This article presents a new device named flexible step-voltage regulator (FSVR) based on a multiwinding transformer for unbalanced distribution networks. While the traditional step-voltage regulator ...(SVR) can be used to control the voltage magnitude only, the proposed device can be used to control both voltage magnitude and phase angle for each phase independently. This allows greater flexibility during voltage control in unbalanced distribution networks. A mathematical model of the FSVR is derived for implementation in unbalanced power flow analysis. Simulation studies for IEEE 13 bus and IEEE 34 bus test networks demonstrate the effectiveness of the FSVR over the traditional SVR in reducing real power losses and voltage imbalance in the distribution network. A scaled-down model of the FSVR is designed in the lab to demonstrate the proof of concept.
Hypertension (HT) and hand-foot skin reactions (HFSR) may be related to the activity of bevacizumab and sorafenib. We hypothesized that these toxicities would correspond to favorable outcome in these ...drugs, that HT and HFSR would coincide, and that VEGFR2 genotypic variation would be related to toxicity and clinical outcomes.
Toxicities (> or = grade 2 HT or HFSR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) following treatment initiation were evaluated. Toxicity incidence and VEGFR2 H472Q and V297I status were compared to clinical outcomes.
Individuals experiencing HT had longer PFS following bevacizumab therapy than those without this toxicity in trials utilizing bevacizumab in patients with prostate cancer (31.5 vs 14.9 months, n = 60, P = 0.0009), and bevacizumab and sorafenib in patients with solid tumors (11.9 vs. 3.7 months, n = 27, P = 0.052). HT was also linked to a > 5-fold OS benefit after sorafenib and bevacizumab cotherapy (5.7 versus 29.0 months, P = 0.0068). HFSR was a marker for prolonged PFS during sorafenib therapy (6.1 versus 3.7 months respectively, n = 113, P = 0.0003). HT was a risk factor for HFSR in patients treated with bevacizumab and/or sorafenib (OR(95%CI) = 3.2(1.5-6.8), P = 0.0024). Carriers of variant alleles at VEGFR2 H472Q experienced greater risk of developing HT (OR(95%CI) = 2.3(1.2 - 4.6), n = 170, P = 0.0154) and HFSR (OR(95%CI) = 2.7(1.3 - 5.6), n = 170, P = 0.0136).
This study suggests that HT and HFSR may be markers for favorable clinical outcome, HT development may be a marker for HFSR, and VEGFR2 alleles may be related to the development of toxicities during therapy with bevacizumab and/or sorafenib.
While disclosing a cancer diagnosis to a patient is common practice, how it is disclosed and the impact it has on the patient are poorly understood. We examined how cancer diagnoses were first given ...to patients and the impact of different aspects of disclosure on patient satisfaction.
We provided a self-administered questionnaire to a total of 460 oncology patients of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) being treated at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD.
Of the 437 patients who completed the survey, 54% were told their diagnosis in-person in the physician's office, 18% by phone, and 28% in the hospital. Forty-four percent of patients reported discussions of 10 minutes or fewer, 53% reported discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes, and 5% could not remember. Treatment options were not discussed for 31% of those who could clearly remember. Higher mean satisfaction scores were associated with diagnoses revealed in person rather than over the phone (68.2 +/- 1.6 v 47.2 +/- 3.7), diagnoses revealed in a personal setting rather than an impersonal setting (68.9 +/- 1.6 v 55.7 +/- 2.8), discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes rather than fewer than 10 minutes (73.5 +/- 1.9 v 54.1 +/- 2.4), and inclusion of treatment options rather than exclusion (72.0 +/- 1.9 v 50.7 +/- 3.2; P < .001 for each aspect).
Physicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.
Purpose We investigated the association between the length of the polymorphic trinucleotide CAG microsatellite repeats in exon 1 of the AR gene and the risk of prostate cancer. Materials and Methods ...This is a nested case-control study of 1,159 cases and 1,353 controls from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, a randomized, placebo controlled trial testing whether the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride could decrease the 7-year prevalence of prostate cancer. During the course of the trial men underwent annual digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen measurement. Prostate biopsy was recommended in all men with abnormal digital rectal examination or finasteride adjusted prostate specific antigen greater than 4.0 ng/ml. Cases were drawn from men with biopsy determined prostate cancer identified by for cause or end of study biopsy. Controls were selected from men who completed the end of study biopsy. Results Mean CAG repeat length did not differ between cases and controls. The frequency distribution of cases and controls for the AR CAG repeat length was similar. There were no significant associations of CAG repeat length with prostate cancer risk when stratified by treatment arm (finasteride or placebo), or when combined. There was also no significant association between CAG repeat length and the risk of low or high grade prostate cancer. Conclusions There is no association of AR CAG repeat length with prostate cancer risk. Knowledge of AR CAG repeat length provides no clinically useful information to predict prostate cancer risk.
A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CYP2C8 (rs1934951), was previously identified in a genome-wide association study as a risk factor for the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in ...patients receiving bisphosphonates (BPs) for multiple myeloma. To determine if the same SNP is also associated with the development of ONJ in men receiving BPs for bone metastases from prostate cancer, we genotyped 100 men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer treated with bisphosphonates for bone metastases, 17 of whom developed ONJ. Important clinical characteristics, including type and duration of bisphosphonate therapy, were consistent among those who developed ONJ and those who did not. We found no significant correlation between the variant allele and the development of ONJ (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.165-2.42, P > 0.47). This intronic SNP in CYP2C8 (rs1934951) does not seem to be a risk factor for the development of bisphosphonate-related ONJ in men with prostate cancer. It is important to note that this is only the second study to investigate the genetics associated with BP-related ONJ and the first to do so in men with prostate cancer. More studies are needed to identify genetic risk factors that may predict the development of this important clinical condition.
The desire of prosumers to participate in the markets has led to the setting up of Decentralized Local Electricity Markets (DLEM). These markets are usually confined to a small geographical location, ...often with a small number of participants. Such markets have very low liquidity for participants to trade, so price discovery becomes a cumbersome process. To solve the issue of market liquidity, this paper introduces a DLEM model where market participants can trade with a Liquidity Pool (LP) created by Energy Storage Units (ESU). The market model provides iteration-free price discovery by using an Automated Market Maker (AMM) protocol, which automatically updates energy price in the LP based on demand–supply balance. The efficiency of AMM is further improved using the concept of concentrated liquidity by restricting the trading range. A network loss compensation method is applied to ensure DLEM transactions do not affect the power contracts already committed. Simulation studies are conducted on IEEE 33 bus and 123 bus distribution networks for various energy demand scenarios to show operation of the proposed market model.
•Automated Market Maker to improve liquidity in decentralized local electricity markets.•Liquidity pool created using energy storage units help prosumers to trade efficiently.•Concentrated liquidity concept used to increase efficiency of liquidity provided by energy storage units.•Network constraints and distribution line losses is considered during validation of each transaction.
Since the 2004 approval of bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that
binds vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), antiangiogenic therapy has been used
to treat selected cancers, including ...colon, non-small cell lung, and breast cancers. In
addition to bevacizumab, the FDA has approved two other antiangiogenic therapies;
sorafenib and sunitinib, both of which are tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target VEGF
receptors, particularly VEGFR2. However, even with the approval of these three drugs,
antiangiogenic therapy has not yet had the impact some have hoped for. Many clinical
benefits are short-lived; while numerous trials have shown an increase in survival in
patients treated with antiangiogenic therapy, the increase for many was a matter of
months.1 While any improvement in overall survival should be regarded as an
accomplishment, it is important to understand why such clinical improvements are
sometimes fleeting so that newer therapies can result in more enduring benefits.
The androgen receptor gene (AR) plays an important role in molecular signaling and regulation and the subsequent cellular growth of prostate cancer. In addition, it is a highly variable region of ...the genome. We used direct nucleotide sequencing to genotype the entire exogenous coding region of the androgen receptor in ten commonly used prostate cancer cell lines. Our analysis confirmed the presence or absence of several known SNPs in the cell lines studied. We also assayed the number of CAG-repeat and GGC-repeat sequences for each for the ten cell lines.
Our analysis identified three new mutations, one each in the DU145, LnCAP, and RWPE-2 cell lines. In DU145, the DNA isolated in our lab was heterozygous at G527G (T>C transition), a polymorphism not previously reported. The LnCAP cells cultured in our lab were found to have a T>C transition (heterozygous), resulting in a S641P change that was not present in the ATCC cell line DNA. Lastly, a homozygous G>T transversion was found in RWPE-2 cells, resulting in the S187I change. This is potentially significant for use in cell culture and future cell model development.
A major challenge for the implementation of local electricity markets (LEM) with small-scale prosumers is to ensure the security and privacy of data. The prosumers will need to reveal their future ...energy usage to the market operator (MO), which is a huge privacy concern. To address this issue, this paper presents a double auction model for local electricity markets, where the MO does not have access to the individual prosumer's bids, ensuring complete privacy for prosumers. The scheme uses Pallier encryption cryptosystem which allows aggregation of prosumer bids without the need for decryption. The MO receives only the aggregated prosumer bids, for implementing the double auction algorithm. The proposed scheme is illustrated through a case study with 15 prosumers in a LEM.
This paper presents a decentralized market model for future distribution networks where small-scale single-phase prosumers participate in the market along with three-phase prosumers. In the proposed ...model, the Energy Storage Units (ESU) make energy commitments for a trading period. The energy commitments along with the money are tokenized to form a liquidity pool. The prosumers located in different phases in the network can trade with this liquidity pool. The concept of Automated Market Maker (AMM) is employed for fast and iteration-free price discovery. The network constraints and distribution line power losses are considered in the model. The operation of the proposed market model is shown on IEEE 13 bus unbalanced distribution network.
PDF
