cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image reconstruction with a shift‐variant filtration in circular cone‐beam CT

It is well known that cone-beam data acquired with a circular orbit are insufficient for exact image reconstruction. Despite this, because a cone-beam scanning configuration with a circular orbit is easy to implement in practice, it has been widely employed for data acquisition in, e.g., micro-CT and CT imaging in radiation therapy. The algorithm developed by Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress (FDK) and its modifications, such as the Tent–FDK (T-FDK) algorithm, have been used for image reconstruction from circular cone-beam data. In this work, we present an algorithm with spatially shift-variant filtration for image reconstruction in circular cone-beam CT. We performed computer-simulation studies to compare the proposed and existing algorithms. Numerical results in these studies demonstrated that the proposed algorithm has resolution properties comparable to, and noise properties better than, the FDK algorithm. As compared to the T-FDK algorithm, our proposed algorithm reconstructs images with an improved in-plane spatial resolution. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 14, 213–221, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.20026
Supercritical fluid extraction and negative ion electrospray liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of phenobarbital, butalbital, pentobarbital and thiopental in human serum

Four commonly used barbiturates (phenobarbital, butalbital, pentobarbital and thiopental) were analyzed in human serum using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and negative ionization LC/ESI-MS/MS. Barbital was used as the internal standard. Carbon dioxide SFE was performed at 40 degrees C and 500 atm, with a total extraction time of 35 min. The analytes were collected off-line in a liquid trap containing absolute methanol. Samples were then concentrated by vacuum centrifugation. The high performance liquid chromatography separation utilized gradient elution with a total analysis time of 21 min. The precursor and major product ions for the four barbiturates were monitored on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) in the multiple reaction monitoring mode as follows: (1) thiopental (m/z 241.20-->58.00), (2) phenobarbital (m/z 231.10-->188.0), (3) pentobarbital (m/z 225.10-->181.90) and (4) butalbital (m/z 222.80-->179.90). In the case of phenobarbital, pentobarbital and butalbital, the most abundant product ion arises from the loss of 43 u (HCNO loss). However, in the case of thiopental, the most abundant product ion was observed at m/z 58.0 (the [M-183]-ion, or NCS-). Mechanisms for the formation of the collision induced dissociation reaction products of these barbiturates are proposed.
The Impact of Internationalization of U.S. Multinationals on Public Affairs Strategy and Performance: A Comparison at 1993 and 2003

This study uses partial least squares (PLS) analysis to investigate the changing relationships among corporate international expansion, public affairs strategies, and public affairs performance over a 10-year period. Two waves of single-respondent data were collected from the same U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs) in 1993 and 2003. These data are used to test hypotheses that internationalization affects how successfully a U.S. MNC manages its relationships with social and political stakeholders in its nonmarket environment. The results of this unique study indicate that the number of countries in which the MNC operates and its percentages of foreign employees, foreign assets, and foreign sales are associated with the public affairs strategies that MNCs use in nonmarket environments. The study differentiates these strategies into social or political buffering and social or political bridging. Significant differences exist across the two time periods in the impact of percentage of foreign employees on ...
Potassium: penetration testing as a service

Penetration testing---the process of probing a deployed system for security vulnerabilities---involves a fundamental tension. If one tests a production system, there is a real danger of collateral damage; this is particularly true for systems hosted in the cloud due to the presence of other tenants. If one tests against a separate system brought up to model the live one, the dynamic state of the production system is not captured, and the value of the test is reduced. This paper presents Potassium, which provides penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) and resolves this tension for system owners, penetration testers, and cloud providers. Potassium uses techniques originally developed for live migration of virtual machines to clone them instead, capturing their full disk, memory, and network state. Potassium isolates the cloned system from the rest of the cloud, providing confidence that side effects of the penetration test will not harm other tenants. The penetration tester effectively owns the cloned system, allowing testing to be more thorough, efficient, and automatable. Experiments with our Potassium prototype show that PTaaS can detect real-world vulnerabilities while having minimal impact on cloud-based production systems.
Visual arrestin binding to microtubules involves a distinct conformational change.

Recently we found that visual arrestin binds microtubules and that this interaction plays an important role in arrestin localization in photoreceptor cells. Here we use site-directed mutagenesis and spin labeling to explore the molecular mechanism of this novel regulatory interaction. The microtubule binding site maps to the concave sides of the two arrestin domains, overlapping with the rhodopsin binding site, which makes arrestin interactions with rhodopsin and microtubules mutually exclusive. Arrestin interaction with microtubules is enhanced by several “activating mutations” and involves multiple positive charges and hydrophobic elements. The comparable affinity of visual arrestin for microtubules and unpolymerized tubulin (KD > 40 μM and > 65 μM, respectively) suggests that the arrestin binding site is largely localized on the individual αβ-dimer. The changes in the spin-spin interaction of a double-labeled arrestin indicate that the conformation of microtubule-bound arrestin differs from that of free arrestin in solution. In sharp contrast to rhodopsin, where tight binding requires an extended interdomain hinge, arrestin binding to microtubules is enhanced by deletions in this region, suggesting that in the process of microtubule binding the domains may move in the opposite direction. Thus, microtubule and rhodopsin binding induce different conformational changes in arrestin, suggesting that arrestin assumes three distinct conformations in the cell, likely with different functional properties.
HIV-ASSOCIATED LESIONS

Oral lesions are common in HIV infection and may be the first sign of AIDS. This article reviews the oral fungal and viral infections commonly detected in HIV-infected patients, particularly candidiasis, deep fungal infections, herpes simplex virus infections, cytomegalovirus infections, and oral hairy leukoplakia. The neoplasms associated with AIDS such as oral Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphoma are related periodontal diseases. Each disorder is discussed by clinical appearance, diagnosis, and management. Recent advances in therapy are stressed.
Response of avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors to venous CO2 and ventilatory gas flow

Abstract Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptor activity is reduced by increasing airway P CO 2 from 0 to 60 torr. Using extracellular electrodes, we recorded discharge of individual intrapulmonary chemoreceptor cell bodies in the left nodose ganglion of the rooster ( Gallus domesticus ) during unidirectional ventilation of the lungs. All receptors recorded were in the left lung. To vary pulmonary arterial P CO 2 independently of ventilation, we ventilated the two lungs separately and supplied the left pulmonary circulation with systemic arterial blood. When the P CO 2 in the pulmonary arterial blood was increased, discharge frequency decreased in all 21 receptors studied. Sensitivity to pulmonary arterial P CO 2 was similar to sensitivity to airway P CO 2 . When P CO 2 of ventilatory gas was lower than that of pulmonary arterial blood, discharge frequency of the receptor increased when pulmonary blood flow was stopped. Discharge frequency also increased when P CO 2 at the receptor site was lowered by increased ventilatory gas flow. We conclude that intrapulmonary chemoreceptors respond to the delivery and removal of CO 2 by blood and ventilatory gas. This suggests that the receptors are located within the respiratory gas exchange region of the lung. Because these receptors have a strong inhibitory effect on ventilation, they may serve to (1) adjust minute ventilation to the rate of metabolic CO 2 production and (2) to regulate individual breath size.
Creating Political Reality

“Suit yourself.” —American colloquialism Currently fashionable modes of political analysis deserve acclaim today for at least two reasons: they provide opportunities for participating in a pleasurable if strenuous activity (regardless of the value of the end results) and they effectively come to terms with the surface facts of political reality. Our posterity, too, may find it easy to esteem the contemporary products of the profession of political science should it ever look back and see how an affection for craftsmanship is combined with the ability to please. Moreover, the reward system of the profession should appear as having been nicely designed to promote the present display of talent, ingenuity, variety, and success. There is evidence, in any case, that the prevailing inclination to work hard and to develop ever more powerful analytical tools is welcomed and reinforced within the discipline. All would seem to be well. Yet doubts continue to be expressed today even by those who govern the profession and engage in what Thomas Kuhn has called normal science. Partially, there is a petulant resentment among older practitioners, scholars who are made fretful and irritable by the entrepreneurial opportunism of the nouveau riche , by the feeling that mindless industriousness rather than scholarly contemplation is now rewarded by tenure as well as by space in journals, time on panels, positions on editorial boards, and cash for projects. It does not pain me, however, to disregard the indictment that comes from this source—not because I suspect its patrician origins but because I believe it is blind to the underlying impulse of empiricism, because it ignores the subversive, liberating thrust of empirical science.
Fracture of Metal-Polymer Interfaces with Fine-Line Geometries

The fracture behavior of metal-polymer line structures as a function of dimensions was investigated using a stretch-deformation technique. The effects of line orientation, line width and film thickness are reported in this paper. When the line orientation is parallel to the stretching direction, only formation of cracks normal to the lines is observed. However, when the line is perpendicular to the stretching direction, delamination becomes the dominant mode of fracture. Wide lines (16μm) exhibit larger shear stress at the edge of the metal-polymer interface, thus delaminate earlier than narrow lines (4μm). By decreasing the metal film thickness, the depth of stress penetration at the interface decreases, making the propagation of cracks more difficult in thin films than in thick films. Finite element analysis was carried out to account for the experimental observations and good agreement was obtained. In the analysis, the plastic deformation characteristics of the metal and the polymer have been specifically taken into account. In comparison with a linear elastic analysis, the linear model predicts significantly higher stress levels and local concentrations than the nonlinear model.
Divorce, Religious Coping, and Depressive Symptoms in a Conservative Protestant Religious Group

A long tradition of research demonstrates that divorce is a risk factor for depressive symptoms. Although a growing literature examines links between religious factors and marital quality and stability, researchers have neglected the role of religion in successful or problematic coping following divorce. Building on Pargament's seminal work on religious coping, we outline relevant theory concerning several specific religious coping styles. Hypotheses are then tested using data from a large sample of members of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Results indicate that several types of religious coping bear a direct inverse association with depressive symptoms and also buffer the deleterious effects of divorce on this outcome. Several promising future directions and suggestions for practitioners are identified.
Direct Instruction: a Successful System for Educationally High‐Risk Children

(1979). Direct Instruction: a Successful System for Educationally High‐Risk Children. Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 29-45.
Quinone oxidoreductases in protection against myelogenous hyperplasia and benzene toxicity

Quinone oxidoreductases (NQO1 and NQO2) are cytosolic proteins that catalyze metabolic reduction of quinones and its derivatives to protect cells against redox cycling and oxidative stress. In humans, a high percentage of individuals with myeloid and other types of leukemia are homo- and heterozygous for a null mutant allele of NQO1. The NQO2 locus is also highly polymorphic in humans. Recently, we generated NQO1-/- and NQO2-/- mice deficient in NQO1 and NQO2 protein and activity, respectively. These mice showed no detectable developmental abnormalities and were indistinguishable from wild type mice. Interestingly, all the mice lacking expression of NQO1 and NQO2 protein demonstrated myelogenous hyperplasia of the bone marrow and increased granulocytes in the peripheral blood. Decreased apoptosis contributed to myelogenous hyperplasia. The studies on short-term exposure of NQO1-/- mice to benzene demonstrated substantially greater benzene-induced toxicity, as compared to wild type mice.
Evaluation of the ureter and ureterovesicular junction using helical computed tomographic excretory urography in healthy dogs.

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) using a protocol designed for evaluation of the ureters was performed on six normal purpose-bred research dogs. After noncontrast CT, a postcontrast scan was performed 3 min post midpoint of injection of 400 mgl/kg body weight of diatrizoate meglumine/sodium. Ureteral and ureterovesicular junction anatomy were readily assessed with minimal patient preparation. The ureters were similar in size to reported values and the renal pelvis, ureter, and ureterovesicular junction were easily identified on both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced scans. There was a significant relationship between bladder volume and interureterovesicular junction distance but not between bladder volume and ureterovesicular junction to internal urethral orifice distance. A reliable bony landmark for the identification of the internal urethral orifice could not be determined. The results of this preliminary study of normal anatomy should facilitate the clinical use of CT in the evaluation of ureteral disease (e.g., ureteral ectopia).
The copper-transporting ATPases, menkes and wilson disease proteins, have distinct roles in adult and developing cerebellum.

Copper is essential for brain metabolism, serving as a cofactor to superoxide dismutase, dopamine-β-hydroxylase, amyloid precursor protein, ceruloplasmin, and other proteins required for normal brain function. The copper-transporting ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B play a central role in distribution of copper in the central nervous system; genetic mutations in ATP7A and ATP7B lead to severe neurodegenerative disorders, Menkes disease and Wilson disease, respectively. Although both ATP7A and ATP7B are required, their specific roles and regulation in the brain remain poorly understood. Using high-resolution imaging and functional assays, we demonstrate that ATP7A and ATP7B show cell-specific distribution in adult cerebellum, have distinct enzymatic characteristics, and are regulated differently during development. ATP7B is continuously expressed in Purkinje neurons (PN) where it delivers copper to the ferroxidase ceruloplasmin. ATP7A is a faster copper transporter than Wilson disease protein as evidenced by faster rates of catalytic reactions. The expression of ATP7A switches during development from PN to Bergmann glia, the cells supporting PN function in adult brain. Inactivation of ATP7B (Wilson disease protein) by gene knock-out induces a striking shift in the expression of the ATP7B target protein, ceruloplasmin, from PN to Bergmann glia, where ATP7A (Menkes disease protein) is present. The induced cell-specific change in expression restores copper delivery to ceruloplasmin via ATP7A. Overall, the results provide evidence for distinct functions of ATP7A and ATP7B in the cerebellum and illustrate a tight link between copper homeostasis in PN and Bergmann glia.
Iron versus cholesterol—Perspectives on the iron and heart disease debate

Abstract Focusing only on the limited question of whether stored iron is a valid heart disease risk factor inappropriately narrows the scope of the debate on the “iron hypothesis.” Framing the debate in this way ignores the broad explanatory power of the hypothesis that iron depletion protects against ischemic heart disease. The iron hypothesis provides a conceptual tool for study of the mechanisms by which age and gender influence the development of ischemic heart disease. The assumption that age and gender exert unalterable effects has diverted attention from these strong risk factors, and has led to intense preoccupation with weaker risk factors such as cholesterol. The notion that cholesterol is of central importance has become a rigid and institutionalized point of view. Increased mortality from some cholesterol-lowering drugs is but one of the potential dangers of continued promotion of the flawed idea that heart disease is a function of the cholesterol concentration. The more serious risk is that alternative approaches to the problem of ischemic heart disease will be suppressed. Consideration of the relationship between the iron and cholesterol hypotheses provides important perspectives on the current debate on the role of iron in the development of ischemic heart disease.
Family climate and parent-child relationships: Recollections from a nonclinical sample of adult children of alcoholic fathers

Past family climate and past parent-child relationships of a nonclinical sample of young adult children of alcoholic fathers (n = 87) were compared to a sociodemographically similar sample of young adults with nonalcoholic parents (n = 106). Self-reports indicated that, compared to respondents from nonalcoholic families, respondents with alcoholic fathers described a more negative family climate with higher levels of conflict and lower levels of cohesion and expressiveness. Adult children of alcoholics described more negative relationships with their alcoholic fathers. However, contrary to clinical literature, adult children of alcoholics' descriptions of their relationships with their nonalcoholic mothers did not differ from the descriptions provided by young adults with nonalcoholic parents. Daughters of alcoholic fathers reported more negative relationships with their fathers in the areas of role performance, affective expression, and control than did sons. Implications for practice include reinforcing the nurturing relationship between nonalcoholic mothers and their children in families with alcoholic fathers.
Akron drops ciyt manager

By a majority of 172, the voters of Akron have transferred to the mayor hte functions of the city manager
Reducing and recycling in joint arthroplasty

Reducing the need for costly contaminated waste processing after total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) could decrease hospital overhead and the environmental impact. From March through April 2011, we prospectively identified 20 consecutive patients undergoing primary THA or TKA by 1 surgeon in 1 operating room at our institution. For each case, waste (excluding liquids) was collected and sorted as it was produced. The 10 THAs and 10 TKAs produced an average of 30.0 lb (range, 27.1-32.5) and 33.2 lb (range, 30.9-35.2) of waste per procedure, respectively, of which 6.8 lb (range, 6.0-7.8; 22.8%) and 7.3 lb (range, 5.4-8.7; 22.0%), respectively, were potentially recyclable paper or plastic. Waste management programs should focus on recycling clean operating room waste.
Bench- and pilot-scale studies relating to the removal of uranium from uranium-contaminated soils using carbonate and citrate lixiviants

Abstract Development of the nuclear industry has resulted in soil becoming contaminated with uranium from a variety of sources. To avoid the disposal of these soils in conventional low-level radwaste burial sites, a technology is needed to extract/leach and concentrate uranium in soil into small volumes of an acceptable waste form and returning the soil to its original place. Two lixiviants, carbonate and citrate, were evaluated as to their ability to extract uranium from soil in a soil washing engineering process. The objective was to use a washing/extracting process to selectively remove the uranium from soil without seriously degrading the soil's physicochemical characteristics or generating a secondary waste form that is difficult to manage and/or dispose. Both carbonate and citric acid lixiviants were observed to be effective extractants to remove uranium from the soils tested. Carbonate, because of the its ability to be recycled and its tendency to be more selective for uranium, is preferred for most soils. A major obstacle for using citric acid as well as mineral-based acids is their generation of waste streams from which it is difficult to remove uranium and manage (and dispose of any residual waste water sludges) in an environmentally acceptable manner. The removal of uranium was examined for three soils sampled from two US Department of Energy sites. Two soils were from the facility formerly called the Feed Materials Production Center at Fernald, Ohio and the other soil was from the Oak Ridge Tennessee Y-12 Plant. In the bench-scale studies, general relationships, such as the effect of carbonate and citrate concentrations, pH, the presence of oxidants, such as KMnO4, temperature, and extraction time were investigated. The best pilot-scale treatment consisted of three successive extractions with 0.25 M carbonate–bicarbonate (in presence of KMnO4 as an oxidant) at 40°C followed with two water rinses.
The design and implementation of a dynamically tailored examination

Traditionally, examinations have served as evaluation tools for the instructor to aid in assigning grades and to detect concepts not yet mastered by students.Questions requiring more information in the response than just a single word or number can give a better indication of the student's knowledge of the concepts being tested.This type of question is more difficult to grade because the correct answer is not a single word or number, there may be more than one correct answer, or some responses may deserve partial credit. Hand grading of such questions is often inconsistent and laborious. Automatic grading systems have been developed which score responses to complicated problems and analyze student deficiences (e.g., [2], [3]), but these methods may be too time-consuming for use in an interactive environment.An alternate approach to complex grading is to adapt the problems to the abilities of the student. An oral exam is an example of this approach.This paper discusses some problems and solutions of administering an “oral exam” via a computer. Such an exam will be referred to as a “tailored exam”. The tailored exam extends to examinations some of the ideas used in individualized instruction in Computer Assisted Instruction.
The 3′ End of Norwalk Virus mRNA Contains Determinants That Regulate the Expression and Stability of the Viral Capsid Protein VP1: a Novel Function for the VP2 Protein

Norwalk virus (NV) is the prototype strain of a group of noncultivable human caliciviruses responsible for epidemic outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis. The capsid protein VP1 is synthesized from a subgenomic RNA that contains two open reading frames (ORFs), ORF2 and ORF3, and the 3' untranslated region (UTR). ORF2 and ORF3 code for the capsid protein (VP1) and a small structural basic protein (VP2), respectively. We discovered that the yields of virus-like particles (VLPs) composed of VP1 are significantly reduced when this protein is expressed from ORF2 alone. To determine how the 3' terminus of the NV subgenomic RNA regulates VP1 expression, we compared VP1 expression levels by using recombinant baculovirus constructs containing different 3' elements. High VP1 levels were detected by using a recombinant baculovirus that contained ORF2, ORF3, and the 3'UTR (ORF2+3+3'UTR). In contrast, expression of VP1 from constructs that lacked the 3'UTR (ORF2+3), ORF3 (ORF2+3'UTR), or both (ORF2 alone) was highly reduced. Elimination of VP2 synthesis from the subgenomic RNA by mutation resulted in VP1 levels similar to those obtained with the ORF2 construct alone, suggesting a cis role for VP2 in upregulation of VP1 expression levels. Comparisons of the kinetics of RNA and capsid protein expression levels by using constructs with or without ORF3 or the 3'UTR revealed that the 3'UTR increased the levels of VP1 RNA, whereas the presence of VP2 resulted in increased levels of VP1. Furthermore, VP2 increased VP1 stability and protected VP1 from disassembly and protease degradation. The increase in VP1 expression levels caused by the presence of VP2 in cis was also observed in mammalian cells.
Audiovisual speech facilitates voice learning

In this research, we investigated the effects of voice and face information on the perceptual learning of talkers and on long-term memory for spoken words. In the first phase, listeners were trained over several days to identify voices from words presented auditorily or audiovisually. The training data showed that visual information about speakers enhanced voice learning, revealing cross-modal connections in talker processing akin to those observed in speech processing. In the second phase, the listeners completed an auditory or audiovisual word recognition memory test in which equal numbers of words were spoken by familiar and unfamiliar talkers. The data showed that words presented by familiar talkers were more likely to be retrieved from episodic memory, regardless of modality. Together, these findings provide new information about the representational code underlying familiar talker recognition and the role of stimulus familiarity in episodic word recognition.
Television, Disordered Eating, and Young Women in Fiji: Negotiating Body Image and Identity during Rapid Social Change

Although the relationship between media exposure and risk behavior among youth is established at a population level, the specific psychological and social mechanisms mediating the adverse effects of media on youth remain poorly understood. This study reports on an investigation of the impact of the introduction of television to a rural community in Western Fiji on adolescent ethnic Fijian girls in a setting of rapid social and economic change. Narrative data were collected from 30 purposively selected ethnic Fijian secondary school girls via semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Interviews were conducted in 1998, 3 years after television was first broadcast to this region of Fiji. Narrative data were analyzed for content relating to response to television and mechanisms that mediate self and body image in Fijian adolescents. Data in this sample suggest that media imagery is used in both creative and destructive ways by adolescent Fijian girls to navigate opportunities and conflicts posed by the rapidly changing social environment. Study respondents indicated their explicit modeling of the perceived positive attributes of characters presented in television dramas, but also the beginnings of weight and body shape preoccupation, purging behavior to control weight, and body disparagement. Response to television appeared to be shaped by a desire for competitive social positioning during a period of rapid social transition. Understanding vulnerability to images and values imported with media will be critical to preventing disordered eating and, potentially, other youth risk behaviors in this population, as well as other populations at risk.
Preliminary Experience by A Thoracic Service with Endoscopic Transoral Stapling of Cervical (Zenker's) Diverticulum

Recently endoscopic transoral stapling (ES) of cervical (Zenker’s) diverticulum (ZD) has been reported. In a 10-year retrospective review, we identified 47 patients undergoing ES or open surgery (OS) for ZD. ES was attempted in 28 patients and OS in 19. Using an intention to treat analysis, outcomes examined included operative time, length of stay, and dysphagia severity using a scale from 1 (no dysphagia) to 5 (severe dysphagia). ES was completed in 24/28 patients with four conversions to OS. The mean age was 75 years for the ES group and 70 years for the OS group (p = 0.079). Mean operative time (1.57 versus 2.35 h.) was less (p < 0.03) in the ES group. Length of stay (2.12 versus 2.44 days) was shorter for ES but not significant (P = 0.49). Mean follow up was 17 (1–103) months for both groups. Dysphagia scores were comparable between the two groups preoperatively (2.78 ES versus 2.79 OS; p = 0.98) and improved significantly (p = 0.001) to 1.1 after ES and 1.0 after OS. The time to oral intake was 1.38 days in the ES group and 1.29 days in the OS group (p = 0.80). We conclude that ES is feasible and can be performed with shorter operative times and comparable short-term results to OS.
Multiple monoamine oxidase activities in heterogeneous populations of mouse lung mitochondria.

Abstract Both monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B activities were almost exclusively found associated with mitochondrial fractions in mouse lung, and these activities could be partially separated on linear sucrose gradients. The peak MAO B activity measured by the deamination of β-phenylethylamine (PEA) was consistently found in a population of mitochondria sedimenting in a denser region of the gradient than peak MAO A activity for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Clorgyline strongly inhibited deamination of 5-HT across the mitochondrial fractions, while deamination of PEA remained high. Pargyline blocked PEA deamination, while considerable activity remained for 5-HT. These results provide evidence for the possible existence of heterogenous subpopulations of lung mitochondria differing in sedimentation behavior and containing monoamine oxidase with different substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity.
Synthesis and structural characterization of some monomeric group 13 amides

Three monomeric, base-free tris(primary amido) compounds of the type E[N(H)Mes*](3) (1, E = Al; 2, E = Ga; 3, E = In; Mes* = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) have been synthesized via the salt elimination reaction of Mes*N-(H)Li with ECl3. The singly base-stabilized tris(primary amido) derivatives, [E{N(H)Dipp}(3)(py)] (7, E = Al; 8, E = Ga; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl), have been prepared via the amine elimination reaction of H(2)NDipp with [E(NMe2)(3)](2). The related indium compound, [In{N(H)Dipp}(3)(py)(2)] (9), which features two coordinated bases, was prepared by treatment of DippN(H)Li with InCl3 followed by pyridine. The X-ray crystal structures of 3, 8, and 9 have been determined.
Morphology Control in TiO2 Nanorod/Polythiophene Composites for Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells Using Hydrogen Bonding

Hydrogen bond interactions between a dye adsorbed at the interface of TiO2 nanorods and functionalized P3HT was used to control nanorod dispersion, increase interfacial area, and improve efficiency in solution-processable hybrid bulk heterojunction solar cells. A series of poly(3-hexylthiophene-b-ethylene glycol) (P3HT-b-PEG) copolymers were prepared by a combination of Grignard metathesis polymerization and click chemistry. The short PEG segments in P3HT-b-PEG serve as a hydrogen bond acceptor. TiO2 nanorods functionalized with N3-dye bearing multiple COOH groups function as both the electron acceptor and hydrogen bond donor. The strong preferential H-bonding interaction between TiO2 nanorods and the PEG chain limits the aggregation of the TiO2 nanorods and affords homogeneously dispersion of the nanorods within the polymer matrix to form an interpenetrating network. This structure provides large interfacial area between electron donor and acceptor and highly efficient transport pathways within the compo...
Detection of Significant Variation in Acoustic Output of an Electromagnetic Lithotriptor

Purpose: We describe the observation of significant instability in the output of an electromagnetic lithotriptor. This instability had a form that was not detected by routine assessment, but rather was observed only by collecting many consecutive shock waves in nonstop regimen.Materials and Methods: A Dornier® DoLi-50 lithotriptor used exclusively for basic research was tested and approved by the regional technician. This assessment included hydrophone measures at select power levels with the collection of about 25 shock waves per setting. Subsequent laboratory characterization used a fiberoptic hydrophone and storage oscilloscope for data acquisition. Waveforms were collected nonstop for hundreds of pulses.Results: Output was typically stable for greater than 1,000 shock waves but substantial fluctuations in acoustic pressures were also observed. For example, output at power level 3 (mean peak positive acoustic pressure ± SD normally 44 ± 2 MPa) increased dramatically to greater than 50 MPa or decreased ...
Significance Testing of the Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient

Abstract A table of critical values of the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, r8, is given for n = 4(1)50(2) 100, for nine levels of significance: α = 0.50, 0.20, 0.10, 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, 0.002, 0.001.
Evaluation of the usefulness of phage amplification technology in the diagnosis of patients with paucibacillary tuberculosis.

The present study was undertaken to assess the performance of the Fast Plaque TB™ (FPTB) test in the diagnostically difficult group of paucibacillary tuberculosis (TB) and to compare its results with the conventional bacteriological methods. The study was conducted on a total of 139 patients, who were negative for TB in sputum-smear examination. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or pleural biopsy specimens collected from these patients were subjected to smear examination, LJ culture and FPTB test. The smear, culture and the FPTB positivity rates were compared between patients with pulmonary and pleuro-pulmonary involvement. The FPTB test was found to register an overall sensitivity of 58.8% and specificity of 97.9%. The positive and negative predictive values of the test were 98.1 and 56.5, respectively. Among patients with paucibacillary TB, on head-to-head comparison, we found that the sensitivity and specificity values of the FPTB test were marginally better than smear-microscopy and inferior to culture on LJ media.
Does the sympathetic block outlast sensory block: a thermographie evaluation

A study to evaluate the duration of sympathetic and sensory block in the L2 and L5 dermatome distributions using thermography and pinprick was conducted. Twenty patients received epidural block using 2% lidocaine with epinephrine. Onset and duration of the sensory and sympathetic blocks were determined and compared statistically. There was no difference between the duration of sensory and sympathetic block over the L2 dermatome, but sympathetic block was significantly longer than sensory block in the L5 dermatome. This study demonstrates that the duration of sympathetic block can be either longer or shorter than sensory block in L2 and L5 dermatomes. This has important implications for interpretation of results of differential epidural studies in that one cannot predict the duration of sympathetic block based on duration of sensory block.
Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous analysis of 10 amphetamine-, methamphetamine- and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-related (MDMA) analytes in human meconium.

Abstract A liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–APCI-MS/MS) method for quantification of 10 amphetamine-related analytes in 1 g meconium is presented. Specimen preparation included homogenization and solid-phase extraction. Two multiple reaction monitoring transitions were monitored per analyte. Ten and 1 μL injection volumes permitted quantification up to 10,000 ng/g, with sufficient sensitivity to quantify minor metabolites. Lower limits of quantification ranged from 1.25 to 40 ng/g. Precision was less than 14.2%, with accuracy between 79 and 115%. Meconium from a methamphetamine-exposed neonate was analyzed. Metabolites p-hydroxymethamphetamine, norephedrine and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine were identified in meconium for the first time.
Information control and terrorism: Tracking the Mumbai terrorist attack through twitter

This paper analyzes the role of situational information as an antecedent of terrorists' opportunistic decision making in the volatile and extreme environment of the Mumbai terrorist attack. We especially focus on how Mumbai terrorists monitored and utilized situational information to mount attacks against civilians. Situational information which was broadcast through live media and Twitter contributed to the terrorists' decision making process and, as a result, increased the effectiveness of hand-held weapons to accomplish their terrorist goal. By utilizing a framework drawn from Situation Awareness (SA) theory, this paper aims to (1) analyze the content of Twitter postings of the Mumbai terror incident, (2) expose the vulnerabilities of Twitter as a participatory emergency reporting system in the terrorism context, and (3), based on the content analysis of Twitter postings, we suggest a conceptual framework for analyzing information control in the context of terrorism.
FatBear: a nonarithmetic pico filter

This paper is but a first step toward a fast, robust, nonarithmetic filtering theory. The following will assume the sampled sequence is from a finite TOS (totally ordered set) S so that any subset (window) of sequence values may be ordered. In addition we will assume the existence of a distance function (metric) on S. This distance function may be as simple as counting but all results presented hold for any TOS with any distance function. In addition a median type operator will be defined that always has as output an element in S, unlike the usual median operator. Implementations will be discussed. It will be shown that implementation involves only a two layer NAND/NOR for ordering and range estimations, and the assumption of counting. Operation counts will be discussed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Outcome at One Year of Age in Very Low Birth-Weight (VLBW) Infants, with and without Chronic Lung Disease (CLD) 1254

Background: Little is known about the effect of GERD on the outcome of VLBW infants. GERD might affect feeding behavior and, therefore, weight gain. Infants with GERD often have been treated with medications which have central nervous system side effects. Further, a study by deRegneir et al(J Perinatology 1997) has shown that VLBW infants with CLD [who also may have GERD] are at increased risk for delayed growth and development.Objective: To estimate the strength of association between GERD and outcome during infancy in VLBW infants, with and without CLD.Methods: The study sample included 375 VLBW infants (birth weight< 1501 gm) with CLD (use of supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks post-menstrual age) and 345 VLBW infants without CLD. Consecutive infants with CLD were identified and then an infant without CLD was selected who was born closest in time to, and with gestational age within one week of, the CLD infant. All infants were born 1/1/84 to 5/31/95, were cared for in either of the two neonatal intensive care units (NICU) which serve a 17-county region, survived, and were followed through one year of age, adjusted for prematurity. Records were reviewed to ascertain each infant's status with respect to GERD (treated with anti-reflux medications) and the following outcomes at one year adjusted age: presence of cerebral palsy, Bayley Scales Mental Developmental Index(MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI), weight, length, and head circumference percentiles from reference curves, and the number of re-hospitalizations after discharge from the NICU. Results: Among infants with CLD, GERD was not associated with cerebral palsy [odds ratio 1.0(0.5-1.9)], MDI < 68 [1.6 (0.9-3.0)], PDI < 68 [1.1 (0.6-1.9)], head circumference < 10th percentile [1.0 (0.6-1.7)], weight < 10th percentile [0.8 (0.5-1.4)], or length < 10th percentile [1.1 (0.7-1.8)]. However, infants with GERD were hospitalized more frequently (p = 0.004, chi square test for trend). Similarly, among infants without CLD, GERD was associated with an increased frequency of re-hospitalization (p = 0.01) but not with delayed growth or development. Conclusions: Among VLBW infants, GERD is associated with a greater likelihood of re-hospitalization during infancy, but not with delayed growth or development.
Functional Importance of Stat3 Tetramerization in Activation of the α2-Macroglobulin Gene

A tetrameric Stat3 complex was found to be essential in transfection experiments for maximal interleukin-6-inducible activation of alpha2-macroglobulin gene promoter. Stable tetramer formation of purified phosphorylated Stat3 was dependent on protein.protein interaction involving the N-terminal domain of Stat3. The functional importance of tetramer formation was shown by the decreased levels of transcriptional activation associated with hypomorphic mutations in N-terminal residues.
The History of Healthcare Quality: The First 100 Years 1860-1960

In the 21st Century, health care systems across the world are focusing policy efforts on improving the quality of healthcare delivered to their population. In contrast, healthcare quality improvement in earlier time periods arose from a series of seemingly unrelated incidents and developments. In this paper, we sequentially review key international historical events that improved health care quality during the years 1860–1960, including innovation in health care financing, care delivery and workforce diversity. The modern nursing workforce of today continues to encounter many of these same challenges across the globe.
DEXAMETHASONE CONCENTRATION AFFECTS THE NEUTROPHIL MEDIATED BACTERIAL KILLING OF GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS (GBS). † 1786

DEXAMETHASONE CONCENTRATION AFFECTS THE NEUTROPHIL MEDIATED BACTERIAL KILLING OF GROUP B STREPTOCOCCUS (GBS). † 1786
Development of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine using small volumes of rat serum

Abstract The aim of this paper was to develop LC/MS/MS methodology for the determination of methamphetamine (METH) and amphetamine (AMP) using low microliter volumes (20–150 μl) of rat serum and demonstrate the use of this method for the study of serum pharmacokinetics in the rat. The analytes were extracted from rat serum using solid-phase extraction followed by an isocratic separation on a narrow-bore Hypersil C18 column. Lower limits of quantitation for METH and AMP were 0.3 ng/ml using positive ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method was within 20% of the actual values over a wide range of serum concentrations. The within-day and between-day precision was better than 20% (R.S.D.). Ion-suppression matrix effects on electrospray ionization were evaluated for extracted rat serum. The LC/MS/MS method was further validated by comparing serum concentrations of METH and AMP to serum concentrations previously determined using an LC/[ 3 H ]-METH assay with radiochemical detection. Finally, the LC/MS/MS method was used to study the pharmacokinetics of METH and AMP after a 1 mg/kg intravenous bolus dose of METH to female Sprague–Dawley rats.
Ferredoxin and flavodoxin analysis in tobacco in response to iron stress

Abstract To understand why riboflavin is excreted by tobacco and some other Fe‐efficient dicotyledonous species under Fe stress, normal and Fe‐deficient tobacco were assayed for ferredoxin and flavodoxin, a ferredoxin replacement electron transpon molecule produced in some Fe‐stressed bacteria and algae. Decreases in leaf ferredoxin corresponded to decreases in leaf chlorophyll content. Activity of purified ferredoxin from Fe‐stressed leaves was slightly less than that from normal leaves. No flavodoxin could be detected in extracts from Fe‐stressed or normal tobacco leaves or roots, although abundant riboflavin was present in the Fe‐stressed tissues. Flavodoxin was isolated and purified from Clostridium oasteurianum and the antiserum prepared from this did not react with a likely protein from Fe‐stressed leaves, nor did it exhibit other properties of flavodoxin. A ferredoxin‐like protein was purified from roots of normal but not Fe‐stressed tobacco. It reacted with anti serum prepared from purified tobacc...
Behavioral effects of chronic exposure to low levels of lead in Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract Through human activity lead has become a serious environmental neurotoxin, known to affect activity levels, attention and both sensory and cognitive function in children. Study of lead would be facilitated by having a model system that could be manipulated easily and quickly. We find Drosophila melanogaster ideal as such, and we have been studying effects of lead on courtship, fecundity and locomotor activity. We raised Canton-S flies from eggs to adult day 6–7 on medium made with lead acetate solution (2–100 μg/g), or with distilled water, and we measured adult body lead burdens by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). To measure courtship effectiveness, five virgin females and five virgin males were transferred into an empty vial and the number of females that mated within 20 min was recorded. To measure fecundity, all adult offspring from eggs produced by one female within 12 days of mating were counted. To measure locomotor activity, individual flies were transferred to a grid-labeled petri dish and the number of lines crossed in 30 s was counted. The number of females mating within 20 min was increased significantly by exposure to 2 or 8 μg/g lead, and was decreased significantly by exposure to 20 or 50 μg/g lead. Fecundity was increased significantly by exposure to 2 μg/g lead, but was unaffected by exposure to 20 μg/g lead. Locomotor activity was consistently higher for males than for females, and was significantly reduced only by exposure to 50 μg/g lead, and then only for males. We thus defined for Drosophila a lowest observable effect level (LOEL) of 2 μg/g lead, which is considerably lower than the doses shown previously to affect this animal. The dose–response curve was biphasic for the number of females mating within 20 min, an example of hormesis , a non-linear response that has been reported for low levels of stressors as diverse as pollutants and radiation. We hope from further studies with Drosophila to understand better how lead affects the developing nervous system, and thus ultimately its effects on children.
Role of Shallow Phase Changes in the Subduction of Oceanic Crust

Detailed studies of the seismicity of several subduction zones demonstrate that shallow-dipping thrust zones turn to steeper angles at depths of about 40 kilometers. An increased downward body force resulting from shallow phase changes in subducted oceanic crust may be the cause of this increased dip angle. In addition, the volume reduction associated with phase changes may produce sufficiently large stresses in neighboring rocks to cause the seismicity of the upper Benioff zone.