cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GNN4TJ: Graph Neural Networks for Hardware Trojan Detection at Register Transfer Level

The time to market pressure and resource constraints has pushed System-on-Chip (SoC) designers toward outsourcing the design and using third-party Intellectual Property (IP). It has created an opportunity for rogue entities in the Integrated Circuit (IC) supply chain to insert malicious circuits in the hardware design, known as Hardware Trojans (HT). HT detection is a major hardware security challenge, and its early discovery is crucial because postponing the removal of HT to late in design or after the fabrication process would be very expensive. Current works suffer from several shortcomings such as reliance on a golden HT-free reference, unable to identify all types of HTs or unknown ones, burdening the designer with the manual review of code, or scalability issues. To overcome these limitations, we propose GNN4TJ, a novel golden reference-free HT detection method in the register transfer level (RTL) based on Graph Neural Network (GNN). GNN4TJ represents the hardware design as its intrinsic data structure, a graph, and generates the data flow graphs for RTL codes. We utilize GNN to extract the features from DFG, learn the circuit's behavior, and identify the presence of HT, in a fully automated pipeline. We evaluate our model on a dataset that we create by expanding the Trusthub [1] HT benchmarks. The results demonstrate that GNN4TJ detects unknown HT with 97% recall (true positive rate) very fast in 21.1ms.
Accounting for Preinvasive Conditions in Analysis of Invasive Cancer Risk: Application to Breast Cancer.

Background Preinvasive cancer conditions are often actively treated to minimize progression to life-threatening invasive cancers, but this creates challenges for analysis of invasive cancer risk. Conventional methods of treating preinvasive conditions as censoring events or targeting at the composite outcome could both lead to bias. Methods We propose two solutions: one that provides exact estimates of risk based on distributional assumptions about progression, and one that provides risk bounds corresponding to extreme cases of no or complete progression. We compare these approaches through simulations and an analysis of the Sister Study data in the context of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer. Results Simulations suggested important biases with conventional approaches, while the proposed estimate is consistent when progression parameters are correctly specified, and the risk bounds are robust in all scenarios. With Sister Study, the estimated lifetime risks for invasive breast cancer are 0.220 and 0.269 with DCIS censored or combined. Without detailed progression information, a sensitivity analysis suggested lifetime risk falls between the bounds of 0.214 and 0.269 across assumptions of 10%-95% of DCIS patients progressing to invasive cancer in an average of 1-10 years. Conclusions When estimating invasive cancer risk while preinvasive conditions are actively treated, it is important to consider the implied assumptions and potential biases of conventional approaches. Although still not perfect, we proposed two practical solutions that provide improved understanding of the underlying mechanism of invasive cancer.
Decision value signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and motivational and hedonic symptoms across mood and psychotic disorders

Abstract Deficits in motivation and pleasure are common across many psychiatric disorders, and manifest as symptoms of amotivation and anhedonia, which are prominent features of both mood and psychotic disorders. Here we provide evidence for a shared transdiagnostic mechanism underlying impairments in motivation and pleasure across major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. We found that value signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) during decision-making were dampened in individuals with greater motivational and hedonic deficits, regardless of the primary diagnosis. This relationship remained significant while controlling for diagnosis-specific symptoms of mood and psychosis, such as depression as well as positive and negative symptoms. Our results demonstrate that dysfunction in the vmPFC during value-based decision-making is specifically linked to motivational and hedonic impairments across various psychiatric conditions. These findings provide a quantitative neural target for the potential development of novel treatments for amotivation and anhedonia.
Making Some Things Precise

To prepare for the development of free groups in the next chapter, we examine the concept of a term in a given set of variable-symbols and operation-symbols, the evaluation of terms in groups and other algebraic structures, and their use to express identities.
A Framework for Integrated Design of Mechatronic Systems

Mechatronic systems encompass a wide range of disciplines and hence are collaborative in nature. Currently, the collaborative development of mechatronic systems is inefficient and error-prone because contemporary design environments do not allow sufficient flow of design and manufacturing information across electrical and mechanical domains. Mechatronic systems need to be designed in an integrated fashion allowing designers from both electrical and mechanical engineering domains to receive automated feedback regarding design modifications throughout the design process. Integrated design of mechatronic systems can be facilitated through the integration of mechanical and electrical computer-aided design (CAD) systems. One approach to achieve such integration is through the propagation of constraints. Cross-disciplinary constraints between mechanical and electrical design domains can be classified, represented, modelled, and bi-directionally propagated in order to provide automated feedback to designers of both engineering domains. In this chapter, the authors focus on constraint classification and constraint modelling and provide an example by means of a robot arm. The constraint modelling approach serves as a preliminary concept for the implementation of constraint propagation between mechanical and electrical CAD systems.
Tactile proprioceptive input in robotic rehabilitation after stroke

Stroke can lead to loss or impairment of somatosensory sensation (i.e. proprioception), that reduces functional control of limb movements. Here we examine the possibility of providing artificial feedback to make up for lost sensory information following stroke. However, it is not clear whether this kind of sensory substitution is even possible due to stroke-related loss of central processing pathways that subserve somatosensation. In this paper we address this issue in a small cohort of stroke survivors using a tracking task that emulates many activities of daily living. Artificial proprioceptive information was provided to the subjects in the form of vibrotactile cues. The goal was to assist participants in guiding their arm towards a moving target on the screen. Our experiment indicates reliable tracking accuracy under the effect of vibrotactile proprioceptive feedback, even in subjects with impaired natural proprioception. This result is promising and can create new directions in rehabilitation robotics with augmented somatosensory feedback.
Specification and Evaluation of Preferences under Uncertainty

Abstract This paper describes a framework for specifying preferences in terms of conditional desires of the form “α is desirable if β”, to be interpreted as “α is preferred to α other things being equal in any β world”. We demonstrate how such preference sentences may be interpreted as constraints on admissible preference rankings of worlds and how they, together with normality defaults, allow a reasoning agent to evaluate queries of the form “would you prefer σ 1 over σ 2 given Φ” where σ 1 and σ 2 are action sequences. We also prove that by extending the syntax to allow for importance-rating of preference sentences, we obtain a language that is powerful enough to represent all possible preferences among worlds.
ON WEIGHTED PORTMANTEAU TESTS FOR TIME-SERIES GOODNESS-OF-FIT

Recent work in the literature has shown weighted variants of the classic portmanteau test for time series can be more powerful in many situations. In this article, we study the asymptotic distribution of weighted sums of the squared residual autocorrelations where both the sample size n and maximum lag of the statistic m grow large. Several weighting schemes are introduced, including a data-adaptive statistic in which the weights are determined by a function of the sample partial autocorrelations. These statistics can provide more power than other portmanteau tests found in the literature and are much less sensitive to the choice of the maximum correlation lag. The efficacy of the proposed methods is further demonstrated through an analysis of Australian red wine sales.
Analysis of transcription termination signals in the nin region of bacteriophage lambda: the roc deletion.

Deletions in the region, nin, between the P and Q genes of phage lambda remove a portion of the phage genome that includes signals for termination of transcription. These deletions were selected because they permit growth of lambda derivatives defective in the N-mediated transcription antitermination system; i.e., the deletions confer N independence (nin). Thus nin phages (e.g., lambda nin5) grow in most Escherichia coli nus mutants. The nus genes encode functions necessary for N action. We report the isolation of a deletion in the nin region delta roc that confers a partially N-independent phenotype; lambda derivatives with delta roc can grow under normally nonpermissive conditions, 32 degrees C, in a host with the rpoB-nusC60 mutation. The roc deletion also partially suppresses the inhibitory effects of other nus mutations at higher temperatures. Delta roc, which extends from base pairs 41883 to 43825, overlaps the nin5 deletion, which extend from base pairs 40501 to 43306. Unlike the nin5 deletion, the sequences deleted by delta roc do not include a stem-loop structure, tR2, previously shown to have terminator activity. Using promoter and terminator testor vectors, we demonstrate that a 2,400-base-pair fragment that includes the wild-type roc region but excludes tR2 has terminator activity. Thus, delta roc permits a functional division of the transcription termination signals in the nin region.
A novel reporting system to improve accuracy in appendicitis imaging.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if standardized radiologic reporting for appendicitis imaging increases diagnostic accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We developed a standardized appendicitis reporting system that includes objective imaging findings common in appendicitis and a certainty score ranging from 1 (definitely not appendicitis) through 5 (definitely appendicitis). Four radiologists retrospectively reviewed the preoperative CT scans of 96 appendectomy patients using our reporting system. The presence of appendicitis-specific imaging findings and certainty scores were compared with final pathology. These comparisons were summarized using odds ratios (ORs) and the AUC. RESULTS. The appendix was visualized on CT in 89 patients, of whom 71 (80%) had pathologically proven appendicitis. Imaging findings associated with appendicitis included appendiceal diameter (odds ratio [OR] = 14 [> 10 vs < 6 mm]; p = 0.002), periappendiceal fat stranding (OR = 8.9; p < 0.001), and appendiceal muc...
Anomalous diffusion in dilute solid solutions

Abstract Diffusion in metals and alloys encapsulates many different physical phenomena and a range of time and length scales, and consequently, a hierarchical combination of simulation methods is required to study diffusion. We develop such methods to study the role interaction among defects and diffusants, and local association effects, play in diffusion in metals. We use Fe impurity diffusion in Al as an example. Using recently developed, accurate, interatomic potentials for the Fe–Al system, we calculate migration energies for atom–vacancy exchange in a variety of local atomic configurations, using lattice statics methods. These are used in a kinetic Monte-Carlo framework to calculate diffusivities. Two different activation regimes are observed at temperatures above and below 550 K. We explain this anomalous, non-Arrhenius behavior of the diffusion activation energy in terms of the interaction among vacancies and Fe atoms, and local association/ordering effects.
Uranium Reoxidation in Previously Bioreduced Sediment by Dissolved Oxygen and Nitrate

Flow-through sediment column experiments examined the reoxidation of microbially reduced uranium with either oxygen or nitrate supplied as the oxidant. The uranium was reduced and immobilized via long-term (70 days) acetate biostimulation resulting in 62−92% removal efficiency of the 20 μM influent uranium concentration. Uranium reduction occurred simultaneously with iron reduction as the dominant electron accepting process. The columns were reoxidized by discontinuing the supply of acetate and either replacing the anaerobic gas used to purge the influent media with a gas mixture containing 20% oxygen (resulting in a dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.27 mM) or adding 1.6 mM nitrate to the influent media. Both oxygen and nitrate resolubilized the majority (88 and 97%, respectively) of the uranium precipitated during bioreduction within 54 days. Although oxygen is more thermodynamically favorable an oxidant than nitrate, nitrate-dependent uranium oxidation occurred significantly faster than oxygen-depende...
On the Helly Number for Hyperplane Transversals to Unit Balls

We prove two results about the Hadwiger problem of finding the Helly number for line transversals of disjoint unit disks in the plane, and about its higher-dimensional generalization to hyperplane transversals of unit balls in d -dimensional Euclidean space. These consist of (a) a proof of the fact that the Helly number remains 5 even for arbitrarily large sets of disjoint unit disks—thus correcting a 40-year-old error; and (b) a lower bound of d+3 on the Helly number for hyperplane transversals to suitably separated families of unit balls in Rd .
A comparison of alternate metabolic strategies for the utilization of D-arabinose

Mutants ofKlebsiella aerogenes W70 that metabolize the uncommon pentose D-arabinose were isolated. These mutants were found to be either constitutive or indicible by D-arabinose for the synthesis of enzymes in the L-fucose pathway. Such mutants could then utilize L-fucose isomerase to convert the structurally similar D-arabinose molecule to D-ribulose. D-Ribulose is an inter-mediate and the inducer of an existing ribitol pathway and could thus be metabolized. In those D-arabinose-positive mutants where the ribitol pathway was blocked by mutation, D-ribulose could alternatively be metabolized by using the remaining L-fucose pathway enzymes. When the two D-arabinose catabolic routes were compared, catabolism of D-arabinose via the ribitol pathway was found to be more efficient. Catabolism of D-arabinose using the L-fucose pathway per-mitted D-ribulose to escape into the media and produced an unmetabolizable end product, L-glycolic acid. A comparison of growth using constitutive versus inducible control of the borrowed L-fucose isomerase did not reveal an advantage for one control type over the other. Several differences were observed,however, when we determined the degree to which these control mutations perturbed the normal functioning of the L-fucose and associated pathways. Growth of the constitutive mutant was impaired with L-fucose as substrate. The inducible-control mutant had altered growth characteristics on ribitol and L-rhamnose.
Thermodynamic analysis of near-wall effects on phase stability and homogeneous nucleation during rapid surface heating

Abstract Rapid heating of a liquid by a thin film heater surface may initiate homogeneous nucleation of vapor in the liquid in contact with the surface. In such circumstances, nucleation is generally expected to be most likely in the hottest liquid closest to the surface. It is known, however, that in many cases the liquid molecules closest to the surface will experience long-range attractive forces to molecules in the solid, with the result that the equation of state for the liquid near the surface will differ from that for the bulk liquid. In the investigation summarized here, a statistical thermodynamics analysis was used to derive a modified version of the Redlich–Kwong fluid property model that accounts for attractive forces between the solid surface molecules and liquid molecules in the near-wall region. In this model, the wall–fluid attractive forces are quantified in terms of Hamaker constants. This feature makes it possible to assess the effect of wall–fluid force interactions on the spinodal conditions for a variety of fluid and surface material combinations. The variation of pressure near the wall predicted by this model agrees well with the predictions of a hydrostatic model and molecular dynamics simulations. The results of the thermodynamic model analysis indicate that force interactions are important for a wide variety of fluids only within a few nanometers of the solid surface. The model specifically predicts that these forces increase the spinodal temperature in the near-surface region. The implications of this increase for nucleation near a solid surface during rapid heating are explored for circumstances similar to those in inkjet printer heads. The results of the analysis imply that during rapid transient heating, wall effects can result in homogeneous nucleation occurring first at a location slightly away from the solid surface. The results further suggest that on rough surfaces, wall effects may play a role in making some cavities preferred sites for homogeneous nucleation.
Thyroid lodohormones in the plasma of the rooster (Gallus domesticus)

Plasma iodohormones (thyroxine + triiodothyronine) in rooster plasma were separated by chromatography on Dowex 50, H+ columns. Thyroxine (T4) and triodothyronine (T3) were further resolved and quantitated by thin-layer chromatography and iodine determinations of the T3 and T4 adducts by the catalytic cericsulfate procedure. This procedure gave total hormonal iodine values which ranged from 4.8 to 11.9 μg per 100 ml of plasma. These values are severalfold higher than those reported using the protein-bound iodine technique (PBI). The plasma iodohormones exhibit a diurnal rhythm in the rooster. The 1600 value is 2-fold higher than the plasma iodohormone concentration at 0400. The difference is statistically significant (P < 0.005). T3 was the predominant hormone at all times investigated. The T3 to T4 ratio changed at various times of the day and most of this variation was due to alterations of the T3 level. T3 at 1600 accounts for 68% of the total iodohormones. At 1500, hens had a total iodohormone content (14.6 μg iodine/100 ml plasma) which was significantly higher (P < 0.005) than that of roosters (9.9 μg iodine/100 ml plasma).
KINETICS OF THE REACTION BETWEEN CYANIDE AND N,N′-ETHYLENEDIAMINEDISUCCINATONICKEL(II)

Abstract Fourth order kinetics are observed in rate of formation of Ni(CN)4 2- from N,N′-ethylenediaminedisuccinatonickel (II), (NiEDDS2-). The reaction is first order in NiEDDS2- and third order in total cyanide (CN− + HCN) over a -log[H+] range of 7.5 to 11.0 The rate of formation of Ni(CN)4 2- is equal to (K 1 K 2 k 3,0[CN−]3 + K 1 K 2 k 2,1[CN−]2[HCN])[NiEDDS2-] where K 1 K 2 k 3,0=2.0 × 107 M −3 sec−1 and K 1 K 2 k 2,1=1.1 × 107 M −3 sec−1. The reverse reaction is first order in Ni(CN)4 2-, first order in EDDS and inverse order in cyanide ion concentration, confirming the forward kinetics. The kinetic results indicate that all six donor sites of EDDS are coordinated to the nickel atom.
The Myxomycetes of the Mussoorie Hills. IV

(1957). The Myxomycetes of the Mussoorie Hills. IV. Mycologia: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 128-133.
Imposing rigidity constraints on immersed objects in unsteady fluid flows

Imposing rigidity constraints of an immersed elastic body in a transient flow field is not trivial. It requires solution stability and accuracy. In this paper, we present an efficient and accurate algorithm implemented to enforce fluid–structure interface constraints used in the immersed finite element method (IFEM). This interface treatment is a constraint applied onto the rigid bodies based on the fluid structure interaction force evaluated from the immersed solid object. It requires no ad hoc constants or adjustments, thus providing numerical stability and avoiding unnecessary trial-and-error procedures in defining the stiffness of the elastic body. This force term can be evaluated for both uniform and nonuniform fluid grids based on the higher order interpolation function adopted in the IFEM. The ability in handling nonuniform interpolations offers the convenience in modeling arbitrary geometrical shapes and provides solution refinements around interfaces. The results we obtained from flow past a rigid cylinder demonstrate that this convenient way of constraining the interface is a reliable and robust numerical approach to solve unsteady fluid flow interacting with immersed rigid bodies.
Metal Bioavailability and Toxicity in Sediments

Sediments are a critical compartment of ecosystems where natural and anthropogenic chemicals accumulate. Current assessment methods include chemical extractions of “available” fractions, development of theoretical and empirical single chemical guidelines, laboratory toxicity testing of single species, field testing of single species, evaluations of populations and communities, and field exposures collecting chemical “available” fractions. Each approach has its own unique strengths and limitations, which has resulted in recommendations for use of multiple assessment methods. These methods provide unique information that aids the resulting decision making process of whether or not sediments are significantly contaminated from an ecological and human health viewpoint.
The Invisible Man and Today's Education

(1971). The Invisible Man and Today's Education. The Educational Forum: Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 431-438.
Processing of 125I-insulin by polarized cultured kidney cells.

Abstract Renal clearance of insulin is achieved by glomerular filtration and by passage from the postglomerular peritubular circulation into the renal interstitium. In the proximal tubule, filtered insulin binds to the apical membrane and is internalized and degraded, while insulin in the interstitium is taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis and degraded. To study these processes we have utilized cultured opossum kidney cells. These cells have proximal-like features and process insulin in a manner consistent with that described in vivo. To study apical and basolateral uptake and metabolism of insulin independently, cells were grown on filters suspended in culture wells. Insulin was degraded to large insulin-size intermediates and low-molecular-weight products. This occurred whether the protein was internalized from the apical or basolateral pole of the cell. Analysis of the intermediate products by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography revealed that products formed after apical or basolateral internalization were similar. Since products were preferentially released from the side of uptake, it is likely that apically and basolaterally internalized insulin is degraded in comparable organelles located in different regions of the cell. Most of the internalized insulin traversed the degradative pathway but some insulin followed a retroendocytic or minor transcytotic pathway. Degradation was inhibited by chloroquine, which also selectively increased the release of internalized insulin from the apical pole irrespective of the side of uptake. Thus while the polar degradative processes appear to be similar in nature, the polar exocytotic processes appear to be different.
The value of routine proctosigmoidoscopy in hospitalized patients

Evaluation of 1000 consecutive proctosigmoidoscopy examinations performed for the first time in patients admitted to the surgical service of the Veterans Administration Hospital of Lincoln, Nebraska, is presented. Of 143 lesions, 21 were considered malignant. Eight symptomatic patients were found with cancerous lesions. Barium enema studies did not result in significant additional findings. Comparison with results of other investigators and with programs to detect carcinoma of the cervix is made to emphasize the value of proctosigmoidoscopy in the detection of cancer of the rectosigmoid area.
Authentic Science Research in Elementary School After-School Science Clubs

In this paper we report on teachers’ and students’ participation in authentic science research in out of school time science clubs at elementary schools. In the program four to five teachers worked alongside practicing scientists as part of their research groups. Each teacher facilitated a club with 10–15 students who, by extension, were members of the scientists’ research groups. Over the 3 years of the project nearly 30 teachers and over 500 children participated in the clubs. In this paper we present a case study of teachers and children who worked with an analytic chemist at a major university whose field of research is environmental arsenic. We illustrate how the professor mentored the teachers and how they in turn mentored the children. We show how the elementary school teachers who had very little formal science education gained the expertise needed to mentor the children. We found that in less than one academic year the teachers were able to gain the knowledge and skills to facilitate the children’s legitimate participation in authentic scientific research; and that the children gained the methodological and intellectual proficiency needed to contribute useful data and findings to the scientist’s research program.
Printing press configuration-a knowledge-based approach

One of the steps in preparing newspaper presses for a new printing run is composing a lineup. A newspaper lineup arranges the printing run's many image plates among the numerous press locations where images are transferred to paper; this is both a configuration problem and a combinatorial problem. Since lineup design relies heavily on expert heuristics, a knowledge-based approach is well suited for developing a system that configures a press quickly. The authors discuss the press lineup problem, describe printing presses and operational modes, and examine the knowledge-representation and problem-solving methods that were used in designing their system. They also address system functions, performance, and their efforts to develop a generic system that most newspaper publishers can use. >
Spin rotation and energy compression in the ILC Linac-to-Ring positron beamline

Linac-to Ring beamline for positron beam injection into damping ring at the energy of 5 GeV is considered. The beamline performs spin rotation and energy compression of the positron beam extracted from the booster linac. The lattice includes four 90{sup o} phase-advance FODO cells with bending magnets placed between them, a solenoid, and the RF structure. An analytical treatment of the beamline is performed. Basic parameters and optimal configuration are discussed.
A neon-E-rich phase in the Orgueil carbonaceous chondrite

Attention is given to a procedure for separating a silicate fraction which contains large amounts of neon-E from the carbonaceous chondrite Orgueil. In this fraction a 20Ne/22Ne ratio of 4.56 is measured. The obtained data support the hypothesis that neon-E might be associated with interstellar dust grains of the type not fully homogenized with the solar system and which retain some of their trapped neon. Neon results in a three-isotope diagram are presented.
Carbon dioxide compensation points in related plant species.

Both high and low C02 compensation concentrations were found in the plant genera-Panicum, Cyperus, and Euphorbia. Within each genus, however, high and low compensations were found in different subgenera. Thus, they may not be genetically closely related. No significant differences in CO2 compensation were found among 100 genetic lines of Triticum aestivum L. or among 20 lines of Hordeum vulgare L.
β-Catenin stabilization stalls the transition from Double-Positive to Single Positive stage and predisposes thymocytes to malignant transformation

Activation of β-catenin has been causatively linked to the etiology of colon cancer. Conditional stabilization of this molecule in pro-T cells promotes thymocyte development without the requirement for pre-TCR signaling. We show here that activated β-catenin stalls the developmental transition from the double-positive (DP) to the single-positive (SP) thymocyte stage and predisposes DP thymocytes to transformation. β-Catenin–induced thymic lymphomas have a leukemic arrest at the early DP stage. Lymphomagenesis requires Rag activity, which peaks at this developmental stage, as well as additional secondary genetic events. A consistent secondary event is the transcriptional up-regulation of c-Myc, whose activity is required for transformation because its conditional ablation abrogates lymphomagenesis. In contrast, the expression of Notch receptors as well as targets is reduced in DP thymocytes with stabilized β-catenin and remains low in the lymphomas, indicating that Notch activation is not required or selected for in β-catenin–induced lymphomas. Thus, β-catenin activation may provide a mechanism for the induction of T-cell–acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) that does not depend on Notch activation.
Restructuring of Focal Adhesion Plaques by Pi 3-Kinase: Regulation by Ptdins (3,4,5-P)3 Binding to α-Actinin

Focal adhesions are an elaborate network of interconnecting proteins linking actin stress fibers to the extracellular matrix substrate. Modulation of the focal adhesion plaque provides a mechanism for the regulation of cellular adhesive strength. Using interference reflection microscopy, we found that activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) by PDGF induces the dissipation of focal adhesions. Loss of this close apposition between the cell membrane and the extracellular matrix coincided with a redistribution of α-actinin and vinculin from the focal adhesion complex to the Triton X-100–soluble fraction. In contrast, talin and paxillin remained localized to focal adhesions, suggesting that activation of PI 3-kinase induced a restructuring of the plaque rather than complete dispersion. Furthermore, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PtdIns (3,4,5)-P3), a lipid product of PI 3-kinase, was sufficient to induce restructuring of the focal adhesion plaque. We also found that PtdIns (3,4,5)-P3 binds to α-actinin in PDGF-treated cells. Further evidence demonstrated that activation of PI 3-kinase by PDGF induced a decrease in the association of α-actinin with the integrin β subunit, and that PtdIns (3,4,5)-P3 could disrupt this interaction in vitro. Modification of focal adhesion structure by PI 3-kinase and its lipid product, PtdIns (3,4,5)-P3, has important implications for the regulation of cellular adhesive strength and motility.
Combining heterogeneous features for colonic polyp detection in CTC based on semi-definite programming

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) combined with a computer aided detection system provides a feasible combination for improving colonic polyps detection and increasing the use of CTC for colon cancer screening. To distinguish true polyps from false positives, various features extracted from polyp candidates have been proposed. Most of these features try to capture the shape information of polyp candidates or neighborhood knowledge about the surrounding structures (fold, colon wall, etc.). In this paper, we propose a new set of shape descriptors for polyp candidates based on statistical curvature information. These features, called histogram of curvature features, are rotation, translation and scale invariant and can be treated as complementing our existing feature set. Then in order to make full use of the traditional features (defined as group A) and the new features (group B) which are highly heterogeneous, we employed a multiple kernel learning method based on semi-definite programming to identify an optimized classification kernel based on the combined set of features. We did leave-one-patient-out test on a CTC dataset which contained scans from 50 patients (with 90 6-9mm polyp detections). Experimental results show that a support vector machine (SVM) based on the combined feature set and the semi-definite optimization kernel achieved higher FROC performance compared to SVMs using the two groups of features separately. At a false positive per patient rate of 7, the sensitivity on 6-9mm polyps using the combined features improved from 0.78 (Group A) and 0.73 (Group B) to 0.82 (p<=0.01).
Optical System Engineering Approach To Cassegrain Telescope Selection, Design, And Tolerancing

Once a Cassegrain telescope has been selected for an application, only four orthogonal parameters - back focal length, system f/number, primary mirror f/number, and system aperture diameter - need be specified in order to predict the first-order performance of the entire optical system. Frequently, one or more of these parameters, as well as the form of third-order aberration correction, are allowed as variables and, therefore, can be used to optimize the system for performance, optical tolerance sensitivity, and cost. A set of parametric equations ("K" factors) has been developed so that this optimization can be performed before resorting to any detailed optical design and the subsequent evaluation of optical sensitivity. This paper describes the variables and the parametric equations, as well as the engineering scenario into which they fit. Examples of the ways in which they are combined with structural and thermal engineering technologies to produce an optimum design are discussed.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Prediction and measurement of initial flocculation rates in quiescent media

Initial flocculation rate experiments were carried out with a dilute suspension of bidisperse polystyrene spheres (0.166 and 0.255 gm in radius) under normal gravity conditions and, using a centrifuge, under conditions of an enhanced gravitational flow field. These experiments were designed to study the effect of differential creaming between small and large particles on the flocculation process and also to ascertain some of the fimitations associated with the DLVO theory of electrostatic stabilization. A turbidity technique which accounts for the simultaneous effects of flocculation and creaming was developed to determine the initial flocculation rate. By comparing theoretically predicted rates with experimentally observed ones for each monodisperse system under normal gravity, the Hamaker constant was determined to be A = 2.87 + 0.36 × 10 -14 erg for a retarded attractive potential, and the surface potential was found to be ~0 = -12.7 + 0.5 mV. The corresponding ~" potentials ranged from -19 to -32 inV. However, the predicted stability factors for the bidisperse system were over 6 orders of magnitude greater than the measured values when the ~" potentials were substituted for #0 in the chosen electrostatic repulsion model, whereas, correct stability predictions were made with the characteristic potential of- 12.7 mV. Under conditions of an enhanced gravitational flow field, the bidisperse flocculation rate increased with increasing gravitational force; in accordance with our previous theoretical predictions. For the larger gravitational forces studied, there appears to be a high degree of coupling between Brownian motion and gravitational forces. © 1985 Academic Press, Inc.
Social Security Costs in the Larger Context of Retirement Saving

There has been a great deal of discussion in recent years regarding the implications of the shift from defined-benefit to defined-contribution retirement plans on workers’ ability to adequately provide for their retirement security needs. There has been almost no discussion about the changing economics of participation in the U.S. Social Security pension system and the implications for the burden on workers attempting to save for retirement. In its early years, Social Security benefits were highly subsidized and now present an implicit tax on retirement saving for many workers. The analysis here presents the magnitudes of these shifts for workers at different points in the earnings distribution.
Polarity Effects in the Lactose Operon of Escherichia coli

An intergenic RNA segment between lacY and lacA of the lactose operon in Escherichia coli is cleaved by RNase P, an endoribonuclease. The cleavage of the intergenic RNA was ten times less efficient than cleavage of a tRNA precursor in vitro. Fragments of the RNase P cleavage product are detectable in vivo in the wild-type strain but not in a mutant strain at the restrictive temperature. The cleavage product that contains lacA in the wild-type strain was quickly degraded. When this intergenic segment was cloned upstream of a reporter gene, the expression of the reporter gene was also inhibited substantially in wild-type E.coli, but not in a temperature sensitive mutant strain in RNase P at the restrictive temperature. These results support data regarding the natural polarity between lacZ versus lacA, the downstream gene.
Low-energy (5-120 eV) electron-stimulated dissociation of amorphous D2O ice: D(2S), O(3P2,1,0), and O(1D2) yields and velocity distributions.

Laser resonance enhanced multiphonon ionization spectroscopy was used to measure yields and velocity distributions of the D $(^{2}S)$, O $(^{3}P_{2,1,0})$, and $\mathrm{O}(^{1}D_{2})$ produced during low-energy (5--120 eV) electron-beam irradiation of amorphous ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$O ice. Electron-stimulated dissociation has a very low energy threshold ( $\ensuremath{\sim}$6--7 eV), and the neutral fragments desorb with low kinetic energies ( $\ensuremath{\sim}$60--85 meV) which are independent of the incident electron energy. The data suggest that desorption of neutral fragments results from dissociation of excited states formed directly or via electron-ion recombination.
Electrodeposition of flow-induced composition modulated NiFe alloys in the uniform injection cell

NiFe thin film alloys with nanometer-scale spatially periodic composition modulations have been electrodeposited in the uniform injection cell (UIC) by oscillating the electrolyte flow rate. [See, Medina and Schwartz, J. Electrochem. Soc. 142, 451, 457, L46 (1995) for a description of the UIC.] The flow-induced composition modulated alloys were made using flow oscillation frequencies ω ≤ 0.05 Hz and galvanostatic deposition at −10 mA cm−2. Flow-induced periodicity wavelengths (Λ) as small as 55 nm were measured using stripping voltammetry. The experimental results showed that Λ had the expected inverse dependence on the flow oscillation frequency. The electrochemical response of the NiFe plating system was found to be out of phase with the low frequency (quasi-steady) flow modulations, a result that reiterates the anomalous nature of NiFe codeposition and the important role that careful hydrodynamic impedance studies could possibly play in analyzing the system.
Triplet states of bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoids in chromatophores of photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract Chromatophores from photosynthetic bacteria were excited with flashes lasting approx. 15 ns. Transient optical absorbance changes not associated with the photochemical electron-transfer reactions were interpreted as reflecting the conversion of bacteriochlorophyll or carotenoids into triplet states. Triplet states of various carotenoids were detected in five strains of bacteria; triplet states of bacteriochlorophyll, in two strains that lack carotenoids. Triplet states of antenna pigments could be distinguished from those of pigments specifically associated with the photochemical reaction centers. Antenna pigments were converted into their triplet states if the photochemical apparatus was oversaturated with light, if the primary photochemical reaction was blocked by prior chemical oxidation of P-870 or reduction of the primary electron acceptor, or if the bacteria were genetically devoid of reaction centers. Only the reduction of the electron acceptor appeared to lead to the formation of triplet states in the reaction centers. In the antenna bacteriochlorophyll, triplet states probably arise from excited singlet states by intersystem crossing. The antenna carotenoid triplets probably are formed by energy transfer from triplet antenna bacteriochlorophyll. The energy transfer process has a half time of approx. 20 ns, and is about 1 × 103 times more rapid than the reaction of the bacteriochlorophyll triplet states with O2. This is consistent with a role of carotenoids in preventing the formation of singlet O2 in vivo. In the absence of carotenoids and O2, the decay half times of the triplet states are 70 μs for the antenna bacteriochlorophyll and 6–10 μs for the reaction center bacteriochlorophyll. The carotenoid triplets decay with half times of 2–8 μs. With weak flashes, the quantum yields of the antenna triplet states are in the order of 0.02. The quantum yields decline severely after approximately one triplet state is formed per photosynthetic unit, so that even extremely strong flashes convert only a very small fraction of the antenna pigments into triplet states. The yield of fluorescence from the antenna bacteriochlorophyll declines similarly. These observations can be explained by the proposal that singlet-triplet fusion causes rapid quenching of excited singlet states in the antenna bacteriochlorophyll.
Operative Management of Civilian Rectal Gunshot Wounds: Simpler Is Better

Extraperitoneal rectal gunshot wounds have been managed with a variety of methods from simple diverting colostomy to combinations of rectal repair, proximal diversion, transperitoneal or presacral drainage, and distal bowel irrigation techniques. Treatment methodology is chosen based on anecdotal experience, and there is no clear evidence that any technique is superior to the others. The objective of this study was to compare 3 methods of managing civilian extraperitoneal gunshot wounds. Retrospective analysis of 30 consecutive patients with extraperitoneal rectal gunshot wounds was undertaken. Patients were treated with 1 of these 3 techniques: (1) simple diverting colostomy without rectal repair (group A, 12 patients); (2) diverting colostomy and rectal repair (group B, 12 patients); and (3) diverting colostomy and presacral drainage without repair (group C, 6 patients). Injury, hospital course, and outcome data were compared. The 3 groups were similar in age, injury severity, admission hemodynamics, preoperative and intraoperative time, blood loss, fecal contamination, and associated injuries. The overall incidence of complications was 27% (8/27): 25% (3/12) in group A, 33% (4/12) in group B, and 17% (1/6) in group C (p= NS). Complications directly associated with the rectal injury were found in 2 cases (7%): 1 group A patient developed a vesicorectal fistula and 1 group B patient developed a rectocutaneous fistula. For 10 patients with both rectal and bladder injuries, the complication rates for groups A, B, and C were 50%, 20%, and 0%, respectively (p= NS). No patient died. In conclusion, diverting colostomy without rectal repair or drainage appears to be safe for the management of most civilian retroperitoneal rectal gunshot wounds. Additional surgical maneuvers may be required for combined rectal and urinary trauma or other complex rectal injuries. Sound surgical principles, tailored to the individual case, should overrule any unproven dogmas.
Salvage combination intravesical immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and interferon-α2B: impact on recurrence, progression, and survival.

AbstractBackground: The population of patients with bladder cancer who have recurrence following an initial instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is critical to study, as treatment delay with repeated courses of intravesical therapy may yield poor prognosis in patients with disease progression. Objective: To evaluate our institution's experience with use of BCG alone and in combination with interferon (INF)-α2B in regard to the rates of bladder cancer recurrence, disease progression, need for eventual cystectomy, and survival in patients with initial BCG failure. Study Design: We identified a combined series of 139 patients who had undergone intravesical instillations of BCG alone (n = 114) or in combination with INF-α2B (n = 25) performed at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, between 2002 and 2007. All patients previously received an initial 6-week course of BCG therapy and subsequently had BCG failure on follow-up cystoscopy. Study outcome measures included: time to cancer recurrence in pati...
Comparative serum bactericidal activity of clarithromycin and azithromycin against macrolide-sensitive and resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The serum pharmacodynamics of clarithromycin and azithromycin were studied against isolates of S. pneumoniae, including efflux resistant (M. phenotype) strains, by analyzing their serum bactericidal activity (SBA) over time. Normal healthy subjects were given a single 500 mg oral dose of these macrolides and serum samples were collected over 12 hrs. Paired isolates with MICs ranging from 0.25 ug/ml to 8.0 ug/ml were analyzed. Prolonged (at least 6 hrs) SBA was observed with clarithromycin for strains with MICs or = 4.0 ug/ml. Azithromycin exhibited SBA for at least 6 hrs for strains up to a MIC = 0.5 ug/ml. No SBA was observed for isolates with MICs > or = 1.0 ug/ml. In contrast to azithromycin, clarithromycin exhibited SBA for at least one-half of its normal dosing interval against S. pneumoniae strains well above its current susceptibility breakpoint concentration of 0.25 microg/ml. These findings may have relevance to the ongoing debate as to the appropriate susceptibility breakpoints for the newer macrolides.
Effects of Baltimore's Safe Streets Program on gun violence: a replication of Chicago's CeaseFire Program.

Chicago’s CeaseFire program is an evidence-based public health approach to preventing gun violence. Baltimore is one of many US cities attempting to replicate the program. We compared changes in the number of homicide and nonfatal shooting incidents per month in four intervention neighborhoods with changes in high-crime comparison areas (police posts) without the intervention, while controlling for several measures of police activity and baseline levels of homicide and nonfatal shootings. In South Baltimore there were large program-related reductions in homicide and nonfatal shooting incidents. Among three East Baltimore program sites, the program was associated with a reduction of homicides in one area, a reduction in nonfatal shootings in another area, and a simultaneous increase in homicides and decrease in nonfatal shootings in another area. In some instances, program effects extended to neighborhoods bordering the intervention areas. Program-related reductions in homicides appear to be linked with conflict mediations conducted by program outreach workers.
The physics of intraoperative radiotherapy using high energy electron beams

Abstract Conventional radiotherapy involves the treatment of malignant tumors by ionizing radiation applied externally to the body. However, injury to internal organs and normal tissue often limits the tumor dose delivered to less than cancericidal values. This problem is circumvented in intraoperative radiotherapy, where the tumor is surgically exposed, normal tissue and organs displaced, and the diseased area treated directly with radiation. Electron beams are used for these procedures because of their finite range compared with X-rays, to spare normal tissue below the tumor.