Modulation of renal oxygenation and perfusion in rat kidney monitored by quantitative diffusion and blood oxygen level dependent magnetic resonance imaging on a clinical 1.5T platform

ARRIVE Checklist. (DOCX 42 kb

Type II Endoleak after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: natural history and treatment outcomes

Published online April 2017Abstract not availableLiana Kumar, Prue Cowled, Margaret Boult, Stuart Howell, and Robert Fitridg

Development of an automated measure of iliac artery tortuosity that successfully predicts early graft-related complications associated with endovascular aneurysm repair

Abstract not availableN. Dowson, M. Boult, P. Cowled, T. De Loryn, R. Fitridg

Design for Social Value: Using design to improve the impact of CSR

This paper discusses the meaning of social value from the design perspective, especially in Corporate Social Responsibility practices, and the contextual issues and values derived from design, considering how companies could better use design for social value creation. The research identified consumer attitudes to corporate social value and where companies are perceived to have generated social value, and explored where design has contributed to such social value. The research illustrates that design has great potential to add value to the triple bottom line, mostly related directly to organisations, but also to areas relating to society, including the ‘lower levels of environmental degradation’ and ‘more solutions for social issues’, indicating design plays an influential role in creating socially responsible products/services. However, this research suggests that a clear definition of ‘social value’ from various perspectives and its relationship with CSR is required due to the complex and subjective nature of ‘social value’.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC

Impacts of traditional food consumption advisories: Compliance, changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Food consumption advisories are often posted when industrial activities are expected to affect the quality and availability of traditional foods used by First Nations. We were recently involved in a project and asked to summarize details regarding the impacts of traditional food consumption advisories with respect to compliance, broader changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods by people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Our review was not conducted as a formal systematic comprehensive review; rather, we focused on primary and grey literature presenting academic, health practitioner and First Nations viewpoints on the topic available from literature databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Knowledge^SM) as well as the internet search engine Google. Some information came from personal communications.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our overview suggests that when communicated effectively and clearly, and when community members are involved in the process, consumption advisories can result in a decrease in contaminant load in people. On the other hand, consumption advisories can lead to cultural loss and have been linked to a certain amount of social, psychological, nutritional, economic and lifestyle disruption. In some cases, communities have decided to ignore consumption advisories opting to continue with traditional lifestyles believing that the benefits of doing so outweigh the risk of following advisories.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identified that there are both positive and negative aspects to the issuance of traditional food consumption advisories. A number of variables need to be recognized during the development and implementation of advisories in order to ensure a balance between human health, maintenance of cultures and industrial activity.</p

Combined MYC and P53 defects emerge at medulloblastoma relapse and define rapidly progressive, therapeutically targetable disease

We undertook a comprehensive clinical and biological investigation of serial medulloblastoma biopsies obtained at diagnosis and relapse. CombinedMYCfamily amplifications and P53 pathway defects commonly emerged at relapse, and all patients in this group died of rapidly progressive disease postrelapse. To study this interaction, we investigated a transgenic model of MYCN-driven medulloblastoma and found spontaneous development ofTrp53inactivating mutations. Abrogation of p53 function in this model produced aggressive tumors that mimicked characteristics of relapsed human tumors with combined P53-MYC dysfunction. Restoration of p53 activity and genetic and therapeutic suppression of MYCN all reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival. Our findings identify P53-MYC interactions at medulloblastoma relapse as biomarkers of clinically aggressive disease that may be targeted therapeutically.Additional co-authors: Louise Howell, Colin Kwok, Abhijit Joshi, Sarah Leigh Nicholson, Stephen Crosier, David W. Ellison, Stephen B. Wharton, Keith Robson, Antony Michalski, Darren Hargrave, Thomas S. Jacques, Barry Pizer, Simon Bailey, Fredrik J. Swartling, William A. Weiss, Louis Chesler, Steven C. Cliffor

Assessment of the direct effects of DDAH I on tumour angiogenesis in vivo

Nitric oxide (NO) has been strongly implicated in glioma progression and angiogenesis. The endogenous inhibitors of NO synthesis, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and N-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA), are metabolized by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), and hence, DDAH is an intracellular factor that regulates NO. However, DDAH may also have an NO-independent action. We aimed to investigate whether DDAH I has any direct role in tumour vascular development and growth independent of its NO-mediated effects, in order to establish the future potential of DDAH inhibition as an anti-angiogenic treatment strategy. A clone of rat C6 glioma cells deficient in NO production expressing a pTet Off regulatable element was identified and engineered to overexpress DDAH I in the absence of doxycycline. Xenografts derived from these cells were propagated in the presence or absence of doxycycline and susceptibility magnetic resonance imaging used to assess functional vasculature in vivo. Pathological correlates of tumour vascular density, maturation and function were also sought. In the absence of doxycycline, tumours exhibited high DDAH I expression and activity, which was suppressed in its presence. However, overexpression of DDAH I had no measurable effect on tumour growth, vessel density, function or maturation. These data suggest that in C6 gliomas DDAH has no NO-independent effects on tumour growth and angiogenesis, and that the therapeutic potential of targeting DDAH in gliomas should only be considered in the context of NO regulation