The effects of examiner race on the articulation responses of black school-aged children

A program for the integration of chronic psychiatric patients into independent living in the community is described and data indicating its success are presented. The program is based on an educational, behavioral, social systems model, where "educational" refers directly to teaching skills which a person lacks, "behavioral" deals with providing the motivation to perform these skills and to precisely operationalize and measure the effectiveness of the steps in learning them, and "social systems" describes influencing clients' social environments in their interests. The model has wider implications for reintegrating a variety of socially marginal individuals into the mainstream of society.     

Self-organizing continuous attractor networks and path integration: one-dimensional models of head direction cells

Some neurons encode information about the orientation or position of an animal, and can maintain their response properties in the absence of visual input. Examples include head direction cells in rats and primates, place cells in rats and spatial view cells in primates. 'Continuous attractor' neural networks model these continuous physical spaces by using recurrent collateral connections between the neurons which reflect the distance between the neurons in the state space (e.g. head direction space) of the animal. These networks maintain a localized packet of neuronal activity representing the current state of the animal. We show how the synaptic connections in a one-dimensional continuous attractor network (of for example head direction cells) could be self-organized by associative learning. We also show how the activity packet could be moved from one location to another by idiothetic (self-motion) inputs, for example vestibular or proprioceptive, and how the synaptic connections could self-organize to implement this. The models described use 'trace' associative synaptic learning rules that utilize a form of temporal average of recent cell activity to associate the firing of rotation cells with the recent change in the representation of the head direction in the continuous attractor. We also show how a nonlinear neuronal activation function that could be implemented by NMDA receptors could contribute to the stability of the activity packet that represents the current state of the animal.     

Self-organizing continuous attractor networks and path integration: two-dimensional models of place cells

Single-neuron recording studies have demonstrated the existence of neurons in the hippocampus which appear to encode information about the place where a rat is located, and about the place at which a macaque is looking. We describe 'continuous attractor' neural network models of place cells with Gaussian spatial fields in which the recurrent collateral synaptic connections between the neurons reflect the distance between two places. The networks maintain a localized packet of neuronal activity that represents the place where the animal is located. We show for two related models how the representation of the two-dimensional space in the continuous attractor network of place cells could self-organize by modifying the synaptic connections between the neurons, and also how the place being represented can be updated by idiothetic (self-motion) signals in a neural implementation of path integration.     

Isolation of aerobic microbes from Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), the vector of Lyme disease in the eastern United States

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Benner is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis Say, a vector of Lyme disease. As a 1st step into investigating the possibility of biocontrol of the tick, we identified the microbiota associated with the ticks. We collected, identified, and determined the sex of ticks from foliage and deer. Seventy-three initial bacterial isolates were recovered from 43 ticks (27 adults and 16 nymphs). The bacteria isolated from nymphs were qualitatively different (mainly gram-negative cocci) from the bacteria isolated from adult ticks (gram-negative and gram-positive rods). To determine long-term viability, these isolates were stored for 6 mo under laboratory conditions. After storage, 63 surviving bacterial isolates were characterized using the Biology System of identification by substrate utilization. Forty-four isolates were identified to the species level. Our characterization efforts focused on the 40 spore-forming bacteria, which could prove useful in the biocontrol of ticks. Eleven species of Bacillus were identified. Bacillus thuringiensis-B. cereus was the predominant species group isolated. Six isolates from this group formed crystals.     

Agonists and antagonists for lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokines

Agonistic and antagonistic properties of LPS and partial structures in the induction of cytokines are reviewed. Studies on structure-activity relationships of LPS and lipid A with human mononuclear cells reveal that S- and notably R-form LPS are very potent cytokine inducers. Synthetic E. coli lipid A is somewhat less active, whereas synthetic S. minnesota-type lipid A is significantly less active. Pentaacylated forms of lipid A are less potent than hexaacylated forms, and tetraacylated synthetic precursor Ia and bisacylated disaccharides and monosaccharides are completely inactive, indicating that a structure-dependent hierarchy of LPS and lipid A partial structures determines the monokine-inducing capacity in human mononuclear cells. Precursor Ia is a potent LPS antagonist. The mechanism of its inhibitory activity is shown to be due to competitive binding to cellular binding sites (receptors). Proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines, receptor antagonists, and soluble cytokine receptors influence the cytokine-inducing activity of LPS, suggesting a complex regulatory network.     

Adverse effects of wide calcium:phosphorus ratios on supplemental phytase efficacy for weanling pigs fed two dietary phosphorus levels

Ninety-six weanling pigs (initial BW = 9.3 kg, initial age = 37 d) were used in a 4-wk experiment to evaluate the response to three Ca: total (t) P ratios (1.2:1, 1.6:1, or 2.0:1) fed in combination with two P levels (.07 or .16% available that correspond to .36 or .45% tP) and two phytase levels (PY; 700 or 1,050 units/kg of diet). A 3 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed using a corn-soybean meal diet. Performance, serum mineral concentrations and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, Ca and P digestibility and excretion, and bone mechanical measurements were examined. Average daily gain (P < .001), average daily feed intake (P < .01), and gain:feed (P < .05) were decreased linearly as the Ca:tP ratio became wider. The digestibility of P and Ca were decreased (P < .001) linearly as the Ca:tP ratio became wider. The digestibility of P (P < .001) and fecal P excretion (P < .01) were increased at the higher level of P. Increasing PY from 700 to 1,050 units (U)/kg of diet increased (P < .05) P digestibility and decreased (P < .01) P excretion but did not improve bone measurements. Shear force, stress and energy, and percentage of ash of both metacarpal and 10th rib linearly decreased (P < .001 to .05) as the Ca:tP ratio became wider, and bone measurements were generally greater for pigs fed the higher P level. Serum Ca concentration increased (P < .01) and the P concentration decreased (P < .001) as the Ca:tP ratio increased, but Mg, Zn, and ALP activity were not influenced by the Ca:tP ratio. Serum Ca and P concentrations were affected by PY supplementation over the 4-wk trial, but serum Mg and Zn concentrations were not affected by dietary treatments. Adverse effects of a wide Ca:tP ratio were greater at the low P diet for all responses. In addition, the activity of supplemental PY in diets seemed to be decreased as the Ca:tP ratio became wider and this negative effect of Ca:tP ratio seemed greater at the low P level, and seemed to parallel the effects of Ca:tP ratio on performance, P digestibility, bone, and serum measurements. Narrowing the dietary Ca:total P ratio from 2.0:1 to 1.2:1 led to an approximate 16% increase in phytase efficacy for improving performance, digestibility, bone measurements, and serum Ca levels.