cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consideraciones en el manejo del aneurisma aórtico micótico secundario a aortitis por salmonella

Sr Editor: He leido con interes el articulo “Un caso inusual de rotura de aorta no aneurismatica secundaria a aortitis por Salmonella” (1) de Gentille D. (Abril de 2016) y quisiera exponer mis observaciones: 1.- El articulo menciona que la aorta se ve calcificada pero ademas esta trombosada, hecho frecuente en pacientes ateromatosos revascularizados por via extraanatomica como en el caso expuesto, un bypass axilobifemoral. En la imagen radiologica se identifica contraste en el retroperitoneo por extravasacion, pero no en la aorta. Si bien las imagenes son pocas, lo que se ve es una ruptura contenida de la aorta distal o probablemente de vasos iliacos, pues la imagen de ruptura coincide con la Bifurcacion aortoiliaca. Hace falta una imagen mas precisa del origen de esta lesion de tipo aneurisma micotico, que suele ser pequena. 2.- Una rotura aortica debiera asociarse a un gran hematoma retroperitoneal, hecho que no se describe en el caso expuesto, pero si podria esperarse en el caso de un aneurisma micotico complicado (2). 3.- En el caso del paciente intervenido, se dreno y se tomaron cultivos, pero llama la atencion que no se describa si se ligo la aorta infrarrenal ni si se hizo o no la reseccion del segmento infectado, que la misma autora describe como el tratamiento clasico standard, sobre todo en el caso de un bypass axilobifemoral al cual el paciente ya habia sido sometido previamente. Asi se logra controlar la infeccion; el riesgo de estallido del munon aortico que se puede ver en estos casos es reducido por la trombosis aortica previa. Leer mas...
Environmental resilience and intergovernmental collaboration in the Pearl River Delta

AbstractWater resource management is a crucial issue in the rapidly urbanizing Pearl River Delta. Numerous studies have examined transboundary water management, but those focusing on Hong Kong are largely technical, with little consideration for political dynamics or collaboration. This study’s contribution is a systematic analysis of water governance in China’s ‘one country–two systems’ setting. Through interviews and historical analysis, the study applies Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development framework to a setting with political complexity and environmental vulnerability. The principal finding is that cooperation on supply infrastructure reflects a regional interdependence that builds the multiparty trust needed for more strategic governance.
Conversion of Elemental Substances and Inorganic Compounds to Carbon Nanostructures

Chlorinated derivatives of methane were used for conversion of Si, Ge, Ti, Sn, Fe, SiC, GaSb, FeSi, and ZrN to microporous nanocarbons. The conversion represents the substitution of non-carbon atoms in the lattice by carbon atoms at 500–1100°C. Carbon nanofibers were produced from SiC whiskers, using both chlorine and chlorinated methane derivatives. The chlorination and the properties of the nanofibers were found to depend on the twinning and inversion of the type of SiC conductivity. We observed the formation of nanocrystalline diamond-like carbon. The conversion of carbides and other inorganic substances to carbon nanostructures was possible in the treatment with chlorinated methane derivatives.
A Hybrid Boundary Element Model for Simulation and Optimization of Large Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Arrays

A hybrid boundary element model is proposed for the simulation of large piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) arrays in immersion. Multiphysics finite element method (FEM) simulation of a single-membrane structure is used to determine stiffness and piezoelectrically induced actuation loading of the membranes. To simulate the arrays of membranes in immersion, a boundary element method is employed, wherein membrane structures are modeled by a surface mesh that is coupled mechanically by mass, stiffness, and damping matrices, and acoustically by a mutual impedance matrix. A multilevel fast multipole algorithm speeds up computation time and reduces memory usage, enabling the simulation of thousands of membranes in a reasonable time. The model is validated with FEM for a small 3 $\times $ 3 matrix array for both square and circular membrane geometries. Two practical optimization examples of large PMUT arrays are demonstrated: membrane spacing of a 7 $\times $ 7 matrix array with circular membranes, and material choice and top electrode coverage of a 32-element linear array with 640 circular membranes. In addition, a simple analytical approach to electrode optimization based on normal mode theory is verified.
Longshot, Fantasy, and Pipedreams.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds.While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.Clement Moore's cherished ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas captures the hopes, dreams and visions...
Abstract 19385: The Paradoxical Association Between Acculturation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in African Immigrants in the United States: The Afro-Cardiac Study

Introduction: The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in ethnic minorities in the United States (US) is high. Acculturation is associated with elevation or reduction of CVD risk in Hispanic...
Understanding risky facilities: an analysis of factors associated with jail escapes in eight states

There is a dearth of research on the factors that make some jails more prone to escapes than others. Clarke and Eck’s (Understanding risky facilities, US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Washington, DC, 2007) risky facilities framework posits there are seven key factors which predict a facility’s risk to crime and disorder. Using data from 88 county jails in eight contiguous states, this study empirically tests if facility-level risk factors can account for jail escapes. Additionally, this research examines county-level characteristics to account for the macro-level explanations. Jails which had reported an escape during the study year were relatively larger, had higher populations relative to their rated capacities, and employed fewer correctional officers per inmate than their control facilities which did not report an escape. This research discusses policy implications in light of these findings.
Young Adults’ “Need”: In the Eye of the Beholder?

This discussion of Fingerman and colleagues’ chapter on relationships between young adults and their parents probes the notion of young adults’ need for support from their parents and families. We illustrate Settersten’s point that our culture treats the transition to adulthood as a “private trouble” for families to manage on their own by contrasting conceptions of young adults’ versus children’s needs for family assistance in child welfare policy and policies for vulnerable populations of young adults. We offer evidence of how parents’ perceptions of need are shaped by offspring behavior and evidence of the connection between parental assistance and broader family dynamics. These factors make relations between parents and young adults a fascinating intersection among social change, social structure, and the agency of the parties involved. It remains to be seen whether and how these norms, our policies, and the lives of young adults will evolve in coming decades.
Rätsel der kambrischen Explosion

Dreienhalb Milliarden Jahre lang lebten keine Tiere auf unserem Planeten. Fast 4 Mrd. Jahre gab es keine Tiere, die gros genug waren, um als sichtbare Fossilien uberliefert zu werden. Vor 550 Mio. Jahren brach das Leben in Form von groseren und vielgestaltigen Tieren geradezu uber die Ozeane herein. Es handelt sich um die so genannte kambrische Explosion des Lebens. Innerhalb einer relativ kurzen Zeitspanne entwickelten sich samtliche Tierstamme (die systematischen Kategorien der Tiere, die nach auffalligen Merkmalen des Korperbaus aufgestellt wurden, wie Arthropoda, Mollusken und Chordata) bzw. hinterliesen erstmals Spuren in Form von Fossilien. Nirgends auf der Erde finden sich eindeutige Fossilien metazoischer Tiere in 600 Mio. Jahre alten Gesteinshorizonten. Dagegen sind die Fossilien in 500 Mio. Jahre alten Gesteinsschichten sowohl zahlreich als auch vielgestaltig. Darunter sind Vertreter der meisten Tierstamme, die auch heute noch auf der Erde leben. Innerhalb einer Periode von deutlich weniger als 100 Mio. Jahren wandelte sich die Erde von einem Planeten, auf dem Tiere mit blosem Auge nicht sichtbar waren, zu einer Welt, in der es von wirbellosen Tieren im Meer nur so wimmelte, die es mit den heutigen Wirbellosen hinsichtlich ihrer Grose durchaus aufnehmen konnten. Diese Folgeerschei nung der vorausgegangenen, im vorletzten Kapitel beschriebenen Diversifizierung der Tiere vor 700 Mio. Jahren wird kambrische Explosion genannt.
The Aspergillus nidulans yA gene is regulated by abaA.

The developmentally regulated Aspergillus nidulans yA gene encodes a p-diphenol oxidase that is needed for synthesis of green conidial pigment. We subjected the yA 5' flanking region to mutational analysis in A. nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify DNA sequence elements involved in its transcriptional control, and identified two functionally distinct elements. Element I contained potential BrlA binding sites and was required for full level yA transcription, but not for developmental regulation in the presence of element II. Element II contained putative TEF-1 binding sites flanking a CCAAT element and was sufficient for developmental regulation of transcription. Mutation of the TEF-1 binding sites eliminated developmental regulation, whereas mutation of the CCAAT element led to elevated levels of transcription. Element II was also sufficient to induce transcription in S. cerevisiae when the A.nidulans developmental regulatory gene abaA was expressed from the GAL1 promoter. As AbaA and TEF-1 possess similar DNA binding domains, the abaA-yA interaction in yeast is probably direct. Thus, abaA appears to be a direct activator of yA, but yA regulation may also involve interactions with BrlA and a member of the CCAAT class of DNA binding proteins.
'The King's Shilling': How "Peaky Blinders" uses the experience of war to justify and celebrate toxic masculinity

Peaky Blinders is a complex and contradictory study of toxic masculinity as a set of behaviours that are destructive to the self and others. It uses the historical period, post World War I, to explore the damage war inflicts upon the male psyche, but its sympathies for the men also reveal a darker aspect of this narrow concept of male identity. This does not only emanate from its unashamed glorification of criminality, but also from its representation of some of the deep-rooted yet contradictory beliefs that still exist in post-colonial British national identity. This article explores the role of war as a justification for continued violence, the notion that war (and associated state-sanctioned violence) irreparably damages men, the nostalgia for nationalism through working-class and ethnic identities and the objectification of the main characters’ physical and emotional identities through the ever-present potential for ‘good’ women to repair ‘bad’ men.
Hydrogen surface modification of a carbon nanotube catalyst for the improvement of ethane oxidative dehydrogenation

Abstract A one-step, gas-phase hydrogen (H2) surface modification is used to reduce carboxylic groups to phenolic groups on carbon nanotube (CNT) materials. This method efficiently reduces the unselective oxidation sites and enhances the active sites on CNT catalysts used for alkane oxidative dehydrogenation. As a result of the modification, the ethylene selectivity and yield improve by at most 81% and 28% respectively compared to the non-modified catalyst. A clear linear correlation between the functional groups and catalytic activity reveals the effect of specific oxygen species on performance. As the catalyst surface area increases, pretreatments generate more selective active sites instead of over-oxidation sites, providing a guideline for catalyst optimization. We suggest that the gas-phase H2 method is general for reducing carbon catalysts to increase selective oxidation sites for gas phase reactions.
Security Reform during Democratic Transitions: Experimental Evidence from Tunisia

The “Arab Spring” of 2010-2011 demonstrated that authoritarian collapse does not guarantee a transition to democracy. After revolutions, newly elected governments face a dilemma: they must rely on existing security institutions to restore order and stability, but they also must reform these potentially counterrevolutionary forces. In addition, these governments are now responsible to newly enfranchised populations. This paper offers a tradeoff hypothesis to explain the success or failure of transitional reforms, and points to elites’ framing of public debates as a primary factor leading public opinion, which either demands or neglects difficult reforms during moments of transition. The theory is tested with an original survey of Tunisian adults conducted in January 2017. An embedded vignette experiment asks respondents to adjudicate between investments in security sector reform versus economic or political reform, the exact types of tradeoffs countries face during the transition from authoritarian rule. An additional treatment tests whether citizens perceive a tradeoff between providing national security – i.e. against terrorist threats – and reforming the military to protect civil liberties, a question that has been debated since Tunisia’s 2011 uprising. I find that public opinion can be swayed by the framing of tradeoffs. Economic development is strongly preferred over other reforms. This finding has important implications for the success of both security sector reform and democratic consolidation.
VLA-4 phosphorylation during tumor and immune cell migration relies on its coupling to VEGFR2 and CXCR4 by syndecan-1.

ABSTRACT When targeted by the tumor-promoting enzyme heparanase, cleaved and shed syndecan-1 (Sdc1) then couples VEGFR2 (also known as KDR) to VLA-4, activating VEGFR2 and the directed migration of myeloma cells. But how VEGFR2 activates VLA-4-mediated motility has remained unknown. We now report that VEGFR2 causes PKA-mediated phosphorylation of VLA-4 on S988, an event known to stimulate tumor metastasis while suppressing cytotoxic immune cells. A key partner in this mechanism is the chemokine receptor CXCR4, a well-known mediator of cell motility in response to gradients of the chemokine SDF-1 (also known as CXCL12). The entire machinery necessary to phosphorylate VLA-4, consisting of CXCR4, AC7 (also known as ADCY7) and PKA, is constitutively associated with VEGFR2 and is localized to the integrin by Sdc1. VEGFR2 carries out the novel phosphorylation of Y135 within the DRY microswitch of CXCR4, sequentially activating Gαiβγ, AC7 and PKA, which phosphorylates S988 on the integrin. This mechanism is blocked by a syndecan-mimetic peptide (SSTNVEGFR2), which, by preventing VEGFR2 linkage to VLA-4, arrests tumor cell migration that depends on VLA-4 phosphorylation and stimulates the LFA-1-mediated migration of cytotoxic leukocytes.
Understanding the nature and scope of clinical research commentaries in PubMed

Scientific commentaries are expected to play an important role in evidence appraisal, but it is unknown whether this expectation has been fulfilled. This study aims to better understand the role of scientific commentary in evidence appraisal. We queried PubMed for all clinical research articles with accompanying comments and extracted corresponding metadata. Five percent of clinical research studies (N = 130 629) received postpublication comments (N = 171 556), resulting in 178 882 comment-article pairings, with 90% published in the same journal. We obtained 5197 full-text comments for topic modeling and exploratory sentiment analysis. Topics were generally disease specific with only a few topics relevant to the appraisal of studies, which were highly prevalent in letters. Of a random sample of 518 full-text comments, 67% had a supportive tone. Based on our results, published commentary, with the exception of letters, most often highlight or endorse previous publications rather than serve as a prominent mechanism for critical appraisal.
α-Actinin-1 promotes activity of the L-type Ca2+ channel Cav1.2

The L-type Ca2+ channel CaV 1.2 governs gene expression, cardiac contraction, and neuronal activity. Binding of α-actinin to the IQ motif of CaV 1.2 supports its surface localization and postsynaptic targeting in neurons. We report a bi-functional mechanism that restricts CaV 1.2 activity to its target sites. We solved separate NMR structures of the IQ motif (residues 1,646-1,664) bound to α-actinin-1 and to apo-calmodulin (apoCaM). The CaV 1.2 K1647A and Y1649A mutations, which impair α-actinin-1 but not apoCaM binding, but not the F1658A and K1662E mutations, which impair apoCaM but not α-actinin-1 binding, decreased single-channel open probability, gating charge movement, and its coupling to channel opening. Thus, α-actinin recruits CaV 1.2 to defined surface regions and simultaneously boosts its open probability so that CaV 1.2 is mostly active when appropriately localized.
Reduction in data acquisition for resolution improvement in structured illumination digital holographic microscopy

Over the last years structured illumination digital holographic microscopy (SI-DHM) has been experimentally proved to double the resolution limit in conventional DHM. In SI-DHM, the underlying specimen is illuminated using a spatially varying structured illumination (SI) pattern, which enables super-resolution (SR) images to be retrieved using the proper computational reconstruction process. All these reconstruction methods require the acquisition of at least a couple phase-shifted DHM images. In particular, for a pure sinusoidal pattern, there is a need of recording two phase-shifted DHM images per orientation of the pattern (e.g., 6 images per isotropic SR improvement). Taking advantage of the simultaneous recording of the virtual (e.g., conjugated) image in the raw DHM image, here we present a novel computational method to reconstruct an isotropic SR image using one acquisition per pattern’s orientation (e.g. total 3 images per isotropic improvement). Because our proposed method shows a 50% reduction in the data acquisition and, therefore, acquisition time, we believe that our method should increase the utility of SI-DHM in live-cell imaging. We have validated our method using simulated and results.
Modeling the structure and infrared spectra of omega-3 fatty acid esters

Omega-3 dietary supplements provide a rich source of the active moieties eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which exist in the form of triacylglycerols or ethyl esters. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy provides a rapid and quantitative tool to assess the quality of these products as specific normal modes, in particular the ester carbonyl stretch modes, exhibit characteristic spectral features for the two ester forms of omega-3 fatty acids. To uncover the origin of the observed spectra, in this work, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of EPA and DHA ethyl esters and triacylglycerols to characterize their conformation, packing, and dynamics in the liquid phase and use a mixed quantum/classical approach to calculate their IR absorption spectra in the ester carbonyl stretch region. We show that the ester liquids exhibit slow dynamics in spectral diffusion and translational and rotational motion, consistent with the diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy measurements. We further demonstrate that the predicted IR spectra are in good agreement with experiments and reveal how a competition between intermolecular and intramolecular interactions gives rise to distinct absorption peaks for the fatty acid esters.
Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Impairs Visual-Spatial Discrimination in a Sex-Specific Manner: Effects of Testing Order and Difficulty on Learning Performance.

Background Exposure to high levels of alcohol during development leads to alterations in neurogenesis and deficits in hippocampal-dependent learning. Evidence suggests that even more moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have negative impacts on the cognitive function of offspring. Methods for assessing impairments differ greatly across species, complicating translation of preclinical findings into potential therapeutics. We have demonstrated the utility of a touchscreen operant measure for assessing hippocampal function in mice. Methods Here, we integrated a well-established "drinking-in-the-dark" exposure model that produces reliable, but more moderate, levels of maternal intoxication with a trial-unique, delayed nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) task to examine the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on hippocampal-sensitive behavior directly analogous to those used in clinical assessment. PAE and SAC offspring mice were trained to touch a single visual stimulus ("sample phase") in one of 10 possible spatial locations (2 × 5 grid) in a touchscreen operant system. After a delay, animals were simultaneously presented with the original stimulus and a rewarded stimulus in a novel location ("choice phase"). PAE and saccharin (SAC) control mice were trained on a series of problems that systematically increased the difficulty by decreasing the separation between the sample and choice stimuli. Next, a separate cohort of PAE and SAC animals were given a brief training and then tested on a challenging variant where both the separation and delay varied with each trial. Results We found that PAE mice were generally able to perform at levels similar to SAC control mice at progressively more difficult separations. When tested on the most difficult unpredictable variant immediately, PAE showed a sex-specific deficit with PAE females performing worse during long delays. Conclusions Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility of the TUNL task for examining PAE related alterations in hippocampal function and underline the need to examine sex-by-treatment interactions in these models.
Description of the role of pharmacist independent double checks during cognitive order verification of outpatient parenteral anti-cancer therapy.

IntroductionTo describe pharmacist interventions as a result of an independent double check during cognitive order verification of outpatient parenteral anti-cancer therapy.MethodsA single-center, ...
An Intelligent Textbook that Answers Questions

Inquire Biology is a prototype of a new kind of intelligent textbook that answers students questions, engages their interest, and improves their understanding. Inquire uses knowledge representation of the conceptual knowledge from the textbook and uses inference procedures to answer questions. Students ask questions by typing free-form natural language queries or by selecting passages of text. The system then attempts to answer the question and also generates suggested questions related to the query or selection. The questions supported by the system were chosen to be educationally useful, for example: what is the structure of X?; compare X and Y?; how does X relate to Y? In user studies, students found this question-answering capability to be useful while reading and while doing problem solving. In a controlled experiment, community college students using Inquire Biology outperformed students using either a hard copy or conventional E-book version of the same textbook. While additional research is needed to fully develop Inquire, the prototype demonstrates the promise of applying knowledge representation and question-answering to electronic textbooks.
[(1,2,3,4,5‐η)‐1,2,3,4,5‐Pentamethyl‐2,4‐cyclopentadien‐1‐yl]‐[(4a,5,6,7,7a‐η)‐4‐(1‐pyrrolidinyl)‐5H‐cyclopenta[1,2‐b]]pyridin‐5‐yl]iron

[217459-11-5] C22H28FeN2 (MW 376.90) InChI = 1/C12H13N2.C10H15.Fe/c1-2-9-14(8-1)12-6-7-13-11-5-3-4-10(11)12;1-6-7(2)9(4)10(5)8(6)3;/h3-7H,1-2,8-9H2;1-5H3; InChIKey = VEYBLEBWZYYQAE-UHFFFAOYAY (chiral catalyst for the O-to-C rearrangement of O-acylated enolates, the kinetic resolution of primary amines, and the dynamic kinetic resolution/ring opening of azlactones) Physical Data: mp 165–172 °C. Solubility: soluble in t-amyl alcohol, chlorinated, aromatic, and ethereal solvents. Form Supplied in: burgundy crystals. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: can be handled in air; best if stored under nitrogen.
Quality dining in the nursing home: The residents’ perspectives

Quality food and food service are integral to quality of life for older adults in nursing homes. The purposes of this article are to examine residents' perspectives about quality dining in nursing ...
Potential for combined modality therapy of cyclooxygenase inhibitors and radiation.

In conclusion, COX-2 inhibitors have potent anti-tumorigenic activity. Results from animal studies strongly indicate that the likely mechanism for enhanced TGD and TCD50 in tumors treated with radiation and COX-2 inhibitors was the inhibition of angiogenesis. In our recent findings we observed that the antagonists of angiogenesis also inhibited the endogenous as well as phorbol-ester-mediated induction of COX-2 expression in human lung cancer cell lines and that in the xenograft model a combination of angiogenic antagonists and radiation significantly delayed tumor growth [ASCO 2002, Vol. 21 (Part 1); p445a, #1779]. In human tumor models, apoptosis was another mechanism of cell death. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that COX-2 inhibitors could change the intrinsic radiosensitivity of human cancer cells [41]. Therefore, inhibition of angiogenesis by COX-2 inhibitors may be the major mechanism for increased radiation effects in tumors. However, other mechanisms such as changes in tumor perfusion, apoptosis, and an increase in intrinsic radiation sensitivity must also be considered. Inhibitors of COX-2 in combination with radiation therapy may be an alternative strategy that can be tested in clinical trials. The combination of COX-2 inhibitors and radiation suggest a complementary strategy to target angiogenesis while potentially minimizing the impact on quality of life. Currently, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group [www.rtog.org] is just one of the National Cancer Institute sponsored cooperative groups conducting clinical trials in cervix cancer, lung cancer and brain tumors, using inhibitors of COX-2 in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These clinical trials will help elucidate the role of this interesting class of agents in combination with cytotoxic therapy for the treatment of cancer.
Characterization and optimization of animal and culture models of Leishmania chagasi

Leishmania chagasi are one species of Leishmania that cause visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal disease of humans: annual incidence ≈ 0.5 mil. Within the sand fly vector Leishmania replicate as promastigote-form parasites that undergo complex changes in morphology as they progress from early-stage procyclic- promastigotes, to intermediate stage leptomonadand nectomonad-promastigotes, and ultimately to terminal stage metacyclic-promastigotes that are more highly infective to vertebrates. This developmental progression is largely recapitulated in vitro using axenic promastigote cultures that have been passaged only a few times. Within a single passage (which takes about a week), such axenic cultures progress from logarithmic to stationary growth phases, and parasites within those growth phases progress from parasites that do not have metacyclic cell properties to ones that do. Interestingly, repeated serial passage of promastigote cultures results in cell populations that exhibit perturbations in developmental progression, in expression levels of surface macromolecules (Major Surface Protease, MSP, and Promastigote Surface Antigen, PSA), and in virulence 28 properties including resistance to serum lysis. Experiments were performed to determine whether there exists a direct relationship between promastigote developmental form and these perturbations associated with repeated serial passage. Passage 2-4 L. chagasi cultures at stationary growth phase were predominately (> 85%) comprised of metacyclic promastigotes and exhibited high resistance to serum-lysis and high levels of MSP and PSA. Serial passaging 8 or more times resulted in a stationary phase population that was largely (> 85%) comprised of nectomonad promastigotes, almost completely devoid ( 2%) of metacyclic promastigotes, and exhibited low resistance to serum-lysis and low levels of MSP and PSA. This study suggests that the loss of particular cell properties seen in cells from serially passaged cultures is principally due to a dramatic reduction in the proportion of metacyclic promastigotes. Additionally, this study suggests that serially passaged cultures may be a highly enriched source nectomonad promastigotes, a parasite form that has largely been characterized in mixtures containing other promastigote forms.
Towards Design Learning Environments - I: Exploring How Devices Work

Knowledge-based support for learning about physical devices is a classical problem in research on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). The large amount of knowledge engineering needed, however, presents a major difficulty in constructing ITS's for learning how devices work. Many knowledge-based design systems, on the other hand, already contain libraries of device designs and models. This provides an opportunity for reusing the legacy device libraries for supporting the learning of how devices work. We report on an experiment on the computational feasibility of this reuse of device libraries. In particular, we describe how the structure-behavior-function (SBF) device models in an autonomous knowledge-based design system called KRITIK enable device explanation and exploration in an interactive design and learning environment called Interactive Kritik.
TheN*(3,3) resonance in multichannel scatteringresonance in multichannel scattering

We examine theI=3/2,J=3/2p-waves of the following unitarily coupled processes: πN→πN, πN→πN*,πN*→πN and πN*→πN*. We calculate the Born terms for a one-nucleon exchange in theu-channel in a relativistic way, and perform a multichannelN/D calculation for the amplitude matrix. The dispersion relations are written for modified partial-wave amplitudes to insure correct threshold behavior, MacDowell symmetry and asymptotic limit. We use no cut-off in this one-nucleon exchange model. We find that both the πN→πNand the πN*→πN* considered separately can produce a bound state. The channels are then coupled and a self-consistent value for thegπNN* is required. The width and the position of the original πN→πN resonance move closer to the experimental value of theN*(3,3). This requirement, however, causes the πN*→πN* resonance to move to an energy lower than theN*(3,3). Although only weakly coupled to the πN channel this low-lying bound state is a serious ambiguity.
The Effect of an Interspersed Refuge on Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Their Natural Enemies, and Biological Control

Soybean production in the north central United States has relied heavily on the use of foliar and seed applied insecticides to manage Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae). An additional management strategy is the use soybean cultivars containing A. glycines resistance genes (Rag). Previous research has demonstrated that Rag cultivars are capable of preventing yield loss equivalent to the use of foliar and seed-applied insecticides. However, the presence of virulent biotypes in North America has raised concern for the durability of Rag genes. A resistance management program that includes a refuge for avirulent biotypes could limit the frequency at which virulent biotypes increase within North America. To what extent such a refuge reduces the effectiveness of aphid-resistant soybean is not clear. We conducted an experiment to determine whether a susceptible refuge mixed into resistant soybean (i.e., interspersed refuge or refuge-in-a-bag) affects the seasonal exposure of aphids, their natural enemies, biological control, and yield protection provided by aphid resistance. We compared three ratios of interspersed refuges (resistant: susceptible; 95:5, 90:10, 75:25) to plots grown with 100% susceptible or resistant soybean. We determined that an interspersed refuge of at least 25% susceptible seed would be necessary to effectively produce avirulent individuals. Interspersed refuges had negligible effects on yield and the natural enemy community. However, there was evidence that they increased the amount of biological control that occurred within a plot. We discuss the compatibility of interspersed refuges for A. glycines management and whether resistance management can prolong the durability of Rag genes.
Real-Time Orbital Image Analysis Using Decision Forests, with a Deployment Onboard the IPEX Spacecraft

Automatic cloud recognition promises significant improvements in Earth science remote sensing. At any time, more than half of Earth's surface is covered by clouds, obscuring images and atmospheric measurements. This is particularly problematic for CubeSats, a new generation of small, low-orbiting spacecraft with very limited communications bandwidth. Such spacecraft can use image analysis to autonomously select clear scenes for prioritized downlink. More agile spacecraft can also benefit from cloud screening by retargeting observations to cloud-free areas. This could significantly improve the science yield of instruments such as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 mission. However, most existing cloud detection algorithms are not suitable for these applications, because they require calibrated and georectified spectral data, which is not typically available onboard. Here, we describe a statistical machine-learning method for real-time autonomous scene interpretation using a visible camera with no radiometric calibration. A random forest classifies cloud and clear pixels based on local patterns of image texture. We report on experimental evaluation of images from the International Space Station ISS and present results from a deployment onboard the IPEX spacecraft. This demonstrates actual execution in flight and provides some preliminary lessons learned about operational use. It is a rare example of a machine-learning system deployed to an autonomous spacecraft. To our knowledge, it is also the first instance of significant artificial intelligence deployed on board a CubeSat and the first ever deployment of visible image-based cloud screening onboard any operational spacecraft.
Mentoring Improves Acceptance of a Community Intervention For Court-Referred Male Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS)

Despite excellent community-based interventions for court-referred adolescent boys, low rates of retention in the initial phase of treatment often lower overall effectiveness. This study assessed the contribution of mentoring towards improving compliance with a community-based intervention for court-referred adolescent male Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS). Charts on 79 court-referred adolescent boys (mean age=14.28; SD=1.37) admitted to a community based intervention in a large metropolitan area were systematically reviewed for patterns of service utilization (mentoring and group treatment), familial history, and substance use and psychopathology. Male adolescent PINS who utilized mentoring were ten times more likely to remain in the community-based intervention during the initial 6 months. Following the initial 6 months period, utilization of group treatment, but not mentoring, was associated with retention in the community-based intervention and positive outcome. Community-based intervention for court-referred adolescents might include mentoring during the initial 6 months of treatment to improve compliance.
Assimilation of Paleoseismic Data for Earthquake Simulation

Simulationof the complete earthquake generation process requires assimilation of observational data on long-term behavior of faults over multiple rupture cycles. Paleoseismology, the study of pre-instrumental earthquakes from geological field investigations, provides the only observations of long-term fault behavior. Paleoseismic data present challenges for assimilation into models because data sets are small, sparse, analog, and contain qualitative uncertainties. Observations can be categorized as primary measurements from field data, or non-primary extrapolations or interpretations of primary data. Assimilation of non-primary data could yield biased simulation results. We present a primary data set for the San Andreas and Imperial faults for comparison with non-primary data in existing databases, and propose standard formats and structure for paleoseismic data assimilation into numerical simulation models.
The Kuwait oil fires as seen by Landsat

A mosaic of two Landsat thematic mapper images acquired May 30, 1991, reveals a dark smoke plume 30-60 km wide extending hundreds of kilometers south of Kuwait City along the Persian Gulf. Smoke coming from the Raudhatain and Sabriyah oil fields blew across the Gulf of Kuwait and over Kuwait City, joined with smoke from the Greater Burgan and Minagish fields, and continued southward over smaller villages and regions of desert agriculture consisting of hundreds of axially irrigated fields in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. One agricultural region in Kuwait was completely obscured by the smoke. The light colored limestone gravel and sand surface was darkened by oil lakes near the wells, and by oil drizzling out of the plume downwind of the wells. Most fires produced either a light or dark plume, and the separate plumes mixed to form a combined plume much darker than the land surface, but slightly more reflective than the Gulf waters. A few of the hottest fires had no visible plume, and are presumably associated with methane combustion. The last of the Kuwait fires was reportedly extinguished in November of 1991. Continued monitoring is needed to assess the impact of emissions from both burning and nonburning oil wells on the region's climate, as well as on the agriculture, fishing, and other activities essential to life in the region.
Evidence for kinks in structural and thermodynamic properties across the forsterite–fayalite binary from thin-film IR absorption spectra

Infrared absorbance spectra over ∼100 to 1,800 cm−1 were collected from optically thin films of 21 samples with compositions spanning the forsterite–fayalite binary. Polarization information from previous specular reflectance data on end-members was used in tracing the peaks across the entire binary. Peak positions (νi) were constrained by Lorentzian decompositions. Fitting also constrained widths for singlet peaks but for doublets and triplets, variation in νi with composition among the constituent polarizations alters widths from intrinsic. Because film thicknesses of 0.6–1.4 μm were estimated, our band strengths are approximate; however, relative intensities should be correct. Only for a few peaks does νi vary smoothly across the entire binary; instead, distinct linear trends exist for Fe- and Mg-rich olivines. Discontinuities and kinks in νi(X) occur at X = Mg/(Fe + Mg) = 0.7 and are accompanied by a change in intensity patterns. This interesting behavior was not revealed in previous spectra of powder dispersions. The contrasting character of IR vibrations for Fe- and Mg-rich olivines is inferred to arise from structural variations because (1) frequency is related to bond length, (2) other factors affecting frequency (cation mass and probably bonding type) vary linearly across the binary, and (3) available data on unit cell parameters are consistent with distinct trends for forsterites and fayalites. Vibrational components of heat capacity (C V) and enthalpy (H) calculated from νi, were found to be slightly more negative than linear interpolations between values for forsterite and fayalite. Our computations give smaller negative excesses from ideality in H than do previous calorimetric measurements, but are equal within experimental uncertainties.
Opioid Antagonists May Reverse Endogenous Opiate “Dependence” in the Treatment of Self-Injurious Behavior

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a primary reason that individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are either retained in restrictive environments or are administered psychotropic medication. There are no known causes and no universally accepted treatments for this complex behavior among individuals with NDD. There is developing evidence, however, that individuals exhibiting SIB have a disturbance of the opiate-mediated pain and pleasure system. One hypothesis is that SIB reflects insensitivity to pain and general sensory depression (hypoalgesia), perhaps related to chronic elevation of endogenous opiates. For instance, many self-injurious individuals do not exhibit the usual signs of pain after their “injurious” behavior. Moreover, for some individuals the addictive properties of elevated endogenous opiates (euphoria) may be responsible for maintaining their SIB. In this perspective, SIB may be viewed as an addiction because it supplies the “fix” for tolerant, down-regulated opiate receptors. Reports that levels of endogenous opiates at rest and after SIB episodes predict positive responses to opiate blockers (e.g., naltrexone) provide further support for opiate-mediated SIB and form the basis for a rational treatment strategy. Although the long term effects of opiate blockers on SIB are unknown, reduction in SIB following acute treatment provides support that a specific biological system may be dysregulated in a subgroup of patients. It is concluded that naltrexone produces a clinically significant reduction in the serious and life-threatening behavior of self injury for individuals who have not been responsive to any other type of treatment. Several suggestions and cautions are provided for regimens of naltrexone treatment of SIB.
Electronic PCR: bridging the gap between genome mapping and genome sequencing

A crucial event in the history of the Human Genome Project was the decision to use sequence-tagged sites (STSs) as common landmarks for genomic mapping. Following several years of constructing STS-based maps of ever-increasing detail, the emphasis has recently shifted towards large-scale genomic sequencing. A computational procedure called 'electronic PCR' allows STS landmarks to be revealed as data emerge from the sequencing pipeline, thereby bridging the gap between mapping and sequencing activities.
Facilitating Learning on Diversity: Challenges to the Professor.

Abstract This article focuses on faculty responses to critical classroom incidents related to race and the importance of faculty being sensitive to issues of racism in order to effectively handle such situations. Data from a national study of 304 graduate and undergraduate level social work faculty are presented. Discussion addresses teaching challenges and approaches for addressing issues of diversity, oppression, and difference when they trigger student conflict and strained classroom interaction.
Quasi‐naturalistic tasks in the study of cognition: The memory‐related skills of toddlers

A summary of memory-related quasi-naturalistic research is presented and the important features and requirements of using such an approach with toddlers is discussed.
Structure-function analysis of the C-clamp of TCF/Pangolin in Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

The evolutionarily conserved Wnt/s-catenin (Wnt/s-cat) pathway plays an important role in animal development in metazoans. Many Wnt targets are regulated by members of the TCF/LEF1 (TCF) family of transcription factors. All TCFs contain a High Mobility Group (HMG) domain that bind specific DNA sequences. Invertebrate TCFs and some vertebrate TCF isoforms also contain another domain, called the C-clamp, which allows TCFs to recognize an additional DNA motif known as the Helper site. While the C-clamp has been shown to be important for regulating several Wnt reporter genes in cell culture, its physiological role in regulating Wnt targets is less clear. In addition, little is known about this domain, except that two of the four conserved cysteines are functionally important. Here, we carried out a systematic mutagenesis and functional analysis of the C-clamp from the Drosophila TCF/Pangolin (TCF/Pan) protein. We found that the C-clamp is a zinc-binding domain that is sufficient for binding to the Helper site. In addition to this DNA-binding activity, the C-clamp also inhibits the HMG domain from binding its cognate DNA site. Point mutations were identified that specifically affected DNA-binding or reduced the inhibitory effect. These mutants were characterized in TCF/Pan rescue assays. The specific DNA-binding activity of the C-clamp was essential for TCF/Pan function in cell culture and in patterning the embryonic epidermis of Drosophila, demonstrating the importance of this C-clamp activity in regulating Wnt target gene expression. In contrast, the inhibitory mutation had a subtle effect in cell culture and no effect on TCF/Pan activity in embryos. These results provide important information about the functional domains of the C-clamp, and highlight its importance for Wnt/s-cat signaling in Drosophila.
The impact of the Asian crisis on the behavior of US and international petroleum prices

The strong long-run relationships among the petroleum spot and futures prices have weakened after the Asian crisis as manifested in less co-integration among these prices. In the post-crisis period, the directional causal relationships have either changed the direction as in the case of WTI crude or weakened somewhat as in the case of NYMEX gasoline and heating oil. These changes should complicate the job of those who try to benefit from predicting the movements of petroleum prices after the Asian crisis. In the international gasoline spot markets, movements in the NYMEX gasoline price are found to precede movements in the Gulf Coast and Rotterdam gasoline prices in the pre-crisis period, and the movements of these prices and those of the Singapore price in the post-crisis period, implying that the NYMEX price is the gasoline leader in both periods. The Monday/Friday day-of-the-week effect is only significant for the NYMEX gasoline 1-month and 3-month futures prices and the Gulf Coast gasoline spot. Economic and political shocks related to the spot prices have greater impacts on all prices than shocks related to the futures prices, regardless of the petroleum type and the time period.
Quadratic Lower Bound for Permanent Vs. Determinant in any Characteristic

In Valiant’s theory of arithmetic complexity, the classes VP and VNP are analogs of P and NP. A fundamental problem concerning these classes is the Permanent and Determinant Problem: Given a field $${\mathbb{F}}$$of characteristic ≠ 2, and an integer n, what is the minimum m such that the permanent of an n × n matrix X = (xij) can be expressed as a determinant of an m × m matrix, where the entries of the determinant matrix are affine linear functions of xij ’s, and the equality is in $${\mathbb{F}}[{\bf X}]$$. Mignon and Ressayre (2004) proved a quadratic lower bound $$m = \Omega(n^{2})$$for fields of characteristic 0. We extend the Mignon–Ressayre quadratic lower bound to all fields of characteristic ≠ 2.
Gait Perception and Coordinated Control of a Novel Biped Robot with Heterogeneous Legs

This paper presents gait perception and coordinated control of a Biped robot with heterogeneous legs (BRHL), which is a new type of humanoid robot. This paper first introduces the concepts and research objectives of a BRHL. Then configuration of a BRHL is discussed in detail. The coordinated dynamics model and MR damper model are given. Rules based on gait perception are introduced. In the end, this paper discusses the control structure of a BRHL. Simulation and prototype of a BRHL are discussed. The research indicates that intelligent bionic leg controlled by MR damper can track artificial leg's gait well. A BRHL provides an ideal test-bed for advanced intelligent prosthesis.
An entropy maximization problem related to optical communication (Corresp.)

Motivated by a problem in optical communication, we consider the general problem of maximizing the entropy of a stationary random process that is subject to an average transition cost constraint. Using a recent result of Justesen and Hoholdt, we present an exact solution to the problem and suggest a class of finite state encoders that give a good approximation to the exact solution.