bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gross Direct and Embodied Carbon Sinks for Urban Inventories
Authors: Mohareb Eugene , Kennedy Christopher 
Published: May 2012

SummaryCities and urban regions are undertaking efforts to quantify greenhouse (GHG) emissions from their jurisdictional boundaries. Although inventorying methodologies are beginning to standardize for GHG sources, carbon sequestration is generally not quantified. This article describes the methodology and quantification of gross urban carbon sinks.Sinks are categorized into direct and embodied sinks. Direct sinks generally incorporate natural process, such as humification in soils and photosynthetic biomass growth (in urban trees, perennial crops, and regional forests). Embodied sinks include activities associated with consumptive behavior that result in the import and/or storage of carbon, such as landfilling of waste, concrete construction, and utilization of durable wood products.Using methodologies based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2006 guidelines (for direct sinks) and peer‐reviewed literature (for embodied sinks), carbon sequestration for 2005 is calculated for the Greater Toronto Area. Direct sinks are found to be 317 kilotons of carbon (kt C), and are dominated by regional forest biomass. Embodied sinks are calculated to be 234 kt C based on one year's consumption, though a complete life cycle accounting of emissions would likely transform this sum from a carbon sink to a source. There is considerable uncertainty associated with the methodologies used, which could be addressed with city‐specific stock‐change measurements. Further options for enhancing carbon sink capacity within urban environments are explored, such as urban biomass growth and carbon capture and storage.
Information and Communication Technology‐Enabled Low Carbon Technologies
Authors: Catulli Maurizio , Fryer Emma 
Published: May 2012

SummaryThis article outlines the subsector of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry concerned with reducing the economy's environmental impact, dubbed ICT‐enabled low carbon technologies (ICTeLCTs). The article is based on a study funded by United Kingdom (UK) Trade and Investment, a division of the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. ICTeLCTs can be segmented into specialist and generalist operators. Specialists focus on one or two ICT applications to monitor or reduce environmental issues, while generalists supply products and services enabling a firm or a private household to reduce the environmental impact of its activities. The subsector can be further segmented into green ICT, energy management, building management, carbon accounting, waste management, intelligent transport systems (ITSs), and water management. The main factors driving ICTeLCTs include legislation, voluntary environmental standards, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, customer demand, and competitive market factors. Policy makers should continue to drive the growth of ICTeLCTs with the introduction and refinement of environmental legislation regulating energy use and markets.
Environmental Damage Assessment of Carbon Capture and Storage
Authors: Singh Bhawna , Strømman Anders H. , Hertwich Edgar G. 
Published: May 2012

SummaryAn end‐point life cycle impact assessment is used to evaluate the damages of electricity generation from fossil fuel‐based power plants with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology. Pulverized coal (PC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants are assessed for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, pipeline transport, and storage in a geological formation. Results show that the CCS systems reduce the climate change‐related damages but increase the damages from toxicity, acidification, eutrophication, and resource consumption. Based on the currently available damage calculation methods, it is concluded that the benefit of reducing damage from climate change is larger than the increases in other damage categories, such as health effects from particulates or toxic chemicals. CCS significantly reduces the overall environmental damage, with a net reduction of 60% to 70% in human health damage and 65% to 75% in ecosystem damage. Most of the damage is due to fuel production and combustion processes. The energy and infrastructure demands of CCS cause increases in the depletion of natural resources by 33% for PC, 19% for IGCC, and 18% for NGCC power plants, mostly due to increased fossil fuel consumption.
Comparison of Body Weight Distribution, Peak Vertical Force, and Vertical Impulse as Measures of Hip Joint Pain and Efficacy of Total Hip Replacement
Authors: Seibert Rachel , Marcellin‐Little Denis J. , Roe Simon C. , DePuy Venita , Lascelles B. Duncan X. 
Published: May 2012

ObjectiveTo determine whether there is a difference between the ability of peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI), and percentage body weight distribution (%BWdist) in differentiating which leg is most affected by hip joint pain before total hip replacement (THR) surgery, and for measuring changes in limb use afterTHRsurgery.Study DesignProspective clinical study.AnimalsDogs (n = 47).MethodsGround reaction force (GRF) data were collected using a pressure‐sensitive walkway the day beforeTHRsurgery and at ∼3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.PVFandVIexpressed as a percentage of body weight (%PVF, %VI), and %BWdistwere recorded. Regression models performed separately for each outcome were used for statistical analysis.ResultsWhen comparing limb use between the affected limb (AP) and the nonaffected limb (NP) preoperatively, differences between limbs were statistically significant when evaluated usingPVF(P= .023),VI(P= .010), and %BWdist(P= .012). When evaluating the magnitude of absolute and percentage change difference inAPlimb use preoperatively versus postoperatively, differences were statistically significant when evaluated usingPVF(P< .001 andP= .001, respectively),VI(P= .001 andP< .001) and %BWdist(P< .001 andP< .001).ConclusionThere appeared to be no difference in the sensitivity ofVI,PVF, and %BWdistfor evaluating limb use before and afterTHR.
Designing Index‐Based Livestock Insurance for Managing Asset Risk in Northern Kenya
Authors: Chantarat Sommarat , Mude Andrew G. , Barrett Christopher B. , Carter Michael R. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThis article describes a novel index‐based livestock insurance (IBLI) product piloted among pastoralists in Northern Kenya, where insurance markets are effectively absent and uninsured risk exposure is a main cause of poverty. We describe the methodology used to design the contract and its underlying index of predicted area‐average livestock mortality, established statistically using longitudinal observations of household‐level herd mortality fit to remotely sensed vegetation data. Household‐level performance analysis based on simulations finds that IBLI removes 25–40 percent of total livestock mortality risk. We describe the contract pricing and the risk exposures of the underwriter to establish IBLI's reinsurability on international markets.
China's Labyrinth: The Rise of Monitory Democracy
Authors: KEANE JOHN 
Published: May 2012

The new element in governance is social media. Inexorably, its fertile networks of shared information shift power from authorities to citizens and amateurs, including to the “unknown” experts in the “dorm rooms and edges of society” who drive innovation.Tweets may bust trust and undermine authority, but can social media also be a tool for building consensus through deliberation and negotiation among interests? When it comes to governance, is crowd‐sourcing any better than populism at generating collective intelligence instead of disruptive “dumb mobs?” Can networks aid the self‐administration of society, or does that take institutions with governing authority?In this section, leading Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, technologists and network theorists from Google, Microsoft and the MIT Media Lab join with political scientist Francis Fukuyama and top thinkers from Asia to address these issues.
Method of Pacing Does Not Affect the Recurrence of Syncope in Carotid Sinus Syndrome
Authors: MCLEOD CHRISTOPHER J. , TRUSTY JANE M. , JENKINS SARAH M. , REA ROBERT F. , CHA YONG‐MEI , ESPINOSA RAUL A. , FRIEDMAN PAUL A. , HAYES DAVID L. , SHEN WIN‐KUANG 
Published: May 2012

Introduction:

Pacemaker therapy is effective in reducing recurrent syncope in patients with symptomatic carotid sinus hypersensitivity (CSH), yet the optimal pacing modality for this syndrome is not known. The objective of this study is to prospectively investigate the impact of three pacing methods (DDDR vs DDDR with sudden bradycardia response [SBR] vs VVI) on recurrent syncope and quality of life.
Methods:

Twenty‐one patients with symptomatic CSH (syncope or near syncope) were randomized to VVI, DDDR, or DDDR with SBR on a double‐blinded basis in a sequential crossover fashion with 6 months in each mode. The primary endpoints were recurrent events and quality of life (assessed by SF‐36). The mean number of events and SF‐36 scores were compared.
Results:

At baseline, over the preceding 6 months, there were a total of 29 syncopal events and 258 presyncopal events among 21 patients. Following pacing in any mode, the total number of these syncopal events reduced to two in two patients (P < 0.001) and 17 presyncopal events (P < 0.001) in 12 patients. The mean number of events was not significantly different between the three pacing methods. SF‐36 scores revealed some minor benefits of DDDR pacing versus baseline in the categories, but no pacing method was found to be superior.
Conclusions:

The study was unable to confirm the initial study hypothesis of a superiority of one pacing modality over another. Quality of life measures allude to potential benefit from DDDR pacing alone. (PACE 2012;xx;1–7)
Feasibility of Early Discharge After Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Procedures
Authors: CHOUDHURI INDRAJIT , DESAI DIPAN , WALBURG JON , AUGUST PHYLLIS , KELLER SETH I , SURI RANJIT 
Published: May 2012

Early Discharge After ICD Implantation. Introduction: Registry data demonstrate considerably low complication rates after implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) procedures for primary prevention of sudden death. Yet standard of care includes postimplant overnight in‐hospital observation that may levy substantial unnecessary financial burden on health care systems. In appropriate patients, discharge soon after implant could translate into significant cost savings, if such practice does not result in complications. We applied a simple clinical algorithm to assess feasibility of discharge on the same day of ICD implantation in patients at low risk for procedural complications.Methods: We prospectively randomized primary prevention ICD candidates at low risk for complications (not pacing‐dependent or requiring bridging heparin anticoagulation) to next‐day discharge with overnight in‐hospital observation, or same‐day discharge with remote monitoring for 24 hours after ICD implant. Implants were performed via cephalic vein access, and randomization occurred after 4‐hours clinical observation and device interrogation. All patients were followed for a minimum of 6 weeks to assess acute procedural complications.Results: 71 patients comprised the study cohort (mean age 62, 79% male) after 3 were excluded. The most common indication for ICD implant was ischemic cardiomyopathy with ejection fraction ≤35%. Device data obtained through 24‐hour remote monitoring was comparable to 4‐hour postimplant parameters in same‐day discharge patients. No acute complications occurred in same‐day discharge patients; 1 next‐day discharge patient developed pneumothorax.Conclusion: ICD implantation with same‐day discharge is reasonable in patients at low risk for complications. Remote monitoring can be useful in indicating lead‐parameter stability during the immediate postoperative period. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23 pp. 1123‐1129, October 2012)
Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation: Predictors and Relation with Symptom Severity
Authors: KOSIUK JEDRZEJ , VAN BELLE YVES , BODE KERSTIN , KORNEJ JELENA , ARYA ARASH , ROLF SASCHA , HUSSER DANIELA , HINDRICKS GERHARD , BOLLMANN ANDREAS 
Published: May 2012

Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Atrial Fibrillation Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is common in the general population, but its prevalence in atrial fibrillation (AF), predictors for LVDD in AF and the association between LVDD and AF‐related symptom severity has not been well studied.Methods: In 124 consecutive patients (mean age 61 ± 11years, 60% male) with paroxysmal (n = 70) or persistent AF (n = 54) referred for AF catheter ablation, LVDD was evaluated according to current guidelines using transthoracic echocardiography. AF‐related symptom severity was quantified using the European Heart Rhythm Association score.Results: LVDD was present in 46 patients (37%). In uni‐ and multivariable regression analysis, age (OR 1.068 per year, 95% CI 1.023–1.115, P = 0.003) and persistent AF (OR 2.427 vs. paroxysmal AF, 95% CI 1.112–5.3, P = 0.026) were associated with LVDD. LVDD was found in 11% with mild AF symptoms (n = 27) as opposed to 44% in patients with moderate–severe AF symptoms (n = 97, P = 0.002). Thus, the OR for moderate–severe AF symptoms was 6.368 (1.797–22.568, P = 0.004) in the presence of LVDD.Conclusions: LVDD (1) occurs frequently in AF, (2) is associated with advancing age and AF progression and (3) is correlated with symptom severity in AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23 pp. 1073‐1077, October 2012)
The Prevalence of Mutations in KCNQ1, KCNH2, and SCN5A in an Unselected National Cohort of Young Sudden Unexplained Death Cases
Authors: WINKEL BO GREGERS , LARSEN MAIKEN KUDAHL , BERGE KNUT ERIK , LEREN TROND PAUL , NISSEN PETER HENRIK , OLESEN MORTEN SALLING , HOLLEGAARD MADS VILHELM , JESPERSEN THOMAS , YUAN LEI , NIELSEN NIKOLAJ , HAUNSØ STIG , SVENDSEN JESPER HASTRUP , WANG YINMAN , KRISTENSEN INGRID BAYER , JENSEN HENRIK KJÆRULF , TFELT‐HANSEN JACOB , BANNER JYTTE 
Published: May 2012

Introduction: Sudden unexplained death account for one‐third of all sudden natural deaths in the young (1–35 years). Hitherto, the prevalence of genopositive cases has primarily been based on deceased persons referred for postmortem genetic testing. These deaths potentially may represent the worst of cases, thus possibly overestimating the prevalence of potentially disease causing mutations in the 3 major long‐QT syndrome (LQTS) genes in the general population. We therefore wanted to investigate the prevalence of mutations in an unselected population of sudden unexplained deaths in a nationwide setting.Methods: DNA for genetic testing was available for 44 cases of sudden unexplained death in Denmark in the period 2000–2006 (equaling 33% of all cases of sudden unexplained death in the age group). KCNQ1, KCNH2, and SCN5A were sequenced and in vitro electrophysiological studies were performed on novel mutations.Results: In total, 5 of 44 cases (11%) carried a mutation in 1 of the 3 genes corresponding to 11% of all investigated cases (R190W KCNQ1, F29L KCNH2 (2 cases), P297S KCNH2 and P1177L SCN5A). P1177L SCN5A has not been reported before. In vitro electrophysiological studies of P1177L SCN5A revealed an increased sustained current suggesting a LQTS phenotype.Conclusion: In a nationwide setting, the genetic investigation of an unselected population of sudden unexplained death cases aged 1–35 years finds a lower than expected number of mutations compared to referred populations previously reported. We therefore conclude that the prevalence of mutations in the 3 major LQTS associated genes may not be as abundant as previously estimated. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23 pp. 1092‐1098, October 2012)
An Integrative Review of Relationships Between Discrimination and Asian American Health
Authors: Nadimpalli Sarah B. , Hutchinson M. Katherine 
Published: May 2012

AbstractPurpose: Many ethnic minorities in the United States experience disproportionate rates of adverse health outcomes or health disparities. Factors such as socioeconomic status do not fully explain how these disparities are generated and maintained. Research has demonstrated that chronic experiences of discrimination are harmful to the health of African Americans and Latinos. However, there is a dearth of research examining Asian Americans’ experiences with discrimination and health disparities. The purpose of this integrative review was to summarize the current literature examining discrimination and the mental and physical health of Asian Americans.Design and Methods: Combinations of search terms related to discrimination, health, and Asian Americans were used to search five electronic databases. Inclusion criteria were primary research studies, published in English between 1980 and 2011, Asian American adults, and discrimination examined in relationship to a physical or mental health outcome. The search initially yielded 489 results; 14 quantitative studies met inclusion criteria.Findings and Conclusions: Quantitative studies in this review revealed several significant associations between discrimination and health outcomes in Asian Americans. Discrimination was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in seven studies. Three studies found associations between discrimination and physical health, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, obesity, and diabetes. Although the literature was limited by self‐reported data, cross‐sectional designs, and inconsistent definitions and measurement of discrimination, the findings suggest that discrimination is a significant contributor to poorer health and health disparities for Asian Americans. The findings clearly demonstrate the need for further nursing research in this area to inform evidence‐based practice and social policy.Clinical Relevance: Patient care providers can recognize discrimination as a significant stressor or purveyor of illness and explore ways to facilitate coping and resilience with their Asian American patients. Community‐based participatory research approaches can be implemented by clinicians, academicians, and Asian American community partners to address the issue of discrimination and Asian American health outcomes.
Fundamental Aspects of Spark Plasma Sintering: I. Experimental Analysis of Scalability
Authors: Olevsky Eugene A. , Bradbury William L. , Haines Christopher D. , Martin Darold G. , Kapoor Deepak 
Published: May 2012

Scalability experiments on the spark plasma sintering (SPS) of similarly shaped alumina specimens of the four different sizes are conducted. The utilized experimental methodology, based on the principle of rigorous proportionality of all the specimen and tooling dimensions, employs two different SPS devices of different scales. The processed specimens are characterized in terms of relative density and grain‐pore structure.Overall, SPS shows good scalability potential within a single SPS device, but indicates substantial structure changes when switching between different SPS devices. Despite deviations in some cases, by and large, the experimental results obtained for different tooling sizes and temperature regimes are rather similar for specimens processed by the same SPS device. The obtained density and grain size spatial distributions are relatively uniform. High final densities with moderate grain growth are common. At the same time, due to the demonstrated possibility of a significant size impact in case of high heating rates and large specimen sizes, as well as the demonstrated differences of the processing outcomes based on different SPS devices, the predictive capability of reliable modeling approaches is of great importance for the industrial implementation of SPS techniques.
Culture of rat endometrial telocytes
Authors: Hatta Kota , Huang Ming‐Li , Weisel Richard D. , Li Ren‐Ke 
Published: May 2012

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that telocytes are found in a variety of tissues. Here, we report the presence of telocytes in the human endometrium. In addition, telocytes were isolated from the rat endometrium and cultured. Immunohistochemistry was performed in vitro and in vivo. Cultured cells showed that telocytes expressed CD34, and similar results were found in the uterine tissue. In both species, telocytes also stained positive for vimentin and connexin 43. Telopodes were observed connecting cell colonies and connecting distant cells. Our findings suggest that telocytes may have a role in cell‐to‐cell communication over short and long distances within the endometrium.
Survival after stage IA endometrial cancer; can follow‐up be altered? A prospective nationwide Danish survey
Authors: LAJER HENRIK , ELNEGAARD SANDRA , CHRISTENSEN RENÉ D. , ORTOFT GITTE , SCHLEDERMANN DORIS E. , MOGENSEN OLE 
Published: May 2012

Abstract Objective. To present Danish national survival data on women with early stage endometrial cancer and use these data to discuss the relevance of postoperative follow‐up. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Danish Endometrial Cancer Study (DEMCA). Population. Five hundred and seventy‐one FIGO stage IA (1988 classification) endometrial cancer patients prospectively included between 1986 and 1999. All patients had total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy without adjuvant therapy. Methods. The patient and the disease characteristics were drawn from the DEMCA database with cross‐references to the national death registry and the national pathology database. Statistical methods included Kaplan–Meier, log‐rank and Cox regression analysis. Main outcome measures. Survival rates in relation to histopathology. Results. The five year overall survival rate was 88.9% and five year disease‐specific survival was 97.3%. Patients with low‐ (91.8%) and high‐risk histopathology (8.2%) were compared. The age‐adjusted overall and disease‐specific survival differed significantly between women with low‐ and high‐risk histopathology (p = 0.039 and p = 0.004, respectively). The disease‐specific survival adjusted for age between patients with well‐differentiated endometrioid tumors differed from those with moderately differentiated tumors (p = 0.008, hazard ratio = 3.75, 95% confidence interval 1.41–10.00). Recurrence data were available on 464 patients. Twenty‐three (3.9%) experienced recurrence. Of these recurrences, 15 of 23 (65%) were vaginal. Death from recurrence was observed in nine of 23 (39%) patients, and five of these nine had vaginal recurrences. Conclusions. Women with FIGO stage IA endometrial cancer have a very high disease‐specific five year survival. Survival was related to histopathology. Follow‐up at a highly specialized tertiary care center for patients with an extremely good prognosis may be questioned.