cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Parenteral Heterologous Albumin on Transplanted Tumors in Mice.

SummaryParenteral administration of heterologous albumin (125 mg/kg body weight per day or 2 g/kg body weight in 14 days) was found to increase the incidence of tumors produced by inoculation of sarcoma 180 cells from 59% in control mice given saline, to 92% in mice given albumin. In the mice given Ehrlich's ascites tumor cells the take was 54% in animals given saline but was increased to 91% in animals receiving albumin. Similar but less significant results were obtained with hydrolyzed albumin.Prior incubation in vitro of albumin with these tumor cells did not produce an enhancement in takes on subsequent inoculation in mice, suggesting that the albumin did not act directly upon the tumor cell. It appears that the effect of the heterologous albumin is more likely to be due to an albumin-host interaction than an albumin-cancer cell effect. This is supported by the study of the effect of albumin on growth of the tumor in vivo associated with a decrease in weight of the adrenals and ovaries. This finding i...
Teacher Mentoring and Teacher Retention.

Four years after their initial, mentored teaching year, two cohorts of beginning teachers (N= 160) were surveyed to determine whether they had remained in teaching and their retrospective attitudes about mentoring. Approximately 96% of those located were still teaching. Of the different types of support they received from their mentors, they most valued emotional support. It is suggested that teacher mentoring may reduce the early attrition of beginning teachers.
A study of 362 consecutive laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications.

Abstract Background: Open Nissen fundoplication has been shown to be a very effective operation in the treatment of intractable gastroesophageal reflux. Because of its technical rather than amputative nature, this procedure offers itself to a completely laparoscopic approach. Several studies have shown the feasibility; however, very few have dealt with the effectiveness of the laparoscopic approach. Methods: Results of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications performed during a 6-year period were reviewed including duration of operation, number of hospital days, number of conversions to open procedures, complications, and symptoms. All 362 patients had evidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease documented by radiographic, endoscopic, or pH monitoring testing before the operation. Patients with dysphagia or odynophagia underwent manometric evaluation before operation. Postoperative evaluation included esophagography and endoscopy at 2 to 3 months with an esophagogram yearly thereafter. Follow-up time was 6 months to 6 years. Results: The mean time of operation decreased from 2.7 ± 0.4 hours during the period from 1991 to 1994 to 1.8 ± 0.3 hours from 1994 to 1997. During those same periods, the number of days of hospitalization decreased from 2.2 days to a mean of 1.5 days. Manometric studies done before the operation (n = 58) showed a pressure of 4 ± 1.2 mm Hg compared with postoperative values (n = 39) of 14 ± 1.8 mm Hg. The conversion rate was 0.8% (n = 3), and the complication rate of 1.9% (n = 7) included the 3 conversions, 2 pneumothoraces, 1 patient with postoperative bleeding, and 1 patient with a large abdominal wall hematoma. There were 5 failures of the procedure (1.2%). Thirteen patients (3.6%) described postoperative symptoms that persisted beyond 2 months, including bloating, flatulence, dysphagia, and diarrhea. Conclusions: With strict selection criteria and increasing experience and standardization of technique, laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication can provide both safe and effective results for patients with chronic symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. (Surgery 1998;124:651-5.)
Injecting programming language concepts throughout the curriculum: an inclusive strategy

As research in programming language design,implementation,and application advances,we must regu- larly revisit the undergraduate curriculum to ensure course content advances similarly.However,no matter how diligent our efforts,the undergraduate curriculum will continue to undergo pressure from all fields of the discipline to include courses covering those fields.Though we could advocate for core placement of programming language courses,it is likely,even inevitable,that a growing number of colleges and universi- ties will choose not to mandate programming language courses for their degree programs.Thus,we must develop an inclusive strategy that encourages the teaching of programming language topics even in colleges and universities that choose not to devote an entire course to the study of them.I have proposed one such strategy that supports the injection of programming language concepts into other courses of interest to both students and faculty.
Stationary and invariant densities and disintegration kernels

Let \(G\) be a locally compact topological group, acting measurably on some Borel spaces \(S\) and \(T\), and consider some jointly stationary random measures \(\xi \) on \(S\times T\) and \(\eta \) on \(S\) such that \(\xi (\cdot \times T)\ll \eta \) a.s. Then there exists a stationary random kernel \(\zeta \) from \(S\) to \(T\) such that \(\xi =\eta \otimes \zeta \) a.s. This follows from the existence of an invariant kernel \(\varphi \) from \(S\times {\mathcal {M}}_{S\times T}\times {\mathcal {M}}_S\) to \(T\) such that \(\mu =\nu \otimes \varphi (\cdot ,\mu ,\nu )\) whenever \(\mu (\cdot \times T)\ll \nu \). Also included are some related results on stationary integration, absolute continuity, and ergodic decomposition.
Radiative emission fraction of pool fires burning silicone fluids

The steady-state mass burning flux and the radiative flux profiles to the surroundings were measured for a series of burning silicone fluids and organic fuels in 0.1-m, 0.3-m, 0.6-m and 1-m pool burners. Short-chain silicone oligomers and aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons exhibited a strong dependence of the mass flux and the radiative fraction on pool size. The longer chain length silicone fluids and alcohols exhibited both markedly lower mass fluxes and radiative components of heat release and these parameters were virtually independent of pool size. Silica, a gas-phase combustion product of the silicone fluids, was observed to deposit into the vaporizing liquid pool, the yield increasing with silicone chain length. This necessitated correcting the measured apparent mass flux for the liquid volume displaced by the silica. The measured radiative power emitted from flames burning silicone oligomers and hydrocarbons was substantially larger than the power radiated by flames burning long-chain silicone fluids or alcohols. The mass gasification flux and the radiative fraction of the silicones fluids and the organic fuels were well correlated by the ratio of the heat of combustion to the heat of gasification of the fluids.
Hydrous Sodium Silicates from Lake Magadi, Kenya: Precursors of Bedded Chert

Two new hydrous sodium silicates, NaSi(7)O(13)(OH)(3).3H(2)O (magadiite) and NaSi(11)O(20.5)(OH)(4).3H(2)O (kenyaite), were found in lake beds at Lake Magadi, Kenya. Both are well-crystallized layered silicates with large basal spacings. Concretions within the magadiite bed consist of kenyaite or quartz (chert) in the center, surrounded by kenyaite. In dilute acids magadiite and kenyaite are converted to 6SiO(2).H(2)O (SH), the first known crystalline hydrate of silica. The magadiite bed probably represents a chemical precipitate from alkaline brines. Percolating waters convert magadiite to kenyaite and eventually to chert. Thus a mechanism has been outlined for the formation of bedded chert deposits through inorganic precipitation. Alternations between silica-rich and iron-rich bands of iron formations may be due to concentration cycles in alkaline lakes.
Bilateral internal carotid artery aneurysm simulating pituitary apoplexy: case report.

OBJECTIVE: Intracavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms can extend into the sella and simulate pituitary adenomas. However, they are rarely associated with pituitary apoplexy. We present a rare case of bilateral intracavernous ICA aneurysms simulating a sellar mass with the clinical picture of a pituitary apoplexy. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: An 82-year-old woman presented with a classic case of pituitary apoplexy with a history of headache, nausea, vomiting, and diplopia. She was found to have an intrasellar mass simulating a large and invasive pituitary adenoma. The patient had a medical history positive for breast cancer. INTERVENTION: Because of the presentation with apoplexy and the possibility of metastatic breast cancer or pituitary adenoma, the patient was explored transsphenoidally to obtain pathological verification and possibly resect the tumor. Unusual intraoperative findings led to a micro-Doppler evaluation, suggesting a vascular lesion. Intraoperatively, an angiogram confirmed the presence of bilateral ICA giant aneurysms involving the ICA intracavernous component extending into the sella turcica. The patient refused further treatment. CONCLUSION: The present case indicates that an intrasellar ICA aneurysm can be misdiagnosed as a macroadenoma and even present through pituitary apoplexy. When treating intrasellar masses with the slightest suspicion of a nonpituitary origin, further workup should be considered. The possibility of a vascular lesion simulating a pituitary adenoma should always be considered by neurosurgeons and ear, nose, and throat surgeons operating in the sellar region.
Habitat Interference by Axis Deer on White‐Tailed Deer

Abstract Many studies of interactions between exotic and native ungulates have not had temporal and spatial controls nor have they considered the types of competitive interactions that would allow coexistence. For exotic axis deer (Axis axis) and native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to coexist one species should be superior at interference competition and the other species should be superior at exploitative competition. We generated and tested predictions, based on body size and diet breadth, about habitat selection by white-tailed deer in the presence and absence of axis deer, dominance relationships, and time at sites provisioned with high quality forage. We conducted our study in treatment (axis and white-tailed deer) and control (white-tailed deer only) areas when both species were present and after axis deer were removed. We conducted vehicle surveys to determine habitat use of both species. At provisioned feeding sites we recorded aggressive behaviors and amount of time species spent at...
Investigation of charge preparation strategies for controlled premixed charge compression ignition combustion using a variable pressure injection system

AbstractThis paper uses a multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code coupled with detailed chemistry, the KIVA-CHEMKIN code, to provide guidelines for solving problems with premixed ...
Novel vectors for gene therapy

Abstract A novel viral vector for potential use in gene transduction is described. It takes advantage of a powerful endogenous promoter, a wide range of potential animal hosts and cellular targets, the power to mediate stable gene expression, and the ability to be concentrated to high titer. We used a replication-deficient variant of SV40 to mediate gene transfer in vitro and in vivo. Mutant virus containing luciferase reporter gene (SVluc) transferred the ability to produce enzymatically active luciferase. This luciferase was detected by immunohistochemistry and enzymatic assay. Mice inoculated intravenously or intratracheally with SVluc expressed luciferase in multiple organs including liver, lungs, spleen, and skin. Luciferase expression has been stable to 3 weeks post inoculation, the last time point examined. Mice showed no evidence of immune elimination of luciferase-expressing cells. Replication-deficient SV40 may be a useful addition to the current list of viral agents applicable to gene therapy.
Thermal neutron capture cross section of deuterium

We have measured the thermal neutron capture cross section of deuterium by direct observation of the prompt gamma ray.
Wakefield accelerator driven by a relativistic electron beam in a ferromagnetic waveguide

A novel high-gradient wakefield accelerator is presented in which the drive-beam current leaves behind a high-gradient wakefield, accelerating the witness beam to very high energy. The theoretical analysis is based on Faraday's law, which provides a second-order partial-differential equation of the azimuthal magnetic field, under the assumption that /spl muspl epsivspl Gt/1. The accelerating field can be more than one half of one gigavolt/meter in an appropriate choice of system parameters. >
Thinking about thinking: how Donald R. Griffin (1915-2003) remade animal behavior

In January of 1970, I was finishing a grueling round of interviews as a prospective graduate student at Rockefeller University. An inexperienced but enthusiastic convert to ethology, I had just published a paper on the dance-language controversy. As Professor Griffin saw me off into the elevator, he asked “Do you think honey bees know what they are doing?” The doors slid shut on my feeble response, “I hope not.” Nothing in my reading of his hard-nosed papers and elegantly written books on echolocation and bird migration had prepared me for that startling query – frightening because it either meant my future mentor was slipping into an early senility (the most common hypothesis voiced in the 1970s to account for his new interest), or that ethology was ignoring many of the most important questions about animal behavior. What started Griffin thinking about animal minds? I asked him this several times over the years, and never got the same answer twice. A series of small things must have combined to draw him out: the dams of his beloved beavers (and their ingenuity in outwitting his attempts to maintain them in a swimming pool for study), the persistent pattern of psychologists and ethologists alike of underestimating the capacities of animals, the unexpected flexibility (and concomitant but telling stupidity) of bats in the presence of background noise or ample light, the “cognitive maps” (then hardly discussed) he and others inferred in rats and chimpanzees, a discussion with the Princeton philosopher Robert Nagel, and in particular the provoking negative feedback of his colleagues (to which he responded with stubborn passive aggression). But the story I choose to believe is the one he told about fiddler crabs. According to this version, Griffin had never given the subject a thought until he met the remarkable
Environmental and Personality Similarities in Case Histories of Suicide and Self-Poisoning by Children under Ten.

Research on suicide in latency age children is reviewed and case histories of two 9-year-old children who suicided by shooting themselves and one 7-year-old who died by self-poisoning are presented. Similarities in environmental and family histories, and in personality variables among these three cases have suggested underlying mechanisms in development and maintenance of symbiotically shared self-concept between parent and child which may be useful in helping to identify similar cases and in assessing potential for suicidal and self-destructive behavior in latency age children.
Genetic Interactions of Drosophila melanogaster arrest Reveal Roles for Translational Repressor Bruno in Accumulation of Gurken and Activity of Delta

arrest mutants have pleiotropic phenotypes, ranging from an early arrest of oogenesis to irregular embryonic segmentation defects. One function of arrest is in translational repression of oskar mRNA; this biochemical activity is presumed to be involved in other functions of arrest. To identify genes that could provide insight into how arrest contributes to translational repression or that may be targets for arrest-dependent translational control, we screened deficiency mutants for dominant modification of the arrest phenotype. Only four of the many deficiencies tested, which cover ∼30% of the genome, modified the starting phenotype. One enhancer, identified fortuitously, is the Star gene. Star interaction with arrest results in excess Gurken protein, supporting the model that gurken is a target of repression. Two modifiers were mapped to individual genes. One is Lk6, which encodes a protein kinase predicted to regulate the rate-limiting initiation factor eIF4E. The second is Delta. The interaction between arrest and Delta mimics the phenotype of homozygous Delta mutants, suggesting that arrest could positively control Delta activity. Indeed, arrest mutants have significantly reduced levels of Delta protein at the interface of germline and follicle cells.
Lower Cretaceous Edwards Carbonate Beach Complex, Comanche County, Texas: ABSTRACT

The Lower Cretaceous Edwards Limestone of west-central Texas was deposited under shallow-marine, moderate-energy shelf conditions. Exposed insular areas were developed in response to remnant structural features combined with biologic and normal sedimentologic processes (sand banks and rudist reefs). The beach complex was developed in association with an insular area thought to be a rudist reef. The reef itself is not exposed due to Holocene erosion. This carbonate sequence is a direct ancient analog of Holocene clastic beach sequences which have been described by Bernard, Leblanc, and Majors. The beach sequence, as exposed in a series of quarries at Round Mountain, Comanche County, Texas, consists of the following zones, from top to bottom: subaerial backshore, foreshore, upper offshore, and lower offshore. The exposed backshore consists of a complex set of subaerial sedimentary environments: subaerial crust, paleosoil, supratidal dolomite, and washover deposits from the beach. The foreshore consists of a well-sorted rudist carbonate grainstone. The dominant sedimentary structures are parallel laminations and well-developed accretion bedding. The allochems have been leached and infilled by sparry calcite or silica. The upper offshore consists of a poorly sorted rudist carbonate packstone. This zone is characterized by poorly developed accretion bedding and localized festoon cross-bedding oriented perpendicular to beach accretion. Inversion textures are the dominant diagenetic fabric of the facies. The lower offshore consists of an echinoid pellet carbonate packstone. The dominant sedimen ary characteristics of this facies are burrows, localized festoon cross-bedding, and abundance of micrite matrix. The main points of similarity between this ancient carbonate beach sequence and Holocene clastic beach sequences are a general downward decrease in grain size and the sedimentary structure sequence from inclined laminations and beach accretion packages at the top to festoon cross-bedding and organic burrows at the base. The main points of difference are the grain types present, particularly the abundance of biologically derived material in the carbonate beach, the preservation of the exposed backshore environments, and the complex diagenetic history of the carbonate beach which is a result of the original metastable mineral constituents. The Cretaceous carbonate beach sequence is a further verification of the wide applicability of the conceptual process model as an interpretive sedimentologic tool regardless of sediment origin or mineralogy. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1787------------
Modelling divergence in luminance and chromatic detection performance across measured divergence in surfperch (Embiotocidae) habitats.

Abstract This study predicts target detection performance in species-specific habitats for six surfperch (Embiotocidae) living in optically variable California kelp forests. Using species-specific measurements of habitat irradiance and photoreceptor absorbance in a simple dichromatic model for luminance and chromatic detection, the estimated performance of species' measured photopigments was compared to the theoretical maximum for each habitat. Modelling results suggest that changes in peak photoreceptor absorbance (λmax), photoreceptor optical density, and photic environment may affect detection performance. Estimated performances for luminance detection were consistently high, while chromatic detection varied by habitat and demonstrated substantial improvements with increasing optical density differences between cone classes.
Mechanism of magnesium activation of calcium-activated potassium channels

Large-conductance (BK type) Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels are essential for modulating muscle contraction and neuronal activities such as synaptic transmission and hearing. BK channels are activated by membrane depolarization and intracellular Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) (refs 6-10). The energy provided by voltage, Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) binding are additive in activating the channel, suggesting that these signals open the activation gate through independent pathways. Here we report a molecular investigation of a Mg(2+)-dependent activation mechanism. Using a combined site-directed mutagenesis and structural analysis, we demonstrate that a structurally new Mg(2+)-binding site in the RCK/Rossman fold domain -- an intracellular structural motif that immediately follows the activation gate S6 helix -- is responsible for Mg(2+)-dependent activation. Mutations that impair or abolish Mg(2+) sensitivity do not affect Ca(2+) sensitivity, and vice versa. These results indicate distinct structural pathways for Mg(2+)- and Ca(2+)-dependent activation and suggest a possible mechanism for the coupling between Mg(2+) binding and channel opening.
Personal Mobility and Manipulation Using Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Control

Recent advancements of technologies, including computation, robotics, machine learning, communication, and miniaturization technologies, bring us closer to futuristic visions of compassionate intelligent devices. The missing element is a basic understanding of how to relate human functions (physiological, physical, and cognitive) to the design of intelligent devices and systems that aid and interact with people. Our stakeholder and clinician consultants identified a number of mobility barriers that have been intransigent to traditional approaches. The most important physical obstacles are stairs, steps, curbs, doorways (doors), rough/uneven surfaces, weather hazards (snow, ice), crowded/cluttered spaces, and confined spaces. Focus group participants suggested a number of ways to make interaction simpler, including natural language interfaces such as the ability to say ";I want a drink";, a library of high level commands (open a door, park the wheelchair, ...), and a touchscreen interface with images so the user could point and use other gestures.
Subclavian artery transposition and bypass techniques for use with endoluminal repair of acute and chronic thoracic aortic pathology.

Signiﬁcant proportions of patients with both acute andchronic thoracic aortic pathology are found to have diseaseadjacent to the origin of the great vessels. Although opensurgical repair remains the best treatment option for some,management often requires hypothermic circulatory arresttosafelycompletetheproximalanastomosis.Whenpatientsare considered for endoluminal therapy, several differenttreatment paradigms have been developed for managingproximal 1,2thoracic aortic pathology. When pathologyabuts the left subclavian artery, some advocate the extra-anatomic rerouting of cerebrovascular and upper extremityblood ﬂow with subclavian-carotid transposition or by-pass.
Numerical stabilities and boundary conditions in time-domain Eulerian simulations of acoustic wave propagations with and without background flow

A thorough numerical analysis is performed for time-domain simulation of acoustic wave propagations in the atmosphere, with the ground modeled as a porous medium. Two types of computational grid arrangement for the simulation, i.e., the staggered grid and the collocated grid, are considered. It is proved that the computational schemes based on these two grids are identical under certain finite differencing procedures. The numerical stability analysis is studied that applies to both of the grids. Non-reflecting, absorbing boundary conditions are used at the free-space boundary. Simulations on the collocated grid are then carried out for a model problem of sound propagation in the air/ground to confirm the equivalency of the two grids and to investigate the effectiveness of non-reflecting boundary conditions. The results are compared with the data in the literature and with bench-mark simulation, and very good agreements have been achieved.
A Stochastic Field/Agent Model of Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the formation of blood vessels from an existing vessel or a monolayer of endothelial cells. It is crucial during the processes of tissue and organ maintenance, wound healing, and development and also plays a crucial role in tumor growth. An understanding of this process is also critical from a tissue engineering perspective. Several biochemical factors such as VEGF, Angiopoietin I (Ang I), Angiopoietin II (Ang II), PLGF, PDGF, TNF α, TGF β, α-FGF, β-FGF, ENA/VASP [1] and biomechanical factors such as extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, interstitial flow, shear stress affect the formation of capillaries. While some of them are proangiogenic, others are anti-angiogenic. A balance in these factors is decisive to the characteristics of the capillaries formed.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Who Recovers First?: Banking Crises Resolution in Developing Countries

This article evaluates conditions that facilitate banking crises resolution using data from 67 developing countries from 1980 to 1995. In particular, the author examines explanatory variables under three categories: external macroeconomic constraints, the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and domestic political conditions. The principal results of the analyses are twofold. First, IMF credits decrease the probability of resolving banking crises. This result holds controlling for potentially confounding variables and in a test for endogeneity. Second, the decisiveness of a political regime significantly influences the probability of emerging from systemic distress. Specifically, in cases of moderate banking distress, decisiveness facilitates resolution of crisis, but during periods of severe crises, less decisive governments (i.e., governments constrained by accountability groups) are likely to recover more quickly than are those with less constrained executives.
External TEA block of Shaker K+ channels is coupled to the movement of K+ ions within the selectivity filter

Recent molecular dynamic simulations and electrostatic calculations suggested that the external TEA binding site in K+ channels is outside the membrane electric field. However, it has been known for some time that external TEA block of Shaker K+ channels is voltage dependent. To reconcile these two results, we reexamined the voltage dependence of block of Shaker K+ channels by external TEA. We found that the voltage dependence of TEA block all but disappeared in solutions in which K+ ions were replaced by Rb+. These and other results with various concentrations of internal K+ and Rb+ ions suggest that the external TEA binding site is not within the membrane electric field and that the voltage dependence of TEA block in K+ solutions arises through a coupling with the movement of K+ ions through part of the membrane electric field. Our results suggest that external TEA block is coupled to two opposing voltage-dependent movements of K+ ions in the pore: (a) an inward shift of the average position of ions in the selectivity filter equivalent to a single ion moving ∼37% into the pore from the external surface; and (b) a movement of internal K+ ions into a vestibule binding site located ∼13% into the membrane electric field measured from the internal surface. The minimal voltage dependence of external TEA block in Rb+ solutions results from a minimal occupancy of the vestibule site by Rb+ ions and because the energy profile of the selectivity filter favors a more inward distribution of Rb+ occupancy.
A silicon-based photocathode for water reduction with an epitaxial SrTiO3 protection layer and a nanostructured catalyst

The rapidly increasing global demand for energy combined with the environmental impact of fossil fuels has spurred the search for alternative sources of clean energy. One promising approach is to convert solar energy into hydrogen fuel using photoelectrochemical cells. However, the semiconducting photoelectrodes used in these cells typically have low efficiencies and/or stabilities. Here we show that a silicon-based photocathode with a capping epitaxial oxide layer can provide efficient and stable hydrogen production from water. In particular, a thin epitaxial layer of strontium titanate (SrTiO3) was grown directly on Si(001) by molecular beam epitaxy. Photogenerated electrons can be transported easily through this layer because of the conduction-band alignment and lattice match between single-crystalline SrTiO3 and silicon. The approach was used to create a metal–insulator–semiconductor photocathode that, under a broad-spectrum illumination at 100 mW cm−2, exhibits a maximum photocurrent density of 35 mA cm−2 and an open circuit potential of 450 mV; there was no observable decrease in performance after 35 hours of operation in 0.5 M H2SO4. The performance of the photocathode was also found to be highly dependent on the size and spacing of the structured metal catalyst. Therefore, mesh-like Ti/Pt nanostructured catalysts were created using a nanosphere lithography lift-off process and an applied-bias photon-to-current efficiency of 4.9% was achieved. A silicon-based photocathode with an epitaxial strontium titanate protection layer and a mesh-like nanostructured catalyst can provide an applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 4.9% for water reduction.
Youth music and politics in post-war Sierra Leone*

The brutal, eleven-year long civil war in Sierra Leone has been understood by many scholarly observers as ‘a crisis of youth’. The national elections of 2007 were notable for an explosion of popular music by young people directly addressing some of the central issues of the election: corruption of the ruling party and lack of opportunities for youth advancement. Though produced by youth and understood locally as youth music, the sounds were inescapable in public transport, markets, and parties. The musical style is a combination of local idioms and West African hip-hop. The lyrics present a young people's moral universe in stark contrast to that of their elders. This paper addresses the themes of these election-focused songs as well as the emerging subaltern youth identity discernible in supposedly less political songs.
Synthesis, spectra, delivery and potentiometric responses of new styryl dyes with extended spectral ranges

Abstract Styryl dyes have been among the most widely used probes for mapping membrane potential changes in excitable cells. However, their utility has been somewhat limited because their excitation wavelengths have been restricted to the 450–550 nm range. Longer wavelength probes can minimize interference from endogenous chromophores and, because of decreased light scattering, improve recording from deep within tissue. In this paper we report on our efforts to develop new potentiometric styryl dyes that have excitation wavelengths ranging above 700 nm and emission spectra out to 900 nm. We have prepared and characterized dyes based on 47 variants of the styryl chromophores. Voltage-dependent spectral changes have been recorded for these dyes in a model lipid bilayer and from lobster nerves. The voltage sensitivities of the fluorescence of many of these new potentiometric indicators are as good as those of the widely used ANEP series of probes. In addition, because some of the dyes are often poorly water soluble, we have developed cyclodextrin complexes of the dyes to serve as efficient delivery vehicles. These dyes promise to enable new experimental paradigms for in vivo imaging of membrane potential.
Functional structure and production of the benthic community in a Piedmont river: 1956-1957 and 1991-1992

Taxonomic composition and functional group abundance, biomass, and annual production were measured in 199 l-l 992 for the macroinvertebrate community in a Piedmont river. Abundances and biomass values were influenced by standing crops of Podostemum ceratophyllum, a hydrophyte which covered bedrock substratum. Collector-filterers, collector-gatherers, and scrapers dominated functional-group abundance; scrapers and collector-filterer;; dominated biomass. Benthic production was 18 1.9 g ash-free dry mass m-2 yrr’; 57% was attributable to collector-filterer hydropsychid caddisflies and 13% to a scraper snail. Results were compared to a previous study conducted at the same site in 1956-1957. Physical parameters of temperature and discharge regimes, P. ceratophyllum standing crops, and riparian vegetation were similar between studies, but marked changes in land use had occurred within the catchment. Benthic community structure was dominated by small, mL:ltivoltine collector-gatherers and microfilterers in 1956-l 957; in 199 l-l 992 dominant taxa consisted of larger, longer lived macrofilterers and scrapers. Changes in community structure ’ and indices of biotic integrity indicate stream condition improved in 199 1-1992 relative to 1956-1957; changing land-use practices are implicated as the key factor for improvement. The monitoring of stream and river resources has made a fundamental and philosophical shift in recent years. Traditionally, monitoring procedures called for direct measurement of water quality parameters (e.g. pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and chemical constituents) and comparison of results to water quality standards (Karr 199 1). This approach alone is often inadequate as it does not account for cumulative effects of multiple contaminants which singularly fall within standard limits. Development of toxicity testing procedures overcame this shortfall by providing a more holistic approach for assessing impacts of contaminants on the biota, and multispecies or microcosm-mesocosm procedures further improved testing by indicating how contaminants affected biotic interactions (Karr 1993). However, these approaches still could not adequately monitor stream resources, as stream systems are also impacted by mechanisms other than water quality contamination, including alterations of food resource availability (trophic base), modification of habitat quality and availability, changes in flow regime, and influences on biotic interactions
Analysis of ascending and transverse aortic arch repair in octogenarians.

Background Increasing numbers of older patients are requiring complex thoracic aortic surgery. This retrospective study analyzed early and late outcomes after ascending and transverse arch surgery using hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA). Methods Between January 1991 and December 2006, 779 patients requiring HCA were treated. Outcomes are reported by age group: group 1, 80 years or more (37, 4.8%); and group 2, less than 80 years (742, 95.2%). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for morbidity and mortality. Results Early mortality and stroke did not differ between groups. Thirty-day mortality was13.5% (5 of 37) in group 1 and 10% (78 of 742) in group 2 (p = 0.57). Stroke occurred in 8% (3 of 37) of group 1 patients and 2.7% (20 of 742) of group 2 patients (p = 0.09). Predictors of stroke were prior stroke (p = 0.003) and pump time (p = 0.02). Predictors of early mortality were low glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.0001), long cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.0001), and emergent repair (p = 0.0009). Retrograde cerebral perfusion was protective against stroke (p = 0.0001) and reduced early mortality (p = 0.02). Age was not a predictor of stroke (p = 0.12) or early mortality (p = 0.39). Survival in group 1 compared with the age-matched US population at 1 year was 56% versus 86% (p = 0.02); at 2 years, 48% versus 76% (p = 0.03); at 5 years, 36% versus 48% (not significant); and at 10 years, 20% versus 20%. Conclusions Ascending and aortic arch surgery in octogenarians involving profound HCA resulted in reasonable morbidity and short- and long-term mortality rates. The use of profound HCA for aortic surgery remains warranted in octogenarians.
The effect of body resistance on the breakdown characteristics of SOI MOSFET's

The drain-source breakdown of (nonfully depleted) SOI MOSFET's is analyzed with attention paid to the body (to source) resistance, R/sub B/. Simple but physical characterizations of the holding voltage and the snapback voltage in terms of device parameters are derived. The physical insight afforded reveals that the snapback characteristic is an inherent effect of finite R/sub B/. The holding voltage increases with decreasing R/sub B/, but for submicron devices the increase is not significant unless R/sub B/ is decreased well below values achieved with typical intrinsic body-to-source ties having acceptable (limited) widths. >
A sample-in-answer-out instrument for the detection of multiple respiratory pathogens in unprepared nasopharyngeal swab samples

Multiplex RT-PCR suspension array assays provide a powerful tool for identifying the causative agent(s) of respiratory infections. These assays are time consuming and laborious on a time-per-sample basis if only a few samples require processing. To address this shortcoming and provide an automated solution for fast detection and identification of viral pathogens, we developed the first automated multiplex RT-PCR suspension array instrument capable of handling unprepared clinical samples. The instrument requires less than 3 minutes of hands-on time for a result generated in ∼2.5 hours. In analytical studies, the instrument performed as well as manually performed assays. The performance of the instrument and loaded multiplex viral detection assay was then tested using unprepared nasopharyngeal samples. The instrument-performed assay detected 61 of 71 RSV positive samples, for a sensitivity of 85.9%. Adenovirus (n = 5) and influenza B (n = 3) were less prevalent in the sample set, but detected to similar levels, 80% and 75%, respectively. The same sample set was also tested using FDA approved immuno-assay rapid tests, and the instrument was found to be more sensitive than the rapid tests with the sole exception being influenza A (n = 16), which was poorly detected due to significant sequence mismatches between the influenza A primer/probe set included in the multiplex mixture and the circulating influenza A strains. Overall, these data demonstrate the developed prototype platform performs multiplex array assays as well as hand-performed assays, and that the instrument's sensitivity and specificity are dictated by the quality of the loaded multiplex assay.
Recombineering-mediated tagging of Drosophila genomic constructs for in vivo localization and acute protein inactivation

Studying gene function in the post-genome era requires methods to localize and inactivate proteins in a standardized fashion in model organisms. While genome-wide gene disruption and over-expression efforts are well on their way to vastly expand the repertoire of Drosophila tools, a complementary method to efficiently and quickly tag proteins expressed under endogenous control does not exist for fruit flies. Here, we describe the development of an efficient procedure to generate protein fusions at either terminus in an endogenous genomic context using recombineering. We demonstrate that the fluorescent protein tagged constructs, expressed under the proper control of regulatory elements, can rescue the respective mutations and enable the detection of proteins in vivo. Furthermore, we also adapted our method for use of the tetracysteine tag that tightly binds the fluorescent membrane-permeable FlAsH ligand. This technology allows us to acutely inactivate any tagged protein expressed under native control using fluorescein-assisted light inactivation and we provide proof of concept by demonstrating that acute loss of clathrin heavy chain function in the fly eye leads to synaptic transmission defects in photoreceptors. Our tagging technology is efficient and versatile, adaptable to any tag desired and paves the way to genome-wide gene tagging in Drosophila.
Compressed sensing reconstruction: Comparative study with applications to ECG bio-signals

Compressed sensing (CS) is a rapidly emerging signal processing technique that enables accurate capture and reconstruction of sparse signals from only a fraction of Nyquist-rate samples, significantly reducing the data-rate and system power consumption. This paper presents an in-depth comparative study on current state-of-the-art CS reconstruction algorithms. Reliability, accuracy, noise tolerance, computation time and are used as key metrics. Further, experiments on ECG signals are used to assess performance on real-world bio-signals.
Research Programs on Nanotechnology in the World

Scientific breakthroughs combined with recent research programs in the United States, Japan, and Europe, and various initiatives in Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan highlight the international interest in nanoscale science and technology. Definitions of nanotechnology vary somewhat from country to country. Nanotechnology as defined for the projects reviewed in this chapter arises from the exploitation of the novel and improved physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological properties, phenomena, and processes of systems that are intermediate in size between isolated atoms/molecules and bulk materials, where phenomena length and time scales become comparable to those of the structure. It implies the ability to generate and utilize structures, components, and devices with a size range from about 0.1 nm (atomic and molecular scale) to about 100 nm (or larger in some situations) by control at atomic, molecular, and macromolecular levels. Novel properties occur compared to bulk behavior because of the small structure size and short time scale of various processes. Nanotechnology’s size range and particularly its new phenomena set it apart from the technologies referred to as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in the United States or microsystems technologies (MST) in Europe.
Soluble CD14: An Independent Biomarker for the Risk of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in a Setting of Preexposure and Postexposure Antiretroviral Prophylaxis

Elevated soluble CD14 (sCD14) concentrations, a marker of monocyte activation, predicts adverse outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults. To examine the association of sCD14 concentrations with the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, we nested a case-control study (49 pairs of infants and their HIV-infected mothers) within the Six-Week Extended-Dose Nevirapine trial. Median peripartum maternal log2 sCD14 concentration was higher among transmitters (defined as pairs in which maternally transmitted HIV infection occurred by 12 months of age) than nontransmitters (20.29 pg/mL vs 19.41 pg/mL; P = .005). There was an increased odds of MTCT for every log2 increase in maternal sCD14 concentration, after adjustment for maternal HIV load, CD4 count and cART exposure (adjusted odds ratio, 3.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-10.21). Maternal monocyte activation may adversely influence the risk of MTCT of HIV.
On the Active Learning Curve: Using Experiments and Activities in the Principles Class

This paper describes one Professor's journey from a chalk and talk approach in the principles classroom towards a more active classroom. The paper describes the rationale for the move, a sample of the methods used, as well as lessons learned during the process.
Japan’s Public Health Paradigm: Governmentality and the Containment of Harmful Behavior

In this essay, I revisit the politics of social control in the context of contemporary public health discussions, touching on the management of obesity and chronic illness. Foucault's cautionary observations regarding the infiltration of normative social values into the terrain of healing offer a productive framework for considering the politics of public health in the industrialized world. I explore Japan's public health paradigm and its key features of bureaucratic reform and health interventions through screening, socialization, education, and aggressive lifestyle training, and I consider the close proximity between health and socio-cultural values in the management of chronic conditions in Japan.
Producing thin strips by twin-roll casting—part II: Process modeling and development

Extensive modeling work has appeared over the last decade and has contributed significantly to the fundamental understanding of the physical phenomena involved in twin-roll casting, such as fluid flow, heat transfer, and thermomechanical processing. The commitment of metals producers to the technology is strong, which is evidenced by numerous pilot-scale casters that have been constructed worldwide. Together with the process models, these casters have been instrumental in developing new process designs and in improving and optimizing the performance of existing twin-roll casters. Current R&D efforts are intensive in both the aluminum and the steel industries, with the former aiming to gain a higher productivity and the latter striving to scale up from pilot plants to commercial production.
Influence of Sex and Hair Growth Cycle on Lipid Composition of Mouse Epidermis.

SummaryThe total lipid content of 4th day male epidermis is much lower than that of the epidermis of the 12th and 22nd days of the hair growth cycle whereas the phospholipid level is highest in the 4th day male epidermis and lowest in the 22nd day epidermis. Female epidermis at days 4, 12 or 22 of the hair growth cycle has twice as much total lipid and approximately 1/2 as much phospholipid as male epidermis at comparable stages of the hair growth cycle. A similar relationship with respect to the total lipid-phospholipid ratio and day of the cycle exists in female epidermis as in male epidermis. Four-day male epidermis is also characterized by a very high cholesterol content, a low percentage of triglycerides and a high level of lipid material which is eluted from silicic acid with cholesterol esters.
Occlusive vascular lesions induced by bacterial endotoxin in kidneys of pregnant rats.

SummaryThe effects of a single dose of endotoxin on pregnant rats were studied. Animals treated in the second trimester of pregnancy exhibited no abortions, no pertinent renal pathology and no increase in mortality rate as compared with corresponding normal animals. In contrast, a majority of rats given endotoxin during the third trimester of pregnancy aborted and died within 24 hours. In addition 10 of 18 animals within the latter group developed an occlusive glomerular lesion, the microscopic features of which were similar to those seen in the generalized Shwartzman reaction. It is suggested that pregnancy in the rat as well as in the rabbit may substitute for the preparatory phase of this reaction.
Evaluation of electrical insulation exposed to amorphous metal transformer core annealing temperature

An evaluation of potential coil insulation materials for an oil-filled amorphous metal cored distribution transformer is presented. The design concept assumed requires the transformer core and windings be subjected to the amorphous metal core annealing temperature-time cycle during manufacture.
Usability of Incident Reporting Systems: Preliminary Results of A Case Study:

Although low participation in incident-reporting systems contributes to the problem of poor error prevention, little research has focused on improving participation. The present study is a case study of a hospital's incident reporting practices, seeking to increase both the number and quality of their incident reports by examining the usability of the reporting system itself as well as organizational factors impacting attitudes towards reporting. A snowball sample of hospital staff was recruited to identify organizational and software usability factors that both impede and promote frequent and useful incident reporting. Preliminary results suggest that time pressure is a key impediment to reporting, and that hospital staff in certain units are already attempting innovative shortcuts to cut time demands without reducing their reporting rates.