Historical analysis of Newfoundland dog fur colour genetics.

This article makes use of digitized historic newspapers to analyze Newfoundland dog fur colour genetics, and fur colour variations over time. The results indicate that contrary to the accepted view, the 'Solid' gene was introduced into the British population of Newfoundland dogs in the 1840s. Prior to that time, the dogs were white and black (Landseer) or white and brown, and thus spotted/spotted homozygotes.

Evaluation of initial setup accuracy and intrafraction motion for spine stereotactic body radiation therapy using stereotactic body frames.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the initial setup accuracy and intrafraction motion for spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) using stereotactic body frames (SBFs) and (2) to validate an in-house-developed SBF using a commercial SBF as a benchmark.

Methods And Materials: Thirty-two spine SBRT patients (34 sites, 118 fractions) were immobilized with the Elekta and in-house (BHS) SBFs. All patients were set up with the Brainlab ExacTrac system, which includes infrared and stereoscopic kilovoltage x-ray-based positioning.

ADAMTS-4_v1 is a splice variant of ADAMTS-4 that is expressed as a protein in human synovium and cleaves aggrecan at the interglobular domain.

Objective: We previously described a messenger RNA variant of ADAMTS4 (ADAMTS4_v1) in human synovial cell cocultures obtained from patients with osteoarthritis (OA). This RNA message has been found only in OA synovium and, if translated, would result in a protein identical to ADAMTS-4, except that the C-terminal spacer domain would be different. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ADAMTS4_v1 is translated into a protein, is expressed in vivo, and acts as a functional aggrecanase.

SU-E-T-401: Evaluation of Initial Setup Accuracy and Intra-Fraction Motion for Spine SBRT Using Stereotactic Body Frames.

Purpose: Quantify initial setup accuracy and intra-fraction motion using stereotactic body frames (SBF) for spine SBRT.

Methods: 10 patients (11 sites, 31 fractions) treated with spine SBRT using SBF immobilization were evaluated for initial setup accuracy and intra-fraction motion. Either the commercial Elekta SBF or an in-house developed SBF (BHS-SBF) were used.

Are we moving in the right direction with osteoarthritis drug discovery?

Introduction: The success of targeted biologic therapy against rheumatoid arthritis has meant that much research has been devoted to investigating the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis, in the hope of defining novel therapeutic targets. Osteoarthritis has long been thought of mainly as a degenerative disease of cartilage, with secondary bony damage and osteophytes. However, in recent years, the importance of the synovium, and in particular the synovial macrophages, has been highlighted in both in vitro and in vivo studies.