cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agency and Disagreement: A Theory of Investor Relations and Outside Equity with and Without Dividends

This paper develops a model that seeks to explain the prevalence of outside equity both with and without dividends when there is an agency problem between the firm's manager and outside shareholders that induces the manager to continue with a bad project to preserve her private control benefits. We show that when investors lack sufficient information to intervene in interim project liquidation decisions, outside equity without dividends is infeasible. A promise of a sufficiently high dividend payment restores the feasibility of outside equity. We then show that when investors may disagree with the manager over the good project, the manager may invest costly effort in investor relations to reduce this disagreement. As a consequence, the precision of investors' information about project quality also improves, permitting them to intervene efficiently in interim project liquidation decisions. This restores the feasibility of outside equity even without dividends, and represents a step in the direction of developing a theory of investor relations that is linked to the viability of outside equity.
Toolpath design for additive manufacturing using deep reinforcement learning

Toolpath optimization of metal-based additive manufacturing processes is currently hampered by the high-dimensionality of its design space. In this work, a reinforcement learning platform is proposed that dynamically learns toolpath strategies to build an arbitrary part. To this end, three prominent model-free reinforcement learning formulations are investigated to design additive manufacturing toolpaths and demonstrated for two cases of dense and sparse reward structures. The results indicate that this learning-based toolpath design approach achieves high scores, especially when a dense reward structure is present.
The Effect of Endophthalmitis on Recurrence of Macular Edema in Eyes Receiving Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

PURPOSE Visual outcomes after postinjection endophthalmitis have been well-studied, but the effect of endophthalmitis on the underlying exudative disease process remains unclear. We investigate the need for continued anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections after endophthalmitis. METHODS Eyes that developed endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor between January 1, 2016, and May 31, 2018, at a single academic retina practice were identified. Retrospective chart review was performed to determine 1) the proportion of eyes without recurrence of macular edema or subretinal fluid after endophthalmitis and 2) the proportion achieving a 12-week or greater interval between anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections or exudation after endophthalmitis compared with internal controls before endophthalmitis. RESULTS Of 50 eyes with endophthalmitis, seven (14.0%) had no fluid recurrence at a mean of 98.1 week. Of 43 eyes with recurrence, 48.0% achieved a >12-week recurrence-free interval after endophthalmitis (vs. 8.3% before endophthalmitis; P < 0.0001). Eyes with compared to those without choroidal neovascularization were more likely to achieve this interval (60.5% vs. 8.3%, respectively; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION Endophthalmitis after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection is associated with relative stability of the underlying exudation. Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanism, which may be useful in developing strategies and targets for the treatment of exudative macular diseases.
EL RÉGIMEN PENITENCIARIO CHILENO A LA LUZ DE LA OBSERVACIÓN GENERAL NÚMERO 21 (1992) DEL COMITÉ DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DE LA ONU

El presente trabajo busca detectar y analizar las contradicciones entre la Observacion General Numero 21 del Comite de Derechos Humanos de la ONU y el Regimen Penitenciario Chileno. Para aquello sera necesario analizar la critica situacion de las penas privativas de libertad en Chile, al contener profundas falencias materiales y normativas en su seno. Asi, sera necesario recurrir a instrumentos internacionales para colmar los vacios existentes, por lo que, en primer lugar, se analizara la recepcion y aplicacion de normas internacionales sobre derechos humanos, despues, se conoceran las caracteristicas particulares del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Politicos y, finalmente, se razonara acerca de la importancia de las Observaciones Generales, especialmente, de la Observacion General Numero 21 de 1992. Para finalizar, corresponde revisar las contradicciones particulares entre el Regimen Penitenciario Chileno y la Observacion General Numero 21, concentrando dicha evaluacion en: a) la dignidad y humanidad, b) condenados y prision preventiva, c) ninos, ninas y adolescentes y; d) fin de la pena.
Distinct roles for RSC and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers in genomic excision repair

Nucleosomes are a significant barrier to the repair of UV damage because they impede damage recognition by nucleotide excision repair (NER). The RSC and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers function in cells to promote DNA access by moving or evicting nucleosomes, and both have been linked to NER in yeast. Here, we report genome-wide repair maps of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in yeast cells lacking RSC or SWI/SNF activity. Our data indicate that SWI/SNF is not generally required for NER but instead promotes repair of CPD lesions at specific yeast genes. In contrast, mutation or depletion of RSC subunits causes a general defect in NER across the yeast genome. Our data indicate that RSC is required for repair not only in nucleosomal DNA but also in neighboring linker DNA and nucleosome-free regions (NFRs). Although depletion of the RSC catalytic subunit also affects base excision repair (BER) of N-methylpurine (NMP) lesions, RSC activity is less important for BER in linker DNA and NFRs. Furthermore, our data indicate that RSC plays a direct role in transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER) of transcribed DNA. These findings help to define the specific genomic and chromatin contexts in which each chromatin remodeler functions in DNA repair, and indicate that RSC plays a unique function in facilitating repair by both NER subpathways.
Individual vs. Joint Perception: a Pragmatic Model of Pointing as Communicative Smithian Helping

The simple gesture of pointing can greatly augment ones ability to comprehend states of the world based on observations. It triggers additional inferences relevant to ones task at hand. We model an agents update to its belief of the world based on individual observations using a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP), a mainstream artificial intelligence (AI) model of how to act rationally according to beliefs formed through observation. On top of that, we model pointing as a communicative act between agents who have a mutual understanding that the pointed observation must be relevant and interpretable. Our model measures relevance by defining a Smithian Value of Information (SVI) as the utility improvement of the POMDP agent before and after receiving the pointing. We model that agents calculate SVI by using the cognitive theory of Smithian helping as a principle of coordinating separate beliefs for action prediction and action evaluation. We then import SVI into rational speech act (RSA) as the utility function of an utterance. These lead us to a pragmatic model of pointing allowing for contextually flexible interpretations. We demonstrate the power of our Smithian pointing model by extending the Wumpus world, a classic AI task where a hunter hunts a monster with only partial observability of the world. We add another agent as a guide who can only help by marking an observation already perceived by the hunter with a pointing or not, without providing new observations or offering any instrumental help. Our results show that this severely limited and overloaded communication nevertheless significantly improves the hunters performance. The advantage of pointing is indeed due to a computation of relevance based on Smithian helping, as it disappears completely when the task is too difficult or too easy for the guide to help.
Adaptive Variability of the Frog Call Oscillator Provides Advantages for Communication in Noise

Most frogs and toads are vocal. The neural circuitry in the frog brain responsible for triggering a sequence of calls has been identified and termed the call oscillator. Early analyses of frog vocalizations have typically characterized frog calls as repetitive, stereotyped, species-specific, and unchanging within and between one individual's call to the next [1]. Here I provide six counter-examples of frog vocalizations that do not conform to these standards of stereotypy and thus bring to the fore the importance of inherent variation in frog communication signals and dispel the notion of frogs as tightly controlled genetic machines that produce fixed, identical, and repetitious calls. The purpose of frog call variation and the novel role of random processes in the generation of frog vocalizations are discussed.
Performance Evaluation of Voice/Data Queueing Systems

The behavior of voice/data queueing systems is presented. Several methods of analysis are reviewed including matrix geometric methods of Neuts, fluid flow approximations, and diffusion approximations. The methods are applied to the case of a TASI system for voice. The diffusion approximation is also applied to a system with a nonexponential service distribution.
A report from the field Latina/o youth, JROTC and ethnographic practice

In mid-July 2014 at the height of increasing alarm and frenzied media coverage about the unfolding humanitarian emergency involving thousands of unaccompanied minors at the US–Mexico border, the New York Times published a powerful essay by journalist Sonia Nazario who argued that the events constituted not a new immigration crisis, but instead a refugee crisis with tens of thousands of young people fleeing extreme violence in their homes throughout Central America. And while the origins of this calamity are complex and deeply rooted in local, transnational and geopolitical events, the response by the US government, according to Nazario, should be straightforward and aligned with clear international conventions guiding humanitarian responses to refugee crises around the world. “It would be a disgrace if this wealthy nation turned its back on the 52,000 children who have arrived since October, many of them legitimate refugees,” Nazario argues. “This is not how a great nation treats its children” (Nazario, 2014). In both her essay and broader investigative reporting, Nazario provides the kind of detailed, nuanced and extensive engagement with peoples’ lives that is absolutely essential for telling a story that both defies reductionist and deeply polarized positions on immigration, and offers, instead, the possibility for
Influence of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, LY83583, glybenclamide and L158809 on pulmonary circulation

The effects of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase; 6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione (LY83583), an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase; glybenclamide, a ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocking agent; and 5,7-dimethyl-2-ethyl-3-[[2′-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-[1,1′]-biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (L158809), an angiotensin II type I receptor antagonist, on the response to ventilatory hypoxia were investigated in the isolated blood-perfused rat lung. Under conditions of controlled pulmonary blood flow, and constant left atrial pressure, injections of glybenclamide into the pulmonary arterial perfusion circuit significantly increased baseline pulmonary arterial perfusion pressure, whereas administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester produced smaller increases in baseline tone. Ventilatory hypoxia (3% O2-5% CO2-92% N2) significantly increased pulmonary arterial perfusion pressure and the response was reproducible with respect to time. Following administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or LY83583, the response to hypoxia was significantly increased, whereas the response to hypoxia was not changed by glybenclamide or atropine. Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester also significantly enhanced pressor responses to angiotensin II, but had no effect on the pressor response to serotonin. When pulmonary vascular tone was increased with hypoxia, vasodilator responses to acetylcholine were inhibited by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and vasodilator responses to levcromakalim were reduced by glybenclamide. In addition, L158809 did not alter the pressor response to hypoxia, whereas responses to angiotensin II were reduced in a selective manner. The present data demonstrate that glybenclamide, and to a smaller extent, Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, significantly increased baseline pulmonary arterial pressure, suggesting that activation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels, and to a smaller extent, tonic release of nitric oxide, modulate baseline tone in the pulmonary circulation of the rat. The results of the present study also show that Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and LY83583 enhance the pressor response to hypoxia, but that glybenclamide and L158809 have no effect on the response to hypoxia, suggesting that the response to hypoxia is modulated by nitric oxide production and the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase, but not by alterations in ATP-sensitive K+ channel activity or changes in angiotensin II levels in the isolated blood-perfused rat lung.
Growth related oncogene-alpha (GRO-α): Roles in atherosclerosis, angiogenesis and other inflammatory conditions

Growth related oncogene-alpha (GRO-alpha) is a member of the CXC chemokine family with an internal glutamate-leucine-arginine (ELR) motif. It was initially isolated and characterized by its growth stimulatory activity on malignant melanoma cells. Recently, many new functions and properties of GRO-alpha have been discovered and associated with atherosclerosis, angiogenesis and many inflammatory conditions. Purpose of this review is to overview current advances of multiple functions of GRO-alpha and its associated molecular mechanisms and clinical implications. We hope to further evaluate this molecule in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis as well as angiogenesis to promote a background for therapeutic interventions.
Methods for Preventing Search Engine-Based Web Server Attacks

Many Internet users make use of search engines to locate a web page or information they want. These search engines have become a fundamental tool in the World Wide Web. Since the capability of search engines to reach any part of the web has increased, security loopholes of any websites face the risk of being exposed globally. This poses serious security threats on the web. In this paper, we discuss various methods to prevent web server attacks through search engines.
Redundancy: the Measurement Crossing Cutting-edge Technologies

Information technology, robotics, automatic control and other leading sectors deal with redundant components that pursue very different scopes: they improve the reliability, they perfect the behavior of an actuator, they make a message more intelligible, they get more secure telecommunication infrastructures etc. These disparate functions entail the calculus of parameters that appear rather heterogeneous and inconsistent from the mathematical viewpoint. Software developers frequently compare and balance redundant solutions and need for converging calculation methods. This paper puts forward a definition of redundancy, which aims at unifying the various measurements in use. The present proposal enhances also the progress toward the exhaustive understanding of the redundancy due to the discussion of its logical significance.
A RELIEF Based Feature Extraction Algorithm.

RELIEF is considered one of the most successful algorithms for assessing the quality of features due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It has been recently proved that RELIEF is an online algorithm that solves a convex optimization problem with a marginbased objective function. Starting from this mathematical interpretation, we propose a novel feature extraction algorithm, referred to as LFE, as a natural generalization of RELIEF. LFE collects discriminant information through local learning, and is solved as an eigenvalue decomposition problem with a closed-form solution. A fast implementation is also derived. Experiments on synthetic and real-world data are presented. The results demonstrate that LFE performs significantly better than other feature extraction algorithms in terms of both computational efficiency and accuracy.
Sudden unexplained death in childhood: A comparison of cases with and without a febrile seizure history.

Summary Objective We considered whether a subset of children with sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) and a history of febrile seizures (FS) may parallel those in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The prevalence of a history of FS was examined, and factors that may distinguish SUDC cases with and without FS were described. Methods Characteristics were assessed in 123 consecutive children with SUDC reported to the SUDC program (4/1/11-3/31/14) by their parents. Parental interview covered the decedent's medical history, circumstances of death, environmental factors, cause of death, and family medical history. Features of SUDC cases were compared by FS history. Results Overall, 31.7% of SUDC cases had a history of FS, among which 74.4% had simple FS. Compared to those without a history of FS, a history of FS was associated with a greater median age at death (p = 0.03) and death during the weekdays (p = 0.02). Terminal fever was similar in those with and without FS. The median time from FS to death was 6.0 months (interquartile range [IQR] 3.0–10.0). In all SUDC cases, prone position at death, death during sleep, and unwitnessed deaths predominated. Significance There are parallels among SUDC, sudden infant deaths, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) with regard to prone position, unwitnessed deaths mostly during sleep, and male predominance. In children with SUDC and a history of FS, terminal fever may increase the risk for an unwitnessed terminal seizure. The greater than expected prevalence of a FS history and the proportion with terminal fever or illness in this cohort suggests that some SUDC deaths may be seizure related and therefore have potential commonalities with SUDEP.
Biomimetic materials design for cardiac tissue regeneration

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the absence of sufficient numbers of organs for heart transplant, alternate approaches for healing or replacing diseased heart tissue are under investigation. Designing biomimetic materials to support these approaches will be essential to their overall success. Strategies for cardiac tissue engineering include injection of cells, implantation of three-dimensional tissue constructs or patches, injection of acellular materials, and replacement of valves. To replicate physiological function and facilitate engraftment into native tissue, materials used in these approaches should have properties that mimic those of the natural cardiac environment. Multiple aspects of the cardiac microenvironment have been emulated using biomimetic materials including delivery of bioactive factors, presentation of cell-specific adhesion sites, design of surface topography to guide tissue alignment and dictate cell shape, modulation of mechanical stiffness and electrical conductivity, and fabrication of three-dimensional structures to guide tissue formation and function. Biomaterials can be engineered to assist in stem cell expansion and differentiation, to protect cells during injection and facilitate their retention and survival in vivo, and to provide mechanical support and guidance for engineered tissue formation. Numerous studies have investigated the use of biomimetic materials for cardiac regeneration. Biomimetic material design will continue to exploit advances in nanotechnology to better recreate the cellular environment and advance cardiac regeneration. Overall, biomimetic materials are moving the field of cardiac regenerative medicine forward and promise to deliver new therapies in combating heart disease.
Extraction and Characterization of a Soluble Chicken Bone Collagen

Our understanding of collagen has increased considerably. Collagen is a fibrous protein that plays a key role in the framework and development of hard and connective tissue. Collagen has vast structural possibilities for modifications to generate novel properties, functions, and applications especially in the bone implant arena. Collagen is found throughout nature in skin, tendon, bone, cartilage, etc. and in numerous different species. Of the 28 identified types, collagen I is the most abundant in nature and the main component of bone. Despite its abundance, the utilization and characterization has been restricted by its insolubility. Collagen solutions are usually viscous and difficult to study using techniques such as zeta potential analysis, chromatography and electrophoresis. The specific aim of this study was to develop a protocol to extract and solubilize collagen from chicken femur bone. In the thermogram of our chicken femur bone collagen (CBC), there was only a 35% reduction in weight. This signifies that the CBC collagen sample contained 65% inorganic material. Elemental analysis revealed that CBC consisted of 11% Carbon (C), 2% Hydrogen (H), and 3% Nitrogen (N), totaling 16%. This is substantially lower than 77%, the calculated theoretical value of CHN% in collagen. Our CBC shared the theoretical Carbon/Nitrogen value of 3.4. Elemental analysis confirms that the CBC contained elements other than carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. This suggests that the CBC sample was not fully demineralized and adjustments need to be made to the existing collagen extraction protocol. Further studies are needed to confirm chemical composition of the CBC in solution. This work is part of a larger study to compare collagen I, derived from bone, and α-chitin, derived from crab exoskeleton.
Landscape patterns of avian habitat use and nest success are affected by chronic gas well compressor noise

Anthropogenic noise is becoming a dominant component of soundscapes across the world and these altered acoustic conditions may have severe consequences for natural communities. We modeled noise amplitudes from gas well compressors across a 16 km2 study area to estimate the influence of noise on avian habitat use and nest success. Using species with noise responses representative of other avian community members, across the study area we estimated gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) and western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) occupancy, and gray flycatcher nest success, which is highly dependent on predation by western scrub-jays. We also explore how alternative noise management and mitigation scenarios may reduce area impacted by noise. Compressor noise affected 84.5% of our study area and occupancy of each species was approximately 5% lower than would be expected without compressor noise. In contrast, flycatcher nest success was 7% higher, reflecting a decreased rate of predation in noisy areas. Not all alternative management and mitigation scenarios reduced the proportion of area affected by noise; however, use of sound barrier walls around compressors could reduce the area affected by noise by 70% and maintain occupancy and nest success rates at levels close to those expected in a landscape without compressor noise. These results suggest that noise from compressors could be effectively managed and, because habitat use and nest success are only two of many ecological processes that may change with noise exposure, minimizing the anthropogenic component of soundscapes should be a conservation priority.
On-Line Probe for Fast Electrochemistry/Electrospray Mass Spectrometry. Investigation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A newly invented probe accessory for fast electrochemistry/electrospray mass spectrometry (EC/ESMS) is presented and evaluated. The device features a low-volume, three-electrode electrochemical cell which has been designed with a minimum distance between the working electrode and the “Taylor cone” inherent to the electrospray process. This configuration limits the time between electrochemical generation of ions and mass spectrometric analysis to an absolute minimum. A fused-silica layer insulates the microcylinder working electrode from the sample solution until immediately prior to the electrospray region, postponing electrode processes until the last moment. The same fused-silica layer insulates the working electrode from the surrounding auxiliary electrode, a stainless steel capillary that also serves as the electrospray capillary. The performance and capabilities of the novel electrochemistry/electrospray mass spectrometry system have been evaluated using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as tes...
Multiple Rankine topping cycles

The efficiency of a Rankine cycle is primarily determined by the temperatures of heat addition and rejection. However, no working fluid has been identified which will operate in a Rankine cycle over an extremely wide temperature range. Multiple Rankine topping cycles offer a technique for achieving high thermal efficiencies in power plants by allowing the use of several working fluids. This paper gives a history of Rankine topping cycles, presents an analysis for the calculation of the overall efficiency of a three-module multiple Rankine cycle, and presents results from a case study for a sodium-mercury-water cycle.
Phase Space Approach and Approximations for Wave Propagation

We consider wave propagation in a dispersive medium with damping. We have previously shown that a significant simplification occurs if one formulates the wave propagation problem in phase space. In our previous work, we used the Wigner distribution as the phase space representation. In this paper, we extend this approach to other phase space distributions, including the well-known spectrogram (or lofargram), and also to the ambiguity function.
Cationic Lipids with Increased DNA Binding Affinity for Nonviral Gene Transfer in Dividing and Nondividing Cells

Effect of headgroup structure on catonic lipid-mediated transfection was investigated with either a (i) tertiary amine, (ii) quaternary amine with a hydroxyl, or (iii) quaternary amine with mesylate as headgroups. Liposomes were formulated using cholesterol or dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) as colipids, and transfection efficiencies were determined in rapidly dividing colon carcinoma (CT 26) and rat aortic smooth muscle (RASM) cells as well as in nondividing human pancreatic islets using luciferase and green fluorescent protein expression plasmids, pcDNA3-Luc and pCMS-EGFP, respectively. Liposome/pDNA complexes were evaluated for DNA conformational state by circular dichroism (CD), DNA condensation by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), particle size and zeta potential by laser diffraction technique, and surface morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Encouraging transfection results were obtained with the mesylate headgroup based lipid in liposome formulations with DOPE as a colipid, which were higher than the commercially available Lipofectamine formulation. We hypothesize that the additional hydrogen bonding or covalent interactions of the headgroup with the plasmid DNA, leading to higher binding affinity of the cationic lipids to pDNA, results in higher transfection. This hypothesis is supported by TEM observations where elongated complexes were observed and more lipid was seen associated with the DNA.
Nanocrystal-semiconductor interface: Atomic-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscope study of lead sulfide nanocrystal quantum dots on crystalline silicon

We report on a cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscope study of lead sulfide nanocrystal quantum dots (NCQDs) dispersed on electron-transparent silicon nanopillars that enables nearly atomically-resolved simultaneous imaging of the entire composite: the quantum dot, the interfacial region, and the silicon substrate. Considerable richness in the nanocrystal shape and orientation with respect to the substrate lattice is observed. The average NCQD-substrate separation is found to be significantly smaller than the length of the ligands on the NCQDs. Complementary photoluminescence measurements show that light emission from PbS NCQDs on silicon is effectively quenched which we attribute to intrinsic mechanisms of energy and charge transfer from PbS NCQDs to Si.
The Demonstration of Telemetry Reliability

This paper discusses the analytical, techniques which can be utilized in the demonstration of telemetry reliability in a system development program. Analytical techniques have been established to provide telemetry equipment reliability predictions at periodic intervals as functional and environmental test data are accrued. A mathematical model has been developed which allows for a realistic and sound approach to the problem. The equations allow for the calculation of telemetry equipment reliability, at any desired confidence level, in both the individual and combined operational environments. These expressions have been programmed on the IBM 7090 Computer to provide a completely mechanized reliability data handling and processing system. Equipment reliability status reports are issued periodically to provide management with a quantitative measure of telemetry equipment reliability, and offer the design engineer an opportunity for any needed redesign early in the program.
Persistence of Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses to Rubella: Comparison with Natural Infection

Serologic responses and patterns of antibody persistence in children given HPV-77 DE-5 or RA27/3 vaccine were compared with those in children who had experienced natural infection. The results indicated that both vaccines induce long-lasting immunity in most individuals. RA27/3 vaccine proved more immunogenic and resulted in higher antibody titers; after 11 years 95% of those who seroconverted who were tested had hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) antibodies and 100% had neutralizing (NT) antibodies. Titers in HPV-77 DE-5 vaccinees were lower, and in 16% of those whose immune responses were feeble, HAI titers decreased to less than 1:8 after nine to 12 years; however, when their sera were examined by the more sensitive latex-agglutination test, all but two were found to have specific rubella antibody at levels of 1:1 to 1:16. Natural infection with wild virus was shown to induce more vigorous immune responses than did either vaccine: antibody titers were higher, decreases were smaller, and none fell to less than 1:8 (HAI) or less than 1:4 (NT).
Optical aurora detectors: using natural optics to motivate education and outreach

Natural optical phenomena enjoy a level of interest sufficiently high among a wide array of people to provide ideal education and outreach opportunities. The aurora promotes particularly high interest, perhaps because of its relative rarity in the areas of the world where most people live. A project is being conducted at Montana State University to use common interest and curiosity about auroras to motivate learning and outreach through the design and deployment of optical sensor systems that detect the presence of an auroral display and send cell phone messages to alert interested people. Project participants learn about the physics and optics of the aurora, basic principles of optical system design, radiometric calculations and calibrations, electro-optical detectors, electronics, embedded computer systems, and computer software. The project is moving into a stage where it will provide greatly expanded outreach and education opportunities as optical aurora detector kits are created and disbursed to colleges around our region.
Inhaled insulin for type 2 diabetes: solution or distraction?.

In this issue, Cefalu and colleagues report findings from a 3-month study of inhaled insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Can we draw any conclusions about this method of delivering insulin, c...
The steady-state finite cable: Numerical method for non-linear membrane

Abstract An iterative numerical method is described for finding steady-state solutions to the one-dimensional cable equations for finite cable lengths and open-circuit termination. The method is suitable for any non-linear membrane with a single positive-slope crossing of the zero current axis, including those with regions of negative slope conductance. The method generates the current necessary to cause any desired voltage displacement at the input end of the cable as well as solutions for the transmembrane potential and axial current along the cable.
World Kidney Day 2008: think globally, speak locally.

Thursday, March 13, 2008 will mark the third iteration of World Kidney Day (WKD). The concept of an annual WKD was first proposed in 2003 and, through a joint collaboration between the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Society of Nephrology, the first WKD was
Cell death in weaver mouse cerebellum.

Mice with theweaver mutation exhibit an uneven weave to their gait, ataxia, mild locomotor hyperactivity and, occasionally, tonic-clonic seizures. A single amino acid mutation in a G-protein coupled, inwardly rectifying K+ channel, GIRK2, gives rise to the symptoms seen in theweaver mice. Two areas of the brain are primarily affected. Cerebellar granule cell neurons die soon after birth and dopaminergic neurons are severely depleted in the substantia nigra. In this article we review recent studies of wild-type and mutant GIRK channels found in native cells or introduced into expression systems. We also review two models that explain some of the details leading to the neuronal cell death observed inweaver mice.
Admissible Wave Fans in Nonlinear Hyperbolic Systems

The field equations expressing the principles of balance for one-dimensional homogeneous continuous media with “elastic” response typically generate quasi-linear hyperbolic systems of the form $${\partial _{r}}U(x,t) + {\partial _{x}}F(U(x,t)) = 0;$$ (1.1) here the state vector U takes values in R n and F is a smooth mapping from R n to R n.
Prediction of metal leaching rates from solidified/stabilized wastes using the shrinking unreacted core leaching procedure

Abstract The use of cement based stabilization techniques is a common and cost-effective method for stabilization of heavy metals-contaminated sludges and soils. Little is actually known, though, about the mechanisms involved with the release, or leaching, of contaminats from the stabilized waste. Most studies of leaching behavior of cement based systems have assumed that bulk diffusion from the monolith is the main driving force for contaminant release. Recent research has shown that leaching of contaminants is actually a result of the dissolution of the outer shell of the waste form, which results in a solubilization and release of contaminants from the leached shell. The leaching behavior has been successfully modelled as a shrinking unreacted core (SUC). This model incorporates the concept of acid exposure, rather than time, as the master variable in evaluating leaching behavior. The rate of contaminant leaching is controlled by the inward diffusion of acid species into the alkaline depleted leached shell. In this research, the behavior of ‘real-world’ solidified wastes was studied in order to verify that previously observed behavior in synthesized waste forms applied equally as well to real world wastes. Cored samples of stabilized wastes taken from two sites were used to evaluate a new test procedure designed to model shrinking core behavior. Metals leaching behavior was evaluated as a function of the exposure.
Faddeev equations for an N-term separable potential

Abstract Previous derivations of the appropriate form of the Faddeev equations for a separable potential are generalized to include an arbitrary number N of separable terms in each spin state and to permit a possible energy dependence in each term. The resulting equations are a set of 3 N coupled integral equations for the 3 N spectator functions. Following Fuda 6 ), the operators of the permutation group S 3 are introduced to simplify the handling of the equations.
Theoretical predictions of diffusion from Brownian motion in superstrong polymers

This paper presents a summary of unique highly nonlinear static and dynamic theories for chain molecules (actually, for almost any kind of organic molecule), including the first superstrong polymers. These theories have been used to predict and explain (1) the physical self-assembly (self-ordering) of specific kinds of molecules into liquid crystalline (LC) phases (i.e., partially ordered phases) and (2) the diffusion of these molecules in various LC phases and the isotropic (I) liquid phase.
Characterization of Zn-Alloyed CdTe compound semiconductors processed in microgravity on USML-1 and USML-2

Abstract Three of the four CdZnTe crystals grown on USML-1 and 2 have been analyzed with respect to hydrostatic and buoyant gravitational influences. Characterization was carried out using Synchrotron White Beam X-ray Topography, Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and chemical etching. It was found that in the absence of hydrostatic pressure the liquid separated from the ampoule walls, depending on influences such as: volumetric fill-factor, level of constraint, residual g-vector, ampoule geometry and growth conditions. Regions solidified without wall contact were found to be virtually free from twinning, suggesting that these pervasive defects are surface nucleated. Further, these regions showed dramatic reductions in the density of dislocations, from 800,000 (l-g) to 800 (μ-g). This was attributed to thermo-mechanical stress reduction within the flight samples. Regions of partial wall contact showed defect gradients, high on the wall side and low on the free surface side. These results are consistent with our thermo and thermo-mechanical stress model.
Caution in the use of soft tissue injectable fillers in the tear trough region.

I read with interest the article “Correction of Tear Trough Deformity With Novel Porcine Collagen Dermal Filler (Dermicol-P35),” which appeared in the May/June 2009 Supplement to Aesthetic Surgery Journal .1 I would like to congratulate the author, Dr. David Goldberg, on his successful use of this product in a challenging application. In his article, Dr. Goldberg reports excellent clinical results in 10/10 patients who received Dermicol-P35 injections in the tear trough region. I write this note from the perspective of an oculofacial plastic surgeon who has approximately …
Time-Resolved Raman Study of the Oxidation Mechanism of Aromatic Diamines by •OH Radical in Water

The mechanism of the •OH oxidation of aromatic diamines in water has been examined using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool and p-phenylenediamine (PDA) as a model system. It has...
Designing for a Green Future: A Unified Aircraft Design Methodology

Aristotle once said "the whole is more than the sum of its parts." It is in Aristotle's words that a basis for a greener aviation industry can be found. By looking at the whole, the aerospace community can make the entire air transportation system sustainable for generations to come. The effect of aviation on the environment is a multifaceted problem with far reaching consequences if addressed improperly. For this reason, the proposed methodology provides a strategic planning capability for environmental technologies. This unified methodology is a top-down-bottom-up approach starting and ending with the air transportation system, and is intended to align technology selection with an organization's long term environmental concerns. The objective is to systematically identify technologies worth investment based on their environmental impact throughout the future air transportation system. This unified methodology for green design provides the fundamental framework to make purposeful technology selections and investment decisions to meet the environmental needs of the future.
A factor analytic study of health habits

Abstract A factor analytic study of health habits in nutrition, tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use, road and water safety practices, exercise, rest and relaxation, and personal health revealed three interpretable factors. Factor 1 reflected health promotional activities. Factor 2 is characterized by avoidance of health risks. Though more difficult to interpret, Factor 3 appears as lack of awareness of good health practices. The results imply different motivational clusters underlying the actual expression of health behaviors.
The gene encoding cyclooxygenase-2 is regulated by IL-1β and prostaglandins in 832/13 rat insulinoma cells.

Abstract The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β leads to losses in functional β-cell mass in part by inducing the expression of genes that produce soluble mediators of inflammation, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2). In the current study, we sought to understand what factors control the COX2 gene in response to IL-1β and how prostaglandins downstream of COX2 impact pro-inflammatory gene transcription in pancreatic β-cells. We analyzed COX2 gene expression in response to different maneuvers impacting NF-κB proteins. Also, we report alterations in the expression of COX2, EP-3 and EP-4 receptor genes by PGD 2 and PGE 2 . Moreover, we examined whether PGD 2 and PGE 2 regulated NF-κB and interferon-gamma activated sequence (GAS) reporter gene activity. IL-1β-mediated induction of the COX2 gene requires the p65 and p50 subunits of NF-κB. In addition, PGD 2 and PGE 2 coordinately alter COX2 and EP receptor gene expression patterns and potentiate the cytokine-mediated transcriptional activity of promoters containing NF-κB or GAS response elements.
Niemann-Pick disease: prenatal diagnoses and studies of sphingomyelinase activities.

Five pregnancies were monitored for couples at-risk for having a child with some form of Niemann-Pick disease (NPD). Three of these were for the classic Type A form in which affected children usually have less than 1% of normal sphingomyelinase activity. Two of these pregnancies were terminated after the cultured amniotic-fluid cells were determined to have less than 1% of normal sphingomyelinase activity (0.4 and 0.6 nmole/mg protein/hr versus the control mean of 61.7). In the other pregnancy at risk for Type A NPD near normal activity was measured and it was contined to term. The two other pregnancies were monitored for couples in which severely affected children were found to have partially deficient sphingomyelinase activity (about 20% of normal) in cultured skin fibroblasts. Cultural amniotic-fluid cells from one of these pregnancies also had about 20% of control sphingomyelinase activity, but the woman underwent a spontaneous abortion soon after the cells were received and no studies on the fetus were done. The other sample was taken at the time of abortion for social reasons. In this case the cultured amnioticfluid cells and cultured fetal skin fibroblasts gave normal sphingomyelinase activity. Enzymatic studies on tissues from the two fetuses predicted to be affected with Type A NPD confirmed the prenatal diagnosis. Studies of sphingomyelinase activity in the brains from these fetuses and from a child who died with Type A NPD indicated significant levels of activity when measured at pH 7.4 in the presence of magnesium. The higher level of the pH 7.4 sphingomyelinase activity in developing brain may indicate some important role in normal brain development.
Capital mobility and growth in a North-South model

Abstract The paper introduces international equalization of profit rates into a North-South model of growth a la Findlay (1980). It examines the effects, on North-South income and employment differentials, of the introduction of international capital mobility and, given such mobility, of shifts in regional technology, savings, and demand parameters. The postulated structural asymmetries between the North and the South are shown to act in such a way as to pervasively bias, against the South, the functioning of the world economy.
Nonparametric models and methods for designs with dependent censored data: part I.

We consider a nonparametric (NP) approach to the analysis of repeated measures designs with censored data. Using the NP model of Akritas and Arnold (1994, Journal of the American Statistical Association 89, 336-343) for marginal distributions, we present test procedures for the NP hypotheses of no main effects, no interaction, and no simple effects. This extends the existing NP methodology for such designs (Wei and Lachin, 1984, Journal of the American Statistical Association 79, 653-661). The procedures do not require any modeling assumptions and should be useful in cases where the assumptions of proportional hazards or location shift fail to be satisfied. The large-sample distribution of the test statistics is based on an i.i.d. representation for Kaplan-Meier integrals. The testing procedures apply also to ordinal data and to data with ties. Useful small-sample approximations are presented, and their performance is examined in a simulation study. Finally, the methodology is illustrated with two real life examples, one with censored and one with missing data. It is indicated that one of the data sets does not conform to any set of assumptions underlying the available methods and also that the present method provides a useful additional analysis even when data sets conform to modeling assumptions.
The application of dynamic field shaping and dynamic dose rate control in conformal rotational treatment of the prostate

The current philosophy of dose escalation in the treatment of prostate cancer has forced the treatment planner to re-evaluate his/her planning approach. Precise and accurate delivery of dose to the prostate while maintaining the required dose limits to the normal critical structures, such as the rectum, has become increasingly difficult in light of these escalated doses. Conformal treatment techniques allow the treatment planner to precisely shape each individual treatment field so that desired volume coverage and normal tissue sparing can be achieved. In addition to these beam-shaping advantages, adjustment of an individual beam's weighting also helps to create the desired distribution and tissue sparing. Rotational therapy "simulates" treatment with multiple beams and angles, similar to the thought process behind conformal treatment technique. With rotational therapy, however, the treatment planner's inability to provide adequate beam shaping and weighting adjustment has placed limits on its value as a viable planning option. The introduction of computer-controlled treatment machines, which allow dynamic adjustment of the field shape with the rotation of the beam, makes it possible to re-evaluate rotational therapy as a potential option. Similarly, the treatment planner's ability to change field weighting can be accomplished by the application of dynamic dose rate control, allowing a rotational beam to deliver a weighting similar to that possible with conformal fixed-field techniques. Dose-volume histogram data will be used to evaluate doses delivered to the prostate, rectum, and bladder using rotational therapy with dynamic field shape and dynamic dose rate control as a treatment planning option. The dose delivery and normal tissue-sparing potential of this technique compared to coplanar and noncoplanar conformal fixed-field techniques will also be presented.