Mining free-text medical records for companion animal enteric syndrome surveillance

Large amounts of animal health care data are present in veterinary electronic medical records (EMR) and they present an opportunity for companion animal disease surveillance. Veterinary patient records are largely in free-text without clinical coding or fixed vocabulary. Text-mining, a computer and information technology application, is needed to identify cases of interest and to add structure to the otherwise unstructured data. In this study EMR's were extracted from veterinary management programs of 12 participating veterinary practices and stored in a data warehouse. Using commercially available text-mining software (WordStat™), we developed a categorization dictionary that could be used to automatically classify and extract enteric syndrome cases from the warehoused electronic medical records. The diagnostic accuracy of the text-miner for retrieving cases of enteric syndrome was measured against human reviewers who independently categorized a random sample of 2500 cases as enteric syndrome positive or negative. Compared to the reviewers, the text-miner retrieved cases with enteric signs with a sensitivity of 87.6% (95%CI, 80.4–92.9%) and a specificity of 99.3% (95%CI, 98.9–99.6%). Automatic and accurate detection of enteric syndrome cases provides an opportunity for community surveillance of enteric pathogens in companion animals.     

额尔齐斯河白斑狗鱼寄生单肠四钩虫的种群生态学研究

通过野外取样调查,对额尔齐斯河白斑狗鱼鳃部寄生的单肠四钩虫（Tetraonchus monenteron）的种群生态学进行了研究。结果表明：感染率、感染强度在不同的宿主体长组表现出不同的变化趋势,平均感染率为45.4%,而平均感染强度为11.8±6.05,随着宿主体长的增大,单肠四钩虫的感染率逐渐减小,而感染强度却逐渐...     

Chemical characterization of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) found in local accessions and used in traditional medicines in Iran

Ocimum species are used in traditional Iranian medicine, as a culinary herb, and as a well-known source of flavoring principles. Horticultural characteristics, including quantitative and qualitative traits along with the chemical variation of phenolic acids, of 23 accessions of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) from Iran were studied. Morphological studies of accessions showed a high level of variability in recorded traits. Quantification of phenolic acids was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and showed drastic variations between accessions. Chemical studies revealed that rosmarinic acid is the predominant phenolic acid present in both flower and leaf tissues. Unusual basil accessions were identified that can serve as genetic sources of phenolic acids for crop improvement.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and sol-gel-based immunoaffinity purification (IAP) of the pyrethroid bioallethrin in food and environmental samples

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and sol-gel-based immunoaffinity purification (IAP) methods for the pyrethroid bioallethrin were developed and applied for monitoring bioallethrin in spiked food, soil, and dust samples. Attempts to determine bioallethrin content in fruit and vegetable extracts revealed high variability between sample preparations and marked interferences with the assay. Sol-gel IAP followed by solid-phase sample concentration was effective in removing the interfering components and resulted in high recovery of bioallethrin from spiked crude acetonic extracts of fruits and vegetables, even in the presence of high extract concentrations (28%). Solid-phase treatment alone failed to remove the interfering components from the spiked sample. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the IAP samples revealed bioallethrin as a doublet unsolved peak because of the cis and trans isomer present in the standard with confirmation of its mass. Unlike fruit and vegetable extracts, soil and dust samples did not interfere with the ELISA, and the bioallethrin content in those samples could be determined with high precision without the need of any further purification.     

Menara gardens: a Moroccan olive germplasm collection identified by a SSR locus-based genetic study

The Menara gardens in Marrakech (Morocco), established in the 12th century, comprise more than 2000 olive trees. To assess the genetic diversity within these gardens, we performed SSR analysis of 128 randomly sampled olive trees. Using 15 SSR loci which revealed 70 alleles, we identified 16 distinct genotypes. The analysis of chloroplast DNA polymorphism allowed to identify 2 chlorotypes: COM1 for 2 genotypes and CE1 for all others. Among the 128 trees analysed, Picholine marocaine was the prevalent cultivar represented by 100 trees (78%), the 28 remaining trees being classified into 15 distinct genotypes. However, four genotypes were closely related to Picholine marocaine from which they probably derived through somatic mutations. The genotypic and genetic diversity observed in Menara gardens compared with the genotype diversity from different areas (North and Atlas); these facts support the hypothesis that these gardens have been planted with trees probably originating from different areas of Morocco. Our results point out an important concept for ex situ conservation: the assumption that local Moroccan olive germplasm was empirically, but not purposively, conserved already in Menara gardens.     

Aging effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on phosphorus fractionation in a calcareous sandy loam soil

In most arid and semiarid soils, naturally occurring phosphorus(P) is a major yield-limiting plant nutrient. In this study, to investigate the effects of organic(OP) and inorganic P(IP) sources on P fractionation, a calcareous sandy loam alkaline soil was fertilized with OP and IP fertilizers at low(80 mg P kg~(-1) soil) and high(160 mg P kg~(-1) soil) application rates. Three combinations of OP and IP(i.e., 75% OP + 25% IP, 50% OP + 50% IP, and 25% OP + 75% IP) were applied at low and high application rates,respectively, followed by soil aging for 21 d. Soil samples were collected after 1, 2, 3, 7, and 21 d and subjected to sequential extraction to analyze soluble and exchangeable, Fe-and Al-bound, Ca-bound, and residual P fractions. The soluble and exchangeable P fraction significantly increased up to 24.3%, whereas the Ca-bound fraction decreased up to 40.7% in the soils receiving 75% OP + 25% IP and 50% OP + 50% IP, respectively, compared with the control(receiving no P fertilizer). However, the transformation of P fractions was influenced by aging time. Addition of P sources caused instant changes in different P fractions, which then tended to decline with aging time. Change in soil p H was the limiting factor in controlling P availability. At high application rate, the OP source significantly increased soil P availability compared with the IP source with soil aging. Depending on P fractionation, a proper combination of OP and IP fertilizers, as long-term slow and instant P-releasing sources for plant uptake, respectively, may be a sustainable strategy to meet crop P requirements in the arid and semiarid soils.     

Evidence of Bartonella sp. in questing adult and nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks from France and co-infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Babesia sp

Ticks are known vectors for a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. Their role in the transmission of some others is so far only suspected. Ticks can transmit multiple pathogens, however, little is known about the co-existence of these pathogens within questing ticks. We looked for the presence of DNA from three micro-organisms, Bartonella sp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Babesia sp. which are known or suspected tick-borne pathogens, using a cohort of 92 questing Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from pastures in northern France. DNA was extracted from each individual tick and the presence of the three pathogens was investigated using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. Nine among 92 samples (9.8%) demonstrated PCR products using Bartonella specific primers, 3 among 92 (3.3%) using Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato specific primers and 19 among 92 (20.6%) using Babesia specific primers. Seven among 92 samples (7.6%) were PCR positive for at least two of the pathogens and one sample was positive for all three. Adult ticks (12/18; 67%) showed significantly higher infection rates compared to nymphs (11/74; 15%) for all three pathogens (P < 0.001). This study is the demonstration of the simultaneous presence of Bartonella sp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Babesia sp. in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks.     

Validating MARK2 Gene Polymorphism as a Predictor of Response to Lithium Treatment in Bipolar Patients

Background:Lithium is a therapeutic option for the treatment of the acute phase of the bipolar disorder and long-term management of this disorder. However, it is estimated that 10 to 60% of patients do not properly response to this medication.Methods:To investigate the role of MARK2 gene in response to lithium, we genotyped the MARK2 rs10792421 polymorphism in Iranian bipolar patients using ARMS-PCR.Results:Results of this study showed a significant association of this polymorphism with response to lithium. The A allele was more frequent in the responder than the non-responder group and also in the semi- responder group compared to the non-responder group in the codominant model of analysis. AA and AG genotypes were more frequent in both the responder and semi-responder groups compared to the non-responder group in dominant model of analysis.Conclusion:Based on the findings of the current study, the rs10792421 variant of MARK2 gene could be considered as a potential biomarker for predicting the treatment outcome of bipolar disorder type 1 in Iranian population. Key Words: Biomarkers, Bipolar, Lithium, Genotyping