cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steroid hormones for contraception in women with sickle cell disease

Background Whether steroid contraceptives are appropriate for women with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease remains unresolved. Historically, women with sickle cell disease have experienced difficult pregnancies, characterized by high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and poor infant outcomes. Unresolved questions about steroidal contraceptives in women with sickle cell disease include whether using them may promote blood clots. Objectives To assess the safety of steroid hormones in this setting, we retrieved and analyzed all randomized controlled trials that examined steroid hormones for contraception in women with SS disease. Search methods In October 2011, we searched the computerized databases CENTRAL, MEDLINE and POPLINE for randomized controlled trials of steroid hormone use for contraception in women with SS disease. We added searches of ClinicalTrials.gov and ICTRP for recent trials. For the initial review, we also searched EMBASE and examined the reference list of each trial as well as that of review articles. Selection criteria We included any randomized controlled trial in any language that compared steroid hormones for contraception with another contraceptive or placebo. Frequency or intensity of sickle pain crises must have been reported as an outcome. Data collection and analysis We assessed for inclusion all titles and abstracts found. We evaluated the methodological quality of the trial found for potential biases by qualitatively assessing the study design, randomization method, allocation concealment, blinding, premature discontinuation rates, and loss to follow-up rates. We entered trial results in RevMan and reported Peto odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for dichotomous outcomes, such as occurrence of sickle pain crises. Main results Only one trial met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-five patients were randomized to three monthly depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) or intramuscular saline placebo injections in a crossover design. A six-month washout period was implemented before the crossover; however, pharmacological evidence indicates that levels of DMPA may be detected for more than 200 days after the injection. During DMPA use, women were less likely to experience painful sickle episodes (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.05 to 1.02). No trial involved estrogen products. We did not find any new trials during the update. Authors' conclusions The limited available data suggest that DMPA is a safe contraceptive option for women in SS disease. In addition to providing effective contraception, DMPA may reduce sickle pain crises.
Assessment of Functional and Behavioral Changes Sensitive to Painful Disc Degeneration

The development of an in vivo rodent discogenic pain model can provide insight into mechanisms for painful disc degeneration. Painful disc degeneration in rodents can be inferred by examining responses to external stimuli, observing pain-related behaviors, and measuring functional performance. This study compared the sensitivity of multiple pain and functional assessment methods to disc disruption for identifying the parameters sensitive to painful disc degeneration in rats. Disc degeneration was induced in rats by annular injury with saline injection. The severity of disc degeneration, pain sensitivity, and functional performance were compared to sham and naive control rats. Saline injection induced disc degeneration with decreased disc height and MRI signal intensity as well as more fibrous nucleus pulposus, disorganized annular lamellae and decreased proteoglycan. Rats also demonstrated increased painful behaviors including decreased hindpaw mechanical and thermal sensitivities, increased grooming, and altered gait patterns with hindpaw mechanical hyperalgesia and duration of grooming tests being most sensitive. This is the first study to compare sensitivities of different pain assessment methods in an in vivo rat model of disc degeneration. Hindpaw mechanical sensitivity and duration of grooming were the most sensitive parameters to surgically induced degenerative changes and overall results were suggestive of disc degeneration associated pain.
Optimization of a chocolate-flavored, peanut–soy beverage using response surface methodology (RSM) as applied to consumer acceptability data

Abstract Optimization of a chocolate-flavored, peanut–soy beverage was done using response surface methodology (RSM). Twenty-eight beverage formulations were processed by mixing three basic ingredients: peanut (X1=30.6 g/100 g–58.7 g/100 g), soy (X2=28.3 g/100 g–43.5 g/100 g), and chocolate syrup (X3=13.0 g/100 g–25.9 g/100 g). The proportions of these ingredients were obtained using a three component, constrained mixture design where the source of soy was either flour (SF) or protein isolate (SPI). Consumer acceptability was measured in terms of nine response variables by 41 consumers using a 9-point hedonic scale. Parameter estimates were determined by performing regression analysis with no intercept option. l -pseudo-components were introduced to get equivalent second degree models further used to generate contour plots. The regions of maximum consumer acceptability [hedonic rating ⩾5.0 since the control (commercial chocolate milk) ratings were 6.0–7.0] were identified and marked on these contour plots for each sensory response. Superimposition of contour plots corresponding to each response variable resulted in optimum regions having consumer acceptability ratings ⩾5.0. Optimum formulations were all the combinations of X1: 34.1 g/100 g–45.5 g/100 g, X2: 31.2 g/100 g–42.9 g/100 g, and X3: 22.4 g/100 g–24.1 g/100 g for SF-based; and X1: 35.8 g/100 g–47.6 g/100 g, X2: 31.2 g/100 g–43.5 g/100 g, and X3: 18.3 g/100 g–23.6 g/100 g for SPI-based beverage formulations.
Renal Toll-like receptors: recent advances and implications for disease

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are proteins that recognize specific molecular patterns of pathogens. They can also interact with a variety of endogenous ligands. When stimulated, TLRs initiate a cascade of signaling events leading to the production of a myriad of cytokines and effector molecules. Early investigations extensively characterized TLRs on cells of the innate immune system. More recently, TLRs have been found to reside in organs such as the heart, lungs, intestines, liver and kidneys. The role of these TLRs is not fully understood and is the subject of intensive current research. The available information indicates that renal TLRs have the potential to interact with exogenous and endogenous ligands, thereby influencing kidney function in health and disease. Here, we present an overview of what is currently known about renal TLRs, and discuss the potential implications for further research and clinical practice.
Effectiveness of six species of rodents as dispersers of singleleaf piñon pine ( Pinus monophylla )

The effectiveness of six species of rodents as dispersers of singleleaf pinon pine (Pinus monophylla) was investigated in field enclosures. The rodent species were Panamint kangaroo rat (Dipodomys panamintinus), Great Basin pocket mouse (Perognathus parvus), pinyon mouse (Peromyscus truei), deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), least chipmunk (Tamias minimus), and white-tailed antelope ground squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus). Five measures of seed harvesting and caching behavior were assessed and used to calculate the effect of species on the probability of effective dispersal (i.e., movement of seeds to potential establishment sites) of pinon pine seeds. These measures were proportion of seeds harvested, proportion of harvested seeds that were scatter hoarded, relative dispersion of scatter-hoarded seeds, seedling emergence and seedling establishment. To evaluate the effects of the last two variables, a 2-year study of seed germination and seedling establishment was conducted in the field. Seedling survival was 72–90% for seedlings emerging from 1–4 cm deep but was markedly lower from surface caches and for depths >4 cm. All seedlings in the open microsite perished before the end of the first year, whereas 38–97% of seedlings under shrubs survived. Cache size did not affect seedling survival over the 2 years, but large caches reduced the total number of potential establishment sites. All six species harvested over 90% of the pinon seeds presented and scatter hoarded from 31% (pocket mouse) to 66% (chipmunk) of the seeds they harvested. Pinon mice and deer mice distributed seeds to more caches sites (i.e., put fewer seeds in caches) than the other species and, consequently, created more potential establishment sites. All species scatter hoarded seeds at depths suitable for seedling emergence, but pocket mice and pinon mice cached under shrubs more than the other species, the microhabitat where seedlings had the greatest probability of establishing. Factors that had the greatest effect on the probability of effective dispersal were microhabitat selection and cache size.
On assessing the merits and the shortcomings of the pseudofermion method

Abstract Employing a fermion algorithm that incorporates the fermion determinant exactly, we obtain a variety of physical observables for four flavors of staggered fermions of mass ma = 0.05 and 0.1 on a 4 4 lattice. Our results should be valuable in testing other approximate but more efficient algorithms. As an example,, we compare the pseudofermion method with the exact algorithm. While a quantitatively good agreement obtained previously for ma = 0.1 is confirmed by our more detailed analysis, the method seems neither efficient nor accurate at the lower mass of 0.05.
Worst-case circuit design

Worst-case circuit design is not a cookbook approach that allows good circuit designs to be arrived at without thinking. Neither is it an approach that requires an inordinate degree of sophistication and engineering skill. The success of the worst-case design approach depends entirely on a thorough knowledge and understanding of all circuit requirements and design factors that are involved.
Regulation of liver-specific steroid metabolizing cytochromes P450: cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, bile acid 6β-hydroxylase, and growth hormone-responsive steroid hormone hydroxylases.

The hydroxylation of cholesterol, bile acids, and steroid hormones by liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes proceeds with a high degree of regiospecificity, and contributes to both biosynthetic and catabolic pathways of sterol metabolism. CYP 7-catalyzed cholesterol 7α-hydroxylation, a key control point of bile acid biosynthesis, is regulated at a pretranslational step, probably transcription initiation, by multiple factors, including liver bile acid and cholesterol levels, thyroid hormone status, and diurnal rhythm. Hydrophobic bile acids, such as lithocholic acid, are converted to less cholestatic derivatives by 6β-hydroxylation carried out by CYP 3A P450s, which also catalyze steroid hormone 6β-hydroxylation reactions. Complex, gender-dependent developmental patterns characterize the expression of steroid 5α-reductase and several rat liver steroid hydroxylase CYPs. Multiple pituitary-dependent factors regulate the expression of these enzymes; of greatest importance are the gonadal steroids and the sex-dependent secretory patterns of growth hormone (GH) that they impart. The continuous presence of GH in circulation, a characteristic of adult female rats, positively regulates expression of the female-specific steroid disulfate 15β-hydroxylase CYP 2C12, while expression of the male-specific steroid 16α- and 2α-hydroxylase CYP 2C11 is stimulated by the intermittent pituitary secretion of GH that occurs in adult male rats. Intermittent GH can stimulate CYP 2C11 gene expression even when the hormone presents to the hepatocyte at a non-physiological pulse amplitude, duration, and frequency, provided that an interpulse interval of no GH (obligatory recovery period) is maintained for at least 2.5 h. GH regulates the expression of the CYP 2C11 and CYP 2C12 genes at the level of transcription initiation. This process is probably mediated by sex-dependent and GH-regulated protein-DNA interactions, such as those observed in the 5'-flank of the CYP 2C12 gene. Thyroid hormone is a second major regulator of liver steroid hydroxylase P450 activity. It regulates these enzymes directly, at a pretranslational step, and indirectly, through its stimulation of pituitary GH secretion and by its positive effects on the expression of the flavoenzyme NADPH-P450 reductase, which catalyzes electron transfer that is obligatory for all microsomal steroid hydroxylation reactions.
The sparrow and the hawk : Costa Rica and the United States during the rise of José Figueres

Using Costa Rica as a example, Longley carefully examines the development of the successful relationship between a nonindustrialized country and the United States, revealing the complex forces at work in resistance and accommodation. During World War II and the immediate postwar era, both the United States and Costa Rica experienced dramatic changes. The United States assumed world leadership and the accompanying responsibilities; Costa Rica encountered far-reaching difficulties that culminated in the Civil War of 1948 and the rise to power of Jose Figueres. Longley examines why the United States supported Figueres and emphasizes the history and role of Costa Ricans, primarily the figueristas, in maintaining good relations in such a difficult era. Figueres implemented economic and political nationalism, which produced domestic and international tensions, and in spite of its rejection of similar policies in Guatemala and Iran, the United States supported Figueres against domestic and foreign threats. "
Parametric spin resonance for a spinner with an orbiting pivot

Abstract Dynamics are investigated for a rigid spinner with a hole, concentric with its mass center, into which a pivot is loosely fitted. As the spinner is excited by the motion of the contacting pivot, the spinner may sustain a quasi-steady spin angular velocity θ in the pivot's orbiting plane. This spin motion, defined as parametric spin resonance (PSR), is investigated for the case of prescribed, bi-directional, harmonic pivot motion of frequency ω. The ranges of the system's non-dimensional parameters needed to achieve PSR are determined. Experimental data both explain the spinner's direction of rotation and complement the predicted existence of quasi-steady values of θ. The analysis explains the characteristic motions of such toys as the Hula-Hoop and the Indian Windmill (the Gee-Haw Whimmy Diddle), and in general may explain certain unwanted vibrations in machinery with worn or loosely-fitting bearings.
Polarizing Optical Components For High Power Glass Laser Systems

Large glass laser systems used in laser fusion research operate with intrasystem power densities of up to 1010 W/cm2. These multibeam laser systems utilize numerous subassemblies to perform various tasks. Polarization components are important elements in subassemblies such as unidirectional optical isolators, bidirectional optical isolators and variable ratio beam dividers. At power densities of gigawatts/cm2, nonlinear effects limit the power level that can be prieagatV through a glass laser system. An intensity induced refractive index change of PPM at levels of 1010 w/cm2 can cause whole beam self-focusing and small scale beam break-up. Polarization components for use in these systems must be selected on the basis of minimal contribution to nonlinear phenomena as well as acceptable optical performance. Nonlinear considerations exclude the use of such components as birefringent crystal polarizers and the MacNeille polarizer in the presence of gigawatt/cm power densities. Thin film plate polarizers are used in large aperture low contrast applications because they combine acceptable optical performance with a relatively low nonlinear contribution. This review paper describes some commonly used polarization components and discusses their applicability to high power glass laser systems.
f-band dispersion in UIr/sub 3/: An angle-resolved and resonant photoemission study

Angle-resolved photoemission measurements using synchrotron radiation have been made on a U${\mathrm{Ir}}_{3}$(100) face. With the use of the Fano resonance at the $5d$ absorption edge, the $5f$ emission was extracted and found to agree well with a calculated $5f$ density of states. Dispersion was observed for the first time in a photoemission peak clearly associated with $5f$ emission. The dispersion is generally in good agreement with calculated energy bands.
The dynamics of cell constriction during division

The approximate equation is derived for the rate of constriction of a dividing cell, describing the phenomenon from its early stages. The equation previously derived by G. Young for the case when the constriction has already considerably progressed is obtained as a limiting case.
Integrating Walks into Academics: Authentic Learning Experiences.

The goals of this university/school partnership were to: (1) integrate walks into the curriculum in a kindergarten and a fourth grade classroom to enrich student learning, (2) promote university/school partnerships in collaborating on curriculum development, (3) provide a teacher educator, four student teachers, and two experienced teachers an opportunity to put theory into practice, and (4) reflect on benefits to the stakeholders and make recommendations for improvement. The project received a Faculty Development Grant to improve teaching practices as well as funding from two community corporations and one local club for supplies and other expenses.
Formation of hematite in the euxinic Orca Basin, northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The Orca Basin is a depression in the northern continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico, which is partially filled with hypersaline, anoxic brine pool. Sediment cores taken from this basin show millimeters to centimeters thick red layers within typical dark anoxic muds. Chemical and X-ray mineralogical analyses reveal that the red laminae are invariably enriched in iron in the form of hematite. They are formed primarily by interaction of ferrous iron in the brine with dissolved oxygen from overlying seawater during isolated incidences of enhanced mixing a cross the normally stable oxic—anoxic boundary. The presence of hematite red layers within generally anoxic sediment cores would complicate interpretation in the sedimentary record, and limit the usefulness of hematite as an indicator for environment of deposition. It also demonstrates that the close association of iron-formation with interbedded sulphic shales observed in many Proterozoic iron-formations is practically feasible. The processes associated with the formation of hematite in red layers might affect the extent and nature of organic matter eventually deposited in the basin as well, a fact of considerable significance for petroleum source bed formation.
Nanoimprint planarization of high aspect ratio nanostructures using inorganic and organic resist materials

Planarization is often crucial to the implementation of three-dimensional devices and systems. By using a pressing process analogous to nanoimprint, the authors show that moderate to high aspect ratio (⩾3) photonic nanostructures in the form of one-dimensional and two-dimensional photonic crystals can be effectively planarized with thermally cured sol-gel or uv-curable nanoimprint resist materials. The planarization results are strongly dependent on parameters such as pressing pressure, hydrophobicity of feature surface, spin conditions for sol-gel, and dispense volume for uv-curable. High degree of planarization and complete filling of open features can be achieved through optimization of imprint parameters. Nanoimprint planarization may thus offer a simple, low cost, fast, and viable alternative planarization methodology.
Model-Based Design of a Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Control Strategy

For years the trend in the automotive industry has been toward more complex electronic control systems. The number of electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles is ever increasing as is the complexity of communication networks among the ECUs. Increasing fuel economy standards and the increasing cost of fuel is driving hybridization and electrification of the automobile. Achieving superior fuel economy with a hybrid powertrain requires an effective and optimized control system. On the other hand, mathematical modeling and simulation tools have become extremely advanced and have turned simulation into a powerful design tool. The combination of increasing control system complexity and simulation technology has led to an industry wide trend toward model based control design. Rather than using models to analyze and validate real world testing data, simulation is now the primary tool used in the design process long before real world testing is possible. Modeling is used in every step from architecture selection to control system validation before on-road testing begins. The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) of Virginia Tech is participating in the 2011-2014 EcoCAR 2 competition in which the team is tasked with re-engineering the powertrain of a GM donated vehicle. The primary goals of the competition are to reduce well to wheels (WTW) petroleum energy use (PEU) and reduce WTW greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria emissions while maintaining performance, safety, and consumer acceptability. This paper will present systematic methodology for using model based design techniques for architecture selection, control system design, control strategy optimization, and controller validation to meet the goals of the competition. Simple energy management and efficiency analysis will form the primary basis of architecture selection. Using a novel method, a series-parallel powertrain architecture is selected. The control system architecture and requirements is defined using a systematic approach based around the interactions between control units. Vehicle communication networks are designed to facilitate efficient data flow. Software-in-the-loop (SIL) simulation with Mathworks Simulink is used to refine a control strategy to maximize fuel economy. Finally hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing on a dSPACE HIL simulator is demonstrated for performance improvements, as well as for safety critical controller validation. The end product of this design study is a control system that has reached a high level of parameter optimization and validation ready for on-road testing in a vehicle.
Gifted Education: Robin Hood or the Sheriff of Nottingham?.

This article looks at the issue of gifted and talented education from the perspective of public policy. It asserts that the underachievement of gifted children is a national concern, as these child...
Diagnosis of exercise-induced left bundle branch block at rest by scintigraphic phase analysis

Accurate diagnosis of diseases of the ventricular conducting system is essential for their appropriate therapy. some conduction abnormalities, such as exercise-induced left bundle branch block (EX-LBBB), are not apparent on resting electrocardiograms. Phase analysis of rest and exercise radionuclide ventriculograms (RVG's) was used to compare four EX-LBBB patients with six normal controls. All patients had normal resting electrocardiograms, ejection fractions, and visually normal wall motion. First harmonic phase images were generated reflecting the timing of ventricular contraction. Dynamic phase displays were reviewed and graded in a blinded fashion by three independent experienced observers. Phase angle histograms of the right and left ventricle were determined for both resting and exercise images. The mean phase angle and standard deviation were also calculated for each ventricle. Visual grading of the resting phase images failed to show a significant difference between normal patients and patients with EX-LBBB. Quantitative analysis, however, revealed a significant difference in mean phase angle differences (LV-RV) in resting studies: 0.8° (±1.9° SEM) in normals versus 9.3° (±2.3° SEM) in EX-LBBB patients (P<0.03). Exercise accentuated the phase angle differences: 1.8° in normals vs. 31.2° in EX-LBBB patients (P<0.001). Quantitative phase analysis of resting RVG's permits the diagnosis of cardiac conduction disease that is not apparent on the resting EKG and may result in better monitoring and treatment.
The performance of private and socialist agriculture in Poland: The effects of policy and organization

Abstract A production function-based total factor productivity approach is used to examine differences in private and socialized producer labor and land productivities in Polish agriculture. Cobb-Douglas estimates show that the effects of policy have been negative for all producers, but more so for socialized ones, especially before 1975. This contradicts expectations based on Polish agricultural policies and suggests that the effects of bureaucratic allocation and control outweighed the effects of policies favoring socialized producers. Although the estimated private sector production function does have a larger intercept, no strict efficiency ranking is possible due to differences in sectoral input coefficients and returns to scale.
Elevated Levels of Innate Immune Modulators in Lymph Nodes and Blood Are Associated with More-Rapid Disease Progression in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Monkeys

Cytokines and chemokines are critical for establishing tissue-specific immune responses and play key roles in modulating disease progression in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected humans. The goal here was to characterize the innate immune response at different tissue sites and to correlate these responses to clinical outcome, initially focusing on rhesus macaques orally inoculated with SIV and monitored until onset of simian AIDS. Cytokine and chemokine mRNA transcripts were assessed at lymph nodes (LN) and peripheral blood cells utilizing quantitative real-time PCR at different time points postinfection. The mRNA expression of four immune modulators—alpha interferon (IFN-α), oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), CXCL9, and CXCL10—was positively associated with disease progression within LN tissue. Elevated cytokine/chemokine expression in LN did not result in any observed beneficial outcome since the numbers of CXCR3+ cells were not increased, nor were the SIV RNA levels decreased. In peripheral blood, increased OAS and CXCL10 expression were elevated in SIV+ monkeys that progress the fastest to simian AIDS. Our results indicate that higher IFN-α, OAS, CXCL9, and CXCL10 mRNA expression in LN was associated with rapid disease progression and a LN environment that may favor SIV replication. Furthermore, higher expression of CXCL10 and OAS in peripheral blood could potentially serve as a diagnostic marker for hosts that are likely to progress to AIDS. Understanding the expression patterns of key innate immune modulators will be useful in assessing the disease state and potential rates of disease progression in HIV+ patients, which could lead to novel therapy and vaccine approaches.
Autoregressive modeling and feature analysis of DNA sequences

A parametric signal processing approach for DNA sequence analysis based on autoregressive (AR) modeling is presented. AR model residual errors and AR model parameters are used as features. The AR residual error analysis indicates a high specificity of coding DNA sequences, while AR feature-based analysis helps distinguish between coding and noncoding DNA sequences. An AR model-based string searching algorithm is also proposed. The effect of several types of numerical mapping rules in the proposed method is demonstrated.
An Antibody-Recruiting Small Molecule That Targets HIV gp120

HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic for which new treatment strategies are desperately needed. We have designed a novel small molecule, designated as ARM-H, that has the potential to interfere with HIV survival through two mechanisms: (1) by recruiting antibodies to gp120-expressing virus particles and infected human cells, thus enhancing their uptake and destruction by the human immune system, and (2) by binding the viral glycoprotein gp120, inhibiting its interaction with the human protein CD4 and preventing virus entry. Here we demonstrate that ARM-H is capable of simultaneously binding gp120, a component of the Env surface viral glycoprotein (found on the surface of both HIV and virus-infected cells) and anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl antibodies (already present in the human bloodstream). The ternary complex formed between the antibody, ARM-H, and gp120 is immunologically active and leads to the complement-mediated destruction of Env-expressing cells. Furthermore, ARM-H prevents virus entry into human T-cells and s...
The analysis of perseverations in acquired dysgraphia reveals the internal structure of orthographic representations.

At a minimum, our long-term memory representations of word spellings consist of ordered strings of single letter identities. While letter identity and position must certainly be represented, it is by no means obvious that this is the only information that is included in orthographic representations, nor that representations necessarily have a one-dimensional “flat” structure. Evidence favours the alternative hypothesis that orthographic representations, much like phonological ones, are internally rich, complex multidimensional structures, though many questions remain regarding the precise nature of the internal complexity of orthographic representations. In this investigation, we test competing accounts of the internal structure of orthographic representations by analysing the perseveration errors produced by an individual with acquired dysgraphia, L.S.S. The analysis of perseveration errors provides a novel and powerful method for investigating the question of the independence of different representation...
Cross sales in supply chains: An equilibrium analysis

Abstract Consider a supply chain system with two manufacturers, each producing a single substitutable product. The products are sold through two retailers, each to be privately owned or owned by the manufacturer. A manufacturer is free to use a single retailer or both. We define cross sales to be the situation where at least one retailer sells both products and analyze the cross sales in channels with different degree of vertical integration. We show that cross sale will happen in quantity competition or in a capacity constrained price competition. However, cross sales may never happen in a pure Bertrand price competition.
Selecting an oral anticoagulant for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

While the use of warfarin has been the cornerstone of thromboembolism prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), its limitations have led to the introduction of a new generation of direct-acting oral anticoagulants. Evidence from large phase III clinical trials, observational studies and pharmacokinetic analyses can guide clinicians to select the most effective and safest form of anticoagulation for patients with nonvalvular AF. This manuscript describes the main pharmacologic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of each new oral anticoagulant and their use in selected clinical scenarios, including patients with: advanced age; at low or high risk of stroke; potential drug–drug interactions; on concomitant antiplatelet therapy; at high risk for acute coronary syndrome; with recent gastrointestinal bleeding; with renal impairment; and with hepatic dysfunction.
Thermodynamics of systems with different geometric constraints and intermolecular correlations.

Four types of systems with different degrees of geometric constraint and intermolecular correlations were studied to determine the differences in their thermodynamics. The average configurational internal energies of these systems were calculated using Monte Carlo simulations, and the results are compared at the same temperatures and constant average bulk density. From the energy profiles for the four systems, the effects of geometry and intermolecular correlations on the systems’ phase behavior are discussed. It was observed that indirect intermolecular correlations, rather than geometric constraints, are the key to achieving a first-order phase transition.
BALSEQ: a basic program to balance and sequence univariant reactions about invariant points

Abstract BALSEQ is an interactive BASIC program that will determine the sequence of stable univariant reactions about a stable invariant point. User input to BALSEQ consists of the number of components and phases, their identities, and the composition of each phase. BALSEQ combinatorially generates each invariant point and each reaction at each invariant point, and then uses Schreinemaker's rules to determine the actual sequence of reactions. Chemographically degenerate reactions are treated properly by the program and are listed twice only when both ends of the reaction are stable.
Order-N method to calculate the local density of states

We present a rigorous and general method to extract the local density of states ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{i}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ of a system from its time response to a specified external perturbation. This method is order-$N$ when the matrix is sparse. In a single run it gives ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{i}(\ensuremath{\omega}),{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{i}(2\ensuremath{\omega}),\dots{},{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{i}(n\ensuremath{\omega}),\dots{}$ concurrently, which enhances the total efficiency by two decades. Application to a lattice-dynamics problem of 4096 SiC particles in a supercell with a dynamical matrix generated from an appropriate interatomic potential shows excellent agreement with exact phonon-dispersion calculations; the accelerated algorithm yields a full local density of states spectrum for each supercell k point in 15 min on a desktop workstation. Results showing the effects of an antisite-pair defect are given for which methods requiring lattice periodicity cannot be used.
The ethics of governance projects: ethics in personal and public lives†

No governance project is complete unless it includes a concern for the ethics of the proposed actions and a concern for the way that recipients of the proposed actions will be treated. These concerns apply in particular to projects involving underprivileged groups such as immigrants, asylum seekers, Indigenous population and people displaced in disaster situations. This paper illustrates the ethical concerns of the people displaced by the hurricane Katrina which took place in the US in August 2005 and which, to this day, plays havoc with the lives of those affected. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phagotrophic phytoflagellates in microbial food webs

Phagotrophy by pigmented flagellates is known from the literature but has recently been rediscovered in the context of microbial food webs. Particle ingestion rates were found to be equivalent for pigmented and nonpigmented microflagellates in both field and laboratory studies. Ingestion rates of the chrysophytes Ochromonas danica, O. minuta, and Poterioochromonas malhamensis, the dinoflagellate Peridinium inconspicuum, and the cryptophytes Cryptomonas ovata and C. erosa were compared with those of two nonpigmented Monas species using 0.57 µm polystyrene beads as a food source. Ingestion rates were 0.31 to 3.17 beads/cell/h and filtration rates were 10−7 to 10−8 ml/cell/h with no detectable difference between pigmented and nonpigmented forms. Ingestion rates in unpigmented Monas species showed a linear increase with increasing particle concentration from 1.9 × 106 to 1.6 × 107 beads/ml.
Real-time four-dimensional optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy with Au nanoparticle-assisted subdiffraction-limit resolution

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) offers label-free, optical absorption contrast. A high-speed, high-resolution PAM system in an inverted microscope configuration with a laser pulse repetition rate of 100,000 Hz and a stationary ultrasonic transducer was built. Four-dimensional in vivo imaging of microcirculation in mouse skin was achieved at 18 three-dimensional volumes per second with repeated two-dimensional (2D) raster scans of 100 by 50 points. The corresponding 2D B-scan (50 A-lines) frame rate was 1800 Hz, and the one-dimensional A-scan rate was 90,000 Hz. The lateral resolution is 0.23±0.03 μm for Au nanowire imaging, which is 2.0 times below the diffraction limit.
On efficient deterministic simulation of turing machine computations below logaspace

It is shown that a bounded language accepted by a nondeterministic Turing machine in spaceS(n ∈o(logn) can be accepted by a deterministic Turing machine in space MAX {(s(nn))2, logn}. This can be interpreted as extending Savitch's algorithm below logspace. Results of Alt can be used to show that in the general case the indicated space bound cannot be improved. The result can also be interpreted as a sharpening in the special case of bounded languages of the results of Monien and Sudborough.
Risk factors for non-initiation of the human papillomavirus vaccine among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer.

Effective vaccination is now available to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection and cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HPV vaccination among childhood cancer survivors and identify factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation and completion. Mothers of daughters of ages 9 to 17 years with/without a history of childhood cancer (n = 235, Mage = 13.2 years, SD = 2.69; n = 70, Mage = 13.3 years, SD = 2.47, respectively) completed surveys querying HPV vaccination initiation and completion along with sociodemographic, medical, HPV knowledge and communication, and health belief factors, which may relate to vaccination outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors that associate with HPV vaccination initiation and completion. Among cancer survivors, 32.6% initiated and 17.9% completed the three-dose vaccine series, whereas 34.3% and 20.0% of controls initiated and completed, respectively. Univariate analyses indicated no differences between cancer/no cancer groups on considered risk factors. Among all participants, multivariate logistic regression analyses found vaccine initiation associated with older age of daughter and physician recommendation, whereas increased perceived barriers associated with a decreased likelihood of initiation (all P
Distinct Pigmentary and Melanocortin 1 Receptor–Dependent Components of Cutaneous Defense against Ultraviolet Radiation

Genetic variation at the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is an important risk factor for developing ultraviolet (UV) radiation–induced skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in humans. The underlying mechanisms by which the MC1R defends against UV-induced skin cancer are not known. We used neonatal mouse skin (which, like human skin, contains a mixture of melanocytes and keratinocytes) to study how pigment cells and Mc1r genotype affect the genome-level response to UV radiation. Animals without viable melanocytes (KitW-v/KitW-v) or animals lacking a functional Mc1r (Mc1re/Mc1re) were exposed to sunburn-level doses of UVB radiation, and the patterns of large-scale gene expression in the basal epidermis were compared to each other and to nonmutant animals. Our analysis revealed discrete Kit- and Mc1r-dependent UVB transcriptional responses in the basal epidermis. The Kit-dependent UVB response was characterized largely by an enrichment of oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress genes, highlighting a distinctive role for pigmented melanocytes in mediating antioxidant defenses against genotoxic stresses within the basal epidermal environment. By contrast, the Mc1r-dependent UVB response contained an abundance of genes associated with regulating the cell cycle and oncogenesis. To test the clinical relevance of these observations, we analyzed publicly available data sets for primary melanoma and melanoma metastases and found that the set of genes specific for the Mc1r-dependent UVB response was able to differentiate between different clinical subtypes. Our analysis also revealed that the classes of genes induced by UVB differ from those repressed by UVB with regard to their biological functions, their overall number, and their size. The findings described here offer new insights into the transcriptional nature of the UV response in the skin and provide a molecular framework for the underlying mechanisms by which melanocytes and the Mc1r independently mediate and afford protection against UV radiation.
Light scattering and infrared-transmission spike in multidomain birefringent solids (KCN and NaCN)

KCN and NaCN single crystals, in their low-temperature multidomain structure, are used as model cases for the study of light scattering in polycrystalline birefringent solids. The light-scattering properties, measured over a wide ir range can be fitted to Raman's model, based on the phase shifts of the light in birefringent domains of different orientation, yielding an estimate on the domain sizes. A narrow transmission window in the light-scattering spectrum is observed in the near ir, where the otherwise opaque and light-depolarizing crystal is nearly perfectly transparent and nondepolarizing. This effect can be quantitatively understood as a matching between birefringence from electronic and vibrational excitation, producing an effective optically isotropic behavior of the molecular system at a particular wavelength. Consequences of this birefringence-matching effect for other molecular systems and experimental techniques are discussed.
Politicization of identity in a European borderland: Istria, Croatia, and authenticity, 1990–2003

In most studies of the Balkans and Eastern Europe, identity politics focuses on nationalism. Unfortunately, very few examine regional identities and how they too are politicized in similar ways for similar reasons. Istria provides a good example of how identity is politicized and how and why individuals adapt it to both internal and external influences. While in the past local and regional identities were politicized in response to colonization, more recently national divisions became more prominent. However, in the very recent past, Istrian identity again became politicized as many natives drew lines between themselves and what they saw as an external national influence emanating from Zagreb. In the 1990s, a renewed Croatian national movement competed with an Istrian regional movement. Istrian regionalists, seeking to justify taking and maintaining regional power and hoping to more quickly bring Croatia into the European Union, used this new political tactic against the nationalizing Croatian government....
Subunit structure of anthranilate synthase from Neurospora crassa: preparation and characterization of a protease-free form.

Abstract The multifunctional enzyme complex anthranilate synthase from Neurospora crassa has been purified to homogeneity by a new procedure which yields a stable preparation of the enzyme. Unlike earlier preparations of the enzyme, anthranilate synthase prepared by this technique is not degraded during incubation at 37 °C or during freeze-thaw treatment. Purified anthranilate synthase contains two subunits of M r 84,000 (β-subunit) and 76,000 (α-subunit), which are shown, by partial proteolysis, to be unrelated in sequence. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrate that freshly prepared crude extracts of Neurospora contain anthranilate synthase subunits identical in size with those of the purified enzyme. The β-subunit is shown to be the product of the trp 1 gene, and the a-subunit, of the trp 2 gene.
Psychmuse: a Macintosh system for psychomusicology research

A software system developed with HyperCard has been designed to support research relying on musical stimuli. The software accesses a set of digitized sounds in memory that consist of chromatic scale notes for the piano, harp, and guitar. Menu options allow experimenters to create monophonic melodies, to arrange melodies in a prescribed order, and to present them in a flexible format for a variety of psychological tasks. In addition to supporting experimental research projects, the software can also be used to demonstrate certain fundamental principles of auditory perception and cognitive psychology.
The nature of the phonemic string deficit in conduction aphasia

Abstract A case of conduction aphasia (CM) is presented to further explore the notion that such aphasics possess a phonological output disorder in constructing phonemic strings. Most studies on this topic have been restricted to the oral production of single words. This study sought to increase understanding of this phonological deficit by examining its interference with orthographic production and its manifestation in running speech. The latter was particularly important, because the diagnosis of a phonemic string deficit in conduction aphasia has been based on a model that was developed to explain segmental errors in normal running speech (cf. Shattuck-Hufnagel 1979). Results indicated that the phonemic string deficit in CM does interfere with orthographic processing, and that while both normal adults and CM exhibit disruption in constructing phonemic strings, the manner of breakdown, as characterized by Shattuck-Hufnagel, is different. The between-word errors of normal speakers typically involve the mi...
Simulations of the large kinetic isotope effect and the temperature dependence of the hydrogen atom transfer in lipoxygenase.

Elucidating the role of nuclear quantum mechanical (NQM) effects in enzyme catalysis is a topic of significant current interest. Despite the great experimental progress in this field it is important to have theoretical approaches capable of evaluating and analyzing nuclear quantum mechanical contributions to catalysis. In this study, we use the catalytic reaction of lipoxygenase, which is characterized by an extremely large kinetic isotope effect, as a challenging test case for our simulation approach. This is done by applying the quantum classical path (QCP) method with an empirical valence bond potential energy surface. Our computational strategy evaluates the relevant NQM corrections and reproduces the large observed kinetic isotope effect and the temperature dependence of the H atom transfer reaction while being less successful with the D atom transfer reaction. However, the main point of our study is not so much to explore the temperature dependence of the isotope effect but rather to develop and val...
MR cardiovascular imaging

Advances in technology are improving the ability of physicians tononinvasively diagnose cardiovascular disease (pages 1086–1089).
Distributed Data-Centric Adaptive Sampling for Cyber-Physical Systems

A data-centric joint adaptive sampling and sleep scheduling solution, SILENCE, for autonomic sensor-based systems that monitor and reconstruct physical or environmental phenomena is proposed. Adaptive sampling and sleep scheduling can help realize the much needed resource efficiency by minimizing the communication and processing overhead in densely deployed autonomic sensor-based systems. The proposed solution exploits the spatiotemporal correlation in sensed data and eliminates redundancy in transmitted data through selective representation without compromising on accuracy of reconstruction of the monitored phenomenon at a remote monitor node. Differently from existing adaptive sampling solutions, SILENCE employs temporal causality analysis to not only track the variation in the underlying phenomenon but also its cause and direction of propagation in the field. The causality analysis and the same correlations are then leveraged for adaptive sleep scheduling aimed at saving energy in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). SILENCE outperforms traditional adaptive sampling solutions as well as the recently proposed compressive sampling techniques. Real experiments were performed on a WSN testbed monitoring temperature and humidity distribution in a rack of servers, and the simulations were performed on TOSSIM, the TinyOS simulator.
Resisting McCarthyism: To Sign or Not to Sign California's Loyalty Oath

Resisting McCarthyism: To Sign or Not to Sign California's Loyalty Oath BOB BLAUNER, 2009 Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press xx + 307 pp. Illustrations, notes, index. $34.95. In the spirit of ...