cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fault Tolerant Circuit Topology and Control Method for Input-Series and Output-Parallel Modular DC-DC Converters

This paper presents a modular, fault tolerant dc-dc converter topology that utilizes common duty ratio control to ensure equal sharing of input voltage and output current in input-series output-parallel configuration. The input-series connection allows the use of low voltage MOSFET's optimized for very low RDS,ON resulting in lower conduction losses. The common-duty-ratio scheme does not require a dedicated control loop for input voltage or output current sharing. The fault tolerant protection and control scheme accommodates failure of one or more modules, and ensures input voltage and load current sharing among the remaining healthy modules. The design of a new sensing scheme for detection of fault is presented. The analysis of the topology and the underlying principles are presented. The dependence of peak current from the source and in the protection switch in case of failure of a single converter has been analyzed and the various design tradeoff issues are discussed. The theoretical predictions are validated with simulation and experimental results. The proposed method is simple and gives good dynamic response to changes in input, load, and during fault. This topology is especially suited for space applications where a high level of fault tolerance can be achieved through designed redundancy.
Race, Rights, and Order in Prison: A National Survey of Wardens on the Racial Integration of Prison Cells

Recently in the state of Ohio, there has been a controversy over whether inmates who share cells in state correctional institutions should be of the same race or should be assigned to cells regardl...
Responding to user emotional state by adding emotional coloring to utterances

When people speak to each other, they share a rich set of nonverbal behaviors such as varying prosody in voice. These behaviors, sometimes interpreted as demonstrations of emotions, call for appropriate responses, but today’s spoken dialog systems lack the ability to do so. We collected a corpus of persuasive dialogs, specifically conversations about graduate school between a staff member and students, and had judges label all utterances with triples indicating the perceived emotions, using the three dimensions: activation, evaluation, and power. We found immediate response patterns, in which the staff member colored her utterances in response to the emotion shown by the student in the immediately previous utterance, and built a predictive model suitable for use in a dialog system to persuasively discuss graduate school with students. Index Terms: emotional responses, dimensional emotions, user modeling, response strategies, persuasion
Engineering education in the developing world: The case for biological engineering

Engineering education in the developing world is not only necessary for economic growth, intellectual development and innovation, but is also fundamental for national security and short and long-term sustainability. Successful engineering institutions and productive engineers are not only necessary to create knowledge based economies in developing nations, but they are also important players in maintaining economic viability that is tied to national security of immediate and distant neighbors. The necessity for innovation in engineering education and grounding of this training in local needs and markets is true for all forms of engineering, including biological and biomedical engineering that have been rather recent inductees to the engineering education portfolio. Developing countries are taking biological and biomedical engineering seriously to address issues in food and agriculture, processing and nutrition and various aspects of healthcare and medicine. In this paper we address the need, status, challenges and opportunities for the developing world in bioengineering and biomedical engineering education and discuss ways in which the fundamentals of engineering education can be strengthened for a sustainable society.
Anterior displacement of the mandible in adult rhesus monkeys: long-term observations.

Abstract The mandibles of three adult female monkeys were forced into an anterior displacement by means of splints. This displacement was maintained for 1.5 to 3 years. No significant adaptive or pathologic changes due to the altered occlusion were observed in stress-bearing parts of the temporomandibular joints. In one instance, there was evidence of trauma and repair to the lateral part of the joint. This might have been painful for as long as 1½ years. The occlusal relations were permanently changed by splints with a resultant “open bite” of the anterior teeth. Progressive periodontitis with deepening of periodontal pockets developed as a result of irritation associated with the occlusal splints. The pathways of extension of the gingival inflammation did not seem to be related to the presence or absence of trauma from occlusion.
Rosa, el nuevo color del feminismo: un análisis del transporte exclusivo para mujeres

Este articulo explora la relacion entre la movilidad urbana de las mujeres y la violencia en su contra en el transporte publico. En particular, explora los temas de genero que influyen en el abuso sexual en tal transporte, con atencion tanto en los roles tradicionales de la mujer como ama de casa y no como una figura publica, asi como en el debate innato o adquirido en la explicacion del comportamiento del hombre. Dado que los servicios de transporte exclusivo para mujeres fueron implementados para resolver problemas entre la mujer y el hombre, sirven como un punto de referencia para discutir estos temas de genero. Este estudio examina, analiza y evalua el transporte solo para mujeres y los efectos que el mismo tiene sobre la movilidad de ellas en relacion con estos debates de genero. Concluye que el “transporte rosa” ayuda a las mujeres a romper la trampa entre lo publico y lo privado en la que estan atrapadas al llevar el tema de la discriminacion de genero a la atencion del publico.
Stimulation of exopolysaccharide production by fluorescent pseudomonads in sucrose media due to dehydration and increased osmolarity

Exopolysaccharides produced by plant pathogenic bacteria are thought to play an important role in both the general ecology and the virulence of the producing organism. The environmental factors affecting exopolysaccharide production in planta by Pseudomonas syringae pathovars are not known. We tested the effect of increased medium osmolarity and dehydration on exopolysaccharide production in a sucrose-containing medium by three P. syringae pathovars, one (P. syringae pv. phaseolicola) capable of levan and alginate production and two (P. syringae pv. papulans and pv. savastanoi) capable of only alginate production. Addition of NaCl and ethanol to the medium led to increased accumulation of alginate by all three pathovars as well as increased levan production by P. syringae pv. phaseolicola. Culture fluids of the two non-levan producers also contained increased amounts of neutral carbohydrate which was not levan. Based on sugar compostion this material may have originated from outer membrane lipopolysaccharide. In addition, the ratio of neutral material (levan or not) to alginate varied dependent on culture conditions.
A structured conference program improves competency-based surgical education.

BACKGROUND: Work hour restrictions and new educational standards pose substantial challenges for modern residency programs. We present results from an institutional effort to improve resident education using a competency-based conference program. METHODS: The conference program is a weekly 3-hour mandatory block of protected time including a formal lecture series and a modular series tailored to resident level. A comprehensive survey was administered to all general surgery residents before (2005) and after (2006) implementation of the new conference program and included specific items related to the 6 competencies. RESULTS: Scores for 16 competency-related items all showed statistically significant improvement. We also found improvements in residents' perceptions of the faculty. Overall, the new conference program was rated positively by 98% of residents. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a structured conference program resulted in significant improvement in residents' evaluation of their education in the 6 competencies and improved their perceptions of the faculty.
Opportunities for future research.

: Remarkable progress has been made in SERM development. Profiles of new SERMs indicate great potential for efficacy in the prevention and treatment settings, in more than one physiological system, and with improved risk/benefit ratios. The concept of what is achievable with respect to broad-spectrum disease prevention and what constitutes an “ideal” SERM is likely to undergo considerable reevaluation over time. The development of new, more broadly efficacious SERMs will require continued exploration of the effects of estrogen at the cellular and molecular level in tissues and physiologic systems throughout the body. A better understanding is needed of the mechanisms of the biological actions that are mediated through major forms of the estrogen receptor. High priority must be placed on elucidation of the role of the coregulators of estrogen receptor (ER) action. The quest for a SERM(s) with the “optimal clinical profile” also constitutes a major research challenge with respect to designing clinical trials that are simultaneously parsimonious with respect to time, monetary, and human resources and yet capable of delivering unequivocal outcomes with respect to primary end points. A vigorous research effort is needed to identify highly sensitive and specific surrogate measures to facilitate future clinical studies. Research to identify and validate relevant measures of safety is also essential to inform the risk/benefit balance and, thus, the ultimate usefulness of SERMs and their potential for long-term use. Future advances in the modulation of ER action are likely to have profound effects—not only on diseases and conditions known (or later discovered) to be related to estrogen action, but on the development of paradigms for understanding and modifying the action of other nuclear hormone receptors in the prevention and treatment of additional age- and disease-related pathologies.
A Systematic Review of Loneliness and Common Chronic Physical Conditions in Adults

Loneliness is a prevalent and global problem for adult populations and has been linked to multiple chronic conditions in quantitative studies. This paper presents a systematic review of quantitative studies that examined the links between loneliness and common chronic conditions including: heart disease, hypertension, stroke, lung disease, and metabolic disorders. A comprehensive literature search process guided by the PRISMA statement led to the inclusion of 33 articles that measure loneliness in chronic illness populations. Loneliness is a significant biopsychosocial stressor that is prevalent in adults with heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and lung disease. The relationships among loneliness, obesity, and metabolic disorders are understudied but current research indicates that loneliness is associated with obesity and with psychological stress in obese persons. Limited interventions have demonstrated long-term effectiveness for reducing loneliness in adults with these same chronic conditions. Future longitudinal randomized trials that enhance knowledge of how diminishing loneliness can lead to improved health outcomes in persons with common chronic conditions would continue to build evidence to support the translation of findings to recommendations for clinical care.
Resource implications of SNOT22 data submission.

Background: Continuous clinical audit tools are important in the maintenance of good medical practice and will doubtlessly be used for revalidation purposes. Accordingly, ENT.UK and BRS developed The Rhinology Minimum Electronic Dataset, which is completed via online submission of pre- and postoperative SNOT22 scores of patients visiting the outpatient department. According the web tool guidance notes, once familiar with the system, any data entry relating to a single patient should take between 30 and 60 s. It also advises entering data in real time rather than at a later date to save time. Aim: This study assesses the resource requirements for submitting patients’ SNOT22 data using the Rhinology Minimum Electronic Dataset web tool. Method: SNOT22 scores were collected over a week of ENT outpatient sessions in April 2011. The number of patients (n) was 31. The data were submitted in a single sitting for each OPD session to avoid delays arising from automatic website logout. The study was carried out using a fast Internet connection (20 Mb) and an advanced computer operating system (Windows 7®, Intel core i3), compared with those available locally. Results: The number of SNOT 22 scores collected was 31. The total submission time for SNOT22 results was 125 min, with an average time of 4 min per single patient’s data. The automatic logout time for the website was 20 min. Discussion: Our results show that the time required to enter patients’ data to the website is far longer (300% delay per patient) than the time suggested by the guidance notes. This would be even longer in real time using clinic-based computers and Internet connection. The study suggests that the best results would be achieved by entering patients’ data at one sitting, rather than individually, following every OPD session, as a result of automatic logout time of the web browser. If our rhinology service were to use the web tool to register patients’ data, it would have a significant impact on our service resource and OPD consultation time.
Resampling algorithms for particle filters: a computational complexity perspective

Newly developed resampling algorithms for particle filters suitable for real-time implementation are described and their analysis is presented. The new algorithms reduce the complexity of both hardware and DSP realization through addressing common issues such as decreasing the number of operations and memory access. Moreover, the algorithms allow for use of higher sampling frequencies by overlapping in time the resampling step with the other particle filtering steps. Since resampling is not dependent on any particular application, the analysis is appropriate for all types of particle filters that use resampling. The performance of the algorithms is evaluated on particle filters applied to bearings-only tracking and joint detection and estimation in wireless communications. We have demonstrated that the proposed algorithms reduce the complexity without performance degradation.
Triple Mode Use of a Single Dielectric Resonator

A single dielectric resonator is used for a triple mode operation in filtering and dual band radiation purposes. A high unloaded quality factor over 2300 at 2.43 GHz is obtained simultaneously with both broadside and omni-directional radiation patterns of 7% and 8% bandwidths around 2.47 and 3.36 GHz, respectively. Series of parametric studies are developed to tune the filter's operating frequency range, to enhance its insertion loss and to obtain a sharp filtering skirt behavior. Finally, measurements of both filter insertion loss and antenna return loss, coupling coefficients and radiation patterns are illustrated for further verification.
Using music[al] knowledge to represent expressions of emotions.

Abstract Objective Being able to identify expressions of emotion is crucial to effective clinical communication research. However, traditional linguistic coding systems often cannot represent emotions that are expressed nonlexically or phonologically (i.e., not through words themselves but through vocal pitch, speed/rhythm/tempo, and volume). Methods Using audio recording of a palliative care consultation in the natural hospital setting, two experienced music scholars employed Western musical notation, as well as the graphic realization of a digital audio program (Piano roll visualization), to visually represent the sonic features of conversation where a patient has an emotional “choke” moment. Results Western musical notation showed the ways that changes in pitch and rate correspond to the patient’s emotion: rising sharply in intensity before slowly fading away. Piano roll visualization is a helpful supplement. Conclusions Using musical notation to illustrate palliative care conversations in the hospital setting can render visible for analysis several aspects of emotional expression that researchers otherwise experience as intuitive or subjective. Various forms and formats of musical notation techniques and sonic visualization technologies should be considered as fruitful and complementary alternatives to traditional coding tools in clinical communications research. Practice implications Musical notation offers opportunity for both researchers and learners to “see” how communication evolves in clinical encounters, particularly where the lexical and phonological features of interpersonal communication are concordant and discordant with one another.
Heading in a New Direction: Drug Permeability in Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis

Systemic therapies for breast cancer brain metastasis are largely unsuccessful. Mouse models of brain metastasis show significant heterogeneity in uptake of paclitaxel and doxorubicin, with average levels more than those seen in normal brain tissue, but significantly less than in metastases to other organs. Clin Cancer Res; 16(23); 5605–7. ©2010 AACR.
ADJUVANT THERAPY FOR RESECTABLE BREAST CANCER

Despite increased patient education and heightened screening, breast cancer still is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women. Over 90% of the more than 180,000 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer every year in the United States present with disease localized to the breast or regional lymph nodes. However, there are about 45,000 deaths from metastatic disease yearly, indicating that many patients with resected breast cancer actually have microscopic metastatic disease at the time of initial treatment. The effectiveness of systemic adjuvant therapy administered to treat these viable malignant cells is now established, but the large number of annual deaths indicates that further improvements in treatment are needed.
Front Tracking for the Unstable Hele-Shaw and Muskat Problems

A line iterative method is used to solve the free boundary problem of immiscible displacement of a heavy fluid by a light fluid. The influence of surface tension on the stabilization of fluid interfaces is demonstrated.
C++ implementation of neural networks trainer

The paper is going to introduce a revised C++ version of neural network trainer (NNT) which is developed based on neuron by neuron computation. Besides traditional error back propagation (EBP) algorithm, two improved version of Levenberg Marquardt (LM) algorithm and a newly developing algorithm are also implemented. The software can handle not only conventional multilayer perceptron networks, but also arbitrarily connected neuron networks. Comparing with the original NNT developed based on MATLAB [18], the revised version can handle much larger networks and the training speed is also improved as 50 to 100 times faster. Several practical applications are presented to show the power of this training tool. The software is available for everyone on the website.
Gender, BMI, and eating regulation in the context of same-sex and heterosexual couples

Research suggests that romantic partners may benefit each other's health, but factors contributing to partners' involvement in eating regulation have been relatively unexplored. In this study, 104 heterosexual couples, 72 female same-sex and 72 male same-sex couples were examined in order to understand how partners' weight statuses were related to attempts to regulate eating behaviors. Weight status was assessed via body mass index and eating regulation was assessed using the Partner Feeding Questionnaire. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models revealed that gay men were particularly likely to regulate their partners' eating behaviors. Additionally, partners were found to regulate their significant others' eating behaviors when their significant others were heavy. Women were most likely to attempt to regulate their partners' eating behaviors when they were thin and their partners were heavy. These findings are discussed in the context of current obesity trends and the role of romantic partners in healthy weight management.
Operational Framework for Recovery from an Attack Involving a Radiological Dispersal Device/Improvised Nuclear Device

This paper adapts a six-phase U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy biological and chemical incident preplanning response and recovery framework for a large-scale radiological terrorist attack. This framework depicts pre-planned decisions for a radiological emergency event to ensure protection of public health and the environment. Recommendations for operational-level details across the remediation space of characterization, decontamination, and clearance are provided as well as an overview of the current technologies available and the gaps that are important to consider in the timeline for recovery. Examples of the use of this framework applied to radiological preplanning are also discussed.
Learning in an invertebrate with two types of negative reinforcement

Twelve Isopods, Pocellio scaber, were trained to turn opposite a pre-determined preference in a Y maze to a criterion of eight out of 10 correct turns per day for two consecutive days. Six were reinforced by the application of an aversive stimulus, light, contingent upon a turn towards original preference. Six were reinforced by the withdrawal of the light contingent upon a turn opposite preference. All Ss reached the criterion within a range of 30 to 160 trials. There were no statistical differences between the two treatments.
The Formation of High-Coercivity, Oriented, Nanophase Cobalt Precipitates in Al2O3 Single Crystals by Ion Implantation

Ion-implantation and thermal-processing methods have been used to form nanophase magnetic precipitates of metallic cobalt that are embedded in the near-surface region of single crystals of Al2O3. The Co precipitates are isolated, single-crystal particles that are crystallographically oriented with respect to the host Al2O3 lattice. Embedded nanophase Co precipitates were formed by the implantation of Co+ at an energy of 140 keV and a dose of 8 × 1016 ions/cm2 followed by annealing in a reducing atmosphere. The implanted/annealed Co depth profile, particle size distributions and shapes, and the orientational relationship between the nanophase precipitates and the host crystal lattice were determined using RBS/channeling, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Magneto-optical effects arising from Co precipitates formed in the near-surface region of Al2O3 were observed and characterized using magnetic circular dichroism. Magnetic properties of the Co-particle/host nanocomposites were investigated in the temperature range of 77 to 295 K in applied fields of up to 10 kG using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Implantation of the Co particles by Pt or Xe ions produced a large anisotropic increase in their coercivity. Accordingly, these magnetic nanoparticle systems may be of interest for magnetic data storage applications. Details of the magnetic properties of the Co/Al2O3 nanocomposites including their retentivity, coercivity, saturation field, and magnetic anisotropy are presented.
Abstract 272: Direct binding of neuregulin-1 to integrins is involved in neuregulin-1/ErbB signaling

Crosstalk between growth factor receptors and integrins play a role in growth factor signaling. In current models of NRG/ErbB signaling, integrins and ErbB receptors transduce signals independently upon binding to their ligands (e.g., extracellular matrix and NRGs, respectively) and their signals are merged inside the cells. We discovered that the EGF-like domain of NRG1 binds directly to integrins αvβ3 and α6β4. Docking simulation predicted that three Lys residues at the amino terminus of NRG1 are involved in integrin binding. We mutated these residues to Glu (designated the 3KE mutant). Indeed the 3KE mutation markedly reduced the NRG1 binding to integrins, while the 3KE mutation did not affect the NRG1 binding to ErbB3. This is consistent with the prediction that the Lys residues critical for integrin binding are not involved in ErbB binding. We studied the effect of the 3KE mutation on NRG1/ErbB signaling in MCF-7 and T47D human breast cancer cells. The 3KE mutation markedly reduced the levels of ErbB3 phosphorylation, AKT and Erk1/2 activation, suggesting that direct integrin binding to NRG1 is critical for NRG1/ErbB signaling. Furthermore, stimulation of cells with WT NRG1 induced co-precipitation of ErbB3 with integrin α6β4. This suggests that WT NRG1 induces integrin-NRG1-ErbB3 ternary complex formation. WT NRG1 induced co-precipitation of ErbB3 with integrin αvβ3 to a less extent than with integrin α6β4. This probably reflects low levels of integrin αvβ3 expression compared to integrin α6β4 in these cells. In contrast, the 3KE mutation markedly reduced the levels of ternary complex formation, suggesting that this process depends on the ability of NRG1 to bind to integrins. Notably, the 3KE mutant acted as an antagonist to ErbB/NRG1 signaling in vitro and effectively suppressed proliferation of breast cancer cells in vivo. These results suggest that 1) NRG1-integrin interaction mediates crosstalk of integrins with ErbB receptors, 2) integrin α6β4 plays a major role in ErbB/NRG signaling in the cancer cells tested, and 3) the 3KE mutant has potential as a therapeutic in cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 272.
Effects of dietary ingredients and Eimeria acervulina infection on chick performance, apparent metabolizable energy, and amino acid digestibility

In each of three 2-wk experiments, chicks were inoculated on d 9 or 11 with 5.0 x 10(5) Eimeria acervulina sporulated oocysts (acute infection) or on d 9, 12, 15, and 18 with 1.5 x 10(5) sporulated oocysts (chronic infection). In Experiment 1, both fish meal (15%) and GroBiotic-P (GB; International Ingredient Corporation, St. Louis, MO; 5%) diets completely ameliorated the negative effects of acute and chronic coccidiosis infection on growth performance of crossbred chicks. The acute coccidiosis infection greatly reduced MEn and amino acid (AA) digestibility, and the magnitude of response varied with the timing of excreta collection after inoculation. Both fish meal and GB diets ameliorated the large negative effects of coccidiosis infection on MEn and AA digestibility. In Experiment 2, a wheat-barley-pectin diet and acute coccidiosis infection depressed crossbred chick BW gain, AA digestibility, and MEn in comparison with a corn-soybean meal diet; there generally were no interactions between diet type and coccidiosis infection. In Experiment 3, using commercial broiler chicks, diets containing 2 to 6% GB did not improve the growth performance of coccidiosis-infected chicks, but they did improve the growth of the noninfected chicks. The results of this study indicate that coccidiosis infection (E. acervulina) reduces MEn and AA digestibility in chicks and that the coccidiosis effect is influenced by diet composition, type of infection (acute vs. chronic), and timing of excreta collection.
Introduction: promoting and maintaining a reflective professional staff in a hospital-based social work department.

Promoting and sustaining a staff of reflective social work practitioners requires a supportive departmental structure and culture. Providing such support is a particular yet necessary challenge to social work administrators in the current health care environment. This article discusses an array of administrative strategies employed in one hospital social work department to promote reflective social work practice. More specifically, it describes the role of practice-based research in enhancing worker reflectiveness.
On Hemagglutination by Tumor Extracts.

A report was made years ago on a distinct agglutinating action of extracts of tumors, of human and animal origin, on rabbit erythrocytes.1 The question was raised whether the active substance might possibly be related to growth stimulating principles.The agglutinating activity of the extracts disappears rather rapidly on standing and this property in itself differentiates the active substance from serum agglutinins, an inference probable also for other reasons. The agglutination phenomenon is shown also by Rous tumors.Recently Mueller2 described experiments which showed that the active principle of the Rous sarcoma deteriorates quickly on account of oxidation and that it can be preserved by the addition of cysteine and protection from the air. These results suggested similar experiments with the agglutinating extract of tumors. It was found that the deterioration of the agglutinating activity of tumor extracts (mouse sarcoma and Rous tumor) is also very markedly delayed when cysteine (1:500) is added to t...
AIDS-related knowledge,attitudes and behavior among female sex workers in Jieyang City,Guangdong Province

Objective To investigate AIDS-related knowledge,attitudes and behavior among female sex workers(FSWs),and to provide scientific basis for effective interventions.Methods Surveillance data of female sex workers in 2008 were collected and parts of the data were analyzed.Results A total of 50 female sex workers were investigated,with the average age of(21.34±3.39)years.Subjects with educational level below junior middle school accounted for 60.0% of the Fsws.The rate of condom use during the last sexual intercourse was 32.0%.The main reason for not using condoms was the fact that clients refused it.Among the female sex workers,22.0% had STD-related symptoms and signs in the past year;36.4% and 27.3%,respectively,went to private clinics for treatment or had medication therapyn by themselves;70.0% of the FSWs could be aware of AIDS knowledge,and 92.0% obtained AIDS knowledge from TV.Conclusion The data show that female sex workers had poor AIDS knowledge and low condom use.The popularization of AIDS knowledge and interventions need to be strengthened in the city.
A security risk perception model for the adoption of mobile devices in the healthcare industry

Within the past few years, we have seen increasing use of mobile devices in the healthcare environment. It is crucial to understand healthcare practitioners’ attitudes and behaviors towards adopting mobile devices and to interacting with security controls, while understanding their risks and stringent regulations in healthcare. This paper aims to understand how healthcare practitioners perceive the security risks of using mobile devices, and how this risk perception affects their intention to use the devices, and to adopt the security controls that are required. To facilitate such understanding, we propose a theory-grounded conceptual model that incorporates subjective beliefs, perception of security risk, and behavioral intentions to both use mobile devices and comply with security controls. Furthermore, we studied the behavioral intentions under two scenarios among practitioners, when healthcare institutions provided the mobile devices, called hospital-provided devices, or when practitioners used their own devices, bring-your-own-devices. Based upon our conceptual model, we conducted an empirical study, recruiting 264 healthcare practitioners from three hospitals and their affiliated clinics. Our study provided several practical implications. First, we confirmed that it is critical in healthcare institutions to have safeguards on mobile devices that are convenient for practitioners to adopt. Second, to promote security policy compliance in mobile devices and safeguard medical information, healthcare administrators must take different approaches to security depending on how they provide mobile devices to practitioners. Third, the security training for devices should deliver different messages to different occupational groups. Last but not the least, our proposed model offers new perspectives towards a better understanding of integrating perceived security risk, behavioral intention to adopt a technology, and behavioral intention to comply with security control in the healthcare industry.
Steroid hormone stimulation of Na+ transport in A6 cells is mediated via glucocorticoid receptors

The A6 cell line derived from the toad kidney forms polarized, highly differentiated epithelial monolayers in culture and has been utilized as an experimental model for studying regulation of transepithelial Na+ transport by aldosterone. In the present study we evaluated the specific role(s) of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors in mediating this enhanced electrogenic Na+ transport, which was measured experimentally as an increase in short-circuit current (Isc). Our data demonstrate that specific glucocorticoid agonists (100 nM), including RU 28362 and RU 26988, elicit "mineralocorticoid-like" increases in Isc that are blocked by the glucocorticoid antagonist RU 38486 but are unaffected by mineralocorticoid antagonists including RU 28318 and RU 26752. The stimulatory effects of aldosterone (100 nM) were also blocked by RU 38486 and not by mineralocorticoid antagonists. These data extend earlier studies suggesting that in this cell line aldosterone mediates its physiological effects via binding with relatively low affinity (dissociation constant Kd congruent to 25-50 nM) to glucocorticoid receptors, despite the presence of apparently normal mineralocorticoid receptors. Our in vitro biochemical studies also demonstrate that A6 glucocorticoid receptor complexes can be thermally activated or transformed to DNA binding forms which exhibit altered elution profiles from anion-exchange resins. Thus, based on several criteria, these amphibian glucocorticoid receptors appear very similar to classical mammalian receptors and are capable of mediating all of the stimulatory effects of aldosterone on net Na+ transport.
Changes in serum potassium after suxamethonium in children.

The effect of the administration of intravenous suxamethonium (1 · 5 mg/kg) on serum potassium was measured in 37 children, whose ages ranged from one month to 16 years. In all patients anaesthesia...
FDA Approval: Uridine Triacetate for the Treatment of Patients Following Fluorouracil or Capecitabine Overdose or Exhibiting Early-Onset Severe Toxicities Following Administration of These Drugs

On December 11, 2015, the FDA approved uridine triacetate (VISTOGARD; Wellstat Therapeutics Corporation) for the emergency treatment of adult and pediatric patients following a fluorouracil or capecitabine overdose regardless of the presence of symptoms, and of those who exhibit early-onset, severe, or life-threatening toxicity affecting the cardiac or central nervous system, and/or early onset, unusually severe adverse reactions (e.g., gastrointestinal toxicity and/or neutropenia) within 96 hours following the end of fluorouracil or capecitabine administration. Uridine triacetate is not recommended for the nonemergent treatment of adverse reactions associated with fluorouracil or capecitabine because it may diminish the efficacy of these drugs, and the safety and efficacy of uridine triacetate initiated more than 96 hours following the end of administration of these drugs has not been established. The approval is based on data from two single-arm, open-label, expanded-access trials in 135 patients receiving uridine triacetate (10 g or 6.2 g/m(2) orally every 6 hours for 20 doses) for fluorouracil or capecitabine overdose, or who exhibited severe or life-threatening toxicities within 96 hours following the end of fluorouracil or capecitabine administration. Ninety-six percent of patients met the major efficacy outcome measure, which was survival at 30 days or survival until the resumption of chemotherapy, if prior to 30 days. The most common adverse reactions were vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. This article summarizes the FDA review of this New Drug Application, the data supporting approval of uridine triacetate, and the unique regulatory situations encountered by this approval. Clin Cancer Res; 22(18); 4545-49. ©2016 AACR.
Yolk Sac Carcinoma of the Testis in Children

AbstractWe reviewed the records of 11 patients with yolk sac carcinoma of the testis seen at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from 1971 through 1983. Each child was less than 2 years old at diagnosis, and each had stage I disease (localized to the testicle). Initial management consisted of radical inguinal orchiectomy in all 11 patients. Four patients then underwent retroperitoneal node dissection and none had pathological evidence of retroperitoneal tumor spread. After primary surgical management 5 patients received no further initial treatment. Of these 5 patients 3 are alive with no evidence of disease at 1.5, 2.7 and 4.5 years after diagnosis. The tumor recurred in 2 patients, 1 of whom was salvaged with pulmonary radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The other 6 patients received chemotherapy postoperatively and only 1 has suffered relapse. Over-all, of 3 patients in whom pulmonary metastases developed 1 died of tumor and 1 died of treatment-related pneumonopathy.Our experience and that of other...
Purification of an Endogenous Inhibitor of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase

In the leaves of some species, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco, EC 4.1.1.39) activity is substantially lower when measured following a night period than when measured after the leaves have been subjected to high light conditions for a period of time (1,2,3,). This phenomenon of predawn or dark inhibition of rubisco has been attributed to the presence of a small mol wt phosphorylated molecule which binds tightly at the enzyme’s active site (2,4) and contains 1 mol of P/mol of inhibitor (4). Binding of the inhibitor is sufficiently tight such that following purification of the enzyme most of the inhibitor remains bound (4). This fact was exploited to afford purification of the endogenous inhibitor from tobacco. Using a similar procedure the inhibitor has been purified from predawn leaves of potato and identified using NMR spectroscopy (see Gutteridge et al., these proceedings).
Abstract 2079: IONP-LPrA2 and PEG-LPrA2 therapies for triple negative breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is an epidemic in the US. It is estimated that there will be over 230,000 new BC diagnoses in 2016. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) comprises ∼15% of BC cases and lacks targeted therapeutic options. Obesity and high leptin levels are associated with higher TNBC incidence and poorer patient outcomes. Overexpression of leptin and its receptor, Ob-R, induce BC cell growth and angiogenesis; therefore leptin/Ob-R may serve as a TNBC therapeutic target. We have developed a Leptin Peptide Receptor Antagonist, LPrA2, which effectively inhibits leptin signaling. To increase its efficacy LPrA2 was coupled to iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and subsequently tested in vitro and in vivo in obese mice hosting syngeneic TNBC-like mammary tumors. Methods: The conjugation of LPrA2 to IONPs and PEG was confirmed by immunoblotting analysis. E0771, mouse BC cells, which are progesterone receptor and HER2 negative were made insensitive to estrogen stimuli by long-term treatment with Tamoxifen (TAM). Cell cycle and MTT assays were performed to determine the effectiveness of leptin signaling inhibition by conjugated LPrA2 in vitro. C57BL/6 female mice were fed a 60% fat diet to induce obesity. The obese mice were injected with E0771-TAM cells in the mammary fat pad and treated with IONP-LPrA2 and PEG-LPrA2 after tumor development. Obese mice treated with IONP-LPrA2 Scramble (Sc) and PEG-LPrA2 Sc served as negative controls. Results and Conclusion: IONP-LPrA2 and PEG-LPrA2 attenuated leptin signaling in vitro and decreased tumor growth and progression in vivo in comparison to the controls. These findings indicate that conjugated LPrA2 may serve as a targeted therapy for TNBC. IONP-LPrA2 may be especially useful in treating this more aggressive form of BC due to its ability to capture multiple LPrA2 peptides as well as its small and uniform particle size. Citation Format: Tia L. Harmon, Adriana Harbuzariu, Antonio Rampoldi, Courtney Dill, Viola Lanier, Danielle Daley-Brown, Crystal Lipsey, Cynthia Tchio, Lily Yang, Ruben Rene Gonzalez-Perez. IONP-LPrA2 and PEG-LPrA2 therapies for triple negative breast cancer. [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 2079.
Weighted Nonlinear Line Attractor for Complex Manifold Learning

An artificial neural network is modeled by weighting between different neurons to form synaptic connections. The nonlinear line attractor (NLA) models the weighting architecture by a polynomial weight set, which provides stronger connections between neurons. With the connections between neurons, we desired neuron weighting based on proximity using a Gaussian weighting strategy of the neurons that should reduce computational times significantly. Instead of using proximity to the neurons, it is found that utilizing the error found from estimating the output neurons to weight the connections between the neurons would provide the best results. The polynomial weights that are trained into the neural network will be reduced using a nonlinear dimensionality reduction which preserves the locality of the weights, since the weights are Gaussian weighted. A distance measure is then used to compare the test and training data. From testing the algorithm, it is observed that the proposed weighted NLA algorithm provides better recognition than both the GNLA algorithm and the original NLA algorithm.
CPX-351: A Randomized Phase 2b Study of CPX-351 v. Intensive Salvage Therapy in '65 Yo First Relapse AML Patients: Initial Efficacy and Safety Report

Abstract 254 Background: CPX-351 is a liposomal formulation containing a 5:1 molar ratio of cytarabine (Ara-C) and daunorubicin (DNR) shown to maximize anti-tumor synergy. Preclinical studies demonstrated accumulation of CPX-351 within bone marrow with preferential uptake of liposomes by leukemia cells. A Phase 1 study using 90-minute I.V. infusions on Days 1, 3, and 5 found the MTD to be 101 u/m2 (1 u = 1 mg Ara-C + 0.44 mg DNR) and demonstrated marked prolongation of plasma Ara-C and DNR half-life. Eighteen of the 45 AML patients were in 1st relapse with 8 patients 60 days. Methods: Patients ≤65yo with AML in 1st relapse after an initial CR lasting >1 month with ECOG PS= 0–2, SCr 50% were eligible. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive CPX-351 (100 u/m2; D 1, 3, 5) or investigators choice of intensive salvage treatment. Up to 2 inductions and 2 consolidation courses were allowed. Post remission treatment with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was permitted. Patients were stratified using the European Prognostic Index (EPI) (Breems DA, et al. J Clin Oncol, 2005 Mar 20;23:1969–1978). The primary efficacy endpoint is % survival at 1-year and 2° efficacy endpoints include CR+ CRi rate, CR+ CRi duration, EFS, aplasia rate ( Results: As of November 12, 2010, 126 patients were accrued at 35 of 46 sites in the US, Canada, France and Poland. 94% had received prior anthracycline therapy. Most patients had a single induction (88% v. 93%) and salvage consisted mostly of MEC (51%) or 7+3 (16%). Demographic and EPI risk factors were well balanced except for prior HSCT (27% (CPX-351) vs. 18% (7+3)). Compared to control, CPX-351 had greater anti-leukemia activity based on rate of aplasia (90% vs. 60%) and CR + CRi rate (51% vs. 42%). A greater response improvement with CPX-351 vs. control was observed in the EPI unfavorable group (23/56 (41.1%) vs. 9/30 (30%))as well as in patients with no history of prior HSCT (56% vs. 41%). Early deaths ( Conclusion: In this Phase 2b randomized trial, CPX-351 has substantial clinical activity and is safe compared to salvage therapy. Improved efficacy was observed in patients with unfavorable EPI scores and in those with no history of HSCT. Longer myelosuppression with CPX-351 led to increased febrile neutropenia and infections. These initial data support further investigation of CPX-351 in first relapse AML patients. This study is expected to be completed in November 2011 and final results (including EFS + OS analyses) will be available at that time. Disclosures: Cortes:Celator: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Paulsen:Celator Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Louie:Celator: Employment.
Transport and breakdown analysis for improved figure-of-merit for AlGaN power devices

Mobility and critical electric field for bulk AlxGa1-xN alloys across the full composition range (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are analyzed to address the potential application of this material system for power electronics. Calculation of the temperature-dependent electron mobility includes the potential limitations due to different scattering mechanisms, including alloy, optical polar phonon, deformation potential, and piezoelectric scattering. The commonly used unipolar figure of merit (appropriate for vertical-device architectures), which increases strongly with increasing mobility and critical electric field, is examined across the alloy composition range to estimate the potential performance in power electronics applications. Alloy scattering is the dominant limitation to mobility and thus also for the unipolar figure of merit. However, at higher alloy compositions, the limitations due to alloy scattering are overcome by increased critical electric field. These trade-offs, and their temperature dependence, are quantif...
Computational and experimental study of the mechanics of embryonic wound healing.

Abstract Wounds in the embryo show a remarkable ability to heal quickly without leaving a scar. Previous studies have found that an actomyosin ring (purse string) forms around the wound perimeter and contracts to close the wound over the course of several dozens of minutes. Here, we report experiments that reveal an even faster mechanism which remarkably closes wounds by more than 50% within the first 30 s. Circular and elliptical wounds ( ~ 100 μ m in size) were made in the blastoderm of early chick embryos and allowed to heal, with wound area and shape characterized as functions of time. The closure rate displayed a biphasic behavior, with rapid constriction lasting about a minute, followed by a period of more gradual closure to complete healing. Fluorescent staining suggests that both healing phases are driven by actomyosin contraction, with relatively rapid contraction of fibers at cell borders within a relatively thick ring of tissue (several cells wide) around the wound followed by slower contraction of a thin supracellular actomyosin ring along the margin, consistent with a purse string mechanism. Finite-element modeling showed that this idea is biophysically plausible, with relatively isotropic contraction within the thick ring giving way to tangential contraction in the thin ring. In addition, consistent with experimental results, simulated elliptical wounds heal with little change in aspect ratio, and decreased membrane tension can cause these wounds to open briefly before going on to heal. These results provide new insight into the healing mechanism in embryonic epithelia.