cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers as Alternative for Upgrading of Biomass-Derived Molecules

Upgrading of biomass-derived platform molecules to fuels or chemicals provides a unique alternative for the substitution of fossil sources with renewables. Electrochemical reduction (ECR) is one of the upgrading technologies, alternative to catalytic reduction, which only requires electricity as the energy input and can be powered by carbon free energy sources. Moreover, ECR does not require external addition of hydrogen, as this can be generated in situ. In this work, an anion exchange membrane (AEM) membrane electrode assembly (MEA) has been tested for the efficient reduction of biomass-derived molecules and compared with a cation exchange membrane (CEM) MEA. The cathode electrocatalyst has been modified with the addition of hydrophobicity and anion exchange ionomers and incorporated onto an anion exchange membrane. Electrochemical experiments were performed with a metal free electrocatalyst in the presence and absence of surrogate compounds. The results showed that changes in the catalyst formulation c...
Exploring Relationship Satisfaction in Older Adults with Diabetes Using Descriptive Epidemiology

Objectives. We descriptively analyze patterns in relationship satisfaction among partnered older Americans with and without diabetes. We use data from the National Social, Health, and Life Project (NSHAP) to explore overall happiness as well as physical and emotional satisfaction with intimate relationships, and variation in these patterns by sociodemographic characteristics. Research Design and Methods. We use epidemiological contingency tables to explore three research questions. First, how does overall relationship satisfaction vary among older adults with and without diabetes? Second, how does relationship satisfaction vary across these groups in physical and emotional domains? Third, what role might intersectional socio-demographic characteristics play in these patterns? Results. We found that older NSHAP participants with diabetes are very similar overall to their peers without diabetes with respect to relationship satisfaction. This pattern was consistent for overall happiness with intimate relationships as well as physical and emotional satisfaction. However, among people with diabetes we observed striking sex differences in overall happiness that became more dramatic for the physical and emotional satisfaction measures. We also observed modest differences by race and education that may intersect with the strong gender disparities we saw in our data. Conclusions. We contextualize our findings with prior research on diabetes and partnership to conclude that exploration of the relationships between gender, sexuality, health, and romance in the lives and relationships of people with diabetes may be a necessary and fruitful avenue of future research. To this end, we suggest threads for future inquiry on diabetes and intimate relationships among older adults.
Proximal tibial osteotomy for degenerative arthritis of the knee.

Summary The clinical features and indications important in the selection of patients for tibial osteotomy have been presented, and our current approach to the operative technique and aftercare has been discussed. With prudent selection of patients a good result can be anticipated in 85 to 90 per cent of the cases. Proposed mechanisms of pain and pain relief are presented. Early proximal tibial osteotomy is recognized as a safe, effective, and reliable method of treatment for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Reduction-based formal analysis of BGP instances

Today's Internet interdomain routing protocol, the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), is increasingly complicated and fragile due to policy misconfigurations by individual autonomous systems (ASes). These misconfigurations are often difficult to manually diagnose beyond a small number of nodes due to the state explosion problem. To aid the diagnosis of potential anomalies, researchers have developed various formal models and analysis tools. However, these techniques do not scale well or do not cover the full set of anomalies. Current techniques use oversimplified BGP models that capture either anomalies within or across ASes, but not the interactions between the two. To address these limitations, we propose a novel approach that reduces network size prior to analysis, while preserving crucial BGP correctness properties. Using Maude, we have developed a toolkit that takes as input a network instance consisting of ASes and their policy configurations, and then performs formal analysis on the reduced instance for safety (protocol convergence). Our results show that our reductionbased analysis allows us to analyze significantly larger network instances at low reduction overhead.
Regulation of contagion along a queue of emotional agents

The communication of fear information within large human crowds often results in escape waves characterized by the contagion of heightened emotional arousal and then ensuing flight response between individuals. Once onset occurs, such escape waves spread fast and are difficult to control, leading to crowd disasters. In this context, a yet unexplored control parameter may exist at the level of an individual, specifically in their ability to put their emotions in check. The process of controlling one's emotion is called emotion regulation, and in this paper, we investigate the effect of emotion regulation on the spread of contagion. In a data-driven approach, we use experimental electroencephalogram (EEG) data from a previously published study, where individuals were exposed to images that aroused negative emotions such as fear, to first estimate a dynamical model of emotion generation. We then close the loop using proportional control to match data from the same study to represent the regulation of emotion by distraction. Next, we simulate a line of emotional agents, each represented by a closed loop control system, to investigate the effect of emotion regulation on the spread of contagion. This simple setup shows that emotion regulation can weaken the contagion in terms of the combined state of the group and the time it takes for a significant fraction of the group to reach a state of heightened fear. The framework described here presents a first step in a control-theoretic interpretation and modeling of emotion regulation and motivates future work in data-driven analysis of emotional contagion.
FOLFCIS Treatment and Genomic Correlates of Response in Advanced Anal Squamous Cell Cancer

Abstract Background Treatment of advanced anal squamous cell cancer (SCC) is usually with the combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, which is associated with heterogeneous responses across patients and significant toxicity. We examined the safety and efficacy of a modified schedule, FOLFCIS (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and cisplatin), and performed an integrated clinical and genomic analysis of anal SCC. Patients and Methods We reviewed all patients with advanced anal SCC receiving first-line FOLFCIS chemotherapy – essentially a FOLFOX (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) schedule with cisplatin substituted for oxaliplatin – in our institution between 2007 and 2017, and performed deep sequencing to identify genomic markers of response and key genomic drivers. Results Fifty-three patients with advanced anal SCC (48 metastatic; 5 unresectable, locally advanced) received first-line FOLFCIS during this period; all were platinum-naive. The response rate was 48% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.6%-63%). With a median follow-up of 41.6 months, progression-free survival and overall survival were 7.1 months (95% CI, 4.4-8.6 months) and 22.1 months (95% CI, 16.9-28.1 months), respectively. Among all patients with advanced anal SCC that underwent sequencing during the study period, the most frequent genomic alterations consisted of chromosome 3q amplification (51%) and mutations in PIK3CA (29%) and KMT2D (22%). No genomic alteration correlated with response to platinum-containing treatment. Although there were few cases, patients with human papillomavirus-negative anal SCC did not appear to benefit from FOLFCIS, and all harbored distinct genomic profiles with TP53, TERT promoter, and CDKN2A mutations. Conclusions FOLFCIS appears effective and safe as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced anal SCC and represents an alternative treatment option for these patients.
Evaluating Potential Distribution of High‐Risk Aquatic Invasive Species in the Water Garden and Aquarium Trade at a Global Scale Based on Current Established Populations

Aquatic non-native invasive species are commonly traded in the worldwide water garden and aquarium markets, and some of these species pose major threats to the economy, the environment, and human health. Understanding the potential suitable habitat for these species at a global scale and at regional scales can inform risk assessments and predict future potential establishment. Typically, global habitat suitability models are fit for freshwater species with only climate variables, which provides little information about suitable terrestrial conditions for aquatic species. Remotely sensed data including topography and land cover data have the potential to improve our understanding of suitable habitat for aquatic species. In this study, we fit species distribution models using five different model algorithms for three non-native aquatic invasive species with bioclimatic, topographic, and remotely sensed covariates to evaluate potential suitable habitat beyond simple climate matches. The species examined included a frog (Xenopus laevis), toad (Bombina orientalis), and snail (Pomacea spp.). Using a unique modeling approach for each species including background point selection based on known established populations resulted in robust ensemble habitat suitability models. All models for all species had test area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values greater than 0.70 and percent correctly classified values greater than 0.65. Importantly, we employed multivariate environmental similarity surface maps to evaluate potential extrapolation beyond observed conditions when applying models globally. These global models provide necessary forecasts of where these aquatic invasive species have the potential for establishment outside their native range, a key component in risk analyses.
Leakage Power Analysis (LPA) Attack in Breakdown Mode and Countermeasure

In this paper, the leakage power analysis (LPA) attack in the breakdown mode is explored as a new kind of side-channel attacks (SCA) to leak the secret key of cryptographic circuits. As demonstrated in the simulation result, a cryptographic circuit with a conventional LPA attack countermeasure is quite vulnerable against the LPA attack in the breakdown mode due to the malfunction of the countermeasure. In order to protect the cryptographic circuit against the LPA attack in the breakdown mode, breakdown-aware power noise insertion circuit (BAPNIC) is proposed as a new LPA attack countermeasure by generating a large amplitude of random power noise to scramble the leakage power profile of the cryptographic circuit, once the cryptographic circuit is set to the breakdown mode. The result shows that the BAPNIC-based countermeasure enhances the measurement-to-disclose (MTD) value of the cryptographic circuit over 2,000 times against the LPA attack in the breakdown mode.
Momentarily Understanding the Contemporary Moment: Reflections on Koans, Politics, and Leisure

A koan is a paradoxical riddle used to help practitioners of Zen Buddhism in their quest for non attachment. The idea of the koan can also be helpful as we attempt to make sense of the current soci...
Inhalable and Respirable Particulate and Endotoxin Exposures in Kentucky Equine Farms

Adverse respiratory health effects in the agricultural industry have been linked to particulate endotoxin exposure. However, whether the endotoxin concentration is significantly correlated to the s...
Shortness of Breath

Exercise is rarely limited by pulmonary causes in healthy individuals. During exercise, large, steep rises in ventilatory demands are met efficiently by the respiratory system while maintaining a substantial breathing reserve. The respiratory system including the lungs and chest wall are often considered “overbuilt” in meeting the demands of exercise.
Capillary refill: a technique for obtaining histology-grade OCT angiography maps of human dermal vasculature in vivo (Conference Presentation)

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) provides in-vivo images of microvasculature. In skin it often represents a dynamic perfusion state without depicting the actual extent of the vascular network. Here, we present the capillary refill method for obtaining a more accurate anatomic representation of surface capillary networks in human skin using OCTA. OCTA images were captured at baseline displaying ambient capillary perfusion and after compression and release of the skin representing the network of existing capillaries at full capacity. This method provides mapping of cutaneous capillary networks independent of ambient perfusion comparable to histological analysis of biopsies on identical skin sites.
Tree-ring evidence of forest management moderating drought responses: Implications for dry, coniferous forests in the southwestern United States

Drought, coupled with rising temperatures, is an emerging threat to many forest types across the globe. At least to a degree, we expect management actions that reduce competition (e.g., thinning, prescribed fire, or both) to improve growth of residual trees during drought. The influences of management actions and drought on individual tree growth may be measured with high precision using tree-rings. Here, we summarize tree-ring-based assessments of the effectiveness of thinning and prescribed fire as drought adaptation tools, with special consideration for how these findings might apply to dry coniferous forests in the southwestern U.S. The existing literature suggests that thinning treatments generally improve individual tree growth responses to drought, though the literature specific to southwestern coniferous forests is sparse. Assessments from studies beyond the southwestern U.S. suggest treatment effectiveness varies by thinning intensity, timing of the drought relative to treatments, and individualistic species responses. Several large-scale studies appear to conflict on specifics of how site aridity influences sensitivity to drought following thinning. Prescribed fire effects in the absence of thinning has received much less attention in terms of subsequent drought response. There are limitations for using tree-ring data to estimate drought responses (e.g., difficulties scaling up observations to stand- and landscape-levels). However, tree-rings describe an important dimension of drought effects for individual trees, and when coupled with additional information, such as stable isotopes, aid our understanding of key physiological mechanisms that underlie forest drought response.
Search for a New Field.

THE field of complex numbers can be an exciting new topic for students to ex plore. A class can help discover some motivation for that inscrutable definition for multiplying complex numbers. The trend now seems to be for authors to introduce complex numbers as ordered pairs of real numbers, but the potential for any student participation in this ex ploration is usually quickly destroyed by the introduction of that mysterious, diffi cult, and totally unmotivated rule for multiplying these new numbers. It takes the students a while to memorize a defini tion that they do not understand. But then checking the field properties is as easy as it is boring! What can teachers do to avoid this trap? Why not let the class help in the pursuit of an acceptable definition for the operation of multiplica tion on these ordered pairs? Students don't need to know the final destination at the outset. In fact, they love to try to guess and anticipate why certain concepts are being developed. If they are taking a course in second year algebra, then they probably have already inves tigated in some detail the properties of the real number field, (R, +, ?). If they are at all familiar with the elementary prop erties of vectors in the Cartesian plane, then they might enjoy examining whether it is possible to impose a field structure on the set V = {(a, 6):a, 6 e R}, the set of all ordered pairs of real numbers. The set V is not at all overwhelming to students; they can still see the members of V and indeed even draw pictures of them oh a Cartesian plane, just as previously they could depict real numbers on a number line. Our first task is to look for a reasonable way to add members of V. What would be simpler than to add them just as we did before when WOrking with two-dimensional vectors? With some trepidation we try the following definition for 0 on V.
Nuclear factor-kappa B in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cancer

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is a key regulator in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells.EMT of cancer,one of the reasons of drug resistance,enhances the infiltration and distant metastases ability of cancer cells.Recent researches show that Snail,Slug,Twist and Zeb play important roles in regulating EMT of cancer cells.Drugs and targeted therapies that inhibit NF-κB activities can reverse the EMT of cancer cells.NF-κB may become an effective therapeutic target in cancers in the future. Key words: NF-kappa B; Neoplasms; Epithelial mesenchymal transition
Mixed Tug-of-War with Noise: Case p ∈ (1, ∞)

This chapter completes the program put forward in Sects. 6.3–6.5, in the general exponent case \(1<p<\inf \). This is accomplished by means of another version of Tug-of-War game, where the random sampling takes place on ellipsoids with radius and aspect ratio depending on p and the dimension of the problem N. The following topics are covered: the averaging principle and the dynamic programming principle for the ellipsoid-distributed noise, the mixed Tug-of-War and two sufficient conditions for game-regularity: the exterior corkscrew condition and the simply connectedness in dimension N = 2.
The relationship between chronic health conditions and cognitive deficits in children, adolescents, and young adults with down syndrome: A systematic review.

Background Individuals with Down syndrome are predisposed to a number of chronic health conditions, but the relationship between these conditions and cognitive ability is not clear. The primary objective of this systematic review is to assess this relationship by evaluating studies that measure cognitive performance in the context of Down syndrome-associated chronic health conditions. Methods A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies included in this review (1) included children, adolescent, and young adult participants with Down syndrome and one or more co-occurring health conditions; (2) were quantitative; and (3) reported outcomes related to both chronic health conditions and cognitive performance. A set of predetermined chronic health conditions that are common in Down syndrome (e.g. sleep disorders, congenital heart disease, thyroid disease, seizure disorders, and pulmonary hypertension) were selected based on prevalence rates in Down syndrome. Results Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria. The majority these of studies assessed cognitive performance in association with sleep disorders (47%) and congenital heart disease (47%). Fewer studies reported on the effect of thyroid disease (7%) and seizure disorders (7%) on cognitive ability. None of the studies reported cognitive outcomes related to pulmonary hypertension. Of the chronic health conditions evaluated, associations between sleep disorders and cognitive dysfunction were most common among individuals with Down syndrome. Conclusions Individuals with Down syndrome exhibit deficits in cognitive ability, particularly related to attention, executive function and verbal processing. These deficits may be further exacerbated by the presence of chronic health conditions, particularly sleep disorders. Individuals with Down syndrome and co-occurring sleep disorders may benefit from early interventions to mitigate their risk for adverse cognitive outcomes.
Invader-resident relatedness and soil management history shape patterns of invasion of compost microbial populations into agricultural soils

Abstract Compost application to soil can have numerous agricultural benefits, but our understanding of the persistence and roles of compost microbes in soil following amendment is limited. Studies of microbial invasion ecology could improve this understanding, yet most studies to date have focused on single invaders in constant environments. In contrast, many real-world microbial invasions – such compost microbes invading agricultural soils – are “coalescence events” involving the mixing of entire communities as well as their environmental media. In a microcosm experiment, we mixed live composted poultry manure into row crop soils from three long-term agricultural management systems: no input wheat/fallow, conventional maize/tomato, and organic maize/tomato. We tracked bacterial and archaeal communities by 16S rRNA sequencing prior to mixing and then at 4 days and 32 days post-mixing. We investigated whether phylogenetic relatedness of the invaders (compost microbes) to the resident (soil) community predicted invader success, as well as whether the management systems differed in their invasibility. At both time points, invader persistence was associated with a closer phylogenetic relationship to a member of the resident community, with OTUs most closely related to a member of the resident community 1.65 times more likely to persist than OTUs most distantly related to a member of the resident community on average. Conversely, invaders that achieved greater relative abundances were less related to the resident community, with OTUs most closely related to the resident community as a whole achieving 1.96 times lower relative abundance than OTUs most distantly related to the resident community as a whole on average. Increases in relative abundance of the same bacterial groups (e.g., Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria) among residents and invaders post-mixing suggest that similar resident and invader responses to the post-mixing environment may have driven the relative abundance relatedness result. Invaders that were more abundant in the compost also had higher probability of persistence and greater relative abundance post-mixing, with OTUs most abundant in the compost being 16.2 times more likely to persist and having 4.4 times greater relative abundance in the post-mixing community than OTUs least abundant in the compost on average. The organic management system – which had a history of compost addition – was less susceptible to invasion than the other two management systems, with OTUs 1.39 times less likely to persist in the organic system than in the other two systems on average. Our results suggest that both environmental filtering and the potential success of residents and invaders in the novel mixed environment should be considered when predicting outcomes of microbial coalescence events. Agricultural soil management history may also mediate invasion outcomes.
Enhanced Plasma Generation from Metal Nanostructures via Photoexcited Hot Electrons

We report hot electron-enhanced plasma generation by irradiating metal nanostructures with laser light. Here, a high-voltage nanosecond pulse is discharged across two electrodes interspersed with m...
A program evaluation of Arkansas Improving Multidisciplinary Pain Care and Treatment (AR-IMPACT).

Objective: Arkansas Improving Multidisciplinary Pain Care and Treatment (AR-IMPACT) is an interprofessional team that delivers televideo case conferences to help providers optimize treatment of pain using nonopioid, evidence-based therapies. This article assesses AR-IMPACT using the RE-AIM (reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Large, academic medical center. Participants: Healthcare providers. Interventions: Televideo case conferences. Main outcome measures: Reach was evaluated by the number of participants, professions represented, and counties/states in which providers resided. Efficacy was assessed via a participant evaluation survey. Adoption was evaluated by calculating the number of repeat participants and soliciting information on barriers to adoption of conference recommendations in clinical practice using the participant evaluation survey. Implementation was evaluated by calculating the time and cost burden of the program. Results: Reach was widespread; continuing education (CE) credits have been claimed by 395 providers in 54 of the 75 counties in Arkansas and 18 states outside Arkansas. For efficacy, the majority of providers noted increases in their knowledge due to AR-IMPACT (89.6 percent). Like reach, adoption was also extensive; approximately 42 percent of AR-IMPACT participants attended more than one conference, and close to 56 percent of participants noted no barriers to adopting the changes discussed in the conferences. With implementation, the time requirements for developing a case conference ranged from 2 to 4 hours, and the cost per CE credit was $137, which is on par with other programs. Conclusions: AR-IMPACT was successful, particularly in reach and efficacy. Entities that implement programs similar to AR-IMPACT will likely experience extensive uptake by providers.
Multiple corticosteroid abnormalities in cats with hyperaldosteronism.

BACKGROUND The frequency with which multiple corticosteroid abnormalities occur in cats with aldosterone secreting adrenocortical tumors is unknown. OBJECTIVES To evaluate adrenal-derived corticosteroids in cats in which blood samples were submitted for measure of aldosterone. ANIMALS Two hundred ninety-seven cats. METHODS Retrospective study. Analysis of a convenience sample of previously submitted serum or plasma. Progesterone, corticosterone, and cortisol were measured in feline serum or plasma samples submitted to an endocrinology laboratory for aldosterone measurements. Demographics and clinical history were retrieved from submittal forms when provided. Statistical testing was performed to investigate associations among the adrenal corticosteroids. RESULTS Progesterone and corticosterone concentrations were strongly correlated (ρ = 0.74; P < .001). Progesterone (median, 5 nmol/L; interquartile range, 3-10 nmol/L) and corticosterone (113 nmol/L, 38-250 nmol/L) in cats with markedly increased aldosterone concentrations (≥3000 pmol/L) were higher than progesterone (1 nmol/L, 1-2 nmol/L) and corticosterone (12 nmol/L, 3-25 nmol/L) in cats with normal aldosterone concentrations (P < .001 for both comparisons). Progesterone concentrations ≥10 nmol/L (normal, ≤2 nmol//L) occurred in 24 of 76 (32%) cats with aldosterone concentrations ≥3000 pmol/L. Cortisol was lower in cats with aldosterone concentrations ≥3000 pmol/L as compared to those with aldosterone concentrations <500 pmol/L (59 nmol/L, 27-103 nmol/L vs 103 nmol/L, 49-182 nmol/L; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Multiple corticosteroid abnormalities occur in a subset of cats with hyperaldosteronism. The magnitude of increases in progesterone and corticosterone in some cats with hyperaldosteronism is likely to be clinically relevant.
Diversity of the physician workforce: Specialty choice decisions during medical school.

Background Despite efforts to increase the overall diversity of the medical student body, some medical specialties have a less diverse applicant pool based on both gender and race than would be expected based on medical graduate demographics. Objectives To identify whether women and Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) medical students have baseline differences in their career interests or if their career plans change more during medical school when compared to men and non-URIM students. Methods Secondary data analyses of all medical students who applied through ERAS from 2005-2010 was conducted. Binary logistic regression models with the response being a planned career in one of four medical specialties (internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and general surgery/surgical specialties) at medical school entry and graduation. Regression models included demographics, student attitudes, debt, academic metrics, and medical school experiences. Results Comparatively, women were less likely to be interested in internal medicine and surgery and more interested in pediatrics and OB/GYN at matriculation. URiM students expressed more interest in OB/GYN and surgery when starting medical school. At graduation, women were less likely to plan for internal medicine and surgery and were more interested in pursuing OB/GYN and pediatrics. URiM students were more likely to plan for a career in internal medicine and less likely to choose pediatrics. Conclusions From matriculation to graduation, women have relatively stable preferences regarding planned medical specialties. In contrast, URiM students' specialty plans shifted over time among the four specialties, with variation in preferences occurring between matriculation and graduation.
Federal Fraud and Abuse Enforcement and Compliance Plans

According to a report of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in 1996 Medicare disbursed about $23 billion in overpayments for inappropriate and possibly fraudulent services; more than 20% of these improper payments went to physicians. The OIG estimated that spending attributable to waste, fraud, and abuse ranges from 3% to 10% of national health care expenditures. In an effort to recoup some of this huge sum, the authority of the federal government to combat health care fraud was clarified and its enforcement ability was significantly expanded with the enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Among its provisions, “This law doubled the number of OIG auditors and investigators in addition to expanding the power of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate health care fraud; created the Medicare Integrity Program whereby HHS may enter into contracts with private entities to review and audit activities where Medicare provides coverage; and established a reward program to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to report questionable behavior.” Consequently, physicians submitting a claim for payment must be aware that the federal government has the authority to investigate its propriety. An inappropriate claim for payment, ranging from an inadvertent mistake to outright fraud, may lead to liability to both criminal and civil sanctions (monetary fines).
Evidence for Electrogenicity of the QA to QB Electron Transfer in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

It has recently been shown (1) that it is possible to transfer LangmuirBlodgett (LB) films of reaction centers from Rps. Sphaeroides onto solid surfaces in arrays that permit the application of external electric fields. The effect that these fields have on the kinetics of charge separation and recombination ptocesses by shifting the relative energy levels of the electrogenic states involved is being studied. Previous work has shown that the electron transfer reaction between the primary quinone (Q A ) and the secondary one (Q B ) was not functional, an effect that could be due to either yielding inactive configurations or alterations in the role of the proton thought to be involved in the reaction. Modifications in the film making technique have resulted in what appears to be a partial reconstitution of Q A to Q B electron transfer as judged from measurements of light induced electric currents.
Abnormal Immunoregulation in Human Cancer at the Actual Tumor Site

Studies evaluating the function of monocytes and macrophages in animal and human tumor systems have revealed that these cells can play diverse, and oftentimes, conflicting roles in tumor growth. Thus, macrophages may contribute to tumor control by exerting antiproliferative or cytotoxic responses (1–3), but may also facilitate tumor cell embolization and metastasis (4, 5). Macrophages also play a principal role in modulating the development and expression of antitumor immunity by other cell types including T cells, NK cells and LAK cells (6–9). Once again, however, this effect can be positive (i.e. promoting the development of antitumor immunity) or negative.
Strategies for Deriving a Single Measure of the Overall Burden of Antimicrobial Resistance in Hospitals

Background: Antimicrobial-resistant infections result in hospital stays costing between $18,000 and $29,000. As of 2009, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no longer upgrade payments for hospital-acquired infections. Hospital epidemiologists monitor and document rates of individual resistant microbes in antibiogram reports. Overall summary measures capturing resistance within a hospital may be useful. Objectives: We applied four techniques (L1and L2-principal component analysis (PCA), desirability functions, and simple summary) to create summary measures of resistance and described the four summary measures with respect to reliability, proportion of variance explained, and clinical utility. Methods: We requested antibiograms from hospitals participating in the University HealthSystem Consortium for the years 2002–2008 (n=40). A clinical team selected organism-drug resistant pairs (as resistant isolates per 1,000 patient days) based on 1) virulence, 2) complicated or toxic therapies, 3) transmissibility, and 4) high incidence with increasing levels of resistance. Four methods were used to create summary scores: 1) L1and L2-PCA: derived multipliers so that the variance explained is maximized; 2) desirability function: transformed resistance data to be between 0 and 1; 3) simple sum: each resistance rate was added and divided by the square root of the total number of microbes summed. Simple correlation analyses between time and each summary score evaluated reliability. For each year, we calculated the proportion of explained variance by dividing each summary score’s variance by the variance in the original data. Clinical utility was checked by comparing the trends for all of the individual microbe’s resistance rates to the trends seen in the summary scores for each hospital. Results: Proportion of variance explained by L1and L2-PCA and the simple sum was 0.61, 0.62, and 0.29 respectively. Simple sum and L1and L2-PCA summary scores best followed the trends seen in the individual antimicrobial resistance rates; trends in desirability function scores deviated from those seen in individual trends of antimicrobial resistance. L1and L2-PCA summary scores were more influenced by MRSA rates, and the simple sum score was less influenced. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed good reliability through time. Conclusion: Deriving summary measures of antimicrobial resistance can be reliable over time and explain a high proportion of variance. Infection control practitioners and hospital epidemiologists may find the inclusion of a summary score of antimicrobial resistance beneficial in describing the trends of overall resistance in their yearly antibiogram reports.
Stress Intensity Factors for a Circular Ring with Uniform Array of Radial Cracks of Unequal Depth

The plane problem of a uniform array of unequal depth radial cracks originating at the internal boundary of a pressurized circular ring is considered. The 12-node quadrilateral isoparametric elements with collapsed singular elements around crack tips are used to compute stress intensity factors at crack tips. In a previous study of equal depth radial cracks, the weakest configuration (having highest values of stress intensity factors) was a ring with two diametrically opposed cracks. The current study shows that if for any reason one of the two cracks should grow a little faster than the other, the stress intensity factor at the tip of the longer crack increases at a much faster rate to enhance the faster growth of the longer crack. Numerical results are also obtained for cases of three and four radial cracks. They show the same trend: that once one or two cracks grow a little more than the rest, the stress intensity factors at these deeper cracks will be increased progressively higher to keep the faster pace of growth. This explains why failure caused by a single major crack has been observed most frequently. The finite element results show that the relationship between the stress intensity ratio and the crack depth ratio is approximately linear. This approximation enables us to estimate stress intensity factors at unequal depth cracks by a simple numerical method. The estimations thus obtained are close to stress intensity factors computed from the finite element method.
Extending expectation propagation for graphical models

Graphical models have been widely used in many applications, ranging from human behavior recognition to wireless signal detection. However, efficient inference and learning techniques for graphical models are needed to handle complex models, such as hybrid Bayesian networks. This thesis proposes extensions of expectation propagation, a powerful generalization of loopy belief propagation, to develop efficient Bayesian inference and learning algorithms for graphical models. The first two chapters of the thesis present inference algorithms for generative graphical models, and the next two propose learning algorithms for conditional graphical models. First, the thesis proposes a window-based EP smoothing algorithm for online estimation on hybrid dynamic Bayesian networks. For an application in wireless communications, window-based EP smoothing achieves estimation accuracy comparable to sequential Monte Carlo methods, but with less than one-tenth computational cost. Second, it develops a new method that combines tree-structured EP approximations with the junction tree for inference on loopy graphs. This new method saves computation and memory by propagating messages only locally to a subgraph when processing each edge in the entire graph. Using this local propagation scheme, this method is not only more accurate, but also faster than loopy belief propagation and structured variational methods. Third, it proposes predictive automatic relevance determination (ARD) to enhance classification accuracy in the presence of irrelevant features. ARD is a Bayesian technique for feature selection. The thesis discusses the overfitting problem associated with ARD, and proposes a method that optimizes the estimated predictive performance, instead of maximizing the model evidence. For a gene expression classification problem, predictive ARD outperforms previous methods, including traditional ARD as well as support vector machines combined with feature selection techniques. Finally, it presents Bayesian conditional random fields (BCRFs) for classifying interdependent and structured data, such as sequences, images or webs. BCRFs estimate the posterior distribution of model parameters and average prediction over this posterior to avoid overfitting. For the problems of frequently-asked-question labeling and of ink recognition, BCRFs achieve superior prediction accuracy over conditional random fields trained with maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori criteria. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The Effect of Ketoconazole on Endocrine and Reproductive Parameters in Male Mice and Rats

: Ketoconazole has been shown to reduce steroidogenesis by inhibiting the cytochrome P-450 enzymes in these pathways. This finding, along with the observation that the compound reduces sperm motility, led us to study the effectiveness of ketoconazole as a male contraceptive agent administered in acute and chronic studies of both rats and mice. Four hours after a single administration, male rats showed significant reductions in both serum testosterone and corticosterone levels that completely recovered (testosterone) or nearly recovered (corticosterone) 24 hours after administration. Chronic administration of ketoconazole to male rats and mice resulted in steroid levels comparable with those of control animals. Epididymal sperm motility was only slightly reduced in male mice 4 hours after administration of the drug. No effect on sperm motility was noted after chronic administration in either species studied. In vitro exposure of epididymal sperm to ketoconazole resulted in a significant reduction of sperm motility. Breeding trials after ketoconazole administration resulted in normal fertility and fecundity even at the highest dosage studied. The lack of correlation between steroid levels and sperm immobilization, along with rapid in vivo and in vitro effects on sperm motility, suggests that the reduction in sperm motility is not related to a decrease in steroid levels. From these data, the authors conclude that ketoconazole is probably not a viable approach to the development of a male contraceptive.
The loss of scents: Do defects in olfactory sensory neuron development underlie human disease?

The olfactory system is a fascinating and beguiling sensory system: olfactory sensory neurons detect odors underlying behaviors essential for mate choice, food selection, and escape from predators, among others. These sensory neurons are unique in that they have dendrites contacting the outside world, yet their first synapse lies in the central nervous system. The information entering the central nervous system is used to create odor memories that play a profound role in recognition of individuals, places, and appropriate foods. Here, the structure of the olfactory epithelium is given as an overview to discuss the origin of the olfactory placode, the plasticity of the olfactory sensory neurons, and finally the origins of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuroendocrine cells. For the purposes of this review, the development of the peripheral sensory system will be analyzed, incorporating recently published studies highlighting the potential novelties in development mechanisms. Specifically, an emerging model where the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb develop simultaneously from a continuous neurectoderm patterned at the end of gastrulation, and the multiple origins of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuroendocrine cells associated with the olfactory sensory system development will be presented. Advances in the understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying olfactory sensory system development allows for a more thorough understanding of the potential causes of human disease.
The thermo-mechanical response of PP nanocomposites at high graphene loading

AbstractAuthors have successfully fabricated polypropylene/graphene nanoplatelets (PP/GNPs), nanocomposites that are thermally conductive, processable, and flame resistant. Thermal conductivity measurements indicated that the thermal coefficient scaled linearly with GNP loading, where a value of 2.0 W m− 1 K− 1 was achieved at 40 wt-% loading. Tensile measurements indicated that the modulus increased linearly with GNP loading, while the Izod impact, after an initial decrease, remained constant for loadings up to 50 wt-%. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed a large decrease in the amount of lamellar structure relative to the neat PP, while wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) showed a high degree of crystallinity. These results are consistent with formation of a new type of layered nanocomposite, composed of crystalline PP chains oriented onto layered GNPs.
2,6-Di­bromo-4-fluoro­benzo­nitrile

The title compound, C7H2Br2FN, packs in approximately planar sheets with mol­ecules held together in pairs by CN⋯Br intermolecular Lewis acid–base interactions across a center of symmetry. The CN⋯Br arrangement is approximately linear at the Br atom and bent at the N atom, with an N⋯Br distance of 3.11 A. The molecular pairs form sheets through C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, with H⋯N distances of 2.55 A, and C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds with H⋯F distances of 2.68 A.
Cost analysis of second-line therapies for platinum-refractory ovarian cancer: reimbursement dilemmas for Medicare patients.

AbstractCurrently used options for salvage therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer include intravenously administered paclitaxel or topotecan and orally administered maltreatment or etoposide. The response rates for these agents are similar (14–26%), whereas the type and incidence of adverse events differ. Under current legislation, Medicare will reimburse intravenous outpatient chemotherapy regimens only or oral regimens with a marketed intravenous formulation, despite that 89% of cancer patients prefer oral therapies. To compare the out-of-pocket costs and costs to the Medicare system, a cost minimization analysis of treatment with these agents was conducted using published phase II and phase III data. The total cost of treatment was $15,767 for paclitaxel, $18,635 for topotecan, $4477 for altretamine, and $5016 for etoposide. The out-of-pocket costs to the patient were $83, $37, $4477, and $6, respectively. Although a physician's first consideration in choosing a therapy is efficacy and toxicity, current...
Data Exclusivity Period Length and Federal Government Savings from Enactment of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2007

Senate Bill S.1695, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2007 would establish an abbreviated regulatory procedure for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to license follow-on biological (FOB) drugs. The motivation for the bill is to save money for the Federal government and other purchasers of biologics. The Congressional Budget Office estimates Federal savings of $5.8 billion over the ten year scoring window covering 2009-2018. The length of data exclusivity to be awarded to innovator biologics upon FDA approval also is under debate. We show that by setting the data exclusivity period below 14 years, the government saves at most an additional $1.4 billion over ten years which represents only 0.11 percent of expected Federal drug spending, and 0.012 percent of Federal healthcare spending over the scoring window. Furthermore, we show that adopting a data exclusivity period of less than 14 years will have significant impacts on research and development (R&D) spending and thus, fewer, innovative biologics used to treat patients will be brought to market. This is because innovative biotechnology firms will lose a significant portion of their sales to copycat FOB firms. The average biologic does not cover its costs until 17 years after it starts selling the product. Because firms rely heavily on cash flow from sales to fund their R&D, fewer sales imply less R&D spending. We show that biotechnology R&D is likely to fall by at least $41 billion. The long-run effect is likely to be much larger due in part because the high-cost, high-sales breakthrough biologics will face greater FOB competition. Innovator firms may fund more lower-cost, less-innovative biologics because they will face fewer FOBs, allowing them to retain a greater proportion of sales.