cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NOTES Transvaginal Appendectomy

This chapter discusses the history and the different techniques of transvaginal appendectomy, which may consist of “pure NOTES” or “hybrid NOTES.” The two main technical differences including rigid and flexible approaches are explained in detail. All these techniques are described from the positioning of the patient to the closure of the colpotomy. Next to the indications, contraindications and complications are discussed as well. In summary, it appears that no specific transvaginal approach, pure or hybrid, using endoscopic or laparoscopic instruments, has been shown to be superior. Yet, the hybrid approach may be technically easier and therefore safer over the pure transvaginal approach for most surgeons. Several studies of transvaginal appendectomy suggest that there is a faster recovery to normal activities and improved cosmetic results compared to conventional laparoscopic appendectomy. Overall, transvaginal appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis is a viable option for patients.
Consume, Reproduce, Extend and Connect: Sustaining Our Research Lifecycle

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Scholarly research is at the forefront of innovation, especially with a breadth of new technologies that can enhance the research process. However, in a race for scholars to produce more and more new findings, documentation practices and reproduction of results may be neglected. Lack of validation through reproduction can lead to a general distrust of scholarly research and experiments, but a more generous approach to information sharing could be the answer to this issue. Scholars have connected socially for centuries to share their ideas, and this practice has led to some truly innovative ideas that have shaped our world today. With willing participants sharing their ideas and their research methods, new findings can be reproduced and validated, creating a stronger and more trustworthy community of scholars.
A Tolerant Algebraic Side-Channel Attack on AES Using CP

AES is a mainstream block cipher used in many protocols and whose resilience against attack is essential for cybersecurity. In [14], Oren and Wool discuss a Tolerant Algebraic Side-Channel Analysis (TASCA) and show how to use optimization technology to exploit side-channel information and mount a computational attack against AES. This paper revisits the results and posits that Constraint Programming is a strong contender and a potent optimization solution. It extends bit-vector solving as introduced in [8], develops a CP and an IP model and compares them with the original Pseudo-Boolean formulation. The empirical results establish that CP can deliver solutions with orders of magnitude improvement in both run time and memory usage, traits that are essential to potential adoption by cryptographers.
Abstract 35: Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into the Renal Medulla Attenuated Salt-sensitive Hypertension in Dahl S Rat

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been employed as a therapeutic strategy for many different diseases. We have recently shown that there is a stem cell dysfunction in the renal medulla that may contribute to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl S rats. The present study tested the hypothesis that transplantation of MSCs into the renal medulla improves salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl S rats. Rat adult MSCs were obtained from Texas A&M Health Science Center, ex-vivo expanded and infused (5 million cells) into the renal medulla in uninephrectomized Dahl S rats, which were then treated with low salt (LS, 0.4% NaCl) or high salt (HS, 8% NaCl) diet for 10 days. Results showed that the mRNA levels of stem cell markers CD133 and CD90 were increased by 60% and 70%, respectively, in the renal medulla in MSC-treated rats compared with control cell-treated rats. HS challenge increased mean arterial blood pressure in control cell-treated animals (from 113.9 ± 3.4 to 153.5 ± 4.8 mmHg), which was significantly attenuated in MSC-treated animals (from 114.1 ± 3.5 to 131.3 ± 2.5 mmHg). Meanwhile, ELISA analysis showed that the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β in the renal medulla were remarkably increased in HS-treated rats compared with LS-treated rats, which was blocked in MSC-treated rats (1.81 ± 0.18 ng/mg protein in LS group, 2.84 ± 0.57 in HS +control cell and 1.83 ± 0.35 in HS+MSC). Furthermore, immunostaining showed that the significant increase in immune cell (CD43+) infiltration into the renal medulla in HS control rats was reduced in HS+MSC rats. These results suggest that correction of stem cell dysfunction in the renal medulla attenuated inflammation in this kidney region after HS challenge and improved high salt-induced hypertension in Dahls S rats, which may serve as a therapeutic approach for salt-sensitive hypertension (supported by NIH grant HL89563 and HL106042)
Effects of Intranasal Oxytocin on the Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent Signal in Food Motivation and Cognitive Control Pathways in Overweight and Obese Men

Recent research indicates that the hypothalamic neuropeptide hormone oxytocin is a key central nervous system factor in the regulation of food intake and weight. However, the mechanisms underlying the anorexigenic effects of oxytocin in humans are unknown and critical to study to consider oxytocin as a neurohormonal weight loss treatment. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with single-dose intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) in ten overweight or obese, otherwise healthy men. Following oxytocin/placebo administration, participants completed an established functional magnetic resonance imaging food motivation paradigm. We hypothesized that oxytocin would reduce the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal to high-calorie food vs non-food visual stimuli in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the origin of the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system. Following oxytocin administration, compared to placebo, participants showed bilateral VTA hypoactivation to high-calorie food stimuli. A secondary exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed hypoactivation in additional hedonic (orbitofrontal cortex, insula, globus pallidus, putamen, hippocampus, and amygdala) and homeostatic (hypothalamus) food motivation and hyperactivation in cognitive control (anterior cingulate and frontopolar cortex) brain regions following oxytocin administration vs placebo. Oxytocin administration reduces the BOLD signal in reward-related food motivation brain regions, providing a potential neurobiological mechanism for the anorexigenic oxytocin effects in humans. Furthermore, our data indicate that oxytocin administration reduces activation in homeostatic and increases activation in cognitive control brain regions critically involved in regulating food intake and resolving affective conflict, respectively. Future studies are required to link these changes in brain activation to oxytocin effects on food intake and weight.
Effect of the wall presence on the bubble interfacial forces in a shear flow field

Abstract Understanding the interactions between the bubbles and solid walls is important for predicting how the bubbly flow characteristics, such as void fraction and statistical distribution of bubble sizes, are affected by the presence of solid boundaries. In the present research, the numerical simulations with interface tracking method are performed to evaluate the interfacial forces’ closures in shear flow field under well-controlled conditions. The proportional-integral-derivative bubble controller is adopted to keep a single bubble at fixed position near the wall by balancing the forces in all three directions. This allows the extraction of the interfacial forces and the calculation of the corresponding coefficients. Validation tests have previously been conducted by the authors to compare the interfacial closures’ results against the experimental data. In this work, the influence of wall distance, relative velocity and bubble deformation on the interfacial forces are investigated. The results show that as the bubble approaches the wall, it experiences a transition from attractive force to repulsive force normal to the wall. The bubble Reynolds number also has significant impact on the interfacial forces: the net lateral force changes direction at R e b = 35 . The coupled phenomenon of bubble deformation and wall effect is investigated as well. The net lift sign change is observed at E o = 2.3 when the dimensionless wall distance (the ratio between the distance from the bubble center to the wall and the bubble diameter) is equal to 1. The presented studies complement the state-of-the-art knowledge and those are aimed to help improve the closure laws for interfacial forces and contribute to the multiphase computational fluid dynamics (M-CFD) closure model development.
Empirically Derived Profiles of Teacher Stress, Burnout, Self-Efficacy, and Coping and Associated Student Outcomes:

Understanding how teacher stress, burnout, coping, and self-efficacy are interrelated can inform preventive and intervention efforts to support teachers. In this study, we explored these constructs to determine their relation to student outcomes, including disruptive behaviors and academic achievement. Participants in this study were 121 teachers and 1,817 students in grades kindergarten to fourth from nine elementary schools in an urban Midwestern school district. Latent profile analysis was used to determine patterns of teacher adjustment in relation to stress, coping, efficacy, and burnout. These profiles were then linked to student behavioral and academic outcomes. Four profiles of teacher adjustment were identified. Three classes were characterized by high levels of stress and were distinguished by variations in coping and burnout ranging from (a) high coping/low burnout (60%) to (b) moderate coping and burnout (30%), to (c) low coping/high burnout (3%). The fourth class was distinguished by low stre...
Self-aligned InGaAs FinFETs with 5-nm fin-width and 5-nm gate-contact separation

We demonstrate self-aligned InGaAs FinFETs with fin widths down to 5 nm fabricated through a CMOS compatible front-end process. Precision dry etching of the recess cap results in metal contacts that are about 5 nm away from the intrinsic portion of the fin. The new process has allowed us to fabricate devices with undoped fins and compare them with delta-doped fins. We find that in highly scaled transistors, undoped fin devices show better OFF-state and a tighter VT distribution but similar ON-state characteristics, as compared with δ-doped-fin transistors. 2D Poisson-Schrodinger simulations reveal undoped fins making more effective use of the fin height.
PLASMA PROTEINS AND PATHWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS IN A DIABETIC POPULATION

High triglyceride (TG) levels have been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke, particularly among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). The purpose of this project was to examine the plasma-based proteomics associated with TG in a DM population
Fetal blood-gas values during fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair performed under carbon dioxide insufflation.

Fetoscopic myelomeningocele (MMC) repair is performed using intrauterine carbon dioxide (CO2 ) insufflation. Sheep experiments have shown that CO2 insufflation is associated with significant fetal acidemia; however, corresponding data for human pregnancy are not available. We performed umbilical venous cord blood sampling in three patients during fetoscopic MMC repair at 25 + 1, 25 + 3 and 24 + 0 weeks' gestation, respectively. Fetal venous pH at the beginning of CO2 insufflation was 7.36, 7.46 and 7.37, respectively in the three fetuses, and repeat values were 7.28, 7.35 and 7.36 after 181, 159 and 149 min, respectively. The partial pressure of oxygen and CO2 was maintained in the normal range during these times, and pH decrease was less in Patient 3 who received humidified CO2 insufflation. Our observations suggest that, in contrast to sheep experiments, CO2 insufflation during fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair does not cause acidemia in human fetuses. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Seasonal and Annual Topdressing Effects on Anthracnose of Annual Bluegrass

Sand topdressing applied to annual bluegrass [Poa annua L. f. reptans (Hausskn.) T. Koyama] putting greens during the spring and summer can reduce anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum cereale Manns sensu lato Crouch, Clarke, and Hillman. However, the effects of autumn topdressing on this disease and the annual quantity of sand required to suppress anthracnose are not known. A 3-yr field study was initiated in 2010 to evaluate a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial of autumn, spring, and summer topdressing on anthracnose severity of annual bluegrass maintained at 2.8 mm. Autumn and spring topdressing was applied at 0, 1.2, or 2.4 L m–² yr–¹ and 0, 0.6, or 1.2 L m–² yr–¹ of sand was applied during summer. Linear and Cate-Nelson models were used to evaluate the response of anthracnose to annual topdressing quantity. Spring topdressing caused the greatest reduction in disease. Autumn topdressing reduced disease early each year following application, while spring topdressing provided consistent disease suppression throughout the growing season. Summer topdressing rates, similar to those applied on golf courses, reduced disease only in 2012 (mid- to late summer). Additionally, modeling the disease response against annual topdressing quantity indicated that increasing topdressing up to 6.0 L m–² yr–¹ produced a linear reduction of anthracnose on annual bluegrass. Golf turf managers should recognize that autumn topdressing will aid in anthracnose suppression; however, spring applications are more effective when anthracnose is the management objective.
MPLOY – A Job Readiness Workbook: Career Skills Development for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum and with Learning Difficulties

Mary Katherine Haver, Book Review EditorJournal of Consumer Health on the Internet considers for review books of interest to librarians and health care consumers. This column will concentrate on re...
Instability Wave–Streak Interactions in a High Mach Number Boundary Layer at Flight Conditions

The interaction of stationary streaks undergoing nonmodal growth with modally unstable instability waves in a hypersonic boundary-layer flow is studied using numerical computations. The geometry and flow conditions are selected to match a relevant trajectory location from the ascent phase of the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment; namely, a 7 degree half-angle, circular cone with 2.5 mm nose radius, freestream Mach number equal to 5.30, unit Reynolds number equal to 13.42 m-1, and wall-to-adiabatic temperature ratio of approximately 0.35 over most of the vehicle. This paper investigates the nonlinear evolution of initially linear optimal disturbances that evolve into finite-amplitude streaks, followed by an analysis of the modal instability characteristics of the perturbed, streaky boundary-layer flow. The investigation is performed with stationary direct numerical simulations (DNS) and plane-marching parabolized stability equations (PSE), in conjunction with partial-differential-equation-based planar eigenvalue analysis. The overall effect of streaks is to reduce the peak amplification factors of instability waves, indicating a possible downstream shift in the onset of laminar-turbulent transition. The present study confirms previous findings that the mean flow distorsion of the nonlinear streak perturbation reduces the amplification rates of the Mack-mode instability. More importantly, however, the present results demonstrate that the spanwise varying component of the streak can produce a larger effect on the Mack-mode amplification. The study with selected azimuthal wavenumbers for the stationary streaks reveals that a wavenumber of approximately 1.4 times larger than the optimal wavenumber is more effective in stabilizing the planar Mack-mode instabilities. In the absence of unstable first-mode waves for the present cold-wall condition, transition onset is expected to be delayed until the peak streak amplitude increases to nearly 35 percent of the freestream velocity, when intrinsic instabilities of the boundary-layer streaks begin to dominate the transition process. For streak amplitudes below that limit a significant net stabilization is achieved, yielding a potential transition delay that can exceed 100 percent of the length of the laminar region in the uncontrolled case.
Measuring Value in Postacute Care

The value of postacute care (PAC) is unclear. While experienced clinicians understand the appropriateness of each specific site of PAC, clear evidence-based guidelines are not available, and many referrals to PAC today are made based on bed availability rather than patient need. Measuring value (value=outcomes/cost) for the entire episode of care has been proposed as an effective method to both evaluate and enable faster innovation in care. Instituting value-based care will increase patient engagement, improve quality and reduce cost with the potential of unifying the goals for all stakeholders-patients and families, providers, and payers. To achieve a goal of value-based care, rehabilitation researchers will need to measure outcomes and cost for the entire episode of care. Recent laudable efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to standardize data across PAC may not include the entire episode of care since outpatient care and measurement from home are not included. In addition, the true cost of services delivered is rarely measured. To implement value-based care in rehabilitation and facilitate cost-effective care improvements, outcomes research in PAC should focus on 4 areas. First, outcome measures need to reflect the patient's perspective. Second, new methods must be implemented to acquire comparable valid and reliable data from all postacute settings and the home. Third, a predictive model for individual patients should be utilized to guide patient referral from acute care to PAC and monitor progress. And fourth, timely specific measures of true cost (resources consumed) for the outcomes achieved are needed.
Compact, inexpensive refractive index detection in femtoliter volumes using commercial optical pickup technology

Refractive index (RI) sensing in microfluidics has the advantage of universal detection, capable of sensing all species from simple monoatomic ions to complex proteins without external labels or additional contrast agents. Various forms of interferometry have been developed for RI sensing in microfluidics. In particular, backscatter interferometry (BSI) is easily implemented and well-suited for miniaturization. This is important for future applications in point-of-care or point-of-interest measurements, where the total analysis system needs to be easily deployed. The optical arrangement in BSI is similar to that used in optical pickup heads (OPHs), found in CD and DVD drives. This offers intriguing possibilities for repurposing OPHs for miniaturized RI detection in microfluidics. To explore the feasibility of this approach, commercially available OPHs are modified for RI detection in 75 μm i.d. (363 μm o.d.) fused silica capillaries. BSI interference patterns measured using a modified OPH positioned near the capillary are compared with simulations as a function of wavelength. Once characterized, the modified OPH is used to measure refractive index changes as sucrose solutions are injected through the 75 μm i.d. capillary. Signal level changes were recorded following the introduction of solutions ranging in concentration from 67 μM to 19.3 mM and the resulting calibration plot (67 μM to 4.8 mM) exhibited good linearity (R2 = 0.9993). Finally, a modified OPH was used to detect the electrophoretic separation of Na+ and Li+ using RI detection. While the measurements reported here used modified OPHs that bypassed the built-in photodiode detector, eventually all on-board components could be utilized for a completely self-contained, inexpensive, universal detector for field deployable microfluidic applications.
The Role of Science in Environmental Protection: Is the Development of Environmental Law Toward More Protective and Productive Way, or Distorted to Inequality, Through the Involvement of Science?

Science can be used to restore the public confidence in the agency and provide good rational for its decisions. However, Rachel Carson had questioned the government’s manipulation of science to support the toxicological safety of pesticides, which therefore launched the beginning of the environmental movement in U.S. Science has an important role in enacting, implementing, and enforcing environmental law. Congress enacted many statutes based on science-, technology-, and health/risk-standards. Regulatory discourse speaks more in terms of science, probabilities, and risk assessment. However, these issues are interdisciplinary in character and raise a variety of legal, social, economic, and ethical questions.During the past several decades many areas of governmental policy associated with hazards to health, safety, and the environment have become increasingly contentious. Even today, the continuing debate on regulatory reform has not yet reached consensus on how governmental institutions and procedures should be structured to make decisions better and more broadly acceptable.For example, risk assessment now is critical for determining the threshold triggering the regulation to protect the public from environmental harms. However, in the “sound science” campaign, people still claim that human lives are not abut probabilities or statistical calculation. Further, it might be anti-democratic to substitute science for democratic decision making. Moreover, for its policy, the agency has incentives to use science as an effective shield against outside attacks. Hence, scholars are questioning the politicization of science. In the face of climate change, the policy the Bush administration had might be the most notorious example. Prof. Wendy Wagner also documented how administrators, in environmental regulation, can over-rely on science to implement statutory programs through which Congress demands public protection against the risk of serious harm even when the extent of the risk is highly uncertain. Further, she argued that the agency is engaging in a charade to camouflage the agency’s own failure to make the necessary “trans-scientific” policy judgments that the situation demands.Science helped us establish current legal system of environmental protection. But it also causes environmental protection stayed away from the public and controlled by some few elites and agencies, even including industry interest groups. What should we do to right the wrongs of the pasts and better our perspective in the future for environmental protection? Hence, in this paper, I would like to discuss the role science plays in environmental protection and its relationship with others such as the agency, Congress, and courts. And, I will answer the question: “Is the development of environmental law toward more protective and productive way, or distorted to inequality, through the involvement of science?”, and propose suggestions for its future development.
Variations in Rating Scale Functioning in Assessing Speech Act Production in L2 Chinese

ABSTRACTAdopting Linacre’s guidelines for evaluating rating scale effectiveness, we examined whether and how a six-point rating scale functioned differently across raters, speech acts, and second l...
Clinical Application of Apheresis in Very Small Dogs Weighing <8 kg to Pediatric Patients

Apheresis in low body weight children and adolescents is challenging due to a variety of technical and clinical issues including vascular access, low total blood volume, and hypotension. Although dogs have been a valuable preclinical model for apheresis, the procedure can be challenging since many pure-bred dogs are extremely small. Therefore, apheresis in these very small breeds presents very similar challenges as seen when performing the procedure in very low body weight people. We describe apheresis of four very small dogs, weighing from 4.6 to 7.6 kg, using either a COBESpectra and Spectra Optia apheresis system (Terumo BCT, Lakewood, CO, USA). Two dogs underwent large volume leukapheresis to collect mononuclear cells in preparation for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and two dogs underwent therapeutic plasma exchange to treat an immune-mediated disease. In all cases, a dual-lumen hemodialysis catheter placed in the jugular vein provided adequate machine inlet and return flow rates. Machine priming was necessary to maintain hemodynamic stability during the beginning of the procedure, and rinseback was avoided for the same reason. Anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution, solution A was used for the large volume leukapheresis procedures and a combination of anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution, solution A and heparin was used for the therapeutic plasma exchange procedures. As such, serum iCa levels were regularly monitored and 10% calcium gluconate constant rate infusions were used to prevent citrate toxicity. All dogs completed the aphereses with no life-threatening adverse events. We conclude that aphereses in very small dogs is feasible if close attention is paid to hemodynamic stability and citrate toxicity.
Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and provenance of the Sundance Formation, western Powder River Basin, Wyoming

Abstract This study uses detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology to investigate the provenance of the Jurassic Sundance Formation in the western Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Understanding the provenance of the Sundance Formation is critical as it was deposited during the transition from cratonic to synorogenic sedimentation derived from the Sevier-Laramide foreland. The Sundance in the western Powder River Basin consists of an oolitic limestone and green glauconitic sandstone at the base, green shales in the middle, and a yellow quartz arenite with coquina “oyster” beds at the top. U-Pb analyses of detrital zircons using LA-ICP-MS were conducted on two samples collected in the Bud Love Wildlife Habitat Management Area, 20 km northwest of Buffalo, WY. The two samples were taken from the upper and lower sandstone members of the Sundance Formation (n=289 concordant U-Pb zircon ages). The samples show a distinct difference in detrital zircon age spectra. The lower sandstone age spectrum ranges from 260-3172 Ma with 23% of the ages being Paleozoic, 71% being Proterozoic, and 6% being Archean. This lower stratum has detrital zircon age peaks at 343, 432, 686, 1039, 1431, 1662, 1748, 1941, 2433, and 3179 Ma. The lower sandstone shows an easterly Appalachian-Ouachita provenance, which persisted in the region beginning in the Carboniferous. In comparison to the upper strata, ages range from 157-2949 Ma and age peaks at 170, 243, 440, 545, 1082, 1467, 1681, and 1985 Ma. The maximum deposition age for the upper member is 160 Ma. Mesozoic aged grains make up 15.6% of the zircons, 14.7% were Paleozoic, 65.7% were Proterozoic, and 4% were Archean in age. The appearance of Mesozoic zircons in the upper sandstone marks the first significant appearance of westerly sourced zircons, and perhaps reflects the earliest uplift of the Sevier fold and thrust belt. Previous research has found this same signature in the Sundance but not in the underlying Triassic Chugwater Formation, resulting in a broad boundary of the change in sediment dispersal and the onset of the Sevier Orogeny between the Triassic and Jurassic. This study was conducted for a higher resolution to the provenance of the Sundance Formation and to further narrow the boundary of differing sedimentation from an eastern recycled to western synorogenic source.
Redox-Annulations of Cyclic Amines with ortho-Cyanomethylbenzaldehydes

Amines such as 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline undergo redox-neutral annulations with ortho-cyanomethylbenzaldehydes. These amine α-C–H bond functionalization reactions are promoted by acetic acid. The resulting β-aminonitriles can be converted to the corresponding β-aminoalcohols in diastereoselective fashion.
A Qualitative Study of Perioperative Depression and Anxiety in Older Adults.

Abstract Objective We had three aims 1) understand barriers to perioperative management of anxiety and depression in older surgical patients; 2) identify preferences and requirements for interventions to manage their anxiety and depression; and 3) explore the feasibility of implementing such interventions in perioperative care. Design A qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted. Setting Participants were recruited at a large academic medical center. Participants We interviewed older surgical patients and clinicians to characterize their perspectives on management of anxiety and depression symptoms, with emphasis on patient needs, barriers, and potential interventions to address these needs. Measurements We used the Consolidated Framework for Intervention Research to guide the development of interview questions related to intervention implementation feasibility. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview responses. Results Forty semistructured interviews were conducted. Key barriers for perioperative management of depression and anxiety included fear of surgery, acute pain, postoperative neurocognitive disorders, limited understanding of what to expect regarding surgery and recovery, and overwhelmingly complex medication management. Patients and clinicians suggested that a bundled mental health management intervention targeted for older surgical patient population comprised of behavioral and pharmacologic strategies can help mitigate anxiety and depression symptoms during the perioperative period. Clinicians emphasized the need for a collaborative engagement strategy that includes multiple stakeholders in the design, planning, and implementation of such an intevention. Conclusion New care models need to be developed to integrate mental health care into the current perioperative care practice.
Grape Chemopreventive Agents Against Angiogenesis and Metastasis

Recent advances in the identification of efficient diagnostic means, novel targets and therapeutics, have resulted in a significant decline in cancer mortality. However, based on recent estimates from the American Cancer Society, 1,762,450 new cancer cases and 606,880 cancer-deaths are projected to occur in the United States, in the year 2019. Therefore, an expedition for more efficient means of cancer management continues. Cancer cells cannot prosper without an adequate supply of blood through angiogenesis, a process of forming new blood vessels. Angiogenesis is a multistep process controlled by several proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors. Dysregulated angiogenesis contributes to unlimited growth and metastasis of cancer, with fatal consequences. In a quest for novel agents/drugs to curtail metastatic spread of cancer, the dietary agents are being actively investigated. Grapes are, arguably, one of the most valuable fruits, containing more than 1600 phytochemicals. Among these, resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, peonidin, cyanidin, malvidin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, taxifolin, and quercetin are the top ten compounds that account for more than 70% of the grape polyphenols. These grape constituents alone, in combinations, or as whole grape products, have been shown to have anticancer activities. In this chapter, we have discussed the mechanistic action(s) of grape agents against angiogenesis and metastasis, both of which are crucial requirements for cancer survival and progression. Studies have shown how grape chemopreventive agents are proficient at challenging the proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors necessary for tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. This makes grape antioxidants very promising in cancer management.
Prognosis of patients eligible for dapagliflozin in acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, was shown in the DAPA-HF study to reduce the risk of worsening heart failure or death in symptomatic patients with left ejection fraction <40%, irrespective of diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate eligibility status for dapagliflozin in non-selected patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), as well as prognostic implications of this status. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analysis of 815 patients recruited in a prospective cohort of acute heart failure at the University Hospitals of Geneva, consisting of consecutive patients admitted with ADHF. Eligibility for dapagliflozin was determined using criteria described DAPA-HF. RESULTS Of 815 patients, 220 (27%) were eligible for dapagliflozin treatment. In survival analysis, patients who were eligible for dapagliflozin had better clinical outcomes with respect to all-cause mortality and rehospitalization as compared to those who were not eligible. In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality or readmission in patients eligible for dapagliflozin was 0.82 (95% CI 0.68-0.999, P = .049) as compared to the non-eligible. CONCLUSIONS Using DAPA-HF criteria, only 27% of non-selected patients admitted for ADHF are theoretically eligible for dapagliflozin. This eligibility for dapagliflozin is associated with better outcomes. Further evaluation of the benefits of dapagliflozin in selected HF patients may be of interest. This may have implications for selection criteria in future randomized effectiveness studies.
Effectiveness of Care

Effectiveness is providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse, respectively). At their core, health care organizations across the continuum aim to provide effective care. Examination of mission statements from any clinic, hospital, or research institution will quickly affirm this. Whether the intervention is a drug, therapy, device, diagnostic test, preventative service, or watchful waiting, the aim is to produce better outcomes for our patients. In this chapter, we will explore how the evidence for effective care is generated and perceived, the efficacy to effectiveness (E-e) gradient, how the E-e gradient is being addressed in science, and future directions in effectiveness as a dimension of quality.
Enabling out-of-clinic human immunity studies via single-cell profiling of capillary blood

An individual's immune system is driven by both genetic and environmental factors that vary over time. To better understand the temporal and inter-individual variability of gene expression within distinct immune cell types, we developed a platform that leverages multiplexed single-cell sequencing and out-of-clinic capillary blood extraction to enable simplified, cost-effective profiling of the human immune system across people and time at single-cell resolution. Using the platform, we detect widespread differences in cell type-specific gene expression between subjects that are stable over multiple days.
A 12-pA Resolution Sigma Delta ADC Topology for Chemiresistive Sensor-Based Applications

Chemiresistive sensor technologies can detect chemical trace in the air down to the low Part Per Billion (ppb)/Part Per Trillion (ppt) level. Achieving such low detection levels requires low-noise and high-accuracy analog front-end interfaces. One such interface uses a Sigma Delta $(\Sigma\triangle)$ Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) topology that leads to lower noise at low frequency and better effective resolution. The slow charging dynamics of chemicals in the environment is well-suited for $\Sigma\triangle$ converters. While $\Sigma\triangle$ converters are a well-studied topic, the potential resolution of chemical sensing using chemiresistive sensors has not yet been demonstrated in a fully integrated mixed-signal interface. In this paper, we develop a $\Sigma\triangle$ architecture combined with a 10-pA resolution Digitally Controlled Current Sources (DCCS) and an integrated Proportional Integrator Derivative (PID) controller feedback loop. The PID drives back the current sources at 250 kHz to maintain a constant voltage across the sensor, acting as a variable resistor Implemented on a 180 nm CMOS process with an 8-bits current source resolution at 250 kHz and coupled with nanofiber chemiresistive sensors, it translates into lppb level detection. Compared to the state-of-the-art chemical sensing interface, our circuit shows a 5$\times$improvement in detection level and a $ 10\times$ improvement in power efficiency, given the same detection level.
Jets and QSO spectra

QSOs’ emission lines arise from highest velocity (∼104 km s−1), dense gas within <0.1 parsec of the central engine, out to low-velocity, low-density gas at great distances from the host galaxy. In radio-loud QSOs there are clear indications that the distribution and kinematics of emission-line gas are related to the symmetry axis of the central engine, as defined by the radio jet. These jets originate at nuclear distances <0.1 pc—similar to the highest-velocity emission line gas. There are two ways we can investigate the different environments of radio-loud and radio-quiet QSOs, i.e., those with and without powerful radio jets. One is to look for optical-UV spectroscopic differences between radio-loud and radio-quiet QSOs. The other is to investigate dependences of spectroscopic properties on properties of the powerful jets in radio-loud QSOs. Here we summarize the spectroscopic differences between the two classes, and present known dependences of spectra on radio coredominance, which we interpret as dependences on the angle of the central engine to the line-of-sight. We speculate on what some of the differences may mean.
Mental age and I.Q. of predominantly vegetarian children.

As vegetarianism emerges from the stigma of cultism, more information on its effects is needed and, indeed, is becoming available. In this study, the mental development of preschoolers in vegetarian households was investigated.
The Fourteenth Amendment, Same-Sex Unions, and the Supreme Court

That it makes sense for a liberal democracy to entrench certain human rights does not entail that it also makes sense for a liberal democracy to empower its courts to protect or enforce the entrenched rights; whether it makes sense to do the latter is a separate question: “One can have a constitution of entrenched rules but leave the interpretation of those rules to democratic decision making, and many countries do just that.”1 Is it appropriate—is it a good idea, all things considered—for a liberal democracy to do what most liberal democracies do:2 cede to its courts the power to oppose, in the name of constitutionally entrenched human rights, laws and policies of the
Yeast Signal Transduction: Regulation and Interface with Cell Biology

We examined the morphogenetic transitions that yeast cells undergo in response to extracellular cues, and determined that multiple mechanisms control specificity of signal transduction pathway signaling and the attendant physiological response that ensues. This article describes the approaches that we used to determine these mechanisms. Our findings indicate that scaffolding proteins, which organize signal transduction pathways, are an especially powerful means to achieve specificity. We do not yet know how general this mechanism is. Our studies have also started to reveal ways in which a protein, Ste20, first identified as a participant in signal transduction pathways, may also connect to the basic cell biology machinery. Synthetic lethal genetic analysis has suggested that the polarisome and a new ubiquitin-like system may be targets of Ste20.
Implementing Conservation of Life Across the Curriculum

This paper presents our pedagogy for chemical process safety (CPS) education across the curriculum. Building on a unifying theme of “Conservation of Life” (COL), we have four goals: 1) Make students aware of CPS/COL principles. 2) Promote a culture of safety, 3) Assess student learning, 4) Require minimal resources.We discuss our experience and recommendations for reaching these goals through planning, coordination, identification, and use of existing resources as well as student and faculty accountability.
Power System Stabilizers — Analytical Techniques and Practical Criteria for Design

Abstract In recent years, the use of supplementary signals to improve dynamic stability of power systems has received wide attention. The cause of occurrence of spontaneous oscillations is difficult to Identify precisely except through simulation. The supplementary controls to the excitation system constitute the power system stabilizer (PSS). In this paper, a control theoretic viewpoint is presented, together with practical aspects of parameter setting, tuning and siting of PSS in a large-scale power system. It is critical to know which modes are being controlled. The traditional root locus, frequency response techniques can be supplemented by techniques of modern cuuLiul ihe in y such as dynamic compensator design or eigenvalue assignment technique. This is one area of power systems where control and power engineering disciplines have a lot in common. The paper reviews critically the existing literature in the area and provides Justification for the heuristic approaches of the early design of PSS. Practical guidelines are given for the tuning of PSS. Emphasis is also put on the kind of system studies that precede the actual decision to install PSS on any particular generating unit.
Higgs-Free Symmetry Breaking from Critical Behavior near Dimension Four

Starting from the infrared limit of Yang-Mills theory, we introduce here a Higgs-free model in which symmetry breaking arises from critical behavior near dimension four. Electroweak bosons develop mass near the Wilson-Fisher point of Renormalization Group flow. The family structure of Standard Model is recovered using the technique of “epsilon expansion”. We also find that dimensional regularization offers a straightforward solution to the cosmological constant problem.
A subzone reconstruction algorithm for efficient staggered compatible remapping

Staggered-grid Lagrangian hydrodynamics algorithms frequently make use of subzonal discretization of state variables for the purposes of improved numerical accuracy, generality to unstructured meshes, and exact conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. For Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methods using a geometric overlay, it is difficult to remap subzonal variables in an accurate and efficient manner due to the number of subzone-subzone intersections that must be computed. This becomes prohibitive in the case of 3D, unstructured, polyhedral meshes. A new procedure is outlined in this paper to avoid direct subzonal remapping. The new algorithm reconstructs the spatial profile of a subzonal variable using remapped zonal and nodal representations of the data. The reconstruction procedure is cast as an under-constrained optimization problem. Enforcing conservation at each zone and node on the remapped mesh provides the set of equality constraints; the objective function corresponds to a quadratic variation per subzone between the values to be reconstructed and a set of target reference values. Numerical results for various pure-remapping and hydrodynamics tests are provided. Ideas for extending the algorithm to staggered-grid radiation-hydrodynamics are discussed as well as ideas for generalizing the algorithm to include inequality constraints.
Sex Equality and/or the Family: From Bloom vs. Okin to Rousseau vs. Hegel

This article is a friendly amendment to Susan Okin’s response to a familiar conservative warning, that sex equality tends to destroy the family. I argue that the warning misapprehends the goods of family life. I also explore the roots of modern antifeminist thought in the writing of Rousseau, and show how his arguments are persuasively rebutted by Hegel’s account of recognition.
On optimal control of systems with multi-norm constraints

Summary In this paper the optimal time problem is considered for multiple input systems when each input may be subject to a separate and possibly different type of constraint. Specifically the control of a plant described by an nth order, linear, time varying differential equation and which has r inputs and m outputs is considered. Each input ui(t) is constrained by a condition of the form [ ∫ 0 T | u i ( t ) | pi dt ] 1 p i ≤ L i , for i = 1 , 2 , ... , r where pi ≥ 1. Note that the constraints are applied to each input separately so that this problem includes those practical cases when some inputs may be limited in magnitude, some in energy, and others in still different ways. The problem is to find the set of inputs ui(t) which satisfy the constraints and which will make the plant outputs equal to a set of desired outputs in minimum time T. The technique presented in this paper for solving the problem is an extension of the methods of functional analysis first used by Krasovskii and Kulikowski to solve optimal time problems with a single constrained input. A useful feature of the solution presented in this paper is that a very general norm is defined for the input vector u(t) = [u1(t), u2(t), …, ur(t)] which incorporates all the separate constraints into a single constraint condition. This permits a solution of the optimal time problem for this case, which may be obtained with no more formal difficulty than in the single input case.
Planckian axions and the Weak Gravity Conjecture

Several recent works [1-3] have claimed that the Weak Gravity Conjecture (WGC) excludes super-Planckian displacements of axion fields, and hence large-field axion inflation, in the absence of monodromy. We argue that in theories with N ≫ 1 axions, super-Planckian axion diameters $$ \mathcal{D} $$ are readily allowed by the WGC. We clarify the non-trivial relationship between the kinetic matrix K — unambiguously defined by its form in a Minkowski-reduced basis — and the diameter of the axion fundamental domain, emphasizing that in general the diameter is not solely determined by the eigenvalues f 1 2 ≤ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ≤ f 2 of K: the orientations of the eigenvectors with respect to the identifications imposed by instantons must be incorporated. In particular, even if one were to impose the condition f N < M pl, this would imply neither $$ \mathcal{D} $$ < M pl nor $$ \mathcal{D} $$ < $$ \sqrt{N}{M}_{\mathrm{pl}} $$ . We then estimate the actions of instantons that fulfill the WGC. The leading instanton action is bounded from below by $$ S\ge \mathcal{S}\;{M}_{\mathrm{pl}}/{f}_N $$ , with $$ \mathcal{S} $$ a fixed constant, but in the universal limit $$ S\gtrsim \mathcal{S}\sqrt{N}\ {M}_{\mathrm{pl}}/{f}_N $$ . Thus, having f N > M pl does not immediately imply the existence of unsuppressed higher harmonic contributions to the potential. Finally, we argue that in effective axion-gravity theories, the zero-form version of the WGC can be satisfied by gravitational instantons that make negligible contributions to the potential.
Effect of aspect ratio in free-swimming plunging flexible plates

Abstract We use three dimensional computer simulations to investigate the free swimming of plunging elastic plates with aspect ratios ranging from 0.5 to 5 in a viscous fluid with Reynolds number 250. We show that maximum velocity occurs near the first natural frequency regardless of aspect ratio, whereas the maximum swimming economy occurs away from the first natural frequency and is associated with a specific swimmer bending pattern. Moreover, we show that the low aspect ratio swimmers, those with wider spans, are not only the fastest but also the most economical. The faster speeds are associated with a decrease in effective drag for low aspect ratio plunging swimmers. We find that the recently proposed vortex-induced drag model adequately explains the drag reduction by suggesting that the smaller relative size of side vortices in low aspect ratio swimmers creates less drag per unit width.