Incomplete ovariosalpingectomy and subsequent malignant granulosa cell tumor in a female green iguana (Iguana iguana)

Case Description-A 9-year-old spayed female green iguana (Iguana iguana) was evaluated because of a distended coelom and weight loss. History included a single episode of egg binding and subsequent bilateral ovariosalpingectomy.;Clinical Findings-Physical examination revealed a mass within the coelomic cavity. Ultrasonography revealed a large, irregular mass with hypoechoic regions and coelomic effusion. Clinicopathologic derangements included heterophilia, monocytosis, lymphopenia, basophilia, hypocholesterolemia, hypoproteinemia, and hypercalcemia. Results of cytologic evaluation of the mass were suggestive of malignant epithelial neoplasia, but neoplastic cells were not found in the effusion. An ovarian tumor was suspected on the basis of clinical signs, clinicopathologic findings, and results of cytologic evaluation of the mass.;Treatment and Outcome-Surgical exploration revealed a large left ovary, a normal-appearing contralateral ovary, and a mass in the fat body, all of which were removed and submitted for histologic examination. The histologic diagnosis was granulosa cell tumor with metastasis to the fat body. The patient died 11 months after evaluation, and disseminated granulosa cell tumor was confirmed at necropsy; histologic examination at that time also identified systemic mastocytosis.;Clinical Relevance-Granulosa cell tumors are uncommon in reptiles, and this was the first granulosa cell tumor described antemortem cytologically, histologically, and ultrastructurally in an iguana. Findings in this iguana underscored concerns associated with incomplete oophorectomy of iguanas; cytologic and histopathologic findings were similar to those observed in other domestic animals. Oophorectomy should be considered as an alternative to standard ovariosalpingectomy to avoid potential complications in pet reptiles, and use of microsurgical instruments and vascular clips is advised. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011239:237-242)

Performance and metabolic profile of dairy cows during a lactational and deliberately induced negative energy balance with subsequent realimentation

Homeorhetic and homeostatic controls in dairy cows are essential for adapting to alterations in physiological and environmental conditions. To study the different mechanisms during adaptation processes, effects of a deliberately induced negative energy balance (NEB) by feed restriction near 100 d in milk (DIM) on performance and metabolic measures were compared with lactation energy deficiency after parturition. Fifty multiparous cows were studied in 3 periods (1=early lactation up to 12 wk postpartum; 2=feed restriction for 3 wk beginning at 98+/-7 DIM with a feed-restricted and control group; and 3=a subsequent realimentation period for the feed-restricted group for 8 wk). In period 1, despite NEB in early lactation [-42 MJ of net energy for lactation (NE(L))/d, wk 1 to 3] up to wk 9, milk yield increased from 27.5+/-0.7 kg to a maximum of 39.5+/-0.8 kg (wk 6). For period 2, the NEB was induced by individual limitation of feed quantity and reduction of dietary energy density. Feed-restricted cows experienced a greater NEB (-63 MJ of NEL/d) than did cows in early lactation. Feed-restricted cows in period 2 showed only a small decline in milk yield of -3.1+/-1.1 kg and milk protein content of -0.2+/-0.1% compared with control cows (30.5+/-1.1 kg and 3.8+/-0.1%, respectively). In feed-restricted cows (period 2), plasma glucose was lower (-0.2+/-0.0 mmol/L) and nonesterified fatty acids higher (+0.1+/-0.1 mmol/L) compared with control cows. Compared with the NEB in period 1, the decreases in body weight due to the deliberately induced NEB (period 2) were greater (56+/-4 vs. 23+/-3 kg), but decreases in body condition score (0.16+/-0.03 vs. 0.34+/-0.04) and muscle diameter (2.0+/-0.4 vs. 3.5+/-0.4 mm) were lesser. The changes in metabolic measures in period 2 were marginal compared with the adjustments directly after parturition in period 1. Despite the greater induced energy deficiency at 100 DIM than the early lactation NEB, the metabolic load experienced by the dairy cows was not as high as that observed in early lactation. The different effects of energy deficiency at the 2 stages in lactation show that metabolic problems in early lactating dairy cows are not due only to the NEB, but mainly to the specific metabolic regulation during this period.

The antinociceptive triterpene β-amyrin inhibits 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) hydrolysis without directly targeting cannabinoid receptors

Pharmacological activation of cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors is a therapeutic strategy to treat chronic and inflammatory pain. It was recently reported that a mixture of natural triterpenes α- and β-amyrin bound selectively to CB(1) receptors with a subnanomolar K(i) value (133 pM). Orally administered α/β-amyrin inhibited inflammatory and persistent neuropathic pain in mice through both CB(1) and CB(2) receptors. Here, we investigated effects of amyrins on the major components of the endocannabinoid system.

Kinetic characterization for pretreatment of timber varieties and switchgrass using diluted acid hydrolysis

In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock to produce renewable carbohydrates as a source of energy products, including liquid alternatives to fossil fuels. The benefits of developing woody biomass to ethanol technology are to increase the long-term national energy security, reduce fossil energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, use renewable rather than depletable resources, and create local jobs. Currently, research is driven by the need to reduce the cost of biomass-ethanol production. One of the preferred methods is to thermochemically pretreat the biomass material and subsequently, enzymatically hydrolyze the pretreated material to fermentable sugars that can then be converted to ethanol using specialized microorganisms. The goals of pretreatment are to remove the hemicellulose fraction from other biomass components, reduce bioconversion time, enhance enzymatic conversion of the cellulose fraction, and, hopefully, obtain a higher ethanol yield. The primary goal of this research is to obtain kinetic detailed data for dilute acid hydrolysis for several timber species from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and switchgrass. These results will be used to identify optimum reaction conditions to maximize production of fermentable sugars and minimize production of non-fermentable byproducts. The structural carbohydrate analysis of the biomass species used in this project was performed using the procedure proposed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Subsequently, dilute acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of biomass, including aspen, basswood, balsam, red maple, and switchgrass, was studied at various temperatures, acid concentrations, and particle sizes in a 1-L well-mixed batch reactor (Parr Instruments, ii Model 4571). 25 g of biomass and 500 mL of diluted acid solution were added into a 1-L glass liner, and then put into the reactor. During the experiment, 5 mL samples were taken starting at 100°C at 3 min intervals until reaching the targeted temperature (160, 175, or 190°C), followed by 4 samples after achieving the desired temperature. The collected samples were then cooled in an ice bath immediately to stop the reaction. The cooled samples were filtered using 0.2 μm MILLIPORE membrane filter to remove suspended solids. The filtered samples were then analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with a Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87P column, and refractive index detection to measure monomeric and polymeric sugars plus degradation byproducts. A first order reaction model was assumed and the kinetic parameters such as activation energy and pre-exponential factor from Arrhenius equation were obtained from a match between the model and experimental data. The reaction temperature increases linearly after 40 minutes during experiments. Xylose and other sugars were formed from hemicellulose hydrolysis over this heat up period until a maximum concentration was reached at the time near when the targeted temperature was reached. However, negligible amount of xylose byproducts and small concentrations of other soluble sugars, such as mannose, arabinose, and galactose were detected during this initial heat up period. Very little cellulose hydrolysis yielding glucose was observed during the initial heat up period. On the other hand, later in the reaction during the constant temperature period xylose was degraded to furfural. Glucose production from cellulose was increased during this constant temperature period at later time points in the reaction. The kinetic coefficient governing the generation of xylose from hemicellulose and the generation of furfural from xylose presented a coherent dependence on both temperature and acid concentration. However, no effect was observed in the particle size. There were three types of biomass used in this project; hardwood (aspen, basswood, and red maple), softwood (balsam), and a herbaceous crop (switchgrass). The activation energies and the pre-exponential factors of the timber species and switchgrass were in a range of 49 - 180 kJ/mol and from 7.5x104 - 2.6x1020 min-1, respectively, for the xylose formation model. In addition, for xylose degradation, the activation energies and the preexponential factors ranged from 130 - 170 kJ/mol and from 6.8x1013 - 3.7x1017 min-1, respectively. The results compare favorably with the literature values given by Ranganathan et al, 1985. Overall, up to 92 % of the xylose was able to generate from the dilute acid hydrolysis in this project.

THE POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE AND AGRICULTURAL FEEDSTOCK TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS PRODUCTION: TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PERSPECTIVES

This Ph.D. research is comprised of three major components; (i) Characterization study to analyze the composition of defatted corn syrup (DCS) from a dry corn mill facility (ii) Hydrolysis experiments to optimize the production of fermentable sugars and amino acid platform using DCS and (iii) Sustainability analyses. Analyses of DCS included total solids, ash content, total protein, amino acids, inorganic elements, starch, total carbohydrates, lignin, organic acids, glycerol, and presence of functional groups. Total solids content was 37.4% (± 0.4%) by weight, and the mass balance closure was 101%. Total carbohydrates [27% (± 5%) wt.] comprised of starch (5.6%), soluble monomer carbohydrates (12%) and non-starch carbohydrates (10%). Hemicellulose components (structural and non-structural) were; xylan (6%), xylose (1%), mannan (1%), mannose (0.4%), arabinan (1%), arabinose (0.4%), galatactan (3%) and galactose (0.4%). Based on the measured physical and chemical components, bio-chemical conversion route and subsequent fermentation to value added products was identified as promising. DCS has potential to serve as an important fermentation feedstock for bio-based chemicals production. In the sugar hydrolysis experiments, reaction parameters such as acid concentration and retention time were analyzed to determine the optimal conditions to maximize monomer sugar yields while keeping the inhibitors at minimum. Total fermentable sugars produced can reach approximately 86% of theoretical yield when subjected to dilute acid pretreatment (DAP). DAP followed by subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis was most effective for 0 wt% acid hydrolysate samples and least efficient towards 1 and 2 wt% acid hydrolysate samples. The best hydrolysis scheme DCS from an industry's point of view is standalone 60 minutes dilute acid hydrolysis at 2 wt% acid concentration. The combined effect of hydrolysis reaction time, temperature and ratio of enzyme to substrate ratio to develop hydrolysis process that optimizes the production of amino acids in DCS were studied. Four key hydrolysis pathways were investigated for the production of amino acids using DCS. The first hydrolysis pathway is the amino acid analysis using DAP. The second pathway is DAP of DCS followed by protein hydrolysis using proteases [Trypsin, Pronase E (Streptomyces griseus) and Protex 6L]. The third hydrolysis pathway investigated a standalone experiment using proteases (Trypsin, Pronase E, Protex 6L, and Alcalase) on the DCS without any pretreatment. The final pathway investigated the use of Accellerase 1500® and Protex 6L to simultaneously produce fermentable sugars and amino acids over a 24 hour hydrolysis reaction time. The 3 key objectives of the techno-economic analysis component of this PhD research included; (i) Development of a process design for the production of both the sugar and amino acid platforms with DAP using DCS (ii) A preliminary cost analysis to estimate the initial capital cost and operating cost of this facility (iii) A greenhouse gas analysis to understand the environmental impact of this facility. Using Aspen Plus®, a conceptual process design has been constructed. Finally, both Aspen Plus Economic Analyzer® and Simapro® sofware were employed to conduct the cost analysis as well as the carbon footprint emissions of this process facility respectively. Another section of my PhD research work focused on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of commonly used dairy feeds in the U.S. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis was conducted for cultivation, harvesting, and production of common dairy feeds used for the production of dairy milk in the U.S. The goal was to determine the carbon footprint [grams CO2 equivalents (gCO2e)/kg of dry feed] in the U.S. on a regional basis, identify key inputs, and make recommendations for emissions reduction. The final section of my Ph.D. research work was an LCA of a single dairy feed mill located in Michigan, USA. The primary goal was to conduct a preliminary assessment of dairy feed mill operations and ultimately determine the GHG emissions for 1 kilogram of milled dairy feed.

Roasting and Leaching Bulk Copper-Zinc Sulfide Concentrates with the Subsequent Recovery of the Metals by Electrolysis

The aim of this research was to investigate the possibilities of roasting and leaching a bulk copper-zinc sulfide concentrate, and the subsequent separation of the metals from the leach solution by electro­lytic deposition.

The Separation of Tungstic Oxide from Scheelite and its Subsequent Reduction with Hydrogen

The largest known deposits of tungsten ores occur in the continuation of the Indo-Malayan Mountains, which extends through Burma, Malaya, China, Japan, and Chosen. Production of tungsten concentrates was started in 1910 in Burma, and in 1911 this country was the world's largest producer. China produced but little until 1916, but has since supplied over fifty per cent of the world's requirements.

Mild and efficient hydrolysis of thioglycosides to glycosyl hemiacetals using N-iodosaccharin

A convenient methodology has been developed for the mild hydrolysis of thioglycosides to the corresponding hemiacetals using N-iodosaccharin without any requirement of co-activator. Most of the functional groups used for the protecting group manipulation of carbohydrates are remain unaffected under the reaction condition.

Maternal transfer of IgE and subsequent development of IgE responses in the horse (Equus callabus)

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediates the immune response to parasites, but can also cause allergies. In humans maternal IgE is not transferred to cord blood and high levels of cord blood IgE are associated with subsequent allergy. In horses, both maternal IgG and IgE are transferred via colostrum; the IgE levels in the mare's serum, the colostrum and the foal's serum are correlated but the consequences of IgE transfer to foals are not known. By about 6 weeks of age the levels of IgE in foal serum have dropped to a nadir, at 6 months of age the level of IgE has risen only very slightly and is no longer correlated with the levels seen at birth, IgE(+) B-cells could be detected in lymphoid follicles of some foals at this age. Surprisingly, the levels of total IgE detected in a foals serum at 6 months of age are significantly correlated with the level in its serum at 1, 2 and even 3 years of age suggesting that by 6 months of age the foals are synthesizing IgE and that a pattern of relatively higher or lower total serum IgE has been established. The neonatal intestinal mucosa contained connective tissue mast cells which stained for bound IgE in foals up to 9 weeks of age but not mucosal mast cells, thereafter, the intestinal mast cells were IgE negative until 6 months of age. IgE antibodies to Culicoides nubeculosus salivary antigens were detected in Swiss born foals from imported Icelandic mares allergic to Culicoides spp. yet the foals showed no signs of skin sensitization and such second generation foals are known not to have an increased risk of developing allergy to Culicoides. Overall this evidence suggests there is a minimal effector role of maternal IgE also that maternal IgE has waned prior to the onset of IgE synthesis in foals and does not support maternal priming of IgE responses in foals. Furthermore the total levels of IgE in any given foal are seen to be relatively high or low from soon after the onset of IgE synthesis, and most likely they are determined by genetic factors.