cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trust Management of Encrypted Data Aggregation in a Sensor Network Environment

Efficient power management is vital for increasing the life of sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSN). Thus, techniques such as data aggregation have been widely used in WSN to preserve nodes' energy. Despite its appealing and powerful features, data aggregation processes require a high level of security. Ensuring accuracy with aggregating data can become an issue even due to single bit errors. Hence, many encryption techniques have been proposed to secure the data aggregation process. However, once a wireless sensor is physically compromised, the keys stored on the sensor are exposed, thus rendering the cryptography useless. Moreover, most cryptographic approaches restrict the level of collaboration with other security measures -- especially trust management, where behavior observation is vital. In this paper, we propose a trust management approach on encrypted packets to deal with the faulty nodes in sensor networks. We designed a collaborative framework which incorporates the Order-Preserved Encryption Scheme [2] and Sigmoid Trust Management approaches. We then discuss how these two can coexist and comprehensively evaluate an integrated OPES-trust management scheme in the sensing environment using both the TOSSim simulator and an actual mote implementation. The results have shown that trust management and OPES cryptography does not consume more energy than radio transmission, yet provides a fairly accurate result.
Widespread distribution and unexpected variation among science faculty with education specialties (SFES) across the United States

College and university science departments are increasingly taking an active role in improving science education. Perhaps as a result, a new type of specialized science faculty position within science departments is emerging—referred to here as science faculty with education specialties (SFES)—where individual scientists focus their professional efforts on strengthening undergraduate science education, improving kindergarten-through-12th grade science education, and conducting discipline-based education research. Numerous assertions, assumptions, and questions about SFES exist, yet no national studies have been published. Here, we present findings from a large-scale study of US SFES, who are widespread and increasing in numbers. Contrary to many assumptions, SFES were indeed found across the nation, across science disciplines, and, most notably, across primarily undergraduate, master of science-granting, and PhD-granting institutions. Data also reveal unexpected variations among SFES by institution type. Among respondents, SFES at master of science-granting institutions were almost twice as likely to have formal training in science education compared with other SFES. In addition, SFES at PhD-granting institutions were much more likely to have obtained science education funding. Surprisingly, formal training in science education provided no advantage in obtaining science education funding. Our findings show that the SFES phenomenon is likely more complex and diverse than anticipated, with differences being more evident across institution types than across science disciplines. These findings raise questions about the origins of differences among SFES and are useful to science departments interested in hiring SFES, scientific trainees preparing for SFES careers, and agencies awarding science education funding.
A Grounded Theory of Protecting Recovery during Transition to Motherhood

The purpose of this study was to explore women's concurrent experiences of alcohol/drug recovery and transition to parenthood. The study used a qualitative design to explore and understand women's experiences of recovery from alcohol/drug dependence during pregnancy and early parenting. Observation, diary entries, and intensive interviews were used for data collection from a purposive sample. Eleven women, who self-identified as recovering alcoholics/addicts and were either pregnant or had an infant younger than 12 months, participated in the study. Findings from descriptive analyses were compared with concepts in the literature about the processes of alcohol/drug recovery, relapse prevention and transition to motherhood. Balancing emerged as the core concept, a process that explained how women successfully integrated the recovery and motherhood processes into their identity. The women used strategies learned in the process of alcohol/drug recovery to balance between alcohol/drug recovery and motherhood. A part of balancing was the use of the protecting strategy in unique ways during pregnancy and early parenting to safeguard both recovery and motherhood. Understanding concepts and processes associated with the concurrent experiencing of recovery and parenthood will be useful to all disciplines that seek to improve the health of mothers, infants, and families. This study demonstrates the complexity of the women's experiences and suggests implications for practice, theory, research, and policy.
Alumina-supported Pt-Rh catalysts: I. Microstructural characterization

Abstract Analytical electron microscopy was performed on several Pt-Ph bimetallic catalysts. All catalysts prepared for this investigation contained alloy particles, but their composition distributions varied with preparation procedure. A catalyst with approximately 1 wt% total metal content and a relative metal composition of 60 wt% Pt and 40 wt% Rh, reduced at 300°C for 12 h, displayed a bimodal particle composition distribution with particle compositions centered at approximately 10 wt% Pt and 90 wt% Pt. Few particles possessed the expected average composition of 60 wt% Pt. The same catalyst when reduced at 700°C for 72 h displayed a broad particle composition distribution centered at about 60 wt% Pt. Together, these composition distributions and those observed for several other catalysts are consistent with the presence of a low-temperature miscibility gap in the Pt-Rh equilibrium phase diagram. Catalysts were also prepared that were observed to contain only Pt-rich or only Rh-rich particles. High-resolution electron microscopy identified two discrete particle morphologies, particles >7 mn in diameter were faceted and often internally faulted or twinned, while particles
GENDER-SPECIFIC ASSOCIATION OF DEPRESSION WITH HIGH LEVELS OF C REACTIVE PROTEIN AND CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS: A ANALYSIS OF MESA STUDY COHORT

Depression and coronary heart disease(CHD) are leading contributors to disease burden in women. While depression is related to a higher risk of developing CHD, its mechanism is unclear. This study investigates the relation of the severity of depression with the presence of coronary artery calcium(
Expression of Nuclear Transcription Factor Kappa B in Locally Advanced Human Cervical Cancer Treated With Definitive Chemoradiation

Purpose Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a transcriptional factor that has been shown to be constitutively active in cervical cancer, is part of an important pathway leading to treatment resistance in many tumor types. The purpose of our study was to determine whether expression of NF-κB in pretreatment specimens and specimens taken shortly after treatment initiation correlated with outcome in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiation. Methods and Materials Eighteen patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were enrolled in a study in which cervical biopsy specimens were obtained before radiation therapy and 48 h after treatment initiation. Matched biopsy specimens from 16 of these patients were available and evaluated for the nuclear expression of NF-κB protein by immunohistochemical staining. Results After a median follow-up of 43 months, there were 9 total treatment failures. Nuclear staining for NF-κB was positive in 3 of 16 pretreatment biopsy specimens (19%) and 5 of 16 postradiation biopsy specimens (31%). Pretreatment expression of NF-κB nuclear staining correlated with increased rates of local-regional failure (100% vs. 23%, p = 0.01), distant failure (100% vs. 38%, p = 0.055), disease-specific mortality (100% vs. 31%, p = 0.03), and overall mortality (100% vs. 38%, p = 0.055). Conclusions Our data suggest that pretreatment nuclear expression of NF-κB may be associated with a poor outcome for cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiation. Although these data require validation in a larger group of patients, the results support the continued study of the relationship between NF-κB and outcome in patients treated for carcinoma of the cervix.
High-Resolution 19F MAS NMR Spectroscopy of Fluorocarbon Films from Pulsed PECVD of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide

Magic angle sample spinning with speeds of up to 25 kHz has been applied to obtain high-resolution solid-state 19F NMR spectra of fluorocarbon films deposited by pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from hexafluoropropylene oxide. Compared to XPS, the common characterization method for fluorocarbon thin-film analysis, 19F NMR is demonstrated to provide greater structural information which is important in unraveling the complexity of plasma films. Seven fluorocarbon resonancesthree CF3 sequences, three CF2 sequences, and a CF resonancewere distinguished, based on differences in next nearest-neighbor bonding environment. Total CFx (x = 1−3) fractions, as quantified by NMR, agreed with independent XPS results. Line width variation of the assigned resonances resulted from isotropic shift dispersion, arising from connectivity permutation statistics and from the relative mobility of fluorocarbon moieties, which can be hindered by cross-links or branch junctions. With lower pulsed plasma depo...
Conceptual design of a grazing incidence x-ray deformable mirror using voice-coil actuators

High-energy beams of X-rays used in studies of molecular structure have imperfect wavefront quality. Improved point-spread functions can in principle be made by adjustment of a deformable mirror (DM) in the beam train. Conventional DMs are unsuitable because they are not intended for use at the necessary grazing incidence angles, and the optical surface is not sufficiently stable. We describe the conceptual design for a new DM that addresses the requirements of this application. Our design draws on successful strategies employed in the adaptive secondary mirrors at the MMT and LBT telescopes, including the use of voice-coil actuators with collocated capacitive position sensors.
General approach for the synthesis of macroline/sarpagine alkaloids. The total synthesis of (+)-macroline

Abstract (+)-Macroline 1 and a more stable equivalent 2 were synthesized from the tetracyclic ketone 5 . The key steps in the synthesis involved a stereoselective Claisen rearrangement followed by hydroboration-oxidation of the resulting olefin 14 to set the correct stereochemistry at C-15 and C-16.
Extinction of a conditioned taste aversion in young, mid-aged, and aged C57/BL6 mice

Extinction (Ext) of a LiCl-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) was studied in 2-, 11-, and 20-month-old mice. Conditioning and Ext occurred under ad libitum conditions and during a preconditioning period mice were trained to drink on cue by giving them sucrose and one exposure to the CS (milk). Both older groups showed greater resistance to extinction than young mice when there was 0-Delay between CS and US and when the conditioning-Ext interval was 2 days. In contrast, 0- as well as 1-hr Delay conditioning resulted in Ext rates that were a U-shaped function of age when the conditioning-Ext interval was 4 days. Age differences in Ext may reflect differences in retention rather than in the ability to learn CS “safety” because the magnitude of CTA was comparably attenuated in all age groups receiving either 3-hr Delay conditioning or multiple CS pre-exposures. Retention capacities of CTA may improve up to mid-age since resistance to Ext was slower in 11- than 2-month-old mice, regardless of whether the conditioning-Ext interval was 2 or 4 days. Memory of CTA may be more labile in 20-month-old mice since they extinguished CTA faster than 11-month-old mice at the longer conditioning-Ext interval.
Late Developmental Plasticity in the T Helper 17 Lineage

Development of T helper (Th) 17 cells requires transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and interleukin (IL)-6 and is independent of the Th1 pathway. Although T cells that produce interferon (IFN)-gamma are a recognized feature of Th17 cell responses, mice deficient for STAT4 and T-bet-two prototypical Th1 transcription factors-are protected from autoimmunity associated with Th17 pathogenesis. To examine the fate and pathogenic potential of Th17 cells and origin of IFN-gamma-producing T cells that emerge during Th17 immunity, we developed IL-17F reporter mice that identify cells committed to expression of IL-17F and IL-17A. Th17 cells required TGF-beta for sustained expression of IL-17F and IL-17A. In the absence of TGF-beta, both IL-23 and IL-12 acted to suppress IL-17 and enhance IFN-gamma production in a STAT4- and T-bet-dependent manner, albeit with distinct efficiencies. These results support a model of late Th17 developmental plasticity with implications for autoimmunity and host defense.
The purification and partial characterization of the melanophore-dispersing hormone of Uca pugilator

Fractionation of 1000 Uca pugilator eyestalks by a combination of gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 and successive ion exchange chromatography on CM- and DEAE-cellulose resulted in the isolation of two major peaks of melanophore-dispersing activity which were designated MDH-1 and MDH-2. These hormones coeluted on Sephadex G-25 superfine, but showed distinct elution profiles on CM-cellulose. The homogeneity of MDH-1 was determined in two different paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis systems. In these systems a single fluorescamine-positive spot comigrated with MDH activity. N-Terminal analysis of MDH-1 by the dansyl-Cl procedure resulted in the identification of aspartic acid at this position. MDH-1 stimulated pigment dispersion in melanophores and leucophores in an identical manner, and in both systems a dose of 30 ng/μl caused a half-maximal response.
Thinking the Unthinkable

Some advocates for improved pain management have devised and had initial success utilizing a controversial new weapon-the elder abuse claim. In California, two recent cases have been brought under the state's elder abuse statutes against physicians and health care institutions. The first lead to a much publicized jury verdict against a physician, and the second was recently settled as to all defendants, with related disciplinary actions against a treating physician and a skilled nursing facility by their respective regulatory agencies. This commentary reviews the phenomenon of litigating cases of undertreated pain, analyzes the most recent cases, and considers the implications of invoking elder abuse statutes in such cases.
Stimulation of bone formation in vivo by phosphate supplementation.

The effect of phosphate supplementation on bone remodeling was assessed in six mature, healthy beagle dogs. The phosphate supplement was given in divided doses orally, daily for 12 weeks in the form of a neutral potassium phosphate preparation. The dose averaged 108 mg P/kg per day, which is double the normal canine phosphorus intake. Bone remodeling was assessed by measurement, at sacrifice, of areas of cortical bone containing different colorcoded tetracyclines which had been continuously administered during 12-week control and treatment periods; remodeling was assessed kinetically during the control and treatment periods by replicate studies employing47Ca intravenously.
Decay of temporary threshold shift in noise.

Groups of monaural chinchillas trained in behavioral audiometry were exposed in a diffuse sound field to an octave-band noise centered at 4.0 k Hz. The growth of temporary threshold shift (TTS) at ...
Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma: a report of four cases.

SUMMARY Four patients are described who demonstrate the range of clinical and pathological features seen in necrobiotic xanthogranuloma with paraproteinaemia (NXG). Each patient had the typical periorbital yellow plaques with numerous well demarcated yellow indurated plaques on the trunk. All four patients had evidence of paraproteinaemia. The histopathology showed diagnostic features of intense necrobiosis with xanthomatization, including touton giant cells and the bizarre angulated giant cells of NXG. Previously, the patients had been diagnosed as atypical necrobiosis lipoidica, and the distinction between NXG and other necrobiotic conditions is discussed.
Precession during merger: Strong polarization changes are observationally accessible features of strong-field gravity during binary black hole merger

The short gravitational wave signal from the merger of compact binaries encodes a surprising amount of information about the strong-field dynamics of merger into frequencies accessible to ground-based interferometers. In this paper we describe a previously unknown ``precession'' of the peak emission direction with time, both before and after the merger, about the total angular momentum direction. We demonstrate that the gravitational wave polarization encodes the orientation of this direction to the line of sight. We argue that the effects of polarization can be estimated nonparametrically, directly from the gravitational wave signal as seen along one line of sight, as a slowly varying feature on top of a rapidly varying carrier. After merger, our results can be interpreted as a coherent excitation of quasinormal modes of different angular orders, a superposition which naturally ``precesses'' and modulates the line-of-sight amplitude. Recent analytic calculations have arrived at a similar geometric interpretation. We suspect the line-of-sight polarization content will be a convenient observable with which to define new high-precision tests of general relativity using gravitational waves. Additionally, as the nonlinear merger process seeds the initial coherent perturbation, we speculate that the amplitude of this effect provides a new probe of the strong-field dynamics during merger. To demonstrate that the ubiquity of the effects we describe, we summarize the postmerger evolution of 104 generic precessing binary mergers. Finally, we provide estimates for the detectable impacts of precession on the waveforms from high-mass sources. These expressions may identify new precessing binary parameters whose waveforms are dissimilar from the existing sample.
Time-resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of freeze-trapped yeast

Rapidly changing metabolic events in actively respiring yeast under strictly physiological conditions were approached by freeze-trapping analysis with31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A 50% wet weight/volume suspension of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was freeze-trapped with 20% ethylene glycol and 5% methanol as an antifreezing agent, and with 3 mM creatine phosphate as an external standard. A phosphorus spectrum of the freeze-trapped yeast was measured for 20 min at −18°C at 202.46 MHz, since energy-related phosphate compounds in yeast were stable at least for 20 min at the temperature. The time scale, defined as (time required for NMR measurement)/(time for trapping), was expanded by the freeze-trapping analysis by 67-times, since the time for trapping was 0.3 min. The use of creatine phosphate as an external standard enabled exact quantification of phosphorus resonances.31P-NMR study of freeze-trapped yeast affords a well time-resolved and highly sensitive method to study phosphate metabolism.
Rising Medicare Costs: Are We In Crisis?

Kenneth Thorpe and David Howard provide an important snapshot of the long-term trends in Medicare beneficiaries’ health care spending. They use clever methods to shed new light on increases in per capita spending, convincingly demonstrating that treatment patterns are a major factor. But several puzzles remain. Trends in per capita spending differ from other findings in that Thorpe and Howard find costs rising fastest for those with multiple conditions, and it is unclear what would happen if one took lifetime spending into account. Reliable predictions about long-term trends will require information on any health benefits associated with increases in diagnosis and treatment.
New technique to measure transmission line attenuation

A new technique using a quarter-wave open stub resonator was developed to measure a transmission line's attenuation coefficient. Transmission line attenuation was extracted from the Q-factor measurement of the open stub resonator. Equations were derived that relate the stub's two port S-parameters to transmission line attenuation. The new method's benefits include higher accuracy over other methods of attenuation measurement, less area required for the test structure, and easier test structure design. Applications include simple and accurate determination of the transmission line's loss characteristics and effective dielectric constant at very high frequencies. >
A comment on indentured servitude: in response to Kritikos and Bolle — February 15th, 1998

Abstract Kritikos and Bolles’ arguments are internally inconsistent-indenture as formulated by the authors would result in mutual defection.
Polymerizable Lyotropic Liquid Crystals Containing Transition-Metal and Lanthanide Ions: Architectural Control and Introduction of New Properties into Nanostructured Polymers

The development of synthetic materials with controlled nanostructures is currently an active area of materials research.1 Recently, our group devised a new method for synthesizing polymer-based nanocomposites which involves the cross-linking of lyotropic (i.e., amphiphilic) liquid crystals (LLCs)2 that adopt the inverted hexagonal phase (Scheme 1).3,4 Inorganic3 and organic polymer chemistry4 can be performed inside the hydrophilic domains of these ordered assemblies, and the nanocomposites can be processed into films and fibers prior to photopolymerization.4 The materials formed inside the periodic microdomains exhibit different properties than corresponding materials formed in bulk or in solution. The constrained environment apparently limits the degree of conversion of these materials, imparting them with different structures than those obtained in bulk.3,4 Because of this apparent effect of reaction environment size in these systems, we sought to develop methods for varying the small-scale dimensions of these nanocomposites. The geometry of LLC phases depends greatly upon the shape of the amphiphile.5 Amphiphiles with a small hydrophilic headgroup and a broad, wedge-like hydrophobic tail section would tend to assemble into the inverted hexagonal phase, based on straightforward packing considerations.6 Because of the ionic nature of our monomers, the use of different metal cations might serve as a viable means of (1) modulating headgroup size and consequently the internal dimensions of the hexagonal assemblies and (2) introducing new properties into these systems.
Optical Fiber Metal Probes Using Semiconductor Laser Diodes and Near-Infrared Compounds

Abstract The development of a near-infrared optical fiber detector for the determination of metal ions was investigated. The optical fiber detector consists of a semiconductor laser diode, an optical fiber, an NIR dye and a photodiode detector. Two plastic fibers are connected together with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a reaction phase at the distal common end. The reaction phase had a diameter of about <2 mm. Excitation of the dye/analyte complex was induced with a semiconductor laser diode at 780 nm and the emission intensity signal was collected by two instrument systems. No photobleaching effect was observed during the investigations. The response time for 95% of the signal was less than 5 seconds. The use of plastic fibers has allowed easy immobilization of an NIR dye. The dye was entrapped in a polymer matrix that allows the diffusion of the analyte. Low background signal of the photodiode permitted the detection of dye in the picomolar level. Comparison of the optical fiber results between...
Emergency preparedness for newborn screening and genetic services

Abstract. Patients identified in newborn screening programs can be among the most vulnerable during a disaster due to their need to have prompt diagnosis and medical management. Recent disasters have challenged the ability of newborn screening programs to maintain the needed continuity during emergency situations. This has significant implications for the newborn screening laboratories, the diagnostic confirmation providers, and the patients who either require diagnosis or maintenance of their therapeutic interventions. In 2007, the National Coordinating Center (NCC) for the Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaboratives (RCs) sponsored a meeting involving representatives of the Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative Groups, state newborn screening programs, providers of diagnosis and confirmation services, manufacturers of equipment, medical foods, and other treatments used in patients identified in newborn screening programs, and individuals from agencies involved in disaster response including the National Disaster Medical Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and others. In addition to developing contingency plans for newborn screening, we have considered other uses of genetics as it is used in DNA-based kinship identification of mass casualties. The meeting resulted in the description of a wide range of issues facing newborn screening programs, provider groups, and patients for which emergency preparedness development is needed in order that appropriate response is enabled.
Morningness/eveningness, pubertal timing, and substance use in adolescent girls

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between Morningness/Eveningness (M/E; a measure of sleep–wake preference) and alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use as well as the interaction of M/E and pubertal timing. The data represent baseline measures from a longitudinal study examining the association of psychological functioning and smoking with reproductive and bone health in 262 adolescent girls (11–17 years). The primary measures used for this study were pubertal timing (measured by age at menarche), the Morningness/Eveningness scale, and substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana). Multiple group path modeling showed that there was a significant interaction between pubertal timing and M/E on cigarette use. The direction of the parameter estimates indicated that for the early and on-time groups, Evening preference was associated with more cigarette use. For the late timing group the association was not significant. The results point to the need to consider sleep preference as a characteristic that may increase risk for substance use in adolescents.
Alternative therapeutic strategies for patients with severe end-stage coronary artery disease not amenable to conventional revascularization.

Although there have been remarkable advances in medical therapy, percutaneous coronary interventions, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, complete revascularization remains a challenge given the more complex coronary artery disease prevalent in contemporary practice. The lack of donors for cardiac transplantation will fuel the search for effective alternative strategies for dealing with patients with severe ischemic heart disease not amenable to conventional revascularization techniques. Percutaneous laser revascularization clearly diminishes anginal symptoms; however, the blinded trials have provided conflicting results, with one study showing a definite decrease in angina and another suggesting that the placebo effect may play a major role in this modality. Similarly, surgical transmyocardial laser revascularization is limited by the lack of consistent improvement in objective measurements of ischemia and the potential confounding mechanisms of denervation and the placebo effect, and thus should be reserved for only the most highly selected patients. Although enhanced external counterpulsation is associated with an improvement in anginal symptoms and exercise tolerance, this modality is limited by its availability, tolerability, and rigid exclusion criteria. Of the alternative strategies available, therapeutic angiogenesis holds the most promise. However, the long-term results of ongoing randomized clinical trials require further scrutiny. Novel methods for vascular reconstruction are evolving techniques, but should be viewed currently as mainly experimental methods. The common goals of these new treatment options would be to reduce symptoms, decrease morbidity, and potentially improve mortality by reducing ischemia through favorably impacting myocardial oxygen supply and demand. The optimal management of patients with severe end-stage coronary artery disease not amenable to conventional revascularization techniques will continue to remain a challenge for the clinician and will be the main focus of basic cardiovascular research and clinical trials in the new millennium.
Cyclic nucleotides injected intracellularly into rat superior cervical ganglion cells

Intracellular iontophoresis of either adenosine 39,59-monophosphate or guanosine 39,59-monophosphate produces a membrane depolarization and an increased membrane conductance in sympathetic ganglion cells of the rat superior cervical ganglion. Since adenosine 39,59-monophosphate did not cause a membrane hyperpolarization, it is difficult to assign it a second messenger role in the mediation of the slow inhibitory postsynaptic potential. However, these results do not rule out the possibility that the cyclic nucleotides, at the intracellular concentrations attained in these experiments, participate in cellular processes that contribute to conductance changes which result in depolarization of the ganglion cell membrane.
On homeomorphisms of the plane which have no fixed points

Homeomorphisms of the planeR 2 onto itself are studied, subject to the restriction that they should preserve the sense of orientation and have no fixed points. The results of this investigation are then applied to the problem of determining which homeomorphisms can be embedded in flows, i.e., in one-parameter subgroups of the full homeomorphism group of the plane. A “free mapping” ofR 2 onto itself is defined to be a homeomorphismT, without fixed points, such thatC∩TC=0 impliesC∩T n C=0 for alln≠0 wheneverC is a compact connected subset ofR 2. Free mappings turn out to be just those homeomorphisms ofR 2 onto itself that preserve orientation and have no fixed points. A fundamental property of free mappingsis the fact that ifT is a free mapping andA is any compact subset ofR 2 then $$\mathop U\limits_{ - \infty }^{ + \infty } T^n A$$ does not meet some unbounded connected subsetB ofR 2. The proof of this theorem is lengthy, and will appear elsewhere. The theorem can be weakened by adding the extra assumption thatT be embedded in a flow; the proof of this weakened version is much easier, and is included in the present article. It is found that for an arbitrary free mappingT there exists a natural partition of the plane into a collection of “fundamental regions”, with the property that ifT is embedded in a flow then each of the fundamental regions is invariant under the flow. An example is given of a free mapping whose fundamental regions are bad enough so that the mapping cannot be embedded in a flow. It is proved, on the other hand, that if a free mappingT has just one fundamental region thenT is equivalent to a translation, i.e., there is a homeomorphismU ofR 2 onto itself such thatUTU −1 is just the translation(x, y)→(x+1, y). Indeed,T is equivalent to a translation if and only ifT has just one fundamental region.
What does body mass index measure in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and why should we care

The editorial by Dr. Kasarskis1 commented on the fact that “Neither NIV nor PEG use were entered as covariates into the Paganoni et al.2 models, but it appears that the rate of PEG placement in their population was low (0.7%) compared to national surveys”–a reference to our study also published in this journal.2 We aim to clarify that we included only baseline predictors of survival in our analyses and therefore the low frequency of feeding tubes was secondary to the fact that this number referred to baseline feeding tubes only. After reviewing the primary data and including alternative methods of capturing PEG tube placement (including an ALSFRS swallowing score of ≤1 at enrollment), we have increased our estimate of the number of feeding tubes at the time of enrollment to 11 (2.5%). This did not affect our analysis in any way, as baseline feeding tubes did not enter into the proportional hazards models (log-rank test for survival in subjects with PEG at baseline vs. no PEG, P = 0.15). Dr. Kasarskis is correct in citing that a significantly larger number of subjects received feeding tubes during the course of the studies: 19% in the Celecoxib trial; 10% in the Single Center Cohort study; and 22% in the Topiramate study. However, due to the fact that this was a time-varying covariate, we did not include this in our analysis of baseline predictors of survival. We intend to undertake a follow-up study examining weight changes before and after feeding tube placement in ALS clinical trials.
Refocus the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee

The Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, formed in 1974, was originally charged with advising on potential risks of recombinant technology and took on review of clinical gene therapy protocols in the late 1980s. But as gene therapy has made headway with safety, it's time to shift the committee's mission toward broader ethical and technical issues linked to the field.
Network optimization under uncertainty

Network optimization problems are often solved by dual gradient descent algorithms which can be implemented in a distributed manner but are known to have slow convergence rates. The accelerated dual descent (ADD) method improves this convergence rate by distributed computation of approximate Newton steps. This paper shows that a stochastic version of ADD can be used to solve network optimization problems with uncertainty in the constraints as is typical of communication networks. We prove almost sure convergence to an error neighborhood when the mean square error of the uncertainty is bounded and give a more restrictive sufficient condition for exact almost sure convergence to the optimal point. Numerical experiments show that stochastic ADD converges in two orders of magnitude fewer iterations than stochastic gradient descent.
Quantum modified mooses

We summarize our findings on the quantum moduli constraints and superpotentials of an infinite family of moose extensions of nf=nc SUSY QCD. For nc=2, we perform concrete calculations using traditional integrating out techniques as well as Intriligator's “integrating in” technique. Checking the constraints and superpotentials in the limits of setting Λ's to zero or integrating out mass terms, we find that the quantum moduli constraints are local in theory space and are equivalent to a consistent structure of “splitting relations” amongst the different theories. Extending the results to arbitrary nc, we show that the splitting relations, along with a set of rules for flowing from a high energy theory to a low energy theory, incorporate much of the physics of the moose chain. The relations can be used both to simplify perturbative calculations of symmetry breaking and to incorporate nonperturbative effects.
Dynamic nonrobotic telemicroscopy via skype: A cost effective solution to teleconsultation.

Context: Skype is a peer to peer software application that has been historically used for voice and video calls, instant messaging, and file transfer over the Internet. Few studies are available using Skype specifically for telepathology. Aims: Our aim is to show that dynamic nonrobotic teleconsultation is possible and even effective via means of a standard microscope camera capable of live acquisition, Skype, an established broad band internet connection, and experienced pathologists. Settings and Design: Both the consulting sending pathologist and consultant receiving pathologist are reasonably experienced general surgical pathologists at junior attending level with several years of experience in sign out. Forty-five cases were chosen encompassing a broad range of surgical pathology specimens. The cases were prospectively evaluated with the consultant diagnosis used as a preliminary pathologic impression with the final diagnosis being confirmation. Materials and Methods: Versions of Skype 5.0 and above were used along with established broadband internet connections, usually between academic medical institutions. Results: Forty of forty-five cases (89%) were essentially concordant. In four of forty-five cases (9%), the consulting impression gave a differential, but favored an entity which did not match the final diagnosis. Only one case (2%) did the consulting impression not match the final diagnosis; a discordant opinion. Conclusions: The image quality via Skype screen sharing option is excellent. Essentially no lag time was seen. We have shown in our small pilot study that Skype is an effective cost-efficient means for teleconsultation, particularly in the setting of entity-related differential diagnoses in surgical pathology and when both the consulting and consultant pathologists are reasonably experienced.
Effect of anti-androgen and 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor on hormone-induced sexual behavior during pregnancy in the rat.

The ability of estradiol benzoate (EB) or EB plus progesterone (P) to induce estrous behavior in the rat is substantially decreased during pregnancy, an effect not solely attributable to high titers of circulating P. The possible contribution of 5o-dihydrotestosterone (DUT) to the inhibition of lordotic responsivenessduring pregnancy was studied. As few as three daily injectionsof DUTpropionate (DHTP) to ovariectomized rats treated concurrently with EB caused a significant reduction in sexual receptivity.Furthermore, daily treatment of ovariectomized rats with an androgen receptor-blocker (Flutamide, 5 mg/day) in combination with EB and DHTP facilitated the display of lordosis. The 5o-reductase inhibitor, 4-androstan-3-one, 17j3 carboxylic acid (1 7�C, 3 mg/day), also resulted in increased sexual receptivity in ovariectomized rats treated concurrently with testosterone propionate (TP). However, pregnant females given 7-9 daily injections of Flutamide or 1 7ilC in these dosages were no more receptive than control animals in tests conducted on postcoital Day 16 following treatment with EB plus P. These data suggest that factors other than circulating DHT are primarily responsible for the suppression of behavioral responsivenss to ovarian hormones which occurs in the rat during pregnancy.
Reactive hydrogen–oxygen collisions in combustion and radiolysis

Reactive collisions between neutral molecules play important roles in combustion, radiological, and atmospheric physics. Utilizing the current state of knowledge of hydrogen-oxygen reaction rates, the corresponding reaction cross sections are inferred. For these relatively simple reactions, the time might be ready to undertake ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations of such cross sections. In this case, it might be possible to apportion a reaction rate to reactions leading to various excited states. The reaction rates for a hydrogen-oxygen system in a kinetic time simulation and a detailed steady-state combustive flow-field calculation are used to illustrate the apportionment.
OTA supports planetary science

The Federal Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) report titled ‘Space Science Research in the United States’ has recognized the important need to protect planetary sciences from ‘mission-oriented’ budget cuts that tend to wipe out auxiliary and supporting programs. Planetary science is defined in this sense as data and analysis studies from continuing and completed missions, general planetary research activities, instrument design, and smaller missions. This type of research employs most of the core of nonastronomer space scientists who frequently turn their attention to the major missions but then return to analysis, theory, and experiments between the missions.
Effect of carbon source addition on toluene biodegradation by an Escherichia coli DH5α transconjugant harboring the TOL plasmid

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of plasmids is a naturally occurring phenomenon which could be manipulated for bioremediation applications. Specifically, HGT may prove useful to enhance bioremediation through genetic bioaugmentation. However, because the transfer of a plasmid between donor and recipient cells does not always result in useful functional phenotypes, the conditions under which HGT events result in enhanced degradative capabilities must first be elucidated. The objective of this study was to determine if the addition of alternate carbon substrates could improve toluene degradation in Escherichia coli DH5alpha transconjugants. The addition of glucose (0.5-5 g/L) and Luria-Bertani (LB) broth (10-100%) resulted in enhanced toluene degradation. On average, the toluene degradation rate increased 14.1 (+/-2.1)-fold in the presence of glucose while the maximum increase was 18.4 (+/-1.7)-fold in the presence of 25% LB broth. Gene expression of xyl genes was upregulated in the presence of glucose but not LB broth, which implies different inducing mechanisms by the two types of alternate carbon source. The increased toluene degradation by the addition of glucose or LB broth was persistent over the short-term, suggesting the pulse amendment of an alternative carbon source may be helpful in bioremediation. While the effects of recipient genome GC content and other conditions must still be examined, our results suggest that changes in environmental conditions such as alternate substrate availability may significantly improve the functionality of the transferred phenotypes in HGT and therefore may be an important parameter for genetic bioaugmentation optimization.
Current crowding study of a micro spring contact for flip chip packaging

Current crowding of a micro spring pressure contact under high current is studied. The spring conducts > 250 mA electrical current between chips, has large mechanical compliance (> 30 µm) compared to other packaging technologies, and fits in a 180 µm pitch 2d array. At 250 mA and 65 °C, daisy chains of 134 spring contacts in a silicon package show stable resistances and hot spot temperature rises of less than a degree. At 1 A, failure near the spring tip or body is observed. Finite element modeling is performed to study the current density distribution and provide failure spot insight. A strategy is proposed to avoid current crowding.
Loss- and Gain-of-Function Mutations in the F1-HAMP Region of the Escherichia coli Aerotaxis Transducer Aer

The Escherichia coli Aer protein contains an N-terminal PAS domain that binds flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), senses aerotactic stimuli, and communicates with the output signaling domain. To explore the roles of the intervening F1 and HAMP segments in Aer signaling, we isolated plasmid-borne aerotaxis-defective mutations in a host strain lacking all chemoreceptors of the methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP) family. Under these conditions, Aer alone established the cell’s run/tumble swimming pattern and modulated that behavior in response to oxygen gradients. We found two classes of Aer mutants: null and clockwise (CW) biased. Most mutant proteins exhibited the null phenotype: failure to elicit CW flagellar rotation, no aerosensing behavior in MCP-containing hosts, and no apparent FAD-binding ability. However, null mutants had low Aer expression levels caused by rapid degradation of apparently nonnative subunits. Their functional defects probably reflect the absence of a protein product. In contrast, CW-biased mutant proteins exhibited normal expression levels, wild-type FAD binding, and robust aerosensing behavior in MCP-containing hosts. The CW lesions evidently shift unstimulated Aer output to the CW signaling state but do not block the Aer input-output pathway. The distribution and properties of null and CW-biased mutations suggest that the Aer PAS domain may engage in two different interactions with HAMP and the HAMP-proximal signaling domain: one needed for Aer maturation and another for promoting CW output from the Aer signaling domain. Most aerotaxis-defective null mutations in these regions seemed to affect maturation only, indicating that these two interactions involve structurally distinct determinants.
The small-world phenomenon: an algorithmic perspective

Long a matter of folklore, the ``small-world phenomenon'''' --the principle that we are all linked by short chains of acquaintances --was inaugurated as an area of experimental study in the social sciences through the pioneering work of Stanley Milgram in the 1960''s. This work was among the first to make the phenomenon quantitative, allowing people to speak of the ``six degrees of separation'''' between any two people in the United States. Since then, a number of network models have been proposed as frameworks in which to study the problem analytically. One of the most refined of these models was formulated in recent work of Watts and Strogatz; their framework provided compelling evidence that the small-world phenomenon is pervasive in a range of networks arising in nature and technology, and a fundamental ingredient in the evolution of the World Wide Web. But existing models are insufficient to explain the striking algorithmic component of Milgram''s original findings: that individuals using local information are collectively very effective at actually constructing short paths between two points in a social network. Although recently proposed network models are rich in short paths, we prove that no decentralized algorithm, operating with local information only, can construct short paths in these networks with non-negligible probability. We then define an infinite family of network models that naturally generalizes the Watts-Strogatz model, and show that for one of these models, there is a decentralized algorithm capable of finding short paths with high probability. More generally, we provide a strong characterization of this family of network models, showing that there is in fact a unique model within the family for which decentralized algorithms are effective.
Longitudinal confocal microscopy imaging of solid tumor destruction following adoptive T cell transfer

A fluorescence-based, high-resolution imaging approach was used to visualize longitudinally the cellular events unfolding during T cell-mediated tumor destruction. The dynamic interplay of T cells, cancer cells, cancer antigen loss variants, and stromal cells—all color-coded in vivo—was analyzed in established, solid tumors that had developed behind windows implanted on the backs of mice. Events could be followed repeatedly within precisely the same tumor region—before, during and after adoptive T cell therapy—thereby enabling for the first time a longitudinal in vivo evaluation of protracted events, an analysis not possible with terminal imaging of surgically exposed tumors. T cell infiltration, stromal interactions, and vessel destruction, as well as the functional consequences thereof, including the elimination of cancer cells and cancer cell variants were studied. Minimal perivascular T cell infiltrates initiated vascular destruction inside the tumor mass eventually leading to macroscopic central tumor necrosis. Prolonged engagement of T cells with tumor antigen-crosspresenting stromal cells correlated with high IFNγ cytokine release and bystander elimination of antigen-negative cancer cells. The high-resolution, longitudinal, in vivo imaging approach described here will help to further a better mechanistic understanding of tumor eradication by T cells and other anti-cancer therapies.