cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Despite the wealth of information which exists concerning environmental behavior, it is not known which variable or variables appear to be most influential in motivating individuals to take responsible environmental action. A meta-analysis of environmental behavior research was undertaken in an attempt to determine this. An exhaustive search of the empirically based environmental behavior research conducted over the past decade yielded a substantial number of studies representative of a broad academic base. The characteristics and findings of these studies served as the data for the meta-analysis. As a result of the meta-analysis, the following variables were found to be associated with responsible environmental behavior: knowledge of issues, knowledge of action strategies, locus of control, attitudes, verbal commitment, and an individual's sense of responsibility. A model of predictors of environmental behavior is proposed.
The Geotectonic Cycle and the New Global Tectonics

A fundamental abstraction in earth science has been the concept of a geotectonic cycle. It has gone hand-in-hand with various classifications of tectonic elements and has been intricately interwoven in geosynclinal theory. The basic scheme which has emerged is a progressive and somewhat deterministic sequence of events in space and time made up of three phases usually termed the geosynclinal phase, the tectogenic phase, and the orogenic phase. The geotectonic cycle has been equated with evolution of mountain systems and long considered a prime process in continental evolution. The geotectonic cycle is examined in light of recent developments, including geosynclinal theory, studies in tectogenesis, and advances in submarine geology and geophysics. It is concluded that the concept of a geotectonic cycle is obsolete as a model of mountain system evolution, since definition of each of the so-called phases is obscure, relationship of any one phase to another is in doubt, and there is considerable evidence that the entire cycle can not be attributed to any single internal deterministic mechanism. Instead, the concept of multiple origins for mountain systems is suggested. Mountain complexes result from irregular successions of tectonic responses due to sea-floor spreading, shifting lithosphere plates, transform faults, and colliding, coupled, and uncoupled continental margins.
Anandamide content and interaction of endocannabinoid/GABA modulatory effects in the NTS on baroreflex-evoked sympathoinhibition

Cannabinoids have been shown to modulate central autonomic regulation and baroreflex control of blood pressure (BP). The presence of cannabinoid CB1 receptors on fibers in the nucleus tractus solit...
A Motivational Analysis of Emotion: Reflex-Cortex Connections

This analysis postulates a motivational continuity from reflex reactions to complex, cognitively elaborated emotional expressions. Responses are motivated by either the positive-appetitive or the negative-aversive brain systems. Reflexes evoked during emotional processing are augmented if their affective valence (positive or negative) matches that of the active motivational system and inhibited when a mismatch is present. Research testing this biphasic model is described using the defensive startle probe reflex. It is shown that probe responses are reliably potentiated during perception and imagery of unpleasant events and reduced during pleasant events. The neurobehavioral foundations of this conception are presented, and the implications of probe analysis are elucidated for theories of emotion organization, the assessment of mood, and practical applications in psychopathology and neurological disorder.
INFLUENCE OF HEART RATE AND CONTRACTILITY ON CORONARY DIAGNOSTIC PARAMETERS WITH NORMAL MICROVASCULATURE IN PORCINE MODEL

Invasive guide-wire measurements are used to assess coronary lesion severity under clinical settings. The objective of the present research is to determine the influence of heart rate (HR) and contractility (CY) on fractional flow reserve (FFR; the ratio of distal pressure to proximal pressure at a stenotic section) and pressure drop coefficient (CDPe; the ratio of trans-stenotic pressure drop to distal dynamic pressure). In- vivo experiments were performed on eight Yorkshire pigs, to evaluate the diagnostic parameters for the conditions “CY 1100 mmHg/sec,” and for the conditions “HR 110 bpm”. It was found that in the presence of normal microvasculature the measured coronary diagnostic parameters (FFR and CDPe) have a significant mean difference for variation in contractility (0.59±0.04 to0.89±0.045 for FFR and 121.63±18 to 23.53±18 for CDPe). The variation in HR has no significant effect on FFR and CDPe (0.72±0.048 to 0.74±0.048 and 54±20 to53±20 respectively).
Material flammability, combustion, toxicity and fire hazard in transportation

Abstract Many materials used in transportation vehicles are combustible, often dramatically so. These materials may include gases, liquids and solids. They are sometimes employed in order to increase fuel efficiency, reduce manufacturing cost or meet other market demands such as durability or appearance. Extensive research has been conducted on such materials both with and without the expressed intent of applying the results directly to transportation. Combustion and fire research, considered generally, are much broader than (and in fact encompass), the specific applications to transportation issues discussed here. Much if not most of fire and combustion research, therefore, has a direct bearing on transportation. This review ties together disparate subjects of fundamental fire and combustion research that have relevance to transportation fire. The goal is to provide a technical overview of the combustion literature related to, but not exclusively concerned with or focused on, transportation fire safety. Although they are not a large percentage of transportation-related fatalities, fires can be costly in human and economic terms. In the United States, post-collision fires occur in 1–5% of fatal motor vehicle accidents, while approximately 20% of air traffic fatalities are attributed to fire. This review addresses scientific and technical engineering issues in the fields of fire initiation; fire spread; products of combustion and their toxicity; and practical fire prevention in vehicles and other modes of transportation.
Borrowed channel relaying: a novel method to improve infrastructure network throughput

From a networking perspective, the chief impediment to throughput enhancement in infrastructure networks such as IEEE802.11 is the access point bottleneck: all traffic to, through, and fromthe network has to pass through this access point. When some clients experience poor channel conditions and therefore communicate at a lower data rate, this severely impacts the throughput of all clients in the network. Recently, multihop relaying in combination with leveraging multiple data rates was proposed to alleviate this problem. However, our experiments indicate that gains from these techniques are very small with realistic positioning of clients. Instead, we propose a novel scheme that combines relaying and multiple data rate capabilities with the concept of channel borrowing. Our protocol, BCR (Borrowed Channel Relaying), utilizes unused capacity from neighboring access points and is able to achieve network throughput gains of 20% to 60% depending on the scenario. Although we use 802.11 style networks to illustrate this concept, this general principle can be applied to any infrastructure network with receivers capable of tuning to more than one channel.
Obesity, Exercise, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Modifiable Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation

Classically, the 3 pillars of atrial fibrillation (AF) management have included anticoagulation for prevention of thromboembolism, rhythm control, and rate control. In both prevention and management of AF, a growing body of evidence supports an increased role for comprehensive cardiac risk factor modification (RFM), herein defined as management of traditional modifiable cardiac risk factors, weight loss, and exercise. In this narrative review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the importance of each facet of RFM in AF prevention and therapy. Additionally, we review emerging data on the importance of weight loss and cardiovascular exercise in prevention and management of AF.
Introducing a General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR): Ensuring that a GAAR Achieves its Purpose

Tax avoidance continues to attract attention globally with strong support for tax law reform at all levels. This Tax Law IMF Technical Note focuses on some of the key design and drafting considerations of one specific legal instrument (being, a statutory general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR)) which is often considered by authorities to combat unacceptable tax avoidance practices. A GAAR is typically designed to strike down those otherwise lawful practices that are found to be carried out in a manner which undermines the intention of the tax law such as where a taxpayer has misused or abused that law. However, the objective of combating unacceptable tax avoidance can itself make the legal design of a GAAR complex. This is simply because the phrase “tax avoidance” means different things to different people. Whatever the form of a GAAR, it should give effect to a policy that seeks to strike down blatant, artificial or contrived arrangements which are tax driven. However, the GAAR should be designed and applied so as not to inhibit or impede ordinary commercial transactions. This Tax Law IMF Technical Note discusses and explores how drawing a line between those arrangements which should be caught by the GAAR is a matter of degree and can be delicate.
Tibial torsion measured by ultrasound in children with talipes equinovarus

Previous clinical studies have studied tibiofibular torsion by measuring the angular difference between a proximal (often bicondylar) plane and a distal bimalleolar plane. We measured the angular difference between the proximal and distal posterior tibial planes as defined by ultrasound scans. We found no significant torsional difference between the right and left tibiae of 87 normal children, nor between their different age groups. The mean external torsion of 58 legs with congenital talipes equinovarus was 18 degrees; significantly less than the mean 40 degrees in the normal children and 27 degrees in the clinically normal legs of the 22 patients with unilateral congenital talipes equinovarus. We did not confirm the previously reported increase in external torsion with increasing age. The relative internal tibial torsion we have demonstrated in patients with congenital talipes equinovarus must be differentiated from the posterior displacement of the distal fibula observed by others and which may result from manipulative treatment. The relative internal tibial torsion we found in the clinically normal legs of children with congenital talipes equinovarus is further evidence that in this condition the pathology is not confined to the clinically affected foot.
The service learning projects: stakeholder benefits and potential class topics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize the benefits of including a service learning project in college classes and focusses on benefits to all stakeholders, including students, community, and faculty. Design/methodology/approach – Using a snowball approach in academic databases as well as a nominal group technique to poll faculty, key topics for service learning across college disciplines are presented. Findings – Findings include a wide range of service learning projects across disciplines. Research limitations/implications – Areas for future research are identified to expand the service learning topic list as well as guide studies on the long-term benefit of service learning for each identified stakeholder. Practical implications – For new faculty or faculty new to service learning, the list of paper ideas is a good first step to identify projects. While not comprehensive, the list serves to stimulate topic ideas and fills a void in the service learning literature. Social implications – Ser...
The Growth of Ashaiman as a Squatter Settlement in the Tema District of Ghana, 1950-1990

This paper investigates how Ashaiman (in the Tema District of Ghana) developed to become one of the largest squatter settlements in urban West Africa. Specifically, it examines the dynamics of the settlement's growth process from the late 1940s to the early 1990s and the factors involved. The study finds that Ashaiman's growth is linked to the construction of Tema in the 1950s as Ghana's industrial and port city. To develop the city of Tema, the government of Ghana acquired the land from the people who owned it and resettled them in a new township as compensation. However, non-natives (migrants) who lived on the land were excluded from this resettlement. Instead, they were allocated small plots of land at Ashaiman (then a small fishing village) to build their own houses. As Tema developed, it became a magnet for urban migrants and experienced a housing shortage. Consequently, many new migrants selected Ashaiman as a residential area. The availability of cheaper rental accommodation, the ease of building b...
A 50 ps Cycle-Time Microprocessor: The Technological Challenges

Straightforward extrapolation of the rapid evolution of Si technology suggests that sub-ns cycle-time microprocessors will be reported within the next five to seven years. The primary technological trend that makes this evolution possible is miniaturization; there is an intimate connection between circuit speeds and miniaturization, and high levels of integration. Miniaturization is a key to circuit speed because small size leads to high speed through the reduction of distances and capacitances. Miniaturization means making everything smaller; connections, capacitances, insulation, and anything else on a chip must feel the impact of miniaturization.
Study of structure-property relationship of linear alkyl aryl sulfonate by topological indices

An approach based on the molecular topology was used to study the relationship between molecular structure and the equivalent alkane carbon number(EACN)of linear alkyl aryl sulfonate(LAAS)as well as relationship between molecular structure and biodegradability(BD)of LAAS.Based on the characteristics of its molecular structure,the distance matrix was used to characterize the connectivity of the groups in the molecules and quantitative formulae were developed which can be used to predict the equivalent alkane carbon number and biodegradability values and to characterize the structure-property relationship of LAAS.25 samples of LAAS were calculated for EACN and 19 samples of LAAS were calculated for BD.The calculation results showed that the predicted values are in good agreement with values proclaimed in literatures.Correlation coefficients of the formula for EACN and for BD are 0.997 2 and 0.985 0 respectively,and the relative error of the calculated values as compared with the corresponding values in published literatures are in the range of-14.38~0.46 and-0.06~0.08 respectively.
Purine and Monoamine Metabolites in Cerebrospinal Fluid

The study of human cerebral metabolism is hampered by a paucity of techniques that allow serial observations. Determination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metabolites has been a technique used to diagnose neurologic disease states, to assess severity and progression of disease and to judge the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. The measurement of CSF metabolites of the serotonin and dopamine pathways is felt to accurately reflect aberrations in those CNS processes. We have recently demonstrated reduced CSF HVA levels in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (1). This observation parallels the post-mortem studies by Lloyd et al (2) where reduced dopamine and HVA levels were found in Lesch-Nyhan striatum.
Potassium thiophosphate laser treatment of genitourinary hemangioma in the pediatric population

AbstractMultiple hemangiomas of the urogenital system are uncommon lesions that usually recur and can cause significant morbidity. Three pediatric patients with urethral, bladder, penile, scrotal and vaginal hemangiomas underwent treatment of these lesions with the potassium thiophosphate laser. All patients had multiple lesions and suffered from recurrent bleeding before treatment. Potassium thiophosphate photocoagulation was delivered to the surface, urethral and vaginal lesions. Treatment-associated bleeding did not occur in any case. Followup urogenital and cystoscopic examinations revealed complete obliteration or marked diminution in the size of the treated hemangiomas. All patients had a decrease in the frequency and intensity of bleeding episodes and 2 were subsequently without further episodes of bleeding. Potassium thiophosphate laser photoablation provides excellent results in the pediatric population and is preferred to more extensive surgical intervention.
Leader opportunity versus threat verbal framing and nonverbal emotional expressions impact followers' creative performance

Abstract A core function of leadership is to motivate followers, yet little research describes mechanisms by which leaders impact their followers' motivation. The purpose of this paper is to present and test a novel theory of leaders' influence on follower creative performance based on approach-avoidance motivation theory (Carver & Scheier, 1998) and self-regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 2000). Two forms of leader approach-avoidance communication behavior, verbal framing and nonverbal emotional displays, are hypothesized to impact follower creative performance. Two experimental studies provide support for the theoretical model using distinct leadership stimuli and creative performance tasks.
Examples of Innovation by Surgeons: Endoscopic Variceal Ligation

Endoscopic ligation was developed as an alternative to endoscopic sclerotherapy for treatment of bleeding esophageal varices. The use of small elastic “O” rings to ligate and obliterate hemorrhoids was first described in the 1960s. Prior to this, hemorrhoid disease was treated either with surgery or injection sclerotherapy. Over time, elastic band ligation of hemorrhoids was found safer and more effective than sclerotherapy. Flexible endoscopic sclerotherapy for esophageal varices was effective but was associated with a relatively high incidence of minor and major complications. Could endoscopic elastic band ligation be performed deep in the gastrointestinal tract using a flexible endoscope? If so, would it be as safe and effective as endoscopic sclerotherapy? We designed and built a prototype ligating device that attached to the end of a flexible endoscope. Suction was used to draw the esophageal varix into a ligating chamber, and an elastic band was ejected to ensnare the tissue. Laboratory studies performed in a canine esophageal varices model demonstrated that elastic band ligation of varices resulted in ischemic necrosis, acute inflammation, shallow ulcer formation, and subsequent healing with re-epithelialization of the ulcer. Varices were obliterated by a process of dense scar formation. Subsequent clinical studies including multiple prospective randomized trials that compared endoscopic ligation with endoscopic sclerotherapy confirmed the new method was safer and more efficient and resulted is less recurrent bleeding. Endoscopic elastic band ligation became the preferred endoscopic treatment for bleeding esophageal varices in the mid-1990s.
Max et al. Respond.

We thank Cochran et al. for their thoughtful comments regarding the needed research to eliminate health disparities, in this case, related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community. As we reported in our study, both tobacco use and SHS exposure have fallen over time for sexual minority as well as heterosexual adults in California, although both prevalence rates remain higher for the former. A number of explanations have been suggested to explain the greater rates of tobacco use and SHS exposure in the LGB community, including a bar-focused subculture, targeted tobacco industry efforts, stress, and structural stigma and discrimination commonly perceived by LGB adults. Cochran et al. suggest that another factor that might be considered as moderating SHS exposure is household composition, which they define as living alone or with others.1 Other measures of household composition could include living with a spouse and the presence of absence of children in the home.
In Time for the War: 3/11 After Cinema

This essay explores the imagination of war after 3/11 through the lens of media aesthetics. Using Obayashi Nobuhiko’s digital essay, Casting Blossoms to the Sky (2011) as a springboard, Kaffen analyzes spectacle images of war in relationship to an intensified state of security. Security names the power to protect the hometown by propagating war elsewhere. Claiming that cinema has lost its power after 3/11, Obayashi deploys digital technologies, retooling his use of idiosyncratic effects to re-imagine media’s relationship to war and security. Casting Blossoms presents a journey through unsettling wonderland, pointing toward the necessity of locating sites of contingency beyond the frame and forms of refuge that are distinct from security.
Rational design of reversible inhibitors for trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatases.

In some organisms, environmental stress triggers trehalose biosynthesis that is catalyzed collectively by trehalose 6-phosphate synthase, and trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (T6PP). T6PP catalyzes the hydrolysis of trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) to trehalose and inorganic phosphate and is a promising target for the development of antibacterial, antifungal and antihelminthic therapeutics. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and evaluation of a library of aryl d-glucopyranoside 6-sulfates to serve as prototypes for small molecule T6PP inhibitors. Steady-state kinetic techniques were used to measure inhibition constants (Ki) of a panel of structurally diverse T6PP orthologs derived from the pathogens Brugia malayi, Ascaris suum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Shigella boydii and Salmonella typhimurium. The binding affinities of the most active inhibitor of these T6PP orthologs, 4-n-octylphenyl α-d-glucopyranoside 6-sulfate (9a), were found to be in the low micromolar range. The Ki of 9a with the B. malayi T6PP ortholog is 5.3 ± 0.6 μM, 70-fold smaller than the substrate Michaelis constant. The binding specificity of 9a was demonstrated using several representative sugar phosphate phosphatases from the HAD enzyme superfamily, the T6PP protein fold family of origin. Lastly, correlations drawn between T6PP active site structure, inhibitor structure and inhibitor binding affinity suggest that the aryl d-glucopyranoside 6-sulfate prototypes will find future applications as a platform for development of tailored second-generation T6PP inhibitors.
A Gene-Targeted Mouse Model for Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome.

Abstract Bone marrow failure is a disease syndrome characterized by dysfunction of bone marrow to produce mature blood cells. However, molecular mechanisms causing the disease syndromes remain remarkably obscure. We generated mice homozygous for an inactivating mutation of the Translin gene. Most of the aged mutant mice (Translin−/−) were found to exhibit progressive bone marrow dysfunction manifested by a reduction in immature myeloid cells and erythroblasts, and eventually developed marked splenomegaly, with up to 30-fold elevation in weight. Histological examination of enlarged spleens revealed extramedullary hematopoiesis, prominent expansion of the red pulp areas with an increase in the number of mature granulocytes and a marked lack of immature myeloid cells. Furthermore, these mice also featured complete loss of immature myeloid cells and erythroblasts in bone marrow. On the other hand, an increase in the number of reticulocytes (over 10 %) and unusual appearance of metamyelocytes and orthochromatic erythroblasts were seen in peripheral blood. A cascade of the lineage-restricted transcription factors is known to determine developmental decisions regarding hematopoiesis. How levels of transcription factors are translated into a decision to control lineage commitment is an intriguing question in hematopoiesis which remains to be explored. Therefore, we considered the bone marrow failure in aged Translin−/− might be due to decreased expression of the Ets family transcription factor PU.1 that has previously been suggested to be essential for myeloid development. However, quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed PU.1 mRNA to be expressed at equivalent levels in bone marrows of mutant and wild mice. In contrast, our data indicated a sharp reduction of the mRNA levels of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein, E2A and its dimerization partner, TAL1, suggesting a contribution of E47/TAL heterodimer having distinctive DNA-binding properties for fine tune control of gene expression during hematopoiesis. In conclusion, the present studies demonstrated that expression levels of Translin are crucial to the bone marrow's functional ability, and that our findings will shed light on the molecular events involved in bone marrow failure syndromes.
Class Contradictions in the Civil Rights Movement: The Politics of Respectability, Disrespect, and Self-Respect

In 2014, nationwide protests over police harassment and brutality towards African-Americans surprised many, not only with their passion and broad base, but also by their general disconnection from the civil rights establishment. Similar to the student sit-ins of the 1960s, bright and passionate young people surged forward without the sanction—or even the knowledge—of established leaders. Much as their predecessors fifty years before, the establishment in 2014 sought to get out in front of these young protesters, channel them into approved and controlled activities, minimize any damage to the establishment donor/patronage base, and exploit their energy to advance the establishment agenda. However, there has been pushback. These young people see their constituency as the poor and working class of the African-American community, the ghetto dwellers who occupy ground zero in conflicts with police, rather than the more affluent classes from which so many of these young people have come. Moreover, a significantly larger number of today’s protesters and protest organizers are from the affected communities themselves. These latter participants are often suspicious of established civil rights leadership as well. This paper will explore class tensions that have bedeviled the civil rights movement since its very beginning, yielding conflicting narratives and patterns of activity, and ultimately resulting in the disorder we see today. This paper will also address how we might identify the best these narratives and patterns of activity have to offer, marshalling, and synthesizing them into a more productive approach.
Sexual Risk and Protective Behaviors Among Reproductive-Aged Women in the United States.

Abstract Background: In 2014, women represented 19% of HIV diagnoses in the United States. Of these, 78% were among black women and Latinas. Sexual risk behaviors—for example concurrent sex partnerships, nonmonogamous sex partners, and inconsistent condom use—are associated with increased HIV transmission and prevalence; these behaviors have been understudied, collectively, in women. Methods: To examine HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among sexually active women aged 18–44 years by race/ethnicity and over time, we used data from the 2006–2008, 2008–2010, and 2011–2013 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth. We estimated weighted percentages and performed logistic regression to measure adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between selected behaviors and sociodemographic covariates. Results: Among 13,588 women, 1.1% reported concurrent sex partnerships, 10.3% reported male partners whom they perceived were nonmonogamous, and 21.1% reported using a cond...
Experiencing Instigations and Trait Aggression Contribute to Harsh Parenting Behaviors.

Three studies (total N = 1777 parents) examined whether harsh parenting behaviors would increase when parents experienced an instigation and whether this increase would be especially pronounced for...
7.11 Rill and Gully Development Processes

Rills and gullies are common and generally companion geomorphological features on hillslopes, but they are different both morphologically and mechanically. By introducing the concepts and classifications of both rills and gullies, this chapter describes the physical processes causing the development of rills, followed by an overview of research methods for characterizing the mechanics of rill erosion and modeling rill development. Compared with rill erosion, gully initiation and erosion are more complex as they are controlled by both surface and subsurface processes. As a result, much more diverse approaches have been developed both to quantify gully headwall retreat and sidewall erosion and to characterize gully development.
Transcriptional Activation by p53: Mechanisms and Targeted Genes

The best-characterized function of p53, the most renowned tumor suppressor, is that of transcriptional activation. Upon its first description as a regulator of gene expression, p53 was simply thought to bind to an element within the 5′ UTR of a target gene, which would lead to transcription, by the appropriate machinery within the cell. Over the past 10 years however, this process has proven to be much more complex and tightly regulated than originally visualized. From the posttranslational modifications and proteins associated with p53 to the choice of a subset of genes that p53 possesses the capability to activate, the regulation of p53 transcriptional activity exists on several levels. This review will focus on the alterations of p53 protein that control activity of the protein, how genomic binding sites for p53 are presently being found and then finally, how the p53 target gene group is growing and being clustered into subsets of gene families.
Enhancing ITS instruction with integrated assessments of learner mood, motivation and gender

ITS instruction may be enhanced by models of student motivation and mood, in addition to cognitive skills and domain knowledge. In an initial study, self-assessments by high school students of their mathematics motivation and mood showed gender differences in response to ITS instruction, and predicted students' intention to learn from the ITS and use of multimedia help features.
Interval estimators of parameters for normal one sample and balanced one-way random effects models when data are rounded

Standard statistical methods are based on an implicit assumption that numerical data are exact. But in truth, all real data are rounded to some smallest unit of measure related to the precision of the device used to produce them. When the degree of rounding is severe, ignoring the rounding produces statistical methods with operating characteristics far from nominal. We discuss the interval estimation of the parameter n when rounded data come from the N(/z,cr2) distribution.
Dosimetric advantages of stereotactic radiosurgery as a boost to adjuvant conventional radiotherapy in the setting of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid with skull base invasion

This study highlights gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GK-SRS) as boost therapy in a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid involving the skull base and invasion of the facial nerve. Using GK-SRS, dose to the brainstem and temporal lobe were reduced when compared to less conformal radiotherapy techniques.
Genomic Alterations of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 after Prolonged Passage in the Laboratory

Staphylococcus aureus reference strain ATCC 25923 has been maintained for more than a decade in our laboratory. Genomic study revealed that the resulting strain AFIPCBER_B_8.4 has lost a 37-kb genomic fragment of the ATCC 25923 parental strain. The missing fragment showed sequence similarity to genes of bacteriophage proteins.
Characterizing and comparing marine fisheries ecosystems in the United States: determinants of success in moving toward ecosystem-based fisheries management

To implement ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM), there is a need to comprehensively examine fundamental components of fisheries ecosystems and ascertain the characteristics and strategies facilitating this more systematic approach. Coupled natural and human factors, inherent biological productivities, and systematic governance measures all influence living marine resource (LMR) and socioeconomic status within a given socio-ecological system (SES). Determining the relative prominence of these factors remains a challenge. Examining these facets to determine how much EBFM and wise LMR management occurs is timely and warranted given the many issues facing marine fisheries ecosystems. Here we characterize major United States (U.S.) marine fishery ecosystems by examining these facets and compiling a consistent, multidisciplinary view of these coupled SESs using commonly available, integrated data for each ecosystem. We then examine if major patterns and lessons emerge when comparing across SESs. This work also seeks to elucidate what are the determinants of successful LMR management. Although U.S.-centric, the breadth of the ecosystems explored here are likely globally applicable. Overall, we observed that inherent biological productivity was a major driver determining the level of fisheries biomass, landings, and LMR economic value for a given region, but that human interventions can offset basal production. We observed that good governance could overcome certain ecosystem limitations, and vice versa, especially as tradeoffs within regions have intensified over time. We also found that all U.S. regions are performing well in terms of certain aspects of LMR management, with unique successes and challenges observed in all regions. Although attributes of marine fisheries ecosystems differ among regions, there are commonalities that can be applied and transferred across them. These include having: clear stock status identified; relatively stable but attentive management interventions; clear tracking of broader ecosystem considerations; landings to biomass exploitation rates at typically < 0.1; areal landings at typically < 1 t km2 year−1; ratios of landings relative to primary production at typically < 0.001; and explicit consideration of socio-economic factors directly in management. Integrated, cross-disciplinary perspectives and systematic comparative syntheses such as this one offer insight in determining regionally-specific and overarching approaches for successful LMR management.
Minimal Duration of Tick Attachment Sufficient for Transmission of Infectious Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Its Primary Vector Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae): Duration of Rickettsial Reactivation in the Vector Revisited

It has been reported that starving ticks do not transmit spotted fever group Rickettsia immediately upon attachment because pathogenic bacteria exist in a dormant, uninfectious state and require time for ‘reactivation’ before transmission to a susceptible host. To clarify the length of reactivation period, we exposed guinea pigs to bites of Rickettsia rickettsii-infected Dermacentor variabilis (Say) and allowed ticks to remain attached for predetermined time periods from 0 to 48 h. Following removal of attached ticks, salivary glands were immediately tested by PCR, while guinea pigs were observed for 10–12 d post-exposure. Guinea pigs in a control group were subcutaneously inoculated with salivary glands from unfed D. variabilis from the same cohort. In a parallel experiment, skin at the location of tick bite was also excised at the time of tick removal to ascertain dissemination of pathogen from the inoculation site. Animals in every exposure group developed clinical and pathological signs of infection. The severity of rickettsial infection in animals increased with the length of tick attachment, but even attachments for less than 8 h resulted in clinically identifiable infection in some guinea pigs. Guinea pigs inoculated with salivary glands from unfed ticks also became severely ill. Results of our study indicate that R. rickettsii residing in salivary glands of unfed questing ticks does not necessarily require a period of reactivation to precede the salivary transmission and ticks can transmit infectious Rickettsia virtually as soon as they attach to the host.
Legacy forest structure increases bird diversity and abundance in aging young forests

Many studies have demonstrated the importance of early-successional forest habitat for breeding bird abundance, composition, and diversity. However, very few studies directly link measures of bird diversity, composition and abundance to measures of forest composition, and structure and their dynamic change over early succession. This study examines the relationships between breeding bird community composition and forest structure in regenerating broadleaf forests of southern New England, USA, separating the influences of ecological succession from retained stand structure. We conducted bird point counts and vegetation surveys across a chronosequence of forest stands that originated between 2 and 24 years previously in shelterwood timber harvests, a silvicultural method of regenerating oak-mixed broadleaf forests. We distinguish between vegetation variables that relate to condition of forest regeneration and those that reflect legacy stand structure. Using principal components analyses, we confirmed the distinction between regeneration and legacy vegetation variables. We ran regression analysis to test for relationships between bird community variables, including nesting and foraging functional guild abundances, and vegetation variables. We confirmed these relationships with hierarchical partitioning. Our results demonstrate that regenerating and legacy vegetation correlate with bird community variables across stand phases and that the strength with which they drive bird community composition changes with forest succession. While measures of regeneration condition explain bird abundance and diversity variables during late initiation, legacy stand structure explains them during stem exclusion. Canopy cover, ground-story diversity, and canopy structure diversity are the most powerful and consistent explanatory variables. Our results suggest that leaving varied legacy stand structure to promote habitat heterogeneity in shelterwood harvests contributes to greater bird community diversity. Interestingly, this is particularly important during the structurally depauperate phase of stem exclusion of young regenerating forests.
Development and validation of a neural network for the automated detection of horn flies on cattle

Abstract When the number of horn flies that blood feed on cattle exceeds the economic threshold, they can adversely affect the health and wellbeing of their hosts. Excessive horn fly burdens also lead to reduced weight gain and, consequently, diminished profits for livestock producers. Effective management and treatment require reliable surveillance methods for estimating the degree of horn fly burden (i.e., counting the number of flies on cattle). Traditionally, these estimates are obtained through human visual estimation, either in-person or by counting images on a photo; however, these methods are costly both in terms of time and labor and are prone to subjectivity and bias. In contrast, automated methods can expedite the counting process and remove subjectivity and bias. To this end, a 2-stage method is presented here that uses computer vision and deep learning to identify the location of flies in digital images. The first stage segments the salient cow from all other parts of the image to remove flies on neighboring cattle from consideration. The second stage processes full-resolution patches of the original image and produces a heat map at the location of flies in the images. The method was trained on a set of 375 human-annotated images and tested on 120 images, where significant variation was observed amongst the human scorers. Counting results are compared to four separate human scorers and demonstrate that the neural network produces consistent results and that the method is reliable. Thus, the developed method can be used for monitoring changes in horn fly populations over time by anyone and allows for increased rigor and repeatability. An examination of individual images where the method was closest to and farthest from the human counts provides valuable insights regarding photographic processes that lead to success and failure.
Simple auditory and visual interruptions of a continuous visual tracking task: modality effects and time course of interference.

Research has produced conflicting evidence regarding whether performance of an on-going visual task is disrupted more by an interruption from a visual or an auditory alert. Tasks and alerts studied...
Complexity-Free Generalization via Distributionally Robust Optimization.

Established approaches to obtain generalization bounds in data-driven optimization and machine learning mostly build on solutions from empirical risk minimization (ERM), which depend crucially on the functional complexity of the hypothesis class. In this paper, we present an alternate route to obtain these bounds on the solution from distributionally robust optimization (DRO), a recent data-driven optimization framework based on worst-case analysis and the notion of ambiguity set to capture statistical uncertainty. In contrast to the hypothesis class complexity in ERM, our DRO bounds depend on the ambiguity set geometry and its compatibility with the true loss function. Notably, when using maximum mean discrepancy as a DRO distance metric, our analysis implies, to the best of our knowledge, the first generalization bound in the literature that depends solely on the true loss function, entirely free of any complexity measures or bounds on the hypothesis class.
Reassessing the risks: an updated content analysis of violence on U.S. children’s primetime television

This study provides a comprehensive update investigating the amount and nature of violence contained in primetime television programming that targets children aged 17 and younger. Using the same sa...
Mixed Aphasia from Right-Sided Thalamic Ischemic Stroke (2558)

Objective: To report an unusual presentation of right-sided thalamic infarction causing mixed-aphasia. Background: Traditional teaching stresses on the fact that aphasia is a cortical finding usually originating from the dominant left cerebral hemisphere. However, in rare scenarios aphasia could arise from right sided subcortical lesions, especially from the thalamus and basal ganglia when the right hemisphere is language dominant. Herein, we discuss a patient with mixed aphasia from right-sided, subcortical thalamic stroke. Design/Methods: A case report. Results: An 87-year-old, left-handed male without significant prior medical history, presented with agitation, bilateral ataxia, profound hemi-visual and sensory neglect, and mixed aphasia with significant comprehensive component and predominant semantic-verbal paraphasia. To exemplify, he was unable to state where he was, the month or the year and referred to the phone as “a campus”; When asked on how a pen is used, he answered: “To keep up with things” and had impaired repetition. He was unable to name a camel but could state that “It lives in Egypt”. CT Angiography revealed a right posterior cerebral artery occlusion within the P2 segment and MRI brain revealed an acute ischemic stroke in right thalamus along with small lesions in the infratentorial regions. He significantly improved over the course of admission and only had mild ataxia at the time of discharge. Conclusions: The biggest challenge that this case posed was the aphasic presentation in the setting of a right subcortical thalamic lesion. We hypothesized that his language dominance and thereby his aphasia could be localized to his deep right cerebral hemisphere. Although aphasia is usually a cortical finding from the dominant left hemisphere, unusual presentations with right sided subcortical lesions as seen in our patient should always be considered. Disclosure: Dr. Alshaer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Anderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jillella has nothing to disclose.
Antioxidants and dehydrin metabolism associated with osmopriming-enhanced stress tolerance of germinating spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Bloomsdale) seeds

Osmopriming is a pre-soaking treatment that improves seed germination performance as well as stress tolerance. In this study, we use spinach (Spinacia oleracea cv. Bloomsdale) as the model to study cellular mechanisms contributing to the improved stress tolerance during post-priming germination. We first determined an optimal osmopriming protocol for ‘Bloomsdale’ spinach, i.e. priming seeds with -0.6 MPa PEG 8000 at 15 °C for 8 d. This protocol also improved germinating seeds’ tolerance to temperature (suband supratemperature) and desiccation stress. To explore the biochemistry contributing to the priminginduced stress tolerance, we examined two extensively studied stress-responsive components: antioxidant system and dehydrins. An update of ‘antioxidant system’ was found during osmopriming and early germination stage, as manifested in the repression of antioxidants involved in seed protection during dry storage, and enhancement of those related to seed germinability. Possibly, this system update was resulted from the transition of seeds from dry to imbibing / germinating state. Osmopriming might provide a ‘head-start’ for this transition, and thus resulted in a more robust antioxidant system in primed seeds and increased their germination potential. Consequently, primed seeds exhibited improve tolerance to chilling and desiccation stress. Our study of dehydrin accumulation, on the other hand, suggests an alternative strategy for osmopriming to improve stress tolerance in germinating seeds. Several dehydrins (30, 26, and 19-kD dehydrins, and CAP85) transiently accumulated during osmopriming at both protein and transcript levels. These dehydrins also re-accumulated in primed seeds in response to chilling and desiccation stress, and thus may be associated with the improved stress tolerance. It is possible that osmopriming imposed
Analysis of Putative Amino Acid Signals Within Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax Protein Involved in Mediating Tax Secretion

HTLV-1 oncoprotein Tax protein is known to be released from HTLV-1-transformed cells by a mechanism other than cell death; however, the mechanism of Tax secretion remains to be established. This study elucidates domains within Tax that contribute to its subcellular localization and secretion. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of Tax has revealed the presence of four putative secretory signals within the carboxy-terminal domain namely YTNI, LL, DHE and terminal V. Mutation of two putative signals (YTNI and DHE) resulted in aberrant subcellular localization of Tax, with cytoplasmic Tax accumulating in structures corresponding to the ER and Golgi. We have also studied the effect of these mutations on the secretion of Tax in baby hamster kidney cell (BHK-21) line. The results have demonstrated that mutating YTNI to ATNI resulted in approximately a 2-fold reduction in secretion. Mutation of LL to AA abrogated the intake of Tax, therefore, no secretion was observed. Mutating DHE and terminal V did not show any effect on Tax secretion, however, a combination of DHE mutation with YTNI mutation or AA mutation resulted in an altered intake and secretion of Tax. These studies substantiate a link between cytoplasmic Tax and its subsequent secretion and also indicate potential amino acid signals that might direct secretion of Tax. from 2005 International Meeting of The Institute of Human Virology Baltimore, USA, 29 August – 2 September 2005