cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kreyol Intertextuality and Decolonizing Narrative in Veillées noires

This essay identifies three levels of intertextuality in the short story, “Echec et mat” by Leon-Gontran Damas. Incorporating folkloric tales, lyrics from popular music, and 19 th Century satiric writing in Kreyol, “Echec et mat” offers a microcosm of the intertextual techniques employed throughout the entire collection, Veillees noires . In particular, I analyze Damas’s embedding of a satire written and published in Kreyol by Guadeloupean author Paul Baudot. While this Kreyol satire—written by a white b e k e author from the mid-19 th Century—is ambiguous politically, and must be determined by musical and folkloric references, Damas nevertheless signals the importance of earlier Caribbean writing in Kreyol. Such writing co-exists with other forms of cultural production and is part of the reservoir from which Damas draws to assemble his complex anti-colonial discourse. These intertextual traces reveal a cultural identity that is plural as well as anti-colonial. Cet essai nous presente trois niveaux d’intertextualite utilises dans l’histoire « Echec et mat » de Leon-Gontran Damas. Par le biais d’histoires folkloriques, de paroles de musiques populaires creoles de l’epoque, ainsi que d’ecrits satyriques du 19 e siecle, cette histoire offre un microcosme des techniques d’intertextualite utilisees dans l’oeuvre entiere, Veillees noires . Plus precisement, je retrace la methode utilisee par Damas pour pouvoir inserer dans son conte, une satire ecrite et publiee en creole par le Guadeloupeen Paul Baudot. Bien que cette satire creole ecrite par un auteur beke blanc du milieu du 19 e siecle est d’une certaine ambiguite politique, et bien qu’il devrait etre determine par des references musicales et folklorique, Damas souligne l’importance de document ecrit en creole a cette epoque. De tels ecrits coexistent avec d’autres formes d’oeuvres culturelles et font partie d’un reservoir dans lequel Damas puise pour assembler son discours anticolonial. Ces empreintes intertextuelles revelent une identite culturelle aussi plurielle qu’anticoloniale.
Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid poison control center cases among adults aged 50+, 2009–2019

Older (aged 50+) cannabis users are growing in numbers, but research on poison control center (PCC) cases has not focused on them. In this study, we examined: (1) changing trends in cannabis forms ...
Biological Select Agents and Toxins Management in Taiwan: From Past to Present

Introduction: Before 2016, there were no specific regulations or guidelines for the management of biological select agents and toxins (BSATs) in Taiwan. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control respo...
Technology and Think Tanks: Survived the First Wave; Might not Survive the Second

Paul Salem, President of the Middle East Institute in New York, NY, explores the Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States.
Is Openness in Taste Directly Associated with Tolerance? Exploring a Relationship between Openness in Taste in Leisure Consumption and Attitudes toward Immigrants:

Openness in taste—presented in this study as the “backbone” of cultural omnivorousness—represents a standard of sophistication typical of cosmopolitan societies in accordance with the inclusive sta...
Decidual immune response following COVID-19 during pregnancy varies by timing of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection

While COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is common, fetal transmission is rare, suggesting that intrauterine mechanisms form an effective blockade against SARS-CoV-2. Key among these is the decidual immune environment of the placenta. We hypothesized that decidual leukocytes are altered by maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and that this decidual immune resonse is shaped by the timing of infection during gestation. To address this hypothesis, we collected decidua basalis tissues at delivery from women with symptomatic COVID-19 during second (2nd Tri COVID, n=8) or third trimester (3rd Tri COVID, n=8) and SARS-CoV-2-negative controls (Control, n=8). Decidual natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages and T cells were evaluated using quantitative microscopy, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). When compared with the Control group, decidual tissues from 3rd Tri COVID exhibited significantly increased macrophages, NK cells and T cells, whereas 2nd Tri COVID only had significantly increased T cells. In evaluating decidual cytokine expression, we noted that IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF- were significantly correlated with macrophage cell abundance. However, in 2nd Tri COVID tissues, there was significant downregulation of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-. Taken together, these results suggest innate and adaptive immune responses are present at the maternal-fetal interface in maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections late in pregnancy, and that infections earlier in pregnancy show evidence of a resolving immune response. Further studies are warranted to characterize the full scope of intrauterine immune responses in pregnancies affected by maternal COVID-19.
Patterns of colonisation of meiobenthos as an indicator of recovery of reforested Rhizophora mucronata mangroves in Gazi Bay, Kenya.

Recolonisation patterns of meiobenthos in restored Rhizophora mucronata forests were investigated by assessing their densities, community composition and diversity. This was done in 5- and 10- year reforested mangroves and natural and a degraded controls. MDS and ANOSIM on meiofauna community composition, showed a separation of the natural and the 10 years reforested sites from the 5- year reforested and degraded sites. Nematodes were the dominant meiofauna taxon in all the sites. The natural and the 10 years reforested sites rich in silt/clay sediments and organic matter, recorded the highest meiofauna and nematode densities. The degraded site recorded significantly higher Shannon Diversity index than all the other sites, which was linked to the relatively higher dominance by nematodes in the natural, 10- year reforested and the 5- year reforested sites. The study showed that degradation of mangroves leads to changes in the habitat conditions, which leads to a strongly impoverished meiofauna community in terms of density and community composition. It is also evident that recovery of the meiofauna community and in particular nematodes takes place between 5 and 10 years of reforestation.
A case for using data-flow analysis to optimize incremental scope-bounded checking

In software verification, scope-bounded checking of programs has become an effective technique for finding subtle bugs. Given bounds (that are iteratively relaxed) on input size and length of execution paths, a program and its correctness specifications are translated into a formula, which is solved using off-the-shelf solvers – a solution to the formula is a counterexample to the correctness specification.
Constrained optimization with use of two-dimensional maximum neurons

A special neuron, which we call two-dimensional maximum neuron is proposed. This type of neuron can eliminate the row and column constraints that occur in many problems, such as the stable marriage problem. A parallel processing algorithm to find the stable marriage matching using the proposed two-dimensional maximum neurons is described and the result is now reported. >
Inhibition of gastric acid secretion by selective and nonselective anticholinergics

Anticholinergics have been used for many years to reduce gastric acid secretion (e.g., in peptic ulcer patients). Because of their side effects and the advent of histamine-2 receptor antagonists, however, anticholinergics are now used much less frequently as antisecretory agents. Recently, a selective antimuscarinic type of anticholinergic, pirenzepine, has been developed. This agent reduces acid secretion and heals ulcers without producing serious side effects, probably by preferentially blocking a certain subtype of muscarinic receptor for acetylcholine (M1 receptor). This article will review the current types and subtypes of cholinergic receptors and the mechanisms by which antimuscarinic agents, including pirenzepine, reduce gastric acid secretion.
Thickness measurements of nanoscale brine films on silica surfaces under geologic CO2sequestration conditions using synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence

[1] In reservoirs used for geologic CO2 sequestration, brine films remaining on mineral surfaces can influence flow, diffusion, and reactions. We have investigated how the capillary (disjoining) potential influences the thickness of a KCsI2 brine film on both smooth and rough SiO2 surfaces [root mean square roughness (Rrms), 1.6 and 330 nm, respectively], under confinement with supercritical (sc) CO2. The thicknesses of brine films coating interior surfaces of SiO2windows in a high-pressure cell were determined through synchrotron X-ray fluorescence of two tracer ions (I− and Cs+) at 7.8 MPa and 40°C (representative of conditions at about 0.78 km below the land surface), with scCO2as the immiscible confining fluid. The measured area-averaged film thicknesses on the 330 nm Rrms silica surface ranged from 265 to 249 nm for capillary potentials measured within a narrow range from 0.18 to 3.7 kPa. Over this same range of potentials, film thicknesses measured on the smooth (1.6 nm Rrms) silica surface were about 2 nm, although equilibrium does not appear to have been achieved. The measured average brine film thicknesses were strongly controlled by surface roughness, with very weak variation in response to the fairly narrow range of tested capillary potentials.
Cardiac output in acute myocardial infarction: Serial determination by precordial radioisotope dilution curves

Abstract Serial determinations of cardiac output were performed in 16 patients with acute myocardial infarction, utilizing precordial detection of indicator-dilution curves following an intravenous injection of radioiodinated human serum albumin. The evolution of hemodynamic events in these patients is documented, and the clinical data are correlated with concurrent circulatory findings. Results indicate that: (1) Persistently low cardiac index and stroke index were found only in fatal cases. (2) Survivors either maintained a normal cardiac index and stroke index or, if initially observed as abnormal, values for these two parameters generally returned to normal during recovery. (3) Low stroke index was the commonest basic hemodynamic abnormality. Normal values for stroke index were not found in the fatal cases. (4) Ventricular gallop rhythm and tachycardia were found to be reliable clinical guides to the presence of low stroke index. (5) Pulse pressure values were not a useful clinical measure of stroke index.
Characterizing the interaction between protein phosphatase 2A and the mRNA decay protein Tristetraprolin (748.4)

Post-transcriptional and post-translational processes play key roles in regulating rapid changes in gene expression by altering the activity of mRNA binding proteins on their target transcripts. Th...
The 3-D monitor and head-mounted display. A quantitative evaluation of advanced laparoscopic viewing technologies.

Background: Stereoscopic (3-D) monitors and head-mounted displays have promised to facilitate laparoscopic surgery by increasing positional accuracy and decreasing operative time. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the performance of subjects using these displays to perform standardized laparoscopic dexterity drills.
Substituted Judgment: Roles for the Forensic Psychologist

Substituted judgment involves the replacement of an individual's decision making with that of guardians, conservators, curators, surrogates, executors, or other appointed persons or agencies. Depending upon timing, impairment severity, and available resources, substituted judgment may occur on the basis of expressions of personal choice or as the result of adversarial legal action. Determining the need for substituted judgment is an expanding area of practice and research for forensic psychologists. Substitutions for an individual's prior judgment involve a varied palette of advance directives (including living wills, durable powers of attorney, and health care surrogacies). Substitutions for present judgment address a person's right to refuse treatment and the related doctrine of informed consent. Substitutions for future judgment concern the related interventions of guardianship and conservatorship, pertaining to personal and financial affairs, respectively. Historically, these determinations were dominated by adversarial models of legal decision making, without benefit of adequately developed scientific methodology. Today, forensic psychologists may draw from a growing arsenal of standardized tests, structured interviews, and investigative protocols. Advances in mental health scholarship and practice have contributed to the promulgation of statutes and regulations that provide greater flexibility of individual rights, while offering an extended range of protections for persons with disabilities. Keywords: advance directive; conservatorship; guardianship; health care surrogate; living will; substituted judgment
Preliminary spectrometer results from E-802

The first measurement with the E-802 spectrometer has been made in April, 1987 using 14.5 GeV/c per nucleon 28Si beam accelerated at the Tandem-AGS accelerator complex. In Si + Au collisions with the angular coverage of 14°–28° (midrapidity), a remarkable difference between the production rates of K + and K - was found and the observed K +/π+ ratio is 24 ± 5%, while the K -/π- ratio is \(4_{ - 2}^{ + 4} \% \) in the momentum range of p lab < 2.0 GeV/c for central triggers.
The Origin of Comets

The evolution of the solar system is surveyed, it being presumed that the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn formed rather quickly and essentially with the composition of the original collapsing cloud of dust and gas. Just as the refractory material of the cloud is considered to have formed into planetesimals, from which the terrestrial planets collected, so is the icy material supposed to have produced comets, or cometesimals, from which Uranus and Neptune (and to some extent Saturn and Jupiter) were built up. The presence of a residual belt of comets beyond the orbit of Neptune is discussed, analysis of possible perturbative effects on P/Halley indicating that the total mass of such a belt at 50 AU from the Sun could not now exceed the mass of the Earth.
The Early History of Quantum Gravity (1916–1940)

It is with great affection that I dedicate this paper to Vishu, a dear friend and valued colleague for many years.
Regulation of the dopamine transporter

Dopaminergic signaling in the brain is primarily modulated by dopamine transporters (DATs), which actively translocate extraneuronal dopamine back into dopaminergic neurons. Transporter proteins are highly dynamic, continuously trafficking between plasmalemmal and endosomal membranes. Changes in DAT membrane trafficking kinetics can rapidly regulate dopaminergic tone by altering the number of transporters present at the cell surface. Various psychostimulant DAT ligands-acting either as amphetamine-like substrates or cocaine-like nontranslocated inhibitors-affect transporter trafficking, triggering rapid insertion or removal of plasmalemmal DATs. In this review, we focus on the effects of psychostimulants of addiction (particularly D-methamphetamine and cocaine) on DAT regulation and membrane trafficking, with an emphasis on how these drugs may influence intracellular signaling cascades and transporter-associated scaffolding proteins to affect DAT regulation. In addition, we consider involvement of presynaptic receptors for dopamine and other ligands in DAT regulation. Finally, we discuss possible implications of transporter regulation to the putative toxicity of several substituted amphetamine derivatives commonly used as recreational drugs, as well as to the design of therapeutics for cocaine addiction.
Scalable Multilevel Support Vector Machines

Abstract Solving optimization models (including parameters fitting) for support vector machines on large-scale training data is often an expensive computational task. This paper proposes a multilevel algorithmic framework that scales efficiently to very large data sets. Instead of solving the whole training set in one optimization process, the support vectors are obtained and gradually refined at multiple levels of coarseness of the data. Our multilevel framework substantially improves the computational time without loosing the quality of classifiers. The algorithms are demonstrated for both regular and weighted support vector machines for balanced and imbalanced classification problems. Quality improvement on several imbalanced data sets has been observed.
Towards a theory grounded theory of language

In this paper, we build upon the idea of theory grounding and propose one specific form of theory grounding, a theory of language. Theory grounding is the idea that we can imbue our embodied artificially intelligent systems with theories by modeling the way humans, and specifically young children, develop skills with theories. Modeling theory development promises to increase the conceptual and behavioral flexibility of these systems. An example of theory development in children is the social understanding referred to as "theory of mind." Language is a natural task for theory grounding because it is vital in symbolic skills and apparently necessary in developing theories. Word learning, and specifically developing a concept of words, is proposed as the first step in a theory grounded theory of language.
How to Perform Cranio-Orbital Zygomatic Approaches

The cranio-orbital zygomatic approach has been in evolution since the frontal approach was first introduced. The addition of both the orbital and zygomatic osteotomies has expanded the limits of neurosurgery to include orbital, craniofacial, and infratemporal pathology. The goal of any skull base approach is to shorten the operative working distance and reduce retraction of the brain while improving exposure. Utilizing the benefits afforded by the cranio-orbital zygomatic approach requires a thorough understanding of the extradural anatomy of the anterior and middle fossae, including the temporal bone, the craniofacial skeleton, and the cavernous sinus.
Psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior in neurotypical young adults with childhood‐onset epilepsy

OBJECTIVES: We examined the associations of lifetime and current histories of psychiatric disorders and of suicidal thoughts and behaviors with childhood-onset epilepsies in a community-based cohort of young adults. METHODS: Cases were neurotypical (normal neurologic, cognitive, and imaging examinations and no evidence of a brain insult responsible for the epilepsy) young adults with childhood-onset epilepsy followed since the onset of their epilepsy approximately 15 years earlier and recruited as part of a community-based study. They were compared to two different control groups: siblings and external controls from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R). The Diagnostic Interview Survey assessed lifetime and current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses of mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt were assessed using the Diagnostic Interview Survey for Children-IV and the Diagnostic Interview Survey (DIS-IV). RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-seven cases and 134 sibling controls participated in the DIS-IV portion of the young adult assessment. Comparing cases both to their sibling controls and to the controls drawn from the NCS-R, we did not find any evidence to suggest a higher prevalence of lifetime and current mood or anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempt in young adults with childhood-onset epilepsies. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings from a community-based sample of neurotypical young adults do not suggest a substantial or lasting association between childhood epilepsy and psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior. Language: en
Nonparametric standard errors and confidence intervals

We investigate several nonparametric methods; the bootstrap, the jackknife, the delta method, and other related techniques. The first and simplest goal is the assignment of nonparametric standard errors to a real-valued statistic. More ambitiously, we consider setting nonparametric confidence intervals for a real-valued parameter. Building on the well understood case of confidence intervals for the median, some hopeful evidence is presented that such a theory may be possible.
Unrestricted hartree‐fock SCF calculations on some hypothetical molecules with triplet ground states

Self consistent field /SCF/ calculations of dipyridine glyoxal and bianthrone photoproduct molecules with triplet ground state, using unrestricted Hartree-Fock theory
Layer-by-layer synthesis of large-area graphene films by thermal cracker enhanced gas source molecular beam epitaxy

A thermal cracker enhanced gas source molecular beam epitaxy system was used to synthesize large-area graphene. Hydrocarbon gas molecules were broken by thermal cracker at very high temperature of 1200 °C and then impinged on a nickel substrate. High-quality, large-area graphene films were achieved at 800 °C, and this was confirmed by both Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A rapid cooling rate was not required for few-layer graphene growth in this method, and a high-percentage of single layer and bilayer graphene films was grown by controlling the growth time. The results suggest that in this method, carbon atoms migrate on the nickel surface and bond with each other to form graphene. Few-layer graphene is formed by subsequent growth of carbon layers on top of existing graphene layers. This is completely different from graphene formation through carbon dissolving in nickel and then precipitating from the nickel during rapid substrate cooling in the chemical vapor deposition method.
La experiencia trascendental de la música en Cervantes y Kafka. (El celoso extremeño y La metamorfosis)

I analyze the presence of power and the liberating effect of music in the main characters. My intention is just to establish a relationship between these very different novels on the treatments of the theme of imprisonment and liberation. And I do it tracing a path that draws a parallel story in both novels following four important aspects: the space where the characters live –the house and the bedroom–, the power –by the husband and by the father–, the seclusion of Leonora and Samsa and the effect of music. In Cervantes’ novel music is the key to reach freedom. In Kafka’s novel the character is doomed. There is no hope for us and music means the nostalgia to reach the Land of Canaan.
LINCing chromatin remodeling to metastasis.

A long intergenic noncoding RNA may promote metastatic progression by coordinating the activity of histone-modifying enzymes.
The Role of Athletics in the Academy: An Alternative Approach to Financial Investment

This position paper examines how American universities can more closely align their financial investment in intercollegiate athletics with the overarching educational mission of the institution. Rather than providing an institutional subsidy, universities should consider investing in tuition waivers for student athletes as the only institutional financial support of the athletic department. By doing so institutions would better acknowledge the educational elements of athletics while also helping to promote a positive campus culture around athletics, thus alleviating some of the divisive undercurrents of educators versus athletes that are prevalent on many university campuses today.
Lack of a Cephalic Phase of Gastric Secretion in Chickens

Abstract Cannulae were surgically implanted in the caudoventral margin of the glandular stomach of 10 Single Comb White Leghorn hens to permit collection of gastric secretions. A total of 44 experiments was performed. The hens were fasted for 24 hr after which secretions were collected separately for three 20-min periods with 1) no food in sight, 2) food in sight but unavailable, and 3) food available. The volume, pH, and pepsin content of the secretions were not significantly changed between Periods 1 and 2, indicating no cephalic phase of gastric secretion. Secretory activity was significantly different between Periods 2 and 3, demonstrating the presence of a gastric phase of gastric secretion.
Parametric Decay of Electron Electrostatic Waves Pumped by an Electromagnetic Wave

In a computer simulation study, we have observed the parametric decay of an electromagnetic wave propagating parallel to the DC magnetic field into two electron electrostatic waves. We have identified the mechanism as three-wave parametric interaction. The growth constants of the decay waves have been measured. After saturation, the decay waves are observed to trap electrons. Consequently, the velocity distribution function develops a high velocity tail. The details of these processes are discussed. We have found that the kinetic energy of the total assembly of electrons will increase by about a factor of four.
Transactions section: Preprint of corresponding pages from the current annual AIEE transactions volume: An electronic frequency meter and speed regulator

AN electronic frequency meter and speed regulator has been developed to measure and hold the speed of a small steam turbine within plus or minus one-half of one per cent of any speed between 10,000 and 100,000 rpm.
Phonological Awareness and Reading in Boys with Fragile X Syndrome.

Background Reading delays are well documented in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), but few studies have examined linguistic precursors of reading in this population. This study examined the longitudinal development of phonological awareness and its relationship with basic reading in boys with FXS. Individual differences in genetic, social-behavioral and environmental factors were also investigated as predictors of phonological awareness. Methods Participants included 54 boys with FXS and 53 typically developing (TD) mental age-matched peers who completed assessments of phonological awareness, nonverbal intelligence, and reading annually for up to 4 years. FMRP level and autism symptomatology were also measured within the FXS group. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine change in phonological awareness over time and its predictors. Linear regression was used to examine phonological awareness as a predictor of word reading. Results Boys with FXS exhibited slower growth than TD peers in phonological awareness only when nonverbal cognitive abilities were not controlled. The rate of change in phonological awareness decreased significantly after age 10 in boys with FXS. Phonological awareness accounted for 18% unique variance in basic reading ability after controlling for nonverbal cognition, with similar relationships across groups. Conclusion Phonological awareness skills in the boys with FXS were commensurate with their nonverbal cognitive abilities, with similar relationships between phonological awareness and reading as observed in the TD mental age-matched peers. More research is needed to examine potential causal relationships between phonological awareness, other language skills, and reading abilities in individuals with FXS and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Lucy Wortham James Basic Research Award. Markers of prostatic carcinoma.

• Markers of human prostatic cancer are important diagnostic aids in the management of this most common tumor among US men. A rapidly expanding body of basic and clinical knowledge about the properties and behavior of these unique organ-specific macromolecules bridges the gap between sophisticated immunochemistry and everyday practice. As a consequence, the patient benefits, because greater opportunities for early detection of prostatic cancer provide more freedom in selecting the most effective treatment modalities. Parallel improvement in quantitative assessment of an existing tumor mass allows earlier and more precise monitoring of the positive therapeutic responses and/or disease progression, as well as better overall prognosis. In addition, marker molecules can provide specific targets for antibodydirected therapeutic compounds active against prostatic cancer. This study focused on three such markers: prostatic acid phosphatase, prostate-specific antigen, and a new membrane-associated marker defined by a monoclonal antibody called7E11-C5. A critical evaluation of clinical usefulness and prospects for future developments are presented. (Arch Surg.1991;126:1404-1407)
The hypoglossal complex of vertebrates

The present work is a study of the hypoglossal nucleus of vertebrates. In this account an attempt has been made to determine, as far as possible, the significance of the various nuclear subgroupings, and to relate their description with others in the literature. The normal material used in describing the hypoglossal nucleus and its root is part of the Huber Neurological Collection of the Department of Anatomy of the University of Michigan and consists of both cell and fiber preparations of the frog, several turtles, several lizards, the alligator, four birds, the opossum, the shrew, the bat, the mouse, the rat, the rabbit, the sheep, the dog, the cat, the macaque monkey and man. I wish to take this opportunity expressing my appreciation for the assistance and kindly criticism given to me by Doctor Elizabeth Crosby.
Rapid temperature tuning of a 1.4-μm diode laser with application to high-pressure H 2 O absorption spectroscopy

Enhanced wavelength tuning of a distributed-feedback InGaAsP diode laser is demonstrated by use of rapid temperature cycling. The laser-active region is cycled from -10 to +50°C (scanning the output from 1399 to 1403 nm) at kilohertz rates by pulsed heating with an auxiliary 532-nm laser. Such 4-nm scans represent a ten-fold increase in the wavelength-scanning range offered by standard current-tuning techniques and thus extend the capabilities of scan-wavelength sensors and systems. As an example application, we demonstrate absorption spectroscopy of H2O vapor at a pressure of 10 atm.
Augmented haptics of manipulator kinematic condition

This paper describes a study of whether haptic feedback can be used to represent information that is normally difficult to obtain via visual feedback in telerobotic system. Problems of manipulator kinematic condition such as singularity and joint limit have been well known for a long time. Kinematic condition of the manipulator is difficult to be recognized visually. Poor kinematic condition often causes trajectory error or other undesirable effects in the system. This problem is quite significant in telerobotics since a fully pre-planned path that completely excludes poor kinematic condition is usually not available. In this paper, the haptic representation for singularity and joint limit condition is introduced. The proposed haptic feedback allows the operator to be able to identify poor kinematic condition of the slave manipulator, and naturally recommends the suitable solution to the problem in real-time. Teleoperation experiment was conducted in order to validate and evaluate the proposed theoretical framework.
A study of the effect of nasal steroid sprays in perennial allergic rhinitis patients with rhinitis medicamentosa.

Objective: To determine if rebound congestion can be reduced with concomitant nasal steroid spray usage. Study Design and Setting: Randomized, double blind, controlled single center study. Participants: Twenty subjects with perennial allergic rhinitis with nasal congestion. Intervention: All subjects received 3 weeks of twice-daily oxymetazoline. After 2 weeks, subjects were randomized to 2 additional weeks of concomitant budesonide aqueous nasal spray (n = 9) or placebo (n = 10). In the sixth week, all sprays were stopped. Results: Both groups showed subjective and objective evidence of rebound congestion 24 hours after cessation of oxymetazoline (P < 0.05). Subjective rebound congestion resolved in 48 hours in the budesonide aqueous nasal spray group but persisted for over 1 week in the placebo group. Conclusion: Rebound congestion is objectively present in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis after 3 weeks of oxymetazoline spray. Rebound congestion is reduced by concomitant budesonide aqueous nasal spray use. Significance: This study supports the common clinical practice of nasal steroid sprays to ameliorate rebound congestion concomitant with and after cessation of topical decongestant sprays. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2001;125:253-60.)
Synthesis of 6-carbon termini-differentiated stereotriads via symchiral 2-trifloxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene monoepoxide☆

Abstract Jacobsen epoxidation of 2-trifloxy-1,3-cyclohexadiene provides a valuable asymmetric monoepoxide product that can be readily manipulated to efficiently provide highly-functionalized symchiral cyclic and acyclic synthons.
Studies of mutant human adenylosuccinate lyase.

We have studied the residual adenylosuccinate lyase activity in cultured lymphoblasts from a pair of siblings with infantile autism who have been previously shown to have a deficiency of the enzyme. The rates and distribution of de novo purine synthesis assessed by the utilization of radiolabeled formate by intact cells was nearly normal. We compared the steady-state kinetics and thermal stability of adenylosuccinate lyase in lysates from those cells and normal lymphoblasts. There is no evidence of inhibitory activity in the lysates of the mutant cells. The optimal pH was approximately 7.8 and was indistinguishable from that in control cells. The apparent Km in the two mutant cells lines (2.6 +/- 0.5 microM) is not significantly different from normal (3.3 +/- 0.8 microM), but the mutants displayed markedly decreased maximum steady-state velocities (6.7 +/- 1.1 compared to 13.8 +/- 0.9 nmol.mg-1.min-1). Residual activities in mutant cells show decreased thermal stability (t1/2 = 0.21 minutes at 60 degrees C as compared to 2.2 minutes), suggesting that there is a structural mutation of the adenylosuccinate lyase in the mutant cells.
Judgments of short time intervals following awakenings from different EEG stages of sleep

Twenty subjects were awakened from EEG sleep stages 1-REM, 2, or 4 and tested on estimation, production, and reproduction of time intervals from 1 to 9 sees. A comparison group of 20 subjects was tested according to a similar schedule during the day, and oral temperature readings were obtained at the day sessions. All subjects were young male adults. Subjective time rate decreased to a minimum somewhat past the middle of the sleep period and increased in the morning with little change during the day and no differential association with EEG stage. A tendency toward indiscriminate responding was identified which increased more markedly during the night than the change in time rate and exhibited a minimum near noon. A constant response error was greater following awakenings from stage 2 than from stage 1-REM. Subjective time rate appears to follow a circadian variation which generally parallels the sleep and body temperature cycles but is not specifically dependent on body temperature or the particular EEG stage of sleep.
Chromosome changes and splenectomy in Ph1‐positive chronic myeloid leukemia: I. Predictive parameters in the blastic phase

The effects of splenectomy in the blastic phase (BP) of Philadelphia (Ph1)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) were correlated with the chromosome findings at the BP. The 53 patients studied were divided into four groups on the basis of the chromosome findings in the bone marrow and/or blood and whether splenectomy was performed after the onset of the BP, i.e., patients with only a Ph1 clone with or without splenectomy and those with abnormal clones containing karyotypic abnormalities in addition to Ph1 with or without splenectomy. Statistical analyses showed that splenectomy for patients with abnormal clones in addition to Ph1 at the BP affected positively both median survival and percentage of patients with a good therapeutic response and that splenectomy in patients with only a Ph1 clone contributed to an improvement in the tolerance to chemotherapy.
Adverse drug events of an inpatient obstetrical service

Abstract Objective: To determine the rate and the drugs most frequently associated with adverse drug events (ADEs) in our inpatient obstetric service. We also compared our rate of ADEs with the reported national benchmark. Methods: We analyzed all reported ADEs occurring in labor and delivery and in the antepartum and postpartum wards from February 1994 to June 2000. Medication errors were classified into three classes depending on the severity of morbidity caused (eg, prolonged hospitalization, death). The medication error rate in our obstetric service was compared with the Mecon Peer-X Benchmark rate, derived from class two and class three errors compiled from academic institutions. Results: There were 255 ADEs reported: 228 class one errors, 27 class two errors, and no class three errors. The error rate at our center was significantly lower than the Mecon Peer-X Benchmark rate (0.00006 versus 0.0001). The majority of cases considered class two errors involved excessive dosing of magnesium sulfate and oxytocin. All cases were managed appropriately, with none resulting in permanent sequelae. Conclusions: A system to track medication errors is useful to establish reliable error rates for comparison between institutions. Magnesium sulfate and oxytocin were the drugs most commonly associated with class two errors at our center.
Potential mechanisms underlying the destruction of dentate gyrus granule cells by colchicine

Abstract Microinjections of 1 to 6 nmol of colchicine into the hippocampal formation of rats selectively destroyed granule cells of the dentate gyrus and their axons over several days. Immediately after such microinjections, epileptiform discharges appeared in focal EEG recordings from the hippocampal formation. Vinblastine produced neuropathologic changes like colchicine, and lumicolchicine was devoid of neurotoxicity. These findings suggest that the selective cytotoxicity of colchicine for dentate gyrus granule cells may depend on its ability to bind to tubulin and is associated with an acute epileptogenic effect.
AAEE case report #4: Guillain-Barré syndrome.

A case report is presented of a 33-year-old woman who awoke with distal paresthesias, mild incoordination, and progressive weakness. Examination 3 days later demonstrated weakness of the extremities, which was greater in distal muscles than in proximal ones, mild facial weakness, distal vibratory loss, and areflexia. Electrodiagnostic studies provided evidence of an acquired demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy of recent onset. Motor conduction studies revealed abnormal temporal dispersion and partial conduction block. Preserved sural responses with abnormal median sensory conduction studies supported the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, as did subsequent cerebrospinal fluid examinations documenting increasing total protein, identification of preceding cytomegalovirus injection with increasing serum convalescent titer, and progressive clinical improvement after a brief plateau. The role of electrodiagnosis in establishing the diagnosis and prognosis in Guillain-Barre syndrome is reviewed.
Socioeconomic status and health at midlife. A comparison of educational attainment with occupation-based indicators

Abstract PURPOSE: Educational attainment is a widely used indicator of socioeconomic status (SES) in health studies. However, little is known about its relationship to health relative to measures of occupational standing. This study directly compared education with an array of occupational measures—including social class—in relation to health. METHODS: The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study collected self-reported health data from a sample of 6875 Wisconsin high school graduates aged 53–54 in 1992–1993. The analysis regressed overall health, physical symptoms, and medical conditions on socioeconomic indicators, using logistic regression. RESULTS: Associations of health outcomes with occupational standing net of educational attainment are mainly weak or non-existent. “Occupational education” is the only indicator to have a strong association with health net of education in analyses of both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: While occupation is sometimes an important mechanism linking education and health, control for the overall relation between SES and health may not require measures of occupational standing when educational attainment is measured well. However, the present findings are limited to non-Hispanic white high school graduates from Wisconsin at ages 53–54.
Access and Affiliation: The Literacy and Composition Practices of English-Language Learners in an Online Fanfiction Community

Online fanfiction communities provide adolescent English-language learners (ELLs) with a forum for engaging in an array of sophisticated literacy practices. This article draws on constructs from literacy studies and second-language acquisition as conceptual bases for exploring the writing, reviewing, and social practices in an online fanfiction community. Analyses focus on how the networked structure of such sites facilitates English-language learning and promotes writing by providing ELLs with access to a broad audience of readers and multiple community writing resources. By highlighting the social and interactive nature of writing in this space, connections among language, literacy, and identity are emphasized. In conclusion, the author explores some of the possibilities that networked computer environments offer for developing authentic, interactive writing activities in the classroom.
Clinical manifestations, diagnostic assessment, and etiology of heart failure in older adults

Aging is characterized by heterogeneity, both in health and in dis-ease. Older adults who have heart failure (HF) often have a typical and delayed clinical manifestations and many have diastolic HF. The assessment and management of HF in older adults may be simplified by a 5-step process called DEFEAT HF: (1) Establish a clinical Diagnosis of HF; (2) Establish an Etiology for HF, preferably in collaboration with a cardiologist; (3) Determine Fluid status and achieve euvolemia; (4) Determine left ventricular Ejection frAction; and (5) Provide evidence-based Therapy.
Detection of central pulmonary embolism on computed tomography densitometry images before computed tomography pulmonary angiography.

Objecfive: The purpose of this article is to describe the imaging findings of acute central pulmonary embolism on computed tomography (CT) densitometry images performed before contrast-enhanced CT pulmonary angiography. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of reports from all CT pulmonary angiograms performed at our institution, and cases of acute central pulmonary embolism, defined as those with clot in the main, left, or right pulmonary arteries, were identified. Images of positive studies were reviewed on a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) workstation. Results: A total of 1282 CT pulmonary angiograms were obtained for evaluation of possible acute pulmonary embolism, and 1 combined CT aortogram and pulmonary angiogram was performed for aortic dissection and acute pulmonary embolism. Two hundred fourteen (16.7%) examinations positive for acute pulmonary embolism were identified, 26 (12.1%, 2.0% of total examinations) of which had central clots. Of the 26 patients with central acute pulmonary embolism, 12(46,1%, 5.6% of all positive studies and 0.9% of all CT pulmonary angiograms) had clots that were visible on the densitometry images. Conclusion: Although an uncommon finding, acute central pulmonary embolism can be detected on CT densitometry performed to optimize opacification of the pulmonary arteries for CT pulmonary angiography and may prove useful in selected clinical situations.
Permeability-diffusivity modeling vs. fractional anisotropy on white matter integrity assessment and application in schizophrenia.

Introduction Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) assumes a single pool of anisotropically diffusing water to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA) and is commonly used to ascertain white matter (WM) deficits in schizophrenia. At higher b-values, diffusion-signal decay becomes bi-exponential, suggesting the presence of two, unrestricted and restricted, water pools. Theoretical work suggests that semi-permeable cellular membrane rather than the presence of two physical compartments is the cause. The permeability–diffusivity (PD) parameters measured from bi-exponential modeling may offer advantages, over traditional DTI-FA, in identifying WM deficits in schizophrenia.
VIOLENCE AND SOCIAL IMAGINATION: RETHINKING THEOLOGY AND POLITICS IN AFRICA

Abstract In this article the author argues that the greatest challenge facing Christians In Africa has to do with the cultivation of new social imaginations that can both resist and provide alternatives to the ever-increasing phenomenon of violence. For this to happen, Christian social ethics in Africa must rethink the relation between theology and politics, and thus assume new methodologies and directions. This argument is only spelt out more explicitly In the fourth and last section of the essay. The reason for this is that the reality of violence in Africa does not occur in isolation nor does it arise spontaneously out of some incomprehensible contradictions within 'African culture.' Violence, at least the sort of violence experienced in Africa, is the result of political formation, which is connected to stories that sustain nation-state politics in Africa. That is why it is important to attend to the story of Africa's politics, and the underlying stories and imaginations that sustain it. Once attention has been drawn to the story of nation-state politics in Africa, and the imagination and patterns of violence it forms, it becomes evident that Christian social ethics cannot proceed as usual - by offering recommendations to help nation-state politics. Rather, it will have to reposition itself as a form of politics that is based on distinct stories, and that is capable of forming alternative imaginations and patterns of social existence
Medicine, Rationality and Experience: An Anthropological Perspective

Preface 1. Medical anthropology and the problem of belief 2. Illness representations in medical anthropology: a reading of the field 3. How medicine constructs its objects 4. Semiotics and the study of medical reality 5. The body, illness experience, and the lifeworld: a phenomenological account of chronic pain 6. The narrative representation of illness 7. Aesthetics, rationality and medical anthropology.
A transposon-mediated system for flexible control of transgene expression in stem and progenitor-derived lineages

Precise methods for transgene regulation are important to study signaling pathways and cell lineages in biological systems where gene function is often recycled within and across lineages. We engineered a genetic toolset for flexible transgene regulation in these diverse cellular contexts. Specifically, we created an optimized piggyBac transposon-based system, allowing for the facile generation of stably transduced cell lineages in vivo and in vitro. The system, termed pB-Tet-GOI (piggyBac-transposable tetracycline transactivator-mediated flexible expression of a genetic element of interest), incorporates the latest generation of tetracycline (Tet) transactivator and reverse Tet transactivator variants—along with engineered mutants—in order to provide regulated transgene expression upon addition or removal of doxycycline (dox). Altogether, the flexibility of the system allows for dox-induced, dox-suppressed, dox-resistant (i.e., constitutive), and dox-induced/constitutive regulation of transgenes. This versatile strategy provides reversible temporal regulation of transgenes with robust inducibility and minimal leakiness.