cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
848 GALLOWAY SYNDROME IN A BLACK INFANT

We report a black infant with Galloway syndrome (congenital microcephaly, hiatus hernia and nephrosis), a rare autosomal recessive disorder. Previously reported four cases of the syndrome belonged to two families of European ancestry. The proposita was the first born of a young, healthy, nonconsanguineous couple, who denied exposure to teratogens prior to and through pregnancy. During the seventh month fetal size was judged to be small, and fetal movements were considered of low intensity. Three ultrasound examinations demonstrated microcephaly. The infant, born at term, weighed 2.6 Kg and had occiptofrontal circumference (OFC) 28.5cm. Other pertinent findings included very small anterior fontanelle, sloping forehead, prominent root of the nose, hyperteloric eyes, m.icrognathia, narrow high arched palate, small umbilical hernia, long tapering fingers, and generalized hypotonia. A giemsa-banded karyotype was normal. Infant's postnatal growth was poor and psychomotor development remained at a standstill. She frequently vomited her feeds. At the age of seven months grand mal seizures appeared, and at 10 months she was admitted to a hospital for diagnosis and management of nephrosis. At this time her weight and length were below the 5th percentile, and OFC was 35.5cm. Barium study did not show hiatus hernia. A renal biopsy specimen showed segmental glomerulosclerosis.
Crisis management lessons: When push shoved Nike

U nless Chicago and Portland meet in the finals of the NBA championship series, as they did in June 1992, Michael Jordan will come to Portland, Oregon only once a year to jump, shoot, and slam a basketball against the Portland Trailblazers. Jordan comes more often to Port, land for another reason, though. Several years ago a successful head track coach from the University of Oregon and one of his former college runners combined to produce a new shoe for runniiag and jumping. With this, the Nike company was born. As sales began to erupt with undreamed-of success, nearby Mount St. Helens was also erupting and scattering ash over the new company's headquarters. Years later, Michael Jordan would wear Nike shoes to perform his wondrous work. Together with Spike Lee as the quirky Mars Blackmon, Jordan would make many marvelous television advertisements for Nike, who called Jordan's shoes "Air Jordan." In the summer of 1991, a Nike television commercial would credit the near sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers to "Mr Jordan," as Jordan and the Chicago Bulls exploded in the NBA finals. "It must have been the shoes," a Los Angeles Laker cheerleader look-alike sadly proclaimed. Children of all ages and races now buy and wear "Air Jordan" in fanciful emulation. A different kind of eruption occurred on September 16, 1990, when representatives of Operation Push clashed in boisterous argument with corporate spokespersons from Nike on the hour-long television show "Town Hall" after Push announced its intention to institute an economic boycott against Nike. Push, an acronym for "People United to Serve Humanity," traveled to Portland with the express purpose of leaning on Nike to shove them into specific types of affirmative action and other similar policies. Operation Push was founded in 1971 by civil fights leader Jesse Jackson, who determined then to include economic objectives within the civil rights movement. Jackson's plan was to target national and multinational enterprises to pressure them into hiring more minorities and utilizing the resources of the minority community. Push's premise was that corporations rely heavily on minority participation in purchasing goods, perhaps even requiring it to be profitable. Push concluded that these same corporations have a social responsibility to recognize minorities as much more than consumers. Although blacks spend $260 billion on goods and services each year, little of that money is recycled through black business. Push believes corpor.ations must make the minority community a part of the corporate community by (1) providing jobs, including management positions at all levels; (2) placing substantial contracts with such minority-owned and minority-operated businesses as insurance companies, banks, advertising agencies, and construction companies; and (3) making significant contributions to minorities' neighborhoods, status, and opportunities. One firm's experience with boycotts contains lessons all firms should heed,
Subretinal Gene Therapy of Mice With Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Type 1

Purpose To study safety and efficacy of subretinal adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector AAV-Bbs1 injection for treatment of a mouse model of Bardet-Biedl syndrome type 1 (BBS1). Methods Constructs containing a wild-type (WT) Bbs1 gene with and without a FLAG tag in AAV2/5 vectors were generated. Viral genomes were delivered by subretinal injection to right eyes and sham injections to left eyes at postnatal day 30 (P30) to P60. Transgene expression and BBSome reconstitution were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting following sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. Retinal function was analyzed by electroretinogram (ERG) and structure by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Histology and immunohistochemistry were performed on selected eyes. Results Expression of FLAG-tagged Bbs1 was demonstrated in photoreceptor cells using antibody directed against the FLAG tag. Coinjection of AAV-GFP demonstrated transduction of 24% to 32% of the retina. Western blotting demonstrated BBS1 protein expression and reconstitution of the BBSome. ERG dark-adapted bright flash b-wave amplitudes were higher in AAV-Bbs1-injected eyes than in sham-injected fellow eyes in more than 50% of 19 animals. Anti-rhodopsin staining demonstrated improved localization of rhodopsin in AAV-Bbs1-treated eyes. WT retinas injected with AAV-Bbs1 with or without a FLAG tag showed outer retinal degeneration on ERG, OCT, and histology. Conclusions In a knock-in model of BBS1, subretinal delivery of AAV-Bbs1 rescues BBSome formation and rhodopsin localization, and shows a trend toward improved ERG. BBS is challenging to treat with gene therapy due to the stoichiometry of the BBSome protein complex and overexpression toxicity.
Domains satisfying the trace property

E H om,(M, R)}. When no confusion will result, we will suppress the R and write y(M). In Section 2, we prove that if R is a valuation domain and M a unital R-module, then y(M) either equals R or a prime ideal of R. It is this result that motivates our work and gives rise to the following definition: A domain R is said to satisfy the
The Akropong approach to multi-sector project planning

Abstract We introduce an approach to cross-sector project planning developed in the context of a climate change adaptation strategy being carried out in Ghana. The approach, which uses a simplified cross-impact approach, should be applicable in many cross-sector or cross-disciplinary studies in which the work is carried out by sector or discipline-specific teams.
SHAPA: an interactive software environment for protocol analysis

This paper briefly reviews work on verbal report and describes SHAPA, an interactive program for performing both verbal and non-verbal protocol analysis. To a certain extent, SHAPA is to protocol data what a spreadsheet program is to numerical data or what a word processor is to text it is intelligent about the sorts of things a researcher might want to do with verbal or non-verbal protocols, while being blind to particular domains, contexts, or theories. It has been developed with the idea of affording the researcher the closest possible degree of engagement with protocol data. The researcher can configure SHAPA to encode protocols using a wide variety of theoretical frameworks or vocabularies. SHAPA allows protocol analysis to be performed at any level of analysis, and it supplies many tools for data aggregation, manipulation and analysis. Some of these tools have been imported from a tradition of work on non-verbal protocol analysis that has developed very strong analytical tools. The output generated ...
NONLETHAL ACQUISITION OF LARGE LIVER SAMPLES FROM FREE-RANGING RIVER STURGEON (SCAPHIRHYNCHUS) USING SINGLE-ENTRY ENDOSCOPIC BIOPSY FORCEPS

Harvesting of liver samples for toxicologic and other laboratory analyses is frequently undertaken in free-ranging fish to evaluate accumulations of various pollutants and chemicals. However, commonly used, lethal techniques for collecting liver tissues are unacceptable when dealing with protected species. We report the use of a nonlethal, single-entry, endoscopic technique using saline infusion to examine and collect large liver samples using optical biopsy forceps from 16 free-ranging sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus spp.) during 25 and 27 January 2010. Under tricaine methanesulfonate anesthesia and following the introduction of the optical biopsy forceps (with a 5-mm telescope) through a 1-2-cm ventral midline skin incision, liver examination and collection of biopsies averaging 0.9 g, ranging up to 1.4 g, and representing up to 12% of total liver tissue were successful. All fish made uneventful recoveries and necropsy examinations the following day failed to indicate any significant hemorrhage or iatrogenic trauma. We recommend the use of large optical biopsy forceps as a practical, nonlethal alternative for collection of large liver biopsies from sturgeon and other fish.
The 14-3-3 proteins: integrators of diverse signaling cues that impact cell fate and cancer development

The highly conserved 14-3-3 protein family has risen to a position of importance in cell biology owing to its involvement in vital cellular processes, such as metabolism, protein trafficking, signal transduction, apoptosis and cell-cycle regulation. The 14-3-3 proteins are phospho-serine/phospho-threonine binding proteins that interact with a diverse array of binding partners. Because many 14-3-3 interactions are phosphorylation-dependent, 14-3-3 has been tightly integrated into the core phospho-regulatory pathways that are crucial for normal growth and development and that often become dysregulated in human disease states such as cancer. This review examines the recent advances that further elucidate the role of 14-3-3 proteins as integrators of diverse signaling cues that influence cell fate decisions and tumorigenesis.
Natural History of Headache in the First Year after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (P01.182)

Objective: Prospectively examine the natural history of headache in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Background Headache is one of the most common and persistent symptoms following TBI. Prevalence of headache following TBI has ranged from 30-90% in retrospective studies, with 18-22% lasting more than one year. A recent large, prospective study shows a high prevalence rate of 45% at one year after injury in moderate to severe TBI. Headache following mTBI has not been well-described. Design/Methods: Prospective enrollment of 220 individuals admitted to the hospital with mTBI based on ACRM criteria. Individuals were enrolled within one week of injury and followed by phone at 3, 6 and 12 months following mTBI. Results: Individuals were 76% male, 75% Caucasian, with an average age of 44. Pre-injury headache was reported in 17% of individuals. Headache prevalence increased after injury and remained high over time with 56% reporting headache at baseline, 63% at 3 months, 69% at 6 months and 64% at 12 months following injury. Headache severity and impact increased as headache frequency increased. Classification of the post-traumatic headache using ICHD-2 (International Classification of Headache Disorders-2 nd edition) criteria showed that of the headaches that were classifiable using these criteria, migraine or probable migraine was the most common phenotype, followed by tension type headache, then cervicogenic headache. Conclusions: Headache is a significant problem following mTBI. Classifiable headache phenotype at 12 months after injury was primarily migraine or probable migraine. Classification of headache according to ICHD-2 criteria and assessing headache impact may assist in earlier and more effective treatment for individuals with mTBI. Disclosure: Dr. Lucas has received personal compensation for activities with GSK, Merck, Biogen Idec, EMD Serono, Pfizer, Zogenix, and Bayer. Dr. Lucas has received research support from Biogen Idec, AGA and Wadsworth Foundation. Dr. Hoffman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bell has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dikmen has nothing to disclose.
United Nations efforts in crime prevention

T he technology of communication and travel links the world. National borders become increasingly porous, people and information crossing them, impeded hardly at all. In this sense, the movement toward one world accelerates week by week. Yet the significance of our growing together in this increasingly crowded world seems to be appreciated only by the large corporations, and certainly not by the diplomats and legislators, blinded by protocol and the scramble for votes, who adhere mindlessly to the awkward national and regional and tribal divisions that threaten all of us and our children. The oil barons, the computer and software vendors, the car manufacturers, and many other businesspersons have seen the promised financial land of a world market, and those engaged in transnational crime and terrorism have not been left far behind. But, as yet, the work of the police and of governmental agencies involved in crime control
Which could be a clinically useful definition of depressive mixed state

Depressive mixed state (DMX) (major depressive episode [MDE] with few superimposed hypomanic symptoms) was reported to be common among depressed outpatients. Study aim was to find if the best clinically useful definition of DMX was one based on a minimum number of hypomanic symptoms, or instead one based on the combination of specific hypomanic symptoms. Methods: Consecutive 138 bipolar II and 83 unipolar MDE outpatients were interviewed with DSM-IV Structured Clinical Interview. DMX definitions tested were: MDE with three or more hypomanic symptoms (DMX3) and MDE with hypomanic symptoms irritability, distractibility and racing thoughts. Results: DMX3, and the combination of racing thoughts, irritability and distractibility, had the same significant and nonsignificant associations with study variables. DMX3, and the combination of the specific hypomanic symptoms, significantly predicted bipolar II diagnosis. For predicting bipolar II diagnosis, DMX3 had higher specificity (86.7% vs. 50.6%), while the combination of the specific hypomanic symptoms had higher sensitivity (76.8% vs. 51.4%). Conclusions: A DMX definition with higher specificity (DMX3) for predicting bipolar II diagnosis may be more clinically useful because it may reduce misdiagnosis.
Continuous measurement of mitochondrial pH gradients in isolated hepatocytes by difference ratio spectroscopy

The pH gradient, delta pH, present across the inner mitochondrial membrane in isolated rat hepatocytes was continuously monitored with a novel spectroscopic technique that utilizes the weak acid fluorescein. Unlike most cytosolic pH indicators, such as 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), fluorescein freely distributes between the cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments. As is typical for weak acids, the distribution between these two compartments is governed by the magnitude of the pH gradient. Since fluorescein has two ionizable groups, the fluorescein dianion is concentrated in the mitochondrial compartment 100-fold per delta pH unit. In this compartment, fluorescein absorbance (or excitation) spectra are red-shifted about 6-8 nm in the matrix environment, as compared to the cytosolic dye at equivalent pH values. The combination of favorable mitochondrial accumulation and red-shifted spectra enables mitochondrial pH to be continuously monitored qualitatively in whole cells by dual wavelength spectroscopy (510 minus 540 nm). When the cytosolic pH is determined by independent means, the mitochondrial pH can be quantitated, based on the theoretical dependence of the fluorescein distribution ratio on delta pH, the ratio of cytosolic to mitochondrial volumes, and the known extinction coefficients for the dye in the cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments. The sensitivity of the method for following kinetic responses in mitochondrial pH is especially noteworthy; a 0.1-unit change in delta pH is easily distinguished, with a time resolution of less than a second.
Attributions of creativity: What are the consequences?

(1995). Attributions of Creativity: What Are the Consequences? Creativity Research Journal: Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 423-426.
Original smooth receiver operating characteristic curve estimation from continuous data: Statistical methods for analyzing the predictive value of spiral CT of ureteral stones

Rationale and Objectives. Diagnostic studies such as spiral computed tomography (CT) in patients with obstructing ureteral calculi often necessitate the analysis of continuous test data (eg, stone sizes). The accuracy of a test can be summarized by using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The authors developed and compared three methods for constructing a smooth ROC curve from continuous diagnostic data. Materials and Methods. Nonparametric, semiparametric, and parametric smooth ROC curve analyses were applied to data from 100 unenhanced spiral CT scans of patients with proved obstructing ureteral stones. Accuracy in using stone size to predict the need for intervention was evaluated by means of these methods. Characteristics and summary measures of the resulting ROC curves were estimated. Results. All methods fit the data well. The nonparametric method followed the details of the empiric data. The semiparametric and parametric methods yielded similar estimates of the ROC curve parameters. Areas under the ROC curves were 0.807, 0.821, and 0.814 for nonparametric, semiparametric, and parametric methods, respectively, in comparison with 0.811 for the empiric method. Conclusion. The parametric method is preferred for constructing a smooth ROC curve with available stone-size data derived from spiral CT. The analyses confirm the predictive value of stone size in determining the need for intervention.
Carbon Nanostructures in Portable Fuel Cells: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Methanol Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction

We show here, for the first time, a reproducible way to obtain films of varying amounts of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on electrode surfaces using electrophoretic deposition. We deposit these nanotubes in a facile manner on an optically transparent electrode (OTE) and investigate its performance as an electrode material in the presence of platinum for methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction. Our focus here is on the deposition of the SWCNT on the electrodes, the characterization of the nanotubes on the electrode surface, and the cyclic voltammetry of methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction using these nanostructured carbon electrodes with platinum electrodeposited on them. The nanotubes retain their structure on the electrode surface, and we can obtain electrodes with relatively thick films of the CNTs. The high surface area and porosity of these films enable us to use relatively small amounts of platinum and yet obtain excellent currents. We see a remarkable enhancement in methanol oxidation ...
The paranodal axo-glial junction in the central nervous system studied with thin sections and freeze-fracture.

Abstract The lateral belts of the myelin sheath wind helically around the paranodal region of the axon. The lateral belt coil leaves an imprint on the axon and thus confers a conspicuous, indented configuration to the freeze-fracture faces of the axolemma. The contact area between the axolemma and the lateral belt membrane is the site of an extensive and unusual cell junction (axo-glial junction). In thin sections the junctional membranes are undulated, the peaks in one membrane mirroring the peaks in the other. The transverse bands (intercellular septa) are in register with the undulations. The intercellular space measures about 30A. In freeze-fracture replicas, the undulations are evident as alternating ridges and grooves which run strictly parallel and are oriented at an angle with respect to the helical path of the lateral belt. Both junctional membranes contain parallel rows of intramembrane particles which coincide with the ridges and grooves and, therefore, with the intercellular septa. The center-to-center distance between septa or, equivalently, between adjacent rows of particles measures approximately 250A. Although the axo-glial junction possesses structurally symmetrical features, there exist important differences between the two junctional membranes. The intramembrane particles of the glial and the axonal membrane differ in cleaving properties. Furthermore, in some of the fibres the E face of the junctional axolemma displays a crystalline array which is not present in the fracture faces of the glial membrane. The axo-glial junction is limited to the paranodal region, although the inner belt of the myelin sheath may form occasional junctional spots with the internodal region proper of the axolemma. The classification and the presumptive functions of the paranodal axo-glial junction are briefly discussed.
The parent-child activity group: Using activities to work with children and their families in residential treatment

The parent-child activity group combines the concepts of group and family systems theory with therapeutically planned activities as a tool for the assessment and treatment of behaviorally disordered children and their families. This paper describes the development of the group with its flexible and adaptive formats—task performance, family interaction, and parent education/training. An extended case vignette illustrates the effectiveness of the group's design as a unique and replicable treatment modality on an inpatient psychiatric unit.
Nonlinear rheology of highly entangled polymer solutions in start‐up and steady shear flow

Orientation angle and stress-relaxation dynamics of entangled polystyrene (PS)/diethyl phthalate solutions were investigated in steady and step shear flows. Concentrated (19 vol %) solutions of 0.995, 1.81, and 3.84 million molecular weight (MW) PS and a semidilute (6.4 vol %) solution of 20.6 million MW PS were used to study the effects of entanglement loss on dynamics. A phase-modulated flow birefringence apparatus was developed to facilitate measurements of time-dependent changes in optical equivalents of shear stress (n12≈ Cσ) and first normal stress differences (n1 = n11 − n22 ≈ CN1) in a planar-Couette shear-flow geometry. Flow birefringence results were supplemented with cone-and-plate mechanical rheometry measurements to extend the range of shear rates over which entangled polymer dynamics are studied. In slow (τ > ) steady shear-flow experiments using the ultrahigh MW polymer sample (20.6 × 106 MW PS), steady-state n12 and n1 results manifest unusual power-law dependencies on shear rate [n12,ss∼0.4 and n1,ss∼0.8]. At shear rates in the range τ < < τ, steady-state orientation angles χSS are found to be nearly independent of shear rate for all but the most weakly entangled materials investigated. For solutions containing the highest MW PS, an approximate plateau orientation angle χp in the range 20–24° is observed; χp values ranging from 14 to 16° are found for the other materials. In the start-up of fast steady shear flow (γ˙ ≥ τ), transient undershoots in orientation angle are also reported. The molecular origins of these observations were examined with the help of a tube model theory that accommodates changes in polymer entanglement density during flow. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2275–2289, 2001
Identification and Measurement of Productive Behaviors in Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

Caregivers of 106 individuals with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) were administered the Functional Behavior Profile (FBP) as part of a caregiver assessment battery. Three factors--task performance, problem solving, and social interaction--accounted for 70.6% of the variance. Analysis yielded a reliable and valid assessment that documents the observable productive behaviors of a person with SDAT. Significant differences across the stages of the disease were observed. The FBP can serve as a guide for individualized caregiving strategies by helping the caregiver focus on the presence of productive behaviors useful in managing the impaired person.
Biology, demography and community interactions of Tarsonemus (Acarina: tarsonemidae) mites phoretic on Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

1- Dendroctonus frontalis, the southern pine beetle, is associated with a diverse community of fungi and mites that are phoretic on the adult beetles. Tarsonemus ips, T. kranzti and T. fusarii (Acarina: Tarsonemidae) may interact within this community in ways that link the population dynamics of D. frontalis, the mites and three dominant species of fungi. We explored species associations by comparing the dietary suitability of different fungi for Tarsonemus spp. 2 - All three mite species fed and reproduced at high rates when feeding on the bluestain fungus, Ophiostoma minus, which is an antagonist of D. frontalis larvae. 3 - Mites also had positive population growth rates when feeding upon Ceratocystiopsis ranaculosus, one of the mycangial fungi, but could barely reproduce when feeding upon Entomocorticium sp. A, the mycangial fungus that is most suitable for D. frontalis. 4 - During the time from colonization of a tree by D. frontalis adults until departure from the tree of their progeny (approximately equal to 40 d at 30 °C), mite pulations feeding upon O. minus can increase by factors of up to 209 (T. fusarii), 173 (T. ips) or 384 (T. krantzi). These high growth rates are allowed by rapid development (age of first reproduction = 8-9 d), high fecundity (approximately equal to 1 egg/d) and high longevity (> 28 d). 5 - Precocious mating increases the chance that females are mated prior to colonizing a new tree and arrhenotokous parthenogenesis permits reproduction by unmated females. 6 - Tarsonemus mites may introduce negative feedback into D. frontalis population dynamics by generating indirect interactions between D. frontalis and O. minus.
Disability Access and E-Government An Empirical Analysis of State Practices

Despite a body of federal and state laws and policies promoting access to e-government for individuals with disabilities, wide variation exists across the states in the level of Web site accessibility. This study seeks to identify factors accounting for why some states are more responsive than other states to the needs of people with disabilities in their use of e-government. Drawing on demographic, political, administrative, and economic arguments, the authors account for a substantial share of the variation among states using a model based on measures of need, partisan control of government, fiscal capacity, and state spending. The single most important variable in the model is the strength of a state's own technical assistance policy; the way a policy is formulated in terms of clarity of objectives and enforcement capacity is significant. The authors' findings have clear implications for policy formulation and implementation, and they suggest several avenues for future research.
‘We do not see the lens through which we look’: screening mammography evidence and non-financial conflicts of interest

It has become clear that conflicts of interest can influence scientific judgement and reporting of research results in the medical literature.1 In this issue of EBM , Rasmussen et al 2 studied citation of systematic reviews of breast cancer screening3–5 that found smaller benefits and greater harms than did prior reviews. They then compared how the reviews were cited by general versus specialty journals. In most papers citing the reviews, the key, perhaps controversial, findings regarding overdiagnosis and breast cancer mortality were not discussed. But in those papers that did describe those findings, papers published in general medical journals were more likely than those published in specialty journals to explicitly agree with the findings about overtreatment and overdiagnosis, or to have cited the results without comment. Similarly, specialty journal articles were more likely than general journal articles to explicitly reject the review findings regarding breast cancer mortality or focus on subgroup results only. Rasmussen et al 2 suggest that conflicts of interest might explain these findings. Conflicts of interest may well be the explanation for Rasmussen et al 's findings. But it should be made clear that they did not explicitly compare papers with authors who specifically disclosed conflicts to those in which authors did not disclose such conflicts. So the conclusion that conflicts of interest might lead to explicit rejection of findings not favourable to mammography are based on the assumption that specialty journals, their editors, authors and papers published in …
High Prevalence of Cervical Deformity and Instability Requires Surveillance in Loeys-dietz Syndrome

Background: Loeys-Dietz syndrome is a connective tissue disorder characterized by vascular, craniofacial, and musculoskeletal malformation. Our goal was to report the manifestations, surgical treatment, and complications in the cervical spine in patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Methods: We reviewed the clinical and cervical spine imaging data of eighty patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome who were seen at our institution from January 2005 through January 2014. Their mean age at presentation was 17.3 years (range, three months to seventy-five years). We tested associations with use of the Fisher exact test (type of TGF-βR [transforming growth factor-beta receptor] mutation and cervical abnormalities) and the Student t test (age at presentation and type of TGF-βR mutation) (significance, p = 0.05). Results: Vertebral anomalies and cervical instability were common; we found no significant association of TGF-βR-type with cervical abnormalities or age at presentation. Twenty-eight patients had atlas defects (anterior and/or posterior arch defects or hypoplasia), fifty-three had axis malformations (elongation, apex-anterior dens angulation, or spondylolysis), and twelve had focal kyphosis. Ten patients had hypoplastic subaxial vertebrae, leading to focal kyphosis (eight) and subaxial instability (nine). Eight patients had atlantoaxial instability. Of the thirteen patients with cervical instability, nine were treated surgically: fusion (eight patients) and halo application (one) (mean age, four years; range, three months to twelve years). Postoperative complications (seven patients) were pseudarthrosis, failure of fixation, junctional kyphosis or instability, and development of occipital-cervical instability. Conclusions: Cervical midline defects (most often C1-C3) are common in Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Patients have a high prevalence of cervical instability, particularly a pattern of instability at C2-C3 associated with C3 vertebral body hypoplasia and C2-C3 focal kyphosis. Patients requiring surgery typically present in early childhood. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Borders as information flows and transnational networks

The international communication subfield has assumed that cross-border information flows and the national borders they traverse are two different kinds of phenomena: information flows are viewed as fluid and mobile, while national borders are understood to be the rigid and immobile edges of the nation-state ‘container’. This paper unsettles this assumption by showing that state actors in the US and the EU are stretching border controls into neighbouring and distant territories. These borders, which are dependent on transnational ICT networks, are permitting state actors to re-scale border controls in a way that transcends the territorial framework of the nation-state system. These network-like borders are discussed in terms of their contribution to mobility inequality; their implications for those who have turned to concepts such as ‘diaspora’ as a way of escaping ‘the iron grip of the nation-state on the social imagination’; and their implications for state power.
On estimation accuracy for guiding low-power resynthesis

There are three properties which define the global effect on power of a resynthesis step: change in function, change in spurious dynamic activity, and change in delay. In this paper, it is shown that the prediction of change in power due to change in functionality and change in spurious dynamic activity is accurate at high levels of estimator abstraction. Change in power due to change in delay is not. However, the magnitude of the effect of delay on power during resynthesis is shown to be the least critical of the three properties.
Association Between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Erectile Dysfunction among a Nationally Representative Sample of American Men

Abstract Introduction Emerging work suggests an inverse association between physical activity and erectile dysfunction (ED). The majority of this cross‐sectional research comes from convenience samples and all studies on this topic have employed self‐report physical activity methodology. Aim Therefore, the purpose of this brief‐report, confirmatory research study was to examine the association between objectively measured physical activity and ED in a national sample of Americans. Methods Data from the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Six hundred ninety‐two adults between the ages of 50 and 85 years (representing 33.2 million adults) constituted the analytic sample. Participants wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer (ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA) for up to 7 days with ED assessed via self‐report. Main Outcome Measure The main outcome measure used was ED assessed via self‐report. Results After adjustments, for every 30 min/day increase in moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, participants had a 43% reduced odds of having ED (odds ratio adjusted = 0.57; 95% confidence interval: 0.40–0.81; P = 0.004). Conclusion This confirmatory study employing an objective measure of physical activity in a national sample suggests an inverse association between physical activity and ED. Loprinzi PD and Edwards M. Association between objectively measured physical activity and erectile dysfunction among a nationally representative sample of American men. J Sex Med 2015;12:1862–1864.
Slip budget and potential for a M7 earthquake in central California

The slip rate budget of the San Andreas fault (SAF) in central California, which is approximately 33 mm/yr, is accounted for by a change in the slip release mechanism along the fault. In the NW section of the fault, between Bear Valley and Monarch Peak, creep apparently accounts for the slip budget with the seismicity contributing negligibly. The section at Parkfield marks the transition from a creeping to a locked fault trace. Since the M8 1857 earthquake five M6 earthquakes have occurred but have not completely accounted for the slip budget. Southeast of Parkfield, the SAF has been locked since 1857. From Cholame to Bitterwater Valley this section now lags the deep slip by the amount of slip released in 1857; consequently faulting in this section could occur at the time of the next Parkfield earthquake. If this earthquake releases the slip deficit accumulated in the transition zone and in the locked zone, the earthquake will have a moment-magnitude M7.2.
THE CHANGING NATURE OF DEATH PENALTY DEBATES

Focusing on the last 25 years of debate, this paper examines the changing nature of death penalty arguments in six specific areas: deterrence, incapacitation, caprice and bias, cost, innocence, and retribution. After reviewing recent changes in public opinion regarding the death penalty, we review the findings of social science research pertinent to each of these issues. Our analysis suggests that social science scholarship is changing the way Americans debate the death penalty. Particularly when viewed within a historical and world-wide context, these changes suggest a gradual movement toward the eventual abolition of capital punishment in America.
Emergent leadership in children's small groups

The behavior of children in cooperative decision-making tasks was coded in two investigations of leadership. Children in two studies (second, fourth, and sixth grade in Study 1, and fourth grade in Study 2) individually rankedpictures by preference and then were videotaped as they developed a group consensus ranking. The exhibition of various group behaviors was coded, and correlations between these frequencies and proximal and distal measures of leadership status were computed. Consistent with expectations, task facilitation, solicitations of opinion, and recording were associated with leadership status. These results are consistent with the view that leadership status in cooperative group settings is associated with task facilitative behavior.
A Novel Approach to the Design of Scalable Shared-Memory Multiprocessors

This paper presents the Conflict-Free Mem ory (CFM) architecture for designing scalable sharedmemory multiprocessors. For a single-level CFM archi tecture, the architecture improves multiprocessor perfor mance by eliminating memory and interconnection net work contention and reducing network latency. A hierar chical CFM architecture is introduced in this paper, which presents a new approach in implementing scalable sharedmemory multiprocessors. An invalidation-based write-back cache protocol is proposed for the CFM architecture. This cache coherence protocol preserves the low storage overhead of snoopy cache protocols, while it offers the high scalability of directory-based protocols. Furthermore, with the CFM cache protocol, efficient synchronization operations can be implemented.
From genotype to phenotype: Are there imaging characteristics associated with lung adenocarcinomas harboring RET and ROS1 rearrangements?

Abstract Introduction Recurrent gene rearrangements are important drivers of oncogenesis in non-small cell lung cancers. RET and ROS1 rearrangements are each found in 1–2% of lung adenocarcinomas and represent distinct molecular subsets. This study assessed the computed tomography (CT) imaging features of patients with RET - and ROS1 -rearranged lung cancers. Methods Eligible patients included pathologically-confirmed lung adenocarcinomas of any stage with a RET or ROS1 rearrangement via fluorescence in-situ hybridization or next-generation sequencing, and available pre-treatment baseline imaging for review. A cohort of EGFR -mutant lung cancers was identified as a control group. CT features assessed included location, consistency, contour, presence of cavitation, and calcification of the primary tumor. Presence of an effusion, lung metastases, adenopathy and extrathoracic disease were recorded. The Wilcoxon rank-sum/Kruskal–Wallis and Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare features between groups. Results 73 patients with lung adenocarcinomas were identified: 17 (23%) with ROS1 fusions, 25 (34%) with RET fusions and 31 (43%) with EGFR mutations. ROS1 -rearranged lung cancers were more likely to present as peripheral tumors in comparison to EGFR -mutant lung cancers (32% vs. 65%, p = 0.04). RET -rearranged lung cancers did not significantly differ from EGFR -mutant lung cancers radiographically. The consistency of the primary lesion for RET and ROS fusions and EGFR mutations were most frequently solid and spiculated. Conclusions Lung adenocarcinomas with RET and ROS1 fusions share many radiographic features and those with ROS1 fusions are more likely to present as peripheral lesions in comparison to EGFR -mutant lung cancers.
Oncogenic BRAF Mutation with CDKN2A Inactivation Is Characteristic of a Subset of Pediatric Malignant Astrocytomas

Malignant astrocytomas are a deadly solid tumor in children. Limited understanding of their underlying genetic basis has contributed to modest progress in developing more effective therapies. In an effort to identify such alterations, we performed a genome-wide search for DNA copy number aberrations (CNA) in a panel of 33 tumors encompassing grade 1 through grade 4 tumors. Genomic amplifications of 10-fold or greater were restricted to grade 3 and 4 astrocytomas and included the MDM4 (1q32), PDGFRA (4q12), MET (7q21), CMYC (8q24), PVT1 (8q24), WNT5B (12p13), and IGF1R (15q26) genes. Homozygous deletions of CDKN2A (9p21), PTEN (10q26), and TP53 (17p3.1) were evident among grade 2 to 4 tumors. BRAF gene rearrangements that were indicated in three tumors prompted the discovery of KIAA1549-BRAF fusion transcripts expressed in 10 of 10 grade 1 astrocytomas and in none of the grade 2 to 4 tumors. In contrast, an oncogenic missense BRAF mutation (BRAF(V600E)) was detected in 7 of 31 grade 2 to 4 tumors but in none of the grade 1 tumors. BRAF(V600E) mutation seems to define a subset of malignant astrocytomas in children, in which there is frequent concomitant homozygous deletion of CDKN2A (five of seven cases). Taken together, these findings highlight BRAF as a frequent mutation target in pediatric astrocytomas, with distinct types of BRAF alteration occurring in grade 1 versus grade 2 to 4 tumors.
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EIC Norman Chonacky explains what new technologies readers can expect thanks to the magazine's recent editorial board meeting.
Capacity-achieving feedback scheme for flat fading channels with channel state information

In this paper, we propose a capacity-achieving feedback scheme for an AWGN i.i.d. flat fading channel with channel state information. This scheme considerably reduces the encoding and decoding complexity and delay, and it extends the Schalkwijk and Kailath scheme to i.i.d. time-varying channels.
Putting order into the cloud: Object-oriented UML-based enforcement for document and application organization

In order to improve the ability of users to share data within and across organizations, enterprises can move their data from user-managed devices to data centers accessible via cloud computing services. Such a transition in data storage, access, and management raises technical issues that are not addressed by current operating system, tagging, and configuration and control management technologies. In this paper we describe the notion of a cloud control environment in which cloud services automatically enforce multi-schema-based rules on the organization and manipulation of data objects.
Output space sampling for graph patterns

Recent interest in graph pattern mining has shifted from finding all frequent subgraphs to obtaining a small subset of frequent subgraphs that are representative, discriminative or significant. The main motivation behind that is to cope with the scalability problem that the graph mining algorithms suffer when mining databases of large graphs. Another motivation is to obtain a succinct output set that is informative and useful. In the same spirit, researchers also proposed sampling based algorithms that sample the output space of the frequent patterns to obtain representative subgraphs. In this work, we propose a generic sampling framework that is based on Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to sample the output space of frequent subgraphs. Our experiments on various sampling strategies show the versatility, utility and efficiency of the proposed sampling approach.
Sickle cell disease: Implications for perioperative care

Sickle cell disease is an inherited hemoglobinopathy that develops from a genetic mutation and the production of a dysfunctional variant of hemoglobin. A number of physiological disturbances encountered during the perioperative period (blood loss, hypotension, acidosis, and hypoxia) may induce "sickling" of the biochemically altered hemoglobin, producing painful microvascular occlusion, hemolytic anemia, and impaired oxygen delivery. The only available curative therapy requires bone marrow transplantation. The purpose of this article is to review the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease and the pertinent preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care of patients with the disease.
Influence of steroid maintenance on the outcomes in deceased donor kidney transplant recipients experiencing delayed graft function

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a risk factor for poor long-term graft and patient survival after kidney transplantation. The aim of our study was to explore the beneficial effect of steroid maintenance on outcomes in deceased donor kidney (DDK) transplant recipients with DGF. Using organ procurement and transplant network/United network of organ sharing (OPTN/UNOS) database, we identified adult patients who developed DGF following DDK transplantation performed between January 2000 and December 2008. They received induction with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (r-ATG), alemtuzumab or an interluekin-2 receptor blocker (IL-2B) and were discharged on a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)/mycophenolate (MMF) based immunosuppression with or without steroids. Adjusted graft and patient survivals were compared between steroid versus no steroid groups for each induction modality. Median follow-up was 29.6 months for the 10,058 patients who developed DGF. There were 5624 patients in r-ATG (steroid, n = 4569, no steroid, n = 1055), 819 in alemtuzumab (steroid, n = 301, no steroid, n = 518) and 3615 in IL-2B (steroid, n = 3380, no steroid, n = 235) groups. Adjusted graft survivals were similar for steroid versus no-steroid groups in patients who received r-ATG (HR: 0.98, 95% CI 0.85-1.13, P = 0.75), alemtuzumab (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.65-1.19, P = 0.41), and IL-2B (HR 1.01, 95%CI 0.78-1.30, P = 0.96) inductions. The adjusted patient survivals were also similar in r-ATG (HR: 1.19, 95% CI 0.96-1.46, P = 0.19), alemtuzumab (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.57-1.39, P = 0.96), and IL-2R (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.77-1.49, P = 0.96) groups. Our study failed to show any significant graft or patient survival benefits associated with steroid addition to CNI/MMF regimen in DDK recipients with DGF. This may be related to the early immunogenic and non-immunogenic allograft damage from DGF with long-term consequences that are unaltered by steroids.
Documentation and Validation of a User Writer Program

This article discusses the procedure used to validate the data reduction program, ASSAY, currently being used by DuPont Pharmaceuticals in analytical research and development. ASSAY is a FORTRAN 77 program (written in-house) that runs on Hewlett-Packard (HP) 3357 system (HP1000 E-processor operating under RTE-VI). The assay program retrieves raw and processed chromatographic data files for reprocessing, statistical analysis, and calculation of assay values; it also outputs standard and sample chromatograms, a copy of the analytical method, and calibration curves for inclusion in a lab notebook). This article discusses the organization of documentation (flow charts, standard operating procedures manuals, software logs) and the validation process (automation, test data files, module testing and debugging, determination of acceptable limits and operation limits). Ongoing validation and security will also be covered.
Effect of visual cues on human performance in navigating through a virtual maze

Navigation in Virtual Environments (VEs) requires users to develop spatial knowledge of the environment primarily through visual cues provided to the user. Thus, the design and display of visual navigation cues is important for efficient navigation in a VE. In this paper, we report the results of an experiment in which three different visual cues were tested for their benefit toward users' navigation in a 3D virtual maze. The experiment varied the form of visual cue: a 2D map, a 2D map with a directionally ambiguous cue, and a 2D map with a directional cue. Eye tracking data was collected and analyzed to examine the correlation between the type of visual cue presented and the navigational efficiency of the user through the virtual maze. It was observed that the cue type affected performance of the participant in the 3D maze. The directional cue was most effective in the time taken by users to reach the center of the maze. Results of this study have implications for VE design as well as for game development.