Design and characterization of a laterally mounted phased-array transducer breast-specific MRgHIFU device with integrated 11-channel receiver array.

PURPOSE: This work presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a new laterally mounted phased-array MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) system with an integrated 11-channel phased-array radio frequency (RF) coil intended for breast cancer treatment. The design goals for the system included the ability to treat the majority of tumor locations, to increase the MR image's signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) throughout the treatment volume and to provide adequate comfort for the patient. METHODS: In order to treat the majority of the breast volume, the device was designed such that the treated breast is suspended in a 17-cm diameter treatment cylinder. A laterally shooting 1-MHz, 256-element phased-array ultrasound transducer with flexible positioning is mounted outside the treatment cylinder. This configuration achieves a reduced water volume to minimize RF coil loading effects, to position the coils closer to the breast for increased signal sensitivity, and to reduce the MR image noise associated with using water as the coupling fluid. This design uses an 11-channel phased-array RF coil that is placed on the outer surface of the cylinder surrounding the breast. Mechanical positioning of the transducer and electronic steering of the focal spot enable placement of the ultrasound focus at arbitrary locations throughout the suspended breast. The treatment platform allows the patient to lie prone in a face-down position. The system was tested for comfort with 18 normal volunteers and SNR capabilities in one normal volunteer and for heating accuracy and stability in homogeneous phantom and inhomogeneous ex vivo porcine tissue. RESULTS: There was a 61% increase in mean relative SNR achieved in a homogeneous phantom using the 11-channel RF coil when compared to using only a single-loop coil around the chest wall. The repeatability of the system's energy delivery in a single location was excellent, with less than 3% variability between repeated temperature measurements at the same location. The execution of a continuously sonicated, predefined 48-point, 8-min trajectory path resulted in an ablation volume of 8.17 cm(3), with one standard deviation of 0.35 cm(3) between inhomogeneous ex vivo tissue samples. Comfort testing resulted in negligible side effects for all volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: The initial results suggest that this new device will potentially be suitable for MRgHIFU treatment in a wide range of breast sizes and tumor locations.

Mobile Navigation Using Haptic, Audio, and Visual Direction Cues with a Handheld Test Platform.

This paper reports on a series of user experiments evaluating the design of a multimodal test platform capable of rendering visual, audio, vibrotactile, and directional skin-stretch stimuli. The test platform is a handheld, wirelessly controlled device that will facilitate experiments with mobile users in realistic environments. Stimuli rendered by the device are fully characterized, and have little variance in stimulus onset timing. A series of user experiments utilizing navigational cues validates the function of the device and investigates the user response to all stimulus modes. Results show users are capable of interpreting all stimuli with high accuracy and can use the direction cues for mobile navigation. Tests included both stationary (seated) and mobile (walking a simple obstacle course) tasks. Accuracy and response time patterns are similar in both seated and mobile conditions. This device provides a means of designing and evaluating multimodal communication methods for handheld devices and will facilitate experiments investigating the effects of stimulus mode on device usability and situation awareness.

Taxonomic revision transferring species in Kuklospora to Acaulospora (Glomeromycota) and a description of Acaulospora colliculosa sp. nov. from field collected spores.

In a phylogenetic study of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species in Acaulospora (Acaulosporaceae, Glomeromycota) we discovered that species classified in genus Kuklospora, a supposed sister clade of Acaulospora, did not partition as a monophyletic clade. Species in these two genera can be distinguished only by the position of the spore relative to a precursor structure, the sporiferous saccule, as either within (entrophosporoid) or laterally (acaulosporoid) on the saccule subtending hypha. Subsequent spore differentiation follows identical patterns and organization. Molecular phylogeny reconstructed from nrLSU gene sequences, together with developmental data, support the hypothesis that the entrophosporoid mode of spore formation evolved many times and thus represents a convergent trait of little phylogenetic significance. Therefore genus Kuklospora is rejected as a valid monophyletic group and it is integrated taxonomically into genus Acaulospora. Thus Acaulospora colombiana and Acaulospora kentinensis are erected as new combinations (formerly Kuklospora colombiana and Kuklospora kentinensis). Mode of spore formation is demoted from a genus-specific character to one that is included with other traits to define Acaulospora species. In addition we describe a new AM fungal species, Acaulospora colliculosa (Acaulosporaceae), that originated from a tallgrass prairie in North America. Field-collected spores of A. colliculosa are small (<100 µm diam), hyaline or subhyaline to pale yellow and form via entrophosporoid development based on structure and organization of cicatrices and attached hyphae. Each spore consists of a bilayered spore wall and two bilayered inner walls. A germination orb likely forms after the completion of spore development to initiate germination, but this structure was not observed. A character distinguishing A. colliculosa from other Acaulospora species is hyaline to subhyaline hemispherical protuberances on the surface of the outer spore wall layer. A phylogeny reconstructed from partial nrLSU gene sequences unambiguously placed A. colliculosa in the Acaulospora clade.

Coexistence under positive frequency dependence.

Negative frequency dependence resulting from interspecific interactions is considered a driving force in allowing the coexistence of competitors. While interactions between species and genotypes can also result in positive frequency dependence, positive frequency dependence has usually been credited with hastening the extinction of rare types and is not thought to contribute to coexistence. In the present paper, we develop a stochastic cellular automata model that allows us to vary the scale of frequency dependence and the scale of dispersal. The results of this model indicate that positive frequency dependence will allow the coexistence of two species at a greater rate than would be expected from chance. This coexistence arises from the generation of banding patterns that will be stable over long time-periods. As a result, we found that positive frequency-dependent interactions over local spatial scales promote coexistence over neutral interactions. This result was robust to variation in boundary conditions within the simulation and to variation in levels of disturbance. Under all conditions, coexistence is enhanced as the strength of positive frequency-dependent interactions is increased.

Evidence of a mycorrhizal mechanism for the adaptation of Andropogon gerardii (Poaceae) to high- and low-nutrient prairies.

Andropogon gerardii seed obtained from Kansas and Illinois was grown in a controlled environment in their own and each other's soils, with and without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Each ecotype grew comparatively better in its own soil indicating adaptation to its soil of origin. Overall, A. gerardii benefited more from AMF in low-nutrient Kansas soil than Illinois soil. The two ecotypes, however, did not benefit equally from mycorrhizal infection. The Kansas ecotype was three times more responsive to mycorrhizal infection in the Kansas soil than was the Illinois ecotype. Our results indicate that plant adaptation to the nutrient levels of their local soils is likely to be due, at least in part, to a shift in their dependence on mycorrhizal fungi. The Illinois ecotype of A. gerardii has evolved a reduced dependence upon these fungi and greater reliance on a more highly branched root system. In contrast, the Kansas ecotype had a significantly coarser root system and invested proportionately greater carbon in the symbiotic association with AMF as measured by spore production. This study provides the first demonstration that plants can adapt to changing soil nutrient levels by shifting their dependence on AMF. This result has broad implications for our understanding of the role of these fungi in agricultural systems.

Evolution of nitrogen fixation in spatially structured populations of Rhizobium.

Symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria is thought to bring mutual benefit to each participant. However, it is not known how rhizobia benefit from nodulation of legume hosts because they fix nitrogen only after differentiating into bacteroids, terminally differentiated cells that cannot reproduce. Because free-living rhizobia can reproduce, and may benefit from the increase of plant root exudates stimulated by nodulation, evolution of symbiotic nitrogen fixation may depend upon kin selection. However, unrelated nonmutualists may also benefit from increased plant exudates and nitrogen-fixing populations are therefore vulnerable to invasion by nonfixing, saprophytic Rhizobium. The access of nonfixing Rhizobium to the plant exudates associated with nodules depends upon the spatial structure of the Rhizobium populations within the soil. We investigate the influence of spatial structure on the evolution of N-fixation within a Rhizobium population using a mathematical model. Our model demonstrates that spatial structure is necessary for the evolution of N-fixation and that N-fixation is more likely to evolve with increasing degrees of spatial structure. In fact, we identify three dynamic outcomes that depend upon the relative strength of the costs of N-fixation relative to the degree of spatial structure and benefits resulting from nodulations. If the costs are relatively high, N-fixation will not evolve; if the costs are relatively low, N-fixing genes will fix in the population, but at intermediate conditions, a stable mixture of N-fixing bacteria and nonfixing bacteria will be maintained. The conditions for coexistence of N-fixing bacteria and nonfixing bacteria expand under a saturating relationship between nodule numbers and N-fixing genotype frequency.

Genetic variation and evolutionary trade-offs for sexual and asexual reproductive modes in Allium vineale (Liliaceae).

Populations of Allium vineale commonly include individuals with very different allocation patterns to three modes of reproduction: sexual flowers, aerially produced asexual bulbils, and belowground asexual offsets. If selection is currently acting to maintain these different allocation patterns there must be a genetic basis for variation in allocation to these three reproductive modes. In addition, negative genetic correlations between reproductive traits would imply evolutionary trade-offs among reproductive strategies. We evaluated the heritability of these allocation patterns by growing 16 clones from a single population in the greenhouse at two levels of fertilization. Bulb mass and the mass and number of bulbils, offsets, and flowers were used as response variables, in addition to the proportion allocated to each reproductive mode. We found evidence of substantial heritable variation in allocation to sexual reproduction and in allocation within the two modes of asexual reproduction, indicating high sensitivity of these allocation patterns to natural selection. We also found evidence of strong negative genetic correlations between bulbil and flower traits, as well as between bulbil and offset traits, with one group of genotypes allocating greater resources to aerial asexual bulbils and the second group allocating more resources to belowground asexual offsets and aerial flowers. Phenotypic plasticity in allocation to above- vs. belowground asexual reproduction and sexual vs. asexual aerial reproduction was limited, indicating that plants are unlikely to change reproductive mode in response to nutrient availability. Together, then, we have demonstrated strong heritability for, and trade-offs in, the reproductive allocation patterns within this plant population.

Metastatic neuroblastoma with ganglioneuromatous differentiation and mandibular involvement.

Neuroblastic tumors comprise neuroblastoma (NB), ganglioneuroblastoma, and ganglioneuroma (GN). NBs have shown remarkable differentiation capabilities, which include spontaneous regression. In the last 3 decades, the prognosis for metastatic NB has improved significantly. The ability to distinguish prognostic subtypes based on clinical and biologic features allows for understanding of this disease process and development of management procedures. NBs are often asymptomatic and remain undetected until a large abdominal mass or metastasis is found. GN, the most differentiated variant, is a benign neoplasm with significant growth potential and ability to cause clinical complications. GN of the mandible has seldom been reported in the literature in English. We present a case of NB metastatic to the mandible exhibiting ganglioneuromatous differentiation. We discuss the current understanding of the biology, grading, classification, and prognostic implications of NB.

Heritable variation and mechanisms of inheritance of spore shape within a population of Scutellospora pellucida, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus.

Substantial variation was found among single-spore cultures established from a single population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Scutellospora pellucida. A common environment experiment demonstrated that five single-spore cultures differed in their average spore shape (as measured by length:width ratios) and size (volume) with interisolate heritabilities of offspring mean values of 0.96 and 0.87, respectively (0.66 and 0.43 for the shape and size of individual spores). The distribution of offspring spore shapes also differed in levels of variance, skewness, and kurtosis. In fact, these aspects of the distributions shifted with mean spore shape as predicted by the binomial distribution-the distribution expected due to the segregation of genetically diverse nuclei through dividing hyphae. Thus, the original parental spores generating these cultures appear to have contained genetically variable nuclei, which then segregate into the offspring spores to generate consistent differences in the mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis of the distribution of offspring spore shapes. This nuclear segregation may be followed by the assemblage of novel combinations of nuclei through hyphal fusion. Together these processes are rarely considered mechanisms for the creation of novel genetic combinations and may contribute to the maintenance of the high level of heritable variation observed in this study.

Mycorrhizal status of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae).

The Cyperaceae have generally been considered nonmycorrhizal, although recent evidence suggests that mycotrophy may be considerably more widespread among sedges than was previously realized. This study surveyed 23 species of Carex occurring in upland and wetland habitats in northeastern Illinois. Mycorrhizal infection by arbuscular fungi was found in the roots of 16 species of Carex and appears to occur in response to many factors, both environmental and phylogenetic. While some species appear to be obligately nonmycorrhizal, edaphic influences may be responsible for infection in others. In five of the seven Carex species that were nonmycorrhizal, a novel root character, the presence of bulbous-based root hairs, was identified. The taxonomically patchy distribution of the distinctive root hair trait suggests that these structures may have evolved several times within the genus. Evidence of multiple independent origins of the root hair trait lends support to the hypothesis that root hairs represent an adaptation to nonmycotrophy. Although taxonomic position does seem to be of importance in determining the mycorrhizal dependence of sedges, the pattern may be a patchwork of both mycorrhizal clades and clades that have adapted to the nonmycorrhizal state.

Genetic variation of morphological characters within a single isolate of the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus clarum (Glomaceae).

The nature of variation in morphological characters in spores of arbuscular endomycorrhizal fungi (Order Glomales, Class Zygomycetes) has received little attention, despite the importance of these characters in modern taxonomy of the order. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variation exists in spore size and color (presumably important taxonomic characters) within a single isolate of the glomalean fungus Glomus clarum. Phenotypic variation in size and color of spores was determined from a pot culture population (designated P). A 10% selection pressure was imposed on replicate pot cultures of the first progeny culture generation (G1) by selecting the smallest, largest, yellowest, and whitest spores from the P generation and inoculating Sorghum bicolor plants. The experiment was repeated for another generation (G2), but with a 5% selection pressure. In both the G1 and G2 generations, significant differences in spore size and color were observed among the various treatments, indicating substantial genetic variation in these characters. Despite efforts to keep the physical environment constant across generations, we observed variation in the overall means of spore size and color among the generations (regardless of treatment), indicating a strong nongenetic influence on character expression. This study provides empirical evidence that will help delimit species boundaries among isolates of Glomus clarum and similar morphospecies. It also demonstrates a promising method to help elucidate the nature of character diversity in obligately asexual fungi.