Imaging of follicular dendritic cell tumours of the liver

Follicular dendritic cell tumour of the liver is a recently recognized entity. To date, only two cases have been described, both in the pathology literature. Histologically, it resembles an inflammatory pseudotumour and immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies are required for its diagnosis. The ultrasound, computed tomography and angiographic features of two cases of follicular dendritic cell tumour of the liver are described in detail. One of the patients had multiple recurrences of this tumour. The imaging features are very similar to those of hepatocellular carcinoma. As follicular dendritic cell tumour is considered to be of low-grade malignant potential, in contrast to the dismal prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma, it is important to be able to accurately distinguish between the two types of tumour prior to initiating definitive therapy.     

The Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Adult: Measurement of smoking outcome expectancies of experienced smokers.

The original Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (SCQ; T. H. Brandon & T. B. Baker, 1991) measured college students' outcome expectancies for cigarette smoking. A version (SCQ-Adult) was needed for assessing expectancies in more typical, older, nicotine-dependent smokers. Two separate versions of the SCQ were developed and compared. Tests of construct validity provided greater support for the version comprising probability items over the version comprising subjective expected utility items. As expected, principal components analyses revealed a greater number of factors than the original SCQ suggesting that expectancies become more specific with smoking experience. All scales showed good reliability. Over the course of smoking cessation treatment, expectancies became less positive, especially for abstaining participants. Other validity tests also tended to be consistent with research on alcohol expectancies and with contemporary models of drug outcome expectancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of health care reform: Implications of 1994 elections.

The Republicans took control of both houses of Congress in November of 1994 for the 1st time in 42 yrs. Although the magnitude of the Clinton Administration's proposed Health Security Act may well have triggered fears of overcontrol, it is clear that the delivery of psychological care will be changed dramatically by the combined forces of federal and state health reform. R. J. Resnick, President of the American Psychological Association, has appointed the Task Force on Education and Training for Work in Organized Delivery Systems to look at how psychological health care is provided in the new and evolving systems, and to examine how current training programs prepare new psychologists to practice in and around organized health care systems. Dr. Resnick is similarly concerned about standardization of training, training in nontraditional areas of competence, and increased federal recognition and funding of training in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of gold doping on the superconducting critical temperature and transition width in single-crystal YBa2Cu3Oδ (YBCO)

Single-crystal YBa₂Cu₃O_?δ (YBCO) has been made with some of the copper atoms in the copper-oxygen chains replaced by gold. The samples were made by a flux method. The gold concentration was determined by EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) as a function of the nominal (i.e., flux) composition. Up to about 4.8% of all the copper atoms can be replaced by gold. The effect of the gold doping on the superconducting transition temperature (T _c ) and the transition width (ΔT _c ) were determined.     

Interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 inhibit antigen presentation by Langerhans cells for T helper type 1 cells by suppressing their CD80 (B7-1) expression

CD80(B7-1) and CD86(B7-2) co-stimulatory molecules have been reported to activate Th1/Th2 development pathways differentially. It is well known that Langerhans cells (LC), potent antigen-presenting dendritic cells in the epidermis, express several co-stimulatory molecules and that this expression is modulated by several cytokines. Based on the recently reported effect of interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL-)-10 on the expression of CD80 and CD86 by LC, we examined the effects of these cytokines on the expression of CD54 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) and CD40 in addition to CD80 and CD86 on LC, and correlated the expression of each co-stimulatory molecule with antigen presentation for a Th1 clone by cultured LC (cLC) treated with these cytokines. LC cultured for 72 h significantly up-regulated MHC class II antigen expression and all the co-stimulatory molecules were examined. As previously reported, IL-10 or IFN-gamma inhibited the up-regulation of CD80 expression. Granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) partially restored the suppression of CD80 expression induced by IFN-gamma on cultured LC, while it had virtually no effect on the inhibition induced by IL-10. Antigen presentation for the myoglobin-specific syngeneic Th1 clone by cLC, which were pre-incubated with these cytokines, correlated well with their CD80 expression. In addition, among the antibodies for CD80, CD86, CD28 or CD40, the suppression of the Th1 clone stimulation by LC was found to occur only with anti-CD80 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Finally, we studied the effects of IFN-gamma and IL-10 on GM-CSF production by epidermal keratinocytes (KC). We could show that only IFN-gamma, but not IL-10, suppressed GM-CSF production by KC. These findings suggest that both IFN-gamma and IL-10 suppress antigen presentation by LC for Th1 cells by suppressing their CD80 expression. The inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma on CD80 expression on LC appears to be partially mediated through the suppression of GM-CSF production by KC.     

A new minimum zone method for evaluating flatness errors

A new minimum zone method for flatnes error analyis is proposed in this article. Based on the criteria for the minimum zone solution and strict rules for data exchange, a simple and rapid algorithm, called the control plane rotation scheme, is developed for the flatness analysis of a flat surface. Experimental work was performed, and some examples are given in terms of the minimum zone and least-squares solutions.     

Adaptation of drafting plotter for buried contact groove formation

Lasers (e.g. Nd-YAG) have been used extensively for groove formation both in laboratories and commercial production but the initial capital cost is high. The production throughput is also low and thus adds to the cost of the cell. To reduce cost and increase production throughput a drafting plotter has been adapted to serve as a mechanical scriber for groove formation. The adapted plotter can scribe cells in matrix form to reduce the human labour and increase the production throughput. The characterization of the scribing tips in conjunction with the plotter showed that the best yield for the scriber is obtained when the scribing tip is mounted at 78° to the stock. Of the seven characterized scribing tips, the 90° conical scriber has been found to give the same groove geometry as the laser. The application of the adapted plotter to cell fabrication did not show any significant deterioration in the electrical output parameters for the mechanically scribed cells when compared with laser scribed cells. This article reports the adaptation of the x-y table drafting plotter to form buried contact grooves.     

The history of wireless power transmission

The history of wireless power transmission at microwave frequencies is reviewed with emphasis upon the time period starting with the post World War II efforts to use the new microwave technology developed during the war. A nationally televised demonstration of a microwave powered helicopter at the Spencer Laboratory of the Raytheon Co., in 1964 was the result of these early efforts and broadly introduced the concept of wireless power transmission to scientific and engineering communities and to the public. Subsequent development efforts centered on improving the efficiency of the interconversion of d.c. and microwave power at the ends of the system to reach a demonstrated overall d.c. to d.c. system efficiency of 54% in 1974. The response to the requirements of applications such as the Solar Power Satellite and high altitude microwave powered aircraft have changed the direction of technology development and greatly expanded the technology base. Recent and current efforts are centered on examining the use of higher frequencies than the baseline 2.45 GHz, and in reducing the system costs at 2.45 GHz.     

Surface modification and functionalization of electroactive polymer films via grafting of polyelectrolyte,polyampholyte and polymeric acids

Films of electroactive polymers, such as polyaniline (PAN) in its emeraldine base form, and poly(3-alkylthiophene), poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P6TH), poly(3-octylthiophene) (P8TH), and poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (P12TH) can be readily functionalized via thermal or near ultraviolet-light-induced surface graft copolymerization with monomers of polyelectrolyte, polyampholyte and polymeric acids. The monomers used in the present work include dimethyl sulphate quaternized dimethylamino-ethylmethacrylate (DMAEM·C₂H₆SO₄), 3-dimethyl(methacryloyloxyethyl)ammonium propane sulphonate (DMAPS), acrylic acid (AAc) and a sodium salt of styrene sulphonic acid (NaSS). The surface structures and compositions of the electroactive polymer films after functionalization via graft copolymerization were characterized by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Graft copolymerization of poly(3-alkylthiophene) films, but not PAN films, with the hydrophilic monomers readily results in a stratified surface microstructure arising from the migration of the hydrophilic graft chains beneath a thin surface layer which is much richer in the substrate chains. On the other hand, graft copolymerization of PAN films with AAc and NaSS readily gives rise to a self-protonated (and thus conductive) surface structure.