cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Free breathing three-dimensional cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping for differential cardiac chamber blood oxygenation - initial validation in patients with cardiovascular disease inclusive of direct comparison to invasive catheterization.

Differential blood oxygenation between left (LV) and right ventricles (RV; ΔSaO2) is a key index of cardiac performance; LV dysfunction yields increased RV blood pool deoxygenation. Deoxyhemoglobin increases blood magnetic susceptibility, which can be measured using an emerging cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) technique, Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) – a concept previously demonstrated in healthy subjects using a breath-hold 2D imaging approach (2DBHQSM). This study tested utility of a novel 3D free-breathing QSM approach (3DNAVQSM) in normative controls, and validated 3DNAVQSM for non-invasive ΔSaO2 quantification in patients undergoing invasive cardiac catheterization (cath). Initial control (n = 10) testing compared 2DBHQSM (ECG-triggered 2D gradient echo acquired at end-expiration) and 3DNAVQSM (ECG-triggered navigator gated gradient echo acquired in free breathing using a phase-ordered automatic window selection algorithm to partition data based on diaphragm position). Clinical testing was subsequently performed in patients being considered for cath, including 3DNAVQSM comparison to cine-CMR quantified LV function (n = 39), and invasive-cath quantified ΔSaO2 (n = 15). QSM was acquired using 3 T scanners; analysis was blinded to comparator tests (cine-CMR, cath). 3DNAVQSM generated interpretable QSM in all controls; 2DBHQSM was successful in 6/10. Among controls in whom both pulse sequences were successful, RV/LV susceptibility difference (and ΔSaO2) were not significantly different between 3DNAVQSM and 2DBHQSM (252 ± 39 ppb [17.5 ± 3.1%] vs. 211 ± 29 ppb [14.7 ± 2.0%]; p = 0.39). Acquisition times were 30% lower with 3DNAVQSM (4.7 ± 0.9 vs. 6.7 ± 0.5 min, p = 0.002), paralleling a trend towards lower LV mis-registration on 3DNAVQSM (p = 0.14). Among cardiac patients (63 ± 10y, 56% CAD) 3DNAVQSM was successful in 87% (34/39) and yielded higher ΔSaO2 (24.9 ± 6.1%) than in controls (p < 0.001). QSM-calculated ΔSaO2 was higher among patients with LV dysfunction as measured on cine-CMR based on left ventricular ejection fraction (29.4 ± 5.9% vs. 20.9 ± 5.7%, p < 0.001) or stroke volume (27.9 ± 7.5% vs. 22.4 ± 5.5%, p = 0.013). Cath measurements (n = 15) obtained within a mean interval of 4 ± 3 days from CMR demonstrated 3DNAVQSM to yield high correlation (r = 0.87, p < 0.001), small bias (− 0.1%), and good limits of agreement (±8.6%) with invasively measured ΔSaO2. 3DNAVQSM provides a novel means of assessing cardiac performance. Differential susceptibility between the LV and RV is increased in patients with cine-CMR evidence of LV systolic dysfunction; QSM-quantified ΔSaO2 yields high correlation and good agreement with the reference of invasively-quantified ΔSaO2.
The Town Meeting Ideal and Race in America

This essay explores the development of the New England town meeting ideal in connection with matters of race and considers the place of that ideal in post-slavery America. In particular, the essay focuses on how the black abolitionists David Walker and Maria Stewart used the jeremiad to expand the deliberative rhetoric associated with the town meeting, and it considers Albion Tourgee’s efforts to implement the town meeting system in the post-bellum South. The essay further considers the place of the lyceum system and the Chautauqua phenomenon, and it addresses how John Dewey’s efforts to reinvent the town meeting for a much larger and more diverse nation bore fruit in media forums described as town meetings. Eventually, the town meeting was reinvented yet again as a national political venue that could be used to address persistent racial tensions. The essay closes with a discussion of how the American university could help close the gap between the town meeting-style forum as a place for discussion and the historical town meeting’s value as a site of consequential decision-making.
SOX10-regulated promoter use defines isoform-specific gene expression in Schwann cells

Multicellular organisms adopt various strategies to tailor gene expression to cellular contexts including the employment of multiple promoters (and the associated transcription start sites (TSSs)) at a single locus that encodes distinct gene isoforms. Schwann cells—the myelinating cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)—exhibit a specialized gene expression profile directed by the transcription factor SOX10, which is essential for PNS myelination. SOX10 regulates promoter elements associated with unique TSSs and gene isoforms at several target loci, implicating SOX10-mediated, isoform-specific gene expression in Schwann cell function. Here, we report on genome-wide efforts to identify SOX10-regulated promoters and TSSs in Schwann cells to prioritize genes and isoforms for further study. We performed global TSS analyses and mined previously reported ChIP-seq datasets to assess the activity of SOX10-bound promoters in three models: (i) an adult mammalian nerve; (ii) differentiating primary Schwann cells, and (iii) cultured Schwann cells with ablated SOX10 function. We explored specific characteristics of SOX10-dependent TSSs, which provides confidence in defining them as SOX10 targets. Finally, we performed functional studies to validate our findings at four previously unreported SOX10 target loci: ARPC1A, CHN2, DDR1, and GAS7. These findings suggest roles for the associated SOX10-regulated gene products in PNS myelination. In sum, we provide comprehensive computational and functional assessments of SOX10-regulated TSS use in Schwann cells. The data presented in this study will stimulate functional studies on the specific mRNA and protein isoforms that SOX10 regulates, which will improve our understanding of myelination in the peripheral nerve.
12 – Gamete Immunobiology

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the relationship between the immune system and the gametes by examining both the morphological and immunological bases for protection and the enormous potential for destruction. The fertilization process begins when spermatozoa released from the male enter into the environment of the oocyte (external fertilization) or are deposited into the female reproductive tract (internal fertilization); and it ends when the zygote is formed. Mammalian spermatozoa are, therefore, deposited into the female reproductive tract to initiate the process of fertilization. The reproductive tract rather quickly transports spermatozoa to the site of fertilization, usually in the upper regions of the oviduct, through peristaltic smooth muscle contractions in the wall and with some help from the sperm's own motility. In humans, the necessary protection of the spermatozoa may be afforded by the lack of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers on the surface of the spermatozoa The study of the immunobiology of gametes gives us an understanding of the mechanisms that operate to protect the gametes and prevent destruction in both males and females. These mechanisms are rooted in the morphology of the testis and ovary and in the significant developmental difference in the time of meiotic prophase between the sexes. The immune system has evolved to deal with this reality by prioritizing the T cell response in a network of cytokines that most often directs the response away from destruction. The presence of antigamete antibodies in either males or females is not inherently dangerous and may in fact indicate in many cases an adaptation to deal with the late-arriving antigens of the reproductive system.
Hydroflux-assisted densification: applying flux crystal growth techniques to cold sintering

Hydroflux-assisted densification (HAD) is introduced as a method for low-temperature ceramic densification. HAD expands upon the cold sintering process, using an inorganic “hydroflux” secondary mass transport phase as opposed to the aqueous acidic, basic, or salt solutions that have been reported previously. Hydrofluxes combine ionic salts with sparing quantities of water to depress their melting points into the cold sintering range. The substantial solubility of many oxides in these hydrofluxes makes them appealing transport phases for an expanded cold-sinterable materials spectrum. This paper focuses on a hydroflux transport phase containing a eutectic mixture of NaOH and KOH (called “NaK”) for which particular nuances and properties are discussed. We demonstrate HAD in the ZnO system, highlighting the importance and impact of processing variables such as pressure, transport phase quantity, and water content. Additionally, we show densification of the oxide binaries Bi2O3, WO3, CuO, and MnO, and the functional ternaries Bi2WO6 and KxNa1-xNbO3 in the 200–300 °C range. This entire set is challenging to cold sinter using aqueous transport phases.
Brief mindfulness training increased glutamate metabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex.

Mindfulness meditation has become a promising intervention for promoting health and well-being. Neuroimaging studies have shown its beneficial effects on brain functional activity, connectivity, and structures following months to years of practice. A series of randomized controlled trials indicated that one form of mindfulness meditation, the integrative body-mind training (IBMT) induces brain functional and structural changes in brain regions related to self-control networks such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) after 2-10 h of practice. However, whether IBMT could change brain metabolism in the ACC remains unexplored. Utilizing a noninvasive 3T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, our results showed a significant increase in glutamate metabolism in the rostral ACC following 10 h of IBMT, suggesting that brief training not only increases ACC activity and structure, but also induces neurochemical changes in regions of the self-control networks. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the positive effects on brain metabolism in the ACC following brief intervention, suggesting a potential mechanism and implications of mindfulness meditation in ameliorating disorders such as addiction, depression and schizophrenia, which often involve the dysfunction of self-control networks and glutamatergic system (i.e. lower glutamate metabolism).
Exploring the limitations of the MacDonald ‘3 + 1’ condensation in the preparation of porphyrins with fused electron-withdrawing heterocyclic rings: Synthesis of a bis(thiadiazolo)benzoporphyrin and a related benzocarbaporphyrin

Abstract A pyrrole ethyl ester with a fused bis(thiadiazolo)benzo unit was prepared by reacting 4-nitrobenzo[1,2-c:3,4-c’]bis(1,2,5)thiadiazole with ethyl isocyanoacetate in the presence of a non-nucleophilic base. Cleavage of the ester moiety, followed by reaction with a chloromethylpyrrole in refluxing pyridine, afforded a tripyrrane and subsequent acid-catalyzed condensation with pyrrole or indene dialdehydes gave porphyrinoids incorporating fused electron-deficient heterocyclic units.
Attenuated heart rate recovery is associated with higher arrhythmia recurrence and mortality following atrial fibrillation ablation.

AIMS Heart rate recovery (HRR), the decrease in heart rate occurring immediately after exercise, is caused by the increase in vagal activity and sympathetic withdrawal occurring after exercise and is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. The extent to which it impacts outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has not previously been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between attenuated HRR and outcomes following AF ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 475 patients who underwent EST within 12 months of AF ablation. Patients were categorized into normal (>12 b.p.m.) and attenuated (≤12 b.p.m.) HRR groups. Our main outcomes of interest included arrhythmia recurrence and all-cause mortality. During a mean follow-up of 33 months, 43% of our study population experienced arrhythmia recurrence, 74% of those with an attenuated HRR, and 30% of those with a normal HRR (P < 0.0001). Death occurred in 9% of patients in the attenuated HRR group compared to 4% in the normal HRR cohort (P = 0.001). On multivariable models adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), medication use, left atrial size, ejection fraction, and renal function, attenuated HRR was predictive of increased arrhythmia recurrence (hazard ratio 2.54, 95% confidence interval 1.86-3.47, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Heart rate recovery provides additional valuable prognostic information beyond CRF. An impaired HRR is associated with significantly higher rates of arrhythmia recurrence and death following AF ablation.
Real exchange rate fluctuations, wage stickiness and tradability

When we classify factors of production by their tradability, the relative wage of nontraded labour influences the real exchange rate through the relative cost of distribution services. We confirm this prediction using monthly data on the sector-level US–Canada real exchange rate and the relative wage of service-producing labour. The relative wage accounts for 40% of the variability of the real exchange rate at a one-month horizon. Furthermore, when we use the effective nontraded labour content to classify goods into nontraded and traded ones, the variability of the price of the nontraded-goods basket accounts for more than half of the variability of the real exchange rate.
Estimating Ocean Surface Currents With Machine Learning

Global surface currents are usually inferred from directly observed quantities like sea-surface height, wind stress by applying diagnostic balance relations (like geostrophy and Ekman flow), which provide a good approximation of the dynamics of slow, large-scale currents at large scales and low Rossby numbers. However, newer generation satellite altimeters (like the upcoming SWOT mission) will capture more of the high wavenumber variability associated with the unbalanced components, but the low temporal sampling can potentially lead to aliasing. Applying these balances directly may lead to an incorrect un-physical estimate of the surface flow. In this study we explore Machine Learning (ML) algorithms as an alternate route to infer surface currents from satellite observable quantities. We train our ML models with SSH, SST and wind stress from available primitive equation ocean GCM simulation outputs as the inputs and make predictions of surface currents (u,v), which are then compared against the true GCM output. As a baseline example, we demonstrate that a linear regression model is ineffective at predicting velocities accurately beyond localized regions. In comparison, a relatively simple neural network (NN) can predict surface currents accurately over most of the global ocean, with lower mean squared errors than geostrophy+Ekman. Using a local stencil of neighboring grid points as additional input features, we can train the deep learning models to effectively ``learn” spatial gradients and the physics of surface currents. By passing the stenciled variables through convolutional filters we can help the model learn spatial gradients much faster. Various training strategies are explored using systematic feature hold out and multiple combinations of point and stenciled input data fed through convolutional filters (2D / 3D), to understand the effect of each input feature on the NN’s ability to accurately represent surface flow. A model sensitivity analysis reveals that besides SSH, geographic information in some form is an essential ingredient required for making accurate predictions of surface currents with deep learning models.
Computational assessment of photon recycling in ultra-thin GaAs solar cells

The impact of photon recycling on the photovoltaic performance of ultra-thin GaAs cells is assessed by rigorous quantum kinetic simulation that considers finite size effects on both, optical and electronic states. It is found that the presence of a gold reflector – while increasing the absorptance of incident light – quenches the V OC enhancement from ∼80 mV in a reflector-free device to ∼20 mV due to parasitic losses from surface plasmon resonances. Introduction of an optical buffer layer mitigates both, plasmonic enhancement of radiative recombination and parasitic losses, and increases ∆V OC to ∼40 mV.
Molecular-scale investigation of the oxidation behavior of chromia-forming alloys in high-temperature CO2

Current and future power systems require chromia-forming alloys compatible with high-temperature CO2. Important questions concerning the mechanisms of oxidation and carburization remain unanswered. Herein we shed light onto these processes by studying the very initial stages of oxidation of Fe22Cr and Fe22Ni22Cr model alloys. Ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy enabled in situ analysis of the oxidizing surface under 1 mbar of flowing CO2 at temperatures up to 530 °C, while postexposure analyses revealed the structure and composition of the oxidized surface at the near-atomic scale. We found that gas purity played a critical role in the kinetics of the reaction, where high purity CO2 promoted the deposition of carbon and the selective oxidation of Cr. In contrast, no carbon deposition occurred in low purity CO2 and Fe oxidation ensued, thus highlighting the critical role of impurities in defining the early oxidation pathway of the alloy. The Cr-rich oxide formed on Fe22Cr in high purity CO2 was both thicker and more permeable to carbon compared to that formed on Fe22Ni22Cr, where carbon transport appeared to occur by atomic diffusion through the oxide. Alternatively, the Fe-rich oxide formed in low purity CO2 suggested carbon transport by molecular CO2.
Pseudo-gauge dependence of the spin polarization and of the axial vortical effect

We obtain the mean spin polarization vector of spin 1/2 particles in a relativistic fluid at Local Thermal Equilibrium (LTE) in different Pseudo-Gauges (PGs), i.e. with different choices for the decomposition of orbital and spin angular momentum. The spin polarization obtained in the canonical PG differs from the one obtained in the Belinfante PG. We found that this difference can not be written by replacing the thermal vorticity with the spin potential in the usual polarization formula. Other PG choices affect the contribution of thermal shear to the spin polarization. Therefore, the choice of a PG affects the predictions for the polarization measured in heavy-ion collisions. In general, we show that the Wigner function of a non-interacting Dirac field at LTE is affected by the PG transformations. We also calculate the explicit expressions of the mean axial current and we obtain that even the axial vortical effect conductivity depend on the PG.
School built environment, gender, and student achievement in Pakistan

Abstract We investigate the relationship between school built environment factors including available water, toilet facilities, and electricity access, and Pakistani students’ achievement. Data from a representative sample of 72,843 students attending 5296 schools are analyzed using multilevel modeling. The findings suggest that ceteris paribus, built environment factors have statistically significant effects on achievement. The effects of several of these factors are moderated by student gender such that female students’ achievement is more likely to be affected by the of lack of water and sanitation facilities while male students’ achievement is more likely to be affected by access to electricity. Implications of the findings regarding built environmental effects on educational achievement are discussed.
Pandemic shift: Meeting the challenges of moving post-secondary environmental education online

As the COVID-19 pandemic surged and resurged across the world, members of a higher education professional group associated with the North American Association of Environmental Education met regular...
Democratic Neutrino Theory

New theory of neutrino masses and mixing is introduced. This theory is based on a simple S3 symmetric democratic neutrino mass matrix, and predicts the neutrino mass spectrum of normal ordering. Taking into account the matter eect and proper averaging of the oscillations, this theory agrees with the variety of atmospheric, solar and accelerator neutrino data. Moreover, the absolute scale of the neutrino masses m 0:03 eV is determined in this theory, using the atmospheric neutrino oscillation data. In case of tiny perturbations in the democratic mass matrix only one this scale parameter m allows to explain the mentioned above neutrino results, and the theory has huge predictive power.
Germline mutations of the gene encoding bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1A in juvenile polyposis

Juvenile polyposis (JP; OMIM 174900) is an autosomal dominant gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyposis syndrome in which patients are at risk for developing gastrointestinal cancers1,2. Previous studies have demonstrated a locus for JP mapping to 18q21.1 (ref. 3) and germline mutations in the homolog of the gene for mothers against decapentaplegic, Drosophila, (MADH4, also known as SMAD4) in several JP families4. However, mutations in MADH4 are only present in a subset of JP cases5, and although mutations in the gene for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) have been described in a few families6,7, undefined genetic heterogeneity remains. Using a genome-wide screen in four JP kindreds without germline mutations in MADH4 or PTEN, we identified linkage with markers from chromosome 10q22–23 (maximum lod score of 4.74, θ=0.00). We found no recombinants using markers developed from the vicinity of the gene for bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1A (BMPR1A), a serine–threonine kinase type I receptor involved in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling8. Genomic sequencing of BMPR1A in each of these JP kindreds disclosed germline nonsense mutations in all affected kindred members but not in normal control individuals. These findings indicate involvement of an additional gene in the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily in the genesis of JP, and document an unanticipated function for BMP in colonic epithelial growth control.
Structural organization of the human short-chain L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene.

The third step in the mitochondrial β-oxidation spiral of short-chain fatty acids is catalyzed by short-chain l-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADHSC; EC 1.1.1.35). We have determined the structural organization of the human HADHSC gene by sequencing of cloned genomic amplification products, obtained using HADHSC-specific cDNA-based primers, as well as by direct sequencing of an isolated PAC clone containing the HADHSC gene. Upon comparison with the HADHSC cDNA sequence, HADHSC was shown to encompass at least eight exons, ranging in size from 73 to 158 bp, and 7 introns. The total HADHSC gene spans approximately 49 kb. The HADHSC 5′-flanking region was characterized with an AluI plasmid library constructed from a partially AluI-digested PAC clone containing the human HADHSC gene. Several typical promoter elements such as a CAAT-box, Sp1, AP1, and AP2 sites were found, while a TATA-box was apparently absent. Among other putative regulatory elements, a NRRE-1 site was identified. By radiation hybrid panel, assisted fine-mapping HADHSC was linked to marker AFM070TH5, corresponding to Chromosome (Chr) 4q22-26, and a putative HADHSC pseudogene was linked to marker D15S1324, located at Chr 15q17-21. Knowledge of the genomic organization and 5′-flanking region of HADHSC will enable genomic mutation analysis of patients suspected of HADHSC deficiency, as well as facilitate the investigation into the transcriptional regulation of short-chain fatty acid oxidizing gene products in general and HADHSC expression in particular.
Authoritarian Deliberation on Chinese Internet

Modern authoritarianism relies on a combination of patriotism and performance-based legitimacy rather than ideology. As such, a modern authoritarian government has to allow for some forms of political discussion and participation from which popular consent to authoritarian rule is derived. With 420 million Internet users, 200 million bloggers, and 277 million netizens able to access the Internet through their mobile phones (CNNIC, 2010), China presents an interesting case to examine public deliberation online. Adapting the concept of authoritarian deliberation (He, 2006a) from an offline environment to an online one, the article proposes four types of online spaces of authoritarian deliberation extending from the core to the peripheries of authoritarian rule: central propaganda spaces, government-regulated commercial spaces, emergent civic spaces, and international deliberative spaces. The paper discusses their characteristics and implications for political participation in China and argues that democracy need not be a precursor to public deliberation. Instead, public deliberation may present a viable alternative to the radical electoral democracy in authoritarian countries like China.
Genetic and environmental influences on preschool sibling cooperation and conflict: Associations with difficult temperament and parenting style

SUMMARY With a sample of 524 pairs of three to eight year old twins recruited from a population registry, sibling cooperation and conflict were linearly related to the level of temperamental difficulty expressed in the twin dyad. Heritability accounted for 75% of the variance in Difficult Temperament, 0% of the variance in Instigating Cooperation, and 41% of the variance in Instigating Conflict. The shared environment, on the other hand, accounted for 0% of the variance in Difficult Temperament, 61% of the variance in Instigating Cooperation, and 28% of the variance in Instigating Conflict. Genetic influences largely accounted for the association between temperament and the sibling relationship. Using identical twin difference scores, Sibling Cooperation was one aspect of the nonshared environmental influence on temperament. Parental Positivity and Parental Negativity predicted the sibling relationship above and beyond temperament. Thus, the behavior genetic design elucidated the etiological distinctions ...
Optimistic Trust with Realistic eNvestigators (Transcript of Discussion)

This talk focuses on some notions I have been thinking about in the context of electronic commerce protocols and in particular contractual relationships between parties in electronic commerce protocols. However I will talk about these notions and demonstrate them in a slightly different context, namely that of electronic election schemes and in particular a couple of supposedly practical electronic election schemes.
Reduced Execution Semantics of MPI: From Theory to Practice

There is growing need to develop formal verification tools for Message Passing Interface (MPI) programs to eliminate bugs such as deadlocks and local assertion violations. Of all approaches, dynamic verification is most practical for MPI. Since the number of interleavings of concurrent programs grow exponentially, we devise a dynamic interleaving reduction algorithm (dynamic partial order reduction , DPOR) tailor-made for MPI, called POE. The key contributions of this paper are: (i) a formal semantics that elucidates the complex dynamic semantics of MPI, and played an essential role in the design of the POE algorithm and the construction of the ISP tool, and (ii) a formal specification of our POE algorithm. We discuss how these ideas may help us build dynamic verifiers for other APIs, and summarize a dynamic verifier being designed for applications written using a recently proposed API for multi-core communication.
A novel sequence element derived from bacteriophage T7 mRNA acts as an enhancer of translation of the lacZ gene in Escherichia coli.

We recently reported that a ribosome binding site (RBS) derived from gene 10 of bacteriophage T7 (g10-L) causes a pronounced stimulation of expression when placed upstream of a variety of genes, and that this effect is probably due to a stimulation of translation efficiency in Escherichia coli (Olins, P. O., Devine, C. S., Rangwala, S. H., Kavka, K. S. (1988) Gene (Amst.) 73, 227-235). Here we present a model for the mechanism of action of the g10-L: the RBS contains a 9-base sequence which has the potential for forming a novel base-paired interaction with bases 458-466 of the 16 S rRNA of E. coli. Although such sequence homologies are rare in E. coli RBS regions, a number of similar sequences were found in the RBS regions of other bacteriophage structural genes. When an isolated homology sequence was placed upstream of a synthetic RBS, there was a 110-fold increase in the translation efficiency of the lacZ gene. Surprisingly, the homology sequence also stimulated translation when placed downstream of the initiator codon, indicating that this sequence is acting as a translational "enhancer."
Mixed linage kinase 3 functions as a cGMP-dependent protein kinase I alpha substrate and regulates blood pressure and cardiac remodeling in vivo

Protein kinase G I alpha (PKGIα) counteracts hypertension and pathologic cardiac remodeling. These effects require the PKGIα leucine zipper (LZ) protein binding domain. However, PKGIα LZ-binding substrates mediating these effects remain incompletely understood. We previously demonstrated that Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 (MLK3) binds the PKGIα LZ domain in the heart. In the present study we hypothesized that MLK3 functions as a PKGIα substrate and cardiovascular effector. We observed that recombinant MLK3 precipitated with affinity purified PKGIα but not with LZ mutant PKGIα. When PKGIα was precipitated with RP-cGMP beads, which inhibit PKG kinase activity, we observed decreased PKGIα-MLK3 co-precipitation, supporting a requirement of PKGIα kinase activity for MLK3-PKGIa interaction. PKGIα phosphorylated MLK3 in vitro as assayed by Western blot. We next analysed mice with genetic deletion of MLK3. In the baseline state, MLK3-/- mice display normal cardiac function as assessed by echocardiography and invasive cardiac hemodynamics. MLK3-/- mice develop cardiac hypertrophy by 3 months of age (heart weight/tibia length 64.4 ± 1.9 mg/cm WT, 73.6 ± 2.1 mg/cm MLK3-/-; p<0.001; n=11 WT, 14 MLK3-/-). Compared with WT littermates, anesthetized MLK3-/- mice have elevated blood pressure (BP) (94.3 ± 2.1 mmHg WT, 109.3 ± 2.5 mmHg MLK3-/-; p<0.001). Conscious male MLK3-/- mice monitored continuously with implantable arterial radiotelemetry (10-12 weeks of age) had overt hypertension compared with WT littermates (Systolic BP: WT 121.5 ± 2.0 mmHg, MLK3-/- 161.6 ± 5.1 mmHg; p<0.01; Diastolic BP: WT 87.0 ± 2.9 mmHg, MLK3-/- 114.5 ± 2.7 mmHg; p<0.001; n=4 WT, 3 MLK3-/-). We observed no difference in baseline heart rate between genotypes. Chronic administration of hydralazine (250 mg/L) normalized BP in MLK3-/- mice, but did not completely inhibit cardiac hypertrophy. Further, in response to LV pressure overload by transaortic constriction (TAC), which equalized left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure between genotypes, MLK3-/- mice had increased LV hypertrophy (LV/Tibia length) as well as elevated LV end diastolic pressure, and worsening of LV ejection fraction, preload recruitable stroke work, and other LV systolic and diastolic indices (n=8-10), indicating advanced cardiac dysfunction. Together, our findings identify MLK3 as a direct PKGI substrate, and reveal that deletion of MLK3 leads to hypertension and pathologic cardiac hypertrophy. These findings support a model in which, in response to activation by PKGIα, MLK3 inhibits hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. We conclude that identifying novel PKGIα LZ substrates, like MLK3, may reveal new candidate therapeutic targets for hypertension and heart failure.
Less Invasive Techniques for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

The decreasing size in continuous flow left ventricular assist devices has facilitated alternative approaches to implantation with nonsternotomy approaches increasing in adaptation over the last 5 years. Preserving the sternum for easier reoperation at cardiac transplant, decreasing the necessary dissection, and preservation of right ventricular function are potential benefits of such techniques. Most operative approaches use a left thoracotomy to access the left ventricular apex for inflow placement and variably combine an upper sternotomy or right thoracotomy with standard aortic graft placement. In patients with alternative outflow sites, most of the operation is performed through a left thoracotomy incision. With these approaches, the need for cardiopulmonary bypass is assessed with many operators avoiding its use for left ventricular assist device implantation. Additional potential benefits included decreased transfusion and shorter operative times, which may facilitate earlier hospital discharge.
Childhood predictors of states of anxiety

Development of the characteristics of social phobia often requires a diathesis in the form of a temperamental bias. A behavioral profile marked by vigorous motor activity and crying to unfamiliar stimuli at 4 months of age - called high reactivity- is characteristic of about 20% of healthy, Caucasian infants. This pattern predicts shy behavior in preschool children and symptoms of social anxiety at age 7, and, at age 11, a subdued personality and biological features that are consonant with a hypothesis of amygdalar excitability. The biological variables that best characterize the children who had been high-reactive infants are right-hemisphere activity in the electroencephalogram (EEC), a larger evoked potential from the inferior colliculus, higher sympathetic tone in the cardiovascular system, and larger event-related potentials to discrepant stimuli. About a quarter of 11-year-olds who had been high reactives displayed behavioral and biological characteristics that are in theoretical accord with the hypothesis of amygdalar excitability, while only 1 of 20 displayed a profile characterized by features in opposition to their temperament. The evidence points to a modest temperamental contribution to the development of symptoms currently regarded as diagnostic of social phobia.
Academic Behavior and Grades of Mainstreamed Students with Mild Disabilities

This study examined the relationship between the classroom behaviors and final grades of mainstreamed students with mild disabilities in three urban schools in Grades 3-9. Significant correlations were found for all academic behaviors except attendance and homework at the elementary level and written work at the junior high level. In addition, significant differences in reading scores were found between mainstreamed and regular elementary school students. Findings indicate that mainstreamed students with mild disabilities may participate in academic lessons as well or nearly as well as their peers without disabilities.
Adequacy in voided urine cytology specimens: The role of volume and a repeat void upon predictive values for high-grade urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Adequacy assessment is one of the most controversial and overlooked components in the daily practice of cytopathology, because it is generally determined from limited samples. Because voided urine varies widely in terms of its volume and cellularity, there is little consensus about the proper role for these variables in assessing specimen adequacy. In this study, the authors explored the role of volume in voided urine specimens to determine whether it plays a role in determining adequacy for the detection of high-grade urothelial carcinoma. METHODS Voided urine specimens received at the authors' laboratory over the 9.5 years since the introduction of the Johns Hopkins Template for Reporting Urinary Cytopathology were analyzed for correlations between volume, specimen adequacy, and the diagnosis of high-grade malignancy. The same data set also was queried to determine whether a patient who provided a voided low-volume specimen could yield a higher volume specimen and thereby increase adequacy. RESULTS In total, 15,731 voided urine specimens with a cumulative volume of 891 liters originating from 8594 individual patients were analyzed. Specimen adequacy increased linearly for each increment of volume submitted to the laboratory up to 30 mL, after which the correlation was nonlinear. Low-volume specimens below this cutoff also had lower fractions of specimens that were diagnosed as malignant or suspicious. CONCLUSIONS Volume is an important component in the evaluation of adequacy for voided urine cytology specimens. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2015. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
The dynamic mechanical behavior of polymethyl methacrylate

In order to investigate the short time response of solid polymers, a high resolution laser interferometer has been employed to observe the detailed structure of stress waves produced by the impact of polymeric plates. From the observed stress waves the loading and unloading stress-strain paths followed by the material can be determined. For the polymer, polymethyl methacrylate, over the stress range from 0–60 kbar such observations have disclosed a stress-strain behavior which exhibits large strain nonlinearities and significant rate-dependence. For stress levels below ≈7 kbar and above ≈40 kbar, rate-effects are of secondary importance and the observed wave profiles may be modeled using a nonlinear elastic description of the material behavior. However, at about 7 kbar, a transition is observed in the dynamic stress-strain behavior which is characterized by greater stress relaxation and significant hysteresis upon unloading. This transition, which we attribute to a yield phenomenon, requires a rate-dependent description of the material behavior to be used in the stress range of approximately 7–40 kbar.
Chronic leptin administration increases insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose uptake and transport.

Abstract Leptin, the product of the ob gene, has been shown to reduce fat mass, food intake, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia and to increase whole-body glucose disposal. However, it is unknown if leptin improves insulin action in skeletal muscle. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if chronic leptin administration increases insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose uptake and transport. Sixty-nine female Sprague-Dawley rats (240 to 250 g) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) control, (2) pair-fed, and (3) leptin. All animals were subcutaneously implanted with miniosmotic pumps that delivered 0.5 mg leptin/kg/d to the leptin animals and vehicle to the control and pair-fed animals for 14 days. Following this 14-day period, all animals were subjected to hindlimb perfusion to determine the rates of skeletal muscle glucose uptake and 3- O -methyl-d-glucose (3-MG) transport under basal, submaximal (500 μU/mL), and maximal (10,000 μU/mL) insulin concentrations. Chronic leptin treatment significantly increased ( P P
Cyclic-AMP in the aqueous humor: the effects of repeated topical epinephrine administration and sympathetic denervation

Abstract Cyclic-AMP (c-AMP) may mediate the effects of topical epinephrine on intraocular pressure in the rabbit eye. Experiments which further correlate the decrease in intraocular pressure with the increase in c-AMP in the aqueous humor in response to adrenergic agonists are presented. Repeated, daily topical administration of epinephrine led to diminished responsiveness to this drug on the fifth day. The treated eye demonstrated a smaller decrease in intraocular pressure and a smaller increase in c-AMP in the aqueous humor on the fifth day when compared to the response of a previously untreated eye. Unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy, after a 2–3-week recovery period, causes a denervation supersensitivity to alpha-adrenergic agonists. Topical norepinephrine and epinephrine caused a greater fall in intraocular pressure and greater increase in c-AMP in the aqueous humor of the denervated eye than of the control eye. The shift to the left of the dose-response curve for epinephrine indicates a greater affinity for agonists in the denervated eye. Intravitreal injections of a high concentration of epinephrine produced a greater maximal response of c-AMP in the aqueous humor of the denervated eye. This is consistent with an increased number of sites for c-AMP production following sympathetic denervation. Speculations on the location of the adenyl cyclase system are discussed.
A Modified Epidemic Model for Virus Spread Control in Wireless Sensor Networks

We present an analysis of virus spread in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) through a modified susceptible-infective (SI) epidemic model. In a traditional SI model, once a sensor node is attacked by a virus, the infective node can spread the virus to its neighboring nodes, which further spread the virus to their neighbors; the process continues until the whole network fails. To overcome this weakness, we propose a modified SI model by leveraging the sleep mode of WSNs for the virus spread control. The modified SI model can improve the network anti-virus capability without causing any extra hardware effort and signaling overhead. We derive the explicit solutions for the modified SI model, which can capture both the spatial and temporal dynamics of the virus spread process. Numerical results are presented to validate our analysis.
Histone acetyltransferases and deacetylase in Entamoeba histolytica.

Abstract In our efforts to understand how transcription may be regulated in Entamoeba histolytica , we have examined if this parasite has conserved enzymatic mechanisms for targeted acetylation and deacetylation of histones. Western blotting indicated that basic nuclear proteins in the size range of 16–23 kDa were acetylated in amebic trophozoites, suggesting histone acetylation. Single representatives of the GNAT and MYST family of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) were identified in the E. histolytica genome and their expression in amebic trophozoites was detected by reverse transcription of RNA followed by the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Full-length recombinant EhMYST protein demonstrated HAT activity with calf thymus histones and showed a preference for histone H4, similar to the yeast MYST protein, Esa1. However, ehMYST did not complement a yeast esa1 mutation. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity was detected in nuclear extracts from E. histolytica , and characteristically, was inhibited by trichostatin A (TSA). Consistent with the observation of HDAC activity, RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that an amebic hdac1 homolog ( ehHDAC ) is expressed and appropriately spliced in E. histolytica trophozoites. Our results suggest that mechanisms for histone acetylation and deacetylation are operational in E. histolytica .
An Eye Toward Iodine in China

I was glad to see the News & Analysis story calling attention to China's continuing problem of rural malnutrition and resultant developmental stunting of children (“Despite gains, malnutrition among China's rural poor sparks concern,” R. Stone, 27 April, p. [402][1]). Two specific aspects of the
Computer-aided pipeline operation using genetic algorithms and rule learning. PART II: Rule learning control of a pipeline under normal and abnormal conditions

In this two-paper series, techniques connected with artificial intelligence and genetics are applied to the problem of gas pipeline control. In the first paper, genetic algorithms were applied to two pipeline optimization problems. In this, the second paper, genetic algorithms are used as a basic learning mechanism in a larger rule learning system called a learning classifier system. The learning classifier system is developed and applied to the control of a gas pipeline under normal summer and winter operations as well as abnormal operations during leak events.
Adsorption of dipolar (zwitterionic) surfactants to dipolar surfaces

The adsorption of the neutral but dipolar (zwitterionic) surfactants, dodecyldimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide and diheptanoic-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine to the silicon nitride/water inter...
Methods of estimating air infiltration through windows

Abstract The mechanism of air infiltration is reviewed as background for introducing a procedure that yields more reliable estimates of average infiltration rates through a window unit than do methods currently employed. The procedure is applied to estimating the average winter heat losses through windows in low-rise residential buildings variuosly located throughout the United States. It is concluded that, regardless of climate, the heat loss attributable to infiltration through the window unit is small compared with that incurred as a result of direct transmission of heat through the window.
Rebound Effects Following Deliberate Thought Suppression: Does PTSD Make a Difference?

This study was designed to examine the effects of deliberate suppression of trauma-related thoughts in 44 individuals who were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD+) and 26 individuals who were not (PTSD–) following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). In an effort to resolve discrepancies in the literature, the PTSD– group was selected from the same help-seeking population as the patient group. Measures included the percentage of MVArelated thoughts, mood, perceived controllability of thoughts, and physiological arousal (heart rate, skin conductance, and two measures of facial EMG). Contrary to hypothesis, both PTSD+ and PTSD– groups showed a rebound in trauma-related thoughts following deliberate thought suppression. This rebound was associated with increases in negative affect, anxiety, and distress and diminished perceptions of controllability over thoughts. Examination of the physiological measures did not mirror the pattern noted for trauma-related thoughts, although the data suggest that suppression was associated with higher levels of frontalis EMG. The current study indicates that help-seeking individuals who are distressed about their psychological state following a serious MVA will show a rebound in MVA-related thoughts, irrespective of PTSD diagnosis. Implications for the study of thought suppression as a potential maintaining factor for trauma-related problems are discussed, with suggestions for future research. THE THOUGHT SUPPRESSION PARADIGM represents a
Ontogenetic changes in immunity and susceptibility to fungal infection in Mormon crickets Anabrus simplex.

Abstract Insects have innate immunity that may be weakened by resource allocation to growth. I measured enzymatic immunity, encapsulation response, and susceptibility to fungal infection in Mormon crickets of known age. Although the concentrations of circulating spontaneous and total phenoloxidase (PO) increased with age from the most recent molt in late instar nymphs (5th, 6th, and 7th) and 0–5 day old adults, mean values did not differ between stadia, indicating that circulating PO titers are knocked back with each molt. In contrast, encapsulation rate increased throughout nymphal development and adult maturation. No longer required to molt, adult PO titers increased steadily with age. Survivorship also increased with the age at which Metarhizium acridum fungus was applied to adults. I conclude that immunity relevant to defense against fungi continues to develop well into the adult stage. With each molt setting the insects back in circulating PO titers, very young adults are much like nymphs in enzymatic immunity.
ASSESSING THE MANAGERIAL AND LEADERSHIP ABILITY OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL

This article describes the results of a study designed to develop a core set of criteria considered essential in assessing the managerial effectiveness of community college administrative personnel...