Surgical removal of an intramedullary spinal cord foreign body granuloma in a dog

A 2-year-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog was presented for evaluation of a progressive asymmetric tetraparesis and cranial nerve deficits with a 3-week duration. Computed tomography showed a contrast-enhancing lesion along the left side of the junction of the medulla and the cervical spinal cord. An exploratory surgery determined the presence of an intramedullary lesion of the first cervical spinal cord segment. The mass was removed through a dorsal midline myelotomy. Microscopic examination identified a foreign body granuloma that contained a dense, anisotropic outer wall, supporting the conclusion that the foreign body was of plant origin. The dog recovered to a more improved ambulatory status than prior to surgery.     

Concentrations of constitutive alk(en)ylresorcinols in peel of commercial mango varieties and resistance to postharvest anthracnose

Mature green mango fruits of commercially important varieties were screened to investigate the levels of constitutive antifungal compounds in peel and to assess anthracnose disease after inoculation with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to quantify the levels of 5-n-heptadecenylresorcinol and 5-n-pentadecylresorcinol in the peel extracts. The fruit peel of the varieties ‘Kensington Pride’ and ‘Keitt’ were observed to have the highest levels of both 5-n-heptadecenylresorcinol (107.3–123.7 and 49.9–61.4 μg/g FW, respectively) and 5-n-pentadecylresorcinol (6.32–7.99 and 3.30–6.05 μg/g FW, respectively), and the fruits of the two varieties were found to have some resistance to postharvest anthracnose. The varieties ‘Kent’, ‘R2E2’, ‘Nam Doc Mai’, ‘Calypso’ and ‘Honey Gold’ contained much lower concentrations of resorcinols in their peel and three of these varieties were found to be more susceptible to anthracnose. Concentrations of 5-n-heptadecenylresorcinol were significantly lower at the ‘sprung’ and ‘eating ripe’ stages of ripening compared to levels at harvest. Concentrations of 5-n-pentadecylresorcinol did not differ significantly across the three stages of ripening. The levels of these two resorcinols were found to be strongly inter-correlated (P<0.01, r²=0.71), with concentrations of 5-n-heptadecenylresorcinol being an average 18 times higher than those of 5-n-pentadecylresorcinol. At the ‘eating ripe’ stage, significant relationships were observed between the concentrations of each type of alk(en)ylresorcinol and anthracnose lesion areas following postharvest inoculation, P<0.001, r²= 0.69 for 5-n-pentadecylresorcinol, and P<0.001, r²= 0.44 for 5-n-heptadecenylresorcinol.     

Gastric ulceration and suspected vitamin A toxicosis in grower pigs fed fish silage.

In 3 feeding trials, gastric ulceration was diagnosed in 2 of 12 lame and recumbent grower pigs fed a diet of 50% fish silage produced from the offal of farmed Atlantic salmon. Premature femoral physeal closure and elevated serum retinyl palmitate levels, features of vitamin A toxicosis, were also observed.     

Evaluation of competition and light estimation indices for predicting diameter growth in mature boreal mixed forests

A series of conventional distance-independent and distance-dependent competition indices, a highly flexible distance-dependent crowding index, and two light resource estimation indices were compared to predict individual tree diameter growth of five species of mature trees from natural-origin boreal mixed forests. The crowding index was the superior index for most species and ecosites. However, distance-independent indices, such as basal area of competing trees, were also effective. Distance-dependent light estimation indices, which estimate the fraction of seasonal photosynthetically-active radiation available to each tree, ranked intermediate to low. Determining separate competition indices for each competitor species accounted for more variation than ignoring species or classifying by ecological groups. Species’ competitive ability ranked (most competitive to least): paper birch ≈ white spruce ≈> trembling aspen > lodgepole pine > balsam poplar. Stratification by ecosite further improved model performance. However, the overall impact of competition on mature trees in these forests appears to be small.     

A KCNJ10 mutation previously identified in the Russell group of terriers also occurs in Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and in related breeds

Background

Hereditary ataxias with similar phenotypes were reported in the Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier, the Jack Russell Terrier and the Parson Russell Terrier. However, segregation analyses showed differing inheritance modes in these breeds. Recently, molecular genetic studies on the Russell group of terriers found independent mutations in KCNJ10 and CAPN1, each associated with a specific clinical subtype of inherited ataxia. The aim of this study was to clarify whether or not Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and dogs of other related breeds harbor either of the same mutations. A sub goal was to update the results of KCNJ10 genotyping in Russell group terriers.

Findings

Three Smooth-Haired Fox Terriers with hereditary ataxia and two Toy Fox Terriers with a similar phenotype were all homozygous for the KCNJ10 mutation. The same mutation was also found in a heterozygous state in clinically unaffected Tenterfield Terriers (n = 5) and, in agreement with previous studies, in Jack Russell Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, and Russell Terriers.

Conclusions

A KCNJ10 mutation, previously associated with an autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia in Jack Russell Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, and Russell Terriers segregates in at least three more breeds descended from British hunting terriers. Ataxic members of two of these breeds, the Smooth-Haired Fox Terrier and the Toy Fox Terrier, were homozygous for the mutation, strengthening the likelihood that this genetic defect is indeed the causative mutation for the disease known as “hereditary ataxia” in Fox Terriers and “spinocerebellar ataxia with myokymia, seizures or both” in the Russell group of terriers.