Intraperitoneal Circulation and Drainage in the Dog

The patterns of dispersion and drainage of a low viscosity, oil-based contrast medium within the peritoneal cavity were examined in 12 normal dogs. Intraperitoneal injection of contrast medium was cranial or caudal and drainage was by the sump-Penrose or open peritoneal method. Radiographs were made over a 96 hour period, before and after peritoneal drainage was established. Each dog was euthanatized and necropsied. The contrast medium was dispersed throughout the peritoneal cavity 15 to 30 minutes after cranial injection and 1 to 2 hours after caudal injection. Most of the contrast medium drained within 6 hours after open peritoneal drainage and within 24 to 48 hours after sump-Penrose drainage. At necropsy, there was complete encasement of all sump-Penrose drains and partial occlusion of all open peritoneal incisions by omentum adhered to the abdominal wound edges. Peritonitis was not grossly evident, but all dogs showed histologic evidence of an acute inflammatory reaction associated with the drain or wound edge.     

Effect of fluoxymesterone on sex ratio and growth of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

The androgenic and anabolic potential of fluoxymesterone (FM) was evaluated by incorporating the hormone into the feed of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus(L.) fry. Phenotypic all-male populations were produced when FM was given at 1, 5 and 25mg/kg of feed. Fry fed methyltestosterone (MT) at 60 mg/kg of feed and 0-2 mg of FM per kg of feed had a sex ratio of 97-7% and 87-3% phenotypic males. No positive anabolic effect was evident in response to adding FM or MT to the feed at the end of the 28-day treatment period or after an additional 6 weeks of growth without hormone. Growth was less for fry which received 25 mg/kg of FM compared to those receiving lesser rates of FM, 60 mg/kg MT, and controls.     

Complications and Long-term Results after Partial Laryngectomy for the Treatment of Idiopathic Laryngeal Paralysis in 45 Dogs

Forty-five dogs with severe respiratory signs caused by idiopathic, acquired laryngeal paralysis were treated by partial laryngectomy. The predominant postoperative complications were coughing in 28 dogs and pneumonia in 15 dogs. Eight dogs required a second operation to alleviate persistent or recurrent upper airway obstruction. Results of surgery were considered excellent in 11 dogs (25%), good in 18 dogs (40%), fair in 6 dogs (13%), and poor in 10 dogs (22%). Poorer results were obtained by surgical residents than by more experienced surgeons. Death in the immediate postoperative period was related to pneumonia (8 dogs) and laryngeal collapse (1 dog). Nine dogs died later of respiratory disease. Although partial laryngectomy is effective for the treatment of laryngeal paralysis, it is not recommended because of the high incidence of postoperative complications.     

Loss of acrolein from water by volatilization and degradation

The loss of acrolein by volatilization and degradation from a large tank of water is described. The standard analytical method for carbonyl compounds, a colorimetric reaction with dinitrophenylhydrazine did not distinguish acrolein from a relatively non-volatile and non-toxic reaction product. In a modification of the method to correct the error, acrolein was separated from reaction products by scrubbing with air. Although acrolein is sufficiently volatile to use air-scrubbing to separate it from reaction products, its loss by evaporation from an open tank was much less than its loss by reaction in the local irrigation water. In other waters differences in chemical properties could affect the loss of acrolein by reaction, and greater turbulence is expected to increase loss by volatilization. Perte d'acroléine à partir de l'eau par volatilisation et dégradation. Les auteurs décrivent la perte d'acroléine par volatilisation et degradation k partir d'un grand reservoir d'eau. La methode analytique standard pour les composes carbonyl. une reaction colorimétrique avec la dinitrophenylhydrazine. n'a pas permis de distinguer l'acroléine d'autres produits relativement non volatils et non toxiques, apparaissant au cours de la reaction. Dans une modification de la méthode en vue de corriger l'erreur. l'acroléinc a été séparée des autres products de la reaction au moyen d'un entrainement par fair. Bien que l'acroléne soit suffisamment volatile pour que Ton puisse utiliser l'air pour la séparer des autres produits de la reaction, la perte par évaporation à partir d'un réservoir ouvert s'est avérée beaucoup moindre que la perte par reaction dans l'eau d'irrigation apportée localement. Dans d'autres CAS, des differences dans les proprióteschimiques peuvent affecter la perte d'acroléine au cours de la reaction de la faut s'attendre à un accroissement de la perte par volatilisation dans le cas d'une turbulence plus grande. Verlust von Acrolein durch Verfükhtigung und Abbau in Wasser Es wird der Verlust an Acrotein aus einem grossen Wassertank durch Verdampfung und Abbau beschrieben. Die analytische Standardmethode für Carbonylverbindungen mit Dinitrophenylhydrazin, lässt keine Unterscheidung zwischen Acrolein und einem verhältnismässig wenig flüchtigen und un-giftigen Reaktionsprodukt zu. Um die Fehlermöglichkeit Zu eliminieren. wurde die Methode abgeándert, indem das Acrolein von den Reaktionsprodukten durch “Auswaschen” mit Luft abgetrennt wurde, Obgleich die Flüchugkeit von Acrolein genúgend gross ist. um es durch “Auswaschen” mit Luft von Umsetzungsprodukten abzutrennen. ist der durch seine Verdampfung aus einem offenen Tank verursachte Verlusl viel geringer als der durch Umsetzung im lokalw Beregnun-swasser bedingte. In anderen Wassern könnten Unterschiede in den chemischen Eigenschaften den Verlust von Acrolein durch Umsetzung beeinflussen und es ist zu erwarten. dass grössere Turbulenz die Abnahmc durch Verflüchligung erhöht.     

Studies on lettuce mosaic virus resistance in commercial lettuce cultivars

The response to infection with lettuce mosaic virus (LMV) of 16 lettuce cultivars, known to possess the Momo gene for resistance to LMV, was studied in field trials over a 2-year period. Some cultivars developed negligible mosaic symptoms following virus inoculation and had a low virus content as measured by ELISA, while others had more severe symptoms and a higher virus content. Resistant cultivars differed significantly in the effect of LMV upon yield and the correlation between cultivar rankings for yield depression and symptom severity was low.     

Using a competition model to quantify the optimal trade-off between machine vision capability and weed removal effectiveness

The algorithm of an optical detection system was first investigated for its ability to correctly classify transplanted crops and weeds during the critical early stages of crop establishment and its robustness over a range of different crop species. The trade-off was then examined between increasing the sensitivity of the detection system vs. the possibility of, in doing so, misclassifying some crop plants as weeds and inadvertently removing them. This was achieved by running a competition model using parameters derived from the image analysis and assessing the outcome of scenarios in terms of yield. The optimum parameter values to maximize the detection of the crop and the optimum parameter values to maximize the detection of the weed appeared relatively insensitive to time of image capture or weed density. They also appeared insensitive for different crop species where the crop had similar growth habit. However, competition scenarios indicated that the detection system parameter settings to achieve optimum yields were sensitive to the competitive ability of the weed species. For Veronica persica, crop yield was more sensitive to accidental crop removal than from competition. In contrast, in the presence of Tripleurospermum inodorum, yield loss was more attributable to weed competition. Importantly, linking the detection system with the competition model illustrated the principle that optimum yield may not necessarily be obtained by maximizing weed removal or minimizing crop removal. This first example of combining a detection system with a competition model presents a new opportunity to quantify the sensitivity of image classification in terms of yield.     

Closed Transventricular Dilation of Discrete Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis in Dogs

Discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis with peak systolic pressure gradients of more than 60 mm Hg was treated by closed transventricular dilation in six young dogs. Peak systolic pressure gradients were measured by direct catheterization before surgery, immediately after dilation, and 3 months after surgery. Maximum instantaneous pressure gradients were measured by continuous wave Doppler echocardiography before surgery and 6 weeks to 9 months after surgery. All dogs survived the procedure, and two dogs were clinically normal after 9 and 14 months. Two dogs died at week 6 and month 7. One dog was receiving medication for pulmonary edema 15 months after surgery. One dog underwent open resection of the subvalvular ring at month 3, and was clinically normal 6 months after the second procedure. Complications included intraoperative ventricular fibrillation in one dog, and mild postoperative aortic insufficiency in one dog. Closed transventricular dilation resulted in an immediate 83% decrease in the peak systolic pressure gradient from a preoperative mean of 97 +/- 22 mm Hg to a mean of 14 +/- 15 mm Hg. However, systolic pressure gradients measured by direct catheterization at month 3 (77 +/- 26 mm Hg), and by Doppler echocardiography at week 6 to month 9 (85 +/- 32 mm Hg) were not significantly different from preoperative values, which suggested recurrence of the aortic stenosis. Closed transventricular dilation should not be considered a definitive treatment for discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis in dogs, but may be useful in young dogs with critical aortic stenosis as a bridge to more definitive surgery.     

Validation of a Rapid Parathyroid Hormone Assay and Intraoperative Measurement of Parathyroid Hormone in Dogs with Benign Naturally Occurring Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Objectives— To (1) validate a rapid chemiluminescent parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay, (2) determine it's usefulness locating a parathyroid nodule(s), and (3) determine if >50% decrease in PTH corresponds with excision of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue. Study Design— Prospective cohort study. Animals— Dogs (n=12) with naturally occurring primary hyperparathyroidism and 25 healthy dogs. Methods— The assay was validated with linearity, precision, and intermethod comparison. Preoperative and postoperative systemic plasma PTH concentrations, measured from saphenous venous blood, were compared. Intraoperative local PTH concentrations were measured in right and left jugular venous blood before and after surgical excision of the grossly abnormal parathyroid gland(s). Results— Within run and day‐to‐day precisions were acceptable (coefficient of variation <15%). Dilutional parallelism was used to demonstrate high correlation between measured and calculated PTH concentrations (R²=0.99). The assay methods had good correlation but numerical results of the rapid assay were usually lower than the immunoradiometric assay. Seven of 12 dogs had uniglandular disease and five had multiglandular disease. Systemic and local PTH concentrations decreased >50% in all the dogs after excision of the parathyroid gland(s). Mean preoperative systemic plasma PTH concentrations were significantly higher than mean postoperative systemic concentrations. Local PTH concentrations could not be used reliably to differentiate the side of the autonomously functioning gland(s). Hypercalcemia resolved postoperatively in all the dogs. Conclusion— This assay measures PTH in dogs. Rapid PTH measurement provided documentation of decreased PTH concentration after removal of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue. Clinical Relevance— Use of this assay allows documentation of a significant decrease in PTH concentration after excision of autonomously functioning parathyroid tissue.