cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermittent Low Dose Interleukin 11 Can Lead to Transfusion Independence in Patients with Chronic Myelo-Monocytic Leukemia and Thrombocytopenia.

Recombinant Interleukin- 11 (IL-11) is a thrombopoietic cytokine that stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis in vitro and platelet production in vivo. It attenuates post chemotherapy thrombocytopenia at a dose of 50 mcg/ kg/ day subcutaneously (SC). Unfortunately, prolonged administration is associated with significant toxicity including peripheral and pulmonary edema at this dose. Administration of low dose IL-11 at 10 mcg/kg/day SC has shown efficacy in bone marrow failure states without significant toxicity. We report two cases of chronic myelo-monocytic leukemia (CMML) with transfusion dependent thrombocytopenia who received intermittent low dose IL-11 without significant toxicity. Case Reports- Patient 1 is a 79-year-old male with history of CMML with pancytopenia of three years duration. Recently he required transfusion of platelets with his platelet counts falling to less than 15 x 10 9 /L. His cytogenetic study showed normal karyotype, 46 XY. He required platelet transfusion at every 14 days. He initially was started on IL-11 at 10mcg/kg/day, 5 days per week.. His platelet count increased to above 30 x 10 9 /L and he became transfusion independent within two weeks. Unfortunately on this schedule he developed edema and mild CHF. IL-11 was stopped for two weeks and upon resolution of toxicity, restarted at 10 mcg/kg/day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He has remained transfusion independent without recurrence of edema at 5 months on this schedule. Patient 2 was a 63-year-old male with previous history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and diffuse large B cell lymphoma who developed CMML with severe pancytopenia. His karyotype was 46, XY, −7, +21. His platelet count was consistently less than 10 x 10 9 /L. He required platelet transfusion twice a week. He was started on IL-11 at 10mcg/kg/day for 5 days per week, two weeks on and two weeks off. His platelet count increased to as high as 64 x 10 9 /L after 2 nd cycle. His platelet transfusion requirement decreased from every 3 rd day to every 10 th -14 th day. He experienced no peripheral or pulmonary edema. Conclusion: Administration of low dose IL-11 in other bone marrow failure states has been reported but its use has not been described in CMML. Our observation in these 2 patients suggests that IL-11 has efficacy in CMML and is very well tolerated at low doses on an intermittent administration schedule. IL-11 may decrease the transfusion requirement in transfusion dependent patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate overall impact on larger number of patients who require regular platelet transfusion.
Exemestane potency is unchanged by common nonsynonymous polymorphisms in CYP19A1: results of a novel anti-aromatase activity assay examining exemestane and its derivatives.

Exemestane (EXE) treats estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer in postmenopausal women by inhibiting the estrogen-synthesizing cytochrome P450 CYP19A1. Variability in the severity and incidence of side effects as well as overall drug efficacy may be partially explained by genetic factors, including nonsynonymous variation in CYP19A1, also known as aromatase. The present study identified phase I EXE metabolites in human liver microsomes (HLM) and investigated mechanisms that may alter the extent of systemic estrogen deprivation in EXE-treated women with breast cancer, including whether functional polymorphisms in aromatase cause differential inhibition by EXE and whether EXE metabolites possess anti-aromatase activity. The potency of EXE and ten of its derivatives was measured with HEK293-overexpressed wild type aromatase (CYP19A1*1) using a rapid novel UPLC tandem mass spectrometry method. Of the ten compounds assayed, five were poor inhibitors (IC50 ˃ 50 μmol/L) of wild type aromatase while five others, including the major metabolite, 17β-dihydroexemestane (17β-DHE), exhibited moderate potency, with IC50 values ranging between 1.2 and 7.1 μmol/L. The anti-aromatase activity of EXE was also tested with two common allozymes, aromataseThr201Met (CYP19A1*3) and aromataseArg264Cys (CYP19A1*4). Differential inhibition of variant aromatase is unlikely to account for variable clinical outcomes as EXE-mediated inhibition of aromataseThr201Met (IC50 = 0.86 ± 0.12 μmol/L) and aromataseArg264Cys (IC50 = 1.7 ± 0.65 μmol/L) did not significantly differ from wild type (IC50 = 0.92 ± 0.17 μmol/L). Although less potent than the parent drug, these results suggest that active metabolites may contribute to the therapeutic mechanism of EXE.
Physical Training as a Factor in the Social Development of the Individual and in School Life

(1910). Physical Training as a Factor in the Social Development of the Individual and in School Life. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 333-337.
Targeting nitric oxide and NMDA receptor-associated pathways in treatment of high grade glial tumors. Hypotheses for nitro-memantine and nitrones.

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain cancer with no curative treatment. Targeting Nitric Oxide (NO) and glutamatergic pathways may help as adjunctive treatments in GBM. NO at low doses promotes tumorigenesis, while at higher levels (above 300 nM) triggers apoptosis. Gliomas actively secrete high amounts of glutamate which activates EGR signaling and mediates degradation of peritumoral tissues via excitotoxic injury. Memantine inhibits NMDA-subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDARs) and induces autophagic death of glioma cells in vitro and blocks glioma growth in vivo . Nitro-memantines may exert further benefits by limiting NMDAR signaling and by delivery of NO to the areas of excessive NMDAR activity leading NO-accumulation at tumoricidal levels within gliomas. Due to the duality of NO in tumorigenesis, agents which attenuate NO levels may also act beneficial in treatment of GBM. Nitrone compounds including N - tert -Butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN) and its disulfonyl-phenyl derivative, OKN-007 suppress free radical formation in experimental cerebral ischemia. OKN-007 failed to show clinical efficacy in stroke, but trials demonstrated its high biosafety in humans including elderly subjects. PBN inhibits the signaling pathways of NF-κB, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX). In animal models of liver cancer and glioblastoma, OKN-007 seemed more efficient than PBN in suppression of cell proliferation, microvascular density and in induction of apoptosis. OKN-007 also inhibits SULF2 enzyme, which promotes tumor growth via versatile pathways. We assume that nitromemantines may be more beneficial concomitant with chemo-radiotherapy while nitrones alone may act useful in suppressing basal tumor growth and angiogenesis.
Crossing boundaries: Shigeru Nakano's enduring legacy for ecology

Shigeru Nakano was a Japanese ecologist whose work crossed boundaries among subdisciplines in ecology, between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and between different languages and cultures. He published his first paper in 1985 while still an undergraduate, and is well known for his early research on the individual behavior of stream salmonids in dominance hierarchies. Shortly after completing his Master’s degree in 1987 he began collaborating with many graduate students and other scientists, including those from the US, and expanded his research to include factors controlling stream salmonid distribution and abundance across spatial scales ranging from local to landscape levels. In 1995 he moved to a research station in southwestern Hokkaido and began new collaborative research on interactions between forest and stream food webs. Nakano pioneered large-scale field experiments using greenhouses to sever the reciprocal fluxes of invertebrate prey between stream and riparian food webs. The strong direct and indirect effects of isolating these food webs from each other on organisms ranging from stream algae to fish, riparian spiders, and bats have revealed new linkages and explained phenomena that were previously unexplained. When combined with similar results from other investigators, they have created a paradigm shift in ecology. Shigeru Nakano was lost at sea in Baja California on March 27, 2000 at the age of 37, but key papers from his 15-year career set new standards for rigor, detail, and synthesis. They continue to be highly cited and inspire new research, and to foster new collaborations among Japanese and western scientists.
Redox, spectroscopic, photo-induced ligand exchange, and DNA interaction studies of a new Ru(II)Pt(II) bimetallic complex

AbstractA new bimetallic complex, [Ru(biq)2(dpp)PtCl2](PF6)2 (where biq = 2,2′-biquinoline and dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine), containing a cis-PtCl2 moiety coupled to a sterically strained Ru(II)-based chromophore was designed, synthesized, and investigated with respect to its spectroscopic, redox, photo-induced ligand exchange, and DNA-interaction properties. The electrochemistry of the designed complex was found to be consistent with the bridging coordination of the dpp ligand and formation of the bimetallic complex. The complex displays intense ligand-based π → π* transitions in the UV region and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions (MLCT) in the visible region. The loss of bridging coordination of the dpp ligand and formation of complexes, [Ru(biq)2(CH3CN)2]2+ and [Pt(dpp)(CH3CN)2]2+ was observed when an acetonitrile solution of the metal complex was irradiated with visible light (λirr ≥ 550 nm). The designed complex displays covalent binding with DNA in dark through the cis-PtCl2 moiety, a...
TARGETING PATHWAYS TO THE MITOCHONDRIAL INNER MEMBRANE

Residing within a functional mitochondrion are a diverse array of metabolic enzymes that catalyze reactions essential to the survival of nearly all eucaryotic cells. Only a few of the several hundred different mitochondrial proteins are products of the mitochondrial genome; the vast majority (>95%) are encoded on nuclear genes and imported into the organelle during or after translation in the cytosol. The correct delivery of these proteins to the mitochondrion, and their subsequent sorting to the proper mitochondrial compartment (outer membrane, inner membrane, intermembrane space, matrix), is therefore an essential problem within the field of mitochondrial biogenesis.
Raman spectroscopy of lithium hydride corrosion: Selection of appropriate excitation wavelength to minimize fluorescence

Abstract Lithium hydride is pyrophoric and will efficiently react with moisture forming lithium hydroxide on the surface. Typically, this surface corrosion reaction is examined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. In the current study, Raman spectroscopy has been used to evaluate the same reaction with a focus on the role of Li 2 O in particular. A number of visible and near infrared excitation lasers were investigated in order to achieve the highest sensitivity; however, fluorescence dominates the spectrum. Photo bleaching experiments resulted in fluorescence reduction after illumination. Photoluminescence spectra indicate that the UV excitation could provide a luminescence-free region to collect high quality Raman spectra for LiH. A custom Raman probe was used to study the hydrolysis reaction of LiH with a 325 nm laser. Further, the role of lithium oxide in the hydrolysis kinetics has been studied.
Intra-annual variations of regional aerosol optical depth, vertical distribution, and particle types from multiple satellite and ground-based observational datasets

Abstract. The climatic and health effects of aerosols are strongly dependent on the intra-annual variations in their loading and properties. While the seasonal variations of regional aerosol optical depth (AOD) have been extensively studied, understanding the temporal variations in aerosol vertical distribution and particle types is also important for an accurate estimate of aerosol climatic effects. In this paper, we combine the observations from four satellite-borne sensors and several ground-based networks to investigate the seasonal variations of aerosol column loading, vertical distribution, and particle types over three populous regions: the Eastern United States (EUS), Western Europe (WEU), and Eastern and Central China (ECC). In all three regions, column AOD, as well as AOD at heights above 800 m, peaks in summer/spring, probably due to accelerated formation of secondary aerosols and hygroscopic growth. In contrast, AOD below 800 m peaks in winter over WEU and ECC regions because more aerosols are confined to lower heights due to the weaker vertical mixing. In the EUS region, AOD below 800 m shows two maximums, one in summer and the other in winter. The temporal trends in low-level AOD are consistent with those in surface fine particle (PM 2.5 ) concentrations. AOD due to fine particles ( µ m diameter) is much larger in spring/summer than in winter over all three regions. However, the coarse mode AOD ( >1.4 µ m diameter), generally shows small variability, except that a peak occurs in spring in the ECC region due to the prevalence of airborne dust during this season. When aerosols are classified according to sources, the dominant type is associated with anthropogenic air pollution, which has a similar seasonal pattern as total AOD. Dust and sea-spray aerosols in the WEU region peak in summer and winter, respectively, but do not show an obvious seasonal pattern in the EUS region. Smoke aerosols, as well as absorbing aerosols, present an obvious unimodal distribution with a maximum occurring in summer over the EUS and WEU regions, whereas they follow a bimodal distribution with peaks in August and March (due to crop residue burning) over the ECC region.
Exploiting hardware/software interactions for analyzing embedded systems

Embedded systems are often subject to real-time timing constraints. Such systems require determinism to ensure that task deadlines are met. The knowledge of the bounds on worst-case execution times (WCET) of tasks is a critical piece of information required to achieve this objective. One limiting factor in designing real-time systems is the class of processors that may be used. Contemporary processors with their advanced architectural features, such as out-of-order execution, branch prediction, speculation, and prefetching, cannot be statically analyzed to obtain WCETs for tasks as they introduce non-determinism into task execution, which can only be resolved at run-time. Such micro-processors are tuned to reduce average-case execution times at the expense of predictability. Hence, they do not find use in hard real-time systems. On the other hand, static timing analysis derives bounds on WCETs but requires that bounds on loop iterations be known statically, i.e., at compile time. This limits the class of applications that may be analyzed by static timing analysis and, hence, used in a real-time system. Finally, many embedded systems have communication and/or synchronization constructs and need to function on a wide spectrum of hardware devices ranging from small microcontrollers to modern multi-core architectures. Hence, any single analysis technique (be it static or dynamic) will not suffice in gauging the true nature of such systems. This thesis contributes novel techniques that use combinations of analysis methods and constant interactions between them to tackle complexities in modern embedded systems. To be more specific, this thesis (I) introduces of a new paradigm that proposes minor enhancements to modern processor architectures, which, on interaction with software modules, is able to obtain tight, accurate timing analysis results for modern processors; (II) it shows how the constraint concerning statically bound loops may be relaxed and applied to make dynamic decisions at run-time to achieve power savings; (III) it represents the temporal behavior of distributed real-time applications as colored graphs coupled with graph reductions/transformations that attempt to capture inherent “meaning” in the application. To the best of my knowledge, these methods that utilize interactions between different sources of information to analyze modern embedded systems are a first of their kind.
Globalization, Culture, and Anxiety: Perspectives and Predictions from Terror Management Theory

This paper considers the psychological and social consequences of an ascendant global capitalism and its resultant cultural impositions from the perspective of current social psychology theory. Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that culture serves as a psychological defense against the terror inherent in human existence. TMT proposes that cultures serve the vital psychological function of making anxiety-buffering self-esteem available to humans by providing world-views and standards of value to achieve within that description of reality. Persons whose faith in that world-view is strong and who see themselves as living up to its standards of value achieve the anxiety-buffering effects of self-esteem needed in an existentially terrifying world. Because a hegemonic global capitalism and its cultural impositions guarantee that in a cultural meaning system that affords anxiety-buffering self-esteem to only the “winners” of the great competition, most people will perceive themselves as “losers.” TMT predicts increased anxiety and social distress because a global capitalist system and culture will offer psychological sustenance to a minority of the world's people. This paper will review the theory, its empirical supports, and offer a set of hypotheses derived from the predictable psychological, social, and behavioral consequences of a global capitalist system and culture.
Stabilization of Lipid Microstructures: Fundamentals and Applications

The thermotropic and lyotropic phase behavior of components that comprise lipid assemblies such as liposomes results in an inherent instability of these structures when exposed to extremes of temperature and hydration. This can present significant limitations to their successful application. As liposomes and other macroassemblies of lipid molecules progress toward application, considerable efforts have been made to improve the stability of these structures. We can define stabilization of lipid microstructures as the ability to withstand chemical, mechanical, or thermal extremes which may be encountered in the variety of applications that are being pursued. In particular, the definition of stabilization for drug delivery and slow release purposes should include increased persistence in the body and avoidance of the reticular endothelial system (RES) which will result in enhanced activity of encapsulants in vivo.
Morphology and Relationships of Brachyopsemys tingitana gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Paleocene of Morocco and Recognition of the New Eucryptodiran Turtle Family: Sandownidae

The first cryptodiran turtle with a pitted palate, Brachyopsemys tingitana gen. et sp. nov., is described on the basis of skulls and a lower jaw from the early Paleocene (Danian) of the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco. The new taxon shares a number of apomorphic features with Sandownia harrisi from the Aptian of the Isle of White, England, Angolachelys mbaxi from the Turonian of Angola, and an unnamed turtle from the Albian Glen Rose Formation in Texas. A phylogenetic analysis provides evidence that they form a monophyletic clade which we name the Sandownidae fam. nov. The phylogenetic relationships of Sandownidae are problematic. Their affinities among the Eucryptodira remain uncertain; a well-preserved shell of a member of the family may be useful in determining relationships. The family appears to be a bottom-dwelling group that occurred in near-shore marine environments along the coast of the Atlantic across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Its evolutionary history is connected to the development of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Politics of Everyday Life in Fascist Italy: Outside the State?

While Alltagsgeschichte has been around for some time, the three editors and other contributors to this volume see it as an idea whose day has finally come to the study of Fascist Italy. Italians, ...
Virus deposition onto polyelectrolyte-coated surfaces: A study with bacteriophage MS2.

Abstract Hypotheses By selecting constituent polyelectrolytes and controlling conditions of their deposition, the resulting polyelectrolyte multilayers can be designed as surface coatings with controlled adhesive properties with respect to viruses. Charge and hydrophilicity of the polyelectrolyte multilayers govern virus adhesion. Experiments Four surfaces of different charges and hydrophobicities were designed using a layer-by-layer assembly of poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) and poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride). Contact angle measurements gave an estimate of MS2 hydrophilicity in terms of free energy of interfacial interaction in water. Experimental results on MS2 adhesion obtained using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring were compared with predictions by the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory. Findings MS2 deposition onto polyelectrolyte multilayers occurred in two phases: an early phase defined by virus-surface interactions and a later phase with virus-virus interactions controlling deposition kinetics. Principal component analysis showed that the deposition rates in the two phases were independent one of another and that each was correlated to the depth of the secondary minimum of the corresponding XDLVO energy profile. Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions governed the deposition process: short range hydrophilic repulsion prevented deposition into the primary minimum while electrostatic interactions defined the dependence of the deposition kinetics on the ionic strength. Different surfaces showed distinct kinetics of and capacities for MS2 deposition pointing to the potential of polyelectrolyte multilayers as easy-to-apply coatings for regulating virus adsorption, inactivating viruses via the virucidal action of cationic polyelectrolytes and reducing human exposure to viruses.
Utility of virtual monoenergetic images from spectral detector computed tomography in improving image segmentation for purposes of 3D printing and modeling

One of the key steps in generating three-dimensional (3D) printed models in medicine is segmentation of radiologic imaging. The software tools used for segmentation may be automated, semi-automated, or manual which rely on differences in material density, attenuation characteristics, and/or advanced software algorithms. Spectral Detector Computed Tomography (SDCT) is a form of dual energy computed tomography that works at the detector level to generate virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) at different energies/ kilo-electron volts (keV). These VMI have varying contrast and attenuation characteristics relative to material density. The purpose of this pilot project is to explore the use of VMI in segmentation for medical 3D printing in four separate clinical scenarios. Cases were retrospectively selected based on varying complexity, value of spectral data, and across multiple clinical disciplines (Vascular, Cardiology, Oncology, and Orthopedic). In all four clinical cases presented, the segmentation process was qualitatively reported as easier, faster, and increased the operator’s confidence in obtaining accurate anatomy. All cases demonstrated a significant difference in the calculated Hounsfield Units between conventional and VMI data at the level of targeted segmentation anatomy. Two cases would not have been feasible for segmentation and 3D printing using conventional images only. VMI data significantly reduced conventional CT artifacts in one of the cases. Utilization of VMI from SDCT can improve and assist the segmentation of target anatomy for medical 3D printing by enhancing material contrast and decreasing CT artifact.
Structural Biology of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases

Abstract This article describes aspects related to the protein structure of nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The synthetases are complex, multi-protein biosynthetic machines responsible for the construction of diverse peptide natural products that include many clinically important therapeutics. The synthetases are large, linked multimodular enzymes which catalyze the formation of peptidic scaffolds using a thiol-templated mechanism. The modules are composed of enzyme domains commonly arranged in a co-linear manner, typically corresponding to the amino acid sequence of the final natural product. Recent, significant advances into the structure and function of these macromolecular machines have been achieved through X-ray crystallographic, NMR spectroscopic, and cryo-EM approaches. This article will focus on the latest discoveries in the field, covering structure and mechanistic insights. The review covers approaches utilized to generate structural information and how the structures lead to an overall functional picture which should ultimately aid rational biocombinatorial engineering efforts toward designed peptides. In general, recent progress in understanding the complex assembly lines provide significant insight into the overall function and chemistry of nonribosomal peptide synthetases.
An Improved Methodology to Evaluate Cell and Molecular Signals in the Reparative Callus During Fracture Healing

Approximately 5% to 10% of all bone fractures do not heal completely, contributing to significant patient suffering and medical costs. Even in healthy individuals, fracture healing is associated with significant downtime and loss of productivity. However, no pharmacological treatments are currently available to promote efficient bone healing. A better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial for developing novel therapies to hasten healing. The early reparative callus that forms around the site of bone injury is a fragile tissue consisting of shifting cell populations held together by loose connective tissue. The delicate callus is challenging to section and is vulnerable to disintegration during the harsh steps of immunostaining, namely, decalcification, deparaffinization, and antigen retrieval. Here, we describe an improved methodology for processing early-stage fracture calluses and immunofluorescence labeling of the sections to visualize the temporal (timing) and spatial (location) patterns of cellular and molecular events that regulate bone healing. This method has a short turnaround time from sample collection to microscopy as it does not require lengthy decalcification. It preserves the structural integrity of the fragile callus as the method does not entail deparaffinization or harsh methods of antigen retrieval. Our method can be adapted for high-throughput screening of drugs that promote efficacious bone healing.
Oriented Matroids and Combinatorial Neural Codes

A combinatorial neural code $\mathscr C\subseteq 2^{[n]}$ is convex if it arises as the intersection pattern of convex open subsets of $\mathbb R^d$. We relate the emerging theory of convex neural codes to the established theory of oriented matroids, both categorically and with respect to geometry and computational complexity. On the categorical side, we show that the map taking an acyclic oriented matroid to the code of positive parts of its topes is a faithful functor. We adapt the oriented matroid ideal introduced by Novik, Postnikov, and Sturmfels into a functor from the category of oriented matroids to the category of rings; then, we show that the resulting ring maps naturally to the neural ring of the matroid's neural code. For geometry and computational complexity, we show that a code has a realization with convex polytopes if and only if it lies below the code of a representable oriented matroid in the partial order of codes introduced by Jeffs. We show that previously published examples of non-convex codes do not lie below any oriented matroids, and we construct examples of non-convex codes lying below non-representable oriented matroids. By way of this construction, we can apply Mnev-Sturmfels universality to show that deciding whether a combinatorial code is convex is NP-hard.
Total synthesis of (+)-pilosinine via a stereodivergent conjugate addition strategy.

Abstract In recent work, asymmetric conjugate addition reactions to chiral 4-phenyl-N-enoyl-1,3-oxazolidinones have been shown to give different stereochemical outcomes depending on the conditions employed. Through the application of stereodivergent reaction conditions, the total synthesis of (+)-pilosinine and the formal synthesis of (−)-pilosinine has been completed from a single enantiomer of the 1,3-oxazolidinone auxiliary.
Associations between ethnic-racial identity and alcohol problems among diverse emerging adults

Excessive alcohol use and problems during college is a major public health concern, and there are health disparities in patterns of drinking and alcohol-related illnesses based on ethnicity and rac...
Opinion: Here's how we restore productivity and vigor to the biomedical research workforce in the midst of COVID-19.

The first known case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported in China in November 2019; in the United States, the first reported case was on January 22.* Essential stay-at-home mandates worldwide have helped mitigate the exponential growth in hospitalizations and death and have led to gradual reopenings in China, South Korea, several European countries, and parts of the United States. But clearly plenty of danger remains, as parts of the United States and a handful of other countries experience major spikes in the number of cases. The pandemic’s public health impact continues to reverberate. COVID-19 has been a major blow to biomedical research and its workforce. Institutions, including the NIH (Bethesda, MD campus pictured here), can aid biomedical researchers with safe return-to-work programs, appropriate testing for infection, and an infusion of stimulus funds. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/National Institutes of Health. So too do the economic impacts, coupled with massive job losses. From the biomedical experimental “wet” laboratory research perspective, there has been a ramp-down, if not shutdown, of non–COVID-19–related research because of the need for social distancing measures that protect the research workforce (1). Clinical research has been similarly disrupted. Computational dry laboratory research is predictably less impacted because such research can be done remotely. For those carrying out wet laboratory work, be it graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, other learners, staff, or researchers, the bench is the computer and onsite experiments cannot be performed remotely. Several analyses have documented the economic impact on unemployment, bankruptcy, and other sectors of the economy.† The US Department of Treasury has adopted initiatives to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, including payroll for the employees of the small business organizations and forgivable loans. The biomedical research enterprise has suffered economically as well. Herein, we highlight the impact on biomedical research and … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bishr.omary{at}rutgers.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Psychological flexibility in the context of COVID-19 adversity: Associations with distress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to hardship for individuals across the globe, and research to-date has indicated a significant impact of the pandemic on mental health functioning. In order to promote psychological resilience during this time, it is important to understand modifiable targets for clinical intervention. The current study examined demographic characteristics, pandemic-related adversity, and psychological flexibility in relation to general and peritraumatic distress in a sample of United States survey respondents during May of 2020. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), N = 485. Participants completed measures of pandemic-related adversity, psychological flexibility components (openness to experience, behavioral awareness, and valued action), peritraumatic distress, and general distress. Hierarchical regression analyses examined whether demographic characteristics, pandemic-related adversity, and components of psychological flexibility were associated with general and peritraumatic distress. Results indicated that higher pandemic-related adversity, lower openness to experience, and lower behavioral awareness were significantly associated with higher general distress. Greater pandemic-related adversity, lower openness to experience, lower behavioral awareness, and higher valued action were significantly associated with higher peritraumatic distress. Adding the components of psychological flexibility to the model increased the amount of variance accounted for in both measures of distress. The results indicated that psychological flexibility components may be particularly important targets for prevention and intervention efforts in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Transdiagnostic interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, that target psychological flexibility may be useful as the impact of the pandemic continues to unfold.
The Last Prosecutor: The Remarkable Life of Benjamin B Ferencz

The Last Prosecutor is a 16 page in-depth interview with the last living Nuremberg prosecutor Benjamin B. Ferencz. As the war was ending, the Jewish American/Harvard educated Ferencz was a battle decorated infantry Sergeant who had survived the landing at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Within 3 years he held the rank of General and was the lead prosecutor in history's largest single murder trial, one in which the defendants were charged with the more than a million murders.
Association between Asthma and Developmental Disability and Delay in the United States Pediatric Population

Background. To date, few studies have systemically examined the association between asthma and various developmental disabilities and delays among pediatric populations. To address this scientific gap, we report here the asthma prevalence estimates by, and associations with, various disability categories and developmental delay in the United States (US) pediatric population. Methods: A total of 71 811 families with children/adolescents aged 0-to-17 years old who participated in the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children’s Health were included in this cross-sectional analytical sample. Weighted asthma prevalence estimates were calculated and compared between children with and without disabilities or delays. Disabilities included Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, seizure, vision, hearing and speech, intellectual-, and learning disability. Delay was defined as not meeting growth milestones with unknown cause. Logistic regression analysis generated the odds of an asthma diagnosis by disability status adjusted for demographics and birth weight. Findings: Overall asthma prevalence estimates were 10% higher in children with a disability (~16%) versus children without a disability (~6%) (p<0·0001). The risk of asthma was nearly three times higher in children with a disability versus children with no disability (Odds Ratio [OR] 2·77, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 2·39-3·21, p<0·0001) and two times higher among children with a developmental delay versus their peers with no delay (OR 2·22, 95% CI, 1·78-2·77, p<0·0001). Adjusted models remained significant for all disability categories (overall adjusted OR [aOR] 2·21, 95% CI 1·87-2·62, p<0.0001). Subgroup analyses showed ethnic minorities had a higher prevalence of concurrent asthma and developmental disabilities versus non-Hispanic whites. Interpretation: Results suggest that US children with various developmental disabilities or delay are at higher odds for asthma versus their typically developing peers. These findings support asthma screening in pediatric healthcare settings among patients with developmental disabilities and delays, and particularly among those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Funding Statement: This study was not supported by any funding. Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Our research was exempted from the University of Texas Institutional Review Board approval process because it is publicly available data.
Authorship and Cultural Identity in Early Greece and China: Patterns of Literary Circulation

In this book, Alexander Beecroft explores how the earliest poetry in Greece (Homeric epic and lyric) and China (the Canon of Songs) evolved from being local, oral, and anonymous to being textualised, interpreted, and circulated over increasingly wider areas. Beecroft re-examines representations of authorship as found in poetic biographies such as Lives of Homer and the Zuozhuan, and in the works of other philosophical and historical authors like Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus, Confucius, and Sima Qian. Many of these anecdotes and narratives have long been rejected as spurious or motivated by naive biographical criticism. Beecroft argues that these texts effectively negotiated the tensions between local and pan-cultural audiences. The figure of the author thus served as a catalyst to a sense of shared cultural identity in both the Greek and Chinese worlds. It also facilitated the emergence of both cultures as the bases for cosmopolitan world orders.
SU-E-T-779: Use of the Varian Eclipse Scripting API to Collect Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Plan Data

Purpose: We have introduced an automated script into the VMAT planning process to visualize and understand plan characteristics in comparison to past plans including number of arcs, arc weighting, and arc modulation. Methods: Varian's Eclipse Scripting Application Programming Interface (API) was used to create a script to compare new VMAT plans to past clinical VMAT plans, during and after the planning process. A graphical user interface was developed to display the results for straightforward analysis and interpretation. Analysis of previously treated plans from the past two years was used to design the data layout and organizational categories. In addition, a method was developed to automatically update the script as new plans are generated. Results: Plan data are represented in a histogram format, which is updateable with additional treatment plans by uploading a comma separated value file with the new patients’ information. The current script has the ability to display the number of arcs, the MU per arc and per control point, and the degree of modulation in each control point compared to all past VMAT plans. The user can filter the histogram by treatment site to easily compare the current plan to other plans of the same site, or to all sites. The histogram also contains the total number of plans being compared, the average value of the metric being examined, and the standard deviation of that metric. The script has been built with a modular framework such that additional plan metrics can be added as they are developed. Conclusions: The script interface provides easy to understand feedback on quality metrics of VMAT plans compared to other plans for the same body site. The script enables dosimetrists to ensure consistent plan quality, and assists physicists in checking plans prior to pre-treatment quality assurance measurements. This project was supported in part by P01CA059827.
Robotics and Automatic Geometric Theorem Proving

In this chapter we will consider two recent applications of concepts and techniques from algebraic geometry in areas of computer science. First, continuing a theme introduced in several examples in Chapter 1, we will develop a systematic approach that uses algebraic varieties to describe the space of possible configurations of mechanical linkages such as robot “arms.” We will use this approach to solve the forward and inverse kinematic problems of robotics for certain types of robots.
Legal Ethics in the Employment Law Context: Who is the Client?

The question is: Who is the client? Many ethical decisions attorneys must make emanate from this basic question. Thus, for those employment lawyers who represent, interact with, or sue unions or corporations, it is important to understand who the client is for different purposes such as representation, the attorney-client privilege, and ex parte communications. Because Kentucky recently adopted new rules of professional conduct, this paper uses Kentucky law as a microcosm through which to think about this larger question. Kentucky’s prior rules were based on the prior version of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, still at least partially in effect in approximately twenty-two states. And the current rules mirror, almost identically in pertinent parts, the current model ABA rules, known as Ethics 2000, on which approximately eighteen other states model the pertinent rules. This recent change permits scholars and attorneys from a wide variety of states to benefit from the insights about Kentucky law. Section I discusses the law governing a corporate employer attorney’s relationship to the client and summarizes the law applicable to a union attorney’s relationship to the client. Section II describes the duty of confidentiality and its relationship to the attorney-client privilege. Section III considers how far down the chain of command an employer or a union can assert the attorney-client privilege. Among other topics, Section III discusses relevant rules of evidence, related authority dealing with employers, cases regarding unions asserting the privilege, and fiduciary exceptions to asserting the privilege. Section IV addresses privileges related to the attorney-client privilege that a union may, in some circumstances, be able to assert. Finally, Section V discusses the law governing ex parte communications with employees of a represented employer.
Regulation of Retinol-binding Protein Metabolism by Vitamin A Status in the Rat

Abstract Retinol circulates in rat plasma bound to a specific protein, retinol-binding protein (RBP). A radioimmunoassay for rat RBP was developed with a double antibody precipitation technique. The immunoassay accurately measures RBP in amounts of 0.5 to 3 ng per assay tube. There was no significant difference in the immunoreactivity of apo-RBP as compared to holo-RBP. Using this assay, a study was conducted to examine the effects of vitamin A depletion and deficiency, and of repletion, on the level of serum RBP, in order to explore the role of nutritional vitamin A status in the regulation of RBP metabolism. Weanling rats were divided into five groups, each fed a vitamin A-deficient diet with or without supplements as follows: Group 1, control: supplemented with vitamin A; Group 2, pair-fed control: supplemented with vitamin A but with food intake matched to that of the deficient rats; Group 3, deficient: no vitamin A supplementation; Groups 4 and 5, retinoic acid: supplemented, after the initial depletion period, with a modest daily dose (14 or 28 µg) of retinoic acid. The rats were studied for 75 days. In the deficient group the serum vitamin A levels decreased gradually during the first 25 to 30 days of the study, to levels of about 2 µg/100 ml. Serum RBP levels also declined during the induction of vitamin A deficiency, with a time course similar to that seen for vitamin A, but with a lag of about 3 days (from 50 ± 4 µg per ml on Day 3 to 20 ± 2 µg per ml at Day 27, and then more slowly to 13 ± 2 µg per ml at Day 75). After 3 to 4 weeks most of the circulating RBP was present as the apoprotein, not containing a molecule of bound retinol. The results obtained with the retinoic acid-fed rats, who continued to grow normally, were identical with those of the deficient rats. In contrast both the pair-fed and ad libitum control groups exhibited no major changes in either serum vitamin A or RBP, throughout the entire study. Liver homogenates were immunoreactive, and generated immunoassay curves which were indistinguishable from those obtained with pure rat RBP. The level of immunoreactive RBP in the livers of deficient rats was 4 times (p l 0.001) that in the livers of control rats. When vitamin A was administered orally to deficient rats on Day 53, a very rapid increase in serum RBP level, from a mean of 14 to 56 µg per ml, was seen within 5 hours (the first time interval sampled). These findings suggest that vitamin A deficiency primarily interferes in some way with the secretion, rather than with the synthesis, of RBP by the liver, and that the deficient liver contains a pool of previously formed apo-RBP which can be released rapidly into the serum, as holo-RBP, when vitamin A becomes available.
Performance of the Token Bus for Time Critical Messages in a Manufacturing Environment

The delivery of critical messages within delay constraints is an important criterion in the design and management of computer communication networks in the manufacturing environment. This environment is generally characterized by a large number of disparate data groups, each with their own network statistics and delivery requirements. The study and analysis of the token passing bus is of particular importance to this environment due to its selection by the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) as the standard at the physical and data link layers. In this paper we apply an analytical model to predict the performance of the token bus network in satisfying the delay constraints of frames assigned to the highest priority class. Several examples are given which illustrate the application of the analytical work and also give insight into the relationship between network performance and parameter values of the protocol. Results from a discrete event simulation study of the token bus are included for comparison.
Transactional Computation: Overview and Discussion

The concept of a transaction, highly significant in the context of data bases, is broadened to make it refer to any atomic operation that changes the state of a software system or its environment, or initiates a control action. This leads us to consider software systems as composed of transactional and procedural computations. We discuss the specification of transactional software, and introduce a mechanism for linking transactions into processes. We also raise several issues relating to transactional computing that were the basis for discussion at the workshop, and include comments by participants.
Economic Considerations for Fee Based Library Services: An Administrative Perspective.

L'auteur presente des modeles mathematiques (courbes de l'indifference) a l'appui de son analyse economique, pour justifier l'application de tarifs choisis aux utilisateurs des services d'information dans les bibliotheques. Il en interprete ensuite les implications pour l'administration des bibliotheques
Peer Effects on Children’s Language Achievement During Pre-Kindergarten

This study examined associations between peers’ expressive language abilities and children’s development of receptive and expressive language among 1,812 four-year olds enrolled in 453 classrooms in 11 states that provide large-scale public pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs. Higher peer expressive language abilities were positively associated with children’s development of receptive and expressive language during pre-k. The positive association between peers’ expressive language abilities and children’s receptive language development was stronger for children who began pre-k with higher receptive language skills and within classrooms characterized by better classroom management. Implications of these findings for understanding ecological inputs to children’s language development and for designing effective pre-k programs are discussed.