Decolonising the film curriculum through South–North collaborative online international learning (COIL) initiatives

Collaborative online international learning (COIL), also known as ‘telecollaboration’ or ‘virtual exchange’ among other terms, has been employed as a strategy for internationalisation of the curriculum in various disciplines for several years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has provided renewed impetus. This article argues that it can offer an effective means to decolonise approaches to teaching film studies through South–North collaborations. In brief, COIL is a pedagogical approach that holds that ‘learning takes place through a distributed network of connections to other people and their resources, and formal and informal educational assets in the public domain’ (Reo and Russell, 2015: 64). In this article, we argue that a COIL approach with a South–North focus, partnering with a higher education institution in Latin America, would provide unique opportunities to decolonise the film curriculum, given the features of COIL. In 2020, two universities in Mexico, one in Brazil and one in Colombia founded the Latin American Network for COIL. To date, it comprises 135 institutional members, some of which have students from Indigenous backgrounds and are already actively engaged in decolonising the curriculum. Our article proposes ways to take this forward

Two Cases of Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA): A Multifaceted Condition Calling for a Multidisciplinary Approach

Silicone implants have been used for cosmetic enhancement and reconstructive purposes for over 60 years. Despite assiduous efforts to ensure safety, there is continuous evidence that they are not as biologically inert as previously postulated. We present two cases of autoimmune syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) in Hispanic women. The first patient developed biopsy-proven immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy that was successfully treated with the combination of silicone explantation along with immunosuppressive therapy. Findings after implant removal demonstrated rupture and leakage of silicone from gluteal implants. The second patient developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia in the setting of a ruptured silicone breast implant. Similarly, the patient was treated with corticosteroids followed by breast implant removal with complete resolution of symptoms. The successful treatment of these patients was achieved by collaboration between rheumatology and plastic surgery, which emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of patients with ASIA

Two Cases of Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA): A Multifaceted Condition Calling for a Multidisciplinary Approach

Silicone implants have been used for cosmetic enhancement and reconstructive purposes for over 60 years. Despite assiduous efforts to ensure safety, there is continuous evidence that they are not as biologically inert as previously postulated. We present two cases of autoimmune syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) in Hispanic women. The first patient developed biopsy-proven immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy that was successfully treated with the combination of silicone explantation along with immunosuppressive therapy. Findings after implant removal demonstrated rupture and leakage of silicone from gluteal implants. The second patient developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia in the setting of a ruptured silicone breast implant. Similarly, the patient was treated with corticosteroids followed by breast implant removal with complete resolution of symptoms. The successful treatment of these patients was achieved by collaboration between rheumatology and plastic surgery, which emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of patients with ASIA

A Variational Approach for Designing Infinite Impulse Response Filters With Time-Varying Parameters

Filter design with short transient state is a problem encountered in many fields of circuits, systems, and signal processing. In this paper, a novel low-pass filter design technique with time-varying parameters is introduced in order to minimize the rise-time parameter. Through the use of calculus of variations a method is developed to obtain the optimal closed-form expression for adjusting the parameters. In this context, two cases are addressed: the ideal case in which infinite bandwidth is required and a solution of finite bandwidth. The latter is obtained by means of a proper constraint formulation in the frequency domain. The proposed filter achieves the shortest rise time and allows better preservation of the edge shape in comparison with other existing filtering methods. The analysis, synthesis, and performance of the proposed system are discussed and illustrated with the aid of simulations

Atypical Lemierre’s syndrome caused by Prevotella oris

Lemierre’s syndrome is a rare form of severe sepsis secondary to oropharyngeal infection characterized by septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein with disseminated infections, with the lungs being the most frequent target. We report the case of a previously healthy 15-year-old admitted to the intensive care unit because of septic shock, brain and lung abscesses, and a positive blood culture for Prevotella oris with a clinical presentation compatible with the diagnosis of Lemierre’s syndrome. Conclusion: This is an atypical presentation of Lemierre’s syndrome because of the isolated microorganism

An Exploratory Study of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and SCCmec Elements Obtained from a Community Setting Along the Texas Border with Mexico

An exploratory study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and SCCmec elements in bacteria along the Mexican border of south Texas was performed. Between September and December of 2008, 375 swabs of anterior nares were self-collected by students attending the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) and cultured for MRSA. Fifty seven bacterial isolates were kept for further analysis that included suspected MRSA and other SCCmec-containing bacteria. Isolates were examined for the presence of nuc, mecA, lukS-PV, and spa genes using PCR. SCCmec and spa typing were also performed. Seven S. aureus isolates were found of which six were classified as MRSA. SCCmec typing showed five of the six MRSA strains to be type IV, while one MRSA strain, and most of the non-S. aureus strains, were untypeable, producing results that were indicative of mixed SCCmec types. Five of the six MRSA strains contained known spa types (two of which corresponded to USA300 and one to USA600), while one strain had a novel spa type. Only one isolate, a USA300 MRSA, was positive for lukS-PV. Easy access by the Texas border community to antibiotics in Mexico without a prescription, and the strong partition in SCCmec types between MRSA and non-S. aureus bacteria suggest that this border region of Texas may be uniquely suited for the study of emerging SCCmec types, their horizontal transfer, and perhaps other aspects of antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Evaluación de la actividad biológica de productos herbolarios comerciales

Antecedentes: En México los productos herbolarios se comercializan mayormente sin ningún control de calidad, lo cual fue evidenciado recientemente por nuestro grupo de investigación. Objetivo: Evaluar la actividad biológica de diversos productos, considerando el uso tradicional de las plantas que contienen. Material y métodos: Los productos fueron adquiridos comercialmente tanto en hierberías como en centros comerciales. Se obtuvieron extractos hidroalcohólicos por maceración a temperatura ambiente y extractos acuosos por ebullición. Se evaluaron la actividad antioxidante (DPPH) antimicrobiana contra S. aureus, E. coli y C. albicans (microdilución en placa), antihipertensiva (inhibición de la enzima convertidora de angiotensina) e inmunomoduladora de los extractos obtenidos. Resultados: Los productos que contenían Peumus boldus, Turnera diffusa, Eucalyptus globulus, Ginkgo biloba y Agastache mexicana resultaron con buena actividad antioxidante, los demás mostraron actividad antioxidante baja o moderada. P. boldus, E. globulus y Salvia officinalis mostraron buena actividad antimicrobiana; sin embargo, los productos analizados de Allium sativum y Mentha piperita, reconocidos tradicionalmente por sus propiedades antisépticas, no mostraron actividad contra los microorganismos utilizados. Los productos comerciales con A. sativum o con Esquisetum arvense, que se recomiendan como diuréticos, no mostraron efecto en la prueba utilizada. Conclusiones: Los resultados de esta investigación demuestran que distintos productos que dicen contener la misma planta producen diferentes grados de actividad biológica. Se hace necesario un estricto control de calidad de los productos herbolarios que evalúe también la actividad biológica, con el fin de prevenir problemas en la salud de la población que los consume