Field size consistency of nominally matched linacs

Given that there is increasing recognition of the effect that submillimetre changes in collimator position can have on radiotherapy beam dosimetry, this study aimed to evaluate the potential variability in small field collimation that may exist between otherwise matched linacs. Field sizes and field output factors were measured using radiochromic film and an electron diode, for jaw- and MLC-collimated fields produced by eight dosimetrically matched Varian iX linacs (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, USA). This study used nominal sizes from 0.6×0.6 to 10×10 cm215 , for jaw-collimated fields,and from 1×1 to 10×10 cm216 , for MLC-collimated fields, delivered from a zero (head up, beam directed vertically downward) gantry angle. Differences between the field sizes measured for the eight linacs exceeded the uncertainty of the film measurements and the repositioning uncertainty of the jaws and MLCs on one linac. The dimensions of fields defined by MLC leaves were more consistent between linacs, while also differing more from their nominal values than fields defined by orthogonal jaws. The field output factors measured for the different linacs generally increased with increasing measured field size for the nominal 0.6×0.6 and 1×1 cm2 fields, and became consistent between linacs for nominal field sizes of 2×2 cm2 25 and larger. The inclusion in radiotherapy treatment planning system beam data of small field output factors acquired in fields collimated by jaws (rather than the more-reproducible MLCs), associated with either the nominal or the measured field sizes, should be viewed with caution. The size and reproducibility of the fields (especially the small fields) used to acquire treatment planning data should be investigated thoroughly as part of the linac or planning system commissioning process. Further investigation of these issues, using different linac models, collimation systems and beam orientations, is recommended.

Shaping development through mechanical strain: The transcriptional basis of diet-induced phenotypic plasticity in a cichlid fish

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an organism to change its phenotype to match local environments, is increasingly recognized for its contribution to evolution. However, few empirical studies have explored the molecular basis of plastic traits. The East African cichlid fish Astatoreochromis alluaudi displays adaptive phenotypic plasticity in its pharyngeal jaw apparatus, a structure that is widely seen as an evolutionary key innovation that has contributed to the remarkable diversity of cichlid fishes. It has previously been shown that in response to different diets, the pharyngeal jaws change their size, shape and dentition: hard diets induce an adaptive robust molariform tooth phenotype with short jaws and strong internal bone structures, while soft diets induce a gracile papilliform tooth phenotype with elongated jaws and slender internal bone structures. To gain insight into the molecular underpinnings of these adaptations and enable future investigations of the role that phenotypic plasticity plays during the formation of adaptive radiations, the transcriptomes of the two divergent jaw phenotypes were examined. Our study identified a total of 187 genes whose expression differs in response to hard and soft diets, including immediate early genes, extracellular matrix genes and inflammatory factors. Transcriptome results are interpreted in light of expression of candidate genesmarkers for tooth size and shape, bone cells and mechanically sensitive pathways. This study opens up new avenues of research at new levels of biological organization into the roles of phenotypic plasticity during speciation and radiation of cichlid fishes.

When Japanese law goes pop

This article explores the extent to which the growth in law-themed popular culture since the turn of the century, especially television shows, signals a shift in popular attitudes towards law. Four decades of research into Japanese legal consciousness has called into question the extent to which there is a Japanese cultural aversion to Jaw, with most scholars expressing doubt over whether culture properly explains the comparatively low litigation rates in Japan compared to other industrialised nations. This article argues that popular culture, although not without its limitations, offers new clues into how legal consciousness is developing and changing in 21st Century Japan. The article concludes that popular culture paints a picture of a greater readiness by Japanese people to engage with Jaw, although scepticism remains about the law's promise to achieve justice and social solidarity.

Introduction: Mapping the Contours of East Asian Commercial Law for the Asian Century

The centre of economic gravity in the new century is shifting to the East. Since 200 1, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asia's contribution to world economic growth has matched that of the United States and Europe combined, and, since 2006, has even exceeded it (IMF, 20 I I; Neumann and Arora, 20 II ). This surge is easy to explain: China has emerged as a global super-power; Japan remains the third-largest world economy, despite only recently emerging from over twenty years of economic stagnation (The Age, 2013); South Korea and the ' tiger ' economies of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore have achieved high-level economic development through capital investment and technological innovation; and Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia have supplied riches in labour and resources to the regional economy (Macintyre and Naughton, 2005, p. 78). A growing middle class is lifting consumption. ‘Billions of Asians,' writes Mahbubani (2008, p. 3), 'are marching to modernity.’ This book examines scholarly interpretations for the role commercial law has played in East Asia's economic rise. At first blush, this might seem a daunting task. After all, as some theorists have argued, the East Asian experience is largely neglected in writings on Jaw generally and commercial law more broadly (Wolff, 20 12). This is because law, as a discipline, was largely forged in the prior European and American centuries; these 'Anglo-American moorings' ill-serve legal analysis in the new Asian Century (Cossman, 1997, p. 539).

Analytical study of osteoporosis of maxilla in ovariectomized rats

The project applied analytical facilities to characterize the composition and mechanical properties of osteoporosis in maxillary bone using an ovariectomized rat model. It was found that osteoporotic jaw bone contained different amount of trace elements in comparison with the normal bone, which plays a significant role in bone quality. The knowledge generated from the study will assist the treatment of jaw bone fracture and dental implant placement.

Toxoplasmosis in Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins (Sousa chinensis) from Queensland

Objective: To describe the clinical signs, gross pathology, serology, bacteriology, histopathology, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry findings associated with toxoplasmosis in four Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins (Sousa chinensis) that stranded in Queensland in 2000 and 2001. Design: Clinical assessment, gross necropsy, and laboratory examinations. Procedure: Necropsies were performed on four S chinensis to determine cause of death. Laboratory tests including serology, bacteriology, histopathology and transmission electron microscopy were done on the four dolphins. lmmunohistochemistry was done on the brain, heart, liver, lung, spleen and adrenal gland from various dolphins to detect Toxoplasma gondii antigens. Results: Necropsies showed all of four S chinensis that stranded in Queensland in 2000 and 2001 had evidence of predatory shark attack and three were extremely emaciated. Histopathological examinations showed all four dolphins had toxoplasmosis with tissue cysts resembling T gondii in the brain. Tachyzoite stages of T gondii were detected in the lungs, heart, liver, spleen and adrenal gland, variously of all four dolphins. Electron microscopy studies and immunohistochemistry confirmed the tissues cysts were those of Tgondii. All four dolphins also had intercurrent disease including pneumonia, three had peritonitis and one had pancreatitis. Conclusion: Four S chinensis necropsied in Queensland in 2000 and 2001 were found to be infected with toxoplasmosis. It is uncertain how these dolphins became infected and further studies are needed to determine how S chinensis acquire toxoplasmosis. All four dolphins stranded after periods of heavy rainfall, and coastal freshwater runoff may be a risk factor for T gondii infection in S chinensis. This disease should be of concern to wildlife managers since S chinensis is a rare species and its numbers appear to be declining.

New records of the River Shark Glyphis (Carcharhinidae) reported from Cape York Peninsula, northern Australia

The distribution of the river shark Glyphis in northern Australia is extended with new records of occurrence in the Gulf of Carpentaria and a reassessment of historical survey data from Cape York Peninsula. Nine new specimens of Glyphis sp. A were collected in 2005 from the Weipa region on the Queensland coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. A re-examination of archival records from 1978-86 marine and estuarine fish surveys in the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the northern Queensland East Coast allowed a further nineteen Glyphis specimens to be identified. Combined this gives twenty-eight new records of Glyphis specimens from the coasts of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Common habitat characteristics for all captures were turbid, shallow, fast running tidal water in the upper reaches of coastal rivers. The substrate was generally muddy and the rivers lined with mangrove. In all surveys the representation of Glyphis was low, being less than 1% of the total shark captures historically and 0.002 sharks 50 m net hour-1 in Weipa 2005. The size range captured was 1000-1800 mm total length historically and 705-1200 mm total length from Weipa 2005, with none recorded as sexually mature. Diagnostic characteristics of the Weipa specimens, identified as Glyphis sp. A, were: lower jaw teeth protruding and "spear-like"; second dorsal fin greater than half the height of the first dorsal fin; the snout relatively short and fleshy in the lateral view; pectoral fin ventral surface black in colouration; the precaudal vertebral count between 118 and 123; and the total vertebral count between 204 and 209.

Roy Kenzie Kiyooka

Roy Kenzie Kiyooka Canadian, born 1926 Roy Kiyooka was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1926. Throughout his career, he was known as a painter, photographer, sculptor, poet, musician, filmmaker and teacher. He studied at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary from 1946-49, and then at the Instituto Allende in Mexico in 1955. During the summers of 1958 - 1960 he attended the Emma Lake Workshops in Saskatchewan, where he worked closely with Barnett Newman and Clement Greenberg. In 1959 he executed his first series of abstract paintings, The Hoarfrost Series, which assume a disciplined minimal quality. In the late 1960's Kiyooka began to push beyond painting and created mixed media works, including collage, photography, film and poetry. Kiyooka’s art is born out of personal experience and through it he records his relationship to the surrounding landscape; a night in a motel, a trip to the coast, or hoarfrost on the trees. Through the unfolding of Kiyooka’s interior/exterior landscapes he shares his personal journeys with us all. The Art Gallery of Ontario's collection of Roy Kiyooka's work began with the purchase of two paintings; Barometer No. 2, in 1964 and Surya, in 1987.

Bibulocystis gloriosa sp nov (Pucciniales) on Caesalpinia scortechinii in Queensland, with comments on Spumula caesalpiniae

A rust causing leaf spotting and distortion of twigs and branches of Caesalpinia scortechinii in Queensland is described as the new species Bibulocystis gloriosa. Uredinia and telia occur on spotted pinnules, and pycnia, aecial uredinia and telia on galled and twisted leaf rachides, twigs and branches. B. gloriosa is similar to Bibulocystis viennotii on Albizia granulosa in New Caledonia in having a macrocyclic life cycle with all spore states, and teliospores with two fertile cells and two cysts. It differs in having aecial urediniospores and urediniospores with uniformly thickened walls and several scattered germ pores, rather than the apically thickened walls and equatorial germ pores of B. viennotii. Teliospores in the two species are similar in size, but those of B. gloriosa have proportionally larger fertile cells and smaller cysts than in B. viennotii. To date, B. gloriosa is known from only two localities in south-eastern Queensland. Comparison with the type specimen of Spumula caesalpiniae on Caesalpinia nuga from Indonesia has shown that the two rusts are generically distinct.

Post capture necrosis of the feet caused by soft-catch traps – incidents, cause and prevention.

When recapturing satellite collared wild dogs that had been trapped one month previous in padded foothold traps, we noticed varying degrees of pitting on the pads of their trapped paw. Veterinary advice, based on images taken of the injuries, suggests that the necrosis was caused by vascular compromise. Five of six dingoes we recaptured had varying degrees of necrosis restricted only to the trapped foot and ranging from single 5 mm holes to 25% sections of the toe pads missing or deformed, including loss of nails. The traps used were rubber-padded, two–coiled, Victor Soft Catch #3 traps. The springs are not standard Victor springs but were Beefer springs; these modifications slightly increase trap speed and the jaw pressure on the trapped foot. Despite this modification the spring pressure is still relatively mild in comparison to conventional long spring or four-coiled wild dog traps. The five wild dogs developing necrosis were trapped in November 2006 at 5-6 months of age. Traps were checked each morning so the dogs were unlikely to have been restrained in the trap for more than 12 hours. All dogs exhibited a small degree of paw damage at capture which presented itself as a swollen paw and compression at the capture point. In contrast, eight wild dogs, 7-8 month-old, were captured two months later in February. Upon their release, on advice from a veterinarian, we massaged the trapped foot to get blood flow back in to the foot and applied a bruise treatment (Heparinoid 8.33 mg/ml) to assist restoring blood flow. These animals were subsequently recaptured several months later and showed no signs of necrosis. While post-capture foot injuries are unlikely to be an issue in conventional control programs where the animal is immediately destroyed, caution needs to be used when releasing accidentally captured domestic dogs or research animals captured in rubber-padded traps. We have demonstrated that 7-8 month old dogs can be trapped and released without any evidence of subsequent necrosis following minimal veterinary treatment. We suspect that the rubber padding on traps may increase the tourniquet effect by wrapping around the paw and recommend the evaluation of offset laminated steel jaw traps as an alternative. Offset laminated steel jaw traps have been shown to be relatively humane producing as few foot injuries as rubber-jawed traps.

Tadpole mouthpart depigmentation as an accurate indicator of chytridiomycosis, an emerging disease of amphibians

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and its role in causing population declines and species extinctions worldwide has created an urgent need for methods to detect it. Several reports indicate that in anurans chytridiomycosis can cause the depigmentation of tadpole tnouthparts, but the accuracy of using depigmentation to determine disease status remains uncertain. Our objective was to determine for the Mountain Yellow-legged Frog (Rana muscosa) whether visual inspections of the extent of tadpole mouthpart depigmentation could be used to accurately categorize individual tadpoles or R. muscosa populations as B. dendrobatidis-positive or negative. This was accomplished by assessing the degree of mouthpart depigmentation in tadpoles of known disease status (based on PCR assays). The depigmentation of R. muscosa tadpole mouthparts was associated with the presence of B. dendrobatidis, and this association was particularly strong for upper jaw sheaths. Using a rule that classifies tadpoles with upper jaw sheaths that are 100% pigmented as uninfected and those with jaw sheaths that are <100% pigmented as infected resulted in the infection status of 86% of the tadpoles being correctly classified. By applying this rule to jaw sheath pigmentation scores averaged across all tadpoles inspected per site, we were able to correctly categorize the infection status of 92% of the study populations. Similar research on additional anurans is critically needed to determine how broadly applicable our results for R. muscosa are to other species.

Leukoencephalopathies in childhood : Delineation of phenotypes

Within the last 15 years, several new leukoencephalopathies have been recognized. However, more than half of children with cerebral white matter abnormalities still have no specific diagnosis. Our aim was to classify unknown leukoencephalopathies and to identify new diseases among them. During the study, three subgroups of patients were delineated and examined further. First, we evaluated 38 patients with unknown leukoencephalopathy. Brain MRI findings were grouped into seven categories according to the predominant location of the abnormalities. The largest subgroups were myelination abnormalities (n=20) and periventricular white matter abnormalities (n=12). Six patients had uniform MRI findings with signal abnormalities in hemispheric white matter and in selective brain stem and spinal cord tracts. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed elevated lactate and decreased N-acetylaspartate in the abnormal white matter. The patients presented with ataxia, tremor, distal spasticity, and signs of dorsal column dysfunction. This phenotype - leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and elevated white matter lactate (LBSL) - was first published elsewhere in 2003. A new finding was development of a mild axonal neuropathy. The etiopathogenesis of this disease is unknown, but elevated white matter lactate in MRS suggests a mitochondrial disorder. Secondly, we studied 22 patients with 18q deletions. Clinical and MRI findings were correlated with molecularly defined size of the deletion. All patients with deletions between markers D18S469 and D18S1141 (n=18) had abnormal myelination in brain MRI, while four patients with interstitial deletions sparing that region, had normal myelination pattern. Haploinsufficiency of myelin basic protein is suggested to be responsible for this dysmyelination. Congenital aural atresia/stenosis was found in 50% of the cases and was associated with deletions between markers D18S812 (at 18q22.3) and D18S1141 (at q23). Last part of the study comprised 13 patients with leukoencephalopathy and extensive cerebral calcifications. They showed a spectrum of findings, including progressive cerebral cysts, retinal telangiectasias and angiomas, intrauterine growth retardation, skeletal and hematologic abnormalities, and severe intestinal bleeding, which overlap with features of the previously reported patients with "Coats plus" syndrome and "leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts", suggesting that these disorders are related. All autopsied patients had similar neuropathologic findings showing calcifying obliterative microangiopathy. Our patients may represent an autosomally recessively inherited disorder because there were affected siblings and patients of both sexes. We have started genealogic and molecular genetic studies of this disorder.

Miniature Compliant Grippers With Vision-Based Force Sensing

This paper is concerned with grasping biological cells in aqueous medium with miniature grippers that can also help estimate forces using vision-based displacement measurement and computation. We present the design, fabrication, and testing of three single-piece, compliant miniature grippers with parallel and angular jaw motions. Two grippers were designed using experience and intuition, while the third one was designed using topology optimization with implicit manufacturing constraints. These grippers were fabricated using different manufacturing techniques using spring steel and polydimethylsiloxane ( PDMS). The grippers also serve the purpose of a force sensor. Toward this, we present a vision-based force-sensing technique by solving Cauchy's problem in elasticity using an improved algorithm. We validated this technique at the macroscale, where there was an independent method to estimate the force. In this study, the gripper was used to hold a yeast ball and a zebrafish egg cell of less than 1 mm in diameter. The forces involved were estimated to be about 30 and 10 mN for the yeast ball and the zebrafish egg cell, respectively.

Trans-spliced Heat Shock Protein 90 Modulates Encystation in Giardia lamblia

Background: Hsp90 from Giardia lamblia is expressed by splicing of two independently transcribed RNA molecules, coded by genes named HspN and HspC located 777 kb apart. The reasons underlying such unique trans-splicing based generation of GlHsp90 remain unclear. Principle Finding: In this study using mass-spectrometry we identify the sequence of the unique, junctional peptide contributed by the 5' UTR of HspC ORF. This peptide is critical for the catalytic function of Hsp90 as it harbours an essential ``Arg'' in its sequence. We also show that full length GlHsp90 possesses all the functional hall marks of a canonical Hsp90 including its ability to bind and hydrolyze ATP. Using qRT-PCR as well as western blotting approach we find the reconstructed Hsp90 to be induced in response to heat shock. On the contrary we find GlHsp90 to be down regulated during transition from proliferative trophozoites to environmentally resistant cysts. This down regulation of GlHsp90 appears to be mechanistically linked to the encystation process as we find pharmacological inhibition of GlHsp90 function to specifically induce encystation. Significance: Our results implicate the trans-spliced GlHsp90 from Giardia lamblia to regulate an essential stage transition in the life cycle of this important human parasite.

Whole exome sequencing in an Indian family links Coats plus syndrome and dextrocardia with a homozygous novel CTC1 and a rare HES7 variation

Background: Coats plus syndrome is an autosomal recessive, pleiotropic, multisystem disorder characterized by retinal telangiectasia and exudates, intracranial calcification with leukoencephalopathy and brain cysts, osteopenia with predisposition to fractures, bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal bleeding and portal hypertension. It is caused by compound heterozygous mutations in the CTC1 gene. Case presentation: We encountered a case of an eight-year old boy from an Indian family with manifestations of Coats plus syndrome along with an unusual occurrence of dextrocardia and situs inversus. Targeted resequencing of the CTC1 gene as well as whole exome sequencing (WES) were conducted in this family to identify the causal variations. The identified candidate variations were screened in ethnicity matched healthy controls. The effect of CTC1 variation on telomere length was assessed using Southern blot. A novel homozygous missense mutation c.1451A > C (p.H484P) in exon 9 of the CTC1 gene and a rare 3'UTR known dbSNP variation (c.*556 T > C) in HES7 were identified as the plausible candidates associated with this complex phenotype of Coats plus and dextrocardia. This CTC1 variation was absent in the controls and we also observed a reduced telomere length in the affected individual's DNA, suggesting its likely pathogenic nature. The reported p.H484P mutation is located in the N-terminal 700 amino acid regionthat is important for the binding of CTC1 to ssDNA through its two OB domains. WES data also showed a rare homozygous missense variation in the TEK gene in the affected individual. Both HES7 and TEK are targets of the Notch signaling pathway. Conclusions: This is the first report of a genetically confirmed case of Coats plus syndrome from India. By means of WES, the genetic variations in this family with unique and rare complex phenotype could be traced effectively. We speculate the important role of Notch signaling in this complex phenotypic presentation of Coats plus syndrome and dextrocardia. The present finding will be useful for genetic diagnosis and carrier detection in the family and for other patients with similar disease manifestations.