cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Systemic Inflammatory Response to Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Pathophysiology and Treatment

Exposure of the blood elements to the bioincompatible cardiopulmonary bypass circuit and cardiac and pulmonary reperfusion injury stimulate a systemic and regional inflammatory cascade, which culminates in tissue injury. Invariably, the inflammatory response to bypass affects post-operative management, potentially contributing to morbidity and mortality. Over the last 40 years, our understanding of the inflammatory response to bypass has increased dramatically. This understanding has modified practice and has favorably impacted patient care. In this review, we discuss the pro- and anti-inflammatory response to bypass; the pathophysiology of immune-mediated tissue injury, including the sequelae of reperfusion injury on organ function; and immunomodulatory therapies.
How Voters Decide: Information Processing in Election Campaigns

How Voters Decide: Information Processing in Election Campaigns. By Richard R. Lau and David P. Redlawsk. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 366p. $75.00 cloth, $29.99 paper. Models of voting behavior go a long way toward predicting the choices individuals make in elections. And, for practical purposes, prediction is critical, as it gives us important insight into the potential outcomes that might ensue, given certain conditions. However, research on information processing is increasingly focusing our attention more explicitly on understanding the process by which voters make decisions rather than focusing exclusively on the decisions themselves. This is exactly what Richard Lau and David Redlawsk do in How Voters Decide. This book departs from previous information processing research because not only do the authors propose a comprehensive process-oriented model of voter decision making, but they also test the various steps in the process using data gathered in an explicitly dynamic format.
Tumor irrigation model for virotherapy cancer treatment

A novel virotherapy cancer model based on tumor capillarity irrigation is proposed and compared to previous developed models. The proposed model consists of blood irrigation layers distributed radially along the tumor and attached to a common blood circulation compartment. It also considers the immune system cell generation and consumption in the blood circulation compartment and its propagation inside the tumor boundary. The model equilibrium conditions result in a quadratic function for which the tumor radius reaches steady state under virotherapy. Such a condition permits determination of the minimum drug dose required to halt the cancer growth. This novel model has great potential for advanced controllers because therapy dose delivery and immune system measurements can actually be applied at the blood compartment.
Impaired Memory CD8 T Cell Development in the Absence of Methyl-CpG-Binding Domain Protein 2

Intracellular differentiation events that determine which cells develop into memory CD8 T cells are currently incompletely understood. Methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) is a transcriptional repressor that binds to methylated DNA and mediates the biological consequences of epigenetic gene methylation. The role of MBD2 during the differentiation of naive CD8 T cells into effector and memory cells was determined following acute infection of MBD2-deficient mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Despite rapid viral clearance and an efficient primary effector CD8 T cell response, reduced numbers of Ag-specific memory CD8 T cells were observed. Importantly, the appearance of precursor memory cells (IL-7Rαhigh) was delayed. The remaining MBD2−/− memory cells were not fully protective during rechallenge, and memory cell characteristics were altered with regard to surface markers (IL-7Rα, KLRG-1, CD27, and others) and cytokine production. The defect was CD8 T cell intrinsic, because memory cell development was also delayed when MBD2−/− CD8 T cells were adoptively transferred into SCID mice. These data demonstrate that MBD2 is a previously unrecognized intracellular factor required for the efficient generation of protective memory CD8 T cells.
Patients' Attitudes and Preferences About Participation and Recruitment Strategies in Clinical Trials

OBJECTIVE To assess attitudes of patients about participation in clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS This is a self-report survey of 400 patients who underwent general medical evaluations between September and November 2006 at a tertiary care academic medical center in Rochester, MN. We measured knowledge of access to clinical trials, attitudes toward participation, recruitment preferences, and beliefs about research integrity. RESULTS Of 485 consecutive patients, 400 (82%) completed the survey. Previous participation in clinical trials was reported by 112 patients (28%). Most were unaware of online information about clinical trials (330 [82%]), were satisfied with their current knowledge (233 [58%]), expected their treating physician to inform them about current trials (304 [76%]), and showed equal interest in participating in conventional or complementary intervention trials (174 [44%]). Of the 400 respondents, 321 (80%) found it appropriate to be contacted by mail and 253 (63%) by telephone regarding study participation. Most patients (364 [91%]) wanted to be informed about research findings or else would not participate in future clinical trials (272 [68%]). The most frequently expected compensation was free parking (234 [58%]). Most thought that their safety (373 [93%]) and privacy (376 [94%]) would be guarded. CONCLUSION Patients are interested in participating in clinical trials but commonly lack adequate information. If patients received more information (through their treating physicians), enrollment might improve. This single-site study has limited generalizability. Future studies involving a diverse group of patients from a broader geographic distribution will help provide more definitive results.
Movement and biological activity of drip-applied 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin in raised mulched beds in the southeastern USA

Movement and biological activity of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin applied through drip irrigation in raised beds was investigated at three locations in the southeastern USA. Tests were conducted in fields with dense populations of nutsedge (Cyperus spp), with one location also having a high level of soil nematodes, both of which served as biological indicators of the distribution of effective concentrations of 1,3-D and chloropicrin. Objectives were (1) to gain a better understanding of 1,3-D and chloropicrin movement and the extent of biological activity outside of the wetted bed area, and (2) to examine the effect of application rate, application concentration and subsequent irrigation events on movement and activity of 1,3-D and chloropicrin. InLine, an emulsifiable concentrate containing 60.8% w/w 1,3-D and 33.3% w/w chloropicrin, was injected into polyethylene mulched beds through the drip tubes and water movement in the beds was visualized by adding a blue dye to the injection system. Gas concentrations of 1,3-D and chloropicrin in soil were measured using Gastec detection tubes at different positions relative to the drip tube at 1-4 days after InLine application. After one week, mulch was removed and nutsedge survival evaluated at different positions in the bed. High concentrations of 1,3-D and chloropicrin were measured at the bed center and midway between the bed center and the shoulder, but concentrations were low at the bed shoulder. Width of nutsedge control was significantly greater than width of water movement. Plant-parasitic nematodes were controlled over the entire bed width, but nutsedge re-emerged at the bed shoulders regardless of treatment. Higher application rates and concentrations of 1,3-D + chloropicrin resulted in higher fumigant concentrations in soil air. Irrigations subsequent to application reduced soil air concentrations of 1,3-D and chloropicrin and increased water movement, as did the use of two drip tubes instead of one. The data show that the pesticidal activity of 1,3-D + chloropicrin extends beyond the waterfront and indicate a significant degree of fumigant activity of emulsifiable 1,3-D + chloropicrin. However, unlike plant-parasitic nematodes, nutsedge could not be controlled over the entire bed width, regardless of rate, concentration and volume of water applied.
THEROPOD TEETH FROM THE PRINCE CREEK FORMATION (CRETACEOUS) OF NORTHERN ALASKA, WITH SPECULATIONS ON ARCTIC DINOSAUR PALEOECOLOGY

ABSTRACT Theropod teeth are taxonomically diagnostic components of dinosaur assemblages. Seventy teeth have been recovered from six different localities in the Kogosukruk Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of the North Slope of Alaska. This assemblage of teeth shows slightly less diversity compared to well documented assemblages of teeth from the slightly older Judith River Formation of south-central Montana, the Aguja Formation of west Texas, and the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana. In addition, in contrast to the Judith River Formation assemblage of teeth in south-central Montana, the teeth assigned to Troodon dominated the Alaskan assemblage. The dominance of Troodon is attributed to adaptation by this theropod to low light conditions while overwintering at a high paleolatitude.
Antioxidant 1 in Hypertension More Than Just a Copper Chaperone

See related article, pp 476–486 Oxidative stress, defined as an increase in reactive oxygen species, has been implicated in a number of diseases, including hypertension. Superoxide is a particularly detrimental reactive oxygen species in the cardiovascular system because it reacts directly with NO, thereby limiting the amount of NO normally available for processes such as endothelium-dependent relaxation. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) represent a first-line defense against oxidative stress by tempering increases in superoxide via its metabolism (dismutation). Three distinct mammalian isoforms of SOD exist, CuZnSOD (localized mainly to the cytoplasmic space), MnSOD (the predominant isoform in mitochondria), and extracellular SOD (SOD3), a CuZnSOD found exclusively in the extracellular compartment (Figure).1 The fact that there are 3 different gene products that catalyze the same reaction underscores the importance of limiting cellular superoxide. Figure. Expression of the mammalian superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms and the importance of copper chaperones. Three distinct mammalian SODs are expressed in specific cellular compartments. CuZnSOD (SOD1) is expressed primarily in the cytoplasmic space; MnSOD (SOD2) is the predominant isoform in mitochondria; and extracellular SOD (EC-SOD; SOD3) is found exclusively in the extracellular space. All 3 isoforms catalyze the dismutation of superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. Both SOD1 and SOD3 require copper as a key cofactor for catalytic activity. The copper chaperone for SOD1 (CCS) delivers copper (Cu2+) specifically to SOD1, whereas antioxidant 1 (Atox1) delivers copper to the transgolgi network, as well as SOD3. The present study by Ozumi et al5 examined the role of Atox1 in limiting hypertension, increases in vascular superoxide, and endothelial dysfunction produced by angiotensin II. The mechanism by which Atox1 limits these effects appears …
Inhibition of Ras Signaling by Blocking Ras–Effector Interactions with Cyclic Peptides

Ras genes are frequently activated in human cancers, but the mutant Ras proteins remain largely "undruggable" through the conventional small-molecule approach owing to the absence of any obvious binding pockets on their surfaces. By screening a combinatorial peptide library, followed by structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis, we discovered a family of cyclic peptides possessing both Ras-binding and cell-penetrating properties. These cell-permeable cyclic peptides inhibit Ras signaling by binding to Ras-GTP and blocking its interaction with downstream proteins and they induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of developing cyclic peptides for the inhibition of intracellular protein-protein interactions and of direct Ras inhibitors as a novel class of anticancer agents.
Pathogenesis of thrombosis

The hemostatic process is a host defense mechanism to preserve the integrity of the closed high pressure circulatory system. This process must remain inactive but poised to minimize extravasation of blood from the vasculature following tissue injury. Given the complexity of the hemostatic mechanism, paradigms developed from biochemical and cell biological approaches have been revisited by studying thrombus formation in a live animal by intravital microscopy. Many of these paradigms have proven accurate, but others need to be reconsidered given the results of whole animal experiments.
Hierarchical Spatial Genetic Structure of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) Breeding Along a Migratory Corridor

ABSTRACT. Documentation of spatial genetic discordance among breeding populations of Arctic-nesting avian species is important, because anthropogenic change is altering environmental linkages at micro- and macrogeographic scales. We estimated levels of population subdivision within Pacific Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum) breeding on 12 barrier islands in the western Beaufort Sea, Alaska, using molecular markers and capture—mark—recapture (CMR) data. Common Eider populations were genetically structured on a microgeographic scale. Regional comparisons between populations breeding on island groups separated by 90 km (Mikkelsen Bay and Simpson Lagoon) revealed structuring at 14 microsatellite loci (F ST = 0.004, P < 0.01), a nuclear intron (F ST = 0.022, P = 0.02), and mitochondrial DNA (ΦST = 0.082, P < 0.05). The CMR data (n = 34) did not indicate female dispersal between island groups. Concordance between genetic and CMR data indicates that females breeding in the western Beaufort Sea are str...
Needed: distributed control

Nearly all very large data bases of the future will be built by large organizations, and will be very complex and diverse. This paper discusses two approaches to VLDB management: centralized control, where a powerful DB administrator makes all the important decisions about the contents, representation, and access authorization; and distributed control, where the authority to make those decisions is shared between an administration oriented central office and many action oriented users. It is claimed that in large complex enterprises, whether private or public, the organizational and social aspects of DB usage outweigh the technological ones. Arguments are presented to support the thesis that, in such environments, only a regime of distributed control can meet the users' needs and provide the required adaptability, perspicuity and responsiveness. A concept of a decentralized DB is then briefly outlined. An example is presented early on to stress the scope of the problem discussed, and is used later to illustrate specific points.
Japan's New Agricultural Trade Policy and Electoral Reform: ‘Agricultural Policy in an Offensive Posture [ seme no nosei ]’

The Japanese government maintained protectionist agricultural policies for several decades after the end of World War II. However, it recently introduced a new policy that aims at promoting the export of agricultural products to overseas markets. Agricultural export promotion policy is fundamentally different from traditional agricultural trade policies, as it focuses primarily on the promotion of competitiveness of Japanese agriculture rather than protection of inefficient farmers. This paper tries to explain this intriguing development in Japanese agricultural trade policy by focusing on the impacts of the changes in legislators' incentives since the electoral reform of 1994. It argues that the post-reform electoral environment induced the introduction of the agricultural export promotion policy. It is because the reform made certain particularistic policies, such as the protection of the agricultural sector, less attractive to politicians that politicians must now appeal to a broader consituency.
Preparation of cycloaddition chemistry of thio- and selenocarbonyls derived from reaction of elemental sulfur and selenium with stabilized α-halo anions

Abstract Reaction of diethyl chloromalonate with Cs 2 CO 3 in the presence of elemental S 8 or Se n generates the corresponding diethyl thioxo- or selenoxomalonates which are subsequently trapped in situ with various 1,3-dienes. Similarly, the chalcogen carbonyls can be prepared from other halogenated using DBU as the base and effectively trapped in Diels-Alder fashion with 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene (Table 2).
Note: Small subgraphs of random regular graphs

The main aim of this short paper is to answer the following question. Given a fixed graph H, for which values of the degree d does a random d-regular graph on n vertices contain a copy of H with probability close to one?
A broader ecological context to habitat fragmentation: Why matrix habitat is more important than we thought

Abstract Consequences of habitat fragmentation have garnered much attention over the past few decades. The resulting literature has been useful for understanding how land-use changes influence population viability and community structure, but we are still hampered by a major aspect of the conceptual framework within which most fragmentation work arises. Specifically, habitat between fragments (‘matrix’) is usually treated as uniform and ecologically irrelevant. However, recent work on animals shows that matrix habitat can profoundly influence within-fragment dynamics. We review related evidence for plants. Various matrix types (e.g. clear-cutting, agriculture, or urbanization) can act in different ways to alter resource availability and movement of pollinators, seed dispersers, and herbivores. Inclusion of matrix qualities in fragmentation studies is further complicated since most matrices are not static; sites in which timber harvesting or agriculture occur develop through succession or change as crops a...
Social Business City: Lessons from Wiesbaden

As the seeds of social business continue to spread around the world, some places have already laid the groundwork for these seeds to germinate and grow. One such place is Wiesbaden, Germany, where a coalition of governmental, non-governmental, educational, and private institutions have come together to create the ideal habitat for the concept of social business to start embedding its roots deep into the foundation of today’s society. This chapter introduces the concept of the “social business city” and provides a description of the various organizations that have contributed to making Wiesbaden the first social business city in the world. The cooperative interaction of these entities has created a synergy with results that render the city an excellent model for other cities that want to initiate similar projects. The chapter concludes with a summary of lessons learned from the Wiesbaden experience.
Characterization of renal prostaglandin E responsiveness in decompensated cirrhosis: implications for renal sodium handling.

1. It has been suggested that endogenous renal prostaglandin E (PGE) constitutes a determinant of renal haemodynamics and renal sodium handling in patients with cirrhosis. We have accordingly assessed the effects of augmenting endogenous prostaglandins on renal function. We utilized water immersion to the neck since previous studies demonstrated that the redistribution of blood volume and concomitant central hypervolaemia thus induced produces a prompt and marked augmentation of PGE excretion in normal man. 2. Thirteen cirrhotic patients were studied twice while in balance on a daily 10 mmol of sodium/100 mmol of potassium diet during control and during water immersion. Urinary PGE was determined hourly for 6 h. 3. Cirrhotic patients manifested a wide continuum of responses characterized by either a sluggish or barely discernible natriuretic response ( n = 5) or an appropriate natriuretic response ( n = 8). 4. Water immersion to the neck resulted in a highly significant increase in mean U PGE V , which was threefold that manifested by normal subjects studied under identical conditions. Furthermore, cumulative sodium excretion during immersion correlated with PGE excretion ( P 5. These findings, together with the results of studies utilizing prostaglandin synthase inhibitors, are consistent with the postulate that renal PGE may play a role in the alterations of renal function in decompensated cirrhosis.
Unloading RNAs in the cytoplasm

The nuclear cap-binding complex (CBC), a heterodimer comprised of a 20 kDa subunit (CBP20) and an 80 kDa regulatory subunit (CBP80), binds to nascent RNA polymerase II transcripts and is important throughout different aspects of RNA metabolism. In a recent publication, using a combination of X-ray crystallographic information, mutagenesis studies, small-angle scattering experiments, analytical ultracentrifugation and in vivo assays, we presented evidence that importin-
Some helminth parasites of Nevada bullfrogs, Rana catesbiana Shaw

In a survey of tbe helminth parasites of bullfrogs in the area of Ash Meadows, Nevada, 12 species comprising 7 genera were collected. The helminths recovered are as follows: (Nematoda) Eustrongylides wenrichi , Spironoura calesbianae and Abbreviata sp.; (Trematoda) Langeronia provitellaria , Glypthelmins quieta , G. subtropica , G. proximus , G. sera , Haematoloechus buttensis , H, breviplexus , and H. parviplexus ; (Cestoda) Ophiotaenia magna . Brief discussions on each of the preceding parasites are presented. Eustrongylides wenrichi , in its encystment in the musculature, viscera, and egg-mass, was found to be highly pathogenic to bullfrogs.
Codeine kinetics as determined by radioimmunoassay

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to determine several pharmacokinetic parameters of codeine in man, including the relative bioavailability after oral and intramuscular administration. The study followed a crossover design in 6 healthy, young (18 to 21 yr), male volunteers. Three subjects received 65 mg codeine phosphate orally in an analgesic mixture which also contained aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine. At the same time a similar group received an equivalent dose of codeine phosphate in a single intramuscular injection. Two weeks later the study was repeated so that each group received the alternate treatment. Plasma samples were collected at various times after drug administration, and codeine concentrations were determined by a specific RIA procedure. The procedure can detect less than 50 pg of codeine. Following intramuscular administration, peak plasma concentrations (194 to 340 ng/ml) were observed between 0.25 to 1 hr; after oral dosing, peak codeine plasma concentrations (102 to 140 ng/ml) appeared within 0.75 to 1 hr. The mean plasma t1/2 and volume of distribution of codeine following intramuscular injection were 3.32 hr and 5.1 L/kg, respectively. Oral, relative to intramuscular, bioavailability of codeine, based on areas under the codeine plasma curves, was 42% to 71% (mean, 53%).
Metabolomics of pulmonary exacerbations reveals the personalized nature of cystic fibrosis disease

Background. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that results in chronic infections of the lungs. CF patients experience intermittent pulmonary exacerbations (CFPE) that are associated with poor clinical outcomes. CFPE involves an increase in disease symptoms requiring more aggressive therapy. Methods. Longitudinal sputum samples were collected from 11 patients (n = 44 samples) to assess the effect of exacerbations on the sputum metabolome using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The data was analyzed with MS/MS molecular networking and multivariate statistics. Results. The individual patient source had a larger influence on the metabolome of sputum than the clinical state (exacerbation, treatment, post-treatment, or stable). Of the 4,369 metabolites detected, 12% were unique to CFPE samples; however, the only known metabolites significantly elevated at exacerbation across the dataset were platelet activating factor (PAF) and a related monacylglycerophosphocholine lipid. Due to the personalized nature of the sputum metabolome, a single patient was followed for 4.2 years (capturing four separate exacerbation events) as a case study for the detection of personalized biomarkers with metabolomics. PAF and related lipids were significantly elevated during CFPEs of this patient and ceramide was elevated during CFPE treatment. Correlating the abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons to metabolomics data from the same samples during a CFPE demonstrated that antibiotics were positively correlated to Stenotrophomonas and Pseudomonas, while ceramides and other lipids were correlated with Streptococcus, Rothia, and anaerobes. Conclusions. This study identified PAF and other inflammatory lipids as potential biomarkers of CFPE, but overall, the metabolome of CF sputum was patient specific, supporting a personalized approach to molecular detection of CFPE onset.
A genetics-based technique for the automated acquisition of expert system rule bases

The genetic algorithm (GA) is a powerful search paradigm which combines elements from evolutionary biology with concepts from population genetics. Because they operate in a domain-independent fashion, GAs have been successfully applied to a wide variety of optimization and learning problems. A technique is presented by which genetic algorithms can be adapted to operate upon the LISP-like production rules typically used in expert systems. A brief overview is presented of genetic algorithms and genetics-based learning. >
Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Exhibits Dominant Control of the Tumor Genome and Transcriptome in Virus-Associated Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Merkel cell polyomavirus is the primary etiological agent of the aggressive skin cancer Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Recent studies have revealed that UV radiation is the primary mechanism for somatic mutagenesis in nonviral forms of MCC. Here, we analyze the whole transcriptomes and genomes of primary MCC tumors. Our study reveals that virus-associated tumors have minimally altered genomes compared to non-virus-associated tumors, which are dominated by UV-mediated mutations. Although virus-associated tumors contain relatively small mutation burdens, they exhibit a distinct mutation signature with observable transcriptionally biased kataegic events. In addition, viral integration sites overlap focal genome amplifications in virus-associated tumors, suggesting a potential mechanism for these events. Collectively, our studies indicate that Merkel cell polyomavirus is capable of hijacking cellular processes and driving tumorigenesis to the same severity as tens of thousands of somatic genome alterations. Importance A variety of mutagenic processes that shape the evolution of tumors are critical determinants of disease outcome. Here, we sequenced the entire genome of virus-positive and virus-negative primary Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs), revealing distinct mutation spectra and corresponding expression profiles. Our studies highlight the strong effect that Merkel cell polyomavirus has on the divergent development of viral MCC compared to the somatic alterations that typically drive nonviral tumorigenesis. A more comprehensive understanding of the distinct mutagenic processes operative in viral and nonviral MCCs has implications for the effective treatment of these tumors.
Contrasting hydrogeologic responses to warming in permafrost and seasonally frozen ground hillslopes

Seasonally frozen ground (SFG) and permafrost underlay approximately half of the land surface in the Northern Hemisphere. It is anticipated that climate warming will degrade both types of frozen ground, altering groundwater discharge to streams. While the effects of permafrost degradation on groundwater discharge have been analyzed, quantification of how groundwater discharge in degrading permafrost differs from that in SFG is lacking. This study simulates coupled groundwater and heat transport under freeze-thaw conditions for four representative hillslopes underlain by either continuous permafrost or SFG and compares groundwater discharge outputs under projected warming scenarios over decadal scales. Model results show that without warming there is more groundwater discharge in hillslopes with SFG than permafrost. After a century of warming, groundwater discharge increases for both kinds of frozen ground, but permafrost experiences a larger increase than SFG. These findings have implications for aquatic ecosystems and prioritizing water resource planning.
PD-L1 expression and response to immunotherapy in patients with MET exon 14-altered non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).

8512Background: MET exon 14 skipping alterations (METΔ14) are present in 4% of NSCLCs. Response to MET inhibition has been observed in ongoing prospective trials (44% response rate, phase 1 trial of crizotinib; Drilon et al ASCO 2016), however responses to other types or therapy, such as immunotherapy, is unknown. We evaluated the immunophenotype of METΔ14 lung cancers and response to PD-(L)-1-based immunotherapy. Methods: Pts with recurrent/metastatic NSCLC were eligible. METΔ14 was identified by broad hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing (MSK-IMPACT). PD-L1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Response to immune therapy was evaluated by RECIST v1.1. Results: 63 pts with METΔ14-positive non-small cell lung cancers were identified; 41 (65%) had sufficient tissue for PD-L1 analysis. Patient characteristics: median age 71 years, 58% female, median pack year smoking 5.85 years, histology: 73% (30/41) adenocarcinoma, 20% (8/41) pleomorphic carcinoma, 7% (3/41) squamous cell. Tumor PD-...
Neoempires Under Construction: The European Union and Eurasian Union

This chapter looks at the conflict of regionalism between neoempires currently organizing: the European Union led by Germany and the Eurasian Union led by Russia. The European Union was a project to end war among European states. After the Cold War, it expanded into space perceived by Russia to be sacred. This action forced Russia to create the Eurasian Union to strengthen its own position in a way similar to that of the European Union. Russia is now seeking to recover some of its lost space which explains action in Ukraine today. This chapter will try to make sense of systemic competition between these two groups.
The Leveller Ethos and the Restoration

Much of the Leveller ethos survived the restoration of monarchy and a coercive episcopal church after 1660. Old Leveller and popular republican demands for annually elected parliaments, the accountability of office-holders, the centrality of jurors to the provision of justice, the political advancement of ordinary men, and liberty of conscience continued to be made, especially in the neighbourhoods and communities in which the Levellers originated. Interpretation of the Tonge plot of 1662 precedes analysis of the dissenting reaction to the 1670 Conventicle Act and of the convergence of parliamentary and civic oppositions before the Restoration Crisis of 1678–83. Contacts between parliamentary leaders like the Earl of Shaftesbury and the Duke of Buckingham and Levellers and Leveller successors like John Wildman and Francis Jenks are investigated.
Mechanism and Catalysis of Oxidative Degradation of Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials are widely used in aerospace and recreational equipment, but there is no efficient procedure for their end-of-life recycling. Ongoing work in the chemistry and engineering communities emphasizes recovering carbon fibers from such waste streams by dissolving or destroying the polymer binding. By contrast, our goal is to depolymerize amine-cured epoxy CFRP composites catalytically, thus enabling not only isolation of high-value carbon fibers, but simultaneously opening an approach to recovery of small molecule monomers that can be used to regenerate precursors to new composite resin. To do so will require understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of such degradation sequences. Prior work has shown the utility of hydrogen peroxide as a reagent to affect epoxy matrix decomposition. Herein we describe the chemical transformations involved in that sequence: the reaction proceeds by oxygen atom transfer to the polymer’s linking aniline group, forming an N-oxide intermediate. The polymer is then cleaved by an elimination and hydrolysis sequence. We find that elimination is the slower step. Scandium trichloride is an efficient catalyst for this step, reducing reaction time in homogeneous model systems and neat cured matrix blocks. The conditions can be applied to composed composite materials, from which pristine carbon fibers can be recovered.
Recent Theoretical Advances in Macromolecular Structure Determination

There have been a number of recent theoretical formulations that have led to new formulas and methodologies for investigating macromolecular structure by use of the techniques of anomalous dispersion and isomorphous replacement. In this part, several of the new developments will be outlined in connection with the attached reprints. A summary of the main ideas and results will be discussed in terms of formulas and implications that appear in the reprints in greater detail.
DECLINE OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD ANIMALS OF THE USA

Abstract The level of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in domestic livestock and poultry has been monitored by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) since 1967. A statistical design for sample collection was instituted in 1973. This program selects slaughter establishments for sampling in proportion to their contribution to the total slaughter. The analytical method used was changed to a micro alumina column procedure in 1974 from the Mill's procedure. The effects of this change and better instrumentation indicate that earlier data understated the true incidence of residues. Dieldrin and DDT were chosen to represent this class of compounds because, previous to 1973, they had been found in over 90 percent of all samples analyzed. The other chlorinated hydrocarbons in this group never exceeded 30 percent incidence in any species and by 1979 declined to less than 10 percent.
Coated Vesicles in Developing Muscle Spindles

Clathrin-coated vesicles mediate the transport of materials such as growth factors by endocytosis, exocytosis and membrane recycling (Willingham and Pastan, 1985). Coated vesicles are distributed in a variety of tissues including skeletal muscle, where they are thought to partake in both endo-and exocytosis (Benson et al., 1985; Haye et al; 1986). The presence of coated invaginations under the sarcolemma of sensory regions of intrafusal fibers in muscle spindles of 18-day gestational rats led to speculation that the development of intrafusal fibers may be influenced by neurotrophic factors released by sensory terminals and internalized via coated vesicles (Landon, 1972;Zelena & Soukup, 1973). We tested the hypothesis that coated organelles are involved in the exchange of information in the developing muscle spindle both between incoming axons and intrafusal fibers and between the different types of intrafusal fibers. If these two modes of communication do operate, then one would expect that the incidence of coated organelles would be higher 1) in developing versus adult spindles, 2) under sensory rather than motor terminals and 3) under apposed surfaces of intrafusal fibers rather than under the free sarcolemmal surface.
Assessment of the experimental conditions affecting natural oxidant demand of soil by permanganate

Abstract Excess oxidant requirements are commonly observed during field applications of in situ chemical oxidation by permanganate for the remediation of groundwater. This excess oxidant, generally referred to as natural or soil oxidant demand, is a direct result of organic matter and other naturally occurring reduced species present in the subsurface. Since site conditions vary widely, laboratory scale experiments are often used to determine the natural oxidant demand of soil at hazardous waste sites. Though many researchers have reported values in the literature, experimental conditions often go unreported and few take these factors into consideration. This study provides a broader perspective of the issues and concerns related to determining the permanganate natural oxidant demand of soil while evaluating the effects that initial oxidant concentration, soil to water ratio, and mixing have on the rate and extent of permanganate consumption. It was found that mixing conditions significantly influenced the kinetic expression of permanganate natural oxidant demand while soil to water ratios were not shown to have a significant effect as long as initial permanganate concentrations were sufficient to overcome the oxidant demand of the soil (i.e., were not limiting).
Confusing radiographic appearance of a central venous split-tip hemodialysis catheter.

Abstract Long-term cuffed hemodialysis catheters are being increasingly used in the management of patients with chronic kidney disease. These tunneled catheters are available in different types and characteristics. Patients undergo imaging, primarily chest radiographs to confirm the position of the catheter tip. It is essential to be aware of the normal imaging appearances of these catheters as they may simulate pathological appearance due to the shape of their tips. This knowledge will help avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary medical interventions.
The Supreme Court and Freedom of Speech, 1998–1999

(1999). The Supreme Court and Freedom of Speech, 1998–1999. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 174-184.
DNA Damage by Iron and Hydrogen Peroxide

DNA is nicked by Fe2+-mediated Fenton reactions with 0.5 mM H2O2 by oxidants which are sensitive to higher concentrations of H2O2. Above 5 mM H2O2, however, the level of DNA nicking is independent of H2O2 concentration and is mediated by other oxidants. This reaction can be driven by NADH which regenerates Fe2+, but not by NADPH and E. coli responds by increasing its NADPH pools at the expense of its NADH pools. We have proposed that the different kinetics of nicking by Fe2+ in 0.5 mM-vs. 50 mM H2O2 arise because of differences in which Fe2+ associates with DNA (Luo et al, PNAS 91, 12438(1994)).
Compiler Auto-Vectorization with Imitation Learning

Modern microprocessors are equipped with single instruction multiple data (SIMD) or vector instruction sets which allow compilers to exploit fine-grained data level parallelism. To exploit this parallelism, compilers employ auto-vectorization techniques to automatically convert scalar code into vector code. Larsen & Amarasinghe (2000) first introduced superword level parallelism (SLP) based vectorization, which is one form of vectorization popularly used by compilers. Current compilers employ hand-crafted heuristics and typically only follow one SLP vectorization strategy which can be suboptimal. Recently, Mendis & Amarasinghe (2018) formulated the instruction packing problem of SLP vectorization by leveraging an integer linear programming (ILP) solver, achieving superior runtime performance. In this work, we explore whether it is feasible to imitate optimal decisions made by their ILP solution by fitting a graph neural network policy. We show that the learnt policy produces a vectorization scheme which is better than industry standard compiler heuristics both in terms of static measures and runtime performance. More specifically, the learnt agent produces a vectorization scheme which has a 22.6% higher average reduction in cost compared to LLVM compiler when measured using its own cost model and achieves a geometric mean runtime speedup of 1.015× on the NAS benchmark suite when compared to LLVM’s SLP vectorizer.
Intergenerational transmission of maternal poverty to self-esteem among young adult children: The role of employment

Abstract Objectives This study explores the underlying pathways of the intergenerational relationship linking parents' poverty, children's self-esteem and employment among young adults. Methods This study used two data sets from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79 for Children and Young Adults (NLSY79 CY). A total of 9584 dyads was used for the final sample. The mediation model suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986) was used to examine. Results Young adult children whose mother is in poverty are less likely to be employed compared to their counterparts with a mother not in poverty. Maternal poverty is significantly associated with young adult children's self-esteem. Young adult children’ employment is statistically related to their self-esteem. Young adult children's employment status mediated the relationship between maternal poverty and young adult children's self-esteem. Discussion Mother's economic status is an important factor for understanding intergenerational mobility. Anew angle is required to examine intergenerational mobility by considering the relationship between mother and child. The findings highlight that anti-poverty programs geared toward mothers with children would help to increase levels of self-esteem across young adult children. Intergenerational mobility is an important indicator for understanding self-esteem in young adulthood.
Racial minorities’ attitudes toward interracial couples: An intersection of race and gender:

Four studies examined racial minorities’ attitudes toward interracial couples. Overall, Asian and Black Americans indicated lower warmth towards interracial than same-race couples. We hypothesized ...
WikiPossessions: Possession Timeline Generation as an Evaluation Benchmark for Machine Reading Comprehension of Long Texts.

This paper presents WikiPossessions, a new benchmark corpus for the task of temporally-oriented possession (TOP), or tracking objects as they change hands over time. We annotate Wikipedia articles for 90 different well-known artifacts paintings, diamonds, and archaeological artifacts), producing 799 artifact-possessor relations with associated attributes. For each article, we also produce a full possession timeline. The full version of the task combines straightforward entity-relation extraction with complex temporal reasoning, as well as verification of textual support for the relevant types of knowledge. Specifically, to complete the full TOP task for a given article, a system must do the following: a) identify possessors; b) anchor possessors to times/events; c) identify temporal relations between each temporal anchor and the possession relation it corresponds to; d) assign certainty scores to each possessor and each temporal relation; and e) assemble individual possession events into a global possession timeline. In addition to the corpus, we release evaluation scripts and a baseline model for the task.
Financial Risk for COVID-19-like Respiratory Hospitalizations in Consumer-Directed Health Plans.

Introduction This study aims to quantify out-of-pocket spending associated with respiratory hospitalizations for conditions similar to those caused by coronavirus disease 2019 and to compare out-of-pocket spending differences among those enrolled in consumer-directed health plans and in traditional, low-deductible plans. Methods This study used deidentified administrative claims from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse (January 1, 2016–August 31, 2019) to identify patients with a respiratory hospitalization. It compared unadjusted out-of-pocket spending among consumer-directed health plan enrollees with that among traditional plan enrollees using difference of mean significance tests and repeated the analysis separately by age category and calendar year quarter. These data were collected on a rolling basis by OptumLabs and were analyzed in March 2020. Results Commercially insured consumer-directed health plan enrollees had significantly higher out-of-pocket spending than traditional plan enrollees, and these differences were largest among younger populations. The largest difference in out-of-pocket spending occurred during the first half of the year. Conclusions Consumer-directed health plan enrollees may experience differential financial burden from a hospitalization related to coronavirus disease 2019. Although some insurers are waiving cost-sharing payments for coronavirus disease 2019 treatment, self-insured employers remain exempt. As of now, policy responses may be insufficient to reduce the financial burden on consumer-directed health plans enrollees with respiratory hospitalizations related to coronavirus disease 2019.
Dynamic jump intensities and news arrival in oil futures markets

We introduce a new class of discrete-time models that explicitly recognize the impact of news arrival. The distribution of returns is governed by three factors: dynamics volatility and two Poisson compound processes, one for negative news and one for positive news. We show in a model-free environment that the arrival of negative and positive news has an asymmetric effect on oil futures returns and volatility. Using the first 12 futures contracts, our empirical results confirm that the effects of negative and positive news are described by different processes, a significant proportion of volatility is explained by news arrival and the impact of negative news is larger than that of positive news.
Relationship Between ACE2 and Other Components of the Renin-Angiotensin System.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key counter-regulatory component of the renin-angiotensin system. Here, we briefly review the mechanistic and target organ effects related to ACE2 activity, and the importance of ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 infection. ACE2 converts angiotensin (Ang) II to Ang-(1–7), which directly opposes the vasoconstrictive, proinflammatory, and prothrombotic effects of Ang II. ACE2 also facilitates SARS-CoV-2 viral entry into host cells. Drugs that interact with the renin-angiotensin system may impact ACE2 expression and COVID-19 pathogenesis; however, the magnitude and direction of these effects are unknown at this time. High quality research is needed to improve our understanding of how agents that act on the renin-angiotensin system impact ACE2 and COVID-19-related disease outcomes.