cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of fish density and number of infectious fish on the survival of rainbow trout fry, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), during epidemics of infectious pancreatic necrosis

Two laboratory studies compared the effect of fish density and number of infectious fish on characteristics of survival of rainbow trout fry during controlled epidemics of infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN). Analyses of hazard functions and survivor functions were used to determine whether peak death rate, time at which the peak death rate occurred and probability of survival to the end of the experiment were associated with fish density and number of infectious fish added (i.e. pathogen concentration). When number of infectious fish was low and fish density increased, the peak death rate increased, time of the peak death rate decreased and the probability of survival to the end of the experiment decreased. When number of infectious fish was high, the effect of density diminished. Loglogistic regression of survival data revealed that fish density, number of infectious fish and interaction between these two variables significantly affected time to death from IPN (P < 0.01).
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair.

Mitral regurgitation (MR) represents the most prevalent acquired valvular pathology, estimated to effect over 3.5 million Americans.1 For a select group of high-risk patients, surgical repair of significant MR is not feasible due to substantial medical comorbidities. Though seldom utilized by mitral surgeons, an edge-to-edge technique (Alfieri repair) has been shown to be effective at decreasing MR without significant risk of mitral stenosis (MS).2 The Mitraclip (AbbotVascular, Menlo Park,CA) is a catheter-based device, based on the Alfieri technique, which brings together the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets at the point of maximal regurgitation to improve coaptation and reduce MR. Mitraclip is currently approved for high surgical risk patients with degenerative MR (DMR) and ideally a flail gap of <10 mm and a flail width of <15 mm.3-5 Patients with functional MR (FMR) can be currently treated in the Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients With Functional Mitral Regurgitation (COAPT) trial,3,5-7 which is a randomized trial comparing medical therapy to Mitraclip. Important exclusions for Mitraclip therapy include: 1) a resting effective orifice area <4 cm2, as coaptation results in a slight but potentially significant reduction in valve area,3,5 2) multiple regurgitant jets particularly at the commissures, 3) calcified leaflet edges at site of regurgitation (mitral annular calcification is not an exclusion), and 4) mitral regurgitation due to rheumatic or endocarditis. Additionally, caution should be exercised in utilizing the Mitraclip device in patients with end-stage renal disease, as late calcification and resultant MS have been reported in this patient population.8 The procedure is performed in a hybrid OR or cath lab under general anesthesia utilizing both transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) and fluoroscopic guidance. The device is placed via percutaneous 24F femoral venous system across the atrial septum. Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography is extremely helpful in positioning the device for optimal results. Although the goal is minimal residual MR, procedural success is reduction in MR to 1+-2+. If sufficient reduction in MR is not seen following initial clip placement, a second device is often placed as long as there is sufficient valve area. Herein, we describe the technique for transcatheter mitral valve repair using the Mitraclip device for both functional and degenerative MR.
Minimal Sets of Turns for Breaking Cycles in Graphs Modeling Networks

The problem of preventing deadlocks and livelocks in computer communication networks, in particular, those with wormhole routing, is considered. The method to prevent deadlocks is to prohibit certain turns (i.e., the use of certain pairs of connected edges) in the routing process, in such a way that eliminates all cycles in the graph. We propose a new algorithm that constructs a minimal (irreducible) set of turns that breaks all cycles and preserves connectivity of the graph. The algorithm is tree-free and is considerably simpler than earlier cycle-breaking algorithms. We prove its properties and present lower and upper bounds for minimum cardinalities of cycle-breaking connectivity preserving sets for graphs of general topology as well as for planar graphs. In particular, the algorithm guarantees that not more than 1/3 of all turns in the network become prohibited. We also present experimental results on the fraction of prohibited turns, the distance dilation, as well as on the message delivery times and saturation loads for the proposed algorithm in comparison with known tree-based algorithms. The proposed algorithm outperforms substantially the tree-based algorithms in all characteristics considered.
Acoustoionic interaction of SH surface waves with dilute ionic solutions

A theory describing the acoustoionic interaction of shear horizontal (SH) surface waves with viscous conductive ionic liquid is presented. A Green's function formulation that accounts for the acoustoelectric interaction with ions and dipoles in the solution is obtained for the surface potential in terms of the liquid and piezoelectric crystal parameters. For dilute ionic solutions, simple closed-form expressions for the velocity change and attenuation are obtained in terms of liquid conductivity and dielectric constant and the piezoelectric coupling coefficient. It is shown that SH surface waves in particular and acoustic waves in general can be used to perform microanalysis of dilute ionic solutions, detecting conductivity, dielectric constant, and relaxation frequency. The analysis, which was done for a simple crystal class, the hexagonal (6 mm), shows results which compare very well with exact numerical computations. >
Substitutes for human cadaveric bone in maxillofacial rigid fixation research.

Objective: Various materials have been used as human bone substitutes in rigid fixation research. We hypothesize that these substitutes behave differently than human cadaveric bone in maxillofacial research. Study Design: Screw insertion torque and pull-out strength of titanium maxillofacial self-tapping bone screws (1.0 mm and 2.4 mm outer diameter) were measured in cadaveric mandible and in the following materials: bovine rib, porcine rib, photoelastic epoxy, red oak, and 2 types of synthetic mandibles. Results were tested for statistically significant differences (unpaired t test, P <.05) in comparison with human bone. Results: For 1.0-mm screws, statistically significant differences were found for the synthetic mandibles groups and oak groups for insertion torque and porcine rib for pull-out strength. For 2.4-mm screws, statistically significant differences were found for the porcine rib and oak groups for insertion torque and the bovine rib and epoxy groups for pull-out strength. Conclusion: The results suggest that human bone can be simulated in fixation studies with bone substitute materials. (ORAL Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2000;90:574-80)
Calculation of Dynamic Coefficients for a Magnetically Levitated Artificial Heart Pump Using a CFD Approach

The artificial heart community acknowledges the 3rd generation Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) as the leading technology in mechanical blood pump development. This category consists of rotary pumps with no mechanical or fluid bearings in contact with the fluid medium, usually magnetic or noncontacting hydrodynamic bearings. A magnetic suspension prevents the rotating impeller from contacting the pump’s internal surfaces and reduces regions of stagnant and high shear flow that normally surround a fluid or mechanical bearing. Magnetic bearings have no moving parts in contact and thus do not wear over time; this generally lengthens the operational life of the pumps as compared to those supported by conventional bearings. Employing this 3rd generation technology, the University of Virginia has been developing a ventricular assist device (LifeFlow) with a rotor that is suspended entirely by magnetic bearings. In order to perform the stability analysis, the hydrodynamic effects of the rotating impeller should be included in the calculation. This study describes the method to calculate the stiffness, damping, and mass coefficients, based on the CFD prediction of radial fluid forces exerted on the impeller due to its eccentric position inside the pump housing over a range of operating conditions. In consideration of the suspension design, the fluid forces exerted on the levitated axial impeller were estimated using CFD such that any fluid perturbations would be accounted for and counterbalanced during the suspension and motor design phase.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Crosscheck mechanism to identify malicious nodes in ad hoc networks

Route falsification attacks are easy to launch in mobile ad hoc networks with on demand routing protocols that employ network-wide flooding of control packets for route discoveries. To mitigate such attacks, we propose a p-hop crosscheck mechanism, which requires nodes p, p ≥ 2, hops apart to authenticate and verify route reply packets using pairwise shared keys. This mechanism can detect route falsification by non-colluding malicious nodes on-the-fly; furthermore, it can identify a group of at most p+1 nodes that contain the malicious nodes that caused the route falsification. Unlike intrusion detection techniques, which require extensive monitoring and sampling, the proposed crosscheck mechanism is light-weight and fast and hence can be used to augment the existing secure routing protocols and improve intrusion detection capability. We implement a two-hop crosscheck for an on demand ad hoc network routing protocol. Using simulations, we show that the two-hop crosscheck mitigates attacks by multiple malicious nodes with negligible impact on performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A DESCRIPTIVE-RELATIONAL STUDY OF 364 CHILDREN REFERRED TO A UNIVERSITY CLINIC FOR LEARNING DISORDERS

Srxmmary.-The present study provides descriptive and relational data on a large sample of children and adolescents referred to the Psychology Clinic School at UCLA for assessment 2nd treatment of learning disorders. 364 Ss ranged in age from 7 to 15.9 yr. an2 had IQs between 61 and 133. A wide range of reading achievement and emotional adjustment was represenred. Descriptive data, including psychological assessment data, family background, developmental history, and the referral problem, are presented for the group as a whole. The relational treatment of data utilized five subgroupings of Ss: intelligence, reading achievement, emotional adjusunent, age, and sex. The range of subject characteriscics as well as certain commonaliries is pointed up. The research literature contains a number of studies dealing with intelligence and other characteriscics of non-socially disadvantaged children experiencing serious learning difficulties. However, there is a dearth of background information on chis populaticn. The present investigators found only one study providing background data for such children. Tjossem, Hansen, and Ripley (1962) studied 24 childrer, manifesting serious reading difficulties and found that their medical histories were characterized by a high incidence of such conditions as atypical pregnancy and birth, speech difficulties, enuresis, and allergies. No attempt was made to relate background data to subject characteristics. The purpose of the present study was to present descriptive and relational data on a large population of children referred to a University clinic for the assessment and treatment of :earning disorders. Specifically the study provides information concerning: (a) intelligence, reading achievement, and emotional adjustment, (b) family background, health history, and developmental and behavior problems, and (c) relationships among these data. This study appears of value in delineating characteristics of the non-socially disadvantaged learningdisorder population, in serving as a basis for comparisons with other populations, and in understanding individual differences in learning disorders. Such data would also serve as a systematic basis for formulating and evaluating treatment programs.
Genetic Diversity of Paired Middle-Ear and Pharyngeal Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Isolates from Children with Acute Otitis Media

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to determine genetic diversities of multiple nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae isolates from throat and ear specimens of eight children with otitis media. From five children, all ear and throat isolates were identical. The bacterial populations in these specimens showed less diversity than populations in throat isolates of healthy children.
Expression profiling of Arabidopsis stigma tissue identifies stigma-specific genes

Plants discriminate among pollen grains that land on the stigma surface, providing compatible pollen with the nutrients and signals required to proceed in pollination, and in many species, recognizing and inhibiting foreign pollen adhesion, hydration, germination and invasion. Much of the stigma machinery involved in these processes remains unknown. It is likely that the expression of a stigma-specific gene program confers specialized structural and functional properties. Here we used microarray technology and cDNA subtraction to build a profile of candidate stigma genes that facilitate early pollination events. Of over 24,000 Arabidopsis genes probed, we identified 11,403 genes expressed in stigma tissue; 317 of these were not expressed in control tissues. Analysis of the stigma transcriptome demonstrated a unique transcriptional profile. Functional specialization of the stigma for extracellular interactions is reflected by an increased number of stigma-specific and stigma-expressed genes involved in sculpturing the cuticle and cell wall, lipid metabolism, as well as genes potentially involved in pollen–stigma interactions.
Reproductive Physiology in Eastern Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) Exposed to Runoff from a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation

Abstract The eastern snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is widely distributed throughout the eastern and central US and is a useful model organism to study land-use impacts on water quality. We compared the reproductive condition of turtles from a pond impacted by runoff from land applied with animal manure from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) relative to animals from a control pond. Turtles from the CAFO site were heavier and had higher plasma concentrations of vitellogenin (VTG, mean±SE; females; 859±115 vs. 401±127 ng/mL from controls) and testosterone (T, males; 39±7.0 vs. 3.8±6.9 ng/mL from controls). No VTG was detected in males. Body mass was positively correlated with VTG and T. Our results suggest that nutrient pollution of the CAFO pond indirectly resulted in higher plasma VTG in females and T in males because of an increase in body mass. The population-level consequences of these effects are not clear, but could result in females producing larger clutches.
THE FOUR BASIC PROPERTIES OF RANK-SIZE HIERARCHICAL DISTRIBUTIONS: THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS

In sets of empirical data that can be described by a skewed distribution function such as the rank size, relationships exist among the total observations, the relative size of the largest observation, the number of categories, and the slope of the distribution. We consider only one phenomenon, the distribution of urban population, the size of the largest center, the number of places, and the slope characterizing the distribution. We present an analytical model which defines these relationships for various zizes of urban populations and various slopes. Numerical examples demonstrate the results of the analysis. The advantages of using the Principal Axis to measure slope are discussed, and we demonstrate this method. The model shows clearly how the proportion of the urban population in the largest center declines and also how the number of smaller centers grows dramatically as total urban population increases. Implications are discussed for the nature of changes to be expected in those areas of the world where urbanization is still taking place, such as Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Comparison of the protective actions of N-acetylcysteine, hypotaurine and taurine against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in the rat

When used in overdoses, acetaminophen (APAP) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. At present, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the antidote of choice for acetaminophen overdoses. Prompt administration of NAC can prevent the deleterious actions of APAP in the liver. In view of the similarities in antioxidant effects demonstrated by NAC, hypotaurine (HYTAU) and taurine (TAU) in this and other our laboratories, the present study was undertaken to compare these compounds for the ability to attenuate plasma and liver biochemical changes associated with a toxic dose of APAP. For this purpose, fasted male Sprague-Dawley rats, 225-250 g in weight, were intraperitoneally treated with APAP (800 mg/kg), NAC, HYTAU or TAU (2.4 mM/kg) followed 30 min later by APAP, or 50% PEG 400 (the vehicle for APAP). At 6 hr after APAP administration, all animals were sacrificed by decapitation and their blood and livers collected. The plasma fractions were analyzed for indices of liver damage (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase), levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, and activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and γ-glutamylcisteinyl synthetase (GCS). Suitable liver homogenates were analyzed for the same biochemical parameters as the plasma but indices of liver damage. By itself, APAP increased MDA formation and had a significant lowering influence on the levels of GSH and GSSG, the GSH/GSSH ratio, and the activities of GR, GST and GCS both in the plasma and liver. In addition, APAP promoted the leakage of transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase from the liver into the plasma. Without exceptions, a pretreatment with a sulfur-containing compound led to a significant attenuation of the liver injury and the biochemical changes induced by APAP. Within a narrow range of potency differences, HYTAU appeared to be the most protective and TAU the least. The present results suggest that, irrespective of the differences in structural features and in vitro antioxidant properties that may exist among NAC, TAU and HYTAU, these compounds demonstrate equivalent patterns of protection and, to a certain extent, equipotent protective actions against the toxic actions of APAP in the liver when tested in equimolar doses and under the same conditions in an animal model.
Social Support: Global and Relationship-Based Levels of Analysis:

This article reviews the development of a program of research on social support. It began with the construction of an instrument to assess overall support and determination of its correlation with various indicators of adjustment and performance. This led to inquiries into how people at different support levels behave socially and how they perceive the behavior of others. The results of these studies led, in turn, to focusing attention on the relative contributions to outcomes of both global and relationship-specific perceived support. We provide examples of studies that characterize each phase of the research and discuss needs for future research, with special emphasis on the need for closer integrations of research on social support and personal relationships.
The effect of rare‐earth filling on the lattice thermal conductivity of skutterudites

Polycrystalline samples of Ir4LaGe3Sb9, Ir4NdGe3Sb9, and Ir4SmGe3Sb9 have been made by hot isostatic pressing of powders. The lattice thermal conductivity of these filled skutterudites is markedly smaller than that of IrSb3; thus, void filling shows promise as a method for improving the thermoelectric properties of these materials. We present the lattice thermal conductivity of these filled skutterudites in an effort to quantify the impact of void filling in this structure. It is believed that the atoms ‘‘rattle’’ in the voids of the structure and therefore interact with a broad spectrum of lattice phonons, reducing their mean free paths substantially below that in the ‘‘unfilled’’ skutterudites. An additional phonon scattering mechanism is caused by phonon‐stimulated transitions between the low‐lying energy levels of the 4f electron configurations in the case of Nd3+ and Sm3+. Magnetic susceptibility and Hall‐effect measurements are also presented.
Undergraduate engineering education curriculum and educational research

This paper analyzes a set of undergraduate engineering education curriculum reform. Proposals that have a relationship with educational research and cognitive psychology. In addition, the paper explores educational research and cognitive psychology research results that provide guidance on undergraduate engineering curriculum design.
Algorithm for complete and rapid retrieval of ultrashort pulse amplitude and phase from a sonogram

We describe an algorithm based on principal-component generalized projections that is capable of unambiguous retrieval of the amplitude and phase of an ultrashort pulse from a measurement of its sonogram. Running on a personal computer, the algorithm can complete more than 50 iterations per second which enables real-time display of an ultrashort pulse intensity and phase profile. Retrieval is demonstrated for a range of pulses with commonly encountered phase errors including linear chirp, self-phase modulation, and cubic spectral phase, and experimental results illustrate good agreement between the retrieved pulse characteristics and independent spectral measurements.
BERYLLIUM-INDUCED OSTEOGENIC SARCOMA IN RABBITS

The method of producing osteogenic sarcoma in rabbits by the injection of beryllium in the form of "zinc beryllium silicate" is presented. In five of ten animals which had such injections, osteogenic sarcomas developed several months later. There was new bone formation in the medullary cavities of the long bones before malignant changes were apparent. It is of particular interest to note that there was atrophy of the spleen in those animals in which bone tumours developed, whereas the spleen seemed to be quite normal in the rabbits which did not develop bone tumours. The tumours usually developed in the metaphysial regions. More than one tumour often developed in the same animal.
Limited usefulness of the Rey Fifteen-Item Test in detection of invalid performance in veterans suspected of mild traumatic brain injury

AbstractObjective: This study explored using the FIT as a measure of performance validity among veterans undergoing neuropsychological evaluation for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).Background: The Rey Fifteen-Item Memory Test (FIT) is a performance validity measure criticized for poor sensitivity.Methods: Two hundred and fifty-seven veterans completed the FIT and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition, Digit Span (DS); 109 of whom completed the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). FIT cut-offs of <9, <8 and stricter cut-offs were examined using DS and/or TOMM as criterion performance validity measures.Results: Only four participants scored below the standard cut score of 9 on the FIT. Among the 13 veterans failing both criterion tests, only two scored below 9 on the FIT. Regardless of which FIT cut-off was used, the FIT had poor diagnostic accuracy.Conclusion: Despite its popularity, the FIT is not supported as an appropriate measure of performance validity in veterans undergoing evaluation f...
12. From ice in the veins, through unfrozen fish and frozen frogs to isochoric preservation, ad Astra

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back – One of the most dramatic scenes in the movie is when the Dark Lord successfully entombs Han Solo in carbonite in a state of suspended animation for transportation to Tatooine to receive a bounty from Jabba. Recently records show that the film has made so far $819,808,300. I doubt that the entire scientific community, together, through the last century, has received from society, 1% of this amount to carry out research on cryobiology. Imagine the state of science in cryobiology if society would have invested 10% of the amount, this one movie grossed, in research. This 6 min presentation will give a brief review of the research in my lab on cryobiology and evidence on why cryobiology could work. Cells survive freezing to cryogenic temperature while organs do not. To understand why, we build a directional solidification stage that can mimic the process of freezing in bulk tissue under a microscope (Rubinsky and Ikeda, 1985). The research has shown, that because of geometrical constrains unique to tissue and absent in single cells, freezing causes damage to the extracellular matrix of the tissue (Rubinsky and Pegg, 1988). Avoiding this mechanism of damage should be an important target in designing cryopreservation protocols. A way to avoid this damage is by finding ways to reduce temperature without formation of ice or by forcing the ice to form at sites where it will not cause mechanical damage. This is what nature does. Arctic and Antarctic fish produce chemicals that allow them to live without ice in their system at temperatures below the normal freezing temperature of physiological saline (Devries, 1971). Using a combination of antifreeze proteins for their cell membrane protection properties (Rubinsky, Arav, et al., 1991) and freezing depression properties (Rubinsky and Devries, 1989) and glycerol for the freezing depression properties we successfully cryopreserved a liver at subzero temperatures (Ishine, Rubinsky, et al., 2000) and transplanted the liver in an animal that lived normally, following the transplantation. Rana Sylvatica frogs survive freezing by modulating the freezing process with glucose, in such a way that the tissue extracellular matrix is not impaired (Storey, Bischof, et al., 1992) and thawing is achieved in an optimal manner for a living animal (Rubinsky, Wong, et al., 1994). Combining the knowledge from Antarctic fish and freeze tolerant frogs, we successfully preserved aa heart for 24 h and transplanted the organ (Amir, Rubinsky, et al., 2004). One way to reach high subzero temperatures without freezing a cooled organ is by isochoric subcooling (Rubinsky, Perez, et al., 2005). Unpublished results on long-term preservation of hearts with this method will be shown.
Heterogeneity of haem oxygenase 1 and 2 isoenzymes. Rat and primate transcripts for isoenzyme 2 differ in number and size.

In Cebus apella monkey, as with other mammalian species tested to date, two different forms of haem oxygenase, HO-1 and HO-2, are detected. With the use of cDNA fragment corresponding to HO-1 nucleotides +71 to +833, blot hybridization of RNA revealed the presence of only one HO-1 mRNA of approx. 1.8 kb in both rat and monkey liver, kidney and brain. With the use of a full-length HO-2 DNA probe, blot hybridization of RNA isolated from the same rat organs revealed the presence of two HO-2 homologous transcripts of approx. 1.3 kb and approx. 1.9 kb. The same probe detected only one message of approx. 1.7 kb in monkey organs. The rat 1.3 kb mRNA has been previously shown [Rotenberg & Maines (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7501-7506] to encode HO-2 (36 kDa). The monkey 1.7 kb mRNA and the rat 1.3 kb mRNA encode proteins with similar molecular masses and immunochemical properties as indicated by Western-immunoblotting analysis. In rat organs the relative abundance of the two mRNAs differed as follows: in the liver the 1.3 kb mRNA was by far the most abundant form; in the brain equal amounts of the two mRNAs were detected, whereas in the kidney the 1.3 kb mRNA was somewhat more abundant. The protein encoded by the 1.8 kb HO-1 mRNA in the monkey did not exhibit immunochemical reactivity with antibody to rat HO-1 in Western blotting and direct e.l.i.s.a. analysis. The data suggest that, at the primary structural level, both HO-1 and HO-2 share extensive base sequence similarity in the rat and the Cebus apella monkey. The HO-1 protein, however, appears to undergo differential post-translational and/or conformational modifications in the two species, whereas the secondary structure of HO-2 protein and antigenic epitopes are conserved among the two mammalian species.
Environmental regulation of heterosis in the allopolyploid Arabidopsis suecica

Allopolyploids are organisms possessing more than two complete sets of chromosomes from two or more species and are frequently more vigorous than their progenitors. To address the question why allopolyploids display hybrid vigor, we compared the natural allopolyploid Arabidopsis suecica to its progenitor species Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis arenosa. We measured chlorophyll content, CO2 assimilation, and carbohydrate production under varying light conditions and found that the allopolyploid assimilates more CO2 per unit chlorophyll than either of the two progenitor species in high intensity light. The increased carbon assimilation corresponds with greater starch accumulation, but only in strong light, suggesting that the strength of hybrid vigor is dependent on environmental conditions. In weaker light A. suecica tends to produce as much primary metabolites as the better progenitor. We found that gene expression of LIMIT DEXTRINASE1, a debranching enzyme that cleaves branch points within starch molecules, is at the same level in the allopolyploid as in the maternal progenitor A. thaliana and significantly more expressed than in the paternal progenitor A. arenosa. However, expression differences of β-amylases and GLUCAN-WATER DIKINASE1 were not statistically significantly elevated in the allopolyploid over progenitor expression levels. In contrast to allopolyploids, autopolyploid A. thaliana showed the same photosynthetic rate as diploids, indicating that polyploidization alone is likely not the reason for enhanced vigor in the allopolyploid. Taken together, our data suggest that the magnitude of heterosis in A. suecica is environmentally regulated, arises from more efficient photosynthesis, and, under specific conditions, leads to greater starch accumulation than in its progenitor species.
Intra-abdominal hypertension in fulminant Clostridium difficile infection--an under-recognized treatable complication.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea in adults, with recent reports of increased severity and case fatality. Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) are increasingly recognized and treatable complications of severe illness in medical patients, and are independent predictors of mortality. Patients with severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are at increased risk for IAH and ACS. However, ACS has been only rarely described in this population. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 61 year-old morbidly obese, chronically ill, ventilator dependent patient, who developed fulminant CDI, including progressive colonic distension, acute renal failure and intra-abdominal fluid sequestration. Her clinical course worsened abruptly, with new shock, worsening hypoxic respiratory failure, increased peak airway pressures and reduced tidal volumes. Intra-abdominal pressure was 30 mm Hg. The patient was not considered a surgical candidate, was refractory to escalating non-surgical support, and died following withdrawal of life support. CONCLUSIONS: Although patients with fulminant CDI share many risk factors for IAH and ACS, these conditions were rarely reported in this population and are likely under recognized, as was the case with the present patient. Increased vigilance for IAH is needed in this at-risk population.
Nonlinear Mathematics of Death and Vascular Access.

In this issue of Circulation , the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) National Registry presents compelling data on trends and outcomes with respect to radial versus femoral artery access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)1; 448 853 patients in the United Kingdom underwent PCI between 2005 and 2012 and radial access grew 3-fold. This is not the first BCIS study to document this march toward radial access dominance or the association of radial access with improved outcomes.2 Nor is this the largest temporal trends study demonstrating significant growth of the radial strategy: the National Cardiovascular Database Registry (NCDR) studied >2.8 million patients in the United States and documented a growth in radial access from 1.2% to 16.1% of all PCI procedures from 2007 to 20123; like the current BCIS study, the NCDR analysis also demonstrated regional heterogeneity in growth and improved outcomes among patients receiving radial as opposed to femoral access. Article, see p 1655 The BCIS Registry is unique, however; both the growth curve and the associated outcomes warrant further attention. First, because this is a population-based registry, nearly every patient undergoing PCI in the United Kingdom is now represented; thus, growth rate and regional heterogeneity are broadly representative of actual practice. This is in contradistinction to other large registries that are site, but not population, based. For example, the NCDR is very large but participation is not mandatory3; thus, it can only represent practice patterns and outcomes specific to those US hospitals that have the inclination to participate in a quality improvement database. Second, the focus of this analysis is not on the relationship between vascular approach and access site bleeding complications—a foregone conclusion established uniformly in favor of radial access in contemporary clinical trials and registries.3–5 Rather, the BCIS …
Fluorescence Enhancement From a Periodic Array of Sub-Wavelength Metallic Cavities

We report the enhancement of fluorescence from molecules located within periodic and random arrangements of metallic nanocavities. Two distinct fluorescence enhancement mechanisms exist. The first mechanism is associated with confinement within the nanocavities and results in an increase in fluorescence output by more than an order of magnitude. The second mechanism is associated only with periodic nanocavity arrangements where surface plasmon excitation occurs. The peak of the surface plasmon enhancement occurs under the condition of extraordinary transmission of the incident light, where the incident light is concentrated within the nanocavities. This effect results in an additional fluorescence enhancement by about a factor of two.
Is Noninvasive Ventilation Possible Only in New Jersey

We read with interest, “Not to Invade: A Better Strategy,” an editorial in the June 2011 issue of Respiratory Care,[1][1] concerning the paper “Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Continuous Noninvasive Ventilatory Support Prolongs Survival.”[2][2] The latter outlined a new protocol for patients
RIGIDITY OF QUASI-ISOMETRIES OF HMN ASSOCIATED WITH NON-DIAGONALIZABLE DERIVATION OF THE HEISENBERG ALGEBRA

We study quasiisometries of the homogeneous manifold with negative curvature associated with non-diagonalizable derivation of the Heisenberg algebra. We show that all quasiisometries are almost isometries. We prove this by finding all the quasisymmetric maps on the ideal boundary.
Vitamin D reduces development and progression of virus-induced demyelinating disease (P5131)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is associated with an inflammatory immune response. Microglia are the CNS resident immune cells which have been shown to be activated during MS. Virus infections have been suggested as a causative agent for MS, and vitamin D insufficiency has been correlated with disease development. Thus, we wanted to determine whether higher vitamin D levels at the time of virus infection could alter development of demyelinating disease. Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induced demyelinating disease is an animal model of MS. TMEV infection of susceptible mice leads to development of a demyelinating disease associated with an inflammatory immune response in the CNS. Our studies showed that increased levels of vitamin D3 at the time of virus infection reduced development and progression of demyelinating disease. Vitamin D reduced the number of CD4+ T cells expressing IFNγ and increased the number of CD25+CD4+ T cells. Most interestingly, vitamin D reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased the expression of IL-10 and type I interferons by microglia. The reduction in the inflammatory immune response by microglia was dependent on IL-10 induction of SOCS3. Overall, these results show that vitamin D reduced the inflammatory immune response in the CNS and reduced the development and progression of demyelinating disease following virus infection.
FOUR NATURALIST ACCOUNTS OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

In 1992 Behavior and Philosophy devoted a symposium to free will in which Max Hocutt, Robert Kane, and Bruce Waller discussed Waller's no-fault naturalism developed in Freedom Without Responsibility (1990). In this paper I continue that discussion by considering Kane's, Hocutt's, Waller's, and my own strategy for dealing with moral responsibility. I argue that although the accounts of the other three are plausibly naturalistic, the best account is my subjectivist moral nonrealism.
Natural Hazard Probabilistic Risk Assessment Through Surrogate Modeling

Assessment of risk under natural hazards is associated with a significant computational burden when comprehensive numerical models and simulation-based methodologies are involved. Despite recent advances in computer and computational science that have contributed in reducing this burden and have undoubtedly increased the popularity of simulation-based frameworks for quantifying/estimating risk in such settings, in many instances, such as for real-time risk estimation, this burden is still considered as prohibitive. This chapter discusses the use of kriging surrogate modeling for addressing this challenge. Kriging establishes a computationally inexpensive input/output relationship based on a database of observations obtained through the initial (expensive) simulation model. The up-front cost for obtaining this database is of course high, but once the surrogate model is established, all future evaluations require small computational effort. For illustration, two different applications are considered, involving two different hazards: seismic risk assessment utilizing stochastic ground motion modeling and real-time hurricane risk estimation. Various implementation issues are discussed, such as (a) advantages of kriging over other surrogate models, (b) approaches for obtaining high efficiency when the output under consideration is high dimensional through integration of principal component analysis, and (c) the incorporation of the prediction error associated with the metamodel into the risk assessment.
Memory cell operation based on small Josephson junctions arrays

In this paper we analyze a cryogenic memory cell circuit based on a small coupled array of Josephson junctions. All the basic memory operations (e.g., write, read, and reset) are implemented on the same circuit and different junctions in the array can in principle be utilized for these operations. The presented memory operation paradigm is fundamentally different from conventional single quantum flux operation logics (SFQ). As an example, we demonstrate memory operation driven by a SFQ pulse employing an inductively coupled array of three Josephson junctions. We have chosen realistic Josephson junction parameters based on state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities and have calculated access times and access energies for basic memory cell operations. We also implemented an optimization procedure based on the simulated annealing algorithm to calculate the optimized and typical values of access times and access energies.
Deep resequencing of CFTR in 762 F508del homozygotes reveals clusters of non-coding variants associated with cystic fibrosis disease traits.

Extensive phenotypic variability is commonly observed in individuals with Mendelian disorders, even among those with identical genotypes in the disease-causing gene. To determine whether variants within and surrounding CFTR contribute to phenotypic variability in cystic fibrosis (CF), we performed deep sequencing of CFTR in 762 patients homozygous for the common CF-causing variant, F508del. In phase 1, ~200 kb encompassing CFTR and extending 10 kb 5′ and 5 kb 3′ of the gene was sequenced in 486 F508del homozygotes selected from the extremes of sweat chloride concentration. In phase 2, a 510 kb region, which included the entire topologically associated domain of CFTR, was sequenced in 276 F508del homozygotes drawn from extremes of lung function. An additional 163 individuals who carried F508del and a different CF-causing variant were sequenced to inform haplotype construction. Region-based burden testing of both common and rare variants revealed seven regions of significance (α=0.01), five of which overlapped known regulatory elements or chromatin interactions. Notably, the −80 kb locus known to interact with the CFTR promoter was associated with variation in both CF traits. Haplotype analysis revealed a single rare recombination event (1.9% frequency) in intron 15 of CFTR bearing the F508del variant. Otherwise, the majority of F508del chromosomes were markedly similar, consistent with a single origin of the F508del allele. Together, these high-resolution variant analyses of the CFTR locus suggest a role for non-coding regulatory motifs in trait variation among individuals carrying the common CF allele. Researchers in the USA offer an explanation for differences in cystic fibrosis symptom severity among patients with the same mutation. Cystic fibrosis (CF) most frequently results from mutation of the CFTR gene. A team led by Garry Cutting at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine sequenced CFTR and the surrounding region in 762 CF patients carrying the mutated version. They identified new genetic variants which altered the gene, but none were associated with the variation in CF symptoms. However, genetic variants in seven known or suspected regulatory regions surrounding the gene were linked with CF symptom variability. This natural variation in the regulation of CFTR may modulate the severity of symptoms when the gene becomes mutated. These findings offer a new understanding of the link between CFTR and CF.
Infrared Spectroscopy of SF 6 Attached to Classical and Quantum Clusters (finite size particles attaining bulk-like properties)

Using a new thermal detection photodissociation spectrometer, we have measured the infrared spectra of the v 3 vibrational mode of SF6 seeded in clusters composed of argon, krypton, and xenon, and deposited on clusters composed of helium, neon, argon, and krypton. From the spectra of SF6 in argon and krypton, it was possible to determine the approximate size, or number of atoms, which is necessary for a finite sized aggregate of rare gas atoms to change its structure from icosahedral to the bulk phase face-centered cubic structure. Clusters composed of neon and xenon were unable to solvate SF6 for any size.
NGOs and the Anti-Trafficking Movement: Advocacy and Service

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played a vital role in building and advancing the anti-trafficking movement in the USA. Anti-trafficking NGOs fulfill a variety of functions for communities in the pursuit of eradicating human trafficking and empowering survivors to rebuild their lives. Throughout the 15 years since the implementation of the first federal law on human trafficking, NGOs have made great progress, but continue to face significant challenges: NGOs across the country still struggle to navigate service gaps in working with underserved populations and providing less resourced services, such as mental health, substance use treatment, housing, and health care. A contributing factor to these difficulties is that the US anti-trafficking movement has largely used a criminal justice approach focused on trafficker prosecution and protection for trafficked persons. Shifting to a public health approach would help the field focus on comprehensive prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation efforts.
Mechanism by Which mTOR Inhibitors Sesitize Multiple Myeloma Cells to Dexamethasone-Induced Apoptosis.

Abstract Previously we reported mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin (RAPA) remarkably sensitize multiple myeloma (MM) cells to apoptosis induced by dexamethasone (DEX). In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Firstly we excluded the involvement of post-translational modifications of the Related Adhesion Focal Tyrosine Kinase (RAFTK kinase), the stress-activated kinases jun kinase or p38 MAP kinase or the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member protein BAD in the sensitizing effect, since exposure to RAPA did not affect their phosphorylation status. Sensitization was not associated with a RAPA-mediated increase in glucocorticoid receptor reporter expression either. mTOR inhibitors are know to specifically paralyze cap-dependent translation through dephosphorylation of 4E-BP1, therefore we assessed whether the sensitizing effect is due to inhibition of cap-dependent translation. We transfected MM cells with a construct expressing a mutant 4E-BP1, which is resistant to phosphorylation induced by mTOR and acts as a constitutive translational repressor and found MM cells responded to DEX with significantly enhanced apoptosis, mimicking the effect of co-exposure to RAPA. These results indicate sensitization to DEX is mediated by inhibition of cap-dependent translation. A high throughput screening for translational efficiency of apoptosis-regulating transcripts identified several anti-apoptotic proteins whose translation was selectively inhibited by RAPA. Immunoblot assay confirmed a RAPA-induced down-regulated expression of XIAP-1, CIAP, HSP-27 and BAG 3, all which may play a role in the sensitization to apoptosis. Studies in a xenograft model demonstrated synergistic in vivo anti-myeloma effects when dexamethasone was combined with the mTOR inhibitor CCI-779. Synergistic effects were associated with a markedly enhanced degree of MM cell apoptosis in vivo. This study further supports the strategy of combining DEX with mTOR inhibitors in MM and identifies a potential mechanism by which the synergistic effect is achieved.
Stable Heritable Germline Silencing Directs Somatic Silencing at an Endogenous Locus

The importance of transgenerationally inherited epigenetic states to organismal fitness remains unknown as well-documented examples are often not amenable to mechanistic analysis or rely on artificial reporter loci. Here we describe an induced silenced state at an endogenous locus that persists, at 100% transmission without selection, for up to 13 generations. This unusually persistent silencing enables a detailed molecular genetic analysis of an inherited epigenetic state. We find that silencing is dependent on germline nuclear RNAi factors and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Consistent with these later observations, inheritance does not require the silenced locus, and we provide genetic evidence that small RNAs embody the inherited silencing signal. Notably, heritable germline silencing directs somatic epigenetic silencing. Somatic silencing does not require somatic nuclear RNAi but instead requires both maternal germline nuclear RNAi and chromatin-modifying activity. Coupling inherited germline silencing to somatic silencing may enable selection for physiologically important traits.