cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Postpartum Thromboembolism Prophylaxis during Delivery Hospitalizations.

Objective This article evaluates trends in venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis during delivery hospitalizations in the United States. Methods We utilized an administrative database to determine if women hospitalized for vaginal or cesarean delivery received pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis, mechanical VTE prophylaxis, or both from January 2011 through March 2015. Mechanical prophylaxis included sequential compression devices, graduated compression stockings, and other pneumatic devices. Pharmacologic prophylaxis included unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin, or fondaparinux. Probability of use of thromboprophylaxis for individual hospitals was estimated in an adjusted model. Results A total of 956,428 women who underwent cesarean and 1,914,142 women who underwent vaginal delivery were included in the analysis. Cesarean VTE prophylaxis declined between 2011 (50.3%) and 2015 (47.7%; p Conclusion While many hospitals appear to be following best clinical practices, some do not provide routine cesarean VTE prophylaxis. Minimizing care quality variation may improve maternal safety.
“Pugin was wrong, and Wren was right”—Architectural Revival as Spectacle in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure

Placing Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure into dialog with Situationist critic Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle, Barnaby demonstrates how Hardy signals to his readers a link between industrialization and an emerging spectatorial separation from the real. With reference to John Ruskin’s Stones of Venice and Walter Pater’s The Renaissance, Barnaby analyzes Hardy’s depiction of characters who attempt unsuccessfully to internalize the prescribed symbolic value of their neo-Gothic and neo-classical built environments. Understanding Hardy’s fiction as a critique of spectacle clarifies the ethos of literary realism that Hardy not only struggled to articulate, but at times even obscured by identifying his work with classical tragedy and satire and by his late-career marketing of an iconic and pastoral Wessex brand to a nostalgic public.
Urothelial Carcinoma and the Variants

Urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter is related to the same risk factors as urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder since the surface exposure to urinary carcinogens is the same. The more common occurrence of this tumor in the urinary bladder may be related to the size of that organ and the duration of exposure as an endpoint of “storage.” At least 50 % of urothelial carcinomas are related to smoking, probably the most significant contributory factor to the development of this malignancy in western countries. The influence of chemical carcinogens related to occupational exposure is also a major carcinogenic factor for which the influence is enhanced by smoking. Some of the upper tract urothelial carcinomas used to be related to the heavy use of phenacetin, an analgesic that was discontinued in the late 1980s. Some studies have shown that genetic factors may play a role in the initiation and progression of urothelial carcinoma related to the manner in which carcinogens are either further activated or detoxified.
Large Enhancement of Boron Carbides' Seebeck Coefficients through Vibrational Softening

We report measurements of the Seebeck coefficients of boron carbides having compositions B{sub 12+x}C {sub 3{minus}x} , 0.15{lt}x{lt}1.7 , from 6thinsptothinsp900thinspK. These Seebeck coefficients are large, {approx}200 {mu} V/K at 300thinspK, despite boron carbides having high carrier densities, {approx}10{sup 21} cm{sup {minus}3} . The Seebeck coefficients also have unusual temperature dependencies and depend only weakly on carrier density. These exceptional properties can arise from boron carbides{close_quote} bipolaronic holes substantially softening the vibrational modes with which they interact. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Neurochemical and Vascular Interactions in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury

The pathochemistry of acute spinal cord injury has been reviewed with special emphasis placed upon the inflammatory component of this response. The primary thesis of this review has been that vascular mediators of inflammation and hemostasis are activated by the injury and induce a number of pathophysiological responses in the circulation. The most notable of these responses include platelet activation, vasoconstriction, hypoperfusion, blood-brain barrier disruption, Chemotaxis and extravasation. This results in direct ischemic damage to neural tissue as well as a number of indirect effects in the CNS. These indirect effects develop as a result of an abnormal interaction between high levels of vascular-derived mediators with homologous CNS receptors subsequent to their leakage across a compromised blood-brain barrier. Evidence was presented for a role of platelet-derived serotonin in this process.
Abstract Statistical Estimation and Modern Harmonic Analysis

Suppose that t i are equispaced points in the unit interval t i = i/n, and we observe $${y_i} = f\left( {{t_i}} \right) + s{z_i}, i = 1,...,n$$ (1) , where the z i are i.i.d. N(0,1). Our goal is to recover the object f from these noisy observations. In order to do so, we must know something about f (otherwise we have n observations and 2n unknowns). In the branch of statistics called nonparametric regression, it is traditional to assume quantitative smoothness information about f, often of the form f ∈ F, where F is a ball in a functional class, for example an L2-Sobolev ball \(\left\{ {f:{{\left\| {{f^{\left( m \right)}}} \right\|}_{{L^2}}} \leqslant C} \right\}\). Performance is then measured by considering the minimax risk $$M\left( {n,F} \right) = \mathop {min}\limits_{\hat f\left( \cdot \right)} \mathop {max}\limits_{f \in F} E\left\| {\hat f\left( {{y^{\left( n \right)}}} \right) - f} \right\|_{{L^2}{{\left( T \right)}^ \cdot }}^2$$ (2) .
IL-15 regulates susceptibility of CD4+ T cells to HIV infection

HIV integrates into the host genome to create a persistent viral reservoir. Stimulation of CD4+ memory T lymphocytes with common γc-chain cytokines renders these cells more susceptible to HIV infection, making them a key component of the reservoir itself. IL-15 is up-regulated during primary HIV infection, a time when the HIV reservoir established. Therefore, we investigated the molecular and cellular impact of IL-15 on CD4+ T-cell infection. We found that IL-15 stimulation induces SAM domain and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) phosphorylation due to cell cycle entry, relieving an early block to infection. Perturbation of the pathways downstream of IL-15 receptor (IL-15R) indicated that SAMHD1 phosphorylation after IL-15 stimulation is JAK dependent. Treating CD4+ T cells with Ruxolitinib, an inhibitor of JAK1 and JAK2, effectively blocked IL-15–induced SAMHD1 phosphorylation and protected CD4+ T cells from HIV infection. Using high-resolution single-cell immune profiling using mass cytometry by TOF (CyTOF), we found that IL-15 stimulation altered the composition of CD4+ T-cell memory populations by increasing proliferation of memory CD4+ T cells, including CD4+ T memory stem cells (TSCM). IL-15–stimulated CD4+ TSCM, harboring phosphorylated SAMHD1, were preferentially infected. We propose that IL-15 plays a pivotal role in creating a self-renewing, persistent HIV reservoir by facilitating infection of CD4+ T cells with stem cell-like properties. Time-limited interventions with JAK1 inhibitors, such as Ruxolitinib, should prevent the inactivation of the endogenous restriction factor SAMHD1 and protect this long-lived CD4+ T-memory cell population from HIV infection.
Effects of 5-HT7 receptor antagonists on behaviors of mice that detect drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia

5-HT7 receptors have been suggested to play a role in the regulation of psychiatric disorders. The experimental literature however is not fully consistent on this possibility. Two selective 5-HT7 receptor antagonists, DR-4004 and SB-269970, were evaluated in mouse models used to detect drugs used to treat anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia. A 5-HT-induced hypothermia assay was used to define the doses of DR-4004 and SB-269970 predicted to impact 5-HT7 receptors in the brain in vivo. 5-HT produced hypothermia in wildtype mice by either i.p. or i.c.v. routes but did not in 5-HT7 receptor knockout mice. 5-HT-induced hypothermia was not attenuated by drugs selectively blocking alpha1 or 5-HT1A receptors. Doses of DR-4004 and SB-269970 that blocked 5-HT-induced hypothermia, did not display significant anxiolytic-like (elevated plus maze; vogel conflict) or antidepressant-like efficacy (tail-suspension test) in mouse models. These compounds did demonstrate some antipsychotic-like properties in the PCP-induced hyperactivity assay and anxiolytic/anti-stress effects in the stress-induced cGMP assay. Negative findings were substantiated by positive control drugs that were active in each assay system. We conclude that 5-HT-induced hypothermia can be used to estimate blockade of central 5-HT7 receptors. Effects of DR-4004 and SB-269970 in animal models are generally consistent with the experimental literature that the evidence is mixed or not robust regarding the potential efficacy of 5-HT7 receptor antagonism in the treatment of anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia.
DEXA sensitivity analysis in patients with adult spinal deformity

Abstract BACKGROUND Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a debilitating condition that commonly requires surgical intervention. However, ASD patients may also present with osteoporosis, predisposing them to surgical complications and failure of instrumentation. As a result, proper detection of low bone mineral density (BMD) is critical in order to ensure proper patient care. Typically dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans are performed on the hip and spine. Unfortunately, in ASD patients, the latter is often inaccurate PURPOSE In this study, we consider the value of obtaining a forearm DEXA scan in addition to a hip scan in patients suffering from ASD and osteoporosis in order to accurately detect low BMD. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. PATIENT SAMPLE Patient data between 2016 and 2018 from a single academic medical center was utilized. Two hundred eighty-six patients met the initial search criteria. OUTCOME MEASURES No outcomes measures related to self-reporting, physiology, or functionality were evaluated in this study. Primary outcome measures analyzed included T-scores across various anatomic locations and diagnoses relating to low bone density (ie, osteopenia and osteoporosis). METHODS This retrospective study examines patients that underwent DEXA studies between 2016 and 2018 and were previously diagnosed with both osteoporosis and adult spinal deformity. For each patient, age, gender, body mass index, and smoking history were noted, as well as whether there was long-term prednisone use. T-scores from both the forearm and hip were recorded and analyzed. Diagnoses from hip DEXA scans were compared with those obtained from forearm scans to identify which region was more sensitive in detecting low BMD. From this data, the frequency of a missed diagnosis, due to reliance on hip or spine T-scores for detection of low BMD, was extrapolated. No external funding source was received in support of this study. RESULTS Two hundred eighty-six patients matched the initial search criteria. Only 68% had one T-score value. However, 24.8% of patients had data for both the hip and forearm, whereas 7.1% had data for the forearm, hip, and spine. Among the 85 patients with more than one anatomical site of study, the forearm was more sensitive than the hip in its ability to detect osteopenia or osteoporosis 41.2% of the time. A two-tailed t test showed no statistically significant difference between hip T-scores and forearm T-scores. However, for more than 17% of patients, the forearm allowed clinicians to detect osteoporosis or osteopenia in a setting where using only the hip data would have missed such a diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians need to ensure they survey at least two locations when conducting DEXA studies before precluding a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis. All ASD patients being evaluated for low bone density should receive DEXA scans that survey at least the hip and the forearm. Misdiagnoses can be costly in the setting of ASD. They occur frequently when only a single hip scan is relied upon to assess BMD.
Differences in nasalance and nasality perception between Texas South and Midland dialects.

While previous research has primarily concerned the dialectal influence on speakers' production of oral-nasal balance, quantitatively represented by nasalance, information on cross-dialectal variation in nasality perception is limited. This study investigated the effects of speakers'/listeners' dialectal background on oral-nasal balance characteristics estimated by nasalance, as well as nasality perception measured by direct magnitude estimation with modulus. Represented by two geographically distinct regions, Texas South and Midland dialects were of special interest given that the two dialects lie at opposite ends of normal nasalance variation [Awan, Bressmann, Poburka, Roy, Sharp, and Watts. (2015). J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 58, 69–77]. Mean nasalance of various speech stimuli and direct magnitude estimation ratings on synthesized vowel stimuli with varying degrees of simulated nasalization were obtained from 62 participants (31 Texas South, 31 Midland). The results revealed that the two dialectal groups significantly differed in nasalance scores and nasality ratings, with Texas South exhibiting higher nasalance for standardized passage readings and assigning higher nasality ratings on the synthetic auditory stimuli than Midland. These findings indicate that, in addition to production variations of oral-nasal balance characteristics, perceptual variations of nasality exist at a dialectal level.While previous research has primarily concerned the dialectal influence on speakers' production of oral-nasal balance, quantitatively represented by nasalance, information on cross-dialectal variation in nasality perception is limited. This study investigated the effects of speakers'/listeners' dialectal background on oral-nasal balance characteristics estimated by nasalance, as well as nasality perception measured by direct magnitude estimation with modulus. Represented by two geographically distinct regions, Texas South and Midland dialects were of special interest given that the two dialects lie at opposite ends of normal nasalance variation [Awan, Bressmann, Poburka, Roy, Sharp, and Watts. (2015). J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 58, 69–77]. Mean nasalance of various speech stimuli and direct magnitude estimation ratings on synthesized vowel stimuli with varying degrees of simulated nasalization were obtained from 62 participants (31 Texas South, 31 Midland). The results revealed that the two dialectal grou...
Miniature Underwater Animal Tags and Smart Sensors for Civil Engineering Applications

This paper gives an overview of miniature underwater IoT devices recently developed for civil engineering applications: animal tags and underwater smart sensors. The PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) fish tag is a newly developed injectable tag that uses acoustic telemetry with hydrophones, set up mostly around dams, to track juvenile salmon. This paper details the decode and detection algorithms that allows for better detection accuracy and range while keeping a low false alarm rate. In addition, three miniature underwater smart sensors are also introduced: the PNNL sensor fish and sensor fish mini, the University of New Hampshire smart grains, and the Lehigh smart pebble. All three sensing devices utilize IMUs (inertial measurement units) to track the acceleration, rotation, and/or water pressure. Speed and position are estimated from 3-axis accelerometer and gyro sensor measurements and the need for rigorous calibration is demonstrated. Finally, the field application examples for the fish tags and smart sensors are described.
Chapter 4 – Protein Structure

: In this chapter on protein structure, the characteristics of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures, components of the three-dimensional molecule that comprises the biologically active forms of a protein, are outlined here. The process of protein misfolding, and associated presentations thereof, are described. Protein denaturation and renaturation, causes and characteristics, is also discussed, while plasma proteins are described and characterized.
A Novel Framework and Tool for Multi-Purpose Modeling of Physical Infrastructures

Human Society has evolved unprecedentedly, from mankind living in caves to the most sophisticated and complex physical infrastructures of contemporary technologically advanced era. Model Driven Architecture (MDA), as against code centric approaches, present an abstract view enabling fair visualization of complex systems through abstraction and modelling. In the context of MDA, physical infrastructures need to be modeled and analyzed for model based development of number of interdependent technical systems like Security, Communication, Internet of Things (IOTs), home automation etc. This leads to a dire need of a multipurpose framework, editor and tool for modeling and visualization of physical infrastructures in such a manner that the developed models may be extended, automated and used for variety of domains and in developing various systems. In this article, we propose a framework that not only allows modelling/ planning of complex physical infrastructures but can also be extended for the model based development of wide-ranging systems. In the proposed framework, Physical Infrastructure Multipurpose Meta-Model (PIMM) has been introduced for modeling of both simple as well as complex infrastructures. The feasibility of proposed framework is demonstrated through real world case study. Subsequently, an Eclipse based plugin (PIMM editor) has been developed that allows modeling of physical infrastructures with the help of tree editor. Moreover, for graphical modeling and visualization, Physical Infrastructure Modelling Tool (PIMT) with drag / drop functionality is developed in Sirius and distributed via same plugin. The results prove that the proposed framework supports adequate concepts for the modeling and visualization of physical infrastructures and highly effective for model based systems development related to physical infrastructures.
Adapting Usability Metrics for a Socially Assistive, Kinesthetic, Mixed Reality Robot Tutoring Environment

The field of Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) tutoring has extensively explored both subjective and objective usability metrics for seated tablet-based human-robot interactions. As SAR tutoring introduces kinesthetic mixed reality environments where students can move around and physically manipulate virtual objects, usability metrics for such interactions need to be re-evaluated. This paper applies standard usability metrics from seated 2D interactions to a kinesthetic mixed reality environment and validates those metrics with post-interaction survey data. Using data from a pilot study (\(n=9\)) conducted with a mixed reality SAR tutor, three commonly-used metrics of usability for seated 2D tutoring interfaces were collected: performance, manipulation time, and gaze. The strength of each usability metric was compared to subjective survey-based scores measured with the System Usability Scale (SUS). The results show that usability scores were correlated with the gaze metric but not with the manipulation time or performance metrics. The findings provide interesting implications for the design and evaluation of kinesthetic mixed reality robot tutoring environments.
Orienting and shaping organic semiconductor single crystals through selective nanoconfinement

For organic semiconductor crystals exhibiting anisotropic charge transport along different crystallographic directions, nanoconfinement is a powerful strategy to control crystal orientation by aligning the fast crystallographic growth direction(s) with the unconfined axis(es) of nanoconfining scaffolds. Here, design rules are presented to relate crystal morphology, scaffold geometry, and orientation control in solution-processed small-molecule crystals. Specifically, organic semiconductor triisopropylsilylethynyl pyranthrene needle-like crystals with a dimensionality of n = 1 and perylene platelike crystals with n = 2 were grown from solution within nanoconfining scaffolds comprising cylindrical nanopores with a dimensionality of m = 1, representing one unconfined dimension along the cylinder axis, and those comprising nanopillar arrays with a dimensionality of m = 2. For m = n systems, native crystal growth habits were preserved while the crystal orientation in n = m direction(s) was dictated by the geometry of the scaffold. For n ≠ m systems, on the other hand, orientation control was restricted within a single plane, either parallel or perpendicular to the substrate surface. Intriguingly, control over crystal shape was also observed for perylene crystals grown in cylindrical nanopores (n > m). Within the nanopores, crystal growth was restricted along a single direction to form a needle-like morphology. Once growth proceeded above the scaffold surface, the crystals adopted their native growth habit to form asymmetric T-shaped single crystals with concave corners. These findings suggest that nanoporous scaffolds with spatially-varying dimensionalities can be used to grow single crystals of complex shapes.
Bikeshare and Subway Ridership Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented in its scale and speed, impacting the entire world, and having an impact on metropolitan transportation systems. New York City (NYC) was especially hard hit in March and April 2020. A mandatory stay-at-home order was instituted, with all but essential businesses ordered closed. In this paper we examine the impact on the Citi Bike system and the NYC subway. Usage patterns during the lockdown are compared to corresponding days in 2019. Controlling for weather patterns we examine the effect of the lockdown and subsequent reopening of economic activity up through the end of September 2020. The results show that both subway ridership and bikeshare usage plummeted initially; bikeshare usage has nearly returned to normal while subway ridership remains substantially below pre-COVID levels. Implications for policy suggest that the bikeshare system provides resilience to the overall transportation system during disasters when public transit is considered dangerous or is disrupted.
Rediscovering Raymond Aron: Tragedy and history: the German influence on Raymond Aron’s political thought, by Scott B. Nelson, Berlin, Peter Lang, 2019, $67.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-3-631-78157-9

If you lived in Paris in the Spring of 1968, you might have heard angry students claiming that it was ‘better to be wrong with Sartre than right with Aron'. For them, the real hero and model in the...
Combination of ponatinib and blinatumomab in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Early results from a phase II study.

7001Background: Achievement of a complete molecular remission (CMR) is associated with superior outcomes in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ...
HPV Vaccine Initiation and Completion Among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Adults, United States, 2014

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) adults bear a disproportionate burden of certain human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. In 2015, data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) showed vaccination coverage among adults by racial and ethnic groups; however, coverage data for NHPI adults were unavailable. In this study, we estimated the initiation and completion of HPV vaccination and assessed the factors associated with vaccination among NHPI adults aged 18 to 26 years in the United States. We analyzed public data files from the 2014 NHPI NHIS (n = 1204). We specified sampling design parameters and fitted weighted logistic regression models to calculate the odds of HPV vaccine initiation. We developed a directed acyclic graph to identify a minimally sufficient set for adjustment and adjusted for insurance coverage (for education and ethnicity) and doctor visit (for insurance coverage, earnings, ethnicity, and sex). Overall, 24.9% and 11.5% of NHPI adults had initiated and completed the HPV vaccination series, respectively. Weighted logistic regression models elucidated that the odds of HPV vaccine initiation were higher for females (weighted odds ratio = 5.4; 95% confidence interval = 2.8-10.4) compared with males. Low vaccination coverage found among NHPI adults provides an opportunity for targeted programs to reduce the burden of HPV-associated cancers.
Contraceptive Access Through School-Based Health Centers: Perceptions of Rural and Suburban Young People.

PurposeSchool-based health centers (SBHCs) have traditionally been concentrated in urban centers but have increasingly moved to rural and suburban settings. Adolescents living outside urban centers...
Manuscript Culture in Late Western Han, and the Implications for Authors and Authority

A long-standing interest in material culture led me to reconstruct the material con- ditions associated with the massive library project initiated at the late Western court of Han Chengdi (r. 33-7 BC), for which very little material evidence now remains other than two small hills tentatively identified as the former sites of the Tianlu ge and Shiqu ge palace libraries. Research into thatlibraryprojectof26-6BChaspromptednew insightsintomanuscript culture in early China, especially as it relates to questions of authorship and what was considered "fine writing,"sheddinglightonthemethodsandgoalsofthehaogu 好古("lovingantiquity")projectat Chengdi'scourtledbythethreemostimpressivethinkersofthetwoHandynasties.Thatresearch alsosuggeststhatmany,ifnotmostoftheso-calledZhanguotextsthatweknowtoday underwent substantial changes at the hands of the activist editors at Chengdi's court. My long-standing interest in material culture led me several years ago to try to reconstruct the material conditions associated with the massive library project initiated at the lateWestern court of Han Chengdi (r. 33-7 BC), for which very little material evidence now remains other than two small hills tentatively identified as the former sites of the Tianlu ge 天祿閣 and Shiqu ge 石渠閣 palace libraries. Research into that library project of 26-6 BC has prompted new insights into manuscript culture in early China, especially as it relates to questions of authorship and what was considered "fine writing," shedding light on the methods and goals of
Toward a System Dynamical Model of Russian Nuclear Submarine Dismantlement Barriers

System dynamics, a management modeling tool with roots in the disciplines of systems engineering, control theory, and nonlinear dynamics, has helped to resolve problems in diverse fields, such as engineering, time management, business development, manufacturing, and public health. For instance, managers have used system dynamics modeling to determine how to complete projects on time and under budget. Policymakers have employed such modeling to reason through the impact of their policies and to learn how to develop more effective policies to solve problems. However, such modeling can only complement, not replace, existing planning tools. For these primary reasons, system dynamics has relevance for understanding barriers to Russian nuclear submarine dismantlement. This paper will try to motivate development of a model that will aim toward resolving some important problems in decommissioned Russian nuclear submarine dismantlement. Because system dynamics modeling is an iterative process, the research presented here will point toward a prototypical model that will require further input and development.
Elements of Multimedia Cartography

Cartography is in the process of change. Like all technological developments, the computer makes our work both easier and more difficult — and multimedia cartography is not easy. How must cartography react to these changes? We have to begin using new definitions in cartography. The word “map,” for example, should perhaps be redefined to refer to an interactive map display. If the presentation of the information is not controlled by the user — it’s not a map. If there is no interaction — it’s not a map. If there is no potential for animation — it’s not a map. We may eventually realise that what we call maps today are simply static map elements — as much a piece of the puzzle as a single symbol on a map.
Finite Population Sampling : a Model-Design Synthesis

The paper considers a general class of Bayes estimators for estimating the finite population mean which also achieve design consistency. Some exact results are given where Bayes estimators agree with the Horvitz-Thompson or ratio estimators. For a wider class of priors, asymptotic mathematical equivalence of Bayes estimators with the above estimators is provided.
Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Autoimmune thyroid disease is the most common autoimmune condition, affecting approximately 2% of the female population and 0.2% of the male population (1). Its overall prevalence peaks in adulthood, but it is also the most common etiology of acquired thyroid dysfunction in pediatrics (2,3). This chapter presents a summary of autoimmune thyroid disease, discussing first chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and then Graves’ disease, with an emphasis on their clinical management. Optimal quantities of thyroid hormone are critical to neurodevelopment and growth. By maintaining an appropriate index of suspicion, the clinician can often recognize thyroid dysfunction in its early stages.
Libertad académica: Realidades y cambios en el ámbito internacional

Analisis del estado de la libertad academica a lo largo del siglo XX en distintas regiones geograficas y politicas: Europa occidental, Europa oriental, America del Norte, America Latina, Asia central y del sur, el Lejano Oriente, cuyo planteamiento central es la idea de que la libertad academica es un asunto esencial para la educacion superior —sin el cual la tarea fundamental de la educacion y la investigacion no puede considerarse verdaderamente cumplida— y que enfrenta cambios originados por las nuevas tecnologias y la reestructuracion de las universidades tradicionales, asi como por fuerzas que podrian violarla al acosar a la comunidad docente
An Mn(V)–oxo role in splitting water?

The oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) uses the full spectrum of visible light to oxidize water, producing O2 and bioactivated electrons and protons (1, 2). The unique nature of this crucial bioenergetic reaction has led to much interest in harnessing analogous photochemistry and catalysis for energy storage, with water providing the electrons necessary for reductive formation of “solar fuel.” The OEC contains four high-valence Mn ions and one Ca2+ ion, and high-resolution X-ray structures (3, 4) show three of the Mn and the Ca are arranged in a distorted metal oxide cubane geometry, with the fourth “dangler Mn” (5) (Mn4A) linked to this 3Mn–Ca core via a pair of oxo bridges (Fig. 1 A , Top ). PSII light absorption advances the OEC through a set of S-state intermediates (6), with the most reduced state S formed upon the release of product O2 by the most oxidized state S4, which has a lifetime of ≅ 1 ms. Dark adaptation poises the OEC in the S1 state with an Mn oxidation assignment of 2Mn(III)2Mn(IV) (1, 4). By the S3 state, the Mn ions are all Mn(IV) (7), which has important implications for the further oxidized S4 state, given that outside of PSII the use of Mn(IV) in biology is rare and of Mn(V) is unprecedented. There are then two limiting options for the electronic structure of the S4 state, with the final oxidizing equivalent either being derived from ( i ) a ligand, such as for an Mn(IV)–oxyl radical intermediate as proposed by Siegbahn (8), or ( ii … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: rdbritt{at}ucdavis.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Mice heterozygous for the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator anion channel display attenuated cardiopulmonary dysfunction and lung injury after influenza H1N1 infection (406.4)

Influenza A viruses cause a highly-contagious respiratory disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to utilize F508del CFTR-heterozygous mice to determine the contribution of CFTR-mediated Cl- secretion to influenza pathogenesis and to evaluate CFTR as a therapeutic target. F508del CFTR-heterozygous progeny (HETs) and wild-type (WT) littermate controls were infected intranasally with 50 μl virus diluent (mock) or with 10,000 FFU/mouse influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) for 1-6 days. Body weight, lung mechanics, cardiopulmonary function and levels of pulmonary inflammatory mediators were determined over the time of disease. Relative to WT littermate controls, infection-induced hypoxemia and bradycardia were attenuated in HETs at 2-6 days post-infection (d.p.i.), although weight loss and viral replication did not differ. At 2 and 6 d.p.i., alterations in lung function in infected WT mice were absent in HETs at both 2 and 6 d.p.i. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from infl...
Aquinas on threats and temptations

: Aquinas maintains that when we succumb to temptation our actions are wholly voluntary. When we give up a good in the face of a threat our actions are partly involuntary, but they are more voluntary than involuntary. I argue that when we succumb to temptation our actions can also be partly involuntary. I also defend my intuition that in some mixed cases our action is more involuntary than voluntary, and I show how Aquinas's psychological theory can explain this. Finally, I explain why it matters that actions fully in accordance with our reasons-responsive choices might not be fully voluntary.
Modeling Polarization Curves and Impedance Spectra for Simple Electrode Systems

A method for modeling the behavior of electrochemical systems based on electrode kinetics instead of equivalent circuits is developed and examples of the application of this modeling method to three electrochemical systems are presented. It is shown that the behavior of simple, as well as relatively complex, electrochemical systems can be modeled on desktop computers yielding impedance spectra as a function of input quantities that describe steady state electrode kinetics and the electrode potential. This approach, since it is based on quantities that describe the kinetics of the actual processes that occur at the electrode, has the advantage over other approaches of having a built-in physical interpretation. The impedance plots produced in this way can give a feeling of what to expect experimentally, and can be useful in testing hypotheses, in establishing reasonable ranges for quantities not easily accessible to measurement, and in suggesting experimental strategies.
Burying SM: The Politics of Knowledge and the Sociology of Power in Africa

Cohen. David William and E. S. Atieno Odhiambo. Burying SM: The Politics of Knowledge and the Sociology of Power in Africa, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann; London: James Currey, 1992.
Immediate postabortal insertion of intrauterine devices

BACKGROUND: Insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) immediately after an abortion has several advantages. The woman is known not to be pregnant. Many clinicians refuse to insert an IUD in a woman who is not menstruating. After induced abortion a womans motivation to use contraception may be high. However insertion of an IUD immediately after a pregnancy ends carries risks such as spontaneous expulsion due to recent cervical dilation. OBJECTIVES: To assess the safety and efficacy of IUD insertion immediately after spontaneous or induced abortion. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched MEDLINE CENTRAL POPLINE EMBASE ClinicalTrials.gov and ICTRP. We also contacted investigators to identify other trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We sought all randomized controlled trials with at least one treatment arm that involved IUD insertion immediately after an induced abortion or after curettage for spontaneous abortion. We identified 11 trials which described random assignment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We evaluated the methodological quality of each report and abstracted the data. We focused on discontinuation rates for accidental pregnancy perforation expulsion and pelvic inflammatory disease. We computed the weighted average of the rate ratios. We computed relative risks (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: Three trials randomized to immediate or delayed insertion. One showed no significant differences. Meta-analysis of two showed use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system or CuT380A was more likely for immediate versus delayed insertion (RR 1.18; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.28). Another trial randomized to the levonorgestrel IUD or Nova T; discontinuation rates due to pregnancy were 0.8 and 9.5 respectively. Sub-analysis showed higher expulsion rates for postabortal than interval insertions (levonorgestrel: 2.8 versus 6.8; Nova T: 3.0 versus 8.3).Seven trials examined immediate insertion. From meta-analysis of two multicenter trials pregnancy was less likely for the TCu 220C versus the Lippes Loop (RR 0.38; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.72) as was expulsion (RR 0.51; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.88). Estimates for the TCu 220 versus the Copper 7 were 0.52 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.77) and 0.58 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.87) respectively. In other work adding copper sleeves to the Lippes Loop improved efficacy (RR 3.82; 95% CI 1.41 to 10.36) and reduced expulsion (RR 3.37; 95% CI 1.65 to 6.90). AUTHORS CONCLUSIONS: Insertion of an IUD immediately after abortion is safe and practical. IUD expulsion rates appear higher than after interval insertions. However IUD use is higher at six months with immediate than with interval insertion.
DESIGN OF A ROBUST LINEAR OPTIMAL REGULATOR FOR SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR EXCITATION CONTROL

ABSTRACT This paper presents a technique for designing generating units linear optimal regulators with extended stability region around nominal operating points. The technique uses a stability robustness criterion for the selection of the relative weights between the control effort and the system state regulation In the linear regulator quadratic performance index. The resulting regulator is stability robust in the sense of tolerating a specified set of unit parameter variations. By proper specification of the parameter variations, a robust linear optimal regulator Is obtained which guarantees unit stability in an extended region of operation around a given operating point. Example results are presented to substantiate the proposed technique by application to the design of a linear optimal regulator for a generating unit excitation system.
Exploring gender differences in the patterns of intimate partner violence in Canada: a latent class approach

Background There has been an ongoing debate about the extent and nature of gender differences in the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). Disagreement about the appropriate definition of IPV is central to this debate. Methods This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to map the patterns of physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviour, and examined whether LCA can better illuminate the gendered nature of this experience than conventional measures of IPV. Data from the 2004 Canadian General Social Survey were analysed, which included 8360 women and 7056 men 15 years of age and over who reported a current or ex-spouse or common-law partner. Results Results revealed more variation in the patterns of IPV for women than for men. Six classes were found for women, whereas four classes were found for men. Women and men were equally likely to experience less severe acts of physical aggression that were not embedded in a pattern of control. However, only women experienced a severe and chronic pattern of violence and control involving high levels of fear and injury. For women and men, intermediate patterns of violence and control, and patterns describing exclusively non-physical acts of abuse were also found. The results also revealed substantial differences in the IPV subtypes for those reporting about a current versus an ex-partner. Conclusion These results support the use of LCA in identifying meaningful patterns of IPV and provide a more nuanced understanding of the role of gender than conventional measures. Implications for sampling within IPV research are discussed.
RESPONSE REDUCTION THROUGH THE SUPERIMPOSITION OF CONTINUOUS REINFORCEMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REPLICATION

Prior clinical research suggests that superimposition and subsequent removal of a schedule of continuous reinforcement (CRF) may be a viable rate-decreasing procedure in that an extinction-like condition is arranged. The arrangement of similar conditions in the laboratory, however, resulted in the quick recovery of baseline rates. Lever-pressing patterns of eight male rats maintained by different schedules of variable-ratio and variable-interval food reinforcement were examined in an A-B-A experimental design of CRF food superimposition and removal. Responding was substantially reduced during the superimposition of CRF. Upon removal of the superimposed schedule, responding quickly approached presuperimposition baseline rates.
Selenium and glutathione peroxidase in developing rat brain.

– Week-old rats were given a subcutaneous injection of carrier-free Na275SeO3 and brain 75Se distribution was studied after 30 days, with special reference to the selenoprotein, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Chemical fractionation studies showed the 75Se was associated mainly with protein and not extracted by hot trichloroacetic acid or chloroform-methanol. Subcellular fractions also revealed a parallel distribution of 75Se and protein with the notable exception that 75Se was concentrated in the mitochondria and reduced in the cytosol. GSH-Px activity was demonstrated in the isolated mitochondrial fraction. The estimated biological half-life of brain 75Se was 45 days. Gel filtration (Sephadex G-150) of brain cytosol resulted in four 75Se peaks: peak 1 was associated with the void volume, and had the greatest 75Se content; peak 2 (Ve/Vo= 1.4) contained nearly as much 75Se and had an apparent molecular weight of 94,000; peak 3 (Ve/V0= 2.4) had an apparent molecular weight of 13,500 and was markedly increased when brain was homogenized in the presence of Triton X-100; peak 4 consisted of low molecular weight compounds. When fresh cytosol (with or without Triton X-100) was chromatographed on Sephadex G-150, GSH-Px was detectable only in the void volume; however, storage of cytosol prepared in the presence of Triton X-100 shifted most of the activity to peak 2 (94,000). The GSH-Px activity in the void volume resembled the purified enzyme with regard to pH dependence, Km for cumene hydroperoxide at fixed [GSH], and first-order kinetic behavior with respect to GSH. A minor peak of GSH-Px activity showing zero-order kinetics with respect to GSH concentration and an apparent molecular weight of 46,000 was detected when larger amounts of protein were chromatographed. The concentration of rat brain Se measured by chemical analysis reached adult levels by 2 weeks after birth, an age when the level of GSH-Px had just begun to rise. It was estimated that only 1/5 of the total brain Se may be accounted for by its presence in GSH-Px, suggesting that the function of the majority of brain Se remains to be determined.
The new play program in the south: A reason for pride

(1959). The new play program in the south: A reason for pride. The Southern Speech Journal: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 144-153.
Vitamin D receptor quantitation in human blood mononuclear cells in health and disease

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) concentration was quantitated in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with absorptive hypercalciuria (AH) and patients with high 1,25(OH)2D3 due to acquired or transient disease states and the results compared to those in normal subjects. VDR concentration in resting cells was not different between the three groups and represented constitutive receptor expression of monocytes. Following activation with phytohemagglutinin, patients with hypercalcitriolemia demonstrated significantly greater VDR concentrations. Patients with AH demonstrated a normal value for the group, but 6 patients had significantly greater concentrations of VDR despite normal plasma 1,25(OH)2D3 in four of the patients. Proliferation, as assessed from [3H]thymidine incorporation was inversely correlated with serum 1,25(OH)2D3 and was significant (R = -0.299, p = 0.048). Taken together, the results suggest that PBMC provide a useful system for studying VDR status in transient or acquired states of hypercalcitriolemia. Furthermore, the studies in patients with absorptive hypercalciuria disclosed it to be a heterogeneous disorder, characterized by both vitamin D-dependent and D-independent forms of receptor up-regulation.
Surgical treatment of chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis: a preliminary report.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is effective in the management of chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis (CRRS). Methods: A consecutive series of patients with CRRS diagnosed according to stringent criteria was prospectively examined before and at least 1 year after ESS. Paranasal sinus computed tomography scans were staged and ESS was performed targeting radiographic disease and the ostiomeatal complex. Preoperative and postoperative disease severities in terms of symptom scores, medicine utilization, and resource factors were assessed using the rhinosinusitis symptom inventory (RSI). Improvements in RSI symptom domains, medical and economic resource factors were determined using effect sizes and statistical comparison before and after ESS. Results: Nineteen patients (mean age, 42.3 years) completed the study with a mean follow up of 19.1 months. The mean Lund score was 3.42 (standard deviation, 4.09). Statistically significant decreases in nasal (−36.1), facial (−28.4), oropharyngeal (−34.6), systemic (−24.7), and total (−31.9) RSI symptom domain scores were observed (all P < .003) with effect sizes ranging from 0.87 to 1.63 (strong surgical effect). Statistically significant decreases in antihistamine use (−30%, P = .031), number of workdays missed as a result of CRRS (−1.9, P = .035), and number of acute infectious episodes (−2.5, P = .006) were also observed. However, declines in weeks of antibiotic use (−2.8 weeks, P = .293) and number of antibiotic courses (−1.7, P = .118) were not significant. Conclusions: Patients with CRRS may substantially benefit both symptomatically and medically from ESS. Although surgery should be used cautiously in treating CRRS, further trials of ESS for CRRS are warranted.
PHYSICS AT B-FACTORIES: TIME-DEPENDENT CP VIOLATION IN b→s TRANSITIONS AND DOUBLE CHARMONIUM PRODUCTION IN e+e- ANNIHILATIONS

By reviewing the status of time-dependent CP-violation in b →s transitions and double charmonium production in e+e- collisions, two examples of the rich and exciting physics outcome from the B-factories are presented. Both analyses exhibited significant differences in measurement and standard model calculations in the last two years and therefore received particular interest. After a short introduction into the subjects, the results from BaBar and Belle are presented and discussed.
How to perform a coronary artery anastomosis in complete endoscopic fashion with robotic assistance

Current technology in robotic surgery allows us to perform myocardial revascularization procedures in a totally endoscopic fashion. We will describe the technique of choice for left internal mammary artery to left anterior descendent artery anastomosis with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass machine. The method is efficient and there is long term follow-up showing similar patency of the graft when compared to conventional methods (when performed through sternotomy).