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The Digital Reference Collection in Academic Libraries
Get PDFAbstract Reference services and reference collections in academic libraries are going through significant changes. In this paper, some of the issues prevalent today in building and maintaining digital reference collections will be discussed, such as: presentation and organization, marketing, use, and selection of digital reference resources. Closing the books In March 2012, a few days before the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries (IACRL) took place the news about Encyclopedia Britannica stopping the print edition was announced by major academic and popular media outlets. Joab Jackson (2012) from ComputerWorld was one of many to report how the world-renown Encyclopedia Britannica, after 244 years, would change their publication to only and entirely digital. An online edition had been published parallel to the print edition for some time, but the market forces and users' adaptation to digital formats were decisive for the encyclopedia, first published in one volume in 1768 (twenty-one years before the beginning of the French Revolution). Although this move was not a surprise, academic publishers are rapidly converting their traditional reference paper collections into digital products and creating new ones
Visfatin/ Nampt: an adipokine with cardiovascular impact,”Mediators
No full textAdipose tissue is acknowledged as an endocrine organ that releases bioactive factors termed adipokines. Visfatin was initially identified as a novel adipokine with insulin-mimetic properties in mice. This adipokine was identical to two previously described molecules, namely, pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) and the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt). Enhanced circulating visfatin/Nampt levels have been reported in metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, visfatin/Nampt circulating levels correlate with markers of systemic inflammation. In cardiovascular diseases, visfatin/Nampt was initially proposed as a clinical marker of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular damage, with a potential prognostic value. Nevertheless, beyond being a surrogate clinical marker, visfatin/Nampt is an active player promoting vascular inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Visfatin/Nampt effects on cytokine and chemokine secretion, macrophage survival, leukocyte recruitment by endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle inflammation and plaque destabilization make of this adipokine an active factor in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms mediating the cellular actions of this adipokine and to better characterize the factors regulating visfatin/Nampt expression and release in all these pathologic scenarios. Only then, we will be able to conclude whether visfatin/Nampt is a therapeutical target in cardiometabolic diseases
FOURIER SERIES / TRANSFORM , OLD WINE, NEW FLAVORS
Get PDFAbstract: This paper looks at one of the jewels of mathematics, the Fourier series / transform and briefly surveys its applications and looks at possible ways of enhancing the performance of the fast Fourier transfor
Case Report Giant Nephrothoracic Abscess: A Misleading Disease, a Surgical Challenge, and an Unexpected Complication
Get PDFA rare case of perinephric abscess with unilateral secondary pulmonary involvement that was further complicated by spillover of purulent content into the contralateral lung is reported here. Its diagnosis, treatment, and evolution are described and discussed along with certain features of nephropulmonary fistulas. The diagnosis of these abscesses is difficult, largely because of the paucity of primary symptoms and the frequent presence of misleading secondary symptoms. Deceptive cases like this one highlight the importance of its contemplation in every physician's differential diagnosis
Omental Endometriosis: A Rare Site and an Unusual Association with Ovarian Fibroma and Haemorrhagic Ascites. A Case Report And Review of The Imaging Techniques
No full textCase Report Abdominal Sarcoidosis May Mimic Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
No full textSarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. It shows a great variety of clinical presentation, organ involvement, and disease progression. Lungs and lymphoid system are the most common sites involved with a frequency of 90% and 30%, respectively. Extrapulmonary involvement of sarcoidosis is reported in 30% of patients and abdomen is the most frequent site. Furthermore, peritoneal involvement is extremely rare in sarcoidosis. The case presented here described peritoneal manifestations of sarcoidosis without involvement of lungs. A 78-year-old woman possessing signs of malignancy on blood test and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging underwent laparatomy with a suspicion of ovarian malignancy. The macroscopic interpretation during surgery was peritoneal carcinomatosis. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, peritoneal biopsies, total omentectomy, and appendectomy were performed. Final histopathological result revealed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Clinicians must keep in mind that peritoneal sarcoidosis can mimic intra-abdominal malignancies
Maximum Likelihood and Bayes Estimation in Randomly Censored Geometric Distribution
No full textIn this article, we study the geometric distribution under randomly censored data. Maximum likelihood estimators and confidence intervals based on Fisher information matrix are derived for the unknown parameters with randomly censored data. Bayes estimators are also developed using beta priors under generalized entropy and LINEX loss functions. Also, Bayesian credible and highest posterior density (HPD) credible intervals are obtained for the parameters. Expected time on test and reliability characteristics are also analyzed in this article. To compare various estimates developed in the article, a Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out. Finally, for illustration purpose, a randomly censored real data set is discussed
How Disclosing Skill Assistance Affects Play Experience in a Multiplayer First-Person Shooter Game
No full textABSTRACT In social play settings, it can be difficult for people with different skill levels to play a game together. Player balancing that provides skill assistance for the weaker player can allow for enjoyable play experiences; however, previous research (and conventional wisdom) has suggested that skill assistance should be kept hidden to avoid perceptions of unfairness. We carried out a study to test how disclosing skill assistance affects player experience. We found -surprisingly -that disclosing assistance did not harm play experience; players were more influenced by the benefits of equalized performance resulting from assistance than by their knowledge of the assist. We introduce the idea of attribution biases to help explain why awareness was not harmful -people tend to take credit for their successes, but attribute failures externally. We discuss how game designers can incorporate skill assistance to build multiplayer games that improve experiences for a wide range of players
