6,156 research outputs found
Acute phase protein levels in dogs with mast cell tumours and sarcomas
<p><b>Context:</b> The acute phase protein response is part of a non-specific and complex host response to inflammation. It occurs shortly after tissue injury and may be induced by a range of different causes, including infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic or immunological disease. Although it was conventionally believed that APPs were exclusively hepatocyte derived, there is increasing evidence to support extra-hepatic generation in neoplastic and other disease states. In people, C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be of value in identifying metastatic disease from primary renal tumours as well as showing promise for monitoring rejection of renal transplants. Serum CRP correlates with survival in colorectal cancer and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma while serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations correlate with cancer activity, stage and prognosis in gastric tumours. Recent immunohistochemical studies in people with oesophageal carcinoma suggest that tumour tissue may itself elaborate APP with a poorer survival and outcome associated with tumours elaborating higher levels of CRP. A similar association has been seen between alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) and colorectal tumours and ovarian carcinoma.</p>
<p>As yet, studies regarding APP values in neoplastic conditions in dogs are limited, and many are non-specific. In veterinary patients, elevated levels of AGP have been identified in dogs with a range of tumours with localisation to liver and splenic tissue in one study. Another study found higher levels of AGP in dogs with non-specific tumours of grade III-IV based on the WHO Tumour Node Metastasis (TNM) scale and elevated serum AGP has been documented in non-specific tumour-bearing cats. Elevated CRP levels have been documented in both dogs and cats with lymphoma and serum CRP may be used as an indicator of complete remission status in dogs with multicentric lymphoma. Elevated levels of CRP, Haptoglobin (Hp) and SAA have been identified in dogs with mammary tumours, with significant increases over normal in the presence of metastatic disease, primary tumours greater than 5cm in diameter and those with ulceration.</p>
<p>In this study we evaluated an APP profile using four APPs (CRP, Hp, SAA and AGP), in dogs with mast cell tumours (MCTs) and sarcomas to assess whether the APP profile would change in reflection of tumour presence; whether the extent of any change would correlate with tumour grade; and whether the changes would differ with tumour type.</p>
<p><b>Approach:</b> Patients with naturally occurring MCTs and sarcomas presenting for staging and treatment were included if they met the study criteria. Criteria for inclusion were that the patient was not currently being treated with steroids, did not have a recent history of infectious or inflammatory disease other than the tumour, a definitive histological diagnosis was available and a full staging procedure was completed prior to surgery using standard oncological protocols to identify metastatic disease where present. Following surgical resection each tumour was submitted for full histological evaluation and grading to include assessment of the margins of excision. Cases were only enrolled in the study if blood sampling formed part of the clinical investigation and/or treatment, and where residual blood was available after diagnostic sampling which would otherwise have been disposed of as clinical waste. In brief, the CRP levels were determined by immunoturbidometric assay and Hp by means of haemoglobin binding capacity assay. SAA was measured with a commercial canine ELISA kit (TriDelta Development, Dublin, Ireland) and AGP was measured with a commercial radial immunodiffusion assay (J-Path Inc, Tokyo, Japan).</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> All comparisons using continuous data were checked for normality and equality of variances and appropriate statistical tests were employed (studentâs t test operationalised as a two-sample Welchâs test for samples of unequal sizes and variances, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square and Fishers exact tests as appropriate). In MCTs, the CRP and AGP were elevated above reference ranges, Hp showed no significant change and SAA dropped relative to the reference range. In sarcoma patients CRP, Hp and AGP were all elevated above reference ranges. None of the tumour grade differences were significant apart from SAA in sarcoma patients where values in grade 2 sarcoma were significantly higher than those in grade 1.</p>
<p><b>Interpretation and notes of caution:</b> The numbers in our groups were small which compromises the validity of statistical evaluation so our results must be interpreted with caution. However some interesting relationships have emerged from the initial evaluation which suggests that APP profiles may have potential for screening in patients with neoplastic disease. For patients with MCTs, CRP and AGP levels would be expected to increase, with a concurrent drop in SAA levels. In sarcoma patients CRP, AGP and Hp can all be expected to increase. These initial results need to be evaluated in larger numbers of cases with naturally occurring disease to validate the findings, to assess whether the presence and extent of metastatic disease has a significant effect, and also to confirm whether the values alter after surgical resection of the primary tumour.</p>
<p><b>Significance of findings:</b> If there are consistent and specific changes in APP profiles associated with different tumour types in dogs, as is the case with a wide range of cancers in humans, then there may be potential for APP profiles on routine blood samples to be used as indicators of disease, or where monitoring for recurrence. Whether they could also have potential for assessment of the presence of metastatic disease and prognosis as in people is unknown as yet.</p>
Forelimb Position Affects Facultative Bipedal Locomotion in Lizards
Recent work indicates that bipedal posture in lizards is advantageous during obstacle negotiation. However, little is known about how bipedalism occurs beyond a lizard\u27s acceleratory threshold. Furthermore, no study to date has examined the effects of forelimb position on the body center of mass (BCoM) in the context of bipedalism. This study quantified the frequency of bipedalism when sprinting with versus without an obstacle at 0.8â
m from the start of a sprint. Forelimb positions were quantified during bipedal running at the start of a sprint and when crossing an obstacle. Two species with contrasting body forms (and thus different BCoM) were studied (Sceloporus woodi and Aspidoscelis sexlineata) to assess potential variation due to body plan and obstacle-crossing behavior. No significant difference in frequency of bipedalism was observed in S. woodi with or without an obstacle. However, A. sexlineata primarily used a bipedal posture when sprinting. Forelimb positions were variable in S. woodi and stereotyped in A. sexlineata. Caudal extension of the forelimbs helped shift the BCoM posteriorly and transition to, or maintain, a bipedal posture in A. sexlineata, but not in S. woodi. The posterior shift in BCoM, aided by more caudally placed forelimbs, helps raise the trunk from the ground, regardless of obstacle presence. The body plan, specifically the length of the trunk and tail, and forelimb position work together with acceleration to shift the BCoM posteriorly to transition to a bipedal posture. Thus, species exhibit morphological and behavioral adjustments to transition to and maintain facultative bipedalism while sprinting
InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager
The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram
Stacking order dynamic in the quasi-two-dimensional dichalcogenide 1T-TaS probed with MeV ultrafast electron diffraction
Transitions between different charge density wave (CDW) states in
quasi-two-dimensional materials may be accompanied also by changes in the
inter-layer stacking of the CDW. Using MeV ultrafast electron diffraction, the
out-of-plane stacking order dynamics in the quasi-two-dimensional
dichalcogenide 1T-TaS is investigated for the first time. From the
intensity of the CDW satellites aligned around the commensurate = 1/6
characteristic stacking order, it is found out that this phase disappears with
a 0.5 ps time constant. Simultaneously, in the same experiment, the emergence
of the incommensurate phase, with a slightly slower 2.0 ps time constant, is
determined from the intensity of the CDW satellites aligned around the
incommensurate = 1/3 characteristic stacking order. These results might be
of relevance in understanding the metallic character of the laser-induced
metastable "hidden" state recently discovered in this compound
Report of the panel on lithospheric structure and evolution, section 3
The panel concluded that NASA can contribute to developing a refined understanding of the compositional, structural, and thermal differences between continental and oceanic lithosphere through a vigorous program in solid Earth science with the following objectives: determine the most fundamental geophysical property of the planet; determine the global gravity field to an accuracy of a few milliGals at wavelengths of 100 km or less; determine the global lithospheric magnetic field to a few nanoTeslas at a wavelength of 100 km; determine how the lithosphere has evolved to its present state via acquiring geologic remote sensing data over all the continents
Expert chess memory: Revisiting the chunking hypothesis
After reviewing the relevant theory on chess expertise, this paper re-examines experimentally the finding of Chase and Simon (1973a) that the differences in ability of chess players at different skill levels to copy and to recall positions are attributable to the experts' storage of thousands of chunks (patterned clusters of pieces) in long-term memory. Despite important differences in the experimental apparatus, the data of the present experiments regarding latencies and chess relations between successively placed pieces are highly correlated with those of Chase and Simon. We conclude that the 2-second inter-chunk interval used to define chunk boundaries is robust, and that chunks have psychological reality. We discuss the possible reasons why Masters in our new study used substantially larger chunks than the Master of the 1973 study, and extend the chunking theory to take account of the evidence for large retrieval structures (templates) in long-term memory
Adapting to the digital age: a narrative approach
The article adopts a narrative inquiry approach to foreground informal learning and exposes a collection of stories from tutors about how they adapted comfortably to the digital age. We were concerned that despite substantial evidence that bringing about changes in pedagogic practices can be difficult, there is a gap in convincing approaches to help in this respect. In this context, this project takes a âbottom-upâ approach and synthesises several life-stories into a single persuasive narrative to support the process of adapting to digital change. The project foregrounds the small, every-day motivating moments, cultural features and environmental factors in people's diverse lives which may have contributed to their positive dispositions towards change in relation to technology enhanced learning. We expect that such narrative approaches could serve to support colleagues in other institutions to warm up to ever-changing technological advances
Bayesian High-Redshift Quasar Classification from Optical and Mid-IR Photometry
We identify 885,503 type 1 quasar candidates to i<22 using the combination of
optical and mid-IR photometry. Optical photometry is taken from the Sloan
Digital Sky Survey-III: Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
(SDSS-III/BOSS), while mid-IR photometry comes from a combination of data from
the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) "ALLWISE" data release and
several large-area Spitzer Space Telescope fields. Selection is based on a
Bayesian kernel density algorithm with a training sample of 157,701
spectroscopically-confirmed type-1 quasars with both optical and mid-IR data.
Of the quasar candidates, 733,713 lack spectroscopic confirmation (and 305,623
are objects that we have not previously classified as photometric quasar
candidates). These candidates include 7874 objects targeted as high probability
potential quasars with 3.5<z<5 (of which 6779 are new photometric candidates).
Our algorithm is more complete to z>3.5 than the traditional mid-IR selection
"wedges" and to 2.2<z<3.5 quasars than the SDSS-III/BOSS project. Number counts
and luminosity function analysis suggests that the resulting catalog is
relatively complete to known quasars and is identifying new high-z quasars at
z>3. This catalog paves the way for luminosity-dependent clustering
investigations of large numbers of faint, high-redshift quasars and for further
machine learning quasar selection using Spitzer and WISE data combined with
other large-area optical imaging surveys.Comment: 54 pages, 17 figures; accepted by ApJS Data for tables 1 and 2
available at
http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~gtr/outgoing/optirqsos/data/master_quasar_catalogs.011414.fits.bz2
and
http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~gtr/outgoing/optirqsos/data/optical_ir_quasar_candidates.052015.fits.bz
Studies in the statistical and thermal properties of hadronic matter under some extreme conditions
The thermal and statistical properties of hadronic matter under some extreme
conditions are investigated using an exactly solvable canonical ensemble model.
A unified model describing both the fragmentation of nuclei and the thermal
properties of hadronic matter is developed. Simple expressions are obtained for
quantities such as the hadronic equation of state, specific heat,
compressibility, entropy, and excitation energy as a function of temperature
and density. These expressions encompass the fermionic aspect of nucleons, such
as degeneracy pressure and Fermi energy at low temperatures and the ideal gas
laws at high temperatures and low density. Expressions are developed which
connect these two extremes with behavior that resembles an ideal Bose gas with
its associated Bose condensation. In the thermodynamic limit, an infinite
cluster exists below a certain critical condition in a manner similar to the
sudden appearance of the infinite cluster in percolation theory. The importance
of multiplicity fluctuations is discussed and some recent data from the EOS
collaboration on critical point behavior of nuclei can be accounted for using
simple expressions obtained from the model.Comment: 22 pages, revtex, includes 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
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