DR6 as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker in adult sarcoma.

Background: The Death Receptor 6 (DR6) protein is elevated in the serum of ovarian cancer patients. We tested DR6 serum protein levels as a diagnostic/predictive biomarker in several epithelial tumors and sarcomas.

Methods: DR6 gene expression profiles were screened in publically available arrays of solid tumors.

Effect of alternative models for increasing stocking density on the short-term behavior and hygiene of Holstein dairy cows.

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate short-term responses in lying behavior and hygiene of Holstein dairy cows housed at a stocking density of 100 (1 cow per stall and headlock) or 142% imposed by 1) the denial of access to freestalls and headlocks, 2) the denial of access to freestalls, headlocks, and 26.6 m(2) of alley space, or 3) the addition of a rotating group of 14 cows to the resident group of 34 cows. The secondary objective was to determine the bioequivalence of the 3 methods of experimentally increasing stocking density.

The impact of a program in mindful communication on primary care physicians.

Purpose: In addition to structural transformations, deeper changes are needed to enhance physicians' sense of meaning and satisfaction with their work and their ability to respond creatively to a dynamically changing practice environment. The purpose of this research was to understand what aspects of a successful continuing education program in mindful communication contributed to physicians' well-being and the care they provide.

Method: In 2008, the authors conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with primary care physicians who had recently completed a 52-hour mindful communication program demonstrated to reduce psychological distress and burnout while improving empathy.

Assessment of the value of quantitative thyroid scintigraphy for determination of thyroid function in dogs.

Objective: To assess the value of thyroid scintigraphy to determine thyroid status in dogs with hypothyroidism and various non-thyroidal illnesses.

Methods: Thyroid hormone concentrations were measured and quantitative thyroid scintigraphy performed in 21 dogs with clinical and/or clinicopathological features consistent with hypothyroidism.

Results: In 14 dogs with technetium thyroidal uptake values consistent with euthyroidism, further investigations supported non-thyroidal illness.

Medical student attitudes toward patients in diverse care settings: the impact of a patient evaluation course.

Background: First-year medical students typically have limited exposure to patients in diverse care settings, such as rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes.

Purpose: It is unknown whether students bring predetermined attitudes toward these patients, or whether attitudes are influenced by early exposure. We studied this in a new course that provides opportunities for students to interact with patients of various ages and disabilities.

Geographical, clinical, clinicopathological and radiographic features of canine angiostrongylosis in Irish dogs: a retrospective study.

Background: Angiostrongylus vasorum infection is associated with high morbidity and mortality in dogs. Although recognised in Ireland, there are no large series of cases reported. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify pertinent clinical and geographical features in Irish dogs.

Prediction of short linear protein binding regions.

Short linear motifs in proteins (typically 3-12 residues in length) play key roles in protein-protein interactions by frequently binding specifically to peptide binding domains within interacting proteins. Their tendency to be found in disordered segments of proteins has meant that they have often been overlooked. Here we present SLiMPred (short linear motif predictor), the first general de novo method designed to computationally predict such regions in protein primary sequences independent of experimentally defined homologs and interactors.

Effect of hematocrit on accuracy of two point-of-care glucometers for use in dogs.

Objective: To determine the effect of Hct on blood glucose readings of dogs obtained by use of 2 point-of-care (POC) blood glucometers and a laboratory analyzer.

Animals: 184 dogs, including 139 Greyhounds.

Procedures: Venous blood samples collected from 184 dogs with a range of Hcts (measured in EDTA-anticoagulated blood) were immediately analyzed with a handheld glucometer specifically developed for veterinary use and a glucometer developed for use in humans.

SCLpred: protein subcellular localization prediction by N-to-1 neural networks.

Summary: Knowledge of the subcellular location of a protein provides valuable information about its function and possible interaction with other proteins. In the post-genomic era, fast and accurate predictors of subcellular location are required if this abundance of sequence data is to be fully exploited. We have developed a subcellular localization predictor (SCLpred), which predicts the location of a protein into four classes for animals and fungi and five classes for plants (secreted, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondrion and chloroplast) using machine learning models trained on large non-redundant sets of protein sequences.

In silico protein motif discovery and structural analysis.

A wealth of in silico tools is available for protein motif discovery and structural analysis. The aim of this chapter is to collect some of the most common and useful tools and to guide the biologist in their use. A detailed explanation is provided for the use of Distill, a suite of web servers for the prediction of protein structural features and the prediction of full-atom 3D models from a protein sequence.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer: a review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an uncommon malignancy of the thyroid. Only 1-2% of thyroid cancers are anaplastic, but the disease contributes to 14-50% of the mortality with a median survival of 3 to 5 months. Most patients diagnosed with this disease are 65 years of age or older.

Canine hypothyroidism: a review of aetiology and diagnosis.

Hypothyroidism is recognised as an important endocrine disorder of dogs, and a frequent differential for numerous presenting complaints. Its diagnosis has never been straight forward as results suggestive of hypothyroidism can occur for a variety of reasons in dogs with normal thyroid function (euthyroid). As a consequence, the accurate investigation of hypothyroidism has been hindered by the potential inclusion of a number of cases not truly hypothyroid.

Assessment of feline blood for transfusion purposes in the Dublin area of Ireland.

The prevalence of A, B and AB blood types and of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection was determined in cats in Ireland, in order to determine risk factors for blood taken for transfusion purposes. EDTA blood samples were available from 137 non-pedigree cats and 39 pedigree cats (91 females and 85 males, aged four months to 15.0 years) in the Dublin area of Ireland.

Commentary: pitfalls in assessment of competency-based educational objectives.

Requirements for accreditation of medical professionals are increasingly cast in the language of general competencies. Because the language of these competencies is generally shaped by negotiations among stakeholders, however, it has proven difficult to attain consensus on precise definitions. This lack of clarity is amplified when attempting to measure these essentially political constructs in individual learners.

Development of a new photoelectron spectroscopy instrument combining an electrospray ion source and photoelectron imaging.

A new apparatus has been constructed that combines electrospray ionization with a quadrupole mass filter, hexapole ion trap, and velocity-map imaging. The purpose is to record photoelectron images of isolated chromophore anions. To demonstrate the capability of our instrument we have recorded the photodetachment spectra of isolated deprotonated phenol and indole anions.

Development of an audit method to assess the prevalence of the ACGME's general competencies in an undergraduate medical education curriculum.

Background: Despite the use of competency-based frameworks to evaluate physicians, the role of competency-based objectives in undergraduate medical education remains uncertain.

Purpose: By use of an audit methodology, we sought to determine how the six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies, conceptualized as educational domains, would map onto an undergraduate medical curriculum.

Methods: Standardized audit forms listing required activities were provided to course directors, who were then asked to indicate which of the domains were represented in each activity.

Clinical and clinicopathological features of non-suppurative meningoencephalitis in young greyhounds in Ireland.

The clinical and clinicopathological features of non-suppurative meningoencephalitis in 30 greyhounds were reviewed. The dogs were from 21 separate litters, comprised both sexes (16 males and 14 females) and ranged in age from five to 18 months. In 14 (66.

Prevalence of selected infectious agents in cats in Ireland.

Vector-borne bacterial and rickettsial agents and Toxoplasma gondii, are common organisms in cats. Some are potentially zoonotic or may be transmitted via blood transfusion. The current study investigated the prevalence of these agents in cats from Dublin, Ireland, for which no published data exists.

Expanding applications of protein analysis using proximity ligation and qPCR.

The correlation of gene and protein expression changes in biological systems has been hampered by the need for separate sample handling and analysis platforms for nucleic acids and proteins. In contrast to the simple, rapid, and flexible workflow of quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods, which enable characterization of several classes of nucleic acid biomarkers (i.e.