cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MO‐F‐110‐09: Development of Computational Lymph Node Models for Pediatric Hybrid Phantoms for Nuclear Medicine Dosimetry

Purpose: To develop computational lymph node models implemented within a series of pediatric hybrid phantoms which can be utilized for nuclear medicine dosimetry Methods: The algorithm for generating lymphatic nodes within adult hybrid phantom which we previously reported was improved to use for International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)‐compliant pediatric hybrid phantoms which include newborn, 1‐ year, 5‐year, 10‐year, and 15‐year male and female phantoms. First, a total of 16 lymphatic node anatomical sites were defined within the pediatric hybrid phantoms: extrathoracic, cervical, thoracic (upper and lower), breast (left and right), mesentery (left and right), axillary (left and right), cubital (left and right), inguinal (left and right), and popliteal (left and right) nodal regions. Second, individual lymphatic node positions are randomly sampled in spherical tissue volume centered at each of the previously selected lymphatic node regions. Third, tissue spheres representing individual lymphatic nodes are then created to populate each nodal region of the phantom, with the normal standard nodal diameter until a total lymphatic node mass is achieved to match age‐dependent total reference masses derived from ICRP Publication 66 and 89 reference data. The lymphatic nodes were generated within a total of 10 pediatric hybrid phantoms and coupled with a Monte Carlo code, MCNPX2.6 to estimate radionuclide S values for I‐131 distributed within different lymphatic node sites. Results: Lymphatic node models of which masses were matched to ICRP reference values were implemented into the pediatric hybrid phantom series. An illustrative set of radionuclide S values for I‐131 were calculated where regional lymphatic nodes are considered to be independent source and target regions of patient. Conclusion: The new lymphatic node model suggested in this study can be utilized to obtain anatomically realistic dosimetry in lymphoma patients treated by radionuclide therapy.
Activation of Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinase in Psoriatic Lesions and Cultured Human Keratinocytes by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Ligands

p70 Ribosomal protein S6 kinase is a critical down-stream effector of a mitogen-stimulated signaling pathway that is selectively inhibited by the immunosuppressant rapamycin. The purpose of this study was to quantify S6 kinase expression in psoriatic involved, uninvolved, and normal epidermis and to characterize regulation of S6 kinase activity in cultured normal human keratinocytes. S6 kinase activity was increased 4-fold in psoriatic lesions (1.63 +/- 0.25 pmol per min per mg, n = 6), compared to nonlesional (0.44 +/- 0.12 pmol per min per mg, n = 6, p < 0.01), and normal (0.35 +/- 0.14 pmol per min per mg, n = 7, p < 0.01) epidermis. In contrast, S6 kinase mRNA and protein levels were not significantly different among psoriatic lesional, nonlesional, and normal epidermis. In keratinocytes, S6 kinase activity was stimulated 3-fold by mitogenic epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor ligands, EGF and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), but not by cytokines interleukin-1alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, or transforming growth factor-beta1. TGF-alpha stimulation of S6 kinase activity was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by rapamycin (IC50 < 0.2 nM) and the specific EGF receptor antagonist PD153035 (IC50 = 20 nM). Rapamycin also inhibited EGF-stimulated proliferation of keratinocytes (IC50 = 0.2 ng per ml) with a potency similar to that reported for inhibition of T-cell proliferation. We conclude: (i) the mitogenic signaling pathway(s) regulating S6 kinase is activated in psoriatic lesions, thus accounting for increased S6 kinase activity in the absence of increased S6 kinase gene or protein expression; (ii) S6 kinase activation in lesional keratinocytes likely occurs in response to EGF receptor stimulation by TGF-alpha and/or amphiregulin, which are known to be elevated in psoriatic lesions; and (iii) keratinocyte as well as T-cell mitogenic signaling pathways are susceptible to inhibition by rapamycin, suggesting that rapamycin may be of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of psoriasis.
Allocation formulas in practice

The literature has, over the years, been represented by a number of contributions dealing with allocation formulas in academic libraries. Previous studies have shown that a majority of libraries made use of formulas. The present study focuses on the proportion of libraries using formulas for resource allocation now, characteristics of the institutions with which those libraries are affiliated, and the composition of the formulas. Relatively few variables are widely used, but the weightings and relationships among variables differ considerably from formula to formula. Examples of some formulas currently in use are presented.
The person of the analyst : Past and present (a plea for self-perception)

Let me begin with my conclusion. I believe there is an elephant in the consulting room that every analyst is aware of, some patients suspect, and few talk about. The secret is that this is no longer your mother’s psychoanalysis. The psychoanalysis that patients believe they are coming for is not the one they will get. Little do they know, but it is probably kinder, gentler, far more user-friendly. But at the same time, if you listen to contemporary theorists, the naive patient enters an intensely scrutinized relationship in which the analyst’s own psyche deserves as much of the analyst’s interest as the patient. The history of the patient’s life will not be revealed, it will be co-constructed, as will all questions of causation and meaning. The results of the treatment will be completely different than if the patient had chosen some other doctor. And, except in the case of well-published professionals, it is virtually impossible for a patient to know where an analyst stands on any of these matters. In addition, just as patients are not clear about who analysts are and what we do, we too struggle with questions of power, authority, influence, evidence, truth, fact, and reality. We do not agree about the goals of psychoanalysis and, in any case, are uncertain how to reach them. We are no longer clear about how and why we do what we do, what we know and how we know it, and how anything we do really works to bring about transforming change. Before someone starts throwing stones, let me state my personal convictions. I deeply, truly believe in the power and promise of psychoanalysis, and I have little doubt about its potential for healing despair and transforming lives. And carrying that conviction from my personal experience on both sides of the couch has enabled me to persevere, treating and teaching, over several decades. But things have changed. I started training in the late 60s, the tail end of the analytic glory days when analysts were feared and revered. Popular analysts had long
Production of active immunity to malignant neoplastic tissue. Chemical coupling to an antigenic protein carrier.

C3H mice bearing spontaneous mammary adenocarcinomas and methylcholanthrene induced squamous cell carcinomas were immunized actively to their own tumors when their tumor cells were altered, thereby rendering them antigenic. The tumor cells were altered by coupling of human gamma globulin to a tumor cell suspension utilizing bis-diazobenzidine as a coupling agent. The altered cells then were re-injected into the animal from which they were taken with complete Freund's adjuvant. An altered host-tumor relationship was evidenced in the study animals by retardation of tumor growth grossly and increased amounts of necrosis, lymphocytic infiltration, hydropic degeneration and fibrosis on histologic section. Antibodies to tumor cells were detected in the study group following immunization by microprecipitin, Ouchterlony and immunofluorescent techniques. Antibodies were not detectable in sera of control animals immunized with unaltered tumor cells alone in complete Freund's adjuvant.
The Status of Journalistic Routines within Reporter-Run Political Blogs

The present research explores the relationships between newspaper circulation size small vs. large, blog post focus national vs. local/state, and blog post topic political vs. government and whether reporters who blog produce posts that break with journalistic routines or include references to the author. Analysis of 960 blog posts from nine newspapers suggests that smaller newspapers were more likely to produce posts that break with journalistic routines and include self-references than larger newspapers. Posts that focused on national news were more likely to break with journalistic routines but were not more likely to include self-references. Posts about political news were more likely to both break with journalistic routines and to include self-references.
Chemically induced swelling of hydrogels

We consider a continuum model for chemically induced volume transitions in hydrogels. Consistent with experimental observations, the model allows for a sharp interface separating swelled and collapsed phases of the underlying polymer network. The polymer chains are treated as a solute with an associated diffusion potential and their concentration is assumed to be discontinuous across the interface. In addition to the standard bulk and interfacial equations imposing force balance and solute balance, the model involves a supplemental interfacial equation imposing configurational force balance. We present a hybrid eXtended-Finite-Element/Level-Set Method for obtaining approximate solutions to the governing equations of the model. As an application, we consider the swelling of a spherical specimen whose boundary is traction-free and is in contact with a reservoir of uniform chemical potential. Our numerical results exhibit good qualitative comparison with experimental observations and predict characteristic swelling times that are proportional to the square of the specimen radius. Our results also suggest several possible synthetic pathways that might be pursued to engineer hydrogels with optimal response times.
Exploring HIV Knowledge, Risk and Protective Factors Among West African Forced Migrants in New York City

Because of ongoing political and social instability throughout the continent, many Africans have become forced migrants. Unlike immigrants who choose to migrate, forced migrants flee their countries in search of safety and often endure multiple traumatic events during their migration. They are often unprepared for new risks in their adopted country. There is a high incidence of newly-diagnosed HIV cases among West African immigrants in the New York City metropolitan area, but little research to date to understand why this might occur. In order to gain insight, the current pilot study explored HIV knowledge, risk and protective behaviors among 52 West African-born forced migrants in New York City. HIV risk behavior came primarily from unprotected heterosexual activities. While most participants were very knowledgeable about HIV transmission and risk factors, almost half reported that they had not used condoms during sexual activities in the past 6 months. Women were more knowledgeable about HIV transmission, yet reported significantly more STDs than men. Many participants did not know about HIV/AIDS treatments and could not identify HIV/AIDS services and resources within their immigrant communities. Factors influencing HIV risk and protective behaviors among this population are identified and discussed. Suggestions for future research and strategies to reduce risky behaviors while enhancing protective ones among forced West African migrants are highlighted.
Optimal decentralized control in unidirectional one-step delayed sharing pattern with partial output feedback

We consider optimal decentralized LQG control for a plant with nested structure controlled by two players receiving partial output observations from the plant. A unidirectional one-step delayed error-free communication channel is assumed to exist between the two players, i.e., there is a unit delay in information transmission in one direction and no transmission in the other direction. One of the players has access to a subset of state variables while the other can only observe a noisy output. We show that the problem has a partially nested information structure, and thus a linear optimal control law exists. Using summary statistics, the computation of the optimal law is made tractable and a deterministic convex optimization problem is formulated whose solution yields the optimal control law.
Calling, vocational development, and well being: A longitudinal study of medical students

Abstract The present study investigated the relation of calling to the vocational development and well-being of a sample of medical students. Students were surveyed at two time points: prior to beginning the first year of medical school and prior to beginning the third year of medical school. At each time point, calling moderately correlated with positive vocational development and life meaning. At Time 2, participants had higher levels of vocational development relative to Time 1 and lower levels of calling and life satisfaction relative to Time 1. Calling at Time 1 did not significantly predict vocational development or life meaning at Time 2. However, vocational development and life meaning at Time 1 each significantly predicted calling at Time 2. Students who were able to view their lives as more meaningful and advanced in their vocational development over time also endorsed higher levels of a career calling. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Moral phenomenology and moral intentionality

This paper distinguishes between two senses of the term “phenomenology”: a narrow sense (drawn from Nagel) and a broader sense (drawn from Husserl). It claims, with particular reference to the moral sphere, that the narrow meaning of moral phenomenology cannot stand alone, that is, that moral phenomenology in the narrow sense entails moral intentionality. The paper proceeds by examining different examples of the axiological and volitional experiences of both virtuous and dutiful agents, and it notes the correlation between the phenomenal and intentional differences belonging to these experiences. The paper concludes with some reflections on how the focus on the broader sense of “phenomenology” serves to provide a more precise sense of what we might mean by “moral phenomenology.”
BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES TO CONFIRM A MISSED CASE OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA IN A SEVENTY YEAR OLD MALE

Routine investigations of a 70 year old male led to provisional diagnosis of anemia. However further investigations suggested the possibilities of carcinoma of stomach associated with pernicious anemia, multiple myeloma and megaloblastic anemia. Finally serum protein electrophoresis supported by the clinical suspicion confirmed multiple myeloma.
Better Safe than Sorry: Precautionary Reasoning and Implied Dominance in Risky Decisions

In four studies, student and nonstudent participants evaluated the possible outcomes of binary decisions involving health, safety, and environmental risks (e.g., whether to issue a dam-failure evacuation order). Many participants indicated that false positives (e.g., evacuation, but no dam failure) were better than true negatives (e.g., no evacuation and no dam failure), thereby implying that the more protective action dominated the less protective action. A common rationale for this response pattern was the precautionary maxim “better safe than sorry.” Participants apparently evaluated outcomes partly on the basis of the decisions that might lead to them, in conflict with consequentialist decision models. Consistent with this explanation, the prevalence of implied dominance decreased substantially when the emphasis on decisions was reduced. These results demonstrate that an initial preference for a decision alternative can alter the evaluation of possible consequences of both the preferred alternative and a competing alternative, suggesting positive feedback loops that reinforce the initial preference. The rationality of considering the decision itself as an attribute of possible outcomes is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cytotoxicity of components of resins and other dental restorative materials

Cytotoxicity testing of dental restorative materials must be viewed as an assessment of hazards, that is the potential of the material to cause pulpal problems. In this context, composites, glass ionomers, amalgams, zinc-based cements and peroxide bleaching agents are all possible hazards to the pulp. The risks that these materials will cause pulpal toxicity in vivo can be partly estimated by assessing the cytotoxicity of the substances which are released from these materials in vitro and comparing these cytotoxic concentrations with those concentrations that are present in vivo. The resin components of composites, metal ions and hydrogen peroxide, all of which are released from dental restorative materials, have been shown to be cytotoxic in vitro in sufficient concentrations. The potencies of these substances are quite diverse. However, the cytotoxicity of these substances in usage tests, and therefore the risks of pulpal toxicity, depends on their ability to diffuse through the dentine and accumulate in the pulp.
The international implications of third‐world conflict: An American perspective

The theme of this collection of papers is conflict and security in the Third World. To the implicit question that this theme poses about the future, the generic answer is quite simple: the prospects are increased turbulence and instability for the balance of the century. The basic reason is also simple: the relative decline of American power and, associated with it, the reduced will of the American people to play a combined role as international guardian and self-appointed moral preceptor — in short, the end of Pax Americana. Though the outlines of the future remain dim, we are in a period of international transition. The balance of the century will have an as yet undetermined character, reflecting the slow unravelling of a framework of international security earlier provided by the United States — partly fortuitously, partly through deliberate policy — for a period of 30 years after the close of World War II.
P3VI: a partitioned, prioritized, parallel value iterator

We present an examination of the state-of-the-art for using value iteration to solve large-scale discrete Markov Decision Processes. We introduce an architecture which combines three independent performance enhancements (the intelligent prioritization of computation, state partitioning, and massively parallel processing) into a single algorithm. We show that each idea improves performance in a different way, meaning that algorithm designers do not have to trade one improvement for another. We give special attention to parallelization issues, discussing how to efficiently partition states, distribute partitions to processors, minimize message passing and ensure high scalability. We present experimental results which demonstrate that this approach solves large problems in reasonable time.
Motion compensation for adaptive horizontal line array processing

Large aperture horizontal line arrays have small resolution cells and can be used to separate a target signal from an interference signal by array beamforming. High-resolution adaptive array processing can be used to place a null at the interference signal so that the array gain can be much higher than that of conventional beamforming. But these nice features are significantly degraded by the source motion, which reduces the time period under which the environment can be considered stationary from the array processing point of view. For adaptive array processing, a large number of data samples are generally required to minimize the variance of the cross-spectral density, or the covariance matrix, between the array elements. For a moving source and interference, the penalty of integrating over a large number of samples is the spread of signal and interference energy to more than one or two eigenvalues. The signal and interference are no longer clearly identified by the eigenvectors and, consequently, the ability to suppress the interference suffers. We show in this paper that the effect of source motion can be compensated for the (signal) beam covariance matrix, thus allowing integration over a large number of data samples without loss in the signal beam power. We employ an equivalent of a rotating coordinate frame to track the signal bearing change and use the waveguide invariant theory to compensate the signal range change by frequency shifting.
Paramagnetic Resonance and Relaxation of Trivalent Rare-Earth Ions in Calcium Fluoride. II. Spin-Lattice Relaxation

The temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time ${T}_{1}$ of trivalent rare-earth impurities in Ca${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ has been measured at 9.6 kMc/sec using pulse saturation techniques. The rare earths investigated include Kramers ions (${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Dy}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$, ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$), one non-Kramers ion (${\mathrm{Tb}}^{3+}$), and one $S$-state ion (${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$). The relaxation of ions in lattice sites of cubic, tetragonal, and trigonal crystal-field symmetries have been studied and are found to be different. At liquid-helium temperatures the relaxation usually exhibits a ${T}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ temperature dependence; however, the magnitudes are approximately two orders-of-magnitude shorter than estimated single-phonon relaxation times based upon the orbit-lattice interaction. Measurements of the ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$ relaxation in five samples containing from 0.08 to 1.6% Ce combined with results from other ions show that ${T}_{1}$ decreases with increasing rare-earth concentration. Multiple exponential recoveries from saturation are observed at low temperatures and are discussed with respect to possible cross-relaxation within inhomogeneous spin systems and to other faster relaxing systems. At higher temperatures examples of both Raman and Orbach two-phonon relaxation processes are found. Calculations of two-phonon relaxation times using estimated values of the dynamic crystal fields, energy level structures, and ion wave functions yield coarse order-of-magnitude agreement with experimental values.
Employment Opportunities for Consumer Affairs Professionals

This analysis of consumer affairs professionals in business and government describes what functions they perform, where they are employed, what education and experience is required and what their salaries are. Professional educators in the consumer field have generally ignored the career field of consumer affairs professional. Colleges and universities train consumer majors to be educators, researchers, or extension workers, but little attention is paid to the education of consumer affairs professionals for business and government. This article not only attempts to give educators in the consumer field a greater awareness of this relatively new career so that they can develop educational programs more intelligently but also attempts to make business and government more aware of what is being done in this area so they may be able to utilize the talents of consumer affairs professionals.
Nønlinear distributed parameter estimatiøn

The problem of estimating states in noisy nonsecond order distributed parameter systems, with non-linear observation, is considered for disturbances in the volume only. A least squares estimation criterion is assumed and the resulting boundary value problem is embedded in a more general class of problems. The filtering problem is solved using running stage invariant embedding, and the fixed point and fixed lag smoothing using fixed stage invariant embedding. Fixed interval smoothing algorithm is developed using a backward sweep. It is found that the smoothing estimates are independent of their error covariances. Smoothing error covariances are computed approximately using a linearization procedure. The solutions so developed degenerate into the exact solution for distributed parameter estimation if linear models are considered.
Topographic generation of intermediate-scale motions by wind-driven currents — A model for the circulation in the vicinity of the Indian-Antarctic ridge

When a broad ocean current encounters a large-scale topographic feature, standing Rossby wave patterns can be generated. Short Rossby waves with a scale Li = √ Q/β (Q is the speed of the approaching flow; β is the meridional gradient of f) are generated east of the topography. If the zonal scale of the topography, L, is planetary, long standing Rossby waves can be generated west of the topography, when the current has a meridional component. The long waves focus the disturbance zonally and produce alternating regions of intensified or reduced zonal flow. The meridional scale that characterizes these zonal bands is the intermediate scales, L = Li23L13. When the meridional topographic scale is comparable to L, the amplitude of the long-wave disturbance is dominant. Using multiple-scale methods to exploit the scale gap between the planetary, intermediate and Rossby wave scales, the topographically induced pressure and velocity fields due to a zonal ridge are obtained. When the planetary-scale flow field is directed poleward, a westward counterflow can occur along the poleward flank of the ridge. The meridional scales of these topographically induced flows are comparable to those observed along the Indian-Antarctic Ridge by Callahan (1971).
Survey of alternative medicine use among organ transplant patients.

Herbal medicine and health food supplements have become increasingly popular. However, many of these pharmacologically active compounds remain poorly understood. Patients with chronic and life-threatening conditions often use alternative therapies while receiving conventional medical care, and this population is at increased risk for complications and adverse drug interactions due to poor health and complex drug regimens. Patients awaiting or who had received solid organ transplants were surveyed about their use of herbal medicines and health food supplements. Twenty percent of respondents acknowledged experience with these products, which they used to prolong the function of a failing organ or to obtain relief from fatigue and insomnia. Transplant staff often were unaware of their patients' use of these treatments, despite patients' claims to the contrary. The potential for unexpected drug interactions, toxicity, and other adverse reactions resulting from the use of herbal medicines or supplements must b...
PATTERN RECOGNITION, NEURAL NETWORKS, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

We write about the relationship between numerical patten recognition and neural-like computation networks. Extensive research that proposes the use of neural models for a wide variety of applications has been conducted in the past few years. Sometimes justification for investigating the potential of neural nets (NNs) is obvious. On the other hand, current enthusiasm for this approach has also led to the use of neural models when the apparent rationale for their use has been justified by what is best described as 'feeding frenzy'. In this latter instance there is at times concomitant lack of concern about many 'side issues' connected with algorithms (e.g., complexity, convergence, stability, robustness and performance validation) that need attention before any computational model becomes part of an operation system. These issues are examined with a view towards guessing how best to integrate and exploit the promise of the neural approach with there efforts aimed at advancing the art and science of pattern recognition and its applications in fielded systems in the next decade.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Monoclonal anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies can cause experimental myasthenia

Myasthenie gravis (MG) is a disease which occurs as a consequence of an autoimmune response directed against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of the myoneural junction1–3. Antisera raised against complex antigens such as AChR comprise a mixture of antibodies reactive with various determinants on the antigen molecule. The antibodies against any single determinant may be of several immunoglobulin classes and idiotypes. Antibodies produced by cloned lymphocyte–myeloma hybridoma cell lines have provided a way of analysing the diverse components making up a polyclonal antiserum4 and assessing the relative contribution made by each to the overall immune reaction in vivo5,6. We have applied this technique to the investigation of the autoimmune response in MG. We demonstrate here that certain monoclonal anti-Torpedo AChR antibodies, when injected intravenously into normal rats, induce an acute myasthenie syndrome. Thus binding of a single molecular species of antibody reactive with a single antigenic determinant can result in all of the manifestations of an autoimmune disease.
Psychological defense mechanisms, motivation and the use of tobacco

Abstract Consistent with Eysenck’s Diathesis-Stress Theory, smokers and smokeless tobacco users (SLT-Users) were found in previous research to have higher EPQ Neuroticism and Psychoticism scores than non-users. The present study investigated the influence of psychological defense mechanisms and motivational factors on the use of tobacco products by Smokers, SLT-Users and Non-Users. Smokers and Non-Users were found to have significantly higher scores than SLT-Users on the Rationality/Emotional Defensiveness and Need for Harmony scales of the Life-Style Defense Mechanism (LDM) Inventory. SLT-Users had significantly higher scores than Smokers on the Automatic/Habitual and Social Attractiveness scales of the Tobacco Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ), and lower scores on the TMQ Anxiety, Anger, and Negative Affect scales. In responding to the Tobacco Behavior Questionnaire (TBQ), Smokers rated “To feel relaxed in social situations” as more important than SLT-Users in stimulating them to begin to use tobacco, and “Relaxes me when I am upset” as a much more important reason for continuing to smoke. In contrast, SLT-Users rated “To see if I would enjoy it” as more important than Smokers for beginning, and “Facilitates thinking” as more important for continuing to use tobacco.
Learning to cruise: Bernstein's theory applied to skill acquisition during infancy

Abstract Cruising represents an important transition from quadrupedal to bipedal locomotion. While cruising, infants discover ways to control their trunks in upright. We predicted that the movement patterns infants demonstrated when learning to control the trunk in order to cruise and walk independently would reflect the process Bernstein [cf. N.B. Bernstein, The Coordination and Regulation of Movements, Pergamon Press, Oxford, England, 1967] proposed for adults' skill acquisition. In addition, we expected that infants would demonstrate a precursor poorly controlled exploratory phase, what we termed the “wobble phase”. We examined longitudinal changes in movement control of the thorax and pelvis from the onset of cruising through the onset of walking. Our findings suggest that learning to cruise involves an initial wobble phase followed by a gradual reduction in the wobble, or number of movement corrections. Finally a relative plateau period of control emerged with sporadic variability in the movement patterns of the thorax and pelvis. We suggest that the fact that infants did not show a phase in which they froze degrees of freedom was due to a lack of the minimum level of control one needs in order to do this. By the end of cruising, although functionally quite skillful, infants continued to demonstrate multiple and varied patterns of control. Infants limit the degrees of freedom just enough to successfully accomplish the task. We argue that variability remains due to: the minimal negative consequences of trunk inconsistency in this context given the available arm support; the trunk acts as a flexible interface for the, as yet, unstable coupling between the arms and legs; and the low number of constraints in relation to the multiple solutions that the task affords. Despite of the remaining variability, it appears that the control of the trunk acquired during cruising enables infants to shift into walking independently.
Roads and Transport are Private Goods

Decades of economics teaching have held that the provision of roods and transport is a public good from which free-riders connof be excluded, and must therefore be provided by the stote. Gabriel Roth, fromerly at the World Bonk and now on infernational consultant on privatisation, demonstrates how, even in the poorer areas of the world, the market is providing roods and transpon alike. Technological advance has brought pricing for roads into economic reality.
Dissociations among functional categories in Korean agrammatism

This study investigated the hypothesis that the syntactic trees formed by individuals with agrammatic aphasia cannot be constructed any higher than an impaired node as suggested by the tree-pruning hypothesis (Friedman, 1994; Friedmann & Grodzinsky, 1997) and hypothesis. It also examined their following implication that the members of a certain functional category are subject to the same degree of impairment. Two experiments were conducted to investigate a Korean agrammatic patient's use and understanding of three functional categories--Mood, Tense, and Complementizer. The results showed a dissociation among functional categories that preserves the higher node while leaving the lower node impaired both in production and comprehension. Another dissociation was found among members of the same category depending on their linear position in the clause. These results contrast with the predictions of the tree-pruning hypothesis, suggesting that the nearer to the end of the clause a functional element is located, the better it is preserved in Korean agrammatism.
The role of catalytic superoxide formation in the O2 inhibition of nitroreductase

Abstract Many nitroreductases are strongly inhibited by oxygen. The first intermediate of nitroreductase activity, the nitroaromatic anion free radical, cannot be detected in aerobic microsomal incubations. Even though the nitro compounds are unchanged, both nitrofurantoin and p -nitrobenzoate profoundly increase the NADPH-supported oxygen uptake. This catalytic oxygen consumption is partially reversed by superoxide dismutase, suggesting that superoxide anion free radical is being formed by the rapid air oxidation of the nitroaromatic anion radical.
Subspecific variations in Agkistrodon contortrix venoms

Abstract 1. 1. Commercially available preparations of venoms of three subspecies of copperhead snake ( Agkistrodon contortrix ) were compared as to toxicity, enzymatic activities, effect on a nerve-muscle preparation and capacity to induce clotting of a fibrinogen solution or plasma. 2. 2. Northern copperhead venom contained apparent neurotoxic activities that were not present in broadbanded copperhead venom and only partially present in southern copperhead venom. 3. 3. Procoagulant activity was demonstrated in whole northern copperhead venom in the absence of exogenous calcium. Procoagulant activity was present in certain isolated fractions of southern and broadbanded copperhead venoms, but was not apparent in the whole venoms. 4. 4. Differences were noted in the levels of enzyme activities and electrophoretic patterns of the three venoms.
Mammary epithelial cell adhesion, viability, and infiltration on blended or coated silk fibroin–collagen type I electrospun scaffolds

Interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) play a crucial role in regulating biological tissue function. Silk biomaterials from Bombyx mori (B. mori) silkworm silk are widely used in tissue engineering. As this silk fibroin (SF) contains no strong adhesion sites, we assessed whether the blending or coating of SF with collagen would further improve SF biocompatibility, in part through the addition of the specific integrin recognition sequences. In the present study, electrospun scaffolds were developed by blending 7% SF and 7% type I collagen solutions at ratios of 100:0 (pure SF), 95:5, 90:10, and 85:15 (SF:collagen, v/v) prior to electrospinning. Pure SF scaffolds were further coated with collagen type I. The physical and mechanical properties of these scaffolds and MCF10A mammary epithelial cell adhesion, viability, and infiltration into these blended or coated SF-collagen (SF-C) scaffolds were determined. The blending of SF with collagen decreased average pore sizes and fiber diameters of the electrospun scaffolds regardless of the ratio (p<0.01). The mechanical strength of these scaffolds did not change in their hydrated state (ns), but was decreased for 85:15 SF-C blended scaffolds in the dry state (p<0.05). The adhesion of MCF10A cells was significantly increased in SF-C blended or coated scaffolds compared to pure SF scaffolds (p<0.01). MCF10A cell viability and infiltration on SF-C coated scaffolds were significantly higher compared to all other conditions tested (p<0.01).
Low density lipoprotein promotes human naive T cell differentiation to Th1 cells.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in the arterial wall and its incorporation into foam cells leads to inflammation and nucleation of atherosclerotic plaque; this is opposed by HDL. OxLDL and HDL regulate activation of macrophages and endothelial cells, and study of T cell participation has been limited to mature, differentiated cells such as Th1 cells, which perpetuate atherogenesis by promoting cell-mediated responses and inflammation. Immature naive T cells, just emerged from the thymus, have remained largely unstudied. We hypothesized that LDL and HDL provide selective modulation of immature naive T cell differentiation and participation in plaque development. In our in vitro model, naive cells become activated and differentiate to mature effector T cells that are Th1, Th2 or Treg cells. Addition of oxLDL favored differentiation to Th1 cells, reduced Th2 cell activity and prolonged cell survival. In contrast, HDL inhibited T cell proliferation and reduced cell survival. The data suggest a novel mechanism where oxLDL enhances differentiation of human naive CD4+ T cells to Th1 cells capable of promoting inflammation and plaque progression, and this is opposed by HDL.
Effective temperature in athermal systems sheared at fixed normal load.

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of repulsive athermal systems sheared at fixed normal load to study the effective temperature ${T}_{L}$ defined from time-dependent fluctuation-dissipation relations for density. We show that these systems possess two distinct regimes as a function of the ratio ${T}_{S}/V$ of the granular temperature to the potential energy per particle. At small ${T}_{S}/V$, these systems are pressure controlled and ${T}_{L}$ is set by the normal load. In contrast, they behave as quasiequilibrium systems with ${T}_{L}\ensuremath{\approx}{T}_{S}$ that increases with the shear rate at large ${T}_{S}/V$. These results point out several problems with using ${T}_{L}$ in thermodynamic descriptions of slowly sheared athermal systems.
Skin conductance response conditioning with CS intensities equal to and greater than UCS intensity.

With .2-sec bursts of white noise as both conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (UCS), conditioning of first-interval skin conductance responses was obtained when the intensity of the CS equaled and exceeded that of the UCS. There was no evidence that second-interval response conditioning occurred. Nonspecific response frequencies were also affected by the variations in stimulus intensity, this raising some question about typical controls employed in SCR conditioning. There was some evidence that second interval responses were suppressed by the intense CS values. It was concluded that the existence of simple conditioning with a CS/UCS intensity ratio equal to or greater than unity was contrary to the Pavlovian proposition that a CS must be biologically less salient than the UCS in order for conditioning to occur. It was noted, however, that the suppression of second-interval responses might indicate that anticipatory CRs which are not confounded with orienting reflexes are prevented from exhibiting a conditioning effect when a high CS/UCS intensity ratio is employed.
WriteSmoothing: improving lifetime of non-volatile caches using intra-set wear-leveling

Driven by the trends of increasing core-count and bandwidth-wall problem, the size of last level caches (LLCs) has greatly increased. Since SRAM consumes high leakage power, researchers have explored use of non-volatile memories (NVMs) for designing caches as they provide high density and consume low leakage power. However, since NVMs have low write-endurance and the existing cache management policies are write variation-unaware, effective wear-leveling techniques are required for achieving reasonable cache lifetimes using NVMs. We present WriteSmoothing, a technique for mitigating intra-set write variation in NVM caches. WriteSmoothing logically divides the cache-sets into multiple modules. For each module, WriteSmoothing collectively records number of writes in each way for any of the sets. It then periodically makes most frequently written ways in a module unavailable to shift the write-pressure to other ways in the sets of the module. Extensive simulation results have shown that on average, for single and dual-core system configurations, WriteSmoothing improves cache lifetime by 2.17X and 2.75X, respectively. Also, its implementation overhead is small and it works well for a wide range of algorithm and system parameters.
Working out the strength and flexibility of desmosomes

Desmosomes have long been regarded as essential 'spot welds' that externally glue together cells within a tissue, and internally anchor the cytoskeletal network of intermediate filaments. Inactivation of desmosomal components by mutation, autoimmune antibodies and bacterial toxins breaches the structural integrity of embryos and adult tissues. But desmosomes are also functionally flexible organelles that recruit molecules capable of instructing cells within a tissue to undergo proper morphogenesis and patterning.
Kinetics of allosteric conformational transition of a macromolecule prior to ligand binding: Analysis of stopped-flow kinetic experiments

Two fundamentally different mechanisms of ligand binding are commonly encountered in biological kinetics. One mechanism is a sequential multistep reaction in which the bimolecular binding step is followed by first-order steps. The other mechanism includes the conformational transition of the macromolecule, before the ligand binding, followed, by the ligand binding process to one of the conformational states. In stopped-flow kinetic studies, the reaction mechanism is established by examining the behavior of relaxation times and amplitudes as a function of the reactant concentrations. A major diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of a conformational equilibrium of the macromolecule, before the ligand binding, is the decreasing value of one of the reciprocal relaxation times with the increasing [ligand]. The sequential mechanism cannot generate this behavior for any of the relaxation times. Such dependence is intuitively understood on the basis of approximate expressions for the relaxation times that can be comprehensively derived, using the characteristic equation of the coefficient matrix and polynomial theory. Generally, however, the used approximations may not be fulfilled. On the other hand, the two kinetic mechanisms can always be distinguished, using the approach based on the combined application of pseudo-first-order conditions, with respect to the ligand and the macromolecule. The two experimental conditions differ profoundly in the extent of the effect of the ligand on the protein conformational equilibrium. In a large excess of the ligand, the conformational equilibrium of the macromolecule, before the ligand binding, is strongly affected by the binding process. However, in a large excess of the macromolecule, ligand binding does not perturb the internal equilibrium of the macromolecule. As a result, the normal mode, affected by the conformational transition, is absent in the observed relaxation process. In the case of a sequential mechanism, the number of relaxation times is not altered by different pseudo-first-order conditions. Thus, the approach provides a strong diagnostic criterion for detecting the presence of the conformational transition of the macromolecule and establishing the correct mechanism. Application of this approach is illustrated for the binding of 3′-O-(N-methylantraniloyl)-5′-diphosphate to the E. coli DnaC protein.
A systematic review of risk and protective factors associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs among youth in the United States: a social ecological perspective

Objective:The purpose of this study was to identify the strongest and most consistent risk and protective factors associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) in multiple contexts, specifically in community-, school-, interpersonal-, and individual-level domains.Method:A literature search was conducted to review studies published from 2006 to 2012 that examined NMUPD among adolescents. Included were original research studies that focused specifically on risk and protective factors or review articles that included a section on factors associated with NMUPD. Risk and protective factors were included only if a minimum of two methodologically sound research studies reviewed the variable.Results:A variety of risk and protective factors were associated with adolescent NMUPD. At the community level, evidence suggested that ease of access increased the risk of NMUPD. Parental and peer prescription drug use and approval of NMUPD were associated with misuse of prescription drugs within the interpers...
Dental follicular hamartomas in the opercula of teeth delayed in eruption: A case report and review of the literature

Summary Odontogenic lesions of hamartomatous origin may occasionally result in delayed tooth eruption. However, the lack of a universally accepted terminology for such lesions may hinder their recognition. We present a case showing delay in the eruption of permanent mandibular second molars bilaterally; histopathologic examination of the excised opercula revealed features reminiscent of peripheral odontogenic fibroma with an abundance of stellate giant cells. After review and analysis of the pertinent literature, the lesions were diagnosed as dental follicular hamartomas to reflect their odontogenic (dental follicular) origin and hamartomatous nature.
Viewpoint-dependent recognition of scenes.

Three experiments investigated scene recognition across viewpoint changes, involving same/different judgements on scenes consisting of three objects on a desktop. On same trials, the comparison scene appeared either from the same viewpoint as the standard scene or from a different viewpoint with the desktop rotated about one or more axes. Different trials were created either by interchanging the locations of two or three of the objects (location change condition), or by rotating either one or all three of the objects around their vertical axes (orientation change condition). Response times and errors increased as a function of the angular distance between the standard and comparison views, but this effect was bigger for rotations around the vertical axis than for those about the line of sight or horizontal axis. Furthermore, the time to detect location changes was less than that to detect orientation changes, and this difference increased with increasing angular disparity between the standard and comparis...