cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 17 Stabilization policies in open economies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the modern open economy is not the one found in most macroeconomic textbooks, an economy that occasionally imports Bordeaux wine but which produces most of what it consumes at prices determined domestically. It is rather an economy integrated with those abroad through commodity and financial linkages that limit the scope for national stabilization policy. The progressive modifications are classified into three categories: capital mobility; wage and price flexibility; and rational expectations and the natural rate hypothesis. The chapter examines standard propositions about policy using rational expectations and a stochastic supply function. The same model is used to re-examine the choice between exchange rate regimes and the insulating properties of flexible rates. The chapter focuses on a single national economy. This economy is assumed to produce its own good and to issue its own interest-bearing bond. In limiting cases commodity arbitrage pegs the price of the good at purchasing power parity and financial arbitrage pegs the interest rate at interest parity.
Quantitative causal analysis of mainline passenger train accidents in the United States

The need for shared freight and passenger rail corridors in the United States is increasing due to the growing demand for regional and intercity passenger transport. Several researches have been co...
Phototherapy in the Evaluation and Management of Photodermatoses

Ultraviolet light (UV) and visible light are important components in the diagnosis of photodermatoses, and UV has the unique ability to also be used to manage photodermatoses. Phototesting, provocative light testing, and photopatch testing can provide important information in diagnosing patients with photodermatoses; phototesting can be used to determine the starting dose for phototherapy in these patients. Once photosensitivity is established, narrowband UVB and UVA1 therapy have helped to improve the quality of life of photosensitive patients, such as those with polymorphous light eruption, chronic actinic dermatitis, and solar urticaria.
Critical circles and regional reputations: the Chicago imagists and the politics of art world peripheries

Current research on artistic groups suggests the career benefits of being place-based. This article examines the Chicago Imagists—a group defined by local recognition in Chicago and limited national renown—to explain the limits of these benefits when actors’ interests within a local scene diverge. Studying critical discourse on the Imagists from the 1960s to 1980s, we explain how “critical circles,” tied to the interests of regional evaluators, mediate artistic reputations. During initial group formation, Chicago artists and critics shared the goal of developing a distinct local art. However, critics’ investment in defining the boundaries of a “Chicago” style to further their careers ultimately diverged from Imagists’ investment in mastering a broader “American” style to further theirs. Chicago critics’ ensuing debates about the parochial limits of the label—and New York critics’ framing of Imagist work as provincial—further came to organize the very regionalism Imagist artists hoped to evade. We argue that attending to the divergent interests in the cultural field within which collaborative circles operate expands understanding of how affordances of place shape artistic careers. This study has further implications for theorizing the interplay of impression management and strong program perspectives on cultural wealth.
Toward Implementing the ADC Model of Moral Judgment in Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles (AVs)—and accidents they are involved in—attest to the urgent need to consider the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI). The question dominating the discussion so far has been whether we want AVs to behave in a ‘selfish’ or utilitarian manner. Rather than considering modeling self-driving cars on a single moral system like utilitarianism, one possible way to approach programming for AI would be to reflect recent work in neuroethics. The agent–deed–consequence (ADC) model (Dubljevic and Racine in AJOB Neurosci 5(4):3–20, 2014a, Behav Brain Sci 37(5):487–488, 2014b) provides a promising descriptive and normative account while also lending itself well to implementation in AI. The ADC model explains moral judgments by breaking them down into positive or negative intuitive evaluations of the agent, deed, and consequence in any given situation. These intuitive evaluations combine to produce a positive or negative judgment of moral acceptability. For example, the overall judgment of moral acceptability in a situation in which someone committed a deed that is judged as negative (e.g., breaking a law) would be mitigated if the agent had good intentions and the action had a good consequence. This explains the considerable flexibility and stability of human moral judgment that has yet to be replicated in AI. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the ADC model and how the model could inform future work on ethics of AI in general.
Een online interventie voor het positief beïnvloeden van de voorspellende factoren voor ouderlijke steun aan niet-heteroseksuele kinderen

Dit artikel gaat over de online interventie PRISMS (Parent Resource for Increasing Sexual Minority Support): een hulpmiddel voor ouders om hun niet-heteroseksuele kind beter te kunnen ondersteunen. De interventie is bedoeld om de zelfeffectiviteit (het vertrouwen in de eigen vaardigheid of bekwaamheid) en de gedragsintenties van ouders te vergroten, zodat zij hun niet-heteroseksuele kind beter kunnen ondersteunen. De interventie is ontwikkeld op basis van wetenschappelijke literatuur en feedback van ouders en psychologen en deze bestaat uit vijf interactieve online modules, waaronder: normalisering van de ervaringen van ouders, psycho-educatie, reflectie op bestaande ondersteuning, oefening in het bieden van steun, en bevestiging. In deze studie zijn de bruikbaarheid en acceptatie van PRISMS onderzocht en hierin zijn pilotgegevens verzameld om de effectiviteit van PRISMS te bepalen. De deelnemers – geworven via Amazon Mechanical Turk – zijn 184 Amerikaanse ouders van jongeren tussen de 13 en 18 jaar die behoren tot de niet-heteroseksuele minderheid. De deelnemers werden random verdeeld over een groep die PRISMS kreeg aangeboden (n = 92) en een groep die deelnam aan een controleconditie die bestond uit een gangbare vorm van psycho-educatie over seksuele orientatie (n = 92). Uit een analyse van de bevindingen blijkt dat de acceptatie van de interventie groot is en dat PRISMS in de nameting op geloofwaardigheid en affect niet onderdoet voor de controleconditie (er is geen sprake van ‘non-inferioriteit’). Twee covariantie-analyses laten geen significant verband zien tussen PRISMS en zelfeffectiviteit of gedragsintenties voor ouderlijke steun, ofschoon er wel kleine effectgroottes (d = 0,31 en 0,21) gevonden zijn. De verkennende analyses achteraf lijken erop te wijzen dat PRISMS effectief is voor ouders die veel verdriet hebben over de seksuele geaardheid van hun kind. Dit suggereert dat het interessant kan zijn om meer onderzoek te doen naar toepassingen bij deze doelgroep. Ten slotte wordt aandacht besteed aan de implicaties van deze studie voor verder onderzoek en de praktijk, waarbij het belang van interventies voor ouders van niet-heteroseksuele jongeren nog eens wordt onderstreept.
WRF-Simulated Springtime Low-Level Jets over Iowa: Implications for Wind Energy

High-resolution simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are analyzed to characterize the frequency, intensity, height, and duration of springtime low-level jets (LLJ) and their implications for wind energy resource assessment and planning in Iowa. The time evolution of short-duration LLJ is analyzed to understand wind behavior around LLJ events and to illustrate their importance for high-frequency (few hours) variability in wind speeds and rotor plane turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). During spring, the LLJ core height has a spatiotemporal mean value of 217 m, but the LLJ depth means it frequently intersects typical wind turbine rotor planes. Nearly one-quarter of LLJ exhibit a maximum within the height interval 50-150 m AGL. LLJ profiles are found to have higher mean wind speeds across typical wind turbine rotor planes than non-LLJ profiles and to exhibit lower values of TKE. LLJ occur under stable stratification (i.e. positive Richardson numbers) and are associated with low TKE and the occurrence of high vertical wind shear. The frequency and duration of LLJ exhibit geospatial variability across Iowa with highest values in the northeast of the state. Analyses of daytime and night-time LLJ indicate topographic variability is an important factor in the development of LLJ.
Safety and Efficacy: Clinical Experience of Venetoclax in Combination With Hypomethylating Agents in Both Newly Diagnosed and Relapsed/Refractory Advanced Myeloid Malignancies

Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in combination with venetoclax have been widely adopted as the standard of care for patients who cannot tolerate induction chemotherapy and for patients who have relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This study retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of all patients with AML (n = 65) or myelodysplastic syndrome (n = 7) who received the combination of HMA and venetoclax at our institution. Outcomes measured included complete remission (CR) and CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rates, duration of response (DOR), and overall survival (OS). Patient mutational profiles and transfusion requirements were also assessed. Of 26 newly diagnosed AML patients, the CR/CRi rate was 53.8%. The median DOR and OS were 6.9 months and not reached, respectively. Of 39 R/R AML patients, the CR/CRi rate was 38.5%. The median DOR and OS were both 8.1 months. Responders to HMA and venetoclax were enriched for TET2, IDH1, and IDH2 mutations, while nonresponders were associated with FLT3 and RAS mutations. Adaptive resistance was observed through various mechanisms including acquired RAS pathway mutations. Of transfusion-dependent patients, 12.2% and 15.2% achieved red blood cell (RBC) and platelet transfusion independence, respectively, while 44.8% and 35.1% of RBC and platelet transfusion independent patients, respectively, became transfusion dependent. In total 59.1% of patients developed a ≥grade 3 infection and 46.5% neutropenic fever. HMA + venetoclax can lead to impressive response rates with moderately durable remissions and survival. However, the benefits of this combination are diminished by the significant toxicities from infection, persistent cytopenias, and transfusion requirements.
Comprehensive hydrolytic degradation study of a new poly(ester-amide) used for total meniscus replacement

Abstract Total meniscus replacement scaffolds composed of a collagen-hyaluronan sponge reinforced with poly(desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine dodecyl dodecanedioate) (poly(DTD DD)) fibers support formation of functional neo-meniscus tissue in a sheep model. Poly(DTD DD) is a new polymer that was specifically designed to meet the required mechanical properties while exhibiting a high degree of biocompatibility. Extensive in vivo studies confirmed the overall success of this device. To ensure adequate healing, poly(DTD DD) was intentionally designed to be a very slowly degrading polymer: at two years post-implantation, some residual poly(DTD DD) fibers remained at the implant site. In order to understand the mechanism and the kinetics of poly(DTD DD) degradation, a comprehensive degradation study was carried out under physiological and accelerated conditions. Using accelerated degradation methods (elevated temperature, organic cosolvent, and enzyme), the degradation pathway, end-stage degradation products, and rates of degradation were determined. The degradation of desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine dodecyl ester (DTD) monomer was studied using a variety of esterases and proteases for their activity and stability. Porcine pancreas lipase (PP-L) was found to be the most effective enzyme for DTD degradation. Of all the conditions tested, the temperature-accelerated method (60°C) showed the fastest degradation rate of poly(DTD DD) fibers; after about 40 weeks, poly(DTD DD) retained less than 6% of its initial number average molecular weight (Mn). In contrast, 58%, 43%, and 53% of the original number average molecular weight (Mn) was retained after 40 weeks under solvent-accelerated (methanol:water mixture, 37°C), enzyme-accelerated (PP-L, 37°C), and physiological conditions (37°C), respectively. Resorbable degradation products were first observed after the polymer fibers degraded to about 22% of their initial Mn, corresponding to a residual Mn of 19 kDa. Elucidation of the complete degradation mechanism has provided important information necessary for the use of this innovative polymer for meniscus replacement and in other medical devices.
$W$ -Band Dual-Polarization Phased-Array Transceiver Front-End in SiGe BiCMOS

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a 94-GHz phased-array transceiver front-end in SiGe BiCMOS that is capable of receiving concurrently in both vertical (V) and horizontal (H) polarizations and time-duplexed transmission in either polarization. The compact front-end is implemented in $\hbox{1.3 mm}\times \hbox{ 1.45 mm}$ of silicon area to ensure compatibility with a scalable phased-array tile approach with $\lambda/2~(\sim \hbox{1.6 mm})$ spacing between elements. Each transceiver front-end includes variable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) gain and 360 $^{\circ}$ variable phase shift in TX and RX. Co-integration of the transmit-receive (T/R) switch with the power amplifier (PA) and low-noise amplifier (LNA) matching network minimizes switch impact on RX noise figure (NF). A varactor-based passive reflection-type phase shifter (RTPS) is shared between the TX and RX to reduce area. Analysis of loss mechanisms in on-chip RTPS leads to a novel RTPS load that minimizes RTPS loss while ensuring that the amplitude variation across phase shift is $ . In RX mode, the front-end achieves 30-dB RX gain, bandwidth of 15 GHz (84–99 GHz) with $ 10-dB NF in the high-gain mode. In TX mode, the front-end achieves $> $ 2-dBm saturated output power and $> $ 0-dBm output-referred 1-dB compression point (OP1dB) in V and H polarizations (time-duplexed), 30-dB gain, and 8-GHz bandwidth (89–97 GHz). The 94-GHz phase shifters achieve full 360 $^{\circ}$ variable phase shift with 5-bit phase resolution (11.25 $^{\circ}$ resolution) and $ error and $ 1-dB rms gain error at 94 GHz. The front-end consumes 160 mW in RX mode for dual-polarization concurrent reception/phase-shifting and 116 mW in TX mode for time-duplexed V and H output in the $W$ -band.
Network anti-inference: A fundamental perspective on proactive strategies to counter flow inference

Network inference is an effective mechanism to infer end-to-end flow rates and has enabled a variety of applications (e.g., network surveillance and diagnosis). The paper is focused on the opposite side of network inference, i.e., how to make inference inaccurate, which we call network anti-inference. As most research efforts have been focused on developing efficient inference methods, design of anti-inference is largely overlooked. Anti-inference scenarios can rise when network inference is not desirable, such as in clandestine communication and military applications. Our objective is to explore network dynamics to provide anti-inference. In particular, we consider two proactive strategies that cause network dynamics: transmitting deception traffic and changing routing to mislead the inference. We build an analytical framework to quantify the induced inference errors of the proactive strategies that maintain limited costs. We find via analysis and simulations that for deception traffic, a simple random transmission strategy can achieve inference errors on the same order of the best coordinated transmission strategy; while changing routing can cause inference errors of higher order than any deception traffic strategy. Our results not only reveal the fundamental perspective on proactive strategies, but also offer the guidance into practical design of anti-inference.
Acceptable party wall sound insulation criteria

Results of aggregate response data from a field survey of the sound insulation walls separating multiple unit housing in 3 Canadian cities were analyzed. Only the apparent STC ratings of the walls were considered. Data were aggregated into 8 groups by apparent STC rating. Based on the analysis, it is proposed that an effective STC of 55 is a realistic goal and STC 60 is a more ideal goal for party wall sound insulation.
An Evaluation of Fast Food Restaurant Satisfaction: Determinants, Competitive Comparisons and Impact on Future Patronage

Abstract The researchers interviewed 300 customers of a fast food restaurant. The respondents indicated that quality, cleanliness and value are the three most important attributes of a fast food restaurant. The study reported the respondents' ratings of competitive brands. Cross-tabulations of satisfaction rating by various customer traits are provided.
The communication cost of selfishness: ex post implementation

We consider the communication complexity of implementing a given decision rule when the protocol must also calculate payments to motivate the agents to be honest in an ex post equilibrium (agents' payoffs are assumed to be quasi-linear in such payments). We find that the communication cost of selfishness when measured with the average-case communication complexity may be arbitrarily large. For the worst-case communication complexity measure, we provide an exponential upper bound on the communication cost of selfishness. Whether this bound is ever achieved remains an open question. We examine several special cases in which the communication cost of selfishness proves to be very low. These include cases where we want to implement efficiency or where we have only two agents, and the precision of agents' utilities is fixed.
CANVuS: context-aware network vulnerability scanning

Enterprise networks face a variety of threats including worms, viruses, and DDoS attacks. Development of effective defenses against these threats requires accurate inventories of network devices and the services they are running. Traditional vulnerability scanning systems meet these requirements by periodically probing target networks to discover hosts and the services they are running. This polling-based model of vulnerability scanning suffers from two problems that limit its effectiveness--wasted network resources and detection latency that leads to stale data. We argue that these limitations stem primarily from the use of time as the scanning decision variable. To mitigate these problems, we instead advocate for an event-driven approach that decides when to scan based on changes in the network context--an instantaneous view of the host and network state. In this paper, we propose an architecture for building network context for enterprise security applications by using existing passive data sources and common network formats. Using this architecture, we built CANVuS, a context-aware network vulnerability scanning system that triggers scanning operations based on changes indicated by network activities. Experimental results show that this approach outperforms the existing models in timeliness and consumes much fewer network resources.
Analysis, Modeling, and Design of Short-Wavelength Laser-Plasma Experiments

We present analysis and LASNEX modeling of two experiments designed to explore the mechanisms and scaling of laser-plasma coupling in high-Z plasmas. The first used layered Au-on-CH spheres irradiated symmetrically using the Omega (Laboratory for Laser Energetics) 0.35 µm laser to observe the x-ray emission and energy penetration in gold plasmas. Measurements of the subkilovolt and kilovolt emission from targets with varying Au-coating thicknesses were made using diagnostics of varying spectral, temporal, and spatial resolution. The results indicate that the x-ray conversion efficiency is a function of target size, with larger targets yielding x-ray emission in excellent agreement with calculations. The x-ray emission fall-off with decreasing gold thickness agrees well with predictions. The second experiment used the Novette (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) laser to irradiate solid gold disk targets, examining wavelength scaling to 0.26 µm. The measured subkilovolt x-ray emission is in good agreement with calculations using mildly inhibited thermal electron transport, indicating enhanced target coupling, compared with previous experiments using smaller spot sizes. The experiment also indicates very low suprathermal electron populations, on the order of 0.1% at about 30 keV effective temperature. Finally, we present preliminary plans and designs for experiments which will use the Aurora 5 kJ, 5 ns, 0.25 µm KrF laser now being constructed at Los Alamos.
Breakdown of streamwise vortices near a wall

Counter-rotating streamwise vortices within a laminar boundary layer were produced by a Gortler instability mechanism on a concave wall. Contour maps of constant streamwise velocity in the y–z plane normal to the mean flow revealed that the vortices produce strong distortions in the mean flow. Fluid was removed from the wall outward and produced regions where low speed fluid lay over higher momentum fluid. This highly unstable situation produced strongly inflectional profiles in both the normal and spanwise directions. Contour maps of the fluctuations suggest that the velocity oscillations are more closely related to the gradients in the spanwise direction rather than to the normal velocity gradient. The fluctuations broke down into turbulence at a Gortler number of approximately 9.
Permanent rescue of a non-Mendelian mutation of Paramecium by microinjection of specific DNA sequences.

The mutant Paramecium tetraurelia cell line d48 is unable to express the serotype A protein on its surface. Although the A gene is intact in the micronuclei of d48, the A gene copies in the macronucleus contain a large deletion eliminating virtually the entire coding sequence. Previous studies showed that microinjection of a plasmid containing the entire A gene into the macronucleus of d48 permanently restored A expression after autogamy. Together with other data, this result suggests that in wild type cells the A gene in the old macronucleus ensures the presence of a cytoplasmic factor that prevents A gene deletions at autogamy. In d48, where there are few, if any copies of the intact A gene in the old macronucleus, deletions occur during macronuclear formation. To elucidate the specific molecular mechanisms involved in this unusual phenomenon, we attempted to define the region(s) of the A gene necessary for rescuing d48. We show that microinjection of a 4.5-kb internal A gene fragment is sufficient for proper processing at autogamy and leads to permanent rescue of d48; i.e., the rescued strain is indistinguishable from wild type. Thus, rescue of d48 does not require upstream transcriptional control sequences, intact A mRNA or A serotype protein. We also show that various fragments of the A gene have the ability to rescue d48 to different extents, some being more efficient than others. We find no evidence to suggest that the A gene gives rise to a small stable RNA that might act as or encode a cytoplasmic factor. Molecular mechanisms that may be involved in the rescue of d48 are discussed.
TOEPLITZ BLOCK MATRICES IN COMPRESSED SENSING

Recent work in compressed sensing theory shows that n£N independent and identically distributed (IID) sensing matri- ces whose entries are drawn independently from certain probability distributions guarantee exact recovery of a sparse signal with high probability even if n ? N. Motivated by signal processing ap- plications, random flltering with Toeplitz sensing matrices whose elements are drawn from the same distributions were considered and shown to also be su-cient to recover a sparse signal from reduced samples exactly with high probability. This paper con- siders Toeplitz block matrices as sensing matrices. They naturally arise in multichannel and multidimensional flltering applications and include Toeplitz matrices as special cases. It is shown that the probability of exact reconstruction is also high. Their performance is validated using simulations.
Diisopropylglutathione ester protects A549 cells from the cytotoxic effects of sulphur mustard.

The A549 cell line was used to assess the ability of diisopropylglutathione (DIPE) to protect against a 100 mM challenge dose of sulphur mustard (HD) using gentian violet (GV), thiazolyl blue (MTT) and neutral red (NR) assays as indicators of cell culture viability.As part of a continuing study of the efficacy of protective nucleophiles as candidate treatments for HD poisoning, several different combinations of protectant and HD were used to determine the optimal means of protecting A549 cells from the effects of HD. It was found that DIPE (4 mM) could protect cells against the effects of HD though for optimal effect, DIPE had to be present at the time of HD challenge. Cultures protected with DIPE were up to 2.9- fold more viable than HD exposed cells 48 h after HD challenge when using the GV, MTT and NR assays to assess viability. Observations by phase contrast microscopy of GV stained cultures confirmed these findings.Pretreating A549 cultures with DIPE for 1 h followed by its removal prior to HD challe...
Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid selectively attenuate U46619-induced smooth muscle cell proliferation.

It is well known that vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is a key step in atheromatous plaque formation. Thromboxane A2 (T×A2), released from aggregating platelets and an injured vessel wall, may play an important role in the development of atheromatous plaque. Many animal studies have suggested that n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20∶5n−3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22∶6n−3) present in the fish oils have antiatherosclerotic effects. In the present study, we investigated the effect of EPA and DHA on I×A2-induced SMC proliferation. To determine the functional selectivity of n−3 fatty acids, we also tested the effect of arachidonic acid (AA, 20∶4n−6), γ-linolenic acid) (INA, 18∶3n−6), and oleic acid (OA, 18∶1n−9) on T×A2-induced SMC proliferation. Only LPA and DHA prevented the SMC proliferation induced by the T×A2 mimetic U46619. When EPA and DHA were added together in the ratio in which they are present in menhaden oil, EPA and DHA acted synergistically to block the SMC proliferation induced by the TXA2-mimetic. These findings suggest that the n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oils may exert antiatherosclerotic effects by blocking the mitogenstimulated proliferation of SMC.
Cell Membrane and Chromosome Replication in Bacillus subtilis

This review covers studies of the structural and functional roles of the cell membrane on the replication of the Bacillus subtillis chromosome. A particular emphasis is placed on the essential roles of the membrane complex for the in vivo initiation and termination of the chromosome replication. A critical gene complex in B. subtillis for the role of membrane complex is the dnaB operon that most likely consists of four genes (dnaB, dnaI, ORFZ/ORF213, and ORFω/ORF281). Detailed studies of these genes are currently available only for the dnaB and dnaI geneS. The unique feature of the dnaB gene is that temperature-sensitive mutants of this gene simultaneously lose, at the nonpermissive temperature, chromosome attachment at oriC to the membrane as well as the new round of replication initiation at oriC. Further studies on the genes and their products of the dnaB operon are therefore essential for our understanding of the in vivo mechanism of the initiation of chromosome replication and its regulation. The role of the membrane on the termination and segregation of the daughter chromosomes has not been discovered, but an important clue comes from the terminus area of the B. subtillis chromosome being bound to the membrane in a high-salt resistant and DnaB-independent fashion. © 1998 Academic Press
Divergent Heparin Oligosaccharide Synthesis with Preinstalled Sulfate Esters

Traditional chemical synthesis of heparin oligosaccharides first involves assembly of the full length oligosaccharide backbone followed by sulfation. Herein, we report an alternative strategy in which the O-sulfate was introduced onto glycosyl building blocks as a trichloroethyl ester prior to assembly of the full length oligosaccharide. This allowed divergent preparation of both sulfated and non-sulfated building blocks from common advanced intermediates. The O-sulfate esters were found to be stable during glycosylation as well as typical synthetic manipulations encountered during heparin oligosaccharide synthesis. Furthermore, the presence of sulfate esters in both glycosyl donors and acceptors did not adversely affect the glycosylation yields, which enabled us to assemble multiple heparin oligosaccharides with preinstalled 6-O-sulfates.
Progress curve analysis of adenosine deaminase-catalyzed reactions.

Abstract The kinetic constants of the adenosine deaminase-catalyzed conversion of adenosine to inosine were found to be readily obtainable by analyzing the progress curve of a single reaction. A novel inhibitor, 9-(1-hydroxymethyl-3-methylbutyl)adenine, was studied to test the validity of the progress curve method with this enzyme. Estimates of kinetic constants determined by this method were compared to those determined by the conventional initial velocity analysis. The Km and Vmax values for adenosine and the Ki value for the inhibitor were estimated to be 26.1 μ m , 1.27 μmol/min/unit of enzyme, and 0.48 μ m , respectively, by the initial velocity method, and 29.3 μ m , 1.27 μmol/min/unit of enzyme, and 0.52 μ m , respectively, by the progress curve analysis. The inhibitor was shown to act competitively with substrate by both methods of analysis. The progress curve experiments were very simple to perform and the constants were calculated (with an interfaced microcomputer) within a few minutes of the completion of each assay.
Purification and characterization of an iron-containing superoxide dismutase from a eucaryote, Ginkgo biloba.

Abstract A cyanide-insensitive Superoxide dismutase was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from leaves of the eucaryote, Ginkgo biloba L. A molecular mass of 47,000 was determined for the enzyme, which consisted of two subunits of equal size. The enzyme preparation contained two isoenzymes with isoelectric points of 5.25 and 5.15. Metal analysis after dialysis against EDTA revealed the presence of 1.4 gram atoms of iron per molecule. Approximately 2 gram atoms each of copper and zinc per enzyme molecule were also detected, although removal of copper by other chelators had no effect on enzymatic activity. The purified Ginkgo enzyme exhibited a sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide and insensitivity to cyanide, which is typical of iron-containing superoxide dismutases. Ginkgo iron superoxide dismutase was localized in the stroma of chloroplasts, but was absent from mitochondria. The enzyme from Ginkgo was most similar to iron Superoxide dismutases of Nuphar, Brassica, and Escherichia coli when compared on the basis of SΔQ analysis of amino acid composition. Peptide fragments formed by proteolytic digestion of these four enzymes were compared qualitatively; similar-sized fragments which denote possible areas of homology were observed.
Boundary layer mesh generation for viscous flow simulations

Viscous flow problems exhibit boundary layers and free shear layers in which the solution gradients, normal and tangential to the flow, differ by orders of magnitude. The generalized advancing layers method is presented here as a method of generating meshes suitable for capturing such flows. The method includes several new technical advances allowing it to mesh complex geometric domains that cannot be handled by other techniques. It is currently being used for simulations in the automotive industry. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Role of Gender in `Expressive' Abuse at Abu Ghraib

We analyze the court-martial of Sabrina Harman, one of the alleged `seven rotten apples' associated with specific incidents of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, vis-a-vis the Parsonian distinction between `instrumental' and `expressive' pattern-variables. The Parsonian distinction between instrumental and expressive roles served a multitude of functions simultaneously, and especially given the masculine code of the military. We move beyond Parsons to introduce the new concepts of `expressive abuse', `expressive torture', and `instrumental misuse of expressive functions' to capture the overall thrust of the courts-martial as well as important aspects of the abuse at Abu Ghraib as revealed through testimony, government reports, interviews, and other sources of data. Both co-authors were participant-observers at the courts-martial of Sabrina Harman and Lynndie England, and draw upon the testimony and data from those trials in addition to the documents that are cited.
Polymerase chain reaction assays for the detection of cytomegalovirus in organ and bone marrow transplant recipients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is ubiquitous and results in a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe life threatening disease. Infection in normal children and adults usually causes no symptoms but in the immuncompromised host, CMV may result in severe opportunistic infections with high morbidity and mortality. Historically, virus detection was dependent on culture of the virus or on a centrifugation culture system referred to as a shell vial assay. The shell vial assay frequently lacked sensitivity and was unable to detect infection in its early phase. Also, as with culture assays, the results were affected by antiviral therapy. The CMV antigenemia assay was developed to provide more rapid results and has gained wide usage. This assay is limited to detection of the virus in white blood cells and is more sensitive than culture or the shell vial assay.Application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to these problems has resulted in the development of assa...
Rotational rainbow scattering in collisions of Ar with Cl2

The pulsed molecular beam technique has been used to measure speed and angle‐resolved differential cross sections for scattering of Ar by Cl2, over the range of initial relative kinetic energies from 0.09 to 0.16 eV. Angular rainbows are observed at small scattering angles. At large scattering angles, the product speed distributions at constant center‐of‐mass scattering angles display rotational rainbow structure which corresponds to a large fraction of the initial relative kinetic energy appearing as rotational energy in the Cl2 product. The large‐angle data may be interpreted in terms of the classical rigid‐ellipsoid model, which expresses the anisotropy of the potential energy surface with a single parameter.
Mathematical Modeling of Fetal Growth: I. Basic Principles

Quantitative characterization of fetal growth requires the selection of measurement parameters and a growth curve model. For such studies we propose two new parameters (the head cube and the abdominal cube) and a new growth curve model [P = c(t)k+s(t)]. These parameters are relatively insensitive to shape changes and are related to three-dimensional parameters even though they can be calculated from profile diameter measurements. The growth curve model is capable of adequately describing a wide variety of growth curves and its coefficients may be associated with specific biological variables. The properties of these parameters and the growth curve model are discussed.
Subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in a 3-year-old child with North Carolina macular dystrophy.

North Carolina macular dystrophy is characterized by nonprogressive atrophy of the choroid, choriocapillaris, and the retinal pigment epithelial layer. 1,2 The characteristic retinal findings, ranging from scattered drusen to a posterior staphyloma, have been reported as early as infancy and usually reach their greatest magnitude in the second decade of life. 3 Herein, we describe a case of a 3-year-old boy with a documented family history of North Carolina macular dystrophy who presented with a subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane in addition to the macular dystrophic changes.
Ethical aspects of geriatric patients' rights to refuse treatment and to receive limited medical resources.

Two of the most formidable bioethical challenges over the next decades relate to disabilities and aging: elders' exercise of autonomy and the just allocation of resources to older patients. Prolonging life is being questioned increasingly if it is accompanied by loss of dignity. When should older patients be permitted to refuse treatment and what is the physician's role in this process? How can one insure that incompetent elderly patients are treated with dignity? Who or what determines the amount of resources allocated to geriatric patients? Several principles are offered for developing principles for the treatment of elders.
Residual moveout in anisotropic angle-domain common-image gathers with dipping reectors

We generalise to dipping reectors the fundamental concepts for quantitatively relating perturbations in anisotropic parameters to the corresponding reector movements in angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIGs). We apply the general methodology to the particular case of residual moveout (RMO) analysis of reections from dipping reectors in a vertical transverse isotropic (VTI) medium. Synthetic examples show the accuracy of the RMO curves predicted by our kinematic analysis.
Production scheduling and sequencing for multi-stage production systems

This paper focuses on multistage, multiproduct dynamic production systems. Up to now little work has been done on such realistic problems, the reasons being that multiproduct models are subject to capacity considerations and to the general sequencing problem. Optimal and heuristic solution methods are presented for this combined sequencing/scheduling problem. Our computational experience indicates that the proposed heuristic is efficient and differs marginally from the optimal solution.
Studies on the oxygen uptake of fat emulsions used in intravenous alimentation

The rate of oxidation of various emulsions designed for intravenous use was studied manometrically. Soybean phosphatide dispersions rapidly absorbed oxygen at 38°C. whereas when used in emulsions containing fat with or without additional stabilizing agents, little oxygen was absorbed even when such unsaturated oils as linseed were used. On the other hand, emulsions of oils stabilized with gelatin took up oxygen rapidly, and the finer the size of the fat particles, the more rapidly was oxygen taken up. At 60°C. all rates of oxidation were increased, but the differences between preparations remained. The results are discussed.
Advancing thermal analysis in response to the increasing demands

Thermal methods are relatively simple, fast, and versatile techniques which are constantly expanding and improving in order meet the demands of a growing technology. Three areas of research are discussed which have lead to an evolution in instrumentation. These are thin film technology, photochemical polymerization, and hazards evaluation. In addition to these changes, experimental advances based on simultaneous techniques, feedback control, and the analysis of heterogeneous kinetics are briefly described.
Effect of propranolol on facial scanning in autism spectrum disorder: a preliminary investigation.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Whereas current pharmacological interventions for ASD focus primarily on psychiatric symptoms, including agitation and obsessive behaviors, few agents target core symptomatology. It has been previously hypothesized that abnormalities in facial scanning, such as reduced eye contact or increased mouth fixation, contribute to social communication deficits in ASD. In addition, previous reports have suggested elevated stress and anxiety in ASD, symptoms that are believed to impact facial scanning patterns. Objectives: The present pilot study sought to explore the effects of pharmacological intervention via propranolol, a nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist and known anxiolytic, on facial scanning in ASD. Specifically, we wished to determine whether there is an increase in eye contact and a decrease in mouth fixation with administration of propranol...
Patterns of failure in patients with medulloblastoma.

Fifty-two patients with medulloblastoma were seen at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) between 1959 and 1979. All patients had their primary surgery at other institutions; 27 were referred postoperatively for the initial course of radiation therapy; 24 were referred for treatment of recurrence and 1 patient for adjuvant chemotherapy only. The patients were classified as: (1) Group I: small, localized tumor which was completely excised, (2) Group II: large, localized, incompletely excised tumor, (3) Group II: tumor spread within the central nervous system, (4) Group IV: hematogenous metastases at initial presentation. Of the 27 patients who received initial radiation treatments at MSKCC, six were of the Groups III and IV and all of these have died. Of the remaining 21 patients with localized disease ten are alive and disease-free with follow-up from 20 to 81 months. The extent of disease at the initial treatment was the most important prognostic factor. There were no survivors in the Groups III and IV. The most common site of recurrence was the posterior fossa, 21 of 40 patients, six patients had recurrence at the cribriform plate and the adjoining medial frontal lobes, and five had their first recurrence outside the CNS. None of themore » patients who received less than 3400 rad to the craniospinal axis or less than 5000 rad to the posterior fossa is alive. The duration of treatment seems to be of less importance for the outcome than the total dose of radiation delivered. (JMT)« less
In-situ monitoring of molecular beam epitaxial growth using single photon ionization

Single photon laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy is used to monitor the gaseous fluxes of Ga, As2, and As4, which are relevant in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of GaAs. This noninvasive and real-time technique measures densities, and hence fluxes, of multiple chemical species impinging on or scattered from a substrate during conventional MBE. With single photon ionization at 118 nm (10.5 eV), the energy is sufficient to ionize the species, but insufficient to ionize and fragment. The lack of molecular fragmentation greatly simplifies the interpretation of mass spectra. Additionally, the probe geometry permits simultaneous film growth monitoring using RHEED. Results will be presented on the probing of scattering and desorption of III-V MBE species during GaAs growth. This technique promises to be a valuable in-situ diagnostic for III-V and II-VI MBE.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Massive Redeployment Hypothesis and the Functional Topography of the Brain

This essay introduces the massive redeployment hypothesis, an account of the functional organization of the brain that centrally features the fact that brain areas are typically employed to support numerous functions. The central contribution of the essay is to outline a middle course between strict localization on the one hand, and holism on the other, in such a way as to account for the supporting data on both sides of the argument. The massive redeployment hypothesis is supported by case studies of redeployment, and compared and contrasted with other theories of the localization of function.
On the velocity profile of inclined jets in a boundary layer for vorticity production

AbstractThe velocity profiles of air-jet vortex generators have been investigated, and the effect of varying velocity profiles on vortex production has been assessed. In the simplest case of a jet generated by fluid effusing through a cylindrical hole drilled into a solid surface, the internal flow in the nozzle is critical to the development of jets to be used for vortex production. A series of Pitot traverses through a range of jet diameters and pitch angles has been made in order to characterize the jet development. In order to produce an axisymmetric jet profile, modifications were made to the jet nozzles, thereby overcoming the critical flow features within the jet nozzle.In order to assess the jets for vortex production, a range of air-jet vortex generator configurations have been used to produce discrete vortices in a turbulent flat plate boundary layer. Velocity vectors were measured over a cross-stream plane through the vortices, from which the vorticity could be derived across the plane. The vor...
Cantilever Boundary Condition, Deflections, and Stresses of Sandwich Beams

An extended set of Timoshenko beam equations is presented, which results in a sixth-order system and allows the three boundary conditions of zero deflection, zero slope, and zero rotation angle to be satisfied at a cantilever end. The analysis assumes the core material of the sandwich provides shear stiffness, but negligible extensional stiffness to the beam, and the two skins remain equidistant from one another. The equations are found to depend on essentially two nondimensional parameters, a shear parameter g, and a skin-core thickness ratio h/h c . Closed-form solutions are given for the deflections and stresses of an end-loaded, cantilever sandwich beam. Trends over a wide range of shear parameter g indicate that the sandwich behavior varies smoothly from that of a conventional Ruler beam at large g to two separate Euler beams of the skins at low g. In the region of the cantilever end, an edge zone develops, which transitions the beam from the conventional Timoshenko behavior to a behavior that satisfies all three boundary conditions there. Simple estimates of the extent of the edge zone are given. The edge zone also causes a redistribution of the normal and shear stresses occurring there. Extension to vibrations of these beams is indicated.
Selenium not for dumping

California is up in arms because of selenium in some drinking water. Does it not know that selenium is also an essential dietary supplement?
Ultrasonic Backscattering in Cubic Polycrystals with Ellipsoidal Grains and Texture

An ultrasonic model for backscattering from polycrystalline microstructure is developed for polycrystals with uniaxial texture and elongated cubic crystallites. The uniaxial texture or crystallographic orientation of the grains is described by a modified Gaussian orientation distribution function (ODF) with a texture parameter. Macroscopically such a textured polycrystalline medium exhibits hexagonal symmetry. The preferred texture direction and elongation are independently defined in a global system. The dependence of backscattering coefficients and their directional ratios on both texture and grain anisotropy are discussed. Attenuation coefficients in the high frequency range for arbitrary wave propagation direction are obtained and then the ratios in the three axis directions are studied. The model is compared with experimental data available in the literature for Al rolled alloys and shows good agreement when accounting for both texture and grain anisotropy effects.