Detection of a novel herpesvirus associated with squamous cell carcinoma in a free-ranging Blanding’s turtle

The spread of both infectious and noninfectious diseases through wildlife populations is of increasing concern. Neoplastic diseases are rarely associated with population-level impacts in wildlife; however, impacts on individual health can be severe and might reflect deteriorating environmental conditions. An adult male free-ranging Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) originally captured in 2005 and deemed healthy, was recaptured in 2018 with a 1 × 1.5 cm intra-oral broad-based right mandibular mass. An excisional biopsy was performed, and histopathology revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Consensus herpesvirus PCR identified a novel herpesvirus (proposed name Emydoidea herpesvirus 2 [EBHV-2]) within the tumor. EBHV-2 shares 85% sequence homology with Terrapene herpesvirus 2 (TerHV-2), a herpesvirus linked to fibropapillomas in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). Virus-associated fibropapillomas have been identified in multiple marine turtle species and have had debilitating effects on their populations, but to date, virus-associated SCCs are rarely reported.     

基于投入-产出模型的农业科研项目预算资金绩效审计研究

通过引入Christopher投入-产出模型,界定农业科研项目预算资金绩效审计的内容,指出资金绩效审计将从偏重于经济性评价中的资金投入和财务合规性审计转向以结果为导向的效果性评价,并构建了一套农业科研项目绩效审计评价指标体系,可提高农业科研项目预算资金绩效审计工作的科学性和可操作性。     

Metabolomics - A robust bioanalytical approach for the discovery of the modes-of-action of pesticides: A review

The agrochemical industry is facing great undertaking that includes increasing demand for the development of new crop protection agents that are safe for the environment and the consumers, and at the same time combat the issue of the emergence of resistance pest strains. The mode-of-action (MoA) is among the features of a bioactive compound that largely determine whether the abovementioned issues are addressed or not, and subsequently whether its commercial development will be addressed. The early discovery of the MoA of bioactive compounds could accelerate pesticide research and development by reducing the required time and costs. Based on advances in synthetic and natural product chemistry, scientists have access to a vast number of compounds that could potentially be developed as crop protection agents. The screening of such compounds with respect to their MoA requires accurate and robust bioanalytical tools. Metabolomics is a powerful bioanalytical tool that will likely play a significant role in the acceleration of the discovery of MoA of bioactive compounds. In the present review, the capabilities and principles and applications of metabolomics for the study of the MoA of herbicides, insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, and antibiotics are discussed.     

The effect of lemongrass oil and its major components on clinical isolate mastitis pathogens and their mechanisms of action on Staphylococcus aureus DMST 4745

The aims of this study were to investigate the antibacterial activity of lemongrass oil (LG) and its major components which were citral, geraniol and myrcene, against four strains of clinically isolated bovine mastitis pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli by the broth microdilution method, as well as their activity on S. aureus biofilm formation. Attempts to clarify their mechanisms of action by investigation of the effects on intracellular material leakage and morphological changes of S. aureus DMST 4745 were also made. The results demonstrate that S. agalactiae and B. cereus are more susceptible to LG, citral and geraniol than S. aureus and E. coli. Moreover, they also inhibit S. aureus biofilm formation and exhibit effective killing activities on preformed biofilms. The LG appears to have multiple targets in the bacterial cell, depending on concentration used as well as the amount of its components.     

Once-yearly sampling for the detection of trends in biodiversity: The case of Willow Slough, California

The butterfly fauna at Willow Slough, Yolo County, California has been censused for 32 years as part of a participatory citizen-science project, the Fourth of July Butterfly Count. While the utility of a once-a-year census as a monitoring tool is potentially compromised by lack of standardization in counting protocols and variation in observer skill, at Willow Slough these issues have been minimized.We examined the Willow Slough count data for trends in both faunal diversity and the probability of presence of individual species. During the study, the number of species observed at a visit declined by 39%. Regressions of per-visit species counts against time did not detect a statistically significant decline until year 24. In contrast, Fisher’s α, a statistic designed to reduce sample-size bias, detected the decline as early as year 13. Twelve of the 24 species analyzed showed significant declines in probability of occurrence; a further nine exhibited negative but non-significant trends. Butterflies that overwinter as eggs or larvae were more likely to decline than those that overwinter as pupae or adults. Many species in decline at Willow Slough have also been observed less frequently at nearby sites which are monitored year-round, supporting the value of once-a-year monitoring. Although correlations with climatic data have been identified, they are too weak to account for the observed faunal decline. We suspect broader patterns of land use and habitat continuity are implicated in butterfly declines across the region.We conclude that once-a-year sampling, if properly and rigorously done, is in fact useful as a monitoring tool for butterfly faunas, and that Fisher’s α is well suited to early detection of trends in repeated diversity sampling.