cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Thymic Lymphocyte Response to Phytohaemagglutinin in Experimental Autoimmune Thymitis

MYASTHENIA gravis, a disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness, is thought to be an autoimmune process, patients having an increased incidence of other autoimmune diseases1. They have autoantibodies directed against the A-band striations of skeletal muscle2 which cross react with myoid cells in the thymic medulla3. Thymic abnormalities are consistently found. Sloan4, in the first detailed account of the histopathology of the thymus in myasthenia gravis, found lymphoid germinal centres in the medulla in seven of ten cases and increased lymphocytes in the medulla in all cases. This latter finding has received little emphasis from subsequent investigators, perhaps because of the difficulties of detecting an increase of lymphocytes in an organ that already contains many of them. Besides the increased density and larger size of lymphoid germinal centres in the thymic medulla5 10 per cent of these patients also have thymomas6.
COMPLETENESS PROPERTIES OF FUNCTION SPACES

Abstract This is a study of the completeness properties of the space C k ( X ) of continuous real-valued functions on a topological space X , where the function space has the compact-open topology. The properties range from complete metrizability to the Baire space property. The typical result gives a characterization of a completeness property on C k ( X ) in terms of some topological property on X .
Influence of Diet and Density on Laboratory Cannibalism Behaviors in Gypsy Moth Larvae (Lymantria dispar L.)

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is an insect folivore that feeds on a broad range of hosts, and undergoes intermittent outbreaks that cause extensive tree mortality. Like many other herbivorous insects, gypsy moth larvae consume a substrate that is low in nitrogen. Gypsy moth larvae have been known to cannibalize under crowded conditions in the laboratory. In this study, we assessed the influence of nitrogen and density on cannibalism behavior in gypsy moth larvae. Cannibalism rates increased with decreased nitrogen and increased density. There was no interaction between these two parameters. Developmental experiments confirmed that low dietary nitrogen is detrimental, in agreement with previous studies. In a second experiment, we assessed the influence of previous cannibalism experiences on subsequent cannibalism behavior. Gypsy moth larvae that had previously cannibalized other larvae subsequently exhibited higher cannibalism rates than those larvae that had not cannibalized. In conclusion, low nitrogen, high larval density, and previous cannibalism experience are important factors contributing to gypsy moth larval cannibalism. Future studies are needed to estimate benefits to larvae, and to more closely approximate field conditions.
The case for geoliberalism: a reply to Moellendorf

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the virtues (despite Moellendorf's criticisms) of the geoliberal framework of social justice, which assumes that people have rights to themselves and that all people have equal rights to natural opportunities.Design/methodology/approach – After describing geoliberalism, the paper responds to Moellendorf's arguments, enlarging on the issues that arise.Findings – Geoliberalism withstands Moellendorf's criticisms.Practical implications – People can advocate geoliberal institutions in good conscience.Originality/value – The paper provides principled, succinct responses to concerns people may have had about geoliberalism.
Star formation in the nucleus of NGC 253

The B-alpha and B-gamma lines of atomic hydrogen have been observed at eight positions near the nucleus of NGC 253 with 6 arcsec spatial resolution. Most if not all of the bolometric luminosity of the central 200 pc of this galaxy is probably produced by O and B stars which have recently formed. The spatial distribution of the line fluxes is similar to that of the 10 microns flux, supporting the hypothesis that the 10 microns radiation is powered by the newly formed stars. The extinction to the ionized gas varies over small distances in this region, explaining the discrepancies between extinction and Lyman continuum luminosity derived separately from visual and infrared line observations.
Toluene degradation in the recycle liquid of biotrickling filters for air pollution control.

Pollutant degradation in biotrickling filters for waste air treatment is generally thought to occur only in the biofilm. In two experiments with toluene degrading biotrickling filters, we show that suspended microorganisms in the recycle liquid may substantially contribute to the overall pollutant removal. Two days after reactor start up, the overall toluene elimination capacity reached a maximum of 125 g m−3 h−1, which was twice that found during prolonged operation. High biodegradation activity in the recycle liquid fully accounted for this short-term peak of pollutant elimination. During steady-state operation, the toluene degradation in the recycle liquid was 21% of the overall elimination capacity, although the amount of suspended biomass was only 1% of the amount of immobilized biomass. The results suggest that biotrickling filter performance may be improved by selecting operating conditions allowing for the development of an actively growing suspended culture.
Reiss, Ira L. (1925–)

Ira L. Reiss is one of the most preeminent sexual scientists of our times. His life work has been on researching and explaining the way society shapes human sexuality, in order to throw light on possible resolutions to a variety of controversial sexual problems. His secondary focus has taken the same approach in the areas of gender roles and the family. Keywords: sexual science; gender roles; family; sociology; sexual problems
Reliability: on the reproducibility of assessment data

Context All assessment data, like other scientific experimental data, must be reproducible in order to be meaningfully interpreted. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss applications of reliability to the most common assessment methods in medical education. Typical methods of estimating reliability are discussed intuitively and non-mathematically. Summary Reliability refers to the consistency of assessment outcomes. The exact type of consistency of greatest interest depends on the type of assessment, its purpose and the consequential use of the data. Written tests of cognitive achievement look to internal test consistency, using estimation methods derived from the test-retest design. Rater-based assessment data, such as ratings of clinical performance on the wards, require interrater consistency or agreement. Objective structured clinical examinations, simulated patient examinations and other performance-type assessments generally require generalisability theory analysis to account for various sources of measurement error in complex designs and to estimate the consistency of the generalisations to a universe or domain of skills. Conclusions Reliability is a major source of validity evidence for assessments. Low reliability indicates that large variations in scores can be expected upon retesting. Inconsistent assessment scores are difficult or impossible to interpret meaningfully and thus reduce validity evidence. Reliability coefficients allow the quantification and estimation of the random errors of measurement in assessments, such that overall assessment can be improved.
X-ray structure of the major adduct of the anticancer drug cisplatin with DNA: cis-[Pt(NH3)2(d(pGpG))]

Crystals of the adduct of the anticancer drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), cis-DDP, with d(pGpG), its putative target on DNA in the cancer cell, have been obtained and used in an x-ray crystallographic study to elucidate the molecular structure to atomic resolution. Each of the four crystallographically independent cis-[Pt(NH3)2(d(pGpG))] molecules is comprised of a square-planar platinum atom bonded to two ammonia ligands and two N(7) atoms of guanosine nucleosides from the same chain. Base stacking of the two adjacent guanine rings is completely disrupted by coordination to the cis-(Pt(NH3)2)2+ unit. Comparison of the backbone and deoxyribose ring torsion angles with those found by previous (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) studies of this adduct in solution demonstrates that the solid state geometry is substantially the same as that in solution. The relevance of these results to the molecular mechanism of action of cis-DDP is discussed.
An optimal control model of new weapon system development

This paper proposes a model for new weapons system development based on a cost‐minimizing program manager who must specify a time profile for research and development and procurement costs that minimizes the total discounted cost of system development. Because of the explicit time dependence of the problem as posed, optimal control methods must be applied to determine the optimal time paths of RD the optimal time paths from the model are broadly consistent with the empirical data.
On the High Temperature Testing of Superplastic Materials

The simplest test in characterizing the behavior of superplastic materials is the uniaxial tensile test. Since superplasticity is achieved at relatively high temperatures, heat involvement adds so many unpredictable problems to the simplest testing technique. In spite of the vast number of research activities directed towards studying the various aspects of superplastic deformation, there is a lack of a standardized testing procedure that can tackle the various issues associated with high temperature testing. In this work, we attempt to shed some light on the controversial issues associated with high temperature superplastic testing. The effects of various testing procedures and parameters on the accuracy of the results are investigated. We address the issues related to gripping and test sample geometry, heat and temperature effects, and comment on the available testing and analysis procedures. We hope that this study highlights the urgent need to develop a standardized testing approach that takes into account all the important issues affecting high temperature testing.
Vote Switching in the U.S. House

AbstractPrevious work on voting behavior in Congress leads to an expectation of stability in roll-call voting. Yet, there remains a degree of unexplained variability in roll-call voting. Utilizing a unique set of data from the 103rd Congress of vote switching on revotes, we seek to account for the random component of congressional voting. We offer four categories of variables to explain this instability: leeway effects, error correction, reduction in uncertainty, and bandwagon effects. While these variables explain some of the variation in vote switching, our findings show that the individual random component of roll-call voting may be more significant than previous theory has indicated.
Clients' Expected Number of Counseling Sessions, Treatment Effectiveness, and Termination Status: Using Empirical Evidence to Inform Session Limit Policies

Many counseling centers have session limits to accommodate the increasing number of clients who seek treatment. The current study explored clients' expectations for the number of sessions over the course of one year at a large university counseling center. In contrast to previous research that has suggested clients want ten or fewer sessions, our results suggest that over 60% of clients wanted 20 or more sessions. Moreover, clients who expected 20 or more sessions reported therapy was less effective than clients who expected less than 20 sessions. While actual number of sessions was related to expected number of sessions, termination status appeared to be related to clinical factors and not clients' expected number of sessions. Implications for clinical practice and agency session limit policies are discussed.
Septic shock due to Pasteurella multocida bacteremia: a case report

Introduction Pasteurella is a Gram-negative coccobacillus that causes a wide spectrum of diseases in humans and is commonly transmitted from cat and dog bites. An increasing number of cats and dogs are kept as pets in American households which increases the risk of pet-related infections.
A condition resembling pagetoid reticulosis in a laboratory mouse.

A raised, hairless cutaneous nodule was found incidentally at necropsy of a 24-month-old CD1 mouse. Histologically there was infiltration of the epidermis by a monomorphic population of moderate to large lymphocytoid cells. Many large cells had bizarre convolutions of the nuclear membrane and resembled the so-called Sezary or mycosis cells seen in epidermotropic T-cell proliferative disorders. The pattern of cutaneous involvement and the presence of the large cells with convoluted nuclei is characteristic of pagetoid reticulosis. No previous reports of such cutaneous lymphoid neoplasms in mice were found in an extensive literature search.
Incentive Regulation and Telecommunications Service Quality

We examine the impact of incentive regulation—price regulation and earnings sharing regulation—on retail service quality in the U.S. telecommunications industry between 1991 and 2002. We find that incentive regulation is associated with significantly higher service quality on several dimensions (e.g., more rapid installation of new telephone service, fewer trouble reports, and increased customer satisfaction) but significantly lower quality on some dimensions (fewer installation commitments met and longer delays in resolving reported service problems)
NASA's EOS Terra mission update

NASA launched the Terra spacecraft, first major platform for the Earth Observing System, in December 1999. The platform has five instruments that acquire global data for a wide variety of scientific studies of the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. The Terra mission initiated a process of long-term measurements designed to assess and monitor the health of the Earth. This paper provides an overview of the Terra mission and the status of the spacecraft and instruments during the past year.
Salt Reduction for Preventing Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease A Population Approach Should Include Children

Many lines of investigation have led to overwhelming evidence for a causal relationship between dietary salt intake and blood pressure levels in adults. Importantly, these include numerous randomized clinical trials of salt reduction that have been the subject of several meta-analyses.1 In children age ≥2 years, a previous review of 37 observational and intervention studies concluded, “the results suggest that higher sodium intake is related to higher BP in children and adolescents.”2 He and MacGregor3 have now conducted the first meta-analysis of salt reduction trials in children and adolescents and have clearly demonstrated that “modest reduction in salt intake causes immediate falls in blood pressure.” They conclude that such effects “if continued, may well lessen the subsequent rise in blood pressure with age.” One may ask, why does any of this matter? The reductions in blood pressure were modest, and no hard disease end point results were documented. The importance is based on 3 relationships: (1) the moderately strong correlation of blood pressure in childhood with blood pressure in adulthood4; (2) the association of blood pressure with early atherosclerosis during the second decade of life5; and (3) intriguing evidence for a specific early programming effect between salt intake in infancy and blood pressure later in life.6 The latter relationship is supported by experimental evidence in animal models, but more research is needed. Furthermore, in virtually every population throughout the world except those totally unacculturated to an industrialized lifestyle, blood pressure rises with increasing age. This results in rising hypertension prevalence, especially from middle …
EXPRESSING DISJUNCTIVE AND NEGATIVE FEATURE CONSTRAINTS WITH CLASSICAL FIRST-ORDER LOGIC.

In contrast to the "designer logic" approach, this paper shows how the attribute-value feature structures of unification grammar and constraints on them can be axiomatized in classical first-order logic, which can express disjunctive and negative constraints. Because only quantifier-free formulae are used in the axiomatization, the satisfiability problem is NP-complete.
Relapse precipitants and behavioral marital therapy

The major purpose of this study was to provide descriptive data on the first relapse episodes and reasons for terminating relapses of subjects who completed a course of behavioral marital therapy (BMT) for alcoholism. Another aim of the study was to compare the relapse episodes and relapse terminations of subjects who received BMT with or without additional relapse prevention (RP) treatment for one year. The subjects were selected from a sample of 74 men who began an outpatient Department of Veterans Affairs BMT program. These men were evaluated pre- and post-BMT, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after completing BMT. A total of 31 subjects relapsed at least once after they began BMT. The data showed that these men tended to report more than one situational or personal precipitant of their first relapses. Similarly, they tended to report more than one reason for ending their relapse episodes. Comparison of the subjects assigned to the two RP conditions revealed an equal number (12) of relapse episodes, but RP subjects' relapses tended to last fewer days than did no-RP subjects'. The consistency of these findings with previous research on cognitive-behavioral models of relapse and the implications of these findings for the concept of high-risk situation, are discussed.
Modeling Blast Loading on Buried Reinforced Concrete Structures with Zapotec

A coupled Euler-Lagrange solution approach is used to model the response of a buried reinforced concrete structure subjected to a close-in detonation of a high explosive charge. The coupling algorithm is discussed along with a set of benchmark calculations involving detonations in clay and sand.
The fine structure of the placental villi of the rhesus monkey(Macaca mulatta)

Placental villi were obtained from monkeys at the Wisconsin Primate Research Center during 50–150 days gestation. As in the human, the villi consist of a vascular mesenchymal core surrounded by inner cytotrophoblastic and outer syncytiotrophoblastic layers. The syncytiotrophoblast contains abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and a well developed Golgi complex consisting of stacked lamellae and diffuse vesicles. An asymmetrical distribution of ribosomes occurs on RER cisternae associated with mitochondria. Branched microvilli frequently bear dilated tips and resemble stereocilia. Cytoplasmic tufts and microvilli increase the surface area, and the base of the tuft usually contains a large membrane-bound vacuole with a flocculent inclusion of low electron density. These vacuoles are lacking after 100 days. In later stages the syncytiotrophoblast bears irregular microvillous processes and specialized attachment sites at its contact with the basal lamina. Hofbauer cells in the villus core contain numerous large vacuoles, coated pinocytotic vesicles and smooth vesicles apparently derived from ER; the latter are sometimes fused to the large vacuoles. Hofbauer cells appear to be derived from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells.
Edge detection using a cyclic ring of integers modulo 7

A 2*3 convolution mask that is capable of detecting edges of digital images with single-pixel resolution is introduced. The mask is a cyclic ring of integers modulo 7. Test images indicate that, for low-resolution applications, the gain in sensitivity provides improved edge detection over Sobel edge detection. The mask is evaluated with various forms of noise (additive Gaussian and multiplicative exponentially distributed) and demonstrates a higher degree of sensitivity to noise than a Sobel technique. >
A theory of international new ventures: a decade of research

Oviatt and McDougall’s JIBS article identified and defined international new ventures (INVs) and their prominent role in the global marketplace. The article spurred worldwide interest in INVs by raising questions about the validity and efficacy of existing theory, especially about the Uppsala process model of internationalization. The article also laid an important theoretical foundation for research into international entrepreneurship (IE), where younger and wellestablished companies use their entrepreneurial activities to create value as they internationalize their operations. This paper reviews Oviatt and McDougall’s original propositions, highlighting their important contributions to the field. The paper also highlights the progress made in research using Oviatt and McDougall’s framework, the major debates that persist about the nature and role of INVs, the source of their competitive advantages, and the key issues to be explored in future research.
ON THE VALIDITY OF THE USE OF THE UPWARD CONTINUATION INTEGRAL FOR TOTAL MAGNETIC INTENSITY DATA

The integral solving the Dirichlet problem for a plane, known as the “upward continuation integral” to exploration geophysicists working with magnetic and gravity fields, is sometimes misunderstood. Recently, some geophysicists have commented that its use in continuing ΔT, the component of the total intensity anomaly in the direction of the earth’s normal field, is suspect, the thought being that only components normal to the surface can be so continued. The integral in question is ΔT(x,y,z)=-z2π⋅∫-∞∞∫-∞∞ΔT(α,β)dαdβ[(x-α)2+(y-β)2+z2]32,where ΔT(α, β) represents measured total intensity values on the plane of observations z=0, in a right handed rectangular coordinate system in which the z axis is positive vertically downward.
A hierarchical, automated target recognition algorithm for a parallel analog processor

A hierarchical approach is described for an automated target recognition (ATR) system, VIGILANTE, that uses a massively parallel, analog processor (3DANN). The 3DANN processor is capable of performing 64 concurrent inner products of size 1/spl times/4096 every 250 nanoseconds. A complete 64/spl times/64 raster scan of a 256/spl times/256 image can be evaluated by the 3DANN with its 64 modifiable templates in about 16 milliseconds. To fully utilize the analog processor and accommodate its high bandwidth capabilities, the vectors (templates) loaded on the 3DANN perform dimensionality reduction for a backend set of classifiers. The templates used in this ATR algorithm are hierarchically generated sets of eigenvectors taken from a partitioned set of library object images. As information is accumulated about the target (e.g. object class), a more refined set of eigenvectors reflecting this knowledge can be loaded and more specialized classifiers utilized. The classifiers provide information related to the ATR task: location, class, sub-class, and orientation of target(s). We report some preliminary results that examine the performance of orientation classifiers. With no knowledge about object class or orientation, a neural network achieves 94.2% in determining to which one of three classes from vertical (30/spl deg/, 45/spl deg/, or 60/spl deg/) an object image is oriented (/spl plusmn/30/spl deg/). Using an eigenvector template set generated from a distribution where both object class and orientation are known, a neural network classifier achieves 96% in orienting the object to within /spl plusmn/22.5/spl deg/. This information can be used to load even more specific eigenvector sets which should lead to more accurate object location during tracking and an enhancement in object recognition tasks.
Pressor Effects of Portal Venous Oleate Infusion A Proposed Mechanism for Obesity Hypertension

Increased visceral fat accumulation is a strong predictor of arterial hypertension. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that increased hepatic portal venous free fatty acid delivery results in increased blood pressure. Such an effect might explain the link between visceral obesity and hypertension. In nine conscious, instrumented rats, we studied the effects of 1-hour infusions of sodium oleate solution into the portal and femoral veins and infusions of sodium caprylate solution into the portal vein on 3 separate days. Basal blood pressure was not significantly different on the 3 study days. Mean arterial pressure increased 29 +/- 4 mm Hg during portal oleate infusion and 13 +/- 2 mm Hg during femoral oleate infusion (both significant increases over basal, P < .001). Mean arterial pressure did not change during portal caprylate infusion. The increase during portal oleate infusion was greater than that during femoral oleate infusion (P = .028). Heart rate rose during all three infusions; the increase was greatest during portal oleate infusion (334 +/- 4 to 412 +/- 2 beats per minute). During portal venous oleate infusion in five rats, plasma norepinephrine rose from 2.17 +/- 0.34 to 3.58 +/- 0.50 nmol/L, epinephrine rose from 0.79 +/- 0.28 to 1.84 +/- 0.44 nmol/L, and corticosterone rose from 147 +/- 55 to 1130 +/- 289 nmol/L. Three rats given portal venous oleate infusions for 1 week had increased blood pressure compared with baseline (mean increase, 16 +/- 4 mm Hg). These studies indicate that increases in portal venous fatty acid concentrations have significant pressor effects, perhaps mediated by increased sympathetic tone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Local unidirectional bias for smooth cutsize-delay tradeoff in performance-driven bipartitioning

Traditional multilevel partitioning approaches have shown good performance with respect to cutsize, but offer no guarantees with respect to system performance. Timing-driven partitioning methods based on iterated net reweighting, partitioning and timing analysis have been proposed [2], as well as methods that apply degrees of freedom such as retiming [7][5]. In this work, we identify and validate a simple approach to timing-driven partitioning, based on the concept of "V-shaped nodes". We observe that the presence of V-shaped nodes can badly impact circuit performance, as measured by maximum hopcount across the cutline or similar path delay criteria. We extend traditional KLFM approaches to directly eliminate or minimize "distance-kV-shaped nodes" in the bipartitioning solution, achieving a smooth trade-off between cutsize and path delay. Experiments show that in comparison to MLPart [4], our method can reduce the maximum hopcount by 39% while only slightly increasing cutsize and runtime. No previous method improves path delay in such a transparent manner.
Solvability Conditions for a Discrete Model of Schrödinger’s Equation

Let ω be a Borel measure on ℝ n , and let Q denote the dyadic cubes in ℝ n . For a sequence s= |s Q } Q∈Q of nonnegative scalars, we consider an operator T defined by \( Tu(x) = \int_{\mathbb{R}^n } {K(x,y)u(y)dw(y)} \) with kernel \( K(x,y) = \sum\nolimits_{Q \in \mathcal{Q}} {s_Q \omega } (Q)^{ - 1} \chi _Q (x)\chi _Q (y) \). We obtain conditions for the existence of a solution u to the inhomogeneous equation u=Tu+α, which serves as a discrete model for an inhomogeneous, time-independent Schrodinger equation on ℝ n . Define a discrete Carleson norm $$ ||s||_\omega = \mathop {\sup }\limits_{Q \in \mathcal{Q}:\omega (Q) \ne 0} \omega (Q)^{ - 1} \sum\limits_{P \in \mathcal{Q}:P \subseteq Q} {|s_P |\omega (P),} $$ , and let \( A_Q (x) = \sum\nolimits_{P \in \mathcal{Q}:P \subseteq Q} {s_P \chi _P (x)} \). If \( ||s||_\omega < \tfrac{1} {{12}} \), and $$ \int_{\mathbb{R}^n } {\sum\limits_{Q \in \mathcal{Q}} {\frac{{s_Q }} {{|Q|_\omega }}e^6 (A_Q (x) + A_Q (y))_{\chi Q(x)\chi Q(y)|\alpha (y)|d\omega (y) < + \infty } } } $$ dω-a.e., then there exists u satisfying u=Tu+α. Other sufficient conditions are derived. In the converse direction, if α≥ 0 and the equation u=Tu+α has a solution u≥0, then \( ||s||_\omega \leqslant 1 \) and $$ \int_{\mathbb{R}^n } {\sum\limits_{Q \in \mathcal{Q}} {\frac{{s_Q }} {{|Q|_\omega }}e^{\tfrac{1} {2}} (A_Q (x) + A_Q (y))_{\chi Q(x)\chi Q(y)|\alpha (y)|d\omega (y) < + \infty } } } $$ dω-a.e. These results are obtained from bilateral estimates for the kernel of the Neumann series \( \sum\nolimits_{j = 0}^\infty {T^j } \).
Infections of the Newborn

Newborns are special! They are exposed to several diverse environments during their intrauterine, perinatal, and postnatal lives. Because of this, and their relatively immature state of physical and immunological development, they have infectious disease problems that deserve special emphasis. In fact, there are textbooks exclusively devoted to infectious diseases of the fetus and newborn. Do not worry, this chapter will not attempt to be comprehensive in every detail, but rather focus on the commonest problems.
Interaction of tire material and design

Abstract An analytical study based on the Halpin-Tsai equations in their complex form has been conducted over a reasonably practical range of variables typical of a composite construction involving steel-cord reinforcement in a rubber matrix. Curves are presented which show the influence of several material properties on the composite characteristics of bias-angle constructions. From these curves, it is possible to deduce the influence of these constituent material properties on the overall composite response. The most significant deductions from these results are: (1). The elastic extension modulus of the composite, E′, is highly dependent on the bias angle and moderately dependent on the volume fraction of cord. On the other hand, E′ is essentially independent of the loss modulus of the matrix E″r. (2). The elastic shear modulus of the composite, G′, is also dependent on the bias angle and volume fraction of cord, but independent of the loss modulus of rubber. Also G′ is symmetric about a 45 degree bias...
Four Top Reasons Mutual Information Does Not Quantify Neural Information Processing

Mutual information between stimulus and response has been advocated as an information theoretic measure of a neural system’s capability to process information. Once calculated, the result is a single number that supposedly captures the system’s information characteristics over the range of stimulus conditions used to measure it. I show that mutual information is a flawed measure, the standard approach to measuring it has theoretical difficulties, and that relating capacity to information processing capability is quite complicated.
The Low Prestige of Personal Selling

The low social standing of persona I selling is acutely familiar to salesmen, sales managers, and marketing teachers. But the solution to the problem has been an elusive one.Here is a way of placin...
Calculation in engineering for bear a bility of composite of old rubber tire and soft soil

The old rubber tires and scaffold ing steel tubes can be used in soft foreshore passage. The interaction between old rubber tire and soft soil was analyzed. The compression modulus of the old rub ber tires, old rubber tire- layer and the composite layer of old rubber tire and so ft soil were put forw ard, as well as the critical compression modulus of the soft soil and the models for the bear ability of the composite of old rubber tire and sof t soil. By the calcu lation of the bear ability and the subsidence of the composite of old rub ber tire and soft soil, it is demonstrated that the critical compression modulus is feasible , the old rubber tires could both improve the bear ability of the soft soil and dec rease the subsidence of the soft soil, and the models of the bear ability and th e calculation method in engineering can meet the engineering needs.
Notifiable Infectious Diseases Among Primary and Secondary School Students in Sanya City,2006-2010

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of notifiable infectious diseases among primary and secondary school students in Sanya City from 2006 to 2010,and provide evidence for prevention and control of infectious disease.Methods Descriptive epidemiological approaches were adopted to analyze the reported data of notifiable infectious diseases among primary and secondary school students in Sanya City from 2006 to 2010.Results A total of 1 390 cases in 19 kinds of infectious diseases were reported in primary and secondary schools from 2006 to 2011,with the incidence rate 234.41/105.Four death cases were reported,with the mortality rate 0.67/105.Diseases ranked top five of the reported case number were mumps,viral hepatitis,rubella,acute hemorrhagic conjunetivtis,tuberculosis.The occurrence peaked in May and October of each year,and male cases were more than females,with the male to female ratio 2.10∶1.The high prevalence group was primary school students aged 5-11 years.Conclusion Respiratory of infectious disease is the major infectious disease in Sanya.Therefore,prevention and control of respiratory infectious disease among primary and secondary school students in Sanya should be enhanced.
Promoting Contribution Among Youth: Implications from Positive Youth Development Research for Youth Development Programs

Contribution to civil society is a key outcome of positive youth development (PYD), as evidenced by findings from the 4-H Study of PYD. In this chapter, we focus on conceptualizations and measurement of contribution within PYD research. We first discuss conceptualizations of contribution as active and engaged citizenship (AEC) and the relations among AEC and other constructs, such as school engaged and risk behaviors, within the 4-H Study sample. We then describe research on contribution among youth of color, including recent research on social justice youth development and critical consciousness. Throughout the chapter, we review strategies that practitioners can use to develop and promote meaningful contributions among diverse young people. Given associations between contribution and positive outcomes among America’s diverse youth, we emphasize that policies and programs should provide more opportunities for youth contributions to society, including community service, social activism, and/or participation in local politics.
Factor VIII-Fc Fusion Protein Shows Extended Half-Life and Hemostatic Activity in Hemophilia A Dogs.

Abstract 545 A recombinant B-domain-deleted factor VIII-Fc (rFVIIIFc) fusion protein was created as an approach to extend the half-life of FVIII. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rFVIIIFc were evaluated in the Chapel Hill colony of hemophilia A dogs. These dogs have a severe hemophilic phenotype comparable to the severe form of human disease with F.VIII 1%, through approximately 96 h. The range of WBCT in our normal dogs is 8 to 12 min. The concentration of rFVIIIFc in the plasma was measured by ELISA and the terminal half-life was 15.7 ± 1.7 hr. Similar results were obtained when rFVIIIFc was measured using a FVIII-specific chromogenic activity assay (half-life was 15.4 ± 0.3 hr). The concentration vs. time curves were similar using both methods. The activity data were converted to ng/mL using the specific activity of the test article that was used to dose the animals, and these data correlated well with the ELISA data, thus demonstrating that the protein that was measured by ELISA was fully active. Two of the dogs also received a single dose of recombinant B-domain deleted FVIII (rBDD-FVIII, ReFacto®), 114 IU/kg for one dog and 120 IU/kg rBDD-FVIII for the other, and then received rFVIIIFc (125 IU/kg) 72 hr later in a cross over design. Clotting was corrected to normal immediately after dosing with both rBDD-FVIII and rFVIIIFc (determined by WBCT and clotting activity measured using an aPTT assay). However, the WBCT normalization after rFVIIIFc lasted for approximately twice as long compared to rBDD-FVIII and the half-lives determined from the ELISA data for FVIIIFc (15.7 ± 1.7 hr) were twice those determined for rBDD-FVIII (7.0 hr and 6.7 hr). No adverse clinical signs were detected with any of the infusions. Therefore construction of an Fc fusion of FVIII produces a molecule with a defined mechanism of action that has an increased half life and the potential to provide prolonged protection from bleeding. Disclosures: Dumont: Biogen Idec (Syntonix Subsidiary): Employment. Kamphaus: Biogen Idec (Syntonix Subsidiary): Employment. Fraley: Biogen Idec/Syntonix Subsidiary: Employment. Ashworth: Biogen Idec (Syntonix Subsidiary): Employment. Bitonti: Biogen Idec/Syntonix Subsidiary: Employment.
Changes in diet quality in a randomized weight loss trial in breast cancer survivors: the lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition (LEAN) study.

Obesity is associated with increased breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Though some post-diagnosis weight loss interventions have achieved weight loss outcomes, it is unclear whether they also improve diet quality. In the Lifestyle, Exercise, and Nutrition (LEAN) study, overweight or obese breast cancer survivors were randomized to either usual care group (n=33) or the 6-month lifestyle intervention (n=67). Dietary intake was assessed at baseline and 6 months using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and overall diet quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 (range 0–100). Intervention effects on diet were evaluated with generalized linear models. Among the 81 participants (51 intervention, 30 usual care) with dietary data, the mean baseline HEI score was 70.5 (s.d.=8.8) and was improved at 6 months (intervention group=6.8 point increase vs usual care=3.1, P=0.09). Intervention group participants achieved greater reductions in percent of energy from total fat (−4.2% vs −1.2%; P=0.013) and saturated fat (−2.2% vs −1.1%; P=0.003), and greater increases in fiber (4.8 g per 1000 kcal vs 1.3 g per 1000 kcal; P=0.007) and fruit (0.5 servings vs 0.0 servings; P=0.006) intake. Intervention group participants who lost ⩾5% body weight (n=27) demonstrated significantly greater improvements in HEI score (10.4 vs 2.8) than those who lost <5% (n=23). The intervention increased fruit and fiber intake and decreased percent energy from fat, and those with greater weight loss achieved greater increases in overall diet quality. These findings support the ability of a weight loss intervention to improve diet among breast cancer survivors. Incorporating dietary counseling into weight loss programs for overweight breast cancer survivors improves diet quality, say US researchers. Brenda Cartmel at the Yale School of Public Health and comdash;workers conducted the sixmdash;month Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition (LEAN) study to determine whether counselling could improve overall diet quality in 50 overweight or obese breast cancer survivorsmdash;a group at increased risk of disease recurrence, heart problems and diabetesmdash; compared with 31 controls. The LEAN intervention strategy involved regular counselling sessions designed to encourage and support participants to lose weight via exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. The team assessed dietary intake using questionnaires at the beginning and end of the study. The LEAN participants averaged a 6.4% weight loss, increased their fruit and fiber consumption and decreased fat intake compared with the control group.
Donor Lymphocyte Infusion–Mediated Graft-versus-Host Responses in a Preclinical Swine Model of Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Abstract We previously described successful hematopoietic stem cell engraftment across MHC barriers in miniature swine without graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) using novel reduced-intensity conditioning regimens consisting of partial transient recipient T cell–depletion, thymic or low-dose total body irradiation, and a short course of cyclosporine A. Here we report that stable chimeric animals generated with these protocols are strongly resistant to donor leukocyte infusion (DLI)–mediated GVH effects. Of 33 total DLIs in tolerant chimeras at clinical doses, 21 failed to induce conversion to full donor hematopoietic chimerism or cause GVHD. We attempted to overcome this resistance to conversion through several mechanisms, including using sensitized donor lymphocytes, increasing the DLI dose, removing chimeric host peripheral blood cells through extensive recipient leukapheresis before DLI, and using fully mismatched lymphocytes. Despite our attempts, the resistance to conversion in our model was robust, and when conversion was achieved, it was associated with GVHD in most animals. Our studies suggest that delivery of unmodified hematopoietic stem cell doses under reduced-intensity conditioning can induce a potent, GVHD-free, immune tolerant state that is strongly resistant to DLI.
U.S. Counterterrorism Operations during the Iraq War: A Case Study of Task Force 714

ABSTRACTU.S. counterterrorism (CT) forces that deployed to Iraq in 2003 as Task Force 714 (TF 714) faced an ugly surprise. Tasked to dismantle the al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) dominated insurgency, the organization could not achieve that mission. General Stanley McChrystal, who commanded TF 714 concluded, “we were losing to an enemy … we should have dominated.” But TF 714 transformed in the midst of war and during 2006-2009 was able to largely dismantle AQI's clandestine networks to a degree that they could no longer function in a cohesive manner. By developing the capacity to operate inside those networks, TF 714 was able, in the words of General McChrystal, to “claw the guts out of AQI.” This transformation runs counter to what organizational experts identify as barriers inhibiting militaries from learning, innovating, and changing, especially in wartime. To decipher the puzzle of how TF 714 overcame these barriers, two questions are addressed in this study: 1) How did TF 714 transform from a specialized and ...
Nadeln in Heuhaufen

Wir wohnen ein paar Kilometer vom Schenectady-Campus des Union College entfernt in einem wohlhabenden, alteren Wohnviertel. Die meisten Hauser stammen aus der Zeit des Zweiten Weltkriegs (unseres wurde 1941 erbaut). Es ist eine grosartige Gegend zum Spazierengehen; jeden Morgen schlendere ich mit dem Hund durch die ruhigen, baumbestandenen Strasen.
Aquaporins in Brain Edema and Neuropathological Conditions

The aquaporin (AQP) family of water channels are a group of small, membrane-spanning proteins that are vital for the rapid transport of water across the plasma membrane. These proteins are widely expressed, from tissues such as the renal epithelium and erythrocytes to the various cells of the central nervous system. This review will elucidate the basic structure and distribution of aquaporins and discuss the role of aquaporins in various neuropathologies. AQP1 and AQP4, the two primary aquaporin molecules of the central nervous system, regulate brain water and CSF movement and contribute to cytotoxic and vasogenic edema, where they control the size of the intracellular and extracellular fluid volumes, respectively. AQP4 expression is vital to the cellular migration and angiogenesis at the heart of tumor growth; AQP4 is central to dysfunctions in glutamate metabolism, synaptogenesis, and memory consolidation; and AQP1 and AQP4 adaptations have been seen in obstructive and non-obstructive hydrocephalus and may be therapeutic targets.
Membrane Protein and Lipid Properties of Freeze-Dried Human Red Blood Cells.

Post-rehydration membrane properties are an important indicator of effective freeze-drying of mammalian blood cells. In general, cellular membranes are extremely susceptible to damage during freezing and drying. The disaccharide trehalose, naturally occurring in anhydrobiotic organisms, has been shown to prevent such damage through direct interactions with the phospholipids and proteins, and by forming an amorphous glassy matrix around the membranes. Thermal properties and lipid composition of plasma membranes from freeze-dried trehalose loaded RBCs were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and analytical thin layer chromatography (TLC). FTIR results showed that plasma membranes from freeze-dried and rehydrated RBCs have major phase transitions between 10 and 20°C, and between 30 and 40°C, similarly to membranes isolated from fresh RBCs. Analysis of the lipid composition of freeze-dried RBCs showed profiles of the freeze-dried RBCs that are very similar to the ones of membranes from freshly isolated RBCs, suggesting that the freeze-drying procedure did not affect the lipid composition. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting analysis showed that the cytoskeletal components of the membrane such as spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 and glycophorin A which form a flexible meshwork of proteins underlying the lipid bilayer are also well preserved in the freeze-dried RBCs. The study demonstrates that freeze-drying of trehalose loaded human erythrocytes does not result in significant changes in the lipid and protein structure. These findings have immediate applications in clinical medicine for long-term storage of RBCs. Supported by DARPA grant N66001-03-1-9827
Maintenance of memory for melodies: Articulation or attentional refreshing?

Past research on the effects of articulatory suppression on working memory for nonverbal sounds has been characterized by discrepant findings, which suggests that multiple mechanisms may be involved in the rehearsal of nonverbal sounds. In two experiments we examined the potential roles of two theoretical mechanisms of verbal working memory—articulatory rehearsal and attentional refreshing—in the maintenance of memory for short melodies. In both experiments, participants performed a same–different melody comparison task. During an 8-s retention interval, interference tasks were introduced to suppress articulatory rehearsal, attentional refreshing, or both. In Experiment 1, only the conditions that featured articulatory suppression resulted in worse memory performance than in a control condition, and the suppression of both attentional refreshing and articulatory rehearsal concurrently did not impair memory more than articulatory suppression alone. Experiment 2 reproduced these findings and also confirmed that the locus of interference was articulatory and not auditory (i.e., the interference was not attributable to the sound of participants’ own voices during articulatory suppression). Both experiments suggested that articulatory rehearsal played a role in the maintenance of melodies in memory, whereas attentional refreshing did not. We discuss potential theoretical implications regarding the mechanisms used for the rehearsal of nonverbal sounds in working memory.
Use of n-butyl cyanoacrylate to reduce left to right shunting of an abdominal arteriovenous malformation in a dog

A 9-month old castrated male Labradoodle presented to the cardiology service at Purdue University for evaluation of a low-grade murmur. Physical examination, thoracic radiography, and echocardiography were strongly supportive of an extracardiac left-to-right shunt. Subsequent evaluation with nuclear scintigraphy and computed tomography angiography revealed a large, complex arteriovenous malformation within the cranial abdomen. Staged interventional attenuation of the shunt was performed using n-butyl cyanoacrylate that resulted in a reduction in echocardiographic and nuclear scintigraphy derived shunt estimation.
Adult-Acquired Flat Foot Deformity

Adult-acquired flatfoot deformity results from insufficiency of the posterior tibial tendon. Often, it is multifactorial in origin. The classification system takes into account the clinical signs and symptoms as well as the radiographic findings and guides treatment options.
Tap to Togetherness: An Innovative Family Relationship Program Reaches Ghana, Africa.

With contributions from:Bernard Woma, Master of the Ghanaian Xylophone, Artistic Director of the Saakumu Dance Troupe and the Director of the Dagra Music CenterYaa Bekyore, Teacher, Accra, GhanaJos...