cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF GROUP NORMS AND LEARNING ON UNETHICAL DECISION BEHAVIOR

This research evaluated ethical decision-making behavior under two different contingencies. When 87 students were presented the “fact” that 20% of the salesmen permitted kickbacks, their subsequent...
A flexible computer integrated manufacturing system

A flexible computer integrated manufacturing (FCIM) work cell to be used as a tool for advanced research in manufacturing automation at Wright State University (WSU) is described. The concept of the FCIM work cell and some of the work that has been performed at WSU towards the development of the FCIM work cell are discussed. The conveyor system, robot units, vision system, sensor system, and multitasking/multiprocessor computer system are also discussed. The successful prototyping of this modular testbed, which is capable of performing the entire production cycle for a variety of small-lot (including one-of) discrete products, will enable human interaction to be limited to the product design phase. >
Contrast enhancement of missile video sequences via image stabilization and product correlation

An image sequence containing a missile in flight often contains a strong plume signature expelled by the missile along with a weak signal corresponding to the missile hardbody. Enhancement of the missile signal is necessary to accurately track the trajectory throughout the image sequence. A parametric motion estimation algorithm is proposed for the passive stabilization of the data set. By stabilizing the image sequence with respect to the missile vacuum core, a registered sequence is produced with the missile located in the same position within each frame. Missile contrast can then be enhanced by applying a novel technique known as product correlation to the stabilized data. Product correlation is presented in the context of higher order statistics, and it offers a computationally efficient means of obtaining sample moments of high orders collectively. Simulations with missile sequences acquired in the IR and visible portions of the spectrum show that image stabilization followed by product correlation successfully enhances missile signal contrast, particularly in image sequences characterized by low SNRs.
Polymorphonuclear neutrophil contribution to induced tolerance to bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

The objective of this study was to investigate mechanisms by which polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) contribute to the tolerance induced by repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections. Tolerance was developed by daily intraperitoneal injections of sublethal doses of LPS for 4 days (LPS-tolerant group); controls were not pretreated (LPS-control group). Both groups were challenged with 9 mg/kg i.v. Escherichia coli LPS, a dose that resulted in 25% survival in LPS-control rats compared with 100% survival in LPS-tolerant rats. LPS injection caused an initial neutropenia in both groups. The neutropenia persisted throughout the experiment in LPS-control rats, whereas in LPS-tolerant rats the circulating PMN count increased dramatically; after 6 hours, the PMN count was 16-fold higher than that in LPS-control rats. Activation of circulating PMNs, PMN adhesion to nylon fibers, and tumor necrosis factor/cachectin activity were all increased in control rats given LPS. In contrast, LPS-tolerant rats had low activation of circulating PMNs, no trend for PMN adhesion to nylon fibers, and markedly reduced tumor necrosis factor activity. To determine whether neutropenia was associated with a trapping of PMNs in the microcirculation, we used a carbon perfusion technique 6 hours after LPS injection and examined histological sections of the myocardium. All of the arterioles and venules in both groups contained carbon; only capillaries showed evidence of obstruction. A significantly higher percentage of obstructed capillaries was observed in LPS-control rats than in LPS-tolerant rats. Obstruction of capillaries was consistently associated with trapped leukocytes. We conclude that PMN cytotoxicity induced by LPS involves microcirculatory entrapment and activation of PMNs. Repeated LPS pretreatment reduces dramatically circulating PMN activation and adhesion and is associated with an elevated circulating PMN count, a low degree of microvascular plugging, and survival after a normally lethal dose of LPS.
Language, Culture, and Power: Bilingual Families and the Struggle for Quality Education

Language, Culture, and Power Bilingual Families and the Struggle for Quality Education. Lourdes Diaz Soto. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997. 170 pp.
Applicability of Pressurized Liquid Extraction for Melamine Analysis in Pet Foods with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection

A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method was developed for melamine analysis in pet foods. The PLE method which utilized an accelerated solvent extraction (ASE®) system was also compared with sonication and polytron extraction methods. The parameters for the optimized PLE method were temperature (75 °C for wet pet food, 125 °C for dry pet food), pressure (1,500 psi), static time (10 min), flush volume (40%), purge time (1 min), and number of cycles (1). Recoveries obtained by PLE method were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than those of sonication and polytron methods for dry pet food samples. For the analysis of adulterated pet foods, PLE resulted in the highest melamine content followed by sonication and polytron. Using PLE, samples fortified with melamine at 2.5 and 100 mg kg−1 resulted in recoveries ranging from 55% to 90% for wet samples and from 90% to 116% for dry samples. Low recovery rate from wet samples at low spike level (2.5 mg kg−1) may have been caused by co-aggregation of polysaccharide and protein with melamine due to low pH during solid-phase extraction cleanup. Limit of detection and limit of quantification values were 0.5 (mg kg−1) and 1.0 (mg kg−1) for dry samples. Overall, PLE had the best extraction efficiency compared to sonication and polytron, proving PLE to be a useful tool for melamine analysis of pet foods.
Towards robustness and energy efficiency of cut detection in wireless sensor networks

Reliable, full network connectivity in wireless sensor networks (WSN) is difficult to maintain. Awareness of the state of network connectivity is similarly challenging. Harsh, unattended, low-security environments and resource-constrained nodes exacerbate these problems. An ability to detect connectivity disruptions, also known as cut detection, allows WSN to conserve power and memory while reducing network congestion. We propose ER-CD and LR-CD, protocols that detect cuts while providing energy-efficiency and robustness to attack. Using distributed, cluster-based algorithms, ER-CD recognizes and determines the scope of disrupted connectivity while examining available data for evidence of an attack. For more resource-constrained networks, LR-CD enhances security through the use of a robust outlier detection algorithm. Extensive simulations and a hardware implementation provide experimental validation across a range of network sizes and densities. Results indicate that energy-efficiency can be improved by an order of magnitude in denser networks while malicious nodes are detected at deviations of 1% from expected behavior.
Performance analysis of optimum receivers for differentially encoded M-PSK in low SNR

A recent paper has proved that the classical receiver for coherent detection of differentially encoded M-PSK in AWGN is optimum for the MAP sequence detection criterion. In this letter, we show that asymptotically, as SNR tends to zero, the MAP symbol detection criterion receiver is equivalent to the classical differentially coherent receiver, for M greater than two. An asymptotic relative efficiency figure of merit is defined in order to compare the performances of the classical coherent receiver and the classical differentially coherent receiver.
Evaluation of modern power semiconductor devices and future trends of converters

A review of the modern power semiconductor devices that appeared in the 1980s, i.e., the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the static induction transistor (SIT), the static induction thyristor (SITH), and the MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT) is presented. The characteristics of these devices are discussed and compared from the viewpoint of power electronics applications. Although the IGBT is well known, the power electronics community is somewhat unfamiliar with the latter three devices. For completeness, a brief review of other power devices, such as the thyristor, the triac, the gate turnoff thyristor (GTO), the bipolar junction transistor (BJT), and the power MOSFET, is also incorporated. Finally, future converter trends are outlined. >
An adaptive fuzzy controller for blood pressure regulation

An improved adaptive mechanism suitable for a fuzzy controller is presented. The approach is based on an expert rule base, and the resulting adaptive controller is a knowledge-based object-evaluation fuzzy controller. This control strategy was applied to blood pressure regulation and provided satisfactory performance in simulations. The use of a memory bank for past control history in the adaptive mechanism appears to be an effective way to give the controller benefit from its past experience, providing a rudimentary form of humanlike experience. >
Traffic and Meteorological Impacts on Near-Road Air Quality: Summary of Methods and Trends from the Raleigh Near- Road Study

A growing number of epidemiological studies conducted worldwide suggest an increase in the occurrence of adverse health effects in populations living, working, or going to school near major roadways. A study was designed to assess traffic emissions impacts on air quality and particle toxicity near a heavily traveled highway. In an attempt to describe the complex mixture of pollutants and atmospheric transport mechanisms affecting pollutant dispersion in this near-highway environment, several real-time and time-integrated sampling devices measured air quality concentrations at multiple distances and heights from the road. Pollutants analyzed included U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-regulated gases, particulate matter (coarse, fine, and ultrafine), and air toxics. Pollutant measurements were synchronized with real-time traffic and meteorological monitoring devices to provide continuous and integrated assessments of the variation of near-road air pollutant concentrations and particle toxicity with changing traffic and environmental conditions, as well as distance from the road. Measurement results demonstrated the temporal and spatial impact of traffic emissions on near-road air quality. The distribution of mobile source emitted gas and particulate pollutants under all wind and traffic conditions indicated a higher proportion of elevated concentrations near the road, suggesting elevated exposures for populations spending significant amounts of time in this microenvironment. Diurnal variations in pollutant concentrations also demonstrated the impact of traffic activity and meteorology on near-road air quality. Time-resolved measurements of multiple pollutants demonstrated that traffic emissions produced a complex mixture of criteria and air toxic pollutants in this microenvironment. These results provide a foundation for future assessments of these data to identify the relationship of traffic activity and meteorology on air quality concentrations and population exposures.
A decentralized task scheduling algorithm and its performance modeling for computer networks

A dynamic task scheduling algorithm is presented. The algorithm is an extension of a nearest neighbor load balancing strategy with an enhanced degree of efficiency and it is intended for multicomputers connected by a store and forward communication network. The algorithm is modeled by a central server open queueing network. It is shown that the response time of a task consists of two parts. The first part comprises a task's settling time which consists of scheduling time, communication time, and waiting time. The second part comprises waiting time in the execution queue in the execution time itself. The algorithm is comprehensively evaluated through a simulation and analytical model, and is shown to be both stable and efficient. For performance evaluation, the task transfer cost and the scheduling overhead is also taken into account. Experimental results are also obtained for another nearest neighbor scheduling scheme and compared with the algorithm. >
Innovative approaches to rural development: Moving from state‐controlled towards market‐based land reform

Among the world's poor, approximately 75% of those in extreme poverty live and work in rural areas and two-thirds of them depend mainly on farming or farm labour for their livelihood. Policies to grant the rural poor secure access to land and water for irrigation - and to improve the economic efficiency of small-scale agriculture - can thus play a critical role in the implementation of rural development strategies, including efforts to combat rural poverty. Since inadequate access to arable land is probably the most important cause of rural poverty, redistributive land reform is increasingly seen as crucial for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in many developing countries with substantial amounts of (unused) arable state land or (under-utilized) large private landholdings. This article argues that market-based land redistribution schemes, such as the one being implemented in South Africa, can be considered one of the most innovative approaches to land reform that have emerged over the last decade. These schemes thus provide a useful alternative to more conventional, state-controlled land redistribution programmes. The article concludes, however, that when countries opt for market-based approaches to land redistribution, the State still has an important role to play, without necessarily deciding which land parcels change hands.
Mechanotransduction and fibrosis

Scarring and tissue fibrosis represent a significant source of morbidity in the United States. Despite considerable research focused on elucidating the mechanisms underlying cutaneous scar formation, effective clinical therapies are still in the early stages of development. A thorough understanding of the various signaling pathways involved is essential to formulate strategies to combat fibrosis and scarring. While initial efforts focused primarily on the biochemical mechanisms involved in scar formation, more recent research has revealed a central role for mechanical forces in modulating these pathways. Mechanotransduction, which refers to the mechanisms by which mechanical forces are converted to biochemical stimuli, has been closely linked to inflammation and fibrosis and is believed to play a critical role in scarring. This review provides an overview of our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying scar formation, with an emphasis on the relationship between mechanotransduction pathways and their therapeutic implications.
Digital libraries and autonomous citation indexing

The revolution the Web has brought to information dissemination is not so much due to the availability of data-huge amounts of information has long been available in libraries-but rather the improved efficiency of accessing (improved accessibility to) that information. The Web promises to make more scientific articles more easily available. By making the context of citations easily and quickly browsable, autonomous citation indexing can help to evaluate the importance of individual contributions more accurately and quickly. Digital libraries incorporating ACI can help organize scientific literature and may significantly improve the efficiency of dissemination and feedback. ACI may also help speed the transition to scholarly electronic publishing.
The Family and Legacy of the Early Northern Treasure Tradition

The Northern Treasure Tradition is well known as the scriptural and ritual platform for Dorje Drak Monastery in Central Tibet. The historical accounts of this lineage most often focus on the exploits of the tradition's founder, Godem Truchen (1337-1409), and his successive incarnations seated at Dorje Drak Monastery. In this article, the biographical sources are revisited to produce a complementary interpretation of the early history of the tradition. The investigation focuses on the web of family and clan relationships that supports this community of lay practitioners through the late-fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and highlights the contributions of several unsung matriarchs and patriarchs of the Northern Treasure Tradition. This article also contributes to the ongoing study of the gradual development of the institution of rule by incarnation within the Nyingmapa Treasure Traditions through an analysis of the life of Sangye Pelzang (15 th c.), the first of the lineage to buttress his authority through claims of reincarnation.
Culturing community development, neighborhood open space, and civic agriculture: The case of Latino community gardens in New York City

To determine the role Latino community gardens play in community development, open space, and civic agriculture, we conducted interviews with 32 community gardeners from 20 gardens, and with staff from 11 community gardening support non-profit organizations and government agencies. We also conducted observations in the gardens, and reviewed documents written by the gardeners and staff from 13 support organizations and agencies. In addition to being sites for production of conventional and ethnic vegetables and herbs, the gardens host numerous social, educational, and cultural events, including neighborhood and church gatherings, holiday parties, children’s activities, school tours, concerts, health fairs, and voter registration drives. In some cases, the gardens also serve to promote community activism. The primary concern of gardeners is to secure land tenure in the face of pressures to develop the garden sites for housing. The support organizations and agencies provide help with land tenure, as well as with advocacy, organization, and horticultural practices. Although the role of the Latino gardens in community development appears to be more important than their role in open space or agricultural production, the gardens can also be viewed as unique “participatory landscapes” that combine aspects of all three movements, as well as provide a connection between immigrants and their cultural heritage.
m-Calpain colocalizes with the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) in caveolae in parathyroid cells and participates in degradation of the CaR.

Abstract The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a G protein-coupled, seven-transmembrane receptor and resides within caveolin-rich membrane domains in bovine parathyroid cells. The proenzyme of calpain 2 (m-calpain) is a heterodimeric calcium-dependent cysteine protease consisting of catalytic and regulatory subunits. The effects of calcium on the enzyme include activation, autolysis, and subunit dissociation. Here, we examine the potential role of caveolin-1 and caveolae in regulating the cellular distribution and function of m-calpain in parathyroid cells. We show that the inactive heterodimeric forms of m-calpain are concentrated in caveolin-rich membrane fractions prepared from parathyroid cells incubated with low extracellular calcium (Ca2+o). In contrast, in cells incubated with 3 mm Ca2+o, which activates the CaR and increases intracellular calcium, there is a reduction in m-calpain in association with an increase in CaR protein and phosphorylated protein kinase C α and β in caveolin-rich fractions. To assess the impact of activation of calpain on CaR protein in caveolar fractions, we analyzed the effects of m-calpain on the CaR. Activation of the CaR with high Ca2+o induced the release of lower molecular weight fragments of the receptor into the cell culture medium, and calpain inhibitors blocked this effect. Moreover, the fragments of the CaR as well as caveolin-1, m-calpain, and alkaline phosphatase were localized in membrane vesicles shed by parathyroid cells, supporting the association of these proteins in living cells. Treatment of CaR proteins in vitro with m-calpain also resulted in the appearance of lower molecular weight fragments of the CaR. Our data suggest that localization of m-calpain within caveolae may contribute to maintenance of the enzyme in an inactive state and that m-calpain may also contribute to the regulation of CaR levels.
The role of protective factors in the prevention of negative body image and disordered eating

Typically, definitions of prevention focus on heading off or delaying the onset of an eating disorder (ED) by eliminating or minimizing risk factors. Prevention programs seeking to reduce ED risk f...
Preferential Acquisition of Development Rights

An alternative land management and controlling growth mechanism has been developed that seeks to achieve orderly development at the urban/rural fringe of metropolitan areas experiencing rampant growth. Past and current land management techniques were reviewed to determine why they have not promoted a controlled, compatible land use pattern. The definition of property rights is a key point relative to adjusting urban growth to a finite land supply. The alternative addresses a land management process that, when implemented, should allow the maximum amount of citizen participation, minimize speculation and vested interests, reinforce statutory eminent domain prerogatives, and leave the landowner with the maximum amount of property rights possible under growth pressures. Some form of Federal land use mandate is imminent in the future. Section 208 of PL 92-500 already is being viewed as a potentially powerful implicit land use mandate. Implementation of a pragmatic land use control technique needs to occur before regulation is required at the Federal level.
Neutrons from a Proton-Driven Deuterium Target as a Possible Competitor to Spallation for Nuclear Energy Applications

Measurements are reported on the yield of neutrons from protons in the energy range from 7 to 17 MeV striking a stopping-length target of deuterium gas. This combination of beam and target is being...
Pharmacogenomics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

s3 Childhood ALL is a model for drug-responsive cancer: it is successfully cured with medications in 85%–90% of patients, but relapse remains unacceptably high for some subgroups, and therapy is complicated by the occurrence of adverse effects. Human germ-line genomic variability is common, with ∼1 in every 300 nucleotides (at least 10 million polymorphisms among humans) differing among individuals. Identifying the important genomic variants for purposes of optimizing anticancer therapy is the current challenge in cancer pharmacogenomics. Our research has been focused on elucidating the germ-line and acquired genomic variations that influence the effectiveness of and toxicity to chemotherapy regimens, with the long-term goal of individualizing therapy based on genetics to maximize cure and minimize toxicity. We and our many collaborators are pursuing candidate gene and whole genome approaches to this end, studying children enrolled on front-line ALL protocols at St. Jude and through the Children's Oncolog...
Direct cardiac stimulation by arginine vasotocin in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana)

The antidiuretic and vasopressor effects of arginine vasotocin (AVT) in bullfrogs have been well documented. However, the direct cardiac stimulatory effects of AVT have not been previously reported. We found that AVT stimulates significant increases in heart rate, pulse pressure, and the maximal time derivative of ventricular pressure in anesthetized bullfrogs after the beta-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors in the heart were blocked by atropine and propranolol. In spontaneously beating isolated frog atria, AVT increased the beating rate by 20% and the contractile force by 100%. The inotropic effect of AVT was also demonstrated in electrically driven atria and ventricles. Propranolol was ineffective in blocking these cardiac responses in vitro. The Hill coefficients of the concentration-response curves did not differ from unity. In conclusion, AVT possesses both positive chronotropic and inotropic effects in bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, probably by direct stimulation of its specific receptors in the heart.
What are Private Governments Worth

Homeowners associations (HOAs) and other local private governments are expanding in number both in the United States and around the world. Local private governments are also expanding in scope, with many offering private security and a few even offering services such as day care, schools, and local courts to arbitrate homeowner disputes. How valuable are those services to association-members? Our data indicate that houses in HOAs in Northern Virginia are worth, on average, more than 5 percent more than similar houses in the same neighborhood but outside of HOAs. Given those large advantages, it is not surprising that HOAs are growing rapidly.
The ethics of surrogate decision making.

In an ideal world, every adult would have executed a clear and unambiguous advance directive, given it to all family members, and discussed it thoroughly with his or her personal physician. In the real world, whereas advance directives have been legally recognized in most states, only 10% to 20% of people have executed written directives. A contributing factor is the widespread reluctance of people to contemplate the prospect of life-threatening illness. In addition, people often make two false assumptions. First, they assume that advance directives are unnecessary because those closest to them will know intuitively what should be done in the unlikely event that life-threatening illness should strike. Second, they assume that those persons will be empowered to act as surrogates. Regrettably, nothing could be further from the truth, at least when the action is withdrawing life support and there is a lack of consensus among family members. Given this conspicuous absence of formal directives, a perennial issue has been the standards that should inform surrogate decision making—decisions made on a patient's behalf. The recent decision of the California Supreme Court in Conservatorship of Wendland is the latest indication of how intractable the debate over these standards remains.1 The objective of this article is to put the Wendland decision in the larger context of the law and ethics of surrogate decision making.
Domestic Violence and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Severity for Participants of a Domestic Violence Rehabilitation Program

Domestic violence has been a long-standing problem for our nation's active duty and military veterans. The purpose of this article is to describe participants of a domestic violence program, the program design to help lessen attrition, and the completers and noncompleters of the program. There was a significant relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and domestic violence severity for the sample. PTSD severity was also related to reports of domestic violence in the family of origin. Completers and noncompleters were compared on demographic and violence variables and on nine research measures. Completers were more likely younger than 35 years old, employed, had higher self-ratings of relationship mutuality, lower levels of stress and post-traumatic stress, and were regularly court monitored. The results of a logistic regression significantly predicted completers and noncompleters based on age, relationship mutuality, PTSD, and court-monitored status (model chi2 statistic of 31.08, p = 0.0000).
Abstract A50: Comparative effects of DFMO, sulindac, and DFMO and sulindac on human colon polyp cells determined using pathway analysis

Cultures of the human colon polyp cell line, VACO 235, were individually treated with DFMO, sulindac, and both DFMO and sulindac to determine the comparative effects of individual agent exposures and the combined agent exposure on gene expression and pathway modifications. These agents were chosen based on their reported potential to prevent sporadic colorectal adenomas (Meyskens et al., Cancer Prev. Res., 1:32–38, 2008). Concentrations of agents were chosen to reflect clinically achievable levels. The exposures were continuous over a 96 hr with treatment and control media replenishment every 24 hr. The dosing frequency was similar to that in the Meyskens study. For the gene expression studies, five separate cultures were used to generate five separate microarrays for each control or treatment condition. Gene expression was assessed using Human gene 1.0 ST arrays from Affymetrix (Santa Clara, CA). The quality of the data from each array was assessed using the manufacturer9s software and no outliers were found. Gene expression was assessed using Genespring 11.5.1 software (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA). Pathway analysis was done using Ariadne Genomics Pathway Studio 7.1 (Rockville, MD). The changes in pathway specific expression were compared to determine the effects of DFMO and sulindac alone and these changes compared to the effects found with the combined exposure. The ATM protein kinase, which plays an important role in protecting from DNA damage from various sources, phosphorylates a variety of proteins in the DNA damage response pathway. Sulindac and especially the combination of DFMO and sulindac induced many of the proteins modification target genes of ATM with p values of 0.044 and 0.023 respectively. Arachidonic acid metabolism showed no inhibition by DFMO with equal numbers of functional classes that were either induced or inhibited. Both sulindac alone and DFMO and sulindac increased the number of functional classes that were inhibited: however, the inhibition was the greatest with sulindac alone (∼76%). These findings are consistent with the known action of sulindac. Relative to DFMO alone, treatment with sulindac alone and DFMO and sulindac increased the inhibition of functional classes or cell processes that are known to be associated with the cell cycle. Changes in other pathways including the protein modification targets of CAMK (Ca++/calmodulin-kinase) and protein modification targets of matrix metalloproteinase showed significant changes only with the combined exposure of DFMO and sulindac, p values 0.0054 (CAMK) and 0.023 (MMP). The induced changes suggest that repeated exposures to low concentrations of agents were sufficient to induce changes in gene expression and that the combination treatment enhanced the overall effects. The induced changes by DFMO and sulindac would suggest the potential to reduce growth of the polyp cultures relative to the control cultures. Supported by NCI contract #N01-CN-43300 Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A50.
Design and Selection of Safe Water Supply Solutions for Emerging Regions: A Demography Based Demand Driven Approach

Due to global climate change, increase in pollution along with reduced quantity of drinking water compared to the total volume of water, the scarcity of potable water is declining gradually. Researchers have become increasingly interested in efficient design of treatment processes, but, there is a lack of research to investigate appropriate, applicable, low cost and simple water treatment processes for underprivileged communities. Providing safe drinking water in these communities is more challenging due to limitation of resources and infrastructure.In this paper we developed a mathematical foundation of Demography Based Demand Driven (DBDD) approach to capture and identify design alternatives (combination of different treatment processes). The developed approach assists to identify, extract, categorize, and compare water related attributes associated with a community and mapped onto source model to identify and select a set of feasible treatment processes. A case study for a community of a rural village in emerging regions of Honduras is modeled and the approach presented in this paper is implemented to design and select feasible service solutions.© 2012 ASME
High Resolution CT of Thoracolumbar Fractures

Twenty-one patients with thoracolumbar spinal fractures were studied with computed tomography (CT). A vertebral body was involved in 20; 12 had additional fractures of the posterior elements. Five had multiple level injuries. Neurologic deficits occurred in nine and were more common in combined vertebral body and posterior element injury. Five patients had surgical exploration of the spinal canal. CT provided more information than plain films, which missed a vertebral body fracture in one of 20, spinal canal compromise in four of 17, and posterior element fracture in one of 12. CT showed the posterior element injuries in greater detail. CT with intrathecal contrast material showed dural tear in one case. Dural tears were found at surgery in two additional patients studied without intrathecal contrast. All three had lamina fractures and cauda equina symptoms. Prompt repair of associated nerve root herniation led to rapid recovery in two of these patients.
Studies on the Subacute Toxicity of the Radix Rehmanniae Preparata Integrated Plant Capsules

OBJECTIVE To explore the subacute toxicity of Radix Rehmanniae Preparata integrated plant capsules.METHODS Rats were randomly olivided into 4 different categories which included 1.688g·kg- 1、3.375g ·kg- 1、6.750g·kg- 1and control group.routine test and biochemical indexes of blood were determinated after 30 days of continuous feeding,liver,kidney,spleen and testes were weighed,histopathological examination were performed on the liver,kidney,spleen,stomach,ovary and testis.RESULTS During the period of experiment,the normal growth activites of rats in different group were observed.At the end of the experiment,difference between different group on the body weight,increasing weight,food intake,food utilization rate,and organ / body weight ratio of rats were not statistically significant(P 0.05).Statistically significance were found in the neutrophils of male 3.375g· kg- 1group,the blood sugar of 1.688g ·kg- 1、6.750g·kg- 1group,the triglyceride of 1.688g·kg- 1group.The difference of alanine aminotransferase between 3.375g·kg- 1、6.750g·kg- 1and control group were also statistically significant(P 0.05) and within the normal range of this laboratory,which indicated no biological significance.No statistical significance were observed among the other group on the serum alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,urea,creatinine,blood glucose,total cholesterol,triglyceride,total protein,albumin,hemoglobin determination value,red blood cell count,white blood cell count and classification.Histopathological examination showed no specific lesions.CONCLUSION The study demonstrates that there is no adverse effects to rat after 30 days of continuous feeding of Radix rehmanniae preparata integrated plant capsules.
Extracellular matrix hyaluronan is a determinant of the endothelial barrier.

We measured the hydraulic conductivity (L p ) of the extracellular matrix (ECM) obtained after detaching bovine pulmonary microvascular endothelial (BPMVEC) and bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial cell (BPAEC) monolayers from the ECM at different days postseeding. From day 1 to day 5 in culture, the total L p (i.e., of cell monolayer + ECM) decreased from basal values of 17.1 ± 4.0 to 8.5 ± 1.6 x 10 -6 cm.s -1 .cmH 2 O -1 in BPAEC (P < 0.05) and 7.6 ± 1.1 to 3.7 ± 0.8 in BPMVEC (P < 0.05), respectively, and on day 5 the total L p values were lower in BPMVEC than in BPAEC (P < 0.05). On the 5th day, ECM L p was 55.0 ± 8.3 in BPAEC and 10.7 ± 0.9 cm.s -1 .cmH 2 O -1 in BPMVEC (P < 0.05), indicating that the contribution of ECM to the total L p was greater in BPMVEC than in BPAEC. Treatment of [ 3 H]acetate-labeled ECM with Streptomyces hyaluronidase (HAse; 6 U/ml for 10 min) released sixfold greater radioactivity in BPMVEC compared with untreated BPMVEC controls; a similar treatment of BPAEC did not release detectable radioactivity indicative of a higher hyaluronan content in the BPMVEC ECM. HAse treatment reduced the differences in total L p between BPMVEC and BPAEC at different days postseeding. Moreover, on the 5th day after seeding, the ECM L p of BPMVEC increased to a greater extent after HAse treatment than the ECM of BPAEC. These data indicate that the hyaluronan component of the ECM is an important determinant of the endothelial liquid-exchange barrier.
Significance of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and interleukin-6 levels in immunoglobulin treatment of Kawasaki disease in children

The aim of the study was to investigate the significance of the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH)D3] and interleukin (IL)-6 in serum prior to and after immunoglobulin treatment in children suffering from Kawasaki disease in order to provide a reference for the successful treatment of Kawasaki disease in children. From February, 2013 to February, 2015, 45 patients with Kawasaki disease were enrolled in the observation group. The normal control group comprised 43 healthy volunteers and the feverish control group 46 patients with respiratory infection and fever. Venous blood was collected from each case before and after immunoglobulin treatment and the level of 25-(OH)D3 and IL-6 in the serum were measured using fluorescent quantitative PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting. Before treatment, the level of 25-(OH)D3 in the feverish control group was significantly lower than that of the normal control group, while the level of 25-(OH)D3 in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group. The level of 25-(OH)D3 in the feverish control group was lower than the IL-6 level in the normal children, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The level 25-(OH)D3 in the observation group was significantly higher than the IL-6 level in the normal control group. The serum content of 25-(OH)D3 was significantly higher after the treatment compared to before treatment levels and after treatment IL-6 level was only slightly lower. It was observed that the 25-(OH)D3 level in the observation group was significantly increased after immunoglobulin treatment and this was positively correlated with the effects of the treatment. The IL-6 level had no significant changes after treatment and had little correlation with the treatment effect. The results suggested that 25-(OH)D3 may be involved in the occurrence of Kawasaki disease in children and in the aggravation of the disease to some extent.
A Two-Stage Approach to Differentiating Normal and Aberrant Behavior in Computer Based Testing

Statistical methods for identifying aberrances on psychological and educational tests are pivotal to detect flaws in the design of a test or irregular behavior of test takers. Two approaches have been taken in the past to address the challenge of aberrant behavior detection, which are (1) modeling aberrant behavior via mixture modeling methods, and (2) flagging aberrant behavior via residual based outlier detection methods. In this paper, we propose a two-stage method that is conceived of as a combination of both approaches. In the first stage, a mixture hierarchical model is fitted to the response and response time data to distinguish normal and aberrant behaviors using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm. In the second stage, a further distinction between rapid guessing and cheating behavior is made at a person level using a Bayesian residual index. Simulation results show that the two-stage method yields accurate item and person parameter estimates, as well as high true detection rate and low false detection rate, under different manipulated conditions mimicking NAEP parameters. A real data example is given in the end to illustrate the potential application of the proposed method.
Community-Based After-School Inclusive Programs for Low-Income Minority Youth and Their Families: the Disability Specialist Approach

Intervention for helping community based after-school programs become more responsive to youth with disabilities and their families is presented in this manuscript. The Disability Specialist intervention utilized a variety of approaches, including: a) increasing awareness of disabilities and services by providing learning opportunity sessions for families and staff, and outreach activities to youth through interactive theater; b) developing in house “disability specialists” to offer ongoing leadership and technical expertise for after-school programs and their community centers; c) developing a network of technical consultants in order to connect families and after-school programs to specialized community resources; d) providing financial assistance to enable community center staff to allocate time to outreach activities; and e) providing families with support in educational advocacy efforts by partnering with a local parent mentoring program. The success of the project depended upon building partnerships with families, community centers, human service agencies, schools, and local funding sources.
B. ARAB AMERICANS IN PUBLICLY FINANCED SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

Objectives. To determine the characteristics ofArab Americans receiving treatment and tocompare them with individuals of other ethnicgroups.Methods. We used admission data (FY2005)for Michigan publicly funded substance abusetreatment (N569,989). Arab American ethnic-ity (n5224 or 0.3% of admissions) was definedby codes for race, ethnicities or primarylanguage of Arabic (n521). Other ethnicitiesexamined were American Indian, Hispanic,African American, and White.Results. The number of Arab Americanadmissions was lower than expected for thepopulation (RR50.25). Admissions were con-centrated (81%) in metropolitan Detroit as isthe community (82%, RR5.99), unlike otherethnicities. Primary drugs of abuse werealcohol (34.8%), marijuana (17.9%), heroin(17.4%) and crack cocaine (15.6%). Meanduration of use (11.2 yrs) was significantlylower than for other ethnicities. Arab Americanadmissions were predominately male (76.3%),unemployed (62.1%) and with criminal justiceinvolvement (58%), similar to other ethnicities.Discussion. Using administrative database hasits limits and may misclassify ethnicities. Basedupon the available data, it appears that ArabAmericans accounted for a small percentage ofadmissions to publicly funded substance abusetreatment in Michigan. Most of the admissionslisted English as the primary language, raisingconcern that language may be a barrier toentry. Admission profiles were generally similaracross ethnicities, except that Arab Americanswere entering treatment after shorter durationof use. These data can inform development oftreatment programs and outreach efforts. (EthnDis. 2007;17[Suppl 3]:S3-72–S3-76)Key Words: Substance Abuse, Arab Ameri-can
PKM2 and other key regulators of Warburg effect positively correlate with CD147 (EMMPRIN) gene expression and predict survival in multiple myeloma.

PKM2 and other key regulators of Warburg effect positively correlate with CD147 (EMMPRIN) gene expression and predict survival in multiple myeloma
Measurements of the Double-Spin Asymmetry A1 on Helium-3: Toward a Precise Measurement of the Neutron A1

The spin structure of protons and neutrons has been an open question for nearly twenty-five years, after surprising experimental results disproved the simple model in which valence quarks were responsible for nearly 100% of the nucleon spin. Diverse theoretical approaches have been brought to bear on the problem, but a shortage of precise data - especially on neutron spin structure - has prevented a thorough understanding. Experiment E06-014, conducted in Hall A of Jefferson Laboratory in 2009, presented an opportunity to add to the world data set for the neutron in the poorly covered valence-quark region. Jefferson Laboratory's highly polarized electron beam, combined with Hall A's facilities for a high-density, highly polarized 3He target, allowed a high-luminosity double-polarized experiment, while the large acceptance of the BigBite spectrometer gave coverage over a wide kinematic range: 0.15 < x < 0.95. In this work, we present the analysis of a portion of the E06-014 data, measured with an incident beam energy of 4.74 GeV and spanning 1.5 < Q2 < 5.5 (GeV/c)2. From these data, we extract the longitudinal asymmetry in virtual photon-nucleon scattering, A1, on the 3He nucleus. Combined with the remaining E06-014 data, this will form the basis of amore » measurement of the neutron asymmetry Aη1 that will extend the kinematic range of the data available to test models of spin-dependent parton distributions in the nucleon.« less
Ultrafast phonon dynamics in graphene-hBN structures

We present ultrafast pump-probe measurements that show fast relaxation of carriers in graphene-hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) heterostructures due to the high interfacial thermal conductance of the graphene-hBN interface. This warrants the use of hBN as a substrate for high powered graphene devices.
Ablation of osteopontin expression suppresses UVB-induced carcinogenesis

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA 2237 Nonmelanoma skin cancer comprising of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most prevalent malignancy in Caucasian. Cutaneous SCC is a life threatening malignancy as it has the potential to metastasize and its incidence is increasing each year in the United States. It is clear that prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVB) leads to genetic changes in skin cells producing initiated cells, but prolonged UVB exposure may also lead to changes in the microenvironment that in turn contributes to carcinogenesis. Osteopontin (OPN) is a matricellular protein that has been shown to be elevated in several cancer types. We have recently shown that OPN is highly expressed in both actinic keratoses (precursor to SCC) and human cutaneous SCC. We therefore tested whether UVB-induces increase secretion of the OPN in an animal model and whether OPN contributes to photocarcinogenesis. The dorsal skins of female OPN null and wild-type mice in 129S6/SvEv genetic background were subjected to 200 mJ/cm2 of UVB for 43 weeks. Our short term studies of UVB-treated 129/SvEv mice indicate that OPN was induced as early as 24 h after UVB exposure. Further, the percent of mice with tumors and the number of tumors per mouse were higher in 129S6/SvEv mice than OPN null mice on the same genetic background. TUNEL analyses of UVB treated dorsal skin revealed that 2.5-fold more apoptotic basal cells were present in the OPN null than wild-type mice. These data confirm and extend our findings in the two-stage skin chemical carcinogenesis model by indicating that induced expression of OPN during carcinogenesis provides an altered microenvironment for the increased transformation of initiated cells.