cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is tumor response important for renal carcinoma

In this issue of the journal, Abel et al assess the amount of shrinkage that occurs in primary renal tumors when patients with metastatic disease are treated with targeted therapies in an attempt to evaluate an ongoing rationale for debulking nephrectomy [1]. Previous trials have shown that combining cytoreductive nephrectomy with immunotherapy increased survival over immunotherapy alone [2]. Unfortunately, with the advent of targeted therapy, these data are probably obsolete and the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy is again in question. Abel et al retrospectively review the only large modern series to date of targeted therapy given in patients with an intact primary tumor [1]. Their study relates to an important issue: whether there is still a survival advantage to debulking nephrectomy in the era of targeted therapy for RCC. The authors address the question of clinical benefit of debulking nephrectomy by asking a related but different question: What effect does systemic targeted therapy have on primary tumors? They address this question by looking at tumor response. The efficacy of antineoplastic drugs has long been judged by the amount of tumor shrinkage they cause [3]. The rationale is that a shrinking tumormust be adying tumorand that a dying tumor must be a good thing for the patient. Objective shrinkage criteria were first developed for breast cancer but were rapidly adopted by the World Health Organization as a standard way of measuring cancer treatment ‘‘response’’ [4]. According to these criteria, complete response occurred if a tumor completely disappeared, partial response occurred if it shrunk by 50–99%, stable disease occurred if it shrunk by 25%. Themore recent RECISTcriteria simplifyhowtumor response ismeasuredand
Tobacco, alcohol and caffeine use in a low-income, pregnant population.

This study examined the relationship between smoking, drinking and heavy caffeine use (>three caffeinated drinks per day) among pregnant women who reported smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol prior to conception. Demographic predictors of smoking, drinking and caffeine use during pregnancy were also identified. Pregnant women (n=237) attending a university-based, public clinic were identified during screening for a larger intervention study. Logistic regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between pregnancy smoking and drinking (OR=8.1), as well as between smoking and harmful caffeine use (OR=3.1). Age predicted smoking and drinking in pregnancy, with older women being more likely to use both substances. Caucasian women were more likely to continue smoking, while African-American women were more likely to continue drinking. Increased attention should be paid to the co-occurrence of multiple health risk behaviours during pregnancy and to the specific needs of subgroups of high-risk w...
Influence of star mounts on guyed towers

Abstract The ability of star mounts to minimize angular displacements of guyed towers has been investigated. Deflections and rotations of an example tower with and without a star mount (under a static wind pressure) have been determined. A new model of the star mount, used with the equivalent beam-column approach analysis of guyed towers, has been introduced. Its efficiency has been illustrated by comparing its results to those of the more accurate space truss idealization.
Storage and Querying of E-Commerce Data

New generation of e-commerce applications require data schemas that are constantly evolving and sparsely populated. The conventional horizontal row representation fails to meet these requirements. We represent objects in a vertical format storing an object as a set of tuples. Each tuple consists of an object identifier and attribute name-value pair. Schema evolution is now easy. However, writing queries against this format becomes cumbersome. We create a logical horizontal view of the vertical representation and transform queries on this view to the vertical table. We present alternative implementations and performance results that show the effectiveness of the vertical representation for sparse data. We also identify additional facilities needed in database systems to support these applications well.
Simple alkyldisilanes: MM2 and ab initio studies of their structures and barriers to rotation

For a series of simple alkyldisilanes, 3-21G (*) full gradient geometry optimizations have been performed to yield both structural and conformational energy data which was suitable for calibrating the MM2 force field for disilanes. We have examined several model structures which yielded sufficient information about the rotational potential around the Si–Si bond to enable us to revise and augment those reported by Frierson. These parameters were questioned by us in the course of MM2 studies of 1,2-disilacyclobutanes. We report new Si–Si torsion parameters as well as pertinent structural data from 3-21G(*) geometry optimizations and relative conformational energies derived from Moller-Plesset (MP2/MP3) calculations at the 6-31(*)/3-21G(*) level. The new parameters were applied to the 1,2-dimethyl-1,2-disilacyclohexane system and those results are also reported.
Effect of package design and layout on BGA solder joint reliability of an organic C4 package

Ball Grid Array (BGA) is currently the interconnect of choice for attaching microprocessors on a printed circuit board (PCB). The reliability of solder joints is one of the critical issues in BGA surface mount technology (SMT). During reliability testing, BGA fatigue failures were observed on test vehicles (TV). Finite element analysis and physical failure analysis were used to determine the risk to the product in the field. As part of this effort, parametric finite element analysis was carried out to determine the effect of design features like the package size, and BGA pattern on the propensity of fatigue failure. The results of the finite element analysis and physical failure analysis showed that the risk to fatigue failure was much greater on a peripheral/partial grid array package than in a full grid array package.
A generic model for optimizing single-hop transmission policy of replenishable sensors

Energy harvesting from the working environment has received increasing attention in the research of wireless sensor networks. Recent developments in this area can be used to replenish the power supply of sensors. However, power management is still a crucial issue for such networks due to the uncertainty of stochastic replenishment. In this paper, we propose a generic mathematical framework to characterize the policy for single hop transmission over a replenishable sensor network. Firstly, we introduce a Markov chain model to describe different modes of energy renewal. Then, we derive the optimal transmission policy for sensors with different energy budgets. Depending on the energy status of a sensor and the reward for successfully transmitting a message, we prove the existence of optimal thresholds that maximize the average reward rate. Our results are quite general since the reward values can be made application-specific for different design objectives. Compared with the unconditional transmit-all policy, which transmits every message as long as the energy storage is positive, the proposed optimal transmission policy is shown to achieve significant gains in the average reward rate.
THE IMPACT OF FOREBODY GEOMETRIES AT HIGH-ANGLE-OF - ATTACK WITH FOREBODY TANGENTIAL BLOWING

This paper presents a study of the impact of forebody nose geometry on the lateral-directional dynamics of aircraft at high angle of attack with and without forebody tangential blowing (FTB). It is shown that the vortical flow over a sharp-tipped forebody is asymmetric, generating roll and yaw moments on the vehicle that are not highly repeatable. The introduction of a slightly-rounded forebody is found to attenuate flow asymmetry and enhance repeatability. The effectiveness of FTB with this forebody is also improved. Results from rounded nose-cones of various radii are presented for comparison. They show that changing the radius of the nose-tip does not significantly affect roll and yaw moment behavior as a function of roll and yaw angles, and the amount of blowing. The experimental apparatus used in this study is described and static measurements of the aerodynamic loads for various roll and yaw angles and blowing amounts are presented. The apparatus consists of an FTB-equipped wind tunnel model which has two degrees-of-freedom, roll and yaw. The model is a wing-body combination with slots on the forebody for tangential blowing and is nominally set at 45 degrees angle of attack.
REVIEWING CHILD ABUSE POLICY IN AMERICA: A SOCIAL SERVICE APPROACH

For all the recent attention to the problems of child abuse and neglect, this specific policy area has rarely been examined as belonging to the more general area of social service policy. This article begins to remedy this omission. First, the article examines child abuse policy in terms of the conflicts of value faced in the formation of social service policy. Next, the relationship between child abuse and other recent social service issues responding to familial violence or childhood dependency is discussed. Here the article shows that governmental response to child abuse has been used to encourage governmental interest in adoption reform, sexual exploitation of children, domestic violence, and day care.
Leading a collaborative action coalition

Today's technical leadership faces an interesting paradox. On the one hand is the increasing pressure for speed. Technology supports, clients demand, a faster response. This has become a basis for global competitiveness. On the other hand, there is a need to develop problem ownership through involvement, sustained commitment, and the opportunity for continuous personal growth. Individuals wish to be heard, to participate in decisions, and to have an impact. This provides meaning to their jobs. A comprehensive dialog that can bring group attitudes into alignment, requires time. Facilitation of that dialog becomes an essential skill for today's leaders so that both involvement, and urgency, can be accommodated.
A differential attenuation method for simultaneous estimation of SPECT activity and attenuation distributions

A penalized weighted least squares (PWLS) reconstruction algorithm is described that simultaneously estimates activity and attenuation distributions from emission sinogram data alone. This estimation technique is based on differential attenuation information and is applicable to any SPECT imaging isotope with emissions at two or more distinct energies, after compensating for Compton scatter. A rotation-based forward projector is used to efficiently model photon attenuation at multiple emission energies, as well as distance-dependent spatial resolution. The algorithm was tested using simulated scatter-free /sup 201/Tl projection data from a single-slice numerical cardiac phantom with a large cold myocardial defect. Poisson noise was added to the projection data to mimic clinically realistic count densities. The activity estimates resulting from the proposed method had fewer artifacts and were substantially more accurate than images reconstructed with filtered backprojection without compensation for attenuation. Several techniques were employed to reduce the time required for the iterative routine to converge and to improve the stability of the solution, including: (1) a pre-conditioning image variable transformation; (2) a coarse-to-fine grid initialization schedule; and (3) a convex hull image mask determined directly from the projection data. The combined effect of these techniques was a reduction in computation time by a factor of /spl sim/200.
Molecular dynamics of apo-adenylate kinase: a distance replica exchange method for the free energy of conformational fluctuations.

A large domain motion in adenylate kinase from E. coli (AKE) is studied with molecular dynamics. AKE undergoes a large-scale rearrangement of its lid and AMP-binding domains when the open form closes over its substrates, AMP, and Mg2+-ATP, whereby the AMP-binding and lid domains come closer to the core. The third domain, the core, is relatively stable during this motion. A reaction coordinate that monitors the distance between the AMP-binding and core domains is selected to be able to compare with the results of energy transfer experiments. Sampling along this reaction coordinate is carried out by using a distance replica exchange method (DREM), where systems that differ by a restraint potential enforcing different reaction coordinate values are independently simulated with periodic attempts at exchange of these systems. Several methods are used to study the efficiency and convergence properties of the DREM simulation and compared with an analogous non-DREM simulation. The DREM greatly accelerates the rat...
Sec-Dependent and Sec-Independent Mechanisms of Protein Insertion into Bacterial Membranes

Our studies of the membrane assembly of two integral membrane proteins, leader peptidase and the M13 coat protein, have shown that there are multiple mechanisms of membrane assembly in E. coll. Leader peptidase spans the membrane twice with its large carboxyl-terminal domain and its amino terminus located in the periplasm (P2), while the central polar domain (P1) resides in the cytoplasm. Translocation of the P2 region into the periplasm requires the second hydrophobic domain H2, the Sec proteins, and the membrane electrochemical potential. Membrane insertion of the amino terminus of leader peptidase does not require the Sec-proteins nor the membrane electrochemical potential. The M13 coat protein spans the membrane once with its amino terminus in the periplasm. It is made as a precursor, termed procoat, with a cleavable signal peptide. Its membrane assembly is independent of the Sec proteins but requires two hydrophobic domains, one of them represented by the signal peptide. Studies with procoat and leader peptidase show that there are Sec-dependent and Sec-independent mechanisms of membrane insertion and that the length of the translocated region is the critical factor for the Sec-requirement.
Size-Dependent Hydrogenation of p-Nitrophenol with Pd Nanoparticles Synthesized with Poly(amido)amine Dendrimer Templates

Monodisperse palladium nanoparticles consisting of 10–200 atoms were prepared using poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) dendrimer templates and were evaluated as catalysts using the model reduction of para-nitrophenol. The use of dendrimer templates allows for fine control of the average number of atoms per nanoparticle and systematic investigation of the effect of size on the catalytic activity of nanoparticles less than 2 nm in diameter. The palladium dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) were found to be highly active for the hydrogenation of para-nitrophenol to para-aminophenol, with surface area-normalized rate constants ranging from 0.87 to 1.65 L s–1 m–2 (which is greater than any previously reported system). A near linear dependence of the observed rate constant on the synthetic Pd2+:dendrimer ratio was observed, suggesting that, within the size regime studied, most of the atoms lie on the surface of the nanoparticle and contribute to the catalytic activity. Interestingly, for Pd clusters containing be...
meander tail acts intrinsic to granule cell precursors to disrupt cerebellar development: analysis of meander tail chimeric mice

The murine mutation meander tail (gene symbol: mea) causes a near-total depletion of granule cells in the anterior lobe of the cerebellum, as well as aberrantly located Purkinje cells with misoriented dendrites and radial glia with stunted processes. Whether one, two or all three of these cell types is the primary cellular target(s) of the mutant gene is unknown. This issue is addressed by examining cerebella from adult chimeras in which both the genotype and phenotype of individual cells are marked and examined. From this analysis, three novel observations are made. First, genotypically mea/mea Purkinje cells and glial cells exhibit normal morphologies in the cerebella of chimeric mice indicating that the mea gene acts extrinsically to these two cell populations. Second, few genotypically mea/mea granule cells are present in the anterior lobe or, unexpectedly, in the posterior lobe. These findings indicate that the mea gene acts intrinsically to the granule cell or its precursors to perturb their development. Third, there are near-normal numbers of cerebellar granule cells in the chimeric cerebellum. This result suggests that mea/mea cells are out-competed and subsequently replaced by an increased cohort of wild-type granule cells resulting from an upregulation of wild-type granule cells in the chimeric environment. We propose that the wild-type allele of the mea gene is critical for the developmental progression of the early granule cell neuroblast.
A Minimalist Critique of Tarski on Truth

The recent ‘minimalist’ view of truth is in fundamental respects very close to the account offered by Alfred Tarski in 1933.1 It agrees with him that—putting the matter informally—just about the whole story of what it is for the statement or belief, , to be true is given by the equivalence: is true ↔ snow is white It agrees with Tarski that a full theory of truth should do nothing more than in some way generalize this thesis. It agrees that such an account will implicitly capture the idea that ‘truth is correspondence with reality’, but without having to resort to the obscure notions of ‘correspondence’ or `reality’ : thus it will qualify, in Jan Wolaiski’s terms, as a “weak correspondence theory” And it agrees that an even worse mistake would be to attempt to define truth in terms of ‘coherence’ or ‘verification’ or ‘utility’.
Promoting Communication Development in Young Children with or at Risk for Disabilities

Communication skills provide young children a means for sharing wants and interests with social partners. Young children with disabilities are likely to display difficulties effectively communicating with others, often requiring intervention to improve meaningful communication in typical environments. The communication intervention literature includes a wide-range of studies, each designed to improve some form of communication (e.g., gestures, oral language) in young children. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight interventions for promoting expressive communication in young children with or at risk for a disability. Implications for parents/caregivers and early childhood professionals are provided, as well as recommendations for future research.
Adolescent predictors of alcohol use in adulthood: A 22-year longitudinal study.

Background and Objectives The excessive consumption of alcohol is a major issue in the United States and elsewhere. It is associated with a number of adverse health consequences, as well as difficulty in relationships and employment. Therefore, the present longitudinal study investigates the direct and indirect adolescent predictors of alcohol use in adulthood. Methods Among the 674 participants (53% African Americans, 47% Puerto Ricans), 60% were females (n = 405). Mplus software was used to perform structural equation modeling. Results Parental problems with alcohol use in the participants’ late adolescence were related to low parent-child attachment in late adolescence, which in turn, was related to self delinquency in late adolescence. This was related to peer delinquency in emerging adulthood, which in turn, was associated with alcohol use in emerging adulthood and in adulthood. Low parent-child attachment in late adolescence was also related to low satisfaction with school in late adolescence, which in turn, was related to self delinquency in late adolescence. This was associated with alcohol use in emerging adulthood, which in turn, was associated with alcohol use in adulthood. Conclusions and Scientific Significance One of the key implications of this study is that an impaired low parent-child attachment relationship is a determinant of children's engagement in delinquent behavior and ultimately the use of alcohol in adult life. Implications for social interventions from the findings of the current study were also discussed. (Am J Addict 2016;25:549–556)
Milligram mass metrology using an electrostatic force balance

Although mass is typically defined within the International System of Units (SI) at the kilogram level, the pending SI redefinition provides an opportunity to realize mass at any scale using electrical metrology. We propose the use of an electromechanical balance to realize mass at the milligram level using SI electrical units. An integrated concentric-cylinder vacuum gap capacitor allows us to leverage the highly precise references available for capacitance, voltage and length to generate an electrostatic reference force. Weighing experiments performed on 1 mg and 20 mg artifacts show the same or lower uncertainty than similar experiments performed by subdividing the kilogram. The measurement is currently limited by the stability of the materials that compose the mass artifacts and the changes in adsorbed layers on the artifact surfaces as they are transferred from vacuum to air.
Methodology for finding and evaluating safe landing sites on small bodies

Abstract Here we develop and demonstrate a three-step strategy for finding a safe landing ellipse for a legged spacecraft on a small body such as an asteroid or planetary satellite. The first step, acquisition of a high-resolution terrain model of a candidate landing region, is simulated using existing statistics on block abundances measured at Phobos, Eros, and Itokawa. The synthetic terrain model is generated by randomly placing hemispheric shaped blocks with the empirically determined size-frequency distribution. The resulting terrain is much rockier than typical lunar or martian landing sites. The second step, locating a landing ellipse with minimal hazards, is demonstrated for an assumed approach to landing that uses Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology. The final step, determination of the probability distribution for orientation of the landed spacecraft, is demonstrated for cases of differing regional slope. The strategy described here is both a prototype for finding a landing site during a flight mission and provides tools for evaluating the design of small-body landers. We show that for bodies with Eros-like block distributions, there may be >99% probability of landing stably at a low tilt without blocks impinging on spacecraft structures so as to pose a survival hazard.
Severe generalized dermatitis in a nickel-allergic patient with a popliteal artery nitinol stent

We present the case of a patient who developed a full-body desquamating macular-papular, pruritic rash after endovascular placement of a popliteal artery nitinol stent for acute limb ischemia. The rash was resistant to high-dose steroid and immunosuppressive treatment and intensive topical treatment. Patch testing revealed nickel allergy. The stented arterial segment was removed, with significant improvement in his symptoms that allowed the cessation of prednisone and topical treatments. The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical effect of nickel allergy are discussed in addition to the use of nickel-alloy stents.
Enhancing Datacenter Resource Management through Temporal Logic Constraints

Resource management of modern datacenters needs to consider multiple competing objectives that involve complex system interactions. In this work, Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) is adopted in describing such interactions by leveraging its ability to express complex properties. Further, LTL-based constraints are integrated with reinforcement learning according the recent progress on control synthesis theory. The LTL-constrained reinforcement learning facilitates desired balance among the competing objectives in managing resources for datacenters. The effectiveness of this new approach is demonstrated by two scenarios. In datacenter power management, the LTL-constrained manager reaches the best balance among power, performance and battery stress compared to the previous work and other alternative approaches. In multitenant job scheduling, 200 MapReduce jobs are emulated on the Amazon AWS cloud. The LTL-constrained scheduler achieves the best balance between system performance and fairness compared to several other methods including three Hadoop schedulers.
Fungal Infections Increase the Mortality Rate Three-Fold in Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections.

Abstract Background: Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) result in significant morbidity and mortality rates, with as many as 76% of patients dying during their index admission. Published data suggest NSTIs rarely involve fungal infections in immunocompetent patients. However, because of the recent recognition of fungal infections in our population, we hypothesized that such infections frequently complicate NSTIs and are associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates. Methods: A prospectively maintained Acute and Critical Care Surgery (ACCS) database spanning 2008–2015 and including more than 7,000 patients was queried for patients with NSTIs. Microbiologic data, demographics, and clinical outcomes were abstracted. Risk factors and outcomes associated with NSTI with positive intra-operative fungal cultures were determined. Frequencies were compared by χ2 and continuous variables by the Student t-test using SPSS. Because the study included only archived data, no patient permission was needed. ...
Reflection: Greening Economies

For a generation governments, non-governmental organizations, and publics around the world have viewed United States as a laggard in contributing to global sustainable development agenda. For many, the US has failed to take a stance or provide any reasonable leadership on issues of sustainable development; indeed it has taken a negative stance rather than even staying neutral in global policy debates. In recent years, this has begun to change, albeit indirectly. Moreover, the actions taken by the US government, firms, and urban developers cannot claim to be “sustainable” in terms of the famous Brundtland tripartite. Rather, the US’s efforts can be seen as “economic greening”. In this chapter, I explore three key “greening” themes that have gained traction in the US in recent years. Each of these efforts, urban regeneration, national policies and investments for promoting the green economy, and clean tech clusters, represent the diverse and often contradictory culture of American politics.
The 1918 flu pandemic and its aftermath

A review of L. Spinney. 2017 Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World Public Affairs 352 pg., ISBN: 978-1610397674.
Search and Rescue Activities in Disasters

The objective of this chapter is to review what is known about search and rescue activities in disasters, including heavy urban search and rescue teams. The accumulation of scientific knowledge about search and rescue (SAR), which is, as reflected in this chapter, disproportionately centered on disasters in the United States, allows us to identify certain recurrent patterns that should be considered in the development of an effective plan for national emergency response. The following sections present what is known about SAR, factors affecting survival, the behavior of victims, the impact of social and cultural arrangements, and ecological aspects of SAR in constrained and unconstrained spaces. This is followed by brief discussions of the search and recovery activities in the Columbia Shuttle Accident as well as by examinations of the World Trade Center (WTC) and Pentagon 9/11 SAR operations. The chapter concludes with an acknowledgment of the remaining research gaps in our understanding of SAR and with a summary of what needs to be done to improve SAR operations worldwide.
Structural Modifications of L-B Films: Order-Disorder Transitions and Polymerization

Langmuir-Blodgett films have become increasingly popular for a number of potential applications because uniform and regularly spaced films of known thicknesses can be constructed with functional groups contained either in the chain at one end or as a side group. In order to determine the molecular structure and orientation, we have used a number of spectroscopic techniques, such as infrared glancing angle reflection and transmission spectroscopy. Changes in the IR spectra with temperature have given evidence for a two step melting process involving the gradual disordering of the hydrocarbon tail followed by the breakup of the head group lattice. With the polymerization of films of either octadecyl fumarate or octadecyl maleate, the vibrational bands associated with the unsaturation disappear and others increase, attributable to the resulting polymer. Initiation by both uv radiation and thermal heating led to similar spectra for both compounds indicating, as expected, that the same product is formed. Our spectral results from some examples will be presented in addition to the details of the experimental method.
How the Program was Adopted

It has been shown that the ideological development of the SPD from 1945 to 1959 was inspired and directed by the postwar leadership. It remains to be seen how the leadership was able to effect the adoption of the new program as official party policy, for only a party conference can make such a decision. An understanding of the course of events therefore requires some knowledge of the powers and limitations of the executive vis-a-vis the party conference and the party as a whole. The basis of these relationships is the party statute.
Conditional Versions of the Strassen-Dudley Theorem

Let X be a random variable with values in a Polish space B and defined on a rich enough probability space (Ω, S, P). (This will be clarified later.) Let F and G be sub-σ-fields of S and let G(|G) be a regular conditional distribution on B, defined on (Ω, S, P) and measurable with respect to G.
Carboxy-terminal Protein Sequence Analysis using Carboxypeptidase P and Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses carboxy-terminal protein sequence analysis using carboxypeptidase P (CPP) and electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS). To test the applicability of the ESMS analysis method for the CPP digestion of proteins, recombinant E. coli derived human IL-3 was chosen as a model. IL-3 has a C-terminal sequence of …T-T-L-S-L-A-I-F-OH. The digestion conditions were used to digest 2.7 nmoles of IL-3. Aliquots of 500 pmoles were removed at several time points—10 min, 20 min, and 50 min—and analyzed by ESMS. At the 10 min time point, the appearance of multiply-charged ions representing consecutive losses of five C-terminal amino acids was observed in the mass spectrum. The average molecular weight of each truncated species can be determined through deconvolution of the mass spectrum. The chapter shows a closeup view of the (M+9H)+9 charge state of CPP-digested IL-3. The mass differences of these ions reflect the sequential loss of amino acids from full-length IL-3.
Rational Design of Potent Activators and Inhibitors of the Enterococcus faecalis Fsr Quorum Sensing Circuit

The increasing rate of resistance development to conventional antibiotics by bacteria necessitates the identification of alternative treatment possibilities that can reduce the ability of bacteria to adapt. Enterococcus faecalis remains the leading cause of clinical enterococci infections and has exhibited quorum sensing (QS)-dependent pathogenicity. Here, we report the development of macrocyclic peptide-based activators and inhibitors of the E. faecalis Fsr QS circuitry. To this end, we developed, optimized, and compared three synthetic routes for lactone-containing macrocyclic peptide scaffolds. We then utilized previous and current structure-activity relationship (SAR) insights of the native QS signaling peptide to rationally design the most potent activators and inhibitors of the Fsr QS circuitry identified to date. The application of these peptides could provide a means to attenuate the pathogenicity of E. faecalis without introducing significant selective pressure on the bacteria to develop resistance.
Cognitive Styles in Infancy and Early Childhood (Psychology Revivals)

Originally published in 1976, here is a comprehensive account of the role of cognitive styles in early childhood. The author considers the possible precursors of these styles in infancy, and offers a new classification scheme that helps to clarify the relation of cognitive styles to ability and intelligence. In separate chapters, field independence–dependence, reflection–impulsivity, breadth of categorization, and styles of conceptualization are examined, along with a chapter on the interrelationships between these styles. The final chapter integrates and critically summarizes the significance of cognitive styles during the early years of life. Throughout the volume the author attempts to link cognitive styles with other theoretical constructs (for example, unilinear versus multilinear models of development, Inhelder and Piaget’s studies of classification stages), and finally, the author advances a set of seven conclusions to reflect the contemporary state of knowledge in regard to the character and function of cognitive styles during the early years of life. This volume provides information about the beginnings of cognitive styles in infancy and the course of their development in preschool years. Research is examined both from the viewpoint of developmental change and individual differences among children. The role of sex differences in cognitive styles is thoroughly examined, and, contrary to earlier claims of ‘no difference’, the author convincingly demonstrates that females manifest clear-cut superiority across a wide band of cognitive functions during the pre-school years.
Michael Drayton’s Poly-Olbion: maritime England and the free seas debates

Attending to Poly-Olbion’s river dynamics, I argue that, implicitly opposing natural, inevitable unionization, Drayton demonstrates through visual and poetic means that any viable empire is forged ...
“A Positive Track of Human Rights Policy”: Elliott Abrams, the Human Rights Bureau, and the Conceptualization of Democracy Promotion, 1981–1984

During its first term, the Reagan administration incorporated human rights into a strategy of rolling back communism through democracy promotion. The State Department’s Bureau for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, under the leadership of Elliott Abrams, played a crucial role in this process. This chapter examines the introductions to the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, so far largely ignored by historians. In these introductions, Abrams sought to merge human rights with democracy promotion to legitimize the administration’s foreign policy at home and abroad. To this end, the introductions redefined human rights as civil and political rights and argued for the superiority of democratic systems as protectors of human rights, presenting the promotion of democracy as ‘a positive track of human rights policy.’
Prey nutrient content creates omnivores out of predators

The proximate forces that create omnivores out of herbivores and predators have long fascinated ecologists, but the causal reasons for a shift to omnivory are poorly understood. Determining what factors influence changes in trophic position are essential as omnivory plays a central role in theoretical and applied ecology. We used sevenspotted lady beetles (Coccinella septempunctata) to test how prey nutrient content affects beetles' propensity to engage in herbivory. We show that beetles consuming an all-prey diet demonstrate normal growth and development, but suffer a complete loss of fitness (spermatogenic failure) that is restored via herbivory and supplementation with phytosterols and cholesterol. Furthermore, we show that lady beetles possess a state-dependent sterol-specific appetite and redressed their sterol deficit by feeding on foliage. These results demonstrate that predators balance their nutrient intake via herbivory when prey quality is low, and reveal a selective force (sterol nutrition) that drives predatory taxa to omnivory.
NEGATIVE CORONARY COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC ANGIOGRAPHY PREDICTS LOW RISK OF MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS FOLLOWING NON-CARDIAC SURGERY

Pre-operative cardiac risk stratification is an integral part of surgical planning; stress testing and invasive coronary angiography have not accurately predicted perioperative risk. Diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in this setting is not well-established.
An Inspired Underwater Communication Robotic Fish for Aquatic Animals

Underwater communication robots are used in various employment such as underwater environment tracking, underpinning surveillance, military and ocean observation. There are three feasible means of underwater wireless communication technologies essentially electromagnetic (EM), optical communication and acoustic communication systems. But the underwater acoustic communication savors the advantages of being simple and powerful in water. This paper presents to design and performance of FPGA based underwater communication robot with simplest architecture for underpinning surveillance and toxic metal avoidance. The proposed communication robot is tested in underwater environment to validate robustness and reliability. The prototype of underwater communication robot can be achieving 10m range of communication in aquatic environment. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) established peculiar implementation is developed to detect the presence of toxic metals and other metallic pollutants present in the ocean using MI sensor for saving the life span of aquatic animals. The detected information from the Ultrasonic transmitter is send to the Ultrasonic receiver for the analysis. Once the presence of metal is detected by the MI sensor, metal remover of the robot unit collects the toxic pollutants and the same is unloaded at the base station.
Nutrition for Chronic Critical Illness and Persistent Inflammatory, Immunosuppressed, Catabolic Syndrome

The hallmark of chronic critical illness (CCI) and persistent inflammatory, immunosuppressed, catabolic syndrome (PICS) is the continued breakdown of lean muscle leading to profound weakness, decreased capacity for rehabilitation, immunosuppression, and a propensity to develop recurrent nosocomial infections. Better critical care support systems and advances in technology have led to increased patient survival, but unfortunately, CCI and PICS have emerged as a frequent phenotype among critical care survivors. With an aging population and continued advancements in critical care support systems, the prevalence of CCI and PICS is anticipated to increase. Unfortunately, therapies to mitigate or reverse CCI and PICS are limited. A lack of randomized controlled trials has limited strong recommendations for nutrition support in the CCI patients. Nutritional therapies for PICS may be of biologic value, and this chapter will describe recent advances and draw inferences from the literature to support nutritional interventions in PICS.
Alternative therapies for sinusitis and rhinitis: a systematic review utilizing a modified Delphi method.

Background Sinusitis and rhinitis are common diseases for which patients seek medical attention. Alternative therapies constitute a multibillion-dollar industry despite poorly established efficacy and safety profiles. This study was designed to identify and grade the evidence for alternative therapies purported to treat sinusitis and rhinitis. Methods A modified Delphi method was used to establish a consensus opinion among rhinology experts of the current evidence for efficacy, potential harm, and future research needs for alternative therapies in sinusitis and rhinitis. Following the initial Delphi round of discussion, a Google search query was performed to identify topics and review online reports of benefit. Subsequent rounds established search criteria and inclusion/exclusion criteria for a systematic literature review utilizing PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) criteria were used to assess levels of evidence and recommendations. Final Delphi rounds were performed until consensus opinions could be reached. Results Over 60 potential alternative therapies for sinusitis and rhinitis were identified. The literature review included 2066 titles with 220 full-text articles found to be relevant. Most of the therapies had little to no scientific evidence; however, acupuncture, capsaicin, bromelain, and butterbur extract currently have low to moderate-high GRADE rating. Allergic rhinitis was the most common disease studied. Conclusion Some alternative therapies show promise as potential treatments for sinusitis and rhinitis, mostly compared to placebo. Comparisons to traditional therapies are lacking. For other alternative therapies, many websites included unsubstantiated claims of benefit and ignored potential side effects for which patients should be warned appropriately.
Introduction to values in evaluation praxis section

The Evaluation Journal of Australasia special issue on Values in Evaluation published in December 2019 gave an overview of current discourses associated with valuing in evaluation with the debut of...
Impact of Remote Pulmonary Artery Hemodynamic Monitoring System in Reducing Heart Failure Readmissions Among Patients with Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation

Background Pulmonary artery (PA) pressure monitor guided therapy using CardioMEMS device has shown to reduce heart failure readmissions. Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AFib) frequently coexist and atrial fibrillation itself can cause alterations in PA hemodynamics. Current study was designed to study the impact of remote pulmonary artery hemodynamic monitoring in reducing heart failure readmissions among patients with HF and AFib. Methods Retrospective data was collected for patients with HF who had CardioMEMS device implanted as per FDA indications from April 2015 to June 2018. Data including number of all cause and HF hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits and HF clinic visits was collected for 1-year pre- and 1-year post-implantation. Readmission data for patients with and without Afib was compared. Results CardioMEMS device was implanted in 117 patients during the study period. Of this population 53.8% were male and 52.6% had Afib. There was significant reduction in HF readmissions in patient with Afib after CardioMEMS implantation, 1- year pre (1.87 ± 1.38) vs 1- year post implantation (0.44 ± 0.82), p-value Conclusion Remote PA hemodynamic monitoring device decreases HF readmissions in HF patients with AFib, similar to patients without AFib.
Spectral Hallmark of Auditory-Tactile Interactions in Somatosensory Cortex

ABSTRACT To synthesize a coherent representation of the external world from diverse sensory information, the brain must integrate inputs across stimulus modalities. Yet the mechanistic basis of this computation at the level of neuronal populations remains obscure. Here, we investigate tactile-auditory integration in the mouse somatosensory cortex using two-photon Ca2+ imaging. Pairing sound with whisker stimulation modulates tactile responses in both S1 and S2, with the most prominent modulation being robust inhibition of responses in S2. The degree of inhibition depends on tactile stimulation frequency, with lower frequency responses the most severely attenuated. Alongside these neurons, we identify sound-selective neurons in S2 whose responses are inhibited by high tactile frequencies. These results are consistent with a hypothesized local mutually-inhibitory S2 circuit that spectrally selects tactile versus auditory inputs. Our findings enrich mechanistic understanding of multisensory integration and suggest a key role for S2 in combining auditory and tactile information.
Socio-economic drivers in productive rural activities and their impact on the eating habits, lifestyle and nutritional status of people living in a rural area: The Majella National Park as a case study

This paper analyses the relationship between food system dynamics with consumer behaviors, in population within a protected mountain area in Italy. In order to obtain socioeconomic and nutritional data, a combination of qualitative and quantitative research was employed to group farmers, local authorities, and inhabitants. Our research highlighted the close relationship between local food productive sector with consumption habits of local communities. The experience of the Majella National Park can be taken as an example of promoting environmentally friendly agriculture that enhances food quality, increases resource management and preserves local cultural heritage.
Analysis of the Rigid Motion of a Conical Developable Mechanism

Abstract We demonstrate analytically that it is possible to construct a developable mechanism on a cone that has rigid motion. We solve for the paths of rigid motion and analyze the properties of this motion. In particular, we provide an analytical method for predicting the behavior of the mechanism with respect to the conical surface. Moreover, we observe that the conical developable mechanisms specified in this article have motion paths that necessarily contain bifurcation points, which lead to an unbounded array of motion paths in the parameterization plane.
Outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy

Background Several chemotherapy agents are associated with the development of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NIC). When chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CHIC) is associated with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 35% or lower, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is often utilized to improve cardiac function and relieve symptoms. Objective To determine the echocardiographic and clinical outcomes of CRT in patients with CHIC. Methods The study included 29 patients with CHIC (CHIC group) and 58 patients with other types of NIC (control group) who underwent CRT implantation between 2004 and 2017. The primary endpoints were changes in LVEF, left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) at 6-18 months after CRT. The secondary outcomes included changes in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), systolic strain rate (SRS), early diastolic strain rate (SRE), and overall survival. Results Out of 29 patients with CHIC, 62.1% received chemotherapy for lymphoma, 13.7% for breast cancer, and 24.1% for sarcoma. The agent implicated in 93.1% of the patients was an anthracycline. Half of the patients had LBBB. The mean baseline LVEF was 28% ± 8%. The mean baseline QRS duration was 146 ± 26 ms. Twenty-eight patients had post-CRT follow-up data. CRT was associated with improvement in echocardiographic outcomes in the CHIC group and the control group. There was no difference in overall survival between the two groups (log-rank p = .148). Conclusion CRT improves left ventricular function and reverses remodeling in patients with CHIC.