cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting improvement in social–communication symptoms of autism spectrum disorders using retrospective treatment data

Abstract Data from 1433 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) participating in the Simons Simplex Collection were examined to (1) investigate change in social–communication symptoms, and (2) examine predictors of improvement, particularly community-based treatments. Measures included the Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised (ADI-R), IQ, demographics, and parent-reported treatment history (occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy). Baseline (age 4–5) and current social–communication symptom severity scores were calculated using 15 ADI-R items. The majority (95.4%) demonstrated improvement (between age 4–5 and current), 2.2% had no change, and 2.4% worsened. Controlling for age and initial severity, those who had received therapy had the best outcomes, greater therapy intensity predicted improvement, and the response to therapy was greatest among those with higher nonverbal IQ.
The role of anti-inflammatory agents in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment

Although age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is not a classic inflammatory disease like uveitis, inflammation has been found to have an important role in disease pathogenesis and progression. Innate immunity and autoimmune components, such as complement factors, chemokines, cytokines, macrophages, and ocular microglia, are believed to be heavily involved in AMD development. Targeting these specific inflammatory molecules has recently been explored in an attempt to better understand and treat AMD. Although antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy is the first line of defence against neovascular AMD, anti-inflammatory agents such as corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunosuppressive agents (eg, methotrexate and rapamycin), and biologics (eg, infliximab, daclizumab, and complement inhibitors) may provide an adjunct or alternative mechanism to suppress the inflammatory processes driving AMD progression. Further investigation is required to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of these drugs for both neovascular and non-neovascular AMD.
The Shape of Large Tropospheric Clouds, or “Very Like a Whale”

Lovejoy (1982) analyzed radar and satellite images of convective clouds and rainbands extending over an area range from 10 to 106 km2 and found the fractal cloud-perimeter dimension to equal 1.35, indicating the presence of a Richardson, three-dimensional, turbulent-energy cascade in the atmosphere below linear scales of at least 103 km. It is shown here that the upper third of these data points, corresponding to linear scales greater than 300–400 km, have a fractal dimension of 1.77. Comparisons with tropospheric energy spectra and long-range diffusion data suggest that atmospheric eddy motions at these larger scales define an enstrophy-cascade region whose motions rapidly distort diffusing clouds. This rapid distortion leads to a greater increase in cloud perimeter relative to area, and consequently a larger fractal dimension, than the cloud spreading by relative diffusion in the smaller-scale, energy-cascade range. Satellite observations of the increase in area with time of the volcanic clouds from sev...
Quantitative analysis and forecasting of monthly prices of lumber and flooring products

Abstract Four time series of monthly prices of oak and softwood lumber and flooring are analysed using the autoregressive integrated moving average technique. The principles of the method are exposed and one model is estimated for each time series. The steps in model formulation, estimation and diagnostic checking are described in detail for the series of oak lumber prices. All series are stationary after a first order differencing. The behaviour of monthly prices of softwood products is well described by pure autoregressive models while the oak product prices require full autoregressive integrated moving average models. The models obtained generate one-month forecasts which are significantly more accurate than those obtained from a no-change extrapolarive model, except in the case of softwood flooring prices for which the behaviour is close to a random walk. Six-month forecasts are computed for each series with corresponding confidence intervals. An adaptive forecasting procedure is used to revise multiple-month forecasts after the errors on the first month forecast have been observed.
Distribution and pathogenicity of fungi associated with the bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth).

Seventy species of fungi associated with bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth), larvae were identified. Twenty-three species of these fungi were saprophytic to larvae, 10 spp. were pathogenic, and 20 spp. were neither saprophytic nor pathogenic and hence were passively borne. The pathogens included Aspergillus parasiticus Speare, Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., Scopulariopsis koningii (Oud.) Vuill., Penicillium lanosum Westling, Penicillium sp. (Assymetrica Sect.), Pestalotia sp., Paecilomyces sp., Geotrichum sp., Cordyceps sp., and Hirsutella sp. Aspergillus parasiticus and B. bassiana were the most effective biological control agents, killing 53–91% of the bagworm populations in field tests.
Adverse effect of femoral nerve blockade on quadriceps strength and function after ACL reconstruction.

The purpose of this study was to determine if quadriceps strength and functional outcomes were similar at 6 months following anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] reconstruction in patients receiving a continuous 48-hour femoral nerve blockade for postoperative analgesia (FNB group) versus patients with no FNB (control group). A retrospective cohort was designed including athletes who underwent primary ACL reconstruction with patellar tendon autograft between 2005 and 2010 at our institution with identical rehabilitation protocols. The FNB group included 96 patients with an average age of 21 years and the control group included 100 patients with an average age of 20 years. At 6 months following ACL reconstruction, isokinetic strength (slow and fast activation) and functional tests including vertical jump, single hop, triple hop, and return to sport were analyzed with an α value
Specialized contacts of astrocytes with astrocytes and with other cell types in the spinal cord of the cat

Adult and half grown healthy male and female cats were used in this study. The white and gray matter of dorsolateral region in the upper lumbar levels of the spinal cord were examined by electron microscopy after fixation by aldehyde perfusion and commonly used methods of embedding, sectioning and staining. The report is limited to description and illustration of specialized junctions of astrocytes. In addition to previously described astrocyte-astrocyte gap junctions, astrocytes are connected by gap junctions to oligodendroglia cells and to neurons. Astrocytes also are connected with each other and with neurons by juctions characterized by wide (250 A) gaps containing opaque gap material and by dense material adhering to the inner surfaces of the plasma membranes. The results suggest a morphological basis for adhesion and intercommunication between all adult derivatives of the embryonic neural tube.
Comparison of Histologic Methods for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Helicobacter pylori Infection

Comparison of Histologic Methods for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Helicobacter pylori Infection
The preparation of carrier-free iodine isotope-substituted cytosine nucleotides

Abstract Cytosine nucleotide triphosphates can be iodinated with carrier-free iodine isotopes and separated from the parent compounds yielding products which have a 75 times ( 125 I) or 550 times ( 131 I) higher specific activity than commercially available tritium-labeled nucleotides. The iodine-containing nucleotides were substituted for the corresponding parent compounds in polymers synthesized by either DNA or RNA polymerase. Iodine-labeled nucleotides may be used to advantage in several types of investigation.
Antioxidant Activity of Carnosic Acid and Methyl Carnosate in Bulk Oils and Oil-in-Water Emulsions

This study was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant activities of carnosic acid and its methyl ester, methyl carnosate, in inhibiting the formation and decomposition of hydroperoxides in bulk and emulsified corn oil triglycerides at 60 °C. In both lipid systems, methyl carnosate was a better antioxidant than carnosic acid, and both were more active than α-tocopherol. The difference in antioxidant activity between methyl carnosate and carnosic acid was greater in emulsion than in bulk systems. Carnosic acid was less stable than methyl carnosate and α-tocopherol in bulk corn oil and 1% Tween 20 micelle solution. The partitioning of carnosic acid into the water phase may explain its low activity in emulsions. The measurement of antioxidant depletion may not be a valid method to evaluate antioxidant activities because the antioxidant activities of carnosic acid and methyl carnosate were not related to their oxidative stability in bulk oil and Tween 20 solution. Keywords: Antioxidants; carnosic acid; methyl car...
Accurate Transferable Model for Water, n-Octanol, and n-Hexadecane Solvation Free Energies

We present a fast continuum method for the calculation of solvation free energies. It is based on a continuum electrostatics model with MMFF94 atomic charges combined with a nonelectrostatic term, which is a linear function of the solvent-accessible surface area. The model's parameters have been optimized using sets of 410, 382, and 2116 molecules for gas−water, gas−hexadecane, and water−octanol transfer, respectively. These are the largest, most diverse sets of molecules used to date for a similar solvation model. The model's predictive power was verified by using 90% of the molecule set for training and the remainder as a test set. The average test set errors differed by only about 1% from the average training set error, thus demonstrating the transferability of the parameters. The root-mean-square error for gas−water, gas−hexadecane, and water−octanol transfer are 0.53, 0.38, and 0.58 log P units, respectively. Because the solvation calculation takes on average only about 0.34 s per molecule on a 700 M...
The Association Between Osteoporosis and Alveolar Crestal Height in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Evidence supporting an association between osteoporosis and loss of alveolar crestal bone is limited. This study investigated that association in a large cohort of postmenopausal women.Methods: A cohort of 1,341 postmenopausal women aged 53 to 85 were assessed for alveolar crestal height (ACH) and bone density. ACH was determined from oral radiographs with subjects dichotomized by disease severity. Bone density was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, with severity determined by worst T score measured (normal >−1.00; low −1.00 to −2.00; moderate −2.01 to −2.49; osteoporotic <−2.5).Results: Compared to subjects in the normal T-score group, the odds of worse ACH increased by 39%, 59%, and 230% for those in the low, moderate, and osteoporotic groups, respectively. Adjustment for weight, education, hormone use, calcium or vitamin D supplementation, and smoking did not appreciably change the findings. Further adjustment for age attenuated the association, with osteoporotic subjects having ...
The chicken model of spontaneous ovarian cancer

The chicken is a unique experimental model for studying the spontaneous onset and progression of ovarian cancer (OVC). The prevalence of OVC in chickens can range from 5 to 35% depending on age, genetic strain, reproductive history, and diet. Furthermore, the chicken presents epidemiological, morphological, and molecular traits that are similar to human OVC making it a relevant experimental model for translation research. Similarities to humans include associated increased risk of OVC with the number of ovulations, common histopathological subtypes including high-grade serous, and molecular-level markers or pathways such as CA-125 expression and p53 mutation frequency. Collectively, the similarities between chicken and human OVC combined with a tightly controlled genetic background and predictable onset window provides an outstanding experimental model for studying the early events and progression of spontaneous OVC tumors under controlled environmental conditions. This review will cover the existing literature on OVC in the chicken and highlight potential opportunities for further exploitation (e.g. biomarkers, prevention, treatment, and genomics).
Benefits and barriers for probabilistic design

The undisputed increase in Ioff and large variations in Ioff -- combined with Ion/Ioff ratio approaching unity -- leads to transistors that become increasing unreliable and unpredictable switches. A more comprehensive motivation is made on why therefore there are compelling benefits to design based on probabilistic methods. However, given the maturity of our industry, it is more likely that this will be realized in evolutionary steps toward such an ultimate change in our design and thought process. While this is a barrier for revolutionary innovation, it is likely the best possible mode for widespread commercial success. A potential three phase evolutionary roadmap towards that ultimate true probabilistic design is presented as well.
Density Perturbations in Cosmological Models

Differential equations are derived, following the methods ofLifshitz (1946) andLifshitz andKhalatnikov (1963), for density perturbations in isotropic, spatially homogeneous cosmological models of arbitrary space curvature. The unperturbed models contain both matter and radiation. An explicit third-order equation is obtained for the time development of the perturbations, and it is shown that one of the solutions is not covariantly defined. The two remaining solutions are compared with existing solutions for the limiting cases of radiation-filled and dust-filled models. The results ofBonnor's (1957) Newtonian analysis are shown to be a valid limiting case of our equation when the pressurep is finite, but small compared with the densityp timesc 2. A detailed analysis is given of a model containing coupled radiation (p=pc 2/3) and dust (p=0). It is shown that density perturbations with long wavelengths are unstable (with slow growth rate) for all time. The instability exists because for a long-wavelength disturbance, the time scale governing the propagation of pressure effects (which stabilize perturbations) is longer than the time scale for which pressure falls to the point of ineffectiveness. The present value of the critical wavelength is ∼60 Mpc in models based on flat space sections in which the present background radiation temperature is 3 °K.
A multimedia electronic patient record (ePR) system to improve decision support in pre- and rehabilitation through clinical and movement analysis

Clinical decisions for improving motor function in patients both with disability as well as improving an athlete's performance are made through clinical and movement analysis. Currently, this analysis facilitates identifying abnormalities in a patient's motor function for a large amount of neuro-musculoskeletal pathologies. However definitively identifying the underlying cause or long-term consequences of a specific abnormality in the patient's movement pattern is difficult since this requires information from multiple sources and formats across different times and currently relies on the experience and intuition of the expert clinician. In addition, this data must be persistent for longitudinal outcomes studies. Therefore a multimedia ePR system integrating imaging informatics data could have a significant impact on decision support within this clinical workflow. We present the design and architecture of such an ePR system as well as the data types that need integration in order to develop relevant decision support tools. Specifically, we will present two data model examples: 1) A performance improvement project involving volleyball athletes and 2) Wheelchair propulsion evaluation of patients with disabilities. The end result is a new frontier area of imaging informatics research within rehabilitation engineering and biomechanics.
EFFECT OF IVIG ON CIRCULATING IMMUNE COMPLEXES (CIC) IN PEDIATRIC AIDS/ARC

CIC were studied by Raji cell assay in 23 patients with AIDS and ARC before and after IVIG. All patients had elevated CIC prior to initiative IVIG treatment. Patients were followed for an average of 20 months during which time they received biweekly infusions of Cutter IVIG, A significant reduction of CIC following IVIG was found in 13 patients, 2 of whom subsequently died during follow-up. In 10 other patients there was an increase of CIC after IVIG treatment. This group exhibited a mortality rate of 70%. There was a good correlation between elevated CIC and decreased antigenic and mitogenic responses, low T4/T8 ratio and evidence of viral infection with EBV, CMV and Herpes. Among those patients in whom CIC decreased following IVIG, 33% showed some restoration of mitogen induced proliferation. In contrast, the group that had increased CIC showed no such improvement. No correlation between the level of serum IgG and M and CIC-IgG and CIC-IgM was found and no uniform differences in CIC-IgG or CIC-IgM were observed after IVIG. The mean concentration of IgG and IgM in CIC was 54mg% and 32mg% respectively. After treatment with IVIG the molecular weight of the CIC had decreased from a pre IVIG level of 2 million.
Spontaneous fixation tendencies for visual forms)

Haidinger’s brush was used as a method of locating fixation positions on a display. The various experimental patterns studied showed: (1) It is the already organized cortical representation of shape which governs fixation, rather than the peripheral input per se; (2) Acute angles near 20 deg are the most effective angular stimuli: (3) For figures subtending angles less than 5 deg, the eye is directed toward the center of the figure. and not toward its edge; and (4) Removing one segment from a completely enclosed figure may not alter the mean fixation position.
Concern for Policy Outputs as a Cue for Supreme Court Decisions on Certiorari

IN CONTRAST TO the large and growing literature on Supreme Court decision-making in cases decided with full opinions, relatively little has been written about the prior court decisions to grant or deny review on petitions for certiorari. Such a shortcoming may be due in part to the difficulty in obtaining the relevant empirical facts about the process of decision-making which the Supreme Court's "doctrine of secrecy" produces. This lack of attention should not, however, be allowed to obscure the obvious policy significance of these decisions. In the past about 75 percent of all cases that went to oral argument reached the Supreme Court through petitions for certiorari.' Certiorari decisions are thus a crucial part of the gatekeeping processes by which the justices determine which issues will be the subjects of Court output. The justices on the Supreme Court have done little to aid scholars who seek to understand the process. Several studies have suggested that the official court criteria, contained in Rule 19, shed little light
Performance analysis of a synchronous, circuit-switched interconnection cached network

In many parallel applications, each computation entity (process, thread etc.) switches the bulk of its communication between a small group of other entities. We call this phenomenon switching locality. The Interconnection Cached Network (ICN) is a reconfigurable network especially suited for exploiting switching locality. It consists of many small, fast crossbars interconnected by a large, slow switching crossbar. The large crossbar is used for topology reconfiguration and the smaller crossbars for circuit switching. For a large class of communication patterns displaying switching locality (this includes meshes, tori, trees, rings, pyramids, etc.), it is possible to choose appropriate ICN configurations and assignments of processes to processors such that all communication paths pass through two or less switching components.Much of the previous work on performance analysis of networks has assumed random, uniformly distributed communication and is inapplicable to many real-life parallel applications that lack this uniformity. We develop a methodology to analyze the performance of synchronous, circuit switched networks under different communication traffic patterns. We employ this methodology to study the performance of the ICN in comparison to more popular reconfigurable networks: the delta and the crossbar. We choose two different communication patterns—a 2-D torus representing a high degree of switching locality and a fully connected graph representing complete absence of such locality. We show that in the presence of locality, the ICN comes very close to matching the crossbar's performance. This, together with the shorter network cycle period of the ICN, makes it more desirable. In the absence of switching locality, the reconfigurability of the ICN allows for a graceful degradation in performance.
Backdating: defining the role of auditors and corporate governance in a post SOX environment

This paper examines the implications of Sarbanes-Oxley on stock option backdating. The focus of this research analyses previous literature both pre- and post-Sarbanes-Oxley. As the literature presents, before SOX was implemented, the reporting lag for grant filings increased the degree of opportunistic behaviours subsequently increasing the likelihood of backdating. The establishment of Sarbanes-Oxley, promoting trust and transparency between companies and their respective stakeholders, sets forth additional regulations mitigating the issue of backdating. In order to contribute beyond previous studies, this paper additionally analyses the research supporting this conclusion and finds that corporate governance, internal controls, and a carefully defined role of the auditor can work in conjunction with regulations in order to further resolve additional backdating issues.
Characterization of meningococcal polysaccharides by optical mixing spectroscopy. II. Effects of temperature, EDTA, and ionic strength on aggregation of group C polysaccharides in solution.

We have studied the effects of temperature, EDTA, and ionic strength on C-polysaccharides in solution by examining the details of the time-correlation function using a 96-channel single-clipped photon correlation spectrometer. Our linewidth results have shown that the C-polysaccharides in buffer solution form aggregates of very broad distributions. Thus, fractionation by gel-filtration chromatography is only mildly effective. Although the aggregate sizes seem to remain relatively constant from 4 to 25°C, a fraction of those aggregates break up to form smaller fragments or monomers at higher temperatures. However, the dissolution-association process is quite slow and takes days even at room temperatures before the equilibrium is reached. We have also shown that by adding an excess amoutn of EDTA, the aggregates can be broken up. Again the dramatic changes occur only at short delay times suggesting that a protion of the larger aggregates remains. Finally, the amount and size of aggregates depend upon the ionic strength which exhibit a maximum ΓT/sin2 (θ/2) around 0.1–0.2 M KCl. If the activities of polysaccharides in solution depend upon molecular size, the standard techniques such as gel-permeation chromatography and ultracentrifugation cannot properly characterize the detailed size distribution. Quasielastic laser light scattering can provide us with a qualitative model. The quantitative details must necessarily await more extensive investigations using a combination of the techniques and better fractionation procedures in an appropriate buffer solution.
Executive compensation, organizational performance, and governance quality in the absence of owners

Abstract I study the relationship between chief executive compensation, organizational performance, and governance quality in large U.S. nonprofits. Due in large part to the absence of shareholders, the nonprofit sector is characterized by weaker monitoring mechanisms and potentially more severe agency problems relative to their for-profit counterparts. As a result, there have been numerous instances of executive abuse, such as exorbitant pay for very little work. Despite the size of the nonprofit sector (5.5% of GDP and 9% of employment) and the obvious monitoring and legal responsibility concerns, governance issues at nonprofits have received much less attention than that at for-profits. Using recent IRS data on governance practices at nonprofits, I find that, after controlling for known determinants, both the CEO-to-employee relative pay ratio and the consumption of perquisites are significantly negatively related to an index of nonprofit governance quality. Furthermore, consistent with governance problems at nonprofits and inconsistent with the Pay-for-Performance Hypothesis, I find a significantly negative relationship between CEO-to-employee relative pay and multiple measures of nonprofit performance. These results highlight the importance of strong governance mechanisms in mitigating high levels of relative pay to and poor performance by executives in organizations marred by severe agency conflicts and ineffective monitoring mechanisms.
The state of climate change vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation research: strengthening knowledge base and community

It has taken about 35 years for scientists to bring the global climate change issue to the attention of the world s people and their leaders. With the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference of December 2009, it was hoped that the issue identification phase would segue at last into the solution phase. However, the outcome of COP15 shows that interdisciplinary work on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability is still critically needed to advance the development of the solution phase.
Simple Triangular Approximations of Auditory Filter Shapes

At present, the most popular auditory filter shape model is one with a rounded peak and exponentially decaying filter skirts (Patterson & Moore, 1986). Unfortunately, the complex nature of this “ro...
Chitin synthetase activating factor from yeast, a protease.

Abstract The neutral proteolytic activity present in preparations of chitin synthetase activating factor (AF) from yeast and measured with “Azocoll” as substrate, is completely inhibitable by the heat-stable protein inhibitor of AF. The effects of the inhibitor on the chitin synthetase activating system and on the proteolytic reaction are quantitatively identical. It is concluded that AF is very probably a protease. These and other results point to a notable similarity between AF and its inhibitor, the proteinase and inhibitor reported by Lenney and Dalbec ((1969) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 129 , 407) and the tryptophan synthetase “inactivating factor” and “protecting factor” reported by Manney ((1968) J. Bacteriol. 96 , 403).
Planning Note: Public Art, Public Housing, and Community

Public housing in America has a long relationship with public art. Many housing projects around the country, particularly those built before 1945, included installations of murals, sculptures, and ...
The complexity of Grigorchuk groups with application to cryptography

Abstract The Turing complexity of the word problems of a class of groups introduced by Grigorchuk (1985) is examined. In particular, it is shown that such problems of permutation groups of the infinite complete binary tree yield natural complete sets that separate time and space complexity classes if they are distinct. A refinement of Savitch's translation theorem as well as a similar result restricted for time complexity follow. New families of nonfinitely presented groups are shown to have word problems uniformly solvable in simultaneous logspace and quadratic time. A new family of public- key cryptosystems based on these word problems is constructed.
Towards a direct adaptive scheme for a discrete-time control of a minimum phase continuous-time system

A direct scheme is proposed for discrete-time control of a very rapidly sampled continuous-time system. Knowledge of the relative degree and of an upper bound of the order of the continuous-time system proves to be sufficient a priori knowledge for the derivation of the scheme. Convergence to zero of the tracking error is established for the sampled system.
Patient attitudes about the cost of cancer care: Expectations and realities in the current health care climate

Introduction: Effective health care reform has been slow, in part due to patient expectations and demands. We solicited cancer patients and their friends or family about the cost of cancer care. Materials and Methods: Individual demographics, opinions about expenditures in curable and incurable settings, for strangers and who should primarily be responsible for costs were included. Results: A majority of respondents were female (57.9%), over 50 years old (74%) and Caucasian (81.5%). In a curable setting, 44.4% and 56.7% of respondents believed there should be no limit to the amount the individual or insurance should pay for 1 year of life, respectively. Respondents believed that less should be spent on care in an incurable setting. There were no differences between patients and family/friends (P = 0.95), gender (P = 0.33), age group (P = 0.94) or ethnicity (P = 0.20) with regards to spending for curable versus incurable scenarios. Non-Caucasians were significantly more likely to believe that more should be spent on themselves than strangers; 7.1% versus 2.0% (P = 0.03). Conclusions : The amount that respondents believed should be spent on cancer care far exceeds sustainable health care spending in the United States. To contain health care costs, attitudes among patients, the public and policy makers must be understood aligned.
Wnt-14 Plays a Pivotal Role in Inducing Synovial Joint Formation in the Developing Appendicular Skeleton

The long bones of the vertebrate appendicular skeleton arise from initially continuous condensations of mesenchymal cells that subsequently segment and cavitate to form discrete elements separated by synovial joints. Little is known, however, about the molecular mechanisms of joint formation. We present evidence that Wnt-14 plays a central role in initiating synovial joint formation in the chick limb. Wnt-14 is expressed in joint-forming regions prior to the segmentation of the cartilage elements, and local misexpression of Wnt-14 induces morphological and molecular changes characteristic of the first steps of joint formation. Induction of an ectopic joint-like region by Wnt-14 suppresses the formation of the immediately adjacent endogenous joint, potentially providing insight into the spacing of joints.
Minimal invasive staging for breast cancer: clinical experience with sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Abstract During the 1990s, considerable research and development resulted in reasonably reliable methods to target the set of lymph nodes most likely to contain metastases in patients with breast cancer. The methods of identification of these “sentinel nodes” (SNs) involve injection of a visual-based dye or a radioactive tracer. The tracer/dye enters the lymphatics and labels the SNs so that they can be selectively removed. SNs can be successfully identified in ≥90% of patients. In breast cancer patients with clinically negative lymph nodes, the accuracy of the SNs to predict whether any nodal metastases are present is ≥97%. The false-negative rate, however, ranges from 0% (in smaller series) to 11%. Clinical trials are in progress that will determine the long-term safety and predictive value of SN resection in patients with breast cancer. Successful application of SN surgery should allow elimination of conventional axillary lymphadenectomy in at least 75% of patients with breast cancer.
Effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment on middle ear effusion following acute otitis media in young children: a pilot study

Context: Childhood acute otitis media (AOM) is highly prevalent. Its usual sequela of middle ear effusion (MEE) can lead to conductive hearing loss, for which surgery is commonly used. Objective: To evaluate the ef�耀cacy of an osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) protocol on MEE resolution following an episode of AOM. The authors hypothesized that OMT provided adjunctively to standard care for young children with AOM would reduce the duration of MEE following the onset of AOM. Methods: We compared standard care only (SCO) and standard care plus OMT (SC+OMT) for the duration of MEE following AOM. Patients were aged 6 months to 2 years. The SC+OMT group received OMT during 3 weekly visits. Weekly tympanometric and acoustic re�耀ectometer (AR) readings were obtained from all patients. Results: There were 52 patients enrolled, with 43 completing the study and 9 dropping out. No demographic differences were noted. Only ears from each patient with abnormal tympanograms at entry were included. There were 76 ears in the tympanogram analysis (38 from SCO; 38 from SC+OMT) and 61 ears in the AR data analysis (31 from SCO; 30 from SC+OMT). Dependence of bilateral ear disease noted in AR readings was accounted for in statistical analysis. Tympanogram data demonstrated a statistically signi�耀cant improvement in MEE at visit 3 in patients in the SC+OMT group (odds ratio, 2.98; 95% con�耀dence interval, 1.16, 7.62; χ 2 test for independence, P=.02). The AR data analysis showed statistically signi�耀cant improvement at visit 3 for the SC+OMT group (z=2.05; P=.02). There was no statistically signi�耀cant change in MEE before or immediately after the OMT protocol. Conclusion: A standardized OMT protocol administered adjunctively with standard care for patients with AOM may result in faster resolution of MEE following AOM than standard treatment alone. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00520039.)
The Spin of Si 29 and Mass Ratios of the Stable Si Isotopes

The $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$ microwave transition of ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}$${\mathrm{D}}_{3}$F has been examined under high resolution for hyperfine structure due to ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}$. No hyperfine structure was found, which sets an upper limit of 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}28}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ to the quadrupole moment of ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}$. This is good evidence that the ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}$ spin is \textonehalf{}. The measurement also allows an accurate determination of mass difference ratios for the Si isotopes.
"We Are Masters at Childhood": Time and Agency in Poetry by, for, and about Children

This essay considers a selection of poetry by, for, and about children in order to explore representations of time and agency. Reading poems across contexts of writers’ age-related social positions and audiences can illuminate poets’ strategies for representing children’s agency in and over time, since representations of time are infused with adult-child power relations. Only poems written by young people conveyed a conception of temporal agency that encompassed characters’ experiences of time as children. The essay concludes by proposing a notion of children’s temporal standpoints that incorporates agency at the levels of action and social role.
Tetarimycin A, an MRSA active antibiotic identified through induced expression of environmental DNA gene clusters

The propagation of DNA extracted directly from environmental samples in laboratory-grown bacteria provides a means to study natural products encoded in the genomes of uncultured bacteria. However, gene silencing often hampers the functional characterization of gene clusters captured on environmental DNA clones. Here we show that the overexpression of transcription factors found in sequenced environmental DNA-derived biosynthetic gene clusters, in conjunction with traditional culture-broth extract screening, can be used to identify new bioactive secondary metabolites from otherwise-silent gene clusters. Tetarimycin A, a tetracyclic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-active antibiotic, was isolated from the culture-broth extract of Streptomyces albus cultures cotransformed with an environmentally derived type-II polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster and its pathway-specific Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory protein (SARP) cloned under the control of the constitutive ermE* promoter.
Water/Oil Emulsions Prepared by Low Pressure Capillary Homogenization II: Stabilizing Influence of Inorganic Electrolytes, Secondary Emulsifiers, and Temperature

Aqueous dispersions in light mineral oil stabilized with mannide mono-oleate were prepared under a set of standard conditions and evaluated by rotational viscometry in conjunction with optical microscopy. lnorganic electrolytes in the aqueous internal phase, at concentrations as low as 0.01 M , increased apparent viscosity, retarded sedimentation, and had a marked stabilizing influence. The addition of small amounts of water-soluble surfactants to the internal phase yielded extremely fine dispersions, but these agents decreased stability and tended to cause inversion. Storage of w/o emulsions at 5° had a definite stabilizing influence when compared to room temperature storage.
The ‘basket case’ and the ‘poster child’: explaining the end of civil conflicts in Liberia and Mozambique

Through a comparison of protracted domestic conflicts in Liberia and Mozambique this paper evaluates several standard explanations regarding the roles of leaders, third parties and domestic social forces in resolving or continuing civil wars in Africa. The paper finds that no single account of how peace is achieved is sufficient to explain the continuance of violence in Liberia and the successful attainment of peace in Mozambique. Rather, an explanation that can accommodate the divergent outcomes of conflict in the two countries must combine insights from elite, structuralist and agency‐based approaches. Furthermore, the paper addresses the ways in which the construction of social organisations, particularly women's groups, during wartime affects the direction of donor funding and the shape of reconstruction efforts after the peace is signed. We illustrate our argument by examining the efforts of leaders, third parties and local actors, particularly women, to perpetuate violence or to bring about peace in...
Entry into the secretory system—the role of mRNA localization

In addition to protein targeting mechanisms, proteins may also be targeted to specific subcellular compartments by localization of their mRNAs. mRNA localization, which is a more cost-effective mechanism than protein targeting, can control assembly of macromolecular structures within the cell, aid in the formation of endoplasmic reticulum subdomains, facilitate protein localization in the endomembrane system and control gene expression. In addition, mRNA localization in plants is likely to be an important mechanism for controlling intercellular communication not only between adjacent cells but those separated by relatively long distances. Although mRNAs can be localized by different mechanisms, evidence gathered to date implicate the role of cytoskeletal elements, microfilaments and microtubules, in the transport and anchoring of RNAs to specific subcellular locations within the cell.
EFFECT OF CATIONS ON THE FORMATION OF DNA ALKYLATION PRODUCTS IN DNA REACTED WITH 1-(2-CHLOROETHYL)-1-NITROSOUREA

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of cations on the formation of the individual DNA alkylation products derived from 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (CNU). Reaction of calf-thymus DNA with [(3)H]CNU in 10 mM triethanolamine buffer produced 13 DNA adducts. Seven of these adducts were identified as N7-(2-hydroxyethyl)guanine, N7-(2-chloroethyl)guanine, 1, 2-(diguan-7-yl)ethane, N1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-deoxyguanosine, 1-(N1-2-deoxyguanosinyl)-2-(N3-2-deoxycytidyl)ethane, O(6)-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-deoxyguanosine, and phosphotriesters. The ratios of the individual products indicated that the chloroethyl and hydroxyethyl adducts are derived from different alkylating intermediates. The influence of cations on the formation of these DNA alkylation products was investigated by the addition of either NaCl, MgCl(2), or spermine. The results demonstrated that (1) the levels of DNA alkylation were inversely proportional to ionic strength, (2) the extent of inhibition was dependent on the alkylation product, and (3) the order of relative effectiveness of inhibition of DNA alkylation by these cations was as follows: spermine > Mg > Na. These results support a model whereby reactions which proceed via an S(N)2 mechanism are more sensitive to the effects of ionic strength than reactions which proceed via an S(N)1 mechanism. In 9L cells treated with CNU, the same alkylation products were formed as in purified DNA; however, the product distribution was different. We interpret this to indicate that within cells, cations modify the reaction of intermediates derived from CNU with DNA.
Erythrocytic Inclusion Body Syndrome (EIBS) Infection of Chinook Salmon in Idaho

Abstract Intracytoplasmic inclusions (0.8–2.0 μm in diameter) were detected in erythrocytes of yearling chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Rapid River Hatchery in central Idaho. Virions with a mean diameter of 74 nm were found both free and within membrane-bound vacuoles in the cytoplasm of erythrocytes. Clinical signs of affected fish included anemia, hypoproteinemia, splenomegaly, hemosiderin deposits in the spleen, and concurrent saprolegniosis. Low water temperatures may have been responsible for the reduction in mortality rate and the extended infection period observed during the winter. Attempts at demonstrating horizontal transmission and identifying a source of infection were unsuccessful. This is the first report of erythrocytic inclusion body syndrome (EIBS) among salmonid fish in Idaho.
Problems with Genome-Wide Association Studies

In their News Focus article “Closing the net on common disease genes” (11 May, p. [820][1]), J. Couzin and J. Kaiser present an optimistic appraisal of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. Within the past year, Science has published results from seven GWA studies for obesity, cardiovascular
Commissural lip pits

Abstract 1. 1. Commissural lip pits, a condition that to our knowledge is as yet unreported in medical and dental journals, are described. 2. 2. The anomalies are usually located symmetrically in the angles of the mouth. 3. 3. The cases of eight patients with this abnormality are presented. 4. 4. The condition may appear in several members of a family and in several generations, as shown in Cases 2 to 6, and Cases 7 and 8. 5. 5. Preauricular pits were present in Cases 7 and 8; the other patients afflicted had no demonstrable congenital malformations.
The Concept of Social Problems: Vox Populi and Sociological Analysis

To many sociologists, social problems are conditions considered to be undesirable by many people. While the concept relies upon public judgments, exponents of the definition claim to be value-free. This questionable position is maintained in Merton's distinction between manifest and latent problems. The categories indicate the existence of unrecognized social problems while retaining the public's value perspective. Unlike functional analysis, which distinguishes between objective conditions and subjective interpretations, the manifest-latent social problems categories are limited to the latter. Current usage ignores the possibility that some perceived social problems may be trivial or spurious. Applying the scientific values and norms of sociology offers a possible alternative. The values of modern science may provide useful criteria for redefining the concept of social problems.
The Electron-Pairing Mechanism of Iron-Based Superconductors

The past three years have witnessed the discovery of a series of novel high-temperature superconductors. Trailing behind the cuprates, these iron-based compounds are the second-highest-temperature superconducting material family known to date. Despite the marked differences in the chemical composition, these materials share many properties with the cuprates and offer the hope of finally unveiling the secret of high-temperature superconductivity. The main theme of this review is the electron-pairing mechanism responsible for their superconductivity. We discuss the progress in this young field and point out the open issues.
Classification of hand posture from electrocorticographic signals recorded during varying force conditions

In the presented work, standard and high-density electrocorticographic (ECoG) electrodes were used to record cortical field potentials in three human subjects during a hand posture task requiring the application of specific levels of force during grasping. We show two-class classification accuracies of up to 80% are obtained when classifying between two-finger pinch and whole-hand grasp hand postures despite differences in applied force levels across trials. Furthermore, we show that a four-class classification accuracy of 50% is achieved when predicting both hand posture and force level during a two-force, two-hand-posture grasping task, with hand posture most reliably predicted during high-force trials. These results suggest that the application of force plays a significant role in ECoG signal modulation observed during motor tasks, emphasizing the potential for electrocorticography to serve as a source of control signals for dexterous neuroprosthetic devices.
Comparative study of the occurrence of placental prolactin among mammals.

Abstract The lactogenic activity of baboon, sheep, chinchilla, hamster, rat, mouse, rabbit, guinea pig, and dog placentae at various stages of pregnancy was examined by organ coculture of placental explants with prelactating mammary tissue, as well as by addition of placental extracts to cultured mammary tissue. Mammary tissue from pregnant (days 11–12) BALB/cCrgl mice was cultured in Waymouth's synthetic medium supplemented with insulin (5 μg/ml) and aldosterone (1 μg/ml). The lactogenic response to placental explants and extracts was judged histologically by comparison with the response to ovine prolactin (5 μg/ml). Placental lactogenic activity of baboon, sheep, chinchilla, hamster, rat, mouse, and guinea pig was clearly demonstrable. In the rabbit and dog, activity was not detectable. Although placental endocrine differences exist among the Mammalia, the variety of species examined to date is insufficient to allow any evolutionary generalization.
Robotic Applications in Neuromotor Rehabilitation

Current applications of novel robotic engineering to human disease conditions are briefly reviewed in this article. We discuss some examples of assistive technology (e.g., vehicular technology, powered orthoses, and prostheses) and robot-aids or rehabilitators. Robot-aids or rehabilitators are our chosen neologisms to name a new class of robotic devices that represent a substantial departure from prior applications of robotics in rehabilitation. Rather than using robotics as an assistive technology for a disabled individual, we envision robots and computers as supporting and enhancing the productivity of clinicians in their efforts to facilitate a disabled individual's recovery. In this article, we attempt a brief overview of our work including important initial experiments in what promises to be a ground-breaking field. We discuss suggestions for a wider application of modern robotic engineering based on back-driveability to yield objective sensorimotor measurement of sensorimotor behavior and to enhance...