No Handicapped People Allowed : The Need for Objective Accessibiity Standards under the Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act (FHA or the Act) sets forth accessibility requirements that housing developers must meet, but the Act does not contain objective performance standards for satisfying those requirements. This omission creates substantial barriers in housing opportunities for persons with disabilities. For example, the FHA mandates that doors must be wide enough to allow passage of wheelchair users, but it does not provide measurements for door width. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has attempted to use ten model building codes or “safe harbors” from its regulations as minimal objective standards for accessibility. HUD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) contend that developers must either adopt a safe harbor or show that they followed some comparable objective building standard. However, housing developers continue to build inaccessible housing, arguing that the FHA contains no performance standards and that HUD does not have the authority to proscribe such standards. Some jurisdictions have agreed with HUD’s position, holding that a developer’s failure to adopt a safe harbor establishes a prima facie case for disability discrimination that may be overcome if the developer shows that it followed some comparable objective standard. Other jurisdictions have sided with developers, holding that the FHA does not require developers to build by any objective standard but, rather, gives developers the freedom to argue that their design and construction conform with the FHA’s general accessibility requirements. In turn, developers often hire experts who—without reference to any objective standard—conclude that the units are accessible under the FHA. As a result, accessibility becomes a matter of opinion. When courts do not recognize minimal standards for accessibility in housing, persons with disabilities, developers, and the government all pay a price. Developers will continue to build housing that is inaccessible to persons with disabilities, re-litigating the same question about accessibility, which is costly to both the government and developers. This Comment argues that objective standards would safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities under the FHA, put developers on notice that they must build by an objective standard, and preserve the government’s litigation resources. Courts should recognize that HUD’s regulations establish minimal accessibility standards, deserve judicial deference under established administrative law principles, and effectuate Congress’s intent to eliminate barriers to equal housing opportunities for persons with disabilities

Development of a curved pipe capability for the NASTRAN finite element program

A curved pipe element capability for the NASTRAN structural analysis program is developed using the NASTRAN dummy element feature. A description is given of the theory involved in the subroutines which describe stiffness, mass, thermal and enforced deformation loads, and force and stress recovery for the curved pipe element. Incorporation of these subroutines into NASTRAN is discussed. Test problems are proposed. Instructions on use of the new element capability are provided

A Consistent Dark Matter Interpretation For CoGeNT and DAMA/LIBRA

In this paper, we study the recent excess of low energy events observed by the CoGeNT collaboration and the annual modulation reported by the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration, and discuss whether these signals could both be the result of the same elastically scattering dark matter particle. We find that, without channeling but when taking into account uncertainties in the relevant quenching factors, a dark matter candidate with a mass of approximately ~7.0 GeV and a cross section with nucleons of sigma_{DM-N} ~2x10^-4 pb (2x10^-40 cm^2) could account for both of these observations. We also comment on the events recently observed in the oxygen band of the CRESST experiment and point out that these could potentially be explained by such a particle. Lastly, we compare the region of parameter space favored by DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT to the constraints from XENON 10, XENON 100, and CDMS (Si) and find that these experiments cannot at this time rule out a dark matter interpretation of these signals.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

The engineering classroom is still relevant

Citation: Fitzsimmons, E. J., Tucker-Kulesza, S. E., Li, X., Jeter, W., & Fallin, J. R. (2016). The engineering classroom is still relevant.Attrition in engineering is a complex issue with dynamically linked variables related to teaching methods in the classroom, student learning behaviors, and student perceptions of difficult material. Extensive research has been conducted in order to understand common, yet ineffective teaching practices in engineering that result in the loss of numerous future engineers. The objective of this study was to determine student actions necessary to achieve a desired grade in any engineering course, regardless of course delivery method and instructor effectiveness in the classroom. An anonymous survey was disseminated and logistic regression models were developed in order to determine relationships between self-regulated learning behaviors and final grades in seven freshman to senior engineering classes taught by civil engineering faculty. A total of five prediction models were developed for each letter grade, with the failing grade "F" serving as the baseline condition, or null model. The models found three significant variables that affect a student's final grade: regular class attendance, note-taking during class, and if he or she could keep up with the instructor during lecture. These interactive learning behaviors were all identified as critical for success, defining success as receiving an "A" in an engineering course. The combination of students taking notes and attending class showed the highest probability of a student receiving an "A." Results of this study have been summarized into a graphic that the authors show and discuss during the first class with students. This powerful graphic shows students what they can do in classes of all levels of civil engineering to succeed in their ever-changing learning environment. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2016

The cancer gene WWOX behaves as an inhibitor of SMAD3 transcriptional activity via direct binding

Background: The WW domain containing protein WWOX has been postulated to behave as a tumor suppressor in breast and other cancers. Expression of this protein is lost in over 70% of ER negative tumors. This prompted us to investigate the phenotypic and gene expression effects of loss of WWOX expression in breast cells. Methods: Gene expression microarrays and standard in vitro assays were performed on stably silenced WWOX (shRNA) normal breast cells. Bioinformatic analyses were used to identify gene networks and transcriptional regulators affected by WWOX silencing. Co-immunoprecipitations and GST-pulldowns were used to demonstrate a direct interaction between WWOX and SMAD3. Reporter assays, ChIP, confocal microscopy and in silico analyses were employed to determine the effect of WWOX silencing on TGFβ-signaling. Results: WWOX silencing affected cell proliferation, motility, attachment and deregulated expression of genes involved in cell cycle, motility and DNA damage. Interestingly, we detected an enrichment of targets activated by the SMAD3 transcription factor, including significant upregulation of ANGPTL4, FST, PTHLH and SERPINE1 transcripts. Importantly, we demonstrate that the WWOX protein physically interacts with SMAD3 via WW domain 1. Furthermore, WWOX expression dramatically decreases SMAD3 occupancy at the ANGPTL4 and SERPINE1 promoters and significantly quenches activation of a TGFβ responsive reporter. Additionally, WWOX expression leads to redistribution of SMAD3 from the nuclear to the cytoplasmic compartment. Since the TGFβ target ANGPTL4 plays a key role in lung metastasis development, we performed a meta-analysis of ANGPTL4 expression relative to WWOX in microarray datasets from breast carcinomas. We observed a significant inverse correlation between WWOX and ANGPTL4. Furthermore, the WWOX lo/ANGPTL4hi cluster of breast tumors is enriched in triple-negative and basal-like sub-types. Tumors with this gene expression signature could represent candidates for anti-TGFβ targeted therapies. Conclusions: We show for the first time that WWOX modulates SMAD3 signaling in breast cells via direct WW-domain mediated binding and potential cytoplasmic sequestration of SMAD3 protein. Since loss of WWOX expression increases with breast cancer progression and it behaves as an inhibitor of SMAD3 transcriptional activity these observations may help explain, at least in part, the paradoxical pro-tumorigenic effects of TGFβ signaling in advanced breast cancer.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasCentro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

The cancer gene WWOX behaves as an inhibitor of SMAD3 transcriptional activity via direct binding

Background: The WW domain containing protein WWOX has been postulated to behave as a tumor suppressor in breast and other cancers. Expression of this protein is lost in over 70% of ER negative tumors. This prompted us to investigate the phenotypic and gene expression effects of loss of WWOX expression in breast cells. Methods: Gene expression microarrays and standard in vitro assays were performed on stably silenced WWOX (shRNA) normal breast cells. Bioinformatic analyses were used to identify gene networks and transcriptional regulators affected by WWOX silencing. Co-immunoprecipitations and GST-pulldowns were used to demonstrate a direct interaction between WWOX and SMAD3. Reporter assays, ChIP, confocal microscopy and in silico analyses were employed to determine the effect of WWOX silencing on TGFβ-signaling. Results: WWOX silencing affected cell proliferation, motility, attachment and deregulated expression of genes involved in cell cycle, motility and DNA damage. Interestingly, we detected an enrichment of targets activated by the SMAD3 transcription factor, including significant upregulation of ANGPTL4, FST, PTHLH and SERPINE1 transcripts. Importantly, we demonstrate that the WWOX protein physically interacts with SMAD3 via WW domain 1. Furthermore, WWOX expression dramatically decreases SMAD3 occupancy at the ANGPTL4 and SERPINE1 promoters and significantly quenches activation of a TGFβ responsive reporter. Additionally, WWOX expression leads to redistribution of SMAD3 from the nuclear to the cytoplasmic compartment. Since the TGFβ target ANGPTL4 plays a key role in lung metastasis development, we performed a meta-analysis of ANGPTL4 expression relative to WWOX in microarray datasets from breast carcinomas. We observed a significant inverse correlation between WWOX and ANGPTL4. Furthermore, the WWOXlo/ANGPTL4hi cluster of breast tumors is enriched in triple-negative and basal-like sub-types. Tumors with this gene expression signature could represent candidates for anti-TGFβ targeted therapies. Conclusions: We show for the first time that WWOX modulates SMAD3 signaling in breast cells via direct WW-domain mediated binding and potential cytoplasmic sequestration of SMAD3 protein. Since loss of WWOX expression increases with breast cancer progression and it behaves as an inhibitor of SMAD3 transcriptional activity these observations may help explain, at least in part, the paradoxical pro-tumorigenic effects of TGFβ signaling in advanced breast cancer.Fil: Ferguson, Brent W.. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Gao, Xinsheng. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Zelazowski, Maciej J.. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Lee, Jaeho. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Jeter, Collene R.. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Abba, Martín Carlos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicadas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aldaz, Claudio Marcelo. University of Texas; Estados Unido

Influence of Cropping Systems On Cotton and Corn Yields on the Gulf Coast Prairie.

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The Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace

The Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF) is a five zone tubular furnace designed for Bridgman-Stockbarger, other techniques of crystal growth involving multiple temperature zones such as vapor transport experiments and other materials science experiments. The five zones are primarily designed to produce uniform hot and cold temperature regions separated by an adiabatic region constructed of a heat extraction plate and an insert to reduce radiation from the hot to the cold zone. The hot and cold zone temperatures are designed to reach 1600 C and 1100 C, respectively. AADSF operates on a Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS) within the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle on the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP) missions. Two successful flights, both employing the directional solidification or Bridgman Stockbarger technique for crystal growth have been made, and crystals of HgCdTe and PbSnTe grown in microgravity have been produced on USMP-2 and USMP-3, respectively. The addition of a Sample Exchange Mechanism (SEM) will enable three different samples to be processed on future flights including the USMP-4 mission

Limb specific training magnitude and asymmetry measurement to discriminate between athletes with and without unilateral or bilateral lower limb injury history

Objectives: This study investigates the use of tibia-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs) as an alternative to upper trunk-mounted IMUs for assessing lower limb training magnitudes and asymmetries in Badminton players. Design: Cross-Sectional Study. Setting: Youth athlete training environment. Participants: Thirty-three adolescent Badminton players, grouped based on injury history (non-injured ¼ 19, bilateral ¼ 6, unilateral ¼ 8). Main outcome measures: Players wore 1 upper trunk-mounted and 2 tibia-mounted IMUs during simulated match-play. Modified vector magnitudes were assessed to identify if the IMUs can discriminate between injury history groups to assess the device location sensitivity, determine to what extent players exhibit movement asymmetry within the sport, and explore if asymmetries exist within groups with injury history. Results: Upper trunk-mounted IMUs could not distinguish between injury history groups. Statistically significant asymmetries were observed in the non-injured group, however these were below the 10% threshold for clinical asymmetry. No significant asymmetries were observed in the bilaterally injured group, while statistically significant asymmetries were observed in the unilaterally injured group, which were above the 10% threshold for clinical asymmetry. Conclusion: These results suggest that direct limb specific IMU measurement offers a method to suitably assess training magnitudes and asymmetry within a sporting performance, rather than isolated non- sport specific testing