cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Telementoring: Use of Augmented Reality in Orthopaedic Education

Background: Virtual interactive presence (VIP) is a new technology that allows an individual to deliver real-time virtual assistance to another geographically remote individual via a standard Internet connection. The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the efficiency and performance of a VIP system implemented in an operating room setting, determine the potential utility of the system for guidance of surgical procedures, and assess the safety of the system. Methods: Following institutional review board approval, fifteen patients underwent arthroscopic shoulder procedures. Two VIP stations were used, one in the operating room and the other in an adjoining dictation room. The attending surgeon proctored operating resident surgeons from the dictation room until his physical presence was required in the operating room. Following each procedure, the attending surgeon, resident surgeons, and three surgical staff members completed a Likert-scale questionnaire regarding the educational utility, efficiency of use, and safety of the system. The operative time was also compared with historical data. Results: Both attending and resident surgeons assigned a favorable rating to the utility of the VIP to highlight anatomy and provide feedback to the resident (p > 0.05 for the difference). Both groups agreed that the system was easy to use and that safety was not compromised (p > 0.05). The majority of resident and attending surgeon responses indicated no perceptible lag between motions (95% and 100%, respectively; p > 0.99) and no interference of the VIP system with the surgical procedure (85% and 100%, respectively; p = 0.24). The mean operative times with and without VIP use did not differ significantly for rotator cuff repair (p = 0.90) or for treatment of instability (p = 0.57). Conclusions: This pilot study revealed that the VIP technology was efficient, safe, and effective as a teaching tool. The attending and resident surgeons agreed that training was enhanced, and this occurred without increasing operative times. Furthermore, the attending surgeon believed that this technology improved teaching effectiveness. These results are promising, and further objective quantification is warranted.
Impact of endovascular repair on open aortic aneurysm surgical training.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an endovascular stent-graft program on vascular training in open aortic aneurysm surgery. Methods: The institutional and vascular surgery fellow experience in aortic aneurysm repair during a 6-year period was reviewed. The 3-year period before introduction of endovascular repair was compared with the 3-year period after introduction of endovascular repair. All patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs were entered prospectively into a vascular registry and retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the changing patterns in aortic aneurysm treatment and surgical training. Results: Between July 1994 and June 2000, a total of 588 patients with AAA or thoracoabdominal aneurysms were treated at Stanford University Medical Center. There were 296 (50%) open infrarenal AAA repairs, 87 (15%) suprarenal AAA repairs, 47 (8%) thoracoabdominal aneurysm repairs, and 153 (26%) endovascular stent-grafts. The total number of aneurysms repaired per year by vascular fellows before the endovascular program was 71.3 ± 4.9 (range, 68-77) and increased to 124.7 ± 35.6 (range, 91-162) after introduction of endovascular repair ( P P = not significant). There was a significant increase in the number of suprarenal AAA repairs per year by vascular fellows, 10.0 ± 1.0 (range, 9-11) before endovascular repair compared with 19.0 ± 6.5 (range, 13-26) after ( P Conclusions: Introduction of an endovascular aneurysm stent-graft program significantly increased the total number of aneurysms treated. Although the number of open aneurysm repairs has remained the same, the complexity of the open aneurysm experience has increased significantly for vascular fellows in training. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:885-91.)
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the P3 RNA domain of yeast ribonuclease MRP in a complex with RNase P/MRP protein components Pop6 and Pop7.

Eukaryotic ribonucleases P and MRP are closely related RNA-based enzymes which contain a catalytic RNA component and several protein subunits. The roles of the protein subunits in the structure and function of eukaryotic ribonucleases P and MRP are not clear. Crystals of a complex that included a circularly permuted 46-nucleotide-long P3 domain of the RNA component of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribonuclease MRP and selenomethionine derivatives of the shared ribonuclease P/MRP protein components Pop6 (18.2 kDa) and Pop7 (15.8 kDa) were obtained using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to space group P4222 (unit-cell parameters a = b = 127.2, c = 76.8 A, α = β = γ = 90°) and diffracted to 3.25 A resolution.
Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Middle School Youth: The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey.

Background: Obesity has become a national epidemic among youth. Declining physical activity and poor nutrition contribute to this epidemic. The purpose of this study was to obtain data on middle school students’ physical activity and nutrition knowledge and practices. Methods: The Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey was developed and distributed to a probability sample of Florida public middle schools (n = 73) in spring 2003, producing data from 4452 students in grades 6-8. Results: Results showed that less than one fourth of youth met expert recommendations for daily fruit and vegetable intake and less than one fifth identified the daily fruit and vegetable serving recommendation. Less than half of students reported eating breakfast daily. More non-Hispanic black youth reported not engaging in vigorous or moderate physical activity during the previous 7 days, and more girls and Hispanic youth reported not attending any physical education classes during the average school week. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that dietary and physical activity behaviors and knowledge among these middle school youth are setting the stage for the obesity epidemic to continue.
Composition design and high electromechanical effect in the PNN-based ceramics

Relaxor-type ferroelectric perovskite Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PNN) could be synthesized through a two-steps process consisting of heat treatment at high temperatures and then acetic acid treatment of oxide mixture containing PbO in amount greater than in the perovskite composition, though until now it is very difficult to obtain its single phase. This made possible to open a new route of actuator materials in the combination of PNN and other kinds of perovskite compounds. In this paper, an investigation was undertaken for the combinations with perovskites PbTiO3 (PT), PbZrO3 (PZ) and Pb(Sc1/2Nb1/2)O3 (PSN), such as PNN-PT, PNN-PZ-PT, PNN-PSN and PNN-PSN-PT, to search compositions giving higher electric field-induced strain. In order to obtain higher strain, it was essential to bring close the composition near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) from rhombohedral to tetragonal symmetry. For the PNN-based ceramics showing higher strain, the potentiality as actuator was discussed.
Bacterial histidine decarboxylase in rat stomach

Abstract Two histadine decarboxylase activities have been found in rat stomach. One, in the supernatant fraction of stomach homogenate, had optimum activity at pH 7 and appeared similar to the specific mammalian L-histidine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.22) descrideb by other workers. The second, in the insoluble residue of stomach homogenate, had a pH optimum of 5 and resembled the Lactobacillus L-histidine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.22). This second, residue enzyme was located in the upper part of normal rat stomach, an area which supported a heavy growth of Lactobacillus . The residue histidine decarboxylase activity was absent in germ-free rat stomach and was therefore thought to be of bacterial origin. In view of the coprophagic activity of rats, feces could serve as an inoculum of Lactobacillus in stomach, and the levels of activity of the residue enzyme were found to be related to the state of cleanliness of the animal cages. Other factors, such as starvation and drug treatment, which affect the levels of the residue enzyme are discussed. There was also evidence that the histamine content of stomach is related in part to the activity of the residue histidine decarboxylase.
Video-rate optical dosimetry and dynamic visualization of IMRT and VMAT treatment plans in water using Cherenkov radiation

Purpose: A novel technique for optical dosimetry of dynamic intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans was investigated for the first time by capturing images of the induced Cherenkov radiation in water. Methods: A high-sensitivity, intensified CCD camera (ICCD) was configured to acquire a two-dimensional (2D) projection image of the Cherenkov radiation induced by IMRT and VMAT plans, based on the Task Group 119 (TG-119) C-Shape geometry. Plans were generated using the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) and delivered using 6 MV x-rays from a Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator (Linac) incident on a water tank doped with the fluorophore quinine sulfate. The ICCD acquisition was gated to the Linac target trigger pulse to reduce background light artifacts, read out for a single radiation pulse, and binned to a resolution of 512 × 512 pixels. The resulting videos were analyzed temporally for various regions of interest (ROI) covering the planning target volume (PTV) and organ at risk (OAR), and summed to obtain an overall light intensity distribution, which was compared to the expected dose distribution from the TPS using a gamma-index analysis. Results: The chosen camera settings resulted in 23.5 frames per second dosimetry videos. Temporal intensity plots of the PTV and OAR ROIs confirmed the preferential delivery of dose to the PTV versus the OAR, and the gamma analysis yielded 95.9% and 96.2% agreement between the experimentally captured Cherenkov light distribution and expected TPS dose distribution based upon a 3%/3 mm dose difference and distance-to-agreement criterion for the IMRT and VMAT plans, respectively. Conclusions: The results from this initial study demonstrate the first documented use of Cherenkov radiation for video-rate optical dosimetry of dynamic IMRT and VMAT treatment plans. The proposed modality has several potential advantages over alternative methods including the real-time nature of the acquisition, and upon future refinement may prove to be a robust and novel dosimetry method with both research and clinical applications.
Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation with bipolar radiofrequency as the primary modality.

Objectives In studying cardiac surgical patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation with bipolar radiofrequency, we sought to (1) quantify the time-related prevalence of atrial fibrillation postoperatively and identify its risk factors and (2) determine time-related ablation failure and its risk factors. Methods From November 2001 to January 2004, 513 patients underwent atrial fibrillation ablation (bipolar radiofrequency alone or with cryothermy) and other cardiac operations. Rhythm documented on 3495 postoperative electrocardiograms was used to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for atrial fibrillation across time. Ablation failure was defined as occurrence of atrial fibrillation any time beyond 6 months after operation. Results Prevalence of postoperative atrial fibrillation peaked at about 1 month, decreased to 13% at 6 months, and gradually increased thereafter. Risk factors associated with increased prevalence varied by time period and included older age ( P = .004) for early occurrence, lesion set in permanent atrial fibrillation ( P = .02) for late occurrence, and larger left atrial diameter ( P = .02) and permanent atrial fibrillation ( P P = .001), longer duration of atrial fibrillation ( P = .01), and larger left atrial diameter ( P = .03). Conclusions Bipolar radiofrequency enables extension of ablation to most cardiac surgical patients with atrial fibrillation. Recurrence is influenced by the type and duration of atrial fibrillation, choice of lesion set in permanent atrial fibrillation, and left atrial size. Early operation, careful choice of lesion set, and left atrial reduction might enhance results.
Analysis of low energy X-ray and excitation spectra of Ba 35+

We present a theoretical analysis of the low energy X-ray spectra of the Ba35+ + e- system, in the energy region below 2 keV, for comparison with future experiments. In a recent study carried out at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, scandium-like Ba35+ ions were created, trapped and excited using an Electron Beam Ion Trap and an electron beam with kinetic energy of 2.35 keV. The theory agrees well with experiment for X-ray energies in the region 2–5 keV. The experiment also gives evidence suggestive of a large cross section for X-ray production in the region below 2.0 keV. We include the contribution to the X-ray spectra of collisional excitation followed by fluorescence decay, radiative cascade processes, M-shell dielectronic recombination, Bremsstrahlung, and a new off-shell, quasi-resonant continuum dielectronic recombination process. We find that excitation fluorescence is the dominant process, with smaller contributions from the other radiative cascade processes as well as a continuous Bremsstrahlung background.
Optimization of a heterologous pathway for the production of flavonoids from glucose

The development of efficient microbial processes for the production of flavonoids has been a metabolic engineering goal for the past several years, primarily due to the purported health-promoting effects of these compounds. Although significant strides have been made recently in improving strain titers and yields, current fermentation strategies suffer from two major drawbacks-(1) the requirement for expensive phenylpropanoic precursors supplemented into the media and (2) the need for two separate media formulations for biomass/protein generation and flavonoid production. In this study, we detail the construction of a series of strains capable of bypassing both of these problems. A four-step heterologous pathway consisting of the enzymes tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL), 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and chalcone isomerase (CHI) was assembled within two engineered l-tyrosine Escherichia coli overproducers in order to enable the production of the main flavonoid precursor naringenin directly from glucose. During the course of this investigation, we discovered that extensive optimization of both enzyme sources and relative gene expression levels was required to achieve high quantities of both p-coumaric acid and naringenin accumulation. Once this metabolic balance was achieved, however, such strains were found to be capable of producing 29 mg/l naringenin from glucose and up to 84 mg/l naringenin with the addition of the fatty acid enzyme inhibitor, cerulenin. These results were obtained through cultivation of E. coli in a single minimal medium formulation without additional precursor supplementation, thus paving the way for the development of a simple and economical process for the microbial production of flavonoids directly from glucose.
Proteolytic analysis of polymerized maize tubulin: regulation of microtubule stability to low temperature and Ca2+ by the carboxyl terminus of β‐tubulin

To obtain information on plant microtubule stability to low temperature and Ca 2+ , the regulatory domain of polymerized tubulin from maize (Zea mays cv. Black Mexican Sweet) was dissected by limited proteolysis with subtilisin. Tubulin in taxol-stabilized microtubules was cleaved in a subtilisin concentration- and time-dependent manner. Immunoblotting of microtubules with antibodies having mapped epitopes on α- and β-tubulins revealed that cleavage initially removed ≤15 residues from the β-tubulin carboxyl terminus to produce αβ s -microtubules. Subsequent cleavage occurred at an extreme site and an internal site within the α-tubulin carboxyl terminus. Electron microscopy revealed that αβ s -microtubules were ultrastructurally indistinguishable from uncleaved control αβ-microtubules. Quantitative polymer sedimentation showed that low temperature treatment (0 °C) caused significant depolymerization of αβ-microtubules, but little depolymerization of αβ s -microtubules. Ca 2+ enhanced the cold-induced depolymerization of both αβ- and αβ s -microtubules. However, αβ s -microtubules were significantly more stable to depolymerization by cold and Ca 2+ than were αβ-micro-tubules. The results showed that maize microtubules containing shortened β-tubulin carboxyl termini are relatively resistant to the combined depolymerizing effects of cold and Ca 2+ . Thus, the extreme carboxyl terminus of β-tubulin is a crucial element of the plant tubulin regulatory domain and may be involved in the modulation of microtubule stability during the chilling response in plants.
A new re-entrant ionization chamber for the calibration of iridium-192 high dose rate sources.

A re-entrant (well-type) ionization chamber has been designed and fabricated at the University of Wisconsin for use with iridium-192 high dose-rate (HDR) remote after-loading brachytherapy devices. The chamber was designed to provide an ionization current of about 10(-8) ampere with a nominal 10 curie iridium-192 source. A narrow opening is provided into the sensitive volume of the chamber to insert a Nucletron MicroSelectron catheter, or catheters with similar diameters from other HDR manufacturers. The chamber exhibits a flat response (+/- 0.1%) for any source position within +/-4 mm of the chamber center. A 300 volt chamber bias yields a 99.96% ion collection efficiency. The chamber is capable of being calibrated directly with an iridium-192 source which has in turn been calibrated with thimble-type ion chambers. Reproducibility for readings in the current mode for 10 consecutive insertions of the MicroSelectron iridium-192 HDR source is within 0.02% or less. Two thimble chambers calibrated by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology provide calibration traceability of iridium-192 HDR sources and re-entrant chambers to a primary national standards laboratory. Results of activity measurements of 6 commercial iridium-192 HDR sources are reported.
Connective Tissue VIII: Effect of Rickets upon Chemistry of Inflammation.∗

Summary and conclusionRachitic rats, which have been shown to be refractory to cortisol insofar as their connective tissue chemistry is concerned, demonstrated a chemical response to local injury which was qualitatively similar to that evidenced in non-rachitic animals. Quantitatively, the chemical alteration in inflammation in the rachitic animals was less profound than that found in the non-rachitic rats. Indeed, the wounds in the rachitic animals were chemically healed within 23 days after injury whereas the non-rachitic rats were not. Finally, the cortisol refractory rachitic animals did not demonstrate a “distant dermal collagen response” to local inflammation, confirming previous reports suggesting that this response was a hormonally potentiated response to the stress produced by local trauma.
A Rare Sinonasal Entity

Awoman in her 70swith a history of radiation therapy for a nasal cavity lymphoma15yearspriorpresentedwithcomplaintsofchronic right nasal obstruction and right epiphora. She denied epistaxis or pain. She described having undergone 2 surgical procedures in the interim for occluded nasolacrimal duct, at 1 year and 8 years after treatment. Onnasalendoscopy,asmooth,pink, friablemasswasseenabutting the posterior aspect of the right inferior turbinate and extending to fill most of the nasopharynx. This mass was visible through the left choana as well. There was also an erythematous irregular area, smaller than 1 cm, on the right lateral nasal wall, correspondingtotheorificeof thenasolacrimalduct.Themiddle turbinateswere intact, andnoother lesionswere seen.Theoropharynxandoral cavity were clear, and findings from fiber-optic laryngoscopy was normal. Orbital examination revealed right epiphora without additional abnormality. Maxillofacial computed tomographic (CT) imaging along with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head were performed. Coronal CT image with bone window (Figure, A), sagittal T1weighted imagewithout contrast (Figure, B), coronal T2-weighted (Figure, C), and contrast-enhanced, fat-saturated, T1-weighted (Figure,D) imagesarepresented for interpretation.Thepatientwas brought to the operating room for biopsy. What is your diagnosis? A
Picosecond photoelectron microscope for high-speed testing of integrated circuits

The performance of devices an circuits is advancing at a rapid pace with the advent of submicron design ground rules and switching times under 50 ps. The requirements for probing the internal nodes of these ultra-fast, -small, and -dense circuits give rise to great challenges for high-speed electron-beam testing. In this paper, we review the steps which have allowed electron-beam testing to achieve simultaneously 5-ps temporal resolution, 0.1-µm spot size, and 3 mV/√Hz voltage sensitivity. The resulting newly developed instrument, called the picosecond photoelectron scanning electron microscope (PPSEM), is capable of measuring the state-of-the-art bipolar and FET circuits and also VLSI passive interconnects.
Cyclic Modular β-Sheets

The development of peptide β-hairpins is problematic, because folding depends on the amino acid sequence and changes to the sequence can significantly decrease folding. Robust β-hairpins that can tolerate such changes are attractive tools for studying interactions involving protein β-sheets and developing inhibitors of these interactions. This paper introduces a new class of peptide models of protein β-sheets that addresses the problem of separating folding from the sequence. These model β-sheets are macrocyclic peptides that fold in water to present a pentapeptide β-strand along one edge; the other edge contains the tripeptide β-strand mimic Hao [JACS 2000, 122, 7654] and two additional amino acids. The pentapeptide and Hao-containing peptide strands are connected by two δ-linked ornithine (δOrn) turns [JACS 2003, 125, 876]. Each δOrn turn contains a free α-amino group that permits the linking of individual modules to form divalent β-sheets. These “cyclic modular β-sheets” are synthesized by standard sol...
Higher-order equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods.

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (EOM-CC) methods truncated after double, triple, or quadruple cluster and linear excitation operators (EOM-CCSD, EOM-CCSDT, and EOM-CCSDTQ) have been derived and implemented into parallel execution programs. They compute excitation energies, excited-state dipole moments, and transition moments of closed- and open-shell systems, taking advantage of spin, spatial (real Abelian), and permutation symmetries simultaneously and fully (within the spin–orbital formalisms). The related Λ equation solvers for coupled-cluster (CC) methods through and up to connected quadruple excitation (CCSD, CCSDT, and CCSDTQ) have also been developed. These developments have been achieved, by virtue of the algebraic and symbolic manipulation program that automated the formula derivation and implementation altogether. The EOM-CC methods and CC Λ equations introduce a class of second quantized ansatz with a de-excitation operator (Ŷ), a number of excitation operators (X), and a physical (e.g....
The pediatrician and his changing world.

B Y THE very nature of his chosen field the pediatrician's world is largely populated by "little people." Although there are those who would claim that the "l i t t le people" of today have changed greatly from those of past generations, we cannot feel that this is the ease. Certainly the "Dennis the Menace[s]" of today had their prototypes in the past in the "Katzenjammer Kids" and "Peck ' s Bad Boy[s] " and others even more remote. Rather have the largest changes been made in the attitudes and viewpoints of the pediatricians themselves and more particularly in those whose help they have enlisted in the realm of child care. References to the care of children may be found as far back as mankind has left any tangible evidence of his cultures and customs, but i t is generally conceded that pediatrics as a specialty had its inception little more than a century ago. I t was then that physicians first began to accept the concept t h a t the "li t t]e people" of their world were not simply Lilliputian counterparts of their Brobdingnagian forebears--but
Molecular cluster studies of binary alloys: LiAl

The electronic structure of the ordered Zintl ($B32$) phase of LiAl has been studied in a molecular-cluster model within the framework of the Hartree-Fock-Slater theory. ${\mathrm{Li}}_{5}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{Al}}_{5}$${\mathrm{Li}}_{4}$ clusters were embedded in a potential field representative of the alloy environment; energy levels and wave functions were obtained by self-consistent iteration. Density-of-states and charge-density results are used to interpret NMR and electrical-conductivity studies. The case of a single Li vacancy was also treated, and discussed in the light of positronannihilation data.
Potential anti-inflammatory effects of topical retinoids and retinoid analogues

The topical retinoid tretinoin and topical retinoid analogues such as adapalene and tazarotene help normalize hyperkeratinization in acne vulgaris and have demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects in experimental trials. Inhibition of various immune factors, including the activity of leukocytes, the release of proinflammatory cytokines and other mediators, and the expression of transcription factors and toll receptors involved in immunomodulation, has emerged in both in vitro studies and in vivo animal experiments. These multiple mechanisms of action should encourage clinicians to consider these agents in the first-line management of inflammatory acne lesions.
Executive perceptions of adopting an environmental certification program

Environmental certification is playing an increasingly important role in the strategies of many businesses. This is due in large part to consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. Little is known, however, about why executives adopt environmental certification for a product or process, or how they view the benefits and challenges of certification. This paper seeks to advance our knowledge in this area by exploring executives' perceptions of benefits and challenges associated with adopting an environmental certification program. We surveyed executives in the kitchen cabinet industry about a second party certification scheme initiated for producers in that industry. Results suggest that perceptions of the benefits and challenges of environmental certification differ significantly based on whether the company had or had not adopted the certification scheme in question. The paper considers the implications for companies considering adopting environmental certification as well as for organizations providing certification schemes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Quantitation of virus using laser-based scanning of near-infrared fluorophores replaces manual plate reading in a virus titration assay

A method was developed for quantitation of a virus titration assay for minimally cytopathic and noncytopathic viruses that utilizes laser-based scanning of near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores. This automated method bypasses the need for manual plate reading thus eliminating human bias and error. The image data is translated by LI-COR's Odyssey software into numerical data which is used directly in the virus titer calculations.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances: current and future perspectives

Environmental context Perfluoroalkyl substances were recognised as global environmental pollutants 10 years ago. Although considerable advancements have been made in our understanding of the environmental distribution, fate and toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances, several important issues remain to be resolved. This article identifies existing knowledge gaps that deserve further investigations to enable meaningful regulatory decisions. Abstract It has been over a decade since perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were discovered as global environmental contaminants. Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the environmental fate and toxic effects of PFASs since then. Government regulations and voluntary emission reduction initiatives by industry have been effective in reducing environmental and human exposure to a major PFAS, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in the United States and several other western countries. Although significant advances have been made in our understanding of the environmental chemistry of PFASs, considerable knowledge gaps still exist in several areas of environmental fate and risk assessments. Owing to their complex chemistry, involving existence of multiple precursors with significant numbers of structural isomers and mixtures of homologues, multiple degradation pathways and unique physicochemical properties, challenges remain in elucidating sources and environmental fate. In this overview, some of the knowledge gaps in PFASs’ research have been identified and suggestions for future research have been made.
Categorical encoding in short-term memory by deaf and hearing children.

Thirty-seven deaf and 38 hearing children, ages eight to 12, were tested in a short-term memory task. Special interest focused on the build-up and release of proactive interference (PI). Both group...
The 5' UTR negatively regulates quantitative and spatial expression from the ABI3 promoter.

The involvement of transcription factors Arabidopsis abscisic acid-insensitive3 (ABI3), maize viviparous1 (VP1) and Phaseolus vulgaris ABI3-like factor (PvALF) in the spatial control of storage protein gene expression is well established. However, little insight exists as to how they are themselves regulated. To address this, a 5.15 kb ABI3 upstream sequence including a 4.6 kb full-length promoter and 519 bp of 5′-untranslated region (UTR) was used to drive either β-glucuronidase (GUS) or green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in Arabidopsis. Expression from the full-length (−4630/+519ABI3) and various 5′-truncated promoters was detected during embryogenesis in all lines, except those transgenic for promoter elements shorter than 364 bp. Two upstream activating regions, −3600 to −2033 and −2033 to −882, enhanced GUS expression in seeds. The −882 to −364 region was sufficient to confer seed-specific expression of GUS when fused to a −64/+6CaMV 35S minimal promoter. Expression from the ABI3 promoter constructs was seed-specific, except in the presence of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) (>0.3 μM), when GUS expression was detected in seedling roots. Excision of a 405 bp region containing three upstream open reading frames (uORFs) from the 5′-UTR dramatically increased GUS expression and debilitated constraint of reporter expression in roots. Negative regulation of ABI3 expression by the 5′-UTR may involve a post-transcriptional mechanism analogous to that of tumor suppressor genes which also bear long, uORF-containing, 5′-UTRs, or through interactions with RNA-binding proteins.
Familism and mental health: variation between Asian American children of refugees and immigrants

Informed by a psychoanalytic theory, the current study aimed to examine variation in the acculturation of Asian American refugees and immigrants, their children's endorsement of familism, and its mental health consequences. Specifically, we hypothesized that refugees would acculturate less than immigrants, which, in turn, would partially mediate a higher endorsement of familism in the former's children. Furthermore, we hypothesized that familism would negatively impact the mental health of children of refugees but not that of children of immigrants. The study used data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). A group of 491 Asian American refugee and 391 immigrant parents and their adolescent children served as the sample. As predicted, refugees were less acculturated than immigrants, which partially mediated the effect of migration type on their children's level of familism. Also, as predicted, familism negatively impacted the mental health of children of refugees but not that of children of immigrants. Implications for mental health services targeting this population are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MINIMALISM AND VICTIM TESTIMONY

This essay renews a discussion of how historians do, and should, represent atrocity. It argues that the problems of representing extreme violence remain under-conceptualized; in this context it discusses the strengths and weaknesses of minimalism, a style prevalent both in historiography and in an intellectual culture that values understatement in approaches to violence. The essay traces the general cultural preference for minimalist narratives of suffering, which, it claims, is driven by the widespread conviction that experimental and exuberant narratives convert victims' suffering into kitsch. It then focuses on two works, by Saul Friedlander and by Jan Gross, on the history of Jewish victims during and after the Second World War in order to assess how each uses sophisticated minimalist understatement to represent suffering, but with radically different effects. Finally, it asks historians to reflect upon the representation of extreme events by focusing on narrative style, on questions of ethics, and on the cultural narratives within which their own work on suffering and violence is inevitably embedded-especially given that historians are paying increasing attention to violent events that generate tremendous difficulties in relation to the representation both of victims and perpetrators.
Type II Cadherins Guide Assembly of a Direction-Selective Retinal Circuit

Complex retinal circuits process visual information and deliver it to the brain. Few molecular determinants of synaptic specificity in this system are known. Using genetic and optogenetic methods, we identified two types of bipolar interneurons that convey visual input from photoreceptors to a circuit that computes the direction in which objects are moving. We then sought recognition molecules that promote selective connections of these cells with previously characterized components of the circuit. We found that the type II cadherins, cdh8 and cdh9, are each expressed selectively by one of the two bipolar cell types. Using loss- and gain-of-function methods, we showed that they are critical determinants of connectivity in this circuit and that perturbation of their expression leads to distinct defects in visually evoked responses. Our results reveal cellular components of a retinal circuit and demonstrate roles of type II cadherins in synaptic choice and circuit function.
Theoretical studies on the deacylation step of serine protease catalysis in the gas phase, in solution, and in elastase.

The deacylation step of serine protease catalysis is studied using DFT and ab initio QM/MM calculations combined with MD/umbrella sampling calculations. Free energies of the entire reaction are calculated in the gas phase, in a continuum solvent, and in the enzyme elastase. The calculations show that a concerted mechanism in the gas phase is replaced by a stepwise mechanism when solvent effects or an acetate ion are added to the reference system, with the tetrahedral intermediate being a shallow minimum on the free energy surface. In the enzyme, the tetrahedral intermediate is a relatively stable species (∼7 kcal/mol lower in energy than the transition state), mainly due to the electrostatic effects of the oxyanion hole and Asp102. It is formed in the first step of the reaction, as a result of a proton transfer from the nucleophilic water to His57 and of an attack of the remaining hydroxyl on the ester carbonyl. This is the rate-determining step of the reaction, which requires ∼22 kcal/mol for activation,...
Electrochemical study of multi-electrode microbial fuel cells under fed-batch and continuous flow conditions

Abstract Power production of four hydraulically connected microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was compared with the reactors operated using individual electrical circuits (individual), and when four anodes were wired together and connected to four cathodes all wired together (combined), in fed-batch or continuous flow conditions. Power production under these different conditions could not be made based on a single resistance, but instead required polarization tests to assess individual performance relative to the combined MFCs. Based on the power curves, power produced by the combined MFCs (2.12 ± 0.03 mW, 200 Ω) was the same as the summed power (2.13 mW, 50 Ω) produced by the four individual reactors in fed-batch mode. With continuous flow through the four MFCs, the maximum power (0.59 ± 0.01 mW) produced by the combined MFCs was slightly lower than the summed maximum power of the four individual reactors (0.68 ± 0.02 mW). There was a small parasitic current flow from adjacent anodes and cathodes, but overall performance was relatively unaffected. These findings demonstrate that optimal power production by reactors hydraulically and electrically connected can be predicted from performance by individual reactors.
Photoinduced DNA binding of a multi-metallic (Cu(II)/Ru(II)/Pt(II)) porphyrin complex

Abstract The synthesis of a new multi-metallic porphyrin based on the meso-5,10,15-tris(4-pyridyl)-20-pentafluorophenyl porphyrin containing a copper(II) metal center, two ruthenium(II) bipyridyl complexes bound to two peripheral N-pyridyl nitrogens, and a platinum(II) dichloro complex bound to the remaining N-pyridyl nitrogen is presented. The new complex binds to plasmid DNA more efficiently than the well known anticancer drug cis -platin, as determined by gel electrophoresis. When solutions of the plasmid DNA in the presence of the new complex are irradiated with visible light the rate of binding of the complex to DNA is enhanced even further.
Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Reconstruction in Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults

Background We reviewed our experience with valve-sparing aortic root reconstruction (VSARR) using the sinus of Valsalva graft in children, teenagers, and young adults with connective tissue disorders. Methods Results of a single-center experience with VSARR in children, teenagers, and young adults were retrospectively analyzed. End points were death, freedom from reintervention, and freedom from valve dysfunction. Results Between 2003 and 2010, 16 patients (Marfan, 9; Loeys Dietz syndrome, 6; conotruncal, 1) underwent VSARR. The mean age was 20 ± 7.4 (range, 9 to 36 years). Indications for VSAAR were aortic root enlargement in 14 (sinus of Valsalva Z-score, 6.2 ± 2) and aortic dissection in 2. Additional procedures included replacement of the ascending aorta in 7, with additional replacement of the aortic arch in 2. No early or late deaths occurred. One patient required a pacemaker. One patient with Loeys-Dietz syndrome required reoperation for aneurysmal dilatation of the coronary buttons. Two patients underwent replacement of the thoracoabdominal aorta for chronic dissection. Follow-up by echocardiography or magnetic resonance imaging at a mean of 33 ± 29 months showed more than mild aortic regurgitation in 2 patients. Both patients with moderate aortic insufficiency also had a bicuspid aortic valve. Conclusions VSARR using the sinus of Valsalva graft is a reproducible technique that achieves acceptable early and intermediate results. It is suitable for children, teenagers, and young adults. Anticoagulation is avoided. The procedure is appropriate for emergency operations but should be used with caution in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve.
Salicylism Revisited: Unusual Problems in Diagnosis and Management

Salicylism remains a distressing form of intoxication. Three cases illustrate points in environmental drug control, prescription writing, diagnosis and therapy.
A symmetric Galerkin BEM variational framework for multi-domain interface problems

In this paper we discuss an energy-based variational framework for the solution of interior problems in multiplyconnected domains comprising multiple piecewise homogeneous subdomains, using exclusively boundary integral equations. The primary goal is to provide a unified variational setting that lends itself naturally to symmetric Galerkin boundary element formulations in terms of Dirichlet-type variables only. The approach hinges on the explicit imposition of the normal derivative of the classical integral representation of the interior solution on each subdomain via Lagrange multipliers in the augmented Lagrangian of the system. We use Maue-type identities to resolve the hypersingular kernels, leading to a scheme that requires only standard singleand double-layer evaluations. In addition, the usual difficulty with multi-valued normals at subdomain corners is treated here within the same variational framework, by incorporating into the variational formulation the constraint equation between the limiting normal derivatives at either side of the corner. The resulting scheme remains fully symmetric. The numerical implementation avoids the explicit presence of Neumann-type unknowns on the boundaries, through condensation at the subdomain level. In all integral evaluations, three- or four-point Gauss quadrature rules are sufficient for accurate results. We describe the theory and present illustrative examples for thermal and acoustic problems governed by Laplace and Helmholtz equations, respectively. This technique, however, can be applied without essential modification to more general problems. � 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Metacyclogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro: a simplified procedure

A simplified procedure for obtaining high levels of infective, metacyclic trypomastigotes of a Brazilian strain of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro is described. Epimastigotes cultured in Yaeger's Liver Infusion Tryptose Medium, when transferred to Grace's Insect Tissue Culture Medium (GMA) supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum, yielded over 90% metacyclic forms. Decreasing or eliminating the serum from GMA adversely affected growth but did not decrease levels of transformation, thus providing a chemically defined culture system for analysing factors influencing metacyclogenesis of T. cruzi.
A real-time vision-based 3D motion estimation system for positioning and trajectory following

The authors present a real-time vision-based system for automatic positioning and trajectory following, based on a direct method for 3D motion estimation. The spatio-temporal derivatives of the image function, calculated from time-varying imagery, are used to directly calculate the motion and position of the camera. For demonstration, they have implemented the system on a one-degree-of freedom thruster operating in a laboratory water tank. The estimated position information is communicated to the control system, a PID controller, in order to generate the appropriate signal to correct the thruster system's position. The performance of the vision system is demonstrated in selected experiments by comparing results with the data from an optical encoder position sensor.
Goal-Directed Navigation for Animated Characters Using Real-Time Path Planning and Control

This paper presents a new technique for computing collision-free navigation motions from task-level commands for animated human characters in interactive virtual environments. The algorithm implementation utilizes the hardware rendering pipeline commonly found on graphics accelerator cards to perform fast 2D motion planning. Given a 3D geometric description of an animated character and a level-terrain environment, collision-free navigation paths can be computed between initial and goal locations at interactive rates. Speed is gained by leveraging the graphics hardware to quickly project the obstacle geometry into a 2D bitmap for planning. The bitmap may be searched by any number of standard dynamic programming techniques to produce a final path. Cyclic motion capture data is used along with a simple proportional derivative controller to animate the character as it follows the computed path. The technique has been implemented on an SGI Indigo2 workstation and runs at interactive rates. It allows for real-time modification of the goal locations and obstacle positions for multiple characters in complex environments composed of more than 15,000 triangles.
From colonialism to theology: encounters with Martin Wight's international thought

Martin Wight's writings range far more widely than those of most leading historians and theorists of International Relations. His thought escapes from the parochialism of particular academic disciplines and departments. It also escapes from the provincialism of the present, our preoccupation with immediate issues of foreign policy, which is a preoccupation with ourselves and our society. He grappled with some of the great questions of his era, from colonialism to nuclear war. But in doing that he tried to get beyond his time, by recalling other times when similar questions were current. The mark of a leading thinker and writer is the heavy weight of his thought on his readers. Martin Wight's writings left me with a number of ideas and suggestions the accumulative effect of which is the view I hold of International Relations.
SYNTHESIS OF 4-ETHYL-2,6-DINITRO-N,N-DIPROPYLANILINE-A NEW PLANT-GROWTH REGULATOR AND SELECTIVE HERBICIDE

(1971). SYNTHESIS OF 4-ETHYL-2,6-DINITRO-N,N-DIPROPYLANILINE-A NEW PLANT-GROWTH REGULATOR AND SELECTIVE HERBICIDE. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 109-112.
Symmetry and terrestrial spectroscopy

Summary. There is an analogy in the algebraic structure between the terrestrial spectra belonging to different earth models and the electron energy levels of some quantum mechanical systems. The reason for such an analogy is studied by means of group theory. It is shown that the structure of the spectrum is determined solely by the symmetry of the physical system under consideration. Group theory is then applied, as a unifying theory, to study terrestrial spectroscopic problems based on the theorem that each degree of degeneracy in the spectrum is equal to the dimension of one of the irreducible representations of the symmetry group of the physical system. The influence of perturbations of lower symmetry on the degeneracies in the spectrum (particularly the pattern of splitting) is also studied through group theory; and exact results are obtained. In addition, group theory provides the selection rules for perturbation matrices which determine the coupling among normal modes belonging to the unperturbed system.
Implementing a RAKE receiver for wireless communications on an FPGA-based computer system

RAKE receivers are widely used in the wireless communications industry. Currently, custom VLSI is the most popular implementation. Programmable and reconfigurable logic implementations are becoming more attractive because of their flexibility and due to technology advancements. We have implemented a RAKE receiver on an Annapolis Wildforce board with four Xilinx 4000 family chips for a total of 100,000 gate equivalents. Our system is able to implement a RAKE receiver for underwater data communication systems that works in real time. We also investigate mapping a RAKE receiver to a Virtex chip for real-time atmospheric wireless communication.
Surgical correction of truncus arteriosus in infancy

An 8 week old infant with severe heart failure from type 1 truncus arteriosus underwent successful corrective surgery employing the Rastelli procedure with use of deep hypothermia and total circulatory arrest. Postoperative hemodynamic studies showed complete closure of the septal defect, disappearance of truncal stenosis, but presence of mild porcine valve stenosis. This procedure is possible even in very small subjects and is preferable to palliative pulmonary arterial banding.