Focal lung pathology detection in radiology: Is there an effect of experience on visual search behavior?

In radiology, 60% to 80% of diagnostic errors are perceptual. The use of more efficient visual search behaviors is expected to reduce these errors. We collected eye-tracking data from participants with different levels of experience when interpreting chest X-rays during the completion of a pathology-detection task.

Patterns of local, intercontinental and interseasonal variation of soil bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities.

Although ongoing research has revealed some of the main drivers behind global spatial patterns of microbial communities, spatio-temporal dynamics of these communities still remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate spatio-temporal variability of both bacterial and eukaryotic soil microbial communities at local and intercontinental scales. We compare how temporal variation in community composition scales with spatial variation in community composition, and explore the extent to which bacteria, protists, fungi and metazoa have similar patterns of temporal community dynamics.

Does effective gaze behavior lead to enhanced performance in a complex error-detection cockpit task?

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between expertise, performance, and gaze behavior in a complex error-detection cockpit task. Twenty-four pilots and 26 non-pilots viewed video-clips from a pilot's viewpoint and were asked to detect malfunctions in the cockpit instrument panel. Compared to non-pilots, pilots detected more malfunctioning instruments, had shorter dwell times on the instruments, made more transitions, visited task-relevant areas more often, and dwelled longer on the areas between the instruments.

Multi-criteria anomaly detection in urban noise sensor networks.

The growing concern of citizens about the quality of their living environment and the emergence of low-cost microphones and data acquisition systems triggered the deployment of numerous noise monitoring networks spread over large geographical areas. Due to the local character of noise pollution in an urban environment, a dense measurement network is needed in order to accurately assess the spatial and temporal variations. The use of consumer grade microphones in this context appears to be very cost-efficient compared to the use of measurement microphones.

Sampling approaches to predict urban street noise levels using fixed and temporary microphones.

Requirements for static (prediction of L(den) and diurnal averaged noise pattern) and dynamic (prediction of 15 min and 60 min evolution of L(Aeq) and statistical levels L(A90,)L(A50) and L(A10)) noise level monitoring are investigated in this paper. Noise levels are measured for 72 consecutive days at 5 neighboring streets in an inner-city noise measurement network in Gent, Flanders, Belgium. We present a method to make predictions based on a fixed monitoring station, combined with short-term sampling at temporary stations.

On the ability of consumer electronics microphones for environmental noise monitoring.

The massive production of microphones for consumer electronics, and the shift from dedicated processing hardware to PC-based systems, opens the way to build affordable, extensive noise measurement networks. Applications include e.g.

Chondrocyte rather than osteoblast conversion of vascular cells underlies medial calcification in uremic rats.

Objective: To investigate cell biological changes in calcified aortas of rats that experienced chronic renal failure.

Methods And Results: Vascular smooth muscle cells have the potential to transdifferentiate to either chondrocytes or osteoblasts, depending on the molecular pathways that are stimulated. Uremia-related medial calcification was induced by feeding rats an adenine low-protein diet for 4 weeks.

Hepatocellular transport and gastrointestinal absorption of lanthanum in chronic renal failure.

Lanthanum carbonate is a new phosphate binder that is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and eliminated largely by the liver. After oral treatment, we and others had noticed 2-3 fold higher lanthanum levels in the livers of rats with chronic renal failure compared to rats with normal renal function. Here we studied the kinetics and tissue distribution, absorption, and subcellular localization of lanthanum in the liver using transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectrometry, and X-ray fluorescence.

An active renal crystal clearance mechanism in rat and man.

The kidney has several defense mechanisms to avert nephrocalcinosis by preventing intratubular crystal formation and adherence. Little is known about the fate of luminally adhered crystals. In order to study post-crystal adhesion defense mechanisms we quantified the number and morphology of crystal-containing tubules in rats at various time points following ethylene glycol administration as well as in renal biopsies of patients diagnosed with nephrocalcinosis of different etiology.

Endochondral bone formation is involved in media calcification in rats and in men.

Arterial media calcification is often considered a cell-regulated process resembling intramembranous bone formation, implying a conversion of vascular tissue into a bone-like structure without a cartilage intermediate. In this study, we examined the association of chondrocyte-specific marker expression with media calcification in arterial samples derived from rats with chronic renal failure (CRF) and from human transplant donors. CRF was induced in rats with a diet supplemented with adenine.

Anti-B7-1 blocks mononuclear cell adherence in vasa recta after ischemia.

Background: Blocking the costimulatory pathway by CTLA-4 Ig, reactive with both B7-1 and B7-2 costimulatory molecules, protects the kidney during acute ischemia/reperfusion injury. This study investigated whether and how B7-1 and/or B7-2 proteins are involved in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI).

Methods: Uninephrectomized rats were submitted to warm renal ischemia (30 min) and received control monoclonal antibody (mAb; 17E3), anti-B7-1 (3H5), anti-B7-2 (24F), a combination of anti-B7-1/B7-2, or CTLA-4 Ig.

Oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins and the outcome of renal allografts at 1 1/2 years.

Background: Previous studies reported a significant association between hyperlipidemia of the recipient and chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). However, the nature and the pathogenic mechanism of circulating lipid abnormalities in CAN remain unclear.

Methods: In a prospective study of 50 consecutive adult recipients of a cadaveric renal allograft, we investigated the impact of lipid abnormalities on the outcome of the graft at 1 1/2 years.

Renal osteopontin protein and mRNA upregulation during acute nephrotoxicity in the rat.

Background: The effect of segment-specific proximal tubular injury on spatio-temporal osteopontin (OPN) distribution was determined in two different nephrotoxic rat models to evaluate its conceivability with a possible role for OPN in acute renal failure (ARF). OPN gene expression was further determined in proximal and distal tubular cells to investigate the origin of increased renal OPN.

Methods: Renal OPN protein and mRNA expression were compared in the rat during mercuric-chloride- vs gentamicin-induced ARF using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

Flow cytometric immunodissection of the human distal tubule and cortical collecting duct system.

Background: In recent years, considerable efforts were drawn to isolate human distal tubule (DT) and collecting duct (CD) cells with more or less success. Here, we present a procedure for isolating human DT cells [thick ascending limb (TAL)/distal convoluted tubule (DCT)] and CD system cells (connecting tubule/initial CD) as separate populations within the same kidney specimen, applying monoclonal antibodies in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and culturing them.

Methods: We tested antibodies directed against the DT/CD system antigens, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and L1-cell adhesion molecule (L1-CAM).

TIMP-1 gene expression and PAI-1 antigen after unilateral ureteral obstruction in the adult male rat.

Background: Sustained obstruction of urinary flow invariably leads to inflammation, loss of functional renal structures and progressive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, culminating in renal fibrosis. Although increased renal tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP-1) expression is one of the early events following experimental hydronephrosis, little is known about its cellular source. Both the recruited macrophage and the resident/recruited (myo)fibroblast have been postulated to be candidate TIMP-1 transcribing cells.

Flow cytometric immunodissection of the human nephron in vivo and in vitro.

In the present article, we show that flow cytometric immunodissection of cells immediately following their preparation from a tumor nephrectomy specimen is an accurate way of obtaining pure human primary cultures of proximal convoluted tubule origin, proximal straight tubule origin, distal tubular origin and/or collecting duct origin. By studying the expression of a panel of cell surface markers in these purified cultures, we could identify a number of markers that retain their lineage specificity in vitro. Using these appropriate stable markers, flow cytometry provides a simple yet accurate way of determining cell composition in previously unsorted (mixed type) tubular epithelial cultures in terms of proximal versus distal tubule/collecting duct subpopulations.

Inhibition of the matrix metalloproteinase system in a rat model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

Background: Chronic cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced nephropathy is histologically characterized by tubular lesions, the interstitial recruitment of inflammatory cells, arteriolopathy and focal interstitial fibrosis. Recent studies show that the intrarenal inhibition of matrix degradation and recruitment of monocytes/ macrophages into the kidney plays a critical role in the development of renal interstitial fibrosis.

Methods: We examined the expression of components of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) in kidneys from rats injected daily s.

Strontium causes osteomalacia in chronic renal failure rats.

Background: We recently reported an association between increased bone strontium (Sr) levels and osteomalacia in dialysis patients.

Methods: To delineate whether or not Sr acts as a causal factor in the development of osteomalacia, we devised the following study: four groups of chronic renal failure (CRF) rats were given Sr, aluminum (Al), both of these compounds or none of the elements (controls).

Results: Administration of Sr and/or A1 resulted in increased bone levels of the respective elements.

Immunodissection of the human proximal nephron: flow sorting of S1S2S3, S1S2 and S3 proximal tubular cells.

We report on the use of several proximal tubular cell (PTC) surface markets and corresponding antibodies in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and their ability to identify and flow sort cells of defined proximal tubular origin (S1S2S3) or of defined proximal subsegmental origin (S1S2 only/S3 only). We tested monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies directed against five different surface peptidases [leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), aminopeptidase A (APA) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT)], the S3 segment-specific marker intestinal type alkaline phosphatase (iAP) and an S1S2 marker (TN20-antigen), originally proposed as a surface marker for interstitial fibroblasts.

Cholesterol feeding accentuates the cyclosporine-induced elevation of renal plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1.

Long-term cyclosporine (CsA) therapy is accompanied by the occurrence of hypercholesterolemia and renal interstitial fibrosis. The present study investigates the effect of dietary cholesterol on CsA-induced lipid disturbances in the rat and on CsA nephrotoxicity. Since plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a major inhibitor of matrix degradation and elevated plasma PAI-1 levels are reported to be associated with increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, PAI-1 was examined in the kidneys of rats fed a sodium-deficient diet, with or without cholesterol.

Selective depletion of CD8-positive leukocytes does not alter mercuric chloride induced acute renal failure in the rat.

The process of injury and regeneration in different models of acute renal failure is accompanied by the transient interstitial accumulation of mononuclear leukocytes. The relationship between these accumulated cells and the onset and progression of the regeneration process resulting in the complete functional and morphological recovery is still a matter of debate. In this process cell subsets may either be selectively important or combine to a communicative network, signalling the cells at the site of injury.

Stage- and segment-specific expression of cell-adhesion molecules N-CAM, A-CAM, and L-CAM in the kidney.

CAM expression was investigated immunohistochemically in tissue sections and in pure cultures of human proximal and distal tubular cells. In the fetal kidney, N-CAM immunoreactivity was detected in the non-induced and condensing metanephrogenic mesenchyme, and in all stages until the S-shaped bodies. A-CAM (N-cadherin) first appeared in the non-induced mesenchyme and remained present thereafter.

Radiolocalisation and imaging of stably HPLAP-transfected MO4 tumours with monoclonal antibodies and fragments.

Immunotargeting of PLAP-expressing tumours was studied for two radioiodinated, highly specific anti-PLAP monoclonal antibodies, 7E8 and 17E3, differing 10-fold in affinity, as well as for 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments. An anti-CEA monoclonal antibody or anti-CD3 F(ab')2 fragments were used as controls. Specific and non-specific targeting was examined in nude mice simultaneously grafted with PLAP-positive tumours derived from MO4 1-4 cells, and CEA-positive tumours, derived from 5583-S cells.

Occurrence of the mucinous differentiation antigen CA125 in genital tract and conductive airway epithelia of diverse mammalian species (rabbit, dog, monkey).

CA125 is a human tumor-associated antigen of coelomic epithelial origin. In the present study, immunohistochemical analysis of normal rabbit, dog, and monkey tissues using monoclonal antibody OC125, revealed that in these animals positive staining for CA125 is found in all tissues that produce this mucin-like glycoprotein in man, i.e.