cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of myocardial scarring improves risk stratification in patients evaluated for cardiac defibrillator implantation

Objectives We tested whether an assessment of myocardial scarring by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would improve risk stratification in patients evaluated for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Background Current sudden cardiac death risk stratification emphasizes left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF); however, most patients suffering sudden cardiac death have a preserved LVEF, and many with poor LVEF do not benefit from ICD prophylaxis. Methods One hundred thirty-seven patients undergoing evaluation for possible ICD placement were prospectively enrolled and underwent cardiac MRI assessment of LVEF and scar. The pre-specified primary endpoint was death or appropriate ICD discharge for sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Results During a median follow-up of 24 months the primary endpoint occurred in 39 patients. Whereas the rate of adverse events steadily increased with decreasing LVEF, a sharp step-up was observed for scar size >5% of left ventricular mass (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0 to 13.3). On multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis, including LVEF and electrophysiological-study results, scar size (as a continuous variable or dichotomized at 5%) was an independent predictor of adverse outcome. Among patients with LVEF >30%, those with significant scarring (>5%) had higher risk than those with minimal or no (≤5%) scarring (HR: 6.3; 95% CI: 1.4 to 28.0). Those with LVEF >30% and significant scarring had risk similar to patients with LVEF ≤30% (p = 0.56). Among patients with LVEF ≤30%, those with significant scarring again had higher risk than those with minimal or no scarring (HR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.2 to 13.1). Those with LVEF ≤30% and minimal scarring had risk similar to patients with LVEF >30% (p = 0.71). Conclusions Myocardial scarring detected by cardiac MRI is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in patients being considered for ICD placement. In patients with LVEF >30%, significant scarring (>5% LV) identifies a high-risk cohort similar in risk to those with LVEF ≤30%. Conversely, in patients with LVEF ≤30%, minimal or no scarring identifies a low-risk cohort similar to those with LVEF >30%.
Neurotoxicity of ammonia and fatty acids: differential inhibition of mitochondrial dehydrogenases by ammonia and fatty acyl coenzyme A derivatives.

In several metabolic encephalopathies, hyperammonemia and organic acidemia are consistently found. Ammonia and fatty acids (FAs) are neurotoxic: previous workers have shown that ammonia and FAs can act singly, in combination, or synergistically, in inducing coma in experimental animals. However, the biochemical mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity of ammonia and FAs have not been fully elucidated. FAs are normally converted to their corresponding CoA derivatives (CoAs) once they enter cells and it is known that these fatty acyl CoAs can alter intermediary metabolism. The present study was initiated to determine the effects of ammonia and fatty acyl CoAs on brain mitochondrial dehydrogenases. At a pathophysiological level (2 mM), ammonia is a potent inhibitor of brain mitochondrial α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC). Only at toxicological levels (10–20 mM) does ammonia inhibit brain mitochondrial NAD+- and NADP+-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-ICDH, NADP-ICDH), and NAD+-linked malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and liver mitochondrial NAD-ICDH. Butyryl- (BCoA), octanoyl- (OCoA), and palmitoyl (PCoA) CoA were potent inhibitors of brain mitochondrial KGDHC, with IC50 values of 11, 20, and 25 μM, respectively; moreover, the inhibitory effect of fatty acyl CoAs and ammonia were additive. At levels of 250 μM or higher, both OCoA (IC50=1.15 mM) and PCoA (IC50=470 μM) inhibit brain mitochondrial NADP-ICDH; only at higher levels (0.5–1 mM) does BCoA inhibit this enzyme (by 30–45%). Much less sensitive than KGDHC and NADP-ICDH, brain mitochondrial NAD-ICDH is only inhibited by 1 mM BCoA, OCoA, and PCoA by 22%, 35%, and 44%, respectively. Even at 1 mM, OCoA and PCoA (but not BCoA) only slightly inhibited brain mitochondrial MDH (by 23%). In the presence of toxicological levels of ammonia (20 mM) and fatty acyl CoAs (1 mM), the inhibitory effect of fatty acyl CoAs and ammonia on brain mitochondrial NAD-ICDH, NADP-ICDH, and MDH are only partially additive. These results provide some support for our hypothesis that selective inhibition of a rate-limiting and regulated enzymatic step (e.g., KGDHC) by ammonia and fatty acyl CoAs may be one of the major mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity of ammonia and FAs. The data also suggest that the same mechanism may acocunt for the synergistic effect of ammonia and FAs in inducing coma. Since the inhibition of KGDHC by ammonia and fatty acyl CoAs occurs at pathophysiological levels, the results may assume some pathophysiological and/or pathogenetic importance in metabolic encephalopathies in which hyperammonemia and organic acidemia are persistent features.
KCNE3 Truncation Mutants Reveal a Bipartite Modulation of KCNQ1 K+ Channels

The five KCNE genes encode a family of type I transmembrane peptides that assemble with KCNQ1 and other voltage-gated K+ channels, resulting in potassium conducting complexes with varied channel-gating properties. It has been recently proposed that a triplet of amino acids within the transmembrane domain of KCNE1 and KCNE3 confers modulation specificity to the peptide, since swapping of these three residues essentially converts the recipient KCNE into the donor (Melman, Y.F., A. Domenech, S. de la Luna, and T.V. McDonald. 2001. J. Biol. Chem. 276:6439–6444). However, these results are in stark contrast with earlier KCNE1 deletion studies, which demonstrated that a COOH-terminal region, highly conserved between KCNE1 and KCNE3, was responsible for KCNE1 modulation of KCNQ1 (Tapper, A.R., and A.L. George. 2000 J. Gen. Physiol. 116:379–389.). To ascertain whether KCNE3 peptides behave similarly to KCNE1, we examined a panel of NH2- and COOH-terminal KCNE3 truncation mutants to directly determine the regions required for assembly with and modulation of KCNQ1 channels. Truncations lacking the majority of their NH2 terminus, COOH terminus, or mutants harboring both truncations gave rise to KCNQ1 channel complexes with basal activation, a hallmark of KCNE3 modulation. These results demonstrate that the KCNE3 transmembrane domain is sufficient for assembly with and modulation of KCNQ1 channels and suggests a bipartite model for KCNQ1 modulation by KCNE1 and KCNE3 subunits. In this model, the KCNE3 transmembrane domain is active in modulation and overrides the COOH terminus' contribution, whereas the KCNE1 transmembrane domain is passive and reveals COOH-terminal modulation of KCNQ1 channels. We furthermore test the validity of this model by using the active KCNE3 transmembrane domain to functionally rescue a nonconducting, yet assembly and trafficking competent, long QT mutation located in the conserved COOH-terminal region of KCNE1.
Commitment and Sacrifice in Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships

The development of commitment and satisfaction with sacrifice has been associated with relationship health and stability. Given the importance of early romantic relationships, the purpose of the present study was to explore how these constructs relate and develop in an emerging adult population (n = 246). Through an initial confirmatory factor analysis, we found the two constructs can be distinct. Then, using interdependence theory and a cross-lagged model over three time points, we found support for a bidirectional relationship between commitment and satisfaction with sacrifice. In addition, we found a main effect for relationship length and instability (i.e., cycling) on Time 1 and Time 3 dedication respectively.
The Role of Changes in Extracellular Matrix of Cartilage in the Presence of Inflammation on the Pathology of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects various tissues surrounding joints such as articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and ligaments. No therapy is currently available to completely prevent the initiation or progression of the disease partly due to poor understanding of the mechanisms of the disease pathology. Cartilage is the main tissue afflicted by OA, and chondrocytes, the sole cellular component in the tissue, actively participate in the degeneration process. Multiple factors affect the development and progression of OA including inflammation that is sustained during the progression of the disease and alteration in biomechanical conditions due to wear and tear or trauma in cartilage. During the progression of OA, extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage is actively remodeled by chondrocytes under inflammatory conditions. This alteration of ECM, in turn, changes the biomechanical environment of chondrocytes, which further drives the progression of the disease in the presence of inflammation. The changes in ECM composition and structure also prevent participation of mesenchymal stem cells in the repair process by inhibiting their chondrogenic differentiation. This review focuses on how inflammation-induced ECM remodeling disturbs cellular activities to prevent self-regeneration of cartilage in the pathology of OA.
Challenges for GIScience: Assessment of Policy Relevant Human-Environment Interactions

In 2001, National Academy Press published Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences in response to National Science Foundation’s request of the National Research Council to identify the most important environmental research agenda items for the next decade that would have the greatest practical bearing on science and policy. Not long afterward, the 2001 Open Meeting of the Humans Dimensions of Global Change community was convened in Rio de Janeiro to ascertain their own priorities for the global agenda. Not coincidentally, a number of emergent themes voiced in these two organizations have also increasingly been discussed by researchers studying human-environment interactions as pressing agenda items for further understanding the interactions between people and the landscape as influencing and being influenced by policy. The NAP 2001 report, for instance, cited land-use dynamics as not only one of the eight (out of 200) most pressing issues facing environmental scientists and policymakers, but moreover recommended land-use dynamics as one of the four areas most likely to achieve significant and practical gains over the next decade given adequate scholarly attention and support. Most important for this work was the continued development of a suite of techniques that have come to be referred to as GIScience. Geographic Information Science (GISc) refers to the integration of two components: scientific theory and information systems.
Morphological evidence of reduced bone resorption in osteopetrotic (op) mice

Osteopetrosis, a metabolic bone disease in which a generalized accumulation of bone mass reduces or obliterates marrow cavities, is inherited as an autosomal recessive in several mammalian species. A recently discovered mutation in mice, the osteopetrosic (op) mutation, exhibits an elevation in bone matrix synthesis and a resistance to the hypercalcemic effects of exogenous parathyroid extract when young mutants are compared with normal littermates. This investigation examined the number, cytology, and ultrastructure of osteoclasts and the structure of bone surfaces in op mice in a morphologic assessment of bone resorption. Compared with normal littermates, op mice have a severe deficiency of osteoclasts, which also contain unusual toluidine blue-positive and electron-dense cytoplasmic inclusions and hypertrophy of clear zones and ruffled borders. Marrow spaces in op mice contained large numbers of megakaryocytes and large lipoid masses. Bone surfaces exhibiting evidence of resorption by scanning electron microscopy in normal littermates showed no evidence of resorption in op mice. Instead, these areas were characterized by morphologic features of bone formation. These data offer morphologic evidence of a reduction of bone resorption in this mutation. They are interpreted to mean (1) that op mice have a severe reduction in numbers or proliferative capacity of osteoclast precursors, which may be related to the cellular inclusions in the osteoclast population, and (2) that hypertrophy of the ruffled borders and clear zones of op osteoclasts is a compensatory attempt to increase bone resorption.
Elevation of the Malar Fat Pad With a Percutaneous Technique

Objective To describe a simplified method of malar fat pad elevation to rejuvenate the midface, nasolabial folds, labiomental folds, infraorbital hollows, and jowls via a percutaneous approach. Patients and Design One hundred eighteen patients were evaluated over a 12-month period in a prospective fashion by the operating surgeon. Preoperative and postoperative photographs were used for comparison. Setting Private practice. Main Outcome Measures Elevation of the malar fat pad by a measured amount. Results At 3 months, all patients had a significant elevation of the malar fat pad (3-7 mm), with the exception of 2 early patients who underwent revision surgery, with satisfactory results. Conclusions A simplified method of malar fat pad elevation is described. This method allows for elevation of the malar fat pad without extensive dissection. Excellent results are obtained with very little morbidity.
Ethnic Identity Formation During Adolescence The Critical Role of Families

An ecological model of ethnic identity was examined among 639 adolescents of Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Salvadoran descent. Using structural equation modeling and, specifically, multiple group comparisons, findings indicated that familial ethnic socialization (FES) played a significant role in the process of ethnic identity formation for all adolescents, regardless of ethnic background. Specifically, adolescents’ reports of FES were significantly and positively associated with their reports of exploration, commitment, and affirmation and belonging toward their ethnic background. These results are consistent with empirical work that has found familial socialization to be a central component of ethnic identity formation among children, and with theoretical work on adolescents, which has emphasized the important role of families in the process ethnic identity formation.
DYNAMICS OF THE TRANS-NEPTUNE REGION: APSIDAL WAVES IN THE KUIPER BELT

The role of apsidal density waves propagating in a primordial trans-Neptune disk (i.e., Kuiper belt) is investigated. It is shown that Neptune launches apsidal waves at its secular resonance near 40 AU that propagate radially outward, deeper into the particle disk. The wavelength of apsidal waves is considerably longer than waves that might be launched at Lindblad resonances, because the pattern speed, g(sub s), resulting from the apsis precession of Neptune is much slower than its mean motion, Omega(sub s). If the early Kuiper belt had a sufficient surface density, sigma, the disk's wave response to Neptune's secular perturbation would have spread the disturbing torque radially over a collective scale lambda(sub *) approx. = r(2(mu)(sub d)Omega/ absolute value of r dg/dr)(sup 1/2), where mu(sub d)equivalent pi(sigma)r(exp 2)/(1 solar mass) and Omega(r) and g(r) are respectively the mean motion and precession frequency of the disk particles. This results in considerably smaller eccentricities at resonance than had the disk particles been treated as noninteracting test particles. Consequently, particles are less apt to be excited into planet-crossing orbits, implying that the erosion timescales reported by earlier test-particle simulations of the Kuiper belt may be underestimated. It is also shown that the torque the disk exerts upon the planet (due to its gravitational attraction for the disk's spiral wave pattern) damps the planet's eccentricity and further inhibits the planet's ability to erode the disk. Key words: celestial mechanics, stellar dynamics - comets: general minor planets, asteroids
At the lower size limit in snakes: two new species of threadsnakes (Squamata: Leptotyphlopidae: Leptotyphlops) from the Lesser Antilles

Islands are viewed as natural evolutionary laboratories for terrestrial organisms because they have boundaries that limit dispersal and often reveal evolutionary patterns and mechanisms. One such pattern is that the smallest and largest species of different types of tetrapod animals are frequently found on islands. Here I describe two new diminutive species of snakes of the genus Leptotyphlops from the Lesser Antilles: one from Saint Lucia and the other from Barbados. The one from Barbados is the smallest species of snake and has a total adult length of approximately 100 mm. Limited evidence indicates a clutch size of one and a greatly elongated egg shape (length /width). Comparison of egg shapes in snakes indicates that the shape is a packaging phenomenon, related primarily to the shape of the available body cavity and clutch size. For a clutch size of one, expected egg shape is eight whereas expected egg shape drops to two at a clutch size of ten. The body shape of snakes, defined as snout-to-vent length divided by width, also varies and influences the shape of snake eggs. The smallest snakes are typically stout-bodied with shapes of 30–35 whereas the longest snakes usually are more elongate, with shapes of 45–50. The allometry of organ size also affects clutch size and shape, because the smallest snakes have the smallest proportion of body cavity space available for reproduction. The best explanation for the observation of body size extremes on islands is that colonizing species have adapted to open ecological niches that would otherwise be occupied on the mainland. Island colonists encounter novel environments and reduced interspecific competition, allowing species to evolve physical traits, including extremes in size, not normally seen on continents. However, the lower limit of adult size appears to be constrained by the allometry of morphology, physiology, and reproduction. The smallest tetrapods have small clutches, usually one egg or young, and offspring that are relatively large. In the smallest snakes, offspring are one-half of the length of adults, compared with 10% adult length in the case of large species of snakes. Thus the evolutionary tradeoff between number and size of offspring appears to have reached a size boundary in these species, limiting the evolution of yet smaller species.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Issues in the Diagnosis and Estimation of Incidence

This article critiques the current working definition of chronic fatigue syndrome. The concerns raised about the current working definition are the following: prolonged or excessive exertion is not addressed explicitly; duration and quality of bed rest are not specified; a socioeconomic ascertainment bias is present; data from history and physical findings are not clearly separated and are relegated to minor criteria; and the rigor of neurologic and psychiatric evaluations is not specified. We propose a flow chart that addresses the possible modes of evolution of chronic fatigue syndrome for patients; this chart may yield more homogeneous subgroups of individuals with this syndrome or enable some patients to avert the syndrome.
Factors Affecting the Folding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa OprF Porin into the One-Domain Open Conformer

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa OprF is a largely monomeric outer membrane protein that allows the slow, nonspecific transmembrane diffusion of solutes. This protein folds into two different conformers, with the majority conformer folding into a two-domain conformation that has no porin activity and the minority conformer into a one-domain conformation with high porin activity and presumably consisting of a large β barrel. We examined the factors that control the divergent folding pathways of OprF. OprF contains four Cys residues in the linker region connecting the N-terminal β-barrel domain and the C-terminal globular domain in the majority conformer. Prevention of disulfide bond formation either by expression of OprF in an Escherichia colidsbA strain grown with dithiothreitol or by replacement of all Cys residues with serine (CS OprF) increased the specific pore-forming activity of OprF significantly. Replacement of Phe160 with Ile at the end of the β-barrel termination signal as well as replacement of Lys164 in the linker region with Gly, Cys, or Glu increased porin activity 2-fold. Improving a potential β-barrel termination signal in the periplasmic domain by replacement of Asp211 with asparagine also increased porin activity. The porin activity could be improved about 5-fold by the combination of these replacements. OprF mutants with higher porin activity were shown to contain more one-domain conformers by surface labeling of the A312C residue in intact cells, as this residue is located in the periplasmic domain in the two-domain conformers. Finally, when the OprF protein was expressed in an E. coli strain lacking the periplasmic chaperone Skp, the CS OprF protein exhibited increased pore-forming activity. IMPORTANCE High intrinsic levels of resistance to many antimicrobial agents, seen in Gram-negative bacterial species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species, are largely due to the extremely low permeability of their major porin OprF and OmpA. Because this low permeability is caused by the fact that these proteins mostly fold into a two-domain conformer without pores, knowledge as to what conditions increase the production of the pore-forming minority conformer may lead to dramatic improvements in the treatment of infections by these bacteria. We have found several factors that increase the proportion of the pore-forming conformer up to 5-fold. Although these studies were done with Escherichia coli, they may serve as the starting point for the design of strategies for improvement of antimicrobial therapy for these difficult-to-treat pathogens, some strains of which have now attained the “pan-resistant” status.
Managing complexity in large corporate information systems

A control process is proposed based on managing a large number of influence parameters; using clustering/visualization concepts to manage the complexity associated with such large amounts of information; and considering as a reference the global knowledge of a distributed human control network. It is emphasized that using the strong capabilities of human visual reasoning in the analysis of complex systems may be an effective way of dealing with their complexity. An effective visualization process based on geometric 2-D/3-D representations of multidimensional spaces as well as clustering procedures constitutes the key to the process. Defining an appropriate reference model is also important and possible if a deep knowledge of the system is available. A simple demonstration model developed to evaluate some ideas of the proposed system is described. >
Oxygen radicals, cytokines, adhesion molecules and lung injury in neonates

Chronic lung disease of preterm infants (CLD) has a multifactorial aetiology. Pulmonary immaturity, oxygen toxicity and mechanical injury (barotrauma) as well as additional factors such as infections with Ureaplasma urealyticum and other micro-organisms may contribute to pulmonary damage. The mechanisms of acute lung injury observed during the initial stage of respiratory distress syndrome are incompletely understood. There is growing evidence, however, that an inflammatory pulmonary reaction following lung injury may be an early event in the development of CLD, finally leading to lung fibrosis. CLD is associated with a significant inflammatory response of the airways and the interstitium of the lungs; besides neutrophils, macrophages immunoreactive for tumour necrosis factor α are found in large numbers. Phagocyte influx is possibly mediated by chemotactic factors present in the alveolar secretions. Leukotriene B 4 , C5a, interleukin 8, elastin fragments and other factors may contribute to the high chemotactic activity. Intercellular adhesion molecule 1, which has been detected in bronchoalveolar secretions of infants with CLD, may promote neutrophil diapedesis. Furthermore, a number of lipid mediators including leukotrienes, prostacyclin and platelet-activating factor were found to be elevated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. These and other mediators which are mainly released by macrophages and pulmonary cells exert various effects on the airways and the vascular system by increasing the microvascular permeability; this increased alveolar-capillary leakage is one of the most important pathophysiological factors of early CLD. Neutrophils and macrophages attracted to the site of injured tissue can cause severe lung damage by release of potent proteases (elastase, collagenase), pro-inflammatory cytokines and by generation of toxic oxygen radicals. The presence of free elastase activity and oxidative inactivation of α 1 -proteinase inhibitor which protects the alveolar-capillary unit from autolytic proteolysis has been well documented. The protease-antiprotease imbalance as well as toxic oxygen radicals released by phagocytes or generated by tissue bound xanthine oxidase may play a central role in lung injury. In fact, increased concentrations of products of elastolytic fibre degradation and other structural components of lung tissue as well as of oxygen radical mediated lipid peroxidation were detected in infants with CLD; antioxidant activity of preterm infants seems to be insufficient to deal with free oxygen radicals. The complex interaction between mediators of inflammation and fibrosis has not been defined yet.
Simultaneous Hemodialysis and Exchange Transfusion in Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

We report our experience in the acute management of a seven-year-old child with severe hemolytic uremic syndrome. On three separate occasions, acute neurologic signs dramatically resolved during simultaneous exchange transfu sion and hemodialysis. The ease with which exchange transfusion may be combined with acute hemodialysis is discussed. In selected cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome with marked neurologic manifestations, exchange trans fusion may offer a benefit similar to that reported in adults with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Comparison of a Land Surface Model (SSiB) to Three Parameterizations of Evapotranspiration—A Study Based on ISLSCP Initiative I Data

Abstract Four different methods of estimating land surface evapotranspiration are compared by forcing each scheme with near-surface atmospheric and soil- and vegetation-type forcing data available through International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project Initiative I for a 2-yr period (1987–88). The three classical energy balance methods by Penman, by Priestley–Taylor, and by Thornthwaite are chosen; however, the Thornthwaite method is combined with a Mintz formulation of the relationship between actual and potential evapotranspiration. The fourth method uses the Simplified Simple Biosphere Model (SSiB), which is currently used in the climate version of the Goddard Earth Observing System II GCM. The goal of this study is to determine the benefit of using SSiB as opposed to one of the energy balance schemes for accurate simulation of surface fluxes and hydrology. Direct comparison of sensible and latent fluxes and ground temperature is not possible because such datasets are not available. However, t...
Model predictive control with learning‐type set‐point: Application to artificial pancreatic β‐cell

A novel combination of model predictive control (MPC) and iterative learning control (ILC), referred to learning-type MPC (L-MPC), is proposed for closed-loop control in an artificial pancreatic β-cell. The main motivation for L-MPC is the repetitive nature of glucose-meal-insulin dynamics over a 24-h period. L-MPC learns from an individual's lifestyle, inducing the control performance to improve from day to day. The proposed method is first tested on the Adult Average subject presented in the UVa/Padova diabetes simulator. After 20 days, the blood glucose concentrations can be kept within 68–145 mg/dl when the meals are repetitive. L-MPC can produce superior control performance compared with that achieved under MPC. In addition, L-MPC is robust to random variations in meal sizes within ±75% of the nominal value or meal timings within ±60 min. Furthermore, the robustness of L-MPC to subject variability is validated on Adults 1–10 in the UVa/Padova simulator. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010
Low Temperature Plasma Reforming of Hydrocarbon Fuels Into Hydrogen and Carbon Suboxide for Energy Generation Without $\hbox{CO}_{2}$ Emission

An alternative process of extracting energy from fossil fuels (coal, biomass, hydrocarbons, etc.) without the emission of CO2 is possible with nonequilibrium plasma. Apart from CO and CO2, there exists carbon suboxide (C3O2)-a solid carbon oxide, which can be polymerized to form chemically and thermodynamically stable substances. This article describes a novel process of extracting the energy from fossil fuels without the emission of CO2 while producing hydrogen and carbon suboxide (a reddish, brown polymer), an important constituent of organic fertilizers. This approach has the capability of avoiding drawbacks associated with combustion of fossil fuels, such as CO2 emission. The conversion processes of a hydrocarbon feedstock (n-butane) and characterization of the byproduct of the conversion process with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are discussed. Thermodynamic calculation of energy efficiencies of conversion of readily available hydrocarbon feedstocks such as biomass, natural gas, and low quality coal (lignite and peat) into hydrogen and carbon suboxide is also discussed. Thermodynamic results calculated show energy efficiency of up to 78% for producing carbon suboxide from various hydrocarbon feedstocks when compared to energy efficiency of producing syngas (100%).
Directing Nest Site Selection of Least Terns and Piping Plovers

Abstract Endangered Interior Least Terns (Sterna antillarum athalassos) and threatened Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) nest in Nebraska at gravel mines where they are vulnerable to disturbance and nest loss. Conflicts occur when their nesting and protected status delay mining activities. The possibility of shifting nesting from active to inactive mining areas by using a deterrent (mylar flagging), an attractant (gravel and driftwood spread on bare sand), and a control (untreated sand) was evaluated. Experimental plots (mean 0.36 ha) were established at 18 different gravel mines, twelve in 2000 and seven (one repeat) in 2001 along the Platte and Elkhorn rivers prior to nesting season. Of 117 tern nests, 73% were in attractant, 2% in deterrent, and 26% in control plots. Of 23 plover nests, 61% were in attractant, 9% in deterrent, and 30% in control. Colonies used plots containing less vegetation and more driftwood than unused plots. Within control plots, both tern and plover nests were surrounded by mor...
Habitat selection and the scale of ghostly coexistence among Arctic rodents

Competition between coexisting species existing near their stable equilibrium can be obscured if they occupy separate habitats. Th eories of habitat selection promise an ability to reveal the underlying ghost of competition by using isodars to infer the behavioural map of habitat selection. We tested the theory with two years of data on abundance and habitat preference by three Arctic rodent species living at low density along a gradient of wet to dry tundra on Herschel Island in Canada ’ s western Arctic. Generalist brown lemmings exhibited a constant partial preference toward wet tundra whereas specialist collared lemmings and voles occupied the driest and wettest zones respectively. Although both lemming species compete for habitats elsewhere in the Canadian Arctic, isodar analyses suggest that the three species occupy wet and dry habitats independently of one another on Herschel Island. Competition at this large scale may be hidden at low densities, however, if the wet-dry dichotomy is too coarse. Analyses at a fi ner subdivision of habitat revealed that these species coexist by using diff erent microhabitats. Collared lemmings shifted their niche towards even drier habitat as the abundance of brown lemmings increased. We were thus able to reveal the ghost of competition lurking at large scales through a more refi ned analysis at smaller scales of density-dependent habitat use.
The prolate spheroidal transform for the gated SPECT

Suggests a way to calculate the volume and surface area of left ventricle (LV) in the Prolate Spheroidal Coordinate (PSC) system. The advantages of this method are: (1) Due to the approximate ellipsoid shape of LV, the /spl zeta/ axis is perpendicular to the LV surfaces in the prolate spheroidal (/spl zeta/, /spl theta/, /spl phi/) coordinate system, the small elements used in volume and area calculations fit the geometry, even in the apex region with large curvature. (2) The authors don't need to align the LV with their coordinate system in order to get good results. This method requires the origin of the PSC system to be inside the LV cavity. The authors applied the prolate spheroidal transform to the short axis gated SPECT data and calculated the volumes of LV using the midmyocardium. Also they calculated the areas of the midmyocardial surface. The authors verified the method with the MCAT phantom and applied it to a patient case. In conclusion, the calculations of the LV volume and surface areas can be more easily performed in the PSC system. There exist good correlations between the calculated volume and surface area values, which implies that the calculation of surface area may be a possible way to estimate the volume of the LV.
Chemical Neurotoxins Accelerating Axonal Transport of Neurofilaments

It has been known for years that chemical neurotoxins produce alterations of axonal morphology similar to those in some human diseases. Recently, it has been discovered that several of these agents have a specific effect on slow axonal transport and on the organization of the axonal cytoskeleton (Sayre et al., 1985). Therefore, they have become valuable probes for investigating functional and structural aspects of the normal axon as well as the pathogenesis of axonal lesions.
Saturday in Lilongwe.

The author describes a visit to two AIDS support agencies in Lilongwe Malawi--Kanengo AIDS Support Organization and the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
Making Games as Collaborative Social Experiences: Exploring An Online Gaming Community

In addition to playing games together, making games together has offered new opportunities for social interaction and community building in online spaces. This paper presents an empirical study of how making indie games become interactive and collaborative social experiences in an Asian female-dominated online gaming community. It contributes to the CSCW community by providing a better understanding of the social side of game making in addition to game playing, and points to the importance of social engagement in game making communities.
Reductions in services for severely mentally disabled sheltered-care residents: A 12-year perspective.

This study explores reductions in the availability and utilization of health, mental health, and social services to 144 of California's sheltered care facilities between 1973 and 1985. Results show sheltered care facilities were insulated from reductions in availability and utilization of services. While utilization in 1973 was not associated with the availability of mental health agency-based services in 1985, it was significantly associated with reductions in outreach services involving facility visits by agency-based personnel. The degree of disability of residents in a facility had little association with the availability of services across time.
ON EVALUATING THE DAMPING OF A NON-LINEAR RESONANT SYSTEM

As the response of a classical single degree of freedom linear damped oscillator to a periodic input is highly dependent on the level of damping when the exciting frequency is near resonance, estimates of system damping are frequently made from an observed resonant response. Several attributes of the response are commonly used for this purpose, such as the maximum amplitude, the bandwidth of the response, and several aspects of the relationship between the in and out-of-phase components. The latter include the frequencies of in-phase maxima, the diameter of the modal circle, and the rate of change of phase angle. As all of these methods are based on the assumption of a linear system, it is of interest to examine the influence of a non-linearity in stiffness or damping on the resulting estimates of damping. A stiffness non-linearity of the form of an amplitude dependent secant modulus and a damping with power-law amplitude-dependence were considered. It is shown that a stiffness non-linearity can lead to significant errors in the estimation of damping. Each of the several measures is reviewed, and the effects of a non-linearity on each are considered. Alternative methodologies are discussed.
Relative Effectiveness of Ingested and Injected Manganese in Preventing Perosis.

SummaryThe relative effectiveness of ingested and injected manganese in preventing the development of perosis in chicks fed a high calcium-phosphorus diet was studied. The results obtained showed that excess calcium and phosphorus in the diet greatly reduces the availability of manganese in the intestinal tract.
A Young Woman With Recurrent Gestational Hypercalcemia and Acute Pancreatitis Caused by CYP24A1 Deficiency.

The CYP24A1 gene encodes a mitochondrial 24-hydroxylase that inactivates 1,25(OH)2 D. Loss-of-function mutations in CYP24A1 cause hypercalcemia, nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis. We describe a woman with CYP24A1 deficiency and recurrent gestational hypercalcemia. Her first pregnancy, at age 20, resulted with the intrauterine demise of twin fetuses. Postpartum, she developed severe hypercalcemia (14 mg/dL), altered mental status, and acute pancreatitis. Her PTH was suppressed (6 pg/mL) and her 1,25(OH)2 D was elevated (165 and 195 pg/mL on postpartum day 1 and 5, respectively). Between one and three months postpartum, her serum calcium decreased from 11.4 to 10.2 mg/dL while her 1,25(OH)2 D level decreased from 83 to 24 pg/mL. Her 24-hour urine calcium was 277 mg. Six months postpartum, she became pregnant again. At 14 weeks, her albumin-corrected calcium level was 10.4 mg/dL and her 1,25(OH)2 D level exceeded 200 pg/mL. To establish the diagnosis of CYP24A1 deficiency, we showed her 24,25(OH)2 D level to be undetectable (<2 ng/mL). Exon sequencing of the CYP24A1 gene revealed a homozygous, 8-nucleotide deletion in exon 8, causing an S334V substitution and premature termination due to a frame shift (c.999_1006del, p.Ser334Valfs*9). To prevent hypercalcemia, she was advised to discontinue prenatal vitamins, avoid sun exposure and calcium-rich foods, and start omeprazole and a calcium binder (250 mg K-Phos-neutral with meals). Despite these measures, both hypercalcemia (11.5 mg/dL) and acute pancreatitis recurred. Labor was induced and a healthy, normocalcemic boy was delivered. In the absence of lactation, maternal hypercalcemia resolved within 2 months. This report shows that CYP24A1-deficient subjects may be normocalcemic at baseline. Hypercalcemia may be unmasked by pregnancy through the routine use of calciferol-containing prenatal vitamins, increased 1-alpha hydroxylation of VitD by the placenta and maternal kidney, and production of PTHrP by the uteroplacental unit. CYP24A1 deficiency should be considered in patients with unexplained vitamin D-mediated hypercalcemia. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
AUSPICE: Automatic Safety Property Verification for Unmodified Executables

Verification of machine-code programs using program logic has focused on functional correctness, and proofs have required manually-provided program specifications. Fortunately, the verification of shallow safety properties such as memory isolation and control-flow safety can be easier to automate, but past techniques for automatically verifying machine-code safety have required post-compilation transformations, which can change program behavior. In this work, we automatically verify safety properties for unmodified machine-code programs without requiring user-supplied specifications. Our novel logic framework, AUSPICE, for automatic safety property verification for unmodified executables, extends an existing trustworthy Hoare logic for local reasoning, and provides a novel proof tactic for selective composition. We demonstrate our automated proof technique on synthetic and realistic programs. Our verification completes in 6i¾źh for a realistic 533-instruction string search algorithm, demonstrating the feasibility of our approach.
Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction in the United States: Has Laparoscopy Made an Impact?:

Adhesions account for 74 per cent of admissions for small bowel obstruction (SBO). There is a lack of data regarding the usage and outcomes of laparoscopy (LS) for SBO. A retrospective review of urgent admissions for SBO using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2001 to 2011 was conducted. Among the estimated 3,948,987 SBO admissions, 36.7 per cent underwent operative management and LS was performed in 26.5 per cent with a 22.5 per cent conversion rate. Admissions increased by 3.1 per cent annually, whereas nonoperative management increased by 3.8 per cent annually. Operative management increased by 1.8 per cent annually, whereas LS increased by 8.9 per cent annually and open surgery decreased by 0.6 per cent annually. LS small bowel resection increased by a mean of 25 per cent annually. LS was associated with a 24.4 per cent in-hospital morbidity with intra-abdominal abscess/enteric fistulas (8.3%) and ileus (8.9%) as the most common complications. In-hospital mortality was 0.9 per cent with length of stay of 13 ± 9 days and a hospital charge of $80,080 ± 6,634. The majority of patients were operated on hospital day (HD) 1 (43.0%). Patients who underwent LS on HD >7 had a higher risk-adjusted mortality compared with earlier HD (odds ratio = 2.63; 95% confidence interval: 2.40-2.89; P < 0.01). There has been an increase in admissions for SBO and an increase in LS over the past 11 years. There seems to be an increase in mortality and morbidity with a later HD operation.
What does it cost, and does it help the patient?. Interview by Wesley Curry.

At the ACPE National Conference in San Antonio on May 17, 1990, David M. Eddy, MD, PhD, described serious problems with the information infrastructure for medicine, and discussed the implications of these failings for the quality and cost of medical care. Physician Executive discussed the issues raised in Dr. Eddy's presentation and reports his comments in this article. Dr. Eddy is Professor of Health Policy and Management, Duke University, Durham, N.C.
The NZ property and D -spaces

We introduce a property which we denote by NZ\({(\kappa)}\), where \({\kappa}\) is a cardinal. We show that chain neighborhood (F) spaces and monotonically metacompact spaces satisfy NZ(1), and that NZ\({(\kappa)}\) implies D if \({\kappa \leq \omega}\). Also, NZ\({(\kappa)}\) is closed under arbitrary subspaces and finite products, and countable products if \({\kappa}\) is infinite. It follows that any countable product of chain neighborhood (F) spaces and monotonically metacompact spaces is hereditarily a D-space. This provides a strong positive answer to a question of X. Yuming. We also prove that spaces satisfying NZ\({(\kappa)}\) are metacompact if \({\kappa}\) is finite, and meta-Lindelof if \({\kappa = \omega}\).
Financial Contagion and the Cross Section of Expected Returns

This paper studies the asset pricing implications of financial contagion risk in the cross section of expected stock returns. Contagion among systemically important financial firms played a major role in the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether investors require a premium for holding assets that expose them to losses during events similar to those that unfolded during the recent financial crisis. We propose three measures of contagion in the financial sector. We show that factors based upon comovement and concentration of equity returns among systemically important financial firms are very robustly priced in the cross section of stock returns. Our results hold even when we remove the recent financial crisis from our sample. We further establish that the risks associated with these contagion factors are distinct from other measures of risk typically associated with market downturns.
Mutual Activation and Expansion of Donor CD4 + T Cells and B Cells in Transplants Play a Critical Role in the Initiation of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease.

Abstract Abstract 1342 Poster Board I-364 Chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) is an autoimmune-like disease, in which both donor CD4+ T and B cells play important roles in the pathogenesis. However, it is unclear how donor CD4+ T and B cells interact in the context of chronic GVHD. In our current studies, we found that, in a new chronic GVHD model of MHC-matched DBA/2 donor to BALB/c host, depletion of donor CD4+ T cells in transplants prevented donor B220+ B cell upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules (i.e. B7.1, B7.2, and MHC II), prevented donor B cell differentiation into syndecan+ IgG anti-dsDNA autoantibody-producing plasma cells, and prevented the induction of chronic GVHD. In addition, we found that donor CD4+ T cells were able to drive both marginal zone B (AA4.1−B220+CD1dhiCD23lo) and follicular B (AA4.1−B220+CD23hiCD1dlo) cells to become IgG autoantibody-producing cells. On the other hand, depletion of donor B220+ B cells in transplants prevented expansion of donor-type CD4+ T cells that proliferated in response to donor DC stimulation, prevented the skewing of TCR CDR3-length of the donor CD4+ T cells as revealed by TCR spectratyping, and prevented induction of chronic GVHD. These results indicate that donor CD4+ T and B cells mutually activate each other in the chronic GVHD recipients; alloreactive donor CD4+ T cells activate and drive donor B cell differentiation into IgG autoantibody producing cells, in turn, donor B cells mediate the expansion and TCR-spreading of autoreactive donor CD4+ T cells. Therefore, donor CD4+ T and B cells in transplants orchestrate the development of chronic GVHD. This work is supported by NIH R01 AI066008. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Turns of the Dao

Fifteen years after the publication of my assessment of comparative philosophy in the inaugural issue of Dao, this article comments on some of the major changes that have taken place in the field since Dao began. One of the most significant is the improvement in the conditions for Chinese philosophy in mainland China and the return of many of the original participants in Dao’s audience to positions in East Asia from earlier careers in the West. The article also surveys advances in various forms of objective and normative comparison and in the development of metaphysics based on Chinese models.