BackgroundThree-dimensional joint kinematics during canine locomotion are commonly measured using skin marker-based stereophotogrammetry technologies. However, marker-related errors caused by the displacement of the skin surface relative to the underlying bones (i.e., soft tissue artifacts, STA) may affect the accuracy of the measurements and obscure clinically relevant information. Few studies have assessed STA in canine limbs during kinematic analysis. The magnitudes and patterns of the STA and their influence on kinematic analysis remain unclear. Therefore, the current study aims to quantify the in vivo STA of skin markers on the canine thigh and crus during passive joint motion. The stifle joints of ten dogs were passively extended while the skin markers were measured using a motion capture system, and skeletal kinematics were determined using a CT-to-fluoroscopic image registration method.ResultsThe skin markers exhibited considerable STA relative to the underlying bones, with a peak amplitude of 27.4 mm for thigh markers and 28.7 mm for crus markers; however, the amplitudes and displacement directions at different attachment sites were inconsistent. The markers on the cranial thigh and lateral crus closer to the stifle joint had greater STA amplitudes in comparison to those of other markers. Most markers had STA with linear and quadratic patterns against the stifle flexion angles. These STA resulted in underestimated flexion angles but overestimated adduction and internal rotation when the stifle was flexed to greater than 90°.ConclusionsMarker displacements relative to the underlying bones were prominent in the cranial aspect of the thigh and the proximal-lateral aspect of the crus. The calculated stifle kinematic variables were also affected by the STA. These findings can provide a reference for marker selection in canine motion analysis for similar motion tasks and clarify the relationship between STA patterns and stifle kinematics; the results may therefore contribute to the development of STA models and compensation techniques for canine motion analysis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1714-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Total hip replacement (THR) has been one of the main choices in treating dysplasia and other disabling conditions of the coxofemoral joint of large-breed dogs. Quantitative data of the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the native normal acetabulum will be helpful for better design and implantation of prosthetic components. However, 3D orientation and morphological parameters of the native acetabulum in large-breed dogs are rarely reported. The purposes of the study were to measure the values of the 3D morphological parameters of the native acetabulum in Labrador Retriever dogs, namely acetabular orientation in relation to the pelvis, as well as the radius, angle between ventral and dorsal rims, and the distance from the center to the dorsal rim of the acetabulum using a 3D CT-derived model. The data will be useful for developing a more accurate guideline for improving current THR designs and for more accurate placement of the acetabulum component during THR surgery.

Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) is commonly used as probiotic and its secondary metabolites are attractive anti-microbial candidate. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the antiviral activity of crude extracts from B. licheniformis against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a highly contagious enveloped porcine virus that has caused great economic loss in pigs. In vivo, PEDV-infected piglets supplemented with air-dried solid state fermentative cultivate containing B. licheniformis-fermented products (BLFP) showed milder clinical symptoms and decreased viral shedding. Importantly, no significant systemic pathological lesions and no reduction in average daily gain were noted in pigs supplemented with the BLFP, which suggests that it is safe for use in pigs. In vitro experiments revealed that while B. licheniformis crude extracts exhibited no toxicity in Vero cells, co-cultivation of B. licheniformis crude extracts with PEDV significantly reduced viral infection and replication. Summarized current results suggest that the B. licheniformis-fermented products could be a novel candidate food additive for reducing the impact of PED on the swine industry.

Skin marker-based motion analysis has been widely used to evaluate the functional performance of canine gait and posture. However, the interference of soft tissues between markers and the underlying bones (soft tissue artefacts, STAs) may lead to errors in kinematics measurements. Currently, no optimal marker attachment sites and cluster compositions are recommended for canine gait analysis. The current study aims to evaluate cluster-level STAs and the effects of cluster compositions on the computed stifle kinematics. Ten mixed-breed healthy dogs affixed with 19 retroreflective markers on the thigh and shank were enrolled. During isolated stifle passive extension, the marker trajectories were acquired with a motion capture system, and the skeletal poses were determined by integrating fluoroscopic and CT images of the bones. The cluster-level STAs were assessed, and clusters were paired to calculate the stifle kinematics. A selection of cluster compositions was useful for deriving accurate sagittal and frontal plane stifle kinematics with flexion angles below 50 per cent of the range of motion. The findings contribute to improved knowledge of canine STAs and their influence on motion measurements. The marker composition with the smallest error in describing joint kinematics is recommended for future applications and study in dogs during dynamic gait assessment.

BackgroundChronic inflammation has been implicated in sarcomagenesis. Among various factors, activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway has been documented being able to target genes associated with tumor progression and up-regulate the expression of tumor-promoting cytokines and survival genes in several human solid tumors. Feline injection sites sarcomas (FISS) are malignant entities derived from the mesenchymal origin. The disease has been considered to be associated with vaccine adjuvant, aluminum, which serves as a stimulus continuously inducing overzealous inflammatory and immunologic reactions. To understand the contribution of NF-κB in FISS, detection of activated NF-κB in paraffin-embedded specimens, in vitro establishment of primary cells derived from FISS, and evaluation of the effects of the NF-κB inhibitor, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), on primary tumor cells were conducted.ResultsIn this study, nuclear expression of NF-κB p65 was detected in 83.3% of FISS cases and not correlated with tumor grading, sex, and age. Primary cells derived from FISS in three cats exhibiting same immunohistochemical characteristics as their original tumor were successfully established. The NF-κB inhibitor, DHMEQ, was able to prevent nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and colonization in dosage-dependent manners, and induce cell apoptosis in these primary FISS cells.ConclusionsHigh expression rate of nuclear NF-κB p65 in FISS cases and dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the growth of FISS primary cells treated with NF-κB inhibitor suggested that NF-κB might be a potential molecular therapeutic target for FISS.