cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New sealing concept for planar solid oxide fuel cells

A key element in developing high-performance planar solid oxide fuel-cell stacks is the hermetic seal between the metal and ceramic components. Two methods of sealing are commonly used: (a) rigid joining and (b) compressive sealing. Each method has its own set of advantages and design constraints. An alternative approach is currently under development that appears to combine some of the advantages of the other two techniques, including hermeticity, mechanical integrity, and minimization of interfacial stresses in the joint substrate materials, particularly the ceramic cell. The new sealing concept relies on a plastically deformable metal seal; one that offers a quasi-dynamic mechanical response in that it is adherent to both sealing surfaces, i.e., non-sliding, but readily yields or deforms under thermally generated stresses. In this way, it mitigates the development of stresses in the adjacent ceramic and metal components even when a significant difference in thermal expansion exists between the two materials. The pre-experimental design of the seal, initial proof-of-principle results on small test specimens, and finite-element analyses aimed at scaling the seal to prototypical sizes and geometries are described herein.
Impurity transport studies in tokamak edge plasmas using visible imaging

Understanding impurity transport in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of tokamak plasmas is a necessary piece of developing the physics basis for designing next-generation reactors. A system for inferring impurity transport parallel and perpendicular to local magnetic field lines has been developed on Alcator C-Mod using gas-injection "plumes." In this system, impurity gas is injected at a fixed position in the SOL via a reciprocating fast-scanning probe, and the resulting emission is imaged. In this paper, visible light emission patterns from C/sup +1/ and C/sup +2/ ions are presented.
Sales Force Motivation: A Theoretical Analysis

A wide variety of incentives are being employed in the financial services industry. An examination of these practices in light of reinforcement theory suggests that while encouraging higher levels of performance, these incentives fail to sustain the high levels of desired performance. A computerized video is discussed as one means of integrating theory and practice, which should yield high levels of sustained performance from the sales force.
Fast bus protection using IEC 61850

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 is the latest technology that allows electric power utilities to build low cost digital substations. Because limited objective information is available, electric power utilities desire independent evaluations of IEC 61850 from end users. The objective of this study is to compare the IEC 61850 method to the hardwired method using actual hardware to find an optimal solution for the fast bus protection scheme. System disturbance clearing time, maintenance and construction costs, and interoperability between multivendor microprocessor-based relays were used as the criteria for this evaluation. This research measured the protection speed of the hardwired method and the IEC 61850 method for the fast bus protection scheme, utilizing relays from the same and mixed manufacturers. The results of the study show that IEC 61850 method is simple, cost efficient, and offers speed of operation comparable to the hardwired method.
Chloroplast mRNA 3' end processing requires a nuclear-encoded RNA-binding protein.

Abstract The protein coding regions of plastid mRNAs in higher plants are generally flanked by 3' inverted repeat sequences. In spinach chloroplast mRNAs, these inverted repeat sequences can fold into stem-loop structures and serve as signals for the correct processing of the mature mRNA 3' ends. The inverted repeat sequences are also required to stabilize 5' upstream mRNA segments, and interact with chloroplast protein in vitro. To dissect the molecular components involved in chloroplast mRNA 3' end processing and stability, a spinach chloroplast protein extract containing mRNA 3' end processing activity was fractionated by FPLC and RNA affinity chromatography. The purified fraction consisted of several proteins and was capable of processing the 3' ends of the psbA, rbcL, petD and rps14 mRNAs. This protein fraction was enriched for a 28 kd RNA-binding protein (28RNP) which interacts with both the precursor and mature 3' ends of the four mRNAs. Using specific antibodies to this protein, the poly(A) RNA-derived cDNA for the 28RNP was cloned and sequenced. The predicted amino acid sequence for the 28RNP reveals two conserved RNA-binding domains, including the consensus sequences RNP-CS1 and CS2, and a novel acidic and glycine-rich N-terminal domain. The accumulation of the nuclear-encoded 28RNP mRNA and protein are developmentally regulated in spinach cotyledons, leaves, root and stem, and are enhanced during light-dependent chloroplast development. The general correlation between accumulation of the 28RNP and plastid mRNA during development, together with the result that depletion of the 28RNP from the chloroplast protein extract interferes with the correct 3' end processing of several chloroplast mRNAs, suggests that the 28RNP is required for plastid mRNA 3' end processing and/or stability.
Antecedents of Groupthink: A Quantitative Study

This article reports results of a quantitative analysis of I. L. Janis's (1982) original specification of the groupthink model. The study builds on the earlier work on 19 cold war crises conducted by Herek, Janis, and Huth (1987), who found that information-processing errors in group decision making were directly related to unfavorable outcomes. The present research looks further back in Janis's casual story to investigate the factors that give rise to the information-processing errors. This data identify five key antecedent conditions: lack of tradition of impartial leadership, lack of tradition of methodical procedures, overestimation of the group, closed-mindedness, and pressures toward uniformity. Several factors that Janis anticipated as important antecedent conditions do not correlate with faulty decision making, such as group homogeneity and a recent failure. The results indicate that faulty decision making has its roots in leadership style, traditional group procedures, and patterns of group behavior.
Modeling left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: classification and key indicators

Mathematical modeling can be employed to overcome the practical difficulty of isolating the mechanisms responsible for clinical heart failure in the setting of normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF). In a human cardiovascular respiratory system (H-CRS) model we introduce three cases of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD): (1) impaired left ventricular active relaxation (IR-type); (2) increased passive stiffness (restrictive or R-type); and (3) the combination of both (pseudo-normal or PN-type), to produce HFNEF. The effects of increasing systolic contractility are also considered. Model results showing ensuing heart failure and mechanisms involved are reported. We employ our previously described H-CRS model with modified pulmonary compliances to better mimic normal pulmonary blood distribution. IR-type is modeled by changing the activation function of the left ventricle (LV), and R-type by increasing diastolic stiffness of the LV wall and septum. A 5th-order Cash-Karp Runge-Kutta numerical integration method solves the model differential equations. IR-type and R-type decrease LV stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction (EF), and mean systemic arterial pressure. Heart rate, pulmonary pressures, pulmonary volumes, and pulmonary and systemic arterial-venous O2 and CO2 differences increase. IR-type decreases, but R-type increases the mitral E/A ratio. PN-type produces the well-described, pseudo-normal mitral inflow pattern. All three types of LVDD reduce right ventricular (RV) and LV EF, but the latter remains normal or near normal. Simulations show reduced EF is partly restored by an accompanying increase in systolic stiffness, a compensatory mechanism that may lead clinicians to miss the presence of HF if they only consider LVEF and other indices of LV function. Simulations using the H-CRS model indicate that changes in RV function might well be diagnostic. This study also highlights the importance of septal mechanics in LVDD. The model demonstrates that abnormal LV diastolic performance alone can result in decreased LV and RV systolic performance, not previously appreciated, and contribute to the clinical syndrome of HF. Furthermore, alterations of RV diastolic performance are present and may be a hallmark of LV diastolic parameter changes that can be used for better clinical recognition of LV diastolic heart disease.
Paleoecological Analysis of Two Early Pennsylvanian Mineral-Substrate Wetlands

Abstract The biomass within two Early Pennsylvanian (Langsettian [Westphalian A] equivalent) penecontemporaneous swamp communities was sampled quantitatively to obtain an estimate of the taxonomic contribution to each assemblage. Blocks of organic-rich shale were removed from a clastic parting within the Black Creek Coal, and ∼0.5-m2 siltstone quadrats were chain-sawed from a clastic swamp community directly above the Bear Creek Coal. Bedding planes were exposed, and the surface areas for each taxon per bedding surface were measured and used as proxies for biomass contribution in each locality. Biomass over a combined area of 5.47 m2 was assessed for the Black Creek Coal parting; biomass covering an area of 9.70 m2 was evaluated for the assemblage preserved above the Bear Creek coal. In addition to calculating standard diversity indices, this data set was analyzed using cluster analyses and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to differentiate variations within the general flora. Low species diversi...
THE IWASAWA MAIN CONJECTURE FOR HILBERT MODULAR FORMS

Following the ideas and methods of a recent work of Skinner and Urban, we prove the one divisibility of the Iwasawa main conjecture for nearly ordinary Hilbert modular forms under certain local hypotheses. As a consequence, we prove that for a Hilbert modular form of parallel weight, trivial character, and good ordinary reduction at all primes dividing $p$ , if the central critical $L$ -value is zero then the $p$ -adic Selmer group of it has rank at least one. We also prove that one of the local assumptions in the main result of Skinner and Urban can be removed by a base-change trick.
Error Analysis of a Max-Plus Algorithm for a First-Order HJB Equation

The H∞ problem for a nonlinear system is considered. The corresponding dynamic programming equation is a fully nonlinear, first-order, steady-state partial differential equation (PDE). The computation of the solution of a nonlinear, steady-state, first-order PDE is typically quite difficult. We consider an entirely new class of methods for the obtaining the solution of such PDEs. These methods are based on the linearity of the associated semi-group over the max-plus algebra. In particular, solution of the PDE is reduced to solution of a max-plus eigenvector problem for known unique eigenvalue 0. We consider the error analysis for such an algorithm. The errors are due to both the truncation of the basis expansion and computation of the matrix whose eigenvector one computes.
A multi-locus genetic risk score for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Abstract Background We investigated whether a multi-locus genetic risk scores (GRS) was associated with presence and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a case - control study. Methods and Results The study comprised of 1124 patients with AAA (74 ± 8 years, 83% men, 52% of them with a maximal AAA size ≤ 5 cm) and 6524 non-cases (67 ± 11 years, 58% men) from the Mayo Vascular Disease Biorepository. AAA was defined as infrarenal abdominal aorta diameter ≥3.0 cm or history of AAA repair. Non-cases were participants without known AAA. A GRS was calculated using 4 SNPs associated with AAA at genome-wide significance ( P ≤ 10 −8 ). The GRS was associated with the presence of AAA after adjustment for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and family history of aortic aneurysm: odds ratio (OR, 95% confidence interval, CI) 1.06 (1.04–1.09, p median (5.78) than those with GRS ≤ median ( p = 0.01), after adjustment for baseline size (p Conclusions A multi-locus GRS was associated with presence of AAA and greater aneurysm expansion.
Mitochondrial genetics and hearing loss: the missing link between genotype and phenotype

Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been implicated in a great variety of diseases, including such common ones as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's, but the pathophysiological pathway leading from a specific mutation to a specific phenotype has remained elusive. Individuals with the same mutation can fall along a clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic to severely affected, and can even have completely different diseases. Much of this phenotypic heterogeneity has been attributed to the heteroplasmic nature of mitochondrial mutations, with both normal and mutated mitochondrial chromosomes being present in different proportions and tissue distributions. Isolated hearing loss is one of the only mitochondrial disorders that can be caused by homoplasmic mutations (e.g., only mutated mitochondrial mutations are present in all tissues). This review will outline the relationship between mitochondrial mutations and hearing loss while showing that even in a homoplasmic model, the two basic questions of mitochondrial genetics, penetrance and tissue specificity, remain unanswered: Why does the same mutation cause severe hearing loss in some family members but not in others, and why is the ear the only organ affected?
Controlled Nucleation from Solution Using Polymer Microgels

Despite its widespread occurrence in nature and broad application in industrial practice, nucleation of crystalline materials remains largely unpredictable and therefore difficult to control. In this work, we demonstrate a new method to control nucleation with polymer microgels by tuning their microstructure to vary systematically the degree of nanoscopic confinement and its effects on nucleation. We find that the polymer microstructure has a significant impact on nucleation kinetics. Moreover, there exists an optimum polymer mesh size at which the rate of nucleation is dramatically enhanced, the degree to which depends on the extent of polymer−solute interactions. With easily tunable microstructure and chemistry, polymer microgels offer a promising approach for the rational design of materials for controlling nucleation from solution.
Space Charge Effects Due to Near Contact Non-Uniform Electric Fields in Semi-Insulating GaAs

Variable length semi-insulating GaAs p + -υ-n + diodes are used to investigate the influence of near contact electric field non-uniformities on the injection of minority carriers. The results show that despite the presence of highly linear IV characteristics, significant nonuniformities in the electric field dominate the device response. The current density through the device is shown to depend on the device length with a power law J ∞ (L) 1.0 at a constant bias. The experimental results are compared, with good agreement, to a theoretical model which treats semi-insulating GaAs as a trap-dominated relaxation semiconductor. Electroabsorption measurements are used to observe the slow transients associated with the appearance of near contact field nonuniformities.
Structure and Electrochemistry of Novel Silver Metal Oxyfluoride Perovskite: Cathode Materials for High Volumetric Energy Storage

A novel electroactive nanostructured silver molybdenum oxyfluoride (SMOF) perovskite was successfully synthesized via mechanochemistry through the use of AgFx and MoO3. The structure of the SMOF perovskite has been examined utilizing X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and elemental analysis. The SMOF perovskite exhibited a very good electrochemical activity. A detailed in-situ electrochemical study by XRD and XAS was carried out. Finally, preliminary work on fabrication of a metallic Ag2F phase and optimization of the rate capability of SMOF perovskite is presented.
Antisense DNA Delivery In Vivo: Liver Targeting by Receptor-Mediated Uptake

UNLABELLED Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides coupled to asialoglycoprotein carrier molecules were evaluated in terms of their ability to accumulate preferentially in the liver and thus potentially serve as an important method to regulate liver gene expression. METHODS Native and asialo-human alpha-1 acid glycoproteins were derivatized with low molecular weight poly(L)lysine and complexed with an antisense DNA (67 mer) complementary to the 5' end of rat serum albumin mRNA. The asialoglycoprotein antisense complex (conjugate) was characterized with respect to size, stability, and anti-sense loading, and the biodistribution of the conjugate was determined for normal rats at 5 min and 1, 6, and 24 hr after intravenous injection. In vivo stability of the anti-sense asialoglycoprotein complex was also evaluated using double-labeled (32P-antisense and 3H-glycoprotein) preparations. RESULTS The results of the conjugate characterization studies demonstrated that at least 30% of the anti-sense DNA dissociated from the carrier after 7 min under chromatographic conditions. When the conjugate was incubated with PBS, MEM or MEM plus 10% FBS for 1 hr at 37 degrees C, about 85% of the antisense DNA was dissociated from the carrier. The results of the biodistribution studies showed that the accumulation of the asialo-glycoprotein anti-sense complex in the liver was rapid and greatly exceeded the accumulation of the sialo-glycoprotein antisense analog or antisense alone. CONCLUSION These findings have significant implications for the targeted delivery of therapeutic antisense molecules to the liver.
103 NUCLEOTIDE SUBSTITUTION OF INTRON 1 OF MATURITY-ONSET DIABETES OF YOUTH (MODY)-3 ASSOCIATED WITH SITUS INVERSUS AND ABNORMAL PANCREATIC ANATOMY

Purpose To present the clinical presentation and evaluation of a patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), possible MODY-3, and a protuberant abdomen. Methods Case report. Results This black female presented with DM at age 12.6 years with a history of polydipsia. Her mother had diabetes “requiring insulin” and the paternal grandmother had probable type 2 diabetes. The patient had obesity (BMI = 32.9 kg/m2), elevated fasting insulin level of 36 μIU/mL (with concomitant glucose of 184 mg/dL), and negative pancreatic antibodies. She was diagnosed with type 2 DM and metformin, 500 mg twice daily, was started. There was sporadic follow-up. The HbA1c ranged from 5.4-6.6% during the first 26 months after diagnosis but had increased to 12.2% six months later. A thiazoladinedione was added but HbA1c remained elevated. Insulin was added. There was poor compliance with all medications and inconsistent adult supervision. She had oligomenorrhea with increased abdominal girth; β-hCG—was negative. CT of the abdomen and small bowel barium study confirmed abdominal situs inversus (right-sided: stomach, small bowel, and multiple splenic masses; left-sided: liver and gallbladder; midline: ascending colon and cecum) and a globular pancreas with a truncated body and tail. Oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT; 1.75 g/kg to a maximum of 75 g) showed peak glucose and insulin levels of 361 mg/dL and 20.2 μIU/mL, respectively. MODY-3 genetic analysis (Esoterix Laboratory Service, Inc.) demonstrated a novel, heterozygous nucleotide cytosine to adenine substitution at position +20 of intron 1. In addition, she had two other previously described variants in exons 1 and 4 of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-α gene, but which are thought not to have clinical significance. Discussion While certainly measurable, the insulin level during the OGTT seemed inappropriately low for the degree of hyperglycemia, which suggests limited β cell function. Negative pancreatic antibodies mitigate against type 1A diabetes. Conclusion We present an unusual case of type 2 DM with a novel mutation at +20 of intron 1of the MODY-3 gene associated with abdominal situs inversus, polysplenism, and truncated pancreatic anatomy. While there may not be a causal link, mutations within introns, such as the one we identified in the MODY-3 gene, can lead to alterations in mRNA splicing that affect gene function. Gene product analysis has not yet been performed. Complete MODY-3 analysis on the mother remains pending.
Diagnosis of active tuberculosis disease: From microscopy to molecular techniques

Methods used for the laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis are continually evolving in order to achieve more rapid, less expensive, and accurate results. Acid-fast staining and culture for mycobacteria remain at the core of any diagnostic algorithm. Following growth in culture, molecular technologies such as nucleic acid hybridization probes, MALDI-TOF MS, and DNA sequencing may be used for definitive species identification. Nucleic acid amplification methods allow for the direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex within respiratory specimens without relying on culture growth, leading to more rapid diagnoses and appropriate patient care.
Quantitative (Spectral) Analysis of Continuous EEG for Prognostication in Post Cardiac Arrest Coma (P4.074)

OBJECTIVE To determine whether quantitative (spectral) analysis of continuous electroencephalography (EEG) predicts long-term neurological outcome in coma from cardiac arrest. BACKGROUND Up to 80[percnt] of patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest remain in a coma. The ability to predict their long-term neurological recovery is limited. New treatment regimens mean that previously validated prognostic indicators may no longer be applicable. Qualitative EEG is used to detect neurophysiological abnormalities such as seizures following hypoxic-ischemic injury from cardiac arrest. Such qualitative EEG findings have been shown to correlate with long-term clinical outcome but are confounded by subjective (visual) interpretation. In contrast, quantitative EEG (qEEG) may facilitate more objective and robust outcome prediction. DESIGN/METHODS Ten patients in coma after cardiac arrest (18-65 years; 9 males) were included in the study. Mean age was 49.6 years. Continuous EEG was included for up to the first 72 hours of recording. Spectral analysis was conducted on 5-minute EEG epochs (great majority were contiguous; no or minimal artifact) from each hour. Delta (δ, 1-4Hz), theta (θ, 4-8Hz), alpha (α, 8-13Hz), beta (β, 13-20Hz), and total (1-30Hz) spectral power, as well as α/δ power ratio, and burst suppression ratio were calculated for each of the epochs as quantitative representations of EEG for that hour. Long-term clinical outcome was dichotomized according to mortality from neurological cause. RESULTS qEEG patterns with relatively high or increasing power over time or large power variability were associated with good outcome (n=6). Conversely, qEEG patterns with consistently low or decreasing power or minimal power variability were associated with poor outcome (n=4). CONCLUSIONS Quantitative (spectral) analysis of continuous EEG is a potential tool for predicting long-term neurological outcome in patients with post-cardiac arrest coma. Disclosure: Dr. Wiley has received research support from Amgen Scholars and Semiconductor Research Corporation. Dr. Razavi has received stock options from Ceribell for consulting. Dr. Hirsch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Meador has received personal compensation for activities with Eisai, GW Pharmaceuticals, Supernus, Upsher-Smith Laboratories, and UCB Pharma as a consultant. Dr. Meador has received research support from UCB Pharma.
A Map Algorithm For Transmission Computed Tomography

This paper derives an iterative MAP (Maximum A Posterior0 algorithm to reconstruct the transmission image. The a priori information is the known attenuation coefficients of tissues at a particular energy window. The objective function to be minimized consists of the negative of the log likelihood and a penalty function. The likelihood function uses Poisson distribution. The penalty function encourages the unknowns (i.e., the estimated linear attenuation coefficients) to converge to the known linear coefficients of lungs, soft tissue. or bone. A modified steepest descent technique is used to minimized the objective function. A median filter is embedded within the algorithm to reduce the noise. The detector trajectory is used to estimate a bite support of the image. The pixel values outside the suppart are set to zero and are not used in the algorithm. We have tested this algorithm with computer generated data and patient data, which are truncated. A SPECT system with a fanbeam collimator and a Tc-99m line sowe are used to acquire the patient projection data. We have also compared the reconstructions with and without the a priori information.
G-quadruplex oligonucleotide AS1411 as a cancer-targeting agent: Uses and mechanisms.

Abstract Background AS1411 is a 26-mer G-rich DNA oligonucleotide that forms a variety of G-quadruplex structures. It was identified based on its cancer-selective antiproliferative activity and subsequently determined to be an aptamer to nucleolin, a multifunctional protein that preferentially binds quadruplex nucleic acids and which is present at high levels on the surface of cancer cells. AS1411 has exceptionally efficient cellular internalization compared to non-quadruplex DNA sequences. Scope of review Recent developments related to AS1411 will be examined, with a focus on its use for targeted delivery of therapeutic and imaging agents. Major conclusions Numerous research groups have used AS1411 as a targeting agent to deliver nanoparticles, oligonucleotides, and small molecules into cancer cells. Studies in animal models have demonstrated that AS1411-linked materials can accumulate selectively in tumors following systemic administration. The mechanism underlying the cancer-targeting ability of AS1411 is not completely understood, but recent studies suggest a model that involves: (1) initial uptake by macropinocytosis, a form of endocytosis prevalent in cancer cells; (2) stimulation of macropinocytosis by a nucleolin-dependent mechanism resulting in further uptake; and (3) disruption of nucleolin-mediated trafficking and efflux leading to cargoes becoming trapped inside cancer cells. Significance Human trials have indicated that AS1411 is safe and can induce durable remissions in a few patients, but new strategies are needed to maximize its clinical impact. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which AS1411 targets and kills cancer cells may hasten the development of promising technologies using AS1411-linked nanoparticles or conjugates for cancer-targeted therapy and imaging. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "G-quadruplex" Guest Editor: Dr. Concetta Giancola and Dr. Daniela Montesarchio.
Use of Radiocontrast Agents in CKD and ESRD.

Contrast exposure in a population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires additional consideration given the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after exposure to iodinated contrast as well as systemic injury with exposure to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA). Strategies to avoid CIN, and manage patients after exposure, including extracorporeal removal of contrast media, may differ among an advanced CKD population as compared to a general population. There is strong evidence to support the use of isotonic volume expansion and the lowest dose of low-osmolar or iso-osmolar contrast media possible to decrease CIN. The current literature on other newer prophylactic strategies such as statins, remote ischemic preconditioning, discontinuation of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, and RenalGuard is limited thus these strategies cannot currently be recommended as routine prophylaxis for CIN. The use of extracorporeal removal of contrast agents as prophylaxis to reduce CIN has been the subject of multiple studies; however, data do not support a beneficial effect in reduction in CIN. Immediate removal of contrast by dialysis in a maintenance dialysis population is also not recommended, unless an individual's cardiopulmonary status is dependent on strict volume management. In patients with reduced renal function, GCBA exposure increases the risk of NSF. In patients with AKI, CKD stage 3 or greater (eGFR <30 ml/minute/1.73 m2), or patients on dialysis, we do not recommend the use of GBCA and alternative imaging modalities should be considered. If patients absolutely need magnetic resonance imaging with GBCA, we recommend the use of the lowest dose possible of the newer macrocylic, ionic agents (gadoterate meglumine) as well as immediate postprocedural HD in patients already on HD or peritoneal dialysis or with stage 5 CKD and with a functioning dialysis access already in place.
Behavior of Hourly Spot Prices

The hourly spot price for electric energy is the foundation of our approach to an energy marketplace. This chapter provides a review of hourly spot price concepts. Mathematical details can be found in Part II. The Annotated Bibliography contains an extensive list of references and discusses their contents.
Transcription Factors in Eosinophil Development and As Therapeutic Targets

Dynamic gene expression is a major regulatory mechanism that directs hematopoietic cell fate and differentiation, including eosinophil-lineage commitment and eosinophil differentiation. Though GATA-1 is well established as a critical transcription factor for eosinophil development, delineating the transcriptional networks that regulate eosinophil development at homeostasis and in inflammatory states is not complete. Yet, recent advances in molecular experimental tools using purified eosinophil developmental stages have led to identifying new regulators of gene expression during eosinophil development. Herein, recent studies that have provided new insight into the mechanisms of gene regulation during eosinophil-lineage commitment and eosinophil differentiation are reviewed. A model is described wherein distinct classes of transcription factors work together via collaborative and hierarchical interactions to direct eosinophil development. In addition, the therapeutic potential for targeting transcription factors to regulate eosinophil production is discussed. Understanding how specific signals direct distinct patterns of gene expression required for the specialized functions of eosinophils will likely lead to new targets for therapeutic intervention.
Cardiovascular Effects of the MEK Inhibitor, Trametinib: A Case Report, Literature Review, and Consideration of Mechanism

The MEK inhibitor trametinib was approved in 2013 for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600E mutation, the most common pathogenic mutation in melanoma. Trametinib blocks activation of ERK1/2, inhibiting cell proliferation in melanoma. ERK1/2 also protects against multiple types of cardiac insult in mouse models. Trametinib improves survival in melanoma patients, but evidence of unanticipated cardiotoxicity is emerging. Here we describe the case of a patient with metastatic melanoma who developed acute systolic heart failure after trametinib treatment and present the results of the literature review prompted by this case. A patient with no cardiac history presented with a 6.5-mm skin lesion and was found to have metastatic BRAF V600E melanoma. Combination treatment with trametinib and the BRAF inhibitor, dabrafenib, was initiated. The patient’s pre-treatment ejection fraction was 55–60%. His EF declined after 13 days and that was 40% 1 month after treatment. Two months after initiating trametinib, he developed dyspnea and fatigue. We conducted a chart review in the electronic medical record. We conducted a PubMed search using trametinib/adverse effects AND (“heart failure” OR “left ventricular dysfunction” OR hypertension OR cardiotoxicity OR mortality). We also queried the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System for reports of cardiomyopathy, ejection fraction decrease, and left ventricular dysfunction associated with trametinib between January 1, 2013, and July 20, 2017. The literature search retrieved 19 articles, including clinical trials and case reports. Early clinical experience with the MEK inhibitor trametinib suggests that its clinical efficacy may be compromised by cardiotoxicity. Further studies in humans and animals are required to determine the extent of this adverse effect, as well as its underlying mechanisms.
Apoptosis leads to photoreceptor degeneration in inherited retinal dystrophy of RCS rats.

PURPOSE To determine the pathogenetic mechanism of photoreceptor cell degeneration in the inherited retinal dystrophy in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. METHODS The dystrophic retinas of the pink-eyed RCS (RCS-rdy-p) rats were examined for DNA fragmentation by agarose gel electrophoresis of retinal DNA and by TdT-mediated biotin-dUDP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) in paraffin sections. Rats ranging in age from 3 to 60 days were examined. RESULTS Agarose gel electrophoresis of retinal DNA isolated from animals 25, 30, 35, and 40 days old showed a ladder pattern of degradation with bands corresponding to multiples of 180 to 200 base pair subunits. TUNEL study showed increasing labeling of photoreceptor cells with progression of the retinal dystrophy of the RCS rats. CONCLUSIONS Apoptosis is the dominant mechanism of photoreceptor degeneration in the RCS rat, which has a genetic defect in the phagocytic activity of retinal pigment epithelium. The onset of the degeneration appeared to vary between rod cells in the different regions of the eye.
TRIP-1 in the extracellular matrix promotes nucleation of calcium phosphate polymorphs.

In search for bone and dentin extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, transforming growth factor beta receptor II interacting protein 1 (TRIP-1) was identified as a novel protein synthesized by osteob...
Vegetative Flat Dryland Rhombic Pattern Formation Driven by Root Suction

A rhombic planform nonlinear cross-diffusive instability analysis is applied to an interaction-diffusion plant-ground water model system in an arid flat environment containing a root suction effect. A threshold-dependent paradigm is introduced to interpret stable rhombic patterns driven by this plant root suction effect in the ground water equation. The results of that analysis are represented by plots in a root suction coefficient versus rainfall rate dimensionless parameter space. From those plots regions corresponding to bare ground and vegetative patterns consisting of isolated patches, rhombic arrays of pseudo-spots or -gaps separated by an intermediate rectangular state, and homogeneous distributions from low to high density are identified in this parameter space. Then that morphological sequence, produced upon traversing an experimentally determined root suction characteristic curve, is compared with observational evidence relevant to the occurrence of leopard, pearled, or labyrinthine-type tiger bush, used to motivate an aridity classification scheme, and compared with some recent nonlinear vegetative pattern formation studies. There are four problems: The first two fill in some details of this analysis while the last two examine critical conditions for the onset of instability for a related vegetation model and rhombic pattern formation for an ion-sputtered solid surface erosion model.
Research Ethics and Statistics

At first glance it may seem that statistics and research ethics have nothing to do with each other. Not so! Consider why so many people volunteer for medical research studies. In many cases it is because there is an expected benefit. For example, in cancer clinical trials often the investigational drug is a last hope and may not be available outside of the trial. In many cardiovascular disease studies, participants appreciate the additional care and attention and are willing to try a new drug, for example, for hypertension. And in fact, it has been shown that often, clinical trial participants live longer and do better than the general population even if they are treated with a placebo. But what is perhaps not sufficiently appreciated is that many, many people participate in studies out of altruism to advance scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge is not advanced when a study is poorly designed, or carried out without sufficient rigor, or not large enough to give an answer. Proper statistics are a determinant of the ethics of a study.
Logistic Model Case Study 1: Predicting Cause of Death

Consider the randomized trial of estrogen for treatment of prostate cancer60 described in Chapter 8. In this trial, larger doses of estrogen reduced the effect of prostate cancer but at the cost of increased risk of cardiovascular death. Kay233 did a formal analysis of the competing risks for cancer, cardiovascular, and other deaths. It can also be quite informative to study how treatment and baseline variables relate to the cause of death for those patients who died.258 We subset the original dataset of those patients dying from prostate cancer (n = 130), heart or vascular disease (n = 96), or cerebrovascular disease (n = 31). Our goal is to predict cardiovascular death (cvd, n = 127) given the patient died from either cvd or prostate cancer. Of interest is whether the time to death has an effect on the cause of death, and whether the importance of certain variables depends on the time of death. We also need to formally test whether the data reductions and pretransformations in Chapter 8 are adequate for predicting cause of death.
Algorithm-Based Fault Tolerance for Combinational Systems

Modular redundancy schemes are attractive because they are universally applicable and can be implemented without having to develop explicit fault models. Their major drawback is that they can be prohibitively expensive due to the overhead of replicating the hardware. Arithmetic coding and algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT) schemes partially overcome this problem by offering sufficient fault coverage while making more efficient use of redundancy. This comes at the cost of narrower applicability and harder design. In fact, the main task in arithmetic coding and ABFT schemes is the development of appropriate fault models and the recognition of the structural features that make a particular computation or algorithm amenable to efficient utilization of redundancy. A variety of useful results and constructive procedures for systematically achieving this goal have been obtained for computations that take place in an abelian group or in a semigroup. This chapter reviews work on arithmetic codes and ABFT, and describes a systematic approach for protecting combinational systems whose functionality possesses certain algebraic structure.
Molecular Prognostic Markers of Lung Cancer

Many biomarkers have been reported to be independent prognostic factors in patients with lung cancer. KRAS mutations have been frequently associated with negative prognosis, although recent adjuvant chemotherapy trials filed to demonstrate prognostic role of KRAS. Prognostic significance of ERCC1 is controversial, and IALT showed prolonged survival in ERCC1-negative tumors treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Numerous gene expression studies have reported prognostic gene expression signatures, although reported data are very heterogenous. The most cited prognostic signatures include a 5-gene signature with DUSP6 (dual-specificity phosphatase 6), MMD (monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation-associated protein), STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1), ERBB3 (v-erb b2 avian erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 3), and LCK (lymphocyte specific protein tyrosine kinase) at the most significant prognostic genes in surgically resected NSCLC. The lung metagene model identified key metagenes such as BRAF, phosphatidylinositol 3′ quinase, TP53, and MYC signaling pathways as predictor of recurrence in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. A 50-gene signature separated patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma into low- and high-risk, and predicted survival. Recently, miRNA, a family of small, noncoding functional RNAs, was indicated as a potential prognostic marker. High hsa-mir-155 and low hsa-let-7a-2 expression correlated with poor survival in lung adenocarcinoma. Patients with a high expression of a signature of 5 miRNAs (let-7a, miR-221, miR-137, miR-372, miR-182) had increased relapse rate and shorter survival.
Diversity and Permeability in Transnational Governance

Part of a larger book-length project on globalization and international law (forthcoming in 2008), this article challenges the claims made by those who argue that traditional nation-States are becoming increasingly irrelevant as international legal actors. This has become a major theme of discussion about plural governance in a decentralized world and the changing role of the nation-State system as the defining characteristic of a traditional global order. The article fully surveys the diverse set of actors in transnational governance. It concludes that while new, non-State actors have emerged in importance on the international legal scene over the past few decades - giving rise to the emergence of disciplined market-State institutions or liberal cosmopolitan transnational networks - the continued influence of nation-States on the levers of international law-making and transnational governance seems to be undoubted. The article's second focus of analysis is the permeability of governance mechanisms in the global legal order. Many aspects of the porosity of contemporary transnational governance are attributable to the manifest influences of globalizing trends. Among these are the re-emergence of private-ordering mechanisms and customs among international economic actors (a new lex mercatoria), as well as the extraterritorial application of domestic laws, and the availability of legal recourse from national to international regulatory and dispute-settlement mechanisms. Perhaps most significant of all is the structuring of a new global regulatory order, and the relevant considerations which are being marshaled in the fashioning of novel solutions to problems of transnational governance. The overall picture is that the processes of globalization interact and influence trends in transnational governance in surprising, and sometimes counter-intuitive, ways.
Advancing Critical Thinking Through Learning Issues in Problem-Based Learning.

Health professions educators are increasingly urged to use learning designs that promote critical thinking and the development of interpersonal competencies. Problem-based learning (PBL) has a long, albeit contested, history as a collaborative and deep think-aloud process that participants use to reach conclusions about medical cases. In order to make progress, participants must assess what they do not know and what they must learn in order to continue. Answering these learning issues (LI) requires self-direction and cognitive presence. This study analyzes the discussions that participants used in the reporting phase of the LI process in an 8-week PBL module on cardiac-renal systems. Data were drawn from 10 class sessions and analyzed for critical thinking using a model based on Garrison and Newman et al. Participants at first presented LI reports didactically but over time initiated active learning strategies. The findings indicate large increases in the numbers of LI reports in which participants engaged in collaborative thinking. There were also large increases in the amount of time devoted to critical thinking as participants aligned the LI process more closely with the intent of PBL. Participants’ identity development as experts also underwent changes and the fluidity of the expert roles increased. Thoughtful design of the LI process can help learners develop the habitus of self-direction and collaborative critical thinking that they need in order to develop clinical reasoning.
Comparison of Incumbent User Privacy Preserving Technologies in Database Driven Dynamic Spectrum Access Systems

Database driven dynamic spectrum sharing is one of the most promising dynamic spectrum access (DSA) solution to address the spectrum scarcity issue. In such a database driven DSA system, the centralized spectrum management infrastructure, called spectrum access system (SAS), makes its spectrum allocation decisions to secondary users (SUs) according to sensitive operational data of incumbent users (IUs). Since both SAS and SUs are not necessarily fully trusted, privacy protection against untrusted SAS and SUs become critical for IUs that have high operational privacy requirements. To address this problem, many IU privacy preserving solutions emerge recently. However, there is a lack of understanding and comparison of capability in protecting IU operational privacy under these existing approaches. In this paper, thus, we fill in the void by providing a comparative study that investigates existing solutions and explores several existing metrics to evaluate the strength of privacy protection. Moreover, we propose two general metrics to evaluate privacy preserving level and evaluate existing works with them.
Resource optimized quantum architectures for surface code implementations of magic-state distillation

Abstract Quantum computers capable of solving classically intractable problems are under construction, and intermediate-scale devices are approaching completion. Current efforts to design large-scale devices require allocating immense resources to error correction, with the majority dedicated to the production of high-fidelity ancillary states known as magic-states. Leading techniques focus on dedicating a large, contiguous region of the processor as a single “magic-state distillation factory” responsible for meeting the magic-state demands of applications. In this work we design and analyze a set of optimized factory architectural layouts that divide a single factory into spatially distributed factories located throughout the processor. We find that distributed factory architectures minimize the space-time volume overhead imposed by distillation. Additionally, we find that the number of distributed components in each optimal configuration is sensitive to application characteristics and underlying physical device error rates. More specifically, we find that the rate at which T-gates are demanded by an application has a significant impact on the optimal distillation architecture. We develop an optimization procedure that discovers the optimal number of factory distillation rounds and number of output magic states per factory, as well as an overall system architecture that interacts with the factories. This yields between a 10x and 20x resource reduction compared to commonly accepted single factory designs. Performance is analyzed across representative application classes such as quantum simulation and quantum chemistry.