bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hyperhomocysteinemia in women with unexplained sterility or recurrent early pregnancy loss from Southern Italy: a preliminary report
Authors: D'Uva Maristella , Di Micco Pierpaolo , Strina Ida , Alviggi Carlo , Iannuzzo Mariateresa , Ranieri Antonio , Mollo Antonio , De Placido Giuseppe 
Published: July 2007

Abstract

Background
Hyperhomocysteinemia has been described as a risk factor for unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. Increased levels of homocysteine may be due to inadequate dietary intake of folate and vitamin B12 and inherited defects within the methionine-homocysteine pathway such as MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism. However, the association between hyperhomocysteinemia and sterility problems have been underlined only for recurrent pregnancy loss while a relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and female sterility is still matter of discussion.

Aim
This study sought to find out a possible relationship between sterility (primary sterility or secondary sterility due to recurrent pregnancy loss) and homocysteine metabolism.

Patients and Methods
We selected 20 patients with recurrent pregnancy loss, 20 patients with unexplained female sterility and 20 healthy women as control group. Several whole blood samples were collected by venipuncture. Firstly homocysteinemia and other related variables were tested (i.e. folate and vitamin B12 levels); thereafter DNA was extracted by a further whole blood sample collected in EDTA in order to screen MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism. Statistical analysis was performed by chi square test; differences were considered to be significant if p < 0.05.

Results
The median fasting total plasma homocysteine concentration was 19.2 ± 6.14 μM for patients with recurrent pregnancy loss, while was 21.05 ± 8.78 μM for patients with unexplained sterility, vs 7.85 ± 3.31 μM of control group (p < 0.05). Fifteen patients with unexplained female sterility showed MTHFR C677T homozigosity vs 17 with recurrent pregnancy loss and 3 in the control group (p < 0.05). On the other hand no significant differences were found in the levels of vitamin B 12 in the three groups, while reduced folate concentrations were found in women with unexplained female sterility and recurrent pregnancy loss (p < 0.05 vs control group.

Discussion
MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism is frequent in the studied populations. These data raise questions on the role of the homocysteine metabolism in sterility problems. Even though increased homocysteine (i.e. > 15 μM) and MTHFR C677T homozigosity have already been described as risk factors for recurrent pregnancy loss, few studies evaluated their role in women with unexplained sterility. Further studies on larger series are needed to better understand the role of homocysteine metabolism, including folate metabolism, in this clinical setting.
Inhibition of HIV-1 replication by P-TEFb inhibitors DRB, seliciclib and flavopiridol correlates with release of free P-TEFb from the large, inactive form of the complex
Authors: Biglione Sebastian , Byers Sarah A , Price Jason P , Nguyen Van Trung , Bensaude Olivier , Price David H , Maury Wendy 
Published: July 2007

Abstract

Background
The positive transcription elongation factor, P-TEFb, comprised of cyclin dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9) and cyclin T1, T2 or K regulates the productive elongation phase of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) dependent transcription of cellular and integrated viral genes. P-TEFb containing cyclin T1 is recruited to the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) by binding to HIV Tat which in turn binds to the nascent HIV transcript. Within the cell, P-TEFb exists as a kinase-active, free form and a larger, kinase-inactive form that is believed to serve as a reservoir for the smaller form.

Results
We developed a method to rapidly quantitate the relative amounts of the two forms based on differential nuclear extraction. Using this technique, we found that titration of the P-TEFb inhibitors flavopiridol, DRB and seliciclib onto HeLa cells that support HIV replication led to a dose dependent loss of the large form of P-TEFb. Importantly, the reduction in the large form correlated with a reduction in HIV-1 replication such that when 50% of the large form was gone, HIV-1 replication was reduced by 50%. Some of the compounds were able to effectively block HIV replication without having a significant impact on cell viability. The most effective P-TEFb inhibitor flavopiridol was evaluated against HIV-1 in the physiologically relevant cell types, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and monocyte derived macrophages (MDMs). Flavopiridol was found to have a smaller therapeutic index (LD50/IC50) in long term HIV-1 infectivity studies in primary cells due to greater cytotoxicity and reduced efficacy at blocking HIV-1 replication.

Conclusion
Initial short term studies with P-TEFb inhibitors demonstrated a dose dependent loss of the large form of P-TEFb within the cell and a concomitant reduction in HIV-1 infectivity without significant cytotoxicity. These findings suggested that inhibitors of P-TEFb may serve as effective anti-HIV-1 therapies. However, longer term HIV-1 replication studies indicated that these inhibitors were more cytotoxic and less efficacious against HIV-1 in the primary cell cultures.
Polar Effect of Successive Fluorination of Dimethyl Carbonate on Physical Properties
Authors: Nanbu Noritoshi , Takehara Masahiro , Watanabe Susumu , Ue Makoto , Sasaki Yukio 
Published: July 2007

Abstract
Successive fluorination of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) exerts a polar effect on various fundamental properties. We describe the temperature dependence of the mass density (ρ), refractive index (nD), relative permittivity (εr), dynamic viscosity (η), and kinematic viscosity (ν) of trifluorinated, difluorinated, and monofluorinated DMCs (TFDMC, DFDMC, and MFDMC, respectively). η decreased in essentially the same order as εr: DFDMC &gt; TFDMC &gt; MFDMC &gt; DMC. However, ν and the boiling point of the TFDMC were lower than those of the MFDMC.
Generalized Anomeric Effect in CH4−nClnS. Energetic and NBO Analyses
Authors: Roohi Hossein , Habibi Sayed Mostefa 
Published: July 2007

Abstract
The conformational preference for gauche structures over anti ones in the simple model molecules CH4−nClnS (where n=1 and 2) was examined in detail by means of Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis. We also compared the origin of the anomeric effect in CH2ClSH and CH2FSH. The energetic preference at MP2/6-311+G(d,p) level was slightly greater in CH2ClSH than in CHCl2SH. NBO analysis at the HF/6-311+G(d,p)//MP2/6-311+G(d,p) level indicates that the conformational preference for gauche conformers over anti ones is the result of a wide variety of orbital interactions. However, the interaction between the lp(S) and σ∗(C–Cl) is the most important factor for stabilizing the gauche conformers. In all compounds studied here, the effect of electrostatic and steric contributions involved in the Lewis term on stability of gauche conformers was less important than the charge delocalization.
Theoretical Design of Monofunctional Psoralen Compounds in Photochemotherapy
Authors: Nakata Ayako , Baba Takeshi , Nakai Hiromi 
Published: July 2007

Abstract
The geometries and electronic structures in the lowest triplet (T1) states of psoralen, 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP), 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), and their monoadducts were studied by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was shown that the pyrone ring of 8-MOP is cleaved in the T1 state and the cleaved pyrone ring loses the ability to bond to the thymine residue. Therefore, 8-MOP in the open-ring structure does not form a diadduct, which is thought to cause side effects. DFT calculations on 20 kinds of substituted psoralens showed that the cleavage of the pyrone ring in the T1 state can be controlled by substituting an electron-donating group, especially one having a strong electron-donating resonance effect, at the 8-position of psoralen.
Synthesis and Properties of a 1,3-Thiazole Extended p-Terphenoquinone. A New sp2 Nitrogen Atom-Containing Terquinone Derivative
Authors: Kurata Hiroyuki , Takakuwa Hideki , Imai Naoaki , Matsumoto Kouzou , Kawase Takeshi , Oda Masaji 
Published: July 2007

Abstract
2,5-Bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-oxo-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene)-2,5-dihydrothiazole, which is to our knowledge, the first p-terphenoquinone incorporating a 1,3-thiazole ring, had a sharp and strong absorption in the visible region and good electron affinity enhanced by sp2 nitrogen atom. Alkali-metal reduction afforded the corresponding dianion, which showed strong fluorescence.
Premarital screening for β-thalassaemia in Southern Iran: options for improving the programme
Authors: Karimi Mehran , Jamalian Nima , Yarmohammadi Hooman , Askarnejad Abdolrasoul , Afrasiabi Abdolreza , Hashemi Alireza 
Published: July 2007

Background: β-thalassaemia is a preventable disease. Iran has about 20,000 homozygote β-thalassaemia patients and 3,750,000 carriers. Objective: To assess the 10-year results of the screening programme, which has been operating in Southern Iran since 1995. Methods: All couples wanting to marry were required to be checked for β-thalassaemia by their red blood cell indices in order to receive a permit for marriage registration. The results were reported to the nearest counselling team. If the results were conspicuous, haemoglobin A2(HbA2) and, in some subjects, Hb electrophoresis was performed. Couples in which both partners were carriers received counselling. For those who, in spite of the recommendation, decided to marry, prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy in case of an affected fetus was offered. The latter was offered only in the last three years. Results: In 1995, 1999 and 2004, 296, 94 and 56 β-thalassaemia homozygotes, respectively, were born (2.53, 1.07 and 0.82 patients per 1000 births). Discussion: This programme has decreased the birth prevalence of β-thalassaemia, but has unfortunately not eliminated the disease altogether. The reasons for the birth of new cases, in spite of the screening programmes, are: (i) premarital screening programme started in 1995; therefore, carrier couples who married before this did not receive counselling and gave birth to homozygote β-thalassaemia children; (ii) unwanted pregnancy among the carrier couples; (iii) the couples knew about their problem, but they married for cultural and religious causes (illegal marriages).
An advance notification letter increases participation in colorectal cancer screening
Authors: Cole S R , Smith A , Wilson C , Turnbull D , Esterman A , Young G P 
Published: July 2007

Objectives: To determine the impact of novel invitation strategies on population participation in faecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Setting A community screening programme in Adelaide, South Australia. Methods: In total, 2400 people aged 50–74 years were randomly allocated to one of four CRC screening invitation strategies: (a) Control: standard invitation-to-screen letter explaining risk of CRC and the concept, value and method of screening; (b) Risk: invitation with additional messages related to CRC risk; (c) Advocacy: invitation with additional messages related to advocacy for screening from previous screening programme participants and (d) Advance Notification: first, a letter introducing Control letter messages followed by the standard invitation-to-screen. Invitations included an FIT kit. Programme participation rates were determined for each strategy relative to control. Associations between participation and sociodemographic variables were explored. Results: At 12 weeks after invitation, participation was: Control: 237/600 (39.5%); Risk: 242/600 (40.3%); Advocacy: 216/600 (36.0%) and Advance Notification: 290/600 (48.3%). Participation was significantly greater than Control only in the Advance Notification group (Relative risk [RR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.43). This effect was apparent as early as two weeks from date of offer; Advance Notification: 151/600 (25.2%) versus Control: 109/600 (18.2%, RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.11–1.73). Conclusions: Advance notification significantly increased screening participation. The effect may be due to a population shift in readiness to undertake screening, and is consistent with the Transtheoretical Model of behaviour change. Risk or lay advocacy strategies did not improve screening participation. Organized screening programmes should consider using advance notification letters to improve programme participation.
Diagnosis and management costs of suspicious skin lesions from a population-based melanoma screening programme
Authors: Gordon Louisa , Youl Philippa H , Elwood Mark , Janda Monika , Ring Ian T , Lowe John B , Aitken Joanne F 
Published: July 2007

Background: Recently, massive increases in health-care costs for the diagnosis and management of skin lesions have been observed (2000–05). The aim of this study was to describe the health system costs attributed to the diagnosis and management of suspicious skin lesions detected during a trial of a population melanoma screening programme (1998–2001). Setting: Queensland, Australia. Methods: Data from the trial and Medicare Australia were used to categorize and cost all suspicious skin lesions arising from the trial, which included general practitioner consultations, diagnosis/management and pathology. Comparisons were made with other screened and unscreened populations. Results: Overall, 2982 lesions were treated within the trial producing a mean cost of Aus&dollar;118 per lesion. Excisions for benign lesions contributed the greatest proportion of total costs (45%). The total cost burden was approximately 10% higher for men than women, and 63% of overall costs were for persons aged &ge;50 years. For diagnosis and management procedures, the estimated average cost per 1000 individuals was Aus&dollar;23,560 for men aged &ge;50 years from the skin cancer screening trial, compared with Aus&dollar;26,967 for BreastScreen Australia and Aus&dollar;3042 for the National Cervical Screening Program. Conclusions: The proportion of costs for benign skin lesions and biopsies arising from the screening programme were no higher than in the two-year period outside the trial. While comparisons are difficult, it appears that diagnostic and management costs for skin cancer as a result of screening may be comparable with those for BreastScreen Australia, if screening is targeted at men aged ≥50 years.
Notes on the marine algae of the Bermudas. 8. Further additions to the flora, including Griffithsia aestivana sp. nov. (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) and an update on the alien Cystoseira compressa (Sargassaceae, Heterokontophyta)
Authors: W. Schneider Craig , E. Lane Christopher 
Published: July 2007

Abstract

Griffithsia aestivana sp. nov. is described as an endemic from Bermuda. Vegetatively, it is most similar to G. capitata from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, but the two differ in overall size and in the tetrasporic state. Eleven other marine algal taxa are reported from Bermuda for the first time: Anadyomene howei, Struvea elegans, Cladophoropsis macromeres, Derbesia turbinata, Caulerpa racemosa var. lamourouxii, Halimeda discoidea, Chrysymenia nodulosa, Gloiocladia iyoensis, Dasya caraibica, Chondrophycus iridescens and Polysiphonia scopulorum. All except D. turbinata represent new northern limits of distribution in the North Atlantic Ocean. In addition, recent Bermuda collections of the alien Mediterranean Cystoseira compressa and the rarely found Womersleyella setacea are detailed.
The Entangled Self: Genre Bondage in the Age of the Memoir
Authors: Miller Nancy K. 
Published: July 2007

So, I'm just like everybody else. I go to the bookstore. I pick out a book I love. If it says memoir, I know that—that maybe the names and dates and times have been compressed, because that' what a memoir is.—Oprah Winfrey on Larry King Live, 11 January 2006I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require. I altered events all the way through the book.—James Frey, New York Times, 2 February 2006Sometimes the facts threaten the truth.—Amos Oz, A Tale of Love and DarknessOf course it is impossible to tell the truth. For example, how does one know it? I will not belabor the difficulty by telling you how hard I have tried. And if compulsion forces me to tell the truth, it may also lead me into error, or invention.—Kate Millett, FlyingIs it autobiography if parts of it are not true? Is it fiction if parts of it are?—Lynda Barry, One Hundred Demons
Planning models for parallel batch reactors with sequence‐dependent changeovers
Authors: Erdirik‐Dogan Muge , Grossmann Ignacio E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn this article we address the production planning of parallel multiproduct batch reactors with sequence‐dependent changeovers, a challenging problem that has been motivated by a real‐world application of a specialty chemicals business. We propose two production planning models that anticipate the impact of the changeovers in this batch processing problem. The first model is based on underestimating the effects of the changeovers that leads to an MILP problem of moderate size. The second model incorporates sequencing constraints that yield very accurate predictions, but at the expense of a larger MILP problem. To solve large scale problems in terms of number of products and reactors, or length of the time horizon, we propose a decomposition technique based on rolling horizon scheme and also a relaxation of the detailed planning model. Several examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed models. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007
Venous thromboembolism risk among hospitalized patients: Magnitude of the risk is staggering
Authors: Goldhaber Samuel Z. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractQuality assessment focuses on areas where measurement is easy and unequivocal. To determine whether high quality hospital medicine is being practiced, a natural target is assessment of the frequency of orders to implement preventive strategies against venous thromboembolism. Patient risk can be readily ascertained, and rigorous clinical trials have vetted effective strategies to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Concentrating on reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism is worthwhile because more than 4 million surgical patients and almost 8 million medical patients warrant specific prophylaxis orders each year in the United States alone. For those who do not receive preventive measures, the result may not be apparent during the index hospitalization. More likely, such patients will tend to develop deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism within the ensuing 90 days, either in a skilled nursing facility or at home in the community. It is now time for us to broaden our approach. What happens in the hospital (such as lapses in good hospital practice) does not necessarily stay in the hospital. Failure to prophylax against venous thromboembolism may have potentially devastating implications for months after hospital discharge. Am. J. Hematol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tracking open access journals evolution: Some considerations in open access data collection validation
Authors: Sotudeh Hajar , Horri Abbas 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis article examines the evolution of a collection of open access journals (OAJs,) indexed by the Science Citation Index (SCI; Thomson Scientific Philadelphia, PA) against four validity criteria including a free, immediate, full and constant access policy for at least 5 years. Few journals are found to be wrongly identified as OAJ or to have a dubious access policy. Some delayed journals evolved into gold OA; however, these are scarce compared to the number of journals that withdrew from gold OA to be an embargoed or a partially OAJ. A majority of the journals meet three of the criteria as they provide free and immediate access to their entire contents. Although a lot are found to follow a constant policy, a large number has an OA lifetime shorter than 5 years, due to the high frequency of newly launched or newly converted journals. That is the major factor affecting the validity of the collection. Only half of the collection meets all the requirements.
Impact of research cultures on the use of digital library resources
Authors: Talja Sanna , Vakkari Pertti , Fry Jenny , Wouters Paul 
Published: July 2007

AbstractCurrently, there exists little evidence concerning how various characteristics of research cultures are associated with patterns of use of electronic library resources. The present study addresses this gap by exploring how research‐group membership, across‐fields scattering of literature, and degree of establishment of research area are related to patterns of digital library use. The analytic dimensions are derived from Richard Whitley's (1984) theory of the social and intellectual organization of academic fields. The article represents a first attempt to operationalize Whitley's concepts in a large‐scale study of e‐resources use. The data used in the study were gathered in 2004 by the Finnish Electronic Library (FinElib) through a nationwide Web‐based user questionnaire (N = 900). Membership in a research group significantly increased searching in journal databases, the importance of colleagues as sources of information about electronic articles and journals, and the use of alert services. A significant interaction effect was found between degree of across‐fields scattering of relevant resources and degree of establishment of research fields. A high degree of across‐fields scattering of relevant literature increased the number of journal databases used mainly in less established research areas whereas it influenced the use of journal databases less in established fields. This research contributes to our picture concerning the complex set of interacting factors influencing patterns of use of e‐resources.
Conditionally heteroscedastic factorial HMMs for time series in finance
Authors: Saidane Mohamed , Lavergne Christian 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn this article, we develop a new approach within the framework of asset pricing models that incorporates two key features of the latent volatility: co‐movement among conditionally heteroscedastic financial returns and switching between different unobservable regimes. By combining latent factor models with hidden Markov chain models we derive a dynamical local model for segmentation and prediction of multivariate conditionally heteroscedastic financial time series. We concentrate more precisely on situations where the factor variances are modelled by univariate generalized quadratic autoregressive conditionally heteroscedastic processes. The expectation maximization algorithm that we have developed for the maximum likelihood estimation is based on a quasi‐optimal switching Kalman filter approach combined with a generalized pseudo‐Bayesian approximation, which yield inferences about the unobservable path of the common factors, their variances and the latent variable of the state process. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations and preliminary experiments obtained with daily foreign exchange rate returns of eight currencies show promising results. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.