Minimum-phase filter design from linear-phase startpoint viabalanced model truncation

A new practical design approach for minimum-phase FIR or IIR filters, setting out from a high dimensionality FIR linear-phase prototype is described. The novelty of this technique lies in overcoming the inherent problem of finding the roots of a high order polynomial with repeated and/or very closely clustered roots     

Quantitative evaluation of pancreatic enhancement during dual-phase helical CT

PURPOSE: To determine the improvement in pancreatic enhancement at helical computed tomography (CT) performed with an early delay after administration of contrast material compared with that performed with a standard delay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dual-phase helical CT of the abdomen was performed in 120 patients with a 150-mL bolus of contrast material infused at 5 mL/sec. Early and standard delayed scanning was performed beginning at 20 seconds and 49-71 seconds, respectively. Regions of interest were measured in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas in 92 patients. The difference in enhancement between early and standard delayed scanning was calculated. RESULTS: Mean pancreatic enhancement was 82 HU +/- 3 (standard error) with an early delay, whereas enhancement on standard delay scans was 62 HU +/- 2 (P < .001). An improvement in enhancement greater than 10 HU was attained in 66 of 92 cases (72%). CONCLUSION: Pancreatic enhancement at helical CT with an early delay after contrast material administration is often significantly greater than the enhancement seen with a standard delay when a monophasic, rapidly infused bolus of contrast material is used.     

Vesicoureteral reflux and ureteropelvic junction obstruction: association, treatment options and outcome

PURPOSE: We investigated the association, treatment options and outcomes of patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction and concomitant vesicoureteral reflux. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 6,790 consecutive pediatric urology records at our university. Treatment options included observation, and primary pyeloplasty, ureteroneocystostomy and nephroureterectomy. Hydronephrosis, reflux and obstruction were judged as resolved, improved, unchanged or worse. RESULTS: A total of 1,140 patients had vesicoureteral reflux, 224 had ureteropelvic junction obstruction and 41 had both conditions (39 ipsilateral and 6 contralateral kidneys). There was no increased risk of obstruction in patients with reflux when all grades of reflux were grouped (odds ratio 1.26, confidence interval 0.91 to 1.71). In contrast, subgroup analysis of patients with high grade reflux demonstrated a 5-fold increased risk of obstruction (odds ratio 5.0, confidence interval 2.4 to 10.8). One patient was lost to followup. Observation of 6 kidneys led to resolution of reflux in 3 (50%), resolution of obstruction in 3 (50%) and resolution or improvement of hydronephrosis in 4 (67%). Primary pyeloplasty was done on 29 kidneys with 10 (35%) requiring subsequent ureteroneocystostomy. At latest followup hydronephrosis resolved or improved in 24 patients (83%), vesicoureteral reflux resolved or improved in 19 (66%) and ureteropelvic junction obstruction resolved in all. Primary ureteroneocystostomy was performed on 5 kidneys, all of which required subsequent pyeloplasty. Hydronephrosis resolved in 3 patients (60%), and reflux and obstruction resolved in all. Two patients treated with primary nephroureterectomy, and 1 who underwent concomitant pyeloplasty and ureteroneocystostomy have had no subsequent urological problems. One patient awaits primary pyeloplasty. CONCLUSIONS: High grade vesicoureteral reflux is associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. No association with low or intermediate grade reflux was demonstrated. While some patients may be monitored expectantly, in our series pyeloplasty or nephrectomy was required in 81% and ureteroneocystostomy was required in 36%. In no case did primary ureteroneocystostomy protect against the subsequent need for pyeloplasty.     

The functional block of TNF but not of IL-6 prevents bone loss in ovariectomized mice

BACKGROUND: In response to the increasing rate of skin cancer, particularly melanoma in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Weather Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Association of Physicians for the Environment, and the American Academy of Dermatology, developed the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) to inform the public of the strength of the sun's rays and advise on methods for sun protection. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the extent to which television stations and newspapers reported the UVI and assess the public's response to it. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of this effort, we surveyed television weather forecasters at 185 stations and examined weather pages in 54 newspapers in 58 cities that received the UVI reports. We also conducted a population probability telephone survey of 700 white adults (18 years of age and older) in these 58 cities. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the 169 stations that provided survey data for both 1994 and 1995 broadcast the UVI; 61% of newspapers reported the UVI. Nearly 64% of the 700 respondents (n = 445) had heard of the UVI. Of these respondents, 38% (n = 170) stated that they or their family changed their sun protection practices as a result of the UVI. CONCLUSION: The majority of television weather forecasters and newspapers reported the UVI. Most of the public was aware of the UVI, causing some to change sun protection practices. Further evaluation is required to maximize the effect of the UVI on sun protection practices.     

Tramadol, M1 metabolite and enantiomer affinities for cloned human opioid receptors expressed in transfected HN9.10 neuroblastoma cells

Tramadol hydrochloride is a centrally acting synthetic analgesic in widespread clinical use. Despite different degrees of opioid-like characteristics in preclinical tests, it is characterized by lack of full naloxone reversibility or naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in humans. To investigate this apparent discrepancy, the present study measured the affinity of tramadol (and its enantiomers) and an active O-desmethyl metabolite (M1) (and its enantiomers) to cloned human opioid receptors of the mu, delta and kappa type stably expressed in HN9.10 neuroblastoma cells. At mu sites, the Ki values for tramadol, its (+) and (-) enantiomers, M1, and its (+) and (-) enantiomers were 17000, 15700, 28800, 3190, 153 and 9680 nM, respectively, compared to 7.1 nM for morphine. These results are consistent with the suggestion of a non-opioid contribution to the clinical profile of tramadol.     

Progress in the study of mechanism of fetal scarless wound healing

From January 1987 to December 1993, 426 patients with lung cancer were operated in our hospital, among which 159 patients were diagnosed postoperatively to be N2 disease by pathology including 81 central type and 78 peripheral type lung cancer. Radical operations were performed on 135 cases, palliative operations on 24 cases. Follow up study: one-year survival rate was 71.7%, three-year survival rate 29.0% and five-year survival rate 21.7%. The main factors affecting operative results are tumor cell type, the number and location of metastatic lymph nodes and the thoroughness of dissection. Tumor staging, except T4 tumor is not a main factor influencing prognosis. The indications of operation performed on N2 lung cancer and the necessity of extensive nodal exenteration are also discussed in this article. We consider extensive hilar and mediastinal nodal exenteration necessary in order to achieve radical resection and good prognosis.     

Clozapine reduces rehospitalization among schizophrenia patients

Diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase is heterogeneous as far as the degree of impairment of endogenous insulin release, though antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase are the most useful marker for future insulin deficiency. To investigate what determines the prognosis of diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase, we measured HLA-DRB1 alleles in three groups: 77 cases of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), 44 of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with secondary failure of oral hypoglycemic therapy, and 22 of NIDDM well controlled by diet and/or sulfonylurea agents. The proportion of susceptible and resistant alleles to IDDM determined the degree of insulin deficiency, and comparison of IDDM to NIDDM well controlled by diet and/or sulfonylurea agents revealed significant differences in DRB1*0405 (P < 0.05; RR = 2.82 and RR = 0.89, respectively) and DRB1*1502 (P < 0.001; RR = 0.02 and RR = 2.19, respectively). This study revealed that HLA-DRB1 alleles contribute to determining the prognosis of Japanese diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase.     

Noninvasive real-time multipoint temperature control for ultrasoundphased array treatments

A method for noninvasively estimating spatiotemporal temperature changes in samples using diagnostic ultrasound, and using these as inputs to a multipoint ultrasound phased array temperature controller, is presented in this paper. This method is based on a linear relationship between the apparent tissue echo pattern displacements and temperature, as seen along A-lines acquired with diagnostic ultrasound when the sample is heated by external heating fields. The proportionality constant between echo displacement and temperature is determined by the local change in speed of sound due to temperature and the linear coefficient of thermal expansion of the material. Accurate estimation of the displacements and proportionality constant yields accurate calibrated high-resolution (1 mm spatial, sub-°C) noninvasive sample temperature estimates. These are used as inputs to a multipoint temperature controller, capable of controlling ultrasound phased array treatments in real-time. Phantom and in vitro results show that the noninvasively estimated temperature values can effectively be used to control ultrasound hyperthermia treatments, almost replacing invasive thermocouple measurements. The mathematical background and assumptions of the noninvasive temperature estimator and the controller are presented in this paper, together with experimental results showing estimator and controller performance and limitations. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents the first demonstration of real-time treatment control based entirely on noninvasive temperature estimates     

Aging, encoding specificity, and memory change in the Double Memory Test

Aged and young adults were tested by category cued recall after learning with category cues (CCR) or with item cues (ICR). CCR was about twice ICR for both aged and young adults. The aged recalled less than the young and did not benefit as much from greater encoding specificity and deeper processing in CCR. ICR and CCR were correlated, so that expected CCR can be predicted from ICR. The regression of CCR on ICR was linear for young adults, but was piecewise linear for the aged, showing that the relationship between ICR and CCR was not uniform for the aged adults. Lower than expected CCR by a subset of aged without clinical dementia may be a sign of preclinical dementia.     

Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical features of a case of neuroendocrine carcinoma developing in a prior ileostomy site

A patient who developed a mixed neuroendocrine carcinoma and adenocarcinoma at the site of a previous long-standing ileostomy is reported. The neuroendocrine features are documented by both ultrastructural and immunocytochemical findings. Carcinoma arising in an ileostomy site is rare but has been recorded in patients with long-standing ileostomies after colectomy for chronic inflammatory bowel disease, as in this patient. Neuroendocrine carcinoma developing in this setting apparently has not been described before, however.