cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors that influence perforator vein closure rates using radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, or foam sclerotherapy

Objective Perforator vein closure for the treatment of advanced chronic venous insufficiency has been shown to be effective using radiofrequency ablation (RFA), endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), or ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS). The objective of the study was to compare these three modalities and attempt to identify factors that might predict treatment failure. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively managed database of perforator vein treatments performed at a three centers within a single institution from February 2013 to July 2014. The modality for perforator closure was left to the discretion of the treating physician. A Duplex scan was performed at 2 weeks after the procedure. Standard statistical methods were used to compare subgroup characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SAS v9.3. Results We performed 296 perforator ablations on 112 patients. Superficial venous reflux was appropriately treated before perforator ablation. Of the 296 procedures, 62 (21%) underwent EVLA, 93 (31%) RFA, and 141 (48%) UGFS. The indications for intervention in most patients were C5 and C6 disease (67%). At 2 weeks, closure rates were significantly lower for UGFS (57%) compared with RFA (73%; P = .05) but failed to reach significance compared with EVLA (61%; P = .09). When patients were first treated with UGFS and closure failed, thermal ablation was then successful in 85% (P = .03) of EVLA and 89% (P = .003) of RFAs as a secondary procedure, compared with initial closure rates. Systemic anticoagulation, perforator size, and presence of deep vein reflux did not affect closure rates for any modality. Factors that were predictive of failure were body mass index >50 with closure rates of only 37% for all modalities. There were five postprocedure deep venous thromboses found (5%). One patient had an isolated gastrocnemius thrombus after undergoing UGFS and the other four had focal tibial vein thrombosis without extension into the popliteal vein. Conclusions In this study we compared EVLA, RFA, and UGFS for the treatment of incompetent perforating veins. RFA was found to be the most reliable means of perforator closure and was significantly better than UGFS. Morbid obesity (body mass index >50) predicted failure of perforator closure in all groups. Failure of UGFS as an initial treatment led to increased perforator closure when thermal ablation was used as a secondary technique.
Risks and Benefits of Aggressive and Conservative Approaches to the Management of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants

During fetal life, the ductus arteriosus (DA) connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta and provides a channel through which the majority of pulmonary blood flow is shunted into the systemic circulation. Persistent patency of the DA during the first few days after birth might represent a normal physiologic adaptation by allowing shunting from pulmonary to systemic circulation as the left ventricle adapts to its role as the dominant pumping chamber. However, in the vast majority of infants, the DA closes by three days of life [1]. In some infants, especially preterm infants with lung disease, there is a delayed closure of the DA [2]. Approximately 65% of infants born at less than 28 weeks’ gestation will have a diagnosis of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) at some time during the early neonatal period [3].
Signaling in T cells - is anything the m(a)TOR with the picture(s)?

The excitement surrounding checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of patients with cancer exemplifies a triumph of the long-term value of investing in basic science and fundamental questions of T-cell signaling. The pharmaceutical future actively embraces ways of making more patients’ cancers responsive to these inhibitors. Such a process will be aided by elucidation of signaling and regulation. With thousands of articles spread across almost 30 years, this commentary can touch only on portions of the canonical picture of T-cell signaling and provide a few parables from work on mammalian (or mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways as they link to early and later phases of lymphocyte activation. The piece will turn a critical eye to some issues with models about these pathways in T cells. Many of the best insights lie in the future despite all that is uncovered already, but a contention is that further therapeutic successes will be fostered by dealing with disparities among findings and attention to the temporal, spatial, and stochastic aspects of T-cell responses. Finally, thoughts on some (though not all) items urgently needed for future progress will be mooted.
Sapien XT Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement Under Direct Vision in the Setting of Significant Mitral Annular Calcification

Mitral valve replacement carries a high risk in patients with extensive mitral annular calcification. We report the case of a 71-year-old woman with severely calcified mitral valve stenosis and extensive annular calcification. We approached the mitral valve through a left atriotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest. We successfully deployed a 29-mm Sapien XT valve under direct visualization with satisfactory positioning. We further balloon-expanded the device to diminish the likelihood of periprosthetic regurgitation. Open mitral valve replacement with a transcatheter valve can be performed without the need for decalcification of the mitral annulus and is a good alternative to conventional mitral valve replacement.
Aspartate β-hydroxylase modulates cellular senescence through glycogen synthase kinase 3β in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is an enzyme overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors that participates in the malignant transformation process. We determined if ASPH was a therapeutic target by exerting effects on cellular senescence to retard HCC progression. ASPH knockdown or knockout was achieved by short hairpin RNAs or the CRISPR/Cas9 system, respectively, whereas enzymatic inhibition was rendered by a potent second-generation small molecule inhibitor of ASPH. Alterations of cell proliferation, colony formation, and cellular senescence were evaluated in human HCC cell lines. The potential mechanisms for activating cellular senescence were explored using murine subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models. Inhibition of ASPH expression and enzymatic activity significantly reduced cell proliferation and colony formation but induced tumor cell senescence. Following inhibition of ASPH activity, phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and p16 expression were increased to promote senescence, whereas cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were decreased to reduce cell proliferation. The mechanisms involved demonstrate that ASPH binds to glycogen synthase kinase 3β and inhibits its subsequent interactions with protein kinase B and p38 upstream kinases as shown by coimmunoprecipitation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that small molecule inhibitor treatment of HCC bearing mice resulted in significant dose-dependent reduced tumor growth, induced phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β, enhanced p16 expression in tumor cells, and promoted cellular senescence. Conclusions: We have identified a new mechanism that promotes HCC growth and progression by modulating senescence of tumor cells; these findings suggest that ASPH enzymatic activity is a novel therapeutic target for HCC. (Hepatology 2016;63:1213–1226)
Spatial and Temporal Variability in Estuary Habitat Use by American Alligators

Estuarine habitat occupied by Alligator mississippiensis, a primarily freshwater species, is spatially and temporally heterogeneous largely due to a salinity gradient that fluctuates. Using long-term night light survey data, we examined seasonal patterns in alligators’ habitat use by size classes in midstream and downstream estuary zones of Shark River, Everglades National Park, in southern Florida. We observed predominantly large-sized alligators (total length ≥ 1.75 m); observations of alligators in the small size classes (0.5 m ≤ total length < 1.25 m) were rare especially in the higher-salinity downstream zone. The density of alligators in the downstream zone was lower than that of the midstream zone during the dry season when salinity increases due to reduced precipitation. Conversely, the density of the large size alligators was higher in the downstream zone than in the midstream zone during the wet season, likely because of reduced salinity. We also found a significant declining trend over time in the number of alligators in the dry season, which coincides with the reported decline in alligator relative density in southern Florida freshwater wetlands. Our results indicated high adaptability of alligators to the fluctuating habitat conditions. Use of estuaries by alligators is likely driven in part by physiology and possibly by reproductive cycle, and our results supported their opportunistic use of estuary habitat and ontogenetic niche shifts.
Enhanced Oxidation of TiSi2 Films by As+ Implantation

The influence of As + -ion implantation on the oxidation of TiSi 2 films is investigated. It will be shown that implantation leads to a greatly increased rate of oxidation in a dry O 2 ambient. Low-temperature oxidation of the implanted films not only results in substantial oxidation of the films, but completely alters the films' morphology. Different implantation techniques were used to isolate the effects of ion-induced damage from chemical effects, so that each could be separately studied. It will be shown that neither chemical nor damage effects are able, by themselves, to account for the enhanced oxidation. Rather, a model is proposed to explain the role of implantation in the oxidation process which depends on a synergistic relation between these two effects.
Extending Mid-IR Wavelength Beyond Material Limits

Incorporation of piezoelectric effects increases dimensionality in the design of MIR laser active regions. This study describes successful implementation in MBE-grown GaAs-based QCLs that utilize nonlinear optical processes resulting in shorter wavelength designs.
Attitude Representation and Kinematic Propagation for Low-Cost UAVs

Complementary filter-based algorithms for attitude estimation seek to minimize the short-comings associated with the low-cost MEMS sensors and low-power embedded processors that are frequently used in unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper explores the performance impact of three different ingredients for attitude estimation within the complementary filter framework: 1) kinematic propagation, 2) attitude representation, and 3) the assumptions on the behavior of the angular rate vector between samples. Forward Euler integration and matrix exponential propagation methods are compared within several attitude representations, namely the direction cosine matrix (DCM), quaternion, Euler angle, and the angle-axis schemes. Assumptions of constant, linear, and quadratic angular velocities between samples are also examined. The resulting algorithms are evaluated from the points of view of accuracy, computational load, and noise response. Tests using analytic inputs as well as real data within the framework of the SLUGS autopilot are performed to evaluate algorithm performance. The results of the experiments indicate that by combining matrix exponential propagation with a quaternion representation of attitude high accuracy can be obtained with a standard processor.
The Kervaire invariant problem

The history and solution of the Kervaire invariant problem is discussed, along with some of the future prospects raised by its solution.
Preparation of treated carbon fibers reinforced HA composites by centrifugal slip casting technology

The carbon fibers treated by HCl were coated with HA layers using sol-gel technology and then used to fabricate the treated C-fibers reinforced HA composites by centrifugal slip casting technology.The treated technologies of C-fibers were studied,micro-morphologies of the untreated and treated C-fibers were observed, the effect of the solid content of HA slurries on mass segregation during centrifugal process was analyzed,and mechanical properties of sintered composites were measured.The results show the carbon fibers after HCl disposal and dip in HA sol have a compact layer which has better contact with HA matrix.After centrifuged at 2 860g acceleration,the green compacts have uniform density.SEM observation shows the sintered composites have compact microstructure and no obvious mass segregation phenomenon.The treated CF/HA composites prepared by centrifugal slip casting have the highest bending strength of 93.5MPa and flexural toughness of 1.96MPa·m1/2,respectively,when the contents of C-fibers was 2%and 2.5wt%.
Synthetic Analysis on Comprehensive Control of Rural Environment and Detection Results of Drinking Water Quality in Changsha County

Objective To investigate the dynamic change of drinking water quality after comprehensive control of rural environment in Changsha County.Methods The quality of the water from centralized water supplies and decentralized water supplies in Changsha County was detected from 2009 to 2011.Results A total of 1,289 water samples were detected and 907 samples were qualified,with a qualified rate of 70.4%.The qualified rates were statistically significant different among various years(P0.01),reaching the highest in 2011.There were statistically significant differences in the unqualified rate of manganese between the finished water and the tap water(P0.01).There were also statistically significant differences in total bacteria,total coliform,thermotolerant coliform bacteria,color,turbidity,visible substances,ammonia nitrogen,iron and manganese between centralized water supplies and decentralized water supplies(P0.01).The unqualified rates of total bacteria,total coliform and manganese in the wet season were different from those in the dry season(P0.01).Conclusions The qualified rate of the drinking water in Changsha County increases year by year after comprehensive control of the environment.Nevertheless,the microbial contamination is severe and the manganese content is high.The scope of the centralized water supply should be expanded and the popularization rate of tap water should be increased.The monitoring and management of the water quality in the wet seasons should be strengthened,and the supervision and punishment strength should be also enhanced.The manganese treatment in the water plants should be improved.
ABSA: an agent-based tool for system administration

Studies indicate that because of the difficulty and complexity, the cost of administering systems is ten times the cost of the actual hardware. ABSA is an agent-based solution to automated system administration. ABSA architecture is introduced to minimize the cost of administering computers in multi platform networks and to provide a simple, consistent, expandable, and integrated system administration tool.
The Paradox of Moving Labor: Workers in the Films of Jia Zhangke

However one sets about an inquiry of worker representation in culture, the difference of work, worker, labor and capital inexorably undoes or undermines individual cultural claims. Salgado’s photographs might accentuate how Muslim women played a significant role in constructing the Rajasthan Canal in India, but this cannot possibly stand in for women’s labor in general, Muslim labor, Indian labor, and all of the moving contradictions between capital and labor as relations in such specificity. If the earlier chapters on theory look at several vital symptoms in linking the worker to the world (or worlds of labor as I would have it), the case studies complicate rather than carry the burden of cultural exegesis. The point is not to provide a neat typology for the study of labor in culture, but is to elaborate a lexicon of labor that might more fruitfully address the meaning of the worker for what we think of as globalization.
Protocol for Maintaining Alveolar Ridge Volume in Molar Immediate Implant Sites.

Introduction: Numerous biomaterials are available for augmenting bone around dental implants. In contained extraction sockets, a demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) appears capable of maintaining dimensional stability of the alveolar ridge as well as mineralized alternatives but may yield a higher percentage of new vital bone. When DFDBA is used in large horizontal gap defects at molar immediate implant sites, graft containment and protection must occur through provisional restoration, an anatomic custom healing abutment, or by other means.Case Series: Two mandibular molar immediate implant sites received DFDBA covered by dense polytetrafluoroethylene membranes.Conclusion: The present report suggests a protocol for maintaining favorable dimensional stability of the alveolar ridge at molar immediate implant sites, while possibly minimizing residual peri-implant biomaterial.
The multifunctionality of urban farming: perceived benefits for neighbourhood improvement

ABSTRACTUrban farming – a type of urban agriculture focused on entrepreneurial food production – serves multiple functions in neighbourhoods; yet these are not well delineated. Expectations for urban farming often centre on traditional measures of economic development, potentially overlooking other benefits. Through a qualitative case study conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, we sought to understand community perceptions regarding the ways in which urban farms can benefit cities. Interviews with residents, neighbourhood leaders, and urban farmers in three residential neighbourhoods with urban farms revealed the pathways by which community members view farms as improving neighbourhoods. Benefits stemmed from four primary changes urban farms made to study neighbourhoods: creation of public projects welcoming involvement, physical improvement of degraded space, production of local food, and creation of new businesses. These changes led to multiple perceived benefits including increased social connectedness, a ...
Tempur Sealy International (A)

This case series explores the long-term relationship between Tempur Sealy (TPX, a mattress manufacturer) and Mattress Firm (MFRM, a bedding retailer and TPX’s largest customer). For almost 20 years, the firms had enjoyed a mutually beneficial and commercially prosperous relationship. Yet in August 2016, Steinhoff (a large, vertically integrated furniture retailer based in Europe and South Africa) made an offer to acquire MFRM. Whether this acquisition will affect the symbiotic relationship that had existed between the two firms is the key question in the case. While some industry observers argued it would increase MFRM’s bargaining power vis-a-vis TPX, others argued it would not alter the balance of power, and that the incentives to collaborate would remain intact. This case provides a deep dive into the dynamic interaction between a buyer and seller to illustrate two of Porter’s “Five Forces” (two of the five “drivers” of business attractiveness in Van den Steen’s framework). In particular, it defines the concepts of buyer (customer) and supplier power, illustrates how power gets expressed in a commercial relationship, and explores how and why the balance of power can change over time. It challenges students to address a fundamental managerial decision in most commercial relationships: when is it appropriate to collaborate in a symbiotic relationship to create value, and when is it appropriate to compete in an attempt to capture value? It also shows how three leadership attributes affect strategic decisions (i.e., how 3 P’s--person, pay, and pressure--affect strategic decisions).
Selenium Impregnated Monolithic Carbons as Free-Standing Cathodes for High Volumetric Energy Lithium and Sodium Metal Batteries

Energy density (energy per volume) is a key consideration for portable, automotive, and stationary battery applications. Selenium (Se) lithium and sodium metal cathodes are created that are monolithic and free-standing, and with record Se loading of 70 wt%. The carbon host is derived from nanocellulose, an abundant and sustainable forestry product. The composite is extremely dense (2.37 g cm−3), enabling theoretical volumetric capacity of 1120 mA h cm−3. Such architecture is fully distinct from previous Se–carbon nano- or micropowders, intrinsically offering up to 2× higher energy density. For Li storage, the cathode delivers reversible capacity of 1028 mA h cm−3 (620 mA h g−1) and 82% retention over 300 cycles. For Na storage, 848 mA h cm−3 (511 mA h g−1) is obtained with 98% retention after 150 cycles. The electrodes yield superb volumetric energy densities, being 1727 W h L−1 for Li–Se and 980 W h L−1 for Na–Se normalized by total composite mass and volume. Despite the low surface area, over 60% capacity is maintained as the current density is increased from 0.1 to 2 C (30 min charge) with Li or Na. Remarkably, the electrochemical kinetics with Li and Na are comparable, including the transition from interfacial to diffusional control.
Is Love Color-blind? Racial Blind Spots and Latinas’ Romantic Relationships:

The racial stratification literature is rife with examples of how color-blindness has become a dominant ideology among Whites to deny the continuing significance of race at work, school, and in eve...
Fair value disclosure of pension plan assets and audit fees

Abstract Effective December 2009, FAS 132(R)-1 expands the prior disclosure requirements on pension plan assets by requiring firms to disclose the fair value inputs and measurements of pension assets. This study examines whether the different level of pension asset fair value inputs required under FAS 132(R)-1 affects audit fees, and investigates whether more expanded fair value disclosure requirements alone can have any impact on audit fees that proxy for auditors’ efforts. During our sample period from 2009 to 2010, we find supporting evidence that audit fees are an increasing function of Level 3 fair value assets that are more subjective. In addition, in a difference-in-difference test, we find evidence supporting our hypothesis that audit firms increase their audit fees after the adoption of FAS 132(R)-1, especially for the client firms that have more Level 3 pension assets. Considering that auditors have had access to the detailed fair value measurement information even before 2009, our results imply that a more detailed disclosure requirement on pension plan assets alone can affect auditors’ audit efforts and audit fees accordingly.
Effects of Condensed Tannin on Animal Nutrition

Addition of condensed tannins to diets of experimental animals usually results in diminished weight gains and lowered efficiency of feed utilization, as well as increased fecal nitrogen. These effects have been interpreted in terms of inhibition by tannin of the digestion of dietary protein. Recent studies suggest that inhibition of digestion is much less significant than inhibition of the utilization of digested and absorbed nutrients. Some component(s) of condensed tannin appear to be absorbed from the digestive tract and produce systemic effects. Herbivorous mammals partially protect themselves against dietary tannin by producing specific proline-rich salivary proteins that strongly and selectively bind the tannins, thus sparing dietary proteins. Without these defensive proteins, which may be the source of the increased fecal nitrogen, the antinutritional effects of tannin would be much more severe.
Travel Cost Savings and Practicality for Low-Vision Telerehabilitation

Abstract Introduction: Veterans with low vision who live in rural communities have limited access to low-vision rehabilitation services, unless they are able to travel several miles to a specialty ...
Withdrawal from Brief Repeated Alcohol Treatment in Adolescent and Adult Male and Female Rats.

BACKGROUND Early initiation of alcohol drinking has been associated with increased risk of alcohol dependence in adulthood. Although negative affect mediated in part by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a strong motivator for alcohol consumption in adults, comparisons of alcohol withdrawal in adolescents and adults generally have not included CRF-related measures such as anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to compare withdrawal signs including anxiety-like behavior after a brief multiday alcohol treatment in adolescent and adult male and female rats. METHODS Animals were treated with a 5-day regimen of alcohol injections (3 daily intraperitoneal injections of 1.5 g/kg at 3-hour intervals, total of 15) starting on postnatal day (PN) 28 or PN 70. Spontaneous withdrawal signs and anxiety-like behavior (light/dark box) were assessed 18 hours after the last injection as described. One cohort of rats was treated with alcohol, killed 18 hours after the last injection, and blood was collected to assess corticosterone. Another cohort of rats was treated with alcohol or vehicle, given 1, 2, or 3 alcohol injections (1.5 g/kg), and killed 1 hour after final injection to determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Finally, adult and adolescent males and females received 5 days of alcohol or vehicle treatment followed by a final challenge with alcohol (3 g/kg), and blood was collected for corticosterone. RESULTS BAC was comparable in adolescents and adults. Spontaneous withdrawal signs were comparable in adolescents and adults, and no sex differences were observed. Anxiety-like behaviors (time and distance in light, latency to emerge, and light entries) differed in alcohol- and vehicle-treated adults but not adolescents. Corticosterone was not elevated at withdrawal. Alcohol increased corticosterone significantly in vehicle-treated animals, but both adolescents and adults were tolerant to alcohol-induced elevation of corticosterone after 5 days of alcohol treatment. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that adolescents experience milder negative affect during withdrawal from brief alcohol exposures relative to adults but comparable suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function.
Real-Time Tumor Tracking for Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

In this paper, we describe the method and implementation of a real-time tumor tracking system for a pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy system. PBS is an advanced cancer treatment system that can benefit from precise localization of the tumors through motion. We utilize techniques such as cross-correlation matching, correlation filters and small object saliency, creating an array of methods that can detect and track fiducial markers implanted in the cancer tumors. The final aim is to control the proton beam using real-time image guidance. Our technique works robustly on various types of markers such as ceramic/metallic fiducials, visicoil markers and surgical clips. Left and right views of an X-ray fluoroscopy system were utilized to also triangulate the marker positions in full 3D as they are tracked through normal breathing movement and organ motion. We have tested our detection system on data from several patients with different tumor locations both offline and in real-time and wish to implement it within a full treatment system soon. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first real time tracking system for PBS therapy that is applicable for various types of fiducials and tumor locations.
Novel monolithic “Slightly-Open doormat” (SOD) valve enables efficient fabrication of highly-scalable microfluidic gas-on-gas multiplexer

Abstract The use of monolithic normally-closed (NC) valves within microfluidic systems is currently limited by the poor scalability of mitigation strategies developed to prevent the formation of a permanent bond between the valve ‘seat’ and elastomeric membrane during fabrication. Herein we report the highly-scalable design and characterization of a slightly-open doormat (SOD) valve that exhibits properties traditionally associated with NC valves including operability at low actuation pressures, and the capacity to produce a complete seal. In addition, these valves are comparable in their scalability and in responsiveness, and exhibit a capacity to eliminate resting channel resistance that is absent in their NC counterparts. We demonstrate the utility of this novel valve design through the design and operation of a gas-on-gas multiplexer containing 32 device valves controlled by a multiplexer containing 160 SOD valves using only 10 external solenoid valves and a single common pressure source.
Types for Progress in Actor Programs.

Properties in the actor model can be described in terms of the message-passing behavior of actors. In this paper, we address the problem of using a type system to capture liveness properties of actor programs. Specifically, we define a simple actor language in which demands for certain types of messages may be generated during execution, in a manner specified by the programmer. For example, we may want to require that each request to an actor eventually results in a reply. The difficulty lies in that such requests can be generated dynamically, alongside the associated requirements for replies. Such replies might be sent in response to intermediate messages that never arrive, but the property may also not hold for more trivial reasons; for instance, when the code of potential senders of the reply omit the required sending command in some branches of a conditional statement. We show that, for a restricted class of actor programs, a system that tracks typestates can statically guarantee that such dynamically generated requirements will eventually be satisfied.
Long-term Success Durability of Transobturator Male Sling.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To determine the long-term outcome of transobturator sling for male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) clustered according to preoperative SUI severity, and to identify predictors of treatment success durability and failure occurrence in long-term follow-up. METHOD A nonconcurrent study was conducted on all transobturator male sling cases performed from August 2006 to June 2012 by a single surgeon. Preoperative SUI severity was clustered into mild (≤2 ppd), moderate (3-4 ppd) or severe (≥5 ppd). Success was defined as complete dryness with 0 pads used (cured), and a patient with ≥50% improvement, satisfied without further procedures needed. Otherwise it was considered a treatment failure. Clinical variables significantly associated with long-term treatment success were determined. Time-to-event (Kaplan-Meier) and Multiple-Cox regression analysis were performed to determine predictors of long-term treatment outcome. RESULTS A total of 215 patients (mild-59, moderate-94, and severe-62) with a mean follow-up of 56.4 ± 41.6 months were included. On long-term follow-up, 150 (69.8%) patients-maintained treatment success and 96 (44.7%) were dry. The long-term outcome success clustered according to SUI severity as mild, moderate, and severe was 84.7%, 72.3%, and 51.6%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier with Log-rank test and Multiple Cox-regression determined that both concomitant urge incontinence and preoperative SUI severity were independent predictors of long-term durability of treatment success and failure occurrence. Preoperative SUI severity was the only predictor of long-term cure sustainability. CONCLUSION The time to event analysis with an average of ∼5 years postoperative follow-up has determined that the preoperative severity and presence of concomitant urge incontinence were independent predictors for long-term outcome.
Conclusion: Understanding Early America

The book’s Conclusion summarizes Kakel’s explanation of early American history and suggests what we gain by seeing it in this fresh, post-exceptionalist perspective. It also reasserts the book’s main idea: early American history is a central part of—rather than an exception to—the emerging global histories of imperialism, colonialism, and genocide. It also reasserts its main argument: early American history is best understood as the story of a supplanting society, a society intent on a vast appropriation of Indigenous lands and resources and driven by a logic of elimination and a genocidal imperative to rid the new settler living space of its existing Indigenous inhabitants. And, finally, it also suggests that Indian wars became a template for US imperialism, as well as for other non-US imperial projects.
Analyzing the Computational Complexity of a Dynamic Model of the Time-varying Spatiotemporal Sensitivity of Neurons in the Visual Cortex

In order to precisely track the dynamics of visual information encoding during saccadic eye movements, we have recently developed a computational model applicable to the sparse, limited neural data available during the short timescale of saccades. The time-varying stimulus kernels estimated by the model can provide a precise description of the neurons’ dynamic spatiotemporal sensitivity with high precision during a saccade. Achieving this precision however requires handling a trade-off between the computational complexity, generalizability, and prediction accuracy of the encoding model. In this paper, we derive a principled strategy for the model parameterization to handle this trade-off, which is particularly critical for estimating the high-dimensional models using sparse neuronal data. The results of this analysis can guide optimizing various dimensionality reduction and model parameterization approaches used for the estimation of the generalized linear model-based frameworks applied on spiking data beyond the data and approaches used in this study.
The Community Reinvestment Act in the Age of Fintech and Bank Competition

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) requires banks to lend to low- and moderate-income (LMI) households in the areas where they take deposits. But it has become obsolete. We have serious reservations as to whether any regulatory agency could have the wisdom necessary to administer such a system to the maximum benefit of competing economic interests. — Robert Bloom, acting Comptroller of the Currency, March 28, 1977 When the CRA came into force in 1977, banks were the main source of loans for home buyers and small businesses, and restrictions on bank branching posed a high barrier to competition. Today’s competitive environment is much changed. The removal of branching restrictions has allowed banks to expand and consolidate — leading to a 77 percent increase in the number of bank offices since the CRA’s passage. Furthermore, a growing share of mortgage and small-business lending now comes from financial institutions that are not subject to the CRA. In fact, LMI borrowers represent a larger share of these institutions’ borrowers than they do for banks, which are subject to the CRA. Conversely, mounting evidence suggests the CRA is either ineffective or damaging. Before the financial crisis, community groups touted the act’s influence in lowering lending standards. Empirical research also shows that banks’ risk taking increases ahead of their CRA evaluations — contravening the CRA’s requirement that lending be consistent with bank safety and soundness. In cases where CRA lending is not riskier, evidence suggests that banks may be “skimming the top” — lending to high-income residents of low-income communities, thus meeting their regulatory mandate but failing to reach the people the CRA intends to help. There is a strong case for repealing the CRA in favor of alternative policies that better achieve its goals. It would be a mistake to expand the CRA to cover online (fintech) lenders and credit unions, which already serve LMI borrowers as well as, or better than, many lenders that are subject to the act. If the CRA remains in place, its regulations should change to allow banks to trade their CRA obligations in order to encourage lender specialization and efficiency.
Pelvis, Hip, and Thigh Injuries

The pelvic, hip, and thigh regions are commonly injured during sport-related activities. Acute injuries can occur due to contact or non-contact mechanisms. Common acute injuries include quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductor muscles’ strains or tears; bony or muscle contusions. While overuse injuries occur after repetitive stress, tissue overload, and faulty mechanics. These include femoral neck stress fractures, femoroacetabular impingement, athletic pubalgia, greater trochanteric pain syndrome, snapping hip syndrome. Early diagnosis leads to proper treatment interventions that can include oral or topical medications, rehabilitation, injections, and surgery when indicated. Finally, the return to sport decision is made after a successful rehabilitation process to ensure the safety and health of the individual.
Hierarchical Anti-Disturbance Control of a Piezoelectric Stage via Combined Disturbance Observer and Error-Based ADRC

Nanopositioning stages driven by piezoelectric actuator (PEA) have been employed across a wide spectrum of applications. However, the challenging issues they are suffering include hysteresis and creep effects, along with lightly damped mechanical resonances. In view of these issues, this paper presents a novel hierarchical anti-disturbance control solution. The proposed strategy seamlessly integrates three anti-disturbance components, i.e., a feedforward type disturbance observer (DO), a feedback type DO and an error-based active disturbance rejection control (EB-ADRC) into a single framework. Such a strategy loosens the bandwidth constraint of DO imposed by mechanical resonance and speeds up the response time of typical ADRC without relying on high order derivatives of reference input. The inclusion of these anti-disturbance components does not complicate the controller tuning procedure. In fact, it is shown that only one parameter needs to be tuned in practice. Moreover, the stability analysis of EB-ADRC is provided within DO framework. The superior control performance of the proposed strategy is confirmed via extensive comparative studies with integral resonant control (IRC), positive position feedback (PPF) and linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) strategies.
Correcting Neuromyths: A Comparison of Different Types of Refutations

Research suggests that educators and students often hold erroneous beliefs about learning and brain function, referred to as neuromyths. The prevalence of these neuromyths may be problematic, leading people to spend resources on ineffective study methods and propagate misinformation. Therefore, we examined whether erroneous beliefs in neuromyths could be corrected using various forms of refutations. Across two experiments, participants viewed true and false statements (neuromyths) about learning and brain function and indicated whether the statements were true or false. Participants then received one of three types of corrections (refutation-only, refutation-explanation, refutation-explanation and image) or no correction (control). One week and 1 month later, participants again indicated their beliefs in the true statements and the neuromyths. Results showed that all three refutations were effective for correcting erroneous beliefs in neuromyths, and this corrective effect was present after 1 week and 1 month. These findings suggest that beliefs in neuromyths can be corrected and possibly lead to long-lasting knowledge revision.
Meaning or Money? Examining Preferences for Meaningful Work and Compensation

Workers often face challenging decisions about whether to prioritize meaningful work or high compensation. Tradeoffs between meaningful work and compensation have received extensive theoretical att...
High-Performance Computing and Applications in Image Processing and Computer Vision

A variety of parallel computer architectures are being used today to cope with the computationally intensive tasks in the areas of image processing and computer vision. Most image processing algorithms can readily exploit SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data Stream) machine architectures. The mapping of these algorithms to such machines is rather straightforward. The fine granularity parallelism and regular data units are inherent in the nature of these algorithms. The basic disadvantage of the SIMD systems is their inadequacy to handle problems where the data involved is high level and irregular and the operations defined on them are complex. The MIMD (Multiple Instruction, Multiple Data Stream) machine architectures have the potential to deal with this kind of problem, common in computer vision. Our studies show that a reconfigurable system termed as the Reconfigurable Multi-Ring Network (RMRN) supports image processing as well as computer vision algorithms within the same architecture framework. We show the RMRN to be a viable architecture for image processing and computer vision prob- lems by demonstrating the parallel computation of a set of imaging algorithms on the SIMD, SPMD (Single Program, Multiple Data Stream), or cluster of workstations. In particular, we will address the problems of stereo image reconstruction, image classification, and image segmentation used in digital mammography.
Remarks on certain new methods for blind identification of FIR channels

This paper discusses a number of issues pertaining to blind identification of channels. The basics of blind identification are first discussed and a method called Vandermonde method is presented which is based on elementary linear system principles. Then some remarks are made about precoders with paraunitary antipodal preprocessors. It is argued that such preprocessors usually destroy signal richness which is a necessary feature in blind identification systems.
Impact of ADR Forms 20-F reconciliation on trading volume

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of the filing of Form 20-F to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on short-term trading volume and return by those foreign firms which list their securities in the US Stock Exchanges. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected 402 American depository receipt (ADR) firms from 38 different countries that listed their securities in the US Stock Exchanges over a 10-year period of 2000-2009. A regression model was used to examine such impact, including the post year 2007 SEC elimination of reconciliation. Findings – This paper found significant abnormal trading volumes and abnormal returns one day, two days and three days following the 20-F report for the sample firms whose financial statements were prepared under both home-country accounting principles and US generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Firms originally using international financial reporting standards (IFRS) do not present abnormal return and abnormal trading volume. T...
The Internet — past, present and future

This paper charts the transformation of the Internet from its military and academic origins to its current status as a global network for multimedia information publishing and retrieval. It explains the basic technologies that have enabled this transformation and introduces the advances that will underpin its future development. These include security and electronic commerce, network computing and three-dimensional worlds, and the development of an integrated service platform for the delivery of real-time audio and video services.
Deformations of elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds

The aim of this note is to investigate characterizations and deformations of elliptic Calabi--Yau manifolds, building on earlier works of Wilson and Oguiso. Version 2: References updated and small changes. Version 3: Smoothness conditions removed from several theorems, plus some reorganization. Version 4: Several references added.
Fiberoptic interconnect system for next-generation supercomputers

A system whereby a single optical fiber can be used for each of the external types of links while retaining the integrity of the parallel information structure and providing the needed data rate capability is described. The system is capable of terabit-per-second transmission rates over a single optical fiber. It is particularly suited for chip-to-chip, board-to-board, and console-to-console communications within supercomputers using extensive parallel processing regimes. A breadboard version was built to test the image rejection capabilities of the system and to determine optimum system parameters such as maximum channel packing densities. The parameters found apply to systems operating at any wavelength. >
The Degrees of Freedom of Isotropic MIMO Interference Channels Without State Information at the Transmitters

This paper fully determines the degree-of-freedom (DoF) region of two-user interference channels with arbitrary number of transmit and receive antennas in the case of isotropic and independent (or block-wise independent) fading, where the channel state information is available to the receivers but not to the transmitters. Thus, the DoF gap between previous upper and lower bounds due to the authors, Vaze and Varanasi, and Huang, Jafar, Shamai, and Vishwanath is closed. The DoF result characterizes the capacity region to the first order of the logarithm of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the high-SNR regime. The DoF region is achievable by using random Gaussian codebooks independent of the channel states, which implies that it is impossible to increase the DoF using beamforming and interference alignment in the absence of channel state information at the transmitters.
Probability density distribution of the orientation of strength-controlling flaws from multiaxial loading using the unit-sphere stochastic strength model for anisotropy

Models that predict the failure probability of monolithic glass and ceramic components under multiaxial loading have been developed by authors such as Batdorf, Evans, and Matsuo. These “unit-sphere” failure models assume that the strength-controlling flaws are randomly oriented, noninteracting planar microcracks of specified geometry but of variable size. The purpose of this paper is to describe a formulation of the probability density distribution of the orientation of critical strength-controlling flaws that results from an applied load. This distribution is a function of the multiaxial stress state, the shear sensitivity of the flaws, the Weibull modulus, and the strength anisotropy. Examples are provided showing the predicted response on the unit sphere for various stress states for isotropic and transversely isotropic (anisotropic) materials—including the most probable orientation of critical flaws for offset uniaxial loads with strength anisotropy. The author anticipates that this information could be used to determine anisotropic stiffness degradation or anisotropic damage evolution for individual brittle (or quasi-brittle) composite material constituents within finite element or micromechanics-based software.
Cultural Difference in Stereotype Perceptions and Performances in Nonverbal Deductive Reasoning and Creativity

A total of 182 undergraduate students from China and the United States participated in a study examining the presence of stereotypical perceptions regarding creativity and deductive reasoning abilities, as well as the influence of stereotype on participants’ performance on deductive reasoning and creativity in nonverbal form. The results showed that participants from both China and the United States believed that Americans have better creativity abilities than Chinese and that Chinese have better deductive reasoning skills than Americans. Significant cultural difference in the performances on the measures of creativity was found. The cultural difference in deductive reasoning was found between Chinese participants in China and the Caucasian (not the Asian) participants in the United States, which were somewhat congruent to the stereotypical perceptions. However, the study did not find that stereotypic perceptions directly influenced participants’ performance on deductive reasoning and creativity.