cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of radiographic image quality based on patient anatomical contrast-to-noise ratio: a preliminary study with chest images

The quality of a digital radiograph for diagnostic imaging depends on many factors, such as the capture system DQE and MTF, the exposure technique factors, the patient anatomy, and the particular image processing method and processing parameters used. Therefore, the overall image quality as perceived by the radiologists depends on many factors. This work explores objective image quality metrics directly from display-ready patient images. A preliminary study was conducted based on a multi-frequency analysis of anatomy contrast and noise magnitude from 250 computed radiography (CR) chest radiographs (150 PA, 50 AP captured with anti-scatter grids, and 50 AP without grids). The contrast and noise values were evaluated in different sub-bands separately according to their frequency properties. Contrast-Noise ratio (CNR) was calculated, the results correlated well with the human observers' overall impression on the images captured with and without grids.
Vowel and nasal duration as cues to voicing in word-final stop consonants: spectrographic and perceptual studies.

To determine durational differences between vowel and nasal segments preceding word-final /t/ and /d/, spectrograms were made of adult speakers' productions of minimal pairs of the type /peent/-/pe...
The “Great Wall” in tourism research – a portrait of Geoff Wall

When McKercher (2008) conducted a citation analysis of tourism scholars, he raised a simple but thought-provoking question: who are the most influential scholars in our field of study? The question...
Assemblies of carbon nanotubes and unencapsulated sub-10-nm gold nanoparticles.

The development ofassemblies consisting ofunencapsulated, sub-10-nm gold particles attached to individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with diameters of 2 nm is described. The assemblies are formed on the surface ofa porous anodic alumina (PAA) template on which the CNTs (singleor double-walled) are grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The Au nanoparticles are formed through an indirect evaporation technique using a silicon nitride membrane mask, and diffuse along the PAA surface into the regions containing CNTs. The nanoparticles bind relatively strongly to the CNTs, as indicated by observations ofnanoparticles that are suspended over pores or that move along with the CNTs. This approach may provide a new method to functionalize CNTs for chemical or biological sensing and fundamental studies of nanoscale contacts to CNTs.
The effects on stuttering frequency of pairing punishment (response cost) with reinforcement.

Three adult male stutterers spoke spontaneously during five experimental segments. In Segment I (baserate) stuttering frequency was counted; no response-produced stimuli were delivered. In Segment ...
Developmental Differences in Cognitive Control: Goal Representation and Maintenance During a Continuous Performance Task

The present study examined whether younger and older children differ in the use of the goal-related information in a continuous performance task (AX-CPT), and if so, whether those age differences are due to the ability to represent and/or maintain goal information. Experiment 1 compared third- and sixth-grade children in their ability to transform the identity of letter cues into goal representations, as well as to sustain those goal representations during a long (5,500 ms) cue-probe delay in the AX-CPT. Experiment 2 used a short cue-probe delay (1,000 ms) and thereby eliminated the demands of maintaining goal representations in working memory. In addition, Experiment 2 varied the level of demand that was placed on the ability to represent context information by varying the features of letter cues. The combined results of these experiments indicated that sixth graders were superior to third graders in cognitive control under conditions that placed demands on either the ability to represent or maintain goa...
The relative contributions of B and T lymphocytes in the human peripheral blood mutagen test system as determined by cell survival, mitogenic stimulation, and induction of chromosome aberrations by radiation.

Ficoll-Hypaque-separated subpopulations of human peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes were exposed to 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, or 5.0 Gy of γ rays. Three parameters were examined: Survival, as measured by trypan blue dye exclusion in unstimulated cultures five days after irradiation; mitotic index, measured in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated cultures 48 and 72 hours after irradiation; and chromosome aberration frequency, measured 48 or 60 hours after irradiation. Survival curves of T, B, and null cells are biphasic; the D0 values for the radiosensitive populations of all three cell types are close to 0.6 Gy but are different for the radioresistant populations: 2.7 Gy for B cells, 4.77 Gy for T cells, and 6.03 Gy for null cells. B cells, as well as T cells, are stimulated to divide by PHA, and B cells comprise at least 10% of the mitotic figures seen in unirradiated cultures at 48 hours. The proportion of B lymphocytes in mitosis at any particular time after PHA stimulation decreases with increasing radiation dose, which reflects a higher mitotic radiosensitivity of B than of T cells. No significant difference, however, in chromosome aberration frequency was found between T and B cells.
Male NOD mouse external lacrimal glands exhibit profound changes in the exocytotic pathway early in postnatal development.

The lacrimal glands of male NOD mice exhibit many of the features of the human lacrimal gland in patients afflicted with the autoimmune disease, Sjogren's syndrome, including loss of secretory functions and lymphocytic infiltration into the lacrimal gland. To elucidate the early changes in the secretory pathway associated with development of Sjogren's syndrome, we investigated the organization of the exocytotic pathway in lacrimal glands of age-matched male BALB/c and NOD mice. Cryosections from lacrimal glands from 1 and 4 month male BALB/c and NOD mice were processed for confocal fluorescence and electron microscopic evaluation of different participants in exocytosis. No changes in apical actin filaments were noted in glands from NOD mice, but these glands exhibited thickening of basolateral actin relative to that seen in the BALB/c mice. Rab3D immunofluorescence associated with mature secretory vesicles was distributed abundantly in a continuous vesicular network concentrated beneath the apical plasma membrane in glands from 1 and 4 month BALB/c mice. In glands from 1 month NOD mice, rab3D immunofluorescence exhibited marked discontinuity and irregularity in the vesicular labeling pattern. While this change was also detected in glands from 4 month NOD mice, many of these glands exhibited an additional extension of rab3D labeling through the cell to the basolateral membrane. Electron microscopic analysis confirmed the formation of irregularly shaped, unusually large secretory vesicles in lacrimal glands from NOD mice. Quantitation of multiple secretory vesicles from electron micrographs revealed a significant (p≤0.05) increase in the percentage of secretory vesicles incorporated into multivesicular aggregates in lacrimal glands from 1 and 4 month NOD mice compared to BALB/c mice. The M3 muscarinic receptor, a key signaling effector of exocytosis, was redistributed away from its normally basolateral locale in glands from BALB/c mice, with concomitant enrichment in intracellular aggregates in glands from NOD mice. These findings show that lacrimal glands in NOD mice as young as 1 month contain aberrant secretory vesicles with altered effector composition that undergo premature cytoplasmic fusion, and that changes in the distribution of the M3 muscarinic receptor occur within the same time frame.
The sprouting of septal afferents to the dentate gyrus after lesions of the entorhinal cortex in adult rats

The projection of the septum to the dentate gyrus has been demonstrated autoradiographically and the pattern of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining in the dentate gyrus has been mapped histochemically, in a series of normal young adult rats and in a group of animals in which the entorhinal cortex had been ablated or its efferents to the dentate gyrus interrupted, some weeks earlier. It is clear from this material that the normal disposition of the septal projection to the dentate gyrus differs significantly from the pattern of AChE staining; however, in the denervated region of the molecular layer in the experimental animals there is a marked increase in the density of the septal projection which precisely coincides with the zone of intensification of AChE staining. It follows from this that although the distribution AChE does not accurately reflect the organization of the septo-dentate projection in normal animals, the intensification of AChE staining provides a good indication of the reorganization which occurs in this pathway following entorhinal deafferentation.
Seasonal Performance of a Hybrid Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System for Simulated Fresh Oil Field-Produced Water

Seasonal changes (e.g., temperature, photoperiod, microbial activity) can affect treatment performance of constituents (oil, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in a constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS). The purpose of this research was to measure seasonal differences in performance of a hybrid free water surface CWTS for renovating simulated fresh oil field-produced water (FOPW) for surface water discharge and irrigation. The hybrid CWTS was constructed outdoors and consisted of an oil/water separator and two pilot-scale wetland series with four cells each. Oil removal activity (oil-specific agar plates) as well as acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extractable metal concentrations were measured in the laboratory. For this experiment, water temperatures ranged from 0 to 30.2 °C in the wetland cells. There were no measurable seasonal differences in performance during this study. From inflow to outflow, the hybrid CWTS decreased oil marker compound concentrations by ≥99 % and Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations by ≥98 %. There were no significant (p ≥ 0.5634) differences in biodegradation activity of oil nor in production of AVS during the year-long study, which supported our findings of consistent removal of the targeted constituents. With a hydraulic retention time of 4 days, oil marker compound and Cd concentrations in the treated simulated FOPW were greater than surface water discharge criteria, but did not cause toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas (e.g., decreased survival or reproduction). Data from this pilot-scale hybrid CWTS indicated that performance goals for the removal of targeted constituents from simulated FOPW could be achieved throughout a seasonal study.
Quantifying DNS namespace influence

Name resolution using the Domain Name System (DNS) is integral to today's Internet. The resolution of a domain name is often dependent on namespace outside the control of the domain's owner. In this article we review the DNS protocol and several DNS server implementations. Based on our examination, we propose a formal model for analyzing the name dependencies inherent in DNS. Using our name dependency model we derive metrics to quantify the extent to which domain names affect other domain names. It is found that under certain conditions, more than half of the queries for a domain name are influenced by namespaces not expressly configured by administrators. This result serves to quantify the degree of vulnerability of DNS due to dependencies that administrators are unaware of. When we apply metrics from our model to production DNS data, we show that the set of domains whose resolution affects a given domain name is much smaller than previously thought. However, behaviors such as using cached addresses for querying authoritative servers and chaining domain name aliases increase the number and diversity of influential domains, thereby making the DNS infrastructure more vulnerable.
Subcellular location of the Δ12 desaturase rules out bacteriocyte contribution to linoleate biosynthesis in the house cricket and the American cockroach

Abstract Subcellular membranes from cricket whole-body homogenates and cockroach fat body homogenates were separated by differential and isopycnic centrifugation. Marker enzymes, phosphatidylcholine glyceride transferase, Na + /K + -ATPase and H + -ATPase, were assayed to establish the identity of the endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane and mitochondria, respectively. Electron microscopy of the separate membrane fractions revealed distinct morphological differences in each fraction. The Δ 12 desaturase activity was found to comigrate with the lightest fraction, the endoplasmic reticulum, while the endosymbiotic bacteria were recovered in the cell debris and mitochondrial fractions. These results provide definitive evidence that the Δ 12 desaturase activity in Acheta domesticus and Periplaneta americana is of insect origin and not due to endosymbiotic bacteria. This is also the first reported separation of a microsomal fraction from insects into endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes.
Areawide Field Study on Effect of Three Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor Baits on Populations of Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

ABSTRACT Periodic sampling of 43 independent monitors, initially active with Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, or the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), was conducted to evaluate the effects of cellulose baits containing one of three chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs)—diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, or chlorfluazuron—on termite populations. Diflubenzuron at 0.1% active ingredient (AI, wt:wt) had no noticeable effect on termite populations. Chlorfluazuron (0.25% [AI]) significantly reduced termite populations in ≈3 yr. Chlorfluazuron used after >2-yr diflubenzuron treatment significantly reduced termite populations within months. This suggests diflubenzuron exposure increased the termite's sensitivity to chlorfluazuron accelerating population collapse. Hexaflumuron (0.5% [AI] ) also reduced termite populations in ≈2 yr. The process of removing most detectable termite populations from the ≈460,000-m2 campus of the Southern Re...
Potentiation of l-canavanine-induced developmental anomalies in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, by some amino acids

Abstract The growth and development of final-stadium tabacco hornworm Manduca sexta (Sphingidae) larvae fed a 2.5 mM l -canavanine-containing diet is disrupted markedly. Such canavanine-mediated disruption of larval growth is intensified greatly when these organisms are fed a canavanine-containing diet supplemented with a 1 : 10 molar ratio of l -arginine, l -citrulline, l -ornithine or l -2,4-diaminobutyric acid, the larvae possess enhanced haemolymph volume (oedema) and a significant mortality results from incomplete larval-pupal ecdysis. Two other compounds, 3-aminobutyric acid and l -2,3-diaminopropionic acid, do not produce larvae showing oedema but most larvae fail to complete larval-pupal ecdysis. 4-Aminobutyric acid, l -threonine and l -glutamic acid are much less potent but they still manifest appreciable developmental aberrations. Eighteen other tested compounds have no discernible effect. In general, compounds accentuating the biological activity of canavanine have: an α-carboxyl and α-amino group; a carbon skeleton of no less than 2 nor more than 4 carbon atoms; and and ω-amino group.
Phosphate Transport in Yeast Vacuoles

Abstract The vacuole of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a major storage compartment for phosphate. We have measured phosphate transport across the vacuolar membrane. Isolated intact vacuoles take up large amounts of added [32P]phosphate by counterflow exchange with phosphate present in the vacuoles at the time of their isolation. The bidirectional phosphate transporter has an intrinsic dissociation constant for phosphate of 0.4 mm. Exchange mediated by this carrier is faster than unidirectional efflux of phosphate from the vacuoles. The transporter is highly selective for phosphate; of other anions tested, only arsenate is also a substrate. Transport is strongly pH-dependent with increasing activity at lower pH. Similar phosphate transport behavior was observed in right-side-out vacuolar membrane vesicles.
Effect of Thickness on Large-Deflection Behavior of Shells

and then jumps to 25% of the chord at u18.5 deg. This corresponds to the arrival of the reversed- ow region (SLV) in its upstream movement along the airfoil surface. The results at x=cD 0:52 and 0.84 (Figs. 2c and 2d) show a similar trend, differing only in the timing of the events. In each case, the initial viscous layer, which is already quite thick, further thickens as the incidence increases to u18.0 deg. At this point it is no longer possible to de ne a vortical layer thickness because the boundary of the vortical layer has moved outside the visualization  eld. In each case, during the downward pitching phase of the oscillation, the  ow recovers, completing the hysteresis loop, even though only a part of the thumb curve lies within the  eld of vision.
In vivo targeting of acute myocardial infarction with negative-charge, polymer-modified antimyosin antibody: use of different cross-linkers.

Background Cell surfaces and intercellular matrixes contain acidic residues, making them negatively charged. Antibodies are basic, positively charged glycoproteins. Therefore the potential for nonspecific ionic interaction exists, which could increase the background activity. Modification of antibodies with negatively charge-modified polymers have been shown to reduce this nonspecific background activity. This study was performed to investigate the appropriateness of different cross-linkers used covalently to link the chelating negatively charge-modified polylysine to antimyosin Fab (AM-Fab). The cross-linking was performed through peptide (AM-I) or thioether (AM-II) bonds. The in vitro evaluation of the immunointegrity and the in vivo assessment were performed to investigate the potential for reduction of nontarget background activity. Furthermore, the role of the charge of the polymers (whether completely negatively charge modified by succinylation [AM-IIs] or only partially negatively charge modified [AM-IIns]) was also assessed.
Legal, Ethical, and Practical Considerations of Postbid Negotiations in the Award of Building Construction Subcontracts

AbstractThe literature is lacking an operational framework for understanding the relationship between postbid negotiation and resulting project performance measures (e.g., cost, schedule, quality, safety, and relationships). Similarly, no attempt has been made to propose a model for the buyout process that respects the full spectrum of variables constraining general contractor (GC) purchasing decisions. Postbid negotiations, including the practices of bid shopping and bid peddling, are reviewed in the context of both legal and ethical limitations. Through synthesis of the applicable case law, legislative statues, and scholarly research on the topic, several thought-provoking problem statements are put forth along with an operational framework for their resolution. Previous work on the distinction between project buyout and bid shopping is extended. A model buyout approach is proposed that respects the various contingent parameters at work. Academicians can benefit through thoughtful consideration of the c...
A combined photovoltaic and Li ion battery device for continuous energy harvesting and storage

The design, fabrication, and initial analysis of a continuous energy harvesting and storage device for wireless sensor applications were undertaken. A Si nanowire-based photovoltaic (PV) device and Li ion battery were integrated onto a single Si substrate. The three terminal device consisted of separate positive terminals for each component and a shared negative electrode. The effect of Li+ incorporation into the planar PV electrode was evaluated. The current–voltage behavior of the PV device was tolerant to high Li+ concentrations. A titanium nitride layer between the battery and PV portions of the shared electrode was shown to be an effective diffusion barrier to Li+ incorporation.
Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta: can it be a target for oral cancer

Despite progress in treatment approaches for oral cancer, there has been only modest improvement in patient outcomes in the past three decades. The frequent treatment failure is due to the failure to control tumor recurrence and metastasis. These failures suggest that new targets should be identified to reverse oral epithelial dysplastic lesions. Recent developments suggest an active role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3 β) in various human cancers either as a tumor suppressor or as a tumor promoter. GSK3β is a Ser/Thr protein kinase, and there is emerging evidence that it is a tumor suppressor in oral cancer. The evidence suggests a link between key players in oral cancer that control transcription, accelerated cell cycle progression, activation of invasion/metastasis and anti-apoptosis, and regulation of these factors by GSK3β. Moreover, the major upstream kinases of GSK3β and their oncogenic activation by several etiological agents of oral cancer support this hypothesis. In spite of all this evidence, a detailed analysis of the role of GSK3β in oral cancer and of its therapeutic potential has yet to be conducted by the scientific community. The focus of this review is to discuss the multitude of roles of GSK3β, its possible role in controlling different oncogenic events and how it can be targeted in oral cancer.
Phosphorus Changes in Totally Parathyroidectomized Rana Pipiens

Previous studies reported from our laboratories have shown that there is a decrease in plasma calcium in parathyroidectomized Rana pipiens, followed by a gradual increase approximately to control levels. Urine calcium was significantly higher in the operated animals than in the controls. In the experiments reported herein, plasma phosphorus was found to increase within 2 hours after parathyroid ablation, followed by a gradual decrease. However, even after 14 days the plasma phosphorus still was significantly higher than in unoperated animals. Urine phosphorus also was significantly above that of the control animals within 2 hours. Therefore, the increase in plasma phosphorus could not have been due to an increased reabsorption of phosphorus by the mesonephros. Eventually the high urinary phosphorus declined gradually, but in a fluctuating course. Plasma and urine calcium determinations were made at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours after parathyroidectomy. Plasma calcium concentrations did not change within the fi...
Magnetospheric boundary perturbations on MHD and kinetic scales

To study the magnetopause on both MHD and kinetic scales, we have analyzed two Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms/Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun magnetopause crossings under steady slow-solar wind and minimum magnetic shear conditions. These events approximate a ground state of the magnetospheric boundary with minimum influences from large-solar wind disturbances and magnetic reconnection. Our observations reveal evidence for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, the quasi-periodicity of magnetopause surface waves accompanied by highly asymmetrical plasma signatures between the inbound (from magnetosheath to low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL)) and the outbound (from LLBL to magnetosheath) magnetopause crossings. Stronger plasma and magnetic gradients were observed during the outbound crossings but more gradual and volatile variations at higher frequencies during the inbounds. The scale lengths of the magnetic and plasma gradients were comparable or less than the proton gyroradius. Enhancements of lower hybrid waves occurred at the locations of strong gradients or variations. We interpreted the collocations of the lower hybrid waves and plasma gradients and their variations in terms of (1) lower hybrid instabilities that directly convert solar wind flow energy into lower hybrid waves and other wave modes in the LLBL, or (2) Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and magnetic reconnection which produce the conditions for the lower hybrid instabilities to grow. The rate of ion diffusion across the magnetopause caused by the lower hybrid instability is marginally sufficient to populate the LLBL. The diffusion coefficient of O+ is ~30 times larger than that of H+. The lower hybrid waves could contribute to the energy dissipation at plasma gradients in magnetopause surface wave structures and limit Kelvin-Helmholtz instability growth further downstream.
A practical guide to evaluating cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary function in mice

The development and widespread use of genetically altered mice to study the role of various proteins in biological control systems have led to a renewed interest in methodologies and approaches for evaluating physiological phenotypes. As a result, cross-disciplinary approaches have become essential for fully realizing the potential of these new and powerful animal models. The combination of classical physiological approaches and modern innovative technology has given rise to an impressive arsenal for evaluating the functional results of genetic manipulation in the mouse. This review attempts to summarize some of the techniques currently being used for measuring cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary variables in the intact mouse, with specific attention to practical considerations useful for their successful implementation.
Self-determination, vocational rehabilitation, and workplace supports

This article introduces the special issue on self-determination and vocational rehabilitation by defining the self- determination construct and examining its relevance to vocational rehabilitation services.
Nuclear astrophysics at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

The potential for understanding spectacular stellar explosions such as novae, supernovae, and X-ray bursts will be greatly enhanced by the availability of the low-energy, high-intensity, accelerated beams of proton-rich radioactive nuclei currently being developed at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These beams will be utilized in absolute cross section measurements of crucial (p, {gamma}) capture reactions in efforts to resolve the substantial qualitative uncertainties in current models of explosive stellar hydrogen burning outbursts. Details of the nuclear astrophysics research program with the unique HRIBF radioactive beams and a dedicated experimental endstation--centered on the Daresbury Recoil Separator--will be presented.
Bio1 as CS1: evaluating a crossdisciplinary CS context

We present the curriculum, deployment, and initial evaluation of a course, BioCS1, designed to serve as an introductory course in both biology and CS. Co-taught by professors in both fields, BioCS1 interweaves fundamental biology and computational topics in a manner similar to contextual approaches to CS1. In contrast to other contextual approaches, however, BioCS1 emphasizes both CS and its context equally. The results suggest that such cross-disciplinary collaborations can thrive at the introductory level, just as they have later in the curriculum.
New estimates of the third-order elastic constants for isotropic aggregates of cubic crystals

An improved method, based on an extension of the self-consistent method from the linear theory, is proposed to evaluate the effective third-order elastic constants for isotropic aggregates of cubic crystals. The calculated constants are compared with the Voigt and Reuss-type estimates, which are currently the only other analytical estimates available for these constants. The agreement between calculations and experimental data is then discussed.
Conceptual models of spirituality

Summary The traditional social work view of human nature and the whole person has emphasized biological, psychological, and social dimensions. Interdisciplinary and, more recently, social work conceptualizations of the whole person have added spirituality. After exploring definitions of spirituality, this article describes seven models which include diagrams that enhance the conceptual understanding of spirituality. The models are examined with regard to the spiritual growth process by drawing on developmental theories. A new diagrammatic model, Spirituality: A Wholistic Model, illustrates the relationship between spirituality and the biological, psychological, social, and transpersonal dimensions of the person. It provides a way to evaluate the helpfulness of experiences, including practice interventions, with respect to their role in assisting each individual in moving toward realization of full potential.
P3 event-related potentials and performance of young and old subjects for music perception tasks.

Event-related potentials and performance data were recorded from young and old subjects performing six tasks involving auditory discrimination of musical stimuli. Tasks included pure tone, timbre, rhythm, and interval discrimination, detection of a meter shift, and discrimination of open and closed harmonic endings for chord progressions. P3 latencies were generally longer for the old subjects. P3 amplitude and performance differences between subject groups were not significant. Our results provide a quantitative probe of the neural and behavioral significance of the influence of aging and stimulus complexity on the processing of some of the elementary constituents of music. In particular, pure tone and timbre discrimination appear to correspond to behaviorally and Neurally simpler processing than does discrimination of the other musical constituents tested in our study.
The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe

1. Introduction 2. An experiential approach to societal continuity and change 3. Civil society and democratization 4. An empirical baseline: post-communist civil society in comparative perspective 5. Explaining organizational membership: a statistical test of alternative hypotheses 6. Why post-communist citizens do not join organizations: an interpretive analysis 7. Conclusion.
Mutual Identifiability Analysis for Parameter Signature Isolation in the Time-Scale Plane

It was shown recently that regions in the time-scale plane can be isolated wherein the prediction error can be attributed to the error of an individual model parameter. A necessary condition for this isolation capacity is the mutual (pairwise) identifiability of the model parameters. This paper presents conditions for mutual identifiability of parameters of linear models and refines these conditions for models that exhibit rank-1 dependency on the parameters.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Religious Non-Governmental Organizations: An Exploratory Analysis

This paper represents the first systematic attempt at an analysis of religious nongovernmental organizations (RNGOs). Largely ignored as an organizational field, RNGOs constitute a new breed of religious actors shaping global policy–an organizational hybrid of religious beliefs and social activism at local, national, and international levels. This paper proposes a definition of RNGOs, traces the emergence of RNGOs from an historical perspective, and situates them in their current religious and sociopolitical contexts. Drawing on interviews and documentary data from a sample of 263 United Nations-affiliated RNGOs, the author proposes an analytical framework to examine the religious, organizational, strategic, and service dimensions of these organizations. Religious nongovernmental organizations' unique contributions to the redefinition of a just society as well as the sociopolitical challenges arising from their religious identity are discussed.
Detecting the presence of a proximate cellular user through distributed femtocell sensing

This article examines a femtocell-based scheme as a prospective means to enhance the performance of current cellular systems. In the adopted framework, femtocells are tasked with connecting local devices to the network of a mobile operator without creating undue interference to cellular users. The access point of a femtocell only possesses limited information about its parent cellular infrastructure. For instance, it may not know individual channel gains, user locations or frequency allocations. A paradigm where local devices are employed as acquisition sensors in a distributed inference problem is considered. The added knowledge captured through the use of mobile devices combined with the agility of reconfigurable antenna systems lead to significant performance gains when compared to the operation that results from deploying oblivious femtocells. Experimental results are provided to support this study and its conclusions.
The In Vivo Fibrotic Role of FIZZ1 in Pulmonary Fibrosis

FIZZ (found in inflammatory zone) 1, a member of a cysteine-rich secreted protein family, is highly induced in lung allergic inflammation and bleomycin induced lung fibrosis, and primarily expressed by airway and type II alveolar epithelial cells. This novel mediator is known to stimulate α-smooth muscle actin and collagen expression in lung fibroblasts. The objective of this study was to investigate the in vivo effects of FIZZ1 on the development of lung fibrosis by evaluating bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in FIZZ1 deficient mice. FIZZ1 knockout mice exhibited no detectable abnormality. When these mice were treated with bleomycin they exhibited significantly impaired pulmonary fibrosis relative to wild type mice, along with impaired proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression. Deficient lung fibroblast activation was also noted in the FIZZ1 knockout mice. Moreover, recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells to injured lung was deficient in FIZZ1 knockout mice. Interestingly in vitro FIZZ1 was shown to have chemoattractant activity for bone marrow cells, including bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Finally, overexpression of FIZZ1 exacerbated fibrosis. These findings suggested that FIZZ1 exhibited profibrogenic properties essential for bleomycin induced pulmonary fibrosis, as reflected by its ability to induce myofibroblast differentiation and recruit bone marrow-derived cells.
Lobeline Attenuates Methamphetamine-Induced Changes in Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Immunoreactivity and Monoamine Depletions in the Striatum

L-Lobeline is an alkaloid that inhibits the behavioral effects of methamphetamine (METH) in rats. No studies have examined the effects of lobeline on the acute and long-term neurochemical changes produced by neurotoxic doses of METH. The effects of lobeline on METH-induced dopamine release, alterations in vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT-2) distribution, and long-term depletions of dopamine and serotonin (5-HT) content in the rat striatum were examined. METH increased body temperature and dopamine release, decreased VMAT-2 immunoreactivity at 1 and 24 h after METH, and decreased dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content in striatum when examined 7 days later. Prevention of METH-induced hyperthermia attenuated the decrease in VMAT-2 as well as dopamine and 5-HT content. Lobeline pretreatment did not affect METH-induced dopamine release but attenuated the decreases in VMAT-2 after METH and the long-term decreases in striatal dopamine and 5-HT content. These effects of lobeline were due partly to the attenuation of METH-induced hyperthermia. The maintenance of hyperthermia during lobeline + METH exposure restored the effects of METH on decreases in VMAT-2 as well as dopamine and 5-HT content. To examine the effects of lobeline independent of its effects on METH-induced hyperthermia, lobeline was administered after METH when body temperature returned to normal. Lobeline treatment at 5 and 7 h after METH attenuated the METH-induced decreases in synaptosomal, membrane-associated, and vesicular VMAT-2 24 h after METH, as well as the METH-induced decreases in dopamine and 5-HT content 7 days later. Therefore, lobeline has both temperature-dependent and -independent neuroprotective effects against METH toxicity.
A comparison of stigma toward eating disorders versus depression

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare the degree of stigma associated with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and depression. Method: Participants read one of three vignettes describing clinical cases of AN, BN, or depression, and answered questions assessing stigma toward individuals with one of these three mental disorders. Results: Attitudes toward individuals with eating disorders were significantly more stigmatizing than attitudes toward individuals with depression. Individuals with an eating disorder were rated as more fragile, more responsible for their disorder, and more likely to use their disorder to gain attention than individuals with depression. Furthermore, the majority of participants reported that they admired certain aspects of eating disorders, thought that there might be some benefits to having an eating disorder, and that others would be motivated to imitate eating disorder behavior. Discussion: Stigma toward individuals with eating disorders is greater than stigma toward depression and includes unique features such as attitudes of envy. Implications of these results for the understanding of mental disorder stigma and eating disorders are discussed. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2010;)
Pattern selection for testing of deep sub-micron timing defects

Due to process variations in deep sub-micron (DSM) technologies, the effects of timing defects are difficult to capture. This paper presents a novel coverage metric for estimating the test quality with respect to timing defects under process variations. Based on the proposed metric and a dynamic timing analyzer, we develop a pattern-selection algorithm for selecting the minimal number of patterns that can achieve the maximal test quality. To shorten the run time in dynamic timing analysis, we propose an algorithm to speed up the Monte-Carlo-based simulation. Our experimental results show that, selecting a small percentage of patterns from a multiple-detection transition fault pattern set is sufficient to maintain the test quality given by the entire pattern set. We present run-time and accuracy comparisons to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our pattern selection framework.
Hormonal regulation of microsomal cytochrome P4502E1 and P450 reductase in rat liver and kidney.

1. The relative roles of pituitary hormones (especially growth hormone) and testicular hormones (especially testosterone) in the regulation of renal and hepatic CYP2E1 and cytochrome P450 reductase have been studied in the male rat. 2. Depletion of pituitary hormones by hypophysectomy (Hx) resulted in 12-14-fold increases in renal CYP2E1 (p ⩽ 0.05) and a 40% drop in NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reductase activity (p ⩽ 0.05) compared with 6-fold increases in CYP2E1 (p ⩽ 0.05) and a 60% drop in P450 reductase apoprotein (p ⩽ 0.05) in the liver. 3. The increase in hepatic CYP2E1 was associated with increased gene transcription in nuclear run-on experiments. 4. Restoration of renal CYP2E1 to control levels by hormone treatment required both growth hormone and an intact testis, whereas partial restoration of CYP2E1 apoprotein levels in liver was accomplished by growth hormone, but not testosterone. 5. Renal NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reductase activity was restored by growth hormone and testosterone treatmen...
High-power RF pulse compression with SLED-II at SLAC

Increasing the peak RF power available from X-band microwave tubes by means of RF pulse compression is envisioned as a way of achieving the few-hundred-megawatt power levels needed to drive a next-generation linear collider with 50-100 MW klystrons. SLED-II is a method of pulse compression similar in principal to the SLED method currently in use on the SLC and the LEP injector linac. It utilizes low-loss resonant delay lines in place of the storage cavities of the latter. This produces the added benefit of a flat-topped output pulse. At SLAC, we have designed and constructed a prototype SLED-II pulse-compression system which operates in the circular TE/sub 01/ mode. It includes a circular guide 3-dB coupler and other novel components. Low-power and initial high-power tests have been made, yielding a peak power multiplication of 4.8 at an efficiency of 40%. The system will be used in providing power for structure tests in the ASTA (Accelerator Structures Test Area) bunker. An upgraded second prototype will have improved efficiency and will serve as a model for the pulse compression system of the NLCTA (Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator). >
Willingness to pay for threatened and endangered marine species: a review of the literature and prospects for policy use

Non-market valuation methods have been employed to estimate willingness to pay for numerous threatened, endangered, and rare (TER) species over the past few decades. While most of these efforts have focused on terrestrial species, over 30 published studies have been conducted to measure economic values associated with the preservation, protection, and enhancement of scores of marine species. In this paper, this literature is reviewed and assessed, and an evaluation of the suitability of existing TER species values as inputs for the analysis of marine and coastal policies, and the prospects and challenges for improving them, are discussed. The published literature is found to suffer from coverage issues, both geographical and in terms of species types. It includes stated preference valuation studies focused on marine species only in developed countries (United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece), with the highest concentration of studies occurring in the United States. The species valued primarily can be classified as charismatic megafauna—seals and sea lions, whales, and sea turtles—plus well-known fish species, like salmon. Only a small handful of lesser known species are included among those valued to date. Species value estimates were as much as $356 (2013 U.S. dollars), but differed in the frequency of payments (e.g., lump sum vs. annual), the entity paying (e.g., household, resident, or visitor), and the specific good being valued (e.g., species preservation or a type of enhancement). Potential sources of errors arising from the use of these values for policy analyses, and the temporal stability of them, provide reasons to be cautious in their application. Nevertheless, several trends in the literature appear to provide reasons to be optimistic about the literature, particularly the recent expansion of types of species valued and more policy-relevant values.
A Century of Hyperthyroidism at Mayo Clinic.

From the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL (R.C.S.); and the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (J.C.M.). H yperthyroidism was first described by Caleb Hillier Parry (1825), Robert Graves (1835), and Karl von Basedow (1840). At the beginning of the 20th century, the causes were poorly understood and treatment was limited to surgery because antithyroid drugs and radioactive iodine (RAI) were unavailable until the early 1940s. Because of high surgical mortality, treatment was often delayed until the condition was advanced, and a multistage procedure might be required. Initially, hot water was injected into the thyroid, then a thyroid artery was ligated, and subsequently one or both thyroid lobes were resected. Furthermore, critically ill patients who survived surgery risked postoperative death from thyroid storm. Understanding of the etiology, pathology, physiology, clinical manifestations, and management of hyperthyroidism has evolved over the past 100 years, and new insights continue to emerge. Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists, working across disciplines, have contributed importantly to understanding this illness. This review of the Mayo Clinic experience will highlight these achievements, including pathologic clarification of the most common forms of hyperthyroidism, isolation of a crystalline product of thyroid hormone, development of a basal metabolism laboratory, discovery of a method to reduce postoperative mortality, investigation of the kinetics of thyroid hormones using radioisotopes, development and/ or establishing the clinical utility of laboratory tests to diagnose and monitor therapy for hyperthyroidism, clinical characterization of extrathyroidal manifestations of Graves disease, surgical management of severe Graves ophthalmopathy, the role of orbital radiotherapy, and the pathogenesis of Graves ophthalmopathy.
Abstract 12295: Vascular Response to the Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter Inhibitor in Type 2 Diabetic Mice

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of oral drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and they reduce plasma blood glucose levels by inhibiting renal glucose reabsorption. However, there are no data investigating the vascular response to the SGLT inhibitors. This study is designed to determine whether and how phlorizin (a non-specific SGLT1 and 2 inhibitor) and canagliflozin, a FDA-approved SGLT2-specific inhibitor, regulate vascular tone in pulmonary and coronary arteries of control and T2D mice. Both phlorizin and canagliflozin induced vascular relaxation in pre-contracted pulmonary and coronary arteries. In addition, pretreatment of SGLT inhibitors significantly attenuated NO-dependent vascular relaxation in pulmonary arteries (assessed by sodium nitroprusside, a NO donor), but not in coronary arteries. We further examined the downstream of NO-dependent relaxation in pulmonary artery using a cGMP analogue and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor as well as measured membran...
Tracer norepinephrine kinetics: dependence on regional blood flow and the site of infusion

The rate of appearance of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) in the regional venous drainage (NE spillover) can be estimated based on intravenous or intra-arterial infusions of [3H]NE. The present study examined whether forearm NE spillover (FASO) in humans depends on forearm blood flow (FBF) and on the site of infusion of the tracer. Healthy volunteers underwent infusions of [3H]NE and [3H]isoproterenol (Iso) administered intravenously (n = 21), intra-arterially (n = 32), or by both routes in the same experimental session (n = 7). FBF was manipulated by intra-arterial infusions of the vasodilator sodium nitroprusside (n = 7) or the vasoconstrictor methoxamine (n = 7). Forearm extraction percents of [3H]NE exceeded those of [3H]Iso in all subjects undergoing intravenous infusions (54 vs. 46%, P less than 0.001), whereas extraction percents of [3H]Iso exceeded those of [3H]NE when the tracers were infused intra-arterially. Regardless of the infusion site, FASO was positively correlated with FBF (r = 0.44, P less than 0.005). Nitroprusside increased FBF and FASO, and methoxamine decreased FBF and FASO. When the tracers were added to whole blood, 89% of [3H]NE and 83% of [3H]Iso remained in plasma after 1 min; although no further loss of [3H]NE occurred over time, only 60% of the added [3H]Iso remained in plasma by 20 min. The results indicate that regional NE spillover is flow dependent, complicating inferences about regional sympathoneural activity. Intra-arterial infusion of [3H]NE results in higher estimates of regional NE spillover than does intravenous infusion of the tracer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)