cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 98: Interleukin-1 Beta Deletion Protects Against Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Development

Objectives: Inflammation is known to be critical in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. While interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), a proinflammatory cytokine, is elevated in AAA samples from human and murine samples, the role of IL-1B during AAA formation remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that IL-1B is a significant positive contributor to the AAA inflammatory pathway. Methods: Eight to 12 week old male mice deficient in the expression of IL-1B (IL-1B KO; n=9) and their corresponding wild type background mice (WT, n=5) underwent AAA induction by purified porcine elastase (0.4 units) infusion of the infrarenal aorta. After 14 days, the maximum diameter of the infrarenal abdominal aorta was measured, and the aortas were harvested for molecular and histologic analyses, including immunostaining for macrophages, neutrophils, and elastin. Inflammatory and smooth muscle genetic markers were compared using real-time PCR. Results: IL-1B KO mice had significantly decreased aneurysm formation when compared to WT controls [34.2% aortic dilation versus 87.2% aortic dilation (p=0.002), respectively]. Immunostaining aortic cross-sections demonstrated markedly less macrophage and neutrophil infiltration of the aortic wall with preservation of elastic lamina in the aortas of IL-1B deficient mice. Genetic expression of inflammatory markers [matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2, 3, and 9] were decreased in the aortas from IL-1B KO mice compared to WT mice, while smooth muscle markers (i.e. smooth muscle actin, myosin heavy chain, and smooth muscle 22α) were all significantly greater in the aortas from IL-1B KO group. Conclusions: Deletion of IL-1B is protective for AAA development in a murine elastase model and appears to be a critical step in the pathway for AAA formation. IL-1B deletion appears to inhibit the inflammatory pathway through decreased macrophage and neutrophil mural infiltration and decreased MMP2, 3, and 9 expression. Furthermore, IL-1B deletion is associated with preservation of elastin fibers and inhibition of smooth muscle cell phenotypic switching. IL-1B seems to play a central role in AAA formation and may illustrate future pharmacologic targets for AAA prevention.
UNIVERSAL USE OF CONTRAST TO DETECT LEFT VENTRICULAR THROMBUS IN PATIENTS WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED CLINICAL OR COST-EFFECTIVENESS OUTCOMES

Background: In patients with an ejection fraction (EF) ≤35%, contrast is often used in transthoracic echocardiography to improve detection of left ventricular thrombus (LVT). Clinical and economic outcomes of a universal contrast use strategy are uncertain. Methods: A decision analytic model was
Changes in sea lamprey size and fecundity through time in the Great Lakes

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are an aquatic nuisance species that cause great harm to fishes in the Great Lakes. Control of sea lamprey is vital to protecting the Great Lakes fishery, and designing an effective control program depends on accurate knowledge of their demographics. This study compared historical and current data on female sea lamprey length, weight, fecundity, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and egg weight in the Great Lakes. Female sea lamprey captured in 2011 were compared with studies conducted in 1960 and 1981 on Lake Superior and in 1981 and 1999 on Lake Ontario, as well as available data from Lakes Huron, Michigan and Erie. In Lake Superior, mean length and weight of female sea lamprey increased by approximately 13% and 45%, respectively, while mean fecundity increased 17% and individual egg weights increased 43%. There was no difference in mean sea lamprey GSI in Lake Superior. In Lake Ontario, female sea lamprey length increased by 7%, but there were no differences in the other metrics. Across the Great Lakes, there was a general increase in fecundity from the period before the 1980s to more recent years. An increased population of larger parasitic sea lamprey will have higher feeding rates and thus a higher impact on commercially and ecologically important fishes. Managers may need to reconsider control targets and lampricide treatment frequency for lakes where sea lamprey growth and fecundity have increased.
Large-eddy simulations of a Salt Lake Valley cold-air pool

Persistent cold-air pools are often poorly forecast by mesoscale numerical weather prediction models, in part due to inadequate parameterization of planetary boundary-layer physics in stable atmospheric conditions, and also because of errors in the initialization and treatment of the model surface state. In this study, an improved numerical simulation of the 27–30 January 2011 cold-air pool in Utah's Great Salt Lake Basin is obtained using a large-eddy simulation with more realistic surface state characterization. Compared to a Weather Research and Forecasting model configuration run as a mesoscale model with a planetary boundary-layer scheme where turbulence is highly parameterized, the large-eddy simulation more accurately captured turbulent interactions between the stable boundary-layer and flow aloft. The simulations were also found to be sensitive to variations in the Great Salt Lake temperature and Salt Lake Valley snow cover, illustrating the importance of land surface state in modelling cold-air pools.
Variation In Early-Successional Habitat Use Among Independent Juvenile Forest Breeding Birds

ABSTRACT Adults and juveniles of some forest breeding birds shift habitat use during the post breeding season from late to early successional forest. Juveniles of smaller passerine species are difficult to radio-track, and there is limited information on their habitat preferences, especially once they become older and independent. We determined if independent hatch-year birds captured in early-successional habitat remained there for extended periods, or if these habitats were only occupied infrequently during foraging activities. We determined habitat use for Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), Worm-eating Warblers (Helmitheros vermivorum) and Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) during the independent post-fledging period in the Missouri Ozarks. We placed radio transmitters on 29 hatch-year birds captured in clearcuts and attempted to relocate them for 24 days in the summer of 2012. All three species had a greater relative probability of use of clearcut forest stands with small trees than older forests. Ovenbi...
Undocumented Immigration, Drug Problems, and Driving Under the Influence in the United States, 1990–2014

Objectives. To examine the influence of undocumented immigration in the United States on 4 different metrics of drug and alcohol problems: drug arrests, drug overdose fatalities, driving under the influence (DUI) arrests, and DUI deaths.Methods. We combined newly developed state-level estimates of the undocumented population between 1990 and 2014 from the Center for Migration Studies with arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports and fatality information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Underlying Cause of Death database. We used fixed-effects regression models to examine the longitudinal association between increased undocumented immigration and drug problems and drunk driving.Results. Increased undocumented immigration was significantly associated with reductions in drug arrests, drug overdose deaths, and DUI arrests, net of other factors. There was no significant relationship between increased undocumented im...
Sistemas de salud móvil integrados: rol de los factores socioculturales y el enfoque de sistemas sociotécnico

This paper discusses the role of socio-cultural factors in strengthening integrated mobile health systems. Emphasis is placed on the importance that any initiative in mobile health should consider the analysis of socio-cultural factors during the process of the development and implementation of programs and research interventions. The socio-cultural and socio-technical approach also consider the human factor and considers the conditions of the environment and the context beyond the technological resources of the mobile health system and the infrastructure that supports it. Methodologies such as observational studies, focus groups, and in-depth interviews should be included ideally in any mobile health study. We also present a case study in the north area of Lima (Peru), adapting the Community-Based Participatory Research platform that is based on a socio-technical approach and evaluates the socio-cultural approach with the objective to optimize the diagnosis process of tuberculosis using mobile health.
Black Female Pilot Communicative Experiences: Applications and Extensions of Co-Cultural Theory

The study investigates the ways in which Black female pilots experience and manage their elite status as airline transport pilots (ATPs) and as co-cultural group members. Accordingly, Orbe's (1998b...
Simultaneous Usage of Several 3DUI Technologies

In the previous Chaps. 2, 3, 4 and 5, we have studied the benefits of 3DUI technologies (e.g. stereoscopic 3D, head tracking, gesture based control, etc.) for video games. But, the work was focused on these technologies in isolation and was still unknown how the gaming experience will be affected if several 3DUI technologies are used simultaneously. In this chapter, we discuss work related to usage of multiple 3D interaction techniques simultaneously. We also present an experiment which seeks to study the effect of presence of several 3DUI technologies when present in a game simultaneously. Moreover, since no existing game could be used for this experiment, a custom game was designed. The design of this game which optimizes the use of stereoscopic 3D, head tracking, and finger-count based menus is also presented in this chapter.
De novo variants in GABRA2 and GABRA5 alter receptor function and contribute to early-onset epilepsy

GABAA receptors are ligand-gated anion channels that are important regulators of neuronal inhibition. Mutations in several genes encoding receptor subunits have been identified in patients with various types of epilepsy, ranging from mild febrile seizures to severe epileptic encephalopathy. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identified a novel de novo missense variant in GABRA5 (c.880G > C, p.V294L) in a patient with severe early-onset epilepsy and developmental delay. Targeted resequencing of 279 additional epilepsy patients identified 19 rare variants from nine GABAA receptor genes, including a novel de novo missense variant in GABRA2 (c.875C > A, p.T292K) and a recurrent missense variant in GABRB3 (c.902C > T, p.P301L). Patients with the GABRA2 and GABRB3 variants also presented with severe epilepsy and developmental delay. We evaluated the effects of the GABRA5, GABRA2 and GABRB3 missense variants on receptor function using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressing appropriate α, β and γ subunits. The GABRA5 p.V294L variant produced receptors that were 10-times more sensitive to GABA but had reduced maximal GABA-evoked current due to increased receptor desensitization. The GABRA2 p.T292K variant reduced channel expression and produced mutant channels that were tonically open, even in the absence of GABA. Receptors containing the GABRB3 p.P301L variant were less sensitive to GABA and produced less GABA-evoked current. These results provide the first functional evidence that de novo variants in the GABRA5 and GABRA2 genes contribute to early-onset epilepsy and developmental delay, and demonstrate that epilepsy can result from reduced neuronal inhibition via a wide range of alterations in GABAA receptor function.
Order Scheduling Models: An Overview

Order scheduling models can be described as follows: A machine environment with a number of non-identical machines in parallel can produce a fixed variety of different products. Any one machine can process a given set of the different product types. If it can process only one type of product it is referred to as a dedicated machine, otherwise it is referred to as a flexible machine. A flexible machine may be subject to a setup when it switches from one product type to another product type. Each product type has certain specific processing requirements on the various machines. There are n customers, each one sending in one order. An order requests specific quantities of the various different products and has a release date as well as a due date (committed shipping date). After the processing of all the different products for an order has been completed, the order can be shipped to the customer. This paper is organised as follows. We first introduce a notation for this class of models. We then focus on various different conditions on the machine environment as well as on several objective functions, including the total weighted completion time, the maximum lateness, the number of orders shipped late, and so on. We present polynomial time algorithms for the easier problems, complexity proofs for NP-hard problems and worst case performance analyses as well as empirical analyses of heuristics.
Abnormalities of Megakaryocytes in Sl/Sld Mice

Megakaryocytopoiesis was evaluated in Sl/Sld mice and their heterozygous and homozygous normal (+/+) littermates. Sl/Sld mice had a normal concentration of blood platelets which were of normal size. Numbers of megakaryocytes in bone marrow and spleen were reduced, but individual megakaryocytes were larger than normal.
Safe At Any Speed: A Simulation-Based Test Harness for Autonomous Vehicles

The testing of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) requires driving the AV billions of miles under varied scenarios in order to find bugs, accidents and otherwise inappropriate behavior. Because driving a real AV that many miles is too slow and costly, this motivates the use of sophisticated ‘world simulators’, which present the AV’s perception pipeline with realistic input scenes, and present the AV’s control stack with realistic traffic and physics to which to react. Thus the simulator is a crucial piece of any CAD toolchain for AV testing. In this work, we build a test harness for driving an arbitrary AV’s code in a simulated world. We demonstrate this harness by using the game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA) as world simulator for AV testing. Namely, our AV code, for both perception and control, interacts in real-time with the game engine to drive our AV in the GTA world, and we search for weather conditions and AV operating conditions that lead to dangerous situations. This goes beyond the current state-of-the-art where AVs are tested under ideal weather conditions, and lays the ground work for a more comprehensive testing effort. We also propose and demonstrate necessary analyses to validate the simulation results relative to the real world. The results of such analyses allow the designers and verification engineers to weigh the results of simulation-based testing.
Research on the Analysis Method of the Total Power Value Change in the Smart Meter

For the problem of the total power value change to a certain value in operating smart meter, the paper proposed a fault excitation method of smart meters. In the experiment, it simulated the work state of field micro-power wireless module in self-networking and communication as relay, communicated frequently with smart meters through Micro-power wireless communication model, the total power value is changed to the same value with the fault smart meter. The test result showed that when the smart meter is subject to high frequency and large amplitude wireless interference, the coupling interference is applied to the relay detection line, resulting in interruption nesting and interruption overflow after nesting. Due to the software leak of smart meters, the total power value is changed to a certain value.
Stereochemical effects in the nitrosation of some α,β‐unsaturated ketoximes. Formation of 1‐hydroxypyrazole 2‐oxides and 4‐oximino‐4,5‐dihydroisoxazoles

Several α,β-unsaturated ketoximes R1CH=CHC(=NOH)R2 were nitrosated using butyl nitrite in aqueous ethanol in the presence of copper(II) sulfate and pyridine. The product distribution varied depending on whether the oxime hydroxyl group was syn or anti with respect to the carboncarbon double bond. The anti-oximes gave the copper complexes of 1-hydroxypyrazole 2-oxides in high yields. The isomeric syn-oximes gave lower yields of the pyrazole complexes along with 4-oximino-4,5-dihydroisoxazole derivatives. For the syn-oximes where R1 is phenyl and R2 is either methyl or ethyl, conversion of the oximes to the parent ketones was also observed. The results may be explained by processes involving N-nitrosonitrone intermediates.
Fundamental Domains for Actions on Spaces of Planes

Theorem 5.1 showed that the lower algebraic K-theory of any crystallographic group can be computed in two pieces. In Chap. 7, we completed the first half of the computation for the 73 split three-dimensional crystallographic groups. The results obtained are summarized in Table 7.8.
Banishing “Siberia” and Student Seclusion: Leading Trauma-Informed Systems Change in a Rural School:

Trauma-informed school practices require enactment of trauma-informed principles including prioritizing students’ physical and psychological safety, connection, cultural responsiveness, and student...
CHAPTER VIII – Hydrases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hydrases. The hydrases add water to organic compounds without causing a splitting. Purified carbonic anhydrase exerts a measurable catalytic action even when diluted 10 million times. The enzyme is stable from pH 4–11. Carbonic anhydrase occurs especially in the erythrocytes. Small quantities are present in the pancreas, but the enzyme is generally absent from other animal tissues, except in traces. It is also present in the gastric mucosa and in a high concentration in the central nervous system. The enzyme occurs in all vertebrates and in some invertebrates. Carbonic anhydrase is present in the gills of cephalopode and in plants. The role of carbonic anhydrase is to accelerate the liberation of carbon dioxide from the blood during passage through the lungs and to accelerate the taking up of carbon dioxide as the blood traverses the tissues. Carbonic anhydrase is inhibited in the dark by carbon monoxide.
State- and context-dependent applications of an energetics model in free-ranging bighorn sheep

Abstract Energy is fundamentally important to life and when energy supplies cannot support energy demands, animals may reduce energy deficits through behavioral compensation—a phenomenon that can vary with physiological state (state dependent) or environmental conditions (context dependent). We built an energetics model to estimate seasonal and annual energy expenditures by female Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae; hereafter, Sierra bighorn) and evaluated whether energy expenditures by Sierra bighorn were consistent with behavioral compensation. We parameterized the model with values from the literature for energy expenditures for metabolism, feeding, locomotion, tissue synthesis, and reproduction in bighorn sheep and populated the model with empirical data (body mass, ingesta-free body fat, reproductive state, and daily movements) from female Sierra bighorn. Annual energy expenditures by reproductive females (7,182 MJ × yr−1) were ~42% greater than annual energy expenditures by non-reproductive females (5,066 MJ × yr−1). Regardless of reproductive state, female Sierra bighorn expended less energy on activity in winter compared with summer, which was consistent with context-dependent (environmental) behavioral compensation. Results for state-dependent behavioral compensation were ambiguous, but daily movements and associated energy expenditures decreased over winter, coincident with declines in body fat. Our energy model can be adapted to any free-ranging ungulate, if annual body mass and fat dynamics, metabolic rates, reproductive state, and daily movements are known. Coupling our model with estimates of food supplies may generate deeper insights regarding energetic motivations of migration and habitat use.
No-till technology has limited potential to store carbon: How can we enhance such potential?

Abstract No-till is a top soil conservation practice, but if it will be used as a C sequestration strategy, it needs enhancement. Companion practices including N fertilization and irrigation do not often result in net C sequestration or some are unavailable (i.e., biochar) for a large-scale application. Adoption of aggressive or transformative no-till companion practices that genuinely remove CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and sequester it in the soil as C should be considered. Enhancing both cover crops and crop rotation complexity can be an aggressive biological strategy to boost no-till performance; yet this has not been much discussed. Enhancing cover crops by increasing both the cropland area under no-till cover crops and cover crop biomass production through biomass yield maximization strategies can store more C in the soil than current no-till cover crop management practices. Additionally, inserting multi-year perennial or forages including grasses and legumes into existing no-till row crop rotations could store an additional amount of C. These no-till enhancement practices may not only increase C sequestration in the soil but also boost the overall resilience and ecosystem services from agricultural lands. Their potential can be particularly greater in low C (below C saturation) than high C (at or near C saturation) no-till soils.
Self-Presentation in Social Media: Review and Research Opportunities

This paper reviews existing research on self-presentation in social media in order to inform future research. Social media offer seemingly limitless opportunities for strategic self-presentation. The composition of an impression manager’s audience from one platform to the next varies across social media platforms, impacting and often complicating the attainment of self-presentation goals in the midst of context collapse. Social media users can employ a variety of strategies in an attempt to reach their goals and successfully influence how others perceive them. Although we have learned much from this body of literature, a more comprehensive theory of self-presentation in the hypermedia age is needed to further advance this area of research. Recommended variables to consider in online self-presentation include individual variables, culture/group membership, motivations, channel-specific variables, self-presentation content generated by self and others, as well as effectiveness of self-presentation.
PCB AND THE ACTIVITIES BUDGET OF THE CRAB HEMIGRAPSUS OREGONENSIS

ABSTRACT In order to understand the adaptive processes of an estuarine organism under stress from a pollutant, the behavior of the crab Hemigrapsus oregonensis was assessed with and without exposure to polychlorinated biphenls (PCB's). Activities budgets were developed from observations of the time crabs spent in 20 categories of shelter use, posture, and activity while held in habitat models complete with tides. Females spent more time sheltered and feeding but less time displaying than males. For both sexes certain activities predominated at certain tidal stages. Multivariate discriminant analysis was used to explore differences in activities budgets between ordinary conditions and stressing conditions when PCB-contaminated sand was present. Discriminant functions containing all 20 activities did not clearly distinguish the budgets of stressed and unstressed crabs. Stepwise discriminant analyses, used to choose the most parsimonious functions, indicated where the budgets differed. For both sexes and different trials, feeding consistently appeared in the multivariate discriminant functions and decreased under PCB exposure. The discriminant analysis suggested that the consequences one would predict for a pollutant-induced stress are functions of the paradigm under which one observes. In a search to predict the consequences of pollution one should be alert not only to the character of the organism's failures, but also to the nature of its successes.
A theory of deflagration-to-detonation transition in unconfined flames

This paper outlines a theoretical approach for predicting the onset of detonation in unconfined turbulent flames. Two basic assumptions are made: (1) the gradient mechanism is the inherent mechanism that leads to deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in unconfined conditions and (2) the sole mechanism for preparing the gradient in induction time is by turbulent mixing and local flame quenching. The criterion for DDT is derived in terms of the one-dimensional detonation wave thickness, the laminar flame speed, and the laminar flame thickness in the reactive gas. This approach gives a lower-bound criterion for DDT for conditions where shock preheating, wall effects, and interactions with obstacles are absent. Regions in parameter space where unconfined DDT can and cannot occur are determined.
Bovine lactoferrin is a transcription factor stimulating IL-1 beta gene expression in the small intestine

Lactoferrin (Lf) is an iron-binding glycoprotein present in high concentration in human milk. It is a pleiotropic protein and involved in diverse bioactivities. Since Lf is partly resistant to prot...
Historical Thinking through Classroom Simulation: 1919 Paris Peace Conference

Abstract For almost one hundred years, educators have used model deliberative bodies (e.g., Model United Nations) as a pedagogical tool to teach students about the complexities of diplomatic negotiations. We argue that this type of classroom simulation activity may also serve to illustrate specific historical realities and, more broadly, provide a model of student-centered instruction focused on investigation and decision making. Employed in social studies classrooms, this tool has the potential to foster historical thinking and empathy by calling on students to engage in the act of deliberation as experienced by contemporary actors of a particular negotiating body. The lesson activity we outline in this article charges students to wrestle with the multiplicity of complex dilemmas and conflicting claims that characterized the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Assuming the role of actual delegates, students not only discuss pertinent issues but also deliberate. That is to say, just like the representatives who ...
Loss of lag-response curvilinearity of indices of heart rate variability in congestive heart failure.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is known to be impaired in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Time-domain analysis of ECG signals traditionally relies heavily on linear indices of an essentially non-linear phenomenon. Poincare plots are commonly used to study non-linear behavior of physiologic signals. Lagged Poincare plots incorporate autocovariance information and analysis of Poincare plots for various lags can provide interesting insights into the autonomic control of the heart. Using Poincare plot analysis, we assessed whether the relation of the lag between heart beats and HRV is altered in CHF. We studied the influence of lag on estimates of Poincare plot indices for various lengths of beat sequence in a public domain data set (PhysioNet) of 29 subjects with CHF and 54 subjects with normal sinus rhythm. A curvilinear association was observed between lag and Poincare plot indices (SD1, SD2, SDLD and SD1/SD2 ratio) in normal subjects even for a small sequence of 50 beats (p value for quadratic term 3 × 10-5, 0.002, 3.5 × 10-5 and 0.0003, respectively). This curvilinearity was lost in patients with CHF even after exploring sequences up to 50,000 beats (p values for quadratic term > 0.5). Since lagged Poincare plots incorporate autocovariance information, these analyses provide insights into the autonomic control of heart rate that is influenced by the non-linearity of the signal. The differences in lag-response in CHF patients and normal subjects exist even in the face of the treatment received by the CHF patients.
Dupin Hypersurfaces in Lie Sphere Geometry

We present a moving frames proof, with motivation and context, that all nonumbilic Dupin immersions of a surface are Lie sphere congruent to each other.
Looking for Trouble and Finding It.

We agree with Lazaro-Munoz and colleagues that patient preferences matter. Clinicians should strive to elicit and respect those preferences. We take issue, however, with how the authors apply this precept to “preventive genomic screening” (PGS). We believe their argument is flawed by the failure to distinguish screening from other medical care, or to acknowledge clinicians' responsibility to weigh the potential for benefit and harm in determining what healthcare choices to offer.
Genome-wide association study of pre-eclampsia detects novel maternal single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy-number variants in subsets of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study cohort.

A genome-wide association study was undertaken to identify maternal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy-number variants (CNVs) associated with preeclampsia. Case-control analysis was performed on 1070 Afro-Caribbean (n=21 cases and 1049 controls) and 723 Hispanic (n=62 cases and 661 controls) mothers and 1257 mothers of European ancestry (n=50 cases and 1207 controls) from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study. European ancestry subjects were genotyped on Illumina Human610-Quad and Afro-Caribbean and Hispanic subjects were genotyped on Illumina Human1M-Duo BeadChip microarrays. Genome-wide SNP data were analyzed using PLINK. CNVs were called using three detection algorithms (GNOSIS, PennCNV, and QuantiSNP), merged using CNVision, and then screened using stringent criteria. SNP and CNV findings were compared to those of the Study of Pregnancy Hypertension in Iowa (SOPHIA), an independent preeclampsia case-control dataset of Caucasian mothers (n=177 cases and 116 controls). A list of top SNPs were identified for each of the HAPO ethnic groups, but none reached Bonferroni-corrected significance. Novel candidate CNVs showing enrichment among preeclampsia cases were also identified in each of the three ethnic groups. Several variants were suggestively replicated in SOPHIA. The discovered SNPs and copy-number variable regions present interesting candidate genetic variants for preeclampsia that warrant further replication and investigation.
Associated Subvalvular and Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis with Aortic Valve Anomaly

The patient, an asymptomatic 1 1%-year-old boy, was admitted to the hospital on March 3, 1965. A 2-year-old sibling had died following an operation for pulmonary valvular stenosis at another institution. The patient had been thought normal at birth, but a heart murmur had been found when he was 6 months old. A loud holosystolic murmur was widely heard over the precordium. A mild aortic diastolic murmur also was present. The blood pressure was 128/80 in the right arm and approximately the same in the left. The electrocardiogram showed evidence of marked left ventricular hypertrophy. On fluoroscopic and radiographic study there was evidence suggestive of left ventricular enlargement. The aorta seemed normal in size. Cardiac catheterization and angiographic study showed severe discrete subvalvular stenosis, mild supravalvular aortic stenosis, and a deformity of the aortic valve permitting mild regurgitation. In addition the inferior vena cava was observed to be completely obstructed cephalad to the point of reception of the renal veins. Large collateral vessels drained into the azygos system. Simultaneously measured pressures were 263/ 14 in the left ventricle and 107/70 in the aorta distal to the area of supravalvular constriction. The pressure in the small ventricular segment between the subvalvular diaphragm and the aortic annulus was 122124. An operation was performed on March 10 with the aid of total cardiopulmonary bypass. There was evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy. The aorta was moderately dilated above the area of supravalvular stenosis, as were the coronary sinuses below. The coronary arteries were not enlarged. When the aorta was opened, the preoperative findings were confirmed. There was a mild discrete supravalvular stenosis, the aortic diameter in this area being approximately 15 mm. (Figure). The left coronary aortic cusp was very small, with a presenting edge no longer than 8 mm. and a rather shallow sinus. The right coronary aortic cusp was larger, the noncoronary cusp still larger, and both had
Pathogen interactions in the pathogenesis of endophthalmitis

Endophthalmitis is an often blinding complication of penetrating globe injury, and an unfortunate consequence of common ocular surgeries, which requires immediate intervention. Although penetrating injuries are more likely to be associated with infectious complications, because of the number of ocular surgeries performed, postoperative endophthalmitis is its most common form. Given the challenge of maintaining a sterile field in ocular surgery, the fact that many surgeries are sutureless leaving a potential portal of entry, and the reported rates of bacterial contamination of irrigation fluid, it is perhaps surprising that the rate of infection in most centers is between 1 and 3 per 1000 surgeries. Although postoperative endophthalmitis rates are low, they appear to be increasing in the US and potentially elsewhere. This may relate to increased age of patient at the time of surgical intervention, increased rates of underlying illness, especially adult-onset diabetes, and other factors. The development of new knowledge in several key areas is setting the stage for new and better strategies for infection treatment and prevention. It is now appreciated that the immune privilege of the posterior segment creates a highly permissive environment for the growth of microbes of even low virulence, such as coagulase negative staphylococci – a leading cause of postoperative endophthalmitis. The widespread use of antibiotic has selected for resistant strains of these and other organisms with increased virulence, including the ability to form tenacious and antibiotic refractory biofilms. We are beginning to understand the molecular basis for immune privilege in the posterior segment as it relates to the ability of innate immunity to contend with infecting microbes. We are also beginning to understand basic principles of the physiology of bacterial biofilms. The posterior capsule represents an important anatomical barrier to endophthalmitis, but many cases occur without known intraoperative breach. Studies now are attempting to identify bacterial properties, such as the production of tissue-destructive proteases, that promote translocation of the microbes through an intact capsule and into the posterior segment. The contribution of innate immune privilege of the posterior segment, microbial virulence, and biofilm formation to endophthalmitis will be presented.
Structure of the boundary of the attainable set in certain nonlinear systems

A class of fully nonlinear systems is introduced in which systems are comprised of a weakly homogeneous subsystem and a drift subsystem. We prove that the boundary of any attainable set of a system in this class is foliated by attainable submanifolds of its weakly homogeneous subsystem. We also discuss sufficient conditions for the global controllability of systems in this class and show that the global controllability problem can be reduced to a family of local controllability problems.
Calculation of the gamma ray contribution to proton recoil counter data in a mixed neutron-gamma ray field

Abstract A method is presented for calculating γ-ray induced response of a proton recoil counter exposed to a mixed field of γ-rays and neutrons from a simultaneous measurement of γ-ray spectrum by a NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal. The γ-ray spectrum was then used to calculate the equivalent proton recoil counter spectrum using two sets of matrices which were constructed from monoenergetic γ-ray responses to the two detectors involved. This method was applied to obtain the energy distribution of neutrons from 87 Br which provided the mixed field of γ-rays and neutrons.
Replication past the Butadiene Diepoxide-Derived DNA Adduct S-[4-(N6-Deoxyadenosinyl)-2,3-dihydroxybutyl]glutathione by DNA Polymerases

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB), a metabolite of the carcinogen butadiene, has been shown to cause glutathione (GSH)-dependent base substitution mutations, especially A:T to G:C mutations in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 [Cho, S. H., et al. (2010) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 23, 1544] and Escherichia coli TRG8 cells [Cho, S. H., and Guengerich, F. P. (2012) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 25, 1522]. We previously identified S-[4-(N6-deoxyadenosinyl)-2,3-dihydroxybutyl]GSH [N6dA-(OH)2butyl-GSH] as a major adduct in the reaction of S-(2-hydroxy-3,4-epoxybutyl)glutathione (DEB-GSH conjugate) with nucleosides and calf thymus DNA and in vivo in livers of mice and rats treated with DEB [Cho, S. H., and Guengerich, F. P. (2012) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 25, 706]. For investigation of the miscoding potential of the major DEB-GSH conjugate-derived DNA adduct [N6dA-(OH)2butyl-GSH] and the effect of GSH conjugation on replication of DEB, extension studies were performed in duplex DNA substrates containing the site-specifically incorporated N6dA-...
Fault-tolerant matrix triangularizations on systolic arrays

Examines the checksum methods of Abraham et al. for LU decomposition on multiprocessor arrays. Their methods are efficient for detecting a transient error, but expensive for correcting it due to the need for a computation rollback. The authors show how to avoid the rollback by using matrix updating techniques, and they introduce new checksum methods for Gaussian elimination with pairwise pivoting and for QR decomposition on systolic arrays. >
CNS Injury, Glial Scars, and Inflammation: Inhibitory extracellular matrices and regeneration failure

Spinal cord and brain injuries lead to complex cellular and molecular interactions within the central nervous system in an attempt to repair the initial tissue damage. Many studies have illustrated the importance of the glial cell response to injury, and the influences of inflammation and wound healing processes on the overall morbidity and permanent disability that result. The abortive attempts of neuronal regeneration after spinal cord injury are influenced by inflammatory cell activation, reactive astrogliosis and the production of both growth promoting and inhibitory extracellular molecules. Despite the historical perspective that the glial scar was a mechanical barrier to regeneration, inhibitory molecules in the forming scar and methods to overcome them have suggested molecular modification strategies to allow neuronal growth and functional regeneration. Unlike myelin associated inhibitory molecules, which remain at largely static levels before and after central nervous system trauma, inhibitory extracellular matrix molecules are dramatically upregulated during the inflammatory stages after injury providing a window of opportunity for the delivery of candidate therapeutic interventions. While high dose methylprednisolone steroid therapy alone has not proved to be the solution to this difficult clinical problem, other strategies for modulating inflammation and changing the make up of inhibitory molecules in the extracellular matrix are providing robust evidence that rehabilitation after spinal cord and brain injury has the potential to significantly change the outcome for what was once thought to be permanent disability.
Schizophyllum commune Sinusitis: A Case Report and Radiologic Findings:

Chronic sinusitis is now considered the most common chronic disease seen in this country.1 The infections are commonly polymicrobial and include aerobes and anaerobes.2 Fungal sinusitis accounts fo...
Infections post-cardiac surgery: new information during challenging times.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are one of the most challenging complications of surgery, for patients and surgeons alike. For that reason, it is interesting to note that in this recent experience, reported by Gelijns et al. [(1)][1] in this issue of the Journal , of more than 5,000 patients who
Effects of cement on crown retention

This study indicates that the frequent clinical technique of permanently cementing a crown without removing all traces of a temporary ZOE cement from the tooth has no adverse effect on retention. Circumferential grooving of the tooth preparation did not significantly increase retention. In contrast, cutting a shallow groove in the crown significantly improved retention. Therefore, it would appear that the grooving of the gold casting might be advantageous in conditions where the crown restoration has minimal retention. Significant improvement in retention with grooving of the restorations was accompanied by a change in the location of the cement film. The cement was retained in the crown coronal to the groove rather than on the tooth. This finding was interesting, since previous retention studies showed that adhesive failure occurred at the metal-cement interface. From this data it appears that a primary factor of crown retention is the adhesion or mechanical interlocking of the cement to the crown. This would explain why small variations in cement film thickness, such as those due to the use of die relief, have little effect on retention. In view of these findings, the current concepts on cement retention and cement adhesiveness should be reevaluated.
Computer Control in Chemistry at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

Abstract The Chemistry Department at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory has been engaged in the use of digital control computers as an integral part of laboratory experiments. These computers not only provide control and data acquisition functions, but also result in improved accuracy and the ability to perform more advanced experiments. This paper describes two of the eight systems currently in use in the Chemistry Department. One is a PDP 8/S dedicated to one experiment at a time while the other is a time-shared PDP-7. The differences in operation and application of each will be surveyed and the advantages and disadvantages compared.
Resection of multiple pulmonary metastases from a recurrent intracranial meningioma

Surgical resection of multiple pulmonary metastases from a recurrent intracranial meningioma in a 53-year-old woman is presented. The primary tumor was diagnosed in 1984 and partially excised in early 1985. The tumor recurred and was re-excised in 1989 and 1992. A fourth intracranial recurrence was noted in 1993, accompanied by multiple bilateral pulmonary metastases. The metastases were excised using staged thoracotomies in July and September 1994. The patient is surviving with cranial tumor residual.
Methods of Recursive Coordinate Reduction

The method of Recursive Coordinate Reduction (RCR) offers solutions to the forward problem of multibody dynamics in a number of operations linear in both the number of generalized coordinates, n, and the number of independent algebraic constraints, m (e.g. O(n + m)). However, the RCR is presently restricted in applicability (although broad) and susceptible to formulation singularities. This paper develops two methods for avoiding formulation singularities as well as a recursive general coupled loop solution which extends the RCR to the complete set of multibody systems. The existing RCR coupled with these developments constitute a Generalized Recursive Coordinate Reduction method which should be used in place of the traditional “O(n)” constraint technique (truly O(n + nm2 + m3 )) for superior O(n + m) computational performance.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Early compensatory adaptations in maternal undernourished pregnancies in rats: role of the aquaporins.

Objective. To investigate the effect of maternal undernutrition (MUN) during pregnancy on fetal and placental weight, amniotic fluid (AF) volume, AF osmolality and ion concentrations at gestational ages E16 and E20. We also quantified protein expression of water channels (aquaporins; AQPs).Methods. Pregnant rat dams were fed an ad libitum diet (AdLib; n = 6) or were 50% MUN (n = 6) beginning at E10 of gestation. At E16 and E20, we assessed the effect of MUN on fetal and placental weights, AF volume and osmolality, and placental expression of AQP1, 8 and 9. We focused on two uterine positions (proximal and mid-horns) with the extremes of nutrient/oxygen supply. We also separately studied the basal zone (hormone production) and the labyrinth zone (feto-maternal exchange).Results. We showed that at E16, MUN fetal, and placental weights were unchanged and that, similarly, MUN AF volume, osmolality were comparable to AdLib. At E20, however, MUN fetal and placental zonal weights were significantly decreased. In...
Morphological Constraints on Intracohort Cannibalism in Age-0 Largemouth Bass

Abstract Intracohort cannibalism can be an important process shaping the growth and survival of age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. To assess the morphological constraints on Intracohort cannibalism in largemouth bass, we evaluated the relationship of mouth width, body depth, and total length in age-0 fish. Morphological measurements predicted a threshold predator-prey relationship of: prey length = 0.309·predator length1.109, whereas experimental results suggested the relationship of: prey length = 0.5·predator length. Our results indicated that Intracohort cannibalism may begin as early as 9 d after swim-up in southern lakes and reservoirs and 12 d in northern lakes. However, because of the length of the spawning season, slower growth, and male guarding, Intracohort cannibalism may be more important in southern systems than in northern lakes.
Use of Prasugrel in a Patient with Clopidogrel Hypersensitivity

Objective:To report a case of successful use of prasugrel following percutaneous coronary intervention with placement of a bare metal stent in a patient with a documented hypersensitivity reaction to clopidogrel.Case Summary:A 61-year-old male with a history of coronary artery disease with coronary stent placement presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The patient had developed Stephens-Johnson syndrome 6 years earlier following Clopidogrel administration, characterized by erythematous plaques and subsequent desquamation of the hands and feet; Clopidogrel was discontinued and he was subsequently treated with ticlopidine in addition to aspirin. The third-generation thienopyridine prasugrel was initiated as a therapeutic alternative to Clopidogrel after placement of a bare metal stent; a 60-mg dose was administered after extubation, followed by 10 mg/day. No signs of allergic reaction were observed in the days, weeks, and months following administration.Discussion:Thienopyridines, specifically C...