cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Explicit Instruction in Reducing Program Reasoning Fallacies in Elementary Level Students

Previous research in K-5 CS education has focused on improving students' engagement in programming using visual block-based environments like Scratch. However, little is known about how elementary school students' reason about programs. We define computational reasoning as the ability to read, write, trace and debug programs and predict program behavior. Recently, computing education researchers have become interested in exploring how elementary school students build their computational reasoning abilities. This poster presents results from a study which analyzed the role of explicit instruction in the form of 'laws of computation' in cultivating elementary school (4th and 5th graders) students' ability to reason about programs using Microsoft Kodu Game Lab. We used pretests to record students' default models of reasoning about programs and then used posttests to measure the effectiveness of intervention by noting students' reasoning responses on a similar program. Our findings indicate that by default students reason sequentially about program execution which can be incorrect in situations like parallel rule execution. We also found that the use of explicit instruction in the form of 'laws' is helpful for students to refine their understanding of program execution and to improve their reasoning ability.
Characterizing Performance Improvement of GPUs

Evaluating super-computer performance through benchmarking is an integral part of an HPC center operation. It can be used to guide the selection of a system during hardware acquisition, to validate that the selected hardware performs as expected, and to ensure that the system performs reasonably throughout its lifetime. In this work we quantify the performance improvement of our recent GPU architectures, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, Titan V, and Tesla V100 over an older architecture, GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. We perform a workload analysis to select a suite of applications to benchmark. Using the benchmark results, a single performance number is then assigned to each GPU system under test. Taking hardware price into consideration, our results show consumer-grade GeForce RTX 2080 Ti as the most cost competitive GPU platform.
Voluntary exercise reduces both chemotherapy-induced neuropathic nociception and deficits in hippocampal cellular proliferation in a mouse model of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common dose-limiting side-effect of all major chemotherapeutic agents. Here, we explored efficacy of voluntary exercise as a nonpharmacological strategy for suppressing two distinct adverse side effects of chemotherapy treatment. We evaluated whether voluntary running would suppress both neuropathic pain and deficits in hippocampal cell proliferation in a mouse model of CIPN induced by the taxane chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel. Mice were given free access to running wheels or were housed without running wheels during one of three different intervention phases: 1) during the onset (i.e. development phase) of paclitaxel-induced neuropathy, 2) prior to dosing with paclitaxel or its vehicle, or 3) following the establishment (i.e. maintenance phase) of paclitaxel-induced neuropathy. Paclitaxel treatment did not alter running wheel behavior relative to vehicle-treated animals in any study. Animals that engaged in voluntary running during the development phase of paclitaxel-induced neuropathy failed to display mechanical or cold hypersensitivities relative to sedentary control animals that did not have access to running wheels. A prior history of voluntary running delayed the onset of, but did not fully prevent, development of paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain behavior. Voluntary running reduced already established mechanical and cold allodynia induced by paclitaxel. Importantly, voluntary running did not alter mechanical or cold responsivity in vehicle-treated animals, suggesting that the observed antinociceptive effect of exercise was dependent upon the presence of the pathological pain state. In the same animals evaluated for nociceptive responding, paclitaxel also reduced cellular proliferation but not cellular survival in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, as measured by immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and BrdU expression, respectively. Voluntary running abrogated paclitaxel-induced reductions in cellular proliferation to levels observed in vehicle-treated mice and also increased BrdU expression levels irrespective of chemotherapy treatment. Our studies support the hypothesis that voluntary exercise may be beneficial in suppressing both neuropathic pain and markers of hippocampal cellular function that are impacted by toxic challenge with chemotherapeutic agents.
No Man Is an Island, December 1938–December 1940

Hemingway’s brief trip to Barcelona in early November had been a sobering experience, finally convincing him that the Spanish Republic might be lost. While on assignment for NANA and composing propagandistic articles for Ken, he had tried his best to defend democratic Spain. He had railed against Fascism and attacked the American and European foreign policies that were turning Spain over to authoritarian invaders. Returning to New York on 24 November, Ernest carried with him deep political dissatisfaction that only intensified when he had to confront his marriage to Pauline and his affair with Martha. Ernest encountered Pauline at the pier when the Normandie docked and together they returned to the rented apartment on East Fiftieth Street where their two sons awaited him. An uneasy truce prevailed until the end of the month when the lease expired.
Effects of Exercise Intensity on Acute Circulating Molecular Responses Poststroke.

Background. Exercise intensity can influence functional recovery after stroke, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Objective. In chronic stroke, an intensity-dependent increase in circulat...
PEAMOtecan, a novel chronotherapeutic polymeric drug for brain cancer.

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive and difficult to treat form of brain cancer. In this work, we report on a novel chronotherapeutic polymeric drug, PEAMOtecan, for GBM therapy. PEAMOtecan was synthesized by conjugating camptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, to our proprietary, ‘clickable’ and modular polyoxetane polymer platform consisting of acetylene-functionalized 3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane (EAMO) repeat units (Patent No.: US 9,421,276) via the linker 3,3′-dithiodipropionic acid (DDPA) with a disulfide bond (S S) extended by short-chain polyethylene glycol (PEG). We show that PEAMOtecan is a highly modular polymer nanoformulation that protects covalently bound CPT until slowly being released over extended periods of time dependent on the cleavage of the disulfide and ester linkages. PEAMOtecan kills glioma cells by mitotic catastrophe with p53 mutant/knockdown cells being more sensitive than matched wild type cells potentially providing cancer-specific targeting. To establish proof-of-principle therapeutic effects, we tested PEAMOtecan as monotherapy for efficacy in a mouse orthotopic glioma model. PEAMOtecan was administered by one-time, convection-enhanced delivery (CED) intra-tumorally to achieve superior distribution and extended drug release over time. In addition, the near-infrared (NIR) dye Cy5.5 was coupled to the polymer providing live-animal imaging capability to track tissue distribution and clearance of the injected polymer over time. We show that PEAMOtecan significantly improves the survival of mice harboring intra-cranial tumors (p = .0074 compared to untreated group). Altogether, these results support further development and testing of our nanoconjugate platform.
Intravenous access in children

Abstract Establishing intravenous access in children can be challenging for the healthcare professional and distressing for the patient and their family. Choosing the most appropriate intravenous vascular access is key to improving short-term and long-term care in patients. Children requiring prolonged or repeated intravenous access are at higher risk of venous catheter associated complications, which may result in progressive loss of patent vasculature. Poor planning though multiple, episodic attempts at intravenous access without careful consideration for the type, indication and duration of the venous catheter may limit treatment. Increasingly hospitals have specialist teams, from various disciplines, to insert peripheral and central venous catheters. Correct selection of site and optimal technique may minimize failed attempts at securing intravenous access, improve the experience of paediatric patients and improve care.
Predicting Opioid Overdose Crude Rates with Text-Based Twitter Features (Student Abstract)

Drug use reporting is often a bottleneck for modern public health surveillance; social media data provides a real-time signal which allows for tracking and monitoring opioid overdoses. In this work we focus on text-based feature construction for the prediction task of opioid overdose rates at the county level. More specifically, using a Twitter dataset with over 3.4 billion tweets, we explore semantic features, such as topic features, to show that social media could be a good indicator for forecasting opioid overdose crude rates in public health monitoring systems. Specifically, combining topic and TF-IDF features in conjunction with demographic features can predict opioid overdose rates at the county level.
Group-IV monochalcogenide monolayers: Two-dimensional ferroelectrics with weak intralayer bonds and a phosphorenelike monolayer dissociation energy

We performed density functional theory calculations with self-consistent van der Waals corrected exchange-correlation (XC) functionals to capture the structure of black phosphorus and twelve monochalcogenide monolayers and find the following results, which are independent of XC choice: (a) The in-plane unit cell changes its area in going from the bulk to a monolayer. Such structural behavior is unlike the one seen in more traditional two-dimensional materials such as graphene or ${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2}$, in which monolayers keep their structure upon exfoliation. The change of in-plane distances implies that bonds weaker than covalent or ionic ones are at work within the monolayers themselves and may require corrections beyond PBE XC. This observation is relevant for the prediction of the critical temperature ${T}_{c}$ and important for that reason. (b) There exists a hierarchy of independent parameters that uniquely define a ground state ferroelectric unit cell (and square and rectangular paraelectric unit cells as well): only 5 optimizable parameters are needed to establish the unit cell vectors and the four basis vectors of the ferroelectric ground state unit cell, while square and rectangular paraelectric structures are defined by only three or two independent optimizable variables, respectively. (c) The reduced number of independent structural variables correlates with larger elastic energy barriers on a rectangular paraelectric unit cell when compared to the elastic energy barrier of a square paraelectric structure. This implies that ${T}_{c}$ obtained on a structure that keeps the lattice parameters fixed (for example, using an NVT ensemble) should be larger than the transition temperature on a structure that is allowed to change in-plane lattice vectors (for example, using the NPT ensemble). (d) Surprisingly, the dissociation energy (bulk cleavage energy) of these materials is similar to the energy required to exfoliate graphite and ${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2}$. (e) There exists a linear relation among the square paraelectric unit cell lattice parameter and the lattice parameters of the rectangular ferroelectric ground state unit cell. These results highlight the subtle atomistic structure and chemical bond of these novel 2D ferroelectrics.
Ca 2+ -dependent mechanism of membrane insertion and destabilization by the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide.

Cell penetration after recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by the ACE2 receptor, and the fusion of its viral envelope membrane with cellular membranes, are the early steps of infectivity. A region of the Spike protein (S) of the virus, identified as the fusion peptide (FP), is liberated at its N-terminal site by a specific cleavage occurring in concert with the interaction of the receptor binding domain of the Spike. Studies have shown that penetration is enhanced by the required binding of Ca2+ ions to the FPs of corona viruses, but the mechanisms of membrane insertion and destabilization remain unclear. We have identified the preferred positions of Ca2+ binding to the SARS-CoV-2-FP, the role of Ca2+ ions in mediating peptide-membrane interactions, the preferred mode of insertion of the Ca2+-bound SARS-CoV-2-FP and consequent effects on the lipid bilayer from extensive atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and trajectory analyses. In a systematic sampling of the interactions of the Ca2+-bound peptide models with lipid membranes SARS-CoV-2-FP penetrated the bilayer and disrupted its organization only in two modes involving different structural domains. In one, the hydrophobic residues F833/I834 from the middle region of the peptide are inserted. In the other, more prevalent mode, the penetration involves residues L822/F823 from the LLF motif which is conserved in CoV-2-like viruses, and is achieved by the binding of Ca2+ ions to the D830/D839 and E819/D820 residue pairs. FP penetration is shown to modify the molecular organization in specific areas of the bilayer, and the extent of membrane binding of the SARS-CoV-2 FP is significantly reduced in the absence of Ca2+ ions. These findings provide novel mechanistic insights regarding the role of Ca2+ in mediating SARS-CoV-2 fusion and provide a detailed structural platform to aid the ongoing efforts in rational design of compounds to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 cell entry.
Responsible for Whom? The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Firm Vulnerability and Responsiveness to Social Movement Activism

Are corporate socially responsible (CSR) firms more receptive to social movements? In this paper, we examine whether the CSR profile of a company shapes its engagement with social movement protesto...
Replies to Kaczor and Rodger

In these replies, I shall respond to criticisms offered by Kaczor and Rodger to my article (Stratman 2020) titled “Ectogestation and the Problem of Abortion.” In the process, I shall also try to bring into focus why the possibility of ectogestation will radically alter the shape of the abortion debate.
Colloidal Nanocrystal Gels from Thermodynamic Principles

Gels assembled from solvent-dispersed nanocrystals are of interest for functional materials because they promise the opportunity to retain distinctive properties of individual nanocrystals combined with tunable, structure-dependent collective behavior. By incorporating stimuli-responsive components, these materials could also be dynamically reconfigured between structurally distinct states. However, nanocrystal gels have so far been formed mostly through irreversible aggregation, which has limited the realization of these possibilities. Meanwhile, gelation strategies for larger colloidal microparticles have been developed using reversible physical or chemical interactions. These approaches have enabled the experimental navigation of theoretically predicted phase diagrams, helping to establish an understanding of how thermodynamic behavior can guide gel formation in these materials. However, the translation of these principles to the nanoscale poses both practical and fundamental challenges. The molecules guiding assembly can no longer be safely assumed to be vanishingly small compared to the particles nor large compared to the solvent.In this Account, we discuss recent progress toward the assembly of tunable nanocrystal gels using two strategies guided by equilibrium considerations: (1) reversible chemical bonding between functionalized nanocrystals and difunctional linker molecules and (2) nonspecific, polymer-induced depletion attractions. The effective nanocrystal attractions, mediated in both approaches by a secondary molecule, compete against stabilizing repulsions to promote reversible assembly. The structure and properties of the nanocrystal gels are controlled microscopically by the design of the secondary molecule and macroscopically by its concentration. This mode of control is compelling because it largely decouples nanocrystal synthesis and functionalization from the design of interactions that drive assembly. Statistical thermodynamic theory and computer simulation have been applied to simple models that describe the bonding motifs in these assembling systems, furnish predictions for conditions under which gelation is likely to occur, and suggest strategies for tuning and disassembling the gel networks. Insights from these models have guided experimental realizations of reversible gels with optical properties in the infrared range that are sensitive to the gel structure. This process avoids time-consuming and costly trial-and-error experimental investigations to accelerate the development of nanocrystal gel assemblies.These advances highlight the need to better understand interactions between nanocrystals, how interactions give rise to gel structure, and properties that emerge. Such an understanding could suggest new approaches for creating stimuli-responsive and dissipative assembled materials whose properties are tunable on demand through directed reconfiguration of the underlying gel microstructure. It may also make nanocrystal gels amenable to computationally guided design using inverse methods to rapidly optimize experimental parameters for targeted functionalities.
Validation of a Standardized Home Visual Acuity Test for Teleophthalmology

Purpose The recent exponential growth in teleophthalmology has been limited in part by the lack of a validated method to measure visual acuity (VA) remotely. We investigated the validity of a self-administered Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) home VA test. We hypothesized that a home VA test with a printout ETDRS chart is equivalent to a standard technician-administered VA test in clinic. Design Prospective cohort study. Participants Two hundred nine eyes from 108 patients who had a scheduled in-person outpatient ophthalmology clinic visit at an academic medical center. Methods Enrolled patients were sent a .pdf document consisting of instructions and a printout ETDRS vision chart calibrated for 5 feet. Patients completed the VA test at home before the in-person appointment, where their VA was measured by an ophthalmic technician using a standard ETDRS chart. Survey questions about the ease of testing and barriers to completion were administered. For the bioequivalence test with a 5% nominal level, the 2 1-sided tests procedure was used, and an equivalent 90% confidence interval (CI) was constructed and compared with the prespecified 7-letter equivalence margin. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was the mean adjusted letter score difference between the home and clinic tests. Secondary outcomes included the unadjusted letter difference, absolute letter difference, and survey question responses. Results The mean adjusted VA letter score difference was 4.1 letters (90% CI, 3.2–4.9 letters), well within the 7-letter equivalence margin. Average unadjusted VA scores in clinic were 3.9 letters (90% CI, 3.1–4.7 letters) more than scores at home. The absolute difference was 5.2 letters (90% CI, 4.6–5.9 letters). Ninety-eight percent of patients agreed that the home test was easy to perform. Conclusions An ETDRS VA test self-administered at home following a standardized protocol was equivalent to a standard technician-administered VA test in clinic in the examined population.
The Effects of Patent Extension and Take-Back Regulation on Green Pharmacy

Problem definition: The eco-toxicity arising from unused pharmaceuticals has regulators advocating the benign design concept of “green pharmacy,” but high research and development expenses can be p...
Tandem catalysis using an enzyme and a polymeric ruthenium-based artificial metalloenzyme

A Ru-containing single chain nanoparticle (SCNP) was prepared in three steps using radical polymerization of pentafluorophenylacrylate, post-polymerization functionalization with three different alkylamines, and coordination of Ru. The polymer was characterized by 1H NMR, 19F NMR, UV-vis, and DLS. The catalytic activity of the Ru-SCNP for Ru-catalyzed cleavage of allylcarbamates was evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy and a higher percent conversion and initial rate of reaction was observed when compared to that of the free catalyst in buffer and cell media. The catalytic SCNP was also shown to perform tandem catalysis with β-galactosidase.
Hydrolysis of template and newly synthesized deoxyribonucleic acid by the 3' to 5' exonuclease activity of the T4 deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase.

Abstract We have studied the 3' to 5' exonucleolytic activity of the T4 DNA polymerase during in vitro DNA synthesis. By separating reaction products by one-dimensional thin layer chromatography we were able to follow simultaneously nucleotide incorporation, hydrolysis of newly incorporated nucleotides, and also the degradation of thymine-labeled template DNA. When all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates are present, degradation of template DNA appears to be limited to the removal of unpaired 3'-terminal regions early in the reaction; addition of nucleotides to paired termini protects template molecules from exonucleolytic attack. When one or more deoxynucleoside triphosphates are omitted, the extent of template degradation depends upon the relative rates of hydrolysis and incorporation of the available substrates. During copying of single stranded DNA, hydrolysis of newly incorporated nucleotides, as shown by the appearance of free deoxynucleoside monophosphates derived from all four triphosphates, occurs at a rate slower than, but related to, the initial rate of synthesis. Free deoxynucleoside monophosphate formation continues after product DNA has ceased to accumulate. At 37° free dAMP is formed at 20 to 40% of the initial rate of dAMP incorporation. During a reaction in which the four deoxynucleotides are incorporated into product DNA at similar rates and to about the same extent, newly added dAMP is hydrolyzed 1 ½ to 3 times as often as dTMP and dGMP, and 6 to 9 times more frequently than dCMP, suggesting that the polymerase recognizes specific bases. At 20° the rate of hydrolysis of newly incorporated nucleotides is depressed to a greater degree than the rate of synthesis, suggesting that local unwinding of the 3' terminus is required for hydrolysis of newly incorporated residues. The T4 polymerase has previously been found by Englund to carry out repeated hydrolysis and replacement of nucleotides at the ends of native DNA without net synthesis or degradation. We find that triphosphate utilization (net incorporation plus hydrolysis of newly incorporated residues) is faster with native than denatured T7 DNA. However, when both forms of T7 DNA are present in a reaction, incorporation and release of deoxynucleotides occur at the rate seen with denatured DNA alone, even when enzyme is in molar excess of total 3'-hydroxyl chain termini. As a possible means of studying the frequency of errors in copying, we have measured the incorporation and the hydrolysis of residues derived from deoxynucleoside triphosphates that are not complementary to either strand of homopolymer duplexes. With poly(dA)·poly(dT) as template-primer, both dGTP and dCTP were converted to free dGMP and dCMP, although neither appeared in product polymer. Thus misincorporation had occurred, but the nucleotides were subsequently removed by the exonuclease activity of the polymerase.
Albumin and collagen gene regulation in alcohol- and virus-induced human liver disease.

Abstract Common features of chronic alcoholic liver disease are progressive hypoalbuminemia and a spectrum of liver fibrosis. The molecular mechanisms that account for these effects are still the subject of controversy. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated albumin and collagen gene expression in livers of alcohol abusers and patients with virus-induced liver disease. Albumin and pro α1(I) collagen messenger RNA levels were determined in 30 patients who underwent diagnostic liver biopsy. Of 14 alcoholics, 7 had alcoholic hepatitis alone and the other 7 had cirrhosis plus alcoholic hepatitis. Of 16 nonalcoholic patients with chronic viral infection, 6 had chronic active hepatitis and 10 had cirrhosis plus chronic active hepatitis. Total RNA was extracted from a portion of each biopsy specimen, hybridized with a human albumin or collagen complementary DNA clone, and compared with 2 normal surgical specimens, which served as controls. The Northern hybridization studies showed that (a) despite the presence of inflammation and fibrosis, the albumin messenger RNA levels of alcoholics were similar to those of the controls; (b) these alcoholics had significantly higher levels of albumin messenger RNA than did patients with similar histological levels of disease due to viral infection; and (c) all the categories of patients had markedly increased procollagen messenger RNA levels compared with controls. Given these results it is tempting to speculate that alcohol may actually increase albumin messenger RNA content in humans as it does in animals. Furthermore, the increased procollagen messenger RNA levels in fibrotic livers suggest that an increase in collagen syntheses may be a significant factor in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis.
Rheology of foams and highly concentrated emulsions: III. Static shear modulus

Abstract The static shear modulus of a series of concentrated, well-characterized oil-in-water emulsions has been determined and is found to be accurately represented by G = 1.769 σ R 32 φ 1 3 (φ − 0.712) , where σ is the interfacial tension, R32 is the surface-volume mean drop radius, and φ is the volume fraction of the dispersed phase. The equation is believed to have universal applicability, and should be equally valid for foams, although the values of the numerical constants may depend slightly on the drop size distribution and the thickness of the aqueous films between the droplets. Older theories for the limiting case of φ ≈ 1 overpredict the modulus by a factor of exactly, or close to, 2. The source of this error may be traced to the underlying model, which does not meet the condition of mechanical equilibrium at the lines of intersection of the interdroplet films as the network is strained.
The role of circulation features on black carbon transport into the Arctic in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5)

[1] Current climate models generally underpredict the surface concentration of black carbon (BC) in the Arctic due to the uncertainties associated with emissions, transport, and removal. This bias is also present in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1 (CAM5). In this study, we investigate the uncertainty of Arctic BC due to transport processes simulated by CAM5 by configuring the model to run in an “off-line mode” in which the large-scale circulation features are prescribed. We compare the simulated BC transport when the off-line model is driven by the meteorology predicted by the standard free-running CAM5 with simulations where the meteorology is constrained to agree with reanalysis products. Some circulation biases are apparent: the free-running CAM5 produces about 50% less transient eddy transport of BC than the reanalysis-driven simulations, which may be attributed to the coarse model resolution insufficient to represent eddies. Our analysis shows that the free-running CAM5 reasonably captures the essence of the Arctic Oscillation (AO), but some discernable differences in the spatial pattern of the AO between the free-running CAM5 and the reanalysis-driven simulations result in significantly different AO modulation of BC transport over northeast Asia and eastern Europe. Nevertheless, we find that the overall climatological circulation patterns simulated by the free-running CAM5 generally resemble those from the reanalysis products, and BC transport is very similar in both simulation sets. Therefore, the simulated circulation features regulating the long-range BC transport are unlikely the most important cause of the large underprediction of surface BC concentration in the Arctic.
Preparing Teachers of Statistics: A Graduate Course for Future Teachers

This paper describes a unique graduate-level course that prepares teachers of introductory statistics at the college and high school levels. The course was developed as part of a graduate degree pr...
The Gender of Theory

This paper argues that the genre of theoretical writing or writing claimed as theory is highly gendered and in this mirrors a range of processes in scholarship identified by feminist analysts.
Rotational bands in neutron-rich {sup 169,171,172}Er

The neutron-rich {sup 169,171,172}Er nuclei were populated by few-neutron transfer reactions between {sup 170}Er and {sup 238}U at a near barrier energy. The spectroscopy of these Er isotopes was studied using prompt {gamma} rays correlated with delayed transitions or events involving at least three prompt transitions. The ground-state band of {sup 172}Er was populated up to spin 22{sup +} at an excitation energy of 5528 keV. Rotational bands built on the 1/2{sup -}[521], 5/2{sup -}[512], and 7/2{sup +}[633] neutron configurations in {sup 169,171}Er were extended to substantially higher spins than previously known. The signature splitting observed in these rotational bands is addressed within the framework of the particle-rotor model in terms of triaxiality and Coriolis attenuation. The signature inversion observed in the 5/2{sup -}[512] band is well reproduced by including the triaxial degree of freedom in the calculation. Attenuating the Coriolis interaction in the calculation is found to be necessary to reproduce the signature splitting observed in the 7/2{sup +}[633] band. A similar Coriolis attenuation also is needed to account for the signature splitting as well as the B(M1)/B(E2) ratios in the 7/2{sup +}[633] ground-state band in the neighboring N=99 isotones, {sup 167}Er and {sup 169}Yb.
Human Glutamine Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate Amidotransferase: TWO MOLECULAR FORMS INTERCONVERTIBLE BY PURINE RIBONUCLEOTIDES AND PHOSPHORIBOSYLPYROPHOSPHATE

Abstract Human glutamine PP-ribose-P amidotransferase (PP-ribose-P amidotransferase; EC 2.4.2.14) has been found to exist in two interconvertible forms with molecular weights of 133,000 and 270,000. In the absence of purine ribonucleotides and PP-ribose-P the small and large form of the enzyme are both demonstrable in the same enzyme preparation. AMP and GMP, alone or in combination, convert the small form of the enzyme into the large form. PP-ribose-P dissociates the large form of the enzyme into the small form. This demonstration of a change in the physical properties of human PP-ribose-P amidotransferase by an end product inhibitor and a substrate confirms that this enzyme is an allosteric protein and may provide a molecular basis for understanding the regulation of purine biosynthesis de novo in man.
The Impact of Boundary‐scan on Surface Mount Technology in Design, Manufacturing and System Test

With the emergence of surface mount technology and, more recently, advances in packaging technologies (i.e., ball grid arrays), test continues to be a complex, time‐consuming process and, in the limit, unfeasible. The adoption of IEEE 1149.1 boundary‐scan and the wide acceptance of this standard have resulted in a pragmatic test solution for densely packed SMT circuit boards. Many organisations have become extremely successful in manufacturing test through their commitment to boundary‐scan. Although boundary‐scan has alleviated many of the test engineer's problems, all but a handful of these organisations have a narrow focus of using boundary‐scan to benefit only manufacturing test. However, this same technology can be exploited in design, at the prototype debug stage, as well as at the system test level, whether it be in the factory or the field, yielding significant benefits throughout the entire product life cycle. Three case studies are reviewed to highlight the problems posed by SMT at prototype debug, manufacturing test and system level test. The impact of boundary‐scan is illustrated at each stage of a product's typical life cycle. The paper looks at some real applications and benefits of boundary‐scan at the board prototype stage, the manufacturing test stage, as well as at the system‐level stage. The data presented represent three distinct industries: computer manufacturing, telecommunications and automatic test equipment.
Detection of Respiratory and Body Movement Using a Non-Contact Ultrasound Monitor in Newborns

Detection of Respiratory and Body Movement Using a Non-Contact Ultrasound Monitor in Newborns
Dielectrophoresis Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as pH Sensors.

Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI) water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with “teeth”-like patterns—fabricated with photolithography and wet etching—are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to deposit and align in desired locations. The device fabrication is inexpensive, solution-based, and conducted at room temperature. The devices are used as pH sensors with the electrodes as the testing pads and the dielectrophoretically captured SWNTs as the sensing elements. When exposed to aqueous solutions with various pH values, the SWNTs change their resistance accordingly. The SWNT-based sensors demonstrate a linear relationship between the sensor resistance and the pH values in the range of 5–9. The characterization of multiple sensors proves that their pH sensitivity is highly repeatable. The real-time data acquisition shows that the sensor response time depends on the pH value, ranging from 2.26 s for the pH-5 solution to 23.82 s for the pH-9 solution. The long-term stability tests illustrate that the sensors can maintain their original sensitivity for a long period of time. The simple fabrication process, high sensitivity, and fast response of the SWNT-based sensors facilitate their applications in a wide range of areas.
Oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether by alkane hydroxylase in dicyclopropylketone-induced and n-octane-grown Pseudomonas putida GPo1

The alkane hydroxylase enzyme system in Pseudomonas putida GPo1 has previously been reported to be unreactive toward the gasoline oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). We have reexamined this finding by using cells of strain GPo1 grown in rich medium containing dicyclopropylketone (DCPK), a potent gratuitous inducer of alkane hydroxylase activity. Cells grown with DCPK oxidized MTBE and generated stoichiometric quantities of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). Cells grown in the presence of DCPK also oxidized tert-amyl methyl ether but did not appear to oxidize either TBA, ethyl tert-butyl ether, or tert-amyl alcohol. Evidence linking MTBE oxidation to alkane hydroxylase activity was obtained through several approaches. First, no TBA production from MTBE was observed with cells of strain GPo1 grown on rich medium without DCPK. Second, no TBA production from MTBE was observed in DCPK-treated cells of P. putida GPo12, a strain that lacks the alkane-hydroxylase-encoding OCT plasmid. Third, all n-alkanes that support the growth of strain GPo1 inhibited MTBE oxidation by DCPK-treated cells. Fourth, two non-growth-supporting n-alkanes (propane and n-butane) inhibited MTBE oxidation in a saturable, concentration-dependent process. Fifth, 1,7-octadiyne, a putative mechanism-based inactivator of alkane hydroxylase, fully inhibited TBA production from MTBE. Sixth, MTBE-oxidizing activity was also observed in n-octane-grown cells. Kinetic studies with strain GPo1 grown on n-octane or rich medium with DCPK suggest that MTBE-oxidizing activity may have previously gone undetected in n-octane-grown cells because of the unusually high Ks value (20 to 40 mM) for MTBE.
Craniofacial Approach for Anterior Skull-Base Lesions

In the field of craniofacial surgery, different surgical methods for treating skull-base lesions have evolved. A thorough understanding of the microsurgical and functional anatomy of the anterior skull base is crucial for optimal selection of surgical approach and minimizing complications. Frazell and Lewis’ observation, “The entire cribriform plate can rarely be resected without creating cerebral complications” [1], reflects the therapeutic principles generally accepted in 1963. Since then, innovative and aggressive surgical techniques evolved because of the high rate of failure and complications following radiation therapy for nonresectable tumors in this area. Improved survival rates stemmed from the realization that en bloc resection of the tumor in the ethmoidal roof or cribriform plate area is possible only through a combined transcranial and facial approach [2]. Smith and colleagues [3] first described the combined facial and intracranial tumor resection for frontal sinus tumors. Dandy [4] and Ray and McLean [5] set the stage for surgical possibilities in the skull-baseareawhentheydescribedacombinedintracranialorbitalapproachtoposteriororbitaltumors. In 1959, Malecki [1] described a combined approach for treatment of posterior frontal, sphenoid, and ethmoidal roof fractures [6]. In 1963, Ketcham and colleagues [7] emphasized the need for ethmoidal roof and cribriform resection of tumors in the paranasal sinuses. Derome [8] applied craniofacial resectiontechniqueswhendevelopingtransbasalsurgeryforregionsofthesphenoidandclivus.In1969,Terz andcolleagues[9]describedmodificationsforsurgeryoftumorextensionsintothepterygoidfossa.The rate of complications associated with his modifications, however, was high. Over the next 3 decades, multiplepublicationsestablishedtheusefulnessofcombinedresectiontechniquesforremovaloftumors involving the anterior cranial floor, ethmoidal roof, cribriform plate, or orbital roof. The risk of intraoperative hemorrhage, injury to intracranial structures, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks can largely be obviated by the combined methods. Involvement of important structures, such as the cavernous sinus, internal carotid artery, and optic nerve, however, impose the primary limitations of craniofacial resection techniques for malignant anterior cranial-base lesions [2]. In the past decade, using endoscopy and endoscope-assisted microsurgery has evolved for the treatment of selected pathologies of the skull base, primarily in the sellar and suprasellar regions. The endonasal transsphenoidal approach permits the exposure and removal of sellar and selected suprasellar lesions without the need for brain retraction [10].
Sterol carrier protein-2-facilitated intermembrane transfer of cholesterol- and phospholipid-derived hydroperoxides.

Sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) facilitates cholesterol (Ch) and phospholipid (PL) transfer/exchange between membranes and appears to play a key role in intracellular lipid trafficking. Whether SCP-2 can also facilitate lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) transfer between membranes and thereby potentially enhance dissemination of peroxidative damage was examined in this study. Transfer kinetics of photochemically generated cholesterol hydroperoxide (ChOOH) species (5α-OOH, 6α/6β-OOH, 7α/7β-OOH) and phospholipid hydroperoxide (PLOOH) families (PCOOH, PEOOH, PSOOH) were determined, using HPLC with electrochemical detection for peroxide analysis. LOOH donor/acceptor pairs employed in transfer experiments included (i) all liposomes (e.g., agglutinable SUVs/ nonagglutinable LUVs); (ii) photoperoxidized erythrocyte ghosts/SUVs or vice versa; and (iii) SUVs/mitochondria. In a SUV/ghost system at 37 °C, the rate constant for total ChOOH spontaneous transfer was ∼8 times greater than that for unoxidized Ch. Purified bovin...
PERIPHERAL FLOW DYNAMICS AFTER FEMORAL ARTERY CATHETERIZATION USING COMPUTER ASSISTED ADMITTANCE PLETHYSMOGRAPHY

Femoral artery catheterization (FAC) may be expected to produce changes in peripheral blood flow dynamics. We recently developed a computer assisted admittance plethysmograph (CAAP) to compute forearm and calf pulse volume (V), peak net inflow (F), and pulse transit time (PT), i.e. QRS-peak net inflow. Bilateral calf plethysmograms were obtained in 14 males (60±6y) undergoing coronary angiography. When compared to healthy younger normals (n=8,26±4y), these patients had reduced baseline values of V(39.8%,p<.005), F(39.2%,p<.005), and PT(10.5%,p<.005). Within the first hour after FAC there were increases in V(25.5%,p<.025) and F(29.0%,p<.025) in the non-catheterized leg, but no significant changes in the catheterized leg. This suggests that acute increases in V and F induced by contrast were limited by localized arterial spasm and/or thrombosis. All values returned to baseline on the day after FAC. Two children (4,10y) undergoing FAC showed greater transient lateralizing differences in V and F than the adults, suggesting that spasm and/or thrombosis may play a greater role in the smaller vessels of children. These data demonstrate that the CAAP is sensitive to altered flow dynamics associated with both the chronic changes of age and the acute changes related to FAC.
Recursive computation of mutual potential between two polyhedra

Recursive computation of mutual potential, force, and torque between two polyhedra is studied. Based on formulations by Werner and Scheeres (Celest Mech Dyn Astron 91:337–349, 2005) and Fahnestock and Scheeres (Celest Mech Dyn Astron 96:317–339, 2006) who applied the Legendre polynomial expansion to gravity interactions and expressed each order term by a shape-dependent part and a shape-independent part, this paper generalizes the computation of each order term, giving recursive relations of the shape-dependent part. To consider the potential, force, and torque, we introduce three tensors. This method is applicable to any multi-body systems. Finally, we implement this recursive computation to simulate the dynamics of a two rigid-body system that consists of two equal-sized parallelepipeds.
Aerobic microbial mineralization of dichloroethene as sole carbon substrate

Microorganisms indigenous to the bed sediments of a black-water stream utilized 1,2-dichloroethene (1,2-DCE) as a sole carbon substrate for aerobic metabolism. Although no evidence of growth was observed in the minimal salts culture media used in this study, efficient aerobic microbial mineralization of 1,2-DCE as sole carbon substrate was maintained through three sequential transfers (107 final dilution) of the original environmental innoculum. These results indicate that 1,2-DCE can be utilized as a primary substrate to support microbial metabolism under aerobic conditions.
Commissioning of MW-scale Power Hardware-in-the-Loop interfaces for experiments with AC/DC Converters

This paper discusses the potential role Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) testing can play in both actual testing and derisking laboratory experiments, and shows results obtained while preparing for MW-scale testing of new AC-DC converter technology. The step-by-step approach taken by moving through phases of modeling and simulation to PHIL experiments is described, and the real time simulation for the PHIL testing including Rest-of-System and setup of experiments is addressed. An AC/DC rectifier was successfully operated in PHIL up to several hundred kilowatt to derisk planned experiments for upcoming performance testing of AC/DC converters. The PHIL experiments used in this way are a crucial part in the commissioning process and allow confidence to be gained in proper setups before the actual converter becomes available for testing.
Characterization of senescence-associated gene expression and senescence-dependent and -independent cysteine proteases differing in microsomal processing in Anthurium ☆

Abstract This study was conducted to identify senescence-regulated signaling pathways and genes in the monocot Anthurium andraeanum L. for future efforts to modify leaf senescence via biotechnology. The Arabidopsis senescence-activated promoter (Pr- SAG12 ) fused to the gfp4 gene was expressed 20-fold higher, while the Pr35S- gfp4 was expressed 30% lower, in senescing relative to healthy leaves of Anthurium . This indicated that a senescence-activated pathway correctly regulated the Arabidopsis sag12 cysteine protease gene and suggested the presence of sag12 homologues in Anthurium . To identify sag12 homologs, two different Anthurium cysteine protease cDNAs, anth16 and anth17 , were cloned and their sequences, expression, and protein products were characterized. The Anth17 and Anth16 protein sequences were 58 and 51% identical with Sag12, respectively. Of the two genes, anth17 expression most closely resembled the sag12 gene. Anth16 was expressed primarily in healthy immature leaves, while anth17 and a control gene (ubiquitin) were significantly induced during senescence of mature leaves. The levels of known internal standards, chlorophyll, mRNAs for cab (chlorophyll-a,b-binding protein) and psbA (D1 protein of PSII), decreased during senescence and served to verify the progression of senescence. Cytokinin treatments repressed anth17 mRNA accumulation and sustained psbA mRNA levels in senescing leaves. Sucrose moderately reduced anth17 and psbA mRNA levels. Anth16 has a unique secretory vesicle sorting motif in the C-terminus, and produces a 70 kDa in vitro translation product that is post-translationally processed to 57 kDa by microsomal membranes, a property of secretory proteins. In contrast, anth17 was not processed and its intracellular retention is proposed to be necessary for senescence-dependent cellular disassembly and proteolysis.
Two additive mechanisms impair the differentiation of 'substrate-selective' p38 inhibitors from classical p38 inhibitors in vitro.

Background The success of anti-TNF biologics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has highlighted the importance of understanding the intracellular pathways that regulate TNF production in the quest for an orally-available small molecule inhibitor. p38 is known to strongly regulate TNF production via MK2. The failure of several p38 inhibitors in the clinic suggests the importance of other downstream pathways in normal cell function. Recent work has described a 'substrate-selective' p38 inhibitor that is able to preferentially block the activity of p38 against one substrate (MK2) versus another (ATF2). Using a combined experimental and computational approach, we have examined this mechanism in greater detail for two p38 substrates, MK2 and ATF2.
Motivation in Social Constructivist Theory

Current trends in research on motivation in the classroom are based on theories that focus on the individual's intrapsychological traits or his or her cognitive and/or affective functioning. In contrast to this individualistic perspective, social constructivist theory provides a framework for conceptualizing motivation as socially negotiated by the participants in the classroom. In such a conceptualization, motivation is inseparable from the instructional process and the classroom environment. The culturally determined joint activity between student and social context results in an internal state of interest and cognitive and affective engagement, and motivated behaviors, both of which can be considered cultural norms. Implications of this perspective for understanding motivation, classroom instruction, and research are discussed.