cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulant Medication and Substance Use Outcome

Investigators from the University of California, Los Angeles, performed a meta-analysis of the association between treatment with stimulant medication during childhood and later substance use and substance abuse or dependence outcomes.
Genetic and Cell-Mediated Therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract Muscular dystrophies are a group of hereditary disorders caused by mutations in genes that have essential roles in muscle function and are generally characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Among those, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and severe. DMD is a fatal, X-linked recessive disorder which affects 1 in 3500 boys and is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Currently there is no cure for the disorder and treatment options are limited to physiotherapy and corticosteroids that slow the course of the disorder, but are also associated with severe side effects when administered over prolonged periods of time. This chapter will provide an overview of the approaches currently being pursued for the treatment of DMD and the state of the art strategies that are in clinical trials. Emphasis will be placed on describing the progress made over the years to reach the current state, as well as the challenges that the field of gene and molecular therapies face to ensure that the approach is safe to use in patients and effective.
Efforts at Broadening Participation in the Sciences: An Examination of the Mentoring Experiences of Students from Underrepresented Groups

With the primary objective of attracting and retaining students from underrepresented backgrounds in the sciences, evaluation of one institution's program has been ongoing over the past three years. Interviews with mentors in the program followed by focus groups conducted with mentees reveal key factors that shape undergraduate students' research experiences. In the present study, attention is given to data gathered from 15 mentees in the program, the majority of whom have enrolled in community colleges, represent low socioeconomic backgrounds, and are nontraditional students. The results from focus groups with the mentees provide information on the benefits of participating in the program, characteristics of good mentors, challenges to the mentoring relationship, and the effects of underrepresented status on pursuit of advanced degrees. Comparisons of mentees' comments about the mentoring relationship with mentors' comments reveal similar themes and patterns while also demonstrating interesting differences. The qualitative findings are also juxtaposed with participants' responses on the Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences. Taken together, the data enhance our understanding of the experiences of underrepresented students in faculty-mentored research programs and highlight challenges and perspectives of students who are transferring to the university from a community college.
Operationalizing Giddens’s Recursive Model of Accountability

This article contributes to the accountability studies literature by reporting on an attempt to operationalize a recursive concept of accountability grounded in Anthony Giddens’s theory of structur...
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program - Enterprise platform (HSEEP-EP): An innovative service oriented architecture approach

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and are working together, in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) to modernize and transform the existing Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Toolkit into an agile enterprise platform for integrating existing and future capabilities in support of HSEEP. The architecture for the new HSEEP enterprise platform (HSEEP-EP) focuses on a service oriented approach that relies on emerging web-based technologies to create an innovative and flexible platform for the development and consumption of HSEEP capabilities. This paper provides a technical description of the architecture, core services, and methods for interfacing with architecture components. This paper will also discuss concepts for fielding and transitioning the new HSEEP Toolkit to DHS and State/Local communities.
Approaches to understanding the motivations behind cyber attacks

Cyber-attacks appear to have grown in the past few years. Many policy changes have been made to control them, however, a clear path to a safe and secure cyber world is not visible. A mere technical view to confront the cyber-attacks could be futile if motivations behind attacks are not understood. To understand the motives behind cyber-attacks, we look at cyber-attacks as societal events associated with social, economic, cultural and political factors. To find factors that encourage unsafe cyber activities, we build a network of aggregate country-to-country cyber-attacks, and compare the network with other country-to-country networks. In particular, we use variable correlation and network correlation (QAP) to examine the relevance of factors like income difference, alliance-hostility, internet penetration, and corruption. We observe that higher corruption and a large internet bandwidth favors attacks origination. We also find that countries with higher Per-capita-GDP and better Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure are targeted more often.
Structure and Anatomy of the Human Pericardium

The normal gross anatomy and light microscopy of the human pericardium are presented in detail that allows easy correlation with current cardiac imaging modalities. The anatomical structures of the parietal pericardium are shown from its mediastinal surface, including its ligaments to the sternum, diaphragm and vertebral column. The attachments of the parietal pericardium to the great vessels showing the intrapericardial location of the root of the aorta and pulmonary artery are documented. Also the attachments of the parietal pericardium to the venae cavae and the pulmonary veins are illustrated in detail. The internal anatomy of the parietal pericardium emphasizing the oblique and transverse sinuses is explained. The microscopic differences between the structures of the parietal pericardium and visceral pericardium (epicardium) are shown as the basis that allows understanding the spectrum of adaptation of the pericardium to diverse pathologic processes. However, the pathology of the pericardium is not discussed in this review.
The influence of lipid droplet size on the oral bioavailability of vitamin D2 encapsulated in emulsions: an in vitro and in vivo study

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in some populations leading to adverse health effects, and therefore there is a need to supplement functional foods and beverages with this important micronutrient. In this study, we examined the influence of the initial lipid droplet size on the in vitro bioaccessibility and in vivo absorption of vitamin D2 encapsulated in oil-in-water emulsions. Changes in particle size, charge, and microstructure were measured as vitamin-loaded lipid droplets were passed through a simulated GIT (mouth, stomach, small intestine). The in vitro studies showed that smaller lipid droplets were digested more rapidly than larger ones, thereby leading to the more rapid formation of mixed micelles in the small intestine capable of solubilizing the lipophilic vitamins. This effect may account for the highest vitamin D2 bioaccessibility being observed for the emulsions containing the smallest droplets. In contrast, the in vivo rat feeding studies suggested that the absorption of vitamin D2 was the highest for the emulsions containing the largest droplets. The poor in vitro-in vivo correlation observed in our study may have occurred for a number of reasons: the simulated GIT did not accurately model the complexity of a real GIT; the in vivo approach used did not monitor changes in vitamin levels in the blood over time. Overall, this study suggests that particle size does influence the gastrointestinal fate of encapsulated oil-soluble vitamins, but that further work is needed to establish strong correlations between in vitro and in vivo methods.
Theoretical considerations for a dynamic calibration target for through-wall and through-rubble motion-sensing Doppler radar

The effectiveness of various dynamic calibration targets emulating human respiration are analyzed. Potential advantages of these devices relate to easier calibration methods for human detection testing in through-wall and through-rubbles situations. The three devices examined possess spherical polyhedral geometries. Spherical characteristics were implemented due to the unique qualities spheres possess in regards to calibration purposes. The ability to use a device that is aspect independent is favorable during the calibration process. Rather than using a traditional, static calibration sphere, a dynamic, sphere-like device offers the ability to resemble breathing movements of the human body. This motion opens the door for numerous types of Doppler testing that is impossible in a static calibration device. Monostatic RCS simulations at 3 GHz are documented for each geometry. The results provide a visual way of representing the effectiveness of each design as a dynamic calibration target for human detection purposes.
Uranium and Thorium Disequilibrium in Zeolitically Altered Rock

Extensive studies conducted during the past two decades regarding the behavior of 238U and its decay products in the geologic environment have shown that radioactive disequilibrium in the 238U deca...
Sonic Inspection of Bonds in Viscoelastic Composites

Vibration isolation is frequently accomplished by placing rubber pads between a structure and its foundation. In typical industrial situations, the weight of the structure can be used to keep the pads in place and to ensure contact at the interface. However, when dampers are used for small electronic components, they are frequently glued to the component and to the support. The total unit then consists of the component, a glue interface, the rubber damper, a second glue interface, and the foundation. If the interfaces fail, compressive waves can usually be transmitted, but tensile stress waves encounter the separated layer which markedly affects the transmissivity and damping. Consequently, the damper effectiveness generally is reduced. Many modern dampers employ viscoelastic rubber whose frequency characteristics and damping rely less upon resonance than upon the wide frequency spectrum of damping [1].
Scalable Sn-Catalyzed Regioselective Allylation of 1-Methyl-l-α-rhamnopyranoside

A robust selective allylation of 1-methyl-l-α-rhamnose was developed using di-n-butyltin oxide (n-Bu2SnO) as the catalyst. Proton sponge was found to be the optimal base for high regioselective control. The optimized condition afforded the 3-O-allylated rhamnose in excellent regioselectivity (>20:1) and 82% isolated yield on a 50 g scale. A scalable isolation/purification process was developed which afforded the desired product in 72% yield with 1530 ppm of Sn. The residual Sn level can be further reduced to <20 ppm by treatment with scavengers. This catalytic system also showed outstanding potential in the selective benzylation of the same substrate.
Multiple Offenders and the Question of Desert

This essay, published as a chapter in Sentencing Multiple Crimes (Jesper Ryberg, Julian V. Roberts & Jan W. de Keijser eds., 2017) examines the bulk-discount approach to sentencing multiple offenders. It argues that bulk discounts are not only appropriate and even mandatory from the just deserts perspective, but that as a general matter, there should be a substantial reduction in sentence for each additional offense when it comes to multiple-offense sentencing. After providing specific examples of multiple offenders who were sentenced consecutively, the chapter discusses the relationship between culpability and character from the perspective of just deserts theory or retributivism. It then advances the claim that sentences for multiple offenders should not reach the level at which the state would be communicating an unfairly and inappropriately harsh assessment of the character of each multiple offender. It also considers the ways in which multiple offenders are more culpable than single-crime offenders and concludes by insisting that discounts for multiple offenders and premiums for repeat offenders are not inconsistent.
Comment: Market deregulation and nuclear safety

Abstract Since 2000, around half of US nuclear power plants have changed ownership and entered competitive electricity generation markets. In past work I analyzed the impact of these changes on nuclear power plant safety. A recent replication study by Zhen Lei and Chen-Hao Tsai raises several issues, which I address in this comment.
Geographic Distributions of Strumigenys gundlachi and Strumigenys eggersi (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Strumigenys gundlachi and Strumigenys eggersi are tiny predatory ants that feed on minute soil arthropods. Both these closely related New World species were originally described from Caribbean islands (S. gundlachi from Cuba, S. eggersi from St Thomas) and both are known from South and Central America, the West Indies, and peninsular Florida. Recently, exotic Old World populations of S. eggersi were reported from American Samoa and Singapore. I compiled and mapped specimen records for these species to document their known geographic ranges and compare their ecologies. I found S. gundlachi and S. eggersi records from 20 and 41 geographic areas (countries, island groups, major islands, and US states), respectively. These two species have strikingly different habitat preferences. Strumigenys gundlachi is found primarily in intact tropical forest, whereas S. eggersi is found in a wide variety of habitats and is common in highly disturbed environments. The ability to thrive around human disturbance apparently has allowed S. eggersi to spread more widely than S. gundlachi. The original native New World ranges of S. gundlachi and S. eggersi remain uncertain.
Effects of gabapentin, pregabalin and gastroretentive gabapentin on simulated driving, daytime sedation and cognition.

Aim Randomized Phase I study examining the effects of gabapentinoids gabapentin, pregabalin and gastroretentive gabapentin on simulated driving performance, sedation and cognitive function in healthy volunteers (n = 32). Methods Driving attentiveness, sleepiness and cognition were evaluated prior to subjects receiving study doses. Blood samples were collected during each treatment. Results Subjects receiving gastroretentive gabapentin showed less change in variation in lateral lane position (p = 0.0275), less tremor (p = 0.0304) and fewer vision disturbances compared with gabapentin (p = 0.0177). Statistically significant decrease in One Card Learning Test performance was observed after treatment with gastroretentive gabapentin. Conclusion Gastroretentive gabapentin demonstrated reduced driving impairment and lower scores on key neurotoxicity measures. Further studies in patients with postherpetic neuralgia are needed. Clinical trial number: NCT03179345.
Systematics, Natural History, and Evolution of the Saw-Lipped Rove Beetles (Euaesthetinae): Progress and Prospects for Future Research

The rove beetle subfamily Euaesthetinae is reviewed and information on the systematics, ecology, and evolution presented. Key morphological features of adults and larvae are discussed, and the current state of morphology-based phylogenetics and paleontological research is reviewed. Natural history information is compiled for most genera, and general ecological trends are highlighted. Euaesthetinae are probably monophyletic but with a suprageneric taxonomic structure likely poorly reflected by the current classification. They are nearly globally distributed in most habitats, and collection data suggests that their ecological diversity is not yet fully known or confirmed. The southern hemisphere and high-elevation faunas globally comprise mostly flightless species restricted to ground litter of diverse habitats. A division into groups extending from the general ground litter into either soil (endogenous) or aboveground habitats (mediated by high-moisture microhabitats, typically dense bryophyte growths) is suggested. Although Euaesthetinae are generally found in mesic habitats, a group of seemingly “periaquatic” taxa are primarily found in Holarctic riparian and wetland sites. Probable “surface runners” and arboreal (foliage-dwelling) species form two other (overlapping) ecological groupings, and the occurrence of some species in vertebrate and ant nests requires further investigation. Biological inferences are drawn from several different morphological features of the group suggesting diverse life histories for these tiny beetles. Updated fossil information is provided, and this indicates needed taxonomic changes and suggests a greater extinct taxonomic diversity than previously known. The fossil record and ecology of the group suggest that euaesthetine lineages are resistant to extinction over geological time making these beetles well-suited to historical biogeographic studies.
The Question of Efficacy in the History of Medicine

People who write about early medicine take a great deal of trouble to avoid addressing the question of efficacy. Some trustfully accept physicians’ claims—Western or Eastern, ancient or modern. Others dismiss reports of cures except for the few instances, mostly of drugs, in which biomedicine has validated the therapy. Physicians generally agree with the skeptics, shrugging off the rich literature of medical case records as mere anecdotes, by which they mean that none of it is worth thinking about. The utility of religious or other popular curing does not come up.
A Thematic Introduction to the Nature of Science: The Rationale and Content of a Course for Science Educators

It is clear from a review of the new science education standards that elements of the nature of science must play a role in the education of the next generation of science learners. This course was developed to provide teachers a strong background of relevant content knowledge regarding the nature of science. Even if this mode of content delivery is effective for university learners, this knowledge must now be translated through appropriate curriculum models and through the skills of individual educators into an appropriate form for the classroom.
Longitudinal evidence of crystalline lens thinning in children.

Purpose. Most earlier studies indicated that the eye's crystalline lens grows continually throughout life, but cross-sectional results of crystalline lens thinning during childhood have been reported. The authors investigated crystalline lens thickness in childhood using cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Methods. The Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia is a community-based study of normal eye growth and myopia development in school-age children. During a 1- to 3-year period, A-scan ultrasonographic lens thickness measurements of 869 children 6 through 14 years of age were analyzed. Results. On average, between the ages of 6 and 10 years, the crystalline lens thins in its axial dimension by almost 0.2 mm. This thinning can be depicted by a cubic model. In this sample, the children with myopia had thinner crystalline lenses than the children with emmetropia of the same age. Conclusions. This article provides the first longitudinal evidence that the crystalline lens thins during the period of coordinated ocular growth between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Further, it shows that lens thickness is associated with refractive error. Thinner crystalline lenses in children with myopia may result from one of two underlying mechanisms : Either the crystalline lens exhausts its ability to compensate for axial elongation after undergoing accelerated lens thinning before the onset of myopia, or the crystalline lens in the myopic eye may be thinner throughout childhood, during which it thins at a rate consistent with other refractive errors. If mechanical forces link eye growth to crystalline lens compensation, more complex, visually guided feedback loops may not be needed to explain the normal eye growth that results in emmetropization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1581-1587.
INTEGRATING A STRESS CORROSION CRACK MODEL INTO FINITE ELEMENT ELECTROMAGNETIC NDT CODE

The maintenance of infrastructure subject to aging in harsh environments demands the highest level of confidence in nondestructive evaluation. One of the most critical issues in the inspection of gas transmission pipelines remains the detection of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). The magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method [1] is widely used to detect cracks in steel. Numerical simulation using the finite element method (FEM) has been proven to be an efficient and inexpensive means of studying the interaction and redistribution of electromagnetic fields [2]. This article describes a stress corrosion crack model and its implementation in a finite element code for simulation of magnetic flux leakage inspection. For a complicated, minimal density of the mesh is desired to implement a code with reasonable requirements of computer memory and computation time. On the other hand, simulations need to be accurate enough to be experimentally validated. Traditional FEM assumes, that all the properties of materials are constants within each element. An approach with conductivity and permeability, varying within elements around a crack, is developed in this paper.
The Cell and Its Components

Cells which are the basic organized units of life can be divided into two different types: prokaryotic and eukaryotic. The fundamental distinction between the two cell types involves the existence of cell membranes. The prokaryotic cell does not have a membrane enclosing its genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). On the other hand, in eukaryotic cells the DNA is contained within a membrane, and the structure referred to as the nucleus. The typical eukaryotic cell has a number of membrane-enclosed organelles, whereas prokaryotic cells lack membrane-bound organelles.
Testing a Model of Universal Prevention Effects on Adolescent Relationships and Marijuana Use as Pathways to Young Adult Outcomes

There are several interrelated knowledge gaps in the literature on skills-building interventions for middle schoolers designed to prevent initiation of substance use, all of which concern the limited study of the adolescent pathways of those intervention effects on distal young adult outcomes. Among the most important yet understudied pathways of influence on long-term effects are positive youth relationship outcomes of middle-school interventions. Other influential pathways for long-term effects are reductions in adolescent substance misuse, particularly marijuana use, considering the long-term consequences of early marijuana initiation. To address these knowledge gaps, data from a randomized controlled trial were used to test a longitudinal, developmental model positing pathways of intervention effects on age 21 illicit drug use and positive relationship affect, via earlier effects on adolescent relationships and marijuana use. Sixth-graders and their families enrolled in 22 Iowa schools were randomly assigned to the Iowa Strengthening Families Program or a control group (N = 446). The average age of students at baseline was 11.3 years (10–13 year age range); 48% were male and 98% were Caucasian, reflective of the demographics in the participating rural Midwest communities. Measures included middle-school relationships (parents, peers, school), high school marijuana use, plus age 21 illicit drug use and relationship affect (parents, work, school), 10 years past intervention implementation. As expected, intervention effects on young adult variables were indirect, through effects on adolescent outcomes, with higher-risk participants showing greater intervention impact. The findings suggest preventive interventions with young adolescents have potential to demonstrate effects into young adulthood.
Practice Concepts and Innovations for Pediatric End-of-Life Care by the Interdisciplinary Care Team

AbstractIn recent years, clinical approaches to anticipatory grief and inclusivity amongst the medical team and family members have grown. In thinking about the end-of-life concerns within the pedi...
Correlated voting

We study the social choice problem where a group of n voters report their preferences over alternatives and a voting rule is used to select an alternative. We show that when the preferences of voters are positively correlated according to the Kendall-Tau distance, the probability that any scoring rule is not ex post incentive compatible (EPIC) goes to zero exponentially fast with the number of voters, improving over the previously known rate of 1/√n for independent preferences. Motivated by rank-order models from machine learning, we introduce two examples of positively-correlated models, namely Conditional Mallows and Conditional Plackett-Luce. Conditional Mallows satisfies Kendall-Tau correlation and fits our positive result. We also prove that Conditional Plackett-Luce becomes EPIC exponentially quickly.
DETECTING HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED COPY-NUMBER VARIANTS FROM POOLED POPULATION SEQUENCING

Copy-number variants (CNVs) represent a functionally and evolutionarily important class of variation. Here we take advantage of the use of pooled sequencing to detect CNVs with large differences in allele frequency between population samples. We present a method for detecting CNVs in pooled population samples using a combination of paired-end sequences and read-depth. Highly differentiated CNVs show large differences in the number of paired-end reads supporting individual alleles and large differences in read-depth between population samples. We complement this approach with one that uses a hidden Markov model to find larger regions differing in read-depth between samples. Using novel pooled sequence data from two populations of Drosophila melanogaster along a latitudinal cline, we demonstrate the utility of our method for identifying CNVs involved in local adaptation.
Examining sex as a predictor and moderator of treatment outcomes for binge-eating disorder: Analysis of aggregated randomized controlled trials.

Objective This study examined whether sex predicted and/or moderated treatment outcomes among men and women who participated in binge-eating disorder (BED) randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Method Data were aggregated from RCTs performed at one medical center. RCTs tested cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral weight loss, multimodal treatment, and/or control conditions. Participants were 660 adults, both men (n = 170) and women (n = 490), with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-fourth edition (DSM-IV)-defined BED. Doctoral-level research-clinicians assessed participants using structured interviews and established self-report measures of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression, and measured height and weight. Assessments occurred at baseline, throughout treatment, and at post-treatment. Results Sex was not a significant moderator of any treatment outcomes. Mixed models revealed sex had a main effect: men had lower eating-disorder psychopathology and lost more weight than women over the course of treatment. Discussion Both epidemiological and RCT studies report disparities in treatment-seeking between men and women with BED. Despite this, men have comparable or better treatment outcomes compared with women, including significantly greater weight loss. Thus, disseminating evidence-based BED treatments is promising for both men and women. Additional research is necessary, however, to understand treatment effects-including other predictors and moderators of outcomes-across diverse providers, treatment settings, and patient groups.
Prospective Evaluation of Range of Motion in Acute ACL Reconstruction Using Patellar Tendon Autograft.

Background:Optimal timing of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been a topic of controversy. Reconstruction has historically been delayed for at least 3 weeks, given previous studi...
Induction of Drug-Induced, Autoimmune Hepatitis in BALB/c Mice for the Study of Its Pathogenic Mechanisms

Drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis (DIH) is the most common hepatic drug-induced hypersensitization process observed in approximately 9 to 12% of patients with autoimmune hepatitis. The overwhelming majority of patients with DIH are women. The underlying mechanisms of these sex differences in prevalence are unclear because of the paucity of animal models that mimic human disease. Even so, underlying mechanisms are widely believed to be associated with human leukocyte antigen haplotypes and sex hormones. In contrast, using a DIH mouse model, we have uncovered that IL-4 initiated CD4+ T cells directed against an epitope of cytochrome P450 2E1 induces influx of neutrophils, macrophages and mast cells into the livers of female BALB/c mice. Using this model, we have also shown that IL-33-induced FoxP3+regulatory T cells confer protection against DIH in female and male mice. This DIH model is induced by immunizing mice with an epitope of CYP2E1 that has been covalently altered with a drug metabolite that has been associated with DIH. This epitope is recognized by patients with DIH. Our method induces robust and reproducible hepatitis and autoantibodies that can be utilized to study the pathogenesis of DIH. While in vivo studies can cause undue pain and distress in mice when done improperly, the advantage of an in vivo model is the ability to evaluate the pathogenesis of disease in a large number of mice. Additionally, biological effects of the altered liver proteins can be studied using invasive procedures. The addition of in vitro studies to the experimental design allows rapid repetition and mechanistic analysis at a cellular level. Thus, we will demonstrate our model protocol and how it can be utilized to study in vivo and in vitro mechanisms of DIH.
Comparison of Orientation Mapping in SEM and TEM

Multiple experimental configurations for performing nanoscale orientation mapping are compared to determine their fidelity to the true microstructure of a sample. Transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) experiments in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and nanobeam diffraction (NBD) experiments in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed on thin electrodeposited hard Au films with two different microstructures. The Au samples either had a grain size that is >50 or <20 nm. The same regions of the samples were measured with TKD apparatuses at 30 kV in an SEM with detectors in the horizontal and vertical configurations and in the TEM at 300 kV. Under the proper conditions, we demonstrate that all three configurations can produce data of equivalent quality. Each method has strengths and challenges associated with its application and representation of the true microstructure. The conditions needed to obtain high-quality data for each acquisition method and the challenges associated with each are discussed.
The evolution and challenges in China’s implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a new analytical framework

Due to its size and surging economic growth, China could play a major role in solving global environmental problems, especially through its implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of the most important MEAs in the world. China ratified then CBD in 1992 and has implemented the CBD with changing willingness and ability since 1993. Since China’s willingness and ability is changing, the traditional willingness–capacity framework could not accurately evaluate its implementation status. Therefore, how to evaluate the (dynamic) implementation of the CBD by countries like China which is in the process of rapid socioeconomic progress, became a new research question for scholarships. To this end, the article introduces a new analytical framework (with four factors) on implementation based on the traditional willingness–capacity framework, and employed both the historic analysis through examining historic development of China’s implementation and empirical study methods through empirical data and information. It finds that factors such as development philosophy and model, perception of national environmental interest, economic and technological level, and attitude toward global environmental governance have jointly determined China’s role in the implementation and its evolution of “follower–major participant–active contributor”. And those factors could also provide an insight into what are the challenges for China’s future implementation. The analytic framework used in this article may shed light on understanding China’s implementation of other MEAs, and on understanding other developing countries’ implementation of MEAs.
Abstract PR03: Metabolic control of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in Lung Disease and Lung Cancer

Dysregulated epigenetic control of lung lineage fate is believed to be a major driver of lung disease, including plasticity in lung cancer. Our laboratory has observed a marked decrease in Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) activity in bronchiolar epithelium of COPD patients, poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas and the majority of squamous cell carcinomas. Interestingly, the PRC2 methyltransferase EZH2 is still highly expressed in many of these tissues, suggesting a de-coupling of EZH2 and PRC2 activity. A mouse model of lineage switching from adenocarcinoma to squamous lung cancer clearly showed that loss of PRC2 activity was a catalyst to epigenetic reprogramming. This model also showed increased infiltration of neutrophils, which are known to produce large amounts of superoxide. Our current hypothesis is that oxidative stress, in part through neutrophil recruitment to lung tissue, drives the loss of PRC2 activity through metabolic changes. To support this hypothesis, we have shown that a redox-sensitive enzyme in the methionine pathway, cystathionine beta synthase (CBS), is expressed in COPD and lung cancer and modulates PRC2 activity. Enforced CBS expression drives global decrease in the PRC2-mediated histone marked, H3K27me3, and increased expression of genes expressed by basal cells of the lung, including KRT5, SOX2 and PD-L1. Furthermore, we have found that PRC2 activity can be stabilized through restriction of methionine levels or knock-down of CBS, leading to increased sensitivity of cells to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. PRC2-low epigenetic states can also be exploited – either pharmacological or genetic perturbation of EZH2 led to sensitivity to several classes of drugs, including immunotherapies. Our future studies include using Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) to understand how oxidative stress alters the methionine cycle and ultimately changes the stability and function of the PRC2 complex, and to use this information to design better therapeutic strategies. Work supported by AACR Innovation and Discovery Grant, American Cancer Society 133123-RSG-19-081-01-TBG and IRG-85-001-25, NCI R01 CA237643, NIGMS P20 GM121327-03, NIEHS T32 5T32ES007266-30, NCI T32 CA165990 and NHLBI F31 HL151111-01. Citation Format: Mojtaba Bakhtiari, Aria L. Byrd, Fan Chen, Alexsandr Lukyanchuk, Tanner J. DuCote, Christine Fillmore Brainson. Metabolic control of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in Lung Disease and Lung Cancer [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Virtual Conference on Epigenetics and Metabolism; October 15-16, 2020; 2020 Oct 15-16. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(23 Suppl):Abstract nr PR03.
Resilience assessment tool for port planning

US ports and container/intermodal terminals are critical links in the marine transportation system. Disruption at a port can have a crippling economic effect in the coastal zone as well as the rest...
Fugitive Life: The Queer Politics of the Prison State

Review of the book Fugitive Life: The Queer Politics of the Prison State, by Stephen Dillon.
"Letter of the Law": A Review of Various Medical Laws for the Nuclear Medicine Physician

2056 Introduction: The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Agreement States have enacted many regulations to protect the health and safety of the public, staff and the environment. There are many additional laws and regulations which can affect a nuclear medicine practice that are in addition to the laws addressing radiation safety. The Stark Law, the Health Care Quality and Improvement Act (HCQIA), the Anti-Kickback act, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), and the False Claims act will be presented with their unique application to Nuclear Medicine. Methods: We conducted a literature review of the rules and regulations that apply to a Nuclear medicine, beyond the radiation safety rules Results: There are numerous rules and regulation that must be followed in order to provide the highest level of patient care that extend well past those well established for radiation safety. Conclusion: A thorough understanding of the rules and regulations that provide a framework for nuclear medicine activities can help deliver effective and safe patient care.
Cell salvage in trauma.

Purpose of review The collection of shed blood and its reinfusion has been termed 'cell salvage' or 'autotransfusion'. This review will summarize the historical foundation of cell salvage and summarize recent literature associated with cell salvage use in trauma. Recent findings There have been no publications on cell salvage in trauma during the last 2 years. This is based on a PubMed search using the key words, 'cell salvage', 'autologous blood transfusion' and 'operative blood salvage'. Although the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were ongoing, publications focused upon autotranfusion of unwashed blood from the hemothorax and on the resuscitation of the injured in remote settings. Summary Autotransfusion or cell salvage is markedly under utilized in trauma. Opportunities exist for significant blood savings if it is used more frequently. More research is clearly needed to assess the safety of autotransfusion in the traumatized patient.
Fair Scheduling of Heterogeneous Customer Populations

When managing congested service systems, it is common to use priority rules based on some operational criteria. In this paper, we consider the societal implications of such individual-focused priority policies, when individuals are considered as members of broader population groups. We find that optimal resource allocation policies such as the cμ-rule in scheduling can lead to significant inequity across different population groups. We propose policies that can mitigate this inequity and can even generate completely equitable outcomes across populations with little, or at times, even no additional system cost. Thus, we find that it can be possible to achieve more equitable outcomes while ensuring operational efficiency.
Circulating exosomes induced by respiratory viral infections in lung transplant recipients activate cellular stress, innate immune pathways and epithelial to mesenchymal transition

Background Chronic lung transplant rejection occurs in over 50% of lung transplant recipients and mechanism of chronic rejection is unknown. Evaluation of potential mechanism of exosomes from lung transplant recipients diagnosed with respiratory viral infection (RVI) in inducing chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Method Exosomes were isolated from lung transplant recipients followed by DNA and RNA isolation from exosomes. Cell signaling mechanisms were studied by co-culturing exosomes with human epithelial cells. Mice were immunized with exosomes and lung homogenates were studied for immune signaling proteins. Results Exosomes from lung transplant recipients with RVI carry nucleic acids which are capable of inducing innate immune signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and epithelial mesenchymal transition. Conclusion Therefore, we propose that RVI can lead to induction of exosomes that initiate the process leading to CLAD in mice models. These novel findings identified the molecular mechanisms by which RVI increases the risk of CLAD.
Kinetics and Control of Alcohol Oxidation in Rats

The rates of oxidation of ethanol and isopropanol by purified rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase were determined in vitro and compared to the rates of metabolism in vivo in order to estimate the extent to which alcohol dehydrogenase activity limits ethanol metabolism. The metabolism of isopropanol and isopropanol-d7 (CD3CDOHCD3) was examined by measuring blood alcohol and acetone levels at various times and apparently proceeds by an irreversible, enzyme-catalyzed pathway: isopropanol → acetone → an unidentified metabolite. The kinetic constants for the metabolism were computed from simultaneous fits to the appropriate differential equations using a nonlinear least-squares program. The relative rates of oxidation of the alcohols, ethanol:isopropanol:isopropanol-d7, at 25 mM were 9.6: 2.3: 1.0 in vitro and 4.1: 2.4: 1.0 in vivo. Since the ratio of rates for isopropanol is about the same in vitro and in vivo it appears that alcohol dehydrogenase activity is the predominant rate-limiting factor in isopropanol metabolism. The relatively slower rate of ethanol oxidation in vivo as compared to in vitro suggests that liver alcohol dehydrogenase is partially (about 40%) limiting for ethanol metabolism.
Chapter 17B(i) Oncovirinae: type B oncovirus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the murine mammary tumor virus (MuMTV), a complex enveloped RNA virus, which is the only virus known to be the etiological agent of spontaneous mammary tumors in mice. MuMTV can be transmitted by two key routes: (1) congenital infection of suckling mice by milk-borne exogenous virus and (2 ) genetically as an endogenous provirus. Exogenous MuMTV causes mammary adenocarcinomas in infected females at a high incidence between 7 and 9 months of age, and large quantities of MuMTV produced early in the mammary glands of these mice are expressed in their milk. Their mammary tumor cells also produce large quantities of MuMTV. Understanding of the synthesis and processing of the structural polypeptides of MuMTV is fairly comprehensive. Studies on the existence of pits on the viral surface and the organization of the viral core may lead to a greater understanding of the intriguing structural features of MuMTV.
On Asymptotic Probability of Inductive Queries and Their Decision Problem

In recent years several resesmch articles have been devoted to the study of inductive queries on finite relational structures, including the papers by Aho and Ullman [1979], Chandra and Harel [1982], Harel and Kozen [1984]. The inductive queries are the ones expressible in the language obtained from first-order logic by adding the least fixed point operator for positive formulas. These queries are always computable in I~IME and can capture interesting properties, such as connectivity and acyclicity, which in general are not expressible in first-order logic. At about the same time a different direction of research focused on the asymptotic probabilities of first-order properties on finite relational structures. Fagin [1976] established both a labeled and an unlabeled O-1 law for first-order sentences on the class of all finite graphs. Compton [1980, 1984a] investigated asymptotic probabilities of first-order sentences on restricted classes of finite structures which arise naturally in eombinatorics, such as equivalence relations, permutations, various classes of forests, and others. After this, in Comptou [198~b], he showed that in many of these classes a O-1 law holds for first-order queries if and only if a O-1 law holds for queries expressible in monadic second order logic. The recent paper by Blass, Gurevich and Kozen [1984] brings together the two areas of research mentioned above. It is shown there that both labeled and unlabeled O-1 laws hold for the inductive queries on the class of all finite graphs. Moreover, the problem of deciding the asymptotic probability of an inductive query on the class of all finite graphs is EX~TIME complete. The proofs of these results depend on the fact that the first-order almost sure theory of finite graphs is u-categorical, that is to say it has enly one countable model up to isomorphism. Our aim in this paper is to investigate inductive queries and their probabilities on certain classes of finite relational structures for which the firstorder almost sure theory is not u-categorical. More specifically, in §3 we show:
Repeated Exposure Toxicity

Acute toxicity studies are essential preliminaries to repeated-dosing studies, but the former give limited information about organ-specific toxicity. Many toxic effects are not detected in acute studies because of the need for cumulative toxicity to develop or because of a long latency to development of toxicity. Evaluation of repeated-exposure toxicity requires that studies be conducted by an appropriate route for a sufficient number of exposures. The initial concentrations or doses chosen will be determined by findings from acute studies, when these permit the detection of toxicity. Short-term repeated-dose studies vary in length from a few (5-9) days to 28 days, while subchronic studies are usually 90 days, and chronic studies 18 months or more, in rodents. The material to be tested should be of known purity. Most repeated-exposure studies are conducted using rats or mice, with some regulatory agencies also requiring the use of a larger species (e.g. dog), for subchronic studies. The choice of species is heavily constrained by regulatory authorities and the requirement for normative data. Dosing may be by various routes, that chosen depending largely on the likely route of human exposure. Oral dosing can be gavage, or incorporation of test material into the diet or drinking water. In-life observations include clinical observation, food and water consumption and body weight determinations. Standard haematology, clinical chemistry and urinalysis measurements are necessary in all studies. At termination, necropsy is carried out, selected organs are weighed and selected organs processed for histopathology. Keywords: repeated dose; toxicity; exposure; route; haematology; clinical chemistry; organ weight; histopathology
Determinants of reoperation after 960 valve replacements with Carpentier-Edwards prostheses.

During the period of 1977 to 1990, 960 Carpentier-Edwards standard prostheses (Baxter Healthcare Corp., Santa Ana, Calif.) were placed in 875 operations. Freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 57% ± 4%, 76% ± 3%, and 95% ± 5% for mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valve replacement, respectively. Age was the only independent determinant of reoperation for both aortic and mitral valves. Likelihood of reoperation decreased with age, with freedom from reoperation after 10 years in patients aged less than 60 years versus 60 or more years being 65% ± 5% versus 90% ± 4% after aortic valve replacement and 48% ± 5% versus 75% ± 6% after mitral valve replacement. For mitral valve replacement, larger valve size made reoperation more likely, with freedom from reoperation at 10 years being 71% ± 6% for sizes less than 31 mm and 57% ± 5% for sizes 31 mm or larger. For aortic valve replacement, prior median sternotomy reduced freedom from reoperation at 10 years from 80% ± 3% to 25% ± 5%. The low prevalence of reoperation affirms the suitability of the Carpentier-Edwards prosthesis for selected elderly patients and for tricuspid valve replacement. Because of their influence on the probability of reoperation, valve size and prior cardiac procedures also merit consideration in the choice of valvular prosthesis.
Tensor Product and Stride Permutation

Tensor product offers a natural language for expressing digital signal processing(DSP) algorithms. In this chapter, we define the tensor product and derive several important tensor product identities.