cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Routine Use of a Bougie Improves First-Attempt Intubation Success in the Out-of-Hospital Setting.

Study objective The bougie is typically treated as a rescue device for difficult airways. We evaluate whether first-attempt success rate during paramedic intubation in the out-of-hospital setting changed with routine use of a bougie. Methods A prospective, observational, pre-post study design was used to compare first-attempt success rate during out-of-hospital intubation with direct laryngoscopy for patients intubated 18 months before and 18 months after a protocol change that directed the use of the bougie on the first intubation attempt. We included all patients with a paramedic-performed intubation attempt. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between routine bougie use and first-attempt success rate. Results Paramedics attempted intubation in 823 patients during the control period and 771 during the bougie period. The first-attempt success rate increased from 70% to 77% (difference 7.0% [95% confidence interval 3% to 11%]). Higher first-attempt success rate was observed during the bougie period across Cormack-Lehane grades, with rates of 91%, 60%, 27%, and 6% for Cormack-Lehane grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 views, respectively, during the control period and 96%, 85%, 50%, and 14%, respectively, during the bougie period. Intubation during the bougie period was independently associated with higher first-attempt success rate (adjusted odds ratio 2.82 [95% confidence interval 1.96 to 4.01]). Conclusion Routine out-of-hospital use of the bougie during direct laryngoscopy was associated with increased first-attempt intubation success rate.
Multiscale modeling of blood flow to assess neurological complications in patients supported by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Computational blood flow models in large arteries elucidate valuable relationships between cardiovascular diseases and hemodynamics, leading to improvements in treatment planning and clinical decision making. One such application with potential to benefit from simulation is venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), a support system for patients with cardiopulmonary failure. VA-ECMO patients develop high rates of neurological complications, partially due to abnormal blood flow throughout the vasculature from the VA-ECMO system. To better understand these hemodynamic changes, it is important to resolve complex local flow parameters derived from three-dimensional (3D) fluid dynamics while also capturing the impact of VA-ECMO support throughout the systemic arterial system. As high-resolution 3D simulations of the arterial network remain computationally expensive and intractable for large studies, a validated, multiscale model is needed to compute both global effects and high-fidelity local hemodynamics. In this work, we developed and demonstrated a framework to model hemodynamics in VA-ECMO patients using coupled 3D and one-dimensional (1D) models (1D→3D). We demonstrated the ability of these multiscale models to simulate complex flow patterns in specific regions of interest while capturing bulk flow throughout the systemic arterial system. We compared 1D, 3D, and 1D→3D coupled models and found that multiscale models were able to sufficiently capture both global and local hemodynamics in the cerebral arteries and aorta in VA-ECMO patients. This study is the first to develop and compare 1D, 3D, and 1D→ 3D coupled models on the larger arterial system scale in VA-ECMO patients, with potential use for other large scale applications.
Emotion regulation in the face of loss: How detachment, positive reappraisal, and acceptance shape experiences, physiology, and perceptions in late life.

How individuals regulate emotions in the face of loss has important consequences for well-being and health, but we know little about which emotion regulation strategies are most effective for older adults for whom loss is ubiquitous. The present laboratory-based study examined effects of three emotion regulation strategies (i.e., detachment, positive reappraisal, or acceptance in response to film clips depicting loss) on subjective emotional experiences, physiology, and perceptions of emotion regulation success and motivation in healthy older adults (N = 129, age range = 64-83). Results showed that, first, detachment decreased emotional experiences across the board; positive reappraisal decreased negative and increased positive emotional experiences; while acceptance did not alter emotional experiences. Second, detachment decreased physiological arousal (driven by increases in interbeat interval and decreases in respiration rate) whereas positive reappraisal and acceptance did not alter physiological arousal compared with "just watch" trials. Third, individuals felt most successful and willing to put forth their best effort when implementing acceptance, while they felt least successful and least willing to put forth their best effort for positive reappraisal. These findings illuminate longstanding discussions regarding how individuals can best regulate emotions in the face of loss. They show that older adults can regulate their emotional experiences and (to a lesser extent) their physiology with detachment numbing emotional experiences and decreasing physiological arousal; positive reappraisal brightening emotional experiences; and acceptance resulting in the highest perceptions of success and motivation. Thus, each emotion regulation strategy appears to be most effective in specific domains for older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Statewide Ambulance Coverage of a Mixed Region of Urban, Rural and Frontier under Travel Time Catchment Areas

This study examines the statewide service coverage of emergency medical services (EMS) in view of public health planners, policy makers, and ambulance service managers. The study investigates the statewide service coverage in a mixed region of urban, rural, and frontier regions to address the importance of ambulance service coverage at a large scale. The study incorporated statewide road networks for ambulance travel time, census blocks for population, and backup service coverage using geographic information systems (GIS). The catchment areas were delineated by the travel time after subtracting chute time for each Census Block as an analysis zone. Using the catchment areas from the ambulance base to the centroid of Census Block, the population and land coverage were calculated. The service shortage and multiple coverage areas were identified by the catchment areas. The study found that both reducing chute time and increasing the speed of emergency vehicles at the same time was significantly more effective than improving only one of two factors. The study shows that the service is improved significantly in frontier and urban areas by increasing driving time and chute time. However, in rural areas, the improvement is marginal owing to wider distribution than urban areas and shorter threshold response time than frontier areas. The public health planners and EMS managers benefit from the study to identify underserved areas and redistribute limited public resources.
Palliative Care for the Interstitial Lung Disease Patient a Must and Not Just a Need

Patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) have many unmet palliative care needs. The majority of patients with chronic ILD have poor access to a specialist in palliative medicine and that is due to several barriers. The mortality for the ILD patient is high and reaches up to 80% if admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure. Palliative care addresses symptoms in diseases where cure is unlikely or impossible. Palliative care consultation also ensures communication among patients, caregivers and providers regarding treatments, prognosis, and end of life planning. Methods: We performed a literature review on palliative care and ILD, accessing articles published since 2002. We found 71 articles related to the topic. We chose 37 that were most relevant and with no redundancy of information to include in this review. Objectives: Summarize the palliative care needs of patients with ILD, discuss the barriers to receiving palliative care, and summarize clinical practice for providing palliative care to this patient population.
Food Regulation in the United States

The two major food regulatory agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FDA’s food regulatory responsibilities include all foods except meat, poultry, and egg products. FSIS’s regulatory responsibilities include meat, poultry, and egg products. There are other federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and a few others that also periodically develop regulations associated with food, but food is not their primary focus. This chapter will review the different laws and responsibilities of the FDA and FSIS.
The Radical Conservatism of The Practice of Justice

The Practice ofJustice is a fundamental but in some ways also remarkably conservative-in the best sense of the word-critique of the prevailing system of lawyers' ethics and practices. It is fundamental, in the sense that William Simon razes to the ground the current structure of ethical rules and their presuppositions. It is conservative, in that he then shows how a system of lawyers' ethics can be rebuilt on its existing foundations, using existing construction materials-the ordinary working conceptions of law and justice that lawyers bring to bear in other aspects of their practices.
Error-correcting output codes: a general method for improving multiclass inductive learning programs

Multiclass learning problems involve finding a definition for an unknown function f(x) whose range is a discrete set containing k > 2 values (i.e., k "classes"). The definition is acquired by studying large collections of training examples of the form 〈Xi, f(Xi)〉. Existing approaches to this problem include (a) direct application of multiclass algorithms such as the decision-tree algorithms ID3 and CART, (b) application of binary concept learning algorithms to learn individual binary functions for each of the k classes, and (c) application of binary concept learning algorithms with distributed output codes such as those employed by Sejnowski and Rosenberg in the NETtalk system. This paper compares these three approaches to a new technique in which BCH error-correcting codes are employed as a distributed output representation. We show that these output representations improve the performance of ID3 on the NETtalk task and of backpropagation on an isolated-letter speech-recognition task. These results demonstrate that error-correcting output codes provide a general-purpose method for improving the performance of inductive learning programs on multiclass problems.
Causation, Control, and the Evolution of Complexity

It is not obvious that the concept of causation, in any of its many forms, has ever played a necessary role in the discovery of the laws of nature. Causation has a tortuous philosophical literature with no consensus in sight (e.g., Hart and Honore 1958; Bunge 1959; Taylor 1972), and modern physics has little interest in the concept. Nevertheless, causation is so ingrained in both the syntax and semantics of our natural language that we usually feel that events are somehow causally explained by almost any grammatically correct declarative statement that relates a noun and a verb phrase to the event: Why did the ball roll? Because John kicked the ball. Why did the ball bounce? Because the ball hit the post. In Aristotelian terms, the verb is a form of efficient cause, and either the subject or object can act as a material cause. If the subject happens to have a large brain we may also attribute a formal, teleological, or intentional cause to the event: Why did John kick the ball? Because John wanted a goal. As a child we figure out that these linguistic forms are transitive and always lead to a vicious circle or an infinite regress, but we are usually told that it is rude to continue to ask, “Why?” when presented with one proximal cause. The major weakness of the concept of causation is this Whorfian dependence on natural language. Thus, the richness and ambiguity of causal forms arises more from the richness and ambiguities of language than from any empirical necessity or from natural laws.
High resolution X-ray spectroscopy of active galactic nuclei

High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy has the potential to reveal a number of interesting features of active galactic nuclei, primarily, though not exclusively, through the measurement of absorption lines. After a brief review of the principal problems of AGN research, selected potential high-resolution observations are discussed with a view toward assessing their scientific value and the degree of resolution they will require. Two classes of observations pertaining directly to AGNs are discussed: Fe Kα spectroscopy relevant to the dynamical and thermal character of the emission line zones; and measurement of resonance line absorption by highly-ionized species in BL Lac objects, which should tell us about entrainment of interstellar material by relativistic jets. A third class of potentially important observations uses AGNs as background light sources in order to directly measure the distance to clusters of galaxies.
From the Caribbean to the United States: transforming racial and ethnic self-identity

This paper presents a contextual analysis of race and ethnicity as it relates to Afro Caribbean and Cuban immigrants, and their reception and adaptation into the US. Particular attention is given to racial and ethnic self-identification in the US, and the ways in which definitions of race become blurred cross nationally, and further impact the process of assimilation. Both classical and contemporary theories of assimilation are employed in the study to explore issues such as social mobility, discrimination and exclusion amongst Caribbean immigrants within the dominant culture.
Cataract extraction and lens implantation with and without trabeculectomy: an intrapatient comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cataract extraction and lens implantation combined with trabeculectomy provides better long-term results than cataract extraction and lens implantation alone in a group of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and cataract randomly selected to receive surgery with trabeculectomy in one eye and without in the other. METHODS: A prospective, randomized clinical trial involving 35 patients with bilateral symmetric primary open-angle glaucoma and visually disabling cataracts with procedures performed by a single surgeon in a private practice setting with follow-up for more than 5 years in all cases. RESULTS: After an average of 87 months of follow-up, cataract extraction and lens implantation reduced intraocular pressure 4.4 mm Hg, reduced number of medications by 1.28, increased diopter vector of astigmatism by 1.49, and was associated with visual field loss in 6 of 35 eyes. After an average of 80 months of follow-up, cataract extraction, lens implantation, and trabeculectomy reduced intraocular pressure 8.2 mm Hg, reduced number of medications by 1.76, increased diopter vector of astigmatism by 1.14, and was associated with visual field loss in 1 eye. Both groups had similar improvement in visual acuity and perioperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Extracapsular cataract extraction, lens implantation, and trabeculectomy is a complex procedure that was beneficial in the long-term control of intraocular pressure and in prevention of visual field loss. This procedure should be considered in patients who may not be able to comply with a complex medical regimen, in whom pressure elevation in the immediate postoperative period would be undesirable, or in whom long-term pressure control at a lower level would be beneficial in preventing further optic nerve damage.
Health Facts, Fads, and Frauds — A Unit for High School Students

(1956). Health Facts, Fads, and Frauds — A Unit for High School Students. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 27, No. 9, pp. 19-30.
Subcutaneous adipose cell size and distribution: relationship to insulin resistance and body fat.

Objective Metabolic heterogeneity among obese individuals may be attributable to differences in adipose cell size. We sought to clarify this by quantifying adipose cell size distribution, body fat, and insulin-mediated glucose uptake in overweight to moderately-obese individuals. Methods A total of 148 healthy nondiabetic subjects with BMI 25-38 kg/m2 underwent subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies and quantification of insulin-mediated glucose uptake with steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentrations during the modified insulin suppression test. Cell size distributions were obtained with Beckman Coulter Multisizer. Primary endpoints included % small adipose cells and diameter of large adipose cells. Cell-size and metabolic parameters were compared by regression for the whole group, according to insulin-resistant (IR) and insulin-sensitive (IS) subgroups, and by body fat quintile. Results Both large and small adipose cells were present in nearly equal proportions. Percent small cells was associated with SSPG (r = 0.26, P = 0.003). Compared to BMI-matched IS individuals, IR counterparts demonstrated fewer, but larger large adipose cells, and a greater proportion of small-to-large adipose cells. Diameter of the large adipose cells was associated with % body fat (r = 0.26, P = 0.014), female sex (r = 0.21, P = 0.036), and SSPG (r = 0.20, P = 0.012). In the highest versus lowest % body fat quintile, adipose cell size increased by only 7%, whereas adipose cell number increased by 74%. Conclusions Recruitment of adipose cells is required for expansion of body fat mass beyond BMI of 25 kg/m2. Insulin resistance is associated with accumulation of small adipose cells and enlargement of large adipose cells. These data support the notion that impaired adipogenesis may underlie insulin resistance.
Reconstructing Ancient DNA Sequences in Silico

The increasing number of mammalian genome sequences becoming available provides scientists with dramatic opportunities to computationally reconstruct ancestral mammalian genomic sequences by comparing the genomes of living descendants. In this article, we review computational genome reconstruction methods in different scales, from base-level reconstruction to chromosomal rearrangement reconstruction. Keywords: genome reconstruction; substitution; insertion and deletion; rearrangement
Streaming architectures and technology trends

Modern technology allows the designers of today's processors to incorporate enormous computation resources into their latest chips. The challenge for these architects is to translate the increase in capability to an increase in performance. The last decade of graphics processor development shows that GPU designers have succeeded spectacularly at this task. In this chapter, we analyze the technology and architectural trends that motivate the way GPUs are built today and what we might expect in the future.
A rapid and efficient method for the screening of acid phosphatase 1 in young tomato seedlings, and for the identification of root-knot nematode species using miniaturized polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A relatively rapid and highly sensitive miniaturized polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique is described for the analysis of certain isozymes from single cotyledons of tomato seedlings and from single females of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.). Homogenates from single tomato cotyledons (7, 14, 21, and 28 days old) were electrophoresed and stained for acid phosphatase 1 (Aps 1) activity. Cotyledons from plants of all the above age groups showed good Aps 1 activity. Nondestructive screening for tomato Aps 1 is therefore feasible, using very small samples, from as young as 7-day-old tomato seedlings. This could be of important use in expediting root-knot nematode resistance (based on the Aps 1-linked resistance gene Mi) screening for breeding programs, or F1 testing for seed production purposes. In addition, the mini-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique was useful for determination of the Aps 1 allelic contribution to the total enzyme activity. The system was also used to detect malate dehydrogenase and esterase isozyme activity from single adult females of the four common root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne arenaria, M. hapla, M. incognita, and M. javanica, with equally good results, enabling species discrimination.
Assessment and Skill Remediation of Hyperlexic Children.

Assessment and remedial approaches derived from the field of learning disabilities were applied in two studies of hyperlexic children. Information-processing strengths and weaknesses of hyperlexic children were assessed in the first study, and the hypothesis that hyperlexic children have superior abilities to retain sound/symbol associations was investigated. Results supported this hypothesis, and indicated that the exceptional reading skills of hyperlexic children are not simply a result of repeated exposure to words. In the second study, a hyperlexic child's ability to decode words was used to increase her functional speech. Written prompts resulted in rapid increases in appropriate verbal responses in naturalistic settings. Furthermore, our results demonstrated maintenance and generalization of the positive effects of written prompts.
Optical effects of methylated hydrazine intercalation in lead iodide

Hydrazine and methylhydrazine were intercalated into polycrystalline thin films of lead iodide. Optical-band-edge shifts decreased with increasing methylation. This suggests a model whereby the polarization of the intercalate lowers and flattens the valence-band energy thereby increasing the fundamental band-gap energy.
Competition in Retinogeniculate Patterning Driven by Spontaneous Activity

When contacts are first forming in the developing nervous system, many neurons generate spontaneous activity that has been hypothesized to shape appropriately patterned connections. In Mustela putorius furo, monocular intraocular blockade of spontaneous retinal waves of action potentials by cholinergic agents altered the subsequent eye-specific lamination pattern of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The projection from the active retina was greatly expanded into territory normally belonging to the other eye, and the projection from the inactive retina was substantially reduced. Thus, interocular competition driven by endogenous retinal activity determines the pattern of eye-specific connections from retina to LGN, demonstrating that spontaneous activity can produce highly stereotyped patterns of connections before the onset of visual experience.
Supramolecular chemistry approach to the design of a high-resolution sensor array for multianion detection in water.

Reliable sensing of structurally similar anions in water is a difficult problem, and analytical tests and sensor devices for reliable sensing of multiple anions are very rare. This study describes a method for fabrication of simple colorimetric array-based assays for aqueous anion solutions, including complex analytes encountered in real-life applications. On the fundamental level, this method shows how the discriminatory capacity of sensor arrays utilizing pattern recognition operating in multianalyte environments may be dramatically improved by employing two key features. The synergy between the sensor and hydrogel host resembles the cooperative effects of an apoenzyme and cofactor: the host hydrogel helps extract the target anions from the bulk analyte while stripping the solvate molecules off the anions. In addition, the supramolecular studies of the affinity and selectivity of the potential sensors for target analytes allow for constructing an array predesigned for a particular analyte. To illustrat...
Asymptotic behaviors of a class of N-Laplacian Neumann problems with large diffusion

Abstract We study asymptotic behaviors of positive solutions to the equation e N Δ N u − u N − 1 + f ( u ) = 0 with homogeneous Neumann boundary condition in a smooth bounded domain of R N ( N ≥ 2 ) as e → ∞ . First, we study the subcritical case and show that there is a uniform upper bound independent of e ∈ ( 0 , ∞ ) for all positive solutions, and that for N ≥ 3 any positive solution goes to a constant in C 1 , α sense as e → ∞ under certain assumptions on f (see [W.-M. Ni, I. Takagi, On the Neumann problem for some semilinear elliptic equations and systems of activator–inhibitor type, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 297 (1986) 351–368] for the case N = 2 ). Second, we study critical case and show the existence of least-energy solutions. We also prove that for e ∈ [ 1 , ∞ ) there is a uniform upper bound independent of e for the least-energy solutions. As e → ∞ , we show that for N = 2 any least-energy solution must be a constant for sufficiently large e and for N ≥ 3 all least-energy solutions approach a constant in C 1 , α sense.
Channel reconstitution in liposomes and planar bilayers with HPLC-purified MIP26 of bovine lens.

The major intrinsic protein (MIP26) of bovine lens membranes, purified by HPLC, was incorporated into liposomes and planar bilayers. Permeability of MIP26 channels was studied in liposomes by a spectrophotometric osmotic-swelling assay, and channel electrical properties were monitored in planar bilayers following liposome fusion. Particle formation in liposomes was determined by freeze fracture. MIP26 channels were permeable to KCl and sucrose. In planar bilayers, channel-conductance transitions were observed only after addition of liposomes to both chambers and with voltages greater than ±20 mV. Channel open probability decreased progressively as voltage increased, and an open probability of 50% was at 60–80 mV, indicating that the channels are voltage dependent. Histograms of single-channel current amplitudes at 80 mV showed a Gaussian distribution that peaked at 10 pA (∼120 pS), after subtraction of 1 pA baseline current. Frequency distributions of open and closed times at 80 mV were single exponential functions with time constants of 0.13 and 1.9 sec, respectively. Open time constants ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 sec, and closed time constants ranged from 1 to 7 sec. Cs+ did not decrease conductance, but reduced mean open time from 0.2 to 0.038 sec and mean closed time from 1.5 to 0.38 sec. The increase in channel flickering with Cs+ occurred in bursts. TEA affected neither conductance nor kinetics. Channel events were also observed in Na+ solutions (zero K+). These data indicate that MIP26 channels are not K+-selective channels. Channel characteristics such as: permeability to molecules larger than small ions, conductance greater than 100 pS, long open and closed time constants, etc., are similar to those of gap junction channels.
Teacher Testing, Teacher Education, and Teacher Characteristics

School officials and legislators have long been concerned with the possibility of declining teacher quality (see e.g., Sean Corcoran et al., 2002). Beginning in the 1960's, states began testing prospective teachers in a direct effort to ensure that teachers meet minimum standards for basic skills and subject knowledge. By 1999, 41 states required applicants to pass some sort of standardized certification test. As a theoretical matter, however, the impact of such testing is ambiguous. Test requirements may establish a minimum achievement standard, as their proponents hope. On the other hand, testing and other certification requirements may deter some qualified applicants from teaching if these requirements are perceived as costly. This is the barriers-to-entry story first noted in the occupational licensing context by Milton F. Friedman and Simon Kuznets (1945). Another concern with job applicant testing is the possibility of an adverse impact on minority candidates, who usually do worse on tests (see David Autor and David Scarborough [2003] for a recent study). Paralleling increased state involvement in teacher certification is the increase in teachers' educational credentials, especially in public schools. For example, in 1971, over two-thirds of public-school teachers had a B.A., while only 27 percent had a master's or education specialist's degree. By 1991, however, over half of public school teachers (52.6 percent) had a master's or education specialist's degree. In contrast, the proportion of private-school teachers
Heavy-Ion Source for the Texas A&M 88-Inch Cyclotron

An internal cold-cathode PIG source has been developed at the Texas A&M cyclotron to accelerate high-charge state beams. It produces a variety of beams ranging from lithium to xenon, e. g., Li3+, Be3+, B4+ C5+ N6+, O6+, F7+, Ne7+, S8+, C18+, Ar9+, Fe8+, Zn8+, Kr7+ and Xe8+, with intensities of practical use (for instance 5.2 e?A for 14N5+). This source can be operated in dc or pulsed mode. The pulsed mode operation yields output currents for higher charge state beams greater by an order of magnitude or more compared to dc mode, although limits exist. A new gas system, consisting of a piezoelectric valve, has been utilized effectively for operation of the cold-cathode heavy-ion source. A simple ionization chamber was installed in the beam line to enable easy detection of low intensity beams.
Preventing the Predictable

Health care clinicians often rely upon a clinical ethicist's expertise to elucidate patient preferences when Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients refuse blood products or when there is ambiguity about a...
Women in National Legislatures: A Cross-National Analysis☆☆☆★

Abstract The representation of women in national legislatures across the globe remains small. Theoretical accounts of the variation that does exist have not been fully tested. I test social structural, political, and ideological hypotheses with a large cross-national sample for two cross-sectional time periods—1975 and 1988. A panel study across the two periods allows tests of lagged effects. The results show that political and ideological variables are strongly significant and that women's position in the social structure, although often hypothesized as important, is not.
A Rhetoric of Epistemic Privilege: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriot Stanton Blatch, and the Educated Vote

Recently, scholars have explored the empowering potential of epistemic privilege, a concept that refers to knowledge acquired through oppression as a privilege. Advancing these conversations, this article considers epistemic privilege as a rhetorical strategy. To explore the strategy’s potential and limits, this article turns to public letters exchanged between suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Harriot Stanton Blatch, in which the mother–daughter pair deliberated over the voting rights of the immigrant and working classes. Through this case study, this article finds that a rhetoric of epistemic privilege can work to empower multiple oppressed groups and yet reify power relationships.
From Feasting to Cuisine: Implications of Archaeological Research in an Early Honduran Village

Research at the site of Puerto Escondido in northern Honduras produced evidence of foodways in one of the earliest known villages in Central America. Much of the material recovered is related directly or indirectly to the production, preparation, and consumption of food. In everyday practice, the organization of food consumption in villages like this would have been central to the reproduction of social relations. In other early villages in Central America, the use of food for political ends has been given a causal role in the development of social stratification. Drawing on evidence for one particular food practice, the preparation and consumption of fermented and unfermented cacao beverages, we argue that it is through the elaboration of cuisine—regimes of taste and presentation—that food production, serving, and consumption played both of these roles.
Hypomorphic expression of Dkk1 in the doubleridge mouse: dose dependence and compensatory interactions with Lrp6

doubleridge is a transgene-induced mouse mutation displaying forelimb postaxial polysyndactyly. We have cloned the doubleridge transgene insertion site and demonstrate that doubleridge acts in cis from a distance of 150 kb to reduce the expression of dickkopf 1 ( Dkk1 ), the secreted Wnt antagonist. Expression of Dkk1 from the doubleridge allele ranges from 35% of wild-type level in E7.0 head to <1% of wild type in E13.5 tail. doubleridge homozygotes and doubleridge/ null compound heterozygotes are viable. An allelic series combining the wild-type, doubleridge and null alleles of Dkk1 demonstrates the effect of varying Dkk1 concentration on development of limb, head and vertebrae. Decreasing expression of Dkk1 results in hemivertebral fusions in progressively more anterior positions, with severity increasing from tail kinks to spinal curvature. We demonstrated interaction between Dkk1 and the Wnt coreceptors Lrp5 and Lrp6 by analysis of several types of double mutants. The polydactyly of Dkk1d/d mice was corrected by reduced expression of Lrp5 or Lrp6 . The posterior digit loss and axial truncation characteristic of Lrp6 null mice was partially corrected by reduction of Dkk1 . Similarly, the anterior head truncation characteristic of Dkk1 null mice was rescued by reduction of Lrp6 . These compensatory interactions between Dkk1 and Lrp6 demonstrate the importance of correctly balancing positive and negative regulation of Wnt signaling during mammalian development.
Washington and Bonn: dimensions of change in bilateral relations

In recent years efforts to account for changing patterns of alliance relationships have incorporated a growing number of insights and propositions derived from the analysis of “global interdependence.” These efforts have been complicated, on the one hand, by a lack of precision in providing operational definitions of the independent variables and, at a more fundamental level, by considerable ambiguity with respect to those types of changes which may be best explained in terms of these variables. An analysis of Washington-Bonn relations reveals a reasonably coherent pattern of changes with regard to four specific aspects of the relationship: 1) the nature of the alliance agenda ; 2) the structure of the relationship (i.e. the characteristic distribution of influence between alliance partners); 3) the operative procedural norms which regulate bilateral bargaining and negotiation; and 4) the institutional arrangements which have evolved for the coordination of alliance policy.
Integrated multimodal genetic testing of Ewing sarcoma - A single-institution experience

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive malignant small round cell tumor that arises in bone or soft tissue of adolescents and young adults. A characteristic molecular finding in ES is EWSR1 gene fusion with ETS (erythroblast transformation-specific) family genes including FLI1 (~90%) and ERG (>5%). Here we report our experience using integrated clinicopathologic, cytogenetic, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses of 32 pediatric patients with ES diagnosed in a single institution between 2005 and 2011. Diagnostic EWSR1 rearrangements were detected in 30 (93.8%) of 32 patients. Cytogenetics detected t(11;22) (n = 14) and t(21;22) (n = 1) in 15 (46.9%) patients. FISH detected EWSR1 rearrangements in 27 (96.4%) of 28 patients tested. RT-PCR was positive in 27 (84.4%) of 32 patients, including 24 EWSR1-FLI1 and 3 EWSR1-ERG. RT-PCR defined breakpoints and fusion partners in 7 cases with EWSR1 rearrangements detected by FISH. Sanger sequencing further delineated breakpoints in 21 (77.8%) of 27 RT-PCR positive cases. In summary, conventional cytogenetic analysis provided a global view but had a lower detection rate and longer turnaround time than other methods. FISH is a rapid method and theoretically can detect all EWSR1 rearrangements, but it cannot identify all partners and is not completely specific for ES. RT-PCR and sequencing are more sensitive and useful in identifying fusion partners and refining breakpoints; however, these methods can be compromised by poor RNA preservation and primer design. In conclusion, an integrated approach that uses all methods capable of detecting EWSR1 rearrangements has value in the workup of suspected cases of ES.
Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense

Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson, and Peter J. Vogt, directors; John W. Comerford, producer. Paradigm Studio, 2010 (originally a 2009 television series on DOC Channel via Dish or DIRECTV). DVD and vide...
Comparing Piezoelectric and Electroosmotic Micropumps for Biomedical Devices

A micropump is an essential component of a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip device, especially for their biomedical applications. Based on their actuation method to drive the fluid flow, pumps may be categorized as mechanical or non-mechanical devices. In our proposed paper, we will report our comparative study of the most promising micropumps in each of these categories: a piezoelectrically-actuated micropump (PAμP) and an electroosmotic micropump (EOμP). A PAμP requires relatively high applied voltage, but provides high flow rates and has emerged to be the dominant type of micropump in biomedical applications. A valveless diffuser-nozzle micropump, driven by an oscillating membrane, has an important advantage, since the fabrication of any additional moving part, such as a check valve, would add significantly to its cost and render a more failure-prone device. The piezoelectrically actuated, valveless micropumps use moving mechanical parts to pump fluid and control the flow with optimized actuation frequency and applied voltage. In the present study, the microflow-structure interaction in the PAμP is modeled using an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method including a parametric study of applied voltage and frequency. An EOμP consists of multiple micron-scale channels in parallel that are subjected to the electroosmotic effect. However, a major drawback in the conventional design of an EOμP is the need for a high driving voltage to increase the flow rate or to overcome the back pressure. In the present study, a low-voltage EOμP is proposed and computationally modeled. Our simulations are performed in order to study the low-voltage EOμP for its various flow rate and back pressure characteristics. In the proposed paper, we will discuss our comparisons of PAμP and EOμP, with respect to their actuation mechanisms, applied voltages, pump sizes, flow rates and back pressures.© 2008 ASME
Evolutionary paths to antibiotic resistance under dynamically sustained drug selection

Antibiotic resistance can evolve through the sequential accumulation of multiple mutations. To study such gradual evolution, we developed a selection device, the 'morbidostat', that continuously monitors bacterial growth and dynamically regulates drug concentrations, such that the evolving population is constantly challenged. We analyzed the evolution of resistance in Escherichia coli under selection with single drugs, including chloramphenicol, doxycycline and trimethoprim. Over a period of ∼20 days, resistance levels increased dramatically, with parallel populations showing similar phenotypic trajectories. Whole-genome sequencing of the evolved strains identified mutations both specific to resistance to a particular drug and shared in resistance to multiple drugs. Chloramphenicol and doxycycline resistance evolved smoothly through diverse combinations of mutations in genes involved in translation, transcription and transport. In contrast, trimethoprim resistance evolved in a stepwise manner, through mutations restricted to the gene encoding the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Sequencing of DHFR over the time course of the experiment showed that parallel populations evolved similar mutations and acquired them in a similar order.
2,2,2-Tris(pyrazol-1-yl)ethanol.

The title compound TPE, C11H12N6O, was prepared by slow evaporation from diethyl ether. In the crystal, there is a hydrogen bond between the alcohol H atom and an N in the pyrazole ring of a neighboring mol­ecule.
Methodology for Community Educational Study: How Appropriate Is Cluster Sampling?

AbstractThe question studied was whether opinions and attitudes of persons interviewed about educational interests and perceived needs at randomly selected geographic locations in a metropolitan area differed from those of three other persons living in the immediate vicinity. The study provides empirical information concerning the use of cluster sampling for this purpose in a metropolitan area compared to simple random sampling when a reliable list of population elements is available. With few insignificant exceptions, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups. Study precision might have been improved and resources conserved had more household units rather than clusters been selected.
Statistics and thermodynamics of fracture

A probabilistic model of the fracture processes unifying the phenomenological study of long term strength of materials, fracture mechanics and statistical approaches to fracture is briefly outlined. The general framework of irreversible thermodynamics is employed to model the deterministic side of the failure phenomenon. The stochastic calculus is used to account for thg failure mechanisms controlled by chance; particularly, the random roughness of fracture surfaces.
Gay and Lesbian Rights: A Reference Handbook by David E. Newton

It is challenging to capture a contemporary social movement in writing, especially the gay and lesbian rights movement in the 21st century. In the time it takes an author to finish writing, let alo...
Primary and secondary locations of charge sites in angiotensin II (M + 2H)2+ ions formed by electrospray ionization.

Abstract High-energy tandem mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics calculations are used to determine the locations of charge in metastably decomposing (M + 2H) 2+ ions of human angiotensin II. Charge-separation reactions provide critical information regarding charge sites in mutiply charged ions. The most probable kinetic energy released ( T m.p. ) from these decompositions are obtained using kinetic energy release distributions (KERDs) in conjunction with MS/MS (MS 2 ), MS/MS/MS (MS 3 ), and MS/MS/MS/MS (MS 4 ) experiments. The most abundant singly and doubly charged product ions arise from precursor ion structures in which one proton is located on the arginine (Arg) side chain and the other proton is located on a distal peptide backbone carbonyl oxygen. The MS 3 KERD experiments show unequivocally that neither the N-terminal amine nor the aspartic acid (Asp) side chain are sites of protonation. In the gas phase, protonation of the less basic peptide backbone instead of the more proximal and basic histidine (His) side chain is favored as a result of reduced coulomb repulsion between the two charge sites. The singly and doubly charged product ions of lesser abundance arise from precursor ion structures in which one proton is located on the Arg side chain and the other on the His side chain. This is demonstrated in the MS 3 and MS 4 mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy spectrometry experiments. Interestingly, (b ″ 7 + OH) 2+ product ions, like the (M + 2H) 2+ ions of angiotensin II, are observed to have at least two different decomposing structures in which charge sites have a primary and secondary location.
Jackknife minimum distance estimation

Abstract We propose a jackknife minimum distance estimator designed to reduce the finite-sample bias of the optimal minimum distance estimator. Monte Carlo results indicate that our jackknife minimum distance estimator is a promising alternative to existing minimum distance procedures.
Inversion schemes for sublithographic programmable logic arrays

A programmable logic array (PLA) needs its inputs available in both the positive and negative polarities. In lithographic-scale VLSI PLAs, programmable array logics (PALs) and programmable logic devices (PLDs) a buffer and inverter at the PLA input typically produces both polarities from a single polarity input. However, the extreme regularity required for sublithographic designs has driven nanoscale architectures to consider alternate solutions. Consequently, the authors compare three schemes: one based on producing both polarities in a restoration stage (selective inversion), one based on a local inversion stage and one based on a full dual-rail logic implementation. The authors develop a mapping flow for the dual-rail logic and quantify its cost in both logical product terms and physical implementation area and also develop area and timing models for all three schemes. Mapping benchmarks from the Toronto 20 set, the authors are able to show that the local inversion scheme is faster (less than one-fifth the latency), lower energy (one-half the energy) and comparable size to the selective inversion scheme and faster (less than half the latency), smaller (one-third of the area) and lower energy (one-ninth the energy) than the dual-rail scheme.
Sharp stability and approximation estimates for symmetric saddle point systems

We establish sharp well posedness and approximation estimates for variational saddle point systems at the continuous level. The main results of this note have been known to be true only in the finite dimensional case. Known spectral results from the discrete case are reformulated and proved using a functional analysis view, making the proofs in both cases, discrete and continuous, less technical than the known discrete approaches. We focus on analyzing the special case when the form is bounded, symmetric, and coercive, and the mixed form is bounded and satisfies a standard or LBB condition. We characterize the spectrum of the symmetric operators that describe the problem at the continuous level. For a particular choice of the inner product on the product space of , we prove that the spectrum of the operator representing the system at continuous level is . As consequences of the spectral description, we find the minimal length interval that contains the ratio between the norm of the data and the norm of th...
Pet-assisted therapy in the nursing home setting: Potential for zoonosis

Pet-assisted therapy in the nursing home setting, as a vital component of the Eden Alternative or Human Habitat program, is gaining widespread recognition and implementation. Programs such as this help to improve the quality of life of nursing home residents by offsetting resident loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. However, use of companion animals (and, frequently, birds and fish) may be associated with the introduction of infectious entities that are normally uncommon in this setting (zoonosis). Examples include psittacosis, bartonellosis, toxocariasis, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, pasturellosis, Q fever, and leptospirosis, to name but a few. Hence vigilance for unusual clinical manifestations that may herald such diseases is necessary. In addition, prevention of such illnesses by routine veterinary screening of both resident and visiting companion animals is mandatory. Infection control policies and procedures geared toward management and prevention of zoonotic illnesses should be developed and implemented in all nursing homes offering pet-assisted therapy.