Association of macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration with outcome in canine osteosarcoma

Immunotherapeutic strategies have shown promise for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma (cOSA). Very little is known about the immune microenvironment within cOSA, however, limiting our ability to identify potential immune targets and biomarkers of therapeutic response. We therefore prospectively assessed the disease‐free interval (DFI) and overall survival time (ST) of 30 dogs with cOSA treated with amputation and six doses of adjuvant carboplatin. We then quantified lymphocytic (CD3+, FOXP3+) and macrophage (CD204+) infiltrates within the primary tumours of this cohort using immunohistochemistry, and evaluated their association with outcome. Overall, the median DFI and ST were 392 and 455 days, respectively. The median number of CD3+ and FOXP3+ infiltrates were 45.8 cells/mm² (4.6‐607.6 cells/mm²) and 8.5 mm² (0‐163.1 cells/mm²), respectively. The median area of CD204+ macrophages was 4.7% (1.3%‐23.3%), and dogs with tumours containing greater than 4.7% CD204+ macrophages experienced a significantly longer DFI (P = 0.016). Interestingly, a significantly lower percentage of CD204+ macrophages was detected in cOSA arising from the proximal humerus compared to other appendicular bone locations (P = 0.016). Lymphocytic infiltrates did not appear to correlate with outcome in cOSA. Overall, our findings suggest that macrophages may play a role in inhibiting cOSA progression, as has been suggested in human osteosarcoma.     

Nutritional evaluation and productivity of supplemented sheep grazing in semiarid rangeland of northeastern Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Sheep production systems in Brazilian caatinga rangelands require supplementation adapted to changes in floristic and chemical composition as dry seasons...     

Performance,breast meat yield and abdominal fat deposition of male broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with DL‐xnethionine or DL‐xnethionine hydroxy analogue free acid

1. An experiment was conducted to compare the relative bioefficacy of DL‐methionine hydroxy analogue free acid (DL‐MHA‐FA) with DL‐methionine in broiler chickens. Responses used for comparison were weight gain and food efficiency between 7 and 35 d of age, and breast meat deposition, food cost per kg of breast meat, and abdominal fat at 41 d of age.

2. A total of 2160 seven‐day‐old male broiler chicks were used. The feeding programme consisted of a starter diet from 7 to 21 d, and a finisher diet till the end of the experiment. The starter basal diet contained 6.1 g/kg total sulphur‐containing amino acids (TSAA), and an estimated metabolisable energy (ME) content of 13.2 MJ/kg. The finisher diet contained 5.8 g/kg TSAA and an estimated ME content of 13.6 MJ/kg. Four concentrations of DL‐methionine and DL‐MHA‐FA were added at 0.5g/kg increments on an equimolar basis. Therefore, there were 9 experimental treatments which were each applied to 6 replicates of 40 chicks. Weight gain and food efficiency were determined at 35 d of age. Breast yield and carcase fat were measured at 41 d.

3. Significant responses to graded amounts of both methionine sources were observed in weight gain, food efficiency, breast meat percentage, and food cost per kg of breast meat. The responses fitted exponential regression curves. Based on the regression coefficients, equimolar bioefficacy of DL‐MHA‐FA relative to DL‐methionine was 80% for daily gain, 83% for food efficiency, 51% for breast meat yield, and 66% for food cost per kg of breast meat. Differences between the 2 sources were significant (P< 0.05) for breast meat yield and food cost per kg of meat and (P< 0.10) for food efficiency.     

Prevalence and Characterization of Salmonella Isolated from Feral Pigs Throughout Texas

Feral pigs are one of the most abundant free‐roaming ungulates in the United States, yet their role in the ecology and transmission of foodborne pathogens is poorly understood. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella shedding among feral pigs throughout Texas, to identify risk factors for infection, and to characterize the isolates. Faecal samples were collected from feral pigs in Texas from June 2013 through May 2015. Standard bacteriologic culture methods were used to isolate Salmonella from samples, and isolates were characterized via serotyping and anti‐microbial susceptibility testing. The prevalence of faecal Salmonella shedding among sampled pigs was 43.9% (194/442), with positive pigs originating from 50 counties. Pigs sampled during fall and summer were significantly more likely to be shedding Salmonella than pigs sampled during winter. High serovar diversity was evident among the isolates, and many of the detected serovars are leading causes of human salmonellosis. The most common serovars were Montevideo (10.0%), Newport (9.1%), and Give (8.2%). Resistance to anti‐microbial agents was rare. The burgeoning feral pig population in the United States may represent an emerging threat to food safety.     

Does Salinity Inhibit Alfalfa Leaf Growth by Reducing Tissue Concentration of Essential Mineral Nutrients?

The increased salinity of arid and semi-arid lands has become a problem of great concern in agriculture. The possibility that the inhibition of leaf growth in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) growing under saline conditions may be associated with a reduction in ion concentration in the leaf was investigated. Seeds of alfalfa cv. Buraimi were sown in PVC cylinders filled with loamy sand and arranged in large pots embedded in the soil with the rim just above the soil surface. This arrangement simulated plants grown under field conditions. Seedlings were irrigated with saline (12.2 dS m−1) and nutrient solutions (full strength or 20 times dilution) twice weekly. After 6 weeks the plants were harvested and separated into roots, stem and leaves. The leaves were further separated into lamina and petioles and analysed for the major and minor nutrient elements. Salinization significantly reduced the fresh weights of the roots, stem and leaves as well as the concentration of N, K, Ca and Mg in the leaf tissue. With the exception of Cu concentration, which was enhanced by salinity, all the micronutrients (B, Zn, Mn and Fe) had reduced concentrations in the leaves of salinized alfalfa. The application of an external nutrient solution, especially the full-strength solution, produced an increase in leaf growth and leaf nutrient element concentration. On the basis of these results it was concluded that reduced leaf nutrient concentration may be one of the primary causes of the inhibition of leaf growth that was characteristic of alfalfa growing under salinity stress.     

Photoemission evidence for a remnant fermi surface and a d-wave-like dispersion in insulating Ca2CuO2Cl2

An angle-resolved photoemission study is reported on Ca2CuO2Cl2, a parent compound of high-Tc superconductors. Analysis of the electron occupation probability, n(k), from the spectra shows a steep drop in spectral intensity across a contour that is close to the Fermi surface predicted by the band calculation. This analysis reveals a Fermi surface remnant, even though Ca2CuO2Cl2 is a Mott insulator. The lowest energy peak exhibits a dispersion with approximately the &cjs3539;coskxa - coskya&cjs3539; form along this remnant Fermi surface. Together with the data from Dy-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta, these results suggest that this d-wave-like dispersion of the insulator is the underlying reason for the pseudo gap in the underdoped regime.     

Dynamic interfacial rheology as a tool for the characterization of whey protein isolates gelation at the oil-water interface.

Heat-induced interfacial aggregation of a whey protein isolate (WPI), previously adsorbed at the oil-water interface, was studied by interfacial dynamic characteristics coupled with microscopic observation and image analysis of the drop after heat treatment. The experiments were carried out at temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 degrees C with different thermal regimes. During the heating period, competition exists between the effect of temperature on the film fluidity and the increase in mechanical properties associated with the interfacial gelation process. During the isothermal treatment, the surface dilational modulus, E, increases, and the phase angle, delta, decreases with time to a plateau value. The frequency dependence of E and delta is characteristic of viscoelastic films with increasing delta and decreasing E at lower frequencies. The effects of heat treatment depend on the conditions at which the gelation process takes place. Microscopic observation of gelled films gives complementary information on the effect of heat treatment on WPI adsorbed films.