Construction of a real-time adaptive system is the research area in which hardware evolution methodology comes into its own, but of course it is also the most challenging area. Technological requirements for realization of such systems are not only high-speed evolution, but also steady and smooth evolution. This paper introduces two techniques, Progressive Evolution Model (PEM) and Diploid (DL)...

The activities of short synthetic, nonhemolytic peptides derived from the C-terminal region of myotoxin II, a catalytically inactive phospholipase A2 homologue present in the venom of the snake Bothrops asper, have been shown to reproduce the bactericidal activity of the parent protein. They combine cationic and hydrophobic-aromatic amino acids, thus functionally resembling the antimicrobial pe...

This paper describes a new class of salt-responsive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on top of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEMs) films. PEM surfaces with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) as the topmost layer are chemically patterned by microcontact printing (muCP) oligomeric PEG molecules with an activated carboxylic acid terminal group (m-dPEG acid). The resis...

A stable polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coating was investigated for use in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (o-CEC). In this approach, the PEM consisted of the cationic polymer of a quaternary ammonium salt, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and the anionic polymeric surfactant, poly(sodium undecylenic sulfate). Both the cationic and anionic polymers were physically adsorbed...

Symptoms of anti-Hu associated paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis (PEM) and sensory neuropathy (PSN) are usually severe and irreversible. Two patients are reported whose symptoms improved spontaneously, and in one of them they resolved after resection of an inflammatory lesion of the lung. Spontaneous neurological improvement, although rare, should be considered in the evaluation of therapies for...

BACKGROUND Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major nutritional problem in many developing countries. Vitamin A status has been reported to be adversely affected in protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). OBJECTIVE To assess and compare serum retinol concentrations in hospitalized children with severe PEM and normal ones. METHODS A prospective series of 34 malnourished and 29 normal control childre...

Developing in vitro engineered hepatic tissues that exhibit stable phenotype is a major challenge in the field of hepatic tissue engineering. However, the rapid dedifferentiation of hepatic parenchymal (hepatocytes) and non-parenchymal (liver sinusoidal endothelial, LSEC) cell types when removed from their natural environment in vivo remains a major obstacle. The primary goal of this study was ...

Implantation of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) is palliation for patients suffering from inoperable malignant obstructions associated with biliary and pancreatic cancers. Chemotherapeutic agent-eluting stents have been developed because SEMS are susceptible to occlusion by tumor in-growth. We reported recently that paclitaxel-eluting SEMS provide enhanced local drug delivery in an animal mo...

Ascidian embryogenesis is regarded as a typical 'mosaic' type. Recent studies have provided convincing evidence that components of the posterior-vegetal cytoplasm of fertilized eggs are responsible for establishment of the anteroposterior axis of the embryo. We report here isolation and characterization of a novel maternal gene, posterior end mark (pem). After fertilization, the pem transcript ...