cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ITSY: Initial Trigger-Based PFC Deadlock Detection in the Data Plane

Lossless networks are increasingly popular for high-performance applications in data centers and cloud environments. To realize a lossless network in Ethernet, the Priority-based Flow Control (PFC) protocol is adopted to guarantee zero packet loss. PFC, however, can induce in-network deadlocks and in severe cases cause the entire network to be blocked. Existing solutions have focused on deadlock avoidance strategies; unfortunately, they are not foolproof. Therefore, deadlock detection is a necessity. In this paper, we propose ITSY, a novel system that correctly detects and solves deadlocks entirely in the data plane. It does not require any assumptions on network topologies and routing algorithms. Unique to ITSY is the use of deadlock initial triggers, which contributes to efficient deadlock detection and deadlock recurrence prevention. We implement ITSY for programmable switches in the P4 language. Preliminary evaluations demonstrate that ITSY can detect deadlocks rapidly with minimal overheads and mitigate the recurrence of the same deadlocks effectively.
General Surgery Resident Operative Experiences in Solid Organ Injury: An Examination of Case Logs.

BACKGROUND Non-operative management (NOM) of traumatic solid organ injury (SOI) has become commonplace. This paradigm shift, along with reduced resident work hours, has significantly impacted surgical residents' operative trauma experiences. We examined ongoing changes in residents' operative SOI experience since duty hour restriction implementation, and assessed whether missed operative experiences were gained elsewhere in the resident experience. METHODS We examined data from American College of Graduate Medical Education case log reports from 2003 to 2018. We collected mean case volumes in the categories of non-operative trauma, trauma laparotomy, and splenic, hepatic, and pancreatic trauma operations; case volumes for comparable non-traumatic solid organ operations were also collected. Solid organ injury operative volumes were compared against non-traumatic cases, and change over time was analyzed. RESULTS Over the study period, both trauma laparotomies and non-operative traumas increased significantly (P < .001). In contrast, operative volumes for splenic, hepatic, and pancreatic trauma all significantly decreased (P < .001; P = .014; P < .001, respectively). Non-traumatic spleen cases also significantly decreased (P < .001), but liver cases and distal pancreatectomies increased (P < .001; P = .017). Pancreaticoduodenectomies increased, albeit not to a significant degree (P = .052). CONCLUSIONS Continuing increases in NOM of SOI correlate with declining resident experience with operative solid organ trauma. These decreases can adversely affect residents' technical skills and decision-making, although trends in specific non-traumatic areas may help to mitigate such losses. Further work should determine the impact of these trends on resident competence and autonomy.
Applications of Hull-Spence theory to the transfer of discrimination learning in children.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the strategy of attempts to modify the theory of discrimination learning. This strategy involves application of the theory to discrimination situations in which there is transfer of training from a first to a second task. Although the verbal pretraining experiments provide for the transfer of cue-producing responses, the pretraining does not directly affect a subject's initial preferences for the discriminanda in the second task. The situation is rather more complex when differential preferences for the second-task discriminanda are established during the first task. In this case, the analysis must also include consideration of the development of specific response tendencies that transfer to the criterion task, thereby directly and immediately affecting performance on that task.
The functional ambulation performance of elderly fallers and non-fallers walking at their preferred velocity

The purpose of the researchers was to determine if there is a difference in the Functional Ambulation Performance score and step/extremity ratio of senior adults with and without a history of falls walking at a preferred velocity. A random sample of twenty-four senior adults was selected to participate in this study. The participants underwent several tests for balance, strength, ankle flexibility, and foot sensation. Statistical analysis of the two groups demonstrated a significant decrease in FAP score for those with a history of falls. They had lower values for step/extremity ratios, mean normalized velocity, and greater values for step times, heel to heel base of support, and percent in double support. There was also a significant decrease in balance, strength, and tactile sensation between the two groups. These findings suggest that there is a measurable decrease in the performance of gait in senior adults who have fallen that may be related to diminished strength, balance, and tactile sensation.
Stability of amine-based hollow fiber CO2 adsorbents in the presence of NO and SO2

Abstract Comparative studies of the cyclic stability of primary, secondary, and tertiary amine-grafted silica/polymer composite fiber adsorbents upon exposure to simulated flue gas are reported. A simulated dry flue gas mixture with 200 ppm NO does not cause degradation of the amine grafted fiber adsorbents and all fibers retain their CO2 capacity in the presence of NO. In contrast, upon exposure to dry flue gas in the presence of 200 ppm SO2 at 35 °C, the primary amine containing adsorbent, CA–S–APS, shows a CO2 capacity reduction of 55% over 120 cyclic adsorption–desorption runs. As the initial SO2 induced degradation occurs in this adsorbent, the amine sites first irreversibly adsorb SO2 and then begin to gradually adsorb SO2 reversibly, as evidenced from a quantitative comparison of the amount of adsorbed SO2 to the amount of desorbed SO2. The secondary amine containing adsorbent, CA–S–MAPS, exhibits an improved stability and approximately 25% CO2 capacity loss is observed during cycling in the presence of SO2. Therefore, the secondary amine based CA–S–MAPS adsorbent demonstrates some degree of tolerance to SO2 in comparison to the CA–S–APS sample. Under humid conditions, SO2 imposes significant detrimental impacts on the two adsorbents, as a result of increased SO2 adsorption capacities in the presence of moisture. Although the CO2 uptake is nearly zero in the tertiary amine adsorbent, CA–S–DMAPS, the SO2 capacity of this adsorbent reaches 0.43 mmol/g under humid conditions and this material has the highest SO2/N ratio of the fiber adsorbents studied. More importantly, this CA–S–DMAPS sample demonstrates reversible SO2 adsorption, as indicated from the SO2 cyclic adsorption experiments. The tertiary amine based fiber adsorbents have good potential for flue gas desulfurization, with advantageous characteristics of high SO2/N ratio, excellent reversibility, low CO2 adsorption and relatively low regeneration temperature.
A Method for the Experimental Investigation of Acceleration as a Mechanism of Aortic Injury

Rupture of the thoracic aorta is a leading cause of rapid fatality in automobile crashes, but the mechanism of this injury remains unknown. One commonly postulated mechanism is a differential motion of the aortic arch relative to the heart and its neighboring vessels caused by high-magnitude acceleration of the thorax. Recent Indy car crash data show, however, that humans can withstand accelerations exceeding 100 g with no injury to the thoracic vasculature. This paper presents a method to investigate the efficacy of acceleration as an aortic injury mechanism using high-acceleration, low chest deflection sled tests. The repeatability and predictability of the test method was evaluated using two Hybrid III tests and two tests with cadaver subjects. The cadaver tests resulted in sustained mid-spine accelerations of up to 80 g for 20 ms with peak mid-spine accelerations of up to 175 g, and maximum chest deflections lower than 11% of the total chest depth. Transient increases in intra-aortic pressure up to 177 kPa were measured. No macroscopic injuries to the thoracic aorta resulted from these tests. The method employed proved consistent and repeatable. This method may be appropriate for future investigation of the efficacy of acceleration as a predictor of aortic injury.
Unusual capacitance emission transients in CIGS caused by large defect entropy changes

Capacitance transient data from bias-pulse experiments on CdS/CIGS solar cells show an unusual behavior at high temperatures. Above 350 K a minority carrier trap, with a larger activation energy than a majority carrier trap, emits faster than the lower activation-energy minority trap. A simple enthalpy model for trap emission cannot explain this counterintuitive behavior, but the more complete Gibbs free energy model that includes entropy can explain it. We show that entropy plays a major role in carrier emission from traps in CIGS.
Population genetics of jaguarundis in Mexico: Implications for future research and conservation

The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a Neotropical felid that ranges from northern Mexico to South America. The population trend for jaguarundis is declining, yet much remains unknown about their ecology. We live-trapped 11 jaguarundis during 1991–2004 in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and we collected blood for genetic analyses. Our objectives were to 1) estimate neutral diversity using microsatellite and mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers, 2) estimate potentially adaptive diversity in coat coloration via the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R), and 3) provide recommendations on the use of genetic markers for noninvasive studies. We observed moderate levels of heterozygosity (HE = 0.49, SD = 0.22) and number of alleles (A = 4.00, SD = 1.65) at 12 feline microsatellite loci. The probability of identifying 2 different jaguarundis as the same individual was low using only 4–7 loci (P(ID) < 0.001 and P(ID)sib < 0.01, respectively). We observed one mtDNA haplotype, indicating no mtDNA diversity. However, we documented diversity with the MC1R assay. The frequency of the melanistic mutation (gray phenotype) was 0.33, whereas, the frequency was 0.67 for the ancestral allele (red phenotype). Microsatellite diversity of our sampled jaguarundis was less than that of sympatric populations of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) in Tamaulipas; however, mtDNA diversity was much lower. The frequency of the melanistic mutation was lower in our sample than was previously reported in captive jaguarundis. Our microsatellite loci provided adequate diversity to implement noninvasive genetic tools to better understand the ecology of the elusive jaguarundi. To our knowledge, this work is the first genetic evaluation of wild jaguarundis and provides baseline information for future research and conservation. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
A domain analysis of Web browser architectures, languages and features

The use and number of Web browsers have mushroomed. A wide variety of special purpose Web browser based applications are being developed for the Internet and Intranets. Software engineers developing these new applications need generic models that describe Web browser architectures, components, features and functionalities to better structure the software architecture of their applications. The paper presents an object oriented domain analysis of commonly used Web browsers.
The Afterlives of Frantz Fanon and the Reconstruction of Postcolonial Studies

This essay mobilizes Fanon as a point of entry into mapping the current state of postcolonial studies, and within that, reflects on what constitutes the postcolonial canon. Over a gradual course of the eighties and nineties, there has come about a transition from the field’s founding moments in which anti-imperialism, tricontinentalism, Third World nationalism and aesthetics of realism and resistance thrived, to the current trends that show a slant toward postmodernist fragmentation, multiculturalism, issues of diaspora, metropolitan narratives as well as a proclivity toward theorizing the field itself. There are many reasons for this: the specific dynamics of the post-Cold War American culture within which these works were received; the compromised relationship between academic and commercial publishing culture, which made a jump from narratives of decolonization and neocolonialism to metropolitan multiculturalism; and the sway of postmodernism over academia as a whole, which led to a disregard for Marxist theories and, more importantly, to a neglect of realism as a mode and aesthetic in postcolonial theory. These factors have worked together to shape how the genealogy of postcolonial studies and its theory have come to be accepted as “obvious.” This has, in turn, had strong repercussions for the kind of literature and theory that have come to be celebrated and canonized within the field. The essay draws on Anthony Alessandrini's Frantz Fanon and the Future of Cultural Politics: Finding Something Different (2014) and Neil Lazarus' The Postcolonial Unconscious ( 2011) to offer a reconstructed genealogy of the field of postcolonial studies.
The Criminalization of Health Care

With the inception of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), colloquially known as ObamaCare, a new class of law breakers was established. Struggling Americans are penalized through fines, masked as taxes, imposed by the IRS, for failing to obtain health insurance. Although Americans cannot be imprisoned for falling to pay the tax, uninsured Americans can be classified as tax evaders, thus, imposing a negative label which serves to impact their financial future. Rather than helping Americans, this new law forces Americans to purchase health insurance and runs the risk of criminalizing them if they are unable to abide by the ACA mandate, creating the Iniquitous Ills, our newest class of tax evading offenders.
Ratification Patterns and the International Criminal Court

Chapman, Terrence L. and Stephen Chaudoin (2012) Ratification Patterns and the International Criminal Court. International Studies Quarterly, doi: 10.1111/isqu.12005 © 2012 International Studies Association What types of countries have ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court? Because the court relies on state cooperation, it is a good example of a regime facing a “participation problem.” In order to be effective, the regime requires active members, but states that fear regime effectiveness will therefore find it potentially costly to join. We analyze the extent to which this problem plagues the ICC. We find that countries for whom compliance is likely to be easiest—democracies with little internal violence—are the most likely countries to join the ICC. On the other hand, countries with the most to fear from ICC prosecution, nondemocracies with weak legal systems and a history of domestic political violence, tend to avoid ratification. We contrast our findings with those of a recent article by Simmons and Danner (2010), arguing that ratification patterns show evidence of credible commitments. Our analysis across a breadth of evidence, both descriptive and multivariate, suggests caution toward arguments about the impact of the ICC on global practices and provides support for the notion that states strategically select themselves into supranational judicial agreements.
Spatial localization in children after changes in position

Abstract Five experiments investigated the young child's ability to retrieve a target after a change in the position of the child or the target. In Experiments I–IV 2- to 4-year-old children were rotated 90, 180, 270, or 360° about a stationary square table containing four identical hiding locations at each of the cardinal locations. The children tested performed this task significantly better than chance, but their errors reflected either their response biases in the absence of any information as to the location of the target, or the repetition of a response which had been successful in retrieving the target prior to the change in position. When the children were forced to respond rapidly, these errors increased significantly. In Experiment V a table top was rotated 90, 180, 270, or 360° in front of 3- to 10-year-old children. There were two cue situations. The child saw the rotation, or the child had to infer the rotation. Young children made errors of the types observed in Experiments I–IV. The ability to inhibit these errors increased with age. By 7 years of age performance was virtually perfect when the child could observe the change in position of the hidden object. The ability to infer the positional change developed more slowly and was good but not perfect at 10 years of age.
The effects of peer social initiations on the social behavior of withdrawn maltreated preschool children.

Abstract The present study evaluated the treatment and generalization effects of implementing a peer social initiation intervention with four severely withdrawn maltreated pre-school children. Positive social response and initiation data were collected across the treatment (a playroom) and the natural classroom setting. A reversal design superimposed on a multiple baseline was used to evaluate the effectiveness. The results indicated increases in positive social responses and initiations across treatment and generalization settings. Follow-up data for two children indicated time and setting-time generalization effects. Teacher reports validated treatment gains.
GABAA receptor antagonism in the extended amygdala decreases ethanol self-administration in rats

The present experiments examined the role of the extended amygdala GABAA receptors in the regulation of ethanol consumption in rats. The areas of the extended amygdala studied included the central nucleus of the amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the shell of the nucleus accumbens. The effects of bilateral microinjections of a competitive GABAA receptor antagonist, 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-3-amino-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)pyridazinium bromide (SR 95531), on ethanol consumption were assessed in Wistar rats that were trained to respond for oral ethanol (10% w/v) in a two-lever, free-choice operant task during 30-min sessions using a saccharin fading procedure. Injections of SR 95531 into the central amygdaloid nucleus decreased ethanol responding significantly at doses of 2 and 4 ng without affecting water responding. SR 95531 injections into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis reduced ethanol responding significantly at the 8 ng and 16 ng dose, while only the 16 ng dose produced a significant effect in the shell of the nucleus accumbens. Cumulative response patterns showed that intra-amygdaloid injections did not disrupt the initiation of responding. Injections into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the nucleus accumbens, however, suppressed both ethanol and water responding at the highest SR 95531 doses during the first minutes. These findings suggest that GABAA receptors in the extended amygdala may be involved in the mediation of some aspects of ethanol reward.
Acid Residues in the Transmembrane Helices of the Na+-Pumping NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase from Vibrio cholerae Involved in Sodium Translocation

Vibrio cholerae and many other marine and pathogenic bacteria possess a unique respiratory complex, the Na+-pumping NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR), which pumps Na+ across the cell membrane using the energy released by the redox reaction between NADH and ubiquinone. To function as a selective sodium pump, Na+-NQR must contain structures that (1) allow the sodium ion to pass through the hydrophobic core of the membrane and (2) provide cation specificity to the translocation system. In other sodium-transporting proteins, the structures that carry out these roles frequently include aspartate and glutamate residues. The negative charge of these residues facilitates binding and translocation of sodium. In this study, we have analyzed mutants of acid residues located in the transmembrane helices of subunits B, D, and E of Na+-NQR. The results are consistent with the participation of seven of these residues in the translocation process of sodium. Mutations at NqrB-D397, NqrD-D133, and NqrE-E95 produced a d...
Temporal uncertainties of integrated ecological/economic assessments at the global and regional scales

Abstract Over the past several years, research using the Center for International Trade in Forest Products (CINTRAFOR) Global Trade Model (CGTM) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) has estimated the potential effects of climate change on the global forest sector. The process of linking these two models—many model runs with alternative economic, ecological and climate scenarios—provides useful information on (i) the behavior of the economic model under alternative assumptions, (ii) integrated economic/ecological results and (iii) their implication for decision makers. Previous works indicate that assumptions on economic behavior and ecology interactions are important when estimating the economic effects of climate change on the forest sector. This paper estimates the economic effects associated with alternative transient paths of change in climate and CO 2 on the forest sector. The results indicate economic welfare measures change significantly under two alternative assumptions of the path that changes in climate and CO 2 may take. An assumption of a pseudo-transient constant rate of change to reach an equilibrium endpoint produces larger global welfare changes over the time period than a “true” transient change in climate by an average US$ 2 billion over the period 1994–2040. In addition, regional and market segment impacts are not uniformly distributed and should also be considered when programmatic needs are identified.
Arthroscopic and endoscopicallograft reconstruction

Abstract Advantages for the choice of an allograft anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction include the following:rapid and uncomplicated rehabilitation; avoidance of the need to harvest a graft from the affected individual, thus avoiding possible complications; prolonged rehabilitation; a readily available source of graft material in the case of revision ACL surgery; adequate tissue availability when the need exists for multiple ligament replacement within the knee; a shortened anesthesia in surgical time to perform the procedure and tissue alternatives for individuals with a congenital tissue laxity. Disadvantages for allograft use include expense, the possibility of disease transmission, and variables in the harvest procurement in preparation of the graft. The surgical technique for installation of an allograft, bone-patellar-bone preparation, is described. This technique is designed for endoscopic tandem tunnel, minimally invasive surgery. The described use of a right-angle set screw for a femoral fixation permits ease in installation and also ease of removal of the implant device if revision or other reasons for removal of hardware is ever necessary. Right-angle set screw femoral fixation and interference screw tibial fixation permit aggressive rehabilitation in an effort to return the athlete to sport in a minimal amount of time. Pull strengths of fixation approach the tensile strength of the ligament itself.
Nourishment affects colony demographics in the paper wasp Polistes metricus

Abstract 1. Colony survivorship and numbers of nest cells, pupae, and adult females were monitored throughout the nesting season for a cohort of 78 colonies of the paper wasp Polistes metricus Say. Thirty-nine colonies received a twice-weekly nourishment supplement of honey during pre-emergence and early emergence phases of the colony cycle; 39 colonies were unsupplemented controls. 2. Colony survivorship was unaffected by the supplemental nourishment. Loss of colonies to predation differed among three sites but was unaffected by supplementation. 3. Honey-supplemented colonies constructed more nest cells than did control colonies but this effect was not expressed until after supplementation had ceased. 4. Honey-supplemented colonies produced more pupae than did control colonies but the number of adult females at nests did not differ between supplemented and control colonies. Because honey-supplemented colonies had more offspring but fewer of them remained as workers at the nest, honey supplementation led to a lower frequency of workers and corresponding higher frequency of reproductives than in control colonies. 5. In a second year of study, colony survivorship and numbers of nest cells, pupae, and adult females were monitored from late pre-emergence until the end of the nesting season for a cohort of 32 colonies of Polistes metricus. In 16 colonies, trophallactic saliva was taken from final-instar larvae on nine dates in the late pre-emergence and early emergence periods; 16 colonies served as controls. 6. Saliva-diminished colonies had lower survivorship, fewer nest cells, fewer pupae, and fewer adult females at the nest than did control colonies. 7. These results show that variation in nourishment in the early to mid phases of the colony cycle can have significant effects on the subsequent colony demographics of Polistes metricus paper wasps.
Assembly of an active group II intron-maturase complex by protein dimerization.

Group II intron-encoded proteins promote both splicing and mobility of the intron RNA through formation of a specific RNA−protein complex. The Lactococcus lactis L1.LtrB intron encodes a maturase, LtrA, with reverse transcriptase homology and specific binding affinity for two domains of the intron RNA. The catalytically active ribonucleoprotein (RNP) has splicing, endonuclease, and reverse transcriptase activity, enabling efficient insertion of the intron sequence by a retro-homing mechanism. To determine the composition and assembly mechanism of the RNP complex, purified LtrA protein was analyzed for its ability to recognize a series of intron-derived RNAs. Equilibrium dissociation measurements show that LtrA recognizes two intronic domains, DI and DIV. However, distinct electrostatic requirements for binding imply different modes of molecular recognition in each case. Stoichiometric binding experiments show that the functional RNP complex consists of a dimeric protein species bound to a single intron RN...
Cytochemical localization of Golgi maker enzymes in Allomyces

Allomyces javanicus is a Chytridiomycete belonging to the order Blastocladiales. Modified dictysomes consisting of a single cisterna have been reported in several groups of fungi. These smooth-membrane cisternae have been shown to stain positively for polysaccharides utilizing the silver methenamine and silver protein reactions. Cytochemical localization of Golgi marker enzymes has not previously been demonstrated in the chytrids. We have demonstrated the localization of inosine 5′-diphosphatase and thiamine pyrophosphatase predominantly in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum in hyphae of Allomyces javanicus . Reaction product for these enzymes is also evident in vesicles adjacent to these cisternae. The combined cytochemical data suggest that the endoplasmic reticulum in Allomyces , and perhaps in other chytrids, has enzymatic activities similar to those of the Golgi apparatus in other eucaryotic cells.
An Analytical Error Model for Pattern Clipping in DNA Self-Assembly

Large and complex structures commonly referred to as patterns can be generated using DNA-like self-assembly. Self-assembly has an algorithmic nature, that is suitable for diverse applications in nano computing and manufacturing. This paper deals with the error characterization and modeling encountered when only a partial pattern is grown by DNA self-assembly. Partial growth is accomplished by clipping and utilizing specific structures (such as rulers, decoders and staircases) to allow the control of the growth process, i.e. the self-assembly can be either stopped or redirected as required. Initially the characterization of tile errors that are possible when clipping a pattern (such as the Sierpinski Triangle pattern), is presented with particular emphasis on the effects of erroneous aggregation in the capabilities of the clipping structures. An analytical approach is proposed to assess the effects of errors on clipping, this approach utilizes a geometric technique by which growth can be assessed with respect to the features of the desired (clipped) pattern. Simulation results are also presented, an excellent agreement between simulated and analytical results is achieved.
Efficient iterative importance sampling inference for dynamic Bayesian networks

Probabilistic inference for Bayesian networks is in general computationally intensive using either exact algorithms or approximate methods. For general hybrid dynamic Bayesian networks, one has to rely on the approximate methods such as stochastic simulation to provide a solution. Sequential Monte Carlo methods, also known as particle filters, have been introduced to deal with these problems. They allow us to treat any type of probability distribution and nonlinearity although they often suffer major drawbacks of sample degeneracy and inefficiency in high-dimensional cases. This is particularly true when the dynamic networks have extremely unlikely evidence. In this paper, we introduce a very efficient importance sampling inference algorithm for discrete dynamic Bayesian network. This method is designed to iteratively learn the importance function adoptively and asymptotically. We used several partially dynamic Bayesian network models to test our inference method. The preliminary simulation results show that the algorithm is very promising.
C. elegans as a genetic model to identify novel cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system regeneration

Research into conditions that improve axon regeneration has the potential to open a new door for treatment of brain injury caused by stroke and neurodegenerative diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer, by harnessing intrinsic neuronal ability to reorganize itself. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration should shed light on how this process becomes restricted in the postnatal stage and in CNS and therefore could provide therapeutic targets for developing strategy to improve axon regeneration in adult CNS. In this review, we first discuss the general view about nerve regeneration and the advantages of using C. elegans as a model system to study axon regeneration. We then compare the conserved regeneration patterns and molecular mechanisms between C. elegans and vertebrates. Lastly, we discuss the power of femtosecond laser technology and its application in axon regeneration research.
The Effect of Preferred Learning Materials on Transference of a Learned Skill

Summary The questions investigated were (a) whether acquisition of conservation of number skill could be accelerated by training and (b) whether preferred training materials inhibited subsequent transfer of this skill. Ss were 22 male and female, white and Oriental five-year-olds, selected for lack of conservation skill. Three groups of five were given learning-set training, and one of these groups was trained on preferred materials. No differences in achievement were found in the training groups. A posttest assessing conservation skill was given to all Ss. An analysis of variance on all groups' posttest scores was significant. NeumanrKeuls analysis showed that the group trained with preferred materials and a nontraining control group had significantly lower scores than the two remaining groups. Both hypotheses were thus supported.
Islet function in obese adolescents

Concurrent with the epidemic of childhood obesity, an unprecedented increase in the prevalence of several adiposity-related complications in this age group has emerged. In particular, type 2 diabetes (T2D), once considered an illness restricted to adulthood, is progressively affecting more and more adolescents, and represents now roughly 20-45% of new-onset cases in this age group. To unravel the pathogenesis of diabetes development during adolescence, many studies have focused on defining early defects in both insulin sensitivity and secretion that might be implicated in the natural history of the disease. Although a lot still need to be clarified, studies have shown that the progression from normal glucose tolerance to T2D involves intermediate stages of impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance, also known as prediabetes. Insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction represent the two major key pathogenetic defects underlying the progression to diabetes in obese youth. In this review, we have sought to mainly describe the role of β-cell function in relation to the ambient insulin resistance in the development of T2D in obese adolescents.
Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of a heterocyclic thioamide by silver(II)-cyclam

The kinetics of the oxidation of 4,6-dimethyl-2-mercaptopyrimidine (DMP) by Ag(cyclam)2+ were studied in buffer solutions from pH 5.8 to 7.2 at constant ionic strength of 0.10 M (NaClO4). The reaction is observed to be first-order with respect to [Ag(cyclam)2+] and to [DMP]. However, the reaction rate is affected by the pH of the solution owing to the acid–base equilibrium of the thiol. The mechanism postulated to account for the kinetics includes an acid–base equilibrium and oxidation of thiol (RSH) and thiolate ion (RS−) by Ag(cyclam)2+ to RS· radicals which undergo rapid dimerization to form disulfide (RSSR). From the postulated mechanism and the observed kinetics a rate expression was derived, and second-order rate constants and activation parameters were calculated. The pK a values of the acid dissociation reaction of DMP were also determined at four temperatures using spectrophotometric methods, and thermodynamic parameters calculated from the K a values.
Scaphotrapezial trapezoidal arthrosis

Scaphotrapezial trapezoidal degenerative arthritis as an isolated entity or as a preponderant part of a pantrapezial degenerative process was seen in 49 hands of 34 patients. Pain and weakness were the primary complaints. Point tenderness was present in all but two hands. Significant loss of grasp and pinch strength was noted in 18 hands, and loss of wrist motion occurred in 16 hands. Roentgenographic findings included narrowing of the scaphotrapezial trapezoidal joint space, subarticular cortical sclerosis, and cyst formation. A dorsiflexed position of the scaphoid, with a scapholunate angle of less than 45°, was noted in 38 of the 45 hands. Late collapse of the intercarpal joint with dorsiflexion instability of the lunate also was noted. Twenty-nine hands were treated conservatively by protective splints, corticosteroid injections, and avoidance of exacerbating activities. Surgical treatments consisted of fibrous arthroplasty (four), silicone interposition arthroplasty (six), trapezial replacement arthroplasty (three), arthrodesis (five), joint debridement (one), and trapezial excision (one). Late results were more encouraging than were early results and were moderately satisfactory for each method. Improvement in grasp and pinch strength was most predictable for arthrodesis, although wrist motion was diminished.
Structure, function and evolution of turtle hemoglobins. II. Electrophoretic studies.

Abstract 1. 1. Hemoglobins from more than fifty species and subspecies of turtles were examined by starch-gel electophoresis at pH 7·0, 8·4 and 9·5. The hemoglobins were reduced with mercaptoethanol, and then reacted with iodoacetamide in order to dissociate any polymeric molecules and to prevent their formation. The polypeptide chains were examined at pH 1·8 after reduction and reaction with iodoacetamide in 8 M urea at pH 7·0. 2. 2. Most species examined have two major and one or more minor hemoglobin components. Three distinct polypeptide chains can be resolved at pH 1·8.
Precision measurement of the Stark shift of the cesium D lines

The dc Stark shift of the cesium D lines is observed in the low-field limit where the induced shift is small compared with the various hyperfine splittings. On the D2 line, modification by the electric field of the dipole transition rates to the various excited-state hyperfine levels must be taken into account in order to interpret our results. From our observations the following atomic polarizabilities in units of ${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}24}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ are deduced: ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{0}$(${6\mathrm{P}}_{1/2}$)-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{0}$(${6\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}$)=143.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.4, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{0}$(${6\mathrm{p}}_{3/2}$)-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{0}$(${6\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}$)=187.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.9, and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{2}$(${6\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}$)=-38.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.2.
Chapter 19 Geology and petroleum potential of the East Barents Sea Basins and Admiralty Arch

Abstract The US Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the East Barents Basins and Novaya Zemlya Basins and Admiralty Arch Provinces as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal. These two provinces are located NE of Scandinavia and the northwestern Russian Federation, on the Barents Sea Shelf between Novaya Zemlya to the east and the Barents Platform to the west. Three assessment units (AUs) were defined in the East Barents Basins for this study – Kolguyev Terrace Assessment Unit (AU), South Barents Basin and Ludlov Saddle AU, and North Barents Basin AU. A fourth, defined as Novaya Zemlya Basins and Admiralty Arch AU, is coincident with the Novaya Zemlya basins and Admiralty Arch Province. These AUs, all lying north of the Arctic Circle, were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources resulting in total estimated mean volumes of approximately 7.4 billion barrels of crude oil, 318 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 1.4 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
The interaction between 5-hydroxytryptamine and botulinum toxin type A.

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is shown to be active in antagonizing botulinal poisoning. l-5-Hydroxytryptophan is also active, the effect apparently being mediated through the synthesis of 5-HT. Neither 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) nor d-5-hydroxytryptophan is capable of offsetting intoxication. Pargyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, is shown to augment theonset of toxin-induced death. 5-HT, but not 5-HIAA, counters the pargyline effect. p-Chlorophenylalanine, an inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, does not facilitate intoxication. Both time course and dose response studies with 5-HT suggest that it is not engaged in a competitive antagonism with botulinum toxin. Work with isolated nerve-muscle preparations showed the synaptic junction not to be the site of the 5-HT-toxin interaction. Data permit the assumption that the hydroxyindole may act to slow the movement of the toxin toward the synapse.
A distinctive role for the Yersinia protein kinase: Actin binding, kinase activation, and cytoskeleton disruption

The bacterial pathogens of the genus Yersinia deliver several virulence factors into target cells using a type III secretion system. We demonstrate that Yersinia protein kinase A (YpkA), an essential bacterial virulence factor, is produced as an inactive serine/threonine kinase. The inactive kinase is activated within the host cell by a cytosolic eukaryotic activator. Using biochemical purification techniques, we demonstrate that actin is a cellular activator of YpkA. This stimulation of YpkA kinase activity by actin depends on the presence of the C-terminal twenty amino acids of YpkA, because deletion of these 20 aa not only obliterates YpkA activity, but it also destroys the interaction between YpkA and actin. Activated YpkA functions within cultured epithelial cells to disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. The disruption of the actin cytoskeleton by YpkA would be expected to inhibit macrophage function and phagocytosis of Yersinia.
Vulnerability and Capacity: Explaining Local Commitment to Climate-Change Policy:

We examine the reasons why a US locality would voluntarily commit to the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign. Using geographic information systems analytic techniques, we map and measure a locality's vulnerability to climate-change impacts at the county level of spatial precision. We analyze multiple measures of climate-change vulnerability, including expected temperature change, extreme weather events, and coastal proximity, as well as economic variables, demographic variables, and civic-participation variables that constitute a locality's socioeconomic capacity to commit to costly climate-change policy initiatives. Bivariate and logistic regression results indicate that CCP-committed localities are quantitatively different to noncommitted localities on both climate-change risk and socioeconomic-capacity dimensions. On vulnerability measures, the odds of CCP-campaign participation increase significantly with the number of people killed and injured by extreme weather events, projected temperature change, and coastal proximity. On socioeconomic- capacity measures, the odds of CCP-campaign involvement increase with the percentage of citizens that vote Democrat and recycle, as well as the number of nonprofit organizations with an environ- ment focus. The odds decrease in a county area as the percentage of the labor force employed in carbon-intensive industries increases.
American Indian Community Leader and Provider Views of Needs and Barriers to Mammography

Breast cancer incidence is rising and mortality is disproportionately high among American Indians and Alaska Natives, yet screening rates remain low. Using community-based participatory research, we conducted interviews with community leaders (n = 13) and providers from the Indian Health Service, tribal clinics, and urban safety-net clinics (n = 17). Participants in both groups identified similar needs, including culturally-appropriate mammography education, use of Native elders as patient navigators, and an emphasis on preventive care. Pertinent barriers included culturally-specific issues (e.g., historic mistrust and gender roles), cost, transportation, and fear of mammography and potential results. The results reflect the struggles of promoting mammography across diverse populations.
Dietary Polyamine Intake and Polyamines Measured in Urine

Dietary polyamines have recently been associated with increased risk of pre-malignant colorectal lesions. Because polyamines are synthesized in cells and taken up from dietary sources, development of a biomarker of exposure is challenging. Excess polyamines are primarily excreted in the urine. This pilot study seeks to identify dietary correlates of excreted urinary polyamines as putative biomarkers of exposure. Dietary polyamines/other nutrients were estimated from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and correlated with urinary levels of acetylated polyamines in 36 men using 24-h urine samples. Polyamines, abundant in cheese and citrus, were highly positively correlated with urinary N(8)-acetylspermidine (correlation coefficient; r = 0.37, P = 0.03), but this correlation was attenuated after adjustment for total energy intake (r = 0.07, P = 0.68). Dietary energy intake itself was positively correlated with urinary total acetylated polyamine output (r = .40, P = 0.02). In energy-adjusted analyses, folic acid and folate from food were associated with urinary N(1),N(12)-diacetylspermine (r = 0.34, P = 0.05 and r = -0.39, P = 0.02, respectively). Red meat negatively correlated with total urinary acetylated polyamines (r = -0.42, P = 0.01). Our findings suggest that energy, folate, folic acid, saturated fat, and red meat intake, as opposed to FFQ-estimated dietary polyamines, are correlated with urinary polyamines.
Cephalexin: Treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis

Twenty-five children with group A streptococcal pharyngitis were treated withcephalexin, an acid stable semisynthetic derivative of cephalosporin C. All patients responded clinically. Bacteriologically, two patients had recurrence of the group A streptococci following the cessation of therapy. Cephalexin can be considered as effective alternate therapy to penicillin in individuals who are allergic to the latter.
Ontology Graph Based Query Expansion for Biomedical Information Retrieval

Query expansion based biomedical information retrieval has been studied for over two decades, most of the studies focus only on taking advantage of one vocabulary: MeSH. We propose a completely different approach utilizing an arbitrary number of controlled vocabularies from Metathesaurus. Experiment shows that our ontology based query expansion scheme achieves 8.2% and 17.7% improvement compared with schemes using pseudo relevance feedback query expansion and using no query expansion respectively. The average improvement is 24.8% in comparison to all other existing strategies. Furthermore, we identify that generalized biomedical concepts are the reason for performance degradation.
Abstract 4063: Image-guided fluorescent endomicroscopy of glioblastoma with SVV-GFP viral labeling

We propose a novel method to improve detection of infiltrative microscopic GBM tumors during surgery, by labeling the infiltrative tumor cells in vivo by a single intravenous injection of a highly specific tumor seeking fluorescence virus, Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-GFP). The feasibility of this approach was demonstrated in a permissive pediatric GBM (IC-2305GBM) and an adult GBM (IC-A46GBM) orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Both models were derived from primary tissue of GBM from patients to preservethe histopathological and immunophenotypical characteristics of the original tumors. After establishing the xenograft tumors, SVV-GFP was injected intravenously at a dose of 5x1014 viral particles/kg. The animals were imaged at day 3 after SVV-GFP virus injection. During the imaging procedure, the animals were euthanized through anesthesia overdose and a small window was immediately drilled in the skull to introduce a 1mm outer diameter fiberoptic fluorescence probe through the tumor. Fluorescent labeled cells were recorded as a real-time video sequence along the track of the probe. Image quantification starts with low frequency temporal drift correction using Fast Fourier Transform based lowpass filtering. Air image frames (before probe insertion) were used as a zero reference and the intensity range of the video is shifted accordingly. A normal tissue fluorescence image was then estimated using a median statistics of all image frames acquired in normal brain tissue. This image was used to correct for lower detection sensitivity near the probe edge or any field inhomogeneity. The video sequence was then normalized to the normal tissue image to create a TBR map. By definition, air is used as reference with TBR=0 and normal tissue is at TBR=1. A cutoff of TBR>1.1 is used and tumor cells exceeding that threshold were classified as GFP-positive tumor cells. Fractional area occupied by the virus-labeled microscopic tumors were computed with the TBR exceeding 1.1 within the field of view. A low fractional area ( Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4063. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4063