cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wave propagation due to impact through layered polymer composites

Abstract The aim of this paper is to study the impact response of a large layered viscoelastic plate by subjecting it to a ramp displacement at one end of plate while the other end is fixed. The small strain nonlinear response of the material is modeled using a implicit two network theory. A finite volume technique is used to solve the momentum equation together with a one step explicit scheme for the time evaluation and in order to capture the wave propagation phenomena. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and Polycarbonate (PC) are used in this study. The stress, velocity propagation and their interactions at the interface studies were carried out for: (1) pure PC, (2) pure PMMA, (3) bilayer (PMMA/PC), (4) bilayer (PC/PMMA), (5) trilayer (PC/PMMA/PC) and (6) trilayer (PMMA/PC/PMMA) are compared. Results indicate that the stress on the wall was lowest when using a trilayer (PMMA/PC/PMMA).
Self-reported medical morbidity among informal caregivers of chronic illness: the case of cancer

Purpose Informal care provided by family and friends of patients with chronic illness, such as cancer, makes an invaluable contribution to the medical system and to society, yet it also imposes challenges that result in increased morbidity and mortality of the caregivers. Researchers studying this topic confront major difficulties in acquiring information about caregivers’ morbidity from medical records, a procedure that is costly and time consuming. Methods As an alternative, we developed a brief selfadministered measure of morbid conditions for informal caregivers of persons with medical illness. We tested the measure, named the Morbidities Index for Caregivers of Chronic Illnesses (MICCI), using a large cancer caregiver sample (N = 774). Results The validity of the MICCI was supported by evidence that self-reports of the majority of morbidities were related to well-known demographic correlates of such morbidities, such as older age and being male, and that overall scores are related to widely used indicators of health status of medical populations as measured by the MOS SF. Caregivers reported an average of 4.5 morbid conditions. A higher number of morbidities were predicted by caregivers’ poorer physical and mental health scores on the MOS. Conclusions MICCI has the advantage of providing both an overall index of morbidities and information about specific diagnostic categories that are of potential interest to researchers.
Superconducting and normal state properties of ErRh 4 B 4 and LuRh 4 B 4

Detailed heat capacity measurements of the ternary compounds ErRh4B4 and LuRh4B4 have been performed between 0.5 and 36 K and in magnetic fields up to 4 kG, yielding new information on crystal field effects in these materials and on the influence of externally applied magnetic fields on the coupled superconducting-ferromagnetic reentrant transition in ErRh4B4. Static magnetic susceptibility data on LuRh4B4 are presented which allow qualitative conclusions to be drawn regarding the magnitude of exchange enhancement and orbital paramagnetic effects in the RERh4B4 compounds. The electrical resistivity of ErRh4B4 has also been determined between 4 K and room temperature.
MMSE reception of DS-CDMA with open-loop transmit diversity

Several transmit diversity methods have been introduced into the base-to-mobile (forward) link of third generation (3G) standards in response to a need for increased capacity. Orthogonal transmit diversity (OTD) and space-time spreading (STS) have been included in the 3GPP2 standard, while space-time transmit diversity (STTD) is part of the 3GPP standard. In this paper, the minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) receiver is developed for all three of these transmit diversity methods. Signal-to-noise ratio expressions are developed for both the MMSE receiver and the matched-filter (RAKE) receiver, and these expressions are used to compare the relative performance of the methods.
Crystal structure and fluorescence lifetime of potassium neodymium orthophosphate, K3Nd(PO4)2, a new laser material☆

Crystals of a new high-Nd-concentration laser material, K/sub 3/Nd(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/, have been grown both from the melt and from a KF--KCl flux. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction analysis shows the structure to be monoclinic with space group P2/sub 1//m, Z = 2, and cell parameters a = 9.532(2) A, b = 5.631(3) A, c = 7.444(3) A, ..beta.. = 90.95(2)/sup 0/, giving a Nd concentration of 5.00 x 10/sup 21/ cm/sup -3/. The basic structural units are isolated PO/sub 4/ tetrahedra and isolated NdO/sub 7/ decahedra. The NdO/sub 7/ decahedra each connect six PO/sub 4/ tetrahedra to form two-dimensional Nd(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2//sup 3 -/ sheets in the a-b plane, with K atoms inserted along the c-axis between these sheets. Each PO/sub 4/ tetrahedron is connected to three NdO/sub 7/ decahedra; half the tetrahedra share an edge with a decahedron, giving a short Nd-Nd separation of 4.873 A. Of the seven O ions surrounding each Nd ion, six are near inversion positions. The radiative lifetime of Nd/sup 3 +/ ions in this structure is quite long because of the small deviation from inversion symmetry, but concentration quenching is much stronger than in other structures with isolated Nd-O polyhedra. The measured fluorescence lifetimemore » decreases from 460 ..mu..s in K/sub 3/Nd/sub 0.005/La/sub 0.995(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ to 21 ..mu..s in K/sub 3/Nd(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/.« less
De novo lipogenesis in adipose tissue of lean and obese women: application of deuterated water and isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of using deuterated water and isotope ratio mass spectrometry to measure de novo fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue, and to compare this parameter in obese and lean women. SUBJECTS: Six lean and six obese premenopausal Caucasian women in the main study and three obese Pima Indians in a pilot study. MEASUREMENTS: Deuterated water was administered orally twice daily for 14 days to create stable deuterium enrichment in body water, during which series of blood samples were collected to measure body water deuterium enrichment and deuterium incorporation into plasma total Triacylglycerol (TG) fatty acids and total cholesterol. Subcutaneous fat at different sites were sampled at the beginning and the end of deuterium administration to measure deuterium incorporation into TG fatty acids. RESULTS: Fractional de novo synthesis rate of TG fatty acids in adipose tissue was 0.014±0.005 and 0.014±0.007% in lean and obese Caucasian women, corresponding to 2±0.7 and 5.6±3.2 g (P=0.3) of fatty acids synthesized daily, respectively. Plasma TG fatty acids and cholesterol synthesis rates were comparable to those reported previously. A pilot study showed that de novo lipid synthesis in adipose tissue of obese Pima Indians was also quantitatively minor. CONCLUSION: Human adipose tissue, like the liver, does not make a major contribution to whole body lipogenesis under eucaloric conditions. A combination of deuterated water and isotope ratio mass spectrometry is a useful research tool for studying accumulation of de novo synthesized lipids in human adipose tissue.
Exposure to a histone deacetylase inhibitor has detrimental effects on human lymphocyte viability and function

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been reported to increase tumor antigen expression, and have been successfully tested as adjuvants for melanoma immunotherapy in mouse models. In this work, we tested the effects of a pan-HDACi on human lymphocytes and melanoma cell lines. Effects of the pan-HDACi panobinostat (LBH589) on cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, and DNA damage were determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 2 healthy donors, 13 patients with metastatic melanoma, 2 bone marrow samples from patients with different malignances, and 12 human melanoma cell lines. Intracellular signaling in lymphocytes, with or without cytokine stimulation, was analyzed by phospho-flow cytometry in one of each type. The IC50 in PBMCs was 600 nmol/L in melanoma cell lines; >40% apoptotic cell death in PBMCs versus <10% in melanoma cell lines was seen at the same concentration. Phospho-histone variant H2A.X (pH2A.X) increased 2-fold in healthy donor PBMCs at 1 nmol/L, whereas the same effect in the melanoma cell line M229 required 10 nmol/L. pH2A.X was inhibited slightly in the PBMCs of 3 patients with metastatic melanoma at 1 nmol/L and in the melanoma cell line M370 at 10 nmol/L. Panobinostat inhibited phospho-STAT1/3/5/6, -p38, -ERK, -p53, -cyclin D3, and -histone H3 in flow cytometry-gated healthy donor B and T cells, whereas it induced up to 6-fold activation in patients with metastatic melanoma and bone marrow samples. In human lymphocytes, panobinostat alters key lymphocyte activation signaling pathways and is cytotoxic at concentrations much lower than those required for melanoma antitumor activity, resulting in an adverse therapeutic window.
Organizational Memory Information Systems: A Domain Analysis in the Object-Oriented Paradigm

Organizational memory information systems have recently received considerable attention in information systems development. As yet little research has been reported on the methodology used for the analysis and design of organizational memory information systems. This paper describes an object-oriented method for modeling organizationalmemory information systems. Six concepts that support organizational memory information systems are discussed. They are: document, episode, cognizance, goal, mnemonic instrument, and integration. These concepts are harmonized into a unified object-oriented paradigm. The proposed modeling method extends the traditional information systems analysis into the context of organizational memory information systems. It is usefulforthe development of organizational memory information systems for organizational learning, surveillance, and decision making in general.
Enhancement of imipramine mortality in hyperthyroid mice.

ALTHOUGH the anti-depressant drug imipramine (‘Tofranil’, Geigy) has received broad clinicalacceptance, its mode of action remains uncertain. Nevertheless, potentiation of catecholamine activity is a well-defined pharmacological effect1–3. The other major class of anti-depressant drugs, the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, have been shown clearly to inhibit the enzyme and to elevate brain levels of monoamines4; but it is far from certain that their clinical effect is owing to this biochemical property.
Simultaneous measurements of velocity and pressure fields in subsonic and supersonic flows through image-intensified detection of laser-induced fluorescence

An optical technique is presented for combined, spatially resolved measurements of two-dimensional velocity and pressure fields in compressible flows. The single-mode frequency of an argon laser is fixed in the wing of an absorption line of iodine molecules, seeded in an underexpanded round jet of nitrogen gas. The emitted fluorescence, being proportional to the amount of absorbed radiation and hence the absorption line-shape function, is detected with an intensified 100 x 100 photodiode array camera. A single-microchannel-plate image intensifier is fiber-optically coupled to the array in order to improve time resolution and SNR. Three components of the velocity vector in a cross-sectional plane are sequentially probed with four laser sheets from three different directions. By shifting the laser frequency in one of the sheets with a piezo-tuned intra-cavity etalon, the slope of the absorption line can be measured in situ in order to provide the required scaling factor for the velocity measurement. With its short measurement times of less than 250 ms, this method is well suited for blow-down wind tunnel experiments.
The application of architecture frameworks to modelling exploration operations costs

Developments in architectural frameworks and system-of-systems thinking have provided useful constructs for systems engineering. DoDAF concepts, language, and formalisms, in particular, provide a natural way of conceptualizing an operations cost model applicable to NASA's space exploration vision. Not all DoDAF products have meaning or apply to a DoDAF inspired operations cost model, but this paper describes how such DoDAF concepts as nodes, systems, and operational activities relate to the development of a model to estimate exploration operations costs. The paper discusses the specific implementation to the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) operational functions/activities currently being developed and presents an overview of how this powerful representation can apply to robotic space missions as well.
Psychological constructs and paradigm survival: a response to Csikszentmihalyi and Massimini

One could scarcely overestimate the impact of Darwinian theory on biological theorizing over the past century. Its most recent reincarnation, in the form of sociobiology, has been particularly dramatic as sociobiologists have demonstrated with considerable panache the capacity for biological theorizing to account for broadly variegated patterns of human interaction. Through this theoretical lens it has been possible to discern a biological base for patterns and structures of human aggression, altruism, social cohesion, power, and more. In effect, sociobiology enables the biological theorist to annex a vast domain heretofore the private reserve of the social scientist. Athough Darwinian theory had a strong impact on early socio-cultural theorists, such as Spencer and Sumner, its effects over time have become obscured. In its emphasis on the functional adequacy of various social structures, structural-functional thinking in sociology is one of the few vestigial remains. Yet, with the bracing imperialism of sociobiology, social theorists have been forced into a defensive posture. What arguments can be mounted against such neo-reductionistic attempts? Can more compelling theoretical alternatives be developed to account for the persistence and demise of social pattern? By and large, psychologists have never produced a strong antidote to biological reductionism, whether in Darwinian form or any other. On the contrary, many psychological theorists have openly pursued a physiological base for psychological constructs, thus gaining the immediate advantage of allying themselves with the more powerful, natural sciences. However, such a move simultaneously renders such accomlts vulnerable to ultimate incorporation by the would-be ally. For example, concepts of perception, memory, and emotion have all become fair game for physiological reductionism. Once such reductionism is complete there is little to be said for an autonomous science of psychology. Other psychologists have embraced the Darwinian perspective as a central, explanatory device, while viewing their task as one of developing ancillarv or ‘underlaborer’ constructs. For example, learning theorists from Watson to Skinner have viewed the process of learning as the chief vehicle through which the individual adapts to the environment. To understand processes of learning was thus to elucidate the critical mechanisms by which organisms survive the challenges of a potentially lethal environment.
Estimation of kinetic model parameters in fluorescence optical diffusion tomography

We present a technique for reconstructing the spatially dependent dynamics of a fluorescent contrast agent in turbid media. The dynamic behavior is described by linear and nonlinear parameters of a compartmental model or some other model with a deterministic functional form. The method extends our previous work in fluorescence optical diffusion tomography by parametrically reconstructing the time-dependent fluorescent yield. The reconstruction uses a Bayesian framework and parametric iterative coordinate descent optimization, which is closely related to Gauss–Seidel methods. We demonstrate the method with a simulation study.
The Role of Interferon Therapy in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Interferon (IFN) not only may have antiviral properties against hepatitis C, but also may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through anticarcinogenic properties or indirectly by antifibrotic effects. Because patients with chronic hepatitis C and cirrhosis are at risk for HCC, IFN was used to prevent or treat HCC in patients with hepatitis C. Studies demonstrate that the risk of HCC in hepatitis C patients who are sustained viral responders is substantially reduced but not eliminated. The Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-Term Treatment Against Cirrhosis trial demonstrated that maintenance therapy with IFN does not reduce the risk of HCC in patients with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis. Other studies suggest the risk of HCC is reduced with IFN maintenance therapy in older patients or in patients whose α-fetoprotein levels decline. A randomized clinical trial demonstrated IFN therapy is not effective against HCC. Few studies suggest IFN may reduce the risk of recurrent HCC or reduce tumor burden after ablation or resection. Larger trials are needed to determine if IFN can prevent tumor recurrence after resection or locoregional therapy in patients with hepatitis C cirrhosis and HCC.
Localization of noradrenergic terminals in sympathetic preganglionic nuclei of the rat: Demonstration by immunocytochemical localization of dopamine-β-hydroxylase

Abstract The noradrenergic (NE) innervation to sympathetic preganglionic nuclei in the rat thoracic cord was studied by immunocytochemical localization of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), a specific NE antigen. DBH antisera was prepared against DBH purified from bovine adrenal medulla. The most intense immunoreaction was observed within the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the spinal cord, the major sympathetic preganglionic nucleus in mammals. DBH was also localized in both the central autonomic and intercalated nuclei, cell groups known to contain sympathetic preganglionic visceral motor neurons. Two weeks following a midthoracic spinal transection, DBH immunoreactivity was no longer observed caudal to the lesion. Thus, the cells of origin of these noradrenergic terminals are supraspinal. Following a midthoracic hemisection DBH, immunoreactivity was similarly reduced in both the ipsilateral and contralateral IML caudal to the lesion. Therefore, bulbospinal NE neurons project bilaterally to sympathetic preganglionic nuclei.
Dynamic sequential 3D gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the whole breast.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced 2D MR imaging of the breast has shown high sensitivity and specificity for the detection and characterization of breast lesions. We investigated the ability of a dynamic fast 3D MR imaging technique that repeatedly scans the whole breast in 44-s intervals without an interscan delay time to obtain similar sensitivity and specificity as 2D imaging. Fifty-six patients scheduled for breast biopsy were entered into the study, and 83 lesions detected by 3D dynamic scanning were biopsied. Dynamic 3D contrast-enhanced breast imaging with subtraction detected and correctly classified all 23 cancers, and 44 of the 60 benign lesions yielding a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 73%, and a 100% predictive negative value. The enhancement profiles of metastatic lymph nodes were similar to those of primary cancer. This technique allowed detection of multifocal and multicentric lesions and did not require a priori knowledge of lesion location. These results indicate that dynamic contrast-enhanced 3D MRI of the whole breast is a useful and economically feasible method for staging breast cancer, providing a comprehensive noninvasive method for total evaluation of the breast and axilla in patients considering breast conservation surgery or lumpectomy.
Upper extremity impairments, pain and disability in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Abstract Objectives To determine the severity of, and relationships between, upper extremity impairments, pain and disability in patients with diabetes mellitus, and to compare upper extremity impairments in patients with diabetes with non-diabetic controls. Design Case–control, cross-sectional design. Setting University-based, outpatient diabetes centre and physical therapy research clinic. Participants Two hundred and thirty-six patients with diabetes attending an outpatient diabetes clinic completed the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) questionnaire. A detailed shoulder and hand examination was conducted on a subgroup of 29 volunteers with type 2 diabetes, and 27 controls matched for age, sex and body mass index. Interventions None. Main outcome measures SPADI score, passive shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength, grip strength, hand sensation, dexterity and limited joint mobility of the hand. Results Sixty-three percent (149/236) of patients with diabetes reported shoulder pain and/or disability [median SPADI score 10.0 (interquartile range 0.0 to 39.6)]. Compared with the control group, the subgroup of patients with diabetes had substantial reductions in shoulder ROM, shoulder muscle strength, grip and key pinch strength ( P P r =−0.42 to −0.74) and strength measures ( r =−0.44 to −0.63) in patients with diabetes. Conclusions Upper extremity impairments in this sample of patients with diabetes were common, severe and related to complaints of pain and disability. Additional research is needed to understand the unique reasons for upper extremity problems in patients with diabetes, and to identify preventative treatments.
Foreclosing on the American dream? The financial consequences of low-income homeownership

Federal programs have consistently encouraged ever-lower-income households to buy homes, despite concerns about the long-term sustainability and desirability of homeownership from the perspective of wealth-building, especially since the recent housing market collapse and the epidemic of mortgage foreclosures. We ask in this paper: can very low-income households build wealth through sustainable homeownership, with the aid of an innovative public program? We answer this question by examining 122 very low-income households who purchased their homes between 1996 and 2007 after completing an extensive asset-building and homeownership education/counseling program offered by the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA), called HOP. We analyze our own longitudinal surveys and focus groups, as well as data compiled from administrative agency sources, real estate records, and longitudinal census data from the Neighborhood Change Database and the Piton Foundation's Neighborhood Facts Database. We fin...
Cancelled stereotactic biopsy of calcifications not seen using the stereotactic technique: do we still need to biopsy?

To determine the frequency of cancelled stereotactic biopsy due to non-visualisation of calcifications, and assess associated features and outcome data. A retrospective review was performed on 1,874 patients scheduled for stereotactic-guided breast biopsy from 2009 to 2011. Medical records and imaging studies were reviewed. Of 1,874 stereotactic biopsies, 76 (4 %) were cancelled because of non-visualisation of calcifications. Prompt histological confirmation was obtained in 42/76 (55 %). In 28/76 (37 %) follow-up mammography was performed, and 7/28 subsequently underwent biopsy. Of 27 without biopsy, 21 (78 %) had follow-up. Nine cancers (9/49, 18 %) were found: 6 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), 3 infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). Of 54 patients with either biopsy or at least 2 years’ follow-up, 9 (17 %) had cancer (95 % CI 8–29). Cancer was present in 7/42 (17 %, 95 % CI 7–31 %) lesions that had prompt histological confirmation (DCIS = 5, IDC = 2) and in 2/28 (7 %, 95 % CI 0.8–24 %) lesions referred for follow-up (DCIS = 1, IDC = 1). Neither calcification morphology (P = 0.2), patient age (P = 0.7), breast density (P = 1.0), personal history (P = 1.0) nor family history of breast cancer (P = 0.5) had a significant association with cancer. Calcifications not visualised on the stereotactic unit are not definitely benign and require surgical biopsy or follow-up. No patient or morphological features were predictive of cancer. • Half of cancelled stereotactic biopsies were due to non-visualisation of calcified foci. • This reflects the improved detection of calcifications by digital mammography. • Calcifications too faint for the stereotactic technique require alternative biopsy or follow-up • 17 % of patients with biopsy or at least 2 years’ follow-up had cancer. • No patient/morphological features were found to aid selection for re-biopsy vs. follow-up.
A balanced optical interferometric sensor with a wavelength‐dependent offset

A Mach-Zehnder interferometer with dissimilar arms in the form of buried-rib and ARROW waveguides is considered. The interferometer has a wavelength-dependent offset because of diferent chromatic dispersion in the two arms. This feature makes it possible to build a balanced interferometric sensor with negligible temperature sensitivity but in which the offset due to an external stimulus can still be determined by varying the wavelength of the source. Dispersion calculations for this interferometer are presented with a possible construction design.
DNA repair replication in temperature-sensitive DNA synthesis deficient bacteria.

Abstract Mutants of E. coli blocked in normal semiconservative DNA replication above 42°C have been isolated by Bonhoeffer and Schaller (1965) and by Rasmussen and Weywadt (1967) . Bonhoeffer (1966) found that stimulated incorporation of P32 into DNA occurred at the restrictive temperature after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of a CR34 temperature-sensitive mutant. In the present communication it is shown that this incorporation is of the nonconservative repair mode and that the amount of such repair at 42°C is as much as at the normal 36°C growth temperature. The t3 TAU-bar mutant of Rasmussen and Weywadt (1967) was also found to undergo repair replication at the restrictive temperature. Our studies support the concept that different enzyme systems are involved in the normal semiconservative and the repair modes of DNA synthesis in E. coli .
Estimation of binding affinities for HEPT and nevirapine analogues with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase via Monte Carlo simulations.

The interactions and energetics associated with the binding of 20 HEPT and 20 nevirapine nonnucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) have been explored in an effort to establish simulation protocols and methods that can be used in the development of more effective anti-HIV drugs. Using crystallographic structures as starting points, all 40 inhibitors were modeled in the bound and unbound states via Monte Carlo (MC) statistical mechanics methods. Potentially useful descriptors of binding affinity were configurationally averaged for each inhibitor during the MC simulations, and correlations were sought with reported experimental activities. A viable regression equation was obtained using only four descriptors to correlate the 40 experimental activities with an r2 of 0.75 and cross-validated q2 of 0.69. The computed activities show a rmsd of 0.94 kcal/mol in comparison with experiment and an average unsigned error of 0.69 kcal/mol. The MC results reveal three physically reasonable parameters...
Semi-Automated Detection Of Interplanetary Objects

The search for, the detection of, and the discrimination among moving objects has been a labor-intensive, time-consuming task. Earth-approaching asteroids, tenth planets, comets, meteoroids, and so on fill part of the solar system in an unpredictable way. Using state-of-the-art, low-light-level, beam-scanned, electron-bombarded silicon television cameras on a telescope equipped with a microprocessor/minicomputer control system, we have searched for Earth-approaching minor planets for several years. Two gener.tions of ever increasingly sophisticated analog and digital video data handling and image processing have now been upgraded with the addition of a VICOM Systems Inc. model 1800 digital image processor. The VICOM, with its own microprocessor, real-time digital video disc storage, and other peripherals allows for the real-time implementation of video processing algorithms which discriminates moving objects from the stellar background. As of the submission date of this abstract, all this is working at our observatory in a semi-automatic mode. We hope to have this fully automatic with the replacement of the current cameras by state-of-the-art, very low noise, very high transfer efficiency, and high quantum efficiency charge coupled device cameras. The capabilities of this system would be such that searches for variable intensity (but fixed in position) sources are feasible too. Whether supernovae, novae, flare stars, or other types of variability are sought, this would be the next step for our observatory. However, the detector/data handling/control/image processing problems associated with this task are much more difficult to solve.
A simple three-dimensional real-time reliable cellular array

Abstract We build a three-dimensional array of unreliable cellular automata that can simulate a universal Turing machine (more generally, a one-dimensional universal iterative array) reliably. This is the first reliable real-time simulation. The encoding is simple repetition, and no decoding is needed. The construction is based on Toom's work.
Applications of adina to evaluate analysis methodologies for predicting cleavage arrest and reinitiation of a deep crack in an RPV

Abstract Several calculational procedures are compared for predicting cleavage arrest of a deep crack in the wall of a prototypical reactor pressure vessel (RPV) subjected to pressurized-thermal-shock (PTS) types of loading conditions. The three procedures examined in this study used the following models: (1) a static finite-element model (full bending);(2) a radially constrained static model; and (3) a thermoelastic dynamic finite-element model. A PTS transient loading condition was selected that produced a deep arrest of an axially oriented, initially shallow crack according to calculational results obtained from the static (full-bending) model. Results from the two static models were compared with those generated from the detailed thermoelastic dynamic finite-element analysis using ADINA. The dynamic analyses modeled cleavage-crack propagation using a node-release technique and application-mode methodologies. Comparisons presented here indicate that the degree to which dynamic solutions can be approximated by static models is highly dependent on several factors, including the material dynamic fracture curves and the propensity for cleavage reinitiation of the arrested crack under PTS loading conditions. Additional work is required to develop and validate a satisfactory dynamic fracture toughness model applicable to postcleavage arrest conditions in an RPV.
Antiandrogen-like actions of an antioxidant on survivin, Bcl-2 and PSA in human prostate cancer cells

Abstract Background: Androgens, while essential for prostate gland development, have been postulated to contribute to carcinogenesis, and antioxidants have been postulated to suppress prostate cancer development. We theorized that antioxidants might suppress prostate cancer cell growth by blocking androgen effects on cell survival. This hypothesis was tested by in vitro studies conducted in ALVA-101, an androgen responsive human prostate cancer cell line. Methods: ALVA-101 was cultured with or without testosterone (T, 10 −12 M) and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC, 10μg/mL). Cell Titer 96 AQ, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Northern and Western blot were used to quantify the cell growth, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity, mRNAs of survivin, Bcl-2, androgen receptor (AR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA), and proteins of AR and survivin. Results: PDTC suppressed EMSA of NF-κB and significantly decreased ( p Conclusions: PDTC, a potent inducer of apoptosis, exerts antiandrogen-like action by reducing AR protein and reversing the stimulatory effects of androgen on potent inhibitors of apoptosis.
Irving Fisher's debt-deflation theory: its relevance to current conditions

The essence of Irving Fisher's debt-deflation theory was an interactive process whereby falling commodity prices increased the debt burden of borrowers. Despite the absence of falling prices today, this paper argues that a modified debt-deflation process is still possible. As the 1987 stock market crash demonstrates, the modern debt-deflation process encompasses falling asset prices, debt repayment difficulties, a reluctance to lend, a financial crisis, the impact on the banks, and the interdependency of the financial system. Recent debt-deflations have been aborted by lender-of-last-resort intervention and government support of the financial system. (c) 1996 Academic Press Limited Copyright 1996 by Oxford University Press.
Membrane responses and changes in cAMP levels in Aplysia sensory neurons produced by serotonin, tryptamine, FMRFamide and small cardioactive peptideB (SCPB).

Abstract While recent evidence indicates a role for serotonin (5-HT) in modulating the defensive tail-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia , little information exists concerning the specificity of these 5-HT effects. As a first-step in addressing this issue we have examined the dose-response relationship for one aspect of the 5-HT modulation (enhancement of cAMP levels in isolated clusters of sensory neurons) and compared the effects of 5-HT with three potential neurotransmitters: tryptamine, FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH 2 ) and small cardioactive peptide B (SCP B ). Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels were enhanced as a graded function of the concentration of 5-HT with an EC 50 of 14 μM. At a concentration of 5 μM, both 5-HT and SCP B produced nearly identical increases in the cAMP content of sensory neurons. In contrast, 5 μM tryptamine or 5 μM FMRFamide had little or no effect on cAMP levels. We also examined the effects of these agents on membrane currents and membrane conductance. Both 5-HT and SCP B produced an inward current associated with a decrease in input conductance. Tryptamine had little or no effect, while FMRFamide produced a response opposite to that of 5-HT and SCP B ; an outward current associated with an increase in membrane conductance.
Longitudinal aggregate data model-based meta-analysis with NONMEM: approaches to handling within treatment arm correlation

Literature data are often reported as multiple (longitudinal) mean outcomes observed in several groups of patients within a study. Observations within a study are correlated because the patients come from a common population, and the mean observations over time within a treatment arm are correlated because they are based on the same set of patients. As a result, model-based meta-analysis may require more than two levels of random effects to correctly characterize this correlation structure. Using simulation, we explored and evaluated ways to implement multi-level random effects in NONMEM. Simulation models that were linear and non-linear in the random effects were investigated. We compared estimation models that included study and/or treatment arm-level random effects, with and without residual correlation. With all estimation strategies, the fixed random effects parameters were accurately estimated. With regard to correctly characterizing the variability, models that accounted for correlation within a study and treatment arm over time were the best in some situations, while models that accounted for study-level correlation only were better in others. Models that included only treatment arm-level random effects were not superior in any scenario.
Shiga toxin binding to glycolipids and glycans.

Background Immunologically distinct forms of Shiga toxin (Stx1 and Stx2) display different potencies and disease outcomes, likely due to differences in host cell binding. The glycolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) has been reported to be the receptor for both toxins. While there is considerable data to suggest that Gb3 can bind Stx1, binding of Stx2 to Gb3 is variable. Methodology We used isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to examine binding of Stx1 and Stx2 to various glycans, glycosphingolipids, and glycosphingolipid mixtures in the presence or absence of membrane components, phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol. We have also assessed the ability of glycolipids mixtures to neutralize Stx-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis in Vero kidney cells. Results By ITC, Stx1 bound both Pk (the trisaccharide on Gb3) and P (the tetrasaccharide on globotetraosylceramide, Gb4), while Stx2 did not bind to either glycan. Binding to neutral glycolipids individually and in combination was assessed by ELISA. Stx1 bound to glycolipids Gb3 and Gb4, and Gb3 mixed with other neural glycolipids, while Stx2 only bound to Gb3 mixtures. In the presence of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, both Stx1 and Stx2 bound well to Gb3 or Gb4 alone or mixed with other neutral glycolipids. Pre-incubation with Gb3 in the presence of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol neutralized Stx1, but not Stx2 toxicity to Vero cells. Conclusions Stx1 binds primarily to the glycan, but Stx2 binding is influenced by residues in the ceramide portion of Gb3 and the lipid environment. Nanomolar affinities were obtained for both toxins to immobilized glycolipids mixtures, while the effective dose for 50% inhibition (ED50) of protein synthesis was about 10−11 M. The failure of preincubation with Gb3 to protect cells from Stx2 suggests that in addition to glycolipid expression, other cellular components contribute to toxin potency.
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Homeless Families with Young Children

This study researched the experiences of homeless families with young children between the ages of four and eight. Many families experience homelessness every year; therefore, it is important for early childhood educators to have an understanding of how homelessness affects families with young children so that educators can effectively serve the needs of homeless families as they seek to find more permanent situations for themselves and their young children. Many early childhood educators may not understand how homelessness affects young learners. This research sought: (1) to understand reasons families with young children become homeless; (2) to become aware of beneficial resources available to families and their perceptions of the resources; (3) and to examine the developmental effects that homeless living situations can have on young children. The outcomes of this study will be used to inform early childhood educators about practices as they seek to serve young children ages four to eight living homeless. Research suggested common themes as to why and how parents and young children are affected by homelessness.
Effect of design considerations on productivity at wafer level

Abstract This paper examines the effect on yield and productivity of design considerations such as packing density, levels of vertical integration, minimum design dimensions, and chip size. Expressions are presented to calculate the number of circuits on chips of different design, the initial and later yield, the time interval needed for two different products to attain the same yield, the rate of defect density reduction needed to meet a desired yield in a prescribed time period, and the productivity of different designs.
Studies in Evaluating Energy Content of Feeds for the Chick I. The Evaluation of the Metabolizable Energy and Productive Energy of Alpha Cellulose

Abstract MITCHELL and Haines (1927a, b) and Fraps and Carlyle (1939a, b, c, 1941a, b, c, 1942) have determined, respectively, the net and productive energy contents of several poultry feedstuffs. Later, with the use of digestibility data and assumed “productive energy values of the effective digestible nutrients” in Calories per gram, designated as factors, Fraps (1946) calculated for poultry the productive energy values of feed ingredients from average composition data. These values have been used extensively during the past decade and found to be useful guides for comparing energy contents of feedstuffs. However, experiments conducted more recently indicated that the determined productive energy values of a diet varied considerably from the values calculated with the use of Fraps’ tables (Davidson et al., 1957; Hill and Anderson, 1958). The metabolizable energy values of several feedstuffs for poultry have been obtained directly (Mitchell and Haines, 1927a, b, 1930; Fraps et al., 1940; Olsson, 1950; Halnan, …
Desert dust deposition reduces snow cover in Colorado Mountains

Dust deposition on the mountains of southwest Colorado may have reduced springtime snow cover by 1–2 months per year compared to low-dust conditions, a new study finds. When dust is deposited on snow surface, it increases absorption of solar radiation, accelerating snowmelt. Increasing land disturbances, beginning since the early settlers arrived in the western United States during the mid-1800s, have kicked large quantities of dust into the atmosphere; this dust gets deposited on the snow-covered mountains of Colorado. Skiles et al. used 6 years of observations, between 2005 and 2010, to understand how soil dust loading has affected snow cover on the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado during the springtime snow-melting season. The authors found that dust loading, which varied by an order of magnitude over the study period, was not necessarily related to the number of seasonal dust events. The increased dust load reduced snow cover by 25–51 days during spring, with the magnitude of impact being directly related to the amount of dust loading. The authors further suggest that the thinning of snow cover due to dust is greater than that expected from the projected 2°C–4°C increase in regional temperature.
Characteristics of random-sum peaks in nuclear radiation spectra

Abstract The spectrum of pulse heights resulting from the pile-up of constant-amplitude pulses, randomly distributed in time, is discussed. The shape of the pile-up spectrum is sensitive in differing degrees to the various time constants involved in detection and electronic processing. Predictions are presented for n-pulse pile-up, including a formula for two-pulse summation which differs significantly from the usually quoted result. Experimental data, utilizing a pulse generator operating with random time intervals down to 8 ns, agree with the predictions.
International Institutions and Social Learning in the Management of Global Environmental Risks

This article investigates the role played by formal international institutions in the broader process of international efforts to respond to and manage global and transboundary environmental risks. Because few international institutions are designed to deal with the broad nature of environmental risks, it focuses on institutional learning. By analyzing the experiences of the United Nations Environment Program, World Meteorological Organization, and other international institutions involved with global warming, this article identifies institutional properties (or functions) that encourage or inhibit social learning in the management of global environmental risks by international institutions, and that influence the adoption of such lessons by their constituent members.
Radio emission from objects in the hubble deep field

A radio image that covers the Hubble deep field and flanking fields has been made using the VLA for 50 hr at a frequency of 8.4 GHz, a resolution of 6'', and a 4.3 σ detection level of 12.2 μJy. All six radio sources detected in the deep field are identified with galaxies brighter than I = 24 mag, based on a radio/optical coincidence better than 1''. In the flanking fields 8 of 12 sources are identified with galaxies 19 to 25 mag. The identifications are preferentially with red elliptical galaxies and early-type spiral galaxies. Several galaxies show distortions that suggest interaction.
Inner hair cell Cre-expressing transgenic mouse

Cochlear hair cells of the inner ear are mechanosensory transducers critical for sound reception in mammals. A mouse with a specific expression of Cre recombinase activity in hair cells is essential for hair cell-specific gene targeting. Here we report a transgenic mouse in which Cre activity is detected in inner hair cells, not in supporting cells, in the cochlea. The Cre activity was visualized with both X-gal staining and beta-galactosidase immunostaining in progeny of a cross between our Cre line and the reporter ROSA26R line. In inner hair cells, the Cre activity started at postnatal day 14 and was maintained throughout adulthood. Starting at postnatal day 50, a few outer hair cells in the outermost row of cochlear apical and middle turns displayed the Cre activity. In vestibular hair cells and spiral ganglia, the Cre activity was also detected. Cre activity was present in cells widely distributed throughout brain, testis, and retina, but was absent in many other tissues such as kidney, heart, liver, and intestine. This Cre mouse line can thus be used for conditional gene targeting in mature inner hair cells of the cochlea. genesis 39:173-177, 2004.
Rotavirus-specific protein synthesis is not necessary for recognition of infected cells by virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Abstract We found that rotavirus-specific protein synthesis was not necessary for recognition by virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In addition, CTLs lysed rotavirus-infected target cells prior to production of infectious virus. Target cell processing of rotavirus antigens for presentation to CTLs was enhanced by treatment of rotavirus with trypsin prior to infection; trypsin-induced cleavage of the viral hemagglutinin (vp4) has previously been found to facilitate rotavirus entry into target cells by direct penetration of virions through the plasma membrane. We conclude that sufficient quantities of exogenous viral proteins may be introduced into the cytoplasm for processing by target cells. The mechanism by which rotavirus proteins are processed for presentation to the target cell surface remains to be determined.
On the control of redundant coarse-fine manipulators

The problem of controlling the end-point position of a redundant coarse-fine manipulator is investigated. Such a system typically consists of a coarse robot for approximate positioning and, fastened to the end of it, a fast and accurate fine-motion robotic device. For small motions for which a linearized model of the coarse-fine dynamics is assumed, it is shown that, under mild assumptions, a good disturbance rejection over a wide frequency range of the fine manipulator is sufficient to insure stability and good performance of the coarse-fine redundant manipulator. The fine robot controller can be designed by H/sup infinity / norm minimization, while the coarse robot controller need not be changed. >
Association Between Telomere Length and Disease—More Evidence

Bioinformatics analyses in today’s research, especially in genome-wide studies, can set one’s head spinning. A study by Codd and coauthors has this vertiginous effect. In this article, a genome-wide meta-analysis supports a causal role for leukocyte telomere variation in some age-related