Table of Contents and Prologue

Editorial board, Table of contents, and Prologue, an introduction to volume 2

Social infrastructure

Thesis (S.M. in Architecture Studies)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Vita.Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-123).Current urbanization patterns and aging transportation infrastructures have marginalized millions of US citizens. The result is that 4 .5 million US residents live within 100 meters of a four-lane highway' and have become hound to communities, which endure social hardship and environmental detriment. For too long, the physical form of the city has taken a relaxed position on these endangered and often hazardous urban edges. Considering the social, spatial and environmental conditions. the central argument of this thesis is that architecture built along major transportation corridors must respond to the scale of the infrastructure itself Dense concentrations of pollution and rising transient populations (homeless, working poor and chronically unemployed) surrounding transportation infrastructure call for a new approach to contemporary urbanism. The thesis Social Infrastructure investigates an elevated 3/4 mile stretch of highway 1-93 in South Boston - an infrastructural remnant of the 14.6 billion dollar Big Dig'. TIle elevated highway built in 1955, has formed a number of under-utilized and vacant sites along and under the 1-93 corridor. This thesis explores a new mode of urbanism, which leverages policy, urban design, landscape, and architecture to embrace the infrastructural scale and to demonstrate new potential for this bleak urban condition. The result is a set of three hybrid architecture and landscape typologies which seek to resolve social inequity, reuse infrastructural space, and remediate environmental conditions.by Ryan E. Kurlbaum.S.M.in Architecture Studie

Emergency treatment of adrenal crisis with prednisone suppositories: a bioequivalence study in female patients with Addison’s disease

Objective: Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) need to adapt their glucocorticoid replacement under stressful conditions to prevent adrenal crisis s (AC). Prednisone (PN) suppositories are used for emergency treatment. Pharmacokinetics of 100 mg PN suppositories after vaginal or rectal administration was evaluated. Design: Single-center, open-label, sequence-randomized, cross-over, bioequivalence study. Methods: Twelve females with primary AI were included. Comparison of pharmacokinetics after vaginal and rectal administration of 100 mg PN suppositories. Main outcome measures: bioequivalence (Cmax: maximum plasma concentration of prednisolone; AUC0–360: area under the plasma concentration curve of prednisolone from administration to 360 min), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels, safety and tolerability. Comparison of ACTH-suppressive effect with subcutaneous and intramuscular administration of 100 mg hydrocortisone. Results: Vaginal administration of PN suppositories was not bioequivalent to rectal administration: Cmax and AUC0–360 were significantly lower after vaginal compared to rectal administration: 22 ng/mL (109%) vs 161 ng/mL (28%), P 50% of baseline values was observed 149 min (32%) after rectal PN administration; after vaginal PN administration, the maximum decrease within 360 min was only 44%. Adverse events were more frequent after vaginal administration and mainly attributable to the glucocorticoid deficit due to inadequate vaginal absorption. The ACTH-suppressive effect was more pronounced after parenteral hydrocortisone compared to rectal or vaginal PN. Conclusion: Vaginal administration of PN suppositories in the available form is not useful for prevention of AC. Pharmacokinetics after rectal use of PN s how inferiority compared to available data on parenteral glucocorticoids. In adrenal emergencies, hydrocortisone injection should be the first choice

Investigation of human adipose-derived stem-cell behavior using a cell-instructive polydopamine-coated gelatin-alginate hydrogel.

Hydrogels can be fabricated and designed to exert direct control over stem cells\u27 adhesion and differentiation. In this study, we have investigated the use of polydopamine (pDA)-treatment as a binding platform for bioactive compounds to create a versatile gelatin-alginate (Gel-Alg) hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Precisely, pDA was used to modify the surface properties of the hydrogel and better control the adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). pDA enabled the adsorption of different types of bioactive molecules, including a model osteoinductive drug (dexamethasone) as well as a model pro-angiogenic peptide (QK). The pDA treatment efficiently retained the drug and the peptide compared to the untreated hydrogel and proved to be effective in controlling the morphology, cell area, and osteogenic differentiation of hASCs. Overall, the findings of this study confirm the efficacy of pDA treatment as a valuable strategy to modulate the biological properties of biocompatible Gel-Alg hydrogels and further extend their value in regenerative medicine

Isosexual precocious pseudopuberty during mitotane treatment in a child with adrenocortical carcinoma:A case report

Background Mitotane is employed as adjuvant therapy in managing adrenocortical carcinoma in pediatric patients. While various adverse effects, such as estrogen-like manifestations, are well-documented in adults, there is limited knowledge regarding pediatric-specific toxicity. This report details an uncommon case of isosexual precocious pseudopuberty induced during childhood due to the estrogen-like effects of mitotane. Case report A 2.8-year-old female diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma (pT4 pN0 M0) underwent adjuvant treatment with mitotane and cytotoxic chemotherapy following incomplete resection (tumor stage III). Approximately eight months into mitotane treatment, she exhibited signs of puberty (Tanner stage 2), including progressive breast development, uterine enlargement, vaginal discharge, and an advancement of bone age by nearly two years. Gonadotrophin-dependent puberty and endogenous estrogen production were ruled out. The precocious pseudopuberty was attributed to previously reported estrogen-like effects of mitotane therapy. Subsequent administration of the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole in combination with mitotane led to a reduction in clinical signs of puberty. Conclusion Monitoring for estrogen-like effects of mitotane is crucial, particularly in pre-pubertal children, to avert potentially irreversible changes associated with precocious pseudopuberty. Aromatase inhibitors may serve as a prompt therapeutic option, enabling the continuation of mitotane treatment