Nonclassical paths in the recurrence spectrum of diamagnetic atoms

Using time-independent scattering matrices, we study how the effects of nonclassical paths on the recurrence spectra of diamagnetic atoms can be extracted from purely quantal calculations. This study reveals an intimate relationship between two types of nonclassical paths: exotic ghost orbits and diffractive orbits. This relationship proves to be a previously unrecognized reason for the success of semiclassical theories, like closed-orbit theory, and permits a comprehensive reformulation of the semiclassical theory that elucidates its convergence properties.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Pulmonary drug delivery of antimicrobials and anticancer drugs using solid dispersions

It is well established that currently available inhaled drug formulations are associated with extremely low lung deposition. Currently available technologies alleviate this low deposition problem via mixing the drug with inert larger particles, such as lactose monohydrate. Those inert particles are retained in the inhalation device or impacted in the throat and swallowed, allowing the smaller drug particles to continue their journey towards the lungs. While this seems like a practical approach, in some formulations, the ratio between the carrier to drug particles can be as much as 30 to 1. This limitation becomes more critical when treating lung conditions that inherently require large doses of the drug, such as antibiotics and antivirals that treat lung infections and anticancer drugs. The focus of this review article is to review the recent advancements in carrier free technologies that are based on coamorphous solid dispersions and cocrystals that can improve flow properties, and help with delivering larger doses of the drug to the lungs

The performance of alternative forecasting methods for SETAR models

We compare a number of methods that have been proposed in the literature for obtaining h-step ahead minimum mean square error forecasts for SETAR models. These forecasts are compared to those from an AR model. The comparison of forecasting methods is made using Monte Carlo simulation. The Monte Carlo method of calculating SETAR forecasts is generally at least as good as that of the other methods we consider. An exception is when the disturbances in the SETAR model come from a highly asymmetric distribution, when a Bootstrap method is to be preferred. An empirical application calculates multi-period forecasts from a SETAR model of US GNP using a number of the forecasting methods. We find that whether there are improvements in forecast performance relative to a linear AR model depends on the historical epoch we select, and whether forecasts are evaluated conditional on the regime the process was in at the time the forecast was made

A fusion of minicircle DNA and nanoparticle delivery technologies facilitates therapeutic genetic engineering of autologous canine olfactory mucosal cells

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) promote axonal regeneration and improve locomotor function when transplanted into the injured spinal cord. A recent clinical trial demonstrated improved motor function in domestic dogs with spinal injury following autologous OEC transplantation. Their utility in canines offers promise for human translation, as dogs are comparable to humans in terms of clinical management and genetic/environmental variation. Moreover, the autologous, minimally invasive derivation of OECs makes them viable for human spinal injury investigation. Genetic engineering of transplant populations may augment their therapeutic potential, but relies heavily on viral methods which have several drawbacks for clinical translation. We present here the first proof that magnetic particles deployed with applied magnetic fields and advanced DNA minicircle vectors can safely bioengineer OECs to secrete a key neurotrophic factor, with an efficiency approaching that of viral vectors. We suggest that our alternative approach offers high translational potential for the delivery of augmented clinical cell therapies

The influence of light on nitrogen cycling and the primary nitrite maximum in a seasonally stratified sea

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Progress In Oceanography 91 (2011): 545–560, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2011.09.001.In the seasonally stratified Gulf of Aqaba Red Sea, both NO2- release by phytoplankton and NH4+ oxidation by nitrifying microbes contributed to the formation of a primary nitrite maximum (PNM) over different seasons and depths in the water column. In the winter and during the days immediately following spring stratification, NO2- formation was strongly correlated (R2=0.99) with decreasing irradiance and chlorophyll, suggesting that incomplete NO3- reduction by light limited phytoplankton was a major source of NO2-. However, as stratification progressed, NO2- continued to be generated below the euphotic depth by microbial NH4+ oxidation, likely due to differential photoinhibition of NH4+ and NO2- oxidizing populations. Natural abundance stable nitrogen isotope analyses revealed a decoupling of the δ15N and δ18O in the combined NO3- and NO2- pool, suggesting that assimilation and nitrification were co-occurring in surface waters. As stratification progressed, the δ15N of particulate N below the euphotic depth increased from -5‰ to up to +20‰. N uptake rates were also influenced by light; based on 15N tracer experiments, assimilation of NO3-, NO2-, and urea was more rapid in the light (434±24, 94±17, and 1194±48 nmol N L-1 day-1 respectively) than in the dark (58±14, 29±14, and 476±31 nmol N L-1 day-1 respectively). Dark NH4+ assimilation was 314±31 nmol N L-1 day-1, while light NH4+ assimilation was much faster, resulting in complete consumption of the 15N spike in less than 7 hour from spike addition. The overall rate of coupled urea mineralization and NH¬4+ oxidation (14.1±7.6 nmol N L-1 day-1) was similar to that of NH¬4+ oxidation alone (16.4±8.1 nmol N L-1 day-1), suggesting that for labile dissolved organic N compounds like urea, mineralization was not a rate limiting step for nitrification. Our results suggest that assimilation and nitrification compete for NH4+ and that N transformation rates throughout the water column are influenced by light over diel and seasonal cycles, allowing phytoplankton and nitrifying microbes to contribute jointly to PNM formation. We identify important factors that influence the N cycle throughout the year, including light intensity, substrate availability, and microbial community structure. These processes could be relevant to other regions worldwide where seasonal variability in mixing depth and stratification influence the contributions of phytoplankton and non-photosynthetic microbes to the N cycle.This research was supported under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Science for Peace Grant SfP 982161 to AP and AFP, a grant from the Koret Foundation to AP, a National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography grant to AP, the Israel Science Foundation grant 135/05 to AFP, and research grant 8330-06 from the Geological Society of America to KRMM

Effect of a Hospital and Postdischarge Quality Improvement Intervention on Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Care for Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: The CONNECT-HF Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance: Adoption of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure is variable. Interventions to improve guideline-directed medical therapy have failed to consistently achieve target metrics, and limited data exist to inform efforts to improve heart failure quality of care. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention compared with usual care on heart failure outcomes and care. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted at 161 US hospitals and included 5647 patients (2675 intervention vs 2972 usual care) followed up after a hospital discharge for acute heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The trial was performed from 2017 to 2020, and the date of final follow-up was August 31, 2020. Interventions: Hospitals (n = 82) randomized to a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention received regular education of clinicians by a trained group of heart failure and quality improvement experts and audit and feedback on heart failure process measures (eg, use of guideline-directed medical therapy for HFrEF) and outcomes. Hospitals (n = 79) randomized to usual care received access to a generalized heart failure education website. Main Outcomes and Measures: The coprimary outcomes were a composite of first heart failure rehospitalization or all-cause mortality and change in an opportunity-based composite score for heart failure quality (percentage of recommendations followed). Results: Among 5647 patients (mean age, 63 years; 33% women; 38% Black; 87% chronic heart failure; 49% recent heart failure hospitalization), vital status was known for 5636 (99.8%). Heart failure rehospitalization or all-cause mortality occurred in 38.6% in the intervention group vs 39.2% in usual care (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.81 to 1.05). The baseline quality-of-care score was 42.1% vs 45.5%, respectively, and the change from baseline to follow-up was 2.3% vs -1.0% (difference, 3.3% [95% CI, -0.8% to 7.3%]), with no significant difference between the 2 groups in the odds of achieving a higher composite quality score at last follow-up (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.93 to 1.21]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with HFrEF in hospitals randomized to a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention vs usual care, there was no significant difference in time to first heart failure rehospitalization or death, or in change in a composite heart failure quality-of-care score. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03035474