Fluorescent humanized anti-CEA antibody specifically labels metastatic pancreatic cancer in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse model.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease in part due to incomplete tumor resection. Targeting by tumor-specific antibodies conjugated with a fluorescent label can result in selective labeling of cancer in vivo for surgical navigation. In the present study, we describe a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft model of pancreatic cancer that recapitulated the disease on a gross and microscopic level, along with physiologic clinical manifestations. We additionally show that the use of an anti-CEA antibody conjugated to the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, IRDye800CW, can selectively highlight the pancreatic cancer and its metastases in this model with a tumor-to-background ratio of 3.5 (SEM 0.9). The present results demonstrate the clinical potential of this labeling technique for fluorescence-guided surgery of pancreatic cancer

A randomized trial to compare smooth monofilament suture vs. barbed suture using the three-layer continuous closure technique in canine ovariohysterectomy in a high-quality high-volume spay/neuter clinic

The primary objective of this study was to compare time efficiency and complication rates between smooth monofilament suture (SMS) and barbed suture (BS) using the three-layer continuous incisional closure pattern after ovariohysterectomy in a high-quality high-volume spay/neuter clinic. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial enrolling 71 adult female dogs. Dogs were randomly assigned to SMS or BS treatments. The effect of closure with BS or SMS on closure time was tested through multilevel, multivariable linear regression in a generalized linear mixed model. Body condition score, weight, and pre-closure incision length were tested as covariates. Surgeon was included in the model as a random effect. Pre-closure incision length (p = 0.01) and method (p ≤ 0.0001) were associated with closure time. Adjusting for pre-closure incision length, the average time for closure with SMS was 6.5 min (range 3.70–10.31 min), and the average time for closure with BS was 4.91 min (range 3.05–8.05 min). Accounting for the closure method, the closure time increased by 39 s for each additional centimeter of incision length. BS was more efficient than SMS when performing the three-layer continuous suture pattern. No short-term telemedicine-assessed complications were noted with either treatment method. BS can improve efficiency in surgical closures, especially considering large volumes of animals, and appears to have a similar short-term, telemedicine-assessed complication rate when compared to SMS

Exploring animal welfare through an investigation of veterinary education and on-farm assessments of dairy calf welfare

Includes bibliographical references.2016 Summer.To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document

Acquisition of pedagogical knowledge by instructors of veterinary medicine

Background: When practitioners of veterinary medicine enter academia as faculty or clinical instructors, they are asked to perform research, provide service and outreach, and educate students, yet the teaching component is a struggle for many. It has been posited that academic clinicians develop a teaching style similar to those they observed while in school but this has not been confirmed with empirical evidence. Aim: The aim of this research was to determine how veterinary instructors obtained pedagogical knowledge prior to their faculty appointment. Setting: The sample consisted of veterinary faculty at a college of veterinary medicine from the southeastern United States. The land-grant university that the veterinary school is associated with is one of only a few schools to earn both research and community engagement rankings from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Methods: Online surveys were administered to a stratified sample of veterinary faculty and instructors. A mixed-methods approach was utilised to collect and analyse both close-ended and open-ended data. A coding process provided labels for emerging themes, concepts and examples and each research question was answered with descriptive detail. Results: Descriptive results showed that most instructors (93%) did not receive formal teacher training but derived their pedagogical knowledge from role models prior to teaching. Many faculty members (70%) attended university-sponsored workshops offered by their institutions to build upon and improve their teaching skills. Conclusion: Overarching themes reflected observational learning in situ and a general emphasis on non-cognitive skill development, particularly regarding interpersonal skills

How Farm Animals React and Perceive Stressful Situations Such As Handling, Restraint, and Transport

An animal that has been carefully acclimated to handling may willingly re-enter a restrainer. Another animal may have an intense agitated behavioral reaction or refuse to re-enter the handling facility. Physiological measures of stress such as cortisol may be very low in the animal that re-enters willingly and higher in animals that actively resist restraint. Carefully acclimating young animals to handling and restraint can help improve both productivity and welfare by reducing fear stress. Some of the topics covered in this review are: How an animal perceives handling and restraint, the detrimental effects of a sudden novel event, descriptions of temperament and aversion tests and the importance of good stockmanship

The impact of English language proficiency on neuropsychological test performance in ethnically diverse individuals

Includes bibliographical references (pages 29-33)Several factors including acculturation, amount of education inside and outside the United States, age, and English fluency have been found to negatively impact performance on neuropsychological tests in ethnically diverse individuals. To our knowledge, none of these studies used a quantitative measure of English language proficiency in a multiethnic sample. The present study used a quantitative measure of English language proficiency to determine the best predictor of poor performance on neuropsychological tests. Participants were 59 individuals composed of the following ethnic groups: Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Asian/Pacific Islander. All participants were administered a neuropsychological battery containing both verbal (Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), Boston Naming Test (BNT), and the Stroop Test) and nonverbal (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT), and the Color Trails Test (CTT)) subtests. Based on bivariate correlations, the following measures were included in the verbal composite: COWAT (FAS and animal naming), BNT, and Stroop Test part B, and the following measures were included in the nonverbal composite: WCST (total errors, categories completed, and percentage of conceptual-level responses), CTT-1 and 2, and Stroop C. A standard hierarchical regression was conducted to determine whether either verbal or nonverbal composite variables were related to demographic (age and total years of education) and cultural variables (acculturation, amount of education obtained outside of the U.S., and English language proficiency). It was hypothesized that 1) level of acculturation and amount of education obtained outside of the United States would impact verbal and nonverbal neuropsychological test performance above and beyond demographic factors, and 2) English language proficiency would be a stronger predictor of verbal neuropsychological test performance than the other two cultural factors. The results mostly supported the hypotheses and demonstrate the importance of quantitatively assessing English language proficiency in neuropsychological testing with ethnically diverse individuals

The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Shelter Program

The shelter program at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine provides veterinary students with extensive experience in shelter animal care including spay/neuter, basic wellness care, diagnostics, medical management, disease control, shelter management and biosecurity. Students spend five days at shelters in the junior year of the curriculum and two weeks working on mobile veterinary units in their senior year. The program helps meet accreditation standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education that require students to have hands-on experience and is in keeping with recommendations from the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium. The program responds, in part, to the challenge from the Pew Study on Future Directions for Veterinary Medicine that argued that veterinary students do not graduate with the level of knowledge and skills that is commensurate with the number of years of professional education

Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project: construction schedule

The construction schedule for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant and its evolution are described. The initial schedule basis, changes necessitated by the evaluation of the overall plant design, and constructability improvements that have been effected to assure adherence to the schedule are presented. The schedule structure and hierarchy are discussed, as are tools used to define, develop, and evaluate the schedule

Single-pedicle hinge flap performed by shelter medicine team resolves chronic antebrachial wound in a cat

Case summary An approximately 3-year-old, male domestic longhair cat was presented to a mobile veterinary unit for routine neuter. Preoperative physical examination revealed an approximately 5 cm × 2 cm scab on the craniolateral portion of the left antebrachium. The cat was anesthetized for the neuter using an injectable anesthesia protocol. After castration, the wound area on the antebrachium was clipped, copiously lavaged and the wound edges were surgically debrided. Injectable antibiotics and analgesic management were instituted. The wound was conservatively managed using sugar bandaging and antibiotic dressings until the progression of healing plateaued. Procedures for closing the defect were explored, and it was decided that a single-pedicle hinge flap would be ideal. The procedure was performed on the mobile veterinary unit and managed postoperatively with pain control and biweekly bandage changes. After 3 weeks, the single-pedicle hinge flap was released to create a skin graft, which successfully filled the defect. Relevance and novel information Single-pedicle hinge flaps performed in feline patients have been minimally reported. This case report serves to provide detailed information on the surgical procedure and aftercare required for a successful outcome. Furthermore, this procedure was performed by a shelter medicine team in a mobile veterinary unit with no specialty equipment or instruments. This report documents an alternative procedure that may be used in a shelter environment for distal forelimb wounds rather than amputation or euthanasia