Experience with Widening Based Equivalence Checking in Realistic Multimedia Systems

The application of loop and data transformations to array and loop intensive programs is crucial to obtain a good performance. Designers often apply these transformations manually or semi-automatically. For the class of static affine programs, automatic methods exist for proving the correctness of these transformations. Realistic multimedia systems, however, often contain constructs that fall outside of this class. We present an extension of a widening based approach to handle the most relevant of these constructs, viz. accesses to array slices, data dependent accesses and data dependent assignments, and report on some experiments with non-trivial applications.     

A 2-V CMOS cellular transceiver front-end

This work presents the design and implementation of a 2-V cellular transceiver front-end in a standard 0.25-μm CMOS technology. The prototype integrates a low-IF receiver (low noise amplifier, I/Q mixers, and VGAs) and a direct-upconversion transmitter (I/Q mixers and pre-amplifier) on a single die together with a complete phase-locked loop, including a 64/79 prescaler, a fully integrated loop filter, and a quadrature voltage controlled oscillator with on-chip inductors. Design trade-offs have been made over the boundaries of the different building blocks to optimize the overall system performance. All building blocks feature circuit topologies that enable comfortable operation at low voltage. As a result, the IC operates from a power supply of only 2 V, while consuming 191 mW in receiver (RX) mode and 160 mW in transmitter (TX) mode. To build a complete transceiver system for 1,8-GHz cellular communication, only an antenna, an antenna filter, a power amplifier, and a digital baseband chip must be added to the analog front-end. This work shows the potential of achieving the analog performance required for the class I/II DCS-1800 cellular system in a standard 0.25-μm CMOS technology, without tuning or trimming     

Xanthohumol kills B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by an apoptotic mechanism

B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is an indolent lymphoid malignancy with variable prognosis. Adverse prognostic factors comprise treatment resistance, cytogenetics (11q- and 17p-), the presence of unmutated Ig genes, and the more comprehensive activation marker Zap 70. In contrast to diminished sensitivity to chemotherapy, Zap 70+ B-CLL cells retain their responsiveness to manipulation of signal transduction and monoclonals. Xanthohumol (XA) has recently been documented to have an impact on breast cancer cell growth and invasiveness in vitro. Based on these observations, lymphocytes from patients with B-CLL were cultured in the presence of XA in vitro. XA induced a dose-dependent killing of B-CLL cells at an LD(50) ((24 h)) of 24.4 +/- 6.6 microM, independent of known adverse prognostic factors including functional loss of p53. Cell death was associated with poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase cleavage and annexin V positivity, suggestive of an apoptotic mechanism. Surprisingly, p 70(S 6 K) phosphorylation was stimulated upon XA treatment. In conclusion, XA has an antitumor activity on B-CLL cells in vitro. The molecular mechanisms behind this pro-apoptotic effect deserve further investigation.     

Reversal by naloxone of the effects of morphine on the unanesthetized dog]

In unasthetized dogs naloxone induced effects opposed to those of morphine (tachycardia, agitation, hyperthermia, tachypnea) and mydriasis. These effects were moderate and transient; some of them were elicited with low doses being border-line after 0.03 mg.kg-1 s.c., statistically significant after 0.1 mg.kg-1 s.c.; they increased slightly with the dose. After repeated administrations, acute tolerance developed and some moderate morphine-like effects (miosis, sedation) were observed. The stimulatory effects described here may result from antagonism of a morphinomimetic natural ligand,and represent thus indirect arguments in favour of normal functions of this ligand; these functions would be to temper not only algesic but also other stimulant reactions. The limitation of the effects might result from the limited release of this ligand in normal dogs and (or) from interfering morphinomimetic properties of naloxone, which are apparently unmasked when administrations are repeated. Both, stimulatory and inhibitory effects of naloxone are not liable to represent noticeable side-effects of this drug, but they both might play some role in the mechanisms of precipitated abstinence.     

Pantothenic acid, coenzyme A, and human chronic ulcerative and granulomatous colitis

To investigate further an apparent relationship between chronic ulcerative and granulomatous colitis and pantothenic acid deficiency, colonic tissues obtained at the time of colectomy in 29 patients with these disorders were assayed for pantothenic acid and for coenzyme A (CoA) activity. For comparison, normal colonic tissues free of pathological lesions were obtained from 31 patients having colectomy for carcinoma or diverticulitis. Plasma, red blood cells, and colonic mucosa were assayed microbiologically for free and total pantothenic acid. The activity of CoA in colonic mucosa was determined by assaying the acetylation of sulfanilamide. Concentrations of free, bound, and total pantothenic acid in blood and in colonic mucosa did not differ between the two groups of patients. Bound pantothenic acid increased linearly with total pantothenic acid. Colonic mucosa concentrated free pantothenic acid to about 50 times the level of blood, and pantothenic acid in red cells was similar to the concentration in plasma. Compared to normal gut mucosa, CoA activity was markedly low in mucosa from patients with chronic ulcerative or granulomatous disease despite the presence of normal amounts of free and bound pantothenic acid. A block in the conversion of bound pantothenic acid to CoA in diseased mucosa is suggested.     

Automation in the hematology laboratory

In the routine laboratory for hematology conflicting results may be obtained for the red blood cell parameters with the Coulter Counter Model S. These parameters2) are: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). When the values of the MCHC are above 36 g/dl something must be wrong with the blood sample of the patient. One of the reasons can be agglutination e.g. by cold agglutinins. The blood sample should be reanalysed before and after heating for 1 hour at 37 degrees C. If the values change: cold agglutinins are present; if no change occurs paraproteins, or other disturbing factors, such as bilirubin or high leucocyte levels, will be found. MCH values may also be high in some cases e.g. if the red blood cells are coated with antibodies (Coombs test positive) or after ingestion of medicines like Azathioprine. These examples show that it is possible in some cases to correlate immunological findings with the red blood cell parameters. In addition to the results with the Coulter Counter Model S, some observations on the Hemalog (Technicon) are also presented.     

Second examination in meat inspection (author's transl)

A second examination at the expense of the party adjudged to be in error is based on Section 13 of the Meat Inspection Act in the Netherlands, which has been elaborated in Sections 51 and 51a of the Meat Inspection Order. The procedure to be adopted by the second veterinary-surgeon inspector, however, has not been stipulated. The need for clear instructions is stressed. The present paper was designed to promote objectivity and uniformity in second inspections to provide legal security for the owner of the slaughtered animal as well as for the first veterinary-surgeon inspector.     

Experimental studies on the aetiology of acute scorpion pancreatitis

This study examined the action of the venom of the scorpion Tityus trintatis on the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract in anaesthetized dogs, on the isolated extracorporeal haemoperfused canine pancreas and on the isolated canine sphincter of Oddi. The venom induces exocrine secretion in both the isolated and intact pancreas and causes contraction of the isolated sphincter of Oddi. These results are discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of acute scorpion pancreatitis and possibly of some other forms of acute pancreatitis.     

Cervical vertebral fusion (Klippel-Feil) syndrome with consanguineous parents

We describe a female infant with the cervical vertebral fusion (Klippel-Feil) syndrome whom we recognized at birth because of her short neck, restriction of cervical movement, and low posterior hairline. X-ray examination showed anomalies of C1, and between C2-3 and C3-4; thus, we classified her as type II, with variable cervical fusion. At 24 months she was small and manifested hearing deficiency. The mother and father were consanguineous with five common ancestors four generations ago, which resulted in a coefficient of inbreeding equivalent to a second cousin relationship. The parents and grandparents were phenotypically normal, and the parents were radiologically normal. This form of the syndrome has previously been said to be autosomal dominant. Our conclusion of determination by a single autosomal recessive gene is evidence of genetic heterogeneity.     

Plasma concentrations of unconjugated estrone, estradiol-17beta and estriol, and HCS throughout pregnancy in diabetics and gestational diabetics

Plasma unconjugated estrone (E1), estradiol-17beta (E2) and estriol (E3), and HCS were measured in the same plasma samples collected throughout pregnancy in 19 gestational diabetics (GD) and 21 diabetics (D). When compared to the results obtained in 22 normal subjects, plasma levels of E1 and E2 were significantly elevated in D in the second half of gestation. The results were intermediate although closer to the normals, in GD. E3 values were not different from the normals in both D and GD. HCS values were lower than normal in early pregnancy in both D and GD. In late pregnancy HCS levels were not different from normal in either D or GD, although some individual values were much above the upper limit in some diabetic patients. The hormonal ratios in D and GD parallel those in normals, although E3/E2 and HCS/E2 were lower in D. These results are discussed with respect to the different behaviour of E2 and E3, taking into account the difference in their respective biosynthetic pathways. Besides a possible quantitative modification of the placental function in D, the results could tentatively be explained by a qualitative change in the fetal estrogen precursors to placental aromatization, in favour of the 16 non-hydroxylated compound. However, maternal modifications in precursor production or in estrogen metabolism can be an alternative hypothesis. Finally, the present work does not support the hypothetical estrogen deficiency in diabetic pregnancy. Estrogen treatment appears to have no objective justification.