Limb‐sparing in dogs using patient‐specific,three‐dimensional‐printed endoprosthesis for distal radial osteosarcoma: A pilot study

Limb‐sparing for distal radial osteosarcoma has a high rate of complications. Using personalized three‐dimensional (3D)‐printed implants might improve outcome. The goals of this study were to optimize use of patient‐specific, 3D‐printed endoprostheses for limb‐sparing in dogs in the clinical environment and to report the outcome. This was a pilot study where five client‐owned dogs were enrolled. Computed tomography (CT) of the thoracic limbs was performed, which was used to create patient‐specific endoprostheses and cutting guides, and repeated on the day of surgery. Intra‐arterial (IA) carboplatin was introduced in the clinical management. Limb‐sparing was performed. Outcome measures were time required to produce the endoprosthesis and cutting guide, fit between cutting guide and endoprosthesis with host bones, gait analysis, size of the tumour, percent tumour necrosis, complications, disease‐free interval (DFI) and survival time (ST). Four dogs received IA carboplatin. Excessive tumour growth between planning CT and surgery did not occur in any dog. The interval between the CT and surgery ranged from 14 to 70 days. Fit between the cutting‐guide and endoprosthesis with the host bones was good to excellent. At least one complication occurred in all dogs. Two dogs were euthanized with STs of 192 and 531 days. The other dogs were alive with a follow up of 534 to 575 days. IA chemotherapy is a promising strategy to minimize the risk of excessive tumour growth while waiting for the endoprosthesis and cutting‐guide to be made. The design of the cutting‐guide was critical for best fit of the endoprosthesis with host bones.     

Bioencapsulation of Therapeutic Quantities of the Antibacterial Romet-30 in Nauplii of the Brine Shrimp Artemia and in the Nematode Panagrellus redivivus

Nauplii of the brine shrimp, Artemia , and cultures of the soil nematode, Panagrellus redivivus , were fed a suspension of the water-insoluble antibacterial Romet-30 (sulfadimethoxine plus ormetoprim) to determine if they could be used as a mechanism for delivery of the drug to larval penaeid shrimp.
Romet-30 was added to groups of brine shrimp nauplii and nematodes in 1 L beakers to achieve a concentration of 3 mg of drug per ml of seawater. After a 4 h uptake period, predetermined numbers of organisms were assayed for antibiotic content using the micro-plate diffusion method and a Romet-30 sensitive strain of Vibrio alginolyticus as the indicator. The resulting zones of inhibition were compared to that of a standard Kirby-Bauer sensitivity disc containing 25 μg of the drug that was placed on each plate as standard control. Negative controls consisted of equal numbers of nauplii and nematodes that were not exposed to the antibiotic. Artemia nauplii and nematodes accumulated approximately 0.1 μg of the drug per nauplius and approximately 0.25 μg per nematode. They exhibited no signs of toxicity from exposure to the drug and contained the antibiotic in sufficient quantity to provide a theoretical therapeutic dose of the drug when fed to penaeid larvae.
In subsequent tests, normal and diseased larval Penaeus stylirostris readily accepted Romet-30 enriched Artemia . Diseased larvae fed the drug in this manner exhibited a statistically greater overall survival and a greater survival to the post-larval stage by Student's t -test at the 5% significance level.     

Effect of temperature on somatic growth and survivorship of early post-settled green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller)

A laboratory experiment was run for 171 days to assess growth and survivorship of recently settled juveniles of the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Müller), reared at five temperatures: 4.7±0.8, 9.0±1.1, 12.9±1.1, 16.0±1.5 and 19.7±1.3°C (mean±SD, n=7942). Individual sea urchins were housed separately in PVC pots with Nitex mesh bottoms (10 per tank and five replicate tanks per temperature treatment) and fed a combination of benthic diatoms and macroalgae (Porphyra sp.). The test diameter of each urchin was measured and survivorship recorded on a monthly basis. Mean (±SE) test diameter of all individuals at the beginning of the experiment was 2.41±0.03 mm (n=250). At the end of the experiment, mean test diameter (±SE) was significantly larger at 9.0°C (8.46±0.06 mm) and 12.9°C (8.20±0.25 mm) than at 4.7°C (7.27±0.05 mm), 16.0°C (6.72±0.17 mm) and 19.7°C (2.65±0.24 mm) and significantly larger at 4.7 and 16.0°C than at 19.7°C. When growth was expressed as a per cent increase in test diameter from the start of the experiment, however, there were no significant pair‐wise differences among 4.7, 9.0, 12.9 and 16.0°C treatments at the end of the experiment, but all these treatments were significantly greater than at 19.7°C. Mean per cent survivorship (±SE) at the end of the experiment for the various temperature treatments was 76.0±6.0%, 90.0±5.5%, 100.0±0.0%, 98.0±2.0% and 26.0±11.2% at 4.7, 9.0, 12.9, 16.0 and 19.7°C respectively. Per cent survivorship was significantly greater at 4.7, 9.0, 12.9 and 16.0°C than at 19.7°C and significantly greater at 12.9 and 16.0°C than at 4.7°C. Mean area increase of urchins per replicate tank at the end of the experiment – taking into account both test diameter growth and survivorship – was significantly larger at 9.0 and 12.9°C than at 4.7, 16.0 and 19.7°C, and significantly larger at 4.7 and 16.0°C than at 19.7°C. The results of this study suggest that young juveniles of S. droebachiensis should be reared at 9–13°C in order to optimize production for aquaculture.     

Characterization of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), serum creatine kinase isoenzymes and isoforms by means of electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing

Serum samples were obtained from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), from a commercial fish farm. Creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) isoenzymes and sub-bands (isoforms) were studied using agarose gel electrophoresis and polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing. Creatine kinase isoenzymes and isoforms (sub-bands) were found to display disparate electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric points, respectively, when compared with CK patterns of human origin. The CK-BB isoenzyme, rarely detected in human serum, was detected in all trout samples assayed. Up to eight CKMM isoforms were detected by the polyacrylamide gel IEF method described.     

The Aral Sea: Recent limnological changes and their conservation significance

1. Limnological changes to the Aral Sea, a large saline lake in central Asia, are considered. Important changes include the decreased water-level (c. 15 m), the recession of the shoreline (up to 120 km in places), the exposure of large areas of lake bed, the increased salinity (from c. 10 to 30 g 1^?1), and the marked alteration in the nature of the lacustrine biota involving decreases in diversity and biomass and the introduction of species. 2. Fish have virtually disappeared from the lake and the diversity of associated bird and wildlife communities has decreased. 3. The major cause of the limnological changes is the diversion of water, mainly for agricultural purposes, from inflowing rivers (the Amu- and Syr-Darya), and, to a lesser degree, species introductions. 4. Limnological changes have been accompanied by changes to regional rivers and terrestrial environments, groundwaters, climate, and to agricultural productivity. 5. It is concluded that four major values of the lake (economic, cultural, scientific, and environmental) have been seriously diminished by recent changes to it. The need to continue limnological studies is stressed.     

Potential of meat meal to replace fish meal in extruded dry diets for barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch). I. Growth performance

Juvenile barramundi (～220–280 g start weight) were fed extruded dry‐pelleted diets containing varying amounts of fish meal and meat meal in three experiments (E). E1 and E2 were each 66‐day farm studies utilizing 16 floating cages (400 fish per cage) in an aerated freshwater pond. E3 examined the same diets as fed in E2 but under controlled water temperature (28 ± 0.7 °C) and photoperiod (12:12) laboratory conditions in a 42‐day study involving 24 aquaria (eight fish per aquarium). In all studies, the same 430 g kg^?1 crude protein (CP), 15 kJ g^?1 digestible energy (DE) control (Ctl) diet (containing 35% Chilean anchovy fish meal) was compared with two high‐inclusion meat meal diets and a proprietary diet. The meat meal diets evaluated in E1 were a high‐ash (260 g kg^?1) meat meal that contained 520 g kg^?1 CP and a low‐ash (140 g kg^?1) meat meal that contained 600 g kg^?1 CP when included at either 450 or 400 g kg^?1, respectively, in combination with 100 g kg^?1 Chilean fish meal in diets that were isonitrogenous and isoenergetic with the Ctl diet. Growth rates and feed conversions were similar (P > 0.05) for all diets. In E2 and E3, the 520 g kg^?1 CP meat meal was included at 500 g kg^?1 without any marine protein source in diets formulated to provide either 15 or 16.2 kJ g^?1 DE and the same CP/DE ratio (29 mg kJ^?1) as the Ctl diet. Fish performance ranking of diets was similar in both experiments, with the 16.2 kJ g^?1 DE diet supporting better (P < 0.05) growth rates than the Ctl diet and feed conversion ratios equivalent to the Ctl diet but better (P < 0.05) than all other diets.     

Growth,food conversion and survival of 0-group English sole (Parophrys vetulus Girard) at five temperatures and five rations

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effects of temperature and food ration on growth, conversion efficiency and survival of 0-group English sole (Parophrys vetulus Girard). Young sole, fed a diet of Oregon Moist Pellets, were exposed to constant temperature-ration combinations between 9.5 and 21° C and between 0 and 16% rations (dry weight basis) for a 12-week experimental period. The juvenile sole, initially 4–6 g, grew at a rate of up to 0.95% per day at the most favorable temperature-ration combination, 9.5°C and 16% ration. Highest food conversion efficiency, 10.5%, was observed at the temperature-ration combination of 9.5°C and 8% ration. At 21°C, young sole lost weight at the ration levels fed. Based on growth rate, survival and food conversion efficiencies observed during the experiments and the temperatures to which the young sole are exposed in nature, the temperature at which greatest growth and maximum food conversion efficiency occurs is probably near or below 9.5°C. Although English sole juveniles were maintained for up to 1.5 years on Oregon Moist Pellets primarily, mortality was high during experiments (between 16 and 48%). The high mortality may have been associated with the pellet diet used, which is formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of salmonids and not flatfishes. The microsporidan protozoan Glugea sp., the monogenetic trematode Gyrodactylus sp., and Vibro bacteria also were associated with mortalities during the experiments, and one fish died of a large tumor.     

A Medium-power Electric Fishing Apparatus

Mechanical and electrical details are given for the construction of an electric fishing apparatus for powers up to 1 kW. The circuit produces a pulsed d.c. output and particular attention has been paid to the selection of components for electrical safety in the presence of water.     

Genetic variation in traits affecting sawn timber recovery in plantation-grown <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus nitens</Emphasis>

• Introduction   

There is increasing interest in managing Eucalyptus nitens plantations for sawn timber production.     

Trace heavy metals in fucus and P. vulgata along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast,South Wales

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - A study of the occurrence of the heavy metals Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the biological indicator organisms F. vesiculosus and P. vulgata in the Glamorgan Heritage...