cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of novel pheromone-response regulators through systematic overexpression of 120 protein kinases in yeast.

Abstract Protein kinases are well known to transmit and regulate signaling pathways. To identify additional regulators of the pheromone signaling apparatus in yeast, we evaluated an array of 120 likely protein kinases encoded by the yeast genome. Each kinase was fused to glutathione S-transferase, overexpressed, and tested for changes in pheromone responsiveness in vivo. As expected, several known components of the pathway (YCK1,STE7, STE11, FUS3, andKSS1) impaired the growth arrest response. Seven other kinases also interfered with pheromone-induced growth arrest; in rank order they are as follows: YKL116c (renamed PRR1) = YDL214c (renamed PRR2) > YJL141c (YAK1,SRA1) > YNR047w = YCR091w (KIN82) = YIL095w (PRK1) > YCL024w (KCC4). Inhibition of pheromone signaling byPRR1, but not PRR2, required the glutathioneS-transferase moiety. Both kinases inhibited gene transcription after stimulation with pheromone, a constitutively active kinase mutant STE11-4, or overexpression of the transcription factor STE12. Neither protein altered the ability of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Fus3 to feedback phosphorylate a known substrate, the MAPK kinase Ste7. These results reveal two new components of the pheromone-signaling cascade in yeast, each acting at a point downstream of the MAPK.
On Background Correction in Spectrum Line Photometry

The process of subtracting background exposure from line exposure, as a means of correcting for the effect of background, has been investigated. Of two lines of equal exposure, one in a clear ground (and presumably requiring no correction) and the other in a measurable background, which had been subtracted, the energy of the former is greater. This difference is constant and independent of both line and background densities. As the addition of photographic exposures is not open to question, the probable cause of this difference is the less than inertial exposure the emulsion received, here called the subliminal exposure, either as scattered light in the spectrograph or during manufacture. Its effect on the emulsion characteristic is to reduce the contrast. This subliminal exposure is ordinarily not subtracted. Although the resulting error from these two causes is small for dense lines, for light lines it can amount to 50%. In view of these findings, changes in the standard photometric procedure are suggested.
Coronary artery disease and nuclear imaging in renal failure.

The cardiovascular mortality rate is high in patients with renal disease, a fact that is worsened by multiple risk factors including diabetes mellitus, premature and excessive vascular calcification, oxidative stress on LDLc, elevated CRP level, elevated norepinephrine and endothelin-1 levels causing vasoconstriction, hyperhomocysteinemia, and depressed circulating EPCs for vascular repair. In addition, conventional risk factors such as hypertension, advanced age, and hyperlipidemia are major cardiovascular risk factors in patients with ESRD, as they are in the general population. Vascular calcification impairs computed tomography angiography assessment of CAD and intervention.
Growth kinetics of NiAl3 formation on large-grained 〈Al〉 substrates

Abstract To minimize the effect of grain boundaries, Al substrates with single-crystalline grains on the order of up to 1 cm in diameter have been prepared by the strain-annealing technique. An in-situ sputter cleaning procedure has been successfully applied to remove the native oxide layer from the Al surface for an experimental investigation of the growth kinetics of the NiAl 3 layer that forms upon furnace annealing of a thin Ni film deposited on these substrates. Reaction of Ni films with the Al crystals yields laterally uniform growth of Al 3 Ni without any indication of grain boundary diffusion effects. In the temperature range 330–380°C, assuming a stoichiometric NiAl 3 phase of a density of 1.707× 10 22 formula units/cm 3 , the growth of this first aluminide phase is given by x 2 = Kt , where x is the thickness of the compound, t is the annealing time after an initial incubation period and K = 0.387 ×exp(-1.4 eV / kT )cm 2 / s .
Effect of noise correlation on detectability of disk signals in medical imaging

Pixel signal-to-noise ratio is one accepted measure of image quality for predicting observer performance in medical imaging. We have found, however, that images with equal pixel signal-to-noise ratio (SNRp) but different correlation properties give quite different observer-performance measures for a simple detection experiment. The SNR at the output of an ideal detector with the ability to prewhiten the noise is also a poor predictor of human performance for disk signals in high-pass noise. We have found constant observer efficiencies for humans relative to the performance of a nonprewhitening detector for this task.
Challenges and growth: the development of the interdisciplinary field of institutional analysis

This article briefly describes some of the intellectual challenges during the last half-century to the traditional fields of economics and political science: the public choice approach, the tragedy of the commons debate, the ‘new’ institutional economics, and behavioral game theory. Then, the components of a basic institutional analysis framework are presented that provide a general method for analyzing public economies and diverse forms of collective action. Empirical research related to metropolitan public economies, common-pool resources, and behavioral game theory is summarized that has contributed to the field of institutional analysis. The last section concludes that the macro foundations of institutional analysis appear firmer than the micro foundations related to the model of the individual to be used and discusses this puzzle.
Deformation modes and fatigue behavior in styrene‐acrylonitrile and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymers

The performance of styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers under alternating stresses has been examined. Information has been obtained concerning the influence of acrylonitrile content and of molecular weight on thermal effects due to hysteresis, on cyclic lifetime to craze initiation, on average cycles to fracture, and on fatigue fracture surface morphology. The influence of an elastomeric second phase has been determined by comparing fatigue performance under comparable conditions of both styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). The stress concentrating effects of the rubber particles cause earlier initiation of fatigue-induced damage and lower fatigue fracture resistance. The fatigue-induced specimen temperature rise is greater in ABS than SAN and it increases linearly with test frequency and as the square of the stress amplitude. The fracture surface morphology of ABS, which differs from that of unmodified SAN and also from that of rubber modified polystyrene, is discussed.
Development of Writing Knowledge in Grades 2-8: A Comparison of Typically Developing Writers and Their Struggling Peers.

This study examined student perspectives about writing by interviewing both typically developing and struggling writers in Grades 2 through 8. The findings revealed a progressive developmental pattern of writing knowledge in which novice writers place more emphasis on the physical product and local meaning, while more experienced writers focus on global aspects, such as meaning and communication with an audience. In comparison, struggling writers focus on product over process even at the secondary level. Educational implications are discussed and include careful attention to the developmental level of the students during writing instruction.
Integrating Appearance and Motion Cues for Simultaneous Detection and Segmentation of Pedestrians

We present a unified method for simultaneously acquiring both the location and the silhouette shape of people in outdoor scenes. The proposed algorithm integrates top-down and bottom-up processes in a balanced manner, employing both appearance and motion cues at different perceptual levels. Without requiring manually segmented training data, the algorithm employs a simple top-down procedure to capture the high-level cue of object familiarity. Motivated by regularities in the shape and motion characteristics of humans, interactions among low-level contour features are exploited to extract mid-level perceptual cues such as smooth continuation, common fate, and closure. A Markov random field formulation is presented that effectively combines the various cues from the top-down and bottom-up processes. The algorithm is extensively evaluated on static and moving pedestrian datasets for both detection and segmentation.
Performance analysis on a CC-NUMA prototype

Cache-coherent nonuniform memory access (CC-NUMA) machines have been shown to be a promising paradigm for exploiting distributed execution. CC-NUMA systems can provide performance typically associated with parallel machines, without the high cost associated with parallel programming. This is because a single image of memory is provided on a CC-NUMA machine. Past research on CC-NUMA machines has focused on modifications to the memory hierarchy, interconnect topology, and memory consistency protocols, which are all areas critical to achieving scalable performance. The research described here expands this focus to issues associated with operating system structures which can increase system scalability. We describe a hardware/software prototyping study which investigates how changes to the operating system of a commercial IBM AS/400® system can provide scalable performance when running transaction processing workloads. The project described was a joint effort between researchers at the IBM Thomas J. Wats on Research Center and a team from the AS/400 development laboratory in Rochester, Minnesota. This paper describes various aspects of the project, including changes made to the operating system to enable scalable performance, and the associated hardware and software performance tools developed to identify bottlenecks in the existing operating system structures.
Ultrastructural identification of entorhinal cortical synapses in CA1 stratum lacunosum‐moleculare of the rat

The goal of the present study was to identify and characterize, at the electron microscopic level, the synapses formed by entorhinal cortical (EC) axons in the hippocampal CA1 stratum lacunosum-moleculare of the adult rat. Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin was ionotophoresed at various loci throughout the mediolateral and dorsoventral extent of the EC to label EC-CA1 synapses. Virtually all labeled synapses were asymmetric and axospinous. EC axons did not preferentially synapse with any particular type of dendritic spine; rather, EC axons formed synapses with the range of dendritic spine morphologies observed in CA1 s. lacunosum-moleculare. Spines with either perforated or nonperforated postsynaptic densities were contacted by EC axons. Occasionally both a labeled and an unlabeled axon synapsed on a single dendritic spine head. The data are discussed in relation to the morphology of other afferent systems synapsing in s. lacunosum-moleculare and to the physiology of the EC-CA1 system.
Silent ships do not always encounter more fish (revisited): comparison of acoustic backscatter from walleye pollock recorded by a noise-reduced and a conventional research vessel in the eastern Bering Sea

Vessel-induced avoidance behaviour is potentially a major source of error in surveys of fish populations. Noise-reduced research vessels have been constructed in an effort to minimize fish reactions to auditory stimuli produced by survey vessels. Here, measurements of acoustic backscatter from walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) made on the eastern Bering Sea Shelf from the conventional NOAA ship “Miller Freeman” (MF) are compared with similar measurements made on the noise-reduced NOAA ship “Oscar Dyson” (OD). As in a previous study, acoustic abundance measurements from these vessels were equivalent during daylight, when large-scale acoustic surveying is conducted. However, significant differences were observed at night: on average, 44% more pollock backscatter was observed from OD than MF. Observations with a free-drifting echosounder buoy suggest that the night-time discrepancy is attributable to a stronger behavioural response to the passage of the louder MF, and a resulting decrease in pollock target strength. Pollock did not exhibit a strong reaction to the passage of OD. These observations are consistent with previous comparisons of these vessels, which show that with vessel differences, the noise-reduced OD detects more pollock.
Genetic Structure Among Pinyon Pine Beetle Populations (Scolytinae: Ips confusus)

The bark beetle, Ips confusus (LeConte), provides an opportunity to study the insuence of past geologic events and host use on lineage diversiÞcation of a herbivorous insect. This beetle mainly feeds on two pinyon pine (Pinus) species, but it has been collected from other conifer species. Isolation by host may contribute to lineage diversity and population structure. Alternatively, the repeat fragmentation of pine and beetle populations during the Pleistocene may explain population structure. We performed cladistic and nested clade analyses of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (mtDNA COI) sequence data from 95 I. confusus individuals collected from two hosts, P. monophyllae and P. edulis, and an atypical host, spruce (Picea pungens), from 10 western United States populations. Thirty-one most-parsimonious trees of 15 COI haplotypes demonstrated little association between host species and monophyletic groups. Thus, host use does not appear to contribute to genetic structure among populations. Nested clade analysis revealed three main haplotype lineages, each associated with eastern, southwestern, and western geographic localities. Estimation of the time to the most recent common ancestor places the start of lineage divergence during the Pleistocene (836,000 yr ago). Past glaciation events better explain genetic population structure among I. confusus popu- lations.
Reconstruction of hypoplastic aortic arch and coarctation in a 720-gram premature infant

The case of a 720-g infant born at 29 weeks of gestation who underwent successful surgical correction of a hypoplastic aortic arch and aortic coarctation is presented. The infant was initially brought to surgery with an echocardiographic diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus with left to right shunt unresponsive to indomethacin therapy. The correct diagnosis of hypoplastic aortic arch and severe coarctation with ductal dependent blood flow to the lower body was made intraoperatively. This case illustrates the danger of limited diagnostic testing in premature infants assumed to have isolated patent ductus arteriosus, and also that these small infants can undergo successful surgical repair of complex aortic arch lesions.
Monitoring land-surface snow conditions from SSM/I data using an artificial neural network classifier

Previously developed Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) snow classification algorithms have limitations and do not work properly for terrain where forests overlie snow cover. In this study, the authors applied unsupervised cluster analysis to separate SSM/I brightness temperature (T/sub B/) observations into groups. Six desired snow conditions were identified from the clusters; both sparse- and medium-vegetated region scenes were assessed. Typical SSM/I T/sub B/ signatures for each snow condition were determined by calculating the mean T/sub B/ value of observations for each channel in the corresponding cluster. A single-hidden-layer artificial neural network (ANN) classifier was designed to learn the SSM/I T/sub B/ signatures. An error backpropagation training algorithm was applied to train the ANN. After training, a winner-takes-all method was used to determine the snow condition. Results showed that the ANN classifier was able to outline not only the snow extent but also the geographical distribution of snow conditions. This study confirms the potential of using cluster means in ANN supervised learning, and suggests a nonlinear retrieval method for inferring land-surface snow conditions from SSM/I data over varied terrain.
Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and coronary atherosclerosis

The relationship between obesity and coronary atherosclerosis (and coronary heart disease [CHD]) has been a subject of some dispute for many years. Data from early investigations suggested that obesity is not an important contributing cause of coronary atherosclerosis and CHD. For example, results of the Seven Countries Study1 revealed little correlation between body weight and incidence of CHD. Moreover, in the massive autopsy study called “The Geographic Pathology of Atherosclerosis,” edited by Henry C. McGill, Jr,2 the relationship between body weight and atherosclerosis was weak at best. This study included a detailed examination of arteries from a large number of autopsies carried out in New Orleans, Sao Paulo, Puerto Rico, Lima, and Santiago; by and large, the results uncovered no association between extent of arterial fatty streaks or raised atherosclerotic lesions in either the coronary arteries or the aorta for any measure of body weight, height, or obesity.3 It was noted that this study had the advantage of including several groups that differed greatly in geographic origin, ethnicity, CHD morbidity, and severity of atherosclerosis. Although the authors3 conceded that obesity is a factor contributing to risk factors for CHD such as hypertension, they surmised that the relationship between obesity and other risk factors is too weak for obesity to have a detectable effect on the severity of atherosclerosis. See p 2712 In spite of these earlier negative findings, the Framingham Heart Study in the United States has consistently shown that increasing degrees of obesity are accompanied by greater rates of CHD.4,5⇓ Even so, multivariate analysis of Framingham data strongly suggests that most of the relationship between body weight and CHD risk is mediated through the standard, major risk factors, ie, blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and diabetes.6 Their own data led Framingham …
Phylogenetic and taxonomic evaluation of Chalara, Chalaropsis, and Thielaviopsis anamorphs associated with Ceratocystis

Parsimony analysis of sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear rDNA and partial sequences of the large subunit (LSU) place four anamorphic Chalara species as a monophyletic grouping within the teleomorph genus Ceratocystis. Chalara ovoidea, Ch. thielavioides, Ch. populi, and Ch. elegans (synanamorph: Thielaviopsis basicola) form aleurioconidia typical of the anamorph genus Thielaviopsis, to which the species are transferred. Three of these species (T. ovoidea, T. thielavioides, and T. populi) are morphologically similar to each other but are shown to be distinct by rDNA sequences. The anamorphic genera Chalaropsis and Hughesiella are considered synonyms of Thielaviopsis. Thielaviopsis punctulata, which forms aleurioconidia singly, is shown to be the anamorph of Ce. radicicola. The respective anamorphs for Ce. coerulescens, Ce. fagacearum, and Ce. eucalypti, which lack aleurioconidia, are also transferred to the amended genus Thielaviopsis as T. ungeri, T. quercina, and T. eucalypti. Although Ch. australis and Ch. neocaledoniae do not form aleurioconidia, they are placed in Thielaviopsis based on their endoconidial state and clear affinities to Ceratocystis eucalypti. Three apparently asexual Ambrosiella species belong in the Ce. moniliformis clade based on LSU rDNA sequences, but the cultures available are not suitable for detailed morphological study, and these species are not transferred to Thielaviopsis.
Biological network epitomes via topological compression

High-throughput generation of new types of relational biological datasets is creating a demand for network-based signal processing and pattern recognition to provide new insights. Such networks are often too large to interpret visually and too complicated to be explained solely based on local topological properties. Just as signal processing and statistical techniques have been used in traditional, sequential-based biological datasets, so too are methodologies needed to automatically discern patterns in the huge, emerging networks. One way to do this is by transforming these very large networks into discernable epitomes, or abstracts, of the original networks. This work presents an approach for doing this via topological compression. Through capturing nodes' global topologies and subsequent compression, a new network epitome can be derived. Here, this is done with an E. Coli gene regulation network, resulting in biological findings that could not be derived from the local topology of the original network.
Characteristics of intramural scar in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and relation to intramural ventricular arrhythmias.

Background— Ventricular arrhythmias have been described to originate from intramural locations. Intramural scar can be assessed by delayed-enhanced MRI, but MRIs cannot be performed on every patient. The objective of this study was to assess the value of voltage mapping to detect MRI-defined intramural scar and to correlate the scar with ventricular arrhythmias. Methods and Results— In 15 consecutive patients (3 women; age 55±16 years; ejection fraction, 49±13%) with structural heart disease, intramural scar was detected by delayed-enhanced MRI. All patients underwent endocardial unipolar and bipolar voltage mapping guided by the registered intramural scar. Scar volume by MRI was 11.7±8 cm3 with a scar thickness of 4.6±0.7 mm and a preserved endocardial/epicardial rim of 3.3±1.6 and 4.8±2.6 mm, respectively. Endocardial bipolar voltage was 1.6±1.73 mV at the scar, 2.12±2.15 mV in a 1 cm perimeter around the scar, and 2.83±3.39 mV in remote myocardium without scar. The corresponding unipolar voltage was 4.94±3.25, 6.59±3.81, and 8.32±3.39 mV, respectively ( P <0.0001). Using receiver–operator characteristic curves, a unipolar cut-off value of 6.78 mV (area under the curve, 0.78) and a bipolar cut-off value of 1.55 mV (area under the curve, 0.69) best separated endocardial measurements overlying scar as compared with areas not overlying a scar. At least 1 intramural ventricular arrhythmia was eliminated in all but 2 patients in this series. Conclusions— Intramural scar can be detected by unipolar and bipolar voltage, unipolar voltage being more useful. Mapping and ablation of intramural arrhythmias originating from an intramural focus can be accomplished.
Early-life socioeconomic status and physical activity in later life: evidence from structural equation models.

Objectives: This study examines the association between early-life socioeconomic status (SES) at age 18 and physical activity (PA) at age 65, elucidates mechanisms explaining this association, and ...
Compact torus—ion ring hybrid equilibria

Abstract Numerical algorithms for the computation of compact torus equilibria with a high energy ion ring, rotating in the toroidal direction, are presented and compared. The algorithms all solve a modified Grad-Shafranov equation iteratively. A toroidal magnetic field is not necessary but is allowed and examples of both types of equilibrium will be given.
Modeling Wear Process of Electroplated CBN Grinding Wheel

The wear of Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) grinding wheel directly affects the workpiece surface integrity and tolerances. This paper summarizes a combined experimental-modeling framework for CBN grinding wheel life expectancy utilized in both cylindrical and surface grinding. The presented fatigue type model is based on grit pullout mechanism and the associated state of damage percolation. The unique grit-workpiece interaction process leads to a non-uniform spatial distribution of the grit wear. The life expectancy model can be described as a function of the process parameters, grinding wheel geometry and topology, workpiece material properties, etc. The developed modeling framework will greatly enhance the understanding of electroplated CBN grinding wheel wear mechanism.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
INFLUENCE OF VENTRICULAR PACING WAVEFRONTS ON MYOCARDIAL SCAR DETECTION DURING ELECTROANATOMIC VOLTAGE MAPPING

The effects of varying pacing wavefronts on left ventricular scar characterization has not be systematically assessed. Patients referred for ablation of scar-related ventricular tachycardia underwent substrate-based ablation where bipolar voltage maps were first created during sinus rhythm or RV
Potential Analysis Meets Geometric Measure Theory

A central question in Potential Theory is the extent to which the geometry of a domain influences the boundary regularity of solutions to divergence form elliptic operators. To answer this question one studies the properties of the corresponding elliptic measure. On the other hand one of the central questions in Geometric Measure Theory (GMT) is the extent to which the regularity of a measure determines the geometry of its support. The goal of this paper is to present a few instances in which techniques from GMT and Harmonic Analysis come together to produce new results in both of these areas. In particular, the work described in section 3 makes it clear that for this type of problems in higher dimensions, GMT is the right alternative to complex analysis in dimension 2.
Wild, Wonderful, White Criminality: Images of “White Trash” Appalachia

Films in no small way have the ability to reflect and shape public perceptions. The following is a discussion of how three documentaries set in rural West Virginia, Dancing Outlaw (1991), The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009), and Oxyana (2013) have strengthened the idea of the “white trash criminal” in American discourse. The films draw upon stereotypical understandings of rural people—poverty, drug use, domestic violence, dependence—and contribute to the cultural production and exclusion of a “white trash” other. However, creation of this particular figure often occurs without consideration of a broader history, local political economies, intra-race conflict (whites vs. “white trash”) and generational poverty. The aim here is to confront and contest contemporary understandings of the “white trash” other, in order to refocus everyday discussions on the lived realities of rural Appalachia.
Comprehensive evaluation on children's immunization rates in Nantong by TOPSIS and RSR methods

Objective To evaluate current situation of fundamental immunization for children in Nantong comprehensively from 2002 to 2012;to provide evidence for improving quality of planned immunization effectively.Methods TOPSIS and RSR methods were combined in this study;SPSS 21.0software was employed for analysis of fundamental vaccination rates of planned immunization for children.Results Inoculation rates of all vaccines included in fundamental immunization95%from2002to 2012 in Nantong,which satisfied project requirements.Inoculation rates of fundamental immunization included in planned immunization showed an increasing trend;vaccination rates for vaccines inoculated at earlier month ages were higher.Conclusion The fundamental immunization rates for children born in Nantong from 2002 to 2012was maintained at a high level.Inoculation rates showed an increasing trend.However,delayed vaccination was common for vaccines inoculated at elder month ages.
Morphology of muscle attachment sites in the modern human hand does not reflect muscle architecture

Muscle attachment sites (entheses) on dry bones are regularly used by paleontologists to infer soft tissue anatomy and to reconstruct behaviors of extinct organisms. This method is commonly applied to fossil hominin hand bones to assess their abilities to participate in Paleolithic stone tool behaviors. Little is known, however, about how or even whether muscle anatomy and activity regimes influence the morphologies of their entheses, especially in the hand. Using the opponens muscles from a sample of modern humans, we tested the hypothesis that aspects of hand muscle architecture that are known to be influenced by behavior correlate with the size and shape of their associated entheses. Results show no consistent relationships between these behaviorally-influenced aspects of muscle architecture and entheseal morphology. Consequently, it is likely premature to infer patterns of behavior, such as stone tool making in fossil hominins, from these same entheses.
Those Closest Wield the Sharpest Knife: How Ingratiation Leads to Resentment and Social Undermining of the CEO:

Using survey data from CEOs and other top managers at large and mid-sized public companies in the U.S., as well as from journalists, we explore how ingratiation, a fundamental means of building and...
The antenatal urinary tract dilation classification system accurately predicts severity of kidney and urinary tract abnormalities.

Summary Background Urinary tract dilation (UTD) is a commonly diagnosed prenatal condition; however, it is currently unknown which features lead to benign and resolving or pathologic abnormalities. A consensus UTD classification system (antenatal UTD classification, UTD-A) was created by Nguyen et al. in 2014 [1], but has not yet been validated. Objective To evaluate the ability of the UTD-A system to identify kidney and urinary tract (KUT) abnormalities, assess whether UTD-A can predict severity of KUT conditions, and perform a cost analysis of screening ultrasound (US). Methods A retrospective single-center study was conducted at an academic medical center. Inclusion criteria were: neonates in the well or sick nursery who had a complete abdominal or limited renal US performed in the first 30 days of life between January 01, 2011 and December 31, 2013. Data were collected on prenatal US characteristics from which UTD-A classification was retrospectively applied, and postnatal data were collected up to 2 years following birth. Results A total of 203 patients were identified. Of the 36 abnormal postnatal KUT diagnoses, 90% were identified prenatally as UTD A1 or UTD A2-3. The remaining 10% developed postnatal KUT abnormalities due to myelomeningocele, such as VUR or UTD, which were not evident prenatally. Overall sensitivity and specificity of the UTD-A system was 0.767 (95% CI 0.577, 0.901) and 0.836 (95% CI 0.758, 0.897), respectively, when resolved UTD was counted as a normal diagnosis. Postnatal diagnoses differed by UTD-A classification as shown in the Summary fig. Of all the obstructive uropathies, 90.9% occurred in the UTD A2-3 class and none occurred in UTD-A Normal. Rate of postnatally resolved UTD was significantly higher in the UTD A1 group (78%) compared with UTD A2-3 (31%) or UTD-A Normal (12%, all P Conclusions This study found that the UTD-A classification system revealed important differences in the severity of UTD abnormalities. With repeated validation in larger cohorts, the UTD-A classification may be used to offer a prognosis for parents regarding prenatally diagnosed KUT conditions. Larger prospective studies should be designed to validate whether the UTD-A system can predict postnatal events related to UTD morbidity such as need for UT-related surgery or UTI. Download : Download high-res image (260KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Fig . Distribution of postnatal diagnoses by the indication for postnatal ultrasound. KUT, kidney and urinary tract; MCDK, multicystic dysplastic kidney; UTD, urinary tract dilation.
Large, single-center databases and the evolution of endovascular therapy for complex aortic aneurysms.

Background Fenestrated and branched endograft repair of complex aortic disease has revolutionized the approach to treatment of this life-threatening problem. Several sites have developed long-standing programs evaluating the application and outcomes of this technology. These reports are based on the development of large, single-center databases. These centers have helped to pioneer the evolution of this approach, and their assessments have led to significant improvements and identified areas that require improvement in the ensuing years. Methods Four main centers that are known to have developed large, single-center databases were identified. A literature review was performed to collect the contributions that were made on the topic of fenestrated/branched endograft repair of complex aortic aneurysms were selected and reviewed. Results Nearly a decade and a half of progress has been made in developing endovascular treatment of complex aortic disease. The application of this technology has been limited in the United States due to its investigational nature, but has achieved commercialization in Europe. These centers that have accrued large numbers of patients and have defined the initial expected perioperative outcomes. In addition, they have identified areas of high risk for these patients including perioperative renal failure and the development of spinal cord ischemia. Long-term outcomes are being developed with a special interest in evaluating branch patency, renal function, and device and aortic durability. Conclusion Endovascular approaches to treat complex aortic disease, while more than a decade old, are still in the early phases of its wide-spread application. Improvements in device design will occur throughout the next several years, which will ease the placement of these devices and improve perioperative and long-term outcomes.
A Dynamic Supply-Demand Model for Electricity Prices

We introduce a new model for electricity prices, based on the principle of supply and demand equilibrium. The model includes latent supply and demand curves, which may vary over time, and assumes that observed price/quantity pairs are obtained as the intersection of the two curves, for any particular point in time. Although the model is highly nonlinear, we explain how the particle filter can be used for model parameter estimation, and to carry out residual analysis. We apply the model in a study of Californian wholesale electricity prices over a three-year period including the crisis period during the year 2000. The residuals indicate that inflated prices do not appear to be attributable to natural random variation, temperature effects, natural gas supply effects, or plant stoppages. However, without ruling out other factors, we are unable to argue whether or not market manipulation by suppliers played a role during the crisis period.
Amyloid-Beta Related Angitiis and Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: A Case Report (P6.057)

Objective: To report a case of amyloid-beta related angiitis (ABRA) that presented with reversible vessel narrowing suggesting reversible cerebral vascoconstrictive syndrome (RCVS). Background: ABRA is a sporadic, granulomatous central nervous system angiitis that presents with cognitive dysfunction, seizures, headache, and focal neurological deficits. A distinct clinical entity, RCVS, is characterized by recurrent thunderclap headaches with or without additional neurological findings and evidence of prolonged but reversible cerebral vessel vasoconstriction. Methods: Case report: A 58-year-old woman presented with a sudden-onset, severe, frontal, analgesic-responsive headache with nausea that was intermittent over 6 days. Physical examination was normal. CT demonstrated a left parieto-occipital convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage. MR angiography with vessel wall imaging showed multifocal stenoses with post-stenotic dilatation and beading as well as abnormal mural thickening and enhancement primarily involving the medium caliber intracranial arteries. She was treated with steroids. After 4 doses the patient developed a right pronator drift and multiple small bilateral occipital infarctions and vessel imaging showed marked progression. A right frontal brain biopsy was performed. Results: Biopsy showed diffuse amyloid-beta deposition in the walls of small penetrating cortical vessels and deposition of complement products, few perivascular lymphocytes and macrophages and a rare multinucleated giant cell, suggestive of ABRA. She was treated with cyclophosphamide 1 gram and follow-up imaging 2 days later demonstrated improvement in the multifocal arterial stenoses and she was clinically stable. Conclusions: This case presented a diagnostic challenge with a clinical syndrome suggesting RCVS in biopsy confirmed ABRA. This is the first case describing abnormal intracranial arterial wall thickening and enhancement in ABRA on intracranial arterial wall imaging MRI. Disclosure: Dr. Tropea has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shirvalkar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sekar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsiouris has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lavi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Segal has nothing to disclose.
Pulsed-Doppler Echocardiography: The Detection of Mitral Regurgitation

Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Mitral Regurgitation is at Best Indirect Based Upon Structural Changes in Cardiac Anatomy.
An Introduction to Fitness Landscape Analysis and Cost Models for Local Search

Despite their empirical effectiveness, our theoretical understanding of metaheuristic algorithms based on local search (and all other paradigms) is very limited, leading to significant problems for both researchers and practitioners. Specifically, the lack of a theory of local search impedes the development of more effective metaheuristic algorithms, prevents practitioners from identifying the metaheuristic most appropriate for a given problem, and permits widespread conjecture and misinformation regarding the benefits and/or drawbacks of particular metaheuristics. Local search metaheuristic performance is closely linked to the structure of the fitness landscape, i.e., the nature of the underlying search space. Consequently, understanding such structure is a first step toward understanding local search behavior, which can ultimately lead to a more general theory of local search. In this chapter, we introduce and survey the literature on fitness landscape analysis for local search, placing the research in the context of a broader, critical classification scheme delineating methodologies by their potential to account for local search metaheuristic performance.
Tevatron Quench Pressure Measurement

The upcoming lower temperature/higher energy upgrade to the Fermilab Tevatron accelerator has raised questions concerning peak pressures during magnet system quenches. An experiment was performed to measure the pressure versus time at various quench energies in several devices in the Tevatron. A smaller study also looked at the temperature and mass flow rate versus time.
Abstract 11633: Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) Inhibitor, Tadalafil, Activates NO/Sirt1/PGC-1 Signaling And Attenuates Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Type 2 Diabetic Hearts

Background: Enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production is known to activate Sirt1, which is a histone deacetylase that regulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) ...
Relative Prices, Capital Movements, and Sectoral Technical Change: Theory and an Empirical Test

This paper constitutes an initial attempt to sort out and assess, within a neo-classical general-equilibrium framework, the relative and absolute importance of three separate potential influences on domestic sectoral-prices within a country: (1) external prices, (2) capital movements, and (3) technological change. Monthly data for West Germany and Sweden are used, since these are among the few countries for which price-index series exist for imports and exports, classified consistently with the price-index series for commodities sold on the domestic market.2
Metformin enhances intestinal epithelial health through activation of AMPK

The intestinal epithelium is a vital barrier that is consistently renewed. The balance among proliferation, migration, and differentiation are tightly regulated, which is critical for intestinal ep...
Optimal Bayesian Transfer Regression

Transfer learning studies effective ways to derive better predictors for a system of interest in a target domain, where there is lack of data, by utilizing data from other related systems as source domain(s). We define a Bayesian transfer learning framework for regression to integrate data between the domains through a joint prior distribution for the source and target parameters. We derive closed-form posteriors of the target parameters integrating both the source and target data, from which closed-form effective joint distributions in the target domain can be derived in terms of generalized hypergeometric functions of matrix argument to define the optimal Bayesian transfer regression (OBTR) operator. We show that the OBTR improves the mean squared error when the source and target domains are related on both synthetic and real-world data.
Examination of the ring method for determination of residual stresses: In this method, a ring is cut around the point where residual stresses are to be determined. Calibration is done by using a specimen with a known residual-stress distribution

A semidestructive method for determining residual stresses on the surface of an isotropic material is examined. The method requires that a ring be cut around the point where residual stresses are to be found. Calibration is done by using a specimen with a known residual-stress distribution. Sensitivity of the technique is found to be much better than that of the conventional semidestructive method of hole drilling.
DEMONSTRATION AND ANALYSIS OF ORGAN SPECIFICITY OF TISSUE EXTRACTS BY RADIOACTIVE TRACER METHODS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents demonstration and analysis of organ specificity of tissue extracts by radioactive tracer methods. The organ extract from the older embryo contains inhibitors affecting components of the homotypic organ cell. This hypothesis could be supported by information concerning the gradual appearance of tissue specific proteins during later stages of embryonic development. The experiments performed in vivo are hampered to a certain degree by competition for labeled material between the organs of the embryo. It is not possible to compare absolute values of radioactivity of organs, as differences in competitive activity, velocity of resorption from the chorioallantoic membrane, and in degradation and storage of labeled material might influence the actual uptake by the homotypic organ under consideration. Components of organ extracts possess a selective, age-dependent affinity to homotypic organ tissue in vivo and in vitro . The degree of affinity is dosage dependent, suggesting a stoichiometric combination mechanism between components of the extract and possible cellular receptor sites of limited availability. Low concentrations of organ substances yield a relatively higher uptake into the homotypic organ. A stimulated synthesis of RNA can be observed. High concentrations of organ extract result in an opposite effect, in an inhibited assimilation of organ material and in a depression and a delay of RNA synthesis.
Open Hip Abductor Tendon Repair into a Bone Trough: Improved Outcomes for Hip Abductor Tendon Avulsion.

Hip abductor tendon tears are a well-recognized entity that results in progressive lateral hip pain, weakness, and limping. These can occur in patients with native hips or in patients following total hip arthroplasty. However, treatment of these 2 distinct groups does not differ. We describe a new repair technique utilizing a longitudinal bone trough in the greater trochanter. We compare our results (focusing on gluteus medius tendon avulsions) and traditional repair with suture anchors or transosseous bone tunnels. Additionally, we propose a classification system that attempts to describe the different types of tears to guide treatment, as the current classification system is not helpful in defining pathology or guiding treatment. Our proposed classification will help to better describe tear types anatomically and thereby guide appropriate surgical interventions based on these types. Description Abductor tears were classified, according to our system, as Type I when there was no gluteus medius avulsion from bone (with subtype A indicating a partial tear of the gluteus minimus or gluteus medius; B, a complete tear of the gluteus minimus; and C, a longitudinal tear of the gluteus medius) or Type II when there was a gluteus medius avulsion (with subtype A indicating an avulsion of <50% of the insertion into the greater trochanter, and B, an avulsion of ≥50% of the insertion). Repair into a bone trough involves (1) freeing up and mobilizing the tendon from overlying fascia, (2) placing 2 evenly spaced Krackow stitches in the tendon, (3) creating a bone trough using a burr in the midline of the greater trochanter, (4) creating bone tunnels out the lateral wall of the trough to pass sutures, and (5) passing sutures through the bone tunnels to allow inset of the tendon into the trough, and later tying the sutures over the lateral osseous bridge. Alternatives Alternative treatment options include nonoperative and operative management. Nonoperative treatment choices include physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and activity modification with assistive walking devices. Surgical alternatives include endoscopic or open direct soft-tissue repair, suture anchor repair, bone tunnel repair, graft jacket reconstruction, or gluteus maximus muscle transfer. Rationale Because of discouraging outcomes experienced by us and others, a new technique (a greater trochanter longitudinal bone trough) was developed to improve surgical results. This technique, utilizing an abductor tendon repair into a bone trough, improved our surgical outcomes for abductor tendon avulsions. We found that outcomes after surgical treatment of abductor tendon tears without avulsion are superior to those after repairs of abductor tendon avulsions, which is an important distinction compared with previous literature on abductor tendon repairs.
Social capital, trust, and collective action in post-earthquake Nepal

According to the first generation of theories of collective action, utility-maximizing individuals encountering conditions of nonexcludability and nonrivalry free ride rather than cooperate as their dominant strategy. But scholars have documented innumerable successful and unsuccessful collective action efforts after disasters around the world that contradict that idea. We square the findings of disaster research with the second generation of collective action research by demonstrating how important social capital is for understanding voluntary collective action. We apply structural equation modeling and mediation analysis to data we collected from Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, after its 2015 earthquake to show that bonding social capital has the mediated effect of engendering mutual trust and in turn enabling collective action. Further, we demonstrate direct effects of both bonding and bridging/linking social capital on collective action following disasters. We portray social capital as essential in enabling self-governance and fostering resilience in postdisaster scenarios in which the collective burdens of reconstruction and recovery necessitate concerted efforts on the part of the private sector, citizens, and public institutions.