cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Value of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Compared with that of Breslow Thickness: Implications for Informed Consent in Patients with Invasive Melanoma

Background Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is reportedly a powerful prognosticator of survival. Breslow thickness alone provides significant prognostic information. Objective To assess overall survival (OS) according to tumor depth based on SLN status. Materials and Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Database were searched for studies. Included studies evaluated overall survival according to SLNB results and were stratified according to Breslow thickness. Meta-analysis was performed if appropriate in each category for which three or more studies reported risk estimates and variability measurement. Results Twenty-nine articles met inclusion criteria. Six met the criteria for meta-analysis. In individuals with thin melanoma ( .99). Few studies were available for intermediate depths, and most reported worse survival in SLN–positive patients, although the difference was not statistically significant (p > .05). For thick melanoma (>4 mm), SLN positivity was related to worse prognosis (sign test, p = .004). Based on the pooled results of six studies of patients with tumors 4 mm thick or thicker, SLN–positive patients had a greater likelihood of dying (hazard ratio = 2.42, 95% confidence interval = 2.00–2.92). Conclusions Sentinel lymph node biopsy may not provide more-accurate prognostic information than Breslow thickness for most melanomas.
Characterization of temperature sensitive influenza virus mutants defective in neuraminidase.

Abstract Two temperature sensitive mutants, ts3 and ts11, of the WSN (HON1) strain of influenza virus, belonging to the same recombination group, have a 1000- to 10,000-fold lower infectivity titer and lack hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activity when grown at nonpermissive temperature (39.5°), compared with virus grown at permissive temperature (33°). The patterns of viral polypeptides synthesized in cells infected with these mutants are similar to those found with wild type virus. Neuraminidase activity of the mutant viruses is more temperature labile than the enzyme of the wild type. Despite the low yield, morphologically intact virus particles are found at 39.5°, but in contrast to virus grown at 33° large aggregates of virus accumulate near the cell surface. These aggregated virus particles contain neuraminic acid as demonstrated by a colloidal iron stain. Thus, it is likely that a neuraminic acid containing protein serves as receptor for the hemagglutinin of other virus particles, resulting in the extensive aggregation. Hemagglutinating activity of virus grown at 39.5° is restored by treatment of the aggregates with neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae. These results suggest that the lack of hemagglutinating activity of mutant virus grown at 39.5° is a consequence of the formation of aggregates of virus particles carrying neuraminic acid on their surface, and that the ts defect is in the neuraminidase but not the hemagglutinin molecule. It is postulated that neuraminidase is essential for the replication of influenza viruses and is required to remove neuraminic acid from the viral envelope to avoid aggregation of the progeny virus.
Novel constructs for thrombin inhibition.

Antithrombotic therapy, particularly thrombin-directed strategies, will in all likelihood evolve on the basis of several fundamental observations derived from basic science, translational science, and clinical trials. First, coagulation is a cell-based phenomenon that requires tissue factor, platelets, and coagulation proteases. Second, factor (f ) Xa and thrombin play complementary roles in each phase of coagulation (initiation, amplification, and propagation). They have proinflammatory and mitogenic properties as well, establishing a rationale for prolonged suppressive therapy. Third, regulating biologically active compounds requires that attention be paid to the dynamic nature of atherothrombotic disease, individual variation in both thrombotic capacity and drug response, and the importance of a safety profile in clinician acceptance. Lastly, restoring a dysfunctional vascular endothelium to provide thromboresistance may be an ideal approach to regulating thrombosis. There are various oral and intravenous anticoagulants under development, many in very early stages. We have chosen to focus our discussion on several unique constructs for attenuating or inhibiting thrombin, illustrating the fieldTs diversity and dynamic approach through direct, indirect, multidimensional, and cellbased therapeutics.
Intrapreneuring in hospitality organizations

Abstract The desire to keep employees with entrepreneurial instincts within the corporation, has led companies to implement changes which will meet the needs of these employees. One of the needed changes might be an action-oriented rather than analytically perfect decision-making environment. The organizational structure and decision-making processes of Laventhol and Horwath and Harvey Hotels, two successful American companies which foster creativity and an ‘intrapreneurial’ spirit, were studied to determine the characteristics which engender this spirit. Parallels in the company profiles were manifestations of an action-rational decision-making environment.
Genetic constitution and response to toxic chemicals--an overview.

There is no scientific justification for the use of random‐bred or outbred rodents in toxicological and carcinogenesis testing. The frequent desire for heterozygosity in a test population can best be met by using F l hybrids of inbred progenitor strains. Extrapolation of animal data to humans will ultimately come through an understanding of cellular responses to carcinogenic and toxicological agents. Isogenic animal populations such as inbred strains, F 1 hybrids, and the recently developed recombinant inbred lines are currently our best approach to resolving these mechanisms.
The provision of useful mechanical properties in polymeric materials

This paper describes four aspects of the work which has been performed by individuals within my research group during the past five years. The first subject discussed is the effect of pressure and environment on the yield and fracture behaviour of plastics. Secondly, a description is given of micro deformation processes in amorphous polymers, with emphasis on the control of the transition from the crazing to the shear banding modes of irreversible deformation. The third subject discussed emphasises the importance of the adhesive bond in composite materials. In addition to the usual concern with chemical interactions at the interface, some recent work is described showing the importance of moulded-in thermal stresses which can be controlled by process history. Finally, a more sophisticated multi-composite system is dealt with, which is found in nature; namely, the relationships between hierarchial organisation and mechanical function in tendon. Whether, as a result of understanding biological composites of this type, innovative synthetic materials will immerge makes for interesting speculation at the present time. All of the subjects described contain many unsolved questions, and I am hopeful that these will provide us with useful and interesting territory for research in the future.
A one-year audit of topics and domains in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Abstract Background: The relative emphasis that major medical journals give to topic areas has a potential effect on priorities in patient care, policy decisions, and public awareness. We measured the distribution of topics in two journals, by disease categories and domains, over a calendar year. Methods: All original investigations, reviews, editorials, and special articles published in 1998 by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine were classified by article type, disease category, and domain. The 12 domains ranged from basic science to health policy, and included primary and secondary prevention. Results: The 1159 articles published in 1998 included 889 (77%) articles about specific diseases—590 falling within eight specialties—and 190 (16%) articles on generic topics. Eighty (7%) articles concerned the behaviors that cause disease. Primary prevention and screening were the subject of 71 (6%) and 29 (3%) articles, respectively. Most of these concerned uncommon issues in patient care. Although 27 (2%) articles dealt with essential health promotion (e.g., diet, exercise), and none included a study on how to help patients to exercise, stop smoking, or eat a healthy diet. In contrast, 451 (39%) articles concerned the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disease. Conclusions: The relative emphasis that journals gave to prevention during the sample period seems discordant with its importance to patients and public health. Potential explanations include poor volume and quality of submitted research and editorial concerns about importance and reader appeal.
Directional network discovery performance

Directional networks provide significant promise for future high-bandwidth communications architectures. There is an increasing need for capacity to support multi-media and other bandwidth-intensive applications while spectrum availability is decreasing. Directional networks allow for high capacity communications by focusing the energy between transmitter and receiver and providing greater frequency reuse. These networks can either be radio frequency (RF) or optical (free-space optical communications). The engineering cost of this improved capability is increased complexity of network formation and control in mobile network applications. In a traditional wireless network, neighbors can be detected through their omnidirectional antennas as long as they are in range. In directional networks, we contend with the “deafness” problem in that the other nodes are involved in beam-to-beam directional communications and cannot “hear” the new node as it attempts to enter a network. The problem of how to enable new nodes to enter or establish a network is called directional network discovery. There has been research conducted on how this can be efficiently implemented with various antenna and protocol innovations. In this paper, we focus on the performance of mobile network discovery techniques and the security of the discovery process.
A finite element method for liquid with memory

Abstract Steady, two-dimensional flows of viscoelastic liquid with memory are analyzed by means of a nonlinear integral constitutive equation, novel streamlined finite elements, Galerkin's method of weighted residuals, and Newton iteration. By their relation to streamlines the new elements allow, for the first time, full Newton iteration of the algebraic equation set to which the governing integrodifferential system reduces. Streamlines are computed simultaneously with velocity components and pressure, the primary unknowns; to track the history of liquid particles the deformation equations are solved analytically in a Protean system of coordinates that conforms to the streamlines. In the cases studied the Newton iteration converges quadratically to a creeping flow state of Weissenberg number (product of upstream wall shear rate and relaxation time of the liquid) up to about 20 in channel flow, 10 in film flow, and 2 in die-swell flow. Shear-thinning shrinks the domain of convergence; it also reduces die-swell. A slip boundary condition in the vicinity of the contact line extends the domain of convergence.
Prenatal expression of N-acetyltransferases in C57Bl/6 mice

Abstract Exposure to carcinogens such as 4-aminobiphenyl (4ABP), found in tobacco smoke and other combustion products, results in the formation of detectable levels of 4ABP–hemoglobin adducts in cord blood and 4ABP–DNA adducts in conceptal tissue. The presence of these adducts requires that the parent compound undergo biotransformation. When exposure occurs in utero, the maternal, placental and conceptal tissues are all possible sites for the formation of DNA-reactive products. One step in the activation of 4ABP is catalyzed by N -acetyltransferases (NAT). The expression of NAT was evaluated in gestational day (GD) 10–18 conceptal tissues from C57Bl/6 mice. There was a quantitative increase in NAT1 and NAT2 mRNAs with increasing gestational age that was also reflected in age-related changes in functional protein measured as 4ABP–NAT activity. The ability to acetylate 4ABP increased from GD10 to 18 and was lower in conceptal tissue than in adult liver. The potential toxicologic significance of prenatal NAT expression was assessed by formation of 4ABP–DNA adducts. At GD 15 and 18, 4ABP–DNA adducts were detected by immunohistochemistry 24 h following a single oral dose of 120 mg 4ABP/kg. Based on nuclear fluorescence, conceptual 4ABP–DNA adducts were present at similar levels at GD15 and 18. Levels of 4ABP–DNA adducts were significantly higher in maternal liver compared with the conceptus. Results from this study show that both NAT genes were expressed prenatally and that functional enzymes were present. These data support the possible in situ generation of reactive products by the conceptus. The relative contributions of maternal activation of 4ABP and that by the conceptus remain to be determined.
An evaluation of the heterogeneity of cytoplasmic particles obtained by differential centrifugation.

Abstract 1. 1. As a cell fractionation procedure of the differential fractionation type is continued in order to create new fractions, the degree of heterogeneity of each fraction will increase. Sufficient criteria must be employed to differentiate between fractions. However, on increasing the number of criteria, one tends also to increase the similarities between fractions. In the present study, when about 50% of the comparisons did not distinguish one fraction from another, further fractionation yielded no “new” fractions. 2. 2. It is unlikely that one can determine either the actual number of particles present in the cytoplasm of a cell, or their homogeneity, by the technique of differential centrifugation employing a single medium. The “concentration gradient” method may be more desirable from this standpoint. 3. 3. It is necessary that data describing the biochemical properties of subcellular particles be subjected to statistical analysis, in order that their value in determining the uniqueness of a fraction be properly assessed.
Conditions favoring queen execution in young social insect colonies

Previous attempts to explain worker aggression against extra queens in young social insect colonies have used kin selection arguments. These have been inconsistent with experimental evidence demonstrating aggression against extra queens without strong evidence of kin discrimination. Using a game theoretical model, I suggest a series of decision rules that are consistent with the current experimental evidence from study of young colonies of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. These decision rules are: 1) When workers cannot directly determine which queen is their mother, they should behave in favor of a queen that maximizes the product of the chance that a queen is the workers’ mother multiplied by the chance that it will survive to colony maturity. In some cases, the survival potential of the different queens may be the only character that influences the workers’ decision. 2) Workers should delay aggression against extra queens until the workers can gain their greatest advantage through such aggression. 3) Queens may adopt strategies that allow them to dominate rivals, either by gaining an advantage in fights among the queens or by increasing their attractiveness to workers.
Durability and moisture sensitivity of recycled wastepaper-fiber-cement composites

Abstract The effects of moisture and weathering on the performance of recycled wastepaper-fiber-cement composites were investigated through accelerated laboratory tests simulating the effects of wet-dry and freeze-thaw cycles as well as carbonation and chemical reactions under natural weathering. Measures were developed and successfully evaluated for the control of aging effects in composites through changes in matrix composition.
Clocks and patterns in Myxobacteria: a remembrance of Art Winfree

At the beginning of their aggregation phase waves of cell density sweep across the surface of myxobacteria colonies. These waves are unlike any other in biology. Waves can be linear, concentric or spiral and when they collide, instead of annihilating one another they appear to pass through each other unchanged. Moreover, the wavelength determines the spacing and pattern of fruiting bodies that will rise up presaging sporulation. The explanation for these waves was suggested by the work of Art Winfree on cellular clocks, and confirmed by a mathematical model that explains all of the observed wave behavior. The story of how this model evolved illustrates the roles of chance and scientific networking in the search for the explanation of a new phenomenon.
Controlled Freeze Zone™ for developing sour gas reserves

Abstract The Controlled Freeze Zone™ technology removes CO2 and H2S from natural gas in a single step cryogenic distillation process. Removal and management of acid gas impurities from natural gas pose significant challenges in developing sour gas fields. In many cases CFZ™ is capable of processing sour gases with a wide range of CO2 and H2S compositions at a lower cost than conventional technologies. The acidic components are removed as a high pressure liquid that can be injected into reservoirs for geosequestration or, when of suitable composition, to improve oil recovery. In either case, sulfur production from H2S and release of CO2 to the atmosphere can be eliminated. CFZ™ technology was successfully demonstrated through earlier pilot plant operations. Currently, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company is advancing CFZ™ to large scale commercial readiness through a commercial demonstration plant in Wyoming, USA. By building the commercial demonstration plant at ExxonMobil’s world-class Shute Creek gas treating and acid gas injection facility, integration of CFZ™ with acid gas injection, will also be demonstrated when the unit is operated in 2010–2011.
Evaluation of the material properties of the subsynovial connective tissue in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the material properties of the normal carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue in response to shear stress. Methods The shear modulus and maximum shear strength were measured with a custom-made micro-tester in 10 specimens of subsynovial connective tissue from 10 wrists in eight patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome and in 10 specimens from five fresh frozen cadavers without a history of carpal tunnel syndrome. Findings The mean shear modulus was 22.8 (SD 15.4) kPa for the patient group and 2.7 (SD 1.8) kPa for the control group. The mean maximum shear strength was 54.6 (SD 20.3) kPa for the patient group and 23.3 (SD 10.7) kPa for the control group. The values for the patient group were significantly higher than the control group ( P Interpretation The material properties of subsynovial connective tissue are altered in patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. The impact, if any, of these altered properties on carpal tunnel syndrome remains to be elucidated.
Checking the Fact-Checkers in 2008: Predicting Political Ad Scrutiny and Assessing Consistency

Which types of political ads are most likely to draw criticism from fact-checkers? Are fact-checkers consistent in their evaluations of political ads? Examining general election television ads from the 2008 U.S. presidential race, and based upon the evaluations of FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, and the Washington Post's Fact Checker, this study demonstrates it was the attack ads from candidates that were most likely to draw scrutiny from the fact-checkers. Most importantly, a high level of agreement between the fact-checkers indicates their success at selecting political claims that can be consistently evaluated. While political advertisers are increasingly using evidence to support their claims, what may be more critical in drawing evaluations from fact-checkers is the verifiability of a claim. The implications of consistent fact-checking on the public, political actors, journalism and democracy are discussed. With the revelation that fact-checking can be consistently practiced, localized efforts at fact...
Turbulent diffusion of lines and circulations

Abstract We study material lines and passive vectors in a model of turbulent flow at infinite-Reynolds number, the Kraichnan–Kazantsev ensemble of velocities that are white-noise in time and rough (Holder continuous) in space. It is argued that the phenomenon of “spontaneous stochasticity” generalizes to material lines and that conservation of circulations generalizes to a “martingale property” of the stochastic process of lines.
Vibrational-Rotational Radiation Transitions in Water Molecules In Nonpolar Solvents

The $1.875\ensuremath{\mu}(\ensuremath{\sigma}+\ensuremath{\delta})$ and $1.379\ensuremath{\mu}(\ensuremath{\sigma}+\ensuremath{\pi})$ absorption bands of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O molecules in C${\mathrm{Cl}}_{4}$ and C${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ solutions and the $1.985\ensuremath{\mu}(\ensuremath{\sigma}+\ensuremath{\pi})$ band of ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$O in C${\mathrm{Cl}}_{4}$ are presented. They are interpreted as indicating free rotation of water vapor-like molecules in solution. The dominant feature of each band is an enhanced $Q$-branch. We are unable to decide to what extent this enhancement is caused by a possible departure from the usual rotational distribution characteristic of vapors and to what extent by possible alterations in transition probabilities.
Social Skills Training for a Young Adult With Landau–Kleffner Syndrome:

We present the differential diagnosis and treatment of Frank, a 26-year-old man with Landau–Kleffner syndrome (LKS). At the time of assessment, Frank was no longer suffering from primary symptoms of LKS; however, he presented with significant social and behavioral difficulties including social anxiety and social skills deficits. Frank participated in Social Effectiveness Therapy (SET), an empirically supported, multi-component behavioral treatment program aimed at reducing social anxiety and improving social functioning. Although Frank exhibited significant reductions in social anxiety at post-treatment, functional behavioral assessment of social behavior suggested that Frank continued to experience social difficulties (e.g., speech length, latency to respond, rigidity in interactions). It appears that the application of an empirically supported treatment such as SET may result in attenuated treatment effects when social anxiety is secondary to a neurological condition such as LKS. Treatment needs for sec...
Characterization of contractile responses to endothelin in human cerebral arteries: implications for cerebral vasospasm.

Cerebral vascular tone is modulated, at least in part, by the vascular endothelium. This probably results from a balance between the release of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s) and the endothelium-derived constricting factor(s) (e.g.. endothelin). The time course of the induction and the d
Carbonate chemistry in marine pore waters: MANOP sites C and S

Calculations of the alkalinity and total CO 2 response to organic matter diagenesis in a closed system containing CaCO 3 indicate that the traditional stoichiometric reactions for organic matter degradation and the accompanying CaCO 3 reaction are approximations at the pH of seawater. These approximations are different from the true values by about 10% during oxygen and MnO 2 reduction and about 40% during denitrification. lntercalibration of in situ and box core methods of pore water sampling from deep-sea carbonate-rich and carbonate-deficient sediments indicates that the sampling artifact on carbonate system measurements due to pressure change is variable in magnitude and apparently related to the carbonate content of the sediments. Previously proposed methods for predicting the effect are not general, implying that there is no alternative to in situ sampling for the evaluation of the carbonate system parameters. In situ results from a carbonate ooze sediment at MANOP site C reveal that the pore waters are slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite. Ion activity products fall within the range predicted for equilibrium with aragonite. The diagenetic model applied to an open system using molecular diffusion coefficients adequately predicts the pore water alkalinity and total CO 2 changes in response to organic matter degradation. This result provides clear evidence that the transport mechanism for dissolved species near the sediment-water interface at this location is by molecular diffusion and is not enhanced by biological or physical processes. At a siliceous ooze site, MANOP site S, the alkalinity increases in the pore waters in response to CaCO 3 rain to the sediment-water interface. Calcium carbonate is not preserved, and the stoichiometric model predicts a particulate CaCO3/organic carbon rain ratio of 0.4-1.2. This ratio is in the same range as that measured in sediment traps deployed at this site as part of the MANOP program.
Doing Multiculturalism: An Interactionist Analysis of the Practices of a Multicultural Sorority:

Despite the many references to multiculturalism in academic works and media accounts, we know little about what it is like in practice. Drawing on data from interviews, ethnographic observations, and archival materials from a multicultural sorority chapter, this article highlights three main ways its members do multiculturalism: (1) recognizing and valuing differences, (2) teaching and learning about differences, and (3) bridging differences via personal friendships and organizational alliances. Broad racial ideologies and the culture of the university and the Greek system, however, created the conditions under which sorority members do multiculturalism, including their focus on some differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, and sexual identity) and neglect of others (i.e., class and gender). While the multicultural sorority sought to lessen racial divisions on campus and their approach opposed colorblind ideology, they presented little challenge to the hegemony of the campus Greek system. This study has implic...
Two-dimensional modeling of polymer wet spinning: The effects of mass transfer dynamics on structural properties

In this work, a two-dimensional model of polymer wet spinning that couples simultaneous momentum and energy transport with ternary diffusion and phase separation processes is presented and its predictions for a model system are discussed. The uniqueness of the model lies in its two-phase nature and ability to predict important characteristics of the wet spinning process, such as the locking-in of axial velocity, mass transfer behavior, and internal structure formation along the spinline. The model predicts growth of the two-phase gel that forms and the porous fractions within it, along with the compositions of the polymer-rich and solvent-nonsolvent-rich phases. The appearance of a skin-core structure that depends on the system and operating conditions is also predicted. These features are demonstrated through analyses of the isothermal wet spinning of poly(acrylonitrile) solutions in dimethlysulfoxide using two different nonsolvent coagulants, water and ethanol. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41772.
MULTICULTURALISM GOES IMPERIAL

As Latino and Asian immigrant populations in the United States continue to grow, controversies are cropping up over immigrant animal practices such as horse tripping in Mexican charreadas (rodeos) and the slaughter of animals in the live-animal markets of San Francisco's Chinatown. Immigrant advocates read these controversies through a multiculturalist interpretive framework that constructs animal advocates as agents of an ethnocentric and racist majority. In this article, I argue that this multiculturalist interpretation tends to “go imperial” by mischaracterizing the position(s) of animal advocates and invalidating and suppressing the other, potentially competitive, moral discourse at play: the discourse about cruelty toward animals. I explicate this suppressed discourse and then propose the development of a mutually challenging and potentially edifying moral dialogue in which majority and minority animal practices are simultaneously open to scrutiny and criticism. Clashes over customary practices can aggravate intergroup tensions, but they also have the potential to lead to meaningful moral dialogue between the majority and immigrant minorities.
INFLUENCE OF BATCH MIXING TIME AND BATCH GRAIN SIZE ON HOMOGENEITY OF A SODA‐LIME‐SILICA GLASS*

Density-spread determinations were made on a series of melts of a soda-lime-silica glass employing batches compounded from raw materials varying in particle size from 20- to 60-mesh to minus 200-mesh, which had been mixed by tumbling for one, ten, or thirty minutes. The two melting techniques employed were (1) melting for sixteen hours in a stationary platinum crucible at 1400°C. under conditions of even temperature distribution and consequently a minimum of convection mixing and (2) melting for four hours at 1400°C. in a rotating tilted crucible; this condition was intended to simulate convection mixing Under the experimental conditions employed, it was found that (1) batch mixing time has relatively little effect on the homogenizing rate, (2) homogenization increases rapidly with decrease in grain size, and (3) in all cases the 4-hour melting treatment with moderate mixing gives better homogeneity than sixteen hours melting time in a stationary crucible, this effect increasing with decrease in grain size. No significant difference in glass homogeneity resulted from three different methods of mixing, namely, tumbling, ball milling, and mixing in a muller-type mixer, although the homogenizing influence imposed probably was sufficient to mask any differences in uniformity of mixing that might have existed.
Measurement of ion motional heating rates over a range of trap frequencies and temperatures

We present measurements of the motional heating rate of a trapped ion at different trap frequencies and temperatures between $\ensuremath{\sim}0.6$ and 1.5 MHz and $\ensuremath{\sim}4$ and 295 K. Additionally, we examine the possible effect of adsorbed surface contaminants with boiling points below $\ensuremath{\sim}105{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$ by measuring the ion heating rate before and after locally baking our ion trap chip under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. We compare the heating rates presented here to those calculated from available electric-field noise models. We can tightly constrain a subset of these models based on their expected frequency and temperature scaling interdependence. Discrepancies between the measured results and predicted values point to the need for refinement of theoretical noise models in order to more fully understand the mechanisms behind motional trapped-ion heating.
An analog feedback associative memory

A method for the storage of analog vectors, i.e., vectors whose components are real-valued, is developed for the Hopfield continuous-time network. An important requirement is that each memory vector has to be an asymptotically stable (i.e. attractive) equilibrium of the network. Some of the limitations imposed by the continuous Hopfield model on the set of vectors that can be stored are pointed out. These limitations can be relieved by choosing a network containing visible as well as hidden units. An architecture consisting of several hidden layers and a visible layer, connected in a circular fashion, is considered. It is proved that the two-layer case is guaranteed to store any number of given analog vectors provided their number does not exceed 1 + the number of neurons in the hidden layer. A learning algorithm that correctly adjusts the locations of the equilibria and guarantees their asymptotic stability is developed. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the approach. >
Receiver characteristics of laser altimeters with avalanche photodiodes

The receiver characteristics of a laser altimeter system containing an avalanche photodiode photodetector are analyzed using the Gaussian approximation, the saddlepoint approximation, and a nearly exact analysis. The last two methods are shown to yield very similar results except when the background noise is extremely low and the probability of false alarm is high. However, the Gaussian approximation method is shown to cause significant errors even under relatively high levels of background noise and received signal energy. >
The Effect of the MJO on the North American Monsoon

Abstract The effect of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) in the eastern Pacific on the North American monsoon is documented using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis and daily mean precipitation data from 1958 to 2003. It is found that positive zonal wind anomalies in the eastern tropical Pacific lead to above-normal precipitation in northwest Mexico and Arizona from several days to over a week later. This connection between the tropical Pacific and monsoon precipitation appears to be limited to regions influenced by moisture surges from the Gulf of California as a similar connection does not exist for New Mexico precipitation. The evidence suggests that the MJO might affect monsoon precipitation by modulating the strength of low-level easterly waves off the coast of Mexico, which in turn triggers the development of a gulf surge.
Stochastic behavior of random constant scanning worms

This paper discusses modeling and simulation issues associated with the stochastic behavior of a special type of a computer worm called a random constant scanning (RCS) worm. Although these worms propagate by randomly scanning network addresses to find hosts that are susceptible to infection, traditional RCS worm models are fundamentally deterministic. A density-dependent Markov jump process model for RCS worms is presented and analyzed. Conditions are shown for when worm models can safely ignore some stochastic properties of RCS worm propagation. A computationally simple hybrid deterministic/stochastic model for the observed scanning behavior on a local network due to the global propagation of an RCS scanning worm is also presented and discussed.
A comparison of the use of text and multimedia interfaces to provide information to the elderly

This report describes an experiment in which 64 elderly participants, average age 71, used (1) a text-only or (2) a multimedia computer interface to obtain informationin this case, about prescription drugs. The participants, none of whom had used a computer before, compared the computerized information systems to a more traditional “interface” of words printed on paper. Results indicate that, for this group of elders, who were recruited from a seniors’ group at a college, a multimedia presentation was better than a text-only screen or a printed leaflet, on both performance and preference measures. Difficulty with reading due to vision problems associated with aging was the most commonly cited reason for preferring the multimedia system. While men preferred both computer interfaces to the leaflet, women liked only the multimedia system and expressed very negative feelings about the text-only interface.
Phase 1 Clinical Trials of the National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center HIV/AIDS Candidate Vaccines

(NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland. We are now close to reaching 10 years and are unlikely to realize an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine by 2007. Nevertheless, the NIH Vaccine Research Center (VRC), which opened in 2001, has become a force in vaccine research and development and, in this issue of the Journal, publishes a pair of articles [1, 2] reporting the results of phase 1 human trials for its HIV/AIDS vaccines, which are now well into phase 2 studies. The vaccine strategy uses DNA to prime the immune response and a replication-defective recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vector to boost responses. All in all, the development of an HIV/ AIDS vaccine has been slow, hard work. Major problems have been the lack of immune correlates for protection, the extensive genetic diversity of the virus, and the inability to elicit neutralizing antibodies for incident isolates [3, 4]. Because of the problem in raising neutralizing antibodies, vaccine efforts have turned to eliciting T cells that, at least in preclinical nonhuman primate models, can protect CD4' T cells and control infections to the low levels
RADIOGRAPHIC AND 2‐D ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN EIGHTEEN CATS EXPERIMENTALLY EXPOSED TO D. ZMMZTZS VIA MOSQUITO BITES

Eighteen cats were exposed to Dirofikria immitis infected mosquitoes. Thoracic radiography was performed prior to exposure and at 5, 7, and 9 month intervals following exposure. Immunologic testing for adult heartworm antigen was performed on days 168,195,210,224,237,254 and 271 post infection. Necropsies were performed on all cats. Adult heartworms were found in 61% of the exposed cats. Radiographic findings in heartworm positive cats included bronchointerstitial lung disease, lobar pulmonary arterial enlargement and pulmonary hyperinflation. In most heartworm positive cats, lobar arterial enlargement resolved as the disease progressed while pulmonary hyperinflation progressively became more common. Pulmonary patterns in heartworm positive cats remained abnormal throughoutthe study while abnormal pulmonary patterns resolved in over 50% of the heartworm negative cats. Cardiomegaly was seen in less than 50% of the cats with adult heartworms at necropsy. This study suggests that the radiographic appearance of heartworm disease is variable and radiographic changes are dependent on the time post infection at which cats are evaluated. Echocardiographic examinations were randomly performed on 16 of 18 cats. Heartworms were identified in 7 cats. No false positive identifications were made. Persistent pulmonary disease accompanied by resolving vascular disease in heartworm cats with pulmonary hyperinflation may be difficult to distinguish from cats with feline allergic lung disease. Echocardiograms may be helpful in identifying adult heartworms in cats in which the radiographic signs or immunodiagnostic data are insufficient to provide a diagnosis.
Right ventricular echocardiographic indices predict poor outcomes in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Aims Infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) have elevated pulmonary vascular resistance that can lead to right ventricular (RV) failure and death. Clinicians must decide which infants will fail conventional therapy and require transfer to extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centres, but accurate echocardiographic predictors have not been identified. We assessed echocardiographic measurements of RV pressure and function in predicting progression to death or ECMO in infants with PPHN. Methods and results Echocardiograms for infants ≥35-week gestation with a clinical diagnosis of PPHN were retrospectively reviewed. Traditional and strain echocardiographic measures were compared for those with or without the primary outcome of ECMO/cardiovascular death. Receiver operator curves identified cut points for measures that were significantly different. Of the 86 subjects analysed, 25 (29%) of the patients had the primary outcome of ECMO/death. The ECMO/death group had diminished tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE; P = 0.002) and RV global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS; P = 0.03), a predominant right-to-left shunt across the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; P = 0.05), and an elevated oxygenation index (OI; P < 0.001). Sensitivity/specificity for TAPSE <4 mm was 56 and 85%, and for GLPS greater than or equal to −9% was 52 and 77%. Conclusion TAPSE, GLPS, and right-to-left PDA shunting were associated with progression to death/ECMO. RV free wall strain was not associated with the outcome, suggesting that diminished global strain better reflects clinical outcomes in this group. These thresholds may assist in the decision-making to transfer high-risk infants to ECMO centres.
Expression of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in the Rat Ovary: Detection of mRNA Using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification

Development of the ovarian follicle and corpus luteum involves proliferation and differentiation of several cell types: granulosa cells, thecal cells, and various stromal cells, particularly the endothelial cells that compose the rich thecal and luteal vascular networks. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent mitogen for cells of mesodermal and neuroectodermal origin, including endothelial cells. With the use of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we have examined the expression of bFGF in the rat ovary. RNA was extracted from fetal bovine aortic endothelial cells, hypothalami of adult rats, and either whole ovaries or isolated granulosa cells from PMSG-primed immature rats. The RNA was reverse transcribed and then amplified by PCR using two oligonucleotide primers specific for both bovine and rat bFGF. A sample of the PCR solution was size fractionated by electrophoresis in an 8% polyacrylamide gel, which was then stained with ethidium bromide and examined under ultraviolet light. When reverse transcription-PCR was performed on RNA from bovine endothelial cells, rat hypothalamus, or whole rat ovary, a single major DNA band corresponding in length to the distance between the 5'-ends of the two bFGF-specific primers (354 base pairs) was obtained. The identity of this material with the bovine and rat bFGF sequences was confirmed by restriction enzyme analysis. When RNA from isolated granulosa cells was examined, however, no bFGF mRNA was detected. These results confirm that the bFGF gene is expressed in the ovary during follicular development. Furthermore, they demonstrate that ovarian bFGF expression is cell specific, since granulosa cells do not contain detectable bFGF mRNA.
Coherent optical processing

The principles of communication theory were applied in the 1950's to optical imaging systems and to the analysis of images. Optical systems were analyzed in much the same way as linear systems (modulation transfer functions and channel capacities) and images were characterized in ways analogous to time signals (space-bandwidth products, spatial frequency content, etc.). Both coherently and incoherently illuminated optical systems can be treated using these concepts. Coherently illuminated systems are most useful for performing operation such as convolution, cross correlation, and spectral analysis because the Fourier transform of an optical signal physically exists and can, therefore, be measured or modified. The basic Fourier transform relationship for coherently illuminated systems is developed in this paper. It can be detected directly and used to estimate the distribution of spatial frequencies contained in the signal. Methods for constructing complex-valued spatial filters are described; these filters can be used to realize such operations as convolution or cross correlation, addition or subtraction, and differentiation or integration. Experimental results are given to illustrate the concepts and to susgest potential applications. To extend the range of applications, interface devices are needed to allow optical processing of two-dimensional raster-scanned time signals, wide bandwidth electrical signals, and incoherent optical signals. Interface devices are often needed to convert the output optical signal to an electrical signal for post-processing by a digital computer. For some applications, interface devices are needed to construct spatial filters in real time, so different operations can be performed on a given signal. The desired characteristics of these three interface devices and the current state of their development are briefly reviewed.
Improvements in Strength and Stress Corrosion Cracking Properties in Aluminum Alloy 7075 via Low-Temperature Retrogression and Re-Aging Heat Treatments

Abstract The susceptibility of aluminum alloy 7075 (AA7075 [UNS A97075]) to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the peak strength T6 temper is alleviated through the use of the T73, or over-aged temper, which provides improved SCC resistance with a 10% to 15% strength loss compared to the T6 temper. Previous research has indicated that retrogression and re-aging (RRA) heat treatments reduce the trade-off between T6 strength and T73 SCC resistance. The short-term heat treatment they used, however, limited the applicability of RRA to thin sections of material. The primary goals of this research effort were to determine if lower retrogression temperatures could be used in the RRA process to extend the applicability of this heat treatment to thick section aircraft components and to quantify any observed improvements. Alternate immersion (AI) and double-cantilever beam (DCB) tests were conducted in a 0.6-M sodium chloride (NaCl) solution to evaluate the SCC resistance of various tempers. Improveme...
Programmable FFT processors for wide-bandwidth HF spread-spectrum communications and radar signal processing

Programmable-length, fast Fourier transform processors for use in advanced wideband, high-frequency spread-spectrum radar and communication systems have been designed and implemented using new commercially available digital signal processing (DSP) devices. Two FFT architectures that provide real-time continuous-throughput operation at speeds greater than 2 MHz are presented. The transform length is programmable from 64 points to 16 K points, and either 32-bit fixed-point or 32-bit floating-point (IEEE format) arithmetic computations can be performed. These high-performance, single-board FFT processors use only 275 integrated circuits and dissipate less than 100 W. These processors can be used in a variety of DSP operations, including high-speed convolution or correlation, channel equalization, narrowband interference suppression, clutter rejection, and signal-matched filtering. >
Bicalutamide Monotherapy Versus Leuprolide Monotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Effects on Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition

Purpose Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists decrease bone mineral density, lean mass, and muscle size and increase fat mass in men with prostate cancer. Less is known about the effects of bicalutamide monotherapy on bone mineral density and body composition. Patients and methods In a 12-month, open-label study, we randomly assigned 52 men with prostate cancer and no bone metastases to receive either leuprolide or bicalutamide (150 mg by mouth daily). Bone mineral density and body composition were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and quantitative computed tomography. Results Mean (+/- standard error) bone mineral density of the posterior-anterior lumbar spine decreased by 2.5% +/- 0.5% in the leuprolide group and increased by 2.5 +/- 0.5 in the bicalutamide group from baseline to 12 months (P Conclusion In men with prostate cancer, bicalutamide monotherapy increases bone mineral density, lessens fat accumulation, and has fewer bothersome side effects than treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist.