Free Arm Research Articles

Reflections on a genocide

I had only to be escorted a few yards from the floor on which we spent our initial night in Rwanda to see my first massacre site. The languid senior information officer whom I had interrupted listening to the BBC World Service news at 6 am swung open the door, still holding the large receiver under his free arm, on to a small room where 17 Jesuit priests had been shot. Blood had sprayed on the walls and ceiling and there were empty cartridge cases among the blood soaked blankets on the floor. When, in my ignorance of equatorial Africa, I suggested that the adjacent burial pit looked too overgrown to be contemporary he shrugged and walked off. Within days we learnt to relax our usual caution over the veracity of allegations. The nature of what has happened in Rwanda, the sheer numbers, and the brazen openness of the atrocities mean that no one has any need to manufacture stories. Reports of massacres soon began to seem commonplace and it became the bizarre that continued to have an impact. We were told of the member of a death squad killer who refused to kill a little Tutsi girl. Why? Had this man not set himself the task of filling his latrine pit with bodies? Apparently once he had fulfilled his self imposed quota he lost interest in killing any more. The massacres in Rwanda began after the presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi were assassinated when their plane was hit by a missile as it was landing at Kigali airport. By 5 …

CDNA Cloning of the Human Peroxisomal Enoyl-CoA Hydratase: 3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Bifunctional Enzyme and Localization to Chromosome 3q26.3-3q28: A Free Left Alu Arm Is Inserted in the 3′ Noncoding Region

Enoyl-CoA hydratase:3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase bifunctional enzyme is one of the four enzymes of the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway. Here, we report the full-length human cDNA sequence and the localization of the corresponding gene on chromosome 3q26.3-3q28. The cDNA sequence spans 3779 nucleotides with an open reading frame of 2169 nucleotides. The tripeptide SKL at the carboxy terminus, known to serve as a peroxisomal targeting signal, is present. DNA sequence comparison of the coding region showed an 80% homology between human and rat bifunctional enzyme cDNA. The 3′ noncoding sequence contains 117 nucleotides homologous to an Alu repeat. Based on sequence comparison, we propose that these nucleotides are a free left Alu arm with 86% homology to the Alu-J family. RNA analysis shows one band with highest intensity in liver and kidney. This cDNA will allow in-depth studies of molecular defects in patients with defective peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme. Moreover, it will also provide a means for studying the regulation of peroxisomal β-oxidation in humans.

Different Mechanisms of Recognition of Bacteriophage Qβ Plus and Minus Strand RNAs by Qβ Replicase

Our earlier work on the recognition of Qβ plus strand RNA by replicase had shown by RNase degradation and by electron microscopic techniques that specific binding interactions occurred at two internal sites, the S-site and the M-site, but not at the 3′-end, i.e. the site of initiation of synthesis. Using essentially similar methods, we have found now for binding complexes of replicase with the minus strand a completely different pattern, namely considerable terminal binding, whereas binding to internal sites was without detectable specificity. In the case of plus strand complexes, simultaneous binding at the two internal sites and at a terminal site could be demonstrated by electron microscopy after initiation of RNA synthesis in the presence of host factor, GTP and ATP. A variant plus strand RNA containing a 490 nucleotide duplication near the 5′-end resulted in similar double-looped complexes, however with an elongated free arm, showing that the protein-bound terminal site was the 3′-end of the RNA. Interestingly, the same two-looped structures were also found for complexes consisting of plus strand RNA and host factor without replicase. This suggests that the role of the host factor on the plus strand template is to bring the 3′-end into the proximity of the S-site/M-site domain, where replicase can initiate on it. In contrast, the 3′-end of the minus strand appears to be directly available to the enzyme.

Recent advances in the use of star polymers in coatings

The synthesis of methacrylate stars by an arm-first process using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the core-forming material is described. The level of free arm is an indicator for the extent of termination during the preparation. Using 0.2% (mole basis) of catalyst on initiator instead of higher concentration is helpful. Modifiers for the anion catalyst used in group transfer polymerization (GTP) can be used to reduce termination. Clarity of the two-phase blends with polyester polyol and isocyanate crosslinking agent depended on star composition, hydroxyl-number (OH#) and star level. Recently, benzyl methacrylate has been introduced into this technology to give improved film hardness and clarity with cycloaliphatic polyester coreactants. This permits use of 25–30% star to give fast dry and improved hardness/flexibility balance while also allowing the application at less than 3.5 Ib/gallon of solvent.

Selective screen to recover pairs of deletion-tandem duplications

A method of selecting pairs of deletion-tandem duplications in an autosome arm of Drosophila has been developed. Males containing autosome 2 and the right and left free arms of this autosome produce gametes with the metacentric and the free arm through meiotic non-disjunction. Unequal exchanges induced in such gametes give deletions and tandem duplications within the left or right chromosomal arms. This approach removes the necessity of using markers to identify deletions in the chromosome region.

Adequacy of dialysis and nutritional status in CAPD

Urea kinetic modelling (UKM) was used to assess adequacy of dialysis in 50 CAPD patients. Nutritional status was assessed from the measurement of visceral protein status (total protein, albumin, transferrin, immunoglobulins, complement), somatic protein status (anthropometry), and dietary intake (1 week weighed dietary inventory and normalized protein catabolic rate (NPCR) from UKM). Morbidity was assessed from the peritonitis and admission history. Mean Kt/V (corrected to x3 weekly dialysis) was 0.66 +/- 0.02. Dietary protein intake estimated from the NPCR (1.08 +/- 0.03 g kg-1 day-1) correlated well (r = 0.72, P < 0.001) with that estimated from the dietary inventory (1.10 +/- 0.04 g kg-1 day-1). There was a strong correlation between Kt/V and NPCR corrected for actual weight (r = 0.65, P < 0.001), but when NPCR was corrected for IBW this correlation was weaker (r = 0.35, P < 0.05). Patients were divided by Kt/V into two groups (> 0.65, n = 22 and < 0.65, n = 28). There were no significant differences in the indices of visceral protein status between the two groups. Weight, height, BMI, fat free mass and arm muscle area were significantly greater in the group Kt/V < 0.65. Residual renal function (creatinine clearance) was higher in the group Kt/V > 0.65 (3.8 +/- 0.7 versus 1.9 +/- 0.5 1/24 h, P < 0.05) and plasma creatinine less (913 +/- 51 versus 1265 +/- 51 mumol/l, P < 0.001). Hb, potassium, bicarbonate, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, PTH, and blood pressure were not different. Neither was there any difference between the two groups in any of the indices of morbidity.

Three-dimensional drawings in isometric conditions: planar segmentation of force trajectory.

Normal human subjects grasped an isometric handle with an unrestrained, pronated hand. They were asked to exert forces continuously to draw lemniscates (figure eights) in specified or self-chosen planes and in the presence or absence of a three-dimensional visual feedback cursor and a visual template. In every condition, the mean plane orientation in the force space differed appreciably between the two loops of the figure, as described previously by Soechting and Terzuolo (1987a) for free drawing arm movements. These findings suggest that the planar segmentation of the motor trajectory is not a consequence of joint motion but arises from central constraints related to the production of motor trajectory in space.

Evaluation of the clinical application of five kinds of free upper arm flaps. (Chinese)

Evaluation of the clinical application of five kinds of free upper arm flaps. (Chinese)

Methacrylate Star Synthesis by GTP

Abstract All process conditions were picked to minimize the back-biting termination reaction so the maximum level of living arm could be carried into the core-forming step. Major contributors to control of termination were: 1. Using 0.2% (mole basis) of catalyst on initiator instead of higher concentrations. Within the constraints defined below, this produces a robust process that is insensitive to minor changes in materials, temperatures, and rates of addition. 2. Minimizing the time between arm formation and core formation. Polymerization of arm monomethacrylate to about 96 to 98% before core formation was the aim because conversion to &amp;gt;99% would have allowed too much time for termination to proceed. 3. Adding core-forming monomer (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) in about 5 min to keep monomer concentration high in this step. Faster add times may not be desirable because of mixing difficulties in this extremely fast polymerization. 4. Reaction solvent mixture containing 50% tetrahydrofuran. This allowed the reflux temperature to be about 85°C. 5. Keeping monomer concentration high in the arm-forming step by starting the polymerization with half of the monomer in the reactor. This forced the polymerization past the trimer stage, where termination is fastest. 6. Starting the reaction at room temperature so the exotherm could be dissipated by the heat capacity of the system. Two lots of trimethylsiloxyethyl methacrylate used to introduce hydroxyl groups into the product (after unblocking) gave different rates of polymerization, with one lot reaching the core-forming step in about half the time of the other. The monomer lot with the higher reactivity also led to higher levels of free arm. Stars made at high (2.0%) catalyst levels were quite unstable to molecular weight and viscosity increase. Mechanistic studies show that the increase is probably because of star/ star free-radical methacrylate polymerization involving pendant residual methacrylate unsaturation from the core-forming step. Stars made under the recommended conditions using 0.2% catalyst and the above process steps are probably stable enough for commercial use.

Radiographic Study of Elbow Injuries in Professional Rodeo Cowboys.

In brief: A radiographic study of 21 bull riders and 18 bareback riders was conducted to determine the bony changes that result over time from elbow injuries in professional cowboys. X-rays revealed 39 bony abnormalities in the bull riders and 37 in the bareback riders. More than 60% of these changes occurred in the medial epicondyle and the posterior aspect of the olecranon process. Surprisingly, 30 of the injuries affected the free arm rather than the gripping arm. The authors recommend that riders tape both elbows to prevent hyperextension and that they wear a pad for protection from an animal that falls or steps on them.

Primate motor cortex and free arm movements to visual targets in three- dimensional space. II. Coding of the direction of movement by a neuronal population

We describe a code by which a population of motor cortical neurons could determine uniquely the direction of reaching movements in three-dimensional space. The population consisted of 475 directionally tuned cells whose functional properties are described in the preceding paper (Schwartz et al., 1988). Each cell discharged at the highest rate with movements in its "preferred direction" and at progressively lower rates with movements in directions away from the preferred one. The neuronal population code assumes that for a particular movement direction each cell makes a vectorial contribution ("votes") with direction in the cell's preferred direction and magnitude proportional to the change in the cell's discharge rate associated with the particular direction of movement. The vector sum of these contributions is the outcome of the population code (the "neuronal population vector") and points in the direction of movement in space well before the movement begins.

Primate motor cortex and free arm movements to visual targets in three- dimensional space. I. Relations between single cell discharge and direction of movement

We describe the relations between the neuronal activity in primate motor cortex and the direction of arm movement in three-dimensional (3-D) space. The electrical signs of discharge of 568 cells were recorded while monkeys made movements of equal amplitude from the same starting position to 8 visual targets in a reaction time task. The layout of the targets in 3-D space was such that the direction of the movement ranged over the whole 3-D directional continuum in approximately equal angular intervals. We found that the discharge rate of 475/568 (83.6%) cells varied in an orderly fashion with the direction of movement: discharge rate was highest with movements in a certain direction (the cell's "preferred direction") and decreased progressively with movements in other directions, as a function of the cosine of the angle formed by the direction of the movement and the cell's preferred direction. The preferred directions of different cells were distributed throughout 3-D space. These findings generalize to 3-D space previous results obtained in 2-D space (Georgopoulos et al., 1982) and suggest that the motor cortex is a nodal point in the construction of patterns of output signals specifying the direction of arm movement in extrapersonal space.

Primate motor cortex and free arm movements to visual targets in three- dimensional space. III. Positional gradients and population coding of movement direction from various movement origins

In one experiment, we studied the relations between the frequency of discharge of 274 single cells in the arm area of the motor cortex of the monkey and the actively maintained position of the hand in space. We found that the frequency of discharge of 63.9% of the cells studied was a multilinear function of the position of the hand in space according to the following equation (multiple linear regression): d = f + fxsx + fysy + fzsz, where d is the discharge rate of a single cell, f, fx, fy, fz are regression coefficients, and sx, sy, sz are the coordinates of the position of the hand. The equation above defines a positional gradient which implies that the frequency of cell discharge will increase at a maximum rate when the position of the hand changes along a certain direction; we call this direction of orientation of the positional gradient, and the rate of change in discharge rate along this orientation, the magnitude of the gradient. The orientations of the positional gradients were distributed throughout three-dimensional (3-D) space and their magnitudes differed among different cells. In a different experiment, we studied the changes in activity of 289 cells in the arm area of the motor cortex when the monkeys made equal-amplitude movements that started from different points in space, were in the same direction, and traveled along parallel trajectories in 3-D space. Four pairs of such movement directions (i.e., a total of 8 movement directions) were studied for every cell, and the changes in cell activity associated with movements within each pair were compared. We found that these changes in cell activity did not differ statistically for 68.4% of the movement pairs studied but did differ for the remaining 31.6%. The data from the whole population of cells studied in this experiment were analyzed using the population vector analysis described in the preceding paper (Georgopoulos et al., 1988). Thus, 8 population vectors were calculated, 1 for each of the 8 movement directions studied. We found that the direction of the population vector was close to the direction of the corresponding movement. These results indicate that the population vector provides unique information concerning the direction of the movement even when the point of origin of the movement varies in 3-D space.

Subscapularis function in gibbons and chimpanzees: Implications for interpretation of humeral head torsion in hominoids

AbstractChimpanzees and gibbons, along with other hominoids, share a number of features in the morphology of their shoulders that have generally been associated with use of the upper limb in overhead postural and locomotor activities. These include the position and shape of the scapula, as well as the morphology of the proximal end of the humerus. Results of an electromyographic (EMG) analysis of shoulder muscle activity patterns indicate that these two species of hominoids also share broad similarities in shoulder muscle function during locomotion and voluntary movements. Differences do exist, however, in the activity patterns of subscapularis, a medial rotator of the arm. These differences mainly involve a greater participation by the gibbon subscapularis in free arm movements. This greater participation is characterized by earlier onset of muscle activity, higher amplitude of recruitment, and involvement of more of the total mass of the muscle. These differences in muscle recruitment suggest that the shoulder of gibbons differs from that of chimpanzees in some manner that necessitates the greater contribution of a medial rotator to the production of motion in the upper limb. I suggest that the low degree of humeral head torsion in gibbons, compared to that of other hominoids, gives their elbow a “lateral set” that must be overcome by the action of subscapularis during free arm movements. I propose that this modest degree of humeral head torsion in gibbons reflects a compromise between necessary changes caused by the repositioning of the scapula onto the dorsum of the thorax and the demands for extreme positioning of the elbow during brachiation. In addition, I suggest that the greater amount of torsion in the chimpanzee humerus is an accommodation to quadrupedal habits, and finally, that the high degree of torsion in human humeri is an independently acquired trait related to use of the upper limb as a manipulatory organ.

Penile Construction by the Radial Arm Flap

Penile construction in transsexuals has always been a challenge for plastic surgeons. After a long period of exploration with different techniques of penile construction, the author has found the free radial arm flap to provide the best results.

Carbon-13 NMR study of (meso-2,3-butanediaminetetraacetato)nickelate(II)

The temperature and pH dependences of the /sup 13/C NMR spectrum of the paramagnetic nickel(II) complex with meso-2,3-butanediaminetetraacetic acid are reported and interpreted to indicate that the ligand acts as a hexadentate coordinator at all temperatures accessible in deuteriated water and over the pH range from 1 to 13. Less than 1% of the ligands act as pentadentate coordinators. The incomplete coalescence of acetate resonances coupled with concurrent complete coalescence of backbone resonances is interpreted to indicate that ..delta.. reversible lambda conversion proceeds rapidly at moderate (ca 70/sup 0/C) temperatures through a symmetrical intermediate formed without bond breaking, while nitrogen inversion, which requires nickel-nitrogen bond rupture, is slow over the accessible temperature range (<109 /sup 0/C). The previously proposed mechanism for the racemization of Ni(EDTA)/sup 2 -/, which required the presence of an uncoordinated ligand arm, is probably incorrect. A mechanism is proposed that explains the previous and current data without invoking action by a free acetate arm. The meso-BDTA chelate ring is found to be more puckered than the chelate ring of EDTA. The pentadentate form of meso-BDTA is destabilized by at least 8 kJ mol/sup -1/ relative to the pentadentate form of EDTA because of steric interaction betweenmore » a free carboxylate and the axial methyl substituent. 21 references, 4 figures, 1 table.« less

Grandmother Courage

anybody, but no, she had to pick you out to be her victim. And she clawed and bit and scratched until you bled and you always went running back for more. Couldn't wait to get more of her." Rachel stopped short and shook her finger at Landon. "Believe it or don't believe it, I don't care, but I don't want to see that happen again. I don't think I could stand it." Landon stood up. "You? Why do you have to stand anything?" he yelled. "It's me we're talking about, not you! As I said to begin with, what's it to you?" He grabbed Rachel's shoulders and leaned close to her face. "You don't know what you're talking about, Rachel. This is none of your business!" He tightened his grip. "You won before, but not this time." He let go of Rachel's shoulders and turned away. "In fact, I'm going to call Lilah right now and ask her to go out to dinner with me!" He started to the telephone but Rachel caught him, her hand squeezing his arm like a press. They stood, locked, until suddenly, before he was aware of what was happening, Landon 's free arm came from somewhere and knocked Rachel across her front, away, across the room. She landed on the sofa and sat, her small black eyes staring straight ahead and dull. And Landon stood without moving in the middle of the room, breathing hard, sweating, scowling at her, at her flabby arms pressed against the back of the sofa, at her pink and green dress, at her hunched shoulders. For a very long time, he stood there, glaring at her, his eyes dark and green. Then he jerked and looked at her again, this time like Tiny, newly caught, had looked at Big Bob through the bars for the first time. GRANDMOTHER COURAGE for Lavina Middleton Cawood 1877-1907: Harlan, Ky. Ice so thick this morning scraper can't touch it— pouring hot water on windshields of tempered glass Reminiscing— my Kentucky mountain grandmother going to teach When she rode home, tall astride horse, in winter after dark children poured water on her feet thawing them from the stirrups. —Jenny Cawood Chenault 23 ...

Leiomyosarcoma of the forearm: Treatment with wide local excision and a lateral arm flap

Leiomyosarcomas of the subcutaneous tissues in the upper extremity are extremely rare tumors. We report a subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma of the forearm in a 52-year-old man who was treated with wide local excision and reconstruction with a free lateral arm flap.

Energy and protein intake and nutritional status in non-surgically treated patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung.

The spontaneous food intake and nutritional status was assessed in 23 patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung before and two times during a treatment period of 6 weeks. Radiation therapy was given for 2 weeks followed by a course of chemotherapy and another 2 weeks of radiation therapy. The energy intake decreased during the treatment from 146 to 130 per cent of basal metabolic rate (p greater than 0.10). The protein intake remained unchanged (mean 0.9 g/kg body weight). There were insignificant and small losses of weight, body fat, free body mass and arm muscle circumference, and no changes were seen in serum albumin and serum transferrin. However, 6 patients suffered a weight loss of 5 per cent or more. No correlation existed between the nutritional parameters measured before treatment and the changes during treatment. Patients who suffered a loss of body weight could therefore not be singled out before the treatment.

Segregation of centric Y-autosome translocations in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Segregation determinants in males.

SummaryA special screening procedure for the detection of induced Y-autosome translocations with centric breakpoints was applied. A series of Experimental stocks was constructed, each containing a different half of one of the induced T(Y; 2)'s (T element). The three other elements that were involved in the segregation experiments in each stock were a sex chromosome (X element), an inverted chromosome 2 (A element), and a free arm of chromosome 2 (F element). It is not feasible to determine the relative frequencies of all the 16 possible gamete types by mating an Experimental stock to one tester, nor to different testers that have each at least one class of progeny of the same genotype. Each Experimental stock was mated to four different Tester stocks and the data were calibrated so that a coherent segregation pattern could be obtained.Segregation patterns in meiosis of males from 15 Experimental stocks, each with a different T element were studied. In most Experimental stocks the T element was of the left autosomal arm, while the F element was of the right autosomal arm. In four Experimental stocks the X element segregated independently of the A, F and T elements. In these Group 1 stocks, both the F and the T elements disjoined regularly from the A element. It was concluded that the T element of these stocks had no sex-chromosome disjunction determinants (‘S-determinants’) to interact with the determinants on the X element. Both the T elements and the F elements carried autosomal disjunction determinants (‘H-determinants’) that secured the segregation of the autosomal elements. The H-determinants of the left autosomal arm were qualitatively different from those of the right arm.In the remaining 11 Group-2 Experimental stocks the X and T elements disjoined regularly, indicating the presence of S-determinants on the T elements of these stocks. The segregation of the T and the A elements in these stocks varied from nearly complete dependence to complete independence. It was concluded that this gradation reflected differences in the quantity of H-determinants present on the T elements of these Experimental stocks. It was impossible to discriminate between a model of continuous H determinants activity and one of a finite discrete number of determinants. The results do not agree with the claim that there are no autosomal disjunction determinants in the proximal heterochromatin of chromosome 2.The S-determinants on theBsYy+chromosome were located both adjacent to the centromere and distally on the long arm. The latter were probably translocated to the Y chromosome together with theBsmarker.