cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Checklist assessments of FMR1 gene mutation phenotypes.

Background Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) caused by the mutation of the FMR1 gene, is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, autism, and other psychoneurological disorders. Timely identification of young children with social or emotional challenges is urged in that emotional and social problems are often overlooked until problems reach serious magnitudes. Reliable methods of screening children at an earlier age are crucial to early intervention. Purpose The purpose of this article is to illuminate phenotypic characteristics of FXS and the role that the use of screening tools may play to help interdisciplinary health and human development professionals to empower parents as frontline screeners to seek early diagnosis and implement effective early intervention. Methods This article reviews what is known about phenotypic characteristics of the FMR1 gene mutation. In addition, eight screening tools in use to screen for the FMR1 gene mutation are compared with the author-developed screening tool, the Biopsychiosocial Screening Inventory for Fragile X Syndrome (BIPSSI-FX). Conclusions The BIPSSI-FX, a parent response tool, is a conduit by which the primary caregivers may contribute to an earlier diagnosis. It is the only parent response tool, based on research evidence, designed to tap the wealth of knowledge parents possess about subtle developmental characteristics of very young children with FXS.
Energy return on investment: Impact of societal energy yields on economic sustainability

Evaluating an energy source based on the amount of invested energy needed to access, use, and dispose of waste for a resource, is crucial to economic stability. Using energy return on investment (EROI) as a tool to measure the investment yield of an energy source provides a large pool of information on which future energy investment decisions cam be based. High yield energy sources are critical to maintaining current economic models, and should measure the ability of renewable energy to compete in the energy market.
Expanded Target-Chemical Analysis Reveals Extensive Mixed-Organic-Contaminant Exposure in U.S. Streams

Surface water from 38 streams nationwide was assessed using 14 target-organic methods (719 compounds). Designed-bioactive anthropogenic contaminants (biocides, pharmaceuticals) comprised 57% of 406 organics detected at least once. The 10 most-frequently detected anthropogenic-organics included eight pesticides (desulfinylfipronil, AMPA, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, metolachlor, atrazine, CIAT, glyphosate) and two pharmaceuticals (caffeine, metformin) with detection frequencies ranging 66–84% of all sites. Detected contaminant concentrations varied from less than 1 ng L–1 to greater than 10 μg L–1, with 77 and 278 having median detected concentrations greater than 100 ng L–1 and 10 ng L–1, respectively. Cumulative detections and concentrations ranged 4–161 compounds (median 70) and 8.5–102 847 ng L–1, respectively, and correlated significantly with wastewater discharge, watershed development, and toxic release inventory metrics. Log10 concentrations of widely monitored HHCB, triclosan, and carbamazepine explain...
Protest Email as Alternative Media in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Campaign

This paper examines humorous protests against U.S. President George W. Bush in the year preceding his re-election, which were dispersed online through email. Utilizing Atton's Typology for Radical and Alternative Media (2002), this paper argues that these protest email fall squarely within the tradition of U.S. alternative media. It also proposes a rudimentary typology for categorizing such email-based protests, referring to them as "virals" in order to foreground not only their non-hierarchical distribution and quotidian nature, but also their at times multimedia, performative, disruptive, or experiential aspects. The subject is limited by three major parameters: virals that are humorous, dissenting, and email-borne. Ultimately, by positioning these virals within the history of U.S. dissident or alternative media, this paper construes individuals using email to disseminate creative protests as Internet-era publishers or not-necessarily-broad-casters, and, as such, vital components of a liberal democratic political communications system.
Can hypothermia save dying military trauma patients

Patients who suffer a cardiac arrest from trauma have almost no chance of survival. They exsanguinate and suffer irreversible vital organ damage before surgeons are able to obtain haemostasis, despite rapid transport by emergency medical services, airway control, massive transfusions and an
Game based Cybersecurity Training for High School Students

Cybersecurity is critical to the national infrastructure, federal and local government, military, industry, and personal privacy. To defend the U.S. against the cyber threats, a significant demand for skilled cybersecurity workforce is predicted in government and industrial sectors. To address this issue, National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation jointly funded GenCyber program to stimulate the K-12 students' interest in the cybersecurity field and raise their awareness of cybersecurity and safe online behavior. Purdue University Northwest has successfully launched four GenCyber summer camps in 2016 and 2017 to 181 high school students, with 51.3% underrepresented minority ratio (Africa American and Hispanics), and about 2:1 male to female ratio. We delivered GenCyber summer camp activities in the format of game based learning and hands-on labs. The use of game-based learning in the camp was an excellent platform to teach concepts of cyber security principles. For example, in Cyber Defense Tower Game, students need to protect their servers from the different types of cyber-attack. They need to select the correct type of defense to stop each wave of cyber-attack. As the students advanced through the game, combinations of the different attacks would come faster, making it more difficult for the students to defend their servers. This game was well received by the students, support staffs, instructors, and site visit team. Learning through these activities provided high school students with an immersive, learner-centered experience, which has been proven very effective on cybersecurity awareness training and practical skill acquisition for learners from diverse backgrounds. Further analysis of survey data revealed that the gamification of cybersecurity education to raise students' interests in computer science and cybersecurity was more effective in male high school students than in female students.
The truth of religion and religious truths

The distinction between truth and falsity may arise in connection with religion in a number of different ways. In this paper I shall argue that some of these ways harbor confusion, while others do not. I shall be concerned, in particular, with the difference between questions concerning the truth or falsity of a religion in general and questions that arise from within a religion concerning the truth or falsity of particular experiences and doctrines. I shall be arguing that, like other forms of language, religious language is not a truthclaim, but that claims to truth are made in it. However, I also shall argue both that statements like, "My religion is the true faith," need not necessarily be regarded as philosophically confused and that genuine atheism should be distinguished from philosophical skepticism. As will become evident, I am deeply indebted to the late Rush Rhees, some of whose remarks on these topics I will attempt to exposit and develop here. Best known as Wittgenstein's student and literary executor, Rhees was an important philosopher in his own right, as well as a thoughtful interpreter and critic of Wittgenstein's thought. Like his teacher, he wrote much but published little during his lifetime. These writings, most of which are only now being made available,1 attest to the legendary clarity of his thought on these and other difficult issues.
Capacity Management and Price Discrimination under Demand Uncertainty Using Option Contracts

This chapter considers the use of option contracts as a price discrimination tool under demand uncertainty to improve supplier profit and supply chain efficiency. Option contracts have long been used to manage demand or supply uncertainty, and the cost of the option is simply considered as the cost to avoid uncertainties. We give an example in a supply chain setting where a supplier has more than one downstream customer with private information. Under such a scenario, our game theoretical model shows that the option price shall be set taking into account the fact that only the customers who are more concerned about the demand uncertainty will purchase. Therefore, the supplier should be able to charge more for a unit of option contract compared to the traditional pricing method where simple expectations are taken. The supplier’s profit improves in three ways. First, the high type customers pay higher marginal prices on average. Second, the high type customers’ demand is satisfied as a first priority, guaranteeing allocation efficiency. Third, the supplier can observe the number of options being purchased and so determine customer types, improving capacity decision efficiency. We compare our results to those of classical second degree price discrimination literature. We show that the use of option contracts guarantee the same level of supplier profit as the level of second degree price discrimination. The overall supply chain efficiency improves to the full information benchmark.
Computational model of TASK channels and PKC-pathway dependent serotonergic modulatory effects in respiratory-related neurons.

Hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs) receive serotonergic innervations from medullary raphe neurons and produce rhythmic discharge patterns closely associated with respiratory rhythm generated in the pre-Botzinger complex (pBC). HM activity is subject to modulation by numerous factors including serotonin (5-HT), TRH, norepinephrine (NE), substance P (SP), pH, multiple protein kinases and phosphatases. In this present work, we introduce a computational HM model that facilitates the investigation of how neuromodulatory factors. such as 5-HT and pH, can affect HM activities.
Mechanism, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of renal transplant rejection.

In recent years, there has been a steady progress in basic research (immunogenetics and cellular immunology) that helped us in understanding the mechanisms underlying allograft rejection. Several laboratory tests were developed, and the results were shown to correlate with clinical rejection. However, most of these studies have not found a place in clinical practice because of their nonspecificity, lack of sensitivity, time lag, added expense, and inconvenience. The commonly employed diagnostic tests (i.e., renal transplant ultrasound and 131I hippuran scintigram) are helpful in differentiating rejection from other causes of graft malfunction. The specific renal parenchymal disease, such as acute or chronic rejection or de novo or recurrent glomerular disease, contributing to graft malfunction can only be diagnosed by renal histopathologic study. Because hyperacute and accelerated acute rejections are irreversible and necessitate graft nephrectomy, measures should be taken to prevent this problem. High-dose corticosteroids still remain the mainstay of therapy for acute cellular rejection. In the case of steroid-resistant rejections, treatment with ALG or OKT3 appears promising. As there is no effective therapy for chronic allograft rejection, usual measures of delaying the progression of chronic renal failure should be employed, and patients should be advised to return to maintenance dialysis before they develop uremic symptoms. If current experiments demonstrating selective immunosuppression with monoclonal antibodies are found successful in human trials, one can expect further improvement in the outcome of renal transplantation.
Reality Monitoring and Autobiographical Memory: Negotiating the Self

The contemporary study of memory has greatly benefited from recent findings in neuroscience and psychology showing that memory is a highly flexible, contextualized and yet, reliable enough system, composed of different types of functions that overlap to provide an overall balance of accuracy and meaning. Although I discuss some of these findings, my main focus is on putting them into a larger perspective. Memory has been a very important issue in the humanities, literature, and the history of psychology. This paper discusses the importance of inner speech and narrative from a theoretical and historical perspective, interpreting contemporary findings in the light of previous theories of memory, consciousness, and the influence of language on both. Collective memory, different forms of reality monitoring, and the interaction between episodic and autobiographical memory are discussed. Previous views on the suppression and intrusion of memories are also analyzed.
Criminogenic Policy as a Crime of the Powerful: A Case Study on NAFTA’s Negotiation Process

State-corporate crime frameworks have typically been applied to crimes committed by a single state. In a globalizing world, multiple states are more likely than ever before to commit crime in collusion as evinced in the growing crimes of the powerful literature. Studying international policy formation offers one unique avenue for investigating social harms that may arise from policy or its consequential conditions. Using traditional state-corporate crime frameworks (Kramer and Michalowski in Michalowski, Kramer (eds.) State-corporate crime: wrongdoing at the intersection of business and government, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, 2006; Rothe and Mullins in Int J Comp Appl Crim Justice 33(1):97–118, 2009), the current research applies these frameworks to international policy formation by focusing on overlapping motivations, opportunities, and lax controls and constraints by multiple states, corporations, and other organizations involved in policy formation. Furthermore, the concept of a transnational capitalist class is integrated with this framework to better understand the connections between elites influencing policy. To demonstrate this novel approach, the current research is a case study of NAFTA’s negotiation process. It is argued that NAFTA was a criminogenic policy—an agreement that created conditions conducive for social harm—evinced by a North American transnational class that colluded to create a policy favorable to their motivations while neglecting, censoring, or even oppressing the opposition. The result was an exclusionary policy capable of producing social harm. Future criminologists should seek ways to detect criminogenic policies during formation and implement safeguards against them, and the current renegotiation of NAFTA is one place to start.
Robust Temporal Logic Inference for Provably Correct Fault Detection and Privacy Preservation of Switched Systems

In complex cyber-physical system operations, fault detection needs to be performed using limited state information for practicality and privacy concerns. While a well-designed observation can distinguish a faulty behavior from the normal behavior, it can also represent the action of hiding some of the state information or discrete mode switchings. In this paper, we present a method for constructing the observation maps in the form of metric temporal logic (MTL) formulas that can be formally proven to detect fault in a switched system, while preserving certain privacy conditions. We provide a theoretical framework of robust temporal logic inference for classification of switched system trajectories with spatial and temporal uncertainties. We simulate finitely many nominal trajectories and use the robust neighborhoods around the simulated trajectories to cover the infinite trajectories that constitute the system behavior. Thus, the designed observation maps with the inferred MTL formulas can detect fault and preserve privacy in a provably correct fashion. Our approach is implemented on the simulation model of a smart building testbed to detect thermal leakage in the room, while preserving multiple privacy conditions of the room occupancy.
Transcriptomic analysis of human IL‐7 receptor alpha low and high effector memory CD8+ T cells reveals an age‐associated signature linked to influenza vaccine response in older adults

Here, we investigated the relationship of the age-associated expansion of IL-7 receptor alpha low (IL-7Rαlow ) effector memory (EM) CD8+ T cells with the global transcriptomic profile of peripheral blood cells in humans. We found 231 aging signature genes of IL-7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells that corresponded to 15% of the age-associated genes (231/1,497) reported by a meta-analysis study on human peripheral whole blood from approximately 15,000 individuals, having high correlation with chronological age. These aging signature genes were the target genes of several transcription factors including MYC, SATB1, and BATF, which also belonged to the 231 genes, supporting the upstream regulatory role of these transcription factors in altering the gene expression profile of peripheral blood cells with aging. We validated the differential expression of these transcription factors between IL-7Rαlow and high EM CD8+ T cells as well as in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of young and older adults. Finally, we found a significant association with influenza vaccine responses in older adults, suggesting the possible biological significance of the aging signature genes of IL-7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells. The results of our study support the relationship of the expansion of IL-7Rαlow EM CD8+ T cells with the age-associated changes in the gene expression profile of peripheral blood cells and its possible biological implications.
Uncovering the biosynthetic potential of rare metagenomic DNA using co-occurrence network analysis of targeted sequences.

Sequencing of DNA extracted from environmental samples can provide key insights into the biosynthetic potential of uncultured bacteria. However, the high complexity of soil metagenomes, which can contain thousands of bacterial species per gram of soil, imposes significant challenges to explore secondary metabolites potentially produced by rare members of the soil microbiome. Here, we develop a targeted sequencing workflow termed CONKAT-seq (co-occurrence network analysis of targeted sequences) that detects physically clustered biosynthetic domains, a hallmark of bacterial secondary metabolism. Following targeted amplification of conserved biosynthetic domains in a highly partitioned metagenomic library, CONKAT-seq evaluates amplicon co-occurrence patterns across library subpools to identify chromosomally clustered domains. We show that a single soil sample can contain more than a thousand uncharacterized biosynthetic gene clusters, most of which originate from low frequency genomes which are practically inaccessible through untargeted sequencing. CONKAT-seq allows scalable exploration of largely untapped biosynthetic diversity across multiple soils, and can guide the discovery of novel secondary metabolites from rare members of the soil microbiome. Soil microorganisms are a rich source of bioactive molecules. Here, the authors present a targeted sequencing workflow that reconstructs the clustered organization of biosynthetic domains in metagenomic libraries from amplicon data, thus guiding the discovery of novel metabolites from rare members of the soil microbiome.
Blocking alveolar flapping: a linguistic analysis

Abstract: Egido & Cooper ( 1980) performed three experiments from which they argue that S-boundaries and deletion sites block or inhibit the flapping rule in English. They explain this phenomenon as the speaker’s inability to ‘look ahead’ across such boundaries to see that the structural description of flapping is met. In contrast, we argue, first, that their analysis will not account for all the facts: (a) not all S-boundaries and deletion sites block flapping; (b) flapping is blocked even when speakers must ‘look ahead’ across such boundaries to move or delete a constituent. Second, we argue that the blocking of flapping is caused by a final intonation contour (FIC) preceding the flapping site. This FIC lengthens the final segment within its domain. If the final segment is a /t/ or /d/, it cannot undergo flapping. Flapping (a shortening process) and lengthening are mutually exclusive. Third, we argue that there are two explanations for a FIC appearing to the left of a flapping site: (a) it may be fronted, along with a S-final constituent, by the rule of adverb fronting; (b) it may be superimposed by a speaker to disambiguate an utterance, particularly to indicate that two adjacent items are non-immediate constituents.
TURTLE: A Low-Cost Fault Injection Platform for SRAM-based FPGAs

This paper presents the TURTLE fault injection platform for inserting faults into SRAM FPGAs. The TURTLE system is designed to gather significant fault injection data to test and validate radiation-induced single-event upset (SEU) mitigation techniques for FPGAs. The TURTLE is a low-cost fault injection platform that emulates upsets within the configuration memory (CRAM) of an FPGA through partial reconfiguration. This work successfully implemented the proposed architecture and performed several successful fault injection campaigns on multiple designs and SEU mitigation techniques. Results in this paper show large amounts of data collected from a fault injection campaign used to validate the PCMF SEU mitigation technique. Over 170 million injections were performed using the TURTLE for this campaign.
Psychosocial Approaches for Addressing Nonadherence to Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Therapy

Since its inception in the early 1980s, continued advances in positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy (including continuous PAP or CPAP) technology have made using this very effective treatment for sleep apnea much more comfortable and tolerable, yet poor adherence rates limit its utilization. This chapter provides a cursory review of the extant research literature addressing CPAP nonadherence and provides examples of suggested evidence-based psychosocial interventions that behavioral health practitioners can utilize to help patients possibly overcome their nonadherence to this therapy. It is also suggested that evidence-based psychotherapies practiced within the philosophical framework undergirding motivational interviewing principles will be a key to empowering nonadherent patients to make much more informed health care decisions that preserve their need for self-determination and are fully congruent with their core values.
Use natural deep eutectic solvents as efficient green reagents to extract procyanidins and anthocyanins from cranberry pomace and predictive modeling by RSM and artificial neural networking

Abstract The objective of this research was to investigate the efficacy of 10 NDES, including 3 NDES with new formula, to extract procyanidins and anthocyanins from cranberry pomace with the assistance of ultrasounds. The highest amount of procyanidins (32.5 mg/g) was extracted by a tailor designed NDES 2 consisting of choline chloride: betaine hydrochloride: levulinic acid (1:1:2) and 32 mL water/100 mL NDES. This yield was 3.26-fold of that by 75% ethanol. NDES 8 consisting of glucose: lactic acid (1:5) and 20 mL/100 mL water had the highest extraction yield of anthocyanins at 1.58 mg/g, which was 1.79-fold of the yield by 75% ethanol. The response surface methodology model for extraction of procyanidins by NDES 2 under different conditions had R2 = 0.977, which was comparable to artificial neural networking (R2 = 0.973). The ANN models for extraction of anthocyanins using NDES 8 under various conditions performed better than RSM model (R2 = 0.95 for ANN versus 0.88 for RSM). Highest extraction yields predicted by ANN and RSM were close to the experimental yields, suggesting artificial neural networking was an alternative or better approach than RSM for predictive modeling.
Downregulation of miR-506-3p Facilitates EGFR-TKI Resistance through Induction of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation eventually develop resistance to EGFR-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Treatment resistance remains the primary obstacle to the successful treatment of NSCLC. Although drug resistance mechanisms have been studied extensively in NSCLC, the regulation of these mechanisms has not been completely understood. Recently, increasing numbers of microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in EGFR-TKI resistance, indicating that miRNAs may serve as novel targets and may hold promise as predictive biomarkers for anti-EGFR therapy. MicroRNA-506 (miR-506) has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many cancers, including lung cancer; however, the role of miR-506 in lung cancer chemoresistance has not yet been addressed. Here we report that miR-506-3p expression was markedly reduced in erlotinib-resistant (ER) cells. We identified Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) as a novel target of miR-506-3p, aberrantly activated in ER cells. The ectopic overexpression of miR-506-3p in ER cells downregulates SHH signaling, increases E-cadherin expression, and inhibits the expression of vimentin, thus counteracting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated chemoresistance. Our results advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EGFR-TKI resistance and indicated that the miR-506/SHH axis might represent a novel therapeutic target for future EGFR mutated lung cancer treatment.
The Effects of Ownership Structure on Payout Policy: Evidence from Seasoned Equity Offerings (Seos)

This paper examines the effects of ownership structure on dividend payout policy, especially the role of controlling shareholders in shaping firm’s payout policy in a sample of firms that pay dividends and issue new equity simultaneously. The results show that managers in weak governed firms are more likely to initiate custom-made dividends to meet large shareholders’ needs while using costly new equity to finance new investment projects. This paper contributes to the existing literature on agency problems by providing an explanation of why firms engage in suboptimal payout policy by paying dividends and issuing equity simultaneously. Specifically, large shareholders may expropriate small shareholders by compelling the entrenched managers to pay custom made dividends while issuing new equity at the same time
The Association Between Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome and Meibomian Gland Disease in a Dry Eye Cohort.

Purpose Risk factors for metabolic syndrome include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, high triglycerides and/or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hyperglycemia. Risk factors for metabolic syndrome have been associated with dry eye disease; however, their association with meibomian gland disease (MGD), a subtype of dry eye, is unclear. In the present study, we investigated risk factors for metabolic syndrome in a dry eye cohort with and without MGD. Methods This retrospective case-control study evaluated electronic medical records at a major urban outpatient medical center to identify patients with a known diagnosis of dry eye disease with and without MGD. Males and females were matched for age, smoking status, race, ethnicity, and body mass index (BMI). Patient demographics, anthropometric measurements, medical history, clinical findings, and serologies were analyzed. A diagnosis of MGD was based on clinical signs noted in the medical record. Results MGD was not associated with BMI, smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension or hyperlipidemia in this dry eye cohort. MGD was associated with male sex and increasing age. While increasing age was weakly correlated with decreased low density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum lipid levels were not associated with MGD. Conclusion Importantly, we found that risk factors for metabolic syndrome are not specifically associated with an increase in MGD when compared to non-MGD dry eye subjects. While risk factors for metabolic syndrome are associated with dry eye disease, they likely reflect a chronic systemic state of low-grade inflammation that negatively impacts the function of both lacrimal and meibomian glands.
Socrates and Plato: Understanding the World and Changing It

As Socrates is said to have been attracted to the natural philosophy of Anaxagoras in his youth, Bob Cohen’s PhD was in physics, and the textbook he authored in that subject is still widely used. As Socrates irritated powerful Athenians who put him on trial, Bob ran honourably afoul of the McCarthyites and was consequently denied tenure at Wesleyan (where he was later to be named a trustee). True, there was no hemlock, but his brush with academic oblivion was a harsh lesson in the importance of institutional support. While I would not presume to pronounce what his motives were in founding, with Marx Wartofsky, the Center for the Philosophy and History of Science, the Boston Colloquium for the Philosophy of Science, the Boston Philosophy of Science Association, and various affiliated editorial and other projects, I have no compunctions whatever about championing the important consequences of the establishment of those institutions.
Two Models of Administrative Behavior:: Explaining Outputs in Cases of Elder Mistreatment

Determining the veracity of allegations made about mistreated elderly often requires decisions by street level social workers. These social workers use their own judment when drawing conclusions about cases. An overarching model of social equity seems to apply. Two possible models under social equity that social workers may be using are strict equality and vulnerability. When strict equality is the prevalent model, all victims will receive the services they want without regard to the degree of need. If social workers make decisions based on the circumstances, social workers may be using a vulnerability model. When social workers use the vulnerability model in their decision making, the more vulnerable persons will receive services before those considered less vulnerable. This case study examines the administrative decisions made by welfare department social workers when receiving allegations, making investigations, and determining placement. Two factors will aid in ascertaining which of the two models bes...
What Tipper is Ready for: A Semantics for Incomplete Predicates

This paper presents a precise semantics for incomplete predicates such as “ready”. Incomplete predicates have distinctive logical properties that a semantic theory needs to accommodate. For instance, “Tipper is ready” logically implies “Tipper is ready for something”, but “Tipper is ready for something” does not imply “Tipper is ready”. It is shown that several approaches to the semantics of incomplete predicates fail to accommodate these logical properties. The account offered here defines contexts as structures containing an element called a proposition set, which contains atomic propositions and negations of atomic propositions. The condition under which “Tipper is ready” is true in a context is defined in terms of the contents of the proposition set for the context. On this account, the content of the context pertinent to a conversation must be determined not by what speakers have in mind but by relations of objective relevance.
Easterday and the Inability-to-Pay Defense to Tax Crimes

Several tax crimes set out in the Internal Revenue Code involve failing to pay known or assessed tax liabilities. For generations, there has been controversy about whether and when the taxpayer’s lack of funds from which to make payment precludes conviction for these crimes. The days of the greatest potency of this defense are past. The recent decision of a divided panel of the Ninth Circuit in the Easterday case continues the trend, but the defense should still have life in some situations and some courts.
Pigments and Colorants

When discussing almost any archaeological artifact, color is an important characteristic. Unfortunately, there is often confusion between what constitutes a colorant and what constitutes a pigment. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Colorants are compounds that impart color to a substance. A colorant may be a pigment, a dye, or an ionized solution. Mineral colorants have definite chemical compositions, recognizable physical characteristics (see Chap. 2), and consistent chemical behavior. Organic colorants contain carbon with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur with other minor elements. They are derived from vegetable sources or made synthetically. Although a few organic colorants are stable and basically permanent, in general they tend to be fugitive. The key concept in determining a pigment versus a colorant is its solubility. Only insoluble materials such as minerals are pigments.
Electrical and Optical Enhancement Properties of Metal/Semimetal Nanostructures for Metal Oxide UV Photodetectors

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors are of a great interest to a wide range of industrial, military, environmental, and biomedical applications. Because of many advantages including low cost, ease of fabrication, high sensitivity, and strong radiation hardness, metal oxide nanostructures are considered promising materials for UV detection. A review of the most recent developments in the field of metal oxide UV photodetectors is divided into two sections. The first section introduces the basic properties of various wide bandgap metal oxides, the UV detection mechanism, and the figures of merit of UV photodetectors. Performance comparison of UV photodetectors using various metal oxide nanostructures and device configurations is also presented in the first section. The second section is devoted to metal/semimetal nanostructures for the performance enhancement of UV photodetectors, which illustrate enhanced devices using either surface plasmon resonance or a carrier transfer mechanism.
Chapter 9 Delivery of Macromolecules into Cells Expressing a Viral Membrane Fusion Protein

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews a macromolecular delivery technique that employs cells that express a potent membrane fusion protein, the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA). Briefly, the protein or nucleic acid of interest is loaded into either red blood cells (RBC) or liposomes. After binding of the delivery vesicles to the HA-expressing cells, fusion is induced by briefly treating the cultures at pH 4.8. The cells are then returned to normal growth medium. As a result of the fusion step, the contents of the RBC or liposomes are delivered into the cell cytoplasm. This chapter discusses the methods for generating HA-expressing cell lines, for loading RBC and liposomes, and for fusing the delivery vesicles to target cells. The chapter evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of this method. There are several advantages to the technique: (1) nearly all of the cells in a population receive macromolecules, (2) large numbers of molecules can be delivered per cell (3) the same general approach and recipient cells can be used for the delivery of proteins, nucleic acids, and other substances. A limitation of the technique is the need to obtain cells that express high levels of the HA. However, several HA-expressing cell lines suitable for delivery are currently available.
Performance Modeling of Wireless Voice over IP

The recent popularity of voice over IP (VoIP) services in the Internet world lies in the fact that in VoIP, voice packets are carried over the shared packet-switched network (the Internet) rather than on dedicated circuit-switched telephony network. This phenomenon reduces the cost of carrying the voice packets substantially. We propose that the concept of VoIP over wireless GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) also reduces the complexity of the GSM/GPRS architecture. Currently, the existing GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network carries the voice packets in the air link and converts it to circuit-switched PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) signal by using the voice transcoder. A 64 Kbps circuit-switched connection is then established through the existing PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network). Wireless data packets on the other hand, share the same physical air link, but are carried through the GPRS packet-switched network. If we carry the voice on the same packet-switched network rather than on a separate circuit-switched network, then integration of data and voice would alleviate the necessity of circuit-switched components. However, maintaining the voice quality offers significant challenges. In this paper we propose a method of implementing the VoIP in GPRS network using H.323 protocol, and also identify the additional architecture requirements that will address some of the performance impediments of current GPRS VoIP implementation. The performance results for control message signals demonstrate the possibility of maintaining call set-up delay within the current delay standards. Analytical modeling of the voice traffic shows that significant improvements in terms of voice traffic capacity is possible with the help of a silent-detection scheme.
Imaging interactions between macrophages and tumour cells that are involved in metastasis in vivo and in vitro

Tumour-associated macrophages participate in several protumour functions including tumour growth and angiogenesis, and facilitate almost every step of the metastatic cascade. Interfering with macrophage functions may therefore provide an important strategy in the clinical management of cancer and metastatic disease. Our understanding of macrophage functions has been greatly expanded by direct observations of macrophage-carcinoma cell interactions using light microscopy. Imaging approaches include intravital microscopy of tumours in mouse models of cancer and visualization of macrophage-carcinoma cell interactions in in vitro assays; whether atop 2D substrates, embedded in 3D matrices or in more complex assemblies of multiple cell types that mimic specific topologies of the tumour microenvironment. Such imaging and reconstitution approaches have provided us with a wealth of information on the motile behaviour and physical associations between macrophages and carcinoma cells and the role of the tumour microenvironment in influencing the movement of these cells. Finally, high-resolution imaging techniques have permitted researchers to correlate motility patterns with specific gene signatures and biochemical pathways in cells, pointing to potential targets for intervention. Here, we review experimental approaches employed in the study of macrophage interactions with carcinoma cells with an emphasis on imaging invasive and metastatic cell motility in breast carcinomas.
Approaching non-destructive surface chemical analysis of CMSX-4 superalloy with double-pulsed laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was performed on the CMSX-4 Ni-based superalloy using a femtosecond pulsed laser. An orthogonal double-pulse technique was used to minimize surface damage associated with LIBS. With this technique, the depth of ablation craters was reduced from 200 nm for single-pulse LIBS down to less than 60 nm using orthogonal double-pulse LIBS. The technique also allowed the average velocity of the ablated material to be determined, which ranged from 4720 ± 560 m/s at a pump laser fluence of 3.1 J/cm 2 to 8150 ±1800 m/s at 10.1 J/cm 2 .
Structure-function analyses of eicosanoid receptors. Physiologic and therapeutic implications.

: Prostaglandins (PGs) are ubiquitous lipid mediators derived from cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolism of arachidonic acid that exert a broad range of physiologic activities including modulation of inflammation, ovulation, and arterial blood pressure. The physiologic actions of PGs are mediated in part by their interaction with specific G-protein-coupled PG receptors. Eight PG receptors have been cloned, including four for the major COX metabolite, PGE2. The physiologic roles of the PGE2 receptors have been investigated utilizing subtype-selective agonists, localization of receptor mRNA expression, and creation of mice with targeted disruption of PG receptor genes. These analyses have delineated discrete roles for the various PG receptor subtypes. Recent studies on mice lacking the PGE2 EP2 receptor have implicated the PGE2 EP2 receptor subtype in arterial dilatation and salt-sensitive hypertension, and also indicate that this receptor plays a key role in female fertility. The EP2 receptor may thus prove to be a productive target for pharmacological intervention in the treatment of hypertension and infertility.
How Students Use Physics to Reason About Calculus Tasks

The present research study investigates how undergraduate students in an integrated calculus and physics class use physics to help them solve calculus problems. Using Zandieh's (2000) framework for analyzing student understanding of derivative as a starting point, this study adds detail to her “paradigmatic physical” context and begins to address the need for a theoretical basis for investigating learning and teaching in integrated mathematics and science classrooms. A case study design was used to investigate the different ways students use physics ideas as they worked through calculus tasks. Data were gathered through four individual interviews with each of 8 ICP students, classroom participant-observation, and triangulation of the data through student homework and exams. The main result of this study is the Physics Use Classification Scheme, a tool consisting of four categories used to characterize students' uses of physics on tasks involving average rate of change, derivative, and integral concepts. Two of the categories from the Physics Use Classification Scheme are elucidated with contrasting student cases in this paper.
Molecular Biology of African Trypanosomes: Development of New Strategies to Combat an Old Disease

ABSTRACT African trypanosomes are protozoan parasites that cause a number of diseases of man and domesticated animals in large regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The diseases have proven to be particularly difficult to prevent or to effectively treat due to features of both the trypano-some and the insect vector, the tsetse fly. The habitat of the tsetse and its resistance to insecticides have rendered vector control efforts ineffective. Attempts to develop a vaccine against the African trypanosomes has been dwarfed by the parasite’s ability to change the composition of its exposed surface antigens. This process of antigenic variation allows the parasite to avoid the host’s immune response and presents the host with a seemingly endless antigenic repertoire. Since conventional approaches to the control of African trypanosomiasis have largely met with failure, there has been a renewed interest in identifying novel aspects of the biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of trypanosomes that might be exploited to develop new targets for vaccines or chemotherapy. Importantly, this research has opened a virtual Pandora’s box of exciting biochemical and molecular surprises, which makes the African trypanosomes not only important medical pathogens but also an exciting experimental system for the basic scientist. In this review, the authors will describe some of the most recent and intriguing developments in the field of molecular parasitology.
Numerical Schottky Uniformizations

A real algebraic curve of algebraic genus g ≥ 2 is a pair (S, τ), where S is a closed Riemann surface of genus g and τ is a reflection on S (anticonformal involution with fixed points). In this note, we discuss a numerical (Burnside) program which permits to obtain a Riemann period matrix of the surface S in terms of an uniformizing real Schottky group. If we denote by Aut+(S, τ) the group of conformal automorphisms of S commuting with the real structure τ, then it is a well known fact that |Aut+(S,τ)| ≥ 12(g−1). We say that (S,τ) is maximally symmetric if |Aut+(S,τ)|=12(g−1). We work explicitly such a numerical program in the case of maximally symmetric real curves of genus two. We construct a real Schottky uniformization for each such real curve and we use the numerical program to obtain a real algebraic curve, a Riemann period matrix and the accessory parameters in terms of the corresponding Schottky uniformization. In particular, we are able to give for Bolza’s curve a Schottky uniformization (at least numerically), providing an example for which the inverse uniformization theorem is numerically solved.
An Action Learning Approach to Transforming the IS Function

AbstractTransformation of an IS function is difficult under the best of circumstances, but when this transformation is forced by factors beyond the control of the organization, it becomes increasingly challenging. This study follows the information systems transformation of the US Naval Construction Forces which was mandated as a result of the turbulent environment, budget cuts, and military "right-sizing. " The transformation process was conducted with the action learning method infrequently used in information system’s research. This method directly involves the researcher in the organizational change effort while placing organization members in close collaboration with the researcher on what is known as an action learning set. The method seeks to transform the organization while developing the participant into more efficient and knowledgeable employees. The project is illustrated in phases and the successful migration from a highly centralized to a decentralized organization is presented through a case...
Management of acute hypercortisolism

An occasional patient with Cushing's syndrome may require urgent management primarily because the chronic ravages of hypercortisolism have caused the patient to be in a precarious metabolic condition. The side effects of prolonged excess corticosteroids increase the risk of operations in such patients and must be considered in overall management. Among the many effects of hypercortisolism to be considered are hypertension, diabetes, ocular hypertension, myopathies, dermatologic changes including skin infection, pancreatitis, osteoporosis, pathological fractures, peptic ulcers, renal calculi, coagulopathies, hypokalemia, poor wound healing, and increased susceptibility to infection. The most effective way to avert these complications is by earlier diagnosis and definitive treatment of Cushing's syndrome. The present report includes a review of the etiology and diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome and the management of problems associated with hypercortisolism.
Stochastic evolution of Schwarzschild black hole in a radiation heat bath

Abstract The mass of a Schwarzschild black hole in equilibrium with black-body radiation is shown to undergo a random drift with a diffusion coefficient D ∼ M -3 . This follows from the master equation for the radiation in a stochastically bistable system of a black hole in an isolating cavity.
Isolation, distribution, and characterization of peach seedling nitrate reductase 1

Abstract Nitrate reductase (NR) was extracted from leaf, root, and stem tissue of ‘Lovell’ peach seedlings [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] grown for 8 weeks in nutrient solution containing 15 mM nitrate. Enzyme activity of NR in leaf, stem, and root tissue was 10.20: 0.07: 0.04 nM N02/min/g tissue extracted, respectively. When seedlings wee transferred to nutrient solution containing 15 mM NH4, NR activity was not detected after 72 hours. The enzyme was specific for NADH and had a pH optimum of 7.5. The Km for NO3 was 1.3 x 10–3 M and the rate of reaction remained linear for 45 min. Enzyme activity of leaf tissue was dependent on NO3 concentration in the nutrient solution. At NO3 concentrations of 15, 7.5, 1.5, and 0.15 mM, the NR activity was 22.8, 16.2, 13.8, and 2.2 nM NO2/mg protein/hr.