cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hollow man: Donald Trump, populism, and post-truth politics

Donald J. Trump’s surprising victory in the 2016 American presidential election requires analysis: what brought it about, and what might it portend? This paper explores these and other questions: how have Trump’s victory and his communicative strategies compromised the culture’s notions of “truth” – via a continuum from “lie” through “post-truth,” “truthiness,” and “alternative facts” to “truth”? Is Trump – judging from his language and other communications – really a populist? And how are we to understand his many idiosyncrasies of discourse, as well as his supporters’ unwillingness to worry about them?
Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction is often associated with coexistent abnormal esophageal body motility and abnormal bolus transit.

Currently, the diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders is in part based upon a hierarchical algorithm in which abnormalities of the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) is prioritized. An important metric in evaluating the EGJ is the integrated relaxation pressure (IRP). Patients who do not have achalasia but are found to have an elevated IRP are diagnosed with EGJ outflow obstruction. It has been our observation that a subset of these patients also has a second named motility disorder and may also have abnormal bolus transit. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of abnormal body motility and or abnormal bolus movement in patients with EGJ outflow obstruction. Further, in an effort to evaluate the potential clinical value in measuring bolus transit as a complement to esophageal manometry, specifically in patients with EGJ outflow obstruction, we analyzed the presenting symptoms of these patients. A total of 807 patients with a mean age of 53 years completed esophageal function testing with impedance monitoring and high-resolution manometry between January 2012 and October 2016. There were 74 patients with achalasia who were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 733 patients, 138 (19%) had an elevated IRP and were given a diagnosis of EGJ outflow obstruction. Among these patients, 56 (40%) were diagnosed with an abnormal motility pattern to liquids (ineffective esophageal motility = 28, distal esophageal spasm = 19, Jackhammer = 6), of which 44 (76%) had abnormal bolus transit to liquids, viscous, or both. In contrast, there were 82 patients with EGJ outflow obstruction and normal esophageal motility, of which 33 (40%) had abnormal bolus transit. Patients with preserved esophageal motility and EGJ outflow obstruction were then evaluated. Of the 733 patients, 299 (40%) had intact esophageal motility. Of the 299 patients with normal esophageal motility, 56 patients had an elevated IRP, of which 16 (28%) had abnormal bolus transit. There were 243 (33%) patients with intact esophageal motility and normal IRP. Of these, 56 (23%) patients had abnormal bolus transit. Among patients with abnormal bolus transit, the two most commonly presenting symptoms were dysphagia and heartburn. A substantial percentage of patients with EGJ outflow obstruction have abnormal esophageal body motility and or abnormal bolus transit. The clinical implications of EGJ outflow obstruction need to be further elucidated as current criteria do not allow for the description of other abnormalities in esophageal motility and bolus transit among patients who are given the diagnosis of EGJ outflow obstruction.
Is Searching the Internet Really Different? Search Process Models for Two Electronic Environments

A pilot study devised to explore factors contributing to searcher persistence in varying electronic environments was conducted in the usability lab at the School of Information Studies at Florida State University in the summer and fall of 1997. Subjects were students who claimed some knowledge of WWW searching and students who had completed a basic course in traditional electronic searching.
Abdominal Fat Depots and Subclinical Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis in Women With and Without HIV Infection.

Background:Data on associations between abdominal fat depot mass and subclinical atherosclerosis are limited, especially in women with HIV.Methods:We assessed cross-sectional associations of dual X-ray absorptiometry scan-derived estimates of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and abdominal subcutaneous
Survey: Resource Footprints and Environmental Security at DoD Installations

Environmental issues are increasingly at the forefront of planning for US military installations, for a variety of reasons. DoD efforts to reduce the resource footprint of installations offer several benefits, but may incur risks as well. In addition, climate change may pose significant, if longer-term, environmental risks to both military and secured industrial installations. This paper will provide a survey of these issues and how they have heightened the profile of environmental factors in installation security and management.
Mindfulness – seeping through the cracks in the American context of teacher education

In the context of the United States, we provide our rationale for infusing mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) into a graduate-level teacher education course. In our philosophy and pedagogical a...
A realtime, open-source speech-processing platform for research in hearing loss compensation

We are developing a realtime, wearable, open-source speech-processing platform (OSP) that can be configured at compile and run times by audiologists and hearing aid (HA) researchers to investigate advanced HA algorithms in lab and field studies. The goals of this contribution are to present the current system and propose areas for enhancements and extensions. We identify (i) basic and (ii) advanced features in commercial HAs and describe current signal processing libraries and reference designs to build a functional HA. We present performance of this system and compare with commercial HAs using "Specification of Hearing Aid Characteristics," the ANSI 3.22 standard. We then describe a wireless protocol stack for remote control of the HA parameters and uploading media and HA status for offline research. The proposed architecture enables advanced research to compensate for hearing loss by offloading processing from ear-level-assemblies, thereby eliminating the bottlenecks of CPU and communication between left and right HAs.
Black American College Students Report Higher Memory of Love for Mothers in Childhood Than White Students.

Cultural differences between Black and White individuals in the South are connected to the inequitable history of the United States. We wondered if these cultural differences would translate to a p...
Reciprocal Corneal Transplantation Fails to Correct Mucopolysaccharidosis VI Corneal Storage

This report contains the results of studies designed to evaluate corneal clearing in mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI)-affected cats. Corneal buttons from affected cats were transplanted into normal cat corneas and, as controls, normal-to-normal and normal-to-affected transplants also were done. No clearing of the MPS VI graft or host beds occurred, nor was there any clouding of the normal donor or recipient corneal tissues. This assessment was made by serial clinical examinations over a 14-30 mo period and by light and electron microscopic examination of the corneal tissues at the end of the study. Lack of corneal clearing under conditions that would maximize such a process in this animal model indicates that corneal clearing is not an appropriate index for measuring the success of systemic therapy in MPS VI.
Gentiana chazaroi (Gentianaceae), a new western Mexican species

A new, small-leaved, blue-flowered, slenderly rhizomatous Gentiana of section Pneumonanthe related to the larger-flowered G. ovatiloba Kusn. Is described from La Ciudad, on the crest of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Durango, Mexico.
Dynamics of Free Carriers in Diamond

In equilibrium every diamond contains a finite number of free charge arriers, either from intentional doping or unintentional defects. It is the number and motion of the free carriers that determines its electrical conductivity. In the first half of this chapter we discuss the motion of these charge carriers to applied forces; i.e. the electrical transport properties of diamond. In the second half we treat the generation of non-equilibrium carriers and their return to equilibrium, through recombination and rapping following the application of external sources of excitation.
Combination Ipsilateral Lobar and Segmental Radioembolization Using Glass Yttrium-90 Microspheres for Treatment of Multifocal Hepatic Malignancies.

Abstract Eight patients with primary (n = 6) and metastatic (n = 2) disease of the liver underwent yttrium-90 radioembolization with glass microspheres using a combination of segmental and ipsilateral lobar approach to treat multifocal tumors containing a single dominant tumor. The superselective dose was administered to the dominant tumor, whereas lobar infusion was used for smaller tumors. Assuming uniform distribution, median dose to the segment with dominant tumor was 412.3 Gy and to the remaining lobe was 117.5 Gy. No instances of radiation-induced liver disease occurred. Combined segmental and ipsilateral lobar radioembolization is a well-tolerated procedure to treat unilateral multifocal hepatic tumors including a single dominant tumor.
Continuous improvement in primary Debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer: Do increased complete gross resection rates independently lead to increased progression-free and overall survival?

Abstract Objectives To assess complete gross resection (CGR) rates and survival outcomes in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who underwent primary debulking surgery (PDS) during a 13-year period in which specific changes to surgical paradigm were implemented. Methods We identified all patients with stage IIIB-IV high-grade ovarian carcinoma who underwent PDS at our institution, with the intent of maximal cytoreduction, from 1/2001–12/2013. Patients were categorized by year of PDS based on the implementation of surgical changes to our approach to ovarian cancer debulking (Group 1, 2001–2005; Group 2, 2006–2009; Group 3, 2010–2013). Results Among 978 patients, 78% had stage IIIC disease and 89% had disease of serous histology. Carcinomatosis was found in 81%, and 60% had bulky upper abdominal disease (UAD). Compared to Group 1, those who underwent PDS during the latter 2 time periods had higher ASA scores (p Conclusions Despite higher-stage disease and greater tumor burden, CGR rates, PFS and OS for patients who underwent PDS increased over a 13-year period. Surgical paradigm shifts implemented specifically to achieve more complete surgical cytoreduction are likely the reason for these improvements.
CyLKs: Unsupervised Cycle Lucas-Kanade Network for Landmark Tracking.

Across a majority of modern learning-based tracking systems, expensive annotations are needed to achieve state-of-the-art performance. In contrast, the Lucas-Kanade (LK) algorithm works well without any annotation. However, LK has a strong assumption of photometric (brightness) consistency on image intensity and is easy to drift because of large motion, occlusion, and aperture problem. To relax the assumption and alleviate the drift problem, we propose CyLKs, a data-driven way of training Lucas-Kanade in an unsupervised manner. CyLKs learns a feature transformation through CNNs, transforming the input images to a feature space which is especially favorable to LK tracking. During training, we perform differentiable Lucas-Kanade forward and backward on the convolutional feature maps, and then minimize the re-projection error. During testing, we perform the LK tracking on the learned features. We apply our model to the task of landmark tracking and perform experiments on datasets of THUMOS and 300VW.
Supramolecular Fuzziness of Intracellular Liquid Droplets: Liquid–Liquid Phase Transitions, Membrane-Less Organelles, and Intrinsic Disorder

Cells are inhomogeneously crowded, possessing a wide range of intracellular liquid droplets abundantly present in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic and bacterial cells, in the mitochondrial matrix and nucleoplasm of eukaryotes, and in the chloroplast’s stroma of plant cells. These proteinaceous membrane-less organelles (PMLOs) not only represent a natural method of intracellular compartmentalization, which is crucial for successful execution of various biological functions, but also serve as important means for the processing of local information and rapid response to the fluctuations in environmental conditions. Since PMLOs, being complex macromolecular assemblages, possess many characteristic features of liquids, they represent highly dynamic (or fuzzy) protein–protein and/or protein–nucleic acid complexes. The biogenesis of PMLOs is controlled by specific intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and hybrid proteins with ordered domains and intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs), which, due to their highly dynamic structures and ability to facilitate multivalent interactions, serve as indispensable drivers of the biological liquid–liquid phase transitions (LLPTs) giving rise to PMLOs. In this article, the importance of the disorder-based supramolecular fuzziness for LLPTs and PMLO biogenesis is discussed.
The biology of the primitive ant Aneuretus simoni (Emery) (Formicidae: Aneuretinae). II: The social ethogram and division of labor

Social behavior inAneuretus simoni is quantitatively described in a social ethogram. The majority of acts exhibited by queens and minor and major workers are typical behaviors observed in species of the higher subfamilies of ants. A Fagen-Goldman analysis of the frequency of behavioral acts indicated that the observed repertory was complete. Observed repertory sizes were 5 acts (the queen), 14 acts (major workers), 28 acts (callow minor workers) and 31 acts (mature minor workers). These repertory sizes are comparable to those observed in other ant species. Major workers, which average less than two in number per colony, do not show brood care. Majors were also never observed to participate in colony defense. The behavioral repertory of callow minor workers includes queen-related acts, brood care, and foraging. A comparison of social organization inA. simoni and other so-called primitive and advanced species indicates that social behavior is very similar to that of dolichoderine species.
Editorial: Fast, Good, Cheap: Pick Two. Computer-Assisted Diagnostic Interviewing.

Diagnosis is fundamental to clinical practice. Patients look to us to make sense of their problems, give them a name, unlock access to services, organize treatment, and lead to better outcomes. Gibbons et al.1 developed and validated a computer-assisted diagnostic interview that covers common clinical problems. Using two large samples, they statistically calibrated a pool of 1,060 items so that adaptive testing can yield a precise estimate of problem severity. The method is akin to the way that college admissions tests are being shortened than the older "skip out" method of discontinuing sections of an interview based on gate-keeping questions. Gibbons et al.1 take several extra steps to build a more complete foundation for clinical use, including validation in a second, different sample, as well as investigating retest reliability. The product is a tool that could enhance mental health care, and have a transformative effect in many systems of care and regions of the world.
When Do Pediatricians Call the Ethics Consultation Service? Impact of Clinical Experience and Formal Ethics Training

Background: Previous research shows that pediatricians inconsistently utilize the ethics consultation service (ECS). Methods: Pediatricians in two suburban, Midwestern academic hospitals were asked...
Integrating Basic and Clinical Sciences Using Point-of-Care Renal Ultrasound for Preclerkship Education.

Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable asset in bedside clinical care. Undergraduate medical education is increasingly using POCUS as an adjunct tool for teaching anatomy, path...
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a diagnosis of exclusion where the afflicted patient has an elevated BMI (>30 kg/m2) and chronic carbon dioxide retention. Most patients have obstructive sleep apnea and may develop cor pulmonale. The pathophysiology is complex and includes excessive load on the respiratory system, altered ventilator control, and functional respiratory impairment. Screening for OHS should include elevated serum bicarbonate levels in obese individuals; a low resting pulse oximetry reading (<94%) should also raise suspicion. OHS should be confirmed with an overnight polysomnography, ideally with CO2 monitoring and an resting arterial blood gas documenting elevated carbon dioxide levels. Most patients can be adequately managed with positive airway pressure during sleep and bariatric surgery, or weight loss programs should be strongly encouraged.
Assay variability and storage stability of the myeloperoxidase index of the ADVIA 2120i hematology analyzer in canine and equine whole blood samples.

Background The myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), on ADVIA hematology analyzers, reflects the mean neutrophil myeloperoxidase staining. It is used as a marker of inflammation in animals and people, but assay variability and storage stability are unknown. Objective We aimed to determine MPXI precision and stability with refrigerated storage of canine and equine EDTA-anticoagulated blood and compared MPXI results between two analyzers. Methods Inter-assay coefficients of variations (CVs) were determined from three human-based controls assayed before and after a 20- or 21-day calibration. Blood from 14-16 dogs and 26 horses was assayed 4-10 times within 1 day for intra-assay CV measurements. Median control and single run results from 18 canine and 35 equine samples were compared between analyzers. Blood from 10-12 dogs and 10-11 horses was analyzed after collection, and 24, 48, and 72 hours of refrigerated storage. Results Inter-assay CVs of controls were 10.7%-15.9% and 6.4%-9.6% before and 4.3%-7.7% and 2.8%-17.5% after calibration, for ADVIA 1 and 2, respectively. Calibration altered peroxidase gain settings and improved precision. Intra-assay CVs were 0.6%-64% and 3%-350% for canine and equine samples, respectively. Median MPXI results differed significantly between the analyzers, likely from calibration-associated changes in gains. MPXI decreased with storage, and with variable changes between animals and analyzers. Platelet clumps and lipid contributed to the variability in replicate MPXI measurements. Conclusion MPXI has a higher variability in equine samples than in canine samples. Equivalent results might not be obtained between analyzers. Results change unpredictably with repeated analyses over 72 hours. MPXI measurements might only be useful in controlled research settings.
Using Virtual Simulation To Increase Deep Learning in Radiography Students.

PURPOSE To discuss recent studies that validate the combination of traditional teaching and virtual simulation training in reducing common errors, enhancing students' confidence, improving their performance, and increasing deep learning. METHODS Multiple electronic databases were searched for learning environment concepts such as deep- vs surface-learning approaches, online vs face-to-face instruction, and the usefulness of virtual simulation laboratories between 1999 to the present. RESULTS Deep-learning approaches allow students to engage in higher-quality learning (eg, understanding of the discipline and thinking critically) than do surface-learning approaches. Instructors are shifting from traditional face-to-face learning environments to online environments, including virtual simulation. Virtual simulation alone does not guarantee deep learning; instructional design and guidelines determine whether students use deep- or surface-learning approaches. DISCUSSION Most radiologic technology programs currently use a traditional x-ray laboratory to teach students positioning and radiation dose techniques. Virtual simulation offers a harmless and convenient learning environment that permits students to practice techniques without the risks of irradiating patients. Instructors can foster deep learning in virtual simulation laboratory environments by designing the software around particular course outcomes (eg, cognitive and psychomotor skills) and engaging with sound educational strategies and theory. CONCLUSION By understanding deep learning that is taking place in radiologic science laboratory learning environments, educators will be able to design virtual simulation courses that foster deeper learning.
Assessment and Authorisation of Plans and Projects Having a Significant Impact on Natura 2000 Sites

INTRODUCTION The continuing loss of biodiversity is an issue of global concern. Europe's biological diversity, in addition to displaying a number of important ecological characteristics, is testament to the millennial symbiosis between man and his natural environment. In effect, more than on any other continent, human activities have been shaping biodiversity over centuries. Ecosystems were relatively stable until the agricultural and industrial revolutions of the past two centuries. Today, however, biodiversity faces a major crisis at both global and European levels, the implications of which still have not been fully appreciated. Biodiversity is indeed passing through a period of major crisis. Most natural or semi-natural, continental and coastal ecosystems are now subject to significant modifications as a result of human activities (land use changes, intensification of agriculture, land abandonment, urban sprawl, climate change, etc.). Scientists expect that these disruptions will cause an unprecedented drop in the wealth of specific and genetic diversity. In order to reverse these negative trends, in 1979 the EU enacted the Birds Protection Directive, and in 1992 a sister directive, Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive). In addition, under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the EU agreed in 2001 to a global target of ‘significantly reducing the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010’. After this failed attempt to stop biodiversity loss, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to halt biodiversity loss in the EU by 2020. The Birds Directive makes it a requirement for Member States to ‘preserve, maintain and re-establish sufficient diversity and area of habitats for all wild birds’ and in particular to designate a range of Special Protection Areas (SPAs). The aim of the Habitats Directive is to contribute towards ensuring biodiversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna throughout the Member States. Accordingly, measures taken pursuant to the Directive must be designed to ‘maintain at or restore to’, a favourable conservation status, natural habitats and species of wild flora and fauna ‘of Community interest’. It is thus ‘an essential objective of the Directive that natural habitats be maintained at and, where appropriate, restored to a favourable conservation status’.
Building Emotionally Resilient Schools and Educators During Crises

This teaching case study illustrates the increasing need for school leaders to offer and foster adult social emotional learning (SEL) in schools, particularly in the context of crises. This scenari...
Weathering the storm together: Cultivating climate leadership through affective pedagogy and psychological support groups

How can students become transformational leaders if they are left alone to grapple with the emotional toll of climate change, preparing for careers while scientists sound the alarm that business as usual is untenable? Ecoanxiety, solastalgia, and climate grief are the affective undercurrents in sustainability and environmental science classrooms. This case study discusses strategies used to support students’ emotional well-being in an introductory sustainability class and a co-curricular climate change support group program at Oregon State University. Psychologists and sustainability educators created space for students and faculty to engage in authentic dialogues confronting the emotional uncertainty of the climate crisis and working together to define their roles building a resilient future.
C++ Applications Guide

This introduction to the concepts and constructions of object-orientated programming covers all the features of the C++ language for anyone developing C++ applications on the microcomputer. Following the release of the final specifications for Version 2.0 of the language, the guide describes the latest features of C++ and its concepts as an extension of the progamming language detailing: classes, operator overloading, derived classes, streams, friends, inheritance, multiple inheritance, polymorphism, constructors and destructors. The book uses practical examples to illustrate programming concepts taken from actual cases. Dr Smith is the author of "Getting the Most from Turbo Pascal" and "C++ Tools: For Scientists and Engineers".
Heterogeneity in the O6 Alkylguanine DNA Alkyltransferase (AGT) Activity of Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes (PBL’s)

The nature of the mechanisms controlling the protein content of mammalian cells and tissues is a central problem of modern biology. Recent studies on the structure of genes and their control elements in eukaryotes indicate the early paradigms based on the lac operon of E. coli (complex as they are) to be much too simple (Watson, et al., 1987). It is likely that numerous factors are involved in the determination of the level of activity of any protein, particularly proteins which are developmentally regulated so that their activity differs in different tissues. The repair protein, O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) is an example of a developmentally regulated protein since it has widely different activities in brain, liver and other tissues (Pegg, 1983). In addition, it has been reported that the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL’s) from different individuals may vary widely in their AGT activity (Waldstein, et al., 1982). In this paper, we report that average AGT activity is characteristic of individuals and of their cells but that the PBL’s constitute a heterogeneous population of cells of differing inherent AGT activity. Furthermore, we show that cells may vary in their response to the mutagen N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine by a mechanism which need not involve the AGT protein.
CAD Tools for Nonlinear Control: Speed Control of a Car Engine

A feedback linearization controller design is presented for the speed control of an automobile engine. Various difficulties encountered along the process and their proposed solutions are explained in detail. The ultimate goal of this project is to mechanise these calculations and develop a CAD package which will be able to solve a wide range of practical problems. The method proposed will be valuable in designing a controller by using most of the strategies from the rapidly growing geometrical nonlinear control toolbox.
Using linguistic models for image retrieval

This research addresses the problem of image retrieval by exploring the semantic relationships that exist between image annotations. This is done by using linguistic relationships encoded in WordNet, a comprehensive lexical repository. Additionally, we propose the use of a reflective user-interface where users can interactively query-explore semantically related images by varying a simple parameter that does not require knowledge about the underlying information structure. This facilitates query-retrieval in context of the emergent nature of semantics that complex media, such as images have. Experiments show the efficacy and promise of this approach which can play a significant role in applications varying from multimedia information management to web-based image search.
Generalizing the Unimodular Approach

Most of the available parallelism in source code is contained in loops and is exploited by applying a sequence of loop transformations. Diflerent methods of representing and ordering sequences oftransformations have been developed, including the use of unimodular transformations, which unify loop permutation, loop reversal, and loop skewing of perfectly nested loops. This paper presents three extensions to the unimodular approach that make it applicable to a wider range of source code structures. First, the unimodular transformations are extended to represent additional loop transformation techniques, namely loop fission, loop fusion, loop blocking (tiling), strip mining, cycle shrinking, loop coalescing, and loop collapsing. Second, the application of unimodular transformations is generalized to handle both perfectly and imperfectly nested loops. Third, attractive properties of the original unimodular transformations are preserved by the generalized model.
Epilepsy: Status epilepticus epidemiology--tracking a moving target.

A surprisingly high rate of nonconvulsive seizures and status epilepticus is found during continuous EEG monitoring in critically ill patients. A recent analysis of data regarding hospitalization and mortality in patients with status epilepticus emphasizes the relevance not only of how status epilepticus is defined, but also of how it is detected.
Nalidixic Acid-Resistant Auxotrophs of Escherichia coli

purB and ctr mutants of Escherichia coli are resistant to low levels of nalidixic acid.
Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) Studies of the Actinides

The basic EXAFS parameters of the backscattering amplitude and phase shift have been computed as a function of k for the neutral atoms of Th, U, Np and Pu. It is found that an anomalous variation of the backscattering phase shift with respect to k occurs for the actinide elements at approximately k=7A−1. However, this variation is monotonic, unlike those for Pb and a few other lighter elements. It is also found that the detailed behavior of the parameters is sensitive to the distribution of electrons in the 5f open shell. Comparison with experiments on uranium arsenide and selenide emphasizes the need for careful modeling of the 5f electronic configuration.
Atheism and the Courts

Very little has been written about the treatment of atheists and atheism by American courts, but this note fills that gap by examining a range of judicial opinions on this topic. The Supreme Court now holds that atheists deserve the same constitutional protection as theists, although only two Court opinions have specifically dealt with atheistic plaintiffs. As I explain, most lawsuits in the lower courts involving atheists have failed. I group these atheism-related lawsuits into two categories, meritorious and meritless claims. Meritorious claims engage the courts in seriously considering the scope of First Amendment rights and thereby help to define atheists' rights. Even though many of these claims fail, they nonetheless present legitimate arguments. On the other hand, many cases involving atheists or alleged atheists fail to raise serious issues at all, and often fail on the facts, even before reaching the legal issues. These meritless cases frequently involve allegations of discrimination or personal harm for which the plaintiff lacks any evidence. This distinction between meritorious and meritless atheism claims illuminates the treatment of atheists by American courts and society. Common wisdom holds that atheists are a large, persecuted minority, so therefore we might expect to find many serious and successful lawsuits brought by atheists, and perhaps some indication of mistreatment by the courts. Instead, the scarcity of meritorious lawsuits on this topic and atheists' apparently fair treatment by the courts suggests that atheists may not be as persecuted as we think. Nevertheless, the important goal underlying these suits - enforcing and extending the separation between church and state - should encourage future lawsuits brought by atheists.
Protein Synthesis within Dendrites: Glycosylation of Newly Synthesized Proteins in Dendrites of Hippocampal Neurons in Culture

There is increasing evidence that certain mRNAs are present in dendrites and can be translated there. The present study uses two strategies to evaluate whether dendrites also possess the machinery for protein glycosylation. First, precursor labeling techniques were used to conjunction with autoradiography to visualize glycosyltransferase activities that are characteristic of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) (mannose) or the Golgi apparatus (GA) (galactose and fucose) in dendrites that had been separated from their cell bodies and in intact neurons treated with brefeldin A or low temperature. Second, immunocytochemical techniques were used to define the subcellular distribution of proteins that are considered markers of the RER (ribophorin I) and GA (p58, alpha-mannosidase II, galactosyltransferase, and TGN38/41). Autoradiographic analysis revealed that isolated dendrites incorporated sugar precursors in a tunicamycin-sensitive and protein synthesis-dependent manner. Moreover, when intact neurons were pulse-labeled with 3H-labeled sugars at low temperature or after treatment with brefeldin A, labeling was distributed over proximal and sometimes distal dendrites. Immunolabeling for RER markers was predominantly localized in cell bodies but extended for a considerable distance into dendrites of all neurons. Immunolabeling for GA markers was confined to the cell body in approximately 70% of the neurons, but in 30% of the neurons, the staining extended into proximal and middle dendrites. These results indicate that the machinery for glycosylation extends well into dendrites in many neurons.
Continuous Interconnect Provides Solution to Density/Performance Trade-Off in Programmable Logic

This article will discuss the trade-off between segmented and continous interconnect in programmable logic devices and the effect on performance and ease of use in logic design. The article will describe the effects on interconnect delay paths of both styles of programmable interconnect and will show how these affect overal performance.
Exploiting GPUs in solving (Distributed) constraint optimization problems with dynamic programming

This paper proposes the design and implementation of a dynamic programming based algorithm for (distributed) constraint optimization, which exploits modern massively parallel architectures, such as those found in modern Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). The paper studies the proposed algorithm in both centralized and distributed optimization contexts. The experimental analysis, performed on unstructured and structured graphs, shows the advantages of employing GPUs, resulting in enhanced performances and scalability. This research is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number HRD-1345232. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the sponsoring organizations, agencies, or the U.S. government.
Abstract P339: Angina and Silent Myocardial Infarction are Associated with Isolated Small Vessel Peripheral Artery Disease in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Rancho Bernardo Study

Background: Classic CVD risk factors associated with isolated small vessel peripheral artery disease (iSV-PAD) include older age, male sex, longer smoking duration, and higher LDL cholesterol levels. These CVD risk factors have been linked to atherosclerosis in several vascular beds and to cardiac ischemia. It is not known whether iSV-PAD shares these same links, especially in community-dwelling older adults. Thus, in the Rancho Bernardo (RB) Study, we investigated whether iSV-PAD was associated with measures of atherosclerosis and cardiac ischemia. Methods: Among 965 RB Study participants with complete measures of ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe-brachial index (TBI), and measures of cardiac ischemia [self-reported angina, major Q wave on electrocardiogram (ECG), and any ECG abnormality], we evaluated associations between cardiac ischemia and iSV-PAD. In a subset of 387 RB participants free of diagnosed CVD, we evaluated associations between measures of atherosclerosis [coronary artery calcium (CAC) (Agatston scores and calcium volume) and internal carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)] with iSV-PAD. Isolated SV-PAD was defined by bilateral normal ABI (1.0-1.4) with bilateral TBI < 0.7. Associations of measures of atherosclerosis and cardiac ischemia with iSV-PAD were evaluated using logistic regression in staged models, adjusted for age, sex, anthropometrics, lifestyle, comorbidities, and medications. Results: More likely to have iSV-PAD were participants who ever had angina (OR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.04-4.2) or had major Q wave on ECG (OR=4.2, 95% CI: 1.1-15.5). There were too few to stratify by sex. No statistically significant associations were observed for measures of atherosclerosis with iSV-PAD. (Figure 1) Conclusion: Strong associations of cardiac ischemia, coupled with null associations of atherosclerosis, with iSV-PAD suggest that iSV-PAD may indicate vascular pathology different from atherosclerosis. Further investigation of endothelial dysfunction and iSV-PAD may elucidate underlying pathology. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Layered lattice coding for the symmetric Gaussian X channel

We develop achievable sum rate expressions for the Gaussian X channel at finite SNR using layered lattice coding with interference alignment. For different regimes of channel parameter h, we consider different decoding strategies including successive decoding and compute-and-forward decoding. For some regimes of h, we characterize the sum-rate capacity to within constant bits by using successive decoding. For a set of h that satisfy certain feasibility conditions, we show that compute-and-forward decoding outperforms a timesharing MAC-based lower bound. However, we find that the direct application of compute-and-forward results in high sensitivity of computation rates to the variation of h. Therefore, we introduce a channel steering method to significantly reduce the fluctuation in achievable sum-rate and consistently achieve high rates. We subsequently compare the achievable sum-rate with a new upper bound to demonstrate the value of channel steering.
Partitioning of strontium between calcite and fluid

The Sr/Ca ratio of biogenic carbonate is widely used as a proxy for paleotemperature. This application is supported by empirical calibrations of Sr/Ca as a function of temperature, but it is also known that Sr uptake in calcite gauged by KdSr = is affected by other variables, including bulk precipitation rate (KdSr increases with increasing precipitation rate). There are no data from controlled experiments specifically addressing the effect of radial growth rate of individual crystals on KdSr. For this reason, we conducted two series of experiments to explore Sr partitioning at varying growth rates: (1) growth from a CaCl2–NH4Cl–SrCl2 solution by diffusion of CO2 from an ammonium carbonate source (“drift” experiments) and (2) “drip” precipitation of calcite on a substrate, using a steady flow of CaCl2–SrCl2 and Na2CO3 solutions, mixed just before passage through a tube and dripped onto a glass slide precoated with calcite (“cave-type” experiments). The growth rates of individual crystals were determined by periodic monitoring of crystal size through time or, roughly, by comparison of the final size with the duration of the experiment. Electron microprobe analyses across sectioned crystals grown in the drift experiments show that the concentration of Sr is high in the center (where radial growth rates are highest) and decreases systematically toward the edge. The center-to-edge drop in Sr concentration is a consequence of the slowing radial growth rate as individual crystals become larger. In general, high crystal growth rate (V) enhances Sr uptake in calcite due to a type of kinetic disequilibrium we refer to as “growth entrapment.” The apparent KdSr ranges from 0.12 to 0.35 as V increases from 0.01 nm/s to 1 μm/s at 25°C.
Differential responses to fasting and subsequent feeding by microsomal systems of rat liver: 6- and 9-desaturation of fatty acids

Hepatic microsomal preparations from nonfasted, fasted, and fasted-fed rats were employed, together with cofactors, in studies of 9-desaturation of stearate-1-(14)C and 6-desaturation of linolenate-1-(14)C. Prior fasting sharply reduced 9-desaturation but did not affect 6-desaturation; feeding restored 9-desaturation. Position of desaturation was determined by permanganate-periodate oxidation and separation of the dicarboxylic acids. Feeding after fasting stimulated both desaturase systems but either dl-ethionine or actinomycin D prevented this. Dietary carbohydrate or saturated fat increased 9-desaturation and dietary protein increased 6-desaturation. Insulin treatment of nonfasted rats increased 9-desaturation but not 6-desaturation. High dietary unsaturated fat (20% safflower oil) stimulated 6-desaturation but inhibited the 9-desaturation response to feeding. The results indicate that the two desaturases are distinct and are inducible in response to different substances.
Role of calcium and albumin in the autoregulation of renal perfusate flow.

1. We investigated the role of calcium and albumin on the perfusate flow in isolated perfused rat kidneys. The initial perfusion medium was Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate solution with 1.82 m m-calcium without albumin. Perfusate flow autoregulation occurred above 100 mmHg. 2. Raising albumin concentration to 20 and 60 g/l. abolished autoregulation and increased perfusate flow. 3. Keeping ionized calcium at 1.82 m m restored autoregulation in medium containing 20 and 60 g albumin/l. However, in 60 g albumin/l. autoregulation occurred at a significantly higher flow. 4. 1.82 m m-ionized calcium appears to be a critical level for autoregulation of flow in these experiments, for autoregulation was not obtained in 60 g albumin/l. medium containing 1.80 m m-ionized calcium. On the other hand, autoregulation occurred in medium containing 1.83 m m-ionized calcium, but at a lower perfusate flow. 5. Raising albumin concentration to 120 g/l. increased perfusate flow from 14.6±0.8 to 20.8±0.7 ml./min.g (n = 5, P < 0.01) in the presence of 1.82 m m-total calcium, and from 11.6±1.0 to 15.8±0.7 ml./min.g (n = 5, P < 0.01) in 1.82 m m-ionized calcium. The effect of raising albumin concentration was reversible. 6. Removing the capsule from the kidneys abolished the increased flow in response to raising albumin concentration. 7. We conclude that (a) the mechanism for the autoregulation of renal perfusate flow in isolated perfused kidneys is critically dependent on an extremely narrow range of ionized calcium concentration in the perfusion medium, below this range, autoregulation is not achieved; above it, however, autoregulation is achieved, but during intense vasoconstriction; (b) raising albumin concentration in the perfusion medium increases perfusate flow and abolishes autoregulation by lowering extracellular ionized calcium and by raising intrarenal tissue pressure.
Systematic group leader training: A skills development approach

Abstract This article discusses the importance of presenting a set of basic skills to beginning group leaders. Six basic skills are discussed, and a systematic approach to training is briefly outlined.
Blowoff mechanism of harmonically forced bluff body stabilized turbulent premixed flames

Abstract Flame blowoff under harmonic forcing of upstream mixture velocity is analyzed for bluff-body stabilized conical premixed flames in a laboratory burner. It is found that the forced vortex shedding phenomenon within the recirculation zone, accompanies flame blowoff when the convective wavelength of the imposed oscillation is larger than the recirculation zone length in the streamwise direction. The experimental results obtained from combined particle image velocimetry and planar laser induced fluorescence of OH radical provide evidence for this behavior. The differences between forced and unforced flame blowoff are also discussed.
The topics and roles of the situational code-switching of an English-French bilingual

Most studies of child bilingualism (Dopke, 1992; Fantini, 1985; Genishi, 1999; Gumperz, 1977, 1982; McClure, 1977; Myers-Scotton, 1993a; Romaine, 1994) concern children raised in a bilingual language community. The present study concerns a four-year-old child in an English-speaking community raised in an environment where his mother only spoke French to him. Two questions were raised: Can a child raised by a non-native parent produce situational code-switching triggered by topic changes? Are there additional topics or roles to add to the previous literature that trigger a young English-French bilingual child to code-switch? The data in this study showed that the child produced situational code-switching. Two novel hypotheses for code-switching were also found: leadership and expression of emotions and sensations. This case-study is important for the field of code-switching in the environment of a non-native parent raising a child in a second language.
Micellization of Polyoxyalkylene Block Copolymers in Formamide

The solution properties of amphiphilic molecules in nonaqueous polar solvents are important in the elucidation of the effects of solvent quality on self-assembly and also in practical applications where the use of water as a solvent is undesirable. We used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to investigate the micellization of a poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) block copolymer (Pluronic P105: EO37PO58EO37) in formamide as a function of block copolymer concentration (in the range 1−20 wt %) and temperature (10−60 °C). Results on the micellization thermodynamics and the micelle structure are presented here. PEO−PPO−PEO block copolymers self-assemble in formamide into micelles upon increasing the temperature, indicating an endothermic micellization. The enthalpy and entropy of micellization in formamide are about 3 times smaller than the respective quantities in water. The radius of gyration of the unimers and the core radius and hard-sphere interaction radius ...
Transcription of a subset of human class II major histocompatibility complex genes is regulated by a nucleoprotein complex that contains c-fos or an antigenically related protein.

Abstract Transcriptional regulation of the human major histocompatibility complex class II genes requires at least two upstream elements, the X and Y boxes, located in the -50- to -150-base-pair region of all class II promoters. The DRA and DPB promoters contain phorbol ester-responsive elements overlapping the 3' side of their X boxes. Mutation of this sequence down-regulates the efficiency of the DRA promoter, suggesting that a positive regulator(s) binds to this site. In this report, anti-sense c-fos RNA and an anti-c-fos antibody were used to show that the product of the protooncogene c-fos or an antigenically related protein is a component of a complex that binds to the X box and is required for maximal transcription from the DRA and DPB promoters. As c-fos (or its related proteins) cannot bind alone to DNA, these results suggest that it may dimerize with other members of the JUN/AP-1 family, such as hXBP1, to participate in the activation of a subset of class II major histocompatibility complex genes.
The effect of high pressure on phase transformation of nanocrystalline TiO2 during hot-pressing

Bulk n-TiO2 samples with a relative density as high as 95% have been fabricated by means of hot-pressing at temperatures as low as 400 °C and at pressures up to 1.5 GPa. During hot-pressing, the anatase phase transformed to the rutile phase and the amount of the transformation increased with sintering pressure. We believe that the smaller grain size of the rutile phase compared with that of the pre-transformed anatase phase is related to multiple nucleation events in the anatase phase during sintering at very high pressure.