ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF ALIMENTARY LYMPHOSARCOMA IN THE CAT

Clinical, radiological and ultrasonographic findings from 22 cats with gastrointestinal lymphosarcoma were reviewed. The most common clinical findings were anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, lethargy, depression, fever, anemia and a palpable abdominal mass. Abdominal radiographs of 12 cats revealed a mass associated with the gastrointestinal tract and/or mesentery, and decreased serosal detail, suggestive of peritoneal effusion. The most common ultrasonographic finding was transmural gastric or intestinal thickening associated with loss of normal wall layering, reduced wall echogenicity and localized hypomotility. As is noted in people, other patterns such as transmural-segmental, transmural-nodular, transmural-bulky and mucosal infiltration were represented. In 3 cats, mesenteric lymph-adenopathy was responsible for most of the mass-effect. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy, automated microcore biopsy, endoscopic biopsy or necropsy confirmed the diagnosis of lymphosarcoma in all cats. Chemotherapy was instituted in 19 cats. Only 6 cats had a complete response to treatment. The results of this study indicate that ultrasonography is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of feline alimentary lymphosarcoma and that biopsies can be obtained under ultrasonographic guidance.     

Histologic features of hair follicle neoplasms and cysts in dogs and cats: a diagnostic guide

Hair follicle neoplasms occur in many different species, including humans. In domestic animals, they are most common in dogs. Most hair follicle tumors are benign, but malignant neoplasms can also occur. To diagnose hair follicle neoplasms, a thorough knowledge of follicular anatomy is important, given that follicular tumors are classified according to the differentiation pattern seen in the corresponding part of the normal hair follicle. This review focuses on the key diagnostic features of hair follicle tumors and follicular cysts in dogs and cats.     

Effects of porcine small intestinal submucosa on elution characteristics of gentamicin-impregnated plaster of Paris

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) on elution properties of plaster of Paris (POP). SAMPLE POPULATION: 27 POP cylinders, 27 POP spheres, and 9 polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spheres. PROCEDURES: Pellets were loaded with gentamicin (50 mg/g) and divided into 7 groups of 9 beads each: PMMA spheres; POP cylinders coated with 0, 4, or 8 layers of SIS; and POP spheres coated with 0, 4, or 8 layers of SIS. Gentamicin concentration was measured 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, 40, and 48 hours and 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days after wrapping. Porosity was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy. Curvature factor of elution curves, total amount of drug released (TDR), time required to reach 50% of total release (TDR(t50)), and number of days with concentrations > or = 1 microg/mL were compared among groups. RESULTS: SIS decreased the curvature factor and increased the TDR(t50) and TDR of POP spheres and cylinders. Curvature factor of the PMMA-release curve remained lower than that for any POP group, but all POP groups wrapped in SIS released more gentamicin than PMMA spheres. Gentamicin concentrations remained > or = 1 microg/mL in SIS-wrapped POP and PMMA groups throughout the study. Wrapping POP in SIS minimized the increase in porosity of pellets. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Wrapping POP with SIS slows the release and increases the amount of gentamicin leaching from spheres and cylinders. All groups wrapped in SIS maintained antimicrobial concentrations greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration of most pathogens.     

Increased abundance of patatins,lipoxygenase and miraculins in a thaxtomin A-habituated potato Russet Burbank somaclone with enhanced resistance to common scab

Potato common scab caused by the actinobacterium Streptomyces scabiei is characterized by the formation of corky lesions on tubers that reduce their marketability. Management of common scab is very complex and often ineffective under various environmental conditions. Using potato varieties that are more resistant to common scab remains one of the most efficient strategies to control this disease. However, very little is known about the factors associated with resistance to common scab. Somaclone RB9 regenerated from thaxtomin A-habituated potato Russet Burbank calli produced tubers more resistant to common scab than the original variety. Comparison of the RB9 tuber proteome with that of Russet Burbank using label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed changes in the accumulation of defence-related proteins from the patatin and lipoxygenase (LOX) families, which are involved in the metabolism of lipids, and of two miraculins of the Kunitz-type protease inhibitors family. The implication of LOX during common scab infection was studied using synchronized minitubers developed from leaf-bud cuttings. S. scabiei infection stimulated the accumulation of LOX in both Russet Burbank and RB9 minitubers, but this accumulation was intensified in RB9 minitubers. Infection also increased LOX activity in Russet Burbank and RB9 minitubers. However, LOX activity measured in noninfected RB9 minitubers was similar to that of infected Russet Burbank minitubers, indicating endogenous activation of LOX activity in RB9 minitubers. We discuss how increased LOX abundance and activity in the somaclone RB9 may contribute to improving tuber defence against common scab.     

Review on estimation of evapotranspiration from remote sensing data: From empirical to numerical modeling approaches

Different methods have been developed to estimate evapotranspiration from remote sensing data, from empirical approaches such as the simplified relationship to complex methods based on remote sensing data assimilation along with SVAT models. The simplified relationship has been applied from small spatial scale using airborne TIR images to continental scale with NOAA data. Assimilation procedures often require remote sensing data over different spectral domains to retrieve input parameters which characterize surface properties such as albedo, emissivity or Leaf Area Index. A brief review of these different approaches is presented, with a discussion about the main physical bases and assumptions of various models. The paper reports also some examples and results obtained over the experimental area of the Alpilles Reseda project, where various types of models have been applied to estimate surface fluxes from remote sensing data.     

Logging pattern and landscape changes over the last century at the boreal and deciduous forest transition in Eastern Canada

Forestry practices associated with the industrial era (since ~1900) have altered the natural disturbance regimes and greatly impacted the world’s forests. We quantified twentieth century logging patterns and regional scale consequences in three sub-boreal forest landscapes of Eastern Canada (117,000, 49,400 and 92,300 ha), comparing forestry maps depicting age and forest cover types for early industrial (1930) and present-day (2000) conditions. Results were similar for the three landscapes, indicating large-scale forest change during the twentieth century. In 1930, previous logging activities had been concentrated in the lowlands and along the main hydrographical network, as compared to a more even distribution over the landscapes in 2000, reflecting a decreasing influence of the environmental constraints on forest harvesting. In 1930, old-aged forests (>100 years) accounted for more than 75% of the unlogged areas of the three landscapes, as compared to less than 15% for the present-day conditions. Logging practices have thus inverted the stand age distribution of the landscapes that are currently dominated by young and regenerating stands. The 1930 forest cover types showed a clear relationship with elevation, with conifers located in the lowlands and mixed and deciduous stands restricted to the upper slopes. Between 1930 and 2000, 58–64% of the conifer areas transformed to mixed and deciduous forests, such that no clear altitudinal relationships remained in 2000. We conclude that twentieth century logging practices have strongly altered the preindustrial vegetation patterns in our study area, to the point that ecosystem-based management strategies should be developed to restore conifer dominance, altitudinal gradients, as well as the irregular structure inspired from old forest stands.