cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult-Onset Dysphagia Lusoria from an Uncommon Vascular Ring: A Case Report and Review of the Literature:

Vascular rings are a rare cause of symptoms in adult patients. We report the case of a 48-year-old woman presenting with dysphagia lusoria due to an uncommon vascular ring: right aortic arch with mirror-image branching and a left ligamentum arteriosum. No previous reports exist of adult-onset dysphagia lusoria attributable to this anatomy. The patient underwent a limited muscle-sparing thoracotomy with division of the ligamentum. The division interrupted the vascular ring and relieved her esophageal compression. The presentation, evaluation, pathophysiology, and treatment of this condition are discussed.
Characterization of single-file flow through human retinal parafoveal capillaries using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy was used to noninvasively acquire videos of single-file flow through live human retinal parafoveal capillaries. Videos were analyzed offline to investigate capillary flow dynamics. Certain capillaries accounted for a clear majority of leukocyte traffic (Leukocyte-Preferred-Paths, LPPs), while other capillaries primarily featured plasma gap flow (Plasma-Gap-Capillaries, PGCs). LPPs may serve as a protective mechanism to prevent inactivated leukocytes from entering exchange capillaries, and PGCs may serve as relief valves to minimize flow disruption due to the presence of a leukocyte in a neighboring LPP.
Endotoxin-induced corticotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus is mediated centrally by interleukin-1

In the acute phase of bacterial infection, a variety of cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), are elicited by bacterial endotoxin in both the periphery and the central nervous system. Bacterial endotoxin has been previously reported to profoundly activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in elevated glucocorticoid secretion that may serve an important role as part of the inhibitory feedback mechanisms on the activated immune system. To determine whether IL-1 acts within the brain to mediate endotoxin-induced CRH gene expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), we studied the effect of administering the human IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) into the brain, a competitive inhibitor of IL-1, on CRH gene expression in the PVN after systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Eight hours after the ip administration of LPS, the paraventricular CRH mRNA content was elevated 3-to 4-fold (P < 0.01) compared to the control value, and this elevation could be completely abol...
Dissociable networks for the expectancy and perception of emotional stimuli in the human brain

William James posited that comparable brain regions were implicated in the anticipation and perception of a stimulus; however, dissociable networks (at least in part) may also underlie these processes. Recent functional neuroimaging studies have addressed this issue by comparing brain systems associated with the expectancy and perception of visual, tactile, nociceptive, and reward stimuli. In the present fMRI study, we addressed this issue in the domain of pictorial emotional stimuli (IAPS). Our paradigm involved the experimental conditions emotional expectancy, neutral expectancy, emotional picture perception, and neutral picture perception. Specifically, the emotional expectancy cue was uncertain in that it did not provide additional information regarding the positive or negative valence of the subsequent picture. Neutral expectancy and neutral picture perception served as control conditions, allowing the identification of expectancy and perception effects specific for emotion processing. To avoid contamination of the perception conditions by the preceding expectancy periods, 50% of the pictorial stimuli were presented without preceding expectancy cues. We found that the emotional expectancy cue specifically produced activation in the supracallosal anterior cingulate, cingulate motor area, and parieto-occipital sulcus. These regions were not significantly activated by emotional picture perception which recruited a different neuronal network, including the amygdala, insula, medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and occipitotemporal areas. This dissociation may reflect a distinction between anticipatory and perceptive components of emotional stimulus processing.
Synthesis, stereochemistry confirmation and biological activity evaluation of a constituent from Isodon excisus

Abstract A synthesis and stereochemistry confirmation of a constituent recently isolated from the whole plant Isodon excisus is reported. An enantioselective catalytic boron-mediated reduction of an α-bromoketone was utilized in the key synthetic transformation. The methodology described herein was also used for the synthesis of the natural product's enantiomer and several derivatives. In addition, the compounds were evaluated for inhibitory activity in a caspase induction assay. The natural product was found to be devoid of activity, but several derivatives had moderate inhibitory activity (EC 50
Expiating Evil: Reflections on the Difficulties of Cultural, Organizational and Individual Reparation

Evil actions by human beings show little sign of diminution as the twenty-first century unfolds. Evil can be defined as the knowing infliction of pain and suffering – physical and/or psychological – on another human being. It can be perpetrated by individuals, by organizations, and by nation states, among others. It can take the form of administrative evil, in which people participate in acts of evil while thinking they are just doing what they should be doing in their organizational role. Under conditions of moral inversion, evil can be engaged in under the guise of doing good. While some aspects of evil’s aftermath are clear enough through the trail of mass graves, broken bodies and lives, and trans-generational reverberations, the possibilities of expiating evil, including administrative evil, through processes of forgiveness, reconciliation and reparation, especially on the part of organizations and states, remain under-explored. This article begins that exploration.
In vivo monitoring of recovery from neurodegeneration in conditional transgenic SCA1 mice

Reliable and objective markers of neuronal function and pathology that can directly assess the effects of neuroprotective treatments in the brain are urgently needed for clinical trials in neurodegenerative diseases. Here we assessed the sensitivity of high field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) to monitor reversal of neurodegeneration by taking advantage of a well characterized conditional mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), where the cerebellar pathology and ataxic phenotype are reversible by doxycycline administration. Transgene expression was suppressed by feeding the mice with chow that contains doxycycline from 6 to 12 weeks of age in an early stage group and from 12 to 24 weeks in a mid-stage group. Cerebellar neurochemical profiles of treated and untreated conditional mice were measured at 9.4 tesla (T) before and after treatment and compared to those of wild type (WT) controls, as well as to histology measures (molecular layer thickness in the primary fissure and a global pathological severity score). Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and myo-inositol in the treated mice trended toward normalization to WT levels in both the early and mid-stage groups. The NAA-to-myo-inositol ratio was significantly different between the treated vs. untreated SCA1 mice and demonstrated partial reversal to WT values both at early and mid-stage, consistent with the histological measures. Taurine and total creatine levels were completely normalized in early and mid-stage treatment groups, respectively. The MRS markers were a more sensitive measure of treatment response than the histological measures from the same volume-of-interest in the early stage group. NAA, myo-inositol and taurine levels were significantly correlated with the histology measures in data combined from all groups. These data demonstrate that MRS markers reliably detect rescue from neuronal pathology and imply that the neurochemical levels measured by MRS accurately reflect treatment efficacy. Therefore this study presents an important step in validating MRS biomarkers as potential surrogate markers to evaluate therapeutics in pre-clinical and clinical trials in SCA1.
Tailored heterogeneity increases overall stability regime of composites having a negative-stiffness inclusion

Abstract Recent theoretical and experimental results have shown the possibility of enormous increases in composite material overall elastic stiffness, damping, thermal expansion, piezoelectricity, etc., when the composite contains a tuned non-positive-definite (i.e., negative stiffness) constituent. For such composite materials to have practical utility, they must be stable. Recent research has shown they can be, for a limited range of constituent negative stiffness. This research has treated linear elastic composite materials with homogeneous phases, via the energy method and full dynamic stability analyses. In the present work, we first show how to analyze the composites previously treated by the comprehensive but simpler static stability approach, obtaining closed-form results. We then employ this approach to show that permitting heterogeneity of the positive-definite phase can substantially increase the range of constituent negative stiffness while maintaining overall composite stability. We first treat the positive-definite phase heterogeneity as piecewise homogeneous, and then treat it as continuously-varying. In the continuously-varying heterogeneity case, we seek the radially optimal distribution of the elastic moduli in the coatings, under constant coating average moduli constraint, to permit the most negative possible inclusion stiffness while maintaining overall composite stability. This is accomplished for three coating cases: constant bulk modulus but arbitrarily radially-varying shear modulus; constant shear modulus but arbitrarily radially-varying bulk modulus; and both moduli arbitrarily radially varying. We find the optimal coatings to be: a heterogeneous one with shear modulus being a specific continuously decreasing function of radius for the first case; a homogeneous one for the second case; and a heterogeneous one with both moduli being either Dirac-delta or Heaviside-step decreasing functions of radius for the last case (if the coating moduli are unrestricted in magnitude or have upper limits, respectively). The results show a substantial increase in the permissible inclusion negative stiffness range is provided by coating heterogeneity, while maintaining overall composite stability. Such an increased range of constituent negative stiffness provides an enlarged tuning parameter range for the development of novel, high-performance composite materials.
Die Struktur von angularem Polycycloisopren

Ein erster chemischer Strukturbeweis fur das Cyclisierungsprodukt von cis-1,4- und trans-1,4-Polyisopren wird vorgelegt.
In situ separation of root hydraulic redistribution of soil water from liquid and vapor transport

Nocturnal increases in water potential (ψ) and water content (θ) in the upper soil profile are often attributed to root water efflux, a process termed hydraulic redistribution (HR). However, unsaturated liquid or vapor flux of water between soil layers independent of roots also contributes to the daily recovery in θ (Δθ), confounding efforts to determine the actual magnitude of HR. We estimated liquid (J l) and vapor (J v) soil water fluxes and their impacts on quantifying HR in a seasonally dry ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest by applying existing datasets of ψ, θ and temperature (T) to soil water transport equations. As soil drying progressed, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity declined rapidly such that J l was irrelevant (<2E−05 mm h−1 at 0–60 cm depths) to total water flux by early August. Vapor flux was estimated to be the highest in upper soil (0–15 cm), driven by large T fluctuations, and confounded the role of HR, if any, in nocturnal θ dynamics. Within the 15–35 cm layer, J v contributed up to 40% of hourly increases in nocturnal soil moisture. While both HR and net soil water flux between adjacent layers contribute to θ in the 15–65 cm soil layer, HR was the dominant process and accounted for at least 80% of the daily recovery in θ. The absolute magnitude of HR is not easily quantified, yet total diurnal fluctuations in upper soil water content can be quantified and modeled, and remain highly applicable for establishing the magnitude and temporal dynamics of total ecosystem water flux.
Activation of Arp2/3 Complex: Addition of the First Subunit of the New Filament by a WASP Protein Triggers Rapid ATP Hydrolysis on Arp2

In response to activation by WASP-family proteins, the Arp2/3 complex nucleates new actin filaments from the sides of preexisting filaments. The Arp2/3-activating (VCA) region of WASP-family proteins binds both the Arp2/3 complex and an actin monomer and the Arp2 and Arp3 subunits of the Arp2/3 complex bind ATP. We show that Arp2 hydrolyzes ATP rapidly—with no detectable lag—upon nucleation of a new actin filament. Filamentous actin and VCA together do not stimulate ATP hydrolysis on the Arp2/3 complex, nor do monomeric and filamentous actin in the absence of VCA. Actin monomers bound to the marine macrolide Latrunculin B do not polymerize, but in the presence of phalloidin-stabilized actin filaments and VCA, they stimulate rapid ATP hydrolysis on Arp2. These data suggest that ATP hydrolysis on the Arp2/3 complex is stimulated by interaction with a single actin monomer and that the interaction is coordinated by VCA. We show that capping of filament pointed ends by the Arp2/3 complex (which occurs even in the absence of VCA) also stimulates rapid ATP hydrolysis on Arp2, identifying the actin monomer that stimulates ATP hydrolysis as the first monomer at the pointed end of the daughter filament. We conclude that WASP-family VCA domains activate the Arp2/3 complex by driving its interaction with a single conventional actin monomer to form an Arp2–Arp3–actin nucleus. This actin monomer becomes the first monomer of the new daughter filament.
Population vulnerabilities and capacities related to health: a test of a model

Variability in the health of human populations is greater in economically vulnerable areas. We tested whether this variability reflects and can be explained by: (1) underlying vulnerabilities and capacities of populations and/or (2) differences in the distribution of individual socioeconomic status between populations. Health outcomes were rates of mortality from 12 causes (cardiovascular disease, malignant neoplasms, accidents, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia and influenza, diseases of the nervous system, suicide, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, diabetes, homicide, HIV/AIDS) for 59 New York City neighborhoods in 2000. Negative binomial regression models were fit with a measure of socioeconomic vulnerability, median income, predicting each mortality rate. Overdispersion of each model was used to assess whether variability in mortality rates increased with increasing neighborhood socioeconomic vulnerability. To assess the two hypotheses, we examined changes in the variability of mortality rates (as indicated by changes in overdispersion of the models) for outcomes with significant non-constant variability after accounting for (1) vulnerabilities and capacities (social control, quality of local schools, unemployment, low education), and (2) the distribution of individual socioeconomic status (low income, poverty, socioeconomic distribution, high income). Some variability in all mortality rates was explained by accounting for a range of potential vulnerabilities and capacities, supporting the first explanation. However, variability in some causes of mortality was also explained in part by accounting for the distribution of individual resources, supporting the second explanation. The results are consistent with a theory of underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities of human populations. In areas with lower levels of income, other characteristics of those neighborhoods exacerbate or temper the economic vulnerability, leading to more or less healthy conditions. Understanding the vulnerabilities and capacities that characterize populations may help us better understand the production of population health, and may inform efforts aimed at improving population health.
Thermal rejection and growth of gas bubbles in electrodeposited nickel

In thick sections of a nickel electrodeposit annealed over the temperature range 200° to 1000°C, tiny (<100A diam) gas bubbles were first observed after anneals at 500°C. Most of the hydrogen in the specimens was evolved before or during the formation of the bubbles. With increasing annealing treatment the gas bubbles coarsened, large grain-boundary bubbles developed, and significant swelling occurred. Bubble growth ceased at about 6 pct swelling during a 1000°C anneal. During annealing, considerable softening occurred in two stages, a rapid stage followed by a slow stage. Rapid softening constituted the largest portion of the total softening and is thought to be associated with redistribution of impurities and lattice defects, during which bubble nuclei are formed. Slow softening coincided with the appearance of visible bubbles, many of which were found to pin grown-in dislocations; coarsening of these bubbles is believed to cause slow softening. Deposits from certain types of plating baths are quite susceptible to swelling, and in these cases the degree of swelling increases strongly with increasing initial hardness of the deposits when some critical hardness is exceeded.
Third sound in3He-4He mixture films

We report third-sound studies of3He-4He mixture films for 0.3≲T≲1.8 K carried out in two different experimental situations. In one experiment detailed measurements of the amplitude of both the temperature and thickness variation of the film were made for pure4He and the results for |ΔT/Δd| are in good agreement with the predictions of Bergman. Mixture studies in this apparatus were made difficult due to the presence of capillary condensation. In spite of this a number of interesting results are reported. Subsequent measurements were made in a new apparatus where capillary condensation effects could be demonstrably avoided. Helium films of 5.7 layers of4He were studied as a function of added amounts of3He. BelowT≃0.7 K the third-sound measurements are consistent with model calculations based on a bilayer film. We conclude that for 0.3≲T≲0.6 K films of the type we have studied are isotopically layered in the van der Waals field provided by the substrate.
SU‐E‐T‐503: IMRT Optimization Using Monte Carlo Dose Engine: The Effect of Statistical Uncertainty

Purpose: With the development of ultra‐fast GPU‐based Monte Carlo(MC) dose engine, it becomes clinically realistic to compute the dose‐deposition coefficients (DDC) for IMRToptimization using MC simulation. However, it is still time‐consuming if we want to compute DDC with small statistical uncertainty. This work studies the effects of the statistical error in DDC matrix on IMRToptimization.Methods: The MC‐computed DDC matrices are simulated here by adding statistical uncertainties at a desired level to the ones generated with a finite‐size pencil beam algorithm. A statistical uncertainty model for MC dose calculation is employed. We adopt a penalty‐based quadratic optimization model and gradient descent method to optimize fluence map and then recalculate the corresponding actual dose distribution using the noise‐free DDC matrix. The impacts of DDC noise are assessed in terms of the deviation of the resulted dose distributions. We have also used a stochastic perturbation theory to theoretically estimate the statistical errors of dose distributions on a simplified optimization model. Results: A head‐and‐neck case is used to investigate the perturbation to IMRT plan due to MC's statistical uncertainty. The relative errors of the final dose distributions of the optimized IMRT are found to be much smaller than those in the DDC matrix, which is consistent with our theoretical estimation. When history number is decreased from 108 to 106, the dose‐volume‐histograms are still very similar to the error‐free DVHs while the error in DDC is about 3.8%. Conclusions: The results illustrate that the statistical errors in the DDC matrix have a relatively small effect on IMRToptimization in dose domain. This indicates we can use relatively small number of histories to obtain the DDC matrix with MC simulation within a reasonable amount of time, without considerably compromising the accuracy of the optimized treatment plan. This work is supported by Varian Medical Systems through a Master Research Agreement.
Comparison of the cartilage proteoglycan core protein synthesized by chondrocytes of different ages

Chondrocytes of different ages synthesize proteoglycans which have structural differences in both the chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. In order to ascertain whether age-dependent differences also occur in the core protein, the chick limb bud mesenchymal cell culture system was utilized to analyze newly synthesized proteoglycan core protein from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells (day 1 and 2), newly differentiated cartilage (day 4), mature cartilage (day 8), and senescent cartilage (day 16). The core protein synthesized at various times was identified by radiolabeling with [3H]leucine and [35S]sulfate immediately prior to extraction and purification. The sizes of the various core protein preparations were compared by electrophoresis on a 3% polyacrylamide gel after partial deglycosylation with chondroitinase AC and keratanase. The proteoglycans from day 4, 8, and 16 cultures each give rise to a single band of approximately 475,000 daltons. The proteoglycans from day 1 and 2 cult...
Study of local photomodification of nanomaterials using near-field optics

Thin films of randomly distributed silver nanoparticles are studied experimentally using photon scanning tunneling microscopy and theoretically using real-space renormalization group method. The studies reveal large variations of local optical intensity at sub-wavelength scales. In addition, irradiation of the film by nanosecond laser pulses is observed to yield substantial changes in the local optical response. The threshold for the photomodification is less than 10 mJ/cm2. It is believed that particles within some areas of nanometer scales are restructured during nanosecond laser irradiation. The geometric changes in turn result in modification of the local optical intensity.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Synthesis and bromination of 4-alkylamino-N-alkyl-1,8-naphthalimides

4-Alkylamino-N-alkyl-1,8-naphthalimides were prepared from 4-chloro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride and from 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide. It was found that the amino nitrogen of 4-amino-N-alkyl-1,8-naphthalimides is nucleophilic enough to participate in nucleophilic displacement reactions without the need for added base, despite being a vinylogous amide. Bromination of 4-alkylamino-N-alkyl-1,8-naphthalimides using molecular bromine was found to occur in the absence of a Lewis acid catalyst, and to be regiospecific, yielding only the 3-bromo isomer. Extended reaction times and the use of excess bromine result in dealkylation of the 4-alkylamino substituent, but no polybromination of the naphthalimide ring system.
Adoption of E-Communication Applications in U.S. Municipalities: The Role of Political Environment, Bureaucratic Structure, and the Nature of Applications

E-government has been touted by many as a technological answer to improve citizen participation, government accountability, and transparency by facilitating a greater level of communication and flow of public information between citizens and the government. This article examines how political environment, government structure, and the nature of individual e-government applications influence the likelihood of adoption. Using data obtained from multiple sources, logistic regressions are conducted on a sample of six e-government applications that possess varying degrees of communicative and organizational impacts on the government to observe how different factors influence their adoption. Findings include a general disinclination for adopting e-government applications with high communicative impact; however, such disinclination dissipated when there was a high level of political competition in the area and perceived demand for online communication; active traditional channels of political communication, such...
Fatigue in Boat Operation: The Development of a Visual Alertness Stressor Test (VAST)

The use of secondary task to measure degradations in the performance of a primary task is well documented in the human performance literature. This paper describes research in the design, construction, and development of the Visual Alertness Stressor Test (VAST) as a means of measuring the effects of stressors on a boat operator's performance. The VAST task required the subject to respond to particular patterns of lights displayed in a semi-circle around the cockpit of the boat while he maintained a specified course with the boat. The basic measures taken were the response times and the number of missed signals. A 2 − 2 factorial design was used where the factors were the type and amount of fatigue that the subject experienced. The results confirmed that the overall effect of "typical" exposure to the environmental stressors of boating was a significant degradation in performance. The main effect of type of fatigue was insignificant, as was the interaction of type of fatigue and amount of fatigue. Implications for boating safety as well as future research efforts and applications of VAST are discussed. Language: en
Circatidal swimming behavior of brachyuran crab zoea larvae: implications for ebb-tide transport

Larvae of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus and fiddler crab Uca pugilator are exported from estuaries and develop on the continental shelf. Previous studies have shown that the zoea-1 larvae of some crab species use selective tidal-stream transport (STST) to migrate from estuaries to coastal areas. The STST behavior of newly hatched larvae is characterized by upward vertical migration during ebb tide followed by a descent toward the bottom during flood. The objectives of the study were (1) to determine if newly hatched zoeae of U. pugilator and C. sapidus possess endogenous tidal rhythms in vertical migration that could underlie STST, (2) to determine if the rhythms persist in the absence of estuarine chemical cues, and (3) to characterize the photoresponses of zoeae to assess the impact of light on swimming behavior and vertical distribution. Ovigerous crabs with late-stage embryos were collected from June to August 2002 and maintained under constant laboratory conditions. Following hatching, swimming activity of zoeae was monitored in darkness for 72 h. U. pugilator zoeae displayed a circatidal rhythm in swimming with peaks in activity occurring near the expected times of ebb currents in the field. Conversely, C. sapidus zoeae exhibited no clear rhythmic migration patterns. When placed in a light field that simulated the underwater angular light distribution, C. sapidus larvae displayed a weak positive phototaxis at the highest light levels tested, while U. pugilator zoeae were unresponsive. Swimming behaviors and photoresponses of both species were not significantly influenced by the presence of chemical cues associated with offshore or estuarine water. These results are consistent with predictions based on species-specific differences in spawning and the proximity of hatching areas to the mouths of estuaries. U. pugilator larvae are released within estuaries near the adult habitat. Thus, ebb-phased STST behavior by zoeae is adaptive since it enhances export. Selective pressures for a tidal migration in C. sapidus larvae are likely weaker than for U. pugilator since ovigerous females migrate seaward prior to spawning and hatching occurs near inlets and in coastal waters.
Characterization of liposomes by sedimentation field-flow fractionation

Abstract Sedimentation field-flow fractionation is shown to be a rapid and convenient technique for the characterization of liposomes and related submicron particles. A typical preparation of liposomes is shown to have a bimodal size distribution with the larger to be having vesicles of mean diameter 0.86 μl, and density 0.997 g/ml −1 .
Older women’s cognitive and affective response to moderate drinking

Objective In this paper we investigated the question, how do older women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol differ from those who do not drink on measurements of cognitive function, memory, affect and health? Methods The nonprobability sample of female participants (n = 182) averaged 75 years of age and had a Mini Mental State Examination scores of 28. The participants were asked to indicate whether they drank alcohol or abstained (yes/no) and if they indicated that they did drink, to describe how many drinks they consumed in a given period of time (day/week/month). Results None of the participants acknowledged drinking more than 2 drinks a day. Caucasian women had the largest number of moderate drinkers (53% vs 47%), while the majority of African–American and Hispanic women reported not drinking. The moderate drinkers reported less depression, had higher self-reported health, performed better on instrumental everyday tasks, had stronger memory self-efficacy, and used more strategies to improve memory performance. In addition, these women had higher performance on tests of executive function: attention, concentration, psychomotor skills, verbal-associative capacities, and oral fluency. Conclusions The circumstances under which people drink are complex and were not evaluated in this study. Therefore, rather than endorsing drinking behavior, these findings suggest that future research might examine why elders make the decision to drink, the circumstances that predispose women to drink (alone/with others), and other qualities that characterize female drinkers over the age of 65. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social comparison, influence, and need achievement

The experiment tested the hypotheses that (1)Ss whose motive to approach success (Ms) is greater than their motive to avoid failure (Mf) would join influenceable groups and (2) Ss whose Mf is greater than Ms would join groups providing social comparison. The Ss whose Ms > Mf chose others whose opinions differed from their own to a greater extent than Ss whose Mf>Ms. Although the data could be viewed as supporting the hypotheses, another interpretation discussed is that Ss for whom Ms > Mf accept a broader range of views for social comparison.
Concentration fluctuations in a stirred baffled vessel

A stirred vessel is maintained in a quasisteady state by continuously introducing water and a conductive tracer solution and continuously removing the resulting mixture by overflow. Detailed properties of the system are elucidated by measuring tracer concentration changes with a conductivity probe in a volume element of the order of 0.3 cu. mm. By the use of suitable electronic equipment the following statistical concentration parameters are measured in experiments with three diameters of flat-bladed turbines and with a tenfold range of rotational speed: temporal mean, total root-mean-square fluctuation, spectral distribution of fluctuations, and Eulerian micro time scale. Results are interpreted in terms of behavior of time-average and fluctuation measures in three regions, the generation region within the impeller volume, the decay region which starts in the horizontal fluid sheet issuing from the impeller, and the recirculation flow region in the vessel. Generation of concentration fluctuations within the confines of the impeller is described in terms of a model involving gross mixing, without significant decay, in the wake of each flat blade. Distributions of mean and fluctuating concentrations are suggested to provide a measure of uniformity in the vessel as a whole. The former, in particular, was remarkably constant throughout the vessel.
Pathogens, polymorphism, and the evolution of sex

Abstract For short-lived pathogens, adaptation to one host genotype is negatively correlated with adaptation to others when host genotypes are sufficiently differentiated. This may provide an adaptive basis for sexual recombination, which lowers cross-genotypic correlations among offspring and other kin, and thereby interferes with pathogenic transmission, multiplication, and adaptation. Such pathogen-host interactions lead to generalized frequency-dependent selection for allozymic diversity. The ecological and life-historical correlates of parthenogenesis, inbreeding, chromosome number, and polymorphism are consistent with this hypothesis.
RFID Mutual Authentication and Secret Update Protocol for Low-Cost Tags

Low-cost RFID will dominate the industry as a replacement of the barcode tags. RFID tags had been designed for the purpose of automatic identification and tracking. Therefore, RFID tags could violate their owners' privacy and security. Hence, it becomes a necessity to come up with an RFID protocol that meets security (e.g. mutual authentication) and privacy goals. Recently, the Journal of Computer Communications published a paper by Song and Mitchell (2011) where the authors proposed a mutual authentication protocol for RFID system. This protocol has fundamental shortcomings that can be taken advantage by an adept adversary. We shed light on these flaws and later on we modified SM's scheme to fix these vulnerabilities.
Safer alternatives assessment: the Massachusetts process as a model for state governments

In 2006 the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute conducted a study to determine if states could identify safer alternatives to five chemicals of concern. The chemicals investigated included di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium, lead and perchloroethylene. First, the Institute developed a methodology for assessing alternatives to these five chemicals that allowed it to quickly determine priority uses and alternatives to assess and to research the pertinent decision criteria, which included performance, technical, financial environmental and human health parameters. The methodology included important feedback from stakeholders in the state, which helped to focus and enhance the value of the work. Second, the Institute implemented the methodology over a ten month period. Based on the activities conducted by the Institute, safer alternatives were identified for each of the priority uses associated with the five chemicals studied. This report summarizes the methodology employed and provides examples of the results for one of the five chemicals, namely DEHP. The experience of the Institute and the information contained in this report indicates that alternatives assessment was a useful approach to organizing and evaluating information about chemicals and alternatives.
Novel use of endoscopically placed fiducial markers for targeted radiation therapy of colonic lymphomas.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) are an important variety of gastrointestinal tumors with increasing incidence and prevalence. Traditional management of NHL with chemotherapy is challenging and expanding evidence points to significant tumor response to radiation therapy (RT). However, there exists a wide range of radiation-related toxicities. Optimization of exact tumor marking coupled with minimization of the radius of radiation delivery is essential to increase patient’s tolerance and decrease side effects of the treatment. We report our experience with mantle cell lymphoma of the colon treated with precision RT after endoscopic placement of resolution clips in a “shooting target” fashion in a patient who failed conventional chemotherapy. Fourteen months after completion of RT, the patient remains in complete remission.
Transcriptional control of dendritic patterning in Drosophila neurons

How the morphology of individual neurons is controlled remains poorly understood. A recent in vivo genome-wide screen based on RNA interference identified a large number of transcriptional factors that regulate the stereotyped growth and branching of dendrites on some Drosophila sensory neurons.
Pediatric Fungal Infections: A Conundrum in Children

Pediatric fungal infections are a substantial problem and account for substantial morbidity and mortality in young patients. This overview of pediatric fungal infections focuses primarily on candidiasis, the most common type of invasive fungal infection. It includes discussion on the incidence, risk factors, attributable mortality, and hospitalization related to pediatric candidiasis. An update on other pediatric fungal infections, including aspergillosis and zygomycosis, also is provided, to include aspects of incidence, risk factors, and treatment. The conclusion of this overview is the need for further studies, additional multicenter trials, and a concerted effort to encourage the exchange of data and ideas among international investigators who seek to eradicate the problem of pediatric fungal infections.
The error variance of LMS with time-varying weights

A calculation of weight error variance of the LMS (least mean square) algorithm is made in the presence of time-varying true weights. With time-varying weights the LMS error system has in general several time scales operating at once. This causes difficulties in the variance calculation which seem hitherto to have passed unnoticed. To handle this problem a sort of perturbation expansion is developed based on weak convergence methods or 'stochastic averaging'. The main concern in carrying out the error variance calculation is to study the effect on LMS performance of adaptation speed as it relates to true speed of parameter change. Three cases are covered with reference to considering adaptation speed with respect to true speed: first, where the adaptation speed is too slow; second, where it is matched: and third, where it is faster. >
Ventilation–Perfusion Scanning: Stuck in a Rut, Perhaps, but the Road Ahead Is Not So Clear

TO THE EDITOR: The recent editorial by Michael Graham extolled the virtues of ventilation–perfusion (V/Q) SPECT and its greater accuracy than either planar V/Q imaging or CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for detecting pulmonary emboli (PE) ([1][1]). I respect Dr. Graham’s feeling on this matter
Processes of Change in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Mediation Reanalysis of Zettle and Rains

Several articles have recently questioned the distinction between acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and traditional cognitive therapy (CT). This study presents a reanalysis of data from Zettle and Rains that compared 12 weeks of group CT with group ACT. For theoretical reasons, Zettle and Rains also included a modified form of CT that did not include distancing, and no intent-to-treat analysis was included. Particularly because that unusual third condition did somewhat better than the full CT package, it contaminated the direct comparison of ACT and CT, which has of late become theoretically interesting. In the present study, data from participants in the ACT and CT conditions were reanalyzed. ACT was shown to produce greater reductions in levels of self-reported depression using an intent-to-treat analysis. Posttreatment levels of cognitive defusion mediated this effect at follow-up. The occurrence of depressogenic thoughts and level of dysfunctional attitudes did not function as mediators. This study adds additional evidence that ACT works through distinct and theoretically specified processes that are not the same as CT.
Regulation of luteinizing hormone receptor mRNA expression by mevalonate kinase – role of the catalytic center in mRNA recognition

We have shown that hormone-induced downregulation of luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in the ovary is post-transcriptionally regulated by an mRNA binding protein. This protein, later identified as mevalonate kinase (MVK), binds to the coding region of LHR mRNA, suppresses its translation, and the resulting ribonucleoprotein complex is targeted for degradation. Mutagenesis and crystallographic studies of rat MVK have established Ser146, Glu193, Asp204 and Lys13 as being crucial for its catalytic function. The present study examined the structural aspects of MVK required for LHR mRNA recognition and translational suppression. Single MVK mutants (S146A, E193Q, D204N and K13A) were overexpressed in 293T cells. Cytosolic fractions were examined for LHR mRNA binding activities by RNA electrophoretic mobility shift analysis. All the single MVK mutants showed decreased LHR mRNA binding activity compared with the wild-type MVK. Double mutants (S146A & E193Q, E193Q & D204N and E193Q & K13A) of MVK also showed a significant decrease in binding to LHR mRNA, suggesting that the residues required for catalytic function are also involved in LHR mRNA recognition. Mutation of the residues outside the catalytic site (D316A and S314A) did not cause any change in LHR mRNA binding activity of MVK when compared with wild-type MVK. To examine the biological effects of these mutants on LHR mRNA expression, a full-length capped rat LHR mRNA was synthesized and translated using a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system in the presence or absence of the MVK mutant proteins. The results showed that mutations of the active site residues of MVK abrogated the inhibitory effect on LHR mRNA translation. Therefore, these data indicate that an intact active site of MVK is required for its binding to rat LHR mRNA and for its translational suppressor function.
Tolerance of rhesus monkey liver to ionizing radiation

This study was undertaken to determine if nonhuman primates are suitable models for the veno-occlusive disease (VOD) that characterizes radiation hepatopathy in man. Adult rhesus monkeys had near total liver irradiation to 36 Gy in 8 fractions (Group 1, n = 5) or to 50 Gy in 20 fractions (Group II, n = 5). All had normal liver function and no lesions in liver biopsies 9 months after irradiation. A monkey from each group was given either doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, or methotrexate over a 15-week period. The one given 36 Gy in 8 fractions and doxorubicin died of congestive heart failure 1 month after the last course. The remainder of Group 1 animals had normal liver function and morphology 2 to 3 years after therapy. Group II animals given methotrexate or cisplatin had the liver retreated with 30 Gy in 30 fractions at 2 years after receiving 50 Gy in 20 fractions. Within 1 month, the animal given methotrexate developed massive hepatic necrosis. The other given a cumulative liver dose of 80 Gy remained clinically normal. This animal and the others in Group II underwent left hepatic lobectomy 2 years after the first radiation course. All had normal liver function and no VOD when they were sacrificed 1 year later. A monkey given methotrexate followed by liver irradiation (50 Gy in 20 fractions) developed hepatic necrosis 10 months later. Another given cyclophosphamide and 50 Gy in 20 fractions was normal for 2 years after treatment. In summary, none of the monkeys developed classical VOD, and they apparently were resistant to induction of significant hepatic injury by radiation alone. Occult radiation injury was not exacerbated by either chemotherapy or partial hepatectomy. Hepatic necrosis in this model was induced by methotrexate administration followed by liver irradiation. The reason for the difference in radiosensitivity of the monkey liver and human liver is unknown. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On Homogeneity and On Line=Off-Line Behavior in M/G/1 Queueing Systems

Operational analysis replaces certain classical queueing theory assumptions with the conditions of "homogeneous service times" and "on-line= off-line behavior." In this paper we explore the relationship between the operational and classical concepts for the sample paths of an M/G/1 queueing system. The primary results are that the sample paths can have these operational properties with nonzero probability if and only if the service time is exponential. We also state dual results for interarrival times in G/M/l. Additionally, we show that open, feedforward networks of single server queues can have product form solutions valid across a range of system arrival rates if and only if all of the service times are exponential. Finally, we consider the relationship between the operational quantities S(n) and the mean service time in M/G/1. This relationship is shown to depend on the form of the service time distribution. It follows that using operational analysis to predict the performance of an M/G/1 queueing system will be most successful when the service time is exponential. Simulation evidence is presented which supports this claim.
Marine science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington

The Center for Marine Science Research at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is dedicated to providing an environment that fosters a multidisciplinary approach to questions in basic marine research. The mission of the center is to promote basic scientific and applied research in the fields of oceanography, marine mammal biology, coastal and wetland studies, marine geology, marine biomedical and environmental physiology, and marine biotechnology and aquaculture. The Center fosters research programs of the highest quality and thereby enhances the educational experience in marine science provided by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for both undergraduate and graduate students in marine science. A new Center for Marine Science Research is under construction on the Intracoastal Waterway. The planned building will have 4,372 net square meters (47,000 square feet) of marine education and research space. The gross area including the saltwater facility is 6,511 square meters (70,000 square feet). A 274 meter (900 foot) pier with floating docks is already in place and can accommodate a large research vessel (20 to 25 meters) and several small ones. The construction project is expected to be completed by December of 1998. The new Center will host several state agencies and will provide space and facilities for visiting scientists. Support facilities will include: an 18 meter research vessel two 9 meter research vessels, eight smaller vessels (ranging from 4 to 6 meters), instrument shop, diving locker, engineering/logistic support personnel and salt water plant with unfiltered, filtered and treated sea water. The Center will act as a focal point for marine science research and education programs on the southeast Atlantic coast.
Using the Web for Language Independent Spellchecking and Autocorrection

We have designed, implemented and evaluated an end-to-end system spellchecking and autocorrection system that does not require any manually annotated training data. The World Wide Web is used as a large noisy corpus from which we infer knowledge about misspellings and word usage. This is used to build an error model and an n-gram language model. A small secondary set of news texts with artificially inserted misspellings are used to tune confidence classifiers. Because no manual annotation is required, our system can easily be instantiated for new languages. When evaluated on human typed data with real misspellings in English and German, our web-based systems outperform baselines which use candidate corrections based on hand-curated dictionaries. Our system achieves 3.8% total error rate in English. We show similar improvements in preliminary results on artificial data for Russian and Arabic.