cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hardware implementation of Corner2 lossless compression algorithm for maskless lithography systems

The data delivery throughput of maskless lithography systems can be improved by applying a lossless image compression algorithm to the layout images and using a lithography writer that contains a decoding circuit packed in single silicon to decode the compressed image on-the-fly. In our past research we have introduced Corner2, a layout image compression algorithm which achieved significantly better performance in all aspects (compression ratio, encoding/decoding speed, decoder memory requirement) than Block C4. In this paper, we present the synthesis results of the Corner2 decoder for FPGA implementation.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Sound of Silence: Eschatology and the Limits of the Word in David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas

It should come as no surprise that the Wachowskis elected to adapt David Mitchell’s 2004 tour de force Cloud Atlas into a film. Like Mitchell’s works, the Wachowskis’ 1999 film The Matrix is a part of a contemporary trend in which artists and writers such as Angela Carter, Paul Auster, and Salman Rushdie engaged in postmodern discourse, themes, and techniques without necessarily subordinating itself their visions to a postmodern worldview. 1 Mitchell received an M.A. in 1987 from the University of Kent in comparative literature focusing on the postmodern novel, and his first three novels employ the themes and problematic tensions raised by the theory dominant during the rise of continental philosophy in Anglo-American graduate programs during the 1980s and 90s. 2 Cloud Atlas engages theory ranging from overt metafictional winks, such as Timothy Cavendish’s disapproving mockery of “flashbacks, foreshadowings, and tricksy devices,” which “belong in the 1980s with M.A.s in postmodernism and chaos theory” (150), to more subtle uses of popular postmodern metaphors apparently drawn from the theory, as when Henry Goose poisons Adam Ewing with a fake medicine, thereby literalizing Derrida’s riff in “Plato’s Pharmacy” on Socrates’s claim that writing is a pharmakon, a word that means both “cure” and “poison” (759). Like the theory it interrogates, such engagements necessarily front language, speech, and writing as central thematic concerns. Mitchell’s work is systematic in its logic, self-consciously employing a kind of neostructuralist aesthetic, wherein the novels enact a series of tensions that provide a formal structure, distinct from Levi-Straussian structuralism, insofar as the author is aware of the binaries as useful heuristics rather than as necessary universals. As Mitchell told Adam Begley concerning a later work, “Black Swan Green is carefully structured—like all halfway decent books” (“David Mitchell”) and this structure is essential to his project. In this essay, I will use Cloud Atlas as a case study to demonstrate how David Mitchell’s novels explore the problematics of language using a systematic binary logic, resisting the Derridean deconstruction made
Cloning and expression of a rat kidney cytosolic glutamine transaminase K that has strong sequence homology to kynurenine pyruvate aminotransferase.

Abstract An α-keto acid-dependent cysteine S -conjugate β-lyase of rat kidney was identified as cytosolic glutamine transaminase K by Stevens et al. ( J. Biol. Chem. 261, 15529–15537, 1986). Subsequently, a rat kidney protein with both glutamine transaminase K- and cysteine S -conjugate β-lyase activities was cloned and sequenced by Perry et al. ( Mol. Pharmacol. 43, 660–665, 1993). This protein was later shown to be identical with kynurenine pyruvate aminotransferase (Mosca et al., FEBS Lett. 353, 21–24, 1994). Thus, kynurenine pyruvate aminotransferase possesses both glutamine transaminase K- and cysteine S -conjugate β-lyase-type activities. We have also cloned a cytosolic glutamine transaminase K from a rat kidney cDNA library and expressed the full-length clone in COS1 cells. The transfected cells exhibit marked increases in activities of both glutamine transaminase K and cysteine S -conjugate β-lyase. The enzyme cloned in the present work is a homodimer. Each subunit has a molecular mass of 45.8 kDa and contains 426 amino acid residues. The sequence of cytosolic glutamine transaminase K obtained in the present work has strong similarities to other aminotransferases, including >90% identity with kynurenine pyruvate aminotransferase. Our preparation of purified rat kidney cytosolic glutamine transaminase K possesses some kynurenine pyruvate aminotransferase activity. Thus, rat kidney cytosol possesses at least two distinct enzymes that catalyze glutamine transaminase K/cysteine S -conjugate β-lyase/kynurenine py- ruvate aminotransferase reactions. The present work underscores the difficulties associated with characterizing aminotransferases with overlapping specificities.
Interactions between intrinsic defects and Nitrogen/Boron impurities in high-resistivity 4H SiC: electron paramagnetic resonance study

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been employed to examine thermo- and photo-activated interactions between as-grown intrinsic defects and nitrogen/boron impurities in nominally high-resistivity 4H SiC produced without intentional vanadium doping. The EPR spectra, recorded in the dark at 4 K, revealed either a low concentration of paramagnetic boron, nitrogen, or a carbon-vacancy-related defect (ID-1). The photo-induced charge transfer between ID-1 and both boron and nitrogen has been detected. In some samples, illumination with 0.9-1.6-eV light at 4.2 K quenched the ID-1 signal and produced an approximately equal amount of shallow paramagnetic boron. Exposure to 1.9-2.7-eV light restored the ID-1 center and produced shallow paramagnetic nitrogen. A model based on excitation from the band edges and the threshold energies obtained from the photo-EPR data placed the ID-1 level 0.9 ± 0.1 eV above the valence-band edge. Comparison of these data with that obtained from other samples that exhibited excess boron or nitrogen impurities suggested the presence of an additional defect no more than 0.9 eV below the conduction-band edge. This defect can exchange charge with the nitrogen donor.
Wave-shaping of pulse tube cryocooler components for improved performance

Abstract The method of wave-shaping acoustic resonators is applied to an inertance type cryogenic pulse tube refrigerator (IPTR) to improve its performance. A detailed time-dependent axisymmetric experimentally validated computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the PTR is used to predict its performance. The continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved for both the refrigerant gas (helium) and the porous media regions (the regenerator and the three heat-exchangers) in the PTR. An improved representation of heat transfer in the porous media is achieved by employing a thermal non-equilibrium model to couple the gas and solid (porous media) energy equations. The wave-shaped regenerator and pulse tube studied have cone geometries and the effects of different cone angles and the orientation (nozzle v / s diffuser mode) on the system performance are investigated. The resultant spatio-temporal pressure, temperature and velocity fields in the regenerator and pulse tube components are evaluated. The performance of these wave-shaped PTRs is compared to the performance of a non wave-shaped system with cylindrical components. Better cooling is predicted for the cryocooler using wave-shaped components oriented in the diffuser mode.
Cell cycle specific isopentenyl transferase expression led to coordinated enhancement of cell division, cell growth and plant development in transgenic Arabidopsis

Cytokinin is an essential plant developmental regulator that requires precise temporal and spatial control for synergistic action on morphogenesis. To identify the cellular target for proper cytokinin function, the bacterial gene IPT, encoding an isopentenyl transferase for de novo cytokinin biosynthesis, was expressed in transgenic plants using promoters with different specificities. Analysis of the transgenic plants revealed that ectopic IPT expression was detrimental to plant development, whereas exclusive expression of IPT in cycling cells led to normal plant development with increased growth and final organ size. The enlarged organ size was a result of increase in both cell number and cell size, which was accompanied by increased expression of CycD3 and CycB1, indicating that cytokinin controls organ size by regulating cyclin expression. The cell cycle-specific cyclin promoters were active in multiple organs, including root, leaf and flower, suggesting the biological significance of the locally produced cytokinin on morphogenesis, and the amplified cytokinin biosynthesis in the pre-existing dividing cells of these organs is necessary and sufficient for coordinated cell division, cell growth, pattern formation and organ development. To our knowledge, this is the first case that cytokinin was genetically manipulated in transgenic plants to produce dramatically enhanced phenotypes without noticeable negative effect, providing a promising opportunity for crop improvement.
Technique for repair of suprarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms

Suprarenal and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms represent significant surgical challenges. For patients with associated aortic dissections, current endovascular technology has not been matured to address branch reconstructions that derive from separate lumens, making open surgical reconstruction the only proven method for repair. The required exposures of the thoracoabdominal aorta are expansive, and the extent of aortic replacement mandates efficient technique. Furthermore, a well-orchestrated team of surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and perfusionists are all integral to achieving good outcomes and keeping operative courses tightly managed. Techniques to address extensive aneurysms of the thoracoabdominal aorta are reviewed in detail here, and videos are provided on The Journal website to show relevant anatomical features.
Na+-Ca2+ Exchange in Failing Myocardium

The Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is a cation transporting protein present in the plasma membrane of animal cells. NCX transports three Na+ in exchange for one Ca2+ and thus is electrogenic; the function of the exchanger is controlled by the gradients for Na+ and Ca2+ across the cell membrane and membrane potential.1 In normal cardiac myocytes, NCX plays an important role in Ca2+ homeostasis. NCX functions in a forward mode, in which Na+ enters the cell and Ca2+ is extruded. The rate of Ca2+ extrusion by NCX is much greater than by the sarcolemmal Ca2+ pump,2 and Bridge et al3 have shown that NCX extrudes the amount of Ca2+ that enters the cell via the L-type Ca2+ channel as Ca2+ current, thus maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis on a beat-to-beat basis. As NCX extrudes Ca2+ and thus lowers Ca2+ from its peak, it contributes to relaxation in parallel with Ca2+ uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase.4 The extent to which NCX contributes to the decline of the Ca2+ transient varies between species,5 because the relative balance between the activities of these two Ca2+ removal systems is influenced by their level of expression, the [Na+]i, and the duration of the action potential. In rats and mice, which have a high level of activity of the SR Ca2+-ATPase and a relatively high [Na+]i, NCX is responsible for only ≈10% of relaxation. In rabbits, which have a lower [Na+]i and SR Ca2+-ATPase activity, NCX contributes more significantly to the decline of the Ca2+ transient, especially during the terminal phase of the …
Effect of spontaneous and mechanical breathing on dynamic lung mechanics in hyaline membrane disease.

We measured then compared the dynamic lung mechanics of spontaneous breaths and mechanical breaths in 9 mechanically ventilated neonates with hyaline membrane disease. All were receiving intermittent mandatory ventilation. All breathed spontaneously between ventilator breaths. Tidal volume, transpulmonary pressure, dynamic lung compliance, airways resistance, and peak inspiratory and peak expiratory gas flows were determined for both the mechanical and the spontaneous breaths. The mechanical breaths consistently had larger tidal volumes, higher transpulmonary pressures, higher airway resistance, and lower lung compliance values (P < 0.05). Peak inspiratory and expiratory gas flows were also higher (P < 0.01) during mechanical breathing. The spontaneous breaths generated by patients and the mechanical breaths generated by mechanical ventilators are different. The lung mechanics measurements of these two different types of breathing should be collected, analyzed, and reported separately. Pediatr Pulmonol 1990; 8:222-225.
Viscosity solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi equations, and asymptotics for Hamiltonian systems

In this paper we apply the theory of viscosity solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi equations to understand the structure of certain Hamiltonian flows. In particular, we describe the asymptotic behavior of minimizing orbits, and prove analogs of the classical Hamilton-Jacobi integrability theory that hold under very general conditions. Then, combining partial differential equations techniques with dynamical systems ideas (Mather measures, ergodicity) we study solutions of time-independent Hamilton-Jacobi equation, namely, uniform continuity, difference quotients and non-uniqueness.
Ideology, Status, and The Differential Success of Direct Parties Before the Supreme Court

A substantial literature on lower federal courts and state courts suggests that the "haves" usually come out ahead in litigation because they possess superior resources for it and they reap advantages from their repeat player status. We investigate the success of 10 categories of litigants before the Warren, Burger, and Rehnquist Courts to determine whether the resources or experience of litigants has effects on Supreme Court outcomes paralleling those found in the courts below. While different categories of litigants are found to have very different rates of success, those differences do not consistently favor litigants with greater resources. A time series analysis of the success of different categories of litigants over the 36 years studied suggests that the changing ideological complexion of the Court has a greater impact on the success of litigants than differences among litigants in resources and experience. W e examine the impact of litigant status and the changing ideology of the U.S. Supreme Court on differences in the success rates of direct parties before the Court. Simply, we seek to explain why some categories of litigants win more frequently than others when appearing before the Court. Previous explanations have attributed differential success rates in lower federal courts to, inter alia, disparities between litigants of different status in judicial experience and resources. We argue, however, that differential success rates in Supreme Court decisions have more to do with the ideological composition of the Court and the Court's receptivity to the different types of legal claims made by litigants of different status. Previous research indicates that the status of litigants before American courts has substantial influence on judicial outcomes. Higher-status parties enjoy significant advantages in appellate courts and usually win. This has been demonstrated in the U.S. courts of appeals (Sheehan and Songer 1989) and, to a lesser degree, in state supreme courts (Wheeler et al. 1987). Curiously, the impact of litigant status on
Host hemolymph proteins and protein digestion in larval Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: braconidae).

Host plasma proteins and protein digestion in larval parasitoids were studied during trophic interactions of the ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), with a host, larvae of the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella Hubner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). We could detect no apparent differences in host hemolymph protein patterns up to 72 h after paralysation and/or parasitization by H. hebetor. A 190 kDa putative apolipophorin I present in host hemolymph could not be detected in the midguts of feeding H. hebetor larvae indicating that it is rapidly digested. The major 60 kDa storage proteins (putative hexamerins) in host hemolymph were detected in the parasitoid midgut and were completely digested 24 h after cessation of feeding and the beginning of cocoon formation. Host hemolymph had a pH of about 6.4. The pH optima of the midgut proteinases in the larval parasitoid were in the alkaline region, but midgut fluid in feeding parasitoid larvae was about pH 6.8. Based on enzyme activity against selected artificial proteinase substrates including azocasein, N-α-benzoyl-L-Arg p-nitroanilide (BApNA), succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe p-nitroanilide (SAAPFpNA), succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Leu p-nitroanilide (SAAPLpNA), and inhibition by selected proteinase inhibitors, serine proteinases appear to be the predominant class of enzymes involved in protein digestion in the midguts of H. hebetor. There is also an active aminopeptidase (LpNA) associated with the microsomal fraction of midgut preparations. There was no evidence for preoral digestion or ingestion of proteinases from host hemolymph by the parasitoid larva. There was a very active BApNAase in the soluble fraction of midgut extracts. This activity increased on a per midgut basis up to 24 h after the beginning of cocoon formation but decreased rapidly by 48 h. Two major (P1 and P3) and several minor proteinases were detected in midgut extracts of H. hebetor analysed with gelatin zymograms. The apparent molecular mass of P1 varied from 95 to 49 kDa depending on protein loading. P3 had an apparent molecular mass of 39 kDa that was independent of protein loading. In summary, electrophoretic evidence indicates that host hemolymph protein patterns do not change significantly for at least 72 h after paralysation by H. hebetor. The role, if any, of envenomization in preventing breakdown of hemolymph proteins during this time remains to be determined. Because the predominant host hemolymph proteins, a putative apolipophorin I and the putative hexamerins, are readily digested by the serine proteinases present in the midguts of this parasitoid larva, these or similar proteins would provide an easily digested source of dietary amino acids that could be used for development of artificial diets for this beneficial insect.
Testing the interspecific body size principle in ungulates: the smaller they come, the harder they groom.

Tick removal grooming may be centrally regulated by an internal timing mechanism operating to remove ticks before they attach and engorge (programmed grooming model) and/or evoked by cutaneous stimulation from tick bites (stimulus-driven model). The programmed grooming model predicts that organismic and environmental factors that impact the cost–benefit ratio of grooming (e.g. body size and habitat) will influence the rate of tick removal grooming. The body size principle predicts that smaller-sized animals, because of their greater surface-to-mass ratio, should engage in more frequent tick removal grooming than larger-bodied animals in order to compensate for higher costs of tick infestation. The body size principle may be tested intraspecifically between young and adult animals, or interspecifically among species of contrasting body sizes. To rigorously test the interspecific body size prediction, we observed the programmed grooming (oral and scratch grooming) of 25 species (or subspecies) of bovids at a tick-free zoological park in which stimulus-driven grooming was ruled out. Multiple correlation analysis revealed highly significant negative correlations between species-typical mass and mean species grooming rates when habitat was controlled for in the model. Species-typical habitat type (classified along a gradient from most open to most closed) was positively correlated with mean oral grooming rate, indicating that species tended to groom at a higher rate in woodland and forest habitats (where typical tick density would be high) compared with more open environments. Species mass accounted for up to two-thirds of the variation in grooming rate across species, whereas habitat accounted for ca. 20% of variation in oral grooming. Similar results were obtained when the analysis was expanded to include 36 species/subspecies of six different families. The body size principle can therefore account for a large proportion of species-typical differences in programmed grooming rate among ungulates. However, to understand the tick defence adaptations of very large mammals that rarely or never engage in oral or scratch grooming (e.g. elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros), alternative tick defence strategies must be considered, such as thick skin, wallowing, rubbing and tolerance of oxpeckers and other tick-eating birds.
Damage detection in peanut grade samples using chromaticity and luminance

Peanut kernels from grade samples were sorted into damaged and undamaged categories based on their optical characteristics. A machine vision system used grey level information to detect certain types of damage. Also color coordinate information collected from a colorimeter provided additional damage information. Certain damage categories were correctly classified with 95 accuracy. 1 .© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Look at Images

Abstract The term “image” has been used in many different types of geographic studies. Recently, some geographers have expressed doubts concerning the meaningfulness of concepts such as mental maps and images. Interest in the measurement and function of images, however, has remained strong in the geographic and psychological literature. Geographers should be more concerned with fundamental issues concerning how spatial information is coded, stored, reconstructed, and processed in memory. Three competing image theories have evolved over the past decade that geographers could find potentially useful. A review of empirical research in the psychology and geography literature has indicated the importance of methods and theoretical concepts developed by image researchers. These methods and theories could be used by geographers interested in problems related to cognitive mapping and spatial behavior.
Stress Response Gene Regulation in Chlamydia Is Dependent on HrcA-CIRCE Interactions

HrcA is a transcriptional repressor that regulates stress response genes in many bacteria by binding to the CIRCE operator. We have previously shown that HrcA regulates the promoter for the dnaK heat shock operon in Chlamydia. Here we demonstrate that HrcA represses a second heat shock promoter that controls the expression of groES and groEL, two other major chlamydial heat shock genes. The CIRCE element of C. trachomatis groEL is the most divergent of known bacterial CIRCE elements, and HrcA had a decreased ability to bind to this nonconsensus operator and repress transcription. We demonstrate that the CIRCE element is necessary and sufficient for transcriptional regulation by chlamydial HrcA and that the inverted repeats of CIRCE are the binding sites for HrcA. Addition of a CIRCE element upstream of a non-heat-shock promoter allowed this promoter to be repressed by HrcA, showing in principle that a chlamydial promoter can be genetically modified to be inducible. These results demonstrate that HrcA is the regulator of the major chlamydial heat shock operons, and we infer that the mechanism of the heat shock response in Chlamydia is derepression. However, derepression is likely to involve more than a direct effect of increased temperature as we found that HrcA binding to CIRCE and HrcA-mediated repression were not altered at temperatures that induce the heat shock response.
It's My Campaign I'll Cry if I Want to: How and When Campaigns Use Emotional Appeals

Recent research in the arena of campaign advertising suggests that emotional appeals can influence political attitudes, electoral choices and decision-making processes (Brader 2006; Marcus, Neuman and MacKuen 2000; Redlawsk, Civettini and Lau 2007). Yet is there any evidence that candidates use emotional appeals strategically during campaigns? Is there a pattern to their use? For instance, are fear appeals used primarily late in the campaign by trailing candidates in order to get voters to rethink their choices? And are enthusiasm appeals more common early on in order to shore up a candidate's base? In this research we develop a theory that explains when candidates use certain emotional appeals (e.g., anger, enthusiasm, fear and compassion) and which types of candidates are most likely to do so. We then test these ideas using campaign advertising data from several U.S. Senate races from 2004. Our research thus provides a link between research on campaign decision-making—here the decision to "go emotional"—and research focusing on the effects of emotional appeals on voters.
Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Reply Paper

Efforts to subject one’s own pet hypotheses to severe tests, to attempt to falsify them, are always warranted. The likelihood that one will impose unrealistically high standards is quite low. The same cannot be said for the standards that scientists set for the work of their opponents…. As unseemly as factionalism in science may be, it does serve a positive function. It enlists baser human motives for higher causes.—David L. Hull, Science as a Process: An Evolutionary Account of Social and Conceptual Development of Science [1] Have you read a paper or watched a presentation at a scientific conference with an utterly wrong or unsubstantiated conclusion? Have you participated in a discussion group wherein the group identified a fatal flaw in a recently published paper? The simple thing to do is discard the paper that you just read, ask a tough question at the end of the presentation, and make jokes about the paper with your colleagues at the end of the discussion, respectively. By the time students complete their PhD, they have probably seen instances of all three of these. But rather than stop there, it may be appropriate to invest substantial extra effort to write a formal reply.
The Inaugural Issue of Circulation: Heart Failure

Welcome to the new journal Circulation: Heart Failure . Following Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology , it is one of the first of 6 Circulation subspecialty journals to be published. Knowledge in the field of heart failure has grown substantially over recent years, as has the breadth of research, paralleling the growth of the clinical problem. Because of better survival rates after myocardial infarction and the aging of the general population, heart failure has occupied and will likely continue to occupy a greater share of clinicians’ focus over time. The array of potential therapies has expanded, and the coming years will likely see the emergence of new advances in devices and regenerative therapies and more focused therapies based on pharmacogenomics as our vision expands beyond broadly based pharmacological therapies. Transplantation and its accompanying therapies, as well as ventricular assist and ventricular replacement, are fields that continue to push boundaries. Given this explosion of information and nascent knowledge, the time seemed right for a journal devoted to exploring and …
Using Sociocultural Theory to Guide Teacher Use and Integration of Instructional Technology in Two Professional Development Schools

AbstractThis article demonstrates how sociocultural theories can be used to support strategic structuring of professional development activities for preservice and practicing teachers on technology use and integration. Examples are drawn from the authors’ experiences with teachers in two professional development schools that participated in a four-year Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers in Technology (PT3) project. After a review of sociocultural theory and their context, the authors describe three “activity systems” in these schools: one for practicing teachers, one for preservice teachers, and a jointpreservice/practicing teacher system. Important supports for use and integration of technology built into each of these activity systems included: varied activities aimed at both beginning and advanced technology users, multiple levels of “assisted performance,” and a collaborative culture that offered numerous opportunities for shared work. Lessons learned and implications for teacher educators involved in simi...
Hormonal and Reproductive Factors and Risk of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Hormonal and reproductive history has been associated with risk of some hematologic malignancies, but their role in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) is largely unknown. Methods: Using a population-based cohort study, we evaluated the association of these factors with risk of MPN overall, and for essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV) specifically. Incident MPN cases from 1993 to 2004 were identified via linkage to Medicare. RR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated utilizing Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: After >250,000 person-years of follow-up, 257 cases of MPN were identified (172 ET, 64 PV). Ever use of hormone therapy (HT) was associated with an increased risk of ET (RR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.19–2.23) but a decreased risk of PV (RR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.34–0.98). There were no statistically significant associations of oral contraceptives or reproductive factors with MPN risk overall, or by MPN subtype. Bilateral oophorectomy was associated with increased risk of ET (RR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.11–2.25) and decreased risk of PV (RR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.12–0.88). There was no association of ovulatory years with ET risk; however, there was increased risk of PV (RR = 1.68 for >36.8 compared with ≤27.6 years; P trend = 0.045). Adjustment for potential confounding factors did not alter these associations. Conclusions: HT use and bilateral oophorectomy had opposite associations for ET and PV. Except for ovulatory years and PV risk, reproductive history did not appear to play a role in the etiology of MPN. Impact: This study suggests different mechanistic impacts of estrogen, and perhaps distinct etiologies, for the two major MPN subtypes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(1); 151–7. ©2015 AACR .
Visual identification of coronary calcifications on attenuation correction CT improves diagnostic accuracy of SPECT/CT myocardial perfusion imaging

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a powerful CAD risk marker when assessed by dedicated calcium scoring CT scan. We assessed diagnostic implications of CAC visible on attenuation correction CT scans (CTAC) from SPECT/CT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Visual presence or absence of CAC was assessed on CTAC in 1047 consecutive patients undergoing SPECT/CT MPI. Accuracy of MPI was assessed in patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within 1 year (n = 109). Outcomes were identified by retrospective chart review. Prevalence of true positive SPECT/CT MPI studies was greater among patients with CAC on CTAC (70% vs 16%; p < .001); prevalence of false positive studies was greater among those without (68% vs 15%; p < .001). PPV of MPI was 0.82 in patients with CAC, but only 0.19 in those without. Within median follow-up of 27.7 months, patients with CAC had higher all-cause mortality (6% vs 0.4%; p < .001), more late revascularizations (8% vs 0.4%; p < .001), and more MI (5% vs 0.2%; p < .001). Hazard ratio for all-cause mortality, MI, or late revascularization was 22.7 (p < .001) for patients with CAC vs those without. Visual assessment of CAC on CTAC should be performed during SPECT/CT MPI because it affects diagnostic certainty and may improve risk stratification.
The EU Governance System of External Relations

The goal of this article is to explain six decades of EU external relations by adopting the modes of governance approach in order to a) detect the dynamic relationships among different actors involved in this policy domain; and b) explain the historical and changing institutional arrangements to address international crises, build institutions and embrace norms. Based on these premises, this article argues that member states and EU institutions interact in different ways to respond to the increasing demands for integration, producing at least three modes of governance based on Tommel’s theoretical premises (this issue). After explaining the theoretical underpinnings and historical development of the cohabitation of three modes of governance in the EU system of external relations, the article concludes that the dominant patterns of policymaking vary from the empowerment of EU institutions (trade) to cautious approaches based on horizontal coordination (security) and to a mix of hierarchical and non-hierarchical instruments of cooperation (political-diplomatic).
“Do-it-yourself in vitro vasculature that recapitulates in vivo geometries for investigating endothelial-blood cell interactions”

Investigating biophysical cellular interactions in the circulation currently requires choosing between in vivo models, which are difficult to interpret due in part to the hemodynamic and geometric complexities of the vasculature; or in vitro systems, which suffer from non-physiologic assumptions and/or require specialized microfabrication facilities and expertise. To bridge that gap, we developed an in vitro "do-it-yourself" perfusable vasculature model that recapitulates in vivo geometries, such as aneurysms, stenoses, and bifurcations, and supports endothelial cell culture. These inexpensive, disposable devices can be created rapidly (<2 hours) with high precision and repeatability, using standard off-the-shelf laboratory supplies. Using these "endothelialized" systems, we demonstrate that spatial variation in vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) expression correlates with the wall shear stress patterns of vascular geometries. We further observe that the presence of endothelial cells in stenoses reduces platelet adhesion but increases sickle cell disease (SCD) red blood cell (RBC) adhesion in bifurcations. Overall, our method enables researchers from all disciplines to study cellular interactions in physiologically relevant, yet simple-to-make, in vitro vasculature models.
Silence and Censure: A Qualitative Analysis of Young Adults’ Reflections on Communication With Parents Prior to First Sex:

Seventy-four first- and second-year students, participating in focus groups at a northeastern U.S. university, discussed recollections of messages received at home, prior to sexual debut, about sex and sexuality. Responses were categorized as Characteristics of Communication (nature of interactions participants had at home about sexuality) and Major Message Content (actual themes of those conversations). Commonly reported characteristics were trouble talking with parents; most conversations happened with mothers; participants feared parents’ reactions; and among lesbian, gay, bisexual groups, feared parents’ discovering their nonheterosexual orientation. Commonly reported message content included use protection and, among women, wait. Women reported messages that were at best, mixed, and at worst, threatening or moralistic. Men reported fewer conversations, and those recalled were more neutral or encouraging, especially from fathers. Parental messages to males and females differed qualitatively, reflected...
An opioid mechanism modulates central and not peripheral dopaminergic control of ciliary activity in the marine mussel Mytilus edulis.

1. Opioid receptors and enkephalinergic neurons in the central nervous system ofMytilus edulis have been reported. Also known is that the lateral epithelium of the gill is innervated by serotonergic, cilioexcitatory neurons and dopaminergic, cilioinhibitory neurons. The aim of the present report is to look for an effect of opioid agonists on the nervous control of the lateral cilia. 2. Dopamine applied to the cerebral ganglion inhibited the activity of lateral cilia in the gill. This effect was blocked by the application of several opioids to the visceral ganglion. The block was reversed by the application of naloxone to the visceral ganglion. 3. Dopamine applied to the visceral ganglion also inhibited lateral ciliary activity as shown earlier. Opioids applied to the visceral ganglion partially blocked this effect but this was overcome by higher concentrations of dopamine. 4. Preparations with low endogenous rates of ciliary beating were stimulated by the application of opioids to the visceral ganglion. Naloxone blocked this effect. 5. Preparations with high endogenous rates of ciliary beating were inhibited by the application of naloxone to the visceral ganglion. 7. Electrical stimulation of the cerebrovisceral connective produced excitatory and inhibitory effects depending on the rate of stimulation. Morphine applied to the visceral ganglion diminished the cilioinhibitory effects and enhanced the cilioexcitatory effects of electrical stimulation. 8. Morphine applied to the gill had no effect on the cilioinhibitory action of dopamine applied to the visceral ganglion. There was no observable effect of opioids applied to the gill and no alteration in the cilioinhibitory effect of dopamine or the cilioexcitatory effect of serotonin applied directly to the gill in the presence of opioids. 9. Specific opioid binding sites were found in the visceral ganglion but were not found in gill, palp, mantle, or visceral mass tissue. 10. A dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was again found in the visceral ganglion and the gill. Etorphine reduced the dopamine stimulation of cyclase in the ganglion but not in the gill. 11. It is postulated that a cilioinhibitory, dopaminergic mechanism includes nerves running from the cerebral ganglion to the gill with synaptic transmission in the visceral ganglion that can be modulated by opioids.
Magnetic resonance imaging detection of avascular necrosis of the bone in children receiving intensive prednisone therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which magnetic resonance (MR) imaging detects avascular necrosis of the bone (AVNB) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or advanced-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who receive prednisone during remission induction, reinduction, and maintenance chemotherapy; to assess the clinical significance of these findings; and to identify factors predictive of AVNB. We prospectively obtained MR imaging of the hips and knees of 116 children who had completed at least 1 year of treatment for ALL or advanced-stage NHL on identical prednisone-containing regimens between December 1991 and October 1994. MR imaging findings of AVNB were compared with clinical outcomes, and the effect of therapeutic and patient factors on the frequency of AVNB was analyzed. The MR imaging findings of 17 of the 116 participating patients were consistent with AVNB. The most common clinical manifestation was joint pain (11 patients). Only one patient had progressive joint deterioration that necessitated surgical replacement. Only age 10 years or more at the time of the primary diagnosis was significantly associated with the development of AVNB (P = 0.004). MR imaging showed changes consistent with AVNB in approximately 15% of this patient population. However, most patients in this study who had MR imaging signs of AVNB did not experience progressive joint destruction, even with continued prednisone therapy. Therefore, the clinical usefulness of MR imaging as a screening tool for AVNB in this set of patients remains uncertain.
926 Haemophilus Influenzae in Children: Resistance to Six Other BÊTa-Lactams Among Ampicillin-Resistant Strains

Background and Aims Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) is a human pathogen responsible for various infections in both children and adults. We describe in this study the susceptibility patterns and β-lactam resistance mechanisms of 62 ampicillin-resistant H.i strains isolated from children at the children’s hospital of Tunis during 2009 and 2010. Materials and Methods All strains were identified and serotyped using conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by E-test. The antibiotics tested were amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefixim, cefuroxim, cefotaxim, cefpodoxim and imipenem. The β-lactamase production was performed using the nitrocefin test. We determined the resistance genes ( bla TEM-1 , bla ROB-1 and fts I) by PCR. Results Isolates were identified as non capsulated and were classified into 3 groups according to their β-lactam resistance mechanisms: β-lactamase positive ampicillin-resistant (BLPAR: 50%); β-lactamase negative ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR: 40.32%) and β-lactamase positive amoxicillin-clavulanate-resistant (BLPACR: 9.68%). All strains showed high amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefuroxim and imipenem MICs. Among these, the less active one was imipenem with MIC 50 >32mg/l in all strains. The highest MICs of cefuroxim were in BLPACR strains (2–4mg/l). MICs ranges of this antibiotic were 0.5–6 mg/l in BLNAR and 0.125–4 mg/l in BLPAR. Cefotaxim, cefixim and cefpodoxim were the most active agents tested against our strains. Conclusion This study indicates that many β-lactams are ineffective among some Hi strains. So, it’s important to have an appropriate usage of antibiotics to stop these phenomena. We must make other investigations to know if these strains belonged to the same clone or if it’s a question of an outbreak in our hospital.
Differential expression of LFA-1 molecules in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lymphoid leukemia

We investigated the expression of adherence molecules lymphocyte function-associated antigens-1 alpha and -beta (LFA-1 alpha, -beta) and p150, 95 in 103 well-characterized non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) and lymphoid leukemias (LLs). We found that NHLs and LLs differentially express LFA-1 molecules according to their lineage derivation, degree of clinical aggressiveness, and anatomic site of involvement. Specifically, (a) T-cell neoplasms nearly always express these molecules; (b) diffuse aggressive B-cell NHLs and mature LLs often lack LFA-1 alpha molecules; and (c) B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is often LFA-1 alpha-negative while B-cell small lymphocytic lymphomas (SLLs) are nearly always LFA-1 alpha-positive. Furthermore, the low expression of LFA-1 alpha in CLL is related to the low degree of homotypic lymphocyte adhesion after tumor promoter antigen stimulation that does not modulate the expression of LFA-1 alpha in vitro. The differential expression of LFA-1 by B-cell CLL and SLL and their degree of homotypic lymphocyte adhesion may account for the distinct anatomic compartmentalization and characteristic clinical behavior of these two morphologically and immunologically similar lymphoid malignancies.
Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: A Critical Review of the Role of Surgery for Resection.

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSL) are rare CNS tumors that carry a poor prognosis, with most patients suffering recurrence. Progress has been made in the treatment of this pathology, notably with the widespread use of systemic high dose methotrexate. However, unlike most other malignant CNS neoplasms, surgery for cytoreduction is not routinely performed for this disease, mainly as a result of negative experiences decades ago. Since these studies were published, the availability of intraoperative monitoring, MR imaging and neuro-navigation as well as surgical adjuncts such as fluorescenceguided resection have greatly improved the safety of intracranial procedures. More recent data is suggestive of a potential survival benefit for resection of single PCNSL lesions when patients are subsequently treated with modern regimen high-dose methotrexate, yet this evidence is limited, and should be interpreted conservatively. Methods and findings: A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify trials evaluating surgical options for the treatment of PCNSL. Conclusion: In this review, we provide a critical overview of the evidence favoring and discouraging resection for PCNSL. This literature suffers from several biases and limitations that must be considered in the context of the extrapolation of this literature into clinical decision-making.
Children’s Conceptions of Illness and Death

In her recent book, Conceptual Change in Childhood [2], Susan Carey reports that “there is a robust clinical literature on the child’s understanding of death” ([2], p. 60). She says that in reviewing the literature published in English during the last 80 years, “A remarkably consistent picture emerges from this research. All authors agree on three periods in the child’s emerging understanding of death” ([2], p. 60).
Microbial Parameters as a Practical Tool for the Functional Characterization and Ecological Status Assessment of Transitional Areas

Transitional areas such as lagoons, ponds, lakes, located at the interface between land and sea, are highly dynamic aquatic ecosystems often characterized by high biological productivity and physical and biogeochemical variability, as well as high naturalistic and economic value [1]. Any environmental policy plan aiming at the preservation, management and development of these coastal ecosystems requires knowledge of their environmental state; therefore, no separate estimations of single environmental parameters, but rather a multidisciplinary approach can lead to an “holistic” ecosystem understanding.
Risk Factors for Medical and Surgical Complications Following Single-Level ALIF:

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objective:The objective of the study was to determine rates of medical and surgical postoperative complications following anterior lumbar interbody fusion (A...
The Environmental History of Colonial Mexico

In spite of the sizable scholarly literature on New Spain, and notwithstanding the fact that environmental history is now a highly influential field, on first glance, there seem to be surprisingly few works of environmental history for colonial Mexico. Or are there? This article suggests that as a multi-disciplinary enterprise and as an area of history that overlaps and blends with many others, the environmental history of colonial Mexico has been far more abundant than a first glance might suggest. The blurring of the boundaries between disciplines and different kinds of history has become a hallmark of the scholarship in recent years. The adoption of methodological approaches from microhistory has become another. Together, these trends challenge our ideas about what it means to study environmental history even as they point us towards new opportunities for research.