The development of a systematic ultrasound protocol facilitates the visualization of foreign bodies within the canine distal limb

Ultrasonography is an excellent investigative tool that can assist with the diagnosis of soft tissue conditions. In human medicine, ultrasonography is a fundamental diagnostic tool for the investigation of suspected vegetal foreign bodies (VFB), with protocol-based ultrasonography providing increased accuracy compared to lesion-focused examinations. Protocol-based ultrasonography is an emerging tool within the veterinary field, however, compared to human medicine is not routinely employed. The objective of this study was to develop a systematic ultrasound protocol to examine the distal limb for the visualization of vegetal foreign bodies (SUEDVEG). A 12 MHz linear and an 18 MHz high-frequency small-footprint linear array transducer was used on cadaver forelimbs (n = 6) and hindlimbs (n = 6) with images obtained from three common foreign body locations within the distal limb; 1; the interdigital webbing, 2; the palmar/plantar aspect of the phalanges and metacarpus and 3; the dorsal region of the phalanges and metacarpus. From these images, a 13-step systematic musculoskeletal protocol was developed and utilized on eight clinical cases or 10 limbs that had signs typical of distal limb VFB to preliminarily validate the proposed method. Vegetal foreign bodies were successfully identified and retrieved in seven (n = 8) clinical cases with method steps 9 and 11 (orthogonal views) identifying the majority of VFBs. The described ultrasound method appears highly useful for visualizing soft tissue locations of the canine distal limb known for tracking foreign bodies. Further studies are required to validate the described systematic examination method as the preferred clinical protocol over currently used lesion-focused exploration techniques

Review of Associated Health Benefits of Algal Supplementation in Cattle with Reference to Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex in Feedlot Systems

Within the Australian beef industry bovine respiratory disease is considered one of the most common disease and costs the industry an average net loss of $1647.53 Australian dollars per animal death to bovine respiratory disease complex (BRD). This is due to the disease overwhelming the animal’s immune system during a period where they experience multiple stressors that consequently increase the animal’s susceptivity to disease. Research into the bioactive compounds commonly found in marine algae is rapidly increasing due to its positive health benefits and potential immune modulating properties. Algal supplementation within previous studies has resulted in improved reproduction potential, growth performance, increases antioxidant activity and decreased proinflammatory cytokine concentrations. Additional research is required to further understand the aetiology of BRD and complete analysis of the bioavailability of these bioactive compounds within marine algae to fully explore the potential of marine algae supplementation

Polyphenols from Australian-grown pigmented red and purple rice inhibit adipocyte differentiation

Coloured rice is rich in polyphenols and has been shown to have significant antioxidant and anti-adipogenic potential. The study aimed to investigate the anti-adipogenic properties of polyphenol extract (PE) derived from Australian-grown rice varieties. Eight wholegrain pigmented rice varieties were screened for their polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, of which, Yunlu29 (red), Purple (purple) and Reiziq (brown) had the highest values. The selected varieties were then subjected to in-vitro investigation to determine the effect of rice-derived PE on adipocyte differentiation. Lipid accumulation and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression were quantified by oil red O staining and RT-PCR respectively. PE from Yunlu29 (red) and Purple rice varieties significantly reduced (p < 0.001) lipid accumulation by 53% and 56% respectively and PPARγ expression in adipocytes by 61.2% and 35.6% respectively. PE from Reiziq (brown), did not inhibit lipid accumulation in adipocytes however, did reduce PPARγ expression (p < 0.001). © 2018 Elsevier Lt