Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Parental closeness and problem behaviors in a national welfare sample

This study is a secondary data analysis that examines the links between child reports of parental closeness with their out-of-home caregivers and behavior problems for maltreated children placed in out-of-home care in the US. This cross-sectional analysis used panel data from The US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) to evaluate responses from an earlier time point and to determine a correlation between measures at a later time point. The measures for Parental Closeness were taken from Wave 1 of data collection; the measures for Problem Behaviors were from Wave 4, the last wave of data collection for this sample. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationship between parental closeness scales and problem behavior scales within a subsample of children, 11 years and older in Long-Term Foster Care (LTFC), taken from NSCAW data, Waves 1 and 4 (n =188). The model that best reflects theory and research is also the most parsimonious: a two-construct, seven- indicator recursive model with an inverse correlation between the exogenous and endogenous variables. A good fit for the model gives some support to the hypothesis that experiences and perceptions about caregivers explain some of the variance in problem behaviors, with a nonsignificant chi-square statistic indicating a good model fit to the sample variance-covariance matrix (x² = 9.35, df = 13, p = .74). Other model fit indices indicate a good data-to-model fit, thus confirming the final model (e.g. GFI = .99, NFI = .98, CFI = 1.0, and RMSEA = 0.0). (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

The creation of federal services for crippled children, 1890-1941

This historical study examines the factors that led to the creation of a federal program of services for crippled children in the United States during the 1930s. Established as part of the Social Security Act (SSA) of 1935, the Crippled Children Services (CCS) program was one of the first medical programs for children supported by the federal government. As early as the 1890s, many state and local governments developed services for crippled children through private and public efforts, making the federal government a relative late comer to supporting the needs of children with significant physical handicaps due to disease, birth defects and accidents. The development of a national reform agenda based on state and local efforts for crippled children began during the Progressive Era and culminated during the New Deal Era with the passage of the SSA. Several factors influenced the creation of the federal CCS program including the role of reformers and professional groups, the role of state-level private charities and children's institutions, and the increasing authority of the federal government in social programs. Under the SSA, states and territories quickly developed state-level CCS programs during the late 1930s. The United States Children's Bureau (USCB) administered the program for the federal government and helped states to incorporate preventive services and interdisciplinary approaches to service provision into state-level CCS programs. Factors that influenced the implementation of these programs included the availability of matching state funds, the establishment of state programs for crippled children prior to the SSA, and the accessibility of qualified health care professionals and facilities. The United States entry into World War II in 1941 slowed the growth of state-level CCS programs until 1945, and serves as a natural end point to this study. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries