The production and application of non-rodent monoclonal antibodies in veterinary science

The requirement for monoclonal antibodies derived from species other than rats and mice is becoming increasingly realised in veterinary, as well as human, medicine. This paper reviews current knowledge of the production of inter-species hybridomas (heterohybridomas) by the fusion of rodent myeloma cell lines with lymphocytes from species of veterinary importance. To date a number of monoclonal immunoglobulins derived from sheep, cattle, pig, rabbit, mink and primate species have been produced to a variety of different bacterial, viral and nematode pathogens as well as to blood group and MHC determinants and to hormones. The technique opens up a number of possibilities for the future; some of these applications are discussed in relation to the antibodies produced thus far.     

A model for estimating soil moisture changes as an aid to irrigation scheduling and crop water-use studies: II. Field test of the model

Abstract. A model was developed to estimate daily evapotranspiration and root zone soil moisture changes appropriate for scheduling irrigation, incorporating a modified version of the Penman-Monteith equation.
The model was field tested during 1992–94, for potatoes and sugarbeet, by comparing modelled root zone soil moisture changes with field measurements taken using neutron probes. The study confirmed the accuracy of the model when predicting crop water use and soil moisture change. Linear regression of measured versus modelled data exhibited a slope of 0.99 and an intercept close to and not significantly different from zero. The relationship accounted for 80% of the variation.     

Volume estimation of Cryptomeria japonica logs in southern Brazil using artificial intelligence models

This study aimed to test taper functions and artificial intelligence (AI) models in order to estimate merchantable volumes of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) trees in a homogenous plantation in southern Brazil. A total of 30 individuals were rigorously scaled and their total volumes were calculated, including those of the following log assortments: veneer, sawn, pulp and energy. Three AI models, i.e. two variants of k-nearest neighbours (KNN) instance-based classification (one and three nearest neighbours) and an artificial neural network (ANN) approach, were compared with three traditional taper models: fifth-order polynomial, fractional powers and the Garay model. The estimated volumes were compared with the actual volumes by means of the standard error (S_yx), bias, precision and accuracy. Total volume estimates proved to be unbiased (maximum bias 5.42%), precise (maximum precision 9.28%) and accurate (maximum accuracy 10.79%) with all of the investigated models. The tested models tended to give lower bias, better precision and accuracy in the middle portion of the stems, but worse estimates at the base and tip (maximum bias ?12.41%). In general, the KNN models improved merchantable volume estimation, particularly KNN1, which is a straightforward and simple method. We conclude that AI techniques have appeal for application in forest inventories and that KNN is a particularly interesting alternative for tree volume estimation.     

PLEURAL FLUID MOVEMENT

The present study was an attempt to illustrate the differences between ventrodorsal (VD) and dorsoventral (DV) radiographs that result from the movement of free pleural fluid. A volume of 25 ml/kg of normal saline was introduced into the pleural space of a normal dog, and radiographs of the thorax were produced in ventral and dorsal recumbency using a vertical (overhead) x-ray beam and a laterally directed horizontal x-ray beam. On the DV projection (ventral recumbency) the heart, cranial mediastinum, cranial lung lobes, and the ventral aspect of the diaphragm were submersed in fluid, which resulted in the loss of radiographically detectable borders. On the VD projection (dorsal recumbency) radiographic visualization of these structures was improved due to movement of the free pleural fluid away from them, toward the dependent caudodorsal aspect of the thorax. Radiographs of three dogs with spontaneous pleural effusion are presented to illustrate the differences in radiographic appearance of the thorax with pleural effusion when radiographed in DV and VD projections. The movement of fluid to the dorsocaudal thoracic cavity in dorsal recumbency caused lesions that were obscured on the DV projection to be revealed on the VD projection. the authors therefore recommend the use of the VD projection of the thorax in patients with pleural fluid when clinical status permits.     

Mechanism of renal excretion of creatinine by the pony

Free-flow and stop-flow procedures conducted on 2 female and 2 testosterone-treated castrated male ponies indicated that [14C]inulin and exogenous creatinine clearance values were the same. These results indicated that creatinine was neither reabsorbed nor secreted by the renal tubules and that exogenous creatinine clearance was an accurate method for determining glomerular filtration rate. As in other species which have been studied, endogenous creatinine clearance probably underestimated glomerular filtration rate because of the presence of noncreatinine chromogens in plasma.     

Amino acid coding in Sarcina lutea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Aminoacyl-tRNA's from Sarcina lutea were tested for incorporation into protein in a heterologous system from Escherichia coli or for biniding in a homologous system from Sarcina lutea. Aminoacyl-tRNA's from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested for biniding in a homologous Saccharomyces cerevisiae system. Synthetic polyribonucleotides were used as messengers. The code which exists in Sarcina lutea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the same as in Escherichia coli.