bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EFFECTIVE PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE IN THE VERY OLD
Authors: Paterson J.
Published: February 2009

The emphasis in this article is on the effects of Ageism, Complacency and Prejudice on the delivery of effective health care to the elderly disabled population. It does not set out to support or deny the efficacy of the more traditional modalities used in Preventative care among the elderly. Rather it suggests that the adverse effects of Ageism, Complacency and Prejudice are very evident in our society and that they are clearly preventable.
THE ETHNIC ELDERLY: COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Authors: Dolk Tony
Published: February 2009

Who are the ethnic elderly? By “ethnic elderly” we usually mean elderly people of non‐English speaking backgrounds, and, more particularly, the immigrant elderly born in non‐English speaking countries.

In a society where social status by and large relates to socioeconomic position and ethnic affiliation, being old and ethnic tends to be associated with low social status. Being old and ethnic also means to be in a relatively powerless position vis a vis dominant social groups.
REHABILITATION AFTER A PROXIMAL FEMORAL FRACTURE
Authors: Ungar David M. , Warne Roger W.
Published: February 2009

80% of patients discharged from the Mount Royal Rehabilitation Unit returned to their homes. To be cost effective a modern rehabilitation unit must work closely with the treating surgeon and the community in which the patient lives. The geriatrician with an interest in rehabilitation is in the ideal position to coordinate the rehabilitation service in hospital and the follow‐up after discharge necessary to maintain a person at home.
LIFESTYLE IMPLICATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN RETIREMENT PATTERNS
Authors: McCallum John
Published: February 2009

The completion of the demographic transition in Australia with consequent population ageing will bring social and economic consequences of an expected and an unexpected kind. Economic costs are much debated but the lifestyle implications are less clear and less discussed. Three points are discussed in this paper. Firstly on the basis of Australian surveys, it is established that a relatively active and independent retirement is an accepted life phase for Australians. This development is characteristically Australian and not a necessary consequence of demographic changes. Secondly international evidence is presented to show the influence of culture on lifestyle and the health implications of different lifestyles. It is the culture within which one ages which is important in determining lifestyle and health in late life. In economic class subcultures what happens during one's life may be more important than what happens in late life in determinins health and well‐being. Finally, information or educational strategy is proposed for harnessing the undirected changes from demographic transition. The problem lies in deciding what areas of lifestyle throughout life we are prepared to change lo produce more desirable states in late life.
Hypoxia induces erythroid‐specific 5‐aminolevulinate synthase expression in human erythroid cells through transforming growth factor‐β signaling
Authors: Kaneko Kiriko , Furuyama Kazumichi , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Shibahara Shigeki
Published: February 2009

Hypoxia induces expansion of erythroid precursor cells through erythropoietin production. However, it has also been suggested that hypoxia could enhance hemoglobin production in erythroid cells directly. To identify the molecules that are involved in hemoglobin production under hypoxia, we examined the expression profile of mRNAs in YN‐1 human erythroleukemia cells under hypoxia. DNA array analysis revealed that the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 and mitoferrin, which is a mitochondrial iron transporter, was induced after 6 h under hypoxia in YN‐1 cells, whereas the increased expression of erythroid‐specific 5‐aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS2) and γ‐globin mRNAs was observed after 48 h. Further analysis revealed that hypoxia enhanced the accumulation of TGF‐β1 in the culture medium of cells of the YN‐1‐0‐A line, which was a clonal variant of YN‐1 and could be maintained in serum‐free medium. Moreover, exogenous TGF‐β1 induced hemoglobinization and the expression of ALAS2 mRNA in YN‐1‐0‐A cells, but not of γ‐globin and mitoferrin mRNAs. Importantly, a specific inhibitor of intracellular TGF‐β signaling markedly reduced the degree of the hypoxia‐mediated increase in the expression of ALAS2 mRNA in YN‐1‐0‐A cells. On the other hand, nonhypoxic inducer of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 increased the expression of mitoferrin mRNA but not of TGF‐β1 mRNA in YN‐1 cells under normoxia, suggesting that mitoferrin mRNA expression may be regulated by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1. Thus, our data suggest that hypoxia induces the expression of TGF‐β1 and mitoferrin mRNAs through separate mechanisms in erythroid cells. TGF‐β1 subsequently induces ALAS2 expression, which may contribute to terminal differentiation of erythroid cells.
E2A participates in a fine control of pre‐mature B‐cell apoptosis mediated by B‐cell receptor signaling via transcriptional regulation of survivin, IAP2 and caspase‐8 genes
Authors: Toyonaga Kenji , Kikuchi Hidehiko , Yamashita Koki , Nakayama Masami , Chijiiwa Kazuo , Nakayama Tatsuo
Published: February 2009

Antigen binding to the B‐cell receptor (BCR) of pre‐mature B lymphocytes induces their apoptotic cell death, but binding to the BCR of mature B lymphocytes triggers activation and proliferation. Binding to pre‐mature B lymphocytes is thought not only to function as a mechanism to exclude B‐cell clones that possess the ability to react with self‐antigen, but also to act as a defense mechanism in auto‐immune diseases. Cross‐linking of BCR of pre‐mature B‐cell lines, including the chicken DT40 cell line, with anti‐immunoglobulin IgG induces apoptotic cell death. Treatment with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate/ionomycin, which mimics BCR stimulation, is used to study intracellular signal transduction of B lymphocytes. Here, by analyzing the E2A‐deficient DT40 cell line, E2A−/−, we show that E2A deficiency prevents certain levels of apoptotic cell death mediated by BCR signaling. In addition, E2A deficiency‐linked BCR signaling controls the mimicked pre‐mature B‐cell apoptosis by PMA/ionomycin through elevated survivin plus inhibitor of apoptosis 2 levels, and reduced caspase‐3 and caspase‐8 activities, resulting in increased amounts of ICAD (inhibitor of caspase‐activated DNase), compared with those in the presence of E2A, followed by reduction of DNA fragmentation. These findings will contribute to the resolution of molecular mechanisms of negative selection of B cells and also auto‐immune diseases.
Fully active QAE isoform confers thermal hysteresis activity on a defective SP isoform of type III antifreeze protein
Authors: Takamichi Manabu , Nishimiya Yoshiyuki , Miura Ai , Tsuda Sakae
Published: February 2009

Type III antifreeze protein is naturally expressed as a mixture of sulfopropyl‐Sephadex (SP) and quaternary aminoethyl‐Sephadex (QAE)‐binding isoforms, whose sequence identity is approximately 55%. We studied the ice‐binding properties of a SP isoform (nfeAFP6) and the differences from those of a QAE isoform (nfeAFP8); both of these isoforms have been identified from the Japanese fish Zoarces elongatus Kner. The two isoforms possessed ice‐shaping ability, such as the creation of an ice bipyramid, but nfeAFP6 was unable to halt crystal growth and exhibited no thermal hysteresis activity. For example, the ice growth rate for nfeAFP6 was 1000‐fold higher than that for nfeAFP8 when measured for 0.1 mm protein solution at 0.25 °C below the melting point. Nevertheless, nfeAFP6 exhibited full thermal hysteresis activity in the presence of only 1% nfeAFP8 (i.e. [nfeAFP8]/[nfeAFP6] = 0.01), the effectiveness of which was indistinguishable from that of nfeAFP8 alone. We also observed a burst of ice crystal growth from the tip of the ice bipyramid for both isoforms on lowering the temperature. These results suggest that the ice growth inhibitory activity of an antifreeze protein isoform lacking the active component is restored by the addition of a minute amount of the active isoform.
Nucling interacts with nuclear factor‐κB, regulating its cellular distribution
Authors: Liu Li , Sakai Takashi , Tran Nam Hoang , Mukai‐Sakai Rika , Kaji Ryuji , Fukui Kiyoshi
Published: February 2009

Nucling is an Apaf1‐binding proapoptotic protein involved in apoptosome‐mediated apoptosis. Luciferase assays have revealed that the activation of nuclear factor‐κB induced by tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β and lipopolysaccharide is downregulated by the overexpression of Nucling in HEK293 cells. Moreover, the expression of endogenous cyclooxygenase 2, tumor necrosis factor‐α and galectin‐3, the end‐point molecules in the pathway for the activation of nuclear factor‐κB, as well as nuclear factor‐κB (p65) itself, is upregulated in Nucling gene‐deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts, suggesting that nuclear factor‐κB is a target of Nucling. Subsequent study has revealed that Nucling physically interacts with nuclear factor‐κB (p65 and p50) and that the binding domain of Nucling is its amino‐terminal region (amino acids 1–466) containing ankyrin repeats. Overexpression of Nucling prevents the translocation of nuclear factor‐κB into the nucleus. In addition, the cytoplasmic retention of endogenous nuclear factor‐κB in resting cells is not observed in Nucling gene‐deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results reveal a novel function of Nucling as a suppressor of nuclear factor‐κB, mediated by its cytoplasmic retention through physical interaction.
Effect of Ce, Sb, and Sn on Solarization and Crystallization of an X‐Ray‐Irradiated Photosensitive Glass
Authors: Imanieh Mohamad Hassan , Eftekhari Yekta Bijan , Marghussian Vahak
Published: February 2009

The effect of Ce, Sb, and Sn photosensitive elements, individually and in combination with each other, on solarization and crystallization of an X‐ray irradiated and a nonirradiated lithium silicate‐based glass were investigated. According to the results, considering the crystallization behavior of the nonirradiated glasses, they were divided into Ce‐bearing and Ce‐free groups, in which the former group showed a clearer solarization tendency that manifested as an appearance of an absorbance peak at 318 nm in the spectrophotometry experiment. However, the results showed that in the irradiated glasses, the presence of Sb was more important in terms of improvement in crystallization view. Antimony decreased the differential thermal analysis (DTA) crystallization peak temperature from 655°C to 594°C and, in combination with the two other elements, changed the surface crystallization mechanism to a bulk one. The reactions that seemed to be responsible for the above‐mentioned observations were discussed by spectrophotometry, DTA, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopic methods.
An Examination of the Function of Male Flowers in an Andromonoecious Shrub Capparis spinosa
Authors: Zhang Tao , Tan Dun‐Yan
Published: February 2009

The pollen donor and pollinator attractor hypotheses are explanations for the functions of the male flowers of andromonoecious plants. We tested these two hypotheses in the andromonoecious shrub Capparis spinosa L. (Capparaceae) and confirmed that pollen production and cumulative volume and sugar concentration of nectar do not differ between male and perfect flowers. However, male flowers produced larger anthers, larger pollen grains and smaller ovaries than perfect flowers. Observations on pollinators indicated that two major pollinators (Xylocopa valga Gerst and Proxylocopa sinensis Wu) did not discriminate between flower morphs and that they transferred pollen grains a similar distance. However, there were more seeds per fruit following hand pollination with pollen from male flowers than from perfect flowers. Individuals of C. spinosa with a larger floral display (i.e. bearing more flowers) received more pollen grains on the stigma of perfect flowers. Female reproductive success probably is not limited by pollen. These results indicate that male flowers of C. spinosa save resources for female function and that they primarily serve to attract pollinators as pollen donors.
Tufted Hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa) Exhibits a Lower Photosynthetic Plasticity than Antarctic Hairgrass (D. antarctica)
Authors: Bystrzejewska‐Piotrowska Grażyna , Urban Pawel L.
Published: February 2009

The aim of our work was to assess photosynthetic plasticity of two hairgrass species with different ecological origins (a temperate zone species, Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv. and an Antarctic species, D. antarctica) and to consider how the anticipated climate change may affect vitality of these plants. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence showed that the photosystem II (PSII) quantum efficiency of D. caespitosa decreased during 4 d of incubation at 4 °C but it remained stable in D. antarctica. The fluorescence half‐rise times were almost always lower in D. caespitosa than in D. antarctica, irrespective of the incubation temperature. These results indicate that the photosynthetic apparatus of D. caespitosa has poorer performance in these conditions. D. caespitosa reached the maximum photosynthesis rate at a higher temperature than D. antarctica although the values obtained at 8 °C were similar in both species. The photosynthetic water‐use efficiency (photosynthesis‐to‐transpiration ratio, P/E) emerges as an important factor demonstrating presence of mechanisms which facilitate functioning of a plant in non‐optimal conditions. Comparison of the P/E values, which were higher in D. antarctica than in D. caespitosa at low and medium temperatures, confirms a high degree of adjustability of the photosynthetic apparatus in D. antarctica and unveils the lack of such a feature in D. caespitosa.
Vegetative Storage Protein with Trypsin Inhibitor Activity Occurs in Sapindus mukorassi, a Sapindaceae Deciduous Tree
Authors: Liu Shi‐Biao , Wang Xu‐Chu , Shi Min‐Jing , Chen Yue‐Yi , Hu Zheng‐Hai , Tian Wei‐Min
Published: February 2009

A vegetative storage protein (VSP) with trypsin inhibitor activity in a deciduous tree, Sapindus mukorassi, was characterized by means of sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western‐blot, immuno‐histochemical localization, light‐ and electro‐microscopy, together with analysis of proteinase inhibitor activity of the purified VSP in vitro. There were two proteins with molecular masses of about 23 and 27 kDa in a relatively high content in the bark tissues of terminal branches of S. mukorassi in leafless periods. The proteins decreased markedly during young shoot development, indicating their role in seasonal nitrogen storage. Immuno‐histochemical localization with the polyclonal antibodies raised against the 23 kDa protein demonstrated that the 23 kDa protein was the major component of protein inclusions in protein‐storing cells. The protein inclusions were identified by protein‐specific staining and should correspond to the electron‐dense materials in different forms in the vacuoles of phloem parenchyma cells and phloem ray parenchyma cells under an electron microscope. So, the 23 kDa protein was a typical VSP in S. mukorassi. The 23 and 27 kDa proteins shared no immuno‐relatedness, whereas the 23 kDa protein was immuno‐related with the 22 kDa VSP in lychee and possessed trypsin inhibitor activity. The 23 kDa protein may confer dual functions: nitrogen storage and defense.
Ground Water Development—The Time to Full Capture Problem
Authors: Bredehoeft J. , Durbin T.
Published: February 2009

Ground water systems can be categorized with respect to quantity into two groups: (1) those that will ultimately reach a new equilibrium state where pumping can be continued indefinitely and (2) those in which the stress is so large that a new equilibrium is impossible; hence, the system has a finite life. Large ground water systems, where a new equilibrium can be reached and in which the pumping is a long distance from boundaries where capture can occur, take long times to reach a new equilibrium. Some systems are so large that the new equilibrium will take a millennium or more to reach a new steady‐state condition. These large systems pose a challenge to the water manager, especially when the water manager is committed to attempting to reach a new equilibrium state in which water levels will stabilize and the system can be maintained indefinitely.
Optimisation of large‐scale food production using Lean Manufacturing principles
Authors: Engelund Eva Høy , Breum Gitte , Friis Alan
Published: February 2009

This paper discusses how the production principles of Lean Manufacturing (Lean) can be applied in a large‐scale meal production. Lean principles are briefly presented, followed by a field study of how a kitchen at a Danish hospital has implemented Lean in the daily production. In the kitchen, the main purposes of implementing Lean were to rationalise internal procedures and to increase production efficiency following a change from cook‐serve production to cook‐chill, and a reduction in the number of employees. It was also important that product quality and working environment should not be negatively affected by the rationalisation of production procedures. The field study shows that Lean principles can be applied in meal production and can result in increased production efficiency and systematic improvement of product quality without negative effects on the working environment. The results show that Lean can be applied and used to manage the production of meals in the kitchen.
Shopping at the farmers' market: consumers and their perspectives
Authors: Lyon Phil , Collie Viv , Kvarnbrink Eva‐Britt , Colquhoun Anne
Published: February 2009

While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively expensive and provide for a very limited range of consumer requirements. In fact, they are the antithesis of supermarket ubiquity, price sensitivity, wide product/service range and extended opening hours. So, despite their small role in total food retail sales, why are they a growing presence and what do farmers' markets say about the consumer needs that supermarkets do not satisfy? This article reports the findings of a questionnaire‐based survey of 391 farmers' market customers in five Scottish towns during 2006. Customers were seeking high quality food products, even if that meant premium prices, and put a particular value on direct transactions with the producer. Although these data have a specific geographic context, they have resonance for the growing schism between producer and customer in the UK and other countries.
Development of Executive Control and Language Processing
Authors: Mazuka Reiko , Jincho Nobuyuki , Oishi Hiroaki
Published: February 2009

Research in executive function development has shown that children have poor control of inhibition functions, including the inhibition of prepotent responses, control of attention, and flexibility at rule‐shifting. To date, links between the development of executive function and children's language development have not been investigated explicitly. Yet, recent studies on children's sentence processing report that children tend to perseverate during sentence processing. We argue that such perseveration may be due to immature executive function.
The Role of the Theory‐of‐Mind Cortical Network in the Comprehension of Narratives
Authors: Mason Robert A. , Just Marcel Adam
Published: February 2009

Narrative comprehension rests on the ability to understand the intentions and perceptions of various agents in a story who interact with respect to some goal or problem. Reasoning about the state of mind of another person, real or fictional, has been referred to as Theory of Mind processing. While Theory of Mind processing was first postulated prior to the existence of neuroimaging research, fMRI studies make it possible to characterize this processing in some detail. We propose that narrative comprehension makes use of some of the neural substrate of Theory of Mind reasoning, evoking what is referred to as a protagonist perspective network. The main cortical components of this protagonist‐based network are the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the right temporo‐parietal junction. The article discusses how these two cortical centers interact in narrative comprehension but still play distinguishable roles, and how the interaction between the two centers is disrupted in individuals with autism.
Mixed infections and the competitive fitness of faster‐acting genetically modified viruses
Authors: Zwart Mark P. , Van Der Werf Wopke , Van Oers Monique M. , Hemerik Lia , Van Lent Jan M. V. , De Visser J. Arjan G. M. , Vlak Just M. , Cory Jenny S.
Published: February 2009

Faster‐acting recombinant baculoviruses have shown potential for improved suppression of insect pests, but their ecological impact on target and nontarget hosts and naturally occurring pathogens needs to be assessed. Previous studies have focused on the fitness of recombinants at the between‐hosts level. However, the population structure of the transmission stages will also be decided by within‐host selection. Here we have experimentally quantified the within‐host competitive fitness of a fast‐acting recombinant Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus missing the endogenous egt gene (vEGTDEL), by means of direct competition in single‐ and serial‐passage experiments with its parental virus. Quantitative real‐time PCR was employed to determine the ratio of these two viruses in passaged mixtures. We found that vEGTDEL had reduced within‐host fitness: per passage the ratio of wild type to vEGTDEL was on average enhanced by a factor of 1.53 (single passage) and 1.68 (serial passage). There is also frequency‐dependence: the higher the frequency of vEGTDEL, the stronger the selection against it is. Additionally, the virus ratio is a predictor of time to host death and virus yield. Our results show that egt is important to within‐host fitness and allow for a more complete assessment of the ecological impact of recombinant baculovirus release.
Elevational changes in the composition of insects and other terrestrial arthropods at tropical latitudes: a comparison of multiple sampling methods and social spider diets
Authors: GUEVARA JENNIFER , AVILÉS LETICIA
Published: February 2009

Abstract. 

We explored the extent to which differences between elevations in arthropod composition – insects and arachnids – are reflected by different sampling methods and in the diet of local social and subsocial spiders.

We surveyed two low‐elevation tropical rainforest and two upper montane cloud forest sites in eastern Ecuador using blacklighting, sweeping, malaise traps, beating, and visual search. We also observed the prey captured by social (lowland rainforest) and subsocial (upper montane cloud forest) spider colonies in each habitat and related their diets to the insect composition yielded by the individual and combined set of techniques.

The most notable differences between high‐ and low‐elevation sites in eastern Ecuador were an increase in the relative abundance of Hymenoptera, in particular ants, and a concomitant reduction in the representation of homopterans, dipterans and coleopterans at lower elevations. Differences between elevations, however, were only detected by three of the techniques employed (beating, sweeping and blacklighting).

The proportions of major taxa categories in the spider diets were only significantly different from samples from their respective environments for the upper elevation subsocial spider against blacklighting and the combined set of all techniques, excluding blacklighting. Nonetheless, only sweeping had similarity indices greater than 75% for both species, with beating and malaise being the next most similar. The more advanced level of sociality and larger nests of the social species may facilitate exploitation of a more representative range of insect types from its environment.
Hematology and serum clinical chemistry reference intervals for free‐ranging Scandinavian gray wolves (Canis lupus)
Authors: Thoresen Stein I. , Arnemo Jon M. , Liberg Olof
Published: February 2009

Background: Scandinavian free‐ranging wolves (Canis lupus) are endangered, such that laboratory data to assess their health status is increasingly important. Although wolves have been studied for decades, most biological information comes from captive animals.

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to establish reference intervals for 30 clinical chemical and 8 hematologic analytes in Scandinavian free‐ranging wolves.

Methods: All wolves were tracked and chemically immobilized from a helicopter before examination and blood sampling in the winter of 7 consecutive years (1998–2004). Seventy‐nine blood samples were collected from 57 gray wolves, including 24 juveniles (24 samples), 17 adult females (25 samples), and 16 adult males (30 samples). Whole blood and serum samples were stored at refrigeration temperature for 1–3 days before hematologic analyses and for 1–5 days before serum biochemical analyses. Reference intervals were calculated as 95% confidence intervals except for juveniles where the minimum and maximum values were used.

Results: Significant differences were observed between adult and juvenile wolves for RBC parameters, alkaline phosphatase and amylase activities, and total protein, albumin, γ‐globulins, cholesterol, creatinine, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, and sodium concentrations.

Conclusion: Compared with published reference values for captive wolves, reference intervals for free‐ranging wolves reflected exercise activity associated with capture (higher creatine kinase activity, higher glucose concentration), and differences in nutritional status (higher urea concentration).
Analytical validation of the Sysmex XT‐2000iV for cell counts in canine and feline effusions and concordance with cytologic diagnosis
Authors: Pinto da Cunha Nazaré , Giordano Alessia , Caniatti Mario , Paltrinieri Saverio
Published: February 2009

Background: The Sysmex XT‐2000iV is a hematology analyzer that combines laser and impedance technology. Its usefulness for determining cell counts in canine and feline intracavitary effusions has not yet been studied.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the analytical performance of the Sysmex XT‐2000iV for cell counts in effusions from dogs and cats, and to assess correlation with an impedance counter and concordance with diagnoses based on cytologic findings.

Methods: Effusions (43 pleural, 23 peritoneal, 6 pericardial) were analyzed from 32 dogs and 34 cats. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC), HCT, and RBC count were determined on the Sysmex and compared with those obtained on an impedance counter (Hemat 8, SEAC). Imprecision, linearity, and limit of detection were determined for the Sysmex. An algorithm was designed using quantitative and qualitative data from the Sysmex to classify the effusions and the results were compared with diagnoses based on cytologic findings.

Results: Intra‐assay and interassay coefficients of variation on the Sysmex were variable. Linearity of TNCC was ≥0.993 for dogs and cats, with the exception of effusions from cats with feline infectious peritonitis, which had delta (Δ) TNC values >3.0. In comparison with the Hemat 8, a proportional error was found for TNCC on the Sysmex. Effusion classification based on the algorithm was concordant with that obtained by cytologic examination in 43/72 (60%) samples. Discordant results usually were due to the misclassification of cells with similar morphology (such as mesothelial and carcinoma cells) in Sysmex scattergrams.

Conclusion: The Sysmex XT‐2000iV provides a precise and accurate TNCC and has moderate concordance with cytologic findings for classifying canine and feline effusions. Although microscopic examination of effusions is necessary to achieve an accurate diagnosis, the Sysmex can provide preliminary information that may be helpful to cytopathologists.
Cellular and Molecular Characterization of a Feline Insulinoma
Authors: Jackson T.C. , Debey B. , Lindbloom‐Hawley S. , Jones B.T. , Schermerhorn T.
Published: February 2009

Background:Insulinoma is an autonomous insulin‐secreting islet cell neoplasm that is rarely diagnosed in cats. The clinical and pathological aspects of feline insulinoma have been described previously, but the molecular characteristics of these tumors have not been investigated.

Objectives:The study objectives were to characterize peptide hormone production and determine expression of selected genes involved in glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in a feline insulinoma.

Methods:Immunohistochemistry and RT‐PCR were used to examine hormone and gene expression, respectively, by insulinoma cells.

Results:Immunohistochemistry examination indicated that the tumor cells expressed insulin, chromogranin A, and somatostatin but not glucagon or pancreatic polypeptide. The tumor expressed several genes characteristic of pancreatic beta cells (β cells) including insulin (INS), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and glucokinase (GCK). The tumor also expressed hexokinase 1 (HK1), a glycolytic enzyme not normally expressed in β cells.GCKexpression was higher in the insulinoma than in normal pancreas from the same cat. TheGCK : HK1ratio was >20‐fold higher in insulinoma tissue than in normal pancreas.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:The feline insulinoma produced several peptide hormones and expressed genes consistent with a β‐cell phenotype. The pattern of hexokinase gene expression in tumor cells differed from that of normal pancreas. These findings suggest insulinoma cells may have an increased sensitivity to glucose that could contribute to the abnormal insulin secretory response observed at low serum glucose concentrations.
Efficacy of Combination Chemotherapy for Treatment of Gastrointestinal Lymphoma in Dogs
Authors: Rassnick K.M. , Moore A.S. , Collister K.E. , Northrup N.C. , Kristal O. , Chretin J.D. , Bailey D.B.
Published: February 2009

Background:Chemotherapy for multicentric canine lymphoma has favorable results. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most common extranodal site of canine lymphoma, but there have been no prospective studies to determine outcome when dogs with GI lymphoma are treated with chemotherapy.

Hypothesis:Treatment with a multiagent chemotherapy protocol is associated with a poor outcome in dogs with GI lymphoma.

Animals:Eighteen dogs with histologically confirmed GI lymphoma.

Methods:Prospective clinical trial in which dogs with GI lymphoma were treated with a 20‐week combination chemotherapy protocol consisting of induction and consolidation phases.

Results:Thirteen dogs had primary GI lymphoma and 5 had multicentric lymphoma with GI involvement. The majority of the lymphomas (63%) were of T‐cell origin. Overall remission rate was 56%; 9 dogs achieved a complete remission for a median of 86 days (range, 22–420 days) and 1 dog achieved a partial remission for 26 days. Overall median survival time was 77 days (range, 6–700 days). Dogs that failed to achieve a remission (10 versus 117 days;P= .002) or had diarrhea at initial presentation (70 versus 700 days;P< .001) had shorter survival times.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance:The response and survival of dogs with GI lymphoma treated with multiagent chemotherapy is poor but long‐term survival is possible.
Lateral heterogeneities in supported bilayers from pure and mixed phosphatidylethanolamine demonstrating hydrogen bonding capacity
Authors: Nussio Matthew R. , Voelcker Nicolas H. , Sykes Matthew J. , McInnes Steven J. P. , Gibson Christopher T. , Lowe Rachel D. , Miners John O. , Shapter Joseph G.
Published: February 2009

The phase behavior and lateral organization of saturated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayers were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and force-volume (FV) imaging for both pure and two component mixed layers. The results demonstrated the existence of unexpected segregated domains in pure PE membranes at temperatures well below the transition temperature (Tm) of the component phospholipid. These domains were of low mechanical stability and lacked the capacity for hydrogen bonding between lipid headgroups. Temperature dependent studies for different PC/PE ratios using AFM also demonstrated the mixing of these phospholipid bilayers to exhibit only a single gel to liquid transition temperature. Further work performed using FV imaging and chemically modified probes established that no lipid segregation exists at the PC/PE ratios investigated.
Concurrent elution of calcium phosphate and macromolecules from alginate/chitosan hydrogel coatings
Authors: Peng Ping , Voelcker Nicolas H. , Kumar Sunil , Griesser Hans J.
Published: February 2009

The concurrent release of calcium phosphate and biomacromolecules may improve wound healing responses at the interface with ceramic materials of orthopaedic and dental implants. Hydrogel coatings consisting of a mixture of alginate and chitosan were doped and applied onto solid carriers with the aim of investigating their use as local delivery vehicles. Coatings containing both the model macromolecule FITC-dextran 70 kDa (FD 70) and dispersed calcium phosphate carbonate (CPC) nanoparticles were coated onto a solid, nonporous model substrate to study the concurrent release of FD 70 and calcium and phosphate ions from within the hydrogel. Hydrogel coatings containing only FD 70 were cast onto porous calcium phosphate coatings, similar to hydroxyapatite, to study the release of FD 70 from, and calcium and phosphate ions through, the hydrogel coating. Transmission electron microscopy showed good dispersion of the CPC nanoparticles, and scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy showed that increased CPC loading resulted in an increase in surface roughness but to extents well below those affecting cell responses. The release of FD 70 from CPC-loaded coatings was similar to release from the hydrogel alone, although higher CPC loadings resulted in small changes. The release of FD 70 was better described by double or triple phase zero order release kinetics; this complex time dependence indicates that in addition to outdiffusion, other, time-dependent factors apply, such as swelling of the gel, as expected from the known effects of calcium ions on alginate. Calcium and phosphate ions were also released, with similar release kinetics, through the hydrogel layer from the underlying CaP layer. In either case, release decreased to negligible levels after 3 days, suggesting that the systems of this study are suitable for short-term concurrent release of water-soluble biomacromolecules and calcium and phosphate ions.
Structures of regenerated cellulose films revealed by grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering
Authors: Rossetti Fernanda F. , Panagiotou Panteleimon , Rehfeldt Florian , Schneck Emanuel , Dommach Martin , Funari Sergio S. , Timmann Andreas , Müller-Buschbaum Peter , Tanaka Motomu
Published: February 2009

The characteristic in-plane length scales of ultrathin films of regenerated cellulose are measured using noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) and grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) in ambient atmosphere and under various humidity conditions. The aim is to elucidate the structural basis for the excellent compatibility of cellulose supports to planar lipid membranes. Films are deposited on silicon wafers by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) transfer and spin coating. NC-AFM height profiles and the resulting calculated power spectral density functions indicate that both kinds of cellulose films have almost identical root-mean-square roughness values (0.7–0.8 nm) and very similar characteristic length scales (32 nm), respectively. GISAXS measurements, both above and below the critical angle of total external reflection, show that the dominant length scales in the bulk and near the surface of the films are comparable (∼50 nm). The origin of these length scales can be attributed to the bundle of rodlike molecules of cellulose that result during the regeneration process (i.e., as a consequence of the cleavage of the silyl side chains of trimethylsilylcellulose). Exposure of the cellulose samples to various humidities shows that above a relative humidity of 97% a significant swelling of the films occurs, which is consistent with our previous findings. The swelling of films with more than 30 LB monolayers of cellulose induces a remarkable out-of-plane rearrangement of the cellulose bundles, due to a reduced influence of the solid substrate compared to thinner films with only eight to ten LB monolayers.
Anniversary Paper: Evolution of ultrasound physics and the role of medical physicists and the AAPM and its journal in that evolution
Authors: Carson Paul L. , Fenster Aaron
Published: February 2009

Ultrasound has been the greatest imaging modality worldwide for many years by equipment purchase value and by number of machines and examinations. It is becoming increasingly the front end imaging modality; serving often as an extension of the physician's fingers. We believe that at the other extreme, high‐end systems will continue to compete with all other imaging modalities in imaging departments to be the method of choice for various applications, particularly where safety and cost are paramount. Therapeutic ultrasound, in addition to the physiotherapy practiced for many decades, is just coming into its own as a major tool in the long progression to less invasive interventional treatment. The physics of medical ultrasound has evolved over many fronts throughout its history. For this reason, a topical review, rather than a primarily chronological one is presented. A brief review of medical ultrasound imaging and therapy is presented, with an emphasis on the contributions of medical physicists, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and its publications, particularly its journal Medical Physics. The AAPM and Medical Physics have contributed substantially to training of physicists and engineers, medical practitioners, technologists, and the public.
The DOSIMAP, a high spatial resolution tissue equivalent 2D dosimeter for LINAC QA and IMRT verification
Authors: Collomb‐Patton V. , Boher P. , Leroux T. , Fontbonne J.‐M. , Vela A. , Batalla A.
Published: February 2009

The continual need for more accurate and effective techniques in radiation therapy makes it necessary to devise new control means combining high spatial resolution as well as high dose accuracy. Intensity modulated radio therapy (IMRT) allows highly conformed fields with high spatial gradient and therefore requires a precise monitoring of all the multileaf positions. In response to this need, the authors have developed a new 2D tissue equivalent dosimeter with high spatial resolution. A plastic scintillator sheet is sandwiched between two polystyrene blocks and the emitted light is captured by a high resolution camera. A newly developed procedure described herein allows efficient discrimination of the scintillation from the parasitic Čerenkov radiation. This processing is applied on the cumulated image from a sequence of images taken during an irradiation field at a rate of . It provides a high resolution mapping of the cumulated dose in quasireal time. The dosimeter is tissue equivalent (ICRU‐44) and works both for electrons and photons without complex parameter adjustment since phantom and detector materials are identical. Instrument calibration is simple and independent of the irradiation conditions (energy, fluence, quality, …). In this article, the authors present the principle of the dosimeter and its calibration procedure. They compare the results obtained for photons and electron beams with ionization chamber measurements in polystyrene. Technical specifications such as accuracy and repeatability are precisely evaluated and discussed. Finally, they present different IMRT field measurements and compare DOSIMAP measurements to TPS simulations and dosimetric film profiles. The results confirm the excellent spatial resolution of the instrument and its capacity to inspect the leaf positions for each segment of a given field.
A new single acquisition, two‐image difference method for determining MR image SNR
Authors: Steckner Michael C. , Liu Bo , Ying Leslie
Published: February 2009

A new method for computing the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of magnetic resonance images is presented. The proposed method is a “difference of images” based technique where two images are produced from one acquisition in which the readout direction field of view (FOV) and matrix size are doubled compared to the phase encode direction. Two “normal” unaliased FOV images are produced by splitting (undersampling) the even versus odd data points in the read direction into two separate raw data sets. After image reconstruction, conventional difference of images SNR computations are applied. [Signal defined as mean within signal producing region of interest (ROI) in one image, noise defined as standard deviation of the difference between the two images using the same signal ROI position and size, divided by sqrt(2) to account for the subtraction process.] This method combines the desirable minimal acquisition time of a single image acquisition technique and the superior noise quantification characteristics of the difference of images methodology. The proposed method is more robust against system drift than existing SNR difference of images methods because the two images are effectively acquired nearly simultaneously in time. This method is compatible with phased array coils and is useful for parallel image reconstruction analysis because it is very stable. This method produces results that can be made equivalent to, and compared with, other existing SNR methods with simple known scale factors, assuming the image noise follows theoretical expectations.
Design and characterization of a novel indicator dosimeter for blue‐light radiation
Authors: Ferreira G. R. , de Vasconcelos C. K. B. , Bianchi R. F.
Published: February 2009

Optical absorption and fluorescence measurements have been done on poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethyl‐hexyloxy)‐1,4‐phenylene vinylene]/[aluminum‐tris(8‐hydroxyquinoline)] solutions. The authors show that there is a visible response that covers the electronic absorption of bilirubin , and hence, this material is applicable for managing the radiation doses planning before treatment of jaundice of neonates, which is one of the most common reasons of hospital readmission of newborns infants. The results show that the material presents a gradation of color from orange to yellow clearly, while its peak position emission shifts from orange‐red to green with the radiation exposure time. The rate of these changes can be altered by manipulations of organic solution concentration and they are usually slow (from ), suggesting these color and emission changes can be used to design an easy to make, easy to read, easy to operate, low cost ( $0.50) and accuracy for individual monitoring indicator dosimeter in order to represent easily the radiation exposure time usually used in management of neonatal jaundice.
Air kerma based dosimetry calibration for the Leksell Gamma Knife
Authors: Meltsner Sheridan Griffin , DeWerd Larry A.
Published: February 2009

No accepted official protocol exists for the dosimetry of the Leksell Gamma Knife® (GK) stereotactic radiosurgery device. Establishment of a dosimetry protocol has been complicated by the unique partial‐hemisphere arrangement of 201 individual beams simultaneously focused on the treatment volume and by the rigid geometry of the GK unit itself. This article proposes an air kerma based dosimetry protocol using either an in‐air or in‐acrylic phantom measurement to determine the absorbed dose rate of fields of the helmet of a GK unit. A small‐volume air ionization chamber was used to make measurements at the physical isocenter of three GK units. The absorbed dose rate to water was determined using a modified version of the AAPM Task Group 21 protocol designed for use with ‐based teletherapy machines. This experimentally determined absorbed dose rate was compared to the treatment planning system (TPS) absorbed dose rate. The TPS used with the GK unit is Leksell GammaPlan™. The TPS absorbed dose rate at the time of treatment is the absorbed dose rate determined by the physicist at the time of machine commissioning decay corrected to the treatment date. The TPS absorbed dose rate is defined as absorbed dose rate to water at the isocenter of a water phantom with a radius of . Measurements were performed on model B and C Gamma Knife units. The absorbed dose rate to water for the helmet determined using air‐kerma based calculations is consistently between 1.5% and 2.9% higher than the absorbed dose rate provided by the TPS. These air kerma based measurements allow GK dosimetry to be performed with an established dosimetry protocol and without complications arising from the use of and possible variations in solid phantom material. Measurements were also made with the same ionization chamber in a spherical acrylic phantom for comparison. This methodology will allow further development of calibration methods appropriate for the smaller fields of GK units to be compared to a well established standard.
Computer‐aided mass detection in mammography: False positive reduction via gray‐scale invariant ranklet texture features
Authors: Masotti Matteo , Lanconelli Nico , Campanini Renato
Published: February 2009

In this work, gray‐scale invariant ranklet texture features are proposed for false positive reduction (FPR) in computer‐aided detection (CAD) of breast masses. Two main considerations are at the basis of this proposal. First, false positive (FP) marks surviving our previous CAD system seem to be characterized by specific texture properties that can be used to discriminate them from masses. Second, our previous CAD system achieves invariance to linear∕nonlinear monotonic gray‐scale transformations by encoding regions of interest into ranklet images through the ranklet transform, an image transformation similar to the wavelet transform, yet dealing with pixels’ ranks rather than with their gray‐scale values. Therefore, the new FPR approach proposed herein defines a set of texture features which are calculated directly from the ranklet images corresponding to the regions of interest surviving our previous CAD system, hence, ranklet texture features; then, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used for discrimination. As a result of this approach, texture‐based information is used to discriminate FP marks surviving our previous CAD system; at the same time, invariance to linear∕nonlinear monotonic gray‐scale transformations of the new CAD system is guaranteed, as ranklet texture features are calculated from ranklet images that have this property themselves by construction. To emphasize the gray‐scale invariance of both the previous and new CAD systems, training and testing are carried out without any in‐between parameters' adjustment on mammograms having different gray‐scale dynamics; in particular, training is carried out on analog digitized mammograms taken from a publicly available digital database, whereas testing is performed on full‐field digital mammograms taken from an in‐house database. Free‐response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curve analysis of the two CAD systems demonstrates that the new approach achieves a higher reduction of FP marks when compared to the previous one. Specifically, at 60%, 65%, and 70% per‐mammogram sensitivity, the new CAD system achieves 0.50, 0.68, and 0.92 FP marks per mammogram, whereas at 70%, 75%, and 80% per‐case sensitivity it achieves 0.37, 0.48, and 0.71 FP marks per mammogram, respectively. Conversely, at the same sensitivities, the previous CAD system reached 0.71, 0.87, and 1.15 FP marks per mammogram, and 0.57, 0.73, and 0.92 FPs per mammogram. Also, statistical significance of the difference between the two per‐mammogram and per‐case FROC curves is demonstrated by the returned by jackknife FROC analysis performed on the two CAD systems.