cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multispectral image fusion for vehicle identification and threat analysis

Unauthorized vehicles become an increasing threat to US facilities and locations especially overseas. Vehicle detection is a well-studied area. However, vehicle identification and intension analysis have not been sufficiently investigated. We propose to use multispectral (visible, thermal) images (1) to match the vehicle types with the registered (or authorized) vehicle types; (2) to analyze the vehicle moving patterns, (3) and study methods to utilize open information such as GPS and traffic information. When a vehicle is either permitted to access to the facility, or subjected to further manual inspection (scrutiny), the additional information (e.g., text) can be compared against the imagery features. We use information fusion (at image, feature, and score level) and neural network to increase vehicle matching accuracy. For the vehicle moving patterns, we will classify them as “normal” and “abnormal” by using driving speed, acceleration, stop, zig-zag, etc. The methods would support directions in physical and human-based sensor fusion, patterns of life (POL) analysis, and contextual-enhanced information fusion.
Gathering threat intelligence through computer network deception

The threat landscape is changing significantly; complexity and rate of attacks is ever increasing, and the network defender does not have enough resources (people, technology, intelligence, context) to make informed decisions. The need for network defenders to develop and create proactive threat intelligence is on the rise. Network deception may provide analysts the ability to collect raw intelligence about threat actors as they reveal their Tools, Tactics and Procedures (TTP). This increased understanding of the latest cyber-attacks would enable cyber defenders to better support and defend the network, thereby increasing the cost to the adversary by making it more difficult to successfully attack an enterprise. Using a deception framework, we have created a live, unpredictable, and adaptable Deception Environment leveraging virtualization/cloud technology, software defined networking, introspection and analytics. The environment not only provides the means to identify and contain the threat, but also facilitates the ability to study, understand, and develop protections against sophisticated adversaries. By leveraging actionable data, in real-time or after a sustained engagement, the Deception Environment may be easily modified to interact with and change the perception of the adversary on-the-fly. This ability to change what and where the attacker is on the network, as well as change and modify the content of the adversary on exfiltration and infiltration, is the defining novelty of our Deception Environment.
Leaders’ Induced Justice Climate as mediator of Participative Leadership and Team Learning

Fairness Theory and Social Exchange Theory are used to analyze the mediation role of justice climate in the participative leadership behaviors - team learning relation in a sample of 171 work teams...
»Ballade des äußeren Lebens« (1896)

Als erstes von Hofmannsthal veroffentlichtes Gedicht bedient sich die Ballade des auseren Lebens (SW I, 44) der Terzinenform. Entstanden ist es vermutlich – eine eindeutig datierbare Handschrift liegt nicht vor – in der ersten Halfte des Jahres 1894.
Controlled Fusion and Reactors of the Tokamak Type

Research on fusion reactor problems has increased dramatically as the plasma physics of magnetic confinement continues to make substantial progress. As part of this research several studies (1–6) have been completed on the conceptual design of future fusion reactors. The purpose of these studies is to identify the key technological problems associated with fusion reactors and thereby guide future research. A description of one such conceptual design can be used to serve as an introduction to the broad field of fusion technology, particularly if it is combined with other work that generally surveys the technological aspects of most approaches to fusion power (6,7). In this paper, a detailed description of the UWMAK-III conceptual tokamak reactor design (8) is given and it serves to highlight the important technological areas.
Delta Opioids: Neuroprotective Roles in Preclinical Studies

Since ancient times, opioids have been used clinically and abused recreationally. In the early stages (about 1,000 AD) of opium history, an Arab physician, Avicenna, administered opioids to control diarrhea and eye diseases. 1 Opioids have very strong pain relieving properties and they also regulate numerous cellular responses. Opioid receptors are expressed throughout the body, including the nervous system, heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and retina. 2-6 Delta opioid receptors (DORs) are a very attractive target from the perspective of both receptor function and their therapeutic potential. Due to a rapid progress in mouse mutagenesis and development of small molecules as DOR agonist, novel functions and roles of DORs have emerged in recent years. This review article focuses on the recent advances in the neuroprotective roles of DOR agonists in general and retina neuroprotection in particular. Rather than being exhaustive, this review highlights the selected studies of DOR function in neuroprotection. We also highlight our preclinical studies using rodent models to demonstrate the potentials of DOR agonists for retinal neuroprotection. Based on existing literature and our recently published data on the eye, DOR agonists possess therapeutic abilities that protect the retina and optic nerve injury against glaucoma and perhaps other retinopathies as well. This review also highlights the signaling events associated with DOR for neuroprotection in the eye. There is a need for translational research on DORs to recognize their potential for clinical application such as in glaucoma.
Affordances of Virtual and Physical Laboratory Projects for Instructional Design: Impacts on Student Engagement

Contribution: Student engagement and interest in engineering is compared between virtual and physical laboratory projects, designed to be realistic and replicate engineering practice. Reported motivation and engagement was greater in the virtual project than the physical projects. Results are interpreted in terms of the different affordances for instructional design using physical and virtual laboratories. Background: Interest is increasing in incorporating virtual laboratories in engineering curricula. Numerous studies report equal or greater gains in students’ conceptual understanding in a virtual laboratory than a corresponding physical laboratory, but many researchers question if virtual laboratories can stimulate the same level of excitement for engineering as physical laboratories. Research Questions: Do students’ self-reports of interest in engineering depend on the instructional design afforded by the laboratory mode? How do instructional designs of virtual and physical laboratory projects relate to students’ perceptions of engagement, their contribution to the team, and the transfer of prior coursework to meet project objectives? Method: In a within-subjects design, 118 students’ interest and engagement in two physical laboratory projects and one of two virtual laboratory projects in a senior-year capstone course is investigated. Separate principal components analyses were used to develop reliable scales for interest and for engagement. Findings: Students reported greater engagement, perceptions of contribution to their group’s learning, opportunities to transfer prior learning from coursework, and end-of-course interest in engineering problem solving in the virtual laboratory project rather than the physical laboratory projects. The positive outcomes are connected to instructional design through the affordances of the virtual laboratory.
Toroidal field resistive magnet design for tokamak test reactors

The design of resistive copper toroidal field (TF) coils is described for use in a nearterm tokamak fusion device (FED-R). A design requirement on the TF coils is that they contain readily demountable joints to facilitate replacement of components inside the bore of the coil. The coils are fabricated from rectangular window frame plates with 1-m-radius fillets in the inside corners. Each coil contains 17 turns - fabricated from CDA-110 copper plate segments 6.1 cm thick. Because of high radiation fluence, a ceramic turn-to-turn insulator is used. The cooling system is sized to accommodate the combined heat loading that results from resistive power dissipation and nuclear heating.
TBME: A Retrospective

The IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (TBME), as the oldest biomedical engineering (BME) journal, will soon welcome its 66th year. In a few weeks, I will complete the maximum term as the Editor-in-Chief of TBME. It has been a great pleasure to have held this role over the past six years, serving the BME profession. I am happy to see that this journal has not only kept pace with the rapidly changing world but also continues to reflect and contribute to the advances of the BME field. The journal is in a healthy state, with good turn-around time (32.3 days on average over the past six years from submission to first decision) and substantially improved impact metrics. Over its 60+ years of existence, TBME’s impact factor has exceeded 3.0 for the first time, and reached a historical high of 4.288 according to the latest available data. Most importantly, TBME has proven itself to be the primary general BME journal that serves the BME profession and the larger scientific community.
An Autonomous Architecture that Protects the Right to Privacy

The advent and widespread adoption of wearable cameras and autonomous robots raises important issues related to privacy. The mobile cameras on these systems record and may re-transmit enormous amounts of video data that can then be used to identify, track, and characterize the behavior of the general populous. This paper presents a preliminary computational architecture designed to preserve specific types of privacy over a video stream by identifying categories of individuals, places, and things that require higher than normal privacy protection. This paper describes the architecture as a whole as well as preliminary results testing aspects of the system. Our intention is to implement and test the system on ground robots and small UAVs and demonstrate that the system can provide selective low-level masking or deletion of data requiring higher privacy protection.
Immune Evasion by Head and Neck Cancer: Foundations for Combination Therapy

Head and neck cancer is disfiguring and deadly, and contemporary treatment has fallen short in terms of morbidity and mortality. The rich immune infiltrate within these tumors designates them as prime candidates for immunotherapy and success with these drugs has been documented for recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer. Still, single-agent immunotherapy has generated either only transient responses or durable response in only a minority subset of patients. Mapping the immune escape mechanisms enacted by head and neck cancer within the tumor microenvironment allows for rational design of strategies to overcome this tolerance. We outline the immune pathway derangements within the head and neck cancer microenvironment and discuss combination treatment strategies to overcome the limitations of immunologic monotherapy.
Self-Reported Efficacy of Cannabis for Endometriosis Pain

Study Objective To survey endometriosis patients about their experience with marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD) for management of endometriosis and pelvic pain symptoms, and to identify the prevalence of medical marijuana use among women with endometriosis. Design Survey. Setting Online REDCap survey accessed through email invitation survey link. Patients or Participants 137 clinic patients with an ICD-10 code for an endometriosis diagnosis, 347 patients from the mailing list of the Endometriosis Association (EA). Interventions A customized survey with 55 to 75 questions based on branching logic, inquiring about pelvic pain history, demographics, and experience with marijuana and CBD for management of pelvic pain. Measurements and Main Results Of 240 EA participants responding, 77 (32.1%) reported having tried marijuana, with the majority of these participants (52 of 77, 67.5%) reporting marijuana to be very or moderately effective. Of 124 clinic participants responding, 58 (46.8%) reported having tried marijuana, with the majority of patients (44 of 58, 75.9%) reporting marijuana to be very or moderately effective. 67 (27.8%) EA participants reported having tried CBD, with half (50%, 34 of 67) reporting CBD to be very or moderately effective. 57 (46.0%) clinic participants reported having tried CBD, with the majority (64.9%, 37 of 57) reporting CBD to be very or moderately effective. Amongst both participant groups, Marijuana was most likely to be reported as very effective (40.2% of EA participants, 53.4% of clinic participants), while CBD was most likely to be reported as moderately effective (31.4% of EA participants, 36.8% of clinic participants). Conclusion Use of medical marijuana and CBD amongst women with endometriosis is common. Both marijuana and CBD are reported as moderately or very effective for pelvic pain by the majority of women who have tried them, with marijuana reported as more effective than CBD.
Power Smoothing in MCT System with Supercapacitor Based Energy Storage for Islanded Grid

This paper investigates modeling, control and power management aspects of tidal energy conversion system (TECS) with an energy storage system (ESS) unit connected to an islanded grid. The model presented in this work takes into account entire conversion system including machine, AC-DC converter, DC-AC converter, DC-DC converter and supercapacitor-based energy storage system. A dynamical modeling of the complete TECS is achieved using the graphical formalism Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) and inversion-based rules are used for the control development. In addition to the modeling and control of TECS, a simple algorithm to manage the power flows between the system components is proposed. The proposed algorithm ensures the slope limitation of the active power supplied to the grid and maintains the state of charge of the supercapacitor at acceptable levels. The performances of the overall grid-connected TECS with ESS are evaluated based on tidal current data from the Ushant Island.
Interlocking Boards in Nonprofit Organizations

A board interlock occurs when a board member from one organization joins the board of a separate organization. This interlock forms a social network between board members, through which information...
The Effects of Prior Victimization on Delinquency Type among Justice-Involved Youths

Youth with a history of victimization have an increased risk of delinquency and justice system involvement throughout the life-course but the nature of this relationship is imprecise. This study us...
The Environment of AGNs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We present the observed fraction of galaxies with an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) as a function of environment in the Early Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Using 4921 galaxies between 0.05 10^8 years), or that the AGN burst more often than expected; ~40 times over the redshift range of our sample.
Geometry for the Artist: An Interdisciplinary Consciousness-Based Course

Geometry is an inherent aspect of any work of art. Both geometry and art are fundamentally products of the consciousness of individuals - the mathematicians who create geometry and the artists who create art. We therefore expect geometry and art to embody qualities of consciousness. This understanding is the basis for Geometry for the Artist, a mathematics course at Maharishi University of Management that explores how certain topics in geometry (symmetry, perspective, fractals, non-Euclidean geometries, and topology) are connected to art, and, moreover, how the understanding of consciousness developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi helps us see connections between art and geometry. This paper describes speci c mathematical topics studied in this course, how they are used in art, and their relationships to consciousness.
23-year Follow-Up: Maternal-fetal Lead Toxicity from a Retained Bullet

The objective of this report is to update the previous one. A mother developed pre-eclampsia at term and delivered an infant with multiple congenital abnormalities which were likely related to the mother’s high blood lead level. This level was due to a bullet lodged in the fourth lumbar vertebra for the previous 15 years. It increased during the third trimester from 31 to 85 micrograms per deciliter. The infant’s cardio-vascular birth defects were surgically repaired and she underwent repeated chelation which reduced her blood lead level to undetectable. Her other birth defects resolved, she completed high school and is in excellent health.
Assessment of Biological Interactions Between Multiple Sclerosis Status and Depression for Mortality.

Interaction is a word with a history in the literature.1 At its core, it is the idea that the effect of a factor (exposed) compared to a reference for that factor (not exposed) may depend on the presence of another factor.2 A classic textbook example includes smoking status and asbestos exposure on the risk of lung cancer. Each by itself increases the risk of lung cancer, but when someone has both risk factors, the incidence of lung cancer is far more than the sum of the increases in incidence from either. Distinct perspectives for an interaction have been delineated within specific disciplines, including statistical, epidemiologic, biological, and public health interactions.1 The choice of interactions used should be motivated by the goal of the analysis and what we are trying to learn.3
Contagion Modeling and Simulation in Transport and Air Travel Networks During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a huge volume of research from various disciplines, such as health sciences, social sciences, mathematical modeling, social network analysis, complex systems, decision-making processes, computer simulation, economics, among many others. One of the key problems has been to understand the diffusion processes of the virus, which quickly spread worldwide through transport networks, mainly air flights. Almost two years after start the pandemic, it is necessary to collect and synthesize the existing work on this matter. This work focuses on studies related to the COVID-19 contagion simulation through transport networks. In particular, we are specially interested in the different datasets and epidemiological models used. The search methodology consists of four exhaustive searches in Google Scholar carried out between January 2020 and January 2021. Of the 1786 findings, we chose 54 articles related to Covid-19 contagion modeling and simulation through transport networks. The results show 30 different data sources for the collection of air flights and 11 additional sources for maritime and land transport. These datasets are usually complemented with other data sources, local and international, with demographic information, economic data, and statistics of traceability of the pandemic. The findings also found 15 spread models of contagion, with the SEIR model being the most widely used, followed by mathematical-based risk models. This diversity of results validates the need for these types of compilation efforts since researchers do not have a single centralized repository to collect air flight data.
Molecular Detection and Characterization of HIV-1

This chapter focuses on the available molecular tests for diagnosis, monitoring, and management of HIV-1-infected individuals. It also focuses on molecular methods as they apply to the diagnosis and management of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV- 1). The guidelines for initiation of therapy based on viral load have changed as one's understanding of disease progression at higher CD4 cell counts has improved. Combination therapy using drugs from multiple classes has been the most effective approach to controlling viral replication. There are several FDA-approved assays for the detection, quantification, and characterization of HIV-1, and this field has expanded recently with the approval of real-time RTPCR viral load tests. A section covers conventional and real-time viral load tests, RNA and proviral DNA tests for the detection of HIV-1, resistance testing, and the tropism assay. The Amplicor monitor test was modified in a study comparing viral load values between the conventional and real-time tests using a different extraction method than recommended by the manufacturer, and it is unclear what impact this may have had on the viral load values. The current recommendations for specimen collection and processing for HIV-1 resistance testing are the same as for viral load testing. Genotypic resistance testing is one of the most complex tests performed in the molecular microbiology laboratory and involves multiple technical steps to generate the sequence as well as interpretation of the sequencing data. Currently, the systems for viral load testing require high capital investment in instrumentation along with reliable electricity and pure water.
Central venous pressure and cardiac function during spaceflight

Early in spaceflight, an apparently paradoxical condition occurs in which, despite an externally visible headward fluid shift, measured central venous pressure is lower but stroke volume and cardiac output are higher, and heart rate is unchanged from reference measurements made before flight. This paper presents a set of studies in which a simple three-compartment, steady-state model of cardiovascular function is used, providing insight into the contributions made by the major mechanisms that could be responsible for these events. On the basis of these studies, we conclude that, during weightless spaceflight, the chest relaxes with a concomitant shape change that increases the volume of the closed chest cavity. This leads to a decrease in intrapleural pressure, ultimately causing a shift of blood into the vessels of the chest, increasing the transmural filling pressure of the heart, and decreasing the central venous pressure. The increase in the transmural filling pressure of the heart is responsible, through a Starling-type mechanism, for the observed increases in heart size, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, stroke volume, and cardiac output.
The thiolesterase activity of sulfhydryl-activated enzymes. A new assay for thiol proteases based on activation by Sepharose-bound mercaptan.

Abstract It has been shown that sulfhydryl enzymes can be activated in a two-phase system by mercaptans which are coupled to Sepharose beads. Such an activator permits the use of thiol esters as substrates for enzymes requiring mercaptan activators, since the activator mercaptan and product mercaptan are easily separated by centrifugation or filtration before analysis. An assay for cathepsin B using benzyloxycarbony-Lys-thiobenzyl ester as a substrate and glutathione coupled to Sepharose as an activator, has been shown to be 275 times as sensitive as a standard assay using benzoyl- dl -arginine- P -nitroanilide. For papain, the thiol esterase assay is 162 times as sensitive as the benzoyl- dl -arginine- P -nitroanilide assay. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of this assay is included.
Primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Spine: A Case Report and Literature Review

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the spine is a rare form of extranodal lymphoma. This entity constitutes a diagnostic challenge due to its mimicking of other spinal diseases and the difficulty in establishing a tissue diagnosis. In fact, core biopsy can be inconclusive, oftentimes requiring surgical biopsy. Definitive evidence is lacking regarding the treatment of choice. As a result, the prognosis remains unfavorable. We present the case of an adult female who presented with back pain and was found to have a spinal NHL. We also review the literature regarding this rare occurrence.
Commentary on Legal Liability: Organizing the Advisory Council

Although we cannot predict the outcome of uncertain legal issues, it is possible that advisory councils face less legal liability than boards of directors. The key to minimizing the risk is to keep the council separate from the board.
Differential stimulation of PKC phosphorylation of potassium channels by ZIP1 and ZIP2.

Targeting of protein modification enzymes is a key biochemical step to achieve specific and effective posttranslational modifications. Two alternatively spliced ZIP1 and ZIP2 proteins are described, which bind to both Kvβ2 subunits of potassium channel and protein kinase C (PKC) ζ, thereby acting as a physical link in the assembly of PKCζ-ZIP-potassium channel complexes. ZIP1 and ZIP2 differentially stimulate phosphorylation of Kvβ2 by PKCζ. They also interact to form heteromultimers, which allows for a hybrid stimulatory activity to PKCζ. Finally, ZIP1 and ZIP2 coexist in the same cell type and are elevated differentially by neurotrophic factors. These results provide a mechanism for specificity and regulation of PKCζ-targeted phosphorylation.
Determination by cadmium-113 nuclear magnetic resonance of the structural basis for metal ion dependent anticooperativity in alkaline phosphatase.

Cadmium-113 nuclear magnetic resonance (113Cd NMR) has been used to probe the binding characteristics of 113Cd2+ to the three classes of metal binding sites in Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase to help elucidate the molecular origin of the metal ion dependent "half-sites" reactivity exhibited by this dimeric Zn2+ metalloenzyme [Otvos, J.D., Armitage, I.M., Chlebowski, J.F., & Coleman, J.E. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 4707-4713]. In the absence of phosphate, the first two 113Cd2+ ions added to the apodimer give rise to a single 113Cd resonance (169 ppm), indicating selective binding to the pair of symmetrically disposed A sites. Resonances arising from additional 113Cd2+ bound to the B and C sites cannot be observed; B- and/or C-site occupation also renders the A-site 113Cd resonance undetectable. Both these observations have been attributed to severe chemical exchange broadening in the A-, B-, and C-site 113Cd signals induced by an unknown modulation process(es). Interestingly, covalent phosphorylation of the active-site serine residues abolishes this exchange modulation, allowing three separate resonances to be detected and assigned to 113Cd2+ located at each of the three classes of metal binding sites in the enzyme. By varying the metal composition of the phosphorylated enzyme, we have characterized the correlations that exist between the chemical shifts ana intensities of these 113Cd resonances and the metal occupancies of the A, B, and C sites in the individual subunits. This information has allowed us to conclude that the half-sites phosphorylation of the Cd2 2+ enzyme is accompanied by a slow migration of half the Cd2+ originally located at the A sites to the B sites on the phosphorylated subunits. The driving force for this metal redistribution, which at equilibrium leaves half the subnits devoid of metal ion and thereby incapable of binding phosphate, is apparently the dramatic stabilization of the complex of Cd2+ with the B sites, which was demonstrated to occur in those subunits that become phosphorylated. From the kinetics of both phosphorylation and metal redistribution in Cd2 2+ enzyme, we suggest that population of the A and B sites in a subunit, rather than the A site alone, constitutes the minimum requirement for induction of catalytic function in alkaline phosphatase. The spin relaxation properties of the enzyme-bound 113Cd2+ ions are also briefly discussed.
Acyl chain length, saturation, and hydrophobicity modulate the efficiency of dietary fatty acid absorption in adult humans.

Intestinal fat absorption is known to be, overall, a highly efficient process, but much less is known about the efficiency with which individual dietary fatty acids (FA) are absorbed by the adult s...
Adolescents' and Parents' Perceptions of Runaway Behavior: Problems and Solutions

This exploratory study examined runaway adolescents' and parents' perceptions about youth and family life and explored reasons youth run away and what could be done that would help them remain home. Comparisons between adolescents' and parents' reports of family functioning demonstrated significant discrepancies. Few parents assumed any responsibility for the runaway behavior or change efforts. More adolescents blamed themselves or cited difficulties in parent–child relationships and offered ideas that entailed altering their attitudes and behaviors or family relationships. The implications of the findings for interventions and future research efforts are explored.
Synthesis, characterization and electrochemistry of diruthenium complexes linked by aryl acetylide bridges

The reactions between Ru2(ap)4Cl and the appropriate lithiated aryl acetylene resulted in the complexes Ru2(ap)4(CC4-C6H4CCX) with X as SiMe3 (1), H (2) and Ru2(ap)4 (3), 1,3-[Ru2(ap)4(CC)]2(C6H4) (4), 1,3-[{Ru2(ap)4(CC)}2]C6H35-CCH (5) and 1-[Ru2(ap)4(CC)]C6H33,5-(CCH)2 (6), where ap is 2-anilinopyridinate. The spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the new complexes have been assessed. Complexes 3, 4 and 6 display two-electron oxidation and reductions, implying the absence of any significant electronic interaction between the two Ru2(ap)4 units in these complexes.
Relative contributions from particle conduction and gas convection to the heat transfer coefficient between dense gas-solid fluidized beds and surfaces

Abstract Relative contributions from particle conduction and gas convection to the heat transfer coefficient between gas-solid fluidized beds and surfaces are studied using experimentally measured values. The measurements were made over a wide range of fluidization conditions ( d av = 56–1789 μ m, U = 0.02–2.6 m/s). This includes 18 different systems, i.e. five different materials (glass, sand, aluminum, polypropylene, FCC), twelve different particle sizes, and two different distributor plates. Twelve of these systems were measured using a sintered distributor plate and six using a perforated distributor plate. The study was conducted in a 5 cm × 30 cm fluidized bed. At about a particle size of 650 μm or at the onset of Geldart D type powders the primary mode of heat transfer charges from particle conduction to gas convection.
AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CANNED SLICED TOMATOES

A process utilizing the synergistic effects of minimal thermal processing in glass containers, acidification, calcium firming, and refrigerated storage to produce a superior quality canned sliced tomato has been developed. After 6 months of refrigerated storage these canned slices were judged to be equal in quality to peeled and sliced fresh winter-grown tomatoes when used in sandwiches and salads. Microbiological tests proved the efficacy of the process for all storage temperatures, and separately showed the additive preservative effect of each of the process variables.
Adaptive, acoustic noise suppression for speech enhancement

Removal of ambient noise from a single-channel audio signal is becoming an increasingly important problem due to the proliferation of portable communication devices. Furthermore, in applications such as wireless telephony and phonetic data mining, it is desired that noise suppression be robust to changing noise conditions and that processing take place in real time or faster. This paper proposes an adaptive noise suppression system that mitigates or eliminates processing artifacts common to Wiener filtering without decreasing speech recognition performance. Results of one implementation of such a structure demonstrate significant improvements in both perceptual quality and speech recognition performance under noisy conditions.
Action of anorexigenic peptide injected into the brain: Dissociation of effect on body weight and feeding in the rat

Abstract Previous reports on the effect of anorexigenic peptide (AXP) administered systemically in the rodent are inconsistent in terms of the effect of the tri-peptide on food intake and body weight. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of AXP infused into the brain on these measures. In post-pubescent female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain, guide cannulae were permanently implanted in the lateral cerebral ventricle for repeated intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion. Postoperatively, measures of food and water intake and body weight were obtained every day at the same time. After a 7-day base-line period, AXP was infused bilaterally in a total volume of 15 μl and in a dose of either 0.25 μg (n=7) or 1.25 μg (n=5), with artificial CSF vehicle serving as the control solution (n=6). ICV infusions were given once daily for 20 consecutive days, after which the same intake and body weight measures were recorded for another 7-day period. The rats given 0.25 μg AXP showed a significant suppression in weight gain with the overall slope of the growth curve being 0.358. In contrast, the growth slope of the rats given the 1.25 μg dose of AXP was 0.621, whereas those given the CSF was 0.823. Although the trends of intake of food tended to follow the curves of the rats' body weight, the difference between g/kg food intake of rats during ICV infusions of either dose of AXP was not significantly different from that of the CSF controls. Water intake also was unaffected by either dose of AXP. These results demonstrate that this tri-peptide derived from urine of patients afflicted with anorexia nervosa exerts a direct effect on the brain. Since the 0.25 μg dose of AXP infused acutely ICV caused a sustained hyperthermia, its mechanism of action is apparently a metabolic one; that is, the interruption in the gain in body weight of the rat is independent of the amount of food it ingests.
Application of ultrasonic waves to detect sealworms in fish tissue.

The potential of employing ultrasonic waves to detect sealworms embedded deep in the fish musculature was demonstrated. Images were made of sealworm-infested cod by using both the scanning laser acoustic microscopic technique, as well as the pulse-echo technique at 10 MHz. Also, attenuation of ultrasound in the frequency range from 1.0 to 12.25 MHz was studied in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), ocean catfish (Anarhichas lupus), and the parasitic sealworm (Phocanema decipiens). The difference in the attenuation of ultrasound in sealworms and in fish tissue increased as a function of frequency. The differences between ultrasonic properties (attenuation and backscatter) of fish tissue and seal-worms was attributable to the high collagen content of the sealworms. The differences were sufficiently large at 10 MHz that sealworms could be detected in over 4 cm thickness of fish tissue.
Rabbit and pig lung damage comparison from exposure to continuous wave 30-kHz ultrasound

Previous comparative studies of ultrasound-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in mice and rabbits suggested that sensitivity to damage was species dependent (O'Brien and Zachary 1994b). In order to understand better these differences in species more analogous to the human, 74 pigs and 75 rabbits were each exposed for 10 min at 1 of 6 acoustic pressure levels (0, 145, 290, 340 [rabbits only], 460 and 490 [pigs only] kPa) at an ultrasonic frequency of CW 30 kHz. Eighteen mice were used as positive controls (10-min duration at 145 kPa). Because pig lung has numerous physiological and anatomical similarities to human lung, it was selected as the appropriate animal model for these studies. Pig lung data were compared to rabbit lung data; rabbit lung data have already been compared with mouse lung data (O'Brien and Zachary 1994a). Comparative analyses and extrapolation of these experimental data are intended to provide a better scientific basis for understanding the potential biological effects of ultrasound on human lungs since such studies will probably never be conducted with humans. Under the same exposure conditions and lung assessment criteria, mouse lung was determined to be more sensitive to ultrasound-induced damage than that of the rabbit by a factor of 3.9, the rabbit lung was more sensitive to ultrasound-induced damage than that of the pig by a factor of 3.7, and the mouse lung was more sensitive to ultrasound-induced damage than that of the pig by a factor of 14.4.
Angiotensin II AT1 Receptor Antagonism Downregulates Stress-Related Gene Expression in Brain Microvessels from Spontaneously Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats

We studied the effect of treatment with the Angiotensin II AT 1 receptor antagonist candesartan (0.3 mg/kg/day via osmotic minipumps for 4 weeks compared with administration of vehicle) in brain microvessels in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) that were vulnerable to stroke and normotensive control rats (WKY). At the dose administered, candesartan normalized blood pressure in SHR without significantly affecting blood pressure in WKY rats. We performed the gene expression analysis in rat brain microvessels using the Affymetrix Gene Chip Expression Analysis Technique. From a total of 8,799 probe array sets analyzed, we found abundant abnormalities in gene expression in SHR. Because stress has been suggested as a precipitant factor in brain ischemia and treatment with AT 1 receptor antagonist candesartan prevents the hormonal and sympathoadrenal reaction to isolation stress and protects from stress-induced gastric ulcers, we focused on the expression of stress-related genes. We found a higher number of probe array sets modified by candesartan treatment in normotensive WKY rats than in hypertensive SHR. AT 1 receptor blockade decreased the transcription levels of the stress-related tyrosine kinase receptor, stathmin, and fibroblast growth receptor genes in WKY and SHR rats. Our results indicate that Angiotensin II and its AT 1 receptors can influence gene expression independently of the effects on blood pressure. In addition, AT 1 receptor regulation of stress-related genes in brain microvessels may explain the proposed association between stress and ischemic disorders of the brain.
Spontaneous CP violation and neutral B meson decays

A model in which CP is spontaneously broken is described; it solves the strong CP problem and provides an additional mechanism for weak CP violation. This is the aspon model. Application to B decays leads to predictions for CP asymmetries much smaller than expected from the KM mechanism of explicit CP breaking.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting with urticarial plaques and hypereosinophilia in a child.

Our report describes a previously healthy 10-year-old female who was seen for urticarial plaques and mild loss of appetite. An initial laboratory workup revealed an elevated leukocyte count of 30,000/μL and a peripheral eosinophil count of 22,500/μL. A skin biopsy showed a marked hypersensitivity tissue response with abundant eosinophils. Further investigation of her peripheral eosinophilia uncovered Giardia lamblia in a stool sample. Despite treatment with the anti-parasitic agent furazolidone, the patient's urticarial plaques, leukocyte count, and peripheral eosinophil count remained unchanged. A bone marrow biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL with hypereosinophilia (ALL/Eo) represents a rare and distinct subset of ALL, with more than 30 cases documented in the literature. Our discussion summarizes the clinical aspects of this disease and reviews the reported dermatological manifestations of ALL/Eo.
A MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING APPROACH TO THE SELECTION OF ACCESS PATHS FOR LARGE MULTIUSER DATA BASES

The selection of an efficient set of access paths is critical to the design of large multiuser data bases. This task is formulated as an integer, linear mathematical program, and an approach to its solution is presented. A series of experiments support the assertion that this approach is sufficient for quickly producing an efficient, if not optimal, set of access paths for data-base problems of practical significance.
Regulation Of The DNA Damage Response By The DNA Polymerase Manager Protein UmuD

Organisms experience DNA damage from environmental as well as endogenous sources. When bacterial cells experience DNA damage DNA and other stresses, the SOS response is induced, leading to upregulation of at least 50 genes in E. coli. Many of the genes whose expression is induced as part of the SOS response are responsible for DNA repair and cell cycle regulation. Another group of genes, specialized Y family DNA polymerases with the ability to replicate damaged DNA, play a role in tolerance to DNA damage at a potentially mutagenic cost. Multiple layers of regulation control the activity of these potentially mutagenic proteins. The function of Y family DNA polymerases is regulated by UmuD, a manager protein, and its cleaved form, UmuD'. The umuD gene products directly interact with both Y family polymerases as well as the beta processivity clamp. The goal of this study is to determine the conformation and dynamics of the umuD gene products in order to understand how they regulate the cellular response to DNA damage. We are using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HXMS) to probe the conformations of UmuD and UmuD'. In HXMS experiments, backbone amide hydrogens that are solvent-accessible become labeled with deuterium over time, whereas those are are not accessible do not become labeled. Our HXMS results reveal that the N-terminal arm of UmuD, which is not present in the cleaved form UmuD', exhibits local partial unfolding. Residues that contact the N-terminal arm show large differences between UmuD and UmuD'. Additionally, there are substantial regions of stable conformation in both proteins. Complete characterization of UmuD and UmuD' dynamics is currently in progress.
Changes in American urban floodplain occupancy since 1958: the experiences of nine cities

Abstract In 1958, researchers from the University of Chicago documented increases in the number of structures in the floodplains of 17 American cities, a phenomenon attributed to the prevalence of flood control structures. Because federal policies have shifted to managing floodplains, this paper updates the 1958 study for nine of the cities. Several trends are apparent. Development pressures determine flood-plain encroachment; floodplain management regulations have been implemented where it was easiest to do so. Further, structural measures continue to dominate. Thus, while many local officials are becoming more aware of advantages of flood-plain regulation, implementation and enforcement are inconsistent and uneven.
Kinetics of ring formation

We study reversible polymerization of rings. In this stochastic process, two monomers bond and, as a consequence, two disjoint rings may merge into a compound ring or a single ring may split into two fragment rings. This aggregation-fragmentation process exhibits a percolation transition with a finite-ring phase in which all rings have microscopic length and a giant-ring phase where macroscopic rings account for a finite fraction of the entire mass. Interestingly, while the total mass of the giant rings is a deterministic quantity, their total number and their sizes are stochastic quantities. The size distribution of the macroscopic rings is universal, although the span of this distribution increases with time. Moreover, the average number of giant rings scales logarithmically with system size. We introduce a card-shuffling algorithm for efficient simulation of the ring formation process and we present numerical verification of the theoretical predictions.
Positron emission tomography neuroreceptor imaging as a tool in drug discovery, research and development.

Improved communication and cooperation between researchdriven drug companies and academic positron emmision tomography (PET) centers, coupled with improvements in PET camera resolution, the availability of small animal PET cameras and a growing list of neuroreceptor-specific PET tracers, have all contributed to a substantial increase in the use and value of PET as a tool in central nervous system drug discovery and development.
Comparison of Sizes of Magnesia Crystals Calculated from X‐ray Diffraction Line‐Broadening and Transmission Electron Microscopy Observations

When MgO is formed by decomposition of MgCO/sub 3/ under vacuum, crystal sizes calculated from XRD line breadths are found to be in reasonable agreement with direct TEM observations. For aligned MgO crystallites from Mg(OH)/sub 2/, the sizes calculated are found to be calculated discordant. The sizes calculated from XRD data are too large because the MgO crystallites form from Mg(OH)/sub 2/ in near-perfect alignment.
Restructuring of APL functions

The philosophy and style that has come to be known as "structured programmlng" emphasizes great concern with the manner in which a program is organized [1]. It implies that some program constructions are more effective than others, even though both might yield identical results. In many software applications, human efficiency (which might be related to such things as the ability to read, alter and understand programs) is more important than computer efficiency (which includes less memory space and/or execution time).In APL, branching is generally used within a defined function to direct the execution of commands. It is denoted by the symbol → followed by an expression E: →E. Since the value of E, the expression to the right of the branch arrow, may be scalar or vector, the form the branch command takes is a function of the ability of the programmer. A suitable standard form for the branch command is desirable and feasible.For the purposes of this discussion, the "branch to specified line number or execute next line": form of the branch command is selected as the standard form. It is entirely feasible to perform branch standardization automatically and still preserve the meaning of the original function. This paper describes such an approach.
An NMR study of icosahedral heteroatom borane derivatives

Abstract An extensive study of 13C and 11B shielding values of icosahedral heteroatom boranes is described. Shielding effects on polyhedral atoms due to variations (a) in directly bonded exopolyhedral groups, (b) in ortho cage groups, (c) in meta cage groups, and (d) in para cage groups are outlined. A linear relationship between 13C and 11B shielding values of isoelectronic and isostructural icosahedral molecules is demonstrated.
Micronutrient Intake, Menstrual History, and Bone Mineral Density in Female Collegiate Runners

Abstract An increasing number of young women in ts has shifted much research attention to bone health and the female athlete. One purpose of this investigation was to use the menstrual index (MI), an objective measure of menstrual history, to compare bone mineral density (BMD) measurements of female collegiate runners with a history of menstrual regularity to those with irregular menstrual patterns. A second purpose was to examine the relationship between BMD and calcium and magnesium intake among these two groups. Eleven regular runners with a MI ≥ 10 and 12 irregular runners with a MI 2 ) group compared to regularly menstruating runners (1.180±0.068g/cm 2 ). Pearson product-moment correlation confirmed that there was no significant relationship between BMD at any site and calcium or magnesium intake in either group. Irregular runners have a lower total body BMD than their eumenorrheic counterparts. Identifying athletes that are at high risk for low BMD could help reduce the medical costs associated with fracture development, the psychological consequences attributed to the premature end of an athlete's career, and the detrimental effects of irreversible bone loss.