jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Record of a Journey to Japan and Chŏng Hukyo’s Perception of Japan

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

This study examines the characteristics of Record of a Journey to Japan (扶桑紀行, Pusang kihaeng) written during the 1719 embassy and the perception of Japan by its author, Chŏng Hukyo. Chŏng was recognized as a prominent poet among Noron literati such as Kim Chang-hŭp and Sin Chŏng-ha during the reign of King Sukjong. As a soldier of the 1719 mission to vice envoy Hwang Sŏn, he was responsible for exchanging poetry with the Japanese along with the embassy’s clerks and secretaries. Joining the mission to Japan was a form of leisure for him, and this is apparent from how his emissary record focuses on detailed such sightseeing experiences rather than on information. The record mainly focuses on sensory descriptions of scenery and unique sights as well as recreating the exchange of diaries and poetry in written conversations with Japanese literati. In particular, it is noteworthy for its vivid descriptions of diverse experiences such as whale hunting and sites of poetry exchange not found in other emissary records. Moreover, Chŏng’s perception of Japan can be analyzed from three aspects. The first of these is approval of Japan’s legal system and national strength. The second is a sensitive reappraisal of Japanese character and customs from a sympathetic viewpoint. The third is a new understanding of Japan’s civilization through an adaptation of the discourse of Sino-barbarian dichotomy (華夷論, hwa-yi-ron). The last is particularly interesting in its adaptation, or roundabout modifying, of the premises of an existing concept among Chosŏn intellectuals to produce a new understanding. The above investigation of Record of a Journey to Japan demonstrates several important points for analysis in research on emissary records. A comparison with records from the same or different time periods will broaden the scope of the study.
Effects of MRF stimulation on the auditory-evoked potential

Field: Neuroscience (Life Sciences)

The effects of mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) stimulation on cortical-evoked potentials was studied in nine cats. The interval between MRF stimulation and delivery of tonal stimuli (i.e., delay) was varied as was the intensity of electrical stimuli at 52 sites in MRF. The effects of MRF stimulation on auditory-evoked potentials were, as in the visual system, time dependent: with a 30 ms delay, the N1 wave (latency 10–15 ms) was usually augmented; with a 25 ms delay, the P2 wave (latency 20–25 ms) was consistently suppressed; with a 5 ms delay, the N2 wave (latency 35–50 ms) was consistently augmented. The most effective stimulation sites were sharply localized within MRF. Stimulation alone at these sites elicited large field potentials in auditory cortex with a peak latency of 30–50 ms and a duration of 80 ms. Stimulation of neighboring sites evoked only marginal changes even with increased current. Pupillary behavior, used as an experimental control, was affected by broader areas within the MRF. [Work supported by NIH.]
Adjuvant chemoradiation therapy with 5-FU/LV (INT-0116) versus S-1 chemotherapy in completely resected gastric cancer: Practice pattern and feasibility at a single institution.

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

57 Background: Considering the high incidence of gastric cancer worldwide, large-scaled phase III adjuvant trials have been relatively scarcely reported. Until 2010, there have been two large-scaled adjuvant trials in gastric cancer that showed survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy +/- radiotherapy: S-1 monotherapy and chemoradiation therapy (CRT) with 5-FU/LV. There has been no direct comparison between S-1 monotherapy and CRT. We analyzed the practice pattern of adjuvant treatment at single institution in Korea in terms of patient’s preference, compliance rate, adverse events between CRT and S-1. Methods: From January 2008 to July 2009, 405 gastric cancer patients who had received adjuvant therapy after curative resection were included for the study. The CRT regimen was INT 0116 protocol. The S-1 monotherapy was to administer 40-60 mg bid, for 28 days, every 6 weeks (8 cycles). Results: Of the total 405 patients, 244 (60.3%) patients had CRT and 161 (39.7%) patients had S-1 monotherapy. The median age was 54 years (range, 24-80) and most of the patients were ECOG PS 0-1. S-1 group was more common than CRT group in Stage II (52.2% for S-1 vs. 47.8% for CCRT) and CRT group was more common in stage III-IV (72.4% for CCRT vs. 27.6% for S-1, p<0.001). The patients’ compliance for the planned treatment was significantly higher in CRT group (95.1% vs. 72.8%, p<0.001). Most common reason for cessation of S-1 therapy was patients’ refusal. For severe adverse events, grade 3-4 neutropenia was substantially more frequent in CRT group (40.2% vs. 8.7%, p<0.001) and GI toxicities of nausea and mucositis were frequent in CRT group when compared with S-1 group (CRT vs S-1; nausea, 5.7% vs <1%; p=0.002; mucositis, 7.4% vs 2.5%; p=0.034). Conclusions: Patients with advanced stage (III–IV) preferred CRT to S-1. The compliance was significantly higher for the CRT group despite of higher incidence of adverse events.
The Study of Thawing Characteristics and Mechanism of Frozen Beef in High Voltage Electric Field

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

The aim is to comprehensively and further explore the thawing characteristics and mechanism of frozen beef in high voltage electric field (HVEF). In this paper, the frozen beef was thawed under blocking ionic wind and changing voltage, electrode distance in the high voltage electric field system. The thawing characteristics, quality parameters and microstructure of beef during thawing were measured. The results showed that compared with the control, high voltage electric field could significantly shorten the thawing time of beef. During the thawing process, the influence of the high voltage electric field in the beef center temperature range from -5 °C to 0 °C on the thawing characteristics is larger than the control. Electrode distance and voltage have significant influence on color, loss rate and quality parameters. The experimental results of blocking ionic wind showed that ionic wind and non-uniform electric field have different effects on the characteristic parameters, quality parameters and microstructure of beef. Both the ionic wind and non-uniform electric field played a significant role in thawing process. This study provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for further understanding of the parameter characteristics and thawing mechanism of high voltage electric field thawing technology.
TBL1XR1 promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Objective Transducin (β)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) plays an important role in controlling the precisely regulated switch between gene repression and gene activation in transcriptional regulation. We investigated its biological function and clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Design Immunoblotting and immunochemistry were used to determine TBL1XR1 expression in ESCC cell lines, ESCC clinical tissues and 230 clinicopathologically characterised ESCC specimens. The role of TBL1XR1 in lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis was examined by tube formation, cell invasion and wound-healing assays in vitro, and by a popliteal lymph node metastasis model in vivo. The molecular mechanism by which TBL1XR1 upregulates vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression was explored using real-time PCR, ELISA, luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results TBL1XR1 expression was significantly upregulated in ESCC, positively correlated with disease stage and patient survival, and identified as an independent prognostic factor for patient outcome. We found that TBL1XR1 overexpression promoted lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in ESCC in vitro and in vivo, whereas TBL1XR1 silencing had the converse effect. We demonstrated that TBL1XR1 induced VEGF-C expression by binding to the VEGF-C promoter. We confirmed the correlation between TBL1XR1 and VEGF-C expression in a large cohort of clinical ESCC samples and through analysis of published datasets in gastric, colorectal and breast cancer. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that TBL1XR1 induced lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in ESCC via upregulation of VEGF-C, and may represent a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with ESCC.
Genetic mechanisms of COVID-19 and its association with smoking and alcohol consumption

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Life Sciences)

Abstract We aimed to investigate the genetic mechanisms associated with coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes in the host and to evaluate the possible associations between smoking and drinking behavior and three COVID-19 outcomes: severe COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19 and COVID-19 infection. We described the genomic loci and risk genes associated with the COVID-19 outcomes, followed by functional analyses of the risk genes. Then, a summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) analysis, and a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) were performed for the severe COVID-19 dataset. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to evaluate the causal associations between various measures of smoking and alcohol consumption and the COVID-19 outcomes. A total of 26 protein-coding genes, enriched in chemokine binding, cytokine binding and senescence-related functions, were associated with either severe COVID-19 or hospitalized COVID-19. The SMR and the TWAS analyses highlighted functional implications of some GWAS hits and identified seven novel genes for severe COVID-19, including CCR5, CCR5AS, IL10RB, TAC4, RMI1 and TNFSF15, some of which are targets of approved or experimental drugs. According to our studies, increasing consumption of cigarettes per day by 1 standard deviation is related to a 2.3-fold increase in susceptibility to severe COVID-19 and a 1.6-fold increase in COVID-19-induced hospitalization. Contrarily, no significant links were found between alcohol consumption or binary smoking status and COVID-19 outcomes. Our study revealed some novel COVID-19 related genes and suggested that genetic liability to smoking may quantitatively contribute to an increased risk for a severe course of COVID-19.
The T-786→C Mutation in Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Is Associated With Hypertension

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Although the pathogenic mechanisms involved in predisposing individuals to hypertension are not well defined, evidence is accumulating that suggests a strong genetic transmission. Animal studies and some clinical investigations have revealed that aberrant NO production may be an important contributing factor. Indeed, a missense mutation in the endothelial NO gene caused by a Glu298Asp alteration has been strongly associated with essential hypertension, coronary artery spasm, and myocardial infarction. Recently, another point mutation caused by a T-786→C transition in the 5′-flanking region of the endothelial NO synthase gene has been identified and, like the Glu298Asp mutation, is associated with coronary artery spasm. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of the T-786→C point mutation on hypertension. We investigated the interaction between the endothelial NO synthase T-786→C polymorphism and blood pressure in a large (n=705) clinically healthy population. Allele frequencies for the T and C alleles were 62% and 38%, translating into 39%, 46% and 15% of the population having the T/T, T/C, and C/C genotypes, respectively, for the T-786→C point mutation. Subjects with the C/C genotype had significantly higher systolic blood pressures and were 2.16(95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 3.7) more likely to be hypertensive. Therefore, the −786 C/C genotype in NO synthase is a significant contributing factor for increasing the risk of essential hypertension.
Scientific Opinion on the re‐evaluation of aspartame (E 951) as a food additive

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Abstract The EFSA ANS Panel provides a scientific opinion on the safety of aspartame (E 951). Aspartame is a sweetener authorised as a food additive in the EU. In previous evaluations by JECFA and the SCF, an ADI of 40 mg/kg bw/day was established based on chronic toxicity in animals. Original reports, previous evaluations, additional literature and data made available following a public call were evaluated. Aspartame is rapidly and completely hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract to phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. Chronic and developmental toxicities were relevant endpoints in the animal database. From chronic toxicity studies in animals, a NOAEL of 4000 mg/kg bw/day was identified. The possibility of developmental toxicity occurring at lower doses than 4000 mg/kg in animals could not be excluded. Based on MoA and weight‐of‐evidence analysis, the Panel concluded that developmental toxicity in animals was attributable to phenylalanine. Phenylalanine at high plasma levels is known to cause developmental toxicity in humans. The Panel concluded that human data on developmental toxicity were more appropriate for the risk assessment. Concentration‐response modelling was used to determine the effects of aspartame administration on plasma phenylalanine using human data after phenylalanine administration to normal, PKU heterozygote or PKU homozygote individuals. In normal and PKU heterozygotes, aspartame intakes up to the ADI of 40 mg/kg bw/day, in addition to dietary phenylalanine, would not lead to peak plasma phenylalanine concentrations above the current clinical guideline for the prevention of adverse effects in fetuses. The Panel concluded that aspartame was not of safety concern at the current aspartame exposure estimates or at the ADI of 40 mg/kg bw/day. Therefore, there was no reason to revise the ADI of aspartame. Current exposures to aspartame ‐ and its degradation product DKP ‐ were below their respective ADIs. The ADI is not applicable to PKU patients.
Liver Function after Long-term Progestational Treatment with and Without Oestrogen

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Liver function tests were done once on each of 52 18-48 year old women 26 of whom had been taking Orgametril 23 had taken Lyndiol and 2 who had taken Lyndiol-2.5 for periods of 14-43 months. Orgametril was given in a daily dose of 5 mg. Lyndiol and Lyndiol-2.5 were usually given cyclically on Days 5-24 of the cycles. Tests done were total serum bilirubin serum alkaline phosphatase thymol turbidity serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT). Results of these tests were all within normal limits except in 2 questionable instances. In 1 woman treated with Orgametril for 31 months for endometriosis a slight increase in alkaline phosphatase was found. Other findings in her case were normal. In the other patient who had taken Lyndiol-2.5 for 18 months for menorrhagia the thymol turbidity test was slightly above normal. Her other tests were normal. No patient had any clinical sign of liver disease during treatment. No indication of hepatic dysfunction was found.
Alexander disease

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Alexander disease has always been considered a classic leukodystrophy (the term literally meaning abnormal white matter nutrition, but usually used more broadly to indicate any hereditary or metabolic white matter abnormality). Although rare (the true incidence is not yet known), the disease is always included in the differential diagnosis when encountering an infant with macrocephaly, delayed development, and an abnormal neuroimaging study primarily affecting the frontal lobes. Confirmation of the diagnosis previously required brain biopsy or autopsy, and demonstration of protein aggregates known as Rosenthal fibers within the cytoplasm of astrocytes. MRI criteria for diagnosis, as refined by van der Knaap et al.,1 noted additional features besides frontal white matter defects (a periventricular rim with high signal on T1-weighted images and low signal on T2-weighted images, abnormalities of the basal ganglia and thalami, brainstem abnormalities, and contrast enhancement of particular gray and white matter structures) and are now highly reliable benchmarks for clinical practice. The realization that mutations in the astrocyte intermediate filament GFAP are responsible for nearly all cases transformed the clinical approach for the most common, infantile, form. …
‘It’s a war on Israel’s liberal democracy’: the Israeli left as a moral panic community, 2015-19

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

This article examines the discourse of the Israeli Left in the years preceding the succession of general elections in 2019–21, with a focus on claims of the purported threats to democracy presented by the right-wing government. Rhetorical analysis of opinion pieces and political commentary in the press on issues relating to education, science, and culture shows recurrent use of appeals to fear – such as comparisons with totalitarian regimes and invocation of other dystopian spectres resulting from nationalist indoctrination and processes of ‘religionization’. This article defines the appeal to fear and other forms of the Left’s identity claims making during this period as moral panic discourse, around which the Left sought to revive its relevance in the public debate at a time when it was viewed as a marginal political force in ideological decline. The article’s main argument is that while the labelling of the Right as a ‘danger to democracy’ has been entrenched in leftist discourse since the 1977 ‘Upheaval’, during the period in discussion it became the principal – almost sole – theme in leftist publicist discourse, serving as a flag issue around which the Left reorganised its identity as the ‘democratic camp’.
Biomarker Assessment of a High-Risk, Data-Driven Pediatric Sepsis Phenotype Characterized by Persistent Hypoxemia, Encephalopathy, and Shock

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

OBJECTIVES: Identification of children with sepsis-associated multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) at risk for poor outcomes remains a challenge. We sought to the determine reproducibility of the data-driven “persistent hypoxemia, encephalopathy, and shock” (PHES) phenotype and determine its association with inflammatory and endothelial biomarkers, as well as biomarker-based pediatric risk strata. DESIGN: We retrained and validated a random forest classifier using organ dysfunction subscores in the 2012–2018 electronic health record (EHR) dataset used to derive the PHES phenotype. We used this classifier to assign phenotype membership in a test set consisting of prospectively (2003–2023) enrolled pediatric septic shock patients. We compared profiles of the PERSEVERE family of biomarkers among those with and without the PHES phenotype and determined the association with established biomarker-based mortality and MODS risk strata. SETTING: Twenty-five PICUs across the United States. PATIENTS: EHR data from 15,246 critically ill patients with sepsis-associated MODS split into derivation and validation sets and 1,270 pediatric septic shock patients in the test set of whom 615 had complete biomarker data. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of the modified classifier to predict PHES phenotype membership was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.90–0.92) in the EHR validation set. In the test set, PHES phenotype membership was associated with both increased adjusted odds of complicated course (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.1; 95% CI, 3.2–5.4) and 28-day mortality (aOR of 4.8; 95% CI, 3.11–7.25) after controlling for age, severity of illness, and immunocompromised status. Patients belonging to the PHES phenotype were characterized by greater degree of systemic inflammation and endothelial activation, and were more likely to be stratified as high risk based on PERSEVERE biomarkers predictive of death and persistent MODS. CONCLUSIONS: The PHES trajectory-based phenotype is reproducible, independently associated with poor clinical outcomes, and overlapped with higher risk strata based on prospectively validated biomarker approaches.
Supplementary Figure S14 from Autocrine 17-β-Estradiol/Estrogen Receptor-α Loop Determines the Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

<p>Effects of letrozole on the efficacy of chemo-immuno-therapy in non-small cell lung cancer xenografts. 1×106 female-derived ERα lowNCI-H1385 cells and ERα highNCI-H1975 cells, male-derived ERα lowA549 cells and ERα highNCI-H1650 cells were implanted subcutaneously (s.c.) in Hu-CD34+NSG mice. When tumors reached the volume of 100 mm3, mice (n= 5/group) were randomized in the following groups: 1) Vehicle group, treated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 100 µl saline solution (days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 after randomization); 2) cisplatin (PT) group, treated with 2 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35); 3) cisplatin + pembrolizumab (PT+Pemb) group, treated with 2 mg/kg cisplatin i.v. (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35) and 10 mg/kg i.p. of 100 µl saline solution of pembrolizumab (day 1) followed by 5 mg/kg i.p. (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35); 4) cisplatin + pembrolizumab + letrozole (PT+Pemb+Letr) group, treated with 2 mg/kg cisplatin i.v. (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35), 10 mg/kg i.p. of 100 µl saline solution of pembrolizumab (day 1) followed by 5 mg/kg i.p. (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35) and 1 mg/kg per os of 100 µl saline solution of letrozole daily (days 1-35). Tumor growth was monitored daily with a caliper. Mice were euthanized on day 40. Data are mean volumes+SD. **p<0.01, ***p<0.001: treatments group versus Vehicle group (day 40); °°°p<0.001: PT+Pemb+Letr group versus Pemb+Letr group (day 40; ANOVA).</p>
Ossification of bilateral stylohyoid ligament with Bell facial paralysis: a case report and literature review

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Objective To investigate the correlation between the ossification of the styloid hyoid ligament and Bell’s facial paralysis and provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods A case of ossification of the bilateral stylohyoid ligament with Bell's facial palsy caused by ossification of the bilateral stylohyoid ligament was diagnosed by clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis and imaging examination. The surgical plan was determined, and combined surgical resection of the ossified area of the styloid hyoid ligament and the greater horn of the hyoid was performed. Postoperative cefoxitin sodium anti-inflammatory treatment, methylprednisolone hormone treatment, acyclovir antiviral treatment, mecobalamin nutritional neurotherapy, and the relevant literature were analyzed. Results The patient experienced pain when swallowing before surgery, disappearance of right frontal ridges, incomplete eyelid closure, and ptosis of mouth corners. An MRI scan of the brain excluded intracranial space-occupying lesions and resulted in the diagnosis of Bell’s facial paralysis. High-resolution CT of the styloid process confirmed ossification of the styloid hyoid ligament. Styloid process shortening and partial hyoid resection were performed under general anesthesia. Half a month after discharge, the symptoms of sore throat and pain in swallowing disappeared, facial nerve function recovered well, right eyelid closure function recovered well, and right mouth droop improved. The facial nerve function basically returned to normal after 1 month of follow-up. A review of the relevant literature showed that ossification of the stylohyoid ligament to form pseudojoint dilation can locally stimulate the peripheral facial nerve and lead to facial paralysis symptoms. Conclusion Ossification of the styloid hyoid ligament is usually characterized by pharyngeal pain, which can be confirmed by imaging examination. Ossification of the styloid hyoid ligament with facial paralysis is rare in the clinic, so it is necessary to make a clear diagnosis and treat the symptoms.