cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale regularized reconstruction for enhancing microcalcification in digital breast tomosynthesis

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) holds strong promise for improving the sensitivity of detecting subtle mass lesions. Detection of microcalcifications is more difficult because of high noise and subtle signals in the large DBT volume. It is important to enhance the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of microcalcifications in DBT reconstruction. A major challenge of implementing microcalcification enhancement or noise regularization in DBT reconstruction is to preserve the image quality of masses, especially those with ill-defined margins and subtle spiculations. We are developing a new multiscale regularization (MSR) method for the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART) to improve the CNR of microcalcifications without compromising the quality of masses. Each DBT slice is stratified into different frequency bands via wavelet decomposition and the regularization method applies different degrees of regularization to different frequency bands to preserve features of interest and suppress noise. Regularization is constrained by a characteristic map to avoid smoothing subtle microcalcifications. The characteristic map is generated via image feature analysis to identify potential microcalcification locations in the DBT volume. The MSR method was compared to the non-convex total pvariation (TpV) method and SART with no regularization (NR) in terms of the CNR and the full width at half maximum of the line profiles intersecting calcifications and mass spiculations in DBT of human subjects. The results demonstrated that SART regularized by the MSR method was superior to the TpV method for subtle microcalcifications in terms of CNR enhancement. The MSR method preserved the quality of subtle spiculations better than the TpV method in comparison to NR.
Effects of zeolite, formalin, bacterial augmentation, and aeration on total ammonia nitrogen concentrations

Abstract Although zeolite removed total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) at the rate of 8.5 mg TAN g−1 zeolite, the amount of zeolite to significantly reduce TAN concentrations in ponds is prohibitively large. Applications of a bacterial product had no effect on TAN concentrations in laboratory systems or in ponds. Heavy aeration slightly reduced TAN concentrations in laboratory systems, but even doubling or tripling normal aeration rates for aquaculture ponds would not be expected to reduce TAN concentrations appreciably. Formalin application at 10 mg l−1 caused a marked decrease in TAN concentrations in both laboratory systems and fish ponds.
A new method for study of the fiber-matrix interface in composites: single fiber pull-out from a microcomposite

—A new method, single fiber pull-out from a microcomposite (SFPOM), was developed to study the fiber/matrix interface in composites. By pulling a fiber out of a seven-fiber microcomposite, the SFPOM test provides the real feeling of a fiber pulled out of an environment similar to that in a real composite. Interfacial shear strength decreased as the fiber volume fraction increased in the fiber-matrix system tested in the experiment. Three factors were suggested to be responsible for the phenomenon: (1) poor bonding between fibers when close to each other; (2) shear stress concentration in the matrix between neighboring fibers; and (3) possible change in matrix properties, thus altering the failure mechanism from interfacial debonding to a mixture of interfacial debonding and matrix fracture.
Replication invariance of bargaining solutions

This note is concerned with the behavior of bargaining solutions under replication of bargaining problems. A notion of replication, alternative to that studied by Kalai, is proposed, and it is shown that for both the Nash and Kalai-Smorodinsky solutions, the sum of what the agents of each type obtain in the replicated problem is equal to what the agent they are representing would obtain in the original problem under an application of the asymmetric generalization of the solution with weights proportional to the orders of replication of the different types. This similarity in behavior of the two solutions is in contrast with the conclusions reached by Kalai.
The effect of bile salts on the carbohydrate metabolism of two species of hymenolepidid cestodes

Abstract 1. 1. The bile salts taurocholate and taurodeoxycholate affect the glucose metabolism of adult cestodes Hymenolepis diminuta and H. citelli . 2. 2. When worms were incubated in glucose in the absence of bile salts, H. citelli maintained a higher internal level of free glucose and incorporated twice as much glucose into glycogen than did H. diminuta . Of the glucose metabolized into succinate by H. citelli , 90 per cent came from the exogenous glucose as compared to 80 per cent with H. diminuta . 3. 3. Taurocholate had no effect on glucose metabolism of H. diminuta , but caused a 21 per cent reduction of the internal free glucose level and a 33 per cent reduction in the amount of glucose incorporated into glycogen in H. citelli . 4. 4. Taurodeoxycholate reduced the free pool glucose levels in H. diminuta by 30 per cent and glucose incorporation into glycogen by 50 per cent. The amount of succinate produced was not affected, but the metabolism of exogenously supplied glucose into succinate dropped from 80 to 60 per cent. 5. 5. Taurodeoxycholate caused a 50 per cent decrease in glucose free pool levels in H. citelli and an 80 per cent reduction of glucose incorporation into glycogen. The amount of succinate produced was reduced slightly with the amount of exogenous glucose metabolized into succinate dropping from 90 to 60 per cent. 6. 6. Radioactive taurocholate was not taken up by H. diminuta in vitro , nor were bile salts detected in worm tissue assayed by several procedures. 7. 7. From these results we concluded that the action of bile salts was on the surface of the worm rather than on some internal metabolic process. These data provide additional evidence for the importance of bile salts in the host-parasite relationship.
An analysis of water column distributions in Florida Bay

Florida Bay is a shallow, semi-enclosed lagoon that has recently experienced significant changes to its ecosystem. These include increased turbidity and the occurrence of cyanobacteria blooms in the central region of the bay. To accurately understand these changes we need to understand the spatial and temporal patterns in observed water quality parameters. To this end, we have used empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) to analyze both the spatial and temporal variability in an 8-yr record of water quality variables. We have used the EOFs in two ways, one highlighting local changes occurring in the bay, the other emphasizing changes occurring on a bay-wide scale. The local analysis shows that the central region of the bay has the greatest variability in water quality parameters, especially with respect to chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations. The bay-wide analysis shows a different picture. The chlorophyll blooms in the central bay are not apparent bay-wide indicating that they are a local manifestation of processes occurring on a bay-wide scale. The spatial and temporal patterns for nitrate are dissimilar from the other nutrients raising the possibility that the mechanisms controlling nitrate differ from those controlling other nutrients. On a bay-wide scale, spatial patterns are similar to distributions of sediment type and show the significance of interactions between the water column and benthos. Time-series analysis of the EOFs shows that the dominant variation of many water quality parameters is seasonal, even though a system-wide shift occurred between 1994-1995 corresponding to an increase in rainfall and runoff from the Everglades.
Understanding racial disproportionality affecting African American Youth who cross over from the child welfare to the juvenile justice system: Communication, power, race and social class

Abstract This qualitative study, part of a larger ethnography, examines reasons for racial disproportionality affecting African American youth who cross over from child welfare to juvenile justice system involvement from the perspectives of professionals who work within these systems. During individual, semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews, 33 African American and European American child welfare, law enforcement and court professionals discussed why African American youth are disproportionately represented among crossover youth. Responses were analyzed from the perspective of ecological systems theory informed by sociocultural/social language and critical race theories. Professionals described differences in the routine, culturally-based patterns of face-to-face communications of lower-income, African American youth and their families and professionals working within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems that contribute to racial disproportionality among crossover youth. More specifically, when youth and their families employ language and behaviors that are not preferred in child welfare and juvenile justice contexts, professionals may make negative assumptions about them and sanction them more severely than called for by their offenses. Such negative outcomes are more likely to occur when professionals are working in highly stressful or dangerous situations. When problematic interactions and outcomes seem consonant with longstanding patterns of racial tension within the community, some youth and family members can develop distrust, hostility and resistance towards professionals. Some professionals are resistant to addressing issues of race relations. Understanding patterns of communication, power and race relations in the contexts of child welfare, law enforcement, and the courts generates fresh insights for explaining racial disproportionality affecting African American youth and has implications for professionals working towards positive change for youth and families.
Spontaneous [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of s-arylthiosulfonium ylids formed in the reaction of arylsulfenyl chlorides with methylthiolyiethyltrimethylsilane

Abstract A new [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of thiosulfonlum ylids yields ortho-methylthiomethyllhiophenols. The ylids were generated through the cleavage of a C-Si bond with chloride anion.
GOAL-PROGRAMMING METHODOLOGY FOR INTEGRATING PAVEMENT AND BRIDGE PROGRAMS

A goal-programming methodology is presented for integrating the decisions involved in the development of annual pavement and bridge programs. The methodology involves four major steps: (1) identification of multiple objective functions with specific numerical goals; (2) assessment of the “importance” of each objective; (3) development of an assignment model that enables both project and network levels of integration; and (4) formulation of a goal program for optimal program development. Project-level integration is achieved by defining integrable highway units that constitute a bridge and adjacent pavement sections whose repair work can be implemented simultaneously. Network-level integration is achieved by defining objectives and constraints that link the decision variables corresponding to the entire population of pavement sections and bridges. The methodology has the advantage of capturing economies of scale and scope, and determines an optimal program that best achieves the goals. The results from the...
HER-2/neu Assessment in Breast Cancer by Immunohistochemistry and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization: Comparison of Results and Correlation With Survival

Abstract Background: HER-2/neu immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results guide breast cancer therapy; however, few studies compared the results and no published studies have correlated them with patient outcome. Methods and Results: We compared results, cost, and turnaround time in 117 archival, invasive breast carcinomas and compared 50-month survival in 65 of these cases using commercial HER-2/neu IHC and FISH assays. Twenty-one of 112 FISH (19%) and 33 of 117 IHC cases (28%) were positive. Concordance was high overall (88%; 98 of 112 cases) and in IHC 3+ cases (88%; 14 of 16 cases) but low in IHC 2+ cases (35%; six of 17 cases). Survival correlated with IHC results in 3+ cases (P = .02) and FISH cases with signal ratio greater than 4.0 (P = .03), but not in IHC 2+ cases (P = .7). Cost and turnaround time were greater for FISH. Conclusion: IHC is appropriate for initial HER-2/neu assessment; however, patients with tumors scored less than 3+, particularly those interpreted as 2+, would benefit from FISH to more accurately assess HER-2/neu status and avoid inaccurate prognostication and inappropriate treatment.
Pharmacokinetics of azidothymidine during late pregnancy in Long-Evans rats

Azidothymidine (Zidovudine) is used to treat symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection. It has the ability to reverse seropositivity as well as decrease serum viral titers, and perhaps decrease potential for transmission of the virus. An animal model (pregnant Long-Evans rats) was used to investigate the potential for placental transmission of azidothymidine. The drug crosses the placenta to reach concentrations in the placenta and fetus that are comparable to 75% and 58%, respectively, of those in the maternal serum by 2 hours after administration. By 4 to 6 hours after administration azidothymidine concentrations in the placenta and fetal liver significantly exceed maternal concentrations.
Selective nonconjugate binocular adaptation of vertical saccades and pursuits.

Hering's law describes the equal and symmetrical rotation of the two eyes. It is possible to calibrate the binocular yoking of the two eyes in response to disparate size and/or motion of the two ocular images. It is unclear if the ratio of movements by the two eyes is modified by selective adaptation of each versional system (i.e. saccades and pursuits) or if there is an apparent adaptation of Hering's law that results from a single underlying process. The latter could be accomplished by vergence (prism) adaptation, which could interact with all versional systems. In this investigation, binocularly stimulated saccades and pursuits were adapted separately for 2 hr to unequal vertical target displacements. Three adaptation paradigms were used; each included a 10% binocular gradient disparity. The adapting stimulus for the pursuit system was 0.25 Hz vertical triangular motion of 20 deg, peak to peak. Two saccade adaptation paradigms included one which emphasized correcting vertical disparity during the pulse component of the saccade, the other minimized the influence of disparity prior to, during and immediately after saccades (vergence paradigm). Yoking ratios (YRs) for vertical pursuits and saccades were compared before and after adaptation. The pursuit paradigm produced marked adaptation of the pursuit YRs while it had negligible effect on saccade YRs. The pulse saccade paradigm adapted the saccade YRs twice as much as the pursuit YRs whereas the vergence paradigm resulted in little adaptation of YRs for either saccades or pursuits. Pursuits adapted to the first paradigm in 15-30 min whereas saccades adapted to the second paradigm in 1.5-2 hr. These results indicate that there is not a single common nonconjugate adaptation mechanism for vertical pursuits and saccades. Results of the vergence paradigm demonstrate that feedback during or immediately after eye movements is necessary in order to stimulate the binocular versional adaptation mechanism. Versional adaptation may be considered as a calibration of Hering's law.
Spatial coherence characterization of undulator radiation

Abstract The coherence properties of undulator radiation at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths are measured using the Thompson–Wolf two-pinhole method. The effects of asymmetric source size and beamline apertures are observed. High spatial coherence EUV radiation is demonstrated. Projection of these same capabilities to the x-ray region is straightforward.
Prediction of the onset of flow instability in transient subcooled flow boiling

Abstract A new model to predict the onset of flow instability (OFI) in transient subcooled flow boiling has been developed. The model is based upon the influence on vapor bubble departure of the single-phase temperature profile. The steady-state result of the present model was compared to the experimental data of Whittle and Forgan [1] and Dougherty et al. [2], showing an excellent agreement. The model was then employed in a transient analysis of OFI for vertical downwards turbulent flow to predict whether OFI takes place. The condition for OFI to occur in transient flow situations was also predicted by this model. Two modes for pressure gradient change inside the channel are considered in the present study: step change and ramp change. The calculations were made for various combinations of the flow operating condition and the mode of pressure drop change.
Dynamic rezone methods for partial differential equations in one space dimension

Abstract Moving mesh equations are derived to reduce the truncation errors and improve the efficiency of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations. We propose methods based on a blend of mesh directions and velocities chosen to reduce errors in the space and time discretizations. We use numerical calculations to demonstrate the effetiveness of the approach.
BRIDGING WORLDS: MEASURING LEARNERS’ DISCURSIVE PRACTICE IN A PARTSIM SUPPORTED BIOLOGY LESSON

We report on a case study that took place in a southwestern culturally and linguistically diverse urban high school science classroom during a grade recovery summer session. The introduction of a technology-infused unit on epidemiology engaged students in a multi-contextual exploration of the spread of diseases. The analysis of the resultant classroom discourse centers on connections made and identities expressed by the students (as students, social beings, avatars, and scientists), with particular attention to how these students use language to bridge worlds (the participatory simulation world, the classroom world, the ‘real’ world (outside the classroom), and the laboratory (science) world). The results indicate that including a participatory technology tool supported students’ learning journey. Specifically, students built on a shared virtual experience in ways that helped them to draw and expand on prior experiences well beyond the classroom in the service of developing science understanding.
Homogeneous Shear, Wall Slip, and Shear Banding of Entangled Polymeric Liquids in Simple-Shear Rheometry: A Roadmap of Nonlinear Rheology

The recent particle-tracking velocimetric (PTV) observations revealed that well-entangled polymer solutions and melts tend to either exhibit wall slip or assume an inhomogeneous state of deformation and flow during nonlinear rheological measurements in simple-shear rheometric setups. Many material parameters and external conditions have been explored since 2006, and a new phenomenological picture has emerged. In this Perspective, we not only point out the challenges to perform reliable rheometric measurements but also discuss the relation between wall slip and internal (bulk) cohesive breakdown and summarize all available findings in terms of a phase diagram. This map specifies the conditions under which shear homogeneity, interfacial slip, and bulk shear inhomogeneity would prevail. The paper is closed by enumerating a number of unresolved questions for future studies.
Some considerations of multichannel electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in the profoundly deaf; interfacing electrode arrays with the auditory nerve array.

The problems inherent in development of multichannel electrical stimulation prosthetic devices with potential application to profoundly deaf subjects have been summarized, collectively, by a number of scientists who have considered overall developmental strategy in the framework of basic cochlear anatomy and pathology, cochlear physiology and the speech sciences; within the framework of clinical application; and within the framework of feasible engineering (e.g., see Simmons, 1969; Kiang, 1975; Kiang & Moxon, 1972; Merzenich, 1975; Schindler et al., 1977; Black, 1978). Obvious requirements for such devices include: (a) Electrodes must excite the auditory nerve in an appropriate way. (Only some of the characteristics of what constitutes an “appropriate way” have been resolved.) (b) Implanted devices and surgical implantation procedures must be acceptably safe; they must not lead to significant further destruction of the auditory nerve array, (c) Electrical stimulation at required current levels must be saf...
Kinematic Characterization of Chip Lateral-Curl—The Third Pattern of Chip Curl in Machining

Two patterns of chip curl, namely up- and side-curl, have been widely recognized in machining operations. This paper presents the third pattern of chip curl that is called lateral-curl. The rotating axis of chip lateral-curl is perpendicular to the rotating axes of up- and side-curl. The essential differences are illustrated between the chip lateral-curl concept and the chip-twisting concept presented in other related studies. Based on an analytical vector analysis, a new kinematic characterization is presented for the natural (or born) lateral-curl of the chip that is associated with flat-faced tool machining. It is demonstrated that chip forms (or shapes) can be determined by four governing variables: the chip up-, lateral-, and side-curl radii and the chip side-flow angle. A method to indirectly measure the chip lateral-curl radius is presented. The effect of chip lateral-curl on chip forms is investigated through cutting tests, theoretical analysis, and computer simulations.
Conditional Permutation Tests and the Propensity Score in Observational Studies

Abstract In observational studies, the distribution of treatment assignments is unknown, and therefore randomization tests are not generally applicable. However, permutation tests that condition on sample information about the treatment assignment mechanism can be applicable in observational studies, provided treatment assignment is strongly ignorable. These tests use the conditional distribution of the treatment assignments given a sufficient statistic for the unknown parameter of the propensity score. Several tests that are commonly used in observational studies are particular instances of this general procedure. Moreover, conditional permutation tests and covariance adjustment are closely related, in the sense that the conditional permutation distribution of the covariance adjusted difference leads to the same inferences as the conditional permutation distribution of the unadjusted difference of sample means. A backtrack algorithm is developed to permit efficient calculation of the exact conditional si...
Influence of the [2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane macrocycle ring size constraint on the structure and reactivity of copper complexes.

The macrocycle [2.1.1]-(2,6)-pyridinophane (L) binds to CuCl to give a monomeric molecule with tridentate binding of the ligand but in a distorted tetrahedral “3 + 1” geometry, where one nitrogen forms a longer (by 0.12 A) bond to Cu. In dichloromethane solvent this pyridine donor undergoes facile site exchange with a second pyridine in the macrocycle, to give time-averaged mirror symmetry. Both experimental and density functional theory studies of the product of chloride abstraction, using NaBArF4 in CH2Cl2, show that the Cu+ binds in a trigonal pyramidal, not planar, arrangement in LCu+. This illustrates the ability of macrocyclic ligand constraint to impose an electronically unfavorable geometry on 3-coordinate Cu(I). LCuBArF4 and a triflate analogue LCuI(OTf) readily react with oxygen in dichloromethane to produce, in the latter case, a hydroxo-bridged dimer [LCuII(μ-OH)]2(OTf)2, of the intact (unoxidized) ligand L. Since the analogous LCuCl does not react as fast with O2 in CH2Cl2, outer-sphere elect...
Satellite relocation by tether deployment

Several new uses of satellite tethers are discussed, including: (1) using tether extension to reposition a satellite in orbit without fuel expenditure by extending a mass on the end of a tether; (2) using a tether for energy storage to power the satellite during eclipse; and (3) using a tether for eccentricity pumping to correct perturbations in the orbit and as a means of adding energy to the orbit for boosting and orbital transfer.
Tracking Social and Biological Experiences The Social Etiology of Cardiovascular Disease

The social gradient in cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well known. There are literally scores of studies showing that men and women who are socially disadvantaged are at increased risk of developing CVD and have a worse prognosis once they develop the disease.1 During the last 40 years, in most industrialized countries, a clear pattern has emerged showing that each increase in socioeconomic position confers a decreased risk in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Men between the ages of 25 and 64 who are the most disadvantaged have an ≈2.5-fold risk of dying of CVD. For women, the risks are even greater (3.4-fold risk).2 Similar trends are seen for risk-related disorders, including hypertension and diabetes. The causes and mediating pathways by which this occurs are not nearly as well characterized, however. Identifying the biological and behavioral mechanisms that link economic and social disadvantage to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality provides valuable insights into the causes of CVD and information about where along the spectrum of disease development we may effectively intervene to improve outcomes in disadvantaged populations. There is little debate about the social patterning and distribution of CVD. There is, however, ongoing debate about the reason for the observed patterns. See p 3071 Much of the social gradient was attributed originally to the uneven distribution of a number of health behaviors related to diet, tobacco consumption, physical inactivity, compliance with therapeutic regimens, and differential access to high-quality medical care. As the story goes, as better educated, economically advantaged men and women learned about the risks that are related to tobacco, obesity, and inactivity, they changed their behaviors and subsequently reduced their cardiovascular risks, often giving rise to even greater disparities in coronary heart disease (CHD). We now know that differences in health behaviors account for a part of the disparities …
Glycosylated Synaptomatrix Regulation of Trans-Synaptic Signaling

Synapse formation is driven by precisely orchestrated intercellular communication between the presynaptic and the postsynaptic cell, involving a cascade of anterograde and retrograde signals. At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), both neuron and muscle secrete signals into the heavily glycosylated synaptic cleft matrix sandwiched between the two synapsing cells. These signals must necessarily traverse and interact with the extracellular environment, for the ligand-receptor interactions mediating communication to occur. This complex synaptomatrix, rich in glycoproteins and proteoglycans, comprises heterogeneous, compartmentalized domains where specialized glycans modulate trans-synaptic signaling during synaptogenesis and subsequent synapse modulation. The general importance of glycans during development, homeostasis and disease is well established, but this important molecular class has received less study in the nervous system. Glycan modifications are now understood to play functional and modulatory roles as ligands and co-receptors in numerous tissues; however, roles at the synapse are relatively unexplored. We highlight here properties of synaptomatrix glycans and glycan-interacting proteins with key roles in synaptogenesis, with a particular focus on recent advances made in the Drosophila NMJ genetic system. We discuss open questions and interesting new findings driving this investigation of complex, diverse, and largely understudied glycan mechanisms at the synapse.
Frequencies of cw FIR laser lines from optically pumped CH 2 F 2

The frequencies of 48 optically pumped cw FIR CH2F2 laser lines have been measured relative to stabilized CO2 lasers. Uncertainties are estimated to be about 5 parts in 107.
Treatment of allergic rhinitis: effects of allergic rhinitis and antihistamines on performance.

Antihistamines are the most commonly used drugs for allergic rhinitis, and many antihistamines may cause subclinical side effects which are not noticeable by the patient. These include impaired driving performance, impaired work performance, reduced coordination, reduced motor skills, sleepiness and impaired information processing (arithmetic, verbal, and office skills). The newer nonsedating antihistamines should be used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis because they do not produce these effects. Recent studies have shown that children's learning in school may also be negatively affected by traditional antihistamines, and therefore, school children should definitely be given the nonsedating antihistamines. Not only does the treatment cause some impaired performance, but allergic rhinitis itself may result in changes in the patient's mood affect, and other aspects of personality. Physicians who treat allergic rhinitis should be aware of the potential performance effects of medications that they prescribe and the potential effects of the disease itself on the patient's personality. Language: en
Effect of Au deposition rate on the performance of top-contact pentacene organic field-effect transistors

Abstract A study of the influence of the deposition rate of top-contact Au source and drain electrodes deposited by electron-beam evaporation on the electrical performance of pentacene organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) is presented. By adjusting the deposition rate of the Au electrodes to minimize metal diffusion into the semiconductor pentacene layer, the source/drain contact resistance could be reduced. At a Au deposition rate of 10 A/s, high-performance pentacene p -channel OFETs were obtained with a field-effect mobility of 0.9 cm 2 /Vs and a normalized channel width resistance of 23 kΩ cm in a device with a channel length of 25 μm.
The Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon: history, current status, and recommendations.

The Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon (AQ) provides opportunities for teams of undergraduate animal and dairy science students to participate in regional American Society of Animal Science (ASAS)/American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) meetings and to collectively exhibit their knowledge and talents competitively in 4 categories: 1) solving practical, hands-on, laboratory-type problems; 2) providing written answers to essay-type questions about principles and concepts; 3) preparing and com- municating orally and extemporaneously topics of cur- rent animal science interest; and 4) quickly respond- ing to short-answer questions provided in the form of double-elimination quiz bowls. Each team is selected by winning the local AQ at their university. Overall and individual category winning teams are recognized, but team rankings are not emphasized. The ASAS/ADSA members provide leadership for organizing and con- ducting the AQ, and ASAS and each university provide travel expenses for students. The ultimate purpose is to stimulate academic excellence among undergraduate students and for the students to attend ASAS/ADSA regional scientific meetings to meet faculty and stu- dents and to attend scientific research presentations. The purpose of this document was to provide a history of the event and to make recommendations for its im- provement. The AQ was conceived in 1967. During the next 10 yr, an ASAS committee developed procedures for a trial AQ held in 1980 at the ASAS Midwestern Section, Kansas State University-Manhattan, and in the next year the first official AQ was held at the ASAS Midwestern Section at the University of Nebraska-Lin- coln. Starting in 1985, AQ programs were initiated at the other 3 ASAS sectional meetings, and an estimated 50,000 students representing 60 universities have par- ticipated in AQ programs since that time. If the AQ is to continue its improvement over time, it will greatly depend on sustained ASAS/ADSA faculty interest and support, as well as greater adherence to the original AQ procedures.
14-3-3 Proteins Tune Non-Muscle Myosin-II Assembly, Providing a Possible Bridge between Cell Mechanics and Cancer Metastasis

The 14-3-3 family comprises a group of small acidic regulatory proteins which are essential, ubiquitous, and highly conserved across eukaryotes. Overexpression of the 14-3-3s sigma, epsilon, zeta, and eta correlate with a higher metastatic potential and poorer clinical outcomes in different cancers. We have uncovered a role for 14-3-3s in regulating the assembly of non-muscle myosin-II. This demonstrates that 14-3-3s could tune cell mechanics directly, and therefore contribute to the progression of metastatic cancers. Here, we examine how myosin-II assembly is regulated by 14-3-3 in Dictyostelium (one 14-3-3, one non-muscle myosin-II) and humans (seven 14-3-3s, three non-muscle myosin-IIs). In Dictyostelium, 14-3-3 mediates a pathway between microtubules and the racE small GTPase to regulate myosin-II assembly. Here, 14-3-3's expression levels negatively correlate with BTF accumulation. In vitro assembly assays using purified myosin-II tail fragments and 14-3-3 demonstrate that this interaction is direct, phosphorylation-independent, and high affinity (Kd ∼300 nM). We also found that the seven human paralogs of 14-3-3 affect the assembly of human non-muscle myosin-II filaments in different ways, some causing overassembly and others inhibiting assembly. These two 14-3-3 classes directly compete to govern the overall level of myosin-II assembly. Examining assembled myosin-II filaments by electron microscopy confirmed that the average filament size correlates with the overall assembly level. Furthermore, we mapped three critical residues which differ between the two 14-3-3 classes and discovered that alterations of any of these residues convert an assembler to a disassembler. Our findings demonstrate a novel phosphorylation-independent method for regulating myosin-II assembly that is mechanistically conserved from amoebas to humans. These findings imply that altered 14-3-3 expression profiles could directly modulate cell mechanics in metastatic cancers, which would be of great interest for basic and clinical sciences alike.
“We Know but We Don’t Really Know”: Diet, Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Knowledge and Beliefs Among Underserved Pregnant Women

To describe the knowledge of underserved pregnant women related to diet, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Underserved pregnant women from the University of North Carolina and Pitt County, North Carolina participated in 9 focus group interviews. Focus group questions focused on knowledge of CVD risk factors, lifestyle prevention strategies such as diet and physical activity, and the sources of such knowledge. Data were analyzed with the constant comparative method. Prior to the focus group, each woman was invited to complete a telephone survey to collect demographic information and responses to a 13-item CVD knowledge questionnaire. Means and frequency procedures were used to analyze demographic information. Fifty women participated in nine focus group interviews. Participants possessed basic knowledge of CVD risk factors and preventive strategies, such as basic guidelines and recommendations for healthy diet and physical activity in pregnancy. However, women often receive incomplete guidance from obstetric providers, and women, therefore, desired more information on these topics. Some gaps were filled by nurses and nutritionists. Women also sought information from female friends and relatives. Incorrect knowledge was demonstrated in all groups and led to less healthful behaviors in some cases. Underserved pregnant women have basic knowledge about healthy lifestyle and CVD prevention behaviors; however important gaps and misinformation exist.
Quaternion Fourier transform based alpha-rooting method for color image measurement and enhancement

The aim of this paper is to present a transform-based framework for color image enhancement which processes all three color components (R,G,B) simultaneously. In this framework, the image enhancement procedure is supported by a two-dimensional discrete quaternion Fourier transform and the new multi-frequency band α-rooting concept. Moreover, we introduce a simple measure to evaluate the quality of enhanced color images. Additionally, we demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithms against recently proposed methods which separately process color channels. Preliminary results show that the presented algorithm out-performs other enhancement methods such as the traditional Fourier transform-based alpha-rooting and the multi-scale Retinex algorithms. The proposed algorithms are fast and simple in implementation and design which makes them very practical for image enhancement. Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted HighlightsWe propose a quaternion Fourier transform-based alpha-rooting color image enhancement.We introduce a measure to evaluate quality of enhanced color images.We examine the proposed method in RGB and XYZ color models.The presented algorithm out-performs other transform-based enhancement methods.
The shaping of soviet workers' leisure: Workers' clubs and palaces of culture in the 1930s

In his recent ethnographic history of the Nivkhi of Sakhalin Island, Bruce Grant employs the “Soviet House of Culture” as a metaphor of cultural construction and the “hybrid identities produced by the Soviet state.”Bruce Grant, In the Soviet House of Culture (Princeton, 1995), xi. Yuri Slezkine's rendition of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) as a communal apartment (kommunalka), where each national group had its own room but shared the kitchen, bathroom, and corridors, serves a similar metaphorical purpose, enabling the reader to envision the complexities of superstate–nationality interaction in more familiar spatial terms.Yuri Slezkine, “The USSR as a Communal Apartment, or How a Socialist State Promoted Ethnic Particularism,” Slavic Review 53 (1994):414–52. For the USSR as a “superstate,” see Moshe Lewin, Russia/USSR/Russia: The Drive and Drift of a Superstate (New York, 1995). Both the communal apartment and the house, or palace, of culture were venerable Soviet institutions. Each was the product of the reimagining of sociability in the wake of the October Revolution, representing different types of imagined communities that only subsequently assumed material reality. The communal apartment has been the subject of novels (both utopian and dystopian), film, song, painting, economic and cultural history, and several (absurdist) exhibits.For the treatment of the communal apartment as “the cornerstone of the now disappearing Soviet civilization,” see Svetlana Boym, Common Places: Mythologies of Everyday Life in Russia (Cambridge, MA, 1994), 121–67, quotation on 123. See also Richard Stites, Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution (Oxford, 1989), 200–4, 213–19; and Albrecht Martiny, Bauen und Wohnen in der Sowjetunion nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg (Berlin, 1983), 20–24, 138–58. The avant-gardist artist Ilya Kabakov has made the kommunalka the subject of paintings and exhibits. See Blair A. Ruble, “From Khrushcheby to Korobki,” in Russian Housing in the Modern Age: Design and Social History, ed. William Craft Brumfield and Blair A. Ruble (Cambridge, UK, 1993), 232–33; and Dina Vierny et al., Fondation Dina Vierny-Musee Maillol (Paris, 1995), 128–29. By contrast, little attention has been given to palaces of culture or to the less grandiloquently titled workers' clubs.Western scholarship on workers' clubs and palaces of culture has been limited to the formative decade of Soviet power and the post-Stalin decades. In addition to articles by John Hatch cited below, see Gabriele Gorzka, “Proletarian Culture in Practice: Workers' Clubs, 1917–1921,” in Essays on Revolutionary Culture and Stalinism, ed. John W. Strong (Columbus, OH, 1990), 29–55; and Anne White, De-Stalinization and the House of Culture: Declining State Control over Leisure in the USSR, Poland and Hungary, 1953–89 (London, 1990).
A neural network model for the formation of topographic maps in the CNS: development of receptive fields

A discussion is presented of the properties of the model in the high-dimensional limit. The authors present results from a Monte Carlo simulation indicating a facilitation of the map-ordering process if the dimensionality of the input space is increased, and they provide a mathematical analysis of the development of localized receptive fields via the input-selection mechanism. The analytical results are compared with data from large-scale simulations using a Connection Machine CM-2, and very good agreement is found
THE PROSTATIC SPECIFIC ANTIGEN ERA IS ALIVE AND WELL: PROSTATIC SPECIFIC ANTIGEN AND BIOCHEMICAL PROGRESSION FOLLOWING RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

ABSTRACTPurpose: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been shown to predict the presence of prostate cancer on biopsy, pathological stage, and biochemical progression following primary therapy. A recent study found only a weak association between PSA and tumor volume in the radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen and concluded that the PSA era is over. We examined the association between PSA and clinical progression in men undergoing RP.Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 2,312 men treated with RP between 1992 and 2004 by a single surgeon. We evaluated the association between preoperative PSA and biochemical progression on multivariate analysis.Results: Men with higher preoperative PSA concentrations had higher grade cancers in the biopsy and RP specimen, and more adverse pathological features. After adjusting for the clinical covariates of age, race, grade, stage, and year of surgery, preoperative PSA was significantly associated with the risk of biochemical progression. When only men wit...
Self-gravitating accretion disks in active galactic nuclei

Accretion onto supermassive black holes (SBHs) is widely believed to be responsible for the phenomena of active galactic nuclei (AGN). While there has been considerable theoretical work on the inner regions of such accretion flows, little is known about the outer boundaries of AGN. Except for the broad and narrow emission lines, the observational constraints are weak, and evidence linking the emission-line regions to the accretion flow is ambiguous at best. It is not even known whether the accretion flow is fuelled by mass loss from a dense cluster of stars surrounding the SBH, or enters the nucleus from the galactic interstellar medium (ISM). Here we adopt the latter view, assuming that most of the incoming fuel forms a thin accretion disk at distances of ∼ 10–103 pc from the SBH. Such a disk must be vertically self-gravitating. We analyse some of its thermal and dynamical properties, and conclude that its energetics is likely to be dominated by backscattered AGN radiation. We also discuss the conditions under which Jeans fragmentation of such a disk into weakly interacting cloudlets can be avoided, and give a necessary condition for disk fragmentation to occur.
Serial Observations of Drift Currents in the Central North Atlantic Ocean

Between October 21, 1953 and February 9, 1954 a series of nearly continuous observations of wind-drift currents was made in the open ocean off Bermuda by means of drifting wireless- telemetering buoys. A rough plot of the position of each of these buoys relative to Bermuda was obtained by means of a mobile radio-direction-finding station. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1954.tb01114.x
Neutron-Capture Elements in the Early Galaxy: Insights from a Large Sample of Metal-poor Giants

New abundances for neutron-capture (n-capture) elements in a large sample of metal-poor giants from the Bond survey are presented. The spectra were acquired with the KPNO 4 m echelle and coude feed spectrographs, and have been analyzed using LTE fine-analysis techniques with both line analysis and spectral synthesis. Abundances of eight n-capture elements (Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Nd, Eu, and Dy) in 43 stars have been derived from blue (λλ4070-4710, R ~ 20,000, S/N ratio ~ 100-200) echelle spectra and red (λλ6100-6180, R ~ 22,000, S/N ratio ~ 100-200) coude spectra, and the abundance of Ba only has been derived from the red spectra for an additional 27 stars. Overall, the abundances show clear evidence for a large star-to-star dispersion in the heavy element-to-iron ratios. This condition must have arisen from individual nucleosynthetic events in rapidly evolving halo progenitors that injected newly manufactured n-capture elements into an inhomogeneous early Galactic halo interstellar medium. The new data also confirm that at metallicities [Fe/H] -2.4, the abundance pattern of the heavy (Z ≥ 56) n-capture elements in most giants is well-matched to a scaled solar system r-process nucleosynthesis pattern. The onset of the main r-process can be seen at [Fe/H] ≈ -2.9; this onset is consistent with the suggestion that low mass Type II supernovae are responsible for the r-process. Contributions from the s-process can first be seen in some stars with metallicities as low as [Fe/H] ~ -2.75 and are present in most stars with metallicities [Fe/H] > -2.3. The appearance of s-process contributions as metallicity increases presumably reflects the longer stellar evolutionary timescale of the (low-mass) s-process nucleosynthesis sites. The lighter n-capture elements (Sr-Y-Zr) are enhanced relative to the heavier r-process element abundances. Their production cannot be attributed solely to any combination of the solar system r- and main s-processes, but requires a mixture of material from the r-process and from an additional n-capture process that can operate at early Galactic time. This additional process could be the weak s-process in massive (~25 M☉) stars, or perhaps a second r-process site, i.e., different from the site that produces the heavier (Z ≥ 56) n-capture elements.
Urinary interleukins in patients receiving intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy for superficial bladder cancer.

Intravesical administration of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) causes a localized cell-mediated immune response. The intensity of this inflammatory response may be gauged by measuring the levels of both interleukin-2 (IL-2) and an inhibitor of interleukin-2 (IL-2-IN) activity in the urine during the hours after a BCG instillation. The levels of urinary IL-2 and IL-2-IN in the sixth week of BCG therapy predicted the subsequent clinical course in a group of 25 patients (P < 0.01). Measurement of urinary IL-2 and IL2-IN activity may be used to identify accurately those patients likely to develop a tumor recurrence, thereby sparing them the risk associated with inadequately treated bladder cancer. Since IL-2 and IL-2IN are competitive with respect to biologic activity, and since relatively high urinary levels of either IL2 or IL-2-IN activity correlated with a favorable clinical course, the authors conclude that the presence of bioactive IL-2 in urine is not required for the prevention of recurrent superficial bladder cancer. Cancer 64:1447-1454, 1989.
The Medical Directive

To the Editor.— We were disappointed by the article entitled "The Medical Directive: A New Comprehensive Advance Care Document" 1 for three reasons: (1) it states assumptions about the underuse of current advance directives that are not substantiated by any data, (2) it ignores standard methods for developing and testing new instruments, and (3) it claims to reduce uncertainty by using a complicated form that itself contains a great deal of uncertainty. In a recent JAMA editorial, Dr Pelligrino 2 wrote of the "unsubstantiated assumptions" that had often been made when ethics research was carried out only in libraries. Drs Emanuel and Emanuel seem to continue this unfortunate tradition with their Medical Directive. First, the authors assume that the living will and durable power of attorney for health care are underused, in part, because of "linguistic vagueness," the lack of a "range of possible clinical circumstances," and the lack of