cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability and validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory with African-American and Latino parents of young children.

This study evaluated the reliability, equivalence, and convergent validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) in 682, 2- to 4-year-old children. For analysis, parent informants' data were blocked by race/ethnicity (African–American, Latino, non-Latino White), family income (low versus middle/upper), child's gender, and ECBI language version (English and Spanish). ECBI scales had high internal consistency reliabilities and good convergence with the Child Behavior Checklist/1–5. Some racial/ethnic and income effects were found. There were no mean differences by ECBI language version or by child gender. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a single-factor invariant model of the ECBI Intensity Scale provided a good fit with the data across racial/ethnic and income groups. Implications for using the ECBI to measure behavior problems in young children of color are discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 30: 213–223, 2007
Integrated Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Complicated Tourette’s Disorder and Its Comorbidities

Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome (GTS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that often presents with a complex array of motor and phonic tics that persist over the majority of a person’s life. GTS often presents with comorbidities such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and mood disorders. Psychosocial sequelae are also common among this population. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman with severe, lifelong GTS complicated by OCD, inattention, impulsivity, disinhibition, mood disturbances, generalized anxiety, and pain secondary to motor tics. Habit reversal therapy (HRT) is used with full body relaxation conditioned as a competitive response to target her tics, anxiety, and pain simultaneously. The patient demonstrates significant reduction of symptoms and improvement in psychosocial status within four sessions. She is able to maintain this status at a 3-month follow-up session. Aspects of case conceptualization and therapeutic technique are discussed.
Characterization, properties, and processing of LaRC PETI‐5 as a high‐temperature sizing material. II. Thermal characterization

In this publication the glass transition, melting behavior, cure behavior, and thermal stability of LaRC PETI-5 have been extensively studied utilizing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The material used here was subjected to different thermal history (cumulative cure and individual cure) including an isothermal cure. The extent of cure for the partially cured resin was evaluated taking into account the residual solvent in the resin with the aid of a correction factor. The data show that the thermal history for the imidization reaction may influence the extent of cure for the partially cured LaRC PETI-5. The reaction of the CC bonds in the phenylethynyl groups located in the imide polymer chain ends is completed to produce a fully cured LaRC PETI-5 within 1 h at 350°C in air. The result is very consistent with the result obtained using Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in the previous work. This study also demonstrates that no reaction takes place above 350°C prior to degradation. LaRC PETI-5 with a molecular weight of 2500 g/mol has excellent thermal stability up to 550°C as long as it is fully imidized. The result of the isothermal stability suggests that this material may be used without significant loss of its integrity for extended periods of time below 450°C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 1278–1287, 2000
Comparison of clinical rating scales in treatment of cervical dystonia with botulinum toxin

Seventy-six consecutive patients with cervical dystonia. (CD) treated with botulinum toxin were assessed with the Tsui rating scale, the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS), and a global scale of improvement. Tsui, TWSTRS, and TWSTRS subscale scores all showed significant improvement. Tsui and TWSTRS score reduction rates correlated significantly with each other, and each correlated with the global scale. Analysis of these scales and TWSTRS subscales indicates that an objective scale of severity such as either the Tsui rating scale or TWSTRS severity subscale used in conjunction with the TWSTRS pain subscale adequately assesses improvement of CD following treatment with botulinum toxin.
Search + Seizure: The Effectiveness of Interventions on SEO Campaigns

Black hat search engine optimization (SEO), the practice of abusively manipulating search results, is an enticing method to acquire targeted user traffic. In turn, a range of interventions--from modifying search results to seizing domains--are used to combat this activity. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of these interventions in the context of an understudied market niche, counterfeit luxury goods. Using eight months of empirical crawled data, we identify 52 distinct SEO campaigns, document how well they are able to place search results for sixteen luxury brands, how this capability impacts the dynamics of their order volumes and how well existing interventions undermine this business when employed.
FAMILIAL GROWTH RETARDATION ASSOCIATED WITH GENETICALLY DETERMINED BRAIN DYSFUNCTION

Three brothers, ages 12, 7 and 6 years with a striking similar history of psychomotor retardation, developmental defects in speech and reading, low I.Q.'s behavioral disabilities and hyperactivity were found to be retarded in growth and skeletal maturation. There was a positive family history of short stature and mental retardation. The oldest sibling had panhypopituitarism as indicated by lack of increase in serum HGH during insulin, arginine and deep sleep, low FBI and T4, low 24 hr. urinary 17KGS and lack of response to metyrapone. Administration of 25U of ACTH produced an increase in plasma cortisol levels from 3.2 meg/100 ml to 19.4. The other two had normal increases in serum HGH and normal thyroid and adrenal functions. A normal increase in serum TSH after administration of 7 μg/kg of TRF in the three indicated an intact pituitary gland. The increase in nitrogen balance, plasma FFA, insulin release, and the marked calciuria and hydroxyprolinuria produced by administration of HGH ruled out peripheral unresponsiveness to HGH. It is possible that a genetically determined brain lesion affected the hypothalamic centers controlling the anterior pituitary gland, resulting in a multiple deficiency of releasing factors in the oldest and a decreased secretion of an unknown hypothalamic factor involved in promoting growth in the other two. (Supported by NIH Grant RR-318)
Phonological characteristics of children whose stuttering persisted or recovered.

Among children who stutter, more will be identified with articulation/phonological deficiencies than among normally fluent children of the same ages. Most current literature has focused on phonolog...
The ultrastructure of intradental nerves in developing mouse molars.

The purpose of this investigation was to study the nerves in mouse molar teeth during their development to observe their distribution and their relationship to the odontoblast and its process. The specimens were first assessed by light microscopy using silver staining techniques. It was found that by nine days after birth, major nerves appeared in the pulp organ and extended to the basal region of the odontoblasts. At 15 days, a subodontoblastic neural plexus had developed, and by 25 days, isolated nerves penetrated into the predentin of the pulpal horns. From 25–70 days, a highly organized subodontoblastic plexus was apparent with branches extending into the odontoblastic layer, predentin and inner dentin. Ultrastructural study revealed small, nonmyelinated nerves at the basal region of the odontoblasts by nine days. Both myelinated and small, nonmyelinated nerves appeared in the subodontoblastic plexus. Small nerves closely associated with the odontoblastic process were found within the predentinal tubules by 25 days. These processes contained occasional mitochondria, numerous microvesicles and small dark granules. From 35–50 days of age, similar nerves which exhibited alternate constrictions and dilations along their lengths were found in the tubules of circumpulpal dentin. By 60 days, both Schwann cell covered and naked axons appeared among the odontoblasts, and by 70 days Schwann cell covered axons appeared in predentin.
Impact-Parameter Method for Proton-Hydrogen-Atom Collisions. IV. Variational Methods for the Time-Dependent Impact-Parameter Model

A stationary functional and two variational principles are given in this work by which approximate transition amplitudes for the charge-exchange and electronic excitation processes occurring in proton — hydrogen-atom scattering can be calculated. The calculated transition amplitudes will be "second-order accurate." It is demonstrated how the stationary property of the functional can be used for a general variation to determine optimal approximate wave functions. The equations for these wave functions should be no more difficult to solve than the usual set of coupled equations, and the solution will automatically satisfy the unitary condition and the condition imposed by the time-reversal symmetry of the Hamiltonian. An upper bound on the second-order error term is derived which only depends upon the interaction and the trial wave function. The upper bound approaches zero as the error between the exact and trial wave functions vanishes, and thus the magnitude of the upper bound is a measure of the quality of a trial wave function. In addition, this upper bound can be used in conjunction with the variational principles to obtain upper and lower bounds which bracket the absolute values of the exact transition amplitudes; thus, one can in principle obtain exact values for themore » transition amplitudes to any desired accuracy. One of the variational principles offers the advantage that the trial wave function need not satisfy any asymptotic conditions. Finally, with this variational principle, one can therefore circumvent the difficulties associated with the use of Sturmian or pseudostate basis functions.« less
Pianos not stereos: creating computational construction kits

The stereo has many attractions: it is easier to play and it provides immediate access to a wide range of music. But "ease of use" should not be the only criterion. Playing the piano can be a much richer experience. By learning to play the piano, you can become a creator (not just a consumer) of music, expressing yourself musically in ever-more complex ways. As a result, you can develop a much deeper relationship with (and deeper understanding of) music. So too with computers. In the field of educational technology, there has been too much emphasis on the equivalent of stereos and CDs, and not enough emphasis on computational pianos. In our research group at the MIT Media Lab, we are developing a new generation of "computational construction kits" that, like pianos, enable people to express themselves in ever-more complex ways, deepening their relationships with new domains of knowledge.
Gas washing of oil along a regional transect, offshore Louisiana

Abstract Gas chromatogram data for 219 oils in a 190 km N–S transect offshore Louisiana reveal a spatially coherent pattern of compositional change which is caused by gas washing. Near the Louisiana shoreline, as much as 91% of the original n-alkanes have been removed from the oils. The maximum intensity of depletion decreases southward in a nearly regular fashion to nil at the Jolliet field 190 km offshore. The oils show a parallel change in the maximum carbon number of the removed n-alkanes, implying that the pressure at which gas washing took place also decreased in the offshore direction. The systematic change in maximum extent of depletion crosscuts tectonostratigraphic boundaries as well as oil source provinces. Models of gas washing suggest that the maximum depth of washing reflects the distribution of deeply buried continuous sands, suggesting deep sands may have provided sites for efficient gas–oil interaction.
Chiari I malformation, delayed gross motor skills, severe speech delay, and epileptiform discharges in a child with FOXP1 haploinsufficiency

Human FOXP2 deficiency has been identified as a cause of hereditary developmental verbal dyspraxia. Another member of the same gene family, FOXP1, has expression patterns that overlap with FOXP2 in some areas of the brain, and FOXP1 and FOXP2 have the ability to form heterodimers. These findings suggest the possibility that FOXP1 may also contribute to proper speech development. However, no such role of FOXP1 has been established to date. Recently, a child was reported who presented with a 3p13-14.1 deletion of four genes, including FOXP1, and a constellation of deficits that included speech delay. In this study, we report the case of a patient with a single deletion of FOXP1. This patient presented with speech and motor developmental delays, a Chiari I malformation, and epileptiform discharges. The nature of the speech deficit is different from the primary oromotor verbal dyspraxia found in patients with FOXP2 deficiency. The patient's developmental deficits may support a role for FOXP1 in the development of verbal and motor skills.
Speeding up maximal fully-correlated itemsets search in large databases

Finding the most interesting correlations among items is essential for problems in many commercial, medical, and scientific domains. Our previous work on the maximal fully-correlated itemset (MFCI) framework can rule out the itemsets with irrelevant items and its downward-closed property helps to achieve good computational performance. However, to calculate the desired MFCIs in large databases, there are still two computational issues. First, unlike finding maximal frequent itemsets which can start the pruning from 1-itemsets, finding MFCIs must start the pruning from 2-itemsets. When the number of items in a given dataset is large and the support of all the pairs cannot be loaded into the memory, the IO cost ( $$O(n^2)$$ ) for calculating correlation of all the pairs can be very high. Second, users usually need to try different correlation thresholds for different desirable MFCIs. Therefore, the cost of processing the Apriori procedure each time for a different correlation threshold is also very high. Consequently, we proposed two techniques to solve these problems. First, we identify the correlation upper bound for any good correlation measure to avoid unnecessary IO query for the support of pairs, and make use of their common monotone property to prune many pairs even without computing their correlation upper bounds. In addition, we build an enumeration tree to save the fully-correlated value for all the MFCIs under a given initial correlation threshold. We can either efficiently retrieve the desired MFCIs for any given threshold above the initial threshold or incrementally grow the tree if the given threshold is below the initial threshold. Experimental results show that our algorithm can be an order of magnitude faster than the original MFCI algorithm.
Human eosinophils release IL-1ß and increase expression of IL-17A in activated CD4+ T lymphocytes.

SummaryBackground Differentiation and activation of CD4+ T cells is controlled by various cytokines produced by innate immune cells. We have shown that eosinophils (EOS) have the potential to influence Th1 and Th2 cytokine generation by CD4+ cells, but their influence on IL-17A (IL-17) has not been established. Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of EOS on IL-17 production by lymphocytes. Methods Pre-activated CD4+ T cells were cultured in the presence of either autologous EOS or EOS culture supernatants. Expression of IL-17 was determined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) after 5 h and protein level was measured after 48 h. To determine the effect of allergen-induced airway EOS on IL-17, subjects with mild allergic asthma underwent bronchoscopic segmental bronchoprovocation with allergen (SBP-Ag) after a treatment with an anti-IL-5 neutralizing antibody (mepolizumab) to reduce airway eosinophilia. IL-17 mRNA was measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells by qPCR. Results In vitro, EOS significantly increased IL-17 production by CD4+ T cells. Addition of exogenous IL-1s increased expression of IL-17 mRNA by CD4+ T cells. EOS expressed and released IL-1s. Furthermore, levels of IL-1s in EOS supernatants highly correlated with their ability to increase IL-17 expression by CD4+ T cells, and neutralizing antibody to IL-1s reduced expression of IL-17 mRNA. In vivo, reduction of EOS in the airway using mepolizumab was associated with diminished IL-17 expression after SBP-Ag. Conclusions and clinical relevance Our data demonstrate that EOS can promote IL-17 production through the release of IL-1s. Enhanced IL-17 cytokine production is another mechanism by which EOS may participate in pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation in asthma.
Thyroxine secretion rate of mice.

SummaryThe mean thyroxine secretion rate (TSR) of “Swiss-Webster” intact male and female mice at the same age (120 days) was identical; 1.2 μg/100 g body weight per day. Gonadectomy produced a consistent, but not significant, reduction in TSR in both sexes. In the female no significant change in TSR was noted with increasing age between 120 and 230 days of age. The mean TSR of 66 female mice maintained at a temperature of 78 ± 1°F was 1.25 ± 0.05 μg 1-thyroxine/100 g/day, with a range between 0.5 and 2 μg.
Analytical expressions for the binding energies of excitons and acceptors in cubic semiconductors

Abstract The effective mass equation for direct excitons and acceptors in cubic semiconductors is solved accurately. Simple analytical expressions for the binding energy of the most important states are given as function of the spherical and cubic coefficients.
Contrast sensitivity to patch stimuli: effects of spatial bandwidth and temporal presentation

Models of the spatial response of human vision are important for applied work, but the available contrast sensitivity function (CSF) data vary widely due to the diverse spatiotemporal stimuli used over the years. To assist selection, this paper: (1) reports measurements of the effects on the CSF of varying the spatial and temporal windows of grating patches; (2) demonstrates that the widely discrepant CSFs from previous studies can be accounted for by using these results; and (3) discusses simple criteria for choosing CSFs for practical applications. CSFs were measured for several combinations of spatial and temporal waveforms, using the same subjects under otherwise identical conditions. The CSF was measured over the range of 0.5-10 c/deg using Gabor-type patches of 1.0-, 0.5-, 0.25-, and 0.125-octave spatial bandwidths using both abrupt and gradual temporal presentations. The results were compared with the CSF obtained with a fixed aperture (4 deg x 4 deg) grating pattern. Increasing the number of cycles resulted in increased sensitivity at intermediate frequencies, changing the CSF to a narrower bandpass shape. For each patch bandwidth, the gradual presentation CSF had a narrower spatial pass band than with the abrupt presentation. The relevance of the large differences in the CSFs obtained with different stimuli to our understanding of visual performance is discussed.
Cylindrical Core−Shell Brushes Prepared by a Combination of ROP and ATRP

A molecular brush with block copolymer side chains, i.e., a crystalline poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) core with an amorphous poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) shell, was synthesized by the “grafting from” approach using a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP). The brush was prepared in the following steps. First, a well-defined poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) was synthesized by ATRP in a methanol/anisole cosolvent. In the second step, PCL was grafted from the PHEMA macroinitiators by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) in the presence of tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (Sn(EH)2) catalyst, and then the pendent hydroxyl groups in the resulting PCL brush were transformed to bromopropionyl ATRP initiating groups. Finally, the PBA chains were grafted from the PCL brush macroinitiators by ATRP. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis provided evidence for formation of a well-defined block copolymer side chain brush. The melting point and the heat of fusio...
A weighted dispersion function for estimation in linear models

Robust estimates for the parameters in the general linear model are proposed which are based on weighted rank statistics. The method is based on the minimization of a dispersion function defined by a weighted Gini's mean difference. The asymptotic distribution of the estimate is derived with an asymptotic linearity result. An influence function is determined to measure how the weights can reduce the influence of high-leverage points. The weights can also be used to base the ranking on a restricted set of comparisons. This is illustrated in several examples with stratified samples, treatment vs control groups and ordered alternatives.
Increasingly informed consent: discussing distinct aspects of psychotherapy at different points in time.

Psychologists are ethically obligated to obtain informed consent to psychotherapy "as early as is feasible" (American Psychological Association, 2002, p. 1072). However, the range of topics to be addressed includes both information that may be immediately and uniformly applicable to most clients via policy or rule, as well as information that is not immediately presentable because it varies widely across clients or emerges over time. In this study, licensed psychologists were surveyed regarding the earliest feasible point at which they could provide information regarding specific aspects of psychotherapy. Results indicate that, although psychologists believe that they are capable of presenting some information, such as payment and confidentiality policies, at the outset, they believe that a discussion of more substantive issues, such as psychotherapy duration, goals, orientation, and activities, can take place only after some therapy has transpired. Implications are discussed regarding the process and eve...
Risk factors associated with fecal Salmonella shedding among hospitalized horses with signs of gastrointestinal tract disease.

Objective—To estimate prevalence of and identify risk factors for fecal Salmonella shedding among hospitalized horses with signs of gastrointestinal tract disease. Design—Cross-sectional study. Animals—465 hospitalized horses with gastrointestinal tract disease. Procedure—Horses were classified as positive or negative for fecal Salmonella shedding during hospitalization by means of standard aerobic bacteriologic methods. The relationship between investigated exposure factors and fecal Salmonella shedding was examined by means of logistic regression. Results—The overall prevalence of fecal Salmonella shedding was 13%. Salmonella serotype Newport was the most commonly isolated serotype (12/60 [20%]), followed by Anatum (8/60 [13%]), Java (13%), and Saint-paul (13%). Foals with gastrointestinal tract disease were 3.27 times as likely to be shedding Salmonella organisms as were adult horses with gastrointestinal tract disease. Adult horses that had been treated with antimicrobial drugs prior to hospitalization were 3.09 times as likely to be shedding Salmonella organisms as were adult horses that had not been treated with antimicrobial drugs prior to hospitalization. Adult horses that underwent abdominal surgery were 2.09 times as likely to be shedding Salmonella organisms as were adult horses that did not undergo abdominal surgery. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggest that a history of exposure to antimicrobial drugs prior to hospitalization and abdominal surgery during hospitalization were associated with Salmonella shedding in adult horses with gastrointestinal tract disease. Foals with gastrointestinal tract disease were more likely to shed Salmonella organisms than were adult horses with gastrointestinal tract disease. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;225:275–281)
Do androgens link morphology and behaviour to produce phenotype-specific behavioural strategies?

Morphological and behavioural traits often covary with each other, and the links between them may arise from shared physiological mechanisms. In particular, androgens such as testosterone have emerged as prime candidates for linking behaviour and morphology due to the environmental sensitivity and pleiotropic effects of these hormones. In this study we investigated the hypothesis that androgens simultaneously relate to morphological and behavioural variation, thereby producing the integrated reproductive phenotypes of male red-backed fairy-wrens, Malurus melanocephalus. Males of this species can adopt one of three discrete breeding phenotypes: breeding in red/black plumage, breeding in brown plumage, or remaining as nonbreeding brown natal auxiliaries. Although the expression of morphological traits in this species is regulated by androgens and phenotypes differ in baseline androgen levels (red/black breeder > brown breeder > auxiliary), injection with GnRH failed to expose phenotype-specific constraints on androgen production. Observations of territoriality, nestling feeding and extraterritorial forays revealed phenotype-specific patterns of mating and parental effort, yet these were largely related to age and were not correlated with baseline or GnRH-induced androgen levels, or the androgen change between these points. While these findings support the idea that morphological and behavioural traits are linked via phenotypic correlations, they do not support the hypothesis that behavioural differences arise from variation in circulating androgens or the capacity to produce them.
Structure and Size of Spherical Micelles of Telechelic Polymers

This paper addresses the prediction and measurement of the aggregation number and radius of spherical micelles composed of telechelic polymers. The free energy of micellization balances the interfacial energy against the energy of stretching the end blocks to form the core, the configurational entropy, and excluded-volume interactions of the soluble chains that form the corona. In a good solvent, the latter are strongly stretched and form spherical brushes as treated by the Li−Witten model. The minimum in the free energy sets the most probable size, while the curvature at the minimum indicates the breadth of the distribution. From these we predict the various averages of the aggregation number and micellar radius detected by fluorescence measurements, dynamic and static light scattering, and viscometry. The effects of polydispersity explain in part the discrepancies among values reported by different groups for polymers of the same nominal structure.
HP1a Targets the Drosophila KDM4A Demethylase to a Subset of Heterochromatic Genes to Regulate H3K36me3 Levels

The KDM4 subfamily of JmjC domain-containing demethylases mediates demethylation of histone H3K36me3/me2 and H3K9me3/me2. Several studies have shown that human and yeast KDM4 proteins bind to specific gene promoters and regulate gene expression. However, the genome-wide distribution of KDM4 proteins and the mechanism of genomic-targeting remain elusive. We have previously identified Drosophila KDM4A (dKDM4A) as a histone H3K36me3 demethylase that directly interacts with HP1a. Here, we performed H3K36me3 ChIP-chip analysis in wild type and dkdm4a mutant embryos to identify genes regulated by dKDM4A demethylase activity in vivo. A subset of heterochromatic genes that show increased H3K36me3 levels in dkdm4a mutant embryos overlap with HP1a target genes. More importantly, binding to HP1a is required for dKDM4A-mediated H3K36me3 demethylation at a subset of heterochromatic genes. Collectively, these results show that HP1a functions to target the H3K36 demethylase dKDM4A to heterochromatic genes in Drosophila.
Operation of the PEP Transverse Beam Feedback

The PEP Storage Ring has been equipped with a wide band beam feedback system capable of damping the vertical and horizontal motion of six bunches. The oscillation detection is done at a symmetry point on the Storage Ring and feedback is applied at the same location one orbital period later. The signal is synchronously gated and the system appears as twelve independent feedback loops, operating on the two coordinates of each of the six bunches. Two beam deflection electrodes are driven each by a low-Q push-pull amplifier which is tuned at the 72nd harmonic of the revolution frequency and suppressed-carrier modulation is generated by a sequence of the detected bunch oscillations. The design parameters are reviewed as well as the salient features of the hardware, and the impact of this system on the machine operation is evaluated in the light of experimental results.
Determination of time course of tablet disintegration I: Numerical method

A method is described for determining the time course of tablet disintegration. It involves a numerical analysis of the experimental dissolution profile of a tablet and the dissolution characteristics of the primary drug particles in the tablet. The disintegration profile is determined for an acetaminophen tablet to demonstrate the application of the method. Tablet dissolution is simulated with the disintegration-dissolution model, and the interrelationship between the two fundamental processes is studied theoretically by varying the parameters describing the two processes.
The effects of phenylephrine on pupil diameter and accommodation in rhesus monkeys.

Purpose Phenylephrine is used to dilate the iris through alpha-adrenergic stimulation of the iris dilator muscle. Sympathetic stimulation of the ciliary muscle is believed to be inhibitory, decreasing accommodative amplitude. Investigations in humans have suggested some loss of functional accommodation after phenylephrine. It is unclear whether this loss is due to direct action of phenylephrine on the ciliary muscle or to secondary optical factors associated with mydriasis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether phenylephrine affects Edinger-Westphal (EW)-stimulated accommodation in rhesus monkeys. Methods The time course for maximum mydriasis was determined by videographic pupillography after phenylephrine instillation in 10 normal rhesus monkeys. Static and dynamic EW-stimulated accommodative responses were studied in five iridectomized rhesus monkeys before and after phenylephrine instillation. Accommodative amplitude was measured with a Hartinger coincidence refractometer. Dynamic accommodative responses were measured with infrared photorefraction, and functions were fitted to the data to determine peak velocity versus accommodative response relationships. Results The maximum dilated pupil diameter of 8.39 +/- 0.23 mm occurred 15 minutes after administration of phenylephrine. In iridectomized monkeys, postphenylephrine accommodative amplitudes were similar to prephenylephrine amplitudes. Dynamic analysis of the accommodative responses showed linear peak velocity versus accommodative amplitude relationships that were not statistically different before and after phenylephrine. Conclusions alpha-Adrenergic stimulation causes a strong pupil dilation in noniridectomized monkey eyes but does not affect EW-stimulated accommodative amplitude or dynamics in anesthetized, iridectomized rhesus monkeys.
The Serratia‐type hemolysin of Chromobacterium violaceum

Chromobacterium violaceum is a Gram-negative opportunistic human pathogen and an inhabitant of tropical soils and waterways. Although known primarily for the synthesis of the pigment violacein, and more recently as a reporter strain for quorum sensing, clinical reports of chromobacteriosis comprise the largest block of published literature on this organism. Genome sequencing has revealed many potential virulence factors in this microorganism, and this paper establishes the presence in C. violaceum of a Serratia type-hemolysin (ChlA) and transporter (ChlB). We also show that the hemolysin operon includes a third gene (chlC) that is predicted to encode a phosphorylation domain similar to the receiver domain of response regulators in bacterial signal transduction systems.
Inner-shell bound-bound transitions from variationally scaled Sturmian functions.

We use results from a scaling variational approach to screened Coulomb problems to calculate bound-bound transition matrix elements for atomic inner shells. We use wave functions which are just radial Sturmian functions scaled by the variational parameter. Our results are compared with numerical results and those of analytic perturbation theory.
Variations of the cephalic muscles in the colubrid snake genera Entechinus, Opheodrys, and Symphimus

The cephalic muscles in three species of Entechinus, two species of Opheodrys, and Symphimus mayae display patterns of interspecific variation that are largely congruent with patterns of variation previously described for the skulls of these species. This congruence does not stem from direct correlation between the shapes of associated bones and muscles. In these colubrid snakes, most interspecific variations in muscle form involve changes in the shape or relative position of attachment points that appear unrelated to changes in the gross form of the bony surfaces forming the attachment points and produce no major changes in the architectural array of fibers in the muscle. Data presented here, combined with information from previous comparative studies of colubroid cephalic muscles, support the hypothesis that these muscles are limited in their potential variability by factors favoring parallel arrangements of fibers.
Improved Imaging Quality for Megavoltage CT via a Novel Iterative Reconstruction Method Based on Tensor Framelet

patients were injected with 60-100 mL of Iopamidol (370 mgI/mL). In two cases, the injection was performed by manual syringe control at roughly 1 mL/s, and in other cases a power injector delivered contrast at 1.0-2.5 mL/ s. CBCT scans took either 120s (n Z 4) or 30s (n Z 1) to acquire, and attempted to capture the portal venous phase. We applied our previously developed model that uses the re-assortment of static phantom CBCT data to generate the expected net hepatic tissue enhancement from a given IV injection, and found parameters for iodine injection, CBCT scanning, and injection timing which optimize image quality. This model predicted that a faster scan, larger iodine dose, and quicker injection would increase liver contrast by 100%. Results: In all CE-CBCT scans, significant (> 100 HU) enhancement was seen in the heart and descending aorta. In the first four slower (120s) scans, the signal in the liver was enhanced by 30 7 HU. After performing an optimized scan using our model (30s, 100 mL at 2.5 mL/s), the enhancement signal seen in the liver was increased to 74 HU. The signalto-noise ratio ranged from 1.5-2.0. Most tumors were hypodense (precontrast), and acquisition over a long time frame (in some cases including the arterial and/or post-venous phase) diminished the distinction between tumor and normal liver. However, using the optimized parameters derived from the model, we were able to see the liver surface more clearly, aiding recognition of the contour at the interface with adjacent bowel tissue. Conclusions: Enhancement in the liver of iodinated IV contrast is severely degraded in CBCT due to wash-in/wash-out of iodine, the slow speed of CBCT, and the effect of motion. Using a predictive phantom model, we were able to demonstrate that a 30-second CBCT scan with a 100 mL I, 2.5 mL/s injection successfully enhanced the contrast of the liver parenchyma. An improved image of the liver will facilitate understanding of organ deformation at the time of treatment and allow appropriate compensation for this effect. Additionally, we are developing acquisition and reconstruction techniques to better manage motion with the goal of visualizing the lesion itself during CE-CBCT. Author Disclosure: B. Jones: None. C. Altunbas: None. B. Kavanagh: None. T. Schefter: None. M. Miften: None.
Inter‐and intraspecific variation in seed mass in seven species of umbellifer

SUMMARY Patterns and causes of inter-and intraspecific variation in individual seed mass were-investigated in three prairie and four woodland species of perennial umbellifer. Except for Cryptotaenia canadensis, seeds from woodland species were significantly heavier than those from prairie species. Within species, the magnitude of variation in individual seed mass ranged from three-to 16-fold. All the distributions of individual seed masses for the seven species were significantly leptokurtotic and except for Osmorhiza longistylis, all were significantly skewed. Variation between plants was significant in one prairie species (Oxypolis rigidior) and all woodland species. Mean seed mass in a plant was significantly correlated with plant size in three species. Within plant variation in seed mass accounted for 52-98% of total variation. No one factor consistently affected intraspecific variation in seed mass, although seed number per umbel, timing of umbel production and location of umbel were all important for at least one species. It is postulated that intraspecific variation in seed mass is the rule rather than the exception because of the influence of developmental factors such as seed number, timing of inflorescence production and location of different inflorescences. However, these factors may act in conflicting directions, making it difficult to assign causality to within plant variation in seed mass.
A possible role of proopiomelanocortin peptides in self-injurious behavior

Abstract Herman, Barbara H.: A possible role of proopiomelanocortin peptides In self-injurious behavior. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1990, 14 (supple): S109–S139. 1. 1. The hypothesis that opioids may be involved in self-injurious behavior is supported by fifteen years of basic animal research suggesting that opioid peptides of the brain and spinal cord participate in the modulation of antinociception in animals and research of animal models for self-injurious behavior utilizing exogenously administered opiate agonists. 2. 2. Clinical biochemical and pharmacological research conducted over the past five years has also suggested the possibility that opiold peptides may play an important etiological role in the elaboration of self -injurious behavior in some individuals. 3. 3. An oploid overactivity self-injurious hypothesis is supported by results of one study indicating elevated Fraction II opioids (enkephalins) in the lumbar-thecal cerebrospinal fluid of self-injurious children compared to controls and by the five out of six published studies demonstrating statistically significant decreases in the frequency of self-Injurious behavior with the opiate antagonist, naltrexone. 4. 4. A very recent Investigation has suggested that some self-injurious individuals show abnormalities in their plasma proopiomelanocortin peptide response to naltrexone, thereby indicating a possible dysfunction in the responsitivity of the proopiomelanocortin system of the hypothalamic — pituitary — adrenal axis of these individuals. 5. 5. These data and results of other investigations have resulted in the elaboration of the original opioid hypothesis to a more comprehensive biochemical model that focuses on this proopiomelancortin dysregulation. 6. 6. Because of biochemical and functional Interrelationships between proopiomelancortin peptides and certain other neurochemical systems in the brain, it is proposed that pineal melatonin and serotonin may also be involved in this dysregulation. Further basic and clinical research will be needed to test the proposed biochemical model for self-injurious behavior.
Detailed test of distorting potentials for the transfer reactions 40Ca(7Li, 6Li/6He)

Abstract Angular distributions for the transfer reactions 40 Ca( 7 Li, 6 Li) 41 Ca and 40 Ca( 7 Li, 6 He) 41 Sc have been measured at 34 MeV, in small angular increments out to angles where the cross section has fallen by four orders of magnitude. Finite range DWBA calculations show a high sensitivity to different distorting potentials at the largest angle cross sections. It is found that a combination of Woods-Saxon and double-folded potentials does the best job of reproducing the data over the whole angular range.
On Maximum Attainable Correlation and Other Measures of Dependence for the Sarmanov Family of Bivariate Distributions

We present an easy tractable way to calculate maximal correlation range for a Sarmanov distribution with given marginals. For Kendall's τ, rank correlation and median concordance coefficients, we found maximum attainable ranges within the Sarmanov family of distributions.
A Plasmoid Thruster for Space Propulsion

There are a number of possible advantages to using accelerated plasmoids for in-space propulsion. A plasmoid is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field. They have been studied extensively in controlled fusion research and are classified according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (B(sub p), and B(sub t), respectively). An object with B(sub p), / B(sub t) much greater than 1 is classified as a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC); if B(sub p) approximately equal to B(sub t), it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster operates by producing FRC-like plasmoids and subsequently ejecting them from the device at a high velocity. The plasmoid is formed inside of a single-turn conical theta-pinch coil. As this process is inductive, there are no electrodes. Similar experiments have yielded plasmoid velocities of at least 50 km/s, and calculations indicate that velocities in excess of 100 km/s should be possible. This concept should be capable of producing Isp's in the range of 5,000 - 15,000 s with thrust densities on the order of 10(exp 5) N per square meters. The current experiment is designed to produce jet powers in the range of 5 - 10 kW, although the concept should be scalable to several MW's. The plasmoid mass and velocity will be measured with a variety of diagnostics, including internal and external B-dot probes, flux loops, Langmuir probes, high-speed cameras and a laser interferometer. Also of key importance will be measurements of the efficiency and mass utilization. Simulations of the plasmoid thruster using MOQUI, a time-dependent MHD code, will be carried out concurrently with experimental testing.
The production and perception of implicit performatives

The present research examined how people perform and perceive implicit performatives, i.e., speech acts that do not contain the performative verb. In Experiment 1 participants were asked how they would perform various speech acts (e.g., beg, brag, blame) when they could not use the performative verb. Consistent with speech act theory, utterances were frequently performed by referencing the relevant felicity conditions for the appropriate illocutionary points. Experiments 2 (using a sorting task) and 3 (using a rating task) examined the psychological reality of Searle's [Searle, John, 1979. Expression and Meaning. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge] speech act classification scheme. Both experiments suggest that people tend to group implicit performatives in terms of their underlying emotional valence (a perlocutionary effect) rather than their illocutionary points.
Investigations of the decay-scheme of Rh101

Abstract Enriched Ru101 bombarded with 6 MeV protons was observed to emit 75, 310, and 545 keV gamma rays each decaying with a 4.4 d half-life. However, the lead and copper absorption measurements strongly indicated that the 75 keV photo peak, observed in well crystal measurements, was actually due to the Pb K X-ray, produced by the photo-electric absorption of the 310 keV gamma ray in the lead shield around the crystal. A weak 235 keV gamma ray was observed to be in coincidence with the 310 keV gamma ray previously assigned to Rh101. The latter was not in coincidence with 545 keV. After the decay of 4.4 d activity, gamma rays of 127 and 198 keV were observed to be in coincidence and have a very long half-life. The 127 keV gamma ray was associated with Rh101 from the reported Coulomb excitation of Ru101 and the decay of Tc101. The proposed decay scheme, having levels at 127, 310, 325 and 545 keV, is presented in this paper.
When Art Loses its Sting: The Evolution of Protest Art in Authoritarian Contexts

Change in art is an understudied topic in sociological research. This article examines protest artworks (arpilleras) produced by shantytown women during and shortly after the dictatorship in Chile, to explore the question why political art that is for sale changes over time. This research is based on 136 semi-structured and in-depth interviews with various members of the art world in Chile, Europe, and the United States, a year's worth of participant observation of art groups in Santiago and over five hundred photographs of arpilleras, taken by the author and analyzed thematically. Political art that is for sale can change because the intermediary (the organization connecting producers and buyers) becomes less or more politically conservative, develops a precarious financial situation, grows more afraid of repression, and has the power to enforce the changes it desires; because the original buyers are replaced with new buyers with different motivations; and because new artists with new ideas begin making ...
Endocarditis due to Hemophilus aphrophilus: Report of a Case with Possible Transmission from Dog to Man

A 44-year-old man was treated for bacterial endocarditis due to Hemophilus aphrophilus. The characteristics of the organism are reviewed, along with other cases of endocarditis. There is an association of this organism with dogs and a potential for transmission from this source to man.
Systematic review of the benefits and risks of metformin in treating obesity in children aged 18 years and younger.

Importance Childhood obesity is an important public health problem with increasing prevalence. Because treatment often has limited success, new approaches must be identified. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of metformin for treating obesity in children aged 18 years and younger without a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Evidence Review We included randomized clinical trials identified through searches of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Our primary outcome measure was change in body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). We assessed study quality, pooled data using a random-effects model, and performed subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Findings Fourteen randomized clinical trials were eligible. For BMI, moderate-strength evidence indicated a reduction of −1.38 (95% CI, −1.93 to −0.82) from baseline compared with control at 6 months. A similar, if less dramatic, effect was observed in studies less than 6 months, but the pooled estimate from studies of 1 year of treatment was not statistically significant. Subgroup analyses indicated smaller, but significant, effects for those with baseline BMI below 35, those of Hispanic ethnicity, those with acanthosis nigricans, those who had tried and failed diet and exercise programs, and in studies with more girls or higher mean age (adolescents). Moderate-strength evidence indicated that with metformin, 26% reported a gastrointestinal event compared with 13% in control groups (relative risk, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.19-3.54), although there was no difference in discontinuations due to adverse events. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions and Relevance Metformin provides a statistically significant, but very modest reduction in BMI when combined with lifestyle interventions over the short term. A large trial is needed to determine the benefits to subgroups or impacts of confounders. In the context of other options for treating childhood obesity, metformin has not been shown to be clinically superior.