cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black Americans have an increased rate of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor-associated angioedema

Objective To study the association of race and other patient characteristics associated with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-associated angioedema. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of participants in the Tennessee Medicaid Program (≥15 years of age) to whom ACE inhibitors had been prescribed from 1986 through 1992. Results We identified 82 patients with confirmed angioedema during 51,752 person-years of ACE inhibitor use, giving an overall rate of angioedema of 1.6 per 1000 person-years of ACE inhibitor use. After potential confounding factors were controlled for, the adjusted relative risk (RR) of angioedema among black American users of ACE inhibitors was 4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9 to 6.8) compared with white subjects. In addition to race, other factors associated with a significantly increased relative risk in the entire population were the first 30 days of ACE inhibitor use (RR, 4.6; 95% CI, 2.5 to 8.5) compared to >1 year of use, use of either lisinopril (RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.9) or enalapril (RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.5) compared to captopril, and previous hospitalization for any diagnosis within 30 days (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.6). Neither ACE inhibitor dose nor concurrent diuretic use was associated with the risk of angioedema. Conclusions These data suggest that black Americans have a substantially increased risk of ACE inhibitor-associated angioedema compared with white subjects and that this increased risk cannot be attributed to an effect of dose, specific ACE inhibitor, or concurrent medications. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1996) 60, 8–13; doi:
The evolution of the child maltreatment literature

* Abbreviations: AHT — : abusive head trauma The first descriptions of the injuries associated with child abuse are commonly attributed to the French pathologist Auguste Ambroise Tardieu.1,2 His “Etude medico-legale sur les sevices et mauvais traitements exerces sur des enfants” (Forensic Study on Cruelty and the Ill Treatment of Children) in 18603 described findings of child fatalities from “acts of cruelty and ill treatment, of which young children fall victim from their parents, their schoolmasters, and all who exert over these children some degree of authority.”2 John Caffey reintroduced the study of child abuse in 19464 when he described 6 infants with chronic subdural hematomas in whom he identified long bone fractures from an “obscure” traumatic origin. Fredrick Silverman, a junior associate of Caffey’s,5 collaborated with C. Henry Kempe and colleagues in … Address correspondence to Christopher Greeley, MD, MSB 2.104, 6431 Fannin St, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: christopher.s.greeley{at}uth.tmc.edu
A method for normalization of X‐ray absorption spectra

Accurate normalization of X-ray absorption data is essential for quantitative analysis of near-edge features. A method, implemented as the program MBACK, to normalize X-ray absorption data to tabulated mass absorption coefficients is described. Comparison of conventional normalization methods with MBACK demonstrates that the new normalization method is not sensitive to the shape of the background function, thus allowing accurate comparison of data collected in transmission mode with data collected using fluorescence ion chambers or solid-state fluorescence detectors. The new method is shown to have better reliability and consistency and smaller errors than conventional normalization methods. The sensitivity of the new normalization method is illustrated by analysis of data collected during an equilibrium titration.
Localization by Indirect Immunofluorescence of Tetrin, Actin, and Centrin to the Oral Apparatus and Buccal Cavity of the Macrostomal Form of Tetrahymena vorax

We have taken advantage of the size of the macrostomal oral apparatus of Tetrahymena vorax to investigate the immunofluorescent localization of three cytoskeletal proteins--tetrin, actin, and centrin. Tetrin and actin antibodies co-localize to cross-connectives that anchor the membranelles. These antibodies also recognize the coarse filamentous reticulum, a filament associated with the undulating membrane. Actin-specific localization extends beyond the coarse filamentous reticulum-undulating membrane complex into a region called the specialized cytoplasm. A centrin antibody localizes to the fine filamentous reticulum which, along with microtubules of the oral ribs, circumscribes the cytostomal opening. Models of phagocytic contraction based on these data are presented.
Heteroaromatic analogs of 1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]- and 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazines (GBR 12935 and GBR 12909) as high-affinity dopamine reuptake inhibitors

A new series of heteroaromatic GBR 12935 [1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)-piperazine] (I) and GBR 12909 [1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine] (2) analogs was synthesized and evaluated as dopamine transporter (DAT) ligands. Analogs 5-16, in which the benzene ring in the phenylpropyl side chain of the GBR molecule had been replaced with a thiophene, furan, or pyridine ring, exhibited high affinity and selectivity for the DAT vs serotonin transporter (SERT) and stimulated locomotor activity in rats in a manner similar to the parent compound 2. In cocaine and food self-administration studies in rhesus monkeys, both thiophene-containing (6 and 8) and pyridine-containing (14 and 16) derivatives displayed potency comparable to 2 in decreasing the cocaine-maintained responding at the doses tested (0.8, 1.7, and 3 mg/kg). However, these compounds did not produce the degree of separation between food- and cocaine-maintained responding that was seen with 2. Among the bicyclic fused-ring congeners 17-38, the indole-containing analog of 2, 22, showed the greatest affinity for binding to the DAT, with IC50 = 0.7 nM, whereas the corresponding indole-containing derivative of 1, 21, displayed the highest selectivity (over 600-fold) at this site vs the SERT site.
Asymptotic non-null distribution of a test connected with exponential populations

In this paper asymptotic expansions of the non-null distribution of the likelihood ratio criterion for testing the equality of several one parameter exponential distributions are obtained under local alternatives. These expansions are in terms of Chi-square distributions.
Ecology and social responsibility: the re-embodiment of science

Abstract As global environmental problems intensify, ecology is increasingly drawn into the social arena, and many ecologists feel caught between two competing models of science: a science apart from society and a science directly engaged with society. Interdisciplinary research and integrative theories are helping resolve this conflict by providing a common framework for both biophysical and social sciences. The incorporation of the human dimension into ecology is reversing a century-old trend of separation and reintegrating science into the human experience.
HIV latency in the humanized BLT mouse

Even after extended treatment with powerful antiretroviral drugs, HIV is not completely eliminated from infected individuals. Latently infected CD4+ T cells constitute one reservoir of replication-competent HIV that needs to be eliminated to completely purge virus from antiretroviral drug-treated patients. However, a major limitation in the development of therapies to eliminate this latent reservoir is the lack of relevant in vivo models that can be used to test purging strategies. Here, we show that the humanized BLT (bone marrow-liver-thymus) mouse can be used as both an abundant source of primary latently infected cells for ex vivo latency analysis and also as an in vivo system for the study of latency. We demonstrate that over 2% of human cells recovered from the spleens of HIV-infected BLT mice can be latently infected and that this virus is integrated, activation inducible, and replication competent. The non-tumor-inducing phorbol esters prostratin and 12-deoxyphorbol-13-phenylacetate can each induce HIV ex vivo from these latently infected cells, indicating that this model can be used as a source of primary cells for testing latency activators. Finally, we show activation-inducible virus is still present following suppression of plasma viral loads to undetectable levels by using the antiretroviral drugs zidovudine, indinavir sulfate, and didanosine, demonstrating that this model can also be used to assess the in vivo efficacy of latency-purging strategies. Therefore, the HIV-infected BLT mouse should provide a useful model for assessment of HIV latency activators and approaches to eliminate persistent in vivo HIV reservoirs.
Virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective This is the first randomized trial comparing virtual reality exposure therapy to in vivo exposure for social anxiety disorder. Method Participants with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder who identified public speaking as their primary fear (N = 97) were recruited from the community, resulting in an ethnically diverse sample (M age = 39 years) of mostly women (62%). Participants were randomly assigned to and completed 8 sessions of manualized virtual reality exposure therapy, exposure group therapy, or wait list. Standardized self-report measures were collected at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 12-month follow-up, and process measures were collected during treatment. A standardized speech task was delivered at pre- and posttreatment, and diagnostic status was reassessed at 3-month follow-up. Results Analysis of covariance showed that, relative to wait list, people completing either active treatment significantly improved on all but one measure (length of speech for exposure group therapy and self-reported fear of negative evaluation for virtual reality exposure therapy). At 12-month follow-up, people showed significant improvement from pretreatment on all measures. There were no differences between the active treatments on any process or outcome measure at any time, nor differences on achieving partial or full remission. Conclusion Virtual reality exposure therapy is effective for treating social fears, and improvement is maintained for 1 year. Virtual reality exposure therapy is equally effective as exposure group therapy; further research with a larger sample is needed, however, to better control and statistically test differences between the treatments.
Database access methods for medical imaging: DICOM, SQL and HTML

DICOM database functions are employed to locate stored images and to update and retrieve attributes of specific object instances. The Query/Retrieve service class provides a set of consensus schema (the Q/R models) that support a particular view of patient data. This view adequately supports primary reading, i.e., it focuses on organizing images into studies and linking studies to patients, but it does not necessarily support the types of access required for retrieval from a digital file room. As the DICOM standard evolves it is necessary to carefully choose services and models that make sense for the medical imaging and image management marketplace. Should DICOM continue to define it's own proprietary access methods or adopt standard methods? Existing and near-term future standards for database access include: RDA, SQL3 and SQL/CLI. These standards will be evaluated as possible future bases for advanced DICOM database access services.
Morphology of the uvula in obstructive sleep apnea

Alterations in pharyngeal structure and function are considered fundamental in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, little is known about morphologic features of the pharynx in patients with OSA. We therefore studied the tissue composition of the uvula (midsagittal section) in patients with OSA, using a quantitative, morphometric point-counting technique. Uvula tissue was obtained by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in 33 patients (mean number of apneas per hour of sleep = 32.7 +/- 5.2) and by autopsy in 22 normal subjects not known to have OSA. All statistical comparisons were controlled for differences caused by age and body mass index. Patients with OSA had a significantly greater percentage of muscle in the uvula (18.1 +/- 1.9% versus 9.3 +/- 2.1%, p = 0.02) than did normal subjects. A significant difference in fat content was also found (9.5 +/- 1.4% in patients versus 4.0 +/- 1.0% in normal subjects, p less than 0.02). These differences between patients with OSA and control subjects could not be accounted for by anthropometric or sex differences. The percentage of uvula fat tissue was significantly related to the frequency of apneas and hypopneas in sleep (r = 0.43, p less than 0.01). Uvula morphology in 6 nonapneic snorers undergoing UPPP was similar to that of patients with OSA. We conclude that the uvula in patients with OSA contains more muscle and fat than the uvula in control subjects, possibly contributing to pharyngeal narrowing in OSA.
A superlinearly convergent method for minimization problems with linear inequality constraints

A method is described for minimizing a continuously differentiable functionF(x) ofn variables subject to linear inequality constraints. It can be applied under the same general assumptions as any method of feasible directions. IfF(x) is twice continuously differentiable and the Hessian matrix ofF(x) has certain properties, then the algorithm generates a sequence of points which converges superlinearly to the unique minimizer ofF(x). No computation of secondorder derivatives is required.
Interdomain Interactions in AMPA and Kainate Receptors Regulate Affinity for Glutamate

Ionotropic glutamate receptors perform diverse functions in the nervous system. As a result, multiple receptor subtypes have evolved with different kinetics, ion permeability, expression patterns, and regulation by second messengers. Kainate receptors show slower recovery from desensitization and have different affinities for agonists than AMPA receptors. Based on analysis of ligand binding domain crystal structures, we identified interdomain interactions in the agonist-bound state that are conserved in kainate receptors and absent in AMPA receptors. Mutations in GluR6 designed to disrupt these contacts reduced agonist apparent affinity, speeded up receptor deactivation and increased the rate of recovery from desensitization. Conversely, introduction of mutations in GluR2 that enabled additional interdomain interactions in the agonist-bound state increased agonist apparent affinity 15-fold, and slowed both deactivation and recovery from desensitization. We conclude that interdomain interactions have evolved as a distinct mechanism that contributes to the unique kinetic properties of AMPA and kainate receptors.
RAAC: an architecture for scalable, reliable storage in clusters

Striping data across multiple nodes has been recognized as an effective technique for delivering high-bandwidth I/O to applications running on clusters. However the technique is vulnerable to disk failure. We present an I/O architecture for clusters called reliable array of autonomous controllers (RAAC) that builds on the technique of RAID style data redundancy. The RAAC architecture uses a two-tier layout that enables the system to scale in terms of storage capacity and transfer bandwidth while avoiding the synchronization overhead incurred in a distributed RAID system. We describe our implementation of RAAC in PVFS, and compare the performance of parity-based redundancy in RAAC and in a conventional distributed RAID architecture.
Optimization of IMRT treatment plan with Kinetic Data Structures

The use of radiation to treat malignant cancer involves exposing cancerous cells to an elevated dose of radiation in order to destroy the diseased tissue. One of the foremost challenges in planning such treatments is ensuring that healthy tissue, which can also be damaged by the radiation, is avoided. As the cancerous cells are often close in proximity to healthy tissues, it is almost impossible to avoid some exposure. Some organs or tissues may also be less capable of absorbing radiation than others or more essential in function, and these should be given higher priority for avoidance when formulating a successful treatment plan. We have developed a data structure and associated algorithm to optimize a form of radiotherapy called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy or IMRT by using a Kinetic Data Structure (KDS) to keep track of the total overlapping area between the target tumor and any surrounding tissues.
Opaque stress in Palestinian

Abstract Previous studies of Palestinian Arabic have posited a simple, phonologically conditioned stress rule opaquely ordered before certain vowel-insertion processes. The dialect described here would yield to this analysis too if it had not in some instances analogically extended inserted vowels and opaque stress patterns beyond their original, phonetically motivated sites. The speakers of this dialect seem to be forgetting the origin of the inserted vowels and inferring from the surface patterns a new, more complex stress rule sensitive to morphological categories.
Kinetic analyses using simultaneous TG/DSC measurements

The thermal decomposition of CaCO3was studied using simultaneous TG/DSC for two different ranges of particle size from the same source and a physical mixture of each. The difference in kinetic behavior was as expected qualitatively, but significantly different quantitatively. In addition, the mixture did not behave as a simple combination of its end members. These discrepancies are attributed to the problems associated with mass and thermal transport. The TG data again proved easier to fit than the DSC data.
Metabolomics in diabetic complications

With a global prevalence of 9%, diabetes is the direct cause of millions of deaths each year and is quickly becoming a health crisis. Major long-term complications of diabetes arise from persistent oxidative stress and dysfunction in multiple metabolic pathways. The most serious complications involve vascular damage and include cardiovascular disease as well as microvascular disorders such as nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Current clinical analyses like glycated hemoglobin and plasma glucose measurements hold some value as prognostic indicators of the severity of complications, but investigations into the underlying pathophysiology are still lacking. Advancements in biotechnology hold the key to uncovering new pathways and establishing therapeutic targets. Metabolomics, the study of small endogenous molecules, is a powerful toolset for studying pathophysiological processes and has been used to elucidate metabolic signatures of diabetes in various biological systems. Current challenges in the field involve correlating these biomarkers to specific complications to provide a better prediction of future risk and disease progression. This review will highlight the progress that has been made in the field of metabolomics including technological advancements, the identification of potential biomarkers, and metabolic pathways relevant to macro- and microvascular diabetic complications.
Parallel Transformation of Tactile Signals in Central Circuits of Drosophila

To distinguish between complex somatosensory stimuli, central circuits must combine signals from multiple peripheral mechanoreceptor types, as well as mechanoreceptors at different sites in the body. Here, we investigate the first stages of somatosensory integration in Drosophila using in vivo recordings from genetically labeled central neurons in combination with mechanical and optogenetic stimulation of specific mechanoreceptor types. We identify three classes of central neurons that process touch: one compares touch signals on different parts of the same limb, one compares touch signals on right and left limbs, and the third compares touch and proprioceptive signals. Each class encodes distinct features of somatosensory stimuli. The axon of an individual touch receptor neuron can diverge to synapse onto all three classes, meaning that these computations occur in parallel, not hierarchically. Representing a stimulus as a set of parallel comparisons is a fast and efficient way to deliver somatosensory signals to motor circuits.
Multi-scale finite element modeling of Eustachian tube function: influence of mucosal adhesion.

Summary The inability to open the collapsible Eustachian tube (ET) leads to the development of chronic Otitis Media (OM). Although mucosal inflammation during OM leads to increased mucin gene expression and elevated adhesion forces within the ET lumen, it is not known how changes in mucosal adhesion alter the biomechanical mechanisms of ET function. In this study, we developed a novel multi-scale finite element model of ET function in adults that utilizes adhesion spring elements to simulate changes in mucosal adhesion. Models were created for six adult subjects, and dynamic patterns in muscle contraction were used to simulate the wave-like opening of the ET that occurs during swallowing. Results indicate that ET opening is highly sensitive to the level of mucosal adhesion and that exceeding a critical value of adhesion leads to rapid ET dysfunction. Parameter variation studies and sensitivity analysis indicate that increased mucosal adhesion alters the relative importance of several tissue biomechanical properties. For example, increases in mucosal adhesion reduced the sensitivity of ET function to tensor veli palatini muscle forces but did not alter the insensitivity of ET function to levator veli palatini muscle forces. Interestingly, although changes in cartilage stiffness did not significantly influence ET opening under low adhesion conditions, ET opening was highly sensitive to changes in cartilage stiffness under high adhesion conditions. Therefore, our multi-scale computational models indicate that changes in mucosal adhesion as would occur during inflammatory OM alter the biomechanical mechanisms of ET function. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Contemporary Infectious Exanthems

Infectious exanthematous illnesses are part of medical antiquity. Great physicians of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries often owed their fame to their ability to diagnose infectious diseases with cutaneous manifestations. In the middle of this century, the advent of tissue culture techniques allowed the identification of many "new" viruses that caused exanthematous illnesses. Our knowledge of these newer exanthems peaked in the 1960s and early 1970s, but today little research on these common problems is being carried out, and it appears that the physicians of today are not as knowledgeable as those of 2 decades ago. More recently, the etiologic agent of one characteristic exanthem (erythema infectiosum) has been discovered, and very recently another infectious agent has been found to be a significant cause of another specific pediatric exanthem (roseola infantum). In addition to the recent discoveries, aspects of the classic exanthems (scarlet fever, smallpox, measles, rubella, and varicella) have changed considerably. Smallpox has been eliminated from the world through vigorous immunization efforts, and the widespread use of measles and rubella vaccines has changed the epidemiological aspects of these two diseases. In many areas of the world, both the incidence and severity of scarlet fever have decreased significantly. Finally, the epidemiology of varicella has changed in certain population groups: a greater percentage of cases are now occurring in adults. In this article, I will look at some of the classic exanthems and the changes related to them that have occurred, review the newer exanthems, comment upon winter exanthems, examine the etiology of roseola infantum, and, finally, discuss selected exanthematic syndromes. For a more complete review, the reader is referred to the Reference and Additional Reading lists at the end of this article.
What's in a word?

In this paper, we argue that citizens' views about the personality characteristics of their political leaders are subject to systematic bias, motivated by the desire to maintain existing impressions. We report two studies designed to explore how such trait biases, involving judgments of real politicians, are manifested. Drawing on work in social psychology (John, Hampson, and Goldberg, 1991), we hypothesize, and demonstrate experimentally, that traitbreadth plays a critical role in the judgment process. Specifically, people tend to select broad positive traits (e.g., “kind”) and narrower negative traits (“gullible”) to describe politicians that they like; conversely, people tend to select broad negative traits (“unintelligent”) and narrower positive traits (“soft-hearted”) to describe politicians that they dislike. This trait breadth attribution bias was much stronger among those who had a positive, rather than negative, impression of the politician, a result we discuss in the context of related evidence of affective asymmetries in political judgment (e.g., Kinder, 1986; Marcus and Mackuen, 1993). More generally, these studies illustrate the potential associated with integrating cognitive, affective, and motivational factors in the service of fully understanding political judgment and choice.
Toward a Sociology of Heresy

This paper argues that discussion of heresy has suffered from neglect by sociologists. It attempts to remedy this situation by examining heresy in terms of the 'discursive analysis" associated with Derrida and Foucault. It is suggested that heresies still occur, albeit in secular or profane discourses in which they go unrecognized as such. It is further argued that the heretical status of an articulated opinion is determined by the institutionalized legitimation of the discourse within which a heresy is voiced; that heresy threatens established power relations; and that heresy is a semiotic phenomenon
Determining Copper in Sophora Flavescens Radix and Astrangali Radix by Double-wavelength Spectrophotometriy

Objective:To determine copper by the double-wavelength spectrophotometric.Method:A new double-wavelength spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of copper.Result:The experimental results shown in the best condition the apparent molar absorptivity of copper was 0.005 0-0.160 mg·L-1.Conclusion:The method is applied to the direct determination of copper in Chinese traditional medicine of with satisfactory results.
Analysis of the Follow-up Results on 64 AIDS Patients Using Anti-virus Drug in Guizhou Province

Objective:To report the follow-up data of participated AIDS patients in Guizhou province under antiviral therapy, to analyze the correlative influential factors, and to provide evidence for the necessity of building up more efficient follow-up mode. Methods:The follow-up data of patients under antiviral therapy at various divisions specialized for antiviral therapy in Guizhou province were collected and analyzed by SPSS 12.0. The treatment regime started between November 2007 and December 2008 and continued to April 30, 2009. Results:With the prolongation of treatment time, both the number of follow-up patients and the number of scheduled follow-up clinic attended declined. The completion situations of scheduled tests of both CD4+ lymphocyte count and viral load were 48.4% and 37.5% respectively. Conclusion: There exists problems of standardization and hardship in management and follow-up check of AIDS patients received anti-viral treatment. It prompts necessity to build up a more efficient and practical mode to manage and follow-up check of AIDS patients.
A Kruskal-like extension of the Kerr metric along the symmetry axis

A complete analytic extension of the Kerr metric along the symmetry axis is obtained by expanding the method developed by Kruskal for extending the Schwarzschild metric. It is found that only two co-ordinate patches are required for the complete analytic extension. Upon investigating geodesic trajectories in the Kerr field it is found that the phenomenon of self-intersecting world lines can occur. The effect is compared with similar self-collisions that may occur in a Schwarzschild field.
Progress in Top-Down Proteomics and the Analysis of Proteoforms

From a molecular perspective, enactors of function in biology are intact proteins that can be variably modified at the genetic, transcriptional, or post-translational level. Over the past 30 years, mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful method for the analysis of proteomes. Prevailing bottom-up proteomics operates at the level of the peptide, leading to issues with protein inference, connectivity, and incomplete sequence/modification information. Top-down proteomics (TDP), alternatively, applies MS at the proteoform level to analyze intact proteins with diverse sources of intramolecular complexity preserved during analysis. Fortunately, advances in prefractionation workflows, MS instrumentation, and dissociation methods for whole-protein ions have helped TDP emerge as an accessible and potentially disruptive modality with increasingly translational value. In this review, we discuss technical and conceptual advances in TDP, along with the growing power of proteoform-resolved measurements in clinical and translational research.
Social Networks and Inter-Systemic Decision-Making

The conception of social groupings as self-regulating systems that perceive, decide and act analogous to electro-mechanical cybernetic systems at one level and to organisms at another, has provided the contemporary social sciences with one of their most valuable conceptual instruments. Applied to organizational analysis it facilitated the systematic study of groups’ internal structure and operations and their interactions with other groups [1]. It was soon clear that not only the organs of government but the state itself could fruitfully be analyzed as self-regulating systems. The patent inadequacies of organismic theories of the state could be avoided, yet the integrated and coordinated purposeful and functionally differentiated activities of vast numbers of persons in a dynamically adjustive and adaptive national community could be conceptualized without destroying the individual person’s identity and essential autonomy, or the identity and autonomy of intermediate groupings [2].
Institutionalizing Instability: The Constitutional Roots of Insecurity in Nigeria's Fourth Republic

Nigeria’s return to democracy has been a tumultuous era; the Fourth Republic has been characterized by insurgencies and violence throughout the country. Though seemingly disparate movements, the violence of the Fourth Republic has its roots in the country’s constitution. Three aspects of the 1999 Nigerian constitution stand out as particularly problematic: the centralization of the police at the federal level with limited sub-national oversight, the ambiguous concept of indigeneity, and the overlapping, often contradictory land tenure systems endorsed. All of these allude to the precariousness of Nigerian federalism under the current constitution; ultimately, the police centralization primes the country for violence, while the indigeneity rules and land tenure system make it more difficult to negotiate stable post-conflict settlements. The country’s recent experience with Boko Haram will be used to illustrate how these constitutional tenets facilitate instability.
The Utility of High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Among Patients with Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloidosis

Abstract 2887 Introduction: Cardiac involvement is the major cause of death in patients with immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL). Detection of cardiac involvement and risk stratification has been facilitated by cardiac biomarkers like troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). A novel high sensitivity cTnT (hs-cTnT) assay has been developed, and we evaluated its diagnostic use with three questions in mind: 1) How do the cTnT and hs-cTnT perform in the AL amyloid staging system? 2) Does higher sensitivity add significant additional value in terms of prognosticating outcomes for patients with AL amyloidosis? 3) Can the current AL amyloidosis staging system be further improved upon? Methods: Stored serum samples (-20°C) from 224 pts with AL were analyzed for concentrations of hsTnT, TnT, and NT-proBNP on the E170 Modular analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Penzberg, Germany). 99 th percentile reference limits were Results: Median values for hsTnT, TnT, and NT-proBNP were 38 ng/L (range 0–075.4), 0.017 mcg/L ( Conclusion: The direct numeric result from the hs-cTnT result cannot merely be substituted for a cTnT result in the Mayo amyloid staging system. Consideration could be made for AL staging systems using hs-cTnT alone and relegating the NT-proBNP for measuring cardiac response. Disclosures: Jaffe: Roche: Consultancy.
Forlorn and Abject: Tolkien and His Earliest Writing (1914–1924)

The second chapter is an exploration of the reasons for Tolkien’s own sense of himself as different from others, queer—“Forlorn and Abject: Tolkien and His Earliest Writings (1914–1924).” Here, South African-born Tolkien emerges as a modest and unassuming author who never considered what he created as monumental. Orphaned at twelve, relatively slight in build, he made his way in his youth by means of mental acuity and male friendships, at King Edward’s School and then at Exeter. A husband, father, and professor, all while fairly young, first, at Leeds, and then at Oxford, he found models for his characters in his fairy-stories and mythology in the medieval antihero. For these heroes he drew on Kullervo, Sigurd, Beowulf, and others that he discovered as a student at King Edward’s School in Birmingham and at Exeter College, some of whom he lectured on in his courses at Leeds and Oxford.
Preliminary Identification of Coping Profiles Relevant to Surrogate Decision Making in the ICU

Objective The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a stressful environment for families of critically ill patients and these individuals are at risk to develop persistent psychological morbidity. Our study objective was to identify individual differences in coping with stress and information presentation preferences of respondents exposed to a simulated ICU experience. Methods Participants were recruited from a university and two community populations. Participants completed questionnaires that measured demographic information and characteristics that may be relevant to an individual’s ICU experience. Quality of life was measured by the EQ-5D, personality dimensions were examined with the abbreviated Big Five inventory, coping with stress was assessed with Brief COPE. Shared decision making preferences were assessed by the Degner Control Preferences Scale (CPS) and information seeking style was assessed with the Miller Behavioral Style Scale (MBSS). Social support was examined using an abbreviated version of the Social Relationship Index. Participants also completed a vignette-based simulated ICU experience, in which they made a surrogate decision on behalf of a loved one in the ICU. Results Three hundred forty-three participants completed the study. Three distinct coping profiles were identified: adaptive copers, maladaptive copers, and disengaged copers. Profiles differed primarily on coping styles, personality, quality of their closest social relationship, and history of anxiety and depression. Responses to the simulated ICU decision making experience differed across profiles. Disengaged copers (15%) were more likely to elect to refuse dialysis on behalf of an adult sibling compared to adaptive copers (7%) or maladaptive copers (5%) (p = 0.03). Notably, the MBSS and the CPS did not differ by coping profile. Conclusion Distinct coping profiles are associated with differences in responses to a simulated ICU experience. Tailoring communication and support to specific coping profiles may represent an important pathway to improving ICU experience for patients and families.
The dark side of browning

The induction of brown-like adipocyte development in white adipose tissue (WAT) confers numerous metabolic benefits by decreasing adiposity and increasing energy expenditure. Therefore, WAT browning has gained considerable attention for its potential to reverse obesity and its associated co-morbidities. However, this perspective has been tainted by recent studies identifying the detrimental effects of inducing WAT browning. This review aims to highlight the adverse outcomes of both overactive and underactive browning activity, the harmful side effects of browning agents, as well as the molecular brake-switch system that has been proposed to regulate this process. Developing novel strategies that both sustain the metabolic improvements of WAT browning and attenuate the related adverse side effects is therefore essential for unlocking the therapeutic potential of browning agents in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Pu-erh Tea: Botany, Production, and Chemistry

Pu-erh (pu’er) tea refers to processed leaves and buds of the broad-leaf variety of the tea plant ( Camellia sinensis var. assamica (L.) O. Kuntze; Theaceae) primarily sourced from China’s Yunnan province, as well as from neighboring areas of southwestern China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and northeastern India. This region is the center of origin of the tea plant. The diverse habitats from where pu-erh tea is sourced result in a botanical product that is highly heterogeneous in terms of sensory profiles and morphological, phytochemical, and genetic variation. Pu-erh may be processed as a loose or pressed green tea or a post-fermented black. Unlike other green teas, the heat-processing step is less complete for green pu-erh, and consequently it has a distinct oxidation profile with age. Fresh green pu-erh has similar health claims to other green teas while aged green pu-erh and post-fermented black pu-erh have additional health claims unique to fermented foods and beverages. Black post-fermented pu-erh is distinct from other black teas in that it undergoes fermentation by microbial enzymes. This results in the formation of new chemical constituents and fermentation-derived compounds with pro-biotic health claims.
Trait anger, neuroticism, and the hostile reaction to provocation: examining the hierarchical organization of affective traits in context

It has been suggested that the broad trait of neuroticism may predict the tendency to become aggressive when provoked. Based on functionalist theories of emotion, however, we suspected that only the more specific trait of anger would predict such tendencies. To test these competing predictions, two laboratory studies and one daily diary study were conducted. Consistent with functionalist accounts, trait anger consistently predicted the angry emotional and aggressive behavioral response to provocation, even after controlling for neuroticism. This was true in relation to laboratory-based provocations and in provocations experienced in daily life. Neuroticism only predicted a more diverse negative emotional reaction. It is therefore proposed that trait anger clearly elicits an angry emotional response, which directly motivates aggressive behavior. By contrast, neuroticism may lead to a very diverse reaction which elicits different and even contradictory behavioral tendencies.
Estimating the Potential Revenue Impact of Taxing LIFO Reserves in the Current Low Commodity Price Environment

ABSTRACT Public company LIFO reserves fell from 2012 to 2015, a time when commodity prices generally fell, and LIFO reserves and commodity prices both rose moderately in 2016. Using a combination o...
Equity Home Bias: A Disappearing Phenomenon?

The presence of home bias in equity portfolios has been a focus of the international finance literature for the past couple of decades. Recent developments and data collections, however, offer some insight into understanding the equity home bias phenomenon. This paper first demonstrates that there has been a distinct reduction equity home bias in recent years. It then examines if any of the prominent theoretical explanations or recent developments such as free trade and globalization, the advent the internet, and the rise of emerging markets and mutual fund investment have affected the increase in foreign diversification. The empirical analysis produces some interesting results. It demonstrates that the rise of the internet and mutual fund investment have indeed affected the changes in foreign diversification, supporting an information-asymmetries explanation. The results also indicate that other factors such as market size, which intuitively might be expected to affect foreign diversification, are insignificant.
Abstract WMP92: Stroke Quality of Care Measures in Relation to Long-term Mortality in the Florida Puerto Rico Collaboration to Reduce Stroke Disparities (FL-PR CReSD) Study

Introduction: In the FL-PR CReSD Study, there were race/ethnic disparities in the receipt of defect-free care. How race/ethnic disparities in acute stroke care contribute to disparities in outcomes...
Temperature-dependent defect accumulation and evolution in Ni-irradiated NiFe concentrated solid-solution alloy

Abstract Temperature significantly affects defect migration and evolution in irradiated materials. However, the effects of temperature on defect evolution in concentrated solid-solution alloys (CSAs), including high entropy alloys, are not well understood, despite their potential as structural materials in advanced nuclear reactors. As an important model system of these CSAs, equiatomic Ni50Fe50 (NiFe) was selected to understand the effects of temperature on defect evolution during irradiation and subsequent thermal annealing. Specifically, defect accumulation and evolution in NiFe alloy under Ni-ion irradiation at 150, 300, and 500 K were studied, and the irradiated specimens were subsequently annealed at higher temperatures. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry along the channeling direction was employed to study damage accumulation and evolution before and after each irradiation and annealing experiment. Here we show that more defects survive and accumulate at 150 K, but more importantly defects can migrate to deeper depths at this low irradiation temperature. Irradiation-induced damage at 150 and 300 K does not recover substantially after post-irradiation annealing at 500 K, but dramatic recovery is observed after post-irradiation annealing at 700 K, indicating an onset temperature of defect recovery between 500 and 700 K. The migration of irradiation-induced defects upon annealing is closely related to the mobility and stress state arising from the surviving defects. With the consideration of five stages of defect recovery in conventional dilute alloys, the underlying mechanisms for temperature-dependent defect accumulation and evolution in NiFe CSA are discussed.
Aortic Paravalvular Leak Repair: Can TAVR Be the Answer?

AbstractA 71-year-old male with endocarditis mediated severe paravalvular leak and nonischemic cardiomyopathy underwent percutaneous repair attempts with a closure device followed by valve-in-valve...
CRT-600.03 Etiologies and Trends of Readmission After Early Discharge (<48 Hours) and Next-Day Discharge (<24 Hours) TAVR: An Analysis From the Nationwide Readmissions Database

Because of improvements in TAVR design, early discharge (ED) (<48 hours) and next-day discharge (NDD) (<24 hours) are now feasible. However, the real-world trends and readmission causes after ED and NDD are unknown. Thus, we performed an analysis to evaluate the underlying causes and trends of 30-
Increasing non-susceptibility to antibiotics within carried pneumococcal serotypes - Alaska, 2008-2015.

Abstract Background In Alaska, while introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine led to declines in invasive pneumococcal disease, carriage prevalence remained stable because of replacement with non-vaccine serotypes. We assessed antibiotic non-susceptibility of carried pneumococci during serotype redistribution, determined the contributions of within-serotype shifts, and assessed factors that could explain changes in non-susceptibility. Methods Each year from 2008 to 2015, at multiple sites in Alaska, we collected nasopharyngeal swabs and completed surveys for a convenience sample of participants. Pneumococcal serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for penicillin and erythromycin were performed. We described changes in non-susceptibility of isolates from 2008–2011 to 2012–2015, and assessed the contributions of serotype redistribution and within-serotype changes in non-susceptibility by comparing observed data to modeled data removing either factor. We used weighted logistic regression to assess whether reported risk factors could explain changes over time in non-susceptibility within serotypes. Results From 2008–2011 to 2012–2015, the overall proportion of isolates non-susceptible to penicillin or erythromycin increased by 3%, from 23% (n = 1,183) to 26% (n = 1,589; P Discussion An overall increase in non-susceptibility of carried pneumococcal isolates to penicillin or erythromycin resulted from increases in non-susceptibility within serotypes, which outweighed a protective effect of serotype redistribution. Characterization of emerging resistant clones within carried non-vaccine serotypes, including risk factors for colonization and disease, would support disease prevention efforts and inform vaccine strategies.
1 John 3.12, Early Judaism and the Greek Life of Adam and Eve1:

The seemingly sudden introduction of an allusion to Cain and Abel in 1 Jn 3.12 is puzzling. To explain this apparent intrusion, select scholars have turned to early Jewish interpretations of Gen. 4...
Expectations of technology use during meetings: An experimental test of manager policy, device use, and task-acknowledgment:

In organizational meetings, mobile media are commonly used to hold multiple simultaneous conversations (i.e., multicommunication). This experiment uses video vignettes to test how manager policy (n...
Design Interface and Modeling Technique

HCI (human-computer interaction) has contributed greatly to the information industry revolution. When used to display and allow interaction through system models, it helps humans to understand systems and processes whose complexity is well beyond pencil-and-paper exploration. An appropriate model with a well-design human-computer interface helps system designers understand today’s complex systems and helps humans (both designers and other stakeholders) understand each other. This understanding facilitates system analysis, verification, refinement, improvement, and debugging. We illustrate the advantages of using a good interface design and a rigorous modeling technique by applying one of the most important modelling techniques – Petri Nets – to the popular smart city application domain. We show how this facilitates understanding and communication between system engineers and other project participants and stakeholders.
How Agencies Communicate

Agencies communicate guidance in many different ways, not limited to the notice-and-comment regulations anticipated by the Administrative Procedure Act. Agencies also, for instance, offer information informally, on social media, and using pictures as well as words. What effect do different communications have in fact, and what effect do and should they have under the law? Notice & Comment, the blog of the Yale Journal on Regulation and the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, hosted an online symposium about this from January 29 to February 2, 2018. This symposium contains ten entries that consider how agencies communicate. Topics include: How Agencies Communicate: Introduction and an Example Visual Regulation -- and Deregulation Administrative Braggadocio Involuntary Rulemaking Challenges Agencies Face in Communicating Guidance Where to Find Authoritative Guidance on Regulatory Meaning Interim-Final or Temporary Regulations: Playing Fast and Loose With the Rules (Sometimes) How Agencies Should Communicate During Notice-and-Comment Rulemaking Why Does Anyone Care What an Agency Says?
Oral chemotherapy education: Hitting the mark?

221Background: ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) includes process measures on oral chemotherapy education. Whether achievement of these measures has an impact on clinical outcomes ...