79 research outputs found
Overcoming Administrative, Procedural and Evidentiary Hurdles in Ponzi Scheme Litigation
The unfortunate reality that comes with a Ponzi scheme case in bankruptcy is a mass of deceived unsecured creditors clamoring for their money back, and few, if any, present assets within the bankruptcy estate with which to pay them. The sheer size of most Ponzi schemes cases necessarily presents unique evidentiary, procedural and administrative challenges to professionals seeking to sort out the failed Ponzi enterprise. Ponzi scheme cases are riddled with litigation, which generally falls into four categories: (1) litigation against the Ponzi scheme operator(s), (2) litigation against parties who enabled the scheme to continue (such as professionals), (3) litigation to recover assets (such as legitimate accounts receivable or proceeds from the sale of property), and (4) avoidance actions against those who received property from the Ponzi scheme. This fourth category (and sometimes the third) may involve hundreds of defendants, who may be located throughout the country (or even the world).
This Article provides strategic suggestions and practical applications for Ponzi scheme litigation, including filing a procedures motion, seeking substantive or administrative consolidation, and utilizing and overcoming evidentiary hurdles.
Cite as 42 Golden Gate U. L. Rev. 641 (2012)
Testing the Prognostic Accuracy of the Updated Pediatric Sepsis Biomarker Risk Model
Background
We previously derived and validated a risk model to estimate mortality probability in children with septic shock (PERSEVERE; PEdiatRic SEpsis biomarkEr Risk modEl). PERSEVERE uses five biomarkers and age to estimate mortality probability. After the initial derivation and validation of PERSEVERE, we combined the derivation and validation cohorts (nâ=â355) and updated PERSEVERE. An important step in the development of updated risk models is to test their accuracy using an independent test cohort.
Objective
To test the prognostic accuracy of the updated version PERSEVERE in an independent test cohort.
Methods
Study subjects were recruited from multiple pediatric intensive care units in the United States. Biomarkers were measured in 182 pediatric subjects with septic shock using serum samples obtained during the first 24 hours of presentation. The accuracy of PERSEVERE 28-day mortality risk estimate was tested using diagnostic test statistics, and the net reclassification improvement (NRI) was used to test whether PERSEVERE adds information to a physiology-based scoring system.
Results
Mortality in the test cohort was 13.2%. Using a risk cut-off of 2.5%, the sensitivity of PERSEVERE for mortality was 83% (95% CI 62â95), specificity was 75% (68â82), positive predictive value was 34% (22â47), and negative predictive value was 97% (91â99). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.81 (0.70â0.92). The false positive subjects had a greater degree of organ failure burden and longer intensive care unit length of stay, compared to the true negative subjects. When adding PERSEVERE to a physiology-based scoring system, the net reclassification improvement was 0.91 (0.47â1.35; p<0.001).
Conclusions
The updated version of PERSEVERE estimates mortality probability reliably in a heterogeneous test cohort of children with septic shock and provides information over and above a physiology-based scoring system
Differential expression of the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial transcriptome in pediatric septic shock
Identification of a 4-microRNA Signature for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastasis and Prognosis
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis portends a poor prognosis and cannot be reliably predicted. Early determination of the metastatic potential of RCC may help guide proper treatment. We analyzed microRNA (miRNA) expression in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) for the purpose of developing a miRNA expression signature to determine the risk of metastasis and prognosis. We used the microarray technology to profile miRNA expression of 78 benign kidney and ccRCC samples. Using 28 localized and metastatic ccRCC specimens as the training cohort and the univariate logistic regression and risk score methods, we developed a miRNA signature model in which the expression levels of miR-10b, miR-139-5p, miR-130b and miR-199b-5p were used to determine the status of ccRCC metastasis. We validated the signature in an independent 40-sample testing cohort of different stages of primary ccRCCs using the microarray data. Within the testing cohort patients who had at least 5 years follow-up if no metastasis developed, the signature showed a high sensitivity and specificity. The risk status was proven to be associated with the cancer-specific survival. Using the most stably expressed miRNA among benign and tumorous kidney tissue as the internal reference for normalization, we successfully converted his signature to be a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based assay, which showed the same high sensitivity and specificity. The 4-miRNA is associated with ccRCC metastasis and prognosis. The signature is ready for and will benefit from further large clinical cohort validation and has the potential for clinical application
Preclinical Models for Neuroblastoma: Establishing a Baseline for Treatment
Preclinical models of pediatric cancers are essential for testing new chemotherapeutic combinations for clinical trials. The most widely used genetic model for preclinical testing of neuroblastoma is the TH-MYCN mouse. This neuroblastoma-prone mouse recapitulates many of the features of human neuroblastoma. Limitations of this model include the low frequency of bone marrow metastasis, the lack of information on whether the gene expression patterns in this system parallels human neuroblastomas, the relatively slow rate of tumor formation and variability in tumor penetrance on different genetic backgrounds. As an alternative, preclinical studies are frequently performed using human cell lines xenografted into immunocompromised mice, either as flank implant or orthtotopically. Drawbacks of this system include the use of cell lines that have been in culture for years, the inappropriate microenvironment of the flank or difficult, time consuming surgery for orthotopic transplants and the absence of an intact immune system.Here we characterize and optimize both systems to increase their utility for preclinical studies. We show that TH-MYCN mice develop tumors in the paraspinal ganglia, but not in the adrenal, with cellular and gene expression patterns similar to human NB. In addition, we present a new ultrasound guided, minimally invasive orthotopic xenograft method. This injection technique is rapid, provides accurate targeting of the injected cells and leads to efficient engraftment. We also demonstrate that tumors can be detected, monitored and quantified prior to visualization using ultrasound, MRI and bioluminescence. Finally we develop and test a "standard of care" chemotherapy regimen. This protocol, which is based on current treatments for neuroblastoma, provides a baseline for comparison of new therapeutic agents.The studies suggest that use of both the TH-NMYC model of neuroblastoma and the orthotopic xenograft model provide the optimal combination for testing new chemotherapies for this devastating childhood cancer
Shape description and matching using integral invariants on eccentricity transformed images
Matching occluded and noisy shapes is a problem frequently encountered in medical image analysis and more generally in computer vision. To keep track of changes inside the breast, for example, it is important for a computer aided detection system to establish correspondences between regions of interest. Shape transformations, computed both with integral invariants (II) and with geodesic distance, yield signatures that are invariant to isometric deformations, such as bending and articulations. Integral invariants describe the boundaries of planar shapes. However, they provide no information about where a particular feature lies on the boundary with regard to the overall shape structure. Conversely, eccentricity transforms (Ecc) can match shapes by signatures of geodesic distance histograms based on information from inside the shape; but they ignore the boundary information. We describe a method that combines the boundary signature of a shape obtained from II and structural information from the Ecc to yield results that improve on them separately
FOXP3 Expression Is Upregulated in CD4+T Cells in Progressive HIV-1 Infection and Is a Marker of Disease Severity
Understanding the role of different classes of T cells during HIV infection is critical to determining which responses correlate with protective immunity. To date, it is unclear whether alterations in regulatory T cell (Treg) function are contributory to progression of HIV infection.FOXP3 expression was measured by both qRT-PCR and by flow cytometry in HIV-infected individuals and uninfected controls together with expression of CD25, GITR and CTLA-4. Cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 and cell proliferation was assessed by CFSE dilution.HIV infected individuals had significantly higher frequencies of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells (median of 8.11%; range 1.33%-26.27%) than healthy controls (median 3.72%; range 1.3-7.5%; P = 0.002), despite having lower absolute counts of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells. There was a significant positive correlation between the frequency of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells and viral load (rho = 0.593 P = 0.003) and a significant negative correlation with CD4 count (rho = -0.423 P = 0.044). 48% of our patients had CD4 counts below 200 cells/microl and these patients showed a marked elevation of FOXP3 percentage (median 10% range 4.07%-26.27%). Assessing the mechanism of increased FOXP3 frequency, we found that the high FOXP3 levels noted in HIV infected individuals dropped rapidly in unstimulated culture conditions but could be restimulated by T cell receptor stimulation. This suggests that the high FOXP3 expression in HIV infected patients is likely due to FOXP3 upregulation by individual CD4(+) T cells following antigenic or other stimulation.FOXP3 expression in the CD4(+) T cell population is a marker of severity of HIV infection and a potential prognostic marker of disease progression
Civil society leadership in the struggle for AIDS treatment in South Africa and Uganda
Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.This thesis is an attempt to theorise and operationalise empirically the notion of âcivil society leadershipâ in Sub-Saharan Africa. âAIDS leadership,â which is associated with the intergovernmental institutions charged with coordinating the global response to HIV/AIDS, is both under-theorised and highly context-specific. In this study I therefore opt for an inclusive framework that draws on a range of approaches, including the literature on âleadershipâ, institutions, social movements and the ânetworkâ perspective on civil society mobilisation. This framework is employed in rich and detailed empirical descriptions (âthick descriptionâ) of civil society mobilisation around AIDS, including contentious AIDS activism, in the key case studies of South Africa and Uganda. South Africa and Uganda are widely considered key examples of poor and good leadership (from national political leaders) respectively, while the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) are both seen as highly effective civil society movements. These descriptions emphasise âtransnational networks of influenceâ in which civil society leaders participated (and at times actively constructed) in order to mobilise both symbolic and material resources aimed at exerting influence at the transnational, national and local levels
Micromechanical Properties of Injection-Molded StarchâWood Particle Composites
The micromechanical properties of injection molded starchâwood particle composites were investigated as a function of particle content and humidity conditions.
The composite materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The microhardness
of the composites was shown to increase notably with the concentration of the wood particles. In addition,creep behavior under the indenter and temperature dependence
were evaluated in terms of the independent contribution of the starch matrix and the wood microparticles to the hardness value. The influence of drying time on the density
and weight uptake of the injection-molded composites was highlighted. The results revealed the role of the mechanism of water evaporation, showing that the dependence of water uptake and temperature was greater for the starchâwood composites than for the pure starch sample. Experiments performed during the drying process at 70°C indicated that
the wood in the starch composites did not prevent water loss from the samples.Peer reviewe
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