Metastatic choriocarcinoma presenting as multiple intracerebral haemorrhages: the role of imaging in the elucidation of the pathology

Eighteen-year-old adolescents with alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1AT) deficiency have mostly normal lung function tests. We hypothesized that compensatory increases in other protease inhibitors and/or a decreased leukocyte activity might favorably affect the protease/protease-inhibitor balance in alpha1AT-deficient adolescents. At the age of 18 y 46 PiZZ (severe deficiency), 22 PiSZ (moderate deficiency), and 41 control subjects were studied. The plasma protease inhibitors alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M), alpha1-antichymotrypsin (Achy), and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) were studied, and the protease elastase complexed with alpha1AT (HEAT) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as indicators of neutrophil leukocyte activity. Significantly higher concentrations of alpha2M were found in PiZ (p < 0.0001) and PiSZ (p < 0.0001) individuals compared with control subjects. The PiZZ and SZ adolescents had low levels of NGAL (p < 0.0001). Low levels of HEAT were found in PiZZ subjects (p < 0.0005). Higher concentrations of Achy were found in PiZZ (p < 0.04) and PiSZ (p < 0.05) individuals. Increased concentrations of alpha2M and Achy combined with decreased levels of HEAT and NGAL, indicating decreased leukocyte activity may, to some extent, compensate for the protease/protease inhibitor imbalance in the alpha1AT-deficiency state.     

Dendritic field development of retinal ganglion cells in the cat following neonatal damage to visual cortex: evidence for cell class specific interactions

A well-known feature of the mammalian retina is the inverse relation that exists in central and peripheral retina between the density of retinal ganglion cells and their dendritic field sizes. Functionally, this inverse relation is thought to represent a means by which retinal coverage is maintained, despite significant changes in ganglion cell density. While it is generally agreed that the dendritic fields of mature retinal ganglion cells reflect, in part, competitive interactions that occur during development, the issue of whether these interactions are cell class specific remains unclear. In order to examine this question, we used intracellular staining techniques and an in vitro, living retina preparation to compare the soma and dendritic field sizes of alpha and beta ganglion cells from normal retinae with those of cells located in matched areas of retinae in which the density of beta ganglion cells had been reduced selectively by neonatal removal of visual cortex areas 17, 18, and 19. Our intracellular data show that while an early, selective, reduction in beta cell density has little or no effect on the cell body and dendritic field sizes of mature alpha cells, it results in a 13% increase in the mean soma area and an 83% increase in the mean dendritic field area of surviving beta cells. This differential effect suggests that the soma and dendritic field sizes of alpha and beta ganglion cells in the mature cat retina result primarily from competitive interactions during development that are cell class specific.     

Mortgage banking: Internet and integration are key

Several business models have survived in the mortgage banking industry, but not without considerable trial and error. Online mortgage lending, automated underwriting systems, and Web-enabled servicing are changing the market, as companies scramble to outdo each other in customer relationship management (CRM). The paper considers how savvy companies are working with online lending and Web-enabled servicing, aggressively seeking ways to integrate legacy systems into e-business     

Monolayer Detection of Biochemical Agents Using Etched-Core Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

It is demonstrated that the etched-core fiber Bragg grating sensor can be used to detect down to a monolayer of biological and chemical agents immobilized on the surface of the fiber. Theoretical models based on calculating the effective index of the surrounding medium in the presence of immobilized layer(s) were developed and confirmed experimentally by immobilizing a monolayer of 3-aminopropyl-monoethoxydimethyl-silane (APMDS) and polymers of 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) on the surface of the fiber. The immobilization of APMDS and APTES is confirmed by carrying out hybridization of DNA. We also demonstrate that the sensor can be used to understand and optimize biological and chemical processes.     

High Conduction Hopping Behavior Induced in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides by Percolating Defect Networks: Toward Atomically Thin Circuits

Atomically thin circuits have recently been explored for applications in next‐generation electronics and optoelectronics and have been demonstrated with 2D lateral heterojunctions. In order to form true 2D circuitry from a single material, electronic properties must be spatially tunable. Here, tunable transport behavior is reported which is introduced into single layer tungsten diselenide and tungsten disulfide by focused He⁺ irradiation. Pseudometallic behavior is induced by irradiating the materials with a dose of ≈1 × 10¹⁶ He⁺ cm^?2 to introduce defect states, and subsequent temperature‐dependent transport measurements suggest a nearest neighbor hopping mechanism is operative. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveal that Se is sputtered preferentially, and extended percolating networks of edge states form within WSe₂ at a critical dose of 1 × 10¹⁶ He⁺ cm^?2. First‐principle calculations confirm the semiconductor‐to‐metallic transition of WSe₂ after pore and edge defects are introduced by He⁺ irradiation. The hopping conduction is utilized to direct‐write resistor loaded logic circuits in WSe₂ and WS₂ with a voltage gain of greater than 5. Edge contacted thin film transistors are also fabricated with a high on/off ratio (>10⁶), demonstrating potential for the formation of atomically thin circuits.     

Remote sensing of phytoplankton pigment distribution in the United States northeast coast

Phytoplankton pigments constitute many more compounds than chlorophyll a that can be applied to study phytoplankton diversity, populations, and primary production. In this study, field measurements were applied to develop ocean color satellite algorithms of phytoplankton pigments from in-water radiometry measurements. The match-up comparisons showed that the satellite-derived pigments from our algorithms agree reasonably well (e.g. 30-55% of uncertainty for SeaWiFS and 37-50% for MODIS-Aqua) to field data, with better agreement (e.g. 30-38% of uncertainty for SeaWiFS and 39-44% for MODIS-Aqua) for pigments abundant in diatoms. The seasonal and spatial variations of satellite-derived phytoplankton biomarker pigments, such as fucoxanthin, which is abundant in diatoms, peridinin, which is found only in peridinin-containing dinoflagellates, and zeaxanthin, which is primarily from cyanobacteria in coastal waters, revealed that higher densities of diatoms are more likely to occur on the inner shelf and during winter-spring and obscure other abundant phytoplankton groups. However, relatively higher densities of other phytoplankton, such as dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, are likely to occur on the mid- to outer-continental shelf and during summer. Seasonal variation of riverine discharge may play an important role in stimulating algal blooms, in particular diatoms, while higher abundances of cyanobacteria coincide with warmer water temperatures and lower nutrient concentrations.     

Quasi-dynamic visualization of crack propagation and bridging evolution in Si3N4 and SiC ceramics by mechano-luminescence

The propagations of macro-scale cracks were visualized in Si₃N₄ and SiC ceramics using a mechano-luminescence (ML) of SrAl₂O₄:Eu,Dy. The bridging zones behind the crack tip were also clearly detected in the crack path within realistic time frames. The ML made it possible to detect cracks propagating within a speed range of 200 m/s to 250 m/s, thereby realizing so-called quasi-dynamic R-curves. The magnitudes and shapes of the bridging stress distributions were found to change with the advancing cracks, continuing to change as the applied load changes, even after the cessation of crack propagation. The effective toughening then commenced and the applied stress intensity factors increased dramatically up to ∼120 MPa√m in Si₃N₄ and 150 MPa√m in SiC. The K_Tip values expected on the basis of the instantaneous bridging stress distributions obtained from ML observations deviated greatly from those measured using the conventional crack tip lengths; rather, the values support the results obtained by using bridging tips in quasi-dynamic crack propagations.