Life-Cycle Cost of All-Composite Suspension Bridge

This paper reports on the design of two highway suspension bridges made of conventional steel and advanced all-composite carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), and analyzed their life-cycle costs. The writers assumed that the pultrusion molding method would mainly be used for all composite highway bridges, because of its relatively high quality control performance and mass-production capability. First, the writers obtained the steel and composite highway bridge design in the same dimensional specification. Second, they acquired the future cost of the CFRP pultrusion product through hearing research from a fiber reinforced polymer manufacturer. Third, they calculated the initial costs of the steel bridge and CFRP bridge based on the design specification and the future cost of CFRP. Fourth, they compared the life-cycle cost of the steel and CFRP bridges under several conditions of discount rate, repair cost, and cycle. Finally, they found the critical condition where the CFRP bridge becomes more life-cycle cost-effective than the conventional steel bridge, if they could have expected the drastic cost reduction of the CFRP product.     

Intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity detected by comparative genomic hybridization and laser scanning cytometry in human gliomas

Although it is well-known that cancers show intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity, genotypic studies have been scarce. Using comparative genomic hybridization and laser scanning cytometric analyses, we investigated intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity in 21 surgically removed gliomas including 11 glioblastomas (GBMs), 8 anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs) and 2 low-grade astrocytomas. Comparative genomic hybridization analysis revealed gain or amplification of 7p in 63%, gain of 7q in 73%, loss of 9p in 53%, loss of 10p in 47%, loss of 10q in 47%, loss of 13q in 53%, and loss of 22q in 37% of high-grade astrocytomas. Because these aberrations were region-independent within the same tumor, they did not contribute to intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity was due to cytogenetic changes other than the above region-independent aberrations. Intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity was detected in 8 of 11 GBMs, 4 of 8 AAs, and none of the 2 low-grade astrocytomas. These observations suggest that cytogenetic changes at chromosomes 7, 9p, 10, 13, and 22 are primary events in high-grade astrocytomas and that subsequent cytogenetic changes involving increases in copy number provide intratumoral heterogeneity. DNA aneuploidy was detected by laser scanning cytometry in 5 of 11 GBMs and 1 of 8 AAs. All tumors with DNA aneuploidy exhibited intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity, and there was a significant correlation between DNA aneuploidy and intratumoral cytogenetic heterogeneity. These results support the notion that cytogenetic heterogeneity results from genetic instability within a tumor.     

Two acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5a) cell lines (MOLM-13 and MOLM-14) with interclonal phenotypic heterogeneity showing MLL-AF9 fusion resulting from an occult chromosome insertion, ins(11;9)(q23;p22p23)

We describe two new human leukemia cell lines, MOLM-13 and MOLM-14, established from the peripheral blood of a patient at relapse of acute monocytic leukemia, FAB M5a, which had evolved from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Both cell lines express monocyte-specific esterase (MSE) and MLL-AF9 fusion mRNA. Gene fusion is associated with a minute chromosomal insertion, ins(11;9)(q23;p22p23). MOLM-13 and MOLM-14 are the first cell lines with, and represent the third reported case of, MLL gene rearrangement arising via chromosomal insertion. Both cell lines carry trisomy 8 which was also present during the MDS phase, as well as the most frequent trisomies associated with t(9;11), ie, +6, +13, +19 variously present in different subclones. Despite having these features in common, differences in antigen expression were noted between the two cell lines: that of MOLM-13 being CD34+, CD13-, CD14-, CD15+, CD33+; whereas MOLM-14 was CD4+, CD13+, CD14+, CD15+, CD33+. Differentiation to macrophage-like morphology could be induced in both cell lines after stimulation with INF-gamma alone, or in combination with TNF-alpha, which treatment also induced or upregulated, expression of certain myelomonocyte-associated antigens, including CD13, CD14, CD15, CD64, CD65 and CD87. Together, these data confirm that both cell lines are likely to be novel in vitro models for studying monocytic differentiation and leukemogenesis.     

Serum hyaluronic acid as a reliable parameter of allograft viability in porcine liver transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hyaluronic acid is an endogenous glycosaminoglycan which is selectively degraded by hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells. We evaluated the significance of serum hyaluronic acid clearance as an early indicator of allograft viability in porcine liver transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: According to the survival period, animals were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 8) for survival equal or over four days and Group II (n = 5) for survival less than four days. Serial serum hyaluronic acid concentrations were measured before and after reperfusion in the recipient. RESULTS: In both groups, serum hyaluronic acid levels during the anhepatic period increased rapidly 9-fold from the preoperative value due to the absence of clearance by hepatic endothelial cells. In Group I, serum hyaluronic acid peaked at 15 min postreperfusion and decreased thereafter. In contrast, Group II failed to show clearance of hyaluronic acid after reperfusion. The serum hyaluronic acid value 120 min after reperfusion was 1,029 +/- 357 micrograms/L in Group I, and 1,856 +/- 263 micrograms/L in Group II (p < 0.01). Conventional parameters of liver function such as aspartate transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, ammonia, lactate, and total bile acids were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The clearance of the serum hyaluronic acid reflects hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell function and is a reliable and early marker of hepatic allograft viability.     

Nutritional support after hepatic resection: a randomized prospective study

BACKGROUND: A consensus as to whether hypertonic dextrose should be given to patients with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis after major hepatectomy has not been reached, mostly because metabolism in the remnant liver switches from utilization of blood glucose to utilization predominantly of fatty acid as an energy source. We investigated whether nutritional support would have beneficial effects for such patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 19 patients, 10 were given peripheral dextrose (10 kcal/kg/day) for seven days following hepatectomy and the other 9 were given hypertonic glucose. Twenty and 30 kcal/kg/day was the average non-protein caloric intake, including free oral intake during the first one week following hepatectomy, respectively. RESULTS: The groups were comparable with regard to laboratory data and operative stress. There were no untoward effects related to this support. In patients given nutritional support, retinol binding protein and prealbumin improved (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05, respectively), urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion decreased (p < 0.01) and the nitrogen balance normalized earlier (p < 0.05), as compared to findings with the conventional method. CONCLUSION: The remnant liver can utilize dextrose and nutritional support improves the nutritional status and may even preserve muscle protein mass.     

Proliferative potentials of glioma cells and vascular components determined with monoclonal antibody MIB-1

We present four cases of esophageal rupture (three iatrogenic, one Boerhaave syndrome) to demonstrate the difficulty in diagnosis and therapy. The current literature is discussed and conclusions are drawn as regards the modus operandi. All our patients were operated on. The site of esophageal rupture was always closed with a primary suture and substantial irrigation and drainage were performed. In two cases the suture line was in addition covered with fibrin glue or by an omentum flap, respectively. All patients survived and recovered was unremarkable. Our own results and a subsequent analysis of literature allow the following conclusions. At an early stage of esophageal rupture surgical intervention is indicated. The method of choice is primary closure of the rupture site by suture, possibly combined with a muscle or omentum flap. In cases of delayed diagnosis with advanced mediastinitis, suture of the rupture site should also be striven for. Additional coverage is advisable in these cases. Resection procedures with or without reconstruction should be done only in exceptional cases before of the high surgical risk.     

Segmentation of artery areas on non-enhanced fresh blood imaging based on a dot enhancement filter and the 3-D region-growing method

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is characterized by arterial obstruction in the lower extremities due to atherosclerosis, and manifests itself as intermittent claudicating, limb ischemia, or gangrene. Diagnosis of PAD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment without contrast medium is available as a useful visual screening in clinical practice. In this article, we propose a new method for the segmentation of arterial images which are obtained from non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) based on a dot enhancement filter and 3-D region-growing methods, and satisfactory experimental results are obtained.     

A Polymorphic Environment Calculus and its Type-Inference Algorithm

The polymorphic environment calculus is a polymorphic lambda calculus which enables us to treat environments as first-class citizens. In the calculus, environments are formalized as explicit substitutions, and the substitutions are included in the set of terms of the calculus. First, we introduce an untyped environment calculus, and we present a semantics of the calculus as a translation into the lambda calculus. Second, we propose a polymorphic type system for the environment calculus based on Damas-Milner's ML-polymorphic type system. In ML, polymorphism is allowed only in let-expressions; in the polymorphic environment calculus, polymorphism is provided with environment compositions. We prove a subject-reduction theorem for the type system. Third, a type-inference algorithm is given to the polymorphic environment calculus, and we establish its soundness, termination, and principal-typing theorem.     

Vortex Phase Diagram in Zn-Doped YBa2Cu3O y Crystals

Effects of Zn impurities on the vortex phase diagram of YBa₂(Cu_1–x Zn _x )₃O _y single crystals with 0x0.064 have been investigated in magnetic field up to 18 T. The first-order vortex lattice melting transition and the field-driven disordering transition are extremely suppressed by small amount of Zn impurities. As for Zn-doped YBCO with x>0.001, the resistive transition shows a broad temperature dependence due to the second-order vortex glass melting transition, while the field-driven disordering transition survives up to 0.003. These behaviors suggest that disorderes induced by Zn impurities strongly affect the vortex system in comparison with the oxygen deficiency in YBCO.