Variation in spring harvest rates of male wild turkeys in New York,Ohio, and Pennsylvania

Spring harvest rates of male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) influence the number and proportion of adult males in the population and turkey population models have treated harvest as additive to other sources of mortality. Therefore, hunting regulations and their effect on spring harvest rates have direct implications for hunter satisfaction. We used tag recovery models to estimate survival rates, investigate spatial, temporal, and demographic variability in harvest rates, and assess how harvest rates may be related to management strategies and landscape characteristics. We banded 3,266 male wild turkeys throughout New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania during 2006–2009. We found little evidence that harvest rates varied by year or management zone. The proportion of the landscape that was forested within 6.5 km of the capture location was negatively related to harvest rates; however, even though the proportion forested ranged from 0.008 to 0.96 across our study area, this corresponded to differences in harvest rates of only 2–5%. Annual survival was approximately twice as high for juveniles as adults . In turn, spring harvest rates for adult turkeys were greater for adults than juveniles . We estimated the population of male turkeys in New York and Pennsylvania ranged from 104,000 to 132,000 in all years and ranged from 63,000 to 75,000 in Ohio. Because of greater harvest rates for adult males, the proportion of adult males in the population was less than in the harvest and ranged from 0.40 to 0.81 among all states and years. The high harvest rates observed for adults may be offset by greater recruitment of juveniles into the adult age class the following year such that these states can sustain high harvest rates yet still maintain a relative high proportion of adult males in the harvest and population. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Surprising negative association between IgG1 allotype disparity and anti-adalimumab formation: a cohort study

Introduction

The human monoclonal antibody adalimumab is known to induce an anti-globulin response in some adalimumab-treated patients. Antibodies against adalimumab (AAA) are associated with non-response to treatment. Immunoglobulins, such as adalimumab, carry allotypes which represent slight differences in the amino acid sequences of the constant chains of an IgG molecule. Immunoglobulins with particular IgG (Gm) allotypes are racially distributed and could be immunogenic for individuals who do not express these allotypes. Therefore, we investigated whether a mismatch in IgG allotypes between adalimumab and IgG in adalimumab-treated patients is associated with the development of AAA.

Methods

This cohort study consisted of 250 adalimumab-treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. IgG allotypes were determined for adalimumab and for all patients. Anti-idiotype antibodies against adalimumab were measured with a regular radio immunoassay (RIA), and a newly developed bridging enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure anti-allotype antibodies against adalimumab. The association between AAA and the G1m3 and the G1m17 allotypes was determined. For differences between groups we used the independent or paired samples t-test, Mann-Whitney test or Chi square/Fisher's exact test as appropriate. To investigate the influence of confounders on the presence or absence of AAA a multiple logistic regression-analysis was used.

Results

Adalimumab carries the G1m17 allotype. No anti-allotype antibodies against adalimumab were detected. Thirty-nine out of 249 patients had anti-idiotype antibodies against adalimumab (16%). IgG allotypes of RA patients were associated with the frequency of AAA: patients homozygous for G1m17 had the highest frequency of AAA (41%), patients homozygous for G1m3 the lowest frequency (10%), and heterozygous patients' AAA frequency was 14% (P = 0.0001).

Conclusions

An allotype mismatch between adalimumab and IgG in adalimumab-treated patients did not lead to a higher frequency of AAA. On the contrary, patients who carried the same IgG allotype as present on the adalimumab IgG molecule, had the highest frequency of anti-adalimumab antibodies compared to patients whose IgG allotype differed from adalimumab. This suggests that the allotype of adalimumab may not be highly immunogenic. Furthermore, patients carrying the G1m17-allotype might be more prone to antibody responses.     

Exploiting the full power of temporal gene expression profiling through a new statistical test: Application to the analysis of muscular dystrophy data

Background  

The identification of biologically interesting genes in a temporal expression profiling dataset is challenging and complicated by high levels of experimental noise. Most statistical methods used in the literature do not fully exploit the temporal ordering in the dataset and are not suited to the case where temporal profiles are measured for a number of different biological conditions. We present a statistical test that makes explicit use of the temporal order in the data by fitting polynomial functions to the temporal profile of each gene and for each biological condition. A Hotelling T ²-statistic is derived to detect the genes for which the parameters of these polynomials are significantly different from each other.     

Profiling solid-phase synthesis products by free-solution conjugate capillary electrophoresis

Solid-phase synthesis of oligomers, both natural and nonnatural, has proved to be invaluable for the development of many areas of biotechnology. A critical step in the solid-phase synthesis of any oligomer is determining the number and concentration of different constituents present in the product mixture resulting from the synthesis, both before and after purification. Most typically, this analysis is performed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), with the separated components detected by UV absorbance. Recently, we described a novel technique, free-solution conjugate electrophoresis (FSCE), for the high-resolution separation and sensitive laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection of uncharged, synthetic polymers, PEG in particular. In this report, we apply this bioconjugate capillary electrophoresis technique to analyze products of the solid-phase synthesis of oligomeric polyamides, namely poly(N-substituted glycines), or polypeptoids. When compared to more traditional RP-HPLC analysis, FSCE analysis of oligomeric peptoids results in separation resolutions that are approximately five times higher and separation efficiencies that are increased by 150%. Moreover, when FSCE with LIF detection is applied to the analysis of oligomeric polyamides after HPLC purification, impurities that are not detectable in RP-HPLC analysis are readily separated and detected. With the advent of capillary array electrophoresis (CAE), which allows for automated, parallel analysis of many different samples, we believe that FSCE will be especially applicable to the analysis of combinatorial synthesis products, by allowing researchers to evaluate many different samples in a single, highly parallel, fully automated analysis. This is in contrast to RP-HPLC analysis, in which samples must be analyzed in series.     

The question of uniqueness of ancient bacteria

Microorganisms are associated with a variety of ancient geological materials. However, conclusive proof that these organisms are as old as the geological material and not more recent introductions has generally been lacking. Over the years, numerous reports of the isolation of ancient bacteria from geological materials have appeared. Most of these have suffered from the fact that the protocol for the surface sterilization of the sample was either poorly defined, inadequate or rarely included data to validate the overall effectiveness of the sterilization protocol. With proper sterility validation and isolation protocol, a legitimate claim for the isolation of an ancient microbe can be made. Biochemical, physiological, or morphological data indicate that these ancient microbes are not significantly different from modern isolates. As the role (decomposition) of modern and ancient microbes has not changed over time, it is probably unreasonable to expect these organisms to be vastly different. A discussion on the reasons for the homogeneity of ancient and modern microbes is presented. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 32–41 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000174 Received 20 May 2001/ Accepted in revised form 16 June 2001     

RAPID ASSEMBLY OF A WOUND PLUG: STAGE ONE OF A TWO‐STAGE WOUND REPAIR MECHANISM IN THE GIANT UNICELLULAR CHLOROPHYTE DASYCLADUS VERMICULARIS (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

Upon injury, selected coenocytic algae are capable of forming temporary wound plugs to prevent detrimental cytoplasmic loss. Wound plugs of Dasycladus vermicularis ([Scropoli] Krasser) were harvested 5 min post‐injury and dried. The plug material contained 94% water and can be considered a hydrogel. The gel plug extended several millimeters from the cut end and filled the space inside the cell wall, which resulted from cytoplasmic retraction. Total organic carbon included 55% sugars, 5%–15% protein, and 0.18% lipids. The major sugars were glucose, galactose, mannose, and galacturonic acid. Fluorescein isothiocyanate‐lectins specific for these sugars were localized around the plug matrix. Sulfur content calculated as sulfate corresponded to 17% of the carbohydrate by weight, and sulfated material was detected in plugs by Alcian Blue staining. Formation of the initial plug occurred within 1 min of injury and was not significantly perturbed by the addition of ionic, antioxidant, or chelating agents to the seawater medium. However, addition of exogenous d (+)‐galactose and d (+)‐glucose prevented formation of the nascent gel plug. Wound plugs that were allowed to form from 10 min up until 24 h post‐injury were isolated and incubated with selected biochemical probes to identify the biochemical processes involved in plug formation. The operative strategy in Dasycladus to prevent “cytoplasmic hemorrhage” required availability of sequestered carbohydrate and lectin precursor components throughout the thallus for plug assembly. Once the initial assembly had commenced, additional biochemical interactions were initiated (as a function of time) to promote structural integrity.     

EVIDENCE OF A LATENT OXIDATIVE BURST IN RELATION TO WOUND REPAIR IN THE GIANT UNICELLULAR CHLOROPHYTE DASYCLADUS VERMICULARIS1

We investigated the kinetics and composition of the second phase of the wound repair process of Dasycladus vermicularis ([Scropoli] Krasser) using fluorescent probes, chromatography, UV spectroscopy, and histochemistry. Our new evidence supports the hypothesis that the second phase of wound repair (initiated at approximately 35–45 min postinjury) is based on the activation of an oxidative burst that produces micromolar H₂O₂ levels. These results provide evidence of peroxidase activity at the wound site, real‐time measurements of an oxidative burst, and catechol localization in wound plugs. Strong evidence is presented indicating that the biochemical machinery exists for oxidative cross‐linking to ensue in the wound‐healing process of D. vermicularis.     

Distribution and diversity of halophilic bacteria in a subsurface salt formation

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a salt mine constructed 650 meters below the ground surface by the United States Department of Energy. The facility will be used for permanent disposal of transuranic wastes. This underground repository has been constructed in the geologically stable Permian age Salado salt formation. Of the wastes to be placed into the facility, 85% will be biodegradable cellulose. A 3-year survey of the bacterial populations existing within the facility was conducted. Bacterial populations were found to be heterogeneously distributed throughout the mine. Populations in some mine areas reached as high as 1.0 × 10⁴ colony-forming units per gram of NaCl. The heterogeneous distribution of bacteria within the mine did not follow any recognizable pattern related to either age of the workings or to human activity. A biochemical comparison between ten known species of halophilic bacteria, and strains isolated from both the mine and nearby surface hypersaline lakes, showed the presence of extreme halophiles with wide biochemical diversity, some of which could prove to represent previously undescribed groups. The halophilic bacteria isolated from the mine were found to degrade cellulose and a wide variety of other carbon compounds. When exposed to two types of common laboratory paper, the cellulose-degrading halophiles attached to the substrate within 30 minutes of inoculation. Cultures enriched directly from a brine seep in the mine easily destroyed both papers and produced detectable amounts of oxalacetic and pyruvic acids. The combination of heterogeneity in the distribution of organisms, the presence of a physiologically diverse community, and the relatively slow metabolism of cellulose may explain several long-standing debates about the existence of microorganisms in ancient underground salt formations. Received: September 29, 1997 / Accepted: January 29, 1998