Infective endocarditis complicated with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: a case report

Despite a general national decline in criminal activities in the 1990s, juvenile criminal offenses continue to increase, (including violent, property, and delinquency acts). In addition increased numbers of children are being held in juvenile jails. It is all but impossible for pediatric health providers to think that "their patients" and "their practices" are immune from the epidemic of crime that affects and is caused by "just kids."     

CHL1 encodes a component of the low-affinity nitrate uptake system in Arabidopsis and shows cell type-specific expression in roots

The Arabidopsis CHL1 (AtNRT1) gene confers sensitivity to the herbicide chlorate and encodes a nitrate-regulated nitrate transporter. However, how CHL1 participates in nitrate uptake in plants is not yet clear. In this study, we examined the in vivo function of CHL1 with in vivo uptake measurements and in situ hybridization experiments. Under most conditions tested, the amount of nitrate uptake by a chl1 deletion mutant was found to be significantly less than that of the wild type. This uptake deficiency was reversed when a CHL1 cDNA clone driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was expressed in transgenic chl1 plants. Furthermore, tissue-specific expression patterns showed that near the root tip, CHL1 mRNA is found primarily in the epidermis, but further from the root tip, the mRNA is found in the cortex or endodermis. These results are consistent with the involvement of CHL1 in nitrate uptake at different stages of root cell development. A functional analysis in Xenopus oocytes indicated that CHL1 is a low-affinity nitrate transporter with a K(m) value of approximately 8.5 mM for nitrate. This finding is consistent with the chlorate resistance phenotype of chl1 mutants. However, these results do not fit the current model of a single, constitutive component for the low-affinity uptake system. To reconcile this discrepancy and the complex uptake behavior observed, we propose a "two-gene" model for the low-affinity nitrate uptake system of Arabidopsis.     

Design of reflectors which will distribute sunlight in a specified manner

A differential equation is obtained for the shape of a reflecting surface which will distribute axially symmetric light intensity into a specified irradiance over a receiver surface which is symmetric about the direction of the incident light. Results are applied to the design of rotationally symmetric solar reflectors and also to a 2-dimensional geometry, that is one in which the reflector is a cylinder with its axis perpendicular to the incident beam. The procedure is used to numerically calculate the shape of reflectors which will uniformly concentrate collimated light and also light from a point source over a flat receiver surface. Results are also applied to determine the shape of a reflector which will distribute collimated light uniformly over the surface of a cylinder and also over a sphere.     

Organometallic vapor phase epitaxial growth of (AlxGa1-x)0.5In0.5P and its heterostructures

Low pressure organometallic vapor-phase epitaxial growth of Ga_0.5In_0.5P and (Al_xGa_1-x) _0.5In_0.5P is examined. Epitaxial layers of bulk materials are characterized using photoluminescence, electroreflectance, Raman scattering spectroscopy, and surface morphology studies to determine lattice match and optimum growth conditions. Lattice matching at the growth temperature produces featureless growth surfaces, while lattice matching at room temperatures results in minimum photoluminescence linewidth but cracked surfaces due to tensile strain during growth. Raman scattering spectra of the quaternary reveal a three mode structure, with spectral peaks due to GaP-like, InP-like, and AIP-like LO phonons. Heterostructures are investigated including quantum shifts from a series of superlattices. These materials are incorporated in double-heterostructure lasers and single-quantum-well laser with graded-index separate confinement heterostructure     

Shared book reading: When and how questions affect young children's word learning.

Shared book reading, and the conversation that accompanies it, can facilitate young children's vocabulary growth. To identify the features of extratextual questions that help 3-year-olds learn unfamiliar words during shared book reading, two experiments explored the impact of cognitive demand level, placement, and an approximation to scaffolding. Asking questions about target words improved children's comprehension and production of word–referent associations, and children with larger vocabularies learned more than children with smaller vocabularies. Neither the demand level nor placement of questions differentially affected word learning. However, an approximation to scaffolding, in which adults asked low demand questions when words first appeared and high demand questions later, did facilitate children's deeper understanding of word meanings as assessed with a definition task. These results are unique in experimentally demonstrating the value for word learning of shifting from less to more challenging input over time. Discussion focuses on why a scaffolding-like procedure improves children's acquisition of elaborated word meanings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Breast disease: dynamic spiral MR imaging

The cochleo- and tonotopic organization of the second auditory area (AII) was investigated in cats anaesthetized with pentobarbital using a combination of macro- and microelectrode recording technique. The results obtained following electrical stimulation of the neural fibres innervating different regions of the organ of Corti indicate the existence of two complete representations of the cochlea in area AII: one in the dorsocaudal portion, the other in its ventrorostral portion. These two cortical representations of the cochlea differ in size and spatial orientation. The dorsocaudal projection area extends over a distance of 2.6-3.2 mm from the basal to the apical focus and is arc-shaped. The spatial orientation of cochlea representation within the dorsocaudal region of AII is similar to that described in AI, in that stimulation of the cochlea base results in maximal responses in the more rostral portion of AII and stimulation of the apex evokes cortical responses more caudally. The ventrorostral region within AII is smaller (1.4-2.5 mm length), and has the opposite cochleotopic orientation (base and apex stimulation represented caudally and rostrally, respectively). In both AII zones, there was a proportionally greater cortical representation of basilar membrane than of middle and apical portions. Although two distinct zones with the overall cochleotopic pattern described above were noted in all cats, their precise size and location considerably varied in different animals. Using microelectrode recordings, a cortical tonotopic organization can be observed that was consistent with and expanded on the earlier cochleotopic data. Within the dorsocaudal region of AII, neurons with higher best frequency responses were located in more rostral regions, while those with lower best frequencies were located caudally. An orderly progression of best frequency responses was noted as serial recordings carried out along the full extent of the representation. Neurons within the ventrorostral region of AII also displayed an orderly progression of best frequencies, but in the opposite direction, with higher best frequencies noted more caudally and lower best frequencies more rostrally.     

Falls in a psychiatric unit

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the antioxidant-like anti-inflammatory agent, ebselen, on cartilage proteoglycan degradation and to determine whether its cartilage protectant activity is related to its antioxidant activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cartilage in organ culture was stimulated with interleukin-1 (IL-1), and proteoglycan degradation was assessed by measuring the amount of sulfated glycosaminoglycan released into the media, proteoglycan synthesis evaluated by [35S]-sulfate incorporation, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was evaluated in a coupled test system using NADPH/GSSG reductase as an indicator and cyclooxygenase activity was evaluated using sheep seminal vesicle prostaglandin synthase. RESULTS: Ebselen caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of IL-1-stimulated proteoglycan degradation with an IC50 of 4.7 microM. Cartilage PGE2 release was also reduced in the presence of ebselen (IC50 = 6.2 microM). However, at concentrations up to 100 microM, ebselen had no effect on the inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis by IL-1. Induction of proteoglycan breakdown was also inhibited by a sulfur analog of ebselen. This analog was devoid of GSH-Px activity and was 50-fold less potent in cyclooxygenase inhibitory activity, but was equipotent to ebselen in inhibiting cartilage degradation. CONCLUSIONS: Ebselen, unlike other NSAIDs, blocks cartilage proteoglycan breakdown without inhibiting proteoglycan synthesis. This effect is independent of its GSH-Px activity and its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase and PGE2 production. Therefore, this compound may provide a new mechanism for protecting cartilage matrix from degradative factors in arthritic joints.