Validity and reliability of 3D marker based scapular motion analysis: A systematic review

Methods based on cutaneous markers are the most popular for the recording of three dimensional scapular motion analysis. Numerous methods have been evaluated, each showing different levels of accuracy and reliability. The aim of this review was to report the metrological properties of 3D scapular kinematic measurements using cutaneous markers and to make recommendations based on metrological evidence.     

Genus delimitation,biogeography and diversification of Choristoneura Lederer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) based on molecular evidence

Widely known for pest species that include major modulators of temperate forests, the genus Choristoneura is part of the species‐rich tribe Archipini of leafroller moths (Tortricidae). Delimitation of the genus has remained unresolved because no phylogeny has included species endemic to Africa and studies have often omitted the type species of the genus. Further taxonomic confusion has been generated by the transfer of Archips occidentalis (Walsingham) to Choristoneura, creating a homonym with Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman, an important defoliator of North American forests. To define the limits of the genus, we reconstructed a phylogeny using DNA sequences for mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and nuclear ribosomal 28S genes. Our ingroup included 23 Choristoneura species‐level taxa, complemented by a large sample of outgroups comprising 82 species of Archipini and other Tortricidae. We generated a time‐calibrated tree using fossil and secondary calibrations and we inferred biogeographic and diversification processes in Choristoneura. Our analysis recovered the genus as polyphyletic, with Archips occidentalis, Choristoneura simonyi and Choristoneura evanidana excluded from the main clade. Based on the recovered phylogenies and a redefinition, we restrict Choristoneura primarily to species with a northern hemisphere distribution. Our analysis supports A. occidentalis as the sister group of Cacoecimorpha pronubana, C. simonyi as the sister of ‘Xenotemna’ pallorana, and C. evanidana as the sister of Archips purpurana. A new combination is proposed: Archips evanidana comb.n. ; the availability of ‘Xenotemna’ as a valid name is discussed and A. occidentalis is considered as an orphaned name within the Archipini. We found support for a Holarctic origin of Choristoneura about 23 Ma, followed by early divergence in the Palearctic region. The main divergence occurred at 16 Ma, with one clade in the Nearctic and another in the Palearctic. Subsequent cladogenetic events were synchronous and related to herbivorous specialization, with each clade divided into coniferophagous and polyphagous lineages. Their specialization as conifer feeders temporally matched the expansion of boreal forest during the Miocene.     

On the Procompsognathus postcranium (Late Triassic, Germany)

A review of the historical background of the material housed in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde (Stuttgart) and ascribed to Procompsognathus triassicus (Upper Triassic, Germany) is provided. The systematic position of the postcranial remains is discussed. The combined results of cladistic analyses suggest that the type material, an incomplete postcranial skeleton in two pieces (SMNS 12591), is from a theropod close to Segisaurus and Coelophysis. An isolated manus (SMNS 12352a) is definitely not theropodan, but could be from any small basal archosaur. The remarkable diversity of the carnivorous guild that dwelled in southern Germany before the end-Triassic events is underlined.     

Upstream Regulators and Downstream Effectors of NADPH Oxidases as Novel Therapeutic Targets for Diabetic Kidney Disease

Oxidative stress has been linked to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, the complication of diabetes in the kidney. NADPH oxidases of the Nox family, and in particular the homologue Nox4, are a major source of reactive oxygen species in the diabetic kidney and are critical mediators of redox signaling in glomerular and tubulointerstitial cells exposed to the diabetic milieu. Here, we present an overview of the current knowledge related to the understanding of the role of Nox enzymes in the processes that control mesangial cell, podocyte and tubulointerstitial cell injury induced by hyperglycemia and other predominant factors enhanced in the diabetic milieu, including the renin-angiotensin system and transforming growth factor-β. The nature of the upstream modulators of Nox enzymes as well as the downstream targets of the Nox NADPH oxidases implicated in the propagation of the redox processes that alter renal biology in diabetes will be highlighted.     

On the name Stormbergia dangershoeki Butler

Imperfection in the formation of the name Stormbergia dangershoeki Butler is taken as an example so as to warn future taxon authors to repeat it.     

Palaeoneuroanatomy of Brachiosaurus

An overview of the palaeoneuroanatomy (brain and spinal cord) of the sauropod dinosaur Brachiosaurus is given. Although having a flexed brain configuration, Brachiosaurus presents on the whole a rather moderately derived neuroanatomical pattern. As other sauropods, Brachiosaurus shows an enlargement of the spinal cord in the sacral area. New Encephalization Quotients are calculated and found to be about 0.62 or 0.79 (depending on the body volume taken into consideration) when Hurlburt's formula is used. This suggests that Brachiosaurus, although it may not have been as a low encephalized taxon (by reptilian standards) as previously believed, did have an undersized relative brain volume.     

Biomedical word sense disambiguation with ontologies and metadata: automation meets accuracy

Background  

Ontology term labels can be ambiguous and have multiple senses. While this is no problem for human annotators, it is a challenge to automated methods, which identify ontology terms in text. Classical approaches to word sense disambiguation use co-occurring words or terms. However, most treat ontologies as simple terminologies, without making use of the ontology structure or the semantic similarity between terms. Another useful source of information for disambiguation are metadata. Here, we systematically compare three approaches to word sense disambiguation, which use ontologies and metadata, respectively.     

Plasticity of monkey triceps muscle fibers in microgravity conditions.

We examined the changes in functional properties of triceps brachii skinned fibers from monkeys flown aboard the BION 11 satellite for 14 days and after ground-based arm immobilization. The composition of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms allowed the identification of pure fibers containing type I (slow) or type IIa (fast) MHC isoforms or hybrid fibers coexpressing predominantly slow (hybrid slow; HS) or fast (hybrid fast) MHC isoforms. The ratio of HS fibers to the whole slow population was higher after flight (28%) than in the control population (7%), and the number of fast fibers was increased (up to 86% in flight vs. 12% in control). Diameters and maximal tensions of slow fibers were decreased after flight. The tension-pCa curves of slow and fast fibers were modified, with a decrease in pCa threshold and an increase in steepness. The proper effect of microgravity was distinguishable from that of immobilization, which induced less marked slow-to-fast transitions (only 59% of fast fibers) and changed the tension-pCa relationships.     

Dynamic Lung Tumor Tracking for Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiation Therapy

Physicians considering stereotactic ablative body radiation therapy (SBRT) for the treatment of extracranial cancer targets must be aware of the sizeable risks for normal tissue injury and the hazards of physical tumor miss. A first-of-its-kind SBRT platform achieves high-precision ablative radiation treatment through a combination of versatile real-time imaging solutions and sophisticated tumor tracking capabilities. It uses dual-diagnostic kV x-ray units for stereoscopic open-loop feedback of cancer target intrafraction movement occurring as a consequence of respiratory motions and heartbeat. Image-guided feedback drives a gimbaled radiation accelerator (maximum 15 x 15 cm field size) capable of real-time ±4 cm pan-and-tilt action. Robot-driven ±60° pivots of an integrated ±185° rotational gantry allow for coplanar and non-coplanar accelerator beam set-up angles, ultimately permitting unique treatment degrees of freedom. State-of-the-art software aids real-time six dimensional positioning, ensuring irradiation of cancer targets with sub-millimeter accuracy (0.4 mm at isocenter). Use of these features enables treating physicians to steer radiation dose to cancer tumor targets while simultaneously reducing radiation dose to normal tissues. By adding respiration correlated computed tomography (CT) and 2-[¹⁸F] fluoro-2-deoxy-ᴅ-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) images into the planning system for enhanced tumor target contouring, the likelihood of physical tumor miss becomes substantially less¹. In this article, we describe new radiation plans for the treatment of moving lung tumors.