Our objective was to develop a technique for cannulating the terminal ileum in pregnant sows and to evaluate the usefulness of this procedure in digestibility studies in pregnant and lactating sows. A simple T-cannula was inserted into the terminal ileum approximately 15 cm cranial to the ileo-cecal valve in a total of 15 multiparous sows at d 40 (+/- 5 d) of pregnancy. All cannulated sows recovered quickly after the surgery and within 3 d they were eating normally. Elevated body temperatures were not registered in any sows, and clinical problems related to the surgery were not observed. At farrowing, normal litters were born, and number of stillborn pigs, number of live born pigs, and daily litter weight gain were not affected by the cannulations (P > .05). Of the 15 sows originally cannulated, 11 sows were used for collection of digesta during gestation and the following lactating period. Eight sows were rebred after weaning, and five sows were rebred after the second lactation period and kept for another cycle. Blockage of the cannulas never occurred, and no serious problems were associated with digesta collections. The experiment demonstrated that pregnant sows can be prepared with a simple T-cannula in the distal ileum and that the cannula can be maintained in sows throughout the reproductive cycle. Hence, the procedure provides a tool for obtaining digesta from pregnant and lactating sows for nutrition studies.

The objectives of this study were to measure arteriovenous concentration (A-V) differences and estimate uptake of amino acids across the mammary gland in lactating sows. Four sows were used in Trial 1 and nine sows in Trial 2. Cannulas were fitted in the right anterior mammary vein and the carotid artery around d 7 of lactation. Arteriovenous samples were obtained on d 11, 14, 17, and 20. Litters were separated from the sows for 90 min, after which the first blood samples were drawn. Samples were taken at 20-min intervals for the next two consecutive hours. Milk production measurements and milk samples were obtained between d 11 and 19. Liters of plasma to liters of milk ratio (conversion coefficient) was estimated with the Fick method using A-V difference for lysine and milk lysine concentration. The conversion coefficient and the daily plasma flow were 541.41 +/- 35.72 L of plasma per liter of milk and 4,275 +/- 386 L of plasma, respectively. The A-V differences and the plasma flow were used to quantify daily amino acid uptake by the mammary gland. Uptake estimates (grams/day) were 36.51 +/- 4.05 (leucine), 31.24 +/- 3.64 (arginine), 23.39 +/- 2.97 (lysine), 21.22 +/- 1.96 (valine), 18.36 +/- 1.92 (isoleucine), 15.9 +/- 1.9 (threonine), 15.46 +/- 1.58 (phenylalanine), 7.61 +/- 1.12 (histidine), and 6.54 +/- 2.01 (methionine). The uptakes of arginine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and threonine significantly exceeded output of these amino acids in the milk. These results indicate that the sow mammary gland retains specific amino acids above requirements for milk protein synthesis.

This study assessed the effects of flunixin meglumine (FM) and a local anesthetic block (LA) on postcastration performance, plasma cortisol concentration, and behavior in dairy calves. Thirty 2- to 3-mo-old Holstein-Friesian bull calves were allocated to 5 treatments: castration with LA (2% lidocaine injected into the testes and subcutaneously), castration with FM (1.1mg/kg, i.v.), castration with LA+FM, castration without drugs (CC), and sham castration (SC). Castration was performed using a Newberry knife and Henderson castrating tool. Feed intake and body weight gain were recorded for 10d postcastration. Plasma cortisol concentration and behavior frequency and duration were monitored for 8h postcastration. Variables with repeated measures were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC); one-way ANOVA was used for nonrepeated measures. No differences in feed intake or body weight gain were detected among groups. Calves in the CC, LA, and FM groups had transient (<60, <60, and <45 min, respectively) increases in plasma cortisol concentration after castration, with a second increase at 120 min in the LA group, whereas cortisol concentration remained at baseline in the LA+FM and SC groups. Mean cortisol concentrations were lower for calves in the LA+FM and SC groups than in the CC group. The area under the plasma cortisol concentration curve during the first 3h postcastration was greater in CC- and LA-treated calves than in SC controls. Castration without drugs was associated with higher frequencies of crouching and statue standing and less oral activity compared with SC controls. Administering LA alone before castration was associated with higher frequencies of head turning, statue standing, and postural changes, and less feeding behavior compared with SC controls. More leg lifting to groom was seen in LA+FM-treated calves than in SC controls. Calves administered FM alone before castration exhibited less crouching than CC calves, fewer postural shifts, and more feeding behavior than LA-treated calves. In summary, FM alone tended to shorten the duration of cortisol response and reduce crouching after surgical castration. Combining LA+FM eliminated the cortisol response to castration but was associated with more leg lifting behavior. Treatment with LA alone did not mitigate the cortisol response and was associated with several behavioral differences compared with SC, FM-treated, or FM+LA-treated calves. Results suggest that LA alone did not effectively control discomfort in young dairy calves castrated using the Henderson castration tool.

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The objective of this study was to develop a technique to cannulate the mammary venous system of the lactating sow in conjunction with the carotid artery. A total of 16 sows were subjected to surgery between d 3 and 6 of lactation. The dams were separated from their litter during the full surgical procedure and the post-surgical recovery period. The carotid artery was cannulated according to a previously described method. The mammary vein cannulation immediately followed the carotid artery cannulation. A small venous branch (approximately 4 mm in diameter) located on the lateral side of the thoracic region was used to obtain access to the mammary vein. It was isolated 4 to 5 cm above the plica lateralis, between the first and second anterior gland. The venous branch was exposed and a cannula inserted slowly for a distance of 16 cm or until the tip of the cannula would reach the most cranial point of the mammary vein. The cannula was allowed to follow the normal path of blood flow, running in a caudal to cranial direction. After recovery from surgery (1 to 2 h), the dams were returned to their respective litters and treated with antibiotics for a minimum of 6 d. All sows nursed and weaned normal litters. Cannulas were flushed with heparinized saline (20 U/mL) every 8 h and both arterial and venous blood samples (10 mL) were collected simultaneously at 0700, 1500, and 2300. Arterial and venous cannulas remained patent for a minimum of 15 d.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world in 2020 by spreading at unprecedented rates and causing tens of thousands of fatalities within a few months. The number of deaths dramatically increased in regions where the number of patients in need of hospital care exceeded the availability of care. Many COVID-19 patients experience Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a condition that can be treated with mechanical ventilation. In response to the need for mechanical ventilators, designed and tested an emergency ventilator (EV) that can control a patient’s peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) and breathing rate, while keeping a positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). This article describes the rapid design, prototyping, and testing of the EV. The development process was enabled by rapid design iterations using additive manufacturing (AM). In the initial design phase, iterations between design, AM, and testing enabled a working prototype within one week. The designs of the 16 different components of the ventilator were locked by additively manufacturing and testing a total of 283 parts having parametrically varied dimensions. In the second stage, AM was used to produce 75 functional prototypes to support engineering evaluation and animal testing. The devices were tested over more than two million cycles. We also developed an electronic monitoring system and with automatic alarm to provide for safe operation, along with training materials and user guides. The final designs are available online under a free license. The designs have been transferred to more than 70 organizations in 15 countries. This project demonstrates the potential for ultra-fast product design, engineering, and testing of medical devices needed for COVID-19 emergency response.

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A ganglioglioma is a tumor consisting of neuronal cells in various degrees of differentiation mixed with glial elements which may participate in the neoplastic process.24 Gangliogliomas are rare in man2.4s5 and domestic animals.lJ In man, they usually present in the cerebrum of a child or young adult and are rarely found in the spinal cord.24 In domestic animals gangliogliomas have been documented in unusual sites, e.g., an intraocular tumor in the dog,5 but not in the spinal cord.A Holstein steer, normal at birth, was weak and ataxic in both rear limbs at 3 months of age. By 4 months of age, the calf was paraplegic. Temperature, pulse, and respiratory rates were normal. Withdrawal reflexes in the front and rear limbs were considered normal during neurologic examination. Patellar reflexes were hyperactive (3+/4). Anal reflex and tail tone were normal. The steer required assistance to stand, and at a walk, the front limbs appeared normal, but the hindlimbs were markedly weak and ataxic. Lateral radiographs of the thoracolumbar vertebral column appeared normal. Analyses of cerebrospinal fluid aspirated from the atlanto-occipital and lumbosacral spaces were normal. The calf was euthanized.Moderate muscle atrophy of both hindlimbs was present at necropsy. A 1 x 3 cm red-tan mass was within the spinal cord between T12 and L1. It was moderately firm, caused distortion of the surrounding spinal cord, and could not be easily separated from the adjacent parenchyma. Sections of the mass, spinal cord, and major organs were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 4 to 6 pm. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for light microscopic examination. Other sections of the mass and spinal cord were examined using the Bielschowsky silver method and by immunoperoxidase techniques using monoclonal antibody against the 200 KD neurofilament protein subunit and a polyvalent antiserum against glial fibrillary acid (GFA) protein.The neoplasm consisted of several cell types characteristic of ganglioglioma (Fig. 1). Some cells had typical neuronal nuclei which were large, vesiculated, and eccentrically located with distinct nucleoli. In some cells Nissl substance was present. The ganglionic nature of these cells was confirmed by Bielschowsky silver impregnation for neurites (Fig. 2), and neuronal processes were also immuno-positive with the neurofilament protein monoclonal antibody. Variation in size and shape of these cells, some of which were binucleate, random orientation, and abundant tortuous neurites indicated that they were neoplastic and not pre-existing neurons entrapped by tumor cells. A second group of cells were neoplastic astrocytes which were immunopositive for GFA protein (Fig. 3). In addition to these two types of cells, there were also smaller cells with small darkly staining nuclei and scanty cytoplasm, resembling lymphocytes (Fig.