Five Tourniquets and a Ship's Bell: The Special Session at the 1931 Congress

A mythology surrounds the 1931 Second International Congress of the History of Science and Technology. The event is portrayed as a calm and learned gathering where political dispassion and liberal tolerance towards the Soviet delegation were the order of the day. This is, in fact, a myth circulated by some of the participants who wanted to gloss over the conflict that actually characterized the congress. The notion finds its apex in the events surrounding the Special Session that is often positioned as the platform created for the Russians to deliver their papers. This was not the case. A persistent clash occurred between the Soviet delegation and Charles Singer throughout the congress, fuelled by Singer's attempts to generate publicity for the event and a powerful press reaction to the presence of the Soviets. The Congress became a significant focus for politics in Britain and Singer reacted by trying to silence the Soviets. The Special Session, far from being a platform for Marxist history of science, turned into a failed public relations exercise, and ultimately became the stage for the public humiliation of the Soviet delegates.     

Generalised efficiency curve for step-recovery-diode frequency multipliers

The optimised efficiencies of step-recovery-diode frequency multipliers for various diode parameters and orders of multiplication have been obtained using an analogue-computer simulation. It has been shown possible to determine these efficiencies as functions of a single figure of merit of the multiplier, the one curve being valid for all conditions investigated.     

Predicting upper limb recovery after stroke: the place of early shoulder and hand movement

We describe a rare case of pleomorphic type of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) in the buttock that presented a systemic involvement. The case was of a 58-year-old woman presenting hepatic dysfunction and inflammatory reactions including fever, positive C-reactive protein (CRP), an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and high levels of platelets and ferritin. The fever of 3 months duration subsided on the first postoperative day. The MFH resection also brought rapid normalization in CRP, platelets, and leukocytes. The local and systemic productions of cytokines induced by this tumor were evaluated. In vivo and in vitro production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1beta, and tumor necrosis factor alpha by tumor cells were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood samples taken preoperatively, tumor tissues, and the primary culture medium showed extraordinarily high IL-6 levels. The plasma IL-6 level was normalized postoperatively. Immunohistochemistry showed the positivity of tumor cells for IL-6. The IL-6 produced by the tumor was concluded to have been responsible for the systemic illness.     

Priming induces functional coupling of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine receptors in equine neutrophils

The synthetic formylpeptide fMLP is widely used as a model chemoattractant and secretagogue for mammalian neutrophils. Despite possessing fMLP receptors, equine neutrophils do not produce superoxide anions in response to fMLP and there is no inflammatory reaction in the horse when fMLP is injected intradermally. The functional capability of these receptors was investigated after pretreatment with recognized priming agents. Purified neutrophils were pretreated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), platelet-activating factor (PAF), or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and superoxide anion generation and shape change quantified by lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) and flow cytometry, respectively. LPS, TNF-alpha, and PAF pretreatment induced significant LDCL in response to fMLP; similarly LPS pretreatment was a prerequisite for fMLP-stimulated neutrophil polarization in response to fMLP. However, LPS failed to induce fMLP-mediated chemotaxis of equine neutrophils. These data indicate that equine neutrophil fMLP receptors are not vestigial as previously thought but can trigger both respiratory burst activity and cell polarization responses after priming.     

Contrast-modified gradient echo imaging using rotary echo preparatory pulses

The use of on-resonance binomial composite pulses in two- or three-dimensional magnetization-prepared gradient-recalled echo magnetic resonance imaging experiments generates rotary echoes, leading to an increase in contrast range that is, in part, determined by the ratio ofT ₂ toT ₁. In comparison with other fast gradient-recalled echo imaging techniques designed for enhancedT ₂ contrast, this method is more robust with respect to radiofrequency field inhomogeneity and less sensitive with respect to motion artifacts. Three-dimensional parametric images may be calculated using least-squares fitting based on a simple model for steady-state longitudinal magnetization during the imaging sequences.     

Are patients who present late with cancer registered with low referring practices?

This study examines whether a clinical outcome (stage of breast or bowel cancer at referral) was related to variations in GP referral rates. A multivariate analysis of breast and bowel cancer patients referred from 183 Nottinghamshire practices during 1993 showed no adverse outcome associated with low GP referral rates. Variables included in the analysis were total and surgical referral rates, fundholding status, UPA(8) score of the practice, partnership size, and age and sex of the referred patient.     

Platelet-derived growth factor-BB and thrombin activate phosphoinositide 3-kinase and protein kinase B: role in mediating airway smooth muscle proliferation

Proliferation of airway smooth muscle results from persistent inflammatory cytokine and growth factor stimulation and is a critical component of airway luminal narrowing in chronic asthma. Using primary cultures of bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) cells to examine the signaling basis of cell proliferation, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB and thrombin (which act through distinct receptor types) were found to induce DNA synthesis in BTSM cells. Mitogen-induced DNA synthesis could be completely inhibited by LY294002, a selective phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PtdIns 3-kinase) inhibitor. Exposure of BTSM cells to PDGF-BB or thrombin resulted in rapid activation of PtdIns 3-kinase and accumulation of phosphoinositide-3,4,5-trisphosphate. Protein kinase B, a novel signaling protein kinase, was identified in BTSM cells and was activated by PDGF-BB and thrombin in a PtdIns 3-kinase-dependent manner; this may underlie mitogen-stimulated activation of p70(s6k). PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 inhibitor, also partially inhibited PDGF-BB- and thrombin-stimulated DNA synthesis, indicating a modulatory role for mitogen-activated protein kinase in proliferation. GF109203X, Ro 31-8220, calphostin C, and chelerythrine (selective protein kinase C inhibitors) had no effect on PDGF-BB- or thrombin-stimulated DNA synthesis, suggesting that, despite abolishment of mitogen-stimulated protein kinase C activity, cell proliferation stimulated by PDGF-BB and thrombin is protein kinase C-independent. These data demonstrate that the PtdIns 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway represents a key signaling route in airway smooth muscle proliferation, with the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade providing a complementary signal required for the full mitogenic response.