cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intertemporal trades and problems of self-control

Abstract This paper develops a model which explains how individuals manage self-control strategies for situations in which an average level of activity per unit time is what needs controlling. The focus of the model is intertemporal trades, times when, for example, a dieter decides to eat dessert with lunch by promising himself he will forego dessert at dinner. Self-control is managed successfully by those who learn to complete such trades. The paper analyzes the process of learning about the reliability of ones strategies for intertemporal trades.
Long-term follow-up of radiosurgically treated arteriovenous malformations in children: Report of nine cases

Abstract Long-term follow-up results of nine children treated for cerebral arteriovenous malformation with a gamma unit are presented. Complete nidus obliteration was angio-graphically confirmed in six cases and significant decreases in arteriovenous malformation size were observed in the other three. There were no radiation-related deteriorations in physical or mental development. In seven patients who underwent endocrinological examination more than 3 years after irradiation, five were normal and the other two showed only low serum adrenocorticotropic hormone levels, which, however, did not necessitate replacement therapy. Neurodiagnostic imaging follow-up studies revealed no radiation-induced lesions in any of the nine cases.
Double dissociation between overt and covert face recognition

Some patients with face agnosia (prosopagnosia) caused by occipitotemporal damage produce discriminatory covert responses to the familiar faces that they fail to identify overtly. For example, their average skin conductance responses (SCRs) to familiar faces are significantly larger than average SCRs to unfamiliar faces. In this study we describe the opposite dissociation in four patients with bilateral ventromedial frontal damage: The patients recognized the identity of familiar faces normally, yet failed to generate discriminatory SCRs to those same familiar faces. Taken together, the two sets of results constitute a double dissociation: bilateral occipitotemporal damage impairs recognition but allows SCR discrimination, whereas bilateral ventromedial damage causes the opposite. The findings suggest that the neural systems that process the somatic-based valence of stimuli are separate from and parallel to the neural systems that process the factual, nonsomatic information associated with the same stimuli.
Competing magnetic phases in mixed-valent manganese oxide perovskites

Measurement of specific heat ${C}_{p}(T)$ below $300\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ of melt-grown samples of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ $(0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.3)$ and ${R}_{0.7}{A}_{0.3}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ $(R=\text{rare}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\text{earth},A=\text{alkaline}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\text{earth})$ with room-temperature tolerance factor $0.950\ensuremath{\leqslant}t\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.996$ have been supplemented by transport and magnetic measurements. Comparison of the phase diagram of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ with that of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and the evolution with $t$ of the ${R}_{0.7}{A}_{0.3}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ family illustrate the sensitivity to $t$ of the crossover from localized to itinerant behavior of the $\ensuremath{\sigma}$-bonding electrons and support the model of two magnetic phases in the crossover compositional range that has been used to account for the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) phenomenon found in these oxides. A vanishing of the specific-heat anomaly at the Curie temperature ${T}_{c}$ and the magnetic data at crossover are typical of a spin glass, and a broad hump in ${C}_{p}(T)$ below a ${T}_{h}g{T}_{c}$, where there is no anomaly at the ${T}_{c}$ signal ferromagnetic ordering within isolated pockets of a hole-rich, conductive $\mathrm{O}*$ minority phase at ${T}_{h}$. On cooling through ${T}_{N}$ of the antiferromagnetic matrix, the spins freeze at a spin-glass temperature ${T}_{g}$ in zero magnetic field $H$ if the ferromagnetic phase does not percolate; the ferromagnetic phase grows in an applied $H$, and a modest $H$ converts the spin glass to a bulk ferromagnet with a Curie temperature ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\approx}{T}_{g}$, where the ferromagnetic phase grows to beyond percolation. As $x$ increases in ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, a ferromagnetic-insulator ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{''}}$ phase having a charge ordering and a different orbital ordering than the parent ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase percolates below a ${T}_{g}\ensuremath{\approx}{T}_{c}$, and the minority ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase remains paramagnetic until it becomes antiferromagnetic below a ${T}_{M}l{T}_{c}\ensuremath{\approx}{T}_{g}$. In the interval $0.15lxl0.25$, an orbitally disordered conductive, ferromagnetic vibronic phase appears in a narrow temperature interval ${T}_{\mathrm{oo}}lTl{T}_{c}$, the majority phase transforming to the charge and orbitally ordered ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{''}}$ phase below a ${T}_{\mathrm{oo}}$. At $x\ensuremath{\geqslant}0.25$, the system transforms from a polaronic paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic metal at ${T}_{c}$.
Does everything "cause" cancer: an alternative interpretation of the "carcinogenesis" bioassay.

have raised the question of whether the apparent antitumorigenic effect of 4-hexylresorcinol suggests its possible use as an antineoplastic agent. In response to that paper, it is noted that over 20% of the compounds subjected to the “carcinogenesis” bioassay of the NCINTP program show apparent antitumorigenic effects of a similar sort. A thought experiment is proposed that shows that any compound subjected to these test conditions should produce a shift in patterns of tumors, regardless of whether the compound is a true “carcinogen” or a true “antineoplastic” agent. This thesis is illustrated with an alternative statistical analysis of six AZO dye studies that were conducted in the same lab during the same period, and the existence of apparent effects for three other relatively innocuous substances is noted. Short-term experiments are proposed to test this thesis. Finally, the implications of this thesis on the interpretation of “carcinogenesis” bioassay is examined.
Plasmalemma- and tonoplast-ATPase activity in mesophyll protoplasts, vacuoles and microsomes of the Crassulacean-acid-metabolism plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana

Adenosine-triphosphatase activity on the plasmalemma and tonoplast of isolated mesophyll protoplasts, isolated vacuoles and tonoplast-derived microsomes of the Crassulacean-acid-metabolism plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perr., was localized by a cytochemical procedure using lead citrate. Enzyme activity was detected on the cytoplasmic surfaces of the plasmalemma and tonoplast. The identity of the enzymes was confirmed by various treatments differentiating the enzymes by their sensitivity to inhibitors of plasmalemma and tonoplast H+-ATPase. Isolated vacuoles and microsomes prepared from isolated vacuoles clearly exhibited single-sided deposition on membrane surfaces.
Regulation of microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) subunit composition.

The MAP1B and MAP1A genes each produce an mRNA that encodes a polyprotein. When cleaved, each polyprotein yields a single heavy chain and a single light chain, which become noncovalently associated. In previous work, it was found that the MAP1B light chains and heavy chains exist in a 2:1 ratio. Through use of quantitative immunoblot techniques, this finding was further examined in the developing rat brain. MAP1B heavy chain (HC) and light chain (LC1), as well as the light chain of MAP1A (LC2), were prepared in purified form for use as standards and/or immunogens for generation of antibodies for immunoblotting. Brain homogenates and microtubule-enriched fractions from developing rats were assayed for MAP1B HC and LC1 content. Results indicated that postnatal rat brain homogenates contain LC1 in a 6:1 to 8:1 molar ratio to the MAP1B HC. Purified microtubules also contain LC1 in excess of MAP1B HC, but at a ratio of 2:1. We propose that most of the excess LC1 in homogenates is either insoluble or not bound to microtubules. The findings raise the possibility of a function for the "excess" LC1 that does not require association with MAP1 HC and/or microtubules. Given a synthetic mechanism that produces MAP1B HC and LC1 in a 1:1 ratio at both transcription and translation steps, we propose that the "excess" LC1 in brain homogenates is a consequence of LC1 having a greater half-life than the MAP1B HC. Consistently with this hypothesis, a major pool of MAP1B HC is rapidly degraded after blocking protein synthesis with cycloheximide, whereas LC1 levels remain constant even after 24 hr of cycloheximide treatment.
Tailoring ECC for Special Attributes: A Review

This article reviews the tailoring of engineered cementitious composites (ECC), a type of high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites with a theoretical design basis, for special attributes or functions. The design basis, a set of analytic tools built on micromechanics, provides guidelines for tailoring of fiber, matrix, and fiber/matrix interfaces to attain tensile ductility in ECC. If conditions for controlled multiple cracking are disturbed by the need to introduce ingredients to attain a special attribute or function, micromechanics then serve as a systematic and rational means to efficiently recover composite tensile ductility. Three examples of ECCs with attributes of lightweight, high early strength, and self-healing functions, are used to illustrate these tailoring concepts. The fundamental approach, however, is broadly applicable to a wide variety of ECCs designed for targeted fresh and/or hardened characteristics required for specific applications.
Role of histone deacetylases in regulation of phenotype of ovine newborn pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells

Objective Pulmonary arterial hypertension, characterized by pulmonary vascular remodelling and vasoconstriction, is associated with excessive proliferative changes in pulmonary vascular walls. However, the role of HDACs in the phenotypic alteration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) is largely unknown. Material and methods Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells were isolated from newborn sheep. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. mRNA and protein expression were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Wound-healing scratch assay was used to measure cell migration. Contractility of newborn PASMCs was determined by gel contraction assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to examine histone modifications along the p21 promoter region. Global DNA methylation was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Results Inhibition of class I and class II HDACs by apicidin and HDACi VIII suppressed proliferation of newborn PASMC and induced cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. Acetyl H3 levels were higher in newborn PASMC treated with apicidin and HDACi VIII. This was accompanied by increased expression of p21 and reduced expression of CCND1 but not p53. HDAC inhibition altered histone codes around the p21 promoter region in NPASMC. Apicidin inhibited serum-induced cell migration, and modulated profiling of expression of genes encoding pro-oxidant and antioxidant enzymes. Contractility and global DNA methylation levels of newborn PASMCs were also markedly modulated by apicidin. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that class I HDACs are clearly involved in phenotypic alteration of newborn PASMC.
High-pressure phases of amorphous and crystalline silicon

We study pressure-induced phase transitions in amorphous silicon and crystalline diamond silicon from Gibbs free energies considerations using ab initio total energy calculations. We predict a pressure-induced crystallization of the amorphous network at 2.5 GPa and a first order amorphous to amorphous phase transition at 9 GPa. Furthermore, we find a pressure-induced high density amorphization of crystalline diamond silicon around 15 GPa.
Hartree-Fock study of phase changes in ZnO at high pressure.

The total energy of ZnO as a function of unit cell volume has been calculated for the zinc-blende, wurtzite, and rocksalt structures by the ab initio all-electron periodic Hartree-Fock linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals method using a large Gaussian basis set that was variationally optimized for the solid state. Extensive convergence tests with respect to cutoffs of the real-space Coulomb and exchange series were carried out to ensure that the calculations were performed with sufficient precision. The calculated structural properties (equilibrium lattice constant, bulk modulus, etc.) of the wurtzite and rocksalt phases are in good agreement with experiment, as is the transition pressure between them (8.57 GPa versus 9--9.5 GPa experimentally), indicating that the method can reliably predict quite small energy differences between different densities or crystal structures of a nonmetallic solid. The calculated valence-band structure was also in satisfactory agreement with experiment. Detailed analysis of the charge-density distribution supports the expected picture of a transition from mixed ionic-covalent bonding in the tetrahedrally coordinated structures to predominantly ionic bonding in the high-pressure phase.
Field-Effect Mobility of Organic Polymer Thin-Film Transistors

We present a method of extracting the field-effect mobility from the transfer characteristics of organic polymer thin-film transistors (OP-TFTs), in both the linear and saturation regimes, by accounting for the dependence of the mobility on the gate bias, which translates to a dependence on the accumulated density of majority charge carriers in the channel. This method is compared to the commonly used extraction methods, which are based on the standard MOSFET square-law drain current equations that do not account for the variation of mobility with the applied gate bias. We show that by using the standard MOSFET equations, the extracted field-effect mobility can be significantly overestimated. We also demonstrate the use of the proposed method to extract the field-effect mobility at different measurement temperatures and present the dependence of the extracted parameters on temperature.
Investigation of creep phenomena in polyethylene and polypropylene

Although creep in thermoplastics, especially for polyethylene, has been investigated throughly, not too much information exists to establish activation energies at different stress levels by the application of high stress-level, short-time creep tests. Extrapolation of data to zero stress gives a true material activation energy which is a measure of internal resistance to deformation. Descriptions of specific creep parameters and equipment with a relatively simple phototube recording device are offered along with a discussion of results and recommendations for future fields of investigation.
TH‐A‐214‐04: Impact of Body Size of Obese Patients on PET/CT Dose Estimates: Monte Carlo Calculations Using a Set of BMI‐Adjustable Phantoms

Purpose: To assess the effect of obese patient's body mass index (BMI) on organ doses from CT and PET exams. Methods: A set of 5 computational phantoms with different BMIs were created for PET and CT dose calculations using the Monte Carlo N‐Particle Extended (MCNPX) code. The phantoms represent patients having a BMI ranging from 23 (normal weight) to 44 (morbidly obese) with increasing amounts of subcutaneous and visceral fat. The external CT dose calculations assumed a whole‐body, diagnostic scan with a GE LightSpeed 16 scanner operating at a tube voltage of 120 kVp. The internal PET dose was based on S‐values for F‐18 and the ICRP‐106 FDG biokinetic model. Results: For the same tube current, ratios of the morbidly obese phantom CTorgan doses compared to the normal weight phantom ranged from 0.46∼1 with an average of 0.7 because of shielding by the extra fat. This effect was greatest for deep organs in the abdomen (e.g. colon, lungs, stomach, liver, urinary bladder). For the same injected radioactivity, the average PETorgan dose ratios were 0.95 and 0.65 for source organs (e.g. brain, heart, liver, urinary bladder) and organs in the remainder, respectively (e.g. colon, stomach, spleen, etc.). These PET dose differences are due primarily to the obese phantom's smaller remainder source S‐values which arise from the addition of the extra fat to the remainder compartment. Conclusions: After adjusting for the increased tube current and tube voltage, the results suggest that obese patients can receive higher absorbed dose to some organs, depending on the protocols. This work, as part of the VirtualDose software development, demonstrates the ability to improve the estimate of organ doses from PET and CT scans for obese patients and will be useful to on‐going efforts to optimize image quality and imaging doses.
The interaction of PKN3 with RhoC promotes malignant growth

Abstract PKN3 is an AGC-family protein kinase implicated in growth of metastatic prostate cancer cells with phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway deregulation. The molecular mechanism, however, by which PKN3 contributes to malignant growth and tumorigenesis is not well understood. Using orthotopic mouse tumor models, we now show that inducible knockdown of PKN3 protein not only blocks metastasis, but also impairs primary prostate and breast tumor growth. Correspondingly, overexpression of exogenous PKN3 in breast cancer cells further increases their malignant behavior and invasiveness in-vitro . Mechanistically, we demonstrate that PKN3 physically interacts with Rho-family GTPases, and preferentially with RhoC, a known mediator of tumor invasion and metastasis in epithelial cancers. Likewise, RhoC predominantly associates with PKN3 compared to its closely related PKN family members. Unlike the majority of Rho GTPases and PKN molecules, which are ubiquitously expressed, both PKN3 and RhoC show limited expression in normal tissues and become upregulated in late-stage malignancies. Since PKN3 catalytic activity is increased in the presence of Rho GTPases, the co-expression and preferential interaction of PKN3 and RhoC in tumor cells are functionally relevant. Our findings provide novel insight into the regulation and function of PKN3 and suggest that the PKN3–RhoC complex represents an attractive therapeutic target in late-stage malignancies.
The marginal cost of public funds with an aging population.

As populations in the United States and other advanced economies grow older, the burden of social security and health care financing is expected to rise markedly. Payroll, income, and other taxes on working populations are projected to rise accordingly. The marginal welfare cost to workers of social security and other public expenditures is analyzed within the context of a two-period life-cycle model. By relaxing separability assumptions that have become common in the literature, the theoretical structure properly incorporates the effect of these public expenditures on labor supply. Comparative statics results indicate that the changing age structure is likely to raise the marginal welfare to workers of social security, education, and other public expenditures. Illustrative calculations for the United States confirm this result, suggesting that the cost to workers of incremental social security benefits may easily double by 2025–2050. The cost of education may also rise significantly. These results imply that political pressure from workers to limit social security and other spending may increase over time.
Shake up in the core ionization of atomic zinc and cadmium

Abstract Shake up in atomic zinc and cadmium has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using Al Kα (1487 eV) radiation. In zinc the 4s → 5s shake up associated with 2p ionization has been found to lie 12.5 eV from the main peak and to have a relative intensity of 7.3%. In cadmium the 5s → 6s shake up accompanying 3d ionization has an intensity of 4.5% and occurs at 11.8 eV from the main peak. The relative intensities reported in this work correspond to the sudden limit values as shown by calculations using equations developed by Thomas in 1984.
A Voxel-by-Voxel Comparison of Deformable Vector Fields Obtained by Three Deformable Image Registration Algorithms Applied to 4DCT Lung Studies

Background: Commonly used methods of assessing the accuracy of Deformable Image Registration (DIR) rely on image segmentation or landmark selection. These methods are very labor intensive and thus limited to relatively small number of image pairs. The direct voxel-by-voxel comparison can be automated to examine fluctuations in DIR quality on a long series of image pairs. Methods: A voxel-by-voxel comparison of three DIR algorithms applied to lung patients is presented. Registrations are compared by comparing volume histograms formed both with individual DIR maps and with a voxel-by-voxel subtraction of the two maps. When two DIR maps agree one concludes that both maps are interchangeable in treatment planning applications, though one cannot conclude that either one agrees with the ground truth. If two DIR maps significantly disagree one concludes that at least one of the maps deviates from the ground truth. We use the method to compare three DIR algorithms applied to peak inhale-peak exhale registrations of 4DFBCT data obtained from thirteen patients. Results: All three algorithms appear to be nearly equivalent when compared using DICE similarity coefficients. A comparison based on Jacobian Volume Histograms shows that all three algorithms measure changes in total volume of the lungs with reasonable accuracy, but show large differences in the variance of Jacobian distribution on all contoured structures. Analysis of voxel-by-voxel subtraction of DIR maps shows that the three algorithms differ to a degree which is sufficient to create a potential for dosimetric discrepancy during dose accumulation. Conclusions: DIR algorithms can perform well in some clinical applications, while potentially fail in others. These algorithms are best treated as potentially useful approximations of tissue deformation that need to be separately validated for every intended clinical application.
Construction of a Vector Plasmid for Use in Gluconobacter oxydans

A host vector system in Gluconobacter oxydans was constructed. An Acetobacter-Escherichia coli shuttle vector was introduced with the efficiency of 104 transformants/μg of DNA. Next, aiming for a self-cloning vector, we found a cryptic plasmid (which we named pAG5) of 5648 bp in G. oxydans strain IFO 3171, and sequenced the nucleotides. The plasmid seemed to have only one open reading flame (ORF) for a possible replication protein. Shuttle vectors of Gluconobacter-E. coli were constructed with the plasmid pAG5 and an E. coli vector, pUC18.
Unveiling the Mystery about Adult ADHD: One Woman's Journey

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurobiological disorder, affects millions of individuals and can significantly impact an individual's life course. Research guidelines used in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment have focused primarily on Caucasian males generating, in part, the need to redress how gender and other contextual factors are considered. Consequently many women and persons from diverse cultural groups can be ignored or misdiagnosed. Undiagnosed and untreated women with ADHD are therefore limited in their potential to flourish socially, academically, interpersonally, and in their family roles. This case example of a 38-year-old African American woman illustrates how her life journey was affected by undiagnosed ADHD.
Guest Editor's Introduction: ITC Helps Get More Out of Test

This special section, along with the International Test Conference 2006, highlights the value that test adds to the electronics manufacturing business. It leads us to think about test in a whole new way.
Concordances in the Seventies.

STORIES about the heroic efforts of the early concordance makers are once again on the wane, and that is probably a good thing. When they first appeared, at the turn of the century, these stories were no more than simple testimony to the prodigious energies of the Old Compilers; then in the fifties and sixties, in the early heyday of the computer-generated concordance, the stories emerged a second time as exempla, illustrating for us the old-fashioned investment of time and spirit which we and our descendants were henceforward to be spared. The Machine was now at hand to drudge for us, and things were never to be the same again. In our enthusiasm for the computer in the fifties and sixties, we made bad use of these tales; for in measuring the months and years of the earlier concordance against the minutes of the new ones, we were indeed measuring the wrong thing. If, latterly, we have learned anything from the spate of computer-generated concordances published during the past ten years, it is that speed alone is a guarantor of nothing whatever. We have learned, to our dismay, that it is possible for a modern practitioner of the craft for whom the speed of production is the prime attraction to produce a volume that is truly rebarbative, not only typographically vapid but of a general level of quality inferior to that demanded by the Old Compilers whose work the modern speedster believes himself to have superseded.
Improving spike separation using waveform derivatives

This paper presents spike derivatives as a tool for spike feature extraction to improve the separation of similar neurons. The theoretical framework of neuronal geometry signatures and noise shaping to perform the spike derivative is formulated first, and based on the derivations we show that the first derivative of the spikes manifests the waveform difference contributed by the geometry signatures and also reduces the associated low-frequency noise. Quantitative comparisons of sorting neurons using spikes and their derivatives are performed on spike sequences from a public database, and improved results are observed when using spike derivatives.
TLR9 and IRF3 cooperate to induce a systemic inflammatory response in mice injected with liposome:DNA.

Liposome:DNA is a promising gene therapy vector. However, this vector can elicit a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Prior reports indicate that liposome:DNA vectors activate Toll-like receptor (TLR)9. We hypothesized that liposome:DNA vectors also activate the cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, which signals via interferon (IFN) regulatory factor (IRF)3. To test this, we treated dendritic cells (DCs) with liposome:DNA in vitro and found that IRF3 was phosphorylated independent of TLR9. To test the contribution of this pathway in vivo, we injected a liposome:DNA vector into wild-type (WT), TLR9-knockout (KO), IRF3-KO, and TLR9-IRF3-double-KO (DKO) mice. WT mice exhibited a systemic inflammatory response, evidenced by elevations in serum cytokines, serum enzyme changes indicating organ damage, hypothermia, and mortality. The cytokine response was reduced in TLR9-KO, IRF3-KO, and TLR9-IRF3-DKO mice and all three groups survived. We found that IFN-γ-KO mice that receive liposome:DNA had a reduced cytokine response and 100% survival. CD11c+ and NK1.1+ cells produced IFN-γ and depleting CD11c+ cells reduced the cytokine response in mice injected with liposome:DNA. These findings may facilitate the development of immunologically inert gene therapy vectors and may provide general insight into the mechanisms of SIRS.
The teratogenicity of ethylene oxide administered intravenously to mice

Abstract The teratogenic potential of intravenously administered ethylene oxide (ETO) was assessed in the CD-1 mouse at doses of 0, 75, and 150 mg/kg (in sterile 5% dextrose) at four periods during gestation, Days 4–6 (Period I), 6–8 (Period II), 8–10 (Period III), and 10–12 (Period IV). Maternal animals showed signs of toxicity at the 150 mg/kg dose level in Periods I, III, and IV but not in Period II. A significant reduction in mean fetal body weight compared to controls occurred in all four treatment periods at the 150 mg/kg level, and a significant increase in the percentage of malformed fetuses/litter was observed in Periods II and IV at this dose level. Approximately 19% of the fetuses in each litter from maternal animals treated with 150 mg/kg ETO in Period II had some type of malformation, the majority being of the cervical and thoracic skeleton. These data give evidence for a teratogenic effect of intravenous ETO in the CD-1 mouse when administered on Days 6–8 of gestation at 150 mg/kg. No additional information relative to the effect of ETO could be established from the histopathologic examination of randomly selected fetuses. These results indicate teratogenicity at levels 500 to 5000 times above exposure limits currently proposed by the FDA for ETO residues in medical devices. Until more information on comparative teratogenicity and pharmacokinetics are collected, these guidelines would appear to be adequate for preventing undue risk in man.
Polaron Delocalization in Ladder Macromolecular Systems

Organic macromolecules with conjugated building blocks have been the focus of extensive research that is motivated, in part, by the potential to create optical and electronic devices. We have shown that palladium-catalyzed amination can assemble triarylamine ladder materials with extended structures. Two ladder macromolecules have been prepared in high yields by a series of twelve or sixteen C-N coupling reactions. Studies of the electronic and optical properties of neutral and oxidized forms of the ladder structures were conducted. The optical and electronic properties of the ladder systems are compared to those of the linear tetra-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine as well as the tetra-p-anisyl-p-tetraazacyclophane. The electrochemistry of the ladder systems consists of a multiwave voltammogram with a relatively low first oxidation potential. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the ladder systems suggests the presence of a large density of delocalized polarons. Linear absorption measurements of the chemically oxidized ladders revealed both polaron and intervalence absorption bands. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements were also carried out to characterize the dynamics in these novel systems.
Murine hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors express adrenergic receptors.

Abstract Association between the nervous and immune system is well documented. Immune cells originate within the bone marrow that is innervated. Thermal injury induces adrenergic stimulation, augments monocytopoiesis and alters the β-adrenergic receptor (AR) profile of bone marrow monocyte committed progenitors. This provides an impetus to study AR expression in hematopoietic progenitors along myeloid lineage. Using FACS analysis and confocal microscopy, we report the expression of α1-, α2- and β2-AR in enriched populations of ER-MP20+ and ER-MP12+ myeloid progenitors, CD117+ and CD34+ multi-potential progenitors and more importantly pluripotent stem cells suggesting a plausible role for catecholamine in hematopoietic development.
Intestinal lymphoid tissues: is variety an asset or a liability?

Purpose of review Advances in our understanding of lymphoid tissue development has led to an appreciation of the variety of these structures in the intestinal mucosa. This knowledge has translated into more critical analysis of the function of mucosal lymphoid tissues and may lead to manipulation of development of these structures as a therapeutic modality. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding the variety, formation, and function of these structures. Recent findings The intestinal mucosa and submucosa contain three types of lymphoid tissues ranging from the developmentally determined Peyer's patches to the inflammatory derived tertiary lymphoid tissues. Intermediate to these is a unique lymphoid tissue, isolated lymphoid follicles, which shares properties of both Peyer's patches and tertiary lymphoid tissues. In the healthy intestine, Peyer's patches and isolated lymphoid follicles generate protective and homeostatic immune responses. During chronic inflammation, the function of the more inducible lymphoid tissues, isolated lymphoid follicles and tertiary lymphoid tissues, is unclear, but may include an ominous role propagating inappropriate responses and predisposing to malignancy. Summary Understanding the variety of lymphoid tissues, how they function, and how they develop may offer strategies to manipulate these structures to optimize mucosal vaccines and treat intestinal inflammatory diseases.
INTEGRATION OF EMG AND EGT MODALITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENHANCED CURSOR CONTROL SYSTEM

While Eye Gaze Tracking (EGT) systems have demonstrated their potential as computer cursor control devices, their application outside the laboratory environment has been less prominent than originally expected. This may be due to limitations in the stability of the cursor controlled by EGT devices and in the potential for unintended selections ("clicks"). To address these EGT limitations, we have developed a cursor control system that integrates electromyogram-based control with EGT-based control. This integrated system allows a user to perform small cursor displacements and selection operations ("left click") by detecting distinct changes in electromyogram (EMG) signals generated during specific facial movements. Specifically, the system monitors and processes, in real time, EMG signals from four electrodes attached to the head of the subject. We compared the performance of this EMG/EGT integrated system, with the performance of a stand-alone EGT system and a hand-held mouse, in point-and-click trials. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that the EMG/EGT system is slower than the EGT system and the mouse, but it also revealed that it is significantly less error-prone than the EGT-only system. The analysis also revealed that the performance of the EMG/EGT system does not seem to be well matched to Fitts' model.
Analysis and testing of a THUNDER piezoelectric actuator as a prime mover in a gas flow control valve

The target of this research was to conduct an experimental analysis in which a THUNDER™ (Thin Unimorph DrivER) actuator was used to adjust the flow of air through a specified cross sectional area inside a Plexiglas housing. The THUNDER™ actuator was developed over ten years ago as a high displacement piezoelectric actuator. It is a curved, bilayer actuator made up of a piezoelectric layer (PZT, lead zirconate titanate) and a stainless steel layer. In this study, the THUNDER™ is the prime mover in an air flow control valve. The valve is made up of a flow channel that allows air to pass over the top of the actuator. When voltage is applied to the actuator, causing the piezo ceramic layer to expand or contract, the curvature of the actuator changes, thus changing the orifice area in the valve and causing a change in flow. Testing is done with single and dual flow loop arrangements. In the dual flow loop, one flow line contains the control valve while the other is a bypass line. The valve is used to balance flow between the lines. Both lines have adjustable outlet valves so that the valve can be tested under a wide range of flow conditions. Pressure transducers were placed along the experimental setup to observe various pressures conditions in the system. Two flow meters were used to measure either the single loop flow rate or the corresponding flow rate in each line of the dual flow loop. Several lids for the control valve were manufactured and tested to reveal that alternative channel geometries could lead to increased performance over a specific range. The test results showed that the THUNDER™ control valve could modulate the air flow by as much as 16% at 4.4 SCFM (125 LPM) in single loop flow and 30% at 2.3 SCFM (65 LPM) in dual loop flow for inlet pressures up to 25 PSI (172 kPa).
Homozygosity at the Candida albicans MTL locus associated with azole resistance.

Antifungal drug resistance in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans is a serious threat to the growing population of immunocompromised patients. This study describes a significant correlation between loss of heterozygosity at the C. albicans mating-type-like (MTL) locus and resistance to azole antifungals. A pool of 96 clinical isolates consisting of 50 azole-resistant or susceptible dose-dependent isolates and 46 azole-susceptible isolates was screened by PCR for the presence of MTLa1 and MTLα1. These genes were used as markers for the MTLa and MTLα loci. Both loci were present in 84 of the isolates. Six isolates failed to amplify MTLa1 and six failed to amplify MTLα1. Further PCR analysis demonstrated that loss of the MTLa1 and MTLα1 genes corresponded to loss of all of the loci-specific genes, resulting in homozygosity at the MTL locus. Southern analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis were used to determine that this loss of heterogeneity was due to replacement of one of the MTL loci with a duplicate of the other locus resulting in two homozygous copies of the MTL locus. Of the 12 homozygous isolates, one isolate was sensitive to azole drugs. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrates a strong correlation between homozygosity at the MTL locus and azole resistance (P<0·003). In a set of serial isolates, an increase in azole resistance correlated with the loss of heterozygosity at the MTL locus, lending further strength to the correlation. Gene disruptions of the MTL loci were found to have no effect on azole susceptibility.
Both p140trk and p75NGFR Nerve Growth Factor Receptors Mediate Nerve Growth Factor-stimulated Calcium Uptake

Abstract Human p140trk and p75NGFR were transfected separately into 3T3 cells. Nerve growth factor stimulates calcium uptake into both transfectants but not into untransfected 3T3 cells. p140trk cells were stimulated maximally by 25 ng/ml; 100 ng/ml was submaximal for p75NGFR cells. K-252a inhibits the effect of NGF on p140trk cells but not on p75NGFR cells; brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulates calcium uptake in p75NGFR cells but not in p140trk cells. The data suggest that both nerve growth factor receptors could be involved in the nerve growth factor-mediated actions of calcium on its target cells: neuronal survival, neuronal protection, and synaptic plasticity.
The Group-Member Mind Trade-Off Attributing Mind to Groups Versus Group Members

People attribute minds to other individuals and make inferences about those individuals' mental states to explain and predict their behavior. Little is known, however, about whether people also attribute minds to groups and believe that collectives, companies, and corporations can think, have intentions, and make plans. Even less is known about the consequences of these attributions for both groups and group members. We investigated the attribution of mind and responsibility to groups and group members, and we demonstrated that people make a trade-off: The more a group is attributed a group mind, the less members of that group are attributed individual minds. Groups that are judged to have more group mind are also judged to be more cohesive and responsible for their collective actions. These findings have important implications for how people perceive the minds of groups and group members, and for how attributions of mind influence attributions of responsibility to groups and group members.
Destruction of NO during Catalytic Combustion on Platinum and Palladium

Mole fraction profiles of NO are obtained by laser-induced fluorescence in a catalytic combustion environment consisting of a stagnation flow of hydrogen, oxygen, and 150 ppm of NO over platinum and palladium substrates. For both catalysts under a wide range of equivalence ratios, including lean conditions, diffusion limited destruction of the added NO is observed when catalytic combustion occurs at the surface. With ignition in the gas-phase and a flow over the platinum surface, negligible NO destruction is observed under fuel-lean conditions. The profiles are compared with the predictions of a flame model that includes complex gas-phase and surface chemistry. The results highlight the need for inclusion of heterogeneous NO removal steps in surface modeling of catalytic combustion systems.
Incorporating monoclonal antibodies in blood and marrow transplantation

The development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies had been a significant advance in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). In the setting of blood and marrow transplantation (BMT), initial research was focused on in vitro graft purging. More recently, investigators have designed in vivo purging protocols using rituximab with the goal of obtaining tumor-free grafts. Exciting developments stem from the use of iodine 131 ((131)I)-tositumomab as well as yttrium 90 ((90)Y)-ibritumomab in myeloablative doses in blood and marrow transplantation protocols for high-risk patients. Finally, vigilance towards complications in particular unusual infections is advised given the profound immunosupressive state caused by these antibodies.
Joint precoder and power adaptation for cognitive radios in interference systems

In this paper we present a new approach for joint precoder and power adaptation applicable in multi-user spectrum sharing cognitive radio (CR) networks. In the proposed approach bandwidth use is expressed in terms of a finite set of discrete resources whose use is optimized by the CR transmitters in terms of system sum-rate under operating constraints that restrict the operation of secondary (unlicensed) CR transmitters to protect licensed primary user-transmissions. We formulate the optimal resource allocation for CR users as a constrained optimization problem and illustrate the proposed approach with numerical results obtained from simulations.
SnoN Facilitates Axonal Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury

Adult CNS neurons exhibit a reduced capacity for growth compared to developing neurons, due in part to downregulation of growth-associated genes as development is completed. We tested the hypothesis that SnoN, an embryonically regulated transcription factor that specifies growth of the axonal compartment, can enhance growth in injured adult neurons. In vitro, SnoN overexpression in dissociated adult DRG neuronal cultures significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth. Moreover, TGF-β1, a negative regulator of SnoN, inhibited neurite outgrowth, and SnoN over-expression overcame this inhibition. We then examined whether SnoN influenced axonal regeneration in vivo: indeed, expression of a mutant form of SnoN resistant to degradation significantly enhanced axonal regeneration following cervical spinal cord injury, despite peri-lesional upregulation of TGF-β1. Thus, a developmental mechanism that specifies extension of the axonal compartment also promotes axonal regeneration after adult CNS injury.
A behavioral/pharmacological intervention for the treatment of severe self injurious behavior.

The effects of haloperidol and a mild punishment on the severe self-injurious behavior and several collateral behaviors of a 17-year-old profoundly retarded male were assessed. A 12-month analysis using a withdrawal design suggested that neither the medication nor the behavioral intervention alone was effective in significantly reducing the frequency of self-injurious behavior. When combined, however, these interventions produced dramatic reductions in the subject's self-injurious behavior. The haloperidol may have acted as a “setting event”for the successful use of the punishment. Suppression of this behavior was maintained at 6 months and 1 year following the end of the analysis. The collateral behaviors were differentially affected by the behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Time spent in bed and the appearance of drooling increased with the introduction of the haloperidol, while percent correct on a fine-motor task increased only when the interventions were applied simultaneously. The results point out the importance of a careful behavioral analysis for both pharmacological and behavioral interventions and their possible combined actions.
Introducing quality reports.

Nearly a decade has passed since the Institute of Medicine released its landmark report Crossing the Quality Chasm ,1 which called for a redesign of the health care system to deliver care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. The importance of engaging in this process is underscored by the requirement that pediatricians now participate in quality-improvement activities to maintain board certification. Unfortunately, opportunities to share the results of well-designed quality-improvement projects, regardless of their success, have been limited. This is a critical missed opportunity for spreading innovation. Recognizing this need, this month we introduce a new section in Pediatrics , Quality Reports, under the direction of assistant editor Alex Kemper, MD; this section will feature reports of the implementation and outcomes of quality-improvement projects. In addition to providing insight about improving care delivery, we hope that these reports … Address correspondence to Alex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, 2400 Pratt St, Room 0311 Terrace Level, Durham, NC 27705. E-mail: alex.kemper{at}duke.edu
A CRITICAL ROLE FOR CRITICAL HABITAT IN THE RECOVERY PLANNING PROCESS? NOT YET

The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) generally requires that critical habitat be designated for all species listed as endangered or threatened. However, it has been designated for only ∼10% of listed species. Recently, in response to several recent court orders and settlement agreements that require critical habitat to be designated for ∼300 species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to divert all available budget resources for 2001 to address the backlog of designations. This decision underscores a central question in the controversies surrounding critical habitat designation: How does critical habitat benefit the conservation and eventual recovery of listed species? Here, we examined how designation of critical habitat influenced the recovery planning process by comparing the content and characteristics of recovery plans for species with and without designated critical habitat. Critical habitat designation did not increase the availability of information on species' habitat requirements or increase the likelihood that recovery plans prescribed habitat management or habitat acquisition among the necessary recovery tasks. Recovery plans for species with critical habitat were not more likely to include habitat considerations among criteria for measuring recovery. Recovery plans for species with critical habitat uniformly ranked habitat concerns among the top threats to species and, on average, proposed a greater diversity of habitat monitoring efforts. Overall, however, we concluded that critical habitat designations have had negligible positive influence in the recovery planning process. We discuss possible explanations and suggest a standards-based system for designating critical habitat that should promote more effective contributions to recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species.