bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology Traps
Authors: Crabb Peter B. , Stern Steven E.
Published: April 2012

Technologies can have harmful effects on users’ psychological health, on society, and on the environment. “Technology traps” arise when users and societies become stuck with technologies and the harmful consequences produced by these technologies. In this paper, the authors describe five technology traps: incompetence, self-miscontrol, misbehavior, techno-centrism, and environmental degradation. The authors then examine the share of ethical responsibility for these traps among end-users, businesses, and government.
Identifying the Ethics of Emerging Information and Communication Technologies
Authors: Stahl Bernd Carsten , Heersmink Richard , Goujon Philippe , Flick Catherine , van den Hoven Jeroen , Wakunuma Kutoma , Ikonen Veikko , Rader Michael
Published: April 2012

Ethical issues of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are important because they can have significant effects on human liberty, happiness, and people’s ability to lead a good life. They are also of functional interest because they can determine whether technologies are used and whether their positive potential can unfold. For these reasons, policy makers are interested in finding out what these issues are and how they can be addressed. The best way of creating ICT policy that is sensitive to ethical issues pertain to being proactive in addressing such issues at an early stage of the technology life cycle. The present paper uses this position as a starting point and discusses how knowledge of ethical aspects of emerging ICTs can be gained. It develops a methodology that goes beyond established futures methodologies to cater for the difficult nature of ethical issues. The authors outline how the description of emerging ICTs can be used for an ethical analysis.
Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing
Authors: Allen Peter , Shepherd Katherine , Roberts Lynne
Published: April 2012

Despite persistent government and industry efforts to stop the sharing and downloading of media such as files over peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, this activity shows no sign of abating. This research investigated whether psychological reactance could account for variance in the intent to engage in, and the extent of such behaviour beyond that accounted for by the standard Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) variables. No support for psychological reactance as a predictor of P2P file downloading intent or behaviour was found in this paper. However, the results did indicate that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control each accounted for significant variance in P2P file downloading behaviour, and that these relationships were fully mediated by behavioural intent. These findings are consistent with, and provide strong support for, the use of the TPB within this domain.
Not Just Software
Authors: Callén Blanca , López Daniel , Doménech Miquel , Tirado Francisco
Published: April 2012

The practice of developing and creating Free Software has been the centre of attention for studies related to economics, knowledge production, laws and the intellectual property framework. However, the practice that constitutes the initiative of Free Software also means a call to rethink current forms of political action and the in-depth meaning of what is understood as “political”. This constitutes the field which has been called techno-activism. Along these lines, the authors propose a particular reading of the political challenge that is Free Software from the standpoint of Hardt and Negri’s (2000) theoretical work. The authors put forward various contributions -regarding the organization, the agents and the form of political action- that they consider to pose a crisis for traditional proposals and urge society to renew its way of relating to information, the raw material upon which the current exercise of government and practices of techno-activist resistance rest.
Dendritic Cells Activated by IFN-γ/STAT1 Express IL-31 Receptor and Release Proinflammatory Mediators upon IL-31 Treatment
Authors: Horejs-Hoeck Jutta , Schwarz Harald , Lamprecht Sebastian , Maier Elisabeth , Hainzl Stefan , Schmittner Maria , Posselt Gernot , Stoecklinger Angelika , Hawranek Thomas , Duschl Albert
Published: April 2012

IL-31 is a T cell-derived cytokine that signals via a heterodimeric receptor composed of IL-31Rα and oncostatin M receptor β. Although several studies have aimed to investigate IL-31–mediated effects, the biological functions of this cytokine are currently not well understood. IL-31 expression correlates with the expression of IL-4 and IL-13 and is associated with atopic dermatitis in humans, indicating that IL-31 is involved in Th2-mediated skin inflammation. Because dendritic cells are the main activators of Th cell responses, we posed the question of whether dendritic cells express the IL-31R complex and govern immune responses triggered by IL-31. In the current study, we report that primary human CD1c+ as well as monocyte-derived dendritic cells significantly upregulate the IL-31Rα receptor chain upon stimulation with IFN-γ. EMSAs, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and small interfering RNA-based silencing assays revealed that STAT1 is the main transcription factor involved in IFN-γ–dependent IL-31Rα expression. Subsequent IL-31 stimulation resulted in a dose-dependent release of proinflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL8, CCL2, CCL5, and CCL22. Because these cytokines are crucially involved in skin inflammation, we hypothesize that IL-31–specific activation of dendritic cells may be part of a positive feedback loop driving the progression of inflammatory skin diseases.
Complement C3a-Induced IL-17 Plays a Critical Role in an IgE-Mediated Late-Phase Asthmatic Response and Airway Hyperresponsiveness via Neutrophilic Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Mizutani Nobuaki , Goshima Hirofumi , Nabe Takeshi , Yoshino Shin
Published: April 2012

Allergen-specific IgE plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. Although there has been increasing evidence suggesting the involvement of IL-17 in the disease, the relationship between IL-17 and IgE-mediated asthmatic responses has not yet been defined. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the contribution of IL-17 to an IgE-mediated late-phase asthmatic response and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). BALB/c mice passively sensitized with an OVA-specific IgE mAb were challenged with OVA intratracheally four times. The fourth challenge caused a late-phase increase in airway resistance associated with elevated levels of IL-17+CD4+ cells in the lungs. Multiple treatments with a C3a receptor antagonist or anti-C3a mAb during the challenges inhibited the increase in IL-17+CD4+ cells. Meanwhile, a single treatment with the antagonist or the mAb at the fourth challenge suppressed the late-phase increase in airway resistance, AHR, and infiltration by neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Because IL-17 production in the lungs was significantly repressed by both treatments, the effect of an anti–IL-17 mAb was examined. The late-phase increase in airway resistance, AHR, and infiltration by neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was inhibited. Furthermore, an anti–Gr-1 mAb had a similar effect. Collectively, we found that IgE mediated the increase of IL-17+CD4+ cells in the lungs caused by repeated Ag challenges via C3a. The mechanisms leading to the IgE-mediated late-phase asthmatic response and AHR are closely associated with neutrophilic inflammation through the production of IL-17 induced by C3a.
Tripartite Motif-Containing Protein 38 Negatively Regulates TLR3/4- and RIG-I–Mediated IFN-β Production and Antiviral Response by Targeting NAP1
Authors: Zhao Wei , Wang Lijuan , Zhang Meng , Wang Peng , Yuan Chao , Qi Jianni , Meng Hong , Gao Chengjiang
Published: April 2012

Recognition of RNA virus through TLR and RIG-I–like receptor results in rapid expression of type I IFNs, which play an essential role in host antiviral responses. However, the mechanisms to terminate the production of type I IFNs are not well defined. In the current study, we identified a member of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family, TRIM38, as a negative regulator in TLR3/4- and RIG-I–mediated IFN-β signaling. Knockdown of TRIM38 expression by small interfering RNA resulted in augmented activation of IFN regulatory factor 3 and enhanced expression of IFN-β, whereas overexpression of TRIM38 had opposite effects. Coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization experiments demonstrated that TRIM38 interacted with NF-κB–activating kinase-associated protein 1 (NAP1), which is required for TLR-induced IFN regulatory factor 3 activation and IFN-β production. As an E3 ligase, TRIM38 promoted K48-linked polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of NAP1. Thus, knockdown of TRIM38 expression resulted in higher protein level of NAP1 in primary macrophages. Consistent with the inhibitory roles in TLR3/4- and RIG-I–mediated IFN-β signaling, knockdown of TRIM38 significantly inhibited the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus. Overexpression of TRIM38 resulted in enhanced replication of vesicular stomatitis virus. Therefore, our results demonstrate that TRIM38 is a negative regulator for TLR and RIG-I–mediated IFN-β production by targeting NAP1 for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation.
Role of CD25+ Dendritic Cells in the Generation of Th17 Autoreactive T Cells in Autoimmune Experimental Uveitis
Authors: Liang Dongchun , Zuo Aijun , Shao Hui , Born Willi K. , O’Brien Rebecca L. , Kaplan Henry J. , Sun Deming
Published: April 2012

In the current study, we showed that in vivo administration of an anti-CD25 Ab (PC61) decreased the Th17 response in C57BL/6 mice immunized with the uveitogenic peptide interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (1–20), while enhancing the autoreactive Th1 response. The depressed Th17 response was closely associated with decreased numbers of a splenic dendritic cell (DC) subset expressing CD11c+CD3−CD25+ and decreased expansion of γδ T cells. We demonstrated that ablation of the CD25+ DC subset accounted for the decreased activation and the expansion of γδ T cells, leading to decreased activation of IL-17+ interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein-specific T cells. Our results show that an enhanced Th17 response in an autoimmune disease is associated with the appearance of a DC subset expressing CD25 and that treatment of mice with anti-CD25 Ab causes functional alterations in a number of immune cell types, namely DCs and γδ T cells, in addition to CD25+αβTCR+ regulatory T cells.
PTPN22 Alters the Development of Regulatory T Cells in the Thymus
Authors: Maine Christian J. , Hamilton-Williams Emma E. , Cheung Jocelyn , Stanford Stephanie M. , Bottini Nunzio , Wicker Linda S. , Sherman Linda A.
Published: April 2012

PTPN22 encodes a tyrosine phosphatase that inhibits Src-family kinases responsible for Ag receptor signaling in lymphocytes and is strongly linked with susceptibility to a number of autoimmune diseases. As strength of TCR signal is critical to the thymic selection of regulatory T cells (Tregs), we examined the effect of murine PTPN22 deficiency on Treg development and function. In the thymus, numbers of pre-Tregs and Tregs increased inversely with the level of PTPN22. This increase in Tregs persisted in the periphery and could play a key part in the reduced severity observed in the PTPN22-deficient mice of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. This could explain the lack of association of certain autoimmune conditions with PTPN22 risk alleles.
The Safe Harbors Youth Intervention Project: inter-sectoral collaboration to address sexual exploitation in Minnesota
Authors: Edinburgh Laurel , Huemann Emily , Richtman Kathryn , Marboe Andrea McDonald , Saewyc Elizabeth
Published: April 2012

The authors aimed to evaluate the Safe Harbors Youth Intervention Project inter-sectoral collaboration to improve continuity and appropriateness of services for sexually exploited children and adolescents. The study was carried on through an intensive, single case study, drawing on interviews and focus groups with experiential youths (n=125) and multi-sectoral stakeholders (n=196), documented activities, and repeated interviews with collaborating team members (n=29), teen clients (n=46) and parents (n=22). The collaboration was designed around an eight-step process for creating victim-centered protocols within and across organizations, altering services to bridge gaps in care, and creating training tools for the different sectors. The results of the study showed an initial needs assessment documented fragmented care and problematic communication across departments and sectors. The shared protocol development among decision makers from each agency, focused on best practices and evidence-based interventions, fostered trusting relationships, improved awareness of different roles and services, and speeded practice changes to remove barriers to care for sexually exploited youths. A task-focused collaboration with a shared community-wide protocol, increases transparency between services, and ongoing inter-sectoral training helps healthcare team foster a meaningful response to sexually exploited youths.
Coefficient of Variation Based Image Selective Segmentation Model Using Active Contours
Authors: Badshah Noor , Chen Ke , Ali Haider , Murtaza Ghulam
Published: April 2012

Most image segmentation techniques efficiently segment images with prominent edges, but are less efficient for some images with low frequencies and overlapping regions of homogeneous intensities. A recently proposed selective segmentation model often works well, but not for such challenging images. In this paper, we introduce a new model using the coefficient of variation as a fidelity term, and our test results show it performs much better in these challenging cases.
Periodontal Status of Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis
Authors: Padmanabhan Shyam , Dwarakanath CD , Paramashivaiah Rashmi
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Osteoporosis a common metabolic disorder in postmenopausal women, with characteristic loss of bone mass, is associated with periodontitis and tooth loss according to the vast accumulating evidence. This association needs further perusal which was addressed in the following study.

Materials and methods

The study subjects were postmenopausal women (No:104) in the age group of 35 to 60 years. Diagnosis of osteoporosis was by standard tests like clinical, radiographic tests and or bone densitometry. Case history of subjects (i.e. dental, personal, medical and menopausal) was elicited verbally and periodontal examination was carried out. Estrogen (17-β estradiol) and calcium assays were measured in 20 of these patients.

Results

All subjects completed their periodontal and radiographic examination. Indices to measure local factors were accompanied by increase in clinical parameters for periodontitis. Alveolar bone loss visible radiographically correlated with clinical indices and clinical attachment loss. Hormonal assays, i.e. serum 17-β. Estradiol and calcium were found to be below normal for examined cases. Majority of patients had periodontitis, half being localized and the remaining generalized.

Conclusion

Mandibular cortex showed osteoporosis in most of the cases. Tooth loss was not an apparent finding. Osteoporosis did not show an association with periodontitis as much as the local environment. Thus, it could be concluded that osteoporosis may not be an important risk factor for periodontitis and oral bone loss.
Management of Horizontal and Multiple Crown-Root Fractures
Authors: Raghu Ramya , Sahana DS
Published: April 2012

Traumatic injury to oral cavity with accompanying tooth fracture can be a tragic experience for the patient and is a problem that requires experience, judgment and skill of the dentist. The dental health and appearance marred by an unsightly injury must be restored to normal as soon as possible. Though, root fractures comprise 0.5 to 7% of injuries affecting the permanent dentition, improper and delayed treatment can lead to loss of tooth. This report records a clinical case of intraalveolar horizontal mid root fracture in maxillary right central incisor with subluxation of coronal segment, which was managed endodontically using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), as an apical barrier at the fracture site. Maxillary right lateral and left central incisors affected by oblique crown-root fracture which were restored by custom-cast post and crown. After one year follow-up, the teeth were asymptomatic and showed signs of healing apical to the MTA barrier.
Correction of Deep Bite with a Functional Trainer
Authors: Sanjay N , Rajesh RNG , Sreedevi D , Patil Rekha
Published: April 2012

In growing patients, the anterior deep bite management could be tricky to correct and retain, if not handled properly and at the correct time. This report shows how the deep bite was managed in a patient by proper diagnosis and with a comprehensive prefabricated appliance, such as the trainer system with more long-term stability.
Unicystic Ameloblastoma in 6-Year-Old Child and Its Significance
Authors: Rao Girish S , Reddy Sudhakara K
Published: April 2012

Ameloblastoma is a true neoplasm of odontogenic epithelial origin. Unicystic ameloblastoma refers to those cystic lesions that show clinical, radiographic or gross features of a mandibular cyst, but on histologic examination show a typical ameloblastomatous epithelium lining part of the cyst cavity with or without luminal and/or mural tumor growth. It accounts for 5 to 15% of all intraosseous ameloblastomas. They believed to be less aggressive and respond more favorably to conservative excision than the solid or multicystic ameloblastomas. We report a case of unicystic ameloblastoma of the anterior part of the mandible that was treated by enucleation and use of Cornoy's solution under suspicion of an odontogenic cyst. The nature of the lesion became evident only when the enucleated material was available for histologic examination. With this report, we illustrate the importance and complexity of a differential diagnosis of lesions with a cystic aspect in the anterior region of the mandible, among them are dentigerous cyst, odontogenic keratocysts, adenomatoid odontogenic and unicystic ameloblastoma.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Corrosion Behavior of Alloy 690 and Alloy 693 in Simulated Nuclear High-Level Waste Medium
Authors: Samantaroy P.K. , Girija S. , Mudali U. Kamachi
Published: April 2012

Nickel-based alloys are being considered as candidate materials for the storage of high-level waste generated from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. In the present investigation, Alloy 690 (UNS N06690) and Alloy 693 (UNS N06693) were assessed using the potentiodynamic anodic polarization technique for the corrosion behavior in the solution-annealed and sensitized conditions, in 3 M nitric acid (HNO3) and simulated high-level waste (HLW) at 25°C and 50°C. From the results of the investigation, it was found that the polarization curves for the solution-annealed specimens were characterized by a long passive range and low passivation current density, at 25°C. Increasing solution temperature to 50°C led to a corresponding increase in corrosion potential as well as passivation current density. The solution-annealed specimen showed improved corrosion resistance compared to the sensitized specimen in both media, for both alloys. Double-loop electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (DL-EPR) test was carried out for both solution-annealed and sensitized Alloy 690 and Alloy 693 in 0.5 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) containing 0.0001 M potassium thiocyanate (KSCN), to measure the degree of sensitization (DOS). Microstructural examination was carried out by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after electrolytic etching. The results of the present investigation are discussed in the paper.
Improved cloud and snow screening in MAIAC aerosol retrievals using spectral and spatial analysis
Authors: Lyapustin A. , Wang Y. , Laszlo I. , Korkin S.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. An improved cloud/snow screening technique in the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm is described. It is implemented as part of MAIAC aerosol retrievals based on analysis of spectral residuals and spatial variability. Comparisons with AERONET aerosol observations and a large-scale MODIS data analysis show strong suppression of aerosol optical thickness outliers due to unresolved clouds and snow. At the same time, the developed filter does not reduce the aerosol retrieval capability at high 1 km resolution in strongly inhomogeneous environments, such as near centers of the active fires. Despite significant improvement, the optical depth outliers in high spatial resolution data are and will remain the problem to be addressed by the application-dependent specialized filtering techniques.
Validation of routine continuous airborne CO2 observations near the Bialystok Tall Tower
Authors: Chen H. , Winderlich J. , Gerbig C. , Katrynski K. , Jordan A. , Heimann M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Since 2002 in situ airborne measurements of atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios have been performed regularly aboard a rental aircraft near Bialystok (53°08´ N, 23°09´ E), a city in northeastern Poland. Since August 2008, the in situ CO2 measurements have been made by a modified commercially available and fully automated non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) analyzer system. The response of the analyzer has been characterized and the CO2 mixing ratio stability of the associated calibration system has been fully tested, which results in an optimal calibration strategy and allows for an accuracy of the CO2 measurements within 0.2 ppm. Besides the in situ measurements, air samples have been collected in glass flasks and analyzed in the laboratory for CO2 and other trace gases. To validate the in situ CO2 measurements against reliable discrete flask measurements, we developed weighting functions that mimic the temporal averaging of the flask sampling process. Comparisons between in situ and flask CO2 measurements demonstrate that these weighting functions can compensate for atmospheric variability, and provide an effective method for validating airborne in situ CO2 measurements. In addition, we show the nine-year records of flask CO2 measurements. The new system, automated since August 2008, has eliminated the need for manual in-flight calibrations, and thus enables an additional vertical profile, 20 km away, to be sampled at no additional cost in terms of flight hours. This sampling strategy provides an opportunity to investigate both temporal and spatial variability on a regular basis.
Ice hydrometeor profile retrieval algorithm for high frequency microwave radiometers: application to the CoSSIR instrument during TC4
Authors: Evans K. F. , Wang J. R. , O'C Starr D. , Heymsfield G. , Li L. , Tian L. , Lawson R. P. , Heymsfield A. J. , Bansemer A.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. A Bayesian algorithm to retrieve profiles of cloud ice water content (IWC), ice particle size (Dme), and relative humidity from millimeter-wave/submillimeter-wave radiometers is presented. The first part of the algorithm prepares an a priori file with cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) and empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of profiles of temperature, relative humidity, three ice particle parameters (IWC, Dme, distribution width), and two liquid cloud parameters. The a priori CDFs and EOFs are derived from CloudSat radar reflectivity profiles and associated ECMWF temperature and relative humidity profiles combined with three cloud microphysical probability distributions obtained from in situ cloud probes. The second part of the algorithm uses the CDF/EOF file to perform a Bayesian retrieval with a hybrid technique that uses Monte Carlo integration (MCI) or, when too few MCI cases match the observations, uses optimization to maximize the posterior probability function. The very computationally intensive Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method also may be chosen as a solution method. The radiative transfer model assumes mixtures of several shapes of randomly oriented ice particles, and here random aggregates of hexagonal plates, spheres, and dendrites are used for tropical convection. A new physical model of stochastic dendritic snowflake aggregation is developed. The retrieval algorithm is applied to data from the Compact Scanning Submillimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (CoSSIR) flown on the ER-2 aircraft during the Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling (TC4) experiment in 2007. Example retrievals with error bars are shown for nadir profiles of IWC, Dme, and relative humidity, and nadir and conical scan swath retrievals of ice water path and average Dme. The ice cloud retrievals are evaluated by retrieving integrated 94 GHz backscattering from CoSSIR for comparison with the Cloud Radar System (CRS) flown on the same aircraft. The rms difference in integrated backscattering is around 3 dB over a 30 dB range. A comparison of CoSSIR retrieved and CRS measured reflectivity shows that CoSSIR has the ability to retrieve low-resolution ice cloud profiles in the upper troposphere.
Bounce-averaged Fokker-Planck diffusion equation in non-dipolar magnetic fields with applications to the Dungey magnetosphere
Authors: Ni B. , Thorne R. M. , Ma Q.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. We perform a detailed derivation of the bounce-averaged relativistic Fokker-Planck diffusion equation applicable to arbitrary magnetic field at a constant Roederer L. The form of the bounce-averaged diffusion equation is found regardless of details of the mirror geometry, suggesting that the numerical schemes developed for solving the modified two-dimensional (2-D) Fokker-Planck equation in a magnetic dipole should be feasible for similar computation efforts on modeling wave-induced particle diffusion processes in any non-dipolar magnetic field. However, bounce period related terms and bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients are required to be computed in realistic magnetic fields. With the application to the Dungey magnetosphere that is controlled by the intensity of southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), we show that with enhanced southward IMF the normalized bounce period related term decreases accordingly, and bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients cover a broader range of electron energy and equatorial pitch angle with a tendency of increased magnitude and peaking at lower energies. The compression of the Dungey magnetosphere can generally produce scattering loss of plasma sheet electrons ~100 keV on a timescale shorter than that in a dipolar field, and induce momentum diffusion at high pitch angles closer to 90°. Correspondingly, the strong diffusion rate drops considerably as a product of changes in both the equatorial loss cone and the bounce period. The extent of differences in all the parameters introduced by the southward IMF intensification also becomes larger for a field line with higher equatorial crossing. With the derived general formulism of bounce-averaged diffusion equation for arbitrary 2-D magnetic field, our results confirm the need for the adoption of realistic magnetic fields to perform accurate determination of electron resonant scattering rates and precise multi-dimensional diffusion simulations of magnetospheric electron dynamics.
Molecular analysis of the microbial community structures in water-flooding petroleum reservoirs with different temperatures
Authors: Wang L.-Y. , Duan R.-Y. , Liu J.-F. , Yang S.-Z. , Gu J.-D. , Mu B.-Z.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors regulating the activity and determining the composition of the microbial community. Analysis of microbial communities from six water-flooding petroleum reservoirs at temperatures from 20 to 63 °C by 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicates the presence of physiologically diverse and temperature-dependent microorganisms in these subterrestrial ecosystems. In high-temperature petroleum reservoirs, most of the archaeal sequences belong to the thermophilic archaea including the genera Thermococcus, Methanothermobacter and Thermoplasmatales, most of the bacterial sequences belong to the phyla Firmicutes, Thermotogae and Thermodesulfobacteria; in low-temperature petroleum reservoirs, most of the archaeal sequences are affiliated with the genera Methanobacterium, Methanoculleus and Methanocalculus, most of the bacterial sequences to the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that temperature, mineralization, ionic type as well as volatile fatty acids showed correlation with the microbial community structures. These organisms may be adapted to the environmental conditions of these petroleum reservoirs over geologic time by metabolizing buried organic matter from the original deep subsurface environment and became the common inhabitants in subsurface environments.
Remote sensing the dynamics of suspended particles in the Mackenzie River plume (Canadian Arctic Ocean)
Authors: Doxaran D. , Ehn J. , Bélanger S. , Matsuoka A. , Hooker S. , Babin M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Climate change significantly impacts Arctic shelf regions in terms of air temperature, ultraviolet radiation, melting of sea ice, precipitation, thawing of permafrost and coastal erosion. A direct consequence is an increase in Arctic river discharge with an expectation of increased delivery of organic carbon sequestered in high-latitute soils since the last glacial maximum. Monitoring the fluxes and fate of this terrigenous organic carbon is problematic in such sparsely populated regions unless remote sensing techniques can be developed to an operational stage. The main objective of this study is to develop an ocean colour algorithm to operationally monitor dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) on the Mackenzie River continental shelf (Canadian Arctic Ocean) using satellite imagery. The water optical properties are documented across the study area and related to concentrations of SPM and particulate organic carbon (POC). Robust SPM and POC:SPM proxies are identified, such as the light backscattering and attenuation coefficients, and relationships are established between these optical and biogeochemical parameters. Following a semi-analytical approach, a regional SPM quantification relationship is obtained for the inversion of the water reflectance signal into SPM concentration. This relationship is validated based on independent field optical measurements. It is successfully applied to a selection of MODIS satellite data which allow estimating fluxes at the river mouth and monitoring the extension and dynamics of the Mackenzie River surface plume in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Good agreement is obtained with field observations representative of the whole water column in the river delta zone within which terrigenous SPM is mainly constrained (out of short periods of maximum river outflow). Most of the seaward export of SPM is observed to occur within the west side of the river mouth. Future work require the validation of the developed SPM regional algorithm based on match-ups with field measurements, then the routine application to ocean colour satellite data in order to better estimate the fluxes and fate of SPM and POC delivered by the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean.
Technical note: A significance test for data-sparse zones in scatter plots
Authors: Vetrova V. V. , Bardsley W. E.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Data-sparse zones in scatter plots of hydrological variables can be of interest in various contexts. For example, a well-defined data-sparse zone may indicate inhibition of one variable by another. It is of interest therefore to determine whether data-sparse regions in scatter plots are of sufficient extent to be beyond random chance. We consider the specific situation of data-sparse regions defined by a linear internal boundary within a scatter plot defined over a rectangular region. An Excel VBA macro is provided for carrying out a randomisation-based significance test of the data-sparse region, taking into account both the within-region number of data points and the extent of the region. Example applications are given with respect to a rainfall time series from Israel and also to validation scatter plots from a seasonal forecasting model for lake inflows in New Zealand.
Assessing residual hydropower potential of the La Plata Basin accounting for future user demands
Authors: Popescu I. , Brandimarte L. , Perera M. S. U. , Peviani M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. La Plata Basin is shared by five countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), which are having fast growing economies in South America. These countries need energy for their sustainable development; hence hydropower can play a very important role as a renewable clean source of energy. This paper presents an analysis of the current hydropower production and electricity demand in La Plata Basin (LPB) and makes an analysis of the maximum and residual hydropower potential of the basin for a horizon of 30 yr (i.e. year 2040). Current hydropower production is estimated based on historic available data while future energy production is deduced from the maximum available water in the catchment, whereas electricity demand is assessed by correlating existing electricity demand with the estimated population growth and economic development. The maximum and residual hydropower potential of the basin, were assessed for the mean annual flows of the present hydrological regime (1970–2000) and topographical characteristics of the area. Computations were performed using an integrated GIS environment called Vapidro-Aste released by the Research on Energy System (Italy). The residual hydropower potential of the basin is computed considering that first the water supply needs for population, industry and agriculture are served and than hydropower energy is produced. The calculated hydropower production is found to be approximately half of the estimated electricity demand, which shows that there is a need to look for other sources of energy in the future.
Adaptive modelling of long-distance wave propagation and fine-scale flooding during the Tohoku tsunami
Authors: Popinet S.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The 11 March 2011 Tohoku tsunami is simulated using the quadtree-adaptive Saint-Venant solver implemented within the Gerris Flow Solver. The spatial resolution is adapted dynamically from 250 m in flooded areas up to 250 km for the areas at rest. Wave fronts are tracked at a resolution of 1.8 km in deep water. The simulation domain extends over 73° of both latitude and longitude and covers a significant part of the north-west Pacific. The initial wave elevation is obtained from a source model derived using seismic data only. Accurate long-distance wave prediction is demonstrated through comparison with DART buoys timeseries and GLOSS tide gauges records. The model also accurately predicts fine-scale flooding compared to both satellite and survey data. Adaptive mesh refinement leads to orders-of-magnitude gains in computational efficiency compared to non-adaptive methods. The study confirms that consistent source models for tsunami initiation can be obtained from seismic data only. However, while the observed extreme wave elevations are reproduced by the model, they are located further south than in the surveyed data. Comparisons with inshore wave buoys data indicate that this may be due to an incomplete understanding of the local wave generation mechanisms.
Brief Communication "Rain effect on the load of tephra deposits"
Authors: Macedonio G. , Costa A.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Accumulation of tephra fallout produced during explosive eruptions can cause roof collapses in areas near the volcano, when the weight of the deposit exceeds some threshold value that depends on the quality of buildings. The additional loading of water that remains trapped in the tephra deposits due to rainfall can contribute to increasing the loading of the deposits on the roofs. Here we propose a simple approach to estimate an upper bound for the contribution of rain to the load of pyroclastic deposits that is useful for hazard assessment purposes. As case study we present an application of the method in the area of Naples, Italy, for a reference eruption from Vesuvius volcano.
Toward a multivariate reanalysis of the North Atlantic ocean biogeochemistry during 1998–2006 based on the assimilation of SeaWiFS chlorophyll data
Authors: Fontana C. , Brasseur P. , Brankart J.-M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Today, the routine assimilation of satellite data into operational models of the ocean circulation is mature enough to enable the production of global reanalyses describing the ocean circulation variability during the past decades. The expansion of the "reanalysis" concept from ocean physics to biogeochemistry is a timely challenge that motivates the present study. The objective of this paper is to investigate the potential benefits of assimilating satellite-estimated chlorophyll data into a basin-scale three-dimensional coupled physical-biogeochemical model of the North-Atlantic. The aim is on one hand to improve forecasts of ocean biogeochemical properties and on the other hand to define a methodology for producing data-driven climatologies based on coupled physical-biogeochemical modelling. A simplified variant of the Kalman filter is used to assimilate ocean color data during a 9 year-long period. In this frame, two experiences are carried out, with and without anamorphic transformations of the state vector variables. Data assimilation efficiency is assessed with respect to the assimilated data set, the nitrate World Ocean Atlas database and a derived climatology. Along the simulation period, the non-linear assimilation scheme clearly improves the surface chlorophyll concentrations analysis and forecast, especially in the North Atlantic bloom region. Nitrate concentration forecasts are also improved thanks to the assimilation of ocean color data while this improvement is limited to the upper layer of the water column, in agreement with recent related litterature. This feature is explained by the weak correlation taken into account by the assimilation between surface phytoplankton and nitrate concentration deeper than 50 m. The assessement of the non-linear assimilation experiments indicates that the proposed methodology provides the skeleton of an assimilative system suitable for reanalysing the ocean biogeochemistry based on ocean color data.
The Lawyer as Legal Scholar
Authors: Madison Michael J.
Published: April 2012

Law professors love to talk about themselves. Rarely is this more evident than when they have a student audience. It is surprising, therefore, that only now has a full-time legal scholar, dedicated primarily to matters other than the topic of writing itself, produced an entire book of advice for the student scholar. InAcademic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, and Seminar Papers, Eugene Volokh, who teaches the law of the First Amendment, copyright law, and firearms regulation policy at the UCLA School of Law, has delivered an engaging, witty, and extremely useful book for the aspiring student note and article writer that is based, it clearly appears, on the model of scholarship that Volokh himself has so successfully pursued.
On Preemption, Congressional Intent, and Conflict of Laws
Authors: Davis Mary J.
Published: April 2012

Conflict of laws theory explores how courts should decide which law governs a dispute or transaction when more than one legal authority has a legitimate connection with the dispute, and thus a legitimate claim to having its law applied to it.1 Conflict of laws theory, thus, explains the delicate balancing act in which courts engage to allocate power among sovereigns with overlapping authority. It seeks to promote and accommodate a variety of goals in achieving this end: respect for sovereignty, respect for legitimate governmental policies and the interests they serve, predictability, certainty, and uniformity in the application of law, among others.
A Disappointed Yankee in Connecticut (Or Nearby) Probate Court: Tortious Interference with Expectation of Inheritance–A Survey with Analysis of State Approaches in the First, Second, and Third Courts
Authors: Klein Diane J.
Published: April 2012

Sometimes people marry for money, and sometimes people kill for money. But when someone has done you out of an inheritance, can you sue for money? That, in a nutshell, is the question of tortious interference with expectation of inheritance.
Congress Opts Out of Canning Spam
Authors: Shames Matthew E.
Published: April 2012

And in the beginning, there was e-mail! At least, that may be the perception of the millions of people who use electronic mail (“e-mail”) every day. In fact, the pervasiveness of the Internet in general, and the World Wide Web and e-mail in particular, has made it difficult for many people to remember the world before these technologies changed the face of communications forever. But it was only a decade ago that e-mail was a novelty outside of academic and scientific settings, the Web was not yet viable as a commercial mechanism, and the promise and exuberance surrounding the developing technologies masked the dangers of the road that would lie ahead.
The Radicalism of Brown
Authors: Finkelman Paul
Published: April 2012

Brown v. Board of Education1 is usually seen as the most important decision in the last half of the twentieth century. It was more than that. It was the most radical and revolutionary decision in our constitutional history. It was brave, dramatic, and pathbreaking. It is the watershed decision of the twentieth century. Other decisions are as jurisprudentially important and significant, but none are as fundamentally radical.
Lawrence E. Mitchell, Corporate Irresponsibility–America’s Newest Export
Authors: Branson Douglas M.
Published: April 2012

Why is corporate irresponsibility “America’s newest export?” Of the world’s 100 largest multinational corporations, forty-seven are headquartered within the European Union. Forty-six are headquartered in the United States. Is Professor Mitchell telling us that the Anglo-Dutch Unilever is more responsible than, say, Procter & Gamble? Is Total-Fina, the French petroleum giant, more responsible than Chevron-Texaco or Exxon-Mobil? After all, it is Total, and not the U.S.-based Unocal, that is the operator of the Myanmar pipeline with which Mitchell opens his book, as an example of corporate irresponsibility. International human rights organizations are suing on behalf of Myanmar citizens brutalized when Total and Unocal used the Burmese army as a subcontractor to provide security on the pipeline project.
First Thornburgh Family Lecture on Disability Law and Policy Americans: Americans with Disabilities and Their Civil Rights: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Blanck Peter
Published: April 2012

It is a special honor for me to address distinguished faculty, colleagues and friends of the University of Pittsburgh. I thank particularly Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, and Deans Brubaker, Herring, and Seelman. These individuals and others, in partnership with the Thornburgh Family, have shown tremendous generosity and vision to create this marvelous lecture on disability law and policy.
Trinko and Re-Grounding the Refusal to Deal Doctrine
Authors: Candeub Adam
Published: April 2012

Verizon Communications Inc. v. Law Offices of Curtis V. Trinko, LLP (“Trinko”), the most important Supreme Court antitrust review of the refusal to deal antitrust doctrine in twenty years, pitted a local incumbent monopolist telephone company (“ILEC”), Verizon, against a class of competitive local exchange companies (“CLECs”), the new entrants to local telephone service spawned by the 1996 Telecommunications Act (“1996 Act” or “Telecom Act”), and their customers. The Supreme Court rejected the CLECs’ claim that Verizon violated the antitrust laws by failing to provide interconnection services as the Act required. The CLECs based their claim upon two antitrust doctrines: “refusal to deal” and “essential facilities,” both of which require monopolists to provide vital vertical inputs to their downstream competitors. Here, the input was interconnection or “access” on a wholesale level to Verizon’s telephone network that its competitors needed in order to provide retail phone service. The Court ruled that if a legal mechanism exists, as with the 1996 Act, to compel access to the putative monopolist’s resource, the refusal to deal doctrine has nothing to remedy and, therefore, plaintiffs did not state an antitrust claim.
An Antitrust Analysis of College Early Admission Programs
Authors: Henry Adam L.
Published: April 2012

College admissions at the level of elite colleges and universities would seem, to the uninitiated, to offer a model of the competitive market that antitrust law endeavors to promote and maintain. Notwithstanding the significant branding power of a handful of truly elite colleges, the college market exhibits many of the paradigmatic competitive market’s hallmark features, including substantial numbers of both producers and consumers of the educational product, and seemingly unhindered information on the parts of both parties. Indeed, there can be little doubt that the system promotes sometimes-fierce competition: not only among applicants for elite colleges, but also among colleges for elite applicants. Such competition drives colleges to make themselves more attractive in two ways: by reducing prices through scholarships, grants, research stipends, and the like, and by improving their product through inducements like honors designations and programs. In either form, this competition redounds to the economic benefit of admitted students.
Drafting Attorneys as Fiduciaries: Fashioning an Optimal Ethical Rule for Conflicts of Interest
Authors: Monopoli Paula A.
Published: April 2012

The American Bar Association recently revised the ethical rules that govern lawyers. Its Ethics 2000 Commission proposed a number of changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including revisions to the rules that affect how the profession handles conflicts of interest in the area of attorneys who draft instruments that name themselves as fiduciaries. The intersection of these changes, with their subsequent clarification by an ABA opinion issued in May 2002, has broad implications for attorneys practicing in this area. Given the increasing elderly population, the trillions of dollars that they are transferring to their baby-boomer children, and the shrinking number of banks willing to assume the role of fiduciary, there is an argument that the profession should be encouraging its members to take on this role for clients. However, the financial interest that the drafting attorney has in the fiduciary fee and the information asymmetry between lawyers and most clients create a conflict of interest. This article explores the ethical norm that resulted from the Ethics 2000 revisions to the Model Rules and the issuance of the ABA opinion interpreting those revisions. It explores the flaws in this norm and how it might be revised to better minimize the agency costs that exist while remaining consistent with the fiduciary nature of the attorney-client relationship.
Protecting the Right to Effective Assistance of Capital Postconviction Counsel: The Scope of the Constitutional Obligation to Monitor Counsel Performance
Authors: McConville Celestine Richards
Published: April 2012

It is no secret that capital cases in the United States are far from error free. According to a recent study, the two most common errors in capital cases are “egregiously incompetent defense lawyering” and “prosecutorial suppression of evidence that the defendant is innocent or does not deserve the death penalty.” Other errors include inaccurate eyewitness testimony, perjured testimony, and false confessions, just to name a few. And, since 1973, no fewer than 117 capital inmates have been released from death row because errors such as these camouflaged their innocence.