cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost-effectiveness of external cephalic version for term breech presentation

External cephalic version (ECV) is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to convert a breech fetus to vertex position and reduce the need for cesarean delivery. The goal of this study was to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, from society's perspective, of ECV compared to scheduled cesarean for term breech presentation. A computer-based decision model (TreeAge Pro 2008, Tree Age Software, Inc.) was developed for a hypothetical base case parturient presenting with a term singleton breech fetus with no contraindications for vaginal delivery. The model incorporated actual hospital costs (e.g., $8,023 for cesarean and $5,581 for vaginal delivery), utilities to quantify health-related quality of life, and probabilities based on analysis of published literature of successful ECV trial, spontaneous reversion, mode of delivery, and need for unanticipated emergency cesarean delivery. The primary endpoint was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio in dollars per quality-adjusted year of life gained. A threshold of $50,000 per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) was used to determine cost-effectiveness. The incremental cost-effectiveness of ECV, assuming a baseline 58% success rate, equaled $7,900/QALY. If the estimated probability of successful ECV is less than 32%, then ECV costs more to society and has poorer QALYs for the patient. However, as the probability of successful ECV was between 32% and 63%, ECV cost more than cesarean delivery but with greater associated QALY such that the cost-effectiveness ratio was less than $50,000/QALY. If the probability of successful ECV was greater than 63%, the computer modeling indicated that a trial of ECV is less costly and with better QALYs than a scheduled cesarean. The cost-effectiveness of a trial of ECV is most sensitive to its probability of success, and not to the probabilities of a cesarean after ECV, spontaneous reversion to breech, successful second ECV trial, or adverse outcome from emergency cesarean. From society's perspective, ECV trial is cost-effective when compared to a scheduled cesarean for breech presentation provided the probability of successful ECV is > 32%. Improved algorithms are needed to more precisely estimate the likelihood that a patient will have a successful ECV.
Stability of Magnetically Levitated Liquid Bridges of Arbitrary Volume Subjected to Axial and Lateral Gravity

The paramagnetic fluid composed of manganese chloride tetrahydrate dissolved in water was used to form bridges held between two parallel collinear rods. Magnetic levitation was used to control the effective gravity felt by the bridges. Their stability was studied as a function of Bond number and volume of the supported liquid. Data are compared with theoretical predictions for liquid bridges as well as with experimental results, where available.
Selegiline potentiates cocaine-induced increases in rodent nucleus accumbens dopamine

Selegiline has been proposed as a treatment for cocaine addiction and studies in humans suggest that it attenuates cocaine's reinforcing effects. Here we assessed the effects of selegiline treatment on cocaine-induced increases in nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine (DA) in freely moving rodents. Chronic treatment with selegiline (L-deprenyl, 0.25/mg/kg, 24 days) potentiated cocaine-induced increases in NAc DA from 350-600%. However, this enhanced response was abolished when animals were treated chronically with both cocaine and selegiline. Inasmuch as increases in NAc DA are associated with the reinforcing effects of cocaine, these results obtained in rodents suggest that MAO-A and -B inhibition may not be a suitable strategy to antagonize cocaine's reinforcing effects during cocaine detoxification. On the other hand, chronic selegiline treatment may improve DA deficits, which are thought to contribute to relapse through a decreased response to natural rewards.
The Creative Class, Urban Boosters, and Race Shaping Urban Revitalization in Kansas City, Missouri

Cities such as Kansas City, Missouri, have struggled to reinvent themselves and to attract new residents in order to revitalize their urban centers in the wake of over sixty years of urban sprawl a...
Fundamentals of Digital Computer Programming

A simplified stored-program digital computer is described in order to demonstrate the fundamentals of computer programming. Using eight instructions, a number of basic techniques are illustrated by means of programs which perform elementary arithmetic and logical computations. The stored-program computer's capacity for modifying its own program is demonstrated.
Effect of controlled reduction of body iron stores on clinical outcomes in peripheral arterial disease

Background Published results from a controlled clinical trial in patients with peripheral arterial disease found improved outcomes with iron (ferritin) reduction among middle-aged subjects but not the entire cohort. The mechanism of the age-specific effect was explored. Methods Randomization to iron reduction (phlebotomy, n = 636) or control (n = 641) stratified by prognostic variables permitted analysis of effects of age and ferritin on primary (all-cause mortality) and secondary (death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stroke) outcomes. Results Iron reduction improved outcomes in youngest age quartile patients (primary outcome hazard ratio [HR] 0.44, 95% CI 0.21-0.92, P = .028; secondary outcome HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.61, P Conclusions Lower iron burden predicted improved outcomes overall and was enhanced by phlebotomy. Controlling iron burden may improve survival and prevent or delay nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke.
Phosphorylation of a tropomyosin-like (30 KD) protein during platelet activation.

In this study, we have used the tumor promoter 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol- 13acetate (TPA), as well as its biologically inactive analogue 4a-phorbol 12,13didecanoate (4cu-PDD), to investigate platelet protein phosphorylation and its possible correlation with platelet activation. Our data show that TPA, but not 4aPDD, induces a preferential phosphorylation of a 30,000 dalton (30 KD) protein. This phosphoprotein is found to be physically associated with an actomyosincontaining platelet cytoskeleton complex. Further analysis using both standard two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and one-dimensional urea-SDS gel electrophoresis reveals that this 30 KD protein has several tropomyosin-like properties. Most importantly, the degree of TPA-induced phosphorylation of the 30 KD protein is directly proportional to the extent of platelet granule release and the shape change of the platelet, as well as to the degree of aggregation. We speculate that this phosphorylated tropomyosinlike protein may play a pivotal role in the regulation of actomyosin-mediated platelet contractility, which has been previously implicated in a variety of platelet functions.
Visual attention abnormalities in autism: Delayed orienting to location

These studies provide evidence for slowed spatial orienting of attention in autism. A group of well-defined adult autistic subjects and age-matched normal controls performed a traditional spatial cueing task in which attention-related response facilitation is indexed by speed of target detection. To address the concern that motor impairment may interfere with interpretation of response time measures in those with neurologic abnormality, we also used a new adaptation of the traditional task that depended on accuracy of response (target discrimination) rather than speed of response. This design allowed separation of time to process and respond to target information from the time to move and engage (orient) attention. Results from both tasks were strikingly similar. Normal subjects oriented attention very quickly, and showed maximal performance facilitation at a cued location within 100 ms. Autistic subjects oriented attention much more slowly and showed increasing benefits of a spatial cue with increasing cue-to-target delays. These results are consistent with previous reports that patients with autism, the majority of whom have developmental abnormalities of the cerebellum, as well as those with acquired damage to the cerebellum, are slow to shift attention between and within modalities. This paper also addresses the variability in behavioral findings in autism, and suggests that many of the apparently contradictory findings may actually reflect sampling differences in patterns of brain pathology.
Tumor Vaccines for Breast Cancer

SUMMARY The goal of cancer vaccines and immunotherapies is to train the immune system to recognize cancer cells and destroy them. Immune responses play a dynamic role in the development of cancers, from immunosurveillance to immune escape; from in situ immune dysregulation to metastatic spread. The systematic identification and targeting of molecules involved in the immune response has led to a wide variety of potential immunotherapeutic targets for the treatment of breast cancer. Extraordinary advances in molecular immunology have led to a detailed understanding of tumor antigens, antigen presentation, innate immunity, cytokine and chemokine pathways, and immunoregulation. Many of these vaccine therapies are already in clinical development. It is the rational and rapid translation of these scientific discoveries into effective therapies for patients with breast cancer that poses the greatest challenge, and opportunity, to realize the potential of tumor vaccine therapy for breast cancer.
Optimal dual frames for erasures

For any given frame (for the purpose of encoding) in a finite dimensional Hilbert space, we investigate its dual frames that are optimal for erasures (for the purpose of decoding). We show that in general the canonical dual is not necessarily optimal. Moreover, optimal dual frames are not necessarily unique. We present some sufficient conditions under which the canonical dual is the unique optimal dual frame for the erasure problem. As an application, we get that the canonical dual is the only optimal dual when either the frame is induced by a group representation or the frame is uniform tight.
Some Remarks on Tall Cardinals and Failures of GCH

We investigate two global GCH patterns which are consistent with the existence of a tall cardinal and also present some related open questions.
Synthesis and application of an N-acylated l-homoserine lactone derivatized affinity matrix for the isolation of quorum sensing signal receptors

The design and synthesis of an agarose resin functionalized with a Gram-negative quorum sensing (QS) signaling molecule analogue is described. The modified resin was utilized in affinity pull-down assays to successfully isolate QscR, a LuxR-type QS receptor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This resin may facilitate the identification of novel QS signal receptors using affinity chromatography techniques.
The Geographies of Secondary City Growth in a Globalized China: Comparing Dongguan and Suzhou

China's dramatic economic growth trajectory during the post-1978 reform era has been in part dependent on the important role of secondary cities as regional articulation points in the country's engagement with globalization. This article compares the urban—economic experiences of the two prefecture-level municipalities of Dongguan and Suzhou with respect to a number of overlapping vantage points, each possessing an inherent spatiality. These include a national administrative rescaling of urban places producing greater economic autonomy at local and regional scales, the differing temporal engagement of each region with the global economy, and the structure of regional production chains, particularly in relation to the global gateway cities of the larger urban regions in which each secondary city is locationally and functionally embedded.
Strategies for induction, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, consolidation, and maintenance for transplantation-eligible multiple myeloma patients

There have been major advances in the past decade in the continuum of therapy for transplantation-eligible multiple myeloma patients. For patients requiring therapy, recommended induction treatment consists of triple drug regimens followed by the collection of hematopoietic stem cells. The question of early versus delayed transplantation is under investigation and may identify patients for whom early transplantation is optimal therapy and those for whom it may be delayed. For transplantation-eligible patients, high-dose melphalan remains the standard regimen. After transplantation, consolidation can be considered for patients with less than a complete remission. Maintenance therapy with bortezomib or lenalidomide (or both in very-high-risk patients) is a reasonable option for long-term disease control and improvement in overall survival. Incorporation of new agents into the continuum of multiple myeloma care should result in improved outcomes and long-term disease control.
Pressure stimulates breast cancer cell adhesion independently of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory protein (CARP)-1 regulation of focal adhesion kinase.

Abstract Background Pressure stimulates colon cancer adhesion via focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Extracellular pressures reaching 29 mm Hg have been reported in rapidly growing breast cancers, and tumors experience pressure during surgical manipulation. We hypothesized that pressure stimulates breast cancer adhesion and that CARP-1, which influences cancer biology, inhibits FAK, and modulates pressure effects. Methods We compared MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells under ambient or 15-mm Hg increased pressure. We studied FAK-397 autophosphorylation, which parallels activation, after CARP-1 overexpression, and investigated whether CARP-1 stable overexpression or reduction alters pressure-stimulated adhesion. Results Pressure increased MDA-MB-468 adhesion 25% (n = 30, P P Conclusions Pressure within proliferative tumors or during manipulation may activate breast cancer cells. Thus, inhibiting pressure signaling in rapidly growing breast tumors may be beneficial. CARP-1 does regulate FAK, but CARP-1 modulation does not alter pressure-stimulated adhesion. Targeting CARP-1 is unlikely to manipulate this pathway.
Dinoflagellates as Sources of Bioactive Molecules

Marine organisms, particularly marine invertebrates, have been shown to be a rich source of highly bioactive compounds. At the same time, there is growing appreciation that many of the fascinating molecules found in marine animals are actually derived from marine microorganisms through the food chain or symbiotic relationship. Since most of the marine animals which contain active principles are severely limited as collectable resources, more and more attention has been drawn to the culturable and dependable sources for potentially important medicinals. In fact, dinoflagellates were the first microorganisms recognized as the primary source of certain secondary metabolites, i.e., shellfish toxins, found in marine invertebrates. Recently, a number of other bioactive molecules such as polyethers and macrolides have been found to have their origins in dinoflagellates, and efforts have been made to achieve the cultural production of these potentially useful substances. This chapter is intended to provide an overview of the current status of the research on the exploration or development of biomedical agents from the dinoflagellates.
Rubik: fast analytical power management for latency-critical systems

Latency-critical workloads (e.g., web search), common in datacenters, require stable tail (e.g., 95th percentile) latencies of a few milliseconds. Servers running these workloads are kept lightly loaded to meet these stringent latency targets. This low utilization wastes billions of dollars in energy and equipment annually. Applying dynamic power management to latency-critical workloads is challenging. The fundamental issue is coping with their inherent short-term variability: requests arrive at unpredictable times and have variable lengths. Without knowledge of the future, prior techniques either adapt slowly and conservatively or rely on application-specific heuristics to maintain tail latency. We propose Rubik, a fine-grain DVFS scheme for latency-critical workloads. Rubik copes with variability through a novel, general, and efficient statistical performance model. This model allows Rubik to adjust frequencies at sub-millisecond granularity to save power while meeting the target tail latency. Rubik saves up to 66% of core power, widely outperforms prior techniques, and requires no application-specific tuning. Beyond saving core power, Rubik robustly adapts to sudden changes in load and system performance. We use this capability to design RubikColoc, a co-location scheme that uses Rubik to allow batch and latency-critical work to share hardware resources more aggressively than prior techniques. RubikColoc reduces data-center power by up to 31% while using 41% fewer servers than a datacenter that segregates latency-critical and batch work, and achieves 100% core utilization.
Nerves and Intestinal Mast Cells Modulate Responses to Enterotoxins

Experiments in intact animals exposed to enterotoxins demonstrate that neurons and immune cells of the lamina propria regulate toxin-induced diarrhea and tissue damage. Clostridium difficile toxins cause profound diarrhea and acute inflammation by activating a complex cascade initiated by toxin binding to enterocyte receptors.
Taking Stock: Transitional Justice and Market Effects

The relationship between transitional justice and economic development has recently attracted the attention of academics and policymakers. An emerging literature highlights the tension between the forward-looking economic goals of growth, development, and investment, and the backward-looking trials and truth commissions. Current research focuses on states’ ability to compete for international assistance or on underdeveloped countries’ efforts toward economic reconstruction following periods of civil war and authoritarianism. This paper broadens the scope of the study of the political economy of transitional justice by examining the effect of transitional justice mechanisms (trials, truth commissions, and amnesties) on the perceptions of private investors. Specifically, using time-series data for Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Spain, we explore how stock markets have responded to efforts to uncover information about past human rights abuses and to prosecute those responsible. The paper draws on a range of data on transitional justice events, and utilizes daily stock market data.
13 Men who perpetrate physical and technology-delivered intimate partner violence: correlates with substance use and beliefs about children

Statement of purpose Few studies assess men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) and no studies have addressed male technology-delivered aggression (TDA), or their correlates. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and correlates of male physical IPV perpetration and TDA. Methods/approach A national sample of U.S. men (18–35 y/o) received survey with validated measures examining physical IPV perpetration, TDA (insulted partner, sent threatening messages, asked partner where they were at, checked partner’s phone without permission, accessed partner’s account without permission), demographics, depression, alcohol and substance use, and belief that children are harmed by parental IPV. Results Prevalence of physical IPV perpetration was 19.5% (n = 183), and TDA was 29.8% (n = 289) among this national sample of males with partners (n = 1064; mean age 26.5; 57.5% white). Multivariate analyses identified alcohol (AOR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.13), illicit drugs (AOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.19–2.04), and non-medical prescription pain medication (AOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.31–2.51) as associated with increased risk of physical IPV perpetration, while belief that children are harmed by parental IPV (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50–0.90) was associated with decreased risk of physical IPV perpetration. Alcohol (AOR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03–1.12) and non-medical prescription pain medication (AOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.13–2.16) were associated with increased risk of TDA. Conclusions In the U.S., nearly 1 out of 5 men reports physical IPV perpetration, and nearly 3 out of 10 men report perpetrating TDA. Male physical IPV perpetration and TDA correlates are similar. Significance/contributions No prior studies have examined the combined prevalence of male perpetration of IPV and TDA among a national sample. This study provides data to inform prevention efforts for male perpetration of IPV and TDA. Interventions should include focus on substance use including non-medical prescription pain medication, and beliefs about effects of parental IPV on children.
Design of Anti-car-running Controller in Inclined Coal Well Based on ARM+μC/OS-II

Aiming at the functional demands for the design of the anti-car-running controller in inclined coal well,the paper takes 32 b ARM microprocessor LPC2119 as the hardware platform and transplants embedded real-time operation system μC/OS-Ⅱto the anti-car-running system.The paper presents the components of the anti-car-running controller design system,design of hardware and design of users′ task.The experimental result indicates that the system has better real-time performance and reliability
Conserving the Northern forest: A report card on state and federal implementation of recommendations of the Northern Forest Lands Council

In 1994, the Northern Forest Lands Council published 37 recommendations designed to maintain traditional patterns of land ownership in the Northern Forest. During the past six years, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont each substantially or partially implemented more than 75 percent of the recommendations. State implementation was remarkably consistent and included most of the recommendations for protecting exceptional resources. The federal government implemented half of the council's recommendations, almost all of which were related to strengthening rural economies, suggesting a low national concern with most of the underlying issues.
High-Precision Laboratory Measurements Supporting Retrieval of Water Vapor, Gaseous Ammonia, and Aqueous Ammonia Clouds with the Juno Microwave Radiometer (MWR)

The NASA Juno mission includes a six-channel microwave radiometer system (MWR) operating in the 1.3–50 cm wavelength range in order to retrieve abundances of ammonia and water vapor from the microwave signature of Jupiter (see Janssen et al. 2016). In order to plan observations and accurately interpret data from such observations, over 6000 laboratory measurements of the microwave absorption properties of gaseous ammonia, water vapor, and aqueous ammonia solution have been conducted under simulated Jovian conditions using new laboratory systems capable of high-precision measurement under the extreme conditions of the deep atmosphere of Jupiter (up to 100 bars pressure and 505 K temperature). This is one of the most extensive laboratory measurement campaigns ever conducted in support of a microwave remote sensing instrument. New, more precise models for the microwave absorption from these constituents have and are being developed from these measurements. Application of these absorption properties to radiative transfer models for the six wavelengths involved will provide a valuable planning tool for observations, and will also make possible accurate retrievals of the abundance of these constituents during and after observations are conducted.
Discoveries of proved reserves and the influence of oil price and interest rate

Due to the nature of oil as a depleting asset, new discoveries of proved reserves are a critical component in the ongoing operations of exploration and production companies. Economic factors such a...
The cost of model accuracy in the design of wound rotor synchronous machines for DC generation

This paper examines the added cost, in terms of mass, required to provide confidence that a machine optimized for passive DC rectification can be accurately represented using a qd model. The inclusion of a set of constraints during the design process is shown to greatly improve the match between qd and detailed models along the entire range of operation for the system, however it is seen that there is an appreciable mass penalty for doing so. Pareto-optimal fronts are used to quantify the cost.
Nanostructured porous graphene and its composites for energy storage applications

Graphene, 2D atomic-layer of sp2 carbon, has attracted a great deal of interest for use in solar cells, LEDs, electronic skin, touchscreens, energy storage devices, and microelectronics. This is due to excellent properties of graphene, such as a high theoretical surface area, electrical conductivity, and mechanical strength. The fundamental structure of graphene is also manipulatable, allowing for the formation of an even more extraordinary material, porous graphene. Porous graphene structures can be categorized as microporous, mesoporous, or macroporous depending on the pore size, all with their own unique advantages. These characteristics of graphene, which are further explained in this paper, may be the key to greatly improving a wide range of applications in energy storage systems.
Eco-Incremental Housing: Researching Typologies and Systems in Pursuit of a Community-Based Approach to Housing Upgrades in Informal Contexts

This paper examines the socio-spatial contexts of the Kya Sands informal settlement, documents existing housing typologies, and proposes in situ, user-focused housing designs. Through constituent interviews and field research, the designs aim to be responsive to resident desires, needs, and capacities. Goals for the project include a more efficient, in situ delivery system that allows residents to remain in their homes and customize their self-built structure. The research-design team, made up of faculty and students from Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Thomas Jefferson University (United States), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and City of Johannesburg planning officials, embraced the self-built ingenuity of residents in solving immediate design problems with local resources while recognizing the support government can provide. Following extensive research on the processes of incrementality, from tectonic to social and economic dynamics, the group developed incremental design solutions buildable by residents, to be supported by governmental intervention.
Prostate Specific Antigen in the Preoperative and Postoperative Evaluation of Localized Prostatic Cancer Treated with Radical Prostatectomy

AbstractThe usefulness of prostate specific antigen to predict final pathological stage was studied in 178 consecutive patients. Prostate specific antigen was determined preoperatively in all patients by a monoclonal immunoradiometric assay. All pathological specimens were examined for capsular penetration, seminal vesicle involvement and lymph node involvement. Prostate specific antigen correlated directly with capsular penetration (p less than 0.002), seminal vesicle involvement (p less than 0.02) and lymph node involvement (p less than 0.05). However the diagnostic accuracy of an elevated serum antigen level on an individual basis was only 55 per cent for capsular penetration and 50 per cent for seminal vesicle involvement and lymph node involvement.With a log-linear regression model, the half-life of prostate specific antigen was calculated to be 3.15 ± 0.09 days. From the equation PSA (t) equals PSA (2) e[−0.2197(t−2)], prostate specific antigen can be used to detect residual cancer on day t in the i...
Maximum Integer Flows in Directed Planar Graphs with Multiple Sources and Sinks and Vertex Capacities.

We consider the problem of finding maximum flows in planar graphs with capacities on both vertices and edges and with multiple sources and sinks. We present three algorithms when the capacities are integers. The first algorithm runs in $O(n \log^3 n + kn)$ time when all capacities are bounded, where $n$ is the number of vertices in the graph and $k$ is the number of terminals. This algorithm is the first to solve the vertex-disjoint paths problem in near-linear time when $k$ is bounded but larger than 2. The second algorithm runs in $O(k^2(k^3 + \Delta) n \text{ polylog} (nU))$ time, where $U$ is the largest finite capacity of a single vertex and $\Delta$ is the maximum degree of a vertex. Finally, when $k=3$, we present an algorithm that runs in $O(n \log n)$ time; this algorithm works even when the capacities are arbitrary reals. Our algorithms improve on the fastest previously known algorithms when $k$ and $\Delta$ are small and $U$ is bounded by a polynomial in $n$. Prior to this result, the fastest algorithms ran in $O(n^2 / \log n)$ time for real capacities and $O(n^{3/2} \log n \log U)$ for integer capacities.
Precise Clamping of Renal Artery With Endovascular Stents During Robotic Partial Nephrectomy: Technical Hints to Optimize Outcomes.

Objective To describe our surgical technique for robotic partial nephrectomy, 1 focusing on specific technical hints for vascular clamping on patients with renal masses and endovascular stent (ES) in the renal artery. Methods We reviewed the records of 3 patients that underwent robotic partial nephrectomy in our institution with precise clamping of renal arteries due to previous placement of ES. Perioperative outcomes were recorded. In our video, we present the case of 73-year-old Caucasian with a 10-cm left renal neoplasm and associated fenestrated endograft due to endovascular aorta repair. After preoperative imaging was reviewed, a robotic approach was planned. Results Key hints for outcomes optimization during nephron sparing surgery on patients with ES on the renal arteries: (1) preoperative computed tomography scan is crucial for surgical planning on dissection of the renal pedicle, 2 (2) an additional multiplanar volume rendering of the computed tomography scan may allow better 3-dimensional visualization and orientation of the renal vasculature and anatomy, (3) precise renal artery clamping distal from the renal artery stent is required to avoid renal stent occlusion, (4) extensive and meticulous dissection of the renal pedicle is mandatory to dictate correct clamping, and (5) an intraoperative Doppler ultrasound after clamping release confirms the blood flow through the renal arteries. 3 From the patients analyzed, median age was 69.6 years, median body mass index was 31.3, and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 36.6 mL/min. No cases were converted to open procedures. Perioperative outcomes are described in Table 1 . Conclusion Partial nephrectomy in patients with renal artery stents requires distal dissection of the renal artery beyond the stent. Our described technique provides feasible, reproducible, and valuable surgical suggestions for outcomes optimization during nephron-sparing surgery on patients with endovascular graft stents.
33. Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection

This chapter on laparoscopic low anterior resection describes a stepwise process for performing the operation. It describes the key anatomy, equipment and technique. It briefly covers indications, perioperative care and complications.
Welfare Economics and Regulation of Small-Loan Credit: Lessons from Microcredit in Developing Nations

Deregulation of usury laws, in the United States and in developing nations, has permitted various forms of small loans to be made to the poor and the working class, sometimes at very high prices. In the case of credit, more is not always better. A human development approach to evaluating the welfare impacts of credit products for the poor asks these questions: does a credit product or program increase income or consumption, achieve savings through investment in capital goods, or smooth consumption and avert crises, all at a reasonable cost? On the other hand, does the credit on balance redistribute income away from the poor without adequate offsetting benefits, or produce overindebtedness and declining borrower living standards? The empirical evidence on welfare impacts of microcredit, in the cases of Bangladesh, Bolivia, and South Africa, are reviewed. This evidence, together with the United States experience with payday lending, offers important insights into the benefits and risks of different credit products and programs for the poor. These insights can inform the next generation of consumer credit regulation, which should promote responsible lending based on full credit reporting, insurance, and workouts to protect against and mitigate defaults, continual repayment of principal, differentiation based on credit use, and simple and transparent pricing.
Regulation of Energy Metabolism in Ruminants

Food-producing animals, particularly ruminants, play a key role in converting plant resources humans cannot or do not choose to consume directly into desirable, high-quality human foods. Plant resources utilized in ruminant animal production include cereal and feed grains, forage and silage crops, pasture and range forage, crop residues, and a wide range of by-products from processing industries. Numerous authors (Guirry, 1964; De Graaf, 1967; Blaxter, 1973; Combs, 1973; Reid, 1973; Phillips, 1973; McDowell, 1975), in addressing the world food problem and the appropriate role fulfilled by animals in the production of human food, have identified a number of relevant issues which must be addressed in determining how much total animal production may change in the future and what types of production management systems will be most appropriate. The important issues are that reduced quantities of cereal grains will be available for animal production, that much of the earth’s energy is stored in forms not edible by humans which can be converted by animals to human food, and that plant and animal agriculture are complementary and interdependent. There is general agreement among most authors that products of animal agriculture will continue to contribute significantly to the world food supply.
Structural Analysis of U-Slot Loaded Microstrip Patch using Theory of Characteristic Modes

The empirical design technique DIResF has been reported to give optimal bandwidth without probe optimization as compared to other existing design techniques (i.e. resonant frequency method (ResF) and dimensional invariance (DI)) [1]. This paper presents the comparative structural analysis of the above mentioned design techniques without feed excitation. This investigation reveals the salient feature of CMA that is uniquely helpful in antenna performance analysis namely the unique physical insight that is furnished from the radiation behavior of the currents residing on the antenna structure. The resonance frequency of modes, as well as their radiating behavior, can be determined from the information provided by the eigenvalues associated with the characteristic modes. In this paper, comparative analysis reveals the physical insight of DIResF's optimal behaviour than other two design techniques. DIResF's current modes give higher modal significance/ lower eigen value than other two design techniques which makes simultaneous excitation of participating current modes possible for wide bandwidth.
A PRDM16-Driven Metabolic Signal from Adipocytes Regulates Precursor Cell Fate

Summary The precursor cells for metabolically beneficial beige adipocytes can alternatively become fibrogenic and contribute to adipose fibrosis. We found that cold exposure or β3-adrenergic agonist treatment of mice decreased the fibrogenic profile of precursor cells and stimulated beige adipocyte differentiation. This fibrogenic-to-adipogenic transition was impaired in aged animals, correlating with reduced adipocyte expression of the transcription factor PRDM16. Genetic loss of Prdm16 mimicked the effect of aging in promoting fibrosis, whereas increasing PRDM16 in aged mice decreased fibrosis and restored beige adipose development. PRDM16-expressing adipose cells secreted the metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which blocked precursor fibrogenesis and facilitated beige adipogenesis. BHB catabolism in precursor cells, mediated by BDH1, was required for beige fat differentiation in vivo. Finally, dietary BHB supplementation in aged animals reduced adipose fibrosis and promoted beige fat formation. Together, our results demonstrate that adipocytes secrete a metabolite signal that controls beige fat remodeling.
Motor primitives are determined in early development and are then robustly conserved into adulthood.

Motor patterns in legged vertebrates show modularity in both young and adult animals, comprising motor synergies or primitives. Are such spinal modules observed in young mammals conserved into adulthood or altered? Conceivably, early circuit modules alter radically through experience and descending pathways’ activity. We analyze lumbar motor patterns of intact adult rats and the same rats after spinal transection and compare these with adult rats spinal transected 5 days postnatally, before most motor experience, using only rats that never developed hind limb weight bearing. We use independent component analysis (ICA) to extract synergies from electromyography (EMG). ICA information-based methods identify both weakly active and strongly active synergies. We compare all spatial synergies and their activation/drive strengths as proxies of spinal modules and their underlying circuits. Remarkably, we find that spatial primitives/synergies of adult injured and neonatal injured rats differed insignificantly, despite different developmental histories. However, intact rats possess some synergies that differ significantly, although modestly, in spatial structure. Rats injured as adults were more similar in modularity to rats that had neonatal spinal transection than to themselves before injury. We surmise that spinal circuit modules for spatial synergy patterns may be determined early, before postnatal day 5 (P5), and remain largely unaltered by subsequent development or weight-bearing experience. An alternative explanation but equally important is that, after complete spinal transection, both neonatal and mature adult spinal cords rapidly converge to common synergy sets. This fundamental or convergent synergy circuitry, fully determined by P5, is revealed after spinal cord transection.
Market Regulation of Contractual Terms: A Skeptical View

The problem of boilerplate provisions in standard-form contracts is well documented. Consumers are bound by detailed contractual arrangements without fully appreciating and knowingly accepting them. Professor Margaret Radin’s recent book, Boilerplate: The Fine Print, Vanishing Rights, and the Rule of Law thoroughly explores this problem and discusses several possible solutions. Ideally, such solutions will allow society to take advantage of the benefits of standard form contracting, and in particular the reduction in transaction costs, while mitigating or eliminating the problems of one-sided inefficient terms. This essay discusses one set of solutions: those that are grounded in a bottom-up market-based approach. The essay notices that while many market based schemes have been offered, none of them has been broadly adopted. It suggests that it is not a surprising result and that it would be extremely difficult to create a truly bottom-up market-based solution to this problem.
Runtime-Programmable Pipelines for Model Checkers on FPGAs

Software verification is an important stage of the software development process, particularly for mission-critical systems. As the traditional methodology of using unit tests falls short of verifying complex software, developers are increasingly relying on formal verification methods, such as explicit state model checking, to automatically verify that the software functions properly. However, due to the ever-increasing complexity of software designs, model checking cannot be performed in a reasonable amount of time when running on general-purpose cores, leading to the exploration of hardware-accelerated model checking. FPGAs have been demonstrated as a promising accelerator because of their high throughput, inherent parallelism, and flexibility. Unfortunately, the "FPGA programmability wall," particularly the long synthesis and place-and-route times, block the general adoption of FPGAs for model checking. To address this problem, we designed a runtime-programmable pipeline specifically for model checkers on FPGAs to minimize the "preparation time" before a model can be checked. Our runtime-programmable pipeline design of the successor state generator and the state validator modules enables FPGA acceleration of model checking without incurring the time-consuming FPGA implementation stages. Our experimental results show that the runtime-programmable pipeline reduces the preparation time before checking a new or modified model from multiple hours to less than a minute while maintaining similar throughput as FPGA model checkers with model-specific pipelines
Influence of Estimated Fetal Weight on Labor Management

Objective Prior studies suggest knowledge of estimated fetal weight (EFW), particularly by ultrasound (US), increases the risk for cesarean delivery. These same studies suggest that concern for macrosomia potentially alters labor management leading to increased rates of cesarean delivery. We aimed to assess if shortened labor management, as a result of suspected macrosomia (≥4,000 g), leads to an increased rate of cesarean delivery. Study Design This is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary center in 2015 of women with singleton pregnancies ≥36 weeks with documented EFW by US within 3 weeks or physical exam on admission. Women were excluded if an initial cervical exam was ≥6 cm or no attempt was made to labor. In addition, patients were excluded for the diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, or prior cesarean delivery, as these comorbidities influence the use of US, labor management, and cesarean delivery independent of fetal weight. Patients were classified as EFW of ≥4,000 and Results Of 1,506 patients included, 54 (3.5%) had EFW of ≥4,000 g. Women with EFW of ≥4,000 g had a larger body mass index, higher fetal birth weight, were more likely to be undergoing induction of labor, had a more advanced gestational age, and were more likely to have had an US within 3 weeks of delivery. They were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (29.6 vs. 9.3%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–5.5) despite not having shortened labor times. When analyzing this population by method of obtaining EFW, those with EFW based on US rather than external palpation were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (13.1 vs. 7.9%, AOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.01–2.12), again without having shortened labor times. Conclusion EFW of ≥4,000 g and use of US to estimate fetal weight do not appear to shorten labor management despite being associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery.
Intra-tracheal administration of a naked plasmid expressing stromal derived factor-1 improves lung structure in rodents with experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by alveolar simplification and disordered angiogenesis. Stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine which modulates cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Here we tested the hypothesis that intra-tracheal (IT) administration of a naked plasmid DNA expressing SDF-1 would attenuate neonatal hyperoxia-induced lung injury in an experimental model of BPD, by promoting angiogenesis. Newborn Sprague-Dawley rat pups (n = 18–20/group) exposed to room air (RA) or hyperoxia (85% O2) from postnatal day (P) 1 to 14 were randomly assigned to receive IT a naked plasmid expressing SDF-1, JVS-100 (Juventas Therapeutics, Cleveland, Ohio) or placebo (PL) on P3. Lung alveolarization, angiogenesis, inflammation, vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension (PH) were assessed on P14. PH was determined by measuring right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and the weight ratio of the right to left ventricle + septum (RV/LV + S). Capillary tube formation in SDF-1 treated hyperoxia-exposed human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC) was determined by matrigel assay. Data is expressed as mean ± SD and analyzed by two-way ANOVA. Exposure of neonatal pups to 14 days of hyperoxia decreased lung SDF-1 gene expression. Moreover, whilst hyperoxia exposure inhibited capillary tube formation in HPMEC, SDF-1 treatment increased tube length and branching in HPMEC. PL-treated hyperoxia-exposed pups had decreased alveolarization and lung vascular density. This was accompanied by an increase in RVSP, RV/LV + S, pulmonary vascular remodeling and inflammation. In contrast, IT JVS-100 improved lung structure, reduced inflammation, PH and vascular remodeling. Intratracheal administration of a naked plasmid expressing SDF-1 improves alveolar and vascular structure in an experimental model of BPD. These findings suggest that therapies which modulate lung SDF-1 expression may have beneficial effects in preterm infants with BPD.
Vav2 lacks calcium entry-promoting scaffolding functions unique to Vav1 and inhibits T cell activation via Cdc42.

Vav family guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) are essential regulators of immune function. Despite their structural similarity, Vav1 promotes and Vav2 opposes T cell receptor (TCR)-induced calcium entry. Using a Vav1-deficient Jurkat T cell line, we find that Vav1 facilitates calcium entry via non-catalytic scaffolding functions that are encoded by the catalytic core of Vav1 and flanking linker regions. We implicate in this scaffolding function a previously undescribed polybasic motif that is strictly conserved in Vav1 and absent from Vav2 in tetrapods. Conversely, the catalytic activity of Vav2 contributes to the suppression of TCR-mediated calcium entry. Using an in vivo ‘GEF trapping’ assay in intact cells, we demonstrate that Cdc42 interacts with the catalytic surface of Vav2 but not Vav1, and that Vav1 discriminates Cdc42 from Rac1 via F56 (W56 in Rac1). Lastly, the Cdc42-specific inhibitor ZCL278 and the shRNA-mediated suppression of Cdc42 each prevent the inhibition of TCR-induced calcium entry by Vav2. These findings define stark differences in the functions of Vav1 and Vav2 and provide an explanation for the differential usage of these Vav isoforms by immune subpopulations.
Stock Market Prediction Using Ensemble of Graph Theory, Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models

Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is the cornerstone of the modern financial theory and it states that it is impossible to predict the price of any stock using any trend, fundamental or technical analysis. Stock trading is one of the most important activities in the world of finance. Stock price prediction has been an age-old problem and many researchers from academia and business have tried to solve it using many techniques ranging from basic statistics to machine learning using relevant information such as news sentiment and historical prices. Even though some studies claim to get prediction accuracy higher than a random guess, they consider nothing but a proper selection of stocks and time interval in the experiments. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed using graph theory. This approach leverages Spatio-temporal relationship information between different stocks by modeling the stock market as a complex network. This graph-based approach is used along with two techniques to create two hybrid models. Two different types of graphs are constructed, one from the correlation of the historical stock prices and the other is a causation-based graph constructed from the financial news mention of that stock over a period. The first hybrid model leverages deep learning convolutional neural networks and the second model leverages a traditional machine learning approach. These models are compared along with other statistical models and the advantages and disadvantages of graph-based models are discussed. Our experiments conclude that both graph-based approaches perform better than the traditional approaches since they leverage structural information while building the prediction model.