cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is There a Role for Surgery in the Management of Metastatic Urothelial Cancer? The M. D. Anderson Experience

ABSTRACTPurpose: Although rarely curative, chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer. The role of surgery for metastatic disease is not well established for urothelial cancer, but is sometimes undertaken in the face of persistent or recurrent disease that can be surgically resected.Materials and Methods: We identified 31 patients with metastatic urothelial cancer undergoing metastasectomy with the intent of rendering them free of disease. All gross disease was completely resected in 30 patients (97%). The most frequently resected location was lung in 24 cases (77%), followed by distant lymph nodes in 4 (13%), brain in 2 (7%) and a subcutaneous metastasis in 1 (3%).Results: Median survival from diagnosis of metastases and from time of metastasectomy was 31 and 23 months, respectively. The 5-year survival from metastasectomy was 33%. Median time to progression following metastasectomy was 7 months. Five patients were alive and free of disease for more than 3 years after...
MÖssbauer Measurements of Interfacial Magnetism of MBE Grown FE(100)/AG(100) Multilayers

Multilayers of Fe(100)/Ag(100) were grown by MBE and analyzed with in situ RHEED and Mossbauer spectroscopy. These films had a constant Ag layer thickness of 40 monolayers (ML) and varying Fe layer thicknesses of 3, 6, and 9 ML. Using Mossbauer spectroscopy the presence of three Fe sites was inferred. From considerations of the hyperflne parameters and the relative intensities of the sextets, we assign one site to the bulk, and one to each interface: Fe on Ag and Ag on Fe. We believe that one explanation of this is differing tetragonal distortions at the two interfaces. Consequently, another series of films was grown in an attempt to distinguish these sites. These films were essentially identical to the 9 ML film above, but the Fe layers were composed of 56Fe, with a 2 ML 57Fe probe layer effused at the bulk and at each interface in turn. At this point 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the hyperfine field and its temperature dependence for each of the three sites.
Monobromobimane occupies a distinct xenobiotic substrate site in glutathione S‐transferase π

Monobromobimane (mBBr), functions as a substrate of porcine glutathione S-transferase pi (GST pi): The enzyme catalyzes the reaction of mBBr with glutathione. S-(Hydroxyethyl)bimane, a nonreactive analog of monobromobimane, acts as a competitive inhibitor with respect to mBBr as substrate but does not affect the reaction of GST pi with another substrate, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). In the absence of glutathione, monobromobimane inactivates GST pi at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C as assayed using mBBr as substrate, with a lesser effect on the enzyme's use of CDNB as substrate. These results indicate that the sites occupied by CDNB and mBBr are not identical. Inactivation is proportional to the incorporation of 2 moles of bimane/mole of subunit. Modification of GST pi with mBBr does not interfere with its binding of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate, indicating that this hydrophobic site is not the target of monobromobimane. S-Methylglutathione and S-(hydroxyethyl)bimane each yield partial protection against inactivation and decrease reagent incorporation, while glutathionyl-bimane protects completely against inactivation. Peptide analysis after trypsin digestion indicates that mBBr modifies Cys45 and Cys99 equally. Modification of Cys45 is reduced in the presence of S-methylglutathione, indicating that this residue is at or near the glutathione binding region. In contrast, modification of Cys99 is reduced in the presence of S-(hydroxyethyl)bimane, suggesting that this residue is at or near the mBBr xenobiotic substrate binding site. Modification of Cys99 can best be understood by reaction with monobromobimane while it is bound to its xenobiotic substrate site in an alternate orientation. These results support the concept that glutathione S-transferase accomplishes its ability to react with a diversity of substrates in part by harboring distinct xenobiotic substrate sites.
On blind separation of convolutive mixtures of independent linear signals in unknown additive noise

Blind separation of independent signals (sources) from their linear convolutive mixtures is considered. The various signals are assumed to be linear non-Gaussian but not necessarily i.i.d. First, an iterative, normalized higher order cumulant maximization-based approach is exploited using the third- and/or fourth-order normalized cumulants of the "beamformed" data. It provides a decomposition of the given data at each sensor into its independent signal components. In a second approach, higher order cumulant matching is used to consistently estimate the MIMO impulse response via nonlinear optimization. In a third approach, higher order cumulants are augmented with correlations. For blind signal separation, the estimated channel is used to decompose the received signal at each sensor into its independent signal components via a Wiener filter. Two illustrative simulation examples are presented.
Automated requirements analysis for a molecular watchdog timer

Dynamic systems in DNA nanotechnology are often programmed using a chemical reaction network (CRN) model as an intermediate level of abstraction. In this paper, we design and analyze a CRN model of a watchdog timer, a device commonly used to monitor the health of a safety critical system. Our process uses incremental design practices with goal-oriented requirements engineering, software verification tools, and custom software to help automate the software engineering process. The watchdog timer is comprised of three components: an absence detector, a threshold filter, and a signal amplifier. These components are separately designed and verified, and only then composed to create the molecular watchdog timer. During the requirements-design iterations, simulation, model checking, and analysis are used to verify the system. Using this methodology several incomplete requirements and design flaws were found, and the final verified model helped determine specific parameters for biological experiments.
Age Prediction in Blogs: A Study of Style, Content, and Online Behavior in Pre- and Post-Social Media Generations

We investigate whether wording, stylistic choices, and online behavior can be used to predict the age category of blog authors. Our hypothesis is that significant changes in writing style distinguish pre-social media bloggers from post-social media bloggers. Through experimentation with a range of years, we found that the birth dates of students in college at the time when social media such as AIM, SMS text messaging, MySpace and Facebook first became popular, enable accurate age prediction. We also show that internet writing characteristics are important features for age prediction, but that lexical content is also needed to produce significantly more accurate results. Our best results allow for 81.57% accuracy.
Active sediment capping for pollutant mixtures: control of biogenic gas production under highly intermittent flows

Sediments in ‘Bubbly Creek’, located in the south fork of the south branch of the Chicago River (Illinois, USA) were characterized for the selection of amendments for an active capping demonstration project. Bubbly Creek is a 6800 ft (2000 m) creek that starts at the Racine Avenue pumping station (RAPS), the largest sewage pumping station in the world. During large storm events, the RAPS can discharge up to 6000 ft 3 s –1 (175 m 3 s –1 ) of combined storm and wastewater into the creek. These high flow rates result in large shear flows on the sediment. Both heavy-metal levels (up to 900, 2900 and 6200 mg kg –1 of Pb, Cr and Zn, respectively) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (up to 3300 mg kg –1 ) were identified as contaminants of concern in the creek sediments. A complicating issue in the creek is the copious gas ebullition from organic matter biodegradation in sediments. These gases can open advective channels that may result in substantial pollution release and compromise cap effectiveness. After modelling the performance of several different kinds of active capping materials for a large range of sediment contaminants, a conceptual design for the active capping demonstration project was proposed. The capping is proposed to be carried out in conjunction with overlying wetlands in the shallow regions of the creek, to remove nutrients from the river and pollutants discharged from combined sewer outflows. Metal and organic contaminant sequestration, and oxidizing agents coupled with a gas collection system, will be evaluated and compared to a sand reference cap.
Informatics: Contextualizing Computer Science and Software Engineering Education

Bio: Debra J. Richardson is the Ted and Janice Smith Family Foundation Dean and Professor of Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California at Irvine. She received her PhD in Computer and Information Science at the University of Massachusetts in 1981. She joined the UCI faculty in 1987. Dr. Richardson pioneered research in “specification-based testing”, whereby formal specifications and methods are employed to guide and evaluate software testing and analysis. She has been investigating software testing for over 15 years. Her current work focuses on enabling specification-based testing technology throughout the software lifecycle, from requirements and architecture analysis through operation and evolution. She has developed leading edge tools, and has worked with several companies in adopting technology to improve the quality of critical software systems. Dr. Richardson has worked with several companies in adopting technology for improving the quality of their software products and processes. She is currently director of MICRO (Microelectronics Innovation and Computer Research Opportunities), the first industry-university cooperative research program in the University of California. Proceedings of the 18th Conference on Software Engineering Education & Training (CSEET’05) 1093-0175/05 $ 20.00 IEEE
Self-control exertion and the expression of time preference: Experimental results from Ethiopia

Abstract Classic economic theory assumes that time preference is a stable parameter. However, a large literature in psychology theory suggests that initial exertions of self-control affect one’s ability to deploy self-control subsequently. As savings decisions require individuals to make trade-offs between immediate gratification and future rewards, the self-control literature suggests that expression of time preference is susceptible to environmental influences, a contradiction of the neoclassical stability assumption. Empirical evidence is mixed. This paper proposes that self-control use has heterogeneous effects on the expression of economic time preference. Using a Stroop task to experimentally induce self-control fatigue in university students in Northern Ethiopia, we find that treated subjects with below median finances behave more impatiently in an incentivized time preference task than do untreated subjects. By contrast, treated relatively wealthy students do not behave differently than their untreated counterparts. Our results suggest that the psychological environment does affect the expression of time preference, but self-control use does not uniformly deplete patience for all subjects. Our results are most consistent with the process model of self-control.
Online Video Modules for Improvement in Student Learning.

The objective of this teaching innovation was to incorporate a comprehensive set of short online video modules covering key topics from the undergraduate principles of marketing class, and to evaluate its effectiveness in improving student learning. A quasiexperimental design was used to compare students who had access to video modules with a comparison group from otherwise identical classes. The profile of the students in the two groups was comparable, due in part to the large sample size. Evidence was found for significant improvement in learning across ethnic groups and gender, as measured by performance on a major exam.
Gender And Cross-Cultural Perceptions Of Professors Behaviors: A Comparison Of Chinese And American College Students

A gender and nationality comparison study of Chinese students in China and American students in the U.S. (N = 405) was conducted to explore perceptions about potentially offensive behaviors of professors in the college classroom using the Student Perceptions of Professors Classroom Behaviors (SPPCB). Within-country and between-country comparisons were made, as well as within gender and between genders. Three main professor behavior domains were competence, interest and teacher immediacy, and offensiveness. American females judged behaviors significantly more offensive than did Chinese females, with American males and Chinese males in between. Chinese male and female students expect dignified and competent behavior from professors, while American male and female students expect respectfulness, opportunity, and an engaging environment. Several individual behaviors were significantly different between each of the paired groups.
Initial Steps for Building a Lexicon of Adjectives with Scalemates

This paper describes work in progress to use clustering to create a lexicon of words that engage in the lexico-semantic relationship known as grading. While other resources like thesauri and taxonomies exist detailing relationships such as synonymy, antonymy, and hyponymy, we do not know of any thorough resource for grading. This work focuses on identifying the words that may participate in this relationship, paving the way for the creation of a true grading lexicon later.
Temperature-Dependent Size and Development of California Red Scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) and Its Effect on Host Availability for the Ectoparasitoid, Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Developmental rates of individual stages of California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Mask.) and Aphytis melinus DeBach were determined at 17, 20, 25, 26.7, 30, and 33°C. A linear degree-day model estimated the scale's developmental time in the field more closely (4–7% of observed) than did either the polynomial (16–19%) or thermodynamic models (17–21%). The model overestimated male duration by 20%. Although actual duration of California red scale stages that are susceptible to parasitism by A. melinus decreased with increasing temperature, their durations relative to other stages increased. The size of non-growing stages (second molt and prepupa) decreased with increasing temperature. High temperatures also reduced the size of growing stages (second and third instars) and therefore affected the period during which scales were vulnerable to A. melinus . High temperatures also reduced the proportion of the scale population available to A. melinus for female progeny production. When developing scales were exposed to variable temperatures, average temperature during the developmental period predicted the size of second molt and prepupal stages. Based on developmental time, A. melinus has several generations to everyone of its host, thus its effectiveness as a biocontrol agent depends on a continuous supply of suitable scale stages to serve as hosts, especially for daughters.
Rent Seeking and Institutional Evolution within the California Water Game

When directives rather than contracts determine rights to water flows, agents will substitute away from securing water rights by contract toward securing them through political directives. Especially when they are legitimated by court rulings, such directives alter the rules that govern social interaction. While farmers are able to secure water under different institutional arrangements, alterations in those arrangements through legislation and regulation can induce changes in organizational and allocative patterns of resource usage. In particular, we explore evolution in agricultural organization in California in response legislative and regulatory changes in traditional water law. To this end, we analyze the relationship between Big Players in the California Water Game and the reorientation of a water rights regime in light of legal precedent and actions from existing regulatory bodies.
The phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase AKT pathway in human cancer.

One signal that is overactivated in a wide range of tumour types is the production of a phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5) trisphosphate, by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). This lipid and the protein kinase that is activated by it — AKT — trigger a cascade of responses, from cell growth and proliferation to survival and motility, that drive tumour progression. Small-molecule therapeutics that block PI3K signalling might deal a severe blow to cancer cells by blocking many aspects of the tumour-cell phenotype.
AN EMPLOYER PANEL FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRIP REDUCTION INCENTIVES.

Three waves of data were collected on a panel of Southern California employment sites subject to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Regulation XV, in force from 1988–1995. This regulation required public and private employers with ≥ 100 employees at any work site to develop and implement a trip reduction plan to achieve specified ride-sharing goals. Regulation XV is the most ambitious and far-reaching mandatory trip reduction program ever implemented, providing a unique opportunity to determine if such programs can significantly alter travel behavior. In this chapter, we use data from our panel to explore the extent to which trip reduction targets were reached over time. We also assess the relative effectiveness of trip reduction incentives provided to employees, and the interplay between changes in the incentives and changes in commuting behavior.
Abstract 3104: Stapled peptide inhibitors of the estrogen receptor/steroid receptor coactivator interaction

Despite undeniable successes, one of the major unsolved problems in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer therapy is resistance to endocrine therapy. One-third of breast cancer patients who are given tamoxifen will develop recurrent cancer within 15 years. Importantly, the estrogen receptor is still present and active in 80-85% of these recurrent cases, but it is no longer sensitive to current therapies, so new ways of targeting the estrogen receptor are needed. Because selective estrogen receptor modulators indirectly block estrogen receptor/coactivator interactions, our hypothesis is that directly blocking the estrogen receptor/coactivator interaction will provide a more robust blockade that will antagonize forms of estrogen receptor that are active in both wild-type and some endocrine-resistant breast cancers. As our starting point for inhibiting estrogen receptor/coactivator interactions, we have chosen to use a class of compounds that mimic α-helices: “stapled peptides.” These non-natural, synthetic peptides have a key alkene bond that resembles a staple. Typically, peptides make poor drugs because they are rapidly hydrolyzed by proteases and are poorly cell-permeable. Because of their non-natural linkage, stapled peptides are poor substrates for proteases, so they are metabolically stable. Some stapled peptides are also cell-penetrant. This effect is highly sequence-specific, but it seems to be aided when peptides have a relatively high formal positive charge. Stapled peptides have been used to inhibit a variety of important protein-protein interactions in cell culture and animal models. In this work, we have created a library of stapled peptides that inhibit the interaction of the estrogen receptor with the steroid receptor coactivator in vitro. The best peptides show nanomolar IC50 values in a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. They show high helical content according to circular dichroism studies. We have solved x-ray crystal structures of these molecules bound to the estrogen receptor mutant Y537S, which demonstrate their binding mode, and these studies are in agreement with molecular dynamics simulations of these molecules bound to the estrogen receptor ligand binding domain. Citation Format: Terry W. Moore, Thomas E. Speltz, Sean W. Fanning, Christopher G. Mayne, Jonna Frasor, Geoffrey L. Greene, Emad Tajkhorshid. Stapled peptide inhibitors of the estrogen receptor/steroid receptor coactivator interaction. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3104.
Building Corporate Reputation Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reports: The Case of Extractive Industries

Large corporations and industry groups have always used mass communication media to inform and educate important stakeholders and the general public on issues where corporate reputation and public trust are intertwined, and where any deterioration in the linkage can have significant negative consequences. An emerging trend in this direction has been the explosive growth in the voluntary publication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. These reports, however, are vulnerable to corporate embellishments, which may erode their value as reputation-building instruments. To examine this situation, this paper provides a detailed and systematic analysis of 48 of the world’s largest corporations in the extractive industry (i.e., mining and minerals, oil and gas, and support services) that have published CSR reports in 2012. The extractive industry’s operations invariably raise important environmental, sociopolitical, and governance issues that are subject to heightened levels of public and regulatory scrutiny. Hence, their CSR reports carry a heavy burden of providing high-quality information that would engender public trust. Our examination of CSR reports of corporations is conducted through an analytical structure called the CSR-Sustainability Monitor® – the first system of its kind in the world that enables overall evaluations and comparisons of each CSR report with any other CSR report or group of CSR reports in our database. Our analysis shows that these companies’ CSR reports generally provide extensive information on major environmental, social, and governance issues. But they are less forthcoming on many controversial aspects of their operations that impact the public domain. This is unfortunate because it reduces public trust in the quality of these reports and undermines the value of one of the most important instruments of public communication available to the companies. Finally, we provide some suggestions that companies may incorporate into their CSR reports going forward.
Bottom-Up Biology: Harnessing Engineering to Understand Nature

Engineering as a field has fundamentally different goals than biology, but the perspective that engineers take—that systems can be designed and built—is helping to advance biological sciences by motivating and equipping efforts to construct biological systems from the bottom up.
Optimization of techniques for multiple platform testing in small, precious samples such as human chorionic villus sampling.

Background Multiple testing to understand global changes in gene expression based on genetic and epigenetic modifications is evolving. Chorionic villi, obtained for prenatal testing, is limited, but can be used to understand ongoing human pregnancies. However, optimal storage, processing and utilization of CVS for multiple platform testing has not been established. Results Leftover CVS samples were flash-frozen or preserved in RNAlater. Modifications to standard isolation kits were performed to isolate quality DNA and RNA from samples as small as 2-5 mg. RNAlater samples had significantly higher RNA yields and quality and were successfully used in microarray and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq libraries generated using 200 vs. 800 ng RNA showed similar biological coefficients of variation. RNAlater samples had lower DNA yields and quality, which improved by heating the elution buffer to 70 °C. Purification of DNA was not necessary for bisulfite-conversion and genome-wide methylation profiling. CVS cells were propagated and continue to express genes found in freshly-isolated chorionic villi. Conclusions CVS samples preserved in RNAlater are superior. Our optimized techniques provide specimens for genetic, epigenetic and gene expression studies from a single small sample which can be used to develop diagnostics and treatments using a systems biology approach in the prenatal period.
A Bench Top Railgun with Distributed Energy Sources and Diagonostics

The experimental results of a five stage distributed energy source railgun are presented. The advantages of such a scheme are increased efficiency due to less energy remaining in the railgun inductance and lower rail resistive losses. The design is a bench top 81 cm long solid armature railgun with a 1.27 cm × 1.27 cm bore cross-section separating the 1.27 cm × 2.54 cm copper rails. Multiple capacitive storage banks are connected at different positions along the length of the rails. Each bank is composed of electrolytic capacitors, toroidal inductors, SCRs, and free-wheeling diodes. The primary bank (stage 1) can store 11.6 kJ, and the other stages store 5.8 kJ of energy. The diagnostics include Rogowski coils at each bank, a flux ruler along the entire railgun to monitor the armature's velocity, and B-dots. The switches are controlled by pulsers with fiber optic inputs, which accurately trigger the SCRs. To sequence trigger the storage banks, B-dot sensors provide feedback to the armature's position. Additionally, experimental results are compared to PSPICE simulations.
A visual screen for diet-regulated proteins in the Drosophila ovary using GFP protein trap lines.

The effect of diet on reproduction is well documented in a large number of organisms; however, much remains to be learned about the molecular mechanisms underlying this connection. The Drosophila ovary has a well described, fast and largely reversible response to diet. Ovarian stem cells and their progeny proliferate and grow faster on a yeast-rich diet than on a yeast-free (poor) diet, and death of early germline cysts, degeneration of early vitellogenic follicles and partial block in ovulation further contribute to the ∼60-fold decrease in egg laying observed on a poor diet. Multiple diet-dependent factors, including insulin-like peptides, the steroid ecdysone, the nutrient sensor Target of Rapamycin, AMP-dependent kinase, and adipocyte factors mediate this complex response. Here, we describe the results of a visual screen using a collection of green fluorescent protein (GFP) protein trap lines to identify additional factors potentially involved in this response. In each GFP protein trap line, an artificial GFP exon is fused in frame to an endogenous protein, such that the GFP fusion pattern parallels the levels and subcellular localization of the corresponding native protein. We identified 53 GFP-tagged proteins that exhibit changes in levels and/or subcellular localization in the ovary at 12-16 hours after switching females from rich to poor diets, suggesting them as potential candidates for future functional studies.
Racial Residential Segregation of School-Age Children and Adults: The Role of Schooling as a Segregating Force

Neighborhoods are critical contexts for children’s well-being, but differences in neighborhood inequality among children and adults are understudied. I document racial segregation between neighborhoods among school-age children and adults in 2000 and 2010 and find that though the racial composition of children’s and adults’ neighborhoods is similar, exposure to own-age neighbors varies. Compared with adults’ exposure to other adults, children are exposed to fewer white and more minority, particularly Hispanic, children. This is due in part to compositional differences, but children are also more unevenly sorted across neighborhoods by race than adults. One explanation for higher segregation among children is that parents consider school options when making residential choices. Consistent with this hypothesis, I find that school district boundaries account for a larger proportion of neighborhood segregation among children than among adults. Future research on spatial inequality must consider the multiple c...
Coding update of the SMFM definition of low risk for cesarean delivery from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM

In 2015, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine developed a low risk for cesarean delivery definition based on administrative claims-based diagnosis codes described by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification . The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine definition is a clinical enrichment of 2 available measures from the Joint Commission and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality measures. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine measure excludes diagnosis codes that represent clinically relevant risk factors that are absolute or relative contraindications to vaginal birth while retaining diagnosis codes such as labor disorders that are discretionary risk factors for cesarean delivery. The introduction of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification in October 2015 expanded the number of available diagnosis codes and enabled a greater depth and breadth of clinical description. These coding improvements further enhance the clinical validity of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine definition and its potential utility in tracking progress toward the goal of safely lowering the US cesarean delivery rate. This report updates the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine definition of low risk for cesarean delivery using International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification coding.
Plasma Angiotensin-(1-7) Is Decreased in Preeclampsia

P18 Angiotensin-(1-7)[Ang-(1-7)] is a bioactive component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which has depressor, vasodilatory, and antihypertensive actions. In normal pregnancy we questioned whether the known rise in plasma Ang II is counterbalanced by an increase in plasma Ang-(1-7) and whether plasma Ang-(1-7)levels are decreased in preeclampsia and may thus be a factor involved in the development of hypertension. Nulliparous preeclamptic patients (PREE) and third trimester normotensive pregnant contols (NPC)(matched for parity, race, and gestational age) were enrolled (n=15/group). A nonpregnant group (CON)(n=15) was also included for comparison. PREE had no previous history of hypertension. Mean gestational age of preeclamptic subjects was 33.9±1.2 vs 33.7±1.2 weeks for normotensive pregnant subjects (n.s.,p=0.9). PREE subjects had significant hypertension (159±3/98±2 mmHg) and all had ≥3† proteinuria. Plasma Ang I, Ang II, and renin activity (PRA) were significantly elevated in normal pregnancy as compared to nonpregnant CON subjects; plasma Ang-(1-7) was increased by 51%(p
Optimization of the Exhaust Gas Oxygen Content for Coal-fired Power Plant Boiler

Abstract During the running of utility boiler, the flue gas oxygen content is one of the most important factors that affects boiler efficiency, and it affects each other with other thermal economic parameters such as flue gas temperature, unburned carbon in fly ash and slag and coal consumption of power supply. So it's a key parameter to optimize the combustion process of fuel in utility boiler through combustion control system. Colligating the effect of flue gas oxygen content, flue gas temperature and unburned carbon in fly ash and slag on coal consumption, and aim for reducing coal consumption, the equations for associating flue gas temperature with power and oxygen content, and unburned carbon in fly ash and slag with power and oxygen content are obtained by three dimensional data fitting. And model for calculating boiler efficiency based on boiler heat balance is established. With the formula of coal consumption, the partial differential equation for calculating the variation rate of coal consumption is obtained, and optimal oxygen content is obtained through theoretical analysis and experimental research. The analysis of a 1000MW coal-fired power unit in Guangdong Province shows that the coal consumption operated at optimal oxygen content is reduced.
Conceptualizing Trauma in Clinical Settings: Iatrogenic Harm and Bias

This chapter uses several frameworks to describe the types of trauma that are commonly faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBT) people, how these experiences influence LGBT patient expectations of healthcare treatment and treatment outcomes, and how providers can offer care that is LGBT-affirmative, culturally responsive, and embeds patient advocacy within its approach. A multilevel model is used to frame the types of discrimination and trauma that LGBT people often experience. The biopsychosocial model, trauma theory, and resilience theory are used to provide a structure for conceptualizing LGBT trauma experiences. The chapter ends with a trauma-informed care model that can be used to improve healthcare for LGBT patients.
The N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A)-forming enzyme METTL3 controls myeloid differentiation of normal hematopoietic and leukemia cells

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant nucleotide modification in mRNA that is required for the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. However, it remains unknown whether the m6A modification controls the differentiation of normal and/or malignant myeloid hematopoietic cells. Here we show that shRNA-mediated depletion of the m6A-forming enzyme METTL3 in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) promotes cell differentiation, coupled with reduced cell proliferation. Conversely, overexpression of wild-type METTL3, but not of a catalytically inactive form of METTL3, inhibits cell differentiation and increases cell growth. METTL3 mRNA and protein are expressed more abundantly in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells than in healthy HSPCs or other types of tumor cells. Furthermore, METTL3 depletion in human myeloid leukemia cell lines induces cell differentiation and apoptosis and delays leukemia progression in recipient mice in vivo. Single-nucleotide-resolution mapping of m6A coupled with ribosome profiling reveals that m6A promotes the translation of c-MYC, BCL2 and PTEN mRNAs in the human acute myeloid leukemia MOLM-13 cell line. Moreover, loss of METTL3 leads to increased levels of phosphorylated AKT, which contributes to the differentiation-promoting effects of METTL3 depletion. Overall, these results provide a rationale for the therapeutic targeting of METTL3 in myeloid leukemia.
A scalable variational inequality approach for flow through porous media models with pressure-dependent viscosity

Abstract Mathematical models for flow through porous media typically enjoy the so-called maximum principles, which place bounds on the pressure field. It is highly desirable to preserve these bounds on the pressure field in predictive numerical simulations, that is, one needs to satisfy discrete maximum principles (DMP). Unfortunately, many of the existing formulations for flow through porous media models do not satisfy DMP. This paper presents a robust, scalable numerical formulation based on variational inequalities (VI), to model non-linear flows through heterogeneous, anisotropic porous media without violating DMP. VI is an optimization technique that places bounds on the numerical solutions of partial differential equations. To crystallize the ideas, a modification to Darcy equations by taking into account pressure-dependent viscosity will be discretized using the lowest-order Raviart–Thomas (RT0) and Variational Multi-scale (VMS) finite element formulations. It will be shown that these formulations violate DMP, and, in fact, these violations increase with an increase in anisotropy. It will be shown that the proposed VI-based formulation provides a viable route to enforce DMP. Moreover, it will be shown that the proposed formulation is scalable, and can work with any numerical discretization and weak form. A series of numerical benchmark problems are solved to demonstrate the effects of heterogeneity, anisotropy and non-linearity on DMP violations under the two chosen formulations (RT0 and VMS), and that of non-linearity on solver convergence for the proposed VI-based formulation. Parallel scalability on modern computational platforms will be illustrated through strong-scaling studies, which will prove the efficiency of the proposed formulation in a parallel setting. Algorithmic scalability as the problem size is scaled up will be demonstrated through novel static-scaling studies. The performed static-scaling studies can serve as a guide for users to be able to select an appropriate discretization for a given problem size.
Primary Carcinosarcoma of the Pancreas With CD10-Positive Sarcoma Component:

Carcinosarcomas of the pancreas are rare entities with a dismal prognosis. We report a rare case of pancreatic carcinosarcoma in a 49-year-old African American female who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with right salpingo-oophorectomy and exploration of the pancreatic mass. The surgery revealed a sclerotic mass in the body and tail of the pancreas that was surgically unresectable, and a pancreatic biopsy confirmed the pathology of pancreatic carcinosarcoma. Histologically, the lesion showed a high-grade spindle cell sarcoma and adjacent moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. On immunohistochemical examination, the carcinomatous component was positive for epithelial markers, and the sarcomatous component was focally positive for SMA and desmin. In addition, the sarcomatous component showed diffuse immunoreactivity for CD10 with a surrounding myofibroblastic proliferation. Reports have associated expression of CD10 in pancreatic stellate cells with increased tumor aggressiveness. In this article, we report a case of pancreatic carcinosarcoma that shows sarcomatous CD10 immunoexpression with higher Ki67 labeling in the sarcoma than the carcinoma raising the question if the sarcomatous component could be potentiating the aggressiveness of the carcinomatous component.
Transepithelial Transport of Tyramine Across Filter-Grown MDCK Cells via a Poly(D-lysine) Carrier

In order to investigate the advantage of using membrane-adsorptive carriers to mediate drug transport across epithelial tissue, we have prepared disulfide- and thioether-linked conjugates of tyramine (tyn) as a model drug to a cationic, nondegradable carrier, poly(D-lysine) (PDL). The transport properties were evaluated using microporous filter-grown Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK, strain I) epithelial cells, and we have determined that: (a) the [125I]tyn-SS-PDL conjugate predominantly transported [125I]tyn in the apical-to-basal direction (20-fold greater transport vs. basal-to-apical); (b) [125I]tyn-SS-PDL elicits a 10-fold greater degree of [125I]tyn transport than [125I]tyn-S-PDL, thus demonstrating the importance of the reducible disulfide linkage for [125I]tyn transport to occur; (c)125I-radioactivity recovered in the basal media was determined to be 95% [125I]tyn-containing small molecules, thus demonstrating the release of [125I]tyn from its PDL carrier; (d) the apical addition of an anionic species, heparin, completely blocks apical-to-basal transport of [125I]tyn, indicating the importance of PDL-mediated binding to the apical membrane for transport to occur; (e) apical-to-basal transport proceeds via non-lysosomal pathways, as lysosomal inactivation by NH4C1 exposure does not inhibit transport, and (f) the addition of a membrane-impermeable inhibitor of disulfide reduction, bisdithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB), to the apical media inhibits transport by ~70%, indicating the importance of apically-localized disulfide reducing reactions for transport of [125I]tyn. Pulse-chase studies indicate that there is no paracellular leakage of conjugate, and the ratio of recycled:membrane-associated: transported [125I]tyn fragment following chase is 4:2:1.
Does a "Fundal Fluid Cap" Predict Successful Hearing Preservation in Vestibular Schwannoma Resections Via the Middle Cranial Fossa Approach?

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between radiographic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cap in the lateral internal auditory canal (IAC) and likelihood of successful hearing preservation in middle cranial fossa (MCF) vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Academic tertiary referral center. PATIENTS One hundred thirty-eight consecutive patients (mean age/standard deviation, SD, 50/11 yr) who underwent MCF VS resection. INTERVENTIONS MCF VS excision. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Size of fundal fluid cap on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pre- and postoperative pure-tone average (PTA), and word recognition score (WRS). RESULTS Mean tumor and fundal fluid sizes were 9.7 mm (SD, 3.9 mm) and 2.8 mm (SD, 1.7 mm), respectively. On bivariate analysis, fundal fluid size was associated with larger tumor size (p = 0.005) but not changes in postoperative PTA (p = 0.45) or WRS (p = 0.17). When fundal fluid size was stratified as none (<1 mm), small (≥1 mm and <4 mm), and large (≥4 mm), no significant differences were seen in rates of hearing preservation. Using multivariate linear regression models adjusting for patient age, sex, tumor nerve of origin, neurofibromatosis type II status, and preoperative PTA and WRS, superior vestibular nerve tumor origin but not increasing fundal fluid size was associated with preserved postoperative PTA or WRS. CONCLUSIONS Presence or size of CSF fluid cap may not be a reliable prognostic indicator for hearing preservation in MCF VS resection, with important implications for patient counseling.
The Placebo Effect of Law

Like the placebo effect of medicine, laws impact social welfare beyond their objective effects by manipulating the public’s subjective perception of the law’s effectiveness. When evaluating a law’s impact on social welfare, scholars previously considered only the law’s objective effects and, in some cases, the psychic utility derived from it. However, many laws also significantly affect social welfare by manipulating subjective perceptions of the risks that they address (e.g., assuring the public that the law will mitigate the risk). The sense of assurance may in itself be a psychic effect, but the change in the perceived risk has an objective, measurable impact that is distinct from both objective and psychic effects of a law. This largely ignored effect is a law’s “Placebo Effect” – the impact on social welfare of a change in individuals’ subjective assessment of the legal action’s benefits. Failure to consider placebo effects may cause significant overstatement or understatement of a law’s benefits. Through application of literature on cognitive biases, the direction and magnitude of the placebo effect can be estimated, leading to more accurate evaluation of the feasibility of laws.
Discriminación de precios sin poder de mercado

Politicos, reguladores y analistas de la legislacion antimonopolio han utilizado frecuentemente la presencia de la discriminacion de precios como indicador de poder de mercado. Suelen estar motivados por las presiones politicas que ejercen los compradores afectados por el mas alto de los precios discriminatorios para que se regule esta situacion o se apliquen sanciones antimonopolio en las industrias donde se discriminan precios. La justificacion para actuar de esa manera la encuentran en modelos economicos donde se equipara la desviacion del costo marginal con el poder de mercado. En el caso inusual de que los costos sean completamente separables, esta postura puede resultar valida. Sin embargo, en la mayoria de los casos los bienes y servicios del mundo real son producidos bajo condiciones en que los costos (hundidos o no), como los de investigacion y desarrollo (I + D), publicidad, produccion o distribucion (como por ejemplo las instalaciones comunes), son compartidos con otros productos. Bajo estas condiciones comunes, las empresas cuya capacidad para generar rentas monopolicas se ve limitada por la competencia adoptaran la discriminacion de precios como la estrategia optima para repartir los costos comunes entre los compradores. Si bien es cierto que lo anterior permite muchas veces aumentar el bienestar (ventaja de la que, segun sugiere la tarificacion de Ramsey, gozan algunos monopolistas), ello no es evidencia de que el poder unilateral o colusivo afecte la cantidad producida por la industria, condicion que constituye la esencia de los conceptos de “poder monopolico” o “poder de mercado”. Una version de la discriminacion de precios tambien puede emplearse para recuperar los costos hundidos en un ambiente competitivo, aportando asi una solucion al problema de la “competencia destructiva” que ha proliferado en la economia regulatoria desde fines del siglo 19 hasta las postrimerias del siglo 20
Comprehensive multivariate sensitivity analysis of CFD-DEM simulations: Critical model parameters and their impact on fluidization hydrodynamics

Abstract The development of CFD-DEM is critical for investigating particle phenomena and their coupling with reactor transport. However, there continues to be considerable uncertainty in the selection of model parameters because of limitations in: (a) experimental measurements of multi-particle interactions, and (b) computational resources which have restricted most numerical studies to 2D simulations, in very small-scale systems ( CFD-DEM, gas-solid fluidization, pulsating reactor, multivariate sensitivity, linear spring-dashpot model, spring stiffness
Wrestling women: caste and neoliberalism in rural Haryana.

In the 2016 blockbuster film Dangal, a young wrestler by the name of Geeta Phogat is taken by her father to Rohtak, in the western Indian state of Haryana, to participate in her first wrestling mat...
Why do clinicians order inappropriate Clostridium difficile testing? An exploratory study

Background The drivers behind Clostridium difficile testing are not well understood. Methods C difficile testing orders were reviewed. An algorithm that sequentially considered the presence of diarrhea, leukocytosis, fever, and laxative use was created. Tests deemed potentially inappropriate were discussed with the ordering team. Results Of 128 orders reviewed, 62% (n = 79) were appropriate. Patients whose testing was deemed inappropriate had longer lengths of stay. Diarrhea and laxative use were common and similarly distributed in those appropriately or inappropriately tested. The most commonly cited reason for ordering an inappropriate test was the reporting of diarrhea to the clinician by the patient or nursing that was not documented in the electronic health record. The next most common reason was clinician perception of risk. Demographics, laxative use, fever, leukocytosis, and diarrhea were similarly distributed between patients testing positive or negative by C difficile polymerase chain reaction. Discussion The discriminating value of diarrhea or laxative use in assessing for C difficile infection is poor. Multiple streams of information add to the complexities of decision making around C difficile testing. Inconsistent definitions of diarrhea likely contribute to this complexity. Clinician-perceived risk to the patient, partially driven by length of stay, may be a large driver of testing practices. Conclusions Without understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and values that underlie clinician behavior, interventions targeting ordering practices may not succeed.