cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experiments on the use of ethyl mercury phosphate and other materials for treating sugar‐beet seed

SUMMARY Steeping sugar-beet seed in ethyl mercury phosphate solution controlled Pleospoya betae and increased the emergence of seedlings in the field more than did ‘short-wet’ fungicide treatments, spraying EMP solution on to the seed, or steeping in other fungicides.
Activation of inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK1) by co-expressed rat brain cannabinoid receptors in Xenopus oocytes

Abstract The neuronal cannabinoid receptor clone was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes as shown by the expression of saturable [3H]WIN 55,212-2 binding sites. Co-expression of the cannabinoid receptor with cRNA coding for the G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ channel (GIRK1) resulted in oocytes exhibiting large inward K+ currents in response to the cannobinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2. The activation of the potassium current by WIN 55,212-2 was dose-dependent with an EC50 of 630 nM. These results suggest that activation of inwardly rectifying K+ channels may be an additional effector mechanism for brain cannabinoid receptors.
Alteration of hMSH2 and DNA Polymerase β Genes in Breast Carcinomas and Fibroadenomas

Abstract Genomic stability is preserved by error-free DNA replication, post-replicative proofreading, DNA repair, and recombinational events. In essence, DNA repair genes are recognized to play key roles in such stability. We report evidence for expression of the wild-type and a truncated form of DNA polymerase β (polβ) proteins, a base-excision repair gene, in breast carcinomas and fibroadenomas, a benign breast disease. An 87-bp deleted variant of polβ was identified to be prevalent in microsatellite unstable breast tumors and fibroadenomas. A large deletion of 1476 bp, as well as point mutations in human MutS homolog 2 (hMSH2) cDNA, was revealed in breast carcinomas. The protein truncation assay confirmed the 1476-bp deletion as a premature protein. This is the first evidence for variant forms of hMSH2 that are associated with breast cancer. Genomic instability in the hMSH2 and polβ genes may facilitate the occurrence of mutator phenotype in breast cancer.
Doping-Tunable Metamaterials in the Mid-Infrared

We demonstrate tunable metamaterials for the mid-infrared (8-12 µm) based on split ring resonators fabricated on doped InSb semiconductor substrates.
Why soil erosion models over-predict small soil losses and under-predict large soil losses

Abstract Evaluation of various soil erosion models with large data sets have consistently shown that these models tend to over-predict soil erosion for small measured values, and under-predict soil erosion for larger measured values. This trend appears to be consistent regardless of whether the soil erosion value of interest is for individual storms, annual totals, or average annual soil losses, and regardless of whether the model is empirical or physically based. The hypothesis presented herein is that this phenomenon is not necessarily associated with bias in model predictions as a function of treatment, but rather with limitations in representing the random component of the measured data within treatments (i.e., between replicates) with a deterministic model. A simple example is presented, showing how even a `perfect' deterministic soil erosion model exhibits bias relative to small and large measured erosion rates. The concept is further tested and verified on a set of 3007 measured soil erosion data pairs from storms on natural rainfall and run-off plots using the best possible, unbiased, real-world model, i.e., the physical model represented by replicated plots. The results of this study indicate that the commonly observed bias, in erosion prediction models relative to over-prediction of small and under-prediction of large measured erosion rates on individual data points, is normal and expected if the model is accurately predicting erosion rates as a function of environmental conditions, i.e., treatments.
The stimulatory effect of organic acids on tobacco mosaic virus multiplication.

Abstract Acetic, aconitic, α-ketoglutaric, citric, formic, glycolic, fumaric, malic, oxalic, pyruvic, and succinic acids all caused a significant increase in the yield of tobacco mosaic virus in inoculated leaf discs. Samples of leaf discs, each weighing 300 mg, and which were floated on oxalic and malic acids, absorbed 2 and 10 mg of acid, respectively, during a 4-day period.
Mental effort and task interference in auditory attention

Dual-task performance was examined in three experiments. The primary task was to repeat or to add one to four digits presented auditorily at a rate of 1 digit/second. This primary task was combined with three different secondary tasks in which subjects listened to a list of words either for later recognition of some of the words (Experiment 1) or for detection and a later report of a target word (Experiments 2 and 3). Different patterns of task interference were obtained. Recognition performance was sensitive to between-task variations in capacity demands but did not reflect momentary attentional demands within the primary task. Detection performance reflected both between-task and within-task variation in capacity demands of the primary task. The interference between the primary and the secondary task was mutual, with more interference when the selection-cue in the detection task was a category name than when it was the target word itself. These findings are discussed in terms of effort theory of attention and the role of attentional strategies in dual-task performance.
Eighty-five per cent of what? Discrepancies in the weight cut-off for anorexia nervosa substantially affect the prevalence of underweight.

BackgroundDSM-IV cites <85% of expected body weight (EBW) as a guideline for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) but does not require a specific method for calculating EBW. The purpose of the present study was to determine the degree to which weight cut-off calculations vary across studies, and to evaluate whether differential cut-offs lead to discrepancies in the prevalence of individuals who are eligible for the AN diagnosis.MethodTwo coders independently recorded the EBW calculation methods from 99 studies that either (a) compared individuals with AN to those with subclinical eating disorders or (b) conducted AN treatment trials. Each weight cut-off was applied to a nationally representative (n=12001) and treatment-seeking (n=189) sample to determine the impact of EBW calculation on the proportion who met the AN weight criterion.ResultsCoders identified 10 different EBW methods, each of which produced different weight cut-offs for the diagnosis of AN. Although only 0.23% of the national sample met the lowest cut-off, this number increased 43-fold to 10.10% under the highest cut-off. Similarly, only 48.1% of treatment seekers met the lowest cut-off, whereas 89.4% met the highest.ConclusionsThere is considerable variance across studies in the determination of the AN weight cut-off. Discrepancies substantially affect the proportion of individuals who are eligible for diagnosis, treatment and insurance reimbursement. However, differences may not be fully appreciated because the ubiquitous citation of the 85% criterion creates a sense of false consensus.
A bio-inspired method and system for visual object-based attention and segmentation

This paper describes a method and system of human-like attention and object segmentation in visual scenes that (1) attends to regions in a scene in their rank of saliency in the image, (2) extracts the boundary of an attended proto-object based on feature contours, and (3) can be biased to boost the attention paid to specific features in a scene, such as those of a desired target object in static and video imagery. The purpose of the system is to identify regions of a scene of potential importance and extract the region data for processing by an object recognition and classification algorithm. The attention process can be performed in a default, bottom-up manner or a directed, top-down manner which will assign a preference to certain features over others. One can apply this system to any static scene, whether that is a still photograph or imagery captured from video. We employ algorithms that are motivated by findings in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science to construct a system that is novel in its modular and stepwise approach to the problems of attention and region extraction, its application of a flooding algorithm to break apart an image into smaller proto-objects based on feature density, and its ability to join smaller regions of similar features into larger proto-objects. This approach allows many complicated operations to be carried out by the system in a very short time, approaching real-time. A researcher can use this system as a robust front-end to a larger system that includes object recognition and scene understanding modules; it is engineered to function over a broad range of situations and can be applied to any scene with minimal tuning from the user.
A Consilient Science and Humanities in McEwan's Enduring Love

In his article "A Consilient Science and the Humanities in McEwan's Enduring Love" Curtis D. Carbonell provides a reading of a Third Culture novel that foregrounds the relationship of the sciences and the humanities. In Ian McEwan's novel we see a perfect example of how literary thinkers are listening to the world of science and speaking to it in return. This article responds to Stephen Greenberg's ideas about how Neo-Darwinian themes in the novel point to social themes by arguing that what underlies both of these is a deeper structure: the tension between C.P. Snow's Two Cultures, which is only one cycle in a longer engagement/conflict between science and the humanities. In particular, Carbonell reads McEwan's primary character, science-minded thinker Joe Rose, as juxtaposed by two foils that represent the humanities: a Keats's scholar, his wife Clarissa, and a religious fanatic and erotomaniac, Jed Parry. Carbonell analyzes the novel demonstrating that Joe's rationality is not quite so rational. McEwan represents Joe as a complex character to complicate a falsely simplistic dichotomy of the sciences and the humanities. The novel is best read, therefore, as an example of how a Third Culture might be envisioned as a true melding of the two categories. Curtis D. Carbonell, "Consilient Science and Humanities in McEwan's Enduring Love" page 2 of 11 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 12.3 (2010):
Self-Efficacy, Stress, and Parental Adaptation: Applications to the Care of Childbearing Families:

Successful adaptation to parenthood may require that parents believe they have the ability to succeed at this challenging task Relationships of selficacy, stress, and parental adaptation were asses...
Direction and specificity of the axonal and transcellular transport of nucleosides.

Abstract The axoplasmic transport of nucleosides or their derivatives has been examined autoradiographically in avian and mammalian brains. Following injections of [3H]-adenosine or [3H]uridine intravitreally in chicks and rats or into the thalamus or neocortex of rats, three findings emerge: (1) axoplasmic transport of these materials occurs both in the anterograde and retrograde direction in birds and mammals; (2) anterograde transport in the axons of injected cells results in considerable cellular labeling in the region in which the axons terminate. This labeling is not exclusively transsynaptic, but probably results from some less specific, transcellular transport, since glial cells at the terminal site and along the path of the axons also become labeled; (3) injection of [3H]uridine in the chick optic and rat thalamocorticol systems results in a pattern of labeling which differs considerably from that seen after injection of [3H]adenosine. After [3H]adenosine injections in the chick eye or rat thalamus, retrograde cell labeling is far more obvious than anterograde, transcellular labeling; after injections of [3H]uridine, anterograde, transcellular labeling is more intense than retrograde cell labeling.
Internet-Based Mapping Prototype for Integration with an Electronic Freight Theft Management System

The annual cost of freight theft in the United States is estimated to range between $15 billion and $30 billion. This statistic supports the importance of working toward increased prevention of freight theft and recovery. Current programs and technologies to help reduce freight theft include asset tracking using the Global Positioning System and radio frequency identification, as well as electronic manifests, which have been used to combat freight theft. Despite this progress, theft continues to be a significant cost to the freight industry. Important advancements have been made in technologies that could provide more support for law enforcement to assist in apprehending criminals. A new Internet-based mapping prototype that adds spatial analytical capabilities to the Electronic Freight Theft Management System, freight theft software developed by researchers at the Center for Advanced Transportation Systems Simulation at the University of Central Florida. This prototype integrates several technologies including the geographic information system (GIS), Map Server, and the Internet. It is capable of providing location information on individual thefts, a clustered view of related thefts, and an aggregated view of thefts at the county level. The web interface provides a mechanism for end users to perform spatial and aspatial queries on the database. The theft location and other relevant GIS data sets such as demographics, crime data, and street networks help in deciphering spatial patterns and trends of freight thefts. The mapping prototype is an effective spatial tool that can provide timely, reliable, and critical information to law enforcement officers for controlling and ultimately reducing freight theft.
GROUND MOVEMENTS CAUSED BY CAISSON INSTALLATION AT THE LURIE EXCAVATION PROJECT

Lateral deformation caused by the installation of 0.76 m to 1.5 m diameter, caissons were measured by inclinometers placed at the excavation for the Lurie Research Center in Chicago, Il. The bells of the caissons were founded at an average elevation of -23.8 m Chicago City Datum (CCD). Subsurface conditions at the site and construction techniques used to install the caissons were described. Eight inclinometers were placed around the perimeter of the site and one inclinometer was placed in ad hoc test section consisting of two caissons located in the interior of the site. The ad hoc test section and production caisson inclinometer responses are compared. The times needed to construct the production caissons around the exterior of the site and the test section caissons were very similar so that the time-dependent responses of the clays squeezing into the caisson did not cause differences in the observed responses. Larger ground movements were observed adjacent to the production caissons located near the perimeter of the temporary wall than adjacent the two caissons located at the test section in the interior of the site. The performance data show a correlation between lateral movements caused by installing caissons and the stability number. A finite element simulation models the stress differences between the production and test section caissons. An empirical means to estimate the movements associated with caisson construction is provided.
Inhibition of renal Na+, K+-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity by ethacrynic acid

Abstract The inhibition by ethacrynic acid (EA) of Na + ,K + -activated, Mg 2+ -dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in a heavy microsomal preparation from guinea pig kidney was studied. The mean control activity of the preparation was 11.9 ± 0.5 μ moles P 1 /mg protein/15 min at 37° in the presence of Na + , K + and Mg 2+ , and 4.1 ±0.1 in the presence of Mg 2+ alone. The effect of EA, unlike the selective action of ouabain, was to decrease nonselectively both total NaKMg-ATPase and Mg-ATPase activity. Inhibition by EA was nearly two orders of magnitude less than that obtained by ouabain and p -hydroxymercuribenzoate (POMB). Cysteine added to the incubation medium partially blocked ATPase inhibition by either EA or the known sulfhydryl inhibitor, POMB. The extent of the block by cysteine increased as the cysteine:drug molar ratio increased. There was an apparent relationship between sulfhydryl reactivity assayed by Ellman's reagent (dithio-bis-nitrobenzoate) and ATPase inhibition for ethacrynic acid and its cyclic analogues. These data support the interaction between EA and enzyme sulfhydryl groups originally suggested by others. Preincubation of EA and the enzyme prior to dilution for the usual incubation produced an inhibition corresponding to the high drug level of the preincubation period rather than the final diluted concentration. This lack of dissociation of the EA-enzyme complex upon dilution, in contrast to the dissociation observed in similar experiments with POMB, a known reversible inhibitor, suggests an irreversible interaction between EA and ATPase in vitro .
Thermodynamics of the Phase Formation of the Titanium Silicides

Vaporization thermodynamics in the titanium−silicon binary system has been studied by a Knudsen effusion−mass spectrometer technique. The equilibrium vapor pressure of silicon gas over two-phase mi...
Antigenic relatedness of small ribonucleoprotein particles

We have examined the relationships among small ribonucleoprotein particles found in eucaryotic cells by an antigen depletion technique using autoimmune antibodies. We have confirmed that the (U1) ribonucleoprotein particle antigen is found on the same complex as the Sm antigen. We have also shown that the Ro antigen is found on the same complexes as the La antigen. However, both Sm and La antigens are also found on complexes that are never associated with (U1) ribonucleoprotein particle and Ro, respectively. Further, U1 containing complexes can exist that contain the Sm antigen but not the (U1) ribonucleoprotein particle antigen. In a similar manner, we find several La-Ro RNA containing complexes that carry the La antigen but do not always carry the Ro antigen. Sm and La antigen are quantitatively associated with their specific ribonucleoprotein complexes.
Social Support Mediates Loneliness and Human Herpesvirus Type 6 (HHV‐6) Antibody Titers

The current study investigated the impact of a severe environmental stressor and the role that declining social integration played in mediating its effect on loneliness and immune status. Increased loneliness and decreased social support in the months following the stressor (storm) were significantly associated with increased HHV-6 antibody titers, reflecting poorer control over the virus. Poorer social integration mediated the relationship between loneliness and HHV-6, even after controlling for nonspecific polyclonal B-cell activation, disease status (CD3+CD4+ cell counts), living arrangements, acute social losses (bereavement), and potential disruptions in social-support resources. These findings suggest that specific elements of social support may explain the oft-noted negative effects of loneliness on the immune system, and generalized to a medically vulnerable population.
Hypothalamic K ATP channels control hepatic glucose production

Obesity is the driving force behind the worldwide increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycaemia is a hallmark of diabetes and is largely due to increased hepatic gluconeogenesis. The medial hypothalamus is a major integrator of nutritional and hormonal signals, which play pivotal roles not only in the regulation of energy balance but also in the modulation of liver glucose output. Bidirectional changes in hypothalamic insulin signalling therefore result in parallel changes in both energy balance and glucose metabolism. Here we show that activation of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels in the mediobasal hypothalamus is sufficient to lower blood glucose levels through inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Finally, the infusion of a K(ATP) blocker within the mediobasal hypothalamus, or the surgical resection of the hepatic branch of the vagus nerve, negates the effects of central insulin and halves the effects of systemic insulin on hepatic glucose production. Consistent with these results, mice lacking the SUR1 subunit of the K(ATP) channel are resistant to the inhibitory action of insulin on gluconeogenesis. These findings suggest that activation of hypothalamic K(ATP) channels normally restrains hepatic gluconeogenesis, and that any alteration within this central nervous system/liver circuit can contribute to diabetic hyperglycaemia.
A mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa false aneurysm in a patient without overt heart disease

False aneurysms originating from mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa are clinically very rare. A 22-year-old male patient without overt heart disease was admitted to the cardiology department of the Gulhane Military Academy of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, with a false aneurysm located between the left ventricular outflow tract and the anterior left atrium. The false aneurysm was repaired at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, and the patient was discharged 10 days after the surgery.
Organic carbon cycling in Taylor Valley, Antarctica: quantifying soil reservoirs and soil respiration

Summary Organic carbon reservoirs and respiration rates in soils have been calculated for most major biomes on Earth revealing patterns related to temperature, precipitation, and location. Yet data from one of the Earth's coldest, driest, and most southerly soil ecosystems, that of the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, are currently not a part of this global database. In this paper, we present the first regional calculations of the soil organic carbon reservoirs in a dry valley ecosystem (Taylor Valley) and report measurements of CO2 efflux from Antarctic soils. Our analyses indicate that, despite the absence of visible accumulations of organic matter in most of Taylor Valley's arid soils, this soil environment contained a significant percentage (up to 72%) of the seasonally unfrozen organic carbon reservoir in the terrestrial ecosystem. Field measurements of soil CO2-efflux in Taylor Valley soils were used to evaluate biotic respiration and averaged 0.10 ± 0.08 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1. Laboratory soil microcosms suggested that this respiration rate was sensitive to increases in temperature, moisture, and carbon addition. Finally, a steady-state calculation of the mean residence time for organic carbon in Taylor Valley soils was 23 years. Because this value contradicts all that is currently known about carbon cycling rates in the dry valleys, we suggest that the dry valley soil carbon dynamics is not steady state. Instead, we suggest that the dynamic is complex, with at least two (short- and long-term) organic carbon reservoirs. We also suggest that organic carbon in the dry valley soil environment may be more important, and play a more active role in long-term ecosystem processes, than previously believed.
Individual Differences in Mood

Taken as a whole, the evidence reviewed in the previous chapter shows that there is sufficient uniformity in how we respond to mood-inducing events so that nomothetic generalizations are both possible and fruitful. And yet, to the average person, the most noticeable fact about mood is probably how widely individuals vary in their susceptibility to, and expression of, everyday moods. As Wessman (1979) puts it: In some individuals… affective alternations are conspicuous and dramatic; in others, they seem such slight perturbations that we may wonder exactly what and how much they do feel. Certain people appear to maintain a very persistent emotional character: we find them generally brusque and irritable, always plaintive and sad, frequently tense and apprehensive, or basically zestful and optimistic. These… persisting emotional characteristics seem basic features of personality intimately related to the ongoing pattern and quality of individual lives, (p. 73) Indeed, affective responding differentiates among individuals sufficiently well that Plutchik (1980) has chosen to define a “trait” as a “disposition to react to interpersonal situations with certain emotional reactions” (p. 173; italics added).
A realistic model for actively modelocked semiconductor lasers

Experiments show that pulses generated by a semiconductor laser modelocked with a frequency limiting element are often not transform limited, indicating the existence of a frequency chirp. A model is developed to calculate the experimentally observed quantities such as the frequency spectrum and the temporal autocorrelation function both before and after pulse compression. The model indicates that the gain nonlinearity plays a crucial role in determining the rate of frequency chirp in the pulse. Good agreement with our experimental data for a single quantum well laser is obtained when the gain nonlinearity is set to /spl isin//sub s/=7/spl times/10/sup /spl minus/23/ m/sup 3/. >
Tsunami modelling with adaptively refined finite volume methods

Numerical modelling of transoceanic tsunami propagation, together with the detailed modelling of inundation of small-scale coastal regions, poses a number of algorithmic challenges. The depth-averaged shallow water equations can be used to reduce this to a time-dependent problem in two space dimensions, but even so it is crucial to use adaptive mesh refinement in order to efficiently handle the vast differences in spatial scales. This must be done in a ‘wellbalanced’ manner that accurately captures very small perturbations to the steady state of the ocean at rest. Inundation can be modelled by allowing cells to dynamically change from dry to wet, but this must also be done carefully near refinement boundaries. We discuss these issues in the context of Riemann-solver-based finite volume methods for tsunami modelling. Several examples are presented using the GeoClaw software, and sample codes are available to accompany the paper. The techniques discussed also apply to a variety of other geophysical flows.
Polarization Device For Improved Spectrograph Efficiency

Grating, and hence spectrograph efficiency, can be a strong function of the polarization of incident light. A polarization device has been designed to divide the light entering a spectrograph into two orthogonal polarizations, one of which is then rotated 90°, so that all of the light incident on the grating is polarized either parallel to or perpendicular to the grating grooves. Spectrograph throughput is thereby im-proved while also becoming independent of input polarization. Tests at the coude spectrograph of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope with an 830 f/mm grating revealed a 28% improvement in spectrograph throughput at a wavelength of 500 nm.
Lysine Residue 117 of the FasG Adhesin of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Is Essential for Binding of 987P Fimbriae to Sulfatide

The FasG subunit of the 987P fimbriae of enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli was previously shown to mediate fimbrial binding to a glycoprotein and a sulfatide receptor on intestinal brush borders of piglets. Moreover, the 987P adhesin FasG is required for fimbrial expression, since fasG null mutants are nonfimbriated. In this study, fasG was modified by site-directed mutagenesis to study its sulfatide binding properties. Twenty single mutants were generated by replacing positively charged lysine (K) or arginine (R) residues with small, nonpolar alanine (A) residues. Reduced levels of binding to sulfatide-containing liposomes correlated with reduced fimbriation and FasG surface display in four fasG mutants (R27A, R286A, R226A, and R368). Among the 16 remaining normally fimbriated mutants with wild-type levels of surface-exposed FasG, only one mutant (K117A) did not interact at all with sulfatide-containing liposomes. Four mutants (K117A, R116A, K118A, and R200A) demonstrated reduced binding to such liposomes. Since complete phenotypic dissociation between the structure and specific function of 987P was observed only with mutant K117A, this residue is proposed to play an essential role in the FasG-sulfatide interaction, possibly communicating with the sulfate group of sulfatide by hydrogen bonding and/or salt bridge formation. Residues K17, R116, K118, and R200 may stabilize this interaction.
Regenerative fluid loop concept for performance enhancement of adsorption refrigeration system

Operating high performance microprocessor chips at cryogenic temperatures is a promising approach for enabling improved computational power, particularly towards the end of ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors) roadmap when the parasitic effects of traditional scaling begin to outweigh its favorable effects (Nowak, 2002 and Naeemi et al., 2005). Vapor compression refrigeration is a known technological solution for realizing near sub-ambient refrigeration (>240 K) in a cost effective manner. However, most of the enabling technologies for achieving cryogenic refrigeration (<120 K) are expensive and bulky. It was recently shown that adsorption refrigeration could potentially offer low cost and compact refrigeration at cryogenic temperatures by employing miniature flat compressor beds (Naeemi et al., 2005). While the adsorption and desorption can be utilized to compress the working fluid to high pressures in a quiet and lubricant free process, the coefficient of performance of such refrigeration system is quite low due to the large inert thermal mass of the adsorbent material. This paper describes the regenerative fluid loop concept, which can be used to recover the energy stored in the thermal mass of the miniature flat compressor beds. The concept is illustrated with the help of some sample calculations (modeling) and it is shown that by thermally linking 20 beds in a series along the regenerative fluid loop the energy requirements can be reduced to -18% of the original non-regenerative energy input.
Human Resources from an Organizational Behavior Perspective: Some Paradoxes Explained

American workplaces exhibit three facts which, taken together, could constitute anomalous or paradoxical organizational behavior, especially when seen through the lens of the rationality and competitive market efficiency concepts so often used in economic theory. First, workplaces in America and elsewhere show pervasive job dissatisfaction, distrust, and disengagement, with the evidence suggesting that these problems are getting worse and have a number of negative consequences for employers as well as employees. Second, how people are managed and their job satisfaction and job attitudes are both substantively and statistically significant predictors of a number of dimensions of organizational performance. Comprehensive evidence from studies in numerous industries and countries establishes this point and also helps us identify high-performance management practices. Third, in spite of the fact that much of what is required to build engaged and successful organizations is at once well known and not always costly to implement, many, maybe most, organizations have failed to take appropriate actions, thereby, in some sense, “leaving money on the table.” Theories and empirical research in organizational behavior and social psychology offer insights and explanations about how these three facts can coexist and even persist. These explanations are built on the fundamental insights that both employees and organizations are embedded in a social context that provides taken-for-granted ways of thinking and doing things; social influence matters so
The importance of early identification and intervention for children with or at risk for autism spectrum disorders.

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which has led to increased attention paid to assessment and intervention issues. This manuscript agrees with Camarata (2014) that the evidence base for early assessment and intervention should be expanded. However, it disagrees with Warren et al. ’ s (2011) assumption that there are not empirically validated early interventions. Reliable diagnosis has been documented during infancy and toddlerhood, and evidence suggests that the earlier the onset of intervention, the greater likelihood of an improved developmental trajectory. It is argued that early intervention is more cost and time effi cient than a “ wait and see ” approach. With regard to published studies, the large amount of heterogeneity in the ASD population supports the use of rigorous single case experimental design research. It is an error to limit empirical evidence for treatments to only randomized clinical trials, which have the weakness of masking individual differences. Single case experimental designs examine the effects of intervention beyond typical maturation by allowing for clear estimations of developmental trajectories prior to the onset of intervention, followed by evaluation of the impact of the intervention. This commentary discusses the short- and long-term benefi ts of early diagnosis and intervention.
Glucose Polyester Biosynthesis. Purification and Characterization of a Glucose Acyltransferase

Glandular trichomes of the wild tomato species Lycopersicon pennellii secrete 2,3,4-O-tri-acyl-glucose (-Glc), which contributes to insect resistance. A Glc acyltransferase catalyzes the formation of diacyl-Glc by disproportionating two equivalents of 1-O-acyl-β-Glc, a high-energy molecule formed by a UDP-Glc dependent reaction. The acyltransferase was purified 4,900-fold from L. pennellii leaves by polyethylene glycol fractionation, diethylaminoethyl chromatography, concanavalin A affinity chromatography, and chromatofocusing. The acyltransferase possesses an isoelectric point of 4.8, a relative molecular mass around 110 kD, and is composed of 34- and 24-kD polypeptides as a heterotetramer. The 34- and 24-kD proteins were partially sequenced. The purified enzyme catalyzes both the disproportionation of 1-O-acyl-β-Glcs to generate 1,2-di-O-acyl-β-Glc and anomeric acyl exchange between 1-O-acyl-β-Glc and Glc.
Application of Fourier Self-Deconvolution to Vibrational Circular Dichroism Spectra:

The resolution enhancement technique of Fourier self-deconvolution is applied to vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy. Spectra of (+)-3-methylcyclohexanone recorded at different resolutions are used to show how the technique enhances resolution without the production of artifacts. The spectrum of (+)-limonene is presented as an example of a severely congested spectrum which shows dramatic changes upon deconvolution. Application of the technique to difference spectroscopy in general appears to be a valuable method for retrieving information lost through band overlap.
Differential Requirement for DNA Methyltransferase 1 in Maintaining Human Cancer Cell Gene Promoter Hypermethylation

Previous work has shown that DNA hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes in colorectal cancer cells may be maintained in the absence of the major mammalian methyltransferase, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). In an effort to dissect the dependency on DNMT1 to maintain such hypermethylation in different cancer types, we performed a systematic analysis of depletion of DNMT1 in colorectal (SW48), bladder (T24), and breast (T47D) cancer cells by DNMT1-specific small hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting. We show that although DNMT1-deficient SW48 and T24 cells exhibited no observable growth defects and were able to maintain promoter hypermethylation, DNMT1-deficient T47D breast cells failed to form comparable numbers of colonies when stably selected for the incorporation of the DNMT1-specific shRNA expression vector, suggesting a growth defect with reduced levels of DNMT1. Further treatment of T47D cells with transient transfection of small interfering RNA targeting DNMT1 revealed that severely DNMT1-deficient T47D cells could not fully maintain promoter hypermethylation, and gene silencing was partially reversed at two of the three assayed loci. These observations suggest that human cancer cells may differ in their reliance on DNMT1 for maintaining DNA methylation. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(2): 729-35)
Diversity and Abundance of Springtails (Insecta: Collembola) in Native and Restored Tallgrass Prairies

Abstract This study suggests that heterotrophic components of prairie ecosystems can be used with autotrophic components to assess the degree to which a restored prairie approaches the biotic complexity of a native prairie. Springtails (Collembola) were collected from prairie vegetation and litter samples from 13 prairie sites (seven native and six restored) located in southwestern Michigan and northeastern Illinois. The diversity and abundance of these insects and the plant and litter biomass were compared. There were 27 different taxa of springtails in the 225 samples collected. Native prairies had the greatest species richness with 26 species. The oldest restored prairie had 17 species. Three common species were Hypogastrura boletivora, Isotoma viridis, and Lepidocyrtus pallidus. Neanura muscorum, Xenylla grisea, and Pseuduosinella rolfsi were rare. Tomocerus flavescens was found primarily in native prairies with only one occurrence in the oldest restored prairie in this study. Native prairies and rest...
Degradation of surfactant protein B by alveolar type II cells

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) metabolism was studied in primary cultures of alveolar type II cells. Iodinated SP-B reconstituted with surfactant was incorporated rapidly into lung pneumocytes and degraded to trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble products after a lag period of 1 h. Cellular degradation of SP-B occurred whether or not phospholipid liposomes or surfactant was added to the phospholipid-poor SP-B. Uptake and degradation of SP-B at 37 degrees C showed a linear increase up to 3 micrograms SP-B/ml after which the slope of the curve became less steep with increasing concentrations of SP-B in the media. After 4 h of incubation with SP-B, 35% of the SP-B processed was recovered as degradation products. Ninety-six percent of the degradation products were in the media and only 4% were recovered in the cell. The bulk of the breakdown of SP-B occurred inside the type II cells since degradation did not occur at 4 degrees C, showed a 1-h lag period, was proportional to the SP-B protein internalized by the cells, was inhibited 47% by ammonium chloride, was unaffected by the addition of protease inhibitors to the medium, and cell-conditioned medium produced only limited SP-B degradation. Alveolar macrophages also degraded SP-B, whereas other cell types degraded SP-B to a lesser extent. Thus the specificity of the metabolism of SP-B may be through the capability of lung cells to degrade SP-B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Displacing the Poor to Benefit the Wealthy - The Role of Blight Designation in the 21st Century Gentrification of Hayti

This paper presents an exploration of how a municipality designated a physically healthy African American area legally “blighted” to receive tax credits and other financial incentives. Drawing from historical and ethnographic research, it analyzes various ploys used to gentrify Hayti, a Black community on the southern side of Durham, North Carolina. It argues that although gentrification during the 1960s displaced residents under the guise of road improvements, the current gentrification is more blatant in its intent to create more wealth for the wealthy at the expense of the disenfranchised. This strategy denies the current residents the opportunity to benefit from the financial incentives of the blight designation while seizing their property for developers. The end result is displacement of African American residents, businesses, places of worship, and another generation of property owners deprived of their property rights.
Four Theorems of African Archetype and Landscape

Today, designers must study and understand the culture of a place. In a “globalizing” world where standardization often rules with unfortunate consequences, it is imperative that professionals have strategies for understanding values and rituals of people, including their traditional ways of building community. Qualitative methods and grounded theory were used to interpret the human and historic landscape dimension of settlements in the United States and Africa. The origin, evolution, and destiny of African-American settlements in the United States began as a precursory, multi-disciplinary dialog with the American landscape. Since the original hypothesis centered on socio-cultural and eco-physical factors influencing communities where inhabitants were “emancipated” to determine their destiny, slave villages were not extensively documented. The research was aimed at determining how African Americans had contributed to the built environment. Early communities did not adhere to traditional Western designs or to African building practices but were impacted by racial separatism and belief in ethnic superiority. As a result, African American structures and settlements were largely vernacular in nature, eclectic in style, and driven by the socio-economic, political, and physical context of the region. Attention turned to African landscapes in order to understand the juxtaposition between African and western cultural archetypes. While the natural environment supports a diverse lifestyle, many aspects of the urban landscape are in flux and incongruent, depending on the tribes, customs, and environmental conditions. Unplanned settlements, with their incompatible environmental practices, co-exist adjacent to newly developed land uses. Four theorems emerged from observation in Africa over a series of extended field visits dealing with layering of privacy, material use, relationship between developmental practices and belief systems, and cultural erosion related to the evolution of settlement and socialization. Observing and thinking critically about how culture is revealed and illuminated could aid in developing design strategies that would richly reflect tradition as the African landscape narrative expands.
Cervical Spine Clearance

GB is a 25-year-old male who presents after an all terrain vehicle (ATV) accident. At the scene the patient demonstrates a GCS score of 12 complaining of chest pain and is placed in a cervical collar. The patient presents to the local emergency room via EMS. On primary survey the patient demonstrates a flail chest and is hemodynamically unstable. In the trauma bay the patient is intubated and stabilized hemodynamically. His CXR demonstrates multiple rib fractures and a hemothorax. A left-sided chest tube is placed. Secondary survey is negative.
Video textures

This paper introduces a new type of medium, called a video texture, which has qualities somewhere between those of a photograph and a video. A video texture provides a continuous infinitely varying stream of images. While the individual frames of a video texture may be repeated from time to time, the video sequence as a whole is never repeated exactly. Video textures can be used in place of digital photos to infuse a static image with dynamic qualities and explicit actions. We present techniques for analyzing a video clip to extract its structure, and for synthesizing a new, similar looking video of arbitrary length. We combine video textures with view morphing techniques to obtain 3D video textures. We also introduce video-based animation, in which the synthesis of video textures can be guided by a user through high-level interactive controls. Applications of video textures and their extensions include the display of dynamic scenes on web pages, the creation of dynamic backdrops for special effects and games, and the interactive control of video-based animation.
The effect of sex and maturation on cuticular semiochemicals in Monochamus scutellatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Contact pheromones are a subset of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons secreted on the cuticle and play an important role in the mating behaviour of several cerambycid species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). In this study, we investigated the relationship between maturation (newly eclosed and sexually mature) adult Monochamus scutellatus (Say) beetles and sex and the composition of the cuticular hydrocarbon blend to determine if this information is encoded in the blend and potentially available for communication purposes. Whole-body extracts of unfed females, and both mature females and males were analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the components of the cuticular hydrocarbons. There were no unique compounds present in any of the three groups, but discriminant analysis indicated that the relative proportions of the cuticular hydrocarbon components were unique for each group.
V-band frequency reconfigurable cavity-based bandpass filters

Two-pole and three-pole RF-MEMS-enabled tunable bandpass filters are demonstrated as the first all-silicon frequency reconfigurable cavity filters operating in the V band. They are tuned by means of electrostatically-actuated corrugated MEMS diaphragms that are located on top of evanescent-mode cavity resonators. The two-pole filter exhibits tunable center frequency between 57.7 to 63 GHz with worst-case insertion loss (IL) of 2.8 dB and maximum actuation voltage of 140 V. The three-pole filter demonstrates tunable frequency between 61.9 to 65 GHz with a maximum actuation voltage of 150 V and IL better than 4.9 dB.
Risk Factors of Urolithiasis in Infants and Young Children with History of Consumption of Melamine-Contaminated Milk Powder

Objective To explore the risk factors of urolithiasis in infants and young children with the history of consumption of melamine-contaminated milk powder in Jiangxi province.Methods On the basis of screening infantile urolithiasis among infants and young children with the history of consumption of melamine-contaminated milk powder in 2008,a 11 paired case-control study was conducted with 242 cases of urinary system stones,and 242 controls matched in age,sex,residential area and feeding manner.There were 149 boys and 93 girls in each group.The age and the time of feeding melamine-contaminated milk were(19.092±9.903) months vs(18.682±9.558) months and(14.960±9.055) months vs(15.240±9.356) months among urolithiasis group and control group,respectively.The 7 possible risk factors of the urolithiasis were chosen according to our previous studies and bibliographies.Data were analyzed by using SPSS 12.0 software for χ2 test,univariate and multivariate conditional Logistic regression analysis.Results There were 151 infants with urolithiasis out of 165 infants with the history of consumption of Sanlu milk powder containing high level of melamine,accounting for 62.40% of the total,whereas there were merely 91 cases suffering from urinary calculus among 319 cases with the history of consumption of milk powder of other brands,taking up 37.60% of the total,which showed that there was a significant statistical difference between the 2 groups(P0.05).Univariate analysis revealed that the melamine-contaminated milk powder and the average daily water intake had significant differences between the 2 groups(P0.01),but there were no statistical differences in the sources of drinking water,the amount of sweat,supplement calcium,the way milk powder dilution and the time of milk consumption between 2 groups(P0.05).Multivariable analysis confirmed further that the melamine-contaminated milk powder of Sanlu brand and the average daily water intake were significantly related to urolithiasis in infants and young children,and their OR(95% confidence interval)were 26.878(14.729-49.049),2.077(1.108-3.891),respectively.Conclusions The consumption of melamine-contaminated milk powder and drinking less water were the key risk factors contributing to the urolithiasis in infants and young children.Drinking more water is the most effective,safest and cheapest way to prevent urinary calculus in infants and young children.