cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HUMERAL SHAFT FX'S FOLLOWING TSA: GUMMIN' UP THE WORKS

Peri-prosthetic fractures around implants in the proximal humerus can present substantial challenges. Most individuals who undergo upper limb arthroplasty tend to be osteopenic to begin with, and the anatomy of the proximal humerus does not provide an excess of bone to work with. Therefore, peri-prosthetic fractures pose difficulties to rotator cuff function and implant stability. There are multiple classification systems, but series are small and the classification does not always lead to treatment algorithms. Risk factors for humeral fractures after shoulder arthroplasty include endosteal notching, cortical perforation, varus malalignment, stem perforation, ipsilateral shoulder and elbow arthroplasties, and loose stems. Many of these risk factors are directly related to technical errors at the time of surgery. Poor exposure can lead to aberrant starting point and errors in reaming. Oversized prostheses can lead to cortical perforation or even stem perforation. Proper positioning of the patient on the table and surgical releases help avoid these technical errors. Peri-prosthetic fractures should be carefully evaluated radiographically for stability. Two important considerations: 1. Is the implant stable? 2. Is the fracture stable? Generally, if the implant is unstable, the implant must be revised. In the setting of a stable implant, many humeral fractures can be treated nonoperatively. Many fractures at or below the level of the tip of the implant can be treated as typical humeral fractures. Options for fixation include plates with cables or long stem prostheses which bypass the fracture. Displaced tuberosity fractures are treated with suture or wire fixation. Risk factors for a poor outcome include increased time to union, skin breakdown, and stiff shoulder.
Computational Adaptive Optimal Control of Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics with Inertia-Matrix Identification

The development of a computational adaptive optimal controller for regulation and tracking of spacecraft attitude with unknown moment of inertia is the subject of this paper. The control technique accomplishes this by sequentially prioritizing higher goals of stabilization, optimization and identification. The proposed controller assumes measurement of angular velocities, and control torques. Conditions are derived that ensure asymptotic stability of the states. The proposed methodology uses an integral reinforcement learning based approach to drive the system to a linear quadratic optimal control solution. A novel identification method is derived that follows from the optimal controller formulation. Simulations of a spinning satellite with unknown moment of inertia are considered which shows successful optimal regulation and tracking of angular velocities along with accurate identification of unknown inertia.
Improvement of Compton imaging efficiency by using side-neighbor events

Abstract In a pixelated detector, an electron cloud can be collected by and shared between several adjacent pixels. By including these charge-sharing events, the Compton-imaging efficiency can be improved for 3D position sensitive room-temperature CdZnTe gamma-ray detectors. Simulated photopeak events that trigger three separate pixels with two pixels being adjacent to each other, which are called three-pixel side-neighbor photopeak events, were divided into six categories based on interaction type. Analysis of this simulation shows that the most effective strategy is to treat all side-neighbor events as charge-sharing events and to combine all side-neighbor signals into a single interaction. By including these side-neighbor events in the Compton image reconstruction, we can improve the imaging efficiency by 45% and 160% for 662 keV and 1333 keV incident photons, respectively. The simulation also shows that 76% of these combined events reconstruct to rings that pass the source direction. Measured data is presented to validate the simulation results.
The association between intrauterine balloon tamponade duration and postpartum hemorrhage outcomes

Background Intrauterine balloon tamponade is an effective treatment for postpartum hemorrhage when first-line treatments fail. The optimal duration of intrauterine balloon tamponade for management of postpartum hemorrhage is unclear. Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether intrauterine balloon tamponade removal >12 hours of duration is associated with postpartum hemorrhage–related clinical outcomes. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of women with postpartum hemorrhage from 2007 through 2014 who underwent intrauterine balloon tamponade. We excluded failures of intrauterine balloon tamponade (intrauterine balloon expulsion with duration 12 hours. Examined postpartum hemorrhage–related clinical outcomes included estimated blood loss after intrauterine balloon tamponade placement, blood product transfusion, use of adjuvant measures to control postpartum hemorrhage after intrauterine balloon tamponade (either uterine artery embolization or hysterectomy), and maternal intensive care unit admission. Secondary outcomes examined included postpartum fever and hospital length of stay. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to control for confounding variables. Results Of 274 eligible women, 206 (75%) underwent intrauterine balloon tamponade for >12 hours and 68 (25%) underwent intrauterine balloon tamponade for 2–12 hours. The median estimated blood loss after intrauterine balloon tamponade placement (190 vs 143 mL, P = .116) as well as the frequencies of blood product transfusion (62.1% vs 51.5%, P = .120), transfusion of ≥4 U of packed red blood cells (17.0% vs 14.7%, P = .659), uterine artery embolization (15.1% vs 16.2%, P = .823), hysterectomy (0.0% vs 1.5%, P = .248), and intensive care unit admission (8.7% vs 7.4%, P = .721), was not statistically different between the groups, and this lack of association persisted in multivariable regressions. Intrauterine balloon tamponade duration >12 hours was associated with a higher frequency of postpartum fever (27% vs 15%, P = .047) and a longer mean hospital length of stay (3.7 vs 3.1 days, P = .002). After adjusting for variables that differed statistically between groups, the difference in length of stay associated with intrauterine balloon tamponade duration was no longer present, but the association between intrauterine balloon tamponade duration >12 hours and postpartum fever persisted (odds ratio, 2.33, 95% confidence interval, 1.07–5.11). Including chorioamnionitis as an independent variable in a post hoc multivariable analysis diminished the association between intrauterine balloon tamponade >12 hours and postpartum fever (adjusted odds ratio, 2.04, 95% confidence interval, 0.92–4.53). Conclusion There are no significant differences in postpartum hemorrhage–related outcomes associated with intrauterine balloon tamponade duration >12 hours compared with removal 2–12 hours. If ongoing hemorrhage has abated, it is reasonable to consider the removal of an intrauterine balloon by 12 hours after its initial placement.
A probabilistic framework for deep learning

We develop a probabilistic framework for deep learning based on the Deep Rendering Mixture Model (DRMM), a new generative probabilistic model that explicitly capture variations in data due to latent task nuisance variables. We demonstrate that max-sum inference in the DRMM yields an algorithm that exactly reproduces the operations in deep convolutional neural networks (DCNs), providing a first principles derivation. Our framework provides new insights into the successes and shortcomings of DCNs as well as a principled route to their improvement. DRMM training via the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is a powerful alternative to DCN back-propagation, and initial training results are promising. Classification based on the DRMM and other variants outperforms DCNs in supervised digit classification, training 2-3 x faster while achieving similar accuracy. Moreover, the DRMM is applicable to semi-supervised and unsupervised learning tasks, achieving results that are state-of-the-art in several categories on the MNIST benchmark and comparable to state of the art on the CIFAR10 benchmark.
Purification of organelles from mammalian cells.

Organelle purification procedures capitalize on the differences in size, density, and (occasionally) surface charge density of individual types of organelles. Most fractionation procedures that are based on centrifugation involve some combination of procedures that distinguish both size and density. Initially, a homogenate is prepared in isoosmotic (or slightly hyperosmotic) sucrose or some other predominantly nonelectrolyte medium. A wide range of procedures have been used to fractionate tissue homogenates. The protocols in this unit emphasize different fractionation techniques that have been used for rat liver, an abundant tissue that has been a favorite of many investigators and has served as the source of many organelle preparations of excellent purity. For selected procedures, examples have been given using other tissue sources (e.g., glandular tissues that maintain protein storage granules for regulated secretion) or, where particularly favorable, cultured cells.
Conduct and misconduct in science

My career in scientific fraud began some years ago when, as vice-provost of the California Institute of Technology, I became aware that US federal regulations would, for the first time ever, make it necessary for us to have in place formal rules about what to do if the unthinkable were to happen on our own campus. Since then it has virtually become an academic sub-speciality for me.
Identity Matters in Deep Learning

An emerging design principle in deep learning is that each layer of a deep artificial neural network should be able to easily express the identity transformation. This idea not only motivated various normalization techniques, such as \emph{batch normalization}, but was also key to the immense success of \emph{residual networks}. In this work, we put the principle of \emph{identity parameterization} on a more solid theoretical footing alongside further empirical progress. We first give a strikingly simple proof that arbitrarily deep linear residual networks have no spurious local optima. The same result for linear feed-forward networks in their standard parameterization is substantially more delicate. Second, we show that residual networks with ReLu activations have universal finite-sample expressivity in the sense that the network can represent any function of its sample provided that the model has more parameters than the sample size. Directly inspired by our theory, we experiment with a radically simple residual architecture consisting of only residual convolutional layers and ReLu activations, but no batch normalization, dropout, or max pool. Our model improves significantly on previous all-convolutional networks on the CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and ImageNet classification benchmarks.
From plasma immersion ion implantation to deposition: A historical perspective on principles and trends

Plasma immersion techniques of surface modification are known under a myriad of names. The family of techniques reaches from pure plasma ion implantation, to ion implantation and deposition hybrid modes, to modes that are essentially plasma film deposition with substrate bias. In the most general sense, all plasma immersion techniques have in common that the surface of a substrate (target) is exposed to plasma and that relatively high substrate bias is applied. The bias is usually pulsed. In this review, the roots of immersion techniques are explored, some going back to the 1800s, followed by a discussion of the groundbreaking works of Adler and Conrad in the 1980s. In the 1990s, plasma immersion techniques matured in theoretical understanding, scaling, and the range of applications. First commercial facilities are now operational. Various immersion concepts are compiled and explained in this review. While gas (often nitrogen) ion implantation dominated the early years, film-forming immersion techniques and semiconductor processing gained importance. In the 1980s and 1990s we have seen exponential growth of the field but signs of slowdown are clear since 1998. Nevertheless, plasma immersion techniques have found, and will continue to have, an important place among surface modification techniques.
Nanosecond beam intensification for cathode-ray tubes

A new electron-gun structure capable of beam intensification with single pulses of nanosecond and subnanosecond duration has been developed at Stanford. The operating range of the gun is direct current to 3000 Mc/s. Single pulses with amplitudes as low as 1 volt produce a visible display and can be photographed. The gun can be used with conventional magnetic and electrostatic focusing and deflection systems. The design requirements for the coaxial intensification structure are compatible with those for high resolution. The experimental gun produces a spot of approximately 0.004-inch diameter. This paper presents general results and possible applications, a description of the new gun and test results, a discussion of the possibility of increasing frequency range and sensitivity, and alternative methods considered.
Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of 3-substituted gababutins

A range of 3-alkylated five-membered ring derivatives of Gabapentin were synthesized and several were found to have good levels of potency against the α2δ calcium subunit of a voltage-gated calcium channel. Two compounds were profiled in in vivo models of pain and anxiety.
Does Local Ethnic Segregation Lead to Violence?: Evidence from Kenya

When ethnic conflict is likely people seek safety in homogenous neighborhoods, but does the resulting ethnic segregation decrease communal violence? This paper argues that local segregation causes violence by eroding interethnic trust. Although segregation reduces violent disputes between individuals, the possibility of positive interethnic contact is also lower in segregated areas. Where levels of interethnic trust are low, it is easier for political leaders and other extremists to build support for communal violence. I demonstrate that segregation increases the incidence of violence using a new data set measuring ethnic composition and violence across approximately 700 small localities in Kenya's Rift Valley Province during Kenya's 2007/2008 post-election crisis. Because segregation is likely endogenous to violence, I draw on Kenya's history of land settlement to instrument for segregation. I also demonstrate that it is unlikely local segregation increases violence by increasing groups' organizational capacity for violence.
Polar codes with a stepped boundary

We design polar codes of blocklength n→∞ and code rate R →1 that achieve the vanishing output error rates on the binary symmetric channels with transition error probability p → 0. These codes have a substantially smaller redundancy order (1 − R)n than do other known high-rate codes, such as Reed-Muller (RM) or BCH codes. The construction is explicit and has complexity of order nlog n. We also design asymptotically optimal low-rate codes that achieve the vanishing output error rates if p → 1/2.
Stream Aggregation Through Order Sampling

This paper introduces a new single-pass reservoir weighted-sampling stream aggregation algorithm, Priority-Based Aggregation (PBA). While order sampling is a powerful and efficient method for weighted sampling from a stream of uniquely keyed items, there is no current algorithm that realizes the benefits of order sampling in the context of stream aggregation over non-unique keys. A naive approach to order sample regardless of key then aggregate the results is hopelessly inefficient. In distinction, our proposed algorithm uses a single persistent random variable across the lifetime of each key in the cache, and maintains unbiased estimates of the key aggregates that can be queried at any point in the stream. The basic approach can be supplemented with a Sample and Hold pre-sampling stage with a sampling rate adaptation controlled by PBA. This approach represents a considerable reduction in computational complexity compared with the state of the art in adapting Sample and Hold to operate with a fixed cache size. Concerning statistical properties, we prove that PBA provides unbiased estimates of the true aggregates. We analyze the computational complexity of PBA and its variants, and provide a detailed evaluation of its accuracy on synthetic and trace data. Weighted relative error is reduced by 40% to 65% at sampling rates of 5% to 17%, relative to Adaptive Sample and Hold; there is also substantial improvement for rank queries.
Effective Bisector Estimate with Application to Apollonian Circle Packings

Let \Gamma<\PSL(2,\C) be a geometrically finite non-elementary discrete subgroup, and let its critical exponent \delta\ be greater than 1. We use representation theory of \PSL(2,\C) to prove an effective bisector counting theorem for \Gamma, which allows counting the number of points of \Gamma\ in general expanding regions in \PSL(2,\C) and provides an explicit error term. We apply this theorem to give power savings in the Apollonian circle packing problem and related counting problems.
Towards vehicle automation: Roadway capacity formulation for traffic mixed with regular and automated vehicles

This paper provides formulations of traffic operational capacity in mixed traffic, consisting of automated vehicles (AVs) and regular vehicles, when traffic is in equilibrium. The capacity formulations take into account (1) AV penetration rate, (2) micro/mesoscopic characteristics of regular and automated vehicles (e.g., platoon size, spacing characteristics), and (3) different lane policies to accommodate AVs such as exclusive AV and/or RV lanes and mixed-use lanes. A general formulation is developed to determine the valid domains of different lane policies and more generally, AV distributions across lanes with respect to demand, as well as optimal solutions to accommodate AVs.
A new fermion Hamiltonian for lattice gauge theory

Abstract We formulate Hamiltonian vector-like lattice gauge theory using the overlap formula for the spatial fermionic part, H f . We define a chiral charge, Q 5 which commutes with H f , but not with the electric field term. There is an interesting relation between the chiral charge and the fermion energy with consequences for chiral anomalies.
A first look at Brexit and global equity markets

ABSTRACTGlobal equity markets fell by nearly 5% overall on 24 June 2016 following news of the Brexit referendum result. Although nearly all EU stock market indices experienced additional significantly negative abnormal returns, especially poor performance was registered by the debt-ridden PIIGS group (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain). In this article, we identify a systematic tendency for more severe stock market responses to be concentrated amongst countries with higher debt to GDP ratios. This effect endures even after controlling for the degree of openness, EU membership and for being part of the PIIGS group.
Convergence and Optimality of Adaptive Mixed Finite Element Methods

The convergence and optimality of adaptive mixed finite element methods for the Poisson equation are established in this paper. The main difficulty for mixed finite element methods is the lack of minimization principle and thus the failure of orthogonality. A quasi-orthogonality property is proved using the fact that the error is orthogonal to the divergence free subspace, while the part of the error that is not divergence free can be bounded by the data oscillation using a discrete stability result. This discrete stability result is also used to get a localized discrete upper bound which is crucial for the proof of the optimality of the adaptive approximation.
Some Wilf-equivalences for vincular patterns

We extend the notion of shape-Wilf-equivalence to vincular patterns (also known as "generalized patterns" or "dashed patterns"). First we introduce a stronger equivalence on patterns which we call filling-shape-Wilf-equivalence. When vincular patterns $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are filling-shape-Wilf-equivalent, we prove that the direct sum $\alpha\oplus\sigma$ is filling-shape-Wilf-equivalent to $\beta\oplus\sigma$. We also discover two new pairs of patterns which are filling-shape-Wilf-equivalent: when $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\sigma$ are nonempty consecutive patterns which are Wilf-equivalent, $\alpha\oplus\sigma$ is filling-shape-Wilf-equivalent to $\beta\oplus\sigma$; and for any consecutive pattern $\alpha$, $1\oplus\alpha$ is filling-shape-Wilf-equivalent to $1\ominus\alpha$. These equivalences generalize Wilf-equivalences found by Elizalde and Kitaev. These new equivalences imply many new Wilf-equivalences for vincular patterns
Disruptive event classification using PMU data in distribution networks

Proliferation of advanced metering devices with high sampling rates in distribution grids, e.g., micro-phasor measurement units (μPMU), provides unprecedented potentials for wide-area monitoring and diagnostic applications, e.g., situational awareness, health monitoring of distribution assets. Unexpected disruptive events interrupting the normal operation of assets in distribution grids can eventually lead to permanent failure with expensive replacement cost over time. Therefore, disruptive event classification provides useful information for preventive maintenance of the assets in distribution networks. Preventive maintenance provides wide range of benefits in terms of time, avoiding unexpected outages, maintenance crew utilization, and equipment replacement cost. In this paper, a PMU-data-driven framework is proposed for classification of disruptive events in distribution networks. The two disruptive events, i.e., malfunctioned capacitor bank switching and malfunctioned regulator on-load tap changer (OLTC) switching are considered and distinguished from the normal abrupt load change in distribution grids. The performance of the proposed framework is verified using the simulation of the events in the IEEE 13-bus distribution network. The event classification is formulated using two different algorithms as; i) principle component analysis (PCA) together with multi-class support vector machine (SVM), and ii) autoencoder along with softmax classifier. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and satisfactory classification accuracies.
The Definition, Rationale, and Effects of Thresholding in OCT Angiography.

Purpose To examine the definition, rationale, and effects of thresholding in OCT angiography (OCTA). Design A theoretical description of OCTA thresholding in combination with qualitative and quantitative analysis of the effects of OCTA thresholding in eyes from a retrospective case series. Participants Four eyes were qualitatively examined: 1 from a 27-year-old control, 1 from a 78-year-old exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patient, 1 from a 58-year-old myopic patient, and 1 from a 77-year-old nonexudative AMD patient with geographic atrophy (GA). One eye from a 75-year-old nonexudative AMD patient with GA was quantitatively analyzed. Main Outcome Measures A theoretical thresholding model and a qualitative and quantitative description of the dependency of OCTA on thresholding level. Results Due to the presence of system noise, OCTA thresholding is a necessary step in forming OCTA images; however, thresholding can complicate the relationship between blood flow and OCTA signal. Conclusions Thresholding in OCTA can cause significant artifacts, which should be considered when interpreting and quantifying OCTA images.
Low-loss silicon platform for broadband mid-infrared photonics

Broadband mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy applications could greatly benefit from today’s well-developed, highly scalable silicon photonics technology; however, this platform lacks broadband transparency because of its reliance on absorptive silicon dioxide cladding. Alternative cladding materials have been studied, but the challenge lies in decreasing losses while avoiding complex fabrication techniques. Here, in contrast to traditional assumptions, we show that silicon photonics can achieve low-loss propagation in the mid-IR from 3 to 6 μm wavelength, thus providing a highly scalable, well-developed technology in this spectral range. We engineer the waveguide cross-section and optical mode interaction with the absorptive cladding oxide to reduce loss at mid-IR wavelengths. We fabricate a microring resonator and measure an intrinsic quality (Q) factor of 106 at wavelengths from 3.5 to 3.8 μm. This is the highest Q demonstrated on an integrated mid-IR platform to date. With this high-Q silicon microresonator, we also demonstrate a low optical parametric oscillation threshold of 5.2 mW, illustrating the utility of this platform for nonlinear chip-scale applications in the mid-IR.
Solid-State Thermionic Power Generators: An Analytical Analysis in the Nonlinear Regime

Waste not, want not: In considerations of efficiency, the recovery of energy dissipated as heat addresses a large chunk of present-day production. Here we often think of thermoelectric modules, but the author points out that a different approach could be better. This comprehensive analysis of solid-state thermionic generators includes analytic calculations of their efficiency and power in the nonlinear regime, and provides guidelines for designing such devices. In contrast to earlier studies, it shows that these thermal-to-electrical energy converters could be more efficient than state-of-the-art thermoelectric modules.
Diving into traversable wormholes

We study various aspects of wormholes that are made traversable by an interaction beween the two asymptotic boundaries. We concentrate on the case of nearly-AdS2 gravity and discuss a very simple mechanical picture for the gravitational dynamics. We derive a formula for the two sided correlators that includes the effect of gravitational backreaction, which limits the amount of information we can send through the wormhole. We emphasize that the process can be viewed as a teleportation protocol where the teleportee feels nothing special as he/she goes through the wormhole. We discuss some applications to the cloning paradox for old black holes. We point out that the same formula we derived for AdS2 gravity is also valid for the simple SYK quantum mechanical theory, around the thermofield double state. We present a heuristic picture for this phenomenon in terms of an operator growth model. Finally, we show that a similar effect is present in a completely classical chaotic system with a large number of degrees of freedom.
Measurement Based Control of Power Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of measurement-based control of power systems. The measurements are generally of fundamental frequency components of the signals in the presence of extraneous components in the power system voltage and current signals. Although measurements at such high speed are necessary in relaying applications, slower measurements have better accuracy and are therefore more desirable for power system monitoring and control tasks. As the measurements provide symmetrical components of voltages and currents, positive sequence quantities can be used in the monitoring and control tasks. The power system models used in these applications is the positive sequence model; it is therefore desirable that a consistent measurement set be used. The phasor representation of power system voltages and currents can be viewed as the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) of their data samples. Phasor calculations can be performed over one period, or over a fraction of a period. Longer the data window used for phasor calculation, better is the accuracy of its estimate. If the power system frequency changes from its nominal value, the phasor rotates in the complex plane at a speed proportional to the shift in frequency. Consequently, the recursive DFT offers a very sensitive and accurate frequency measuring system. There are three practical alternative techniques for synchronization of clocks to this accuracy: the first one is the navigational-aid transmission, the second alternative is the use of satellite transmissions, and the third alternative is the use of a direct communication channel between substations—preferably a fiber-optic channel.
Uniform multi-hop all-to-all optical routings in rings

We consider all-to-all routing problem in an optical ring network that uses the wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). Since 1-hop, all-to-all optical routing in a WDM optical ring of n nodes needs ⌈½⌊n2/4⌋⌉ wavelengths (see Efficient Collective Communication in Optical Networks, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 1099, Springer, Berlin, 1996, pp. 574-585), which can be too large even for moderate values of n, we consider in this paper j-hop implementations of all-to-all routing in a WDM optical ring, j ≥ 2. From among the possible routings we focus our attention on uniform routings, in which each node of the ring uses the same communication pattern and the communication load is distributed evenly among the nodes. We show that there exists a uniform 2-hop implementation of all-to-all routing that needs at most (n/4)(3√n+ 3) wavelengths. This value is within multiplicative constants of a lower bound. We then give a uniform 3-hop, 4-hop implementation of all-to-all routing that needs at most (n/2)(7√n/16 + 3), (n/2)(15√n/2 + 6) wavelengths, respectively.
Fertility Prospects for Children With Cryptorchidism

• One hundred forty-five men had undergone surgical correction of cryptorchid testes between 1936 and 1968. Eighty percent of 100 patients with unilateral cryptorchidism and 35% (16/45) of patients with bilateral cryptorchidism had reported fertility after 12 or more years of follow-up. There was no significant difference between the fertility rates of patients treated with or without preoperative human chorionic gonadotropin. These data serve to challenge other published series and the popular assumption that there is an inherent bilateral testicular defect in most patients with unilateral cryptorchidism. ( AJDC 1984;138:940-943)
Cutaneous Chromomycosis in Renal Transplant Recipients: Successful Management in Two Cases

• Cutaneous chromomycosis occurred in two renal transplant recipients from the south central United States. Both patients have been managed successfully with surgical excision of isolated lesions, and the condition of one of these has been improved but not cured with low-dose ketoconazole therapy. Even in the immunocompromised host, localized cutaneous chromomycosis may not require more aggressive systemic antifungal chemotherapy. ( Arch Intern Med 1985;145:1036-1037)
Urinary Calculi in Renal Transplant Recipients

UNLABELLED Urinary calculi are an uncommon complication in renal transplant recipients. During a 15-year period, in 544 cases of kidney transplantation with a functioning allograft for more than 3 months, and a long-term follow-up, we have observed 9 cases (1.7%) of urinary calculi. Calculi occurred in 6 male and 3 female patients, 6 patients were recipients of living related and 3 of cadaveric kidneys. Calculi were diagnosed as early as 3 months and as late as 3.5 years after transplantation, but most were detected within the first year. The location of the calculi was the bladder in 4 cases, the transplant in 3, and indeterminant in 2. Crystallographic analysis of retrieved stones revealed calcium oxalate and/or phosphate in 4 cases, triple phosphate in 2, and uric acid in 1. All patients had one or more stone-predisposing factors, such as obstructive uropathy and recurrent urinary tract infection (4 cases), hyperoxaluria (3), or hypercalciuria (2). During long-term follow-up (mean 60 months), only one patient lost the renal graft, 14.5 years after transplantation, primarily from causes unrelated to urinary calculi. One instance of stone recurrence was noted. IN CONCLUSION (1) urinary calculi after renal transplantation are relatively uncommon; (2) predisposing factors and crystallographic composition of the calculi are identical in type, but not frequency, to those of nontransplant patients; and (3) with proper medical and surgical management, post-transplant urolithiasis does not appear to affect graft prognosis.
Aztreonam: The First Monobactam

There are several areas in which the use of aztreonam seems logical. Infections caused by organisms sensitive to aztreonam that are known to be multiresistant to other agents can be treated directly with aztreonam in single, directed therapy, thus making the use of more toxic agents unnecessary. In types of infection in which both gram positive and gram negative bacteria are present, aztreonam can replace the usual aminoglycoside component of the therapeutic regimen. In settings of mixed infections suspected of being caused by drug-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae and/or P. aeruginosa, aztreonam can be combined with an agent active against gram positive organisms or with one active against anaerobes. Aztreonam has proven to be effective, safe therapy for serious and life-threatening infections caused by multiresistant aerobic gram negative bacteria. It should be used in combination with drugs that inhibit gram positive species if the etiology of the infection is not known, particularly in the immunocompromised, neutropenic patient. Doses of 1 g every 8 to 12 hours will be adequate for treatment of infections caused by most Enterobacteriaceae. Whether 2 g doses every 8 hours would be preferred for treatment of systemic Pseudomonas infections remains to be determined. Urinary infections caused by gram negative bacteria can be treated with 500 mg administered IM once or twice daily. The dosage of aztreonam should be adjusted in patients with renal failure. Clearly, aztreonam is a useful addition to the antimicrobial agents available to the physician.
Cutaneous Signs of Internal Malignancies

The more common paraneoplastic skin changes associated with internal malignancies (acanthosis nigricans, dermatomyositis, secondary ichthyosis) are discussed. The rare glucagonoma syndrome, consisting of alpha cell tumor of the pancreas, migratory necrolytic erythema, and diabetes mellitus, is described. The importance of recognition of these skin lesions may lead to early detection of the underlying cancer with possible cure.
Hausdorff Dimension of the Range and the Graph of Stable-Like Processes

We determine the Hausdorff dimension for the range of a class of pure jump Markov processes in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$ , which turns out to be random and depends on the trajectories of these processes. The key argument is carried out through the SDE representation of these processes. The method developed here also allows to compute the Hausdorff dimension for the graph.
Bridging Microscopic and Macroscopic Mechanisms of p53-MDM2 Binding with Kinetic Network Models

Under normal cellular conditions, the tumor suppressor protein p53 is kept at low levels in part due to ubiquitination by MDM2, a process initiated by binding of MDM2 to the intrinsically disordered transactivation domain (TAD) of p53. Many experimental and simulation studies suggest that disordered domains such as p53 TAD bind their targets nonspecifically before folding to a tightly associated conformation, but the microscopic details are unclear. Toward a detailed prediction of binding mechanisms, pathways, and rates, we have performed large-scale unbiased all-atom simulations of p53-MDM2 binding. Markov state models (MSMs) constructed from the trajectory data predict p53 TAD binding pathways and on-rates in good agreement with experiment. The MSM reveals that two key bound intermediates, each with a nonnative arrangement of hydrophobic residues in the MDM2 binding cleft, control the overall on-rate. Using microscopic rate information from the MSM, we parameterize a simple four-state kinetic model to 1) determine that induced-fit pathways dominate the binding flux over a large range of concentrations, and 2) predict how modulation of residual p53 helicity affects binding, in good agreement with experiment. These results suggest new ways in which microscopic models of peptide binding, coupled with simple few-state binding flux models, can be used to understand biological function in physiological contexts.
ROUTINE USE OF ANTIBIOTIC BONE CEMENT IN PRIMARY TOTAL JOINTARTHROPLASTY IS JUSTIFIED – OPPOSES

Periprosthetic infection after total joint replacement is a catastrophic complication. Current rates of infection have been decreasing and in most centers now are in the range of 0.1–1%. Peri-operative intravenous antibiotic therapy is used routinely in total hip arthroplasty patients at this time. With rates this low and mixed evidence that antibiotics in bone cement for routine total hip replacement are beneficial at reducing joint infection, routine use of this practice seems unnecessary and has potential disadvantages. Cost of antibiotics being added to cement on a routine basis will increase the cost of the arthroplasty $300–$500. Although small addition of bone cement also has a negative effect on the mechanical properties of the cement. The major disadvantage remains the danger of resistant bacterial strains from excessive use of antibiotics particularly vancomycin resistant organisms when it is used routinely. Although rare with the aminoglycosides, allergic reactions may occur if cephalosporins are used as prophylaxis. Use of antibiotics in bone cement should be considered in high risk patients for infection undergoing total hip replacement but not routinely because of cost, emergence of resistant organism and possible allergic reaction.
Taking Formalism Seriously

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of formalism. Formalism is that view of the foundations of mathematics that maintains that the natural numbers and other mathematical entities do not exist, that mathematics is the manipulation of marks according to specified rules. There is a gap between the professions of formalists and mathematical practice. Few mathematical works contain full proofs that obey, in detail, explicitly formulated rules. Formalism is a tactical device designed to enable mathematicians to continue to dwell in Cantor's paradise. The chapter outlines the consequences of taking formalism seriously. Robinson's theory is the simplest theory in which one can do nontrivial mathematics. It is essentially Peano arithmetic without induction. There are several consistency proofs for Q. The most familiar is the infinitary argument that the natural numbers are a model for Q. But, in a world from which numbers have vanished, this carries no conviction. There will be a central data bank of theorems, arranged hierarchically to facilitate search by mathematicians attempting to prove new theorems. Interactive programs will be developed to help construct fully formalized proofs, and when these are submitted, they will be verified and entered into the data bank with the name of the inventor and date of construction.
Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (-)-Deoxoapodine.

The first enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-deoxoapodine is described. Our synthesis of this hexacyclic aspidosperma alkaloid includes an efficient molybdenum-catalyzed enantioselective ring-closing metathesis reaction for desymmetrization of an advanced intermediate and to introduce the C5-quaternary stereocenter. After C21-oxygenation, the pentacyclic core was accessed via an electrophilic C19-amide activation and transannular spirocyclization. A biogenetically inspired dehydrative C6-etherification reaction proved highly effective to secure the F-ring and the fourth contiguous stereocenter of (-)-deoxoapodine with complete stereochemical control.
Competition Effects of Charter Schools: New Evidence from North Carolina

Theory suggests that charter schools may affect neighboring traditional public schools either positively or negatively. Empirical findings are mixed, which may be due to variation in the policy con...
High-Multiplicity Election Problems

The computational study of elections generally assumes that the preferences of the electorate come in as a list of votes. Depending on the context, it may be much more natural to represent the list succinctly, as the distinct votes of the electorate and their counts, i.e., high-multiplicity representation. We consider how this representation affects the complexity of election problems. High-multiplicity representation may be exponentially smaller than standard representation, and so many polynomial-time algorithms for election problems in standard representation become exponential-time. Surprisingly, for polynomial-time election problems, we are often able to either adapt the same approach or provide new algorithms to show that these problems remain polynomial-time in the high-multiplicity case; this is in sharp contrast to the case where each voter has a weight, where the complexity usually increases. In the process we explore the relationship between high-multiplicity scheduling and manipulation of high-multiplicity elections. And we show that for any fixed set of job lengths, high-multiplicity scheduling on uniform parallel machines is in P, which was previously known for only two job lengths. We did not find any natural case where a polynomial-time election problem does not remain in P when moving to high-multiplicity representation. However, we found one natural NP-hard election problem where the complexity does increase, namely winner determination for Kemeny elections.
Pulsar: Towards Ubiquitous Visible Light Localization

The past decade's research in visible light positioning (VLP) has led to technologies with high location precision. However, existing VLP systems either require specialized LEDs which hinder large-scale deployment, or need cameras which preclude continuous localization because of high power consumption and short coverage. In this paper, we propose Pulsar, which uses a compact photodiode sensor, readily fit into a mobile device, to discriminate existing ceiling lights---either fluorescent lights or conventional LEDs---based on their intrinsic optical emission features. To overcome the photodiode's lack of spatial resolution, we design a novel sparse photogrammetry mechanism, which resolves the light source's angle-of-arrival, and triangulates the device's 3D location and even orientation. To facilitate ubiquitous deployment, we further develop a light registration mechanism that automatically registers the ceiling lights' locations as landmarks on a building's floor map. Our experiments demonstrate that Pulsar can reliably achieve decimeter precision in both controlled environment and large-scale buildings.
Adaptive Critic Design Based Neuro-Fuzzy Controller for a Static Compensator in a Multimachine Power System

This paper presents a novel nonlinear optimal controller for a static compensator (STATCOM) connected to a power system, using artificial neural networks and fuzzy logic. The action dependent heuristic dynamic programming, a member of the adaptive Critic designs family, is used for the design of the STATCOM neuro-fuzzy controller. This neuro-fuzzy controller provides optimal control based on reinforcement learning and approximate dynamic programming. Using a proportional-integrator approach the proposed controller is capable of dealing with actual rather than deviation signals. The STATCOM is connected to a multimachine power system. Two multimachine systems are considered in this study: a 10-bus system and a 45-bus network (a section of the Brazilian power system). Simulation results are provided to show that the proposed controller outperforms a conventional PI controller in large scale faults as well as small disturbances
Conservation of Specificity in Two Low-Specificity Proteins.

Many regulatory proteins bind peptide regions of target proteins and modulate their activity. Such regulatory proteins can often interact with highly diverse target peptides. In many instances, it is not known if the peptide-binding interface discriminates targets in a biological context, or whether biological specificity is achieved exclusively through external factors such as subcellular localization. We used an evolutionary biochemical approach to distinguish these possibilities for two such low-specificity proteins: S100A5 and S100A6. We used isothermal titration calorimetry to study the binding of peptides with diverse sequence and biochemistry to human S100A5 and S100A6. These proteins bound distinct, but overlapping, sets of peptide targets. We then studied the peptide binding properties of orthologs sampled from across five amniote species. Binding specificity was conserved along all lineages, for the last 320 million years, despite the low specificity of each protein. We used ancestral sequence r...
What's Wrong with Pittsburgh? Delegated Investors and Liquidity Concentration

Abstract What makes an asset institutional quality? This paper proposes that one reason is the existing concentration of delegated investors in a market through a liquidity channel. Consistent with this intuition, it documents differences in investor composition across US cities and shows that delegated investors concentrate their investments in cities with higher turnover. It then estimates a search model showing how heterogeneity in liquidity preferences makes some markets more liquid, even when assets have identical cash flows. The paper provides evidence for clientele equilibria arising in frictional asset markets and suggests that a liquidity channel may explain divergent paths in city development.
Voluntary Disclosures of Emissions by US Firms

This paper examines voluntary disclosures about greenhouse gas emissions by the US S&P 500 firms to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Trends in three disclosures (answering the questionnaire, disclosing emissions and disclosing accounting methodology for emissions) are examined from 2006 to 2008. The frequencies of all three disclosures increased over this period. The finding that many firms answer the questionnaire, but do not disclose their emission amounts or how they account for them, is consistent with a prediction from the legitimacy theory literature that firms will disclose the minimum to avoid scrutiny. Disclosure patterns are routine since previous disclosures are the most significant variable in explaining subsequent ones. The research contributes to the understanding of emission disclosures, in particular, and voluntary disclosures, in general, by highlighting the importance of considering previous disclosures in understanding subsequent ones. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Systematic Dissection of Sequence Elements Controlling σ70 Promoters Using a Genomically Encoded Multiplexed Reporter Assay in Escherichia coli.

Promoters are the key drivers of gene expression and are largely responsible for the regulation of cellular responses to time and environment. In E. coli , decades of studies have revealed most, if not all, of the sequence elements necessary to encode promoter function. Despite our knowledge of these motifs, it is still not possible to predict the strength and regulation of a promoter from primary sequence alone. Here we develop a novel multiplexed assay to study promoter function in E. coli by building a site-specific genomic recombination-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) system that allows for the facile construction and testing of large libraries of genetic designs integrated into precise genomic locations. We build and test a library of 10,898 σ70 promoter variants consisting of all combinations of a set of eight -35 elements, eight -10 elements, three UP elements, eight spacers, and eight backgrounds. We find that the -35 and -10 sequence elements can explain approximately 74% of the variance in pro...
Gene therapy for inherited retinal and optic nerve degenerations

Introduction: The eye is a target for investigational gene therapy due to the monogenic nature of many inherited retinal and optic nerve degenerations (IRD), its accessibility, tight blood-ocular b...