cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caspase Inhibition with XIAP as an Adjunct to AAV Vector Gene-Replacement Therapy: Improving Efficacy and Prolonging the Treatment Window

Purpose AAV-mediated gene therapy in the rd10 mouse, with retinal degeneration caused by mutation in the rod cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase β-subunit (PDEβ) gene, produces significant, but transient, rescue of photoreceptor structure and function. This study evaluates the ability of AAV-mediated delivery of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) to enhance and prolong the efficacy of PDEβ gene-replacement therapy. Methods Rd10 mice were bred and housed in darkness. Two groups of animals were generated: Group 1 received sub-retinal AAV5-XIAP or AAV5-GFP at postnatal age (P) 4 or 21 days; Group 2 received sub-retinal AAV5-XIAP plus AAV5- PDEβ, AAV5-GFP plus AAV5- PDEβ, or AAV- PDEβ alone at age P4 or P21. Animals were maintained for an additional 4 weeks in darkness before being moved to a cyclic-light environment. A subset of animals from Group 1 received a second sub-retinal injection of AAV8-733-PDEβ two weeks after being moved to the light. Histology, immunohistochemistry, Western blots, and electroretinograms were performed at different times after moving to the light. Results Injection of AAV5-XIAP alone at P4 and 21 resulted in significant slowing of light-induced retinal degeneration, as measured by outer nuclear thickness and cell counts, but did not result in improved outer segment structure and rhodopsin localization. In contrast, co-injection of AAV5-XIAP and AAV5-PDEβ resulted in increased levels of rescue and decreased rates of retinal degeneration compared to treatment with AAV5-PDEβ alone. Mice treated with AAV5-XIAP at P4, but not P21, remained responsive to subsequent rescue by AAV8-733-PDEβ when injected two weeks after moving to a light-cycling environment. Conclusions Adjunctive treatment with the anti-apoptotic gene XIAP confers additive protective effect to gene-replacement therapy with AAV5-PDEβ in the rd10 mouse. In addition, AAV5-XIAP, when given early, can increase the age at which gene-replacement therapy remains effective, thus effectively prolonging the window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention.
Hippo signaling at a glance

How the organs of multicellular organisms develop to a pre-defined size is a fundamental question in biology, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In the past decade, the Hippo pathway has been revealed to play a crucial role in organ size control (reviewed by [Zhao et al., 2010a][1
Electron irradiation-induced splitting of native collagen fibrils

Electron irradiation of positively stained collagen fibrils, under certain circumstances, can lead to a periodic splitting of the fibrils. The splitting occurs at specific, nonstained bands and results in chain scission at 4 locations along each collagen molecule. After splitting, the remaining segments shrink along their axis by up to 50%. The observations have also lead to some evidence for the tubular nature of air-dried collagen fibrils.
Going viral and the fatal vulnerability of neurons from immunity, not from infection.

Clinicians are often faced with life and death choices in treating patients with viral infections. Often, consideration focuses on viral eradication with antiviral therapies, akin to bacterial antibiotics or to immune-based strategies, involving either active immunization or passive immunization with neutralizing antibodies. However, clinicians often consider that the immune response to a virus in the brain is as damaging as the viral infection itself. It is common to use immune suppression—often with corticosteroids—during viral encephalitis, side by side with antiviral approaches. In PNAS, Kulcsar et al. study mosquito-borne alphaviruses that cause fatal encephalomyelitis in horses and humans (1). The authors provide a rationale for the dual and contradictory strategies of treatment with antivirals alongside immune suppression.
Therapeutic implications of hypertension-induced glomerular injury: Comparison of enalapril and a combination of hydralazine, reserpine, and hydrochlorothiazide in an experimental model

Systemic hypertension does not always reflect concomitant glomerular hypertension. At similar levels of systemic hypertension, glomerular injury occurs only in kidneys that lack protective preglomerular vasoconstriction, which results in glomerular hypertension. indeed, glomerular hypertension and glomerular injury do not develop in rats with spontaneous hypertension that have effective preglomerular vasoconstriction. In the experiments reported herein, the normal adaptive response (afferent arteriolar dilation) to a reduction of one and five-sixths of the renal mass in rats with spontaneous hypertension was examined to ascertain whether that response would expose the remaining nephrons to the injurious effects of high perfusion pressure. In addition, the efficacies of two different antihypertensive regimens were compared. Rats with spontaneous hypertension received either no therapy, or a combination of hydralazine, reserpine, and hydrochlorothiazide, or the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril. Three weeks after ablation of one and five-sixths of the renal mass, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, urinary protein excretion, and histologic injury scores for mesangial expansion and glomerulosclerosis were determined. Untreated rats with hypertension had severe glomerulosclerosis and mesangial expansion. Both antihypertensive regimens normalized systemic blood pressure and reduced glomerulosclerosis. However, enalapril was more effective than the combination of hydralazine, reserpine, and hydrochlorothiazide in reducing the exaggerated glomerular filtration rate (0.52 +/- 0.40 versus 0.82 +/- 0.10 ml per minute; p less than 0.05), the injury score for mesangial expansion (79 versus 103; p less than 0.05), and the degree of proteinuria (32 +/- 4 versus 42 +/- 3 mg per 24 hours; p less than 0.05). Persistence of hyperfiltration accompanied by increased mesangial expansion, may lead to progression of glomerular damage despite "adequate" control of systemic hypertension, as observed in rats treated with a combination of hydralazine, reserpine, and hydrochlorothiazide.
Predicting falls in individuals with Parkinson disease: a reconsideration of clinical balance measures.

Background and Purpose. Postural control problems, falls, and fall-related injuries are a common source of morbidity in elderly individuals, especially those with Parkinson disease (PD). Clinical balance tests such as the Berg balance scale and the functional reach have been reported to be useful in assessing fall risk in elderly individuals. However, the utility of commonly used clinical balance tests as accurate screens for fall risk has not been sufficiently examined in persons with PD. The purposes of this study were to identify which commonly used clinical balance tests of persons with PD were predictive of falls, to re-examine the cutoff scores for these tests with the goal of maximizing sensitivity as well as minimizing the negative likelihood ratio, and to determine which of the clinical balance tests had the most value in predicting falls. Participants. Forty-five persons with a diagnosis of idiopathic PD, aged 39-90 years (mean [sd] =69.94 [11.28]; mean [sd] Hoehn and Yahr level = 2.60 [.66]) participated. Methods: Upon initial contact with participants, demographics and fall history were gathered and baseline physical examinations were performed. Each individual underwent balance testing with the functional reach test, the Berg balance scale, the dynamic gait index, timed up and go, and the cognitive timed up and go. Fallers and nonfallers were divided based on fall history and groups were compared on balance test performance. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and receiver operator characteristic curves were calculated for all balance tests. Results: Twenty-five (55%) participants had a history of falls. Using cut-off scores reported in previous studies, the sensitivity of all tests was low (less than 0.60) and the specificity was high (greater than 0.85). Reconsideration of the cut-off scores resulted in increased sensitivity for all tests (greater than 0.75) and low negative likelihood ratios (less then .30). Discussion and Conclusion: Given the large financial, psychological, and physical complications that are associated with a fall and relatively little harmful effects of fall prevention interventions, we propose consideration of cut-off scores that maximize sensitivity for individuals with PD. Regardless of the performance on any individual clinical balance test, the multifactorial nature of postural instability in PD may necessitate a battery of tests to provide the most accurate identification of fall risk. Language: en
Turbulence in the clouds: challenges of cloud-based information work

We report on a qualitative study of the user experience of cloud-based information work. We characterize the information work practices and challenges that exist largely at the different intersections of three constructs - cloud-based services, collaborations, and digital identifiers. We also demonstrate how the misalignment of these three constructs is experienced as a "losing battle" that has led to miscommunication among collaborators, the abandonment of cloud-based services, and the irreparable blurring of digital identities.
POLITICAL ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

This article reports the findings of an experiment designed to test whether it is possible to manipulate citizens' evaluations of environmental quality standards. The results of the experiment suggest that various authority sources, especially Ralph Nader for the sample employed in the experiment, can be major determinants of how citizens evaluate environmental quality.
Polymer/silicate composites: new materials for subsurface permeable reactive barriers

Investigations were performed into the suitability of novel composites to serve as materials for subsurface permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). These new materials are Type I composites—they are preformed organic polymers embedded in an inorganic matrix without significant covalent bonding between the components. The required properties for these materials to function efficiently are: (1) a tunable water passing rate to approximate the hydraulic conductivity of the subsurface environment where the PRB will be placed, (2) sufficient mechanical strength (both wet and dry) to maintain barrier integrity, (3) the ability to incorporate selective metal sequestration agents so that they remain active—yet do not leach from the barrier, and (4) to be deployable through direct injection methods such that trenching is not needed. Additionally, there is a need to keep the technology as low cost as possible, while remaining reliable. Results recently obtained in our laboratory show that our materials, remarkably, exhibit all of these properties and show great promise as vadose zone deployable PRBs.
Multivariate Regression Depth

The regression depth of a hyperplane with respect to a set of n points in \Real d is the minimum number of points the hyperplane must pass through in a rotation to vertical. We generalize hyperplane regression depth to k -flats for any k between 0 and d-1 . The k=0 case gives the classical notion of center points. We prove that for any k and d , deep k -flats exist, that is, for any set of n points there always exists a k -flat with depth at least a constant fraction of n . As a consequence, we derive a linear-time (1+?) -approximation algorithm for the deepest flat. We also show how to compute the regression depth in time O(n d-2 +nlog n) when 1≤ k≤ d-2.
Hydrogen isotopic solubility ratios in palladium alloys

Abstract Isotopic solubility ratios of H 2 (D) 2 have been measured for a variety of f.c.c., substantially random Pd-based alloys (323.2 K). Analysis if the results with models based either on localized Einstein oscillators with ν H = √2 ν D or on a more sophisticated description lead to the conclusion that ν H increases with atom fraction substituted metal irrespective of whether the substitutional metal increases or decreases the size of the interstices.
The influence of diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) on the percutaneous absorption of permethrin and carbaryl

Abstract Simultaneous exposure to DEET and permethrin was recently proposed to be associated with the “Gulf War Syndrome.” However, no studies have reported the percutaneous absorption of DEET and permethrin when applied simultaneously to the skin as a mixture, the relevant route of exposure in the Persian Gulf. The present study quantitates percutaneous absorption of DEET and permethrin after coadministration to rodent and pig skin in vitro. Dosing solutions were also prepared with either acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or ethanol to compare vehicle effects on percutaneous absorption of permethrin and DEET. The influence of DEET on carbaryl absorption and dermal disposition was also assessed in pig studies to statistically demonstrate DEET effects in acetone or DMSO and different solvent concentrations. Topical application of permethrin + DEET resulted in absorption of DEET (1–20% dose), but no permethrin. Permethrin (1.2–1.7% dose) was detected only when mouse skin was dosed solely with permethrin, a finding suggesting that DEET decreased permethrin absorption. DEET also inhibited carbaryl absorption in acetone mixtures, but had no effect on DMSO mixtures. Irrespective of solvent, DEET did not enhance carbaryl penetration into skin. For DEET, absorption was greater in mouse skin (10.7–20.6% dose) than in rat skin (1.1–5.2% dose) and pig skin (2.8% dose). The extent of DEET absorption was greater with DMSO and acetone than with ethanol in rat and mouse skin. These studies support DEET, but not permethrin or carbaryl, as having sufficient systemic exposure to potentially cause signs of toxicity when simultaneously applied with pesticides. Furthermore, these studies demonstrated that DEET does not necessarily enhance dermal absorption of all toxicants as was originally hypothesized.
Eliciting risk perceptions with an online game: preliminary results

We describe a scientific casual browser game called LinkIT for eliciting societal risk perceptions in the form of mental models represented as influence diagrams. Given this knowledge, we can highlight similarities and differences across demographic groups as well as compare individual responses with expert models. These comparisons inform how risk should be best communicated to resolve knowledge gaps and misperceptions. Here we introduce the LinkIT concept, present preliminary results and propose future work.
Time and Trace: The Mirror of Time

Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas is certainly one of the philosophically most interesting, most ambitious and most discussed paintings of all times. It contains a philosophical thesis or insight that can be interpreted in several ways but that also forces the interpreter to come to a precise decision concerning the concrete scenery that is reproduced in this painting. The content of this decision can be characterized quite concretely by the question of the painting’s mirror, which is constitutive for that scenery. The question is if this constitutive mirror is the one that we see in the painting, that is, the visible mirror showing the appearance (or the portrait) of the Spanish royal couple, or if it is an invisible mirror that has disappeared in the painting as we see it now. If the second interpretation is right, then the whole painting is essentially covering the tracks of what is going on in the picture. But what is going on in it? This question has an answer that is widely shared by philosophical interpreters: Las Meninas is a “painting of painting” or a “picture of picture,” that is, a monument of self-referentiality. When we accept this widely shared view and if we apply to it the second interpretation (the hypothesis of the hidden mirror), then the result is that what is at the same time shown and hidden in this picture is the time in which it has been painted. It is—like perhaps every picture or painting—in its essence a transformation of succession into simultaneity; but it is—unlike perhaps any other painting—a presentation not of the result of this transformation but of the process in which it is going on. It presents the time of its creation as a trace covered up by itself.
Diagnosis of recurrent rectal carcinoma by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Detection of recurrent malignancy in an anastomosis may be difficult. Endosonography is useful in the staging of malignant diseases of the GI tract.1,2 It has recently been demonstrated that endosonography, performed at set intervals after resection of gastric or esophageal cancer, is accurate in the detection of early recurrence.3 Early detection of rectal cancer recurrence may have a decisive impact on management. We report two cases of anastomotic recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the rectum detected by EUS with fine-needle aspiration (EUSFNA).
Teaching in a High-Tech Conference Room: Academic Adaptations and Workplace Simulations

As a response to research about both the work space of professional writers and the pedagogy using workplace simulations, a professional writing course was adapted for a high-tech conference room equipped with electronic meeting tools. This experiment improved students’ learning of course content, which included collaborative writing strategies, project management, and teamwork; research methods; presentation and design skills; and organizational culture and professional development. Students also better understood workplace realities and distinctions between academic and workplace environments. In addition, the experiment facilitated students’idea sharing and communication as well as their preparation for transitioning to the workplace. The teaching experience was more creative and rewarding, too.
Fundamentals of macro axial gradient index optical design and engineering

Homogeneous lens material is characterized by an index of refraction and a point on the glass map nd5f(y d). Gradient refractive index (GRIN) lenses have a spatially varying index and dispersion and are represented by a line on the glass map. GRIN lenses open the door to a wide variety of optical design applications incorporating entire lenses of axial gradient refractive material (macro-AGRIN). Axial gradient mate- rial essentially gives biaspheric behavior to lenses with spherical sur- faces and exhibits a controlled gradient in both index and dispersion. Thus, the applications for this material range from simple singlet lens used for imaging laser light, in which spherical aberration is eliminated, to complex multielement lens systems, where improved overall perfor- mance is desired. The fusion/diffusion process that produces this mate- rial is surprisingly simple, repeatable, and applicable to mass production. The advantages of AGRIN technology coupled with the recent advances in material development and its accessibility in commercially available lens design programs provides optical designers with the opportunity to push the performance of optical systems farther than with conventional optics. © 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(97)00406-6) Subject terms: optical materials; optical systems; gradient index; axial gradient refractive index; gradient refractive index; radial gradient refractive index; macro axial gradient, radial gradient; optical design; glass lines; unique optical systems; high performance; asphere.
Thermal analysis of 5-halo-2'-deoxynucleosides

Heat may be a mutagenic agent which could be more important to evolution than are the ordinary errors in DNA replication. Therefore, it is necessary to know the stability of heredity determinants to thermal energy. Consequently, a thermal analysis, via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), has been undertaken, using model compounds (crystalline 2'-deoxyribonucleosides and their 5-halo derivatives) to provide information regarding: 1. bond free energies maintaining the fibrous structure in nucleic acids e.g. H-bonding,π-complexing and dipole induced dipole interaction. 2. susceptibility to thermal degradation e.g. thermolytic cleavage of the glycosidic bond and deamination of the bases.
A double blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of post-retrieval propranolol on reconsolidation of memory for craving and cue reactivity in cocaine dependent humans

This study examined the effects of propranolol vs. placebo, administered immediately after a “retrieval” session of cocaine cue exposure (CCE), on craving and physiological responses occurring 24 h later during a subsequent “test” session of CCE. It was hypothesized that compared to placebo-treated cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals, propranolol-treated CD individuals would evidence attenuated craving and physiological reactivity during the test session. Secondarily, it was expected that group differences identified in the test session would be evident at a 1-week follow-up CCE session. Exploratory analyses of treatment effects on cocaine use were also performed at follow-up. CD participants received either 40 mg propranolol or placebo immediately following a “retrieval” CCE session. The next day, participants received a “test” session of CCE that was identical to the “retrieval” session except no medication was administered. Participants underwent a “follow-up” CCE session 1 week later. Craving and other reactivity measures were obtained at multiple time points during the CCE sessions. Propranolol- vs. placebo-treated participants evidenced significantly greater attenuation of craving and cardiovascular reactivity during the test session. Analysis of the follow-up CCE session data did not reveal any group differences. Although there was no evidence of treatment effects on cocaine use during follow-up, this study was insufficiently powered to rigorously evaluate differential cocaine use. This double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study provides the first evidence that propranolol administration following CCE may modulate memories for learning processes that subserve cocaine craving/cue reactivity in CD humans. Alternative interpretations of the findings were considered, and implications of the results for treatment were noted.
Perceptual asymmetry and memory retrieval in 3-month-old infants

In visual search tasks with adults, the presence of a feature is detected more rapidly than its absence. In two experiments, we asked if perceptual asymmetry affects the detection of effective retrieval cues. Three-month-olds learned to kick to move a mobile displaying either Rs (feature present) or Ps (feature absent), and these same stimuli were used later as retrieval cues during a long-term retention test. In Experiment 1, infants were tested after 24 hrs with a single P amidst six Rs or vice versa. In concordance with feature integration theory (Treisman, 1986), the feature-present target popped out while the feature-absent target did not. In Experiments 2A-2B, infants were tested after 24 hrs with novel homogeneous mobiles. Although the R mobile was not an effective retrieval cue for P-trained infants, the P mobile was an effective retrieval cue for R-trained infants. Even after only 1 hr, infants failed to discriminate the P test mobile from the R training mobile indicating that they had forgotten the tail of the R as rapidly as this short delay. These findings reveal that perceptual asymmetry alone does not completely determine retrieval from long-term memory. Rather, whether the detail that differentiates the feature-present stimulus from the feature-absent stimulus is accessible to working memory needs to be considered.
Use of a cloned double stranded cDNA coding for a major androgen dependent protein in rat seminal vesicle secretion: the effect of testosterone in gene expression.

Abstract The abundant class of poly(A+)RNA [poly(A+)RNA11S] from rat seminal vesicle was used to synthesize ds-cDNA11S. The ds-cDNA11S was inserted and cloned into the Pst I site of pBR-322 using E. coli RR1 as host. Colony filter hybridization and restriction mapping was used to demonstrate that a 620 NTP long insert in a plasmid clone (pSV2) represents the almost full length structural gene coding for a precursor to the seminal vesicle secretion protein IV (SVS IV). The entire insert was sequenced and the coding region was matched with the known amino acid sequence. Most of the signal peptide sequence was derived from the DNA sequence. The insert in pSV2 was labelled and used to study the effect of testosterone on the accumulation of mRNA SVS IV. Administration of testosterone to castrated rats resulted in the induction of mRNA SVS IV from a few molecules per cell to levels of over 100,000 after 96 h of hormone treatment.
New opportunities in the management of prostate cancer–related bone complications

Abstract Bone metastases and skeletal events related to bone loss are common complications of prostate cancer and its treatment with androgen deprivation therapy. Skeletal-related events, particularly fractures, reduce functional independence and overall survival. Strategies to prevent cancer-related bone loss and restore or maintain bone integrity are thus critical in managing patients with prostate cancer. Management of bone metastases includes radiotherapy, surgery, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and pharmacotherapy with bisphosphonates. Intravenous pamidronate and zoledronic acid are among the bisphosphonates that have been most extensively studied in the treatment of bone metastases. Toxicities associated with bisphosphonates include acute-phase reactions, nephrotoxicity, and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Targeted therapies for prostate cancer–related bone metastases are rapidly being developed. Agents in early stages of clinical development include denosumab, odanacatib, atrasentan, and other mediators of osteoclast activity. Increased use of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer and at earlier stages in the disease course requires that clinicians understand the implications for greater bone loss and monitor patients appropriately. Skeletal morbidity has become an increasing concern, as men survive this disease for longer periods of time. In the absence of any drug treatments specifically approved for the prevention of bone loss from cancer treatment, management is guided by available data from studies showing reduced bone loss with the use of bisphosphonates and selective estrogen-receptor modulators, as well as with emerging agents in patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy.
Acetylcholine Sensitivity and Distribution on Mouse Neuroblastoma Cells

Action potentials resulted from iontophoretic application of acetylcholine to cloned mouse neuroblastoma cells maintained in culture. Cell bodies were sensitive to acetylcholine, but half the cells were insensitive along one of their processes, suggesting an analogy with normal axons and dendrites. Some cells were electrically coupled via their processes, but no chemically mediated synaptic transmission was seen.
Phase-space analysis of daily streamflow : characterization and prediction

Abstract This paper describes a methodology, based on dynamical systems theory, to model and predict streamflow at the daily scale. The model is constructed by developing a multidimensional phase-space map from observed streamflow signals. Predictions are made by examining trajectories on the reconstructed phase space. Prediction accuracy is used as a diagnostic tool to characterize the nature, which ranges from low-order deterministic to stochastic, of streamflow signals. To demonstrate the utility of this diagnostic tool, the proposed method is first applied to a time series with known characteristics. The paper shows that the proposed phase-space model can be used to make a tentative distinction between a noisy signal and a deterministic chaotic signal. The proposed phase-space model is then applied to daily streamflow records for 28 selected stations from the Continental United States covering basin areas between 31 and 35 079 km 2 . Based on the analyses of these 28 streamflow time series and 13 artificially generated signals with known characteristics, no direct relationship between the nature of underling stream flow characteristics and basin area has been found. In addition, there does not appear to be any physical threshold (in terms of basin area, average flow rate and yield) that controls the change in streamflow dynamics at the daily scale. These results suggest that the daily streamflow signals span a wide dynamical range between deterministic chaos and periodic signal contaminated with additive noise.
The Völkischer Beobachter, 1920–1933: The Nazi Party Newspaper in the Weimar Era

Although Hitler placed primary emphasis in his propaganda on the “spoken word,” one of his earliest ambitions as a party leader was to own a newspaper. He succeeded in December 1920, little more than a year after he joined the Nazi Party, by purchasing a debt-ridden newspaper, the Volkischer Beobachter. It had started life in 1887 as the Munchener Beobachter, a local paper serving the Munich suburb of Haidhausen. After changing names and owners several times, the paper in 1918 came into the hands of Rudolf von Sebottendorff, who was acting for the Thule Society, a right-wing, volkisch group. Early in 1920, he changed the name to Volkischer Beobachter (VB).
The ancestral role of COE genes may have been in chemoreception: evidence from the development of the sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis (Phylum Cnidaria; Class Anthozoa)

An orthologue of the COE family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors was recovered from the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis (Cnidaria). NvCOE has high sequence similarity to vertebrate and invertebrate orthologues in all three major functional domains of the protein. In situ hybridization studies show early expression through the cleavage period but transcripts are down regulated at gastrulation while remaining expressed at high levels only in the apical tuft of cilia at the aboral end of the planula larva. It is likely that one of the ancestral roles of the COE family of genes may have been in the development of chemosensory neurons.
Dispersion in a laminar falling film of an Eyring model fluid

Abstract The effective dispersion coefficient has been obtained for the laminar flow of falling film of an Eyring model fluid. The use of the Eyring model allow Values of this coefficient were determined for both film and tabular flow as a function of the dimensionless Eyring model fluid parameter. As expected,
Interplanetary dust particle shielding capability of spacecraft multi-layer insulation

The Solar Probe Plus (SPP) spacecraft is expected to encounter unprecedented levels of interplanetary dust particle (IDP) exposure during its approximately 7-year journey. To assure mission success it is necessary to define the dust hypervelocity impact (HVI) protection levels provided by its Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI)/thermal blankets with a reliability that is on par with that available for metallic Whipple shields. Development of a new ballistic limit equation (BLE) in the 7–150 km/s HVI range for representative 2-wall Whipple shields in which spacecraft MLI is the bumper material impacted by fused silica dust, was necessitated and is presented. A baseline SPP configuration was adopted for analysis: 0.0176 cm-thk. Kapton bumper (monolithic and layered), 2.54 cm standoff and 0.0762 cm-thk. Ti-6Al-4V rear wall. With a solid Kapton bumper, the critical particle diameter for incipient spall, which is chosen to be the failure criterion for SPP, is found to be in the ∼650–1100 µm range, with the largest and the smallest sizes corresponding to 30 km/s and 150 km/s HVI, respectively. When the bumper is layered in a manner similar to that found in actual blankets (140 µm spacing), the critical particle diameter is indicated to be in the ∼450–600 µm range. The existing BLE with an equivalently thick Aluminum bumper is found to be in reasonable agreement with the computed results in the 30–150 km/s range but non-conservative by a factor of ∼2x at 7 km/s. A limited analysis has also been performed to assess the effect of spacing between the Kapton layers - 140 µm versus 320 µm - in a blanket on critical particle size in the 30–150 km/s HVI range. Little change in the critical particle size is found, suggesting that the response of the blanket layers to high-velocity IDP may be similar to that of multi-shock shields.
RNA stabilization and continued RNA processing following nuclear dissolution in maturing Xenopus laevis oocytes

The Xenopus laevis oocyte provides a convenient system for studying cell cycle-induced changes in RNA metabolism. Initially arrested at first meiotic prophase, it can be induced in vitro to undergo maturation by incubation in the presence of progesterone, progressing to second meiotic metaphase over the course of several hours. The dissolution of the nuclear membrane before the onset of first meiotic metaphase (also known as germinal vesicle breakdown, or GVBD) provides a convenient indication of the overall rate of maturation. It is reported that all ordinarily unstable classes of nuclear RNA show substantial increases in stability following GVBD. However, some radioactivity in rRNA precursors disappears following GVBD and this is quantitatively accounted for by the appearance of label in mature rRNA. These results suggest continued processing of rRNA precursors after GVBD.
Relation of habitat to glycogen concentration and glycogen synthetase in polychaetes

The glycogen content of whole body or muscle of 14 species of polychaetes was determined, and the activity, co-factor requirements, and substrate affinity of glycogen synthetase from muscles of 4 of the species were measured. Species average glycogen concentrations were positively correlated with the risk of anoxia each species faced in the field. Total activity of glycogen synthetase was not correlated with glycogen concentration in muscle, but polychaetes most likely to experience anoxia had the highest proportion of the enzyme in the active (co-factor independent = I) form; moreover, in such species, the glycogen synthetase had the highest affinity for substrate. It was concluded that evolutionary adaptation to oxygen-poor habitats occurs through qualitative changes in enzyme properties rather than through quantitative changes in enzyme production.
Public Assistance and Early Family Formation is There a Pronatalist Effect

The relationship between public assistance and fertility is examined, focusing on the time of early family formation. The study is based on a representative sample of New York City women who recently had their first child. These women were interviewed twice since their first birth. We found that women in households receiving public assistance want fewer children than those in non-recipient households. Moreover, there is no significant difference between recipients and non-recipients on other indices of fertility-related attitudes and behavior. The data suggest that, in general, public assistance may be a consequence of an untimely birth rather than a stimulus for that birth.
Before Identity: The Emergence of New Organizational Forms

The evolution of new organizational forms has attracted growing theoretical and empirical attention, but little research has considered the microsocial processes that promote the emergence of groups of quasi-similar organizations that sometimes evolve into new organizational forms. Drawing from social psychological and sociological theories of identity formation, we explain processes of individual identification and collective identity development that precede and promote the formation of similar clusters, which audiences can then recognize and distinguish from established organizational populations and other emerging similarity clusters.
Scaling properties of passive scalars in one dimension

This paper is a set of notes about work in progress. Since the work is directed toward scaling, it seems quite appropriate to report this in a context devoted to Ben Widom's scientific contributions. Model equations for the motion of a passive scalar in one dimension are set up and some scaling properties of their solutions are derived. All these models follow the approach set up by Kraichnan in which the driving velocities have Gaussian correlations with scaling properties in space, but zero-range correlations in time. The simplest and most natural versions of the model fail to satisfy an incompressibility condition. In another version, the model does have an incompressible flow. To permit the incompressibility, there are two pipes — each of which is described by temperature and velocity fields which are functions of a single coordinate, x, and time. Flow from one pipe to the other transfers both mass and heat. This model has two conserved quantities in the limit of zero dissipation. In still another version, fluid elements are interchanged in position so that there are an infinite number of conservation laws in the no-dissipation limit. Scaling properties of the resulting two-point functions are derived.
A novel symbolic ordinary differential equation solver

This paper describes a symbolic ordinary differential equation solver written as a package for the muMATH computer algebra system. The novel features of this solver are:1. Whereas previous ODE solvers generally require the equation to be quasi-linear and generally yield only implicit results, this new solver is highly integrated with an algebraic equation solver before, during and after solution. In fact, the same function named SOLVE is used for both algebraic and differential equations.2. By not insisting upon quasi-linear input, it is also practical to incorporate in the same solver methods for quasi-linear equations and a generalized version of Clairaut's equation, including singular envelope solutions. To my knowledge, previous ODE solvers have not treated even the ordinary Clairaut's equation, even using a separate solver.3. Since integration constants introduced at intermediate stages can become deeply embedded in a final explicit solution, the new solver automatically replaces subexpressions containing only an integration constant and numerical constants with a new constant, in order to greatly simplify the appearance of results, with no loss of generality.4. Whereas previous ODE solvers are generally restricted to first or second order (or to linear equations with constant coefficients) the new solver attempts to solve equations of any order, even if they are nonlinear and/or have variable coefficients.5. When the new solver is unable to obtain a closed-form solution, Picard iteration or a Taylor-series method is automatically employed so as to obtain a symbolic truncated series solution.muMATH does not yet provide the algebraic operations necessary to support the recently-discovered ODE decision procedures. Consequently the methods used to solve quasi-linear first and second order equations are essentially the same as those employed by other solvers of the pre-decision-procedure era.
Market power in input purchase and trade

Abstract Market power in the input purchase is becoming increasingly common because of growing consolidation and mergers and also due to multinational firms establishing a stronghold in buying inputs in the developing countries. In this study, we formulate a general equilibrium model consisting of a competitive sector and an oligopsony sector which exercises market power over inputs. Our results indicate that if the oligopsony sector incurs a higher marginal factor cost for the intensive factor, basic results of the standard two-sector model continue to hold. But if the marginal factor cost is higher for the non-intensive factor, then factor intensities in the physical and value sense differ and traditional trade propositions such as the Stolper–Samuelson theorem do not hold.
Distribution and urinary excretion of 3H-inulin in the dog.

Abstract In the dog, the apparent volume of distribution of 3 H-inulin increased over two hours to a value greater than the volume of extracellular fluid. This increase could be eliminated by the administration of unlabeled inulin. Urinary excretion and renal clearance of the two inulins were the same.
A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF DECISIONAL CAPACITY DETERMINATIONS IN AN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER

Objective:The main goals of this observational study were to clarify and categorize decisional capacity assessments performed by a psychosomatic medicine (PSM) consult service at an academic medica...
Modeling of rolling contact fatigue for hard machined components with process-induced residual stress

This work has investigated the effect of process-induced residual stress on bearing rolling contact fatigue (RCF). A 2-D finite element simulation model of bearing rolling contact has been developed to incorporate the process-induced residual stress profile as initial conditions. The applied load was modeled using the interaction between the roller and the bearing inner race instead of moving elastic-based Hertzian pressure and tangential traction across the surface. Residual stress profiles of an AISI 52100 steel inner race machined by hard turning and grinding were used to evaluate fatigue damage using the critical plane approach. Three cases using the simulation model were assessed: (a) measured residual stress by hard turning; (b) measured residual stress by grinding; and (c) free of residual stress. In addition, the sensitivity of fatigue damage to normal load, tangential traction, and magnitude of surface residual stress was also investigated. The results from simulation post-processing showed that these distinct residual stress profiles only affect near-surface fatigue damage rather than locations deeper in the subsurface. It was concluded, then, that residual stress affects only near-surface initiated RCF rather than subsurface initiated RCF, which has been demonstrated with some prior experimental data. Furthermore, the applied normal load has a significant effect on fatigue damage, while the effects of magnitudes of friction and surface residual stress are small. Lastly, multiaxial fatigue damage parameters used in conjunction with a critical plane approach can characterize the relative fatigue damage under the influence of process-induced residual stress profiles.
A Control-Relevant Model of Subcutaneous Insulin Absorption

Abstract Critically ill patients suffer from “stress hyperglycemia,” a diabetes-like condition of elevated glucose concentrations. The outcomes from controlling glucose levels are mixed; some trials have shown significant reductions in morbidity and mortality rates for patients, while the NICE-SUGAR trial debates this result. The current state of critical care practice is a conservative approach to glucose control, where physicians maintain glucose levels via strategic administration of insulin, and the result is mild-to-moderate hyperglycemia for patients. Automating this insulin delivery process can improve glucose control, while mitigating hypoglycemia, using mathematical model-based tools. Key to clinical implementability and performance is a subcutaneous insulin delivery model. The proposed model is a reduction of an extended Wilinska model (Wilinska et al. (2005)) that captures plasma insulin dynamics after insulin administration. The proposed model holds for regular and rapid-acting insulins administered via bolus injection or continuous infusion. The model parameters were fit to clinical data from insulin-dependent diabetics and healthy patients administered insulin. Regular insulin data were fit simultaneously across three dose levels by adjusting the rate parameters. Fast acting insulin data were simultaneously fit separately from regular insulin, and similarities and differences between fast-acting insulin analogues were observed. The subcutaneous model, integrated with our previously-published whole body model (Roy and Parker (2006)) is able to accurately capture plasma glucose levels of patients published in the literature. Our overall objective is to couple this system-level model to a model-based control algorithm to facilitate clinical decision-making for glucose control and insulin delivery in critical care.
An approach to WebGL based distributed virtual environments

Modern Web browsers with WebGL support allow users to access online 3D applications without installing add-ons or additional software. The popularity of WebGL enabled browsers motivates rapid development of dynamic and attractive online virtual environment (VE) applications. Constructing dynamic VE applications by integrating content from third party services is an effective approach to motivate more developers to be involved in Web 3D content sharing. Our conceptual framework called CaffeNeve is designed to provide the standardizations of constructing component and service based distributed virtual environments (DVEs). In this paper we explain CaffeNeve and describe a WebGL-based implementation of the framework. Three major framework components, component service, container and client, are described in terms of framework organization as well as their WebGL implementation issues. A simple demo application illustrates the use of the provided infrastructure and demonstrates the methodology of creating WebGL applications from remote content services.
Rescue of Impaired Long-Term Facilitation at Sensorimotor Synapses of Aplysia following siRNA Knockdown of CREB1

Memory impairment is often associated with disrupted regulation of gene induction. For example, deficits in cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) binding protein (CBP; an essential cofactor for activation of transcription by CREB) impair long-term synaptic plasticity and memory. Previously, we showed that small interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced knockdown of CBP in individual sensory neurons significantly reduced levels of CBP and impaired 5-HT-induced long-term facilitation (LTF) in sensorimotor cocultures from Aplysia. Moreover, computational simulations of the biochemical cascades underlying LTF successfully predicted training protocols that restored LTF following CBP knockdown. We examined whether simulations could also predict a training protocol that restores LTF impaired by siRNA-induced knockdown of the transcription factor CREB1. Simulations based on a previously described model predicted rescue protocols that were specific to CREB1 knockdown. Empirical studies demonstrated that one of these rescue protocols partially restored impaired LTF. In addition, the effectiveness of the rescue protocol was enhanced by pretreatment with rolipram, a selective cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor. These results provide further evidence that computational methods can help rescue disruptions in signaling cascades underlying memory formation. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the effectiveness of computationally designed training protocols can be enhanced with complementary pharmacological approaches.
Social Policy As Social Structure

At first glance, these two outstanding books contrast, though they are both revealing about current social policy issues in the United States and their ironies. The Jencks book by American sociology's most thoughtful and useful secondary data analyst is about affirmative action, crime, poverty, and welfare in the United States. The chapters, most of which previously appeared as reviews of important social science studies like W. J. Wilson's The Truly Disadvantaged (1987), survey a wide range of data to test the accuracy of many social science and popular beliefs about African Americans and the poor. Jencks' analyses usually topple received opinion, especially about what is going on among welfare recipients and the underclass. The Kohli et al. retirement book is largely European in focus, content, and authorship (Martin Rein and Harold Sheppard are the only two American contributors). Its concern is with older workers and bears on the tough issues in the United States and other countries of the rising spending on social security pensions. Much more tightly coordinated than most comparative case studies, it seeks to explain why and how people are retiring at earlier times in their lives than was formerly the pattern.2