Transmission of bovine viral diarrhea virus to adult goats from persistently infected cattle.

The transmission of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) from persistently infected (PI) heifers to adult seronegative goats was examined in this study. Ten seronegative adult goats were exposed to 4 PI heifers. None of the goats developed any clinical signs but all goats seroconverted by 42 days after exposure to the PI cattle. Results indicate that goats are susceptible to BVDV infection when housed with PI cattle.     

Oral bioavailability of etoposide after administration of a single dose to tumor-bearing dogs

OBJECTIVE: To characterize oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic disposition of etoposide when the IV formulation was administered orally to dogs. ANIMALS: 8 tumor-bearing dogs. PROCEDURES: An open-label, single-dose, 2-way crossover study was conducted. Dogs were randomly assigned to initially receive a single dose of etoposide (50 mg/m2) IV or PO. A second dose was administered via the alternate route 3 to 7 days later. Medications were administered before IV administration of etoposide to prevent hypersensitivity reactions. Oral administration of etoposide was prepared by reconstituting the parenteral formulation with 0.9% NaCl solution and further diluting the reconstituted mixture 1:1 with a sweetening agent. Plasma samples were obtained after both treatments. Etoposide concentrations were measured with a high-performance liquid chromatography assay, and plasma etoposide concentration-time profiles were analyzed by use of noncompartmental methods. RESULTS: 4 dogs had hypersensitivity reactions during IV administration of etoposide. No adverse effects were detected after oral administration. Plasma etoposide concentrations were undetectable in 2 dogs after oral administration. Oral administration of etoposide resulted in significantly lower values for the maximum plasma concentration and the area under the plasma etoposide concentration-versus-time curve, compared with results for IV administration. Oral bioavailability of etoposide was low (median, 13.4%) and highly variable among dogs (range, 5.7% to 57.3%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Vehicle-related toxicosis can limit the IV administration of etoposide in dogs. The parenteral formulation of etoposide can be safely administered orally to dogs, but routine use was not supported because of low and variable oral bioavailability in this study.     

VNIR Soil Spectroscopy for Field Soil Analysis

The advent of affordable, ground-based, global positioning information (GPS)–enabled sensor technologies provides a new method to rapidly acquire georeferenced soil datasets in situ for high-resolution soil attribute mapping. Our research deployed vehicle-mounted electromagnetic sensor survey equipment to map and quantify soil variability (?50 ha per day) using apparent electrical conductivity as an indirect measure of soil texture and moisture differences. A portable visible–near infrared (VNIR) spectrometer (350–2500 nm) was then used in the field to acquire hyperspectral data from the side of soil cores to a specified depth at optimized sampling locations. The sampling locations were derived by statistical analysis of the electromagnetic survey dataset, to proportionally sample the full range of spatial variability. The VNIR spectra were used to predict soil organic carbon (prediction model using field-moist spectra: R² = 0.39; RPD = 1.28; and air-dry spectra: R² = 0.80; RPD = 2.25). These point values were combined with the electromagnetic survey data to produce a soil organic carbon map, using a random forest data mining approach (validation model: R² = 0.52; RMSE = 3.21 Mg C/ha to 30 cm soil depth; prediction model: R² = 0.92; RMSE = 1.53 Mg C/ha to 30 cm soil depth). This spatial modeling method, using high-resolution sensor data, enables prediction of soil carbon stocks, and their spatial variability, at a resolution previously impractical using a solely laboratory-based approach.     

Profiling glucosinolates and phenolics in vegetative and reproductive tissues of the multi-purpose trees Moringa oleifera L. (horseradish tree) and Moringa stenopetala L

Moringa species are important multi-purpose tropical crops, as human foods and for medicine and oil production. There has been no previous comprehensive analysis of the secondary metabolites in Moringa species. Tissues of M. oleifera from a wide variety of sources and M. stenopetala from a single source were analyzed for glucosinolates and phenolics (flavonoids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and cinnamates). M. oleifera and M. stenopetala seeds only contained 4-(alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-benzylglucosinolate at high concentrations. Roots of M. oleifera and M. stenopetala had high concentrations of both 4-(alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-benzylglucosinolate and benzyl glucosinolate. Leaves from both species contained 4-(alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-benzylglucosinolate and three monoacetyl isomers of this glucosinolate. Only 4-(alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyloxy)-benzylglucosinolate was detected in M. oleifera bark tissue. M. oleifera leaves contained quercetin-3-O-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-(6' '-malonyl-glucoside), and lower amounts of kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-(6' '-malonyl-glucoside). M. oleifera leaves also contained 3-caffeoylquinic acid and 5-caffeoylquinic acid. Leaves of M. stenopetala contained quercetin 3-O-rhamnoglucoside (rutin) and 5-caffeoylquinic acid. Neither proanthocyanidins nor anthocyanins were detected in any of the tissues of either species.     

Assistance of microbial glycolipid antigen processing by CD1e

Complexes between CD1 molecules and self or microbial glycolipids represent important immunogenic ligands for specific subsets of T cells. However, the function of one of the CD1 family members, CD1e, has yet to be determined. Here, we show that the mycobacterial antigens hexamannosylated phosphatidyl-myo-inositols (PIM6) stimulate CD1b-restricted T cells only after partial digestion of the oligomannose moiety by lysosomal alpha-mannosidase and that soluble CD1e is required for this processing. Furthermore, recombinant CD1e was able to bind glycolipids and assist in the digestion of PIM6. We propose that, through this form of glycolipid editing, CD1e helps expand the repertoire of glycolipidic T cell antigens to optimize antimicrobial immune responses.     

Symbiotic properties of Methylobacterium nodulans ORS 2060T: A classic process for an atypical symbiont

Some legume species of the Crotalaria genus are specifically nodulated by methylotrophic bacteria belonging to the Methylobacterium nodulans species. The feature of this symbiotic bacterium is its ability to oxidize methanol, a property based on the presence of a methanol dehydrogenase enzyme. Despite a good knowledge of this property and its implication in symbiosis, the molecular dialogue between M. nodulans and crotalaria podocarpa leading to symbiosis is largely unknown, except the presence of a nodA nodulation gene in the genome of M. nodulans ORS 2060. To investigate if M. nodulans ORS 2060 produces Nod factors, molecules considered as the major bacteria-to-plant signals essential for the establishment of rhizobia–legume symbiosis, we identified and sequenced a nodDABCUIJHQ cluster from a genomic library of ORS 2060. Phylogenetic analyses of nod genes revealed that M. nodulans ORS 2060 form a branch together with Burkholderia tuberum STM678 and a strain of Methylobacterium sp. (4-46) isolated from Lotononis, and distinct from all the other rhizobia. To analyse the regulation of ORS 2060 nod genes, we constructed a nodA–LacZ promoter fusion to monitor the nod gene expression with various flavonoids. The flavone apigenin was found to be the strongest inducer of nod gene expression in M. nodulans ORS 2060. This latter flavonoid was used to induce ORS 2060, and Nod factors were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and further characterized by mass spectrometry. One major Nod factor structure was identified as a pentamer of chitin substituted by C18:1 or C16:0 acyl chains on the non-reducing end and 6-O-sulphated on the other end, suggesting a classic symbiotic dialogue between M. nodulans and C. podocarpa.