cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Infection of Salmonella Matadi in Korea

To the Editor: Salmonella Matadi (S. Matadi) was firstly isolated in 19541 from Matadi, the regional capital of Belgian Congo which was the former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a very rare serotype, and a few cases have been reported in Denmark during 1960 and 19682 and USA in 1993,3 although the incidence of S. Matadi has recently increased in USA, Canada and Japan. Reptile is regarded as a source of infection, particularly the intestine of adult female iguana,4 and there is also a report on the infection of 2 teenage boys who handled a green iguana.3 In Korea, S. Matadi was first isolated recently from 15-month old baby who suffered from severe fever and mucous diarrhea for 5 days. Cefotiam as antimicrobial and general medicines for intestinal disorder were given as the first treatments on 5 days after symptom appeared. However, fever and diarrhea continued until cefotaxime treatment on 7 days after the appearance of the symptoms. S. Matadi was isolated from diarrhea samples and its serotype was determined by agglutination test and MLST. Hematological test was performed twice; on the day of hospitalization and second treatment. MCV, MCH and Hb showed relatively low rate, compared with normal range, indicating dehydrated body condition. S. Matadi was susceptible, but not resistant to antimicrobial agents that were given along with 17 agents which are generally used for Enterobactericeae. Cefotiam is a good antimicrobial agent, however, it may not be appropriate choice to treat Salmonella spp. infection. It is not clear how 15-month old baby was infected with S. Matadi: whether through infected reptile or contaminated food. He was too young and fed only powdered milk and weaning food. He was not in nursing facility or did not travel foreign country. His family members did not bring in any reptiles as a pet and did not show similar symptoms. However, his father was suspected as carrier because he worked in the import and export shipments Co. at Busan port and used to handle luggage by hands. Susceptibility of Salmonella infection in children younger than five years of age is five times higher than in adults. Therefore, small amount of S. Matadi in father's hand might have infected 15-month old baby who was more sensitive than his parents. In recent years, new Salmonella serovar has often been brought in from other countries by travelers, such as S. Wandsworth from Vietnam to Korea in 2012. Such cases are not common, nevertheless, the possibility is increasing because of increase of international trade.
Using Ethnoarchaeology and Soils Chemistry to Examine Fisheries on the Arctic Alaskan Coast

The Arctic coast is a critical region for archaeologists to understand how fisheries have impacted hunter-gatherer development. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska is an ideal social and natural environment for archaeologists to study contemporary fisheries activity and their soils signatures. Here we discuss our combined methodological approach to studying fisheries among Native Yup'ik communities with a specific focus on the ethnographic component of our research. We suggest that fisheries-focused research promises to inform current models of coastal adaptation and behavior.
Pathogen security-help or hindrance?

Events over the past 15 years have resulted in the promulgation of regulations in the United States to enhance biosecurity by restricting the access of pathogens and toxins (i.e., biological select agents and toxins [BSAT]), which pose a severe threat to human, animal or plant health or to animal or plant products, to qualified institutions, laboratories, and scientists. These regulations also reduce biosafety concerns by imposing specific requirements on laboratories working with BSATs. Furthermore, they provide a legal framework for prosecuting someone who possesses a BSAT illegally. With the implementation of these regulations has come a discussion in the scientific community about the potential of these regulations to affect the cost of doing BSAT research and international collaborations, or whether it would stop someone with a microbiological background from isolating many of the select agents from nature.
IRREVERSIBLE REDOX REARRANGEMENT OF DIOXYGEN COMPLEXES. I. SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF DIPEPTIDES COORDINATED TO COBALT(II)

Abstract The decomposition of the cobalt dioxygen complexes of three dipeptides has been investigated by removal of the metal from the final reaction mixtures, followed by gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses of the organic reaction products. The results indicate that the reaction involves the oxidation of coordinated dipeptide, and that the ligands are oxidized exclusively at the N-terminal amino acid residue.
On the Wrong Side of the Tracks: Understanding the Effects of School Structure and Social Capital in the Educational Pursuits of Undocumented Immigrant Students

Over the last few years, increasing scholarly and media attention has been paid to the plight of undocumented immigrant college students. However, only a small fraction of undocumented youth actually moves on from high school to postsecondary opportunities. Indeed, the exclusion from financial aid eligibility and low family socioeconomic status severely limit undocumented students’ ability to matriculate to institutions of higher learning. But little is known about the ways in which school experiences shape postsecondary outcomes. This article focuses on the high school experiences of a sample of undocumented young adults and examines the ways in which school structures shape access to resources needed for postsecondary matriculation. In doing so, I argue that school-based networks are critical for success. However, these networks are fundamentally shaped by the school structure. This article draws from 78 in-depth life histories of undocumented Latino young adults in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. I ...
Versatile Synthesis of PR2NR′2 Ligands for Molecular Electrocatalysts with Pendant Bases in the Second Coordination Sphere

Two 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane (P2N2) ligands with alkyl-substituted phosphines have been synthesized via a versatile method that allows for improved control of the phosphine substituent. T...
Breast edema following staging axillary node dissection in patients with breast carcinoma treated by radical radiotherapy

Seventy-four patients with carcinoma of the breast were treated by irradiation without a mastectomy at Stanford between May 1973 and March 1980. Seventy-six breasts were treated because two patients had bilateral simultaneous cancers. Breast edema was noted in 41% of these cases. Analysis of potential predisposing factors revealed that this complication occurred primarily in patients who received a staging axillary lymph node dissection. Lymphedema occurred in 26 of 33 breasts (79%) in patients who had staging axillary dissections; this complication developed in only three of 12 (25%) with axillary samplings and two of 31 (6%) with no axillary surgery. Two groups of patients were identified: (1) 28 patients whose breast edema occurred early (prior to or during radiation therapy), and (2) three patients with late onset edema that developed several months postirradiation. The early edema, which is clearly related to axillary lymph node dissection, gradually improved during the follow-up period with complete or near complete resolution expected by three years. Late onset edema was rare, appears to be related to an axillary radiation dose greater than 5500 rad, and may be irreversible. There was no correlation of breast edema with tumor stage, radiation time/dose factors, the use of bolus, patient weight, or breast size.
The State—Local Regulatory Nexus in US Growth Management: Claims of Property and Participation in the Localist Resistance

Influenced possibly more by volume than substance, some scholars have concluded that significant progress is being realized in state-level land-use regulation in the United States. In truth, more time must pass before a definitive evaluation of the more comprehensive efforts can be made. In this critical paper I examine the statewide growth-management legislation of the four states having tripartite (local—regional—state) administrative hierarchies: Florida, Vermont, Maine, and Georgia. There and elsewhere, numerous structural compromises have won adoption. Bold declarations of regulatory intent are found here often to be wrapped around ambiguous and easily subverted administrative mechanisms and standards. With prima facie evidence of significant structural shortcomings in hand, I then restore focus on the founding debates in search of a synthesis that might be more supportive of regional growth management.Using the theory of local autonomy as a starting point, I disentangle the normative foundations of ...
The Naval Reservist: An Empirical Assessment of Ephemeral Role Enactment

Questionnaire data from 3,254 Naval Reservists were used to assess ephemeral role enactment, and its relation to model and operating dominant roles. Satisfaction of 14 individual needs was measured with identical Likert items in scales concerning active duty, Reserve Drill, and civilian occupation. Reservists were divided into categories of more and less satisfaction with Reserve Drill, and comparisons were made of scale-item means. The more satisfied Reservists reported a balance of satisfactions among the model dominant role (past active duty), operating dominant role (civilian occupation), and ephemeral role (Reserve Drill), and reported several specific needs better satisfied in the ephemeral role than in the model and operating dominant roles. The less satisfied Reservists reported an imbalance of overall satisfactions in favor of the operating dominant role, and reported virtually no specific needs better satisfied in the model dominant and ephemeral roles than in the operating dominant role. The more satisfied Reservists were enacting Reserve Drill as an ephemeral role, and had been influenced by active duty as a model dominant role. That persons daily enact complex role-sets is a sociological truism (Biddle and Thomas; Goffman; Gross et al.; Merton, a, b; Parsons; Sarbin and Allen; Turner, b, c). That some components of those role-sets complement each other and some conflict, influenced by the social situation, similarly is conventional wisdom (Burchard; Cummings and El Salmi; Goode; Sieber; Snoek; Toby; Zurcher et al., c). But how structural arrangements contribute to role congruence or conflict, how role conflict and congruence are related to individual needs, and how congruence-seeking or conflict-resolving are conducted by the individual, are less well-documented.
Recursive Techniques for Obtaining the Partial Fraction Expansion of a Rational Function

In dealing with linear time-invariant systems, one often encounters the partial fraction expansion of rational functions. For the case of multiple and complex conjugate poles, the traditional Heaviside's expansion involves differential calculus and complex algebra, respectively. Recursive techniques based on the extended definition of the initial value theorem effectively eliminate both calculus and algebra. These techniques are amenable to digital computation and can save time and labor for the student.
The Firegoose: two-way integration of diverse data from different bioinformatics web resources with desktop applications

Background: Information resources on the World Wide Web play an indispensable role in modern biology. But integrating data from multiple sources is often encumbered by the need to reformat data files, convert between naming systems, or perform ongoing maintenance of local copies of public databases. Opportunities for new ways of combining and re-using data are arising as a result of the increasing use of web protocols to transmit structured data. Results: The Firegoose, an extension to the Mozilla Firefox web browser, enables data transfer between web sites and desktop tools. As a component of the Gaggle integration framework, Firegoose can also exchange data with Cytoscape, the R statistical package, Multiexperiment Viewer (MeV), and several other popular desktop software tools. Firegoose adds the capability to easily use local data to query KEGG, EMBL STRING, DAVID, and other widely-used bioinformatics web sites. Query results from these web sites can be transferred to desktop tools for further analysis with a few clicks. Firegoose acquires data from the web by screen scraping, microformats, embedded XML, or web services. We define a microformat, which allows structured information compatible with the Gaggle to be embedded in HTML documents. We demonstrate the capabilities of this software by performing an analysis of the genes activated in the microbe Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 in response to anaerobic environments. Starting with microarray data, we explore functions of differentially expressed genes by combining data from several public web resources and construct an integrated view of the cellular processes involved. Conclusion: The Firegoose incorporates Mozilla Firefox into the Gaggle environment and enables interactive sharing of data between diverse web resources and desktop software tools without maintaining local copies. Additional web sites can be incorporated easily into the framework using the scripting platform of the Firefox browser. Performing data integration in the browser allows the excellent search and navigation capabilities of the browser to be used in combination with powerful desktop tools.
Positive predictive value of the AHRQ Patient Safety Indicator "Postoperative Sepsis": implications for practice and policy.

Background Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) 13, or "Postoperative Sepsis," of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), was recently adopted as part of a composite measure of patient safety by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). We sought to examine its positive predictive value (PPV) by determining how well it identifies true cases of postoperative sepsis. Study Design Two retrospective cross-sectional studies of hospitalization records that met PSI 13 criteria were conducted, one within the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospitals from fiscal years (FY) 2003 to 2007, and one within community hospitals between October 1, 2005 and March 31, 2007. Trained abstractors reviewed medical records from each database using standardized abstraction instruments. We determined the PPV of the indicator and performed descriptive analyses of cases. Results Of 112 cases flagged and reviewed within the VA system, 59 were true events of postoperative sepsis, yielding a PPV of 53% (95% CI 42% to 64%). Within the community hospital sector, of 164 flagged and reviewed cases, 67 were true cases of postoperative sepsis, yielding a PPV of 41% (95% CI 28% to 54%). False positives were due to infections that were present on admission, urgent or emergent cases, no clinical diagnosis of sepsis, or other coding limitations such as nonspecific shock in postoperative patients. Conclusions PSI 13 has relatively poor predictive ability to identify true cases of postoperative sepsis in both the VA and nonfederal sectors. The lack of information on diagnosis timing, confusion about the definition of elective admission, and coding limitations were the major reasons for false positives. As it currently stands, the use of PSI 13 as a stand-alone measure for hospital reporting appears premature.
Regress arguments against the language of thought

The Language of Thought Hypothesis (LOT) is a familiar theory in contemporary philosophy of mind, though it remains highly controversial.1 One of the most persistent and influential reasons for rejecting the theory is that it involves some kind of infinite regress. Indeed, in many circles the Regress Argument (as we will call it here) is considered decisive. Defenders of LOT, we are told, have failed to appreciate a pivotal turn in analytic philosophy and are repeating mistakes that Wittgenstein and others have warned us about time and again. Simon Blackburn's discussion in Spreading the Word is fairly representative. While endorsing the Regress Argument he suggests that it forms a central part of a set of 'considerations which are by now quite familiar in modern philosophy of language' that 'destroy' any 'dog-legged theory' Blackburn's term for a theory that holds that words are 'reinterpreted into another medium, such as that of Ideas, whose own powers explain the significance words take on' (Blackburn 1984: 40). We think this is all wrong. But, moreover, we think that even the most ardent supporters of LOT tend to give the Regress Argument too much credit. The argument is fundamentally mistaken. To show this, we will work through three crucial versions of the argument and point to the different ways supporters of LOT have handled them. Then we will offer our own response. Let's begin with Jerry Fodor's discussion in what has come to be the classic presentation and defence of LOT (in Fodor 1975). Fodor considers two versions of the Regress Argument, the first of which addresses the fact that natural languages are learned. The argument can be represented as follows. Regress on Learning (1) Natural languages are learned. (2) Supporters of LOT appeal to certain features of a postulated language of thought in order to explain this fact.
Do orthopaedic fracture skills courses improve resident performance

Abstract Introduction We hypothesized that resident participation in a hands-on fracture fixation course leads to significant improvement in their performance as assessed in a simulated fracture fixation model. Methods Twenty-three junior orthopaedic surgery residents were tasked to treat radial shaft fractures with standard fixation techniques in a sawbones fracture fixation simulation twice during the year. Before the first simulation, 6 of the residents participated in a fraction fixation skills course. The simulation repeated 6 months later after all residents attended the course. Residents also completed a 15-question written examination. Assessment included evaluation of each step of the procedure, a score based on the objective structured assessment of technical skill (OSATS) system, and grade on the examination. Comparisons were made between the two cohorts and the two testing time points. Results Significant improvements were present in the percentage of tasks completed correctly (64.1% vs 84.3%) the overall OSATS score (13.8 vs 17.1) and examination correct answers (8.6 vs 12.5) for the overall cohort between the two testing time points (p Conclusion Participation in a formal surgical skills course significantly improved practical operative skills as assessed by the simulation. The benefits of the course were maintained to 6 months with residents who completed the training earlier continuing to demonstrate an advantage in skills. Such courses are a valuable training resource which directly impact resident performance.
Nature and dynamics of phosphorus-containing components of marine dissolved and particulate organic matter

The molecular sources, dynamics and analytical characterizations of the phosphorus (P) containing components of marine dissolved and particulate organic matter (OM) are reviewed. Using a combination of 13 C and 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on samples collected from a depth profile (20–4000 m) at Station Aloha in the North Pacific subtropical gyre, the biomolecular associations of P functional groups in marine OM are identified. Compositional differences between ultrafiltered dissolved organic matter (UDOM; 1–100 nm size fraction) and ultrafiltered particulate organic matter (UPOM; 0.1–60 lm size fraction) as reflected by NMR and elemental analyses indicate that UDOM does not originate from simple solubilization of UPOM, and the aggregation of UDOM is not the primary source of UPOM. Regression analyses indicated a large fraction of the P in UDOM is associated with carbohydrates and amino acids, but not with lipids. Similar analyses for UPOM indicated that P is associated with carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids. The P functional groups also appear to be balanced in their distribution among molecular classes, because they remain in relatively constant proportion throughout the ocean.
The practitioner's perspective: introduction to Ayurvedic herbalism.

Ayurveda, the indigenous holistic healing system of India, is a holistic approach to health and lifestyle management that incorporates diet, exercise, life activity routines, psychotherapeutic practices, massage and botanical medicine.Ayurveda focuses on prevention, applying techniques of self-care to restore health balance quickly and effectively.Ayurveda is one of the four large, long-practiced ethnic herbal medicine systems with large extant literatures (along with Western, Chinese and Unani). It affords valuable clinical insights in its own right. Acquiring a basis in Ayurveda will enhance access to south Asian herbs and indigenous medicinal preparations. doi:10.1300/J157v07n03_01 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: ]
Ontogeny of the Enhanced Fetal‐Ethanol‐Induced Behavioral and Neurophysiologic Olfactory Response to Ethanol Odor

Background Studies report a fundamental relationship between chemosensory function and the responsiveness to ethanol, its component orosensory qualities, and its odor as a consequence of fetal ethanol exposure. Regarding odor, fetal exposed rats display enhanced olfactory neural and behavioral responses to ethanol odor at postnatal (P) day 15. Although these consequences are absent in adults (P90), the behavioral effect has been shown to persist into adolescence (P37). Given the developmental timing of these observations, we explored the decay in the response to ethanol odor by examining ages between P37 and young adulthood. Moreover, we sought to determine whether the P15 neurophysiologic effect persists, at least, to P40.
Structure-Based Alteration of Substrate Specificity and Catalytic Activity of Sulfite Oxidase from Sulfite Oxidation to Nitrate Reduction

Eukaryotic sulfite oxidase is a dimeric protein that contains the molybdenum cofactor and catalyzes the metabolically essential conversion of sulfite to sulfate as the terminal step in the metabolism of cysteine and methionine. Nitrate reductase is an evolutionarily related molybdoprotein in lower organisms that is essential for growth on nitrate. In this study, we describe human and chicken sulfite oxidase variants in which the active site has been modified to alter substrate specificity and activity from sulfite oxidation to nitrate reduction. On the basis of sequence alignments and the known crystal structure of chicken sulfite oxidase, two residues are conserved in nitrate reductases that align with residues in the active site of sulfite oxidase. On the basis of the crystal structure of yeast nitrate reductase, both positions were mutated in human sulfite oxidase and chicken sulfite oxidase. The resulting double-mutant variants demonstrated a marked decrease in sulfite oxidase activity but gained nitrate reductase activity. An additional methionine residue in the active site was proposed to be important in nitrate catalysis, and therefore, the triple variant was also produced. The nitrate reducing ability of the human sulfite oxidase triple mutant was nearly 3-fold greater than that of the double mutant. To obtain detailed structural data for the active site of these variants, we introduced the analogous mutations into chicken sulfite oxidase to perform crystallographic analysis. The crystal structures of the Mo domains of the double and triple mutants were determined to 2.4 and 2.1 A resolution, respectively.
Post-acute integration strategies in an era of accountability

The Institute of Medicine, in its 2001 Crossing the Quality Chasm report, recommended greater integration and coordination as a component of a transformed health care system, yet relationships between acute and post-acute providers have remained weak. With payment reforms that hold hospitals and health systems accountable for the total costs of care and readmissions, the dynamic between acute and post-acute providers is changing. In this article, we outline the internal and market factors that will drive health systems’ decisions about whether and how they integrate with post-acute providers. Enhanced integration between acute and post-acute providers should reduce variation in post-acute spending.
Fiber Surface Properties in Relation to Linear Assemblies During Processing 1 Part II: Results on the Cotton and Woolen Systems; Other Studies

Two polyester fiber samples, differing only in surface roughness, which served as models, were processed on the cotton and woolen staple yarn systems. As was found in earlier experiments on the worsted system, static and dynamic cohesion tests on slivers and rovings indicated that geometrically smoother fibers (those having fewer asperities on the surface) lead to greater cohesion in fiber assemblies. Similarly, in slivers composed of blends of the polyester models with cotton and with wool fibers, the cohesion was found to increase steadily with an increasing proportion of smooth fibers. A similar effect of surface roughness on cohesion was found in slivers composed of uncrimped fibers.The degree of twist normally used in staple yarns was found to restrict sufficiently the relative movement of fibers to mask the direct effects of fiber surface roughness in the tensile loading of yarns. However, the influence of roughness on the behavior of assemblies during drafting, in the early stages of processing, wa...
Advances in the application of the SWAT model for water resources management

Developments in computer technology have revolutionized the study of hydrologic systems and water resources management. Several computer-based hydrologic/water quality models have been developed for applications in hydrologic modelling and water resources studies. Distributed parameter models, necessary for basin-scale studies, have large input data requirements. Geographic information systems (GIS) and model–GIS interfaces aid the efficient creation of input data files required by such models. One such model available for the water resources professional is the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a distributed parameter model developed by the United States Department of Agriculture. This paper describes some recent advances made in the application of SWAT and the SWAT–GIS interface for water resources management. Four case studies are presented. The Hydrologic Unit Model for the United States (HUMUS) project used SWAT to conduct a national-scale analysis of the effect of management scenarios on water quantity and quality. Integration of the SWAT model with rainfall data available from the WSR-88D radar network helps us to incorporate the spatial variability of rainfall into the modelling process. This study demonstrates the usefulness of radar rainfall data in distributed hydrologic studies and the potential of SWAT for application in flood analysis and prediction. A hydrologic modelling study of the Sondu river basin in Kenya using SWAT indicates the potential for application of the model in African watersheds and points to the need for development of better model input data sets in Africa, which are critical for detailed water resources studies. The application of SWAT for water quality analysis in the Bosque river basin, Texas demonstrates the strength of the model for analysing different management scenarios to minimize point and non-point pollution, and its potential for application in total maximum daily load (TMDL) studies. Copyright  2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Feudal Aspects of National Socialism

Attempts to establish a “morphology of civilizations” seem to continue in spite of dire warnings from scholars. Indeed, while rejecting Toynbee and Sorokin with one hand, many a scholar has beckoned with the other to adventurous young men to leave the barren tracts of specialization and re-enter the broad panoramic fields of Weltgeschichte. Current interest in “comparative feudal institutions” illustrates the case in point.The notion that “feudalism” is a “form of society,” especially a “stage in development,” can be traced back to Marxist historiography, and from there back to eighteenth century French thinkers. But instead of becoming thoroughly discredited, the notion has recently led to new thinking on the subject which may turn out to be fruitful. In Feudalism in History for example, Rushton Coulborn, has combined eight separate papers on feudalism in various parts of the world by different historians, with his own critical and synthetic studies. Though he fails to find even one “fully developed” feudal society according to his own definition—a not unexpected result—his study contains an amazing amount of suggestive analysis.His suggestions are particularly valuable in the construction of “working models” or “ideal types” as research tools. Even when we remain safely within our own “fields,” if we are to go beyond highly specialized fact-gathering and at the same time avoid “presentisi subjectivism,” we will need such tools.
Detecting global motion patterns in complex videos

Learning dominant motion patterns or activities from a video is an important surveillance problem, especially in crowded environments like markets, subways etc., where tracking of individual objects is hard if not impossible. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that uses instantaneous motion field of the video instead of long-term motion tracks for learning the motion patterns. The motion field is a collection of independent flow vectors detected in each frame of the video where each flow is vector is associated with a spatial location. A motion pattern is then defined as a group of flow vectors that are part of the same physical process or motion pattern. Algorithmically, this is accomplished by first detecting the representative modes (sinks) of the motion patterns, followed by construction of super tracks, which are the collective representation of the discovered motion patterns. We also use the super tracks for event-based video matching. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated on challenging real-world sequences.
Knowledge Questions: Hayek, Keynes and Beyond ∗

This paper discusses the “knowledge problem” in terms of both the use and generation of knowledge. This is analyzed in the context of Hayek's failure to respond to the “Keynes Challenge”—the claim that markets fail to produce relevant knowledge—by suggesting that in the aftermath of The General Theory he was not well-positioned to address that problem. Ironically, his post-World War II work in cognitive psychology, The Sensory Order, offers a theory of the generation of knowledge which can provide a useful analogy for understanding the generation of market-level knowledge.
The Visionary Principal and Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

The principals in this study believe that their leadership and vision play an important role in providing ser vices to students with disabilities.
CaMKII, MAPK, and CREB are coactivated in identified neurons in a neocortical circuit required for performing visual shape discriminations

Current theories postulate that the essential information for specific cognitive tasks is widely dispersed in multiple forebrain areas. Nonetheless, synaptic plasticity and neural network theories hypothesize that activation of specific signaling pathways, in specific neurons, modifies synaptic strengths, thereby encoding essential information for performance in localized circuits. Consistent with these latter theories, we have shown that gene transfer of a constitutively active protein kinase C into several hundred glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in rat postrhinal cortex enhances choice accuracy in visual shape discriminations, and the genetically-modified circuit encodes some of the essential information for performance. However, little is known about the role of specific signaling pathways required for learning, in specific neurons within a critical circuit. Here we show that three learning-associated signaling pathways are coactivated in the transduced neurons during both learning and performance. After gene transfer, but before learning a new discrimination, the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII), MAP kinase, and CREB pathways were inactive. During learning, these three pathways were coactivated in the transduced neurons. During later performance of the discrimination, CaMKII activity declined, but MAP kinase and CREB activity persisted. Because the transduced neurons are part of a circuit that encodes essential information for performance, activation of these learning-associated signaling pathways, in these identified neurons, is likely important for both learning and performance.
Channel reciprocity and time-reversed propagation for ultra-wideband communications

This paper is the first paper of an new effort to understand UWB communications and sensor networking in RF harsh environments. Channel reciprocity and time reversed propagation are studied, using an intra-vehicle environment. Communications using time reversal is also investigated.
Support for Profit Sharing and Organizational Commitment: A Path Analysis

This study tested propositions from Florkowski's (1987) profit-sharing model based on the responses of 160 individuals. As predicted, performance-reward contingencies and pay equity were significant determinants of plan support. Profit-sharing support, in turn, was an important determinant of organizational commitment. The hypothesized link between influence on decision making and plan support was not substantiated, nor was there evidence that job satisfaction moderated the relationship between support for profit sharing and organizational commitment.
Similarity solutions for fluvial sediment fining by selective deposition

[1] Current models for downstream sediment sorting by selective deposition generally perform well at describing observed sorting data. However, since most were developed initially for application to modern rivers, they are typically formulated in terms of hydraulic and bed-surface variables that are not readily measurable in the sedimentary record. Moreover, their algebraic complexity obscures some of the underlying simplicity of the segregation process. Here we show how a pair of hydraulically based sorting models developed by Parker et al. can be reformulated, with minimal loss of accuracy, in terms of the size distribution of the supplied sediment and the downstream depositional mass balance. By invoking constant dimensionless shear stress within either the gravel or sand regimes, reach-scale, short-term details of hydraulics and sediment transport are summarized via a pair of dimensionless relative mobility functions, one for gravel and one for sand. Our approach yields simplified similarity solutions in which the long-term longitudinal grain-size distribution of the substrate and the relative mobility functions can be collapsed into self-similar forms in which only local mean and standard deviation of sizes in transport are used as scaling parameters. The formulation we propose offers a simple means to explore the impact of controlling variables on fining profiles and can be easily incorporated in long-term, basin-scale numerical stratigraphic models, avoiding the necessity of modeling the details of hydraulics and sediment transport. The model involves a minimum number of physically based parameters, the numerical values of which can be determined from the spatial distribution of rate of deposition, dimensionless shear stress, and the coefficient of variation of the supply gravel or sand size distributions.
GUIGraph: editing live object diagrams for GUI generation enables new pedagogy in CS1/2

The GUIGraph software tool supports a new pedagogy, motivates students, and solves early user-interface issues. Regardless of the type of curriculum, it can provide an initial, intuitive introduction to object-oriented thinking, even before coding is discussed. By editing a UML-like object diagram, the student creates and links virtual Java Swing objects representing a user-interface, and can instantly view and manipulate its realization. GUIGraph is unique in that the student specifies an object structure to be created, equivalent to writing complex source code. When requested, GUIGraph generates the Java source code of an abstract class that constructs the object structure. The student then completes the coding of a concrete class that implements its application specific abstract methods. The functionality of the application is cleanly separated from its user-interface, which helps build design intuition, and iterative refinement of the user-interface is supported by regenerating the abstract class.
An embedding approach to frequency-domain and subband adaptive filtering

Frequency-domain and subband implementations improve the computational efficiency and the convergence rate of adaptive schemes. The well-known multidelay adaptive filter (MDF) belongs to this class of block adaptive structures and is a DFT-based algorithm. We develop adaptive structures that are based on the trigonometric transforms, discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete sine transform (DST), and on the discrete Hartley transform (DHT). As a result, these structures involve only real arithmetic and are attractive alternatives in cases where the traditional DFT-based scheme exhibits poor performance. The filters are derived by first presenting a derivation for the classical DFT based filter that allows us to pursue these extensions immediately. The approach used in this paper also provides further insights into subband adaptive filtering.
Mullerian Inhibiting Substance is present in embryonic testes of dogs with Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) causes regression of the Mullerian ducts during a critical period in embryonic development in male mammals. In Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS), an autosomal recessive trait in humans and dogs, the Mullerian ducts fail to regress in otherwise normal males. Previously we reported that PMDS-affected dogs produce bioactive testicular MIS postnatally. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether PMDS-affected canine embryos appropriately express MIS mRNA and protein during the critical period for Mullerian duct regression. Homozygous (PMDS-affected) and normal canine embryos were removed from timed pregnancies. Gonadal sex and the degree of Mullerian duct regression were determined from histologic sections. Positive immunohistochemical staining for MIS was found in testis sections of PMDS-affected and normal male embryos. A 1.8-kb MIS mRNA transcript was detected in testes of PMDS-affected males and normal male embryos and neonates. Furthermore, equal amounts of MIS mRNA transcript were detected in testes of PMDS-affected embryos and normal male littermates during the critical period for Mullerian duct regression. These data support a hypothesis of target organ resistance, such as an abnormality in the putative MIS receptor, as the etiology of the defect in this dog model.
Perisaccadic Updating of Visual Representations and Attentional States: Linking Behavior and Neurophysiology

During natural vision, saccadic eye movements lead to frequent retinal image changes that result in different neuronal subpopulations representing the same visual feature across fixations. Despite these potentially disruptive changes to the neural representation, our visual percept is remarkably stable. Visual receptive field remapping, characterized as an anticipatory shift in the position of a neuron's spatial receptive field immediately before saccades, has been proposed as one possible neural substrate for visual stability. Many of the specific properties of remapping, e.g., the exact direction of remapping relative to the saccade vector and the precise mechanisms by which remapping could instantiate stability, remain a matter of debate. Recent studies have also shown that visual attention, like perception itself, can be sustained across saccades, suggesting that the attentional control system can also compensate for eye movements. Classical remapping could have an attentional component, or there could be a distinct attentional analog of visual remapping. At this time we do not yet fully understand how the stability of attentional representations relates to perisaccadic receptive field shifts. In this review, we develop a vocabulary for discussing perisaccadic shifts in receptive field location and perisaccadic shifts of attentional focus, review and synthesize behavioral and neurophysiological studies of perisaccadic perception and perisaccadic attention, and identify open questions that remain to be experimentally addressed.
Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

Abiotic stress is a primary threat to fulfill the demand of agricultural production to feed the world in coming decades. Plants reduce growth and development process during stress conditions, which ultimately affect the yield. In stress conditions, plants develop various stress mechanism to face the magnitude of stress challenges, although that is not enough to protect them. Therefore, many strategies have been used to produce abiotic stress tolerance crop plants, among them, ABA (abscisic acid) phytohormone engineering could be one of the methods of choice. ABA is an isoprenoid phytohormone, which regulates various physiological processes ranging from stomatal opening to protein storage and provides adaptation to many stresses like drought, salt, and cold stresses. ABA is also called an important messenger that acts as the signaling mediator for regulating the adaptive response of plants to different environmental stress conditions. In this review, we will discuss the role of ABA in response to abiotic stress at the molecular level and ABA signaling. The review also deals with the effect of ABA in respect to gene expression.
Oxidized Lipoprotein Uptake Through the CD36 Receptor Activates the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

PURPOSE Accumulation of oxidized phospholipids/lipoproteins with age is suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. We investigated the effect of oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) on human RPE cells. METHODS Primary human fetal RPE (hf-RPE) and ARPE-19 cells were treated with different doses of LDL or ox-LDL. Assessment of cell death was measured by lactate dehydrogenase release into the conditioned media. Barrier function of RPE was assayed by measuring transepithelial resistance. Lysosomal accumulation of ox-LDL was determined by immunostaining. Expression of CD36 was determined by RT-PCR; protein blot and function was examined by receptor blocking. NLRP3 inflammasome activation was assessed by RT-PCR, protein blot, caspase-1 fluorescent probe assay, and inhibitor assays. RESULTS Treatment with ox-LDL, but not LDL, for 48 hours caused significant increase in hf-RPE and ARPE-19 (P < 0.001) cell death. Oxidized LDL treatment of hf-RPE cells resulted in a significant decrease in transepithelial resistance (P < 0.001 at 24 hours and P < 0.01 at 48 hours) relative to LDL-treated and control cells. Internalized ox-LDL was targeted to RPE lysosomes. Uptake of ox-LDL but not LDL significantly increased CD36 protein and mRNA levels by more than 2-fold. Reverse transcription PCR, protein blot, and caspase-1 fluorescent probe assay revealed that ox-LDL treatment induced NLRP3 inflammasome when compared with LDL treatment and control. Inhibition of NLRP3 activation using 10 μM isoliquiritigenin significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited ox-LDL induced cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS These data are consistent with the concept that ox-LDL play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD by NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation could attenuate RPE degeneration and AMD progression.
When chronic hypertension complicates pregnancy

Considering the number of severe maternal and fetal complications that can result from untreated hypertension, ob/gyns must be vigilant about recognizing the chronic form of the disease. Anything less puts your patients and you in harm's way.
Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults: Dangers, Management, and Alternative Therapies

Several major medical and psychiatric organizations, including the American Geriatrics Society, advise against using benzodiazepines or nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics in older adults. Despite these recommendations, benzodiazepines continue to be massively prescribed to a group with the highest risk of serious adverse effects from these medications. This article summarizes legitimate reasons for prescribing benzodiazepines in the elderly, serious associated risks of prescribing them, particularly when not indicated, barriers physicians encounter in changing their prescription patterns, and evidence-based strategies on how to discontinue benzodiazepines in older patients. Although more research is needed, we propose several alternatives for treating insomnia and anxiety in older adults in primary care settings. These include nonpharmacological approaches such as sleep restriction-sleep compression therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety or insomnia, and as well as alternative pharmacological agents.
Factors Affecting Youth Voice in Decision-Making Processes within Youth Development Programs

Results of a study aimed at determining the factors affecting the level of inclusiveness of youth voice in the decision-making process of the 4-H youth development program are discussed in this paper. State and field level 4-H professionals identified potential factors which affect youth voice in the decision-making process. The information gathered was utilized to identify the degree to which youth voice was incorporated in the decision-making process, to better understand how to suit youth’s needs, identify promising practices, and diagnose barriers towards fostering youth voice within the 4-H youth development program. This feature article presents the findings of the study, and discusses potential ramifications and remedies.
On the appearance of carboxylates in electrostatic potential maps.

Electron microscopy can provide accurate, high-resolution images of the distribution of electrostatic potential (ESP) in biological macromolecules. Careful examination of ESP maps that have been published for peptides and proteins at resolution ranging from 1.0 A to 2.9 A reveals that the negative charges of carboxylate groups have a profound effect on their appearance. It is clear that investigators must take the negative features in their experimental ESP maps into account when modeling the conformations of Asp and Glu side chains and those of the residues that surround them.
A Search for Variable Stars at the Galactic Center

A study of the Galactic Center stellar population is continuing with a sensitive 2μm CCD camera. Using a 64 × 64 detector array, background limited images are recorded with modest amounts of observing time (tobs ≈ 20 sec to reach K=13). Magnitudes have been extracted using DAOPHOT from repeated imaging of the central 5′ × 5′ to search among approximately 1500 stars for long period variables (LPV’s, P > 200d), particularily Miras. Miras have a well defined period-luminosity relationship as well as one in period-mass. This program investigates the nature of highly luminous stars at the Galactic Center. Presently 12 variables have been found and have several characteristics consistent with Miras. They have a maximum bolometric luminosity of -4.4 mag, which supports the case that high luminosity stars in the central 6 pc are young supergiants.