cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer analysis of double-labeled two-dimensional electrophoresis gels

Abstract A computerized process for the automatic analysis of double-label autoradiography after two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been developed. Matching fluorographs and autoradiographs produced from gels containing 3 H- and 14 C-labeled proteins are digitized by a rotating drum densitometer and analyzed by the Man-computer Interactive Data Analysis System III. This system locates corresponding protein spots in the films with edge-detection algorithms, converts spot density readings to isotopic disintegrations by reference to standard curves, and computes a 3 H: 14 C ratio for each spot in the gels. On the average, calculated ratios are accurate to approximately 9% for test strips of polyacrylamide gel containing uniform mixtures of 3 H and 14 C. Values obtained for two-dimensional gels containing n protein spots with a known 3 H: 14 C ratio of 8.6 ± 0.1 are as follows: 8.1 ± 1.4 ( n = 268), 8.8 ± 2.1 ( n = 278), 9.1 ± 1.7 ( n = 245), and 8.8 ± 2.2 ( n = 223). The computer process greatly reduces the time required to precisely compare two complex protein mixtures and has sufficient precision to detect a doubling in the biosynthesis of any individual protein.
Metastatic behavior of prostate cancer: Cluster analysis of patterns with respect to estrogen treatment

The responsiveness of prostate cancer to treatment with estrogen has been recognized for over 40 years, but whether the effect is mediated by diminished tumor growth or reduction in metastatic spread is not known. To answer this question the authors reviewed the clinical and pathologic features of 89 patients with metastatic prostate cancer after autopsy. Sixty-three percent of the patients studied were black. Patients treated with estrogen survived somewhat longer (0.05 less than P less than 0.10), but they had significantly greater numbers of metastatic sites (P less than 0.001) and greater overall tumor burden (P less than 0.001), with significantly increased frequencies of metastases to the liver, adrenal gland, bone, lymph nodes, large bowel, lungs, serosal surfaces, ureters, and central nervous system (CNS) (all P less than 0.05 or lower) compared with patients who had not been treated with estrogen. However, patients not treated with estrogen more frequently died from other causes (P less than 0.001). When the patients who died from other causes were excluded from the data analysis, there were no significant differences in the number of metastatic sites between patients who received estrogen therapy and those who did not, and the only remaining significant difference in the distribution of metastases was that patients who received estrogen treatment had more frequent metastases to the adrenal cortex and CNS (P less than 0.05). These observations were corroborated by cluster analysis of the metastatic patterns. Cluster analysis also identified a subset of predominantly (67%) black patients who developed distant metastases without much local spread of tumor. This suggests that tumor behavior in this group was less predictable than for the other patients in whom disease appeared to progress from Stage A to Stage D as expected. The authors conclude that estrogen therapy may prolong survival by slowing the rate of tumor growth rather than by inhibiting the metastatic progression of prostate cancer or destroying selective populations of tumor cells.
Problems in assessing the risks of mixtures of contaminants in drinking water.

In conducting risk assessments on drinking water contaminants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempts to evaluate all available toxicity data to develop Health Advisory (HA) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) values. The EPA often has grappled with the issues surrounding the toxicity of chemical mixtures, including radioactive contaminants, nitrate/nitrite, and trihalomethanes (THMs). In evaluating the toxicity of chemical mixtures, the EPA's immediate concern is whether the individual HA values and MCLGs are protecting public health when multiple contaminants are present in drinking water. Potential toxic interactions between drinking water contaminants are difficult to predict because experimental studies are generally performed only at high doses relative to environmental levels. Although the contamination of drinking water involves mixtures of contaminants, drinking water regulations are generally based on an assessment of the risks of individual contaminants. This paper discusses three issues of major concern to the EPA: the synergistic effects of solvent mixtures, vehicle effects in laboratory studies, and setting standards for essential trace nutrients where the absorption and/or toxicity are affected by an individual's nutritional status or other dietary components. 12 references.
Contests with spying

Abstract Contests between players with unknown relative ability are common. Under the plausible condition of decreasing aversion to uncertain ability, a player in a contest with unknown relative ability expends more resources than in a contest with known relative ability. If spying is allowed to reduce the uncertainty about ability, then in the case of unobservable spying, the level of spying is high, the level of effort is low, and total expected payoffs are high relative to the case of observable spying. Consequently, the social cost of the contest is low with unobservable spying as compared to observable spying.
VISION GUIDANCE UPDATE: SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (SAR) MULTIPLE IMAGE EXPLOITATION FOR POSITION AND VELOCITY DETERMINATION

Vision Guidance Update (VGU) is a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) multi-image exploitation technique which uses radar vision derived from range-angle imagery of stationary ground features to provide precision platform position and velocity estimates. The concept addresses applications to both navigational update and guidance functions for systems using SAR as an autonomous, long-range, standoff, all-weather, day/night sensing capability. The changes in perspectives of ground features detected in successive SAR spotlight images are analyzed and the coupled geometry problem solved to determine precision platform velocity and position estimates relative to any imaged point on the ground. A SAR VGU theory and algorithm were developed that utilizes two features in two images for deriving the platform kinematic estimates. Realistic SAR finite resolution effects lead to estimation errors. Errors in the knowledge of platform position and velocity, generated from navigation system errors, produce imaging geometry and image formation errors. Tolerance to reasonable platform kinematic errors is provided by iterating the SAR VGU algorithm to improve and provide precision estimates of all geometry, system, and kinematic parameters. The VGU theory and algorithm are presented with the initial modeling assumptions. Initial simulation results are qualitatively summarized.
Synthesis and Characterization of a Sterically Encumbered Unsymmetrical 9-Borafluorene, Its Pyridine Adduct, and Its Dilithium Salt

The reaction of 2,6-(4-t-BuC6H4)2C6H3Li with BH2Cl·SMe2 in hexane or Et2O solution affords the terphenyl-substituted unsymmetrical 9-borafluorene 1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-7-tert-butyl-9-(bis-2,6-(4-tert-butylphenyl)phenyl)-9-borafluorene (1) in good to moderate yields. Addition of pyridine gives the colorless crystalline adduct 1·py. Compound 1 is readily reduced to the deep red heteroaromatic dianionic (μ2-η5,η5-1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-7-tert-butyl-9-(bis-2,6-(4-tert-butylphenyl)phenyl)-9-borafluorenyl)bis(diethyl ether)dilithium (2) with excess lithium powder in Et2O solution. Reactions of the dianionic 2 with various metal salts leads to reduction of these salts, and bright yellow 1 is recovered in essentially quantitative yields. Compounds 1, 1·py, and 2 were characterized by 1H, 13C, and 11B NMR spectroscopy and compounds 1·py and 2 also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Mobile offshore drilling rig newbuild and replacement cost functions

Mobile offshore drilling rigs are used to drill, complete and workover wellbores in marine environments. The fleet that exists today consists of a wide variety of vessels built to various specifications over the past three decades, and because they operate in harsh, corrosive environments, they wear out structurally and require periodic maintenance. Rig designs have evolved with changes in operating requirements and new technology and rigs are frequently modified and upgraded, depending upon market conditions, operator preferences and other factors. The construction and replacement costs of offshore rigs are often used for management planning, financial valuation and insurance analysis, and because of the wide variety of designs, specifications and upgrades, cost estimates vary widely. In this article, generalized newbuild and replacement cost functions are derived based on rig class, age and upgrade status, water depth, and other factors using market data for 111 rigs under construction and 466 rigs in operation. Factors that influence newbuild and replacement cost are described along with a summary of the model results and limitations of the analysis.
Image artifacts in very low magnetic field MRI: the role of concomitant gradients.

While MRI at very low magnetic fields has certain potential advantages, it may also face problems that are not typical for MRI at conventional and high field (0.1–10 T). Major differences arise due to the presence of concomitant components of inhomogeneous magnetic field (gradients) that are transverse to the major Bz field, B0. These concomitant transverse field components are inevitably generated by the same gradient coils that generate desired Bz imaging gradients as routinely used in MRI for spatial encoding. In the hypothetical case (linear spatial variation of Bz field amplitude due to the imaging gradients, no concomitant transverse field components, no B0 and B1 field inhomogeneities, etc.), Fourier transform MRI preserves the shape of the real object being examined. It is demonstrated herein that unavoidable concomitant transverse field gradients, G, result in an image deformation of the object’s actual shape by bending straight lines and planes with a characteristic curvature radius Rc = B0/G. For imaging gradients on the order of 10 mT/m and B0 of 1 T, the radius Rc is about 100 m and image distortions are generally negligible. However, for B0 of 1 mT, Rc is 10 cm, which is less than a typical FOV in human studies. This manuscript derives expressions describing geometrical relationships between the imaged object and the obtained MR data. In addition to geometrical distortions, image intensity will be modulated in a complex, spatially dependent manner. Hence, if unaccounted for, corresponding image distortions—geometry and intensity—will create substantial difficulties in very low field image interpretation.
Oxygen-stabilized reconstructions of Pd(100): Phase transitions during oxygen desorption

Abstract We present a detailed experimental study of desorption kinetics and accompanying structural phase transitions in a quasi-zero-order desorption state of atomic oxygen on Pd(100). The experimental data are of two types: measurements of desorption rates using thermal desorption spectroscopy, and measurements of changes in adlayer structure using Video-LEED. The data show directly that quasi-zero-order desorption occurs when the system passes through a two-phase region where one reconstructed phase of the adsorbate exists in equilibrium with an unreconstructed phase of the adsorbate. The experimental data are used to develop two microscopic models for the desorption phenomenon, which allow detailed analysis of the interplay between the reconstructed and unreconstructed phases during desorption. We argue that such coexistence regimes may be common in other systems where quasi-zero-order desorption kinetics are associated with phase transitions of the substrate, and may be generally responsible for these desorption states.
Cognitive development and the learning of elementary concepts

Wohlwill calls for longitudinal studies and a sequential analysis to help solve the mystery of cognitive development. He holds that as a child develops, his perceptual set in approaching problems is supplanted by a different set which has to do more with symbolic operations relating to concepts. The development of this new set is discussed together with the role of measurement in the developmental process. Implications are drawn for providing general types of early experiences to facilitate cognitive development.
Modular Evolution of DNA-Binding Preference of a Tbrain Transcription Factor Provides a Mechanism for Modifying Gene Regulatory Networks

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) describe the progression of transcriptional states that take a single-celled zygote to a multicellular organism. It is well documented that GRNs can evolve extensively through mutations to cis-regulatory modules (CRMs). Transcription factor proteins that bind these CRMs may also evolve to produce novelty. Coding changes are considered to be rarer, however, because transcription factors are multifunctional and hence are more constrained to evolve in ways that will not produce widespread detrimental effects. Recent technological advances have unearthed a surprising variation in DNA-binding abilities, such that individual transcription factors may recognize both a preferred primary motif and an additional secondary motif. This provides a source of modularity in function. Here, we demonstrate that orthologous transcription factors can also evolve a changed preference for a secondary binding motif, thereby offering an unexplored mechanism for GRN evolution. Using protein-binding microarray, surface plasmon resonance, and in vivo reporter assays, we demonstrate an important difference in DNA-binding preference between Tbrain protein orthologs in two species of echinoderms, the sea star, Patiria miniata ,a nd the sea urchin,Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Although both orthologs recognize the same primary motif, only the sea star Tbr also has a secondary binding motif. Our in vivo assays demonstrate that this difference may allow for greater evolutionary change in timing of regulatory control. This uncovers a layer of transcription factor binding divergence that could exist for many pairs of orthologs. We hypothesize that this divergence provides modularity that allows orthologous transcription factors to evolve novel roles in GRNs through modification of binding to secondary sites.
Sleep Architecture in Infants of Substance-Abusing Mothers.

This longitudinal, year-long study compared sleep-wake state organization in two groups of infants-infants whose mothers abused substances during their pregnancies and nonexposed, typically developing, age-matched comparison infants-to determine whether differences in sleep-wake state organization existed between the two groups. Seventeen infants of mothers who were participating in a parent-infant residential treatment program for substance abuse were enrolled. Their sleep-wake state organization over the first year of life was compared to that of 17 age-matched comparison infants. The intent was to follow each infant on five occasions over the first year of life using established methods of time-lapse videosomnography to record sleep-wake state organization: however, attrition in the substance-abusing group was problematic. Some sleep-wake variables (i.e., Active Sleep%, Quiet Sleep%, Awake%, number of nighttime awakenings) were similar for both groups of infants at comparable ages across the first year. Total sleep time and the longest Sustained sleep period (sleep continuity variables) differed significantly at some of the ages measured. Although overall sleep architecture appears highly resilient and well organized, some indications of sleep fragmentation and shortened nighttime sleep periods were observed in the substance-ex posed infants. More research is needed to explain why sleep-continuity variables and not sleep-state proportion variables differed between the two groups.
Are Monetary Unions Inevitable

With the rapid growth of cross-border competition among currencies, informed observers predict that the new monetary unions are virtually inevitable in many parts of the world. In fact, predictions of such alliances are misleading and almost certainly wrong. Monetary unions necessarily imply a measure of collective action in the issue and management of money. An alliance requires allies—other states with similar preferences and a disposition to act cooperatively. A survey of proposed monetary unions shows that willing partners among sovereign states are just not all that plentiful. Conceivably some governments could be attracted to less demanding forms of monetary alliance, depending on bargaining context. But prospects for many full new monetary unions are dim at best.
Technical concepts related to conservation of irrigation and rainwater in agricultural systems

[1] Forty percent of freshwater withdrawals in the United States are for irrigated agriculture, which contribute more than $50 billion to the economy. Increasing diversions of water for urban, environmental, and other uses will likely decrease water available to agriculture. Water conservation in agriculture is touted as a good method for minimizing the impact of reduced agricultural diversions on production. Because “wasted” water is often reused until it reaches the ocean, there are limitations to the true water savings that result from programs that aim to increase irrigation efficiency. True water savings can come from four areas: reduction of unnecessary evaporation and transpiration, more effective use of rainfall, reduction of deep percolation water that becomes severely degraded in quality, and reduction of runoff from fields that is not reusable downstream. Any other reduction in net water consumption must come from reductions in evapotranspiration from the crops grown, which requires either reduction in acreage or reduction in crop yield brought on by intentional plant water stress. Other benefits of field or district-level water conservation may include increased in-stream flows (due to lower diversions) and energy conservation due to less pumping or more hydroelectric production, but not result in true water savings, since unconsumed water returns as a usable water resource. Understanding the hydrologic settings is critical to determining true water savings from conservation practices. On-farm water conservation practices that provide true water savings at one location may be ineffective at another. In large irrigation projects, water delivery limitations often present obstacles to on-farm water conservation efforts.
The measurement of reactivity using algorithms derived from the dynamic period equation

Two algorithms, inverse dynamics and the hybrid method, have been developed for the measurement of reactivity. The basis of each is the dynamic period equation which gives the instantaneous reactor period as a function of both the rate of change of reactivity and the reactivity. Both methods are rigorous. Inverse dynamics uses the dynamic period equation to determine the rate of change of reactivity; the reactivity is then found by integration. The hybrid method applies simultaneously both the standard and the alternate forms of the dynamic period equation, thereby solving directly for the reactivity. Both techniques have been tested on the 5-MWt MIT Research Reactor. The results of the experimental evaluation are presented together with an assessment of their utility of the algorithms. >
Two-phase oxidizing flow in volatile removal assembly reactor under microgravity conditions

Volatile removal assembly (VRA) is a module installed in the International Space Station for removing contaminants (volatile organics) in the wastewater produced by the crew. The VRA contains a slim pack-bed reactor to perform catalyst oxidation of the wastewater at elevated pressure and temperature under microgravity conditions. Optimal design of the reactor requires a thorough understanding about how the reactor performs under microgravity conditions. The efficiency of catalyst oxidation is controlled by catalyst oxidation kinetics and oxygen gas distribution in the reactor. The process involves bubbly flow in porous media with chemical reactions in microgravity environment, which has not been previously studied. We have developed and used a mathematical model in this study to simulate the organics oxidation process in the VRA reactor. We conclude that 1) the remaining oxygen gas in the VRA reactor should decline exponentially with reactor length; 2) the minimum reactor length required to achieve a complete oxygen utilization is directly proportional to bubble size, oxygen density, and bubble velocity, and inversely proportional to rate of oxidation per unit area and bubble sphericity; 3) gravity affects oxygen utilization through changing several parameters including oxygen bubble size; and 4) the example VRA design is very conservative.
System architecture for functional characterization of devices to mitigate hearing impairment

Since 2000, claims of hearing loss by warfighters have doubled. It is the most frequently identified combat-related disability. Conventional audibility enhancement relies heavily on hearing aids, which do not provide sufficient sound intelligibility for a sizable subset of the hearing-impaired population. For them, there is a surgical option called a ‘cochlear implant’, a device which bypasses the damaged portions of the inner ear (cochlea) and provides direct neural stimulation. In this paper, we review the current state of the art in hearing aids and cochlear implants. A new device which has the potential for high spectral and temporal fidelity, the optical cochlear implant, is currently being tested in the laboratory. The projected development timeline spans many years: from point testing in the laboratory, through the approval process for limited human testing, with control gates for application to human candidates. A model-based development approach could potentially shorten this timeline. In this pa...
Gender‐Typed Behaviors, Achievement, and Adjustment Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Boys During Early Adolescence

This research examined the relations between adherence to gender-typed behaviors in boys' friendships, achievement, and self-esteem. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse adolescent boys in grade 8 (Mage = 13.05; range = 12-14). The study was completed at a public junior high school that offered both single- and mixed-gender classes. Data were collected in 2 waves, the first wave in fall of 2010 and the second in spring of 2011. At each wave, participants completed assessments of gender concepts and self-esteem. Standardized tests scores from the end of the previous academic year and the end of the year of the study were utilized. Results revealed that the boys' adherence to physical toughness behaviors in their friendships was negatively associated with math standardized test scores and self-esteem from Time I to Time II. Indirect effects analyses revealed a relation between boys' adherence to emotional stoicism behaviors in friendships and math achievement and self-esteem via boys' adherence to physical toughness behaviors. Implications of these findings and the links between masculinity, boys' friendships, performance in school, and psychological adjustment are discussed. Language: en
Outpatient oncology settings: A variety of services

Where and how can we best care for oncology patients, and what are the models of care that will provide safe patient and family-centered care while containing costs? Because the majority of all cancer care is delivered in the outpatient setting, the types of outpatient oncology settings, the services provided, and the advantages and disadvantages of different types of clinics are important considerations.
Modeling of an LTCC Inductor Capable of Improving Converter Light-Load Efficiency

A low-profile power inductor fabricated using low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology has been demonstrated to improve the light-load efficiency of a 5 V-to-1 V, 12.5 A buck converter operating with a switching frequency of 4 MHz, without the use of additional control circuitry. Variation in inductor geometry is performed experimentally to study the effects on the light-load efficiency of a converter. By decreasing the conductor width of the inductor, the light-load efficiency can be further improved by more than 30 % over that of commercial inductors having similar inductance. An empirical model is developed based on in-circuit large signal measurements to describe the relationship among inductance, average current, and inductor geometry to help in the future design of such planar inductors.
Movement training advances the emergence of reaching in infants born at less than 33 weeks of gestational age: a randomized clinical trial.

Background and Purpose: This study had 2 purposes: (1) to compare the emergence of reaching in infants born full-term and infants born at less than 33 weeks of gestational age and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of a movement training program on the emergence of reaching in this preterm population. Participants: Twenty-six infants born at less than 33 weeks of gestational age and with a birth weight less than 2,500 g were randomly assigned to receive 20 minutes of daily movement training (PT-M group) or daily social training (PT-S group) and were compared with 13 infants born full-term (FT-S group). Methods: Reaching and hand-object interactions were tested every other week for 8 weeks. At each visit, infants were allowed six 30-second opportunities to contact a midline toy. Results: The FT-S and PT-M groups reached earlier and more consistently than the PT-S group. Specifically, the subjects in the FT-S group contacted the toy for longer durations and with an open, ventral surface of their hand. The PT-M group demonstrated increases in the number of hand-object contacts, the number of consistent reaches, and the percentage of time interacting with the toy and the surface of hand-object contact. Discussion and Conclusion: This project demonstrates that there are early gross motor skill differences in infants born at less than 33 weeks of gestational age. A caregiver-based daily training program, however, is effective at lessening some, but not all, of these differences over the short term.
Anomalous voltage trends in electronegative capacitively coupled plasmas

Larger gas densities and lower loss rates at higher operating pressures typically lead to increased plasma density and consequently ion fluxes to the biased electrode. As a result, conventional theory dictates that increasing the operating pressure decreases the bias voltage required to deposit a given power. However, this approach assumes that the plasma density increases uniformly and/or the plasma distribution does not vary with the increase in pressure. In reality, the RF bias voltage is dependent on the local characteristics of the plasma in the vicinity of the wafer which changes based on a multitude of factors.
Intracellular pH dependence of buffer capacity and anion exchange in the parietal cell

When parietal cells (PC) are stimulated with histamine, the anion exchanger rate increases three to five times to compensate for alkaline loading induced by H+-K+ adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) and to provide Cl for acid secretion. It has been hypothesized that this increased activity is caused by the increase in intracellular pH (pHi) that often occurs in stimulated PC (from 7.1 to a maximum of 7.3). The dependence of the anion exchanger on pHi was studied using microspectrofluorimetry of the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES)-buffered solutions were used because the anion exchanger can transport OH- (or HCO3) in exchange for Cl- even with [HCO3]o = 200 microM. It was found that when solutions were changed either from NaCl to Cl- free or Cl- free to NaCl, rates of change of pHi (delta pH/delta t) were strongly dependent on pHi: nearly 0 at pHi 6.6 and 1.25 pH/min at pHi 8.0. To convert these pHi changes into anion flux rates, the intrinsic buffer capacity (beta i) was determined over the same pHi range by making small changes of [NH4]o to determine the resulting changes of [NH4]i and pHi (i.e., beta i = delta[NH4]i/delta pHi) in PC that had been pretreated with 1 mM amiloride and 200 microM [H2]4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) [to block Na+-H+ and Cl- -OH-(HCO3-) exchange]. beta i was also strongly dependent on pHi: at pHi 6.5 beta i = 48 mM/pH, and this decreased as pHi increased; at pHi 7.75 beta i = 8 mM/pH. The derived anion fluxes (i.e., JOH = beta i x delta pH/delta t) were roughly linearly related to pHi between 6.6 (JOH near 0) and 8.1 (JOH = 13 mM/min). Between pHi 7.1 and 7.3, the range normally observed during stimulation of PC, rates of anion exchange increased by 75%. This pHi sensitivity cannot explain the 300-500% increase in anion exchanger activity observed during secretagogue stimulation of PC.
Abstract 238: Genetic Risk Score as a Predictor of Incident Hypertension and Blood Pressure Change Over Time

Little data exist regarding single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predicting blood pressure (BP) change over time. We genotyped 32 common SNPs in a nationwide cohort aged ≥30 years examined in years 2000 (n=5402) and 2011 (n=3373). We investigated whether genetic risk scores (GRSs) constructed of these variants would predict incident hypertension and BP change over time. We created GRSs for systolic and diastolic BP by multiplying the risk allele count of each SNP by the effect size estimated in published genome-wide association studies. In linear and logistic regression models adjusted for traditional risk factors, 1-unit increases in GRSs were associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP values both at baseline (β±SE, 1.04±0.14 mmHg and 1.11±0.13 mmHg; P<0.0001 for both) and at reinvestigation (β±SE, 0.86±0.18 mmHg and 0.74±0.16 mm Hg; P<0.0001 for both) and with increased hypertension prevalence (odds ratio [95% CI], 1.12 [1.08-1.16] and 1.18 [1.11-1.26]; P<0.0001 for both). Among all participants who were normotensive at baseline and participated in the re-examination (n=2045), the GRSs were not independently associated with BP change over time (β±SE, 0.016±0.18 mmHg and 0.019±0.18 mmHg; P≥0.27 for both). However, in the top tertile of the GRS, the predicted increase in BP compared with the bottom tertile was 1.59±0.78 mmHg greater for systolic BP (P=0.04) and 0.79±0.49 mmHg greater for diastolic BP (P=0.11) and the odds ratio for incident hypertension was 30% higher (P=0.04). Our data show that GRSs are strongly associated with BP and prevalence of hypertension, but only weakly associated with BP increase and incidence of hypertension in a general adult population. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Kinetic Analysis of Competitive Electrocatalytic Pathways: New Insights into Hydrogen Production with Nickel Electrocatalysts.

The hydrogen production electrocatalyst Ni(PPh2NPh2)22+ (1) is capable of traversing multiple electrocatalytic pathways. When using dimethylformamidium, DMF(H)+, the mechanism of H2 formation by 1 changes from an ECEC to an EECC mechanism as the potential approaches the Ni(I/0) couple. Two electrochemical methods, current–potential analysis and foot-of-the-wave analysis (FOWA), were performed on 1 to measure detailed kinetics of the competing ECEC and EECC pathways. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the methods using digital simulations to understand their strengths and limitations. Chemical rate constants were significantly underestimated when not accounting for electron-transfer kinetics, even when electron transfer was fast enough to afford a reversible noncatalytic wave. The EECC pathway of 1 was faster than the ECEC pathway under all conditions studied. Buffered DMF:DMF(H)+ mixtures afforded an increase in the catalytic rate constant (kobs) of the EECC pathway, but kobs for the ECEC pathway did...
SrrAB Modulates Staphylococcus aureus Cell Death through Regulation of cidABC Transcription

ABSTRACT The death and lysis of a subpopulation in Staphylococcus aureus biofilm cells are thought to benefit the surviving population by releasing extracellular DNA, a critical component of the biofilm extracellular matrix. Although the means by which S. aureus controls cell death and lysis is not understood, studies implicate the role of the cidABC and lrgAB operons in this process. Recently, disruption of the srrAB regulatory locus was found to cause increased cell death during biofilm development, likely as a result of the sensitivity of this mutant to hypoxic growth. In the current study, we extended these findings by demonstrating that cell death in the Δ srrAB mutant is dependent on expression of the cidABC operon. The effect of cidABC expression resulted in the generation of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and was independent of acetate production. Interestingly, consistently with previous studies, cidC -encoded pyruvate oxidase was found to be important for the generation of acetic acid, which initiates the cell death process. However, these studies also revealed for the first time an important role of the cidB gene in cell death, as disruption of cidB in the Δ srrAB mutant background decreased ROS generation and cell death in a cidC -independent manner. The cidB mutation also caused decreased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide, which suggests a complex role for this system in ROS metabolism. Overall, the results of this study provide further insight into the function of the cidABC operon in cell death and reveal its contribution to the oxidative stress response. IMPORTANCE The manuscript focuses on cell death mechanisms in Staphylococcus aureus and provides important new insights into the genes involved in this ill-defined process. By exploring the cause of increased stationary-phase death in an S. aureus Δ srrAB regulatory mutant, we found that the decreased viability of this mutant was a consequence of the overexpression of the cidABC operon, previously shown to be a key mediator of cell death. These investigations highlight the role of the cidB gene in the death process and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Overall, the results of this study are the first to demonstrate a positive role for CidB in cell death and to provide an important paradigm for understanding this process in all bacteria.
A2 incompatible kidney transplantation does not adversely affect graft or patient survival.

Background The new United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) kidney allocation system (KAS) incorporates A2 and A2B to B transplantation to reduce wait times for blood group B candidates. Few studies have employed multicenter data or comprehensively defined donor-to-recipient ABO classification systems. Methods We retrospectively analyzed UNOS data from 1987–2013 to evaluate the effect of A2 incompatible (A2i) kidney transplantation on graft and patient survival. Records of 314 056 adults (340 150 transplants) were classified as A2i (560 transplants in A2 to B or O, A2B to B) or compatible. Methods included Kaplan–Meier survival and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Graft survival after A2i transplant (median = 116 months) did not differ (log-rank p ≥ 0.101) from any compatible class (medians = 106–119 months); there was no effect of A2i on patient survival (log-rank p ≥ 0.286). After adjusting for age, race, donor type, pancreas, or previous kidney transplant, A2i was not associated with graft (p ≥ 0.263) or patient (p ≥ 0.060) survival in this largest cohort to date. Conclusions A2i kidney transplantation does not adversely affect graft or patient survival. A2i kidney transplantation has been included in the new KAS and represents a viable option for transplant centers to increase transplant volume and reduce wait times for disadvantaged B waitlist recipients.
Uncertainty quantification and global sensitivity analysis of the Los Alamos sea ice model

Changes in the high-latitude climate system have the potential to affect global climate through feedbacks with the atmosphere and connections with midlatitudes. Sea ice and climate models used to understand these changes have uncertainties that need to be characterized and quantified. We present a quantitative way to assess uncertainty in complex computer models, which is a new approach in the analysis of sea ice models. We characterize parametric uncertainty in the Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE) in a standalone configuration and quantify the sensitivity of sea ice area, extent, and volume with respect to uncertainty in 39 individual model parameters. Unlike common sensitivity analyses conducted in previous studies where parameters are varied one at a time, this study uses a global variance-based approach in which Sobol' sequences are used to efficiently sample the full 39-dimensional parameter space. We implement a fast emulator of the sea ice model whose predictions of sea ice extent, area, and volume are used to compute the Sobol' sensitivity indices of the 39 parameters. Main effects and interactions among the most influential parameters are also estimated by a nonparametric regression technique based on generalized additive models. A ranking based on the sensitivity indices indicates thatmore » model predictions are most sensitive to snow parameters such as snow conductivity and grain size, and the drainage of melt ponds. Lastly, it is recommended that research be prioritized toward more accurately determining these most influential parameter values by observational studies or by improving parameterizations in the sea ice model.« less
Forward Calculation of Subgrade Modulus Using Falling Weight Deflectometer Time Histories and Wave Propagation Theory

This paper presents a method for forward-calculating the subgrade modulus from the transient response under a Falling Weight Deflectometer. The method is based on wave propagation theory and uses the formulation for spectral element method to calculate the surface deflection of a semi-infinite halfsapce. Rayleigh wave velocity is calculated using the location of the far sensors and the times corresponding to their peak response. The ratio of Rayleigh and shear wave velocities was found to be 0.81 for axisymmetric loading. This allows for calculating the shear wave velocity, which can then be used to calculate the shear modulus, then the elastic modulus of the subgrade. Results were verified by comparing them to those obtained using a dynamic finite layer solution. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the depth to bedrock and its stiffness. The results show that the effect of bedrock becomes insignificant if the depth to bedrock is greater than about 5m (18 ft).
Firm Liquidity and Issuing Activity

The paper shows that issuing activity does not result in additional liquidity. I find that even in the subsamples in which issuing is supposed to create more liquidity (severely underpriced IPOs, IPOs backed by venture capital, new issues with high-prestige underwriters) new issues are indeed more liquid, but so are their peers, and thus issuing does not create liquidity. The paper thus refutes the existing liquidity-based explanations of the new issues puzzle. The paper also shows that the low-minus-high turnover factor seems to explain the new issues puzzle and related anomalies only because it picks up volatility risk.
Clinical outcomes of behavioral treatments for elopement in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities

The external validity of behavioral treatments for elopement (i.e. leaving supervision without permission) remains unclear because studies to date include only small samples (n = 1–3). This study quantified the overall effectiveness of behavioral treatments for elopement by retrospectively examining treatment data from all patients seen for the treatment of elopement at an intensive day treatment clinic (n = 11), irrespective of treatment success. Reductions in elopement from baseline to the final treatment for each participant demonstrate that behavioral intervention is a highly effective treatment for elopement, as determined by the large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.18).
Experimental psychopathology paradigms for alcohol use disorders: Applications for translational research

In spite of high prevalence and disease burden, scientific consensus on the etiology and treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has yet to be reached. The development and utilization of experimental psychopathology paradigms in the human laboratory represents a cornerstone of AUD research. In this review, we describe and critically evaluate the major experimental psychopathology paradigms developed for AUD, with an emphasis on their implications, strengths, weaknesses, and methodological considerations. Specifically we review alcohol administration, self-administration, cue-reactivity, and stress-reactivity paradigms. We also provide an introduction to the application of experimental psychopathology methods to translational research including genetics, neuroimaging, pharmacological and behavioral treatment development, and translational science. Through refining and manipulating key phenotypes of interest, these experimental paradigms have the potential to elucidate AUD etiological factors, improve the efficiency of treatment developments, and refine treatment targets thus advancing precision medicine.
Analyzing Schubert: Analyzing music theory

A sonata is a metaphorical representation of a perfect human action. It is a narrative “action” because it drives through a vectored sequence of energized events toward a clearly determined, graspable goal, the ESC [essential structural closure]. It is “perfect” because (unless artificially blocked from achieving the goal) it typically accomplishes the task elegantly, proportionally, and completely. A sonata is a linear journey of tonal realization, onto which might be mapped any number of concrete metaphors of human experience. Since a central component of the sonata genre is its built-in teleological drive – pushing forward to accomplish a generically predetermined goal – the sonata invites an interpretation as a musically narrative genre. Astonishing words for 2006. They come from the latest addition to theories of sonata form, namely Hepokoski’s and Darcy’s Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types, and Deformations in the Late-Eighteenth-Century Sonata . As can be seen from the above two paragraphs, the norm according to Sonata Theory remains a one-sided masculinist view of “human experience,” which, moreover, is characterized as the “perfect” human experience. While the authors promised to provide a fresh perspective on sonata form, they reassert the privileged teleological, masculine paradigm that has been the subject of sustained feminist critique. Why are we still being presented with an apparently old-style version of sonata form?
Hard carbon coated nano-Si/graphite composite as a high performance anode for Li-ion batteries

Abstract With the ever-increasing demands for higher energy densities in Li-ion batteries, alternative anodes with higher reversible capacity are required to replace the conventional graphite anode. Here, we demonstrate a cost-effective hydrothermal carbonization approach to prepare a hard carbon coated nano-Si/graphite (HC-nSi/G) composite as a high performance anode for Li-ion batteries. In this hierarchical structured composite, the hard carbon coating not only provides an efficient pathway for electron transfer, but also alleviates the volume variation of Si during charge/discharge processes. The HC-nSi/G composite electrode shows excellent performance, including a high specific capacity of 878.6 mAh g−1 based on the total weight of composite, good rate performance, and a decent cycling stability, which is promising for practical applications.
Avoiding the “Inexorable Push Toward Homogenization” in School Choice: Education Savings Accounts as Hedges Against Institutional Isomorphism

The assumption that rational choice dynamics will lead to diversity of school supply is at the heart of K–12 school choice arrangements. Yet as the field of school choice becomes more established, ...
Longevity and fecundity of the egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi provided with different carbohydrate diets.

In order for successful biological pest control using parasitoids, the most suitable naturally available food resources, as well as the fitness of parasitoids feeding on these resources, need to be ascertained. The goal of this study was to improve the understanding of the ecological requirements and consequent fitness of one such parasitoid, Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), a predominant stink bug (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) egg parasitoid native to southeastern USA. We assessed the effects of carbohydrate resources readily available in the wasp's natural habitat on longevity and fecundity of female T. podisi under laboratory conditions. Carbohydrate diets included in the study were buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (Polygonaceae) nectar and honeydew from cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch (Hemiptera: Aphididae), compared with honey or water controls, which are normally used for laboratory rearing of this species. Eggs of Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were provided as hosts for oviposition. Honeydew of cowpea aphid proved to be as good a nutrition source as buckwheat nectar, in enhancing wasp longevity and fecundity. We also assessed the importance of honeydew freshness on the biological attributes of T. podisi, as honeydew becomes crystallized or highly viscous on drying up and therefore may pose an issue for uptake by parasitoids. We found that fresh honeydew of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Hemiptera: Aphididae) significantly enhanced wasp longevity when compared to a diet of 1-day-old honeydew and the fava bean leaf (control). However, fresh honeydew of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae) had the same effect on wasp longevity, fecundity, and proportion of male progeny as radish leaf (control). The potential of certain ubiquitously available food resources, in enhancing biological control of economically damaging pests by parasitoids, is being highlighted in this study; information which could be valuable in similar parasitoid-host systems as well.
Acute Right Ventricular Failure After Successful Opening of Chronic Total Occlusion in Right Coronary Artery Caused by a Large Intramural Hematoma.

A 76-year-old man with history of critical aortic stenosis was referred for surgical aortic valve replacement. Two months prior, preoperative diagnostic angiogram showed 2-vessel coronary artery disease, including 80% stenosis in midsection of left circumflex (LCX) artery, and serial lesions in the right coronary artery (RCA) with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the distal segment (Movie I in the Data Supplement; Figure 1A) and significant left to right collateralization. At the time of surgical aortic valve replacement, coronary artery bypass was attempted; however, his saphenous veins were found to be unsuitable to use for bypass. His target vessels were deeply buried into myocardial fat as well. It was the heart team’s decision to bring him back for elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Unfortunately, 3 weeks after the aortic valve replacement surgery, the patient was admitted to medical service for urosepsis with mild elevation in troponin because of demand ischemia. His transthoracic echocardiogram showed normal left ventricle (LV) function with basal inferior and midseptal wall hypokinesis at this time. Given the elevated troponin and known need to perform complete revascularization, we proceeded to PCI of his 2-vessel disease, including the mid-LCX lesion and the CTO in the large RCA system after he recovered from infection. Figure 1. A , Right coronary artery (RCA) before the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of serial high-grade lesions and chronic total occlusion (CTO). B , RCA immediately after the conclusion of PCI showing successful revascularization of CTO in RCA. C , Repeat coronary angiography after the chest pain and ST-elevation demonstrating patent stents in RCA and occlusion of small posterior descending artery (PDA). D , ECG obtained in recovery …