cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A singular-value-based semi-fragile watermarking scheme for image content authentication with tamper localization

Utilize relationships of singular values to extract content-dependent watermark.Merge relationships of singular values to choose adaptive quantizer for each block.Apply adaptive quantization to embed secure watermark in the wavelet domain.Define a 3-level authentication process to detect authenticity and prove tampering.Use five measures to compensate misclassification and capture distortions. This paper presents a singular-value-based semi-fragile watermarking scheme for image content authentication. The proposed scheme generates secure watermark by performing a logical operation on content-dependent watermark generated by a singular-value-based sequence and content-independent watermark generated by a private-key-based sequence. It next employs the adaptive quantization method to embed secure watermark in approximation subband of each 4i?4 block to generate the watermarked image. The watermark extraction process then extracts watermark using the parity of quantization results from the probe image. The authentication process starts with regenerating secure watermark following the same process. It then constructs error maps to compute five authentication measures and performs a three-level process to authenticate image content and localize tampered areas. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed scheme outperforms five peer schemes and its two variant systems and is capable of identifying intentional tampering, incidental modification, and localizing tampered regions under mild to severe content-preserving modifications.
Aircraft Thermal Management Using Loop Heat Pipes: Experimental Simulation of High Acceleration Environments Using the Centrifuge Table Test Bed

Abstract : The objective of this paper is to describe the design of an experiment that will examine the effects of elevated acceleration environments on a high-temperature, titanium-water loop heat pipe for actuator cooling. An experimental test setup has been designed for mounting a loop heat pipe on an 8-ft-diameter centrifuge table, which is capable of radial accelerations of up to 12-g's. A high-temperature PAO loop will interface the condenser of the loop heat pipe to simulate the rejection of the transported heat to an elevated temperature. In addition to LHP experimentation, a mathematical model has been developed for aerodynamic heating of high-speed aircraft. A flat plate at zero-incidence, used to model an aircraft wing, was subjected to sub- and supersonic flow to examine whether heat will be rejected or absorbed. The results of this analysis will be used to determine the condenser conditions of the loop heat pipe during centrifuge testing.
Analysis, Testing, and Design of Filament Wound, Carbon-Carbon Burst Tubes

Filament wound, carbon-carbon, composite tubular specimens were tested to failure by internal pressurization of a compliant rubber bladder. When the specimen length exceeded the bladder length, significant strength increases were measured relative to those measured when the specimen length was equal to or less than the bladder length. A stress analysis is performed to study the effects of this material overhang on strength measurement variations using Laplace transform techniques. An explanation for and discussion of the strength variation is included. Optimum specimen design criteria are presented which minimize data falsification and material consumption.
Lesbians in love.

Abstract Lesbians often begin romantic relationships with high hopes that their relationships will be satisfying and long-lasting. Why do some women maintain committed and stable relationships while others do not? This article considers factors that affect commitment and stability among lesbian couples. We begin by reviewing previous empirical research on the topic. Next, we test a leading model of commitment using survey data from 301 lesbian couples who participated in the American Couples Study (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983). According to Caryl Rusbult's model (1983), an individual's commitment to a relationship is affected by three general factors: satisfaction, the quality of alternatives to the current relationship, and investments made in the relationship. In turn, a woman's degree of commitment influences relationship stability. Path analysis provided strong support for Rusbult's model. Nonetheless, this model did not fully explain the sources of commitment and stability in lesbian relationships. Co...
A Portal to the Universe: The Astrolabe as a Site of Exchange in Medieval and Early Modern Knowledge

This essay analyzes the astrolabe and its ability to transfer ideas and culture across traditional geographic boundaries, from the perspective of Europe in the Medieval and Early Modern eras.
Femtosecond Nonequilibrium Electronic Heat Transport in Thin Gold Films

With the advent of femtosecond lasers has come the promise of directly measuring ultrafast electron transport effects in electronic materials and devices. Using a front pump/back probe1 measurement of transient reflectivity changes, we have observed ultrafast electronic heat transport through thin films of gold. For film thicknesses of 500 – 2000 A, we find thermal transport occurs on a timescale of 40 – 200 fs. In this regime, the transport of heat seems to be governed by nonequilibrium electronic motion, since equilibrium heat diffusion occurs over tens of picoseconds.
Fingertip skin conformance accounts, in part, for differences in tactile spatial acuity in young subjects, but not for the decline in spatial acuity with aging.

The ability of the skin to conform to the spatial details of a surface or an object is an essential part of our ability to discriminate fine spatial features haptically. In this study, we examined the extent to which differences in tactual acuity between subjects of the same age and between younger and older subjects can be accounted for by differences in the properties of the skin. We did so by measuring skin conformance and tactile spatial acuity in the glabrous skin at the fingertip in 18 younger (19–36 years old) and 9 older (61–69 years old) subjects. Skin conformance was measured as the degree to which the skin invaded the spaces in the psychophysical stimuli. There were several findings. First, skin conformance accounted for 50% of the variance in our measure of tactile spatial acuity (the threshold for grating orientation discrimination) between the younger subjects. The subjects with more compliant skin had substantially lower thresholds than did the subjects with stiffer skin. Second, the skin of the younger subjects was more compliant across than along the skin ridges, and this translated into significantly greater performance when the gratings were oriented along than when oriented across the skin. Third, skin conformance was virtually identical in the younger and the older subjects. Consequently, skin conformance cannot account for the loss of spatial acuity reported in earlier studies and confirmed in this study. We infer that the loss must be neural in origin.
Unilateral facial telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans

A 36-year-old man developed unilateral facial telangiectases over a 10-year period. Histopathologic examination showed collections of mast cells. This patient has an unusual variant of telangiectasea macularis eruptiva perstans. The differential diagnosis of facial telangiectases is discussed. Mastocytosis should be considered in patients presenting solely with telangiectases.
Postbuckling and vibration of end-supported elastica pipes conveying fluid and columns under follower loads

Abstract Fluid-conveying pipes with supported ends buckle when the fluid velocity reaches a critical value. For higher velocities, the postbuckled equilibrium shape can be directly related to that for a column under a follower end load. However, the corresponding vibration frequencies are different due to the Coriolis force associated with the fluid flow. Clamped–clamped, pinned–pinned, and clamped–pinned pipes are considered first. Axial sliding is permitted at the downstream end. The pipe is modeled as an inextensible elastica. The equilibrium shape may have large displacements, and small motions about that shape are analyzed. The behavior is conservative in the prebuckling range and nonconservative in the postbuckling range (during which the Coriolis force does work and the motions decay). Next, related columns are studied, first with a concentrated follower load at the axially sliding end, and then with a distributed follower load. In all cases, a shooting method is used to solve the nonlinear boundary-value problem for the equilibrium configuration, and to solve the linear boundary-value problem for the first four vibration frequencies. The results for the three different types of loading are compared.
Complications and Mortality Associated with Cardiac Catheterization in Infants under One Year : a Prospective Study

To evaluate complications and mortality following cardiac catheterization (CC) in patients under one year of age, we prospectively examined 312 CC on 273 patients from the centers in the New England Regional Infant Cardiac Program during a one-year period. Among CC performed on patients less than four months old, the incidence of complications requiring treatment was 12%; for patients 4–12 months, it was 1.5% (p<0.02). By pre-CC risk assessment, 13% of CC were high risk, 21% medium risk, and 66% low risk. The incidence of major complications was much greater among the High Risk (30%) compared with Medium Risk (14%) (p<0.05) and with Low Risk (4%) (p<0.001). The overall mortality rates 24 h, 48 h, and one week after CC were 3.8%, 8.3%, and 13.5%, including patients with inoperable lesions and those having cardiac surgery, while deaths directly attributable to a CC complication were 0, 0.3%, and 0.3%, respectively. We can predict, prior to CC, the high-risk cases where major complications and death are likeliest to occur. The incidence of death from CC-related complications is extremely low in patients under one year of age, compared with death from the underlying lesion or following cardiac surgery.
Disulfide-directed histone ubiquitylation reveals plasticity in hDot1L activation

We have developed a readily accessible disulfide-directed methodology for the site-specific modification of histones by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins. The disulfide-linked analog of mono-ubiquitylated H2B stimulated the H3K79 methyltransferase activity of hDot1L to a similar extent as the native isopeptide linkage. This permitted structure-activity studies of ubiquitylated mononucleosomes that revealed plasticity in the mechanism of hDot1L stimulation and identified surfaces of ubiquitin important for activation.
The counting Stroop: a cognitive interference task

The counting Stroop is a validated Stroop task variant. Initially designed as a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task for identifying brain regions subserving cognition and attention (dorsal anterior midcingulate cortex (daMCC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)), it has been used to study cognition in healthy volunteers and to identify functional brain abnormalities in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). During the counting Stroop, subjects report by button-press the number of words (one to four) appearing on the screen, regardless of word meaning. Neutral-word control trials contain single semantic category common animals (e.g., 'dog' written three times), while interference trials contain number words that are incongruent with the correct response (e.g., 'two' written four times). The counting Stroop can be completed in approximately 20 min per subject and can be used offline (behavioral performance) or with fMRI, positron emission tomography, event-related potentials, magnetoencephalography or intracranial recordings.
Endomorphismenringe und engelsche Elemente

Es ist eine bekannte Tatsache, dab Elemente a der Gruppe G, die in Zn (G) liegen, die Bedin~mmg g(~) o a = 1 f'fir alle g aus G effiillen. Es ist eine offene Frage, wieweit diese Feststellung uml~ehrbar ist, d. h. ob es ein k(n) ffir jedes n gibt, so dab alle Elemente a, die die Bedingung g(n) o a = 1 erffillen, in Z~r (G) liegen. Fiir n ----2 konnte K ~ P ~ [4] die Frage 15sen; er fand, dab die Antwort positiv ist f'tir alle Elemente a ungerader Ordnung. GRUV.NB~O [1, S. 166] gab eine Folge yon Beispielen, aus denen hervorgeht, dab Elemente a, die die Bedingung g~n~ o a ~1 ftir alle g aus G erfiillen und deren Ordnung durch eine Zahl kleiner oder gleieh n teflbax ist, in unendlichen aufl6sbaren Gruppen G mit trivialem Zentrum auftreten k6nnen. Man mull also den Elementen a Bedin~mmgen fiber ihre 0rdnung auferlegen, wenn man die Frage wenigstens teilweise positiv beantworten ~411. Wit wollen uns hier vorwiegend mit folgender Situation befassen: Sei G eine Gruppe, die einen abelschen Normaltefler N enth~lt. Der Normalteiler N sei erzeugt von Elementen a, die die Bedingung g(n) o a ---1 fiir alle g aus G erffillen. Die Konjugationen yon den Elementen yon N durch Elemente aus G erzeugen einen Unterring des Endomorphismenringes von N, den wir kurz den durch G induzierten Endomorphismenring von N nennen werden. Unser Ziel ist, durch Rechnungen in diesem Ring den folgenden Hauptsatz nachzuweisen :
Learning from multiple representations: An examination of fixation patterns in a science simulation

The present study examined how the integration of multiple representations in a multimedia simulation was associated with learning in high school students (N = 25). Using eye-tracking technology, we recorded fixations on different representations of the Ideal Gas Laws, as well as transitions between them, within a computer-based model that included a gas container with animated gas molecules, control sliders to adjust different gas variables, and a graph depicting the relations between the variables. As predicted, fixation transitions between conceptually related parts of the simulation were associated with different learning outcomes. Specifically, greater transition frequency between the gas container and the graph was related to better transfer, but not comprehension. In contrast, greater transition frequency between the control sliders and the graph was related to better comprehension, but not transfer. Furthermore, these learning outcomes were independent of learners’ prior knowledge, as well as the frequency and duration of fixations on any individual simulation element. This research not only demonstrates the importance of employing multiple representations in multimedia learning environments, but also suggests that making conceptual connections between specific elements of those representations can have an association with the level at which the information is learned.
Observer efficiency in free-localization tasks with correlated noise.

The efficiency of visual tasks involving localization has traditionally been evaluated using forced choice experiments that capitalize on independence across locations to simplify the performance of the ideal observer. However, developments in ideal observer analysis have shown how an ideal observer can be defined for free-localization tasks, where a target can appear anywhere in a defined search region and subjects respond by localizing the target. Since these tasks are representative of many real-world search tasks, it is of interest to evaluate the efficiency of observer performance in them. The central question of this work is whether humans are able to effectively use the information in a free-localization task relative to a similar task where target location is fixed. We use a yes-no detection task at a cued location as the reference for this comparison. Each of the tasks is evaluated using a Gaussian target profile embedded in four different Gaussian noise backgrounds having power-law noise power spectra with exponents ranging from 0 to 3. The free localization task had a square 6.7° search region. We report on two follow-up studies investigating efficiency in a detect-and-localize task, and the effect of processing the white-noise backgrounds. In the fixed-location detection task, we find average observer efficiency ranges from 35% to 59% for the different noise backgrounds. Observer efficiency improves dramatically in the tasks involving localization, ranging from 63% to 82% in the forced localization tasks and from 78% to 92% in the detect-and- localize tasks. Performance in white noise, the lowest efficiency condition, was improved by filtering to give them a power-law exponent of 2. Classification images, used to examine spatial frequency weights for the tasks, show better tuning to ideal weights in the free-localization tasks. The high absolute levels of efficiency suggest that observers are well-adapted to free-localization tasks.
The binding of heat-treated myosin subfragment 1 to actin and substructure considerations.

Abstract Heat treatment of myosin subfragment 1 at 35 °C caused about 95% inactivation of the catalytic function but did not block its binding to actin. Heat-treated subfragment 1 showed specific, strong, and close to stoichiometric binding to actin. MgATP but not MgADP dissociated these complexes. However, in contrast to intact subfragment 1, the heat-treated protein did not polymerize G-actin and was not protected from trypsin by the binding to actin. Tryptic degradation of the 50K fragment abolished, or reduced greatly, the binding of heat-treated subfragment 1 to actin in solution but not on nitrocellulose overlays. These results are discussed in the context of subfragment 1 Substructure.
Enhanced Radiosensitization with Interferon-α-2b and Cisplatin in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Cervical Carcinoma

Abstract Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of interferon-α-2b (IFN-α) and cisplatin given concomitantly with radiation therapy (RT) in the treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma. Materials and Methods. Twenty-one patients with stage bulky Ib–IIIb (Ib, 2; IIa, 2; IIb, 8; IIIb, 9) cervical carcinoma were treated with combined IFN-α (5 million IU) subcutaneously three times per week and cisplatin (25 mg/m 2 ) iv infusion over 2 h weekly for 7 weeks, given concomitantly with RT (4500 cGy of external beam plus 2 brachytherapy procedures). Total radiation doses delivered ranged from 7500 to 9960 cGy (median, 9300 cGy). Follow-up ranged from 16 to 33 months (median, 25 months). Results. The 2-year local control rate was 100%. The only sites of disease recurrence were distant. Freedom from distant metastases, disease-free survival, and overall survival at 2 years was 76%. Late complication rates were high. Grade 4 rectosigmoid, bladder, and small bowel complication rates were 49, 18, and 23% at 2 years. Late toxicity was seen earlier than expected with rectosigmoid complications observed 5 to 11.5 months (median, 8 months) after completion of treatment. Conclusion. Combination IFN-α and cisplatin produced a marked effect of enhanced radiosensitization as evidenced by 100% local tumor control and high late normal tissue complication rates. Due to the unacceptable late toxicity, its routine clinical use cannot be recommended. Further investigation is needed to determine whether a therapeutic window exists such that the use of lower doses of IFN-α, cisplatin, or RT can increase tumor control with more acceptable normal tissue toxicity.
Swelling and plastic properties of coal devolatilized at elevated pressures: an examination of the influences of coal type

Abstract Attempts have been made to correlate the measured thermoplastic properties of 24 coals (hvCb to Ivb) pyrolysed at elevated pressures (0.1 to 2.9 MPa) with some commonly reported characterization parameters. While the thermoplastic transition temperatures can be correlated somewhat with some coal properties (e.g., vitrinite mean-maximum reflectance, or carbon content), the maximum swelling parameter of these coals, especially at elevated pressures, shows little correlation with the usual coal characteristics which are measured at atmospheric pressure (e.g., ASTM FSI or vitrinite reflectance). In general, the behaviour of the coals at elevated pressures cannot be predicted from their properties obtained at atmospheric pressure. These data stress the importance and profound influence of elevated pressure on swelling and plastic properties of coals. All thermplastic properties were measured by a high-pressure microdilatometer.
Computational and Experimental Study of Enhanced Mixing in a Gas Turbine Combustor Using Guide Vanes

A number of studies have shown that the flow field exiting a combustor of a gas turbine cycle is highly non-uniform in pressure, velocity and, most importantly, temperature. Much research has been dedicated to the cooling of gas turbine blades using internal, film cooling, impingement jets, and pin/fin cooling technologies. Such designs allow for heated blades to be cooled from the inside out. While advancements in this type of blade cooling technology provide effective means to reduce the occurrence of blade failure due to material overheat conditions, the effect of externally reducing or eliminating the temperature non-uniformities in the exit flow from the combustor would assist in the solution. The goal of this study is to optimize the mixing of primary and dilution air in the dilution zone of the combustor using guide vanes. This improvement in mixing would lead to increase in the degree of temperature uniformity with respect to the radial position at the exit nozzle. To achieve this objective, both experimental and computational studies were performed to investigate the heat and flow behaviors with 45° spherically swept guide vanes attached to the dilution holes. These guide vanes were intended to direct the dilution jets into the primary flow and enhance mixing. A parameter was defined in terms of the temperatures of the dilution and primary flow streams at the inlet and the exit plane, called the mixture fraction. Based on the mixture fraction value, it was found that the guide vanes produce a more uniform exit temperature flow field as compared to the case when there were no guide vanes used. Also, the design was modified for different alignment orientations of the guide vanes — 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° with respect to the primary flow — with the 60° orientation fostering the best results.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A radio occultation experiment to probe the atmosphere of Venus.

Mariner Venus 1967 space probe, obtaining atmospheric pressure density and refractive index from radio signal frequency, intensity and phase changes
Global and local implications of biotechnology and climate change for future food supplies

The development of improved technology for agricultural production and its diffusion to farmers is a process requiring investment and time. A large number of studies of this process have been undertaken. The findings of these studies have been incorporated into a quantitative policy model projecting supplies of commodities (in terms of area and crop yields), equilibrium prices, and international trade volumes to the year 2020. These projections show that a "global food crisis," as would be manifested in high commodity prices, is unlikely to occur. The same projections show, however, that in many countries, "local food crisis," as manifested in low agricultural incomes and associated low food consumption in the presence of low food prices, will occur. Simulations show that delays in the diffusion of modern biotechnology research capabilities to developing countries will exacerbate local food crises. Similarly, global climate change will also exacerbate these crises, accentuating the importance of bringing strengthened research capabilities to developing countries.
Rational resolution of the isosteric enantiomers of 6,11-dihydrodibenzo[b,e]thiepin-11-ol and conversion to the two isosteric diastereoisomers of the calcium channel blocker UK-74,756

Abstract Sulfoxidation of the (+)-Noe-lactol derivative of racemic 6,11-dihydrodibenzo[b,e]thiepin-11-ol broke the isosterism and converted an inseparable mixture of two compounds into a separable mixture of four. X-Ray structural determination on one of these and subsequent manipulation provided resolved 6,11-dihydrodibenzo[b,e]thiepin-11-ol and all four sulfoxides in known configurations, and enabled the resolution by synthesis of the two isosteric diastereoisomers of the calcium channel blocker UK-74,756.
Growth and electrical characterization of two-dimensional layered MoS2/SiC heterojunctions

The growth and electrical characterization of the heterojunction formed between two-dimensional (2D) layered p-molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and nitrogen-doped 4H silicon carbide (SiC) are reported. The integration of 2D semiconductors with the conventional three-dimensional (3D) substrates could enable semiconductor heterostructures with unprecedented properties. In this work, direct growth of p-type MoS2 films on SiC was demonstrated using chemical vapor deposition, and the MoS2 films were found to be high quality based on x-ray diffraction and Raman spectra. The resulting heterojunction was found to display rectification and current-voltage characteristics consistent with a diode for which forward conduction in the low-bias region is dominated by multi-step recombination tunneling. Capacitance-voltage measurements were used to determine the built-in voltage for the p-MoS2/n-SiC heterojunction diode, and we propose an energy band line up for the heterostructure based on these observations. The demonstration of heterogeneous material integration between MoS2 and SiC enables a promising new class of 2D/3D heterostructures.
A Novel Copper-Binding Fold for the Periplasmic Copper Resistance Protein CusF†,‡

We have determined the crystal structure of apo-CusF, a periplasmic protein involved in copper and silver resistance in Escherichia coli. The protein forms a five-stranded β-barrel, classified as an OB-fold, which is a unique topology for a copper-binding protein. NMR chemical shift mapping experiments suggest that Cu(I) is bound by conserved residues H36, M47, and M49 located in β-strands 2 and 3. These residues are clustered at one end of the β-barrel, and their side chains are oriented toward the interior of the barrel. Cu(I) can be modeled into the apo-CusF structure with only minimal structural changes using H36, M47, and M49 as ligands. The unique structure and metal binding site of CusF are distinct from those of previously characterized copper-binding proteins.
Gabeba Baderoon: Poems

In the city, the green cranes have paused and the scaffold lattice of the week-day workers clanks emptily in the wind. Under the Civic Centre, a column of shadow and silence divides the street. The...
Multiphoton production and detection of N(2D)

Abstract N( 2 D) has been detected by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) at 269 nm in both the products of a microwave discharge in nitrogen (0.2–2%) in argon mixtures and as a result of two-photon dissociation of N 2 O. Further increase in the nitrogen fraction through the discharge decreased the N( 2 D) signal and finally replaced it with a series of molecular bands whose origin is thought to be electronically excited metastable states of N 2 .
Radiometric calibration of a longwave FPA camera for IR scene projector characterization

We present radiometric calibration methods and data for a HgCdTe longwave IR focal plane array camera that will be used for nonuniformity correction and calibration of an ambient-background IR scene projector at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Reported results include spectral response, responsivity (in terms of radiance), and non-radiometric measurements important in the IRSP NUC process. Uncertainty sources and estimates are discussed as they apply to this problem. We found that a responsivity measurement should be performed each time the camera is powered on, and that drift in the output signal stabilizes within about an hour. Even after waiting an hour, it may be necessary to measure a blackbody source periodically during IRSP calibration to ensure that camera drift does not skew the results.
Computational studies of air-assisted spray impingement on a flat plate

AbstractFuel impingement and film formation are critical issues for the goal of reducing hydrocarbon emissions from automotive gasoline direct injection engines. This computational study compares fuel impingement from a simulated air-assisted spray with that of a simulated spray from a swirl atomizer. Impingement occurs on a flat plate in a low ambient pressure case that approximates an early-injection condition and in a high ambient pressure case that approximates a late-injection condition. The simulated results suggest that the air-assisted injector produces substantially less fuel film and impingement than the swirl atomizer because of faster vaporization of smaller droplets and slower penetration. Although the swirl atomizer produces more splashing, much of the splashed fuel mass returns to the plate. More detailed numerical studies of the air-assisted injector were also conducted to ascertain the effects of turning the vaporization model off, employing a very fine grid, having angled impingement and...
Management and survival of female patients with “minimal” breast cancer: As observed in the long-term and short-term surveys of the american college of surgeons

The American College of Surgeons' long-term breast cancer survey in 1978 included 16,894 pathologically confirmed carcinomas of the female breast, in situ or infiltrative, with negative or positive nodes. Of these, 1.9% were in situ carcinoma of any size, and 8.4% were minimal invasive carcinomas 1 cm or less in diameter. No significant difference was found between the survival of patients with in situ tumors of any size and minimal invasive tumors with negative axillary nodes measuring 1 cm or less in diameter. In patients with invasive tumors with negative axillary lymph nodes, no statistically significant difference was found in survival of patients with tumors of 0.5 cm or less, when compared either with survival of patients with tumors measuring 0.6-1.0 cm. Recurrence rates observed in those groups were not statistically significant. Among 157 patients with invasive tumors measuring 0.5 cm or less, 23.0% presented with axillary lymph node metastasis. Tumors measuring 0.6 to 1.0 cm showed 20.9% positive axillary nodes in 964 patients. Statistically significant differences in survival and recurrence rates were achieved only for invasive tumors smaller than 1 cm. Survival and recurrence rates were significantly better (P less than 0.001) in patients with minimal invasive cancer with negative axillary nodes (P less than 0.001) than rates of patients with invasive tumors larger than 1 cm and with negative lymph nodes. Similar statistical results were obtained for patients with positive axillary nodes only for invasive cancers smaller than 1 cm. However, survival and recurrence rates observed in invasive cancers of 1 cm or less with positive axillary nodes suggest that tumor size alone cannot be used as the only defining criterion for minimal invasive breast cancer. Only the status of axillary nodes may determine whether a small invasive tumor below 1 cm may be considered as minimal breast cancer.
Using generic tool kits to build intelligent systems

The Intelligent Systems and Robots Center at Sandia National Laboratories is developing technologies for the automation of processes associated with environmental remediation and information-driven manufacturing. These technologies, which focus on automated planning and programming and sensor-based and model-based control, are used to build intelligent systems which are able to generate plans of action, program the necessary devices, and use sensors to react to changes in the environment. By automating tasks through the use of programmable devices tied to computer models which are augmented by sensing, requirements for faster, safer, and cheaper systems are being satisfied. However, because of the need for rapid cost-effect prototyping and multi-laboratory teaming, it is also necessary to define a consistent approach to the construction of controllers for such systems. As a result, the Generic Intelligent System Controller (GISC) concept has been developed. This concept promotes the philosophy of producing generic tool kits which can be used and reused to build intelligent control systems.
Ecology: The big picture of marsh loss

A landscape-scale experiment shows that excessive nutrient levels can cause the loss of salt marshes — a result that was not seen in smaller studies. This illustrates the value of large-scale, long-term studies in ecology. See Letter p.388 Salt marshes provide important ecosystem services such as storm protection for coastal cities, nutrient removal and carbon sequestration, but despite protective measures these ecosystems are in decline. Nine years of data from a whole-ecosystem nutrient-enrichment experiment now demonstrate that current levels of coastal nutrient loading can alter key salt-marsh-ecosystem properties, leading to the collapse of creek banks and, ultimately, the conversion of salt marsh into mudflat. The potential deterioration of coastal marshes owing to eutrophication adds another dimension to the challenge of managing nitrogen while meeting food-production demands in the twenty-first century.
Breast cancer treatment delay in African American women in Washington, DC.

Abstract #4164 Background: Delays in follow-up after a positive breast cancer screen are thought to contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer outcomes. The goal of this study was to determine the relative impact of self-identified race and other relevant socio-demographic and logistic variables on time to diagnosis after an abnormal mammogram, and time to first treatment after a cancer diagnosis within the context of data collection for a large research study of the effectiveness of patient navigation. Methods: Our sample includes 168 African-American and non-Hispanic white women with a documented invasive breast cancer diagnosis at an urban academic medical center during 2006 and 2007. The outcome variables were the number of days from abnormal mammogram to cancer diagnosis and from diagnosis to first treatment. Results: The median number of days to breast cancer diagnosis following an abnormal mammogram was 20.5 days for African-Americans compared to 15 days for non-Hispanic white women. Median days to first treatment after diagnosis was 21 days for African-American women compared to 16 days for non-Hispanic white women. Neither difference was statistically significant. In addition, 76% of African-American women had private insurance versus 81% of non-Hispanic white women. Conclusions: The identification of specific risk factors associated with a delay in diagnosis noted elsewhere in the literature and suggested in these preliminary findings could provide useful information regarding characteristics of women who are most likely to benefit from enhanced patient navigation efforts. Thus far, no statistically significant differences have been identified but the variety of factors that could contribute to the longer delay in disease management in African-American women compared to non-Hispanic white women, such as insurance status, provider location, household income, cultural issues, and other barriers to health care access, should be evaluated with a larger patient population. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 4164.
Vascular biology of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific syndrome characterized by hypertension, proteinuria and edema, resolves on delivery of the placenta. Normal pregnancy is itself characterized by systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and alterations in levels of angiogenic factors and vascular reactivity. This is exacerbated in preeclampsia with an associated breakdown of compensatory mechanisms, eventually leading to placental and vascular dysfunction. The underlying pathology of preeclampsia is thought to be a relatively hypoxic or ischemic placenta. Both the placenta and maternal vasculatures are major sources of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species which can interact to produce peroxynitrite a powerful prooxidant that covalently modifies proteins by nitration of tyrosine residues, to possibly alter vascular function in preeclampsia. The linkage between placental hypoxia and maternal vascular dysfunction has been proposed to be via placental syncytiotrophoblast basement membranes shed by the placenta or via angiogenic factors which include soluble flt1 and endoglin secreted by the placenta that bind vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PIGF) in the maternal circulation. There is also abundant evidence of altered reactivity of the maternal and placental vasculature and of the altered production of autocoids in preeclampsia. The occurrence of preeclampsia is increased in women with preexisting vascular disease and confers a long-term risk for development of cardiovascular disease. The vascular stress test of pregnancy thus identifies those women with a previously unrecognized at risk vascular system and promotes the development of preeclampsia. Preexisting maternal vascular dysfunction intensified by placental factors is possibly responsible for the individual pathologies of preeclampsia.
Retinoic acid improves ciliogenesis after surgery of the maxillary sinus in rabbits

Objectives/Hypothesis: Retinoids have been shown to be important cofactors in regulating the differentiation and proliferation of ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. In particular, retinoic acid has been shown to enhance the regeneration of paranasal sinus mucosa. The objective of this study is to use scanning electron microscopy techniques to evaluate the effect of topical retinoic acid on mucosal wound healing in a rabbit model of maxillary sinus surgery. It is hypothesized that the application of topical retinoic acid will enhance ciliogenesis and improve the morphology of regenerated cilia compared with controls. Study Design: Prospective multi-arm controlled animal trial. Methods: Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits underwent surgical opening of the maxillary sinuses through a midline incision. The rabbits were divided among four experimental groups: 1) mucosal stripping alone (stripped control), 2) stripping followed by topical application of an inert aqueous gel, 3) stripping followed by application of 0.01% retinoic acid in aqueous gel, and 4) no mucosal stripping and no topical treatment (nonstripped control). After 14 days, the medial wall of the maxillary sinus was harvested and examined by scanning electron microscopy at ×2,000 and ×5,000 magnification. The micrographs were then rated by a blinded review panel for ciliary density, orientation, and morphology. Results: Mean scores for ciliary density, orientation, and morphology were all significantly higher for the retinoic acid treatment group compared with both the inert aqueous gel treatment group and the stripped control group (P = .004–.03 for all comparisons, Student's t test). Mean scores for the retinoic acid treatment group were numerically lower than the nonstripped control group but did not approach statistical significance for any parameter (P = .23–.31). Conclusions: In a rabbit model of maxillary sinus surgery, topically delivered retinoic acid enhances ciliogenesis. Qualitative assessment of ciliary density, orientation, and morphology shows improved healing in retinoic acid treated sinuses compared with both untreated control sinuses and aqueous gel treated sinuses.
The design of FIR and IIR filters which are equivalent to a least-squares process

A procedure for designing a finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter which yields results identical to a moving least squares estimation procedure is presented. The FIR method is computationally more efficient than the least-squares process. The structure of the filter weights of the FIR filter allows one to construct an infinite-impulse-response (IIR) filter, which is even more computationally efficient. >
Timing and conditions of metamorphism and melt crystallization in Greater Himalayan rocks, eastern and central Bhutan: insight from U–Pb zircon and monazite geochronology and trace-element analyses

Within the eastern Himalaya in central and eastern Bhutan, Greater Himalayan (GH) rocks are inter- preted to have been thickened by the Kakhtang thrust (KT). In order to understand the metamorphic and exhumation history of the GH and to evaluate the structural significance of the KT, zircon and monazite from twenty samples were analyzed by laser-ablation split-stream ICPMS. In eastern Bhutan, zircon and monazite from samples collected in the KT hanging wall revealed ca. 36-28 Ma metamorphism. Subsequently, the initiation of melt crystallization shows a trend with structural distance above the KT, with early melt crystallization (ca. 27 Ma) in the structurally highest samples and younger melt crystallization (ca. 16 Ma) for leucosomes within the KT zone. Melt crystallization was protracted and continued until ca. 14-13 Ma in both the KT hanging wall and the footwall. In comparison, in central Bhutan, two leucosomes revealed extended melt crystal- lization from ca. 31 to 19 Ma. The youngest zircon dates from samples exposed structurally above and below the KT are similar, indicating that the KT was not as significant of
Prediction of impact induced penetration and delamination in thick composite laminates

Abstract A static punch curve was used as the ‘structural constitutive model’ to capture the highly nonlinear behavior of the laminate in the penetration process of thick laminates. A penetration model based on a ring element was first used to simulate the static punch curve. The model was then used to predict the dynamic penetration process of large panels using the information obtained from the static punch curve of a smaller specimen. The model was shown to predict the penetration process for short and long projectiles. The area of the target that becomes delaminated during impact was shown to increase when the impact velocity was increased until the ballistic limit, beyond which the delamination area decreases with an increase in impact velocity. This phenomenon and the area that is delaminated for different size targets at different impact velocities were accurately predicted by the ring element model in conjunction with a critical shear strain criterion.
Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors attenuate phencyclidine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition.

Glutamate stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors results in release of nitric oxide which may mediate the effects of NMDA receptor stimulation and/or may result in feedback inhibition of the presynaptic neuron. Results of a previous study showed that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors blocked dizocilpine-induced behavior in mice. In the present study, NOS inhibitors were tested in combination with phencyclidine (PCP), a drug which typically dose-dependently disrupts prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response in rats. Alone, NOS inhibitors and promoters do not affect prepulse inhibition; however, when tested in combination with PCP, the NOS inhibitors, L-NOARG, 7-nitroindazole and arcaine—but not the NR2B-selective polyamine site NMDA antagonist, eliprodil—attenuated PCP-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response. These effects are similar to those produced by many atypical antipsychotics and suggests that this class of drugs should be investigated further for their potential utility as antipsychotics and as treatments for PCP abuse.
Incident vertebral fractures in patients not undergoing vertebroplasty.

Purpose To determine whether vertebroplasty increases the risk of new (ie, incident) vertebral fractures by comparing the rates of incident fractures among a group of patients with painful vertebral fractures who did not undergo vertebroplasty with a group of patients who did. Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review was performed to identify new-onset fractures after initial vertebroplasty evaluation in two groups, including patients who underwent vertebroplasty within 1 week of initial evaluation (group 1) and those who did not (group 2). Group 2 was further limited to patients with acute or subacute prevalent fractures (group 2A) after exclusion of those with exclusively chronic prevalent fractures. Survival analyses were performed to compare time to diagnosis and frequency of incident fractures in these three groups of patients. Results Group 1 included 269 patients, group 2 included 107 patients, and group 2A included 82 patients. Compared with group 2, incident fractures in group 1 occurred significantly earlier (log-rank statistic, 0.01) and more frequently (hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2–8.4). Conclusions Among patients with acute or subacute vertebral fractures presenting for consideration of vertebroplasty, those who undergo the procedure experience more and earlier incident fractures than those who do not, but the observed differences failed to reach statistical significance. Further work is needed in this area to better define relative risks of incident fracture between treated and nontreated patients.
Diffusion-collision model for the folding kinetics of myoglobin.

The diffusion-collision model has been used to analyze the folding kinetics of myoglobins. The microdomains, which are the basic units that coalesce during the folding, are identified with the helices and the stabilizing contacts between helices are determined form the native structure. Both association and disassociation reactions are included and a range of stabilization parameters is investigated to determine the variations in overall rate and the relative contributions made by the different intermediates during the folding process. In a comparison of folding to the native state and to the midpoint of the folding transitions. (i.e., 50% native protein at the completion of the reaction) significant differences in the contributing intermediates are found.
The case for wider use of testing for HIV infection.

EIGHT years into the most serious pandemic of infectious disease in modern history, we possess the technology and resources to test for evidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection accu...
On the redox properties of three bisulfite reductases from the sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Abstract The redox properties of purified bisulfite reductases from Desulfovibrio gigas, D. desulfuricans (Norway) and Desulfotomaculum ruminis , containing non-heme iron and siroheme have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. Each enzyme shows ferric siroheme EPR signals which are not completely reduced by dithionite after 20 min, but are readily reduced within 1 min by dithionite plus methyl viologen. With the latter reducing system, each reductase also reveals a variable Beinert “g=1.94” type iron-sulfur signal. Reaction of each reductase with reduced methyl viologen results in reduction of only the siroheme. These results suggest different redox potentials for the iron-sulfur and siroheme moieties, and indicate that their functional properties are similar for each reductase.
Physiologic and aerodynamic events prior to the speech of stutterers and nonstutterers

Abstract The present study was designed to determine whether differences exist between stutterers and nonstutterers in the respiratory, laryngeal, and supralaryngeal events associated with the initiation of fluent, self-generated speech. Toward this end, respiratory, phonatory, and air flow measures were taken from 14 adult male stutterers and 14 nonstutterers prior to the production of phrases in which the initial word was varied. Stutterers presented air flow signals that were different in shape than those of the nonstutterers. In addition, the mean latency between initial speech-associated respiratory and laryngeal movements was significantly greater for the stutterers than for the nonstutterers. Respiratory onset movements also differed. To initiate speech respiration, the nonstutterers typically contracted the abdomen and expanded the rib cage while the stutterers generally contracted both structures. These results appear to indicate differences between the groups in both respiratory and laryngeal functioning.