cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Use of Strontium Isotope Analysis to Investigate Tiwanaku Migration and Mortuary Ritual in Bolivia and Peru

Strontium isotope analysis is applied in South America for the first time in order to investigate residential mobility and mortuary ritual from ad 500 to 1000. While Tiwanaku-style artefacts are spread throughout Bolivia, southern Peru and northern Chile during this time, the nature of Tiwanaku influence in the region is much debated. Human skeletal remains from the site of Tiwanaku and the proposed Tiwanaku colony of Chen Chen have been analysed to test the hypothesis that Tiwanaku colonies, populated with inhabitants from Tiwanaku, existed in Peru. Strontium isotope analysis supports this hypothesis by demonstrating that non-local individuals are present at both sites.
Re-evaluation of the role of cyclic AMP in histamine-induced gastric acid secretion.

Abstract The 600 x g particulate fraction of gastric mucosal scrapings from rats was incubated with 3 H-metiamide which saturated available binding sites at a concentration of 1 µM. Scatchard plots showed a single component with a Kd value of 0.2 µM. Unlabelled cimetidine and histamine competed with 3Hmetiamide binding. The 600 x g particulate fraction also contained all of the hormone and sodium fluoride sensitive adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase activity was not altered by histamine, pentagastrin or carbachol but was increased during incubation with prostaglandin E 1 , secretin and epinephrine. These findings do not support the hypothesis that gastric secretion is mediated by intracellular accumulation of cyclic AMP.
Least squares estimation without priors or supervision

Selection of an optimal estimator typically relies on either supervised training samples (pairs of measurements and their associated true values) or a prior probability model for the true values. Here, we consider the problem of obtaining a least squares estimator given a measurement process with known statistics (i.e., a likelihood function) and a set of unsupervised measurements, each arising from a corresponding true value drawn randomly from an unknown distribution. We develop a general expression for a nonparametric empirical Bayes least squares (NEBLS) estimator, which expresses the optimal least squares estimator in terms of the measurement density, with no explicit reference to the unknown (prior) density. We study the conditions under which such estimators exist and derive specific forms for a variety of different measurement processes. We further show that each of these NEBLS estimators may be used to express the mean squared estimation error as an expectation over the measurement density alone, thus generalizing Stein's unbiased risk estimator (SURE), which provides such an expression for the additive gaussian noise case. This error expression may then be optimized over noisy measurement samples, in the absence of supervised training data, yielding a generalized SURE-optimized parametric least squares (SURE2PLS) estimator. In the special case of a linear parameterization (i.e., a sum of nonlinear kernel functions), the objective function is quadratic, and we derive an incremental form for learning this estimator from data. We also show that combining the NEBLS form with its corresponding generalized SURE expression produces a generalization of the score-matching procedure for parametric density estimation. Finally, we have implemented several examples of such estimators, and we show that their performance is comparable to their optimal Bayesian or supervised regression counterparts for moderate to large amounts of data.
Internal Model Control Schemes

In this chapter, we introduce the class of internal model control (IMC) schemes. These schemes derive their name from the fact that the controller implementation includes an explicit model of the plant as a part of the controller. Such schemes enjoy immense popularity in process control applications where, in most cases, the plant to be controlled is open-loop stable. As will be seen in this chapter, the IMC configuration for a stable plant is really a particular case of the Youla-Jabr-Bongiorno-Kucera (YJBK) parametrization of all controllers that preserve closed loop stability [46]. The IMC parameter here plays the same role as the Youla parameter in the YJBK parametrization, and consequently can be chosen to meet one of several design objectives. Choices of the IMC parameter that lead to some familiar control schemes are discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with an appraisal of the inherent robustness of the IMC structure to plant perturbations. Throughout this chapter, as indeed in the rest of this monograph, we focus on plants whose modelled parts are linear, time-invariant and finite dimensional. The controllers considered are also assumed to belong to the same class so that the modelled part of the plant and the controller can both be described in the Laplace domain using rational, proper transfer functions.
Outcomes of Transferred Versus Direct-Admit Hemorrhagic Stroke Patients at a Large Comprehensive Stroke Center (P02.203)

Objective: To compare the outcomes of non-traumatic hemorrhagic stroke (HS) patients transferred to a large Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) as compared to patients directly admitted through the CSC9s ED. Background Many stroke patients are transferred from community hospitals to CSCs. However, outcomes of these patients are infrequently studied separately. Even fewer data are available regarding HS patients, who generally require transfer more often than ischemic stroke patients. Design/Methods: Retrospective review of consecutively treated HS patients between 7/2006-12/2010 admitted through the CSC9s ED or transferred from outside hospitals (including intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage patients). Outcome measures included discharge destination (expired patients and patients discharged to acute care hospitals and hospice were excluded from analysis), length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Results: 275 HS patients were transferred and 267 admitted through the ED. Transferred patients were younger (60.8yr vs. 67.5yr for ED patients), and had a longer LOS (12.1d vs. 8.4d for ED patients). Mortality was not significantly different (19.6% vs. 22.5% for ED patients, p=0.42). Logistic regression controlling for stroke severity and patient demographics showed no significant association between transfer status and discharge destination (home with or without care vs. skilled nursing facility or inpatient rehabilitation; p=0.89). Conclusions: At a large CSC, transferred HS patients demonstrate similar outcomes to non-transferred patients, despite a longer LOS. These data suggest that transfer of HS patients is safe and potentially effective in this patient population. Disclosure: Dr. Tong has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech, Inc. as a speaker. Dr. Grosvenor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bedenk has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thomas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rose has received personal compensation for activities with Boehringer Ingelheim as a speaker. Dr. Barazangi has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech Inc.
A novel conditional Akt 'survival switch' reversibly protects cells from apoptosis.

The anti-apoptotic Akt kinase is commonly activated by survival factors following plasma membrane relocalization attributable to the interaction of its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-generated PI3,4-P2 and PI3,4,5-P3. Once activated, Akt can prevent or delay apoptosis by phosphorylation-dependent inhibition or activation of multiple signaling molecules involved in apoptosis, such as BAD, caspase-9, GSK3, and NF-κB and forkhead family transcription factors. Here, we describe and characterize a novel, conditional Akt controlled by chemically induced dimerization (CID). In this approach, the Akt PH domain has been replaced with the rapamycin (and FK506)-binding domain, FKBP12, to make F3-ΔPH.Akt. To effect membrane recruitment, a myristoylated rapamycin-binding domain from FRAP/mTOR, called M-FRB, binds to lipid permeable rapamycin (and non-bioactive synthetic ‘rapalogs’), leading to reversible heterodimerization of M-FRB with FKBP-ΔPH.Akt. Like endogenous c-Akt, we show that the kinase activity of membrane-localized F3-ΔPH.Akt correlates strongly with phosphorylation at T308 and S473; however, unlike c-Akt, phosphorylation and activation of inducible Akt (iAkt) is largely PI3K independent. CID-mediated activation of iAkt results in phosphorylation of GSK3, and contributes to NF-κB activation in vivo in a dose-sensitive manner. Finally, in Jurkat T cells stably expressing iAkt, CID-induced Akt activation rescued cells from apoptosis triggered by multiple apoptotic stimuli, including staurosporine, anti-Fas antibodies, PI3K inhibitors and the DNA damaging agent, etoposide. This novel inducible Akt should be useful for identifying new Akt substrates and for reversibly protecting tissue from apoptosis due to ischemic injury or immunological attack.
The Gut Microbiome Affects the Progression of Disease in a Murine Model of Secondary Progressive MS (P5.324)

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the transition from relapsing to progressive experimental MS modifies the composition of the gut microbiome. BACKGROUND: Recent findings reveal the importance of gut microbes in the development of experimental models of CNS inflammatory demyelination. We demonstrated that gut microbes and in particular the symbiont factor polysaccharide-A (PSA) produced by Bacteroides fragilis significantly influence gut immune responses and drive protection in relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Furthermore, in mice with EAE, onset of disease promotes significant changes in the intestinal permeability due to molecular modifications in the epithelial tight junctions, and changes in gut microbial abundances have been observed in MS patients when compared with healthy individuals. These observations suggest that the host-microbiota interaction is bi-directional. METHODS: We hypothesized that the gut microbiota relative abundances differ between the acute inflammatory and chronic progressive stages of a murine model of secondary-progressive MS (SP-EAE). We compared the gut microbiome in the EAE model of Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice with non-EAE mice. The NOD model shows a bi-phasic pattern of disease that more closely resembles the human condition (RR-MS transitioning to SP-MS). In addition, we evaluated whether treatment with a cocktail of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the treatment with PSA would modify the outcome of the progressive stage of EAE in NOD mice. RESULTS: Results showed that the trend of the mortality and the clinical scores of mice treated with antibiotics, as well as with oral treatment with PSA, were reduced when compared to untreated EAE NOD mice. CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained in this work support the hypothesis that there is a reciprocal effect of experimental CNS inflammatory demyelination on the modification of the microbiome. Our studies provide the foundation to determine whether therapeutic intervention in the gut might be beneficial in terms of disease progression. Study supported by the NMSS. Disclosure: Dr. Ochoa-Reparaz has received research support from Genzyme. Dr. Colpitts has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kasper has nothing to disclose. Dr. Keever has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liljenberg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kasper has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, EMD, Serono, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, and Mederex as a SAB and consultant.
The Impact of General Strike on Government Healthcare Delivery in Kerala State in India

General strike (also known as hartal) is used as a mode of protest by organizations and political parties in India. It is generally thought that hartals negatively impact the healthcare delivery in a society. We used the Right to Information Act to obtain data from government health centers in Kerala state in India for four hartal days (H-day) and two control days (A-day and B-day) for each H-day, from sixteen health centers including 6 Community Health Center (CHC), 6 Secondary Health Center (SHC), and 4 Tertiary Health Center (THC). Data on emergency room visits was available for six HCs. 15 HCs had a statistically significant decrease in the number of outpatient visits on H-day. There was no difference in the number of outpatient visits between the two control days (A and B) in 15 HCs, suggesting the lack of a posthartal surge in visits. Median decrease in outpatient visits in CHCs, SHCs, and THCs was 50.4%, 59.5%, and 47.4%, respectively. Hartal did not impact the number of emergency room visits in 6 out of 7 health centers assessed. Our study identified a significant harmful impact on government healthcare delivery due to hartals in Kerala. These findings have major public health implications.
Cost-benefit evaluation of DOTS in Kaihua County,Zhejiang Province

Objective To study the relationship between DOTS project input costs and their social and economic benefits,and evaluate the social and economic benefits made in Kaihua County by implementation of DOTS strategy.Methods Comparative analysis was made of the TB incidence,mortality and cost-effective DLAY in the condition of implementing DOTS or not by applying disease forecasting model.Results The reduction in each case of tuberculosis in the cost-effectiveness ratio is 419 yuan,that in each case of tuberculosis death 1,961 yuan,and that in each DALY is 1,050 yuan a year.Conclusion The implemention of DOTS strategy for TB prevention and control has made significant economic and social benefits,and it is in line with the needs of local economic and social development.
Research on the Law of Disasters Caused by Transmission Line Galloping

Galloping is one of the severe natural disasters for transmission lines,posing a significant threat to the security and stability of power grids.This paper presents a comprehensive,systematic research and analysis on transmission line galloping in China in recent years.Laws and characteristics of the galloping disaster are analyzed in many aspects,such as the time and place of the galloping occurred,names of the affected transmission lines,the voltage and structural parameters of the lines,the meteorological data(air temperature,wind speed,ice and etc.) and the topography information of the transmission lines in the duration of galloping,and the destruction forms caused by galloping.This paper provides an important research base not only for anti-galloping methods but also for enhancing the ability of withstanding natural disasters in power grids.
Preface to the Special Issue on the 250th Anniversary of Rutgers University Part One: The Life and Times of Henry Rutgers

This preface discusses some of Rutgers' unusual history and summarizes the articles of this issue.
vlPFC–vmPFC–Amygdala Interactions Underlie Age-Related Differences in Cognitive Regulation of Emotion

Emotion regulation is a critical life skill that develops throughout childhood and adolescence. Despite this development in emotional processes, little is known about how the underlying brain systems develop with age. This study examined emotion regulation in 112 individuals (aged 6-23 years) as they viewed aversive and neutral images using a reappraisal task. On "reappraisal" trials, participants were instructed to view the images as distant, a strategy that has been previously shown to reduce negative affect. On "reactivity" trials, participants were instructed to view the images without regulating emotions to assess baseline emotional responding. During reappraisal, age predicted less negative affect, reduced amygdala responses and inverse coupling between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala. Moreover, left ventrolateral prefrontal (vlPFC) recruitment mediated the relationship between increasing age and diminishing amygdala responses. This negative vlPFC-amygdala association was stronger for individuals with inverse coupling between the amygdala and vmPFC. These data provide evidence that vmPFC-amygdala connectivity facilitates vlPFC-related amygdala modulation across development.
Intimate partner stalking: Contributions to PTSD symptomatology among a national sample of women veterans.

OBJECTIVES: Women veterans are at high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), which has previously been defined as psychological, physical, or sexual violence from an intimate partner. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently added stalking to its uniform definition of IPV, but little is known about the occurrence of stalking victimization among women veterans who experience IPV, its overlap with other forms of IPV, and its contribution to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology among this population. METHODS: Lifetime intimate partner stalking, as well as physical, sexual, and psychological IPV, was assessed as part of a larger study of women veterans who completed a 2014 Web-based survey (75% participation rate). Women with a history of IPV or stalking (55%, n = 225) completed the PTSD Checklist-5 to assess PTSD symptoms related to IPV and items assessing military sexual trauma and combat exposure. RESULTS: Among 225 women veterans with a history of IPV, approximately 64% (n = 145) reported lifetime stalking by an intimate partner. Women who experienced both stalking and other forms of IPV were 4.2 times more likely to experience probable PTSD than were women who experienced IPV without stalking, odds ratio (OR) = 4.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.91, 9.13]. After adjusting for military sexual trauma and lifetime sum of other types of IPV, women who experienced partner stalking remained 2.5 times more likely than women without a history of partner stalking to experience probable PTSD, OR = 2.49, 95% CI [1.07, 5.78]. CONCLUSIONS: Stalking from an intimate partner is a common form of IPV experienced by women veterans that strongly contributes to risk for probable PTSD. In addition to other forms of IPV, identification and treatment efforts should attend to stalking victimization among this rapidly growing population. (PsycINFO Database Record(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Infant Attachment Disorganization and Moderation Pathways to Level and Change in Externalizing Behavior during Preschool Ages.

ABSTRACTThis research examined the child, parent, and family conditions under which attachment disorganization was related to both level and change in externalizing behavior during preschool among a community sample. Using the ordinary least squares regression, we found that attachment disorganization at 12 months significantly predicted children’s externalizing behavior at 36 months and this prediction was not contingent on any other factors tested. For predicting changes in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months, we found a significant main effect of family cumulative risk and an interaction effect between attachment disorganization at 12 months and maternal sensitivity at 24 months. Specifically, high disorganization was related to a significant decrease in externalizing behavior from 36 to 60 months when maternal sensitivity at 24 months was high. Our main-effect findings replicated the significant effect of attachment disorganization and cumulative risk on externalizing behavior with preschool-a...
«Стратегия долгосрочного процветания: в поисках растаявшего ориентира» Брошюра – конспект книги (Introductory Notes and Structure Description of the Book 'The Strategy of Lasting Prosperity: In Search for the Lost Constellation')

Russian Abstract: Данный текст является введением в книгу "Стратегия долгосрочного процветания: в поисках растаявшего ориентира". "Стратегия… " является продолжением и дополнением работы "Институциональные ограничения современного экономического роста", впервые вышедшей в 2011 году в издательстве "Дело" . Книга продолжает попытки авторов собрать примеры наилучших законов и практик для решения экономических, политических и моральных проблем, связанных с возрождением Большого государства и все менее жестко ограниченного в полномочиях правительства в старых демократиях и в остальном мире. Особое внимание уделяется возможностям общества снова взять на себя выполнение функций образования, здравоохранения, помощи бедным (поставки "смешанных общественных благ). Отдельно рассматриваются политические препятствия на пути предлагаемых реформ и меры на переходный период. English Abstract: The paper contains introductory notes and structure review of the book "The Strategy of lasting prosperity: in search for the lost constellation". " The strategy…" continues and develops arguments of the book " Institutional Constraints on Modern Economic Growth" first published by “Delo” Publishing House, Moscow in 2011. We've described consequences (economic, political and moral) of rising "Nanny State" and "not so limited" government in the Old Democracies and in the rest of the World. The new book contains collection of the best rules, laws and practices recommended to overcome consequences of governmental expansion. We pay special attention on the ways to restoration of civil society capacity to provide mixed public goods (provision of education, healthcare, assistance for the needy people). We tried to trace the course of actions for transitional period and to explore the ways to keep the "windows of opportunity" open long enough, to sustain the coalition for small, limited government and for free economy.
On Birkhoff interpolation (0;2) case

P. Turan and his associates[2] considered in detail the problem of (0,2) interpolation based on the zeros of πn(x). Motivated by these results and an earlier result of Szabados and Varma[9] here we consider the problem of existence, uniqueness and explicit representation of the interpolatory polynomial Rn(x) satis fying the function values at one set of nodes and the second derivative on the other set of nodes. It is important to note that this problem has a unique solution provided these two sets of nodes are chosen properly. We also promise to have an interesting convergence theorem in the second paper of this series, which will provide a solution to the related open problem of P. Turan.
ScaleDeep: A Scalable Compute Architecture for Learning and Evaluating Deep Networks

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance on a broad range of tasks involving natural language, speech, image, and video processing, and are deployed in many real world applications. However, DNNs impose significant computational challenges owing to the complexity of the networks and the amount of data they process, both of which are projected to grow in the future. To improve the efficiency of DNNs, we propose ScaleDeep, a dense, scalable server architecture, whose processing, memory and interconnect subsystems are specialized to leverage the compute and communication characteristics of DNNs. While several DNN accelerator designs have been proposed in recent years, the key difference is that ScaleDeep primarily targets DNN training, as opposed to only inference or evaluation. The key architectural features from which ScaleDeep derives its efficiency are: (i) heterogeneous processing tiles and chips to match the wide diversity in computational characteristics (FLOPs and Bytes/FLOP ratio) that manifest at different levels of granularity in DNNs, (ii) a memory hierarchy and 3-tiered interconnect topology that is suited to the memory access and communication patterns in DNNs, (iii) a low-overhead synchronization mechanism based on hardware data-flow trackers, and (iv) methods to map DNNs to the proposed architecture that minimize data movement and improve core utilization through nested pipelining. We have developed a compiler to allow any DNN topology to be programmed onto ScaleDeep, and a detailed architectural simulator to estimate performance and energy. The simulator incorporates timing and power models of ScaleDeep's components based on synthesis to Intel's 14nm technology. We evaluate an embodiment of ScaleDeep with 7032 processing tiles that operates at 600 MHz and has a peak performance of 680 TFLOPs (single precision) and 1.35 PFLOPs (half-precision) at 1.4KW. Across 11 state-of-the-art DNNs containing 0.65M-14.9M neurons and 6.8M-145.9M weights, including winners from 5 years of the ImageNet competition, ScaleDeep demonstrates 6x-28x speedup at iso-power over the state-of-the-art performance on GPUs.
Reactivity of Bridged and Nonbridged Zirconocenes toward Biorenewable Itaconic Esters and Anhydride

This work investigates the reactivity of neutral and cationic complexes of both bridged ansa-zirconocenes, rac-[C2H4(Ind)2]ZrMe[OC(OiPr)═CMe2] (1) and rac-[C2H4(Ind)2]Zr+(THF)[OC(OiPr)═CMe2][MeB(C6F5)3]− (1+), and nonbridged zirconocenes, Cp*(nPrCp)ZrMe[OC(OiPr)═CMe2] (13) and Cp*(nPrCp)Zr(THF)[OC(OiPr)═CMe2]+[MeB(C6F5)3]− (13+), toward biorenewable itaconic dialkyl esters (itaconates) and anhydride (IA). Behaving similarly, both cationic complexes 1+ and 13+ react readily with itaconates to form cleanly single monomer addition products, eight-membered-ring metallacycles 2 and 15, respectively, and neutral enolate complexes 1 and 13 insert 1 equiv of IA to afford single-IA-addition products 5 and 17. Behaving differently, eight-membered-ring chelates 2 derived from the bridged metallocene framework undergo slow isomerization at room temperature via ligand exchange between the coordinated and uncoordinated ester groups to form thermodynamically favored seven-membered-ring chelates 4, while eight-membered c...
Height-diameter relationships in longleaf pine and four swamp tree species

The scaling relationship between height and diameter is important for understanding the dynamic patterns of tree growth and estimating the accrual of tree biomass. Metabolic ecology predicts that tree growth follows a universal scaling invariant relative to the height-diameter relationship (i.e., no variation based on taxonomy or resource availability). Comparing field data for different tree species across a range of site conditions should be an informative test of that prediction. Our results indicate that the scaling exponents of height and diameter for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) vary at the four locations across its natural range. As for swamp trees, the scaling exponents for red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and river birch (Betula nigra L.) were consistent with that predicted by metabolic ecology; however, those for water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich) were not. Our study confirms that high plasticity and variation in allometric scaling of the tree height and diameter relationship may very well be the rule, rather than the exception.
Intracardiac Echocardiography-Guided Device Closure of Non-PFO/ASD Shunts

Background: Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has been used during transcatheter closure of simple atrial level shunts, but its use in more complex shunt lesions has not been well described.Metho...
Short-Term Outcomes for Veterans Receiving Basal Insulin, Metformin, and a Sulfonylurea Who Are Started on a Third Noninsulin Agent Versus Prandial Insulin

Aims. Despite numerous recent advances in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes, there remains a paucity of data to guide sequential treatment intensification. Methods. This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients receiving metformin, basal insulin, and a sulfonylurea who were started on a third noninsulin agent or prandial insulin. The primary outcome for this study was change in A1C at 6 months after treatment intensification. Secondary outcomes included change in weight at 6 months, change in A1C at 1 year, percentage of patients achieving an A1C Results. A total of 62 patients were identified for inclusion in the study: 28 receiving prandial insulin and 34 treated with a noninsulin agent. There was no significant difference in A1C change between the two treatment arms at either 6 months (–0.53 vs. –0.84%, P = 0.31) or 1 year (–0.67 vs. –0.86%, P = 0.61) after intervention. Patients receiving noninsulin agents gained significantly less weight at 6 months (–2.09 vs. 1.99 kg, P P = 0.01). Among patients treated with noninsulin agents, those receiving a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist were more likely to have an A1C P = 0.05). Conclusion. These results highlight that, in select patients, noninsulin therapies can be added to a backbone of metformin, basal insulin, and a sulfonylurea with similar A1C reductions but improved metabolic parameters relative to intensive insulin therapy.
The Hancock® Valved Conduit for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction in Sheep for Assessing New Devices.

Background and aim of the study Xenograft conduits have been used successfully to repair congenital heart defects, but are prone to failure over time. Hence, in order to improve patient outcomes, better xenografts are being developed. When evaluating a conduit's performance and safety it must first be compared against a clinically available control in a large animal model. The study aim was to evaluate a clinically available xenograft conduit used in right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction in a sheep model. Methods RVOT reconstruction was performed in 13 adult and juvenile sheep, using the Medtronic Hancock® Bioprosthetic Valved Conduit (Hancock conduit). The method had previously been used on patients, and a newly modified variant termed 'RVOT Extraction' was employed to facilitate the surgical procedure. Animals were monitored over predetermined terms of 70 to 140 days. Serial transthoracic echocardiography, intracardiac pressure measurements and angiography were performed. On study completion the animals were euthanized and necropsies performed. Results Two animals died prior to their designated study term due to severe valvular stenosis and distal conduit narrowing, respectively. Thus, 11 animals survived the study term, with few or no complications. Generally, maximal and mean transvalvular pressure gradients across the implanted conduits were increased throughout the postoperative course. Among 11 full-term animals, seven conduits were patent with mild or no pseudointimal proliferation and with flexible leaflets maintaining the hemodynamic integrity of the valve. Conclusions RVOT reconstruction using the Hancock conduit was shown to be successful in sheep, with durable and efficient performances. With its extensive clinical use in patients, and ability for long-term use in sheep (as described in the present study) it can be concluded that the Hancock conduit is an excellent control device for the evaluation of new xenografts in future preclinical studies.
Epigenetic analysis: ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq

The access of transcription factors and the replication machinery to DNA is regulated by the epigenetic state of chromatin. In eukaryotes, this complex layer of regulatory processes includes the direct methylation of DNA, as well as covalent modifications to histones. Using next-generation sequencers, it is now possible to obtain profiles of epigenetic modifications across a genome using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq). This technique permits the detection of the binding of proteins to specific regions of the genome with high resolution. It can be used to determine the target sequences of transcription factors, as well as the positions of histones with specific modification of their N-terminal tails. Antibodies that selectively bind methylated DNA may also be used to determine the position of methylated cytosines. Here, we present a data analysis pipeline for processing ChIP-seq data, and discuss the limitations and idiosyncrasies of these approaches.
A NEW ENERGY-BASED APPROACH TO LOCAL BRIDGE SCOUR

A new method for bridge pier scour prediction is derived using an energy approach. The method permits determination of the maximum scour corresponding to a flood flow of a given recurrence interval. The scour method uses the concept of an effective depth, which is the point in the flow above which the flow essentially has no downward velocity component and therefore does not contribute to scour. A formula for the maximum scour that is related to the velocity profile below the effective depth is given. The method was used to analyze the scour at a published field installation and gave very good results (R2 =.924).
Entrepreneurialism and Sport Leadership: Some Lessons for the Balkans

Entrepreneurship is a risk assuming process in which something of value is created and produced. The origin of the term entrepreneur can be found in the French term “entreprendre”, which means to undertake (Entrepreneur n.d.). An entrepreneur must commit to the financial risk that is inherent in the undertaking of an entrepreneurial endeavor. Sport organizational leaders who aspire to lead entrepreneurially are no exception, as they must share in an assumption of risk.
Commentary on Chapters 1 to 3: Using Meaningful Analogies to Reflect on and Make Sense of Integers

Ginsburg (1977) observed that children typically develop surprisingly powerful informal (everyday) knowledge of mathematics and that mathematical learning difficulties often arise when formal instruction does not build on this existing knowledge. By using meaningful analogies teachers can help connect new formal instruction to students’ existing informal knowledge and thus comprehend and learn it. The chapters by Bofferding et al., Wessman and Enzinger, and Bishop et al. vividly underscore these key points in the domain of integer addition and subtraction. These chapters richly illustrate how children can make sense of this domain even before formal instruction. How—in the absence of meaningful instruction (e.g., meaningful analogies)—their informal knowledge has key limitations. How playing games that embody a meaningful analogy can be help children construct a deeper understanding of integer addition and subtraction. In brief, relating integer addition and subtraction to a meaningful analogy has important implications for both assessing and promoting this critically important knowledge.
Progress toward a self-consistent set of 1D ignition capsule metrics in ICF

One-dimensional metrics can be considered an upper bound on the performance that can be achieved given an implosion with an imploding mass Mimp and a given adiabat α, driven to an implosion velocity V by a specified ablation pressure Pa for single shell capsules with low-opacity ablators. The quantitative value of an ignition metric depends on the definition of ignition. We review the choices that have been made by various authors before settling on a definition based on yield amplification of 30 where yield amplification is the ratio of the yield from an implosion that includes the alpha particle and neutron deposition relative to the yield obtained from PdV work alone. We then derive improved 1D ignition metrics for radiation-driven inertial confinement fusion targets that span a wide range of drive pressures, adiabats, and scales. This includes emphasizing the importance of the total imploding mass and kinetic energy inside the ablation front, including the remaining ablator mass and kinetic energy, on the 1D ignition metrics. We have also explicitly included the sensitivity to ablation pressure driving the implosion, as well as the sensitivity to the coupling efficiency between the total incoming kinetic energy and the hot spot. For implosions in which the remaining ablator mass contributes to the total stagnated mass, we have developed an approach based on defining an effective implosion adiabat which incorporates the properties and the mass of the stagnated ablator as well as the cold DT fuel. We have added a dependence on total ρr to account for the fact that the time available for self-heating increases as the total ρr increases. This extends previous work in that the value of the product of stagnation pressure times burn width required for ignition depends on the total ρr as well as on the fuel ion temperature. Additionally, we show that ignition metrics derived from a requirement on the product of the hotspot ρr and the hot spot temperature are equivalent to ignition metrics derived from a requirement on the product of stagnation pressure and burn width. Further, we discuss those ignition metrics, developed as metrics for the underlying hydrodynamics in the absence of alpha heating, which can be used when alpha heating is present.
INVESTIGATING THE PROSPECTS FOR REFORM MOVEMENTS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD: CONDITIONS AND INITIAL EVIDENCE

Хотя мусульманск ому мир у исторически не был и чужд ы реформаторски е движения, в настоящее время ему не хватает динамизма, связанного с обновленческим импульсом. Этот вопрос особенно важен после «арабской весны», которая относительно быстро закончилась или перетекла в насильственн ое русло. В этой статье я намерен критически оценить следующие вопросы . Каковы условия возникновения реформаторских движений в исламском мире? В каких конкретных географических регионах такие движения более вероятны? Наследие реформаторов-джадидов Поволжско-Уральского региона и Центральной Азии (во второй половине XIX и в первых десятилетиях XX века) все еще живо среди широких слоев населения региона? Целью данной работы является очерчение контуров для изучения этих вопросов, состоящих как из теоретических рамок, так и из исходных статистических данных. Я предл агаю план того, что можно рассматривать в качестве услови й для роста реформаторских движений, анализиру я данные опросов на индивидуальном уровне из 6-й волны Обзора мировых ценностей. В этом исследовании я не претендую на то, чтобы объяснить рост или крах нынешних или исторических движений за реформы ; моя цель состоит в том, чтобы провести предварительное и описательное и сследование такого потенциала в районах с мусульманским большинством.
Association of Treatment With 5α-Reductase Inhibitors With Time to Diagnosis and Mortality in Prostate Cancer.

Importance 5α-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, reduce serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations by 50%. The association of 5-ARIs with detection of prostate cancer in a PSA-screened population remains unclear. Objective To test the hypothesis that prediagnostic 5-ARI use is associated with a delayed diagnosis, more advanced disease at diagnosis, and higher risk of prostate cancer–specific mortality and all-cause mortality than use of other or no PSA-decreasing drugs. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cohort study linked the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure with the National Death Index to obtain patient records for 80 875 men with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I-IV prostate cancer diagnosed from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2015. Patients were followed up until death or December 31, 2017. Data analysis was performed from March 2018 to May 2018. Exposures Prediagnostic 5-ARI use. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was prostate cancer–specific mortality (PCSM). Secondary outcomes included time from first elevated PSA (defined as PSA≥4 ng/mL) to diagnostic prostate biopsy, cancer grade and stage at time of diagnosis, and all-cause mortality (ACM). Prostate-specific antigen levels for 5-ARI users were adjusted by doubling the value, consistent with previous clinical trials. Results Median (interquartile range [IQR]) age at diagnosis was 66 (61-72) years; median [IQR] follow-up was 5.90 (3.50-8.80) years. Median time from first adjusted elevated PSA to diagnosis was significantly greater for 5-ARI users than 5-ARI nonusers (3.60 [95% CI, 1.79-6.09] years vs 1.40 [95% CI, 0.38-3.27] years;P Conclusions and Relevance Results of this study demonstrate that prediagnostic use of 5-ARIs was associated with delayed diagnosis and worse cancer-specific outcomes in men with prostate cancer. These data highlight a continued need to raise awareness of 5-ARI-induced PSA suppression, establish clear guidelines for early prostate cancer detection, and motivate systems-based practices to facilitate optimal care for men who use 5-ARIs.
Real-time imaging and control of boiling histotripsy lesion formation using Doppler ultrasound

In boiling histotripsy (BH), millisecond-long HIFU bursts with shocks are used to mechanically liquefy tissue. Most BH studies have been performed under real-time B-mode ultrasound imaging of bubbles generated at the treatment site. However, such approach does not allow quantitative assessment of the degree of tissue liquefaction. In addition, aberration and clutter often limit the echogenicity introduced by bubbles. In this work, plane wave Doppler followed by B-mode imaging were implemented immediately after each BH pulse to visualize residual bubble motion during volumetric BH treatments in ex vivo bovine liver. The changes in the Doppler power and speed were used as metrics to assess the degree of tissue liquefaction. An ATL P6-3 imaging probe connected to a Verasonics Ultrasound Engine (VUE) was mounted in the central opening of a 256-element 1.5 MHz HIFU array driven by another VUE with 1.2 kW external power source enhanced by a capacitor bank. The proposed imaging sequence improved BH targeting and bubble visualization. As tissue liquefaction progressed from partial to full (single versus five BH pulses per focal spot), both Doppler power and residual bubble velocity directed away from the transducer increased (7-fold and 10 cm/s to 20 cm/s, correspondingly) and then saturated. [Work supported by NIH R01EB7643.]
Dots, Plots, and Profiles.

Charlotte Junge is a professor at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. She coordinates instruction in elementary school mathematics at the undergraduate and graduate levels, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, and directs research in elementary school mathematics. She has served as vice-president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is editor of the department, "In the Classroom," of
Functional Significance of the Subunits of Carboxypeptidase N (Kininase I)

Carboxypeptidase N (kininase I; 280K) was purified to homogeneity from human plasma. The inactive 83K and active 48K subunits were separated by gel filtration after treatment of homogeneous 280K with guanidine. The two subunits differ in amino acid composition and immunological reactivity. The activities of the 280K and 48K enzymes with naturally occurring substrates were compared to determine whehther the 83K subunit affects enzymatic activity of the 48K. At 60 µM concentration, both the 280K and 48K enzymes cleaved (Lys6)-Met5)-enkephalin fastest followed by (Arg6)-(Met5)-enkephalin, anaphylatoxin C3a, (arg6)-(Leu5)-enkephalin, C3a octapeptide1 and bradykinin. The activity ratios (280K/48K) were: (Arg6)-(Leu5)-enkepha1in, 0.9; bradykinin, 1,0; (Lys6)-(Met5)-enkephalin, 1.1; (Arg6)-(Met5)-enkephalin, 1.2; and anaphylatoxin C3a, 1.7. Thus, while most substrates were cleaved at similar rates, assuming 2 active sites per 280K molecule, anaphylatoxin C3a was cleaved significantly faster by 280K than by 48K. The ratio of activity was similar (1.9) when the C-terminal octapeptide of C3a was the substrate. These results indicate that the larger, inactive 83K subunit may increase the efficiency of cleavage of some peptides by 48K.
Diagnosis and treatment of effusive-constrictive pericarditis: a case report.

Background Effusive-constrictive pericarditis (ECP) is a rare syndrome involving pericardial effusion and concomitant constrictive pericarditis. The hallmark is a persistently elevated right atrial pressure of >10 mmHg or reduction of less than 50% from baseline despite pericardiocentesis. Aetiologies include radiation, infection, malignancy, and autoimmune disease. Case summary A 71-year-old man with a history of atrial fibrillation, obesity, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea, managed with continuous positive airway pressure presented with acute pericarditis complicated by pericardial effusion leading to cardiac tamponade. He was diagnosed with ECP after pericardiocentesis and was managed surgically with a pericardial window. Discussion Early detected cases of ECP can be managed by medical therapy. Therapeutic interventions include pericardiocentesis, balloon pericardiostomy, and pericardiectomy. This report describes a case of new-onset congestive heart failure secondary to ECP.
Speed of Sound and Baryon Cumulants in Heavy-Ion Collisions

We present a method that may allow an estimate of the value of the speed of sound as well as its logarithmic derivative with respect to the baryon number density in matter created in heavy-ion collisions. To this end, we use well-known observables: cumulants of the baryon number distribution. In analyses aimed at uncovering the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter, cumulants gather considerable attention as their qualitative behavior along the explored range of collision energies is expected to aid in detecting the QCD critical point. We show that the cumulants may also reveal the behavior of the speed of sound in the temperature and baryon chemical potential plane. We demonstrate the applicability of such estimates within two models of nuclear matter and explore what might be understood from known experimental data.
Development and validation of an echocardiographic algorithm to predict long-term mitral and tricuspid regurgitation progression.

AIMS Prediction of mitral (MR) and tricuspid (TR) regurgitation progression on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is needed to personalize valvular surveillance intervals and prognostication. METHODS AND RESULTS Structured TTE report data at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 26 January 2000-31 December 2017, were used to determine time to progression (≥1+ increase in severity). TTE predictors of progression were used to create a progression score, externally validated at Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 January 2002-31 December 2019. In the derivation sample (MR, N = 34 933; TR, N = 27 526), only 5379 (15.4%) individuals with MR and 3630 (13.2%) with TR had progression during a median interquartile range) 9.0 (4.1-13.4) years of follow-up. Despite wide inter-individual variability in progression rates, a score based solely on demographics and TTE variables identified individuals with a five- to six-fold higher rate of MR/TR progression over 10 years (high- vs. low-score tertile, rate of progression; MR 20.1% vs. 3.3%; TR 21.2% vs. 4.4%). Compared to those in the lowest score tertile, those in the highest tertile of progression had a four-fold increased risk of mortality. On external validation, the score demonstrated similar performance to other algorithms commonly in use. CONCLUSION Four-fifths of individuals had no progression of MR or TR over two decades. Despite wide interindividual variability in progression rates, a score, based solely on TTE parameters, identified individuals with a five- to six-fold higher rate of MR/TR progression. Compared to the lowest tertile, individuals in the highest score tertile had a four-fold increased risk of mortality. Prediction of long-term MR/TR progression is not only feasible but prognostically important.
Why Is the Journal of Agricultural & Applied Economics Not in the Major Citation Indices and Does It Really Matter?

Why is it that we care about citation indices? Like proverbial silverback gorillas, we beat our chests at every change in our “h-index” or grunt loudly at every e-mail alert of a new citation to our papers. What does it all really mean though? Is there some deeper significance to a citation index? Does having a journal in the index enhance its own or sponsoring association's reputation? Inquiring minds want to know.