cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Epsilon-Aminocaproic Acid on the Development of Shunt-Dependent Hydrocephalus Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: a Case-Control Study

The use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and other anti-fibrinolytic agents has been explored to prevent re-hemorrhage following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) secondary to aneurysmal rupture. One reported complication includes increased rates of hydrocephalus (HCP) due to EACA administration. Herein, we present a single-institution case-control study investigating the relationship between EACA administration and the development of shunt-dependent HCP. All patients were managed by a single neurosurgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Medical Center who treated SAH patients with EACA. A power analysis was performed to determine the sample size, and 57 patients who required a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) for management of obstructive hydrocephalus after failing an external ventricular drain wean protocol were selected. Control patients with initial obstructive hydrocephalus who did not require VPS were matched by demographic factors. The overall rate of VPS placement was 44%; the odds ratio of VPS placement after treatment with EACA was 0.63. The presence of intraventricular hemorrhage or a poor clinical exam on presentation was closely associated with eventual placement of a VPS, with the odds ratio for a Fisher CT grade 4 hemorrhage being 13.89 and a clinical exam corresponding to a Hunt and Hess score of III and IV being 17.18 and 11.00, respectively. The administration of EACA does not appear to increase the incidence of shunt-dependent HCP following SAH and may therefore be employed if clinically needed. Intraventricular hemorrhage or a poor clinical exam on presentation does appear to increase the incidence of shunt-dependent HCP following SAH.
Hierarchically patterned striped phases of polymerized lipids: toward controlled carbohydrate presentation at interfaces

Complex biomolecules, including carbohydrates, frequently have molecular surface footprints larger than those in broadly utilized standing phase alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers, yet would benefit from structured orientation and clustering interactions promoted by ordered monolayer lattices. Striped phase monolayers, in which alkyl chains extend across the substrate, have larger, more complex lattices: nm-wide stripes of headgroups with 0.5 or 1 nm lateral periodicity along the row, separated by wider (∼5 nm) stripes of exposed alkyl chains. These anisotropic interfacial patterns provide a potential route to controlled clustering of complex functional groups such as carbohydrates. Although the monolayers are not covalently bound to the substrate, assembly of functional alkanes containing an internal diyne allows such monolayers to be photopolymerized, increasing robustness. Here, we demonstrate that, with appropriate modifications, microcontact printing can be used to generate well-defined microscopic areas of striped phases of both single-chain and dual-chain amphiphiles (phospholipids), including one (phosphoinositol) with a carbohydrate in the headgroup. This approach generates hierarchical molecular-scale and microscale interfacial clustering of functional ligands, prototyping a strategy of potential relevance for glycobiology.
An Event Long-Short Index: Theory and Applications

We propose a stock market-based measure to capture initial beliefs about an event's effect on firm profits, which may be used to measure whether initial expectations are subsequently realized. Our "Event Long-Short Index" is the difference in market-capitalization-weighted returns of firms that outperform versus underperform the market on the event date. We use post-event index returns to measure whether initial beliefs are reinforced or attenuated. We apply our approach to the 2016 US presidential election and Brexit referendum to illustrate the index and its interpretation and to validate it, showing that it moves as expected following subsequent political and business news.
Boosting arginine metabolism to regress atherosclerosis

The arginine metabolic pathway in macrophages is required to ensure continual efferocytosis and inflammation resolution.
Semi-Ethnographic Study on Human Responses to a Help-Seeker Robot

This video presents how people responded to a robot asking for help at six cafes at the Oregon State University campus. Each cafe was visited twice over eight weeks between August and September 2019, always around lunchtime for a two-hour period. Many participants expressed their delight at the presence of the robot, as seen in their help and care behaviors, and communications with each other. The wizarded mobile robot, called a ChairBot, had a whiteboard indicating its current ordering request, as well as a money clip for payment. We conducted fly-on-the-wall observations, participant interviews, and grounded coding to understand why and how people helped the robot. People helped the robot because: (1) they were curious, (2) they wanted to help the people behind the robot, and (3) they wanted to be perceived as ethical. The video shows these interactions in context, with diverse human-robot communication strategies and unexpected emergent behaviors that illustrate the value of in-the-wild studies.
Definition/Rules in Legal Language

Research in linguists, philosophy, and psychology has uncovered a great deal about word meaning, including the extent to which we can be successful defining words. Because laws are often written as definitions of proscribed conduct, it is instructive to see how well laws function in circumstances that language scholars have shown to be problematic. This article suggests that the problems with definitions that basic research has uncovered recur in legal settings. In particular, those interpreting laws are frequently confronted with deciding whether to apply definitions in situations that are not prototypical. Decision makers are not entirely consistent, and efforts to avoid unwanted results meet with varying degrees of success.
Closing Gaps in Essential Chest Pain Care Through Accreditation.

Multiple investigations have shown that a well-designed strategy for managing acute chest pain in patients can result in shorter length of stay and improved resource utilization ([1][1],[2][2]). Care in specialized chest pain units has been shown to achieve a better quality of life at lower cost, a
Addressing Class Imbalance in Image-Based Plant Disease Detection: Deep Generative vs. Sampling-Based Approaches

Deep learning-based classifiers for object recognition and classification have been used in the domain of plant disease detection, particularly lesions from leaf images. In such domains, as expected, deep neural networks perform better using balanced data sets than imbalanced ones, as they exhibit some inductive bias favoring balanced data from each class. However, data sets for plant disease detection are often imbalanced due to the rarity of disease lesions in real-world settings. While deep generative approaches such as generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been established as an effective means of augmenting high-dimensional image data, the literature lacks a detailed study of the effectiveness of GAN-based models on a plant disease detection task, compared to sampling-based approaches traditionally used to reduce the skewness of the data. In this paper, we comparatively evaluate an image classifier based on a dense convolutional neural network (CNN), trained using a GAN, versus the same CNN model used in tandem with undersampling, oversampling, and an adaptation of the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE). The GAN-based approach is shown to attain significantly higher recall and hence F-measure and ROC AUC against each of these.
Cardiovascular toxicity in patients treated with immunotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: A SEER-medicare study: CVD outcomes with the use of ICI in mNSCLC.

Abstract Objectives In recent years immunotherapy has escalated to frontline treatment options for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Cardiovascular toxicity from chemotherapeutic agents is well described in this patient population with common underlying risk factors like smoking. We explored cardiovascular toxicity form the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors to traditional chemotherapy. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study from SEER-Medicare datasets which represents 34 % of the US population. This study included patients age ≥ 65 years-old with newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer between the years 2013 and 2015. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts, one who received traditional chemotherapy only (control arm) and the others who received immune checkpoint inhibitors in addition to traditional chemotherapy (study arm). The primary endpoint was the hazards of new cardiovascular toxicity in the study versus the control arm. Results We identified 6405 patients who met our study criteria. Of these, 5730 patients received chemotherapy only while 675 patients received chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Results showed that the hazard ratio for all cardiovascular toxicity was 0.81 (95 % CI:0.72−0.91, p = 0.0003) in patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy. Among the subgroups, hazards ratio for acute coronary syndrome was 0.82 (95 % CI: 0.64–1.05, p = 0.10), hazards ratio for heart failure was 0.74 (95 % CI: 0.62−0.88, p = 0.0007), hazards ratio for cardiac arrhythmia was 0.72 (95 % CI: 0.63−0.82, p Conclusions Results from this study are reassuring that adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to chemotherapy is safe and does not result in increased cardiovascular toxicity but instead showed lower hazards.
Between the State and the Schoolhouse: Understanding the Failure of Common Core: by Tom Loveless, Harvard Education Press, 2021, 224 pp., $34.00 (paperback), ISBN 9781682535905

In Between the State and the Schoolhouse, Tom Loveless has provided readers with an insightful and comprehensive examination of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), known colloquially as Common ...
Investigating Technostress Among Teachers in Low-Income Indian Schools

Smartphones play an increasingly large role in the professional lives of teachers in low-income contexts, creating an urgent need to better understand the role of technology-related stress (technostress) in teachers' smartphone use for work. We contribute a mixed methods study analyzing the impact of smartphone use on teachers' work lives in low-income Indian schools. Findings from 70 interviews and 1,361 survey responses suggest that although smartphones aid teaching and administrative functions, smartphone use also significantly predicts burnout among teachers, with technostress providing a major explanation for this relationship. We reveal how teachers' work is constantly surveilled and monitored via technology and how teachers' personal smartphones were controlled and repurposed through socio-technical structures by the higher management to serve management's goals, substantially increasing the work teachers were required to perform outside of work hours. Our work extends technostress research to HCI4D contexts and highlights the need to develop better support structures for teachers and rethink how smartphones are used in their work.
Neurologic Dysfunction and Neuroprotection in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Abstract Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is a fast-growing procedure. Expanding to low-risk patients, it has surpassed surgical aortic valve implantation in frequency and has been associated with excellent outcomes. Stroke is a devastating complication after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Silent brain infarcts identified by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging are present in most patients following transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction are common neurologic complications. The stroke and silent brain infarcts are likely caused by particulate emboli released during the procedure. Intravascularly positioned cerebral embolic protection devices are designed to prevent debris from entering the aortic arch vessels to avoid stroke. Despite promising design, randomized clinical trials have not demonstrated a reduction in stroke in patients receiving cerebral embolic protection devices. Similarly, the association of cerebral embolic protection devices with silent brain infarcts, post-operative delirium and cognitive dysfunction is uncertain. Monitored anesthesia care or conscious sedation is as safe as general anesthesia and is associated with lower cost but different anesthetic techniques have not been shown to decrease stroke risk, postoperative delirium, or cognitive dysfunction. Anesthesiologists play important roles in providing perioperative care including management of neurologic events in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Large randomized clinical trials are needed that focus on the correlation between perioperative interventions and neurologic outcomes.
Estimating ocean variables using ambient noise interferometry

Ambient noise interferometry is a method of estimating the time domain Greene's function (TDGF) by correlating and averaging sound from adjacent hydrophones. These averaged cross correlations are called noise cross correlation functions (NCCFs). Noise interferometry has been used in ocean acoustics to estimate ocean variables such as water temperature by measuring propagation times. In this talk, a 6-year NCCF stack between two Ocean Observatories Initiative cabled array hydrophones is investigated. The hydrophones are separated by 3.2 km, and are bottom mounted at a depth of 1500 meters. They are located in the caldera of the Axial Seamount volcano approximately 470 km off the Oregon coast. The TDGF estimate from the NCCF stack contains clear, multipath arrivals. Fluctuations in the arrival time over the six years are on the order of a single time bin. However, if the signal to noise ratio is high enough, it is possible to measure the arrival times with more accuracy than a single time bin. In this presentation, signal processing methods to accurately estimate the propagation time will be explored, as well as the viability of inverting these multipath arrival times to estimate ocean variables such as water temperature. [Work supported by ONR.]
AGRICULTURAL REFORM IN THE NONCHERNOZEM ZONE: THE CASE OF KOSTROMA OBLAST

The author, based on research in the field, describes progress toward agricultural reform in Kostroma Oblast, in Russia's Non-chernozem Zone. Particularly, the relationship of rural demographic structure and land quality to progress toward the establishment of private farms is examined, based on the assumption that farmers' risk-taking behavior and calculations of economic rationality are affected by the character of the rural population and land resources available to it. The contrasts made between legislative intent and reality is instructive for understanding how various aspects of the reform process are proceeding elsewhere, and comparisons are made with oblasts in other parts of Russia.
Canonical Equation K54 for Normalized Spectral Functions of Nonself-Adjoint Random Jacobi Matrices

In previous chapters, a regularized V-transform was used to prove limit theorems for normalized spectral functions of nonself-adjoint random matrices. However, the functional equations for auxiliary limit singular spectral functions obtained with the help of the regularized V-transform in some cases proved to be cumbersome. For random nonsymmetric Jacobi matrices with independent entries, we failed to obtain even such cumbersome functional equations. But if we take advantage of the V-transform and impose some conditions on the entries of the Jacobi matrix (namely, we require that there exist densities and certain absolute moments of the entries of a random Jacobi matrix), then we can find an equation for the limiting spectral function of a random Jacobi matrix.
Analysis of fetal and neonatal deaths in 4117 consecutive births.

An analysis of the significant causes of death in 4117 consecutive births was made; there were 66 fetal deaths and 85 neonatal deaths. A significant cause of death was determined in 51 fetuses and 56 live-born infants. Eighty-five per cent of the live-born infants who weighed over 1000 gm. at birth and had postmortem examinations had causes of death which were considered to be significant. Almost half of the live-born premature infants with birth weights between 1000 and 2500 gm. were considered to have had more than one significant cause of death. The so-called significant causes of death among live-born infants differed from those determined for fetuses dying before birth. Among the former, pathologic conditions in the infants were determined four times more frequently than in those dying before birth and, in the latter, maternal complications of pregnancy and labor were diagnosed as significant causes of death five times more frequently than in infants dying in the neonatal period. Hyaline-like material in the lung was considered to be the most frequent significant cause of death in live-born premature infants; congenital malformation and anoxia resulting from complications of labor were the most frequently determined significant causes of death in live-born full term infants. No differences were found in the significant causes of death in premature and full term fetuses. Anoxia resulting from accidental and unexpected interruption of the blood flow in the placenta and umbilical cord and from dystocia was the most frequently determined significant cause of death in both groups. A plea has been made for the adoption by obstetricians, pathologists and pediatricians of a formal uniform plan of classifying the causes of fetal and neonatal death which would divest current efforts to determine the cause of death of as much vague terminology and arbitrary opinion as possible.
The epigenetics of the cell.

A report on the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, San Francisco, 14-18 December 2002.
Genetic Variations of an Oxidase in Mammals

Abstract The genetic basis of the variation in activity of the mammalian enzyme which catalyzes the oxidation of N1-methylnicotinamide to N1-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide has been investigated. The data indicate that in mice the magnitude of the enzyme activity depends on a pair of autosomal alleles, one of which determines a high level, the other a low level, of enzyme activity. Differences in enzyme activity between males and females and the effect of administration of estradiol and of testosterone to intact animals indicate that the level of enzyme activity is subject to hormonal influence as well. Thus, whereas the distinction between classes with low and high enzyme activity is under genetic control, levels of enzyme activity within these classes appear to be regulated by the endocrine system.
LEGAL EDUCATION AFTER LAW SCHOOL: LESSONS FROM SCOTLAND AND ENGLAN

The symposium entitled “Professional Challenges in Large Firm Practices” held at Fordham University School of Law on April 15, 2005 opened up a much-needed dialogue between law schools and law firms about legal education after law school. Keynote speaker Michael Greco, President of the American Bar Association, opened the conference by noting that: “[L]awyers are always going to be students, because the learning doesn’t stop in law school. The irony is that when we become lawyers, we not only continue to be students, we simultaneously are teachers.”1 Greco’s keynote was followed by a panel on “The Role of Law Firms in the Educational Continuum,” which brought together three lawyers from large private firms, a lawyer from a large government law department, and two law professors.2 As one of the two academics on the panel, I learned a great deal about the extent and sophistication of the legal education that takes place within law firms and legal departments.3 The
A Generalized Peaceman–Rachford ADI Scheme for Solving Two-Dimensional Parabolic Differential Equations

A generalized Peaceman–Rachford alternating-direction implicit (ADI) scheme for solving two-dimensional parabolic differential equations has been developed based on the idea of regularized difference scheme. It is to be very well to simulate fast transient phenomena and to efficiently capture steady state solutions of parabolic differential equations. Numerical example is illustrated.
Kappa- and delta-opioids block sympathetically dependent hyperalgesia.

Direct hyperalgesia induced by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can be blocked by mu- but not delta- or kappa-opioids. However, there is evidence that kappa- and delta-opioid receptors are located on sympathetic postganglionic neuron (SPGN) terminals, which mediate bradykinin (BK) hyperalgesia via SPGN-terminal-dependent production of PGE2. Therefore, we evaluated the antinociceptive effect of delta- and kappa-opioids on BK hyperalgesia. We demonstrate that the mechanical hyperalgesia induced by intradermal injection of BK can be blocked by the kappa- opioid agonist trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N[2-(-pyrrolidinyl)cyclo- hexyl] benzeneacetamide (U50,488H) and by the delta-opioid agonist (D- Pen2,5)-enkephalin (DPDPE), as well as the mu-opioid agonist Tyr-D-Ala- Gly-NMe-Phe-Gly-ol(DAMGO). Pertussis toxin prevented the inhibition of BK-induced hyperalgesia by U50,488H, DPDPE, or DAMGO. We conclude that the observed peripheral analgesic effects of kappa- and delta-opioid agonists result from actions upon SPGN terminals and that these effects are mediated by inhibitory G-proteins.
A Spatial Analysis of Student Binge Drinking, Alcohol‐Outlet Density, and Social Disadvantages

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This paper examined whether and how student binge drinking at the individual level was influenced by population disadvantages, community instability, alcohol-outlet density, and protective factors generated by community and school. METHODS: We used a dataset collected in 2002 by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, with additional materials generated by the 2000 Census and from the Alabama State Department of Education. School-catchments were employed as geographic units of analysis. The final sample comprised 78,138 public-school students in grades 6-12 who attended schools located in the 566 school-catchments. RESULTS: We hypothesized the presence of spatial processes that, once identified, would enhance understanding of student binge drinking. Our results confirmed that student binge drinking in a focal area was affected by that area's structural factors and also by individual-level risk and protective factors. The results did not support the hypothesized impact of surrounding areas' characteristics on student binge drinking in the focal area. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: The results of our study clearly indicate that both environment-based factors and individual-level risk and protective factors are important in explaining student binge drinking in Alabama. (Am J Addict 2013;22:391-401). Language: en
Relationships Among Proofs for Survival, Culling, and Yields in First and Later Lactations

Abstract Sire evaluations for survival to 84 mo and age at last record from unregistered cattle were regressed on combinations of the following: BLUP summaries for percent culled in first lactation (from unregistered cattle) and PD milk from all, first, later, and later minus first lactations. Correlations between sire summaries for survival and the other traits were all favorable. Of the yield variables, PD from later lactations had the largest correlations with the summaries for survival. Predicted Difference based on first lactations had a low correlation with survival to 84 mo. Partial regressions indicated that PD for yield in first lactation was of little value to predict survival rates after percent culled. Predicted Difference for yield in later lactations and the difference in PD (later minus first) were significant when fitted after percent culled. The difference in PD was significant when fitted along with percent culled and PD milk from all lactations. Low early culling, high later lactations, and large increases in yield from first to later lactations were associated with greater survival rates to older ages. Higher yields in later lactations may be associated with cows that are able to maintain their health.
Internal energy and mechanical properties of normal liquids

Abstract Generalized correlations have been prepared for the internal energy deviation function and the thermal expansion coefficient of normal liquids at their saturation states. The new correlation of thermal expansion coefficient complements a previously published correlation of isothermal compressibility to complete the general description of the mechanical properties of saturated normal liquids. The new correlations combine to provide a general description of the configurational energy of liquids not far removed from their saturation states. As such, they are needed in the thermodynamic calculations for nearly-ideal systems. The correlations can be useful for other purposes, such as heat balance calculations for non-flow systems.
Biochemical and Morphological Studies of Rat Submandibular Gland: III. Effects of Testosterone Treatment on Proteins of Granule-Rich Fraction

Mature adult male rats and castrated and testosterone-treated castrated adult rats were injected with pilocarpine HCl and 3-H-lysine and sacrificed sequentially over an eight-hour time period. Following homogenization and differential centrifugation, three subcellular fractions from each group of animals were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and liquid scintillation. Two proteins in the granule-rich fraction appeared in larger amounts on the densitometric scans and appeared to represent a larger proportion of newly synthesized proteins than the other proteins.
Futures Prices in a Production Economy with Investment Constraints

We document a new stylized fact regarding the term-structure of futures volatility. We show thatthe relation between the volatility of futures prices and the slope of the term structure of prices isnon-monotone and has a %u201CV-shape%u201D'. This aspect of the data cannot be generated by basic modelsthat emphasize storage while this fact is consistent with models that emphasize investmentconstraints or, more generally, time-varying supply-elasticity. We develop an equilibrium model inwhich futures prices are determined endogenously in a production economy in which investment isboth irreversible and is capacity constrained. Investment constraints affect firms' investmentdecisions, which in turn determine the dynamic properties of their output and consequently implythat the supply-elasticity of the commodity changes over time. Since demand shocks must beabsorbed either by changes in prices, or by changes in supply, time-varying supply-elasticity resultsin time-varying volatility of futures prices. Calibrating this model, we show it is quantitativelyconsistent with the aforementioned %u201CV-shape%u201D relation between the volatility of futures prices andthe slope of the term-structure.
Examining the efficacy, safety, and patient acceptability of the etonogestrel implantable contraceptive.

Contraceptive implants provide long-acting, highly effective reversible contraception. The etonogestrel implant (ENG implant) is a single rod implant that offers three years of efficacy. The ENG implant was designed to provide contraceptive efficacy by inhibiting ovulation and Pearl Index scores reported for this method are similar to other long-acting reversible contraception as well as similar to sterilization. The implant has been shown to be safe during breast feeding and may improve symptoms of dysmenorrhea and endometriosis. Irregular bleeding patterns can be expected with the device’s use and should be addressed in order to decrease rates of discontinuation.
Extracutaneous Epithelial Involvement in Inherited Epidermolysis Bullosa

• Epithelia of all types are involved in the heritable forms of epidermolysis bullosa in a relatively nonselective fashion. The concept that the disease is restricted primarily to tissues lined by squamous epithelium is itself too restricted. This article considers the various types of epithelia with regard to their involvement in epidermolysis bullosa. ( Arch Dermatol 1988;124:726-731)
Absolute judgments of colors using natural color names

Twenty Ss, 10 male and 10 female, were required to select from a list of 36 common color names the correct name for each of 36 Munsell colored chips. On their first trial, with no prior training and without even having seen the set of stimuli in advance, our Ss gave results that were as good as, or better than, previous Es have reported at the conclusion of much longer experiments. On the last trial (Trial 10) our Ss transmitted about 5.07 bits of information, corresponding to the perfect discrimination of more than 33 colors. These figures approach the upper limit possible with 36 colors (5.17 bits). Reasons are given to suggest that the so-called human “channel capacity” to tasks of this kind could be even greater than we found here.
The prevalence of cystic fibrosis in the European Union

This study combined a variety of methods to determine the prevalence of cystic fibrosis in the European Union. The results of literature reviews, surveys, and registry analyses revealed a mean prevalence of 0.737/10,000 in the 27 EU countries, which is similar to the value of 0.797 in the United States, and only one outlier, namely the Republic of Ireland at 2.98.
A Measure of Clustering in Free Recall Utilizing the Parameters of the Original Stimulus List.

Summary A measure of clustering in free recall based upon the parameters of the original stimulus list (R/Opt. R) was proposed and compared with five other measures for eight recall protocols. The R/Opt. R measure was shown to be relatively independent of the length of the recall protocol, but yielded higher scores where fewer categories were utilized. Optimum clustering was defined not simply in terms of perfect ordering of elements within the protocol but also in terms of the number of categories and items within those categories in the original stimulus list.
Teaching arbitrary matching via sample stimulus-control shaping to young children and mentally retarded individuals: a methodological note.

Two experiments demonstrated the efficacy of sample stimulus-control shaping programs for teaching arbitrary matching to 4 subjects who did not acquire the performances via standard methods (i.e., differential reinforcement and, in two cases, comparison intensity fading). All 4 had previously demonstrated identity matching with two-dimensional forms. Identity matching performances were then transformed into arbitrary matching by gradually changing the sample stimuli until they no longer resembled the comparison stimuli. Where applicable, these methods may have advantages over others that have been used after the failure of standard techniques.
A Letter to the President-Elect Regarding Katrina

America's incoming president faces many challenges, but perhaps none so iconic as the continued geographical, social, and ethical deterioration of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Through both neglect and malfeasance, the federal government has done little to ameliorate the damage and, as a result, has elevated the nation's worst natural disaster into a symbol of failed response by government. Louisiana's political culture and lack of local leadership are definitely obstacles to progress, but they substantiate even more poignantly the need for effective federal intervention. Here, in straightforward language, is what needs to be done now.
Students of the New Global Elite.

The TESOL Quarterly invites commentary on current trends or practices in the TESOL profession. It also welcomes responses to rebuttals to any articles or remarks published here in The Forum or elsewhere in the Quarterly.
Self‐Discovery and the Role of the Counselor

The major thesis of this philosophic treatise is that unless the counselor realizes in his own life the full import of the search for meaning and self-understanding, he will be unable to empathize adequately with the struggles of another human being who likewise seeks to realize his highest potential. Hindering our self-discovery are the problems of meaninglessness, alienation, and the loss of our freedom. The path toward breaking out of our insulated selves is: (a) to accept fully, on a personal level, a sense of responsibility for what we are, and (b) to realize that self-fulfillment occurs within a social context. The former involves a sense of personal integrity and the latter gives a contextual frame of reference to our search for meaning. The path to self-understanding is difficult and threatening, but as the counselee perceives—on both the intuitive and operational levels—the counselor's sincerity in his own quest for fulfillment, the goals we seek to achieve in the counseling relationship will be facilitated.
Extended composite right/left-handed transmission line and dual-band reactance transformation

An extended composite right/left-handed transmission line is introduced, and its dual-band bandpass filter characteristics are explored. Novel reactance transformations, derived from this transmission line, are formulated to transform a low-pass prototype filter into a dual-band bandpass filter with arbitrary dual pass bands, well-defined in-band attenuation ripples, and high out-of-band rejection. The physical insight into such a dual-band bandpass filter is provided with a dispersion analysis. The transformations are verified by simulated results for dual-band bandpass filters.
Transuranics and other radionuclides in Bikini Lagoon: Concentration data retrieved from aged coral sections1

X radiography and autoradiography of thin vertical sections were used to estimate the growth rate of a specimen of Favites virens from Bikini Lagoon. Discrete bands of radioactivity were identifiable with specific nuclear test series. The coral growth rate of 8.0 mm year/sup -1/ determined by autoradiography is in good agreement with the rate of 8.1 +- 2.2 mm year/sup -1/ derived from the ''seasonal'' alternating light and dark bands on x radiographs. With these bands as growth rate indicators, the coral was sectioned into yearly increments and analyzed by low-level, nondestructive gamma spectrometry, radiochemical techniques, and mass spectrometry to reconstruct the variations in the concentration of transuranics and other radionuclides in the marine environment at Bikini since 1954. From the concentration data retained in this indicator species, the exchange rate of radionuclides between the lagoon and the open ocean is computed to be longer than exchange rates based on physical circulation data. There is no constant ratio of plutonium isotopes in the coral growth sections, suggesting that the redistributions of the several plutonium isotopes in the environment may be governed by different biogeochemical processes. Increased levels of /sup 210/Po (/sup 210/Pb) were found in test-year growth sections, contradicting previousmore » arguments that no /sup 210/Pb has resulted from weapons testing. (auth)« less
Localized packets of acoustic gravity waves in the ionosphere

Using massspectrometric measurement data from the Dynamics Explorer 2 satellite, we investi� gated the distribution of mediumscale acoust ic gravity waves (AGWs) at altitudes of the Fregion of the ion� osphere. It is shown that the planetary field of AGWs contains a regular and a sporadic component. The reg� ular distribution of AGWs involves active polar areas (where the ionosphere is highly disturbed) and a rela� tively calm equatorial area. Sporadic AGWs are isolated and spatially localized wave packets that are distinguished against the background of the regular distribution of the wave field. We generated a directory containing observations of sporadic AGW for the period January-February 1983 and performed a statistical analysis of their relation to earthquakes.
The cut-off phenomenon for random reflections II: Complex and quaternionic cases

In this paper we generalize the random reflections problem onO(N) considered in an earlier paper to the complex and quaternionic cases. We give precise estimates on the speed of convergence to stationarity for specific examples of random walks onU(N) andSp(N) for which the one-step distribution is a certain probability measure concentrated on reflections. Our results show that in both cases the so-called cut-off phenomenon occurs atk0=1/2N logN.
Increased expression of heparanase in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis.

Increased expression of heparanase in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis. Background The β-D-endoglycosidase heparanase has been proposed as an important contributor to loss of glomerular charge in proteinuria. Expression of heparanase was, therefore, determined in acute puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephrosis. Methods A rabbit polyclonal antibody was produced against a 17-amino acid peptide derived from the predicted amino acid sequence of heparanase. The antibody was validated by Western blot. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were used to localize heparanase protein in normal kidneys and kidneys from rats with PAN nephrosis. Northern blot analysis was used to determine mRNA expression. Results Immunohistochemical staining showed that heparanase protein was localized to tubular cells in the distal convoluted tubules, thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, and transitional cell epithelium in normal kidney. Minimal expression was noted in normal glomeruli. Western blot analysis of protein from isolated normal glomeruli showed minimal expression of the 65 kD proheparanase protein. A marked increase in the staining for heparanase was found at day 5 of the PAN nephrosis model, at approximately the time of onset of proteinuria, and at day 14. Expression was predominantly seen in podocytes. At day 5, only the 65 kD proheparanase species was identified, but at day 14, mature 58 kD heparanase also was present. Northern blot analysis of sieved glomeruli at day 14 confirmed an increase in heparanase mRNA. The human podocyte cell line 56/10A1 also produced both proheparanase and mature heparanase, suggesting that podocytes can activate heparanase without other cell types. Conclusion The previously mentioned data confirm that the novel β-D-endoglycosidase heparanase is up-regulated and activated in glomeruli from rats with proteinuria. Heparanase may be involved, therefore, in the loss of glomerular charge seen in proteinuria. Moreover, the presence of heparanase in normal tubules suggests that it may also be involved in cell migration or turnover.
Treatment of experimental bacterial keratitis with topical trovafloxacin

Objective To investigate the therapeutic role of trovafloxacin mesylate, a newer-generationfluoroquinolone with an expanded spectrum of activity, in the treatment ofexperimental bacterial keratitis. Methods Susceptibility studies were performed on various strains of ocular isolatesto determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of trovafloxacin comparedwith ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, using the E-test method. Pharmacokineticstudies were performed by a single topical administration of trovafloxacinto rabbit eyes with either an intact or denuded corneal epithelium. Aqueoushumor, vitreous, and corneal concentrations of trovafloxacin were determinedat different time points. Experimental bacterial keratitis studies were performedin rabbit eyes. Three identical studies were conducted using Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus pneumoniae ,or Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Therapy groups included0.5% trovafloxacin, 0.3% ciprofloxacin, 0.3% ofloxacin, and isotonic sodiumchloride solution. After 12 hours of drops administration, corneas were excised,homogenized, and serially plated. The main outcome measure was quantitativebacteriologic analysis for residual colony-forming units. Results In vitro susceptibility study findings indicated that the MIC of trovafloxacinwas significantly lower than the MIC of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin for S aureus , S pneumoniae , and Haemophilus influenzae , lower than the MIC of ciprofloxacinand ofloxacin for Staphylococcus epidermidis , andintermediate between ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin for P aeruginosa . Pharmacokinetic studies showed a significant concentration of trovafloxacinin the treated corneas, especially in eyes with a denuded epithelium. Allserum samples had undetectable trovafloxacin concentrations. Experimentalkeratitis studies showed a statistically significant decrease of colony-formingunits in trovafloxacin-treated eyes in the S aureus modeland a similar decrease in the S pneumoniae and P aeruginosa models. Conclusions Topical 0.5% trovafloxacin proved to be an effective ocular medicationfor the therapy of gram-positive and gram-negative keratitis. Clinical Relevance Trovafloxacin may provide an excellent therapeutic alternative in bacterialkeratitis.
Delays in discharge in a tertiary care pediatric hospital

BACKGROUND: Delays in discharges affect both efficiency and timeliness of care; 2 measures of quality of inpatient care. OBJECTIVE: Describe number, length, and type of delays in hospital discharges. Characterize impact of delays on overall length of stay (LOS) and costs. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary-care children's hospital. PATIENTS: All children on 2 medical teams during August 2004. INTERVENTION: Two research assistants presented detailed data of patient care (from daily rounds) to 2 physicians who identified delays and classified the delay type. Discharge was identified as delayed if there was no medical reason for the patient to be in the hospital on a given day. MEASUREMENTS: Delays were classified using a validated and reliable instrument, the Delay Tool. LOS and costs were extracted from an administrative database. RESULTS: Two teams cared for 171 patients. Mean LOS and costs were 7.3 days (standard deviation [SD] 14.3) and $15,197 (SD 38,395), respectively: 22.8% of patients experienced at least 1 delay, accounting for 82 delay-related hospital days (9% of total hospital days) and $170,000 in costs (8.9% of hospital costs); 42.3% of the delays resulted from physician behavior, 21.8% were related to discharge planning, 14.1% were related to consultation, and 12.8% were related to test scheduling. CONCLUSIONS: Almost one-fourth of patients in this 1-month period could have been discharged sooner than they were. Impact of delays on LOS and costs are substantial. Interventions will need to address variations in physician criteria for discharge, more efficient discharge planning, and timely scheduling of consultation and diagnostic testing. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:481–485. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Etiology and danger of pericardial effusion in infants and children

Pericardial effusion requires attention because of its underlying pathology and its potential for producing hemodynamic compromise. It was our hypothesis that the etiology of and danger from large pericardial effusions are different at different ages. We reviewed the clinical data on 44 consecutive patients seen between 1986 and 1993. All (age range 0-19 years) had a large pericardial effusion identified by echocardiography, and 38 had fluid available for analysis, pericardiocentesis in these cases being undertaken on the basis of the clinical decision of the attending physician. History, physical examination, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram, and echocardiographic Doppler findings were evaluated retrospectively. Of the patients, 17 presented with tamponade. Of the 14 patients aged less than one year, 12 had tamponade (85%), whereas in the 30 patients older than one year, only five (16%) had tamponade. Surgical drainage was needed in seven patients. Typical physical and electrocardiographic findings (distant heart sounds, pericardial friction rub, decreased QRS voltage, and ST-T wave abnormalities) were present in less than half the patients. Etiologies of the effusion included infection in 10 (four less than one year old, and six greater than one year of age). Among these, two unusual pathogens were detected: Mycobacterium avium-intracellulaire and Candida tropicalis. In eight patients, the effusion was due to trauma (six less than one year old, and two older than one year), and in 11 it was due to post-pericardiotomy syndrome (two less than one year of age and nine older than one year). Malignancy was the cause in six (all older than one year of age), radiation in two, and collagen vascular disease, drug induced, and uremia in one each, all older than one year. Only three patients had idiopathic effusions (6%). These data suggest that, unlike adults, an etiologycan be found in most children with large pericardial effusions. Those less than one year of age are much more likely to present in cardiac tamponade.
Optical random number generator based on photoevent locations.

A 2-D position-sensitive photon-counting detector is used in an optical random number generator in which the locations of detected photoevents provide the random numbers. The spatial distribution of photoevent locations is dictated by imaging a control object onto the detector. An iterative calibration procedure is used to determine the brightness distribution of the control object. Two control objects were examined—film and a video monitor. With both control objects, the performance of the optical random number generator approached that of pseudorandom number generators.
Stability of water-in-oil-in-water type globules

Abstract A method for producing a single water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) type globule is used to study its stability microscopically, by bringing the internal water droplets in contact with each other and with the external interface between water and oil. Each experiment lasted 24 h unless there was rupture within a shorter period, and the parameters that were studied are pH, ionic strength and the concentration of Span 80 surfactant. Under all experimental conditions that produced limited stability, the internal water droplets did not coalesce among themselves, and when the globule broke it was because the internal water droplets coalesced with the external phase. In the absence of surfactant the globule was found intrinsically unstable at all pHs and salinities. Experimental results are explained through a model for the interaction energy, van der Waals and Coulombic, between a single internal water droplet and the external aqueous phase as well as between two internal water droplets. A key parameter in the model is the ‘effective thickness’ of the adsorbed layer of surfactant, which determines whether the net interaction energy is attractive or repulsive.
Therapy Insight: osteoporosis and osteonecrosis in systemic lupus erythematosus

Survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has improved over the past decade, thanks to improved treatment of the disease, which now results in fewer fatal complications. This improvement has allowed physicians to focus their attention on the prevention of organ damage caused by this chronic, inflammatory disease, and by the medications used to control the disease. Osteoporosis is common in SLE patients; risk factors for osteoporosis include prolonged use of glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide and possibly gonadotropin-releasing-hormone agonists. In premenopausal women with SLE, inflammation or SLE-related medications can increase bone turnover, which eventually weakens bone architecture, then reduces bone strength and increases the risk of fracture. Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in SLE patients should entail a multifaceted approach. Levels of calcium, vitamin D and homocysteine should be evaluated, and age-appropriate supplementation instituted. The bone loss that results from systemic inflammation should be treated by reduction of the inflammation with glucocorticoids, potent anti-inflammatory agents or antiresorptive agents. The efficacy of this therapy can be monitored using bone mineral density scans. This Review briefly discusses the pathophysiology of the localized and generalized osteoporosis and osteonecrosis in SLE patients and recommends therapies to both prevent and treat these unfortunate complications of this disease.