Victim-Offender Mediation in Anchorage

A version of this paper was published as ""Victim-Offender Mediation in Alaska," Alaska Justice Forum 11(2): 1, 5–6 (Summer 1994).Victim-offender mediation programs provide an opportunity for victims to meet the offenders face-to-face in the presence of a trained mediator for the purpose of resolving the injury of the crime in some way. Mediation is offered as a diversion from the justice system which the offender may accept to avoid more formal adjudication. This paper describes a pilot victim-offender mediation program in Anchorage which involves juveniles accused of certain offenses and the victims of those crimes.Victim-Offender Mediation / Development / The Development of Victim-Offender Mediation in Anchorag

Primer for the Transportable Applications Executive

The Transportable Applications Executive (TAE), an interactive multipurpose executive that provides commonly required functions for scientific analysis systems, is discussed. The concept of an executive is discussed and the various components of TAE are presented. These include on-line help information, the use of menus or commands to access analysis programs, and TAE command procedures

Tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme activities in a mouse model of methylmalonic aciduria

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a propionate pathway disorder caused by dysfunction of the mitochondrial enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MMUT). MMUT catalyzes the conversion of methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA, an anaplerotic reaction which feeds into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. As part of the pathological mechanisms of MMA, previous studies have suggested there is decreased TCA activity due to a toxic inhibition of TCA cycle enzymes by MMA related metabolites, in addition to reduced anaplerosis. Here, we have utilized mitochondria isolated from livers of a mouse model of MMA (Mut-ko/ki) and their littermate controls (Ki/wt) to examine the amounts and enzyme functions of most of the TCA cycle enzymes. We have performed mRNA quantification, protein semi-quantitation, and enzyme activity quantification for TCA cycle enzymes in these samples. Expression profiling showed increased mRNA levels of fumarate hydratase in the Mut-ko/ki samples, which by contrast had reduced protein levels as detected by immunoblot, while all other mRNA levels were unaltered. Immunoblotting also revealed decreased protein levels of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase 2. Interesting, the decreased protein amount of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase was reflected in decreased activity for this enzyme while there is a trend towards decreased activity of fumarate hydratase and malate dehydrogenase 2. Citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase 2/3, succinyl-CoA synthase, and succinate dehydrogenase are not statistically different in terms of quantity of enzyme or activity. Finally, we found decreased activity when examining the function of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase in series with succinate synthase and succinate dehydrogenase in the Mut-ko/ki mice compared to their littermate controls, as expected. This study demonstrates decreased activity of certain TCA cycle enzymes and by corollary decreased TCA cycle function, but it supports decreased protein quantity rather than toxic inhibition as the underlying mechanism of action. SUMMARY: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an inborn metabolic disorder of propionate catabolism. In this disorder, toxic metabolites are considered to be the major pathogenic mechanism for acute and long-term complications. However, despite optimized therapies aimed at reducing metabolite levels, patients continue to suffer from late complications, including metabolic stroke and renal insufficiency. Since the propionate pathway feeds into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, we investigated TCA cycle function in a constitutive MMA mouse model. We demonstrated decreased amounts of the TCA enzymes, Mdh2 and Ogdh as semi-quantified by immunoblot. Enzymatic activity of Ogdh is also decreased in the MMA mouse model compared to controls. Thus, when the enzyme amounts are decreased, we see the enzymatic activity also decreased to a similar extent for Ogdh. Further studies to elucidate the structural and/or functional links between the TCA cycle and propionate pathways might lead to new treatment approaches for MMA patients

Computational Study of a Generic T-tail Transport

This paper presents a computational study on the static and dynamic stability characteristics of a generic transport T-tail configuration under a NASA research program to improve stall models for civil transports. The NASA Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System (TetrUSS) was used to obtain both static and periodic dynamic solutions at low speed conditions for three Reynolds number conditions up to 60 deg angle of attack. The computational results are compared to experimental data. The dominant effects of Reynolds number for the static conditions were found to occur in the stall region. The pitch and roll damping coefficients compared well to experimental results up to up to 40 deg angle of attack whereas yaw damping coefficient agreed only up to 20 deg angle of attack

A Theory of Mind investigation into the appreciation of visual jokes in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that groups of people with schizophrenia have deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) capabilities. Previous studies have found these to be linked to psychotic symptoms (or psychotic symptom severity) particularly the presence of delusions and hallucinations. METHODS: A visual joke ToM paradigm was employed where subjects were asked to describe two types of cartoon images, those of a purely Physical nature and those requiring inferences of mental states for interpretation, and to grade them for humour and difficulty. Twenty individuals with a DSM-lV diagnosis of schizophrenia and 20 healthy matched controls were studied. Severity of current psychopathology was measured using the Krawiecka standardized scale of psychotic symptoms. IQ was estimated using the Ammons and Ammons quick test. RESULTS: Individuals with schizophrenia performed significantly worse than controls in both conditions, this difference being most marked in the ToM condition. No relationship was found for poor ToM performance and psychotic positive symptomatology, specifically delusions and hallucinations. CONCLUSION: There was evidence for a compromised ToM capability in the schizophrenia group on this visual joke task. In this instance this could not be linked to particular symptomatology

Investigation of Reduced-Order Modeling for Aircraft Stability and Control Prediction

High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics tools offer the potential to approximate increments for ground-to-flight scaling effects, as well as to augment the dynamic damping derivative data for motion-based flight simulators. Unfortunately, the computational expense is currently prohibitive for populating a complete simulator database. This work investigates an existing surrogate-based, indicial response reduced-order model methodology as a means to efficiently augment a flight simulator database with high-fidelity nonlinear aerodynamic damping derivatives. Creation of the reduced-order model is based on the superposition integrals of the step response with the derivative of its corresponding input signal. Step responses are calculated using a computational grid motion approach that separates the effects of angle of attack and sideslip angle from angular rates, and rates from angle of attack and sideslip. It is demonstrated that the transients produced during the start of a forced-oscillation motion are captured by the reduced-order model to the level of fidelity of a comparable computational solution. Aerodynamic coefficients computed within minutes by the reduced-order model for an aircraft undergoing an 18-second half Lazy-8 maneuver and a 25-second Immelmann turn maneuver are compared with those from full computational flight solutions that required days to complete. Finally, a cost-benefit assessment is included that demonstrates a compelling advantage for this approach. d for maneuvering, flexible vehicles

Unsteady Model Estimation for Generic T-Tail Transport Aircraft Using Computational Data

Models including nonlinear and unsteady behaviors are developed for the longitudinal axis of the NASA Generic T-Tail Aircraft over a large range of angle of attack. These models are based on computational simulations of forced-oscillation tests in a wind tunnel. This work continues a recent study and an ongoing effort by NASA to improve aircraft simulations for pilot training in loss-of-control and stalled conditions. The objective of this work is to develop appropriate aerodynamic models that provide representative responses in simulation for a given class of aircraft. In the stall region, nonlinear unsteady responses are often present and may require an extended aerodynamic model compared to that used in the conventional flight envelope. In this study, two objectives are addressed. The first is to obtain representative models for the NASA Generic T-Tail aircraft over a wide range of angle of attack and the second is to continue development of a specialized CFD test technique that uses Schroeder sweeps to create information rich responses for unsteady aerodynamic model identification

Pilot Sensitivity to Simulator Flight Dynamics Model Formulation for Stall Training

A piloted simulation study was performed in the Cockpit Motion Facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center. The research was motivated by the desire to reduce the commercial transport airplane fatal accident rate due to in-flight loss of control. The purpose of this study, which focused on a generic T-tail transport airplane, was to assess pilot sensitivity to flight dynamics model formulation used during a simulator stall recognition and recovery training/demonstration profile. To accomplish this, the flight dynamics model was designed with many configuration options. The model options were based on recently acquired static and dynamic stability and control data from sources that included wind tunnel, water tunnel, and computational fluid dynamics. The results, which are specific to a transport airplane stall recognition and recovery guided demonstration scenario, showed the two most important aerodynamic effects (other than stick pusher) to model were stall roll- off and the longitudinal static stability characteristic associated with the pitch break

Efficient Unsteady Model Estimation Using Computational and Experimental Data

Improving aircraft simulations for pilot training in loss-of-control and stalled conditions is one goal of NASA research in the System Wide Safety Program. One part of this effort is to develop appropriate generic aerodynamic models that provide representative responses in simulation for a given class of aircraft. In this part of the flight envelope nonlinear unsteady responses are often present and may require an extended aerodynamic model compared to that used in the conventional flight envelope. In this preliminary study, two objectives are addressed. First, to obtain a representative model for a NASA generic aircraft at an unsteady condition in the flight envelope and second, to evaluate the techniques involved. To meet these objectives, two different generic aircraft configurations are modeled using both experimental and analytical data. With these results, an initial assessment of the efficiency and quality of the tools and test techniques are evaluated to develop guidance for analytical and experimental approaches to unsteady modeling

Bostonia

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