Traditional craftspeople are not copycats: Potter idiosyncrasies in vessel morphogenesis

Ceramics are quintessential indicators of human culture and its evolution across generations of social learners. Cultural transmission and evolution theory frequently emphasizes apprentices' need for accurate imitation (high-fidelity copying) of their mentors' actions. However, the ensuing prediction of standardized fashioning patterns within communities of practice has not been directly addressed in handicraft traditions such as pottery throwing. To fill this gap, we analysed variation in vessel morphogenesis amongst and within traditional potters from culturally different workshops producing for the same market. We demonstrate that, for each vessel type studied, individual potters reliably followed distinctive routes through morphological space towards a much-less-variable common final shape. Our results indicate that mastering the pottery handicraft does not result from accurately reproducing a particular model behaviour specific to the community's cultural tradition. We provide evidence that, at the level of the elementary clay-deforming gestures, individual learning rather than simple imitation is required for the acquisition of a complex motor skill such as throwing pottery

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Immuno-Gold Labeled Antigens Associated with Bladder Cancer

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in the backscattered electron imaging (BEI) mode, has been used to study the topographical distribution of colloidal gold labeled antigens expressed on the luminal surface of the bladder urothelium in biopsies from three categories of patients: 1) normal controls; 2) patients with a history of bladder cancer but no pathological diagnosi s at time of cystoscopy; and 3) patients with overt transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of various histopathological stages and grades. Cold cup biopsies were processed for immuno-SEM according to a previously described method. Antigens under investigation were: 1) ABH blood group antigens; and 2) those identified by the following murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs): LEU-Ml, T16, 19A211, G4 and E7. In most cases labeling patterns were correlated with the surface features of the superficial urothelial cells as revealed in the secondary electron imaging (SEI) mode of the SEM. Results, to date, indicate that the immuno-gold labeling method is more sensitive than immuno-peroxidase, and that phenotypic heterogeneity of antigenic expression (or deletion) is a frequent observation of potential diagnostic or prognostic value

The contemporary pulmonary artery catheter. Part 2:measurements, limitations, and clinical applications

Nowadays, the classical pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) has an almost 50-year-old history of its clinical use for hemodynamic monitoring. In recent years, the PAC evolved from a device that enabled intermittent cardiac output measurements in combination with static pressures to a monitoring tool that provides continuous data on cardiac output, oxygen supply and-demand balance, as well as right ventricular performance. In this review, which consists of two parts, we will introduce the difference between intermittent pulmonary artery thermodilution using bolus injections, and the contemporary PAC enabling continuous measurements by using a thermal filament which heats up the blood. In this second part, we will discuss in detail the measurements of the contemporary PAC, including continuous cardiac output measurement, right ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume index, and mixed venous oxygen saturation. Limitations of all of these measurements are highlighted as well. We conclude that thorough understanding of measurements obtained from the PAC is the first step in successful application of the PAC in daily clinical practice

The contemporary pulmonary artery catheter. Part 1:placement and waveform analysis

Nowadays, the classical pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) has an almost 50-year-old history of its clinical use for hemodynamic monitoring. In recent years, the PAC evolved from a device that enabled intermittent cardiac output measurements in combination with static pressures to a monitoring tool that provides continuous data on cardiac output, oxygen supply and-demand balance, as well as right ventricular (RV) performance. In this review, which consists of two parts, we will introduce the difference between intermittent pulmonary artery thermodilution using cold bolus injections, and the contemporary PAC enabling continuous measurements by using a thermal filament which at random heats up the blood. In this first part, the insertion techniques, interpretation of waveforms of the PAC, the interaction of waveforms with the respiratory cycle and airway pressure as well as pitfalls in waveform analysis are discussed. The second part will cover the measurements of the contemporary PAC including measurement of continuous cardiac output, RV ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume index, and mixed venous oxygen saturation. Limitations of all of these measurements will be highlighted there as well. We conclude that thorough understanding of measurements obtained from the PAC are the first step in successful application of the PAC in daily clinical practice