cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wavelet transforms for detecting microcalcifications in mammography

Clusters of fine, granular microcalcifications in mammograms may be an early sign of disease. Individual grains are difficult to detect and segment due to size and shape variability and because the background mammogram texture is inhomogeneous. We present a two-stage method based on wavelet transforms for detecting and segmenting calcifications. The first stage consists of a full resolution wavelet transform, which is simply the conventional filter bank implementation without downsampling, so that all sub-bands remain at full size. Four octaves are computed with two inter-octave voices for finer scale resolution. By appropriate selection of the wavelet basis the detection of microcalcifications in the relevant size range can be nearly optimized in the details sub-bands. Detected pixel sites in the LH, HL, and HH sub-bands are heavily weighted before computing the inverse wavelet transform. The LL component is omitted since gross spatial variations are of little interest. Individual microcalcifications are often greatly enhanced in the output image, to the point where straightforward thresholding can be applied to segment them. FROC curves are computed from tests using a well-known database of digitized mammograms. A true positive fraction of 85% is achieved at 0.5 false positives per image. >
COMMERCIAL SPEECH RESTRICTION AND LEGAL BROTHELS: IS THERE A “VICE” EXCEPTION TO CENTRAL HUDSON’S INTERMEDIATE SCRUTINY?

apply a “strict scrutiny” First Amendment analysis to restrictions on commercial speech, it crafted an intermediate test in Central Hudson v. Public Service Commission of New York, which is now the applicable standard in evaluating the constitutionality of commercial speech restrictions. The Central Hudson doctrine applies not only to restrictions on commercial speech that promotes “regular” activities, like advertisements for computers or supermarkets, but also to commercial speech that promotes so-
The effect of rigid external support on vein graft adaptation to the arterial circulation

In previous experiments vein graft wall thickening stopped when the ratio of lumen radius to wall thickness equaled that of a normal artery. This led us to postulate that wall stress, which this ratio determines, regulates wall structure. To test this hypothesis we studied the effect of decreasing lumen radius and acutely diminishing wall stress with a rigid, external support. Jugular vein grafts were interposed into the carotid artery of rabbits. The proximal half of the grafts was wrapped with a polytetrafluoroethylene graft. Twelve veins received a tight wrap (2.5 or 3 mm diameter) that decreased the graft diameter, and four received a loose wrap (5 mm diameter) that did not. These grafts were fixed by perfusion after 1 day, 11 days, or 12 weeks. Wall thickness was slightly less in all tight-wrap segments. Total cross-sectional wall area, smooth muscle cell volume, and matrix deposition were significantly reduced in tight-wrap segments. These differences were greatest at 11 days. The observation that narrowing and external support of these vein grafts causes reduction of wall area supports the hypothesis that increased wall stress might be an important stimulus for wall thickening.
A Financial Analysis Case Of Amazon.Com And Barnes & Noble With Emphasis On The Impact Of ROE Versus EPS: Accounting Case And Instructor Notes

This case follows two accounting interns working for a not-for-profit organization who have been asked to perform a financial analysis of two real life companies (Amazon.com and Barnes &Noble). The interns have been asked to assist the organization with a financial statement analysis of the companies in order to help the not-for-profit make an important investment decision. The case requires the students to perform some simple ratio analyses, with a particular emphasis on how to utilize Return on Equity (ROE) and Earnings per Share (EPS) information when those values appear to provide contradictory information. In particular, one of the primary goals of this case study is to have students discover how one company (Amazon.com) can have a greater ROE, even though the competitor (Barnes & Noble) has a larger EPS and how this seemingly contradictory information should be used in financial analysis. Students will have the opportunity to consider which metric (ROE or EPS) is safe to use in cross-company comparisons and will use that analysis, in conjunction with other basic ratios, to provide a financial analysis report comparing the two companies. The case is appropriate for beginning financial accounting classes and intermediate accounting.
Stimulation of the calcitonin gene-related peptide enhancer by mitogen-activated protein kinases and repression by an antimigraine drug in trigeminal ganglia neurons.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is involved in the underlying pathophysiology of all vascular headaches, including migraines. Elevated levels of CGRP during migraine are restored to normal coincident with headache relief after treatment with the antimigraine drug sumatriptan. We have used primary cultures of trigeminal neurons under conditions simulating migraine pathology and therapy to study the mechanisms controlling the CGRP promoter. Using reporter genes in transient transfection assays, we demonstrate that an 18 bp enhancer containing a helix–loop–helix element is both necessary and sufficient for full promoter activity. NGF treatment and cotransfection with an upstream activator of the extracellular signal-regulated MAP kinases (MAPKs) activated the enhancer. Treatment with sumatriptan repressed NGF- and MAPK-stimulated CGRP promoter activity. Repression was also observed using a synthetic MAPK-responsive reporter gene. Sumatriptan regulation of CGRP gene expression did not couple to a Gi/Gopathway, but rather caused a prolonged increase in intracellular calcium. The importance of the prolonged calcium signal in repression of MAPK activity was demonstrated by using the ionophore ionomycin to mimic sumatriptan action. We propose that activation of MAPK pathways may increase CGRP gene expression during migraine, and that sumatriptan can diametrically oppose that activation via a prolonged elevation of intracellular calcium.
Asymptotic properties of kernel density estimators when applying importance sampling

We study asymptotic properties of kernel estimators of an unknown density when applying importance sampling (IS). In particular, we provide conditions under which the estimators are consistent, both pointwise and uniformly, and are asymptotically normal. We also study the optimal bandwidth for minimizing the asymptotic mean square error (MSE) at a single point and the asymptotic mean integrated square error (MISE). We show that IS can improve the asymptotic MSE at a single point, but IS always increases the asymptotic MISE. We also give conditions ensuring the consistency of an IS kernel estimator of the sparsity function, which is the inverse of the density evaluated at a quantile. This is useful for constructing a confidence interval for a quantile when applying IS. We also provide conditions under which the IS kernel estimator of the sparsity function is asymptotically normal. We provide some empirical results from experiments with a small model.
A multilayered transnational broadcasting television industry: The case of Latin America

The transformation of the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American television industrial landscape is slowly reshaping the composition of interregional programming flows, with an increasing presence of transnational corporations competing in different modalities in national markets. While long-standing dominant Latin American media corporations still hold a disproportionately hegemonic position in their domestic markets, the production of culturally proximate products is no longer the prerogative of national networks. The transnational invites us to reflect on the new sets of collaborations and transnational industrial structures of production, distribution, exhibition, and consumption resulting from the interrelated institutional relationships among television corporations across the region.
Modeling internal controls of automated teller machine (ATM) systems: A computerized decision aid for design and evaluation

The study identifies and models internal controls of automated teller machine systems used by the banking industry. A reliability model of internal controls of ATM systems using series, parallel, and simple structures is presented. Control items and relationships are justified based on the engineering, computer, and auditing literatures. Use and limitations of this model are also discussed. An ATM case with fixed controls and a related questionnaire has been developed. A computerized decision aid programmed in the PC BASIC language for assisting design and evaluation of the ATM internal control system has been developed and evaluated. To evaluate the modeling effectiveness, a small group of graduate students in the EDP Auditing master program uses the decision aid to evaluate the ATM base by filling out the questionnaire. Computed values are compared with the user-assigned values to examine differences between model results and human judgements. >
A review of collaborative partnerships as a strategy for improving community health

▪ Abstract Collaborative partnerships (people and organizations from multiple sectors working together in common purpose) are a prominent strategy for community health improvement. This review examines evidence about the effects of collaborative partnerships on (a) community and systems change (environmental changes), (b) community-wide behavior change, and (c) more distant population-level health outcomes. We also consider the conditions and factors that may determine whether collaborative partnerships are effective. The review concludes with specific recommendations designed to enhance research and practice and to set conditions for promoting community health.
An Examination of Cross-National Variation in Punitiveness

This research examines why nations differ as to rates of imprisonment, prison conditions, and use of capital punishment. Variables representing the major theoretical perspectives are used to examine differences in a much larger sample of nations than has been used in previous research. Regression analysis indicates that homicide rates—and, to a lesser degree, total crime rates—have positive associations to prison rates, whereas street-level law enforcement has a negative association. Dummy variables representing nations grouped by geographic region greatly increase variance explained, indicating a historical-cultural component to use of imprisonment. Little to no support was found for civilization theory, inequality, or unemployment variables. Discriminant analysis indicated that degree of human development and freedom as well as inequality helped classify nations according to prison conditions, whereas the freedom variable helped classify nations that did and did not use capital punishment. Dummy geograp...
Kinematic analyses of air-stepping in normal and decerebrate preweanling rats.

We studied the ability of L-DOPA (100 mg/kg, subcutaneous) to elicit air-step- ping in decerebrate and sham-operated Sprague-Dawley rats from postnatal Day 5 through postnatal Day 20. The most common gait consisted of fore- and hindlimb alternation, but between 10 and 20 days of age, patterns of coordination resembling swimming, in which the forelimbs remained adducted, and galloping became more frequent in both decerebrate and sham-operated rats. Because episodes of galloping were rarely more than two or three step cycles in length, our analyses focused on episodes of stepping in which limbs within the girdles stepped in alternation and diagonal pairs of limbs moved in synchrony ("trot"). The rate of stepping of both decerebrate and sham-operated rats increased from about 2.9 steps/s at Day 5 to about 4 steps/s at Day 20. In both groups, this increase was found to result from a decrease in the duration of the retraction phase of the step cycle. Amplitudes of movement at the wrist, knee, and ankle increased with age in both decerebrate and sham-operated neonates, whereas those of the shoulder, elbow, and hip did not change in either group. The timing of movements at joints within each limb also changed similarly with age in sham-operated and decerebrate pups. During development, forelimb movement was increasingly led by the wrist, which was followed by the elbow and then finally by the shoulder. Hindlimb movements were increasingly led by the knee, followed by the ankle, and finally by the hip. At all ages, diagonal limbs moved in synchrony, and heterolateral limbs within each girdle moved in antiphase. However, the phase relationship between hindlimb and forelimb movements changed both in sham-operated rats and in decerebrate rats during ontogeny. On Day 5, movement of each hindlimb was phase-delayed relative to that of the diagonal forelimb whereas on Days 15 and 20, the hindlimb was phase-advanced. The parallel emergence of different gaits and the similarity of coordi- nation during diagonal progression in sham-operated and decerebrate pups show that age- related changes in gait are mediated no more rostrally than the midbrain. 2000 John Wiley
A 2.4-GHz Resistive Feedback LNA in 0.13- $\mu$ m CMOS

A gm-boosted resistive feedback low-noise amplifier (LNA) using a series inductor matching network and its application to a 2.4 GHz LNA is presented. While keeping the advantage of easy and reliable input matching of a resistive feedback topology, it takes an extra advantage of gm-boosting as in inductively degenerated topology. The gain of the LNA increases by the Q-factor of the series RLC input network, and its noise figure (NF) is reduced by a similar factor. By exploiting the gm-boosting property, the proposed fully integrated LNA achieves a noise figure of 2.0 dB, S21 of 24 dB, and IIP3 of - 11 dBm while consuming 2.6 mW from a 1.2 V supply, and occupies 0.6 mm2 in 0.13-mum CMOS, which provides the best figure of merit. This paper also includes an LNA of the same topology with an external input matching network which has an NF of 1.2 dB.
Adenoviral Vectors and Gene Transfer to the Blood Vessel Wall

Gene therapy may be defined as the treatment of human disease via the delivery of genes to human tissues. The transferred gene may replace a defective gene or may introduce a new function to a cell. Alternatively, the transgene may enhance an existing cellular function or manifest this function at a time it would not normally be exhibited. Local delivery of genes to the vascular wall is a promising approach to a number of vascular disorders. Overexpression of therapeutic genes within the vessel wall may avoid side effects associated with systemic delivery of the product and result in higher concentrations locally at the site of disease. Inhibition of restenosis after vascular injury1 2 3 4 5 and enhancement of new vessel formation after gene transfer has been demonstrated in numerous animal models.6 7 8 9 Phase 1 clinical trials of vascular gene therapy have also recently been reported.10 11 Two major obstacles to the clinical application of this technology include limitations of the currently available vectors and difficulties delivering genes to the vessel wall in vivo by percutaneous methods. Although direct gene delivery to a surgically isolated segment of the blood vessel has been demonstrated, efficient percutaneous catheter-mediated delivery to the coronary vasculature is more challenging.12 A number of vector systems have been used to deliver genes to the blood vessel wall. The simplest involves the use of plasmid alone or plasmid complexed with liposomes. These methods result in relatively inefficient gene transfer. However, if the therapeutic product is a potent secreted protein, biological effects may be observed after plasmid-based gene delivery. Viral vectors have been used extensively in vascular gene transfer, adenovirus vectors being the most commonly used system. Other vector systems …
Study of Plant Cell Wall Polymers Affected by Metal Accumulation Using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

This project aims to employ newly-developed chemical imaging techniques to measure, in real-time, the concentration, dynamics and spatial distribution of plant cell wall polymers during biomass growth with inoculation of transgenic symbiotic fungi, and to explore a new pathway of delivering detoxified metal to plant apoplast using transgenic symbiotic fungi, which will enhance metal accumulation from soil, and potentially these metals may in turn be used as catalysts to improve the efficiency of biomass conversion to biofuels. The proposed new pathway of biomass production will: 1) benefit metal and radionuclide contaminant mobility in subsurface environments, and 2) potentially improve biomass production and process for bioenergy
Age Strengthening of Cast Irons: Review of Research and Literature

Since 1997, AFS has supported a number of studies to improve the understanding of the age strengthening in gray cast iron. This has resulted in a series of publications and presentations that address aging behavior in a piecemeal fashion. The purpose of this paper is to knit together those pieces in the context of the literature on age strengthening in ferrous alloys. The conclusion reached from these studies is that the age strengthening is a nitride precipitation process described by Avrami-Johnson-Mehl kinetics.
Narrative Identity and Diachronic Self-Knowledge

Our ability to tell stories about ourselves has captivated many theorists, and some have taken these developments for an opportunity to answer long-standing questions about the nature of personhood. In this essay I employ two skeptical arguments to show that this move was a mistake. The first argument rests on the observation that storytelling is revisionary. The second implies that our stories about ourselves are biased in regard to our existing self-image. These arguments undercut narrative theories of identity, but they leave room for a theory of narrative self-knowledge. The theory accommodates the first skeptical argument because there are event descriptions with retrospective assertibility conditions, and it accommodates the second argument by denying us epistemic privilege in regard to our own past. The result is that we do know our past through storytelling, but that it is a contingent feature of some of our stories that they are about ourselves.
Nascent Institutional Strategy in Dynamic Fields The Diffusion of Science and Technology Studies

This article analyzes the varied niches of an emerging academic field, Science and Technology Studies (STS), as a means of understanding intellectual and professional development. As a new, upstart entity in the established and inertial field of academia, STS has carved out a successful and expanding niche in the ecology of higher education via a variety of unique intellectual and institutional strategies. By adapting and reconfiguring organizational and professional structures of traditional liberal arts, the case of STS exposes three main themes in the organization of knowledge and higher education: reinvention, accounting, and professionalism. STS scholars endeavor to reorganize the distribution and organization of knowledge turfs, which often involve idiosyncratic, symbiotic, or competitive relationships with sciences, social sciences, and/or humanities. This often creates dilemmas regarding how to account for scholarly work using new, divergent, or incommensurable merit criteria or professional value...
The mandibular gland in Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

The mandibular gland of Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is visualized for the first time, using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and dissection. The gland was previously hypothesized to exist, based on observations of the wasp's courtship behaviors, but its presence had never been confirmed.
Comparative Study on Fault Analysis of Complicated Information Equipment

With the continuous development of high and new technology on the basis of information,more and more technology will be used in equipment,which makes the equipments be increasingly complex and enhances the unceasingly requirement of equipment fault diagnosis analysis technology,and the traditional detection methods and means already could not satisfy the requirement of complex equipment fast fault analysis. In this paper,the traditional analysis was firstly compared with the improved optimization model on theoretical model and then we took the information equipment fault diagnosis system for the case study,which points out the advantages of improved model,and it can be effectively applied on the complex information equipment system fault analysis.
A convex upper bound on the log-partition function for binary graphical models

We consider the problem of bounding from above the log-partition function corresponding to second-order Ising models for binary distributions. We introduce a new bound, the cardinality bound, which can be computed via convex optimization. The corresponding error on the log-partition function is bounded above by twice the distance, in model parameter space, to a class of "standard" Ising models, for which variable inter-dependence is described via a simple mean field term. In the context of maximum-likelihood, using the new bound instead of the exact log-partition function, while constraining the distance to the class of standard Ising models, leads not only to a good approximation to the log-partition function, but also to a model that is parsimonious, and easily interpretable. We compare our bound with the log-determinant bound introduced by Wainwright and Jordan (2006), and show that when the l1-norm of the model parameter vector is small enough, the latter is outperformed by the new bound.
Delayed accumulation of diacylglycerol in platelets as a mechanism for regulation of onset of aggregation and secretion

An important mechanism of platelet regulation is the formation of the second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) and the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Our previous studies suggested that the DAG/PKC pathway plays an important role in the induction of secretion and secondary aggregation rather than the earlier events of shape change and primary aggregation. We therefore examined the hypothesis that the delayed effects of PKC on platelets may result from delayed accumulation of DAG. The kinetics of DAG formation in human platelets were determined. When platelets were stimulated with gamma-thrombin, the largest phase of DAG accumulation was delayed for 0.6 to 0.8 minutes and DAG mass levels remained elevated for at least 2 minutes. In platelets stimulated with collagen, DAG accumulation was delayed for 1.0 to 1.2 minutes and DAG mass levels remained elevated for at least 3 minutes after stimulation. Sustained DAG production was also associated with sustained activation of PKC as monitored by phosphorylation of the 40-Kd substrate of PKC. The physiologic significance of delayed DAG accumulation was investigated using the cell-permeable DAG analog, dioctanoylglycerol (diC8). In synergy with subthreshold gamma-thrombin or collagen, exogenous diC8 reconstituted platelet activation. The optimal timing of addition of diC8 was 0.5 minutes after stimulation with gamma-thrombin or collagen. These kinetics were similar to those of endogenous DAG accumulation. These studies underscore the importance of a delayed accumulative phase of DAG generation as a mechanism controlling the onset of platelet secretion and irreversible aggregation.
Histologic Appearance of the Intestinal Urinary Conduit

AbstractThe histology of intestinal urinary conduits (8 ileal and 2 sigmoid) in place for 10 months to 10 years was studied in 10 patients between 20 and 65 years old. It is concluded that the ileum and the large intestine do not undergo adaptive metaplastic transformation. The only changes observed are related to a condition of chronic irritation to which the response is a chronic inflammatory reaction. Structures proving to be the most resistant were the cells of Paneth. The latter were not damaged in appearance and number as compared to normal, even when the conduit was in place for 10 years.
Antimycin-type depsipeptides: discovery, biosynthesis, chemical synthesis, and bioactivities

Covering: up to 2016 Antimycin-type depsipeptides are a family of natural products with great structural diversity and outstanding biological activities. These compounds have typically been isolated from actinomycetes and are generated from hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-polyketide synthase (PKS) assembly lines. This review covers the literature on the four classes of antimycin-type depsipeptides, which differ by macrolactone ring size, and it discusses the discovery, biosynthesis, chemical synthesis, and biological activities of this family of compounds.
JIT II : les fournisseurs et transporteurs sont présents au coeur des flux de leur client. Jusqu’où faut-il les intégrer ?

Le JIT elimine les stocks et rapproche le client de son fournisseur. JIT II est une technique avancee de partenariat qui remplace l’acheteur, le vendeur et l’approvisionneur par une representant du fournisseur chez son client et permet ainsi une relation encore plus proche entre client et founisseur. Lance Dixon a presente l’organisation de JIT II et les avantages de « l’insourcing » au IXe colloque ISLI le 31 mai 1997.
Racial Differences in Hospitalizations of Dying Medicare–Medicaid Dually Eligible Nursing Home Residents

Objectives To examine whether racial differences in end-of-life (EOL) hospitalizations vary according to the presence of advance directives, specifically do-not-hospitalize (DNH) orders, and individual cognitive status in nursing home (NH) residents. Design National data, including Medicare data and Minimum Data Set (MDS) 2.0, between January 1, 2007, and September 30, 2010, were linked. EOL hospitalizations were hospitalizations in the last 30 days of life. Linear probability models with an interaction term (between race and DNH) and NH fixed-effects were estimated. The analyses were stratified according to cognitive status. Setting Nursing homes in the United States. Participants Dually eligible Medicare–Medicaid decedents enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service plans and long-stay NH residents (in NHs ≥ 90 days before death) (N = 394,948). Measurements Racial difference in EOL hospitalizations from a NH. Results End-of-life hospitalization rate was 31.7% for whites and 42.8% for blacks. For participants without DNH orders, adjusted probability of EOL hospitalization was higher for blacks than for whites: 2.7 percentage points in those with moderate cognitive impairment (P < .001) and 4.7 percentage points in those with severe cognitive impairment (P < .001). For those with DNH orders, adjusted racial differences in EOL hospitalization were not statistically significant in those with moderate (P = .25) or severe (P = .93) cognitive impairment, but blacks had a higher probability of EOL hospitalization than whites if they had relatively intact cognitive status. Conclusion Racial differences in EOL hospitalization varied with DNH orders and cognitive status in dying residents. Future research is necessary to understand the reasons behind these variations.
Cflar Splicing SNP As Predictor of Chemo-Sensitivity to Anticancer Drugs

Background: Anticancer therapeutics leverages activation of apoptosis signal transduction pathways (extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways) in cancer cells. Apoptosis induced by the extrinsic pathway complements that induced by the intrinsic pathway, so targeting extrinsic pathway is considered a useful new therapeutic approach. Preclinical data suggests TNF related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) as a promising approach as apoptosis of tumor cells is achievable in vivo without lethal toxicities. CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) is an inhibitor of death receptor signaling that inhibits TRAIL-mediated caspase 8 auto-activation and subsequent apoptosis. We recently identified a splicing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10190751 G>A in CFLAR, where presence of the variant allele (A) was associated with alternate splicing as well as with chemo-sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agent triptolide. However role of CFLAR and the splicing SNP on chemo-sensitivity to wide array of anticancer drugs is not known. Objective: Given the central role of CFLAR in apoptotic pathway, the goal of this study was to investigate impact of CFLAR and its splicing SNP on cytotoxicity of wide range of chemotherapeutic drugs including the ones extensively used in hematological malignancies. Methods: We selected chemotherapeutic agents with wide range of mechanisms of action as blocking DNA biosynthesis, interfering with structure or function of DNA or protein synthesis, interfering with DNA transcription or replication as well as drugs that are cell cycle specific or not. We selected nine Epstein-Barr-virus transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) that are part of International HapMap project representing different genotype for rs10190751 (CFLAR splicing polymorphism; 3 in each genotype category) with twelve different chemotherapeutic agents. Further validation of CFLAR9s role in in vitro chemosensitivity was evaluated using CFLAR knockdown and overexpression studies in pancreatic and leukemic cell lines such as Panc-1 and THP1. Results: CFLAR splicing SNP rs10190751, was associated with in vitro cytotoxicity of several chemotherapeutic agents (Bortezomib, SAHA, doxorubicin, sorafenib). The results of screening of 122 FDA approved drugs and their relation with CFLAR as well as its splicing SNP will be presented at the annual meeting. As an example we show below that knock down of CFLAR isoforms have a significant impact on in vitro chemosensitivity to bortezomib and SAHA (Figure 1) Conclusion: Our results suggest critical role of CFLAR in anticancer drug mediated cell death. Additionally splicing SNP in CFLAR seems to play an important role in drug sensitivity/resistance. Therapeutic strategies to directly or indirectly inhibit the expression and/or function of CFLAR might be an attractive option to overcome resistance to wide range of chemotherapeutic agents. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Microvascular Fragment Transplantation Improves Rat Dorsal Skin Flap Survival.

BACKGROUND The development of flap necrosis distally remains a concern during microsurgical flap transfers because, at least in part, of decreased perfusion. Microvascular fragments (MVFs) are microvessels isolated from adipose tissue that are capable of improving tissue perfusion in a variety of tissue defects. The aim of this study was to determine whether the transplantation of MVFs in a dorsal rat skin flap model can improve flap survival. METHODS A 10 × 3 cm flap was raised in a cranial to caudal fashion on the dorsal side of 16 Lewis rats, with the caudal side remaining intact. The rats were equally divided into a treatment group (MVFs) and a control group (sterile saline). At the time of surgery, sterile saline with or without MVFs was injected directly into the flap. Microvessel density was determined after harvesting flap tissue by counting vessels that positively stained for Griffonia simplicifolia lectin I-isolectin B4. Laser Doppler was used to measure blood flow before and after surgery and 7 and 14 days later. Flap survival was evaluated 7 and 14 days after surgery by evaluating the percentage of viable tissue of the flap with photodigital planimetry. RESULTS Despite the lack of a significant difference in microvessel density and tissue perfusion, flap survival increased 6.4% (P < 0.05) in MVF-treated animals compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS The use of MVFs may be a means to improve flap survival. Future studies are required to delineate mechanisms whereby this occurs and to further optimize their application.
Science at the court of the cosmocrat: Mughal India, 1531–56:

The present article studies a number of texts produced at the court of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in order to argue that there was a rise in prestige for various fields of knowledge such as mathema...
Surface termination analysis of stoichiometric metal hexaborides: Insights from first-principles and XPS measurements

Abstract We present a modeling framework and discuss the energetics and structural features of the surface terminations of Ca, Ba, Sr and La hexaborides using density functional theory analysis in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. There is significant uncertainty in the literature about the nature of the surface terminations in metal hexaborides in terms of metal versus boron terminations. We show from electronic structure calculations that segregated regions of metal and boron-terminations produce the lowest energies for di-cations of CaB6, SrB6 and BaB6, while trivalent LaB6 minimizes the surface energy by arranging the metal ions in parallel rows on the surface. XPS measurements show that CaB6 and SrB6 have surfaces that are close to stoichiometric for the compound, while BaB6 has surfaces that are Ba-rich. Energetic barriers are calculated for transitions between each of the surface geometries considered. There is a substantial increase in the activation energy for the lanthanum migrations compared to the divalent cations. We also find that the boron octahedra units in these materials tend to contract or expand from their bulk values depending on the proximity to regions of high metal concentrations. These materials have many attractive features, such as low work functions, high hardness, low thermal expansion coefficients, and high melting points, among many other properties of interest for industrial applications. Promising uses of these materials also include catalytic applications for chemical dissociation reactions of various molecules such as hydrogen, water and carbon monoxide, for example, thus, the interest in determining relevant surface properties.
Cultures of Nature in Mid-Twentieth-Century Galicia

First, this chapter defines the concept of “cultures of nature” as a theoretical lens to explore the material and semiotic interrelations among historical processes usually studied as either cultural or environmental. The idea of cultures of nature prompts us to look at human societies and the nonhuman world in relational, performative, and material-semiotic ways. Second, this chapter explores some socio-environmental processes and cultural practices in mid-twentieth-century rural Galicia, which involved interactions between humans and wildlife. It interprets these processes and practices as conflicts or frictions among different cultures of nature. These cultures of nature are the extractivism–productivism promoted by forestry engineers who worked for the early Francoist State, subsistence peasants’ environmental inhabitation and taskscaping, and the excursionism-landscaping practiced by Galicianist intellectuals such as Ramon Otero Pedrayo.
Demonstration of Enabling People with Visual Impairments to Navigate Virtual Reality with a Haptic and Auditory Cane Simulation

Traditional virtual reality (VR) mainly focuses on visual feedback, which is not accessible for people with visual impairments. We created Canetroller [6], a haptic cane controller that simulates white cane interactions, enabling people with visual impairments to navigate a virtual environment by transferring their cane skills into the virtual world. Canetroller provides three types of feedback: (1) physical resistance generated by a wearable programmable brake mechanism that physically impedes the controller when the virtual cane comes in contact with a virtual object; (2) vibrotactile feedback that simulates the vibrations when a cane hits an object or touches and drags across various surfaces; and (3) spatial 3D auditory feedback simulating the sound of real-world cane interactions. We demonstrate the design of Canetroller in this paper.
Transcutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic cancer

Transcutaneous fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies were performed on 30 patients with space-occupying lesions in the pancreas. Patient selection for FNA was based on pancreatic lesions suspected of malignancy by clinical and/or radiologic imaging methods. Patients with obstructive jaundice were excluded because of the necessity of laparotomy to relieve biliary obstruction. Of these 30 cases, 15 cases were positive for malignant cells. Of these 15 positive cases, 11 were adenocarcinomas of duct cell origin, one cystadenocarcinoma, one islet cell tumor, one lymphoma, and one metastatic malignant melanoma. The remaining 15 cases, negative for malignant cells, were ultimately shown to have the following lesions: five adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, one metastatic carcinoma from the breast, and nine nonneoplastic disease. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 80%. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictivity for positive FNA biopsy of pancreatic malignancy were 79, 100, and 100%, respectively. Cytologic features with corresponding histologic types were presented. Immunocytochemical and electron microscopic studies were performed on some cases. Only one complication that was possibly related to FNA biopsy occurred. In conclusion, transcutaneous FNA biopsy of pancreatic malignancy is highly valuable in patient management.
Comparison of coffee intake and coffee-induced symptoms in patients with duodenal ulcer, nonulcer dyspepsia, and normal controls

Coffee and decaffeinated coffee stimulate acid secretion. In addition, many patients experience dyspepsia after coffee ingestion. Therefore, coffee is often prohibited by physicians in patients with peptic diseases. However, the association between peptic disease and symptoms remains unclear. This study compares coffee intake and the induction of symptoms by coffee in patients with duodenal ulcer disease, nonulcer dyspepsia, and normal controls. We have studied the coffee drinking habits of 58 duodenal ulcer patients, 55 nonulcer dyspepsia patients, and 55 normal controls. The use of coffee on a daily basis was not significantly different between duodenal ulcer patients (64%) and controls (56%), or between nonulcer dyspepsia patients (55%) and controls. There was also no difference between the three groups in the use of decaffeinated coffee, the number of cups per day, the method of preparation, the length of time of coffee use, or any change in coffee intake in the previous year. The intake of tea, caffeinated carbonated beverages, and aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was also similar in the three groups. The duodenal ulcer patients were more likely to be cigarette smokers (45%) than either the controls (16%) or the nonulcer dyspepsia patients (24%). Daily alcohol intake was not significantly different in the three groups. The prevalence of coffee induction of dyspeptic symptoms was similar in duodenal ulcer patients (29%) and controls (22%), but was much more common in nonulcer dyspepsia patients (53%) than in controls (22%), p = 0.0036. In conclusion, there was no difference in coffee intake between patients with duodenal ulcer, nonulcer dyspepsia, or normal controls. However, patients with nonulcer dyspepsia, but not duodenal ulcer, were more likely to experience dyspeptic symptoms after coffee ingestion.
Soil carbon losses due to higher pH offset vegetation gains due to calcium enrichment in an acid mitigation experiment

Reductions in acid precipitation across North America and Europe have been linked to substantial declines of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in temperate forests, but the mechanisms underlying these declines remain poorly understood. As forests recover from acid precipitation, soil pH and calcium fertility are both expected to increase, and these changes in soil chemistry may drive altered SOC dynamics. Here, we performed a year-long pot experiment on acid-impacted soils to test the independent and interactive effects of increased soil pH and Ca fertility on SOC solubility, microbial activity and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) sapling growth. We found that microbial respiration and SOC solubility was strongly stimulated by increased soil pH, but only in the presence of plants. In planted pots, a soil pH increase of 0.76 units increased soil respiration by 19% in the organic soil horizon and 38% in the mineral soil horizon, whereas in unplanted pots, soil pH had no effect on microbial respiration. While increased soil pH enhanced plant-mediated heterotrophic respiration, it had no effect on plant growth. By contrast, soil Ca enrichment increased the relative growth rate of plants by 22%, but had no impact on microbial respiration. Our results suggest that, in terms of ecosystem carbon balance, losses of SOC due to increasing soil pH may offset potential gains in primary productivity due to enhanced Ca fertility as ecosystems recover from acid precipitation.
Applied Data Analysis and Evaluation

This chapter provides statistical teaching strategies for trainers who provide instruction and direction to practicing professionals. Current teaching models focus on teaching statistical concepts and how to conduct data analyses in isolation. As such, practicing healthcare professionals may understand statistical concepts and how to run specific tests, but lack an understanding of how to avoid and deal with the key issues prevalent in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting biomedical data. This chapter lays out a framework for how to teach statistical concepts and applied data analyses, utilizing examples relevant to the most common uses for biomedical data. Specifically, the reader will learn how to teach others to develop a primary research question and hypotheses, design a study, acquire and prepare data for analysis, and then conduct the appropriate analysis. Training resources such as a checklist of key concepts and a sample training template are provided.
Concatenation of the Moving Window Technique for Auditory-Perceptual Analysis of Voice Quality.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a program to concatenate acoustic vowel segments that were selected with the moving window technique, a previously developed technique used to segmen...
Control and Voltage Stability of A Medium Voltage DC Micro-Grid Involving Pulsed Load

Recent increase in the demand of medium voltage DC (MVDC) systems is due to the high penetration of distributed generators, pulsed loads and energy storage systems (ESS). This paper develops control techniques to improve the voltage stability of an islanded multi-terminal MVDC ship-board. The ship-board accommodate three synchronous generators interfaced via bi directional AC-DC converters as well as pulsed load. The control system has two objectives; 1) limiting the current flow in the MVDC ship-board cables, and 2) Support voltage profile stability even under pulsed load condition. This was achieved through two stages; 1) operating the ship-board converters in master-slave mode in nominal operation and 2) utilizing ultracapacitor (UC) to support the voltage stability in pulsed load conditions. The dynamics of the control loops were investigated in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The results proved the effectiveness of the control technique and the employment of the UC to support voltage stability.
Using Macaques to Address Critical Questions in Zika Virus Research.

Zika virus (ZIKV) and nonhuman primates have been inextricably linked since the virus was first discovered in a sentinel rhesus macaque in Uganda in 1947. Soon after ZIKV was epidemiologically asso...
A National Study Demonstrating the Need for Improved Frailty Indices for Preoperative Risk Assessment of Common Urologic Procedures

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the associations between frailty indices and postoperative complications among older adults undergoing common urologic procedures. Frailty is known to be strongly associated with poor postoperative complications; however, the optimal way to measure frailty remains unknown. Methods We identified the 20 most common urologic procedures from 2013-2016 in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Frailty was measured using the NSQIP frailty index, simplified frailty index, and Risk Analysis Index. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed with each index and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification system with postoperative complications (any, major, or minor) as the outcomes. Statistical models were compared using the following fit parameters: area under the curve, Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion. Results A total of 158,855 procedures were identified. All frailty indices (NSQIP frailty index, simplified frailty index, and Risk Analysis Index) and ASA were associated with increased odds for any, major, and minor complications (all P values Conclusion ASA slightly outperforms current frailty indices in predicting postoperative complications among individuals undergoing commonly performed urologic procedures. Our findings highlight the need for improved frailty measures for preoperative risk assessment.
Laparoscopic Left and Sigmoid Colectomy for Malignant Disease

Prior to 2004, less than 5% of surgeries for colon and rectal cancer were performed laparoscopically. With multiple prospective randomized controlled trials published in the last 15 years comparing laparoscopic versus open surgery revealing short-term benefits and no significant difference in long-term oncologic outcomes, minimally invasive surgery for oncologic indications is now widely performed. This chapter specifically focuses on laparoscopic approach for left and sigmoid colon cancers. Surgical benchmarks have been defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and are described in the chapter.
Nollywood and the Glocalization of Prosocial Entertainment

Artistes have always served the functions of conscientizing educating, mobilizing, awakening, challenging, confronting, pacifying, calming, narcotizing, and uniting society among other roles. These functions have been performed by traditional entertainers and performers, from ancient griots to modern media practitioners. This chapter looks at how Nollywood is continuing this tradition of balancing entertaining and emotional escape with tackling important social, cultural, political, and economic issues. Themes in Nollywood movies demonstrate that writers, producers, actors, and actresses use the medium to reach local and global audiences with prosocial entertainment. This approach to entertainment is a way of administering bitter, but necessary pills to the audience, in ways that would be unpalatable otherwise. It examines how criticisms of social ills such as corruption, domestic abuse, injustice, nepotism, etc., are conveyed in Nollywood movies. It looks at the glocal consequences and implications of presenting these subjects through this medium, and recommends ways to better harness its potential.
COMORBIDITY BURDEN AND ADVERSE OUTCOMES AFTER TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

In high-risk patients treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), half of all deaths after treatment are due to non-cardiac causes. Comorbid disease burden can be a major determinant of outcomes after TAVR. We sought to assess the relationship of comorbid disease burden at the time