cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for mortality in paediatric cardiac ICU patients managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

BackgroundVeno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is frequently used in patients with cardiac disease. We evaluated short-term outcomes and identified factors associated with hospital mortality in cardiac patients supported with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.MethodsA retrospective review of patients supported with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at a university-affiliated children’s hospital was performed.ResultsA total of 253 patients with cardiac disease managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were identified; survival to discharge was 48%, which significantly improved from 39% in an earlier era (1995–2001) (p=0.01). Patients were categorised into surgical versus non-surgical groups on the basis of whether they had undergone cardiac surgery before or not, respectively. The most common indication for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation: 96 (51%) in the surgical group and 45 (68%) in the non-surgical group. In a multiple covariate analysis, single-ventricle physiology (p=0.01), duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p<0.01), and length of hospital stay (p=0.03) were associated with hospital mortality. Weekend or night shift cannulation was associated with mortality in non-surgical patients (p=0.05).ConclusionWe report improvement in survival compared with an earlier era in cardiac patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Single-ventricle physiology continues to negatively impact survival, along with evidence of organ dysfunction during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and length of stay.
Berge trigraphs

A graph is Berge if no induced subgraph of it is an odd cycle of length at least five or the complement of one. In joint work with Robertson, Seymour, and Thomas we recently proved the Strong Perfect Graph Theorem, which was a conjecture about the chromatic number of Berge graphs. The proof consisted of showing that every Berge graph either belongs to one of a few basic classes, or admits one of a few kinds of decompositions. We used three kinds of decompositions: skew-partitions, 2-joins, and proper homogeneous pairs. At that time we were not sure whether all three decompositions were necessary. In this article we show that the proper homogeneous pair decomposition is in fact unnecessary. This is a consequence of a general decomposition theorem for “Berge trigraphs.” A trigraph T is a generalization of a graph, where the adjacency of some vertex pairs is “undecided.” A trigraph is Berge if however we decide the undecided pairs, the resulting graph is Berge. We show that the decomposition result of [2] for Berge graphs extends (with slight modifications) to Berge trigraphs; that is for a Berge trigraph T, either T belongs to one of a few basic classes or T admits one of a few decompositions. Moreover, the decompositions are such that, however, we decide the undecided pairs of T, the resulting graph admits the same decomposition. This last property is crucial for the application. The full proof of this result is over 200 pages long and was the author's PhD thesis. In this article we present the parts that differ significantly from the proof of the decomposition theorem for Berge graphs, and only in the case needed for the application. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 53: 1–55, 2006 This research was partially conducted during the period the author served as a Clay Mathematics Institute Research Fellow.
Is It Growth or Natural History? Increasing Spinal Deformity After Sanders Stage 7 in Females With AIS.

BACKGROUND Accurate prognosis and treatment decisions in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) demand a reliable radiographic marker of growth cessation. Specifically, Sanders Stage 7 (SS7) is a useful marker of spine growth cessation in females and is proposed as a bracing endpoint. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of curve progression noted in female individuals with AIS after achieving SS7. We hypothesize that a subset of patients continues to progress at a greater rate than the natural history at SS7. METHODS This retrospective review included female patients with AIS treated at a single institution from May 2008 to 2018. Patients required a hand radiograph demonstrating SS7 and concurrent spine radiograph measuring 40 degrees at 2 years. Eleven (12%) patients progressed to >50 degrees or had surgery at 2-year follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified a threshold of 39.5 degrees curvature at SS7 associated with progression to >50 degrees or surgery (area under the curve=0.94, P 40 degrees did have additional height gained (2.1 cm; SD 1.5), but this was not different than those 0.05. In addition, no other variables had statistically significant association with those that progressed (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS A curve >40 degrees at SS7 is at high risk for progressing to a curve measuring >50 degrees or requiring surgery. Those with curves below this threshold still have potential to make clinically significant progression after skeletal maturity. Follow-up of patients beyond SS7 is essential for curves measuring >40 degrees. Reaching SS7 with a curve <50 degrees may not be the endpoint for curve progression, even if predictive of the end of spinal growth. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-retrospective research study.
Early Postnatal Exposure to Isoflurane Disrupts Oligodendrocyte Development and Myelin Formation in the Mouse Hippocampus

BACKGROUND Early postnatal exposure to general anesthetics may interfere with brain development. We tested the hypothesis that isoflurane causes a lasting disruption in myelin development via actions on the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. METHODS Mice were exposed to 1.5% isoflurane for 4 h at postnatal day 7. The mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, rapamycin, or the promyelination drug, clemastine, were administered on days 21 to 35. Mice underwent Y-maze and novel object position recognition tests (n = 12 per group) on days 56 to 62 or were euthanized for either immunohistochemistry (n = 8 per group) or Western blotting (n = 8 per group) at day 35 or were euthanized for electron microscopy at day 63. RESULTS Isoflurane exposure increased the percentage of phospho-S6-positive oligodendrocytes in fimbria of hippocampus from 22 ± 7% to 51 ± 6% (P < 0.0001). In Y-maze testing, isoflurane-exposed mice did not discriminate normally between old and novel arms, spending equal time in both (50 ± 5% old:50 ± 5% novel; P = 0.999), indicating impaired spatial learning. Treatment with clemastine restored discrimination, as evidenced by increased time spent in the novel arm (43 ± 6% old:57 ± 6% novel; P < 0.001), and rapamycin had a similar effect (44 ± 8% old:56 ± 8% novel; P < 0.001). Electron microscopy shows a reduction in myelin thickness as measured by an increase in g-ratio from 0.76 ± 0.06 for controls to 0.79 ± 0.06 for the isoflurane group (P < 0.001). Isoflurane exposure followed by rapamycin treatment resulted in a g-ratio (0.75 ± 0.05) that did not differ significantly from the control value (P = 0.426). Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting show that isoflurane acts on oligodendrocyte precursor cells to inhibit both proliferation and differentiation. DNA methylation and expression of a DNA methyl transferase 1 are reduced in oligodendrocyte precursor cells after isoflurane treatment. Effects of isoflurane on oligodendrocyte precursor cells were abolished by treatment with rapamycin. CONCLUSIONS Early postnatal exposure to isoflurane in mice causes lasting disruptions of oligodendrocyte development in the hippocampus via actions on the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.
Contemplative pedagogy as a framework for education about ageism.

Current education in gerontology focuses on sharing knowledge and promoting intergenerational contact in order to shift students’ attitudes about aging and elders. Existing interventions, however, ...
Improving Advance Care Planning in Outpatients With Decompensated Cirrhosis: A Pilot Study.

Abstract Background Despite significant morbidity and mortality among patients with decompensated cirrhosis, reported rates of advance directive (AD) completion and goals of care discussions (GCDs) between patients and providers are very low. We aimed to improve these rates by implementing a hepatologist-led advance care planning (ACP) intervention. Measures Rates of AD and GCD completion, as well as self-reported barriers to ACP. Intervention Provider-led ACP in patients with decompensated cirrhosis without a prior documented AD. Outcomes Sixty-two patients were seen over 115 clinic visits. After the intervention, AD completion rates increased from 8% to 31% and GCD completion rates rose from 0% to 51%. Women (P = 0.048) and nonmarried adults (P = 0.01) had greater changes in AD completion compared to men and married adults, respectively. Needing more time during visits was seen as the major barrier to ACP among providers. Conclusions/Lessons Learned Addressing provider and system-specific barriers dramatically improved documentation rates of ACP.
Nutrition in acute renal failure.

Malnutrition and loss of lean body mass are common occurrences in patients with acute renal failure. The degree of wasting is variable: it is likely that those patients who have the highest catabolic stress tend to be the sickest patients, the ones with the most number of co-morbid events, and those with the highest mortality rate. Indeed, a recent review of a large number of patients with acute renal failure listed hypercatabolism as one of the significant risk factors for poor outcome (1). Inadequate nutrition may affect outcome by impairing immune responses to infection and by slowing wound healing. This review will deal with several aspects of the nutritional therapy of patients with acute renal failure: the causes and mediators of the catabolic process in these patients, the role of amino acid infusions and caloric intake in nutritional therapy and finally the newer techniques for maintaining fluid balance during nutritional therapy in the oliguric patient.
Individualized environments, individual cures: An examination of Lyme disease activism in Virginia:

Doctors, patients, and public health professionals widely recognize that certain physical environments are more conducive to the emergence and spread of Lyme disease. However, ecological solutions ...
DC Link Capacitor Reduction with Feedforward Control in Series-Series Compensated Wireless Power Transfer Systems

This paper presents the use of feedforward control to reduce the input side DC link capacitance of series-series compensated wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. Compared to conventional control schemes for WPT systems, the proposed feedforward-based approach achieves significant reduction in the DC link capacitor without any complicated voltage or current sensing requirements from the secondary side. This results in more compact hardware architecture. The proposed method shows minimal increase in the turn-on switching loss of the inverter. The switching loss is analyzed, and detailed results are presented relating the switching loss to the DC link capacitance and voltage ripple for proper tradeoff between losses and capacitor size. Simulation and experimental results presented validate the proposed scheme.
LE CONCEPT DE BIEN

Dans cet essai, je defends une conception realiste de la valeur selon laquelle le bon et le mauvais peuvent etre un objet de connaissance. C’est a tort, je maintiens que certains aspects fondamentaux de la culture moderne sont censes exclure une telle conception et favoriser plutot l’idee que nos jugements evaluatifs ne servent au fond qu’a exprimer nos preferences a l’egard des choses dont ils traitent. Mais je montre aussi pourquoi une conception realiste est a epouser. Cet argument positif procede en deux temps. Je commence par le concept de bien, en soutenant que nous ne pouvons desirer une chose sans supposer (a juste titre ou non) qu’elle est bonne – ce qui signifie, sans supposer qu’il y a une raison de la desirer. Je passe donc ensuite au concept d’une raison. La, il s’agit de montrer de facon generale que les raisons que nous avons (et non seulement que nous croyons avoir) de penser ceci ou de faire cela existent independamment de nos attitudes a leur egard. En effet, l’obstacle majeur qui s’oppose a l’idee que le bon et le mauvais peuvent etre un objet de connaissance est l’absence d’une reflexion suffisante sur ce que c’est qu’une raison.
The mass budget for intermediate-mass black holes in dense star clusters

Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) could form via runaway merging of massive stars in a young massive star cluster (YMC). We combine a suite of numerical simulations of YMC formation with a semi-analytic model for dynamical friction and merging of massive stars and evolution of a central quasi-star, to predict how final quasi-star and relic IMBH masses scale with cluster properties (and compare with observations). The simulations argue that inner YMC density profiles at formation are steep (approaching isothermal), producing some efficient merging even in clusters with relatively low effective densities, unlike models which assume flat central profiles resembling those of globular clusters (GCs) after central relaxation. Our results can be approximated by simple analytic scalings, with M_(IMBH) ∝ v^(3/2)_(cl) where v²_(cl) = GM_(cl)/r_h is the circular velocity in terms of initial cluster mass M_(cl) and half-mass radius rh. While this suggests IMBH formation is possible even in typical clusters, we show that predicted IMBH masses for these systems are small, ∼100−1000 M_⊙ or ∼0.0003M_(cl), below even the most conservative observational upper limits in all known cases. The IMBH mass could reach ≳ 10⁴ M⊙ in the centers nuclear star clusters, ultra-compact dwarfs, or compact ellipticals, but in all these cases the prediction remains far below the present observed supermassive BH masses in these systems.
AC Impedance Characterization of a PV Inverter with Grid-Forming Control

This paper applies the concept of a grid-forming control structure through the implementation of a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) to a conventional 250-kW utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) inverter. VSM is a recently-developed control scheme which offers an alternative grid-synchronization method to the conventional grid-tracking control which utilizes a phase-locked-loop (PLL). Synchronous machines inherently synchronize to the grid and largely partake in the stabilization of the grid frequency during power system dynamics. The purpose of this paper is primarily to present the derivation of the terminal d-q ac impedance of the small-signal model of the inverter and grid-forming control scheme as well as to assess the stability of this control topology under unity power factor, constant reactive power, and reactive power droop control modes. Additionally, a comparison between the small-signal stability of the grid-tracking and grid-forming control will be made.
Role of Rv3351c in trafficking Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in alveolar epithelial cells and its contribution to disease

Although interactions with alveolar macrophages have been well characterized for Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the roles epithelial cells play during infection and disease development have been less studied. We have previously shown that deletion of gene rv3351c reduces M. tuberculosis replication in and necrosis of A549 human type II pneumocyte cells. In the present study, we report that rv3351c is required for lipid raft aggregation on A549 cell plasma membranes during M. tuberculosis infection. Lipid raft aggregation was also induced directly by recombinant Rv3351c protein. A Δ rv3351c deletion mutant was less effective than wild type M. tuberculosis at circumventing phagolysosome fusion in A549 cells as evidenced by increased co-localization with lysosomal markers LAMP-2 and cathepsin-L by the mutant bacilli. These observations indicate a role for Rv3351c in modification of the plasma membrane to facilitate trafficking and survival of M. tuberculosis bacilli through alveolar epithelial cells, and support the hypothesis that M. tuberculosis has mechanisms to target the alveolar epithelium. Preliminary data also demonstrate that like the type II pneumocyte-targeting M. tuberculosis secreted protein heparin-binding filamentous hemagglutinin (HBHA), Rv3351c is detected by the host cellular and humoral immune responses during infection, and may play an important role in mycobacterial dissemination from the lungs.
Thermal-striping analysis methodology for sodium-cooled reactor design

Abstract Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been performed to study the applicability of engineering CFD methods for thermals striping analysis. Thermal striping is the fluctuating temperature profile in a solid caused by fluctuating fluid temperature, and the resulting thermal stresses cause high cycle fatigue and eventual material failure. This study presents the methodology for thermal striping analysis, including a transient conjugate heat transfer RANS simulation benchmarked against a sodium triple jet experiment. Multiphysics calculations are implemented to analyze the thermal stresses in the solid domain caused by the coupled heat transfer between the fluid and solid domains. Validation data from a liquid sodium triple jet experiment include time-averaged temperature measurements and power spectra of the temperature signal. The numerical results agree well with these experimental measures, demonstrating key features such as the dominant frequency of temperature fluctuations. The applicability of a low-cost wall treatment method is demonstrated, enabling key computational savings. Finally, the performance of two finite element stress analysis software packages is compared, and the validity of the lower-cost method is confirmed. These results demonstrate the applicability of engineering methods for computational thermal striping calculations, enabling thermal striping estimations in large fluid systems such as the core of a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor.
Patient Portals: Useful for Whom and for What? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of National Survey Data.

Background Patients who use patient portals may be more engaged and empowered in their care; however, differences in who accesses patient portals remain. The characteristics of who uses patient portals more frequently and who perceives them as useful may also differ, as well as which functions people use. Objective We assessed the characteristics of patient portal users to examine who uses them more frequently and who perceives them as useful. In addition, we wanted to see if those who use them more frequently or perceive them to be more useful use different functions or more functions of patient portals. Methods Pooled cross-sectional data from 2017 to 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were used. Ordinal regression models were developed to assess frequency of use and perceived usefulness by demographics, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the use of 10 patient portal functions and frequency of use and perceived usefulness of patient portals. Results The odds of using patient portals more frequently were higher among those with Bachelor's degrees, incomes between $35,000 and $75,000, and those with two or more chronic conditions. Respondents with three or more chronic conditions had higher odds of rating patient portals as useful. Those who used their patient portal 10 or more times in the past year had higher odds of using all functions except for viewing test results compared with those who used their patient portal one to two times per year. Those who rated patient portals as “very useful” had higher odds of using seven of the functions compared with those who rated them “not very”/“not at all useful.” Conclusion It is important to continue to assess usefulness, frequency of use, and overall patient portal function use to identify opportunities to increase patient engagement with patient portals.
Phenotypic characterization and inheritance of enzymatic browning on cut surfaces of stems and leaf ribs of romaine lettuce

Abstract Enzymatic browning is a major postharvest quality defect of romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). This study provides the first analysis of the relationship between the browning of leaf ribs and stems across twelve lettuce genotypes (ten cultivars, a breeding line, and a plant introduction). While all samples showed a progressive increase in browning index (BI) and decline in lightness (L*) and hue (h°) during 5 °C storage, differences in the rate of browning development were observed among genotypes. The most intensive browning was observed mainly around the vascular bundles dispersed along the rim area of the stems. Browning on the cut surfaces of the stems was correlated with browning on the cut leaf ribs, with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.886 for BI, 0.891 for L* and 0.866 for h°. These results showed that the degree of browning in leaf ribs can be predicted by the browning degree of the stems. High genetic similarity was found among four cultivars with limited browning (Darkland, Parris Island Cos, Green Towers, and Hearts Delight) and also between cultivars with severe browning (King Henry and Tall Guzmaine). The highest broad-sense heritability (H2) in both trials (July and November 2018) was 0.88 and 0.92 for stem and rib browning, respectively. The method based on stem browning can be used to simplify postharvest phenotypic evaluation of lettuce and to decipher the genetics of browning to accelerate the breeding of browning-resistant cultivars.
Association of Epigenetic Age Acceleration with Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Among Older Women.

Background Epigenetic age acceleration (AgeAccel), which indicates faster biological aging relative to chronological age, has been associated with lower cognitive function. However, the association of AgeAccel with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia is not well-understood. We examined associations of four AgeAccel measures with incident MCI and dementia. Methods This prospective analysis included 578 older women from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study selected for a case-cohort study of coronary heart disease (CHD). Women were free of CHD and cognitive impairment at baseline. Associations of AgeAccel measures (intrinsic AgeAccel [IEAA], extrinsic AgeAccel [EEAA], AgeAccelPheno, and AgeAccelGrim) with risks for incident adjudicated diagnoses of MCI and dementia overall and stratified by incident CHD status were evaluated. Results IEAA was not significantly associated with MCI (HR 1.23; 95% CI 0.99-1.53), dementia (HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.88-1.38), or cognitive impairment (HR 1.18; 95% CI 0.99-1.40). In stratified analysis by incident CHD status, there was a 39% (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.07-1.81) significantly higher risk of MCI for every 5-year increase in IEAA among women who developed CHD during follow-up. Other AgeAccel measures were not significantly associated with MCI or dementia. Conclusion IEAA was not significantly associated with cognitive impairment overall but was associated with impairment among women who developed CHD. Larger studies designed to examine associations of AgeAccel with cognitive impairment are needed, including exploration of whether associations are stronger in the setting of underlying vascular pathologies.
Comparing Migrant Populations in Ecuador

Migration within the Global South is increasing. While conflict and xenophobia occurs, Latin America has been relatively welcoming of recent large-scale flows of forced migrants from Colombia and Venezuela, as well as other smaller flows from different countries migrating for economic or political reasons. Ecuador has a reputation for having progressive institutions protecting migrants, but translating these formal institutions into effective rights guarantees and political inclusion in practice is uneven. Migrants’ ability to integrate successfully into their host society and achieve rights, security, and livelihood is influenced by intersecting structures of identity and by their networked linkages with state, non-state, and informal institutions. While these factors often impose social sanctions on migrants who attempt to participate actively in political decisions that affect them, the expectation of ‘political invisibility’ varies by nationality, race, class, and dominant societal narrative across migrant populations. This paper seeks to explore how these characteristics drive differential attitudes about democracy and politics and different levels of political engagement across diverse migrant groups by surveying 720 migrants in Quito, and comparing six populations: Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Chinese, Haitians, and returned Ecuadorian emigrants. This study contributes one of the first systematic comparisons of migrant populations in Ecuador that vary across language, class, race, and societal narrative to examine how these different factors impede or facilitate access to rights, political participation, and protection.
Rock magnetic properties of a soil developed on an alluvial deposit at Buttermilk Creek, Texas, USA

[1] The evolution of magnetization within a floodplain soil begins with initial deposition of magnetic particles during sedimentation and continues via subsequent alteration and growth of iron-bearing compounds by pedogenic and biologic processes. Measurements of soil magnetic properties capture information about the developmental history of the soil and are a convenient method by which to investigate environmental change and pedogenesis. Using a range of magnetic measurements, a comprehensive scenario for soil development was constructed for floodplain sediments at the Debra L. Friedkin site, an important archeological site near Buttermilk Creek, Texas. Floodplain deposits have traditionally been avoided for soil magnetism studies because it is thought that the episodic input of sediment would form soils characterized by discrete sedimentary units rather than a continuous record of pedogenesis. We demonstrate that alluvial deposits can sometimes carry a straightforwardly interpretable magnetic signal similar to those typically seen in loess deposits. Smooth variation of rock magnetic parameters as a function of depth also leads us to conclude that the soil at this site is largely undisturbed and that the age of lithic artifacts found within the soil may be interpreted within stratigraphic context.
An Allocation Heuristic for Multi-Attribute Supply Chain Reverse Auctions.

Today’s supply chains require more dynamic trading practices to better match suppliers with their customers. Additionally, the purchase decisions faced are rarely made on price alone; but rather on a bundle of attribute values. With ubiquitous computing and Internet connectivity, newer types of negotiation are emerging such as reverse auctions. This paper presents a heuristic algorithm for multi-attribute reverse auction bid selection that considers two tiers of the supply chain. The suppliers place bids to meet just-in-time requirements of a manufacturer to quote their consumers’ RFQs. The heuristic solution is a collection of near optimal bids that attempt to maximize overall profit subject to capacity constraints, supplier delivery dates, and component costs, as well as consumer late delivery penalties.
Delegated Monitoring of Fund Managers

Because a money manager learns more about her skill from her management experience thanoutsiders can learn from her realized returns, she expects inefficiency in future contracts that condition exclusively on realized returns. A fund family that learns what the manager learns can reduce this inefficiency cost if the family is large enough. The family s incentive is to retain any given manager regardless of her skill but, when the family has enough managers, it adds value by boosting the credibility of its retentions through the firing of others. In this way, large fund families add value through cross-sectional reputation. As the number of managers grows the efficiency lossgoes to zero.
Processing of Transformation-Toughened Alumina

Transformation-toughened alumina was fabricated by slip casting and subsequent sintering. Proper controls allowed the fabrication of large pieces which warped little during firing. High strengths were achieved but several parameters could be improved to achieve even higher strengths. 18 references.
Regulation of Bacteriochlorophyll Synthesis by Oxygen in Respiratory Mutants of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Respiratory mutants of the facultative photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata were used to investigate the mechanism of (reversible) inhibition of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) synthesis by molecular oxygen. Although mutant strain M5 lacks cytochrome oxidase activity, it closely resembles the parental wild-type strain in respect to the effect of O 2 on BChl formation. This observation does not support an earlier hypothesis that O 2 regulates BChl synthesis through an effect on the redox state of a component of the respiratory electron transport system. Mutant strain M2 shows normal cytochrome oxidase activity, but lacks both reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and succinate dehydrogenase activities; relative to the parental strain, BChl synthesis in M2 is more sensitive to O 2 inhibition. The foregoing and results of related experiments can be accounted for by a revised interpretation of the O 2 effect, which proposes that O 2 directly inactivates a “factor” necessary for BChl formation and that, at relatively low O 2 tension, the inactivation can be reversed by a flow of electrons (derived from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and succinate) diverted from a portion of the electron transport system delimited by the mutational blocks in M2 and M5.
Development of General Body Form

In the trilaminar embryonic plate, the growth rate in the central region is much greater than that of the more peripheral areas and, as a consequence, the marginal areas are gradually folded under the faster growing regions to form the body folds. The head fold is the first to appear and is produced as a result of craniocaudal elongation caused by the rapidly developing notochord and central nervous system; the tail fold appears a short time later as a result of the same craniocaudal growth. Comparable but less distinct lateral body folds appear along each side.
Pulmonary Atresia With Intact Ventricular Septum: Limitations of Catheter-Based Intervention

Background Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PAIVS) has a wide spectrum of anatomic heterogeneity and invokes a wide variety of treatment strategies. We reviewed the outcome of our patients with PAIVS in order to delineate strategies for the optimal management of PAIVS. In particular, the possibility of avoiding neonatal surgical intervention with catheter-based technology was assessed. Methods The study cohort was composed of all patients presented with PAIVS from January 1999 through December 2005. Demographic and anatomic variables were analyzed to determine association with in-hospital mortality. Results Forty-four infants with PAIVS underwent catheter valvuloplasty (n = 17) and (or) surgical intervention (n = 42). The mean age and weight of the infants was six days and 3.1 kg, and the average follow-up was 40 ± 29.5 months. Five (11%) had right ventricle dependent coronary circulation (RVDCC) and six (14%) had Ebstein's anomaly. Five (11%) patients died. Of those who underwent catheter valvotomy, three (18%) underwent shunt placement, 12 (71%) underwent right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction with shunt placement, and only two (12%) did not require a further surgical intervention in the newborn period. Multivariable analyses demonstrated RVDCC (odds ratio 21.3, p = 0.025) and Ebstein's anomaly (odds ratio 16.0, p = 0.038) to be risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Of those patients with Ebstein's anomaly, a single ventricle approach had a better outcome. Conclusions We demonstrated excellent recent outcomes for patients with PAIVS. Catheter-based interventions rarely avoid surgical repair. The RVDCC and Ebstein's anomaly were associated with high mortality. In patients with Ebstein's anomaly, single ventricular pathway may be the better strategy for this specific patient population.
A cold-regulated Arabidopsis gene encodes a polypeptide having potent cryoprotective activity.

Summary We previously showed that cor15 , a cold-regulated gene from Arabidopsis thaliana , encodes a 15 kDa polypeptide designated COR15. Here we report that COR15 has potent cryoprotective activity in an in vitro cryoprotection assay. Specifically, COR15 was very effective in protecting the cold-labile enzyme lactate dehydrogenase against freeze-inactivation; on a concentration basis, it was about 10 6 times more effective than sucrose and 10 2 –10 3 times more effective than other proteins including bovine serum albumin. The possible role of cor15 in cold acclimation is discussed.
The Salem witch crisis

Preface In the "Mists of Darkness": Occult Beliefs and Practices in Early New England Strife in the Community: Life in Salem Village "The Devil Hath Been Raised Amongst Us" The Crisis Grows The Witches of Salem: A Break with the Past "In a Stinking Gaol": Prison Conditions for the Accused Crushing the Witch Conspiracy The End of the Trials "Through the Clouds of Human Weakness" Afterword: Interpretations Bibliography Index
Celiac disease: Diagnosis of celiac disease in pediatric patients

Children and adolescents with untreated celiac disease display disease-related, histological alterations in the duodenal bulb, according to a new study. In 16 of the 665 patients enrolled in the study, lesions were confined to the duodenal bulb.
Electron detachment energies of closed-shell anions calculated with a renormalized electron propagator

Abstract Vertical electron detachment energies of 10 closed-shell anions (F − , OH − , NH 2 − , Cl − , SH − , PH 2 − , CN − , BO − , AlO − , AlS − ) are calculated with an ab initio implementation of a new electron propagator approximation. In this method, the reference state is defined in terms of the Brueckner-doubles coupled-cluster wavefunction. The operator manifold consists of hole (h), particle (p), shakeup (2hp) and shakeon (2ph) operators. Couplings between 2hp and 2ph operators are neglected. Augmented correlation-consistent triple- ζ basis sets are used. Estimates of the corresponding adiabatic electron detachment energies (electron affinities of the neutrals) are compared with photoelectron experiments. The maximum error is 0.14 eV; the average absolute error is 0.05 eV.
Screening for dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase inhibitors reveals ebselen as a bioavailable inactivator.

Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is an endogenous regulator of nitric oxide production and represents a potential therapeutic target. However, only a small number of biologically useful inhibitors have been reported, and many of these are substrate analogues. To seek more diverse scaffolds, we developed a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay and queried two small libraries totaling 2446 compounds. The HTS assay proved to be robust, reproducible, and scalable, with Z′ factors ≥ 0.78. One inhibitor, ebselen, is structurally divergent from substrate and was characterized in detail. This selenazole covalently inactivates DDAH in vitro and in cultured cells. The rate constant for inactivation of DDAH (44000 ± 2400 M–1 s–1) is greater than those reported for any other target, suggesting that this pathway is an important aspect of ebselen's total pharmacological effects.
Finite element methods for first-order hyperbolic systems with particular emphasis on the compressible Euler equations

A Petrov-Galerkin finite element formulation is presented for first-order hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with particular emphasis on the compressible Euler equations. Applications of the methodology are made to one- and two-dimensional steady and unsteady flows with shocks. Results obtained suggest the potential of the type of methods developed.
Venous pseudoaneurysm as a complication of shoulder arthroscopy

CASE REPORT A 39-year-old man with renal failure had a progressively painful, swollen left shoulder. His medical history included nearly 2 decades of dialysis for renal failure with multiple failed renal transplants. The patient was receiving hemodialysis three times per week. Significant surgical history included the creation of an iatrogenic arteriovenous fistula in the left forearm. This resulted in a dilated, high-flow cephalic vein. The patient was afebrile on physical examination. His left shoulder was swollen and tender. The shoulder felt "boggy" anteriorly and posteriorly. Range of motion showed active flexion of 50 ~ , abduction of 50 ~ , external rotation of 30 ~ , and internal rotation to the greater trochanter. Pertinent laboratory data included a shoulder aspiration with a white blood cell count of 52,900 per ml with 97% polymorphonudeocytes. Gram stain showed no organisms, and no crystals were seen. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 95 mm/hr (normal <15 mm/hr), and the C-reactive protein was 22 mg/dl (normal <0.8 mg/dl). The clinic course and laboratory data suggested infection as the cause of the shoulder symptoms. Culture results for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, however, were negative. Smear results for fungal
Dexamethasone suppresses T cell-mediated immunity and enhances disease susceptibility to Eimeria mivati infection

Abstract The effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on Eimeria mivati infection in chickens was examined. Chickens given an extended DEX treatment produced significantly higher numbers of total oocysts following primary and secondary infections with E. mivati. Chickens treated with DEX intramuscularly or orally showed lower body weight gain in E. mivati infected or uninfected chickens as compared with the untreated group. Chickens given DEX intramuscularly showed a lower number of splenic lymphocytes. Flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte composition revealed that the percentages of splenic lymphocytes bearing CD8 (cytotoxic-suppressor T cells), γδ T cell receptor (TCR 1), class II major histocompatibility or surface IgM antigens in DEX-treated chickens were lower than in controls, whereas the percentages of T lymphocytes expressing CD3, CD4 (helper T cells) or αβ TCR antigens were significantly higher. Furthermore, concanavalin A-induced lymphoproliferation, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and gamma-interferon (γ-IFN) production by spleen lymphocytes were generally depressed in DEX-treated chickens. IL-2 production of E. mivati-infected chickens given oral DEX was significantly lower compared with the uninfected-DEX-treated group. Uninfected chickens treated with DEX intramuscularly showed a significantly lower γ-IFN production compared with other uninfected groups. In contrast, serum IgG levels were enhanced in DEX-treated, E. mivati-infected chickens compared with untreated, infected chickens. These results suggest that enhanced disease susceptibility to coccidiosis in DEX-treated chickens may reflect a drug-mediated immunosuppression of cell-mediated immunity.
The effect of carbon tetrachloride on rat-liver lysosomes

Abstract 1. 1.The effects of CCl 4 on isolated lysosomes and rat-liver slices have been examined. The addition of CCl 4 to rat-liver lysosomes caused the release of β-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, and acid ribonuclease activity. The release occurred without a lag period and was linear. In addition, the rate of release was found to be dependent on the CCl 4 concentration. 2. 2.CCl 4 added to liver slices caused a redistribution of the lysosomal enzyme activity such that a greater percentage was found in the supernatant versus the particulate fraction. Under these conditions [ 14 C]leucine incorporation into protein was inhibited. The effects on lysosomal enzymes and on leucine incorporation were roughly comparable for a given concentration of CCl 4 . Studies of the kinetics of these changes revealed both to be linear and to occur without any detectable lag period. 3. 3.Lysosomes were isolated by two different methods, such that lipid peroxidation occurred to a much greater extent in one preparation compared with the other. Despite this difference CCl 4 produced comparable release of lysosomal enzyme activity in both preparations. Furthermore, in neither lysosomal fraction was CCl 4 found to augment lipid peroxidation at a time when its effect on enzyme activity was maximal.
Determination of tryptophan and metabolites in rat brain and pineal tissue by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

Abstract Tryptophan and many of its indole metabolites were separated using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and determined using electrochemical detection. This was accomplished isocratically using an acetate—citric acid eluent with various amounts of methanol. Brain and pineal tissue was analyzed for several tryptophan metabolites. Tissue preparation required only homogenization in acidic solution and centrifugation prior to application to the HPLC column. Detection limits in the low picogram range were found for those indoles separated.
Community Structure and Dynamics in Desert Ecosystems: Potential Implications for Insecticide Risk Assessment

Insecticides are increasingly being used in hot arid ecosystems. The evaluation of the ecological risk these insecticides may pose, however, is based largely on data derived from temperate organisms and ecosystems. The major differences in the composition, structure, and functioning of desert animal communities when compared to temperate terrestrial ecosystems are discussed. Desert communities are characterized by a high fraction of ectotherms (both vertebrates and invertebrates); rodents and insectivores appear to dominate the mammalian fauna; and detritivores make up a very large part of the arthropod fauna. Presently available toxicity data cover these groups only to a very limited extent. It is not known if the ranges of insecticide susceptibility observed in temperate species are representative of those in arid organisms. Thus, it is not certain that ecotoxicological assessments based on such data sets adequately protect desert animal communities. It is shown that food web connectance is higher in desert ecosystems than in temperate grasslands or forests. This may to a large extent be due to the high degree of omnivory among desert organisms. Population regulation between predators and prey appears to be weaker in deserts. The same is often, though not always, the case for competition among desert organisms. It is argued that such characteristics will reduce the chance that strong indirect effects of insecticide perturbations will occur. In spite of the fact that many desert organisms are well adapted to cope with high temporal and spatial environmental variability, there is no reason to believe that they will always recover more rapidly from population perturbations caused by insecticides. The relatively large physiological and life-history plasticity encountered in many desert animals may increase tolerance to insecticide stress. Food chains are longer in deserts than in temperate grasslands and forests. The implications of this observation for the risk of biomagnification of contaminants are discussed.
Solid fertiliser sampling and comparison of single tube triers of 12.7 mm and 19.1 mm opening widths

Solid fertilisers, from different locations in three blending plants, were sampled to determine the chemical analysis, size guide number (SGN), and uniformity index (UI) of raw ingredients and blends. Five different types of triers were used to sample fertilisers from five different locations, i.e., rail car, truck, bins, front-end-loader, stream sampling, and 10–10–10 bags. The fertiliser formulation 10–10–10 was sampled from bags using 12.7 and 19.1 mm width triers by a two-person team from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. An innovative time-sequence procedure for sampling of bags was devised and implemented. Size analysis of ingredients from the three blend plants showed that there was a large deviation in SGNs and UIs, with appreciable variability from plant-to-plant. No substantial differences between SGNs and UIs for these two triers (19.1 mm and 12.7 mm width) were found, except for the 10–10–10 fertiliser (bags from the second quarter) from BP1 where all SGNs and UIs were within 7 and 2, respectively. Eleven out of the twelve samples from bagged fertilisers using 12.7 mm and 19.1 mm width triers had the same outcomes, i.e., only one sample from BP3 10–10–10 (bags from the third quarter) using had a conflicting outcome – the sample obtained using 19.1 mm width trier (SGN = 259, UI = 47) passed, whereas the sample with 12.7 mm width trier (SGN = 256, UI = 47) failed the chemical analysis test. Therefore, further study is needed to recommend the best trier to collect representative samples from fertiliser bags.
Buckling of Orthotropic Sandwich Cylinders Under Axial Compression and Bending

The buckling analysis reported here is for finite-length sandwich cylinders clamped at both edges and loaded in axial compression, pure bending, or a combination of these loadings. Love's first-approximation shell theory is used, and a Rayleigh-Ritz solution is obtained. For axially compressed sandwich cylinders with clamped boundary conditions, the theory predicts values above published experimental results. For pure bending, predicted results are considerably above the experimental results; however, the experimental data represent a very limited number of specimens. Results for pure bending and combined bending and axial compression are in general agreement with published theoretical results for isotropic thin-walled simply-supported cylinders.
Validation of a temperature telemetry system during moderate and strenuous exercise

Abstract 1. 1.Esophageal temperature [Tes (18.0 ± 6.1 min)] and pill temperature [Thti (25.3 ± 9.1 min)] reached steady state faster (P V O 2 ) than rectal temperature [Tre (37.3 ± 4.6 min)] at Ta = 29°C, Tdp = 11°C. Steady-state exercise temperatures were lower for Tes = 37.18 ± 0.18°C andThti = 37.20 ± 0.32°C than Tre = 37.46 ± 0.15°C (P 2. 2.During moderate exercise the change in core temperature per time (slope) was greater (P 3. 3.Overall, Thti tracked dynamic changes in core temperature significantly faster than Tre, although Thti did not track dynamic changes as well or as consistently as Tes. The concept of using a temperature sensor in a pill may be useful clinically, but mobility of the pill makes this temperature measurement less suitable for research than esophageal or rectal temperature measurements.
ADMIT-1: automatic differentiation and MATLAB interface toolbox

ADMIT-1 enables the computation of sparse Jacobian and Hessian matrices, using automatic differentiation technology, from a MATLAB environment. Given a function to be differentiated, ADMIT-1 will exploit sparsity if present to yield sparse derivative matrices (in sparse MATLAB form). A generic automatic differentiation tool, subject to some functionality requirements, can be plugged into ADMIT-1; examples include ADOL-C (C/C++ target functions)and ADMAT (MATLAB target funcitons). ADMIT-1 also allows for the calculation of gradients and has several other related functions. This article provides an introduction to the design and usage of ADMIT-1.
Use of a Rapid HIV Home Test to Screen Sexual Partners: A Commentary on Ventuneac, Carballo-Diéguez, Leu et al. 2009

Previously, we estimated the HIV risk reduction that men who have sex with men could attain using a rapid HIV home test to screen sexual partners versus using condoms inconsistently. Here, we clarify the assumptions of our published formulas. Using models that more closely resemble our study population, our results show a difference from that presented in the original article in the magnitude of the relative advantage (i.e., lower risk of HIV infection) for HIV home test use versus inconsistent condom use. We present a general formula that can accommodate different types of partnerships in estimating risk of HIV infection.