cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
OCT Angiography and Cone Photoreceptor Imaging in Geographic Atrophy.

Author(s): Qin, Jia; Rinella, Nicholas; Zhang, Qinqin; Zhou, Hao; Wong, Jessica; Deiner, Michael; Roorda, Austin; Porco, Travis C; Wang, Ruikang K; Schwartz, Daniel M; Duncan, Jacque L | Abstract: PurposeTo compare cone spacing and choriocapillaris (CC) perfusion adjacent to geographic atrophy (GA) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-similar normal eyes.MethodsSubjects were imaged using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. The GA border was identified using FAF images; CC flow void was analyzed in 1° regions extending from the GA border. A grader masked to CC perfusion selected regions of interest (ROIs) with unambiguous cone mosaics in AOSLO images. At each ROI, cone spacing and CC flow void were converted to Z-scores (standard deviations from the mean of 12 normal eyes aged 50 to 81 years for cone spacing, and 60 normal eyes age 51 to 88 years for CC flow void).ResultsExcluding regions of GA and drusen, CC flow void in eight eyes of six patients with AMD was significantly greater than in four age-similar normal eyes (exact permutation test, P = 0.024). CC flow void was negatively correlated with distance from the GA margin (r = -0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.53 to -0.12). Increased cone spacing was significantly correlated with CC flow void (r = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.59). Cone spacing was increased in 39% of ROIs, while CC flow void was increased in 96% of ROIs.ConclusionsIn eyes with GA due to AMD, CC hypoperfusion was significantly correlated with, and more extensive than, cone photoreceptor loss. The results suggest that reduced CC perfusion contributes to the development of GA.
Current Status and Future Prospects of Nutraceuticals in Prostate Cancer

Nutraceuticals are products derived from food sources that provide health benefits. Several natural dietary agents have been studied for their preventive and/or therapeutic effects against prostate cancer. Although most of the information on nutraceuticals and prostate cancer is drawn from epidemiologic and case-control studies, clinical studies conducted so far have not provided clear-cut results. The lack of evidence-based studies limits the use of nutraceuticals and their clinical recommendations. In spite these limitations, the field of nutraceutical research continues to emerge as many of these nutritional agents are tested for their therapeutic potential in pre-clinical and clinical settings. Nutraceuticals have the potential for significant medical and economic impacts. This chapter highlights the present status of nutraceuticals in prostate cancer and discusses future prospects for nutritional strategies that are safe and clinically beneficial.
Oligodendroglial Tumors: Intra-arterial Chemotherapy

Brain tumors with an oligodendroglial component represent up to 20% of all primary brain tumors. Many of these tumors are sensitive to procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV), or temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. In patients with oligodendroglial tumors that are resistant to PCV or TMZ chemotherapy, few treatment options are available and improved therapy is needed. One strategy, administration of chemotherapy via the intra-arterial (IA) route, can result in a higher concentration of drug delivery to the brain and brain tumor cells, with a lower systemic exposure, resulting in increased tumor-specific cytotoxicity, and avoidance of systemic toxicities. Osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD), achieved by IA infusion of a hyperosmotic agent such as mannitol, can further intensify drug delivery to the tumor and surrounding brain, particularly in smaller, less permeable tumors and when using higher-molecular weight chemotherapy agents. General experience with IA chemotherapy, and IA chemotherapy combined with BBBD in patients with many tumor types is extensive. In the case of aggressive oligodendroglial tumors, hopeful results have been reported using combination delivery of IA chemotherapy (IA melphalan, IA carboplatin and IV etoposide phosphate) in conjunction with BBBD, with acceptably low toxicity and encouraging response data in many patients. Delivery of chemotherapy via the IA route, in conjunction with BBBD may be a good option in those with aggressive oligodendroglial tumors. Further work is required to uncover the true potential of IA therapy in the setting of aggressive oligodendroglial tumors.
Examining the Effects of Parenting Styles on Offline and Online Adolescent Peer Problems

Past research has focused on investigating parenting styles in the context of various positive and negative outcomes. We examined the relationship between parenting styles and offline and online adolescent peer problems. We found that parental involvement was associated with fewer peer problems, and strictness/supervision was associated with less frequent online victimization. Higher levels of autonomy granting parenting were associated with less peer problems and online victimization. Further, teens who experienced high levels of peer problems experienced less online victimization when their parents granting them more autonomy, than parents who restricted their autonomy. The findings of this paper set a foundation for parents to consider taking more authoritative approaches to dealing with their teens' offline peer problems as to not exacerbate teens' online risk experiences.
The many lives of nontuberculous mycobacteria.

ABSTRACT Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include species that colonize human epithelia, as well as species that are ubiquitous in soil and aquatic environments. NTM that primarily inhabit soil and aquatic environments include the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) (M. avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare) and the Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) (M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, M. abscessus subsp. massiliense, and M. abscessus subsp. bolletii) and can be free living, biofilm associated, or amoeba associated. Although NTM are rarely pathogenic in immunocompetent individuals, individuals who are immunocompromised, due to either an inherited or acquired immunodeficiency, are highly susceptible to NTM infection (NTMI). Several characteristics, such as biofilm formation and the ability of select NTM species to form distinct colony morphotypes, all may play a role in pathogenesis that is not observed in the related, well-characterized pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Different morphotypes of NTM have been recognized and characterized since the 1950s, but the mechanisms that underlie colony phenotype change and subsequent differences in pathogenicity are just beginning to be explored. Advances in genomic analysis have led to progress in identifying genes important to the pathogenesis and persistence of MAC disease as well as in illuminating genetic aspects of different colony morphotypes. Here we review recent literature regarding NTM ecology and transmission, as well as the factors which regulate colony morphotype and pathogenicity.
Stress avoidance in hiatus

Multiple languages avoid stressing the first of two vowels in hiatus. Evidence that this avoidance has a perceptual basis is shown by the results of a perceptual study. Antepenultimate and penultimate stress versions of 40 three-syllable Norwegian nonce words were played to English listeners, who were asked to identify whether stress was on the first or second syllable. It was found that listeners had significantly more trouble correctly identifying penultimate stress in cases of hiatus (that is, where the penultimate vowel was immediately followed by the vowel of the final syllable). Steriade (2012, 2017) has proposed that Interval Theory accounts for the lack of stress in this position because the weight domain is too small to fulfill the requirement to bear stress. While this account is compatible with the perceptual account proposed here, an examination of the possible weight domains of the stimuli used finds a problem for Interval Theory. The onset of a stressed syllable is found to significantly lengthen, but because Interval Theory takes this consonant to be part of the preceding, unstressed interval, interval durations are out of sync with the relative prominence of the weight domains in a word.
Screening War in Contemporary China: The Case of The Assembly

AbstractWar has been a prominent theme in cultural productions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Repeated representations by the socialist cinema and beyond have produced a revolutionary imagination of war that glorifies death and sacrifice, subsuming individual experience of pain and loss under the discourse of the Communist nation-building. This article focuses on a revisionist reading of the revolutionary imagination of war in Feng Xiaogang’s 2007 New Year Film The Assembly. It has a dual focus. First, it discusses the genre practice of war film in the mainland cinema and the relation among war film, representation of violence, heroism, and nation building. Then it examines how Feng’s visceral depiction of combat redirects the focus from the master narrative of nation-building to the individual. Second, focusing on the main character’s quest for honor for his fallen soldiers, this article explores how the film critiques the power structure of the revolutionary honor system that valorizes the rev...
Strengthening associated living: A Deweyan approach to occupational justice

The transactional perspective informed by John Dewey’s philosophy continues to mature in occupational science. Scholars have called for more attention to the community orientation within a transact...
Effect of anaerobic soil disinfestation amendment type and C:N ratio on Cyperus esculentus tuber sprouting, growth and reproduction.

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a cultural technique primarily targeted for control of soilborne plant pathogens, but can also impact weed propagules. A repeated pot study was conducted to evaluate ASD treatment impact on sprouting and growth of introduced Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutsedge) tubers using dry molasses‐based and wheat bran‐based amendment mixtures at four carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C:N) ratios (from 10:1 to 40:1) and compared with a non‐amended control. The mean percentage of sprouted tubers recovered after ASD treatment was lower for wheat bran‐based (42%) than dry molasses‐based (65%) amendments, and tuber production was 1.6‐fold higher in dry molasses‐based than wheat bran‐based treatments. The highest percentage of sprouted tubers (79%) and the highest mean production of large tubers (threefold higher than wheat bran‐based and 1.7‐fold higher than molasses‐based amendments) were observed for the non‐amended control. Tuber sprouting was significantly lower from all ASD treatments (regardless of amendment C:N ratio) compared with the non‐amended control at a 15 cm burial depth. New tuber production was lowest at C:N ratios of 10:1 and 20:1 and more than twofold higher in the non‐amended control. Wheat bran‐based amendments reduced above‐ground C. esculentus biomass compared with the non‐amended control and ASD treatments with molasses‐based amendments, and reduced below‐ground biomass compared with molasses‐based amendments. Above‐ground biomass was highest at amendment C:N ratio of 10:1, and below‐ground biomass was highest at amendment C:N ratio of 40:1 and the non‐amended control. ASD treatment with wheat bran‐based amendments at lower C:N ratios reduced tuber sprouting and reproduction compared with the non‐amended control, but not at rates high enough to use as a primary weed management tactic.
Coordination of Necessary and Permissive Signals by PTEN Inhibition for CNS Axon Regeneration

In the nearly 10 years since PTEN was identified as a prominent intrinsic inhibitor of CNS axon regeneration, the PTEN negatively regulated PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway has been intensively explored in diverse models of axon injury and diseases and its mechanism for axon regeneration is becoming clearer. It is therefore timely to summarize current knowledge and discuss future directions of translational regenerative research for neural injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Using mouse optic nerve crush as an in vivo retinal ganglion cell axon injury model, we have conducted an extensive molecular dissection of the PI3K-AKT pathway to illuminate the cross-regulating mechanisms in axon regeneration. AKT is the nodal point that coordinates both positive and negative signals to regulate adult CNS axon regeneration through two parallel pathways, activating mTORC1 and inhibiting GSK3ββ. Activation of mTORC1 or its effector S6K1 alone can only slightly promote axon regeneration, whereas blocking mTORC1 significantly prevent axon regeneration, suggesting the necessary role of mTORC1 in axon regeneration. However, mTORC1/S6K1-mediated feedback inhibition prevents potent AKT activation, which suggests a key permissive signal from an unidentified AKT-independent pathway is required for stimulating the neuron-intrinsic growth machinery. Future studies into this complex neuron-intrinsic balancing mechanism involving necessary and permissive signals for axon regeneration is likely to lead eventually to safe and effective regenerative strategies for CNS repair.
Probing a Plant Plasma Membrane Receptor Kinase’s Three-Dimensional Structure Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Footprinting

FERONIA (FER), one of the 17 malectin-like receptor-like kinases encoded in the Arabidopsis genome, acts as a receptor for a 5 kDa growth-inhibiting secreted protein hormone, rapid alkalinization factor 1 (RALF1). Upon binding the peptide ligand, FER is involved in a variety of signaling pathways eliciting ovule fertilization and vegetative root cell expansion. Here, we report the use of mass spectrometry-based, carbodiimide-mediated protein carboxyl group (aspartic and glutamic acid) footprinting to map solvent accessible amino acids of the ectodomain of FER (ectoFER), including those involved in RALF1 binding and/or allosteric changes. Aspartate and glutamate residues labeled in this procedure were located in various regions, including the N-terminus, malectin-like domains, and juxtamembrane region, and these correlated well with a three-dimensional structural model of ectoFER predicted from the crystal structure of a related receptor. Covalent cross-linking experiments also revealed the N-terminus of ectoFER linked to the highly conserved C-terminus of RALF1. RALF1 binding assays performed with truncation mutants of ectoFER further implicated the receptor N-terminal and juxtamembrane regions in the binding of RALF1. In conclusion, our results of mass spectrometry-based footprinting methods provide a framework for understanding ligand-induced changes in solvent accessibility and their positions within the three-dimensional structure of a plant receptor kinase.
Purinergic targeting enhances immunotherapy of CD73 + solid tumors with piggyBac-engineered chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells

The anti-tumor immunity of natural killer (NK) cells can be paralyzed by the CD73-induced generation of immunosuppressive adenosine from precursor ATP within the hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors. In an effort to redirect purinergic immunosuppression of NK cell anti-tumor function, we showed, for the first time, that immunometabolic combination treatment with NKG2D-engineered CAR-NK cells alongside blockade of CD73 ectonucleotidase activity can result in significant anti-tumor responses in vivo. NK cells were engineered non-virally with NKG2D.CAR-presenting vectors based on the piggyBac transposon system with DAP10 and CD3ζ co-signaling domains. The anti-tumor immunity of NKG2D.CAR.NK cells in combination with CD73 targeting was evaluated against multiple solid tumor targets in vitro and humanized mouse xenografts in immunodeficient tumor-bearing mice in vivo. Intratumoral migration was evaluated via immunohistochemical staining, while degranulation capacity and IFN-γ production of NK cells were measured in response to solid tumor targets. Our results showed that CD73 blockade can mediate effective purinergic reprogramming and enhance anti-tumor cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo by enhancing the killing ability of CAR-engineered NK cells against CD73+ solid tumor targets via mechanisms that might imply alleviation from adenosinergic immunometabolic suppression. CD73 blockade improved the intratumoral homing of CD56+ CAR-NK cells in vivo. These engineered NK cells showed synergistic therapeutic efficacy in combination with CD73 targeting against CD73+ human lung cancer xenograft models. Interestingly, CD73 blockade could inhibit tumor growth in vivo independently of adaptive immune cells, innate immunity or NK cell-mediated ADCC. Immunotherapies targeting the adenosinergic signaling cascade, which act by neutralizing CD73 ectoenzymatic activity, had thus far not been evaluated in humanized tumor models, nor had the implication of innate immunity been investigated. Taken together, our pre-clinical efficacy data demonstrate, for the first time, the potential of targeting CD73 to modulate purinergic signaling and enhance adoptive NK cell immunotherapy via mechanisms that could implicate autocrine tumor control as well as by mediating adenosinergic signaling.
Epstein-Barr virus incidental expression in bone marrow cells: a study of 230 consecutive bone marrow biopsy samples

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with many neoplastic hematologic conditions, but scattered EBV-positive cells can be detected in lymph nodes of healthy individuals and they usually represent latently infected lymphocytes. The incidence of EBV detection in normal bone marrow samples has not been studied and is largely unknown. The lack of knowledge regarding the true incidence of encountering bystander latent EBV-positive cells in the bone marrow may potentially lead to a diagnostic dilemma when assessing a staging bone marrow for a patient with an EBV-positive B or T/NK-cell lymphoma. The aim of our study was to investigate the rate of detection of EBV expression in bone marrow samples and correlate any positive findings with various clinical parameters including patient's age, sex, clinical history, immune status, and any neoplastic transformation if follow-up data are available. We retrospectively studied 230 consecutive bone marrow biopsies performed in 2013 and found 5 cases (2.17%) with scattered EBV-positive cells by in situ hybridization. The observed scattered EBV-positive cells are largely small in size and likely represent bystander, latently infected cells. The rate of detection of EBV-positive cells in the bone marrow appears to be slightly higher in immunodeficient individuals (3%) than in immunocompetent patients (1%).
Bilateral Boundary Control Design for a Cascaded Diffusion-ODE System Coupled at an Arbitrary Interior Point

We present a methodology for designing bilateral boundary controllers for a class of systems consisting of a coupled diffusion equation with an unstable ODE at an arbitrary interior point. A folding transformation is applied about the coupling point, transforming the system into an ODE with an input channel consisting of two coupled diffusive actuation paths. A target system with an exponentially stable trivial solution in the sense of L^2 X R^n is proposed, and the stability property is shown via the Lyapunov method. The stabilizing control laws are formulated via tiered Volterra transformations of the second kind, establishing an equivalence relation between the stable target system and the original plant under boundary feedback. Stability properties of the plant under feedback is inferred from the equivalence relation. The well-posedness of the backstepping transformations involved are studied, and the existence of bounded Volterra kernels is shown, constituting a sufficient condition for the invertibility of the Volterra transformations.
The Emergence of Nonbulk Properties in Supported Metal Clusters: Negative Thermal Expansion and Atomic Disorder in Pt Nanoclusters Supported on γ-Al2O3

The structural dynamics−cluster size and adsorbate-dependent thermal behaviors of the metal−metal (M−M) bond distances and interatomic order−of Pt nanoclusters supported on a γ-Al2O3 are described. Data from scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies reveal that these materials possess a dramatically nonbulklike nature. Under an inert atmosphere small, subnanometer Pt/γ-Al2O3 clusters exhibit marked relaxations of the M−M bond distances, negative thermal expansion (NTE) with an average linear thermal expansion coefficient α = (−2.4 ± 0.4) × 10−5 K−1, large static disorder and dynamical bond (interatomic) disorder that is poorly modeled within the constraints of classical theory. The data further demonstrate a significant temperature-dependence to the electronic structure of the Pt clusters, thereby suggesting the necessity of an active model to describe the cluster/support interactions mediating the cluster’s dynamical structure. The quantitative depen...
Derivation of a Model to Guide Empiric Therapy for Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Infection in an Endemic Area

Background Appropriate therapy for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infection (BSI) is often given late in the course of infection, and strategies for identifying CRKP BSI earlier are needed. Methods A retrospective case-control study was performed at a tertiary care hospital, university hospital, and community hospital in Bronx, New York. All participants had a blood culture sent and received an antibiotic within 48 hours of the culture. The case group (n = 163) had a blood culture with CRKP. The control group (n = 178) had a blood culture with carbapenem-susceptible Klebsiella. Data were obtained by electronic or conventional medical record abstraction. A multiple logistic regression model was built to identify associated factors and develop a clinical model for CRKP BSI. Model performance characteristics were estimated using a 10-fold cross-validation analysis. Results A prior nonblood culture with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, skilled nursing facility (SNF) residence, mechanical ventilation, and admission >3 days were strongly associated risk factors. A significant interaction led to development of separate clinical models for subjects admitted <3 days at the time of positive blood culture from those admitted at least 3 days. The derived models had a good ability to discriminate between subjects with and without CRKP BSI. A clinical classification rule to guide therapy can prioritize sensitivity or specificity. Conclusions Prior nonblood cultures showing resistance and exposure to SNF and health care settings are factors associated with carbapenem resistance. The clinical classification rules derived in this work should be validated for ability to guide therapy.
Decision Making Across Adulthood

This review summarizes research and theory on aging and decision making. We trace the conceptual and historical origins of using behavioral decision-making tasks to identify age differences in deci...
Decomposing Producer Price Risk: A New Policy Analysis Tool With An Application to Northern Kenyan Livestock Markets

This paper introduces a simple method of price risk decomposition that determines the extent to which producer price risk is attributable to volatile inter-market margins, intra-day variation, intra-week (day of week) variation, or terminal market price variability. We apply the method to livestock markets in northern Kenya, a setting of dramatic price volatility where price stabilization is a live policy issue. In this particular application, we find that large, variable inter-market basis is the most important factor in explaining producer price risk in animals typically traded between markets. Local market conditions explain most price risk in other markets, in which traded animals rarely exit the region. Variability in terminal market prices accounts for relatively little price risk faced by pastoralists in the dry lands of northern Kenya although this is the focus of most present policy prescriptions under discussion.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable bedside diagnostic tool for a variety of expeditious clinical assessments or as guidance for a multitude of acute care procedures. Varying aspects of nearly all organ systems can be evaluated using POCUS and, with the increasing availability of affordable ultrasound systems over the past decade, many now refer to POCUS as the 21st-century stethoscope. With the current available and growing evidence for the clinical value of POCUS, its utility across the perioperative arena adds enormous benefit to clinical decision-making. Cardiothoracic anesthesiologists routinely have used portable ultrasound systems for nearly as long as the technology has been available, making POCUS applications a natural extension of existing cardiothoracic anesthesia practice. This narrative review presents a broad discussion of the utility of POCUS for the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist in varying perioperative contexts, including the preoperative clinic, the operating room (OR), intensive care unit (ICU), and others. Furthermore, POCUS-related education, competence, and certification are addressed.
The Administrative and Ethical Considerations of Climate Resilience: The Politics and Consequences of Climate Change

Public servants responsiveness and administrative responsibilities to their constituents in local communities are identified through the set of ethical standards predominantly resulting in good gov...
Finite gyroradius multidimensional electron hole equilibria

Finite electron gyroradius influences on the trapping and charge density distribution of electron holes of limited transverse extent are calculated analytically and explored by numerical orbit integration in low to moderate magnetic fields. Parallel trapping is shown to depend upon the gyroaveraged potential energy and to give rise to gyroaveraged charge deficit. Both types of average are expressible as convolutions with perpendicular Gaussians of width equal to the thermal gyroradius. Orbit-following confirms these phenomena but also confirms for the first time in self-consistent potential profiles the importance of gyrobounce resonance detrapping and consequent velocity diffusion on stochastic orbits. The averaging strongly reduces the trapped electron deficit that can be sustained by any potential profile whose transverse width is comparable to the gyroradius rg. It effectively prevents equilibrium widths smaller than ∼ r g for times longer than a quarter parallel-bounce-period. Avoiding gyrobounce resonance detrapping is even more restrictive, except for very small potential amplitudes, but it takes multiple bounce periods to act. Quantitative criteria are given for both types of orbit loss.
Dantrolene Prevents the Lymphostasis Caused by Doxorubicin in the Rat Mesenteric Circulation

Background and Purpose: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a risk factor for arm lymphedema in breast cancer patients. We reported that DOX opens ryanodine receptors (RYRs) to enact "calcium leak," which disrupts the rhythmic contractions of lymph vessels (LVs) to attenuate lymph flow. Here, we evaluated whether dantrolene, a clinically available RYR1 subtype antagonist, prevents the detrimental effects of DOX on lymphatic function. Experimental Approach: Isolated rat mesenteric LVs were cannulated, pressurized (4-5 mm Hg) and equilibrated in physiological salt solution and Fura-2AM. Video microscopy recorded changes in diameter and Fura-2AM fluorescence tracked cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+ i]). High-speed in vivo microscopy assessed mesenteric lymph flow in anesthetized rats. Flow cytometry evaluated RYR1 expression in freshly isolated mesenteric lymphatic muscle cells (LMCs). Key Results: DOX (10 μmol/L) increased resting [Ca2+ i] by 17.5 ± 3.7% in isolated LVs (n = 11). The rise in [Ca2+ i] was prevented by dantrolene (3 μmol/L; n = 10). A single rapid infusion of DOX (10 mg/kg i.v.) reduced positive volumetric lymph flow to 29.7 ± 10.8% (n = 7) of baseline in mesenteric LVs in vivo. In contrast, flow in LVs superfused with dantrolene (10 μmol/L) only decreased to 76.3 ± 14.0% (n = 7) of baseline in response to DOX infusion. Subsequently, expression of the RYR1 subtype protein as the presumed dantrolene binding site was confirm in isolated mesenteric LMCs by flow cytometry. Conclusion and Implications: We conclude that dantrolene attenuates the acute impairment of lymph flow by DOX and suggest that its prophylactic use in patients subjected to DOX chemotherapy may lower lymphedema risk.
Salmonella meningitis in children at Texas Children's Hospital

Salmonella spp., a common cause of gastroenteritis, can result in invasive infections in children. While reported in developing countries, Salmonella meningitis has rarely been described in the United States. To evaluate the incidence and clinical characteristics of Salmonella meningitis at Texas Children's Hospital, we conducted a retrospective chart review to identify children up to 18 years of age with positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures for Salmonella from 2000 to 2010. Salmonella meningitis occurred in 7 of 112 (6.5%) cases of invasive Salmonella infection in children at our institution. Non-typhi Salmo- nella species were isolated in all cerebrospinal fluid samples, but only one had bacteremia. Patients were otherwise healthy infants under 4 months of age with no travel history. The most frequent symptoms at presentation included irritability, fever and diarrhea. Management and treatment regimens were varied. All infants survived and recovered without sequelae. Patients who received longer duration of intravenous antibiotics had a longer hospital stay, required central venous access, and developed side effects from medications. Non-typhi Salmonella meningitis was exclusively diagnosed in healthy infants younger than 4 months of age, and was not associated with high morbidity or mortality. Evaluation for meningitis is warranted in infants with gastro- enteritis and systemic symptoms such as fever and irritability. The management of non-typhi Salmonella meningitis in children is not standardized and deserves further evaluation.
Performance-based Pricing Models in Online Advertising

The Internet is a much more accountable and measurable medium than traditional media. The unique property of the Internet being a medium with bidirectional information flows has enabled performance-based pricing models that tie online advertising payments directly to campaign measurement data such as click-throughs and purchases. These pricing models have become increasingly popular in the online advertising industry. This paper provides explanations as to when and how incorporating performance-based pricing models into advertising deals can be profitable. We argue that the publisher can make non-contractible efforts that may improve the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These efforts are costly to the publisher. Therefore, performance-based pricing models can be used to give the publisher proper incentives to make its efforts. We derive an optimal contract that maximizes the sum of the advertiser's utility and the publisher's utility, and show that key factors that influence the use of performance-based pricing models are the importance of the publisher's incremental efforts, precision of click-through measurement, and uncertainty in the product market. We also clarify issues that are being debated in the industry, such as how the importance of the advertiser's incremental efforts and existence of non-immediate purchases affect the use of performance-based pricing models.
THE TRANSITION 1s]g-2p]u IN H$sub 2$$sup +$ INDUCED BY COLLISION WITH AN ELECTRON, PROTON, OR HYDROGEN ATOM

The first Born approximation to the transition $1s{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}\ensuremath{-}2p{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}$ in ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$ is developed. The internal degrees of freedom of the molecular ion are treated explicitly, and in a manner that takes advantage of the dissociative nature of the $2p{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{u}$ state. The resulting total cross section is found to depend on the initial vibrational state. Numerical results are presented in graphical form for the cases in which this process is caused by collision with an electron, proton, or hydrogen atom. In each case the total cross section is given for all 19 bound vibrational states of the ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$ ground state (the $1s{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}$ orbital). In the electron and proton cases the cross section for the lowest ($\ensuremath{\nu}=0$) vibrational state is observed to be two orders of magnitude lower than the cross section for the last ($\ensuremath{\nu}=18$) bound vibrational state. The dependence on initial vibrational state in the hydrogen-atom case is not as dramatic as in the bare-charge cases, but simultaneous excitation of the hydrogen atom is demonstrated to be an important factor in the shape and magnitude of the cross section. A method of summing simultaneous excitations is presented for the situation in which one particle undergoes a specific transition and the other particle is left in an unspecified state.
MY EXPERIENCES WITH E-LEARNING: MANAGING THE TECHNOLOGICAL JUGGERNAUT

Technological advancements have created a variety of opportunities in terms of course delivery. Technology can be added to, or even replace, the traditional classroom. The rapid expansion of courses and programs offered through the Internet, to me, resembles a juggernaut. In a pilot project, the graduate level Public Financial Management course was recently offered completely on-line in the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Oklahoma. This article describes the course and my experiences in attempting to manage the technological juggernaut. It also presents outcomes and students' reactions as well as offering suggestions for on-line course delivery and comments about future directions.
Archaeal chromatin and transcription

Archaea contain a variety of sequence-independent DNA binding proteins consistent with the evolution of several different, sometimes overlapping and exchangeable solutions to the problem of genome compaction. Some of these proteins undergo residue-specific post-translational lysine acetylation or methylation, hinting at analogues of the histone modifications that regulate eukaryotic chromatin structure and transcription. Archaeal transcription initiation most closely resembles the eukaryotic RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) system, but Archaea do not appear to have homologues of the multisubunit complexes that remodel eukaryotic chromatin and activate RNAPII initiation. In contrast, they have sequence-specific regulators that repress and perhaps activate archaeal transcription by mechanisms superficially similar to the bacterial paradigm of regulating promoter binding by RNAP. Repressors compete with archaeal TATA-box binding protein (TBP) and TFB for the TATA-box and TFB-recognition elements (BRE) of the archaeal promoter, or with archaeal RNAP for the site of transcription initiation. Transcript-specific regulation by repressors binding to sites of transcript initiation is consistent with such sites having very little sequence conservation. However, most Archaea have only one TBP and/or TFB that presumably must therefore bind to similar TATA-box and BRE sequences upstream of most genes. Repressors that function by competing with TBP and/or TFB binding must therefore also make additional contacts with transcript-specific regulatory sites adjacent or remote from the TATA-box/BRE region. The fate of the archaeal TBP and TFB following transcription initiation remains to be determined. Based on functional homology with their eukaryotic RNAPII-system counterparts, archaeal TBP and possibly also TFB should remain bound to the TATA-box/BRE region after transcription initiation. However, this seems unlikely as it might limit repressor competition at this site to only the first round of transcription initiation.
Fiber Parameter Studies with the OTDR

Most of the important fiber parameters can be measured using the optical-time-domainreflectometer or OTDR. These parameters include: attenuation; bandwidth; location and insertion loss of faults, defects and connectors; mode mixing length;1 and under some conditions, scattering loss may be separated from absorption in attenuation measurements.
Isolating order semantics in order-sensitive xquery-to-SQL translation

Order is essential for XML query processing. Efficient XML processing with order consideration over relational storage is non-trivial, especially for complex nested XQuery expressions. The order semantics may impede efficient query rewriting for nested query blocks.We propose a general order-sensitive XQuery processing approach involving three steps. First an algorithm is proposed for inferencing about and then isolating the order semantics in XQuery expressions specified over virtual XML views. This turns an ordered XQuery plan into an unordered one decorated with minimized order context annotations. Then without loss of semantics, logical optimization via XQuery rewriting can be easily applied to this transformed query plan. As last step, the translation of the optimized logical plan into SQL now correctly incorporates the order context annotations to assure the original order semantics. Our experiments illustrate the performance gains achievable by our order handling strategy.
Age‐related differences in working memory deficits during nicotine withdrawal

Nicotine withdrawal is associated with subtle working memory deficits that predict subsequent relapse. We examined the neural substrates underlying these processes in treatment-seeking smokers, and explored the moderating influence of age on abstinence-induced alterations in brain activity and performance. Sixty-three smokers participated in two blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging scans while performing a visual N-back task on two separate occasions: smoking as usual and after 24 hours of biochemically confirmed abstinence (order counterbalanced). Abstinence (versus smoking) led to reduced accuracy, slower median correct response time and reduced BOLD signal change in the three a priori regions of interest: medial frontal/cingulate gyrus and right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Significant age × session effects were found for BOLD signal change in all three regions, as well as for withdrawal and craving; for all measures, abstinence effects were attenuated in smokers aged ≥50 years compared with those <50 years old. These results suggest that abstinence effects on neurocognitive function may be more pronounced for younger smokers, and may indicate a new avenue for research exploring mechanisms underlying age differences in smoking cessation success.
Progress with the COGENT Edge Kinetic Code: Implementing the Fokker‐Planck Collision Operator

Here, COGENT is a continuum gyrokinetic code for edge plasma simulations being developed by the Edge Simulation Laboratory collaboration. The code is distinguished by application of a fourth-order finite-volume (conservative) discretization, and mapped multiblock grid technology to handle the geometric complexity of the tokamak edge. The distribution function F is discretized in v∥ – μ (parallel velocity – magnetic moment) velocity coordinates, and the code presently solves an axisymmetric full-f gyro-kinetic equation coupled to the long-wavelength limit of the gyro-Poisson equation. COGENT capabilities are extended by implementing the fully nonlinear Fokker-Plank operator to model Coulomb collisions in magnetized edge plasmas. The corresponding Rosenbluth potentials are computed by making use of a finite-difference scheme and multipole-expansion boundary conditions. Details of the numerical algorithms and results of the initial verification studies are discussed. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Water quality has a pronounced effect on cholesterol-induced accumulation of Alzheimer amyloid beta (Abeta) in rabbit brain

Increased circulating cholesterol is known to promote risk of coronary artery disease. It is now emerging that cholesterol promotes production and accumulation of amyloid beta (Abeta) deposited in the hallmark pathologic lesion of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the senile plaque, perhaps by shifting away from normal metabolism of amyloid beta protein precursor (AbetaPP) to beta. Previous studies employing the cholesterol-fed rabbit model of AD demonstrated that induction of AD-like Abeta accumulation in brain could be reversed by co-administration of cholesterol lowering drugs or removing cholesterol, prompted initiation of an AD Cholesterol-Lowering (Statin) Treatment Trial. We now present data that identify a previously unrecognized role for dietary water quality on the severity of neuropathology induced by elevated cholesterol. Neuronal accumulation of Abeta induced by increased circulating concentrations of cholesterol in the New Zealand white rabbit is attenuated when distilled drinking water is administered compared to use of tap water. The numbers of neurons in cholesterol-fed rabbits that exhibited Abeta immunoreactivity, relative to normal chow-fed controls, increased approximately 2.5 fold among animals on tap water but only approximately 1.9 fold among animals on distilled water. This yielded a statistically significant approximately 28% reduction due to the use of distilled water. In addition, the subjectively assessed intensity of neuronal Abeta immunoreactivity was consistently reduced among cholesterol-fed rabbits allowed distilled drinking water compared to cholesterol-fed rabbits on tap water. As intensity of antibody immunoreactivity is likely related to concentration of antigen, the identified difference among cholesterol-fed rabbits allowed distilled drinking water may hold greater importance than a significant reduction in numbers of affected neurons. The effect on neuronal Abeta immunoreactivity intensity was observable among cholesterol-fed rabbits reared and allowed tap water when performing studies in three distinct locales. Pilot data suggest the possibility of increased clearance of Abeta from the brain, identified as increased blood levels, among cholesterol-fed rabbits administered distilled water compared to animals on tap water. The agent(s) occurring in tap water, excluded by distillation, promoting accumulation of neuronal Abeta immunoreactivity is(are) yet undisclosed, but arsenic, manganese, aluminum, zinc, mercury, iron and nitrate have tentatively been excluded because they were not identifiable (below detection limits) in the tap water of the three locales where the cholesterol-induced neuropathologic difference was observable. These findings suggest that water quality may impact on human health in the setting of increased circulating cholesterol levels, and could illustrate a truly simple life-style change that could be of benefit in AD.
Differential collision cross sections of argon and neon

Abstract The elastic differential collision cross sections of argon with itself and neon with itself have been measured using the modulated molecular beam technique with mass spectrometric detection.
A summary of the strength and modulus of ice samples from multi-year pressure ridges

Plus de deux cents essais de compression non confines ont ete realise sur de la glace verticale obtenus a partir de barre comprimes plusieurs dizaines d'annees dans la Mer de Beaufort. Les essais ont ete realise sur une machine d'essais electrohydraulique a boucle fermee a deux taux de contraintes (10 −5 et 10 −3 a −1 ) et deux temperatures (−20°C et −5°C). Cet article resume la preparation des echantillons et les techniques d'essais utilisees dans l'etude et presente des donnees de la force de compression et le module initial tangent de la glace
Dislocation Mobilities in GaN from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dislocation glide in GaN using a Tersoff potential are presented. The simulation methodology involves applying a constant shear stress to a single crystal system containing an individual dislocation, with multiple slip systems considered. Upon reaching a steady state, the dislocation velocity as a function of applied stress and temperature are determined. Edge dislocations with a-type Burgers vectors in the basal, prismatic and pyramidal planes have been analyzed over the temperature range of 300–1300K. The results from simulations of c-type edge dislocations at 1300 K are also presented.
A Uniform Approach to the Analysis of Trie Structures That Store Prefixing-Keys

Triesare data structures for storing sets where each element is represented by a key that can be viewed as a string of characters over a finite alphabet. These structures have been extensively studied and analyzed under several probability models. All of these models, however, preclude the occurrence of sets in which the key of one element is a prefix of that of another?such a key is called aprefixing-key. This paper presents an average case analysis of several trie varieties, which we generically calledprefixing-tries, for representing sets with “unrestricted” keys, that is, sets in which the key of one element may be a prefix of that of another. The underlying probability model, which we call theprefix model, Ph,n,massumes as equally likely alln-element sets whose keys are composed of at mosthcharacters from a fixed alphabet of sizem. For each of the trie varieties analyzed, we derive exact formulas for the expected space required to store such a set, and the average time required to retrieve an element given its key, as functions ofh,n, andm. Our approach to the analysis is of interest in its own right. It provides a unifying framework for computing the expectations of a wide class of random variables with respect to the prefix model. This class includes the cost functions of the trie varieties analyzed here.
Deciphering Protein Molecular Signatures in Cancer Tissues to Aid in Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy

Protein signatures in disease, a portion of the protein complement of cells that directly reflects disease related changes, provide a unique data set that may be correlated with or be an aid to more effective diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy. A recent article in this Journal from the author's laboratory described the protein analysis of glioma tissue and the discovery of protein signatures for assessing the stage of disease as well as their correlation with patient survival. This investigation used direct proteomic analysis of glioma biopsies, the discovery of molecular signatures for stage and outcome, and identification of specific proteins of this signature group. This minireview discusses the background and present state of the technology used in this work and the role that direct tissue analysis can play in the discovery of high-quality protein signatures.
Stochastic choice models: A comparison between Bush-Mosteller and a source-independent reward-following model

Abstract Horner and Staddon (1987) argued that a class of reward-following processes defined by a property they termed ratio invariance is a better model for the probabilistic choice performance of pigeons than competing molecular accounts such as momentary maximizing, melioration, and the Bush–Mosteller model. The critical data were provided by choice distributions—distributions of a variable S, the proportion of Right choices, defined on a moving window typically 32 choices long—obtained under a frequency-dependent schedule. The schedule prescribed equal payoff probabilities, p(S), for both choices. p(S) was a maximum when S = 0.5 and declined linearly for S values above and below 0.5. Pigeons showed generally bimodal choice distributions with the modes at equal p(S) values. These data do not follow easily from melioration or momentary maximizing and are inconsistent with molar maximizing, but they may be consistent with Bush–Mosteller. We present here the results of computer simulations showing that the ratio-invariance model studied yields, as expected, choice modes at equal p(S) values, but that Bush–Mosteller, although capable of generating bimodal choice distributions, does not have choice modes at equal p(S) values.