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In US government courses, simulations have been shown to increase students’ engagement and knowledge retention. We present an original simulation that focuses on both the interactions between political institutions that contribute to policy making and the normative ideas underlying politics. By exploring a civil rights or liberties policy area, students learn about the importance of both political institutions and foundational political ideas such as liberty and equality. Students role-play members of Congress, lobbyists for a pro- or anti-natural gas pipeline group, and Supreme Court justices. Although the goal of simulations in many US government courses is to teach students about the ways that institutions shape policy, this is the first (to our knowledge) that also integrates normative reflection on the ideas behind political arguments. Assessment indicates that the simulation was effective in increasing students’ knowledge of and/or interest in American political institutions and eminent domain.

Background Since the prolonged use of insecticidal proteins has led to toxin resistance, it is important to search for novel insecticidal protein genes (IPGs) that are effective in controlling resistant insect populations. IPGs are usually encoded in the genomes of entomopathogenic bacteria, especially in large plasmids in strains of the ubiquitous soil bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Since there are often multiple similar IPGs encoded by such plasmids, their assemblies are typically fragmented and many IPGs are scattered through multiple contigs. As a result, existing gene prediction tools (that analyze individual contigs) typically predict partial rather than complete IPGs, making it difficult to conduct downstream IPG engineering efforts in agricultural genomics. Methods Although it is difficult to assemble IPGs in a single contig, the structure of the genome assembly graph often provides clues on how to combine multiple contigs into segments encoding a single IPG. Results We describe ORFograph, a pipeline for predicting IPGs in assembly graphs, benchmark it on (meta)genomic datasets, and discover nearly a hundred novel IPGs. This work shows that graph-aware gene prediction tools enable the discovery of greater diversity of IPGs from (meta)genomes. Conclusions We demonstrated that analysis of the assembly graphs reveals novel candidate IPGs. ORFograph identified both already known genes “hidden” in assembly graphs and potential novel IPGs that evaded existing tools for IPG identification. As ORFograph is fast, one could imagine a pipeline that processes many (meta)genomic assembly graphs to identify even more novel IPGs for phenotypic testing than would previously be inaccessible by traditional gene-finding methods. While here we demonstrated the results of ORFograph only for IPGs, the proposed approach can be generalized to any class of genes.

This article explores how the 2013 Woolwich murder in the streets of London and the conflict in Syria “played out” in one high security prison in the north of England. Building on research that has...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: People with severe and persistent mental illness have increased psychosocial and physical morbidity. This study sought to understand patient engagement and satisfaction with general practice. METHOD: A survey study of people attending community mental health clinics included Likert scale items about general practice engagement, satisfaction, access enablers and attendance challenges. RESULTS: Of 82 respondents, 85% had a regular general practitioner (GP), and 99% had visited a GP at least once in the past 12 months (32% had visited a GP >10 times). Eighty-eight per cent of respondents were satisfied with their current GP's care. Significantly more respondents were satisfied with the GP's focus on their physical than their mental health concerns (95% versus 76% respectively, P

We describe waiting times for pediatric heart transplant (HT) candidates after the 2016 revision to the US allocation policy. The OPTN database was queried for pediatric HT candidates listed between 7/2016 and 4/2019. Of the 1789 included candidates, 65% underwent HT, 14% died/deteriorated, 8% were removed for improvement, and 13% were still waiting at the end of follow-up. Most candidates were status 1A at HT (81%). Median wait times differ substantially by listing status, blood type, and recipient weight. The likelihood of HT was lower in candidates25 kg and in those with blood type O; The25 kg, blood type O subgroup experiences longer wait times and higher wait list mortality. For status 1A candidates, median wait times were 108 days (≤25 kg, blood type O), 80 days (≤25 kg, non-O), 47 days (25 kg, O), and 24 days (25 kg, non-O). We found that centers with more selective organ acceptance practices, based on a lower median Pediatric Heart Donor Assessment Tool (PH-DAT) score for completed transplants, experience longer status 1A wait times for their listed patients. These data can be used to counsel families and to select appropriate advanced heart failure therapies to support patients to transplant.

The history of religion in the twentieth century points to dramatic transformations as New Age spiritualities emerged alongside traditional religion and the sacred came into tension with the secula...

The study of closed-mindedness has garnered much attention in the psychological study of religion and prejudice (Burch-Brown and Baker, 2016), the psychology of religious fundamentalism (Hood, Williamson and Hill, 2005), and the study of religious violence (Gambetta and Hertog, 2009; Strozier et al., 2010). However, the study of open-mindedness in religion and theology has received comparatively less attention in its own right. It is common to consider that ‘closed-mindedness is probably the normal state of a person who is committed to a religious faith…’ and that ‘religion may be one of those areas in which complexity is not helpful’ (Beit-Hallahmi and Argyle, 1997, p. 170). Theological traditions, particularly those reflecting on theologies of the religious other and theologies of religious pluralism, challenge this assertion. Theology has a rich lineage that has considered what might constitute openness to other faith traditions, presenting an opportunity for pausing to reflect on the relationship between religion and open-mindedness.

In the setting of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an emergency hospital-wide eWork policy was enacted at Boston Children’s Hospital on March 16, 2020. The number of clinicians on campus was restricted to only essential personnel, guidelines limited clinical care delivery to solely non-elective patients, and strict maximums were placed on the numbers of people allowed to congregate in the same physical space. With this abrupt transition to social distancing and electronic communication, the established approach to educating graduate medical trainees became obsolete overnight. Anticipating significant impact on trainee and faculty professional and personal lives, the importance of adaptive teaching strategies was evident. This document details one approach to redesigning the clinical learning system including a description of the learners and environment, the pedagogical principles that guided the approach, and technological tools used in implementation. Additionally, available literature pertinent to this topic is explored, assessment of the work to date is presented, and suggestions are provided regarding future directions related to online graduate medical education., Highlights • Online graduate medical education is complementary to traditional approaches • Opportunities for innovation in graduate medical education • Blended teaching may play a prominent role in the future of medical education • Collaboration is critical for optimizing learning opportunities

Surviving prison has always involved ‘action’ and game playing. Higher stakes—‘life-trashing sentences’, the fear and risk of radicalization, increased incidences of homicide and labyrinth routes out—have compounded the experience of struggle: to be heard, for dignity, against exposure to violent injustice, and for release; the wrestling of ‘the self’ against a bleak and unyielding bureaucracy. In this article, we revisit McDermott and King’s Mind Games: Where the Action is in Prison showing how long-term prisoners are exposed to unregulated, unfathomable forms of power and action, and how long-term imprisonment feels increasingly like being ‘abandoned by humanity.’

Why people seek help is a question shared by both health psychologists and scholars of spiritual healing. This overlap, however, has gone unexplored. This article shows convergence between health help-seeking behaviours in spiritual healing and secular professional health services. It does so by drawing on the archival records from the Panacea Society in Bedford, England, which began an international healing ministry by post-amassing over 120,000 correspondents from 93 different countries. Archives from the Panacea Society’s Healing Department containing records of the self-reported effects of the prescribed water-taking healing ritual were used to investigate variables related to help-seeking for health problems through spiritual healing. A sample of over 10% of the available records (n = 7192) contained data from 40,627 letters written over a 73-year period from 48 different countries. In line with research from health psychology, and specifically the Health Belief Model, findings showed that those who were older, female, and receiving perceived benefits from treatment were more likely to engage in help-seeking.

Stochasticity is a core component of ecology, as it underlies key processes that structure and create variability in nature. Despite its fundamental importance in ecological systems, the concept is often treated as synonymous with unpredictability in community ecology, and studies tend to focus on single forms of stochasticity rather than taking a more holistic view. This has led to multiple narratives for how stochasticity mediates community dynamics. Here, we present a framework that describes how different forms of stochasticity (notably demographic and environmental stochasticity) combine to provide underlying and predictable structure in diverse communities. This framework builds on the deep ecological understanding of stochastic processes acting at individual and population levels and in modules of a few interacting species. We support our framework with a mathematical model that we use to synthesize key literature, demonstrating that stochasticity is more than simple uncertainty. Rather, stochasticity has profound and predictable effects on community dynamics that are critical for understanding how diversity is maintained. We propose next steps that ecologists might use to explore the role of stochasticity for structuring communities in theoretical and empirical systems, and thereby enhance our understanding of community dynamics. published

Microbial interactions occur in habitats much smaller than those generally captured in homogenized soil cores sampled across a plot or field. This study uses soil aggregates to examine soil microbial community composition and structure of both bacteria and fungi at a microbially-relevant scale. Aggregates were isolated from three land management systems in central Iowa, USA to test if aggregate-level microbial responses were sensitive to large-scale shifts in plant community and management practices. Bacteria and fungi exhibited similar patterns of community structure and diversity among soil aggregates, regardless of land management. Microaggregates supported more diverse microbial communities, and Fimbriimonadales, Acidimicrobiales, Actinomycetales, Alteromonodales, Burkholderiales, Gemmatimonadales, Rhodobacterales, Soligubrobacterales, Sphingobacteriales, Sphingomonodales, Spirobacillaes, Onygenales, Chaetosphaeriales, and Trichosporanales were indicator taxa for microaggregate communities. Large macroaggregates contained greater abundance of Pedosphaerales, Planctomycetales, Syntrophobacterales, and Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). To demonstrate the potential for additional insights into soil microbial diversity, we calculated of a weighted proportional whole soil diversity, which accounted for microbes found in aggregate fractions and resulted in 65% greater bacterial richness and 100% greater fungal richness over independently sampled whole soil (i.e. bulk soil). Our results show microaggregates support highly diverse microbial communities, including several unidentified genera. Isolating aggregates with a microbially sensitive approach provides new opportunities to explore soil microbial communities and the factors shaping them at relevant spatial scales.

Quantification of soil gas flux using the static chamber method is labor intensive. The number of chambers that can be sampled is limited by the spacing between chambers and the availability of trained research technicians. An automated system for collecting gas samples from chambers in the field would eliminate the need for personnel to return to the chamber during a flux measurement period and would allow a single technician to sample multiple chambers simultaneously. This study describes hamber utomated ampling quipment (Flux) to collect and store chamber headspace gas samples at assigned time points for the measurement of soil gas flux. The FluxCASE design and operation is described, and the accuracy and precision of the FluxCASE system is evaluated. In laboratory measurements of nitrous oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO), and methane (CH) concentrations of a standardized gas mixture, coefficients of variation associated with automated and manual sample collection were comparable, indicating no loss of precision. In the field, soil gas fluxes measured from FluxCASEs were in agreement with manual sampling for both NO and CO. Slopes of regression equations were 1.01 for CO and 0.97 for NO. The 95% confidence limits of the slopes of the regression lines included the value of one, indicating no bias. Additionally, an expense analysis found a cost recovery ranging from 0.6 to 2.2 yr. Implementing the FluxCASE system is an alternative to improve the efficiency of the static chamber method for measuring soil gas flux while maintaining the accuracy and precision of manual sampling.

In this paper, we revisit King and McDermott's 1990 article on the social construction of 'control problem' prisoners and their management in high security prisons, in the light of our recent research on the location and building of trust in contemporary high security prisons. We examine how religious and race identities are now deeply implicated in the construction of risk, and we describe the procedures for and some of the consequences of managing the new risks of radicalization and extremist violence in prison. The analysis is based on observations and interviews with staff and prisoners in two main and two supplementary maximum-security prisons in England and Wales.

Prison ethnographers are often confronted with everyday examples of people trying to achieve some conception of the human good. Yet, descriptions of how people achieve this good in a prison environment-the techniques and aspirations of the ethical subject-are rare. With the help of recent developments in the anthropology of ethics and Foucault's later work on freedom, this article examines the formation of ethical subjectivity practiced by some Muslim prisoners in two English high security prisons. The case of Muslim piety serves to deepen ethnographic research through recognizing the place of freedom and ethics in everyday life, and challenges criminological accounts of power and agency in view of how people accomplish virtue.

With the revelations that many ISIS recruits are ex-offenders (Cottee 2016), prison and probation settings are on the frontline of counter-terrorism practice. The latest policy developments in Europe on managing radicalization and convicted terrorist-offenders in prison and post-release settings show some perhaps surprising recommendations: those built on a foundation of seeking to build trust, to recognize human dignity and equality, and a broader vision to reform offenders as citizens (Council of Europe 2016; United Nations 2016; Williams 2017).

A database of curated genomes is needed to better assess soil microbial communities and their processes associated with differing land management and environmental impacts. Interpreting soil metagenomic datasets with existing sequence databases is challenging because these datasets are biased towards medical and biotechnology research and can result in misleading annotations. We have curated a database of 922 genomes of soil-associated organisms (888 bacteria and 34 archaea). Using this database, we evaluated phyla and functions that are enriched in soils as well as those that may be underrepresented in RefSoil. Our comparison of RefSoil to soil amplicon datasets allowed us to identify targets that if cultured or sequenced would significantly increase the biodiversity represented within RefSoil. To demonstrate the opportunities to access these underrepresented targets, we employed single cell genomics in a pilot experiment to sequence 14 genomes. This effort demonstrates the value of RefSoil in the guidance of future research efforts and the capability of single cell genomics as a practical means to fill the existing genomic data gaps.

Much attention has been paid to the potential role that climate and food security has on conflict, especially in the Middle East. However, there has been little critical examination beyond the statistical correlation of events, which demonstrates whether a causal link exists and if it does, what can be done about it. This paper explores the conceptual linkages between food and conflict and attempts to draw attention to the opportunity cost of conflict as the nexus for decision-making in this context.

Objective To describe a multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of plastic bronchitis (PB) in children. Methods Retrospective chart review of children with PB between 1997 and 2017. Data regarding clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcomes were analyzed. Results Of 34 patients presenting with PB, 24 had single ventricle (SV) heart disease, 9 had pulmonary disease, and one had no underlying disease. Median (IQR: interquartile range) age at the time of PB diagnosis was 5.5 years (IQR: 9.0). Presenting symptoms included cough productive of casts (n = 27, 79%), wheezing (n = 5, 15%), dyspnea (n = 18, 53%), hypoxia (n = 31, 91%), and respiratory failure (n = 9, 26%). Diagnosis was made based on clinical evaluation, bronchoscopy findings, and/or pathology of casts. Treatment methods included bronchoscopy for cast removal (25% of SV patients, 91% of non-SV patients), chest physiotherapy (SV: 92%, non-SV: 45%), albuterol (SV: 79%, non-SV: 73%), inhaled steroids (SV: 75%, non-SV: 18%), nebulized hypertonic saline (SV: 29%, non-SV: 9%), nebulized heparin (SV: 8%, non-SV: 55%), nebulized tissue plasminogen activator (tPA; SV: 33%, non-SV: 9%), inhaled Dornase Alfa (SV: 54%, non-SV: 9%), antibiotics (SV: 46%, non-SV: 45%), systemic steroids (SV: 13%, non-SV: 45%), and lymphatic embolization (SV: 8%, non-SV: 45%). Of SV patients, 11 had no recurrence, 5 underwent heart transplantation, one awaits transplant, and 3 died due to cardiac disease. Three patients with respiratory disease had recurrent PB and one died from MRSA pneumonia. Conclusion PB is a highly morbid disease with limited treatment options. Bronchoscopy and chest physiotherapy for airway clearance are among the most-utilized therapies.

Globally, a small number of plants have adapted to terrestrial outcroppings of serpentine geology, which are characterized by soils with low levels of essential mineral nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mo) and toxic levels of heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Co). Paradoxically, many of these plants are restricted to this harsh environment. Caulanthus ampexlicaulis var. barbarae (Brassicaceae) is a rare annual plant that is strictly endemic to a small set of isolated serpentine outcrops in the coastal mountains of central California. The goals of the work presented here were to 1) determine the patterns of genetic connectivity among all known populations of C. ampexlicaulis var. barbarae, and 2) estimate contemporary effective population sizes (Ne), to inform ongoing genomic analyses of the evolutionary history of this taxon, and to provide a foundation upon which to model its future evolutionary potential and long-term viability in a changing environment. Eleven populations of this taxon were sampled, and population-genetic parameters were estimated using 11 nuclear microsatellite markers. Contemporary effective population sizes were estimated using multiple methods and found to be strikingly small (typically Ne < 10). Further, our data showed that a substantial component of genetic connectivity of this taxon is not at equilibrium, and instead showed sporadic gene flow. Several lines of evidence indicate that gene flow between isolated populations is maintained through long-distance seed dispersal (e.g., >1 km), possibly via zoochory.

To improve our understanding of the stability of mammalian intestinal communities, we characterized the responses of both bacterial and viral communities in murine fecal samples to dietary changes between high- and low-fat (LF) diets. Targeted DNA extraction methods for bacteria, virus-like particles and induced prophages were used to generate bacterial and viral metagenomes as well as 16S ribosomal RNA amplicons. Gut microbiome communities from two cohorts of C57BL/6 mice were characterized in a 6-week diet perturbation study in response to high fiber, LF and high-refined sugar, milkfat (MF) diets. The resulting metagenomes from induced bacterial prophages and extracellular viruses showed significant overlap, supporting a largely temperate viral lifestyle within these gut microbiomes. The resistance of baseline communities to dietary disturbances was evaluated, and we observed contrasting responses of baseline LF and MF bacterial and viral communities. In contrast to baseline LF viral communities and bacterial communities in both diet treatments, baseline MF viral communities were sensitive to dietary disturbances as reflected in their non-recovery during the washout period. The contrasting responses of bacterial and viral communities suggest that these communities can respond to perturbations independently of each other and highlight the potentially unique role of viruses in gut health.

It is often maintained that participants in inter-religious dialogue will benefit from increased access to other perspectives that deepens understanding of their own tradition and the traditions of others, but this is rarely examined empirically and with attention to bringing the human sciences into conversation with theological thinking about dialogue. Drawing on theory and methods from social network analysis, this research conceptualized inter-religious dialogue as a communication network and investigated the impact of differences in access to communication flows on dialogue participants. Interviews with those most connected (hubs) and those least connected (outliers) showed differences in the characterization of dialogue experiences, relationships to the ‘home’ community, and the ability to recognize similarities and differences and to engage in perspective-taking. Hubs were more freely able to migrate into the experiences and practices of the dialogue partner’s tradition, while being rooted i...

Objective Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors have shown to improve cardiac output and functional capacity in Fontan patients. We sought to test the efficacy and safety of endothelin blockade with bosentan in adult patients with Fontan physiology. Design Ten patients were enrolled and seven patients completed this single-center open-label clinical trial. Patients were treated with bosentan for 4 months. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), brain natriuretic peptide, and New York Heart Association functional class were compared before and after treatment using paired t-test. Results The 6MWD improved by 73 m, from a mean of 435 m (standard deviation [SD] = 92, standard error [SE] = 35) to 508 m (SD = 93, SE = 35) (P = .03). MRI resting aortic flow increased from 3.3 L/minute (SD = 1.27, SE = 0.73) to 4.4 L/minute (SD = 0.9, SE = 0.54) (P = .03). New York Heart Association class was unchanged in three patients, improved in three patients and worsened in one patient. Brain natriuretic peptide, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase did not change significantly. Of the three patients with elevated baseline bilirubin, two normalized at the completion of the study, while the other was unchanged. Mean duration of therapy was 4.1 ± 0.51 months. Three adverse advents occurred. One patient complained of fatigue and chest pain after 87 days and withdrew from the study. After extensive workup, it was determined that her symptoms were not related to treatment. The second patient suffered palpitations and fatigue after 75 days; no concerning arrhythmias were identified and symptoms improved with increased antiarrhythmic dose. The third patient developed fatigue on therapy and decided to stop therapy; fatigue improved following drug discontinuation. There were no deaths or hospitalizations. Conclusions In this cohort of adult patients with Fontan physiology, endothelin blockade with bosentan resulted in improved 6MWD and MRI-derived resting cardiac output, suggesting a positive effect on pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary blood flow. Bosentan was well tolerated and hepatic function was not adversely affected.

Research on religious attributions has been limited by a preoccupation with disentangling "religious" from "naturalistic" attributions and a failure to capture the attributions that people make in response to meaningful events. Thirty years of research has shown that even under optimum conditions religious attributions are rare compared to naturalistic ones. This research draws on unique archival materials comprising letters written to the Panacea Society containing self-reported effects of a spiritual healing treatment based on water-taking practices. This analysis examined attributions over time among a sample of letter writers (N = 19) from the 1920s using the Leeds Attributional Coding System to examine patterns of attributions that correspondents made in response to improvement and worsening of health outcomes. In line with previous research, religious attributions were more common for positive outcomes than negative outcomes. Contrary to previous research, religious attributions accounted for the majority of attributions made compared with nonreligious attributions. We discuss the implications for future research in studying attributions in real-life meaningful settings and in expanding the repertoire of attributions to include religious ritual and community.

Despite the central role of soil microbial communities in global carbon (C) cycling, little is known about soil microbial community structure and even less about their metabolic pathways. Efforts to characterize soil communities often focus on identifying differences in gene content across environmental gradients, but an alternative question is what genes are similar in soils. These genes may indicate critical species or potential functions that are required in all soils. Here we identified the “core” set of C cycling sequences widely present in multiple soil metagenomes from a fertilized prairie (FP). Of 226,887 sequences associated with known enzymes involved in the synthesis, metabolism, and transport of carbohydrates, 843 were identified to be consistently prevalent across four replicate soil metagenomes. This core metagenome was functionally and taxonomically diverse, representing five enzyme classes and 99 enzyme families within the CAZy database. Though it only comprised 0.4% of all CAZy-associated genes identified in FP metagenomes, the core was found to be comprised of functions similar to those within cumulative soils. The FP CAZy-associated core sequences were present in multiple publicly available soil metagenomes and most similar to soils sharing geographic proximity. In soil ecosystems, where high diversity remains a key challenge for metagenomic investigations, these core genes represent a subset of critical functions necessary for carbohydrate metabolism, which can be targeted to evaluate important C fluxes in these and other similar soils.

The aim of the edited volume Understanding Interreligious Relations is to provide a reference work for students, scholars, and the public for the field of interreligious relations. The volume offer...

Piezohydraulic pumps are high power density motors, which can be theoretically miniaturized with minimal loss in power output. The feasibility of using piezohydraulic pumps in pulsatile pediatric ventricular assist devices is presented in this study. A theoretical analysis is presented to calculate the piezohydraulic pump dimensions needed to meet flow and pressure requirements. In addition, an existing piezohydraulic pump was incorporated into a ventricular assist device driver to drive a pulsatile pediatric 30-mL stroke ventricular assist device as a proof of concept. The driver was tested at heart rates ranging from 50 to 110 beats per minute in an in vitro mock circulation to characterize its performance. The maximum drive pressure was 33 kPa with a peak flow rate of 6 L/min against a 10-kPa back pressure. The maximum mean flow rate from the ventricular assist device outlet was 3 L/min at 100 beats per minute operation. These results compare well to commercially available systems that output between 25 and 40 kPa drive pressure and flows between 0 and 10 L/min against 10–16 kPa pressures.

This study examines whether individuals in a network esteem peers who think in integratively complex ways about religious issues in the context of a small-group educational course comprised of young British Muslims. Integrative complexity (IC) measures the degree to which an individual's information processing is characterized by (a) rigid, black-and-white thinking or (b) ability to recognize the validity of, and integrate, multiple perspectives. A novel measurement procedure was developed for this research called the Social Field Generator. Results from seven groups (n = 55) showed that (a) participants with levels of IC were described by their peers with more positive sentiment than their low-IC counterparts; (b) the higher the IC scores of participants, the closer peers felt toward them; and (c) the highest IC individuals were consistently selected as sources of advice, whereas the lowest IC individuals were not viewed as sources of advice. This research shows that within an educational environment aimed at promoting complex thinking, group processes and grassroots religious leadership can encourage higher levels of IC as a group norm.

Upland oak forests in the ecotone between the eastern deciduous forest and the southern Great Plains are threatened by encroachment of eastern redcedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) due to fire suppression. The rapid rate of encroachment caused concern about concomitant alterations of site characteristics including nutrient cycling and the soil microbial communities (SMC) that could lead to positive feedbacks reinforcing eastern redcedar encroachment. We studied eight upland oak forests across central and western Oklahoma with stands representing three levels of encroachment: oak-dominated, eastern redcedar-dominated, and an intermediate mixture of both species. We analyzed litter chemistry (carbon, lignin, and nitrogen), soil chemistry (soil organic matter, NH 4 N, NO 3 -N, PO 4 , K, and pH), and profiled soil microbial communities using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Eastern redcedar encroachment was accompanied by reduced litter carbon along with higher levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi while litter N was lower in mixed stands. However, we detected no change in soil chemistry. Our results indicate eastern redcedar encroachment in these upland oak forests reduced litter quality and altered the SMC through increases in AM fungi, a symbiont associated with eastern redcedar. These alterations may create positive soil–microbial feedbacks by reducing the fitness of the dominant oak species and facilitating rapid increase in eastern redcedar in this threatened, oak-dominated ecosystem.

Niche dimensionality provides a general theoretical explanation for biodiversity-more niches, defined by more limiting factors, allow for more ways that species can coexist. Because plant species compete for the same set of limiting resources, theory predicts that addition of a limiting resource eliminates potential trade-offs, reducing the number of species that can coexist. Multiple nutrient limitation of plant production is common and therefore fertilization may reduce diversity by reducing the number or dimensionality of belowground limiting factors. At the same time, nutrient addition, by increasing biomass, should ultimately shift competition from belowground nutrients towards a one-dimensional competitive trade-off for light. Here we show that plant species diversity decreased when a greater number of limiting nutrients were added across 45 grassland sites from a multi-continent experimental network. The number of added nutrients predicted diversity loss, even after controlling for effects of plant biomass, and even where biomass production was not nutrient-limited. We found that elevated resource supply reduced niche dimensionality and diversity and increased both productivity and compositional turnover. Our results point to the importance of understanding dimensionality in ecological systems that are undergoing diversity loss in response to multiple global change factors. Fil: Harpole, W. Stanley. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Alemania Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Lind, Eric M.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Firn, Jennifer. Queensland University of Technology; Australia Fil: Adler, Peter B.. State University of Utah; Estados Unidos Fil: Borer, Elizabeth T.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Chase, Jonathan. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Alemania Fil: Fay, Philip A.. USDA-ARS Grassland Soil and Water Research Lab; Estados Unidos Fil: Hautier, Yann. Utrecht University; Países Bajos Fil: Hillebrand, Helmut. University of Oldenburg; Alemania Fil: MacDougall, Andrew S.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Seabloom, Eric W.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Williams, Ryan. University of Iowa; Estados Unidos Fil: Bakker, Jonathan D.. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Cadotte, Marc W.. University of Toronto; Canadá Fil: Chaneton, Enrique Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Chu, Chengjin. Sun Yat-sen University; China Fil: Cleland, Elsa E.. University of California at San Diego; Estados Unidos Fil: D'Antonio, Carla. University of California; Estados Unidos Fil: Davies, Kendi F.. University of Colorado; Estados Unidos Fil: Gruner, Daniel S.. University of Maryland; Estados Unidos Fil: Hagenah, Nicole. University of KwaZulu-Natal; Sudáfrica Fil: Kirkman, Kevin. University of KwaZulu-Natal; Sudáfrica Fil: Knops, Johannes M. H.. Universidad de Nebraska - Lincoln; Estados Unidos Fil: La Pierre, Kimberly J.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos Fil: McCulley, Rebecca L.. University of Kentucky; Estados Unidos Fil: Moore, Joslin L.. Monash University; Australia Fil: Morgan, John W.. La Trobe University; Australia Fil: Prober, Suzanne M.. CSIRO Land and Water; Australia Fil: Risch, Anita C.. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research; Suiza Fil: Schuetz, Martin. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research; Suiza Fil: Stevens, Carly J.. Lancaster University; Reino Unido Fil: Wragg, Peter D.. University of Yale; Estados Unidos

A database of curated genomes is needed to better assess soil microbial communities and their processes associated with differing land management and environmental impacts. Interpreting soil metagenomic datasets with existing sequence databases is challenging because these datasets are biased towards medical and biotechnology research and can result in misleading annotations. We have curated a database of 922 genomes of soil-associated organisms (888 bacteria and 34 archaea). Using this database, we evaluated phyla and functions that are enriched in soils as well as those that may be underrepresented in RefSoil. Our comparison of RefSoil to soil amplicon datasets allowed us to identify targets that if cultured or sequenced would significantly increase the biodiversity represented within RefSoil. To demonstrate the opportunities to access these underrepresented targets, we employed single cell genomics in a pilot experiment to sequence 14 genomes. This effort demonstrates the value of RefSoil in the guidance of future research efforts and the capability of single cell genomics as a practical means to fill the existing genomic data gaps.

Fraser et al. (Reports, 17 July 2015, p. 302) report a unimodal relationship between productivity and species richness at regional and global scales, which they contrast with the results of Adler et al. (Reports, 23 September 2011, p. 1750). However, both data sets, when analyzed correctly, show clearly and consistently that productivity is a poor predictor of local species richness. EEA Santa Cruz Fil: Tredennick, Andrew T. Utah State University. Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Adler, Peter B. Utah State University. Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Grace, James B. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Harpole, W. Stanley. Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research – UFZ. Department of Physiological Diversity; Alemania Fil: Borer, Elizabeth T. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Estados Unidos Fil: Seabloom, Eric W. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Estados Unidos Fil: Anderson, T. Michael. Wake Forest University. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos Fil: Bakker, Jonathan D. University of Washington. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Biederman, Lori A. lowa State University Ecology. Evolution and Organismal Biology; Estados Unidos Fil: Brown, Cynthia S. Colorado State University. Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management; Estados Unidos Fil: Buckley, Yvonne M. University of Dublin. School of Natural Sciences. Trinity College Dublin. Zoology; Irlanda. Fil: Chu, Chengjin. Sun Yat-sen University. School of Life Sciences; China. Fil: Collins, Scott L. University of New Mexico. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos Fil: Crawley, Michael J. Imperial College London. Department of Biology; Reino Unido Fil: Fay, Philip A. USDA-ARS. Grassland, Soil, and Water Research Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Firn, Jennifer. Queensland University of Technology. School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences; Australia. Fil: Gruner, Daniel S. University of Maryland. Department of Entomology. Plant Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Hagenah, Nicole. University of KwaZulu-Natal. School of Life Sciences; Sudáfrica Fil: Hautier, Yann. Utrecht University. Department of Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity group; Países Bajos Fil: Hector, Andy. University of Oxford. Department of Plant Sciences; Reino Unido Fil: Hillebrand, Helmut. Carl-von-Ossietzky University. Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment; Alemania Fil: Kirkman, Kevin. University of KwaZulu-Natal. School of Life Sciences; Sudáfrica Fil: Knops, Johannes M. H. University of Nebraska. School of Biological Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Laungani, Ramesh. Doane College. Biology Department; Estados Unidos Fil: Lind, Eric M. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Estados Unidos. Fil: MacDougall, Andrew S. University of Guelph. Department of Integrative Biology; Canadá. Fil: McCulley, Rebecca L. University of Kentucky. Department of Plant and Soil Science; Estados Unidos Fil: Mitchell, Charles E. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of Biology; Estados Unidos Fil: Moore, Joslin L. Monash University. School of Biological Sciences; Australia. Fil: Morgan, John W. La Trobe University. Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution; Australia. Fil: Orrock, John L. University of Wisconsin. Department of Zoology; Estados Unidos Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Prober, Suzanne M. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Land and Water; Australia. Fil: Risch, Anita C. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research. Community Ecology; Suiza Fil: Schütz, Martin. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research. Community Ecology; Suiza Fil: Speziale, Karina L. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA). Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina. Fil: Standish, Rachel J. Murdoch University. School of Veterinary and Life Sciences; Australia. Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L. University of Minnesota. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Estados Unidos Fil: Wardle, Glenda M. University of Sydney. School of Biological Sciences; Australia. Fil: Williams, Ryan J. Iowa State University. Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Estados Unidos Fil: Yang, Louie H. University of California. Department of Entomology and Nematology; Estados Unidos

Prescribed burning is commonly used in forests to reduce fuel load, prevent encroachment of exotic species, maintain biological diversity and improve wildlife habitat. The low intensity burns that are conducted at intervals of 1–10 years may have long-term effects on the abiotic and biotic components of the soil. We assessed how prescribed burning altered litter, soil physical and chemical properties, and soil microbial communities in upland oak forests subjected to prescribed burning at frequencies of 0 (unburned), 2.5 and 5 fires per decade (FPD) over a 20 year period. Prescribed burning at 5 FPD reduced soil organic matter by 60% and soil organic carbon by 64% and increased bulk density by 20%. Compared to unburned controls, litter nitrogen was reduced by 20% and 21% and C/N ratio increased by 25% and 28% in sites burned at 2.5 and 5 FPD, respectively. Litter lignin/N ratio was reduced 28% at 2.5 FPD, compared to litter from unburned sites. We found no changes in soil pH, total N, NO3-N, NH3-N, plant-available Ps or K due to prescribed burning. Microbial biomass of Gram negative bacteria, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses, decreased from 25% of biomarker abundance at the unburned sites to 20% at the 5 FPD sites. No other microbial functional group was significantly influenced by fire frequency. Our results indicate prescribed burning with low intensity fires in upland oak forests do not have major effects on the soils if these fires occur infrequently, i.e. less frequent than 2.5 FPD. However, frequent burning of these upland oak forests (5 FPD) resulted in important changes in the litter and soil that may adversely affect litter decomposition rates, soil carbon storage, soil water holding capacity, and soil erosion rates. Our findings indicate prescribed burning can be an important management tool, however, at high fire frequencies there may be tradeoffs between vegetation management goals and long-term adverse affects on the soil.

Background. Eisenmenger's syndrome (ES) is associated with decreased longevity and reduced functional capacity. Targeted pharmacologic therapies improve functional capacity and survival in these patients. We sought to compare the response of patients with simple vs. complex ES following initiation of bosentan. Methods. ES patients with a history of bosentan use were identified by chart review. Simple ES was defined as ES associated with atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, or patent ductus arteriosus. Complex ES consisted of patients with truncus arteriosus and single ventricle congenital heart disease. Six-minute walking distance (6MWD), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and resting oxygen saturation were compared between simple and complex ES patients before and after bosentan treatment. Results. Twenty-four patients were included (11 simple, 13 complex). Resting oxygen saturation, 6MWD, VO2 max, and BNP were not significantly different between the two groups prior to bosentan initiation. Ten patients received bosentan monotherapy, and bosentan was used in combination with sildenafil in 13 (five simple, eight complex). One patient received bosentan with iloprost. Mean duration of therapy was 38 ± 14 months in the simple group and 40 ± 8.1 months in the complex group (P= NS). Posttreatment, 6MWD increased from 274 ± 135 m to 326 ± 106 m in simple ES patients (P= .32). 6MWD in patients with complex ES increased from 332 ± 51 m to 364 ± 109 (P= .028). VO2 max improved from 13.4 ± 3.8 to 17 ± 6 (P= .54) in the simple group, while VO2 max in the complex group improved from 12.7 ± 2.3 to 15.5 ± 2.2 (P= .17). There was minimal change in BNP or resting oxygen saturation between the groups. Conclusions. Treatment with bosentan is both safe and effective in patients with both simple and complex forms of ES.

Adaptation to environment is the cornerstone of ecological genetics. The subject of this study is a wild relative of the sequenced and annotated model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae lives on serpentine soils, known for high concentrations of heavy metals and low concentrations of essential plant macronutrients, and provides a compelling example of an organism's adaptation to environment. We constructed an F(2) linkage map, using a cross to the nonserpentine sister taxon, C. amplexicaulis var. amplexicaulis. C. amplexicaulis is a member of a highly diverse set of taxa (within the tribe Thelypodieae), described here as the 'Streptanthoid Complex' that are adapted to a broad range of environments, yet share a common n = 14 chromosome number and likely arose by a recent radiation. The linkage map consists of 97 polymorphic microsatellite markers, and 40 exon-primed intron-crossing markers based on A. thaliana exon sequences and Brassica ESTs. The map covers 14 linkage groups and has a total length of 1513 cM. Both the patterns of marker segregation and the comparative map indicate that C. amplexicaulis is a diploid organism with a compact genome. All exon-primed intron-crossing markers, and an unexpectedly large number of microsatellite markers (83%), had significant similarity to the A. thaliana genome, facilitating the development of a comparative genome map. As a proof of principle, we used the comparative map to identify candidate genes underlying differences in sepal colour between the two parent taxa. We demonstrate that the genomic tools developed here will be portable throughout the Streptanthoid Complex.

“[C]onvincing and comprehensive theories” of radicalization and terrorism “are very thin”, the authors of this volume state in their introduction (6). Yet, Willem Koomen and Joop van der Pligt seek...

This paper presents a methodology that can be used to make informed decisions on whether or not to retrofit structures for seismic events based on the expected economic benefit due to retrofitting. The seismic fragility of a given structure as well as the seismic hazard at a specific building location is incorporated into the decision-making process. The prescribed methodology is used to study two identical reinforced concrete buildings, one located in Memphis, Tennessee and one in San Francisco, California. The probabilities of failure and generalized reliability indices are calculated for the identical structures in both locations. A parametric analysis is performed to determine the effects that achievable loss reduction, investment return period, and retrofit cost have on the economic feasibility of seismic retrofitting in Memphis and San Francisco. A case study is conducted to find the impact of a modest retrofit strategy applied to the identical buildings in Memphis and San Francisco. The probabilities of failure and generalized reliability indices are calculated for the retrofitted building in both locations and compared to the corresponding values for the original buildings. The results of the parametric analysis and case study are used to determine the effects of building location on retrofit feasibility.

Interventionalists in many specialties have the need for improved, low profile covered stents. Thin films of nitinol (

Aboveground-belowground interactions exert critical controls on the composition and function of terrestrial ecosystems, yet the fundamental relationships between plant diversity and soil microbial diversity remain elusive. Theory predicts predominantly positive associations but tests within single sites have shown variable relationships, and associations between plant and microbial diversity across broad spatial scales remain largely unexplored. We compared the diversity of plant, bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in one hundred and forty-five 1m(2) plots across 25 temperate grassland sites from four continents. Across sites, the plant alpha diversity patterns were poorly related to those observed for any soil microbial group. However, plant beta diversity (compositional dissimilarity between sites) was significantly correlated with the beta diversity of bacterial and fungal communities, even after controlling for environmental factors. Thus, across a global range of temperate grasslands, plant diversity can predict patterns in the composition of soil microbial communities, but not patterns in alpha diversity.

Plant and soil properties cooperatively structure soil microbial communities, with implications for ecosystem functioning. However, the extent to which each factor contributes to community structuring is not fully understood. To quantify the influence of plants and soil properties on microbial diversity and composition in an agricultural context, we conducted an experiment within a corn-based annual cropping system and a perennial switchgrass cropping system across three topographic positions. We sequenced barcoded 16S ribosomal RNA genes from whole soil three times throughout a single growing season and across two years in July. To target the belowground effects of plants, we also sampled rhizosphere soil in July. We hypothesized that microbial community α-diversity and composition (β-diversity) would be more sensitive to cropping system effects (annual vs. perennial inputs) than edaphic differences among topographic positions, with greater differences occurring in the rhizosphere compared to whole soil. We found that microbial community composition consistently varied with topographic position, and cropping system and the rhizosphere influenced α-diversity. In July, cropping system and rhizosphere structured a small but specific group of microbes implying a subset of microbial taxa, rather than broad shifts in community composition, may explain previously observed differences in resource cycling between treatments. Using rank abundance analysis, we detected enrichment of Saprospirales and Actinomycetales, including cellulose and chitin degraders, in the rhizosphere soil and enrichment of Nitrospirales, Syntrophobacterales, and MND1 in the whole soil. Overall, these findings support environmental filtering for the soil microbial community first by soil and second by the rhizosphere. Across cropping systems, plants selected for a general rhizosphere community with evidence for plant-specific effects related to time of sampling.