abstract

If T is a tree on n vertices, n 3, and if G is a connected graph such that dudvd u,v 2n for
every pair of distinct vertices of G, it has been conjectured that G must have a non-separating
copy of T. In this note, we prove this result for the special case in which dudv du,v 2n 2 for every
pair of distinct vertices of G, and improve this slightly for trees of diameter at least four and for
some trees of diameter three. We also characterize the graphs on at most 8 vertices with
dudvdu,v 7 for every pair of distinct vertices of G, and no non-separating copy of K_{1,3}

Introduction: Organ transplant recipients experience a tumultuous range of emotions and
feelings post transplant. Expressing these feelings and seeking support is an important aspect of
the healing journey. The power of story as a healing modality is well documented in the nursing
literature. Social media sites provide one such avenue for healing and support. Purpose: To
address the void in nursing literature regarding how social media sites are used by transplant
recipients for support and healing, and discover if internet postings provide rich qualitative data.
Method: A descriptive qualitative methodology was used for this pilot. The six-step method of
thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was used to identify and analyze detailed themes and
patterns within the data using NVivo 10 (©QSR) software. Results: Four major themes were
explicated from the data: Sharing Overwhelming Gratitude, Revealing Intimate Connections,
Finding Sanctuary, and Yearning To Be Heard. Discussion: Knowledge generated by this pilot
study contributes to what is known about the emotional and psychological needs of this growing
patient population. Postings to the transplant-related website revealed an openness to share
experiences and a true sense of community where members reached out for and gave support to
each other. Implications for Nursing Research and Practice: Community websites offer a source
of rich qualitative data to support nursing research. Holistic patient support programs that
recognize the physical and emotional aspects of post-transplant living and care are warranted.

Biological homeostasis relies on protective mechanisms that respond to cellular oxidation
caused primarily by free radical reactions. Methionine sulfoxide reductases Msr are a class of
enzymes that reverse oxidative damage to methionine. The focus of this study is on the
relationship between Msr and dopamine in Drosophila. Dopaminergic neurons in drosophila
have comparable roles to those found in humans. A deficit in dopamine leads to the onset of
many neurological disorders including the loss of fine motor control—a neurodegenerative
condition characteristic of Parkinson’s disease PD. We have found that dopamine levels in the
heads of MsrAΔ/ΔBΔ/Δ mutants are significantly reduced in comparison
to the wild type. In addition, we have found that TH protein and expression levels are markedly
reduced in an Msr-deficient system. Our findings suggest that it is possible the Msr system plays
an important role in maintaining dopaminergic neurons alive, and thus, is protectant of the CNS.

We give a diffeomorphism and gauge covariant condition equivalent to homogeneity and
isotropy which can be quantized, yielding a definition of a diffeomorphism-invariant,
homogeneous isotropic sector of loop quantum gravity without fixing a graph. We then
specialize this condition to Bianchi I cosmologies, in which case it becomes a condition for
isotropy. We show how, by quantizing and imposing this condition in Bianchi I loop quantum
cosmology, one exactly recovers isotropic loop quantum cosmology, including the usual
‘improved dynamics.’ We will also discuss how this reduction sheds light on which operator
ordering to use when defining operators corresponding to directional Hubble rates, expansion,
and shear quantities relevant for discussing the resolution of the initial singularity.

Purpose: To quantify Reptile and Amphibian community assemblages in freshwater
wetlands and determine biotic and abiotic factors e.g., wetland permanence and presence of large
fish that may influence assemblage structure. Methods: Wetland Reptile and Amphibians were
monitored via passive trapping at 20 wetland sites at Jonathan Dickinson State Park JDSP in
Hobe Sound, FL. Trapping at JDSP occurred over a single wet season June-November period
and community assemblages were analyzed statistically using multivariate techniques. Results:
Hierarchical clustering revealed two primary assemblages, which included 70 of wetlands. One
assemblage, typical in wetlands containing large-bodied fish, consisted of two or three snake
species and low abundances of anurans in the family Ranidae. The second assemblage, typical of
fishless wetlands, generally had abundant anurans in the families Hylidae and Ranidae.
Conclusion: Though distance from other wetlands as well as wetland permanence also influenced
assemblage structure, fish presence/absence was a larger determinant of herpetofaunal
communities.

In June of 2013, a project at Jupiter Middle School was initiated to develop an outdoor
science classroom. The 2.25-acre natural area and certified wetland is located on the school
campus. The property is being developed to provide authentic multisensory hands-on learning
for students at Jupiter Middle School. The lessons will focus on providing multifaceted
understanding in the areas of ecology, conservation, weather, cycles in nature, as well as respect
for nature. These learning opportunities will be designed with the additional objective that the
students have an opportunity to develop real-life science inquiry and problem solving skills
leading toward self-sufficiency and confidence.
An outdoor classroom is a natural area which is set aside or developed for students to practice
skills related to field studies and to learn about the interactions of species within ecosystems
through hands on multisensory experiences. These areas are also referred to as schoolyard
habitats or habitat restoration projects. There is compelling evidence that this type of place based
environmental learning will be beneficial to middle school students socially, academically, and
behaviorally Bell et al., 2009; Berman, 2008; Cole & Hall, 2010; Dillon, et al., 2006; Ernst &
Monroe, 2006; Kaplan, 1995; Louv, 2008; Smith & Sobel, 2010; Wheeler & Thumlert, 2007.

High dose rate HDR brachytherapy dose distribution is highly localized and has a very
sharp dose fall-off. Thus one of the most important part of the treatment is the localization and
immobilization of the applicator from the implantation to the setup verification to the treatment
delivery. The smallest motions of the patient can induce a small rotation, tilt, or translational
movement of the applicator that can convert into miss of a significant part of the tumor or to over
irradiating a nearby critical organ.
The purpose of this study is to revise most of the HDR types of treatments with their applicators
and their localization challenges. Since every millimeter of misplacement counts the study will
look into the necessity of increasing the immobilization for several types of applicators.
This study data indicates that an improvement of the immobilization devices for HDR is
absolutely necessary. Better applicator fixation devices are required too. Developing new
immobilization devices for all the applicators is recommended.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of preparation temperature on the
crystal structure and magnetic properties of nanophase Fe-substituted Hydroxyapatite. Multisubstituted
Hydroxyapatite (HAp), Ca5(PO4)3OH, is the main mineral phase in physiological
apatite, ~70 wt% in bones and dentin, and ~96 wt% in enamel. Iron is one of the minor
substitution elements (0.01-0.1 wt% in bone and 0.003 wt% in enamel) replacing Ca in the HAp
structure. Research interest on Fe-HAp is related to the fact that Fe for Ca substitution reduces
the solubility of HAp therefore it functions as a cavities preventive agent. In contrast, Fe
overload causes a decrease in bone mechanical strength. Furthermore, Fe-HAp can find
applications in hyperthermia based anti-cancer treatments and in magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) contrast agents. Two sets of Ca5-xFex(PO4)3OH samples (x=0,0.05,0.1,0.2,0.3) were
synthesized by a chemical precipitation method at physiological temperature (370C) and 800C.
The samples were calcinated at 6500C and deuterated at 6000C. The samples were characterized
by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and SQUID
Magnetometry. A single-phase system was detected for nominal iron content x≤0.1 by XRD
phase identification in both sets of samples, while hematite (α-Fe2O3) and/or maghemite (γ-
Fe2O3) develops starting at x=0.1. According to the magnetic measurements, sample with x=0
showed diamagnetic behavior while samples with Fe showed paramagnetic behavior. Combined
Rietveld refinements of XRD and NPD patterns will provide accurate information on the effect
of processing temperature on the crystallographic parameters of the nano-materials.

The cues used by marine turtles to locate foraging areas in the open ocean are largely
unknown, though field observations suggest that some species [especially the green turtle
[Chelonia mydas], the loggerhead [Caretta caretta], and the leatherback [Dermochelys coriacea]]
somehow locate areas of high productivity. Do they do so by orienting toward chemical cues in
air, water, or both air and water? Previous studies have shown that loggerheads are capable of
detecting airborne odors from synthetic food [turtle pellets] as well as natural dimethyl sulfide
[DMS], which is found in productive oceanic areas. However, responses were brief, and a
capacity to orient was not investigated. We presented tethered loggerheads and leatherbacks to a
laminar airflow that contained DMS or natural food odors [squid, shrimp, sargassum, and moon
jellyfish]. We observed no tendency to orient upwind. Additional experiments examined if freeswimming
loggerhead and green turtles would respond to squid odor presented in air or water
with a visual stimulus [a small plastic ball suspended in the water present]. Both species showed
significant increases in biting behavior when exposed to squid odor in air or water. We conclude
that i. air currents carrying DMS or food do not induce turtles to orient upwind, ii. turtles can
detect and respond to food odors either in air or underwater, and iii. only odors from food
stimulate turtles to initiate feeding behavior. None of our results provide support for the
hypothesis that turtles can locate distant sources of food in the ocean using odor cues.

The shortest vector problem SVP is de ned as follows: For a given basis B of an integral
lattice L fi nd a vector v in L whose length is minimal. Here we present the result of our
experiments based on a hill climbing algorithm using a computer cluster and a number of parallel
executions of a standard basis reduction technique, such as LLL, to successfully reduce an initial
basis of L. We begin by reducing ideal lattices of relatively small dimension and progressively
reduce ideal lattices of higher dimension, beating several earlier published solutions to the
approximate SVP problem.