The effect of electrode placement in measuring ipsilateral/contralateral segmental bioelectrical impedance

No Abstract

Early diagnosis of lymphedema in postsurgery breast cancer patients

Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymph fluid in the limb resulting from an insufficiency of the lymphatic system. It is commonly associated with surgical or radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer. As with many progressively debilitating disorders, the effectiveness of treatment is significantly improved by earlier intervention. Multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA) previously was shown to provide accurate relative measures of lymphedema in the upper limb in patients after treatment for breast cancer, This presentation reports progress to date on a three-year prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of MFBIA to predict the early onset of lymphedema in breast cancer patients following treatment. Bioelectrical impedance measurements of each upper limb were recorded in a group of healthy control subjects (n = 50) to determine the ratio of extracellular limb-fluid volumes. From this population, the expected normal range of asymmetry (99.7% confidence) between the limbs was determined, Patients undergoing surgery to treat breast cancer were recruited into the study, and MFBIA measurements were recorded presurgery, at one month and three months after surgery, and then at two-month intervals for up to 24 months postsurgery, When patients had an MFBIA measure outside the 99.7% range of the control group, they were referred to their physician for clinical assessment. Results to date: Over 100 patients were recruited into the study over the past two years; at present, 19 have developed lymphedema and, of these, 12 are receiving treatment. In each of these 19 cases, MFBIA predicted the onset of the condition up to four months before it could be clinically diagnosed. The false-negative rate currently is zero, The study will continue to monitor patients over the remaining year to accurately ascertain estimates of specificity and sensitivity of the procedure.

Ecology and behavior of first instar larval Lepidoptera

Neonate Lepidoptera are confronted with the daunting task of establishing themselves on a food plant. The factors relevant to this process need to be considered at spatial and temporal scales relevant to the larva and not the investigator. Neonates have to cope with an array of plant surface characters as well as internal characters once the integument is ruptured. These characters, as well as microclimatic conditions, vary within and between plant modules and interact with larval feeding requirements, strongly affecting movement behavior, which may be extensive even for such small organisms. In addition to these factors, there is an array of predators, pathogens, and parasitoids with which first instars must contend. Not surprisingly, mortality in neonates is high but can vary widely. Experimental and manipulative studies, as well as detailed observations of the animal, are vital if the subtle interaction of factors responsible for this high and variable mortality are to be understood. These studies are essential for an understanding of theories linking female oviposition behavior with larval survival, plant defense theory, and population dynamics, as well as modern crop resistance breeding programs.

Effect of storage time and conditions on the hardness and cooking quality of adzuki (Vigna angularis)

A storage trial of two varieties of adzuki (Vigna angularis), Bloodwood and Erimo, produced in Australia, was conducted to determine the effect of various combinations of temperature, humidity and length of storage on bean quality. The beans were stored for up to 6 mo under the following conditions: temperature (10, 20 and 30degreesC), relative humidity (RH) (40 and 65%). Storage of adzuki at elevated temperature (30degreesC) and low relative humidity (40%) resulted in the greatest loss of bean moisture, increase in hydration times and decrease in bean cooking quality, i.e. increased hardness of cooked beans. The best storage conditions for the preservation of adzuki quality were 10degreesC and 65% RH.

Preface - Special issue on environmental toxicology of metals and metalloids

Following the Ninth International Congress of Toxicology (ICT-IX) and its satellite meeting ‘The International Conference on the Environmental Toxicology of Metals and Metalloids’ held in 2001 in Australia, a special issue on Arsenic was published in July 2002 (Toxicology Letters, 133(1), 1–120, 2002). We felt that it was timely to follow up with a special issue covering a wider range of metals and metalloids. Participants from the above conferences were invited to contribute to this special issue on ‘Environmental Toxicology of Metals and Metalloids’. This special issue consists of 11 manuscripts, representing up to date studies on a number of important harmful elements including aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, tin (tributyltin) and zinc. It illustrates the multidisciplinary nature of modern research in environmental toxicology involving chemical, biological and molecular technological approaches. It has been our great pleasure to produce this special issue. We would like to thank the authors for their contributions. We greatly appreciate the guidance and assistance provided by Dr J.P. Kehrer (Managing Editor), Dr Lulu Stader (Senior Publishing Editor) and their colleagues at Elsevier Science.

Females of the weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus manipulate the size and number of eggs according to the host seed availability

In some insects, the finding of oviposition substrate triggers the uptake into oocytes of yolk proteins that are stored in the fat body during post-embryonic development. The main host of the bean weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae; Bruchinae; Amblycerini), in which larval resources are the sole source for future egg maturation, is Phaseolus vulgaris. Despite not feeding as adults, females of this species are able to lay eggs after encountering host seeds but it is not known how females react to changes in the availability of bean seeds. In the present study, the behaviour of Z. subfasciatus facing two very different environments for oviposition is investigated, as well as how this influences offspring fitness. The results obtained show that females of Z. subfasciatus react to variations in the availability of seeds belonging to the same host species by adjusting egg size and number. Females on low bean seed density lay larger and fewer eggs than those on high bean seed density, demonstrating a trade-off between these reproductive traits. Moreover, females can adjust egg size to changing levels of host availability during the first 4 days of their oviposition period. Although no difference in offspring weight is found, those from small eggs (low competition environment) result in larger adults. No response to selection on these traits after rearing beetles on the same host for 40 generations is observed. This unresponsiveness may indicate that beetle populations behave according to their reaction norm that already allows rapid adaptation to a varying amount of host-seed availability and better exploitation of the environments of this widespread stored-seed pest.

Molecular motion in miscible polymer blends .1. Motion in blends of PEO and PVPh studied by solid-state C-13 T-1 rho measurements

Changes in molecular motion in blends of PEO-PVPh have been studied using measurements of C-13 T-1 rho relaxation times. C-13 T-1 rho relaxation has been confirmed as arising from spin-lattice interactions by observation of the variation in T-1 rho with rf field strength and temperature. In the pure homopolymers a minimum in T-1 rho is observed at ca. 50 K above the glass transition temperatures detected by DSC. After blending, the temperature of the minimum in T-1 rho for PEO increased, while that for PVPh decreased, however, the minima, which correspond to the temperatures where the average correlation times for reorientation are close to 3.1 mu s, are separated by 45 K (in a 45% PEO-PVPh blend). These phenomena are explained in terms of the local nature of T-1 rho measurements. The motions of the individual homopolymer chains are only partially coupled in the blend. A short T-1 rho has been observed for protonated aromatic carbons, and assigned to phenyl rings undergoing large-angle oscillatory motion, The effects of blending, and temperature, on the proportion of rings undergoing oscillatory motion are analyzed.

A rodent model of NASH with cirrhosis, oval cell proliferation and hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a well recognized complication of advanced NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). We sought to produce a rat model of NASH, cirrhosis and HCC. Methods: Adult Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g, were fed a choline-deficient, high trans-fat diet and exposed to DEN in drinking water. After 16 weeks, the animals underwent liver ultrasound (US), sacrifice and assessment by microscopy, immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: US revealed steatosis and focal lesions in 6 of 7. All had steatohepatitis defined as inflammation, advanced fibrosis and ballooning with Mallory-Denk bodies (MDB) with frank cirrhosis in 6. Areas of more severe injury were associated with anti-CK19 positive ductular reaction. HCC, present in all, were macro-trabecullar or solid with polyhedral cells with foci of steatosis and ballooned cells. CK19 was positive in single or solid nests of oval cells and in neoplastic hepatocytes. TEM showed ballooning with small droplet fat, dilated endoplasmic reticulum and MDB in non-neoplastic hepatocytes and small droplet steatosis in some cancer cells. Conclusions: This model replicated many features of NASH including steatohepatitis with ballooning, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Oval cell proliferation was evident and the presence anti-CK 19 positivity in the cancer suggests oval cell origin of the malignancy. (C) 2008 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amygdala hyperactivation in untreated depressed individuals

The amygdala participates in the detection and control of affective states, and has been proposed to be a site of dysfunction in affective disorders. To assess amygdala processing in individuals with unipolar depression, we applied a functional MRI (fMRI) paradigm previously shown to be sensitive to amygdala function. Fourteen individuals with untreated DSM-IV major depression and 15 healthy subjects were studied using fMRI with a standardized emotion face recognition task. Voxel-level data sets were subjected to a multiple-regression analysis, and functionally defined regions of interest (ROI), including bilateral amygdala, were analyzed with MANOVA. Pearson correlation coefficients between amygdala activation and HAM-D score also were performed. While both depressed and healthy groups showed increased amygdala activity when viewing emotive faces compared to geometric shapes, patients with unipolar depression showed relatively more activity than healthy subjects, particularly on the left. Positive Pearson correlations between amygdala activation and HAM-D score were found for both left and right ROIs in the patient group. This study provides in vivo imaging evidence to support the hypothesis of abnormal amygdala functioning in depressed individuals. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling: Volume 1

The report was commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training to investigate the perceived efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories in improving the quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes, especially in literacy and numeracy and for student members of particular target groups. These target groups included students from lower socio-economic communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, students with a language background other than English, rural and remote students, and students struggling with the transition from middle/upper primary to the junior secondary years. The project involved large scale national and international literature reviews on Australian and international middle years approaches as well as an analysis of key literacy and numeracy teaching and learning strategies being used. In the report, there is emergent evidence of the relative efficacy of a combination of explicit state policy, dedicated funding and curriculum and professional development frameworks that are focused on the improvement of classroom pedagogy in the middle years. The programs that evidenced the greatest current and potential value for target group students tended to have developed in state policy environments that encouraged a structural rather than adjunct approach to middle years innovations. The authors conclude that in order to translate the gains made into sustainable improvement of educational results in literacy and numeracy for target groups, there is a need for a second generation of middle years theorising, research, development and practice.

Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling: Volume 2 (Appendices)

This research project was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training to investigate the perceived efficacy of middle years programs in all States and Territories in improving the quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes - especially in literacy and numeracy and for student members of particular target groups. The latter groups included students from lower socio-economic communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities, students with a Language Background Other than English (hereafter LBOTE), rural and remote students, and students struggling with the transition from middle/upper primary to the junior secondary years.

Polymerization stress, shrinkage and elastic modulus of current low-shrinkage restorative composites

Objective. To compare currently available low-shrinkage composites with others regarding polymerization stress, volumetric shrinkage (total and post-gel), shrinkage rate and elastic modulus. Methods. Seven BisGMA-based composites (Durafill/DU, Filtek Z250/FZ, Heliomolar/HM, Aelite LS Posterior/AP, Point 4/P4, Filtek Supreme/SU, ELS/EL), a silorane-based (Filtek LS, LS), a urethane-based (Venus Diamond, VD) and one based on a dimethacrylate-derivative of dimer acid (N`Durance, ND) were tested. Polymerization stress was determined in 1-mm high specimens inserted between two PMMA rods attached to a universal testing machine. Total volumetric shrinkage was measured using a mercury dilatometer. Maximum shrinkage rate was used as a parameter of the reaction speed. Post-gel shrinkage was measured using strain-gages. Elastic modulus was obtained by three-point bending. Data were submitted to one-way ANOVA/Tukey test (p = 0.05), except for elastic modulus (Kruskal-Wallis). Results. Composites ranked differently for total and post-gel shrinkage. Among the materials considered as ""low-shrinkage"" by the respective manufacturers, LS, EL and VD presented low post-gel shrinkage, while AP and ND presented relatively high values. Polymerization stress showed a strong correlation with post-gel shrinkage except for LS, which presented high stress. Elastic modulus and shrinkage rate showed weak relationships with polymerization stress. Significance. Not all low-shrinkage composites demonstrated reduced polymerization shrinkage. Also, in order to effectively reduce polymerization stress, a low post-gel shrinkage must be associated to a relatively low elastic modulus. (C) 2010 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photoinitiator content in restorative composites: Influence on degree of conversion, reaction kinetics, volumetric shrinkage and polymerization stress

Purpose: To determine the influence of rate of polymerization, degree of conversion and volumetric shrinkage on stress development by varying the amount of photoinitiators in a model composite. Methods: Volumetric shrinkage (with a mercury dilatometer), degree of conversion, maximum rate of reaction (RP(max)) (with differential scanning calorimetry) and polymerization stress (with a controlled compliance device) were evaluated. Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (equal mass ratios) were mixed with a tertiary amine (EDMAB) and camphorqpinone, respectively, in three concentrations (wt%): high= 0.8/1.6; intermediate= 0.4/0.8 and low= 0.2/0.4. 80 wt% filler was added. Composites were photoactivated (400 mW/cm(2) x 40 seconds; radiant exposure=16J/cm(2)). A fourth experimental group was included in which the low concentration formulation was exposed for 80 seconds (32 J/cm(2)). Results: For the same radiant exposure, conversion, RP(max) and stress increased with photoinitiator concentration (P< 0.001). When the low concentration group exposed to 32 J/cm(2) was compared with the high and intermediate groups (exposed to 16 J/cm(2)), RPmax Still increased with the photoinitiator concentration between all levels (P< 0.001) but conversion and stress did not vary (P> 0.05). Shrinkage did not vary regardless of the photoinitiator concentration or radiant exposure. For the photoinitiator concentrations used in this study. Polymerization stress was influenced by conversion but not by rate of reaction. (Am J Dent 2009;22:206-210).