cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Paradox of Executive Compensation Regulation

Two distinct and competing normative objectives lie behind policies aimed at regulating executive compensation. One seeks to align executive pay with company performance, a commitment held widely by specialists in law and financial economics. The second seeks to regulate the magnitude of compensation to ensure that no one is paid “too much.” Both share the goal of altering the status quo, and for that reason they often make uneasy allies in legislative reform efforts. These approaches often result in legislative schizophrenia, with different provisions sitting uncomfortably next to each other. The Dodd-Frank Act exemplifies this dynamic. On the one hand, the Act includes provisions designed to push pay into greater alignment with performance by requiring firms to clearly disclose the pay-performance relationship and also hold periodic votes on compensation. On the other hand, Dodd-Frank also mandated a so-called pay ratio disclosure, which requires that each public company disclose the ratio of its CEO’s pay to the pay of its median employee. Through a series of psychological experiments, we demonstrate that the pay ratio disclosure undermines the policy goal of aligning pay with performance. Our study focuses on how non-specialists think about executive compensation. Lay attitudes are of interest for two reasons. First, lay persons may differ dramatically from law and finance specialists in how they analyze executive compensation. We find that lay persons are largely indifferent to firm performance in evaluating executive compensation. Second, the views of lay persons shape policy because politicians will be responsive to public opinion, not specialist opinion, particularly on matters of high salience. Lay attitudes, in other words, affect the substantive governance obligations, at least at the federal level. Whatever attention laypersons devote to performance vanishes when they are presented with the median pay ratio. Their level of anger—the extent to which they desire that someone “do something” about executive compensation—is determined exclusively by absolute levels of pay and by the median pay ratio disclosure, not by firm performance. This brings into view a paradox of executive compensation regulation: Neither reform movement can succeed legislatively without the other, yet they may work at cross-purposes with each other. We offer a preliminary exploration of some implications of these findings for corporate governance reform.
Optimal use of stems in revision TKA

Abstract Stems supplement the fixation of the femoral and tibial components in revision total knee (TKA) arthroplasty. The type of stem needed varies with the location and amount of bone loss present making no one stem design appropriate for all revision TKAs. Stems of variable lengths, with or with offset options, and supplemented with either/and cement and porous augments have their benefit and must be individualized to the situation present. The pros and cons of each design will be discussed.
Sepsis: The evolution in definition, pathophysiology, and management

There has been a significant evolution in the definition and management of sepsis over the last three decades. This is driven in part due to the advances made in our understanding of its pathophysiology. There is evidence to show that the manifestations of sepsis can no longer be attributed only to the infectious agent and the immune response it engenders, but also to significant alterations in coagulation, immunosuppression, and organ dysfunction. A revolutionary change in the way we manage sepsis has been the adoption of early goal-directed therapy. This involves the early identification of at-risk patients and prompt treatment with antibiotics, hemodynamic optimization, and appropriate supportive care. This has contributed significantly to the overall improved outcomes with sepsis. Investigation into clinically relevant biomarkers of sepsis are ongoing and have yet to yield effective results. Scoring systems such as the sequential organ failure assessment and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation help risk-stratify patients with sepsis. Advances in precision medicine techniques and the development of targeted therapy directed at limiting the excesses of the inflammatory and coagulatory cascades offer potentially viable avenues for future research. This review summarizes the progress made in the diagnosis and management of sepsis over the past two decades and examines promising avenues for future research.
New rail transit stations and the out-migration of low-income residents

This article tests the hypothesis that low-income residents disproportionately move out of neighbourhoods in close proximity to new rail transit stations. This transit-induced gentrification scenar...
Representation Theoretic Patterns in Multi-Frequency Class Averaging for Three-Dimensional Cryo-Electron Microscopy

We develop in this paper a novel intrinsic classification algorithm -- multi-frequency class averaging (MFCA) -- for classifying noisy projection images obtained from three-dimensional cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) by the similarity among their viewing directions. This new algorithm leverages multiple irreducible representations of the unitary group to introduce additional redundancy into the representation of the optimal in-plane rotational alignment, extending and outperforming the existing class averaging algorithm that uses only a single representation. The formal algebraic model and representation theoretic patterns of the proposed MFCA algorithm extend the framework of Hadani and Singer to arbitrary irreducible representations of the unitary group. We conceptually establish the consistency and stability of MFCA by inspecting the spectral properties of a generalized local parallel transport operator through the lens of Wigner $D$-matrices. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm with numerical experiments.
Dragonflies use underdamped pursuit to chase conspecifics.

ABSTRACT Pursuit is a common behavior exhibited by animals chasing prey, competitors and potential mates. Because of their speed and maneuverability, dragonflies are frequently studied as a model system for biological pursuit. Most quantitative studies have focused on prey pursuits in captive environments. To determine whether a different pursuit strategy is used when chasing conspecifics of nearly equal speed and agility, we recorded 3D flight trajectories from nine territorial chases between male Erythemis simplicicollis dragonflies in natural field conditions. During chases, dragonflies used an interception strategy with an unusually high-magnitude gain (k=−10.03 s−1 horizontal; −8.86 s−1 vertical) and short time delay (τ=50 ms). The product kτ determines how aggressively a pursuer corrects course to achieve interception. Previous studies of prey pursuit have found kτ values close to −1/e (−0.37), the time-optimal value for achieving pursuit without overshooting. However, we found that dragonflies chasing conspecifics use more negative kτ (−0.50 horizontal; −0.44 vertical), resulting in pursuits with a high degree of overshooting (i.e. moving past the target and alternating position from side to side). We confirmed via simulation that the observed gain and delay produce overshooting. We propose that overshooting is an adaptive feature of conspecific chases that can be achieved with only slight modification of the strategy used for intercepting prey. Overshooting might help avoid potentially damaging collisions while exhibiting the pursuing animal9s flight performance and competitive ability. Repeated close approaches might also evoke evasive responses from the other dragonfly, effectively herding the competitor out of the territory.
Structural phase transition in Ba ( Fe 0.973 Cr 0.027 ) 2 As 2 single crystals

We present thermodynamic, structural, and transport measurements on $\text{Ba}{({\text{Fe}}_{0.973}{\text{Cr}}_{0.027})}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ single crystals. All measurements reveal sharp anomalies at $\ensuremath{\sim}112\text{ }\text{K}$. Single crystal x-ray diffraction identifies the structural transition as a first order, from the high-temperature tetragonal $I4/mmm$ to the low-temperature orthorhombic $Fmmm$ structure, in contrast to an earlier report.
Identification of Instantaneous Anomalies in General Aviation Operations Using Energy Metrics

The quantification and improvement of safety is one of the most important objectives among the general aviation community. In recent years, machine learning techniques have emerged as an important ...
Cerebrospinal nematodosis caused by Parelaphostrongylus species in an adult bull

A 2-y-old Brahman bull was presented with progressive hindlimb ataxia and paraparesis that led to recumbency. Postmortem examination revealed scattered pinpoint, red-brown foci within the brainstem...
Access to Home and Community Health Services for Older Adults With Serious, Life-Limiting Illness: A Study Protocol

Objectives:The objective of this study is to identify contextual access factors to home and community health services for end-of-life support for older adults with serious life-limiting illness, as...
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Associated with a Novel Paraneoplastic Process in Hepatic Epithelial Hemangioendothelioma: a Case Report

Abstract This report illustrates the case of a 23-year-old woman with fulminant acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) in the setting of hepatic epithelial hemangioendothelioma (EHE) requiring urgent decompressive hemicraniectomy. There were no findings suggestive of infection, angionecrotic vasculitis, or neoplasm. She had no antecedent viral infection and no other signs or symptoms of previously described paraneoplastic processes. While previous cases of ADEM requiring hemicraniectomy have been reported, this is the first without antecedent viral infection or prolonged fever at onset and in the setting of this rare liver malignancy. This case supports the inclusion of ADEM in the differential diagnosis of acute neurologic decline in the absence of malignancies associated with known paraneoplastic syndromes. EHE may be associated with paraneoplastic processes requiring urgent neurosurgical intervention.
Acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome with chromosome 17 abnormalities and long-term outcomes with or without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract Introduction Chromosome 17 abnormalities, especially disorders of the 17p region and including TP53 gene mutations, result in very low rates of cure for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) treated with conventional chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT). Our retrospective study analyzed outcomes in patients with chromosome 17 (ch17) abnormalities who received conventional chemotherapy followed by allo-HCT versus those who did not receive a transplant. We analyzed whether poor outcomes extend to patients with all types of ch17 abnormalities and the impact of concomitant TP53 gene mutations assessed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) on prognosis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed diagnostic and outcome data on 98 patients treated at our institution from 2012 to 2018 with AML or MDS who possessed ch17 abnormalities by cytogenetic analysis. The presence of TP53 mutations was analyzed by NGS. Primary endpoint of our study was overall survival (OS). Results 61 patients with AML and 37 with MDS were included. Complete remission (CR) with first line treatment was similar between induction chemotherapy or hypomethylating agents (HMA), 22.9 % versus 21.6 % (p = 0.33). Median OS for all patients (with or without transplant) was 10 months. Patients with abnormal ch17 in conjunction with any TP53 mutation(s) exhibited worse OS compared to patients without a TP53 mutation (10 versus 23 months, p = 0.02). 30 patients (19 AML, 11 MDS) underwent HCT, with a median OS of 11 months. For AML patients who underwent allo-HCT, 18 were in CR (13 with cytogenetic remission) and 1 had persistent disease at transplant. In the MDS cohort, 3 patients were in CR (2 with cytogenetic remission) and 8 had stable disease. Post allo-HCT survival of AML and MDS cohorts did not differ (p = 0.6), although cytogenetic CR at time of HCT trended towards improved OS (17 versus 8 months; p = 0.6). Conclusions AML/MDS patients with ch17 abnormalities have poor outcomes with or without HCT. Our results show that patients with ch17 abnormalities and TP53 mutations have a significantly poorer survival compared to patients who have ch17 abnormalities but no TP53 mutations. Drugs targeting abnormalities of the p53 pathway, improvement in depth of response prior to HCT, and novel maintenance strategies are needed for improved outcomes in these patients.
Unnatural Nucleic Acids for Aptamer Selection

Aptamer and SELEX technology have been proposed over 20 years. Despite the huge success in developing aptamers against all kinds of targets, the effort to cover the natural shortages of nucleic acids, including lack of binding functional diversity and low information densities, has never been stopped. Strategies proposed to improve the aptamer properties include post-selective modifications and introducing unnatural nucleic acids in SELEX process. As a perfect binding ligand can hardly be designed and modified on purpose due to the poor understanding of the intricate biological system, the best way to generate improved aptamers would be through modified SELEX experiment, in which unnatural nucleotides are incorporated into library and perform the in vitro evolution. Those unnatural nucleotides include the modifications on almost every components of nucleic acids, (deoxy) ribose, phosphate linkage, and nucleobases. To increase the chemical diversity and the information density of nucleic acids, researchers developed methods to append functional groups as well as to create replicable expanded genetic systems. Some of these unnatural nucleic acids have now been utilized in SELEX, and a panel of improved aptamers has been delivered. In this book chapter, we mainly discuss the emerged unnatural bases which have been used in SELEX or at least have the potential to be used in SELEX, and how these unnatural nucleic acid help generate improved aptamers.
An agent-based modeling approach for simulating the impact of small unmanned aircraft systems on future battlefields:

The increasing proliferation of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) is forcing a paradigm shift in military doctrine surrounding counter-sUAS and sUAS deployment tactics. This work describes an...
Thermal conductivity of hexagonal BC2P – a first-principles study

In this work, we report a high thermal conductivity (k) of 162 W m−1 K−1 and 52 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature, along the directions perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis, respectively, of bulk hexagonal BC2P (h-BC2P), using first-principles calculations. We systematically investigate elastic constants, phonon group velocities, phonon linewidths and mode thermal conductivity contributions of transverse acoustic (TA), longitudinal acoustic (LA) and optical phonons. Interestingly, optical phonons are found to make a large contribution of 30.1% to the overall k along a direction perpendicular to the c-axis at 300 K. BC2P is also found to exhibit high thermal conductivity at nanometer length scales. At 300 K, a high k value of ∼47 W m−1 K−1 is computed for h-BC2P at a nanometer length scale of 50 nm, providing avenues for achieving efficient nanoscale heat transfer.
Short- and long-term outcome of Frey procedure for chronic pancreatitis in adults

Abstract Objective To report our experience with Frey procedure (FP) for chronic pancreatitis (CP) in adults. Methods Adult patients with CP, who underwent a FP between August 2007 and July 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. Results Of the total 138 patients, 95 (69%) were male. The median age at operation was 36.5 years. The median pain-surgery interval was 48 months. Alcohol abuse was identified in 64 (46%) patients. The major indication for surgery was disabling pain (94%). There was no postoperative mortality. Postoperative complications developed in 43 (31%) patients. Median postoperative hospital stay was 9 days. Over a median follow-up of 65 months, 84% of patients had complete pain relief. Continuous pain and high preoperative Izbicki pain score were associated with incomplete pain control. New-onset diabetes and exocrine insufficiency developed in 31% and 27% of patients respectively. Longer duration of disease and previous pancreatic surgery were associated with the development of new-onset diabetes after the FP. Conclusions Frey procedure is safe with an acceptable perioperative complications and good long-term pain control.
Mifepristone restrictions and primary care: Breaking the cycle of stigma through a learning collaborative model in the United States.

Abstract Despite its safety record, mifepristone is subject to a highly restrictive set of regulatory measures through the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) by the US Food and Drug Administration. We argue that these restrictions both reflect and perpetuate a cycle of abortion stigma, creating particular barriers to mifepristone use in primary care settings where communities that historically experience barriers to care can most easily access reproductive health services. Through qualitative interviews with Illinois primary care clinicians, we discovered how the REMS heightens institutional anxiety over implementation of mifepristone use. To address this, we created ExPAND Mifepristone, a learning collaborative targeting institutional anxiety and logistical barriers to mifepristone use. The learning collaborative model holds high potential to mitigate institutional barriers to mifepristone use by increasing providers’ self-efficacy to identify, address, and overcome institutional fears. Until the REMS is fully repealed, learning collaboratives constitute a promising tool to combat the practical and psychological barriers to mifepristone use that these restrictions currently pose.
Optical-Frequency Magnetic Polarizability in a Layered Semiconductor.

The optical response of crystals is most commonly attributed to electric dipole interactions between light and matter. Although metamaterials support ``artificial'' magnetic resonances supported by mesoscale structuring, there are no naturally occurring materials known to exhibit a nonzero optical-frequency magnetic polarizability. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and quantify a naturally occurring nonzero magnetic polarizability in a layered semiconductor system: two-dimensional (Ruddlesden-Popper phase) hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites. These results demonstrate the only known material with an optical-frequency permeability that differs appreciably from vacuum, informing future efforts to find, synthesize, or exploit atomic-scale optical magnetism for novel optical phenomena such as negative index of refraction and electromagnetic cloaking.
An experimental study on the transient runback characteristics of wind-driven film/rivulet flows

A comprehensive experimental campaign was conducted to characterize the dynamic runback process of wind-driven water film/rivulet flows for a better understanding of the transient surface water transport process pertinent to aircraft icing phenomena. The experimental study was conducted by using an open-circuit wind tunnel to generate laminar boundary layer airflows with different freestream wind speeds to drive thin water film/rivulet flows over a flat test plate. A digital image projection (DIP) technique was used to achieve non-intrusive, temporally and spatially resolved measurements of the film thickness distributions to characterize the dynamic runback process of the wind-driven film/rivulet flow under different test conditions. Important characteristics of the wind-driven water runback process—such as the generation of well-organized two-dimensional (i.e., 2D) and more complicated three-dimensional (i.e., 3D) surface waves at air/water interfaces, stumbling runback motion of the film/rivulet heads in “acceleration-and-deceleration” cycles, breaking up the front contact lines to form multiple rivulet flows, meandering and merging of the rivulet flows—were revealed clearly and quantitatively based on the DIP measurements. A comprehensive force balance analysis was also performed to examine the variations of the relevant forces (i.e., the excess pressure forces built inside the film/rivulet flows, aerodynamic drag forces acting on the rivulet heads, and the restraining forces due to the surface tension along the liquid contact lines) and evaluate their importance in the breakoff of the stagnated film/rivulet heads to re-start the runback process of the wind-driven film/rivulet flows.
Do Limited English Proficiency and Language Moderate the Relationship Between Mental Health and Pain

Abstract Aim To explore whether the relationship between mental health diagnosis (i.e., mood or neurotic, stress-related, or somatoform disorder) and pain is moderated by language in patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Southeast Asian languages (i.e., Hmong, Lao, Khmer) and Spanish were compared with English. Method A retrospective data mining study was conducted (n = 79,109 visits). Pain scores, language, mental health diagnoses, age, sex, race, ethnicity, and pain diagnosis were obtained from electronic medical records. Cragg two-equation hurdle regression explored: (1) the effect of patient language and mental health diagnosis on pain and (2) the interaction between language and mental health diagnosis on pain. Results Visits were primarily for female (62.45%), White (80.10%), not Hispanic/Latino (96.06%), and English-speaking (97.85%) patients. Spanish or Southeast Asian language increased chances of reporting any pain (i.e., pain score of 0 versus ≥1) and pain severity in visits with pain scores ≥1, whereas mental health diagnosis decreased chances of reporting any pain and pain severity. The combination of Southeast Asian language and mood disorder contributed to higher chances of reporting any pain (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78, p Conclusions LEP and patient language should be considered during pain assessment within the context of mental health.
Seps: Space Weather Hazard in Interplanetary Space

In the largest and most hazardous of solar energetic particle (SEP) events, acceleration takes place at shock waves driven out from the Sun by fast CMEs. Multi-spacecraft studies show that the particles from the largest events span more than 180 degrees in solar longitude; the events can last for several days. Protons streaming away from the shock generate waves that trap particles in the acceleration region, limiting outflowing intensities but increasing the efficiency of acceleration to higher energies. Thus, early intensities are bounded, but at the time of shock passage, they can suddenly rise to a peak. These shock peaks extend to >500 MeV in the largest events, creating a serious 'delayed' radiation hazard. At high energies, spectra steepen to form a 'knee.' This spectral knee can vary from ∼10 MeV to ∼1 GeV depending on shock conditions, greatly affecting the radiation hazard. Elements with different charge-to-mass ratios differentially probe the wave spectra near shocks, producing abundance ratios that vary in space and time. These abundance ratios are a tool that can foretell conditions at an oncoming shock.
Changes in human spermatozoa associated with high dose marihuana smoking.

We have shown that 4 wk of high-dose marihuana use (8–20 cigarettes/d) in 16 healthy, chronic marihuana smokers was associated with a significant decline in sperm concentration and total sperm count during the fifth and sixth weeks after the first exposure. This was preceded by a decrease in sperm motility and accompanied by a reduction in the number of sperm with normal morphology. In 12 of 16 subjects, a highly significant decrease was noted, which was sustained until the end of the study in 11 subjects.
Reduced order estimation of systems with nonlinear interconnections

Large-scale systems modeled as interconnections of smaller subsystems are considered. Under the assumption that nonlinearities satisfy sector type conditions, nonlinear reduced-order observers are designed to estimate system states for control purposes. The observer gains are obtained using standard linear techniques at the subsystem level. >
Using trauma informed treatment models with child-to-parent violence

In recent years, there has been an increase in the reporting of youth as perpetrators of family violence. However, despite the relatively high prevalence of child-to-parent violence, little is known about this pervasive family problem and the effectiveness of intervention strategies. The purpose of this article is to highlight the effectiveness of the current interventions used to treat child-to-parent violence and recommend the inclusion of trauma-informed assessment and intervention strategies. When working with child-to-parent violence, interventions should be informed by the correlates of such violence rather than the notion that the parent-child dynamic mirrors that of the adult intimate relationship. Effective treatments must address the multiple determinants of child-to-parent violence and offer broad level, complex interventions that consider childhood traumatic experiences and the role they play in child-to-parent violence. Language: en
Abstract A44: Individual variation in hENT expression in normal and malignant pancreatic tissues: The role of dietary agents in enhancing efficacy in gemcitabine treatment.

Equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) are responsible for the uptake of a large number of nucleosides and nucleoside analogs. hENT1 is the most abundant and is widely distributed in human cells. It is the major transporter by which gemcitabine enters cells and decreased levels is an established resistance mechanism in vitro. However, high levels represent an increase in positive predictive factors for patients’ response to gemcitabine. hENT expression is, therefore, a prognostic marker for patients with resected cancer but is it also a biomarker for pancreatic cancer? This study demonstrated that hENT expression in pancreatic tissue was highly variable among individuals and that moderate to high levels of hENT was expressed in malignant pancreatic cancers but very little to any in normal pancreatic tissues. Recent published studies in our laboratory have shown that the non-toxic dietary agent, indole-3-carbinol (IC3), can modulate hENT expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines, increasing expression of this transporter and further enhancing the efficacy of gemicitabine. Moderate to high level of expression of hENT in tumor tissues and not normal pancreatic tissues suggest that it could also be a biomarker, however larger number of samples are needed for validation. Modulation of hENT expression by I3C could prove to be an important agent for combination therapy in patients expressing low levels of hENT. Citation Format: Beverly Lyn-Cook, Honggang Wang, Li Pang, Beverly Word. Individual variation in hENT expression in normal and malignant pancreatic tissues: The role of dietary agents in enhancing efficacy in gemcitabine treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Progress and Challenges; Jun 18-21, 2012; Lake Tahoe, NV. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A44.
Quantitative neural and psychophysical data for cutaneous mechanoreceptor function.

Abstract First-order afferent fiber responses associated with two types of slowly adapting mechanoreceptors of hairy and glabrous skin have been analyzed quantitatively by several workers and psychophysical correlations have been inferred. The input-output relations for each fiber approximates a sigmoid curve, but other mathematical functions can be fit to these data if some widely accepted arbitrary decisions are made. However, power functions are heavily weighted by threshold measurement, are often not the best fit, and power function exponents vary widely for a given type of receptor. Our own observations as well as the results of previous workers fail to support an obligatory application of linear functions for glabrous skin and power functions for hairy skin. Psychophysical power functions based on subjective magnitude estimation are frequently discrepant with neural data power functions and fail to support the hypothesis of linear transformation of first-order afferent messages by the central nervous system. Information transmission below channel capacity is greater in a single fiber than has been measured in human category discrimination. Direct experimental observation of central neuronal processing is required for an understanding of the enormous difficulties in relating psychophysical and neural data at supraliminal levels.
Association of Race/Ethnicity, Inflammation, and Albuminuria in Patients With Diabetes and Early Chronic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVE African Americans (AAs) and Hispanics have higher diabetes and end-stage renal disease but similar or lower early chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with whites. Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related CKD. We postulated that in contrast to the general population, AAs and Hispanics have a higher prevalence of early diabetic CKD and systemic inflammatory markers compared with whites. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2008 of 2,310 diabetic patients aged ≥20 years with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥126 mg/dL. We performed multiple linear regression among patients with early CKD (urinary albumin excretion [UAE] ≥30 μg/mL and estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) to test the relationship between UAE and C-reactive protein (CRP) by race/ethnicity, adjusting for demographics, diabetes duration, FPG, hemoglobin A1c, uric acid, white blood cell count, medication use, cardiovascular disease, and related parameters. RESULTS In patients with diabetes, the prevalence of early CKD was greater among Hispanics and AAs than whites (P < 0.0001). AAs had higher adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for CRP ≥0.2 mg/dL (AOR 1.81 [95% CI 1.19-2.78]), and Hispanics had higher AOR for UAE ≥30 μg/mL (AOR 1.65 [1.07-2.54]). In a regression model adjusted for confounding variables, there was a significant association between UAE and CRP in the mid-CRP tertile (CRP 0.20-0.56 mg/dL, P = 0.001) and highest CRP tertile (CRP ≥0.57 mg/dL, P = 0.01) for Hispanics, but only in the mid-CRP tertile (P = 0.04) for AAs, compared with whites. CONCLUSIONS AAs and Hispanics with diabetes have a higher prevalence of early CKD compared with whites, which is significantly associated with UAE and/or CRP.
Hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – Is it related to hypoxia?

Introduction OSA is a prevalent disorder causing hypertension. Endothelial dysfunction appears to underlie development of hypertension. It is generally believed that intermittent hypoxemia during sleep is the underlying process leading to hypertension. However, patients with OSA and hypertension have increased sympathetic tone while awake so as patients with OSA without hypertension. We have previously shown that both hypertensive (H-OSA) and normotensive OSA (N-OSA) patients have elevated plasma levels of catecholamines. It is not established whether hypoxia during sleep is necessarily the prerequisite process for endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in OSA. We therefore examined the relationship between endothelial-dependent vasodilatory capacity (using brachial artery flow-mediated method, FMD), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in OSA and non-OSA patients with and without hypertension. We also investigated the role of angiogenic inhibitors that are known to cause endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. Materials and methods We studies 95 subjects with and without OSA and hypertension. Plasma angiogenic inhibitors, endoglin (sEng) and fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), were measured using ELISA. Results The apnea–hypopnea indexes were 41 ± 5 and 48 ± 4 /h in N-OSA ( n = 27) and H-OSA ( n = 36), respectively, indicating severe OSA. Asleep SaO2 T ± 8 and 40 ± 9 min, respectively. FMD was markedly impaired in H-OSA (8.0% ± 0.5) compared to N-OSA (13.5% ± 0.5, P ± 0.8, P n = 13), and N-non-OSA (16.1% ± 1.0, P n = 19). There was no correlation between T ± 5.9 and 63.9 ± 4.7 pg/ml) compared to N-non-OSA (32.1 ± 6.5, P = 0.0008 and P = 0.0004, respectively) and H-non-OSA (41.2 ± 7.0, P P = 0.03, respectively). sEng was elevated in H-OSA (4.20 ± 0.17 ng/ml) compared with N-OSA (3.64 ± 0.14, P = 0.01) and N-non-OSA (3.48 ± 0.20, P = 0.01). There was a modest but statistically significant inverse correlation between sEng and FMD in only H-OSA group ( r = −0.38, P Conclusion These data show that patients with OSA and hypertension have marked impairment of FMD independent of hypoxia exposure. FMD is not uniformly affected by exposure to intermittent hypoxia or apnea in patient with OSA. Impaired FMD is associated with increased sFlt-1 and sEng. The differences in sEng concentrations between H-OSA and control groups are comparable to those with target organ damage and hypertension and high risk for cardiovascular adverse outcome.
A Developmental Approach for Measuring the Severity of Crimes

There is widespread agreement in criminology that some crimes are more severe than others, but precise definitions of crime severity and straightforward methods for measuring it have been elusive. Public perceptions of crime severity and economic estimates of crime costs to society or willingness to pay offer a variety of metrics for the public’s perceptions of severity, but they may not accurately describe severity as reflected in offender preferences. The behavior of offenders is critical for understanding developmental progressions in criminal careers, as one may assume that typically more severe offenses are not undertaken until less severe crimes have been committed. In the present paper we propose an alternative metric of crime severity, drawing on findings from developmental criminology that indicate that more severe crimes occur after less severe crimes in the criminal life course, and a method for estimating crime severity that uses the generalized Bradley–Terry model of multiple paired comparisons. We demonstrate this approach on two samples of youthful offenders: the National Youth Survey and the RAND Adolescent Outcomes Project. The results suggest that sample-specific estimates of crime severity can be derived, that these estimates provide insight into the developmental progression of crime, and that they correspond well to crime severity rankings produced by the public.
Risk financing for knowledge-based enterprises: Mechanisms and policy options

New knowledge-based enterprises have several characteristics that limit their options for obtaining financing from external sources: they have little or no collateral, their assets tend to be intangible, and the value of their innovations is hard to calculate. For these reasons, entrepreneurs in the more knowledge-intensive fields tend to rely largely on equity financing. This is a more "patient" form of capital for early stage operations with returns linked directly to firm earnings. Using examples from various countries, this paper surveys the various mechanisms for risk financing and the complementary, yet constantly evolving, roles of business angels, venture capital firms, and government programs in such financing.
The growth of shear bands in composite microstructures

Abstract Shear band formation in materials with inhomogeneous and composite microstructures is influenced by factors that usually do not come into play in monolithic materials. Experiments and calculations have shown that inhomogeneities in material properties enhance the localization of deformation. This investigation concerns the propagation of shear bands in a two-phase tungsten composite under the conditions of nominally pure shear deformation. Finite element calculations are carried out to delineate the effects of different grain–matrix morphologies. In the numerical models, the initiation of shear bands is triggered by a notch, simulating the effect of defects such as microcracks and microvoids in materials. Calculations demonstrate that phase morphology, particle size and the relative location of initiation site have significant influences on the development of localized deformation. The work and energy evolutions are tracked for each constituent phase in the microstructures. In addition, the exchange of thermal energy through heat flow between the phases is analyzed. The results show that a strong correlation exists between the course of shear band propagation and the thermomechanical coupling between microscopic phases.
Intravenous Albumin and Nutrition Support: Going for the Quick Fix

Background IV albumin has been advocated as adjunctive therapy for hypoalbuminemic patients who are receiving nutrition support. This discussion will critically consider the rationale for this recommendation as well as the evidence available in the medical literature. Methods The medical literature was reviewed. Results Randomized controlled trials have shown that IV albumin improves serum albumin levels. However such therapy does not improve clinical outcome in patients receiving parenteral nutrition. Although no trials exist that test the hypothesis in hypoalbuminemic patients receiving enteral nutrition, the purported "supportive evidence" in the medical literature is actually weak and contradictory. IV albumin does have some associated toxicity, and it is expensive. Conclusions There is reason to believe that IV albumin is not effective in improving the clinical outcome of hypoalbuminemic patients who are receiving nutrition support. Until more compelling data become available, it is not reasonable to adopt a policy of routinely correcting the hypoalbuminemia in this way. In fact, hypoalbuminemia may be a manifestation of a serious disease state rather than a marker of deficient protein stores.
Mutations and infinity: improved statistical methods for estimating spontaneous rates.

Certain mathematical artifacts which had been appended by others to Luria and Delbruck's [Genetics 28: 491-511, 1943] model of spontaneous mutagenesis in bacterial populations have added confusion to the modeling and measurement of spontaneous mutation rates. Additional confusion arises when models which had been tuned for experiments with bacterial cultures grown from a small inoculum are adapted for use with mammalian cell cultures grown from a large initial population. As one consequence, biologists still tend to grow the large number of parallel cultures required by the fluctuation test in order to avoid large errors due to the high variability in the number of mutants in a growing culture. By avoiding models with infinite mean values and certain mathematical approximations that lead to conceptual and practical difficulties, the large variance of the number of mutants can be avoided (and the precision of the estimated mutation rate controlled) through the use of sufficiently large initial cell populations. A direct consequence is that simpler experiments with fewer cultures may suffice. In this paper, after a discussion of the confusions, we extend our previous approach [Rossman et al.: Mutat Res 328:21-30, 1995] by giving improved formulas for the standard error of the estimated mutation rate. The improvement results from using a more inclusive model based on consideration of the variability due to both the biological phenomenon of the growing culture (growth and mutation) and the protocols used for selection (sampling and plating efficiency). Also included is the situation where the initial cell population is not assumed to be free of mutants but the initial mutant fraction is measured instead. These standard error formulas are useful in planning experiments that yield mutation rate estimates with planned precision and for comparing and testing hypotheses about mutation rates in two or more populations which are grown under different conditions.
Mitochondrial Fusion Dynamics in the Heart

Heart physiology depends on oxidative metabolism that likely requires dynamic and permanent reorganization of mitochondria by fusion and fission. To directly evaluate mitochondrial fusion dynamics in cardiomyocytes (CM), mitochondrial matrix-targeted photoactivatable GFP and DsRed were introduced either in vitro or in vivo by adenovirus and were followed by confocal microscopy. Four conditions were analyzed: 24 to 48 h cultured neonatal and in vitro transduced adult CM, and CM from in vivo infected rat hearts. In the latter case, CM were isolated 7-10 days after infection and were imaged promptly or 24-48 h post harvesting. Neonatal CM mitochondria form a highly connected network, whereas both in vitro and in vivo transformed cultured CM displayed only some connectivity. Impressively, in vivo transduced adult CM that were imaged promptly after harvesting, unveiled a significantly higher connectivity among mitochondria than the 24-48h cultured adult CM. Furthermore, fusion events (f.e./75 square micrometers/min) were almost absent in cultured in vitro transduced CM, meanwhile in vivo transduced and cultured CM showed 0.4±0.2 f.e./min, whereas isolated, freshly-imaged CM displayed 1.4± 0.1 f.e./min. Imaging in perfused whole heart ex vivo, showed considerable mitochondrial continuity and fusion activity in ventricular CM. To study more directly the role of CM's contractile activity in mitochondrial fusion, CM were incubated with Verapamil (10μM), that blocked spontaneous contraction and partially suppressed the fusion activity of mitochondria. Also, mitochondrial fusion activity appeared to be higher after spontaneous contraction or short term field stimulation in isolated freshly-imaged CM. Thus, mitochondria are dynamic in both neonatal and adult CM, but under culture conditions, adult CM lose mitochondrial fusion activity. This might be at least in part, because cardiomyocyte contractile activity is altered in culture and contractions likely provide some factors to support mitochondrial fusion activity.
Inhibition of taurine and 5′AMP olfactory receptor sites of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus by odorant compounds and mixtures

1. The effects of the odorant compounds adenosine-5′-monophosphate (5′AMP), ammonium, betaine, L-cysteine, L-glutamate, DL-succinate, and taurine and of mixtures of these comounds on binding of taurine and 5′AMP to dendritic membrane from the olfactory organ of spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) were quantified to evaluate the contribution of inhibition of odorant-receptor binding to the generation of physiological responses to mixtures. 2. Taurine binding sites belong to two affinity classes, while 5′AMP binding sites belong to a single affinity class. Binding of either taurine or 5′AMP was partially inhibited in an apparently noncompetitive, concentration dependent fashion by most odorant compounds, with 25–40 % inhibition by 1 mM of odorant. Mixtures of two or more odorant compounds also inhibited binding of taurine or 5′AMP to its sites. However, the inhibition by mixtures was often significantly less than expected from the inhibition produced by a mixture's components assuming either a noncompetitive or competitive mechanism. 3. By including this binding inhibition between compounds into models for predicting physiological responses to mixtures from the responses to the components, the predictive power of the models is significantly improved. This result strongly suggests that binding inhibition can influence the physiological responsiveness of chemoreceptor cells to mixtures.
Evaluation of fragmented antibody inhibitory potency

Das Hemmpotential der Antikorperfragmente bei Kaninchen wird mit neuer Methode demonstriert.
Amino Acid Catalyzed Bulk-Phase Gelation of Organoalkoxysilanes via a Transient Co-operative Self-Assembly

We report acceleration in the rate of bulk phase gelation of an organoalkoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MAPTMS), in the presence of an amphiphilic additive, N-phenyl glycine (NPG). The MAPTMS gelation occurs within 30 min in the presence of 0.5 wt % NPG, which took several months in the absence of NPG. Using a combination of ATR-FT IR, 29Si NMR, 1H NMR, viscosity analysis, SEM, UV−vis, and π−A isotherm measurements, we elucidate the molecular-level details of the structural changes during NPG-catalyzed MPTMS gelation rate. On the basis of these results, we propose a gelation mechanism in which a transient cooperative self-assembly process fosters hydrolysis and retards early condensation thereby promoting the formation of extended three-dimensionally cross-linked gels. Specifically, the amphiphilic character of the hydrolysis product of MAPTMS, consisting of a hydrophobic tail R = −CH2CH2CH2O(CO)C(CH3)═CH2 and a hydrophilic Si−OH headgroup, promotes micelle formation at high MAPTMS/water...
Dielectric function and plasmon structure of stage-1 intercalated graphite

In this paper, we carefully study the dielectric function of stage-1, acceptor-type graphite intercalated compounds (GIC's). We model the system by a superlattice of an infinite number of graphite layers, each of which has the band structure described by the two-dimensional calculation of Blinowski et al. Tunneling between graphite layers is neglected, and so are effects due to intercalants except that of determining the Fermi level. However, we have retained a Coulomb term that describes the interaction between electrons on different layers. With this model, we are able to express the result in analytical form, and our treatment is essentially exact. Because of the Coulomb interaction along the c axis, the excitation spectrum has a plasmon band in the (q,\ensuremath{\omega}) plane, where q is the in-plane momentum transfer and \ensuremath{\omega} the energy transfer. This plasmon band is typical for the superlattice structure and contains a three-dimensional mode. We find that, despite the presence of a complicated band structure in GIC's, the three-dimensional characteristics of the plasmons still dominate. A quantitative comparison of plasmon structure between our theory and electron scattering experiments is made in this work. We obtain reasonable agreements between our theory and the measurement, concerning the plasmon energy, the plasmon width, and the plasmon intensity. The agreement suggests that our dielectric function is reliable in describing the dynamic screening mechanism for GIC's.
Using short-term response information to facilitate adaptive randomization for survival clinical trials

Increased survival is a common goal of cancer clinical trials. Owing to the long periods of observation and follow-up to assess patient survival outcome, it is difficult to use outcome-adaptive randomization in these trials. In practice, often information about a short-term response is quickly available during or shortly after treatment, and this short-term response is a good predictor for long-term survival. For example, complete remission of leukemia can be achieved and measured after a few cycles of treatment. It is a short-term response that is desirable for prolonging survival. We propose a new design for survival trials when such short-term response information is available. We use the short-term information to 'speed up' the adaptation of the randomization procedure. We establish a connection between the short-term response and the long-term survival through a Bayesian model, first by using prior clinical information, and then by dynamically updating the model according to information accumulated in the ongoing trial. Interim monitoring and final decision making are based upon inference on the primary outcome of survival. The new design uses fewer patients, and can more effectively assign patients to the better treatment arms. We demonstrate these properties through simulation studies.