Inpatient management of epidermolysis bullosa: Consensus-based hands-on instructions for neonates and postneonates.

BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), characterized by skin fragility and blistering, often requires hospitalization. Training for inpatient management of EB is limited, with no unified recommendations available in North America. OBJECTIVE: To develop consensus-derived best practices for hands-on inpatient management of EB in both the neonatal and postneonatal period. METHODS: A modified Delphi method (expert-based input via 2 surveys and a final review) was implemented. Available guidelines from EB Clinical Research Consortium centers were analyzed to determine areas of focus and formulate statements to be voted on by EB Clinical Research Consortium members, experienced EB nurses, and select family members. Study participants evaluated statements using a Likert scale: statements with at least 70% agreement were accepted; statements with 30% or more disagreement were rejected. RESULTS: Ten areas of focus were identified. Delphi participants included 15 dermatologists, 8 nurses, and 6 nonhealth care caregivers. Consensus was established on 103/119 neonatal statements and 105/122 postneonatal statements; no statements were rejected. Most recommendations applied to both age groups. LIMITATIONS: Recommendations may require adjustment based on individual patient's clinical context. CONCLUSION: Using the Delphi method, a consensus-derived resource for hospital-based health care professionals who manage patients with EB has been developed to improve the quality of inpatient care.

Neo-Natal Castration Leads to Subtle Differences in Porcine Anterior Cruciate Ligament Morphology and Function in Adolescence.

Female adolescent athletes are at a higher risk of tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male counterparts. While most work related to hormones has focused on the effects of estrogen to understand the increased risk of ACL injury, there are other understudied factors, including testosterone. The purpose of this study was to determine how surgical castration in the male porcine model influences ACL size and function across skeletal growth. Thirty-six male Yorkshire crossbreed pigs were raised to 3 (juvenile), 4.5 (early adolescent), and 6 months (adolescent) of age. Animals were either castrated (barrows) within 2 weeks after birth or were left intact (boars). Posteuthanasia, joint and ACL size were assessed via MRI, and biomechanics were assessed via a robotic testing system. Joint size increased throughout age, yet barrows had smaller joints than boars. ACL cross-sectional area (CSA), length, volume, and in situ stiffness increased with age, as did the percent contribution of the ACL anteromedial (AM) bundle to resisting loads. Boar ACL, AM bundle, and PL bundle volumes were 19%, 25%, and 15% larger than barrows across ages. However, ACL CSA, in situ stiffness, and bundle contribution were similar between boars and barrows. The barrows had smaller temporal increases in AM bundle function than boars, but these data were highly variable. Early and sustained loss in testosterone leads to subtle differences in ACL morphology but may not influence measures associated with increased injury risk, such as CSA or bundle forces in response to applied loads.

Development and validation of a high resolving power absolute quantitative per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances method incorporating Skyline data processing.

RATIONALE: The ability to perform absolute quantitation and non-targeted analysis on a single mass spectrometry instrument would be advantageous to many researchers studying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). High-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) instrumentation (typically deployed for non-targeted work) carries several advantages over traditional triple quadrupole workflows when performing absolute quantitation. Processing this data using a vendor-neutral software would promote collaboration for these environmental studies. METHODS: LC-MS (Orbitrap Exploris 240) was used for absolute quantitation of 45 PFAS using precursor (MS1) peak areas for quantitation, whereas isotope pattern matching and fragmentation (MS2) pattern matching were used for qualitative identification. In addition, a fluorinated chromatographic column achieved superior separation compared to the typical C18 columns typically used in PFAS analyses. This method was validated across eight different chemical classes using recommended guidelines found in EPA Method 537.1 and Skyline data processing software. RESULTS: The validated limits of all 45 compounds, as well as metrics or accuracy and reproducibility, are reported. Most compounds achieved limits of quantitation in the range of 2-50 ng/L. Four newly released Chemours-specific compounds (PEPA, PFO3OA, PFO4DA, and PFO5DoA) were also validated. Aspects of data analysis specific to high resolving power absolute quantitation are reviewed as are the details of processing these data via Skyline. CONCLUSIONS: This method shows the feasibility of performing reproducible absolute quantitation of PFAS on an HRAM platform and does so using an open-source vendor-neutral data processing software to facilitate sharing of data across labs and institutions.

Peptide variability and signatures associated with disease progression in CSF collected longitudinally from ALS patients.

We employ shotgun proteomics and data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry to analyze cerebrospinal fluid longitudinally collected from 14 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients (8 males and 6 females). We perform three main analyses of these data: (1) examine the intra- and inter-patient protein variability in CSF; (2) explore the association of inflammation with rate of disease progression; and (3) develop a mixed-effects model to best explain the decrease in ALS-Functional Rating Scale (ALS-FRS) score. Overall, the CSF protein abundances are tightly regulated with the intra-individual variability contributing just 4% to the overall variance. In four patients, a moderately significant correlation (p < 0.1) was observed between inflammation and rate of disease progression. Using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) variable selection, we selected 55 viable peptides for mathematical modeling via a linear mixed-effects regression. We then employed forward selection to generate a final model by minimizing Akaike's information criterion (AIC). The final model utilized changes in abundance from 28 peptides as fixed effects to model progression of the disease in these patients. These peptides were from proteins involved in stress response and innate immunity. Graphical abstract.

Measurement of peripheral muscle oxygen saturation in conscious healthy horses using a near-infrared spectroscopy device.

OBJECTIVE: Maintaining adequate muscle tissue oxygenation is of paramount importance during equine general anesthesia. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility, reliability and repeatability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) muscle oximetry using the Inspectra m650 in conscious healthy adult horses. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. ANIMALS: A group of 30 healthy client-owned adult horses admitted to the equine hospital between July 2017 and July 2018. METHODS: The probe of an Inspectra m650 NIRS tissue oximeter was placed on the hairless surface of five muscle sites (omotransversarius, triceps long head, extensor carpi ulnaris, vastus lateralis and lateral digital extensor) on the left side of the body of each standing, unsedated horse. Each site had muscle oxygenation (StO2) recordings measured in triplicate and statistical modeling used to assess the reading reliability and repeatability within and between muscle sites. RESULTS: The readings acquired at the vastus lateralis and extensor carpi ulnaris muscle sites had highly repeatable values [mean (90% confidence interval): StO2, 95% (93.8%, 96.5%) and 93% (91.6%, 93.9%), respectively; intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.92 and 0.80, respectively]. These two sites also had high reliability (represented by the percentage of successful readings; 70% and 86%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of NIRS muscle oxygenation technology is a clinically feasible means to assess tissue oxygenation in horses. The vastus lateralis and extensor carpi ulnaris muscle sites provided the most reliable and repeatable readings when using the Inspectra m650 machine in horses.

Comparison of three imaging modalities used to evaluate bone healing after tibial tuberosity advancement in cranial cruciate ligament-deficient dogs and comparison of the effect of a gelatinous matrix and a demineralized bone matrix mix on bone healing - a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Bone healing and assessment of the state of bone bridging is an important part of clinical orthopedics, whether for fracture healing or for follow up of osteotomy procedures. Tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) is designed to restore stability in cruciate deficient stifle joints by advancing the tuberosity while creating an osteotomy gap. The current study aims to: 1) compare three different imaging modalities to assess bone healing: ultrasound, radiographs and computed tomography (CT) and, to 2) compare the effect of a gelatinous matrix (GM) versus a demineralized bone matrix mix (DBM mix) on bone healing and bridging of this osteotomy gap in 10 otherwise healthy client-owned dogs with cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency. Osseous union of the osteotomy gap was evaluated with ultrasound, radiographs and CT at one, two, and 3 months postoperatively. Dogs were randomly selected to receive GM or DBM mix to fill the osteotomy gap created during the TTA procedure. Bone healing was assessed subjectively on all modalities as well as scored on radiographs and measured using Hounsfield units (HUs) on CT. Time to heal based on ultrasound, radiographs and CT were statistically compared between groups with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: All osteotomy gaps were bridged with bone within 3 months for all modalities. Bridging bone was diagnosed in 5.6 weeks, 10.4 weeks and 9.6 weeks based on ultrasound, radiographs, and CT, respectively, in dogs treated with DBM mix. In dogs treated with GM osseous union was diagnosed in a mean of 4.0 weeks, 9.6 weeks and 7.2 weeks based on ultrasound, radiographs and CT. Ultrasound diagnosed osseous union significantly faster than both CT and radiographs (p < 0.001). The dimensions of the newly formed bone differed between treatment groups with the central portion of the bone only providing a small bridge in GM cases. Although bridging of the osteotomy gap occurred earlier in the group that received GM, no significant statistical difference was found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Radiographs overestimate the time needed for osseous union of the osteotomy gap. All osteotomy sites healed radiographically within 3 months.

Assessment of a novel nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy in a murine model of osteosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy on monocyte function and tumor-derived factors associated with macrophage polarization in a murine osteosarcoma model. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Female C3H mice. METHODS: Peripheral blood monocyte cell surface phenotype, monocyte chemotaxis, tumor messenger RNA expression, and survival were compared among osteosarcoma (OS)-bearing mice treated with nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy, OS-bearing mice with osteomyelitis, OS-bearing mice, vehicle control mice, and normal control mice. RESULTS: OS-bearing mice with osteomyelitis had a higher proportion of "nonclassical" monocytes (Ly6Clo ) compared with all other experimental groups. There were alterations in monocyte expression of multiple chemokine receptors among experimental groups including CXCR2, CCR2, and CXCR4. Monocytes from OS-bearing mice treated with hyperthermia therapy exhibited greater chemotaxis compared with monocytes from OS-bearing mice with osteomyelitis. CONCLUSION: OS likely induced alterations in monocyte phenotype and function. Nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy increased in vitro monocyte chemotaxis. CLINICAL IMPACT: Enhancing monocyte/macrophage function in dogs with OS may enhance antitumor immunity.

Comparisons between elastographic stiffness scores for benign versus malignant lymph nodes in dogs and cats.

Lymph node evaluation is an important component of oncology staging in dogs and cats, however diagnosis of malignancy currently requires cytology or histopathology. Elastography is an ultrasound technique that allows estimation of tissue stiffness. In people, it has been shown to increase the sensitivity of sonography in detection of metastatic lymph nodes. The objective of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to determine if elastographic stiffness differs for malignant versus benign canine and feline lymph nodes that were considered abnormal in gray-scale ultrasound imaging. Animals scheduled for ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates of a lymph node at a single center were prospectively enrolled. Elastography was performed by a board-certified veterinary radiologist (G.S.) prior to tissue sampling. Softness was scored qualitatively as 1-4 (1 = hard; 4 = soft) on an image depicted by a color scale (blue = hard, red = soft). Quantitative analysis was performed using custom-made software. Fifty-one lymph nodes were included in the evaluation, 21 had benign and 30 had neoplastic cytology. Benign lymph nodes were softer (median score of 2.5, range 1-4) than malignant lymph nodes (median = 2, range 1-3), and differences were significant in qualitative and quantitative analyses (P < 0.01). Of the lymph nodes with a score of 2 or below (hard), 19/25 (76%) were malignant, of the lymph nodes with a score over 2 (soft), 24/36 (67%) were benign. Findings indicated that elastographic stiffness scores differed between benign and malignant lymph node groups; however overlapping scores for the two groups limited the use of this technique for routine clinical diagnosis of malignancy.

INHALANT ANESTHETIC RECOVERY FOLLOWING INTRAMUSCULAR EPINEPHRINE IN THE LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE ( CARETTA CARETTA).

Prolonged anesthetic recovery time is a common complication of chelonian inhalant anesthesia and may be exacerbated by right-to-left intracardiac shunting of blood. Epinephrine may decrease intracardiac shunting, which may shorten anesthetic recovery time. The study objective was to assess inhalant anesthetic recovery time following intramuscular epinephrine compared with saline in the loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta). With the use of a prospective, randomized, blinded, crossover design with a 1-wk washout period, six turtles were anesthetized with intravenous (IV) alfaxalone 3 mg/kg, orotracheally intubated, manually ventilated with 3.5% isoflurane inhalant in 100% oxygen for 90 min, and administered either intramuscular (IM) epinephrine 0.1 mg/kg or IM saline 0.1 ml/kg. Isoflurane administration was immediately discontinued and turtles were manually ventilated with room air until extubation. Physiologic variables, sedation scores, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and isoflurane (ETISO) concentrations, time to first movement, and time to extubation were recorded and two-time-point venous blood gas analyses performed. Data were compared with the use of paired t-tests and repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) ( P < 0.05). No morbidity, mortality, or adverse events occurred. ETCO2 and ETISO did not significantly change over time during the isoflurane delivery period ( P = 0.990). Mean time to first movement was significantly faster following epinephrine (69.24 ± 12.28 min) compared with saline (87.71 ± 27.05 min, P = 0.047). Although differences were not statistically significant ( P = 0.133), time to extubation was at least 30 min faster (31-123 min) in 4/6 turtles following epinephrine compared with saline. Intramuscular epinephrine significantly reduces time to first movement during isoflurane anesthetic recovery in loggerhead sea turtles.

Efficacy of an Escherichia coli O157:H7 SRP Vaccine in Orally Challenged Goats and Strain Persistence Over Time.

Small ruminants have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 at livestock exhibitions throughout the United States. Additionally, goat meat or milk may serve as a reservoir for foodborne transmission of the organism. These associations highlight the public health importance of an effective strategy to reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding in goats. We examined the efficacy of the SRP® vaccine in goats orally challenged with E. coli O157:H7. Mixed-breed goats (n = 14) were randomly allocated into vaccinated and unvaccinated treatments (n = 7 per treatment). Goats were housed with a vaccinated and unvaccinated animal in each pen. Feces were collected for 3 weeks, then at necropsy, gastrointestinal contents were collected to determine the concentration of E. coli O157:H7. Three isolates per positive sample were saved and evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to assess strain persistence over time. The mean concentration of E. coli O157:H7 in the feces of goats was numerically reduced in the vaccinated treatment; however, it was not statistically significant. In addition, the total number of days goats were fecal positive for E. coli O157:H7 were not different between vaccinated and unvaccinated treatments. Pulsotypes of isolates revealed that goats initially shed two of the four challenge strains of E. coli O157:H7, after which there was a distinct shift to two different strains. Further work is needed to evaluate cost-effective intervention strategies that reliably reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding in goats, particularly those that may reduce the risk of transmission at public events, including petting zoos and fairs.

Carotid artery bursting pressure and seal time after multiple uses of a vessel sealing device.

OBJECTIVE: To determine any loss of function of a single-use bipolar vessel sealing device after repeated sterilization and use on canine carotid arteries. STUDY DESIGN: Ex vivo; randomized block design (dog). SAMPLE POPULATION: Carotid artery segments (n = 90) from 15 canine cadavers. METHODS: Six 10-mm LigaSure Atlas 20 cm devices (Covidien Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota) were used to seal canine carotid artery segments in one cadaver, then resterilized using ethylene oxide and reused in a second cadaver, and so on, for a total of 15 uses/15 cadavers per LigaSure. Sealing times and bursting pressures of each carotid artery segment after each use were recorded. Charring and sticking at each seal location was qualitatively assessed. RESULTS: Mean (SD) sealing time for all segments was 5.3 (1.4) seconds, ranging from 2.7 to 9.5 seconds. There was no significant change in sealing time for successive uses (P = .117). The mean (SD) bursting pressure for all segments was 1041.3 (316.7) mm Hg, ranging from 355 to 1555 mm Hg. There was no change in bursting pressure across uses (P = .57). Moderate sticking and charring occurred at each time point but was not subjectively different throughout the study. CONCLUSION: The LigaSure Atlas vessel sealing device can be used and resterilized with ethylene oxide up to 15 times with no change in sealing time or bursting pressure of the seal.

The Effect of Specimen Preparation on Post-Excision and Post-Fixation Dimensions, Translation, and Distortion of Canine Cadaver Skin-Muscle-Fascia Specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of various tissue apposition techniques on specimens after formalin fixation, and to assess canine cadaveric composite skin-muscle-fascia specimen changes after excision without and with addition of a tumor model. STUDY DESIGN: Canine cadaveric study; unbalanced paired design. ANIMALS: Fresh canine cadavers (n = 30) METHODS: Experiment 1: Paired 7 cm diameter, circular skin-muscle-fascia specimens were harvested bilaterally from three sites (thorax, abdomen, and thigh) on 10 cadavers. For each pair, the skin-to-fascia was sutured with a circumferential continuous pattern in one specimen and left unsutured in the other during excision. Specimen length and width were measured post-excision and post-fixation. Specimen rotation, translation, and distortion was measured post-fixation. Experiment 2: A subcutaneous tumor model was implanted at 2 sites (neck, thorax) on 20 cadavers and specimens were then excised with 2 cm lateral margins and a deep fascial plane. Three suturing techniques of the skin-to-fascia at both sites were performed during excision: unsutured versus circumferential continuous suture (10 pairs) or circumferential versus 4 interrupted quadrant sutures (10 pairs). Lateral margins were compared post-excision and post-fixation. RESULTS: Experiment 1: There was significant reduction in the length and width of the fascia and skin post-excision, but no further reduction after fixation. The circumferential suture decreased rotation and translation of the tissue layers but did not significantly affect specimen shrinkage or distortion compared with the unsutured specimen. Experiment 2: All 4 lateral margins decreased significantly post-excision and post-fixation compared with the planned pre-excision margins. No difference was found between any of the 4 lateral margins for any skin-to-fascia suture technique. CONCLUSION: Canine skin-muscle-fascia specimens significantly decrease in size from gross pre-excision dimensions after removal. Suturing the specimen during surgery before excision will significantly improve alignment of tissue planes without creating distortion of the sample, but may alter the length, width, and lateral margins of the specimen.

ELASTOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF NATURALLY OCCURING TENDON AND LIGAMENT INJURIES OF THE EQUINE DISTAL LIMB.

Compression elastography is an ultrasonographic technique that estimates tissue strain and may have utility in diagnosing and monitoring soft tissue injuries in the equine athlete. Recently, elastography has been proven to be a feasible and repeatable imaging modality for evaluating normal tendons and ligaments of the equine distal forelimb. The purposes of this prospective study were to investigate the ability of elastography to detect spontaneously occurring lesions of equine tendons and ligaments diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and gray-scale ultrasound (US) and to characterize the differences in the elastographic appearance of acute vs. chronic injuries. Fifty seven horses with a total of 65 lesions were evaluated. Images were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Acute lesions were found to be significantly softer (P < 0.0001) than chronic lesions (P < 0.0001) and the stiffness of lesions increased with progression of healing (P = 0.0138). A negative correlation between lesion hypoechogenicity and softness was appreciated with more hypoechoic lesions appearing softer (P = 0.0087) and more hyperechoic regions harder (P = 0.0002). A similar finding occurred with increased signal intensity on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and proton density (PD) MRI sequences correlating with increased softness on elastography (P = 0.0164). Using US and MRI as references, commonly encountered soft tissue injuries of the equine distal limb could be detected with elastography. However, elastography was limited for detecting small, proximal injuries of the hindlimb proximal suspensory ligament. Elastographic evaluation of equine tendons and ligaments may allow better characterization of lesion chronicity and severity, and sequential examinations may optimize lesion management, rehabilitation, and return to training.

Gait scoring in dogs with thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries when walking on a treadmill.

BACKGROUND: An inexpensive method of generating continuous data on hind limb function in dogs with spinal cord injury is needed to facilitate multicentre clinical trials. This study aimed to define normal fore limb, hind limb coordination in dogs walking on a treadmill and then to determine whether reliable data could be generated on the frequency of hind limb stepping and the frequency of coordinated stepping in dogs with a wide range of severities of thoracolumbar spinal cord injury. RESULTS: Sixty-nine neurologically normal dogs of different body sizes including seven lame dogs were videotaped walking on the treadmill without prior training and all used the lateral gait of right fore, left hind, left fore, right hind (RF-LH-LF-RH). Severely paraparetic dogs were able to walk on the treadmill for a minimum of 75 seconds, scoring of which generated data representative of function in animals with extremely variable gaits. Fifty consecutive stepping cycles were scored by three observers in 18 dogs with a wide range of disability due to acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury using a stepping score (hind limb steps/fore limb steps ×100), and a coordination score (coordinated hind limb steps/total hind limb steps ×100). Dogs were also scored using a previously validated ordinal open field score (OFS). Inter- and intraobserver agreement was high as assessed with Cronbach's alpha test for internal reliability. The stepping and coordination scores were significantly correlated to each other and to the OFS. CONCLUSIONS: Dogs with naturally occurring spinal cord injury can walk on a treadmill without prior training and their hind limb function can be scored reliably using a stepping score and coordination score. The only requirements for data acquisition are a treadmill and appropriately positioned video camera and so the system can be used in multicentre clinical trials to generate continuous data on neurologic recovery in dogs.

Durations of bone consolidation and external fixation after distraction osteogenesis in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of epidemiologic, surgical, and mechanical factors on the durations of bone consolidation and external fixation after distraction osteogenesis in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Dogs (n = 115) that had corrective osteotomy with circular external fixation (CEF; n = 152) METHODS: Medical and radiographic records (1992-2012) of dogs that had corrective osteotomies were reviewed. Putative variables included age, weight, gender, and breed. Surgery date, delay before distraction, rate and duration of distraction, mechanical complications, and frame removal date were recorded. Radiographic data included bone operated, bone length, osteotomy site, bone and limb size at osteotomy site, distraction distance, and CEF frame size and stiffness. RESULTS: Mean ± SD bone consolidation period was 56 ± 33 days. Mean duration of external fixation was 77 ± 35 days. Twelve fixation failures occurred. Radii healed faster than tibiae (P < .001). Failure of fixation (P = .002) and stiff frames (P = .033) increased duration of bone consolidation. For the tibia, durations of bone consolidation and external fixation decreased with larger bone size relative to limb size (P = .004). For the radius, bone consolidation duration decreased as distraction amount increased (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Radii healed faster than tibiae. Wearing frames with low or moderate stiffness, the absence of mechanical complications, a larger distraction distance, and a larger bone size accelerated bone consolidation. Optimizing these factors should accelerate bone consolidation and reduce the duration of external fixation.

Career attitudes of first-year veterinary students before and after a required course on veterinary careers.

Careers in Veterinary Medicine is a required, one-credit-hour course at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine (NCSU-CVM), which meets once weekly during veterinary students' first semester. Lectures in this course are presented by one or more veterinarians representing diverse career areas. A voluntary, anonymous survey was distributed before the first class meeting in 2011 (PRE) and at the end of the semester (POST) to assess if students' career interests changed during the semester. The survey collected basic demographic data and students' preferences (on a Likert scale) for 17 veterinary career paths. Out of 63 students, 36 (57%) in the POST survey said that their career interests had changed during the semester, and 17 of the 26 students (65%) who gave a reason credited the careers course as one factor in reconsidering their career choice. Only 3 of the 17 career paths had statistically significant PRE/POST survey differences in Likert response frequency (equine practice, pathology, and wildlife medicine), but both informal discussions with students and responses to open-ended survey questions indicated that many students valued the introduction to unfamiliar veterinary career areas. Careers in Veterinary Medicine is a vital component of recent career-planning initiatives in the college, which will be especially important to veterinary students as they face continued changes in the profession, such as the increased debt load of the new graduate and the threat of veterinary workforce oversupply.

Alfaxalone as an intramuscular injectable anesthetic in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Fish are commonly anesthetized with MS-222 (tricaine methanesulfonate), a sodium-channel-blocker used as an immersion anesthetic, but its mechanism of action as a general anesthetic is uncertain. Alfaxalone is a neurosteroid that acts at the GABA(A) receptors. Alfaxalone has been evaluated and was deemed successful as an immersion agent in koi carp. Alfaxalone is an effective intramuscular anesthetic in multiple species. A reliable intramuscular anesthetic in fish would be useful in multiple settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate alfaxalone as an intramuscular injectable anesthetic agent in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio). Eight koi carp were utilized in a crossover design. In each trial, six fish received 1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, or 10mg/kg of alfaxalone intramuscularly. They were assessed every 15 min for opercular rate and sedation score. The sedation score was based on a visual scale from 0 to 5, 0 indicating no response and 5 indicating absent righting reflex and anesthesia. Anesthetized koi were placed on a fish anesthesia delivery system (FADS). Time to anesthesia/recovery was recorded and heart rate was recorded every 15 min. Anesthesia was achieved in 0/6, 1/6, and 5/6 fish at 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, respectively. Duration of anesthesia for one fish at 5 mg/kg was 2 hr. At 10 mg/kg, median anesthesia duration was 6.5 (3-10) hr. At 10 mg/kg, prolonged apnea (2-3 hr) was observed in 3/6 fish, 2/3 died under anesthesia, and 1/3 recovered 10 hr post-injection. Median peak sedation scores were 1.5, 2.5, and 5, at 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, respectively. A dosage of 10 mg/kg alfaxalone resulted in 33% mortality. The duration of anesthesia and opercular rate were unpredictable. Due to variation in response despite consistent conditions, as well as risk of mortality, intramuscular alfaxalone cannot be recommended for anesthesia in koi carp.

Pilot Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Oral Imepitoin Treatment for Control of (Thunder)Storm-Associated Noise Phobia/Noise Aversion in Dogs Using an Individualized-Dose Titration Approach.

Imepitoin is a low-affinity partial agonist for benzodiazepine binding sites of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors with anxiolytic effects. It has been shown to reduce anxiety during noise-related events in dogs when given at 30 mg/kg PO BID, although this dose was associated with ataxia and increased appetite in some cases. The objective of this study was to assess its safety and efficacy for storm anxiety when started at 10 mg/kg PO BID and titrated to effect up to 30 mg/kg PO BID during storm season. Significant decreases in anxiety scores were seen in weekly surveys and storm logs (SLs) at 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg PO BID. Serious adverse events (AEs) were not reported in any subject. Ataxia was the most commonly reported non-serious AE (14/33), followed by increased hunger (13/33). The frequency of AEs was higher in the 20 mg/kg PO BID group than in the 10 mg/kg group PO BID. No clinically significant changes were seen in lab work pre- and post-study. In conclusion, Imepitoin given during storm season at doses ranging from 10 to 30 mg/kg PO BID reduced clinical signs of fear and anxiety during storms for the dogs in this study. These findings support the use of an individually titrated dose.

Bare parts in the Galliformes: the evolution of a multifunctional structure.

A morphological trait can have multiple functions shaped by varying selective forces. Bare parts in birds, such as wattles, casques and combs, are known to function in both signalling and thermoregulation. Studies have demonstrated such structures are targets of sexual selection via female choice in several species of Galliformes (junglefowl, turkeys and grouse), though other studies have shown some role in thermoregulation (guineafowl). Here, we tested fundamental hypotheses regarding the evolution and maintenance of bare parts in Galliformes. Using a phylogeny that included nearly 90% of species in the order, we evaluated the role of both sexual and natural selection in shaping the function of bare parts across different clades. We found a combination of both environmental and putative sexually selected traits strongly predicted the variation of bare parts for both males and females across Galliformes. When the analysis is restricted to the largest family, Phasianidae (pheasants, junglefowl and allies), sexually selected traits were the primary predictors of bare parts. Our results suggest that bare parts are important for both thermoregulation and sexual signalling across Galliformes but are primarily under strong sexual selection within the Phasianidae.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial demonstrates improved owner-assessed cognitive function in senior dogs receiving a senolytic and NAD+ precursor combination.

Age-related decline in mobility and cognition are associated with cellular senescence and NAD + depletion in dogs and people. A combination of a novel NAD + precursor and senolytic, LY-D6/2, was examined in this randomized controlled trial. Seventy dogs with mild to moderate cognitive impairment were enrolled and allocated into placebo, low or full dose groups. Primary outcomes were change in cognitive impairment measured with the owner-reported Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating (CCDR) scale and change in activity measured with physical activity monitors. Fifty-nine dogs completed evaluations at the 3-month primary endpoint, and 51 reached the 6-month secondary endpoint. There was a significant difference in CCDR score across treatment groups from baseline to the primary endpoint (p = 0.02) with the largest decrease in the full dose group. No difference was detected between groups using in house cognitive testing. There were no significant differences between groups in changes in measured activity. The proportion of dogs that improved in frailty and owner-reported activity levels and happiness was higher in the full dose group than other groups, however this difference was not significant. Adverse events occurred equally across groups. All groups showed improvement in cognition, frailty, and activity suggesting placebo effect and benefits of trial participation. We conclude that LY-D6/2 improves owner-assessed cognitive function over a 3-month period and may have broader, but more subtle effects on frailty, activity and happiness as reported by owners.