated to grow (or to regress) at any given stage of follicular wave development. Periodic development of follicular waves continuously occurs during most of post-natal life in the mare and is influenced by factors such as stage of oestrous cycle, season, pregnancy, age, breed and individual so that different types of follicular waves (minor or major, ovulatory or anovulatory) and different levels of activity within waves may develop under different physiological conditions. Changes in gonadotropin levels and/or in the sensitivity of follicles to circulating gonadotropins seem to account largely for these physiological variations in follicle development.     

Maxillary mycangium in the mountain pine beetle

A mycangium containing blue-stain fungi and yeasts is located in the cardo of the maxilla of the mountain pine bettle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk. Symbiosis between one or more of the microorganisms and the insect is indicated.     

Addition of Glucose Oxidase for the Improvement of Refrigerated Dough Quality

Refrigerated dough encompasses a wide range of products and is a popular choice for consumers. Two of the largest problems that occur during refrigerated dough storage are dough syruping and loss of dough strength. The goal of this study was to evaluate glucose oxidase as an additive to refrigerated dough with the purpose of maintaining dough strength and retarding dough syruping. Refrigerated dough was evaluated for the degree of dough syruping (DDS), dough strength, rheological characteristics, baking quality, and protein quality. The addition of glucose oxidase at 10 mg/kg was able to significantly (P < 0.05) reduce dough syruping and maintain the strength of the dough. Addition of glucose oxidase at 5 and 25 mg/kg was not able to reduce the level of dough syruping at a satisfactory level. Degradation of protein was found to occur during storage of refrigerated dough. DDS had a negative correlation (r = –0.60 to –0.94) to the level of polymeric proteins and a positive correlation (r = 0.60 to 0.98) to the low‐molecular‐weight proteins. Overall, glucose oxidase at 10 mg/kg can improve refrigerated dough quality by reducing dough syruping and maintaining dough strength.     

The Pathology of Unilateral Pyometra in the Bitch

Abstract— —Twelve cases of Unilateral Pyometra are described with particular reference to the pathology of the genital tract.
As a result of this study, it was concluded that the disparity in size between the two uterine horns was due to interference with drainage from one horn. The causes of obstruction of the uterine lumen are discussed, in particular, torsion of the uterus and stenosis of the lumen which is of significance in all forms of pyometra.
One case that might be described as true Unilateral Pyometra was observed.     

Improving nutritional quality of maize proteins by expressing sense and antisense zein genes

The predominant proteins in maize grain are a family of alcohol-soluble prolamin storage proteins called zeins. They account for >50% of total seed proteins but are deficient in several essential amino acids. As a result, the corn grain is considered to be nutritionally poor for monogastric animals with respect to key essential amino acids, most notably lysine, tryptophan, and methionine. Thus, corn mutants with reduced levels of zeins, such as opaque-2 (o2), have been demonstrated to possess grain with improved nutritional quality characteristics. The o2 mutant has a superior amino acid composition and has been used through conventional breeding to develop Quality Protein Maize (QPM) for human and animal consumption in developing countries. With the understanding of molecular genetics of zeins and progress in biotechnology, an alternative approach to zein reduction is explored here. Through the targeted reduction of the 19-kDa alpha-zeins, increased levels of lysine, tryptophan, and methionine have been engineered in grain of transgenic hybrids. Currently, the agronomic properties and nutritional values of these transgenic lines are being evaluated.     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of zeins in mature maize kernels

A high-throughput method has been developed to allow rapid analysis of maize seed storage proteins by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The extraction solution containing an organic solvent, a reducing agent, and a volatile base has been optimized to enable extraction of all classes of zein proteins (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-). A near-saturating concentration of matrix, 2-(4-hydroxyphenylazo)benzoic acid, was necessary to obtain strong peaks for the most lipophilic zeins, the alpha-zeins. Zein proteins with small mass differences, difficult to separate by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were resolved through this analysis. Mass signals corresponding to the 10-kDa delta-, 15-kDa beta-, 16-kDa gamma-, 27-kDa gamma-, and several 19 and 22-kDa alpha-zeins were detected. The zein identities were further confirmed by the association of the number of cysteine residues in each zein MS peak, as determined by iodoacetamide derivatization, with the number predicted from its coding sequence. The relative zein abundance in the zein MS peaks was also correlated with the relative zein EST abundance among endosperm EST libraries. This method was utilized to examine the zein composition of a number of corn inbred lines and opaque mutants.     

Precision Geodesy via Radio Interferometry

Very-long-baseline interferometry experiments, involving observations of extragalactic radio sources, were performed in 1969 to determine the vector separations between antenna sites in Massachusetts and West Virginia. The 845.130-kilometer baseline was estimated from two separate experiments. The results agreed with each other to within 2 meters in all three components and with a special geodetic survey to within 2 meters in length; the differences in baseline direction as determined by the survey and by interferometry corresponded to discrepancies of about 5 meters. The experiments also yielded positions for nine extragalactic radio sources, most to within 1 arc second, and allowed the hydrogen maser clocks at the two sites to be synchronized a posteriori with an uncertainty of only a few nanoseconds.