cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association Between Anemia and Packed Cell Transfusion and Outcomes of Ventricular Septal Defect and Atrioventricular Canal Repair in Children

Data on the prevalence and impact of anemia and packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions in children with congenital heart disease are limited. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of anemia and its impact and the impact of PRBC transfusion in the initial 5 days after surgical repair on postoperative outcomes in infants with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrioventricular (AV) canal. Retrospective chart review of infants (1 year old) (n = 195) with AV canal or VSD who underwent surgical repair at Children’s Hospital of Michigan during a 10-year period. Statistical analyses (SPSS 17.0) included Chi square and Student t test as well as regression analysis with significance set at p = 0.05. Preoperative anemia was diagnosed in 45 of 195 (23 %) children. Anemic infants had VSD more frequently (80 %), significantly shorter bypass and cross-clamp durations, and higher red cell distribution widths. Postoperative outcomes and PRBC transfusions were similar in the groups. On regression analysis, AV canal was associated with a significantly lower (odds ratio 0.21; 95 % confidence interval 0.07–0.68, p = 0.009) risk of anemia. Infants who received a PRBC transfusion (n = 42) had significantly lower birth weights as well as weights at surgery and longer postoperative durations of pressor use, ventilation, oxygen supplementation, and length of stay than those who did not (n = 153) receive transfusions. PRBC transfusion was independently associated with longer postoperative length of stay, oxygen, pressor use, and ventilator duration. Approximately 23 % of infants with AV canal or VSD are anemic. PRBC transfusions in the initial 5 postoperative days, but not anemia, are independently associated with adverse postoperative outcomes. Further studies to evaluate conservative transfusion strategies in this population are needed.
Pilot study evaluating nicotinamide in metastatic brain tumors treated with radiation

Nicotinamide (NAM) has been shown to be an effective radiosensitizer in animal studies, but to date no clinical studies have substantiated this effect. Twenty-nine patients with brain metastases were randomized to receive NAM and external radiation therapy (RT) (n = 14) or irradiation alone (n = 15). NAM was started on day 1 at 3 g/day and continued until radiation was completed. The RT dose to the whole brain was 30 Gy in 10 fractions in 12–14 days. To evaluate response, a computed tomographic (CT) scan of the head was repeated 1 month post-treatment. Toxicity was graded from the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. There were no toxicities observed at 39.0 g total dose of NAM. Median survival for the 29 patients, calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was 3.5 months for the NAM + RT group (14 patients) and 3.9 months for the RT alone group (15 patients). Eighteen patients were evaluable for 1 month tumor response by CT scan. Response rates were compared with Fisher's exact two-tailed test. There was no difference in complete response (CR) (P = 0.62) or CR + partial response (PR) (P = 1.000) between the two groups. Adjuvant NAM, given in doses of 3.0 g/day (39.0 g total dose) in the treatment of brain metastases, has shown no benefit in survival or response in this preliminary Study. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Efficient implementation of a statistics counter architecture

Internet routers and switches need to maintain millions of (e.g., per prefix) counters at up to OC-768 speeds that are essential for traffic engineering. Unfortunately, the speed requirements require the use of large amounts of expensive SRAM memory. Shah et al [1]introduced a cheaper statistics counter architecture that uses a much smaller amount of SRAM by using the SRAM as a cache together with a (cheap) backing DRAM that stores the complete counters. Counters in SRAM are periodically updated to the DRAM before they overflow under the control of a counter management algorithm. Shah et al [1] also devised a counter management algorithm called LCF that they prove uses an optimal amount of SRAM. Unfortunately, it is difficult to implement LCF at high speeds because it requires sorting to evict the largest counter in the SRAM. This paper removes this bottleneck in [1] by proposing a counter management algorithm called LR(T) (Largest Recent with thresh-old T) that avoids sorting by only keeping a bitmap that tracks counters that are larger than threshold T. This allows LR(T) to be practically realizable using only at most 2 bits extra per counter and a simple pipelined data structure. Despite this, we show through a formal analysis, that for a particular value of the threshold T, the LR(T) requires an optimal amount of SRAM, matching LCF. Further,we also describe an implementation, based on a novel data structure called aggregated bitmap, that allows the LR(T) algorithm to be realized at line rates.
"Goodbye God, I'm Going to Texas": The Migration of Louisiana Creoles of Colour and the Preservation of Black Catholic and Creole Traditions in Southeast Texas

Abstract: This article examines the migration of French-speaking blacks and Creoles of Colour from Southern Louisiana to Texas during the first half of the twentieth century. It centers on the importance of Catholic churches as cultural centers for the preservation of Creole culture beyond Louisiana’s borders and shows how religious orders attempted to preserve the faith of migrant black Catholics by insulating them from many aspects of racial inequality and segregation in its religious environment. The Church helped Creole communities maintain their ethnic and cultural ties to Louisiana. However, the resulting cultural exclusivity of a Catholic and Creole identity alienated the broader African American community.
Protecting Databases from Query Flood Attacks

A typical Denial of Service attack against a DBMS may occur through a query flood, that is, a large number of queries and/or updates sent by a malicious subject or several colluding malicious subjects to a target database with the intention to hinder other subjects from being serviced. In this paper we present experimental results showing that such attacks indeed degrade the performance of the DBMS; our experiments are conducted on several well known DBMS. We then propose some simple yet effective techniques for detecting query-flood attacks and protecting a DBMS against them.
Letter to the Editor---A Conjecture Concerning the Smallest Bound on the Iterations in Linear Programming

In solving linear programming problems accurate estimates of the number of iterations needed to reach the optimum are important to have. It has been mentioned in the literature that computing experience indicates this number of iterations to be of the order of twice the number of constraints. We have been informed by two computing groups that a number of large linear programming problems have been left unsolved because, after many hours of machine operation, it was not known how much longer the process would continue. Here through heuristic arguments based on what appears to be a reasonable conjecture we give an upper bound to the number of iterations for algorithms which change one vector at a time, such as the simplex process.
On the Behavior and Welfare of Killer Whales in Captivity

The killer whale (Orcinus orca) has proven to be among the most difficult of all species to hold adequately in zoological facilities. The killer whale is a particularly large-brained and long-lived...
Open information extraction from the web

To implement open information extraction, a new extraction paradigm has been developed in which a system makes a single data-driven pass over a corpus of text, extracting a large set of relational tuples without requiring any human input. Using training data, a Self-Supervised Learner employs a parser and heuristics to determine criteria that will be used by an extraction classifier (or other ranking model) for evaluating the trustworthiness of candidate tuples that have been extracted from the corpus of text, by applying heuristics to the corpus of text. The classifier retains tuples with a sufficiently high probability of being trustworthy. A redundancy-based assessor assigns a probability to each retained tuple to indicate a likelihood that the retained tuple is an actual instance of a relationship between a plurality of objects comprising the retained tuple. The retained tuples comprise an extraction graph that can be queried for information.
Leukocytosis, thrombosis and early mortality in cancer patients initiating chemotherapy

Background Leukocytosis has been associated with thrombosis and mortality in cancer patients. We explored the association of leukocytosis with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and early mortality in cancer patients initiating chemotherapy.
Asymbiotic Nitrogen Fixation and Litter Decomposition on a Long Soil‐Age Gradient in Hawaiian Montane Rain Forest1

We determined rates of decomposition and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in the leaf litter of Cheirodendron spp. on the Hawaiian Islands. Leaf litter was collected from four sites on a long soil-age gradient (300 yr to 4.1 M yr) and decomposed at two sites that differed widely in substrate age and nutrient availability. Rates of decomposition were higher in litter decomposed at the older site, where nutrient availability was greater. A substantial amount of nitrogen and phosphorus immobilization occurred in litter decomposed at the older site, with more immobilization occurring in litter with lower initial nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, suggesting both supply and demand controls on nutrient immobilization. Potential rates of nitrogen fixation were very low in the first 25 d (0–5 nmol acetylene/gdw/h), rose to much higher rates by 70 d (20–45 nmol), and then declined by 140 d. We found no significant difference in rates of potential nitrogen fixation between sites of decomposition, but there was a strong substrate effect, with higher rates in litter with low lignin, low nitrogen, and high phosphorus. Where significant immobilization of nitrogen occurred for decomposing Cheirodendron, nitrogen fixation could have comprised no more than 10 percent of immobilized nitrogen. Overall, rates of nitrogen fixation were dependent on the source of the decomposing substrate but not on the site of decomposition, while short-term decomposition and nutrient immobilization were strongly dependent on the site of decomposition but not as much on the source of the decomposing substrate.
Mixed shell element for seven‐parameter formulation

SUMMARY A new mixed shell element is developed for a seven-parameter formulation in this paper. The mixed shell element is constructed by assuming stress field and displacement field together. Assumed stress field and assumed displacement field can be combined by stress–strain relationship with Hu-Washizu functional. The developed mixed shell element can provide more flexible stiffness than other commercial softwares. Additionally, seven-parameter shell formulation is used instead of Reissner/Mindlin formulation, since it can provide the thickness change. Even though some commercial engineering software are not proper for very thick shell structure, the developed mixed shell element for sevenparameter formulation can be used without distinction of thick shell and thin shell. An example of shell models with different thickness is provided with solid model. Static and modal analyses are also performed for verification. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mannose binding lectin gene deficiency increases susceptibility to traumatic brain injury in mice.

Mannose binding lectin (MBL) initiates complement activation and exacerbates tissue damage after systemic ischemia/reperfusion. We tested the hypothesis that MBL activates complement and worsens outcome using two levels of controlled cortical impact (CCI) in mice. After moderate CCI (0.6 mm depth), MBL immunostaining was detected on injured endothelial cells of wild-type (WT) mice and C3d was detected in MBL KO (deficient in MBL A/C) and WT mice, suggesting that MBL is dispensable for terminal complement activation after CCI. Brain neutrophils, edema, blood–brain barrier permeability, gross histopathology, and motor dysfunction were similar in injured MBL KO and WT mice. In mice subjected to mild CCI (0.2 mm), MBL KO mice had almost two-fold increased acute CA3 cell degeneration at 6 h (P < 0.01 versus WT). Naive MBL KO mice had decreased brain volume but performed similar to WT mice in two distinct Morris water maze (MWM) paradigms. However, injured MBL KO mice had impaired performance in cued platform trials (P < 0.05 versus WT), suggesting a transient nonspatial learning deficit in injured MBL KO mice. The data suggest that MBL deficiency increases susceptibility to CCI through C3-independent mechanisms and that MBL-deficient patients may be at increased risk of poor outcome after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism advance online publication, 9 January 2008; doi:10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600605
Mental Health Literacy for Anxiety Disorders: How perceptions of symptom severity might relate to recognition of psychological distress.

Purpose – Improving mental health literacy is an important consideration when promoting expedient and effective treatment seeking for psychological disorders. Low recognition serves as a barrier to treatment and the purpose of this paper is to examine recognition by lay individuals of severity for three psychological disorders: social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and major depression using a dimensional approach. Design/methodology/approach – Vignettes of mild/subclinical, moderate, and severe cases of each disorder were rated for severity by a team of expert assessors and 270 participants (mean age=26.8; 76.7 percent women). Findings – Difference ratings were calculated comparing participants’ responses to scores from the assessors. A within-groups factorial ANOVA with LSD follow-up was performed to examine the effects of Diagnosis and Severity on difference ratings. Both main effects (Diagnosis, F(2, 536)=35.26, Mse=1.24; Severity, F(2, 536)=9.44, Mse=1.93) and the interaction were significant (F(4, 1,...
The Concept of Power in Marxist Theory: A Critique and Reformulation:

The dominant model of power in Marxist theory contains a number of problematic assumptions. These include: (1) the assumption of objective class interests; (2) the assumption that classes are colle...
Photovoltaics: Environmental, Health and Safety Issues and Perspectives {

The photovoltaic (PV) industry must continue its pro-active approach to prevent accidents and environmental damage, and to sustain PV’s inherent environmental, health, and safety (EHS) advantages. This paper presents an overview of EHS issues related to current and emerging PV technologies and gives examples of this pro-active approach. We summarize the hazards related to potential accidental releases of toxic or flammable gases used in photovoltaic cell production, and strategies for reducing such risks (e.g., choosing material and process options which inherently have small risks, and preventing accident-initiating events). Other issues discussed herein include reducing the use of toxic or carcinogenic materials in powder form, managing liquid hazardous waste, and recycling solid waste and spent modules. As the PV industry approaches these issues and mitigation strategies in a vigilant, systematic way, the risk to the industry, the workers, and the public will become minimal. An example is also discussed of environmental benefits from a large scale PV implementation, that is the potential of PV in reducing CO 2 emissions. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First-break vertical seismic profiling tomography for Vinton Salt Dome

Building laterally depth-varying velocity models for vertical seismic profiling (VSP) imaging is challenging because of the narrow ray-angle coverage of VSP data, especially if only first arrivals are used. This study explores the potential of a new deformable-layer tomography (DLT) for building velocity models with a VSP data set acquired over the Vinton salt dome in southwestern Louisiana. The DLT method uses first breaks to constrain the geometry of velocity interfaces from an initial model of flat, constant-velocity layers parameterized using a priori geologic and geophysical information. A progressive multiscale inversion loop gradually updates the interface geometry. The final solution model, containing 3D geometry, is well supported by resolution and reliability tests and closely matches the long-wavelength trends of area sonic logs. The presence of velocity anisotropy is also indicated.
Common Infections in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients. To some extent, these may be preventable. Careful pretransplant screening, immunization, and post-transplant prophylactic antimicrobials may all reduce the risk for post-transplant infection. However, because transplant recipients may not manifest typical signs and symptoms of infection, diagnoses may be confounded. Furthermore, treatment regimens may be complicated by drug interactions and the need to maintain immunosuppression to avoid allograft rejection. This article reviews common post-transplant infections, including prophylactic, diagnostic, and treatment strategies, providing guidance regarding care of kidney transplant patients with infection.
Safety and efficacy of early surgical decompression of the thoracic outlet for Paget-Schroetter syndrome

The surgical treatment of Paget-Schroetter syndrome has evolved to include early thrombolytic therapy and an interval period of anticoagulation, followed by late surgical decompression of the thoracic outlet. More recently, we have developed an abbreviated course of therapy in which the thrombolytic therapy is followed by early surgical decompression during the same admission, then a period of anticoagulation. We compared early surgical decompression with the standard management protocol to determine safety and efficacy of the early treatment algorithm. Nine patients were treated with lysis and early operation. These were compared with the preceding nine consecutive patients treated with lysis and staged operation. Demographic data, risk factors, duration of thrombosis, lytic therapy, time to surgery, operative variables, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Our results showed that thrombolysis followed by early operation does not result in increased perioperative morbidity or mortality. Early surgical decompression of the thoracic outlet during the same admission as lysis is as safe and efficacious as the traditional (staged decompression) approach to Paget-Schroetter syndrome. Lysis followed by early surgical decompression should be considered a new standard of care in the management of Paget-Schroetter syndrome.
A decade in prostate cancer: from NMR to metabolomics

Over the last decade, NMR technology has become indispensible in the diagnosis and characterization of prostate cancer. In this Review, the authors discuss the evolution of NMR in prostate cancer, from its humble beginnings, up to today's use of NMR metabolomics.
Blues and Chaos: The Music Writing of Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer (edited by Anthony DeCurtis), New York: Scribner/Simon and Schuster, 2009, ISBN-10: 1416559396/13: 9781416559399, 452 pp, $30.00 (hardcover), $18.00 (paperback) Rarely does a music cr...
Using black-box persistent state manifest for dependency management in patching and upgrading J2EE based applications

This paper describes a new approach to J2EE based software upgrade and patch management using black-box persistent state manifests which helps in self-managing the upgrade and patching process of Java based applications. We created a tool called object version checker which uses black-box based persistent state manifests to aid in software upgrades and patches to check the versions of installed components and identify components that are not installed correctly and cause potential problems to the whole enterprise. We provide a theoretical insight of the requirements, usage and usefulness of the tool.
Effect of Habitat Depth on Host Location by Five Species of Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Chalcididae) of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in Three Types of Substrates

Abstract Four species of pteromalid parasitoids [Muscidifurax raptor Girault & Sanders, Spalangia cameroni Perkins, Spalangia endius Walker, Spalangia gemina Boucek, and the chalcidid Dirhinus himalayanus (Masi)] were evaluated for their ability to locate house fly pupae at various depths in poultry manure (41% moisture), fly rearing medium (43% moisture), and sandy soil (4% moisture) from a dairy farm. Searching activity in manure was largely confined to the surface (M. raptor, D. himalayanus, and S. gemina) or to depths of up to 2 cm below the surface (S. endius, S. cameroni). S. cameroni was the most effective species at locating buried pupae in manure. All of the species searched over a wider range of habitat depths in fly rearing medium, although M. raptor and S. gemina tended to concentrate their searching activity relatively close to the surface of the substrate. Host attacks by these species at 6 cm were 30–40% lower than on the surface of the medium. S. endius searched uniformly at all depths in ...
Real-Time Damage Identification in Nonlinear Smart Structures Using Hyperchaotic Excitation and Stochastic Estimation

Among numerous damage identification techniques, those which are used for online data-driven damage identification have received considerable attention recently. One of the most widely-used vibration-based time-domain techniques for nonlinear system identification is the extended Kalman filter, which exhibits a good performance when the parameter to be identified is a constant parameter. However, it is not as successful in identification of changes in time-varying system parameters, which is essential for real-time identification. Alternatively, the extended Kalman-Bucy filter has been recently proposed due to its enhanced capabilities in parameter estimation compared with extended Kalman filter. On the other hand, when applied as the excitation in some attractor-based damage identification techniques, chaotic and hyperchaotic dynamics produce better outcomes than does common stochastic white noise. The current study combines hyperchaotic excitations and the enhanced capabilities of extended Kalman-Bucy filter to propose a real-time approach for identification of damage in nonlinear structures. Simulation results show that the proposed approach is capable of online identification and assessment of damage in nonlinear elastic and hysteretic structures with single or multiple degrees-of-freedom using noise-corrupted measured acceleration response.
Abstract A134: Honokiol targets STAT3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008 A134 Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a commonly occurring malignancy associated with severe morbidity, persistently high mortality rates, frequent recurrence, and the appearance of second primary tumors. Honokiol, a naturally occurring compound that is derived from the plant, Magnolia officinalis , which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to have anticancer activity in various models and to inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), an oncogenic transcription factor. Crosstalk between NFκB and another transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3, has been demonstrated in HNSCC. Furthermore, NFκB and STAT3 have been found to directly interact in certain cell lines and to have various target genes, including proteins that regulate apoptosis, the cell cycle, and tumor angiogenesis, in common. Therefore, we hypothesized that honokiol might be useful in targeting STAT3, a protein that is known to promote growth, invasion, metastasis, and tumor angiogenesis in HNSCC and that shows promise as an important therapeutic target in the treatment of HNSCC. In the current study, 72-hour honokiol treatments inhibited the growth of HNSCC cell lines, Cal-33, UM-22b and 1483 with IC50’s ranging from 3.90-7.44 μM, as shown through trypan blue dye exclusion assays. Honokiol treatment also decreased expression levels of phosphotyrosine STAT3 in these same cell lines. The growth inhibitory activity of honokiol is associated with apoptosis, as demonstrated by staining for annexin-V. Because clinical data indicates that currently available HNSCC therapies have been inadequate in improving mortality rates over the last three decades, it is of interest that honokiol enhances the activity of the small-molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, erlotinib, in HNSCC cells. Finally, honokiol was found to modestly inhibit the growth of tumors in HNSCC xenograft models. These results suggest that honokiol inhibits HNSCC growth in conjunction with downregulation of phosphotyrosine STAT3 in HNSCC. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A134.
Active Control of Wingtip Vortices Using Piezoelectric Actuated Winglets

Wingtip vortices develop at the tips of aircraft wings due to a pressure imbalance during the process of generating lift. These vortices significantly increase the total aerodynamic drag of an aircraft at high-lift flight conditions such as during take-off and landing. The long trailing vortices contain strong circulation and may induce rolling moments and lift losses on a trailing aircraft, making them a major cause for wake turbulence. A mandatory spacing between aircraft is administered by civil aviation agencies to reduce the probability of hazardous wake encounters. These measures, while necessary, restrict the capacity of major airports and lead to higher wait times between take-off and landing of two aircraft. This poses a major challenge in the face of continuously increasing air traffic volume. Wingtip vortices are also known as a potent source of aerodynamic vibrations and noise. These negative effects have made the study of wingtip vortex attenuation a critical area of research. The problem of induced drag has been addressed with the development of wingtip device, like winglets. Tip devices diffuse the vortex at its very onset leading to lower induced drag. The problem of wake turbulence has been addressed in studies on vortex interactions and co-operative instabilities. These instabilities accelerate the process of vortex breakdown, leading to a lower lifetime in the wake. A few studies have tried to develop active mechanisms that can artificially excite these instabilities. The aim of the present study is to develop a device that can be used for both reducing induced drag and exciting wake instabilities. To accomplish this objective, an active winglet actuator has been developed with the help of piezoelectric Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC). The winglet is capable of oscillating about the main wing-section at desired frequency and amplitude. A passive winglet is a well-established drag reducing device. An oscillating winglet can introduce perturbations that can potentially lead to instabilities and accelerate the process of vortex breakdown. A half-body model of a generic aircraft configuration was fabricated to characterize and evaluate the performance of actuated winglets. Two winglet models having mean dihedral orientations of 0° and 75° were studied. The freestream velocity for these experiments was 20 m/s. The angle of incidence of the wing-section was varied between 0° and 8°. The Reynolds number based on the mid-chord length of the wing-section is 140000. The first part of the study consisted of a detailed structural characterization of the winglets at various input excitation and pressure loading conditions. The second part consisted of low speed wind tunnel tests to investigate the effects of actuation on the development of wingtip vortices at different angles of incidence. Measurements included static surface pressure distributions and Stereoscopic (ensemble and phase-locked) Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) at various downstream planes. Modal analysis of the fluctuations existing in the baseline…
The Dilemma of the Grundlegung

Is it profitable to attempt to single out a particular problem in Kantian ethics and to present and discuss this problem in a short paper and in nonKantian language ? We do not have to ask this kind of question with regard to most philosophers, but Kant, after all, is different. The risks of misrepresentation are far from normal in the case of Kant. Yet Kant is so important, and his influence still so operative, that there is something to be said for risking a discussion, even on these precarious terms, if one believes that thereby something of interest can be disclosed. In this paper I propose to consider the particular problem of the relationship between right action and dutiful action as this problem arises in Kant's presentation of his ethical doctrine in the Grundlegung. I shall argue that, as far as the Grundlegung is concerned, Kant is involved in a dilemma, and I shall hope to set forth exactly what this dilemma is and to explain why it arises. Everything I say about Kant refers to the Kant of the Grundlegung, and whether or not some different view is to be derived from the Second Critique is a question I do not consider. I shall assume a knowledge of the text, and, on the basis of that assumption, I shall freely discuss Kant's views in what I acknowledge to be rather un-Kantian modes of expression. I hope, of course, that in doing this, I am not thereby radically misrepresenting these views, but the question of whether this hope is justified must be left to the discretion of the reader.
Outcome of abdominal wall hernia repair with Permacol™ biologic mesh

The use of biologic mesh in abdominal wall operations has gained popularity despite a paucity of outcome data. We aimed to review the experience of a large healthcare organization with Permacol™. A retrospective study was conducted of patients who underwent abdominal hernia repair with Permacol™ in 14 Southern California hospitals. One hundred ninety-five patients were analyzed over a 4-year period. Operations included ventral/incisional hernia repairs, ostomy closures, parastomal hernia repairs, and inguinal hernia repairs. In 50 per cent of the patients, Permacol™ was used to reinforce a primary fascial repair and in 50 per cent as a fascial bridge. The overall complication rate was 39.5 per cent. The complication rate was higher in patients with infected versus clean wounds, body mass index (BMI) 40 kg/m(2) or greater versus BMI less than 40 kg/m(2), in patients with prior mesh repair, and when mesh was used as a fascial bridge. With a mean follow-up of 2.1 years, morbid obesity was associated with a higher recurrence. To date this is the largest study on the use of Permacol™ in abdominal wall hernia repair. In our patient population undergoing heterogeneous operations with a majority of wounds as Class II or higher, use of Permacol™ did not eliminate wound morbidity or prevent recurrence, especially in morbidly obese patients.
High efficiency, hybrid Selective Harmonic Elimination phase-shift PWM technique for Cascaded H-Bridge inverters to improve dynamic response and operate in complete normal modulation indices

Selective Harmonic Elimination PWM (SHE-PWM) method has slow dynamic response, due to using the Fourier transform before the Look-Up Tables (LUTs) in practices. Also, in some cases, the SHE-PWM cannot find any solutions in normal modulation ranges. On the other hand, Phase-Shift PWM (PSPWM) does not need Fourier transform in practice to operate, but it has lower efficiency than SHE-PWM. Furthermore, the PSPWM can work properly in all of the normal modulation indices. Using the combination of these two methods can achieve high efficiency and fast dynamic response at the same time. Moreover, the inverter can work in all of the normal modulation indices. To reach these goals, a hybrid Selective Harmonic Elimination PWM with Phase-Shift Pulse Width Modulation (HSHE-PSPWM) is introduced by applying SHE-PWM in steady state condition and applying PSPWM in dynamic conditions. Also, for some modulation indices that the SHE-PWM does not have any solutions, the PSPWM has been applied to the Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) inverter. A controller is also proposed to switch between the SHE-PWM and PSPWM. Also, a RLC low pass filter is designed to attenuate high order harmonics of the proposed HSHE-PSPWM and it will be shown that the proposed technique can fully meet the IEEE-519 2014 in steady state and transient conditions. Finally, to verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method, simulation and experimental results are obtained from a 7-level Cascaded H-Bridge inverter.
Transitional cell carcinoma exhibiting clear cell features. A differential diagnosis for clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urinary tract

We report two cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary tract that consist of optically clear cells rich in glycogen. We propose that transitional cell carcinoma may exhibit a clear cell morphologic variant that should be distinguished from clear cell adenocarcinoma.
Efficient Management of Water in Agriculture

In this chapter the authors argue that the major problem in water resources around the world is water management rather than water availability. We identify several sources of distortion and several avenues to increase the productivities of water. First, subsidization of water or energy available for irrigation leads to underinvestment in modern irrigation technologies. These technologies could increase the water use efficiency of plants and result in lower levels of deep percolation, and runoff. Second, underinvestment in conveyance capital leads to loss of water resources and underproduction. Third, using a water rights regime that bars trading in water leads to underinvestment in modern technology and under utilization of resources. The chapter offers efficient solutions to this problem using price mechanisms and introducing markets.
Pentameric Structure of the Soluble Intracellular Domain of 5-HT3A Receptors

The 115 amino acids spanning intracellular domain (ICD) links the third (M3) and fourth (M4) transmembrane segments within each subunit of the 5-HT3A receptor, a cationic homo-pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (pLGIC). The advent of increasingly sophisticated structural studies has unraveled, in part, the three-dimensional structure of eukaryotic as well as prokaryotic pLGICs at atomic resolution. Intriguingly, within all these structures, the ICD has commonly not been completely resolved. To illustrate the lack of completeness, a recent high-resolution 5-HT3A structure, albeit providing novel structural insights, is deprived of 61 amino acids from its ICD resulting in channel activity differing remarkably from wild-type channels. Prokaryotic pLGICs lack the ICD, and instead contain a very short M3-M4 linker. In eukaryotic pLGICs, the ICD exemplifies the diversity of domain architecture, unlike the other two domains - extracellular and transmembrane - which are highly-conserved. Given the expanding functional implications of ICDs in subunit folding, assembly, targeting, posttranslational modifications, reverse allosteric conductance, and protein-protein interactions, it is of great importance to resolve the structures of full-length ICDs in order to bridge this knowledge gap.To attain this set goal, we produced and purified a soluble chimera containing the ICD of the mouse 5-HT3A receptor. Molecular weight determination by both size exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering indicates stable pentameric assembly of the chimera in solution. This surprising finding was further corroborated when the chimera was cross-linked with glutaraldehyde vapors and then resolved either by SDS-PAGE or ‘on-chip electrophoresis’, revealing a ladder of discrete covalently-linked oligomers. The unexpected observation that the ICD alone assembles into stable pentamers in solution and its extreme diversity with regard to both length and amino acid-composition is further suggestive of its orphaned role in receptor oligomerization and potentially the specificity thereof.
Nutrition and Infection in the Developmental Influences on Aging

This chapter considers developmental influences of infections, inflammation, and nutrition on aging and adult diseases. Birth size, overly small or excessively large, can adversely affect later health through complex pathways. Developmental influences attributed to maternal malnutrition in the Barker hypothesis are extended here to infections. Fogel's emphasis on malnutrition as a factor in poor health can also be extended to include consequences of infection and inflammation. This chapter argues that infection and inflammation compromise fetal development by diverting maternal nutrients to host defense, with consequences to development that influence adult health and longevity. Low- and high-birthweight babies show higher vascular risk factors in the metabolic syndrome as adults. High birthweight (macrosomia) is common in obese and diabetic mothers. Malaria is prevalent in low birthweight, infecting the placenta, while diarrheas cause postnatal growth retardation, and the child suffers from chronic gastroenteritis, with endotoxin leaking into the circulation. The presence of endotoxin and IgG antibodies suggests useful markers for other populations in association with vascular disease. Nutritional supplements of malnourished populations improve pre- and postnatal growth. Breast cancer is increased (up to 250%) and the age of menopause decreased (up to 1.8 year) in those exposed postnatally to famine. Many factors at work during development can modify outcomes of chronic aging conditions.
Examining and Extending Advertising's Dual Mediation Hypothesis to a Branded Mobile Phone App

ABSTRACTAdvertising's dual mediation hypothesis (DMH) is an important model predicting the relationships among antecedent variables and advertising outcomes. The results of the study reported here extend this theory to a mobile phone branded app. Structural equation modeling with data collected from 277 Millennial participants showed that the DMH was the best-fitting model for explaining attitude toward the app among four competing models. Furthermore, an extended DMH, with an “intention to continue using the app” construct, was found to offer a superior fit over four other extended models and a better model than the traditional DMH.
An optimisation model for purchase, production and distribution in fish supply chain – a case study

This paper presents an optimisation model for spawn purchase, fish culturing production process and harvested fish distribution in a fish supply chain. Due to the complexity and variety of real-world fish supply chains, the model is built based on a case study for a real trout fish farm to illustrate the methodology on how to incorporate influential factors from both warm chain and cold chain. Warm chain mainly considers the biological factors while fish is alive and cold chain mainly considers the economic factors after fish is ready for harvest, harvested, and processed. The model seeks to improve the trout farm production planning to help decision-making on spawn purchase quantity, the best time to harvest fish, and the farming periods. In addition, the model adopts a customer classification method in distribution planning that is able to prioritise the delivery of fresh fish to the most profitable customers. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model was developed to maximise the total profit. Th...
Cancer of the Ovary, Uterus, and Cervix

Gynecologic malignancies in the adolescent and young adult female are uncommon, but these cancers can occur throughout the genital tract. Histologic subtypes and biologic behavior differ from their older counterparts and treatment may be age- and disease-specific. Patients with these malignancies also merit special consideration due to the impact of treatment on reproductive potential and function. In addition, vaccination efforts should effectively prevent most cervical cancers.
Review: Selenium contamination, fate, and reactive transport in groundwater in relation to human health

Selenium (Se) is an essential micro-nutrient for humans, but can be toxic at high levels of intake. Se deficiency and Se toxicity are linked with serious diseases, with some regions worldwide experiencing Se deficiency due to Se-poor rocks and soils and other areas dealing with Se toxicity due to the presence of Se-enriched geologic materials. In addition, Se is consumed primarily through plants that take up Se from soil and through animal products that consume these plants. Hence, the soil and groundwater system play important roles in determining the effect of Se on human health. This paper reviews current understanding of Se fate and transport in soil and groundwater systems and its relation to human health, with a focus on alluvial systems, soil systems, and the interface between alluvial systems and Cretaceous shale that release Se via oxidation processes. The review focuses first on the relation between Se and human health, followed by a summary of Se distribution in soil-aquifer systems, with an emphasis on the quantitative relationship between Se content in soil and Se concentration in underlying groundwater. The physical, chemical, and microbial processes that govern Se fate and transport in subsurface systems then are presented, followed by numerical modeling techniques used to simulate these processes in study regions and available remediation strategies for either Se-deficient or Se-toxic regions. This paper can serve as a guide to any field, laboratory or modeling study aimed at assessing Se fate and transport in groundwater systems and its relation to human health.
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE: Modeling Individuals' Contribution Decisions

Employing data from a recent national survey on campaign finance, we examine the contribution behavior of individual citizens in the 2000 election. By disaggregating types of contributions, our model enables us to observe potential heterogeneity in the determinants of giving money to parties and candidates. We find that for both types of contributions, the effects of informational resources and solicitation on the decision to contribute outweigh those of financial resources. In addition, we propose both a theoretical and an empirical distinction between the selection effects of solicitation and the stimulus effects of solicitation. By distinguishing between these dual dimensions of solicitation, our analysis provides new insight into the causal linkages between income, solicitation, and contributions. We find that while solicitation increases the likelihood of contributing through selective targeting or rational prospecting, it also does so through a stimulus mechanism.
Designing Instructional Science Visualizations in the Trenches: Where Research Meets Production Reality

Research-based design methods for dynamic visualizations can be successfully implemented in practice only if they take into consideration the pressures of ‘real world’ projects and integrate the vagaries of client-designer communications. One must take into account both the complicated power dynamics and numerous variables inherent to the relationship and dialogue between those who commission or control the creation of instructional media and those who produce it. From a researcher’s standpoint, there are myriad opportunities with which studies in human perception, cognitive psychology and educational research can inform and improve the design of dynamic visualizations. Despite these opportunities, however, designers do not always know or are not always able to leverage relevant aspects of perceptual and cognitive psychology (i.e., how the human visual system works and its relationship to thinking/learning processes) as part of their efforts to satisfy a client’s design preferences and meet stated learning objectives. In this chapter, I introduce both idealized and more realistic models for the designer-client relationship to consider the major variables that interfere with learning objective-driven design. I discuss these variables in the context of both the client- and designer-related disruptions through the use of examples drawn from recent production projects in the life sciences. Variables that transcend the designer-client divide are also addressed. In conclusion, specific strategies for integrating this knowledge within the context of effective instructional visualization design are presented.
Validation of an International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision coding algorithm to identify decompressive craniectomy for stroke

Although International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD9-CM) coding is the basis of administrative claims data, no study has validated an ICD9-CM algorithm to identify patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy for space-occupying supratentorial infarction. Patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy for stroke at our institution were retrospectively identified and their associated ICD9-CM codes were extracted from billing data. An ICD9-CM algorithm was generated and its accuracy compared against physician review. A total of 10,925 neurosurgical operations were performed from December 2008 to March 2015, of which 46 (0.4%) were decompressive craniectomy for space-occupying stroke. The ICD9-CM procedure code for craniectomy (01.25) was only encoded in 67.4% of patients, while craniotomy (01.24) was used in 19.6% and lobectomy (01.39, 01.53, 01.59) in 13.1%. The ICD-9-CM algorithm included patients with a diagnosis codes for cerebral infarction (433.11, 434.01, 434.11, and 434.91) and a procedure code for craniotomy, craniectomy, or lobectomy. Patients were excluded with an ICD9-CM diagnosis code for brain tumor, intracranial abscess, subarachnoid hemorrhage, vertebrobasilar infarction, intracranial aneurysm, Moyamoya disease, intracranial venous sinus thrombosis, vertebral artery dissection, congenital cerebrovascular anomaly, head trauma or an ICD9-CM procedure code for laminectomy. This algorithm had a sensitivity of 97.8%, specificity of 99.9%, positive predictive value of 88.2%, and negative predictive value of 99.9%. The majority of false-positive results were patients who underwent evacuation of a primary intracerebral hematoma. An ICD-9-CM algorithm based on diagnosis and procedure codes can effectively identify patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy for supratentorial stroke.
Letter from the Editorial Board

We are pleased to present to you the Alfred E. Knobler inaugural issue of the Journal of Undergraduate Materials Research (JUMR), a journal dedicated to undergraduates working in the fi eld of Materials Science and Engineering. This is a proud moment for the Virginia Tech Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), and we congratulate the selected authors.
Integrating the Allen Brain Institute Cell Types Database into Automated Neuroscience Workflow

We developed software tools to download, extract features, and organize the Cell Types Database from the Allen Brain Institute (ABI) in order to integrate its whole cell patch clamp characterization data into the automated modeling/data analysis cycle. To expand the potential user base we employed both Python and MATLAB. The basic set of tools downloads selected raw data and extracts cell, sweep, and spike features, using ABI’s feature extraction code. To facilitate data manipulation we added a tool to build a local specialized database of raw data plus extracted features. Finally, to maximize automation, we extended our NeuroManager workflow automation suite to include these tools plus a separate investigation database. The extended suite allows the user to integrate ABI experimental and modeling data into an automated workflow deployed on heterogeneous computer infrastructures, from local servers, to high performance computing environments, to the cloud. Since our approach is focused on workflow procedures our tools can be modified to interact with the increasing number of neuroscience databases being developed to cover all scales and properties of the nervous system.