cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Caseload Conundrum, Constitutional Restraint and the Manipulation of Jurisdiction

The quantity of litigation in the federal courts has reached unprecedented heights. While this 'crisis of volume' has attracted the attention of legislators and scholars, the judiciary has been left to divine self-help measures to reduce litigants' use of the federal courts. The federal bench that must manage this caseload explosion includes a cadre of recently appointed federal judges. Many of these judges embrace the New Federalism, an initiative to shift governmental power and responsibility back to the states. This article posits that the combination of judicial overload and injudicious federalism is operating to shunt certain classes of litigants away from federal courts. New procedural and substantive theories are being created to restrict federal jurisdiction. Federal courts are increasingly using the doctrines of preclusion, preemption, abstention and remand to shuttle cases or decision-making authority back to state courts. Complementing this procedural routing of cases is an expansion of summary procedures and a dramatic reduction in the scope of substantive constitutional rights. This article questions the propriety of the judiciary's use of administrability concerns in the formulation of jurisdictional theories. While court efficiency appears to be a deserving goal, the current method of its implementation is through a reduction of court access to particular classes of litigants. The article analyzes the concept of administrability and posits that administrative efficiency is actually a value-laden argument for selecting which litigants should be permitted access to federal courts. This article also critically examines whether the adjustment of jurisdictional theories by the judiciary is either an effective docket-clearing mechanism or a desirable institutional practice. Analysis of the assumptions underlying jurisdictional manipulation and the implications of judicial molding of Article III jurisdiction raises serious separation of powers and fairness concerns regarding the quest for administrative efficiency. Finally, the article offers a new, access-expansive approach to jurisdiction. The proposed ratchet theory of jurisdiction creates a guiding principle of jurisdictional analysis. If the Constitution operates substantively like a one-way wrench - rights may be expanded but not contracted - a jurisdictional analog is imperative. Federal courts should adopt jurisdictional rules that offer the greatest chance of merits determinations.
Abstract LB-177: Novel approaches for improving interpretation and predictive models of comparative genomic hybridization data

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA As costs of genome wide analyses decline and become more accessible, their use in both human and animal cancer studies are generating increasing information regarding underlying cancer etiology. Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) is providing valuable information relating copy number aberrations (CNAs) to cancer mechanisms and clinical outcomes. However, challenges exist to interpreting and fully utilizing these data. First, without matched tumor and healthy tissue samples from individuals, distinguishing naturally occurring copy number variations (CNVs) from CNAs is difficult. Second, the large search space of genome wide analyses makes finding combinations of CNAs with improved predictive potential compared to single CNAs challenging. Here we provide novel methods to address these challenges associated with CGH data. Many new resources (e.g. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)), are making large volumes of genomic data publically accessible. However, most datasets do not have matched normal and tumor tissue samples between subjects. We tested matched normal and tissue samples from 30 patients with colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancer and compared CNVs and CNAs to findings in larger, non-matched samples in TCGA. Even with limited matched samples, this approach allows for the differentiation of CNVs from CNAs discovered in analyses of non-matched samples. In some cases, combinations of CNAs can provide improved predictive capability compared to any single CNA. However, it is computationally intractable to exhaustively test combinations of CNAs in a genome-wide study. To address this limitation, we use a novel approach for CNA feature reduction that minimizes the variance within CNA segments across subjects, and Random Forest Ensemble Classification. This approach provides CNA combinations with balanced accuracies of 83.5% and 94.9% for distinguishing 52 cases of canine ALL/AML and 71 cases of B-CLL/T-CLL, respectively. These two approaches address frequent limitations in the interpretation CGH data. Better distinguishing CNVs and interrogating CNA combinations, can provide additional information about the role of CNAs in disease mechanisms and improve treatment decisions. Citation Format: Daniel Rotroff, Matthew Breen, Alison Motsinger-Reif. Novel approaches for improving interpretation and predictive models of comparative genomic hybridization data. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-177. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-177
Yes, you can teach ethics!

The Computing Curricula 2001 (CC2001) project report includes recommendations for both required core and elective components to be included at all levels of the curriculum. One pervasive component is that of ethics. Many computer science faculty members are reluctant to teach even a single module in ethics. This paper and the accompanying presentation will provide a sample lesson that could be used as a module in a variety of courses in the curriculum. The accompanying reference list with URLs provides faculty an outstanding set of resources from which to work as well as opportunities for training in computer ethics.An additional benefit of including such a module is the opportunity for students to consider submitting papers for publication or presentation at conferences. Computer Science faculty can serve as mentors in that process.
Military Marriages: The Aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Deployments

An examination of how members of military marriages were affected by and adapted to OIF/OEF deployment found three themes: communicating to stay connected, emotional and marital intimacy, and managing change. The findings demonstrate the nuanced and subtle nature of deployment-related challenges. While open and frequent communication was important in the adaptation process, communication was not synonymous with transparency. Unshared stories created a void that prevented couples from confiding in and supporting their partners. Although wives maintained their marriages by restraining sexual desires and over-extending their responsibilities post-deployment, these behaviors had a negative effect on marital quality. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Receiver operating characteristic analysis for validating EEG sleep discrimination of Elderly depressed and demented patients

Receiver operating characteristic analysis is a useful tool in validating a diagnostic marker. This technique was applied to a discriminant function model using selected electroencephalographic sleep measures (sleep maintenance, percentage of rapid-eye-movement sleep, and percentage of indeterminate non-rapid-eye-movement sleep) in elderly patients with major depression or dementia of the Alzheimer type. The diagnostic model correctly classified 79.8% of elderly depressed and demented patients. The area under the curve was 0.86, statistically different from 0.5, which would be expected by chance (P < .0001) and indicating good predictive power of the model. A logistic regression analysis demonstrated the reliability and stability of the diagnostic equation. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1991;4:30-33).
Modeling and Performance Analysis for Duty-Cycled MAC Protocols with Applications to S-MAC and X-MAC

Wireless sensor networks are often battery-powered, and hence extending the network lifetime is one of the primary concerns in the ubiquitous deployment of wireless sensor networks. One approach to efficiently utilize the limited energy supplies of the sensors is to have the medium access control (MAC) protocol duty-cycle the sensors, periodically putting the sensors to sleep and waking them up to reduce idle listening, which is energy intensive. Among duty-cycled MAC protocols, some protocols are synchronized so that nodes wake up at the same time in each cycle, and other protocols are asynchronous, where nodes have arbitrary offsets to start their cycles. For protocol designers, it is important to understand which type of duty-cycled MAC protocol should be chosen (synchronized or asynchronous), as well as what values should be assigned to the protocol parameters under a given network scenario in order to achieve a desirable performance for throughput, delay, or energy consumption. However, previous work to analyze the performance of different duty-cycled MAC protocols is either protocol-specific, or limited to one aspect of the performance metric. In this paper, we propose a Markov queuing model to analyze the throughput, delay, and energy consumption of both synchronized and asynchronous duty-cycled MAC protocols with applications to S-MAC and X-MAC. Our contributions include: 1) proposing a Markov queuing model to describe the queuing behavior of both synchronous and asynchronous duty-cycled nodes, 2) modeling the queue dynamics and the stationary probability of packet transmissions for S-MAC, a synchronized duty-cycled MAC protocol, to analyze its performance, 3) modeling the queue dynamics and the stationary probability of packet transmissions for X-MAC, an asynchronous duty-cycled MAC protocol, to analyze its performance, 4) providing comprehensive performance estimation and comparison for different duty-cycled MAC protocols, and 5) providing flexibility to tradeoff different performance metrics by optimizing the protocol parameters. Our model results are validated by comparing with NS-2 and Matlab simulations.
The iodination of phenolic compounds related to thyroxine

Abstract A systematic study was made of the stepwise iodination of tyrosine, 3-monoiodotyrosine, thyronine, 3-monoiodothyronine, 3,5-diiodothyronine, 3,3′-diiodothyronine, and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine. The iodinations were carried out in 0.05 N KOH and were followed by chromatographic separation and ultraviolet absorption spectra. In all cases, it was found that the monoiodo compound was formed first. The diiodo compound was formed only after considerable amounts of iodine were added. The amount of iodine necessary to produce complete iodination to the diiodo compound was in excess of the usually assumed two molecules of iodine to one of the phenolic compounds studied in this series.
Combined aortobifemoral and femoropopliteal bypass in the management of patients with extensive atherosclerosis.

Certain patients have atherosclerosis in both aortoillac and femoropopliteal segments of the arterial tree and thus do not have a good result from reconstruction of the aortoiliac segment. No method has been developed to identify these patients and we do not know whether, by combining a femoropopliteal bypass with an aortobifemoral bypass, the results can be improved. We present a series of 153 patients with severe multilevel occlusive disease treated by simultaneous reconstruction and followed for up to 6.5 years. The cumulative patency of the femoropopliteal bypasses was 80% at four years. Functional and symptomatic improvement was excellent, and operative mortality was low when one considers the age and poor general condition of the patients.
Powered surgical instruments for laryngeal surgery.

Microlaryngeal surgery evolved with the development of suspension laryngoscopy and binocular microscopes for enhanced visualization. Development of microlaryngeal instrumentation followed rapidly to meet the demands of the Otolaryngology–Head and neck surgeon. Advancement of laser technology further enhanced the surgeon's ability to sharply dissect tissue using a hands-off approach and added hemostatic capability to the cutting edge. Similarly, endoscopic sinus surgery has evolved with application of minimally invasive instrumentation. The recent introduction of powered surgical instruments, combining cutting capability and suction, facilitates removal of diseased or anatomically variant tissue from sinus cavities.
Repression and Migration: Forced Labour Exile of Mozambicans to São Tomé, 1948–1955

The forced exile of Mozambican and Angolan labourers to cocoa plantations on the islands of Sao Tome in the early 1900s sparked an international scandal and has subsequently generated considerable historical interest. Its later incarnation during the late 1940s and early 1950s, however, has attracted little scholarly attention. Focusing on central Mozambique, this article explores the forced labour exile of ‘undesirables’ and convicts as a product of colonial social and economic relations beyond the paradigm of resistance and repression. In particular, it considers the use of exile as a means of enforcing and reinforcing administrative power and prestige, rather than as a defence against perceived threats to the political and social prerogatives of the colonial state. It also cites the importance of labour demands in Sao Tome, rather than the exigencies of colonial control within Mozambique, in spurring the expansion in the number of coerced labourers. Finally, it discusses the widespread exile of economi...
Synergistic effect of surface plasmonic particles in PbS/TiO2 heterojunction solar cells

Core–shell particles composed of a dielectric core and a metallic nanoshell exhibit tunable surface plasmons that may be exploited to enhance the light absorption capability of photoactive materials. This work uses both experimental and theoretical methods to elucidate the mechanism by which SiO2@Au@SiO2 (SGS) core–shell–shell particles improve the light harvesting efficiency of PbS–TiO2 heterojunction solar cells. The enhanced light absorption by PbS nanoparticles depends on their location in the device and their impact on device morphology. This study demonstrates that SGSs can promote the light harvesting of thin film solar cells in two ways. First, the localized surface plasmon resonance of the SGSs increases light scattering and the local electromagnetic field at the PbS–SGS interface. Second, placing SGSs between the PbS and TiO2 layers, forms nanodomes on top Au electrode and gives rise to additional light scattering that enhances the light harvesting efficiency. By combining these effects the short circuit current density and the energy conversion efficiency are increased by 29% and 24% respectively compared to a cell without SGSs.
Seasonal rainfall predictions over the southeast United States using the Florida State University nested regional spectral model

[1] Seasonal rainfall predictions over the southeast United States using the recently developed Florida State University (FSU) nested regional spectral model are presented. The regional model is nested within the FSU coupled model, which includes a version of the Max Plank Institute Hamburg Ocean Primitive Equation model. The southeast U.S. winter has a rather strong climatic signal due to teleconnections with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures and thus provides a good test case scenario for a modeling study. Simulations were done for 12 boreal winter seasons, from 1986 to 1997. Both the regional and global models captured the basic large-scale patterns of precipitation reasonably well when compared to observed station data. The regional model was able to predict the anomaly pattern somewhat better than the global model. The regional model was particularly more skillful at predicting the frequency of significant rainfall events, in part because of the ability to produce heavier rainfall events.
Elasto-plastic analysis of an aluminum alloy matrix reinforced with silicon carbide fibers

Abstract The micromechanical analysis of a composite with a matrix of an aluminum alloy (Al 6061 T6) reinforced with fibers of silicon carbide was performed using the nonlinear finite element program CALSAP. The fibers were packed in a square array and the fiber volume fraction (V/O) was 36%. The matrix was assumed to have elasto-plastic material behavior, and the applied load was uniaxial tensile and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the fiber. The computation of the stress-strain distribution, the initiation of plastic yielding, the propagation of plastic zones and prediction of crack initiation within the matrix were performed. The results of the elasto-plastic analysis were compared with those obtained using the finite element program MARC and they are in close agreement.
THE EFFECTS OF BENZODIAZEPINE (VALIUM) ON PERMEABILITY OF LANGUAGE EGO BOUNDARIES 1

This study was designed as an extension of previous research in which pronunciation of a foreign language was experimentally manipulated using alcohol or hypnosis, to confirm a relationship between permeability of language ego boundaries and pronunciation. The present study used Benzodiazepine (Valium) to manipulate pronunciation in Thai. Seventy-five subjects were assigned to one of four treatment conditions: Placebo, 2 mg., 5 mg., or 10 mg., and subsequently tested on the Standard Thai Procedure (STP) and the Digit Symbol Test. Results seem to suggest that Benzodiazepine (Valium) facilitates the empathic sensitivity of the subjects to the tester rather than to the voice on the tape. The combined findings of the Valium and alcohol studies are interpreted as supporting the theoretical connection between language ego boundaries and ego boundaries in general and illustrate the extraordinary sensitivity of the test to fluctuations in the state of the subject's ego.
Agent-based modeling of hunting and subsistence agriculture on indigenous lands: Understanding interactions between social and ecological systems

Indigenous people of the Rupununi region of Amazonian Guyana interact with their natural environment through hunting and subsistence agriculture. To date the sustainability of indigenous livelihoods has been analyzed by modeling either hunting or forest clearing. Here we develop a holistic model framework with agent-based modeling to examine interactions between demographic growth, hunting, subsistence agriculture, land cover change, and animal population in the Rupununi. We use an extensive field dataset from social surveys, animal observation records and hunting kill locations along with satellite images. The model exhibits feedback loops between a growing human population and depletion of local natural resources. Our model can reproduce the population size of two different villages along with landscape patterns without further calibration. Our model can be used for understanding the conditions of sustainability for indigenous communities relying on subsistence agriculture and hunting, and for scenario analyses to examine the implications of external interventions.
A matter of bacterial life and death

Over 50 years ago, standard microbiological methods were established for determining whether bacterial cells were dead or alive. Recently there has been a flurry of reports suggesting that bacteria may exist in an eclipsed state, escaping detection by standard methods. Whether there really is such a state is of more than academic interest, considering the implications for public health. The ensuing debate has been unusually energetic for the normally cultured community of microbiologists.
Editorial: Fulfillment of hereditary longevity.

The effectiveness of myocardial perfusion with internal mammary artery (IMA) bypass revascularization has been questioned. We compared 37 patients with single patent IMA bypass grafts with 26 patients who had single patent saphenous vein graft (SVG) bypass. Serial computer assisted graded maximal stress testing was used for quantitation of palliation. Patients were classified and compared according to the completeness of revascularization by postoperative catheterization. All patient subgroups, had statistically significant improvements in work capacity, maximal heart rate, maximal rate-pressure products, abnormal exercise electrocardiograms, and exercise-induced angina pectoris. The quantitative improvements in these measurements of patient palliation were the same during postoperative stress tests after either SVG or IMA revascularization. Considering the overall higher patency rate of the IMA bypass, the data indicate that this procedure, when surgically applicable, is preferable to SVG bypass.
Curing kinetics of a new benzoxazine-based phenolic resin by differential scanning calorimetry

Abstract The curing reactions of benzoxazine precursors based on bisphenol A and aniline are studied to determine the feasibility of processing them into final phenolic parts. Benzoxazine precursors are able to overcome most of the shortcomings of traditional phenolic resins, and retain the excellent heat resistance and fire and smoke properties of these resins. This new type of phenolic material cures via a ring-opening mechanism that does not produce any condensation or other reaction by-products. Phenol is not used as raw material, which reduces considerably the environmental and health risks. According to differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), the curing of benzoxazine precursors is an autocatalysed reaction until vitrification is reached, and diffusion begins to control the curing process afterwards. Isothermal and non-isothermal d.s.c. tests are performed. Calculations of the activation energy and the overall reaction order are made by various procedures. The vitrification times and the kinetic rate constants are also calculated.
Catalysis by matrix-bound sulfonic acid groups: Olefin and paraffin formation from butyl alcohols

Abstract Catalysis by a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) matrix containing -SO3H groups was characterized by reaction rates and product distributions for reactions of isopropyl, isobutyl, and s-butyl alcohols at about 100 °C. Infrared spectra of functioning catalyst membranes established the presence of a network of hydrogen-bonded -SO3H groups at low alcohol concentrations and dissociated groups at high concentrations. When partial pressures of alcohol contacting the catalyst exceeded about 0.1 atm, the alcohols (like water) were reaction inhibitors, and the catalyst approached the character of an acid solution. In contrast, as substrate concentration approached zero, s-butyl alcohol gave predominantly trans-2-butene without 1-butene; and isobutyl alcohol gave not only butenes, but isobutane and tar. The high catalytic activity and unusual selectivity of the network incorporating small amounts of alcohols demonstrate that the proton donor-acceptor tendencies of the network are significantly stronger than those of the solvated acid groups. The dehydration reaction mechanisms are suggested to involve concerted proton transfers within cyclic hydrogen-bonded networks incorporating -SO3H groups which surround and conform to alcohol molecules.
Successful multi-site measurement of antisaccade performance deficits in schizophrenia

The antisaccade task is a promising schizophrenia endophenotype; it is stable over time and reflects neurophysiological deficits present in both schizophrenia subjects and their first-degree relatives. Meaningful genetic research requires large sample sizes that are best ascertained using multi-site study designs. To establish the criterion validity of the antisaccade task in a multi-site design, the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia (COGS) examined whether seven sites could detect previously reported antisaccade deficits in schizophrenia subjects. Investigators presented 3 blocks of 20 antisaccade stimuli to 143 schizophrenia subjects and 195 comparison subjects. Frequent collaborator communication, standardized training, and ongoing quality assurance optimized testing uniformity. Data were discarded from only 1.2% of subjects due to poor quality, reflecting the high fidelity of data collection and scoring methods. All sites detected a significant difference in the proportion of correct antisaccades between schizophrenia and comparison subjects (p<.02 at all sites); group differences in gain and latency were less robust. Regression analyses to adjust for the effects of group, site, age, gender, smoking, and parental education on the proportion of correct antisaccades revealed a significant effect of group, site, and age but no effect of gender, smoking, or parental education, and no group-by-site interactions. Intraclass correlations between proportion of correct antisaccades across the blocks of stimuli ranged from 0.87 to 0.93, demonstrating good within-session reliability at sites. These results confirm previous findings of antisaccade deficits in schizophrenia subjects and support the use of the antisaccade task as a potential schizophrenia endophenotype in multi-site genetic studies.
Thyroid hormone's role in regulating brain glucose metabolism and potentially modulating hippocampal cognitive processes.

Cognitive performance is dependent on adequate glucose supply to the brain. Insulin, which regulates systemic glucose metabolism, has been recently shown both to regulate hippocampal metabolism and to be a mandatory component of hippocampally-mediated cognitive performance. Thyroid hormones (TH) regulate systemic glucose metabolism and may also be involved in regulation of brain glucose metabolism. Here we review potential mechanisms for such regulation. Importantly, TH imbalance is often encountered in combination with metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and may cause additional metabolic dysregulation and hence worsening of disease states. TH’s potential as a regulator of brain glucose metabolism is heightened by interactions with insulin signaling, but there have been relatively few studies on this topic or on the actions of TH in a mature brain. This review discusses evidence for mechanistic links between TH, insulin, cognitive function, and brain glucose metabolism, and reaches the conclusion that TH may modulate memory processes, likely at least in part by modulation of central insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.
War in history

Sociologists, like other humans, would like at least their share of what Thorstein Veblen called "creditable notoriety." We might call it fame. More, preferably, than the 15 minutes of fame to which Andy Warhol claimed everyone was entitled. More than a place on the Op-Ed page, appearances on talk shows, medals, cash awards, positions on advisory boards: a broad recognition that they have a voice worth listening to. If sociologists want to be famous, influential, respected, perhaps even prosperous outside their own circles, they should take a vigilant view of the major changes that are affecting the presents and futures of their potential readers. Conclusion: now that the United States has found its true niche in the world economy as an exporter of popular culture, money, soy beans, and war, it is time that the sociologies of those four subjects take their rightful places in the sun. I joyfully cede to specialists in culture, economic processes, and agriculture the responsibility for setting the first three agendas. Let me make the case for a renewed, expanded sociology of war, one thoroughly grounded in history. My preferred sociology of war is indeed historicist: insisting that the social processes producing and stemming from war shift significantly from one historical era to the next, taking the description and explanation of that shift as a major analytic challenge, and therefore denying the possibility of deriving necessary and sufficient conditions for war from principles of conflict alone. In our own time, just such a shift gives us an additional reason for paying attention to war. Right now the international system is undergoing
Chaotic wave propagation in a random medium

Abstract We show that the propagation of a narrow beam of radiation through a random medium exhibits an exponential spreading under certain conditions. This spreading is related to the Lyapunov exponents for the ray propagation in the medium.
Improved Methods for the Oxidation of Secondary Amines to Nitroxides

Abstract Biologically active spin labeled compounds have recently gained significant prominance as molecular probes in several areas of research1–4. The most generally useful method described in the literature for oxidizing a secondary amine to a stable nitroxyl free radical requires the use of a water solution of hydrogen peroxide with a catalytic amount of sodium tungstate4. Unfortunately, this procedure fails in the case of secondary amines with minimal water solubility. A number of alternative oxidative procedures have been described in the literature. For example, the oxides of lead, mercury and silver as well as an alkaline solution of potassium ferricyanide have been employed5. In the case of aromatic amines, which are not generally oxidized by tungstate salts, t-butyl hydroperoxide (in the presence of catalytic amounts of cobalt stearate) as well as p-nitroperbenzoic acid in dioxane6 have given the desired product.
Coincidences and Estimation of Entropies of Random Variables with Large Cardinalities

We perform an asymptotic analysis of the NSB estimator of entropy of a discrete random variable. The analysis illuminates the dependence of the estimates on the number of coincidences in the sample and shows that the estimator has a well defined limit for a large cardinality of the studied variable. This allows estimation of entropy with no a priori assumptions about the cardinality. Software implementation of the algorithm is available.
Enhancing Christian School Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers Through Service Learning Partnerships

This article gives an overview of service learning as it relates to the integration of faith and learning for a pre-service teacher candidate. A survey was given to pre-service, education candidates who were completing a service-learning project in a local Christian school. Results from the survey indicate that all major elements of service learning in a faith based institution were achieved to include agreeing on a mission, having administration buy-in, candidate learning, and an awareness of faith and learning. In addition teacher education candidates were more likely to work in Christian school after having been exposed to this experience. The research supports the importance of providing a variety of experiences that integrate faith and learning.
Water- and sediment-quality effects on Pimephales promelas spawning vary along an agriculture-to-urban land-use gradient

Abstract Many streams in the U.S. are “impaired” due to anthropogenic influence. For watershed managers to achieve practical understanding of these impairments, a multitude of factors must be considered, including point and nonpoint-source influence on water quality. A spawning assay was developed in this study to evaluate water- and sediment-quality effects that influenced Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) egg production over a gradient of urban and agricultural land use in 27 small watersheds in Eastern Wisconsin. Six pairs of reproducing fathead minnows were contained in separate mesh cartridges within one larger flow-through chamber. Water- and sediment quality were sampled for an array of parameters. Egg production was monitored for each pair providing an assessment of spawning success throughout the 21-day test periods. Incidences of low dissolved oxygen (DO) in many of these streams negatively impacted spawning success. Nine of 27 streams experienced DO less than 3.1 mg/L and 15 streams experienced DO less than 4.8 mg/L. Low DO was observed in urban and agricultural watersheds, but the upper threshold of minimum DO decreased with increasing urban development. An increase in specific conductance was related to a decrease in spawning success. In previous studies for streams in this region, specific conductance had a linear relation with chloride, suggesting the possibility that chloride could be a factor in egg production. Egg production was lower at sites with substantial urban development, but sites with low egg production were not limited to urban sites. Degradation of water- and sediment-quality parameters with increasing urban development is indicated for multiple parameters while patterns were not detected for others. Results from this study indicate that DO must be a high priority watershed management consideration for this region, specific conductance should be investigated further to determine the mechanism of the relation with egg production, and water- and sediment-quality degrade in relation to urban influence.
Effect of composition on moisture sorption of delactosed permeate

Delactosed permeate (DLP) is an effluent generated after the separation of most of the proteins and lactose from cheese whey. The inability to obtain stable products with acceptable low moisture content is one of the major drawbacks to further commercial development of DLP. To determine the factors influencing the sorption behavior, DLP samples from three different dairy processing industries were characterized for their composition and sorption behavior. Sorption data were successfully fitted to the Peleg model. The relationships among the compositional elements and Peleg constants for initial sorption rate (K1) and sorption capacity (K2) showed total sugar, lactic acid and mineral content had a significant influence on sorption. With an increase in the lactic acid and mineral content, the K1 and K2 values decreased, indicating higher initial sorption rate and higher sorption capacity.
Development of an injectable, in situ crosslinkable, degradable polymeric carrier for osteogenic cell populations. Part 1. Encapsulation of marrow stromal osteoblasts in surface crosslinked gelatin microparticles.

Abstract This study investigated the temporary encapsulation of rat marrow stromal osteoblasts in surface crosslinked gelatin microparticles. Cells were encapsulated in uncrosslinked gelatin microparticles of average diameter of 630 μm containing ∼53 cells. Gelatin microparticles were crosslinked to shell thicknesses of ∼75 μm via exposure to 1 m m dithiobis(succinimidylpropionate) (DSP) solution for 15 min or 5 m m DSP solution for 5 min for the production of microparticles dispersing ∼60 min after placement into a physiologic fluid at 37°C. Formed microparticles were placed into culture wells at a cell seeding density of 5.3×10 4 cells/cm 2 and, following the degradation and/or dissolution of gelatin, the cells were cultured in the presence of osteogenic supplements for 28 days. Samples were taken at specified time points and analyzed by a DNA assay for cell number and a 3 H-thymidine incorporation assay for proliferative potential. Samples were also obtained and analyzed at several time points by alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and mineralization assays for early and late phenotypic expression markers of osteoblastic differentiation. The measurements from the different assays for encapsulated cells (EC) in uncrosslinked and crosslinked gelatin microparticles were normalized with the cell numbers from the DNA assay and compared with those for nonencapsulated control cells. The results demonstrated that the marrow stromal cells survived the encapsulation procedure in uncrosslinked gelatin microparticles and also retained their proliferative potential and osteoblastic phenotype over a 28 day period, although at a slightly lower level than the nonencapsulated cells. The results further showed that the marrow stromal cells survived the encapsulation in crosslinked gelatin microparticles prepared via exposure to 5 m m DSP for 5 min and also retained their proliferative potential and osteoblastic phenotype over a 28 day period, but at a slightly lower level than the EC in uncrosslinked gelatin microparticles. In contrast, exposure to 1 m m DSP for 15 min led to severely limited cell viability and phenotypic expression probably due to the increased crosslinking time. These results suggest that temporary encapsulation of cells in gelatin microparticles may protect cells from short-term environmental effects such as those associated with the crosslinking of an injectable polymeric carrier for bone tissue engineering.
Species differences in the efficacy of compounds at the nociceptin receptor (ORL1).

Abstract Recent studies have identified compounds with reduced efficacy relative to nociceptin/orphanin FQ at the opioid-like receptor ORL1. Utilizing stimulation of [35S]GTPγS binding as in vitro assays, it was determined that both [Phe1ψ(CH2-NH)Gly2]N/OFQ(1–13)NH2 and the hexapeptide Ac-RYYRIK-NH2 act as partial agonists in CHO cells transfected with either human or mouse ORL1. Maximal activity for both [Phe1ψ(CH2-NH)Gly2]N/OFQ(1–13)NH2 and Ac-RYYRIK-NH2 was significantly greater in cells transfected with the human receptor (90% and 73% in a high expressing clone, 76% and 68% in low expressing clone) rather than the mouse receptor (37.5 and 33%), regardless of receptor number in individual clones. In vitro studies in cells transfected with exaggerated receptor numbers can lead to unreliable estimates of agonist and antagonist activity, however, these studies suggest that animal experiments on the activity of novel compounds may not always be better predictors of the ultimate activity in humans.
Example of a Bayes network of relations among visual features

Bayes probability networks, also termed `influence diagrams,' promise to be a versatile, rigorous, and expressive uncertainty reasoning tool. This paper presents an example of how a Bayes network can express constraints among visual hypotheses. An example is presented of a model composed of cylindric primitives, inferred from a line drawing of a plumbing fixture. Conflict between interpretations of candidate cylinders is expressed by two parameters, one for the presence and one for the absence of visual evidence of their intersection. It is shown how `partial exclusion' relations are so generated and how they determine the degree of competition among the set of hypotheses. Solving this network obtains the assemblies of cylinders most likely to form an object.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Abstract B2: Educational intervention to reduce breast cancer disparities: The Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Research Coalition

Purpose: South Dallas experiences significant disparities in breast cancer mortality, with a high proportion of stage III and IV diagnoses. In an effort to address these rates, the Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Research Coalition created an educational intervention in 2009 to promote breast health and early detection efforts. The goals of the intervention were to increase: (1) knowledge regarding the chief contributing factors for breast cancer and steps to reduce breast cancer risk; (2) awareness of the importance of screening for early detection; and (3) the proportion of women who have engaged in appropriate breast cancer screening practices. The innovation of the project lies in the community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, which brings together scientists and community representatives. Methods: This study was approved by the UNT Health Science Center IRB. Women residing in South Dallas were recruited for the intervention, and West Dallas was chosen as the control group. In addition to residence in one of these two communities, eligibility criteria included age 40 and older, English-speaking, and no personal history of cancer. Participants were recruited through community partnerships, posting flyers throughout the community in high-traffic areas, and door-to-door visits in the targeted areas. Participants in the control group received only written breast health educational materials. Intervention participants attended 8 weekly sessions that included written educational materials, cooking demonstrations and discussions with clinicians from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. All study participants completed a one-hour survey at baseline and 4 months later to assess the outcome variables as well as a variety of possible intervening variables. Results: A total of 59 women were enrolled in the intervention and 60 in the control group. Retention for the 8-week intervention was 71 %. After controlling for baseline mammography status, women in the intervention group were 10.4 times more likely (95% CI: 2.9-36.4) to report having had a screening mammogram in the last year compared to the control group. Intervention participants demonstrated statistically significantly higher rates of breast self examination (OR: 3.0,95% CI: 1.0-8.6) and breast cancer knowledge (p=.003). Conclusion: Lessons learned from this study can be used to create sustainable cancer disparity reduction models that can be replicated in similar communities across the United States. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B2.
Role of oestrogen receptors in bladder cancer development

Early studies documented the existence of sexual dimorphism in bladder cancer occurrence and progression, with a greater bladder cancer incidence in males than females. However, the progression of bladder cancer after diagnosis is much quicker in females than males. These findings can be explained by the effects of female hormones (predominantly oestrogens) and their binding receptors, including oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1; also known as ERα), oestrogen receptor 2 (ESR2; also known as ERβ), and GPR30 protein on bladder cancer incidence and progression. Results from studies using various in vitro cell lines and in vivo mouse models demonstrate differential roles of oestrogen receptors in cancer initiation and progression. ERα suppresses bladder cancer initiation and invasion, whereas ERβ promotes bladder cancer initiation and progression. Mechanistic studies suggest that ERα and ERβ exert these effects via modulation of the AKT pathway and DNA replication complex, respectively. Targeting these signalling pathways--for example, with ERα agonists, ERβ antagonists, or selective oestrogen receptor modulators such as 4-[2-phenyl-5,7-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl]phenol (also known as PHTPP)--could lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for controlling bladder cancer progression.
Characterization of isolated nitrogenase FeVco.

The cofactors of the Mo- and V-nitrogenases (i.e., FeMoco and FeVco) are homologous metal centers with distinct catalytic properties. So far, there has been only one report on the isolation of FeVco from Azotobacter chroococcum. However, this isolated FeVco species did not carry the full substrate-reducing capacity, as it is unable to restore the N2-reducing ability of the cofactor-deficient MoFe protein. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a fully active species of FeVco from A. vinelandii. Our metal and activity analyses show that FeVco has been extracted intact, carrying with it the characteristic capacity to reduce C2H2 to C2H6 and, perhaps even more importantly, the ability to reduce N2 to NH3. Moreover, our EPR and XAS/EXAFS investigations indicate that FeVco is similar to, yet distinct from FeMoco in electronic properties and structural topology, which could account for the differences in the reactivity of the two cofactors. The outcome of this study not only permits the proposal ...
Minds, Selves, and Persons

There is a considerable effort in current theorizing about psychological phenomena to eliminate minds and selves as a vestige of “folk” theories. The pertinent strategies are quite varied and may focus on experience, cognition, interests, responsibility, behavior and the scientific explanation of these phenomena or what they purport to identify. The minimal function of the notion of “self” is to assign experience to a suitable entity and to fix such ascription in a possessive as well as a predicative way. It is usually argued that Hume formulated an empiricist account of experience that obviated the need for reference to selves; and recent arguments mustered by Derek Parfit claim to show how to preserve experience, interest, responsibility usually assigned selves and persons without invoking any such entities. The argument here advanced demonstrates that Hume actually concedes the minimal use of the notion of self, that there appear to be no convincing grounds for eliminating it, that there are critical uses for the notion that render it ineliminable, that admission is neutral regarding the nature of selves, and that Parfit's arguments in particular fail. There appear, therefore, to be no empiricist or materialist grounds for the eliminative move. A large recent literature that favors various eliminative strategies is canvassed and shown to be inadequate to its task and unlikely (for principled reasons) to be able to achieve its eliminative objective.
Identifying Traffic Differentiation in Mobile Networks

Traffic differentiation---giving better (or worse) performance to certain classes of Internet traffic---is a well-known but poorly understood traffic management policy. There is active discussion on whether and how ISPs should be allowed to differentiate Internet traffic, but little data about current practices to inform this discussion. Previous work attempted to address this problem for fixed line networks; however, there is currently no solution that works in the more challenging mobile environment.In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of the first system and mobile app for identifying traffic differentiation for arbitrary applications in the mobile environment (i.e., wireless networks such as cellular and WiFi, used by smartphones and tablets). The key idea is to use a VPN proxy to record and replay the network traffic generated by arbitrary applications, and compare it with the network behavior when replaying this traffic outside of an encrypted tunnel. We perform the first known testbed experiments with actual commercial shaping devices to validate our system design and demonstrate how it outperforms previous work for detecting differentiation. We released our app and collected differentiation results from 12 ISPs in 5 countries. We find that differentiation tends to affect TCP traffic (reducing rates by up to 60%) and that interference from middleboxes (including video-transcoding devices) is pervasive. By exposing such behavior, we hope to improve transparency for users and help inform future policies.