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The amputation of a limb in quadrupeds can overload the remaining limbs, especially the contralateral one. The compensatory effort is especially high if it is a forelimb. It is, therefore, important to objectively know the changes in weight redistribution that occur in the animal while walking and standing still. With this objective, static (postural) and dynamic kinetic examinations were carried out on five French bulldogs with an amputated forelimb and five intact French bulldogs. For this examination, force and pressure platforms were used. The results were statistically compared using the student t-test. The parameters derived from the ground reaction forces were significantly higher in the amputee group. Surprisingly, postural examination showed that amputated dogs reached the same stability as healthy ones. Tripedal support in dogs does not objectively imply a loss of balance in quantitative terms; although the increase in force used by the remaining limb, as well as its altered cranial disposition during the support phase, may potentially predispose the animal to additional injuries in the future due to an overuse of different musculoskeletal units.

Tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament causes hindlimb lameness in dogs. Different surgical procedures have been proposed to treat this condition. In this study, two different TTA-based techniques and implants were compared. A total of 30 dogs were separated into two groups according to the technique and implant used (Porous TTA® or Model Xgen®). The aim of the study was to assess whether one of these techniques has better functional recovery of the joint, better bone consolidation after the osteotomy procedure and fewer osteoarthritic changes. We compared both groups up to 3 months after surgery. No significant differences were found in any of the assessed parameters. Thus, both procedures were found to be equally effective and safe.

The goal of this study was to objectively assess the effect of a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) derivate in English bulldogs with stifle degenerative joint disease secondary to cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR). We used a force platform and affixed electrogoniometers to measure peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI), stance time (ST), and angular range of motion (AROM), from 12 lame client-owned English bulldogs with post-CCLR stifle joint abnormalities. The 12 affected subjects were treated with 4 intra-articular injections of PRP, at 30-day intervals. Ten untreated, sound English bulldogs were used as a reference group. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using a linear mixed effects model. Mean values of PVF, VI, ST, and AROM were improved within the first 3 months post-treatment in the CCLR group, with mean measured changes increasing to maximum 4.56% body weight gain, 1.5% body weight/second, 0.07 seconds, and 6.18 degrees, respectively. The effects declined progressively after the treatment interval, ending at nearly initial levels after 6 months. This study demonstrates that dogs with CCLR treated with intra-articular PRP had improved PVF, VI, ST, and AROM over time; the duration of effect was waning by the end of the post-treatment period.

Abstract Electrochemical research often requires stringent combinations of experimental parameters that are demanding to manually locate. Recent advances in automated instrumentation and machine-learning algorithms unlock the possibility for accelerated studies of electrochemical fundamentals via high-throughput, online decision-making. Here we report an autonomous electrochemical platform that implements an adaptive, closed-loop workflow for mechanistic investigation of molecular electrochemistry. As a proof-of-concept, this platform autonomously identifies and investigates an EC mechanism, an interfacial electron transfer (E step) followed by a solution reaction (C step), for cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin exposed to a library of organohalide electrophiles. The generally applicable workflow accurately discerns the EC mechanism’s presence amid negative controls and outliers, adaptively designs desired experimental conditions, and quantitatively extracts kinetic information of the C step spanning over 7 orders of magnitude, from which mechanistic insights into oxidative addition pathways are gained. This work opens opportunities for autonomous mechanistic discoveries in self-driving electrochemistry laboratories without manual intervention.

Background. Climate change models have projected an increase in the distribution of certain crop pests of economic importance by forecasting more favorable future conditions for these organisms. In citrus farming, Huanglongbing is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide, since it has caused the death of millions of trees. Objetive. The objective of this study was to estimate the current and future distribution of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in Mexico, under the climate change scenarios SSP2 4.5 and SSP5 8.5, for the years 2050 and 2070. Methodology. Distribution models were generated with MaxEnt and R, using uncorrelated bioclimatic variables from eight General Circulation Models (GCM) derived from CMIP6 and disease presence data. Results. The results indicate that the current suitability is 44.6 %. The future distribution depended on how model predictions were pooled. An optimistic approach that considered the intersection of all models showed a small reduction of 4.1% while, considering the union of all the GCM models, the increase will vary from 12.3 to 20.1 % of the Mexican territory depending on the particular scenario and time projection. Implications. The zones of potential occurrence of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus include most of the citrus-growing areas in Mexico. Conclusion. In some regions, future scenarios show a reduction in the potential occurrence of the species in citrus plantations. However, the risk remains because its surroundings include suitable areas that can be sources of dissemination of the disease.

La efectividad de formación de biofilms o “biopelícula” por cepas de Pseudomona y su capacidad de disminución del cloro y antagónica para bacterias coliformes, permite en gran medida, estudiar la capacidad de P. aeruginosa y P. fluorencens para formar biopelícula. Para el diseño experimental se utilizaron cuatro tanques con agua potable, a la cual se le adicionó Tiosulfato de sodio para eliminar las concentraciones de cloro. Para efectuar la formación de biofilms se colocaron cuatro estructuras en forma de “T” de PVC, sostenidas con alambre dulce. Se utilizaron tres tratamientos, uno con P. aeruginosa, otro con P. fluorencens y la mixtura (combinación de ambas cepas). Para cada tratamiento se realizaron conteos, caracterización y cuantificación de colonias bacterianas. Con el objetivo de determinar la efectividad de formación de biofilms por cepas de P. aeruginosa y P. fluorescens, así como también su capacidad de disminución del cloro y antagónica para bacterias coliformes. Nuestros Resultados indican que P. aeruginosa presentó una mayor capacidad para formar biofilms, en comparación con los demás tratamientos. El biofilms formado mostró efectividad en disminuir las concentraciones de cloro utilizadas, así como también, gran poder de antagonismo contra Escherichia coli. P. aeruginosa mostró mayor capacidad de antagonismo con un halo de 1mm de diámetro. Hemos encontrado que las cepas de Pseudomona utilizadas producen biofilms eficientemente, el cual reduce las concentraciones de cloro.

Abstract Background Pedobarographic analyses detect pressure redistribution among limbs and within limbs in humans, equids and dogs. The main objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of a set of pedobarographic parameters for the detection of lameness, as well as for its suitability for assessing the effects of therapies against osteoarthritis in dogs. With this purpose, eleven large-breed lame dogs with unilateral osteoarthritis due to elbow dysplasia were evaluated using a pressure platform prior to (D0) and after 3 months (D90) of treatment with mavacoxib, a COX-2 selective NSAID. The obtained parameters were: pressure distribution between lame and sound limbs, as well as paw area, mean pressure, and peak pressure of both lame and sound limbs. Results The results showed statistical differences in all these parameters between lame and sound limbs at D0; however, at D90, differences were significantly decreased as result of the treatment, indicating a substantial functional recovery under the study design conditions. Conclusions The provided data prove the suitability of this novel technique in canine models for the quantitative and objective assessment of lameness, but also for the evaluation of treatments for lameness caused by articular pain.

Subjective lameness assessment has been a controversial subject given the lack of agreement between observers; this has prompted the development of kinetic and kinematic devices in order to obtain an objective evaluation of locomotor system in dogs. After proper training, neural networks are potentially capable of making a non-human diagnosis of canine lameness. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether artificial neural networks could be used to determine canine hindlimb lameness by computational means only. The outcome of this study could potentially assess the efficacy of certain treatments against diseases that cause lameness. With this aim, input data were obtained from an inertial sensor positioned on the rump. Data from dogs with unilateral hindlimb lameness and sound dogs were used to obtain differences between both groups at walk. The artificial neural network, after necessary adjustments, was integrated into a web management tool, and the preliminary results discriminating between lame and sound dogs are promising. The analysis of spatial data with artificial neural networks was summarized and developed into a web app that has proven to be a useful tool to discriminate between sound and lame dogs. Additionally, this environment allows veterinary clinicians to adequately follow the treatment of lame canine patients.

Currently, hydrogen production is based on the reforming process, leading to the emission of pollutants; therefore, a substitute production method is imminently required. Water electrolysis is an ideal alternative for large-scale hydrogen production, as it does not produce any carbon-based pollutant byproducts. The production of green hydrogen from water electrolysis using intermittent sources (e.g., solar and eolic sources) would facilitate clean energy storage. However, the electrocatalysts currently required for water electrolysis are noble metals, making this potential option expensive and inaccessible for industrial applications. Therefore, there is a need to develop electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant and low-cost metals. Nickel-based electrocatalysts are a fitting alternative because they are economically accessible. Extensive research has focused on developing nickel-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution. Theoretical and experimental work have addressed the elucidation of these electrochemical processes and the role of heteroatoms, structure, and morphology. Even though some works tend to be contradictory, they have lit up the path for the development of efficient nickel-based electrocatalysts. For these reasons, a review of recent progress is presented herein.