cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Drosophila Model to Study Wound-induced Polyploidization

Polyploidy is a frequent phenomenon whose impact on organismal health and disease is still poorly understood. A cell is defined as polyploid if it contains more than the diploid copy of its chromosomes, which is a result of endoreplication or cell fusion. In tissue repair, wound-induced polyploidization (WIP) has been found to be a conserved healing strategy from fruit flies to vertebrates. WIP has several advantages over cell proliferation, including resistance to oncogenic growth and genotoxic stress. The challenge has been to identify why polyploid cells arise and how these unique cells function. Provided is a detailed protocol to study WIP in the adult fruit fly epithelium where polyploid cells are generated within 2 days after a puncture wound. Taking advantage of D. melanogaster's extensive genetic tool kit, the genes required to initiate and regulate WIP, including Myc, have begun to be identified. Continued studies using this method can reveal how other genetic and physiological variables including sex, diet, and age regulate and influence WIP's function.
Abrupt Discontinuation Versus Down-Titration of Vasopressin in Patients Recovering from Septic Shock.

PURPOSE To compare patient outcomes based on management of arginine vasopressin (AVP) during the recovery phase of septic shock (abrupt vs. tapering discontinuation). PATIENTS AND METHODS Multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients receiving AVP with concomitant norepinephrine for septic shock. Primary outcome measure was time to intensive care unit (ICU) discharge (from decision to titrate or stop AVP). Secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital mortality, and incidence of hypotension. RESULTS A total of 958 (73%) abrupt discontinuation and 360 (27%) down-titration patients were included. Patient characteristics and septic shock treatment courses were similar between groups. Median time to ICU discharge was similar between abrupt discontinuation (7.9 days, 95% CI 7.2-8.7 days) and tapered patients (7.3 days, 95% CI 6.3-9.3 days, P = 0.60). After controlling for baseline discrepancies, down-titration was not an independent predictor of time to ICU discharge (HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.85-1.15, P = 0.91). There was no difference in ICU mortality (21.8% vs. 18.0%, P = 0.13) or hospital mortality (28.9% vs. 31.1%, P = 0.44). Although incidence of hypotension was similar (39.7% vs. 41.7%, P = 0.53), patients in the down-titration group more frequently required an escalation of AVP dose (5.7% vs. 11.1%, P < 0.001). Median AVP duration was shorter in the abrupt discontinuation group (1.4 days [IQR: 0.6-2.6 days] vs. 1.8 days [IQR: 1.1-3.2 days], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A difference in time to ICU discharge was not detected between abrupt AVP discontinuation and down-titration in patients recovering from septic shock. In patients recovering from septic shock, abrupt discontinuation of AVP appears to be safe and may lead to shortened AVP duration.
Gene expression within the periaqueductal gray is linked to vocal behavior and early-onset parkinsonism in Pink1 knockout rats

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative disease with early-stage pathology hypothesized to manifest in brainstem regions. Vocal deficits, including soft, monotone speech, result in significant clinical and quality of life issues and are present in 90% of PD patients; yet the underlying pathology mediating these significant voice deficits is unknown. The Pink1−/− rat is a valid model of early-onset PD that presents with analogous vocal communication deficits. Previous work shows abnormal α-synuclein protein aggregation in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a brain region critical and necessary to the modulation of mammalian vocal behavior. In this study, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing to examine gene expression within the PAG of both male and female Pink1−/− rats as compared to age-matched wildtype controls. We used a bioinformatic approach to (1) test the hypothesis that loss of Pink1 in the PAG will influence the differential expression of genes that interact with Pink1, (2) highlight other key genes that relate to this type of Mendelian PD, and (3) catalog molecular targets that may be important for the production of rat vocalizations. Knockout of the Pink1 gene resulted in differentially expressed genes for both male and female rats that also mapped to human PD datasets. Pathway analysis highlighted several significant metabolic pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify gene nodes and their interactions in (A) males, (B) females, and (C) combined-sexes datasets. For each analysis, within the module containing the Pink1 gene, Pink1 itself was the central node with the highest number of interactions with other genes including solute carriers, glutamate metabotropic receptors, and genes associated with protein localization. Strong connections between Pink1 and Krt2 and Hfe were found in both males and female datasets. In females a number of modules were significantly correlated with vocalization traits. Overall, this work supports the premise that gene expression changes in the PAG may contribute to the vocal deficits observed in this PD rat model. Additionally, this dataset identifies genes that represent new therapeutic targets for PD voice disorders.
Impact of Providing a Living Learning Community for First-Year Pre-Pharmacy Students.

Objective. To conduct a retrospective cohort pilot study to evaluate the impact of a living learning community (LLC) designed for undergraduate pre-pharmacy students interested in pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program. Methods. Persistence, retention, and progression within the pre-pharmacy program, as well as grade point average (GPA) were measured for LLC students and their pre-pharmacy peers who did not participate in the LLC. Information was obtained from the university’s data system and analyzed. Persistence was defined as the student continuing at the university from the fall to spring academic terms. Retention was defined as the student being enrolled at the university during a subsequent fall term. Progression was determined by whether the student had successfully completed the pre-pharmacy curriculum and began pharmacy school within two or three years of initial enrollment in the pre-pharmacy program. Results. Despite having admissions characteristics comparable to other pre-pharmacy students, students who participated in the LLC demonstrated significantly higher grade-point averages and retention than their peers who did not participate. Conclusion. Living learning community programs may be a valuable contributor to pre-pharmacy student success in terms of students’ persistence, retention, and progression in a pre-pharmacy program.
In Defense of Griswold v. Connecticut: Privacy, Originalism, and the Iceberg Theory of Omission

This article provides an originalist defense of Justice Douglas’s infamous opinion in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the landmark case that established the constitutional right to privacy. Judicial originalists dismiss the opinion’s constitutional “penumbras” as liberal judicial activism. They claim that Douglas invented a “right” with no constitutional basis. My article challenges this position and argues that Douglas’s actually used the originalist method in Griswold to demonstrate the right to privacy’s constitutional basis. This interdisciplinary argument tracks the right to privacy’s evolution in Supreme Court jurisprudence and then turns to the originalist critique of privacy. This critique routinely cites the fact that the constitutional text never mentions a “right to privacy.” As such, the drafters had no original intent to include the right to privacy in the Constitution’s original public meaning. Next, I turn to literary theory to reconcile original intent with this textual silence through Hemingway’s iceberg theory of omission. This theory shows that authors intentionally omit content from a text, choosing instead to imply fundamental meanings in order to communicate them more effectively. As Douglas correctly identified in Griswold, the text and historical record reveal that the drafters wrote on the principle of the iceberg — or the penumbra. They used the “rights retained by the people” in the Ninth Amendment to cast a penumbra (or shadow) of rights around the Bill of Rights. This protected against the danger of an imperfect enumeration in the Bill of Rights and secured certain rights (like the right to privacy) that the original American public understood to be self-evident and inalienable.
Embedded sensors in additively manufactured silicon carbide

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) components are being considered for a wide range of nuclear applications due to their high-temperature strength retention, low neutron absorption, chemical inertness, and dimensional stability under neutron irradiation. However, machining and joining of SiC components have traditionally limited its application to relatively simple geometries. Recent work has demonstrated additive manufacturing of complex, high-purity, crystalline SiC components using a combination of binder jet printing and densification via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The process lends itself to embedding of fuel, absorbers, moderators, and sensors at strategic locations within a component. The latter could allow for enhanced in situ performance monitoring of limiting fuel temperatures, self-shielded neutron flux, and potentially spatially distributed strain within complex SiC components if sensors can be successfully embedded during CVI. This work describes (1) methods for embedding sensors; (2) thermodynamic analyses and material compatibility testing for identifying sensors capable of surviving high temperatures and exposure to hydrogen and hydrogen chloride during CVI; and (3) nuclear applications for embedded sensors, including potential failure modes during fabrication and during reactor operation. Molybdenum-sheathed thermocouples were successfully embedded in a complex SiC component, whereas niobium-sheathed high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouples started to drift as soon as the reactant gases were introduced and ultimately failed during CVI due to severe constrained expansion, potentially resulting from niobium hydride formation in the low-temperature region of the CVI system. Optical fibers were successfully embedded in SiC, but further work is needed to protect the fragile fiber leads after their protective coatings are removed during CVI.
Preincision adjunctive prophylaxis for cesarean deliveries a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective This study aimed to systematically review the relative effectiveness of preincision cefazolin with or without adjunctive prophylaxis (macrolides or metronidazole) vs cefazolin alone in decreasing the incidence of postcesarean delivery surgical site infections. Data Sources We performed a systematic search on PubMed, Ovid EMBASE, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov , and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from October 25, 2020, to November 25, 2020, to identify studies comparing cefazolin with adjunctive macrolides or metronidazole with cefazolin alone. The reference lists were reviewed, and a manual search of articles published after the last database search was performed. Study Eligibility Criteria Overall, 3 randomized controlled trials and 1 prospective observational study of reproductive-age women undergoing cesarean deliveries were included in the study. We excluded studies of women who were immunocompromised (eg, patients who were HIV positive) or women with a diagnosis of chorioamnionitis before cesarean delivery. All patients received first-line cefazolin (either cefazolin 1 g or 2 g). We compared preincision cefazolin alone with preincision cefazolin plus adjunctive therapy (500 mg, oral or intravenous formulations of azithromycin, metronidazole, or clarithromycin). Methods A total of 6 review authors independently assessed the risk of bias for each study, using the Cochrane Risk of Bias criteria. Synthesis and further appraisal were done using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation levels and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists appraisal guidelines. Disagreements were resolved by discussion. Treatment effects were evaluated using meta-analysis, and pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were generated using random-effects models using the Review Manager 5 software (version 5.4.1). Results Overall, 3 randomized controlled trials and 1 prospective observational study representing 2613 women met the criteria for inclusion. Significant reductions in surgical site infections (relative risk, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.34–0.63; 3 randomized controlled trials) and the duration of hospital stay (weighted mean difference, −1.46; 95% confidence interval, −2.21 to −0.71; 2 randomized controlled trials) were observed with preincision cefazolin and adjunctive prophylaxis compared with cefazolin alone. No significant difference was observed in maternal febrile morbidity (relative risk, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.11–1.25; 2 randomized controlled trials). Conclusion Our findings have provided evidence for the use of preincision adjunctive extended-spectrum prophylaxis with cefazolin over cefazolin alone. However, future investigations are required to establish the relative efficacies of different adjunctive antibiotic options.
Imaging of orbital infectious and inflammatory disease in children

Most acute nontraumatic periorbital and intraorbital pathologies in pediatric patients have an underlying infectious or inflammatory etiology, and imaging frequently plays a key role in the workup and management of these children. In this paper we review the clinical presentation and imaging findings in children with some of the most common infectious and inflammatory diseases involving the orbit. Basic relevant anatomy and imaging findings on various imaging modalities are also reviewed.
Confocal Imaging of Myeloid Cells in the Corneal Stroma of Live Mice

The accessibility and transparency of the cornea makes it a good tissue model for monitoring immunological responses using in vivo real time imaging analysis (Lee et al., 2010; Tan et al., 2013). These corneal qualities have also allowed for high-resolution in vivo imaging of non-ocular tissue transplanted into the anterior chamber of the mouse eye (Speier et al., 2008a; Speier et al., 2008b). This protocol was adapted from Speier (2008) to successfully assess real-time in vivo myeloid cell dynamics in wounded corneas of c-fms-EGFP mice (Chan et al., 2013). Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) regulates the differentiation and proliferation of cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system. The activity of CSF-1 is mediated by the CSF-1 receptor that is encoded by c-fms (Csf1r) protooncogene. The c-fms gene is expressed in macrophage, trophoblast cell lineages, and to some extent granulocytes. In the c-fms-EGFP mice EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein, is driven under the Csf1r, colony stimulating factor 1 receptor, promoter and highlights myeloid cells (Sasmono et al., 2003). This protocol can be further adapted to image other transgenic mice expressing fluorescent proteins.
Stability Properties of Vector Bundles

Two vector bundles ξ and η are called s-equivalent provided ξ ⨁θ n and η ⨁θ m are isomorphic for some n and m where θ m denotes the m dimensional trivial vector bundle. Stable equivalence, or s-equivalence, is an equivalence relation, and the stable classes form a ring (over finite-dimensional spaces), with ⨁ inducing the addition operation and ⨂ the multiplication operation. These are the \(\tilde K\)-rings of the space. We study the relation between isomorphism and stable equivalence. Also we consider elementary properties of the cofunctor \(\tilde K\).
Abstract IA18: Adoptive T-cell transfer for metastatic melanoma: What are the relevant antigens?

The transfer of cultured tumor-reactive T-cells into patients with metastatic melanoma can cause tumor regressions when other immunotherapies have failed. A single transfer of T-cells can mediate complete and durable regressions in some patients. The two main sources of T-cells for transfer have been from the native T-cells infiltrating the tumor (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes; TIL) or from peripheral blood lymphocytes retrovirally engineered with a tumor-reactive T-cell receptor (TCR). In the latter situation, a variety of tumor-associated antigens have been targeted with cloned receptors and although responses are seen, in some cases unacceptable toxicity has occurred due to on-target, off-tumor immune recognition. Although melanoma TIL often contain T-cells that also target the same nominal antigens, their transfer is rarely associated with such undesirable toxicities. In addition, melanoma TIL frequently contain T-cells which recognize the autochthonous tumor, while TIL from other tumors infrequently show this reactivity. Recent data have implicated the presence of abundant tumor-specific mutations in melanoma as the explanation for these various observations. These appear to be significant antigenic targets in therapeutic TIL that cause no collateral damage, and their high frequency as shown by tumor exomic sequencing of melanomas may explain that tumor9s high degree of natural immunogenicity. These lessons learned from studying T-cell transfer for melanoma can now be applied to other cancers and a recent example has demonstrated the potential and promise of this approach. Citation Format: James C. Yang. Adoptive T-cell transfer for metastatic melanoma: What are the relevant antigens? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr IA18.
IT Incident Management as a Collaborative Process: A Visualization Tool Inspired to Social Networks

Dynamics of IT support organizations can be quite complex to analyze. We introduce a prototype visualization tool that exploits similarities of support organizations with social networks. Our tool borrows techniques from social network visualization and analysis to help IT manager better understand dynamics of their organization in the incident management process.
Early puberty of farmed tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum): Possible influence of male sexual maturation on harvest weight

Abstract Tambaqui is the main native fresh water fish in Brazilian aquaculture. Despite the increasing production of tambaqui (annual growth of approximately 8%), no study has addressed the effects of farming on tambaqui's reproductive physiology and growth performance. As part of an institutional portfolio that aims to increase the production of tambaqui per area of cultivation, the present work details the tambaqui's gametogenesis and steroidogenesis during 10 months of farming, until they reached the market size. Spermatogenesis is very precocious (750 g fish) and apparently is a rapid and constant process in tambaqui testes, with major concentration of mature fish in August. On the other hand, oogenesis is a much longer process that starts only in fish at around 1200 g and does not complete before harvesting (no mature female observed). The plasmatic concentration of sex steroids is very similar among immature male and female tambaqui. However, testosterone and estradiol rise in parallel with testis development while only the second rises with ovarian primary growth. Concentration of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone remains at basal levels during spermatogenesis of farmed tambaqui, but it slightly increases during oocyte primary growth. At harvest, the biometrical analysis reveals that female and male tambaqui yield different gutted weight in the order of 16% in favor of the former. Most probably due to the precocious gonad maturation that farmed males go through (5 m old), females are heavier at harvest (12 m old) and therefore stand out as the most profitable gender to be produced in the tambaqui farming industry.
Analysis of Boolean Functions

Boolean functions are perhaps the most basic objects of study in theoretical computer science. They also arise in other areas of mathematics, including combinatorics, statistical physics, and mathematical social choice. The field of analysis of Boolean functions seeks to understand them via their Fourier transform and other analytic methods. This text gives a thorough overview of the field, beginning with the most basic definitions and proceeding to advanced topics such as hypercontractivity and isoperimetry. Each chapter includes a "highlight application" such as Arrow's theorem from economics, the Goldreich-Levin algorithm from cryptography/learning theory, Hstad's NP-hardness of approximation results, and "sharp threshold" theorems for random graph properties. The book includes roughly 450 exercises and can be used as the basis of a one-semester graduate course. It should appeal to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers in computer science theory and related mathematical fields.
Do women who succeed in male-dominated domains help other women? The moderating role of gender identification

It is often expected that the first women to advance in male-dominated fields will promote other women who follow them. Two studies test the hypothesis that some women show this expected pattern of promoting women but that others show the opposite pattern, favoring men over women. In two studies, women's gender identification moderated the extent to which they favored men over women when they advanced in a male-dominated field. Specifically, the weaker women's gender identification, the more favoritism they showed for a male relative to a female subordinate. Gender identification did not moderate women's behavior in a context in which women were not underrepresented, pointing to the power of the situation in eliciting this relationship. Implications for the advancement of women in male-dominated fields are discussed.
An Algebra Of Dataflow Networks

This paper describes an algebraic framework for the study of dataflow networks, which form a paradigm for concurrent computation in which a collection of concurrently and asynchronously executing processes communicate by sending messages between ports connected via FIFO message channels. A syntactic dataflow calculus is defined, having two kinds of terms which represent networks and computations, respectively. By imposing suitable equivalences on networks and computations, we obtain the free dataflow algebra, in which the dataflow networks with m input ports and n output ports are regarded as the objects of a category Snm, and the computations of such networks are represented by the arrows. Functors defined on Snm label each computation by the input buffer consumed and the output buffer produced during that computation, so that each Snm is a span in Cat. It is shown that the free dataflow algebra construction underlies a monad in the category of collections S = {Snm : m, n ≥ 0} of spans in Cat. The algebras of this monad, called dataflow algebras, have a monoid structure representing parallel composition, and are also equipped with an action of a certain collection of continuous functions, thereby representing the formation of feedback loops. The two structures are related by a distributive law of feedback over parallel composition. We also observe the following connection with the theory of fibrations: if S is a dataflow algebra, then each Snm is a split bifibration in Cat.
Patient Satisfaction with Physician–Patient Communication During Telemedicine

The quality of physician-patient communication is a critical factor in treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction with care. To date, few studies have specifically conducted an in-depth evaluation of the effect of telemedicine (TM) on physician-patient communication in a medical setting. Our objective was to determine whether physical separation and technology used during TM have a negative effect on physician-patient communication. In this noninferiority randomized clinical trial, patients were randomized to receive a single consultation with one of 9 physicians, either in person (IP) or via TM. Patients (n = 221) were recruited from pulmonary, endocrine, and rheumatology clinics at a Midwestern Veterans Administration hospital. Physician-patient communication was measured using a validated self-report questionnaire consisting of 33 items measuring satisfaction with visit convenience and physician's patient-centered communication, clinical competence, and interpersonal skills. Satisfaction for physician's patient-centered communication was similar for both consultation types (TM = 3.76 versus IP = 3.61), and noninferiority of TM was confirmed (noninferiority t-test p = 0.002). Patient satisfaction with physician's clinical competence (TM = 4.63 versus IP = 4.52) and physician's interpersonal skills (TM = 4.79 versus IP = 4.74) were similar, and noninferiority of TM was confirmed (noninferiority t-test p = 0.006 and p = 0.04, respectively). Patients reported greater satisfaction with convenience for TM as compared to IP consultations (TM = 4.41 versus IP = 2.37, noninferiority t-test p < 0.001). Patients were equally satisfied with physician's ability to develop rapport, use shared decision making, and promote patient-centered communication during TM and IP consultations. Our data suggest that, despite physical separation, physician-patient communication during TM is not inferior to communication during IP consultations.
An Optimal Driving Force for Converting Excitons into Free Carriers in Excitonic Solar Cells

A general but limiting characteristic in excitonic photovoltaics is that a portion of the incident photon energy appears necessary for converting excitons into electrical charges, resulting in a loss of efficiency. Currently, the mechanism underlying this process is unclear. Here, we describe the development of an experimental method for measuring charge creation yields in organic solar cell materials. We use this method to examine a series of conjugated polymer:fullerene blend films and observe two unexpected features: the existence of an optimal driving force and a loss in conversion efficiency if this force is exceeded. These observations have implications for the design of excitonic photovoltaic devices and can be explained by a simple Marcus formulation that introduces the importance of reorganization energy.
The causes and consequences of takeover defense: Evidence from greenmail

Abstract We study the joint distribution of ownership, performance, managerial turnover, and takeover activity at repurchasing firms during a five-year period centered on the repurchase, and compare this to the distribution of these variables for a control sample selected on the basis of size and industry. This evidence illuminates the link between defensive activity and performance, as well as the impact of defensive activity on the experience of firms and managers. We find that the performance of firms that pay greenmail is no worse than the performance of firms of similar size that operate in the same industry, either prior to the repurchase or following the repurchase. The fate of managers at firms that pay greenmail appears to reflect their performance, as does the occurence of takeover activity. The frequency of takeover activity cannot be distinguished from the frequency of takeover activity at firms involved in a 13-D filing. Bid premia appear to be unaffected by the payment of greenmail.
Structural and functional relationships between the immune and central nervous systems in Alzheimer's disease

An intact blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a prerequisite to maintaining functional compartmentalization between the neural and immune systems. Only small amounts of immunoglobulins access the internal milieu of the brain, probably via so-called “functional leaks” existing in the region of the circumventricular organs. However, with aging and disease, globular and other proteins can be found within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) because of disruption of perhaps both the BBB and the blood–CSF barrier. There is an increase of lgG, IgA, albumin, and prealbumin in CSF of patients with Alzheimerapos;s disease. The presence of these proteins is taken to be pathognomonic for neuronal impairment, and they are believed to be associated with the amyloid deposits of senile plaques. Our studies have shown that albumins may occur naturally in some CNS neurons. Immunocytochemical studies with antibodies to rat serum albumin have shown the uptake of this serum protein by nerve endings with retrograde transport to perikarya of their cells of origin. Likewise, we have also shown than an endogenous albuminoid substance occurs in arcuate nucleus neurons of the hypothalamus that immunoreact with antibodies to bovine serum albumin. The arcuate nucleus neurons are neurosecretory and have neurohemal endings in contact with blood vessels of the hypothalamohypophysial vasculature. These neurohemal contacts are capable of taking up albumins from the blood for retrograde transport. We, therefore, hypothesize that immunoglobulins may be similarly incorporated by neurons having neurohemal contacts and access the CNS in this and several other ways. We have localized endogenous gammaglobulins in brains of both immunized and nonimmunized rabbits with antisera against rabbit lgG generated in sheep, goat, and mouse. However, serum proteins are also found in neurons without neurohemal contacts. Taken together, albumins, globulins, and other substances may reach the interior milieu of the CNS via: (1) endothelial transcytosis, (2) neurohemal contacts whereby neurons take up blood-borne substances and retrogradely transport them to their perikarya, (3) circumventricular organs (inter- and intraependymal transport), (4) functional leaks at the interface of the circumventricular organs and the brain, (5) a nose–brain pathway, (6) a meningeal pathway, and (7) transsynaptic transport, i.e., substances passed from a neurohemal cell to other connecting neurons.
Did shell-crushing crabs trigger an escalatory arms race in the aftermath of a Late Neogene regional mass extinction event? An experimental test

Abstract A regional mass extinction event in the late Neogene western Atlantic is widely thought to have generated evolutionary opportunities for survivors, including enemy-related adaptation (escalation). The Strombus alatus species complex is one potential example of this phenomenon. Strombid gastropods are abundant in the Plio-Pleistocene fossil record and Recent in subtropical Florida, and the percentage of these shells bearing a row of short spines on the last whorl increased from nearly zero to almost 100% over this time. As shell ornamentation is one of the most frequently cited defenses against both peeling and crushing predators, we exposed live spined and spineless S. alatus to the stone crab Menippe, one of its natural enemies and the predator responsible for shells scars commonly found on modern and fossil S. alatus shells, to test whether the increase in expression of shell spines in this species complex is consistent with an adaptive or induced response to intensifying predation pressure from durophagous crabs. We also utilize random variation in prey shell length, diameter, and lip thickness to quantify the relative importance of additional shell parameters thought to deter attacks from durophagous crabs. The central finding of this study is that neither thicker shell lips nor the modern configuration of spines determine whether S. alatus will be more likely to survive Menippe attacks or have less severe shell damage. In our experiments, the only shell trait associated with reduced damage and increased probability of survival was whorl diameter. We conclude that menippid crabs, at least those crabs within the range of large, adult sizes used in this experiment, probably did not play a primary role in the changing expression of Strombus spines on the last whorl in the post-Pliocene of Florida or elsewhere in tropical America. This conclusion is consistent with the position that faunal-scale increases in expression of defensive shell traits in the post-Pliocene of Florida were driven more by differential extinction of lightly armored species than escalatory responses to increasing crab predation pressure. However this conclusion is tentative and additional data are needed to explore this hypothesis fully.
NMR studies on solid cyclohexaamylose inclusion compounds

Orthorhombic inclusion compounds of cyclohexaamylose with methanol,n-propanol, acetic acid and water as guest molecules were studied using13C and2H NMR techniques.13C chemical shifts were correlated with structural data, whereas2H NMR lineshapes were used to derive information on guest molecule motions.
Calculations on the corannulene system

Abstract Self-Consistent Field MO calculations and strain energy calculations were applied to the recently prepared corrannulene system. The system is believed to exist in a non-planar configuration but should show appreciable aromatic character. Properties related to the π system have been determined.
Histone H1 Depletion in Mammals Alters Global Chromatin Structure but Causes Specific Changes in Gene Regulation

Linker histone H1 plays an important role in chromatin folding in vitro. To study the role of H1 in vivo, mouse embryonic stem cells null for three H1 genes were derived and were found to have 50% of the normal level of H1. H1 depletion caused dramatic chromatin structure changes, including decreased global nucleosome spacing, reduced local chromatin compaction, and decreases in certain core histone modifications. Surprisingly, however, microarray analysis revealed that expression of only a small number of genes is affected. Many of the affected genes are imprinted or are on the X chromosome and are therefore normally regulated by DNA methylation. Although global DNA methylation is not changed, methylation of specific CpGs within the regulatory regions of some of the H1 regulated genes is reduced. These results indicate that linker histones can participate in epigenetic regulation of gene expression by contributing to the maintenance or establishment of specific DNA methylation patterns.
New approaches to simulating fusion damage in fission reactors

Some novel approaches to simulating key fusion reactor damage production parameters are outlined. These involve alloy fabrication with pre-irradiated and/or isotopically modified nickel, chromium and iron. Irradiations of these alloys in the High Flux Isotope Reactor can be used to study the effects of the He/dpa and H/dpa ratio, elemental evolution and primary knock-on atom spectrum. A second approach to producing controlled He/dpa involves in-situ implantation with high energy a particles from the triple fission of 233U; the 233U is bred in-situ from 232Th in HFIR. In principle, this technique can be applied to any alloy system.
Acetylator phenotype in idiopathic systemic lupus erythematosus

The acetylator phenotypes of 21 patients from New York City and 29 patients from Israel with idiopathic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were determined with dapsone or isoniazid. Thirty were slwo acetylators, 17 were rapid, and 3 indeterminate. These cases plus published studies of acetylator phenotypes in idiopathic SLE show a worldwide distribution of 150 slow to 77 rapid instead of the expected 122:105 (P less than 0.001). The relationship between acetylator phenotype and possible etiologic agents is discussed.
Cardiovascular function of a glutamatergic projection from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus to the nucleus tractus solitarius in the rat.

Abstract Experiments were done in urethane-anesthetized, barodenervated, male Wistar rats. Chemical stimulation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) by unilateral microinjections of N -methyl- d -aspartic acid (NMDA) elicited increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and greater splanchnic nerve activity (GSNA). The increases in the MAP and GSNA induced by chemical stimulation of the PVN were significantly exaggerated by bilateral microinjections of d (−)-2-amino-7-phosphono-heptanoic acid ( d -AP7) and 2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-benzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide disodium (NBQX) (ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists) into the medial subnucleus of the nucleus tractus solitarius (mNTS). These results were confirmed by single unit recordings; i.e. excitation of mNTS barosensitive neurons caused by chemical stimulation of the ipsilateral PVN was blocked by application of d -AP7 and NBQX to these neurons. Bilateral microinjections of d -AP7 and NBQX into the mNTS elicited pressor responses which were significantly attenuated by inhibition of PVN neurons by bilateral microinjections of muscimol. Unilateral microinjections of fluorogold into the mNTS resulted in bilateral retrograde labeling of the PVN neurons. Unilateral microinjections of biotinylated dextran amine into the PVN resulted in anterograde labeling of axons and terminals in the mNTS bilaterally and the labeled terminals exhibited vesicular glutamate transporter-2 immunoreactivity. These results indicated that 1) a tonically active glutamatergic bilateral projection from the PVN to the mNTS exists; 2) bilateral blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the mNTS exaggerates the increases in MAP and GSNA, but not heart rate, to the chemical stimulation of the PVN; and 3) this projection may serve as a restraint mechanism for excitatory cardiovascular effects of PVN stimulation.
Ubiquitin-like protein activation by E1 enzymes: the apex for downstream signalling pathways

Attachment of ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like proteins (known as UBLs) to their targets through multienzyme cascades is a central mechanism to modulate protein functions. This process is initiated by a family of mechanistically and structurally related E1 (or activating) enzymes. These activate UBLs through carboxy-terminal adenylation and thiol transfer, and coordinate the use of UBLs in specific downstream pathways by charging cognate E2 (or conjugating) enzymes, which then interact with the downstream ubiquitylation machinery to coordinate the modification of the target. A broad understanding of how E1 enzymes activate UBLs and how they selectively coordinate UBLs with downstream function has come from enzymatic, structural and genetic studies.
Convex Sets with Large Distortion

Given a compact convex body \({\mathcal{L}}\) in a Euclidean vector space \({\mathcal{E}}\) with a fixed base point \({\mathcal{O}}\) in the interior of \({\mathcal{L}}\), an affine invariant \(\sigma({\mathcal{L}})\) can be defined that measures how distorted \({\mathcal{L}}\) is with respect to \({\mathcal{O}}\). The two extreme values of \(\sigma({\mathcal{L}})\) are 1 corresponding to a simplex, and \(( {\rm dim} {\mathcal{E}} + 1)/2\) corresponding to a (centrally) symmetric \({\mathcal{L}}\). In this paper we study the structure of \({\mathcal{L}}\) when \(\sigma({\mathcal{L}}) < 1+1/(1+dim{\mathcal{E}})\). We construct a polytope that contains \({\mathcal{L}}\), study its combinatorial structure, and prove that \({\mathcal{L}}\) is between two simplices scaled in the ratio \(1/(2 +{\rm dim} \mathcal {E} - (1 +{\ rm dim} {\mathcal{E}}) \sigma({\mathcal{L}}) \div 1\). This, in turn, gives an upper bound on the volume of \({\mathcal{L}}\) in terms of \(\sigma({\mathcal{L}})\) and the inscribed simplex.
QMBF: a QoS-aware multicast routing protocol

Many multicast applications, such as video-on-demand and tele-education, desire quality of service (QoS) support from the underlying network. Recently, many QoS-based multicast protocols have been proposed to meet this requirement. However, few of them can achieve high success ratios while maintaining good scalability. In this paper, we propose a new QoS-aware multicast protocol based on a bounded flooding technique (QMBF). In this protocol, every network node maintains the knowledge of a local network cell (LNC) topology as well as QoS state information (collected from the bounded flooding messages). QMBF utilizes this knowledge to increase the probability and accuracy of finding a feasible branch which connects a new member to an existing multicast tree. The protocol exploits two approaches to find feasible branches: repeatedly computing partial feasible branches using the LNC information and searching multiple paths. The design of QMBF allows it to operate on top of any unicast routing protocol or cooperate with a QoS-based unicast routing protocol. Results obtained using NS-2 simulator demonstrate high success ratio for locating feasible branches for multicast paths.
Increasing Student Access to Content Area Textbooks

Teachers, particularly at the middle and high school levels, rely heavily on textbooks to deliver curricular content. Often, students are asked to dive right into the content of a textbook that may...
The Broader Autism Phenotype, Social Interaction Anxiety, and Loneliness: Implications for Social Functioning

Recent research has begun to focus on the subclinical presentation of autistic-like traits in individuals, a construct termed the broader autism phenotype (BAP). The presence of the BAP has been established in both first-degree relatives of individuals with autism as well as in the general population. The current study aimed to examine how self-reported BAP characteristics, social interaction anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation relate to social functioning (specifically, loneliness) in a sample of college students. Results showed that for all subjects, BAP, social interaction anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation did not predict loneliness in a regression model. However, for males these predictors accounted for approximately 48 % of the variance in loneliness scores. Among males, individuals rating themselves as having lower social skills, lower imagination, and higher social interaction anxiety were more likely to also report feeling lonely. These results indicate that the predictors used may function differently among males and females. Although BAP characteristics and social interaction anxiety may not be important correlates of social functioning for females in this sample, they appear to be very important for males’ subjective feelings of loneliness.
Tropical ice cloud optical depth, ice water path, and frequency fields inferred from the MODIS level-3 data

Abstract The 1.375-μm water vapor absorption band included on the space-borne Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides an unprecedented view of ice clouds (e.g., cirrus) on a global scale. In this study the spatial and temporal patterns of ice clouds over the tropics (i.e., the region between ± 30° latitude) are analyzed. Three successive years (July 2002–August 2005) of data acquired from the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite are used in the analyses. Specifically, the frequency of occurrence of ice clouds and its zonal trends are investigated. We compare the ice cloud frequency results from this study with those obtained from the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounders (HIRS). In addition to the HIRS-type frequency of occurrence of ice clouds, we also investigate the average cloud optical depth and ice water path of these clouds, as well as the zonal trends of these parameters. The present analyses reveal that ice clouds are observed quite frequently in the tropics (approximately 67% of MODIS level-3 data points), and have a higher frequency of occurrence over land, 43%, than over the oceans, 32%. Ice cloud optical depth and ice water path have distributions highly skewed toward small values, indicating a large number of thin cirrus observations. Approximately 70% of the tropics has mean ice cloud optical depth below 2.0, and 80% has mean ice water path less than 40 g m − 2 . Moreover, spatial patterns, as well as seasonal cloud migrations, can be clearly seen.
Developmental determinants of sensitivity and resistance to stress

The purpose of this paper is two fold. First, to revisit the issue of the definition of stress and to highlight the difficulties with the contemporary definitions and, second, to review the literature on the influence of early experiences on the endocrine stress responses and behavior in rodents, sub-human primates and humans. Early experiences, usually involving some manipulation that results in disruption of the mother-infant relationship, have been shown to have long-term influences on the behavioral and endocrine responses to stress. In the rodent, brief periods of separation result in an attenuated adrenal response to stress (reduced secretion of corticosterone). In contrast, longer periods of separation result in an exaggerated response and several behavioral anomalies i.e. increased alcohol consumption, increased startle response etc. However, the effects of disruptions of the mother-infant relationships in primates reveal a pattern of behavioral disturbance but little influence on the endocrine response. Brief maternal separations result in a blunted cortisol response in juvenile squirrel monkeys. The long-term effects of early experiences in humans are very difficult to interpret. It is not possible to determine the length and severity of the experiences, and when in development the experiences were imposed on the child. Despite these limitations, there is a general consensus that adverse early experiences contribute to adult psychopathology.
Asymptotic solutions of certain linear difference equations, with applications to some eigenvalue problems.

Asymptotic solutions of linear difference equations, discussing applications to eigenvalue problems of free oscillations of model galaxies
Elevated intra-abdominal pressure limits venous return during exercise in Varanus exanthematicus.

The effects of treadmill exercise on components of the cardiovascular (venous return, heart rate, arterial blood pressure) and respiratory systems (minute ventilation, tidal volume, breathing frequency, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production) and intra-abdominal pressure were investigated in the Savannah monitor lizard, Varanus exanthematicus, at 35oC. Compared to resting conditions, treadmill exercise significantly increased lung ventilation and gular pumping, intra-abdominal pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and venous return (flow in post caval vein). However, venous return declines at high levels of activity, and mean arterial pressure and venous return did not attain peak values until the recovery period, immediately following activity. Elevating intra-abdominal pressure in resting lizards (via saline infusion) resulted in significant reductions in venous return when the transmural pressure of the post cava became negative (i.e. when intra-abdominal pressure exceeded central venous pressure). Together these results suggest that increments in intra-abdominal pressure compress the large abdominal veins and inhibit venous return. During locomotion, the physical compression of the large abdominal veins may represent a significant limitation to cardiac output and maximal oxygen consumption in lizards.