cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studying the interaction between learner characteristics and inquiry skills in microworlds

It is broadly recognized that science literacy means that learners have content knowledge, have process skills for conducting inquiry, and have an epistemological understanding of the nature of science (Perkins, 1986). Although this definition prescribes the knowledge ontologies learners need, it is not clear that these forms of knowledge are sufficient to characterize the variance observed in students' scores on conceptual post-test scores. More recently, there has been interest within the intelligent tutoring community in obtaining data on important student characteristics in order to better explain the variance observed in conceptual learning scores.
A Visualization Approach for Analyzing and Synthesizing Serial Flexure Elements

In this paper, we extend the principles of the freedom and constraint topologies (FACT) synthesis approach such that designers can analyze and synthesize serial flexure elements—not to be confused with serial flexure systems. Unlike serial systems, serial elements do not possess intermediate rigid bodies within their geometry and thus avoid the negative effects of unnecessary mass and underconstrained bodies that generate uncontrolled vibrations. Furthermore, in comparison with other common parallel flexure elements such as wire, blade, and living hinge flexures, serial elements can be used within flexure systems to achieve (i) a larger variety of kinematics, (ii) more dynamic and elastomechanic versatility, and (iii) greater ranges of motion. Here, we utilize the principles of FACT to intuitively guide designers in visualizing a multiplicity of serial flexure element geometries that can achieve any desired set of degrees of freedom (DOFs). Using this approach, designers can rapidly generate a host of new serial flexure elements for synthesizing advanced flexure systems. Thirty seven serial flexure elements are provided as examples, and three flexure systems that consist of some of these elements are synthesized as case studies.
Context-sensitivity and visual engagement in generative systems

Abstract Once recorded in a sketch or model, the formal composition of a building influences its subsequent development. Each change or addition must fit together visually with the rest. This contextual influence is rarely supported by generative systems, which favor a top-down derivation of solutions from goals. In contrast, this research investigates the potential of generative systems to support the bottom-up process of exploring a formal situation and following its visual cues. The paper defines human–computer interaction guidelines for such a system and then examines a prototype. Results suggest that generative systems can provide context-sensitive support and that tacit methods of human–computer interaction could make generative systems more palatable to architectural designers.
Identical twins with Cohen syndrome

We report the first case of identical female twins who satisfy the proposed diagnostic criteria for Cohen syndrome. The sisters presented with retinal degeneration, obesity and mental retardation, and had the characteristic facial appearance. The manifestations of previously reported cases of Cohen syndrome are reviewed. Unusual changes in our patients include tall stature, macrocephaly, and transient cardiomyopathy during the first year of life. These anomalies have been reported previously in other patients with Cohen syndrome, and suggest that the disorder is phenotypically heterogeneous. Precocious puberty was present in both girls; the latter findings have not been reported previously in the Cohen syndrome. Detailed metabolic and cytogenetic analysis demonstrated no abnormalities. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
''Katie was Not Only a Girl, She was Terrible'': Katie Hnida, Body Rhetoric, and Football at the University of Colorado

Rhetorical scholars have given increasing attention to the body as a site for producing arguments. This essay examines possible limits to body rhetoric through the analysis of a controversy involving Katie Hnida, football, and the University of Colorado. In the midst of allegations of sexual misconduct and recruiting improprieties within the football program, Hnida's body was the central trope in a rhetorical contest over gendered norms and boundaries. Given the hostility that was directed at Hnida, this essay suggests that rhetorical critics should be cautious about overestimating the body's capacity for resistance. It also invites a closer consideration of how discourses within sport continue to marginalize women.
Louis D. Brandeis and standard cost accounting: A study of the construction of historical agency

Abstract During a 1910 Interstate Commerce Commission hearing Louis D. Brandeis argued that U.S. railroads could save a million dollars a day if they introduced scientific management (in particular, standard costing) into their operations. Brandeis' claim received widespread press attention and helped set into motion four years of public preoccupation with the ideas of efficiency. In this paper we examine the construction of Brandeis' agency and note that Brandeis' extensive publicity campaign on behalf of scientific management provided significant impetus to the spread of standard costing.
Synaptic morphology of inner and outer hair cells of the human organ of Corti

Innervations of inner and outer hair cells of the organ of Corti of the human cochlea were studied by serial section electron microscopy. At the base of inner hair cells, presumed afferent fibers were of varying size and demonstrated synaptic specialization consisting of a presynaptic body, vesicles, and asymmetrical synaptic membrane specialization. Two types of neurons, vesiculated presumably efferent and nonvesiculated presumably afferent, synapsed at the base of outer hair cells. The synaptic specialization of afferent fibers included presynaptic body, vesicles, and asymmetrical membrane thickening, whereas efferent synapses demonstrated presynaptic vesicles and a subsynaptic cisterna. Some presumably afferent nerve terminals formed a reciprocal synapse with outer hair cells in both the human and the chimpanzee. Such a synaptic relationship demonstrated morphologic specialization consistent with both hair cell-to-neuron and neuron-to-hair cell transmission between the same outer hair cell and nerve terminal. The innervation density of inner and outer hair cells and the comparative anatomy of the afferent and efferent innervation are discussed.
Ingress of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium into tomato leaves through hydathodes.

Internal contamination of Salmonella in plants is attracting increasing attention for food safety reasons. In this study, three different tomato cultivars “Florida Lanai”, “Crown Jewel”, “Ailsa Craig” and the transgenic line Sp5 of “Ailsa Craig” were inoculated with 1 µl GFP-labeled Salmonella Typhimurium through guttation droplets at concentrations of 109 or 107 CFU/ml. Survival of Salmonella on/in tomato leaves was detected by both direct plating and enrichment methods. Salmonella cells survived best on/in the inoculated leaves of cultivar “Ailsa Craig” and decreased fastest on/in “Florida Lanai” leaves. Increased guttation in the abscisic acid over-expressing Sp5 plants may have facilitated the entrance of Salmonella into leaves and the colonization on the surface of tomato leaves. Internalization of Salmonella Typhimurium in tomato leaves through guttation drop inoculation was confirmed by confocal laser microscopy. For the first time, convincing evidence is presented that S. enterica can enter tomato leaves through hydathodes and move into the vascular system, which may result in the internal translocation of the bacteria inside plants.
Kinetics of silica particle formation in nonionic W/O microemulsions from TEOS

The kinetics of silica particle formation by the ammonia-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions containing a nonionic surfactant was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and light-scattering techniques. The results show that TEOS hydrolysis and silica-particle growth occur at the same rate, indicating the growth of silica particles is rate-controlled by the hydrolysis of TEOS. The rate of TEOS hydrolysis in microemulsions is first order with respect to the concentration of aqueous ammonia (29 wt. % NH{sub 3}), but depends weakly on the concentration of water. Based on the fact that TEOS hydrolysis follows a nucleophilic substitution of the TEOS`s ethoxy group with hydroxyl ion, the kinetic data suggest that both water and ammonia remain predominantly in W/O microemulsion droplets. The rate of TEOS hydrolysis also depends on the surfactant concentration that controls the molecular contact between hydroxyl ions and TEOS in the solution. Due to the reaction-controlled growth mechanism, the silica-particle size distribution retains virtually the same shape over the growth period. The final average size of silica particles can be varied from 26 to 43 nm by adjusting concentrations of water and surfactant. Increasing the water concentration decreases the average size andmore » uniformity of silica particles. For a given water concentration, the smallest and most uniform silica particles are produced at intermediate water-to-surfactant molar ratios (about 1.9). The results are discussed in terms of the effect of water concentration on the stability of the hydrolyzed silica reacting species during the nucleation of particles and of the water-to-surfactant molar ratio on the compartmentalization of silica species in microemulsions.« less
Synthesis and Dopamine Transporter Affinity of the Four Stereoisomers of (±)-2-(Methoxycarbonyl)-7-methyl-3-phenyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane

All four stereoisomers of (±)-2-(methoxycarbonyl)-7-methyl-3-phenyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane were synthesized and evaluated as cocaine binding site ligands at the dopamine transporter. The in vit...
Kummell’s disease: delayed post-traumatic osteonecrosis of the vertebral body

Delayed post-traumatic osteonecrosis, also known by its eponym Kummell’s disease, is a rarely reported clinical entity that likely occurs with higher frequency than recognized. We highlight a case of a 75-year-old female household ambulator who presented with significant thoracolumbar pain and delayed T12 collapse after a ground-level fall. The patient had sustained a trivial fall at home 4 months prior to this presentation and had been hospitalized in our institution at that time for a general medical workup. Dedicated spine radiographs were not obtained during this visit. However, lateral chest radiograph demonstrated an intact T12 vertebral body. The patient was able to mobilize successfully with therapy and was discharged home. During the interim between the initial fall and subsequent presentation, she resumed physical activity including ambulating independently and performing various housework. Approximately 4 months following her initial injury, the patient returned to a local emergency department with vague complaints of abdominal pain without any history of recent fall or injury. After an unremarkable workup, the patient was sent home. Ten days later, she represented to our institution’s emergency room with worsening pain. Radiographs and CT scan demonstrated interval collapse of the T12 vertebral body. A linear vacuum cleft was noted on X-rays and CT. An extensive workup to exclude other processes such as malignancy or infection, which was negative, ensued. Delayed post-traumatic vertebral collapse was diagnosed. A trial of medical management and therapy was attempted, but she continued to experience significant pain. A T12 vertebroplasty was therefore offered and performed to stabilize the injury and to relieve the pain. She was subsequently able to be discharged from the hospital and transitioned back to home life. At approximately 2 years following her injury, the patient was noted to be able to ambulate with a walking aid. Her final radiograph after her surgery demonstrated that the T12 vertebroplasty had maintained its height and sagittal alignment. This Grand Round case highlights the clinical presentation of Kummell’s disease. Aspects of the clinical entity that will be discussed include a historical review of the disease, hallmark radiographic findings and treatment options.
Structure of an autoimmune T cell receptor complexed with class II peptide-MHC: insights into MHC bias and antigen specificity.

Abstract T cell receptor crossreactivity with different peptide ligands and biased recognition of MHC are coupled features of antigen recognition that are necessary for the T cell's diverse functional repertoire. In the crystal structure between an autoreactive, EAE T cell clone 172.10 and myelin basic protein (1–11) presented by class II MHC I-A u , recognition of the MHC is dominated by the Vβ domain of the TCR, which interacts with the MHC α chain in a manner suggestive of a germline-encoded TCR/MHC "anchor point." Strikingly, there are few specific contacts between the TCR CDR3 loops and the MBP peptide. We also find that over 1,000,000 different peptides derived from combinatorial libraries can activate 172.10, yet the TCR strongly prefers the native MBP contact residues. We suggest that while TCR scanning of pMHC may be degenerate due to the TCR germline bias for MHC, recognition of structurally distinct agonist peptides is not indicative of TCR promiscuity, but rather highly specific alternative solutions to TCR engagement.
Proton exchange rates in transfer RNA as a function of spermidine and magnesium

Solvent exchange rates of selected protons were measured by NMR saturation recovery for E. coli tRNAVal, E. colifMet and yeast tRNAPhe, at temperatures from 20 to 40 degrees C, in the presence of 0.12M Na+ and various levels of added spermidine. tRNAVal was also studied with added Mg++. The exchange rates in zero spermidine and Mg++ indicate early melting of the U8 A14 interaction, in accord with thermodynamic melting studies. Exchange rates for secondary protons suggest early melting of the T stem in tRNAfMet and the acceptor stem in tRNAPhe, in contradiction with melting transition assignments from thermodynamic work. Addition of 10 spermidines per tRNA stabilizes the secondary and tertiary interactions more effectively than added Na+, but less so than Mg++. Added spermidine has the curious effect of increasing the exchange rate of the psi 55 N1 proton, while protecting the psi 55 N3 proton from exchange in all three tRNA's. Added Mg++ has the same effect on tRNAVal.
Intra‐abdominal “angiosarcomatosis” report of two cases after pelvic irradiation

Angiosarcomas account for only 1% to 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas with the most common site of origin being skin and subcutaneous tissue particularly on the face and scalp of elderly patients. These neoplasms rarely arise in the small or large bowel with presentation as diffuse abdominal 'angiosarcomatosis.' Two patients are reported who were treated with adjuvant pelvic irradiation for gynecologic malignancies (squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and adenocarcinoma of the endometrium) in whom diffuse abdominal angiosarcoma of intestinal origin developed 7 and 18 years later. Both patients were treated with standard megavoltage irradiation. The clinical course was rapid in both cases with death due to intra-abdominal hemorrhage and bowel obstruction. The pertinent literature relating to the association between radiation therapy and subsequent development of angiosarcomas of soft tissues and other sites is briefly reviewed.20 references.
An estimate of three electron correlation effects in the neon atom

Abstract Using Nesbet's data and the ideas of Sinanoglu in regard to pair correlation energies, the neon atom and ion are compared. Three electron effects in the neon atom are found to contribute 0.4 – 0.6 eV.
Small-Scale Models for Testing Masonry Structures

Experiments may be used to verify numerical and analytical results, but large-scale model testing is associated with high costs and lengthy set-up times. In contrast, small-scale model testing is inexpensive, non-invasive, and easy to replicate over several trials. This paper proposes a new method of masonry model generation using three-dimensional printing technology. Small-scale models are created as an assemblage of individual blocks representing the original structure’s geometry and stereotomy. Two model domes are tested to collapse due to outward support displacements, and experimental data from these tests is compared with analytical predictions. Results of these experiments provide a strong understanding of the mechanics of actual masonry structures and can be used to demonstrate the structural capacity of masonry structures with extensive cracking. Challenges for this work, such as imperfections in the model geometry and construction problems, are also addressed. This experimental method can provide a low-cost alternative for the collapse analysis of complex masonry structures, the safety of which depends primarily on stability rather than material strength.
Upward and downward continuation as inverse problems

Summary. The formalism of Backus & Gilbert is applied to the problems of upward and downward continuation of harmonic functions. We first treat downward continuation of a two-dimensional field to a level surface everywhere below the observation locations; the calculation of resolving widths and solution estimates is a straightforward application of Backus-Gilbert theory. The extension to the downward continuation of a three-dimensional field uses a delta criterion giving resolving areas rather than widths. A feature not encountered in conventional Backus-Gilbert problems is the requirement of an additional constraint to guarantee the existence of the resolution integrals. Finally, we consider upward continuation of a two-dimensional field to a level above all observations. We find that solution estimates must be weighted averages of the field not only on this level, but also on a line passing between the observations and sources. Weighting on the lower line may be traded off against resolution on the upper level.
RELATION OF PHOTOTROPISM TO THE WAVE-LENGTH OF LIGHT

Many conflicting theories and statements appear in plant physiological literature regarding phototropism. Such conditions frequently exist in a young science where much of the earlier work is qualitative. In many of these early experiments dealing with the bending of plant stems toward light, the lights used were such that it was impossible to determine accurately whether the color or the intensity was the predominating cause of the bending. The relative influence of the different colors, or wave-lengths, could not be determined because different intensities were used. Both of
Automated detection of pain from facial expressions: a rule-based approach using AAM

In this paper, we examine the problem of using video analysis to assess pain, an important problem especially for critically ill, non-communicative patients, and people with dementia. We propose and evaluate an automated method to detect the presence of pain manifested in patient videos using a unique and large collection of cancer patient videos captured in patient homes. The method is based on detecting pain-related facial action units defined in the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) that is widely used for objective assessment in pain analysis. In our research, a person-specific Active Appearance Model (AAM) based on Project-Out Inverse Compositional Method is trained for each patient individually for the modeling purpose. A flexible representation of the shape model is used in a rule-based method that is better suited than the more commonly used classifier-based methods for application to the cancer patient videos in which pain-related facial actions occur infrequently and more subtly. The rule-based method relies on the feature points that provide facial action cues and is extracted from the shape vertices of AAM, which have a natural correspondence to face muscular movement. In this paper, we investigate the detection of a commonly used set of pain-related action units in both the upper and lower face. Our detection results show good agreement with the results obtained by three trained FACS coders who independently reviewed and scored the action units in the cancer patient videos.
Degradation of Substituted Phenols in a Hybrid Gas−Liquid Electrical Discharge Reactor

Nonthermal plasma-induced decomposition of ortho, meta, and para isomers of hydroxy-, chloro-, and nitrophenols in water was investigated using the hybrid series gas−liquid electrical discharge rea...
Carpal tunnel syndrome: associated abnormalities in ulnar nerve function and the effect of carpal tunnel release on these abnormalities.

Twenty of 59 hands (34%) of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome had abnormalities in sensibility testing of both median and ulnar nerves by either two-point discrimination, Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing, or both. Before surgery, 53% of patients complained of paresthesias and/or numbness in u1nar nerve distribution. Eighty percent of the hands had abnormal Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing of the ulnar nerve. Thirty-five percent had abnormal two-point discrimination. Forty-one percent had abnormal electromyographic testing of the ulnar nerve. All hands had median nerve decompression alone. Guyon's canal was not released. After surgery, 89% of patients had improvement in paresthesias and/or numbness of the ulnar nerve. Ninety-four percent had improvement in Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing. Eighty-six percent had improvement in two-point discrimination. Patients with a residual abnormality in ulnar nerve sensibility also had continued abnormality in median nerve sensibility. A significant percentage of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome also have signs and symptoms of ulnar nerve compression. Most improved with carpal tunnel release alone.
Geographic controls on nannoplankton extinction across the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary

Calcareous nannoplankton, a large group of marine autotrophs that produce carbonate skeletons, were decimated to less than 10% of species during the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary mass extinction, 65 million years ago. Although the mass extinction followed an impact event, the exact cause of the nannoplankton mortality is not well understood. Here we assess the timing and spatial variability of nannoplankton extinction by analysing nannofossil counts in Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary sections from all of the main ocean basins. We find that extinction rates were higher in the Northern Hemisphere oceans, and diversity remained low for 310,000 years. In contrast, Southern Hemisphere oceans showed lower extinction rates, and a nearly immediate recovery of normal nannoplankton populations. We propose that the oblique, northward impact concentrated ejected particulates into the Northern Hemisphere, blocking sunlight and suppressing photosynthesis. Increased rates of extinction and a prolonged recovery would then be associated with the greatest concentration of particulates. We speculate that metal poisoning from fallout of the particulates may have exacerbated and extended the nannoplankton crisis in the Northern Hemisphere, and thereby slowed the recovery of the Northern Hemisphere marine food web. Over 90% of calcareous nannoplankton species disappeared during the Cretaceous–Palaeogene mass extinction, which occurred after an impact event. Palaeontological analyses show that the extinction was most pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere oceans, possibly as a result of an increased concentration of particulates created by the impact in the north.
Natural regeneration of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) in a Louisiana swamp

Abstract Due to large reserves of second-growth cypress ( Taxodium distichum and T. distichum var. nutans ) in the southeastern United States, logging of cypress is once again becoming attractive. This increased activity has led to the question of whether adequate natural regeneration will be established after logging. Four logged cypress stands in the Barataria Basin region of Louisiana were sampled to determine vegetation characteristics and survival and growth of baldcypress seedlings and stump sprouts. Coppice regeneration was prolific during the first year after cutting, however, most of the sprouts died in the following years. In addition, even though observations were made during a particularly dry year, no seedling establishment occurred.
Labor and the Urban Landscape: Mobility, Risk, and Possibility among Syrian Delivery Workers in Beirut

In this article, I investigate the embodied, class, and political relations of Syrian delivery workers on motor scooter who forge a livelihood by moving through the space of Beirut, Lebanon. I develop an argument about how the work lives of these delivery drivers are characterized by various conditions of insecurity. Rushing around the city, these workers face certain bodily risks, as they are physically vulnerable in vehicular traffic, but they encounter still other forms of precarity as an outcome of both their position in the city's migrant labor regime and a fraught Lebanese political climate in which sentiment against the Syrian regime spills over into the mistreatment of ordinary Syrians. At the same time, I consider how delivery drivers understand their jobs to be constituted by certain forms of freedom and opportunity that make their work distinctive from that performed by most Syrian laborers in Beirut. Drawing inspiration from anthropology's increased attunement to the particular and multiple forms of insecurity that shape labor and life in our contemporary age, the geographies of work I examine here are both urban and transnational, and thereby highlight the stakes involved in experiences of spatial movement at multiple scales.
LA HOUILLE BLANCHE MET EN VALEUR UN DESERT

Le « Grand Bassin.. situe Ill'ineipaientent dans les, Etats de Utah, Nevada et Cati/otilia. est un vaste d(:sel'I, partage pal' des ehaines dem()n~ nOl'd~sud, en une l'en tai ne de en vet tes sans issue vers la mer. Il y a lIeu de regions de l'elle taille aussi a'rides et de population aussi clairsemee, aux Etats-Unis. D'une sll'rface de 518.000 km 2 , le bassin s'etend principalement entre les mericliens cie Ill" et 121" de longitude ouest et les paralleles 34" et 44" de latitude nord. Bien que l'altitude generale clu desert varie cie 900 a 1.800 metres 'au-dessus du niveau cie la mer, une des depressions, « La Vallee de la Mort » (Deaih Valley) est a 85 metres audessous du niveau de la met.
Heated hand vein blood is satisfactory for measurements during free fatty acid kinetic studies

Quantitatively accurate measurements of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) turnover can be made if the FFA tracer is infused intravenously and arterial blood is sampled. To be certain that arterialized-venous blood provides comparable information, plasma FFA concentration and specific activity were measured in both arterial and arterialized-venous blood in 19 volunteers undergoing infusion of [1-14C]palmitate infusion before and during a euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp. Heated hand vein blood was obtained using either the heated box (n = 9 subjects) or heating pad (n = 10 subjects) technique. The heated box arterialized-venous blood had palmitate concentration and specific activity equal to arterial blood. The use of the heating pad resulted in small (3%), but statistically significant (P < .05), underestimates of palmitate specific activity. In addition, plasma lactate concentrations were significantly higher in heated hand vein blood than arterial blood. In summary, heated hand vein blood is a satisfactory alternative to arterial blood for tracer studies of FFA metabolism.
Liposome rupture and contents release over coplanar microelectrode arrays

The vulnerability of vesicles to electroporation and rupture by externally applied electric fields, combined with the ability of dielectrophoresis and/or AC electroosmosis to manipulate suspended vesicles over micropatterned electrodes suggests new techniques to electrically trigger localized chemical reactions at predetermined positions in microfluidic devices. The electric field conditions needed to rupture giant unilamellar phospholipid vesicles were determined as a function of vesicle size in a simple coplanar microelectrode array geometry. Rupture results were interpreted in terms of the spatially varying electric field strength, calculated via the Poisson equation and accounting for frequency effects on electrode impedance, and the experimentally measured vesicle elevation. The vesicle transmembrane voltage scales linearly with the applied electric field strength according to the Schwan theory of electroporation, so that larger vesicles are usually more prone to electric field induced rupture than smaller ones in the uniform electric fields that are typically employed to cause electroporation and rupture. Yet, in the coplanar microelectrode arrangement, larger vesicles preferentially reside at larger elevations where the local field strengths are weaker. As a result, there is a sensitive range of vesicle radii that are most prone to electric field induced rupture over a micropatterned electrode array that leaves the largest vesicles resistant to rupture.
Output feedback control of dissipative PDE systems with partial sensor information based on adaptive model reduction

We address the problem of control of spatially distributed processes in the presence of measurement constraints. Specifically, we assume the availability of sensors that measure part of the state spatial profile. The measurements are utilized for the derivation and on-demand update of reduced order models (ROM) based on an extension of the adaptive proper orthogonal decomposition (APOD) method using a snapshot reconstruction technique. The proposed Gappy-APOD methodology constructs locally accurate low-dimensional ROM thus resulting in a computationally efficient alternative to using a large-dimensional ROM with global validity. Based on the low-dimensional ROM and continuous measurements available from point sensors a Lyapunov-based static output feedback controller is subsequently designed. The proposed controller design method is illustrated on an unstable process modeled by the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, when the designed controller successfully stabilizes the process even in the presence of model uncertainty. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 747–760, 2013
Childhood developmental disorders: an academic and clinical convergence point for psychiatry, neurology, psychology and pediatrics.

Background: Significant advances in understanding brain development and behavior have not been accompanied by revisions of traditional academic structure. Disciplinary isolation and a lack of meaningful interdisciplinary opportunities are persistent barriers in academic medicine. To enhance clinical practice, research, and training for the next generation, academic centers will need to take bold steps that challenge traditional departmental boundaries. Such change is not only desirable but, in fact, necessary to bring about a truly innovative and more effective approach to treating disorders of the developing brain. Methods: I focus on developmental disorders as a convergence point for transcending traditional academic boundaries. First, the current taxonomy of developmental disorders is described with emphasis on how current diagnostic systems inadvertently hinder research progress. Second, I describe the clinical features of autism, a phenomenologically defined condition, and Rett and fragile X syndromes, neurogenetic diseases that are risk factors for autism. Finally, I describe how the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurology, and pediatrics now have an unprecedented opportunity to promote an interdisciplinary approach to training, research, and clinical practice and, thus, advance a deeper understanding of developmental disorders. Results: Research focused on autism is increasingly demonstrating the heterogeneity of individuals diagnosed by DSM criteria. This heterogeneity hinders the ability of investigators to replicate research results as well as progress towards more effective, etiology-specific interventions. In contrast, fragile X and Rett syndromes are ‘real’ diseases for which advances in research are rapidly accelerating towards more disease-specific human treatment trials. Conclusions: A major paradigm shift is required to improve our ability to diagnose and treat individuals with developmental disorders. This paradigm shift must take place at all levels – training, research and clinical activity. As clinicians and scientists who are currently constrained by disciplinary-specific history and training, we must move towards redefining ourselves as clinical neuroscientists with shared interests and expertise that permit a more cohesive and effective approach to improving the lives of patients.
Synthesis of o-nitrophenyl β-D-galactoside 6-phosphate, a substrate of the staphylococcal β-D-galactosidase

Abstract o-Nitrophenyl β- D -galactoside 6-phosphate has been synthesized. It is a substrate for the staphylococcal β- D -galactosidase, but is not a substrate for the crystalline β- D -galactosidase of E. coli.
Simulation of the 45-nm half-pitch node with 193-nm immersion lithography-imaging interferometric lithography and dipole illumination

With immersion in water (n = 1.44), the highest spatial frequency available with ArF-based (193-nm) lithography tools with a numerical aperture (NA) = n×sin θ of 1.3 (1.44×0.9) corresponds to a half-pitch of 37 nm. This suggests that the 45-nm half-pitch node should be accessible. A detailed vector simulation study is reported for two approaches to printing for this node. Both imaging interferometric lithography (IIL, with a single mask and multiple exposures incorporating pupil plane filters) and dipole illumination (with two masks separating the x and y oriented small features) are shown to be capable of printing arbitrary structures under these conditions. There is a substantial loss of contrast for TM polarization at this NA that demands that different polarizations be used to capture the high spatial frequencies in the x and y directions. Both dipole and IIL schemes offer this capability; IIL provides more robust imaging results.
Neurotrophic effects on the electrical properties of cultured muscle produced by conditioned medium from spinal cord explants

The passive electrical properties of cultured chick skeletal muscle are significantly altered when the muscle is co-cultured with spinal cord explants. A reduced transverse membrane resistance appears to be responsible for the smaller values of input resistance, space constant, and time constant observed in co-cultures relative to those observed in pure muscle cultures. In this report, we show that neuromuscular junctions are not required in order to observe this neurotrophic effect because medium from spinal cord explant cultures is capable of producing the same reduction in transverse membrane resistance as the co-culturing of spinal cord explants with muscle. Control medium from liver explant cultures has no effect on muscle passive electrical properties. These results indicate that a trophic substance which is capable of regulating the electrical properties of excitable cells is released into the culture medium by spinal cord explants.
New Insights on Adenovirus as Vaccine Vectors

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors were initially developed for treatment of genetic diseases. Their usefulness for permanent gene replacement was limited by their high immunogenicity, which resulted in rapid elimination of transduced cells through induction of T and B cells to antigens of Ad and the transgene product. The very trait that excluded their use for sustained treatment of genetic diseases made them highly attractive as vaccine carriers. Recently though results showed that Ad vectors based on common human serotypes, such as serotype 5, may not be ideal as vaccine carriers. A recently conducted phase 2b trial, termed STEP trial, with an AdHu5-based vaccine expressing antigens of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) not only showed lack of efficacy in spite of the vaccine's immunogenicity, but also suggested an increased trend for HIV acquisition in individuals that had circulating AdHu5 neutralizing antibodies prior to vaccination. Alternative serotypes from humans or nonhuman primates (NHPs), to which most humans lack pre-existing immunity, have been vectored and may circumvent the problems encountered with the use of AdHu5 vectors in humans. In summary, although Ad vectors have seen their share of setbacks in recent years, they remain viable tools for prevention or treatment of a multitude of diseases.
Modeling of geothermal energy production from stratigraphic reservoirs in the Great Basin

Abstract Large, potentially commercial geothermal resources exist in sedimentary rocks beneath high heat-flow basins of the United States. Geothermal reservoir modeling was performed to explore the available power density (MWe/km 2 ) attributable to two general classes of reservoir: a multi-layered “sandwich” and single high permeability layer. Variations in reservoir temperature (i.e. conductive heat flow), permeability, and layer thickness were evaluated. The high permeability layers were assumed to be horizontal and laterally extensive. Production wells were assumed to be pumped at a constant rate, and all produced water was injected at 75 °C after being cooled in a power plant. Modeling was undertaken using the STARS Advanced Process and Thermal Reservoir Simulator, Version 2010, by Computer Modeling Group. Five reservoir models were simulated: (1) Sandwich (base) reservoir model to test heat sweep for a reservoir-seal configuration with an average reservoir temperature of 200 °C at 3 km depth; the reservoir comprised four 25 m thick layers with a permeability of 100 mD. (2) Single layer reservoir with the same initial temperature and transmissivity of the sandwich reservoir. (3) Low temperature (150 °C) sandwich reservoir model. (4) Low permeability sandwich reservoir model, involving lower permeability layers than the sandwich base model. (5) Short-circuit sandwich reservoir model where a high permeability layer results in a higher transmissivity than the base sandwich model. All models assumed isotropic permeability, uniform porosity (10%), and an initial thermally conductive vertical temperature gradient and hydrostatic pressure gradient. All models utilized a five spot pattern with a 500 m well spacing, with the flow rate in producer and injector wells being 1000 gallons per minute. The base sandwich model, which may be representative of stratigraphic bedrock reservoirs beneath some basins of the Great Basin, has a power density 3–10 MWe/km 2 over a 30 year period. During 30 years of production and injection, production wells in the low permeability model each generated 140 MWe-years of power compared to 65–90 MWe-years per production well in the single layer and short circuit models. A consistent result from all the models was that vertically distributed reservoir layers allow a much greater fraction of heat to be swept from lower permeability seal units. In all models, the lateral pressure gradient induced between injectors ranged between 30 and 60 bars, which is not unusual for geothermal developments.
International business cycles with domestic and foreign lenders

Abstract We examine the international transmission of business cycles in a two-country model where credit contracts are imperfectly enforceable. In our economy, foreign lenders differ from domestic lenders in their ability to recover value from borrowers’ assets and, therefore, to protect themselves against contractual non-enforceability. The relative importance of domestic and foreign credit frictions changes over the cycle. This induces entrepreneurs to adjust their debt exposure and allocation of collateral between domestic and foreign lenders in response to exogenous productivity shocks. We show that such a model can explain the comovement of output across countries.
Regulation of fat storage and reproduction by Kruppel-like transcription factor KLF3 and fat-associated genes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Coordinated regulation of fat storage and utilization is essential for energy homeostasis, and its disruption is associated with metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis in humans. Across species, Kruppel-like transcription factors (KLFs) have been identified as key components of adipogenesis. In humans, KLF14 acts as a master transregulator of adipose gene expression in type 2 diabetes and cis-acting expression quantitative trait locus associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Herein we report that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, mutants in klf-3 accumulate large fat droplets rich in neutral lipids in the intestine; this lipid accumulation is associated with an increase in triglyceride levels. The klf-3 mutants show normal pharyngeal pumping; however, they are sterile or semisterile. We explored important genetic interactions of klf-3 with the genes encoding enzymes involved in fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation in mitochondria or peroxisomes and FA synthesis in the cytosol, namely acyl-CoA synthetase (acs-1 and acs-2), acyl-CoA oxidase (F08A8.1 and F08A8.2), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (fat-7). We show that mutations or RNA interference in these genes increases fat deposits in the intestine of acs-1, acs-2, F08A8.1, and F08A8 animals. We further show that acs-1 and F08A8.1 influence larval development and fertility, respectively. Thus, KLF3 may regulate FA utilization in the intestine and reproductive tissue. We demonstrate that depletion of F08A8.1 activity, but not of acs-1, acs-2, F08A8.2, or fat-7 activity, enhances the fat phenotype of the klf-3 mutant. Taken together, these results suggest that klf-3 regulates lipid metabolism, along with acs-1, acs-2, F08A8.1, and F08A8.2, by promoting FA β-oxidation and, in parallel, may contribute to normal reproductive behavior and fecundity in C. elegans.
A tandemly repeated sequence determines the binding domain for an erythrocyte receptor binding protein of P. falciparum

Erythrocyte invasion by the malarial merozoite is a receptor-mediated process, an obligatory step in the development of the parasite. The Plasmodium falciparum protein GBP-130, which binds to the erythrocyte receptor glycophorin, is shown here to encode the binding site in a domain composed of a tandemly repeated 50 amino acid sequence. The amino acid sequence of GBP-130, deduced from the cloned and sequenced gene, reveals that the protein contains 11 highly conserved 50 amino acid repeats and a charged N-terminal region of 225 amino acids. Binding studies on recombinant proteins expressing different numbers of repeats suggest that a correlation exists between glycophorin binding and repeat number. Thus, a repeat domain, a common feature of plasmodial antigens, has been shown to have a function independent of the immune system. This conclusion is further supported by the ability of antibodies directed against the repeat sequence to inhibit the in vitro invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites.
Probabilistic motion planning of balloons in strong, uncertain wind fields

This paper introduces a new algorithm for probabilistic motion planning in arbitrary, uncertain vector fields, with emphasis on high-level planning for Montgolfiere balloons in the atmosphere of Titan. The goal of the algorithm is to determine what altitude—and what horizontal actuation, if any is available on the vehicle—to use to reach a goal location in the fastest expected time. The winds can vary greatly at different altitudes and are strong relative to any feasible horizontal actuation, so the incorporation of the winds is critical for guidance plans. This paper focuses on how to integrate the uncertainty of the wind field into the wind model and how to reach a goal location through the uncertain wind field, using a Markov decision process (MDP). The resulting probabilistic solutions enable more robust guidance plans and more thorough analysis of potential paths than existing methods.
Effect of the peroxisome proliferator perfluorodecanoic acid on the promotion of two-stage hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Abstract This study was conducted to determine if the peroxisome proliferator perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) has promoting activity in two-stage hepatocarcinogenesis. Because PFDA is a non-competitive inhibitor of the peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme and thus inhibits the peroxisomal β pathway, we hypothesized that PFDA may not have promoting activity as do other peroxisome proliferators, because hydrogen peroxide production is inhibited. Twenty-four hours after partial hepatectomy, female Sprague-Dawley rats were given an initiating dose of 10 mg/kg diethylnitrosamine by gavage. The rats were divided into five groups that received monthly i.p. injections of 0.0, 0.05, 0.50 or 5.0 mg/kg PFDA in corn oil or were placed on diets that contained either 0.01% ciprofibrate or 0.05% phenobarbital for 9 or 18 months. Both ciprofibrate and the highest dose of PFDA increased the activity of the peroxisomal enzyme fatty acyl CoA oxidase. PFDA treatment did not increase the tumor incidence or the number of altered hepatic foci at 9 or 18 months, although the mean volume of foci was increased at 9 months. Ciprofibrate increased the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas at 18 months but did not increase the number or volume of altered hepatic foci at 9 or 18 months. Phenobarbital increased the number and volume of foci but did not influence the tumor incidence. The results of this investigation indicate that PFDA is not a promoter of hepatocarcinogenesis.
May-Thurner Syndrome: A Previously Unreported Variant

Irritation of the left common iliac vein by the overlying right common iliac artery may result in intraluminal obstruction and symptomatic venous occlusion of the left lower extremity. We recently treated a 39-year-old patient with such an obstruction of the left common iliac vein as a result of compression by the left internal iliac artery. This case stresses the need to consider etiologies of external venous obstruction of the left lower extremity other than the commonly reported right common iliac artery when planning surgical intervention.
Differential regulation of cyclooxygenase isozymes by cAMP-elevating agents

Bovine aortic endothelial cells produce prostacyclin as their major arachidonic acid metabolite. cAMP, in turn, is the second messenger for prostacyclin. In the present study, we investigated the effects of cAMP-elevating agents on prostacyclin production by bovine aortic endothelial cells. Treatment of resting bovine aortic endothelial cells with cAMP-elevating agents inhibited prostacyclin production and cyclooxygenase activity, without affecting arachidonic acid release. No change was detected in cyclooxygenase-1 protein expression. The specific inhibitor of protein kinase A, Rp-cAMPS (adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate, Rp-isomer, triethylammonium salt), and the phosphatase inhibitor, okadaic acid, both suppressed cAMP-induced inhibition, suggesting that this inhibition is mediated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cascade, which is possibly protein kinase A-dependent. In lipopolysaccharide-treated cyclooxygenase-2 expressing bovine aortic endothelial cells, where cyclooxygenase-1 activity was selectively inhibited, dibutyryl cAMP failed to inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 activity. Cyclooxygenase-2 protein was induced upon treatment with dibutyryl cAMP and further induction of cyclooxygenase-2 protein was effected by IBMX (3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine) and dibutyryl cAMP in bacterial lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells. These results suggest that increased cellular cAMP selectively inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 activity without altering cyclooxygenase-1 protein expression, and at the same time, up-regulates cyclooxygenase-2 protein. This complex regulation of cyclooxygenase activity and protein expression by cAMP may represent a prostacyclin-induced autoregulatory mechanism in bovine aortic endothelial cells.