Ocular metastasis of a vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma in a cat

A 6‐year‐old, neutered male domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for a recurrent vaccine‐associated fibrosarcoma. The cat had three excisions of the tumour prior to presentation and was referred for radiation therapy. Ten months following treatment with radiation therapy, the cat was presented again for a cloudy appearance to the eye. An exenteration was performed, and biopsy revealed fibrosarcoma. At the same time, two discrete pulmonary nodules were identified on thoracic radiographs. Two doses of doxorubicin (20 mg/m²) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m²) were administered intravenously 3 weeks apart. Despite treatment, the pulmonary nodule doubled in size. This case represents the first antemortem report of ocular metastasis of a vaccine‐associated sarcoma and supports the highly aggressive nature of these tumours.     

Lunar organic compounds: search and characterization

The carbon concentration in Apollo 11 lunar fine material is of the order of 200 ppm. By far the largest single amount of this carbon appears to be in carbon monoxide. Some of this seems to be in the form of gas bubbles in the glass spheres, but most of it could be in some complex form other than gas. This result would be consistent with the idea that most of the fines passed through a high temperature and that the carbon was oxidized by mineral oxides at that time.     

Devon Acres CSA: local struggles in a global food system

This paper focuses on examining the dynamic nature of community supported agriculture (CSA) and the real-world experiences which mark its contours, often making it distinct from the early idealized CSA “model.” Specifically, our study examines the narratives of the farmers of Devon Acres CSA over its duration, in tandem with a survey of recent shareholders in order to understand and explain its evolution. The framework we develop here shows that this CSA is largely characterized by instrumental and functional beliefs and practices, with some elements in the collaborative mode. A key contribution of this research is the development of a framework which helps to highlight the relative fluidity and patchwork quality of CSA participant positions over time. At Devon Acres, the real-world factors and issues influencing CSA evolution are seen to be products of both the local and larger contexts, evident in such areas as shifts in farmer learning and adaptation, differences between beliefs and practices in member volunteer efforts, and changes in farm and resource conditions. With respect to CSA more broadly, we argue that the reality of dominant food system context and site-specific influences on CSA development compels us to rework our attachment to early idealized “model” traits. Expansion in CSA numbers, evidence of adaptation and situated learning, and retention of the local and organic as core traits, speak to the pragmatic yet transformative potential of CSA contribution to food system change.

Climatic control of riverine and seawater uranium-isotope ratios

The large variation in the ratio of uranium-234 to uranium-238 (234U/238U) in rivers is not well understood, but may provide information about past weathering and rainfall and is important because it controls seawater (234U/238U). Here, we demonstrate the importance of physical weathering and rainfall for (234U/238U), using rivers from South Island, New Zealand. These data allow interpretation of an existing speleothem (234U/238U) record and suggest that New Zealand glacier advance 13,000 years ago was influenced by increased rainfall rather than by Younger Dryas-like cooling. A model of seawater (234U/238U) during glacial cycles indicates that rejection of corals based on modern (234U/238U) +/- <0.01 is not merited and may reject the highest quality ages.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel protein (X-ORF product) from SIV and HIV-2

A protein designated p14 was purified from a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVMne) and was shown by amino acid sequence analysis to be nearly identical to the predicted translational product of a unique open reading frame (X-ORF) in the nucleotide sequences of SIVmac and human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2). Thus the X-ORF is proven to be a new retroviral gene. The p14 is present in SIVMne in molar amounts equivalent to those of the gag proteins. This is the first example of a retrovirus that contains a substantial quantity of a viral protein that is not a product of the gag, pro, pol, or env genes. SIV p14 and its homolog in HIV-2 may function as nucleic acid binding proteins since purified p14 binds to single-stranded nucleic acids in vitro. Antisera to the purified protein detected p14 in SIVMne, SIVmac, and a homologous protein (16 kilodaltons) in HIV-2 but did not react with HIV-1. Diagnostic procedures based on this novel protein will distinguish between HIV-1 and HIV-2.