Herpesvirus associated dermal papillomatosis in Williams' mud turtle Pelusios williamsi with effects of autogenous vaccine therapy.

An adult female of Williams' mud turtle, Pelusios williamsi long-term captive, that was allegedly caught wild in Kenya was found to have developed papilloma-like skin lesions. Excised tumors were examined histologically after routine processing with hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) stained slides, examined for the presence of viral particles by electron microscopy employing negative staining, and examined for the presence of viral DNA by PCR. Microscopic features in pre-treatment biopsies were fully diagnostic and consistent with multifocal squamous cell papilloma.

A simple empirical algorithm to distinguish among Leishmania braziliensis, major, and tropica species by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

This work developed a simple empirical algorithm to distinguish three Leishmania species using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. It suggests that complicated computer algorithms may not always be necessary for clinically useful microbiology applications.

Synthesis of carbohydrates in mineral-guided prebiotic cycles.

One present obstacle to the "RNA-first" model for the origin of life is an inability to generate reasonable "hands off" scenarios for the formation of carbohydrates under conditions where they might have survived for reasonable times once formed. Such scenarios would be especially compelling if they deliver pent(ul)oses, five-carbon sugars found in terran genetics, and exclude other carbohydrates (e.g.

Lymphoblastic lymphoma and leukemic blood profile in a red-tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) with concurrent inclusion body disease.

An adult male wild-caught true red-tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor), imported from Surinam, was presented for anorexia, extreme lethargy, and coelomic swelling in the cranial third of the body, in the anatomic location of the thymus. The snake died a few minutes after blood sampling via cardiocentesis. Hematology revealed anemia and extreme leukocytosis (820 × 10(3)/ml) characterized by a predominance (95%) of lymphocytes.

PTK6 regulates IGF-1-induced anchorage-independent survival.

Background: Proteins that are required for anchorage-independent survival of tumor cells represent attractive targets for therapeutic intervention since this property is believed to be critical for survival of tumor cells displaced from their natural niches. Anchorage-independent survival is induced by growth factor receptor hyperactivation in many cell types. We aimed to identify molecules that critically regulate IGF-1-induced anchorage-independent survival.

Differences in Fourth-Graders' Participation Rates Across Four School-Based Nutrition Studies.

Federal policy has encouraged researchers to include children in research studies; thus, it is important to report experiences recruiting children to participate in studies. This article compares fourth-graders' participation rates across four school-based nutrition studies conducted in one school district in a southeastern state. For each study, children were observed eating school meals (breakfast and lunch); interviewed regarding dietary intake; and weighed and measured.

2-Hydroxymethylboronate as a reagent to detect carbohydrates: application to the analysis of the formose reaction.

2-Hydroxymethylphenylboronate is described as a reagent that converts neutral 1,2-diols, as found in simple carbohydrates, into 1:1 anionic complexes that are easily detected by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The value of this reagent was demonstrated through its application to analyze complex mixtures of carbohydrates formed in the formose process, often cited as a way that biologically significant carbohydrates might have been generated from formaldehyde under prebiotic conditions. Coupled with isotope studies, the reagent shows that the simplest autocatalytic cycle for the consumption of formaldehyde in this process cannot account for the bulk consumption of formaldehyde.

Quality control for interviews to obtain dietary recalls from children for research studies.

Quality control is an important aspect of a study because the quality of data collected provides a foundation for the conclusions drawn from the study. For studies that include interviews, establishing quality control for interviews is critical in ascertaining whether interviews are conducted according to protocol. Despite the importance of quality control for interviews, few studies adequately document the quality control procedures used during data collection.

Assessment of interobserver reliability in nutrition studies that use direct observation of school meals.

This article (a) provides a general review of interobserver reliability (IOR) and (b) describes our method for assessing IOR for items and amounts consumed during school meals for a series of studies regarding the accuracy of fourth-grade children's dietary recalls validated with direct observation of school meals. A widely used validation method for dietary assessment is direct observation of meals. Although many studies utilize several people to conduct direct observations, few published studies indicate whether IOR was assessed.

[Specific features of echocardiographic examination in ophidians].

Echocardiography in ophidians shows several particularities, directly due to the anatomical features of their cardiovascular system: two aortic arches (instead of one in mammals), one single ventricle (instead of two), two cranial venae cavae (instead of one), and also one supplementary tubular cavity called sinus venosus, which proceeds into the right atrium at the sino-atrial opening. Ultrasound examination using a ventral and an intercostal approach allows a good visualisation of these cardiac structures in short and long axis. The main purpose of this technique is to establish the ante-mortem diagnosis of heart diseases, such as endocarditis and myocarditis.

Recency affects reporting accuracy of children's dietary recalls.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of recency on accuracy of fourth-graders' dietary reports.

Methods: Each of 60 randomly selected children was observed eating school meals (breakfast, lunch) and interviewed to obtain a 24-hour dietary recall using one of six conditions generated by crossing two target periods (previous day, prior 24 hours) with three interview times (morning, afternoon, evening), with 10 children (5 males) per condition. Accuracy of the school meal portions of each recall was assessed by comparing reports to observations.

Accuracy of fourth-graders' dietary recalls of school breakfast and school lunch validated with observations: in-person versus telephone interviews.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of children's dietary recalls of school breakfast and school lunch validated with observations and obtained during in-person versus telephone interviews.

Design: Each child was observed eating school breakfast and school lunch and was interviewed that evening about that day's intake.

Setting: Ten elementary schools.

Reverse versus forward order reporting and the accuracy of fourth-graders' recalls of school breakfast and school lunch.

Background: Do children recall school breakfast and school lunch intake during 24-h recalls more accurately when prompted to report meals and snacks in reverse versus forward order?

Methods: One hundred twenty-one fourth-graders stratified by race (Black, White) and gender were each observed and interviewed twice (once per order) regarding the previous day's intake. Omission and intrusion rates determined accuracy for reporting items. Total inaccuracy determined accuracy for reporting items and amounts.

Which fourth-grade children participate in school breakfast and do their parents know it?

Objective: To explore fourth-graders' school breakfast participation by gender and race (black, white) and examine the extent to which parents' responses to "Does this child usually eat school breakfast?" reflected their children's participation.

Design: Parents answered "yes" or "no" to the questions printed on consent forms. Observers documented which children participated in school breakfast on 26 to 51 randomly selected days per school during 24 weeks in the 1999-2000 school year.

Influence of school, class, ethnicity, and gender on agreement of fourth graders to participate in a nutrition study.

This article describes the methods used to recruit fourth-grade children for a school-based study concerning the accuracy of their school breakfast and lunch recalls, and it reports the impact of school, class, ethnicity, and gender on agreement to participate. A total of 522 children (27% White Males [WM], 30% White Females [WF], 21% Black Males [BM], 22% Black Females [BF]) was available to recruit from 22 classes at six public schools in one district in a southeastern state during the 1999-2000 school year. Across classes, 45% to 95% of children agreed to participate (n = 376, 25% WM, 30% WF, 22% BM, 23% BF) with 72% overall.

Low accuracy and low consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls.

Objective: To determine the accuracy and consistency of fourth-graders' school breakfast and school lunch recalls obtained during 24-hour recalls and compared with observed intake.

Design: Children were interviewed using a multiple-pass protocol at school the morning after being observed eating school breakfast and school lunch.

Subjects: 104 children stratified by ethnicity (African-American, white) and gender were randomly selected and interviewed up to 3 times each with 4 to 14 weeks between each interview.

Blood values in wild and captive Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis).

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living lizard and occupies a range smaller than that of any other large carnivore in the world. Samples from 33 free-ranging animals at five localities in Komodo National Park, Indonesia were evaluated to assess underlying health problems. To build a comparative database, samples from 44 Komodo dragons in both Indonesian and U.

Expression of growth arrest and DNA damage genes and DNA mismatch repair genes in snake melanomas.

Snake melanomas are rare tumours and their pathogenesis is still unclear. In this study the expression of DNA mismatch repair genes and Growth Arrest DNA Damage Genes was investigated. The expression only of 3 of them GADD34, MLH1 and MSH2 was found.

Immunohistochemical and photometric analysis of snake-melanomas.

Snake melanomas are very rare tumours in the class of Reptilia. This study demonstrates the ploidy status and S100 and HMB45 expression in snake melanomas in connection to their morphology and clinical history.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of reptilian neoplasms with a compilation of cases 1966-1993.

Neoplasia is not rare in lower vertebrates, and the tumour types closely resemble those observed in mammals. Because of some unique anatomical and cytological features found only in reptiles, a few unusual types of neoplasia that are not seen in mammals occur in reptiles. Diagnosis and surgical treatment of benign and malignant spontaneous tumours and leukaemias generally parallel the methods employed in mammals; these include radiographic and other forms of non-invasive imaging, fine-needle and excisional biopsy, exfoliative cytology, and haematology.