Predicting likelihood of in vivo chemotherapy response in canine lymphoma using ex vivo drug sensitivity and immunophenotyping data in a machine learning model

We report a precision medicine platform that evaluates the probability of chemotherapy drug efficacy for canine lymphoma by combining ex vivo chemosensitivity and immunophenotyping assays with computational modelling. We isolated live cancer cells from fresh fine needle aspirates of affected lymph nodes and collected post‐treatment clinical responses in 261 canine lymphoma patients scheduled to receive at least 1 of 5 common chemotherapy agents (doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, lomustine and rabacfosadine). We used flow cytometry analysis for immunophenotyping and ex vivo chemosensitivity testing. For each drug, 70% of treated patients were randomly selected to train a random forest model to predict the probability of positive Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group (VCOG) clinical response based on input variables including antigen expression profiles and treatment sensitivity readouts for each patient's cancer cells. The remaining 30% of patients were used to test model performance. Most models showed a test set ROC‐AUC > 0.65, and all models had overall ROC‐AUC > 0.95. Predicted response scores significantly distinguished (P < .001) positive responses from negative responses in B‐cell and T‐cell disease and newly diagnosed and relapsed patients. Patient groups with predicted response scores >50% showed a statistically significant reduction (log‐rank P < .05) in time to complete response when compared to the groups with scores <50%. The computational models developed in this study enabled the conversion of ex vivo cell‐based chemosensitivity assay results into a predicted probability of in vivo therapeutic efficacy, which may help improve treatment outcomes of individual canine lymphoma patients by providing predictive estimates of positive treatment response.     

Ochratoxin A: Carryover from animal feed into livestock and the mitigation strategies

This review aims to highlight the effects of ochratoxin A (OTA) in the feed of meat-producing animals. The accumulation of OTA in feed and its distribution in various farm animals were compared and evaluated. Primarily, the oral administration of OTA-contaminated feed and the predisposition in an animal''s vital organ were critically examined in this work. The collated reports show that OTA directly associated with endemic nephropathy and its high concentration leads to degeneration of liver cells, and necrosis of intestinal and lymphoid tissues. At present, limited reports are available in the recent literature on the problems and consequences of OTA in feed. Therefore, this review focused on the OTA carryover from feed to farm animals and the interaction of its secondary metabolites on their biochemical parameters. Hence, this report provides greater insights into animal health related to OTA residues in meat and meat products. This article also explores mitigation strategies that can be used to prevent the carryover effects of OTA in livestock feeds and the effects in the food chain.     

Identifying and understanding factors influencing the uptake of new technologies on dairy farms in SW England using the theory of reasoned action

Whilst much is known of new technology adopters, little research has addressed the role of their attitudes in adoption decisions; particularly, for technologies with evident economic potential that have not been taken up by farmers. This paper presents recent research that has used a new approach which examines the role that adopters’ attitudes play in identifying the drivers of and barriers to adoption. The study was concerned with technologies for livestock farming systems in SW England, specifically oestrus detection, nitrogen supply management, and, inclusion of white clover. The adoption behaviour is analysed using the social–psychology theory of reasoned action to identify factors that affect the adoption of technologies, which are confirmed using principal components analysis. The results presented here relate to the specific adoption behaviour regarding the Milk Development Council’s recommended observation times for heat detection. The factors that affect the adoption of this technology are: cost effectiveness, improved detection and conception rates as the main drivers, whilst the threat to demean the personal knowledge and skills of a farmer in ‘knowing’ their cows is a barrier. This research shows clearly that promotion of a technology and transfer of knowledge for a farming system need to take account of the beliefs and attitudes of potential adopters.     

ICP-AES法测定土壤及肥料中的硼含量

采用岛津 ICP- 10 0 0 型真空单道扫描发射光谱仪测定了土壤及肥料中的硼含量 ,方法经标准土壤样品验证 ,并与肥料测定的国家标准方法相比较 ,结果均十分符合。同时给出方法的精密度、检出限等参数 ,说明该方法准确度、灵敏度高 ,操作简便快速     

Estimation of the Maximum Critical Load for Sulfur in South Korea

The maximum critical load of sulfur and its exceedance by the sulfur deposition of 1994–1997 were mapped for South Korea with a spatial resolution of 11 × 14 km using the steady-state mass balance method. The Korean soil and geological maps were used as basis for the estimations of the critical alkalinity leaching and the weathering rate of base cations. The normalized difference vegetation index data obtained from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) together with the observed primary productivity of plants were used for the estimation of the critical uptake of base cations. Wet deposition of the non-sea-salt base cations was derived from measured base cation concentrations in precipitation, precipitation rate and air concentration of total suspended particulate while dry deposition of base cations was estimated using the inferential technique using scavenging ratios. The predominant ranges of base cation weathering, uptake and deposition were estimated to be of 200 – 600 eq ha^?1 yr^?1, 200 – 400 eq ha^?1 yr^?1 and 400 – 600 eq ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. Critical alkalinity leaching was mainly in the range of 1000 – 2000 eq ha^?1 yr^?1 due to relatively high value of precipitation runoff. Exceedance of sulfur critical load was found at 40 % of the ecosystems considered mainly in the southeastern part of Korea, and about 60 % of Korea ecosystems were sustainable against sulfur acidity loadings.     

古田山常绿阔叶林木本植物与生境的相关性

 用来解释物种丰富的热带雨林物种共存机制的生态位理论和中性理论已经引起了生态学家广泛的关注,而对亚热带常绿阔叶林物种共存机制及物种多样性维持的研究很少。笔者采用卡方检验和典范对应分析方法,对古田山典型常绿阔叶林24hm2样地中胸径不小于10mm、个体数大于18的106种木本植物与平均海拔、坡度和凸度3个小地形生境指标进行生境关联分析。卡方检验结果表明,106种木本植物中,84种(79%)至少与一种生境显著相关(P<0.05);CCA及随机化排列测验方法分析结果表明,大部分物种的分布受生境因子限制;因此,古田山24hm2样地木本植物的分布与生境显著相关,生境特化是亚热带典型常绿阔叶林在局域尺度上木本植物多样性维持的主要机制。     

不同机栽方式下杂交稻产量及其形成特征比较

为寻求能够更好发挥杂交水稻产量潜力的机栽方式,解决好现有机插杂交水稻秧苗素质弱、盘根难、大田移栽漏穴率高等难题,以甬优2640、Y两优1号为材料,设置钵苗、毯状大苗、常规毯苗3种机栽方式,在高产栽培条件下系统比较研究了其产量差异及其形成。结果表明,钵苗和毯状大苗产量极显著高于常规毯苗(P0.01),甬优2640和Y两优1号钵苗实际产量分别高20.70%和20.81%,毯状大苗分别高12.26%和12.94%。钵苗机插由于采用壮秧带土移栽,几无缓苗期,群体茎蘖消长平稳,群体高峰苗数分别为最终穗数的1.2和1.3倍,最终成穗率80%左右,生育中、后期光合系统配置优,群体生长率和净同化率高,抽穗至成熟期物质积累量和积累比例高,单茎物质输出与转运协调性好,最终实际产量最高。毯状大苗机插方式可培育35 d左右秧龄壮秧,带大蘖移栽,但秧苗返青活棵后,由于低位无效分蘖少,高峰苗数显著少于常规毯苗机插(P0.05),为最终穗数的1.4倍左右,最终成穗率70%左右,生育中后期光合系统配置优于常规毯苗机插稻,群体生长率和净同化率等群体指标虽不及钵苗但明显优于常规毯苗,最终毯状大苗实产极显著高于常规毯苗(P0.01)。该文为发展机插杂交稻提供了参考。     

流感复合多表位疫苗的设计及小鼠免疫研究

鉴于目前出现了多种亚型禽流感病毒共存的局面,研究多价流感疫苗具有重要意义。根据各表位的免疫学特性,结合分子生物学信息软件的模拟功能,以H 3、H 9亚型流感病毒的HA抗原表位、流感病毒的其他主要抗原(NP、NA、M)表位的基因为基础,再附以K ozak序列和适当的酶切位点,设计并合成大小为765 bp的复合多表位基因盒-Ep。i将Ep i基因克隆入真核表达载体pIRES1neo中,构建DNA重组体pIR-Ep i;将H 7HA、Ep、iH 5HA基因以融合表达方式克隆到pIRES1neo中,构建了DNA重组体pIRE-H 57-Ep。i以上述构建的DNA重组体与鸡痘病毒重组株对BALB/c小鼠进行免疫接种后,检测体液与细胞免疫指标。研究结果表明,流感病毒复合多表位DNA重组体pIRE-H 57-Ep、ipIRE-Ep i免疫组小鼠均能产生针对H 3亚型流感病毒的特异性抗体,抗体效价(1∶1 600~1∶6 400)低于灭活疫苗免疫组(1∶12 800),但均高于其他对照免疫组(P<0.01)。pIRE-H 57-Ep i免疫组抗H 5、H 7 HA抗体效价分别为1∶12 800和1∶6 400,均高于其他免疫组(P<0.05)。pIRE-Ep i免疫组抗H 5、H 7HA抗体效价(1∶200,1∶100)较低,与其他对照免疫组差异不显著。pIRE-H 57-Ep i与pIRE-Ep i免疫组抗H 9亚型A IV的HA抗体效价(1∶6 400,1∶3 200)明显高于其他免疫组(P<0.05)。与PBS对照组及空质粒pIRES1neo对照组比较,用所构建的重组体免疫的各试验组小鼠的T淋巴细胞亚类CD 4 和CD 8 的数量显著提高(P<0.05)。pIRE-H 57-Ep i与pIRE-Ep i试验组的CD 4 与CD 8 淋巴细胞的数量较灭活苗显著增多(P<0.05),而各重组体免疫组之间差异不显著。此外,所有组的CD 4 /CD 8 比值均稳定在1.5~2.0,表明无异常免疫应答出现。EL ISPOT检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞分泌IFNγ-斑点数实验结果表明,pIRE-H 57-Ep、ipIRE-Ep i试验组的IFNγ-斑点数量(>70)比灭活苗(<40)显著增多(P<0.05),而各重组体免疫组之间差异不显著。上述结果说明,所构建的DNA重组体有良好的免疫原性,为最终获得能同时预防多种亚型流感病毒的多价疫苗奠定了基础。     

Comparison of methylation procedures for conjugated linoleic acid and artifact formation by commercial (trimethylsilyl) diazomethane

Four different methods for methylating conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were compared. The HCl/MeOH and BF(3)/MeOH methods were tested under different time and temperature combinations. Increasing temperature and/or incubation time for either method decreased the cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 isomers, but trans-9,trans-11/trans-10,trans-12 isomers and artifacts (allylic methoxide) were increased. In addition, the triacylglyceride form of CLA was tested using the above methods and NaOMe at various temperatures for 20 min. The NaOMe did not generate methoxy artifacts. However, there were impurities in GC after methylation with NaOMe as well as with BF(3)/MeOH. The (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane method, which is a mild and easy alternative, was tested. Free forms of fatty acids were easily, but not completely, methylated by this method. Also, the method generated artifacts (trimethylsilyl CLA esters) and impurities (trimethylsilyl) that would interfere with short-chain fatty-acid analysis by GC.     

Biological control of damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani using chitinase-producing Paenibacillus illinoisensis KJA-424

A bacterium having strong chitinolytic activity was isolated from a coastal soil in Korea and identified as Paenibacillus illinoisensis KJA-424 on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 16S rRNA gene. By activity staining after SDS-PAGE, three major chitinase bands with chitinolytic activity, approximate molecular weight of 63, 54 and 38 kDa were detected. On co-culture Rhizoctonia solani with KJA-424, abnormal swelling and deformation of R. solani hyphae were observed, where the release of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine was detected. The bacterium suppressed the symptom of damping-off cucumber seedlings caused by R. solani, in greenhouse trial.