Comparison of core needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration of enlarged peripheral lymph nodes for antemortem diagnosis of enzootic bovine lymphosarcoma in cattle

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether antemortem core needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration of enlarged peripheral lymph nodes could be used to distinguish between inflammation and lymphosarcoma in cattle. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 25 cattle with enlarged peripheral lymph nodes. PROCEDURES: Antemortem biopsies of the selected lymph nodes were performed with an 18-gauge, 12-cm core needle biopsy instrument. Fine-needle aspirates were performed with a 20-gauge, 4-cm needle. Specimens were analyzed by pathologists who were unaware of clinical findings and final necropsy findings, and specimens were categorized as reactive, neoplastic, or nondiagnostic for comparison with necropsy results. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of core needle biopsy ranged from 38% to 67% and from 80% to 25%, respectively. Sensitivity of fine-needle aspiration ranged from 41% to 53%, and specificity was 100%. Predictive values for positive test results ranged from 77% to 89% for core needle biopsy and were 100% for fine-needle aspiration. Predictive values for negative test results were low for both core needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that core needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration can aid in the antemortem diagnosis of bovine enzootic lymphosarcoma. Results of fine-needle aspiration of enlarged peripheral lymph nodes were more specific and more predictive for a positive test result than were results of core needle biopsy.     

Evaluation of brief dietary questions to estimate vegetable and fruit consumption - using serum carotenoids and red-cell folate

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate responses to self-administered brief questions regarding consumption of vegetables and fruit by comparison with blood levels of serum carotenoids and red-cell folate. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in which participants reported their usual intake of fruit and vegetables in servings per day, and serum levels of five carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and lycopene) and red-cell folate were measured. Serum carotenoid levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and red-cell folate by an automated immunoassay system. SETTINGS AND SUBJECTS: Between October and December 2000, a sample of 1598 adults aged 25 years and over, from six randomly selected urban centres in Queensland, Australia, were examined as part of a national study conducted to determine the prevalence of diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Statistically significant (P<0.01) associations with vegetable and fruit intake (categorised into groups: /=4 servings per day) were observed for alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and red-cell folate. The mean level of these carotenoids and of red-cell folate increased with increasing frequency of reported servings of vegetables and fruit, both before and after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A significant association with lycopene was observed only for vegetable intake before adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that brief questions may be a simple and valuable tool for monitoring vegetable and fruit intake in this population.     

Metal concentration in the gill,gastrointestinal tract,and carcass of white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in relation to lake acidity

Adult white suckers were collected from four lakes in Maine that ranged in pH from 7.0 to 5.4. The gastrointestinal tract and remainder of the carcass of fishes of similar age and size from each lake, and gills from additional fishes of similar size, were analyzed for Al, Cd, Pb, and Zn. Carcasses were also analyzed for Hg. Concentrations of Al, Cd, and Pb were highest in the gastrointestinal tract and lowest in the carcass; Zn concentration was highest in the gill. For carcass, all metals except Al differed significantly among lakes, for gill tissue Cd and Pb differed, and for gastrointestinal tract, only Cd differed among lakes. Where differences were significant, patterns among lakes were similar in each tissue analyzed. Concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Pb were negatively correlated with lake water pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), Ca, and lake:watershed area, and positively correlated with lake water SO₄, indicating that concentrations were higher in fish from more acidic lakes. Zinc concentrations in gills were unrelated to lake acidity, and carcass concentrations were higher in the less acidic lakes, which is the opposite of the pattern for the other metals studied. Zinc in gastrointestinal tract did not differ among lakes. Although the lakes we studied were located in undisturbed watersheds and did not receive any point source discharges, fish metal concentrations were comparable to or higher than those reported from waters receiving industrial discharges.     

Composition,distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of the western harbour of alexandria,egypt

Aim and Background  Little data are available on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of the Mediterranean Sea Coast of Egypt in general and the Alexandria coastal zone in particular. It was therefore deemed necessary to set up a monitoring programme to determine the current concentrations of PAHs in bottom sediments, and to identify any area where high concentrations of these potential hazardous contaminants were present in the Western Harbour of Alexandria. Methods  The composition, distribution and the source of PAHs in surficial sediments of the harbour were investigated. To document the spatial PAH input, surficial sediment samples from 23 locations throughout the harbour were analysed. as]Results and Discussion The total PAH load determined in the surficial sediment samples ranged from 8 to 131150 ng g¹ dry wt, generally with most of the samples having total concentrations of PAHs greater than 5000 ng g¹ dry weight. The highest concentration of total PAHs was recorded in sediments of the inner harbour. Ratio values of specific compounds such as phenanthrene to anthracene, fluoranthrene to pyrene, methyl-phen-anthrene to phenanthrene, methyl-dibenzothiophenes to dibenzothiophenes, alkylated to non-alkylated and high molecular weight to low molecular weight PAH, were calculated to evaluate the possible source of PAH contamination in the harbour sediments. Conclusions  Two main sources of PAH in the study area have been found: pyrolytic and petrogenic. Interferences of rather petrogenic and pyrolytic PAH contaminations were noticed for most samples. The dominant sources of PAH appear to be the combustion processes through run-off, industrial and sewage discharges, and atmospheric input. The concentrations of PAHs were generally above levels expected to cause adverse biological effects. Recommendations and outlook  Information from this study and any other relevant studies should be useful in designing future strategies for environmental protection and management of the harbour.     

Microbial Reduction of Iodate

The different oxidation species of iodine have markedly different sorption properties. Hence, changes in iodine redox states can greatly affect the mobility of iodine in the environment. Although a major microbial role has been suggested in the past to account for these redox changes, little has been done to elucidate the responsible microorganisms or the mechanisms involved. In the work presented here, direct microbial reduction of iodate was demonstrated with anaerobic cell suspensions of the sulfate reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans which reduced 96% of an initial 100 µM iodate to iodide at pH 7 in 30 mM NaHCO₃ buffer, whereas anaerobic cell suspensions of the dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens were unable to reduce iodate in 30 mM NaHCO₃ buffer (pH 7). Both D. desulfuricans and S. putrefaciens were able to reduce iodate at pH 7 in 10 mM HEPES buffer. Both soluble ferrous iron and sulfide, as well as iron monosulfide (FeS) were shown to abiologically reduce iodate to iodide. These results indicate that ferric iron and/or sulfate reducing bacteria are capable of mediating both direct, enzymatic, as well as abiotic reduction of iodate in natural anaerobic environments. These microbially mediated reactions may be important factors in the fate and transport of¹²⁹ I in natural systems.     

Using EM and VERIS technology to assess land suitability for orchard and vineyard development

Orchard and vineyard producers conduct preplant site evaluations to help prevent planting permanent tree and vine crops on lands where the crop will not perform to its highest potential or attain its full life expectancy. Physical soil characteristics within specific soil profiles and spatially throughout an orchard influence decisions on land preparation, irrigation system selection, horticultural choices, and nutrient management. Producers depend on soil surveys to help them understand the soil characteristics of the land and may be interested in technology that provides additional information. Electromagnetic induction (EM38) and four-probe soil resistance sensors (VERIS) are being used in combination with global positioning systems to map spatial variability of soils using apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa). The hypothesis evaluated in this study is whether rapid, in situ, and relatively low-cost methods of measuring ECa (EM38 and VERIS) can effectively identify and map physical soil variability in non-saline soils. The supposition is that in non-saline soils, ECa levels will relate well to soil texture and water-holding capacity and can be used to map physical soil variability. In turn, the information can be used to guide decisions on preplant tillage, irrigation system design, water and nutritional management, and other horticultural considerations. Two sites in the Sacramento Valley were mapped each with EM38 and VERIS methods. Site-specific management zones were identified by each provider on ECa maps for each site, and then soil samples were collected by University of California researchers to verify these zones. Results showed that on non-saline soils, ECa measured with both EM38 and VERIS correlate with physical soil properties such as gravel, sand, silt, and clay content but the relationship between conductivity and these physical soil properties varied from moderately strong to weak. The strength of the correlation may be affected by several factors including how dominant soil texture is on conductivity relative to other soil properties and on methods of equipment operation, data analysis and interpretation. Overall, the commercial providers of ECa surveys in this study delivered reasonable levels of accuracy that were consistent with results reported in previous studies. At one site, an ECa map developed with VERIS provided more detail on physical soil variability to supplement published soil surveys and aided in the planning and development of a walnut orchard. At a second site, almond yield appeared to correlate well with distinctly different soil zones identified with EM38 mapping.     

The Physcomitrella genome reveals evolutionary insights into the conquest of land by plants

We report the draft genome sequence of the model moss Physcomitrella patens and compare its features with those of flowering plants, from which it is separated by more than 400 million years, and unicellular aquatic algae. This comparison reveals genomic changes concomitant with the evolutionary movement to land, including a general increase in gene family complexity; loss of genes associated with aquatic environments (e.g., flagellar arms); acquisition of genes for tolerating terrestrial stresses (e.g., variation in temperature and water availability); and the development of the auxin and abscisic acid signaling pathways for coordinating multicellular growth and dehydration response. The Physcomitrella genome provides a resource for phylogenetic inferences about gene function and for experimental analysis of plant processes through this plant's unique facility for reverse genetics.     

The global circulation of seasonal influenza A (H3N2) viruses

Antigenic and genetic analysis of the hemagglutinin of approximately 13,000 human influenza A (H3N2) viruses from six continents during 2002-2007 revealed that there was continuous circulation in east and Southeast Asia (E-SE Asia) via a region-wide network of temporally overlapping epidemics and that epidemics in the temperate regions were seeded from this network each year. Seed strains generally first reached Oceania, North America, and Europe, and later South America. This evidence suggests that once A (H3N2) viruses leave E-SE Asia, they are unlikely to contribute to long-term viral evolution. If the trends observed during this period are an accurate representation of overall patterns of spread, then the antigenic characteristics of A (H3N2) viruses outside E-SE Asia may be forecast each year based on surveillance within E-SE Asia, with consequent improvements to vaccine strain selection.