cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opportunistic Infections After Induction With Alemtuzumab or Basiliximab: A 3-Year Kidney Transplantation Experience.

Abstract Background Antibody induction immunosuppression is commonly used in kidney transplantation to decrease the risk of early acute rejection. However, infectious complications may arise in patients treated with higher intensity induction immunosuppression. In this study, we compared the rate of opportunistic infections during the 3 years after kidney transplantation in recipients who received either alemtuzumab or basiliximab for induction therapy. Methods All renal transplant recipients from our center who received induction with alemtuzumab between 2011 and 2016 were included and matched 1:2 (by age and date of transplant) to renal transplant recipients who received basiliximab. The primary outcome was the rate of opportunistic infections. Results Twenty-seven patients received alemtuzumab (mean age = 50.8 years; SD ±12), and 54 received basiliximab (mean age = 50.8 years; SD ±11.8). Infections within 3 years posttransplant were not different between groups: BK viremia (P = .99), BK nephritis (P = .48), cytomegalovirus infection (P = .13), varicella zoster virus (P = .22), and all infections (P = .87). Time to infection (P = .67), patient survival (P = .21), and time to rejection (P = .098) were similar in both groups. There were also no group differences in delayed graft function (P = .76), graft loss (P = .97), or rejection (P = .2). Conclusion The rate of infection was not significantly increased in recipients receiving lymphocyte-depleting alemtuzumab compared to recipients receiving basiliximab induction therapy, despite receiving similar maintenance immunosuppression. Although the immunologic risks differed between the 2 groups, there was no observable difference in clinical outcomes.
El método mínimo de Descartes

What is, after all, the famous method of Descartes? The brief and vague passages devoted to this subject in Descartes’ corpus have always puzzled his readers. In this paper, I investigate not only the two essays in which it is directly addressed (the Regulae ad Directionem Ingenii, and the Discours de la Methode), but also his scientific works and correspondence. I finally advocate an interpretation that makes the best sense of his overt comments as well as of his actual scientific practice. Contrary to widely accepted views, I argue that there are no substantial discontinuities in his understanding of his own method, or between his theory and practice. I claim, by contrast, that Descartes advocated a minimal method: a method that says little, but that, nonetheless, marks a revolutionary rupture with the existing forms of explanation.
Contemporary Multi-Institutional Cohort of 550 Cases of Phyllodes Tumors (2007-2017) Demonstrates a Need for More Individualized Margin Guidelines

PURPOSEPhyllodes tumors (PTs) are rare breast neoplasms, which have little granular data on margins. Current guidelines recommend ≥ 1 cm margins; however, recent data suggest narrower margins are s...
Preschoolers will drink their GREENS! Children accept, like, and drink novel smoothies containing dark green vegetables (DGVs).

Abstract Dark green vegetables (DGVs; e.g., spinach) are a nutrient rich source of essential vitamins and minerals; yet, children's intakes of DGVs fall well below dietary recommendations and creative solutions are needed. This study describes preschoolers (3-5 y) willingness to taste, liking, and intake of fruit-based smoothies containing DGVs (i.e., spinach, collards, kale), commonly referred to as “green smoothies,” and explores individual differences in children's eating responses. Using a between-subjects design, preschoolers were randomized to either a FRUIT ONLY smoothie condition (n = 36) or FRUIT+DGV smoothie condition (n = 32). Children's acceptance and intake were collected in one tasting session and one ad libitum snack session, respectively. Parents reported on child food pickiness, food responsiveness, and approach, and children's intake of fruits and DGVs. Children self-reported on previous experience with the study fruits and DGVs. The initial tasting session revealed that the majority of children (84.3%) in the FRUIT+DGV condition willingly tasted all five green smoothies and rated the green smoothies as moderately liked (2.3 ± 0.1). Children in the FRUIT+DGV condition consumed 225.7 ± 31.4 g (9.0 ± 1.3 oz; 1.1 ± 0.2 cups; 91.9 ± 12.9 kcals) of their most preferred green smoothie, providing 18.3 ± 3.7 g (or 0.7 ± 0.1 cups) of DGVs. Children's willingness to try, liking, and intake did not differ by smoothie condition. Individual differences in children's intake are reported. In conclusion, children were willing to try fruit smoothies supplemented with DGVs. Children rated the green smoothies as moderately-liked and children's intake during snack met 31% of their weekly USDA recommendations for DGVs. Adding DGVs to fruit-based smoothies may compliment other effective feeding strategies for increasing children's vegetable consumption.
Toward In-Depth Coverage: Testing the Effectiveness of a Single-Issue Multimedia Course for Undergraduate Public Affairs Reporting:

This article details a case study testing the effectiveness of a new curriculum for undergraduate public affairs reporting. Our intervention focused on restructuring an undergraduate reporting clas...
The Implementation Science for Genomic Health Translation (INSIGHT) Study in Epilepsy: Protocol for a Learning Health Care System.

Background: Genomic medicine is poised to improve care for common complex diseases such as epilepsy, but additional clinical informatics and implementation science research is needed for it to become a part of the standard of care. Epilepsy is an exemplary complex neurological disorder for which DNA diagnostics have shown to be advantageous for patient care. Objective: We designed the Implementation Science for Genomic Health Translation (INSIGHT) study to leverage the fact that both the clinic and testing laboratory control the development and customization of their respective electronic health records and clinical reporting platforms. Through INSIGHT, we can rapidly prototype and benchmark novel approaches to incorporating clinical genomics into patient care. Of particular interest are clinical decision support tools that take advantage of domain knowledge from clinical genomics and can be rapidly adjusted based on feedback from clinicians. Methods: Building on previously developed evidence and infrastructure components, our model includes the following: establishment of an intervention-ready genomic knowledge base for patient care, creation of a health informatics platform and linking it to a clinical genomics reporting system, and scaling and evaluation of INSIGHT following established implementation science principles. Results: INSIGHT was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston on May 15, 2020, and is designed as a 2-year proof-of-concept study beginning in December 2021. By design, 120 patients from the Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program are to be enrolled to test the INSIGHT workflow. Initial results are expected in the first half of 2023. Conclusions: INSIGHT’s domain-specific, practical but generalizable approach may help catalyze a pathway to accelerate translation of genomic knowledge into impactful interventions in patient care.
Cheaper by the Bundle: The Interaction of Frictions and Option Exercise in Variable Annuities

Typical Variable Annuity products combine complex baseline contracts at considerable fees with optional guarantees. We argue this product design is driven by benefits of bundling to the provider, to the extent that the baseline option features can reduce total replication value. This is possible due to market frictions, and particularly taxation rules, affecting policyholder exercise behavior. We demonstrate the relevance of this mechanism in the context of popular withdrawal guarantees, both theoretically and empirically. Specifically, we show that in the presence of personal taxes, adding on a common death benefit at baseline decreases the total contract value to the provider.
Athletes With Anterior Shoulder Instability: A Prospective Study on Player Perceptions of Injury and Treatment.

Background:Many in-season athletes choose to delay or avoid surgery in order to continue playing and avoid downtime such as missed games or seasons.Purpose:To learn about the attitudes toward the i...
Hedge Funds: The Case Against Increased Global Regulation in Light of the Subprime Mortgate Crisis

The recent instability of global financial markets has prompted legislators and regulators to call for increased regulation of securities and investment funds. This instability resulted from a combination of lax lending standards and poor valuation of subprime mortgages in the United States, and has led to massive losses on securities backed by subprime mortgages. The effects of this crisis extended far beyond the United States because financial institutions marketed these subprime mortgage-backed securities to banks and investment pools throughout the world. Hedge funds, a particular class of less regulated securities, have borne much of the criticism, with many calling for increased scrutiny and regulation because many hedge funds invested heavily in the subprime mortgage-backed securities. This is nothing new; indeed, hedge funds have always been a popular target for regulators because of two key characteristics: (1) use of a high degree of leverage, and (2) lack of transparency.
Immunochemical Approaches to the Isolation of an Endogenous Digoxin-Like Factor

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses immunochemical approaches for the isolation of an endogenous digoxin-similar factor. The chapter also reports on the use of immuno-precipitation and affinity chromatography to isolate this putative hormone. The isolation procedure for this endogenous digoxin-like substance (endoxin) did not allow the rapid processing of large volumes of plasma, because of the difficulty in reproducibly separating crude plasma extracts on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both immuno-precipitation and affinity chromatography of plasma diafiltrates result in the isolation of digoxin immunoreactivity. The amount of immunoreactivity recovered after the immunochemical isolation steps was 50-70 pg per milliliter of original plasma. These data indicate that the ability to demonstrate the acid lability of endoxin is dependent on the amount of HCl used to hydrolyze the sample and the relative purity of the sample. For example, doubling the amount of acid used to hydrolyze diafiltrates increases their acid lability by 7-fold.
Study of the Essential Oil of Wild Perilla and the Stereospecific Reduction of (−)-Piperitone

The essential oil from wild perilla contains 55% (−)-piperitone, 31% (−)-limonene, 6% α-caryophyllene, and 0.5% (−)-piperityl formate. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone was found to be the most suitable derivative for the identification of piperitone. Partial racemization, that occurred during the formation of the semicarbazone and also during the hydrolysis of the semicarbazone, was confirmed by the isolation of a new optically active semicarbazone of (−)-piperitone. Reduction of (−)-piperitone with sodium and moist ether gave (+)-isomenthol in high yield. This will find application in stereospecific synthesis.
What Happened? Alcohol, Memory Blackouts, and the Brain

Alcohol primarily interferes with the ability to form new long-term memories, leaving intact previously established long-term memories and the ability to keep new information active in memory for brief periods. As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the magnitude of the memory impairments. Large amounts of alcohol, particularly if consumed rapidly, can produce partial (i.e., fragmentary) or complete (i.e., en bloc) blackouts, which are periods of memory loss for events that transpired while a person was drinking. Blackouts are much more common among social drinkers--including college drinkers--than was previously assumed, and have been found to encompass events ranging from conversations to intercourse. Mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced memory impairments include disruption of activity in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a central role in the formation of new autobiographical memories.
Exploring U.S. e-diplomacy and non-state actors' increasing communicative influence

In the present "information as commodity" age, government agencies around the globe view information as not only an asset but also a national security priority. Under pressures to rapidly gather, process, and disseminate information, government agencies, specifically those involved in diplomacy, are transforming their relationships with non-state actors for the purpose of expanding their information capabilities and resources. Generally speaking, non-state actors (such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international governmental organizations (IGOs), the media, and corporations) have a propensity to effectively deploy and utilize communication technology for innovative information exchange from geographically dispersed sites around the world. This exploratory study examines national governments increasing information dependencies on non-state actors. The impact of new government information partnerships afford non-state actors with a more influential role in diplomatic processes. Using the U.S. Department of State as the case study, this work synthesizes literature on the nature, functions, and information assets involved in diplomacy to explicate how digital government is changing state and non-state communicative dynamics and influences.
Diffusive transport in cluster‐center radio sources

Unlike most jet‐fed radio sources, those attached to dominant central galaxies in clusters are thought to be maintained by diffusion of relativistic electrons through the turbulent, magnetized cluster gas. However, severe synchrotron losses do not allow the electrons to diffuse far enough to account for these sources, unless some in situ reacceleration process is taking place. In this paper I consider the possibility that second‐order turbulent acceleration can account for these sources.
Joint beamforming and power control in downlink multiuser multiple-input multiple-output systems

In this paper, we study joint beamforming and power control for downlink multiple-input multiple-output systems with multiple users and target values for signal-to-interference plus noise ratios SINRs. We formulate this as a constrained optimization problem of minimizing total interference subject to constraints on the beamforming vector norms, target SINRs, and total transmit power. Necessary and sufficient conditions satisfied by the optimal beamformer and power allocation are presented, and a new algorithm for joint beamforming and power control is proposed. This adapts the beamforming vectors and transmit powers incrementally, and it stops when the specified SINR targets are achieved with minimum powers. The proposed algorithm is illustrated with numerical results obtained from simulations, which study its convergence and compare it with other similar algorithms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tumors at the Aortoiliac/Inferior Vena Cava Bifurcation: Preoperative, Anesthetic, and Intraoperative Considerations

Primary and recurrent retroperitoneal tumors can involve the aortoiliac vasculature. They are often considered inoperable or incurable because of the locally advanced nature of the disease or the technical aspects involved in safely resecting the lesion. Safe resection of these lesions requires experience and extensive preoperative planning for success. A retrospective database review of 76 patients with retroperitoneal tumors identified tumors involving major vascular structures in the abdomen and pelvis undergoing resection of tumor en bloc with the aortoiliac vasculature. Preoperative planning and intraoperative technical maneuvers are reviewed. Patients were followed until time of this report. Four patients with retroperitoneal tumors involving the aortoiliac vessels underwent surgery: two patients with sarcoma (one primary and one recurrent), one with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and one with a paraganglioma. All patients had resection of the aorta and vena cava or the iliac artery and vein. Arterial reconstruction (anatomic or extra-anatomic) was performed in all cases. The patient with renal cell carcinoma also required venous reconstruction to support a renal autotransplant. Veno-venous bypass was required in one patient. Local control was achieved in 3 of 4 cases. Surgery for retroperitoneal tumors involving major vascular structures is technically feasible with appropriate planning and technique. Multiple disciplines are required, including general surgical oncology, vascular surgery, and possibly, cardiothoracic surgery.
Dorsoventral axis determination in the somite: a re-examination.

We have repeated classic dorsoventral somite rotation experiments (Aoyama and Asamoto, 1988, Development 104, 15–28) and included dorsal and ventral gene expression markers for the somitogenic tissue types, myotome and sclerotome, respectively. While the histological results are consistent with those previously published, gene expression analysis indicates that cells previously thought to be ‘sclerotome’ no longer express Pax1 mRNA, a sclerotome marker. These results, together with recent quail-chick transplantation experiments indicating that even very late sclerotome tissue fragments are multipotential (Dockter and Ordahl, 1998, Development 125, 2113–2124), lead to the conclusion that sclerotome tissue remains phenotypically and morphogenetically plastic during early embryonic somitogenesis. Myotome precursor cells, by contrast, appear to be determined within hours after somite epithelization; a finding consistent with recent reports (Williams and Ordahl, 1997, Development 124, 4983–4997). Therefore, while these findings support a central conclusion of Aoyama and Asamoto, that axis determination begins to occur within hours after somite epithelialization, the identity of the responding tissues, myotome versus sclerotome, differs. A simple model proposed to reconcile these observations supports the general hypothesis that determinative aspects of early paraxial mesoderm growth and morphogenesis occur in early and late phases that are governed principally by the myotome and sclerotome, respectively.
Interleukin 1 production by human lung tissue. I. Identification and characterization.

Crucial to the development of inflammatory infiltrates is the localized production of mediators which promote adherence of leukocytes to the vascular endothelium. Previous in vitro studies, using monolayers of cultured human vascular endothelial cells (VEC), have identified various agents which promote the acquisition of adhesiveness in VEC for polymorphonuclear leukocytes. In the present studies, we report that human lung fragments cultured for 4 to 24 hr release a factor which acts on VEC to promote adherence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Adhesiveness in VEC stimulated by lung fragment culture supernatants was time- and dose-dependent. This adherence-promoting factor appears to be a mixture of the alpha and beta forms of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and has the following properties: 1) it is heat-labile; 2) it is not inactivated by polymyxin B; 3) it has mobility on Sephadex G-75 column chromatography corresponding to apparent m.w. of approximately 15,000, 30,000, and 70,000 (a pattern observed previously for IL-1); 4) it has activity in the thymocyte costimulation IL-1 assay, but no interleukin 2 activity, and 5) it is neutralized by anti-human IL-1 antisera but not by anti-human tumor necrosis factor antiserum. Production and release of IL-1 in vivo may play a role in the development of inflammatory infiltrates in human lung and other tissues by acting on endothelium to promote the localized adherence of leukocytes.
Statics and dynamics of a diffusion-limited reaction: Anomalous kinetics, nonequilibrium self-ordering, and a dynamic transition

We solve exactly the one-dimensional diffusion-limited single-species coagulation process (A+A→A) with back reactions (A→A+A) and/or a steady input of particles (B→A). The exact solution yields not only the steady-state concentration of particles, but also the exact time-dependent concentration as well as the time-dependent probability distribution for the distance between neighboring particles, i. e., the interparticle distribution function (IPDF). The concentration for this diffusion-limited reaction process does not obey the classical “mean-field” rate equation. Rather, the kinetics is described by a finite set of ordinary differential equations only in particular cases, with no such description holding in general. The reaction kinetics is linked to the spatial distribution of particles as reflected in the IPDFs. The spatial distribution of particles is totally random, i. e., the maximum entropy distribution, only in the steady state of the strictly reversible process A+A↔A, a true equilibrium state with detailed balance. Away from this equilibrium state the particles display a static or dynamic self-organization imposed by the nonequilibrium reactions. The strictly reversible process also exhibits a sharp transition in its relaxation dynamics when switching between equilibria of different values of the system parameters. When the system parameters are suddenly changed so that the new equilibrium concentration is greater than exactly twice the old equilibrium concentration, the exponential relaxation time depends on the initial concentration.
Instrumental Sexual Scripting An Examination of Gender-Role Fluidity in the Correctional Institution

Researchers have found that gender-role assignment, formerly thought to be accomplished early in life and permanently affixed, is less durable and immutable than previous supposed. Data collected regarding indigenous sexual behavior in both male and female correctional institutions present a fluid notion of gender roles as more dependent on environmental factors, an inmate's incorporation into the institutional culture, and intrinsically associated with survival strategies and negotiated orders.
Current Status of Electron Mobility and Free-Ion Yield in High Mobility Liquids

The basic framework for understanding the quasi-free electron mobility and the probability of free-carrier generation following an ionization event in a high-mobility liquid is critically reviewed from the point of view of application to liquid ionization chambers. The relationship between these two physical quantities is empirically well-established. Theoretically the Sano-Mozumder model provides a fair description for hydrocarbon liquids. The corresponding situation for liquefied rare gases is somewhat uncertain. However, it is clear that a successful theory for these liquids must consider impurity effects and an effect attributable to the field dependence of mobility.
Prognosis and Quality of Life After Valve Surgery in Patients Older Than 75 Years

Background Assessment of quality of life has become an increasingly important aspect of the risk-benefit analysis of any therapeutic intervention, particularly in high-risk populations, such as the elderly. Methods Clinical outcomes of 147 consecutive patients older than 75 years undergoing valve surgery between 1992 and 1995 were reviewed. Long-term quality of life was assessed using a modified version of the Duke University Medical Outcomes Study system. Results Mean age was 79.3±4 years, range was 75 to 89 years, and 67% (99/147) were male. Preoperatively, 128 patients (87%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV. Fifty-two percent (77/147) of the operations were nonelective. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 69 patients (47%). Thirty-day hospital mortality was 7.5% (11/147). Mean follow-up for 98% (133/136) of hospital survivors was 30±13 months (range, 2 to 55 months). Actuarial survival at 55 months was 71±6%—equivalent to a general age-, race-, and gender-matched population reported in the Life Tables of the US National Center for Health Statistics. At the time of follow-up, 112 patients (96%) lived at home, 78% (91/116) defined their health between good to excellent, and 81% (93/114) stated that the operation improved their health status. Ninety-seven percent (112/116) were able to bathe and dress independently, 92% (104/113) could walk at least one block, and 88.5% (100/113) could climb at least one flight of stairs. Moderate to vigorous activities could be performed by 59.2% (67/113). Overall, at the time of follow-up, 81% (95/117) were in NYHA class I/II. Conclusion In a selected patient population, valve surgery in the elderly is associated with acceptable early morbidity and mortality. Long-term survival and quality of life are excellent. These facts strongly support the performance of these procedures in patients older than 75 years.
MX chains: 1-D analog of CuD planes?

We study a two-band Peierls-Hubbard model for halogen-bridged mixed-valence transition metal linear chain complexes (MX chains). We include electron-electron correlations (both Hubbard and PPP-like expressions) using several techniques including calculations in the zero-hopping limit, exact diagonalization of small systems, mean field approximation, and a Gutzwiller-like Ansatz for quantum phonons. The adiabatic optical absorption and phonon spectra for both photo-excited and doping induced defects (kinks, polarons, bipolarons, and excitons) are discussed. A long period phase which occurs even at commensurate filling for certain parameter values may be related to twinning. The effect of including the electron-phonon in addition to the electron-electron interaction on the polaron/bipolaron (pairing) competition is especially interesting when this class of compounds is viewed as a 1-D analog of high-temperature superconductors. 6 refs., 4 figs.
Growth Dynamics of Information Search Services.

Computer-based information search services (ISSs) of the type that provide on-line literature searches are analyzed from a system's viewpoint using a continuous simulation model. The analysis reveals that the observed growth and stagnation of a typical ISS can be explained as a natural consequence of market responses to the service together with a business orientation on part of the funder. The study also gives an analysis of managerial decision making for an ISS.
Constrained optimal compensator design for large flexible spacecraft control

This paper considers the compensator problem of optimal control and estimation theory and advances a new design technique that constrains the optimal compensator. The technique works directly through suitable static constraints placed in the optimal performance index. The basic goal is compensator stability; however, for certain classes of systems, the technique may yield positive real compensation and thus provide hyperstability for certain classes of flexible spacecraft.
Accessible haptic user interface design approach for users with visual impairments

With the number of people with visual impairments (e.g., low vision and blind) continuing to increase, vision loss has become one of the most challenging disabilities. Today, haptic technology, using an alternative sense to vision, is deemed an important component for effectively accessing information systems. The most appropriately designed assistive technology is critical for those with visual impairments to adopt assistive technology and to access information, which will facilitate their tasks in personal and professional life. However, most of the existing design approaches are inapplicable and inappropriate to such design contexts as users with visual impairments interacting with non-graphical user interfaces (i.e., haptic technology). To resolve such design challenges, the present study modified a participatory design approach (i.e., PICTIVE, Plastic Interface for Collaborative Technology Initiatives Video Exploration) to be applicable to haptic technologies, by considering the brain plasticity theory. The sense of touch is integrated into the design activity of PICTIVE. Participants with visual impairments were able to effectively engage in designing non-visual interfaces (e.g., haptic interfaces) through non-visual communication methods (e.g., touch modality).
Transgenic spinach plants expressing the coat protein of cucumber mosaic virus

Transgenic spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants expressing cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) coat protein genes were regenerated. Leaf and hypocotyl explants from two spinach cultivars, ‘Fall Green’ and ‘High Pack,’ were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 carrying the binary vector pBI121 in which the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was replaced with the coat protein gene of CMV isolate SP103 or SP104. Calluses were induced from both cultivars at rates of 10-27% on MS selective medium containing 86 µM kanamycin, 237 µM carbenicillin and 209 µM cefotaxime. After 12 wk (three transfers), putatively transformed calluses were transferred to MS medium without kanamycin to promote callus proliferation. Shoots were regenerated at the rates of 23-29% for ‘High Pack’ and less than 0.5% for ‘Fall Green’. Approximately 80% of the regenerated shoots from both cultivars were subsequently induced to establish whole plants. Regenerated plants were screened for transgene incorporation using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using the same primer pair originally used to amplify the CMV coat protein genes for insertion into pBI121. Based on the PCR screening, approximately 12% of the regenerated spinach plants contained a CMV coat protein gene. Southern blot analysis confirmed the presence of viral coat protein genes in the plant genomes. Western blot analysis indicated that the CMV coat protein genes were expressed in transgenic spinach plants.
Faculty Role Perceptions and Preferences in the Seventies

A random sample of faculty from four categories of institutions of higher education were questioned about various aspects of their work roles, with emphasis upon the teaching-research "dichotomy." As expected, type of institution was found to be a good predictor of individual research or teaching preference and amount of emphasis a school placed upon either activity. Other important findings were: (1) faculty preferred teaching to be the primary personnel criterion at all schools except at the Ph.D. granting institutions, (2) research interest was found to penetrate even to the junior- college level, (3) a large minority of faculty at small private schools and state colleges reported that they were unable to clearly perceive the primary promotion and tenure criterion, (4) inability to determine the basis for promotion and tenure was found to be inversely related to academic rank and, (5) no association between age and research preference was found except at the Ph. D. -granting schools, where younger prof...
A Historical Perspective on Commerce and the Spread of Disease

Review of : Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease ; Mark Harrison; (2012). Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Hardcover, 376 pages.
Samurai Among Panthers: Richard Aoki on Race, Resistance, and a Paradoxical Life Diane C. Fujino. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.

Samurai Among Panthers: Richard Aoki on Race, Resistance, and a Paradoxical Life Diane C. Fujino. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.Asian American studies has spent significant efforts redeeming the often overlooked history of Asian American activism, radicals, and nonconformists. Some scholars see this emphasis on activism as a return to the origins of Asian American studies, which was a product of the Third World Liberation Front strike in 1968. Diane Fujino's biography of Richard Aoki is one of these attempts to bring attention to Asian American activism, while analyzing the life of an iconic figure. This biography not only explores the origins of political involvement for Aoki, but traces the impact of significant historical events in American history on an individual life.The narrative of Richard Aoki's life in the book is chronological, grouping Aoki's memories by key events during the course of his life. This work is more of a blending of oral history and biography, with uninterrupted sections of direct recollections from Aoki himself, followed by Fujino's analysis and contextualization. Fujino starts out with his earliest memories of a happy childhood in Oakland, the trauma of Japanese Internment, and spending his adolescence on the streets in Oakland. Family circumstances and geography play a large role in Aoki's childhood and adolescence, including growing up poor, having mostly African-American friends, and moving in with his mother after the arrest of his father. During these years, Aoki is rather politically unaware, somewhat conservative, and joins the military as one of the few opportunities open to him during that time as a poor Japanese American male.A significant amount of time is spent discussing Aoki's formative political years, which occur after his return from military service, including his involvement in various labor unions and political organizations. Aoki becomes self-educated through reading various political thinkers and personally describes the impact of key works in his life: Malcolm X, Franz Fanon, Karl Marx, and Mao Zedong. His involvement with the Black Panthers and the Asian American Political Alliance are emphasized, which stemmed from both his politics and some fortuitous timing. While Aoki mostly quit protests and politics upon becoming an educator and college administrator, Fujino shows that the continuity of his desire to help the oppressed still manifested itself in his work as a student advocate, particularly in efforts to enroll poor students of color in the community college system. …
Germination, growth and survival of Berberis thunbergii DC. (Berberidaceae) and Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea in five natural environments

Germination, growth and survival of green Berberis thunbergii and its purple ornamental form, Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea, were compared in five natural environments (full sun meadow, edge of woods, moist woods, dry woods, pine woods) to determine whether these two forms have a similar ability to naturalize. Berberis thunbergii and Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea had similar germination rates of about 25% at the end of 3 years. Most of the seed germination occurred in year one (89%), with a small amount of additional germination in year two (10%), and even less in year three (1%). Greatest germination occurred in the moist woods and full sun meadow sites and the least occurred at the pine woods site. Germination was reduced in the pine woods environment by the thick leaf litter layer present there. Barberry seedling survival during the first year was only 22% and survival dropped to 11.3% by the end of 2 years. Purple barberry seedlings had a lower 2 year survival rate than green barberry. There was no difference in seedling growth between purple and green barberry seedlings, but surviving seedling growth rates at the five environments were comparable. Seedlings achieved maximum growth in the edge of woods environment, but also grew well in the full sun meadow environment. At harvest, the full sun meadow had the greatest number of seedlings present, while no seedlings survived in the pine woods site.
A method for dynamic coupling with non-classical damping effects

The modal synthesis techniques have become valuable and well-established tools in structural dynamics. In these methods, a structure is divided into substructures and a new structural model of reduced size is formed by representing the subsystems with a combination of different types of shape functions. The eigensolution of this transformed eigenvalue problem provides the approximate lower modes of the structure. Most of the currently available methods were developed to synthesize the undamped vibration modes of the subsystems. The combined structure is then assumed to be classically damped to calculate the system response. However, when the component subsystems have very different energy dissipation characteristics, the combined system can no longer be regarded as classically damped, even if the substructures are classically damped. In this paper, a method is presented to obtain the exact complex eigenproperties of the non-classically damped combined structure by synthesizing the vibration modes of the classically damped substructures. The subsystems are considered to be coupled by connecting elements. It is shown that in this case it is possible to expand the algebraic eigenvalue problem of the partially coupled system into a characteristic equation expressed in closed form. Once the eigenvalues are known, the eigenvectors can be calculated with closed form expressions. Numerical results are presented demonstrating the applicability of the proposed approach.
Active-matrix polymer displays made with electroluminescent polymers

Active-matrix organic/polyeric light emitting displays (AMOLEDs/AMPLEDs) are of great potentials for high information content display applications. They offer high brightness, fast response time, high image quality (high contrast, high gray levels and small pixel pitch size) and low power consumption. AMPLEDs are ideal for portable electronic devices such as web-phones, personal data assistants, GPS and handhold computers. AMPLEDs are especially suitable for motion picture applications. Since the image pixels consume power only when they are turned on, and only consume the power necessary for their corresponding brightness, video displays made with AMOLED/AMPLED reduce power consumption and extend display lifetime considerably. Motion picture applications also minimize image retention and optimize display homogeneity. In this presentation, we discuss our recent progress on AMPLEDs and compare their performance with that of AMLCD.
Fibroblast growth factor receptor‐3 null mice exhibit a delay in the development of oligodendrocytes and myelination

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise of a family of twenty-three members which bind to four receptor tyrosine kinases (R1–R4). They induce a broad spectrum of biological effects in a variety of cell types, including neurons and glia in the CNS. In oligodendrocytes (OLs), FGF-2 elicits a number of specific responses depending on their stage of development. During OL development in vitro, the expressions of FGF-receptor mRNAs are differentially regulated. R1 mRNA increases gradually along with OL maturation, whereas R3 and R2 mRNAs peak at the OL progenitor and mature OL stages, respectively, suggesting a differential roles of these receptors in OL development. R3 is also expressed by astrocytes. To determine the roles of R3 during OL development and myelination in vivo, we have employed mice lacking functional R3 (R3-null). During myelination (P7, P9, P13), reduced numbers of differentiated OLs and myelinated fibers are observed in the brains of R3 null mice compared to wild type mice. Moreover, up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes is found in the cerebellum and spinal cord of R3 null mutants. However, the number of OL progenitors (PDGF-Ra), BrdU incorporation, and cell survival (TUNEL assay) are all comparable, and R3-null myelin in adult mice appears to be similar to that of wild type mice. In mixed primary cultures of post-natal R3 null brain (that have few if any neurons), OLs exhibit a delay in differentiation similar to that observed in vivo. In summary, our results elucidate regulatory roles of FGF-R3 in mouse brain, in particular with regard to its roles in the timing of OL maturation and myelin formation (MS Society, Canada, NIH NS38878-03).
The Effect of Expansion on Mass Entrainment and Stability of Super-Alfvénic Jets

We extend investigations of mass entrainment by jets, which previously have focused on cylindrical supermagnetosonic jets and expanding trans-Alfvenic jets, to a set of expanding supermagnetosonic jets. We precess these jets at the origin to excite the helical mode of the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability, in order to compare the results with predictions from linear stability analysis. We analyze this simulation set for the spatial development of magnetized mass, which we interpret as jet plus entrained, initially unmagnetized external mass. As with the previous simulation sets, we find that the growth of magnetized mass is associated with the growth of the KH instability through linear, nonlinear, and saturated stages and with the expansion of magnetized material in simulated observations of the jet. From comparison of measured wavelengths and wave speeds with the predictions from linear stability analysis, we see evidence that the KH instability is the primary cause for mass entrainment in these simulations and that the expansion reduces the rate of mass entrainment. This reduced rate can be observed as a somewhat greater distance between the two transition points separating the three stages of expansion.
Death due to high-output cardiac failure in fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma

Fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is being recognized with increasing frequency. Placentomegaly and hydrops fetalis are preterminal events, and it has been suggested that fetal death may be due to high-output cardiac failure from arteriovenous shunting through the tumor. We had a chance to examine this hypothesis when a 21-week fetus presented with a huge sacrococcygeal teratoma. There were marked placentomegaly, cardiomegaly, hyperdynamic ventricles, and a pericardial effusion. Doppler studies showed tremendous flow through the SCT with extreme enlargement of the inferior vena cava, consistent with congestive heart failure from increased flow through the tumor. Hydrops developed, and the fetus was delivered because of placental abruption. This case provides supportive evidence that the teratoma acts as a large arteriovenous shunt, causing high-output cardiac failure. We have now collected 18 more cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma diagnosed in utero. Of the total 45 cases of fetal SCT, 9 had placentomegaly and/or fetal hydrops and all 9 fetuses died in utero or shortly after birth. We conclude that the only hope for survival in these severely affected fetuses is to reduce blood flow to the tumor before birth.
Positive surgical margins: the argument for androgen deprivation and chemotherapy

Management of patients with positive surgical margins after radical prostatectomy is a complex and debatable issue. It is clear, however, that many of these patients have high-risk disease characteristics. Because of a significant risk of relapse, patients with positive surgical margins and high-risk disease characteristics should be offered the option of participating in clinical trials evaluating the role of adjuvant therapy. A distinction between the concepts of adjuvant versus salvage therapy is made and the rationale for the use of androgen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination in the adjuvant setting is discussed in the context of the on-going phase III trials in the United States.
Extracting and evaluating general world knowledge from the Brown corpus

We have been developing techniques for extracting general world knowledge from miscellaneous texts by a process of approximate interpretation and abstraction, focusing initially on the Brown corpus. We apply interpretive rules to clausal patterns and patterns of modification, and concurrently abstract general "possibilistic" propositions from the resulting formulas. Two examples are "A person may believe a proposition", and "Children may live with relatives". Our methods currently yield over 117,000 such propositions (of variable quality) for the Brown corpus (more than 2 per sentence). We report here on our efforts to evaluate these results with a judging scheme aimed at determining how many of these propositions pass muster as "reasonable general claims" about the world in the opinion of human judges. We find that nearly 60% of the extracted propositions are favorably judged according to our scheme by any given judge. The percentage unanimously judged to be reasonable claims by multiple judges is lower, but still sufficiently high to suggest that our techniques may be of some use in tackling the long-standing "knowledge acquisition bottleneck" in AI.
Pediatric Urology: Postoperative Adhesion Formation After Urological Laparoscopy in the Pediatric Population

The risk of intraperitoneal adhesion formation is a concern with transperitoneal laparoscopic surgery. To evaluate the incidence of adhesions after interventional urological laparoscopy, we reviewed 41 pediatric patients who had undergone second-look procedures. The number of adhesions and quantitation of the degree of each adhesion were assessed. Major laparoscopic procedures were performed previously in 8 patients, moderate in 29 and minor in 4. Adhesions were noted in 4 patients (9.8%), including 2 adhesions at the operative site and 2 at trocar sites. The risk of adhesions increased with the extent of dissection. Two adhesions developed after major procedures but the grade and extent of these adhesions were minimal. In the majority of patients re-peritonealization occurred with minimal or no scarring noted. Although adhesions may occur with pediatric urological laparoscopic procedures, the incidence appears lower than what one would expect with open exploration.
Pure-Tone Thresholds and Word-Recognition Abilities of Hearing-Impaired Children

A recorded list of 25 spondaic words was administered monaurally through earphones to 72 hearing-impaired children to evaluate their comprehension of “easy” speech material. The subjects ranged in ...
Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation in infants and young children < 18 months of age

Abstract Radiofrequency (RF) ablation has made a significant impact on the ability to treat arrhythmias in children. 1–3 The success rate has been comparable to the surgical approach, while postablation morbidity has been greatly reduced. However, rare cases of procedure-related mortality have been reported. 2,3 These reports, combined with the findings that most infants with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can be managed medically, 4 have led to a reluctance to perform catheter ablation in infants. However, some infants have recurrent and/or incessant tachycardia that is unresponsive to any medication. 1,5,6 Frequent or incessant tachycardic episodes may also lead to ventricular dysfunction and symptoms of congestive heart failure, particularly when associated with congenital heart disease. This report describes 10 infants and children aged
Dolichoectatic Aneurysm of Common Carotid Artery: An Animal Model with Histological Correlation

There is a limited understanding of the pathogenesis of dolichoectatic (dolicho = long; ectatic = dilated) aneurysms of elastic arteries. Therefore, we developed a model of dolichoectatic changes in e
Chloramphenicol for the Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcal Infections

A retrospective study of patients who received chloramphenicol for the treatment of serious vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections between 1 January 1993 and 31 August 1993 was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center (Philadelphia). Antimicrobial susceptibilities as well as the clinical course of infection, adverse events, and response to therapy of 16 patients were reviewed. Forty-seven percent of enterococcal isolates were susceptible only to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and nitrofurantoin. Types of infection included bacteremias (n = 7), abscesses (n = 7), and others (n = 5). Of 14 patients for whom a clinical response could be ascertained, eight (57%) showed improvement after treatment. Of 11 patients for whom a microbiological response could be ascertained, eight (73%) had sterile cultures after treatment. No lasting adverse effect related to the drug occurred. In-hospital mortality was 56%, but only one death could be directly attributed to vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infection. Chloramphenicol appears to be a useful and well-tolerated agent for the treatment of serious vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections.