cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Non-Island, Shallow Nearshore Beach Environments by Gulf Sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi ) Within the Mississippi Sound, USA

Summary Large sub-adult/adult western population Gulf Sturgeon move to barrier islands in winter to feed whereas eastern fish move offshore or to nearshore non-island environments; most small sub-adults/juveniles remain in the estuarine system during winter. To test this, we used an acoustic data set deployed around the Port of Gulfport (hereafter Port footprint, east gate, west gate) within Mississippi Sound. We documented between three and six fish on each receiver totaling 12,285 detections for all 19 receivers between September 2012–May 2013. Only 30% of fish had both a high number of overall detections and a high number of detection days. In contrast, from October 2013–May 2014, between three and nine fish were detected on each receiver but with only 2,371 detections. Five fish (29.4%) had a high number of detections but a reduced number of detection days in the acoustic array; all fish appeared to be transients. Adults, unexpectedly, had the most prevalent occurrence and number of detection days in these shallow, non-island beach environments contrary to our initial hypothesis. Our data suggests annually variable, regional-scale use of beach environments not associated with barrier islands that likely serve as a travel corridor between drainages/offshore barrier islands, or as feeding zones; these movements may enhance the potential for mortality in Mississippi Sound.
Measurement considerations for evaluating BTI effects in SiC MOSFETs

Abstract In this paper, we review the phenomenon of bias-temperature instability (BTI) in SiC MOS devices, with an emphasis on the effects of metrology. The complex behavior of the charge trapping mechanism responsible for VT instability requires careful consideration of measurement conditions and precise control of the associated parameters to produce meaningful results. Preconditioning the devices to be tested, as well as making faster measurements, will elicit the truest response. Any bias interruption or delay between stressing and measurement will produce a large deterioration in the original VT drift caused by the stressing, though this can be effectively counteracted by briefly reapplying the stress bias before measurement.
What’s in a Name? The Impact of U.S. Audit Partner Identification on Going Concern Audit Report Modifications

After a lengthy and protracted debate, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) adopted new rules and related amendments to its auditing standards regarding the engagement partner and other accounting firms that took part in the audit (PCAOB 2015). The rules require disclosure of the engagement partner’s name and information about other accounting firms on new PCAOB Form AP, Auditor Reporting of Certain Audit Participants. We investigate the impact of this regulation on auditor behavior in the context of the auditor’s going concern report modification propensity. Consistent with a perceived increase in litigation risk, we document an increase in the propensity to issue a going concern report modification in the disclosure regime. Our results are sensitive to auditor type. Specifically, only Big Four auditors exhibit an increase in the going concern modification rate. Our evidence is consistent with Big Four audit partners believing that audit partner identification exposes them to higher litigation risk.
F.W. Gehring: A Biographical Sketch

Frederick William Gehring was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on August 7, 1925. His father Carl Gehring was of German ancestry but the family had been established for many years in Cleveland, Ohio. Carl loved music and was an amateur composer. Although he started out studying engineering, he soon switched to journalism and later worked for the Ann Arbor News as state news editor and music critic. Fred’s mother Hester Reed Gehring was the daughter of a physics professor at the University of Michigan (UM) who later became Dean of the Literary College. She and Carl met as undergraduates at UM. She went on to complete a Ph.D. in German and became a foreign language examiner for the UM Graduate School.
National trends in the use of forest service administrative appeals

Using publicly available electronic records, we compiled a database to compare administrative appeals of USDA Forest Service projects. The database contains 3,736 appeals decided nationwide from January 1997 through September 2002. The data showthatthe appeals process is used by a wide variety of interests, including individuals, tribes, and businesses as wellas environmental groups, to challenge a wide range of projects, including development, recreation, and grazing as well as fuels reduction. The agencydenied in full 54.6 percent of all appeals filed. The database provides a tool for informing the debate over appeals of Forest Service decisions but also opens up new lines of inquiry.
Conflict-Cost Based Random Sampling Design for Parallel MRI with Low Rank Constraints

In compressed sensing MRI, it is very important to design sampling pattern for random sampling. For example, SAKE (simultaneous auto-calibrating and k-space estimation) is a parallel MRI reconstruction method using random undersampling. It formulates image reconstruction as a structured low-rank matrix completion problem. Variable density (VD) Poisson discs are typically adopted for 2D random sampling. The basic concept of Poisson disc generation is to guarantee samples are neither too close to nor too far away from each other. However, it is difficult to meet such a condition especially in the high density region. Therefore the sampling becomes inefficient. In this paper, we present an improved random sampling pattern for SAKE reconstruction. The pattern is generated based on a conflict cost with a probability model. The conflict cost measures how many dense samples already assigned are around a target location, while the probability model adopts the generalized Gaussian distribution which includes uniform and Gaussian-like distributions as special cases. Our method preferentially assigns a sample to a k-space location with the least conflict cost on the circle of the highest probability. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed random pattern, we compare the performance of SAKEs using both VD Poisson discs and the proposed pattern. Experimental results for brain data show that the proposed pattern yields lower normalized mean square error (NMSE) than VD Poisson discs.
Dynamics of hemagglutinin-mediated membrane fusion.

Membrane fusion is ubiquitous in biology, both in natural cellular functions such as neurotransmission and in pathological processes such as viral infection. The fusion of lipid bilayer membranes involves membrane contact, merger, and formation of an aqueous fusion pore, allowing the merging of separate compartments (either extracellular or intracellular) and mixing of their contents. For example, in neurotransmission, the soluble N -ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) mediates fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane to release neurotransmitters, driven by zipping of the four-helix bundle of the SNARE complex (1). Enveloped viruses such as the influenza virus and HIV infect target host cells through an analogous protein-mediated membrane fusion process (2), releasing the viral contents into the host cell. Hence, membrane fusion is of fundamental importance and also of practical interest for its potential role in efficient drug delivery, or the prevention of viral infection by blocking the pathway of entry into the cell. Membrane fusion has significant activation barriers associated with accessing high-energy, nonbilayer intermediate structures, arising from dehydration of membrane surfaces and bending the bilayer (1, 3, 4). The barriers for the two transitions from separate membranes to a hemifused intermediate and from there to pore formation have been estimated from experiments and simulations to range from 20 to 80 k B T , yielding a total energy barrier to achieve membrane fusion of greater than 40 k B T (4). Fusion proteins may lower these barriers and provide the necessary impetus to overcome them, for example by refolding with the release of substantial free energy. Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) has served as a paradigm for understanding the mechanism of protein-mediated membrane fusion (5⇓–7), and it is also an important target for antiviral drug development (8⇓⇓⇓–12). Various mechanisms have … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: briandyer{at}emory.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The building blocks of precision oral health in early childhood: the ZOE 2.0 study

Improving children's oral health is a long-standing area of priority and sustained efforts by many stakeholders. Despite these efforts, dental caries, particularly early childhood caries (ECC), persists as a clinical and dental public health problem with multilevel consequences. Despite recent successes in the non-restorative management of dental caries, remarkably little has been done in the domain of ECC prevention. There is promise and expectation that meaningful improvements in early childhood oral health and ECC prevention can be made via the advent of precision medicine in the oral health domain. We posit that precision dentistry, including genomic influences, may be best examined in the context of well-characterized communities (versus convenience clinical samples) and the impact of contextual factors including geography and social disadvantage may be explainable via mechanistic (i.e., biological) research. This notion is aligned with the population approach in precision medicine, which calls for the latter to be predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory. The article highlights research directions that must be developed for precision dentistry and precision dental public health to be realized. In this context, we describe the rationale, activities, and early insights gained from the ZOE 2.0 study - a large-scale, community-based, genetic epidemiologic study of early childhood oral health. We anticipate that this long-term research program will illuminate foundational domains for the advancement of precision dentistry and precision dental public health. Ultimately, this new knowledge can help catalyze the development of effective preventive and therapeutic modalities via actions at the policy, community, family, and person level.
Criminal Prosecutions and the 2008 Financial Crisis in the US and Iceland: What Can A Small Town Icelandic Police Chief Teach the US About Prosecuting Wall Street?

Politicians, journalists, and academics alike highlight the paucity of criminal prosecutions for senior financial executives in the United States in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. One common argument for the lack of prosecutions is that, though industry players behaved recklessly, they did not behave criminally. This Article evaluates this claim by detailing the civil and small number of criminal actions actually taken, and by reviewing leading arguments about whether behavior before the crisis was criminal. Rejecting the “reckless innocence” explanation, this Article provides examples of criminal behavior that could have been prosecuted and reviews the literature on why there were few cases made, despite potential criminal activity. Though scholars identify numerous explanations, this Article argues a combination of inadequate investigatory resources and regulatory capture offers the best explanation. This Article then explains Iceland’s different approach and why it successfully criminally prosecuted senior executives from its three largest banks, among others. Though the size of the two economies and the impact of the crisis for each explain a large part of the different roads taken, the independence and outsider status of Iceland’s prosecutor also contributed to, and is instructive for, how the U.S. could structure its regulatory apparatus, should it want to prioritize prosecutions in the future.
Distorted Inverse Spinel Nickel Cobaltite Grown ona MoS 2 Plate for Significantly Improved Water SplittingActivity

Sluggish water dissociation kinetics on nonprecious metal oxide electrocatalysts is considered as the rate-limiting step for the development of hydrogen evolution in alkaline media. A unique hetero...
The impact of cirrhosis and MELD score on postoperative morbidity and mortality among patients selected for liver resection.

Abstract Background Independent associations between chronic liver disease, MELD, and postoperative outcomes among patients selected for liver resection have not been completely established. We hypothesized independent associations between MELD, cirrhosis, and postoperative mortality. Methods Patient-level data from the targeted hepatectomy module and ACS NSQIP PUF during 2014–2015 were merged. Multivariable regression models with interaction effect between MELD and liver texture (normal, congested/fatty, cirrhotic) tested the independent effects of covariates on mortality and morbidity. Results 3,530 patients were included, of whom 668 patients (19%) had cirrhosis. ACS NSQIP defined mortality (3.9%vs1.1%) and morbidity (23.5%vs15.8%) were higher in patients with cirrhosis (both p Conclusions Higher MELD and presence of cirrhosis have an independent negative effect on mortality after liver resection. MELD could be used to estimate postoperative risk in patients with and without cirrhosis.
A case of treatment-emergent central sleep apnea?

CITATIONRyals S, McCullough L, Wagner M, Berry R, Dibra M. A case of treatment-emergent central sleep apnea? J Clin Sleep Med. 2020;16(2):331–334.
Testing conditional mean independence for functional data

SummaryWe propose a new nonparametric conditional mean independence test for a response variable $Y$ and a predictor variable $X$ where either or both can be function-valued. Our test is built on a new metric, the so-called functional martingale difference divergence, which fully characterizes the conditional mean dependence of $Y$ given $X$ and extends the martingale difference divergence proposed by Shao & Zhang (2014). We define an unbiased estimator of functional martingale difference divergence by using a $\mathcal{U}$-centring approach, and we obtain its limiting null distribution under mild assumptions. Since the limiting null distribution is not pivotal, we use the wild bootstrap method to estimate the critical value and show the consistency of the bootstrap test. Our test can detect the local alternative which approaches the null at the rate of $n^{-1/2}$ with a nontrivial power, where $n$ is the sample size. Unlike the three tests developed by Kokoszka et al. (2008), Lei (2014) and Patilea et al. (2016), our test does not require a finite-dimensional projection or assume a linear model, and it does not involve any tuning parameters. Promising finite-sample performance is demonstrated via simulations, and a real-data illustration is used to compare our test with existing ones.
Structural Basis of CD4 Downregulation by HIV-1 Nef

The HIV-1 protein Nef suppresses multiple immune surveillance mechanisms to promote viral pathogenesis1. Individuals infected with HIV-1 encoding defective nef genes do not develop AIDS for decades2,3. A key target of Nef is the cellular receptor CD4. Although essential for viral entry into host cells, CD4 is problematic for the virus later in its replication cycle: CD4 disrupts processing of the viral glycoprotein, Env, inhibiting infectivity4; it interferes with the release of new virions5,6; and it causes vulnerability to superinfection, causing premature cell death and limiting viral productivity7. Furthermore, binding of CD4 to Env exposes otherwise-concealed Env epitopes, rendering infected cells more susceptible to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and virus particles more susceptible to neutralizing antibodies8-10. HIV-1 has evolved strategies to mitigate these problems. Newly synthesized CD4 is targeted in the endoplasmic reticulum by the viral Vpu protein for proteasomal degradation11. Surface-expressed CD4, in contrast, is targeted by Nef for endocytosis and lysosomal degradation12-15. Nef’s effect on CD4 involves hijacking of clathrin adaptor complex 2 (AP2)-dependent endocytosis16,17. Although how Nef associates with a part of the tetrameric AP2 is understood18, a complete understanding of the interaction, especially how CD4 is sequestered by Nef into a complex with AP2, has remained elusive. Here, we present a high-resolution crystal structure that describes the underlying mechanism. An intricate combination of conformational changes occurs in both Nef and AP2 to enable CD4 binding and downregulation. Strikingly, a pocket on Nef previously identified as crucial for recruiting class I MHC is also responsible for recruiting CD4, revealing a potential approach to inhibit two of Nef’s activities and sensitize the virus to immune clearance
Machine Learning in Laryngoscopy Analysis: A Proof of Concept Observational Study for the Identification of Post-Extubation Ulcerations and Granulomas.

Objective:Computer-aided analysis of laryngoscopy images has potential to add objectivity to subjective evaluations. Automated classification of biomedical images is extremely challenging due to th...
On the intrinsic dissipation and fracture fatigue entropy of metals

Abstract Determination of the fracture fatigue entropy (FFE) in materials requires a proper assessment of the intrinsic dissipation terms in the entropy production equation. In this paper, physical terms that contribute to internal friction and their implications on measuring FFE in metals are discussed. We show that internal friction is one of the terms in the intrinsic dissipation equation that cannot be neglected even for low-cycle fatigue tests (LCF). Relevant to measuring internal friction, we also introduce a technique to identify the fatigue limit of metals by measuring their damping value at different stress levels. Fatigue tests are performed to examine the validity of the proposed technique for two types of steels (SS 304 and SS 1018). By comparing our results with the available data in the literature, we find that the discrepancy is less than 10%. The temperature dependence of internal friction for SS304 specimens is also investigated. The result demonstrates a linear relationship and the existence of a peak.
An unprotected tributary has no detectable impact on macroinvertebrates in a Wild and Scenic River in the southeast (Chattooga)

The use of land in the Stekoa Creek watershed could impact its greater drainage basin, the Chattooga River watershed, Georgia, USA. Leaf litter packs were used to collect invertebrates in Stekoa Creek and in the Chattooga both above and below its confluence with Stekoa Creek. Macroinvertebrate community characteristics can be indicators of the health of the environment that is inhabited. Macroinvertebrates were identified and communities were analyzed to determine similarity, richness, and diversity. Land cover data were analyzed using Geographical Information System to understand land use and subsequent invertebrate community assemblages of the Stekoa and Chattooga watersheds. While no differences were found in invertebrate assemblages, there was a higher amount of urbanized land in the Stekoa watershed. These results suggest that while there are some landscape level differences between watersheds, a response in the invertebrate community was not detected.
Capture: American pursuits and the making of the new animal condition: by Antoine Traisnel, Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota Press, 2020, 296 pp., 28 bw $108.00 (hbk.), ISBN 978-1-5179-0963-5

Antoine Traisnel's Capture: American Pursuits and the Making of a New Animal Condition offers a fascinating genealogy of the representations of nonhuman animals that emerged in the United States du...
Understanding Patients' Perceived Health After Critical Illness: Analysis of Two Prospective, Longitudinal Studies of ARDS Survivors.

Background Perceived health is one of the strongest determinants of subjective well-being, but it has received little attention among survivors of ARDS. Research question How well do self-reported measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning predict perceived overall health (measured using the EQ-5D visual analog scale [EQ-5D-VAS]) among adult survivors of ARDS? Are demographic features, comorbidity, or severity of illness correlated with perceived health after controlling for self-reported functioning? Study Design and Methods We analyzed the ARDSNet Long Term Outcomes Study (ALTOS) and Improving Care of Acute Lung Injury Patients (ICAP) Study, two longitudinal cohorts with a total of 823 survivors from 44 US hospitals, which prospectively assessed survivors at 6 and 12 months after ARDS. Perceived health, evaluated using the EQ-5D-VAS, was predicted using ridge regression and self-reported measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning. The difference between observed and predicted perceived health was termed perspective deviation (PD). Correlations between PD and demographics, comorbidities, and severity of illness were explored. Results The correlation between observed and predicted EQ-5D-VAS scores ranged from 0.68 to 0.73 across the two cohorts and time points. PD ranged from –80 to +34 and was more than the minimum clinically important difference for 52% to 55% of survivors. Neither demographic features, comorbidity, nor severity of illness were correlated strongly with PD, with |r| Interpretation About half of survivors of ARDS showed clinically important differences in actual perceived health vs predicted perceived health based on self-reported measures of functioning. Survivors of ARDS demographic features, comorbidities, and severity of illness were correlated only weakly with perceived health after controlling for measures of perceived functioning, highlighting the challenge of predicting how individual patients will respond psychologically to new impairments after critical illness.
Brain extracellular space of the naked mole-rat expands and maintains normal diffusion under ischemic conditions.

Abstract Brain extracellular space (ECS) forms a conduit for diffusion, an essential mode of molecular transport between brain vasculature, neurons and glia. ECS volume is reduced under conditions of hypoxia and ischemia, contributing to impaired extracellular diffusion and consequent neuronal dysfunction and death. We investigated the ECS volume fraction and diffusion permeability of the African naked mole-rat (NM-R; Heterocephalus Glaber), a rodent with a remarkably high tolerance for hypoxia and ischemia. Real-Time Iontophoretic and Integrative Optical Imaging methods were used to evaluate diffusion transport in cortical slices under normoxic and ischemic conditions, and results were compared to values previously collected in rats. NM-R brains under normoxic conditions had a smaller ECS volume fraction than rats, and a correspondingly decreased diffusion permeability for macromolecules. Surprisingly, and in sharp contrast to rats, the NM-R ECS responded to ischemic conditions at the center of thick brain slices by expanding, rather than shrinking, and preserving diffusion permeabilities for small and large molecules. The NM-R thick slices also showed a blunted accumulation of ECS potassium compared to rats. The remarkable dynamic response of the NM-R ECS to ischemia likely demonstrates an adaptation for NM-R to maintain brain function in their extreme nest environment.
Analyzing admissions metrics as predictors of graduate GPA and whether graduate GPA mediates Ph.D. completion

Undergraduate grade point average predicts graduate grades and PhD completion more effectively than GRE scores.
An Internal Energy-dependent model for the Grüneisen parameter of silicate liquids

Abstract We investigated the accuracy of the Mie-Gruneisen approximation, which treats the Gruneisen parameter ( γ ) as a one-parameter function of volume, for use in describing the thermal equation of state of a silicate liquid. For this study, we focused on a single composition: the diopside-anorthite eutectic, an Fe-free basalt analog that has been extensively studied by shock wave experiments. We tuned an empirical force-field to a small set of ab initio N-V-T molecular dynamics simulations to ensure that it reproduces pressure, heat capacity, and γ at high and low pressures. We then used empirical force-field molecular dynamics simulations in a larger system and for longer run times to ensure accurate extraction of γ at numerous N-V-E state points. To first order, the results show the expected volume-dependence for silicate liquids, with γ increasing as volume decreases. However, there are also significant and systematic variations of γ with internal energy (E) at constant volume. We propose a simple model form that captures the volume and E dependence of γ with only one more free parameter than a typical Mie-Gruneisen formulation. We demonstrate the utility of this new model for well-constrained fitting to sparse shock wave experiment data below 200 GPa, obtaining a marked improvement in the ability to simultaneously fit the pre-heated liquid Hugoniot and points substantially offset from this Hugoniot.
El fraude en la información empresarial en el marco de las relaciones financieras

Financial system is based on conﬁdence. Information is placed at the roots of decision taking and its fairness is critical for maintaining the conﬁdence. Information’s Fraud seriously alters this pillar of ﬁnancial system and creates social alarm. This paper shows Cressey’s methodology for detecting fraud and conceptualizes that in any fraud meets a pressure or incentive for committing the fraud, an opportunity for doing it and avoiding its discovery and a fraudster’s reasoning that ethically justiﬁes his/her behavior. On these bases, the paper reviews several debates that deal to mitigate fraudulent behaviors.
Correlative Studies Between Multi-Plane Tomographic Nuclear Imaging and Grey Scale Ultrasound in Extra and Intrahepatic Abnormalities

Differentiating between intra and extrahepatic abnormalities by conventional nuclear imaging has often been difficult particularly in the transitional and left lobe regions of the liver. The development of a commercially available multi-plane tomographic scanner has provided a means of better visualizing these difficult regions in three dimensions. In addition, the improved resolution and intra-organ detail now possible with commercially available second generation grey scale ultrasound has provided a rapid way of further localizing and characterizing the isotope defects.
Erratum to: Abnormal Myocardial Strain Indices in Children Receiving Anthracycline Chemotherapy

Erratum to: Pediatr Cardiol DOI 10.1007/s00246-015-1203-8. The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the author’s group. The given name of Payam Ghazi was misspelled and the first and middle names of John Lynn Jefferies were interchanged. The two co-author names are corrected with this erratum.
Specific domains of nucleolin interact with Hdm2 and antagonize Hdm2-mediated p53-ubiquitination

Nucleolin is an abundant multifunctional nucleolar protein with defined roles in ribosomal RNA processing, RNA polymerase I catalyzed transcription and the regulation of apoptosis. Earlier we reported that human nucleolin binds to the p53 antagonist human double minute 2 (Hdm2) as determined by reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation assays using cell lysates. We also demonstrated that nucleolin antagonizes Hdm2-mediated degradation of p53. Here, we identify specific domains of nucleolin and Hdm2 proteins that support mutual interaction and investigate the implications of complex formation on p53 ubiquitination and protein levels. Our data indicate that the nucleolin N-terminus as well as the central RNA-binding domain (RBD) are predominantly involved in binding to Hdm2. The nucleolin RBD robustly bound to the NLS/NES (nuclear localization and export signals) domain of Hdm2 in vitro, while the N-terminus of nucleolin preferentially associated with the Hdm2 RING (really interesting new gene) domain expressed in cells. We further demonstrate that the C-terminal glycine-arginine rich domain of nucleolin serves as the predominant binding domain for direct interaction with p53. While overexpression of nucleolin or its various domains had no significant effect on Hdm2 auto-ubiquitination, the nucleolin RBD antagonized the Hdm2 E3 ligase activity against p53, leading to p53 stabilization. Conversely, the adjacent glycine-arginine rich domain of nucleolin interacted with p53 causing a modest stimulatory effect on p53 ubiquitination. These data suggest that changes in nucleolin conformation can alter the availabilities of such domains in vivo to modulate the overall impact of nucleolin on Hdm2 activity and hence on p53 stability.
The Future of Education Research Publishing: Challenges and Responses

This special issue of Education Policy Analysis Archives addresses scholarly production and publishing (the two are intimately related) in the field of education. Worldwide scholars are facing similar global pressures for “excellence” and where the personal and institutional production of excellent scholarship is being compared with simple measures. In some parts of the world, these measures of productivity are fast becoming more immediately consequential than whatever else may be produced as a result of scholarship (purpose, critical reflection, insight, meaning, progress, to list some examples). This essay presents the challenges and responses identified by the eight contributions for this special issue on the future of education research publishing. .
Transgenic plants and biosafety: science, misconceptions and public perceptions.

One usually thinks of plant biology as a non-controversial topic, but the concerns raised over the biosafety of genetically modified (GM) plants have reached disproportionate levels relative to the actual risks. While the technology of changing the genome of plants has been gradually refined and increasingly implemented, the commercialization of GM crops has exploded. Today's commercialized transgenic plants have been produced using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation or gene gun-mediated transformation. Recently, incremental improvements of biotechnologies, such as the use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a selectable marker, have been developed. Non-transformation genetic modification technologies such as chimeraplasty will be increasingly used to more precisely modify germplasm. In spite of the increasing knowledge about genetic modification of plants, concerns over ecological and food biosafety have escalated beyond scientific rationality. While several risks associated with GM crops and foods have been identified, the popular press, spurred by colorful protest groups, has left the general public with a sense of imminent danger. Reviewed here are the risks that are currently under research. Ecological biosafety research has identified potential risks associated with certain crop/transgene combinations, such as intra- and interspecific transgene flow, persistence and the consequences of transgenes in unintended hosts. Resistance management strategies for insect resistance transgenes and non-target effects of these genes have also been studied. Food biosafety research has focused on transgenic product toxicity and allergenicity. However, an estimated 3.5 x 10(12) transgenic plants have been grown in the U.S. in the past 12 years, with over two trillion being grown in 1999 and 2000 alone. These large numbers and the absence of any negative reports of compromised biosafety indicate that genetic modification by biotechnology poses no immediate or significant risks and that resulting food products from GM crops are as safe as foods from conventional varieties. We are increasingly convinced that scientists have a duty to conduct objective research and to effectively communicate the results--especially those pertaining to the relative risks and potential benefits--to scientists first and then to the public. All stakeholders in the technology need more effective dialogues to better understand risks and benefits of adopting or not adopting agricultural biotechnologies.
Abstract 19706: CD39/CD73 Pathway in End-stage Human Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: CD39 (ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase) is a nucleotidase expressed on endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscles cells, and leukocytes. CD39 plays a key role in vascular homeostasis, hydrolyzing extracellular ATP or ADP to AMP. CD73 (ecto-5’-nculeotidase) hydrolyzes AMP to adenosine. Both CD39 and CD73 are key modulators of purinergic signaling and have been shown to be important in ischemic preconditioning and ischemia reperfusion in animal models. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the expression of the purine nucleotide-metabolizing pathway consisting of CD39 and CD73 in human hearts with ischemic cardiomyopathy is unregulated in response to ischemia. Methods: We compared the expression of CD39 and CD73 in left ventricular samples from patients with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy and normal hearts. Left ventricular tissue obtained from 7 end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy hearts and 7 normal hearts not used for transplantation were homogenized and the levels of CD39 and CD73 mRNA were measured by qRT-PCR. Using the same tissue, immunoblot analysis for the protein level of CD39 and CD73 was conducted. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis of CD39 and CD73 expression was conducted on left ventricular tissue from the same subjects. Results: The total mRNA levels of CD39 and CD73 were increased in patients with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, while there was a reduction in the total CD73 protein levels that did not reach significance, there was a marked reduction in the the total protein level of CD39 in ICM hearts (Figure). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the expression pattern of CD39 was significantly different in ICM hearts compared to normal hearts. Conclusions: These data provide important evidence that the extracellular nucleotide metabolizing pathway is altered in ICM. CD39 protein levels are significantly reduced in human end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Is There Excess Oxidative Stress and Damage in Eyes of Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of diseases in which a mutation in one of the large variety of genes causes death of rod photoreceptors. After rods die, cone photoreceptors gradually die resulting in constriction of visual fields and eventual blindness in many patients. Studies in animal models of RP have demonstrated that oxidative damage is a major contributor to cone cell death. In this study, we extended those findings to patients with RP, because compared to control patients, those with RP showed significant reduction in the reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio in aqueous humor and a significant increase in aqueous protein carbonyl content. In contrast, there was no significant decrease in the serum GSH/GSSG ratio or increase in carbonyl content of serum proteins. These data indicate that patients with RP have ocular oxidative stress and damage in the absence of manifestations of systemic oxidative stress and/or damage indicating that demonstrations of oxidative damage-induc...
History of Physiology

Modern approaches to physiology developed during the second half of the nineteenth century, but philosophical inquiries into the vital functions of animals and plants are very ancient. Major developments in the history of physiology include William Harvey's demonstration of the circulation of the blood in the seventeenth century and Claude Bernard's discovery of internal secretions in the nineteenth century. Keywords: mechanism; vitalism; endocrinology; hormones; neuroendocrinology; muscle physiology; homeostasis; cell biology; biochemistry
Integrating binding constraints in the synthesis of area-efficient self-recovering microarchitectures

Fault-tolerance increases hardware reliability of a VLSI design but it also has the disadvantage of increasing chip area. This area overhead can however be minimized by consideration of fault-tolerance during the high-level synthesis stage of design. We introduce an intertwined scheduling and binding algorithm for self-recovering fault-tolerant designs. Two copies in a self-recovering design have to be performed by disjoint sets of hardware to maintain fault-tolerance under a single fault assumption. The proposed algorithm is the first that satisfies the hardware disjointness condition which is necessary for fault-tolerant design. Area efficient self-recovering microarchitectures are achieved through novel binding techniques which influence scheduling decisions. Various synthesis benchmarks are used to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. >
What a “Drop-Out” Reveals About the Nocebo Effect in Patients (P3.282)

OBJECTIVE: We report a nocebo phenomenon leading to withdrawal from a controlled epilepsy study in a patient with prior generic switching intolerance. BACKGROUND: A nocebo effect, a negative response due to expectation, has been largely overlooked but accounts for considerable discontinuation rates in medical trials. “Bioequivalence in Epilepsy Patients” (BEEP) is an outpatient bioequivalence study of brand Lamictal versus a generic lamotrigine product. The design is double blinded and subjects are randomized to dosing over two periods with brand and two with generic product. METHODS: Subject 009, an adult male with epilepsy, was enrolled into BEEP, randomized, and blinded to lamotrigine manufacturer (brand or generic). Methods included scheduled contacts, diaries and pillcounting for adherence and adverse event reporting. RESULTS: Throughout, Subject 009 exhibited an active, albeit not accurate, awareness to switching between brand and generic. Shortly after starting period 1 (brand) he reported seizure exacerbation. On day 7 of period 2 (generic), he wrote “No episodes. Now, I think this is name brand.” Periods 2 (generic) and 3 (brand) were unremarkable. When switched to period 4 (generic), adverse events were immediate. He reported depression and paranoia, and experienced two seizures. We suspect he recalled prolonged successful outcomes, and therefore expected adverse effects with the last switch. Seizures on days 3 and 4 (“this last switch caused seizures”) led to early termination on day 5. By day 6, he was seizure-free and predicted “will be 100% tomorrow”. These results indicate a nocebo effect under controlled conditions leading to study dropout. Thereafter, the subject was at baseline and seizure-free. CONCLUSION: Our subject experienced a nocebo effect sufficient to warrant withdrawal from a blinded bioequivalence study of brand versus generic lamotrigine. The nocebo phenomenon may contribute to other patients’ reported sensitivity to product switching and should be considered in assessments of generic equivalence. Disclosure: Dr. Ting has nothing to disclose. Dr. Polli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jiang has nothing to disclose.
Glutathione disulfide formation and oxidant stress during acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice in vivo: the protective effect of allopurinol.

Acetaminophen (500 mg/kg i.p.) induced hepatotoxicity in fasted ICR mice in vivo. Acetaminophen also caused a long-lasting 50% reduction of the hepatic ATP content, an irreversible loss of hepatic xanthine dehydrogenase activity and a transient increase of the xanthine oxidase activity. All effects occurred before parenchymal cell damage, i.e., the release of cellular enzymes. The hepatic content of GSH and GSSG was initially depleted by acetaminophen without affecting the GSSG:GSH ratio (1:200), however, during the recovery phase of the hepatic GSH levels the GSSG content increased faster than GSH, resulting in a GSSG:GSH ratio of 1:18 24 h after acetaminophen administration. The mitochondrial GSSG content increased from 2% in controls to greater than 20% in acetaminophen-treated mice. The extremely elevated tissue GSSG levels were accompanied by a 4-fold increase of the plasma GSSG concentrations but not by an enhanced biliary efflux, although hepatic GSSG formation and biliary excretion were not affected by acetaminophen. Allopurinol protected dose-dependently against acetaminophen-induced cell injury, the loss of ATP and the increase of the GSSG content in the total liver and in the mitochondrial compartment without inhibiting reactive metabolite formation. High, protective as well as low, nonprotective doses of allopurinol almost completely inhibited hepatic xanthine oxidase and dehydrogenase activity, but only high doses prevented the increase of the mitochondrial GSSG content. The data indicate a long-lasting, primarily intracellular oxidant stress during the progression phase of acetaminophen-induced cell necrosis. The protective effect of allopurinol is unlikely to involve the inhibition of reactive oxygen formation by xanthine oxidase but could be the result of its antioxidant property.
Myocardial Function With Reduced Expression of the Sodium-Calcium Exchanger

Abstract Background The complete removal of the cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX1) is associated with embryonic lethality, whereas its overexpression is linked to heart failure. To determine whether or not a reduced expression of NCX1 is compatible with normal heart structure and function, we studied 2 knockout (KO) mouse models with reduced levels of NCX1: a heterozygous global KO (HG-KO) with a 50% level of NCX1 expression in all myocytes, and a ventricular-specific KO (V-KO) with NCX1 expression in only 10% to 20% of the myocytes. Methods and Results Both groups of mice were evaluated at baseline, after transaortic constriction (TAC), and after acute or chronic β-adrenergic stimulation. At baseline, the HG-KO mice had smaller hearts and the V-KO mice had larger hearts than their wild-type (WT) controls ( P P Conclusions Though NCX1 can be reduced by half in all myocytes without significant functional alterations, it must be expressed in more than 20% of the myocytes to prevent severe remodeling and heart failure in mouse heart.
Disaster Research in Social Work

SUMMARY Disaster research in social work has deep roots in the profession'S history of disaster relief, social work'S mission to create resources and make them accessible to people, and the profession'S service to vulnerable populations. Social workers have important and unique contributions to make to disaster research through their expertise in ecological approaches, prevention, stress and coping, and promoting change in micro and macro systems. Disaster research in social work borrows primarily from psychology and sociology, and is conducted in clinical, organizational, and community contexts. Further social work research on disaster promises improved theory, measurement, and practice in situations of collective Stress.
Investigating the disaster in New York City: conducting field research following the collapse of the World Trade Center

The terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, created a unique opportunity for those engaged in disaster research. Within days of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and the attack on the Pentagon, the ‘‘Quick Response’’ ~QR! research grant program, funded by the National Science Foundation ~NSF! and administered by the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center ~Hazards Center! at the University of Colorado, Boulder, was supplemented with additional funds to allow hazard researchers the opportunity to gain rapid access to the location of the incidents. On September 14, a call for proposals was issued by the Hazards Center that encouraged scholars to examine issues related to the events of September 11. The writers of this research note were notified on September 24 that they were the recipients of one of those QR grants. Our research objective was to document the initial social and organizational processes involved in the management of victim identification following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Two weeks following the World Trade Center collapse, the writers spent 4 days ~September 26–29! in New York City conducting field research. We conducted semistructured interviews with representatives of Greater New York Hospital Association ~which established and coordinated the official patient locater system on their Web site and is the official liaison between New York area hospitals and the city’s Office of Emergency Services! and several area hospitals. The research team also observed activities at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94 ~the centralized clearinghouse for victim assistance!, the City Emergency Command Center, and several New York City Fire Department locations, among other disaster-related sites. Since events were still unfolding during the time the research team was in New York City, we were unable to get access to key officials from the New York City Office of Emergency Services, the Office of the Medical Examiner, the New York State Office of Emergency Services, and FEMA who were involved in victim identification. We anticipate making several additional trips to conduct interviews with these and other important participants. This forum addresses the preliminary lessons we learned while conducting field research in New York City. It is hoped that these lessons will assist future quick response research teams as they go about their work.
Plant and Soil Responses to Created Microtopography and Soil Treatments in Bottomland Hardwood Forest Restoration

Although microtopographic heterogeneity is common in bottomland hardwood forests, it is rarely considered in bottomland restoration efforts. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of hydrologic condition, soil physiochemical properties, and introduced and colonizing vegetation to created microtopography and soil treatments at a landfill borrow pit in northern Texas. A series of mounds and pools were created and planted with fast-growing pioneer species as well as more desirable, later-successional species. Erosion control mats were installed on half the plots as a source of organic matter. Erosion control mats had little influence on introduced seedling survival or colonizing species abundance, but microtopography strongly influenced hydrologic condition, soil properties, seedling survival and growth, and colonizing species abundance and distribution. Pools were flooded during much of the summer months and had significantly higher nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations than mounds. Topographic position had little effect on survival of pioneer species, but mortality of most later-successional species was highest in pools. Colonizing species distribution and abundance were also strongly related to topographic position. Despite differences in soil nutrient concentration among topographic zones, hydrologic condition likely had the strongest influence on growth and survival of planted species and distribution of colonizing species. Creating microtopography resulted in a spatially heterogeneous system that reflected variations in natural bottomlands, and introducing a mix of species (pioneer and later-successional) across topographic and hydrologic gradients may improve the establishment and survival of a diverse community when hydrologic condition is highly variable or difficult to predict.