cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abdominal hysterectomy for the enlarged myomatous uterus compared with vaginal hysterectomy with morcellation.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to compare intraoperative and postoperative complications of abdominal hysterectomy for the enlarged, myomatous uterus with vaginal hysterectomy with morcellation. Study design Medical records of 139 patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy with morcellation and 244 patients who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy for an enlarged, myomatous uterus between August 1990 and July 2001 were reviewed. Uterine weights of >982 g were excluded because this was the largest uterus removed vaginally, which left 208 evaluable cases of total abdominal hysterectomy. The perioperative and postoperative course of the two groups was compared. The Student t test was used for continuous variables, and the Fisher exact test was used for binary or categoric data. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups in surgical or anesthetic risk factors (P > .05). Operative time was similar between the groups (P > .05). Length of hospital stay was increased significantly with total abdominal hysterectomy (mean, 3.9 days vs 2.6 days; P Conclusion In this large series, uterine morcellation at the time of vaginal hysterectomy is safe and facilitates the removal of moderately enlarged and well-supported uteri and is associated with decreased hospital stay and perioperative morbidity rate compared with the abdominal route.
Carnitine Status and Lipid Utilization in Neonatal Piglets Fed Diets Low in Carnitine

Forty-eight newborn piglets were assigned to dietary regimens to examine carnitine status and lipid utilization by piglets nursing sows (Diet 1), fed a high- carnitine (1507 umol camitine/kg dry matter) casein- whey formula (Diet 2) or fed a low-camitine (35 umol carnitine/kg dry matter) egg white protein formula (Diet 3). Four piglets were killed at birth, and four per dietary group were killed at 3, 7, 14 and 21 d of age. Piglets fed Diet 3 had lower (P < 0.01 ) carnitine in plasma and liver by d 7 and carnitine remained lower to d 21. Heart carnitine tended to be lower in piglets fed Diet 3, but the differences were not significant. Longissimus muscle carnitine was not affected. In vitro pabnitate oxidation was lower (P < 0.05) on d 7 in the liver from piglets fed Diet 3 but not on d 3, 14 and 21. Low dietary carnitine did not affect in vitro liver AŸ-hydroxybutyrate production or oxidation of pabnitate by longissimus muscle. Plasma glucose and nonesterified fatty acids were higher (P < 0.05) in piglets nursing sows than those fed Diets 2 or 3. Piglets receiving Diet 3 had reduced carnitine in plasma and certain tissues, and liver lipid oxidation was depressed on d 7 of age, compared with those receiving the other two diets. Feeding the low carnitine diet did not alter glucose status or plasma lipids and ketones. J. Nutr. 121: 1047-1053, 1991.
Concurrent sequence analysis of 5' and 3' RNA termini by intramolecular circularization reveals 5' nontemplated bases and 3' terminal heterogeneity for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus mRNAs.

Abstract We have used a technique of RNA circularization coupled with polymerase chain reaction amplification for simultaneous analysis of the 5' and 3' termini of subgenomic mRNAs derived from the S RNA of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus during an acute infection of BHK cells. These mRNAs possess 1 to 7 nontemplated nucleotides of apparently random sequence at their 5' ends. The predominant mRNA species have 4 or 5 nontemplated nucleotides. The 5' termini of the mRNAs also have properties consistent with the presence of a 5' cap structure. The 3' termini of the mRNAs lack poly(A) tails, and we have shown that transcription termination occurs at heterogeneous positions within the intergenic region of the S RNA. The identification of several distinct termini in the vicinity of a putative stem-loop structure in the RNA templates suggests that transcription termination may be mediated by a structural signal rather than a precise sequence signal.
Optical tweezers as a force sensor for separating dielectrophoresis and AC electroosmosis forces

Forces experienced by colloidal particles in an AC electric field such as dielectrophoresis (DEP) and AC electro-osmosis (ACEO) have been widely investigated for their application in microfluidic devices. In order to provide a more complete theoretical basis for such AC electrokinetic mechanisms, we propose a method to quantify the two forces upon one individual particle using optical tweezers as a force transducer and lock-in phase sensitive detection technique to allow high selectivity. Using this method, we isolated the ACEO force from the DEP force for charged polystyrene sphere in deionized (DI) water. ACEO free DEP crossover frequencies and a comprehensive 2D-mapping of the frequency dependent ACEO forces are presented in this paper.
T-Norms for Type-2 Fuzzy Sets

This paper is concerned with the definition of t-norms on the algebra of truth values of type-2 fuzzy sets. Our proposed definition extends the definition of ordinary t-norms on the unit interval and extends our definition of t-norms on the algebra of truth values for interval-valued fuzzy sets.
Residual ISI cancellation for OFDM with applications to HDTV broadcasting

An iterative technique is developed for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems to mitigate the residual intersymbol interference (ISI) that exceeds the length of the guard interval. The technique, called residual ISI cancellation (RISIC), uses a combination of tail cancellation and cyclic restoration and is shown to offer large performance improvements. The effects of imperfect channel estimation are also considered. The RISIC algorithm is applied to a typical terrestrial high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasting system that uses a concatenated coding scheme for error control. Results show that the RISIC algorithm can effectively mitigate residual ISI on static or slowly fading ISI channels.
A study of temperature effect on unetched and etched Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers for bio/chemical sensors development

One of the major limitations in the development of ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensors based on one dimensional nanostructure is the difficulty involved with reliably fabricating, testing and characterizing nanoelectrode arrays (NEAs). In this work, to ensure nanoelectrode behavior and higher sensitivity, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nano Fibers (VACNFs) are precisely grown on 100 nm Ni dots with 1µm spacing on each micro pad. However, in order to grow nanofibers uniformly, a detailed study on etchant effect and temperature is required. In this paper, we study temperature effect on unetched and etched VACNFs and measure these nanoscale features with Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). With this method, both the 2-D and 3-D images of sample surface are generated and the effect of temperature on carbon nanofiber dimensions (diameter and height) is statistically analyzed.
GARCH — non-linear time series model for traffic modeling and prediction

Forecasting of network traffic plays a very important role in many domains such as congestion control, adaptive applications, network management and traffic engineering. A good traffic model should have the ability to capture prominent traffic characteristics, such as long-range dependence (LRD), self-similarity and heavy-tailed distributions. In this paper, we propose a non-linear time series model, generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), with innovation process generalized to the class of heavy-tailed distributions. Our model is fitted on real data and our results confirms the goodness of fit of our model. We then evaluate a forecasting scheme based on our model. Comparative study with other generic models shows that our model have a better prediction accuracy. In addition, the parameter estimation is less complex than the other models used so far in modeling Internet traffic data.
Specific Control of Endogenous cCF10 Pheromone by a Conserved Domain of the pCF10-Encoded Regulatory Protein PrgY in Enterococcus faecalis

Conjugative transfer of Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10 is induced by the heptapeptide pheromone cCF10. cCF10 produced by plasmid-free recipient cells is detected by pCF10-containing donor cells, which respond by induction of plasmid-encoded transfer functions. The pCF10-encoded membrane protein PrgY is essential to prevent donor cells from responding to endogenously produced pheromone while maintaining the ability to respond to pheromone from an exogenous source; this function has not been identified in any nonenterococcal prokaryotic signaling system. PrgY specifically inhibited endogenous cCF10 and cPD1 (a pheromone that induces transfer of closely related plasmid pPD1) but not cAD1 (which is specific for less-related plasmid pAD1). Ectopic expression of PrgY in plasmid-free recipient cells reduced pheromone activity in culture supernatants and reduced the ability of these cells to acquire pCF10 by conjugation but did not have any effect on the interaction of these cells with exogenously supplied cCF10. The cloned prgY gene could complement a pCF10 prgY null mutation, and complementation was used to identify point mutations impairing PrgY function. Such mutations also abolished the inhibitory effect of PrgY expression in recipients on pheromone production and on acquisition of pCF10. Most randomly generated point mutations identified in the genetic screen mapped to a predicted extracellular domain in the N terminus of PrgY that is conserved in a newly identified family of related proteins from disparate species including Borrelia burgdorferi, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Homo sapiens. The combined genetic and physiological data suggest that PrgY may sequester or inactivate cCF10 as it is released from the membrane.
A Two-Sample Test for Equality of Means in High Dimension.

We develop a test statistic for testing the equality of two population mean vectors in the “large-p-small-n” setting. Such a test must surmount the rank-deficiency of the sample covariance matrix, which breaks down the classic Hotelling T2 test. The proposed procedure, called the generalized component test, avoids full estimation of the covariance matrix by assuming that the p components admit a logical ordering such that the dependence between components is related to their displacement. The test is shown to be competitive with other recently developed methods under ARMA and long-range dependence structures and to achieve superior power for heavy-tailed data. The test does not assume equality of covariance matrices between the two populations, is robust to heteroscedasticity in the component variances, and requires very little computation time, which allows its use in settings with very large p. An analysis of mitochondrial calcium concentration in mouse cardiac muscles over time and of copy number varia...
An Approach to the Study of Entrepreneurship: A Tribute to Edwin F. Gay

The first formal meeting of the Economic History Association after This death should not close without appropriate tribute to our initial president and the first real American economic historian, Edwin F. Gay. More than most members of the Association, I feel his loss, since in one capacity or another I had the good fortune to be associated with him for almost thirty-five years. And I am the more appropriate agent to render our common tribute, since, more than others, I am indebted to him. I realize that, without his instruction, encouragement, and stimulation, I should not be standing here as a successor to him in office.
Cerebral regional capillary perfusion and blood flow after carbon monoxide exposure.

Alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and percent perfused capillaries (indicative of functional intercapillary distance) were determined in conscious male Long-Evans rats after reduci...
Trace-element partitioning between vacancy-rich eclogitic clinopyroxene and silicate melt

We investigated experimentally trace-element partitioning between clinopyroxene and anhydrous silicate melt at conditions relevant to near-solidus melting of quartz eclogite in the upper mantle. Partitioning experiments were carried out at 3.0 GPa and 1335–1365 °C on a synthetic mixture similar to a low-degree melt of a quartz eclogite. Clinopyroxene is Al2O3-rich (~17 wt%), cation deficient (~3.92 cations per six O atoms), and coexists with andesitic melt (~57 wt% SiO2), quartz, and traces of rutile. The clinopyroxene cation deficiency indicates a large proportion of vacant M2 sites in form of the Ca-Eskola (CaEs) component (Ca0.5□0.5AlSi2O6). Clinopyroxene-melt partition coefficients ( D -values) were determined for Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, REE, Th, and U by SIMS, and for Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, K, and major elements by electron microprobe analysis. Compared to previous studies of clinopyroxene with >10 wt% Al2O3, partition coefficients in vacancy-rich aluminous clinopyroxene for elements substituting into the M2 site are elevated for monovalent cations ( D Na ~ 1.0, D K = 0.027), and reduced for trivalent cations, particularly for LREE ( D La = 0.029). D Th and D U range from 0.0017 to 0.0037, much lower than previously assumed for clinopyroxene pertaining to partial melting of eclogite in the upper mantle, and D U/ D Th is apparently >1. Observed partitioning behavior of elements substituting into M2 is attributable to the low average charge (1.53–1.57) of the site. This low average charge increases the number of configurations available to charge balance 1+ cations and vacancies, and decreases the number of configurations available to charge balance cations with high valences. Stablization of low-valence species suggests that these vacancy-rich clinopyroxenes may be substantial hosts of noble gases in the mantle. Partition coefficients for cations substituting into the M1 site show relatively little effect from the high vacancy concentrations of M2, but partitioning systematics may be obscured by strong crystal field stabilization of some cations in the M1 site, notably Ni2+ and Cr3+. Application of the measured D -values of this study to partial-melting calculations results in small increases in the Sm/Yb of liquids produced by modest extents of melting of quartz eclogite. Significant enrichments in (230Th)/(238U) activity ratios (>1.21) are expected for decompression melting of quartz eclogite at upwelling rates below 5 cm/year, but enrichments would be small (<1.11) above 10 cm/year.
A tutorial on adjoint methods and their use for data assimilation in glaciology

This paper provides an introduction to adjoint methods, which are used to find the gradient of an objective function, as required by optimization algorithms. Examples are included, culminating in a data-assimilation problem from glaciology.
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type II (InsP3R-II) is reduced in obese mice, but metabolic homeostasis is preserved in mice lacking InsP3R-II

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type II (InsP3R-II) is the most prevalent isoform of the InsP3R in hepatocytes and is concentrated under the canalicular membrane, where it plays an important ...
Chaos and band structure in a three-dimensional optical lattice

Classical chaos is known to affect wave propagation because it signifies the presence of broken symmetries. The effect of chaos has been observed experimentally for matter waves, electromagnetic waves, and acoustic waves. When these three types of waves propagate through a spatially periodic medium, the allowed propagation energies form bands. For energies in the band gaps, no wave propagation is possible. We show that optical lattices provide a well-defined system that allows a study of the effect of chaos on band structure. We have determined the band structure of a body-centered-cubic optical lattice for all theoretically possible couplings, and we find that the band structure for those lattices realizable in the laboratory differs significantly from that expected for the bands in an ``empty'' body-centered-cubic crystal. However, as coupling is increased, the lattice becomes increasingly chaotic and it becomes possible to produce band structure that has behavior qualitatively similar to the ``empty'' body-centered-cubic band structure, although with fewer degeneracies.
SALVIAS – the SALVIAS vegetation inventory database

The SALVIAS vegetation inventory database (http://www.salvias.net; GIVD ID 00-00-003) is a compilation of 13,661 vegetation inventories from around the world, with emphasis on the Americas. 12,962 inventories from the USA are shared with VegBank (http://www.vegbank.org); the remaining 699 inventories are mostly tropical forest plots from Mexico and Central and South America, and are available only via SALVIAS. The majority of the plots unique to SALVIAS contain individual measurements of trees, shrubs, lianas and hemiepiphytes, rather than aggregate observations (counts or percent cover). The two most common methods represented are 0.1 ha transects with a minimum stem diameter of 2.5 cm (523 plots) and 1 ha tree plots with a minimum stem diameter of 10 cm dbh (63 plots). The SALVIAS database also contains a taxonomically-standardized version of the Alwyn Gentry Forest Transects, also available in its original form for the Missouri Botanical Gardens website (http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/gentry/transect.shtml)
Freedom from Fear and Bloodshed: Hosea 2.20 (Eng. 18) and the End of Human/Animal Conflict:

Hosea 2.20 (Eng. 18) describes the resolution of some sort of human/animal conflict. Several things connect Hos. 2.20 to Gen. 9.2, where human/animal conflict is created. Assuming that Hos. 2.20 an...
Effect of Chemotherapeutic Agents on Friend Virus-Induced Leukemia in Mice.∗

Summary1. A variety of newer and “established” chemotherapeutic agents were tested against FVL in mice. Criteria for effectivity included spleen uptake of Fe59, spleen weight, and mortality. 2. Agents demonstrating both in vivo and in vitro antiviral activity included AB-103, AB-132, and 6-MP. 3. Good correlation appears to exist between Fe59 uptake of the spleen and spleen weights. These 2 parameters correlate with survival in cases where they remain in the normal range. Once they become abnormal, no quantitative relationship exists between survival on one hand, and spleen weights and Fe59 uptake on the other.
Benchmark study of the interaction energy for an (H2O)16 cluster: quantum Monte Carlo and complete basis set limit MP2 results.

The quantum Monte Carlo method is used to calculate the binding energy of an (H2O)16 cluster that has been the subject of several recent theoretical studies. The resulting interaction energy, −165.1(8) kcal/mol, is very close to our MP2 complete basis set limit interaction energy of −164.1 kcal/mol. Comparison of these results with those for the one-, two-, three-, and four-body interaction energies leads us to conclude that the five- and higher-body interactions are attractive, contributing over 2 kcal/mol to the net interaction energy of this (H2O)16 isomer.
Selection of Control Strategy for On-Line Deblocking of Converter Units Used in UHVDC Power Transmission Project

During the process of on-line blocking and de-blocking of converter units used in ultra high voltage direct current(UHVDC) power transmission project,the control strategy greatly impacts on transient response characteristics of UHVDC power transmission.To remedy the phenomena that transient characteristics that does not conform to the requirement appear during the on-line de-blocking of converter units,such as to high overshoot,to long transient duration and so on,two different control strategies are proposed.Firstly,by use of a new model identification method the nonlinear converter unit is changed into a single-input and single-output model;secondly,the typical controller for the rectifier is simplified to a discrete PI regulator;finally,by means of connecting the single-input and single-output model with the discrete PI regulator to obtain an overall model for the simulation and parameter optimization of the controller,and by use a brand new method the parameters of the controller are optimized to improve the transient characteristics of the overall converter unit.The control principle and parameters of the controller are slightly adjusted on the EMTDC platform,thus an appropriate control strategy is achieved and the correctness of the proposed procedures for the overall simulation is proved.
An Analysis of Adjustment of Industrial Frame in the Course of Hunan Urbanization

The essential of urbanization is adjustment of industrial frame and labour force of country transferring.The text analyses interior mechanism about urbanization and adjustment of industrial frame.It explains the issue and conflict of adjustment of industrial frame in the course of Hunan Urbanization.At the same time,it puts forward the key to settling the issue and conflict.
Elemental Speciation Analysis Methods and Its Application in Food Science

Elements had different chemical and biological effects due to the different forms,which caused different chemical behaviors in the ecological environment and organisms. The study of element forms was important for the ecological environment and human health. This study focused on the application of the elemental speciation analysis method in the agricultural products,seafood,tea,health care products,and so on.
In vivo antibacterial effects of tretinoin-clindamycin and clindamycin alone on Propionibacterium acnes with varying clindamycin minimum inhibitory.

Objective To quantify the antimicrobial effect of clindamycin phosphate 1.2% and tretinoin 0.025% gel and 1% clindamycin phosphate gel in patients with Propionibacterium acnes of varying sensitivity to clindamycin. Design Study 1 was an initial range-finding study that was neither blinded nor randomized. Study 2 was an open-label, randomized, splitface, single-center study. Both studies were conducted in Pennsylvania. Patients Study 1 (n=20) and study 2 (n=22) involved healthy patients aged 18 years or older with initial P acnes levels #104/cm2 and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) #8 μg/mL for clindamycin. Interventions Study 1, clindamycin gel applied twice daily for 6 weeks. Study 2; once-daily application with the combination gel to one cheek and clindamycin gel to the other side for 6 weeks. Main outcome measure The comparative effectiveness of each product vs P acnes of varying sensitivity to clindamycin at 3 and 6 weeks posttreatment. Results For study 1, at 3 and 6 weeks, clindamycin-treated patients with MICs of %256 μg/mL showed greater reductions than those with MICs #512 μg/mL (P=.0001). Study 2 showed a significant reduction in P acnes for both products, with no differences found. Clindamycin alone was more effective in vivo in patients with MIC levels of %256 μg/mL than patients with higher MIC levels. The combination product produced a greater reduction than clindamycin alone after 6 weeks in patients with high MICs #512 μg/mL (P=.0047). Conclusion These studies suggest that 1% clindamycin alone produces a varying in vivo antimicrobial effect, with a breakpoint at %256 μg/mL. Use of clindamycin phosphate 1.2% and tretinoin 0.025% gel resulted in a significantly greater in vivo antimicrobial effect than clindamycin alone in patients carrying P acnes with MICs of #512 μg/mL (P=.0047).
Immunologic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Immune phenomena are under study as possible causes of a formidable array of gastrointestinal diseases. As of now, there are few hard data and much speculation, but some help in clinical diagnosis has come out of these studies.
John Bunyan's legal ideas and the legal trials in his allegories

John Bunyan, le dissident baptiste, represente un exemple tragique du mauvais usage de la justice anglaise dans les annees qui suivent la Restauration de Charles II en Angleterre. Son proces ainsi que douze annees passees en prison l'ont rendu familier du processus judiciaire anglais. Bunyan est un defenseur de la liberte d'expression et des libertes en general; il se place comme un exemple de foi et de bravoure devant la persecution religieuse des dissidents. Il croit dans le concept de liberte de conscience issu de la Reforme, mais il prefere quitter le domaine de la justice humaine terrestre pour se situer dans le plan divin de la punition du mal
Optimal Well Placement and Management

In the past decade nonlinear programming techniques have been applied to problems in the optimal management of groundwater resources and petroleum reservoirs ([4], [5], [3]). We will discuss two problems from these areas, the optimal design of groundwater pollution treatment strategies and the optimal design of enhanced oil recovery strategies.
Areas of Appraisal Compared

We have examined many of the principal traits of appraisal and illustrated them with numerous examples, drawn, mostly from the moral area. We must extend this examination to the use of the concepts right and just. Besides this the largest area not yet considered in detail is the aesthetic, to which we shall devote considerable attention in 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0, and there are still other areas of appraisal which deserve a brief discussion.
Sub-Picosecond Dynamics of Excitonic Random Lasing in Ultrathin Nanosphere Films

We use sub-picosecond transient emission measurements to understand the mechanism of excitonic lasing in nanosphere assemblies. The spectrotemporal dynamics reveal distinct lasing modes evolving on their individual femtosecond timescales.
Biomaterials in siRNA Delivery: A Comprehensive Review

With the dearth of effective treatment options for prominent diseases including Ebola and cancer, RNA interference (RNAi), a sequence-specific mechanism for genetic regulation that can silence nearly any gene, holds the promise of unlimited potential in treating illness ever since its discovery in 1999. Given the large size, unstable tertiary structure in physiological conditions and negative charge of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the development of safe and effective delivery vehicles is of critical importance in order to drive the widespread use of RNAi therapeutics into clinical settings. Immense amounts of time and billions of dollars have been devoted into the design of novel and diverse delivery strategies, and there are a handful of delivery systems that have been successfully translated into clinic. This review provides an introduction to the in vivo barriers that need to be addressed by siRNA delivery systems. We also discuss the progress up to the most effective and clinically advanced siRNA delivery systems including liposomal, polymeric and siRNA conjugate delivery systems, as well as their design to overcome the challenges.
A Method to Compute Early Design Risk Using Customer Importance and Function-Flow Failure Rates

The general method for using customer importance to validate a design misses the important opportunity to influence how that design is created. The intent of this research is to capture risk during the conceptual design stage. Risk is calculated using function-flow failure rates and customer importance. This allows the designer to effectively identify what functionality should be given additional importance during the generation and selection of design concepts. Functional risk using customer importance has not yet been investigated. In general, risk is implemented later in the design process. A generic process to calculate the risk is presented, then applied to an example where a subset of function-flows have been identified as generating 75 % of the risk.
The North American invasive zooplanktivore Bythotrephes longimanus is less hypoxia-tolerant than the native Leptodora kindtii

The predatory cladoceran Bythotrephes longimanus (spiny water flea) has been invading lakes and damaging food webs across the central part of North America since the early 1980s. To understand its niche and that of the taxonomically related and native predatory cladoceran Leptodora kindtii, we investigated species survival after 12 h exposures to low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in the laboratory. Bythotrephes longimanus (n = 690) exhibited a hypoxia tolerance limit (LC50) of 1.65 mg·L−1 DO (95% confidence interval: 1.59, 1.72 mg·L−1) and was significantly less tolerant of hypoxia than L. kindtii (n = 380), which exhibited an LC50 of 0.58 mg·L−1 DO (0.51, 0.65 mg·L−1). These lab-based physiological results are consistent with landscape-scale observations that B. longimanus successfully invades primarily mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes, while L. kindtii inhabits a wider range of lakes that includes eutrophic ones. Climate change throughout the 21st century may increase the occurrence and severit...
Information Strategy Management: A Portuguese Approach

In this article, the implementation of an information strategy project in a Portuguese Real Estate company is analyzed. This involves its framing-historical and socio-economic-and a brief description of the activity sector in which the company operates. Several well managed projects have been developed to improve the competitive position of the company, but without focus all the activities lose strength because they might not reach their proposed targets. Some tools to identify the information needs of business activity developed are described, as well as the role of information as a promoter of competitive advantages. Social media tools were utilized and proved to be a great strategic decision. To conclude, a few reminders of the factors to consider in developing the information strategy to implement and that information management without a strategy could result in several diversified decisions without any positive consequence for the organization.
A Phase II Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral N-acetylcysteine for Protection of Melanocytic Nevi against UV-Induced Oxidative Stress In Vivo

Oxidative stress plays a role in UV-induced melanoma, which may arise from melanocytic nevi. We investigated whether oral administration of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could protect nevi from oxidative stress in vivo in the setting of acute UV exposure. The minimal erythemal dose (MED) was determined for 100 patients at increased risk for melanoma. Patients were randomized to receive a single dose (1,200 mg) of NAC or placebo, in double-blind fashion, and then one nevus was irradiated (1-2 MED) using a solar simulator. One day later, the MED was redetermined and the irradiated nevus and a control unirradiated nevus were removed for histologic analysis and examination of biomarkers of NAC metabolism and UV-induced oxidative stress. Increased expression of 8-oxoguanine, thioredoxin reductase-1, and γ-glutamylcysteine synthase modifier subunit were consistently seen in UV-treated compared with unirradiated nevi. However, no significant differences were observed in these UV-induced changes or in the pre- and postintervention MED between those patients receiving NAC versus placebo. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in UV-induced changes between subjects with germline wild-type versus loss-of-function mutations in the melanocortin-1 receptor. Nevi showed similar changes of UV-induced oxidative stress in an open-label post-trial study in 10 patients who received NAC 3 hours before nevus irradiation. Thus, a single oral dose of NAC did not effectively protect nevi from UV-induced oxidative stress under the conditions examined. Cancer Prev Res; 10(1); 36-44. ©2016 AACR.
Anthropogenic Soils in Urban Settings

Anthropogenic soils found in urban areas vary as a function of land use and city structure. They are primarily classified as Technosols, the central concept of which is a soil formed in HTM characterized by an abundance of technogenic artifacts. Urban soils in residential areas are Urbic Technosols characterized by artifacts indicative of human habitation, whereas those associated with industrial land are Spolic Technosols with an artifact assemblage comprised of industrial wastes. Urban soils typically have an ^Au-^Cu profile, although cambic-like horizons may form in 18– 70 years. They are characteristically heterogeneous and often suffer from excessive compaction, excessive artifact content, diminished biological activity, and reduced infiltration due to surface crusting or water repellency. They generally have elevated levels of pH, exchangeable bases, and carbonate content, but levels of organic C, N and P tend to be very low in recently deposited HTM. Melanization results in the formation of ^A horizons in as little as 12 years under an udic moisture regime with a cover of grass. Under such conditions, urban soils are resilient and may reestablish properties similar to those of natural soils in 30–100 years.
Transcription factor 21 (TCF21) promotes proinflammatory interleukin 6 expression and extracellular matrix remodeling in visceral adipose stem cells

The visceral (VIS) and subcutaneous (SQ) fat pads are developmentally distinct white adipose tissue depots and contribute differently to inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity. The basic helix–loop–helix transcriptional regulator, transcription factor 21 (TCF21), is a marker gene for white adipose tissues and is abundantly expressed in VIS-derived adipose stem cells (ASCs), but not in SQ-derived ASCs. However, TCF21's role in regulating fat depot–specific gene expression and function is incompletely understood. Here, using siRNA-mediated Tcf21 knockdowns and lentiviral gene transfer of TCF21 in mouse ASCs, we demonstrate that TCF21 is required for the VIS ASC–specific expression of interleukin 6 (IL6), a key cytokine that contributes to the proinflammatory nature of VIS depots. Concurrently, TCF21 promotes MMP-dependent collagen degradation and type IV collagen deposition through the regulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) modifiers, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, MMP13, and tissue inhibitor of MMP1 (TIMP1), as well as collagen type IV α1 chain (COL4A1) in VIS ASCs. We also found that although IL6 mediates the expression of Mmp13 and Timp1 in VIS ASCs, the TCF21-dependent expression of Mmp2 and Col4a1 is IL6-independent. These results suggest that TCF21 contributes to the proinflammatory environment in VIS fat depots and to active ECM remodeling of these depots by regulating IL6 expression and MMP-dependent ECM remodeling in a spatiotemporally coordinated manner.
The Student Philanthropists: Fostering Civic Engagement through Grantmaking

AbstractService learning and civic engagement are sometimes wishful ideals for the university classroom. Incorporating the external world into the campus setting with a useful and beneficial project takes more effort in course preparation than a traditional course and takes time and effort by external organizations to accommodate the students’ work, and students may simply not have enough skills yet to assist external agencies. This article describes a grantmaking project incorporated into undergraduate and graduate courses for the past three years. Both graduate students and freshmen researched local nonprofit organizations and awarded a large grant to the organization of their choice. Although the instructional focus of each course was different, in both courses the grantmaking project proved easy for the instructor to set up and implement and easy for nonprofit recipients to accommodate. The project can be accomplished in a variety of courses commonly offered in schools of public policy and administration.
Neuronal Group Selection: A Basis for Categorization by the Nervous System *

The history of neuroscience, like that of all of biology, has been a process of relating structure and function. Three major periods in neuroscience can be characterized by attempts to pitch this relationship at various levels in the nervous system. In the mid-nineteenth century, a series of neurological observations showed that particular functions — notably, the ability to understand and generate speech — appear to be localized to specific regions of the cerebral cortex. Around the turn of the century, the discrete nature of neurons as cells was recognized, and initial discoveries were made about the synaptic connections between them. Finally, in the last quarter-century has come the discovery of the cortical column: a modular structure repeated throughout much of the cortex that is thought to serve as an input/output unit, and in which all cells share at least some functional properties, (e.g., receptive fields).
The injured child. An approach to care.

Despite over a decade of prevention efforts and numerous improvements in emergency medical services for children, trauma is still the leading cause of death in children and young adults in the United States. As our knowledge of the pathophysiology and patterns of injury accumulates, the initial management and subsequent treatment of these pediatric trauma victims becomes more and more complex. The authors present a brief overview of an approach to care and discuss priorities that should be considered when treating severely injured children.
Frequency Response Method for Measuring Mass Transfer Rates in Adsorbents via Pressure Perturbation

A new apparatus for the measurement of equilibria and dynamics for gas-phase adsorption systems is utilized to examine the adsorption of carbon dioxide on BPL activated carbon. The apparatus has a flow-through configuration. For dynamics, with constant inlet flow, pressure within the adsorbent-containing section is varied sinusoidally, and the time-dependent outlet flow rate is measured to determine an amplitude ratio and phase lag. Studies are made of temperature effects and particle size effects. Results are compared with several mathematical models. Frequency response data show that the BPL system follows surface (or micropore) diffusion kinetics. The rate of adsorption for the activated carbon is found to be only weakly dependent on the bulk particle size.
Mixing in 3-D Cavity by Moving Cavity Walls

The mixing in three-dimensional enclosures is investigated numerically using flow in cubical cavity as a geometrically simple model of various natural and engineering flows. The mixing rate is evaluated for up to the value of Reynolds number Re=2000 for several representative scenarios of moving cavity walls: perpendicular motion of the parallel cavity walls (Case A), motion of a wall in its plane along its diagonal (Case B1), motion of two perpendicular walls outward the common edge (Case B2), and the parallel cavity walls in motion either in parallel directions (Case B3) or in opposite directions (Case B4). The mixing rates are compared to the well-known benchmark case in which one cavity wall moves along its edge (Case C). The intensity of mixing for the considered cases was evaluated for (i) mixing in developing cavity flow initially at rest, which is started by the impulsive motion of cavity wall(s), and (ii) mixing in the developed cavity flow. For both cases, the initial interface of the two mixing fluids is a horizontal plane located at the middle of the cavity. The mixing rates are ranked from fastest to slowest for twenty time units of flow mixing. The pure convection mixing is modeled as a limit case to reveal convective mechanism of mixing. Mixing of fluids with different densities is modeled to show the advantage in terms of mixing rate of genuinely 3-D cases A and B1. Grid convergence study and comparison with published numerical solutions for 3-D and 2-D cavity flows are presented. The effects of three-dimensionality of cavity flow on the mixing rate are discussed.
National Cultural Values on Service Quality: A Typology for Global Dining Experience in the 21 st Century

Food continues to form a central part of an individual’s cultural roots. Given the diaspora of humankind across the globe, global dining services continue to see the need for cultural immersion within the dining experience. This paper develops a typology to forge the connection between national cultural values and service quality in the context of global dining experience. The typology serves as a yardstick for global dining practitioners to calibrate service quality measures in accordance with expected norms of national culture wherein which they operate. This typology also contributes to research in that it not only provides a theoretical basis for service quality dimensions in the global food sector, but also makes it generalizable across different cultures and countries.
Measurement of SiGe composition in 3-D semiconductor Fin Field Effect Transistor devices

A Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)-based method is suggested to measure the composition of SiGe in 3-D structures using Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS). The method accounts for the presence of films other than SiGe within the TEM lamella in the electron beam direction. The partial cross section of inelastic scattering of Ge was calibrated using a reference structure, which was earlier analyzed by Electron Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The composition of SiGe in the p-FET Fin Field Effect Transistor devices with the overlaying Si oxynitride films was measured as a demonstration of the method. We show that the application of EELS yields smaller measurement errors of the SiGe composition as compared to EDX. The effect of beam damage in thin SiGe films surrounded by Si oxynitride is evaluated and compared to the blanket Si/SiGe structures. The method can be applied to the development of novel devices and state-of-the-art processes where the composition of SiGe plays a critical role.
Efficient alternating minimization methods for variational edge-weighted colorization models

Alternating minimization algorithms are developed to solve two variational models, for image colorization based on chromaticity and brightness color system. Image colorization is a task of inpainting color from a small region of given color information. While the brightness is defined on the entire image domain, the chromaticity components are only given on a small subset of image domain. The first model is the edge-weighted total variation (TV) and the second one is the edge-weighted harmonic model that proposed by Kang and March (IEEE Trans. Image Proc. 16(9):2251–2261, 2007). Both models minimize a functional with the unit sphere constraints. The proposed methods are based on operator splitting, augmented Lagrangian, and alternating direction method of multipliers, where the computations can take advantage of multi-dimensional shrinkage and fast Fourier transform under periodic boundary conditions. Convergence analysis of the sequence generated by the proposed methods to a Karush-Kahn-Tucker point and a minimizer of the edge-weighted TV model are established. In several examples, we show the effectiveness of the new methods to colorize gray-level images, where only small patches of colors are given. Moreover, numerical comparisons with quadratic penalty method, augmented Lagrangian method, time marching, and/or accelerated time marching algorithms demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methods.
Visual Neuroscience: Locomotion Changes How Mice See

How sensory signals are processed by the visual cortex is not fixed but changes depending on our spatial goals and whether or not we are moving. New research helps explain why these two effects do not always work well together.
The ecosystem of a ‘wealth-tech’ culture: the birth of networked financial subjects in South Korea:

Starting with an online financial community in South Korea, this article explores the simultaneous production of a new form of subjectivity and a networked ecosystem of financial cultures. Using a ...
“Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote!”: Contested Denizenship, Immigration Federalism, and the Dreamers

This chapter suggests that US immigration federalism produces contested denizenships, both through the geographically varied terms of immigrants’ daily lives and the related claims that non-citizen residents can make for membership. It traces immigration federalism from alienage laws through the landmark University of California vs. Department of Homeland Security, which challenges the government’s threatened deportation of California’s critically constitutive members. It also examines the evolution of the Dreamers and discourse around membership, especially in response to government violence. In so doing, it engages with perspectives on critical bordering, denizenship, and subnational citizenship.
Growth and Development in Gymnastics

A combination of long training hours and a bias toward a prepubescent physique in gymnasts often equates to insufficient caloric intake and an increased incidence of delayed pubertal growth and development. This chapter examines normal pubertal development, explores the normal and pathologic divergences from this path experienced by many gymnasts, and outlines nutritional requirements to sustain healthy growth and development for a gymnast. This chapter also discusses energy needs, macronutrient requirements, vitamin essentials, and consequences of insufficient intake.
Growth, total lipid, and omega-3 fatty acid production by Nannochloropsis spp

Abstract Improving productivity and lipid concentration in microalgae is important for the economic success of both biofuel and microalgae coproducts production. Nannochloropsis spp. are marine microalgae currently being grown at large-scale for the production of biofuel and lipid coproducts. Here we demonstrate improvements of growth and omega-3 production in Nannochloropsis gaditana CCMP526 and Nannochloropsis oceanica CCAP849/10 with plant substrate addition, a potentially economical option for increasing microalgal productivity. We examine growth in the presence of corn stover, switchgrass, sugarcane bagasse, and yard waste. By examining the microbial ecology of N. gaditana cultures with and without plant substrate and with and without antibiotics, we discovered a potential bacterial interaction in these cultures, but its presence is not necessary for algal growth improvements in the presence of plant substrate. Analysis of plant substrate morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after cultivation in media with and without N. gaditana shows a degradation of specific plant structural features and a colonization of the plant phloem by N. gaditana. An examination of N. gaditana in a Congo red plate assay indicates potential cellulolytic activity, but a preliminary examination of the potential cellulase transcripts does not reveal differential expression of a candidate in the presence of plant. This evidence demonstrates potential raw plant utilization by a marine microalga for increased productivity and provides a potentially economical option for increasing coproduct concentration at industrial scale without genetic engineering.
Where is the Southeastern Native American economy

Economics – the socially instituted ways of managing how people value, make, exchange, and consume goods – is a major part of human culture. Yet there is comparatively little study of the economies...