cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transforming Property: Reclaiming Modern Indigenous Land Tenures

This Article challenges existing narratives about the future of American Indian land tenure. The current highly-federalized system for reservation property is deeply problematic. In particular, the trust status of many reservation lands is expensive, bureaucratic, controlling, and linked to persistent poverty in many reservation communities. Yet, for complex reasons, trust property has proven largely immune from fundamental reform. Today, there seem to be two primary options floated for the future: a “do the best with what we have” approach that largely accepts core problems with trust, perhaps with some minor efficiency-oriented tinkering, for the sake of the benefits and security it does provide, or a return to old, already-failed reform strategies focused on simply “liberating” American Indian people with a forced transition to state-based fee-simple property. Both strategies respond, sometimes implicitly, to deep impulses about how property should work, especially in a market economy, but both also neglect sufficient respect for the true potential of more autonomous indigenous property regimes. This Article engages property theory and related work on property system change to make the case for more radical institutional land reform as a realistic alternative choice, even in the complex and multi-layered environment of existing reservations. Property systems are full of dynamic, pluralistic potential, and property powerfully shapes the contours of both human communities and physical landscapes. This Article unearths this existing potential and charts a series of alternative steps, driven primarily by respect for tribal governments’ own actions and choices, to reclaim new, modern versions of indigenous land tenures within reservation spaces.
Evaluating a thesaurus for discovery of ecological data

Abstract The increasing availability of data has driven a need for improved capabilities to discover data. Use of keywords drawn from a thesaurus is one way to enable browse-based discovery and to enhance searching. To assess the effect of using a thesaurus on the discoverability of ecological data, use of 81,415 keywords derived from 6132 data packages drawn from 28 ecological research projects in the U.S. Long-term Ecological Research Network were examined. The vast majority (95%) of data packages included at least one keyword drawn from the thesaurus, thus enabling their discovery using a hierarchical browse interface. For searching, keywords derived from the thesaurus would reveal 17 times more data packages than ad hoc keywords not in the thesaurus. Additionally, searches using keywords derived from the thesaurus returned data from a median of four different projects, whereas ad hoc search terms would typically yield data from only a single project. Of the search terms that yielded more than five data packages across two or more projects, 78% were found in the thesaurus. Use of keywords drawn from the thesaurus increased when compared to their use prior to establishment of the thesaurus, indicating that terms from the thesaurus are being actively added to metadata. A questionnaire assessed the process by which keywords were selected and indicated that information management personnel played an important role in assigning keywords drawn from the thesaurus. These results support the idea that adoption of a thesaurus can be an effective way to enhance the discoverability of ecological data, and that keywording practices play an important role in supporting that enhancement.
Colonial Topographies of Internet Infrastructure: The Sedimented and Linked Networks of the Telegraph and Submarine Fiber Optic Internet

AbstractThe global digital divide, referencing inequalities in Internet access between countries in the Global North and the Global South, has been the topic of conversation for several years inter...
Elastic interaction between ellipsoidal inhomogeneities with imperfect interface and effective stiffness of particulate composite

Abstract The complete displacement solution has been obtained for an elastic solid containing a finite cluster of imperfectly bonded ellipsoidal inhomogeneities. By combining Papkovich–Neuber representation of a general solution in terms of scalar harmonic potentials, expansion of these potentials in terms of solid ellipsoidal harmonics, superposition principle and accurate fulfilling the interface conditions, the boundary value problem is reduced to an infinite system of linear algebraic equations for the series expansion coefficients. The modified Maxwell scheme has been extended to the elastic ellipsoidal particle composite with imperfect interface. The scheme takes into account the volume content and elastic moduli of constituents, shape, size and orientation of inhomogeneities, interaction between them and elastic stiffness of interface. Numerical algorithm of the method is simple and robust and provides an accurate analysis of the problem for a whole range of the structure parameters. The reported numerical data illustrate convergence rate of the solution and the effect of interactions and interface stiffness on the stress field and macroscopic elastic moduli of ellipsoidal particle composite.
Switched Mode Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators

The development of wireless communication systems with more complexity, greater functionality, and multi-band operation imposes new challenges on the RF front end design. Ferroelectric barium strontium titanate (Ba (x) Sr (1-x) TiO 3 , BST) incorporated into a multi-layer structure, allows for the design of a new class of switched mode thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators. These devices can selectively resonate the different harmonics of the acoustic resonator. A switched mode dual resonance ferroelectric thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) is presented in this work. The device is capable of alternating between two modes of the resonant structure (at 2 GHz or 3.6 GHz) only by switching the polarity of the applied DC bias controlling voltage across the ferroelectric thin films.
Treatment of petroleum refinery wastewater by electrochemical oxidation using graphite anodes

An electrochemical oxidation method was performed in a batch electrochemical reactor using graphite anodes for treating an effluent obtained from Al-Diwaniyah petroleum refinery plant. The effective f process parameters like current density (4-20m Acm-2), pH (3-9), and NaCl concentration (0-3 g/l) on the COD and phenol removal efficiency have been investigated. The results reveal that the best conditions were current density 12 mA cm-2, pH 7, NaCl concentration 2 gl-1 at a treatment time of 60 minutes. Under best conditions of COD removal efficiency 100% and phenol removal efficiency 99.12% were obtained at current efficiency 33.5% and power consumption 59.9 kWh/kg COD. The anodic oxidation was proven to be efficient for treatment Al-Diwaniyah petroleum refinery effluent to get effluent with features in agreement with the standard limits for discharge to the environment at a lower cost.
Emerging and Historical Contaminants Detected in Desert Rodents Collected Near a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Site.

In an effort to determine contaminant presence, concentrations, and movement from a low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) burial disposal site to ecosystems in the surrounding area, a study was developed to assess concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and tritium. To complete this assessment small mammals, vegetation, soil, and insect samples were collected from areas within and adjacent to the Beatty, Nevada, LLRW site and from a reference area located approximately 3 km south of the LLRW site. Samples underwent analysis via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, or scintillation spectroscopy depending on the analyte of interest. Small mammal tissues showed maximum concentrations of over 1700 ng/g for PFAS, 1600 ng/g for PCBs, and 10 000 Bq/kg for tritium. The primary contaminants found in soil samples were PCBs, with maximum concentrations exceeding 25 ng/g. Trace amounts of PFAS were also detected in soils and insects. Only qualitative data were obtained from vegetation samples because of the complex matrix of the dominant plant species (creosote bush; Larrea tridentata [Sesse & Moc. ex DC.] Coville). Overall, these data indicate the presence of various anthropogenic contaminants in the ecosystem surrounding the LLRW area, but additional analyses are necessary to confirm the sources and migration pathways of PFAS and PCBs in this hyperarid environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:727-734. © 2020 SETAC.
Medical Misinformation in the Covid-19 Pandemic

The World Health Organization has labeled the omnipresence of misinformation about COVID-19 an “infodemic” that threatens efforts to battle the public health emergency. However, we know surprisingly little about the level of public uptake of medical misinformation and whether and how it affects public preferences and assessments. We conduct a pair of studies that examine the pervasiveness and persuasiveness of misinformation about the novel coronavirus’ origins, effective treatments, and the efficacy of government response. Across categories, we find relatively low levels of true recall of even the prominent fake claims. However, many Americans struggle to distinguish fact from fiction, with many believing false claims and even more failing to believe factual information. An experiment offers some evidence that corrections may succeed in reducing misperceptions, at least in some contexts. Finally, we find little evidence that exposure to misinformation significantly affected a range of policy beliefs and political judgments.
Analysis on the external macro factors and internal function mechanisms of the transformation and application system for appropriate health technologies in rural areas

This paper discussed in detail the external macro factors and internal key function mechanisms of the transformation and application system for appropriate health technologies in rural areas.The macro components include political factors,social factors,population factors,environmental factors and health policy factors.The internal key function mechanisms include policy mechanism,benefit mechanism and guarantee mechanism. Key words: Appropriate health technology; Macro factor; Rural area
Regulation of Neuronal Acetylcholine Receptors by Cell-Cell Interactions

Much of what is known about the role of cell-cell interactions in regulating synaptic components comes from studies of the vertebrate neuromuscular junction, and by far the best understood component there is the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and neurotoxins are now available that recognize neuronal AChRs (for reviews see Lindstrom et al., 1987; Loring and Zigmond, 1988), and cDNA and genomic probes have been isolated for neuronal AChR mRNAs (Boulter et al., 1986, 1987; Deneris et al., 1988; Nef et al., 1988). Such probes permit comparative studies assessing whether principles governing the regulation of AChRs at the neuromuscular junction can be extended to neurotransmitter receptors at synapses on neurons. We have found that while neuronal AChRs are similar to AChRs of muscle and electric organ in a number of respects, they differ in regulation of receptor levels by presynaptic input and in regulation of receptor function by second messengers. The differences may render neuronal AChRs particularly responsive to modulation by cell-cell interactions, and the modulation could regulate neuronal detection of synaptic signalling.
Google Earth Engine Implementation of the Floodwater Depth Estimation Tool (FwDET-GEE) for Rapid and Large Scale Flood Analysis

The Floodwater Depth Estimation Tool (FwDET) provides rapid-response floodwater depth estimations during time-sensitive flood events. Recently, modern cloud-computing advancements and platforms, such as Google Earth Engine (GEE), have further enabled the streamlining and scalability of large-scale geoprocessing. This letter presents a FwDET implementation in GEE (FwDET-GEE) that is open access, utilizes cloud-stored elevation data, and performs geospatial analytics on the fly. This tool offers an innovative solution for producing timely floodwater data during flood activations that require emergency response and post-flood assessment. Accuracy metrics were generated to validate the comparability of FwDET-GEE to FwDETv2.0, which used Python in ArcGIS. To demonstrate the geographic scalability of the model, both local- and region-scale flood events/systems were evaluated. This letter also highlights a use case wherein flooded areas are overlain with building footprint data to identify infrastructure at risk of damage.
Insights into capacitance variance mechanisms via a machine learning-biased evolutionary approach

Abstract Dielectric particles are often added to ink formulations to tailor the macro level permittivity of printed dielectric substrates and coatings. In these inks, the combined role of particle morphology, discrete spatial arrangement and material properties on variance is difficult to distinguish experimentally and hence poorly understood. This is primarily due to the large parameter space of processing variables as well as electrical sensitivity to local heterogeneities. We address this challenge by combining a finite element capacitor model with a neural network biased genetic algorithm (NBGA) to optimize the volume fraction, particle size, and permittivity distributions of dielectric particles to identify systems with high capacitance variance. Analysis of the database generated from the optimization process provided insights on effect of polydisperse particles on variance of the system. Design rules/strategies were also identified for achieving target variance. Unsupervised machine learning techniques were applied to the NBGA-created database to extract correlations between the spatial/material distributions of the dielectric particles and the capacitance variance. Collectively, this study provides a useful framework to correlate electrical performance with both macro- and microstructural variation sources, which is key to accelerating the development of 3-D printing materials.
Congenital and Inherited Cataracts

Congenital cataracts cause approximately one-third of blindness in infants worldwide. If untreated they can cause permanent blindness by interfering with the sharp focus of light onto the retina and thus fail to establish appropriate synaptic connections between the retina and the visual cortex. Between 8 and 30% (see later) of congenital cataracts are inherited, and our understanding of their genetic architecture is increasing. Delineating the relationship between the genes and mutations causing cataracts and their phenotypic presentation can help us to understand the biology of the lens and provide a framework for the clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment.
A case worth its salt: an abnormal presentation of pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 in an infant

Introduction Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by resistance to aldosterone. Infants often present with weight loss, emesis, and dehydration, and expected lab values include hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, elevated aldosterone, and elevated urinary sodium excretion. However, there can be wide phenotypic variability with PHA1, which this case highlights. Case Report An 18 day-old male term, appropriate for gestational age infant with a history of a normal newborn screen presented to the Emergency Department with lethargy, poor feeding, and weight loss of 1lb 10oz since birth. Initial exam …
Authoritarian Capitalism and its Impact on Business

What impact does authoritarian capitalism have on business? In this essay, I inquire into the relationship between authoritarian capitalism and business and set out to answer the following questions: what happens to the business environment under authoritarian leadership? Is there a trade-off between authoritarianism and the climate for business? Does democratic recession in liberal democracies have any notable downsides for business? To answer these questions, I draw on indicators measuring civil and political liberties and corruption on one hand, and the ease of doing business, global competitiveness, and innovation on the other hand. The empirical evidence suggests two key findings. First, key business indicators in China and Singapore have improved significantly despite these countries’ persistent authoritarianism. Second, key business indicators in Hungary and Poland have stayed constant or improved, despite growing authoritarianism in these two countries during the past decade. In short, the authoritarian capitalist model does not appear to be dysfunctional or have significant drawbacks for large segments of business. Supporters of liberal democracy should not argue that liberal democracy is preferable because it is better for business than authoritarian capitalism, since it is far from obvious that that is correct. Supporters of democracy will need to make a stronger case for its intrinsic, rather than its instrumental value.
Touchless Compression Using Shallow Kinetics Induced by Metronome (SKIM)

As an alternative to conventional compression approaches (e.g., hard plate or belt) amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have developed a touchless motion management strategy for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). By increasing the patient's breathing rate to induce fast shallow-breathing (FSB) with the aid of a metronome, our hypothesis was that the motion magnitude of the target would be minimized with no physical contact and compression. Ten SBRT patients who were treated under FSB were selected for this study: 4 lung and 6 liver cases. Our proposed method is called shallow kinetics induced by metronome (SKIM). We have used a metronome by setting the beats-per-minute (BPM) in the range of 50–60 to induce the SB. This corresponded to a patient breathing rate of 25–30 (breathing) cycles-per-minute. Two 4DCT scans, free-breathing (FB) and SKIM, were acquired and exported to commercially available software. Subsequently, the motion magnitude of the target in a superior-to-inferior direction was measured in each data set and compared. The respiratory motion was greatly reduced when using SKIM. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) values of motion magnitude of the target in FB and SKIM across patients were 1.65 ± 0.93 cm and 0.76 ± 0.20 cm, respectively. Among these cases, the mean BPM setting of the metronome was 55.2. Compared with FB, the SKIM technique could significantly reduce the respiratory motion magnitude of thoracic and abdominal targets. Our proposed method can be an excellent practical alternative to the conventional compression methods due to its flexibility and ease of implementation, especially during a global pandemic when minimal physical contact is crucial for the safety of both patients and care providers. Table 1. The comparison of motion magnitude of the target between free-breathing (FB) and shallow kinetics induced by metronome (SKIM). The mean ± standard deviation values across patients were 1.65 ± 0.93 cm and 0.76 ± 0.20 cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Hierarchical genetic structure and implications for conservation of the world's largest salmonid, Hucho taimen.

Population genetic analyses can evaluate how evolutionary processes shape diversity and inform conservation and management of imperiled species. Taimen (Hucho taimen), the world’s largest freshwater salmonid, is threatened, endangered, or extirpated across much of its range due to anthropogenic activity including overfishing and habitat degradation. We generated genetic data using high throughput sequencing of reduced representation libraries for taimen from multiple drainages in Mongolia and Russia. Nucleotide diversity estimates were within the range documented in other salmonids, suggesting moderate diversity despite widespread population declines. Similar to other recent studies, our analyses revealed pronounced differentiation among the Arctic (Selenge) and Pacific (Amur and Tugur) drainages, suggesting historical isolation among these systems. However, we found evidence for finer-scale structure within the Pacific drainages, including unexpected differentiation between tributaries and the mainstem of the Tugur River. Differentiation across the Amur and Tugur basins together with coalescent-based demographic modeling suggests the ancestors of Tugur tributary taimen likely diverged in the eastern Amur basin, prior to eventual colonization of the Tugur basin. Our results suggest the potential for differentiation of taimen at different geographic scales, and suggest more thorough geographic and genomic sampling may be needed to inform conservation and management of this iconic salmonid.
Learner Autonomy and Attribution: A Paradigm Shift in ELT in India

Learner autonomy and attribution impact English language acquisition. Learners should be encouraged to take the responsibility for their success or failure, and achievement or underperformance in the acquisition of English as an L2 (second language). A paradigm shift can be visible on the part of teachers and students of English only when they are metamorphosed voluntarily into classroom facilitators and autonomous learners with changed duties and responsibilities. As facilitators, teachers closely monitor learners’ attributions to their success/failure in English language courses. “Attribution” means “how learners learn about themselves and order uncertain environments”. Teachers are very often unaware of learner attributions; so it becomes essential for them to increase their awareness of learner attributions so that they can become facilitators. Interaction is the only medium for acquisition of English in the classroom, and teachers can play the role of a catalyst only when they allow students to become learners with autonomy and right kind of learner attributions. Autonomy implies accountability. Very often, learner attributions clash with teacher attributions. As long as there is a clash, teachers can never claim themselves as facilitators of learning. This paper identifies the attributions of Indian learners of English, and studies if they clash with those of teachers. It also finds out the means of minimizing the negative and undesirable attributions of both facilitators and learners. Two standardized research questionnaires were developed and administered among students and teachers to identify the attributions, and to detect the desirability and feasibility of learner autonomy in the Indian context.
Fruits of Their Neighbors: The Role of Geography in Agricultural Innovation

Closely following the notion of innovative geographic clusters, this paper examines knowledge flows in the US agriculture industry for evidence of innovative agglomeration. The data indicate that a closer distance between any two agricultural patent origins increases the probability that one cites the other as prior art. Further, subtle inter-regional variations characterize the degree to which proximity advances agricultural innovation. Finally, the results show that older innovations in agriculture proliferate more readily than recently created knowledge.
Ultraviolet/Visible Spectroelectrochemistry

This article reviews the field of solution-phase ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) absorption spectroelectrochemistry and its application to problems in thermodynamics, kinetics, and mass transport, with emphasis on both experimental and theoretical aspects. Examples are provided for transmission in thin layer and semi-infinite media, using optically transparent electrodes, and external and internal reflection in quiescent media. Also illustrated is the coupling of UV/VIS spectroscopy to systems under forced convection, such as rotating disk and channel electrodes, under steady state and transient conditions. Attention is also focused on spatially resolved spectroelectrochemistry for the imaging of diffusion and reaction layers. The last section is devoted to the more complex and particularly powerful modulation techniques involving diffraction, refraction and absorption in stagnant media and in the presence of convective flow. Factors that limit the sensitivity and spatial and temporal resolution of UV/VIS absorption spectroelectrochemistry, as well as its future prospects in analytical chemistry are briefly discussed.
Computing Display Conflicts in String and Circular String Visualization

Strings are used to represent a variety of objects such as DNA sequences, text, and numerical sequences. Circular strings are used to represent circular genomes in molecular biology, polygons in computer graphics and computational geometry, and closed curves in computer vision. We have proposed a model for the visualization of strings and circular strings.
Glutamyl ribose 5-phosphate storage disease. A hereditary defect in the degradation of poly(ADP-ribosylated) proteins

A patient with a lysosomal storage disease, progressive neurologic degeneration, and renal failure was found to have accumulated a low molecular weight ninhydrin and phenol-H2SO4 reactive compound. Amino acid analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified a glutamic acid moiety. Direct insertion mass spectrometry proved the carbohydrate portion to be a sugar phosphate. NaB3H4 reduction and borate electrophoresis, paper chromatography, and enzymatic digestion indicated the presence of ribose 5-phosphate. Quantitative analysis of the intact compound indicated a 1:1:1 ratio for glutamic acid: ribose:phosphate. Brain was found to contain 0.96 mumol/g, wet weight, and kidney 0.60 mumol/g, wet weight, of glutamyl ribose 5-phosphate. This substance is the linkage region in ADP-ribosylation of histones and other proteins. It is suggested that the primary defect in this patient is a genetic abnormality of ADP-ribose protein hydrolase (Okayama, H., Honda, M., and Hayaishi, O. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S .A. 75, 2254-2257).
Twisting the Donkey's Tail: Transforming the Democratic Party on Race

Democratic Party Nominees and Platforms changed substantially on civil rights between the Second World War and the New Frontier. The party did not change on its own in response to majority opinion. Rather, strategic organizations such as labor unions and civil rights groups forced ambitious party leaders to choose between the party's liberal wing and Southern conservatives. Party leaders such as Truman, Stevenson, Kefauver, and Kennedy mainly catered to liberal groups, taking progressive stances on civil rights that disrupted the earlier equilibrium between North and South in the party. If African Americans had needed to wait until politicians or popular majorities supported their demands for basic rights, their path to representation would have been longer and more difficult than it was. Parties are strongly influenced by strategic coalitions who often support one another’s demands more than popular demands.
New technologies for studying the complexity of oral diseases

Several new technologies are providing useful diagnostic tools and new information related to the pathogenesis of certain oral diseases. In this review, we describe several of these technologies including gene and microRNA arrays, proteomics, and antigen arrays as they relate to the study of Sjogren's syndrome and head and neck cancer. A common theme is the systematic analysis of large-scale inventories of RNAs, proteins, and autoantibody biomarkers revealing information not previously recognized. We also discuss metagenomic approaches that characterize the many different microorganisms present in the oral cavity that may impact oral and human health. Lastly, we describe applications of a new type of antibody-profiling technology termed Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems (LIPS), which has a wide dynamic range of detection of both linear and conformational epitopes needed for optimum diagnostics and biomarker discovery. We propose that the information offered by these technologies will enhance our ability to diagnose, treat, and further understand the pathogenesis of multiple oral diseases.
New nursery production methods lead to tree root circling reduction or elimination

Summary Tree roots that begin to circle during nursery production have the potential, once the trees are transplanted to the landscape, to enlarge to the point where they may girdle the trunk or other roots. Girdling roots have been diagnosed as a cause of tree stress and decline due to a reduction in water and solute movement through the root-crown area. Several new nursery production techniques, including above-ground modified rigid plastic, “low profile”, “soil sock” and copper-coated containers, and in-ground fabric, rigid plastic and “pot-in-pot” containers, help to reduce or eliminate circling root formation.
Fabrication and optical properties of ZnSeTe superlattices with sinusoidal compositional modulation

Abstract Sinusoidally modulated ZnSeTe superlattices were fabricated by means of a novel MBE growth technique, in which the periodic modulation is achieved by substrate rotation in the presence of non-uniform flux distributions of Se and Te, rather than by shutter openings and closings. The sinusoidal modulation of composition in the system naturally leads to a sinusoidal energy band profile, which in turn is expected to result in new and unique optical and electronic properties. We have performed extensive photoluminescence (PL) measurements on a series of sinusoidal ZnSeTe superlattices having various degrees of compositional modulation (i.e., various band offsets) and various periods. The observed transition energies in these superlattices can be successfully analyzed in terms of an adaptation of the nearly free electron model.
Amyloid precursor protein and proinflammatory changes are regulated in brain and adipose tissue in a murine model of high fat diet-induced obesity.

Background Middle age obesity is recognized as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) although a mechanistic linkage remains unclear. Based upon the fact that obese adipose tissue and AD brains are both areas of proinflammatory change, a possible common event is chronic inflammation. Since an autosomal dominant form of AD is associated with mutations in the gene coding for the ubiquitously expressed transmembrane protein, amyloid precursor protein (APP) and recent evidence demonstrates increased APP levels in adipose tissue during obesity it is feasible that APP serves some function in both disease conditions.
Fall diets of alewife, rainbow smelt, and slimy sculpin in the profundal zone of southern Lake Ontario during 1994–2005 with an emphasis on occurrence of Mysis relicta

In Lake Ontario, factors including the collapse of the burrowing amphipod, Diporeia spp., changes in the distribution and composition of the prey fish community, and occurrence of exotic cladocerans Bythotrephes longimanus and Cercopagis pengoi have led to changes in predation pressure on the remaining native profundal macroinvertebrate, Mysis relicta. We conducted a diet study on three important prey fishes, alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) in 2002–2005 at depths 75–130 m along the south shore of Lake Ontario to evaluate the current role of Mysis in the diets of these species relative to earlier studies and previously unpublished data from 1994–1995. Mysis have remained an important prey item for alewife, rainbow smelt, and slimy sculpin in the profundal zone of southern Lake Ontario through 2005, indicating that the population has been able to sustain itself following the collapse of Diporeia. Although the occurrence of Diporeia in prey ...
Experimental Investigation of UWB Impulse Response and Time Reversal Technique Up to 12 GHz: Omnidirectional and Directional Antennas

An experimental study of the time reversal (TR) technique is presented in a single-input-single-output configuration over the frequency range of 2-12 GHz. A special emphasis of this work is to investigate and compare impulse response (IR) and TR characteristics for omnidirectional biconical and directional spiral antennas over realistic indoor ultrawideband (UWB) channels in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments. We discuss the effects of channel multipath dispersion and antenna frequency-dependant delay distortions on the received responses in both time and frequency domains. The effectiveness of TR for waveform compression is characterized by computing root mean square delay spread and peak-to-average power ratio. Our study suggests that the effectiveness of time reversal is subject to a tradeoff between competing effects-namely, compensation of spectral phase variation (which leads to compression) and aggravation of spectral amplitude structure (which opposes compression). Although TR is a powerful technique for compensation of phase distortions associated with broadband frequency-independent antennas (as shown in LOS experiments with spiral antennas), it shows only modest performance in compressing time spread associated with multipath delays.
Excretion of F2‐isoprostanes in bile: A novel index of hepatic lipid peroxidation

Lipid peroxidation is believed to be an important mechanism of liver injury caused by some xenobiotics. However, it has been difficult to demonstrate and quantify this process in vivo. Moreover, little is known about the disposition of lipids oxidized in the liver. F2-isoprostanes are prostanoids produced by nonenzymatic free radical—catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid esterified to phospholipids. Hydrolysis of F2-isoprostanes from phospholipids by phospholipases yields free F2-isoprostanes. Excretion of F2-isoprostanes, both free and esterified to phospholipids, was measured in bile after administration of CCI4. The concentration of lipid-esterified F2-isoprostanes in bile exceeded that of free F2-isoprostanes. CCI4 caused a dose-dependent increase in biliary F2-isoprostane excretion that correlated better with the increase in liver F2-isoprostanes than it did with the increase in plasma F2-isoprostanes. Pretreatment with colchicine ameliorated CCI4-liver injury but did not affect baseline or CC14-induced biliary F2-isoprostane excretion. Administration of diquat to selenium-deficient rats, which causes hepatic and renal necrosis, was associated with a 13-fold elevation of plasma F2-isoprostanes. However, both hepatic F2-isoprostane concentrations and biliary F2-isoprostane excretion were increased only threefold. These data suggest that quantification of F2-isoprostane excretion in bile may provide a sensitive and quantitative index of hepatic lipid peroxidation.
Anarchy and the Limits of Cooperation: A Realist Critique of the Newest Liberal Institutionalism

The newest liberal institutionalism asserts that, although it accepts a major realist proposition that international anarchy impedes cooperation among states, it can nevertheless affirm the central tenets of the liberal institutionalist tradition that states can achieve cooperation and that international institutions can help them work together. However, this essay's principal argument is that neoliberal institutionalism misconstrues the realist analysis of international anarchy and therefore it misunderstands realism's analysis of the inhibiting effects of anarchy on the willingness of states to cooperate. This essay highlights the profound divergences between realism and the newest liberal institutionalism. It also argues that the former is likely to be proven analytically superior to the latter.
Melting threshold and melt removal dynamics during laser interaction with steel and HgCdTe in femtosecond regime

The results of a study of a single 200 femtosecond laser pulse interaction with thick stainless steel and HgCdTe samples are reported. The threshold pulse energies required to produce sample surface melting are measured. The melt dynamics, material removal rate and evolution of surface morphology were observed for different pulse energies and number of laser pulses. It was observed that, similarly to long laser pulse interaction, a layer of melt can be produced at the sample surface. Increase of laser pulse energy results in melt ejection in the radial direction toward the periphery of the interaction zone resembling evaporation recoil melt removal typical for laser interaction in range from nanosecond to cw. The removal of material from stainless steel sample was observed to be highly nonuniform. The columnar structures were observed on the surface of stainless steel samples. The period of these structures is dependent on laser pulse energy and number of pulses. The observed melting threshold is compared with the theoretical prediction obtained using two-temperature model.
Impact of clouds and aerosols on ozone production in Southeast Texas

Abstract A radiative transfer model and photochemical box model are used to examine the effects of clouds and aerosols on actinic flux and photolysis rates, and the impacts of changes in photolysis rates on ozone production and destruction rates in a polluted urban environment like Houston, Texas. During the TexAQS-II Radical and Aerosol Measurement Project the combined cloud and aerosol effects reduced j (NO 2 ) photolysis frequencies by nominally 17%, while aerosols reduced j (NO 2 ) by 3% on six clear sky days. Reductions in actinic flux due to attenuation by clouds and aerosols correspond to reduced net ozone formation rates with a nearly one-to-one relationship. The overall reduction in the net ozone production rate due to reductions in photolysis rates by clouds and aerosols was approximately 8 ppbv h −1 .
Effects of Obesity in Rectal Cancer Surgery

Background Increased local recurrence after total mesorectal excision (TME) in obese rectal cancer patients has been attributed to technical difficulties associated with adiposity. In this study, we evaluate whether higher body mass index (BMI) compromises surgical resection in patients with locally advanced, mid-to-low rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy, adversely affecting long-term oncologic outcomes. Study Design Five-hundred and ninety-six patients with uT3/4 and/or uN1 rectal adenocarcinoma were treated from 1998 to 2007 with neoadjuvant therapy, followed by radical resection using TME. Outcomes were analyzed according to BMI: obese (BMI ≥30) and nonobese (BMI Results In all, 26.7% of patients were obese. The rate for positive circumferential margin in nonobese was 4.9% versus 2.5% in obese (p = 0.21). The sphincter-sparing rate in nonobese was 79.5% versus 80.5% in obese (p = 0.77). Five-year overall survival for nonobese was 84% versus 90% for obese (p = 0.92). Five-year disease-free survival for nonobese was 76% versus 73% for obese (p = 0.75). Operative time was longer in obese than nonobese; 4.3 versus 3.7 hours, respectively (p Conclusions After neoadjuvant therapy for mid-to-low rectal cancer, higher BMI did not compromise sphincter preservation or complete resection or negatively affect long-term outcomes. These findings might be related to the fact that resection was performed in a specialty center with dedicated oncologic surgeons. However, higher BMI was associated with longer operative time, indicating a more technically demanding procedure and longer hospital stay.
Downlink Power Control for Multi-User VBR Video Streaming in Cellular Networks

We investigate the problem of downlink power control for streaming multiple variable bit rate (VBR) videos in a multicell wireless network, where downlink capacities are limited by inter-cell interference. We adopt a deterministic model for VBR video traffic that considers video frame sizes and playout buffers at the mobile users. The problem is to find the optimal transmit powers for the base stations, such that VBR video data can be delivered to mobile users without causing playout buffer underflow or overflow. We formulate a nonlinear nonconvex optimization problem and prove the condition for the existence of feasible solutions. A centralized branch-and-bound algorithm is then developed, which incorporates the Reformulation-Linearization Technique and can produce (1-e)-optimal solutions. We also propose a low-complexity distributed algorithm with fast convergence as an alternative to the centralized algorithm. Through simulations with VBR video traces under fading channels, we find the distributed algorithm can achieve a performance very close to that of the centralized algorithm.
Recent improvement in coronary computed tomography angiography diagnostic accuracy.

Although invasive coronary angiography has been the gold standard for evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD), it should not be routinely performed as an initial test to assess CAD in subjects with suspected CAD by the recent guidelines, due to cost, invasiveness, and measurable risk. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a rapidly growing, noninvasive imaging modality that developed quickly over the last decade, and its role for evaluation of CAD becomes of great promise with high diagnostic accuracy. Although artifact issues have created some challenges for CCTA, recent advances—including the introduction of more detectors, leading to broader coverage, and faster and higher-definition scanners—allow improved precision and fewer uninterpretable studies. This review article summarizes the current key literature regarding the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA in native coronary arteries, stents, coronary artery bypass grafts, lesions with high calcification, and the functional assessment of CAD.
Two observations about human reason.

The first observation is that existential reason has two principal strata. While the function of lower reason is primarily reasoning or logic, upper reason ponders emotions, the meaning of existence, the transcendent. Those whose understanding of reason is confined to lower reason are handicapped in coping with emotional and spiritual suffering. Upper reason is a necessary intellectual facility in the resolution of such suffering. The second observation is of thedialectical nature of reason, with which clinicians and theologians trade when pondering reality and in dealing with those they counsel. Yet, many people, especially Americans, are oblivious to the “both-and” reality of existence. Consequently they are not realistic about life nor are they skillful in dealing with their resulting existential conflicts. They are lost when psychological problems cannot be satisfactorily resolved by lower reason; for only upper reason can perceive and creatively integrate the dialectical tensions of existential problems.
FACTORS AFFECTING DARK SURVIVAL OF THE BROWN TIDE ALGA AUREOCOCCUS ANOPHAGEFFERENS (PELAGOPHYCEAE)1

Aureococcus anophagefferens Hargraves et Sieburth is a pelagophyte responsible for the harmful brown tides in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, USA. Recent reports of blooms in new areas, Maryland, USA, and Saldanha Bay, South Africa, suggest that the alga may be expanding its range, possibly through anthropogenic transport. Experiments tested the ability of A. anophagefferens to survive dark conditions, such as those that might be encountered during transport in ballast tanks or recreational boats. Laboratory cultures were stored in complete darkness for various lengths of time under different conditions. After returning cultures to optimal light and growth conditions, we recorded the time until growth resumed. Cultured A. anophagefferens was able to survive for at least 30 days in the dark. Temperature played a major role in dark survival, because cultures stored at 6° C and 12° C recovered faster than those stored at 18° C or 24° C. Growth phase at the time of storage had a minor effect on recovery, with exponential phase cultures resuming growth more quickly than stationary phase cells. Although the alga is known to have heterotrophic capabilities, the addition of low levels (1–3 μM) of organic nutrients did not appear to increase dark survival. Salinities within normal estuarine and oceanic ranges also did not affect survival. The ability of A. anophagefferens to survive dark periods could allow it to be transported by anthropogenic means to new regions, and temperature and length of storage appear to be key factors determining cell viability during prolonged darkness.
Diagnosis of rickets and reassessment of prevalence among rural children in northern China.

Background: Rates of rickets from 15.9 to 26.7% have been reported in China. Methods: Combining the methods of epidemiology and the behavioral sciences, this study investigated the prevalence of rickets in children in rural Shanxi Province, China. A total of 250 children age 12–24 months were examined physically for the presence of rickets, blood was drawn for laboratory analysis, and X-rays were taken of each child’s wrists. Results: Vitamin D deficiency in the spring was found among 65.3% of children. Rickets diagnosis relying on clinical signs alone determined a rickets prevalence of 41.6%, declining to 17.0% in the fall after a summer of sun exposure (χ2 = 8.356, P = 0.004). But an integrated diagnostic method exploiting clinical signs, X-ray and alkaline phosphatase levels found the prevalence of active rickets to be 3.7%. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that only five clinical signs reflect active rickets – wide wrists, frontal bossing, rachitic rosary, Harrison’s sulcus, and bowed legs. Conclusions: The prevalence of active rickets in young children in northern China is lower than previously reported. Even in poor countries, simple tests such as X-rays and alkaline phosphatase can be added to physical examination to more accurately diagnose active rickets.
Life Without Father: Single Mothers in the New America

Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage. By Katherine Edin and Maria Kefalas. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. ISBN 0520241134, $24.95 cloth, 293 pp. Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice: How Women are Choosing Parenthood WithoutMarriage and Creating the New American Family. By Rosanna Hertz. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 9780195179903, $26.00 cloth, 273 pp. The Social Economy of Single Motherhood: Raising Children in Rural America. By Margaret K. Nelson. New York: Routledge, 2005. ISBN 9780415947787, $24.95 paper, 252 pp.
Antipyretic doses of α-MSH do not alter afebrile body temperature in the cold

Abstract 1. 1.|α-MSH (1/2–13) was injected centrally and peripherally in rabbits exposed to cold. 2. 2.|Doses of the peptide previously shown to reduce fever had no effect on afebrile body temperature in the cold; larger doses did lower temperature. 3. 3.|We conclude that the antipyretic effect of small doses of α-MSH does not depend upon inhibition of central heat productioin and heat conservatioin pathways. 4. 4.|The antipyretic and hypthermic activities of α-MSH are independent and may represent different actions within the CNS.