Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) on understory vegetation and soils in a northern hardwood forest

The nitrogen-fixing tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) has been identified as a potential invasive species outside its native range of the central Appalachian and Ozark Mountains, USA. The objectives of this study were to determine if black locust is causing changes to ground flora and differences in soil nutrient profiles compared to native northern hardwood forests at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE). Nine pairs of black locust and native hardwood stands were sampled for canopy tree characteristics, ground vegetation cover, and soil nutrients. There were no differences in the ground vegetation assemblages and few differences in the soil nutrient profiles between black locust stands and their native hardwood counterparts. The lack of overall differences, which contradicts findings from other forest ecosystem types, suggests that black locust is altering the northern hardwood forest communities very little at SLBE, a finding that may help guide management decisions.
Overcoming Tough Challenges: An Invitational Theory of Practice for Humanistic Psychology

The challenge for humanistic psychologists is not so much the further development of theoretical constructs. The challenge is to develop theories of practice that move from abstract formulations to concrete models. “Invitational Education” is one humanistic theory of practice that was used to help transform 12 suffering inner-city schools. The story of how this was done follows.
Immunization of Mice with Urease Vaccine Affords Protection against Helicobacter pylori Infection in the Absence of Antibodies and Is Mediated by MHC Class II–restricted Responses

We examined the roles of cell- and antibody-mediated immunity in urease vaccine–induced protection against Helicobacter pylori infection. Normal and knockout mice deficient in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, MHC class II, or B cell responses were mucosally immunized with urease plus Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), or parenterally immunized with urease plus aluminum hydroxide or a glycolipid adjuvant, challenged with H. pylori strain X47-2AL, and H. pylori organisms and leukocyte infiltration in the gastric mucosa quantified. In an adjuvant/route study in normal mice, there was a direct correlation between the level of protection and the density of T cells recruited to the gastric mucosa. In knockout studies, oral immunization with urease plus LT protected MHC class I knockout mice [β2-microglobulin (−/−)] but not MHC class II knockout mice [I-Ab (−/−)]. In B cell knockout mice [μMT (−/−)], vaccine-induced protection was equivalent to that observed in immunized wild-type (+/+) mice; no IgA+ cells were detected in the stomach, but levels of CD4+ cells equivalent to those in the wild-type strain (+/+) were seen. These studies indicate that protection of mice against H. pylori infection by immunization with the urease antigen is dependent on MHC class II–restricted, cell-mediated mechanisms, and antibody responses to urease are not required for protection.
Adjustment of Immigrant Children as a Function of Parental Attitudes to Change

This study examined the relationship between the adjustment in school of immigrant children and their parents’ attitudes to social change and new experiences. The subjects were 51 Jewish children between the ages of six and fifteen, all born in the former Soviet Union and immigrants to the United States, and a comparison group of 51 American-born Jewish children attending the same parochial school in San Francisco. Parental attitudes to social change and new experiences were found to be significant predictors of the adjustment in school of both immigrant and native children, even when the effects of parental education, family SES, and children's age, intelligence, English language competence and immigrant/native status were held constant. Parental attitudes to social change and new experience were not found to be differentially associated with adjustment for immigrant as opposed to native children. An interaction was found between the gender of the parent holding the set of attitudes toward change and new experiences, and the differential adjustment of sons and daughters.
Does training with human patient simulation translate to improved patient safety and outcome?

Purpose of review In this review, we evaluate several articles in an attempt to qualify the effect of human patient simulation in anaesthesia on patient outcome. The recognition of medical error as a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality has sparked an increased focus on improving healthcare quality and patient safety. Simulation in anaesthesia is a potential tool to help achieve this goal by allowing anaesthesia providers to learn, practice and perfect their craft without a potential harm to patients. It has gained growing traction in the field and is recently a required element in the American Board of Anesthesiology's Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesia programme. Recent findings Very few studies have evaluated the effect of simulation on patient outcome. To date, one study has demonstrated improved individual clinical performance in anaesthesia after simulation training. Research suggests that simulation-based team training can reduce patient mortality and improve the quality of care as measured by surgical quality improvement measures. Simulation may improve healthcare systems by serving as a tool to detect latent error and drive process improvement. Summary Despite the adoption of simulation, further study is needed to better qualify its effect on patient safety and outcome.
Accelerating Universe as Window for Extra Dimensions

Homogeneous cosmological solutions are obtained in five-dimensional (5D) space-time assuming equations of state p = kp and p(1) = gamma p where p is the isotropic 3-pressure and p(1), that for the fifth dimension. Using different values for the constants k and gamma many known solutions are rediscovered. Further the current acceleration of the universe has led us to investigate higher dimensional gravity theory, which is able to explain acceleration from a theoretical viewpoint without the need of introducing dark energy by hand. We also extend a recent work of Mohammedi where using a special form of the extra dimensional scale factor a new interpretation of the higher dimensional equations of motion is given and the concept of an effective 4D pressure is introduced. Interestingly the 5D matter field remains regular while the effective negative pressure is responsible for the inflation. Relaxing the assumptions of two equations of state we also present a class of solutions which provide early deceleration followed by a late acceleration in a unified manner. Relevant to point out that in this case our cosmology apparently mimics the well-known quintessence scenario fuelled by a generalized Chaplygin-type of fluid where a smooth transition from a dust dominated model to a de Sitter-like one takes place. Depending on the relative magnitude of the different constants appearing in our solutions we show that some of the cases are amenable to the desirable property of dimensional reduction.
rTMS with motor training modulates cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may enhance plastic changes in the human cortex and modulation of behavior. However, the underlying neural mechanisms have not been sufficiently investigated. We examined the clinical effects and neural correlates of high-frequency rTMS coupled with motor training in patients with hemiparesis after stroke. METHODS Twenty-one patients were randomly divided into two groups, and received either real or sham rTMS. Ten daily sessions of 1,000 pulses of real or sham rTMS were applied at 10 Hz over the primary motor cortex of the affected hemisphere, coupled with sequential finger motor training of the paretic hand. Functional MRIs were obtained before and after training using sequential finger motor tasks, and performances were assessed. RESULTS Following rTMS intervention, movement accuracy of sequential finger motor tasks showed significantly greater improvement in the real group than in the sham group (p < 0.05). Real rTMS modulated areas of brain activation during performance of motor tasks with a significant interaction effect in the sensorimotor cortex, thalamus, and caudate nucleus. Patients in the real rTMS group also showed significantly enhanced activation in the affected hemisphere compared to the sham rTMS group. CONCLUSION According to these results, a 10 day course of high-frequency rTMS coupled with motor training improved motor performance through modulation of activities in the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits.
PAPER Special Section on Nonlinear Theory and Its Applications Plausible models for propagation of the SARS virus

A multiple-ratio transmission with planetary gearing and a friction clutch and brake for controlling relative motion of the gearing to establish multiple driving ratios between an internal combustion engine and vehicle traction wheels, the clutch and brake include a forward drive clutch and a reverse drive clutch for establishing torque flow paths through the gearing. The forward drive clutch establishes a torque flow path through the gearing from the engine through a torque output element of the transmission during vehicle startup in forward drive range, and the reverse clutch establishes a corresponding torque flow path during startup in reverse. A mechanical connection between the torque input shaft of the gearing and the crankshaft is characterized by minimal rotating mass, thereby reducing the inertia of rotating mass of the elements of the transmission.
Exploring the design space of LUT-based transparent accelerators

Instruction set customization accelerates the performance of applications by compressing the length of critical dependence paths and reducing the demands on processor resources. With instruction set customization, specialized accelerators are added to a conventional processor to atomically execute dataflow subgraphs. Accelerators that are exploited without explicit changes to the instruction set architecture of the processor are said to be transparent. Transparent acceleration relies on a light-weight hardware engine to dynamically generate control signals for the accelerator, using subgraphs delineated by a compiler. The design of transparent subgraph accelerators is challenging, as critical subgraphs need to be supported efficiently while maintaining area and timing constraints. Additionally, more complex accelerators require more sophisticated control generation engines. These factors must be carefully balanced. In this work, we investigate the design of subgraph accelerators using configurable lookup table structures. These designs provide an effective paradigm to execute a wide range of subgraphs involving arithmetic and logic operations. We describe why lookup table designs are effective, how they fit into a transparent acceleration framework, and evaluate the effectiveness of a wide range of de-signs using both simulation and logic synthesis.
NON‐ADRENERGIC, NON‐CHOLINERGIC INNERVATION IN MONKEY AND HUMAN CEREBRAL ARTERIES

1 Transmural electrical stimulation (0.5 to 20 Hz) and nicotine (10−4 m) produced relaxations of helically‐cut strips of monkey and human cerebral arteries, contracted with prostaglandin F2α. 2 The relaxation induced by electrical stimulation was suppressed or abolished by tetrodotoxin, while the nicotine‐induced relaxation was abolished by hexamethonium but was unaffected by tetrodotoxin. Both relaxations were not attenuated by β‐adrenoceptor antagonists and atropine. 3 These findings may indicate that large cerebral arteries of the monkey and man are innervated by non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic nerves, excitation of which liberates unknown vasodilator substance(s).
Inhibitory Role of Inducible cAMP Early Repressor (ICER) in Methamphetamine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization

Background The inducible cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) early repressor (ICER) is highly expressed in the central nervous system and functions as a repressor of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) transcription. The present study sought to clarify the role of ICER in the effects of methamphetamine (METH). Methods and Findings We tested METH-induced locomotor sensitization in wildtype mice, ICER knockout mice, and ICER I-overexpressing mice. Both ICER wildtype mice and knockout mice displayed increased locomotor activity after continuous injections of METH. However, ICER knockout mice displayed a tendency toward higher locomotor activity compared with wildtype mice, although no significant difference was observed between the two genotypes. Moreover, compared with wildtype mice, ICER I-overexpressing mice displayed a significant decrease in METH-induced locomotor sensitization. Furthermore, Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that ICER overexpression abolished the METH-induced increase in CREB expression and repressed cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and prodynorphin (Pdyn) expression in mice. The decreased CART and Pdyn mRNA expression levels in vivo may underlie the inhibitory role of ICER in METH-induced locomotor sensitization. Conclusions Our data suggest that ICER plays an inhibitory role in METH-induced locomotor sensitization.
Chronic and Intermittent Hypoxia Induce Different Degrees of Myocardial Tolerance to Hypoxia-Induced Dysfunction

Chronic hypoxia (CH) is believed to induce myocardial protection, but this is in contrast with clinical evidence. Here, we test the hypothesis that repeated brief reoxygenation episodes during prolonged CH improve myocardial tolerance to hypoxia-induced dysfunction. Male 5-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 7–9/group) were exposed for 2 weeks to CH (F1O2 = 0.10), intermittent hypoxia (IH, same as CH, but 1 hr/day exposure to room air), or normoxia (N, F1O2 = 0.21). Hearts were isolated, Langendorff perfused for 30 min with hypoxic medium (Krebs-Henseleit, PO2 = 67 mmHg), and exposed to hyperoxia (PO2 = 670 mmHg). CH hearts displayed higher end-diastolic pressure, lower rate-pressure product, and higher vascular resistance than IH. During hypoxic perfusion, anaerobic mechanisms recruitment was similar in CH and IH hearts, but less than in N. Thus, despite differing only for 1 hr daily exposure to room air, CH and IH induced different responses in animal homeostasis, markers of oxidative stress, and myocardial tolerance to reoxygenation. We conclude that the protection in animals exposed to CH appears conferred by the hypoxic preconditioning due to the reoxygenation rather than by hypoxia per se.
State Capacity and Terrorism: A Two-Dimensional Approach

Conventional wisdom suggests that dissident groups use terrorism when they face an overwhelmingly more powerful state, yet attacks in developing countries have predominated in the post-Cold War era, suggesting that terrorism is an increasingly weak state phenomenon. Cross-national studies of terrorism find mixed results for how common measures of state capacity influence terrorism. We argue that these indeterminate findings are due in part to a partial understanding of both what constitutes state capacity and how different aspects of state strength or weakness relate to the propensity of groups to use terrorism. We decompose state capacity into two dimensions that we theorize are particularly relevant to dissident groups: military capacity, or the ability to project conventional military force, and bureaucratic/administrative capacity. Our analysis supports the claim that terrorist attacks are more frequently targeted at states with large, technologically sophisticated militaries but less frequently targeted at states with higher bureaucratic and administrative capacity. We also compare two militarily capable states, France and Russia, that have had different recent experiences with terrorism to help illustrate the causal mechanisms involved. Evidence from our models and cases suggest that states can be capable in different ways, and these various capabilities create differing incentives for using terror as a strategic and tactical tool.
Ectasia of the coronary arteries.

Various abnormalities of the coronary arteries have been described in tetralogy of Fallot. This communication reports ectasia of the coronary arteries in 3 patients with tetralogy of Fallot. The anomaly has not been described previously. The first case was of a 24-year-old male with tetralogy of Fallot and pronounced cyanosis. The hematocrit was 79 per cent. On preoperative right ventricular angiocardiography findings typical for the tetralogy of Fallot were present, and, in addition, the coronary arteries were enormously dilated. An aortogram (Fig. 1) showed these enormously dilated coronary arteries to better advantage. They had a normal origin from the aorta. The dilatation and tortuosity of the right coronary artery and its branches were particularly marked. There was no abnormal communication between the coronary arteries, or between them or any of the heart chambers or other vessels. At total correction of the tetralogy of Fallot (Prof. V. O. Bjork), the tortuous and 10–12 mm wide arteries were agai.
Phonological Representations in Prelexical Speech Processing: Evidence from Form-Based Priming

Five form-based priming experiments examined whether phonological representations are used for lexical access during speech recognition. The effects of final phonological overlap between spoken monosyllabic target words and preceding primes on the recognition of those target words were examined. In Experiment 1, single-word shadowing latencies decreased as the number of phonemes shared between primes and targets increased. The greatest facilitation was observed when primes and targets rhymed. In Experiment 2, the number of shared phonemes was controlled. There was an influence of shared rime on shadowing performance in addition to that due to overlapping segments. Experiment 3 replicated this finding and showed that there was equivalent facilitation with word and nonword primes. Facilitation in shadowing short words was observed in Experiment 4 only when primes and targets rhymed. In Experiment 5, listeners responded to the same primes and targets as in Experiment 4; the items were presented for continuous lexical decision in an undifferentiated list. Facilitation was observed only when targets immediately followed primes with which they rhymed. Final-overlap facilitation appears to reflect two processes: a bias based on the perceptual salience of rhyme, and the activation of prelexical phonological representations.
Conflict management in enduring rivalries

Conflict management and security regimes have generated much interest in international relations, ong‐term conflict management, in particular, requires a framework that privileges a longitudinal perspective; enduring rivalries provide a coherent reference point from which to examine these issues. Before one can explain successful or unsuccessful conflict management one must have a clear conception of what is meant by the term. There exists no clear definition of what successful conflict management actually consists of. We develop three different interpretations of what this can mean in the enduring rivalry context. ‘Success’ can mean (1) reduce the average level of conflict in the rivalry, (2) reduce the occurrence of more severe militarized conflicts, or (3) reduce the ‘volatility’ or variation of conflict levels. In short, the article takes the first step in explaining successful and unsuccessful medium‐ and long‐term conflict management by providing three conflict management dependent variables from wh.
Treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease by posterior GPi pallidotomy: 1‐year results of a pilot study

The effects of posterior internal pallidal ablation (GPi pallidotomy) on parkinsonian signs and symptoms were studied in 15 patients with medically intracally intractable Parkinson's disease(PD). The sensorimotor territory of the internal portion of the globus pallidus and the adjacent optic tract and internal capsule were identified with microelectrode recording and stimulation. Radiofrequency lesions were then created in the identified sensorimotor territory. Pallidotomy significantly improved all cardinal parkinsonian motor signs (tremor, rigidity, akinesia/bradykinesia, and gait dysfunction) and reduced drug‐induced motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. The improvements occurred predominately contralateral to the lesion, but were also present ipsilaterally. Early postoperative (3‐month), mean total United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores improved by 30.1% from preoperative values. Mean combined “on/off” Schwab and England Scale scores, a measure of functional independence, increased from 48.8% to 73.0% postoperatively. The mean total United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale and Schwab and England scores did not show a statistically significant decline over the 1‐year postoperative period. Surgery resulted in little morbidity, including a lack of significant deficits on neuropsychological and psychiatric testing. Physical and social functioning and vitality measures on the Medical Outcome Scale also showed significant improvement over the postoperative period. The findings of this pilot study demonstrate that ablation of the sensorimotor portion of the internal pallidum is a highly effective treatment for advanced PD, with benefits sustained at 1 year.
A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Measurement of Collective Efficacy: The Development of a Short Form

The present study reports on the development of a 12-item Likert-type measure of collective efficacy in schools. Designed to assess the extent to which a faculty believes in its conjoint capability to positively influence student learning, the scale is based on a social cognitive model that posits perceptions of collective efficacy develop from the cognitive processing of group members. Faculty perceptions of group competence and the level of difficulty inherent in the educational task faced by the school are tapped by the scale. The 12-item scale is more theoretically pure than an earlier 21-item scale to which the 12-item scale is compared. The internal consistency of scores on the 12-item scale is tested with Cronbach’s alpha, and a test of predictive validity using multilevel modeling is reported.
The functional load of tone in Mandarin is as high as that of vowels

Tonal languages, such as Mandarin, convey information using both phonemes and tones. Using a recently proposed framework for measuring the functional load of a phonological contrast (i.e. how much use a language makes of the contrast), we carry out several computations to estimate how much use Mandarin makes of tones. The most interesting result is that identifying the tone of a syllable is at least as important as identifying the vowels in the syllable. Another computation suggests that the contrast between low and neutral tone carries relatively little information.
The Impact of Prison for Women on the Edge: Paying the Price for Wrong Decisions

Abstract A small number of previous studies have investigated the impact of custody on reoffending by males and mixed sex groups, but this is the first to investigate the impact of prison exclusively on women. Propensity score matching (PSM) using information on over 3,000 women’s current offense and criminal history was used to create a sample 320 women who had been sentenced to prison who were equivalent on all measured variables to 320 women who received a community sentence. Twelve months after release those from prison were found to have committed significantly more and more costly offenses and also to be more likely to be sent back to prison. The overall additional cost of prison in this sample was estimated to be £3.6 million, and this was a conservative estimate.