cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurobehavioral assessment of mice following repeated postnatal exposure to chlorpyrifos-oxon.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF), one of the most widely-used organophosphorus (OP) insecticides in agriculture, is degraded in the field to its oxon form, chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPO), which can represent a significant contaminant in exposures to adults and children. CPO is also responsible for the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition associated with CPF exposures; CPF is converted by liver CYP450 enzymes to CPO, which binds to and inhibits AChE and other serine active-site esterases, lipases and proteases. Young children represent a particularly susceptible population for exposure to CPF and CPO, in part because levels of the plasma enzyme, paraoxonase (PON1), which hydrolyzes CPO, are very low during early development. While a number of studies have demonstrated developmental neurotoxicity associated with CPF exposure, including effects at or below the threshold levels for AChE inhibition, it is unclear whether these effects were due directly to CPF or to its active metabolite, CPO. PON1 knockout (PON1−/−) mice, which lack PON1, represent a highly sensitive mouse model for toxicity associated with exposure to CPF or CPO. To examine the neurobehavioral consequences of CPO exposure during postnatal development, PON1−/− mice were exposed daily from PND 4 to PND 21 to CPO at 0.15, 0.18, or 0.25 mg/kg/d. A neurobehavioral test battery did not reveal significant effects of CPO on early reflex development, motor coordination, pre-pulse inhibition of startle, startle amplitude, open field behavior, or learning and memory in the contextual fear conditioning, Morris water maze, or water radial-arm maze tests. However, body weight gain and startle latency were significantly affected by exposure to 0.25 mg/kg/d CPO. Additionally, from PNDs 15–20 the mice exposed repeatedly to CPO at all three doses exhibited a dose-related transient hyperkinesis in the 20-min period following CPO administration, suggesting possible effects on catecholaminergic neurotransmission. Our previous study demonstrated wide-ranging effects of neonatal CPO exposure on gene expression in the brain and on brain AChE inhibition, and modulation of both of these effects by the PON1Q192R polymorphism. The current study indicates that the neurobehavioral consequences of these effects are more elusive, and suggests that alternative neurobehavioral tests might be warranted, such as tests of social interactions, age-dependent effects on learning and memory, or tests designed specifically to assess dopaminergic or noradrenergic function.
Autoregulated Splicing of muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1) Pre-mRNA

Muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1) is a splicing factor whose improper cellular localization is a central component of myotonic dystrophy. In myotonic dystrophy, the lack of properly localized MBNL1 leads to missplicing of many pre-mRNAs. One of these events is the aberrant inclusion of exon 5 within the MBNL1 pre-mRNA. The region of the MBNL1 gene that includes exon 5 and flanking intronic sequence is highly conserved in vertebrate genomes. The 3′-end of intron 4 is non-canonical in that it contains a predicted branch point that is 141 nucleotides from the 3′-splice site and an AAG 3′-splice site. Using a minigene that includes exon 4, intron 4, exon 5, intron 5, and exon 6 of MBNL1, we showed that MBNL1 regulates inclusion of exon 5. Mapping of the intron 4 branch point confirmed that branching occurs primarily at the predicted distant branch point. Structure probing and footprinting revealed that the highly conserved region between the branch point and 3′-splice site is primarily unstructured and that MBNL1 binds within this region of the pre-mRNA. Deletion of the MBNL1 response element eliminated MBNL1 splicing regulation and led to complete inclusion of exon 5, which is consistent with the suppressive effect of MBNL1 on splicing.
On Sanders' energy-release rate integral and conservation laws in finite elastostatics

Sanders showed in 1960, within the framework of two-dimensional elasticity, that in any body a certain integral I around a closed curve containing a crack is path-independent. I is equal to the rate of release of potential energy of the body with respect to crack length. Here we first derive, in a simple way, Sanders' integral I for a loaded elastic body undergoing finite deformations and containing an arbitrary void. The strain energy density need not be homogeneous nor isotropic and there may be body forces. In the absence of body forces, for flat continua, and for special forms of the strain energy density, it is shown that I reduces to the well-known vector and scalar path-independent integrals often denoted by J, L, and M.
Glucuronic Acid Moieties on Xylan Are Functionally Equivalent to O-Acetyl-Substituents

Plant cell walls or lignocellulosics are considered an important renewable resource for the generation of bioenergy and other commodity chemicals. Wall materials are composed of cellulose, lignin, and various non-cellulosic polysaccharides. Most of the non-cellulosic polysaccharides contain O-acetyl substituents. The acetate residues are an impediment to biorefining as these substituents hinder the enzymatic saccharification of wall polymers and, upon processing, the released acetate represents a potent inhibitor of yeast fermentation of the sugars (Gille and Pauly, 2012).
Direct Generation of Maize Haploids via Anther Culture

Anther culture of maize (Zea mays L.) usually follows an indirect procedure involving callus induction and differentiation on at least two different media. Alternately, development of a direct procedure by which plantlets can be regenerated directly on one medium seems desirable, if acceptable frequency of plant regeneration can be obtained and an effective procedure of chromosome doubling of regenerates is available. We used Yupei (YP) and N6 basal media and 10 growth regulators (2, 4-D, kinetin, NAA, IAA, IBA, dicamba, pCPA, 6-BA, 2ip, and hypoxanthine) to test the feasibility of direct generation of haploid plantlets on six single-cross hybrids, 12 inbred lines, one teosinte (Zea mays ssp. Mexicana), and a hybrid between teosinte and maize. The results indicated that the direct generation of plantlets is feasible through anther culture, though it is genotype- and medium-dependent. Ten plantlets were generated directly from single cross hybrid K809 × A 619W and A2-1. The most effective medium was N6 basal medium plus 2, 4-D (2.0mgl-1) and kinetin (1.5mgl-1). Regeneration frequency (percent of anthers producing plantlets) ranged from 1 to 4%.
Cell biology of the intercalated cell in the kidney

The intercalated cell of the collecting tubule of the mammalian kidney is specialized for the transport of H+ and HCO3. They exist in two forms; one specialized for acid secretion and the other secretes HCO3 into the urine. We discovered many years ago that feeding animals an acid diet converts the HCO3 secreting form to an acid secreting type. Here I discuss the molecular basis of this transformation. The conversion of the cell types is mediated by an extracellular matrix protein hensin (also known as DMBT1). However much remains to be identified in the differentiation of these cells.
Synthesis and characterization of symmetric and unsymmetric oxo-bridged trinuclear chromium benzoate complexes: Crystal and molecular structure of [Cr3O(O2CPh)6(py)3]ClO4

Abstract Techniques have been developed for the synthesis of complexes of the type [Cr3O(O2CR)6(L)3]+ where Rphenyl or tolyl and LH2O or py in non-aqueous solvents. Additionally, the synthesis of an unsymmetric trinuclear complex, [Cr3O(O2CPh)6(OH)(py)2], is reported. These complexes have been characterized by a number of spectroscopic and magnetic techniques including X-ray crystallography, electronic and infrared spectrophotometry, NMR and EPR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and solution and solid state susceptibility measurements. [Cr3O(O2CPh)6(py)3]ClO4 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P 6 , which has a  13.387(4), c  19.186(6) A and Z2. The structure was refined to give R7.6 and Rw10.1.
ZnO/cubic (Mg,Zn)O radial nanowire heterostructures

The formation and properties of radial heteroepitaxial ZnO/(Mg,Zn)O nanowires is reported in which the (Mg,Zn)O is cubic. Synthesis is achieved via a catalyst-driven molecular beam epitaxy technique. The nanowires were grown on Ag-coated Si substrates at growth temperatures ranging from Tg=300 to 500 °C, using Zn, Mg, and O3/O2 as the reactive flux. Structural and compositional analyses indicate that the core of the nanowire is ZnO possessing the hexagonal wurtzite structure, with the (Mg,Zn)O sheath assuming the cubic rock salt structure. Since (Mg,Zn)O has a larger band-gap energy (up to 7.8 eV) than that of ZnO (3.37 eV), these radial heterostructure nanorods provide an interesting system for quantum confinement and one-dimensional nanoscale device studies.
The Tort Remedy in Search and Seizure Cases: A Case Study in Juror Decision Making

Civil suits for damage awards against police officers alleged to have engaged in illegal searches have long been suggested as an alternative to the exclusionary rule as a remedy for police misconduct. A review of empirical literature on the incidence and outcomes of such suits suggests that defendant officers often prevail and that the awards do not seem large enough to produce the punishment and deterrence effect often claimed by proponents of the tort remedy. Using an experimental technique involving simulated trials and adults called for jury service as subjects, we examine the effects of two procedural aspects of such suits on juror awards. The extent of municipal liability and the substitution of the U.S. government as plaintiff do not appear to affect the incidence or size of compensatory or punitive damage awards. Denying jurors information about the outcome of the search does appear likely to increase damage awards. The article both explores factors affecting juror decision-making in these cases and illustrates the utility and limitations of the experimental method for testing suggested policy innovations.
Community College Student Success Programs: A Synthesis, Critique, and Research Agenda

A narrative review was developed to add to the discussion and dissemination of research on community colleges. The review adds to existing work by synthesizing and critiquing the empirical research to date specific to three of the most prevalent programmatic efforts presently seen on community college campuses: (a) learning communities, (b) student success courses, and (c) supplemental instruction. Empirical investigations or evaluations of student success programs from academic journals, conference presentations, dissertations, unpublished policy reports, and book chapters were identified, summarized, and critiqued. The review concludes with a proposed research agenda to advance research on program effectiveness at community colleges and implications for practice.
An adaptive curvilinear-coordinate approach to dynamic load balancing of parallel multiresolution molecular dynamics

Abstract We present a practical experience in adding a dynamic-load-balancing capability to an existing large parallel application — multiresolution molecular dynamics (MRMD) — which is based on uniform mesh decomposition. The new load-balancing scheme uses adaptive curvilinear coordinates to represent partition boundaries. Workloads are partitioned with a uniform 3-dimensional mesh in the curvilinear coordinate system. Simulated annealing is used to determine the optimal coordinate system which minimizes load imbalance and communication costs. The number of messages for performing simulations is minimal because of the underlying regular mesh topology. Periodic boundary conditions are naturally incorporated in the new scheme. Performance of the MRMD algorithm with the new load balancer has been tested for nonuniform multimillion-atom systems.
Inflation, recession and the federal budget deficit (or, blaming economic problems on a statistical mirage)

Policy proposals to balance the budget and to limit government spending assume that budget deficits cause substantial harm, either increasing inflation or crowding out private borrowing from credit markets. These assertions have the support of policymakers across the breadth of the political spectrum, and dominate current political debate on macroeconomic policy. However, macroeconomic theory fails to provide a clearcut causal connection between budget deficits and larger economic problems such as inflation and recession. Thus, policies could be enacted that attack the symptoms instead of the causes of the deficit.
A Remarkable 3 Hour Thermonuclear Burst from 4U 1820–30

We present a detailed observational and theoretical study of an approximately three hour long X-ray burst (the "super burst") observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) from the low mass X-ray binary (LMXB) 4U 1820-30. This is the longest X-ray burst ever observed from this source, and perhaps one of the longest ever observed in great detail from any source. We show that the super burst is thermonuclear in origin. Its peak luminosity of approximately 3.4 x 10(exp 38) ergs s(exp -1) is consistent with the helium Eddington limit for a neutron star at approximately 7 kpc, as well as the peak luminosity of other, shorter, thermonuclear bursts from the same source. The super burst begins in the decaying tail of a more typical (approximately equal to 20 s duration) thermonuclear burst. These shorter, more frequent bursts are well known helium flashes from this source. The level of the accretion driven flux as well as the observed energy release of upwards of 1.5 x 10(exp 42) ergs indicate that helium could not be the energy source for the super burst. We outline the physics relevant to carbon production and burning on helium accreting neutron stars and present calculations of the thermal evolution and stability of a carbon layer and show that this process is the most likely explanation for the super burst. Ignition at the temperatures in the deep carbon "ocean" requires greater than 30 times the mass of carbon inferred from the observed burst energetics unless the He flash is able to trigger a deflagration from a much smaller mass of carbon. We show, however, that for large columns of accreted carbon fuel, a substantial fraction of the energy released in the carbon burning layer is radiated away as neutrinos, and the heat that is conducted from the burning layer in large part flows inward, only to be released on timescales longer than the observed burst. Thus the energy released during the event possibly exceeds that observed in X-rays by more than a factor of ten, making the scenario of burning a large mass of carbon at great depths consistent with the observed fluence without invoking any additional trigger. A strong constraint on this scenario is the recurrence time: to accrete an ignition column of 1013 g cm (exp -1) takes approximately 13/(M/3 x 10(exp 17) g s(exp -1) yr. Spectral analysis during the super burst reveals the presence of a broad emission line between 5.8 - 6.4 keV and an edge at 8 - 9 keV likely due to reflection of the burst flux from the inner accretion disk in 4U 1820-30. We believe this is the first time such a signature has been unambiguously detected in the spectrum of an X-ray burst.
Adaptation of biological membranes to temperature. The effect of temperature acclimation of goldfish upon the viscosity of synaptosomal membranes

The fluidity of synaptosomal membrane preparations isolated from goldfish acclimated to 5, 15 and 25 degrees C and from rat has been estimated using the fluorescence polarisation technique with 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene as probe. Membranes of cold-acclimated goldfish were more fluid than those of warm-acclimated goldfish when measured at an intermediate temperature, indicating a temperature-dependent regulation of this parameter. Similarly, membranes of warm-acclimated goldfish were more fluid than those prepared from rat brain. Liposomes prepared from the purified phospholipids of goldfish and rat synaptosomal preparations showed differences similar to those of the native membranes. Increased membrane fluidity of cold-acclimated goldfish was correlated with a decrease in the proportion of saturated fatty acids of the major phospholipid classes and an increased unsaturation index in choline phosphoglycerides. Rat membranes showed a substantial reduction in unsaturation index and an increase in the proportion of saturated fatty acids compared to the membranes of 25 degrees C-acclimated goldfish. The cholesterol content of synaptosomal membranes of goldfish was unaffected by acclimation treatment. The role of homeoviscous adaptation in the compensation of the rates of membrane processes during thermal acclimation, and upon the resistance adaptation of poikilotherms to extreme temperatures is discussed.
Efficacy of 1,3-dichloropropene plus chloropicrin application methods in combination with pebulate and napropamide in tomato

Small-plot research and large-field validations were conducted to determine the effect of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D)+chloropicrin (Pic) application methods in combination with the herbicides pebulate and napropamide on pest control in fresh market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). In both the small-plot trials and the large-validation fields, various treatments compared the efficacy of soil fumigants and herbicides based on methyl bromide, in-bed and broadcast applications of 1,3-D+Pic, pebulate, and napropamide. The results consistently indicated that either in-bed or broadcast applications of 1,3-D+Pic in combination with pebulate and napropamide are equally effective against the weed Cyperus spp., the nematodes Tylenchorhynchus spp., Belonolaimus longicaudatus, and Meloidogyne spp., and the soilborne disease Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici in fresh market tomato. Therefore, broadcast 1,3-D+Pic application can reduce personnel exposure and poisoning risks, without losing pest control efficacy.
WE-D-ValA-02: Radiographic & Fluoroscopic Guidance of Respiratory Sites

Respiratory motion is both intra‐ and inter‐fraction. For lung and livertumors, the magnitude of inter‐fraction motion is often comparable with that of intra‐fraction motion. The position of a moving organ during one fraction can be decomposed into the average position and the instant position relative to the average position. Here we introduce a concept called daily home position of a moving organ, which is often the mean position averaged over the treatment fraction. However, it may be a position corresponding to a particular breathing phase. For example, if the treatment is gated at the exhale phase, it makes sense to define the tumor home position as the exhale position. For lung and livertumors,image guided setup means the detection of daily tumor home position and the alignment of this position to the reference home position. If tomographic guidance is used to setup lung or livercancer patients, either using CT on‐rail or on board cone beam CT, the accurate daily tumor home position may be generated from a 4D scan, but not a 3D scan without patient breath holding. Daily breath hold 3D scan is not practical because it is difficult for patients with poor pulmonary function. For daily 4D scan, among others, how to reduce the potentially large amount of radiation dose and how to efficiently manage large amount of image data might be two major problems for its application to patient setup. For livers with implanted fiducial markers, it is easy to detect the marker positions, thus the daily tumor home position, either radiographically or fluoroscopically, using a gantry‐mounted or a room‐mounted x‐ray imagingsystem. For lung patients, we usually do not have any fiducial markers implanted in the lung, due to the concern about the risk of pneumothorax. Radiographic or fluoroscopic detection of lungtumor mass is not a trivial task. For some lungtumors, their projections in the images may be identified using current imaging techniques. For others, more advanced imaging techniques are required and this is still an on‐going research topic. As to image guided delivery, the requirement on the amount of tumor location information is different, depending on the delivery technique. For beam tracking, the instant tumor position should be tracked. For gating, we only need to make sure the tumor home position is maintained within the gating window during the treatment fraction. It is difficult, if not impossible, to have tomographic guided delivery. Fluoroscopic tracking of implanted fiducial markers is relatively easy. However, we still need to pay attention to various practical issues, such as the changes in marker shape in projection images due to maker rotation for none‐spherical markers, occlusion by and confusion with bony structure and air bubbles, tracking closely located multiple markers, poor image quality with MV beam interference, etc. Fluoroscopic tracking of lungtumor mass without implanted fiducial markers is challenging. Some promising results have been seen recently. However, a lot more research is needed before those techniques can be clinically useful.
Graded band-gap AlGaAs solar cells grown by MOVPE

Abstract The growth of p/n solar cells with a graded composition AlGaAs emitter and GaAs base by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is described. A conversion efficiency of 14.7% at AMO has been achieved in a structure with a 0.3 μm thick Zn-doped emitter graded linearly to 45 at% aluminum composition at the surface. Comparison of this cell to conventional heteroface cells fabricated at the same time and by improved techniques reveals: (1) relatively poor blue response of the graded band-gap cell due to surface losses or losses in the graded emitter; (2) long hole diffusion lengths ( >1 μm) in the Se-doped base of the graded band-gap cell and much shorter ones in the Si-doped base of the heteroface cell; and (3) strong dependence of performance upon the metallurgy of the top contact. The best heteroface cell response observed is 17.8% at SUN AMO (21.7% at AM1).
Intestinal zinc transport: Influence of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, insulin and arachidonic acid

Abstract The influence of arachidonic acid (AA) on the zinc flux rates of jejunal segments, isolated from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats injected with saline or with insulin, was investigated using an Ussing chamber technique. Although the zinc flux rates from mucosa-to-serosa (J ms ) of normal rats were inhibited by addition of 5 μM AA to the jejunal segment bathing medium (46.4±5.0 vs 32.6±4.3 nmol/hr/cm 2 ), AA had no effect on the J ms of diabetic rats either with or without insulin treatment. Induction of diabetes also significantly reduced J ms (46.4±5.0 vs 22.1±4.9 nmol/hr/cm 2 ), but 3 day insulin treatment (NPH 8 U/Kg/day subcutaneously) did not reverse this effect (29.2±5.1 nmol/hr/cm 2 ). Addition of AA to the serosal side did not significantly alter the zinc flux rate from serosa-to-mucosa (J sm ) in either control, diabetic or diabetic rats treated with insulin. The net zinc absorption rate (J net ) of jejunal segments was decreased in diabetic rats compared to controls (13.2±3.0 vs −0.7±2.1 nmol/hr/cm 2 ), but normalization of blood glucose with 3 day insulin treatment did not increase J net . Addition of AA was associated with a tendency to increase zinc uptake capacity. This change reached statistical significance in insulin treated diabetic rats. Short-circuit current (I sc ) for diabetic rats was increased compared to controls but addition of AA to the mucosal side bathing medium decreased I sc in all groups. The results indicate that the zinc flux rate in the small intestine of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats is decreased, that zinc uptake capacity of the small intestine does not directly reflect the zinc flux rate across the small intestine, and that AA or one of its metabolites may play a significant role in the control of the zinc flux across the intestinal epithelium.
Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity can protect PBMC from infection by cell-associated HIV-1.

Abstract We have developed a novel in vitro assay system to study the role of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in protection against HIV-1 infection by cell-associated virus. HIV-1-infected NK-resistant cells are mixed with specific antibody and unstimulated PBMC and ADCC is allowed to occur over several hours. The PBMC are then activated and cultured to allow virus replication in newly infected T cells. To ensure that ADCC is the only mechanism by which protection could occur we have used haptenated (TNP) infected cells and anti-hapten antibody. Anti-hapten sera completely protected PBMC from infection by haptenated HIV-1-infected cells in ADCC protection assays. F(ab′) 2 fragments of anti-hapten IgG showed no protection, confirming that ADCC was responsible for protection by anti-hapten IgG. PCR analysis for HIV-1 DNA confirmed the elimination of infected cells. We believe this to be the first direct demonstration that ADCC alone can protect PBMC from infection by cell-associated HIV-1.
Verification of elastic-wave static displacement in solids

The solution of the nonlinear differential equation which describes an initially sinusoidal finite‐amplitude elastic wave propagating in a solid contains a static‐displacement term in addition to the harmonic terms. The static‐displacement amplitude is theoretically predicted to be proportional to the product of the squares of the driving‐wave amplitude and the driving‐wave frequency. We report the first experimental verification of the elastic‐wave static displacement in a solid ([111] direction of single‐crystal germanium) and find agreement with the theoretical predictions.
The effect of graded hypoxia with and without exercise on ventilatory acclimatization.

Abstract Steady-state hyperoxic CO 2 -response curves were measured on 6 chronically tracheostomized goats before (AM) and after (PM) 4-hour exposures to graded levels of hypoxia. During exposure to a given level of Pa o 2 goats were allowed to acclimatize either while standing quietly or while exercising intermittently on a treadmill. Least squares regression lines (e vs Pa CO 2 ) were calculated from the AM and PM CO 2 -response curves. Ventilatory acclimatization was measured from these lines in mm Hg as the difference between the PM and AM Pa CO 2 at e = 15 liters/min (BTPS). The results show that intermittent exercise does not increase the ventilatory acclimatization produced by 4 hr of hypoxia (Pa O 2 = 40–80 mm Hg). Comparison of experiments at various levels of hypoxia showed that the acclimatization achieved in 4 hr increased progressively with increasing hypoxia.
Identity Rights: A Structural Void in Inclusive Growth

This paper investigates a structural void that, especially in the context of poor or developing nations, prevents economic growth from being more inclusive and benefiting wider sections of society. The authors initially examine the imperative for inclusive growth, one encompassing a focus on poverty and development. Utilizing social choice theory, and a capability deprivation perspective, we observe that the poor experience deprivations due to a deficiency in their personal autonomy. This in turn is deeply interwoven with the concept of identity. Legally recognizing the poor as individuals, and providing them with proof of their identity, will empower them and facilitate inclusive growth and poverty alleviation. These conceptual arguments are illustrated with the description of a biometric-linked developmental initiative that is providing proof of identity to 1.2 billion residents of India. By establishing a robust identity management system, the project aims to ensure more inclusive growth and efficiently target welfare programs. The authors further investigate how the establishment of identity rights facilitates financial inclusion, property ownership, and necessity-driven entrepreneurial action. Biometric identification on this scale is, however, fraught with dangers to civil liberties and has other serious ethical consequences. In the last section, issues around privacy and security are debated while highlighting the need for external review and independent monitoring to define the project’s boundaries and usages.
Laparoscopic resection of adrenal neuroblastoma without image-defined risk factors: a prospective study on 21 consecutive pediatric patients

Over the last 20 years MIS has progressively gained popularity in children with cancer. We therefore aimed at evaluating the safety of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) resection in a series of children affected by adrenal neuroblastoma (NB) presenting without Image-Defined Risk Factors (IDRFs). An Institutional protocol for MIS resection of adrenal NB in pediatric patients without IDRFs has been applied since 2008. Absence of IDRFs represented the main indication for MIS in NB, regardless of tumor size. All pediatric patients who underwent MIS for NB between January 2008 and May 2013 were included. Specific technical considerations, demographic data, and outcome have been recorded. Twenty-one patients underwent MIS resection for IDRFs-negative adrenal NB. Nine of these patients experienced preoperative downgrading of IDRFs after chemotherapy. Radiological median diameter of the mass was 30 mm (range 10–83 mm). Median operative time was 90 min. Median hospital stay was 4 days. All patients were treated successfully, without serious intraoperative complications. One mild intraoperative hemorrhage occurred and was treated without the need for conversion to open surgery nor blood transfusion was required. No postoperative complications, including port-site or peritoneal metastases were experienced. This study demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of MIS for the resection of adrenal NB without IDRFs in children. Pediatric surgeons dedicated to oncology should be aware of this alternative approach to open resection.
THE SYNTAGMATICS OF METAPHOR AND IDIOM

Corpus linguistics prompts a lexicocentric approach to linguistic theory. The theory of norms and exploitations (TNE; Hanks, forthcoming) is such a t heory, applying the insights of prototype theory and Sinclairian text analysis to the empirical evid ence of large corpora. By studying words in context, we can identify the normal patterns of usa ge that are associated with each word. A meaning, or meaning potential, can then be associat ed with each pattern. A central question in this approach to language analysis concerns metaphors and idioms. In the present paper, conventional metaphors and idioms are classified as “norms” (i. e. conventional uses), while dynamic, ad-hoc metaphors are classified as “exploitations” of norm s. Evidence is adduced to show that, at least in some cases, conventional metaphors can be distingui shed from “literal” senses by their particular syntagmatic patterns. The paper also discusses the importance of text type and domain in achieving a satisfactory interpretation of idiomatic expressi ons. 1. Norms and Exploitations
II. Electrostatic effect in the aggregation of heat-denatured RNase A and implications for protein additive design.

In the previous study (part I), heat-denatured RNase A aggregation was shown to depend on the solution pH. Interestingly, at pH 3.0, the protein did not aggregate even when exposed to 75°C for 24 h. In this study, electrostatic repulsion was shown to be responsible for the absence of aggregates at that pH. While RNase A aggregation was prevented at the extremely acidic pH, this is not an environment conducive to maintaining protein function in general. Therefore, attempts were made to confer electrostatic repulsion near neutral pH. In this study, heat-denatured RNase A was mixed with charged polymers at pH 7.8 in an attempt to provide the protein with excess surface cations or anions. At 75°C, SDS and dextran sulfate were successful in preventing RNase A aggregation, whereas their cationic, nonionic, and zwitterionic analogs did not do so. We believe that the SO3− groups present in both additives transformed the protein into polyanionic species, and this may have provided a sufficient level of electrostatic repulsion at pH 7.8 and 75°C to prevent aggregation from proceeding. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 59:281–285, 1998.
The high binding affinity of phosphorothioate-modified oligomers for Ff gene 5 protein is moderated by the addition of C-5 propyne or 2′-O-methyl modifications

One of the problems that hamper the use of antisense DNAs as effective drugs is the non-specific binding of chemically-modified oligonucleotides to cellular proteins. We previously showed that the affinity of a model ssDNA-binding protein, the Ff gene 5 protein (g5p), was >300-fold higher for phosphorothioate-modified DNA (S-DNA) than for unmodified dA(36), consistent with the propensity of S-DNA to bind indiscriminately to proteins. The current work shows that g5p binding is also sensitive to sugar and pyrimidine modifications used in antisense oligomers. Binding affinities of g5p for 10 36mer oligomers were quantitated using solution circular dichroism measurements. The oligomers contained C-5-propyne (prC), 2'-O-methyl (2'-O-Me) or 2'-OH (RNA) groups, alone or combined with the phosphorothioate modification. In agreement with reported increases in antisense activity, the addition of prC or 2'-O-Me modifications substantially reduced the affinity of oligomers for g5p by approximately 2-fold compared with the same DNA oligomer sequences containing only phosphorothioate linkages. That is, such modifications moderated the propensity of the phosphorothioate group to bind tightly to the g5p. The Ff g5p could be a useful model protein for assessing non-specific binding effects of antisense oligomer modifications.
Surface structure determination by low-energy electron diffraction

Abstract A simple, general method for extracting the geometrical structure of clean planar surfaces and chemisorbed monolayers is proposed. It is based on comparing certain averages of experimental LEED data with the predictions of a kinematical model. The theoretical validity of the method is examined by applying it to analyze the results of model calculations based on the s-wave, isotropic scatterer model. It works adequately over a wide range of values for both dynamical and geometrical parameters. It also is applied to determine the geometry of a C(2 × 8) oxygen monolayer structure on Rh(100).
INHIBITION BY THE SYMPATHETIC OF ADRENALINE'S ACTION ON DOG'S HINDLIMB VASCULAR RESISTANCE

The action of intravenous adrenaline on the vascular resistance of the dog's hindlimb is altered when sympathetic stimulation is given either before or after the adrenaline. The increase in vascular resistance produced by adrenaline is greatly reduced immediately after the recovery of the blood flow from a reduction due to a brief sympathetic stimulation. This partial inhibition of adrenaline's action wears off in 6–12 min. Further, the effect of intravenous adrenaline follows a much shorter time course if during it the sympathetic is stimulated for a period of 2-4 sec. The mechanism of this phenomenon is discussed.
A tool for self-assessment of communication skills and professionalism in residents

Effective communication skills and professionalism are critical for physicians in order to provide optimum care and achieve better health outcomes. The aims of this study were to evaluate residents' self-assessment of their communication skills and professionalism in dealing with patients, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of a self-assessment questionnaire. A modified version of the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Patient Assessment survey was completed by 130 residents in 23 surgical and non-surgical training programs affiliated with a single medical school. Descriptive, regression and factor analyses were performed. Internal consistency, inter-item gamma scores, and discriminative validity of the questionnaire were determined. Factor analysis suggested two groups of items: one group relating to developing interpersonal relationships with patients and one group relating to conveying medical information to patients. Cronbach's alpha (0.86) indicated internal consistency. Males rated themselves higher than females in items related to explaining things to patients. When compared to graduates of U.S. medical schools, graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. rated themselves higher in items related to listening to the patient, yet lower in using understandable language. Surgical residents rated themselves higher than non-surgical residents in explaining options to patients. This appears to be an internally consistent and reliable tool for residents' self-assessment of communication skills and professionalism. Some demographic differences in self-perceived communication skills were noted.
Boot camps for juvenile offenders: Just say no

The apparent increase in the violence of juvenile crime and the media's sensationalistic portrayals of juvenile violence have fueled public outrage and spawned numerous political strategies to "get tough." Among the most popular of these is for shapers of policy to vocally advocate the development and proliferation of boot camps. As this editorial is being written, governors and legislatures in several states are advocating the use of boot camps for juvenile offenders, and the Crime Bill currently being debated in Congress, and supported by President Clinton, contains a provision for boot camps for juvenile offenders. While the boot camp solution may be politically expedient (in that it assuages public anger and fear and casts the impression that lawmakers are taking action) there is little reason to believe or suggest that such camps are effective in treating chronic, serious, or violent juvenile offenders. Two types of evidence bear upon the question of whether boot camps are effective. The first type consists of findings from studies of boot camps themselves. Most of the studies are quasi-experimental, at best, and many reports are based entirely upon anecdotal evidence (Office of Technology Assessment, 1991). The second type consists of findings on the correlates and causes of juvenile delinquency.
Detection and identification of carcinogen-peptide adducts by nanoelectrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Nanoelectrospray (nanoES) tandem mass spectrometry was used to examine covalently modified peptides in crude enzymatic digests of human serum albumin (HSA) that had been exposed to either benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (B[a]PDE, 1), chrysene diol epoxide (CDE, 2), 5-methylchrysene diol epoxide (5MeCDE, 3), or benzo[g]chrysene diol epoxide (B[g]CDE, 4). The low flow rates of nanoES (∼20 nL/min) allowed several MS/MS experiments to be optimized and performed on a single sample with very little sample consumption (∼30 min analysis time/µL sample). Initially, nanoES was compared with conventional LC/MS/MS analysis of carcinogen-peptide adducts. For example, nanoES analysis of an unseparated digest of B[a]PDE-treated serum albumin revealed the same peptides (RRHPY and RRHPY-FYAPE) that were previously shown, by LC/MS/MS, to be adducted with B[a]PDE. In addition, nanoES could detect unstable peptide adducts that might not otherwise have been directly observable. Finally, nanoES was shown to be an effective way to screen mixtures of modified and unmodified peptides for which no chromatographic information is available.
The Development of In-Service Teachers' Knowledge of a Constructivist Approach to Physical Education: Teaching beyond Activities

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe three aspects of learning a movement approach that were salient and initially problematic for 1 experienced teacher, 2 early career teachers, and 1 student teacher. A constructivist perspective was the theoretical base. Across 3 years, the researcher conducted 11 weeks of observations, 15 formal interviews, 3 group interviews, and daily informal interviews. Three problematic aspects were: (1) knowing to what extent they should give information and tell children what to do when teaching less structured content, (2) knowing the whole of the approach and how components connected, and (3) knowing content (i.e., pedagogical content knowledge) in enough depth and detail. Knowledge development was facilitated by more experienced teachers, experience, and a set of key ideas.
Statistical technique for online anomaly detection using Spark over heterogeneous data from multi-source VMware performance data

Anomaly detection refers to the identification of patterns in a dataset that do not conform to expected patterns. Depending on the domain, the non-conformant patterns are assigned various tags, e.g. anomalies, outliers, exceptions, malwares and so forth. Online anomaly detection aims to detect anomalies in data flowing in a streaming fashion. Such stream data is commonplace in today's cloud data centers that house a large array of virtual machines(VM) producing vast amounts of performance data in real-time. Sophisticated detection mechanism will likely entail collation of data from heterogeneous sources with diversified data format and semantics. Therefore, detection of performance anomaly in this context requires a distributed framework with high throughput and low latency. Apache Spark is one such framework that represents the bleeding-edge amongst its contemporaries. In this paper, we have taken up the challenge of anomaly detection in VMware based cloud data centers. We have employed a Chi-square based statistical anomaly detection technique in Spark. We have demonstrated how to take advantage of the high processing power of Spark to perform anomaly detection on heterogeneous data using statistical techniques. Our approach is optimally designed to cope with the heterogeneity of input data streams and the experiments we conducted testify to its efficacy in online anomaly detection.
Masturbation in the in vivo treatment of impotence

Abstract Masturbation was successfully employed in a desensitization-like procedure to eliminate primary impotence in a 24-yr-old male. Follow-up at one, three, and six months showed no recurrence of the problem. The potential of masturbation as a competing response is discussed.
Volume illustration using wang cubes

To create a new, flexible system for volume illustration, we have explored the use of Wang Cubes, the 3D extension of 2D Wang Tiles. We use small sets of Wang Cubes to generate a large variety of nonperiodic illustrative 3D patterns and texture, which otherwise would be too large to use in real applications. We also develop a direct volume rendering framework with the generated patterns and textures. Our framework can be used to render volume datasets effectively and a variety of rendering styles can be achieved with less storage.Specifically, we extend the nonperiodic tiling process of Wang Tiles to Wang Cubes and modify it for multipurpose tiling. We automatically generate isotropic Wang Cubes consisting of 3D patterns or textures to simulate various illustrative effects. Anisotropic Wang Cubes are generated to yield patterns by using the volume data, curvature, and gradient information. We also extend the definition of Wang Cubes into a set of different sized cubes to provide multiresolution volume rendering. Finally, we provide both coherent 3D geometry-based and texture-based rendering frameworks that can be integrated with arbitrary feature exploration methods.
Automating physical system modelling using bond graphs

Abstract A designer can use a mathematical model of a physical system to study its dynamic performance. The goal of the Design Analysis for Reliability Tool (DART) project at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center was to automate some of the steps of building mathematical models. The bond-graph method was used to represent a physical system as a lumped parameter model. The DART program accepts a bond graph entered through a graphic editor. State equations are automatically derived from the bond graph. Specific constitutive laws for the general relationships represented by the bond-graph nodes are entered through a full-screen editor. The equations are solved using the Dynamic Simulation Language (DSL).
BCL2L1 (BCL-X) promotes survival of adult and developing retinal ganglion cells

The Bcl-2 family is responsible for regulating cell death pathways in neurons during development, after injury and in disease. The activation of the pro-death family member BAX is often the final step before cell death in neurons. Pro-survival family members such as BCL-X (BCL2L1) act to inhibit BAX activation. Overexpression studies have suggested that BCL-X could play an important physiological role in mediating neuronal viability. Loss-of-function studies performed in vivo have implicated BCL-X as a mediator of neuronal survival during the early stages of neurodevelopment. To assess whether BCL-X is needed to promote the survival of neurons in the central nervous system throughout life, Bcl-x was conditionally removed from the optic cup or throughout the adult mouse. During development BCL-X was required for the survival of differentiating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) leading up to their normal window of developmental death. Despite its expression in adult RGCs, BCL-X was not required for maintaining RGC viability in adult retinas. However, the loss of BCL-X in adult RGCs did significantly increase the rate of death of RGCs after axonal injury. Thus, in developing and injured RGCs there appears to be an active cell survival program preventing neuronal death.
Molecular dosimetry for sister-chromatid exchange induction and cytotoxicity by monofunctional and bifunctional alkylating agents.

Abstract The induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and cytotoxicity in 9L cells treated with monofunctional and bifunctional alkylating agents has been investigated. Three classes of monofunctional and bifunctional agents were studied: nitrosoureas, mustards and epoxides. Independent of class the bifunctional agents were 55–630-fold more effective at inducing SCEs and 300–2400-fold more effective at inducing cellular cytotoxicity than the corresponding monofunctional agents. Comparing the induction of SCEs and cytotoxicity by these agents showed that these two cellular responses to DNA damage are highly correlated. The extent of DNA alkylation in cells treated with 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea (ENU) or 1-(2-chloro-ethyl)-1-nitrosourea (CNU) was similar indicating that the increased effectiveness of CNU to induce SCEs and cytotoxicity was not due to increased DNA alkylation. Molecular dosimetry calculations indicate that for CNU and ENU treatment of 9L cells there are 116 and 8500 alkylations per SCE induced and 2.6 × 10 4 and 4.6 × 10 6 alkylations at the dose required to reduce survival of 9L cells by 90%. Comparison of the DNA alkylation products produced by CNU and ENU treatment of 9L cells suggests that the formation of the intrastrand crosslink N 7 -bis(guanyl)ethane the interstrand crosslink 1-(3-deoxycytidyl)-2-(1-deoxyguanosinyl)ethane by CNU is responsible for the increased effectiveness of CNU treatment at both induction of SCEs and cytotoxicity.
Mechanisms of inflammation. I. Laser-induced thrombosis, a morphologic analysis.

Summary1. A small injury has been created with a laser beam in a venule of a rabbit ear chamber. The injury is caused by the absorption of light by carbon particles injected into the blood stream of the rabbit and the subsequent generation of heat. 2. This injury results in formation of a thrombus in the vessel without apparent intervention of perivascular, or extravascular, factors. 3. The thrombus grows by the adherence of white cells and platelets to the lesion over a period of hours. 4. Resolution of the lesion results from a failure of further sticking of these elements, suggesting the existence in the blood stream of some “anti-sticking” mechanism, possibly in conjunction with the normal “erosive” properties of red blood cell flow. 5. The morphologic characteristics of the injury in vivo, and by histologic sectioning have been described. 6. There is evidence that the endothelial cytoplasm may have phagocytic properties under the conditions of the experiments described here.