cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing Changes in Carotid Flow Time and Stroke Volume Induced by Passive Leg Raising

Abstract Background Determining volume responsiveness in critically ill patients is challenging. We sought to determine if passive leg raise (PLR) induced changes in pulsed wave Doppler of the carotid artery flow time could predict fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients. Materials and Methods Medical intensive care unit patients ≥18 years old with a radial arterial line and FloTrac/Vigileo monitor in place were enrolled. Pulsed wave Doppler of the carotid artery was performed to measure the change in carotid flow time (CFTC) in response to a PLR. Patients were categorized as fluid responders if stroke volume increased by ≥15% on a Vigileo monitor. The main outcome measure was the accuracy of CFTC to detect a change in response to a PLR. We also calculated the percentage increase in CFTC that could predict fluid responsiveness. Results We enrolled 22 patients. Using an increase of ≥24.6% in the CFTC in response to PLR to predict fluid responsiveness there was a sensitivity of 60%, specificity of 92%, positive likelihood ratio of 7.2, negative likelihood ratio of 0.4, positive predictive value of 86%, negative predictive value of 73% and receiver operating characteristic of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.54-0.96). Conclusions CFTC performs well compared to stroke volume measurements on a Vigileo monitor. The use of CFTC is highlighted in resource-limited environments and when time limits the use of other methods. CFTc should be validated in a larger study with more operators against a variety of hemodynamic monitors.
Obesity class does not further stratify outcome in overweight and obese pediatric patients after heart transplantation.

The effect of obesity stratification on pediatric heart transplant outcomes is unknown. The UNOS database was queried for patients ≥2- 5%-≤85 percentile), overweight (BMI=86%-95 percentile), class 1 (BMI=100%-120% of 95 percentile), class 2 (BMI=121%-140% of 95 percentile), and class 3 obesity (BMI>140% of 95 percentile). A total of 5056 individuals were listed for transplant, with 71% normal, 13% overweight, 10% class 1, 4% class 2, and 2% class 3 obesity. Waitlist survival was not different between groups. Post-transplant survival was decreased in overweight and combined obese groups vs normal, with no further difference between overweight and obese classes. Overweight and obese patients had higher listing status and were more likely to have ventilator, inotrope, and mechanical circulatory support at listing. After transplant, there was an association of overweight-obese patients with diabetes and rejection requiring hospitalization. Stricter definition of normal weight reveals overweight-obese status was an independent risk factor for poorer post-transplant survival, without further effect by stratification of weight class. However, because there is no difference in waitlist survival, this study does not allow the selection of absolute weight-based criteria regarding transplant listing and suggests the need to look further for modifiable risk factors post-transplant.
Hyper-reflexia and Disordered Voluntary Movement

In 1980, J.W. Lance offered the following operational definition of spasticity: “Spasticity is a motor disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes (‘muscle tone’) with exaggerated tendon jerks, resulting from hyper-excitability of the stretch reflex, as one component of the upper motor neuron syndrome” (Lance 1980) [italics added]. This has come to be the most widely used definition of this collection of clinical signs. Ten years later Lance reiterated the definition with the added remarks that ‘spasticity does not include impaired voluntary movement and an abnormal posture. These are often features of upper motoneuron lesions…” (Lance 1990).
Mechanics of CSF Flow through Trabecular Architecture in the Brain

The importance of the subarachnoid space (SAS) and the meningeal region, which provides a restraining interface between the brain and the skull during a coup/ countercoup movement of the brain, has been addressed in the literature, [9,10,11]. During a contact or non-contact (angular acceleration) of the head, which is due to vehicular collisions, sporting injuries and falls, the brain moves relative to the skull thereby increasing the contact and shear stresses in the meningeal region leading to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Previous studies have over simplified this region by modeling it as a soft solid, which could lead to unreliable results. The biomechanics of the SAS has not been addressed in the literature. In this paper the mechanotransduction of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the SAS has been investigated. This is accomplished through a proposed analytical model and finite element solution. The results indicate that Darcy’s permeability is an appropriate model for the SAS and the proposed analytical model can be used to further investigate the transduction of mechanical and hydrodynamic forces through the SAS.
A simplified CFD model for spectral radiative heat transfer in high-pressure hydrocarbon-air combustion systems

Abstract Detailed radiation modeling in piston engines has received relatively little attention to date. Recently, it is being revisited in light of current trends towards higher operating pressures and higher levels of exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR), both of which enhance molecular gas radiation. Advanced high-efficiency engines also are expected to function closer to the limits of stable operation, where even small perturbations to the energy balance can have a large influence on system behavior. Detailed radiation modeling using sophisticated tools like photon Monte Carlo/line-by-line (PMC/LBL) is computationally expensive. Here, guided by results from PMC/LBL, a simplified stepwise-gray spectral model in combination with a first-order spherical harmonics (P1 method) radiative transfer equation (RTE) solver is proposed and tested for engine-relevant conditions. Radiative emission, reabsorption and radiation reaching the walls are computed for a heavy-duty compression-ignition engine at part-load and full-load operating conditions with different levels of EGR and soot. The results are compared with those from PMC/LBL, P1/FSK (P1 with a full-spectrum k-distribution spectral model) and P1/Gray radiation models to assess the proposed model’s accuracy and computational cost. The results show that the proposed P1/StepwiseGray model can calculate reabsorption locally and globally with less than 10% error (with respect to PMC/LBL) at a small fraction of the computational cost of PMC/LBL (a factor of 30) and P1/FSK (a factor of 15). In contrast, error in computed reabsorption by the P1/Gray model is as high as 60%. It is expected that the simplified model should be broadly applicable to high-pressure hydrocarbon–air combustion systems, with or without soot.
Physical symptoms in long-term survivors of rare cancer

Advances in cancer detection and treatment have resulted in a growing population of long-term survivors, but even years after treatment has concluded, many survivors report physical symptoms that interfere with daily living. While there are studies of late effects following common cancers, less is known about these complications in rare cancers. This study focuses on the physical symptoms reported by long-term survivors enrolled in the NIH-sponsored Rare Cancer Genetics Registry. The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist-Modified was administered to evaluate the severity of physical symptoms commonly reported by long-term cancer survivors. Logistic regression was used to assess association between symptoms and demographic and clinical factors. In 309 subjects with a median time of 7.6 years from a diagnosis of one or more rare cancers, the median number of symptoms present per participant was 7. The most prevalent symptom reported was tiredness/lack of energy, which was present/very bothersome in 70%/25% of registrants. Women, non-whites, current smokers, and upper GI cancer survivors are particularly affected. Overall, symptom prevalence was similar across rare cancer types, time since diagnosis, and type of treatment. Rare cancer survivors continue to experience troublesome symptoms many years after diagnosis, regardless of cancer type or treatment modality. There is a need for continued emphasis on smoking cessation in cancer survivors as well as enhanced monitoring of long-term complications in female, non-white, and upper GI cancer survivors.
Ecotoxicological Perspectives on Health Care and the Environment

Abstract Pharmaceuticals are indicators of an increasingly urban planet and the potential environmental side effects of health-care practices. Usage and environmental introductions of human medicines are concentrated in urban areas, which can result in long-term exposure to wildlife, particularly in inland surface waters and coastal habitats. Because pharmaceuticals are ionizable and routinely designed to elicit specific sublethal biological responses, ecotoxicological tools developed to characterize hazards and risks of historical organic contaminants are often inadequate to appropriately define and predict bioaccumulation and ecotoxicity of many human medicines. To address such deficiencies, contemporary ecotoxicology approaches for understanding environmental implications of pharmaceuticals are examined. Lessons learned from the study of pharmaceuticals in the environment present opportunities to support innovation and more sustainable environmental selection, assessment, and management of chemical products.
Systolic Blood Pressure and Socioeconomic Status in a large multi-study population.

Abstract The present study used harmonized data from eight studies (N = 28,891) to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and resting systolic blood pressure (SBP). The study replicates and extends our prior work on this topic by examining potential moderation of this association by race and gender. We also examined the extent to which body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and smoking might explain the association between SES and SBP. Data were available from six race/gender groups: 9200 Black women; 2337 Black men; 7248 White women; 6519 White men; 2950 Hispanic women; and 637 Hispanic men. Multivariable regression models showed that greater annual household income was associated with lower SBP in all groups except Hispanic men. The magnitude and form of this negative association differed across groups, with White women showing the strongest linear negative association. Among Black men and Hispanic women, the association was curvilinear: relatively flat among lower income levels, but then negative among higher income ranges. Education also was independently, negatively related to SBP, though evidence was weaker for race and gender differences in the strength of the association. Higher BMI and WC were associated with higher SBP, and current smoking with lower SBP. Inclusion of these risk factors resulted in only a modest change in the magnitude of the SBP and SES relation, accounting on average about 0.4 mmHg of the effect of income and 0.2 mmHg of the effect of education—effects unlikely to be clinically significant. Further understanding of mechanisms underlying the association between SBP and SES may improve risk stratification in clinical settings and potentially inform interventions aimed at reductions in social disparities in health.
Antagonism between substitutions in β-lactamase explains a path not taken in the evolution of bacterial drug resistance

CTX-M β-lactamases are widespread in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and provide resistance to the cephalosporin cefotaxime but not to the related antibiotic ceftazidime. Nevertheless, variants have emerged that confer resistance to ceftazidime. Two natural mutations, causing P167S and D240G substitutions in the CTX-M enzyme, result in 10-fold increased hydrolysis of ceftazidime. Although the combination of these mutations would be predicted to increase ceftazidime hydrolysis further, the P167S/D240G combination has not been observed in a naturally occurring CTX-M variant. Here, using recombinantly expressed enzymes, minimum inhibitory concentration measurements, steady-state enzyme kinetics, and X-ray crystallography, we show that the P167S/D240G double mutant enzyme exhibits decreased ceftazidime hydrolysis, lower thermostability, and decreased protein expression levels compared with each of the single mutants, indicating negative epistasis. X-ray structures of mutant enzymes with covalently trapped ceftazidime suggested that a change of an active-site Ω-loop to an open conformation accommodates ceftazidime leading to enhanced catalysis. 10-μs molecular dynamics simulations further correlated Ω-loop opening with catalytic activity. We observed that the WT and P167S/D240G variant with acylated ceftazidime both favor a closed conformation not conducive for catalysis. In contrast, the single substitutions dramatically increased the probability of open conformations. We conclude that the antagonism is due to restricting the conformation of the Ω-loop. These results reveal the importance of conformational heterogeneity of active-site loops in controlling catalytic activity and directing evolutionary trajectories.
Financial Storage Rights in Modern Energy Markets: Strategies and Outlooks

The paper discusses the benefits and shortcomings of two existing direct current optimal power flow (DCOPF) models in the context of financial storage rights. According to the case study results, the FSRs may not be able to provide confident incentives for storage owners to transfer their operation rights to system operators. The paper proposes possible solutions to solve this issue. The simulation results indicate the proposed schemes not only create motivations for storage owners to transfer their operations to the system operator but also reinforce the storage devices owners’ profits.
Chapter 6 – Developing Insights

Interpreting contextual inquiry (CI) data and condensing it into insights for design requires a combination of an open mindedness coupled with diligent data collection. It is a practiced skill and sometimes overlooked. An open mind is the most essential tool a researcher will use. The ability to imagine a different reality while recognizing the behaviors, actions, and thoughts of the study participants is more challenging than most individuals understand; putting aside your biases while not judging is a learned skill. Development teams notoriously enter a study with a strong perception of what they expect to see, but the point of a CI study is to use the research to inform a product development team regarding what they do not know, not what they already know. The results must first answer WHY? And then the team can collectively take on SO WHAT?
Venous thromboembolism in COVID-19: systematic review of reported risks and current guidelines.

Aims of the study Many centres have noticed a high number of venous thromboembolism (VTE) events among critically ill inpatients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The aims of this study were (1) to summarise the reported risk of VTE associated with COVID-19 infections and (2) to summarise guidance documents on thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 patients, in a systematic review. Methods We systematically searched for peer-reviewed evidence on the risk of VTE in patients with COVID-19, in PubMed, Embase and Twitter, and for guidelines or guidance documents for thromboprophylaxis, from international or national societies relevant to the field of thrombosis and haemostasis, up to April 30 2020. Results We found 11 studies (1 clinical trial, 7 retrospective cohorts and 3 prospective cohorts), which included a range of 16 to 388 in patients with COVID-19 (total of 1369 inpatients). The diagnoses of COVID-19 and VTE were of high quality, but the follow-up was often unclear. Most studies reported universal in-hospital thromboprophylaxis. Among all inpatients and among intensive care unit (ICU) inpatients with COVID-19, reported risks of VTE were 4.4n8.2% (three studies) and 0n35.3% (six studies), respectively. Two studies at least partially screened for VTE in ICU inpatients with COVID-19, and found risks of 24.7n53.8%. We found 12 guidelines for thromboprophylaxis of COVID-19 patients. The majority suggested universal pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in all COVID-19 inpatients, but there was heterogeneity in the suggested intensity of thromboprophylaxis: seven advised considering intensified doses of heparin according to the clinical or biological severity of the disease, especially in the ICU setting. Conclusions Venous thromboembolism very commonly complicates the clinical course of inpatients with COVID-19, despite thromboprophylaxis. The risk appears highest among critically ill inpatients. We found no estimates of risks among outpatients. Many questions remain unresolved, as delineated by the heterogeneity of national and international guidelines. This situation calls for fast randomised clinical trials, comparing different schemes of thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 inpatients.
Signals, strongholds, and support: Political party protests in South Africa:

South African politics are in a period of transition: the dominant African National Congress (ANC) is in decline, support for opposition parties has been rising, and voters have been disengaging ra...
Projecting the Economic Impact of the Internet

In this paper we analyze the impact of the Internet on the performance of the economy and the standard of living of average Americans. Our analyses illustrate that even though the stock market’s speculative bubble has burst, the Internet will continue to have a significant impact on old economy industries and as a result generate real benefits for the overall economy.
The relationship between the critical sets and Morse codes of electrically charged knots

Consider a knot $K$ in $S^3$ with uniformly distributed electric charge. From the standpoint of both physics and knot theory, it is natural to try to understand the critical points of the potential and their behavior. By taking successive preimages of regular potential values, we get an $N-$tuple of compact orientable surfaces, whose genera we define as the Morse code. We relate the topological data of the critical set to the Morse code. We show that critical points of index $1$ correspond to increases in successive terms in the Morse code, whilst critical points of index $2$ correspond to decreases. Our theorem is proven with Morse theory and techniques from geometric topology. keywords: knot theory, electrostatics, Morse theory, Morse code, dynamical systems, geometric topology
Evolution: A Developmental Tradeoff that Wins in Changing Environments.

Changing how hormones regulate development can influence the complex trade-offs involved in the competition to survive and reproduce. A new report identifies a molecular variant of eak-3 that trades lower growth rates for the ability to survive sudden temperature extremes.
Detectability of [CII] 158 micron emission from high-redshift galaxies: predictions for ALMA and SPICA

We discuss the detectability of high-redshift galaxies via [CII] 158 micron line emission by coupling an analytic model with cosmological Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations that are based on the concordance Lambda cold dark matter (CDM) model. Our analytic model describes a multiphase interstellar medium irradiated by the far ultra-violet radiation from local star-forming regions, and it calculates thermal and ionization equilibrium between cooling and heating. The model allows us to predict the mass fraction of a cold neutral medium (CNM) embedded in a warm neutral medium (WNM). Our cosmological SPH simulations include a treatment of radiative cooling/heating, star formation, and feedback effects from supernovae and galactic winds. Using our method, we make predictions for the [CII] luminosity from high-redshift galaxies which can be directly compared with upcoming observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). We find that the number density of high-redshift galaxies detectable by ALMA and SPICA via [CII] emission depends significantly on the amount of neutral gas which is highly uncertain. Our calculations suggest that, in a CDM universe, most [CII] sources at z=3 are faint objects with \Snu < 0.01 mJy. Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) brighter than R_AB=23.5 mag are expected to have flux densities \Snu = 1-3 mJy depending on the strength of galactic wind feedback. The recommended observing strategy for ALMA and SPICA is to aim at very bright LBGs or star-forming DRG/BzK galaxies.
Assessing the Impact of Summer Camp Employment on the Development of Workplace Skills

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the impact of working at a camp on summer camp staff while simultaneously seeking to understand what facilitates and inhibits growth in that context. This study examined differences in levels of leadership, teamwork and resilience before and after working at a summer camp as a staff member. It also assessed staff perceptions of staff culture, support, and care. Results indicated that summer camp staff members can and do grow in the areas measured over the course of a summer at camp and that some elements of the staff experience related to staff support, staff care, and staff culture may be important factors in contributing to that growth. This study enhances our understanding of the impact of working at a camp on staff by providing a pre-post assessment while beginning the conversation about best practices to facilitate growth. Subscribe to JOREL
Trajectory of Cognitive Decline After Sepsis.

OBJECTIVES Cognitive impairment is an important consequence of sepsis. We sought to determine long-term trajectories of cognitive function after sepsis. DESIGN Prospective study of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort. SETTING United States. PATIENTS Twenty-one thousand eight-hundred twenty-three participants greater than or equal to 45 years, mean (sd) age 64.3 (9.2) years at first cognitive assessment, 30.9% men, and 27.1% Black. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The main exposure was time-dependent sepsis hospitalization. The primary outcome was global cognitive function (Six-Item Screener range, 0-6). Secondary outcomes were incident cognitive impairment (Six-Item Screener score ≤ 4 [impaired] vs ≥5 [unimpaired]), new learning (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer Disease Word List Learning range, 0-30), verbal memory (word list delayed recall range, 0-10), and executive function/semantic fluency (animal fluency test range, ≥ 30). Over a median follow-up of 10 years (interquartile range, 6-12 yr), 840 (3.8%) experienced sepsis (incidence 282 per 1,000 person-years). Sepsis was associated with faster long-term declines in Six-Item Screener (-0.02 points per year faster [95% CI, -0.01 to -0.03]; p < 0.001) and faster long-term rates of incident cognitive impairment (odds ratio 1.08 per year [95% CI, 1.02-1.15]; p = 0.008) compared with presepsis slopes. Although cognitive function acutely changed after sepsis (0.05 points [95% CI, 0.01-0.09]; p = 0.01), the odds of acute cognitive impairment (Six-Item Screener ≤ 4) immediately after sepsis was not significant (odds ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.63-1.06]; p = 0.12). Sepsis hospitalization was not associated with acute changes or faster declines in word list learning, word list delayed recall, or animal fluency test. CONCLUSIONS Sepsis is associated with accelerated long-term decline in global cognitive function.
A Computationally Efficient Method for Field-Scale Reservoir Simulation of CCS in Basalt Formations

Unlike sedimentary formations, flood basalts have the potential for relatively rapid mineral trapping when used as an injection target for CO2 storage. While CO2 storage in basalt and its underlying geochemistry have been studied in various ways, including two successful small-scale pilot projects, there are still open questions surrounding the viability of large-scale CO2 storage in basalt, including how the properties of the target formation will be altered after decades of geochemical activity. Field-scale numerical models can play a part in answering these questions. In this work, we present an overview and initial results of our recent development of a flexible, computationally efficient reactive transport model for CO2 mineral trapping in basalt (Postma et al., 2021). The model combines a fully customizable geochemistry solver with a vertically integrated description of two-phase flow in porous media. It provides a platform for extensive field-scale numerical modeling studies of large-scale CO2 storage in basalt, which in turn can help address some of the current barriers to its implementation in the field.
Cytomegalovirus infection in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a highly prevalent herpes virus which persists as a latent infection and has been detected in several different tumor types. HCMV disease is rare but may occur in high-risk settings, often manifesting as a pulmonary infection. To date HCMV has not been investigated in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). In a consecutive case series of 144 MPM patients we evaluated two biomarkers of HCMV: IgG serostatus (defined as positive and negative) and DNAemia (>100 copies/mL of cell free HCMV DNA in serum). Approximately half of the MPM patient population was HCMV IgG seropositive (51%). HCMV DNAemia was highly prevalent (79%) in MPM and independent of IgG serostatus. DNAemia levels consistent with high level current infection (>1000 copies/mL serum) were present in 41% of patients. Neither IgG serostatus nor DNAemia were associated with patient survival. In tissues, we observed that HCMV DNA was present in 48% of tumors (n = 40) and only 29% of normal pleural tissue obtained from individuals without malignancy (n = 21). Our results suggest nearly half of MPM patients have a high level current HCMV infection at the time of treatment and that pleural tissue may be a reservoir for latent HCMV infection. These findings warrant further investigation to determine the full spectrum of pulmonary infections in MPM patients, and whether treatment for high level current HCMV infection may improve patient outcomes.
Contemporary Philosophy and Methods for Studying Speciation and Delimiting Species

Species delimitation is a first step for realizing the extent of biodiversity and is relevant for all downstream applications in biology. The production of large genome-scale datasets for non-model organisms combined with the development of methodological tools have allowed researchers to examine fine-scale processes of speciation such as timing of origin, degree of migration, population-size changes, selection, drift, and recombination. Studies using reptiles and amphibians have, in part, paved the way for the development and use of such methods for exploring speciation and delimitation. While these methodologies have improved our understanding of processes of diversification, researchers are far from agreeing upon a set of criteria to delimit species. In cases where genetic lineages are discovered that are unique to geographic areas, researchers usually agree that two entities exist. Disagreement about taxonomic status often centers on the degree of reproductive isolation between taxa and probability of remaining distinct. However, reproductive isolation is frequently inferred without examining gene flow, understanding the nature of hybrid zones, or determining the amount and type of introgression. Here, we review some of the vexing problems for delimiting reptiles and amphibians, which include isolation by distance, gene flow and differential allelic introgression, hybrid zone dynamics, and the nature of genomic islands of divergence. We also respond to recent literature criticizing model-based species delimitation in North American snakes in the context of these methodological advancements and address how scientists can move forward with studies on speciation.
Differential Diagnosis between Hodgkin's Disease and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the problems and solutions to differential diagnosis between Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). HD differs from NHLs morhophologically, immunologically, and clinically. Morphologically, most tumors consist of a relatively homogenous population of neoplastic cells, whereas HD consists predominantly of reactive cells, with the neoplastic population remaining a small minority of the cells. Immunologically, most NHLs correspond to a recognizable stage of either T or B cell differentiation, permitting them to be classified according to their normal counterpart in the immune system. In HD, there is still no knowledge of the lineage of the malignant cell—T, B or monocyte/macrophage—or whether it is even the same in all cases. For the most part, HD remains a morphologic diagnosis in which distinction from other lymphomas rests on identifying the morphologic features of the characteristic immunologic reaction that defines the disease. The inherent complexity of these disorders, coupled with the relatively primitive understanding of HD and its relationship to the NHLs, inevitably results in some cases in which no combination of morphology, immunophenotyping, and genetic analysis can result in a definitive diagnosis.
Giving Motorists a Choice between Fault and No-Fault Insurance

Since insurance ranks right up there with photosynthesis on the ho-hum scale, the only way to muddle through this controversy is to inject a little drama into it. Don’t think of auto insurance as auto insurance. Think of it as a prize fight. A real knock-down, drag-out marathon slugfest. In one corner is “Killer” Tort, the slow-footed, hard-punching veteran who represents the “you-smashed-into-my-car-and-now-I’m-going-to-sue-yourpants-off’ old school of claims settlement. His opponent is ”Kid“ No-fault, a quick-moving young challenger who has never quite lived up to his potential. The ”Kid“ takes the gentlemanly approach to all accidents: Why get uptight about who’s at fault? Let’s just get the bills paid and the cars on the road.
Responding to the CAP: Alternative strategies for the USA☆

Abstract What alternative strategies are available to the USA in its farm trade conflict with the European Community? Five strategies are examined here - adjudication, negotiation, retaliation, collusion and competition. Both adjudication and negotiation within GATT are described as unlikely to succeed as a first step. Retaliation and collusion are seen as dangerous for US farm trade interests. Competitive export pricing, made possible through domestic farm policy reform and fiscal policy discipline, is endorsed as the best available US response to the CAP.
Digitization as adaptation: the evolution of the superfund document management system

In 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund Program began to develop a paper imaging system known as the Superfund Document Management System (SDMS). SDMS came into being as an attempt to improve management of and access to Agency records. An Agency workgroup composed primarily of Superfund records managers developed functional criteria for the application, and elected an Agency regional office for implementation pilot. At the time of this writing all EPA Superfund regional offices have implemented SDMS. For reasons described in this chapter, even as SDMS achieved institutional acceptance it faced pressures to adapt to internal and external pressures. The emergence of the World Wide Web, the inevitability of electronic records, the rising costs of maintaining large paper collections all combined to produce a niche different in key aspects from that which the system was originally designed to occupy. This chapter discusses how the interactions of two life cycles  records and systems development  affected the fitness of the system to its environment.
Open Packet Monitoring on FLAME: Safety, Performance, and Applications

Packet monitoring arguably needs the flexibility of open architectures and active networking. In earlier work we have implemented FLAME, an open monitoring system, that balanced flexibility and safety while attempting to achieve high performance by combining the use of a type-safe language, lightweight run-time checks, and fine-grained policy restrictions.We seek to understand the range of applications, workloads, and traffic, for which a safe, open, traffic monitoring architecture is practical. To that end, we investigated a number of applications built on top of FLAME. We use measurement data and analysis to predict the workload at which our system cannot keep up with incoming traffic. We report on our experience with these applications, and make several observations on the current state of open architecture applications.
Market Microstructure: Intermediaries and the Theory of the Firm

Preface and acknowledgements Introduction Part I. Market Microstructure and the Intermediation Theory of the Firm: 1. Market microstructure and intermediation 2. Price setting and intermediation by firms 3. Competition Part II. Competition and Market Equilibrium: 3. Competition between intermediaries 4. Intermediation and general equilibrium Part III. Intermediation Versus Decentralized Trade: 5. Matching and intermediation by firms 6. Search and intermediation by firms Part IV. Intermediation under Asymmetric Information: 7. Adverse selection in product markets 8. Adverse selection in financial markets Part V. Intermediation and Transaction Costs: 9. Transaction costs and the contractual theory for the firm 10. Transaction costs and the intermediation theory of the firm Part VI. Intermediation and Agency: 11. Agency and the organizational-incentive theory of the firm 12. Agency and the intermediation theory of the firm Conclusion.
Techniques for the Generation and Monitoring of Vapors

For a long time the preparation and measurement of test atmospheres have been of concern to those involved with animal exposure experimentation. Test gas and vapor mixtures must be produced continuously and dynamically to prevent a build-up of unwanted contaminants in the exposure chamber. We will discuss the general production techniques of gas and vapor mixtures (1). We will also discuss several methods that can be used to monitor the concentration of the test atmospheres. In addition, we will describe an ideal system for the production of controlled test atmospheres.
The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) gN Homolog BLRF1 Encodes a 15-Kilodalton Glycoprotein That Cannot Be Authentically Processed unless It Is Coexpressed with the EBV gM Homolog BBRF3

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) homolog of the conserved herpesvirus glycoprotein gN is predicted to be encoded by the BLRF1 open reading frame (ORF). Antipeptide antibody to a sequence corresponding to residues in the predicted BLRF1 ORF immunoprecipitated a doublet of approximately 8 kDa from cells expressing the BLRF1 ORF as a recombinant protein. In addition, four glycosylated proteins of 113, 84, 48, and 15 kDa could be immunoprecipitated from virus-producing cells by the same antibody. The 15-kDa species was the mature form of gN, which carried alpha2,6-sialic acid residues. The remaining glycoproteins which associated with gN were products of the BBRF3 ORF of EBV, which encodes the EBV gM homolog. The 8-kDa doublet seen in cells expressing recombinant gN comprised precursors of the mature 15-kDa gN. Coexpression of EBV gM with EBV gN was required for authentic processing of the 8-kDa forms to the 15-kDa form.
The Speech & Press Clauses of the First Amendment

Examining the history leading to the adoption of the First Amendment sheds light on the speech and press clauses. Interpreting the First Amendment to protect the people against abridgments of free speech and press by all branches of the federal government as well as by state and local government -- despite the initial words, "Congress shall make no law" -- is supported by the history leading to its adoption. Neither Anti-federalists nor Federalists believed that the new Constitution gave the Executive or the Judiciary the power to abridge speech. Drafters saw the Executive's and Judiciary's roles as enforcing and interpreting the laws -- and they could not enforce or interpret a law abridging freedom of speech or press if Congress could not pass one. Evidence is scant as to why the drafters chose to use "abridging" rather than "prohibiting," "denying," or another term. A Madisonian reading equates "abridging" with government efforts to "cut short" messages; government-ordered brevity should not be traded for the fullness of freedom.
A tag-free collisionally induced fragmentation approach to detect drug-adducted proteins by mass spectrometry

Rationale The covalent modification of proteins by toxicants, new chemical entities or drug molecules, either by metabolic activation or the presence of inherently reactive functional groups, is commonly implicated in organ toxicity and idiosyncratic reactions. In efforts to better prosecute protein modifications, we investigated a tag-free technique capable of detecting protein-small molecule adducts based solely on the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the protein-small molecule complex. Detection of proteins using unique CID small molecule (SM) product ions would mitigate common issues associated with tagging technologies (e.g., altered reactivity/affinity of the protein-SM complex). Methods A Waters SYNAPT G2 mass spectrometer (MS) was operated in MSe mode with appropriate collision energy conditions during the MS2 acquisition for fragmentation of protein-small molecule adducts to generate characteristic small molecule product ions. Results Ibrutinib, an acrylamide-containing small molecule drug, was shown to form adducts with rat serum albumin in ex vivo experiments and these adducts were detected by relying solely on the CID product ions generated from ibrutinib. Additionally, ibrutinib produced three CID product ions, one of which was a selective protein-ibrutinib fragment ion not produced by the compound alone. Conclusions Herein we describe a tag-free mass spectral detection technique for protein-small molecule conjugates that relies on the unique product ion fragmentation profile of the small molecule. This technique allows the detection of macromolecular ions containing the adducted small molecule from complex protein matrices through mass range selection for the unique product ions in the CID spectra. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship of size of growing cattle to pasture intake and its use as an index of palatability.

Summary An examination of the relationship of the body weight of growing cattle grazing four pastures to the dry matter intake revealed a highly significant correlation between these two variables. In addition, it was found that the dry matter intake increases by 3.5lb. per day for a body weight increment of 100lb., provided that sufficient herbage is available to satisfy the appetite. The relative constancy of the rate of change in intake with changing body weight suggests that an accounting for the influence of varying body weights upon the absolute dry matter intake provides an index of palatability. Although this approach to an objective measurement of palatability needs much more study, it would appear to be particularly useful in comparisons of different kinds of pastures and their responses to various treatments.
Molecular lesions in thalassemia

The thalassemias are characterized by absent or decreased synthesis of one of the globin chains of hemoglobin. The molecular basis of this defect in protein synthesis is heterogeneous: in some cases, globin gene deletions have been demonstrated, while in others, there is probably either a defect in globin gene transcription, a defect in nuclear messenger RNA processing, transport and/or stability, or, rarely, a functional abnormality of the globin messenger RNA. Finally, some hemoglobin variants due to chain termination mutation or non-homologous crossing over are associated with a thalassemic phenotype.
Description of a Species of Bemisia (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring, n. sp., is described from material collected in California and Florida. This species has been referred to elsewhere as B. tabaci strain B or B. tabaci poinsettia strain. The species has been demonstrated to be distinct from B. tabaci (Gennadius) by crossing experiments, studies on intraspecific and interspecific mating behavior, analysis of allozymic frequencies, PCR analysis of genomic DNA, and morphological evaluation. The description of the new species is based on morphological and allozymic characters. The species is distinguished from B. tabaci in the fourth nymphal instar by the absence of a dorsal seta, the width of the thoracic tracheal folds, the width of the wax extrusions from the tracheal folds, and, in the adult, by migration distances of allozymes for three enzyme systems.
ATTACK BEHAVIOR AS A FUNCTION OF MINIMUM INTER-FOOD INTERVAL1

Pigeons were exposed to a procedure in which food was presented after a fixed period of time had elapsed, provided no attack against a nearby stuffed pigeon had occurred during the last 15 sec of the period. As the minimum inter-food interval was increased logarithmically through seven values from 15 sec to 960 sec, attack increased to a maximum and then decreased. For both pigeons, attack predominantly occurred after, rather than shortly before, food deliveries.
How far – if at all – should the USA cooperate with China in space?

Abstract China has engaged in a steady, long-standing effort to build and strengthen its space capabilities, achieving progressively more ambitious milestones and staking its claim as a major space power. It is also increasingly engaging in cooperative efforts. A number of issues must be weighed, however, before the USA should consider any collaboration with it. These include the essentially military nature of China’s space program, the fact that China’s intentions in space and decision-making process are far from ‘transparent’, and the way it uses its space activities to pursue foreign policy goals. While the latter could be useful in, e.g., reducing tensions on the Korean peninsular through a space-services-for-giving-up-missiles tradeoff, and while there is scope for collaboration in space science missions, there are no compelling reasons for the USA to pursue cooperation in human spaceflight with China.
Importance of Wall Flows at the Early Stages of Fire Growth in the Mathematical Modeling of Enclosure Fires

This paper considers the negatively buoyant, two-dimensional wall flows that arise during the growth of a compartment fire. Such flows affect the distribution of mass, momentum and energy in the enclosure. The enclosed environment is generally assumed to be comprised of two stably stratified zones in the mathematical modeling of enclosure fires and the transport between these zones is affected by these wall flows. An experimental study is carried out to determine the important thermal characteristics of such negatively buoyant wall flows, particularly the entrainment into the flow, the penetration distance and the heat transfer to the walls of the enclosure. Employing analytical experimental results of buoyancy driven wall and plume flows, the resulting effects in compartment fires are determined. It is shown that the wall flows are very important at the early stages of fire growth,particularly during the establishment of the two zones in the enclosure. Also, the additional transport generated by buoyancy...
Asymptotics and integrable structures for biorthogonal polynomials associated to a random two-matrix model

Abstract We give a rigorous construction of complete families of biorthonormal polynomials associated to a planar measure of the form e −n(V(x)+W(y)−2τxy) d x d y for polynomial V and W. We are further able to show that the zeroes of these polynomials are all real and distinct. A complex analytical construction of the biorthonormal polynomials is given in terms of a non-local Riemann–Hilbert problem which, given our prior result, provides an avenue for developing uniform asymptotics for the statistical distributions of these zeroes as n becomes large. The biorthonormal polynomials considered here play a fundamental role in the analysis of certain random multi-matrix models. We show that the evolutions of the recursion matrices for the polynomials induced by linear deformations of V and W coincide with a semi-infinite generalization of the completely integrable full Kostant–Toda lattice. This connection could be relevant for understanding aspects of scaling limits for the multi-matrix model.
Factors Influencing on-Column Hydrolysis of Thiacetarsamide during Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography

Abstract The hydrolytic reaction of thiacetarsamide with reversed-phase packing material produced p−arsenosobenzamide during high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The on-column hydrolysis was inhibited by including compounds in the mobile phase that complex with trace metal contaminants. With ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium phosphate in the mobile phase at neutral pH, a unique chromatographic profile resulted, with thiacetarsamide not being retained, followed by a bridge to the p−arsenosobenzamide peak. EDTA, bound to the reversed-phase packing material, inhibited on-column hydrolysis of thiacetarsamide when EDTA was not present in the mobile phase. After the HPLC system was cleaned with water to remove the residual EDTA, the bridge disappeared and the p−arsenosobenzamide peak increased, illustrating increased hydrolysis. This occurred whether or not the silica had been treated to remove trace metals. EDTA probably interacted at secondary retention sites containing trace metal c...
Analysis of Heavy Metal Sources in Soil Using Kriging Interpolation on Principal Components

Anniston, Alabama has a long history of operation of foundries and other heavy industry. We assessed the extent of heavy metal contamination in soils by determining the concentrations of 11 heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Hg, Ni, V, and Zn) based on 2046 soil samples collected from 595 industrial and residential sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was adopted to characterize the distribution of heavy metals in soil in this region. In addition, a geostatistical technique (kriging) was used to create regional distribution maps for the interpolation of nonpoint sources of heavy metal contamination using geographical information system (GIS) techniques. There were significant differences found between sampling zones in the concentrations of heavy metals, with the exception of the levels of Ni. Three main components explaining the heavy metal variability in soils were identified. The results suggest that Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn were associated with anthropogenic activities, such as the operations of...
Effect of influenza vaccine on methacholine (Mecholyl) sensitivity in patients with asthma of known and unknown origin

Abstract The mechanism whereby acute respiratory infections provoke asthma is not clear. Earlier workers have used influenza vaccine injections to simulate certain effects of respiratory infection while avoiding local bronchial irritation, and have noted that following these injections, patients with extrinsic asthma show an increased bronchial sensitivity to a standard dose of aerosolized methacholine. In a group of inpatients with asthma of known and of unknown origin, the sensitivity to inhaled methacholine one day following the injection of influenza vaccine was not universally increased, but was found in only 11 of 24 individuals. Neither a clinical history of infection preceding asthma nor steroid therapy appeared to be an influencing factor. Mice injected with influenza vaccine were no more sensitive to the lethal effect of methacholine than were the saline-injected control animals.