Removal of equine cryptorchid testes through an enlarged umbilical portal in dorsally recumbent horses after intra-abdominal laparoscopic castration.

Background: Laparoscopic removal of cryptorchid testes has been routinely reported through enlarged parainguinal incisions in dorsally recumbent horses. Outcomes following removal through an extended umbilical incision have not been previously reported.

Objective: To describe the surgical technique of removing cryptorchid testes in dorsally recumbent horses through an enlarged umbilical portal after laparoscopic intra-abdominal castration.

Digital microfluidic platform for the detection of rubella infection and immunity: a proof of concept.

Background: Whereas disease surveillance for infectious diseases such as rubella is important, it is critical to identify pregnant women at risk of passing rubella to their offspring, which can be fatal and can result in congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The traditional centralized model for diagnosing rubella is cost-prohibitive in resource-limited settings, representing a major obstacle to the prevention of CRS. As a step toward decentralized diagnostic systems, we developed a proof-of-concept digital microfluidic (DMF) diagnostic platform that possesses the flexibility and performance of automated immunoassay platforms used in central facilities, but with a form factor the size of a shoebox.

Automated digital microfluidic platform for magnetic-particle-based immunoassays with optimization by design of experiments.

We introduce an automated digital microfluidic (DMF) platform capable of performing immunoassays from sample to analysis with minimal manual intervention. This platform features (a) a 90 Pogo pin interface for digital microfluidic control, (b) an integrated (and motorized) photomultiplier tube for chemiluminescent detection, and (c) a magnetic lens assembly which focuses magnetic fields into a narrow region on the surface of the DMF device, facilitating up to eight simultaneous digital microfluidic magnetic separations. The new platform was used to implement a three-level full factorial design of experiments (DOE) optimization for thyroid-stimulating hormone immunoassays, varying (1) the analyte concentration, (2) the sample incubation time, and (3) the sample volume, resulting in an optimized protocol that reduced the detection limit and sample incubation time by up to 5-fold and 2-fold, respectively, relative to those from previous work.

Comparison of the accuracy of radiography and ultrasonography for detection of articular lesions in horses.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of ultrasonographic and radiographic examination for evaluation of articular lesions in horses.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Animals: Horses (n = 137) with articular lesions.

Postoperative complications and survival after enterolith removal from the ascending or descending colon in horses.

Objective: To compare incidence of postoperative complications and survival of horses that had surgery for enterolithiasis of the ascending (AC) or descending (DC) colon.

Study Design: Case series

Animals: Horses (n=236) that had celiotomy for AC (n=97) or DC (n=139) enterolithiasis.

Methods: Medical records (1999-2005) were reviewed for signalment, presenting clinical signs, surgical findings, postoperative complications, and short-term survival until discharge.

A study of the liquid and solvent properties of optically active and racemic alpha-methylbenzylamine.

Speed-of-sound measurements are reported for RS (racemic) and S liquid alpha-methylbenzylamine (MBA) obtained using a modified design of previously published experimental geometry. After correcting for density changes, the resulting isentropic compressibility of the S liquid is found to be 2% larger than that of the RS racemic mixture. These data, along with proton NMR chemical shifts and published partial molar volumes, suggest that the structures of the racemic and optically active liquids are subtly different.

Solvent effects on the optical rotation of (S)-(-)-alpha-methylbenzylamine.

The optical rotation of (S)-(-)-alpha-methylbenzylamine at 589 nm has been measured in 39 different solvents at five different concentrations: 0.25, 0.50, 1.