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Kinds of Figure Terms modified by Figure Selected AbstractsA System for View-Dependent AnimationCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2004Parag Chaudhuri In this paper, we present a novel system for facilitating the creation of stylized view-dependent 3D animation. Our system harnesses the skill and intuition of a traditionally trained animator by providing a convivial sketch based 2D to 3D interface. A base mesh model of the character can be modified to match closely to an input sketch, with minimal user interaction. To do this, we recover the best camera from the intended view direction in the sketch using robust computer vision techniques. This aligns the mesh model with the sketch. We then deform the 3D character in two stages - first we reconstruct the best matching skeletal pose from the sketch and then we deform the mesh geometry. We introduce techniques to incorporate deformations in the view-dependent setting. This allows us to set up view-dependent models for animation. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism - Animation 7 Figure 7. Our system takes as input a sketch (a), and a base mesh model (b), then recovers a camera to orient the base mesh (c), then reconstructs the skeleton pose (d), and finally deforms the mesh to find the best possible match with the sketch (e). [source] Evidence for a vicious cycle of exercise and hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes mellitusDIABETES/METABOLISM: RESEARCH AND REVIEWS, Issue 2 2004A. C. Ertl Abstract Exercise is a cornerstone of diabetes management as it aids in glycemic control, weight management, reducing blood pressure, and improving the quality of life of patients. Unfortunately, owing to the complexity and difficulties of regulating exogenous insulin in a physiologic manner during exercise, physical activity often results in hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (type 1 DM). When glucose levels fall below threshold glycemic levels, neuroendocrine, autonomic nervous system (ANS), and metabolic glucose counterregulatory mechanisms are activated. These hypoglycemic counterregulatory mechanisms in type 1 DM can be blunted irreversibly by disease duration or by acute episodes of prior stress. These reduced (or absent) counterregulatory responses result in a threefold increase in severe hypoglycemia when intensive glycemic control is implemented in type 1 DM 1. Much recent work has been focused on determining the in vivo mechanisms responsible for causing the increased incidence of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 DM. Studies from several laboratories have demonstrated the role played by episodes of antecedent hypoglycemia in producing blunted glucose counterregulatory responses during subsequent exposures of hypoglycemia. Until recently, the mechanisms responsible for exercise related hypoglycemia in type 1 DM have been attributed to relative or absolute increases of insulin levels or incomplete glycogen repletion after physical activity. Owing to the qualitative similarity of neuroendocrine, ANS, and metabolic responses to hypoglycemia and exercise, we have hypothesized that neuroendocrine and ANS counterregulatory dysfunction may also play an important role in the pathogenesis of exercise-related hypoglycemia in type 1 DM. Vicious cycles can be created in type 1 DM, where an episode of hypoglycemia or exercise can feed forward to downregulate neuroendocrine and ANS responses to a subsequent episode of either stress, thereby creating further hypoglycemia (Figure 1). This article will review the recent work that has studied the contribution of counterregulatory dysfunction to exercise-induced hypoglycemia in type 1 DM. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 1. Reciprocal vicious cycles may be created in type 1 diabetes mellitus (type 1 DM), whereby an episode of hypoglycemia or exercise can feed forward to downregulate neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system responses to a subsequent episode of either stress, thereby creating further hypoglycemia [source] A Bridge Too Far?ENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2001Floppy Fail the Apprentice Reader, How Biff, Kipper Abstract This article is the result of a re-examination of reading scheme books. Taking a literary perspective, the implied reader was investigated in the most popular scheme, The Oxford Reading nee, in order to ascertain how the reader is constructed by the text. It is argued that such texts covertly construct a passive, struggling reader. As such, this has important implications for the National Literacy Strategy, particularly in the selection of texts for Guided Reading. Summary Reading scheme books are designed to bridge the gap between the oral language of the child and the literary language of the book. What is considered important is a recognisable primary world. There is little dialogue yet the language is supposed to reflect that of the child. Short simple sentences devoid of cohesive devices are considered easier to read because the apprentice reader is deemed not to have stamina. Key words such as nouns and verbs are emphasised and little attention is paid to rhythm, hence few elisions and much repetition. As such the reading scheme does not reflect the language of the child for there is little colloquial expression and the lack of literary features actually makes the text very difficult to read. Implied is a reader who is going to find the whole process difficult and has little to bring to the text. On the other hand the children's literature analysed enjoys a variety of narratives and subject matter yet all support the apprentice reader. Such literary texts employ cohesive devices, the third person has a sense of telling with echoes of the oral tradition while those in first person offer a sense of a teller close to the reader. Direct speech is used, which acts as a bridge from the oral to the literary world. The reader is being guided and helped and not left to struggle. Ironically, it is the literary text that offers more support than the supposedly carefully constructed reading scheme. Furthermore, it can be seen that the reading scheme examined constructs a passive reader to whom things happen. The construction of childhood itself is without joy, excitement and wonder. There is a dullness in the text and a dullness in the characters and the plot that constructs a negative view of reading and a negative construction of the child. The model in Figure 1 summarises the difference between the two types of text: Clearly this has implications for texts selected for pupils to read in the National Literacy Strategy, particularly for Guided Reading. There is no shortage in the UK of appropriate, well-written and superbly illustrated children's books that challenge, support and create an interest in literature. It remains a mystery why the dull reading scheme still has such a strong place in the primary classroom. [source] Focal Semiologic and Electroencephalographic Features in Patients with Juvenile Myoclonic EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 10 2005Naotaka Usui Summary:,Purpose: A few reports have described focal electroencephalographic or clinical features or both of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), but without video-EEG documentation. We examined focal clinical and EEG features in patients with JME who underwent video-EEG monitoring. Methods: Twenty-six patients (nine males and 17 females) who had seizures recorded during video-EEG monitoring were included. Age at seizure onset was 0 to 22 years (mean, 12.3 years), and age at monitoring was 12 to 44 years (mean, 26.5 years). In one patient with left parietooccipital epilepsy, primary generalized tonic,clonic seizures developed after resection of the parietal tumor. Two patients had both temporal lobe epilepsy and JME. Videotaped seizures in each patient were analyzed. Interictal and ictal EEG also were analyzed for any focal features. Results: Focal semiologic features were observed in 12 (46%) of 26 patients. Six patients had focal myoclonic seizures, and two had Figure 4 sign: one with version to the left, and another had left version followed by Figure 4 sign, and left arm clonic seizure. Their ictal EEGs were generalized at onset but with a lateralized evolution over the right hemisphere. The patient who had both JME and left parietooccipital epilepsy, right arm clonic seizure, and Figure 4 sign was seen during a generalized EEG seizure. Interictally, one patient had temporal sharp waves, and another had run of spikes in the right frontal region. Conclusions: Fourteen (54%) of 26 patients with JME exhibited focal semiologic or electroencephalographic features or both. Video-EEG was essential in reaching a correct diagnosis and choosing an appropriate antiepileptic drug regimen. [source] Mechanisms of time-based figure,ground segregationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 10 2003Farid I. Kandil Abstract Figure,ground segregation can rely on purely temporal information, that is, on short temporal delays between positional changes of elements in figure and ground (Kandil, F.I. & Fahle, M. (2001) Eur. J. Neurosci., 13, 2004,2008). Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms by measuring temporal segregation thresholds for various kinds of motion cues. Segregation can rely on monocular first-order motion (based on luminance modulation) and second-order motion cues (contrast modulation) with a high temporal resolution of ,,20 ms. The mechanism can also use isoluminant motion with a reduced temporal resolution of 60 ms. Figure,ground segregation can be achieved even at presentation frequencies too high for human subjects to inspect successive frames individually. In contrast, when stimuli are presented dichoptically, i.e. separately to both eyes, subjects are unable to perceive any segregation, irrespective of temporal frequency. We propose that segregation in these displays is detected by a mechanism consisting of at least two stages. On the first level, standard motion or flicker detectors signal local positional changes (flips). On the second level, a segregation mechanism combines the local activities of the low-level detectors with high temporal precision. Our findings suggest that the segregation mechanism can rely on monocular detectors but not on binocular mechanisms. Moreover, the results oppose the idea that segregation in these displays is achieved by motion detectors of a higher order (motion-from-motion), but favour mechanisms sensitive to short temporal delays even without activation of higher-order motion detectors. [source] Vitrified Silica-Nanofiber Mats as Reinforcements for Epoxy ResinsADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2009Oliver Weichold The effects of vitrified, electrospun silica nanofiber mats on the tensile and bending strength (see Figure) of epoxy resins are presented. The mats consist of randomly oriented, amorphous filaments of 600,800,nm diameter. The effects of annealing conditions and surface functionalization on the fiber/matrix adhesion is discussed. The results are compared to those of reference materials. [source] Synthesis of Cobalt/Polymer Multilayer Nanotubes,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 4 2005K. Nielsch Cobalt/polymer multilayer nanotubes (see Figure) are formed by wetting of alumina and silicon membranes by polystyrene containing a metallo,organic precursor, followed by a thermal decomposition process. This article describes the fabrication and magnetic properties of high quality, thin-walled ferromagnetic nanotubes. They might be very attractive for a broad range of potential applications ranging from biotechnology to magnetic storage devices. [source] Effect of Hypervelocity Impact on Microcellular Ceramic Foams from a Preceramic PolymerADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 11 2003P. Colombo A promising material for hypervelocity impact shields in spacecraft and satellites has been found in lightweight microcellular SiOC foams. The foam stops the projectile and the debris from the impacted bumper facesheet within a few millimeters (see Figure for a cross-section of the crater) at speeds up to 5.1 km,s,1. The impacted SiOC ceramic did not react with incoming debris, and no phase transformation or compositional change was observed. [source] Preparation and Characterization of Uniformly Sized Sub-micrometer Spherical Silica/Organic Polymer Hybrid ParticlesADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 9 2003X.-s. Xing Hybrid particles with a core-shell structure, consisting of a silica core and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) shell, (see Figure for an SEM image of a particle material of this type), were fabricated via a two-step sol-gel process. The PVA molecular chains are probably physically adsorbed onto the surface of silica cores by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. [source] Recrystallization and Texture in a Ferritic Stainless Steel: an EBSD Study,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 8 2003C.W. Sinclair The recrystallization behavior of laboratory-processed AISI409 ferritic stainless steel sheet has been studied with a focus on texture inhomogeneity and "sluggish" recrystallization kinetics, mainly using EBSD in the scanning electron microscope. Pronounced texture gradients were observed in some grain orientations (see Figure for a TEM image of the , versus ,-grain border region) and correlated to the deformation-induced substructure. The strong pinning of some boundaries has been linked not only to textural effects, but also to the precipitation of fine titanium carbonitrides. [source] Automated Evaluation of Kikuchi Patterns by Means of Radon and Fast Fourier Transformation, and Verification by an Artificial Neural Network,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 8 2003R.A. Schwarzer Automated crystal orientation measurement (ACOM) in the SEM by interpreting backscatter Kikuchi patterns (see Figure) has become a standard tool of quantitative texture analysis in materials science during the last decade. A Radon transformation of the diffraction pattern, in combination with a 1D fast Fourier transformation, enables the fast extraction of the positions of Kikuchi bands. The high-frequency coefficients of the 1D FFT are used to define pattern quality as a measure of lattice imperfection and residual stress of the real crystal structure. [source] Beneficial Effects of AlN as Sintering Aid on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hot-pressed ZrB2,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 7 2003F. Monteverde Higher density of ZrB2 ceramics than with the pure material is achieved when 4.6,% of aluminum nitride are added before hot-pressing as a sintering aid. AlN supports densification and prevents grain coarsening, mainly by virtue of its ability to remove the boron oxide layer that otherwise covers ZrB2 particles. The new material (see Figure for an SEM image of a polished section) has outstanding mechanical properties, e.g. strength values of 600 and 200 MPa at 25 and 1500,°C. [source] Predicting the Mircostructure in Semi-Crystalline Thermoplastics using Software for the Simulation of Recrystallization in Metals,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2003W. Michaeli A software for the simulation of spherulite growth during the cooling of a quiescent melt has been developed and tested vs. experimental data by the authors. The tests have verified good qualitative results: the calculated crystal microstructure and distribution (see Figure for a simulated pattern close to the mold surface) correspond well with the real morphology. [source] M25 roadworks reveal earliest UK Neanderthal occupation at DartfordGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 5 2010Francis Wenban-Smith As anyone travelling on the roads of southeast England between 2006 and 2008 has probably been aware, major improvements have recently been made at the junction of the M25 and A2 motorways, south of the main Dartford crossing of the River Thames (Fig. 1). The roadworks, funded by the UK Highways Agency, with the main contractors Jacobs Babtie and Costain, were accompanied by archaeological investigations carried out by Oxford Archaeology between 2003 and 2006. The archaeological programme had a major Palaeolithic/Pleistocene element under my direction (Fig. 2) that has produced evidence of Neanderthal occupation early in the last glaciation (the Devensian, which lasted from 115 000 to 10 000 bp), during a period when Britain had until now, been thought to have been entirely deserted. Figure 1. Site location and areas of investigation. Figure 2. The author examines flint artefacts. [source] From clergymen to computers,the advent of virtual palaeontologyGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2010Russell J. Garwood Palaeontology was established as a science in the Victorian era, yet has roots that stretch deeper into the recesses of history. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle deduced that fossil sea shells were once living organisms, and around 500 ad Xenophanes used fossils to argue that many areas of land must have previously been submarine. In 1027, the Persian scholar Avicenna suggested that organisms were fossilized by petrifying fluids; this theory was accepted by most natural philosophers up until the eighteenth century Enlightenment, and even beyond. The late 1700s were notable for the work of Georges Cuvier who established the reality of extinction. This, coupled with advances in the recognition of faunal successions made by the canal engineer William Smith, laid the framework for the discipline that would become known as palaeontology. As the nineteenth century progressed, the scientific community became increasingly well organized. Most fossil workers were gentleman scientists and members of the clergy, who self-funded their studies in a new and exciting field. Many of the techniques used to study fossils today were developed during this ,classical' period. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is to expose a fossil by splitting the rock housing it, and then conduct investigations based upon the exposed surface (Fig. 1). This approach has served the science well in the last two centuries, having been pivotal to innumerable advances in our understanding of the history of life. Nevertheless, there are many cases where splitting a rock in this way results in incomplete data recovery; those where the fossils are not flattened, but are preserved in three-dimensions. Even the ephemeral soft-tissues of organisms are occasionally preserved in a three-dimensional state, for example in the Herefordshire, La Voulte Sûr Rhone and Orsten ,Fossil Lagerstätten' (sites of exceptional fossil preservation). These rare and precious deposits provide a wealth of information about the history of life on Earth, and are perhaps our most important resource in the quest to understand the palaeobiology of extinct organisms. With the aid of twenty-first century technology, we can now make the most of these opportunities through the field of ,virtual palaeontology',computer-aided visualization of fossils. Figure 1. A split nodule showing the fossil within, in this case a cockroachoid insect. Fossil 4 cm long (From Garwood & Sutton, in press). [source] The Haiti Earthquake: a salutary lesson in (non) earthquake engineeringGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 2 2010Peter Styles A devastating earthquake of magnitude 7 struck very close and almost beneath Port au Prince the capital of Haiti, the western half of the island of Hispaniola, early in the morning of Tuesday, 12 January 2010 (Fig. 1). While in absolute terms this was by no means the largest earthquake recorded this year globally, the death toll is around 230 000, making it one of the world's worst earthquakes in terms of casualties in recorded history, with almost uncountable economic loss to one of the poorest countries in the world. Figure 1. Intensity map of 2010 Haiti earthquake (Image: USGS). [source] The Swedish Deep Drilling Program: the quest for the Earth's inner secretsGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 6 2009Henning Lorenz The Swedish Deep Drilling Program (SDDP) has been initiated to study fundamental problems of the dynamic Earth system, its natural history and evolution. Many key scientific questions can be addressed through in situ investigations only, requiring deep continental drilling. Some are unique to Scandinavia, most are of international interest and significance. At present, five core projects (Fig. 1) with international teams are integrating scientific problems with societal and industrial applications. If SDDP succeeds to attract the funding required, Sweden will have a number of world-class boreholes at key locations by 2020. Figure 1. Locations of SDDP drilling project proposals. PFDP,Postglacial Fault Drilling Project; PaMVAS,Palaeoproterozoic mineralized volcanic arc systems: the Skellefte District; COSC,Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides; DRL,The Dellen Impact Crater, a geoscientific deep rock laboratory; SELHO,Svecofennian accretion, an example of the early structural evolution in a large hot orogen; CISP,Concentric Impact Structures in the Palaeozoic: the Lockne and Siljan craters. Background and inset image from Blue Marble Next Generation data set (NASA Earth Observatory, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/BlueMarble/). [source] Domiciliary application of CryoCuff in severe haemophilia: qualitative questionnaire and clinical auditHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 4 2008A. I. D'YOUNG Abstract., The acute management of haemophilic bleeding episodesin the home setting is based on the concept of immediate factor replacement therapy and the PRICE regime , an acronym representing the concepts of Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation [1,2]. Integral to this regime is the application of cold therapy, and yet little is known regarding the safe periods of application, or the relative safety of cryotherapy devices such as the CryoCuffÔ when used in the home setting by patients suffering from severe haemophilia and related bleeding disorders. This study examines the subjective patient response to the application of the CryoCuffÔ device in the home setting in terms of the effect on pain, joint swelling and the return to ,pre-bleed status' of the knee, ankle or elbow in patients with severe haemophilia A/B or type III von Willebrand's disease (VWD) immediately following haemarthrosis, and any potential adverse effects related to the device or recommended duration of application as stated in the PRICE guideline (Fig. 1). Twelve patients, either with severe haemophilia A/B or with VWD were recruited and asked to use the CryoCuffÔ device as part of the PRICE regime immediately following the onset of knee-, ankle- or elbow bleeds for the next one year. Each subject was then sent a qualitative questionnaire to determine subjective responses to the device. All patients reported that the application protocol was easy to follow, they were able to apply the device as per the PRICE regime and they were able to tolerate it for the recommended period. Whereas, all the patients felt that the device had a significant impact on alleviation of pain and return to pre-bleed status, 78% of the patients felt that the device led to a significant reduction in swelling around the affected joint. There was no conclusive evidence that the device resulted in any reduction in the amount of factor used to treat the acute bleeding episode, however, no patients reported any perceived delay in achieving haemostasis or required extra factor replacement therapy consequent to the usage of the device. No other adverse effects were reported by participants in this study. Figure 1. ,The qualitative participant questionnaire, given following 1 year of unsupervised use in the home setting immediately following the onset of the symptoms of haemarthroses. [source] Brain Imaging in Migraine ResearchHEADACHE, Issue 9 2010David Borsook MD Understanding the pathophysiology and pharmacology of migraine has been driven by astute clinical observations, elegant experimental medicine studies, and importantly by studying highly effective anti-migraine agents in the laboratory and the clinic. Significant progress has been made in the use of functional brain imaging to compliment observational studies of migraine phenotypes by highlighting pathways within the brain that may be involved in predisposition to migraine, modulating migraine pain or that could be sensitive to pharmacological or behavioral therapeutic intervention (Fig. 1). In drug discovery, molecular imaging approaches compliment functional neuroimaging by visualizing migraine drug targets within the brain. Molecular imaging enables the selection and evaluation of drug candidates by confirming that they engage their targets sufficiently at well tolerated doses to test our therapeutic hypotheses. Figure 1.,. Imaging and defining the migraine brain disease state: from anatomy to chemical entities (targets) to functional systems (function and pathways) (from Borsook et al31 with permission, Nature Publishing Group). Migraine is a progressive disorder. Developing our knowledge of where drugs act in the brain and of how the brain is altered in both episodic migraine (interictal state and ictal state) and chronic migraine are important steps to understanding why there is such differential responsiveness to therapeutics among migraine patients and to improving how they are evaluated and treated. [source] Association between serum bicarbonate and death in hemodialysis patients: Is it better to be acidotic or alkalotic?HEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2005D.Y.J. Wu The optimal acid base status for survival in maintenance hemo-dialysis (MHD) patients (pts) remains controversial. According to some reports acidosis is associated with improved survival in MHD pts, i.e., reverse epidemiology. We examined associations between baseline (first 3-month averaged) serum bicarbonate (HCO3), divided into 12 categories, and 2-yr mortality in 56,376 MHD pts across the US after controlling for confounding effects of malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome (MICS). Three sets of Cox regression models were evaluated to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of death and 95% confidence intervals (CI): (1) Unadjusted; (2) Multivariate adjusted for case-mix (age, gender, diabetes, race, insurance, marital status, vintage, standardized mortality ratio, residual renal function, dialysate HCO3, and Kt/V); and (3) Additional adjustments for 8 markers of MICS (body mass index, serum albumin, creatinine, ferritin, TIBC, dietary protein intake, WBC and lymphocyte counts). See Figure for HR and 95% CI: We conclude that, although high HCO3 levels appear to be associated with increased mortality in MHD pts, this paradoxical effect is almost entirely due to the overwhelming impact of MICS on survival. [source] Genotype,phenotype correlation in von Hippel-Lindau families with renal lesionsHUMAN MUTATION, Issue 5 2004Catherine Gallou The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Human Mutation 24:215,224 Human Mutation(2004) 24(3) 215,224 In the published version of this article, the key to Figure 2 was omitted. Please find Figure 2 printed here in its entirety. [source] Mutations in the diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST) gene (SLC26A2): 22 novel mutations, mutation review, associated skeletal phenotypes, and diagnostic relevanceHUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2001Antonio Rossi (Article was originally published in Human Mutation 17:159,171, 2001) 1. Figure 2 reports a deletion 933 del T. This should be corrected to 933-934 del CT (compare with Table 1, where mutation is reported correctly). 2. Both Table 1 and Figure 2 report a mutation 430C>A (Q135R). This should be corrected to 430C>A (Q135K), as lysine, not arginine, is the codon resulting from the mutation. [source] Lithographically Patterned Breath Figure of Photoresponsive Small Molecules: Dual-Patterned Honeycomb Lines from a Combination of Bottom-Up and Top-Down LithographyADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 41 2009Jung Hak Kim A line-patterned breath figure film is achieved using a photo-crosslinkable small molecule through a novel dual-patterning process that combines a breath-figure technique (bottom-up) and photolithography (top-down). The organogelator molecules form honeycomb structures, organizing into supramolecular fibers similar to polymers that stabilize water droplets. [source] Self-Folding of Charged Single Dendronized Polymers,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 17 2008Wei Zhuang Back-folding of a single dendronized polymer on itself upon charging is shown in the Figure. This duplex formation is a step on the way to create more complex, still ordered supramolecular structures based on polyelectrolytes. [source] Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Binary Mixtures of NanoparticlesADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 5 2006G. Sztrum A coarse-grained lattice-gas model is developed to study the drying-mediated self-assembly of binary mixtures of nanoparticles (NPs). Three model systems are considered, corresponding to equilibrium phase separation between two NPs (A and B), to an amorphous state, and to an ordered, checkerboard-like superstructure (see Figure; red: NPA; green: NPB; blue: solvent). The mechanism for self-ordering depends on the nature of the equilibrium superstructure and on the dynamic coupling to the evaporating solvent. [source] Control of Morphology and Helicity of Chiral Mesoporous Silica,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 5 2006H. Jin Chiral ordered mesoporous silica has been synthesized by using a chiral surfactant (N -myristoyl- L -alanine sodium salt) as a template, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a co-structure directing agent, and tetraethoxylsilane as an inorganic source. The helicity and the morphology of the mesoporous silica are determined by the stirring rate during the chiral surfactant self-assembly (see Figure), providing new insight into the chiral self-assembly of molecules. [source] Late-onset Papillon,Lefevre syndrome with pyogenic liver abscesses: report of one caseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Ameneh Yazdanfar MD A 25-year-old woman living in Hamedan, Iran, presented originally at 7 years of age with erythematous, hyperkeratotic lesions on the palms and soles with extension to the dorsal side of the hands and feet. Involvement of the elbows and knees was also seen. From 12 years of age, she started to lose her teeth. At the same age, she experienced fever, chills, malaise, myalgia, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. With a diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscesses, the patient underwent successful surgical treatment. ,Examination revealed erythematous, hyperkeratotic, scaling plaques on the palms and soles, dorsal side of the hands and feet (Fig. 1), elbows and knees. All the teeth were missing from the mouth (Fig. 2), and she used a dental prosthesis. A surgical scar was observed on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen (Fig. 3). Skull X-ray and computed tomography scan were normal. Skin biopsy of the dorsal right hand demonstrated hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, hypergranulosis, and acanthosis with a mild inflammatory infiltrate around the vessels (Fig. 4). Figure 1. Hyperkeratotic plaques on the hands and feet Figure 2. Loss of permanent teeth Figure 3. Surgical scar on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen and hyperkeratotic plaques on the hand Figure 4. Hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, hypergranulosis, and acanthosis (hematoxylin and eosin, ×40) [source] Alumina-Template Synthesis of Fluorescent RuO2 Nanotubes Derived from Ru3(CO)12 Clusters,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 5 2006H. Tan RuO2 nanotubes with diameters of 15,25,nm and up to 3,,m in length have been prepared by the thermal decomposition of Ru3(CO)12 inside alumina templates. The RuO2 (110) planes grow along the long axis of the straight crystalline nanotubes. The growth of these fluorescent nanotubes appears to have proceeded via mononuclear ruthenium carbonyl intermediates (see Figure). [source] Silica-Incorporated Polyelectrolyte-Complex Fibers as Tissue-Engineering Scaffolds,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 5 2006Fibers of polyelectrolyte complexes incorporated in silica are synthesized by combining the polymerization of hydrolyzed tetraethylorthosilicate with the process of interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation. The resulting fibers are hydro-entangled to successfully produce porous scaffolds that act as a platform for the immobilization of biological molecules for tissue engineering (see Figure). [source] Uncommon skin lesion in a patient with ataxia-telangiectasiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Chinedu Ivonye MD A 20-year-old African-American man, with a history of ataxia-telangiectasia diagnosed at the age of one year, presented to the hospital with fever, cough, and headache of 2 days' duration. The fever was of high grade, associated with chills and rigors. The headache was frontal in location, constant, pounding in nature, and associated with photophobia and phonophobia; there was no neck pain, no neck stiffness, and no blurring of vision. The patient complained of facial pain. There were no relieving or aggravating factors. The family denied any change in mental status. ,The cough was productive of yellowish sputum. There was associated rhinorrhea. The patient complained of nausea and vomiting with the headache. A review of other systems was negative. ,On presentation in the emergency room, the patient was tachypneic, febrile, and tachycardic. He was oriented to time, place, and person. His neck was supple and meningeal signs were negative. He had maxillary sinus tenderness. Neurologic examination revealed nystagmus, ocular telangiectasia (Fig. 1), ataxia, and globally decreased muscle strength. Skin examination showed hypopigmented areas on all four extremities, the face, and neck (Figs 1,4), without involvement of the trunk. The rest of the physical examination was unremarkable. Figure 1. Area of vitiligo on the neck with premature graying of the hair Figure 2. Vitiligo on the hands Figure 3. Vitiligo involving the legs Figure 4. Ocular telangiectasia ,The leukocyte count was elevated at 19,600/mcL, with a differential of neutrophils (84%), monocytes (11%), and lymphocytes (5%). Hemoglobin and hematocrit were normal. Chemistry and chest X-ray were normal. ,Computed tomography scan of the head showed acute sinusitis and cerebellar atrophy consistent with ataxia-telangiectasia. ,A lumbar puncture was performed, and cerebrospinal fluid findings were suggestive of aseptic meningitis. ,The patient was treated for aseptic meningitis and acute sinusitis with acyclovir and ceftriaxone. The leukocyte count normalized, the patient remained afebrile, and was asymptomatic after 2 days of treatment with antimicrobials. The rest of the hospital stay was uneventful. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||