cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the LAURA code for slender-vehicle aerothermodynamics

Application of a three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes code (LAURA) to compute the laminar, perfect gas aerothermodynamics of slender vehicles is demonstrated. Comparison of solutions with experimental data enabled an assessment of the code's aerodynamic heating prediction capabilities. The results show radial grid refinement to a wall cell Reynolds number of 2 to be accurate for predicting aerodynamic heating to a slender cone. Additional comparisons for an 80 deg slab-delta wing and a generic Aero-Space Plane vehicle show the method to be generally accurate using this radial cell spacing. Discrepancies between the predicted and measured heating in a region of crossflow separation on the Aero-Space Plane geometry are noted which indicates the need for further study. While additional applications and comparisons are required to fully test the LAURA program, the results of this study demonstrate the current level of confidence and the engineering utility of this particular code.
Synthesis of substituted oxa- and aza[3.2.1] and [4.3.1]bicyclics via an unprecedented molybdenum-mediated 1,5-"Michael-type" reaction.

The direct internal nucleophilic functionalization of a π-bound carbon of neutral TpMo(CO)2(5-oxo-η3-pyranyl) and TpMo(CO)2(5-oxo-η3-pyridinyl) complexes by enolates represents a new reaction profile for neutral TpMo(CO)2(η3-allyl) complexes. This Mo-mediated “1,5-Michael reaction” proceeds in good to excellent yields and provides, after demetalation, a new and efficient synthetic approach to oxa- and aza[3.2.1]bicyclics of high enantiomeric purity.
Induced depressive mood and attributional patterns

A number of investigators have documented the existence of a depressive attributional pattern. Compared to nondepressives, individuals with depressive symptoms attribute negative outcomes to internal, stable, and global factors and tend to attribute positive outcomes to external and/or unstable factors. In this study we experimentally investigated the causal direction of the relationship between depressive symptoms and attributional patterns by using the Velten technique to induce a transient depressive mood state in naturally nondepressed college students. Although students became depressed in mood following the experimental manipulation, they still showed a robust nondepressive attributional style similar to the style shown by a neutral control group of naturally nondepressed students. The implications of these results for attributional accounts of depression were discussed.
Regulation of Lymphoid and Myeloid Leukemic Cell Survival: Role of Stromal Cell Adhesion Molecules

Several laboratories have documented the necessity for direct contact of lymphoid and myeloid leukemic cells with bone marrow stromal cells for optimal survival. Subsequent studies have identified various stromal cell adhesion molecules and soluble factors that facilitate survival through leukemic cell anti-apoptotic signal transduction pathways. This report provides an overview of enhanced leukemic cell survival through adhesive interactions with bone marrow expressed molecules. In addition, we describe the establishment of cloned murine stromal cell lines engineered to constitutively express human VCAM-1 protein on their surface. These stromal cell lines will be useful in studies aimed at better understanding the specific contribution of VCAM-1: VLA-4 signaling in maintenance of residual leukemic disease.
TURBULENT TWO-PHASE MIXING IN GAS-STIRRED LADLE SYSTEMS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING APPLICATIONS

Abstract Two turbulent models, the conventional k-e and Reynolds stress models, are employed to simulate turbulent recirculating two-phase flow generated by air injection to a ladle with and without throughflow. A Lagrangian-Eulerian scheme for two phases is computed numerically. It is shown that the k-e model is not suitable for predicting highly swirling flow (i.e., nonthroughflow case), even though it yields results that are in agreement with measurements in less swirling flow (i.e., nonthroughflow case). It also is shown that the turbulent kinetic energies predicted by the k-∊ model are higher than those predicted by the Reynolds stress model. It is also disclosed in this simulation that the dispersion rate of a phone is more dependent on the bubble flow rate than on the bubble size. The location of the air injection nozzle is varied for the throughflow case. It is also revealed that air injection from the left bottom nozzle is more effective in reducing the zone of zero turbulent kinetic energy, whic...
Circular dichroism of human erythrocyte membranes solubilized by N-pentanol.

1. 1. The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of n-pentanol-solubilized human erythrocyte membranes, a preparation which consists of lipoproteins having relatively low turbidity, does not show the red-shift characteristic of CD spectra of intact membranes. The double minima indicating α-helix are observed, but are blue-shifted from the usual α-helix minima extrema. 2. 2. Solution of the lipoproteins in 70 % 2-chloroethanol, an α-helix promoting solvent, results in a red-shift of the 219 nm minimum to 221 nm, as well as a large increase in ellipticity. These data suggest a significant amount of β-structure was present in the pentanol-treated erythrocyte membranes, which may have been generated by the pentanol treatment. 3. 3. Aggregation of the lipoproteins by CaCl2 and MgCl2 results in a turbid preparation with its CD spectrum showing a distinct red-shift and sharply decreased amplitude similar to the features of the CD spectra of the original membrane preparation, indicating that the light scattering and absorption flattening effects due to the particulate nature of the membranes do exert a strong influence on their CD spectra, and in particular may obscure sizable contributions of β-structure.
Immunity to Experimental Cholera. III. Enhanced Duration of Protection after Sequential Parenteral-Oral Administration of Toxoid to Dogs

Protection against experimental cholera after immunization with a purified glutaraldehyde toxoid given subcutaneously (sc), orally, or by a combined sc-oral sequence was compared in dogs. The protection induced by toxoid appeared to be entirely due to antitoxin. Repeated sc immunization with precipitated toxoid resulted in 77% protection at two weeks but no protection at four months. Protection after sc immunization correlated with titers of antitoxin in serum and appeared to result entirely from serum-derived antibody. In contrast, immunization by the sc-oral sequence resulted in prolonged protection (74% at two weeks, P=0.04; 100% after four months, P=0.004; and 57% after eight months, P=0.01) that was not related to the low serum antitoxin titers achieved. This sequence was effective only if the oral booster was given in divided doses. Immunization by oral priming and boosting was ineffective. These results suggest that the sc-oral sequence of immunization is an efficient means of stimulating the enteric immune response to nonreplicating protein antigens and may provide an improved approach to immunization against cholera.
Trace-level determination of 1,4-dioxane in water by isotopic dilution GC and GC-MS

The volatile and polar solvent 1,4-dioxane has recently been reported as a contaminant of ground and surface waters, establishing the need to determine this substance in drinking water. This investigation established that 1,4-dioxane can be determined in water by various techniques including direct aqueous injection (DAI) gas chromatography (GC) and purge and trap GC–mass spectrometry (MS). Purge and trap GC-MS is limited by 1,4-dioxane’s poor purge efficiency, resulting in detection limits up to 100 times greater than the efficiently purged volatile organic compounds. To attain the sensitivity required for drinking water monitoring, a method based on continuous liquid–liquid extraction with dichloromethane was developed. Isotope dilution was more accurate and reproducible than quantification with external standards, and the improvement in precision led to a lower method detection limit, 0.2 μg L−1, using a quadrupole ion trap instrument in the electron ionization mode. Isotope dilution accuracy approached 100% in ppb determinations. Isotopic dilution quantification was also possible using a non-selective GC detector owing to the high efficiency of capillary GC columns that resolve the deuterium-labeled solvent from the natural isotopes.
Utilization of dihydroflavin mononucleotide and superoxide anion for the decyclization of l-tryptophan by murine epididymal indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

Abstract Dihydroflavin mononucleotide (FMNH2) together with a regenerating enzyme system effectively supported l -tryptophan decyclization by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase isolated from murine epididymis. The native murine dioxygenase was a monomeric protein with Mr 40,000 ± 1000, an apparent pI of 4.9 ± 0.1, and an optimum pH within the range of 7 to 8. Using FMNH2 with FMN oxidoreductase, the enzyme attained significantly higher activity than the apparent maximal activity obtained by using the other electron donor systems examined (e.g., riboflavin, FAD, tetrahydrobiopterin, methylene blue). A kinetic study with the FMNH2 cofactor suggested the occurrence of a complex reaction ( l -tryptophan-FMNH2 interdependency) and a theoretical K′m of 14 μ m or a Km of 13 μ m was estimated for the substrate. l -Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenation was competitively inhibited by l -5-hydroxytryptophan with a Ki of 1 μ m . The reaction rate was reduced to less than 50% of that of the control in the presence of Superoxide dismutase and was decreased to 3% of the control in the absence of catalase. Thus, Superoxide anion does not appear to be the only form of O2 participating in the reaction. However, these data indicate that the activation of molecular oxygen is an essential factor for an optimum catalysis and a mechanism of FMNH2-dependent oxygenation of l -tryptophan by murine indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.
SOI material characterization using optical second harmonic generation

While SOI wafer manufacturing processes such as SIMOX and BESOI have been developed, it remains a challenge to produce SOI wafers with extremely thin top silicon layers that are uniform in thickness, low in defects, high in crystalline quality, and compatible to bulk silicon in electrical performance. These stringent requirements on SOI wafers have stimulated a parallel effort to develop characterization techniques for starting SOI wafer qualification, as conventional characterization techniques often prove to be inadequate as a result of complications arising from the presence of the buried oxide layer in SOI. New methods therefore have emerged to answer the needs. Here we report the use of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) method for the characterization of SOI wafer quality. This technique is non-destructive, real time, very sensitive and versatile. It can be used to address a number of SOI wafer issues such as silicon film uniformity, wafer bonding induced mechanical stress, dopant and defect density in the thin film, and buried oxide layer interfacial quality. Applying this method to the investigation of BESOI and SIMOX wafers, we have observed distinctive SHG signals and signal changes as the wafers are subjected to different processing conditions. These results indicate that the quality of the SOI wafers can in fact be probed effectively using the SHG technique.
Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit health plans enrolling Medicare beneficiaries

BACKGROUND: For-profit health plans now enroll the majority of Medicare beneficiaries who select managed care. Prior research has produced conflicting results about whether for-profit health plans provide lower quality of care. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to compare the quality of care delivered by for-profit and not-for-profit health plans using Medicare Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) clinical measures. RESEARCH DESIGN: This was an observational study comparing HEDIS scores in for-profit and not-for-profit health plans that enrolled Medicare beneficiaries in the United States during 1997. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included health plan quality scores on each of 4 clinical services assessed by HEDIS: breast cancer screening, diabetic eye examination, beta-blocker medication after myocardial infarction, and follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness. RESULTS: The quality of care was lower in for-profit health plans than not-for-profit health plans on all 4 of the HEDIS measures we studied (67.5% vs 74.8% for breast cancer screening, 43.7% vs 57.7% for diabetic eye examination, 63.1% vs 75.2% for beta-blocker medication after myocardial infarction, and 42.1% vs 60.4% for follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness). Adjustment for sociodemographic case-mix and health plan characteristics reduced but did not eliminate the differences, which remained statistically significant for 3 of the 4 measures (not beta-blocker medication after myocardial infarction). Different geographic locations of for-profit and not-for-profit health plans did not explain these differences. CONCLUSION: By using standardized performance measures applied in a mandatory measurement program, we found that for-profit health plans provide lower quality of care than not-for-profit health plans. Special efforts to monitor and improve the quality of for-profit health plans may be warranted.
The Problem of Coming to Terms with the Past: A Post-Holocaust Theology of Remembrance

The Problem of Coming to Terms with the Past: Toward a Theology of Remembrance by Jeremy D. Fackenthal Claremont Graduate University: Spring 2012 This dissertation examines the problem of coming to terms with the past in post-World War II Germany in the wake of the Holocaust by examining the philosophical critiques of Theodor Adorno and Eric Voegelin. It then extends these critiques into the ongoing discussion of postHolocaust philosophy and theology, while introducing the speculative philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead as a helpful and appropriate means for continuing metaphysical reflection and perceiving the influence of the past upon the present and future in post-Holocaust discourse. This dissertation suggests, alongside Adorno and Voegelin, that finally coming to terms with the past proves much more dangerous than helpful. Instead, the focus should remain on remembering and reflecting critically upon the deleterious past of the Holocaust in order to avoid forgetfulness or effacement of the past. Whitehead’s philosophy provides a metaphysical means for considering how the past remains with us in the present and into the future. Out of this injunction to remember comes a theology of remembrance, which draws heavily from Walter Benjamin’s writing on weak messianism and inverse theology. The final focus of the dissertation is the development of a Christian theology of remembrance that requires Christians to rethink theology in light of the Holocaust.
Long-term α1B-adrenergic receptor activation shortens lifespan, while α1A-adrenergic receptor stimulation prolongs lifespan in association with decreased cancer incidence

The α1-adrenergic receptor (α1AR) subtypes, α1AAR and α1BAR, have differential effects in the heart and central nervous system. Long-term stimulation of the α1AAR subtype prolongs lifespan and provides cardio- and neuro-protective effects. We examined the lifespan of constitutively active mutant (CAM)-α1BAR mice and the incidence of cancer in mice expressing the CAM form of either the α1AAR (CAM-α1AAR mice) or α1BAR. CAM-α1BAR mice have a significantly shortened lifespan when compared with wild-type (WT) animals; however, the effect was sex dependent. Female CAM-α1BAR mice lived significantly shorter lives, while the median lifespan of male CAM-α1BAR mice was not different when compared with that of WT animals. There was no difference in the incidence of cancer in either sex of CAM-α1BAR mice. The incidence of cancer was significantly decreased in CAM-α1AAR mice when compared with that in WT, and no sex-dependent effects were observed. Further study is warranted on cancer incidence after activation of each α1AR subtype and the effect of sex on lifespan following activation of the α1BAR. The implications of a decrease in cancer incidence following long-term α1AAR stimulation could lead to improved treatments for cancer.
Breastfeeding preterm twins: a case report.

: This case report describes a primipara who successfully breastfed 35-week-gestation twins for over six months. Positive interactions, research-based management strategies, and innovative problem solving helped her avoid the individual, interpersonal, and system factors that can injuence lactation failure. (BIRTH 21:2, June 1994)
BAG: a graph theoretic sequence clustering algorithm

In this paper, we first discuss issues in clustering biological sequences with graph properties, which inspired the design of our sequence clustering algorithm BAG. BAG recursively utilises several graph properties: biconnectedness, articulation points, pquasi-completeness, and domain knowledge specific to biological sequence clustering. To reduce the fragmentation issue, we have developed a new metric called cluster utility to guide cluster splitting. Clusters are then merged back with less stringent constraints. Experiments with the entire COG database and other sequence databases show that BAG can cluster a large number of sequences accurately while keeping the number of fragmented clusters significantly low.
Slice to cell mapping mechanism for MPEG video communications over ATM networks

In the paper, a slice size control scheme is studied to overcome for the loss of information when transferring MPEG video sequences through ATM networks. This scheme assigns different slice sizes to the video stream based on the order and various types of frames in a group of pictures, without increasing the number of ATM cells needed to transport MPEG video sequences. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Swept frequency reflectometer design for in-situ permittivity measurements

A prototype, broadband vector reflectometer for in-situ field measurements of permittivity is presented. The system was designed primarily to measure permittivity of sea ice in the 2-18-GHz frequency range but works equally well on other materials. The reflectometer design is based on FM-CW radar concepts. A linear frequency-modulated waveform is generated, and a portion of it is coupled off and passed through a delay line to serve as the local oscillator for the incident and reflected channels which receive most of the generated waveform. The reflectometer measures the complex reflection coefficient of a short monopole antenna probe. Permittivity is obtained by constructing a normalized input impedance of the probe. The impedance measured in a standard medium is based to construct a fourth-order rational function for the normalized input impedance, which is used with the measured impedance in the medium under test to obtain the permittivity. Measured permittivity data for air, 1-Butanol, and Teflon are presented. >
Effects of HCV seropositive status on buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in opioid-dependent individuals

Background and Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in opioid-dependent, buprenorphine/naloxone-maintained adults. Methods A retrospective analysis of buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in HCV seropositive and seronegative buprenorphine/naloxone-maintained individuals (N = 49) was undertaken. Results Relative to HCV seronegative subjects, HCV seropositive subjects had higher buprenorphine exposure, as demonstrated by elevated buprenorphine AUC and Cmax values (p = .03 and .02, respectively) and corresponding elevations in the metabolites, buprenorphine-3-glucuronide AUC values (p = .03) and norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide AUC and C24 values (p = .05 and .03, respectively). Discussion and Conclusions HCV infection was associated with higher plasma concentrations of buprenorphine and buprenorphine metabolites. Scientific Significance and Future Directions Findings suggest the potential for opioid toxicity among HCV-infected patients treated with buprenorphine/naloxone, and possible hepatotoxic effects related to increased buprenorphine exposure. HCV-infected patients receiving buprenorphine may need lower doses to maintain therapeutic plasma concentrations. (Am J Addict 2014;23:34–40)
Self-Leadership: A Process for Entrepreneurial Success:

Our purpose in this paper is to provide a comprehensive examination of recent research into individual differences in order to better understand the future promise of self-leadership as a concept a...
Intellectual and academic outcome following closed head injury in children and adolescents: Research strategies and empirical findings

The literature on intellectual and academic outcome after closed head injury in children and adolescents is reviewed. The research strategies and variables used to evaluate recovery are considered in terms of empirical findings and methodological issues. It is argued that assessment of outcome must take place within the context of an understanding of the child's premorbid behavioral and cognitive functioning. In addition, more fine‐grained tests of cognition other than global IQ measures should be utilized to tap subtle information processing, problem solving, and scholastic achievement deficits resulting from traumatic brain injury.
The paradox of minibasin subsidence into salt: Clues to the evolution of crustal basins

Why do salt-floored minibasins subside? An almost universal explanation is that salt is forced from beneath the sinking basin by the weight of its sedimentary fill. This explanation is valid if the average density of the basin fill exceeds that of salt, which in the Gulf of Mexico needs at least 2300 m of siliciclastic fill to ensure enough compaction. However, most minibasins start sinking when they are much thinner than this. Some mechanism other than density inversion must explain the early history of these minibasins. Conventional understanding of minibasin subsidence is thus incomplete. Here, we identify five alternatives to density-driven subsidence of minibasins. (1) During diapir shortening, the squeezed diapirs inflate, leaving the intervening minibasins as bathymetric depressions. (2) In extensional diapir fall, stretching of a diapir causes it to sag, producing a minibasin above its subsiding crest. (3) During decay of salt topography, a dynamic salt bulge subsides as upward flow of salt slows, which lowers the salt surface below the regional sediment surface. (4) During sedimentary topographic loading, sediments accumulate as a bathymetric high above salt. (5) Finally, subsalt deformation affecting the base of salt may produce relief at the top of salt. Each mechanism (including density-driven subsidence) produces a different bathymetry, which interacts with sediment transport to produce different facies patterns in each type of minibasin. The particular mechanism for minibasin subsidence depends on the tectonic environment, regional bathymetry, and sedimentation rate. Their spatial variation on a continental margin creates provinces in which a given minibasin style is dominant. An appreciation of subsidence mechanisms should thus improve our understanding of minibasin fill patterns and allow genetic comparisons between minibasins. The mechanics of a minibasin sinking into fluid salt is in many ways analogous to a crustal basin sinking into a fluid asthenosphere. However, minibasins lack the complex rheologies, thermal histories, and compositional variations that make study of crustal basins so challenging. Minibasins are thus natural analogs and have the potential to elucidate fundamentals of subsidence mechanics.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 Parathyroid Adenoma Development over Time

Multiple gland parathyroid disease is one of the hallmarks of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1. Often mislabeled parathyroid hyperplasia, the process is actually the development of multiple adenomas. Some clinicians have reported results of selective parathyroidectomy in this group, removing only grossly enlarged glands. We argue that all the glands are at risk and should be addressed at any planned parathyroid intervention. Our hypothesis is that, given sufficient time, patients would all develop adenomas in each of the parathyroid glands. Our available data to address this issue are the parathyroidectomy results from a single institution series. Patients who had initial parathyroid exploration for hyperparathyroidism in the setting of MEN-1 were reviewed. This study includes those patients who had the weights of the resected glands documented; 23 men and 21 women met the criteria. The total weight of the parathyroid glands did not vary with the age of the patient at operation. However, the number of normal glands identified did vary significantly with age (p < 0.02), with older patients being less likely to have any normal parathyroid glands. Although total parathyroid weight may correlate with development of hypercalcemia and indications for operation, the involvement of multiple parathyroid glands in MEN-1 is a function of time, as independent events in each gland must occur. Given time, MEN-1 patients all develop multiple gland disease, and this reality must be used in planning operative management for patients with this syndrome.
Putting computing in context: An infrastructure to support extensible context-enhanced collaborative applications

Context-aware computing exposes a unique tension in how information about human context is modeled and used. On the one hand, approaches that use loosely structured information have been shown to be useful in situations where humans are the final consumers of contextual information; these approaches have found favor in many CSCW applications. On the other hand, more rigidly structured information supports machine interpretation and exchange; these approaches have been explored in the ubiquitous computing community. The system presented here, dubbed Intermezzo, represents an exploration of a space between these two extremes. Intermezzo combines a loose data structuring with a number of unique features designed to allow applications to embed specialized semantic interpretations of data into the infrastructure, allowing them to be reused by other applications. This approach can enable the construction of applications that can take advantage of rich, layered interpretations of context without requiring that they understand all aspects of that context. This approach is explored through the creation of two higher-level services that provide context-enhanced session management and context-enhanced access control.
THE DAWN OF MICROSCOPY

_ihe impact of the microscope on the study of biology is incalculable. Not only has the instrument contributed to the furthering of knowledge in virtually every discipline of biology, but it is also the reason for the origin of some biological sciences, for example, microbiology. Modern students of biology have a large amount of knowledge to assimilate, and time is not usually given in the classroom to the history of biology. This is unfortunate, since we are in debt to earlier scholars who laid the foundations for recent achievements in biology. Time factor notwithstanding, it should not be difficult to give students (in either lecture or laboratory exercises covering a particular topic in biology) some idea of worthy contributors to the topic.
Visualizing 'asperitas': Vitruvius (3.3.9) and the 'asperity' of Hermogenes' pseudodipteral temple

Asperitas, a key term of Hellenistic-Roman art criticism for the assessment of columnar architecture, is anchored in two passages in Vitruvius, which both point to ‘asperity’ as the decisive criterion for achieving an unparalleled, truly eye-catching visual effect. In the best known of the two passages (3.3.8–9), praise is piled on Hermogenes for having systematically established this effect in the design of temples. In fact, he is credited with the invention of the theory (ratio) of pseudodipteral temple colonnades. And this column arrangement, with ambulatories of greatly increased (double) depth around the cella, is supposed to have been invented to provide dignified grandeur (auctoritatem) in its appearance propter asperitatem intercolumniorum: 3.3.9. This visual effect came with the practical advantage that those deep pseudodipteral colonnades also provided rain-protected space for crowds to circumambulate around the temple’s cella (in aede circa cellam). Vitruvius’ other reference to asperitas, in a visual sense, appears in the context of wall-painting (7.5.5), where a certain Apaturios of Alabanda is reported to have created a deceptively dazzling effect propter asperitatem in his rendering of colonnades and temples, so much so that the visual effect of the painting outshone its deficiencies in logic (which, when pinpointed by the mathematician Likynos, the artist hastened to correct: 7.5.6–7). Here we will analyze a reconstructed 3D computer model of Hermogenes’ well-documented pseudodipteral temple at Magnesia in order to tease out the visual effect and on-site experience of that asperitas which is described by Vitruvius in such tantalizing terms.
The Natural History of Femoroacetabular Impingement

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a clinical syndrome resulting from abnormal hip joint morphology and is a common cause of hip pain in young adults. FAI has been posited as a precursor to hip osteoarthritis (OA); however, conflicting evidence exists and the true natural history of the disease is unclear. The purpose of this article is to review the current understanding of how FAI damages the hip joint by highlighting its pathomechanics and etiology. We then review the current evidence relating FAI to OA. Lastly, we will discuss the potential of hip preservation surgery to alter the natural history of FAI, reduce the risk of developing OA and the need for future arthroplasty.
Constraints on individual supermassive black hole binaries from pulsar timing array limits on continuous gravitational waves

Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are placing increasingly stringent constraints on the strain amplitude of continuous gravitational waves emitted by supermassive black hole binaries on subparsec scales. In this paper, we incorporate independent measurements of the dynamical masses Mbh of supermassive black holes in specic galaxies at known distances and leverage this additional information to further constrain whether or not those galaxies could host a detectable supermassive black hole binary. We estimate the strain amplitudes from individual binaries as a function of binary mass ratio for two samples of nearby galaxies: (1) those with direct dynamical measurements of Mbh in the literature, and (2) the 116 most massive early-type galaxies (and thus likely hosts of the most massive black holes) within 108 Mpc from the MASSIVE Survey. Our exploratory analysis shows that the current PTA upper limits on continuous waves can already constrain the mass ratios of hypothetical black hole binaries in a dozen galaxies in our samples. The constraints are stronger for galaxies with larger Mbh and at smaller distances. For the black holes with Mbh > 5 10 9 M at the centers of NGC 4889, NGC 4486 (M87) and NGC 4649 (M60), any binary companion in orbit within the PTA frequency bands would have to have a mass ratio of less than about 1:10.
Chromium-Activated Forsterite Laser

Spectroscopic, quantum electronic and laser characteristics of chromium-doped forsterite (Cr:Mg2SiO4) are presented. Spectroscopic data suggest that the lasing center in chromium-doped forsterite is tetravalent chromium ion (Cr4+), not the common trivalent chromium (Cr3+).
Snowpack and runoff generation using AMSR-E passive microwave observations in the Upper Helmand Watershed, Afghanistan

Passive microwave estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE) were examined to determine their usefulness for evaluating water resources in the remote Upper Helmand Watershed, central Afghanistan. SWE estimates from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) passive microwave data were analyzed for six winter seasons, 2004–2009. A second, independent estimate of SWE was calculated for these same time periods using a hydrologic model of the watershed with a temperature index snow model driven using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) gridded estimates of precipitation. The results demonstrate that passive microwave SWE values from SSM/I and AMSR-E are comparable. The AMSR-E sensor had improved performance in the early winter and late spring, which suggests that AMSR-E is better at detecting shallow snowpacks than SSM/I. The timing and magnitude of SWE values from the snow model and the passive microwave observations were sometimes similar with a correlation of 0.53 and accuracy between 55 and 62%. However, the modeled SWE was much lower than the AMSR-E SWE during two winter seasons in which TRMM data estimated lower than normal precipitation. Modeled runoff and reservoir storage predictions improved significantly when peak AMSR-E SWE values were used to update the snow model state during these periods. Rapid decreases in passive microwave SWE during precipitation events were also well aligned with flood flows that increased base flows by 170 and 940%. This finding supports previous northern latitude studies which indicate that the passive microwave signal's lack of scattering can be used to detect snow melt. The current study's extension to rain on snow events suggests an opportunity for added value for flood forecasting.
Dimensions of Participation in Voluntary Associations

In the growing literature on "social participation" the term has been defined by some researchers as the number of affiliations with voluntary associations.' Perhaps the majority of the studies in this field, particularly those conducted in rural communities, have used the Chapin Social Participation Scale2 or some variant of it as an operational definition of participation.3 As originally developed by Chapin in the late twenties, the Social Participation Scale was one component of a measure of socio-economic status whose twofold purpose was described as follows: "first, for research workers a rough scale for rating the home and the environment in order to permit the equating of these factors in experimental study; and second, for social workers, an objective measure of the home environment for prospective foster homes."4 The scale consists of the following five items and their arbitrary weights: membership, 1 point; attendance, 2; contributions, 3; committee membership, 4; office held, 5. In the many years in which the scale has been extensively used, the concept which it measures has remained virtually unanalyzed.5 Moreover, scant attention has been paid to the essential features of the social context of participation, viz., the voluntary association. Obviously participation in a voluntary organization involves different assumptions about motivation and group structure than does participation in an administrative organization," such as an army, a corporation, a governmental agency, etc. In 1951 Chapin himself attempted to fill this conceptual gap. He briefly identified two components in his scale:
Experimental study of vascular intimal hyperplasia with the influence of polymer coated dexamethasone (DXM) releasing stent

Objective Polymer coated, dexamethasone (DXM) releasing stents were tested in order to assess the efficacy of DXM released locally for the prevention of vascular restenosis due to intimal hyperplasia. Methods Strecker stents coated with a biodegradable membrane contaning DXM were implanted percutaneously into the femoral artery in 14 dogs. The contralateral artery received a conventional non coated stent serving as control. The drugs were eluted by degradation of the carrier membrane. Follow up intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was obtained at 3,6,9,12 and 24 weeks with subsequent autopsies. Specimens for gross and microscopic pathology were obtained together with histomorphometry performed. Results Four of 14 DXM coated stents showed thrombotic occlusion within the first 3 weeks while ten DXM coated stents remained patent. Follow up DSA of DXM coated stents showed a significantly wider lumen than the non coated stents. Morphometry revealed less intimal hyperplasia over DXM coated stents than over non coated stents ( P 0.05).Conclusions DXM coated stents reduce neointimal hyperplasia in dogs when compared with non coated stents.
Tauopathy Mouse Models

Abstract The microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) is abnormally deposited as intracellular, filamentous aggregates in a family of neurodegenerative diseases termed tauopathies—a group that includes Alzheimer disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and Pick disease. The tauopathy frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 tau (FTDP-17t) has been associated with mutations in MAPT encoding tau protein. Overexpression of FTDP-17t-linked mutant tau has been used to drive tauopathy and disease-relevant phenotypes in a number of different murine models that have established a role of this protein in neurodegeneration. In this chapter, we will summarize much of the historical efforts to recapitulate tauopathy in mice and discuss recent progress in tauopathy mouse models.
σ-Participation — A Factor in Fast Rates?

The results discussed in Chapter 2 clearly establish the importance of relief of steric strain in the fast rates of solvolysis exhibited by a number of sterically crowded systems. However, as was pointed out in Chapter 1, the development of the concept of σ-bridging in the early 1950s and its growing utilization to reinterpret the structures of carbonium ions led to increasing numbers of proposals attributing enhanced rates in such systems not to relief of steric strain but to the stabilization provided by the σ-bridge.
Acetazolamide in Hydrocephalus Management

The efficacy of treatment with acetazolamide (100 mg/kg/day) without frusemide in arresting post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation was evaluated in 3 infants at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Quantitative Risk Assessment for Viral Contamination of Shellfish and Coastal Waters

Human pathogenic viruses have been detected from approved shellfish harvesting waters based on the fecal coliform indicator. Until recently it was difficult to assess viral contamination and the potential impact on public health. Risk assessment is a valuable tool which can be used to estimate adverse effects associated with microbial hazards. This report describes the use of quantitative risk assessment for evaluating potential human health impacts associated with exposure to viral contamination of shellfish. The four fundamental steps used in a formal risk assessment are described within and include i) Hazard identification, ii) Dose-response determination, iii) Exposure assessment, and iv) Risk characterization. Dose-response models developed from human feeding studies were used to evaluate the risk of infection from contaminated shellfish. Of 58 pooled samples, 19% were found to be positive for viruses. Using an echovirus-12 probability model, the individual risk was determined for consumption of 60 g...
MSI2 Is Required for Maintaining the Activated Myelodysplastic Syndrome Stem Cell

+ The first four authors contributed equally to this project. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of blood cell disorders, characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and severe cytopenias, which often transform to acute leukemia. MDS is also considered to be a clonal stem cell disease driven by alterations that are both genetic and epigenetic. However, it remains unclear how stem cell function is dysregulated and what factors drive these alterations in MDS HSCs. MSI2 is an important RNA-binding protein in normal HSC maintenance and can promote aggressive myeloid leukemia. Our preliminary data indicate that MSI2 expression is increased in high-risk MDS compared to low-risk MDS and correlates with poor survival. In order to model the role of MSI2 in MDS, we utilized the NUP98-HOXD13 transgenic (NHD13) model, which recapitulates many salient features of MDS including, leukopenia, severe anemia, erythroid dysplasia and leukemic transformation. Despite the lethal MDS or AML disease found in primary NHD13 animals, bone marrow cells transplanted into congenic mice generate a non-lethal MDS that rarely transform. Depletion of Msi2 utilizing a conditional knockout ( NHD13-Msi2f/f -MX1-Cre ) reversed the MDS phenotype and after one month the diseased HSPCs were eliminated. Conversely, we found that tetracycline inducible MSI2 overexpression in the context of the NHD13 transgene (NHD13/MSI2 mice) resulted in a worse MDS disease and a fully penetrant and lethal transformation to an AML, which was further accelerated during serial transplantation. AML arising in NHD13/MSI2 mice remained dependent on sustained MSI2 overexpression as mice removed from doxycycline demonstrated improved survival. Most interestingly, MSI2 overexpression expanded and maintained a more activated (G1) MDS hematopoietic stem and progenitor compartment (HSPC) in NHD13 cells. Gene expression profiling of the LSKs (Lineagelo, c-Kit+, Sca1+) before disease progression identified 891 significant genes, of which 137 genes were up-regulated (log2 fold change > 0) and 754 genes were down-regulated (log2 fold change <= 0). Furthermore, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) demonstrated a more progenitor like gene expression signature, enrichment in an NRAS activated signature, and a reduced quiescent phenotype. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the NHD13/MSI2 LSK gene signature in MDS patients resulted in four distinct clusters. Clusters segregated MSI2 high expressing MDS patients and this "MSI2 high cluster" predicted poor survival. In summary, our findings suggest that MSI2 plays a critical functional role in the maintenance of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor compartment in MDS and highlights it as a novel therapeutic target in this disease. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Feedback-controlled self-folding of autonomous robot collectives

Self-folding provides an efficient way of creating complex 3D geometries from 2D composites. However, the precision of self-folding structures is often limited by the use of open-loop folding mechanisms. In this paper we demonstrate feedback-controlled self-folding using a shape memory polymer and optical sensors to accurately control folding angles. We present a method of quickly and inexpensively fabricating large collectives of self-folding autonomous robots that can be transported in flat configurations prior to autonomous deployment at target destinations. To demonstrate this, we build a collective of robots that is manufactured in one continuous laminar composite. Individual robots in the collective detach from one other, self-fold into pre-programmed configurations and navigate by phototaxis. This method could be applied to a broad range of applications where logistics necessitate compact transport and where external manipulation is difficult or expensive, such as in space applications or delivering search-and-rescue robots in cluttered environments.
Graphicionado: a high-performance and energy-efficient accelerator for graph analytics

Graphs are one of the key data structures for many real-world computing applications and the importance of graph analytics is ever-growing. While existing software graph processing frameworks improve programmability of graph analytics, underlying general purpose processors still limit the performance and energy efficiency of graph analytics. We architect a domain-specific accelerator, Graphicionado, for high-performance, energy-efficient processing of graph analytics workloads. For efficient graph analytics processing, Graphicionado exploits not only data structure-centric datapath specialization, but also memory subsystem specialization, all the while taking advantage of the parallelism inherent in this domain. Graphicionado augments the vertex programming paradigm, allowing different graph analytics applications to be mapped to the same accelerator framework, while maintaining flexibility through a small set of reconfigurable blocks. This paper describes Graphicionado pipeline design choices in detail and gives insights on how Graphicionado combats application execution inefficiencies on general-purpose CPUs. Our results show that Graphicionado achieves a 1.76 − 6.54x speedup while consuming 50 − 100x less energy compared to a state-of-the-art software graph analytics processing framework executing 32 threads on a 16-core Haswell Xeon processor.
Inducing an availability heuristic on the Wason selection task overrides the matching bias

ABSTRACTA long history of examining reasoning using the Wason selection task has revealed that many respondents are biased towards choices that match the items expressed in the rule. One reason for this particular heuristic may be that no better information is immediately available, and thus matching items win over the competing choice simply via recognition. In two experiments, we sought to examine whether a stronger memory trace could override the matching bias. We created rules from common, easily recognisable nursery rhymes and varied the degree to which the presented rules matched the commonly known rhymes. The components of the remembered rhyme had a strong influence on the participants’ selections, suggesting that a strong memory trace can override the usual matching bias. We provide an interpretation of these results in light of answer fluency, mental models, and probabilistic estimates.
Dynamics of an almost periodic delayed predator-prey model with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response

Using the continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory and constructing a suitable Lyapunov functional, sufficient conditions are established for the existence, uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of positive almost periodic solution to a predator-prey model with Beddington-DeAngelis functional response and time delays. Further, the multiplicity of positive almost periodic solutions for the aforementioned model is considered. The main results obtained in this paper are completely new, and the method used in this paper provides a possible method to study the existence, uniqueness, uniform asymptotical stability and multiplicity of positive almost periodic solution of the models in biological populations. Finally, some examples and numerical simulations are given to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our main results.
HGFA Is an Injury-Regulated Systemic Factor that Induces the Transition of Stem Cells into GAlert

The activation of quiescent stem cells into the cell cycle is a key step in initiating the process of tissue repair. We recently reported that quiescent stem cells can transition into GAlert, a cellular state in which they have an increased functional ability to activate and participate in tissue repair. However, the precise molecular signals that induce GAlert in stem cells have remained elusive. Here, we show that the injury-induced regulation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) proteolytic processing via the systemic protease, hepatocyte growth factor activator (HGFA), stimulates GAlert in skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs). We demonstrate that administering active HGFA to animals is sufficient to induce GAlert in stem cells throughout the body and to significantly accelerate the processes of stem cell activation and tissue repair. Our data suggest that factors that induce GAlert will have broad therapeutic applications for regenerative medicine and wound healing.