cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inventing Postcolonial Elites: Race, Language, Mix, Excess

This article illustrates how semiotic processes that form and circulate ideologies about race, language, and the elite are central to questions of coloniality. Considering the historical and contemporary context of the Philippines, I examine how notions of linguistic and racial “mix” and “excess” get linked to elite social figures and how one elite figure in particular—the “conyo elite”—is reportedly heard and seen by a private school–educated listening subject that is constituted, in contrast, as “middle-class elite.” I consider how iconizations of mixedness and excessiveness invent distinctions among Philippine elite types, producing an “elite bifurcation” that recursively constitutes colonial hierarchies: positioning conyo elites as acting as colonists whose supposedly mixed and excessive qualities are regarded as immoral, overly modern, and a national betrayal.
An Absorbable Hydrogel Spray Reduces Postoperative Mediastinal Adhesions After Congenital Heart Surgery

Background Adhesions encountered during reoperative cardiac surgery can prolong operative time and increase operative risk. The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the antiadhesion property of a synthetic bioabsorbable polymer spray after cardiac reoperations in infants. Methods A prospective randomized double-blinded study was designed. Forty infants requiring staged cardiac operations were randomly allocated to a study group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20). The appropriate volume of the polymer was sprayed onto the mediastinal surfaces before chest closure after the first surgical procedure in the study group. At reoperation, adhesions were evaluated by a blinded investigator following a 5-grade scoring system. Five predetermined anatomic areas were scored. Incision to extracorporeal circulation time was also analyzed. Results In all, 40 subjects were enrolled into the study. Four babies died before the second operation. Three others were missed for reevaluation. The control group (n = 16) had longer incision to extracorporeal circulation time (38 ± 10 minutes) than the study group (n = 17; 23 ± 6 minutes; p p p p p p Conclusions The use of synthetic bioabsorbable polymer sealant spray at the end of primary pediatric cardiac surgery reduces the intensity of mediastinal adhesions and the reentry time in infants undergoing repeat median sternotomy.
The Role of Universities in Local Invention: Evidence from the Establishment of U.S. Colleges

I use data on site selection decisions for a subset of U.S. colleges to identify "runner-up" locations that were strongly considered to become the sites of new colleges but were ultimately not chosen for as-good-as-random reasons. When using runner-up counties as counterfactuals, establishing a college causes 48% more patents per year. Linking patents to novel college yearbook data reveal that only 5% of patents in a college's county came from alumni or faculty of that college. I find no difference in patenting between establishing colleges and establishing other types of institutions, nor between colleges with different focuses on technical fields.
Disagreement Without Deterrence: The Importance of the Setting for the Study of Political Disagreement and Participation of Youth:

In today’s polarized and often uncivil political environment, how does political disagreement influence the political participation of youth? In this article, we compare the relationship between po...
Exploration of Assistive Technologies Used by People with Quadriplegia Caused by Degenerative Neurological Diseases

Various assistive devices and interfaces to access the computer have been developed for people with severe motor impairments. This article explores how effective these technologies are for individu...
Are Our Students Prepared? The Impact of Capstone Design Pedagogical Approaches on Student Skill Development During Industry-Sponsored Fieldwork

Capstone design courses are field-based courses in which students work on real-world industry-sponsored projects. The structure of engineering capstone design courses varies between institutions as well as within an institution in the context of faculty engagement, industry involvement, and course learning objectives. We present a summary of an ongoing study focused on assessing engineering skills prefieldwork and postfieldwork experience at two institutions with different course structures in their respective industrial engineering programs. Our research goals are twofold: (1) to develop a framework for measuring the changes in students’ engineering skills during their capstone course and determine how these skills align with industry expectations and (2) to explore how differences in capstone course delivery impact the capstone experience. We developed two assessment instruments, one that involves student self-assessment across a set of engineering skills, and one with which the industry partners involv...
High-Performance Solid-State Thermionic Energy Conversion Based on 2D van der Waals Heterostructures: A First-Principles Study.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) have shown multiple functionalities with great potential in electronics and photovoltaics. Here, we show their potential for solid-state thermionic energy conversion and demonstrate a designing strategy towards high-performance devices. We propose two promising thermionic devices, namely, the p-type Pt-G-WSe2-G-Pt and n-type Sc-WSe2-MoSe2-WSe2-Sc. We characterize the thermionic energy conversion performance of the latter using first-principles GW calculations combined with real space Green’s function (GF) formalism. The optimal barrier height and high thermal resistance lead to an excellent performance. The proposed device is found to have a room temperature equivalent figure of merit of 1.2 which increases to 3 above 600 K. A high performance with cooling efficiency over 30% of the Carnot efficiency above 450 K is achieved. Our designing and characterization method can be used to pursue other potential thermionic devices based on vdWHs.
Transient Hyperthyroidism Induced by Thyroid Ultrasound

Objectives:Transient hyperthyroidism has been documented following surgical manipulation or direct trauma to the normal thyroid gland. This has best been studied in patients following parathyroidec...
In Vitro Models for the Study of Antibiotic Activities

The usual methods for determining antibiotic activity, either alone or in combination, generally expose a growing bacterial inoculum to a constant or static concentration of one or more drugs for a period of approximately 20 h. Such methods include disk susceptibility tests, determinations of minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations with microtiter or macrotube dilutions and time-kill studies (34). Even the determination of serum bactericidal activity in patients or volunteers receiving a given antibiotic regimen only ascertains the antibiotic activity at a specific time, at a single concentration of drug or drugs.
Applications of Self-Management to Individuals with Severe Handicaps: A Review:

Self-management procedures involve an individual in implementing strategies which may enhance his or her behavior change. These strategies may be applied as antecedents or consequences to the targe...
Double Beta Decay Experiments and Searches for Dark Matter Candidates and Solar Axions

A brief discussion of the theoretical status of double beta decay is given. A number of experiments searching for double beta decay of 76Ge, 82Se, 100Mo, 136Xe and 150Nd are discussed. A brief review is given of published efforts to search for cosmic dark matter candidate particles and solar axions using the low background detector of a Ge double-beta-decay experiment.
The Environment–Conflict Nexus

The evolution of the global strategic situation following the Cold War suggests the need to expand the definition of national security to include environmental threats to stability. Environmental security refers to a range of security issues triggered or intensified by environmental factors such as climate change, resources, demographic factors, natural disasters, environmental change, and non-sustainable practices. Environmental stress has the potential to destabilize states, but especially in the developing world because they are characteristically more dependent on the environment for economic productivity and they lack the resiliency to overcome these challenges. This chapter does not suggest that environmental stress––alone––causes warfare. To be more precise, it can potentially trigger violent conflict in unique situations of extreme civil instability and within failing states. The problem that we face today is that the number of failing states is growing, and they are more vulnerable to instability caused by environmental stress because they suffer from four causally related effects: (1) reduced agricultural production; (2) economic decline; (3) population displacement; and (4) civil disruption. These effects determine the vulnerability and adaptability of a society.
Talking about Toxicity — “What We’ve Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate”

Talking about Toxicity Improving communication with patients about treatment risks and benefits has long been recognized as a critical priority. But perhaps a necessary first step is for investigat...
Concluding Remarks: The Long-Time Tails Story

I am going to make some general remarks about computers and numerical work and what one, in favorable cases, might learn from such computer experiments. The computer can be basically used in two ways: one is to support theory and the other one is doing engineering type of calculations. We have had a number of examples here where people are checking numerical experiments against the existing theory. That’s what I am trying to emphasize here. People studying polymers were checking against the Rouse-Zimm’s theory or people were studying suspensions and seeing whether Batchelor’s predictions were true, and so on. The point here is to try to look for deviations from existing theory. This is of course what experiments try to do continuously and the process can’t be really planned. One has some theoretical structure, one does some numerical experiments and then one tries to see whether existing theory is right, and most of the time, of course, it is, but once in a while, one gets a surprise. Just like the experimentalist finds a new effect, so can a numerical experimentalist. This applies particularly in the theory of turbulence, strongly developed turbulence, where there is really a very weak theoretical structure. The scaling laws are basically not working. People are not saying it. You will hear a lot about scaling, but Ken Wilson for example, is giving up on scaling in turbulence, very early. This is the reason why I would like to urge people to go to this impossible difficult regime of fully developed turbulence to see whether for real questionslike the validity of the renormalization, numerical experiments can give us some insights and any hints for theoretical developments.
Worry alters speed-accuracy tradeoffs but does not impair sustained attention.

Abstract Worry has been experimentally linked to a range of cognitive consequences, including impairments in working memory, inhibition, and cognitive control. However, findings are mixed, and the effects of worry on other phenomenologically-relevant constructs, such as sustained attention, have received less attention. Potential confounds such as speed-accuracy tradeoffs have also received little attention, as have psychometric and related design considerations, and potential moderators beyond trait worry. The present study investigated the effects of experimentally-induced worry versus a neutral control condition on speed-accuracy tradeoff-corrected performance on a validated measure of sustained attention (88 participants; within-subjects). Moderation by trait worry and trait mindfulness was probed in confirmatory and exploratory analyses, respectively. Worry led to faster and less accurate responding relative to the neutral comparison condition. There was no main effect of condition or trait worry on sustained attention after accounting for speed-accuracy tradeoffs. In exploratory analyses, higher trait mindfulness was robustly related to better post-worry performance, including after controlling for trait worry, general distress, and post-neutral performance, and correction for multiple comparisons. Follow-up analyses exploring dissociable mindfulness facets found a robust relationship between present-moment attention and post-worry performance. Future research should experimentally manipulate mindfulness facets to probe causality and inform treatment development.
In-Situ Monitoring of Gas Molecules in Chromatography by Utilizing a Pressure Sensor

We report a novel concept and testing results of utilizing a pressure sensor as an in-situ gas sensor for a micro gas chromatography system. The pressure sensor utilized a phenomenon that instant viscosity variation by an injection of gas molecules into a background gas stream caused instant pressure transient thus making it feasible to the in-situ monitor gas molecules using a pressure sensor during gas chromatography operation. Such a concept of viscosity-to-pressure conversion was experimentally proven and implemented. The implemented pressure sensors at multiple locations successfully monitored the progress of gas molecules in separation in four serially connected micro columns. This pressure sensor based chromatogram generated 125.5 Pa of pressure for $0.5\ \mu\mathrm{L}$ of hexane sample and showed a separation of hexane and heptane mixture with plate numbers of 93.68 and 244.69 respectively and with a separation distance and resolution of 30.5 and 2.4 respectively. The separation distance and resolution were 0.86 and 1.45 times to that of in FID separation, indicating no significant pressure sensor influences on separation.
Extract-stent-replace for treatment of upper baffle stenosis with pacing leads after atrial switch procedures for transposition of the great arteries: An approach to avoid "jailing" the lead.

Introduction Venous stenosis is a late complication of the atrial switch (Mustard/Senning) procedure seen in patients with transposition of the great arteries ( d-TGA). Many atrial switch patients require cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) which further increases the incidence of venous stenosis. Stenosis of the superior limb of the systemic venous pathway (SLSVP) in the presence of CIED leads presents a management challenge. We propose a method for navigating SLSVP stenosis in atrial switch patients with CIEDs. Methods The pulse generator and leads were removed using standard extraction techniques. Axillary access was retained via existing leads or new access was obtained. The interventional cardiology team, via groin access, performed stent-angioplasty of the stenotic SLSVP. After stent deployment, the axillary access wire was snared from below, guided through the stent, and pulled into a long groin sheath. A sheath was then advanced over the axillary wire and into the groin sheath creating a path for passage of leads through the stent. New leads were advanced through the axillary sheath into the heart. Leads were secured using standard techniques. Results All patients had a history of d-TGA and prior atrial switch procedures. In each case, there was stenosis of the SLSVP in the setting of a CIED lead. There were no immediate complications and there was no restenosis on follow-up. Conclusion Post-atrial switch patients with CIEDs can develop stenosis of the SLSVP. A collaboration between electrophysiology and interventional cardiology can allow for device extraction, stent-angioplasty, and lead reimplantation to avoid "jailing" the leads.
Regulation of Cellular Stress Signaling in Bladder Ischemia

Introduction The etiology of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with non-obstructed non-neurogenic bladder remains largely unknown. Clinical studies divulged a significant correlation between reduced bladder blood flow and low bladder compliance. Animal models of bladder ischemia displayed structural modifications, characterized by loss of smooth muscle cells and accumulation of connective tissue in the bladder wall. The underlying mechanisms contributing to structural damage in bladder ischemia remain largely elusive. We previously reported that structural modifications in bladder ischemia correlate with upregulated stress proteins and cell survival signaling, suggesting the potential role of cellular stress in ischemic damage. However, stress response molecules and downstream pathways eliciting bladder damage in ischemia remain largely undetermined. Methods Using a rat model of bladder ischemia along with a cell culture hypoxia model, we investigated stress signaling molecules in the ischemic bladder tissues and hypoxic bladder smooth muscle cells. Results Our data suggest simultaneous upregulation of two major cellular stress-sensing molecules, namely apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and caspase-3, implying degenerative insult via stress signaling pathway in bladder ischemia. Consistent with bladder ischemia, incubation of cultured human bladder smooth muscle cells at low oxygen tension increased both ASK1 and caspase-3 expression, insinuating hypoxia as an essential factor in ASK1 and caspase-3 upregulation. Gene deletion of ASK1 by ASK1 siRNA in cultured smooth muscle cells prevented caspase-3 upregulation by hypoxia, suggesting caspase-3 regulation by ASK1 under the ischemic/hypoxic conditions. Upregulation of ASK1 and caspase-3 in rat bladder ischemia and human bladder smooth muscle cell hypoxia was associated with subcellular structural modifications consistent with the initial stages of apoptotic insult. Conclusion Our data suggest that stress sensing by ASK1 and caspase-3 may contribute to subcellular structural damage and low bladder compliance. The ASK1/caspase-3 pathway may provide therapeutic targets against cellular stress and degenerative responses in bladder ischemia.
Miocene to Pleistocene glacial history of West Antarctica inferred from Nunatak geomorphology and cosmogenic-nuclide measurements on bedrock surfaces

We report geomorphic observations and cosmogenic-nuclide measurements on bedrock surfaces from three isolated nunatak groups in West Antarctica: the Pirrit Hills and Nash Hills, located in the Weddell Sea sector, and the Whitmore Mountains, located on the Ross-Weddell divide. The objectives of this paper are to (i) establish a chronology for landscape development at these sites and (ii) quantify the long-term history of ice-thickness variations in West Antarctica. These nunataks display relic alpine landscapes on which weathered bedrock surfaces are superimposed. In the Pirrit Hills, an erosional trimline is etched into alpine ridges and separates smooth-crested ridges below from serrated ridges above. Below the trimline, geomorphic evidence indicates repeated frozen-based ice cover, while above the trimline evidence for ice cover is entirely absent. There is also no geomorphic evidence for thicker-than-present ice at the Whitmore Mountains. Cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in the oldest bedrock surfaces from the Whitmore Mountains and from above the Pirrit Hills trimline indicate uninterrupted exposure for ∼12 Myr at extraordinarily low erosion rates. This places a lower limit on the timing of the formation of alpine landscapes in West Antarctica, and we hypothesize that this occurred during the relatively warm climates prior to the mid-Miocene cooling. The absence of evidence for thicker ice at the Whitmore Mountains is consistent with the hypothesis that the divide was typically thinner than present during Pleistocene glacial periods due to reduced accumulation. Bedrock surfaces below the trimline have much lower nuclide concentrations and are most easily explained by a scenario of repeated frozen-based ice cover and occasional subglacial plucking, which is consistent with geomorphic observations. Bedrock surfaces near the modern ice level appear to have been covered more than half of the time, while higher elevation surfaces indicate progressively less cover. The trimline and associated geomorphic features are very similar to a prominent trimline in the Ellsworth Mountains, and we conclude that these are, in fact, part of the same feature. The Ellsworth trimline is hypothesized to have formed during the mid-Miocene cooling and the transition from alpine to continental glaciation, and our results are consistent with this hypothesis.
Let's Get This Bread: A Study of Cottage Food Laws and How Cottage Bakers are Baking the Way to Sustainability

This paper provides a two-part analysis showing how cottage bakers are the newest key players in a sustainable, cradle-to-grave bread movement. The first part gives an illustrative analysis of the different cottage food laws among states and breaks down the impact that different restrictions within cottage food laws can have on cottage bakers. It also emphasizes how cottage food laws have allowed bread bakers to enter the local market that otherwise would be laden with higher financial and regulatory barriers. The second part analyzes the federal programs that provide support and funding for establishing the infrastructure needed to create local grain economies. This highlights the relatively new Local Food Promotion Program grant that has been used by several entities for a local grain economy's infrastructure. The conclusion brings the two-part analysis together to show that conditions are ripe for wheat to become sustainable and local. The most exciting part? These laws and this movement are still in their infancy and should be watched closely. The hope is that putting out this research will help shed light on the real-life and tangible impacts of cottage food laws, and how they can be improved to further support these systemic changes.
Evolving Surgical Management for Early-Onset Scoliosis in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 Given Improvements in Survival.

Case We present a case of an 18-month-old child with early-onset scoliosis in the setting of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 whose rapidly progressive scoliosis is successfully managed with magnetic growing rods, the youngest age of implantation in a patient with SMA we are currently aware of. Technical challenges, complications, and outcome are described in this case presentation. Conclusion Patients with SMA type 1 and early-onset scoliosis can be managed with growing-rod constructs given dramatic improvements in medical care that have expanded life expectancy.
Spatial and temporal baseline of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid retained in sediment core samples from Puget Sound, Washington, USA

Abstract Per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of highly persistent synthetic chemicals utilized in many industrial and consumer products, and — significantly toward introduction to the marine environment — in fire-fighting foams. Recently, PFAS have been linked to adverse health effects, prompting the need to better understand transport, lability, and fate. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), a manufactured PFAS and biodegradation product, partitions to marine sediments and thus can be used as a primary indicator toward regulatory efforts. The current study offers a spatial and temporal analysis of Puget Sound from cores collected adjacent Tacoma and Seattle, WA, as well as cores from central Hood Canal and Carr Inlet. Temporal fluxes reflected releases into the environment corresponding with initial production and subsequent increases in use. Biologically active layers ranged from 434 pg/g (Carr Inlet) to 824 pg/g (Hood Canal) PFOS, producing benthic community risk quotients between 0.11 and 0.17.
Dynamic adaptation of bandwidth granularity for multipath routing in elastic optical OFDM networks

We introduce the concept of bandwidth granularity dynamic adaptation for spectrum allocation using multipath provisioning in elastic optical OFDM networks. Results show that dynamic bandwidth adaptation significantly improves the performance in terms of throughput and blocking probability.
Competition between Phosphate and Protons on Phosphorylation and Cation Exchange in Chloroplasts

Abstract Protons, AsO=4, and NH+4 are competitive inhibitors of Pi in the oxidative esterification of Pi in chloroplasts. Pi, AsO=4, NH+4, and other monovalent cations are competitive inhibitors of H+ in the cation-H+ exchange reaction of chloroplasts. Since Pi and protons compete for the same electron-activated fixed anionic sites in chloroplasts, it is proposed that the initial energy-requiring step in oxidative phosphorylation is the removal, or activation, of the proton from bound magnesium Pi by the passage of an electron through a semiconducting anionic lattice, possibly acidic lipids, within chloroplasts.
Electron Transfer from α-Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide to Flavoprotein, Cytochromes, and Mixed Function Oxidases of Rat Liver Microsomes

Abstract Cytochrome b5 of rat liver microsomes is reduced by α-NADH; the extent of reduction is equal to that obtained with β-NADH. With both nucleotides, the rates of reduction of cytochrome b5 are very fast; alternatively, rates of reduction of cytochrome c and dichloroindophenol have been measured. The rates observed with α-NADH are about 10% of the rates observed with β-NADH. Conditions have been established for the measurement of first order kinetic parameters in these reductions: Km of α- and β-NADH are 13.0 and 3.3 µm for cytochrome c reductase activity and 5.1 and 6.7 µm, respectively, for dichloroindophenol reduction. Three lines of evidence suggest that α-NADH and β-NADH may reduce cytochrome c and dichloroindophenol via the same microsomal flavoprotein. (a) There is competition between α- and β-NADH. (b) The relative rates of cytochrome c reduction are diminished equally for α- and β-NADH when the enzyme is inhibited or denatured. (c) The relative rates of reduction of both cytochrome c and dichloroindophenol are increased equally for α- and β-NADH when microsomal cytochrome b5 reductase is enriched. Both α- and β-NADH are electron donors to cytochrome P-450 in microsomes. The initial rates of reduction of cytochrome P-450 by α- and β-NADH are equal (K = 0.126 min-1) and considerably slower than reduction by NADPH. In a second, slower phase of cytochrome P-450 reduction, the rate is somewhat less rapid with α-NADH (K = 0.030 min-1) than with β-NADH (K = 0.042 min-1). Compared to β-NADH and NADPH, α-NADH is a more efficacious donor of electrons for microsomal mixed function oxidation of a methyl sterol intermediate of cholesterol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the substrate-independent rate of oxidation of α-NADH is very slow (10% of β-NADH). To date, only diaphorase-like activities have been reported for oxidation of α-NADH. Although the present report shows clearly that α-NADH may function as an electron donor to microsomal mixed function oxidases, the physiological significance of these findings remains obscure because enzymic reduction of α-NAD+ has not yet been reported.
Appreciative GIS and Strength‐Based Community Change

Problem-solving is embedded deeply in the digital DNA of GIS. Most projects involving GIS 1.0 and 2.0 raise community weaknesses, failures and other problems and use them to motivate change. The projects often create a future that does not differ greatly from the past or last long. Although looking into community problems is important and sometimes necessary, the steps of problem-solving do not always leave people feeling happy. To inspire communities to create change based on their strengths and achievements, and to provide better participant experience, this article develops the concept of a new form of GIS called Appreciative GIS (AGIS). AGIS are grounded in the affirmative premise that every community, however challenged, is gifted with certain assets, potentials and strengths which, when effectively exploited, can take that community to a better and sustainable future. Based on Earth's internal structure, the article develops a useful layered community model where crust, mantle and core strata represent the community's body, life-draining and life-giving elements in that order. The model helps explain the different views of the community from current GIS and AGIS perspectives. A Total GIS (TGIS) cube is also developed and used to indicate that current GIS commonly focus on elements of the mantle or what we do not have, what we cannot do and what makes us weak. AGIS, on the other hand, dig up the core and cultivate what we have, what we can possibly do and what makes us strong. In a significant departure from the linear approach of problem-solving, the article suggests implementing AGIS through a 7G cyclical method. The article contends that although AGIS may not be the whole enchilada, they can serve as a beacon of hope and a powerful source of inspiration especially for individuals and groups who are perceived or made to perceive themselves as dysfunctional, weak or poor.
Phospholipase A(2) in rabbit tears: a host defense against Staphylococcus aureus.

PURPOSE. This study analyzed rabbit tears for anti-staphylococcal activity, the role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in this reaction, and the ability of enzyme inhibitors to promote bacterial survival. METHODS. Contact lenses with Staphylococcus aureus were applied to scarified rabbit eyes. The colony-forming units (CFU) per cornea or lens were determined and pathology was scored by slit-lamp examination (SLE). The bactericidal activity was measured by incubating bacteria with rabbit tears or PLA2 at 33° or 37°C. Radiolabeled S. aureus was incubated with PLA2 or tears to quantify the release of a membrane component that was identified by thin-layer chromatography. Inhibitors of these reactions were also analyzed. RESULTS. Application of Staphylococcus, on contact lenses, to rabbit corneas resulted in bacterial killing and limited inflammation. Incubation of tears and bacteria (1:1; v/v) in tryptic soy broth at 33°C decreased CFU approximately 4 logs. Tears ($30 ml) or PLA2 ($30 U) incubated with bacteria in phosphatebuffered saline were bactericidal. PLA2 ($0.2 U) or tears ($2 ml) cleaved bacterial membranes, liberating arachidonic acid. Spermidine or tetracaine inhibited cleavage of bacterial membranes by tears or PLA2 and spermidine promoted bacterial survival and growth in tears. Tears (60 ml) killed .99% of the bacterial inoculum, whereas bacteria incubated in tears plus spermidine approximately doubled in number. CONCLUSIONS. PLA2 in rabbit tears kills Staphylococcus by hydrolyzing bacterial membranes to release arachidonic acid. Spermidine and tetracaine inhibited PLA2 activity and spermidine protected Staphylococcus from PLA2 in rabbit tears. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42:2347‐2354)
Perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: a multi-institutional series.

Objective To review a multi-institutional series of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RANU) for management of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUTUC) with respect to technique and perioperative outcomes. Patients and Methods Between May 2007 and July 2011, 43 RANU were performed at three institutions for UUTUC with review of perioperative outcomes. A three- or four-armed robotic technique was used in all cases based on surgeon preference and the entirety of all procedures was performed using the robot-assisted technique. Single and two robot-docking techniques are described. Results The mean (range) operating time was 247 (128–390) min, blood loss was 131 (10–500) mL and the median (range) length of stay was 3 (2–87) days. Pathology was pTa in nine patients, pT1 in 14 patients, pT2 in three patients, pT3 in 15 patients and pT4 in two patients. Lymph node dissection was performed in 22 patients (51%) with a mean (range) lymph node count of 11 (4–23). There were six postoperative complications: bleeding requiring a blood transfusion (grade II), splenic bleeding (grade IV), two cases of pneumonia (grade II) and two cases of rhabdomyolysis (grades II and IV). Nine recurrences (six bladder, two within the retroperitoneum and one in the contralateral collecting system) have been found to date on routine surveillance with a mean follow-up of 9 months. Conclusions RANU is a feasible alternative to laparoscopic and open techniques. Particular steps of the operation including sutured closure of the cystotomy and regional lymphadenectomy are facilitated with the use of robot-assisted surgery. Long-term outcomes are necessary to assess the relative efficacy of these approaches to more established techniques; however, early perioperative outcomes appear promising.
Infinite Structures in Information Theory

The idea of infinite structures, even of continua, in information theory is not a new one [K056]. This note is devoted to infinite one-time pads [BL81] and an infinite projective geometric [BL79] threshold scheme. Perhaps an infinite structure can be better understood than its finite analog if it is amenable to investigation by methods from calculus or harmonic analysis. It is conceivable that an existing error control code, pool/split/restitute process [AS82], or cryptosystem can be better understood by examining an infinite version.
The Potential Impact of Droplet Microfluidics in Biology

Droplet microfluidics, which involves micrometer-sized emulsion droplets on a microfabricated platform, is an active research endeavor that evolved out of the larger field of microfluidics. Recently, this subfield of microfluidics has started to attract greater interest because researchers have been able to demonstrate applications of droplets as miniaturized laboratories for biological measurements. This perspective explores the recent developments and the potential future biological applications of droplet microfluidics.
Sensilla basiconica (grooved pegs) on the antennae of female mosquitoes: electrophysiology and morphology

The sensilla basiconica or grooved pegs of mosquitoes consist of two morphologically and functionally distinct classes. Short grooved pegs house sensory cells that are excited by lactic acid whereas lactic acid-excited cells are absent in long grooved pegs. This correlation was found in four species of mosquito examined: Aedes aegypti, Aedes atropalpus, Aedes epactius, and Culex pipiens. In Aedes epactius, both short and long grooved pegs house receptors that are sensitive to butyric acid.
Making sensors out of disarray: optical sensor microarrays

ABSTRACT We present a new approach to array fabrication for multianalyte sensing. Sensor arrays areprepared in a random fashion such that each sensor in the array occupies a different location from fiber tofiber. Using optical encoding schemes, the identity of each sensor can be ascertained and registered on the detector. The approach alleviates the need for preregistration of each sensing element during the array fabrication process. 1. INTRODUCTION The need to measure multiple pieces of chemical information simultaneously has spawned thedevelopment of various sensor arrays. Previously in our laboratory, multianalyte sensor arrays have beenfabricated using fluorescence indicators and an optical imaging fiber which provides spatial resolution ofdiscrete sensing regions. Imaging fibers comprise thousands (e.g., 3,000 - 100,000) of hexagonally-packed, individual optical fibers. These fibers are melted and drawn together in a coherent manner suchthat each fiber in the array carries its own, isolated optical signal from one end of the fiber to the other' 2
Biological and social predictors of immune senescence in the aged primate

The transition to geriatric status occurs at around 20 years of age in monkeys after which there is typically a decline in immune responses. However, the loss in immune vigor may be quite dissociated from chronological age in some of these long-lived animals. The degree to which natural killer (NK) cell activity is sustained in aged monkeys has proven to be a valuable prognostic of ultimate health and longevity. Another useful biomarker of cellular aging in the monkey is interleukin-6 (IL-6) release. For example, when endothelial cell cultures were generated from cerebral blood vessels, those derived from aged donors produced significantly more IL-6 in response to IL-1, LPS, and hypoxia. Despite this evidence of intrinsic aging, we have found that immune responses in old animals are quite responsive to contemporaneous conditions, including changes in housing or the first onset of illness. Indeed, these changes, especially the pathological processes associated with disease, may promote many age-related immune alterations at the end of the life span.
The quantitation of liver cytochrome P450—LM2 mRNA in rabbits of different ages and after phenobarbital treatment

Using very young (neonate or 0 day), 50-, 100-, 300- and 830-day-old rabbits we have studied changes in liver drug-metabolizing activities. Total liver microsomal cytochrome P450 content, benzphetamine N-demethylase and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activities all decline with increasing age. When the rabbits of different age groups were pretreated with phenobarbital, liver microsomal enzyme activities increased in each group as compared with its control, but the total induced activities still decreased with increasing age. Using a specific assay for translatable cytochrome P450-LM2 mRNA, we show that the age-dependent decrease in control and phenobarbital-induced enzyme activities is due to a decrease in the levels of translatable mRNA specific for cytochrome P450-LM2. This is the first report on an age-dependent decrease in the level of a specific translatable mRNA. We do not know whether this decrease is due to decreased mRNA synthesis, or increased mRNA degradation.
Dilution of compatibility effects in Simon-type tasks depends on categorical similarity between distractors and diluters

The presence of a distracting stimulus during performance of the Stroop color-naming task leads to dilution of the Stroop effect. Because the automatic activation of word meaning may interfere with the task-relevant stimulus feature (text color; stimulus-stimulus [S-S] interference) and the response (saying the text color; stimulus-response [S-R] interference), it is unclear which of these types of interference is diluted. We introduce a new dilution paradigm using word- and arrow-based Simon tasks, in which only S-R interference is present. Participants made a left or right response to a central color target. A task-irrelevant location-word (Experiment 1) or arrow (Experiment 2) distractor adjacent to the target produced S-R compatibility effects. An additional neutral word or symbol series (diluter) was sometimes presented on the opposite side of the target from the distractor. The compatibility effect was smaller when the distractor and diluter category domains matched than when they mismatched. This result provides evidence that S-R compatibility effects are susceptible to the presence of diluters that are categorically similar to the distractors.
Analysis of innate and acquired resistance to anti-CD20 antibodies in malignant and nonmalignant B cells

The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, provides a significant therapeutic benefit for patients with B-cell disorders. However, response to therapy varies and relapses are common, so an understanding of both inherited and acquired rituximab resistance is needed. In order to identify mechanisms of inherited resistance, sensitive versus resistant individuals were selected from a survey of 92 immortalized lymphoblastoid B-cell lines from normal individuals. Levels of CD20 protein and surface expression were lower in the resistant group. In contrast, CD20 mRNA levels were not correlated with susceptibility, suggesting regulation at a post-transcriptional level. To examine acquired resistance, resistant sublines were selected from both lymphoblastoid as well as lymphoma cell lines. Confirming previous findings, there was significant down-regulation of CD20 protein expression in all the resistant sublines. CD20 mRNA splice variants are reported to be associated with development of resistance. Three splice variants were observed in our cell lines, each lacking the binding epitope for rituximab, but none were associated with rituximab resistance. The second generation anti-CD20 mAb, ofatumumab, was more active compared with rituximab in vitro in the survey of all B-cell lines, mirroring results that have been reported previously with malignant B-cells. These studies show that normal B-lymphoblastoid cell lines can be used to model both innate and acquired mechanisms of resistance. They validate the important role of CD20 expression and enable future genetic studies to identify additional mediators of anti-CD20 mAb resistance.
Transient Overspeeding of Induction Motors

A transient swing above synchronous speed has been observed when a certain standard squirrel cage induction motor was started without load. This paper presents an explanation of the phenomenon based on the frequency modulation of the power supply caused by the rapid variation of the power taken from the line. Mathematical relations are developed and applied to the operating conditions of this motor. The agreement of the mathematical and test curves indicates that the explanation is basically correct although some secondary effects, not considered, may be present.
Effect of ascending an ordinary flight of stairs on the work of the heart; observations on normal individuals and on patients with coronary heart disease.

Observations of cardiac work were made in normal persons and in patients with coronary heart disease after ascending an ordinary staircase at various rates of speed. Cardiac output was calculated from records obtained with the low frequency, critically-damped ballistocardiograph. The results were compared, for statistical significance, with those noted following descent and after walking for an equivalent distance on the level. It appears that the compensated coronary patient can mount a flight of stairs leisurely without imposing a greatly increased burden of work on the heart. The optimal rate of ascent usually is the one chosen by the individual.
Management of ADR Reports at the FDA

The Office of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Division of Drug and Biologic Product Experience in the Center for Drugs and Biologics, FDA, receives about 40,000 reports each year from manufacturers and voluntarily from physicians and other health professionals. How well these reports are managed has direct public health implications. This paper reviews the current and proposed regulations on reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to the FDA, reports on an internal evaluation of the procedures used for processing ADR reports, and discusses organizational and procedural changes recently implemented that relate to managing ADR reports.
Narrating Injustice British Cultural Studies and Its Media

As a theoretical starting point, this article suggests a shift from media-as-text to media object-as-utterance (in the sense of the term as worked out by Bakhtin and Voloshinov). This is done to mo...
Training computer science teaching assistants: a seminar for new TAs

We describe a one-quarter seminar required of first-time teaching assistants in computer science. The seminar acclimates TAs to teaching undergraduates in the university, to departmental policies and to special problems and issues in teaching computer science. In addition to coverage of general issues surrounding teaching, the seminar includes many participatory exercises that relate specifically to the teaching of computer science. Participants in the seminar perform much better on student evaluations than non-participants.
A randomized experimental study of gender-responsive substance abuse treatment for women in prison

This experimental pilot study compared postrelease outcomes for 115 women who participated in prison-based substance abuse treatment. Women were randomized to a gender-responsive treatment (GRT) program using manualized curricula (Helping Women Recover and Beyond Trauma) or a standard prison-based therapeutic community. Data were collected from the participants at prison program entry and 6 and 12 months after release. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results indicate that both groups improved in psychological well-being; however, GRT participants had greater reductions in drug use, were more likely to remain in residential aftercare longer (2.6 vs. 1.8 months, p < .05), and were less likely to have been reincarcerated within 12 months after parole (31% vs. 45%, respectively; a 67% reduction in odds for the experimental group, p < .05). Findings show the beneficial effects of treatment components oriented toward women's needs and support the integration of GRT in prison programs for women.
Aggravation of arrhythmia by antiarrhythmic drugs—Incidence and predictors

Aggravation of arrhythmia by antiarrhythmic drugs is a potentially serious complication. In over 1,287 noninvasive drug studies involving 11 antiarrhythmic drugs, arrhythmia aggravation occurred in 117 tests (9%). During 248 electrophysiologic tests, 45 cases (18%) of aggravation occurred. In an attempt to define predictors of this complication, 51 patients with aggravated arrhythmia were compared with 102 patients without this complication. Arrhythmia aggravation was not associated with age, sex, type or extent of heart disease, baseline electrocardiogram, drug-induced changes on electrocardiogram or density of baseline arrhythmia on monitoring or exercise testing. Aggravation with 1 drug did not predict occurrence with another drug of the same class. The only statistically important relation was the type of presenting arrhythmia. Patients with a history of a sustained tachyarrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) had a risk of this complication that was 2.5 times greater than that of patients presenting with only nonsustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular premature beats (p = 0.01). There was also a relation to the presence of left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.04). For the most part, however, aggravation of arrhythmia is not predictable, and cautious use of antiarrhythmic drugs is essential.
Students' Acquisition and Use of School Condoms in a High School Condom Availability Program

A questionnaire administered to 1112 students at an urban high school in California (US) confirmed that school-based condom distribution programs can have a significant effect on contraceptive usage. Condoms were available without restrictions from baskets throughout the school. During the first year of the program 48% of students surveyed took condoms from this source and another 5% obtained them from another student. Condom acquirers included 70% of sexually active students and 38% of virgins. More than two-thirds of sexually active ninth graders compared with half of sexually active seniors took condoms suggesting such programs are used most by younger students with limited access to other sources of contraception. 54% of students who took condoms and 78% of non-virgins actually used them for sexual activity primarily vaginal intercourse. Among all students who had vaginal intercourse in the previous year 55% had used condoms obtained from school. Many virgins had manipulated the condoms (e.g. removed the condom from the packet or placed it on the penis)--an exercise that may increase the likelihood of later condom use. 88% of students believed that schools should distribute condoms and 75% of these respondents approved of the way their school handled its condom distribution program. Many students indicated they would feel less embarrassed about taking condoms if they were available in school bathrooms. They further indicated that any requirement for parental consent would greatly restrict program acceptance.