cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
End-processing nucleases and phosphodiesterases: An elite supporting cast for the non-homologous end joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair

Nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is an error-prone DNA double-strand break repair pathway that is active throughout the cell cycle. A substantial fraction of NHEJ repair events show deletions and, less often, insertions in the repair joints, suggesting an end-processing step comprising the removal of mismatched or damaged nucleotides by nucleases and other phosphodiesterases, as well as subsequent strand extension by polymerases. A wide range of nucleases, including Artemis, Metnase, APLF, Mre11, CtIP, APE1, APE2 and WRN, are biochemically competent to carry out such double-strand break end processing, and have been implicated in NHEJ by at least circumstantial evidence. Several additional DNA end-specific phosphodiesterases, including TDP1, TDP2 and aprataxin are available to resolve various non-nucleotide moieties at DSB ends. This review summarizes the biochemical specificities of these enzymes and the evidence for their participation in the NHEJ pathway.
Saving the Constitution: Lincoln, Secession, and the Price of Union

Daniel Farber’s Lincoln’s Constitution is framed around two broad issues: First, did the South have the right--either under the Constitution or some higher law--to secede; or, as Lincoln argued, is “perpetuity . . . implied . . . in the fundamental law of all national governments”? Second, were Lincoln's actions to preserve the Union consistent with the Constitution; or did he exceed the powers delegated to him as the chief executive?Farber in large part defends Lincoln’s acts as President. He writes, “It was Lincoln's character--his ability, judgment, courage, and humanity--that brought the Union through the war with the Constitution intact.” But this assumes that Lincoln saved the Constitution, rather than destroyed it. If the Constitution was originally a voluntary association of separate sovereigns, then he illegally engrossed the nation in a war that claimed over six hundred thousand lives. We may add violations of civil liberties to his sins, although at that point it would be hard to plunge his reputation any farther into disgrace. On the other hand, if Lincoln was right that the Constitution foreclosed secession and authorized the use of force to suppress any such movement, the entire problem of civil liberties needs to be re-gauged.The Review concludes that the Founders did not regard secession as a constitutional right, but also that they could not have imagined that the federal government under the Constitution they had created would be so strong and so motivated as to prevent one-third of the states from withdrawing and reconstituting a government. Lincoln himself anticipated that a Union victory in the Civil War would give rise to a “new birth of freedom,” and he essentially cast himself in the role of a founder. The principles on which the Lincolnian regime were to be founded were not identical to those of the original regime, for most importantly the scourge of slavery would be eliminated. In this respect, as well as in laying the framework for a decisive shift in the relative power of the state and Federal Governments, it is perhaps not quite correct to say, as Farber does, that Lincoln “saved” the Constitution: he transformed it.
Pascal is a `natural' [for microprocessor software programs]

Most programmers at Texas Instruments feel that writing in a high-level language (HLL) is one effective way to cut costs and that this is particularly true of a language like Pascal, which lends itself to top-down structuring. When our programmers compare writing in Pascal with writing in native microprocessor assembly language, they find that programmer efficiency increases by a factor of 2.5 to 3 and that software development and maintenance time, after the problem has been analyzed, is reduced by a factor of 2. The switch from machine code to Pascal increases productivity for three reasons: Each program high-level statement creates several machine instructions that permit the programmer to solve the problem at an abstract level rather than deal in machine code. A structured HLL like Pascal allows problems to be solved the way the natural thought processes work-from the top down. Because Pascal is easier to read, it is easier to modify.
Beta-Ray Spectrum of N 16

The beta-ray spectrum of 7.38-second ${\mathrm{N}}^{16}$ has been investigated with a 180-degree magnetic spectrometer. The radioactive nuclei were produced by 1.5-Mev deuterons through the reaction ${\mathrm{N}}^{15}(d, p){\mathrm{N}}^{16}$, using targets of lead nitrate enriched to 64% in ${\mathrm{N}}^{15}$. Of the four known beta-ray groups, two with end-point energies 10.40\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 Mev and 4.39\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07 Mev are satisfactorily resolved. The intensity of the 10.40-Mev group relative to that of the remainder of the transitions is in the ratio of 28:72, leading to $log{f}_{0}t=6.67$. The 10.40-Mev group is shown to proceed as a first-forbidden $\ensuremath{\Delta}J=2(\mathrm{yes})$ transition, and thus the ground state of ${\mathrm{N}}^{16}$ may be uniquely designated as a ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ level.
Control in the Reliable Region of a Statistical Model

We present a novel statistical model based control algorithm, called Control in the Reliable Region of a Statistical model (CRROS). First, CRROS builds a statistical model with Gaussian process regression, which provides a prediction function and uncertainty of the prediction. Then, CRROS avoids high-uncertainty regions of the statistical model by regulating the null space of the pseudo inverse solution. The simulation results demonstrate that CRROS drives the states toward high-density and low-noise regions of training data, ensuring high reliability of the model. The experiments with a robotic finger, called Flex-finger, show the potential of CRROS to control robotic systems that are difficult to model, contain constrained inputs, and exhibit heteroscedastic noise output.
Homosexual Outcome of Discordant Gender Identity/Role in Childhood

Prospective, longitudinal studies of childhood sexuality are rare. Few people are able to commit themselves to a longitudinal study and remain budgeted long enough to complete it. In addition, the sexual taboo of our society is particularly antithetical to the recognition of sexuality in childhood, let alone the study of it. Until recently, if a problem of gender identity showed up in a boy’s development, the usual medical tradition was to prophesy that he would grow out of it at puberty. This tradition is completely contradicted by the evidence of retrospective studies of the developmental antecedents of homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, and transsexualism, all of which typically have a history dating back to prepuberty.
UV resonance Raman spectroscopic studies of protein structure and dynamics (Conference Presentation)

UV Raman excitation into the ~200 nm peptide bond electronic transitions enhance peptide bond amide vibrations of the backbone. A particular band (the amide III3) reports on the Ramachandran psi angle and peptide bond hydrogen bonding. This band is Raman scattered independently by each peptide bond with insignificant coupling between adjacent peptide bonds. Isotope editing of a peptide bond (by replacing the Calpha- H with Calpha- D) allows us to determine the frequency of individual peptide bonds within a peptide or protein to yield their psi angles. Consideration of the Boltzmann equilibria allows us to determine the psi angle Gibbs free energy landscape along the psi (un)folding coordinate that connects secondary structure conformations. The psi angle coordinate is the most important reaction coordinate necessary to understand mechanism(s) of protein folding. We have also discovered an analogous correlation for the primary amide sidechain of Gln. This allows us to monitor the hydrogen bonding and structure of this sidechain. We examine the details of peptide folding conformation dynamics with laser T-jumps where the water temperature is elevated by an 1.9 mM IR nsec laser pulse and we monitor the ~200 nm UV Raman spectrum as a function of time. These spectra show the time evolution of conformation. We will discuss the role of salts on stabilizing conformations in solution
Suppression of multipacting in high power RF couplers operating with superconducting cavities

Abstract Capacitive input couplers based on a 50 Ω coaxial transmission line are frequently used to transmit RF power to superconducting (SC) resonators operating in CW mode. It is well known that coaxial transmission lines are prone to multipacting phenomenon in a wide range of RF power level and operating frequency. The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) being constructed at Michigan State University includes two types of quarter wave SC resonators (QWR) operating at 80.5 MHz and two types of half wave SC resonators (HWR) operating at 322 MHz. As was reported in ref. [1] a capacitive input coupler used with HWRs was experiencing strong multipacting that resulted in a long conditioning time prior the cavity testing at design levels of accelerating fields. We have developed an insert into 50 Ω coaxial transmission line that provides opportunity to bias the RF coupler antenna and protect the amplifier from the bias potential in the case of breakdown in DC isolation. Two of such devices have been built and are currently used for the off-line testing of 8 HWRs installed in the cryomodule.
Treatment with milk fat globule epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8) reduces inflammation and lung injury in neonatal sepsis.

Background Sepsis remains one of the leading causes of infant death worldwide. It is characterized by uncontrolled inflammatory responses due to proven bacterial infection. Despite improvement in supportive care and the availability of effective antibiotics, no specific therapy targeting the dysregulated inflammatory response is available for neonatal sepsis. Milk fat globule epidermal growth factor-factor 8 (MFG-E8) is a secretory glycoprotein abundantly present in human milk. MFG-E8 suppresses the systemic inflammatory responses in adult murine injury models by improving the clearance of dying cells. We hypothesized that exogenous administration of recombinant mouse MFG-E8 could inhibit the exaggerated inflammatory response and lung injury in a murine model of neonatal sepsis. Methods Neonatal sepsis was induced in 5- to 7-day-old male and female C57BL6 mice using an intraperitoneal injection of cecal slurry. At 1 hour after sepsis induction, a single dose of 40 μg/kg recombinant mouse MFG-E8 or vehicle was administered via retro-orbital injection. All neonates were returned to their mothers as a group. At 10 hours after cecal slurry injection, pups were killed and blood and lung tissues were collected. Control mice underwent a similar procedure with the exception of cecal slurry intraperitoneal injection. Results Serum lactate dehydrogenase, IL-1β, and IL-6 were significantly increased 10 hours after cecal slurry injection. Treatment with recombinant mouse MFG-E8 decreased these levels by 30%, 56%, and 37%, respectively. Lung morphology was significantly compromised in the vehicle group after cecal slurry injection, whereas the recombinant mouse MFG-E8–treated groups demonstrated a 48% improvement in the lung injury score. Lung IL-6 and MIP-2 protein levels were significantly reduced with recombinant mouse MFG-E8 treatment. Lung neutrophil infiltration as observed by Gr-1 staining and, TUNEL-positive cells were also significantly reduced with recombinant mouse MFG-E8 treatment. Conclusion Treatment with recombinant mouse MFG-E8 attenuated inflammation and lung injury in murine neonatal sepsis. Thus, MFG-E8 could be developed as a possible therapy for neonatal sepsis.
Communication errors in radiology - Pitfalls and how to avoid them

Communication failures are a common cause of patient harm and malpractice claims against radiologists. In addition to overt communication breakdowns among providers, it is also important to address the quality of communication to optimize patient outcomes. In this review, we describe common communication failures and potential solutions providing a framework for radiologists to improve health care delivery.
Hybrid neural networks and algorithms

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a hybrid optical/digital neural nets (NN) architecture that combines the advantageous properties of both optical and digital technology. No NN architecture can be separated from its algorithm and application. There are five different types of NNs, namely, associative processors, optimization NNs, symbolic correlator, production system NNs, and adaptive learning NNs. Many of these represent new NN algorithms. Many NNs use iconic neurons. For 500 × 500 pixel images, this requires an enormous number of neurons. A preferable approach is to use feature space neurons where each input neuron is associated with a specific image feature and the neuron's excitation value is proportional to that feature's value. Many feature spaces can be used such as Fourier coefficients, wedge ring sampled Fourier features, and moments. The three major advantages of feature space neurons are a significant reduction in the number of input neurons, a neuron space with some distortion invariance, and a significant reduction in training.
Understanding the Absence of a Duty to Reasonably Rescue in American Tort Law

The absence in American tort law of a duty to reasonably aid a stranger in peril is perplexing. It is an odd gap in the otherwise nearly pervasive presence of a duty of reasonable care in the modern law of negligence. It utterly fails to accurately articulate our conventional sense of morality and appropriate social behavior. It stands in stark contrast to the treatment of this issue throughout the rest of the world. It is a rule of tort law for which very few commentators have had a kind word. This Article sets forth a spirited defense of the traditional no-duty-to-rescue rule. It offers a thoroughgoing justification for the doctrine and establishes an understanding of the practical wisdom behind its seemingly amoral veneer. It is a unique attempt in the existing legal literature to develop a clear and unapologetic rationale for this much maligned aspect of tort law. The argument begins by analyzing the likely benefits available from the adoption of a tort duty to affirmatively aid. It then identifies and describes the probable costs that would accompany such a rule, including the lowering of the quality of rescue effort experienced by those in peril, the discounting of altruism, greater intrusiveness of negligence regulation, an increased risk of harm to rescuers, the creation of a disincentive to cooperate in subsequent investigations and a deterrence to provide delayed aid. In addition, the many problems attendant to the actual operation of a duty to affirmatively aid within the negligence cause of action are considered. The question of whether a limited version of a duty to affirmatively aid that would apply only to persons who possess special expertise or experience in providing aid is also analyzed, as is the role of Good Samaritan statutes in creating appropriate incentives for such individuals. Finally, the characteristics of a criminal law duty to rescue are compared to those of a tort law duty and both the relative desirability of a criminal law duty and the superfluous nature of a subsequent tort law duty are demonstrated.
Debugging a Design

It is obviously much easier and less expensive to find and debug an error in your Verilog code than in a completed chip. In Verilog you can watch the exact sequence of events, look at values buried within the circuit, and even see what is driving a multiply driven signal. It takes technique, strategy, and experience to find errors quickly and correct them. This chapter explains a few basic techniques and provides strategies for when to apply those techniques.
Evaluation of an Automated Tissue Sectioning Machine for Digital Pathology

Background: Automation and digital pathology are the trends for future anatomic pathology with the increasing workload in histology laboratories. While tissue process, embedding, staining and coverslipping, and digitizing have been available for automated use, tissue sectioning appears to be the biggest roadblock to a fully automated histology process. In this study we were aimed to investigate a tissue automated sectioning machine for both clinical and research use.Methods: Totally 77 surgical resection blocks of various organs embedded with clinical standard paraffin were sectioned automatically using AS-410 (Dainippon Seiki Co. LTD., Japan) at 5 μm thickness with the default setting (Setting A). 10 slides per block were sectioned and the last 5 slides were stained with H&E. All stained slides were digitized with whole-slide imaging scanner, and then evaluated by the image scientist and the pathologist. The image scientist scored the images base on the extent of imperfection (Evaluation I), while the pathologist scored the images based on the clinical diagnosis purpose (Evaluation II). Both scoring systems were scored from 1 to 5, with 1 the worst quality and 5 the highest quality. Tissues with unsatisfied score were sectioned with modified setting (Setting B), and evaluated again by the same image scientist and pathologist using the same scoring systems. And the scores from the two different settings were compared. Auto-trimming and barcode reading and printing of AS-410 were also evaluated.Results: The AS-410 provided auto-trimming function to detect exposed tissue for cutting, accomplished by the installed camera and calculation software. It read sample information and printed barcode as well as input text and automatically generated slide order information. It produced good quality of sections for most cases with median score more than 4 in both Evaluation I and Evaluation II using setting A. The scores of the unsatisfied blocks sectioned with setting A improved significantly when those blocks were sectioned with setting B.Conclusion: The AS-410 tissue sectioning machine produces high-quality sections with clinical standard paraffin tissue blocks of a variety of organs with proper settings. It promises high automation with sound sectioning quality in the era of digital pathology for both clinical and research use. Lung Breast Prostate
Food Emulsions and FoamsOpen image in new window

Many convenience foods, such as frozen desserts, meat products, margarine, and some natural foods, such as milk and butter, are emulsions. That is, they contain either water dispersed in oil or oil dispersed in water. These water and oil liquids do not normally mix, and so when present together, they exist as two separate layers. However, when an emulsion is formed, the liquids are mixed in such a way that a single layer is formed with droplets of one liquid dispersed within another. Food emulsions need to be stable; if they are not, the oil and water will separate out. Stability is usually achieved by adding a suitable emulsifier. In some cases, a stabilizing agent is also required.
Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine (Rdx) Degradation in Biologically-Active Iron Columns

Flow-through columns were used to evaluate the efficacy of permeable reactive iron barriers to treat ground water contamination by RDX. Three columns were packed with iron filings (Fe0) between soil and sand layers, and were fed continuously with unlabeled plus 14C-labeled RDX to characterize its removal efficiency under different microbial conditions. One column was poison-sterilized to isolate chemical degradation processes, another was not poisoned to allow colonization of the Fe0 layer by indigenous microorganisms, and a third column was amended with anaerobic sludge to evaluate the benefits of enhancing biodegradation through bioaugmentation. Extensive RDX removal (>99%) occurred through the Fe0layer of all columns for more than one year, although 14C-label analysis indicated the presence of soluble byproducts such as methylenedinitramine. RDX byproducts accumulated to a lesser extent in biologically active columns, possibly due to enhanced mineralization by the cumulative action of microbial and chemical degradation processes. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles and nucleotide sequencing revealed a predominance of Acetobacterium sp. in the iron layer of all columns after 95 days. Such homoacetogenic bacteria probably feed on hydrogen produced during Fe0 corrosion and participate on the RDX degradation process. This notion was supported by batch experiments with a mixed homoacetogenic culture isolated from the bioaugmented column, which degraded RDX and produced acetate when H2 was present. Overall, this work suggests that Fe0barriers can effectively intercept RDX plumes, and that treatment efficiency can be enhanced by biogeochemical interactions though bioaugmentation.
Anatomy and Deployment of Robust AI-Centric Indoor Positioning System

Indoor Positioning Systems are gaining market momentum, mainly due to the significant reduction of sensor cost (on smartphones or standalone) and leveraging standardization of related technology. Among various alternatives for accurate and cost-effective Indoor Positioning System, positioning based on the Magnetic Field has proven popular, as it does not require specialized infrastructure. Related experimental results have demonstrated good positioning accuracy. However, when transitioned to production deployments, these systems exhibit serious drawbacks to make them practical: a) accuracy fluctuates significantly across smartphone models and configurations and b) costly continuous manual fingerprinting of the area is required. The developed Indoor Positioning System Copernicus is a self-learning, adaptive system that is shown to exhibit improved accuracy across different smartphone models. Copernicus leverages a minimal deployment of Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons to infer the trips of users, learn and eventually build tailored Magnetic Maps for every smartphone model for the specific indoor area. In a practical deployment, after each trip execution by the users we can observe an increase in the accuracy of positioning.
Influence of a Novel Multidisciplinary Cognitive Impairment Intervention on Post-Acute Care in an Inpatient Community-Based HFrEF Cohort

Background Cognitive impairment (CI) is a strong predictor of six-month mortality and risk for re-admission in older hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients. We sought to develop a novel, multidisciplinary CI inpatient intervention to improve post-acute care discharge planning and reduce 30-day hospital re-admissions. Methods From July 2016 to July 2018 at a large, community-based hospital, we developed a CI inpatient screening program using the Mini-Cog test for eligible patients over the age of 65 admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF. The Mini-Cog is a three word recall and clock drawing test, scored between 0 and 5 points. A score of 2 or below identifies CI. In May 2017, Mini-Cog (+) patients received a multidisciplinary CI intervention led by palliative care nurses and speech therapists which included: a) family meeting b) goals of care discussion c) family-directed HF education and d) speech therapy evaluation. We compared the pre-intervention cohort (10 months prior to intervention) with the post-intervention cohort (15 months after intervention) with respect to discharge disposition and 30-day re-admission rates. Results We screened 740 patients for CI, of which 11.4% were Mini-Cog (+). In Mini-Cog (+) patients, the CI intervention increased the percentage of home health discharges (46% vs 20%, p=0.02, OR 3.4) and decreased the percentage of home discharges (44% vs 15%, p=0.008, OR 0.23), while rates of skilled nursing and hospice discharges were not significantly different (29% vs 26%, p=0.93 and 7% vs 8%, p=1.0), respectively). In the Mini-Cog (-) patients, there were no significant differences in pre vs post intervention cohort discharge disposition. In the combined pre and post intervention cohorts, a greater percentage of Mini-cog (+) patients were discharged to skilled nursing facilities and hospice compared to Mini-cog (-) patients (36.9% vs 19.8%, P Conclusions CI represents an important marker of HF post-acute care morbidity and mortality. Our CI multi-disciplinary intervention had a significant impact on discharge disposition with increased utilization of home health services. While not achieving statistical significance likely due to inadequate power, our intervention numerically lowered rates of 30-day re-admissions in a high-risk CI impaired population. Moreover, re-admission rates were similar to those noted in the Mini-Cog (-) group in this high-risk population. Hence, we believe these data justify further validation of this novel, multi-disciplinary approach in a larger multi-center study.
Correction to: The Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) Polymorphisms with Antisocial Behavior: A Meta-analysis.

The original version of this article inadvertently omitted the word “with” between "Polymorphisms" and "Antisocial" from the title. The title "The Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) Polymorphisms Antisocial Behavior: A Meta-Analysis" should be "The Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) Polymorphisms with Antisocial Behavior: A Meta-Analysis." as presented above.
Design of a switchable driving coil for Magnetic Resonance Wireless Power Transfer

This paper presents design and analysis of a switchable inductor suited for active impedance matching in magnetic resonance wireless power transfer systems. The switchable inductor is compact and can be used as both driving coil at the transmitter side and load coil at the receiver side. We first present the concept through design, simulation and measurement of a three loops coil. This model of the switchable coil is used to study the internal couplings between the loops. The coil was fabricated on PCB with inductances between 130–324 nH. In addition, we demonstrate a ten-loop switchable coil for driving a high Q-factor resonance with an almost linear increase in their mutual inductances, which is verified by measurement results.
Development of 3D-Printed Layered PLGA Films for Drug Delivery and Evaluation of Drug Release Behaviors

3D printing has been widely used to rapidly manufacture a variety of solid dosage forms on-demand, without sacrificing precision. This study used extrusion-based 3D printing to prepare single-layered, tri-layered, and core-in-shell poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) films carrying paclitaxel and rapamycin in combination or lidocaine alone. Each layer was composed of either low molecular weight (MW) PLGA or high MW PLGA. In vitro drug release kinetics of paclitaxel, rapamycin, and lidocaine for PLGA films were assessed and compared with PLGA–polyethylene glycol (PEG)–PLGA hydrogel discs. Regardless of the structure of PLGA film, paclitaxel (half-time: 54–63 days) was released faster than when compared with rapamycin (half-time: 74–80 days). In contrast, single-layered PLGA–PEG–PLGA discs released rapamycin (half-time 5.7 h) at a more rapid rate than paclitaxel (half-time: 7.3 h). Single-layered PLGA–PEG–PLGA discs enabled a faster drug release than PLGA films, noting that the disc matrices dissolve in water in 24 h. Similarly, lidocaine incorporated in PLGA films (half-time: 13–36 days) exhibited slower release patterns than that in PLGA–PEG–PLGA discs (half-time: 2.6 h). In vitro drug release patterns were explained using molecular models that simulate drug-polymer interactions. Analysis of models suggested that drug–polymer interactions, location of each drug in the polymeric matrix, and solubility of drugs in water were major factors that determine drug release behaviors from the polymeric films and discs.
Control of the insect metamorphic transition by ecdysteroid production and secretion

Ecdysteroids are a class of steroid hormones that controls molting and metamorphic transitions in Ecdysozoan species including insects, in which ecdysteroid biosynthesis and its regulation have been extensively studied. Insect ecdysteroids are produced from dietary sterols by a series of reduction-oxidation reactions in the prothoracic gland and in Drosophila they are released into the hemolymph via vesicle-mediated secretion at the time of metamorphosis. To initiate precisely controlled ecdysteroid pulses, the prothoracic gland functions as a central node integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic signals to control ecdysteroid biosynthesis and secretion. In this review, we outline recent progress in the characterization of ecdysone biosynthesis and steroid trafficking pathways and the discoveries of novel factors regulating prothoracic gland function.
Beyond Forensic Evidence: Examining Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam Mechanisms that Influence Sexual Assault Case Outcomes.

Despite the widespread use of sexual assault medical forensic exams (SAMFEs), practitioners and researchers continue to debate the role of SAMFEs and the evidence they provide in the investigation ...
Love and Marxism

Erik Olin Wright’s scholarship is often considered to be formed by two entirely disjoint projects represented by his early work on class analysis and his later writings on “real utopias.” This essa...
Abstract A06: Impact of cigarette smoke exposure on acute myeloid leukemia progression

Cigarette smoke is known to cause lung cancer but is also associated with increased incidence of leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most lethal form of leukemia, and patients who are or were smokers have increased risk of developing AML and have worse prognosis. There is also an increased incidence of AML in children whose parents smoked either during or after the pregnancy. It is currently unknown how cigarette smoke exposure (CSE) may be impacting leukemic progression or treatment efficacy in AML. Cigarette smoking increases levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tissue of smokers, including peripheral blood samples. Oxidative stress can alter epigenetic signaling, including DNA methylation. Oxidation of methylated DNA and oxidative lesions on DNA can alter normal DNA methylation patterns. Smokers have altered DNA methylation that can be retained decades after the cessation of the habit, and these changes can be found in the blood cells of smokers. Cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) treatment has also been seen to epigenetically prime nontransformed human bronchial cells for malignant transformation. These occurrences have been seen in the context of lung cancer and lung damage, but studies into other tissue damage have largely been overlooked. Thus, we hypothesize that CSE impacts leukemic progression and treatment in AML through these mechanisms. We have developed a model to study the impact of CSE on AML in mice. NOD-SCID mice are smoke exposed for two weeks prior to being engrafted with luciferase-labeled human AML cells. The CSE is performed in the SCIREQ Cigarette Smoking Robot, with 3R4F research cigarettes 5 days/week. We include experimental arms of smoking cessation (who stop once evidence of leukemic engraftment is detected) and continued smoking, to model patients who either stop or continue smoking upon diagnosis of AML. Leukemic burden is quantified through bioluminescent imaging throughout the experiment. From these models, we have observed that two weeks of CSE is sufficient to significantly increase (p-value Citation Format: Yue Lu, Marcos Estecio, Marina Konopleva, Elias Jabbour, Joya Chandra, Mary Figueroa. Impact of cigarette smoke exposure on acute myeloid leukemia progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Environmental Carcinogenesis: Potential Pathway to Cancer Prevention; 2019 Jun 22-24; Charlotte, NC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2020;13(7 Suppl): Abstract nr A06.
Cytopathology of acinic cell carcinoma: A study of 50 cases, including 9 with high-grade transformation.

Background Although largely readily recognizable in tissue sections, acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) remains diagnostically problematic in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytopathology. The authors undertook an analysis of a large series of ACC aspirates, including acinic cell carcinoma with high-grade transformation (ACC-HGT). Methods The authors searched their cytopathology files for ACC cases with histopathologic confirmation. FNA biopsy was performed according to standard techniques. Results Fifty FNA biopsy cases of ACC (including 36 of parotid origin [72%]) from 41 patients (female to male ratio, 1.4:1; age range, 23-84 years; average, 54 years) met the study inclusion requirements. Primary neoplasm aspirates were most common (72%), and they were followed by recurrent tumors (16%) and metastases (12%). A precise cytologic diagnosis was made for 64%. Three of 9 ACC-HGT cases (33%) were correctly interpreted as such; 98% of conventional ACC cases were correctly graded as low-grade. With the Milan classification system, 74% fit into the malignant category. Ancillary testing was performed for only 36%. Conventional ACC had moderately to highly cellular smears; monotonous cells in aggregates and single forms; rounded nuclei; and microvacuolated, finely granular, oncocyte-like, or nonspecific cytoplasm. ACC-HGT smears contained larger nuclei, high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios, coarse nuclear chromatin, and a loss of cytoplasmic granules/vacuoles. Conclusions A correct diagnosis of ACC via FNA biopsy was made in almost two-thirds of the cases. With the Milan classification, 84% of the cases would have been classified as malignant or suspicious for malignancy. An absence of conventional serous acinar cell morphology in some cases as well as an absence of ancillary immunohistochemistry testing in almost two-thirds of the cases prevented even better diagnostic performance.
Weather Conditions Conducive for the Early-Season Production and Dispersal of Cercospora beticola Spores in the Great Lakes Region of North America.

In many parts of the world including the Great Lakes region of North America, Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is a major foliar disease of sugar beet ...
Performance of a Dynamic Dew Point Method for Moisture Isotherms of Clays

Laboratory tests were conducted to assess the performance of a dynamic equilibrium method for rapidly measuring water vapor sorption isotherms of clays and clayey soils. Emphasis was placed on quantifying temperature stability, measurement reproducibility, establishing a recommended testing protocol, and comparing dynamically generated isotherms with those obtained using a conventional equilibrium method. Adsorption-desorption loops for water activity (aw) or relative humidity ranging from 0.03 to 0.95 and containing as many as 140 discrete measurements were obtained using the dynamic method in 12–24 h. Far less intensive sorption isotherms using the equilibrium method required ∼600 h (25 days). Measurement reproducibility was within 6 % of the full-scale range. Water contents measured using the dynamic method at aw less than 0.60 compared excellently with values measured using the equilibrium system and are within 10 to 15 % of the full-scale range at higher activity. Comparisons between total suction characteristic curves obtained using the dynamic system and the equilibrium system suggest a practical total suction measurement range from about 100 000 to 400 000 kPa for a wide range of clay types.
Intertwining Functors and Irreducibility of Standard Harish—Chandra Sheaves

Let g be a complex semisimple Lie algebra and σ an involution of g. Denote by t the fixed point set of this involution. Let K be a connected algebraic group and ϕ a morphism of K into the group G = Int(g) of inner automorphisms of g such that its differential is injective and identifies the Lie algebra of K with t. Let X be the flag variety of g, i.e. the variety of all Borel subalgebras in g. Then K acts algebraically on X, and it has finitely many orbits which are locally closed smooth sub varieties. The typical situation is the following: g is the complexification of the Lie algebra of a connected real semisimple Lie group G 0 with finite center, K is the complexification of a maximal compact subgroup of G 0, and σ the corresponding Cartan involution.
Vacuum Assisted Vegetation Extraction for the Management of Large Lead Vegetations

Background Complete device and lead removal is recommended for management of infected implantable cardiac device. Management of large lead vegetation (2 cm) is still in debate. Methods We report a series of patients involving percutaneous extraction of large vegetations (>2 cm) from ICD/pacing leads using the AngioVac Cannula in patients with infective endocarditis. This approach was used to debulk the ICD/pacing lead vegetations in order to minimize the risk of septic pulmonary embolism during lead explantation. Conclusion AngioVac Cannula can be used safely and effectively as an adjunctive method for patients with large lead vegetation. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12087 (J Card Surg 2013;28:321–324)
Multiscale Bayesian Methods for Discrete Tomography

Statistical methods of discrete tomographic reconstruction pose new problems both in stochastic modeling to define an optimal reconstruction, and in optimization to find that reconstruction. Multiscale models have succeeded in improving representation of structure of varying scale in imagery, a chronic problem for common Markov random fields. This chapter shows that associated multiscale methods of optimization also avoid local minima of the log a posteriori probability better than single-resolution techniques. These methods are applied here to both segmentation/reconstruction of the unknown cross sections and estimation of unknown parameters represented by the discrete levels.
The Right to Effective Mental Treatment

Within the past several years there has been increasing recognition of a right to treatment for mentally disabled persons who are involuntarily committed to mental health facilities. This right, first suggested by Birnbaum' and Kittrie,2 is based upon the notion that if patients are confined for the purpose of treatment, treatment should in fact be provided. As noted by Judge Bazelon in Rouse v. Cameron, "Absent treatment, the hospital is 'transform[ed] . . . into a penitentiary where one could be held indefinitely for no convicted offense.' "I
Postviral myopericarditis associated with the influenza virus; report of eight cases.

Abstract Eight cases of acute benign “idiopathic” or “nonspecific” pericarditis are reported in which an influenza virus was associated by history and serologic evidence with the acute pericarditis. The laboratory evidence demonstrated in five cases the type B (Great Lakes) influenza virus; in two cases both type A (Japanese) and type B viruses; and in one case the type A virus. Seven of the eight patients reported were males. There was an interval of one or more weeks between the acute episode of “influenza” or “upper respiratory infection” and the cardiac disorder. Acute “nonspecific” pericarditis is not necessarily “benign,” as it is frequently associated with myocarditis, pericardial effusion, pleurisy, pleural effusion, and pneumonia. These features may be more appropriately designated as acute myopericarditis . All patients with “postpartal heart disease,” atypical myocardial infarction, or acute “nonspecific” pericarditis should be carefully evaluated for the recent presence of viral diseases as a possible cause of the cardiac difficulty. The hemagglutination inhibition influenzal antibody titer determinations, an ancillary service of the state laboratory, are recommended in all cases of acute “nonspecific” pericarditis in an effort to further classify these cases. The history and the clinical and laboratory findings in these eight cases of “nonspecific” pericarditis suggest that this cardiac disorder is in fact a myopericarditis and the term postviral myopericarditis is suggested in preference to acute benign “nonspecific” or “idiopathic” pericarditis.
Visual Exploration of Association Rules

Frequent itemsets and association rules[Agrawal and Srikant 1994] are difficult to visualize. This is because that they are defined on elements of the power set of a set of items that reflect the many-to-many relationships among the items. With the absence of effective technique to visualize many-to-many relationships, association rules pose fundamental challenges to information visualization. We begin by defining a few terms: An itemset is a set of items. A transaction supports an itemset if the transaction contains all items in the itemset. Support of an itemset A, support(A), is defined as the percentage of transactions that support A. The support of a rule A → B is defined as support(A ∪ B). The confidence of the rule A → B is defined as support(A ∪ B)/support(A). An item group is a transitive closure of items in a set of frequent itemsets or association rules. Mining generalized association rules with item taxonomy was proposed in [Srikant and Agrawal 1995]. An example item taxonomy tree that organizes the items {a, b, c, d} is shown in Figure 1. A transaction T supports an item a if a ∈ T or a is an ancestor of some item in T under the item taxonomy. A transaction T supports an itemset A if T supports every item in A .A nancestor itemset A of A is obtained by replacing one or more items in A with their
Correspondence re: Gammon et al., Environmental Toxins and Breast Cancer on Long Island. I. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon DNA Adducts. 11, 677–685, 2002

Gammon et al . recently reported results from the comprehensive Long Island Breast Cancer Case-Control Study[1][1] showing no consistent elevation in risk with increasing PAH-DNA adduct levels in white blood cells (CEBP, Vol. 11, 677–685, 2002). Their results are similar to our previous findings
Furosemide alters organ of corti mechanics: evidence for feedback of outer hair cells upon the basilar membrane.

A widely held hypothesis of mammalian cochlear function is that the mechanical responses to sound of the basilar membrane depend on transduction by the outer hair cells. We have tested this hypothesis by studying the effect upon basilar membrane vibrations (measured by means of either the Mossbauer technique or Doppler-shift laser velocimetry) of systemic injection of furosemide, a loop diuretic that decreases transduction currents in hair cells. Furosemide reversibly altered the responses to tones and clicks of the chinchilla basilar membrane, causing response-magnitude reductions that were largest (up to 61 dB, averaging 25–30 dB) at low stimulus intensities at the characteristic frequency (CF) and small or nonexistent at high intensities and at frequencies far removed from CF. Furosemide also induced response-phase lags that were largest at low stimulus intensities (averaging 77 degrees) and were confined to frequencies close to CF. These results constitute the most definitive demonstration to date that mechanical responses of the basilar membrane are dependent on the normal function of the organ of Corti and strongly implicate the outer hair cells as being responsible for the high sensitivity and frequency selectivity of basilar membrane responses. A corollary of these findings is that sensorineural hearing deficits in humans due to outer hair cell loss reflect pathologically diminished vibrations of the basilar membrane.
GROUP PERFORMANCE RELATED TO SIZE AND INITIAL ABILITY OF GROUP MEMBERS

Summary.-This study examined the relationship of group performance as a function of group size, where members within each group are of similar initial abilicy levels, but members in different groups are of different levels. 5 wk. later on the basis of a paper-and-pencil test, Ss were formed into groups composed of all high Ss, 3U medium Ss, and all low Ss, with size varying from 2 to 5 persons. Ss working as a group retook the same test. Results showed that groups with different initial levels have their own unique parterns of improvement as the size of the group increases. Since so many of man's activities occur in small groups, the conditions of efficient group productivity have been explored by social scientists. The research dealing with group productivity and group problem solving has recently been reviewed by Hse ( 1962 ), Hoffman ( 1965 ), Watson ( 1966), and Kelley and Thibaut (1969). One of the variables influencing group performance is group size. Studies have shown that with increased group size the resources of the group are enhanced and more effective work results. However, beyond some point, the addition of new members brings diminishing reruns, i.e., as group size is enlarged performance increases as a negatively accelerated function. For example, Gibb (1951) found that with increments in group size here were progressively smaller increments in the number of ideas produced. Kohler ( 1927 ) found that above 4 persons the pulling power pet member decreased by 10% with each added new member. In a study by Taylor and Faust (1952) involving a game called "Twenty Questions," where Ss are required to identify an object by asking a series of questions, group performance exceeded thac by individuals. Groups of 4 solved the problem most frequently but were not otherwise superior to gronps of 2. The results of the Taylor and Faust study also showed the diminishing returns effect, where the number of man-minutes required for the solution per problem increased with the size of the group. In a recent study, Goldman (1965) showed that, in comparing the performance of an individual with that of a pair-group, the level of ability of Ss should be taken into account Goldman selected Ss of high, medium, and ,low ability on the basis of initial individual performance on an intelligence test. After a lapse of 5 wk., pair-groups of various combinations of high, medium, and low Ss were formed and asked to complete an equivalent form of the same intelligence test. Different group-improvement scores were noted when Ss worked in various combinations of paired groups.
Identification of the mass-silent post-transcriptionally modified nucleoside pseudouridine in RNA by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

A new method using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for the direct analysis of the mass-silent post-transcriptionally modified nucleoside pseudouridine in nucleic acids has been developed. This method utilizes 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)carbodiimide to derivatize pseudouridine residues. After chemical derivatization all pseudouridine residues will contain a 252 Da ‘mass tag’ that allows the presence of pseudouridine to be identified using mass spectrometry. Pseudouridine residues can be identified in intact nucleic acids by obtaining a mass spectrum of the nucleic acid before and after derivatization. The mass difference (in units of 252 Da) will denote the number of pseudouridine residues present. To determine the sequence location of pseudouridine, a combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and mass spectrometric steps are used. Here, MALDI analysis of RNase T1 digestion products before and after modification are used to narrow the sequence location of pseudouridine to specific T1 fragments in the gene sequence. Further mass spectrometric monitoring of exonuclease digestion products from isolated T1 fragments is then used for exact sequence placement. This approach to pseudouridine identification is demonstrated using Escherichia coli tRNAs. This new method allows for the direct determination of pseudouridine in nucleic acids, can be used to identify modified pseudouridine residues and can be used with general modification mapping approaches to completely characterize the post-transcriptional modifications present in RNAs.
Spin transport and carrier-mediated magnetism in magnetic semiconductor heterostructures

Abstract The study of spin-dependent phenomena involving free carriers in magnetic semiconductor heterostructures has seen rapid advances over the past year, allowing fresh insights into spin transport, localization and carrier-mediated magnetism. These experiments have been enabled by the realization of extrinsically and intrinsically doped magnetic semiconductor heterostructures derived from the II–VI and III–V semiconductors.