cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Procedure for Collecting and Labeling Man-in-the-Middle Attack Traffic

In this work, we outline a procedure for collecting and labeling Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack traffic. Our capture procedure allows for the collection of real-world representative data using a full-scale network environment. MITM attacks are typically performed with the purpose of intercepting information amongst two networked machines. This enables the attacker to gain access to otherwise confidential communications and potentially alter said communications maliciously. MITM attacks are still a very common attack that can be implemented with relative ease across a variety of network environments. Our work establishes experimental procedures for enacting three prevalent MITM attack variants through penetration testing. The process for data collection is defined, along with our approach on gathering real-world, representative data. We also present a novel labeling procedure based on the inherent behaviors of each MITM attack variant. Our work aims to address the challenges associated with collecting such data within a live production environment, as well as identify the impact MITM attacks have on traffic behavior. We also present a case study to provide some quantitative analysis regarding the data collected.
Xenopus laevis as a model system to study cytoskeletal dynamics during axon pathfinding

The model system, Xenopus laevis, has been used in innumerable research studies and has contributed to the understanding of multiple cytoskeletal components, including actin, microtubules, and neurofilaments, during axon pathfinding. Xenopus developmental stages have been widely characterized, and the Xenopus genome has been sequenced, allowing gene expression modifications through exogenous molecules. Xenopus cell cultures are ideal for long periods of live imaging because they are easily obtained and maintained, and they do not require special culture conditions. In addition, Xenopus have relatively large growth cones, compared to other vertebrates, thus providing a suitable system for imaging cytoskeletal components. Therefore, X. laevis is an ideal model organism in which to study cytoskeletal dynamics during axon pathfinding.
11C-Labeling of Aryl Ketones as Candidate Histamine Subtype-3 Receptor PET Radioligands through Pd(0)-Mediated 11C-Carbonylative Coupling

Pd(0)-mediated coupling between iodoarenes, [11C]carbon monoxide and aryltributylstannanes has been used to prepare simple model [11C]aryl ketones. Here, we aimed to label four 2-aminoethylbenzofuran chemotype based molecules ([11C]1–4) in the carbonyl position, as prospective positron emission tomography (PET) radioligands for the histamine subtype 3 receptor (H3R) by adapting this methodology with use of aryltrimethylstannanes. Radiosynthesis was successfully performed on a platform equipped with a mini-autoclave and a liquid handling robotic arm, within a lead-shielded hot-cell. Candidate radioligands were readily formulated in saline containing ethanol (10%, v/v) and ascorbic acid (0.5 mg/10 mL). Yields for preclinical use were in the range of 5–9%, decay-corrected from cyclotron-produced [11C]CO2 and molar activities were >115 GBq/µmol at end of synthesis. Radiochemical purities exceeded >97%.
Statutory International Law

International law pervades the U.S. Code. This will come as a surprise to many members of Congress, as well as to those who accept the common trope that Congress is ignorant about or hostile to international law. It also may be news to foreign affairs scholars who study those areas in which Congress necessarily must interact with international law, such as where the Senate provides advice and consent to treaty ratification or Congress enacts implementing legislation to further U.S. treaty commitments. Even those who have examined these high-profile congressional interactions with international law likely are not attuned to the breadth and depth of Congress’s voluntary interactions with international law in a wide variety of situations in which it legislates. The little-discussed proliferation of international law throughout U.S. statutes – termed here “statutory international law” – is the launching point for the article. Because limited attention is paid to congressional engagement with international law, current legal literature lacks a descriptive and theoretical account of when, why, and how Congress engages with these norms to advance its legislative goals. This article is the first to systematically examine the phenomenon of statutory international law. Tracking how these norms find their way into statutes reveals the critical but often unseen influence of the Executive on the language of legislation. Further, the presence of statutory international law in the U.S. Code has important implications for the development of customary international law. It accelerates the amount of state practice that the Executive and courts produce and correspondingly empowers the United States to shape customary international law. This, in turn, reduces customary international law’s notorious democracy deficit. In the domestic context, statutory international law introduces new factors to inform ongoing debates about the Charming Betsy canon of statutory interpretation, while highlighting confounding effects on the separation of powers in foreign affairs.
Computational approaches to understand the adverse drug effect on potassium, sodium and calcium channels for predicting TdP cardiac arrhythmias.

Abstract Ion channels play a crucial role in the cardiovascular system. Our understanding of cardiac ion channel function has improved since their first discoveries. The flow of potassium, sodium and calcium ions across cardiomyocytes is vital for regular cardiac rhythm. Blockage of these channels, delays cardiac repolarization or tend to shorten repolarization and may induce arrhythmia. Detection of drug risk by channel blockade is considered essential for drug regulators. Advanced computational models can be used as an early screen for torsadogenic potential in drug candidates. New drug candidates that are determined to not cause blockage are more likely to pass successfully through preclinical trials and not be withdrawn later from the marketplace by manufacturer. Several different approved drugs, however, can cause a distinctive polymorphic ventricular arrhythmia known as torsade de pointes (TdP), which may lead to sudden death. The objective of the present study is to review the mechanisms and computational models used to assess the risk that a drug may TdP. Key points: There is strong evidence from multiple studies that blockage of the L-type calcium current reduces risk of TdP. Blockage of sodium channels slows cardiac action potential conduction, however, not all sodium channel blocking antiarrhythmic drugs produce a significant effect, while late sodium channel block reduces TdP. Interestingly, there are some drugs that block the hERG potassium channel and therefore cause QT prolongation, but they are not associated with TdP. Recent studies confirmed the necessity of studying multiple distinctionic ion channels which are responsible for cardiac related diseases or TdP, to obtain an improved clinical TdP risk prediction of compound interactions and also for designing drugs.
OMFIT Tokamak Profile Data Fitting and Physics Analysis

One Modeling Framework for Integrated Tasks (OMFIT) has been used to develop a consistent tool for interfacing with, mapping, visualizing, and fitting tokamak profile measurements. OMFIT is used to...
Social comparisons in adults with type 2 diabetes: Patients’ reasons for target selection

Objective: To examine reasons for selecting a social comparison target (i.e. a specific other for relative self-evaluation), and their influence on affect and motivation for self-care, in type 2 di...
Gender-Based Perceptions of the Challenges, Changes, and Essential Skills of the Principalship:

This study investigated the role perceptions of principals and whether gender influenced those perceptions. Results indicate that the job of principals has changed significantly during the last 5 y...
Rebuilding Civil Society in Eastern and Central Europe

In the years since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it has been increasingly clear that building democracy is a complex, uncertain, time-consuming process that is necessarily dependent upon domestic factors. External assistance, however, can play a supporting role in this process. Although there has been considerable attention given to the activities of the international financial institutions and official assistance programs, such as the World Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), there has been relatively little given to the role played by foundations in helping build democracy in Eastern and Central Europe (ECE).1 In this chapter we hope to begin to remedy that deficit by focusing on one aspect of foundations’ recent role, that is, their efforts to help rebuild civil society through their work with the nongovernmental organization (NGO) sector.2
Comparative Federalism and the Issue of Commandeering

Divided power systems, such as the United States, the European Union, and the Federal Republic of Germany, confront a common question: whether the central government may "commandeer" its component States, that is, whether the central government may issue binding commands that force its component States to take regulatory action with respect to private parties. This Article explores what may initially appear as a puzzling difference in the answers given. Whereas U.S. constitutional jurisprudence currently prohibits commandeering, the founding charters of the EU and Germany permit such action. This Article responds in part to Justice Breyer's dissent in Printz v. United States, 521 US 898 (1997), in which he seeks to draw on the European experience as an example of how "commandeering" may further the integrity of subnational units of governance and, ultimately, promote individual liberty. Taking up Justice Breyer's comparative inquiry, this Article seeks (1) to illustrate that comparative investigations into foreign constitutional systems may assist in developing a richer understanding of one's own, and (2) to demonstrate that any conclusion derived from such comparisons must be highly attentive to the broader institutional and political context in which the studied phenomenon (such as commandeering) occurs. The piece examines several differences that may account for differing component State preferences regarding commandeering in the various systems (most prominently, the corporate representation of the component State within the central lawmaking bodies, the relative completeness and effectiveness of the central and component State systems, and the prominent alternatives to commandeering). It then illustrates the dynamic of these institutional arrangements by way of the German example, and finally touches upon general considerations regarding the relative merits of the distribution of power in the various systems. The Article concludes that the radically different views regarding commandeering in the various systems may be somewhat less puzzling after the more searching examination of the institutional dynamics presented in this piece.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Cancer

1. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) contains conjugated double bonds and is known as a family of isomers of linoleic acid that can be found in the meat and dairy products.
Interference Patterns; Comparison of Approximate Formulas with General Integrals and Measurements

In Chapters 3 and 5 the exact general integrals for the electromagnetic field of vertical and horizontal electric dipoles near the plane boundary between electrically different half-spaces are expressed in terms of integrated formulas that are very good approximations within wide ranges of the variables and parameters. In order to determine the accuracy of the representations in a direct quantitative manner, it is appropriate to compare fields calculated from these formulas with corresponding ones obtained by the direct numerical evaluation of the integrals. Such comparisons are best made under critical conditions when even small differences are clearly delineated. Since E1ρ(ρ, o, z) is the most important and generally useful component, an extensive study of its properties over wide ranges of distances, frequencies, and material parameters is suggested. Less extensive comparisons for the other five components are also indicated.
Lecture — Undecidability & Randomness in Pure Mathematics

I have shown that God not only plays dice in physics, but even in pure mathematics, in elementary number theory, in arithmetic! My work is a fundamental extension of the work of Godel and Turing on undecidability in pure mathematics. I show that not only does undecidability occur, but in fact sometimes there is complete randomness, and mathematical truth becomes a perfect coin toss.
Exhaustible Resources, Economics of

This article distinguishes between ‘renewable’ vs. ‘nonrenewable’ resources and separately reviews key developments for each. Renewable resources are characterized by natural regeneration of stocks, for example, forests, fish, and groundwater. Nonrenewable resource stocks are not regenerated in this fashion, for example, minerals and petroleum, hence stocks necessarily decline with consumption. Renewable resource models often include bioeconomic components providing stylized accounts of stock regeneration. Because some renewable resource stocks are fugitive, such as groundwater and fish populations, ownership status is often an important management issue, as is the development of policy instruments that can remedy market failure. Analysis of nonrenewables proceeds from Hotelling's model of optimal extraction. This framework has been refined and extended in numerous ways, including incorporation of: exploration for new reserves, stock effects on costs resulting from heterogeneous reserves, availability of backstop substitutes, and recycling of resource scrap. Empirical attempts to test predictions of Hotelling's model on price trends and on resource asset values are also reviewed. Other empirical contributions, aimed primarily at identifying measures of nonrenewable resource scarcity are examined briefly. A final section outlines other topics and new directions of research. (Note: To minimize overlap with other contributions discussion excludes contributions to traditional environmental economics topics and to energy supply and demand.)
Portability: Cross-Cultural Educational Perspectives

Some of the issues of cross-cultural media transfer are discussed in general with emphasis on computer software portability. Educational aspects of portability such as appropriate subject matter and objectives are discussed. Procedures for portability are offered as educational guidelines that focus on linguistic, contextual, structural, and motivational factors. A formative evaluation procedure, learner verification and revision, is suggested to enhance the robustness of the product in a new cultural context. A checklist for cross-cultural media transfer is included.
Principles of risk assessment for researchers and practitioners

Risk assessment instruments (RAIs) are generally thought to be more accurate and less susceptible to bias than the type of seat-of-the-pants risk assessment in which judges and parole boards have traditionally engaged. But RAIs bring with them their own set of controversies. This article will discuss three principles - the fit principle, the validity principle, and the fairness principle - that might govern use of RAIs. After providing examples of RAIs, it elaborates on how these principles would affect sentencing, parole and pretrial detention. In the course of doing so, this article also introduces the contributions in this Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences & the Law on "Risk factors and criminal justice."
A characterization of Leonard pairs using the parameters {ai}i=0d

Abstract Let V denote a vector space with finite positive dimension. We consider an ordered pair of linear transformations A : V → V and A * : V → V that satisfy (i) and (ii) below: (i) There exists a basis for V with respect to which the matrix representing A is irreducible tridiagonal and the matrix representing A * is diagonal. (ii) There exists a basis for V with respect to which the matrix representing A * is irreducible tridiagonal and the matrix representing A is diagonal. We call such a pair a Leonard pair on V . Pascasio recently obtained a characterization of the Q -polynomial distance-regular graphs using the intersection numbers a i . In this paper, we extend her results to a linear algebraic level and obtain a characterization of Leonard pairs. Pascasio’s argument appears to rely on the underlying combinatorial assumptions, so we take a different approach that is algebraic in nature.
Repeat procedures and prescription opioid use after lumbar medial branch nerve radiofrequency ablation in commercially insured patients.

Abstract PURPOSE Although the effectiveness of medial branch nerve radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for lumbosacral facet pain has been described, little is known regarding patterns of repeat RFA utilization and prescription opioid use afterward. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients undergoing lumbosacral RFA in MarketScan from 2007 to 2016. METHODS The time until and number of staged RFAs ( RESULTS Initial RFAs were identified in 44,936 patients. Staged RFAs were performed in 33.1% of patients. Repeat RFAs through 1, 3, and 7 years were performed for 14.6%, 33.5%, and 45.7% of patients, respectively. Within 3 years, 12.2% of patients underwent one repeat RFA, whereas 13.2% of patients underwent two or more. Post-RFA opioid use was examined in 128,310 patients, 32.2% of whom used opioids pre-RFA. By 180 days post-RFA, 8.1% of patients discontinued opioids and 6.7% started opioids (p CONCLUSIONS This study delineates utilization rates of repeat RFA in the commerciall y insured population, with one-third undergoing repeat RFA within 3 years. Additionally, the present data indicate that lumbosacral RFA is associated with reduced filling of opioid prescriptions through 180 days.
A child for every family? Characterizations of “adoptable” foster children in online permanency advocacy publications:

Despite the prevalence of children in need of adoption from the U.S. foster care system, only one of every 28 individuals who contact an adoption agency adopt from foster care. In response, adoptio...
Greater Sensorimotor Deficits and Abnormally Lower Globus Pallidus Fractional Anisotropy in HIV+ Women than in HIV+ Men.

Cognitive impairment may be greater in HIV-positive (HIV+) women than in HIV+ men. Whether sex-specific differences exist in brain microstructure of HIV+ individuals is unknown and was evaluated. 39 HIV+ (21 men, 18 women) and 45 seronegative (SN, 20 men, 25 women) participants were assessed with brain diffusion tensor imaging and cognitive assessments (7 neuropsychological domains). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were measured with an automated atlas in selected brain regions. Group comparisons were assessed with linear mixed effects models, with sub-regions and hemisphere (left/right) as repeated factors for each region. HIV+ women, but not HIV+ men, were slower than sex-matched SN controls on sensorimotor function (Dominant-hand: interaction-p = 0.007; Non-dominant hand: interaction-p = 0.039). Similarly, only HIV+ women had lower FA in the globus pallidus (GP, interaction-p = 0.011). Additionally, regardless of sex, the HIV+ group had poorer Fluency, Speed, and Attention than SN-controls (p = 0.006–0.008), as well as lower FA and higher MD in multiple brain regions (p = <0.001–0.044). Across all participants, performance on Attention was predicted by uncinate-FA (p < 0.001, r = 0.5) and corpus callosum (CC)-FA (p = 0.038, r = 0.23), while the Speed of Information Processing was predicted by CC-FA (p = 0.009, r = 0.3). Furthermore, faster sensorimotor function correlated with higher CC-FA and uncinate-FA in men but not in women (Sex*DTI-interaction-p = 0.03–0.06). The relatively poorer sensorimotor function and abnormally lower GP_FA, suggesting lesser neuronal integrity, in HIV+ women demonstrate sex-specific effects from HIV-infection on these measures. These findings may be related to the greater immune activation and neuroinflammation in HIV+ women compared to HIV+ men.
Whole-body tracking of single cells via positron emission tomography

In vivo molecular imaging can measure the average kinetics and movement routes of injected cells through the body. However, owing to non-specific accumulation of the contrast agent and its efflux from the cells, most of these imaging methods inaccurately estimate the distribution of the cells. Here, we show that single human breast cancer cells loaded with mesoporous silica nanoparticles concentrating the 68Ga radioisotope and injected into immunodeficient mice can be tracked in real time from the pattern of annihilation photons detected using positron emission tomography, with respect to anatomical landmarks derived from X-ray computed tomography. The cells travelled at an average velocity of 50 mm s−1 and arrested in the lungs 2–3 s after tail-vein injection into the mice, which is consistent with the blood-flow rate. Single-cell tracking could be used to determine the kinetics of cell trafficking and arrest during the earliest phase of the metastatic cascade, the trafficking of immune cells during cancer immunotherapy and the distribution of cells after transplantation. The travelling kinetics of single cells loaded with mesoporous silica nanoparticles concentrating the 68Ga radioisotope can be tracked in real time in vivo from the patterns of coincident gamma rays detected by positron emission tomography.
Pathology protocol increases lymph node yield in neck dissection for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Lymph node yield (LNY) is a proposed quality indicator in neck dissection for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). METHODS Retrospective series including 190 patients with OCSCC undergoing neck dissection between 2016 and 2018. A change in pathologic grossing protocol was initiated during the study period to assess residual adipose tissue. A generalized linear model was used to assess the impact of multiple variables on LNY. RESULTS Mean LNY was 28.59 (SD = 17.65). The protocol identified a mean of 10.32 lymph nodes per case. Multivariable analysis identified associations between LNY and use of the pathology protocol (P = .02), number of dissected lymph node levels (P < .001), presence of pathologic lymph nodes (P = .002), body mass index (P = .02), prior neck surgery (P = .001), and prior neck radiation (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Assessment of residual adipose tissue within neck dissection specimens improves accuracy of LNY. LNY in neck dissection is influenced by multiple factors including methods of pathologic assessment.
Evaluating interactions of airway changes during growth with orthodontic treatment.

Summary Objective The aim of this study was to longitudinally evaluate changes in the pharyngeal airway volume in adolescents treated with fixed orthodontic appliances compared to matched untreated adolescents and to assess its impact on airflow resistance. Materials and methods The sample consisted of 16 adolescents (mean start age of 11 years 3 months) who had started and completed treatment at the orthodontic department of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dental Medicine. This group was compared to a control that consisted of 16 adolescents (mean start age 12 years) who had two CBCTs with no treatment in between for the purpose of regular orthodontic evaluation. Differences in airway volume, length, minimum cross-sectional area, and the average cross-sectional area were calculated. Results The results indicated that the airway volume increased by 39% and was a statistically significant change (P Conclusion Adolescents treated with fixed orthodontic appliances do experience an increase in airway volume, as well as a decrease in airway resistance to airflow compared to that in normal growth.
Covid-19 and cancer: Lessons learnt from a michigan hotspot

(1) Background: Outcomes with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been worse in those with comorbidities and amongst minorities. In our study, we describe outcomes amongst cancer patients in Detroit, a major COVID-19 hotspot with a predominant inner-city population. (2) Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 85 patients with active invasive cancers who were infected with COVID-19. The primary outcome was death or transition to hospice. (3) Results: The majority were males (55.3%, n = 47), ≤70 years old (58.5%, n = 50), and African Americans (65.5%, n = 55). The most common primary site was prostate (18.8%, n = 16). Inpatient admission was documented in 85.5% (n = 73), ICU admission in 35.3% (n = 30), and primary outcome in 43.8% (n = 32) of hospitalized patients. On a multivariate analysis, factors associated with increased odds of a primary outcome included an age of >70 years versus ≤70 years (OR 4.7, p = 0.012) and of male gender (OR 4.8, p = 0.008). Recent cancer-directed therapy was administered in 66.7% (n = 20) of ICU admissions versus 39.5% (n = 17) of general floor admissions (Chi-square p-value of 0.023). (4) Conclusions: High rates of mortality/transition to hospice and ICU utilization were noted amongst our patients with active invasive cancer, following a COVID-19 infection. Men and those of >70 years of age had a greater than four-fold increase in odds of death or transition to hospice.
Collaborative Operation of Robotic Manipulators with Human Intent Prediction and Shared Control

This paper develops technical tools to facilitate the collaborative operation of robot manipulators by providing human operators an effective way to remotely command a manipulator for object inspection and handling applications by using computer vision, human intent prediction, and human-machine shared control. First, an operational interface and robot motion control implementation based on a low-cost, general-purpose joystick game controller is presented. Then, a design of a robot end-effector that can help realize motion based on computer vision feedback is proposed and developed. Utilizing the capabilities of computer vision, an effective control law to keep a detected object at the center of the camera view by adjusting end-effector orientation is developed. Lastly, human intent prediction and human-machine shared control for this inspection and handling robotic operations are described. In the shared control system, the human operator takes initiatives; however, the system can facilitate task execution by having the end-effector orientation controlled automatically based on the human’s intent. To corroborate the proposed methods and design, a custom end-effector which can be mounted on an industrial robot is developed and the robot system is integrated to be commanded by a general-purpose game controller. Experimental results on an object inspection and handling experiment are provided to show the effectiveness of our approach.
Chapter 5: Just Wear It: Media Coverage of the Nike Pro Hijab

When Nike announced, in 2017, that it made a Pro Hijab, it touted how empowering it would be for Muslim female athletes. The garment won the most important design of the year in the 2017 Innovation by Design Awards and was also named one of 2017’s best inventions by Time magazine. However, Nike was not the first to make a hijab for female athletes. This study examines how the media reported on the global launch of the Nike Pro Hijab and what language was imparted in that coverage.
The Feminist Ethnography of Untested Assumptions: Traveling with Assisted Reproductive Technologies Across the Muslim Middle East

The 1978 birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first test-tube baby, was a watershed moment not only for human reproduction, but for feminist anthropology. Over the past forty years, the anthropology of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) has flourished, with feminist ethnographers studying the ways in which both reproduction and gender have been transformed. Such feminist ethnographic approaches are particularly important in parts of the world routinely stereotyped as patriarchal. This chapter takes readers to the Muslim Middle East, where Inhorn has “traveled with” ARTs for more than thirty years. She answers six common questions posed by Westerners—questions that reflect the myths, misunderstandings, and unwarranted assumptions about gender in the Middle East, and the reproductive lives of both men and women there.
Liquefying Lignins: Determining Phase-Transition Temperatures in the Presence of Aqueous Organic Solvents

Under appropriate conditions of temperature and solvent composition, single-phase aqueous organic solvents are capable of liquefying lignin to form a lignin-rich liquid phase separate from the solv...
Changes in Public and Private Environmentally Responsible Behaviors by Gender: Findings from the 1994 and 2010 General Social Survey

We examine gender differences in public and private environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs) and whether and how these differences changed between 1994 and 2010. We consider how political attitudes and environmental concern influence the relationship between gender and ERBs. Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated using the 1994 and 2010 General Social Survey. The study results indicate that women had higher levels of private ERBs than men in 1994 and 2010. Political ideology and environmental concern partially explain gender differences in private ERBs in 1994 and fully explain them in 2010. Men and women have similar levels of public ERBs in 1994; in 2010, men's level of public ERBs is significantly higher than women's, after controlling for political ideology and environmental concern. In addition, there are some gender differences in the effects of political orientation and environmental concern on ERBs. Our study indicates that the relationship between gender and environmentalism is complex and that concern and political orientation should be considered when designing strategies to enhance ERBs.
Biodegradation of Nitriles in Shale Oil

Enrichment cultures were obtained, after prolonged incubation on a shale oil as the sole source of nitrogen, that selectively degraded nitriles. Capillary gas chromatographic analyses showed that the mixed microbial populations in the enrichments degraded the homologous series of aliphatic nitriles but not the aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, or heterocyclic-nitrogen compounds found in this oil. Time course studies showed that lighter nitriles were removed more rapidly than higher-molecular-weight nitriles. A Pseudomonas fluorescens strain isolated from an enrichment, which was able to completely utilize the individual nitriles undecyl cyanide and undecanenitrile as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen, was unable to attack stearonitrile when provided alone as the growth substrate. A P. aeruginosa strain, also isolated from one of the enrichments, used nitriles but not aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons when the oil was used as a sole nitrogen source. However, when the shale oil was used as the sole source of carbon, aliphatic hydrocarbons in addition to nitriles were degraded but aromatic hydrocarbons were still not attacked by this P. aeruginosa strain.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and asthma: What are the links?

Recent data suggest that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is an independent risk factor for asthma exacerbations. Neuromechanical reflex bronchoconstriction, gastroesophageal reflux, inflammation (local and systemic), and the indirect effect on dyspnea of OSAS-induced cardiac dysfunction have been suggested as mechanisms that lead to worsening asthma control in patients with concomitant OSAS. Vascular endothelial growth factor-induced airway angiogenesis, leptin-related airway changes, and OSAS-induced weight gain also may play a common mechanistic role linking both disorders. Several studies have confirmed that asthmatic patients are more prone to develop OSAS symptoms than are members of the general population. The common asthmatic features that promote OSAS symptoms are nasal obstruction, a decrease in pharyngeal cross sectional area, and an increase in upper airway collapsibility. Clarifying the nature of the relationship between OSAS and asthma is a critical area with important therapeutic implications.
Advocating for ethnographic work in early childhood federal policy: Problems and possibilities

Initiated as part of the Council on Anthropology and Education's Policy Engagement Working Group, the policy brief “Ethnographic Knowledge For Early Childhood” focused on making the case for ethnography as evidence within early childhood federal policy. This article describes the creation and distribution of the policy brief as well as the challenges and possibilities we have as educational anthropologists to make our work accessible to local and national policymakers. [ethnography, early childhood education, policy, anthropological knowledge for policymakers]
Privacy-Preserving Data Mining: Development and Directions

This article first describes the privacy concerns that arise due to data mining, especially for national security applications. Then we discuss privacy-preserving data mining. In particular, we view the privacy problem as a form of inference problem and introduce the notion of privacy constraints. We also describe an approach for privacy constraint processing and discuss its relationship to privacy-preserving data mining. Then we give an overview of the developments on privacy-preserving data mining that attempt to maintain privacy and at the same time extract useful information from data mining. Finally, some directions for future research on privacy as related to data mining are given.
Attomole Protein Characterization by Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Electrospray ionization with an ultralow flow rate ( 30 kilodaltons) at a resolving power of approximately 60,000 for injections of 0.7 x 10(-18) to 3 x 10(-18) mole of 8- to 29-kilodalton proteins with errors of <1 dalton in molecular mass. Using a crude isolate from human blood, a value of 28,780.6 daltons (calculated, 28,780.4 daltons) was measured for carbonic anhydrase, representing 1 percent by weight of the protein in a single red blood cell. Dissociation of molecular ions from 9 x 10(-18) mole of carbonic anhydrase gave nine sequence-specific fragment ions, more data than required for unique retrieval of this enzyme from the protein database.
NMR Studies of Chloroquine-Ferriprotoporphyrin IX Complex

By examining natural-abundance 13C and 15N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of acid-precipitated chloroquine−ferriprotoporphyrin IX (CQ−FPIX) aggregates, the first direct evidence is provided for CQ−FPIX complexes in the solid state, formed in a physiologic aqueous solution that mimics the environment inside the digestive vacuole of the malaria parasite. The 13C spectra demonstrate a loss of signal from aromatic sites, whereas 15N experiments indicate the disappearance of the signal from the N atom of the quinoline ring. These signal losses are due to the paramagnetic Fe(III) center of FPIX. In addition, contact shifts are also observed for both 13C and 15N spectra, suggesting the formation of a covalent complex between CQ and FPIX in the solid state.
Oxidative Substitution of Carbonyl Groups by Halogen or RS• on the Cubane Cluster CpEt2Mo2Co2S4(CO)2: Preparation of 58-VSE Electron-Deficient Clusters as Models for an Organometallic Desulfurization Material

The heterobimetallic sulfido cluster CpEt2Mo2Co2S4(CO)2 was oxidized to give a series of 58-VSE (valence shell electron) electron-deficient clusters of the type CpEt2Mo2Co2S4(X)2 (X = I, Br, Cl, SP...
Developmental and genetic variables in mouse startle response habituation.

A behavioral task insensitive to inherent sensory and motor limitations, specifically a startle response habituation technique, was used to investigate genetic (strains) and developmental (age) effects on behavior. All mice tested using two procedures exhibited evidence for habituation which was dependent on strain, age, and length of the testing process. Exploitation of this simple technique may permit clarification of more complex types of behavior.
Extinction of conditioned electrodermal changes and human information processing

An inhibitory effect of information load upon extinction of GSR of humans was reliably demonstrated. Antecedent failure on concept identification task reduced extinction rate of GSR as did complexity of a concomitant problem, in terms of bits of irrelevant information. Theoretical formulations regarding interaction of autonomic and cognitive functions in humans, in terms of Spence’s inhibitory set and cybernetic aspects of the brain, were postulated.
Improvisation: Performer as co-composer

Elements of musical improvisation have been present throughout the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras; however, improvisation had the most profound recorded presence in the Baroque era. Improvisation is inherently a living practice and leaves little documentation behind for historians to study, but however elusive, it is still important to trace where instances of this improvised art appear throughout the eras listed above. It is also interesting to trace what role improvisation would later have in realizing the Baroque ideals of emotional expression, virtuosity, and individuality. This paper seeks to focus on a few of the best-documented mediums of improvisation within each era. During the medieval period, improvisation took on the form of improvised counterpoint against a plainsong. In the Renaissance, improvised harmony of faburden and the contenance angloise is this paper’s selected example. In the Baroque, this study seeks to describe several areas where improvisation appears such as the art of improvised accompaniment from figured-bass symbols, the practice of expressive ornamentation on a written melody, and improvised vocal embellishments and cadenzas of the da capo aria. A final aim of this research is to provide examples to clarify the definition of improvisation as the degree to which the composer of a musical work has given control of its realization to the performer. Treatises and ear witness accounts of improvised musical forms provided primary sources. Other sources used in this research included writings on performance practices of different historical eras and writings on the changing relationship between the composer and the performer. This paper also consults writings on how improvised music was perceived historically as opposed to composed music.
West Indian women in Danish popular fiction

This paper examines nationalist nostalgia for Denmark's colonial period in the Caribbean through the lens of popular women's fiction. Empirical accounts of this period written by Danish historians have, to a limited extent, undergone such contrapuntal examinations. But these accounts assume so little discursive space in Danish history books that it seems unlikely that they are Danes' primary source of knowledge about the Danish West Indies (1672–1917). More compelling sources are the popular culture narratives that have circulated since Denmark's thwarted attempt to sell the islands to the USA in 1902. Because popular women's fiction tends to depict women's subjective experience rather than posit an empirical reality, its role in reproducing knowledge about Denmark's colonial history, and in constructing its national identity, has never been examined. Such a reading reveals Denmark's continuing struggle with symbolic miscegenation nearly a century after she was forced to give up her Caribbean colonies.
A Process to Facilitate Decision Making in Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation: The Individualized Care Planning and Coordination Model

Abstract Providers of care for children undergoing stem cell transplantation (SCT) skillfully combine the roles of scientist and clinician. As scientists, they apply scientific methods and disease theory in the creation and testing of new therapies and in the careful observation and exploration of treatment outcomes. As clinicians, they are capable of intuitively delivering care in a patient- and family-centered context of meaning and life values. The specialty of SCT has inherent aspects that make treatment decision making complex and potentially contentious. Having a strategy ready to implement in advance or at the time when treatment decisions need to be made will facilitate and enhance the decision making process for both the health care team and family members. Here we introduce the individualized care planning and coordination (ICPC) model as a practical approach to facilitate ethical and effective decision making in pediatric SCT settings. The ICPC is a 3-step model comprising (1) relationship—understanding the illness experience from the perspective of the patient and family, sharing relevant information, and assessing ongoing needs; (2) negotiation—prognosticating, establishing goals of care, and discussing treatment options; and (3) plan—generating a comprehensive plan of care that includes life and medical plans. Based on a foundation of a care of competence, empathy, compassion, communication, and quality, the ICPC model aims to diminish contentious family–staff interactions that can lead to mistrust and help guide treatment decision making. The ICPC model enhances communication among patients, families, and clinicians by revealing patient and family values and medical and quality-of-life priorities before reaching or even during critical decision points in the transplantation process.
Aberration-Free Fraunhofer Holography Of Micro-Objects

For correct size and shape analysis of very small micro-objects by holography, aberrations play an important limiting role. A unique characteristic of in-line Fraunhofer holography with collimated beam recording is that each object can be considered to be on the optical axis. During the reconstruction, the hologram center can again be made to pass through the optical axis. With this arrangement, all the off-axis aberrations practically disappear. This aspect has been discussed in this article for practical size ranges encountered in far-field holography. Spherical aberration can also be removed by proper sphericity of the reconstruction beam in terms of reconstruction-to-recording wavelength ratio and the object-to-hologram distance. These conditions are obtained by equating the third order spherical aberration to zero. The situation is then described for object space ranges for tolerable aberrations satisfying Marechal's criterion.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nuchal thickness, urine β-core fragment level, and maternal age for Down syndrome screening ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to report the midtrimester Down syndrome screening efficiency of a 2-analyte algorithm, urine β-core fragment (a metabolite of human chorionic gonadotropin) and nuchal thickness, along with maternal age in a high-risk population undergoing genetic amniocentesis. Method: Nuchal thickness, humerus length, and maternal urine β-core fragment levels were measured prospectively before genetic amniocentesis in 1360 singleton pregnancies, 21 (1.5%) of which had fetal Down syndrome. All analyte levels were expressed as multiples of the normal medians based on biparietal diameter. Backward-stepwise logistic regression was used to determine whether the markers were significant independent predictors of fetal Down syndrome. Matrix analysis was used to calculate an adjusted Down syndrome likelihood ratio for each patient based on the significant screening markers. Multiplication by age-related midtrimester risk gave the adjusted Down syndrome risk. The sensitivity and false-positive rates at different Down syndrome screening thresholds were used to generate a receiver-operator characteristics curve. The area under the curve was used to assess the value of this screening test. Results: On the basis of logistic regression, β-core fragment level ( P P P P = .332), were significant predictors of Down syndrome. At an adjusted risk threshold of > 1/60 the sensitivity and false-positive rate for Down syndrome were 85.7% and 4.9%, respectively, when β-core fragment level, nuchal thickness, and maternal age were used. Correspondence screening values at a risk threshold > 1/150 were 95.2% and 10.8%, respectively. The area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve was 0.9357 (SE = 0.0137), indicating that the algorithm is excellent for Down syndrome screening. Conclusion: In this study, a combination algorithm consisting of nuchal thickness, urine β-core fragment level, and maternal age had a high screening efficiency for Down syndrome. This algorithm should be investigated as a new option for women at high risk of having a fetus with Down syndrome. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:491-5.)
Regulation of pyrimidine and arginine biosynthesis in mammals

Summary The regulation of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway in mammals is considered. The data available show that some of the enzyme activities of this pathway are increased even when the end-products of the pathway are high, indicating that enzyme repression is probably not a major regulatory factor of this pathway in mammalian tissues. The mammalian regulatory pattern may be closely related to that observed in simple eukaryotic cells, such as yeast, where only the first enzyme is subject to repression while the synthesis of the last four enzymes is increased by induction. The two enzyme activities of this pathway which utilize orotidylic acid as substrate are associated with a single protein. Preliminary data indicate that the first two enzymes of the pathway may also be associated either with membrane structures or in a single protein. This phenomenon may also be important for an understanding of the regulation of this pathway. Finally, the regulation of the arginine biosynthetic pathway which also utilizes carbamyl phosphate is also discussed.
Injection Locking in Concurrent Dual-Frequency Oscillators

In a separate paper, the authors show that a nonlinear active core with a fourth-order resonator can generate two stable independent frequencies simultaneously. In this paper, the effect of injecting two frequencies into such a concurrent dual-frequency oscillator is analyzed and experimentally verified. It is shown that, for weak injection, the effect of injection at one frequency is decoupled from the effect of injection at the other frequency. The differential equation describing the effect of injection at either of the two frequencies is similar to the Adler's injection-locking equation for single-frequency oscillators. A theoretical analysis for a linear array of coupled concurrent dual-frequency oscillators is provided. It is shown that a linear phase progression at both frequencies can be achieved independently by detuning the array's end elements. Dual-frequency quadrature signal generation using two coupled concurrent dual-frequency oscillators is also demonstrated. To verify the theoretical derivations, an integrated circuit in a 0.18-m SiGe BiCMOS process is designed and fabricated. Measurement results closely match the theoretical predictions. The application of concurrent coupled oscillator array in dual-frequency beam forming with steering capability is also demonstrated.