Selective use of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy following comparative imaging of Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT against I-131 MIBG scintigraphy in a small Asian cohort of Adult Neuroblastoma.

Adult neuroblastoma (AN) is rare with an extremely poor prognosis. No standard therapy exists for this entity and treatment options are limited in recurrent or refractory disease. 131I-MIBG has been used in combination with myeloablative therapy before autologous bone marrow transplantation or in a salvage therapy setting. However, myelotoxicity is a dose-limiting factor in heavily pre-treated patients and response is not always sustained. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and theranostics with radiolabelled somatostatin receptor analogues are becoming more commonplace with the recognition of these receptors in over 90% of neuroblastoma cells. We describe three AN patients assessed for somatostatin receptor status and the novel use of 177Lu-based peptide recep-tor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) in two of them and a literature review.

The use of infrared thermography as an early indicator of bovine respiratory disease complex in calves.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex causes considerable distress to domestic livestock and economic hardship to the beef industry. Furthermore, the resulting extensive use of antimicrobial treatments is a growing concern from the perspective of facilitating antibiotic resistant microbes. The earlier detection of BRD would enable an earlier, more targeted treatment regime and earlier isolation of infected individuals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of non-invasive infrared thermography in the early detection of BRD in cattle. Studies were conducted on 133 head of weaned calves. Data demonstrated that infrared thermography was able to identify animals at early stages of illness, often several days to over one week before clinical signs were manifest. Data indicated that 4-6 days prior to the onset of clinical symptoms of BRD, greater positive and negative predictive values and test efficiency for infrared thermography (80%, 65% and 71%, respectively) compared to the industry standard practice of clinical scoring (70%, 45% and 55%, respectively).

The eating quality of Canadian pork and its relationship with intramuscular fat.

This study was undertaken to assess the effect of various levels of intramuscular fat (IMF: <1%, 1.0-1.49%, 1.5-1.99%, 2.0-2.49% and 2.5-3.0%) produced from Canadian pigs on the eating attributes of pork loin. Sensory and instrumental eating attributes were determined on 85 pork loins (m. longissimus lumborum and thoracis). The following correlations were found between IMF and eating attributes: softness, -0.32 (P<0.01); initial tenderness, -0.31 (P<0.01); chewiness, -0.27 (P<0.01); rate of breakdown, -0.20 (P=0.07); juiciness, 0.17 (P>0.05); flavour intensity, 0.24 (P=0.02); off-flavour, 0.13 (P>0.05); mouth coating, 0.13 (P>0.05); amount of perceptible connective tissue, -0.02 (P>0.05), and instrumental tenderness (Warner-Bratzler shear force), -0.41 (P<0.001). As tenderness is considered the most important attribute that determines overall acceptance of pork, the threshold level of IMF for ensuring a positive eating experience was identified as a function of the attributes describing tenderness. Increasing the level of IMF past 1.5% did not change (P<0.05) the panelists scores for softness and initial tenderness. Average shear force, an instrumental measure of tenderness, was higher (P<0.05) at less than 1% IMF but did not change past 1.0% IMF (P>0.05). It is proposed that the threshold level of IMF that will ensure a pleasing eating experience is 1.5% IMF.

Evaluation of three ultrasound instruments, CVT-2, UltraFom 300 and AutoFom for predicting salable meat yield and weight of lean in the primals of pork carcasses.

Three commercially available ultrasound instruments were evaluated using pigs representative of the Canadian pig population: CVT-2, UltraFom 300 and AutoFom. The reflectance probe HGP2 was utilized as the baseline instrument. Sampling was stratified by fat thickness. The original data set (n=236) was divided randomly into a calibration set (n=194 [85 barrows and 109 gilts]) to calibrate the instruments and a validation set (n=72[32 barrows and 40 gilts]) for validating the calibration models. For salable meat yield, RMSE values for the calibration models were: HGP2, 1.56; CVT-2, 1.57; UltraFom, 1.70; and AutoFom, 1.68. For lean (kg) in butt, picnic, loin and ham, and weight (kg) of the skinless, trimmed belly, RMSE for the calibration models was similar for all four instruments: respectively, 0.19-0.21, 0.21-0.23, 0.31-0.37, 0.35-0.40 and 0.35-0.36 kg. Validation results for predicting salable meat yield show that the improvement in precision and/or accuracy associated with the UltraFom 300 or AutoFom, over the baseline reflectance probe HGP2, was negligible whereas a definite advantage was observed for the CVT-2. However, validation results for predicting kg of lean in the primals did not show any clear advantage for the three commerciallly available ultrasound instruments over the baseline reflectance probe HGP2. Calibration and validation procedures showed that, if one was to base the assessment of these three ultrsound instruments uniquely on the precision and accuracy for predicting salable meat yield and/or kg of lean in the primals, any amelioration over the baseline reflectance probe HGP2 would have to be viewed as rather negligible; particularly for the UltraFom 300 or AutoFom.

A novel approach to grading pork carcasses: computer vision and ultrasound.

A Computer Vision System prototype for grading pork carcasses was developed at the Lacombe Research System. The system consists of two components: ultrasound imaging to scan a cross-section of the loin muscle and video imaging to capture two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) images of the carcass. For each of the 241 carcasses (114 barrows and 127 gilts), salable meat yield was determined from a full cutout. Linear, two- and three-dimensional, angular and curvature measurements and carcass volume were derived from each image. Muscle area and fat thickness (7 cm off the mid-line) measured by ultrasound at the next to last rib site, together with 2D and 3D measurements provided the most accurate model for estimating salable meat yield (R(2)=0.82 and RSD=1.68). Models incorporating fat thickness and muscle depth measured at the Canadian grading site (3/4 last rib, 7 cm off the mid-line) with the Destron PG-100 probe, had the lowest R(2) and highest residual standard deviation (RSD) values (R(2)=0.66 and RSD=2.15). Cross-validation demonstrated the reliability and stability of the models; hence conferring them good industry applicability. The Lacombe Computer Vision System prototype appears to offer a marked improvement over probes currently used by the Canadian pork industry.

Congenital pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.

We report the rare case of an 11-year-old boy who presented with intractable hypoxaemia and a pulmonary mass. Investigations revealed this to be a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. It was entirely confined to the right middle lobe and was successfully treated via a right middle lobectomy. The relevant literature with respect to both diagnosis and treatment is reviewed.

Combinatorial fluorescence energy transfer tags for multiplex biological assays.

We report an approach for developing combinatorial fluorescence energy transfer (CFET) tags by tuning the tags' fluorescence emission signatures. The tags can all be excited at a single wavelength and analyzed by a simple optical system. We constructed eight CFET tags with unique fluorescence signatures, detected by a three-color capillary array electrophoresis (CAE) system with 488 nm excitation, using only three fluorescent dyes. A 1',2'-dideoxyribose phosphate spacer was used to separate the donor and acceptor to tune the energy transfer efficiency, generating unique fluorescence signatures. The spacer also served as an electrophoretic mobility tag to tune the mobility of CFET-labeled DNA for multiplex detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Six nucleotide variations were identified simultaneously using six CFET tags on synthetic DNA templates and on a PCR product from the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene.

Consumer acceptance of display packs of beef stored under N(2) or CO(2) in master packs.

Display-packaged samples of beef steak and of ground beef were delivered to the homes of 120 panelists. Each panelist received a set of samples of each meat. Each set consisted of one sample freshly prepared for retail display from vacuum-packaged product, one retail-packaged and then stored in a master pack under N(2) and one retail-packaged and the stored under CO(2). The samples in each set were prepared from the same strip loin or batch of coarsely ground beef and had been stored for between 21 and 23 days at 2°C. The panelists completed questionnaires on the attributes of the meats while they were packaged, when they were unpackaged for cooking, and when they were eaten. The responses to each question were tabulated, and the probability of the χ(2) statistics was calculated for each table. There were no significant differences in the general acceptability of the steaks from the three storage treatments. Significant numbers of panelists judged that ground beef prepared from vacuum-packaged product was of better colour and had less exudate, but was of poorer eating quality than the product from master packs. However, the majority of panelists did not distinguish between ground beef from the three storage treatments. The consumer responses indicate that controlled-atmosphere master packaging of display packs may offer a means of preserving display-ready beef for times that would allow wide distribution of the product through current commercial systems.

Stunning and shackling influences on quality of porcine Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus muscles.

Seventy-one barrows of three porcine genotypes (nn, Nn and NN genotypes with respect to halothane) were electrically stunned on the right side and randomly assigned to one of three treatments during the bleeding process (prone, PR; shackled left, SL; or shackled right, SR) to investigate the influence of both shackling and stunning on ultimate meat quality. PR carcasses had less side-to-side variation in 40 min pH than either SL or SR carcasses. Shackling contributed to a decreased 40 min pH in the semimembranosus (SM) and posterior longissimus dorsi (PL). The effects of stunning appeared to be additive when combined with shackling, tending to lower pH in the mid-longissimus dorsi (ML; P <- 0·10). The 'free' side of the shackled carcass also had significantly lower 40 min pH in the ML, PL and SM locations when compared to PR sides. Genotype had no influence on shackling since there was no treatment by genotype interactions. Despite significant effects on post-mortem metabolism (indicated by the differences in 40 min pH) shackling alone had little influence on overall ultimate meat quality of the carcass. Depending on the sampling location, soluble protein and L (∗) and b (∗) values varied among treatments. Shear force and a (∗) values were similar among treatments, but PR and SL carcasses had significantly lower expressible juice and drip loss compared to SR carcasses. These results suggest that, although shackling alone has little effect on meat quality, in combination with electrical stunning, shackling can lead to a decrease in meat quality.

Application of a Temperature Function Integration Technique to Assess the Hygienic Adequacy of a Process for Spray Chilling Beef Carcasses.

The hygienic performance of a commercial beef carcass cooling process was assessed by a temperature function integration technique. The process involves the automatic loading of beef sides into two continuous chillers, where the sides are periodically sprayed with water during the early part of the process, and subsequently are exposed to subzero air temperatures. The times required for the beef sides to cool to a deep temperature of 7°C indicated that the process was in accord with currently accepted views of Good Manufacturing Practice. The potential proliferations of Escherichia coli were calculated from 48 temperature histories obtained from the site-on-side surfaces that have been shown to remain at the highest temperatures for the longest periods. The extent of calculated E. coli proliferation did not correlate significantly with the time for deep tissue to cool to a chilled temperature. The range of proliferation values was comparable with the ranges obtained for other, dissimilar meat cooling processes. The spray-chilling process therefore met with a temperature function integration criterion for the hygienic adequacy of meat cooling processes that had been proposed on the basis of the finding from other meat cooling procedures.

Tufted hair folliculitis.

A case of scarring alopecia presenting as two circumscribed, tender and inflamed areas in the occiput with residual tufted follicles is reported. Each tuft comprised 10 to 15 normal-appearing hairs arising from individual hair follicles in the reticular dermis or subcutaneous fat, converging toward a single orifice in the epidermis. The initial pathologic finding was inflammation and scarring of the papillary and mid dermis with almost total sparing of the hair follicles in the subcutaneous fat. Successful treatment was achieved by surgical excision of the two areas. It is suggested that the areas of tufting represented nevoid lesions that underwent inflammation and scarring.

Comparison of acral nevomelanocytic proliferations in Japanese and whites.

The preponderance of malignant melanomas that occur in the Japanese population affect the palmar and plantar areas, in contrast to those of whites, which occur predominantly on the head, neck, and trunk. Furthermore, a precursor lesion, the dysplastic nevus, has been well defined in nonacral white skin but not in the Japanese. In this paper, a similarity between benign and atypical acral nevomelanocytic proliferations in Japanese and whites is described. However, it appears that in the Japanese group the melanocytes in benign and atypical proliferations are less dendritic than those noted in whites, and, in both groups, extensive pigmentation was noted in both the epidermal and dermal components of benign and malignant lesions in this limited review. A practical approach to classifications of atypism is, likewise, offered.

Reference values of blood parameters in beef cattle of different ages and stages of lactation.

Reference (normal) values for 12 blood serum components were determined for 48 Shorthorn cows (2-10 years old) and their 48 calves, 357 crossbred cows (12-14 years old), 36 feedlot bulls and 36 feedlot steers. In addition, hemoglobin, hematocrit, triiodothyronine, thyroxine and cortisol levels were determined for the crossbred cows, and feedlot bulls and steers. Reference values were tabulated according to sex, age and stage of lactation. Serum concentrations of urea, total protein and bilirubin, and serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase increased with age (P less than 0.05), while calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase decreased with age (P less than 0.05) from birth to the age of ten years. The Shorthorn cows had the highest levels of glucose at parturition (P less than 0.05) with decreasing levels during lactation. Creatinine concentration decreased during lactation and increased during postweaning. Both lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased (P less than 0.05) during lactation. Urea and uric acid were present at higher concentrations in lactating than nonlactating cows (P less than 0.05). The values reported, based on a wide age range and large number of cattle, could serve as clinical guides and a basis for further research.

The effects of castration, preslaughter stress and zeranol implants on beef: Part 1-The texture of loin steaks from bovine males.

A total of 144 male crossbred calves were allocated to four castration or implant treatments (unimplanted bulls; unimplanted steers; bulls implanted with zeranol at 100 days of age and reimplanted at intervals of 69, 93, and 56 days thereafter; bulls implanted with zeranol at 168 days of age and reimplanted at intervals of 93 and 56 days thereafter) and two preslaughter shipping treatments (minimum preslaughter stress with cattle shipped and slaughtered within 4 h of leaving the feedlot pen; normal preslaughter stress with cattle mixed, trucked 160 km, and slaughtered up to 24 h after leaving the feedlot pen). These cattle were slaughtered and striploins of these steaks were removed after 6 days of post-mortem aging. Evaluations of these steaks were then conducted using both an experienced laboratory taste panel and a highly trained professional texture profile panel. Results indicated that: (1) the differences that existed in palatability between steaks from unimplanted bulls and steers were primarily due to differences in textural properties directly related to tenderness; (2) increases in preslaughter stress levels were detrimental to the eating quality of both intact males and castrates; (3) zeranol implants had little effect on the textural properties of bull steaks when minimum levels of preslaughter stress were applied; (4) zeranol implants in combination with normal levels of preslaughter stress resulted in steaks which readily broke down to a wide range of particle types many of which were inappropriate and detracted from a well balanced beef texture, thereby more than offsetting the beneficial effects observed on textural properties directly related to tenderness, thus, reducing the texture amplitude; and (5) the influence of the combination of zeranol implants and normal preslaughter stress on textural properties may be manifested through the production of 'dark cutting' beef.

The effects of castration, preslaughter stress and zeranol implants on beef: Part 2-Cooking properties and flavor of loin steaks from bovine males.

A total of 144 male crossbred calves were allocated to four castration or implant treatments (unimplanted bulls; unimplanted steers; bulls implanted with zeranol at 100 days of age and reimplanted at intervals of 69, 93 and 56 days thereafter; bulls implanted with zeranol at 168 days of age and reimplanted at intervals of 93 and 56 days thereafter) and two preslaughter shipping treatments (minimum preslaughter stress, with cattle shipped and slaughtered within 4 h of leaving the feedlot pen; normal preslaughter stress, with cattle mixed, trucked 160 km, and slaughtered up to 24 h after leaving the feedlot pen). These cattle were slaughtered and striploin steaks were removed after 6 days of post-mortem aging. Evaluations of these steaks were then conducted using both an experienced laboratory taste panel and a highly trained professional flavor profile panel. Results indicated that: (1) steaks from bulls had higher cooking losses than their counterparts from steers, when minimum preslaughter stress was applied; and required longer cooking times under both preslaughter handling treatments; (2) steaks from unimplanted bulls had greater cooking losses and required longer cooking times than their counterparts from implanted bulls under normal preslaughter stress, but not under minimum preslaughter stress; (3) higher proportions of bull steaks than steer steaks contained inappropriate flavor character notes, under both minimum and normal levels of preslaughter stress; (4) both castration and preslaughter handling affected the intensity and order of appearance of specific flavor character notes; (5) the level of preslaughter stress significantly influenced the detection of specific flavor character notes in steaks from both bulls and steers; (6) steaks from steers under minimum preslaughter stress were rated significantly higher in flavor amplitude than their counterparts from bulls when under normal preslaughter stress, and steaks from steers under minimum preslaughter stress received higher flavor desirability scores than steaks from bulls under both minimum and normal preslaughter stress; (7) zeranol implants influenced the appearance and the order of appearance of specific flavor character notes under both minimum and normal levels of preslaughter stress; (8) both zeranol implants and the length of time animals were implanted appeared to increase the intensity of certain inappropriate character notes, and to decrease the intensity of certain appropriate character notes; (9) steaks from implanted bulls received lower flavor amplitude ratings than their counterparts from unimplanted bulls under normal preslaughter stress, but not under minimum preslaughter stress; (10) the level of preslaughter stress influenced both the appearance and order of appearance of specific flavor character notes in both implanted and unimplanted bull steaks; (11) the intensities of certain flavor character notes were influenced by differences in the level of preslaughter stress in both implanted and unimplanted bull steaks, and higher levels usually resulted in inappropriate character notes being more intense; (12) steaks from bulls in both implant groups received lower flavor amplitude ratings when normal preslaughter stress was applied, clearly indicating the deleterious effect of the combination of zeranol implants and normal preslaughter stress on bull beef flavor; and (13) the deleterious effect of the combination of zeranol implants and normal preslaughter stress on bull beef flavor could not be explaind on the basis of greater production of 'dark cutting' beef.

Ultrastructure: effects of melanin pigment on target specificity using a pulsed dye laser (577 nm).

It has been shown recently that brief pulses of 577 nm radiation from the tunable dye laser are absorbed selectively by oxyhemoglobin. This absorption is associated with highly specific damage to superficial vascular plexus blood vessels in those with lightly pigmented (type I-II) skin. To determine whether pigmentary differences in the overlying epidermis influence this target specificity, we exposed both type I (fair) and type V (dark) normal human skin to varying radiant exposure doses over 1.5-microsecond pulse durations from the tunable dye laser at a wavelength of 577 nm. Using ultrastructural techniques, we found in type I skin that even clinical subthreshold laser exposures caused reproducible alterations of erythrocytes and adjacent dermal vascular endothelium without comparable damage to the overlying epidermis. In contrast, degenerated epidermal basal cells represented the predominant form of cellular damage after laser exposure of type V skin at comparable doses. We conclude that epidermal melanin and vascular hemoglobin are competing sites for 577 nm laser absorption and damage, and that the target specificity of the 577 nm tunable dye laser is therefore influenced by variations in epidermal pigmentation. This finding is relevant to the clinical application of the tunable dye laser in the ablative treatment of vascular lesions. We also found on ultrastructure that the presence of electron-lucent circular structures of approximately 800 A in diameter were observed only at and above clinical threshold doses in those with type I skin and at the highest dose of 2.75 J/cm2 in type V skin. It has been proposed that these structures might be heat-fixed molds of water vapor. Both this and ultrastructural changes of epidermal basal cells demonstrate mechanisms responsible for alteration of tissue after exposure to 577 nm, which are discussed.

Blood and serum components and organ weights in steers, bulls and zeranol-implanted bulls.

To investigate certain physiological aspects of the mode of action of zeranol or Ralgro on growth, behavior and carcass quality of young bulls, concentrations of 19 blood components and weights of eight organs were determined. Experimental animals consisted of 36 untreated steers, 36 untreated bulls, 36 bulls implanted with zeranol at 3 mo of age and subsequently at 5, 8 and 10 mo and 36 bulls implanted with zeranol at 6 mo of age and subsequently at 9 and 11 mo. In addition, half of the animals in each group were subjected to moderate pre-slaughter stress (mixing and trucking 160 km); the other half was subjected to minimum pre-slaughter stress (no mixing and 4 km transport). Concentrations of cortisol, urea nitrogen and albumin in serum were higher (P less than .01) and those of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and creatinine were lower (P less than .05) in steers than in intact males. Concentrations of GOT, LDH, and creatinine were higher (P less than .05) in implanted than those in control males. Pre-slaughter stress had a significant effect on several traits measured in blood or serum. Thyroid glands were smaller (P less than .01) in steers than in control and implanted males. Testes were smaller (P less than .01) in the zeranol-implanted than in untreated males. Results indicate that zeranol had only a minor effect on the 19 blood components studied, but it did reduce testicle size. Castration had a major impact on several of the blood components. Pre-slaughter management had a significant effect on several blood components.

The effects of two shipping treatments on the carcass characteristics of bulls implanted with zeranol and unimplanted steers.

A total of 144 male crossbred calves were allocated to four management treatments (bulls; steers; bulls implanted with zeranol at 100 d of age and re-implanted at 69, 93 and 56 d thereafter; bulls implanted with zeranol at 168 d of age and re-implanted at 93 and 56 d thereafter), and two pre-slaughter shipping treatments (minimum pre-slaughter stress with cattle shipped and slaughtered within 4 h of leaving the feedlot pen; moderate pre-slaughter stress with cattle mixed, trucked 160 km and slaughtered up to 24 h of leaving the feedlot pen) in a 4 X 2 factorial arrangement. Management treatment had no significant effect on carcass pH (45 min), carcass muscle temperature (45 min), or peak shear-force of cooked longissimus muscle. Steers had significantly lower dressing percentage, warm-carcass weight, hide weight and carcass-lean content, but higher marbling score, fat thickness and intramuscular-fat content than all treatments with bulls. Minimum pre-slaughter stress resulted in significantly lower dressing percentage, warm-carcass weight, and carcass pH (45 min), but generally had no effect on carcass tissue-yield measurements compared with the moderate stress treatment. Implanted bulls produced carcasses with significantly darker meat, higher 24-h pH and lower meat expressible juice than bulls and castrates for the moderate pre-slaughter stress treatment. These results provide evidence that zeranol implantation in bulls had a minor influence on carcass characteristics, and did not reduce the incidence of dark-cutting carcasses in young bulls subjected to moderate pre-slaughter shipping stress.