Quantification of turbate microstructures through a subglacial till : dimensions and characteristics

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An evaluation of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Virulence gene system as a potential diagnostic test for Neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric cancer, the prognosis for which is markedly dependent upon the progression of the disease at the time of diagnosis. It has been argued that a mass screening programme for all infants would aid early detection of neuroblastoma and reduce mortality. Neuroblastoma is unusual amongst childhood cancers since the basis for such a test exsists - otherwise asymptomatic patients excrete abnormal amounts of specific phenolic compounds in their urine. The presence of these metabolites at elevated levels is taken as diagnostic of the disease. A number of pilot screening programmes in different parts of the world have shown that a quick, inexpensive and reliable method of screening is needed. One candidate for this is a test based upon the responses of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to compounds with structures similar to those produced as a result of tumour metabolism. This bacterium responds to such phenolic ligands chemotactically and by induction of virulence gene expression. Data presented in this work shows that phenolics secreted by neuroblastoma tumours are incapable of inducing virulence gene expression but are capable of acting as chemoattractants. The role of phosphorylation in VirA/G mediated phenolic chemotaxis is investigated. Evidence is presented that phosphorylation of Vir and G is required for chemotaxis. A novel, highly reproducible and comparible measure bacterial chemotaxis, the chemotactic index is derived and applied

Smart Symmtries

The implications of pseudorandom modalities have been far-reaching and pervasive. After years of appropriate research into online algorithms, we confirm the visualization of congestion control, which em- bodies the intuitive principles of machine learning. In order to achieve this goal, we demonstrate that the transistor and Internet QoS are always incompatible

An analysis of the determinants of successful horizontal collaborative marketing organisations.

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GBRDs over groups of orders ≤100 or of order pq with p, q primes

AbstractThere are well-known necessary conditions for the existence of a generalized Bhaskar Rao design over a group G, with block size k=3. It has been conjectured that these necessary conditions are indeed sufficient. We prove that they are sufficient for groups G of order pq where p,q are primes and for groups of all orders ≤100 except possibly 32, 36, 48, 54, 60, 64, 72, 96

On the timing of retreat of the Loch Lomond (‘Younger Dryas’) Readvance icefield in the SW Scottish Highlands and its wider significance

It has long been assumed that the last glacier expansion in the Scottish Highlands, the Loch Lomond Readvance (LLR), resulted from a cold reversal that was broadly coeval with the ‘Younger Dryas’ episode. This view has recently been challenged, with the suggestion that glacier ice had disappeared from Rannoch Moor, one of the main ice accumulation centres in the SW Scottish Highlands, by as early as 12.5 ka, i.e. within the first half of the ‘Younger Dryas’. Here we present new radiocarbon, tephrostratigraphical and pollen-stratigraphical evidence from one of the key sites on Rannoch Moor, the results of an experiment designed to test this hypothesis. Our results not only contradict that concept, but are fully compatible with other evidence from the SW Scottish Highlands that suggests that the LLR glaciers in this area continued to expand until towards the end of the ‘Younger Dryas’ period, and may have persisted in some places after the onset of the Holocene. We consider the possible reasons for this marked divergence in chronology, a matter that is crucial to resolve because the precise timing of the demise of the LLR glaciers has important palaeoclimatic and other implications. In the wider context, we also draw attention to problems with the general use of the term ‘Younger Dryas’ and why we regard the Greenland stratotype unit and term ‘Greenland Stadial 1’ (GS-1) a more secure stratigraphic comparator

Expression of The αβ T-Cell Receptor Is Necessary for The Generation of The Thymic Medulla

The architecture of the thymus of mice that congenitally fail to express the αβ T-cell receptor (TCRαβ) has been examined by immunohistology. In these mice, a defined mutation was introduced into the TCRc gene by homologous recombination. By using antibodies specific for cortical or medullary epithelium and for major histocompatibility complex antigens, the network of cortical epithelium in these mice was shown to be essentially unaltered in comparison with that of normal mice. In contrast, the thymic medulla was considerably reduced in size. This analysis shows that expression of the αβ TCR but not the γδ TCR is obligatory for establishing the thymic medulla and suggests that the growth of medullary epithelial cells may require contact with TCRαβ-expressing cells

Epidemiology of Generalized Joint Laxity (Hypermobility) in Fourteen-Year-Old Children From the UK: A Population-Based Evaluation

Objective Although diagnostic criteria for generalized ligamentous laxity (hypermobility) in children are widely used, their validity may be limited, due to the lack of robust descriptive epidemiologic data on this condition. The present study was undertaken to describe the point prevalence and pattern of hypermobility in 14-year-old children from a population-based cohort. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a large population-based birth cohort. Hypermobility among children in the cohort (mean age 13.8 years) was measured using the Beighton scoring system. Objective measures of physical activity were ascertained by accelerometry. Data on other variables, including puberty and socioeconomic status, were collected. Simple prevalence rates were calculated. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations of specific variables with hypermobility. Results Among the 6,022 children evaluated, the prevalence of hypermobility (defined as a Beighton score of ≥4 [i.e., ≥4 joints affected]) in girls and boys age 13.8 years was 27.5% and 10.6%, respectively. Forty-five percent of girls and 29% of boys had hypermobile fingers. There was a suggestion of a positive association between hypermobility in girls and variables including physical activity, body mass index, and maternal education. No associations were seen in boys. Conclusion We have shown that the prevalence of hypermobility in UK children is high, possibly suggesting that the Beighton score cutoff of ≥4 is too low or that this scoring is not appropriate for use in subjects whose musculoskeletal system is still developing. These results provide a platform to evaluate the relationships between the Beighton criteria and key clinical features (including pain), thereby testing the clinical validity of this scoring system in the pediatric population. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology