cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tool Support for Experience-Based Software Development Methodologies

Abstract Experience-based approaches to software development promise to capture critical knowledge from software projects that can be used as a basis for continuous improvement of software development practices. Putting these ideas into practice in the quickly evolving discipline of software engineering has proven elusive. Techniques and tools are needed that help software practitioners apply past knowledge to current projects while engaging in knowledge creation processes. This paper outlines the experience factory and organizational learning approaches, both of which explore how experience-based approaches to software development can be used to improve software development practices. A software tool is used to investigate how these two approaches can be integrated to create an approach that addresses many issues of knowledge management in the software engineering field.
New current-mode sense amplifiers for high density DRAM and PIM architectures

This paper describes new current-mode sense amplifiers for high density DRAM and PIM architectures. New dynamic-load latch-type and hybrid-type current-mode amplifiers are proposed and evaluated in terms of delay, power-delay product and energy-delay product for aluminum and copper interconnects.
Extending Rectangle Join Algorithms for Rectilinear Polygons

Spatial joins are very important but costly operations in spatial databases. A typical evaluation strategy of spatial joins is to perform the join on approximations of spatial objects and then evaluate the join of the real objects based on the results. The common approximation is the minimum bounding rectangle. Minimum bounding rectangles are coarse approximations of spatial objects and may cause a large number of "false hits". In this paper, we consider a more general form of approximation with rectilinear polygons for spatial objects in the context of spatial join evaluation. A naive approach is to decompose rectilinear polygons into rectangles and use an exisiting rectangle join algorithm. This may require additional cost for sorting, index construction, and decomposition and prohibits the join evaluation to be pipelined. The main contribution of the paper is a technique for extending plane sweeping based rectangle join algorithms to perform a spatial join on rectilinear polygons directly. We show that the join of two sets of rectilinear polygons can be computed in O(bN logb N/b + l2k) IOs directly, where N is the total number of boundary points in each input set, l the maximum number of boundary points of a rectilinear polygon, b the page size, and k the number of rectilinear polygon intersections. When the rectilinear polygons are y-monotone, the IO complexity becomes O(bN logb N/b + lk.
Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2009 Pages: 350 Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 978-0-521-88147-0 (hard cover).
Sialadenoma papilliferum of the oral cavity

Abstract Sialadenoma papilliferum is a rare, recently reported, salivary gland tumor with distinctive morphologic and clinical features. Morphologically, these lesions exhibit a prominent exophytic and papillary growth pattern and appear to arise from extralobular salivary gland ducts. Clinically, they are asymptomatic and slow growing and must be differentiated from other papillary lesions, including squamous-cell papilloma, verrucous carcinoma, and warty dyskeratoma.
Alkaline phosphatase distribution in the inferior vagal ganglion of the cat following vagotomy

The object of this study was to demonstrate sites of alkaline phosphatase activity within the cellular elements of the inferior vagal (nodosal) ganglion of the cat and chronologically observe and describe alterations in enzyme activity following vagotomy. In control tissues alkaline phosphatase activity was localized to the wall of perineuronal blood vessels and the satellite cell cytoplasm which envelops the neuronal perikarya. In the experimental tissues alkaline phosphatase activity was increased in the above locations during the first 20 days following vagotomy then gradually decline to approximate control levels by 60 days post-operatively. The functional significance of changes in alkaline phosphatase activity occurring within an altered metabolic environment induced by vagotomy is discussed.
How the World Bank funds protected areas

The World Bank is the largest international funder of biodiversity conservation. It invests in protected areas to conserve species and spaces, protect ecosystems, and provide food, shelter, and other ecosystem services to local communities. It spends on average, $275 million annually supporting parks in developing countries. We examined their protected areas investment portfolio from 1988 to 2008 to understand how they allocate these funds. We found that more money is allocated to countries with progressively larger GDPs. Many, but not all, of these investments correlate with consensus opinions of high biodiversity priorities. But the World Bank's investments are not proportional; poorer countries receive relatively more funds than richer ones, regardless of biodiversity importance. We suggest that these investments focus on supporting parks that provide benefits to local communities, particularly in poorer nations, rather than on biodiversity priorities in a vacuum. This mirrors their mission to work for a world without poverty.
Endovascular biopsy: evaluating the feasibility of harvesting endothelial cells using detachable coils

The absence of safe and reliable methods to harvest vascular tissue in situ limits the discovery of the underlying genetic and pathophysiological mechanisms of many vascular disorders such as aneurysms. We investigated the feasibility and comparable efficacy of endothelial cell collection using a spectrum of endovascular coils. Nine detachable coils ranging in k coefficient (0.15-0.24), diameter (4.0 mm-16.0 mm), and length (8.0 cm-47.0 cm) were tested in pigs. All coils were deployed and retrieved within the iliac artery of pigs (three coils/pig). Collected coils were evaluated under light microscopy. The total and endothelial cells collected by each coil were quantified. The nucleated cells were identified by Wright-Giemsa and DAPI stains. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells were identified by CD31 and α-smooth muscle actin antibody staining. Coils were deployed and retrieved without technical difficulty. Light microscopy demonstrated sheets of cellular material concentrated within the coil winds. All coils collected cellular material while five of nine (55.6%) coils retrieved endothelial cells. Coils collected mean endothelial cell counts of 89.0±101.6. Regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between increasing coil diameter and endothelial cell counts (R2=0.52, p = 0.029). Conventional detachable coils can be used to harvest endothelial cells. The number of endothelial cells collected by a coil positively correlated with its diameter. Given the widespread use of coils and their well-described safety profile their potential as an endovascular biopsy device would expand the availability of tissue for cellular and molecular analysis.
On reducing peak current and power during test

This paper presents a progressive match filling (PMF) technique to reduce the peak current and power dissipation during the fast capture cycle in broadside delay fault testing. The proposed method fills the unspecified values (X) in the generated initialization vector such that the resulting launch vector at a minimal Hamming distance from the initialization vector. The proposed method does not require any hardware modification and can be used to obtain any test sets that require two pattern tests. Experimental results show that the proposed method reduces the peak current and power dissipation during the fast capture cycle by 40.59% on average and up to 54.17% for large ISC AS 89 circuits.
Prevalence of intestinal parasites and association with symptoms in Southeast Asian refugees.

We prospectively evaluated 201 Southeast Asian refugees in a primary care clinic for intestinal parasites and their association with gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients completed a standardized screening questionnaire which elicited information on demographic factors and eight gastrointestinal symptoms, and stools were collected for ova and parasite examination. Although 89% had been living in the U.S.A. for more than 1 year, intestinal parasites were found in 37 (18%) patients and pathogenic parasites in 23 (11%). Among these 37 patients with intestinal parasites, seven (19%) had multiple parasites. Seven pathogenic and four nonpathogenic species were identified. Hookworm was most prevalent (4.5%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (2.5%) and Clonorchis sinensis (2%). Cambodians had the highest prevalence (11%) and Vietnamese and highland Laotians the lowest (0%). Intestinal parasitosis was not associated with gender or duration of residence in the U.S.A. Individual symptoms had a low positive predictive value for the presence of pathogenic parasites. This suggests that even years after immigration a substantial number of Southeast Asian refugees may benefit from screening and treatment for intestinal parasites.
Ideology and Decision Making for American City Managers

The influence that political ideology and demographic and professional factors exert on the propensity of city managers to educate the city council concerning their own positions on distributive urban policy issues is investigated in this article. Political ideology appears to be the strongest influence on the priorities that managers establish for educating the council about distributive community policy issues; political party affiliation, geographic region, education, role orientation (administrative or political), and age show less, but negligible, influence. Finally, several of these factors are associated with the political ideology of city managers and provide a preliminary explanation for the etiology of city managers' political ideology.
THE LAPAROSCOPIC CIGARETTE SPONGE

Purpose: Minor hemorrhage during laparoscopic procedures may obscure the operative field. We describe the use of an especially designed, 4 × 4 absorbent sponge for multiple laparoscopic applications.Materials and Methods: The cigarette sponge, also known as the Kittner roll gauze, was routinely used for laparoscopic upper tract procedures. The sponge may be placed easily through ports 5 mm. or greater.Results: The cigarette sponge was excellent for absorbing minor but bothersome bleeding, facilitating suction and blunt dissection, and assisting with retraction.Conclusions: This especially designed laparoscopic sponge dramatically eases laparoscopic procedures, especially for controlling bothersome hemorrhage and blunt dissection. It may decrease operative time and facilitate difficult laparoscopic procedures.
Vainshtein Mechanism in Binary Pulsars

We compute the scalar gravitational radiation from a binary pulsar system in the simplest model that exhibits the Vainshtein mechanism. The mechanism is successful in screening the effect from scalar fields conformally coupled to matter, although gravitational radiation is less suppressed relative to its general relativity predictions than static fifth forces effects within the pulsar system. This is due to a combination of two effects: firstly, the existence of monopole and dipole radiation; secondly the Vainshtein suppression comes from the hierarchy of scales between the inverse frequency scale and the Vainshtein radius, rather than the orbital radius of the pulsar system. Extensions of these results will have direct relevance to infrared modifications of gravity, such as massive gravity theories, which are known to exhibit a Vainshtein mechanism. Generalization to Galileon models with higher-order interactions are likely to provide stronger constraints.
The Rehnquist Court and Criminal Justice An Empirical Assessment

1 Preface 2 1. Introduction: The Rehnquist Court 3 2. William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall: The Mediator & the Absolutist 4 3. Byron White: The Overlooked, Moderate Swing Voter 5 4. Harry A. Blackmun: Counterweight to a Conservative Court 6 5. William H. Rehnquist: Leadership & Influence from the Conservative Wing 7 6. John Paul Stevens: A Liberal Leader & His Roles on the Court 8 7. Sandra Day O'Connor: Influence from the Middle of the Court 9 8. Antonin Scalia: Outspoken & Influential Originalist 10 9. Anthony Kennedy: Conservatism & Independence 11 10. David H. Souter: Unexpected Independent 12 11. Clarence Thomas: Consistent, Conservative, & Contrarian 13 12. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Careful Defender of Individual Rights 14 13. Stephen G. Breyer: Judicial Modesty & Pragmatic Solutions 15 Case Index 16 Subject Index 17 About the Contributors
Speculating about spectrin: new insights into the Golgi-associated cytoskeleton

Amid the continual flux of membranes and proteins through the Golgi, the distinctive structure and compartmentalization of the cisternal stacks are preserved. Microtubules and associated motors are required to maintain Golgi structure and for transport to and from the organelle. There is also evidence for Golgi-associated myosins. Recent research has identified a novel Golgi-associated spectrin-based network. In this review, we discuss evidence for this network and the possible roles for spectrin in maintaining Golgi structure and in vesicular transport to and from the Golgi. Overall the link between the cytoskeleton and the Golgi appears to be dynamic in nature, in keeping with the continuous flux of proteins and lipids through this organelle.
Achievement and affect in OECD nations

A statistical relationship between student affect and student achievement is routinely observed—students who like a particular subject also tend to do well in that subject. Theory suggests that the underlying causality is a mutual influence relationship in which affect influences, and is influenced by, achievement. Published analyses, however, usually assume a unidirectional influence—affect influences achievement. To the extent that the latter assumption is an over‐simplification, as theory suggests it is, then current understandings of the importance of affect for achievement are probably in error to some degree. The analyses reported here take a position consistent with theory to model the underlying causality of the relationship between affect and achievement as bidirectional. To this end, the present analyses formulate a non‐recursive structural equation model which specifies affect and achievement as influences on each other. This model is estimated separately for each of 23 nations, 19 of which are...
A review of the gastrointestinal effects from exposure to substances contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

Abstract Although there is concern regarding the effects of TCDD exposure on the liver and gastrointestinal system, this concern has not been consistently supported by the epidemiologic studies of TCDD-exposed individuals. We have reviewed this epidemiologic evidence.
Effects of protein kinase C and cytosolic Ca2+ on exocytosis in the isolated perfused rat liver

Both protein kinase C and cytosolic Ca2+ are involved in the regulation of exocytosis in a number of cell types. However, the relative importance of each of these for apical exocytosis in the hepatocyte is unknown. To investigate this, we studied the effects of protein kinase C and Ca2+ agonists on horseradish peroxidase excretion in the isolated perfused rat liver. Vasopressin increased both horseradish peroxidase concentration and net horseradish peroxidase excretion in bile, and these effects were abolished by the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7. The protein kinase C activator phorbol dibutyrate also increased both net excretion and the concentration of biliary horseradish peroxidase. In contrast, the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and the Ca2+ mobilizing agent 2,5'-di(tertbutyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone both had minimal effects on horseradish peroxidase concentration and inhibited the rate of horseradish peroxidase excretion. These results suggest that protein kinase C stimulates apical exocytosis in the hepatocyte, whereas increased Cai2+ per se does not influence exocytosis and inhibits excretion only transiently by reducing bile flow.
Phosphate glasses as alternatives to Pb-based sealing frits

Glasses in the SnO-ZnO-P 2 O 5 (SZP) ternary were examined as potential replacements to PbO-ZnO-B 2 O 3 or PbO-ZnO-SiO 2 frits for low temperature (<500°C) sealing applications. Glasses were melted in air at 900-1100°C across a wide region of the ternary using standard reagent grade materials and carbonaceous additives to maintain a reducing atmosphere. Following melting, glasses were evaluated both as solid samples and in fine-powdered frit form (mean particle size of 20-40 μm). Several commercial Pb-based sealing frits were used as comparisons. Data were obtained on glass transition temperature, softening point, expansion compatibility with potential commercial substrates, aqueous durability and crystallization tendency as a fine powder. An area of glass formation was found in the SZP ternary. Compositions in both the SZP- and Pb-based systems formed stable frits - i.e., glasses that in finely-powdered form have a range of viscous flow during sintering without evidence of crystallization. By design of composition, both the aqueous durability and crystallization of the SZP frits may be made comparable to that of Pb-based systems. By the addition of a suitable expansion-modifying filler, the expansions of the SZP frits may be adjusted to be compatible with a range of potential substrates, including fused silica.
Excitation of gigahertz magnetoelastic waves in dysprosium films: Frequency dependence

Application of a tunable spin-phonon spectrometer to the study of microwave phonon excitations over more than an octave in frequency in polycrystalline films of dysprosium is shown to provide direct information about the coupled magnetoelastic modes. In particular, experiments demonstrate that a rf magnetic field couples to the "phononlike" branch of the magnetoelastic dispersion curves, and the attenuation of the rf field in the films leads to $q\ensuremath{\ne}0$ momentum conservation. The observed phonon signal intensity at the rf frequency ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{0}$ is shown to be in excellent agreement with intensities computed from the coupled-mode dispersion relations.
Effects of Time and Compression on the Interactions of Adsorbed Polystyrene Layers in a Near-ϑ Solvent

We have investigated the effects of molecular weight, adsorption time, force-measuring rate, and repeated compression−decompression cycles (previous history) on the interactions between high molecular weight polystyrenes adsorbed on mica from dilute cyclopentane solutions under near-ϑ solvent conditions. On the first slow approach, a long-range bridging attraction, which needs several minutes to fully develop for each incremental movement of the surfaces, is found at separations below 6Rg. The interaction becomes a steep hard-wall repulsion at separations below 0.5Rg. With increasing molecular weight the thickness of the adsorbed layers increases, and the attractive bridging force on approach and adhesion on separation decreases. Self-consistent field theory underestimates the onset location and depth of the attractive minima but accurately predicts the location of the hard-wall repulsion. For shorter (nonequilibrium) adsorption times, the bridging attraction and adhesion are stronger and occur at smaller...
Effects of flooding on abundance of native and nonnative fishes downstream from a small impoundment

Abstract Flooding can benefit native fishes in southwestern streams by disproportionately displacing nonnative fishes. We examined how the presence of an upstream impoundment affected this relationship in lower Sonoita Creek, Arizona. Nonnative species not found in the reservoir decreased in abundance in lower Sonoita Creek after flooding. The catch and relative abundance of some nonnative species found in both the reservoir and the creek increased in lower Sonoita Creek after flooding. Movement of nonnative fishes out of the reservoir via the spillway during periods of high water probably contributes to the persistence and abundance of these species downstream. Both preventing nonnative fishes from escaping reservoirs and the release of flushing flows would aid conservation of native southwestern fishes downstream.
Near-infrared photometry and stellar populations in dwarf elliptical and irregular galaxies

Studies of three different types of dwarf galaxies have been conducted, taking into account low surface brightness (LSB) dwarf irregular (dI) galaxies, dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxies, and blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDGs). Near-infrared observations for a large sample of BCDGs have been reported by Thuan (1983). The present paper is concerned with complementary near-infrared observations for a large sample of LSB dI and dE galaxies, and, in addition, with a few additional BCDG observations. In a discussion of dwarf elliptical galaxies, attention is given to an infrared color-color diagram, optical-infrared colors and burst ages, and the UVK color plane. Low surface brightness dwarf irregular galaxies and blue compact dwarf galaxies are considered along with the possible evolutionary scenarios which may link LSB dIs, BCDGs, and dEs.
Nonlinear plasma oscillations

Abstract The nonlinear limiting of unstable plasma waves is developed by expansion in powers of the field energy. The lowest order nonlinear terms lead to a diffusion of the background distribution and this in turn reduces the growth rate of the instability, and a stationary “equilibrium spectrum” results. The corrections to the lowest order theory are calculated in detail and it is shown that these “mode coupling” terms are negligible except for very long times for which they lead to a slow decay of the equilibrium spectrum.
The engagement game

Engagement is a costly social institution for which virtually no economic analysis exists. We explore the information gathering function of engagement in a game with a proposer who offers a long or short engagement, and a respondent, who may reject the proposal at various stages. Whether the proposer is a suitable match is uncertain, but a long engagement yields information with which the respondent can update prior probabilities. We consider pooling, separating and mixed strategy equilibria and relate our findings to the evolving institution of engagement and institutional circumstances that will improve its efficiency in generating successful matches.
Structural polymorphism of lagomorph IgG: variations in CNBr digestion.

Abstract CNBr digests of IgG from several present-day lagomorphs (i.e. domestic rabbit, cottontail rabbit, hare and pika) were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The profiles revealed differences among the lagomorphs in the molecular weight of CNBr peptides. These differences were attributed to the absence of one or more methionine residues normally found in the Fc of domestic rabbit IgG.
RESPONSE of APPLE and WINTERPEAR FRUIT QUALITY to IRRADIATION AS A QUARANTINE TREATMENT1

Irradiation at doses between 0.30 and 0.90 kGy reduced apple firmness. Doses of <0.30 kGy had no effect on apple firmness. Firmness lost due to frradiation was cultivar dependent. Titratable acidity (TA) of ‘Gala’ apples was reduced at irradiation doses of 0.60 kGy and above. No loss of TA due to the irradiation dose was evident, for ‘Fuji’ or ‘Granny Smith’ apples. Irradiation did not influence the external color of apples. but change in the internal color of ‘Gala’ and ‘Granny Smith’ apples due to irradiation exposure was present. ‘Bosc’ pears lost firmness due to irradiation, and the firmness loss was dose dependent. Both, ‘Anjou’ and ‘Bosc’ ripened normally after irradiation exposure. There was an increase in scald for ‘Anjou’ that was dose dependent. Disease incidence of ‘Fuji’ and ‘Granny Smith’ apples caused by P. expansum was reduced from about 80% of wounds with lesions to 30% after irradiation exposure. Irradiation had no effect on number of lesions caused by either B. cinerea or M. piriformis. No effect was observed on decay of ‘Anjou’ pear fruit naturally infected with P. expansum and B. cinerea. However, a reduction in decay was observed in naturally infected ‘Bosc’ pear fruits treated with 0.90 kGy.
Forecasting international growth rates with leading indicators: A system-theoretic approach

Abstract An approach to estimating multivariate, time-invariant state space models for ARMAX-type processes is considered. It is based on estimated Markov parameters (unit-impulse responses) and involves singular value decomposition techniques and leads to internally balanced state space representations. The method is applied to forecast the growth rate of real output of nine countries using leading indicators. The forecasting performance of this state space approach is compared to the performance of autoregressive models with leading indicators.
Medical Outcomes Associated with Nonmedical Use of Methadone and Buprenorphine

Abstract Background There exists a significant amount of misinformation regarding methadone and buprenorphine, and a belief that toxicity associated with nonmedical use of methadone and nonmedical use of buprenorphine is similar in severity and outcomes. Objective The objective of this study is to compare outcomes associated with nonmedical use of methadone vs. nonmedical use of buprenorphine in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) and reported to poison centers. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2009 (7 years). Inclusion criteria were nonmedical use of methadone or buprenorphine (or buprenorphine/naloxone) as a single substance by history, age 18 years or older, ingestions only, evaluated in an ED. Outcome measures were clinical effects, treatments, disposition, and final medical outcomes. Results Of 1,920 cases, 1,594 were in the methadone group and 326 were in the buprenorphine group. Frequently reported clinical effects were lethargy, 59.2% vs. 29.4%, and respiratory depression, 28.7% vs. 2.5%, for methadone and buprenorphine groups, respectively. Hospitalization rates were 67.4% in the methadone group and 32.2% in the buprenorphine group. Half of all patients in the methadone group were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) vs. only 15% of all the patients in the buprenorphine group. Twenty-six patients in the methadone group died vs. no deaths in the buprenorphine group. There were significant differences in the distribution of clinical effects, disposition, and medical outcomes ( p Conclusions Patients who use methadone nonmedically have higher hospitalization rates, greater ICU utilization rates, and considerably worse medical outcomes when compared with patients who use buprenorphine nonmedically.
Effects of unilateral castration on serum luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and testosterone concentrations in one-, two-, and three-year-old stallions.

Abstract The endocrine control of compensatory hypertrophy was investigated in 12 Morgan stallions, four each at one, two and three years of age. Half were assigned to be unilaterally castrated (UC) in January and half to remain intact (IN). Nine blood samples were taken from each stallion at half-hour intervals 30, 90, and 150 d after unilateral castration for radioimmunoassay of serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone. Mean serum LH concentration was greater (P
Post-silicon Timing Diagnosis Made Simple using Formal Technology

With the increasing demand for microprocessor core operating frequencies, debugging post silicon synchronization (or speed) failures is a critical time consuming post silicon debug activity. Inability to complete the isolation of all possible speed failures on time, forces companies to go to market with products that run at a lower frequency than their upper frequency limits. This might cause revenue losses or lead to loss of market segment shares. Laser-Assisted Device Alternation (LADA) machines are the main vehicle for debugging post silicon speed failures at Intel. Operating such expensive machines consumes a substantial portion of the overall post silicon debug effort. Moreover, with the increasing complexity of manufacturing processes, these machines need to be renewed from one process generation to the next, which increases the product cost. This paper describes a novel method, based on formal technology, which brings a productivity breakthrough in isolating post-silicon speed failures. We demonstrate that in many cases optical probing using LADA can be fully replaced by our approach.
Quantitative Microscopic Holography

Since the audience for this discussion is at least partially comprised of life scientists, it may be appropriate to begin by mentioning some facts of microscopy and physical optics with which they may not be completely familiar. These facts impose constraints under which any endeavors in magnifying and imaging, whether holographic or otherwise, must labor.© (1971) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reduction of Cholesterol Synthesis by Methylxanthines in Cultured Glial Cells

Summary: Methylxanthines are shown in this study to decrease cholesterol synthesis in cultured C-6 glial cells. Aminophylline (10−3M) produced a rapid decline in cholesterol synthesis so that by 6 hr, synthesis in treated cells was less than 20% of that in untreated cells, and by 24 hr, less than 10%. Aminophylline induced parallel changes in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. Theophylline and caffeine produced similar effects. Thus, methyxanthines caused a specific, enzyme-mediated reduction in cholesterol synthesis in C-6 glia. In an attempt to relate the methylxanthines' effect on cultured glial cells to the developing nervous system, cholesterol synthesis was studied in the presence of 10−4M aminophylline. This represents a theophylline concentration in the culture medium that is of the same order of magnitude as that produced in whole brain of animals administered therapeutic doses of aminophylline. Under these conditions, cholesterol synthesis was reduced to approximately 60% of control after 48 and 72 hr. Speculation: Cholesterol is the major lipid constituent of myelin and other cell membranes and reduction in synthesis of this lipid could have deleterious effects. C-6 glia are models of the glial stem cell found in developing brain before myelination, e.g., human brain in the perinatal period. This study raises the question whether serious reductions in brain cholesterol synthesis occur in vivo during the treatment of neonatal apnea.
Mining a yeast library for brain endothelial cell-binding antibodies.

We describe the use of yeast surface display for the identification of antibodies that bind the plasma membranes of living cells. Yeast panning with a nonimmune human single-chain antibody library identified 34 unique lead antibodies that bind (Kd = 82 ± 15 nM) and in some cases internalize into rat brain endothelial cells. In addition, we used a new yeast display immunoprecipitation procedure for initial characterization of the cognate antigens.
Holocene Late Glacial Maximum and Marine Transgression in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

WE present new data on the age of a major glacial readvance and marine transgression from the eastern Canadian Arctic and compare the age of this and other major Strandlines from northern European and the European Arctic1, 2, where recent work demonstrates the occurrence of correlative marine shoreline forms and deposits < 8,000 BP. Sissons and Bailey2 suggested that the principal transgression in the Forth Valley, Scotland, commenced about 8,500 bp; Binns1 suggests a date of 7,700 BP.
Some problems in statistical mechanics that I would like to see solved

Abstract Some reflections about open problems in statistical mechanics are offered on the occasion of the award of the IUPAP Boltzmann medal.
Unique CO chemisorption properties of gold hexamer: Au6(CO)n- (n = 0-3)

Elucidating the chemisorption properties of CO on gold clusters is essential to understanding the catalytic mechanisms of gold nanoparticles. Gold hexamer Au(6) is a highly stable cluster, known to possess a D(3)(h) triangular ground state structure with an extremely large HOMO-LUMO gap. Here we report a photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and quasi-relativistic density functional theory (DFT) study of Au(6)-CO complexes, Au(6)(CO)(n)(-) and Au(6)(CO)(n) (n = 0-3). CO chemisorption on Au(6) is observed to be highly unusual. While the electron donor capability of CO is known to decrease the electron binding energies of Au(m)(CO)(n)(-) complexes, CO chemisorption on Au(6) is observed to have very little effect on the electron binding energies of the first PES band of Au(6)(CO)(n)(-) (n = 1-3). Extensive DFT calculations show that the first three CO successively chemisorb to the three apex sites of the D(3)(h) Au(6). It is shown that the LUMO of the Au(6)-CO complexes is located in the inner triangle. Thus CO chemisorption on the apex sites (outer triangle) has little effect on this orbital, resulting in the roughly constant electron binding energies for the first PES band in Au(6)(CO)(n)(-) (n = 0-3). Detailed molecular orbital analyses lead to decisive information about chemisorption interactions between CO and a model Au cluster.
Rapid development of tolerance upon central injection of LSD.

Abstract LSD given into the lateral ventricle produces a dose-dependent rise in temperature accompanied by behavioral excitation. Tolerance to the pyretogenic effect rapidly develops upon intraventricular (ICV) injection of LSD following an intravenous injection of the same drug. Both Cinanserin and Cyproheptadine attenuate the pyretogenic response induced by LSD. Phenoxybenzamine attenuates the pyretogenic response induced by LSD to a greater degree than Dibozane.
American beginnings. the prehistory and palaeoecology of Beringia

Edited by Frederick Hadleigh West. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 1996. xxi + 576 pp. $75.00 (cloth).
Circadian Rhythm of Retinal Sensitivity in Crayfish: Modulation by the Cerebral and Optic Ganglia

1. Surgical sections or smaller chemical lesions made in the optic tract of one eye of the crayfish,Procambarus clarkii, lead to loss of the ERG amplitude rhythm in the operated eye while the intact eye continued to oscillate in constant darkness (Fig. 2). Apparent recovery of generally lower amplitude oscillations after surgery did, however, occur in 7 out of 17 preparations tested (Fig. 6). 2. Only lesions which included the central part of the optic tract resulted in a loss of rhythmicity (Fig. 1). Ultrastructure of this region of the optic tract showed axons with dense core vesicles and blood vessels; however, presumptive neurosecretory axons were not confined to this region (Fig. 3, 4). 3. Tests for circulatory patency of the lesioned optic system were made by injecting eyestalk hormone extracts. Such injections caused depression of the ERG amplitude of both the operated and unoperated eye indicating that exogenous (and presumable endogenous) hormone reached the retina. Hormone injections, however, failled to alter the phase of the rhythm (Fig. 5). 4. Low level unilateral retinal illumination in an animal with intact optic tracts successfully entrained the ERG rhythm in both eyes (Fig. 7). 5. In operated animals unilateral illumination of the neurally isolated retina failed to entrain the intact contralateral side as evidenced by the fact that the intact side free-ran throughout the 13 days of attempted entrainment (Fig. 8A). 6. Transfer of the entraining light to the intact retina phase-shifted its rhythm, while the operated eye became phase-locked to and appeared to be driven by the intact side (Fig. 8B). 7. A summary diagram is provided which details the known coupling components of this circadian system (Fig. 9). Both hormonal and neural coupling appear to synchronize retinal sensitivity in the two eyes. Although the hormonal contribution is substantial, preliminary evidence indicates that their titers are driven by the underlying clock rather than comprising an integral part of the oscillator itself (Fig. 5).
An Instrument for Assessing Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Individualizing Reading Instruction

The development of an instrument for measuring teachers’ attitudes toward individualizing reading instruction is described. The instrument was constructed in the semantic differential format chosen as an indirect means of assessing attitudes. Teachers were asked to respond anonymously on adjective scales to eleven examples of classroom procedures. The examples were designed to be applications of the assumptions of individualized reading instruction. Reliability of the instrument was high (.93); content validity was demonstrated for classroom examples and adjectives used in the instrument. Two validation studies which established the effectiveness of the instrument in discriminating among teachers’ attitudes toward individualizing reading instruction are also reported.
Ambient Endotoxin Concentrations and Assessment of Offsite Transport at Open-Lot and Open-Freestall Dairies

Endotoxins are derived from gram-negative bacteria and are a potent inducer of inflammatory reactions in the respiratory tract when inhaled. To assess daily fluctuations of airborne endotoxin and their potential for transport from dairies, endotoxin concentrations were monitored over an 8-h period at upwind (background) and downwind (5 m from edge of dairy) locations on three separate days at two dairies. The dairies consisted of an open-lot or an open-freestall production system, both of which were stocked with 10,000 milking cows. Upwind concentrations were stable throughout the sampling period, averaging between 1.2 and 36.8 endotoxin units (EU) m-3, whereas downwind concentration averages ranged from 179 to 989 EU-3. Downwind endotoxin concentrations increased with wind speed, animal activity, and lot management practices, resulting in concentrations up to 136-fold higher than upwind concentrations. An area-source model was used to predict downwind ground-level endotoxin concentrations at distances up to 2000 m from the production facilities. Predicted concentrations decreased with distance and reached background levels within 500 to 2000 m, depending on the source emission rate and meteorological conditions.
No news from Norway.

Dear Editor: We read with interest the paper by Hoel et al. (Prolapse of the rectum, long-term results of surgical treatment. Int J Colorectal Dis 2009 Feb;24(2):201–7) and unfortunately have the following semantic, methodological, and editorial concerns: The awkward use of terms such as “patency of the operation” and “anal insufficiency” is confusing to the reader. Without belaboring the semantics, these are indeed the paper’s primary endpoints. Hence, it is appropriate to expect a nomenclature consistent with the international literature. However, we appreciate the authors’ optimistic choice to look at the bright side (success rates and durability of surgery) rather than failure. The authors’ finding that recurrence rates following abdominal surgery are lower than recurrence rates after perineal surgery is no news to the reader familiar with the literature. Moreover, patients having undergone abdominal or perineal surgery are not comparable. The authors may indeed have been unaware of the guidelines regulating the conclusion section of a scientific article, but the reviewers may have known better. The authors did not report their own data on stapled trans-anal rectal resection and thereby provided the reader with unwarranted conclusions. Moreover, the conclusion in the abstract presents a conflicting and unclear message by stating that the perineal approach should be reserved for those with a “very” short life expectancy. Perhaps the authors intended to suggest that a perineal approach should be utilized in patients with a highrisk profile, as we are sure any elective, non-emergent surgical procedure would not be performed on a patient with a short life expectancy. Furthermore, such a statement leaves out the young male patient population group, though small, that is important to recognize. These patients should be considered candidates for a perineal approach, since many colorectal surgeons may strongly feel this would decrease any risk for impotence.
Longitudinal Tracheoesophageal Puncture Size Stability

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to investigate prosthesis size stability over time and determine which factors influence need for change in size.Study DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingTeaching hospital.Subjects and MethodsRetrospective chart review was performed on all individuals who had previously undergone total laryngectomy and tracheoesophageal puncture and had a minimum of 3 years of consistent and consecutive follow-up data after their prosthesis was initially placed. Data reviewed included demographic variables of age at time of tracheoesophageal puncture, ethnicity, and sex.ResultsFifty patients were identified who met criteria for study inclusion with a mean age of 64.7 years (range, 43-86 years) with 41 (82%) men and 9 (18%) women. Surgical management was equally divided between those who underwent total laryngectomy (n = 25) as primary treatment vs those who had salvage laryngectomy (n = 25) for persistent or recurrent disease. Prosthesis size was stable, with no change in diamete...
Dynamical instability determines the effect of ongoing noise on neural firing.

At low stimulation rates, electrically stimulated auditory nerve fibers typically fire regularly, in lock-step to the applied stimulus. At high stimulation rates, however, these same fibers fire irregularly. Firing irregularity has been attributed to the random opening and closing of voltage-gated sodium channels at the spike generation site. We demonstrate, however, that the nonlinear dynamics of neural excitation and refractoriness embodied in the FitzHugh–Nagumo (FN) model produce realistic firing irregularity at high stimulus rates, even in the complete absence of ongoing physiological noise. Indeed, we show that ongoing noise can actually regularize the response at low discharge rates. The degree of stimulus-dependent irregularity is determined not so much by the level of ongoing physiological noise as by the dynamical instability. Our work suggests that the dynamical instability, quantified by the Lyapunov exponent, controls neural sensitivity to input signals and to physiological noise, as well the amount of mutual desynchronization between similarly stimulated fibers. This instability, quantified by the value of the Lyapunov exponent, may play a critical role in determining modulation sensitivity and dynamic range in cochlear implants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10162-008-0148-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Clinical research and Autophagy.

In this issue of the journal we are publishing a series of papers that inaugurate a new category—clinical research. We already have a category for translational research, so what is the need for this new category? In part, this question may be answered by first considering the difference between papers submitted as “Basic Science” and “Translational.” Both of these types of papers report findings from standard bench research that most readers of this journal are familiar with; however, research done in most model organisms is at least a few steps away from practical application (that is, being used for therapeutic purposes in a clinical setting), whereas that done with mammalian cell culture or in certain animal models, depending on the topic and the specific experiments, may be directly addressing a health-related question. The former type of research would be considered basic, and the latter is translational. As more specific examples, studies on the role of Atg proteins in yeast are generally basic research, whereas those examining the effect of inhibiting/stimulating autophagy in combination with an anticancer treatment in a mouse tumor model could be translational. In contrast to both of these types of studies, “Clinical” papers report results from actual trials, such as the phase I trials described in this issue or studies in patients pertaining to disease prevention. There are significant differences between these 2 types of studies, clinical and nonclinical, and these are worth considering both for potential reviewers and readers of these and similar papers. Finally, we note that there has been, and will likely continue to be, a move toward the clinical application of findings from basic research that pertain to various pathologies associated with autophagy or defects in this process, including infectious disease, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and others. The phase I trials published in this issue are one example of this, but we anticipate an increasing number of studies on the modulation of autophagy for therapeutic purposes.
The HIV-1 Env Protein: A Coat of Many Colors

HIV-1 is completely dependent upon the Env protein to enter cells. The virus typically replicates in activated CD4+ T cells due to viral entry requirements for the CCR5 coreceptor and for high surface levels of the CD4 receptor. This is the case for the transmitted virus and for most of the virus sampled in the blood. Over the course of infection, the env gene can evolve to encode a protein with altered receptor and coreceptor usage allowing the virus to enter alternative host cells. In about 50% of HIV-1 infections, the viral population undergoes coreceptor switching, usually late in disease, allowing the virus to use CXCR4 to enter a different subset of CD4+ T cells. Neurocognitive disorders occur in about 10% of infections, also usually late in disease, but caused (ultimately) by viral replication in the brain either in CD4+ T cells or macrophage and/or microglia. Expanded host range is significantly intertwined with pathogenesis. Identification and characterization of such HIV-1 variants may be useful for early detection which would allow intervention to reduce viral pathogenesis in these alternative cell types.
Endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease

Therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy has thrived in areas previously claimed by more invasive surgical procedures. Colonoscopic polypectomy, endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography with sphincterotomy, and endoscopic therapy for upper gastrointestinal bleeding from peptic ulcer are prime examples. Now we are witnessing a major endoscopic offensive into an arena contested not only by surgery but also by medical pharmacological therapy—gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The stakes are high. Millions of Americans have symptomatic GERD. The market for pharmacological agents both over the counter and by prescription can be calculated in billions of dollars. The success of the proton pump inhibitor class of medications for GERD is one of the great pharmaceutical achievements of the current era, with an outstanding record of efficacy and safety. In a minority of patients in whom proton pump inhibitor therapy is not successful and the cost of drug therapy becomes an economic burden, surgical therapy is an alternative. Laparoscopic fundoplication (with technical variations) has emerged as the clear winner in terms of the surgical management of GERD. There are certainly problems in a small number of patients who are left with uncomfortable postoperative symptoms. Furthermore, there are accumulating data indicating that as years go by, a majority of patients who have surgery resume taking antacid medications. Can endoscopic therapy become another option for GERD patients to medical or surgical therapy? There are at least three types of approaches to endoscopic