cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reversal-Specific Learning Impairments After a Binge Regimen of Methamphetamine in Rats: Possible Involvement of Striatal Dopamine

A growing body of evidence indicates that protracted use of methamphetamine (mAMPH) causes long-term impairments in cognitive function in humans. Aside from the widely reported problems with attention, mAMPH users exhibit learning and memory deficits, particularly on tasks requiring response control. Although binge mAMPH administration to animals results in cognitive deficits, few studies have attempted to test behavioral flexibility in animals after mAMPH exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether mAMPH would produce impairments in two tasks assessing flexible responding in rats: a touchscreen-based discrimination-reversal learning task and an attentional set shift task (ASST) based on a hallmark test of executive function in humans, the Wisconsin Card Sort. We treated male Long-Evans rats with a regimen of four injections of 2 mg/kg mAMPH (or vehicle) within a single day, a dosing regimen shown earlier to produce object recognition impairments. We then tested them on (1) reversal learning after pretreatment discrimination learning or (2) the ASST. Early reversal learning accuracy was impaired in mAMPH-treated rats. MAMPH pretreatment also selectively impaired reversal performance during ASST testing, leaving set-shifting performance intact. Postmortem analysis of [(125)I]RTI-55 binding revealed small (10-20%) but significant reductions in striatal dopamine transporters produced by this mAMPH regimen. Together, these results lend new information to the growing field documenting impaired cognition after mAMPH exposure, and constitute a rat model of the widely reported decision-making deficits resulting from mAMPH abuse seen in humans.
Acculturation and religious coping as moderators of the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American vocational students.

Although perceived discrimination has been associated with depressive symptoms among Hispanic adults, not all individuals who report discrimination will report elevated levels of depression. This study examined whether acculturation and religious coping would moderate the association between past-year perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms in a sample of 247 Mexican-American post-secondary vocational students (59.6 % males; mean age = 26.81). Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that perceived discrimination, positive religious coping, and negative religious coping were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Further analyses indicated that positive religious coping moderated the perceived discrimination–depressive symptoms association. Students reporting using positive religious coping were protected from experiencing heightened levels of depressive symptoms when faced with discrimination. Acculturation was not directly associated with depressive symptoms nor did it function as a moderator. The salutary influences of positive religious coping for Mexican-American students are discussed. Study limitations and future directions for research are also discussed.
Ab initio electronic structure theory for a cluster model of La2–xSrxCuO4

We report the results of ab initio calculations on a model Cu4O12 cluster. The spectrum of the undoped cluster is most appropriately described in a localized valence bond framework. The ground state and low lying excitations can be fit quite well to a Heisenberg Hamiltonian with an anti-ferromagnetic coupling constant between nearest-neighbor Cu3d spins. For a doping level x = 0.25, the electronic states are most easily interpreted in a molecular orbital (Fermi liquid) framework. In addition, doping introduces low-lying Cu ⟷ O charge transfer excitations. Our best calculations to date associate the ground state with a hole in the Cu3d anti-bonding band (Cu3+O2−), but the state in which the hole is associated with the O2p band (Cu2+O1−) is nearly degenerate.
Dose-dependent inhibition of pituitary-ovarian function during administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonistic analog (nafarelin).

To determine if treatment with the GnRH agonistic analog nafarelin could reliably block ovulation while only partially disrupting ovarian estrogen production, three degrees of pituitary-ovarian inhibition were investigated. Thirty-two women with ovulatory menstrual cycles were given 125 ¶g (group (Gp) I), 250 ¶g (Gp II), or 1000 (¶g (Gp III) nafarelin daily by intranasal spray. Twenty-seven women completed 6 months of treatment. Basal serum FSH concentrations decreased (P < 0.01) in all groups. Suppression of serum LH was dose dependent and significant (P < 0.01) only in Gps II and III. Pituitary desensitization to nafarelin developed in all groups. Peak LH responses to nafarelin decreased by about 70% (Gps I and II) and 95% (Gp III). Basal serum estradiol levels after 1 month of treatment were approximately 70 pg⁄ml (Gp I) and 25 pg⁄ml (Gps II and III). Serum estradiol levels increased acutely in Gps I an d II, but not in Gp III, in response to each dose of nafarelin. Thus, average daily estradiol levels...
Antibody against neutrophil adhesion improves reperfusion and limits alveolar infiltrate following unilateral pulmonary artery occlusion.

Relief of unilateral pulmonary arterial occlusion results in bilateral lung injury and results in only partial restoration of pulmonary blood flow distal to the site of occlusion. We hypothesized that the “no reflow” phenomenon was in part due to neutrophil adherence and aggregation in the pulmonary vasculature. The study was carried out in two phases. First, we studied the effect of neutrophil depletion on left lung blood flow following 24 hr of left pulmonary artery occlusion. Hydroxyurea was used to deplete circulating neutrophils to 77 ± 18/mm3 (means ± sem) (n = 6) as compared to 708 ± 165/mm3 in control rabbits (n = 8). In both groups left lung blood flow immediately following reperfusion was markedly reduced at 6.4 ± 2.2% of cardiac output in control rabbits and 7.3 ± 2.3 in treated rabbits. However, at 4 hr, neutrophil-depleted animals had significantly greater flow (18.7 ± 3.6 vs 8.4 ± 2.3% for control rabbits, P < 0.05). In both groups, flow remained substantially below the normal rabbit left lung blood flow of 39.8 ± 2.2%. To test whether the improved reflow was due to decreased numbers of neutrophils limiting aggregation, or whether active neutrophil adherence played a role, we tested the effect of a monoclonal antibody that interferes with neutrophil adhesiveness (MoAb 60.3) on reflow and on neutrophil emigration into the alveoli. We found that MoAb 60.3 did not affect initial reflow. However, at 24 hr, flow in treated rabbits was virtually normal (38.8 ± 1.5+%) but remained markedly diminished in untreated animals at 25.5 ± 3.9%. MoAb 60.3 also markedly diminished neutrophil emigration into the alveoli following reperfusion. We conclude that neutrophils play a significant role in preventing reflow following lung ischemia and that inhibition of neutrophil adhesiveness reverses this phenomenon and decreases the inflammatory response in the alveolus.
The autoconjugacy of the 3x+1 function

The 3x+1 map T is defined on the 2-adic integers by T(x)=x/2 for even x and T(x)=(3x+1)/2 for odd x and the 3x+1 conjecture states that the T-orbit of any positive integer contains 1. We define and study properties of the unique nontrivial autoconjugacy ? of T. This autoconjugacy sends x to the unique 2-adic integer whose parity vector is the one's complement of the parity vector of x. We prove that if ? maps rational numbers to rational numbers then there are no divergent T-orbits of positive integers. The map ? is then used to restate the 3x+1 conjecture in a parity neutral form. We derive a necessary and sufficient condition for a cycle to be self-conjugate and show that self-conjugate cycles contain only positive elements. It is then shown that the only self-conjugate cycle of integers is {1,2}. Finally, we prove that for any rational 2-adic integer x, lim??n(x)n+lim?n(?(x))/n=1 where ?n(x) is the number of ones in the first n digits of the parity vector of x, and we use this along with generalizations of known restrictions on lim??n(x)/n to prove most of the results in the paper.
On Hermite interpolation with polynomial splines on T-meshes

Hermite interpolation using polynomial splines on T-meshes is discussed in detail, leading to an error bound for interpolation of smooth functions.
Radiologic approaches to the diagnosis of cerebral metastasis.

Abstract We have discussed alternative diagnostic strategies in patients with potential or established cerebral metastases prior to the initiation of steroid and radiotherapy. This approach is based upon the potential information content that can be attained from alternative diagnostic techniques in the face of a spectrum of clinical symptoms. There is obvious need for more research on the relative merits of alternative approaches to these patients. These data could perhaps best be attained by developing a research protocol which is designed to measure the information content of alternative diagnostic techniques when different spectra of clinical symptoms are present. We should seek to increase the yield of a diagnostic technique and thus allow for more specific approaches to different constellations of clinical attributes.
Emission from ionic cesium fluoride excimers excited by a laser-produced plasma.

CsF vapor generated in a heat pipe was excited by a laser-produced plasma. Temporally integrated spectra and time-resolved fluorescence on the ionic excimer transition Cs(2+)F(-) ? Cs(+)F were observed at 185 nm. The pressure dependence of the fluorescence is influenced by self-absorption in the CsF vapor. The fluorescence is assigned to the Cs(2+)F(-) ((2)Sigma(1/2), B)? Cs(+)F ((2)Sigma(1/2),X) transition.
Children's Numerical Skill and Judgments of Confidence in Estimation.

Abstract This study investigated how children's fluent use of a basic numerical skill is related to their perceptions of confidence on a task of quantitative estimation. One hundred four 10th graders (age 15.7 years) were categorized according to level of numerical fluency as assessed by timed tasks of counting in various nonunity increments. They then made estimates of large numbers of dots and rated how confident they were on each trial. The estimation task varied according to two within-subject factors of task difficulty. It was found that counting skill was related not only to accuracy in estimating, but also to the appropriateness of the children's confidence in their responses. Skillful children made judgments that corresponded with actual task difficulty. A derived calibration score corroborated ANOVA findings of the interaction of skill level and task difficulty on confidence ratings. It also revealed that while girls were less confident than boys, they were actually more realistic in their judgments. Findings are discussed in terms of (a) the effect of stimulus knowledge on awareness of task difficulty and (b) sex differences in achievement-related expectancies.
Transport Activity of Rice Sucrose Transporters OsSUT1 and OsSUT5

Expression in Xenopus oocytes and electrophysiology was used to test for transport activity of the five sucrose transporter (SUT) homologs from rice. Expression of OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 resulted in sucrose-dependent currents that were analyzed by two-electrode voltage clamping. We examined the transport kinetics, substrate specificity and pH dependence of sucrose transport and K(0.5) for sucrose. OsSUT1 showed similar features to those of other type II SUTs from monocots examined previously, with a K(0.5) value of 7.50 mM at pH 5.6. In contrast, OsSUT5 had a higher substrate affinity (K(0.5) = 2.32 mM at pH 5.6), less substrate specificity and less pH dependence compared with all type II SUTs tested to date. Regulation of the rice SUTs, as well as ZmSUT1 from maize and HvSUT1 from barley, by reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms of glutathione was tested. GSSG and GSH were found to have no significant effect on the activity of sucrose transporters when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In conclusion, differences in transport activity between OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 indicate that type II SUTs have a range of transport activities that are tuned to their function in the plant.
Theory of the mobility of electrons limited by charged impurities in two dimensions

Abstract The mobility μ of electrons limited by charged impurities in two dimensions is calculated, based on the proper connected diagram expansion of Kubo's formula. For a Coulomb-type interaction, the Boltzmann relaxation rate is Γ (0) = 2 π 2 h −1 n I m ∗ z 2 e 4 κ −2 p −2 , where nI, repr constant. This leads to a mobility proportional to temperature T for non-degenerate electrons. The quasi-particle effect, which is self-consistently contained in the proper connected diagram expansion, yields an equation for the relaxation rate Γ. The solution of this equation yields values in general reduced relative to Γ(0) at higher densities. The values of μ obtained in our calculations, are higher than those predicted by the Boltzmann theory, and deviations are pronounced at low temperatures.
Record-high reflectance in narrowband low-loss Bragg reflectors with Si-on-LiNbO3 waveguides

A 6.5 mm long waveguide reflector with 88% reflectance and 4.3 A bandwidth at 1.5 µm has been realised using an LiNbO3 waveguide with an Si overlay. The thickness of the latter was chosen so as to yield both high reflectance and low propagation loss, in conformance with the previously developed theoretical model.
What contributes more strongly to predicting QOL during 1-year recovery from treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer: 4-weeks-post-treatment depressive symptoms or type of treatment?

Purpose: Research on prostate cancer and quality of life (QOL) has focused on the effects of treatment type on subsequent QOL, without considering effects of depressive symptoms. The present purpose is to test the independent contribution of depressive symptoms (measured within 4 weeks after treatment) and treatment type in predicting QOL measured 4, 7, and 12 months following treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer.
The Fail-Safe Schools Challenge: Leadership Possibilities From High Reliability Organizations

As public policies increasingly hold schools responsible for preventing school failure, experiences of other organizations that must operate with high reliability may be helpful. This article builds on previous studies of high reliability organizations to inquire how their strategies might inform efforts to improve reliability in loosely coupled professional organizations such as schools. The article draws on features of high reliability organizations to propose a three-part framework for fail-safe schools that includes (a) efforts to improve normal operations, (b) early detection of learning problems, and (c) rapid recovery from those problems, together with the school structures and cultures needed to support all three. Without assuming that the exact strategies used in very different organizations will work in schools, the article explores how high reliability organizations might serve as a metaphor that poses new questions for research, policy, and practice associated with school improvement and stude...
Urban street grid description and verification

While two-dimensional maps exist for most urban areas, the descriptions may be incomplete or out of date, or of insufficient resolution for the given application and features such a roads are not described as 3-D objects. Most of the past work on road detection has concentrated on either low resolution, primarily rural roads (usually producing "spaghetti" roads with no notion of intersections), high resolution road following without the topological information of the intersections, or pixel classification where there is no sense of the road as an object. This paper address the problem of extracting a street grid in an urban environment while maintaining the topological information of the intersections. Starting from an initial seed intersection, which gives the size and orientation of the expected grid, this system uses a feature-based hypothesis and verify paradigm to extract a 3-D description of the street grid. The verification uses the context provided by an intersection model and by an extended street model and other available sensors.
Intraabdominal Fetal Echogenic Masses: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management

Intraabdominal calcifications and other echogenic masses are relatively common findings during fetal sonography. Many are associated with no additional risk for the fetus or neonate. They may arise from the liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, gastrointestinal tract, or peritoneal cavity. Detection of such lesions should prompt a detailed survey for additional findings and a review of the maternal history. In some cases, fetal karyotyping may be indicated. In most cases, the diagnosis, management, and outcome are determined according to a combination of specific ultrasound appearances and at least one additional maternal or fetal factor. In utero diagnosis can often be achieved with careful evaluation of the lesion echotexture, associated calcifications, additional findings, and evolution over time. In most cases, expectant management is sufficient, but some patients require transfer to a facility where early postnatal intervention is available. A systematic approach to the findings aids in differential diagnosis and management.
Investigating the impact of cholesterol on magnetically aligned sphingomyelin/cholesterol multilamellar vesicles using static 31P NMR

Abstract The effect of cholesterol (5–40 mol%) on the magnetic induced orientation of sphingomyelin/cholesterol multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) was examined using static solid state 31P NMR spectroscopy. The orientation was modeled assuming an ellipsoidal deformation of the vesicles and was monitored as a function of cholesterol concentration and temperature. In addition, the static 31P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) was used to assess the motional and dynamical changes occurring in the bilayer are reported. An exploration of the factors determining the magnetic orientation in sphingomyelin/cholesterol bilayers from the gel (so) to liquid crystalline (or liquid-ordered, lo) phases is presented and discussed.
The nature and origin of Mafic Mound in the South Pole-Aitken Basin

“Mafic Mound” is a distinctive and enigmatic feature 75 km across and 1 km high near the center of the vast South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA). Using several modern data sets, we characterize the composition, morphology, and gravity signature of the structure in order to assess its origin. Mafic Mound is found to exhibit a perched circular depression and a homogeneous high-Ca pyroxene-bearing composition. Several formation hypotheses based on known lunar processes are evaluated, including the possibilities that Mafic Mound represents (1) uplifted mantle, (2) SPA-derived impact melt, (3) a basalt-filled impact crater, or (4) a volcanic construct. Individually, these common processes cannot fully reproduce the properties of Mafic Mound. Instead, we propose a hybrid origin in which Mafic Mound is an edifice formed by magmatic processes induced by the formation and evolution of SPA. This form of nonmare volcanism has not previously been documented on the Moon.
Ultrastructure of Macrophages and Karyolytic Bodies in Small Intestinal Villi of Macaque Monkeys and Baboons

Macrophages in the lamina propria at the tips of small intestinal villi in 41 of 5 1 macaque monkeys were filled with eosinophilic, autofluorescent, periodic acid-Schiff-positive globules, hematoxyphilic and Feulgen-positive granules, vacuoles, and iron and lipochrome pigments. The Feulgen-positive granules were seen ultrastructurally in macrophages of nine of 15 clinically normal macaques and baboons. Four of the 15 had similar granules in the intercellular spaces of the epithelium. Ultrastructurally, the eosinophilic globules were electron- dense phagolysosomes; the Feulgen-positive granules resembled nuclei of lymphocytes in various stages of pyknosis. Cytoplasmic organelles enclosed in rnembrane-bound vacuoles were present in the intercellular spaces of the epithelium of one monkey. Similar organelles were phagocytized by macrophages in another monkey. Feulgen-positive granules have been reported in villi of normal rodents. In all other species, including man, degenerating nuclei called "karyolytic bodies" and other evidence of enterocyte or lymphocyte degeneration have been considered abnormal concomitants of irradiation and antimitotic therapy. The signifi- cance of the findings in monkeys is not known, but they may represent a subclinical disease process.
A more national representation of place in Canadian daily newspapers

In their design and content, North American daily newspapers construct a complex representation of the locality they serve and its place in the world. That construct involves the quality and quantity of local news, relative to news in other geographic categories, and how stories from each category are displayed in the newspaper's pages. This article describes a content analysis that quantified and compared the representations of locality and place in the print versions of two Canadian metropolitan daily newspapers between 1894 and 2005. The results show a marked increase in both the number of national stories and the priority given to national news in the final decades of the 20th century, mirrored by a sharp decline in the number of local stories and the priority accorded to them in the Ottawa Citizen. The same trends were seen to a lesser extent in the Toronto Star, a longtime champion of the local. The article concludes with a discussion of possible reasons for this phenomenon and its relationship to political and technological developments in the final decades of the 20th century and the start of the 21st. Resume Les quotidiens nord-americains construisent, tant par leur conception que dans leur contenu, une representation complexe de la localite qu'ils desservent et de la place que celle-ci occupe dans le monde. Celle-ci se traduit par la qualite et la quantite de nouvelles locales en proportion des nouvelles liees aux autres categories geographiques, et par la facon dont les reportages sont classes selon les categories et presentes dans les pages du quotidien. Cet article fait etat d'une analyse de contenu visant a quantifier et comparer les representations de la localite et du lieu dans les versions papiers de deux quotidiens de regions metropolitaines du Canada publies entre 1894 et 2005. Les resultats revelent que la forte croissance du nombre de reportages d'envergure nationale ainsi que la place prioritaire donnee aux nouvelles nationales au cours des dernieres decennies du 20e siecle, vont de pair avec la baisse nette du nombre de reportages locaux et de la priorite que le quotidien Ottawa Citizen leur avait accordee. Si on repere cette tendance egalement dans le quotidien Toronto Star, elle est moins prononcee compte tenu que ce quotidien a longtemps defendu les couleurs locales. L'article se termine par une discussion sur les raisons qui pourraient expliquer ce phenomene et son rapport avec les evolutions politiques et technologiques au cours des dernieres decennies du 20e siecle et du debut du 21e siecle.
Predictability, toxicity, and trophic niche breadth in fungus-feeding Drosophilidae (Diptera)

. 1. The mycophagous Drosophilidae flies in eastern North America display a range of ecological responses to their fungal trophic resources. Some (Drosophilu duncani Sturtevant, and two species labelled as Mycodrosophila cluytonae Wheeler and Takada) specialize on the bracket fungi of the family Polyporaceae. Other species (Drosophila falleni Wheeler, D.recens Wheeler, D.putridu Sturtevant and D.tripunctuta Loew) are broad generalists, non-selectively consuming a diverse array of Basidioniycete mushrooms. D.restaceu von Roser and D.ordinuria Coquillett utilize a broad subset of the Basidio-mycetes, while M.dimidiata hew feeds on some Basidioniycetes, including a variety of Clavariaceae (coral fungi) and Heterobasidiomycetes (jelly fungi) not commonly used by other flies, and Ascomycetes (cup fungi). 2. Unlike some phytophagous insects, host chemistry seems to have little effect on host preferences. The mycophagous drosophilids do not avoid fungi thought to be toxic or undigestible to other Diptera. 3. Resource predictability appears to delimit trophic niches in the mycophagous guild. The average duration of individual host mushroom caps is negatively correlated with three measures of trophic niche breadth. Specialist fly species utilize long-lasting resources, while more generalized mycophagous species include progressively ephemeral fungi in their diets.
Pro-collagenase-1 (Matrix Metalloproteinase-1) Binds the α2β1 Integrin upon Release from Keratinocytes Migrating on Type I Collagen

In injured skin, collagenase-1 (matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1)) is induced in migrating keratinocytes. This site-specific expression is regulated by binding of the alpha(2)beta(1) integrin with dermal type I collagen, and the catalytic activity of MMP-1 is required for keratinocyte migration. Because of this functional association among substrate/ligand, receptor, and proteinase, we assessed whether the integrin also directs the compartmentalization of MMP-1 to its matrix target. Indeed, pro-MMP-1 co-localized to sites of alpha(2)beta(1) contacts in migrating keratinocytes. Furthermore, pro-MMP-1 co-immunoprecipitated with alpha(2)beta(1) from keratinocytes, and alpha(2)beta(1) co-immunoprecipitated with pro-MMP-1. No other MMPs bound alpha(2)beta(1), and no other integrins interacted with MMP-1. Pro-MMP-1 also provided a substrate for alpha(2)beta(1)-dependent adhesion of platelets. Complex formation on keratinocytes was most efficient on native type I collagen and reduced or ablated on denatured or cleaved collagen. Competition studies suggested that the alpha(2) I domain interacts with the linker and hemopexin domains of pro-MMP-1, not with the pro-domain. These data indicate that the interaction of pro-MMP-1 with alpha(2)beta(1) confines this proteinase to points of cell contact with collagen and that the ternary complex of integrin, enzyme, and substrate function together to drive and regulate keratinocyte migration.
Monitoring blood pressure with your bathroom scale

Arterial blood pressure is a vital sign that is measured every time we see a nurse or visit the doctor. They listen for the characteristic sequence of sounds from the brachial artery as the pressure in a fully inflated arm cuff is slowly lowered, a method described in 1905 by the Russian surgeon Nikolai Korotkoff. By relating the sounds to the underlying physiology, Korotkoff discovered a way to determine the systolic and diastolic arterial pressures noninvasively. Since then, not much has changed in how we measure arterial blood pressure noninvasively—despite a hypertension epidemic and a clear need to track blood pressure closely, regularly, and ideally unobtrusively in a sizeable patient population. Kim and co-workers have now taken a new look at this challenge with a new approach that relies on ballistocardiography. A method first described over a century ago, ballistocardiography registers tiny, imperceptible (by humans) motions of the body resulting from the body’s reaction force to each cardiac ejection of blood into the aorta. These motions can be picked up easily and continuously—for example, with accelerometers on the body, by standing on a sensitive bathroom scale, or by clever analysis of video recordings of the head. The authors demonstrate that the ballistocardiogram can determine the pulse transit time, or the time it takes the arterial pulse wave to travel from the heart (or a central thoracic location) to a peripheral artery. This time interval correlates with arterial blood pressure and therefore can be used to track blood pressure noninvasively. In human subjects, the ballistocardiography–derived pulse transit time showed best agreement with diastolic blood pressure and had the strongest correlation (0.7) with systolic blood pressure. The approach and initial results by Kim et al . open the door to obtaining blood pressure readings every time we step on a bathroom scale or look into a mirror. One caveat of the method is the need for calibration, so Dr. Korotkoff’s legacy will therefore continue for a while. C.-S. Kim et al ., Ballistocardiography as proximal timing reference for pulse transit time measurements: Potential for cuffless blood pressure monitoring. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng . 10.1109/TBME.2015.2440291 (2015). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7116556
Integrated multimedia approach to the utilization of an Everglades vegetation database

An approach for integrating multimedia data with a geographic information system (GIS) database was developed for an area corresponding to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Long Pine Key and Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower 1 :24,000scale topographic quadrangles in Everglades National Park. The multimedia database contains descriptive text, ground photographs, digital video clips, and audio segments highlighting the characteristics of Everglades plant communities, individual species, and invasive exotics, as well as plant-anima1 interactions, hurricane damage, and post-fire vegetation succession. It is linked to a GIS database that includes detailed vegetation maps, SPOT panchromatic imagery, and scanned National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP) 1:40,000-scale color-infrared (CIR) aerial photographs. The integrated multimedia approach was implemented in two steps: (1) an interactive multimedia system designed to manipulate multimedia information such as hypertext, hyperlinks, scanned photographs, digital video, and sound was developed in a Microsoft Visual Basic programming environment; and (2) a CIS application program to manipulate spatial data was constructed using Visual Basic and Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Mapobjects software. The interactive multimedia approach provides a unique way to represent geographic features and associated information on interrelationships between flora, fauna, and human activities in Everglades National Park.
ABO-Nonidentical Liver Transplantation in the United States

Under the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy, deceased donor livers may be offered to ABO-nonidentical candidates at each given Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and to blood type B candidates at MELD ≥30. To evaluate ABO-nonidentical liver transplantation (LT) in the United States, we examined all adult LT non-status 1 candidates, recipients and deceased liver donors from 2013 to 2015. There were 34 920 LT candidates (47% type O, 38% type A, 12% type B, 3% type AB) and 10 479 deceased liver donors (47% type O, 38% type A, 12% type B, 3% type AB). ABO-nonidentical LT occurred in 2%, 3%, 20% and 36% of types O, A, B and AB recipients, respectively, which led to a net liver loss of 6% for type O and 2% for type A recipients but a net liver gain of 14% for type B and 55% for type AB recipients. The LT MELD scores of ABO-identical versus -nonidentical recipients were 29 versus 34 for type O, 29 versus 19 for type A, 25 versus 38 for type B, and 22 versus 28 for type AB (p < 0.01). ABO-nonidentical LT increased liver supply for candidates with blood types B and AB but decreased supply for type O and A candidates. We urge refinement of UNOS policy surrounding ABO-nonidentical LT.
Imaging Regional Alterations Of Gas Exchange In A Murine Model Of Emphysema

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary imaging with hyperpolarized (HP) He MRI is a sensitive probe for lung microstructure and function. Emphysema, a primary subcategory of COPD, is characterized by abnormal enlargement of lung components from the distal to the terminal bronchioles. It is accompanied by alveolar wall destruction and tissue density loss. In this work, we use HP He MRI measurements of alveolar partial pressure of oxygen (PAO2), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional ventilation (r) in conjunction with localized histological analysis to assess the changes in lung function and structure in an elastase-induced murine model of emphysema. Measurements of PAO2 and r are directly related to alveolar gas exchange and gas replacement respectively, and can further our basic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of emphysema onset and progression.
Rehabilitation Counseling Students Report on Training and Sexuality

Sexuality is an important topic in rehabilitation counseling. Nonetheless, little is known about the state of training on sexuality for rehabilitation counseling students. This study surveyed rehab...
Alterations in histidine catabolism in normal rats given pharmacological doses of folic acid and cyanocobalamin.

SummaryFollowing administration of his-tidine (imidazole-2-14C) to normal rats given pharmacological doses of cyanocobalamin the initial rate and amount of 14CO2 excreted in the breath is significantly increased while in normal rats given pharmacological doses of folic acid these measurements are decreased as compared to normal untreated rats. These results indicate that pharmacological doses of cyanocobalamin increase and folic acid decrease either the rate of physical transport of histidine to intracellular sites of catabolism or the fractional rate describing the actual biochemical steps involved in such catabolism.
The Reinvention of Tradition: Form, Meaning, and Local Identity in Modern Cologne Carnival

Over the past few decades, a flood of historical scholarship has been spawned by the groundbreaking works of Eric Hobsbawm, Terence Ranger, and others who have illustrated how a host of traditions were creations invented in the recent past to inform modern identities. The rituals of the British monarchy, the trappings of Scottish Highland culture, and many other traditions were revealed to have anything but ancient origins. Examination of such inventions, Hobsbawm argued, provided, among other things, a means to observe broader historical shifts. The intention of this article is not to illustrate another example of a tradition invented in the recent past. Rather, it seeks to examine how longer-standing traditions have been subject to related processes of reinvention. Some recent work, even if not written to theorize on reinvention, could be read through such a lens. Work in memory studies, for example, has shown how broad notions of national, regional, or local “tradition” could be reshaped based on how and which historical events were remembered. Works on “sites of memory” have similarly shown how conceptions of traditional objects and places can shift due to the fluctuation of memories attached to them. Beyond memory studies, scholars of theological traditions, often confronted with themes of universal truth and intergenerational change, have also produced works that could be viewed through the prism of reinvention. Kurt Schori demonstrates, for example, how the transmission of theological tradition through the written word could lead to submerged reformulation as different generations constructed linguistic meanings according to temporally specific circumstances. While such work could be read through the lens of reinvention, I would argue that more explicit consideration of the dynamics of reinvention is needed both to expand our knowledge of such processes and to develop theoretical models that characterize its diverse occurrences. I would also suggest, as Hobsbawm does with invented traditions, that examination of reinvention provides a means to lay bare symptoms of broader historical shifts.
Mechanisms of resistance to the potato leafhopper (Homoptera : Cicadellidae) in selected Alfalfa clones

Selected clones of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., from three populations (‘Arc’, B16, and Indiana Syn C) were subjected to free and no-choice laboratory and field tests to identify specific mechanisms of resistance to potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris). Initial selection of clones used in this study was based on seedling survival under heavy potato leafhopper adult feeding pressure. In addition to those mechanisms of resistance associated with dense pubescence in B16 clones (feeding and oviposition nonpreference and nymphal antibiosis), this study identified specific clones in ‘Arc’ and Indiana Syn C populations demonstrating feeding or oviposition nonpreference or both. A small but significant level of nymphal antibiosis also was identified in several ‘Arc’ clones. No clones that had an adverse effect on adult survival or development were identified. The identification of individual clones with moderate levels of feeding and oviposition nonpreference and nymphal antibiosis in laboratory tests under controlled conditions suggests that greater progress would be achieved in identifying resistant clones if initial and recurrent selection for these resistance mechanisms were stressed using individual plant selection rather than seedling selection.
People in the weeds: Pedestrian detection goes off-road

Robotics offers a great opportunity to improve efficiency while also improving safety, but reliable detection of humans in off-road environments remains a key challenge. We present a person detector evaluation on a dataset collected from an autonomous tractor in an off-road environment representing challenging conditions with significant occlusion from weeds and branches as well as non-standing poses. We apply three image-only algorithms from urban pedestrian detection to better understand how well these approaches work in this domain. We evaluate the Aggregate Channel Features (ACF) and Deformable Parts Model (DPM) algorithms from the literature, as well as our own implementation of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). We show that the traditional performance metric used in the pedestrian detection literature is extremely sensitive to parameterization. When applied in domains like this one, where localization is challenging due to high background texture and occlusion, the choice of overlap threshold strongly affects measured performance. Using a permissive overlap threshold, we found that ACF, DPM, and CNN perform similarly overall in this domain, although they each have different failure modes.
Mechanism of temporal gradients in shear-induced ERK1/2 activation and proliferation in endothelial cells.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the intracellular signaling cascade that leads to temporal gradients in shear (TGS)-induced endothelial cell proliferation, with a focus on the invol...
Preliminary evaluation of reliability and validity of head and neck external lymphedema and fibrosis assessment criteria.

Abstract Purpose Measurement of head and neck external lymphedema and fibrosis (LEF) is challenging. To address this gap, we developed the Head and Neck External Lymphedema and Fibrosis (HN-LEF) Assessment Criteria. This article aimed to report preliminary data on reliability and validity of the HN-LEF Assessment Criteria. Methods Sixty head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who were ≥3-month post cancer therapy were recruited. Study measures included 1) demographic/medical data; 2) LEF physical examination completed independently by two staff members for interrater reliability (intrarater reliability completed by one of them); and 3) grayscale ultrasound examination of the head and neck skin. Reliability estimates used percent agreement and Kappa statistic. Validity was assessed via Spearman correlations of physical examination findings with ultrasound measurements. Results Fifty-one out of 60 HNC patients completed both physical examination and ultrasound assessments. Interrater reliability : 91.0% agreement (Kappa = 0.81, p p Intrarater reliability: 96.1% agreement for type of LEF; and 91.4% agreement for grade across all sites. Ultrasound examination demonstrates characteristics and patterns for different types of LEF (particularly in the cheek, submental, and neck regions). Conclusions The study provided initial reliability and validity data for a clinician-reported tool evaluating external LEF in the HNC population. These preliminary findings demonstrate that the tool had good reliability. Associations with the ultrasound examination results demonstrate that the tool validly captures soft tissue changes at select sites. Further validation of the tool is warranted.
Radar Observations of Tropical Weather Systems

Radars have been instrumental in tropical meteorology studies dealing with the structure and organization of convective weather systems. Deep convection in the tropics is a primary mechanism for transporting heat from the planetary boundary-layer to the upper troposphere (Riehl and Malkus, 1958). Clouds in the tropics occur in a spectrum of sizes ranging from isolated cumulus to mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), where MCS is defined as in Zipser (1982). Early satellite studies indicated that deep convection was concentrated in the relatively long-lived (∼24 h) MCSs, referred to as “cloud clusters” (Martin and Karst, 1969; Frank, 1970; Martin and Suomi, 1972), identified by their extensive (100–1000 km wide) cirrus canopies. Because of their large size and duration, MCSs accomplish much of the vertical heat transports required by the large scales. Reed and Recker (1971) showed that the frequency of tropical MCSs is in turn modulated by synoptic-scale wave disturbances, indicating that MCSs are intricately tied to other scales of motion in the tropics. Furthermore, some MCSs evolve into tropical cyclones, which affect large regions of the tropics and midlatitudes.
Fault Chains Model for Cascading Failure of Grid

Cascading failure is one of the key factors resulted in large-scope blackouts,and can be properly characterized by the fault chain.The model established for cascading failure of a grid based on the fault chain is the basis of prediction and preventive control for cascading failure,and has important significance to prevent the occurrence of blackouts.Based on the major factors of the process of cascading failure,by using the existing analysis tools(such as PSASP etc),the fault chains model for cascading failure of grid is established.According to the relationship between the fault chains and cascading failure,failure scenario is placed restrictions on power supply paths,thus the computational load is effectively reduced.Taking advantage of the fault chains model of cascading failure,cascading failure is monitored and preventively controlled by using the relevant methods of safety science.The practical application of Jiangxi Power Grid indicates that this method is very effective for analysis on service interruption to regional grid or power failure of a power plant,and it has been applied to the grid planning.
Study on the effect of automated magnetic separation system in detection of Listeria monocytogenes

Objective:To study the effect of automated magnetic separation system in detection of Listeria monocytogenes in food.Methods:400 natural samples were selected for detection by automated magnetic separation system and GB method,then the detection results were compared and analyzed.Results:Compared with GB method,automated magnetic separation had high detection rate of Listeria monocytogenes from samples.Conclusion:Automated magnetic separation system had the advantages of easy operation and high standardization degree.Combined with GB method,it can improve the detection rate of Listeria monocytogenes.
Converging divergences in age, gender, health, and well-being: Strategic selection in the third age

Publisher Summary The deinstitutionalization of careers paths and retirement, along with evolving gender and age norms, are creating increasing flexibility in social roles for both men and women at all phases of the life course. This deinstitutionalization is producing a period of life with few shared norms and few possibilities, called a “third age,” around the time of cessation of one's career job but before the frailties of old age. The push for gender equality—along with a confluence of other experiences, options, and social forces,demographic, economic, and cultural—have transformed women and men's lives over the past several years and are producing a growing pool of healthy, educated, and skilled men and women in this third age at risk of being on the sideline of society. The third age represents a time of increased heterogeneity by age and gender—a time of converging divergences. Nevertheless, men and women in the third age are products of past age and gender-graded institutions and norms. People in, or moving toward, this emerging life stage bring with them existing disparities, and outmoded scripts about age and gender, producing asymmetries in power, resources, needs, and preferences.
Private Specificities of Human IA-Like Molecules Detected by T Cell Lines

Among a number of human T cell lines tested, two alloreactive and two GAT-specific, HLA-restricted lines were found to be inhibited by monoclonal antibodies against human IA-like (DQ) molecules. When tested in panel studies, the specificities detected were distinct from any known HLA antigens, but were associated with DR and DQ antigens. This indicates that, in addition to the “supertypic” or public specificities, the human IA-like molecules carry private specificities recognized by T cells.
Khumbi yullha and the Beyul: Sacred Space and the Cultural Politics of Religion in Khumbu, Nepal

Many parts of the Himalaya are at once indigenous people's homelands, national parks or conservation areas, world-renowned trekking and mountaineering destinations, and the sites of ongoing ecologi...
Thoracic MIS Retropleural Access

It is critical to position the patient in a 90° true lateral decubitus position with high-quality AP and lateral fluoroscopic images.
Burden of Illness in Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease - A Prospective Cohort Study.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Chronic Graft vs. Host Disease (cGVHD) is a complex and prevalent complication in long term survivors after allogeneic stem cell transplant. The scope and severity of abnormalities in cGVHD have never been systematically described and are essential for health care delivery planning or testing new therapies. METHODS: Patients with cGVHD were studied in a cross-sectional prospective natural history protocol. They were systematically assessed by a multidisciplinary team specialized in cGVHD clinical research. A detailed history, organ-specific evaluations, functional performance and laboratory parameters were obtained using standardized measures. Questionnaires administered in strictly controlled conditions included clinician-administered NIH scoring (Filipovich et al, BMT 11:945, 2005) and measures of quality of life (FACT-BMT, SF-36, Lee cGVHD symptom scale). An exploratory statistical analysis was performed by grouping parameters into “predictors” (patient and transplant characteristics, laboratory data) and “outcomes” (cGVHD severity, functional performance, QOL) using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis (p 0.70 as indicators of strong association). RESULTS: Cohort included 52 patients (29 male, median age 48) with cGVHD. Median time post-transplant was 27 mo and time from diagnosis of cGVHD 14 mo, 42 patients had a sibling donor, 47 received peripheral blood stem cells, 26 had progressive onset of cGVHD, 51 had extensive disease, 38 were on systemic immunosuppression (31 on two or more drugs). Median number of organ systems involved was 5, range from 2 to 9 (max possible 9 for women, 8 for men); median total NIH score was 7.5, range from 2 to 15 (max 27 for women, 24 for men); 22 patients had at least one organ with NIH score of 3 indicating seriously disabling manifestations. Unrelated donor transplant recipients had more organ systems involved (p=0.009) and higher total score (p=0.036). Male recipients with female donors had higher NIH scores (p CONCLUSION: Patients with cGVHD manifest wide range of clinical and laboratory abnormalities. Some abnormalities occur together and are time related suggesting heterogeneous and dynamic disease biology. Patient reported QOL measures may not be good correlates of cGVHD pathophysiology. A substantial number of associations are worthy of further exploration to better understand the mechanisms which generate the diverse clinical spectrum of cGVHD.