cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Sevin With and Without Diesel for Remedial Control of Spruce Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Infested Spruce in Alaska

The effectiveness of several formulations of Sevin (carbaryl) for remedial control of the spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby), was investigated in Lutz spruce, Picea × lutzii Little, in south-central Alaska. Treatments of infested 0.5-m long bolts consisted of Sevin 4 oil in water, Sevin SL in water, Sevin 80S in water, Sevin 80S in diesel, and diesel alone. Sevin SL was more effective in providing remedial control of emerged Ist-yr and parent adults compared with nonemerged adults; Sevin 80S in diesel and Sevin SL provided adequate remedial control of 2nd-yr emerged adults. Sevin 80S in diesel provided the best remedial control of larvae but all other chemicals tested were ineffective for control of pupae. From the infornlation reported here, remedial treatment of individual spruce trees infested with spruce beetles can probably significantly reduce the number of beetles that would normally emerge and attack adjacent standing green trees.
Regional function analysis of left atrial appendage using motion estimation CT and risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims The aim of this article is to determine the association between left atrial appendage (LAA) regional dysfunction using image-based motion-estimation computed tomography (CT) (iME) and a prior history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results In this single-centre retrospective case–control study, among patients referred for AF ablation who underwent pre-ablation cardiac CT with retrospective ECG gating, we identified 18 patients with a prior history of stroke or TIA at the time of CT scan and 18 age- and gender-matched controls. All the patients were in sinus rhythm at the time of CT scan. Four-dimensional motion vector field was estimated from the CT images using iME. To assess myocardial deformation, area change ratio ( A ) and area change rate (AR) were calculated over the endocardial surface of the LAA. There was no significant difference in the baseline patient characteristics between the stroke/TIA group and the control group (67.6 ± 8.1 years old, 66.7% male, 16.7% persistent AF). LAA maximum ( A max; 23.8 ± 33.0 vs. 52.9 ± 41.2%, P = 0.02) and pre-atrial contraction area change ratio ( A preA; 13.7 ± 17.7 vs. 30.9 ± 29.2%, P = 0.04) were significantly lower in the stroke/TIA group than in the control group, respectively. The difference in LAA A max and A preA remained significant in multivariate analysis ( P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion LAA regional dysfunction is associated with stroke/TIA in AF patients. Our results offer a basis for a prospective study to determine the role of LAA regional dysfunction by iME in predicting cerebrovascular events such as stroke or TIA.
Nouvelle génération de polymères fluorés : le téflon AF

Cinquante et un an apres la decouverte du PTFE, Du Pont a cree un plastique fluore de la troisieme generation qui possede des proprietes remarquables
Nearshore Pelagic Microbial Community Abundance Affects Recruitment Success of Giant Kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera

Marine microbes mediate key ecological processes in kelp forest ecosystems and interact with the macroalgae. Pelagic and biofilm-associated microbes interact with macroalgal propagules at multiple stages of recruitment, yet these interactions have not been described for M. pyrifera. Here we investigate the influence of microbes from coastal environments on recruitment of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Through repeated laboratory experiments we tested the effects of altered pelagic microbial abundance on the settlement and development of the microscopic propagules of M. pyrifera during recruitment. M. pyrifera zoospores were reared in laboratory microcosms exposed to environmental microbial community seawater source, throughout the complete haploid stages of the recruitment cycle, including zoospore release, followed by zoospore settlement, to gametophyte germination and development. We altered the microbial abundance states differentially in three independent experiments with repeated trials, where microbes were a) present or absent in seawater, b) altered in community composition, and c) altered in abundance. Within the third experiment, we also tested the effect of nearshore versus offshore microbial communities on the macroalgal propagules. Distinct pelagic microbial communities were collected from two southern California temperate environments reflecting contrasting intensity of human influence, the nearshore Point Loma kelp forest and the offshore Santa Catalina Island kelp forest. The Point Loma kelp forest is a high impacted coastal region adjacent to the populous San Diego Bay; whereas the kelp forest at Catalina Island is a low impacted region of the Channel Islands, 40 kilometers offshore the southern California coast, and is adjacent to a marine protected area. Kelp gametophytes reared with nearshore Point Loma microbes showed lower survival, growth, and deteriorated morphology compared to gametophytes with the offshore Catalina Island microbial community, and these effects were magnified under high microbial abundances. Reducing abundance of Point Loma microbes restored M. pyrifera propagule success. Yet an intermediate microbial abundance was optimal for kelp propagules reared with Catalina Island microbes, suggesting that microbes also have a beneficial influence on kelp. Our study shows that pelagic microbes from nearshore and offshore environments are differentially influencing kelp propagule success, which has significant implications for kelp recruitment and kelp forest ecosystem health.
The effects of acute strenuous exercise on the faecal microbiota in Standardbred racehorses

While exercise has been found to change the faecal microbiome (FM) in laboratory animals exposed over weeks, no studies have identified immediate changes in the FM associated with short spans of intense exercise, ~5 min. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that acute intense exercise would alter the FM in horses. Each horse performed two rounds of testing undergoing both a graded exercise test (GXT) and a parallel standing control (SC) trial before (GXT1 and SC1) and after (GXT2 and SC2) 12 weeks of exercise training. Rectal faecal samples were taken 24 h before and after testing. Bacterial community analysis was done by sequencing the 16s rRNA (V3-V4) region via Illumina Miseq. The relative abundance of the genus Clostridium significantly decreased in SC1 (P<0.05), with a concurrent decrease in the Shannon diversity index at the species level (P<0.05). At both the genus and species levels the principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed significant separation when the samples collected be...
Aortic mass in a newborn infant with respiratory distress

Abstract Thrombotic disease is rare in neonates. Many of the cases reported in literature are attributed to the placement of central catheters. We report on a case of aortic thrombosis in a newborn infant with significant respiratory distress due to meconium aspiration, necessitating intubation and placement of central catheters. Due to the location and size of the thrombus in our case, various subspecialties were involved, which ultimately guided therapy to anti-coagulate the patient.
High Strain Rate Induced Phase Transition of Polymer

In this study we report on the uniaxial compression stress-strain behavior of a representative polymer at a strain rate over which the material undergoes a viscoelastic phase transition. This means that the frequency of its segmental dynamics correspond to the loading frequency. This resonance condition results in large energy absorption, accounting for much of the enhanced impact resistance of polymer coated structures. The transition in the stress-strain behavior as strain rate increase is hard to characterize due to experimental limitations in accessing the full range of strain rates; herein a polymer with a higher Tg is used to overcome this issue. The temperature history of the specimen has been monitored during the experiment duration in order to quantify the temperature rise due to adiabatic conditions during loading. That is, we want to address the question of where does the energy go when a polymer-coated hard substrate is impact loaded.
Impact of different pre-sleep phone use patterns on sleep quality

As the economy progresses and new technology emerges, more people are struggling with sleep-related difficulties. Researchers have previously identified that smartphone use may be associated with poor sleep quality. However, smartphones have become an indispensable part of modern life. Therefore, it is important to investigate the potential impacts of smartphone use patterns on an individual's health. In this paper, we investigate sleep quality variations between two sets of pre-sleep phone use patterns: phone use before bed-time and phone use during bed-time (before sleep). Our analysis, based on a multi-year mobile crowdsensed data collection effort on more than 400 college students, shows significant sleep quality variations when a phone is used in either of these two usage patterns compared to when it is not used. However, the results also show that phone use during bed-time leads to a significantly worse sleep quality. We expect that these findings will be useful for individuals, public authorities, and smartphone developers to improve smartphone users' sleep quality.
Beyond Operant Theory of Observer Reinforcement of Pain Behavior

Operant theory has guided theoretical and empirical developments in the field of chronic pain for decades. This model has been the primary perspective from which behavioral interventions for chronic pain have been drawn. Recent evidence suggests that there is a need to expand upon the operant model with conceptual models found in the interpersonal, empathy, and pain communication literature. Although they each have a unique focus (e.g., communication, empathy), they each highlight the interpersonal dynamics that can impact the experience of pain for patients. Evidence is needed to know the extent to which treatment can intervene on these influential relationship variables and further, to elucidate the unique interplay between the communication of spouses in the context of pain and behavioral responses of close others. The theoretical models found in the interpersonal, empathy, and pain communication literature provide a way to view pain expressions in the context of the relationship and the deeper idiosyncratic meaning that these may have for an individual with chronic pain (ICP). These models provide a richer understanding of the motivations and antecedents that lead an observer to respond to a loved one’s pain behaviors and the effects of different observer responses on an ICP’s subjective rating of pain. Addressing communication, empathy, and intimacy correlates of observer responses to pain and gathering a better understanding of the communicative role of pain behaviors is necessary, as this is likely the direction that treatments for chronic pain are headed.
Can Neuroinflammation Influence the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder of early onset that is highly variable in its clinical presentation. Although the causes of autism in most patients remain unknown, several lines of research support the view that both polygenic and environmental factors influence the development of abnormal cortical circuitry that underlies autistic cognitive processes and behaviors. The role of the immune system in the development of autism is controversial, but it is clear now that immune factors are involved in the modeling of the central nervous system (CNS) during prenatal and postnatal stages, during which neuroimmune responses may disrupt normal neurodevelopment and lead to the neuropathological abnormalities characteristic of autism. Several studies showing peripheral immune abnormalities support immune hypotheses; however, until recently there has been no demonstration of immune abnormalities within the CNS. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated the presence of neuroglial and innate neuroimmune system activation in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with autism, findings that support the view that neuroimmune abnormalities occur in the brain of patients with autism and may contribute to the diversity of the autistic phenotypes. The role of neuroglial activation and neuroinflammation is still uncertain but could be critical in maintaining, if not also initiating, some of the CNS abnormalities present in autism. A better understanding of the role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of autism may have important clinical and therapeutic implications. Future studies should focus on the actions of neuroimmune factors during brain development as important components involved in the pathogenesis of autism.
Effect Size Measures for Multilevel Models in Clinical Child and Adolescent Research: New R-Squared Methods and Recommendations

Clinical psychologists studying child and adolescent populations commonly analyze hierarchically structured data via multilevel modeling (MLM). In clinical child and adolescent psychology, and in psychology more broadly, increasing emphasis is being placed on the reporting of effect size, such as R-squared (R2) measures of explained variance. In MLM, however, the literature on R2 had, until recently, suffered from several shortcomings: (a) the relations among existing measures were unknown, (b) methods for quantifying some types of explained variance were unavailable, (c) which (if any) measures should be used for model comparison was unclear, (d) most measures did not generalize to models with more than two levels, and (e) software to compute measures was unavailable. The purpose of this article is to summarize recent methodological developments that resolved these issues and encourage the use of MLM R2 in practice. We provide a nontechnical discussion of how the issues have been resolved and demonstrate how the new measures and methods can be implemented, highlighting their utility with an empirical example. We first consider a two-level MLM for a single hypothesized model in which we examine emotional response to social situations as a predictor of maladaptive self-cognitions, demonstrating the various ways we can quantify explained variance. We then discuss and demonstrate the use of R2 for model comparison, and discuss the extension to models with more than two levels. Last, we discuss new free software that researchers can use to compute measures and produce associated graphics.
NATURAL AND UNNATURAL VARIATION IN INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VIRUSES SINCE 1977

In 1977 influenza A(H1N1) virus reappeared into a unique environment; influenza A(H3N2) strains were continuing to circulate, and the majority of the population over the age of 25 years possessed naturally acquired immunity to virus with antigens of H1N1 subtype. The evolution of the virus in this environment has been followed by antigenic,
PAR2: Parallel Random Walk Particle Tracking Method for solute transport in porous media

Abstract Computational modeling of solute migration in groundwater systems is a fundamental component in water resources management and risk analysis. Therefore, it is imperative to have fast and reliable computational tools to simulate solute transport in groundwater systems. In this work we present PAR 2 , a GPU-accelerated solute transport simulator based on the Random Walk Particle Tracking (RWPT) technique, a Lagrangian method particularly suited for parallelization . PAR 2 is able to run on any computing platform equipped with an NVIDIA GPU, such as common desktops and High-Performance Computing (HPC) nodes. The program is developed in C++/CUDA. In our illustration, groundwater flow is simulated on a structured grid using MODFLOW, which can be linked to PAR 2 using the LMT package. Simulation parameters can be defined through a convenient YAML configuration file . Additionally, we propose an analytical treatment of the dispersion tensor that allows the RWPT to be effectively implemented using GPU parallelization. The speedup gained with the parallelization drastically reduces the total simulation time, allowing the application of computationally expensive algorithms (e.g., Monte-Carlo simulation) on large-scale stochastic hydro-systems. Program summary Program Title: PAR 2 . Program Files doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/4pkhgx8wcb.1 Licensing provisions: GPLv3 Programming language: C++/CUDA Nature of problem: GPU-accelerated simulation of solute transport in saturated porous media . Solution method: Implementation of the particle tracking method, a fully Lagrangian approach to solve the advection–dispersion equations.
On massive dust clumps in the envelope of the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris

The envelope of the red supergiant VY CMa has long been considered an extreme example of episodic mass loss that is possibly taking place in other cool and massive evolved stars. Recent submm observations of the envelope revealed massive dusty clumps within 800 mas from the star which reinforce the picture of drastic mass-loss phenomena in VY CMa. We present new ALMA observations at an angular resolution of 0.1" and at an unprecedented sensitivity that reveal further details about the dusty clumps. We resolve more discrete features and identify a submm counterpart of a more distant Clump SW known from visual observations. The brightest clump, named C, is resolved in the observations. Gas seen against the resolved continuum emission of clump C produces a molecular spectrum in absorption. Except for SW Clump, no molecular emission is found to be associated with the dusty clumps and we propose that the dusty structures have an atypically low gas content. We attempt to reproduce the properties of the dusty clumps through three-dimensional radiative-transfer modeling. Although a clump configuration explaining the observations is found, it is not unique. A very high optical depth of all clumps to the stellar radiation make the modeling very challenging and requires unrealistically high dust masses. It is suggested that the dusty features have substructures, e.g. porosity, that allows deeper penetration of stellar photons within the clumps than in a homogeneous configuration. A comparison of the estimated clumps ages to variations in the stellar visual flux for over a century suggests that the mechanism responsible for their formation is not uniquely manifested by enhanced or strongly diminished visual light. The study demonstrates that the dusty mass-loss episodes of VY CMa are indeed unparalleled among all known non-explosive stars. The origin of these episodes remains an unsolved problem.
Negative Co-stimulation Constrains T Cell Differentiation by Imposing Boundaries on Possible Cell States.

Summary Co-stimulation regulates T cell activation, but it remains unclear whether co-stimulatory pathways also control T cell differentiation. We used mass cytometry to profile T cells generated in the genetic absence of the negative co-stimulatory molecules CTLA-4 and PD-1. Our data indicate that negative co-stimulation constrains the possible cell states that peripheral T cells can acquire. CTLA-4 imposes major boundaries on CD4+ T cell phenotypes, whereas PD-1 subtly limits CD8+ T cell phenotypes. By computationally reconstructing T cell differentiation paths, we identified protein expression changes that underlied the abnormal phenotypic expansion and pinpointed when lineage choice events occurred during differentiation. Similar alterations in T cell phenotypes were observed after anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibody blockade. These findings implicate negative co-stimulation as a key regulator and determinant of T cell differentiation and suggest that checkpoint blockade might work in part by altering the limits of T cell phenotypes.
Postmortem proteolysis and calpain/calpastatin activity in callipyge and normal lamb biceps femoris during extended postmortem storage.

The present experiment was conducted to determine whether calpastatin inhibits only the rate, or both the rate and extent, of calpain-induced postmortem proteolysis. Biceps femoris from normal (n = 6) and callipyge (n = 6) lamb was stored for 56 d at 4 degrees C. Calpastatin activity was higher (P .05), but was higher at 14 d postmortem in the callipyge muscle (P < 0.05). The activity of m-calpain was higher in the callipyge muscle (P < 0.05). Western blot analyses of titin, nebulin, dystrophin, myosin heavy chain, vinculin, alpha-actinin, desmin, and troponin-T indicated that postmortem proteolysis was less extensive in callipyge than in normal biceps femoris at all postmortem times. The results of this experiment indicate that calpastatin inhibits both the rate and extent of postmortem proteolysis.
Gynecologic Care for Women With Physical Disabilities: A Qualitative Study of Patients and Providers.

Abstract Background Women with physical disabilities have unmet gynecologic care needs, including disparities in cancer screening and contraceptive care, when compared with women without physical disabilities. Our objective was to qualitatively assess provider and patient perspectives regarding barriers to gynecologic health care for women with physical disabilities. Methods We used purposive sampling to recruit women with physical disabilities and gynecology providers who had experience caring for this population at two university hospitals. Patient and provider participants completed in-depth, semistructured interviews investigating their experiences with and barriers to receiving or providing gynecologic care. Transcripts were systematically analyzed by reviewing assigned codes and performing thematic analysis. We planned a sample size of at least 20 patient and provider participants to allow for saturation of thematic content. Results We interviewed 29 women with physical disabilities and 20 providers. Important themes for providers and patients centered around adequate time spent during appointments, challenges with the gynecologic examination, inadequate facilities, clinical space limitations, and lack of formal provider and staff training in caring for this population. Conclusions Providers were motivated to provide quality care for women with disabilities, but encountered systems and training barriers. Patients and providers had concordant impressions of barriers that influenced equitable and patient-centered care, with structural barriers, including a lack of accessible space, closely related to perceptions of health care inequity between women with and without physical disabilities.
Genomic survey of RNA recognition motif (RRM) containing RNA binding proteins from barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare)

One of the major mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation is achieved by proteins bearing well-defined sequence motifs involved in 'RNA binding'. In eukaryotes, RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are key players of RNA metabolism that includes synthesis, processing, editing, modifying, transport, storage and stability of RNA. In plants, the family of RBPs is vastly expanded compared to other eukaryotes including humans. In this study we identified 363 RBPs in the barley genome. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of barley RBPs indicated these proteins were in all the major cellular compartments and associated with key biological processes including translation, splicing, seed development and stress signaling. Members with the classical RNA binding motifs such as the RNA recognition motif (RRM), KH domain, Helicase, CRM, dsRNA and Pumilio were identified in the repertoire of barley RBPs. Similar to Arabidopsis, the RRM containing RBPs were the most abundant in barley genome. In-depth analysis of the RRM containing proteins - polyA binding proteins, Ser/Arg rich proteins and Glycine-rich RBPs were undertaken. Reanalysis of the proteome dataset of various stages during barley malting identified 38 RBPs suggesting an important role for these proteins during the malting process. This survey provides a systematic analysis of barley RBPs and serves as the basis for the further functional characterization of this important family of proteins.
Modeling transmission windows in Titan's lower troposphere: Implications for infrared spectrometers aboard future aerial and surface missions

Abstract From orbit, the visibility of Titan’s surface is limited to a handful of narrow spectral windows in the near-infrared (near-IR), primarily from the absorption of methane gas. This has limited the ability to identify specific compounds on the surface—to date Titan’s bulk surface composition remains unknown. Further, understanding of the surface composition would provide insight into geologic processes, photochemical production and evolution, and the biological potential of Titan’s surface. One approach to obtain wider spectral coverage with which to study Titan’s surface is by decreasing the integrated column of absorbers (primarily methane) and scatterers between the observer and the surface. This is only possible if future missions operate at lower altitudes in Titan’s atmosphere. Herein, we use a radiative transfer model to measure in detail the absorption through Titan’s atmosphere from different mission altitudes, and consider the impacts this would have for interpreting reflectance measurements of Titan’s surface. Over our modeled spectral range of 0.4–10 μ m , we find that increases in the width of the transmission windows as large as 317% can be obtained for missions performing remote observations at the surface. However, any appreciable widening of the windows requires onboard illumination. Further, we make note of possible surface compounds that are not currently observable from orbit, but could be identified using the wider windows at low altitudes. These range from simple nitriles such as cyanoacetylene, to building blocks of amino acids such as urea. Finally, we discuss the implications that the identifications of these compounds would have for Titan science.
The Economics of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has become a defining event of our times. There is no “normal” in our lives today. Everything has changed. For nearly a year, we have all been affected by the disease in one way or another. The purpose of this article is to try to enlist the power of economics to help understand some aspects of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has not just been a public health disaster. It has also caused an economic disaster. The disease has caused significant rises in unemployment and drops in Gross Domestic Product around the world. In the longer-term cost is that a large number of people, mostly women who are mothers, appear to have been leaving the labor force altogether. In discussing policy re-sponses to the pandemic, we can distinguish between two different classes of responses: one addressed to the health issues raised by the pandemic; the other addressed to the eco-nomic issues. An important point to bear in mind is that the health and economic policies are related.
Laparoscopic Subtotal Gastrectomy with Gastrojejunostomy and D2 Lymphadenectomy

Laparoscopic surgical procedures have been success fully adopted for abdominal surgery because of their favorable effects on pain, postoperative recovery, pulmonary function, and incision-related complications. Laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer has become a standard of care based on the positive results of several randomized trials. Despite early concerns about the adequacy of resection for oncologic indications, clinical studies have demonstrated that laparoscopic resections for abdominal malignancy can be performed with equivalent extent of resection compared to open resection. Clinical studies in pancreatic, cervical, endometrial, colorectal, prostate, and renal carcinoma have demonstrated that the laparoscopic approach yields similar margins and nodal clearance to open surgery. Survival rates are also similar to that seen in traditional open surgery.
Political violence, migration, lack of citizenship, and agrobiodiversity loss in the borderlands of Thailand and Laos

Abstract In the 1970s and 1980s, the borderlands between southern Laos, northeastern Thailand and northern Cambodia were a hotbed of militarized conflict and insurgent activity. Various armed groups, on the political left and right, operated in what was later referred to as the Emerald Triangle. This article considers how ethnic Kuy (Souay) Indigenous peoples from the Lao side of the border in Mounlapoumok District, Champasak Province, southern Laos, fled to neighboring parts of Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeastern Thailand as political refugees after Pathet Lao communists took over Laos in 1975. Many later became stateless insurgents fighting for Lao anti-communist groups opposed to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In particular, the article considers the influence of political armed conflict on migration and citizenship status, and subsequently on agrobiodiversity loss, particularly of native varieties of upland rice cultivated in swidden fields. This includes considering the structural violence associated with Thai government policies and practices related to forest conservation and preventing swidden cultivation. Agrobiodiversity loss was not centrally influenced by political violence, but it significantly influenced the conditions that affected agrobiodiversity, emphasizing the potential usefulness of studying political violence and agrobiodiversity loss through considering indirect influences.
Using Occupancy Surveys to Assess Summer Resource Selection of Sympatric Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goats in Northern Yellowstone

We evaluated the effects of changes in elk archery hunting seasons in eastern Montana on hunter numbers, days, and densities and elk harvest. We compared 2 time periods (2004-2007 and 2008-2010) and grouped hunting districts (HDs) into 1 of 4 season types. The 4 season types were limited permits in the Missouri Breaks (7 HDs), limited permits in non-breaks HDs (22 HDs), adjacent HDs were in close proximity to the limited permit HDs that we hypothesized might receive additional hunters displaced from the two more restrictive archery permit areas (22 HDs), and our pseudo-control season type included the rest of the HDs in the state (110 HDs). It appeared, from a statewide perspective, that changing the archery regulations to limited permits in 27 HDs didn’t cause a statistically significant hunter shift to the 22 HDs identified as areas hunters would likely select if restrictions forced them to choose a new area. The only significant changes in hunter numbers and days were decreases in nonresident hunter numbers and days in the Missouri River Breaks HDs. Although the decrease in non-resident use may have had an economic impact in the local area; statewide, there was no change in non-resident use. Pseudo-control HDs showed decreases or no change in harvest response variables. Therefore, the significant harvest increases and/or lack of significant harvest declines in the limited permit areas might be interpreted as a relative success since most of these hunting districts are above population objectives for elk.
Integrating stakeholder values with multiple attributes to quantify watershed performance

[1] Integrating stakeholder values into the process of quantifying impairment of ecosystem functions is an important aspect of watershed assessment and planning. This study develops a classification and prioritization model to assess potential impairment in watersheds. A systematic evaluation of a broad set of abiotic, biotic, and human indicators of watershed structure and function was used to identify the level of degradation at a subbasin scale. Agencies and communities can use the method to effectively target and allocate resources to areas of greatest restoration need. The watershed performance measure (WPM) developed in this study is composed of three major components: (1) hydrologic processes (water quantity and quality), (2) biodiversity at a species scale (core and priority habitat for rare and endangered species and species richness) and landscape scale (impacts of fragmentation), and (3) urban impacts as assessed in the built environment (effective impervious area) and population effects (densities and density of toxic waste sites). Simulation modeling using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), monitoring information, and spatial analysis with GIS were used to assess each criterion in developing this model. Weights for attributes of potential impairment were determined through the use of the attribute prioritization procedure with a panel of expert stakeholders. This procedure uses preselected attributes and corresponding stakeholder values and is data intensive. The model was applied to all subbasins of the Chicopee River Watershed of western Massachusetts, an area with a mixture of rural, heavily forested lands, suburban, and urbanized areas. Highly impaired subbasins in one community were identified using this methodology and evaluated for principal forms of degradation and potential restoration policies and BMPs. This attribute-based prioritization method could be used in identifying baselines, prioritization policies, and adaptive community planning.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF SPERMIOGENESIS IN SEGREGATION DISTORTER MALES OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER : THE HOMOZYGOTES

We have studied spermiogenesis at the ultrastructural level in males of genotype SD(NH)-2/SD-72, which are nearly sterile owing to the dysfunction of virtually all of their sperm. Ultrastructural aspects of spermiogenesis in these homozygous SD males are qualitatively similar to those found among dysfunctional sperm produced by heterozygous SD males. In particular, chromatin condensation and/or compaction has been found to be abnormal. However, major quantitative differences have been noted. Most of the dysfunctional sperm in SD(NH)-2/SD-72 males are individualized and coiled. Then, the sperm evidently undergo degeneration, as few mature sperm can be found in the seminal vesicle. The relevance of these findings to the mechanism leading to near sterility in homozygous SD males is discussed.
Clonal expansion is a characteristic feature of the B-cell repertoire of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The present study was designed to analyze the level of B-cell clonal diversity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by using HCDR3 (third complementarity determining region of the rearranged heavy chain variable region gene) length as a marker. A modified immunoglobulin VH gene fingerprinting method using either genomic DNA or complementary (c)DNA derived from B cells of the peripheral blood, synovial fluid, and tissues of several rheumatoid arthritis patients was employed. These assays permitted the detection and distinction of numerically expanded B-cell clones from activated but not numerically expanded B-cell clones. The present data suggest that B-cell clonal expansion is a common and characteristic feature of rheumatoid arthritis and that it occurs with increasing frequency from the blood to the synovial compartments, resulting in a narrowing of the clonal repertoire at the synovial level. These clonal expansions can involve resting, apparently memory B cells, as well as activated B cells. Furthermore, some of these individual expansions can persist over extended periods of time. These findings support the hypothesis that a chronic ongoing (auto)immune reaction is operative in rheumatoid arthritis and that this reaction, at least at the B-cell level, may be unique to each individual joint. A determination of the targets of these autoimmune reactions may provide valuable clues to help understand the immunopathogenesis of this disease.
Allograft Around the Shoulder

Large osteochondral defects of the glenohumeral joint are difficult to treat in young, active patients. Advanced surgical techniques have been developed that allow for biological resurfacing of the joint without using prosthetic implants, and such techniques offer potential benefits including faster rehabilitation, pain relief, and easier revision surgery if necessary. Early outcomes are encouraging in many cases, but inconsistent overall, with pain relief being the most reliable indicator of patient satisfaction.
The effect of arterialization of the liver on gastric secretion of dogs with portacaval shunts.

Arterialization of the liver in dogs with portacaval shunts and Heidenhain pouches did not reduce the hypersecretion that usually occurs following the establishment of a portacaval shunt alone.
Biodiversity dynamics in isolated island communities: interaction between natural and human-mediated processes

The flora and fauna of oceanic islands have inspired research since the early scientific explorations. Islands can be considered 'nature's test tubes'- simple systems with multiple replicates. Our research has used the simplicity of island systems to understand ecological community dynamics and to compare the properties of island communities with those in more complex mainland systems. Here, we present three topics: (i) current patterns of biodiversity on isolated islands of the Pacific; (ii) current patterns of disturbance and invasion on islands; and (iii) future trajectories inferred from these patterns. We examine features of islands (in particular, topography and isolation) that have allowed for given levels and distribution of endemicity. The extent to which island communities are impacted by, resist or accommodate disturbance and/or invasions by nonindigenous species appears to be dictated to a large extent by properties of the native communities and how these communities were originally assembled. Accordingly, patterns of disturbance and invasion are very different for high (montane) islands that are extremely isolated compared to those that are nearer to a source of natural migrants. As with all biotas, those on islands are dynamic entities. However, the unique aspect of islands is their isolation, and extreme isolation has largely been lost over the course of the last few centuries due to the development of transportation routes. We argue that such a modified dynamic will affect the future of the biota and the processes that gave rise to the biota. Specifically for isolated habitats, ecological processes will become increasingly more likely to generate biodiversity than evolutionary processes which have been relatively more important in the past. In the short term, island biotas and other similar biotas that occur in montane habitats may fare well as species are often abundant locally in the habitat to which they are indigenous, and may demonstrate considerable resistance and resilience to invasion. However, island biotas - and other biotas that show high local endemism - will likely not fare well in the face of prolonged disturbance. The biotas in these areas generally display a relatively low dispersal capacity; therefore, under conditions of long-term habitat modification, isolated biotas are likely to be swamped by non-natives, which - simply because of random processes and higher propagule pressure - will move more readily into available habitats. Thus, despite the importance of incorporating the evolutionary process into conservation efforts, we must also be careful to evaluate the likely form that the processes will take when the context (specifically, extent of isolation) has been highly modified.
Regeneration of Cholinesterases in the Stellate and Normal and Denervated Superior Cervical Ganglia of the Cat Following Inactivation by Sarin

: Experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that ganglionic butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is derived from acetylcholinesterase (AChE). At 5 to 8 days following preganglionic denervation of the right superior cervical ganglion (SCG), cats were given sarin, 2.0 μmol/kg, i.v. At intervals of 1 h and 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, and 22 days later, they were killed, and the AChE and BuChE contents of both SCG and both stellate ganglia (StG) were assayed. The regeneration of AChE in the normal ganglia occurred in two phases: an initial rapid phase, to 25-40% of control activity in 1 day, and a slow phase, to approximately 70% of control activity in 22 days. BuChE reached approximately 85% of control activity in normal SCG and StG at 22 days. In the denervated SCG, AChE activity reached a maximum of approximately 17% of normal at 1 day, the value prior to the administration of sarin, and did not increase appreciably above this subsequently. BuChE activity in the denervated SCG reached approximately 50% of normal ganglia at 22 days. At each interval, its activity approached 55% of that of the contralateral normal SCG, the value found in the denervated SCG prior to the administration of sarin. Hence, the regeneration of BuChE appears to be independent of the presence of AChE in the neuropil. The origin of ganglionic BuChE remains obscure.
Median rhomboid glossitis: an atypical variant.

Abstract A case of median rhomboid glossitis has been presented for the purpose of bringing to view an atypical variant of a relatively common condition.
Screened Rutherford multiple scattering estimates for heavy ion backscattering applications

Abstract An analytical expression and an integral representation are presented for the contribution, Y(n) = ϵ(n)Δωn, of n-event multiple scattering chains to the observed backscattering spectrum in heavy-ion backscattering (HIBS) measurements. The approximations introduced in deriving the results are chosen such that an upper limit is placed on Y(n) by the expressions. The Rutherford elastic scattering cross section is used to describe individual collisions between incident projectiles and target atoms. Screening of the Rutherford scattering cross section is included in an approximate fashion which maintains the upper limit estimate. Inelastic energy loss between collision events is assumed proportional to the projectile velocity. Specific application of these expressions is made to HIBS detection of trace amounts of heavy atom impurities on a Si surface by 200–400 keV C+ beams. The predicted multiple scattering background for this application is compared with the predicted single scattering signal for 1010 at./cm2 of Fe, Cu, Zr, Sn, or Au, as a surface impurity. The comparison shows that the multiple scattering background poses no barrier to extending the sensitivity of HIBS detection of impurities in this mass range to levels as low as 108 at./cm2 for the upper part of the energy range considered. Comparison of calculations with and without screening included show that the screening of the Rutherford cross section by atomic electrons is a significant factor in preventing multiple scattering effects from interfacing with HIBS spectrometry at impurity levels in the 1010 at./cm2 range.
Tuning and suppression in auditory nerve fibers of aged gerbils raised in quiet or noise.

Mongolian gerbils were reared either in quiet or in a continuous noise field (85 dBA, 500-4000 Hz). The gerbils began the noise exposure at 8 months of age and, after the exposure, spent the remainder of their lives in the quiet vivarium with the quiet-aged group. The duration of the noise exposure was between 365 and 724 days. At the terminal experiment the ages of the animals varied between 24 and 43 months, with a mean age of about 36 months, an age representing the average life span of a gerbil in our colony. During the terminal experiment, tuning curves and boundaries of two-tone rate suppression were obtained from single fibers in the auditory nerve. Threshold shifts occurred in both groups of animals. The shift was largely confined to the tip of the tuning curve; i.e., the region around the characteristic frequency (CF) of the fiber. The CF shifts effectively reduced the tip-to-tail ratios of the tuning curves. Two-tone suppression areas above and below CF were present for all fibers in the quiet-aged animals, but were often absent for fibers in the noise-aged group. The presence of suppression was largely independent of fiber thresholds in both groups of animals. Indeed, fibers were found with clearly-defined suppression boundaries above and below CF despite threshold shifts of up to 60 dB. Moreover, in the noise-aged group suppression below CF was sometimes found without concomitant suppression above CF and vice versa, suggesting an independence between the two suppression areas. For fibers with CFs within the bandwidth of the noise, two-tone suppression above CF was always absent, even though suppression below CF was sometimes present. In sum, two-tone suppression was near normal in ears aged in quiet despite relatively large threshold shifts at the fiber CF. However, suppression, especially that above CF, was vulnerable to the effects of chronic noise. Taken with the results of other studies, our data suggest that the micromechanics of the cochlea are largely responsible for two-tone suppression, especially that above CF, and that different mechanisms may underlie suppression above and below CF.
Lysias III and Athenian beliefs about revenge

It has recently been argued by Gabriel Herman that fourth-century Athenian citizens, or at least the majority of them, believed that even under the impact of serious private aggression a man should not pursue revenge. The general ideal, so it is maintained, was to avoid not only violent revenge but also revenge through prosecution. Herman recognizes that other Athenian texts of the same period take the propriety of exacting revenge for granted, and he explains this in part by reference to a supposed ‘double standard’—a rather strange expression in this context, because it suggests that the propriety of revenge in classical Athens depended on the status of the victim of the revenge—which is not in fact the burden of Herman's doctrine.
Precise bounds for inverses of integral equation operators

In the analysis of approximation methods for operator equations, a guarantee of the boundedness of the inverse of the operator involved is essential. In actual computations, where such bounds can be used to assess the effect of various data and computational errors, it is equally important that these bounds be realistic and not significantly overestimate the true value. Here we suggest a computational method which establishes such bounds for integral equations. The bounds are easily computable, yet rigorous and, for all practical purposes, identical with the exact value.
Individual variation in the swimming performance of fishes: An overlooked source of variation in toxicity studies

A commonly used indicator of sublethal stress in fish is impaired swimming performance. Analysis of performance data usually employs a simple comparison, in which the mean of a stressed group of fish is compared to that of a control group. Although such a comparison is satisfactory in many cases, a comparison emphasizing individual variation in performance can yield valuable information unattainable by a means comparison. In this experiment, we determined critical swimming speeds of subadult male fathead minnows before and after exposure to contaminated sediments from Devil's Swamp, Louisiana, USA. The data were then analyzed using a means comparison and an individual approach to illustrate the differences in explanatory power between the two approaches.
Are survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Through a variety of different mechanisms, it appears that survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia have an increased prevalence of several cardiovascular risk factors and thus are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The aim of this paper is to describe the current understanding of particular risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, that may contribute to cardiovascular disease in survivors of childhood ALL. The potential roles of different cancer therapies in the development of these risk factors are discussed. In addition, two other late effects that may affect cardiovascular health are discussed: late-onset anthracycline-induced left ventricular dysfunction and methotrexate-mediated elevations of homocysteine during therapy with the potential for endothelial dysfunction. Lastly, areas needing further investigation to elucidate these risks are highlighted.