cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sterol regulation of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase promoter requires two interdependent binding sites for sterol regulatory element binding proteins

The sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are central regulators of lipid homeostasis in mammalian cells. Their activity is controlled by a sterol-regulated two-step proteolytic process that releases the nuclear targeted amino-terminal domain from the membrane anchored carboxyl-terminal remnant. This ensures that transcriptional stimulation of the appropriate genes occurs only when increased intracellular sterol accumulation is required. Gene targets for SREBP encode key proteins of cholesterol metabolism as well as essential proteins of fatty acid biosynthesis, providing a mechanism for coordinate control of these two major lipid pathways when sterols and fatty acids need to accumulate together. However, the regulatory mechanism must provide a way to uncouple these two pathways to allow separate regulation when sterol or fat levels need to increase independently of each other. We compared the similarities and differences for how SREBP activates the promoter for the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, which is the key protein involved in cholesterol uptake, relative to how it activates promoters for acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), which are both key enzymes of fatty acid biosynthesis. In the current studies we show there are two distinct sites for SREBP binding that control activation of the ACC PII promoter whereas previous work has shown there is only a single SREBP site in the LDL receptor. Additionally, disruption of either ACC site results in a total loss in promoter function and a severe decrease in SREBP binding even to the neighboring unaltered site. Thus, the two sites are equally important and dependent on one another for optimal function. This is in contrast to the FAS promoter where SREBP binds to two adjacent sites independently and the one located closer to the binding site for the Sp1 co-regulator is more critical for sterol regulation and activation by SREBP over-expression.
Intractable properties of responding under a fixed-interval schedule.

The behavior engendered by the fixed-interval schedule is characterized by its variability within and across intervals. The present experiment was designed to assess further the magnitude of interval-to-interval dynamics and to explore conditions which might enhance control by response number for subsequent output. Pigeons were exposed to three experimental manipulations after responding had stabilized under a fixed-interval five-minute schedule. First, a discrete five-stimulus counter was added so that the key color changed after a fixed number of responses. Then additional grain presentations were made at the end of the interval so that high response output was differentially reinforced in the presence of the counter stimuli. Finally, the counter stimuli were presented as an irregular clock (i.e., independently of responding), but the durations were yoked to performance under the counter condition. The data show that response number can exert influence from one interval to the next, but this source of control is weak and not influenced by the experimental manipulations. Results from the clock arrangement indicate that behavior is controlled largely by the stimulus conditions prevailing at the time of interval onset.
Testosterone undecanoate in the treatment of male hypogonadism.

Importance of the field: Testosterone undecanoate (TU) represents an exciting new testosterone replacement therapy for hypogonadal men due to its convenient dosing schedule and favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles.Areas covered in this review: Clinical, pharmacokinetic and safety characteristics of TU will be reviewed. The characteristics of currently approved testosterone therapies will be reviewed and compared with those of TU in order to determine which therapy most appropriately meets the clinical objective of properly matching a patient with a therapy that is best able to deliver physiological levels of testosterone for prolonged periods of time, while at the same time being safe, effective, inexpensive, simple to use, and with few side effects.What the reader will gain: TU represents the first long-acting injectable with an excellent safety profile that can be administered only four times annually to produce stable levels of testosterone. Long-term studies have validated the clinical effica...
Level of aspiration, life satisfaction, and locus of control in older adults

The relationship of the level of aspiration disparity score to life satisfaction and locus of control in two groups of aged individuals, the young-old (ages 60 to 69) and the old-old (ages 70-79) was studied. Female volunteers (N = 100) between the ages of 60 and 79, who were living in the community and were relatively well functioning, were administered The Rotter Level of Aspiration Test, The Life Satisfaction Index A, The Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale, The Internal-External Scale, and The Health Locus of Control Scale. Partial support was found for the hypothesis that a positive disparity score is associated with increased life satisfaction and a more internal locus of control.
Can We Teach Effective Teaching

This paper examines research into effective teaching to show that little is demonstrated by it, apart from it confirming the need for practitioners to fulfil their prescribed roles. Effective teach...
Phagocytosis and the Inflammatory Response

Macrophages are a cornerstone of the innate immune system. They detect infectious organisms via a plethora of receptors, phagocytose them, and orchestrate an appropriate host response. Phagocytosis is extraordinarily complex: numerous receptors stimulate particle internalization, the cytoskeletal elements mediating internalization differ by receptor system and the nature of the pathogen being internalized, and the outcome can differ by bacterium. After generating a panel of 150 monoclonal antibodies that recognizes proteins recruited to the phagosome, analysis of novel phagocytic proteins was prioritized by focusing on those that behave differently during the internalization of virulent and avirulent bacteria. Several novel proteins that have roles in membrane extension were characterized. Although the inflammatory pathways leading to appropriate host response are reasonably well defined, it is not clear how macrophages define the threat precisely. Recent work indicates that Toll-like receptors play a key role in reading a bar code on invading microorganisms and in eliciting a specific immune response. The mechanisms and coupling to the phagocytic response are discussed.
Child and Adult Outcomes of Chronic Child Maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: To describe how child maltreatment chronicity is related to negative outcomes in later childhood and early adulthood. METHODS: The study included 5994 low-income children from St Louis, including 3521 with child maltreatment reports, who were followed from 1993–1994 through 2009. Children were 1.5 to 11 years of age at sampling. Data include administrative and treatment records indicating substance abuse, mental health treatment, brain injury, sexually transmitted disease, suicide attempts, and violent delinquency before age 18 and child maltreatment perpetration, mental health treatment, or substance abuse in adulthood. Multivariate analysis controlled for potential confounders. RESULTS: Child maltreatment chronicity predicted negative childhood outcomes in a linear fashion (eg, percentage with at least 1 negative outcome: no maltreatment = 29.7%, 1 report = 39.5%, 4 reports = 67.1%). Suicide attempts before age 18 showed the largest proportionate increase with repeated maltreatment (no report versus 4+ reports = +625%, P < .0001). The dose-response relationship was reduced once controls for other adverse child outcomes were added in multivariate models of child maltreatment perpetration and mental health issues. The relationship between adult substance abuse and maltreatment report history disappeared after controlling for adverse child outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Child maltreatment chronicity as measured by official reports is a robust indicator of future negative outcomes across a range of systems, but this relationship may desist for certain adult outcomes once childhood adverse events are controlled. Although primary and secondary prevention remain important approaches, this study suggests that enhanced tertiary prevention may pay high dividends across a range of medical and behavioral domains. * Abbreviations: AFDC — : Aid to Families With Dependent Children df — : degrees of freedom STD — : sexually transmitted disease
Iris Marion Young

Iris' written work has been very widely admired; she has obviously helped shape the field of democratic political theory; she has deeply influenced students. The discussion of this work will go on in books and articles until her ideas have been fully absorbed. Here I will say a little about my particular experience of her collegiality. I was Iris' junior colleague at Chicago for six years. I met Iris eight years ago this week, under a portico outside a large hotel like the one in which you are all gathered, not too long after I had first read Democracy and Difference and shortly before my first APSA paper presentation on, as it happened, deliberative democracy. I had no way of knowing then how directly and deeply she would affect my intellectual life. She was already for me a standard, even before I met her. But how that fact deepened over time is what I want to render here.
Reversible Oxidation Effect in Raman Scattering from Metallic Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Raman scattering from individual single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles was measured using confocal optical microscopy with 632 nm laser excitation. The Raman scattering from metallic SWNTs was...
Interface-Stabilized Nanoscale Quasi-Liquid Films and Interfacial Prewetting and Premelting Transitions

Equilibrium-thickness, intergranular films (IGFs) have been observed in various ceramic materials. Recently, surficial amorphous films (SAFs) of similar character have also been found. Furthermore, a series of studies revealed the stabilization of disordered (quasi-liquid) IGFs and SAFs well below the bulk solidus or eutectic temperatures, wherein analogies to the phenomena of premelting and prewetting can be made. Accordingly, combined interfacial premelting and prewetting models have been developed using a diffuse-interface theory. This paper outlines the key results of two model experiments in support of the above theory: namely observation of quasi-liquid grain boundary films (metallic IGFs) in W-Ni and searching of a complete wetting transition for Bi2O3 on ZnO where SAFs become macroscopically thick. We propose that simple combined interfacial premelting and prewetting models apply to metallic IGFs, but only serve as a basis to understand IGFs and SAFs in ceramics where additional interactions, e.g. dispersion forces and space-charges, should be added separately and may result in more complex behaviors.
Renal Cell Carcinoma and Chronic Kidney Disease

Over the past two decades, there has been a notable increase in the early diagnosis of kidney cancers. Earlier diagnosis is likely due to a myriad of findings including more aggressive imaging of patients with microscopic hematuria. While, approximately 20–25 % of these small renal masses are benign (oncocytoma or angiomyolipoma), the majority are malignant. Depending upon the specific subtype and stage, the 5-year survival exceeds 90–95 % in most studies. Importantly, there are currently more than 300,000 kidney cancer survivors in the USA. Given the excellent oncologic outcomes for a majority of patients with renal cell cancer (RCC), it is critical that care of these patients move beyond therapy that addresses the malignancy to those issues that affect long-term mortality and morbidity. In this population, chronic kidney disease (CKD), due to both underlying conditions as well as loss of renal mass, has become a key determinant of long-term outcomes.
Survival in Patients with Degenerative Mitral Stenosis: Results from a Large Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Severe mitral annular calcification causing degenerative mitral stenosis (DMS) is increasingly encountered in patients undergoing mitral and aortic valve interventions. However, its clinical profile and natural history and the factors affecting survival remain poorly characterized. The goal of this study was to characterize the factors affecting survival in patients with DMS. Methods An institutional echocardiographic database was searched for patients with DMS, defined as severe mitral annular calcification without commissural fusion and a mean transmitral diastolic gradient of ≥2 mm Hg. This resulted in a cohort of 1,004 patients. Survival was analyzed as a function of clinical, pharmacologic, and echocardiographic variables. Results The patient characteristics were as follows: mean age, 73 ± 14 years; 73% women; coronary artery disease in 49%; and diabetes mellitus in 50%. The 1- and 5-year survival rates were 78% and 47%, respectively, and were slightly worse with higher DMS grades ( P = .02). Risk factors for higher mortality included greater age ( P P = .0009), renal insufficiency ( P = .004), mitral regurgitation ( P P P P = .02), and low serum albumin level ( P P = .02) or statins ( P = .04) was associated with better survival, and use of digoxin was associated with higher mortality ( P = .007). Conclusions Prognosis in patients with DMS is poor, being worse in the aged and those with renal insufficiency, atrial fibrillation, and other concomitant valvular lesions. Renin-angiotensin system blockers and statins may confer a survival benefit, and digoxin use may be associated with higher mortality in these patients.
PATTERNS AND PROCESSES OF DIVERSIFICATION: SPECIATION AND HISTORICAL CONGRUENCE IN SOME NEOTROPICAL BIRDS.

This paper documents congruence in geographical patterns of speciation for four clades of birds having taxa endemic to the same areas within the Neotropics. Two genera, Pionopsitta parrots and Selenidera toucans, corroborate a well known biogeographic disjunction in which taxa endemic to southern Central America and the Choco region of northwestern South America are the sister-group to a radiation within the Amazon basin. These two genera, along with two lineages within the toucan genus Pteroglossus, also document a pattern of historical interrelationships for four well known areas of endemism within Amazonia: Guyanan + (Belem-Para + (Inambari + Napo)). These generalized historical patterns are interpreted to have arisen via fragmentation (vicariance) of a widespread ancestral biota. A review of the paleogeographic evidence suggests that these vicariance events could have originated as a result of several different mechanisms operating at various times during the Cenozoic. The inference that diversification of the Neotropical biota is primarily the result of the most recent of these possible vicariance events, namely isolation within Quaternary forest refugia, is unwarranted, given present data. These patterns of historical congruence are also interpreted as direct evidence against the hypothesis that diversification of the forest biota was a consequence of parapatric differentiation along recently established ecological gradients.
FOUNDER EFFECTS AND THE RATE OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA EVOLUTION IN HAWAIIAN DROSOPHILA.

The nearly-neutral-mutation theory predicts that populations with small effective sizes will undergo more rapid molecular evolution than populations with very large effective sizes. In particular, Ohta (1976) predicted that populations of Hawaiian Drosophila that are known to have small population sizes and to experience repeated population bottlenecks due to founder events should show a more rapid rate of molecular evolution relative to the rate of molecular evolution of species with large population sizes such as the continental Drosophila. In this paper we test this prediction by comparing the rate of molecular evolution in two closely related lineages of Hawaiian Drosophila that have experienced very different evolutionary histories. Both lineages belong to the planitibia subgroup of Hawaiian Drosophila. The beta lineage (which includes D. silvestris, D. planitibia, D. differens, and D. hemipeza) has undergone repeated founder events, as evidenced by their geographic distribution and behavioral biology. On the other hand, evidence on geographic distribution and behavior indicates that the alpha lineage (which includes D. melanocephala, D. cyrtaloma, and D. neoperkinsi) has arisen from large ancestral populations without founder effects. The mitochondrial DNA data reveal that, within a lineage, the rate of molecular evolution is rather uniform, while all comparisons between the two lineages show that the rate of molecular evolution in the beta lineage is three times that of the alpha lineage. This analysis strongly supports the predictions made by Ohta.
Characterization of Heavy-Ion-Induced Single-Event Effects in 65 nm Bulk CMOS ASIC Test Chips

Two 65 nm bulk complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) digital application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips were designed, and then tested in a heavy ion accelerator to characterize single-event effects (SEE). Test chip 1 incorporates test structures, and test chip 2 implements an unhardened and a hardened digital signal processing (DSP) core. Our testing results reveal the radiation effects on the low-voltage and high-frequency operations of the ASIC chips. At a low supply voltage of 0.7 V, cross sections increase by a factor of 2 to 5 at low linear energy transfer (LET), while the increase in cross section at high LET is almost negligible, suggesting that the charge conveyed by heavy ion has far exceeded the critical charge and tuning the supply voltage is not effective. Increasing the clock frequency increases the relative importance of single-event transients (SET) compared to single-event upsets (SEU), especially in hardened designs due to their better SEU immunity. The hardened DSP core experiences a factor of 2 increase in cross section when its clock frequency is increased from 100 MHz to 500 MHz.
Instructions and observational learning in preschool children

Preschool Ss were given object discrimination problems to solve in the absence of overt instrumental responses. A pre-established prompt indicated the rewarded object on all observation trials (no instrumental response permitted). A Look Group was instructed during, these trials to “Look,” a Point Group to “Point to the toy that has the candy under it.” One, two, or four such prompted trials preceded one nonprompted test trial (instrumental response allowed). Only the Point Group learned to solve the problems. Results were discussed in terms of implicit responses differentially elicited by the instructions.
Noncontact Doppler radar unique identification system using neural network classifier on life signs

A continuous-wave (CW) Doppler radar-based unique-identification system has been studied. Experiments have been performed using a neural network based classifier to uniquely identify individuals based on the variation in their breathing energy, frequency and patterns captured by the radar. Our work shows the possibility of non-contact unique identification where camera based system is not preferred. It is demonstrated that the system is capable of identifying individuals with more than 90% accuracy. This study also has impact on radar-based breathing pattern classification for health diagnostics.
Costs of accountable care organization participation for primary care providers: early stage results.

Little is known about the impact of joining an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) on primary care provider organization’s costs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether joining an ACO is associated with an increase in a Rural Health Clinic’s (RHC’s) cost per visit. The analyses focused on cost per visit in 2012 and 2013 for RHCs that joined an ACO in 2012 and cost per visit in 2013 for RHCs that joined an ACO in 2013. The RHCs were located in nine states. Data were obtained from Medicare Cost Reports. The analysis was conducted taking a treatment effects approach where the treatment is joining an ACO. Propensity-score matching was employed to provide multiple single and pooled estimates of the average treatment effect on the treated. Four-hundred thirty four to 544 RHCs (depending on the type of analysis and the variables used) were used in the several analyses. Seven of the RHCs joined an ACO in 2012 and 14 joined an ACO in 2013. The mean cost per visit for RHCs that did not join an ACO rose 4.40 % from 2011 to 2012 whereas the mean cost per visit for RHCs that joined an ACO rose by triple: 13.5 %. All of the pooled estimates of the average treatment effect on the treated from the propensity-score matching showed that joining an ACO was associated with higher mean cost per visit. The range of the estimated mean cost per visit differences was $17.19 (p value = 0.00) to $25.19 (p value = 0.00). This study is one of the first to describe the cost of ACO participation from the perspective of primary care provider organizations. It appears that for at least one type of primary care provider - the RHC - there are substantial costs associated with ACO participation during the first two years.
Cerebral Fat Embolism in a Trauma Patient with Captured Imaging of Echogenic Emboli in the Inferior Vena Cava

Abstract The authors present a case of fat embolism syndrome after traumatic long-bone fracture in a patient with rapid neurologic deterioration and multiple cerebral embolic events. Diagnostic workup revealed the neuroradiologic findings classically described with cerebral fat emboli. The authors present hallmark ultrasound imaging of echogenic material actively traveling through the inferior vena cava.
Do investors value comparative ads? The effects of comparative advertising on stock returns

With the growing competition almost in every category of products, millions of companies are eager to make good impressions in customers’ minds for their products or services. In order to accomplish that, they have spent a huge amount of money and efforts, through a variety of advertising techniques, to push consumers to be aware of, recognize, like and eventually purchase their products or services. Consequently, all kinds of advertisements are surrounding us in every corner every single day. Therefore, consumers begin to be tired of those unappealing advertisements which make them feel nothing about the products/services in those advertisements. Under this circumstance, comparative advertising has increasingly become more prevalent in the United States media (Grewal et al., 1997) because it can provide more information about advertisers themselves and their competitors.
Poisson and Related Processes

Basic processes and uniqueness criteria; Linear Poisson and binomial processes; Independence and infinite divisibility; Poisson and related integrals; Symmetric sequences and processes.
Printability study of hydrogel solution extrusion in nanoclay yield-stress bath during printing-then-gelation biofabrication

Yield-stress support bath-enabled extrusion printing is emerging as a promising filament-based direct-write strategy for different applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Central to the printing quality of complex three-dimensional structures fabricated by the support bath-enabled fabrication approach is the formation of a continuous filament with well-defined geometry. The objective of this research is to study the printability of hydrogel precursor solutions in a Laponite nanoclay yield-stress bath during extrusion printing where the printed hydrogel precursor solutions remain liquid. The printability herein is mainly evaluated based on the morphology and dimensions of printed liquid filaments. Seven filament types are observed during extrusion in the nanoclay bath: three types of well-defined filaments (swelling, equivalent diameter, and stretched) and four types of irregular filaments (rough surface, over-deposited, compressed, and discontinuous). When the alginate concentration increases, the diameter of filaments made of alginate-gelatin blends decreases. The nanoclay concentration significantly affects the morphology of deposited filaments: low concentration Laponite bath (such as 0.5% (w/v)) may lead to the formation of irregular filaments such as rough surface and over-deposited filaments while high concentration bath (such as 8.0% (w/v)) may result in the formation of compressed filaments. Operating conditions affect the filament diameter and morphology similar to those as observed during conventional extrusion printing. The printability knowledge enables the successful fabrication of cellular vascular constructs in the Laponite nanoclay bath.
Evaluation and molecular characterization of Beauveria bassiana for the control of the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in California

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Say), is an important pest on grapes, citrus, almonds and other commercial crops in California as it is a vector of Xylella fastidiosa Wells, a bacterium that causes Pierce's disease in grapes, citrus variegated chlorosis, almond leaf scorch and other plant diseases. Various entomopathogenic fungi isolated from natural infections of H. coagulata, its habitats and other insect hosts were evaluated against this insect vector. Based on these studies, 3 isolates of the hyphomycetous fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, were selected for further evaluation. Two of these were California isolates, one each from the three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), and soil from H. coagulata habitat, and the third was a Texas isolate from natural infections of H. coagulata. All three were similar in their virulence to H. coagulata under laboratory conditions. The genetic relatedness of the B. bassiana isolates also was compared using single sequence repeat (SSR) markers which showed genetic diversity of this species based on the source of the isolate. Some isolates were 4x more infectious than others demonstrating that virulence of B. bassiana is not necessarily associated with their genetic relatedness.
Violence, Peacebuilding, and Democratic Struggles in Central America

This essay reviews the following works: Mobilizing Democracy: Globalization and Citizen Protest. By Paul Almeida. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 2014. Pp. ix + 191. $29.95 paper. ISBN: 9781421414096. Nicaragua: Navigating the Politics of Democracy. By David Close. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2016. Pp. vii + 254. $59.95 cloth. ISBN: 9781626374355. The Politics of Modern Central America: Civil War, Democratization, and Underdevelopment. By Fabrice Lehoucq. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Pp. viii + 193. $29.99 paper. ISBN: 9780521730792. A History of Violence: Living and Dying in Central America . By Oscar Martinez , translated by John B. Washington and Daniela Ugaz. London: Verso, 2016. Pp. xv + 257. $24.95 paper. ISBN: 9781784781682. Enabling Peace in Guatemala: The Story of MINUGUA. By William Stanley. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2013. Pp. xx + 325. $25.00 paper. ISBN: 9781588266811. Women in War: The Micro-Processes of Mobilization in El Salvador. By Jocelyn Viterna. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Pp. xvi + 288. $24.95 paper. ISBN: 9780199843657. Captured Peace: Elites and Peacebuilding in El Salvador. By Christine J. Wade. Athens, OH: Ohio University Research in International Studies, 2016. Pp. ix + 273. $27.96 paper. ISBN: 9780896802988.
Publisher Package and Open Access Journals: Are Any of Them Predatory?

Similar to a study by Nelson and Huffman on the presence of predatory journals in aggregator databases, this study presents the results of a comparison between Jeffrey Beall’s List of Standalone Jo...
Desynchrony between brain and peripheral clocks caused by CK1δ/ε disruption in GABA neurons does not lead to adverse metabolic outcomes.

Circadian disruption as a result of shift work is associated with adverse metabolic consequences. Internal desynchrony between the phase of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and peripheral clocks is widely believed to be a major factor contributing to these adverse consequences, but this hypothesis has never been tested directly. A GABAergic Cre driver combined with conditional casein kinase mutations (Vgat-Cre+CK1δfl/flefl/+ ) was used to lengthen the endogenous circadian period in GABAergic neurons, including the SCN, but not in peripheral tissues, to create a Discordant mouse model. These mice had a long (27.4 h) behavioral period to which peripheral clocks entrained in vivo, albeit with an advanced phase (∼6 h). Thus, in the absence of environmental timing cues, these mice had internal desynchrony between the SCN and peripheral clocks. Surprisingly, internal desynchrony did not result in obesity in this model. Instead, Discordant mice had reduced body mass compared with Cre-negative controls on regular chow and even when challenged with a high-fat diet. Similarly, internal desynchrony failed to induce glucose intolerance or disrupt body temperature and energy expenditure rhythms. Subsequently, a lighting cycle of 2-h light/23.5-h dark was used to create a similar internal desynchrony state in both genotypes. Under these conditions, Discordant mice maintained their lower body mass relative to controls, suggesting that internal desynchrony did not cause the lowered body mass. Overall, our results indicate that internal desynchrony does not necessarily lead to metabolic derangements and suggest that additional mechanisms contribute to the adverse metabolic consequences observed in circadian disruption protocols.
Cleft Skeletal Asymmetry: Asymmetry Index, Classification and Application.

Objective:To quantitatively measure the extent of 3D asymmetry of the facial skeleton in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) using an asymmetry index (AI) approach, and to illustrate the applicability of the index in guiding and measuring treatment outcome.Method:Two groups of subjects between the ages of 15 and 20 who had archived CBCT scan were included in this study. Twenty-five patients with complete UCLP were compared with 50 age-matched noncleft subjects. The CBCT scans were segmented and landmarked for 3D anthropometric analysis. An AI was calculated as a quantitative measure of the extent of facial skeletal asymmetry.Results:For the control group, the AI ranged from 0.72 ± 0.47 at A point to 4.77 ± 1.59 at Gonion. The degree of asymmetry increased with the increasing laterality of the landmark from the midsagittal plane. In the UCLP group, the values of AI significantly increased compared to the control group at nearly all measured landmarks. The extent of the asymmetry to involve...
Vitamin B12-Dependent Conversion of Ribonucleotides to Deoxyribonucleotides

I should like this morning to describe some of our studies on the biosynthetic pathway of deoxyribose, a pentose of some biological importance. At least two pathways of deoxyribose synthesis occur in nature. One requires the participation of a vitamin B12 derivative; the other does not. This essay deals with the vitamin B12-dependent pathway. The next speaker, Dr. Larsson, will consider the vitamin B12-independent pathway.
48-OR: DE NOVO DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNE RESPONSES TO DONOR HLA AND KIDNEY ASSOCIATED SELF ANTIGENS, FIBRONECTIN AND COLLAGEN IV (AUTOIMMUNITY) ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSPLANT GLOMERULOPATHY FOLLOWING HUMAN KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Aim Development of immune responses to donor mismatched HLA (DSA) has been a major risk factor for Transplant Glomerulopathy (TG) leading to chronic rejection following kidney transplantation (KTx). The goal of this study is to determine the impact of development of de novo antibodies (Abs) to DSA in the development of immune responses to kidney associated self-antigens, collagen-IV (Col-IV) and fibronectin (FN) in the immunopathogenesis of TG. Methods Pre- and post-Tx sera from biopsies proven TG (n = 26) and stable (n=10) recipients were analyzed for DSA and cytokines by Luminex. Development of Abs to Col-IV and FN were determined by ELISA. Results Fourty six and 15% of TG patients developed DSA and non-DSA HLA Abs respectively. More significantly, 76% (p Conclusions Our results demonstrate that KTx recipients with TG develop Abs to DSA and/or HLA de novo which strongly correlate with induction of immune responses to kidney associated self-antigens col-IV and FN. Further, sera from TG patients also demonstrated increased levels of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, GM-CSF, VEGF, TGF-β) suggesting that the specific binding of antigens by de novo developed Abs may contribute to the immunopathogenesis of TG following human KTx.
Designs for Mixture-Amount Experiments

(This paper was presented at the Journal of Quality Technology Session at the 30th Annual Fall Technical Conference of the Chemical and Process Industries Division of the American Society for Quality Control and the Section on Physical and Engineering S..
Fusion learning algorithm to combine partially heterogeneous Cox models

We propose a fusion learning procedure to perform regression coefficients clustering in the Cox proportional hazards model when parameters are partially heterogeneous across certain predefined subgroups, such as age groups. One major issue pertains to the fact that the same covariate may have different influence on the survival time across different subgroups. Learning differences in covariate effects is of critical importance to understand the model heterogeneity resulted from the between-group heterogeneity, especially when the number of subgroups is large. We establish a computationally efficient procedure to learn the heterogeneous patterns of regression coefficients across the subgroups in Cox proportional hazards model. Utilizing a fusion learning algorithm coupled with the estimated parameter ordering, the proposed method mitigates greatly computational burden with little loss of statistical power. Extensive simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of our method. Finally with a comparison to some popular conventional methods, we illustrate the proposed method by a vehicle leasing contract renewal analysis.
Introducing a novel model and tool for design and performance forecasting of waterflood projects

Abstract Although the waterflood process as an improved oil recovery method for increasing production and pressure maintanence has been around and widely used for more than six decades, it still holds a significant portion of world oil production. In some giant international companies, e.x. BP, about half of their production is by waterflooding. On the other hand, forecasting the performance of waterflooding projects plays an important role in successful study, design and selection of the best candidates from company reservoir asset. A model which is fast, robus, easy to use and reasonably accurate with a few input data required is of great desire. In this paper we address this deficiency by presenting a novel analytical-base forecasting model/tool that does not rely on conventional numerical simulation. Using the concepts of material balance, momentum balance, segregated flow and fractional flux (F-C or F-Phi) we achieve an analytical approach for modeling waterflooding behavior in reservoir. We used a Koval flow-storage capacity (F-C) model in the current research because of its strength and wide applicability for both homogenous and heterogeneous permeable media. The validity of the forecasting model was investigated by matching numerous actual field, single well and also simulation results. History matching showed good agreement between field data and forecasting results. The forecasting model demonstrates a strong ability to forecast the oil saturation, recovery efficiency, cumulative oil recovery, oil cut and oil rate changes with time. In addition, predicting the recovery efficiency enables us to generate the volumetric efficiency change with time which is of great importance for studying and evaluating waterflood process. These valuable results are produced using a few input data required.
Randomized trial of polychromatic blue-enriched light for circadian phase shifting, melatonin suppression, and alerting responses.

Abstract Wavelength comparisons have indicated that circadian phase-shifting and enhancement of subjective and EEG-correlates of alertness have a higher sensitivity to short wavelength visible light. The aim of the current study was to test whether polychromatic light enriched in the blue portion of the spectrum (17,000 K) has increased efficacy for melatonin suppression, circadian phase-shifting, and alertness as compared to an equal photon density exposure to a standard white polychromatic light (4000 K). Twenty healthy participants were studied in a time-free environment for 7 days. The protocol included two baseline days followed by a 26-h constant routine (CR1) to assess initial circadian phase. Following CR1, participants were exposed to a full-field fluorescent light (1 × 1014 photons/cm2/s, 4000 K or 17,000 K, n = 10/condition) for 6.5 h during the biological night. Following an 8 h recovery sleep, a second 30-h CR was performed. Melatonin suppression was assessed from the difference during the light exposure and the corresponding clock time 24 h earlier during CR1. Phase-shifts were calculated from the clock time difference in dim light melatonin onset time (DLMO) between CR1 and CR2. Blue-enriched light caused significantly greater suppression of melatonin than standard light ((mean ± SD) 70.9 ± 19.6% and 42.8 ± 29.1%, respectively, p
Chronic Neurologic Effects of Alcohol

Chronic alcohol use induces silent changes in the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems that eventually result in irreversible, debilitating repercussions. Once identified, nutritional supplementation and cessation measures are critical in preventing further neurologic damage. The proposed mechanisms of neuronal injury in chronic alcohol abuse include direct toxic effects of alcohol and indirect effects, including those resulting from hepatic dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and neuroinflammation. Clinical manifestations include cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff encephalopathy. Continued exploration of the pathophysiologic mechanisms may lead to the discovery of early interventions that can prevent permanent neurologic injury.
Frequency Regulation in Hybrid Power Dynamics with Variable and Low Inertia due to Renewable Energy

As more non-synchronous renewable energy sources (RES) participate in power systems, the system's inertia decreases and becomes time dependent, challenging the ability of existing control schemes to maintain frequency stability. System operators, research laboratories, and academic institutes have expressed the importance to adapt to this new power system paradigm. As one of the potential solutions, virtual inertia has become an active research area. However, power dynamics have been modeled as time-invariant, by not modeling the variability in the system's inertia. To address this, we propose a new modeling framework for power system dynamics to simulate a time-varying evolution of rotational inertia coefficients in a network. We model power dynamics as a hybrid system with discrete modes representing different rotational inertia regimes of the network. We test the performance of two classical controllers from the literature in this new hybrid modeling framework: optimal closed-loop Model Predictive Control (MPC) and virtual inertia placement. Results show that the optimal closed-loop MPC controller (Linear MPC) performs the best in terms of cost; it is 82 percent less expensive than virtual inertia placement. It is also more efficient in terms of energy injected/absorbed to control frequency. To address the lower performance of virtual inertia placement, we then propose a new Dynamic Inertia Placement scheme and we find that it is more efficient in terms of cost (74 percent cheaper) and energy usage, compared to classical inertia placement schemes from the literature.
The Implications of an Organization's Structure on Whistleblowing

Previous studies investigating reports of corporate or individual wrongdoing have failed to examine the effects of an organization's structure upon the decision to blow the whistle. This paper suggests that an organization's structure may perform a significant role in the decision to report versus not report an observed wrongdoing. Five organizational structures (that is, centralized, matrix, horizontal, hybrid, and divisional) were examined in regards to their effectiveness in encouraging or discouraging observers of unethical conduct channels for reporting such behavior. Discussion and implications are provided.
On Appeals to an Imperfect past in a Present Future: Remembering the Israelite Wilderness Generation in the Late Second Temple Period:

The Damascus Document explicitly remembers the Israelite wilderness period as a time of disobedience and rebellion, with dire consequences that endured for generations. At the same time, the same t...
Apple cider vinegar soaks [0.5%] as a treatment for atopic dermatitis do not improve skin barrier integrity

Background/objectives Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with high transepidermal water loss, high skin pH, and Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization. The treatment of AD with bath additives remains highly debated. Recent evidence suggests that dilute apple cider vinegar (ACV) may improve skin barrier integrity in AD, but its safety and efficacy are not well studied. This pilot split-arm study analyzed the effect of dilute apple cider vinegar soaks on skin barrier integrity in patients with atopic dermatitis as measured by skin transepidermal water loss and skin pH. Methods A total of 22 subjects (11 AD and 11 healthy controls) were enrolled. Subjects soaked both of their forearms for 14 days, with one arm in dilute ACV (0.5% acetic acid) and the other in water 10 minutes daily. Transepidermal water loss and pH were measured pre- and post-treatment. Results In both groups, transepidermal water loss increased and pH decreased at 0 minutes post-ACV treatment, but these effects were not sustained at 60 minutes. In total, 72.7% (16/22) of subjects reported mild side effects from ACV with improvement after discontinuing the soaks. Conclusions Dilute ACV soaks have no significant effect on skin barrier integrity but caused skin irritation in a majority of subjects. Study limitations include analysis of a single brand, dilution, and application of ACV. Future studies are needed to explore whether lower concentrations of ACV soaks or other applications such as a leave-on acidic ointment could improve skin barrier integrity in a safe, nonirritating way.
Predictors of ileus following colorectal resections

Abstract Background Ileus following colorectal surgery is a significant burden for healthcare and can be challenging to manage. This study aims to evaluate risk factors for postoperative ileus in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Methods Patients who underwent colorectal resections for any diagnosis were identified from our institutional database between 2009 and 2014. Patient demographics, pre-operative comorbidities, and operation-related variables were compared in patients with and without ileus within 30 days after surgery. Results A total of 5369 patients were identified with a mean age of 53 years. 892 patients (16.6%) developed postoperative ileus. Males were twice as likely (p Conclusions Evaluation of factors such as male gender, older age, anastomosis formation, diagnosis of cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, can help facilitate earlier diagnosis of postoperative ileus and may require consideration of prophylactic therapy.
Complications Related to Esophageal Stent (Boston Scientific Wallflex vs. Merit Medical Endotek) Use in Benign and Malignant Conditions.

Background In our institutions, there are two types of stents used: the Boston Scientific Wallflex (Marlborough, Massachusetts) and Merit Medical Endotek (South Jordan, Utah). So we performed this retrospective study to compare complication rates in various esophageal disorders to improve our quality of care. Methods Charts were reviewed to capture gender, indications of stent placement, stent length/diameter, age of the patient at the time of stent placement, length of hospital stay, physicians performing a procedure, and complications within 90 days of stent placement. Results A total of 67 patients (71.6% male) underwent stent placement (WallFlex 49.3% and Merit 50.8%) for malignant (68.7%) mainly esophageal obstruction by primary esophageal cancer (89.1%) and benign causes (31.3%) mainly esophageal leak (66.7%). Merit and WallFlex used in malignant conditions were 82.4% and 54.6%, respectively, and in benign conditions, they were 17.7% and 45.5%, respectively. The mean age at which endoscopy was performed was 64. Complications post Merit and WallFlex placement were 79.4% and 60.6%, respectively. Complications with malignant and benign conditions were 73.9% and 61.9%, respectively. Complications with 19, 18, and 23 mm diameters were 75.0%, 66.7%, and 69.4%, respectively. Complications with 120, 150, 100, 15, 12, 10 mm stent lengths were 84.6%, 58.3%, 58.8%, 80.0%, 75.0%, and 33.3%, respectively. Conclusion Our study showed that the Merit stent was mainly used, and the major indication of stent placement was a malignant condition. Major complications were seen when the reason for stent placement was a malignant condition, the diameter was 19 mm, the length was 120 mm, and the use of the Merit stent.
A novel phenotype of torpedo maculopathy on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Abstract Purpose To present a new phenotype of torpedo maculopathy on spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging (SD-OCT). Observations A 31-year-old female presented with a multi-partite yellowish lesion in the macula of her left eye, with a central fovea-involving component and a temporal tail-like component. The lesion showed mixed hyper- and hypoautofluorescence on fundus autofluorescence imaging. The fovea-involving component exhibited disruption of ellipsoid zone without outer-retinal cavitation on SD-OCT, consistent with the prior-described type 1 OCT morphology. The temporal tail showed subtle inner choroidal excavation with preservation of the ellipsoid zone and outer-retinal structures. Conclusions Inner choroidal excavation with preservation of the overlying outer-retinal structures represents a novel morphological phenotype on SD-OCT in torpedo maculopathy. This case demonstrates that distinct morphological subtypes may co-exist in different regions of the same torpedo maculopathy lesion.
Generalization of intrinsic ductile-to-brittle criteria by Pugh and Pettifor for materials with a cubic crystal structure.

Two classical criteria, by Pugh and Pettifor, have been widely used by metallurgists to predict whether a material will be brittle or ductile. A phenomenological correlation by Pugh between metal brittleness and its shear modulus to bulk modulus ratio was established more than 60 years ago. Nearly four decades later Pettifor conducted a quantum mechanical analysis of bond hybridization in a series of intermetallics and derived a separate ductility criterion based on the difference between two single-crystal elastic constants, C12-C44. In this paper, we discover the link between these two criteria and show that they are identical for materials with cubic crystal structures.