Haematological and biochemical investigations of diseased koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Haematological and biochemical investigations were performed on 14 koalas with uncomplicated cystitis, 8 with complicated cystitis, 8 with conjunctivitis, 8 with lymphosarcoma, and 14 with miscellaneous diseases. Changes were limited and inconsistent in individual koalas with uncomplicated cystitis and conjunctivitis. In contrast, individual koalas with complicated cystitis were more likely to have anaemia, leukocytosis due to neutrophilia, hypoproteinaemia due to hypoalbuminaemia, and azotaemia due to elevated urea concentration. Although these changes were non-specific they did allow assessment of prognosis for survival and response to treatment. Koalas with lymphosarcoma were invariably anaemic, leukaemic, azotaemic and hypoalbuminaemic. Elevated enzymes (aspartate transaminase [AST]. lactate dehydrogenase [LD] and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT]) were more common in koalas with lymphosarcoma. Koalas affected by miscellaneous conditions showed variable changes but once again anaemia, leukocytosis, azotaemia, elevated AST and LD, and hypoalbuminaemia were not uncommon. On the basis of these findings a minimal profile is suggested for the investigation of sick koalas and would include haematocrit, total and differential leukocyte counts, urea, total protein and albumin concentrations and AST, GGT and LD activities.     

Profile of Steroid Receptors and Increased Aromatase Immunoexpression in Canine Inflammatory Mammary Cancer as a Potential Therapeutic Target

Canine inflammatory mammary cancer (IMC) has been proposed as a model for the study of human inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). The aims of this study were to compare the immunohistochemical expression of aromatase (Arom) and several hormone receptors [estrogen receptor α (ERα), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR)], in 21 IMC cases vs 19 non‐IMC; and to study the possible effect of letrozole on canine IMC and human inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in vitro using IPC‐366 and SUM‐149 cell lines. Significant elevations of the means of Arom Total Score (TS), ERβ TS and PR TS were found in the IMC group (p = 0.025, p = 0.038 and p = 0.037, respectively). Secondary IMC tumours expressed higher levels of Arom than primary IMC (p = 0.029). Non‐IMC PR‐ tumours contained higher levels of Arom than non‐IMC PR+ tumours (p = 0.007). After the addition of letrozole, the number of IMC and IBC cells dropped drastically. The overexpression of Arom found and the results obtained in vitro further support canine IMC as a model for the study of IBC and future approaches to the treatment of dogs with mammary cancer, and especially IMC, using Arom inhibitors.     

基于PhotoScan的径流小区三维重建参数优化

提高径流小区数字地面模型精度是应用三维重建技术研究面蚀细沟间与细沟侵蚀过程的关键。以位于黑龙江省海伦市的中国科学院海伦水土保持监测研究站的裸地小区为研究对象,以验证点与控制点误差比和数字高程模型（Digital elevation model,DEM）误差为指标,优化Agisoft PhotoScan三维重建径流小区的处理参数,降低DEM误差。PhotoScan的精度参数和相机模型设置对DEM误差有较大影响。优化后的验证点与控制点误差比降低35%,改善了径流小区DEM对地面控制点的过度拟合。优化后的相机模型包含焦距、像主点、径向畸变、切向畸变等。基于单点和点云的验证结果表明,优化过程误差降低约40%。相对于默认参数设置下的验证点误差（20.0mm）,优化后的验证点误差为11.0mm,与细沟侵蚀深度标准相当（沟深大于等于10mm）,因此优化后的径流小区三维重建过程更适宜于细沟侵蚀过程的三维表达。     

Virulence and aggressiveness of single-zoospore isolates of Phytophthora fragariae

A system for scoring the virulence of isolates of Phytophthora fragariae based on a scale of root rot from 0 ( no symptoms ) to 5 (76-100% roots roiled) on a series of strawberry cultivars is described. Thirty-two single-zoospore isolates from one field site were compared by subjecting their root rot scores to cluster analysis and this grouped them into two major clusters equivalent to physiologic races B66–3 and B66-11, Different sub-clusters of isolates of race B66-11 produced different degrees of rotting on the same hosts. Apart from differences in virulence between the sub-clusters there was some evidence for differences in aggressiveness between isolates within sub-clusters.
Increasing inoculum concentration by over 300-fold increased rotting by c . 25% but did not alter the rankings of different isolate/host combinations. Repeated passage of isolates through cultivars of differing susceptibilities did not affect their pathogenicity.