cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neodymium: YAG laser treatment ofpostoperative bladder neck contractures

Abstract Conventional therapy for postoperative bladder neck contracture (BNC) has beenassociated with a high recurrence rate. Fifty bladder neck contractures were treated with neodymium (Nd): YAG laser using a contact technique. There were eight recurrences, seven of which were managed successfully with a second treatment. Nd:YAG laser disintegration is a safe and effective therapy for postoperative bladder neck contracture.
Alternative Models for Collaboration

Recently, collaborative consultation has been proposed as a viable means of service delivery for speech-language pathology services in the schools. This article responds to these discussions by sug...
THE RELEVANCE OF CHRISTOPHER PISSARIDES' CONTRIBUTION TO MENA LABOR MARKETS

High unemployment rates in MENA appear to be structural in nature and result from the significant segmentation of the region's economies along formal-informal and public-private lines. It thus appears at first that Christopher's Pissarides' seminal contribution on the search theoretic underpinnings of unemployment are less relevant than a Harris-Todaro-type dual economy model. Nevertheless, I argue in this essay that Pissarides' search theoretic framework is becoming increasingly relevant as the role of public sectors in the labor market is gradually attenuated.
A low-power biologically-inspired chaotic oscillator with process and temperature tolerance

This paper presents a low-power, biologically-inspired silicon neuron based implementation of a chaotic oscillator circuit. The silicon neuron structure is based on Hodgkin---Huxley neuron model. Subthreshold MOSFET and current reuse techniques have been utilized to achieve a low-power consumption of 180.30 nW for the room temperature (27 °C) and typical process corner. The chaotic behavior of the circuit is confirmed by calculating the largest Lyapunov exponent. A sensitivity analysis of the proposed chaotic oscillator shows that the circuit maintains the chaotic behavior for five different process corners within the temperature range of 0---60 °C.
Control of the Preovulatory Release of Luteinizing Hormone By Steroids in the Mouse

The regulation of the preovulatory release of LH by steroids was examined in the mouse, a species in which ovulation is strongly influenced by priming pheromones. Ovariectomized mice were implanted with estradiol in Silastic capsules to involve negative feedback. Preovulatory-like LH surges then were induced by injections of either estradiol benzoate (EB) or progesterone. LH surges were not observed in the absence of steroid injection. LH surges always occurred at lights out on a 14-h light, 10-h dark cycle on the day after EB injection but occurred on the same day as progesterone injection. The amount of EB or progesterone injected seemed unimportant but, in either case, had to be given within a limited diurnal period of sensitivity. LH surges comparable to those of intact proestrous females were produced either by injecting both EB and progesterone or by manipulating the background dose of encapsulated estradiol. In the latter regard, when ovariectomized females were implanted with a wide range of doses of estradiol (0.1--1000 microgram/capsule), a decided window phenomenon became apparent. That is, LH surging could be induced by steroid injections only within a limited range of background doses of encapsulated estradiol. The relationship of the above findings to the pheromonal control of LH secretion and ovulation in mice is as yet unclear.
Effects of prolonged exposure to dietary DDT and PCB on rat liver morphology.

Livers from mature female rats exposed for up to 36 weeks to dietary levels of Aroclor® 1242 (75 or 150 ppm) and/or commercial grade DDT (75 or 150 ppm) were compared to those from animals receiving basal diets. In earlier studies, reproductive effects of the test substances were assessed. Moreover, the markedly abnormal gross appearance of the livers led to examination of the hepatic effects of PCB and DDT in more detail, at both the light microscope (LM) and electron microscope (EM) levels. Light microscopy revealed focal liver cell necrosis in rats fed PCB, DDT, and PCB-DDT combinations. Higher levels of PCB (150 ppm) increased the severity of necrosis. Feeding both DDT and PCB produced similar effects at 75 ppm, and caused atypical centrolobular regeneration, occasionally forming nodules resembling small tumors. The experimentally induced injury was associated with the marked accumulation of iron-containing pigment in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Electron micrographs demonstrated the presence of whorl structures (myelin figures) within liver cell cytoplasm, and for the first time clearly illustrated the endocytotic expulsion of these membranous whorls from hepatocytes into the bile canaliculi and sinusoids. Other ultrastructural changes were similar to those previously reported in rat livers injured by several hepatotoxic substances. Mitochondria enclosed by or projecting into large non-lipid vacuoles were present in several experimental groups. The electron micrographs provide the most convincing evidence to date to support the hypothesis that myelin figures may be the vehicle whereby the cell rids itself of specific hepatotoxic substances.
Exact solution to entry-region laminar heat transfer with axial conduction and the boundary condition of the third kind

Abstract A mathematical scheme is devised for obtaining the exact thermal-entry-region temperature solutions for laminar flow (Poiseuille's parabolic velocity profiles) heat transfer subject to significant axial conduction and the boundary condition of the third kind. It is demonstrated that the heat transfer problem which ignores the effect of axial conduction, in reality, corresponds to a part of the generalized problem in which such effect is taken into consideration. Irrespective of the significance of axial conduction, the temperature solution can be represented by an unique mathematical expression in which only the magnitude of the eigenvalues and the associated constants vary with Peclet number. As Peclet number approaches infinity, the generalized temperature solution reduces to that for the case of negligible axial conduction. Determination of the first twelve eigenvalues, eigenfunctions and the series expansion coefficients was made, with the aid of a high-speed digital computer, for Peclet numbers of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 and infinity, and for the convective parameter Δ (= κ r 0 / k ) of 2, 10 and 100. Examination of the thermal-entry-region temperature profiles and the local Nusselt numbers revealed that the effect of axial conduction is indeed significant if Peclet number is less than ≈ 100. The results of the present analysis showed good qualitative agreements with those of Schneider [1], who analysed a similar problem by assuming a slug-flow model.
MARCEL AND MERLEAU-PONTY: INCARNATION, SITUATION AND THE PROBLEM OF HISTORY

According to Ricoeur, Gabriel Marcel was a seminal figure in the develop? ment of French existential phenomenology. Marcel, says Ricoeur, 'laid the foundation of what Merleau-Ponty and others later called the phenomen? ology of perception' (1977: 222). Merleau-Ponty would seem to concur. In a talk given in 1959, Merleau-Ponty cited Marcel as one of the figures who had most influenced him and his generation1 in their efforts to develop, in opposition to the dominant neo-Kantianism of Brunschvicg, a 'philosophy of existence' (1966: 311). It was, Merleau-Ponty suggested, especially in Marcel's treatment of the theme of 'incarnation' in the Metaphysical Journal (1927) the notion that 'I am my body' that they found the central premise of their attack on the dominant 'idealist' tradition with its roots in Descartes and Kant. For, Merleau-Ponty argued, the idea of 'incarnation', of the centrality of my body in my existence, involved a particular manner of philosophising, 'a new way of thinking'. In particular, it implied that the philosopher must not conceive of himself as a detached 'spectator' of reality, but as a 'situat? ed' participant. It also raised as a central problem the relationship of the self with 'the other', a question which had not directly concerned Descartes and Kant, and it raised the question of 'history' since, Merleau-Ponty in? sisted, 'the theme of history is ... at bottom the same as the theme of the other' (ibid.: 314). With these last statements, Merleau-Ponty departed from Marcel's cen? tral concerns and began instead to address those issues which most central
The grass is greener: Farmers' experiences with pastured poultry

Rearing poultry outdoors on pasture for egg and meat production is a growing industry in the USA. However, little has been written on farmers' experiences with this practice. This paper presents the results of in-depth interviews and surveys with 18 California pastured poultry producers (62% response rate). Although the sample size of growers is small in absolute numbers, it represents 62% of nearly all pastured poultry growers in California, a state known for the pioneering work of growers who specialize in alternative agricultural practices. Such alternative systems merit critical analysis in order to refine their implementation and contribution to sustainable food production. This research aims to provide such critical analysis of pastured poultry production, a highly innovative and emergent practice. Growers were queried concerning the values that brought them to participate in alternative animal production, the benefits and challenges of integrating pastured poultry into farming operations, the use of heritage and industrial breeds, and management practices. Results showed that the influence of Joel Salatin, farmer and author of Pastured Poultry Profits, tied with farmer desire to sustainably produce meat and/or eggs as the main drivers respondents gave for raising pastured poultry (39% each). Farmers reported the primary benefit of pastured poultry was soil fertility (61%), followed by marketing appeal (44%). The most commonly cited challenge to pastured poultry growers was predation of birds (44%) followed by cost of feed (22%). Pastured poultry were directly profitable to 50% of farmers, although 78% of respondents cited indirect profits through savings on items such as fertilizer and pest management. This paper places these results in the context of value-laden farmer decision-making.
All optical control of optomechanical filters

We demonstrate optical reconfiguration of coupled photonic crystal nanobeam cavities by using optical gradient force. The on-chip temperature sensing scheme along with pulsed operation allows us to estimate and control thermal and optomechanical effects.
Thermal (Iodide) and Photoinduced Electron-Transfer Catalysis in Biaryl Synthesis via Aromatic Arylations with Diazonium Salts

The dediazoniative arylation of various aromatic hydrocarbons (Ar‘H) with diazonium salts (ArN2+) in acetonitrile can be readily effected to biaryls (Ar-Ar‘) in high yields, simply by the addition of small (catalytic) amounts of sodium iodide. [In the absence of Ar‘H, the competitive iodination to ArI is nearly quantitative.] Iodide catalysis of biaryl formation is efficiently mediated by aryl radicals (Ar•) that participate in an efficient homolytic chain process in which ArN2+ acts as a 1-electron oxidant. The complex kinetics of such an electron-transfer chain or ETC process (Scheme 1) is quantitatively verified by computer simulation of the Ar‘H-dependent (a) competition between arylation vs iodination and (b) catalytic efficiency of iodide, using the GEAR algorithms. ETC catalysis also pertains to the alternative photochemical procedure for arylation (in the absence of iodide), in which the deliberate irradiation of the charge-transfer band of the precursor complex [ArN2+, Ar‘H] initiates the same ho...
15N NMR shifts for imidazole and 1-methyl imidazole in CH2Cl2 relative to aqueous solution

Abstract The 15 N NMR frequencies for imidazole nitrogens undergo significant shifts when imidazole or 1-methyl imidazole is taken from aqueous to CH 2 Cl 2 solution. This shift is probably primarily due to strong hydrogen-bonding between 15 N 3 of imidazole and H 2 O protons in aqueous solution.
Hardness of finger nails in well-nourished and malnourished populations.

1. The Knoop test of hardness applied to samples of finger nails from 334 healthy and 147 malnourished individuals showed statistically significant differences in the mean hardness of the nails of the two groups.2. The hardest nails were those of Filipino infants and children suffering from protein-energy deficiency. The softest nails were those of children in Guatemala recovering from protein-energy deficiency. Ranking of hardness appeared to be related to the severity and duration of protein-energy depletion.3. In children up to 12 years of age, hardness did not appear to be influenced by the age, sex, and racial origins of individuals or the environmental conditions to which nail specimens were exposed.4. Further studies are required to correlate hardness with clinical, biochemical and anthropometric measurements of nutritional status during protein-energy deprivation and during recovery. The causes of the differences in hardness need to be explored.
Toughening of ceramics by short aligned fibers

Abstract The tensile strength of a ceramic composite reinforced by short, aligned fibers is studied. The composite contains an initial, through-the-fibers Mode-I crack of arbitrary size. It is assumed that the parallel fibers have equal lengths and are randomly arrayed. The fiber length is chosen to be “optimal” in the sense that it has the largest value consistent with the occurrence of pull-out before fiber fracture, no matter where a propagating matrix crack intersects a fiber. The crack-bridging fibers are modeled by an array of non-linear bridging springs, and the consequent nominal fracture toughness associated with a long crack is calculated. The tensile strength of the composite containing an initial crack of finite size is determined by monitoring the load history as a matrix crack emanating from the tips of the original through-the-fibers crack extends. It is found that the long-crack fracture toughness produced via optimal short-fiber reinforcement is much larger than that provided by continuous fibers of equal deterministic strength. However, for sufficiently small initial cracks, the continuous fibers provide more strength, approaching double that of the short-fiber composite as the initial crack size decreases. For realistic values of physical parameters, the cross-over initial crack length for equal strengths of composites reinforced by short or long fibers is in the millimeter range, comparable to the optimal fiber length.
Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Probe Measurements on an Argon Helicon Plasma with Magnetic Nozzle

Summary form only given. Measurements are performed on an argon helicon plasma with magnetic nozzle field. The experimental apparatus consists of a 10-cm-diameter cylindrical Pyrex helicon source region connected to a 55-cm-diameter aluminum expansion chamber. The operating neutral pressure is up to 1 mTorr in the source region and 0.1 mTorr in the expansion region due to chamber cross-sections, a nozzle aperture, and differential pumping. The plasma is formed by an efficient half-turn double-helix antenna operating at 13.56 MHz with power scaling up to 3 kW of input power. A static axial magnetic field is generated, with source region fields up to 1 kG and magnetic nozzle peak fields of up to 1.5 kG. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) using a tunable diode laser centered around a vacuum wavelength of 668.614 nm is used to measure axial ion velocity distributions and to detect any acceleration resulting from plasma potential variations near the magnetic field gradient and in the magnetic field expansion region. An emissive probe consisting of a thoriated tungsten filament is used to determine the plasma potential gradient along the experimental axis in the magnetic nozzle region. Langmuir probe and 105 GHz microwave interferometry are used to determine the plasma density, which is measured up to 1 x 1013 cm-3 in the source region. The wave magnetic field is measured using a B-dot probe to determine the helicon source wave structure. Mach probe measurements of ion drift are compared with LIF results. The character of the ion distribution and plasma potential variations in the expansion region are measured for a range of magnetic field gradients and plasma densities.
What should an Educated Person Know About Computers

Everyone has high speed Internet access, everyone uses email to keep in touch with friends and family, and we all shop and search online. But most of the computing iceberg lies hidden below the surface. My view of what an educated person should know about computing focuses on three core pieces: hardware, software, and communications.
Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies of the Carbocationic Precipitation Polymerization of Isobutylene in Polar Solvents

The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the ionization−ion collapse of HCl, tert-butyl chloride (t-BuCl), and 2-chloro-2,4,4-trimethylpentane (TMPCl) in conjunction with ethylaluminum dichloride in CH3Cl or CH2Cl2 in the temperature range of −60 to −90 °C were determined under high-purity conditions by following the kinetics of the capping reaction of the corresponding cations with 1,1-ditolylethylene. The apparent rate (kiapp) and equilibrium constant of ionization (Kiapp) increased in the HCl < t-BuCl < TMPCl order. Both kiapp and the rate of ion-collapse (k-i) increased with increasing temperature; however, because of the higher increase in k-i, the apparent equilibrium constant of ionization increased with decreasing temperature. On the basis of the kinetic results, a new mechanism was proposed for the precipitation polymerization of IB in polar solvents. This mechanism involves slow ionization followed by diffusion-limited propagation until ion collapse and polymer precipitation. The calculated m...
Multipotent human hematopoietic cell line K562: lineage-specific constitutive and inducible antigens.

K562 cells have been reported to display a variety of non-erythroid properties. Using 28 lineage-specific monoclonal antibodies, we analysed which antigens are present spontaneously and which are inducible by a variety of agents. The data suggest that (1) antigens of a given lineage are preferentially responsive to certain inducers, e.g. megakaryocytic antigens to phorbol ester, and (2) a given inducer may influence antigens of different lineages in opposite directions, e.g. phorbol dibutyrate, not only induces megakaryocytic antigens, but also decreases granulocyte and erythroid antigens. We conclude that the K562 cell, despite its malignant origin, retains some capacity for expression of alternative programs of differentiation, a characteristic of the normal multipotent hematopoietic stem cell.
Atmospheric Propagation Vs. Aero -Optic s

For decades the parameters of Cn , the Fried parameter (r0), and the Greenwood frequency (fG) have been used to characterize optically distorting flows and to guide the design of systems to correct the resulting distortions. However, their use has become so widespread that few stop to consider the origins and underlying assumptions of these terms. In recent years interest has grown in use of airborne optical systems, but it is questionable whether the aforementioned parameters can be applied to the conditions in the immediate vicinity of such systems in flight in a meaningful way. Despite this, there are ways of finding and expressing the relevant factors of such flows.
Comparison of Heteronuclear Coupling Constants for Isostructural Nitrogen Coordination Compounds of 111/113Cd and 199Hg

The complexation of Cd(II) by the tripodal ligand tris[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine and dipodal ligand bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine was investigated by solution-state NMR and X-ray crystallography. Cadmium coordination compounds exhibiting rarely observed solution-state NMR 1H−111/113Cd satellites were characterized. The eight-coordinate complex [Cd(TMPA)2](ClO4)2·toluene (1) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 9.629(2) A, b = 11.020(2) A, c = 11.641(2) A, α = 114.069(13)°, β = 97.492(13)°, γ = 91.034(14)°, and Z = 1. The average Cd−Namine distance is 2.53(4) A and the average Cd−Npyridyl distance is 2.54(6) A. The complex [Cd(BMPA)(NCCH3)(OH2)(OClO3)][Cd(BMPA)2](ClO4)3·(CH3CN) (2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 10.446(2) A, b = 16.653(3) A, c = 17.736(3) A, α = 62.479(9)°, β = 80.606(14)°, γ = 84.66(2)°, and Z = 2. In the pseudo-octahedral monocation, the nitrogen-containing ligands occupy equatorial positions with Cd−N distances of 2.321(8), 2.283(7), and 2.263(8) A f...
Lipid composition and prostaglandin synthesis in mouse lung microsomes: alterations following the ingestion of menhaden oil

Three groups of male mice were fed a normal diet or a semisynthetic diet containing either 10% hydrogenated coconut oil (CO group) or 10% menhaden oil (MO group) for two wk. The synthetic diet altered the fatty acid composition of lung microsomal lipids. Mice ingesting menhaden oil contained greater amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (20∶5 n−3), docosapentaenoic acid (22∶5 n−3) and docosahexaenoic acids (22∶6 n−3) and decreased amounts of n−6 fatty acids such as arachidonic and adrenic. Synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2α from exogenous arachidonic acid was significantly depressed in n−3 fatty acid-enriched lung microsomes. These studies indicated that dietary fish oil not only alters the fatty acid composition of lung microsomes but also lowers the capacity of lungs to synthesize prostaglandins from arachidonic acid.
Electric Lighting Equipment on Automobiles

The convenience and flexibility of electric lighting is the principle reason for the development of the present type of automotive electrical equipment. The conflicting requirements of good illumination for the drivers and the elimination of glare for the driver of the on-coming car have lead to the adoption of light-directing devices according to specifications drawn up by the I. E. S. Lights conforming to these specifications give good results under ideal conditions but under bad road and car springing conditions cause a great deal of discomfort to the drivers of on-coming cars and considerable dissatisfaction with the results. There is a great need of improved result. The possibility of obtaining improved result by the use of polarized light, by the means of light filters, by the use of more diffused light, is discussed very briefly.
Strategic alignment: leveraging information technology for transforming organizations

It is cleaaar that eventhough information technology (I/T) has evolved form its traditional orientation of administrative support toward a more strategic role within an organization, there is still a glaring lack of fundamental frameworks within which to understand the potential of I/T for tomorrow's organizations. In this paper, we develop a model for conceptualizing and directing the emerging area of strategic management of information technology. This model, termed the Strategic Allgnment Model, is defined in terms of four fundamental domains of strategic choice: business strategy, information technology strategy, organlzational infrastructure and processes, and information technology Infrastuvture and processes--each with its own underlying dimenslons. We illustrate the power of this model in terms of two fundamental characteristics fo strategic management: strategic fit (the interrelationships between external and internal components) and functional Integration (integration between business and functional domains). More specifically, we derive foru perspectives for gulding management practice in this Important area.
Maturation of White Matter is Associated with the Development of Cognitive Functions during Childhood

In the human brain, myelination of axons continues until early adulthood and is thought to be important for the development of cognitive functions during childhood. We used diffusion tensor MR imaging and calculated fractional anisotropy, an indicator of myelination and axonal thickness, in children aged between 8 and 18 years. Development of working memory capacity was positively correlated with fractional anisotropy in two regions in the left frontal lobe, including a region between the superior frontal and parietal cortices. Reading ability, on the other hand, was only correlated with fractional anisotropy in the left temporal lobe, in the same white matter region where adults with reading disability are known to have lower fractional anisotropy. Both the temporal and the frontal regions were also correlated with age. These results show that maturation of white matter is an important part of brain maturation during childhood, and that maturation of relatively restricted regions of white matter is correlated with development of specific cognitive functions.
TEMPLATES: a test generation procedure for synchronous sequential circuits

We develop the basic definitions and procedures for a test generation concept referred to as templates that magnifies the effectiveness of test generation by taking advantage of the fact that many faults have "similar" test sequences. Once a template is generated, several test sequences to detect different faults are derived from it at a reduced complexity compared to the complexity of test generation.
Gendered Challenge, Gendered Response Confronting the Ideal Worker Norm in a White-Collar Organization

This article integrates research on gendered organizations and the work-family interface to investigate an innovative workplace initiative, the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), implemented in the corporate headquarters of Best Buy, Inc. While flexible work policies common in other organizations "accommodate" individuals, this initiative attempts a broader and deeper critique of the organizational culture. We address two research questions: How does this initiative attempt to change the masculinized ideal worker norm? And what do women's and men's responses reveal about the persistent ways that gender structures work and family life? Data demonstrate the ideal worker norm is pervasive and powerful, even as employees begin critically examining expectations regarding work time that have historically privileged men. Employees' responses to ROWE are also gendered. Women (especially mothers) are more enthusiastic, while men are more cautious. Ambivalence about and resistance to change is expressed in different ways depending on gender and occupational status.
Microsourcing -- using information technology to create unexpected work relationships and entrepreneurial opportunities: work in progress

The growing phenomenon of outsourcing, both onshore and offshore, has gained a great deal of attention and enabled the formation of new, flexible business models. It is of particular interest to portable enterprises such as programming and other producers of intellectual property. Economic changes as well as shifts in traditional work models and the employee/employer relationships have created new career pressures for knowledge workers as well as potential opportunities to use these new work models for either legitimate or illegitimate means. This work in progress proposes to open a new line of inquiry into the potential for employees to sub-contract their own work.
Design and analysis of a compact EUV interferometric lithography system

A small-scale interferometric EUV exposure system is presented, based on Talbot interferometric imaging. In this approach, illuminated EUV grating mask orders are recombined remotely through reflection, resulting in interference with spatial preservation across the image plane. The approach is achromatic for NA=/p using parallel recombination mirrors and is superior to other methods when efficiency and alignment tolerances are considered. The system design is compatible with both a compact EUV plasma source, which can yield exposure times on the order of several minutes per field, and a compact resonant cavity EUV laser source, which can produce exposure times on the order of several seconds. The system is capable of resolution to 15 to 30-nm half-pitch and is adjustable to accommodate targeted values in this range. Field size is approximately 1 mm, which is consistent with the current field size offered on 193-nm immersion interferometric systems. Wafer stage technology allows for nanometer positioning control across the field and through a field depth of over 50 µm. EUV mask grating fabrication requirements are within the current state of the technology, where no grating component requires resolution better than 2× the image plane pitch (a full-frequency doubled system). Reflection technology has been utilized for each component of the interferometer unit. While the grating mask employs (SiMo)40 multilayers, the interferometric turning mirrors are metallic coatings at angles sufficient to achieve reflection efficiencies greater than 80% for 15-nm half-pitch resolution. The efficiency of the interferometric head is between 7 and 29%, much higher than that which can be achieved using other interferometric lithography (IL) methods. Vibration control for the EUV-IL15 is achieved through a state-of-the-art piezoelectric active isolation system to achieve vibration criteria levels at 1/3 vibration control level E.
Multiresolution transform matrices

Matrix descriptions of subband coders are introduced and used to obtain transform matrices of pyramidal and related algorithms. These matrices are generalizations of the Haar matrix, and they are all shown to have a stratified structure related to circulant matrix structure. An implementation of a class of biorthogonal digital filter banks (DFBs) with an efficient predictive structure is introduced. DFBs and pyramids optimal for quantization are also introduced. >
Analytical crossover results for the Feigenbaum constants: Crossover from conservative to dissipative systems

Using renormalization theory, Zisook has shown that at small values of the dissipation (e.g., for a planar map of constant Jacobian B=0.999) the apparent rate of convergence, δ, of the parameter values for period doubling descends (‘‘crosses over’’) from its conservative value (δ=8.721 097 2. . .) to its dissipative value (δ=4.669 201 6. . .) as we consider higher and higher bifurcations. Moreover, this apparent δ at the nth bifurcation is a universal function, depending only on &. Employing a technique of Ghendrih and renormalization theory, I obtain an analytical expression for this function and show that it does not descend monotonically but has a minimum at Be,min≃3×10-6. I also analytically calculate the (orbit) scaling factor α at Be=0 and at Be=1 using some results of a second-order renormalization equation which I derive here. Finally, I obtain an analytical expression for the bifurcation values Cn(B) of a particular map (the Henon map) as a function of n and B.
Fast Algorithms for Heavy Distinct Hitters using Associative Memories

Real-time detection of worm attacks, port scans and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, as network packets belonging to these security attacks flow through a network router, is of paramount importance. In a typical worm attack, a worm infected host tries to spread the worm by scanning a number of other hosts thus resulting in significant number of network connections at an intermediate router. Detecting such attacks amounts to finding all hosts that are associated with unusually high number of other hosts, which is equivalent to solving the classic heavy distinct hitter problem over data streams. While several heavy distinct hitter solutions have been proposed and evaluated in a standard CPU setting, most of the above applications typically execute on special networking architectures called network processing units (NPUs). These NPUs interface with special associative memories known as the ternary content addressable memories (TCAMs) to provide gigabit rate forwarding at network routers. In this paper, we describe how the integrated architecture of NPU and TCAMs can be exploited to develop high-speed solutions for heavy distinct hitters.
A Pattern Language for Identity Management

The development of software has recently changed significantly. With the ubiquity of computing, users may need to access a wider range of applications, which may not know them in advance. Thus there is a need for dynamic trust establishment and identity exchange protocols and whatever security model is used must support these aspects. As a way to make these concepts more precise and concrete, we define architectural patterns for identity management. These patterns can then be used directly in the software development cycle, as proposed by different methodologies. The Identity Provider pattern centralizes the administration of a security domain's subjects. The circle of trust pattern represents a federation of service providers that share trust relationships. The identity federation pattern allows to federate multiple identities across multiple organizations under a common identity. This pattern relies on the SAML assertion pattern, which provides a unifying format for communicating identity information between different security domains.
Residual tumor thickness at the tumor-normal tissue interface predicts the recurrence-free survival in patients with liver metastasis of breast cancer.

Abstract Tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy is a significant predictive indicator of recurrence-free survival. We measured tumor response using residual tumor thickness at the tumor-normal tissue interface (TNI) and evaluated its association with outcome in patients with liver metastasis of breast cancer. We included 48 patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by partial liver resection at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1997 and 2010. The hematoxylin-eosin–stained tumor sections were evaluated for both pathologic response and the residual tumor thickness at the TNI by 3 pathologists who were blinded to the clinical information, treatment regimen, and patient outcome. The residual tumor thickness at the TNI was correlated with recurrence-free survival using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify predictors of recurrence-free survival. All patients were women with a median age of 43 years. The median duration of follow-up was 52.1 months. Residual tumor thickness less than or equal to 3 mm at the TNI correlated with major pathologic response and was associated with longer recurrence-free survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Residual tumor thickness at the TNI predicts recurrence-free survival and provides an objective outcome end point in patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and liver resection of metastatic breast cancer. We suggest using both the pathologic response and the residual tumor thickness at the TNI to measure tumor response to therapy to improve accuracy.
A one-tube nested polymerase chain reaction for the detection of mycobacterium bovis in spiked milk samples: an evaluation of concentration and lytic techniques.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a one-tube nested polymerase chain reaction (OTN PCR) with 5 concentration and lytic treatments for the detection of Mycobacterium bovisin experimen- tally inoculated milk samples (spiked samples). OTN PCR and the following treatments were tested in inoculated samples: 1) centrifugation; 2) C18-carboxypropylbetaine 1 capture resin 1 1 Proteinase K (CB18-CH-PK); 3) centrifugation 1 capture resin 1 1 Proteinase K; 4) centrifugation 1 capture resin 2 1 Proteinase K; and 5) centrifugation 1 immunomagnetic separation (IMS). The OTN PCR and the 5 treatments were evaluated in 2 different sets of spiked milk samples. One set consisted of 10-fold serial dilutions of a phenol-killed M. bovis in milk to final concentrations ranging from 5 to 50,000 cells/ml of milk. The other set of samples consisted of 2.5 serial dilutions of milk spiked with M. bovis to final concentrations ranging from 20.5 to 5,000 cells/ml of milk. Each treatment was repeated 5 times at each cell concentration. CB18-CH-PK and IMS were signifi- cantly more sensitive than other treatments. The lowest detection limit for these techniques was 20-50 cells/ ml of spiked milk. The specificity of OTN PCR in this study was high as demonstrated by the lack of DNA amplification products whenM. bovis cells were not present in the samples. (The OTN PCR used in conjunction with CB18-CH-PK or IMS could be effectively used as a diagnostic and/or screening test for the detection of M. bovis in milk from herds with bovine tuberculosis.) Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic zoonotic dis- ease caused by Mycobacterium bovis.Bovine TB gen- erates financial losses to the livestock industry and can be trasmitted to humans. Screening and diagnosis of TB in cattle is still problematic. Since 1917, the tu- berculin test has been used for bovine TB screening
A pattern mining based integrative framework for biomarker discovery

Recent advances in high throughput data collection and imaging technologies have resulted in the availability of diverse biomedical datasets that capture complementary information pertaining to the biological processes in an organism. Biomarkers that are discovered by integrating such datasets obtained from case-control studies have the potential to elucidate the biological mechanisms behind complex human diseases. Of particular importance are interaction-type integrative biomarker, which are biomarkers whose features can explain the disease when taken together, but not when considered individually. We propose a pattern mining based integrative framework (PAMIN) to discover these interaction-type integrative biomarkers from diverse case control datasets. PAMIN first finds patterns from individual datasets to capture the available information separately and then combines these patterns to find integrated patterns (IPs) consisting of variables from multiple datasets. We also use several interestingness measures to characterize the IPs into specific categories. Using synthetic and real data we compare the IPs found using our approach with those found by CCA and discriminative-CCA (dCCA). Our results indicate that PAMIN is able to discover interaction type integrated patterns that these competing approaches cannot find.
Age and gender modulate the neural circuitry supporting facial emotion processing in adults with major depressive disorder.

Objectives Emotion processing, supported by frontolimbic circuitry known to be sensitive to the effects of aging, is a relatively understudied cognitive–emotional domain in geriatric depression. Some evidence suggests that the neurophysiological disruption observed in emotion processing among adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) may be modulated by both gender and age. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of gender and age on the neural circuitry supporting emotion processing in MDD. Design Cross-sectional comparison of fMRI signal during performance of an emotion processing task. Setting Outpatient university setting. Participants One hundred adults recruited by MDD status, gender, and age. Measurements Participants underwent fMRI while completing the Facial Emotion Perception Test. They viewed photographs of faces and categorized the emotion perceived. Contrast for fMRI was of face perception minus animal identification blocks. Results Effects of depression were observed in precuneus and effects of age in a number of frontolimbic regions. Three-way interactions were present between MDD status, gender, and age in regions pertinent to emotion processing, including frontal, limbic, and basal ganglia. Young women with MDD and older men with MDD exhibited hyperactivation in these regions compared with their respective same-gender healthy comparison (HC) counterparts. In contrast, older women and younger men with MDD exhibited hypoactivation compared to their respective same-gender HC counterparts. Conclusions This the first study to report gender- and age-specific differences in emotion processing circuitry in MDD. Gender-differential mechanisms may underlie cognitive–emotional disruption in older adults with MDD. The present findings have implications for improved probes into the heterogeneity of the MDD syndrome.
Site-specific response of bone to exercise in premenopausal women

We studied the response of bone at specific skeletal sites to either lower body exercise alone or complemented with upper body exercise in premenopausal women. Thirty-five exercisers and 24 age-matched controls completed the 12-month study. Exercising women (N = 35) were randomly assigned to either lower body resistance plus jump exercise (LOWER) (N = 19) or to lower and upper body resistance plus jump exercise (UPPER + LOWER) (N = 16). Exercisers trained three times per week completing 100 jumps and 100 repetitions of lower body resistance with or without 100 repetitions of upper body resistance exercise at each session. Intensity for lower body exercise was increased using weighted vests for jump and resistance exercises, respectively. Intensity for upper body exercise was increased using greater levels of tautness in elastic bands. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the total hip, greater trochanter, femoral neck, lumbar spine and whole body were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR-1000/W) at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Data were analyzed first including all enrolled participants who completed follow-up testing and secondly including only those women whose average attendance was > or =60% of prescribed sessions. Group differences in 12-month %change scores for BMD variables were analyzed by univariate ANCOVA adjusted for baseline differences in age. Post hoc tests were performed to determine which groups differed from one another. Initial analysis showed significant differences in greater trochanter BMD between each exercise group and controls, but not between exercise groups (2.7%+/-2.5% and 2.2%+/-2.8% vs. 0.7%+/-1.7%, for LOWER and UPPER + LOWER vs. controls, respectively; p < 0.02) and near significant group differences at the spine (p = 0.06). Excluding exercisers with low compliance, group differences at the greater trochanter remained, while spine BMD in UPPER + LOWER was significantly different from LOWER and controls, who were not significantly different from one another (1.4%+/-3.9% vs. -0.9%+/-1.7% and -0.6%+/-1.8%, for UPPER + LOWER vs. LOWER and controls, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences among groups were found for femoral neck, total hip or whole body BMD. Our data support the site-specific response of spine and hip bone density to upper and lower body exercise training, respectively. These data could contribute to a site-specific exercise prescription for bone health.
A prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of buffered versus plain tetracaine in reducing the pain of topical ophthalmic anesthesia

Abstract Study objective: We determine whether buffering ocular tetracaine hydrochloride reduces the pain of instillation. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, 2-treatment, 2-period crossover, single center study of healthy volunteers 18 years of age or older. Participants were randomized to receive either 2 drops of buffered or plain tetracaine in a randomly assigned eye. After a mean wash out period of 24 days (range 7 to 54 days), participants returned to have 2 drops of the other medication instilled in the same eye. The participants recorded the pain of instillation on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) immediately and 5 minutes after instillation. Adverse events were also recorded at these intervals. The primary outcome measure was the intensity of pain as measured on a VAS immediately after instillation. Results: Sixty persons were enrolled in the study, with 100% follow up. Immediately after instillation, the adjusted mean VAS score for buffered tetracaine was 29.1 mm, and the adjusted mean VAS score for plain tetracaine was 16.0 mm. The estimated difference was 13.1 mm (95% confidence interval 6.9 to 19.3 mm). Conclusion: Buffering of tetracaine hydrochloride significantly increases the pain of its instillation in healthy volunteers, suggesting that pain with instillation of ocular anesthetics is not dependent on low pH. [ Ann Emerg Med. 2003;41:827-831.]
Bio-Inspired Adaptive Hyperspectral Imaging for Real-Time Target Tracking

In this paper, we present an efficient and novel approach to embed hyperspectral imaging (HSI) capability in an intelligent panoramic scanning system for real-time target tracking and signature acquisition. The sensor platform we propose consists of a dual-panoramic peripheral vision component and a narrow field-of-view (FOV) HSI component. The panoramic HSI design optimizes the tradeoff of a wide FOV, a high-spatial/spectral resolution in real-time imaging, and bandwidth limitations. The dual-panoramic scanners with a hyperspectral fovea sensor platform improves some existing designs in literature in three aspects: 1) a panoramic view is provided instead of just a normal wide-angle view; 2) a dual scanning system is designed to obtain moving targets in a very effective and efficient manner; and 3) active control of the hyperspectral sensor is added to facilitate signature acquisition of targets of various locations that is required in real time for target tracking.
Late Holocene dune activity in the Eastern Platte River Valley, Nebraska

Abstract Large-scale dune activity in the Nebraska Sand Hills and elsewhere on the western Great Plains has been linked to prehistoric “megadroughts” that triggered the activation of regional dune fields. The effect of megadroughts on the smaller dune fields east of the Nebraska Sand Hills has never been assessed, however. This study focuses on the Duncan dune field near the confluence of the Loup and Platte rivers in eastern Nebraska. Seventeen optically stimulated luminescence age estimates were obtained and reveal two periods of dune activation that occurred between 4.4 to 3.4 ka and 0.8 to 0.5 ka. Significantly, both periods chronologically overlap large-scale dune activity identified in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Geochemical evidence indicates that the Duncan dunes received sand not only from the terrace underlying them, but also from the Loup River. These data link dune activity in the Duncan area, at least indirectly, to increased sediment supply from streams that drain the Sand Hills during megadroughts, implying the activation of the dunes occurred as an indirect response to regional megadroughts. Calculations of dune migration rates, however, argue in favor of local, drought-driven hydrologic changes as a causative factor in dune activation, in other words, a direct effect of megadroughts. Whether the impact was direct or indirect, it is highly likely that the repeated reactivation of the Duncan dunes resulted in some way from regional, large-magnitude droughts. Other paleoclimate proxies from the Great Plains tend to support this conclusion. We conclude that the megadroughts that have been identified in the Sand Hills and other Great Plains dune fields were indeed regional events with far-reaching effects.