Correcting eggshell indices of raptor eggs for hole size and eccentricity

Eggshell thickness is often expressed by means of an index based on the length, breadth and weight of the shell. The effect of the blow-hole and egg eccentricity on Ratcliffe's shell thickness index was investigated in a sample of 585 eggs from six raptor species. Corrections for the size of the hole and egg eccentricity are proposed, as is a combined formula to correct both sources of error at the same time. It is shown that by using these formulae, considerable improvements in estimates of shell thinning are obtained. These may be especially useful when sample sizes are small, which is often the case when working with species that have been reduced in numbers.     

In vitro effect of a buffered chelating agent and neomycin or oxytetracycline on bacteria associated with diseases of fish

The antimicrobial agents used to treat bacterial fish diseases are archaic, and their uses may result in the emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains. This study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of combinations of Tricide and neomycin or oxytetracycline on common disease-causing bacteria of fish and its possible use as an alternative treatment of these diseases. Tricide solutions containing of 8 mM United States Pharmacopeia (USP) disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate dehydrate (chelator) and 20 mM USP 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol (buffer) potentate the antimicrobial action of neomycin and oxytetracycline when reacted in vitro with Aeromonas hydrophila, Streptococcus iniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Serial passage of the test organisms in Tricide or Tricide and neomycin or oxytetracycline did not result in the development of resistant forms. Combinations of Tricide and neomycin or oxytetracycline reduced the amount of antibiotics necessary for fish therapy, render drug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antimicrobial therapy, may be used to decontaminate recently shipped fish, and should reduce the formation of antibiotic-resistant forms.     

Bias Assessment of General Chemistry Analytes using Commutable Samples

Harmonisation of reference intervals for routine general chemistry analytes has been a goal for many years. Analytical bias may prevent this harmonisation. To determine if analytical bias is present when comparing methods, the use of commutable samples, or samples that have the same properties as the clinical samples routinely analysed, should be used as reference samples to eliminate the possibility of matrix effect. The use of commutable samples has improved the identification of unacceptable analytical performance in the Netherlands and Spain. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) has undertaken a pilot study using commutable samples in an attempt to determine not only country specific reference intervals but to make them comparable between countries. Australia and New Zealand, through the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB), have also undertaken an assessment of analytical bias using commutable samples and determined that of the 27 general chemistry analytes studied, 19 showed sufficiently small between method biases as to not prevent harmonisation of reference intervals. Application of evidence based approaches including the determination of analytical bias using commutable material is necessary when seeking to harmonise reference intervals.     

Canine Sense and Sensibility: Tipping Points and Response Latency Variability as an Optimism Index in a Canine Judgement Bias Assessment

Recent advances in animal welfare science used judgement bias, a type of cognitive bias, as a means to objectively measure an animal''s affective state. It is postulated that animals showing heightened expectation of positive outcomes may be categorised optimistic, while those showing heightened expectations of negative outcomes may be considered pessimistic. This study pioneers the use of a portable, automated apparatus to train and test the judgement bias of dogs. Dogs were trained in a discrimination task in which they learned to touch a target after a tone associated with a lactose-free milk reward and abstain from touching the target after a tone associated with water. Their judgement bias was then probed by presenting tones between those learned in the discrimination task and measuring their latency to respond by touching the target. A Cox''s Proportional Hazards model was used to analyse censored response latency data. Dog and Cue both had a highly significant effect on latency and risk of touching a target. This indicates that judgement bias both exists in dogs and differs between dogs. Test number also had a significant effect, indicating that dogs were less likely to touch the target over successive tests. Detailed examination of the response latencies revealed tipping points where average latency increased by 100% or more, giving an indication of where dogs began to treat ambiguous cues as predicting more negative outcomes than positive ones. Variability scores were calculated to provide an index of optimism using average latency and standard deviation at cues after the tipping point. The use of a mathematical approach to assessing judgement bias data in animal studies offers a more detailed interpretation than traditional statistical analyses. This study provides proof of concept for the use of an automated apparatus for measuring cognitive bias in dogs.     

Gastrointestinal lymphomas in a North American population: clinicopathologic features from one major Central-Midwestern United States tertiary care medical center

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) lymphomas are very common types of extranodal lymphomas, and we hypothesize there are regional differences in subtype, distribution in the GI tract, and epidemiological features among the different populations. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical, molecular and histologic features of North American primary and secondary GI lymphomas diagnosed from 2000?2009 seen at our institution. We utilized immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization to further evaluate a subset of the gastric lymphomas. RESULTS: Extranodal marginal zone lymphomas of mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALTs) and diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) were the most common subtypes of GI lymphomas. Select gastric DLBCLs (N?=?6) and MALTs (N?=?13) were further examined for API2-MALT1 and IGH translocations, and P16 and P53 protein expression. Gastric MALTs showed frequent API2-MALT1 (38%) but not IGH translocations (0%), and the DLBCLs showed neither translocation. Expression of P16 and P53 proteins and the proliferative index were compared between high grade gastric lymphomas (gastric DLBCLs) and low grade gastric lymphomas (gastric MALTs). P53 overexpression (P?=?0.008) and a high proliferation index [Ki-67] (P?=?0.00042) were significantly associated with gastric DLBCL, but no statistically significant difference was observed in P16 expression (p?=?0.108) between gastric DLBCL and gastric MALT. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that GI lymphomas from a Central-Midwestern North American population showed differences and similarities to non-North American cohorts. In addition, API2-MALT1, P16 and P53 abnormalities occurred frequently in gastric lymphomas from this North American population. Virtual slides: The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1415505838687793.     

Monoclonal antibodies against chicken type V collagen: production, specificity, and use for immunocytochemical localization in embryonic cornea and other organs

Two monoclonal antibodies have been produced against chick type V collagen and shown to be highly specific for separate, conformational dependent determinants within this molecule. When used for immunocytochemical tissue localization, these antibodies show that a major site for the in situ deposition of type V is within the extracellular matrices of many dense connective tissues. In these, however, it is largely in a form unavailable to the antibodies, thus requiring a specific “unmasking” treatment to obtain successful immunocytochemical staining. The specificity of these two IgG antibodies was determined by inhibition ELISA, in which only type V and no other known collagen shows inhibition. In ELISA, mixtures of the two antibodies give an additive binding reaction to the collagen, suggesting that each is against a different antigenic determinant. That both antigenic determinants are conformational dependent, being either in, or closely associated with, the collagen helix is demonstrated by the loss of antibody binding to molecules that have been thermally denatured. The temperature at which this occurs, as assayed by inhibition ELISA, is very similar to that at which the collagen helix melts, as determined by optical rotation. This gives strong additional evidence that the antibodies are directed against the collagen. The antibodies were used for indirect immunofluorescence analyses of cryostat sections of corneas and other organs from 17 to 18-day-old chick embryos. Of all tissues examined only Bowman’s membrane gave a strong staining reaction with cryostat sections of unfixed material. Staining in other areas of the cornea and in other tissues was very light or nonexistent. When, however, sections were pretreated with pepsin dissolved in dilute HAc or, surprisingly, with the dilute HAc itself dramatic new staining by the antibodies was observed in most tissues examined. The staining, which was specific for the anti-type V collagen antibodies, was largely confined to extracellular matrices of dense connective tissues. Experiments using protease inhibitors suggested that the “unmasking” did not involve proteolysis. We do not yet know the mechanism of this unmasking; however, one possibility is that the dilute acid causes swelling or conformational changes in a type-V collagen-containing supramolecular structure. Further studies should allow us to determine whether this is the case.