cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring the factors affecting global manufacturing performance

A decision tree is used to explore the effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and financial factors on global manufacturing industry sales performance. Existing research provi...
Modulating Oxidative Stress Relieves Stress-Induced Behavioral and Cognitive Impairments in Rats.

Background Persistent psychological stress often leads to anxiety disorders and depression. Benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are popular treatment options but have limited efficacy, supporting the need for alternative treatment. Based on our recent preclinical work suggesting a causal link between neurobehavioral deficits and elevated oxidative stress, we hypothesized that interventions that mitigate oxidative stress can attenuate/overcome neurobehavioral deficits. Methods Here, we employed the rat social defeat model of psychological stress to determine whether increasing antioxidant levels using grape powder would prevent and/or reverse social defeat-induced behavioral and cognitive deficits. Furthermore, a hippocampal-derived HT22 cell culture model of oxidative stress was employed to identify the individual beneficial constituent(s) of grape powder and the underlying mechanism(s) of action. Results Grape powder treatment prevented and reversed social defeat-induced behavioral and cognitive deficits and also decreased social defeat-induced increase in plasma corticosterone and 8-isoprostane (systemic and oxidative stress markers, respectively). And grape powder treatment replenished social defeat-induced depleted pool of key antioxidant enzymes glyoxalase-1, glutathione reducatse-1, and superoxide dismutase. Grape powder constituents, quercetin and resveratrol, were most effective in preventing oxidative stress-induced decreased cellular antioxidant capacity. Grape powder protected oxidative stress-induced cell death by preventing calcium influx, mitochondrial dysfunction, and release of cytochrome c. Conclusions Grape powder treatment by increasing antioxidant pool and preventing cell damage and death prevented and reversed social defeat-induced behavioral and cognitive deficits in rats. Quercetin and resveratrol are the major contributors towards beneficial effects of grape powder.
Mind your bedtime: The circadian clock and mTOR in an orphan brain disease

Circadian disturbances that accompany tuberous sclerosis Complex are explored in mouse models.
Five years' experience with a customized electronic checklist for radiation therapy planning quality assurance in a multicampus institution

Abstract Introduction An electronic checklist has been designed with the intention of reducing errors while minimizing user effort in completing the checklist. We analyze the clinical use and evolution of the checklist over the past 5 years and review data in an incident learning system (ILS) to investigate whether it has contributed to an improvement in patient safety. Methods and materials The checklist is written as a standalone HTML application using VBScript. User selection of pertinent demographic details limits the display of checklist items only to those necessary for the particular clinical scenario. Ten common clinical scenarios were used to illustrate the difference between the maximum possible number of checklist items available in the code versus the number displayed to the user at any one time. An ILS database of errors and near misses was reviewed to evaluate whether the checklist influenced the occurrence of reported events. Results Over 5 years, the number of checklist items available in the code nearly doubled, whereas the number displayed to the user at any one time stayed constant. Events reported in our ILS related to the beam energy used with pacemakers, projection of anatomy on digitally reconstructed radiographs, orthogonality of setup fields, and field extension beyond match lines, did not recur after the items were added to the checklist. Other events related to bolus documentation and breakpoints continued to be reported. Conclusion Our checklist is adaptable to the introduction of new technologies, transitions between planning systems, and to errors and near misses recorded in the ILS. The electronic format allows us to restrict user display to a small, relevant, subset of possible checklist items, limiting the planner effort needed to review and complete the checklist.
Employee Satisfaction in Accounting Firms, Work-Life Balance, Turnover, and Audit Quality

The PCAOB’s audit-quality framework posits that superior inputs are essential for achieving high audit quality, and these inputs depend on the accounting firm’s ability to recruit and retain quality personnel. However, the link between these inputs and audit quality has gone largely unexplored due to a lack of data. We use employee-level reviews of accounting firm employers to examine some of these inputs, and test whether accounting firm’s internal characteristics explain employee satisfaction and audit quality. We provide descriptive evidence suggesting that “career opportunities,” “senior management,” and “culture and values” play a more important role in employees’ satisfaction than do “compensation and benefits” or “work-life balance.” While work-life balance is not among the most important factors that are associated with audit employees’ overall satisfaction, better work-life balance is nonetheless associated with higher audit quality. However, we do not find a significant association between audit-employees’ overall job satisfaction and audit quality.
Hypercholesterolemia-Induced Loss of Flow-Induced Vasodilation and Lesion Formation in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Critically Depend on Inwardly Rectifying K + Channels.

Background Hypercholesterolemia‐induced decreased availability of nitric oxide (NO) is a major factor in cardiovascular disease. We previously established that cholesterol suppresses endothelial inwardly rectifying K + (Kir) channels and that Kir2.1 is an upstream mediator of flow‐induced NO production. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that suppression of Kir2.1 is responsible for hypercholesterolemia‐induced inhibition of flow‐induced NO production and flow‐induced vasodilation (FIV). We also tested the role of Kir2.1 in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Methods and Results Kir2.1 currents are significantly suppressed in microvascular endothelial cells exposed to acetylated–low‐density lipoprotein or isolated from apolipoprotein E–deficient ( Apoe −/− ) mice and rescued by cholesterol depletion. Genetic deficiency of Kir2.1 on the background of hypercholesterolemic Apoe −/− mice, Kir2.1 +/− /Apoe −/− exhibit the same blunted FIV and flow‐induced NO response as Apoe −/− or Kir2.1 +/− alone, but while FIV in Apoe −/− mice can be rescued by cholesterol depletion, in Kir2.1 +/− /Apoe −/− mice cholesterol depletion has no effect on FIV. Endothelial‐specific overexpression of Kir2.1 in arteries from Apoe −/− and Kir2.1 +/− /Apoe −/− mice results in full rescue of FIV and NO production in Apoe −/− mice with and without the addition of a high‐fat diet. Conversely, endothelial‐specific expression of dominant‐negative Kir2.1 results in the opposite effect. Kir2.1 +/− /Apoe −/− mice also show increased lesion formation, particularly in the atheroresistant area of descending aorta. Conclusions We conclude that hypercholesterolemia‐induced reduction in FIV is largely attributable to cholesterol suppression of Kir2.1 function via the loss of flow‐induced NO production, whereas the stages downstream of flow‐induced Kir2.1 activation appear to be mostly intact. Kir2.1 channels also have an atheroprotective role.
Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as Predictor of Treatment Response in Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer.

Background The aim of this study was to assess the difference (Δ) in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), before and after chemoradiotherapy, as a predictor of treatment response and a prognostic factor for recurrence and disease-free survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy with or without surgery. Methods Patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with chemoradiation with and without surgery who had a complete blood count before and after chemoradiotherapy were included. Pretreatment and posttreatment NLR were calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil count by the absolute lymphocyte count. The ΔNLR was defined as posttreatment minus pretreatment NLR. Characteristics were evaluated for association with ΔNLR using the Wilcoxon signed rank test or the Kruskal-Wallis test. Risk of recurrence and disease-free survival were evaluated using Gray’s and the log rank tests, respectively. Results We included 217 patients. Of them, 133 patients (61.3%) received only chemoradiotherapy and 84 (38.7%) underwent surgery after chemoradiotherapy. Among the surgical patients, 43% with pathologic complete response showed significantly lower median ΔNLR than patients with residual disease (−0.03 versus 1.04, p = 0.004). High ΔNLR was a negative predictor of treatment response (odds ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.62 to 0.9, p = 0.004). A significant association between high ΔNLR and increased risk of recurrence was also identified. Conclusions The ΔNLR was inversely related to pathologic complete response and associated with risk of recurrence. This simple test, in concert with other clinical tools, can help identify patients with pathologic complete response.
Take Cover: Nuclear Preperations in Montgomery County

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device the destructive potential of which derives from the energy that is released by the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei. The use of nuclear weapons became a threat to the world with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. The United States federal government worked to aid nuclear preparations throughout the nation. Throughout approximately forty years of American history, tensions between the United States and Russia led to civil defense programs that prepared for a nuclear attack. The government set federal restrictions in order to establish guidelines for states to follow when preparing for a nuclear crisis.
The Equivalent Krogh Cylinder and Axial Oxygen Transport

The Krogh-Erlang model has served as a basis of understanding of oxygen supply to resting and working muscle. Considerable discrepancy was found between pO 2 microsensor data and results from that model. A modification was made to the transport mechanisms implied by the Krogh-Erlang model by averaging the tissue radially, using a mass-transfer coefficient to maintain radial transport, and adding axial diffusion in the capillary and tissue. This radially-averaged, axially distributed (RAAD) modified Krogh model is used to evaluate the hypothesis that axial transport is important in Krogh-geometry capillary-tissue structures. Analytic solutions for the modified model were developed. RAAD model histograms bear a striking resemblance to experimental data, while results from the classic model do not. The former has an SSE (sum of squared error) of 10.2 with respect to experimental histograms, while the Krogh model has an SSE of 238.6. The effect of using a radial mass-transfer coefficient was evaluated by comparing the RAAD model with a fully distributed model. It had been shown that the modified Krogh model predicts tissue level data well when the length-to-tissue radius ratio is 50. It was expected that the predictions would be degraded for smaller ratios and then the Krogh model would suffice. By supplying a fixed volume of tissue at different radius/length ratios, it will be shown that the modified Krogh model is superior in all aspects to the Krogh model. The results are slightly different from those of the distributed model, but these differences are limited to the first 10% of the arteriolar region. It is concluded that the RAAD model is a better overall predictor of oxygen distribution and may be useful in furthering our understanding of oxygen transport to tissue in hemoglobinless perfusion situations. We suggest that this radially-averaged, axially-distributed model be used in place of the classic Krogh cylinder model for all biological situations.
Recommendation in Online Health Communities

Online health communities enable patients to share ideas and experiences to improve their understanding of themselves and their treatment. Personalized recommendation helps patients find appropriate online social resources and protects and enhances the character of the resources. Recommendation needs to leverage a wide variety of types of interactions, but most state-of-the-art recommender systems using matrix factorization are designed for one type of relation with a restricted range of ratings. In this paper, we address the problem of recommendation using multiple relations with unrestricted ranges of ratings derived from social behaviors. We model multiple relations through multi-task matrix factorization where the latent profiles are \emph{partially shared} between relations. Moreover, we offer two new techniques for transforming between the distribution produced by latent factor models and power-law-distributed ratings. The experiments conducted over a data set from a diabetes community suggest that the proposed model can improve the accuracy of recommendation in online health communities. The performance for recommendation to users is very good (mean rank of test examples is less than 5 out of 30) but poorer for recommendation to groups (mean rank 10 out of 30).
Climate Change and Human Rights Law

This article seeks to provide a basis for a better understanding of how human rights law applies to climate change. Its aim is to establish some fundamental points. First, climate change already interferes with the human rights of vulnerable communities and is an enormous threat to human rights everywhere. Second, human rights law imposes duties on states to respond to climate change regardless of whether they can be held responsible for “causing” it. Third, human rights law also constrains states’ responses. Last, and most important, the jurisprudence that human rights tribunals have developed in the context of domestic environmental harm may be applied to global environmental harm, such as climate change, on the basis of the duty of international cooperation. The environmental human rights jurisprudence has developed strong procedural requirements and deferential substantive standards, which make sense in the context of a single polity experiencing the costs and benefits of activities that cause environmental degradation, but which do not easily apply to transboundary harm. The duty of cooperation would require states to try to act as a single polity at a global level to address the global threat of climate change. It would thus provide a basis for the application of the environmental human rights jurisprudence. That jurisprudence would allow states some flexibility as to the substance of their joint decisions, but only if they follow procedures designed to ensure full, well-informed participation by those most affected. Moreover, the substance of decisions that result from such processes would not be entitled to complete deference: under no conditions could states allow climate change to destroy the human rights of the most vulnerable.
Development of Self-Regulatory Behavior in Infancy: Towards Understanding the Origins of Behavioral Misadventures

Self-regulatory behavior is seen at birth and before. Normal newborns adjust some of their own stimulus inputs, through maintaining or avoiding contact. These adjustments are based on pleasant and annoying experiences. Such hedonic control of the baby’s movements and behavioral receptivity enables conditioning to occur. Learned anticipations of pleasures and annoyances in turn mediate subsequent approach and avoidance behavior. Some developmental adversities entail failures by the child to avoid risks, or to deflect threats to wellbeing. This may be the result either of an initial compromise of hedonic capacities or of a failure to learn life-saving strategies. Learning deficiencies themselves can be caused by failure of pleasures and annoyances to be appropriately paired with or contingent upon other stimulus inputs. Among the behavioral misadventures possibly mediated by collaborative hedonic and learning deficits may be crib death, adolescent suicide, and a variety of accidents.
Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models for gemcitabine and birinapant in pancreatic cancer xenografts

The anticancer effects of combined gemcitabine and birinapant were demonstrated as synergistic in PANC-1 cells in vitro. In this study, pharmacokinetic information derived from experiments and the literature was utilized to develop full physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models that characterize individual drugs. The predicted intra-tumor drug concentrations were used as the driving force within a linked PBPK/PD model for treatment-mediated changes in tumor volume in a xenograft mouse model. The efficacy of the drug combination in vivo was evaluated mathematically as exhibiting additivity. The network model developed for drug effects in the in vitro cell cultures was applied successfully to link the in vivo tumor drug concentrations with tumor growth inhibition, incorporating more mechanistic features and accounting for disparate drug interaction outcomes in vitro and in vivo.
Short Communication: Expression of Host Restriction Factors by Memory CD4+ T Cells Differs Between Healthy Donors and HIV-1-Infected Individuals with Effective Antiretroviral Therapy

Much has been learnt from the functions of host restriction factors during acute and chronic HIV-1 infection, but far less is known about their role in HIV-1-infected individuals in which viral load is stably suppressed with antiretroviral therapy (ART). In this study transcriptional expression of 42 host restriction factors was determined for memory CD4+ T cells sorted from 10 uninfected and 21 HIV-1-infected individuals, treated with suppressive ART and for which the viral reservoir was quantified. No significant associations were observed between restriction factor expression and HIV-1 reservoir size, quantified by measurement of HIV-1 Gag DNA using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, and by measurement of replication-competent inducible virus using quantitative viral outgrowth assays. Expression of eight of the restriction factors differed significantly, and with a false discovery rate of <10%, between ART-suppressed and uninfected individuals. APOBEC3G, ISG15, LGALS3BP, RNASEL, and MX2 were upregulated in the ART-suppressed individuals, likely because of increased levels of immune activation observed in virally suppressed compared with uninfected individuals. In contrast CDKN1A, TRIM11, and BRD4 were expressed at lower levels in ART-suppressed than uninfected individuals. This suggests perturbation of the CD4+ memory T cell compartment, in which a viral reservoir persists in HIV-1-infected individuals with effective ART. Modulation of restriction factor expression, or overrepresentation of cell subsets that intrinsically express these restriction factors at lower levels could result in the distinct expression of restriction factors observed in treated infected individuals.
Robust and SelectiveCobalt Catalysts Bearing Redox-ActiveBipyridyl‑ N ‑heterocyclic Carbene Frameworksfor Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction in Aqueous Solutions

An original series of cobalt complexes bearing redox-active ligands based on bipyridyl-N-heterocyclic carbene donors has been developed for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction in acetonitrile and aqueou...
Comparative Analysis of the Capsid Structures of AAVrh.10, AAVrh.39, and AAV8.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) from clade E are often used as vectors in gene delivery applications. This clade includes rhesus isolate 10 (AAVrh.10) and 39 (AAVrh.39) which, unlike representative AAV8, are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thereby enabling the delivery of therapeutic genes to the central nervous system. Here, the capsid structures of AAV8, AAVrh.10 and AAVrh.39 have been determined by cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction to 3.08-, 2.75-, and 3.39-A resolution, respectively, to enable a direct structural comparison. AAVrh.10 and AAVrh.39 are 98% identical in amino acid sequence but only ∼93.5% identical to AAV8. However, the capsid structures of all three viruses are similar, with only minor differences observed in the previously described surface variable regions, suggesting that specific residues S269 and N472, absent in AAV8, may confer the ability to cross the BBB in AAVrh.10 and AAVrh.39. Head-to-head comparison of empty and genome-containing particles showed DNA ordered in the previously described nucleotide-binding pocket, supporting the suggested role of this pocket in DNA packaging for the Dependoparvovirus The structural characterization of these viruses provides a platform for future vector engineering efforts toward improved gene delivery success with respect to specific tissue targeting, transduction efficiency, antigenicity, or receptor retargeting.IMPORTANCE Recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors (rAAVs), based on AAV8 and AAVrh.10, have been utilized in multiple clinical trials to treat different monogenetic diseases. The closely related AAVrh.39 has also shown promise in vivo As recently attained for other AAV biologics, e.g., Luxturna and Zolgensma, based on AAV2 and AAV9, respectively, the vectors in this study will likely gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for commercialization in the near future. This study characterized the capsid structures of these clinical vectors at atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction for comparative analysis. The analysis suggested two key residues, S269 and N472, as determinants of BBB crossing for AAVrh.10 and AAVrh.39, a feature utilized for central nervous system delivery of therapeutic genes. The structure information thus provides a platform for engineering to improve receptor retargeting or tissue specificity. These are important challenges in the field that need attention. Capsid structure information also provides knowledge potentially applicable for regulatory product approval.
A Probability Density Theory for Spin-Glass Systems

Spin-glass systems are universal models for representing many-body phenomena in statistical physics and computer science. High quality solutions of NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems can be encoded into low energy states of spin-glass systems. In general, evaluating the relevant physical and computational properties of such models is difficult due to critical slowing down near a phase transition. Ideally, one could use recent advances in deep learning for characterizing the low-energy properties of these complex systems. Unfortunately, many of the most promising machine learning approaches are only valid for distributions over continuous variables and thus cannot be directly applied to discrete spin-glass models. To this end, we develop a continuous probability density theory for spin-glass systems with arbitrary dimensions, interactions, and local fields. We show how our formulation geometrically encodes key physical and computational properties of the spin-glass in an instance-wise fashion without the need for quenched disorder averaging. We show that our approach is beyond the mean-field theory and identify a transition from a convex to non-convex energy landscape as the temperature is lowered past a critical temperature. We apply our formalism to a number of spin-glass models including the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick (SK) model, spins on random Erdős-Renyi graphs, and random restricted Boltzmann machines.
Corruption Perceptions and Contentious Politics in Africa: How Different Types of Corruption Have Shaped Africa’s Third Wave of Protest:

Does corruption increase general and anti-government protest? Scholarship has produced seemingly incompatible results, with some research demonstrating a strong connection between corruption and th...
Evaluation of Climate Driven Simulations of Po River Flow from 1971 to 2000 Through Flow-Duration Curve Indices: Preliminary Results

Climate shows a natural variability that influences the dynamics of river discharges. In particular, intense precipitations would cause floods, while prolonged dry periods are associated to droughts phenomena. In the Mediterranean area, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of these phenomena due to variations in the precipitation partitioning in both space and time. To evaluate the impacts of these changes on the Po river daily discharges, we have developed a modelling chain that includes both climate and hydrological models. The performances of the chain are currently under testing through different simulations over the period 1971-2000. These simulations are driven by precipitation and temperature from a high resolution observed climate dataset and from the regional climate model COSMO-CLM, driven by perfect boundary conditions given by ERA40 Reanalysis and by suboptimal boundary conditions, using the global climate model CMCC-CM. The aim of these simulations is to investigate the uncertainties introduced by the components of the modelling chain and their effects on simulated discharges: the first simulation is used as reference simulation, the second one aims to evaluate how the uncertainties, introduced by the RCM, COSMO-CLM, propagate to the simulated discharges; and the last one is designed to evaluate the joint effects of the GCM, CMCC-CM, and the RCM on the simulation outputs. The results of such analysis will be used to qualify the XXI century climate projections and to correctly interpret climate change impacts on hydrological cycle in the future. The simulations performances are evaluated by comparing the precipitation and discharge seasonality and through five indices based on the flow-duration curve, that is representative of the probability distribution function of the river flow. To improve the simulation results a quantile-quantile correction is applied to simulated discharges using 1972-1990 data as calibration period and validating the results on 1991-2000. The quantile-quantile corrected simulations better resemble discharge seasonality and flow-duration curve. Results show how probabilistic bias correction helps in reducing the overall uncertainty.
Methodical software-supported, multi-target optimization and redesign of a gear wheel for additive manufacturing

Abstract Additive manufacturing gives new freedom to part design by enabling the manufacturing of complex structures. Mastering this degree of freedom poses challenges for product developers with experience from conventional manufacturing. In order to meet this challenge in a structured manner, a practical method is presented in which creative idea development is combined with software-based design optimization. First, optimization goals are defined. Then a baseline design is developed through a creative ideation process. Variants are derived from the baseline design, evaluated according to simulation results and selected. The method is illustrated by the development of a lightweight and function-integrated gear wheel.
The fidelity of DSMC method to analyze the aerothermodynamics of the pure continuum flow regime

Abstract The statistical probabilistic Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method was developed to interrogate the flow regime, in which thermal non-equilibrium exists and flow properties are non-continuous. Unfortunately, the DSMC method had not been preferred for the pure continuum flow regime ascribed to the computational burden arises with the computation of a large number of simulated molecule trajectories. However, this study showed that the DSMC method can handle the number density of real molecules of the pure continuum flow regime. The DSMC predictions were in close proximity to the experimental measurements taken on an Orion aeroshell model at Mach 11.4, 12.4, and 12.5 of reacting air in an expansion tunnel facility. The measurements corresponded to laminar boundary layer conditions, whereby Schlieren images were taken to assess the shockwave encapsulating the Orion aeroshell. The DSMC model predicted no isolated bump of the stagnation point heat flux, which was in line with the experiments. At a 20° angle of attack of the aeroshell, the model could capture the non-axisymmetric flow-field, in which the shear layer was attached at the windward side aftbody and detached at the leeward side aftbody. Thinning of the shockwave with the increase of flow-field temperature and molecular dissociation was also visibly distinct. The outcomes suggest the fidelity of the DSMC method in capturing the molecular interactions and the associated reaction kinetics in regimes varying from continuum to a rarefied gas without any substantial compromise of accuracy.
A Look Inside the Butler's Cupboard: How the External World Reveals Internal State of Mind in Legal Narratives

In Remains of the Day, Mr. Stevens the butler guards his pantry well and does not allow the housekeeper to be "coming and going." When Ms. Kenton intrudes on his private time and wants to see the novel he is reading, he resists. Mr. Stevens's internal monologue about the pantry and all of his interaction with Ms. Kenton reveal his state of mind. A reserved person, Mr. Stevens never comes out and says, "I have feelings for Ms. Kenton, but I am so afraid to let her in. She might wreak havoc on my heart." In fact, most of us are not so constantly self-aware of our emotional states. Thus, in story, the character's interaction with the external world reveals the internal state of mind. The pantry is Stevens' internal world -- it is his well-guarded heart. In legal narratives, it is even more important to have some sort of concrete proof of internal states of mind. We must prove pain and suffering, emotional distress, intent, insanity, and so on. Simply asserted, "I am suffering," is not convincing and is conclusory. Worse still, the attorney could write, "Bethany was so very sad. She was suffering deep down to her core, and it pained her so." Such a declaration is melodramatic and conclusory. However, if we view the manner in which Bethany interacts with the world as she suffers, we can feel the emotional weight of that suffering. The alarm goes off, and she turns it off and pulls the covers over her head. She lays in bed and cries all day long. She wants to drag herself to the kitchen to scarf down a pint of ice cream, but each time she tries to roll over, pain shoots down her back...and so on. This article defines these objective correlatives, shows the difference between them and other writing concepts, and provides examples of effective and ineffective objective correlatives in both fiction narratives and legal narratives.Some of the fiction works explored included Anna Karenina, Inexcusable, Hamlet, Bud Not Buddy, State of Wonder, and Every Time a Rainbow Dies. The brief to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the recent controversial death penalty case, Panetti v. Quarterman is also explored. Mr. Panetti argued that he was not competent to be executed, and his attorney's brief uses Panetti's incoherent connection to the external world to show his incompetent mental state. Some of the other examples include U.S. v. Johnson and Davis v. Washington.
Abstract PO-047: Anti-proliferative effect of cannabidiol (CBD) against B and T-cell lymphoma

In the last two decades, Cannabinoids have been studied extensively for its potential use in various fields of medicine including oncology. Today some of the cannabinoids are FDA approved for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced side effects in cancer treatment however, studies are showing their effect against tumor growth as well. Aggressive B cell lymphoma or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the fifth leading cause of human cancer death and is the second fastest-growing cancer with regard to mortality in people as 30% of patients develop resistance against chemotherapy. For this reason, it is essential to develop novel strategies to improve the outcome of patients suffering from aggressive or therapy-resistant lymphoma. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the antitumor effects of cannabinoids in B cell lymphoma using canine as a model due to striking similarities b/w canine and human B cell lymphoma in histology, biology and gene expression. For this study, Canine B cell lymphoma cell lines 1771 and CLBL1 were cultured in RPMI. Expression of cannabinoid receptors studied using qPCR. Based on receptor expression cells were treated with receptor agonists (AEA, 2AG, CBD, THC, WIN and HU-210,) and antagonists (S16 and S28). Cell viability assessed using MTT assay. Biochemical analysis performed using spectrofluorometry to evaluate apoptotic makers involved in inducing cell death. Data was analyzed using ordinary one way ANOVA on Prism software. All B cell lymphoma cell lines showed positive expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cell viability assay demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation with all cannabinoid receptor agonists used except for 2AG. Biochemical analysis showed a decrease in nitrite and caspase activity in treated cells as compared to control untreated cells. Our results suggest that cannabinoids have an anti-proliferative and apoptotic effect on canine lymphoma cells and it can be developed as a potential anti-cancer agent for the treatment of canine and human B cell lymphoma. Citation Format: Saba Omer, Dawn Boothe, Mohammed Mansour, Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran, Satyanarayana Pondugula. Anti-proliferative effect of cannabidiol (CBD) against B and T-cell lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Tumor Heterogeneity: From Single Cells to Clinical Impact; 2020 Sep 17-18. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(21 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-047.
Fluctuations of Conserved Charges

In this chapter we introduce one of the most promising set of observables for the comparison of lattice QCD results to experimental measurements: fluctuations and correlations of conserved charges. After their definition and relation to probability distributions, we discuss their relevance in determining chemical freeze-out parameters, critical point location and the chiral phase transition. The chapter ends with a compilation of lattice QCD results on these quantities. Their comparison to experimental data is discussed in Chap. 7.
Relating spinal injury-induced neuropathic pain and spontaneous afferent activity to sleep and respiratory dysfunction

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can induce dysfunction in a multitude of neural circuits including those that lead to impaired sleep, respiratory dysfunction and neuropathic pain. We used a lower thoracic rodent contusion SCI model - known to develop mechanosensory stimulus hypersensitivity, and spontaneous activity in primary afferents that associates neuropathic pain - and paired this with new approaches that enabled chronic capture of three state sleep and respiration to characterize dysfunction and assess possible interrelations. Noncontact electric field sensors were embedded into home cages for noninvasive capture in naturally behaving mice of the temporal evolution of sleep and respiration changes for 6 weeks after SCI. Hindlimb mechanosensitivity was assessed weekly, and terminal experiments measured primary afferent spontaneous activity in situ from intact lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG). We observed that SCI led to increased spontaneous primary afferent activity (both firing rate and the number of spontaneously active DRGs) that correlated with reduced hindpaw mechanical sensitivity, increased respiratory rate variability, and increased sleep fragmentation. This is the first study to measure and link sleep dysfunction and variability in respiratory rate in a SCI model of neuropathic pain, and thereby provide broader insight into the magnitude of overall stress burden initiated by neural circuit dysfunction after SCI.
Are Eggs Good Again? A Precision Nutrition Perspective on the Effects of Eggs on Cardiovascular Risk, Taking into Account Plasma Lipid Profiles and TMAO.

Although eggs are a nutrient dense food delivering high quality protein and micronutrients, given that eggs are also rich in cholesterol and choline, whether egg intake is contraindicated for individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial. In this mini review, we provide a Precision Nutrition perspective, highlighting the importance of two factors: the effect of egg cholesterol on plasma cholesterol concentrations in most people and in cholesterol hyper-absorbers, and the effect of egg choline on plasma concentrations of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a microbe-host co-metabolite independently associated with increased CVD risk. We discuss recent evidence from intervention studies showing that in most individuals egg intake does not have a deleterious effect on plasma lipid profiles, but also highlight that some individuals are cholesterol hyper-absorbers or individuals who are not able to maintain cholesterol homeostasis by suppressing endogenous cholesterol synthesis, and that for these individuals the intake of eggs and other dietary sources of cholesterol would be contraindicated. We also discuss the complex relationship between dietary sources of choline vs. phosphatidylcholine, the gut microbiome, and plasma TMAO concentrations, highlighting the high inter-individual variability in TMAO production and gut microbiome profiles among healthy individuals and those with metabolic conditions. Precision Nutrition approaches that allow the clinician to stratify risk and improve dietary recommendations for individual patients are desirable for improving patient compliance and health outcomes. More clinical studies are needed to determine how to identify individuals at risk for CVD for whom egg intake is contraindicated vs. those for whom egg intake is not associated with negative effects on plasma lipid profiles nor plasma TMAO concentrations.
The relationship between daily European precipitation and measures of atmospheric water vapour transport

In this study we investigate the relationship between daily European precipitation totals and different measures of atmospheric water vapour transport during both the winter and summer seasons. Using gridded gauge-based precipitation estimates across Europe and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis as the source of the water vapour transport, we examine what combination of predictor variables (related to wind and humidity at different levels and total column water) explains the most precipitation variability. Results show that stronger relationships occur in the winter than in the summer, and that the best linear models for explaining the daily rainfall variability contain the zonal and meridional water vapour transport components as predictors [e.g. winter precipitation in the European Alps (western Norway) has R2 values of about 0.5 (0.45)]. Precipitation regions most related to zonal and meridional moisture fluxes are also discussed. We also show that models requiring just three fields, namely the integrated water vapour, and the 850-hPa zonal and meridional winds, are able to explain the precipitation variability in Europe well. Given the computational and initial storage requirements in calculating water vapour transport integrated over the atmospheric column (in particular for climate change projections), it would be possible to use these three fields in assessments of future water vapour fluxes over Europe, in turn allowing inferences to be made on future rainfall and flood events.
Financial Statement Analysis and Equity Valuation

This document provides an outline for a financial statement analysis and equity valuation course that provides an introduction to academic research in the area as well as a hands on application of this research. The course introduces equity research to students and provides an introduction to predicting returns, predicting earnings, predicting risk related outcomes, and valuing a company. The final project for the course allows students to create a comprehensive equity analyst sheet for a company of their choice.
How Quantum, DLJ and Ziff-Davis Are Keeping on Track with 'Tracking Stock': Part I

Part I of this article provides an introduction to tracking stock. It discusses the benefits of a tracking stock equity structure and why companies are issuing tracking stock today, and describes the risks that tracking stocks pose to investors. Part II of this article, which will appear in the October issue of Wallstreetlawyer.com, will cover the implementation of a tracking stock equity structure, as well as describe features common to most tracking stocks in the marketplace.
Detrusor instability syndrome: The use of bladder retraining drills with and without anticholinergics☆

Ninety-two (24.6%) of 374 patients referred to our gynecologic urology unit were found to have instability of the detrusor muscle with no recognizable associated pathologic conditions: idiopathic detrusor instability. Thirty-nine (42.4%) of these 92 patients demonstrated the instability only after detrusor activation maneuvers such as coughing, heel bouncing, or positional changes. The cure rate among patients with both "spontaneous" and "provoked" contractions of the detrusor muscle was comparable to the cure rate among those whose bladder contractions were apparent only after detrusor activation maneuvers (p greater than 0.9). The success rate of bladder retraining drills (BRD) as the sole mode of therapy was not significantly different from that observed with BRD combined with anticholinergics (p greater than 0.6).
The Salmon Case: Evolution of Balancing Mechanisms for Non-Trade Values in WTO

The Salmon case represents an important step in the evolution of the doctrinal tools available for managing WTO disputes involving non-trade values. Although the Salmon case concerns the specialized WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), it has implications for the broader development of WTO jurisprudence with respect to the place of non-trade values in the WTO regime. The SPS Agreement strikes a particular negotiated balance between trade liberalization and the protection of human, animal or plant life or health: trade-restrictive SPS measures will be permitted if they are scientifically justified, non-discriminatory and not more trade-restrictive than necessary in view of the member's chosen level of protection. Disputes concerning SPS measures can be seen as attempts by complaining parties to enforce that balance. One particular provision in the SPS Agreement, Article 5.6, introduces into SPS jurisprudence the "necessity test," long a part of GATT jurisprudence in, among other provisions, Article XX(b). Overall, the SPS agreement can be understood as an elaboration of Article XX(b) with respect to the specialized subject of SPS measures. However, in contrast to Article XX(b) as interpreted by prior panels, the SPS necessity test as written requires consideration of the effective achievement of a member's non-trade regulatory goals, prior to invalidating the member's chosen measure on trade-restrictive grounds. For this reason, the SPS-version necessity test has the potential to operate in a manner that is friendlier to non-trade values than the standard necessity test. The Salmon Panel is the first WTO dispute settlement body to rule on an Article 5.6 claim, and its decision and the Appellate Body report afford the first opportunity to examine the extent to which the promise contained in the language of Article 5.6 is indeed borne out in its judicial application. I conclude that the Appellate Body's finding on the limits of a Panel's review of a member's discretion to choose its appropriate level of protection, stakes out a strong position of respect for non-trade values in WTO, albeit in a somewhat problematic manner. Since the necessity test is employed widely throughout GATT jurisprudence, the Salmon case has the potential to influence necessity test interpretation beyond the strict SPS context. I also conclude that the Appellate Body's interpretation of the SPS necessity test in Salmon has increased the likelihood that non-trade values will be respectfully considered outside the SPS Agreement in Article XX cases. When one examines the Appellate Body's interpretation of the traditional necessity test in the Asbestos and Korean Beef cases, one catches a "whiff" of Salmon, confirming that the Salmon case is indeed contributing to the larger task of successfully incorporating respect for non-trade values into the WTO.
Implementing the VLSI transition to 3 volts

The 5V power supply has long served as a standard for VLSI circuits. Fundamental forces (such as scaling of physical dimensions, device physics constraints, and the desire for improved power/ performance ratios) are now propelling the industry towards lower voltage operation. By consensus, the next power supply standard could be 3.3V. However, the benefits and difficulties of converting to 3.3V operation vary considerably among memory, logic and analog components. Panelists will review the complex choices facing VLSI manufacturers, and how the transition will affect technology and product characteristics as well as the integration of components at the system level.
Free Electron Theories of Solids

If a battery is connected in series with an ammeter and a piece of some material (copper, silicon, glass, or such), a deflection in the ammeter will indicate a flow of charged particles (a current i) through the circuit (see Fig. 23-1). Simultaneously there will be a voltage drop V across the sample as measured by a voltmeter. If the voltage of the battery is varied, i will vary proportionally with V. It can therefore be stated that if a voltage V is applied across a sample, a current proportional to it will flow:
Regulation of aerobic fermentation in protozoans—IV

Abstract 1. 1. As part of a continuing study on the regulation of aerobic fermentation in protozoans, we investigated the phosphofructokinase (PFK) of the protozoan Crithidia fasciculata. 2. 2. The enzyme is an allosteric protein with respect to its substrate, fructose-6-phosphate, and 5'AMP acts as a positive heterotropic modifier. 3. 3. It is activated by ATP in a hyperbolic manner, this activation being dependent on the concentration of Mg-ATP chelate (MA). 4. 4. Whenever free ATP (Af) is in excess of MA, the enzyme is inhibited. 5. 5. Af is a competitive inhibitor of AMP. 6. 6. Compounds known to be positive or negative heterotropic modifiers of PFK in other systems are without effect. 7. 7. Since most ATP in the cell is present as the chelate, the lack of regulation of glycolysis by PFK in this group of organisms probably is a function of its failure to respond to metabolic intermediates.
Effect of microstructure of MFI-type zeolite membranes on separation of xylene isomers

Abstract Effective separation of xylene isomers is possible with pervaporation through MFI-silicalite membranes. The effect of microstructural differences in silicalite membranes on the separation of xylene isomers was investigated. MFI-type zeolite membranes with random and ordered orientations were synthesized using a seeded growth method with and without organic templates. It was found that template-free random oriented membranes were capable of pure component p/o xylene separation factors of about 20 and p-xylene flux of 0.3 kg m–2 hr–1. The membranes with preferred orientation showed comparable flux of xylene isomers but decreased selectivities ranging from 2 to 3. These results indicate that microstructure strongly affects the ability of the membrane to perform xylene separation.