Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Is the Impact of Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Tissue Expander Infection Rates in Pediatric Patients?

Background: Tissue expansion in the pediatric population can be complicated by high rates of infection and extrusion. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on infectious complications. Methods: A retrospective study of all pediatric patients who underwent tissue expander insertion at a children’s hospital over a 12-year period was performed. Predictor variables included age, sex, race, indication, anatomical location, number of expanders inserted, serial expansion, history of infection or extrusion, and postoperative antibiotics. Outcome variables included infection and extrusion. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with infection and/or extrusion. Results: A total of 180 patients who underwent 317 operations for tissue expander insertion were included in this study. Postoperative infection and/or extrusion occurred after 73 operations (23 percent). Postoperative prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed after 232 operations (75 percent), and only perioperative (≤24 hours) antibiotics were administered in 85 cases (25 percent). There were no significant differences in the rate of infection (12.1 percent versus 8.9 percent; p = 0.46), extrusion (16.8 percent versus 17.7 percent; p = 0.88), or infection and/or extrusion (23.7 percent versus 24.1 percent; p = 0.95) between these two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative antibiotics did not have a significant association with infection and/or extrusion (OR, 0.84; 95 percent CI, 0.44 to 1.63; p = 0.61). Conclusions: The rates of infection/extrusion were similar between pediatric patients who received only perioperative antibiotics (≤24 hours) and those who were prescribed a course of postoperative antibiotics. Based on these results, a course of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics may be unnecessary after insertion of tissue expanders in pediatric patients. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
Mucoadhesive Microspheres And Microcapsules : Current Status

Mucoadhesion is a topic of current interest in the design of drug delivery systems. Mucoadhesive microspheres and microcapsules exhibit a prolonged residence time at the site of application or absorption and facilitate an intimate contact with the underlying absorption surface and thus contribute to improved and/or better therapeutic performance of drugs. In recent years such mucoadhesive microspheres have been developed for oral, buccal, nasal, ocular, rectal and vaginal routes for either systemic or local effects. The principles underlying the development of mucoadhesive microspheres and the research work carried out on these systems are reviewed here.
Learning and Evolution : A Comparison Hollis Easter

Genetic algorithms and neural networks are commonly used mechanisms in artificial intelligence and robotics for a multitude of tasks. Other researchers have shown that GAs and connectionist networks can be combined successfully to generate more effective solutions to various tasks. Our project seeks to confirm those results in the domain of robot control. The specific task we are focusing on is that of wall following, a fairly simple problem for which decent controllers can be hand-crafted. The ease of creating a wall-following control system is an important point of the domain, as one of the relatively unique aspects of our experiment is the need for a teacher. Other work has used implicit teaching methods, such as input prediction, but we decided to explore the effects of using an explicit teacher for the learning portion of the task. We believe that upon comparing the performance of robot controllers created in three different manners for this task, a combined approach of learning and genetic search will perform better than using either genetic search or learning only. We also believe that our results will reveal that the combination finds adequate solutions more quickly than either genetic search or learning alone.
The Host Galaxy of the Gamma –

We report on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the host galaxy of GRB 971214, taken four months after the burst. The redshift of the proposed host galaxy at z = 3.418, combined with optical and radio observations of the burst afterglow, implies the extremely large isotropic energy release from the burst in γ-rays of Eγ ≈ 3 × 10 53 erg, some two orders of magnitude higher than the previously commonly assumed numbers. The positional offset between the optical transient observed at the Keck telescope and the centroid of the proposed host galaxy in the Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA Contract NAS 5-26555; and on observations obtainded at the W. M. Keck Observatory which is operated jointly by the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
JZ-Predictive . doc / mp PREDICTIVE MODELING USING SEGMENTATION

We discuss the use of segmentation as a predictive model for supporting targeting decisions in database marketing. We compare the performance of judgmentally-based RFM and FRAC methods to automatic tree classifiers involving the well-known CHAID algorithm, a variation of the AID algorithm and a newly-developed method based on genetic algorithm (GA). We use the logistic regression model as a benchmark for the comparative analysis. The results indicate that automatic segmentation methods may very well substitute the judgmentally-based segmentation methods for response analysis, and come only short of the logistic regression results. The implications of the results for decision making are also discussed.
Electromechanical properties of Ce-doped (Ba<sub>0.85</sub>Ca<sub>0.15</sub>)(Zr<sub>0.1</sub>Ti<sub>0.9</sub>)O<sub>3</sub> lead-free piezoceramics

Lead-free piezoceramics based on the (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 (BCZT) system exhibit excellent electromechanical properties for low-temperature actuation applications, but suffer from relatively high processing temperatures. Here we demonstrate an approach for the reduction of the sintering temperature and simultaneous increase of the electromechanical strain response of (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 piezoceramics by aliovalent doping with Ce. The samples were prepared by solid state synthesis and their crystallographic structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, and electromechanical properties were investigated. The highest d33 value of 1189 pm/V was obtained for the sample with 0.05 mol% Ce, substituted on the A-site of the perovskite lattice. The results indicate a large potential of these materials for off-resonance piezoelectric actuators.
Common Attacks and Trends in Web Application

This aim of this paper is to review the available literature on the recent trends in web application vulnerabilities. Google Scholar was used as the main search database for the review. Studies from the last few decades to analyse the trends in web application vulnerabilities over the years, especially since they are a relatively recent phenomenon. Using a set of criteria, approximately 400 scholarly works were initially selected and then reduced to a smaller number which was then explored in detail. It was found that there are a variety of forms in which attacks on web applications may take place. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated with advancements in technology. Additionally, novel ways of attacking users have been developed in order to do so without tricking the user. Given the influx of technology and web applications in every aspect of life, this makes the user especially vulnerable. This means that web application developers must treat security as a priority rather than solely focus on usability.
Author(s) First Name Middle Name Surname Role Intelligent Modeling of Sugar-cane Maturation

The text area is 29 × 45 picas (~12.3 cm × 19 cm) to fit in the printed proceedings book without reduction. When printed on letter paper there will be wide margins. Abstract. Previous use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture for forecasting productivity indicators, especially Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), has shown that it is possible to approximate sugarcane maturation curves. However, ANNs are widely known to offer some difficulties to be parameterized; normally, some heuristics and devotion by the users are necessary to provide a suitable parametrical selection. In this work we propose a tool that searches ANN parameters automatically (i.e. without direct interference of users in this task). For this high goal, we utilized another artificial intelligent technique: Genetic Algorithms (GA). The paper concludes showing results of ANNs which parameters have been provided by (the contributed) automated approach; comparisons to manually setup ANNs are included.
Predicting Popularity of Rap/Hip-Hop Songs

Music is an inﬂuential and lucrative industry and being able to predict song popularity could prove to be highly impactful in such a competitive area. The phenomenon of popularity in music can be highly subjective so predicting popularity from audio features may potentially be more difﬁcult than one perceives. Using audio data from Spotify, we attempted to predict the popularity of music within the rap/hip-hop genre.
Reclaiming Local Control: School Finance Reforms and Housing Supply Restrictions

Local policies preventing new home construction have severe negative spillover effects on housing affordability, geographic mobility, and macroeconomic growth. This paper examines the loss of local control over public good financing as a new causal channel behind the rise of such housing supply restrictions. I develop a model of local public good provision, showing that without the ability to price a public good like education (using property taxation), localities use quantity controls (housing supply restrictions) to prevent congestion and attract high-wealth households. I empirically test the new mechanism by exploiting California’s mid-1970s landmark school finance equalization, which prevented jurisdictions from increasing property taxes to meet their desired level of education spending. Using linked historical data on school district finances, housing, and municipal land use policies, I show in a difference-in-differences framework that school districts with larger exclusionary motives–those that benefited most from local control of education funding–enacted more stringent land use controls and built less housing after the reforms. I find suggestive evidence of the exclusionary effects of supply restrictions: house prices increased and minority population share decreased in wealthy school districts constrained by the equalization. These findings have implications for the unintended effects of fiscal federalism on the housing market, namely that fiscal policy affects new development in the short run and the urban form in the long run.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND EFFICIENCY OF DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN NIGERIA

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of corporate governance on the efficiency of deposit money banks in Nigeria usingex-post facto research design. The study covers 7 years from 2013 to 2019. The population comprises the21quoted deposit money banks in Nigeria out of which 8 were selected as the sample size using purposive sampling method. Data was collected from the financial statements of the banks and descriptive statistics; correlation and panel regression were used for the analysis. A non-parametric approach, Data Envelopment Analysis was also used to examine the efficiency of the banks. The findings showed that both board size and board compositions have positive and significant effect on the efficiency of the quoted deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that the quoted deposit money banks should continue to comply with the regulated board size and monitor their board compositions regularly especially the board remuneration committee, management committee and audit committee for continuous improvement of their efficiency.
Long-Term Adverse Effects of Cigarette Smoking on the Incidence Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Longitudinal Findings of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study Over 12 Years

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated positive associations between smoking and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in several cross-sectional studies. However, the association was not consistent in long-term studies, which makes longitudinal effects remain controversial. Thus, we investigated the association between cigarette smoking and incidence risk of MetS in a large-sample, community-based, longitudinal prospective study in both intensity and cumulative dose of cigarette smoking over 12 years of follow-up. MethodsAmong 10,038 participants, a total of 5568 men ages 40-69 years old without MetS at baseline were selected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for incident MetS were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model after adjusting for potential confounding variables and setting never smokers as the reference group for intensity (expressed as number of cigarettes per day) and duration of smoking (expressed as number of pack-years). Results Compared to the referent never smokers, the HRs (95% CIs) for incident MetS increased as the intensity of smoking in current smokers also increased: 1.50 (1.07-2.01) for 0-9 cigarettes/day, 1.66 (1.34-2.06) for 10-19 cigarettes/day, and 1.75 (1.34-2.29) for ≥20 cigarettes/day, after adjusting for age, alcohol drinking, physical activity, household income, educational level, mean arterial pressure, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol level, and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance. These positive relationships were similar when the cumulative dose of smoking was used in current smokers. Compared to the referent never smokers, the HRs (95% CIs) for incident MetS increased as the cumulative dose also increased: 1.63 (1.32-2.02) for <20 PYs and 1.67 (1.30-2.14) for 20 ≥PYs after adjusting for the same co-variables. ConclusionsBoth cigarette smoking intensity and cumulative dose were positively associated with MetS among community-dwelling Korean men in the large-scale, longitudinal, prospective, 12-year follow-up study.
Csc5160: Combinatorial Optimization and Approximation Algorithms Topic: Graph Partitioning Problems 18.1 Graph Partitioning Problems 18.1.2 Multiway Cut

This lecture gives a general introduction of graph partitioning problems. We will begin with the definitions of some classic graph partitioning problems (e.g. multiway cut, multicut, sparsest cut), and discuss their relationships. Then we will focus on deriving two approximation algorithms. For the multiway cut problem, we will show a 2-approximation algorithm through a combinatorial argument. For the multicut problem, we will present an O(log k)-approximation algorithm using an LP-based approach, where k is the number of source-sink pairs (commodities).
Adsorption and Diffusion Phenomena in Crystal Size Engineered ZIF-8 MOF

ZIF-8 is a flexible zeolitic imidazole-based metal–organic framework whose narrow pore apertures swing open by reorientation of imidazolate linkers and expand when probed with guest molecules. This work reports on the crystal size dependency of both structural transitions induced by N2 and Ar adsorption and dynamic adsorption behavior of n-butanol using well-engineered ZIF-8 crystals with identical surface area and micropore volume. It is found that the crystal downsizing of ZIF-8 regulates the structural flexibility in equilibrium adsorption and desorption of N2 and Ar. Adsorption kinetics of n-butanol in ZIF-8 are strongly affected by the crystal size, however, not according to a classical intracrystalline diffusion mechanism. Our results suggest that structural transitions and transport properties are dominated by crystal surface effects. Crystal downsizing increases the importance of such surface barriers.
IFC-COMPLIANT DESIGN INFORMATION MODELING AND SHARING

This paper presents a method for IFC-compliant design information modelling and sharing by use of the IFC technology and IFC property set (Pset) extension mechanism. The method comprises defining the nonstandard and project-specific design information in extensible and interoperable Psets, instantiating these Pset definitions with CAD object information and generating IFC-compliant product models, and managing and sharing product model data across AEC computer applications. A software implementation of the method has been developed as an add-on toolkit to the Architectural Desktop CAD package and incorporated into a Webenabled information service prototype system. The prototype supports the generation of extended IFC product models from architectural design, manages the consistency and sharability of the IFC and XML objects in the system repository, and facilitates the design information exchange and sharing among different software systems. Three use scenarios of the prototype are discussed in the paper for CAD information modelling with Pset extensions, IFC and XML objects query and browsing over the Internet, and XML-based information exchange and sharing from architectural design to quantity survey and to structural analysis applications.
This information is current as Complement Mannose-Binding Lectin Pathway of Lyme Borreliosis and Deficient Kauko

Print ISSN: 0022-1767 Online ISSN: 1550-6606. Immunologists, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3994. The American Association of Immunologists, Inc., is published twice each month by The Journal of Immunology at N ohern Ilnois U iv U iv L ib/Piodicals D pt on N ovem er 5, 2014 hp://w w w jim m unl.org/ D ow nladed from
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1 Rapid adaptation to changing environments is key in determining the outcome of 2 infections caused by the opportunistic human pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae. We 3 previously demonstrated that the RofA-like protein (RALP) regulators RogB and Rga activate 4 their downstream divergently transcribed genes, i.e. the pilus operon PI-2a and the serine-rich 5 repeat encoding gene srr1, respectively. Characterization of the Rga regulon by microarray 6 revealed that the PI-2a pilus was strongly controlled by Rga, a result confirmed at the protein 7 level. Complementation experiments showed that expression of Rga, but not RogB, in the 8 double rogB/ rga mutant, or in the clinical strain 2603V/R displaying frameshift mutations 9 in rogB and rga genes, is sufficient to restore wild-type expression levels of Srr1 and PI-2a 10 pilus. Biofilm formation was impaired in the rga and rga/rogB mutants and restored upon 11 complementation with rga. Paradoxically, adherence to intestinal epithelial cells was 12 unchanged in the rga mutant. Finally, the existence of several clinical isolates mutated in 13 rga highlights the concept of strain specific regulatory networks. 14
Infrared spectrometric evaluation of carbon nanotube sulfonation

ABSTRACT In present study, wet chemical functionalization process of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is studied for evaluation of the structural and chemical changes in CNT. An aim of this research was to study the sulfonation process by a spectroscopic-chemometrics method. Purified multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were activated being prepared via reaction with LiAlH4 reducing agent, for nucleophilic attack by chlorosulfonic acid. In the next step, sulfonation was conducted by reflux. Fabricated samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In order to evaluate the reaction evolution trend, diffuse reflectance mid IR spectroscopy was employed to obtain data along the reaction period and spectral data were processed by multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) chemometrics techniques.
Testing the Speed of Light Variation with Strong Gravitational Lensing of SNe 1a

The constancy of the speed of light c is the foundation of most physical theories and is found to be indeed constant from local measurements. Whether or not the same is true at cosmological timescale has been of interest for some time. The measurement of time delay difference in the peaking of the luminosity between two gravitationally lensed images of a type 1a-supernova has recently been proposed to determine if c was different from its current value at the time the images were produced by a lensing galaxy. Since the geometrical time delay and the Shapiro time delay both scale as G/c 3 we show that this method of constraining c is valid only when the potential variation of the gravitational constant G is ignored: c variation is imperceptible when G ∼ c 3.
Snail mucus suppresses anti dsDNA antibodies in lupus mice

Lupus is closely related to weather changes. Changes in extreme weather due to climate changes can trigger lupus flares and cause death. Therefore, many studies are trying to find a drug that can cure lupus. Snail mucus has the properties of suppressing the immune system. The aim of this study is to see how snail mucus affects the levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies in lupus model mice. Experimental study uses a posttest-only group design. The control group was mice with 0.5 cc intraperitoneal (IP) saline. The lupus nephritis group was mice with pristane 0.5 cc IP, and the therapy group was mice with 0.5 cc IP pristane and 0.5 cc snail mucus per day at the 4th month of treatment for 14 days and after that the mice blood serum was taken and examined in the laboratory. The dsDNA antibody examination used the ELISA method. Statistical test with Anova followed by post hoc test. P is significant if it is less than 0.05. There was an increase in the levels of antibody dsDNA (p = 0.016) in the lupus group (75.13 + 22.5mg/dL) compare with the control group (56.96 ± 11.77 mg/dL), but there was a decrease in anti-dsDNA antibodies in the mice with snail mucus (56.01 ± 8.29 mg/dL; p = 0.02), and the methyl prednisolone group (53.47 ± 13.53 mg/dL; p = 0.009) when compared to the lupus group. Snail mucus suppresses anti dsDNA antibody levels in lupus mice.