cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reaching across boundaries: a military providers and public schools partnership on behalf of children with special needs.

ABSTRACT In January 2011, Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, a division of the Pediatric Department at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth established a collaborative effort with the local public school systems called the Community Partnership Forum. This performance improvement initiative was designed to strengthen community relationships and communication between Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, the local public school systems, and diverse military and civilian agencies engaged in the education and care of military children with disabilities in Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was developed as a result of military families and providers voicing concerns about ongoing obstacles with special education-related services. The goal was to create a local multifaceted process to mitigate myths and promote a shared understanding of educational resources in the medical and educational systems. This article summarizes this collegial process between the medical center, the public school systems, and diverse military and community...
Metrics of Positive Scalar Curvature and Generalised Morse Functions

x, 164 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
An analysis of tobacco mosaic virus replicative structures synthesized in vitro.

The RNA structures synthesized in vitro by a crude enzyme complex from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected leaves have been analyzed; the major viral-specific products were similar to TMV-replicative form (RF) and-replicative intermediate (RI) in electrophoretic behavior and ribonuclease sensitivity. Synthesis of these RF-like and RI-like structures neither required nor responded to added viral RNA, but did require all four ribonucleotide triphosphates. Enriched radiolabeled RF-like and RI-like RNA fractions were isolated from non-denaturing agarose gels by electroelution and hybridized to a collection of TMV sequences cloned into bacteriophage M13. Enriched RF-RNA hybridized to sequences of both plus and minus polarity, while enriched RI-RNA hybridized only to inserts of minus polarity, indicating only plus strand synthesis in this fraction. Most of the label incorporated into the plus strand of the enriched RF-RNA was found near the 3′-end of this strand, while most of the label incorporated into enriched RI-RNA was found several hundred bases from the 5′-end of the plus strand.
Cationic enol ether-iron complexes as vinyl cation equivalents. Synthesis of protolichesterinic ester

The reaction of lithium enolates derived from β-keto esters with complex cation 4 provides a facile route to 3,4-disubstituted α-methylene-γ-lactones.
Academic Safety during Nursing Simulation: Perceptions of Nursing Students and Faculty

Abstract Background Nursing simulation is said to be a safe learning environment. However, research and anecdotal information suggest it may be safe for patients but not academically safe for students. Academic safety is defined. Method Nursing students ( n = 101) and faculty ( n = 24) from schools in the San Francisco area completed online surveys to describe an academically safe learning environment. Results/Conclusions Faculty and students defined academically safe as supportive, and a climate where freedom to learn and grow is enjoyed by all.
Continuous cultures of tomato and citron roots in vitro

Initial trials with tomato-root cultures disclosed the desirability of employing a gently agitated liquid medium containing iron in the chelated form. For the normal cultivars “Ace” and “Tropic”, subcultures were best achieved by utilizing sectors that possessed one or more newly emerged laterals. Continuous cultures of a nonlateral-forming tomato mutant, “Diageotropica”, and of citron were accomplished by subculturing tips of the elongating primary roots. The tomato roots were cultured in White's medium with the Fe2(SO4)3 replaced by 0.03 mM NaFeEDTA. Sustained growth of citron-root tips necessitated the use of a medium containing Murashige and Skoog salts, 7.5% sucrose, 100 mg per I each of citric acid and thiamine HCl, and 5000 mg per li-inositol. The success with citron-root cultures was extendable to all cultivars ofC. medica L., but not to otherCitrus species relatives. Both citron and “Diageotropica” root cultures manifested undiminished elongation through repeated subcultures; but neither produced laterals in response to any cultural treatments.
Renal vein thrombosis in a newborn infant of a diabetic mother.

Summary A newborn infant of a diabetic mother is described, suffering from a renal vein thrombosis with hematuria and a palpable mass in the flank. The general condition was unaffected and the symptoms disappeared after two weeks. Nephrectomy was performed after four months because of an arterial hypertension and a pathologic intravenous urography. In these cases a high hematocrit value and a hypercoagulability may play a great part of the pathogenesis. Therefore venesectio and treatment with heparin may be of value.
Characterization of novel extrachromosomal DNA from giant-celled marine green algae.

Cloned HinfI fragments of the plasmid-like 2.2-kb DNA from the green alga Ernodesmis verticillata (Kutzing) Borgesen hybridized solely to single or double bands within the 2.2-kb DNA in genomic Southern blots. Heterologous probes for nuclear and chloroplast genes hybridized only to high-molecular-weight (HMW) DNA. Thus, the low-molecular-weight (LMW) DNA is extrachromosomal and lacks extensive homology to nuclear or chloroplast genes. There was cross-hybridization to LMW DNA from other Caribbean isolates of E. verticillata, but not to that from a Pacific isolate. Under reduced stringency, cross-hybridization to LMW DNA from the related green alga Boergesenia forbesii (Harvey) Feldmann was also observed, suggesting that the LMW DNA may have a common origin and/or function in these algae. Six out of sixteen unique clones hybridized to discrete bands in northern blots, indicating that the LMW DNA may be actively transcribed in vivo. Four of the putatively transcribed clones have regions with significant deduced amino-acid sequence identity to psa and psb gene products, implying that the plasmid-like molecules might have originated from chloroplast DNA. Sequencing data also indicated a high G/C content, as well as the presence of frequent tandem and direct repeats in many of the cloned fragments. Sequencing and restriction analyses suggest that most of the cloned fragments are portions of different DNA molecules, providing evidence that the 2.2-kb extrachromosomal DNA in Ernodesmis is novel in that it represents a fairly heterogeneous population of molecules.
Multidimensional systems theory: Matrix pade approximants

In view of potential applications in several problems including the design of multi-input multi-output recursive digital filters from a prescribed sequence of impulse response matrices, and multiport network design, several problems in the theory of matrix Pade approximation are investigated. Results on the existence of solution to the approximation problem and a recursive scheme for computation of the approximant, when its existence is guaranteed, are arrived at. Links of this matrix approximation theory to the known results in the 1- D and 2-D scalar cases are pointed out. Emphasis here is on 1-D matrix Pade approximants, though the results arrived at, very recently, by the authors in the 2-D case are very briefly alluded to.
Estimation of the phosphine resistance level of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), by the knockdown time of adult

In a previous study, the assay method was developed for determining easily and precisely whether cigarette beetles are knocked down by phosphine fumigation. In the study, it was shown that knockdown times and mortalities of adults exposed to phosphine fumigation were closely correlated to each other. However, it is important, for successful fumigation, to evaluate the susceptible level of eggs in the beetles' population beforehand because eggs are the least susceptible stage to phosphine of all the life stages of the beetle. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between the lethal concentration (LC) of eggs and the knockdown time (KT) of adults. The susceptible level to phosphine was investigated by a mortality test and a knockdown test for 15 strains. The correlation between the log LC of eggs and the log KT of adults was shown by the following logistic function showing a correlation coefficient of 0.933: log LC=0.370+(2.743−0.370) / [1+exp{−2.155×(log KT−2.521)}]. It was suggested that the substitution of the value of log KT99.9 into the above logistic function yielded sufficient information for determination of the most appropriate phosphine concentration for successful fumigation.
Behavior of the uniaxial anisotropy of ferrimagnets near the compensation point

Abstract The problem of experimentally determining the uniaxial anisotropy of ferrimagnetic materials near the compensation temperature or compensation composition is discussed. As the net magnetization tends toward zero, increasingly stringent field requirements must be met to measure the anisotropy accurately.
Areal differences in the laminar distribution of thalamic afferents in cortical fields of the insular, parietal and temporal regions of primates

A cytoarchitectonic parcellation has been made of the cortex of the insula and of the adjoining parts of the temporal and parietal lobes in rhesus and squirrel monkeys. In conjunction with this, the intracortical distribution of the thalamo-cortical fibers has been studied by the autoradiographic tracing technique. There is a systematic change in the density, laminar distribution and general character of the intracortical thalamic afferent plexus which seems to follow, in particular, the progressive differentiation of cortical layering that occurs in moving from insular through granular to homotypical cortex. In the dysgranular and granular insular areas in which cortical lamination is indistinct, the thalamic plexus as demonstrated autoradiographically is sparse and extends through much of layers III and IV. In the granular cortex (areas 3b and AI), the thalamic plexus is densest and coarsest; it fills all of layers IV and IIIB and extends into layer IIIA. In the "second" and "third" sensory areas, such as the second somatic sensory and many of the auditory fields, the density of the plexus and its coarseness diminish slightly and the deeper half of layer IV becomes free of terminals. In the homotypical cortex, the plexus becomes sparser, finer and strictly confined to layer IIIB. In many areas there are additional indications of thalamic terminations in deeper layers. Where layers V and VI are not divided into sublaminae (e.g.,in areas 3b and AI) there is labeling of the superficial half of layer VI. Where layers V and VI become subdivided in the homotypical cortex, the auditory and adjacent fields were only observed in cases in which the magnocellular nucleus of the medial geniculate body was involved by the injection of isotope. The boundaries of the cortical projection fields of individual thalamic nuclei, as determined autoradiographically, are remarkably sharp and invariably coincide with a sharp architectonic boundary or with a zone of maximal cytoarchitectonic change. Zones of apparent architectonic transition never showed overlap of thalamic afferents emanating from more than one nucleus. These results raise for discussion the significance of architectonic structure in relation to cortical connectivity and have a bearing upon those studies that have attempted to relate the terminals of thalamic afferents to particular classes of cortical neuron.
Recognition and callose deposition in response to vascular infection in fusarium wilt-resistant or susceptible tomato plants

Abstract Callose deposition was found in paravascular parenchyma cells of tomato plants that were inoculated with Fusarium oxysporum or root flora. Callose deposition was detected 6 to 12 h after inoculation with Fusarium or root flora in near-isolines of tomato that were wilt-resistant or susceptible. The subsequent rate of deposition appeared to be appreciably lower in the susceptible isoline than in the resistant isoline inoculated with Fusarium . Both isolines responded strongly to root flora, but the resistant cultivar appeared to maintain a stronger level of response.
X-ray diffraction and laser heating: application of a moissanite anvil cell

A moissanite anvil cell (MAC) has been used in research at high-pressure recently. In this paper, we describe its application in x-ray diffraction studies with laser heating. A high temperature of 3700 K has been achieved in a MAC; the lattice constants of graphite were determined by means of in situ x-ray diffraction at room temperature and 3700 K, and the results are in good agreement with reference data.
Neuropeptide and monoamine components of the parabrachial pontine complex.

Abstract The present investigation examined the distributions of immunoreactive neurotensin (NT), cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK), substance P (SP), methionine enkephalin (ENK), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), somatostatin (SS), rat neurophysin II (RNP II), vasopressin (VP), oxytocin (OXY), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and serotonin in the parabrachial nuclear complex (PB) of the rat. All of these substances were localized to the PB and they appeared to be chemoarchitecturally organized within the complex. The lateral subdivision (PBL) was organized mediallateral and ventral-dorsal. Specifically NT, CCK, and SP immunoreactive fibers were found to be the most dense in the ventral aspect of the PBL. The distribution of NT-containing fibers was similar to the pattern of CCK-containing fibers and these were localized primarily to the central zone of the PBL. Immunoreactive SP fibers and cells were found in the external and internal zones ventrally and surrounding the dorsal and dorsolateral nuclei in the PBL. Somatostatin, ENK and VIP were found to be the most dense in the dorsal PBL. Serotonin- and TH-containing cells and fibers were found in both the PBL and PBM. These results, coupled with the observations of neuronal connections of the PB and the known functions of this region, underscore the potential involvement for these neuropeptides and monoamines in limbic-brainstem mechanisms of autonomic control.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 increases glucose-dependent activity of the homeoprotein IDX-1 transactivating domain in pancreatic β-cells

Both glucose and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) stimulate insulin gene transcription in endocrine pancreatic β-cells within the islets of Langerhans. The effects of glucose are mediated by the homeodomain transcription factor islet duodenum homeobox -1 (IDX-1) that binds to two adenine thymidine-rich (A1 and A2/3) motifs within the rat insulin promoter. Glucose stimulates the activity of the transactivation domain of IDX-1 that lies within the first 80 amino acids of the IDX-1 protein. The effects of GLP-1 on insulin gene expression are primarily conferred by the cAMP responsive element (CRE) within the insulin promoter. GLP-1 stimulates glucose-dependent insulin release from β-cells. We hypothesize that GLP-1 may augment the effects of glucose on insulin gene transcription. Here we show that GLP-1 stimulates insulin gene transcription independent of the CRE and is glucose-dependent. Furthermore, we show that GLP-1 stimulates the transactivational activity of IDX-1.
Microbial distributions in Arizona deserts and woodlands

Abstract Numbers of microorganisms in litters, soils and cryptogamic crusts are reported for deserts and semi-arid woodlands in Arizona. Bacteria numbered from 1 to 5 × 10 8 cells, fungi from 10 to 30m of mycelium, and protozoa from 2 to 10 × 10 3 cells g −1 dry wt in soils. Microbial populations were 2–3 times more abundant in litters, which were concentrated around the bases of plants and in depressions and rock crevices. Most of the protozoa were highly edaphic species, capable of passing rapidly between active and inactive metabolic states.
Statistical Tests of the Joint Distribution of Spectral Acceleration Values

Assessment of seismic hazard using conventional probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) typically involves the assumption that the logarithmic spectral acceleration values follow a normal distribution marginally. There are, however, a variety of cases in which a vector of ground-motion intensity measures are considered for seismic hazard analysis. In such cases, assumptions regarding the joint distribution of the ground-motion intensity measures are required for analysis. In this article, statistical tests are used to examine the assumption of univariate normality of logarithmic spectral acceleration values and to verify that vectors of logarithmic spectral acceleration values computed at different sites and/or different periods follow a multivariate normal distribution. Multivariate normality of logarithmic spectral accelerations are verified by testing the multivariate normality of interevent and intraevent residuals obtained from ground-motion models. The univariate normality tests indicate that both interevent and intraevent residuals can be well represented by normal distributions marginally. No evidence is found to support truncation of the normal distribution, as is sometimes done in PSHA. The tests for multivariate normality show that interevent and intraevent residuals at a site, computed at different periods, follow multivariate normal distributions. It is also seen that spatially distributed intraevent residuals can be well represented by the multivariate normal distribution. This study provides a sound statistical basis for assumptions regarding the marginal and joint distribution of ground-motion parameters that must be made for a variety of seismic hazard calculations.
Tobramycin Concentrations During Peritoneal Dialysis

A patient undergoing peritoneal dialysis for severe renal failure was treated with tobramycin. Peritoneal dialysis was inefficient in removing tobramycin from the serum. Tobramycin concentrations in the dialysis effluent were low. Despite acute oliguric renal failure, urine concentrations of tobramycin were sufficient to treat most gram-negative urinary tract infections.
The release of dissolved nutrients and metals from coastal sediments due to resuspension

Abstract Coastal sediments in many regions are impacted by high levels of contaminants. Due to a combination of shallow water depths, waves, and currents, these sediments are subject to regular episodes of sediment resuspension. However, the influence of such disturbances on sediment chemistry and the release of solutes is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to quantify the release of dissolved metals (iron, manganese, silver, copper, and lead) and nutrients due to resuspension in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, USA. Using a laboratory-based erosion chamber, a range of typical shear stresses was applied to fine-grained Harbor sediments and the solute concentration at each shear stress was measured. At low shear stress, below the erosion threshold, limited solutes were released. Beyond the erosion threshold, a release of all solutes, except lead, was observed and the concentrations increased with shear stress. The release was greater than could be accounted for by conservative mixing of porewaters into the overlying water, suggesting that sediment resuspension enhances the release of nutrients and metals to the dissolved phase. To address the long-term fate of resuspended particles, samples from the erosion chamber were maintained in suspension for 90 h. Over this time, 5–7% of the particulate copper and silver was released to the dissolved phase, while manganese was removed from solution. Thus resuspension releases solutes both during erosion events and over a longer timescale due to reactions of suspended particles in the water column. The magnitude of the annual solute release during erosion events was estimated by coupling the erosion chamber results with a record of bottom shear stresses simulated by a hydrodynamic model. The release of dissolved copper, lead, and phosphate due to resuspension is between 2% and 10% of the total (dissolved plus particulate phase) known inputs to Boston Harbor. Sediment resuspension is responsible for transferring a significant quantity of solid phase metals to the more bioavailable and mobile dissolved phase. The relative importance of sediment resuspension as a source of dissolved metals to Boston Harbor is expected to increase as continuing pollutant control decreases the inputs from other sources.
Immunological tolerance: Danger – pathogen on the premises!

Abstract Recent results show that immune responses can be induced in neonatal mice. Do they really refute the traditional view that the ability to discriminate between ‘self' and ‘non-self' is a fundamental property of the immune system?
Quantitative analysis of the metabolism of 9,10-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene by induced rat liver microsomes

Abstract The ability of reduced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to be converted to their fully aromatic forms by the microsomal cytochrome P-450 mixed-function oxidases may assist in the explanation of the mutagenic and tumorigenic activities of these agents. The metabolic conversion of 9,10-dihydrobenzo[ a ]pyrene (9,10-DHB[ a ]P) to benzo[ a ]pyrene (B[ a ]P) and 9- and/or 10-hydroxy-9,10-DHB[ a ]P (OH-9,10-DHB[ a ]P) was quantitatively measured. In β-naphthoflavone-induced rat liver microsomes, 9,10-DHB[ a ]P was metabolized to B[ a ]P with a specific activity of 1.51 nmol B[ a ]P formed/min/mg microsomal protein. The formation of B[ a ]P was directly related to incubation time and microsomal protein concentration. Similarly, 9,10-DHB[ a ]P was converted to OH-9,10-DHB[ a ]P with a specific activity of 4.48 nmol OH-9,10-DHB[ a ]P formed/min/mg microsomal protein. Its formation was directly related to incubation time and microsomal protein concentration. The possibility of OH-9,10-DHB[ a ]P as a metabolic intermediate to B[ a ]P is discussed.
Structured low rank approximation

This paper concerns the construction of a structured low rank matrix that is nearest to a given matrix. The notion of structured low rank approximation arises in various applications, ranging from signal enhancement to protein folding to computer algebra, where the empirical data collected in a matrix do not maintain either the specified structure or the desirable rank as is expected in the original system. The task to retrieve useful information while maintaining the underlying physical feasibility often necessitates the search for a good structured lower rank approximation of the data matrix. This paper addresses some of the theoretical and numerical issues involved in the problem. Two procedures for constructing the nearest structured low rank matrix are proposed. The procedures are flexible enough that they can be applied to any lower rank, any linear structure, and any matrix norm in the measurement of nearness. The techniques can also be easily implemented by utilizing available optimization packages. The special case of symmetric Toeplitz structure using the Frobenius matrix norm is used to exemplify the ideas throughout the discussion. The concept, rather than the implementation details, is the main emphasis of the paper.
Long wavelength cutoff of photoinduced gratings in photosensitive glass fibers

We show experimentally that the longest wavelength that photoinduced gratings can be written in Ge-doped glass fibers coincides with long wavelength cutoff of two-photon absorption of GeO molecules.
A commentary on Frank Halasz's "Reflections on NoteCards: Seven Issues for the Next Generation of Hypertext Systems"

Although hypertext research and development didn't continue exactly in the directions that Frank Halasz predicted in 1988 and 1991, much of his analysis and agenda is still valid. The most interesting development is the shift away from hypertext systems as applications software to either embedded functionality or information structuring. The focus on standards and protocols has led to progress on Halasz's issues and has made hypertext almost universal. On the other hand, the ubiquity of hypertext on the Web is a force that works against some of Halasz's agenda. It is difficult to tailor or extend a hypertext because the task requires knowledge of the tools, the information structures, and the content.
Rosacea: skin innate immunity gone awry?

Rosacea is a common skin disorder marked by chronic inflammation and vascular abnormalities. Two new features of the skin lesions have been identified: elevated levels of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides and of a related serine protease. These molecules of innate immunity may represent key elements of pathogenesis, as well as new targets for effective therapies (pages 975–981 ).
Deadlock avoidance schemes in a distributed robotic system: Petri net modeling and analysis

This article presents a Petri net-based approach to modeling and evaluating four different deadlock avoidance schemes for a distributed robotic system, i.e., a five-robot-five-assembly-line system. Among these four schemes are the conventional, full synchronization, global semaphore, and partial synchronization schemes. To explore such issues as the system performance and control structure complexity, this article conducts detailed Petri net modeling for this system and evaluates performance of the deadlock avoidance schemes using stochastic Petri nets. The interesting results presented include that: (1) any possible system deadlock can seriously degrade the system performance even if effective deadlock resolution techniques are available; (2) conservative use of resources is likely to be the best policy; and (3) higher resource utilization may not necessarily imply higher system production rate in a resource-sharing environment. The related results need to be further explored for the larger resource-sharing discrete event systems. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stigma and Alzheimer's Disease: Behavioral Consequences for Support Groups

Using Goffman's theoretical work on stigma, we completed an exploration of stigma and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using a longitudinal research design, 11 primary caregivers of AD patients were interviewed four times during the first year after diagnosis. Wefound indications of stigma and AD and noted the reactions of support group members. Implications of support group members'reactions to the stigma of AD were reported as to the consequences of the AD patient and the primary caretaker. We note the importance of knowledge of the social psycho logical consequences of AD in the applied setting.
Short-Range Signaling by Candidate Morphogens of the TGFβ Family and Evidence for a Relay Mechanism of Induction

Abstract The specification and patterning of cell fates by a morphogen gradient is a unifying theme of developmental biology, yet little evidence exists for the presence of gradients in vivo or to show how such putative gradients form. Vg1 and activin are candidate morphogens involved in Xenopus mesoderm induction. This study suggests that these TGFβ family members act on adjacent cells but do not travel through the intact extracellular space to induce distant cells directly. Moreover, we present evidence for the presence of secondary inducing signals that could be involved in relaying signals to distant cells. These results suggest that if a localized cellular source of an inducer acts to pattern mesodermal cells at a distance in Xenopus embryos, it does so by a relay mechanism.
Why it might pay to assume that languages are infinite

We show that, in a wide variety of situations, formal languages which are finite can be given smaller descriptions if we assume that they are but the observed data for an infinite language. This points to one possible reason for assuming that natural language is infinite.
A Review of Disease-Specific Formulas

Critical illness frequently leads to organ dysfunction. Nutritional support of individual organ function is an evolving area of nutritional support. Within the past several years, there was an increase in the number of nutritional products reported to improve organ function. In this article, the authors review disease/organ-specific nutritional support, including the theory behind therapy and the empiric data supporting or refuting these theories. It is hoped that this article will aid practitioners in their nutritional management of patients with organ dysfunction.
Molecular and biological characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from free-range chickens from Guyana, South America, identified several unique and common parasite genotypes.

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens (Gallus domesticus) is a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the soil because chickens feed from the ground. The prevalence of T. gondii in 76 free-range chickens from Guyana, South America was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT), and found in 50 (65·8%) of 76 chickens with titres of 1: 5 in four, 1: 10 in one, 1: 20 in five, 1: 40 in seven, 1: 80 in six, 1: 160 in eight, 1: 320 in four, 1: 640 or higher in 15. Hearts and brains of 26 chickens with titres of < 1: 5 were pooled in 5 batches and bioassayed in mice. Hearts and brains of 50 chickens with titres of 1: 5 or higher were bioassayed in mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated by bioassay in mice from 3 5 chickens with MAT titres of 1: 20 or higher. All mice inoculated with tissues of 30 infected chickens remained asymptomatic. Toxoplasma gondii isolates from 35 chickens were genotyped using 11 PCR-RFLP markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, a new SAG2, and Apico. A total of 9 genotypes were identified, with 5 genotypes (nos 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7) unique to Guyana, 2 genotypes (nos 2 and 3) previously identified in chickens from Brazil, 1 genotype (no. 8) previously identified in chickens from Brazil, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and 1 genotype (no. 9) belonging to the clonal type III lineage that exists globally. Infection with 2 genotypes was found from 1 chicken. This is the first report of genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from any host from Guyana.
Comparing general and special education preservice teachers’ test performance using traditional and anchored instruction

Abstract Data comparing the effects of traditional lectures and instruction paired with video anchors on test scores of general education and special education preservice teachers are presented. The sample in both the experimental and control groups included a mixture of preservice teachers including those beginning a general education early childhood program and those beginning an early childhood special education program. Preservice teachers received traditional lecture‐based instruction and video enhanced instruction focused on an introduction to using assistive technology with children who have disabilities. Multiple‐choice and essay format pre‐tests, post‐tests, and follow‐up tests were administered to general education and special education preservice teachers receiving traditional and technology‐enhanced instruction to assess preservice teachers’ baseline knowledge, immediate acquisition of new information, and maintenance of knowledge. Results revealed somewhat different within‐group patterns as w...
Cholinergic receptor blockade can impair the rat's performance on both the place learning and cued versions of the Morris water task: The role of age and pool wall brightness

It is known that the administration of a cholinergic receptor blocker impairs the rat's performance on the place learning version of the Morris water task. We confirm this finding but in addition report that animals receiving the cholinergic antagonist, scopolamine hydrobromide, are significantly impaired on the cued platform version of the Morris water task. This latter result, however, is dependent on both the age of the subject and the training context. Weanling animals were more impaired on the cued platform task than were adult animals, and the magnitude of the impairment was much larger when animals were trained in a pool with a gray interior wall than when the pool wall was white. Our findings suggest that the influence of cholinergic systems on performance in the Morris task extend beyond their contribution to place learning and memory processes. We suggest that functional central cholinergic systems also contribute to the processes that enable the animal to inhibit behaviors that are incompatible with the requirements of the task.
IFIs: Undermining Human Rights and State Stability

Human Rights and Structural Adjustment. By M. Rodwan Abouharb, David Cingranelli. New York/UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 276 pp., paperback $34.99 (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-67671-7). Human Rights and Structural Adjustment will likely be one of the most important works on the critical policy juncture of human rights and development. Abouharb and Cingranelli's rigorous, comprehensive analysis of the effects of World Bank and IMF structural adjustment agreements skillfully blends qualitative and quantitative methods to persuasively demonstrate the harmful effect of these agreements on a broad range of human rights. The book draws upon and expands our theoretical understanding of three literatures within the broader international relations literature (human rights, development, and international political economy). Concomitantly, the work strongly illuminates broader normative concerns and specific policy implications in regard to the imposition of neoliberal economic theory in the developing world, which lead the authors to propose a human rights-based approach to development. The authors’ careful attention in the initial three chapters to setting out the institutional contexts of the IMF and the World Bank and the literatures of both economic development and human rights, makes the material accessible to broader audience than just scholars and practitioners in economic development, possibly including upper-level undergraduates. Their treatment of statistical methods and results is equally accessible. The book's ultimate concern is the impact of both IMF and WB structural adjustment programs on a broad range of internationally recognized human rights. Since the bulk of empirical research has demonstrated that these programs do not lead to the expected benefit of increased level of economic development, the authors turn their attention to the theorized costs of the programs, such as increased economic hardship on the poorest of the country, greater civil conflict, and repression of core physical integrity rights. The authors adopt a theoretical framework that moves well beyond the focus of the standard human rights model, that typically only examines characteristics or conditions within a country, to include more broadly the …
The Silver L Series X-Ray Spectrum: Line Widths, Wave-Lengths, Relative Intensities, Satellites, and Widths of Energy Levels

With a new two-crystal vacuum spectrometer a systematic and precise study of 36 $L$ series emission lines of silver has been made which includes measurements of wave-lengths, relative intensities, line widths and indices of asymmetry. These lines include 21 satellite lines. The contours of the three $L$ absorption edges of silver were also recorded. From these data have been determined the widths of all the energy levels for single ionization of silver. From the widths of satellite lines are discussed the widths of certain states of double ionization.
Isotropy overlying anisotropy at the top of the inner core

We investigate the existence of anisotropy near the top of the inner core under the western hemisphere using differential travel times of pole-parallel PKPcd-PKPdf phase pairs and comparisons to equatorial data. We invert a large dataset of PKP differential travel-time residuals in the same region for a layered model of inner core anisotropy. Our analysis shows that the uppermost 50–150 km of the inner core in this region is isotropic. This implies that anisotropy at greater depths is higher than previous estimates, perhaps as high as 5%. The transition from isotropy to strong anisotropy is modeled as a discontinuity, but a broad transition zone is not excluded by the data. We offer several possible mechanisms for the existence of a layered structure of anisotropy.
Pregnenolone-sulfate: an endogenous antagonist of the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor complex in brain?

Abstract The interaction of the ‘neurosteroid’, pregnenolone-sulfate (PS), with the GABA/benzodiazepine/chloride ionophore receptor complex was investigated in rat brain subcellular preparations. At low micromolar concentrations PS competitively inhibited the binding of the convulsant[35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) and antagonized pentobarbital-stimulated [3H] flunitrazepam binding to synaptosomes. In addition, PS inhibited muscimol-stimulated36Cl−uptake in brain synaptoneurosomes, indicating that PS has characteristics of a relatively potent antagonist of the chloride channel coupled to the GABA receptor. Together with our previous finding that A-ring reduced metabolites of progesterone and deoxycorticosterone also interact with the GABA receptor complex but as hypnotic barbiturates, these data suggest that the regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission by various neurosteroids may be an important mechanism for controlling neuronal excitability.
Influence of multiple electrode configurations on atmospheric pressure microplasma jet arrays in flexible polymer

Summary form only given. Novel microcavity plasma jet devices operating at atmospheric gas pressure have been fabricated in a flexible, robust and optically transparent polymer. By a micromolding process, large scale arrays of microcavities, each having a diameter of hundreds of microns and embedded electrodes, have been fabricated with various form factors that can be precisely controlled.
The Baby Boom and Trends in Poverty, 1967–1987

The theory of cohort competition developed by Easterlin suggests that individuals born during the baby boom are more likely to be poor than those born before or after them. This article investigates this claim by addressing two questions: Is there any effect of cohort on poverty and if so does this effect follow the pattern predicted by Easterlins theory? A decomposition of poverty by age period cohort and household type shows that among whites every successive generation of family heads born throughout the baby boom has faced an increasingly greater chance of being poor. Among blacks the cohort effect is not statistically significant. Contrary to Easterlins prediction however it is white-family heads born after the baby boom who face the highest odds of poverty. The cohort effect is not due to recent changes in family structure which are controlled. (EXCERPT)
Activated CD47 regulates multiple vascular and stress responses: implications for acute kidney injury and its management

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a significant source of early and delayed renal transplant failure. Therapeutic interventions have yet to resolve this ongoing clinical challenge although the reasons for this remain unclear. The cell surface receptor CD47 is widely expressed on vascular cells and in tissues. It has one known soluble ligand, the stress-released matricellular protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP1). The TSP1-CD47 ligand receptor axis controls a number of important cellular processes, inhibiting survival factors such as nitric oxide, cGMP, cAMP, and VEGF, while activating injurious pathways such as production of reactive oxygen species. A role of CD47 in renal IRI was recently revealed by the finding that the TSP1-CD47 axis is induced in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) under hypoxia and following IRI. The absence of CD47 in knockout mice increases survival, mitigates RTEC damage, and prevents subsequent kidney failure. Conversely, therapeutic blockade of TSP1-CD47 signaling provides these same advantages to wild-type animals. Together, these findings suggest an important role for CD47 in renal IRI as a proximate promoter of injury and as a novel therapeutic target.
Adsorbent filters: a new technique for microexperimentation on nucleic acid.

Abstract When solutions of protein are filtered through nitrocellulose filters, the protein is retained on the membrane. Such protein-filters are a useful reagent; this paper shows that they adsorb a variety of nucleic acids, and that these may be re-eluted specifically. A variety of uses in collection, fractionation, and sensitive detection of nucleic acids is possible.
Colloidal silver staining of electroblotted proteins for high sensitivity peptide mapping by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Abstract Mass spectrometric techniques for the identification of proteins either by amino acid sequencing or by correlation of mass spectral data with sequence databases are becoming increasingly sensitive and are rapidly approaching the limit of detection achieved by the staining of proteins in gels or, after electroblotting, on membranes. Here we present a technique for the sensitive staining of proteins electroblotted onto nitrocellulose or polyvinylidene difluoride membranes and enzymatic cleavage conditions for such proteins to achieve optimal recovery of peptides. The technique is based on the deposition of colloidal silver on the membrane-bound proteins. Peptide mixtures generated by proteolysis on the membrane were recovered at high yields and were compatible with analysis by reverse-phase chromatography and on-line electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. This simple and rapid colloidal silver staining procedure allowed the visualization of less than 5 ng of protein in a band and thus approached the sensitivity of silver staining in gels. We demonstrate that this method allows the detection of subpicomole amounts of electroblotted proteins and their identification by high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.
Metabolic changes in excised fruit tissue—III. The development of ethylene biosynthesis during the ageing of disks of apple peel

Abstract The production of ethylene by disks of peel from pre-climacteric apples is induced by ageing the disks aerobically at 25°. The development of the ethylene-producing system is dependent upon protein synthesis. Ethylene evolution is stimulated by peroxidation products from linolenic acid, but not by methionine. The relationship between changes occurring during the ageing of pre-climacteric apple peel disks during the development of the climacteric in whole fruit is discussed. A rapid and sensitive method for the determination of ethylene is described.
Why Do Patients Choose Chemotherapy Near the End of Life? A Review of the Perspective of Those Facing Death From Cancer

Purpose The number of patients receiving chemotherapy near the end of life is increasing, as are concerns about goals of treatment, toxicity, and costs. We sought to determine the available sources of knowledge, the choices, and concerns of actual patients, and how patients balanced competing issues. Methods
Diffuse Mid-UV communication in the presence of obscurants

Communication using mid-ultraviolet radiation between 200nm and 280nm has received renewed attention due to advancements in UV LED emitters and unique propagation characteristics at these wavelengths. Atmospheric gases absorb light at mid-UV so that receivers or sensors operating on the earth's surface receive no interference from solar radiation. This so-called “solar-blind” region of the spectrum allows the use of single-photon detection techniques. Further, UV light is strongly scattered by molecules in the air, enabling non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communication. We extend previous work in this area by incorporating angle-dependent Mie scattering into one of the standard propagation models, in an effort to include the effects of aerosols. Experimental results from outdoor measurements using a fog generator are also presented.
Monitoring and modeling of coastal waters in support of environmental preservation

The improved monitoring and modeling capability resulting from recent technological advances in oceanographic sensors, computer processing power, and telecommunications can play a major role in environmental preservation. In particular, this capability can help improve: safe navigation and thus the prevention of maritime accidents that lead to hazardous spills; the effective cleanup of hazardous spills when they do occur; the real-time assessment of water quality problems; the assessment of long-term trends and variability due to both anthropogenic and climate change effects; and the understanding of key physical, chemical, and ecological processes.
A general approximation for gaseous absorption

Abstract A general formula is given that expresses the transmittance of a gas in terms of three quantities: its average (Beer's Law) absorption coefficient, a single parameter associated with the region between weak-line and strong-line conditions, and any appropriate theoretical or empirical function for the transmittance in the strong-line region. This result provides an efficient method for fitting equations to laboratory data of moderate resolution and may also be used to simplify band model transmission functions. It is exact for the Mayer-Goody model and is accurate within a few percent for three other models when the transmittance is greater than approximately 1 per cent.
Secure Medical Image Retrieval Over the Internet

Secure and efficient retrieval of multimedia information from archives of large biomedical images for teaching, research and development of diagnostic tools have become a necessity in today's global environment. Most traditional content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems do not address the challenges involved in high fidelity and efficient retrieval of diverse classes of biomedical imagery through secure transmission over the Internet. We present the development and validation of a source encoding scheme in the wavelet domain with an embedded backward coding of wavelet trees (BCWT) for encoding of multiple image classes archived at the National Library of Medicine. HVSQ/BCWT can be used for fast and secure retrieval of significant volumes of medical diagnostic information over the Internet. Work in automated segmentation of such images using deterministic annealing and Gaussian mixture modeling is also presented.
Ability of the Milani-Comparetti Developmental Examination to Predict Motor Outcome

The Milani-Comparetti Developmental Examination is a screening assessment tool used by therapist to help determine if an infant has normal or abnormal movement. Since no studies reporting the reliability or validity of this tool have been published, the purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the predictive validity of the Milani-Comparetti Developmental Examination with a small sample of high risk infants. Analysis of the data revealed that the accuracy of this screening tool in predicting motor outcome at two and three years of age is low. Therapist should be cautious in their interpretation of the results of Milani-Comparetti Developmental Examinations until evidence is available that the test meets reasonable standards of reliability and validity.
Effects of Diseases on Soybean Yields in the United States 1996 to 2007

Abstract Research must focus on management of diseases that cause extensive losses, especially when funds for research are limited. Knowledge of yield suppression caused by various soybean diseases...