Potential Selection Tool Research Articles

O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) PET as a potential selection tool for second surgery in glioblastoma patients.

Treatment-related changes still represent a diagnostic challenge in the management of patients with suspect of recurrent glioblastoma. The specificity of conventional MRI in detecting recurrence remains limited. Brain PET imaging provides information on tumor metabolism and can contribute to improving the diagnostic accuracy of cerebral neoplasms. We performed a retrospective analysis to evaluate the clinical value of O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) PET in the diagnosis of glioblastoma recurrence. A retrospective analysis on patients considered suitable for salvage surgery for recurrence glioblastoma was performed. 18F-FET-PET was performed to investigate gadolinium enhancement suspected for recurrence. Static and kinetic 18F-FET parameters were analyzed and related to O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status. Forty-two of the 51 patients who underwent 18F-FET-PET were re-operated. In each case, neuropathological diagnosis of tumor recurrence was confirmed. pMGMT hypermethylation was detected in 21 patients. Mean tumor-to-brain ratios (TBR) max was 3.87 (range 2.6-6.0). Static and kinetic 18F-FET parameters were similar according to MGMT status. 18FET-PET can be a reliable tool to improve the selection of patients suitable for salvage surgery for glioblastoma recurrence.

O-59 - Preclinical evaluation of [89Zr]Zr-DFO*-sacituzumab, a PET tracer for imaging of whole body TROP-2 expression as a potential selection tool for treatment with TROP-2 antibody drug conjugates (ADC)

O-59 - Preclinical evaluation of [89Zr]Zr-DFO*-sacituzumab, a PET tracer for imaging of whole body TROP-2 expression as a potential selection tool for treatment with TROP-2 antibody drug conjugates (ADC)

Skill redefinition and classification, capitalism, and labour process theory of work: evidence from Thailand

Skill redefinition and classification, capitalism, and labour process theory of work: evidence from Thailand

The association of SNP g.880A/G with body weight in F1 cross Dorper x Garut sheep

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MC4R gene has been known to be associated with feed intake and growth performance. Our objective was to analyze the association of SNP g.880A>G to birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), and 6-month body weight (MW) in F1 cross Dorper x Garut sheep. In forty-one F1 cross Dorper x Garut sheep with phenotypic records, genotyping based on SNP g.880A>G was achieved using the direct-sequencing process. As a result, the homozygous AA genotype was absent in the samples. The frequency of the G allele (90%) was higher than the A allele (10%), followed by GG (80%) and AG (20%) genotypes. The population did not deviate from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium (p > 0.05) based on SNP g.880A>G. The SNP g.880A>G was significantly associated with MW but not significant in BW and WW. The GG genotype (32.33 ± 4.81 kg) was higher MW than the AG genotype (27.19 ± 1.86 kg). In conclusion, the findings suggested that SNP g.880A>G of the MC4R gene could be used as a potential selection tool for high MW in F1 cross Dorper x Garut sheep.

Relationship between Morphometric and Milk Production Characters in Ongole Cattle

Background: Selecting dairy type Ongole cows based on their phenotypic characters like coat colour, stature, external appearance which are being poorly correlated to milk production and reproduction is a common practice in Andhra Pradesh. In absence of the production records, predicting the association between milk yield and morphometry forms a potential tool for selection of dairy type Ongole cattle. Methods: The data on morphometric characters and milk production was recorded on 211 elite lactating Ongole cows in the breeding tract of Andhra Pradesh and correlation and regression coefficients were estimated. Result: The lactation milk yield and lactation length were positively (P less than 0.01) correlated with udder area, udder length, face length and cephalic index and negatively correlated with skin fold thickness and tail length. The regression coefficients of udder area, skin fold thickness, face length and tail length for lactation milk yield and lactation length were found to be significant (P less than0.01). The present study concluded that the udder area, skin fold thickness, face length and tail length may be given more weightage in selection of dairy type Ongole cows.

Effect of skin and coat characteristics on growth and milk production traits in Tharparkar cattle

The present study was conducted on a total of 68 Tharparkar cattle (Bos indicus) at Cattle and Buffalo farm (Indian Veterinary Research Institute) from December 2016 to April 2017. The objective was to study the effect of skin and coat characteristics like coat colour, coat score (CS) coat thickness, hair density, hair length, hair diameter and weight of hair coat on growth (live body weights at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age) and milk production (Lactation lengths, lactation milk yield) traits. Physiological parameters studied were skin temperature (ST), rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR). Animals were divided into 2 groups: light grey (LG) and dark grey (DG), on the basis of coat colour. Higher average body weights were found in light grey animals at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. An increase in coat score (higher coat score implies rough, long and a more wooly hair coat) tended to have a negative effect on body weight gain as well as on milk production. The average previous lactation yields of LG were higher than DG group. Cattle with lower hair densities (<400 hair/cm2) had higher milk yields than with higher hair densities (>400 hair/cm2). Considering the results of the present study, it can be concluded that skin and coat characteristics can be used as a potential selection tool to improve growth and production potential of cattle especially in tropics.

Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection to Select Clinically Node-negative Prostate Cancer Patients for Pelvic Radiation Therapy: Effect on Biochemical Recurrence and Systemic Progression

To assess the efficacy of robotic-assisted laparoscopic sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection (SLND) to select those patients with prostate cancer (PCa) who would benefit from additional pelvic external beam radiation therapy and long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Radioisotope-guided SLND was performed in 224 clinically node-negative patients scheduled to undergo external beam radiation therapy. Patients with histologically positive SLNs (pN1) were also offered radiation therapy to the pelvic lymph nodes, combined with 3years of ADT. Biochemical recurrence (BCR), overall survival, and metastasis-free (including pelvic and nonregional lymph nodes) survival (MFS) rates were retrospectively calculated. The Briganti and Kattan nomogram predictions were compared with the observed pN status and BCR. The median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value was 15.4ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 8-29). A total number of 834 SLNs (median 3 per patient; IQR 2-5) were removed. Nodal metastases were diagnosed in 42% of the patients, with 150 SLNs affected (median 1; IQR 1-2). The 5-year BCR-free and MFS rates for pN0 patients were 67.9% and 87.8%, respectively. The corresponding values for pN1 patients were 43% and 66.6%. The PSA level and number of removed SLNs were independent predictors of BCR and MFS, and pN status was an additional independent predictor of BCR. The 5-year overall survival rate was 97.6% and correlated only with pN status. The predictive accuracy of the Briganti nomogram was 0.665. Patients in the higher quartiles of Kattan nomogram prediction of BCR had better than expected outcomes. The complication rate from SLND was 8.9%. For radioisotope-guided SLND, the high staging accuracy is accompanied by low morbidity. The better than expected outcomes observed in the lower quartiles of BCR prediction suggest a role for SLN biopsy as a potential selection tool for the addition of pelvic radiation therapy and ADT intensification in pN1 patients.

Genetic Variants of β-Lactoglobulin Gene in Garole, Malpura, Patanwadi and Their Crossbred Sheep

Several milk protein polymorphisms have been considered as potential tool for selection of dairy animals. β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) is one of the major whey proteins in ruminant milk. A study was aimed to identify the genetic variants of β-LG gene in Garole (G), Malpura (M), Patanwadi (P) and their crosses i.e. GM, GMM, GMMxP (A), PxGMM (B) by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Two genetic variants and three genotypes were found in all the breeds and crossbreds. Overall frequency of alleles A and B in the breeds and crossbreds were 0.55 and 0.45, respectively. Allele ‘A was more frequent than allele ‘B ’in all the breeds and crossbreds except Patanwadi and GM cross. The GMM crossbred had the highest frequency of ‘A ’allele (0.64) while Patanwadi and GM crossbred had the lowest (0.40). There was predominance of ‘AB ’genotype in these breeds and crossbreds. BB genotype predominated in Patanwadi and GM crossbred with genotypic frequencies of 0.45 and 0.49, respectively. All the genetic groups were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except Malpura, Patanwadi and GM crosses. It can be concluded that variation exist in the Indian sheep breeds/strains at studied locus of β lactogloublin and these variation can be utilized in future to study the effects of different variants on the milk production and quality traits.

Genetic polymorphism in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene predicts outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with erlotinib

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are important predictors of treatment response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, some patients with mutations do not respond and some patients without mutations show response. We therefore need additional biomarkers to improve the selection of these patients for treatment. A promising candidate could be germline genetic variations in the EGFR gene that can alter protein expression or function and may influence the response to TKIs. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive role of genetic variations in the EGFR gene in advanced NSCLC patients treated with a TKI. Genotypes for -216G>T, -191C>A and 181946C>T in the EGFR gene were retrospectively evaluated by DNA sequencing and allele-specific PCR analysis in 331 Caucasian patients with advanced NSCLC. Genotypes were correlated with clinical characteristics, toxicity and outcome. A multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model while adjusting for clinically relevant factors including EGFR mutation status. 181946CT or TT genotypes showed an association with clinical outcome compared with patients with the 181946CC genotype (disease control rate (DCR), 68% versus 52%; P=0.049; progression-free survival (PFS), adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55-0.99); overall survival (OS), adjusted HR=0.73 (95% CI: 0.54-0.97)). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the association may be most relevant in EGFR mutation-positive patients (PFS, adjusted HR=0.43 (95% CI: 0.22-0.82); OS, adjusted HR=0.47 (95% CI: 0.24-0.93)). The 181946C>T polymorphisms in the EGFR gene seems to be a potential predictor of higher DCR, longer PFS and OS in advanced NSCLC patients treated with erlotinib, especially in EGFR mutation-positive patients. Thus, this SNP may be a new potential tool for selection of patients for treatment. Prospective randomized studies are wanted to confirm our data.

Video interviewing: A potential selection tool for hospitality managers – A study to understand applicant perspective

Video interviews are increasing in popularity and are considered an efficient and effective selection tool. As companies start implementing this selection tool, it is important to understand interviewee perceptions of video interviewing and its impact on the overall effectiveness of the selection process. This study explores the pros and cons of video interviewing from the perspectives of 151 hospitality management students from the Southern United States that are currently seeking career placement upon graduation. Participants were asked to go through an online video interview, following which they completed a survey questionnaire. Qualitative findings indicated that some factors that lead to favorableness of video interviewing were comfort, convenience, and saving on resources (money and time), while some factors that resulted in unfavorableness were its impersonal nature, lack of feedback, and technological glitches. Quantitative findings indicated that the overall favorability of video interviewing was low but fairness was high. Based on the findings, recommendations were provided to improve the effectiveness and acceptance of this selection tool.

Automatic Selection of Tube Potential for Radiation Dose Reduction in Vascular and Contrast-Enhanced Abdominopelvic CT

The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of a novel automatic tube potential selection tool to reduce radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic quality in CT angiography (CTA) and contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic CT. One hundred one CTA examinations and 90 contrastenhanced abdominopelvic examinations were performed using an automatic tube potential selection tool on a 128-MDCT scanner. Two vascular radiologists and two abdominal radiologists evaluated the image quality for sharpness, noise, artifact, and diagnostic confidence. In a subset of patients who had undergone prior studies (CTA, 28 patients; abdominopelvic CT, 25 patients), a side-by-side comparison was performed by a separate radiologist. Dose reduction and iodine contrast-to-noise ratio resulting from use of the tool were calculated. For CTA, 80 or 100 kV was selected for 73% of the scans, with a mean dose reduction of 36% relative to the reference 120-kV protocol. For abdominopelvic CT examinations, 80 or 100 kV was used for 55% of the scans, with a mean dose reduction of 25%. Overall dose reduction relative to the reference 120-kV protocol was 25% and 13% for CTA and abdominopelvic CT scans, respectively. Over 98% of scans had acceptable sharpness, noise texture, artifact, and diagnostic confidence for both readers and diagnostic tasks; 94-100% of scans had acceptable noise. Iodine contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher than (p < 0.001) or similar to (p = 0.11) that of prior scans, and equivalent quality was achieved despite the dose reduction. Automatic tube potential selection provides an efficient and quantitativeway to guide the selection of the optimal tube potential for CTA and abdominopelvic CT examinations.

Effect of water stress on carbon isotope discrimination and Rubisco activity in bread and durum wheat genotypes.

Carbon isotope discrimination (CID) has been suggested as an indirect tool for selection of water use efficiency in wheat. This study evaluates the role of Rubisco activity in regulating carbon isotope discrimination (CID) and discriminate the response of durum (PDW-233) and bread (C-306, HD-2329) wheat genotypes for carbon isotope discrimination and Rubisco activity under induced water stress hydroponically created by using different concentrations of PEG. In C-306, a well known drought tolerant genotype, CID was positively correlated with Rubisco activity. In C-306 CID was positively correlated with both Rubisco activity (r = 0.588* at 5). A positive but not a strong correlation was observed between Rubisco activity and CID (r = 0.418) in durum type PDW-233. Although in HD-2329 the Rubisco activity (r = 0.303) was positively correlated with CID, the correlations were not significant. We show that carbon isotope discrimination technique is a potential tool for selection of lines with high Rubisco activity in the wheat breeding program.

Evaluating chemical indices of guayule rubber content: Guayulins A and B

Guayule ( Parthenium argentatum Gray) is now a commercial crop for the production of high-quality, hypoallergenic natural rubber latex. Because guayule is relatively resistant to both insect and disease pests, its cultivation requires little chemical input. It has been postulated that guayule's chemical defense system is based on terpene derivatives such as guayulins A and B. The goals of this research were to: (1) describe the distribution of guayulins A and B throughout the plant, (2) determine whether guayulins can be used as a predictor of rubber content/yield (is guayulin content related to rubber content), and (3) determine whether the guayulin content/distribution has been changed through plant breeding. Two plants each of three different lines (11591, AZ-1, and AZ-3) and two ages (1 and 2 years old) were harvested at the soil line in the fall of 2002 and spring of 2003. Plants were separated into eight parts: brown leaves, green leaves, stem tips, stems less than 5 mm in diameter, stems between 5 and 10 mm, stems greater than 10 mm, green stems, and flower parts. Samples were analyzed for guayulins A and B and rubber content. Guayulins A and B and rubber were found in all plant parts, but were most prevalent in stems larger than 10 mm in diameter, and were significantly correlated with each other in these stems. Guayulin A was found in greater concentrations than guayulin B. There were no significant differences between plant ages for rubber, or guayulin content at the time of harvest, or guayulins for harvest season. Rubber percent was higher in spring, which agrees with numerous other investigations. Guayulin A in the stems is correlated with the total rubber in the plant, suggesting it as a potential selection tool. However, rubber in the same plant parts has a higher correlation with total plant rubber and remains a better and easier selection criterion than guayulin A. The extent to which guayulin contents differed between older, relatively unimproved lines and newer improved lines was evaluated. Variety 11591 had a higher concentration of guayulin A than guayulin B, so that the ratio of A to B was much higher than in the two improved lines (AZ-1 and AZ-3). It appears that the ratio of guayulin A to guayulin B has been changed in the two newer selections, but it is unclear whether this will affect pest resistance.

Genetic Analysis of Indirect Selection for Winter Wheat Grain Yield Using Spectral Reflectance Indices

Selection criteria that can facilitate grain yield improvement would be considered important plant breeding tools. We assessed the value of spectral reflectance indices (SRI) as indirect selection tools for grain yield improvement in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic correlation between SRI and grain yield, heritability, response to selection, correlated response of grain yield, and relative selection efficiency of SRI for grain yield improvement. Three field experiments consisting of 25 winter wheat cultivars and 2 sets of 25 recombinant inbred lines were conducted in the Oklahoma State University Agronomy Farm for 2 yr. Eight SRI were calculated at three growth stages (booting, heading, and grain‐filling). The water‐based indices (water index and normalized water indices) showed moderate to high heritability and higher genetic correlations with grain yield compared to the commonly used vegetation‐based indices (normalized difference vegetation index and simple ratio). The water‐based indices also showed higher correlated response than direct response for grain yield. Up to 83% of the top 25% highest‐yielding genotypes were selected by the two newly developed water‐based indices (normalized water index 3 [NWI‐3] and normalized water index 4 [NWI‐4]). These results suggest the strong genetic basis of NWI‐3 and NWI‐4 as potential selection tools for winter wheat grain yield improvement under Great Plains conditions.

1H NMR‐based metabolite profiling as a potential selection tool for breeding passive resistance against Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat

(1)H NMR measurements on protein-free extracts from wheat leaf and stem tissue were used to investigate the biochemical correlates of partial resistance to fungal species implicated in the Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease complex. The wheat genotypes included five commercial wheat cultivars and 116 wheat genotypes, from the CIMMYT international FHB breeding programme in Mexico, that had been bred for FHB disease resistance, utilizing exotic, typically Chinese, resistance sources. Principal component analysis of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived metabolite profiles revealed distinct separation of the commercial wheat cultivars from the majority of the CIMMYT wheat genotypes with the commercial cultivars exhibiting markedly higher carbohydrate concentrations. A cross-validated partial least squares (PLS) regression model of the metabolite profile against the partial disease resistance component latent period (delay in sporulation of the fungus on the plant tissue) predicted latent periods that were significantly correlated with the experimentally determined values (R(2) = 0.34, P < 0.001). Identified metabolites that were found in plants with shorter latent periods (higher disease susceptibility) included choline, the single most influential metabolite in the PLS model, betaine, the amino acids glutamine, glutamate and alanine, trans-aconitate and sucrose. Metabolites related to increased disease resistance included glucose and unassigned resonances in the carbohydrate and aromatic regions of the NMR spectra. The current study has demonstrated the potential of metabolite profiling as a tool for marker-assisted selection in commercial breeding for resistance to FHB in wheat.

Military fitness class of Finnish 18-year-old men

The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial factors associated with military fitness class, classified as capability of service, vs. temporary or permanent exemption from service. Participants were 2,340 (80% of the original sample) Finnish 18-year-old men at call-up for obligatory military service who filled in the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) questionnaire. Temporary exemption from military service was independently associated with the YASR total problem score, externalizing and internalizing problems, excessive alcohol use, drug use, problems with peers and family, and mental health service use. Permanent exemption was independently associated with problems with peers and family. The YASR is a potential selection tool to be used at call-up. Temporary exemption was more strongly associated with psychosocial problems than permanent exemption. Because of the high level of psychological problems among those temporarily exempted, the call-up situation offers a unique opportunity to identify those with problem behaviour and risk of marginalization.

Replication of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) DNA in agroinoculated leaf discs from selected tomato genotypes.

The leaf disc agroinoculation system was applied to study tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) replication in explants from susceptible and resistant tomato genotypes. This system was also evaluated as a potential selection tool in breeding programmes for TYLCV resistance. Leaf discs were incubated with a head-to-tail dimer of the TYLCV genome cloned into the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In leaf discs from susceptible cultivars (Lycopersicon esculentum) TYLCV single-stranded genomic DNA and its double-stranded DNA forms appeared within 2-5 days after inoculation. Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) efficiently transmitted the TYLCV disease to tomato test plants following acquisition feeding on agroinoculated tomato leaf discs. This indicates that infective viral particles have been produced and have reached the phloem cells of the explant where they can be acquired by the insects. Plants regenerated from agroinfected leaf discs of sensitive tomato cultivars exhibited disease symptoms and contained TYLCV DNA concentrations similar to those present in field-infected tomato plants, indicating that TYLCV can move out from the leaf disc into the regenerating plant. Leaf discs from accessions of the wild tomato species immune to whitefly-mediated inoculation, L. chilense LA1969 and L. hirsutum LA1777, did not support TYLCV DNA replication. Leaf discs from plants tolerant to TYLCV issued from breeding programmes behaved like leaf discs from susceptible cultivars.

Improvement of milk protein quality by gene technology

Through our current knowledge of milk protein structure and polymorphism, and the molecular biology of the relevant genes, we show how DNA technology can contribute to improving milk protein quality. Characterization of the goat α s1-casein gene polymorphism and the establishment of its overall structural organization have provided information necessary for developing an allele specific typing procedure. Relying on the polymerase chain reaction technique, this procedure has proven to be a potential tool for selection, which still remains the most efficient way to improve livestock production traits. Alternatively, recent progress in gene transfer technology makes feasible generation of transgenetic dairy animals, producing milk whose composition would be modified to alter its physicochemical and nutritional properties for specific purposes such as producing “humanized” milk in the mammary gland of ruminants. Due to the lack of embryo-derived stem cells from large domestic animals, we can only anticipate that gene targeting, which seems to be the method of choice to direct specific mutations within any coding or regulating region of endogenous genes, will undoubtedly result in modifying livestock genomes.