cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of tobramycin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1% and tobramycin 0.3%/loteprednol 0.5% in the management of blepharo-keratoconjunctivitis.

In this clinical trial, investigators compared the effectiveness of 2 commercially formulated antibiotic/steroid combinations—tobramycin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1 % (Tobradex®; Alcon, Fort Worth, Tex) and tobramycin 0.3%/loteprednol 0.5% (Zylet®; Bausch & Lomb Inc., Rochester, NY)—for rapidly controlling inflammation in patients with blepharo-keratoconjunctivitis. Investigators in this randomized, parallel-group, double-masked study examined 40 eyes of 40 patients with blepharo-keratoconjunctivitis. Patients received tobramycin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1 % or tobramycin 0.3%/loteprednol 0.5% twice daily in the test eye, according to the randomization schedule. At baseline, the ocular surface was graded on a scale of 3 (extensive) to 0 (minimum) for 4 components: blepharitis, conjunctivitis, ocular discharge, and corneal punctate epithelial keratopathy (PEK). Only those patients with moderate to extensive inflammation (cumulative score > 6) were included in the study. At follow-up 3 to 5 d later, the ocular surface was regraded so that treatment response could be evaluated. No statistically significant difference was noted between groups in pretreatment scores for blepharitis (P=.31), discharge (P=.62), conjunctivitis (P=1.0), and PEK (P=.57), or for total ocular inflammation (P=.87). Mean posttreatment scores were as follows: total ocular surface scores, 1.8 and 3.4 (P=.002); blepharitis scores, 0.9 and 1.35 (P=.017); discharge scores, 0.2 and 0.6 (P=.025); and conjunctivitis scores, 0.15 and 0.6 (P=.013) for tobramycin/dexamethasone and tobramycin/loteprednol, respectively. Corneal PEK scores were not significantly different between treatments. Tobramycin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1% significantly decreased clinical signs of ocular inflammation (ie, blepharitis, discharge, conjunctivitis) and total ocular inflammation scores when compared with tobramycin 0.3%/loteprednol 0.5% in patients with moderate to severe blepharo-keratoconjunctivitis. The 2 regimens also provided comparably rapid decreases in corneal PEK.
A reassessment of the O(αs2) three-jet cross section for e+e− annihilation☆

Abstract Results of a new evaluation of the O(αs2) dressed three-jet cross section for e+e− annihilation are summarized. For vanishing cutoffs, the different results in published three-jet cross section formulae are due to differing definitions of resolvable four-jet events. Subleading terms which were ignored in previous calculations are evaluated and found to be sizeable in the phase space region where three-jet events become more two-jet-like. A simple calculation demonstrates that αs values determined according to the three-jet cross section formulae of Gutbrod, Kramer and Schierholz are systematically too large.
The Computer as a Tutorial Laboratory: The Stanford BIP Project.

The B asic Instructional Program (BIP) was developed to investigate tutorial modes of interaction in computer-assisted instruction. BIP is an interactive problem-solving laboratory that offers tutorial assistance to students solving introductory programming problems in the B asic language. This paper describes how the problem presentation sequence is individualized based on a representation of the structure of the curriculum and a model of the student's state of knowledge. The nature of the student-BIP interaction is captured in an annotated student dialogue illustrating a typical session.
The solution of exterior interface problems using a variational method with Lagrange multipliers

Abstract A numerical method is proposed and analyzed for approximately solving a class of exterior interface problems in three dimensions. The solution satisfies the Helmholtz equation near infinity as well as an outgoing or incoming radiation condition. The interface conditions involve jumps in both the function and the normal derivative of the function across a two-dimensional surface Γ. The former condition is an essential interface condition and is treated using Lagrange multipliers. The unboundedness of the exterior domain is treated by introducing an artificial sphere ΓR of sufficiently large radius R and an approximate local radiation boundary condition on this sphere. A variational formulation is obtained for this approximate problem that takes into account the approximate boundary condition on ΓR as well as the natural interface condition (i.e., the jump in the normal derivative on Γ). The resulting variational problem is discretized using the finite element method. It is proved that the discretization error is optimal in the sense of the approximation properties of the finite element subspaces. The discrete Lagrange multiplier formulation is generalized to take into account various perturbations of the method that often occur in its implementation. The error due to the perturbation is analyzed. It is also proved that the error due to the artificial boundary and approximate boundary condition is of order O(R−2) for large R.
Chemoselection: a paradigm for optimization of organ preservation in locally advanced larynx cancer.

Definitive chemoradiation (CRT) and laryngectomy followed by postoperative radiotherapy (RT) are both considered standard-of-care options for the management of advanced laryngeal cancer. While organ preservation with chemoradiotherapy is often the preferred up-front approach for appropriately selected candidates, the functional benefits of organ preservation must be carefully balanced against the considerable morbidity of salvage laryngectomy in patients who fail primary chemoradiation. Up-front identification of patients who are likely to require surgical salvage, therefore, is an important aim of any organ preserving approach in order to minimize morbidity while maximizing organ preservation. To this end, a strategy of ‘chemoselection’, using the primary tumor’s response after 1 cycle of induction chemotherapy as an in vivo method of selecting responders for definitive chemoradiation while reserving primary surgical management for non-responders, has been employed extensively at our institution. The rat...
Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Increased Left Ventricular Mass in Children at Risk for Hypertension

Objective To relate ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) to cardiac target organ measurement in children at risk for primary hypertension (HTN). Study design Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and ABP were measured concomitantly in children (6 to 18 years) at risk for hypertension using a cross-sectional study design. Results LVMI showed a significant positive correlation with 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP) load, SBP index (SBPI), and standard deviation score (SDS). When subjects were stratified by LVMI percentile, there were significant differences in SBP load, 24-hour SBPI, and 24-hour SSDS. The odds ratio (OR) of having elevated LVMI increased by 54% for each incremental increase of SDS in 24-hour SSDS after controlling for race and BMI (OR = 1.54, unit = 1 SDS, CI = 1.1, 2.15, P = .011) and increased by 88% for each increase of 0.1 in BPI (OR = 1.88, CI = 1.03, 3.45, P = .04). Subjects with stage 3 HTN had significantly greater mean LVMI compared with normal subjects ( P = .002 by ANOVA; LMVI, 31.6 ± 7.9 versus 39.5 ± 10.4). Conclusions As systolic ABP variables increase, there is greater likelihood for increased LVMI. Staging based on ABPM allows assessment of cardiovascular risk in children with primary hypertension.
Statistical power for detecting trends with applications to seabird monitoring

Abstract Power analysis is helpful in defining goals for ecological monitoring and evaluating the performance of ongoing efforts. I examined detection standards proposed for population monitoring of seabirds using two programs (MONITOR and TRENDS) specially designed for power analysis of trend data. Neither program models within- and among-years components of variance explicitly and independently, thus an error term that incorporates both components is an essential input. Residual variation in seabird counts consisted of day-to-day variation within years and unexplained variation among years in approximately equal parts. The appropriate measure of error for power analysis is the standard error of estimation (S.E. est ) from a regression of annual means against year. Replicate counts within years are helpful in minimizing S.E. est but should not be treated as independent samples for estimating power to detect trends. Other issues include a choice of assumptions about variance structure and selection of an exponential or linear model of population change. Seabird count data are characterized by strong correlations between S.D. and mean, thus a constant CV model is appropriate for power calculations. Time series were fit about equally well with exponential or linear models, but log transformation ensures equal variances over time, a basic assumption of regression analysis. Using sample data from seabird monitoring in Alaska, I computed the number of years required (with annual censusing) to detect trends of −1.4% per year (50% decline in 50 years) and −2.7% per year (50% decline in 25 years). At α =0.05 and a desired power of 0.9, estimated study intervals ranged from 11 to 69 years depending on species, trend, software, and study design. Power to detect a negative trend of 6.7% per year (50% decline in 10 years) is suggested as an alternative standard for seabird monitoring that achieves a reasonable match between statistical and biological significance.
Asymptomatic Familial Elevation of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Levels

Asymptomatic elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase levels has been reported recently in one family. An autosomal dominant inheritance was suggested by father-son transmission.1Both liver and bone isoenzyme levels were elevated. We describe another family that had elevations of serum alkaline phosphatase levels without apparent disease. In this family, the heat labile fraction (representing the bone isoenzyme level) was greater than 90% in all affected individuals. Report of a Case.—An 11-year-old asymptomatic girl was found to have an elevated serum alkaline phoshatase level after the incidental discovery of an increased level in her mother. Extensive investigations failed to reveal a cause for the elevated level in the mother. Results of a physical examination of the daughter were entirely normal. Results of laboratory studies, including complete blood cell count, urinalysis, and serum chemistries, were normal except for a fasting serum alkaline phosphatase level of 664 IU/L (normal, 40 to 110
Combined interstitial and intrauterine pregnancy: cornual resection in early pregnancy and cesarean delivery at term.

In 1979, a 28-year-old Asian woman underwent cesarean section because of antepartum hemorrhage from placenta previa. The operation was routine with the longitudinal, midline incision closed in layers-catgut to the peritoneum, nylon to the rectus sheath, and a subcuticular prolene stitch to the skin. The prolene suture was removed on the sixth postoperative day in an uneventful puerperium. Nine months later the patient presented with a painful scar which was thick and contracted in the lower third with a palpable tender nodule. The scar and nodule were excised and sent for histologic examination which showed dermal collagen replaced by interweaving bundles of spindle cells of the desmoid tumor type in the nodule. The patient has been followed up for more than 2 years without recurrence.
Finite-amplitude effects on steady lee-wave patterns in subcritical stratified flow over topography

The flow of a continuously stratified fluid over a smooth bottom bump in a channel of finite depth is considered. In the weakly nonlinear-weakly dispersive regime e = a/h 1, μ = h/l 1 (where h is the channel depth and a,l are the peak amplitude and the width of the obstacle respectively), the parameter A = e/μ p (where p > 0 depends on the obstacle shape) controls the effect of nonlinearity on the steady lee wavetrain that forms downstream of the obstacle for subcritical flow speeds. For A = O(1), when nonlinear and dispersive effects are equally important, the interaction of the long-wave disturbance over the obstacle with the lee wave is fully nonlinear, and techniques of asymptotics 'beyond all orders' are used to determine the (exponentially small as μ → 0) lee-wave amplitude. Comparison with numerical results indicates that the asymptotic theory often remains reasonably accurate even for moderately small values of μ and e, in which case the (formally exponentially small) lee-wave amplitude is greatly enhanced by nonlinearity and can be quite substantial. Moreover, these findings reveal that the range of validity of the classical linear lee-wave theory (A 1) is rather limited.
Primary Lymphoma of the Subglottic Airway in a Patient With Sjogren’s Syndrome Mimicking High Laryngotracheal Stenosis

Primary B cell lymphoma of the central airways is a rare tumor. This report describes a case of primary B cell lymphoma of the subglottic airway in a patient with Sjogren's syndrome, which resembled a benign, cicatricial subglottic stenosis. Successful management was achieved using surgical resection with laryngotracheal reconstruction.
Children's reactions to disaster*

Children's reactions to disaster are influenced by their developmental stage, as well as by situational, personal, and family factors. This review describes children's experiences during man-made and natural disasters and uses drawings and narrative to illustrate specific reactions. Mental health outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder, are identified, as are approaches to working with children and families after disaster.
Surgical repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect

Abstract Background . The objective of this study was to assess the outcome of complete atrioventricular septal defect repair from 1981 to 2000. Methods . One hundred seventy-two consecutive patients with atrioventricular septal defect were operated on by a single surgeon using a consistent operative technique (single patch; "cleft" closure). The patients' age range was from 5 weeks to 9 years (mean, 10.8 ± 1.2 months). Results . Overall operative mortality was 15 of 172 (8.7%) and this decreased significantly from 12 of 73 (16.4%) in the first decade to 3 of 99 (3.0%) in the second decade ( p = 0.0021) with no operative deaths in the last 51 patients. Operative mortality was related to decade of operation ( p = 0.0021) and to use of crystalloid cardioplegia ( p = 0.0047) by univariate analysis, and to decade of operation ( p = 0.0016) and postoperative time on ventilator ( p = 0.0023) by multivariate analysis. Actuarial long-term survival including operative deaths was 79.0% ± 3.8% at 15 years. Ten of 157 (6.4%) operative survivors have undergone reoperation for late mitral regurgitation (9 mitral valve repair, 1 mitral valve replacement) with one death. Four of 8 patients surviving late mitral valve replacement have subsequently required mitral valve repair. Freedom from late reoperation for severe mitral regurgitation was 89.9% ± 3.1% at 15 years. Freedom from late reoperation for mitral regurgitation did not decrease in the second decade (84.2% ± 6.6% at 10 years) versus the first decade (94.5% ± 3.1%) ( p = 0.0679). Conclusions . Although operative mortality for repair of atrioventricular septal defect has decreased dramatically during the past decade, the incidence of late reoperation for mitral regurgitation has not improved, and better techniques to eliminate late mitral regurgitation are needed.
Pit-1/growth hormone factor 1 splice variant expression in the rhesus monkey pituitary gland and the rhesus and human placenta.

We have examined the expression of Pit-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) splice variants in the nonhuman primate pituitary and in rhesus and human placenta. Full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) representing Pit-1 and the Pit-1β splice variants were cloned from a rhesus monkey pituitary cDNA library and were readily detectable by RT-PCR with rhesus pituitary gland RNA. The Pit-1T variant previously reported in mouse pituitary tumor cell lines was not detectable in normal rhesus pituitary tissue, although two novel splice variants were detected. A cDNA approximating the rat Pit-1 Δ4 variant was cloned but coded for a truncated and presumably nonfunctional protein. Only by using a nested RT-PCR approach were Pit-1 and Pit-1β variants consistently detectable in both human and rhesus placental tissue. The Pit-1β variant mRNA was not detectable in JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells unless the cells were stimulated with 8-Br-cAMP. Immunoblot studies with nuclear extracts from primary rhesus syncytiotrophoblast cultures or JEG-3...
Toward models for the full oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II by ligand coordination to lower the symmetry of the Mn3CaO4 cubane: demonstration that electronic effects facilitate binding of a fifth metal.

Synthetic model compounds have been targeted to benchmark and better understand the electronic structure, geometry, spectroscopy, and reactivity of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II, a low-symmetry Mn4CaOn cluster. Herein, low-symmetry MnIV3GdO4 and MnIV3CaO4 cubanes are synthesized in a rational, stepwise fashion through desymmetrization by ligand substitution, causing significant cubane distortions. As a result of increased electron richness and desymmetrization, a specific μ3-oxo moiety of the Mn3CaO4 unit becomes more basic allowing for selective protonation. Coordination of a fifth metal ion, Ag+, to the same site gives a Mn3CaAgO4 cluster that models the topology of the OEC by displaying both a cubane motif and a “dangler” transition metal. The present synthetic strategy provides a rational roadmap for accessing more accurate models of the biological catalyst.
The effects of stimulus alignment on children's performance in a conservation of length problem*

In the usual conservation-of-length task, one of two horizontally aligned sticks is displaced to the left and S is asked whether or not the sticks, previously judged equal in length, are now unequal. On the possibility that this procedure confounds a left-right discrimination task with the conservation task per se, 18 nonconserving first-grade children were each given four trials with the sticks in horizontal alignment and four in vertical alignment. Contrary to prediction, the incidence of conservation judgments did not increase in the vertical alignment condition, though speed of judgment increased slightly.
Metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma isolated to the superior ophthalmic venous system

Cutaneous malignant melanoma metastatic to the orbit is an exceedingly rare event. We present an extraordinary case of cutaneous malignant melanoma metastatic to the orbit which was entirely contained within the superior ophthalmic venous system and presented as an early orbital apex compression syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a metastatic tumor where the orbital metastasis was totally confined to vascular channels.
Crystal structure of Cu(1,4-thioxane)2Cl2-a polymeric structure of a copper(II) complex containing a monodentate thioether

The crystal structure determination of Cu(1,4-thioxane)2Cl2 establishes the coordination geometry of copper(II) to be distorted octahedral in the complex, with two monodentate sulfur and two chlorine bonds in the equatorial plane and axial coordination to two ether oxygen atoms. The structure is polymeric. The complex has symmetry 2/m. Selected distances are Cu-Cl, 2.245(1); Cu-S, 2.374(1); Cu-O, 2.574(1) A.
On the ethics of psychological research

Abstract Three philosophical positions on the nature of ethics were examined and contrasted within the context of psychological research: (a) teleology, which involves the balancing of the costs and benefits associated with an action as a means of developing general ethical rules; (b) deontology, which involves the rational adherence to rigid, universal rules that hold irrespective of the situation or consequences; and (c) skepticism, which involves denying the ability to apply universal rules and asserting the individuality of moral codes. Two experiments investigated the degree to which judgments of the ethicality of psychological research are affected by the consequences of the research and judge's ethical ideology. Subjects judged experiments that investigated obedience to an authority as generally less moral and more threatening to the participants' dignity and welfare when the proportion of total obedience was high rather than low. The proportion of participants (10 vs 40%) who were described as “psychologically upset” by the research did not affect moral judgments. These results were obtained across two different obedience situations (Milgram's study and a Watergate study) and different subject populations (high school and college students, males and females). As suggested by philosophers, a judge's ethical ideology determined how the perceived benefits and costs of the research were correlated with moral judgments. Teleologists weighed scientific benefits heavily, deontologists weighed participants' costs heavily, and skeptics weighed both heavily.
Solar energy conversion efficiencies in photosynthesis: Minimizing the chlorophyll antennae to maximize efficiency

The theoretical maxima of solar energy conversion efficiencies and productivities in oxygenic photosynthesis are evaluated. These are contrasted with actual measurements in a variety of photosynthetic organisms, including green microalgae, cyanobacteria, C4 and C3 plants. Minimizing, or truncating, the chlorophyll antenna size of the photosystems can improve photosynthetic solar energy conversion efficiency and productivity up to 3-fold. Generation of truncated light-harvesting chlorophyll antenna size (tla) strains, in all classes of photosynthetic organisms would help to alleviate excess absorption of sunlight and the ensuing wasteful dissipation of excitation energy, and to maximize solar-to-product energy conversion efficiency and photosynthetic productivity in high-density mass cultivations. The tla concept may find application in the commercial exploitation of microalgae and plants for the generation of biomass, biofuels, chemical feedstocks, as well as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
Cardiac involvement in the Kearns-Sayre syndrome

Abstract Kearns-Sayre (K-S) syndrome is a multisystemic disorder initially described as chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia associated with pigmentary degeneration of the retina (retinitis pigmentosa) and complete heart block. 1 Apparently, this entity is caused by mitochondrial abnormalities that affect neuromuscular and cardiac conduction systems. 2 The sequence in which this disorder affects the different organs varies, but usually cardiac involvement and atrioventricular (AV] block develop late.2 We report the clinical and pathologic findings of the heart and its conduction system in 2 patients with K-S syndrome.
The role of parental smoking in adolescent impulsivity

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 140 (2014) e86–e168 e87 experienceswithMA addiction, relapse, and abstinence can inform strategies for engaging and sustaining MA users in treatment and recovery. Financial support: NIDA DA025113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.252 Sexual discounting among opioid-maintained women Evan Herrmann, Sarah H. Heil, Dennis Hand University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States Aims: Opioid-maintained (OM) women are at elevated risk for acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs) because they engage in risky sexual behaviors (e.g.multiple partners, trading sex for drugs/money, inconsistent condom use); little has been done to examine the decision-making processes underlying these risks. Ourprimary aim is to examine the influenceof delaydiscountingon hypothetical condom use among OM women using a novel Sexual Discounting Task (SDT; Johnson & Bruner, 2012). Methods: OM women (N=24) chose hypothetical sexual partners from a series of photographs and identified which of these partners they thought were: (1) most likely to have a STI, (2) least likely to have an STI, (3) most sexually desirable, and (4) least sexuallydesirable.Next, participants indicated their perceived likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex immediately vs. sex with a condom available either immediately or after various delays for each of the four hypothetical partners. Results: When condoms were available immediately, participants reported that they would be more likely to use a condom with the “most likely to have an STI” partner vs. the “least likely to have an STI” partner (95% vs. 67%, p< .005). Analyses of indifference points indicated a strong effect of delay in decreasing condom use within all four conditions. Area under the curve (AUC) values normalized relative to likelihood of choosing condom use on the 0-delay trial indicated greater delay discounting in the “most sexually desirable” condition vs. “least sexually desirable” condition (median of .27 vs. .93, p< .05). Differences in normalized AUC values between “most likely to have an STI” and “least likely to have an STI” conditions trended toward significance (median of .98 vs. .33, p= .056). Conclusions: Consistent with results observed among cocainedependent individuals, these preliminary results indicate the SDT is sensitive to factors that likely influence sexual behavior and condom use (i.e. desirability of a partner & perceived risk of STI) and suggests that delay discounting may contribute to risky sexual behavior among OM women. Financial support: Supported by R34DA030534 and T32DA07242 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.253 The role of parental smoking in adolescent impulsivity Ashley Herrick, Sneha Thamotharan, Michale S. Sferra, Krista Lange, S. Fields Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station,
Adopting drought indices for estimating soil moisture: A North Carolina case study

[1] Soil moisture availability has a significant impact on environmental processes of different scales. Errors in initializing soil moisture in numerical weather forecasting models tend to cause errors in short-term weather and medium range predictions. We study the use of two drought indices: Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) values and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for estimating soil moisture. SPI and PDSI values are compared for three climate divisions: western mountains, central piedmont, and the coastal plain in North Carolina, USA. Results suggest SPI to be more representative of short-term precipitation and soil moisture variation and hence a better indicator of soil wetness. A regression equation that uses SPI is proposed to estimate soil moisture.
Tail probabilities of extinction time in a large number of experimental populations.

Determining the distribution of population extinction times is a fundamental problem in theoretical population biology. In particular, the tail properties, patterns in the probability of long-term persistence, have not been studied. Further, until now there have been no experimental or observational data sets with which to empirically test the “rare event” predictions of the standard stochastic theory of extinction, which holds that extinction times should be exponentially distributed. I performed an experimental study of extinction in a large number of replicate (n = 1076) laboratory populations of the waterflea Daphnia pulicaria. Observed extinction time ranged from 1 to 1239 days. Statistical models supported the hypothesis of a power-law distribution over the exponential distribution and other alternatives. This pattern contradicts the notion that population extinction time has an exponential tail, questioning its ubiquitous use in theoretical ecology. It is also a rare instance of a data set that exhibits power-law scaling under appropriate statistical criteria.
Clinical Significance of MYCN Amplification and Ploidy in Favorable-Stage Neuroblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group

Purpose MYCN amplification is rarely detected in patients with favorable-stage neuroblastoma (NB). To determine the clinical significance of MYCN amplification in children with favorable-stage NB, we performed a retrospective review of data from the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) biology study 9047. Patients and Methods MYCN status, tumor cell ploidy, treatment, and outcome of patients with stage A, B, or Ds NB, enrolled on POG 9047 between 1990 and 1999 were analyzed. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall (OS) survival rates were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Of the 1,667 patients enrolled on POG 9047, 643 had favorable-stage disease. Of these, follow-up data were available on 568 (34%) with stage A, B, or Ds disease and normal MYCN copy number, and 32 (1.9%) patients with MYCN-amplified, stage A, B, or Ds tumors. Within the cohort lacking MYCN amplification, the 7-year EFS and OS rates (± SE) were 91% ± 1% and 96% ± 1%, respectively. Patients with MYCN amplification had significantly w...
Trends in flower symmetry evolution revealed through phylogenetic and developmental genetic advances

A striking aspect of flowering plant (angiosperm) diversity is variation in flower symmetry. From an ancestral form of radial symmetry (polysymmetry, actinomorphy), multiple evolutionary transition...
An Analysis of Relapse Prevention Factors and Their Ability to Predict Sustained Abstinence Following Treatment Completion

Background & Objectives This study assessed the role of 14 specific relapse-prevention activities and their underlying factors in maintaining abstinence among subjects (N = 302) completing outpatient treatment for stimulant dependence. Methods We examined what broader dimensions might subsume the 14 items constituting the Drug Avoidance Activities checklist (Farabee et al. J Subst Abuse Treat 2002;23:343–350), and how well these derived factors predicted concurrent drug use at baseline and again 3 and 12 months later. Results Although four factors were identified consistently for the three time points, only avoidance strategies had sufficient internal consistency to be retained for further analysis. Controlling for age, gender, and ethnicity, the avoidance subscale was a significant predictor of UA results at all time periods: a one-point increase in the avoidance strategies scale was associated with an 86% increase in odds of a negative UA at baseline (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.37–2.53, p < .001), a 77% increase at 3-month follow-up (OR = 1.77, CI = 1.37–2.29, p < .001), and a 37% increase at 12-month follow-up (OR = 1.37, CI = 1.04–1.81, p = .026). Conclusions Although correlations of individual items with UA results showed statistically significant (p < .05) results for 8 of 14 items at one or more observation points, avoidance-related behaviors showed the strongest associations with sustained abstinence. (Am J Addict 2013; 22:206–211)
Monitoring Babesia bovis infections in cattle by using PCR-based tests

The sensitivity and specificity of PCR tests based on the small-subunit rRNA gene sequence of Babesia bovis were compared in a blind study of experimentally infected cattle with the corresponding parameters of the complement fixation (CF) test currently used in the United States to screen for bovine babesiosis. Cattle were experimentally infected with a single inoculum of a cloned laboratory strain of B. bovis. Blood samples were collected and tested over a period covering from the day of infection to 10 months postinfection. The level of parasitemia (percent infected erythrocytes) present in each sample was estimated from test results and was plotted as a function of time postinfection. These data are the first describing the course of infection by methods capable of detecting parasitemias in the range of 10(-7)%, which frequently occur in the carrier state. Parasitemias in the samples tested strongly influenced the sensitivity and negative predictive value of the PCR-based tests which varied with time postinfection. The average sensitivities of the three PCR-based tests for B. bovis ranged from 58 to 70% for a single determination, while the sensitivity of the CF test was only 6%. Both PCR-based and CF tests for B. bovis had high specificity values ranging from 96 to 100%.
Pollen analysis of a late pliocene and early pleistocene section from the Gubik Formation of Arctic Alaska

A 14-m-thick section of marine and nonmarine sediments of the Gubik Formation of northern Alaska, exposed in bluffs near Ocean Point on the Colville River, has been studied by means of pollen analysis. Pollen from the marine sediments, of probable late Pliocene age, records a boreal forest of spruce and birch with minor amounts of alder in the adjacent terrestrial vegetation. Pine and perhaps true fir were probably at or near their northern limit here, but hemlocks and hardwoods were absent. The suggested environment for the Arctic Slope during the time represented by the marine sediments is similar to that of present-day Anchorage. Pollen floras from the overlying fluvial strata, of early or middle Pleistocene age, record predominantly herbaceous taxa indicating tundra conditions probably more severe than those of the present day. These deposits were most likely contemporaneous with glacial conditions in the Brooks Range to the south. Pollen of woody taxa (spruce, alder, birch, heaths) is rare through most of the section, although birch and alder percentages similar to those found in modern river sediments indicate an interstadial or interglacial warming in midsection. Inland climates during glacial episodes may have been similar to those of the present Arctic coast.
Editorial Responsibility: Managing the Publishing Process to Do Good and Do Well

Journal editors serve a vital role because they are the gatekeepers of new scientific knowledge. Given the workload and time pressures associated with their role, editors face an important ethical dilemma: Should they allocate sufficient time to the editorial role or should they focus on their individual research performance, which is an important determinant of salary increases, promotions, and other financial rewards? We borrow from the macro-level corporate social responsibility literature to conceptualize editorial responsibility in terms of the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental performance. Our thesis is that there are recursive relationships among the economic, social, and environmental editorial performance dimensions such that editors who do good (i.e., social and environmental performance) also do well (i.e., economic performance). Thus, we bridge micro and macro domains by adapting a macro-level theory to the individual level of analysis and also bridge science and practice by discussing the impact of journal editors and scientific journals on a broad set of stakeholders including universities, research consumers, and society. We also offer suggestions to guide future research on whether the three editorial performance dimensions are part of a virtuous cycle that develops over time through mutually reinforcing feedback loops.
Archetype and Attribution in Early Arabic Poetry: Al-Shanfarā and the Lāmiyyat 'Al-Arab

The premier position of the Lāmiyyat al-'Arab among the poetry of al-shu'arā' al-Ta'alīk (the brigand-poets) of the Jāhiliyya is undeniable. Among scholars and philologists, both Arab and Orientalist, it has remained over the centuries the object of the most minute philological commentaries. Its Arab commentators number more than 20, among them the foremost names in classical Arabic literary scholarship: al-Mubarrad (d. 285/898), the doyen of the Basran school, whose commentary is said actually to have been taken from his Kufan archrival, Tha'lab (d. 291/904); the renowned poetic commentarist al-Tibrīzī (d. 502/1109); and the famed grammarian and Qur'anic commentator, al-Zamakhsharī (d. 538/1143). Its European popularity—a phenomenon that Blachere attributes to its appeal to the sensibilities of nineteenth-century Romanticism—dates to Sylvestre de Sacy's study and translation of 1826, followed by Ruckert's German translation in his Hamāsa of 1846. In philological studies, of note are the more than 20 pages of his Beitrage that Noldeke devotes to lexical matters and Jacob's extensive two-part Schanfara-Siudien.
Changes in Purkinje cell firing and gene expression precede behavioral pathology in a mouse model of SCA2

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder, which is caused by a pathological expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the coding region of the ATXN2 gene. Like other ataxias, SCA2 most overtly affects Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellum. Using a transgenic mouse model expressing a full-length ATXN2(Q127)-complementary DNA under control of the Pcp2 promoter (a PC-specific promoter), we examined the time course of behavioral, morphologic, biochemical and physiological changes with particular attention to PC firing in the cerebellar slice. Although motor performance began to deteriorate at 8 weeks of age, reductions in PC number were not seen until after 12 weeks. Decreases in the PC firing frequency first showed at 6 weeks and paralleled deterioration of motor performance with progression of disease. Transcription changes in several PC-specific genes such as Calb1 and Pcp2 mirrored the time course of changes in PC physiology with calbindin-28 K changes showing the first small, but significant decreases at 4 weeks. These results emphasize that in this model of SCA2, physiological and behavioral phenotypes precede morphological changes by several weeks and provide a rationale for future studies examining the effects of restoration of firing frequency on motor function and prevention of future loss of PCs.
New hope for prevention of preterm delivery.

This Commentary highlights the article by Sundaram et al that described a novel use of a common organic solvent, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) in preventing inflammation-mediated preterm birth.
Assessment of Patients with Taste and Smell Disorders

The evaluation of patients with taste and smell complaints is difficult without standardized quantitative methods of assessment. This paper summarizes recent developments in the evaluation of chemo...
Effect of early coronary artery reperfusion on infarct development in a model of low collateral flow.

To characterise collateral blood flow patterns after coronary artery occlusion in the rat and to determine whether tissue can be salvaged by reperfusion in this model, anaesthetised rats were subjected to 20, 30, 40, 60 min of coronary occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion or 24 h of permanent occlusion. Relative regional blood flow was measured by radioactive microspheres after 10 min of occlusion in rats undergoing 30 min of occlusion plus reperfusion and in those undergoing 24 h of permanent occlusion. The area at risk was determined by in vivo injection of fluorescent microspheres and necrosis delineated by in vitro tetrazolium staining. Tracings of heart slices were planimetered and the area of necrosis and transmural extent of the infarct measured. Blood flow in the area at risk during occlusion was similar in both the reperfused and permanent occlusion groups. In the 30 min group mean(SEM) subendocardial flow was reduced to 13(5)% of normal and subepicardial flow to 9(3)% and in the permanent occlusion group to 11(2)% and 8(3)% respectively. As delineated by fluorescent microspheres the area at risk was transmural in all rats; however, infarct size expressed as a percentage of the area at risk increased as the duration of occlusion increased. In rats reperfused up to 30 min after occlusion the area of necrosis as a percentage of the area at risk was significantly decreased compared with that in the permanent occlusion group (36.4(9.2)% in rats with 30 min occlusion plus 24 h reperfusion and 78.6(7.4)% in rats with permanent occlusion). The transmural extent of the infarct was 92(6)% in the permanent occlusion group, but in rats reperfused up to 60 min after occlusion necrosis was significantly less transmural and was located mainly in the midmyocardium and subepicardium. Thus after coronary artery occlusion in the rat ischaemia is severe, and there is no transmural gradient in collateral flow. Early reperfusion salvages tissue in this model, but the site of salvage differs from that of other models such as dog, pig, and baboon, in which salvage is mainly subepicardial.
Interplay between HDAC6 and its interacting partners: essential roles in the aggresome-autophagy pathway and neurodegenerative diseases.

Cytoplasmic localization and possession of two deacetylase domains and a ubiquitin-binding domain make histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) a unique histone deacetylase. HDAC6 interacts with a number of proteins in the cytoplasm. Some of these proteins can be deacetylated by HDAC6 deacetylase activity. Others can affect HDAC6 functions by modulating its catalytic activity or ubiquitin-binding capability. Over the last decade, HDAC6 has been shown to play important roles in the aggresome-autophagy pathway, which selectively targets on protein aggregates or damaged organelles for their accumulation and clearance in cells. HDAC6-interacting partners are integral components in this pathway with regard to their regulatory roles through interaction with HDAC6. The aggresome-autophagy pathway appears to be an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases as accumulation of protein aggregates are hallmarks in these diseases. In the current review, I discuss the molecular details of how HD...
Multiplicity distributions in forward and backward hemispheres at high-energy collisions

Multiplicity distributions of shower particles produced in high-energy collisions of proton at 800 GeV,4He at ≈ 11A GeV and ≈ 140A GeV, and28Si at 14.5A GeV have been analysed separately in forward and backward hemispheres. The data are well described by the negative binomial distributions (NBDs). The heavy-ion data of28Si agree well with the predictions for NBD of multistring Monte Carlo code VENUS. Similar analysis has been performed in different azimuthal angle intervals for the first time, for the nucleus-nucleus interactions, and the data here also are satisfactorily parametrised in terms of NBD.
MORPHOLOGICAL INTEGRATION IN THE CARNIVORAN SKULL

The correlated evolution of traits may be a principal factor in morphological evolution, but it is typically studied in genetic or developmental systems. Most studies examining phenotypic trait correlations, through analysis of morphological integration, consider only few taxa, with limited ability to test hypotheses of the influence of trait integration on morphological variation and diversity. The few comparative studies in less inclusive groups have yielded varying relationships of integration to the key factors of phylogeny and diet. In this paper, I present analyses of cranial morphological integration in 30 species from the mammalian order Carnivora, spanning eight extant families and a wide range of ecological and morphological diversity. Fifty-five cranial landmarks were captured through three-dimensional digitization of 15-22 specimens for each species. Using a node-based phylogenetic distance matrix, a significant correlation was found between similarity in patterns of integration and phylogenetic relatedness within Felidae (cats) and Canidae (dogs), but not within more inclusive clades, when size-related variation was removed. When size was included, significant correlations were found across all Caniformia, Musteloidea, Mustelidae, and Felidae. There was a significant correlation between phylogeny and morphological integration only within the higher-level clade Feliformia (cats, civets, mongooses, and hyaenas) when a branch-length-based phylogenetic distance matrix was analyzed, with and without size. In contrast, diet was significantly correlated with similarity in morphological integration in arctoid carnivorans (bears, raccoons, and weasels), but had no significant relationship with integration in feliforms or canids. These results support the proposition that evolutionary history is correlated with cranial integration across large clades, although in some smaller clades diet also exerts significant influence on the correlated evolution of traits.
Functional defense mechanisms of the nasal respiratory epithelium

The sinonasal mucosa is exposed to large quantities of particulates, antigens, and potential pathogens. To address these possible threats, the human sinonasal epithelium has developed a range of protective functions that effectively clear foreign material with minimal collateral tissue damage. This barrier to the outside world is both physical and immunological in nature. The physical barrier consists of respiratory mucus and mucociliary flow as well as the intact epithelial cell layer. When these structural or clearance mechanisms fail, the epithelium plays an important role in activating a subsequent immune response. The immunologic barrier encompasses the recognition of foreign material via pattern-recognition receptors, which then facilitates the innate and adaptive responses. Understanding these defense mechanisms provides insight into the pathophysiology of inflammatory disorders such as chronic rhinosinusitis.
Extracted Strand Magnetizations of an HQ Type $ \hbox{Nb}_{3}\hbox{Sn}$ Rutherford Cable and Estimation of Transport Corrections at Operating and Injection Fields

One of the goals of the Large Hadron Collider Accelerator Research Program (LARP) is to demonstrate the feasibility of Nb3Sn technology for a proposed luminosity upgrade based on large aperture high gradient quadrupole (HQ) magnets. For such magnets, field quality at the bore is a critical requirement for which reason the parasitic magnetization of the windings must be reduced to manageable limits. In other words, it is necessary to minimize 1) the static intrastrand persistent-current magnetization of the cable and 2) the cable's coupling magnetization caused by coupling currents passing through interstrand contact resistance during field ramping. This report focuses on persistent-current magnetization as measured by vibrating-sample magnetometry on pieces of strand removed from a section of heat treated HQ cable.
The Development of the Teaching of Management in the School of Business

Deals with the relationship between the development of the teaching of engineering and scientific management in the school of business. Ideas of the founders of the early colleges of business who d...
Cellular factors in acquired immunity to Trichinella spiralis, as indicated by cortisone treatment of mice.

tially nonimmune to Trichinella spiralis infection, and, in addition, seemed to prevent in these mice the gain of acquired immunity that nonimmunized mice ordinarily develop between 11 to 14 days following infection. Associated with these findings were those showing that the hormone had a demonstrable effect upon the lymphoid-macrophage system; it caused a reduction in spleen size, a lymphocytopenia and an eosinopenia. A cellular response in the intestine of mice has been shown to be associated with immunity to T. spiralis (Larsh and Race, 1954). In view of this, and the results of the previous experiment of this series mentioned above, it seemed advisable to study directly the effect of cortisone upon the cellular response in the intestine and its relation to the operation of this immunity. Provided that cortisone produced a demonstrable depression of the cellular response in the intestine, this approach would afford an opportunity to test the hypothesis of Larsh (1953) that the operation of acquired immunity against T. spiralis in mice is dependent upon the "primary action(s) of specific antibodies with secondary cellular cooperation." The present experiment was designed, therefore, with the hope that further light might be shed on the mechanism of this im-