cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature effects on the activity, shape, and storage of platelets from 13-lined ground squirrels

The objective of this study is to determine how a hibernating mammal avoids the formation of blood clots under periods of low blood flow. A microfluidic vascular injury model was performed to differentiate the effects of temperature and shear rate on platelet adhesion to collagen. Human and ground squirrel whole blood was incubated at 15 or 37 °C and then passed through a microfluidic chamber over a 250-µm strip of type I fibrillar collagen at that temperature and the shear rates of 50 or 300 s-1 to simulate torpid and aroused conditions, respectively. At 15 °C, both human and ground squirrel platelets showed a 90-95% decrease in accumulation on collagen independent of shear rate. At 37 °C, human platelet accumulation reduced by 50% at 50 s-1 compared to 300 s-1, while ground squirrel platelet accumulation dropped by 80%. When compared to platelets from non-hibernating animals, platelets from animals collected after arousal from torpor showed a 60% decrease in binding at 37 °C and 300 s-1, but a 2.5-fold increase in binding at 15 °C and 50 s-1. vWF binding in platelets from hibernating ground squirrels was decreased by 50% relative to non-hibernating platelets. The source of the plasma that platelets were stored in did not affect the results indicating that the decreased vWF binding was a property of the platelets. Upon chilling, ground squirrel platelets increase microtubule assembly leading to the formation of long rods. This shape change is concurrent with sequestration of platelets in the liver and not the spleen. In conclusion, it appears that ground squirrel platelets are sequestered in the liver during torpor and have reduced binding capacity for plasma vWF and lower accumulation on collagen at low shear rates and after storage at cold temperatures, while still being activated by external agonists. These adaptations would protect the animals from spontaneous thrombus formation during torpor but allow them to restore normal platelet function upon arousal.
Treatment of pre-existing melanoma tumors using allogeneic vaccines expressing alpha(1,3)Gal epitopes. Efficacy and toxicology study

1423 The hyperacute immune response in humans is a potent mechanism of xenograft rejection mediated by complement-fixing natural antibodies that recognize alpha(1,3)Galactosyl epitopes (aGal) not present on human cells. In this study we exploited this immune mechanism to create an allogeneic whole cell cancer vaccine to treat murine melanoma. We used the alpha(1,3)Galactosyltransferase (aGT H-2bb) knockout mice, which do not express aGal epitopes on their cell surfaces and develop high titers of anti-aGal antibodies. Melanoma cell lines (B16 and S91M3) naturally lack the expression of aGal epitopes. These cells were retrovirally transduced using lentiviral vectors encoding the murine aGT enzime to produce the aGal(+) variants of these cell lines. Mice with pre-existing subcutaneous (sc) and pulmonary B16 (H-2bb) melanoma tumors were treated with allogeneic aGal(+)S91M3 (H-2dd) melanoma vaccines or with control aGal(-)S91M3 vaccines. Mice with sc tumors had significant prolonged survival (p 8 each group). Vaccination with aGal(+)S91M3 induced CD8+ T cells recognizing the “autologous” aGal(-)B16 tumors measured by intracellular TNF-alpha. These cells reduced the pulmonary burden of syngeneic recipients with pre-existing pulmonary melanoma in adoptive transfer experiments. Interestingly, mice vaccinated with allogeneic aGal(+).S91M3 or “autologous” aGal(+)B16 cells failed to induce DTH responses to B16, despite the induction of a strong T cell dependent mediated anti-tumor immunity. Since effective anti-tumor immunity is associated with autoimmunity in several immunotherapies, we tested whether vaccination with allogeneic aGal(+) vaccines induced autoimmunity or other detectable signs of toxicity in three murine models. Mice (aGT KO H-2bb) were vaccinated six times with irradiated aGal(+)EMT-6 (breast H-2dd) cells. The aGT KO H-2dd mice received six vaccine doses of aGal(+)LLC (lung H-2bb) or aGal(+)B16 melanoma cells. High titers (>1:200) of anti-aGal Ab titers (IgG and IgM) were demonstrated in all mice. Samples (blood and tissues) were collected at early time points and at 6 months after the last allogeneic vaccine. Analysis of the hematology, chemistry and histopathology of major perfused organs (kidneys, lungs, liver and spleen) data revealed no significant differences among mice receiving allogeneic vaccines and control groups. In addition mice were weighted weekly for a period of 6 months showing no differences in the growth patterns among the groups in three animal models. This study establishes the safety and efficacy data of allogeneic aGal(+) whole cell vaccines and constituted the basis for the initiation of human clinical trials to treat human cancers which are currently open.
Abstract 178: Volume Overload Induced by Mitral Regurgitation Alters Spatial Regulation of Nitric Oxide/Reactive Nitrogen Species Signaling

Volume-overload (VO), as seen in regurgitant valvular disease, large myocardial infarction, and severe cardiac systolic dysfunction, triggers eccentric hypertrophy. Given that nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) modulate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, apoptosis, and cardioprotection, differential regulation of these signals may distinguish eccentric from the more commonly studied concentric hypertrophy. We recently showed that pressure-overload (PO) induces relocalization and oxidation of the NO receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), thereby diminishing cyclase activity and cGMP cardioprotection. The effects of volume-overload on NO and cGMP signaling are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that VO induces relocalization but not oxidation of sGC, thereby disrupting spatial regulation of NO-cGMP signaling without depressing cyclase activity. Volume-overload was established by chordal rupture-induced mitral regurgitation in dogs. We compared intracellular localization and activity of sGC in VO and control LVs (N=5 per group). Both sGC subunits were detected within and outside of caveolae-enriched lipid raft microdomains (Cav3+LR). In VO hearts, sGCβ1 fell in expression by nearly 50% and relocalized away from Cav3+LR to non-lipid raft microdomains (NLR). Despite VO-induced sGCβ1 changes, overall NO-stimulated sGC activity was preserved. An enhanced response to heme/NO-independent sGC activator BAY 60-2770 suggested that a subset of sGC was heme-oxidized in VO hearts, though to a much lesser degree than in PO hearts. As in PO hearts, Cav3+LR appear to protect sGC from heme-oxidation in VO hearts. Initial study of downstream reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and cGMP signaling supported our theory that VO altered spatial regulation of NO-cGMP signaling. Also, a trend towards increased overall tyrosine-nitration, predominantly within NLR, was observed in VO hearts. Volume-overload shifted cardiac NO-cGMP signaling from Cav3+LR to NLR microdomains without depressing NO/heme-dependent sGC activation. These findings suggest that differential spatial regulation of NO/RNS signaling, rather than simply increased RNS signaling, might drive the distinct molecular pathophysiology of eccentric hypertrophy.
Critique [of "What Shall I Give My Children?" The role of the Mentor in Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place and Paule Marshall's Praisesong for the Widow by Linda Wells]

In her article “‘What Shall I Give My Children?’: The Role of the Mentor in Gloria Naylor9s The Women of Brewster Place and Paule Marshall9s Praisesong for the Widow ,” Wells focuses upon the woman9s role as mentor in various works of modem African American women writers. In using Gwendolyn Brooks9 poem as the cornerstone of her study, she establishes the sense of anguish and frustration faced by the mother who seeks to give to her children a sense of worth and self-esteem in a society which automatically disenfranchises them. She poses an important question −− one that goes beyond the role of mother: “How does the power of mentoring and affiliation help women to overcome the institutional oppression leveled against them because of race, gender and class?” The works of Naylor and Marshall offer their individual answers for triumph in the face of “an autumn freezing everywhere.”
Characterization of a novel germline BRCA1 splice variant, c.5332+4delA

Germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 confer a significant increase in risk for cancer, and determining pathogenicity of a BRCA variant can guide the clinical management of the disease. About 1/3 of BRCA1 variants reported in the public databases have uncertain clinical significance due to lack of conclusive evidence. This study aims to characterize a novel BRCA1 deletion affecting the + 4 splice donor site identified in an individual with early-onset breast cancer. The effect of BRCA1 c.5332+4delA variant on RNA splicing was evaluated by amplifying regions of BRCA1 from cDNA derived from the patient. The proportion of abnormal transcript in the total transcripts was quantified. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in tumor tissue was investigated using Sanger sequencing and fragment analysis. BRCA1 c.5332+4delA caused skipping of exon 21 in patient-derived samples. Semi-quantitative analysis indicated that this aberrant RT-PCR product accounts for about 40% of the total transcript levels. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was observed in patient’s tumor tissue. Our results indicate that the BRCA1 c.5332+4delA variant contributes to cancer predisposition through disruption of normal mRNA splicing. We classify this variant as likely pathogenic.
The End of “The Good Fight”? Organized Labor and the Petro-nation During the Neoliberalization of the Oil Industry in Ecuador

Early one morning in August 2003, in a residential area of Quito, hundreds of oil workers from Petroecuador , Ecuador’s state oil company, stood outside the headquarters of the Federation of Petroleum Workers of Ecuador (FETRAPEC ). The excitement was palpable. By mid-morning, a group brought out two giant papier mâche puppets, the first of Lucio Gutierrez, then President of Ecuador, dressed as a bride in a white dress, and the second of Horst Kohler, then President of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), dressed as a groom in a black tux. Hanging from Gutierrez’s dress was a plastic bottle labeled “oil patrimony .” In Kohler’s hand was a contract and in his breast pocket, dollars. The puppets were meant to bring attention to Gutierrez’s proposal to privatize the operations of Amazonian oilfields in order to secure loans from the IMF. Another group of workers carried a large sign that reads “just married,” and a nearby sign reads “la boda del ano” (“the wedding of the year”), both referring to how the privatization deal was a marriage of convenience that weakened state control over the national oil industry, the largest revenue-generating sector in Ecuador.
Recursive Partitioning with Nonlinear Models of Change.

ABSTRACTIn this article, we introduce nonlinear longitudinal recursive partitioning (nLRP) and the R package longRpart2 to carry out the analysis. This method implements recursive partitioning (als...
Observing local CO 2 sources using low-cost, near-surface urban monitors

Abstract. Urban carbon dioxide comprises the largest fraction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, but quantifying urban emissions at subnational scales is highly challenging, as numerous emission sources reside in close proximity within each topographically intricate urban dome. In attempting to better understand each individual source's contribution to the overall emission budget, there exists a large gap between activity-based emission inventories and observational constraints on integrated, regional emission estimates. Here we leverage urban CO2 observations from the BErkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observation Network ( BEACO2N ) to enhance, rather than average across or cancel out, our sensitivity to these hyperlocal emission sources. We utilize a method for isolating the local component of a CO2 signal that accentuates the observed intra-urban heterogeneity and thereby increases sensitivity to mobile emissions from specific highway segments. We demonstrate a multiple-linear-regression analysis technique that accounts for boundary layer and wind effects and allows for the detection of changes in traffic emissions on scale with anticipated changes in vehicle fuel economy – an unprecedented level of sensitivity for low-cost sensor technologies. The ability to represent trends of policy-relevant magnitudes with a low-cost sensor network has important implications for future applications of this approach, whether as a supplement to existing, sparse reference networks or as a substitute in areas where fewer resources are available.
Applications of Approximate Reasoning in Risk Analysis

Abstract This paper discusses applications of approximate reasoning techniques in risk analysis. Vagueness and imprecision in mathematical quantification of risk are equated with fuzziness rather than randomness. The concept of fuzzy risk evaluation, using linguistic representation of the likelihood of the occurrence of a hazardous event, exposure, and possible consequences of that event, is proposed.
Chemotherapy in head and neck cancer. Overview of newer agents.

The role of chemotherapy in treating head and neck cancer has been expanding during recent years. Chemotherapy alone is not curative in head and neck cancer. Therefore, one of its primary uses has been palliation of the symptoms of metastatic disease, and this remains one of its major roles today. There is no evidence that chemotherapy in such a situation can prolong survival, but its ability to offer short-term control of locally disfiguring or painful tumors can provide a quality-of-life benefit to selected patients. Cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil are probably the most widely used regimen for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The overall response rate to this regimen is approximately 30% to 35%, and the median survival for patients with metastatic disease is 6 months. 36,37 More recently, chemotherapy has been utilized in combination with radiation therapy, either sequentially or concomitantly, for organ preservation. Also, local control rates appear to be higher for patients with unresectable disease treated with primary radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer. Whatever the purpose of chemotherapy used in treating head and neck cancer, higher rates of response and more tolerable toxicity are essential to maximize results. This article reviews some of the newer chemotherapeutic agents being tested in treating head and neck cancer and provides an overview of current clinical trials of these agents. These agents include the taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel), gemcitabine, topotecan, vinorelbine, and nedaplatine, used alone or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs or radiation.
Migmatite occurrences in New England

The high-grade metamorphic belts of the northern Appalachians in New England comprise one of the classic migmatite terrains of the world. Migmatites occur within the highest-grade metamorphic zones in roughly linearnorth-south belts running from Long Island Sound to near the Canadian border—a distance of about 500 km (Figure 6.1). These linear high-grade belts have been interpreted to be related to a succession of convergent tectonic events throughout the Palaeozoic (Robinson, 1983; Hall and Robinson, 1982). Ages of metamorphism and migmatization generally decrease from west to east. The westernmost belt of upper amphibolite-lower granulite facies metamorphism occurs in Proterozoic Y rocks exposed in the Green Mountains-Berkshires-Housatonic Highlands-Hudson Highlands massifs; highest-grade metamorphism of these rocks is generally considered to be of Grenville age (approximately 1100 Ma) although they may be overprinted by later, lower-grade metamorphism (Robinson, 1983).
Detection of circulating crosslinked fibrin derivatives by a heat extraction-SDS gradient gel electrophoretic technique

A technique has been developed to identify and quantitate unique plasmic degradation products of crosslinked fibrin in plasma. In this method, fibrin derivatives are extracted by heat precipitation and dissolved with disulfide bond reduction, after which the crosslinked gamma-gamma chain remnants are identified by SDS-polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitated by densitometric analysis. A heterogenous group of gamma-gamma chains with molecular weights between 100,000 and 76,000 daltons was identified in lysates of crosslinked fibrin during plasmic degradation in vitro. Three stages of crosslinked fibrin degradation have been arbitrarily defined based primarily on the extent of degradation of these gamma-gamma polypeptide chains. As little as 20 microgram of crosslinked fibrin digests added to 1 ml of normal plasma could be detected by the heat-extraction--gel- electrophoresis technique, identifying the gamma-gamma derivatives with molecular weights of 96,000, 86,000, 82,000, and 76,000 daltons. Plasmic derivatives of gamma-gamma chains were not found in normal plasma, but they were identified in the plasma of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation and deep-vein thrombosis, both before and in increased quantity during successful thrombolytic therapy.
Effect of soluble fibers on plasma lipids, glucose tolerance and mineral balance.

Fibers are broadly classified as soluble and insoluble based on their physical or analytical properties. Two human studies have been carried out in this laboratory utilizing soluble gums. The first compared a low fiber diet to the diet with an average of 19.5 g of added fiber per day from cellulose, an insoluble fiber, or carboxymethylcellulose gum, karaya gum or locust bean gum, all soluble fibers. Plasma cholesterol levels but not triglycerides were significantly lower when the soluble gums were consumed for 4 weeks each. Glucose and insulin response curves after a standard glucose tolerance test were not significantly different between the 5 diets. Adding refined fibers to the basal diet did not significantly affect apparent mineral balance of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper or zinc, with the exception of a a negative manganese balance after carboxymethylcellulose. The second study added an average of 31.7 g of guar gum per day to the diets of non-insulin dependent diabetic individuals for 6 months. Lipid levels observed at the beginning of the study were not reduced in either group, placebo or guar gum supplemented. Consumption of guar gum significantly reduced the C-peptide but not the glucose response curve. The number of insulin receptors increased while affinity remained the same. Apparent mineral balance was not affected by the consumption of guar gum for 6 months. The combined results of these studies indicates that soluble refined gums may have therapuetic value in reducing cholesterol and improving glucose metabolism without adversely affecting most mineral balances.
Axial Piston Machine Cylinder Block Bore Surface Profile for High-Pressure Operating Conditions with Water as Working Fluid

Construction, agriculture, forestry, aerospace equip- ment: axial piston machines of swash plate design (APMSPD) are the positive displacement machines of choice in a wide variety of hydraulic systems. The performance of these highly efficient units is delicately hinged on the rigorous design of three major lubricating interfaces, each striving to keep the machine’s moving components a hair’s width apart in order to avert poten- tially catastrophic metal-to-metal contact, whilst simultaneously limiting the leakage of high-pressure fluid into the unit’s low- pressure case. Of the three, the most difficult in its conception for these duties is the piston-cylinder interface, owing to the fact that especially during high-pressure operation, the pistons of APMSPD must bear a considerable side load. The measure of challenge this side load presents is heavily modulated by the choice of lubricant (i.e., the hydraulic system’s working fluid). While the use of oil still dominates the hydraulics industry, the past few decades have seen the re-emergence of water hydraulics. In its non-toxicity, its inflammability, its availability, its low cost and green footprint, water embodies an almost ideal hydraulic fluid; however, the illusion unravels in giving consideration to its viscosity, which is low enough to raise serious load-support concerns for the aforementioned interface, therewith barricading the design of marketable APMSPD for high-pressure operation with water. In aiming to enable such operation, micro surface shaping on the bores in the cylinder block through which the pistons in APMSPD move has been examined as an effective means of enhancing load support. The focus of the present work is a surface profile that has the walls of these bores curving inwards. A past exploration of this profile defined its shape via a radius and a shift; the present investigation refines that definition to two radii and a shift, thereby significantly opening the design space. In a simulation study spanning several different operating conditions, the effect of dimensional variations of this design on load support and power loss is captured with a non-isothermal fluid-structure interaction model developed by the Maha Fluid Power Research Center. The resulting design trends reveal the potential of this surface profile to handle these operating conditions.
Calcium ionophore A23187 and lymphocyte activation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the calcium ionophore and lymphocyte activation. Lymphocyte transformation induced by the mitogenic plant lectins, phytohemagglutinin, and concanavalin A, requires extracellular ionized calcium. These lectins induce prompt increases in Ca2+ uptake. These evidence suggest a central role for Ca2+ in lymphocyte activation. To evaluate the role of calcium in the activation of these cells, effects produced by the calcium ionophore were examined. In doing so, six biochemical parameters of activation were studied: (1) calcium uptake, (2) cyclic nucleotide accumulation, (3) membrane protein phosphorylation, (4) phosphatidylinositol turnover, (5) amino acid transport, and (6) DNA synthesis. Human lymphocytes were purified from peripheral venous blood by dextran sedimentation and isopyenic centrifugation. Ionophore concentrations under 1μg/ml were noncytotoxic. No consistent changes in cyclic GMP values were observed at noncytotoxic concentrations. Increases in lymphocyte membrane protein phosphorylation were seen with the ionophore.
Educational Leadership in a Mayan Village in Southern Belize: Challenges Faced by a Mayan Woman Principal:

A Mayan woman principal taking a position in a historically paternalistic village in Southern Belize faces inevitable challenges due to the cultural structure of the village. In this case, the chal...
Healthcare Clinician and Staff Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Ideal Sexual Health Care to High-Risk Depressed Young Women: A Qualitative Study of Diverse Clinic Systems.

Abstract Study Objective This study identified clinician and clinic staff perspectives on facilitators and barriers to providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care to depressed young women, a population at increased risk for adverse SRH outcomes. Design We conducted in-person semi-structured qualitative interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded by two researchers. We used thematic analysis to identify themes pertaining to care facilitators and barriers within a socio-ecological framework. Setting This study was conducted in seven diverse clinics in the U.S. New England region. Participants Participants were 28 clinicians and staff (4/clinic), including behavioral health clinicians (n = 9), nurse practitioners (n = 7), nurses (n = 3), medical doctors (n = 3), administrative associates (n = 2), practice managers (n = 2), family planning counselor (n = 1), and medical assistant (n = 1). Main Outcome Measures We queried how clinicians and clinic staff identify and manage depression and sexual risk, and what they perceive as facilitators and barriers affecting provision of ideal SRH care to depressed young women. Results Themes represented facilitators of and barriers to providing ideal SRH care to high-risk depressed young women at five socio-ecological levels: individual (facilitator: trust in providers; barrier: stigma experiences), interpersonal/provider (facilitator: frequent patient–provider communication; barrier: lack of time during clinic visits to build trust), clinic (facilitator: integration of care; barrier: lack of scheduling flexibility), organization/community (facilitator: training for providers; barrier: funding constraints), and macro/societal (facilitator: supportive policies; barrier: mental health stigma). Conclusion Optimizing SRH care to high-risk depressed young women necessitates attention to factors on all socio-ecological levels to remove barriers and bolster existing facilitators of care.
Reactants, products, and transition states of elementary chemical reactions based on quantum chemistry.

Reaction times, activation energies, branching ratios, yields, and many other quantitative attributes are important for precise organic syntheses and generating detailed reaction mechanisms. Often, it would be useful to be able to classify proposed reactions as fast or slow. However, quantitative chemical reaction data, especially for atom-mapped reactions, are difficult to find in existing databases. Therefore, we used automated potential energy surface exploration to generate 12,000 organic reactions involving H, C, N, and O atoms calculated at the ωB97X-D3/def2-TZVP quantum chemistry level. We report the results of geometry optimizations and frequency calculations for reactants, products, and transition states of all reactions. Additionally, we extracted atom-mapped reaction SMILES, activation energies, and enthalpies of reaction. We believe that this data will accelerate progress in automated methods for organic synthesis and reaction mechanism generation—for example, by enabling the development of novel machine learning models for quantitative reaction prediction. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12047193
2 – Mathematical Prerequisites

Publisher Summary This chapter describes different aspects of mathematical prerequisites. A subset of a base from which the base can be constructed is itself a base and, hence, is termed a sub-base. It is assumed that z is a point in an open set and is contained in an interval entirely in the open set. One can construct a new interval whose end points have rational coordinates, that is entirely contained in the old interval, and that contains z. All open sets are the union of intervals with rational coordinates for the end points. When the base is such that its members can be counted out according to the positive integers so that every set in the base is counted in the counting process, then the base is said to be countable and the topological space is said to be completely separable. For example, the rational numbers are countable, so points with rational coordinates are equivalent to pairs of rational numbers and are hence countable, and finally, intervals with rational end points are countable.
Fluorescence imaging of the biliary tree with indocyanine green

Abstract Fluorescence imaging of the biliary tree with indocyanine green (ICG) during gallbladder surgery is slowly becoming a routine practice amongst surgeons around the world. Some of the unique advantages offered by near-infrared fluorescent (NIFR) cholangiography have made it a valuable tool for general surgeons. Low cost and the ability to operate in real time with NIFR cholangiography give this technique an edge over intraoperative cholangiography. The indications for its use continue to increase, though the appropriate dose and timing of injection of ICG continue to be debated and researched amongst clinicians. However, multiple studies, including a randomized control trial, have demonstrated improved biliary imaging with a potential to reduce bile duct injury with the technique.
Double-Diffusive Finger Convection in a Hele-Shaw Cell: An Experiment Exploring the Evolution of Concentration Fields, Length Scales and Mass Transfer

We present the results of an experiment conducted to explore the temporal and spatial development of double-diffusive finger convection in a Hele–Shaw cell. Two solutions each containing a different density affecting component were layered in a density stable configuration (sucrose solution over a more dense salt solution) with a nearly perturbation-free interface between. The mismatch of diffusive time scales for the two components leads to local density instabilities that generate upward and downward convecting fingers. Throughout the course of the experiment, a full-field quantitative light transmission technique was used to measure concentration fields of a dye tracer dissolved in the salt solution. Analysis of these fields yielded the temporal evolution of length scales associated with the vertical and horizontal finger structure as well as mass transfer. Distinct developmental stages are identified with strong correlation between all measures. These data provide a baseline that can be used to develop and evaluate both process-level models that simulate the full complexity of the evolving flow field and large-scale effective models that integrate over small-scale behavior.
The Atom, the Alien, and Cosmographies of the Anthropocene

Abstract Chingiz Aitmatov’s The Day Lasts Longer than a Hundred Years (I dol’she veka dlitsia den’), published in 1980, has long been read in terms of its affiliations with socialist realism as well as its radical departures into the realms of science fiction and folklore, resulting in a range of debates about the genre of the novel and the political allegories encoded in its various storylines. This essay returns to the fantastic elements that contaminate Aitmatov’s late-Soviet text not as a historiography of the author’s present, as Fredric Jameson would put it, but as an experiment in composing parabolas of the Anthropocene. Both as a geometric figure and as a fugitive cosmopolitics, parabolas inscribe a novel spacetime in which deep histories of colonial violence and dislocation intersect with futuristic arcs of planetary devastation, rewriting the Russian and Soviet empire’s Central Asian periphery into a generative epicenter of ecological storytelling.
Controlling colloidal crystals via morphing energy landscapes and reinforcement learning.

We report a feedback control method to remove grain boundaries and produce circular shaped colloidal crystals using morphing energy landscapes and reinforcement learning–based policies. We demonstrate this approach in optical microscopy and computer simulation experiments for colloidal particles in ac electric fields. First, we discover how tunable energy landscape shapes and orientations enhance grain boundary motion and crystal morphology relaxation. Next, reinforcement learning is used to develop an optimized control policy to actuate morphing energy landscapes to produce defect-free crystals orders of magnitude faster than natural relaxation times. Morphing energy landscapes mechanistically enable rapid crystal repair via anisotropic stresses to control defect and shape relaxation without melting. This method is scalable for up to at least N = 103 particles with mean process times scaling as N0.5. Further scalability is possible by controlling parallel local energy landscapes (e.g., periodic landscapes) to generate large-scale global defect-free hierarchical structures.
The Effects of an “Urban Village” Planning and Zoning Strategy in San Jose, California

Abstract Allowing mixed-use and higher-density development is a common municipal policy response to pressing urban challenges, including housing affordability and climate change. Yet, comparatively little is known about the effects of density-enabling plans and policies. We study how a major 2011 planning initiative, the designation of “urban villages,” affected real estate development in San Jose, California. We track several outcome measures – permits for residential and commercial development, large development projects, parcel transactions, and parcel assessed values – before and after the urban village initiative. We find the initiative’s effects to be quite limited. The estimated treatment effects are generally not distinguishable from zero across specifications that vary by parcel land use, treatment period, and identification strategy. Potential explanations include a lack of actual zoning changes; urban village requirements that make development more complicated; and a mismatch between the development types envisioned in municipal plans and real estate market conditions.
Prediction of Moisture Damage in Asphalt Pavements Using a Nanomechanistic Approach

Stripping-related moisture damage in asphalt pavements is a complex phenomenon that deteriorates the durability and performance of the pavements. In recent years, several studies have been conducted at both macro- and micro-levels to find the root causes of the moisture damage. The main goal of this study is to predict the moisture-induced damage using one of the emerging technologies using an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tool. Binder samples originated from two different crude sources have been collected and tested in the laboratory using an advanced mode of nanomechanical mapping, namely the Peak Force Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (PFQNM™) mode. In this study, two Performance Grade (PG) base binders and their modified counterparts using polyphosphoric acid (PPA), styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS), and SBS plus PPA have been evaluated to achieve the goals of this study. To observe the moisture effects, asphalt binder samples were tested under both dry and wet conditions. Test results showed that the surface topography of the asphalt binders and their mechanical properties have had changed notably because of the presence of moisture. It is also evident that the base binders used in this study are highly susceptible to moisture damage, whereas SBS-modified binders have sufficient strength that can be used for the construction of durable pavements. The findings of this study are expected to the State Departments of Transportations (DOTs) and other transportation agencies to gain in-depth knowledge of moisture damage mechanisms in asphalt pavements.
Postdemokratie in 'Unterleuten'?: Was in Juli Zehs Gesellschaftsroman auf dem Spiel steht

Der Aufsatz analysiert den politischen Gehalt von Juli Zehs Unterleuten (2016) im Kontext der Demokratietheorie und weist allgemein auf die Bedeutung des gegenwartigen Demokratiediskurses fur die Gegenwartsliteraturforschung hin. Der thematisch und erzahltechnisch an Jonathan Franzens Erfolgsroman Freedom (2010) orientierte und zahlreiche Anspielungen auf die ›Krise der Demokratie‹ aufweisende Gesellschaftsroman spannt ein multimediales Verweisnetz auf, das die Grenze von realer und fiktionaler Welt verunklart. Unterleuten ist darauf angelegt, die Problematik der ›Mediendemokratie‹ sichtbar zu machen und insgesamt die Aufmerksamkeit auf die Literatur zuruckzulenken, der als Organon von Komplexitat und Perspektivenvielfalt Zeh zufolge demokratieforderliches Potenzial zukommt.
Effect of Grafting Rootstock on the Antioxidant Capacity and Content of Heirloom Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Hydroponic Culture

Heirloom tomato varieties are in demand by consumers due to high antioxidant levels. However, these varieties are difficult to produce and are prone to disease. To overcome these problems, heirloom tomatoes may be cultivated in hydroponic systems and grafted onto disease-resistant rootstocks. However, it is unknown if the antioxidant content and capacity are affected by grafting. In this study, heirloom (Black Krim and Green Zebra) and standard (Big Beef) varieties were grafted onto wild type (WT) or productive rootstocks (Arnold and Supernatural). The tomatoes were harvested at maturity, freeze-dried, and ground into a powder. Lycopene was extracted using hexane, and the content was determined spectrophotometrically at 503 nm. The antioxidant capacity of methanol extracts was evaluated by the 2,2′-azino-di[3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonsyr]sulphonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, whereas the phenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Interestingly, the grafting of Big Beef and Green Zebra onto Supernatural rootstock resulted in an increased antioxidant capacity, as determined by the DPPH assay. Moreover, the phenolic content was changed for Big Beef grafted onto Arnold, and Big Beef and Green Zebra grafted onto Supernatural. Taken together, these results indicate that certain combinations of standard and heirloom tomato varieties and productive rootstocks may influence the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content. These results may be used to guide producers when choosing rootstocks for cultivating hydroponic tomatoes.
Post-Anticoagulant D-dimer as a Highly Prognostic Biomarker of COVID-19 Mortality

Importance: Clinical biomarkers that accurately predict mortality are needed for the effective management of patients with severe COVID-19 illness. Objective: To determine whether D-dimer levels after anticoagulation treatment is predictive of in-hospital mortality. Design: Retrospective study using electronic health record data. Setting: A large New York City hospital network serving a diverse, urban patient population. Participants: Adult patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19 infection who received therapeutic anticoagulation for thromboprophylaxis between February 25, 2020 and May 31, 2020. Exposures: Mean and trend of D-dimer levels in the 3 days following the first therapeutic dose of anticoagulation. Main Outcomes: In-hospital mortality versus discharge. Results: 1835 adult patients (median age, 67 years [interquartile range, 57-78]; 58% male) with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 who received therapeutic anticoagulation during hospitalization were included. 74% (1365) of patients were discharged and 26% (430) died in hospital. The study cohort was divided into four groups based on the mean D-dimer levels and its trend following anticoagulation initiation, with significantly different in-hospital mortality rates (p<0.001): 49% for the high mean-increase trend (HI) group; 27% for the high-decrease (HD) group; 21% for the low-increase (LI) group; and 9% for the low-decrease (LD) group. Using penalized logistic regression models to simultaneously analyze 67 variables (baseline demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory values, D-dimer levels), post-anticoagulant D-dimer groups had the highest adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) for predicting in-hospital mortality. The ORadj of in-hospital death among patients from the HI group was 6.58 folds (95% CI 3.81-11.16) higher compared to the LD group. The LI (ORadj: 4.06, 95% CI 2.23-7.38) and HD (ORadj: 2.37; 95% CI 1.37-4.09) groups were also associated with higher mortality compared to the LD group. Conclusions and Relevance: D-dimer levels and its trend following the initiation of anticoagulation have high and independent predictive value for in-hospital mortality. This novel prognostic biomarker should be incorporated into management protocols to guide resource allocation and prospective studies for emerging treatments in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Strandedness of chromosomes.

Publisher Summary Various observational evidences indicate that chromosomes are multistranded. These observations are obtained by light microscopic studies on organisms containing large chromosomes. The two half-chromatids separate quite far from one another and can be found interwound over great distances along their length. In favorable material the separation can be found even in prophase and metaphase. Considerable amount of experimental evidence has provided results consistent with the observational appearance of half-chromatids. The evidence falls into five different categories dealing with (1) the types of aberrations induced in late prophase or metaphase by radiation, (2) the types of aberrations induced by radiation at the end of G 1 before the chromosomes have replicated, (3) experiments in which chromosome structure has been unraveled by treatment with enzymes or other agents, (4) the distribution of labeled DNA among the chromosomes at mitoses subsequent to labeling, and (5) experiments in which the effects of incorporated isotopes are expressed in generations succeeding labeling.
Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate stimulation of exonucleolytic activity of the Micrococcus luteus deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase.

Abstract The rate of 5' to 3' exonucleolytic degradation by the Micrococcus luteus DNA polymerase is stimulated by deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. A single deoxynucleoside triphosphate can stimulate 6-fold the rate of degradation of an alternating sequence DNA polymer. It is neither necessary nor sufficient that the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate be complementary to the bases of the DNA polymer in order to stimulate the rate of exonucleolytic degradation of that polymer. The deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate is not chemically altered due to its role as a stimulator.
Clinical application of probotics in China.

Objective To study the clinical use status of probiotics in China during the period of January 1994 to December 2007.Methods Using 26 kinds of probiotics as keywords,the CBM-disc and China Hospital Knowledge Databases(CHKD)were searchede for aiticals on clinical use with probiotics.Results About 558 articals were selected.The frequently used probiotics were Medilac-vita,Golden Bifid,Bifidobiogen-Lizon,Bifico,Entrocoordinatibiogen and Bifido.Acute diarrhoea,Functional bowel disorders,Neonatal jaundice,Chronic diarrhoea,Breast milk jaundice,Liver diseases,Inflamation bowel diseases,Antibiotics associated diarrhoea were the diseases regularly treated with probiotics.Reseach design used simple observation in 51,controlled trial in 497,Randomized clinical trails(RCT,include Randomized double blind placebo controlled,DBPC)were choosed in 9.The patients number less than 50 were 284,and 212 between 50-100.All the aiticals show probioties were effective,but drugs safty were motioned only in 9.Conclusions Probiotics were used to treat many kinds of deseases in china and were shown to be effctive,but more Randomized clinical trails(RCT)will be needed in future.
The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration: The Arbitral Proceedings

In a major international commercial arbitration, there are specific steps in the dispute-resolving process that are reasonably well defined. First, the claimant must submit a notice of arbitration, to which the respondent answers. Depending upon the relevant rules, the notice and response may include detailed pleadings. Other times the notice may be quite succinct, and written submissions constituting the pleadings will be provided at a later point. Next, the arbitrators are appointed, generally according to party agreement, or pursuant to the rules the parties have chosen. Normally, some kind of organizational meeting will follow, to discuss how the arbitration will proceed. Subsequently, there may be further written submissions, and prehearing disclosure will begin, including exchanges of documentary evidence and witness statements, all in preparation for the oral hearings. The oral hearings may take place in one meeting that lasts several days, or in a number of multiday hearings that may occur over weeks or months. At the hearing, there may be short opening statements, followed by oral testimony, submission of documentary evidence, and perhaps legal argument on certain points, if requested by the tribunal. At the end of the hearing, there may be short closing statements, and the arbitrators may request post-hearing submissions. After the arbitrators review the post-hearing submissions, they deliberate and render a decision in the form of a final award. This is the basic process, of which there are many variations.
Self-Reported Versus Performance-Based Assessments of a Simple Mobility Task Among Older Adults in the Emergency Department

Study objective Accurate information about the mobility of independently living older adults is essential in determining whether they may be safely discharged home from the emergency department (ED). We assess the accuracy of self-reported ability to complete a simple mobility task among older ED patients. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of cognitively intact patients aged 65 years and older who were neither nursing home residents nor critically ill, conducted in 2 academic EDs. Consenting participants were asked whether they could get out of bed, walk 10 feet, turn around, and get back in bed without assistance, and if not, whether they could perform this task with a cane, walker, or assistance. Each participant was then asked to perform the task and was provided with a mobility device or assistance as needed. Results Of 272 patients who met eligibility criteria and answered the physical task question, 161 (59%) said they could do the task unassisted, 45 (17%) said they could do it with a cane or walker, 21 (8%) said they could do it with assistance, and 45 (17%) said they would be unable to do it even with assistance. Among those who said they could do the task either with or without assistance and who were subsequently willing to attempt the task (N=172), discrepancies between self-reported ability and actual performance were common. Of those who said they could perform the task without assistance, 12% required some assistance or were unable to complete the task. Of those who said they could perform the task with a cane or walker, 48% required either assistance or were unable to perform the task. Of those who said they could perform the task with assistance, 24% were unable to perform the task even with assistance. Conclusion In this sample of older adults receiving care in the ED, the accuracy of their self-reported ability to perform a simple mobility task was poor, particularly for those who reported some need for assistance. For older adults being considered for discharge who report a need for assistance with mobility, direct observation of the patient's mobility by a member of the emergency care team should be considered.
Computation techniques for large scale undiscounted markov decision processes

Abstract : This paper considers computation techniques associated with the optimization of large scale Markov decision processes. Markov decision processes and successive approximation procedures are described. Then a procedure for scaling continuous time and renewal processes so that they are amenable to the second procedure is discussed. The effect of the scale factor value on the convergence rate of the procedure and insights into proper scale factor selection are given. Finally, various methods of achieving computational efficiency during execution of the optimization are considered.