cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel nonsense mutation of ZEB2 gene in a Chinese patient with Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

Background Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and multiple anomalies caused by haploinsufficiency of the ZEB2 gene. We investigated the genetic causes of MWS in a 14-year-old girl who had characteristic features of MWS. Methods Clinical data and peripheral blood DNA samples were collected from the proband. Following extraction of genomic DNA, whole-exome sequencing was conducted to detect genetic variants. Bioinformatics analysis was carried out to predict the function of the mutant gene. Results Mutation analysis of the proband identified a novel nonsense mutation (c.250G > T, p.E84*) within exon 3 of the ZEB2 gene. This novel alteration resulted in a termination codon at amino acid position 84, which was predicted to encode a truncated protein. This variant was not present in unrelated healthy control samples that were obtained from the exome sequence databases ExAc browser (http://exac.broadinstitute.org/) and gnomAD browser (http://gnomad.broadinstitute.org/). It is a novel variant that was determined to be a deleterious mutation according to the variant interpretation guidelines of the ACMG. The results of our study suggest that the p.E84* mutation in the ZEB2 gene was probably the pathogenic mutation that caused MWS in the proband. Conclusions This study reports the novel mutation in the proband will provide a basic foundation for further investigations to elucidate the ZEB2-related mechanisms of MWS.
How Do Shared Languages Create Personal Narratives

This chapter looks at how karma stories allow shared doctrines and dogmas to be internalized, becoming personally significant while also being socially acceptable, individually meaningful, and seen to be true. It explores the ways that Bangkok’s Buddhists negotiate their visions of reality with one another by exploring a narrative about a young woman’s experiences with karma. As a young teen, Aw would buy crabs for her family’s dinner at the market, then poke their eyes out with her knife before cooking them. Several years after she stopped this practice, she believes, her karma came back to her; she developed an enduring pain in her eye that her doctors could not treat. It was only when she had suffered enough for her harmful acts that she found relief. This chapter looks at how Aw put these disparate events, separated by several years, together in a single autobiographical story.
Urban Children’s Well-Being Factors and Qualities of Being and Doing in Natural Space: Nature Immersion:

Research has suggested positive effects of nature immersion–a state of being or an act of doing in natural space–for urban children who were otherwise at risk for emotional or behavioral problems. ...
Things Fall Apart and the Modern African Hero

In this chapter, the author suggests that Achebe’s most celebrated novel, Things Fall Apart, has profoundly influenced not only the literature of canonical authors but African American graphic fiction as well.
Division Polynomials with Galois Group \(SU_{3}(3).2\mathop{\cong}G_{2}(2)\)

We use a rigidity argument to prove the existence of two related degree 28 covers of the projective plane with Galois group \(SU_{3}(3).2\mathop{\cong}G_{2}(2)\). Constructing corresponding two-parameter polynomials directly from the defining group-theoretic data seems beyond feasibility. Instead we provide two independent constructions of these polynomials, one from 3-division points on covers of the projective line studied by Deligne and Mostow, and one from 2-division points of genus three curves studied by Shioda. We explain how one of the covers also arises as a 2-division polynomial for a family of G2 motives in the classification of Dettweiler and Reiter. We conclude by specializing our two covers to get interesting three-point covers and number fields which would be hard to construct directly.
Can recognizing students by name influence student evaluations of teaching

Using student evaluations of teaching (SET) to measure teaching effectiveness is controversial. This study explores the effects of memorizing student names on SET ratings and uses the halo effect a...
Interprofessional Collaboration in School-Based Settings, Part 3: Implementation of IC Through Case Scenarios.

This article is the last in a series of three that discusses the importance of interprofessional collaboration (IC) between the school nurse and other school-based and community professionals and p...
Ab Initio Modeling of fcc Fe-Co-Cr-Ni High Entropy Alloys with Full Composition Range

The Fe-Co-Cr-Ni quaternary system has been studied extensively in the past decade, not only because of the superior properties achieved like high tensile ductility and fracture toughness, but also it is the foundation for the development of FeCrCoNi-based HEAs. However, most of the investigations are mainly focusing on the equiatomic and semi-equiatomic compositions. The physical properties of non-equiatomic compositions are barely explored. In the current work, the ab initio approach is adopted to predict the lattice parameter, structure stabilities, elastic properties, and enthalpy of formations of fcc Fe-Cr-Co-Ni HEA single crystals with the special quasirandom structure (SQS) method. To expand the design of Fe-Co-Cr-Ni HEAs into a full composition range, the current simulations cover all the binaries, ternaries, and the whole quaternary system. The 2-D composition-property contour diagrams are created to show the physical properties in the ternary and quaternary systems. Our investigation shows that the fcc alloys' lattice parameter increases with the addition of Fe and Cr and decreases with Ni and Co. In addition to the enthalpy of formation at 0 K, the shape distortion rate is proposed to be another essential parameter to evaluate the crystal stability. The results show the addition of Cr would destabilize the fcc lattice and cause symmetry breaking. Finally, the result of Pugh’s ratio shows that most of the fcc alloys show ductile behavior ( $$P\,$$ > 1.75), especially for the alloys around Fe3Ni, FeCo, and Fe2NiCo ( $$P\,$$ > 2.5). The brittle behavior ( $$P\,$$ < 1.75) is located around Fe3Cr and Fe2CoCr. Meanwhile, Cr2NiCo and Cr2FeNiCo are considered promising compositions to be tried and verified experimentally because of the higher bulk modulus and moderate shear modulus.
The Precision Radio Instrument for Antenna Measurements (PRIAM): measurement strategy

The emergence of experimental 21-cm cosmology engenders unique challenges towards its instrumentation. The presence of bright foregrounds consisting of Galactic and extragalactic synchrotron emission several orders of magnitude higher than the expected highly- redshifted 21-cm line places high precision requirements on the antenna beam. We present an antenna calibration technique that utilizes a drone with high precision positioning and unique modulation techniques to measure the complex voltage beam of an antenna-under-test (AUT) to the required degree of precision.
Purification and Properties of a Carboxypeptidase Inhibitor from Potatoes

Abstract An inhibitor of the pancreatic carboxypeptidase A and B (Ryan, C. A. (1971) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 44, 1265–1270) has been purified from Russet Burbank potatoes. The inhibitor is a polypeptide having a molecular weight of approximately 3100, as estimated by gel filtration, and contains 37 to 39 amino acid residues. The amino group of the NH2-terminal residue is blocked and the COOH-terminal residue is apparently glycine. The presence of 6 halfcystine residues per molecule and absence of free thiols indicate that the inhibitor possesses three disulfide bonds. The Ki values for the inhibition of the peptidase activities of bovine carboxypeptidase A and porcine carboxypeptidase B were estimated to be 5 x 10-9 m and 5 x 10-8 m, respectively.
What is wrong? Governance in education and educational policies in times of crisis

The various crisis in the world, caused by armed conflicts – local, regional, national or international - , natural disasters, diseases, or economic situations that increases the gap between poor and rich, have also put education and higher education institutions under pressures. What consequences have different kinds of crisis on education and higher education and what role educational institutions can play in these situations?
Ischemic Stroke as the Presenting Symptom in a Young Patient with Essential Thrombocythemia Caused by CALR Gene Mutation (P2.253)

OBJECTIVE: A unique case report on ischemic stroke as the presenting symptom in a young patient with essential thrombocythemia caused by calreticulin (CALR) gene mutation. BACKGROUND: Essential thrombocythemia is a rare cause of stroke. This is a unique case of ischemic stroke due to: essential thrombocythemia caused by CALR gene mutation, multiple small ischemic strokes occurring over the course of one month, and the young age of the patient. Oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use was the patient’s only other stroke risk factor. DESIGN/METHODS: A 26-year-old woman with a history of endometriosis, on OCPs, presented with complaint of transient episodes of left facial droop, facial numbness, diplopia and dysarthria lasting between 30 minutes and 3 hours over the course of one month. RESULTS: The initial neurological examination was normal. MRI of the brain showed multiple small areas of restricted diffusion in bilateral cerebellar hemispheres and bilateral thalami consistent with stroke. MRA of the head and neck were normal. CBC on presentation revealed 1,080,000 platelets/uL. A complete thrombophilia, autoimmune/inflammatory, infectious and cardiac workup were completed. The only abnormalities found were thrombocytosis and CALR gene mutation (fragment length-based testing demonstrated a 52 base pair deletion in the CALR gene, consistent with a CALR type-1 mutation). The patient was treated successfully with hydroxyurea and aspirin. Two months after presentation, CBC showed 371,000 platelets/uL and repeat brain MRI/MRA showed no further strokes or vascular abnormalities. The patient reported no further episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic stroke is a rare complication of essential thrombocythemia and this case is unusual because of multiple strokes in a very young patient as the presenting symptom. Fortunately, the condition was recognized and successfully treated with aspirin and hydroxyurea. She was not left with any residual neurological deficits. This case demonstrates another unusual and rarely reported cause for stroke in a young patient. Disclosure: Dr. Anderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bonsell has nothing to disclose.
Gamma de-excitation of fission fragments: (II). Delayed radiation

Abstract The delayed part of the gamma radiation emitted from fission fragments of Cf252 has been studied. The fission fragments were detected with semiconductor counters and the gamma radiation with a scintillation spectrometer. Mass-ratio selection was employed so that the properties of the gamma radiation could be studied as a function of fragment mass. The delayed radiation was found to have an intensity of 6% relative to the prompt one. The half-life depends on the mass and on the delay. It varies in the range 15–100 nsec. The mass spectrum of the fragments associated with delayed gamma radiation was found to exhibit a pronounced fine structure with most of the delayed gamma emission concentrated to deformed and magic fragments. The gamma-ray spectra have a shape consistent with a rotational cascade in deformed nuclei and a vibrational cascade in magic nuclei, respectively. Of special interest is the fact that the gamma emission from some of the fragments in the mass range 92–110 has the same characteristics as the emission from the deformed fragments in the rare-earth region. It is therefore concluded that these fragments have a stable deformation. Various theoretical and experimental evidence for the existence of this new region of deformation is discussed.
Capital of the World: The Race to Host the United Nations. By Charlene Mires. (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2013. Pp. 320. $29.95.)

As World War II was drawing to a close, thought turned to the structure and location of a new organization for peace and security. Though a number of countries were vying for the privilege, in this...
$-Calculus of Bounded Rational Agents: Flexible Optimization as Search under Bounded Resources in Interactive Systems

This paper presents a novel model for resource bounded computation based on process algebras. Such model is called the $-calculus (cost calculus). Resource bounded computation attempts to find the best answer possible given operational constraints. The $-calculus provides a uniform representation for optimization in the presence of limited resources. It uses cost-optimization to find the best quality solutions while using a minimal amount of resources. A unique aspect of the approach is to propose a resource bounded process algebra as a generic problem solving paradigm targeting interactive AI applications. The goal of the $-calculus is to propose a computational model with built-in performance measure as its central element. This measure allows not only the expression of solutions, but also provides the means to incrementally construct solutions for computationally hard, real-life problems. This is a dramatic contrast with other models like Turing machines, λ-calculus, or conventional process algebras. This highly expressive model must therefore be able to express approximate solutions. This paper describes the syntax and operational cost semantics of the calculus. A standard cost function has been defined for strongly and weakly congruent cost expressions. Example optimization problems are given which take into account the incomplete knowledge and the amount of resources used by an agent. The contributions of the paper are twofold: firstly, some necessary conditions for achieving global optimization by performing local optimization in time and/or space are found. That deals with incomplete information and complexity during problem solving. Secondly, developing an algebra which expresses current practices, e.g., neural nets, cellular automata, dynamic programming, evolutionary computation, or mobile robotics as limiting cases, provides a tool for exploring the theoretical underpinnings of these methods. As the result, hybrid methods can be naturally expressed and developed using the algebra.
Temporal trends and geographic variation of lower-extremity amputation in patients with peripheral artery disease: results from U.S. Medicare 2000-2008.

Objectives This study sought to characterize temporal trends, patient-specific factors, and geographic variation associated with amputation in patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (LE PAD) during the study period. Background Amputation represents the end-stage failure for those with LE PAD, and little is known about the rates and geographic variation in the use of LE amputation. Methods By using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2008, we examined national patterns of LE amputation among patients age 65 years or more with PAD. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust regional results for other patient demographic and clinical factors. Results Among 2,730,742 older patients with identified PAD, the overall rate of LE amputation decreased from 7,258 per 100,000 patients with PAD to 5,790 per 100,000 (p Conclusions From 2000 to 2008, LE amputation rates decreased significantly among patients with PAD. However, there remains significant patient and geographic variation in amputation rates across the United States.
Control of the wrist in three-joint arm movements to multiple directions in the horizontal plane.

In a reaching movement, the wrist joint is subject to inertial effects from proximal joint motion. However, precise control of the wrist is important for reaching accuracy. Studies of three-joint a...
Stimulation of dopamine D2/D3 but not D1 receptors in the central amygdala decreases cocaine-seeking behavior

Abstract Alterations in dopamine output within the various subnuclei of the amygdala have previously been implicated in cocaine reinforcement, as well as cocaine-seeking behavior. To elucidate the potential for increased stimulation of D1- and D2-like receptors (D1Rs and D2Rs, respectively) specifically in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) to modulate cue- and cocaine-elicited reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, we infused either the D1R agonist, SKF-38393 (0–4.0 μg/side) or the D2R agonist, 7-OH-DPAT (0–4.0 μg/side) into the CeA immediately prior to tests for cue and cocaine-primed reinstatement. We also examined the effects of 7-OH-DPAT on cocaine self-administration as a positive behavioral control. 7-OH-DPAT decreased cue-and cocaine-primed reinstatement, and reduced the number of cocaine infusions obtained during self-administration; SKF-38393 produced no discernable effects. The results suggest that enhanced stimulation of D2Rs, but not D1Rs, in the CeA is sufficient to inhibit expression of the incentive motivational effects of cocaine priming and cocaine-paired cues. Together with previous findings that D1R blockade attenuates reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, the results suggest that D1R stimulation may be necessary, but not sufficient, to modulate the incentive motivational effects of cues and cocaine priming.
Functional and Structural Diversity in the Als Protein Family of Candida albicans

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans colonizes and invades a wide range of host tissues. Adherence to host constituents plays an important role in this process. Two members of the C. albicans Als protein family (Als1p and Als5p) have been found to mediate adherence; however, the functions of other members of this family are unknown. In this study, members of the ALS gene family were cloned and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to characterize their individual functions. Distinct Als proteins conferred distinct adherence profiles to diverse host substrates. Using chimeric Als5p-Als6p constructs, the regions mediating substrate-specific adherence were localized to the N-terminal domains in Als proteins. Interestingly, a subset of Als proteins also mediated endothelial cell invasion, a previously unknown function of this family. Consistent with these results, homology modeling revealed that Als members contain anti-parallel β-sheet motifs interposed by extended regions, homologous to adhesins or invasins of the immunoglobulin superfamily. This finding was confirmed using circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectrometric analysis of the N-terminal domain of Als1p. Specific regions of amino acid hypervariability were found among the N-terminal domains of Als proteins, and energy-based models predicted similarities and differences in the N-terminal domains that probably govern the diverse function of Als family members. Collectively, these results indicate that the structural and functional diversity within the Als family provides C. albicans with an array of cell wall proteins capable of recognizing and interacting with a wide range of host constituents during infection.
FILTERING APPLICATIONS OF FIELD PROGRAMMABLE ANALOG ARRAYS

A Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA), built in CMOS technology, contains uncommitted operational amplifiers, switches, and capacitors. A FPAA containing banks of programmable switched capacitors (SC) can be used to build filters for analog signals as well as a large number of diverse analog applications. The parameters of a given application, such as a filter, are functions of the capacitor values. Manufacturing and quantization errors may result in capacitor values in the FPAA other than those required by the application. For an FPAA to be a viable substitute for dedicated devices we must examine the error performance of the implementation. Such performance analysis can be built into the software to provide circuit designers with additional information. A methodology is described for determining a bound for the filter error as a function of capacitor errors and capacitor sizes. An example of detailed analysis for a low pass filter is included. Measurements of a low-pass filter implemented using Motorola's prototype FPAA compared favorably with the model predictions.
QUOD ERAT FACIENDUM: sequence analysis of the H2-D and H2-Q regions of 129/SvJ mice.

The H2-D and -Q regions of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (Mhc or H2) have been sequenced from strain 129/SvJ (haplotype bc), revealing a D/Q region different from all other investigated haplotypes, including the closely related b haplotype. The 300-kb class I-rich region consists of the classical class I, H2-D, and 11 non-classical class I genes. The Q region was formed by two series of tandem duplications. Comparison of the segment between the D and Q1 genes with the H2-K region provides evidence that class I genes were translocated from the K region to the D region, and gives a new explanation for the weak locus specificity of the H-K and H2-D alleles.
Systemic arterial pneumatosis in a neonate with necrotizing enterocolitis

Ultrasound is exquisitely sensitive for the identification of portal vein pneumatosis, which in neonates is commonly caused by necrotizing enterocolitis. We describe the ultrasound finding of systemic arterial pneumatosis in a case of necrotizing enterocolitis associated with congenital heart disease. A combination of a patent ductus venosus and an extracardiac right-to-left shunt via the great vessels through a patent ductus arteriosus provided a pathway for the pneumatosis from the portal vein to the abdominal aorta.
Extensive surgical and comprehensive postoperative medical management for cystic fibrosis chronic rhinosinusitis.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis has a major impact on the quality of life of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and may contribute to progression of chronic lung disease. Despite multiple sinus surgeries, maxillary sinus involvement is a recurrent problem. The modified endoscopic medial maxillectomy (MEMM) permits debridement in the clinic, improves mucus clearance with nasal irrigations, and increases access for topical delivery of therapeutics. However, clinical outcomes of aggressive sinus surgery with regimented postoperative medical treatment have not been systematically evaluated. Methods: CF patients completed the 22-Item Sinonasal Outcome Test questionnaires before sinus surgery (and bilateral MEMM) and at sequential postoperative visits. Objective measures included Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score and pulmonary function tests (forced expiratory volume at 1 second percent [FEV1%] predicted). Culture-directed antibiotic therapy, prednisone, and topical irrigations were initiated postoperatively. Results: Twenty-two patients (mean age, 26.5 years; 4.9 prior sinus operations) underwent MEMM and sinus surgery. Symptom scores were significantly reduced at 60 days (primary outcome, 64.7 18.4 presurgery versus 27.5 15.3 postsurgery; p 0.0001) and up to a year postoperatively (27.6 12.6; p 0.0001). Endoscopic scores were also reduced after surgery (10.4 1.1 presurgery versus 5.7 2.4 [30 days], 5.7 1.4 [60 days], 5.8 1.3 [120 days], and 6.0 1.1 [1 year]; p 0.0001)]. There were no differences in FEV1% predicted up to 1 year postoperatively, but hospital admissions secondary to pulmonary exacerbations significantly decreased (2.0 1.4 versus 3.2 2.4, respectively; p 0.05). Conclusion: Prospective evaluation indicates sinus surgery with MEMM is associated with marked improvement in sinus disease outcomes. Additional studies are necessary to confirm whether this treatment paradigm is associated with improved CF pulmonary disease. (Am J Rhinol Allergy 26, 70 –75, 2012; doi: 10.2500/ajra.2012.26.3705)
The biologic response to standard suture materials in the skin of fetal rabbits

Abstract It is thought that wound healing and reaction of tissue to suture materials in the newborn or preterm infant may resemble that of the fetus. Wound healing in fetal experimental animals has been described, but to date no study of reaction to suture material in fetal animals has been performed. Operations on 60 pregnant, New Zealand white rabbits were performed. Hysterotomies were performed, and a variety of sutures were simply placed in the skin in Group I. In Group II, a small skin incision was made, and the wound was closed with the various sutures. The suture materials studied were: silk, Prolene, Ethibond, chromic catgut, and Vicryl. The animals were sacrificed 2 to 5 days postoperatively, and histology and grading of the tissue reaction was carried out. Grading was based on: (1) reactive cellular density, and (2) cellular response dimension. The reaction observed in all fetuses was: (1) mild to moderate by our criteria, (2) identical with or without a wound, and (3) present 2 days after implantation and did not seem to change significantly thereafter. This study demonstrates a similar host-tissue response of the rabbit fetus to a variety of suture materials and suggests that any decision on the choice of suture material in the fetus and possibly the preterm and newborn infant should be based on properties of the suture other than the host-tissue response that the suture produces.
A ka-band high-pass distributed amplifier in 120nm SiGe BiCMOS

Traditional low-pass distributed amplifiers have been integrated into CMOS and BiCMOS for broadband applications; however, an alternate approach is distributing amplifier stages using a high pass synthetic transmission line. A high-pass distributed amplifier is suggested using a high-pass constant-k filter structure for both the input and output lines. The four stage amplifier has a gain of 8.3 dB over a 3dB bandwidth from 21 – 42.5 GHz. S11 is below −6.3 dB while S22 is below −9.2 dB. The minimum noise figure is 6.9 dB, and output P1dB is 0 dBm. This high-pass distributed amplifier was fabricated in a 120nm SiGe BiCMOS process. The chip area is 0.6 × 1.0mm including the pads and consumes 28 mW from a 1.7V supply.
Multiscale online tracking of manifolds

This paper describes a Multiscale Online Union of Sub-Spaces Estimation (MOUSSE) algorithm for online tracking of a time-varying manifold. MOUSSE uses linear subsets of low-dimensional hyperplanes to approximate a manifold embedded in a high-dimensional space. Each subset corresponds to the leaf node in a binary tree which encapsulates the multiresolution analysis underlying the proposed algorithm. The tree structure and parameters of the subsets are estimated and sequentially updated using a stream of noisy samples. For each update, MOUSSE requires only simple linear computations. The update of each hyperplane in the estimate is computed via gradient descent on the Grassmannian manifold. Numerical simulations demonstrate the strong performance of MOUSSE in tracking a time-varying manifold.
Note on the construction of free MV-algebras

We give a new proof for McNaughton’s Theorem on finitely generated free MV-algebras, using a free abelian l-group on a po-group.
Blind recovery of smart meter wireless transmissions employing Independent Component Analysis in the presence of strong wideband interference

The technique of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) has been applied in various statistical signal processing applications for Blind Source Separation (BSS), blind deconvolution, and so on. Recently, the Robust Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method was developed to separate a low rank matrix from its sparse component. In this paper, the novel approach of combining the concept of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) with the Robust PCA technique is presented to recover the simultaneous smart meter wireless transmissions in the presence of strong wideband interference. The low-rank property of the autocovariance matrix of the smart meter wireless signals, and the sparseness of the autocovariance matrix of the wideband interferer is exploited to effectively separate them using the Robust PCA method. Therein, a complex FastICA separation algorithm with a saddle point test called FicaCPLX is employed to separate the simultaneous transmissions of the smart meters. In this manner, by enabling simultaneous transmission, possible large delays incurred by using the Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) approach can be avoided.
Priority Rules for Runway Use

An airport runway is regarded as the service facility in a queuing mechanism, used by both landing and departing aircraft. The usual order of service gives priority to landings over departures; here service disciplines are considered assigning priorities to different classes of aircraft grouped according to required runway time. Several such priority rules are compared numerically by means of a steady-state queuing model with non-preemptive priorities. The effect of such rules on average waiting time is found to be small, but average delay cost can be reduced appreciably.
Cytological Examination of Symbiont Loss in a Benthic Foraminifera, Amphistegina gibbosa

Abstract Since September 1991, A. gibbosa populations in the Florida Keys have been afflicted by an unidentified disease. Symptoms include symbiont-loss (ranging from slight mottling to complete bleaching), shell breakage, shell-surface lesions that permit boring and epiphytic microorganisms to invade living specimens, deformed tests, and reproductive dysfunction. Cytological examination of mottled and bleached specimens revealed membrane disintegration, symbiont digestion, lysosomes adjacent to symbionts, enlarged vacuoles in the cytoplasm, few mitochondria or other organelles, and granulation of the cytoplasm. Normal-appearing specimens from damaged populations also have granulated cytoplasm and abnormally abundant lysosomes in the vicinity of symbionts, indicating early stages of the disease.
Chloroacetonitrile (CAN) induces glutathione depletion and 8-hydroxylation of guanine bases in rat gastric mucosa.

Chloroacetonitrile (CAN) is detected in drinking-water supplies as a by-product of the chlorination process. Gastroesophageal tissues are potential target sites of acute and chronic toxicity by haloacetonitriles (HAN). To examine the mechanism of CAN toxicity, we studied its effect on glutathione (GSH) homeostasis and its impact on oxidative DNA damage in gastric mucosal cells of rats. Following a single oral dose (38 or 76 mg/Kg) of CAN, animals were sacrificed at various times (0–24 h), and mucosa from pyloric stomach were collected. The effects of CAN treatment on gastric GSH contents and the integrity of genomic gastric DNA were assessed. Oxidative damage to gastric DNA was evaluated by measuring the levels of 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in hydrolyzed DNA by HPLC-EC. The results indicate that CAN induced a significant, dose- and time-dependent, decrease in GSH levels in pyloric stomach mucosa at 2 and 4 hours after treatment (56 and 39% of control, respectively). DNA damage was observed electrophoretically at 6 and 12 hours following CAN administration. CAN (38 mg/Kg) induced significant elevation in levels of 8-OHdG in gastric DNA. Maximum levels of 8-OHdG in gastric DNA were observed at 6 hours after CAN treatment [9.59 ± 0.60 (8-OHdG/105dG) 146% of control]. When a high dose of CAN (76 mg/Kg) was used, a peak level of 8-OHdG [11.59 ± 1.30 (8-OHdG/105dG) 177% of control] was observed at earlier times (2 h) following treatment. When CAN was incubated with gastric mucosal cells, a concentration-dependent cyanide liberation and significant decrease in cellular ATP levels were detected. These data indicate that a mechanism for CAN-induced toxicity may be partially mediated by depletion of glutathione, release of cyanide, interruption of the energy metabolism, and induction of oxidative stress that leads to oxidative damage to gastric DNA. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Toxicol 13: 119–126, 1999
The truly random control as an extinction procedure

CS-alone trials or random presentations of CSs and USs were interpolated between Pavlovian defense conditioning and later measurement of the Pavlovian CR (conditioned suppression of barpressing). Although both procedures equally degraded the CS-US contingency, only the CS-alone procedure significantly weakened the previously established CR.
Long-range correlations in the helix free energy distribution in DNA.

In this paper we explore the free energy distribution in the helical form of DNA using the genome of the virus Rickettsia prowazekii Madrid E as an example. The genome of this organism has been determined by Andersson et al. (Nature 396 (1998) 133) and is available on the World Wide Web (www.tigr.org). Using the helix statistical weights based on nearest-neighbor base pairs of SantaLucia (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95 (1998) 1460), we calculate the free energy in consecutive blocks of m base pairs in the DNA sequence and then construct the free energy distribution for these values. Using the maximum-entropy method we can fit the distribution curves with a function based on the moments of the distribution. For blocks containing 10-20 base pairs the distribution is slightly skewed and we require four moments to accurately fit the function. For blocks containing 100 base pairs or more, the distribution is well approximated by a Gaussian function based on the first two moments of the distribution. We find that the free energy distribution for m=20 can be reproduced using random sequences that have the local (singlet, doublet or triplet) statistics of Rickettsia. However, for much larger blocks, for example m=500, the width of the free energy distribution based on the actual Rickettsia genome is broader by almost a factor of 3 than the distributions based on random local statistics. We find that the distribution functions for the C or G content in blocks of m base pairs have almost the same behavior as a function of block size as do the free energy distributions. In order to duplicate the width of the distribution functions based on the actual Rickettsia sequence, we need to introduce tables (matrices) that correlate the states of consecutive blocks hundreds of base pairs long. This indicates that correlations on the order of the number of base pairs contained in the average gene are required to give the actual widths for either the C or G content or the helix free energy distributions. Above a certain m value, the distributions for larger m can be accurately expressed in terms of the distribution functions for smaller m. Thus, for example, the distribution for m=5000 can be expressed in terms of the generating function for m=1000.
Nutritional Depletions in Critically Ill Children: Associations with Physiologic Instability and Increased Quantity of Care

The association of nutritional depletions with physiologic instability and quantity of care was examined in 60 critically ill children. Nutritional status was evaluated by anthropometric techniques. Physiologic stability was measured by the Physiologic Stability Index and quantity of care was measured by the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System. Acute protein-energy malnutrition was significantly associated with increased physiologic instability and increased quantity of care (p less than 0.01). This association was present for the total group, children less than 24 months of age, and for these two groups with nonsurvivors excluded. Mortality was also significantly associated with acute protein-energy malnutrition (p less than 0.001). Physiologic instability and increased quantity of care were not associated with chronic protein-energy malnutrition, fat store depletion, or somatic protein store depletion. We conclude that acute protein-energy malnutrition in critically ill children is associated with increased physiologic instability and increased quantity of care.
Arginine esterase activity of blood thromboplastin.

THE presence of a thromboplastin-generating system in blood has been shown by Biggs, Douglas and Macfarlane1. It is now recognized that at least six different factors participate in the formation of ‘blood thromboplastin’ and that a series of reactions resulting in the production of hypothetical intermediates such as product I and product II (Table 1) precede the appearance of the active prothrombin-converting substance2,3.
Coincident induction of long-term facilitation in Aplysia: Cooperativity between cell bodies and remote synapses

Induction of long-term synaptic changes at one synapse can facilitate the induction of long-term plasticity at another synapse. Evidence is presented here that if Aplysia sensory neuron somata and their remote motor neuron synapses are simultaneously exposed to serotonin pulses insufficient to induce long-term facilitation (LTF) at either site alone, processes activated at these sites interact to induce LTF. This coincident induction of LTF requires that (i) the synaptic pulse occur within a brief temporal window of the somatic pulse, and (ii) local protein synthesis occur immediately at the synapse, followed by delayed protein synthesis at the soma.
College Students' Views of Male and Female College Teachers: Part II--Evidence from Students' Evaluations of Their Classroom Teachers.

Although a majority of studies have found that male and female college teachers do not differ in the global ratings they receive from their students, when statistically significant differences are found, more of them favor women than men. Across studies, the average association between gender and overall evaluation, while favoring women (averager=+.02), is so small as to be insignificant in practical terms. Considering specific instructional dimensions of evaluations, female teachers receive very slightly higher ratings on their sensitivity to and concern with class level and progress than do men (averager=+.12). On other specific dimensions, men and women either do not differ or the differences are trivial in size (or, for two dimensions, while nontrivial, based on too few studies to be generalizable with any degree of certainty). Students tend to rate same-gendered teachers a little higher than opposite-gendered teachers. Although interaction effects on evaluations have also been found between gender of teacher and other factors (academic rank of the teacher, academic area, class level of the course, difficulty of the teacher or course, and the teacher's pedagogical orientation or personality characteristics), they are inconsistent across studies. Moreover, ratings of teachers are sometimes enhanced by gender-typical, and sometimes by gender-atypical, attributes, behaviors, and positions. The findings are discussed in terms of the expectations or demands of students and whether or not student ratings are biased by the gender of the teacher.
Promoting effect of ionic liquids on ligand substitution reactions

Abstract Ionic liquid solvents N -hexylpyridinium bistrifylimide ([C 6 pyr][Tf 2 N]] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C 4 mim][PF 6 ]) promoted the displacement of anionic ligands by pyridine derivatives in trans -(Ph 3 P) 2 Rh(CO)NO 3 to a much greater extent than did dichloromethane. Thus, addition of a slight excess of 2-fluoropyridine to trans -(Ph 3 P) 2 Rh(CO)NO 3 in [C 4 mim][PF 6 ] gave a 29:71 product mixture of trans -(Ph 3 P) 2 Rh(CO)NO 3 :[ trans -(Ph 3 P) 2 Rh(CO)(2-fluoropyridine)][NO 3 ], while the ratio was 91:9 in dichloromethane.
Vesicle recycling revisited: Rapid endocytosis may be the first step

Synaptic vesicle recycling is a critical feature of neuronal communication as it ensures a constant supply of releasable transmitter at the nerve terminal. Physiological studies predict that vesicle recycling is rapid and recent studies with fluorescent dyes have confirmed that the entire process may occur in less than a minute. Two competing hypotheses have been proposed for the first step in the process comprising endocytosis of vesicular membrane. The coated vesicle model proposes that vesicular membrane components merge with the plasma membrane and are subsequently recovered and possibly sorted in coated pits. These pinch off as coated vesicles that either fuse with a sorting endosome from which new vesicles emerge or uncoat to become synaptic vesicles directly. The alternative "kiss-and-run" model proposes that "empty" vesicles are retrieved intact from the plasma membrane after secretion occurs via a fusion pore; they are then immediately refilled with transmitter and re-enter the secretion-competent pool. This article summarizes the data for both models and focusses on new information that supports the kiss-and-run model. In particular, the phenomenon of rapid endocytosis, which may represent the key endocytotic step in recycling, is discussed. Rapid endocytosis has time-constants in the order of a few seconds, thus is temporally consistent with the rate of vesicle recycling. Moreover, rapid endocytosis appears to be clathrin-independent, thus does not involve the coated vesicle pathway. We present a model that accommodates both types of endocytosis, which appear to coexist in many secretory tissues including neurons. Rapid endocytosis may reflect the principal mechanism operative under normal physiological rates of stimulation while coated vesicles may come into play at higher rates of stimulation. These two processes may feed into different populations of vesicles corresponding to distinct pools defined by studies of the kinetics of transmitter release.
Enhancement of adventitious root formation in mung bean cuttings by 3,5-dihalo-4-hydroxybenzoic acids and 2,4-dinitrophenol

3,5-Dihalo-4-hydroxybenzoic acids enhanced adventitious root formation in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) cuttings. 3,5-Diiodo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid was more active than 3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, increasing the number of roots formed by about 4-fold. 2,4-Dinitrophenol also enhanced significantly adventitious root formation in mung bean cuttings. The phenolic compounds were active with or without indole-3-acetic acid. The possible mechanism by which these phenolic compounds enhance rooting is discussed.
Finite Deformations and Motions of Radially Inextensible Hollow Spheres

Radial inflation–compaction and radial oscillation solutions are presented for hollow spheres of isotropic elastic material that are radially inextensible. The solutions for radial inflation–compaction and radial oscillation are obtained also for everted radially inextensible hollow spheres of isotropic elastic material. The static and dynamic results for everted and uneverted radially inextensible hollow spheres are then compared. Harmonic and compressible Varga materials are used to demonstrate the solutions.
An adaptation-level theory account of a relative-size illusion

A horizontal line (L) looks shorter with large boxes (B) at the ends than with small Bs. This illusion was measured by having Ss judge the length of L on a 6-point scale. Six different lengths of L were combined factorially with six sizes of B to form 36 stimuli, and 51 Ss made four judgments each. Mean judgment increased smoothly with L and decreased with B. Data were fitted using Adaptation-Level formulas, and the weight of B was found to be approximately 14%. However, B had almost no effect on the judgment of very short Ls.
Hopping controlled time dependent reaction rates for the scavenging of electrons in glasses

Abstract Electron scavenging reactions in aqueous glasses are analyzed in a stochastic model and then compared with transient charge transport in thin film amorphous xerographic photo-conductors. In both systems time dependent rate constants need to be introduced which are related to the waiting time distribution governing single transitions. Evidence is presented suggesting that these transitions in at least some aqueous glasses are due to random walk hoppinh as opposed to tunnelling or trapping. A fractional power of an exponential decay law is derived which is consistent with the straight line experimental plots of log [N(0)/N(t)] versus logt, where N(t) is the number of reactants remaining at time t. Algebraic decay laws can also be derived which are related to the kinetics of xerographic photo-currents and to long lifetime phosphorescence.
Mycorrhizae in Prairie Restoration: Response of Three Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Populations to Mycorrhizal Inoculum from a Single Source

In prairie restoration, use of seeds from nonlocal sources has been of concern to restorationists. We examined the specificity between vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi obtained from a single location and little bluestem obtained from three localities. Seed was obtained from three sources: (1) a commercial seed supplier in Nebraska, (2) Sand Ridge State Forest (SRSF), Mason County, Illinois, the site from which the experimental soil containing the mycorrhizal inoculum was obtained, and (3) Sand Prairie Scrub Oak Nature Preserve (SPSO), 32 km southwest of SRSF. Plants were grown in three substrates: (1) autoclaved soil, (2) autoclaved soil to which a mycorrhizal fungal-free sieving of nonautoclaved soil was added, and (3) nonautoclaved soil. All plants grown in nonautoclaved soil were colonized by mycorrhizal fungi, whereas none of those grown in other substrates were colonized. Plants grown from SRSF seeds produced significantly (p < 0.05) more biomass than those grown from Nebraska seeds (X± SE, SRSF = 0.54 ± 0.04 g, SPSO = 0.49 ± 0.03 g, Nebraska = 0.37 ± 0.03 g). Plants grown in nonautoclaved soil, regardless of seed source, produced less biomass (0.27 ± 0.02 g) than plants grown in autoclaved soil (0.58 ± 0.03 g) or autoclaved soil plus sievings (0.59 ± 0.03 g). The results provide no clear indication of a host-endophyte specificity. However, the data suggest that the local genotypes of S. scoparium are better adapted to their native soil environment than are genotypes from other localities.
Analysis of the SDHD gene, the susceptibility gene for familial paraganglioma syndrome (PGL1), in pheochromocytomas.

Pheochromocytomas are neural crest-derived tumors that occur mostly sporadically, but may also be part of inherited syndromes. The molecular pathogenesis of sporadic pheochromocytomas remains unknown. Recently, the susceptibility gene for familial paraganglioma syndrome, a disorder embryologically related to pheochromocytomas, was characterized and shown to encode the small subunit of succinate dehydrogenase (SDHD), which is part of the mitochondrial complex II. This complex regulates oxygen-sensing signals. Importantly, hypoxic signals also appear to be related to the pathogenesis of pheochromocytomas associated with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. We sequenced the entire coding region of the SDHD gene in a series of pheochromocytomas. Although we did not find mutations in the gene, we identified a new intronic single nucleotide polymorphism in 15% of the samples (g.97739A→G). We also confirmed the existence of a sequence highly homologous to the SDHD complementary DNA in chromosome 1p34–36, a region commonl...