cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilingualism, federal policy on bilingual education and intercultural relations

Abstract Bilingualism, or facility in two languages, is one of the most powerful tools employed in cross-cultural communication. Its effect is far greater than the simple improvement of understanding between two groups. Rather, bilingualism is a complex concept with demographic, socioeconomic, and political overtones. Though not always the case in the past, most governments are now sensitive to the questions surrounding bilingualism and are aware of the consequences of misguided policies. This paper discusses the background of bilingualism and bilingual education both within and outside of the United States. It presents an analysis of current federal government policy toward bilingual education and the implications for intercultural relations in the United States. These implications are discussed in terms of language use, education, employment, equal opportunity, politics, and international relations.
Efficient synthesis of 3-(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-2-yl)-1H-indoles

Abstract A simple method for the synthesis of various 3-(4,5-dihydro-1 H -imidazole-2-yl)-1 H -indoles is described. Treatment of different substituted indoles with 1-acetyl-imidazolidin-2-one in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride afforded after hydrolysis in ethanol the corresponding 3-(4,5-dihydro-1 H -imidazole-2-yl)-1 H -indoles in moderate to good yields.
Scaling properties of exchange and correlation holes of the valence shell of second-row atoms

We study the exchange and correlation hole of the valence shell of second-row atoms using variational Monte Carlo techniques, especially correlated estimates, and norm-conserving pseudopotentials. The well-known scaling of the valence shell provides a tool to probe the behavior of exchange and correlation as a functional of the density and thus test models of density functional theory. The exchange hole shows an interesting competition between two scaling forms---one caused by self-interaction and another that is approximately invariant under changes in the particle number, related to the known invariance of exchange under uniform scaling to high density with the particle number held constant. The correlation hole shows a scaling trend that is marked by the finite size of the atom relative to the radius of the hole. Both trends are well captured in the main by the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized-gradient approximation model for the exchange-correlation hole and energy.
Evaluation of manganese inorganic fertilizer sources and Mehlich‐3 extractant for prediction of manganese deficiency in soybeans on a Sharkey silty clay

Abstract A greenhouse experiment was conducted on two Sharkey silty clay (very fine, montmorillonitic, nonacid, thermic, Vertic Haplaquept) soils (SharkeyA and‐B) to compare MnSO4 and two Mn‐oxysulfatc sources (oxysulfate‐A and‐B) and to evaluate the Mehlich‐3 extractant. Soils were collected from a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] field with (Sharkey‐A) and without (Sharkey‐B) a history of Mn deficiency symptoms. Treatments consisted of two lime treatments, O and 2000 mg kg‐1, and three Mn rates, 0, 20, and 40 mg kg‐1. Each source was broadcast in granular form. Manganese sulfate was also applied in solution. Soybean plants were grown for 40 days. Dry weight, whole‐plant Mn concentration, and total Mn uptake were measured. Extractable soil Mn was determined using the Mehlich‐3 extractant. Dry weight was increased by applied Mn only on the Sharkey‐A soil, especially for the limed treatment. The Mehlich‐3 extractant delineated between the responsive (2.3 mg Mn kg‐1) and non‐responsive (6.0 mg Mn kg‐1) Shar...
Loss of N-cadherin and α-catenin in the proximal tubules of aging male Fischer 344 rats

Abstract Aging is associated with a loss of renal reserve, and increased sensitivity to either xenobiotic or physiologic insult. Given the critical role of the cadherin/catenin complex in establishing and maintaining the integrity and polarity of tubular epithelial cells, it was hypothesized that aging was associated with alterations in renal cadherin/catenin complexes. Histological assessment of aged (24 months) kidneys harvested from male Fischer 344 rats demonstrates mild degeneration of proximal tubules, multifocal chronic lymphocytic infiltration, moderate development of protein casts inside tubules, and tubular dilatation or degeneration. Western blot analysis revealed that N-cadherin protein expression is not constant over 24 months. N-cadherin expression increased from 4 to 9 months, with peak levels at 9 and 13 months. A decrease in expression was seen at 19 months and an almost complete loss of expression was seen at 24 months. In contrast, the expression of E- and Ksp-cadherin was constant over 24 months. A loss of α-catenin at was seen at 19 and 24 months in the absence of changes in β-, γ-, and p120-catenin. This pattern of N-cadherin expression (increase followed by decrease) was confirmed by real-time PCR analysis, which demonstrated a similar pattern as the Western blot, suggesting that the loss of N-cadherin protein was due to decreased gene expression. The loss of N-cadherin was specific for the kidney, as no changes in N-cadherin expression in the liver, brain, or testes were seen during aging. The conclusion that loss of N-cadherin expression is a critical component of the renal dysfunction associated with aging is supported by the finding that caloric restriction attenuates the loss of N-cadherin, as well as the finding that a significant loss of N-cadherin is seen in the kidneys of ZDF×SHHF rats, a genetic model of end-stage renal disease. Cadherin and catenin expression was further analyzed by immunofluorescence. A significant loss of staining of both N-cadherin and α-catenin was seen in the proximal tubules of rats at 24 months. Interestingly, this corresponded with delocalization of the α-1 subunit of the Na+K+-ATPase, i.e. aberrant staining on cell–cell borders and some indication of apical staining in proximal tubules. Taken together, these data suggest that aging is associated with decreased expression of N-cadherin and α-catenin and is associated with a loss of cell polarity.
The Orbit and Spectral Line Variations of the Massive Binary HD 163181 (V453 Scorpii)

We present revised orbital elements for the massive interacting binary HD 163181, and we offer the first evidence of apsidal motion in the orbit (apsidal period U = 510±100 yr). We searched for but found no obvious evidence of the secondary's spectral lines in our optical spectra. We do observe, however, systematic profile variations with orbital phase that probably result from a gas stream from the Roche lobe-filling supergiant to the faint secondary. The relatively small projected rotational velocity of the primary (V sin i = 88±3 km s–1), the faintness of the secondary, the reported lack of orbital motion in the Hα emission, and the presence of an IR excess all suggest that the system is surrounded by an extensive circumbinary disk (as is found in a similar binary, RY Scuti).
Cerebral control of the lower urinary tract: How age-related changes might predispose to urge incontinence

Loss of bladder control (urge incontinence) is common in elderly; the cause is usually unknown. Functional imaging has revealed the brain network controlling responses to bladder filling. Age-related changes in this network might predispose to urge incontinence. We sought such changes in 10 continent, healthy women aged 30-79 years who underwent fMRI while fluid (approximately 20 ml) was repeatedly infused into and withdrawn from the bladder. Data were collected in 4 measurement blocks with progressively increasing bladder volumes and were analyzed by SPM2, using the contrast infuse-withdraw to quantify response to bladder infusion. Effective connectivity was examined by physiophysiological interaction (PhPI; see interpretation in Supplementary Material), with right insula (RI) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) as seed regions. Dependence on age and bladder volume (= block number) was assessed. Bladder infusion evoked expected activations. Activation decreased with age in bilateral insula and dACC. PhPI revealed connectivity with RI and dACC in regions that included bilateral putamen and R pontine micturition center. Interaction (connectivity) tended to increase with age in regions including L insula, L paracentral lobule and PAG. Consistent with a special role in maintaining continence, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) showed a trend to deactivation on bladder infusion that became more prominent in old age, and a trend to negative interaction (connectivity) that weakened significantly with age. Thus, with increasing age, weaker signals in the bladder control network as a whole and/or changes in mPFC function or connecting pathways may be responsible for the development of urge incontinence.
Students as Satirists: Encouraging Critique and Comic Release

In a recent essay on writing instruction, Alan France (1993) defined writing as "an active means to transform the existing social inequities of commodity capitalism" (593). To view education as a means for social change and action is nothing new, of course. Though he didn't refer directly to commodity capitalism as a form of oppression or writing as a mechanism for critique, John Dewey believed in the active capacity of students to use their education to change their own worlds, arguing that if education actually liberated and guided students' critical capacities, they "would be kept busy in studying all indications of power, all obstacles and perversions. . . " (270). Although we would all agree that criti cal awareness is one goal of education and that writing can serve our students' analytical capacities, we may not agree on the best ways to encourage that cri tique. We want to avoid overt, dogmatic indoctrination of a political agenda while teaching our students to view writing as a means for examining and transforming the inequities they encounter in their own lives. Unfortunately, we also know how difficult it is to discern whether students are writing out of a sincere personal desire or whether they are merely trying to get a good grade. To strive for a class room environment that breeds conscious
Some Analytical Properties of Bivariate Extremal Distributions

Abstract This article considers two examples of bivariate extremal distributions when the margins follow the first asymptotic distribution of the largest values. The variables are assumed to be reduced and each distribution contains only one parameter indicating the association between the extremes. The probability and the density functions of these distributions at the characteristic value, median, and mode have been analyzed. A procedure has been developed to estimate the single parameter of the distributions. A criterion for distinguishing between the two bivariate extremal distributions has been worked out. Finally, the various theories developed are applied to a numerical example.
Reinforced materials with thermo-mechanical constraints

Abstract This paper contains a class of exact (controllable) solutions for materials subjected to thermomechanical constraints. The constraints are intended to model materials reinforced with cords. The thermomechanical constraints examined consist of the natural extensions of the purely mechanical constraints of incompressibility and inextensibility to thermo-mechanical problems along with a purely thermal constraint on the temperature gradient. The solutions found are controllable in that they can be sustained in every isotropie homogeneous simple material by surface tractions and heat fluxes alone. The solutions are independent of all the response functions of the material except those appearing in the constraint equations.
SU‐E‐T‐223: Investigation of the Accuracy of Two‐Dimensional Dose Distributions Measurement From High‐Dose‐Rate Brachytherapy Ir‐192 Source Using Multiple‐Diode‐Array Detector (MapCheck2)

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric accuracy of multiple-diode-array detector (Mapcheck2) for high-dose-rate brachytherapy Ir-192 source. The two-dimensional (2D) dose distributions measured with MapCheck2 were validated with EBT2 Gafchromic film measurement and AAPM task-group- 43 (TG-43) modeling. Methods: 2D-dose distributions from Ir-192 source were measured with MapCheck2 and EBT2-films. MapCheck2 response was corrected for effects: directional dependence, diode and phantom heterogeneity. Optical density growth of the film was controlled by synchronized scanning of the film exposed to Ir-192 and calibration films exposed to 6 MV linac beams. Similarly, MapCheck2 response was calibrated to dose using 6 MV beams. An empirical model was developed for the dose distributions measured with Mapcheck2 that considered directional, diode and phantom heterogeneity corrections. The dose deposited in solid-state-detectors was modeled using a cavity theory model for the diode. This model was then validated with measurements using EBT2-films and calculations with TG-43. Results: The response of MapCheck2 has been corrected for different effects including: (a) directional dependence of 0–20% over angular range 0o–90o, (b) phantom heterogeneity (3%) and (c) diode heterogeneity (9%). The corrected dose distributions measured with MapCheck2 agreed well with the measured dose distributions from EBT2-film and with calculations using TG-43 within 5% over amore » wide range of dose levels and rates. The advantages of MapCheck2 include less noisy, linear and stable response compared with film. The response of MapCheck2 exposed to 192Ir-source showed no energy dependence similar to its response to MV energy beam. Detection spatial-resolution of individual diodes was 0.8×0.8 mm2, however, 2DMapCheck2 resolution is limited by distance between diodes (7.07 mm). Conclusion: The dose distribution measured with MapCheck2 agreed well within 5% with that measured using EBT2-films; and calculations with TG- 43. Considering correction of artifacts, MapCheck2 provides a compact, practical and accurate dosimetric tool for measurement of 2D-dose distributions for brachytherapy Ir-192.« less
Complications in cell-surface labelling by biotinylation of Candida albicans due to avidin conjugate binding to cell-wall proteins.

Initial contact between the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans and host tissue occurs at the cell surface. Biotin derivatives have been used to label the cell-surface proteins of yeasts, with labelled proteins subsequently detected by avidin–reporter conjugates. Previous work has indicated that avidin can bind to C. albicans proteins in the absence of biotin, suggesting a possible host-cell-recognition mechanism by fungal cell-surface proteins. To investigate this mechanism, Western blots of proteins extracted from biotinylated and mock-treated cells were probed with avidin or modified-avidin reagents. Each avidin reagent bound to cell-wall proteins extracted from non-biotinylated cells. Binding did not appear to be due to the lectin-like activity of the cell-wall proteins of C. albicans or to the presence of biotin in the sample itself. Binding was inhibited by added biotin, by the chaotrope KSCN and by NaCl in a concentration-dependent manner, although inhibition varied among the avidin conjugates tested. Thus, the non-specific binding of avidin to the cell-wall proteins of C. albicans appears to involve hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, depending on the particular avidin species. These observations demonstrate potential pitfalls in the use of avidin–biotin complexes to identify cell-surface molecules and could provide insights into protein–protein interactions at the C. albicans cell wall.
A Standard Interface Concept for Computer-Controlled Particle Accelerators

A survey of the existing (and planned) particle accelerators throughout North America and Europe will immediately indicate the unmistakable proliferation of either partial, or total, digital computer control systems. The cybernetic-like tentacles of these systems have reached into the most remote areas of the particle accelerator. One also realizes that each facility has designed special hardware, unlike any other, to handle the interface problem between the accelerator and the computer. A further look will convince one that the various interface problems are not, in principle, different. This paper will discuss a practical solution to the standard interface concept for computer control systems. Such an accelerator/computer-independent scheme for interface could well save many man-years of redundant design effort and invoke considerable cost savings in system implementation. A system organized about the dataway and branch/control highway of the CAMAC standard is a potential contender.
Probing Mechanical Adaptation of Neurite Outgrowth on a Hydrogel Material Using Atomic Force Microscopy

In this study, we describe the design and initial results of probing mechanical adaptation of neurite growth of lightly fixed neurons on a hydrogel substrate by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). It has been shown previously that cells are responsive to the physical conditions of their micro-environment, and that certain cells can adjust their own stiffness as part of the adaptation to the substrate. AFM, a powerful tool to probe micro- and nano-scale structures, has been utilized in assessing topography, morphology, and structural change of neuronal cells. We used AFM with a robust force analysis approach in this study to probe the mechanical properties of both neurites and the substrate at close proximity. We first confirmed the robustness and consistency of the approach specific to soft materials by comparing measurements made on the same reference material using different methods. Subsequently, it was found that the primary spinal cord neurons that were lightly fixed exhibited different stiffnesses between the cell body and neurites. Furthermore, in comparison to the rigidity of the substrate, the stiffness of the neurites was lower, whereas that of the neuronal cell body was higher.
Highly Stable Trimers Formed by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoproteins Fused with the Trimeric Motif of T4 Bacteriophage Fibritin

The envelope glycoproteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) function as a trimer composed of three gp120 exterior glycoproteins and three gp41 transmembrane proteins. Soluble gp140 glycoproteins composed of the uncleaved ectodomains of gp120 and gp41 form unstable, heterogeneous oligomers, but soluble gp140 trimers can be stabilized by fusion with a C-terminal, trimeric GCN4 motif (X. Yang et al., J. Virol. 74:5716-5725, 2000). To understand the influence of the C-terminal trimerization domain on the properties of soluble HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimers, uncleaved, soluble gp140 glycoproteins were stabilized by fusion with another trimeric motif derived from T4 bacteriophage fibritin. The fibritin construct was more stable to heat and reducing conditions than the GCN4 construct. Both GCN4- and fibritin-stabilized soluble gp140 glycoproteins exhibited patterns of neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibody binding expected for the functional envelope glycoprotein spike. Of note, two potently neutralizing antibodies, immunoglobulin G1b12 and 2G12, exhibited the greatest recognition of the stabilized, soluble trimers, relative to recognition of the gp120 monomer. The observed similarities between the GCN4 and fibritin constructs indicate that the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein ectodomains dictate many of the antigenic and structural features of these fusion proteins. The melting temperatures and ligand recognition properties of the GCN4- and fibritin-stabilized soluble gp140 glycoproteins suggest that these molecules assume conformations distinct from that of the fusion-active, six-helix bundle.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Early Treatment With Lisinopril and Spironolactone Preserves Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Mice”

Thank you for the insightful comments regarding our work.1 We have not yet explored the level of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation in this model, which might help shed light on underlying mechanisms by which the drugs studied produce their benefits. However, one study of muscle biopsies from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy shows upregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme in dystrophic in comparison with normal muscle.2 Because …
Sub-micron Patterning on Polymer Films for Protein Arrays

Patterning proteins at the sub-micron and nanoscale has many uses, including fabrication of protein arrays for diagnostic and sensor applications. Many groups have reported micron scale protein patterns using photolithography; however, smaller scales have not been realized. In this study, we demonstrate sub-micron protein patterns using photolithography. Patterning is achieved by chemical transformation of pH-reactive polymer films. Site-specific immobilization of streptavidin within a protein resistant background is demonstrated. This methodology could be utilized for the development of high density proteins arrays for biotechnology applications.
The Emergence of Ecological Risk Assessment1

By proclaiming that the protection of ecological health is as important as the protection of human health, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called attention to the relatively unexplored area of ecological risk assessment (ERA). The new field of ERA, while still in its infancy, is rapidly expanding and finding frequent application at many national hazardous waste sites. As with any new methodology, the rapid development of ERA has generated many unresolved questions: Should ecological risk be based on risks to individuals, populations, or ecosystems? How much is society willing to pay to save a small number of individual animals? What is a de minimis level of risk for an ecosystem? More importantly, the recent interest in ERAs has focused attention on the extreme sensitivity of ecological systems to environmental insults. In fact, the widely held belief among health risk assessors that protecting for human health will protect for ecological health is challenged by a recent EPA ecological risk assessment that illustrates that this may not be the case.
Bycatch governance and best practice mitigation technology in global tuna fisheries

Overexploitation of bycatch and target species in marine capture fisheries is the most widespread and direct driver of change and loss of global marine biodiversity. Bycatch in purse seine and pelagic longline tuna fisheries, the two primary gear types for catching tunas, is a primary mortality source of some populations of seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals and sharks. Bycatch of juvenile tunas and unmarketable species and sizes of other fish in purse seine fisheries, and juvenile swordfish in longline fisheries, contributes to the overexploitation of some stocks, and is an allocation issue. There has been substantial progress in identifying gear technology solutions to seabird and sea turtle bycatch on longlines and to direct dolphin mortality in purse seines. Given sufficient investment, gear technology solutions are probably feasible for the remaining bycatch problems. More comprehensive consideration across species groups is needed to identify conflicts as well as mutual benefits from mitigation methods. Fishery-specific bycatch assessments are necessary to determine the efficacy, economic viability, practicality and safety of alternative mitigation methods. While support for gear technology research and development has generally been strong, political will to achieve broad uptake of best practices has been lacking. The five Regional Fisheries Management Organizations have achieved mixed progress mitigating bycatch. Large gaps remain in both knowledge of ecological risks and governance of bycatch. Most binding conservation and management measures fall short of gear technology best practice. A lack of performance standards, in combination with an inadequate observer coverage for all but large Pacific purse seiners, and incomplete data collection, hinders assessing measures' efficacy. Compliance is probably low due to inadequate surveillance and enforcement. Illegal, unreported and unregulated tuna fishing hampers governance efforts. Replacing consensus-based decision-making and eliminating opt-out provisions would help. Instituting rights-based management measures could elicit improved bycatch mitigation practices. While gradual improvements in an international governance of bycatch can be expected, market-based mechanisms, including retailers and their suppliers working with fisheries to gradually improve practices and governance, promise to be expeditious and effective.
Epidemiology of what to eat in the 21st century.

Many epidemiologic studies of disease causation include food intake and nutrition variables (1, 2). Epidemiologic research is also an established component of nutrition and food science endeavors to identify optimal dietary patterns and to improve the quality and potential health benefits of the food supply (4). Manipulation of eating patterns and/or food content is a core health promotion and disease control strategy. However, the process of translating nutritional epidemiologic study findings into health advice or policy is quite complex. There is much debate on diet and health issues; however, the general inference that modern eating and physical activity patterns are ill-suited to the huntergatherer genetic predispositions of our species is sound (5, 6). Given the limits of our biologic adaptability, diet and physical activity are thought to be critical determinants of the major causes of death and disability—cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity—worldwide (4, 7-13). Studies carried out in diverse populations have converged to suggest that avoiding or moving away from the high fat, low fiber, and high salt diets and sedentary activity patterns typical in western societies will usually decrease the occurrence of chronic diseases (4). Food is a universal and indispensable human exposure, and the foods we eat are deeply rooted in and defended by cultural beliefs and practices (14-16). Therefore, the study findings suggesting a need to change dietary patterns have a unique salience and sense of urgency for policy-makers, clinicians, and consumers. It is commonly understood that a synthesis of such studies, as well as their reconciliation with laboratory and animal evidence, is needed. However, the social relevance of such studies often motivates excessive media attention at the moment of publication,
Abundant proteorhodopsin genes in the North Atlantic Ocean

Summary Proteorhodopsin (PR) is a light-driven proton pump that has been found in a variety of marine bacteria, including Pelagibacter ubique, a member of the ubiquitous SAR11 clade. The goals of this study were to explore the diversity of PR genes and to estimate their abundance in the North Atlantic Ocean using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). We found that PR genes in the western portion of the Sargasso Sea could be grouped into 27 clusters, but five clades had the most sequences. Sets of specific QPCR primers were designed to examine the abundance of PR genes in the following four of the five clades: SAR11 (P. ubique and other SAR11 Alphaproteobacteria), BACRED17H8 (Alphaproteobacteria), HOT2C01 (Alphaproteobacteria) and an uncultured subgroup of the Flavobacteria. Two groups (SAR11 and HOT2C01) dominated PR gene abundance in oligotrophic waters, but were significantly less abundant in nutrient- and chlorophyll-rich waters. The other two groups (BACRED17H8 and Flavobacteria subgroup NASB) were less abundant in all waters. Together, these four PR gene types were found in 50% of all bacteria in the Sargasso Sea. We found a significant negative correlation between total PR gene abundance and nutrients and chlorophyll but no significant correlation with light intensity for three of the four PR types in the depth profiles north of the Sargasso Sea. Our data suggest that PR is common in the North Atlantic Ocean, especially in SAR11 bacteria and another marine alphaproteobacterial group (HOT2C01), and that these PR-bearing bacteria are most abundant in oligotrophic waters.
Accounting Fraud, And White-Collar Crimes In The United States

Time was when fraud used to involve a simple exchange of tangible items, by the perpetrator of fraud, tricking the victims to part with something valuable and in return receive something almost worthless. In recent times, the exponential growth in communication technology and proliferation of computers paved the way for phenomenal upsurge in corporate fraud, while-collar crime, and identity theft. These crimes are costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars every year. The nation is witnessing a peculiar trend in the nature of crimes. While crimes of violence such as murder and rape and property crimes like armed robbery, burglary, and car thefts are on the decline, crimes involving accounting fraud, white-collar crime and embezzlement have shown a meteoric rise. Accounting fraud is defined as knowingly falsifying accounting records in order to boost sales revenue and net income. Accounting fraud is perpetrated by corporations by means of presenting false information, using funds for illegal purposes, overstating revenues, understating expenses, overstating the value of corporate assets, and understating liabilities. Many spectacular corporate scandals such as Enron in the past decade involved large scale accounting fraud. Corporate fraud can have devastating consequences, not just to the investors in the company’s stock but also to tens of thousands of employees who invested their retirement savings in the company’s 401K accounts. Several laws were enacted to prevent corporate fraud with mixed results. Accounting students in this country have been receiving no training at all in the area of prevention and detection of fraud. This paper presents a short history of corporate fraud, the laws enacted to deal with the problem, and the role of codes of ethics for business firms in dealing with corporate fraud.
Interference Forwarding in Multiuser Networks

We study communication in networks with multiple source-destination pairs and relays. In such networks, the channel output at any destination receiver consists of both the desired signal and interference. In this setting the relay can help forward the desired message of a user to the destination receiver, or help forward interference to a receiver to improve its ability to cancel the interference. Focusing on the impact of interference forwarding, we define a new relay-interferer channel (RIC) model, which serves as the basic building block for the study of interference in multiuser networks. Using the RIC we show that correlation between the codebooks of the relay and the interferer (e.g. superposition codebooks) is essential for obtaining performance benefits from interference forwarding. We conclude that in order to achieve rate gains from relaying interference using the decode-and-forward strategy, a superposition codebook is required. Otherwise, this relay strategy has the same rate as interference cancellation at the receiver. We also conclude that compress-and-forward is not useful for forwarding interference and has no better performance than just treating interference as noise at the decoder.
Design of a closed loop controller for a two wheeled balancing transporter

This paper discusses the design of the control algorithm used to control a two-wheeled balancing transporter. The device is a drive and steer by wire device using closed loop feedback to provide both fore-aft stability as well as directional control. The controller consists of two parts, a closed loop pitch controller that maintains balance and governs the morion of the device forward and backward and a yaw or steering controller that governs the turn rate via differential wheel speed. The transporter is unique in that it is much smaller than the operator and it couples to motions of the entire body, rather than an arm or leg independently. An impedance model was adopted to account for the human in the loop, there by making the design problem tractable and relatively straightforward to implement.
Evaluating the Usefulness of a New Set of Hurricane Classification Indices

Abstract This paper provides a thorough evaluation of the hurricane indices (i.e., intensity, damage, and surge) recently proposed by Kantha. A database of past U.S. landfalling hurricanes was developed, and the indices were calculated based upon each storm’s individual parameters. Comparisons are made among various storms’ index values based on actual intensity, damage, and surge values. Only the surge index provided information that added appreciably to the information provided by the Saffir–Simpson scale; the value of the surge index as a prelandfall surge indicator and as a postanalysis tool is explored.
A Case Study Based Services Computing Course Delivery Practice

In this paper, we present a case study based services computing course delivery practice, which includes course preparation, course structure, course enablement, course evaluation and analysis, and audience-specific discussions. The case study is created based on a course offering to students from Internet business system masterpsilas program. Specifically, this paper touches the major course offering challenges, course logistic setting and format, and course coverage. The emphasis is placed on the selection of pedagogically sound materials and methods among the many available services computing related content. In the case study, final open-ended student projects show the feasibility, usefulness and success of this course delivery practice. Lessons learned from the course offering and potential impacts on other degree programs are also discussed in this paper.
ADAM-mediated amphiregulin shedding and EGFR transactivation.

Introduction: The ectodomain shedding of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, such as amphiregulin (AREG), by ADAMs (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteases) can be stimulated by G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists. Interactions between the CXCR4 GPCR and the CXCL12 chemokine have been shown to mediate gene transcription and cellular proliferation in nontransformed and transformed prostate epithelial cells, as well as motility ⁄ invasiveness in transformed cells. Objectives: In this report, we investigated the ability of CXCL12 to stimulate amphiregulin ectodomain shedding in non-transformed and transformed prostate epithelial cells that respond proliferatively to sub-nanomolar levels of CXCL12 and amphiregulin. Materials and Methods: Non-transformed N15C6 and transformed PC3 prostate epithelial cells were assessed for amphiregulin shedding, ADAM activation, Src phosphorylation and EGFR activation using ELISA, immunoblot, and immunoprecipitation techniques, and for proliferation using cell counting after stimulation with CXCL12 or vehicle. Results: The results of these studies identify CXCL12 as a novel inducer of amphiregulin ectodomain shedding and show that both basal and CXCL12-mediated amphiregulin shedding are ADAM10- and Src kinase-dependent in non-transformed N15C6 cells. In contrast, amphiregulin shedding is not amplified subsequent to stimulation with exogenous CXCL12, and is not reduced subsequent to metalloprotease- or Src kinase-inhibition, in highly aggressive PC3 prostate cancer cells. These data also show that CXCL12-mediated cellular proliferation requires EGFR transactivation in a Srcand ADAM-dependent manner in non-transformed prostate epithelial cells. However, these same mechanisms are dysfunctional in highly transformed prostate cancer cells, which secrete amphiregulin in an autocrine manner that cannot be repressed through metalloprotease- or Src kinase inhibition. Conclusion: These findings show that non-transformed and transformed prostate epithelial cells may employ different mechanisms to activate EGFR ligands and thereby utilize the EGFR axis to promote cellular proliferation.
High genetic diversity and geographic subdivision of three lance nematode species (Hoplolaimus spp.) in the United States

Lance nematodes (Hoplolaimus spp.) feed on the roots of a wide range of plants, some of which are agronomic crops. Morphometric values of amphimictic lance nematode species overlap considerably, and useful morphological characters for their discrimination require high magnification and significant diagnostic time. Given their morphological similarity, these Hoplolaimus species provide an interesting model to investigate hidden diversity in crop agroecosystems. In this scenario, H. galeatus may have been over-reported and the related species that are morphologically similar could be more widespread in the United States that has been recognized thus far. The main objectives of this study were to delimit Hoplolaimus galeatus and morphologically similar species using morphology, phylogeny, and a barcoding approach, and to estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of the species found. Molecular analyses were performed using sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) on 23 populations. Four morphospecies were identified: H. galeatus, H. magnistylus, H. concaudajuvencus, and H. stephanus, along with a currently undescribed species. Pronounced genetic structure correlated with geographic origin was found for all species, except for H. galeatus. Hoplolaimus galeatus also exhibited low genetic diversity and the shortest genetic distances among populations. In contrast, H. stephanus, the species with the fewest reports from agricultural soils, was the most common and diverse species found. Results of this project may lead to better delimitation of lance nematode species in the United States by contributing to the understanding the diversity within this group.
Pre-service correctional officers: What do they think about treatment?

Abstract This article presents the findings from a study of 319 correctional officers enrolled in the pre-service academies of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division and focuses on their attitudes toward treatment programs in the prison system. The findings are based on surveys administered to approximately equal numbers of officers at the beginning of the pre-service academy and at the conclusion of the pre-service academy. The dependent variable consisted of a master scale consisting of fifty-nine dichotomous items that was designed to measure attitudes toward six treatment programs. This same scale had been used twice previously in studies of in-service correctional officers' attitudes. Three variables were found to be of particular significance in explaining variation in correctional officers' attitudes: race/ethnicity, size of the town in which the officer was living when the officer entered the academy, and age. The first two are of primary significance because they support the position that movement away from the homogeneous “good old boy,” Caucasian, rural-dominated correctional officer staff toward a more diverse staff has, in fact, led to recruitment of individuals who hold more positive attitudes toward treatment programs. Contrary to expectations, a significant difference was not found between the attitudes of male and female correctional officers.
Association of Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Use with Energy Intake, Physical Activity, and Weight Gain

Studies suggest proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use impacts body weight regulation, though the effect of PPIs on energy intake, energy extraction, and energy expenditure is unknown. We used data on 3073 eligible adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Medication use, energy intake, diet composition, and physical activity were extracted from NHANES. Multivariate regression models included confounding variables. Daily energy intake was similar between PPI users and non-users (p = 0.41). Diet composition was similar between the two groups, except that PPI users consumed a slightly greater proportion of calories from fat (34.5% vs. 33.2%; p = 0.02). PPI users rated themselves as being as physically active as their age/gender-matched peers and reported similar frequencies of walking or biking. However, PPI users were less likely to have participated in muscle-strengthening activities (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.30-0.95). PPI users reported similar sedentary behaviors to non-users. Male PPI users had an increase in weight (of 1.52 ± 0.59 kg; p = 0.021) over the previous year compared to non-users, while female PPI users had a non-significant increase in weight. The potential mechanisms for PPI-associated weight gain are unclear as we did not find evidence for significant differences in energy intake or markers of energy expenditure.
Predictive modelling of coniferous forest age using statistical and artificial neural network approaches applied to remote sensor data

Age is a powerful variable that can be of significant value when modelling the health of forest-dominated ecosystem. Traditional investigations have attempted to extract age information from remotely sensed data by regressing the spectral values with in situ derived age data. Traditional statistical approaches assume (a) normally distributed remote sensing and in situ data, (b) no collinearity among variables, and (c) linear data relationships. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are not bound by such assumptions and may yield improved predictive modelling of forest stand biophysical parameters if properly utilized. This study investigated traditional statistical and ANN approaches to perform the predictive modelling of the age of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) for large stands in southern Brazil using Thematic Mapper (TM) data. An extensive comparison of pattern associator and back-propagation ANNs versus both linear and nonlinear regression analysis was conducted. Various neural network architectures were investigated to determine the optimal configuration for this particular dataset. Certain back-propagation ANNs modelled stand age significantly better than traditional statistical approaches because of their ability to take into account nonlinear, non-normally distributed data. The results suggest that ANN analysis may be of significant value when using remote sensing data to model certain forest variables.
Tracking Large Variable Numbers of Objects in Clutter

We propose statistical data association techniques/or visual tracking of enormously large numbers of objects. We do not assume any prior knowledge about the numbers involved, and the objects may appear or disappear anywhere in the image frame and at any time in the sequence. Our approach combines the techniques of multitarget track initiation, recursive Bayesian tracking, clutter modeling, event analysis, and multiple hypothesis filtering. The original multiple hypothesis filter addresses an NP-hard problem and is thus not practical. We propose two cluster-based data association approaches that are linear in the number of detections and tracked objects. We applied the method to track wildlife in infrared video. We have successfully tracked hundreds of thousands of bats which were flying at high speeds and in dense formations.
Stability of HCV-RNA level and its lack of correlation with disease severity in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis C virus carriers.

This study examines the relationship between HCV-RNA levels and disease severity in 60 individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. HCV-RNA levels were quantified by the branched DNA (bDNA) assay in 445 samples (median: eight samples per patient) obtained over a median of 40.4 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 37.0–42.5). The median log HCV-RNA level was 6.77 (95% CI: 6.62–6.92) molecular equivalents/mL (MEQ/mL). The median log range of HCV-RNA levels in individual patients over the course of the study was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.69–1.16). HCV-RNA level varied over time by less than one log in 62% of patients, by 1–1.5 logs in 22% and by greater than 1.5 logs in only 17%. Univariate analysis, revealed an inverse association between HCV-RNA levels and ALT levels (P=0.037). Univariate and logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between HCV-RNA levels and either the degree of inflammation or fibrosis. In contrast, there was a significant positive association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and histological activity especially in individuals with ALTs> 100 IU/L. Hence, HCV-RNA levels: (i) almost always fell within the dynamic range of the bDNA assay; (ii) were stable in asymptomatic chronically infected patients, with only a small proportion of patients exceeding a range of 1.5 logs; (iii) did not correlate with either the extent of inflammation or degree of fibrosis. In contrast, there was a strong association between ALT level and the histological severity of liver disease.
Observations of Systematic Boundary Layer Divergence Patterns and Their Relationship to Land Use and Topography

Abstract Data from several surface meteorological networks in the vicinity of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Southern Great Plains Cloud and Radiation Testbed were used to investigate the relationship between boundary layer circulations, as reflected in composited divergence fields, and variations in vegetation, surface temperature, and topography. The study is unique in using data from a dense collection of surface meteorological instruments that are distributed over a region comparable in size to a GCM grid cell in a region of sharply varying land use. These land use differences provide variations in surface heat flux on a scale O(100 km) that has been postulated to produce the strongest surface-induced mesoscale circulations in the boundary layer. This paper details the first signature in data of a boundary layer circulation that can be attributed to land use differences at this scale. It is found, however, that in the composited fields the majority of the divergence extrema persist over seasons, are ...
Race Based Medicine, Color Blind Disease: How Racial Preferences in Violation of the 14th Amendment are Killing Us All

Disease is color blind, but medicine is not. For example, sickle cell disease is often discussed in terms of a Black disease; however, people of all different races suffer from sickle cell. Moreover, sickle cell is found in a number of places that have little to no Blacks, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, and Honduras. Nevertheless, health care providers often provide people of different races different levels of care justifying their disparate treatment based on scientific claims. However, not only are these scientific claims baseless, but also the explicit use of race to determine what medical treatment is provided patients is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Just as the states violated the Equal Protection Clause when they used racial classifications to provide separate and unequal education to Black and White children, which was found unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education, publicly funded health care providers and health care facilities are violated the Equal Protection Clause when they use racial classifications to provide separate and unequal care to Black and White patients. Thus, health care providers receiving federal funds must be prohibited from using race to determine patient treatment.My article will discuss the problem with race-based medicine and why it violates the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, it will discuss how health care providers often misdiagnose patients of all races because they use race to determine who has a disease, instead of being colorblind and using symptoms to determine who has a disease. Furthermore, my article will discuss the fact that there is no scientifically proven link between race and disease, because there is no scientific way to establish race. Consequently, there is no scientific or legal justification for using race in medicine. Finally, my article will discuss why federally funded health care providers are state actors and thus are prohibited by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment from using race, a suspect class, in their treatment decisions to limit the care all races receive.