Creating Equity Reports: A Guide for Hospitals

Offers a framework for equity reporting -- identifying ethnic and racial disparities in hospitals and ways to reduce them -- including implementation, data collection, quality measures, and utilization. Reviews case studies and lessons learned

Paleogeologic map of the sub-Pennsylvanian Chesterian (Upper Mississippian) surface in the Illinois basin

Cover title."Prepared in cooperation with the Indiana Geological Survey, Bloomington and the Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexington."Part of illustrative matter in pocket.Bibliography: p. 14

New Positive Inotropic Agents

Current therapy for heart failure remains inadequate. New positive inotropic agents that augment myocardial contractility have been introduced. The positive inotropic effects of these nonglycoside, nonsympathomimetic agents are due, at least in part, to inhibition of cardiac phosphodiesterase activity and hence to an increase in myocardial cyclic AMP levels. These agents also have vasodilator properties through their effects on the enzyme phosphodiesterase in the vascular smooth muscle. Recent developments in the preclinical pharmacology, mechanism of action, and clinical experience with these new inotrope vasodilators are presented in this review. The role these drugs will play in revising our therapeutic strategy in congestive heart failure remains to be defined

Development of a Serum Biomarker Assay That Differentiates Tumor-Associated MUC5AC (NPC-1C ANTIGEN) from Normal MUC5AC

A serum ELISA using a monoclonal antibody that detects a MUC5AC-related antigen (NPC-1C antigen) expressed by pancreatic and colorectal cancer was developed. The NPC-1C antibody reacts with specific epitopes expressed by tumor-associated MUC5AC that does not appear on MUC5AC from normal tissues. Based on observations of a highly specific antibody, we tested the ELISA to differentiate serum from healthy blood donors compared to serum from patients with colorectal or pancreatic cancer. Additionally, patient tumor tissue was stained to examine the expression pattern of MUC5AC-related antigen in pancreatic and colorectal cancers. The results indicate the NPC-1C antibody ELISA distinguished serum of cancer patients from normal donors with very good sensitivity and specificity. Most patient's tumor biopsy exhibited NPC-1C antibody reactivity, indicating that tumor-associated MUC5AC antigen from tumor is shed into blood, where it can be detected by the NPC-1C antibody ELISA. This serum test provides a new tool to aid in the diagnosis of these cancers and immune monitoring of cancer treatment regimens

Polymer Bound Photobase Generators And Photoacid Generators For Pitch Division Lithography

The semiconductor industry is pursuing several process options that provide pathways to printing images smaller than the theoretical resolution limit of 193 nm projection scanners. These processes include double patterning, side wall deposition and pitch division. Pitch doubling lithography (PDL), the achievement of pitch division by addition of a photobase generator (PBG) to typical 193 nm resist formulations was recently presented. 1 Controlling the net acid concentration as a function of dose by incorporating both a photoacid generator (PAG) and a PBG in the resist formulation imparts a resist dissolution rate response modulation at twice the frequency of the aerial image. Simulation and patterning of 45 nm half pitch L/S patterns produced using a 90 nm half pitch mask were reported. 2 Pitch division was achieved, but the line edge roughness of the resulting images did not meet the current standard. To reduce line edge roughness, polymer bound PBGs and polymer bound PAGs were investigated in the PDL resist formulations. The synthesis, purification, analysis, and functional performance of various polymers containing PBG or PAG monomers are described herein. Both polymer bound PBG with monomeric PAG and polymer bound PAG with monomeric PBG showed a PDL response. The performance of the polymer bound formulations is compared to the same formulations with small molecule analogs of PAG and PBG.Chemical Engineerin