cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of human epidermoid carcinomas (strains KB and HeLa) in hamsters from tissue culture inocula.

Summary1. The KB and HeLa strains of human epidermoid carcinoma have been established in the cheek pouches of golden hamsters by means of quantitated suspensions prepared from tissue cultures in a medium providing the specific amino acid and vitamin requirements of these cell lines. 2. Strain KB, isolated directly from a biopsy specimen in these media, has been grown in LAFi mice bearing homologous ACTH secreting pituitary tumors. This strain also has been established in the cheek pouch of non-conditioned hamsters but thus far has failed to grow in non-conditioned mice. 3. The use of quantitated tissue culture inocula for the production of tumors in the hamster cheek pouch for chemotherapeutic studies is suggested.
ADRENOCORTICAL ONCOCYTOMA WITH BORDERLINE MALIGNANT POTENTIAL CAUSING SUBCLINICAL CUSHING SYNDROME

ABSTRACT Objective: To report a rare case of large adrenocortical oncocytoma in a young patient that was successfully resected by a minimally invasive laparoscopic technique in a community hospital. Methods: Clinical case presentation and review of literature. Results: A 36-year-old male patient was found to have an 8-cm right adrenal mass on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbosacral region that was done to rule out lumbar disc disease. The patient was asymptomatic, but due to concerns of malignancy, further work-up was pursued. Biochemical endocrine studies demonstrated subclinical Cushing syndrome. The patient underwent laparoscopic right adrenalectomy. The final size of the mass was 11 cm, which was larger than the MRI reporting. The final pathology of the mass was consistent with adrenocortical oncocytoma with borderline malignant potential. Conclusion: Functioning adrenocortical oncocytoma with borderline malignant potential is a rare tumor. Only about 25 cases of functional adrenocortical ...
X-Ray Hybrid Modalities for Image Guidance

Minimally invasive procedures using image guidance have become a popular alternative to their surgical counterparts because they offer reduced patient risk and as a result reduced morbidity. X-ray fluoroscopy can be used to provide real-time image guidance for interventional procedures. Current state-of-the-art fluoroscopy systems consist of a high-power rotating anode x-ray tube and a digital flat-panel detector. However, the lack of three-dimensional visualization has motivated the development of advanced x-ray imaging modalities for image guidance purposes which include real-time tomosynthesis, C-arm computed tomography (CT), and hybrid x-ray/MRI (X-MR).
Effects of brain stem parabrachial activation on receptive field properties of cells in the cat's lateral geniculate nucleus.

1. The lateral geniculate nucleus is the primary thalamic relay for the transfer of retinal signals to the visual cortex. Geniculate cells are heavily innervated from nonretinal sources, and these modify retinogeniculate transmission. A major ascending projection to the lateral geniculate nucleus arises from cholinergic cells in the parabrachial region of the brain stem. This is an important pathway in the ascending control of arousal. In an in vivo preparation, we used extracellular recordings to study the effects of electrical activation of the parabrachial region on the spontaneous activity and visual responses of X and Y cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat. 2. We studied the effects of two patterns of parabrachial activation on the spontaneous activity of geniculate cells. Burst stimulation consisted of a short pulse at high frequency (16 ms at 250 Hz). Train stimulation was of longer duration at lower frequency (e.g., 1 s at 50 Hz). The firing rate of almost all geniculate cells was enhanced by either pattern of stimulation. However, the burst pattern of stimulation elicited a short, modulated response with excitatory and inhibitory epochs. We found that the different epochs could differentially modulate the visual responses to drifting gratings. Thus the temporal alignment of the brain stem and visual stimuli was critical with burst stimulation, and varied alignments could dramatically confound the results. In comparison, the train pattern of stimulation consistently produced a relatively flat plateau of increased firing, after a short initial period of more variable effects. We used the less confounding pattern of train stimuli to study the effects of parabrachial activation on visual responses. 3. Our main emphasis was to examine the parabrachial effects on the visual responses of geniculate cells. For most visual stimuli, we used drifting sine wave gratings that varied in spatial frequency; these evoked modulated responses from the geniculate cells. Parabrachial activation enhanced the visual responses of almost all geniculate cells, and this enhancement included both increased depth of modulation and greater response rates. 4. Our results were incorporated quantitatively into a difference-of-Gaussians model of visual receptive fields in order to study the parabrachial effects on the spatial structure of the receptive field. This model fit our data well and provided measures of the response amplitude and radius of the receptive field center (Kc and Rc, respectively) and the response amplitude and radius of the receptive field surround (Ks and Rs, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Compliance with Medical Routines

Compliance with medical routines is an important part of basic health care for everyone, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While many diseases and illnesses are preventable or treatable, the benefits only accrue if patients cooperate with the procedures involved in the delivery of medical care. This paper reviews both the respondent and operant components underlying fear, distress and noncompliance often encountered in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are undergoing medical and dental routines. The paper also reviews the empirical literature and active treatment components most reliably found to reduce distress and improve compliance with medical and dental routines. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for practice.
Abstract 665: Blocking IL-1-NF-kB axis inhibits Kras-induced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in the USA with approximately 50 000 new cases and 40 000 deaths in 2015.The 5-year survival rate has remained at 5% for the past three decades and the median survival duration is less than 6 months. The very high rate of mutant Kras occurs in pancreatic cancer (>90%) and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (panIN) (>50%). However, the key signaling pathway of downstream Kras remains unidentified. We previously uncovered that the NF-eB signaling pathway was constitutively activated in most PDAC specimens and pancreatic cancer cell lines. More recently, our results showed that constitutive NF-eB activity in PDAC was induce by IL-1 autocrine mechanism. IL-1/p62 feedforward loops that initiated by the mutant Kras sustained NF-eB activity and were required for pancreatic cancer development. Therefore, we hypothesize that blocking IL-1 - NF-eB signaling pathway will inhibit Kras-induced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. To identify the mechanistic role of mutant Kras-induced IL-1 expression in PDAC, we generated genetically engineered mice of Pdx1-cre/Kras LSL-G12D /p53 M/+ IL-1a −/− . Our findings revealed that these mutant mice had developed significantly less PDAC number and a significantly delayed PDAC at old ages. Furthermore, we assess the effect of pharmacological IL-1R1 antagonist (anakinra) in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse. We found that IL-1R1 antagonist significantly decreased NF-eB activity and inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. More interestingly, the combinational treatment IL-1R1 antagonist plus gemcitabine significantly reduced the tumor burden in orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse. These results suggested that pharmacologically targeting IL-1a may provide a novel therapeutic approach for pancreatic cacner. Citation Format: Jianhua Ling, Jie Fu, Min Wu, Yu Cao, Paul Chiao. Blocking IL-1-NF-kB axis inhibits Kras-induced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 665.
Moore’s Law, Metcalfe’s Law, and the Theory of Optimal Interoperability

Many observers attribute the Internet’s success to two principles: Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s Law. These precepts are often cited to support claims that larger networks are inevitably more valuable and that costs in a digital environment always decrease. This Article offers both a systematic description of both laws and then challenges the conventional wisdom by exploring their conceptual limitations. It also explores how alternative mechanisms, such as gateways and competition, can permit the realization benefits typically attributed to Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s Law without requiring increases in network size.
Image-charge bound states of metal clusters

For an electron traveling above a flat metal surface there are a number of bound states Owing to the potential caused by interaction of the electron with its image charge in the metal, for spherical metal particles, these states should also exist even as the sphere approaches 1 nm in size. We believe we have found an example in the near-threshold photodetachment spectrum of the negative ion of a six-atom duster of gold.
Elbow Fusion for The Unstable Elbow

When all other reconstructive options for a severely damaged elbow have failed, then an elbow fusion is a reasonable consideration in the young patient. It has the advantages of providing stability to the elbow and improving pain; however, it comes at a considerable loss of selected function of the extremity depending on the angle of fusion. The patients must be carefully chosen and must also be fully informed about the potential risks and benefits of this procedure.
Potential induced degradation testing on mini modules with detailed fill factor and shunt analysis

Reliability testing for potential-induced degradation (PID) is time consuming, taking hundreds of hours in an environmental test chamber. In order to test multiple module materials and cell types in a given run, it is common to use mini modules with short strings of 1 to 6 solar cells, allowing up to 10 times more modules to be packed into the environmental chamber at once. These small modules can have very high series resistance in the range of 4–5 Ω-cm2 and fill factor below 70%, and this complicates assessment of fill factor degradation and power loss during PID. The effect of this extrinsic series resistance on small modules causes a factor of 2 improvements in measured reliability lifetime, but is unrelated to the PID mechanisms being studied and is not relevant to full-sized modules. Using the Suns-Voc measurement technique is proposed as an improved method so shunting and FF changes can be measured without the effects of the high series resistance. The effects of the shunting and power loss caused by PID can then be more accurately assessed.
Optimal sizing of a stand-alone hybrid energy system for water pumping in Sirte, Libya

In this paper, the size optimization of standalone Photovoltaic (PV)/Wind turbine hybrids system for water pumping in Sirte City, Libya are compared using HOMER Pro, HOMER Beta, and iHOGA softwares, specifically the cost of energy (COE), total net present cost (NPC), and size of the system. Various loads of water pumping for farm land are used. The optimal system suggested by iHOGA had the lowest NPC but highest COE, whereas HOMER Pro had the highest NPC but lowest COE. The results are supportive of using the renewable hybrid system for water pumping in Sirte, Libya.
GReM: Dynamic SSD resource allocation in virtualized storage systems with heterogeneous IO workloads

In a shared virtualized storage system that runs VMs with heterogeneous IO demands, it becomes a problem for the hypervisor to cost-effectively partition and allocate SSD resources among multiple VMs. There are two straightforward approaches to solving this problem: equally assigning SSDs to each VM or managing SSD resources in a fair competition mode. Unfortunately, neither of these approaches can fully utilize the benefits of SSD resources, particularly when the workloads frequently change and bursty IOs occur from time to time. In this paper, we design a Global SSD Resource Management solution — GReM, which aims to fully utilize SSD resources as a second-level cache under the consideration of performance isolation. In particular, GReM takes dynamic IO demands of all VMs into consideration to split the entire SSD space into a long-term zone and a short-term zone, and cost-effectively updates the content of SSDs in these two zones. GReM is able to adaptively adjust the reservation for each VM inside the long-term zone based on their IO changes. GReM can further dynamically partition SSDs between the long- and short-term zones during runtime by leveraging the feedbacks from both cache performance and bursty workloads. Experimental results show that GReM can capture the cross-VM IO changes to make correct decisions on resource allocation, and thus obtain high IO hit ratio and low IO management costs, compared with both traditional and state-of-the-art caching algorithms.
2 Chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA) and Cytarabine (ara-C) Combination Is Effective and Safe in Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (HES).

Abstract Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is rare, disabling, and incurable disease. In a pilot study, the combination of 2-CdA and ara-C chemotherapy has been evaluated in 9 patients. The median time from diagnosis to therapy was 25 months. All patients had signs and symptoms of end-organ involvement. Seven patients received prior therapies. The median eosinophil count at presentation was 14 x109/L (0.3–110 x109/L) and the median percent eosinophilic bone marrow infiltration was 23% (6%–43%). Ara-C (1g/m2) was given intravenously over 2 hours at hours 0, 48, 72, 96, and 120; 2-CdA (12 mg/m2/day) was given as continuous infusion intravenously over 5 days starting at 24 hours. A second course at the same level was administered for patients who achieved complete remission (CR) and for patients who had >50% reduction in eosinophilic infiltration. Two patients studied for pharmacokinetics of ara-CTP (active metabolite of ara-C) in the circulating blood cells accumulated either similar or higher levels of ara-CTP after infusion of 2-CdA. Five patients (55%) achieved CR, one requiring 2 cycles. Elimination of eosinophilia was accompanied by the resolution of symptoms. The median disease free survival was 26 months; 1 patient remains disease free (after allogeneic transplantation) at 42 months. The median overall survival from diagnosis for CR patients was 44 mo. Treatment was well tolerated. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 28% of the 14 cycles given. The median time to recovery from neutropenia and thrombocytopenia was 17 and 39 days, respectively. There was one death related to disease progression. We conclude that 2-CdA + ara-C combination regimen is safe alternative therapy for HES. The addition of consolidation therapy or imatinib may improve the results.
Enhanced PVDF properties by multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for efficient energy harvesting

Piezoelectric materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or lead zirconate titanate (PZT) are the fundamental materials for fabricating piezoelectric based energy harvesters. However, the drawbacks for these two materials are: (i) poor mechanical properties of PZT (e.g., brittle, low fracture stress); (ii) low energy efficiency of PVDF. Extensive research work has been made on investigating the piezoelectric property of PVDF. But very few attentions have been paid on mechanical property. In this paper, we report a synthetization of PVDF using a very low multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) fraction in PVDF to enhance both the mechanical property and piezoelectricity of PVDF/MWCNT composite. Through a series of well-controlled experiments, we found that the adding of MWCNT in PVDF affects the crystalline structure. Our experimental results also showed that the maximum tensile stress and maximum piezoelectric voltage constant both occurs at PVDF/MWCNT (0.05wt%). However, with the MWCNT fraction exceeded 0.05wt%, the maximum tensile stress and maxi- mum piezoelectric voltage constant decreased.
Trauma-Related Pain, Reexperiencing Symptoms, and Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Longitudinal Study of Veterans.

Research has demonstrated a strong positive association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and physical pain. However, few studies have explored the impact of pain problems on the symptoms and treatment of PTSD, and results remain inconsistent. This longitudinal study examined whether trauma-related and trauma-unrelated pain differentially and uniquely predicted reexperiencing symptoms. We also examined whether levels of reexperiencing symptoms mediated the relationship between pain intensity and posttreatment symptoms of avoidance, numbing, and hyperarousal (ANH). Analyses were conducted using archival data from 99 treatment-seeking veterans who reported the etiology and intensity of their pain and severity of PTSD symptoms pre- and posttreatment. Among veterans with trauma-related pain, pain intensity (a) uniquely corresponded to greater posttreatment reexperiencing symptoms (b = 1.09), and (b) was indirectly predictive of ANH symptoms via the reexperiencing symptoms (b = 1.93). However, veterans with trauma-unrelated pain evidenced no associations between pain intensity and reexperiencing (b = 0.04) or ANH symptoms (b = 0.06). We thus found that trauma-related pain was indirectly related to poor PTSD treatment outcomes via reexperiencing symptoms. These findings offer additional insight into factors that may influence PTSD treatment outcomes for pain-suffering trauma survivors.
Affirming identity: The role of language and culture in American Indian education

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the United States spent millions upon millions of dollars in a largely unsuccessful effort to close the academic achievement gap bet...
Substituting ground woody plants for cottonseed hulls in lamb feedlot diets: Growth performance, blood serum chemistry, and rumen fluid parameters.

Effects of using ground woody plants in Rambouillet wether lamb feedlot diets on growth performance, blood serum, and rumen parameters were evaluated. A randomized design study was used with 2 feeding periods (70% concentrate diet from d 0 to 27 [Period 1] and 86% concentrate diet from d 28 to 57 [Period 2]); the concentrate portion of the diets mainly consisted of dried distiller's grains with solubles and sorghum grain. Lambs were individually fed 6 diets that differed only by roughage source ( = 8 animals/treatment; 32.9 ± 3.2 kg initial BW): either cottonseed hulls (CSH; control) or ground wood consisting of redberry juniper (RED), blueberry juniper (BLUE), one-seeded juniper (ONE), or eastern red cedar (ERC) spp. or honey mesquite (MESQ; ). Using ground wood vs. CSH as the roughage source did not affect ( > 0.12) BW. There tended to be a treatment × day interaction ( = 0.07) for lamb DMI, attributed to Period 1 when DMI was greater ( 0.10) among all lambs. Dietary treatments did not affect ( > 0.15) ruminal pH, but treatment × day interactions ( 0.10) were observed within day. Treatment × day interactions ( < 0.05) were observed for blood serum glucose, γ-glutamyl transferase, the albumin:globulin ratio, total bilirubin, β-hydroxybutyrate, P, Cl, and Mg, with most results being less for lambs fed the wood-based diets than for lambs fed the CSH diets. Results suggested that even though lamb DMI was reduced during the growing period when diets contained 30% ground woody products (RED, ONE, ERC, and MESQ), animal health and rumen fluid parameters were not negatively affected by ground woody plants.
No association between dietary sodium intake and the risk of multiple sclerosis

Objective: To prospectively investigate the association between dietary sodium intake and multiple sclerosis (MS) risk. Methods: In this cohort study, we assessed dietary sodium intake by a validated food frequency questionnaire administered every 4 years to 80,920 nurses in the Nurses9 Health Study (NHS) (1984–2002) and to 94,511 in the Nurses9 Health Study II (NHSII) (1991–2007), and calibrated it using data from a validation study. There were 479 new MS cases during follow-up. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the effect of energy-adjusted dietary sodium on MS risk, adjusting also for age, latitude of residence at age 15, ancestry, body mass index at age 18, supplemental vitamin D intake, cigarette smoking, and total energy intake in each cohort. The results in both cohorts were pooled using fixed effects models. Results: Total dietary intake of sodium at baseline was not associated with MS risk (highest [medians: 3.2 g/d NHS; 3.5 g/d NHSII] vs lowest [medians: 2.5 g/d NHS; 2.8 g/d NHSII] quintile: HRpooled 0.98, 95% CI 0.74–1.30, p for trend = 0.75). Cumulative average sodium intake during follow-up was also not associated with MS risk (highest [medians: 3.3 g/d NHS; 3.4 g/d NHSII] vs lowest [medians: 2.7 g/d NHS; 2.8 g/d NHSII] quintile: HRpooled 1.02, 95% CI 0.76–1.37, p for trend = 0.76). Comparing more extreme sodium intake in deciles yielded similar results (p for trend = 0.95). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that higher dietary sodium intake does not increase the risk of developing MS.
The ozone-climate penalty in the Midwestern U.S.

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between ground-level ozone (O3) and temperature in the Midwestern U.S. during the period 1990–2015. From 1990 to 2015, the overall trend of 95th percentile temperature showed an increase of 0.04 K yr−1, while summertime 95th percentile O3 concentrations in the Midwest decreased at an average rate of 0.7 ppb yr−1 largely because NO2 concentrations decreased by more than 50%. The ozone-climate penalty, defined as the slope of O3 change with increasing temperature (ΔO3/ΔT), was by average 0.43 ppb K−1 less in 1999–2007 than in 1990–1998, indicating the early success of NOx emission controls. However, the slope did not continue to decrease in 2008–2015 despite further NOx emission reductions, and it increased more rapidly with increasing temperature (Δ2O3/ΔT2) by 0.03–0.09 ppb K−2 in most urban areas of the Midwest. This was accompanied by more frequent dry tropical (DT) weather in the Midwest since 2008. We find that O3 in DT weather was 12 ppb and 17 ppb higher than in non-DT weather in rural and urban areas, respectively. Furthermore, the 2008–2015 period experienced 8% more surface air stagnation days than in 1990–1998. This demonstrates that, in addition to the impact of warmer temperatures, the ozone-climate penalty could be aggravated by altered weather conditions under climate change. It will be challenging for Midwestern cities to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for O3 if such conditions persist in the future, and future air quality improvements may require even greater efforts to reduce both NOx and VOC emissions in the Midwest.
Transformation of E. coli Via Electroporation

To create electro-competent E. coli and transform them with a plasmid of choice via electroporation.
The obesity paradox in heart failure: weighing the evidence.

Obesity increases the risk for developing various cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure (HF) [(1–3)][1]. Experimental studies support detrimental effects of adiposity and insulin resistance on the vasculature, cardiac function, and remodeling
A Clinical Perspective of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Past, Present, and Future

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) primarily affects premature infants. It is less common in term and late preterm infants. The age of onset is inversely related to the postmenstrual age at birth. In term infants, NEC is commonly associated with congenital heart diseases. NEC has also been associated with other anomalies. More than 85% of all NEC cases occur in very low birth weight infants or in very premature infants. Despite incremental advances in our understanding of the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of NEC, universal prevention of this disease continues to elude us even in the twenty-first century.
Establishing a Post Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Immunization Clinic in a Specialty Care Center

Intro Vaccines have shown to significantly reduce the number of infections from vaccine preventable diseases. Children who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are at an increased risk for infections due to highly suppressed immune systems and loss of prior immunity. As a result, these patients need to get re-vaccinated post-transplant. Traditionally, re-vaccinations post HSCT were administered at a local pediatrician's office, but studies in adult patients have shown compliance with re-vaccination to be low and no data exists on adherence in pediatrics. When received, vaccines are often given based on time from transplant, when immune parameters are expected to recover, and not specifically based on an individual patient's immune reconstitution. At our large academic center's HSCT clinic, we have started an immune-based approach to revaccination to improve compliance, reduce errors, and initiate vaccines at the appropriate time. Objectives 1. Establish an outpatient clinic within our HSCT center focusing on re-vaccination post-pediatric HSCT. 2. Create immune-based screening guidelines to standardize patient eligibility for re-vaccination post pediatric HSCT. 3. Operationalize the immune-based screening and vaccine eligibility and monitor time to first vaccination as compared to historical controls. 4. Document the benefits, feasibility and safety of re-vaccinating post-HSCT in a specialty care center. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients who received immunizations in a pediatrician's office demonstrated inconsistency with timing of vaccine re-initiation, completion of schedule, and administration errors. A multidisciplinary team including HSCT, infectious disease, immunology and pharmacy developed a re-vaccination schedule, and immune-based screening guidelines for determining vaccine eligibility. The HSCT NP's established a re-vaccination clinic, including a dedicated coordinator who schedules all visits to ensure timely follow up and a nurse follows up after each visit to assess for side effects. Results Data collection is ongoing. To date there have been >40 patients who have utilized this clinic. Early experience indicates that patients are starting vaccinations earlier as many are meeting eligibility by 8 months based on immune reconstitution. Increased rates of compliance with vaccine clinic appointments and delivery of vaccines with less delay in moving through the series. Conclusion Through a multidisciplinary approach, creation and application of immune-based eligibility guidelines for revaccination was feasible, as was the creation and operationalization of a vaccination clinic at our large outpatient subspecialty HSCT clinic. Ongoing work will continue to track improvements in time to vaccine readiness and delivery as well as the safety of such a vaccination clinic.
Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Management.

The correlation between aspirin sensitivity, asthma, and nasal polyposis was recognized in the early 20th century. Today, this classic triad of symptoms, eponymously named Samter’s Triad, is known as aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease affects approximately 0.3–0.9% of the general population in the USA and approximately 7% of asthmatic patients. The management of AERD is challenging as no single modality has proven to have high rates of symptom control. Consequently, disease management typically involves a multimodality approach across both medical and surgical disciplines. This review describes the epidemiology of AERD and the current state-of-the-art as it relates to the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disease process. A significant proportion of the review is focused on the appropriate diagnostic workup for AERD patients including the utility of aspirin provocation testing. The spectrum of medical treatments, including aspirin desensitization and recently introduced immunotherapies, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, surgical approaches to disease control, including advanced endoscopic techniques, are reviewed and treatment outcomes presented.
2097 : Aging-associated increases in platelet granzyme A regulate pro-inflammatory gene synthesis by monocytes

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Platelets govern signal-dependent inflammatory responses by leukocytes. Although dysregulated inflammation is common in older adults, platelet-leukocyte signaling events and downstream inflammatory gene synthesis in aging is not known. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Highly-purified platelets and monocytes were isolated from healthy older (age>60, n=27) and younger (age<45, n=36) adults and incubated together in autologous and nonautologous conditions. Inflammatory gene synthesis by monocytes, basally and in the presence of activated platelets, was examined. Next-generation RNA-sequencing allowed for unbiased profiling of the platelet transcriptome in older and younger adults. Differentially expressed candidates in aged platelets were validated and recombinant granzyme A (in the presence and absence of TLR4 and Caspase-1 inhibition) identified putative ligands controlling inflammatory gene synthesis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In unstimulated or activated conditions, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) synthesis by monocytes alone did not differ between older and younger adults. However, in the presence of autologous activated platelets, monocytes from older adults synthesized significantly greater MCP-1 (867.150 vs. 216.36 ng/mL, p<0.0001) and IL-8 (41.5 vs. 9.2 ng/mL, p<0.0001) than younger adults. Nonautologous, or switch experiments, demonstrated that aged platelets were sufficient for upregulating MCP-1 and IL-8 synthesis by monocytes. Surprisingly, classic platelet proteins known to signal to monocytes and induce MCP-1 synthesis (p-selectin, RANTES, and PF4) were not increased in platelets from older adults. Using RNA-seq followed by validation via RT-PCR and immunoblot, we identified candidate platelet molecules increased in aging that mediate platelet-monocyte signaling and pro-inflammatory gene synthesis. We confirmed that granzyme A (GrmA), a serine protease not previously identified in platelets, is present in human platelets at the mRNA and protein level. GrmA is secreted by activated platelets in signal-dependent fashion. Moreover, GrmA in platelets is significantly increased in aging (~9-fold vs. younger adults). Blocking GrmA inhibited MCP-1 and IL-8 synthesis in older adults. Finally, we uncovered that platelet GrmA signaling to monocytes is regulated through TLR4 and Caspase-1. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Human aging is associated with reprogramming of the platelet transcriptome. A previously unrecognized protein in platelets, GrmA, is increased in aging and causes increased MCP-1 and IL-8 gene synthesis by target monocytes in a TLR4 and Caspase-1 dependent mechanism. Increased platelet GrmA in aging may contribute to injurious inflammatory responses common in older adults.
City Services by Design: Policy Feedback, Social Construction, and Inequality:

This article reviews Jessica Trounstine’s book Segregation by Design: Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities, situating it within the literature on local government policies, segregation,...
The extended Estabrook–Wahlquist method

Abstract Variable Coefficient Korteweg de Vries (vcKdV), modified Korteweg de Vries (vcMKdV), and nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equations have a long history dating from their derivation in various applications. A technique based on extended Lax Pairs has been devised recently to derive time-and-space-dependent-coefficient generalizations of various such Lax-integrable NLPDE hierarchies, which are thus more general than almost all cases considered earlier via methods such as the Painleve Test, Bell Polynomials, and similarity methods. However, this technique, although operationally effective, has the significant disadvantage that, for any integrable system with spatiotemporally varying coefficients, one must ‘guess’ a generalization of the structure of the known Lax Pair for the corresponding system with constant coefficients. Motivated by the somewhat arbitrary nature of the above procedure, we embark in this paper on an attempt to systematize the derivation of Lax-integrable systems with variable coefficients. We consider the Estabrook–Wahlquist (EW) prolongation technique, a relatively self-consistent procedure requiring little prior information. However, this immediately requires that the technique be significantly generalized in several ways, including solving matrix partial differential equations instead of algebraic ones as the structure of the Lax Pair is systematically computed, and also in solving the constraint equations to deduce the explicit forms for various ‘coefficient’ matrices. The new and extended EW technique which results is illustrated by algorithmically deriving generalized Lax-integrable versions of the NLS, generalized fifth-order KdV, MKdV, and derivative nonlinear Schrodinger (DNLS) equations. We also show how this method correctly excludes the existence of a nontrivial Lax pair for a nonintegrable NLPDE such as the variable-coefficient cubic–quintic NLS.
Neural Stimulation in vitro and in vivo by Photoacoustic Nanotransducers

Abstract Neuromodulation is an invaluable approach for study of neural circuits and clinical treatment of neurological diseases. Here, we report semiconducting polymer nanoparticles based photoacoustic nanotransducers (PANs) for neural stimulation. Our PANs strongly absorb light in the near-infrared second window and generate localized acoustic waves. PANs can also be surface-modified to selectively bind onto neurons. PAN-mediated activation of primary neurons in vitro is achieved with ten 3-nanosecond laser pulses at 1030 nm over a 3 millisecond duration. In vivo neural modulation of mouse brain activities and motor activities is demonstrated by PANs directly injected into brain cortex. With millisecond-scale temporal resolution, sub-millimeter spatial resolution and negligible heat deposition, PAN stimulation is a new non-genetic method for precise control of neuronal activities, opening potentials in non-invasive brain modulation.
Systematic Reverse Engineering of Cache Slice Selection in Intel Processors.

Dividing last level caches into slices is a popular method to prevent memory accesses from becoming a bottleneck on modern multicore processors. In order to assess and understand the benefits of cache slicing in detail, a precise knowledge of implementation details such as the slice selection algorithm are of high importance. However, slice selection methods are mostly unstudied, and processor manufacturers choose not to publish their designs, nor their design rationale. In this paper, we present a tool that allows to recover the slice selection algorithm for Intel processors. The tool uses cache access information to derive equations that allow the reconstruction of the applied slice selection algorithm. Thereby, the tool provides essential information for performing last level cache attacks and enables further exploration of the behavior of modern caches. The tool is successfully applied to a range of Intel CPUs with different slices and architectures. Results show that slice selection algorithms have become more complex over time by involving an increasing number of bits of the physical address. We also demonstrate that among the most recent processors, the slice selection algorithm depends on the number of CPU cores rather than the processor model.
Comparison of seed fatty and amino acids in edamame dried using two oven-drying methods and mature soybeans

BACKGROUND Edamame is a vegetable soybean (Glycine max) rich in protein with well-balanced amino acid profiles, including all the essential amino acids. It is also relatively high in oil consisting of five fatty acids. In this study, fatty and amino acid contents in oven-dried edamame and mature seeds in 54 genotypes were analyzed to help edamame breeding and relevant research. RESULTS Significant differences (P < 0.01) between dried edamame and mature soybeans were found for all traits, suggesting that the contents of seed fatty and amino acids varied with drying method and/or growth stage. The genotypic effects were significant for amino acids in all cases and mostly for fatty acids. Fatty acid content was more variable than amino acids in both edamame and mature soybeans. The broad-sense heritability estimates of traits in mature soybeans (51.89-90.37%) were larger than those in edamame seeds (13.10-81.83%), and the estimates for amino acids were larger than those for fatty acids. Correlations between the two edamame drying methods or between the edamame and mature soybeans were significant for all fatty and amino acids with few exceptions, and the correlation coefficients for amino acids (0.36-0.89) were larger than those for fatty acids (0.29-0.81). CONCLUSIONS Selection for both fatty and amino acids in edamame seems less effective than that in mature soybeans, and the improvement of amino acids would be more achievable than fatty acid improvement. Indirect selection through mature soybeans may benefit the edamame improvement for most of the amino acids. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
Antioxidant and defense genetic expressions in corn at early-developmental stage are differentially modulated by copper form exposure (nano, bulk, ionic): Nutrient and physiological effects.

Abstract In the present study, Zea mays seedlings grown under nano Cu(OH)2 (nCu), bulk Cu(OH)2 (bCu), and ionic CuSO4 (iCu) compound exposure were harvested after six days. The nutritional profile was determined to be significantly disrupted in the roots by 1000 ppm bCu treatment, resulting in a 58.7% reduction in potassium compared to the control. In the shoots, a significant decrease of manganese was observed for 10 and 1000 ppm iCu treatments with 55.7% and 64.2% reductions, respectively. The overall protein content and catalase (CAT) enzymatic activity, however, remained unaffected in either roots or shoots, while an absence of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was observed for all samples. The genetic expression of defense-related genes, metallothionein (MT), CAT, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and PPO was assessed. The genetic expression of MT was upregulated 50-fold in roots treated with 1000 ppm bCu. There were no significant differences in CAT transcripts among the various treatments, while APX was upregulated 28 and 19-fold in shoots treated with 10 ppm bCu and 10 ppm nCu, respectively. Meanwhile, APX mRNA levels were downregulated five-fold in shoots treated with 1000 ppm iCu. Thus, indicating that the role of APX in plant defense was reinforced in seedlings exposed to low concentration of particulate Cu compounds. Remarkably, no PPO expression was found in any of the treatments and controls, which suggests this enzyme is expressed only under specific external factors or seedlings have an “immature” cascade signaling activation of the PPO system. Taken together, these results show that bCu and nCu treatments at a low concentration do not compromise vital cell machinery but rather elicit the enhancement of defense responses as observed through the increase in APX expression. Furthermore, under optimal concentrations, these Cu treatments show promise in enhancing corn defense responses, which can ultimately lead to increases in future global crop yields.
Human rights obligations of drug companies

This article addresses the human rights obligations of pharmaceutical companies regarding access to vaccines and other drugs developed to prevent and treat COVID-19, and more broadly regarding acce...
Temporal nitrogen dynamics in intensively managed loblolly pine early stand development

Abstract Forest production is strongly dependent on nutrient uptake; however, sustainable management of intensively managed plantations requires an improved understanding of this relationship when fertilization occurs frequently across short rotations. Here, we studied temporal nitrogen (N) concentration ([N]) and content (Nc) dynamics under different silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting density) throughout early loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stand development (5 years). We describe relationships of [N] and Nc of different stand components (foliage, branches, stem, roots, and competing vegetation) with carbon and biomass. Our results demonstrate that [N] of perennial loblolly tissues do not respond to silvicultural practices and progressively decrease through development. While foliar [N] was most responsive to resource availability, it was not consistent across time. Controlling competing vegetation was crucial to promote the use of site resources by the crop tree and increased loblolly Nc by >500%. However, increased N uptake and expedited growth is dependent upon fertilization early in stand development. At age 5, herbicide plus reduced and full fertilization rates exhibited similar aboveground Nc, which was 32% higher than with herbicide only. Increasing planting density resulted in increased above- and belowground loblolly Nc; however, increases in Nc were not proportional with increases in planting density. Net primary productivity and N uptake were linearly related, but age/development strongly controlled N use efficiency. Our study helps to understand complex relationships between N, biomass, and silvicultural practices during early stand development and demonstrates that temporal evaluation of nutrient dynamics is crucial to better understand loblolly pine growth, carbon sequestration potential, and to inform sustainable silvicultural practices across short rotations.
Case reportDelayed fatal hemorrhage from pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery after percutaneous liver biopsy

Hemorrhage is the most common serious complication of percutaneous liver biopsy. Liver biopsy is usually done in an outpatient setting because most significant hemorrhage is evident within a few hours after biopsy. Delayed hemorrhage occurs much less frequently but carries a much higher mortality. We present a 41-yr-old man with chronic hepatitis C who underwent a percutaneous liver biopsy uneventfully but was found to have a pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery 5 days later. Shortly after admission, the patient experienced bleeding into the liver from the pseudoaneurysm, which was controlled initially by angiographic embolization. However, recurrent bleeding could not be controlled by repeat angiography and surgical intervention, and the patient expired. The diagnosis and management of pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery complicating liver biopsy is reviewed.
Comparison between Patients Hospitalized with Influenza and COVID-19 at a Tertiary Care Center.

Widespread reports suggest the characteristics and disease course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza differ, yet detailed comparisons of their clinical manifestations are lacking. Comparison of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic with those of influenza patients in previous influenza seasons at the same hospital Admission rates, clinical measurements, and clinical outcomes from confirmed COVID-19 cases between March 1 and April 30, 2020, were compared with those from confirmed influenza cases in the previous five influenza seasons (8 months each) beginning September 1, 2014. Large tertiary care teaching hospital in Boston, MA Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and influenza inpatients Patient demographics and medical history, mortality, incidence and duration of mechanical ventilation, incidences of vasopressor support and renal replacement therapy, and hospital and intensive care admissions. Data was abstracted from medical records of 1052 influenza patients and 582 COVID-19 patients. An average of 210 hospital admissions for influenza occurred per 8-month season compared to 582 COVID-19 admissions over 2 months. The median weekly number of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation was 17 (IQR: 4, 34) compared to a weekly median of 1 (IQR: 0, 2) influenza patient (p=0.001). COVID-19 patients were significantly more likely to require mechanical ventilation (31% vs 8%) and had significantly higher mortality (20% vs. 3%; p<0.001 for all). Relatively more COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation lacked pre-existing conditions compared with mechanically ventilated influenza patients (25% vs 4%, p<0.001). Pneumonia/ARDS secondary to the virus was the predominant cause of mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients (94%) as opposed to influenza (56%). This is a single-center study which could limit generalization. COVID-19 resulted in more weekly hospitalizations, higher morbidity, and higher mortality than influenza at the same hospital.
Interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment: Two Don'ts and Three Dos

A sophisticated reading of the legislative record of the framing of the Fourteenth Amendment can provide courts and scholars with some general interpretive principles to guide their application of the Amendment to current legal problems. The author argues that two common legal conceptions about the Amendment are, in fact, misconceptions. The first is that the Amendment was chiefly concerned with the immediate situation of freed slaves in the former slave states. Instead, he argues, the legislative record suggests that the framers were broadly concerned with the rights not only of freed slaves but also of foreign-born immigrants in the North and the South, and of Southern Unionists and Northern migrants in the former Confederacy.The second misconception is that the central purpose of the Amendment was to "constitutionalize" the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and that section 1 can thus be interpreted as chiefly incorporating the short list of basic civil rights protected by that Act. Both the legislative record and the statements by the Amendment's sponsors during the debate over its framing demonstrate that the Amendment was an independent measure aimed at a much broader set of reforms in state institutions.The author suggests that the record does support three positive statements about the Amendment. The first is that the Amendment was aimed at addressing systemic flaws in the Constitution of 1787. The second proposition builds on the first by suggesting that the major flaw the framers saw in the original Constitution was its empowerment of a complex political and social institution widely known to antebellum thinkers as the "Slave Power," a set of privileges for slavery that had permitted the slave states to dominate the federal government since at least 1800. The last proposition is that the Amendment, having been forged during an intense struggle between the executive and legislative branches, had as one of its aims to empower Congress, and that current jurisprudence that reads it as primarily concerned with empowering the federal courts misconceives the historical context from which it emerged.Finally, the author suggests that the broad political focus of the Amendment invites current interpretations that draw on political theory about the requirements of a genuinely democratic system, and that one such theory is the idea of the "open society" proposed during the mid-twentieth century by the influential philosopher Karl Popper.