Excretion of low molecular weight, folin-positive metabolites by the female receptor mycelium, in response to mating.

Excretion of low molecular weight, folin-positive metabolites by the female receptor mycelium, in response to mating

Reducing Stigma toward the Transgender Community: An Evaluation of a Humanizing and Perspective-Taking Intervention

Transgender (TG) individuals, or those whose gender identities, expressions and/or behaviors differ from their biological sex (Kirk & Kulkarni, 2006) feel there is a pervasive pattern of discrimination and prejudice directed toward them (Lombardi et al., 2001). In comparison to their heterosexual peers, LGBT youth and emerging adults are at increased risk for a host of adverse outcomes including: suicide, depression, harassment, and victimization (IOM, 2011). Stigma has been characterized as encompassing several components: labeling, making an association between the label and a negative stereotype, separating those who are different as an “out-group” and discriminating. In a recent analysis of the transgender experience, Hill (2002) described three key constructs that can be used to understand negative emotions and behaviors toward transgender individuals: transphobia – an emotional disgust toward gender non-conforming individuals; genderism – a belief that gender non-conforming individuals are pathological or disordered; gender bashing – assault or harassment of gender non-conforming individuals. Recent work on minority stress posits a distal-proximal model of stress in which a person identifies with and makes proximal, distal social attitudes that can have negative effects on their psychological well-being (Meyer, 2003). Thus, stigmatized attitudes and behaviors not only have the potential to contribute to violence or discriminatory behavior but also have a direct impact on the psychological health of the target individual. Thus, the question of how to change negative attitudes and behaviors toward TG individuals is paramount. Researchers have sought to develop interventions aimed at reducing stigma with three basic strategies identified: protest, education and contact (Corrigan & Penn, 1999). However, to date only two such strategies have garnered empirical support: contact and education. In relation to mental illness, education strategies have received limited support (Holmes et al., 1999; see Luty et al., 2007 for an exception). In contrast, contact-based interventions yield the most dramatic changes in attitudes and behaviors; contact involving media depictions have also been demonstrated to yield positive attitude change. Comparing traditional diagnosis-centered teaching about mental illness to a humanizing approach that required students to write a first-person narrative about suffering from a mental illness, Mann and Himelein (2008) found that attitudes changed only when students were required to adopt the perspective of a mentally ill individual. In their recent meta-analysis, Pettigrew and Tropp (2006) demonstrated that contact reduces prejudice and is particularly effective when it occurs under favorable conditions (e.g., conditions of equality, cooperation, and institutional support). While a wealth of research has supported the contact hypothesis related to changing negative attitudes toward ethnic minorities, the mentally ill, the homeless, gays/lesbians and other stigmatized groups, there have been a limited number of studies evaluating associations between contact and attitudes toward the TG community (Harvey, 2002; Hill & Willoughby, 2005) and no controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy of such methods. The current study extends work evaluating anti-stigma interventions to the TG community and seeks to evaluate whether attitude change will differ between participants receiving basic education about the transgender community and those who are educated about TG through media depictions of TG families and are asked to engage in a perspective-taking task. We hypothesize that participants in the humanizing condition who view a documentary and write a first-person narrative of transgender experiences will show a more significant change in transphobia, genderist attitudes and desire for social distance across time relative to participants in the education-only condition signaling less stigmatized and prejudicial attitudes at post-test. Hodson (2011) recently examined the existing contact literature and found that, consistent with Pettigrew’s (1998) focus on individual differences, intergroup contact was effective (and perhaps even more effective) among individuals who were intolerant and cognitively rigid. Religious fundamentalism has been associated with anti-homosexual sentiment (Fulton et al., 1999). Whether religiosity is similarly associated with negative attitudes toward TG individuals will be explored. Whether religiosity and prior contact with the LGBTQ community will moderate intervention outcomes will also be explored

Storm-Surge Flooding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Coastal regions of Alaska are regularly affected by intense storms of ocean origin, the frequency and intensity of which are expected to increase as a result of global climate change. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD), situated in western Alaska on the eastern edge of the Bering Sea, is one of the largest deltaic systems in North America. Its low relief makes it especially susceptible to storm-driven flood tides and increases in sea level. Little information exists on the extent of flooding caused by storm surges in western Alaska and its effects on salinization, shoreline erosion, permafrost thaw, vegetation, wildlife, and the subsistence-based economy. In this paper, we summarize storm flooding events in the Bering Sea region of western Alaska during 1913 – 2011 and map both the extent of inland flooding caused by autumn storms on the central YKD, using Radarsat-1 and MODIS satellite imagery, and the drift lines, using high-resolution IKONOS satellite imagery and field surveys. The largest storm surges occurred in autumn and were associated with high tides and strong (> 65 km hr-1) southwest winds. Maximum inland extent of flooding from storm surges was 30.3 km in 2005, 27.4 km in 2006, and 32.3 km in 2011, with total flood area covering 47.1%, 32.5%, and 39.4% of the 6730 km2 study area, respectively. Peak stages for the 2005 and 2011 storms were 3.1 m and 3.3 m above mean sea level, respectively—almost as high as the 3.5 m amsl elevation estimated for the largest storm observed (in November 1974). Several historically abandoned village sites lie within the area of inundation of the largest flood events. With projected sea level rise, large storms are expected to become more frequent and cover larger areas, with deleterious effects on freshwater ponds, non-saline habitats, permafrost, and landscapes used by nesting birds and local people.Les régions côtières de l’Alaska sont souvent touchées par d’intenses tempêtes d’origine océanique. La fréquence et l’intensité de ces tempêtes devraient augmenter en raison du changement climatique qui s’opère à l’échelle mondiale. Le delta Yukon-Kuskokwim, dans l’ouest de l’Alaska, du côté est de la mer de Béring, est l’un des systèmes deltaïques les plus imposants de l’Amérique du Nord. Son relief peu accidenté le rend particulièrement susceptible aux marées montantes découlant des tempêtes et aux augmentations du niveau de la mer. Peu d’information existe au sujet de l’ampleur des inondations attribuables aux ondes de tempêtes dans l’ouest de l’Alaska de même que sur leurs effets en matière de salini­sation, d’érosion des berges, de dégel, de pergélisol, de végétation, de faune et d’économie de subsistance. Dans cet article, nous résumons les ondes de tempêtes qui ont eu lieu dans la région de la mer de Béring de l’ouest de l’Alaska entre 1913 et 2011 et nous cartographions à l’aide de Radarsat-1 et de l’imagerie satellitaire MODIS l’étendue des inondations fluviales causées par les tempêtes automnales dans le centre du delta Yukon-Kuskokwim, de même que les lignes de dérive au moyen de l’imagerie satellitaire IKONOS à haute résolution et de levés sur le terrain. Les ondes de tempêtes les plus importantes se sont produites à l’automne. Elles s’accompagnaient de marées hautes et de vents forts (> 65 km h-1) en provenance du sud-ouest. L’étendue maximale des inondations fluviales découlant des ondes de tempêtes a atteint 30,3 km en 2005, 27,4 km en 2006 et 32,3 km en 2011. Au total, la zone inondée couvrait respectivement 47,1 %, 32,5 % et 39,4 % de l’aire de 6 730 km2 visée par l’étude. Le niveau maximal des tempêtes de 2005 et 2011 était de 3,1 m et de 3,3 m au-dessus du niveau moyen de la mer, respectivement, ce qui est presque aussi élevé que la hauteur estimée de 3,5 m au-dessus du niveau moyen de la mer pour la plus grosse des tempêtes observées (en novembre 1974). Plusieurs villages abandonnés au fil des ans se trouvent dans la zone touchée par les plus grandes inondations. Compte tenu de l’élévation projetée du niveau de la mer, la fréquence des tempêtes d’envergure devrait augmenter et les tempêtes devraient couvrir des zones plus grandes, ce qui aura des effets délétères sur les étangs d’eau douce, les habitats non salins, le pergélisol et les paysages dont se servent les oiseaux nicheurs et les gens de la région

Magnetic field hourly averages from the Rome-GSFC experiment aboard Helios 1 and Helio 2

Plots of all the hourly averages computed from the solar magnetic field measurements obtained during the mission are given separately for Helios 1 and Helios 2. The magnitude and the direction of the averaged field are plotted versus the number of solar rotations as seen from Helios, counted from launch

ASTEF: A Simple Tool for Examining Fixation

In human factors and ergonomics research, the analysis of eye movements has gained popularity as a method for obtaining information concerning the operator's cognitive strategies and for drawing inferences about the cognitive state of an individual. For example, recent studies have shown that the distribution of eye fixations is sensitive to variations in mental workload---dispersed when workload is high, and clustered when workload is low. Spatial statistics algorithms can be used to obtain information about the type of distribution and can be applied over fixations recorded during small epochs of time to assess online changes in the level of mental load experienced by the individuals. In order to ease the computation of the statistical index and to encourage research on the spatial properties of visual scanning, A Simple Tool for Examining Fixations has been developed. The software application implements functions for fixation visualization, management, and analysis, and includes a tool for fixation identification from raw gaze point data. Updated information can be obtained online at www.astef.info, where the installation package is freely downloadable

Neuronavigation and intraoperative imaging system in orbital tumor surgery: a review of recent literature

Orbit is a small complex anatomic space that contains important structures, ocular globe, extrinsic muscles, cranial nerves, blood vessels, fat, lacrimal gland. In presence of orbital tumors it is mandatory to use a surgical approach that allows to achieve an adequate surgical field while preserving neurological function. Neuronavigation is the set of computer-assisted technologies used to guide or "navigate” the edges of the tumor to allow the surgeon during resection or biopsy. This technology started with use of CT data to get some landmarks of human anatomy defined “targets” that could be readily used in surgery. Finally, the evolution of modern neuroimaging technologies such intraoperative CT and MRI boosted the surgery accuracy. In order to identify advantages and practical use of these technologies we performed a nonsystematic review of the current literature using the keywords “orbital tumor or orbital neoplasia or orbital mass or orbital lesion” and “neuronavigation or navigation” published in last 10 years. We evaluated 29 papers and we can conclude that navigation in orbital surgery helps to reduce surgical damage while at the same time, allowing a more radical tumor resection. CT and MRI scans are complementary in diagnosing and in intraoperative navigation allow the surgeon to avoid and preserve vital structures, particularly in a complex surgical procedure without real anatomical landmarks for intraoperative orientation. Future is going towards rapid changes and the integration with intraoperative procedures is carrying on to new technologies further our contemporary bounds

Planck Low Frequency Instrument: Beam Patterns

The Low Frequency Instrument on board the ESA Planck satellite is coupled to the Planck 1.5 meter off-axis dual reflector telescope by an array of 27 corrugated feed horns operating at 30, 44, 70, and 100 GHz. We briefly present here a detailed study of the optical interface devoted to optimize the angular resolution (10 arcmin at 100 GHz as a goal) and at the same time to minimize all the systematics coming from the sidelobes of the radiation pattern. Through optical simulations, we provide shapes, locations on the sky, angular resolutions, and polarization properties of each beam.Comment: On behalf of the Planck collaboration. 3 pages, 1 figure. Article published in the Proceedings of the 2K1BC Experimental Cosmology at millimetre wavelength

Towards a reappraisal of the phenotype of the cell wall deficient fz;sg;os-1 ( slime ) triple mutant of Neurospora crassa

Morphological mutants represent roughly 23% of seven hundred-odd distinct chromosomal loci of N. crassa, as listed by Perkins et al. (1982, Microbiol. Rev. 46:426). Probably the most radical phenotype among these strains is that of the fz;sg;os-1 ( slime ) triple mutant, which was isolated by Sterling Emerson (1963, Genetica 34:162) in a mutagenic experiment using an os-1 strain. The slime strain has been systematically referred to in the literature as a strain lacking cell wall and growing as protoplasts or plasmodium (Perkins et al. 1982). Through the years, the fragile slime structures were frequently used as a source of organelles (Martinoia et al. 1979. Arch. Microbiol. 120:31), membranes (Scarborough, 1975. J. Biol. Chem. 250:1106) or for the study of membrane-bound enzymes (Brooks et al. 1983. J. Biol. Chem. 258:13909). Slime spheroplasts practically never revert to hyphal morphology; thus, the causes for impaired cell wall synthesis were investigated and attributed either to the lack of glucan synthase activity (Leal-Morales and Ruiz-Herrera, 1985. Exp. Mycol 9:28) or to improper ultrastructural characteristics of the organelles responsible for chitin synthesis: the chitosomes (Martinez et al. 1989. Biochem. Biophys. Acta 990:45)

Dynamic validation of the Planck/LFI thermal model

The Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) is an array of cryogenically cooled radiometers on board the Planck satellite, designed to measure the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave backgrond (CMB) at 30, 44 and 70 GHz. The thermal requirements of the LFI, and in particular the stringent limits to acceptable thermal fluctuations in the 20 K focal plane, are a critical element to achieve the instrument scientific performance. Thermal tests were carried out as part of the on-ground calibration campaign at various stages of instrument integration. In this paper we describe the results and analysis of the tests on the LFI flight model (FM) performed at Thales Laboratories in Milan (Italy) during 2006, with the purpose of experimentally sampling the thermal transfer functions and consequently validating the numerical thermal model describing the dynamic response of the LFI focal plane. This model has been used extensively to assess the ability of LFI to achieve its scientific goals: its validation is therefore extremely important in the context of the Planck mission. Our analysis shows that the measured thermal properties of the instrument show a thermal damping level better than predicted, therefore further reducing the expected systematic effect induced in the LFI maps. We then propose an explanation of the increased damping in terms of non-ideal thermal contacts.Comment: Planck LFI technical papers published by JINST: http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/-page=extra.proc5/1748-022