Radiation from the equine perineal region is low compared with the elbow and head 24 hours after bone scintigraphic examination.

The timing of follow-up radiography and ultrasound in horses that undergo skeletal scintigraphy for lameness investigation varies internationally and between equine hospitals. The prospective, one-group, pretest, posttest study aimed to estimate radiation levels from horses three and 24 h after injection of hydroxydiphosphonate labeled with metastable technetium (99mTc-HDP) and investigate which anatomical locations of the horse had higher radiation levels. Included were 46 horses referred for lameness investigation between June and December 2021. Radiation levels from the horse surface were measured using an electronic device from six anatomical locations (head, elbow, dorsum, ventrum, stifle, and perineum) at two time points and adjusted to three and 24 h after injection of 99mTc-HDP using the radioactive decay law. The radiation measured was significantly different in the various locations of the horses for both time points. At 3 h after injection of 99mTc-HDP, the ventrum had the highest radiation dose. At 24 h, the radiation emitted from the perineal region was significantly lower (P < .0001) than from the elbow and head, which had the highest values. There was a negative correlation between age and the radiation detected at 24 h postinjection (P = .02). Radiation from the perineal region was low compared with other regions of the horse 24 h postscintigraphy. Additional care should be taken around the ventrum area during the scintigraphy examination and around the elbow and head at 24 h postscintigraphy to minimize radiation to personnel.

Cardiac troponin I in healthy Norwegian Forest Cat, Birman and domestic shorthair cats, and in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to assess the potential associations between the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in healthy cats and feline characteristics, systolic blood pressure, heart rate (HR), echocardiographic measurements and storage time; and to compare cTnI concentrations in healthy cats with concentrations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) and in cats with HCM, to assess potential associations between cTnI concentration and echocardiographic variables. METHODS: Cardiac TnI was analysed using an Abbott ARCHITECT ci16200 analyser in serum from prospectively included healthy Norwegian Forest Cat (NF; n = 33), Birman (n = 33) and domestic shorthair (DSH; n = 30) cats, and from 39 cats with HCM, with or without LAE. RESULTS: In healthy cats, higher cTnI concentrations were found in Birman cats than in NF cats (P = 0.014) and in neutered male cats than in intact females (P = 0.032). Cardiac TnI was positively associated with HR (P <0.0001). In cats with HCM, cTnI concentration was positively associated with left ventricular wall thickness and with left atrial-to-aortic root ratio (all P ⩽0.010). Cats with HCM had higher cTnI concentrations than healthy cats, and cTnI concentrations were higher in cats with HCM and LAE than in those with HCM without LAE (all P = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Breed and sex may affect serum cTnI concentrations in healthy cats. The cTnI concentration increased with increasing severity of HCM.

An Image-Analysis-Based Method for the Prediction of Recombinant Protein Fiber Tensile Strength.

Silk fibers derived from the cocoon of silk moths and the wide range of silks produced by spiders exhibit an array of features, such as extraordinary tensile strength, elasticity, and adhesive properties. The functional features and mechanical properties can be derived from the structural composition and organization of the silk fibers. Artificial recombinant protein fibers based on engineered spider silk proteins have been successfully made previously and represent a promising way towards the large-scale production of fibers with predesigned features. However, for the production and use of protein fibers, there is a need for reliable objective quality control procedures that could be automated and that do not destroy the fibers in the process. Furthermore, there is still a lack of understanding the specifics of how the structural composition and organization relate to the ultimate function of silk-like fibers. In this study, we develop a new method for the categorization of protein fibers that enabled a highly accurate prediction of fiber tensile strength. Based on the use of a common light microscope equipped with polarizers together with image analysis for the precise determination of fiber morphology and optical properties, this represents an easy-to-use, objective non-destructive quality control process for protein fiber manufacturing and provides further insights into the link between the supramolecular organization and mechanical functionality of protein fibers.

Concentrations of canine prostate specific esterase, CPSE, at baseline are associated with the relative size of the prostate at three-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Enlargement of the prostate is associated with prostatic diseases in dogs, and an estimation of prostatic size is a central part in the diagnostic workup. Ultrasonography is often the method of choice, but biomarkers constitute an alternative. Canine prostate specific esterase (CPSE) shares many characteristics with human prostate specific antigen (PSA) and is related to prostate size. In men with clinical symptoms of prostatic disease, PSA concentrations are related to prostate growth. The aims of the present follow-up study were to evaluate if the concentration of CPSE is associated with future growth of the prostate, and if analysis of a panel of 16 steroids gives further information on prostatic growth. Owners of dogs included in a previous study were 3 years later contacted for a follow-up study that included an interview and a clinical examination. The prostate was examined by ultrasonography. Serum concentrations of CPSE were measured, as was a panel of steroids. RESULTS: Of the 79 dogs included at baseline, owners of 77 dogs (97%) were reached for an interview, and 22 were available for a follow-up examination. Six of the 79 dogs had clinical signs of prostatic disease at baseline, and eight of the remaining 73 dogs (11%) developed clinical signs between baseline and follow-up, information was lacking for two dogs. Development of clinical signs was significantly more common in dogs with a relative prostate size of ≥2.5 at baseline (n = 20) than in dogs with smaller prostates (n = 51). Serum concentrations of CPSE at baseline were not associated with the change in prostatic size between baseline and follow-up. Serum concentrations of CPSE at baseline and at follow-up were positively associated with the relative prostatic size (Srel) at follow-up. Concentrations of corticosterone (P = 0.024), and the class corticosteroids (P = 0.0035) were positively associated with the difference in Srel between baseline and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the use of CPSE for estimating present and future prostatic size in dogs ≥4 years, and the clinical usefulness of prostatic size for predicting development of clinical signs of prostatic disease in the dog. The association between corticosteroids and prostate growth warrants further investigation.

Reducing Campylobacter jejuni,Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and Total Aerobic Bacteria on Broiler Carcasses Using Combined Ultrasound and Steam.

ABSTRACT: Campylobacteriosis is the most frequently reported foodborne illness in Europe and many other parts of the world. Campylobacter can colonize the intestines of broilers, mostly in large amounts. Broilers are usually slaughtered in a high-speed automated system that could cause rupture of the intestines during evisceration, resulting in contamination of carcasses with intestinal bacteria like Campylobacter. This study evaluated the combined effects of ultrasound and steam (SonoSteam) on naturally contaminated chicken carcasses at a large-scale abattoir in Sweden. Ultrasound at 30 to 40 kHz and steam at 84 to 85°C or 87 to 88°C were used at slaughter, with a line speed of 18,000 birds per hour. The amounts of Campylobacter spp., Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, and total aerobic bacteria on neck skins from 103 chicken carcasses, sampled before and after treatment by ultrasound-steam, were analyzed. Campylobacter spp. were quantified in 58 (56%) of the neck skins, from birds belonging to four of the seven flocks represented. All 58 isolates were identified as Campylobacter jejuni. After the ultrasound-steam treatment, the mean reductions in C. jejuni, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli and total aerobic bacteria were 0.5 ± 0.8, 0.6 ± 0.6, 0.5 ± 0.6, and 0.4 ± 0.7 log CFU/g, respectively. No significant differences in reduction between the two different treatment temperatures were observed for any of the bacteria. Although the bacterial reductions were significant, large amounts of bacteria remained on the carcasses after treatment. Further studies are needed to identify optimal measures at slaughter to reduce food spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria, which should be considered in a One Health perspective.

Correction: Polynomial probability distribution estimation using the method of moments.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174573.].

Polynomial probability distribution estimation using the method of moments.

We suggest a procedure for estimating Nth degree polynomial approximations to unknown (or known) probability density functions (PDFs) based on N statistical moments from each distribution. The procedure is based on the method of moments and is setup algorithmically to aid applicability and to ensure rigor in use. In order to show applicability, polynomial PDF approximations are obtained for the distribution families Normal, Log-Normal, Weibull as well as for a bimodal Weibull distribution and a data set of anonymized household electricity use. The results are compared with results for traditional PDF series expansion methods of Gram-Charlier type. It is concluded that this procedure is a comparatively simple procedure that could be used when traditional distribution families are not applicable or when polynomial expansions of probability distributions might be considered useful approximations. In particular this approach is practical for calculating convolutions of distributions, since such operations become integrals of polynomial expressions. Finally, in order to show an advanced applicability of the method, it is shown to be useful for approximating solutions to the Smoluchowski equation.