cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The value of online surveys

Purpose – To provide a thorough analysis of the role of the internet in survey research and to discuss the implications of online surveys becoming such a major force in research.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is divided into four major sections: an analysis of the strengths and potential weaknesses of online surveys; a comparison of online surveys with other survey formats; a discussion on the best uses for online surveys and how their potential weaknesses may be moderated; and an overview of the online survey services being offered by the world's largest research firms.Findings – If conducted properly, online surveys have significant advantages over other formats. However, it is imperative that the potential weaknesses of online surveys be mitigated and that online surveys only be used when appropriate. Outsourcing of online survey functions is growing in popularity.Practical implications – The paper provides a very useful source of information and impartial advice for any professional who is co...
MicroRNA epigenetic alterations in human cancer: One step forward in diagnosis and treatment

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are approximately 22 nt non-coding RNAs, which regulate gene expression in a sequence-specific manner via translational inhibition or messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation. Since the discovery of their fundamental mechanisms of action, the field of miRNAs has opened a new era in the understanding of small noncoding RNAs. By molecular cloning and bioinformatic approaches, miRNAs have been identified in viruses, plants and animals. miRNAs are predicted to negatively target up to one-third of human mRNAs. Cancer is a complex genetic disease caused by abnormalities in gene structure and expression. Previous studies have heavily focused on protein-coding genes; however, accumulating evidence is revealing an important role of miRNAs in cancer. Epigenetics is defined as mitotically and/or meiotically heritable changes in gene expression that are not accompanied by changes in DNA sequence. Given the critical roles of miRNAs and epigenetics in cancer, characterizing the epigenetic regulation of miRNAs will provide novel opportunities for the development of cancer biomarkers and/or the identification of new therapeutic targets in the foreseeable future.
Nutrition Assessment and Management of Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients

Nutrition evaluation and support is an integral component of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy. Malnutrition in the LVAD patient contributes to a host of post-operative problems, such as infection and limited functional capacity, which compromise long-term outcomes. Comprehensive pre-operative evaluation of the LVAD patient should include a nutrition assessment and formalized plan to initiate and advance nutrition support while addressing the metabolic imbalances associated with heart failure. An interdisciplinary approach, including a nutrition support team, is desirable to manage these patients effectively. This article reviews essential aspects regarding nutrition management of these patients.
Isolation and anticoagulant properties of a new sulfated xylan: comparison with heparin and a sodium pentosan polysulfate (SP-54).

Abstract Larchwood xylan was purified by diaminoethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose chromatography, sulfated by heating with chlorosulfonic acid -pyridine complex and the sulfated polysaccharide was isolated by epichlorohydrin triethanolamine (ECTEOLA) cellulose chromatography as the sodium salt. It's molecular weight was ∼25000 and the specific rotation was [α] D 20–70°. Electrophoretic analysis of the sulfated xylan along with heparin and SP-54 using lithium acetate-agarose technique showed that the charge density of the xylan sulfate was similar to heparin and it moved as a single component in contrast to commercial heparin which resolved into two while SP-54 moved at the same rate as the marker dye. Anticoagulant properties of the sulfated xylan were compared with heparin and SP-54 by studying its effect on the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and the thrombin time (TT) using pooled normal human plasma. The sulfated xylan was more effective than SP-54 in delaying coagulation by all the three measurements while it was less active than heparin in inhibiting APTT and PT.
The Effect of Field Direction on Magneto-Resistance

Variation of Magneto-resistance Effect with Direction of the Magnetic Field.\char22{}(1) Theoretical discussion. The fact that in general the resistance of a conductor differs slightly according to whether the magnetic field is transverse or longitudinal, may be due to two factors. First, there may be a direct effect of the field on the motion of the electrons, as predicted by the electron theories of J. J. Thomson and others. But the author shows that if Townsend's method of developing the electron theory of conduction is adopted, the variation of resistance comes out zero. Second, the effect of the magnetic field may vary with the arrangement of crystals in the conductor, and therefore with the position of the conductor if the crystal structure is anisotropic. (2) Experiments with cost bismuth, pressed graphite and rolled cadmium are described in which a small bar or sheet of the material was placed in each of three mutually perpendicular positions in a field of 7,000 or 8,000 gausses, and resistance measurements were made for various positions of the rotatable Weiss magnet. For bismuth and cadmium the variations found are not symmetrical around the current direction and are evidently due chiefly to the crystal structure. For graphite the variations when the field was rotated in the plane of the sheet were within the experimental error, therefore both factors were inappreciable. These results are not conclusive but they suggest that the Townsend theory is correct. If so this magneto-resistance effect may be completely explained by assuming a change in the number and mean free period of the conducting electrons which depends not only on the magnetic field but on its direction with reference to the crystal axes.
Conditionally gamma- and k-distribution models for SAR ATR

Model-based approaches to automatic target recognition (ATR) generally infer the class and pose of objects in imagery by exploiting theoretical models of the formed images. Recently, we have performed an evaluation of several statistical models for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and have conducted experiments with ATR algorithms derived from these models. In particular, a one-parameter complex Gaussian model, classically used to model diffuse scattering, was shown to deliver higher recognition rates than a one-parameter quarter-power normal model on actual SAR data. However an extended, two-parameter quarter-power model was consistently a better fit to the data than a corresponding two-parameter Gaussian model. In this paper, we apply Rician, gamma, and K distribution models, which are two-parameter extensions of the complex Gaussian and quarter-power normal models, to ATR from SAR magnitude imagery. We consider maximum-likelihood estimation of unknown model parameters and apply the resulting training and testing algorithms to actual SAR data. We show that the K distribution model performs better than the Rician and gamma models for both large and small sample sizes. The one-parameter complex Gaussian model performed slightly better than the K model overall. For small sample sizes, this is likely due to the relative stability in estimating only one model parameter. For large sample sizes this is likely due to a lack of persistence in specular reflections over the large angular intervals required to obtain large samples.
Cognitive Aids for Guiding Graph Comprehension.

This study sought to improve students' comprehension of scientific graphs by adapting scaffolding techniques used to aid text comprehension. In 3 experiments involving 121 female and 88 male college students, some students were shown cognitive aids prior to viewing 4 geography graphs whereas others were not; all students were then asked to write a summary of the main information in the graphs. Students who received signaling or structural graphic organizers, which are designed to facilitate the cognitive process of organizing, generated more relational statements (e.g., "the deeper the water, the greater the sediment concentration"; d = 0.60 and d = 1.10, respectively) but not more causal statements (e.g., "because the river is picking up sediment from the banks") than did students in control groups; students who received concrete graphic organizers, which are designed to facilitate integration with prior knowledge, generated more causal statements (d = 0.39) but not more relational statements. Combining signaling and concrete graphic organizers resulted in increases in both relational and causal statements (d = 0.76 and 0.93, respectively). Results are consistent with a cognitive model of graph comprehension.
Isolated bulbar inversion in corrected transposition

Abstract A case of corrected transposition of the great vessels with bulbar inversion alone (type B1) is described in detail. This case further substantiates the classification of transposition variants as presented by Harris and Farber and by Cardell.
Density gradient centrifugation of cells separated from multicellular tumor spheroids.

Cells from a murine fibrosarcoma (FSa) have been grown in vitro as multicell tumor spheroids (MTS). The growth rate of these MTS was determined. Follwing selected periods of growth, MTS were made into a single cell suspension and separated on linear density gradients of Renografin. While only 1 population of cells was separated from small spheroids (400 μm diameter), at least 3 subpopulations of tumor cells were separated and isolated from large spheroids (800 μm in diameter).
Die bestimmung der geschwindigkeit der elektrochemischen phasengrenzreaktion mit hilfe der rotierenden scheibenelektrode bei reaktionen aus der realen adsorptionsschicht (temkin-fall)

Zusammenfassung Es wurden (i/iu)−(m/mo)1/2 Abhangigkeiten fur den Fall berechnet, dass die elektrochemische Phasengrenzreaktion aus einer realen Adsorptionsschicht (Gultigkeit der Temkin-Isotherme) erfolgt. Die reziproke Auftragung der Strome i/iu gegen (m/mo)1/2 zeigt fur das Gebiet (m/mo)1/2
Regional, Seasonal, and Diurnal Variations of Extreme Convection in the South Asian Region

Abstract Temporal and spatial variations of convection in South Asia are analyzed using eight years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) data and NCEP reanalysis fields. To identify the most extreme convective features, three types of radar echo structures are defined: deep convective cores (contiguous 3D convective echo ≥40 dBZ extending ≥10 km in height) represent the most vertically penetrative convection, wide convective cores (contiguous convective ≥40 dBZ echo over a horizontal area ≥1000 km2) indicate wide regions of intense multicellular convection, and broad stratiform regions (stratiform echo contiguous over an area ≥50 000 km2) mark the mesoscale convective systems that have developed the most robust stratiform regions. The preferred locations of deep convective cores change markedly from India’s east coast in the premonsoon to the western Himalayan foothills in the monsoon. They form preferentially in the evening and over land as near-surface moist flow is cap...
Congenital absence of the vas deferens: incomplete penetrance of cystic fibrosis gene mutations.

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the penetrance of cystic fibrosis gene mutations for the clinical phenotype of congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the fertility status of 244 brothers of 105 men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens. Testing for the most common cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations and for haplotype analysis of the intron 8/polythymidine segment was recommended for all men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens.Results: Of 244 brothers of men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens 131 were eligible for assessment of fertility. Of the 131 evaluable brothers only 7 (5%) were found to have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens. This prevalence is 5 times lower than that predicted for congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (25%) based on the autosomal recessive inheritance pattern seen in classical cystic fibrosis. For couples in ...
Intermittent warming effects on superficial scald development of ‘Cortland’, ‘Delicious’ and ‘Law Rome’ apple fruit

Abstract ‘Cortland’, ‘Delicious’ and ‘Law Rome’ apples were intermittently warmed to 20°C for 24 h every 1, 2, or 4 weeks during cold storage for 16 weeks, not warmed, or treated with diphenylamine (DPA) at harvest. The effects of these treatments on fruit ripening and on the accumulation of α-farnesene and its oxidation products in hexane extracts of the peel, were assessed throughout storage. Incidence and severity of superficial scald were assessed after 22 weeks. Warming treatments, especially the weekly regime, advanced fruit ripening. Without warming, scald incidence in ‘Cortland’, ‘Delicious’ and ‘Law Rome’ was 70, 14 and 85%, respectively. Intermittent warming treatments reduced scald but the magnitude of effects varied among cultivars. In ‘Cortland’, scald was reduced only by the weekly warming treatment, which was less effective than DPA treatment. In ‘Delicious’, all warming treatments were equally effective but less so than DPA. In ‘Law Rome’, weekly warming controlled scald better than DPA, but less frequent warming was proportionately less effective in controlling the disorder. Concentrations of conjugated trienes measured at 281 nm were not related consistently to scald incidence after storage, but ratios of measurements at 258 and 281 nm in crude hexane extracts were. The results are discussed in relation to the α-farnesene hypothesis of scald development and chilling injury.
Kernel-based tracking for improving sign detection performance

To be deployed in the real-world, automatic and semi-automatic systems should understand traffic rules by recognizing and comprehending contents of traffic signs, because traffic signs inform what driving behaviors should be. In this paper, we present the successful application of methods to improve the traffic sign localization performance. Given a potential sign region, our algorithm represents both the detected sign as a target and candidates in the subsequent frame as probability density functions. Then, our algorithm maximizes the similarity between a target and candidates to localize the sign. Finally, the maximum similarity among candidates is assigned as a tracked sign. The experimental results verify that our algorithm can robustly localize traffic signs in images under various weather conditions and driving scenarios.
Open repair of asymptomatic popliteal artery aneurysm is associated with better outcomes than endovascular repair.

Objective Open (OPAR) and endovascular (EPAR) repair are both used to treat popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA). We assessed outcomes of both modalities in the treatment of asymptomatic PAAs. Methods Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) databases (2010 to 2013) were queried for patients undergoing asymptomatic PAA repair using OPAR and EPAR. The groups were compared with respect to demographics, medical history, and procedural characteristics. Outcomes of interest were length of stay (LOS), major adverse limb events (MALE), MALE or perioperative death (MALE-POD), and loss of primary patency compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Proportional hazard Cox regression was used to compare the outcomes across the treatment groups. Multivariable regression with backward elimination procedure (α = .5) was used to construct parsimonious models to predict MALE and MALE-POD. Gamma regression was used to compare LOS. Results From 2010 to 2013, 390 patients with asymptomatic PAAs were identified (221 OPAR, 169 EPAR) and included in this study. Preoperative comorbidities were similar between the two groups, except for a higher rate of congestive heart failure (19.5% vs 11.8%, P = .042) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19.5% vs 11.8%, P = .042) in the EPAR group. No in-hospital mortality was observed. LOS was significantly longer in the OPAR group (3.8 ± 2.5 vs 1.4 ± 1.9 days; P P P P P P Conclusions This retrospective analysis suggests that OPAR is associated with better outcomes than EPAR. Ultimately, the ongoing, adequately powered Open versus Endovascular Popliteal Artery Aneurysm Repair (OVERPAR) trial will definitively compare these procedures.
Effects of ArF excimer irradiation on single energy and multi energy Ge ion implanted silica

Some of the effects of ArF excimer irradiation on the optical bands produced by single energy (4 MeV) and multi energy (highest energy 4 MeV) Ge implantations in silica (Type III) have been determined. Ge ions were implanted at 4 MeV with nominal doses of 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0×1015 ions/cm2. A second series of samples was made using implant energies ranging from 4 to 0.7 MeV. The doses at each energy were varied to maintain an approximate constant implant species concentration with the total number of ions implanted being 10×1015 and 5×1015 cm−2 for concentrations of 0.042 and 0.021 at.%, respectively. The optical absorption was measured from 2.8 to 6.5 eV. The absorption of samples was then measured after 6.4 eV ArF excimer radiation with a fluence of 44 mJ/cm2 per pulse for pulse totals of 3, 11 and 31. We fit the observed spectra for the as-implanted samples and the samples after each ArF exposure to the minimum number of bands attributed to intrinsic states in SiO2 required to fit the data within ±2%. The magnitude and response of these absorption bands to the ArF irradiation was a function of dose and implant conditions.
Ovarian Cancer in Older Women

Advancing age is considered a risk factor for survival in ovarian cancer. Several groups reported at least a twofold increased risk of death in women older than 65 years of age. In this review, we will focus on several aspects of the management of ovarian cancer in the elderly, including the prognostic implications of advanced age, surgical considerations in the frail, chemotherapy options such as intraperitoneal (IP) treatment, and geriatric assessment in predicting toxicity.
Commercial biobanks and genetic research: ethical and legal issues.

Human biological material is recognized as an important tool in research, and the demand for collections that combine samples and data is increasing. For-profit companies have assumed a leading role in assembling and managing these collections. The emergence of commercial biobanks has raised significant ethical and legal issues. The growing awareness of the importance of human biological material in research has been accompanied by a growing awareness of the deficiencies of existing archives of tissue. Commercial biobanks are attempting to position themselves as a, if not the, solution to problems that include a lack of public trust in researchers and lack of financial resources to support the prospective creation of collections that meet the highest scientific and ethical standards in the non-profit sector. Broad social and policy questions surrounding the operation of commercial biobanks have been raised however. International documents, in particular, suggest discomfort with the idea of gain from the mere transfer or exchange of human genetic material and information. Commercial involvement in the development of useful products from tissue is generally not condemned, so long as there is attention to scientific and social norms. Views on the acceptability of commercial biobanks vary. Specific issues that arise when commercial biobanks are permitted — in the areas of consent, recruitment, confidentiality, and accountability — are also relevant to the operation of public and private, non-profit biobanks. Although many uncertainties remain, consensus seems to be forming on a number of issues. For example, there appears to be agreement that blanket consent to future unspecified research uses, with no conditions, is unacceptable. Indeed, many of the leading commercial biobanks have been attentive to concerns about consent, recruitment, and confidentiality. Unfortunately, the binding nature of assurances in these areas is unclear, especially given the risk of insolvency. Hence, accountability may be the most important area of concern in relation to commercial biobanks. A few countries have enacted general legislation providing for comprehensive regulation of biobanks, for example, through licensure. Efforts to achieve harmonization of standards at the international level, and cautions against an approach that focuses on biobanking for genetic research alone, are to be applauded.
Ankle and foot trauma

This article reviews the most common foot and ankle injuries that the general radiologist and general orthopedic surgeon are likely to encounter. Fractures and dislocations seen in children and adults are included as well as soft tissue injuries. Ankle fracture classification schemes are discussed briefly. Techniques for advanced imaging with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) are discussed where appropriate.
Management of a pediatric patient with aggressive low-grade sarcoma of the maxillary sinus: Case report and literature review

Abstract Pediatric sinonasal tumors are characterized by histological diversity, nonspecific clinical presentations, and variable recurrence and metastatic potential. We describe a rare low-grade, undifferentiated sarcoma with bland/benign histopathology but an aggressive course in a 10-year-old boy with nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and left eye proptosis. Imaging revealed a large sinonasal soft tissue mass completely obstructing the left nasal cavity, without intraorbital involvement or distant metastasis. The mass stained positive for S100, vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Ki-67 and negative for desmin and EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor). The patient underwent neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy, and definitive surgical resection via a left lateral rhinotomy/maxillectomy approach. Post-treatment results were excellent, and the patient has remained disease free at one-year follow-up based on clinical, radiographic, and direct endoscopic visualization examinations with minimal morbidity or functional disability.
Long‐term disease‐free survival in immature teratoma of the ovary

Long-term follow-up on five patients with immature teratoma of the ovary with residual metastatic Grade 0 disease following chemotherapy is reported. All five patients are free of progressive disease 40–96 months following original diagnosis. The concept of ‘retroconversion’ following chemotherapy for immature teratoma of the ovary is reemphasized. Cancer 50:159–162, 1982.
Regulation of receptor‐mediated shape change in astroglial cells

Activation of adenylate cyclase in astroglial cells in culture results in a rapid change in cell shape that appears to occur by the active movement of cytoplasm from peripheral cell regions to the perinuclear space with processes being formed along regions that remain extended. Three series of experiments were designed to determine how shape change occurred. First, the Ca(2+)-dependency of shape change was determined by reducing intracellular Ca2+ concentrations to less than or equal to 50 nM or increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentrations to greater than or equal to 1 microM. Neither of these changes significantly affected the rate of receptor-mediated shape change. Second the role that longer-lived, acetylated microtubules play in receptor-mediated shape change was assessed by visualizing microtubules using a polyclonal antibody to brain 6S tubulin or a monoclonal antibody to oligomers of tubulin to monitor total tubulin distribution and a monoclonal antibody to acetylated tubulin to describe the distribution of these microtubules. Three-dimensional distribution of microtubules was observed by optical sectioning of cultures using a laser scanning confocal imaging system. The distribution of acetylated tubules in control cells was similar to that observed with the antibodies to tubulin. Following treatment with 100 nM isoproterenol to stimulate shape change, there was a dramatic redistribution of microtubules; however, the distribution of acetylated tubules was again similar to the total microtubules. Analysis of the optical sections recorded using the confocal attachment revealed that while control cells were relatively flat (cell height = 4 microns), the perinuclear region of isoproterenol-treated cells extended much higher above the substrate (cell height = 13 microns). Third, the role of microtubule assembly and disassembly were assessed using colchicine and taxol. Results from these experiments suggest that microtubule reassembly is necessary for receptor-mediated shape change. Control experiments indicated that colchicine or taxol treatment did not inhibit either cAMP synthesis or another cAMP-dependent process, receptor-mediated taurine release. Together these results indicate that receptor-mediated shape change in astroglial cells occurs by a Ca(2+)-independent mechanism that results in active movement of cytoplasm to the perinuclear region. This process is dependent on microtubule reassembly suggesting that shape change may occur by active movement of material along microtubules or by microtubule redistribution.
2-Ethylhexyl tetrabromobenzoate and bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate flame retardants in the Great Lakes atmosphere.

Two relatively new flame retardants, 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), were identified and quantitated in gas and particle-phase air samples collected from six sites near the shores of the Great Lakes. TBB and TBPH were detected in more than half of the samples collected from 2008 to 2010. Urban areas, such as Chicago and Cleveland, showed the highest concentrations (0.36–290 pg/m3), while remote areas, such as Eagle Harbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes, exhibited the lowest levels (0.050–32 pg/m3). The atmospheric concentrations of TBB and TBPH increased rapidly and significantly over this time period, perhaps indicating that these compounds are replacing the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been removed or soon will be removed from the marketplace.
Noise, bias, and expertise in political communication networks

Abstract A central focus in the study of social networks and politics centers on the dynamics of diffusion and persuasion, as well as the manner in which these processes are affected by expert “opinion leaders.” The role of experts is particularly important in communication processes characterized by noisy, biased information – processes in which people with variable levels of expertise and strength of preference select informants, as well as being influenced by them. We employ an experimental approach that addresses these problems at multiple levels of observation in a highly dynamic context – small groups of individuals communicating with one another in real time. The analysis shows that participants formulate candidate judgments that decay in time, but the decay occurs at a significantly lower rate among the better informed. Moreover, the better informed are less affected by socially communicated messages regarding the candidates. Hence the influence of experts is not only due to their powers of persuasion, but also to the durability of their own privately formulated opinions. Their role in the communication process is further heightened by the higher value placed by participants on expert opinion, which in turn exposes the recipient to a heterogeneous and hence potentially influential stream of information.
The problem of audience in Mantua: understanding ritual efficacy in an Italian Renaissance princely state

Traditional historical analysis of the highly developed pageantry of Renaissance courts generally assumes the efficacy of ritual. In the case of Mantua, it would be easy to assume that the elaborate processions, costly chivalric tournaments, and stately commemorations of the city's patron saints communicated vital messages of power and authority to the subjects of marquis Francesco II Gonzaga and his wife Isabella d'Este, who ruled the city in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The archival evidence, however, suggests that the Gonzaga often confronted a problem co-ordinating the symbolic content of their rituals with the interests of their audiences. While the Gonzaga focused much of their energy and resources on the Mantuan nobility, they frequently failed to excite their more humble subjects. Specifically, the Gonzaga transformed formerly popular celebrations, such as the feasts of San Leonardo and Santi Pietro e Paolo, into elite affairs designed to construct and maintain their aristocratic networks while at the same time exalting themselves. But, by the end of the fifteenth century, both of these public events experienced flagging participation, not only among the city's lower orders but, surprisingly, also among Mantua's nobility.
Avian dependence on sound pressure level as an auditory distance cue.

Abstract Sound pressure level (SPL) has received little attention as a distance cue or signal for communication because of the methodological difficulty of determining source SPL from free-ranging signallers and because SPL is presumed to be unreliable as a distance cue. Eastern towhees, Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Emberizidae, Passeriformes), in south-central Florida give a simple call during territorial interactions. I obtained measurements of call-source SPL with a calibrated microphone positioned 100±10 cm from caged male eastern towhees. Measurements of source SPL were highly variable, but much of this variation can be predicted from measurements of call duration or call frequency variables (spectrotemporal variables). Male towhees accurately perceived the distance of a speaker after it played synthetic calls that matched the amplitude and structure of natural 84-dB and 78-dB call types. Subjects flew further in response to an attenuated (−6 or −12 dB) version of an otherwise identical 84-dB call and flew shorter in response to an amplified (+6 dB) version of this same call. Towhees misjudged speaker distance in approximately half of the trials that included a discrepancy (−6, −12 or +6 dB SPL) between playback source SPL and predicted spectrotemporal variables. These distance errors suggest that towhees assess auditory distance partly from the difference between perceived SPL and source SPL, determined from spectrotemporal variables.
Discussion: Merger Component of Growth of Agricultural Cooperatives

The authors have presented a concise and informative statement of the differential effects of external and internal expansion on the growth rate of agricultural cooperatives. Rather than attempt a detailed criticism of their paper, I will try to provide some comments of an explanatory nature and offer some additions which I feel are relevant to this topic. The conclusions of the authors that firms which have entered into
Varietal differences in potassium uptake by excised roots ofNicotiana tabacum

The rate of potassium uptake by two varieties of burley tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) differed by as much as two-fold when excised roots were absorbing K from solutions of 2.5 × 10−4 M KCl. With increasing substrate levels of KCl the difference between varieties decreased and no difference was observed at a KCl concentration of 1.6 × 10−2 M. The K-absorption by excised roots of several varieties from solutions of 5 × 10−4 M KCl was compared.
“As I walked through the wilderness of this world” acquisitions: the pilgrim’s progress

Once again, the intrepid pilgrims departed their assorted Cities of Destruction, leaving behind friends and family, and made their various ways to the Celestial City, the Feather River Inn, home of...
Serum proteins and disazo dye teratogenesis.

Serum proteins of pregnant rats were analyzed by paper electrophoresis following administration of the teratogenic disazo dyes trypan blue, Evans blue, Niagara blue 4B, Niagara sky blue 6B, Congo red, and Niagara blue 2B. Sera were obtained from blood taken by cardiac puncture just before dye injection, 48 hours after dye injection; and again at autopsy. All of the dyes tested caused a reduction in serum albumin and total protein concentration and an elevation in the concentration of beta or alpha-2 globulins at some time during pregnancy. The remaining serum fractions reacted variably to the dye treatment. In spite of the rather consistent results presented in this paper, and similar findings reported for other teratogens, there is no direct proof that altered serum proteins, per se, are causally related to the production of malformations.
Work in progress: Supporting Latino and English Language Learners' written communication skills: A research-based pedagogical intervention

This paper reports preliminary findings from a qualitative study of a research-based pedagogical intervention in a freshman-level course for engineering majors. In this intervention, engineering instructors collaborated with an applied linguist in education to design activities to improve writing skills, an important professional skill in engineering. Development of effective writing skills is challenging for students, and particularly for Latinos and English Language Learners (ELLs). This challenge can be effectively addressed with meaningful writing tasks and appropriate pedagogy. Preliminary findings show improved communication and interpersonal skills among students.
TH‐D‐BRA‐04: Late Effects from Diagnostic Imaging

Over the past several decades the use of medical imaging has progressively increased to the point where it accounts for the greatest exposure of ionizing radiation to the general population. The use of CT alone has grown to over 60 million studies per year in the United States and represents the largest contribution to medical radiation exposure. Of these about 11% (>7 million) are performed on pediatric patients. Pediatric patients are particularly susceptible to the effects of radiation exposure as their tissues are two to ten‐times more susceptible to adverse effects associated with such exposure compared to adults. Further children have a lifetime in which to manifest radiation‐induced effects such a cataracts and the development of cancer. As radiation exposure is cumulative each exposure must be considered in deciding whether or not the benefit of performing the study outweighs its risk. Limiting patient exposure from medical imaging is multifactorial and requires judicious use of indicated studies performed with appropriate techniques on equipment that optimizes information while minimizing radiation exposure. Education is key to optimizing medical imaging while minimizing patient risk. Included in such initiatives is public education regarding appropriate use and potential risk of excessive use education of technologists radiologists and healthcare providers in general and technical improvements of imaging modalities. This presentation will provide an overview to issues specific to pediatric imaging where minimizing exposure to ionizing radiation is critically important and address potential long‐term effects of such exposure. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand that pediatric patients are not just small adults. 2. Learn methods for controlling exposure to ionizing radiation in medical imaging. 3. Learn potential sequelae of exposure to ionizing radiation in pediatrics.
Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: reducing dose while preserving image quality in the pediatric head CT examination

Over the last decade there has been escalating concern regarding the increasing radiation exposure stemming from CT exams, particularly in children. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) is a relatively new and promising tool to reduce radiation dose while preserving image quality. While encouraging results have been found in adult head and chest and body imaging, validation of this technique in pediatric population is limited. The objective of our study was to retrospectively compare the image quality and radiation dose of pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR compared to pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR in a large patient population. Retrospective analysis was performed on 82 pediatric head CT examinations. This group included 33 pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR and 49 pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR. Computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) was recorded on all examinations. Quantitative analysis consisted of standardized measurement of attenuation and the standard deviation at the bilateral centrum semiovale and cerebellar white matter to evaluate objective noise. Qualitative analysis consisted of independent assessment by two radiologists in a blinded manner of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality. The average CTDIvol value of the ASIR group was 21.8 mGy (SD = 4.0) while the average CTDIvol for the non-ASIR group was 29.7 mGy (SD = 13.8), reflecting a statistically significant reduction in CTDIvol in the ASIR group (P 12-year-old ASIR group as compared to the >12-year-old non-ASIR group (29.7 mGy vs. 49.9 mGy; P = 0.0002). Quantitative analysis revealed no significant difference in the homogeneity of variance in the ASIR group compared to the non-ASIR group. Radiologist assessment of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality in ASIR examinations was not substantially different compared to non-ASIR examinations. The use of ASIR in pediatric head CT examinations allows for a 28% CTDIvol reduction in the 3- to 12-year-old age group and a 48% reduction in the >12-year-old age group without substantially affecting image quality.
Commercial bank reserve adjustment in the 1930s – modelling and testing the Friedman and Schwartz hypothesis

Friedman and Schwartz (1963) have emphasized liquidity shocks as the dominant factor in explaining the phenomenal accumulation of reserves by US commercial banks during the 1930s. Although their hypothesis has often been challenged, it has never been tests within the framework of a formally derived model of bank behaviour. In this paper, a model of bank behaviour that is specifically tailored to test the Friedman and Schwartz hypothesis is developed. Empirical tests based on the model offer some support for their hypothesis during the years 1923 to 1936. After 1936, however, when the Fed began to drastically increase reserve requirements and banks accumulated their largest holdings of reserves, the model fails to fit the data well. So while Friedman and Schwatz's argument that liquidity shocks due to banking panics were important receives some support, their treatment of the reserve requirement increases as a second liquidity shock with similar effects on bank liquidity preferences appears inconsistent wi...
Effect of cholesterol on the tight insertion of cytochrome b5 into large unilamellar vesicles

Abstract When cytochrome b5 is added to large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of 1-pal mitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC), it binds predominantly in a ‘loose,’ or transferable form. Prolonged incubation at 30°C leads to insertion in the physiological ‘tight,’ nontransferable form, with a halftime for the loose → tight conversion of approx. 9 days. In this study, the effect of cholesterol on the rate of tight insertion was determined. Tight binding was assayed by depleting the LUVs of loose cytochrome b5 with an excess of SUV acceptors and then separating the liposome populations by gel-filtration or velocity sedimentation. Incorporation of cholesterol into the LUVs was found to markedly increase the rate of tight insertion, even though cholesterol decreases the equilibrium binding constant and saturation level of protein binding. The effect is not a continuously increasing function of cholesterol content, but attains a maximum at 20–25 mol%, where the rate enhancement is approx. 10-fold over baseline. At higher cholesterol levels, the rate decreases, returning to baseline at 40 mol% cholesterol. These observations are highly unusual in that cholesterol generally decreases the membrane binding affinity and the permeability of solutes, and does so as a monotonic function of cholesterol concentration (above the liquid-crystalline phase transition of the phospholipids). It is suggested that tight insertion is enhanced by lipid-protein packing mismatches and by bilayer fluidity; the former increases monotonically with increasing cholesterol whereas the latter decreases monotonically. At 20–25 mol% cholesterol the optimum balance of these physical properties is obtained for tight insertion.
Overview of the physics of US.

In ultrasonography (US), high-frequency sound waves are transmitted through the body by a transducer. When a transmitted ultrasound pulse encounters a tissue target, some of its energy is deflected back to the transducer. The time of flight of this ultrasound echo is used to calculate depth of the target in the transducer beam. The pulse-echo parameters used in the formation of images include echo amplitude, target spatial position, and frequency shift between the transmitted pulse and the received echo. The first two are displayed in gray-scale images and all three in color flow images. In gray-scale US, echo amplitude is encoded into shades of gray, with the lighter shades representing higher amplitude echoes. In color flow US, velocity of moving blood is usually presented in blue for motion toward the transducer and in red for motion away from it. A Doppler spectrum depicts changing blood velocity as a function of time. US has become more clinically valuable due to its ability to demonstrate soft-tissu...
How and why Britain might join the single currency: The role of policy failure

ABSTRACT Why has Britain declined to adopt the single currency? The conventional view holds that there are multiple political and economic barriers to British entry into monetary union–large fractions of public opinion, business leaders, and the Conservative party oppose entry; Britain's economic cycle is not synchronized with that of the euro-zone; adoption of the single currency would harm foreign trade and investment; British political institutions make it difficult to muster support for such a move, and so on. I argue that policy failure is a more important influence on British economic policy. Major changes occur when extant policy fails and there exists an alternative policy idea that both explains this failure persuasively and prescribes a new and more effective way forward. A British government might advocate euro membership if the current framework for policy in Britain—central bank independence with a floating exchange rate—fails, and policies pursued by the European Central Bank address the sou...
Computer Systems and Responsibility: A Normative Look at Technological Complexity

In this paper, we focus attention on the role of computer system complexity in ascribing responsibility. We begin by introducing the notion of technological moral action (TMA). TMA is carried out by the combination of a computer system user, a system designer (developers, programmers, and testers), and a computer system (hardware and software). We discuss three sometimes overlapping types of responsibility: causal responsibility, moral responsibility, and role responsibility. Our analysis is informed by the well-known accounts provided by Hart and Hart and Honore. While these accounts are helpful, they have misled philosophers and others by presupposing that responsibility can be ascribed in all cases of action simply by paying attention to the free and intended actions of human beings. Such accounts neglect the part played by technology in ascriptions of responsibility in cases of moral action with technology. For both moral and role responsibility, we argue that ascriptions of both causal and role responsibility depend on seeing action as complex in the sense described by TMA. We conclude by showing how our analysis enriches moral discourse about responsibility for TMA.
Assessing Pacification Policy in Iraq: Evidence from Iraqi Financial Markets

At the end of January, 2006 the Iraqi government issued roughly $2.7 billion of debt in exchange for over $20 billion of Saddam-era commercial claims. This paper uses variation in the yield spread of this sovereign debt to evaluate pacification policy in Iraq. Structural change models are run in conjunction with conventional event study analysis. Results detail a mixed market reaction towards pacification policies implemented through August, 2006. While the market seems wary of coalition troop withdrawals, events denoted military and political breakthroughs by the United States seldom coincide with decreases in the yield spread. However, the market responds to news of negotiations with Iran positively. The analysis underscores the potential benefits of using market variation to inform policy in regions where data collection is difficult and policies are time sensitive. Journal of Comparative Economics 36 (1) (2008) 1–16.
Cellular signalling pathways mediating dilation of porcine pial arterioles to adenosine A₂A receptor activation.

Aims Adenosine is a potent vasodilator contributing to cerebral blood flow regulation during metabolic stress. However, the distribution of adenosine receptor subtypes and underlying signalling mechanisms for dilation of pial arterioles remain unclear. The present study aimed at addressing these issues. Methods and results Isolated porcine pial arterioles were subjected to study of vasomotor function, localization of adenosine receptors, and production of nitric oxide (NO). Concentration-dependent vasodilation to adenosine was inhibited by A2A receptor antagonist ZM241385 but not by A1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine. A2A receptors were detected in endothelium and smooth muscle of pial arterioles via immunohistochemistry. Adenosine significantly increased arteriolar production of NO, and the induced dilation was insensitive to KATP channel blocker glibenclamide but was attenuated by endothelial denudation, NO synthase inhibitor l-NAME, or guanylyl cyclase inhibitor ODQ in a similar manner. Both inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channel inhibitor barium and cAMP signalling inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cAMPS attenuated adenosine-induced dilation. In the presence of l-NAME or the absence of endothelium, addition of Rp-8-Br-cAMPS but not barium further reduced adenosine-induced responses. Barium diminished endothelium-independent vasodilation to NO donor sodium nitroprusside. Comparable to the adenosine-induced response, vasodilation to A2A receptor agonist CGS21680 was attenuated by endothelial removal, ZM241385, l-NAME, barium, or Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, but not by glibenclamide. Conclusion Adenosine evokes dilation of porcine pial arterioles via parallel activation of endothelial and smooth muscle A2A receptors. Stimulation of endothelial NO production activates smooth muscle guanylyl cyclase for vasodilation by opening Kir channels. Adenosine also activates smooth muscle cAMP signalling leading to vasodilation.