A scientific organization has asked the (U.S.) National Academy of Scientists for advice on whether it should withhold critical information from journal articles due to authors' fears that its disclosure could aid terrorists, the New York Times reported today.
Dr. Ronald Atlas, president of the American Society for Microbiology, told the academy that authors have asked the ASM for permission to withhold critical information out of concern that significant data could be misappropriated or abused, the Times stated.
The ASM, which publishes 11 journals, said that some of the scientists who have requested such permission work for government laboratories. Nevertheless, the requests appear to have been made on the basis of individual judgment, according to ASM president Dr. Ronald Atlas.
The issue is complex, inasmuch as scientists must be able to reproduce the results of studies in order to verify their validity, the article stated.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersJuly 26, 2002
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ACR handbook offers anti-terrorism tips, June 13, 2002
CT is the gold standard for inhalation anthrax imaging, November 29, 2001
LeuTech to be tested for anthrax detection utility, November 5, 2001
Copyright © 2002 AuntMinnie.com
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![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
