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Many architects pursue consistent themes that can be adjusted to any site or building type, while others take a fresh approach to every project, giving each a distinctive expression. FOBA, the firm that Katsu Umebayashi established on the outskirts of Kyoto in 1994, has a foot in both camps. Continuity of space and respect for context are always evident, but the forty-year-old architect eschews a signature style or concept. “I always want to try something unconventional,” he observes, “otherwise, why take on a job at all? It should be new every time.”

With mostly blank exterior walls, this prototype is intended for a lot in a typical housing subdivision.

Object.Fusion procedures in the lumbar spine have been performed in the US since 1911. Since that time, the indications and techniques for spinal fusion have evolved. Despite technical advancements, spinal fusion remains a major operation, and fusion nonunion rates of up to 35% are still reported. In this study, the authors were able to induce intertransverse process fusions in immune-competent New Zealand White rabbits by percutaneous administration of an adenoviral vector containing the bone morphogenetic protein(BMP-6)gene (Ad-BMP-6). The results represent an important step forward in finding new methods to increase the success and decrease the morbidity associated with spinal fusion.Methods.Five New Zealand White rabbits were used. Injection of the adenoviral construct was performed at multiple levels (bilaterally) in each animal while using fluoroscopic guidance. Injection consisted of either Ad-BMP-6 or Ad—β-galactosidase (β-gal) (control). Because multiple levels were injected, each animal served as an internal control. The animals underwent postinjection computerized tomography (CT) scanning at 7 and 14 weeks. After undergoing final CT scanning, the animals were killed and the spines were harvested. The fusion sites were analyzed by gross inspection, histopathological methods, and micro—CT studies.Conclusions.The results of this study show that an anatomically precise fusion can be accomplished by percutaneous administration of gene therapy. The next step in these studies will be extension of the technique to nonhuman primates and eventually to human clinical studies.

Lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphate; LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are bioactive phospholipids which respectively act as agonists for the G-protein-coupled lpA receptors (LPA1, LPA2, and LPA3) and s1p receptors (S1P1, S1P2, S1P3, S1P4, and S1P5), collectively referred to as lysophospholipid receptors (lpR). Since astrocytes are responsive to LPA and S1P, we examined mechanisms of lpR signaling in rat cortical secondary astrocytes. Rat cortical astrocyte mRNA expression by quantitative TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed the following order of relative expression of lpR mRNAs: s1p3>s1p1>lpa1>s1p2=lpa3>>s1p5. Activation of lpRs by LPA or S1P led to multiple pharmacological effects, including the influx of calcium, phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis, phosphorylation of extracellular receptor regulated kinase (ERK) and release of [3H]-arachidonic acid (AA). These signalling events downstream of lpR activation were inhibited to varying degrees by pertussis toxin (PTX) pretreatment or by the inhibition of sphingosine kinase (SK), a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of S1P from sphingosine. These results suggest that astrocyte lpR signalling mechanisms likely involve both Gi- and Gq-coupled GPCRs and that receptor-mediated activation of SK leads to intracellular generation of S1P, which in turn amplifies the lpR signalling in a paracrine/autocrine manner.

The design, analysis,characterisation, manufacture and application of new, large area, permanently magnetised quasi-optical Faraday rotators is discussed. As isolators, these have given state of the art performance at W-band with isolations /spl sim/60 dB and insertion loss /spl sim/0.35 dB, at spot frequencies. It is believed that the wideband performance of these isolators is primarily limited by the matching of the ferrite to free space. >

This report describes the characterisation of cloned rat and human bradykinin B1 receptors in African green monkey kidney fibroblast (Cos-7) cells. A ligand binding assay with [3H]des-Arg10-kallidin was used to compare their pharmacology with respect to known bradykinin B1 and B2 receptor ligands. In addition, the pharmacology of T-kinin and its' derivative des-Arg11-T-kinin was investigated. The cloned rat receptor had a similar pharmacology to that of the recently described mouse receptor and differs from that described for the human receptor. The rat receptor had a higher affinity for des-Arg11-T-kinin than the human receptor. These differences in pharmacological properties may relate to the presence of T-kinin, bradykinin and their des-Arg derivatives as the major physiological peptides in rat and the predominance of kallidin and its derivatives in human. We confirm that the rat bradykinin B1 receptor gene is organised in a two exon structure and differs from the human gene which has a three exon structure and we further examine the inducible expression of this gene in a wide range of tissues using Northern blotting.

Ropinirole, 4-[2-(dipropylamino)ethyl]-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, is a potent anti-Parkinson’s disease drug developed by SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was used for the determination of the dissociation constants of ropinirole and five structurally related impurities, potentially formed during its synthesis and for separation and quantification of these substances. The dissociation constants obtained from the CZE measurements were confirmed by UV spectrophotometry for some of the test compounds, obtaining a good agreement between the values. Careful optimization of the running buffer composition permitted base-line resolution of the six compounds in a borate buffer containing acetonitrile and magnesium sulfate (a 100 mM borate buffer containing 30 mM MgSO4 and 20 vol.% of acetonitrile). It was shown that CZE can determine the level of these impurities, down to a level of 0.05% of the main component within 15 min.

Changes in health care delivery necessitate modification in dermatology training. While the residents at The University of Alabama at Birmingham were planning their 1995–1996 curriculum, several questions regarding the most appropriate allocation of time and resources arose. Interest in other residency curricula prompted the development of a national survey of dermatology residents. Our purpose was to provide comprehensive data regarding the didactic, clinical, surgical, and other aspects of today's U.S. dermatology residency training from the perspective of the residents. It is hoped these data will assist dermatology residency programs with evaluation of their current curricula. A comprehensive 31-question multiplechoice survey was mailed to 631 residents in 70 U.S. dermatology residency programs. Results were tabulated and median values and percentages of responses were obtained. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test, a chi-square analysis, and logistic regression analysis were performed on survey items on the basis of residents' satisfaction with the training program. Two hundred forty-eight responses (39%) were returned with all years of training well represented. Median values and percentages obtained outlined the didactic, clinical, surgical, and other aspects of dermatology residency training. Seventeen percent of residents believed they were not being adequately trained. Satisfaction with training was noted with more didactic faculty involvement, consultations and research, and surgical procedures performed per month. Residents with enriched didactic, clinical, and surgical training experiences are more satisfied with their training programs.

Sponsored by the Air Force Wargaming Institute (AFWI), this research developed improvements to the Air Force Command Exercise System (ACES), a wargame model used extensively in the education of air campaign planning. The research addressed two major limitations of the model: (1) an inability to simulate time increments longer than 24 hours and (2) a minimal simulation of naval action. Alleviating these limitations, the Advanced Combat Timeline (ACT) for ACES should significantly enhance the model's ability to simulate the operational level of war. In pursuing these improvements, the research team clarified the model's educational objectives, analyzed its current data structure, and designed changes to effect the desired capabilities. A review of relevant literature provided criteria by which to evaluate the proposed changes. To ensure the efforts' effectiveness, the research team conducted its activities in close coordination with AFWI personnel. The resulting recommended changes to the ACES wargame model include: (1) a methodology by which players can translate general operational objectives into specific rules for force employment; (2) decision criteria such that the simulation results remain within reasonable, practicable bounds; and (3) a description of relevant naval weapon systems, their operational characteristics, and rules for their employment. AFWI programmers will use the research results as a blueprint to modify the model software. The resulting changes will enhance the ACES model's representation of the operational level of war and improve its utility in airpower education.

Objective To make available a simple, quantitative formula for preoperative assessment of both the complexity and the associated time required to complete Mohs surgical cases. It will improve office efficiency, technical performance, and resource management. Design Surveys were sent to 94 Mohs surgeons requesting information on 10 consecutive cases, including tumor size, recurrence, location, aggressiveness, stages required, and case duration. The data were then aggregated, scored, and statistically evaluated. Setting Private practice dermatology offices performing Mohs surgery were included. Participants Sequential randomized selection of Mohs College and Mohs Society fellows was used for inclusion. Sequential selection of patients for data acquisition was performed by the surgeons. Main Outcome Measure The statistical significance of a proposed preoperative assessment tool was to be determined. Results The score ρ values were 0.34 and 0.41 for the time and number of stages, respectively. In addition, the Mohs score obtained a statistically significant P value of Conclusions The Webb and Rivera (WAR) score is a low-effort, efficient, reproducible tool to be used in preoperative Mohs surgery planning and office efficiency improvement. The components of the score include maximum tumor dimension, recurrence, location, and aggressiveness. Each is assigned a numerical value that is totaled, resulting in a final quantitative score.

We hypothesize that the cost associated with the listing decision including the greater scrutiny of U.S. investors signals the depth of the firms commitment to the U.S. market to potential business partners and employees, providing a form of bonding that is directed within the U.S. Firms can credibly signal their commitment to the U.S. market by listing on more prestigious exchanges that bring greater investor scrutiny and, especially, by listing directly rather than using ADRs. We find strong evidence that firms with greater sales in the U.S. and those with a greater proportion of their sales to the U.S. are more likely to list directly in the U.S; firms with greater assets in the U.S. are more likely to list directly. With the greater scrutiny for companies that list on the NYSE, we expect the hypotheses to hold for the decision to list there versus elsewhere. With the exception of sales level in the U.S., we find evidence for the relationships described above hold for the decisions to list on the NYSE.

The design, characterisation, manufacture and application of new, large area, quasi-optical Faraday rotators isdiscussed. When used as isolators these have given state of the art performance at W-band with isolations

We have derived two monoclonal antibodies, MF-1 and MF-2, which both recognize the same 58-kD antigen. Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed that this antigen is highly expressed in the large mossy fibre terminals innervating the proximal portion of the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in hippocampal field CA3. Staining was seen in the adult hippocampus in rats and mice, and in a post mortem human sample. Comparison with the Timm stain showed that the antibodies recognize mossy fibres from all parts of the adult dentate gyrus except for the tip of the infrapyramidal blade (the latest part of the dentate gyrus to develop). The MF antigen is expressed by mature terminals, and is not detected immunohistochemically in developing hippocampal mossy terminals until the end of the first postnatal week (i.e. later than the Timm-positive material). It was also found in host mossy fibre terminals innervating embryonic CA3 pyramids transplanted into adult hosts, but not in areas of the graft containing transplanted CA1 pyramids. These results indicate that this previously undescribed, late-developing antigen provides a useful specific marker for the mossy fibre projection in both the normal hippocampus and in situations of experimentally manipulated connectivity.

This case report describes the occurrence of bilateral myositis ossificans in the rectus femoris muscles of a young Gaelic football player with a long history of recurrent bilateral thigh strain. In each case, clinical diagnosis was followed up with biochemical profiling and sonographic investigations. Management consisted of rest from elite level competition and intense rehabilitation to address any potential risk factors for rectus femoris strain. A 4-week course of acetic acid iontophoresis was administered to the first myositis ossificans lesion on the left thigh; however, as this did not result in any significant changes to the lesion’s dimensions, it was not used on the contralateral lesion. The athlete returned to full sporting capacity 4 months after the first lesion was diagnosed. A 13-month follow-up showed that the athlete continued to play to full capacity with no recurrence of injury.

A pyroelectric detector has been built and characterised for operation within W-band. The various characteristics reported include detectivity, responsivity, NEP, polarisation sensitivity, dynamic range, linearity, and reflectivity (vswr). The pyroelectric detector performs well at these wavelengths and as the detector is inexpensive to build, and is robust, it ought to find many an opportunity for use within millimetre-wave laboratories.

A wearable audio device in the form of eyeglasses speaker mounts supported by the frames of the eyeglass. The speaker mounts are constructed so as to provide independent adjustment in a plurality of directions.

We report 2 cases that show a striking pattern of contact dermatitis to latex in underwear affecting only the legs, not the waist. The dermatitis pattern is produced by a common method of garment construction used in the manufacture of briefs with elastic leg bands. Report of Cases.Case 1. A 48-year-old man developed a pruritic rash on his legs over 10 days. The physical examination showed sharply demarcated erythematous bands of vesicles and moist scale encircling the proximal thigh areas ( Figure 1 ); the waist was spared. The patient wore cotton briefs with elastic leg bands, which he discontinued wearing. When the patient resumed wearing briefs, the rash recurred. A piece of leg band latex taped to the volar arm produced confluent vesicles in 48 hours. Case 2. A 47-year-old woman presented with a pruritic rash of 2 weeks' duration. The physical examination showed eczematous dermatitis in distinct bands encircling

REPORT OF A CASE An 18-year-old white man previously in good health presented with a 1-day history of erythema and bullae over the dorsa of his hands. There had been four previous outbreaks of erythema with minimal vesiculation in the same location, with the first occurring approximately 4 months before presentation. Each outbreak spontaneously resolved. He took no medications and had no family history of skin disease or known allergies. He denied knowledge of any precipitating or alleviating factors. He had worked as a grocery sacker for 7 months. One fellow worker with the same duties experienced similar lesions coincident with the patient. Physical examination revealed type II skin showing three 10- to 15-mm bullous lesions with clear fluid and well-demarcated rims of erythema on the dorsum of the left hand (Figure 1andFigure 2).There was also a linear 15-mm erythematous streak on the dorsum of the right

Rural electrification programmes take up significant proportions of energy investment expenditures in developing economies. Conventional economic criteria for judging investments are not always thought appropriate for rural electrification because of the largely non-quantifiable benefits that are thought to ensue, including its bias towards helping the poor, its catalytic role in stimulating rural development, its role in reducing the adverse consequences of rural-urban migration and the enabling of improved literacy rates and its general contribution to ‘political stability’. This paper looks at each of these benefits in turn and asks what evidence there is to substantiate them. The paper argues that conventional rate of return criteria should play a stronger role in determining rural electrification expenditures and that some of the non-monetary benefits appear neither to be widespread nor as strong as supporters of rural electricity suggest. While rural electrification is nonetheless important in the development process, it is more usefully integrated into wider rural energy development schemes.