cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy combined with endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone extraction or laparoscopic choledochoscopy and electrohydraulic lithotripsy for management of cholelithiasis with choledocholithiasis

Six hundred twenty-two laparoscopic cholecystectomies were performed at St. Vincent Hospital over a 14-month period. We reviewed the records of 366 of these patients who were referred to the authors. Thirty-six patients had suspected choledocholithiasis. The primary author (M.E.A.) performed 38 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCPs) on these patients for diagnosis and management. Seventeen of the 36 patients had common bile duct stones; 19 patients had negative studies. Of the 17 patients with choledocholithiasis, 15 had successful cannulation of the common bile duct, and, of these, 10 underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy plus endoscopic sphincterotomy and extraction of the common duct stone(s). In one high-risk elderly patient, we extracted the stone from the common duct and left the gallbladder in situ. Two patients failed endoscopic cannulation and underwent open cholecystectomy with common bile duct exploration. Four additional patients, cannulated successfully, had unsuccessful endoscopic stone removal because the stones were too large or were impacted. Two of these patients underwent open cholecystectomy and common duct exploration. The two other patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and choledochoscopy through the cystic duct with the flexible choledochoscope. An electrohydraulic lithotripsy probe was then inserted through the choledochoscope to fragment the stones, and stone fragments were allowed to pass through the previously created sphincterotomy. We believe our data, supported by data in the literature, show that these alternative methods for treating choledocholithiasis are safe and effective and should be considered primary modalities for treating this condition now that laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for cholelithiasis.
Environmental Justice: Co-evolution of Environmental Concerns and Social Justice.

This paper describes the co-evolution of environmental concerns with civil rights. Over the last 20 years the two issues have found considerable overlap in what is now called the environmental justice movement. The results are exciting, with implications about decision-making, about protecting both environmental quality and civil rights. The promotion of environmental justice spurs social progress. Safeguarding the health of the environment(s) reinforces civil rights. The opinions in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the institutions with which they are affiliated.
Citation analysis as an assessment tool

This paper will briefly discuss the results of a citation analysis of freshman engineering bibliographies conducted at Wichita State University. The results of that study were then used by the engineering librarian to assess the effectiveness of the bibliographic instruction given to the students. Changes were made in the content and method of instruction based on the results. Implications for future assessment are given.
Expansions in time for the solution of one-dimensional stefan problems of crystal growth

Abstract A new method is presented for the solution of mass transport Stefan problems in one dimension and in semi-infinite regions. It relies on expansions of the concentration distribution and growth rate in powers of t 1 2 . Field conditions at the moving boundary are not necessarily constant; they can be arbitrary. Such conditions often lead to non-similar solutions. Although these problems are nonlinear, the expansion coefficients satisfy linear recurrence relations. These coefficients result from simple algebraic manipulations of functions closely related to the iterated error functions. The method is applied to several examples of crystal growth from supersaturated solutions. The first two examples assume isothermal conditions; they illustrate the difference between surface equilibrium and finite surface kinetics. The third example demonstrates effects due to homogeneous cooling.
Understanding Real World Data Corruptions in Cloud Systems

Big data processing is one of the killer applications for cloud systems. MapReduce systems such as Hadoop are the most popular big data processing platforms used in the cloud system. Data corruption is one of the most critical problems in cloud data processing, which not only has serious impact on the integrity of individual application results but also affects the performance and availability of the whole data processing system. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study on 138 real world data corruption incidents reported in Hadoop bug repositories. We characterize those data corruption problems in four aspects: 1) what impact can data corruption have on the application and system? 2) how is data corruption detected? 3) what are the causes of the data corruption? and 4) what problems can occur while attempting to handle data corruption? Our study has made the following findings: 1) the impact of data corruption is not limited to data integrity, 2) existing data corruption detection schemes are quite insufficient: only 25% of data corruption problems are correctly reported, 42% are silent data corruption without any error message, and 21% receive imprecise error report. We also found the detection system raised 12% false alarms, 3) there are various causes of data corruption such as improper runtime checking, race conditions, inconsistent block states, improper network failure handling, and improper node crash handling, and 4) existing data corruption handling mechanisms (i.e., data replication, replica deletion, simple re-execution) make frequent mistakes including replicating corrupted data blocks, deleting uncorrupted data blocks, or causing undesirable resource hogging.
Dietary Marine Algae Promotes Efficient Deposition of n-3 Fatty Acids for the Production of Enriched Shell Eggs

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the usefulness of a natural golden marine algae (MA) as a poultry ration supplement for the production of shell eggs rich in n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA). This MA is unique due to a high concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6n-3) and the absence of other n-3 FA normally present in marine oils such as menhaden oil (MO). In the first experiment, 60 24-wk-old Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens were divided among four dietary treatments, including a typical corn-soybean control (CON); 1.5% MO, supplying 233 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 155 mg DHA per d; 2.4% MA, supplying 200 mg DHA/d; and 4.8% MA, supplying 400 mg DHA/d. A second experiment using 96 56-wk-old SCWL was conducted using the same diets. In both experiments, eggs were collected weekly for 4 wk for determination of egg production parameters and yolk FA content. Each week, yolk samples were extracted, methyl estered, and quantified using gas chromatography. Transient depression in egg and yolk weights were noted early in Experiment 1 in response to dietary 4.8% MA. Although egg and yolk weights were not affected in Experiment 2, egg production was significantly reduced in the 4.8% MA treatment. Egg production was unaffected due to diet or week in Experiment 1. In both experiments, yolk polyunsaturated profiles were significantly influenced by diet. Dietary n-3 FA supplementation significantly increased yolk total N-3 FA with concomitant reductions in yolk n-6 FA. Although hens fed MO were supplied predominantly EPA, the principal yolk FA deposited was DHA. Marine algae also promoted efficient yolk DHA deposition with the highest yolk DHA concentrations attained in eggs from hens fed 4.8% MA. These data indicate that utilization of MA as a direct source of dietary n-3 FA may provide an efficient alternative to current sources of n-3 FA available for the production of poultry products rich in n-3 FA.
Comparative study of series-series and series-parallel topology for long track EV charging application

Loosely coupled inductive power transfer (IPT) systems have recently gained worldwide attention for electric vehicle (EV) battery charging. EV batteries have mainly two charging stages: constant voltage charging and constant current charging stage. Numerous published papers suggest that the secondary of loosely coupled IPT systems, if series compensated, can act as constant-voltage source; and, if parallel compensated, it can act as constant-current source. In this paper the authors have shown that both series as well as parallel compensated secondary can act as constant-current source as well as a constant-voltage source, depending on the nature of power supply. Hence, same topology can be utilized efficiently for EV charging in all the stages. Moreover a detailed comparison of series-series and series- parallel topology has been presented with intention of showing that Series-Series topology represents the best choice for IPT system among the two.
COLLISIONS OF ORGANIC MOLECULES WITH CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID : SCATTERING, TRAPPING, AND DESORPTION

Molecular beam experiments demonstrate the diverse ways in which propane, propene, acetaldehyde, formic acid, dimethyl ether, and ethanol scatter from and react with 98.8 wt % H2SO4. The events following contact between gas and liquid include direct inelastic scattering from the acid's surface, trapping in the interfacial region followed by immediate desorption or desorption delayed by reversible protonation, and trapping followed by nearly irreversible protonation or further reaction. Molecules that scatter directly from the surface at incident and exit angles of 45° transfer from 70 to 80% of their impact energy of 90−110 kJ/mol. The fate of a molecule trapped at the interface depends on solute basicity and reactivity: the more basic molecules preferentially dissolve and undergo protonation rather than immediately desorb. Propane and propene desorb promptly, acetaldehyde and formic acid dissolve reversibly, and dimethyl ether and ethanol enter the acid for long times with little or no desorption follow...
Correctors in Nonlinear Homogenization

Apart from the case of monotone operators, not much is understood for homogenization of nonlinear partial differential equations. At the beginning of 1977, in my Peccot lectures at College de France, in Paris, I described my result for monotone operators, which I discussed in Chap. 11, but in the summer of 1977, at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I reported about my difficulties in developing a similar homogenization theory for finite (i.e., nonlinear) elasticity: I did not find a reasonable class of strain-stress relations which is stable by homogenization (and monotonicity is not a reasonable assumption). However, I thought for many years that such a class existed, and later I agreed that in this case the Γ-convergence approach would give information on the stored energy functional of the effective material.
Odd coefficients of weakly holomorphic modular forms

). We will consider the question ofestimating the number of integers n for which a(n) 6≡0 (mod v).For a well-studied example, let p(n) be the ordinary partition function. Manyauthors have considered the problem of estimating the number of odd values of p(n).Among other references, one may see [1], [5], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [22], or [24].To see the connection to the general situation above, we recall the deﬁnition of theDedekind eta-function:(1.2) η(z) := q
Surface damage and thermal effects from transient thermonuclear radiation in inertial confinement fusion reactors

Abstract A general model for transient deposition of thermonuclear radiation has been developed and applied to calculate the response of copper to a reference spectrum typical of laser fusion reactors. At 7 m from a 100 MJ pellet, temperature excursions of approximately 700°C above the ambient temperature are noted for both photons and ions, occurring 0.02 and 2 μs after the thermonuclear burn, respectively. Total displacement rates approach 100 dpa/s at the surface and 500 dpa/s at 1 μm into the copper. Filling the chamber with Ne at 0.5 Torr was found to be sufficient to reduce the temperature excursion in copper by 50% and the dpa rate at the front surface by 25%. The combination of surface temperature transients and ion bombardment was found to increase the sputtering yield by a factor of 4 over ambient temperature values indicating that previous calculations may have seriously underestimated the sputtering damage in laser fusion first walls.
Policy-making institutions and water policy outputs in the European Union and the United States: a comparative analysis

In multi-level political systems such as the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), central governing institutions balance the influence of territorially and functionally based interests in the policy-making process. This article argues that EU institutional structures provide relatively strong opportunities for policy influence by territorially based interests, while policy-making institutions in the US tend to allow for the exercise of greater levels of influence by functionally based interests. It further argues that these institutional differences have implications for water policy outputs in the two political jurisdictions. Specifically, it suggests that the EU’s territorially oriented institutional structures enable a relatively high level of horizontal integration across policy sectors during the formulation stage of the policy process. In the US, by contrast, relatively high levels of institutional receptiveness to functionally oriented interests contribute to more vertically integrated s...
NUCLEAR GLYCELALDEHYDE-3-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE SIGNALING MEDIATES PATHOLOGICAL CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY VIA P300 AND MYOCYTE ENHANCER FACTOR 2

Pathologic stressors disrupt cellular homeostasis and cause various diseases, mediated by stress-responsive epigenetic gene regulatory mechanism. Glycelaldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a classic cytosolic glycolytic enzyme, but has been shown to translocate to the nucleus under stress
The Impact of Psychiatric Patient Boarding in Emergency Departments

Objectives. Studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of emergency department (ED) boarding. This study examines the impact of resource utilization, throughput, and financial impact for psychiatric patients awaiting inpatient placement. Methods. The authors retrospectively studied all psychiatric and non-psychiatric adult admissions in an Academic Medical Center ED (>68,000 adult visits) from January 2007-2008. The main outcomes were ED length of stay (LOS) and associated reimbursement. Results. 1,438 patients were consulted to psychiatry with 505 (35.1%) requiring inpatient psychiatric care management. The mean psychiatric patient age was 42.5 years (SD 13.1 years), with 2.7 times more women than men. ED LOS was significantly longer for psychiatric admissions (1089 min, CI (1039–1140) versus 340 min, CI (304–375); 𝑃<0.001) when compared to non-psychiatric admissions. The financial impact of psychiatric boarding accounted for a direct loss of ($1,198) compared to non-psychiatric admissions. Factoring the loss of bed turnover for waiting patients and opportunity cost due to loss of those patients, psychiatric patient boarding cost the department $2,264 per patient. Conclusions. Psychiatric patients awaiting inpatient placement remain in the ED 3.2 times longer than non-psychiatric patients, preventing 2.2 bed turnovers (additional patients) per psychiatric patient, and decreasing financial revenue.
Reciprocal effects of energy utilization on palmitate oxidation and esterification in hepatocytes of fed rats.

The effects of the energy-dependent process of urea synthesis from NH4Cl on the partition of I-14C]palmitate between oxidation and esterification were examined in hepatocytes of fed rats. A high rate of urea formation from NH4Cl resulted in stimulation of total palmitate oxidation by 25 and 15% at 0.2 and 1 mM fatty acid, respectively. The stimulation of palmitate oxidation was reciprocally correlated with diminished palmitate incorporation into lipids, mainly triacylglycerols. This relationship was almost stoichiometric. NH4Cl increased the palmitate oxidation/esterification ratio from 0.72 to 1.13 and from 0.94 to 1.36 in the presence of 0.2 mM and 1 mM palmitate, respectively. The transaminase inhibitor, aminooxyacetate, strongly inhibited urea synthesis from NH4Cl, had little effect on the low β-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate ratio in the presence of NH4Cl, completely reversed the changes in palmitate metabolism caused by NH4Cl and did not affect palmitate metabolism in the absence of NH4Cl. Therefore, the increased utilization of energy for urea synthesis was the causative factor by which NH4Cl stimulated total palmitate oxidation and led in consequence to its decreased esterification into lipids. Accordingly, these observations indicate that in liver cells the rate of ATP utilization is one of the determinants of triacylglycerol synthesis.
Comparison of γ-crystallins from frog and newt☆

Abstract A comparative study was made on the behavior in various tests of newt and frog γ-crystallins and antibodies against them. The purified γ-crystallins from the two species showed identical patterns in immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. In agar electrophoresis newt γ-crystallins moved in a single band, while frog γ-crystallins indicated four bands. No difference could be found between antibodies directed to γ-crystallins of the two species in their ability to recognize antigens derived from both species in immunofluorescence, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis.
Potentiating action of 5-fluorouracil when used in combination with platinium compounds and cyclophosphamide in treatment of advanced L1210 leukemia

Nine new organoplatinum (Pt) compounds, cyclophosphamide (CY), and 5-fluorouracil (FU) were used singly and in combination in treatment of advanced L1210 leukemia in C57BL/6 X DBA/2 hybrid mice. In each experiment the Pt + CY dual combination was minimally supra-additive at the doses chosen. However, eight of the nine Pt + CY + FU combination regimens enhanced markedly the increased life span of treated mice as compared with the corresponding dual Pt + CY combination. Collectively, the cure rate (greater than 60-day survival) was less than 6% with the various Pt + CY combinations, and was increased to over 63% upon inclusion of FU in the regimens.
Evidence that eukaryotes and eocyte prokaryotes are immediate relatives

The phylogenetic origin of eukaryotes has been unclear because eukaryotic nuclear genes have diverged substantially from prokaryotic ones. The genes coding for elongation factor EF-1 alpha were compared among various organisms. The EF-1 alpha sequences of eukaryotes contained an 11-amino acid segment that was also found in eocytes (extremely thermophilic, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria) but that was absent in all other bacteria. The related (paralogous) genes encoding elongation factor EF-2 and initiation factor IF-2 also lacked the 11-amino acid insert. These data imply that the eocytes are the closest surviving relatives (sister taxon) of the eukaryotes.
Pantoea agglomerans strain EH318 produces two antibiotics that inhibit Erwinia amylovora in vitro.

Pantoea agglomerans (synonym: Erwinia herbicola) strain Eh318 produces through antibiosis a complex zone of inhibited growth in an overlay seeded with Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. This zone is caused by two antibiotics, named pantocin A and B. Using a genomic library of Eh318, two cosmids, pCPP702 and pCPP704, were identified that conferred on Escherichia coli the ability to inhibit growth of E. amylovora. The two cosmids conferred different antibiotic activities on E. coli DH5α and had distinct restriction enzyme profiles. A smaller, antibiotic-conferring DNA segment from each cosmid was cloned. Each subclone was characterized and mutagenized with transposons to generate clones that were deficient in conferring pantocin A and B production, respectively. Mutated subclones were introduced into Eh318 to create three antibiotic-defective marker exchange mutants: strain Eh421 (pantocin A deficient); strain Eh439 (pantocin B deficient), and Eh440 (deficient in both pantocins). Cross-hybridization results, restriction maps, and spectrum-of-activity data using the subclones and marker exchange mutants, supported the presence of two distinct antibiotics, pantocin A and pantocin B, whose biosynthetic genes were present in pCPP702 and pCPP704, respectively. The structure of pantocin A is unknown, whereas that of pantocin B has been determined as (R)-N-[((S)-2-amino-propanoylamino)-methyl]-2-methanesulfonyl-succinamic acid. The two pantocins mainly affect other enteric bacteria, based on limited testing.
The evolution of a crystal surface: Analysis of a one-dimensional step train connecting two facets in the ADL regime

Abstract We study the evolution of a monotone step train separating two facets of a crystal surface. The model is one-dimensional and we consider only the attachment–detachment-limited regime. Starting with the well-known ODEs for the velocities of the steps, we consider the system of ODEs giving the evolution of the “discrete slopes.” It is the l 2 -steepest-descent of a certain functional. Using this structure, we prove that the solution exists for all time and is asymptotically self-similar. We also discuss the continuum limit of the discrete self-similar solution, characterizing it variationally, identifying its regularity, and discussing its qualitative behavior. Our approach suggests a PDE for the slope as a function of height and time in the continuum setting. However, existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic self-similarity remain open for the continuum version of the problem.
Four approaches to teaching with building performance simulation tools in undergraduate architecture and engineering education

This article reflects on a series of past and ongoing teaching experiences by the authors involving building simulation tools in undergraduate architecture and engineering education. All of the teaching experiences attempt to replicate the powerful consultant/architect interaction as found in high-quality architecture practices. After an overview briefly retracing the evolution from teaching formats in which the instructor is a provider of simulations to various formats in which the students produce simulations, the article presents a newly created interdisciplinary course. The course is jointly taught by the authors (an architect and an engineer), and its enrolment is comprised of undergraduate architecture and engineering students. The purpose of the dual enrolment is to provide the students with the opportunity to practise working in a collaborative manner within a multidisciplinary group. Effective collaboration among these two groups in practice has been cited as a means of producing more environment...
Pedestrian Delay at Signalized Intersections with a Two-Stage Crossing Design

An improved pedestrian delay model was developed for signalized intersections with a two-stage crossing design. This model provides a timely enhancement tool for the Highway Capacity Manual for conducting multimodal-oriented level of service assessments at signalized intersections with unconventional pedestrian crossings. The proposed model is presented in a general form that provides estimation of three portions of pedestrian delay involved in a two-stage crossing: the first-stage delay; the second-stage delay for pedestrians who crossed during the Walk phase of the first stage; and the second-stage delay for pedestrians who crossed during the flashing Don't Walk and Stop phases of the first stage. The model was validated through microscopic simulation under a wide range of traffic scenarios. Statistical analysis suggests that the proposed model is able to give satisfying results (R2 = 99.9%, p-value = .000). The model can be applied in various cases knowing some basic input parameters and variables.
Genetic diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease: challenges and opportunities

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in western societies, is a pathologically and clinically heterogeneous disease with a strong genetic component. The recent advances in high-throughput genome technologies allowing for the rapid analysis of millions of polymorphisms in thousands of subjects has significantly advanced our understanding of the genomic underpinnings of AD susceptibility. During the last 5 years, genome-wide association and whole-exome- and whole-genome sequencing studies have mapped more than 20 disease-associated loci, providing insights into the molecular pathways involved in AD pathogenesis and hinting at potential novel therapeutic targets. This review article summarizes the challenges and opportunities of when using genomic information for the diagnosis and prognosis of AD.
Optimized test application timing for AC test

The problems associated with optimization of the test application timing for a class of test equipment are identified. Two approaches to test application timing are introduced. The notion of slack is used to define the objective function for optimization. The optimization problem is shown to be NP-complete even for nonreconvergent-fanout circuits. Heuristics for the optimization problems are presented, and the results are compared with bounds on test circuits. >
Optimization of selectivity in micellar chromatographic procedures for the determination of drugs in urine by direct injection.

Selectivity was optimized for the determination of drugs in urine by direct injection micellar chromatography through changes in specific mobile phase parameters. The role of mobile phase pH and the type of surfactant used for mobile phase preparation was investigated. The retention of the urine matrix was found to be minimal between pH 5.5 and 7.5. The non-ionic surfactant, polyoxyethylene 23 lauryl ether (Brij 35), was found to be the surfactant of choice for the separation of drugs from urine. Favourable retention of both the urine background and the analyte was achieved with this surfactant. Micellar mobile phases of optimal composition were used to develop chromatographic procedures for the determination of furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and propranolol in urine. Good accuracy (98-102% of drug recovered), precision (1-4% RSD) and linearity were obtained for all methods. Limits of detection for all drugs were adequate.
Relatedness and Demography of African Forest Elephants: Inferences from Noninvasive Fecal DNA Analyses

African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are genetically and morphologically distinct from their savannah counterparts, but their biology remains poorly understood. In this study, I use noninvasive fecal DNA analyses to examine the relatedness structure and historical demography of forest elephants at 2 sites in SW Gabon, central Africa. Pairwise relatedness values calculated between 162 elephant individuals genotyped at 8 microsatellite loci were significantly higher within spatially associated dung piles than between random pairings for one site. First- and second-order relatives were most commonly detected among dung piles from adult female pairs and adult females and juveniles. Pairwise relatedness estimates suggested that, like savannah elephants, forest groups are largely composed of adult females, their sisters, and juvenile offspring. Associations between males, and groups containing juveniles from multiple related females, were detected but at much lower frequency. Analysis of mitochondrial d-loop sequences from 70 elephant individuals identified 2 haplogroups in SW Gabon.
Measuring user performance during interactions with digital video collections

With more and more digital videos found online, video retrieval researchers have begun to create various representations or surrogates for digital videos, such as poster frames, storyboards, video skims and fast forwards. How to evaluate the effectiveness of these video surrogates has become an issue for researchers. This paper proposes two general classes of user tasks—recognition tasks and tasks requiring inference—for which performance measures were developed. The measures include graphical object recognition, textual object recognition, action recognition, free-text gist determination, multiple-choice gist determination and visual gist determination. The preliminary results from two user studies applying these six measures are also discussed in this paper.
Gated Access to the Pore of a Voltage-Dependent K+ Channel

Voltage-activated K+ channels are integral membrane proteins that open or close a K(+)-selective pore in response to changes in transmembrane voltage. Although the S4 region of these channels has been implicated as the voltage sensor, little is known about how opening and closing of the pore is accomplished. We explored the gating process by introducing cysteines at various positions thought to lie in or near the pore of the Shaker K+ channel, and by testing their ability to be chemically modified. We found a series of positions in the S6 transmembrane region that react rapidly with water-soluble thiol reagents in the open state but not the closed state. An open-channel blocker can protect several of these cysteines, showing that they lie in the ion-conducting pore. At two of these sites, Cd2+ ions bind to the cysteines without affecting the energetics of gating; at a third site, Cd2+ binding holds the channel open. The results suggest that these channels open and close by the movement of an intracellular gate, distinct from the selectivity filter, that regulates access to the pore.
Associations of self-reports versus spouse ratings of negative affectivity, dominance, and affiliation with coronary artery disease: where should we look and who should we ask when studying personality and health?

Objective: Aspects of negative affect and social behavior studied as risk factors for coronary heart disease are usually examined separately and through self-reports. Using structural models of these personality domains, we tested associations of self-reports and spouse ratings of anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger, affiliation and dominance with coronary artery disease (CAD). Design: In 154 healthy older couples, the authors tested cross-sectional associations with CAD of three facets of negative affectivity and two dimensions of the Interpersonal Circumplex, (IPC) using scales derived from the NEO-PI-R. Main Outcome Measures: CAD was quantified as Agatston scores from CT scans of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Results: Self-reports were generally unrelated to CAC, whereas spouse ratings were consistently associated, largely independent of potential confounds. When considered simultaneously, anxiety and anger were related to CAC but depression was not. When considered together, both dominance and (low) affiliation were related to CAC. Conclusions: Structural models of negative affectivity and social behavior can facilitate integrative study of psychosocial risk factors. Further, self-report measures of these traits might under-estimate related CHD risk.
Predicting seizure frequency after epilepsy surgery

Abstract Objective To identify clinical features related to seizure frequency after epilepsy surgery in patients with recurrent seizures. Background No studies have examined the differences between patients who have rare seizures and patients who experience frequent seizures after epilepsy surgery. Since seizure frequency correlates with morbidity and quality of life, it is desirable to know which preoperative clinical features predict postoperative seizure frequency. Methods Patients with recurrent seizures were placed in two categories: rare postoperative seizures (≤2 per year) and frequent postoperative seizures (≥12 per year) using seizure frequency in the second postoperative year. Variables included preoperative seizure frequency, age of first risk, age at first seizure, epilepsy duration, age at surgery, history of febrile convulsions, tonic-clonic seizures, status epilepticus, or family history, IQ, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). Variables were analyzed using non-parametric tests to assess relationship to postoperative seizure frequency. Results Of 475 patients who had epilepsy surgery, 111 had rare or frequent seizures in the second postoperative year. After anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), age of first risk ≤ 5 years and presence of mesial temporal sclerosis on MRI were associated with rare seizures (66% of patients), whereas lack of these risk factors was associated with frequent seizures (75% of patients) (p Conclusions Some preoperative clinical features correlate with postoperative seizure frequency in patients with recurrent seizures after epilepsy surgery. This has implications for the surgical decision making process and early postoperative management.
Capture Success Higher Near Roads for San Clemente Island Foxes

Recently, island fox (Urocyon littoralis) populations on 4 of 6 California Channel Islands (USA) were greatly reduced by colonizing golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and a suspected outbreak of disease, creating concern for subspecies on all islands. Consequently, efforts of live-trapping foxes for research, monitoring, and vaccination has increased. Despite increased trapping efforts, evaluation of factors that influence capture success has not been conducted. We examined capture success of island foxes at 85 random trapping locations on San Clemente Island during 170 trap-nights during 2006–2007. We captured 98 island foxes, and found that traps placed ≤10 m from primary roads had higher overall capture success (i.e., 1.52 times more likely to capture foxes) than traps placed at random locations throughout the study area. We found no evidence to suggest that the density of edges between land-cover types (i.e., sum length of edges per 100-m buffered area [m/m2]), nightly temperature, proportions of land-cover, or type of attractant tested (n = 3) affected capture success. All attractants captured similar proportions of sex and age classes of foxes. Our findings suggest that future trapping efforts would have the most success if conducted along roads. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Formal Alternatives as a Solution to the Proviso Problem

This paper investigates a particular problem concerning presupposition accommodation. Let ψ and X be sentences, and suppose ψ presupposes X . We represent this as ψ{X}.1 Suppose the speaker and hearer of a conversation are in context c. Suppose further that the speaker wishes to update the context cwith the information in ψ, an operation we represent as c[ψ{X}]. ψ{X} imposes a requirement on c that has to be met for the update to take place: c already has to entail X . In terms of update operations, this means that if we try updating c with X , we just get back c: c[X ] = c. When this condition is met, we say that c satisfies X , or that c is a fixed point for [X ]. But what if c is not a fixed point for [X ]? What happens when the condition is not met? There are at least two possible outcomes: (i) either communication breaks down, or (ii) we make some repair [Y ] to c so that update will be defined after all, i.e. we update c with Y , c[Y ], so that c[Y ] ends up satisfying X . Call this repair process accommodation Lewis (1979). We then update the new context resulting from accommodation of Y with ψ,c[Y ][ψ]. The question I explore in these pages is: Is there anything more to say about this repair process than simply “do something?” By detailed investigation of a particular puzzle in the theory of presupposition accommodation, this paper will: (i) Present empirical evidence that there are formal restrictions on the allowable repairs [Y ] that can be made, and (ii) Derive the restricted set of allowable repairs from the instructions encoded in the contextchange potentials defined in Heim (1983). We will see that the derivation of the set of alternatives makes crucial reference to the formal descriptions of context-change potentials (context-change potential descriptions, or CCPDs). Thus, the system
Exploiting client cache: a scalable and efficient approach to build large Web cache

Summary form only given. Web caching is the most important technique to reduce network bandwidth consumption and minimize user-perceived latency. However, most researches are focused on designing efficient architectures with dedicated proxy servers, the potential advantage of utilizing client cache is not fully exploited. We propose a new solution to improve Web caching performance using local cache on client computers. Our system has several advantages than the dedicated proxy server mechanism. First, a larger virtual cache is generated to cache more documents than a single proxy server. Second, it is scalable, system workloads are distributed all across client computers instead of concentrated on a central server, the "hot spot" and "single point of failure " problems are relieved. Third, by the introduction of the superclients, the effect of the weak clients in a fully decentralized scheme is also alleviated. The simulation results show our system can achieve better system caching performance and scalability than the previous solutions.
Control-Based Scheduling in a Distributed Stream Processing System

Stream processing systems receive continuous streams of messages with raw information and produce streams of messages with processed information. The utility of a stream-processing system depends, in part, on the accuracy and timeliness of the output. Streams in complex event processing systems are processed on distributed systems; several steps are taken on different processors to process each incoming message, and messages may be enqueued between steps. This paper deals with the problems of distributed dynamic control of streams to optimize the total utility provided by the system. A challenge of distributed control is that timeliness of output depends only on the total end-to-end time and is otherwise independent of the delays at each separate processor whereas the controller for each processor takes action to control only the steps on that processor and cannot directly control the entire network. This paper identifies key problems in distributed control and analyzes two scheduling algorithms that help in an initial analysis of a difficult problem
Packaging and the Supply Chain: A Look at Transportation

In the interest of sustainability, many manufacturers have taken steps to analyze the key components of their products and processes across the span of their supply chain. Product packaging—which is an especially pervasive component, spanning across the supply chain of nearly all products—has garnered particular interest in discussions of sustainability. Packaging is not only associated with its own sourcing impacts but also influences the impacts of the product, especially in terms of the shipping impacts of the product. Several organizations have developed tools and guidelines to help manufacturers make greener packaging choices in terms of packaging. Pallet utilization is one practice for improving packaging that has been put forth in these publications and is one of the few practices that consider the impacts of packaging, not only in the context of its own supply chain but also as a component of a product. This study discusses the practice of pallet utilization and identifies the cases in which it would serve as potentially beneficial. These considerations are currently lacking in the recommendations for the adoption of pallet utilization. In addition, an overview of the current methodologies used to evaluate the environmental impacts of transportation and to optimize the distribution of the product is provided.
Applicability regimes for macroscopic models of reactive transport in porous media.

Abstract We consider transport of a solute that undergoes a nonlinear heterogeneous reaction: after reaching a threshold concentration value, it precipitates on the solid matrix to form a crystalline solid. The relative importance of three key pore-scale transport mechanisms (advection, molecular diffusion, and reaction) is quantified by the Peclet (Pe) and Damkohler (Da) numbers. We use multiple-scale expansions to upscale a pore-scale advection–diffusion equation with reactions entering through a boundary condition on the fluid–solid interface, and to establish sufficient conditions under which macroscopic advection–dispersion-reaction equations provide an accurate description of the pore-scale processes. These conditions are summarized by a phase diagram in the (Pe, Da)-space, parameterized with a scale-separation parameter that is defined as the ratio of characteristic lengths associated with the pore- and macro-scales.
Circular partitions with applications to visualization and embeddings

We introduce a hierarchical partitioning scheme of the Euclidean plane, called circular partitions. Such a partition consists of a hierarchy of convex polygons, each having small aspect ratio, and satisfying specified volume constraints. We apply these partitions to obtain a natural extension of the popular Treemap visualization method. Our proposed algorithm is not constrained in using only rectangles, and can achieve provably better guarantees on the aspect ratio of the constructed polygons.Under relaxed conditions, we can also construct circular partitions in higher-dimensional spaces. We use these relaxed partitions to obtain improved approximation algorithms for embedding ultrametrics into d-dimensional Euclidean space. In particular, we give a polylog(Delta)-approximation algorithm for embedding n-point ultrametrics into R^d with minimum distortion (Delta denotes the spread of the metric). The previously best-known approximation ratio for this problem was polynomial in n [Badoiu et al. SoCG 2006]. This is the first algorithm for embedding a non-trivial family of weighted graph metrics into a space of constant dimension that achieves polylogarithmic approximation ratio.
Review of post-earthquake fire hazard to building structures

Fire following an earthquake is an important factor causing damage to buildings and life-line structures. Therefore, besides satisfying structural design requirements for normal loads, such as dead...
Surgical Approach: Limb Salvage Versus Amputation

Major advances have been made in the last 30 years in the treatment of pediatric bone sarcomas. Chemotherapy has been credited with the largest advance in overall survival (from 20–30 % to 60–70 %), but increased expertise in surgical techniques, advanced imaging, and reconstructive options have also had major impact in the area of limb salvage (Weisstein et al. 2005). The surgical decisions in this setting are complex with many intricacies that come in to play. Treatment algorithms should be prioritized by the patient’s overall survival first, then the salvage of the limb. Two key principles must always be remembered: the limb salvage procedure should not result in a worse survival for the patient and the function of the limb should be acceptable. Consideration of limb function, appearance, and length must be included in the decision of whether to attempt limb salvage versus amputation. Social and financial factors also play a role. The interests and potential future vocation of the patient must be considered, which may not be known in the young patient (Choong and Sim 1997). The goal of this chapter is to outline the approach and surgical considerations when deciding limb salvage and amputation in the setting of pediatric bone sarcoma.
Conceptuality of Unreflective Actions in Flow: McDowell-Dryfus Debate

The objective of this paper is to supplement Gottlieb’s challenge to Dryfus who claims that concepts are not operative in expert’s unreflective actions. First, concepts that an agent develops over time with practice, starting from the stage of novelty, become deeply rooted and persist through his expertise stage, according to common sense. It is unlikely that such rooted concepts become inoperative just when it is time for the agent to put them to use during the time that he is in the zone (i.e., in flow). Second, an expert's inability to remember reasons behind his actions while he is in the zone is insufficient to prove that concepts are inoperative when he is acting in the zone. For an agent to not remember reasons as such could more likely be a consequence of the adequacy of his minimized reflections on his maximized (i.e. expert level) concepts, while he is in such a state. Moreover, not recalling every reason behind every step of an agent’s actions in the zone could be a consequence of his maximum concentration on successful processing and coordination of the task at hand, as opposed to committing his finite mental capacities to memorizing the reasons behind his step-by-step actions when he is performing an expert level action in the zone. Third, I point out to the prevalence of examples when experts or observers provide testimony about use of concepts to strategize or review actions before, during, and after their ‘in the zone’ actions (e.g., review of video replays of a game or a tournament on sports channels), which supports the operations and conceptuality of unreflective actions in flow.
Surfactant metabolism in surfactant-treated preterm ventilated lambs

Preterm lambs were delivered at 132 days gestational age, treated with 100 mg/kg radiolabeled natural sheep surfactant or Surfactant TA, and ventilated for times up to 24 h. Compared with an untreated group that developed respiratory failure by 5 h, both surfactant-treated groups had stable respiratory function to 24 h. Although only approximately 13% of the labeled surfactant phosphatidylcholine was recovered by alveolar wash at 24 h, there was no significant loss of the labeled phosphatidylcholine from the lungs. Labeled palmitic acid intravascularly injected at 1 h of age comparably labeled lung phosphatidylcholine in the three groups of lambs at 5 h; however, only approximately 0.5% of the labeled phosphatidylcholine was secreted to the air spaces of surfactant-treated lambs at 24 h. Labeled lysophosphatidylcholine given with the natural sheep surfactant was taken up by the lungs, converted to phosphatidylcholine with 30-40% efficiency, and resecreted to the air spaces, demonstrating recycling of a phospholipid. The large surfactant aggregates recovered from alveolar washes by centrifugation were surface active and contained approximately 76% of the air-space phosphatidylcholine in both surfactant-treated groups. Although clinical status was comparable, alveolar washes and surfactant subfractions from Surfactant TA-treated lambs had better surface properties than did sheep surfactant-treated lambs. These studies identified no detrimental effects of surfactant treatments on endogenous surfactant metabolism and indicated that the surfactants used for treatments were recycled by the preterm ventilated lamb lung.
Abstract 668: Whole Body and Hematopoietic Sortilin Deficiency Reduces Atherosclerosis in Mice Independent of Effects on LDL Cholesterol

Background: Genetic variants on chromosome 1p13 at the SORT1 locus are genome-wide significantly associated with both LDL cholesterol as well as with myocardial infarction (MI). Sortilin, encoded by the SORT1 gene, traffics to both the Golgi as well as the plasma membrane, where it binds ligands and transports them to the lysosome. Our lab recently showed that sortilin is a high affinity receptor for LDL, and genetic manipulation of sortilin expression in the liver influences LDL-C levels. Sortilin is also expressed in macrophages but little is know about its function in this cell type or its relationship to atherosclerosis. Results: Sortilin deficient mice were crossed to atherosclerosis-prone Apobec-/-; human ApoB Tg mice. On this model, plasma total and LDL-C levels were not different in the sortilin deficient vs the wild-type mice. Unexpectedly, aortic atherosclerosis measured en face was reduced by 90% (n=10 per group; P = 5.3 E-7). To determine whether hematopoetic sortilin contributed to this effec...