cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System architectural design of a hardware engine for moving target IPv6 defense over IEEE 802.3 Ethernet

The Department of Homeland Security Cyber Security Division (CSD) chose Moving Target Defense as one of the fourteen primary Technical Topic Areas pertinent to securing federal networks and the larger Internet. Moving Target Defense over IPv6 (MT6D) employs an obscuration technique offering keyed access to hosts at a network level without altering existing network infrastructure. This is accomplished through cryptographic dynamic addressing, whereby a new network address is bound to an interface every few seconds in a coordinated manner. The goal of this research is to produce a Register Transfer Level (RTL) network security processor implementation to enable the production of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) variant of MT6D processor for wide deployment. RTL development is challenging in that it must provide system level functions that are normally provided by the Operating System's kernel and supported libraries. This paper presents the architectural design of a hardware engine for MT6D (HE-MT6D) and is complete in simulation. Unique contributions are an inline stream-based network packet processor with a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) architecture, Network Time Protocol listener, and theoretical increased performance over previous software implementations.
Economics of Sustainable Development and the Bioeconomy

Sustainable development can be attained by policies that are derived by analyses that integrate biophysical considerations into economic models. We show that policies and incentives that correct market failure can attain sustainable development through enhancing conservation, recycling, the use of renewable resources, and development of the bioeconomy, which relies on biological processes and feedstock to produce renewable products. The design of sustainable development policies and analysis of the bioeconomy pose new challenges to applied economists, who are uniquely qualified to integrate economic analysis with biophysical considerations.
Laboratory and Field Investigation of the Effects of Biosealant Applications to the Surface of Asphalt Pavement

AbstractPavement preservation plays a significant role in maintaining aging pavement infrastructure under severe budget constraints. An important component in this is the application of sealants to...
NOx Linkage Isomerization in Metal Complexes

Abstract The binding of small molecules to metals often imparts varied chemistry to the small molecules. Such chemistry is dependent on the coordination mode of the small molecule ligands, as the coordination mode affects the electronic distributions along the ligand atoms. In this review, we outline the current knowledge of the linkage isomerization of NOx ligands in their metal complexes for both non-porphyrin and porphyrin systems. We present their modes of preparation and detection and speculate on the consequences of such linkage isomerization on the resultant chemistry.
Opportunistic computing: a new paradigm for scalable realism on many-cores

With the advent of multi-cores and many-cores, traditional techniques that seek only to improve FLOPS of performance or the degree of parallelism have hit a roadblock with regards to providing even greater performance. In order to surmount this roadblock, techniques should more directly address the underlying design objectives of an application. Specific implementations and algorithmic choices in applications are intended to achieve the underlying realism objectives in the programmer's mind. We identify two specific aspects of this realism that traditional programming and parallelization approaches do not capture and exploit to utilize the growing number of cores. The first aspect is that the goal of minimizing program execution time can be satisfactorily met if the program execution time is low with sufficiently high probability. We exploit the fact that randomized algorithms are available for many commonly used kernels, and that the use of parallelism can achieve very low expected execution times with high probability for these algorithms. This can provide speedups to parts of the application that were hitherto deemed sequential and ignored for extracting performance via multi-cores. The second aspect of realism that we exploit is that important classes of emerging applications, like gaming and interactive visualization, have user-interactivity and responsiveness requirements that are as important as raw performance. Their design goal is to maximize the functionality expressed, while maintaining a high and smooth frame-rate. Therefore, the primary objective for these applications is not to run a fixed computation as fast as possible, but rather to scale the application semantics up or down depending on the resources available. Our framework intends to capture the responsiveness requirements of these applications as they pertain to expressed realism and automatically scale the application semantics expressed on every architecture, including very resource-rich many-cores.
Active Immunization with E. Coli J5 and its Protective Effects from Endotoxic Shock in Calves

Bovine salmonellosis is of worldwide importance due to public health concerns and causes significant economic losses to the agricultural industry. Cattle of all ages can be infected but serious infections and deaths are most often seen in calves up to ten weeks of age. The most common serotypes involved are S. typhimurium and Salmonella dublin (3–6). The major clinical manifestations associated with endotoxic shock are similar in each disease.
Can Battlefield Acupuncture Improve Colonoscopy Experience

Background: Currently, patients undergoing colonoscopy receive sedation, but pain management with acupuncture could be a safer alternative. Cases: This article describes 3 cases for which Battlefield Acupuncture was applied during colonoscopy to avoid using opioids for sedation. One case was a patient with a life-threating morphine allergy, and 2 other cases avoided sedation completely. Results: Pain was reduced in all 3 cases to allow completion of colonoscopies without sedation. In Case 2, the patient also gained relief of preexisting mild joint pain. Conclusions: More data are needed, so potentially more patients can indeed avoid morphine/benzodiazepam-based sedation by use of acupuncture to make colonoscopies safer and more pleasant.
The Limits of Comparative Institutional Analysis

Atul Gawande’s Checklist Manifesto became a sensation in 2009 because it promised that a simple technique could powerfully discipline decision-making. Gawande had saved lives using hospital checklists, and he argued that checklists could improve outcomes in other complicated endeavors. Checklists, he explained, “provide a kind of cognitive net. They catch mental flaws.” Neil Komesar’s method of comparative institutional analysis is by necessity messier than the checklist and does not claim to produce faultless policy-making. But Komesar similarly seeks to improve cognitive processing by imposing a disciplining framework on decision-making. Sergio Puig and Gregory Shaffer’s effort to introduce Komesar’s technique to the debate about foreign investment law reform is welcome. Their emphasis on tradeoffs among institutional alternatives helps us to appreciate the different contexts facing different nation states, the value of regime competition, and consequently, the importance of implementing reforms in ways that preserve a variety of options for states. If they persuade commentators and policy-makers to take stock of the tradeoffs among institutional alternatives, Puig and Shaffer will have made a meaningful contribution. Still, their analysis illustrates some of the weaknesses of comparative institutional analysis. In this essay, I identify those weaknesses and suggest that they also weigh in pluralism’s favor.
Fractography of Laser Welds

A series of high-strength alloys has been laser-beam welded in thicknesses of up to 1.27 cm (0.5 in.). These welds in steels, a titanium alloy, and an aluminum alloy have been tested for their mechanical properties, fracture toughnesses, and hardness. The microstructures of these weldments have been determined in the base plate, heat-affected zone, and fusion area. The fractographic features for each alloy have been determined and correlated with the weldment's properties and structures.
Factors associated with physician attitude and management of financial toxicity.

e18300Background: Little is known about the attitudes and knowledge of oncologists who discuss financial toxicity with patients compared with those who do not. We assessed perceptions of the oncolo...
P202 Examining Shifts in School-Time Physical Activity Patterns From Elementary to Middle School Among Lower-Income Schoolchildren

Background The elementary-to-middle school transition likely impacts the decline in school-time physical activity (PA) and may exacerbate disparities in these behaviors that exist for girls and overweight/obese children. Objective To assess changes in school-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (sMVPA) and school sedentary time (ST) from elementary to middle school among children and whether there are disparities by sex and weight status. Study Design, Settings, Participants Lower-income children who participated in the FLEX Study during grades 4 and 5 were re-recruited into this supplementary prospective cohort study, FLEX+ during middle school (grade 6). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Demographic data were collected via parent questionnaire. Child assessments included height, weight, and 7-day accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+) in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. The association between grade and changes in sMVPA and ST were examined using mixed effects models adjusting for sex, race, BMI status, free/reduced price lunch eligibility (FPRL), and mean weekly ambient temperature. Individual-level clustering was adjusted for as a random intercept. Interactions were tested to examine disparities by sex and BMI status. Results Eighty eight children (grade 4: 9.2 ± 0.5 years, 42% male, 38% non-white, 39% FRPL, 33% overweight/obese, sMVPA = 19.9 ± 8.5 min/day) had valid accelerometer wear-time (> 3 days, >10 hrs/day). There was a decline in children meeting the 30-minute sMVPA recommendation from grades 4 to 6 (14.8%, 7.5%, and 3.5%, respectively; P P > .05). Notably, the change in ST reflects an increase in grade 5 (β = 16.5 mins/day; 95% CI: 8.4, 24.6; P P P > .05). Conclusion Policies and programs that promote movement time during school hours are urgently needed to counteract the steep increase in sedentary behaviors that occur in middle school. Funding NIH.
Optimal Heterogeneous Asset Location Modeling for Expected Spatiotemporal Search and Rescue Demands using Historic Event Data

The United States Coast Guard is charged with the coordination of all search and rescue missions in maritime regions within the United States purview. Given the size of the Pacific Ocean and the limited resources available to respond to search and rescue missions in this region, the service seeks to posture its aligned fleet of maritime and aeronautical assets to reduce the expected response time for such missions. Leveraging historic event records for the region of interest, we propose and demonstrate a two-stage solution approach. In the first stage, we develop and apply a stochastic zonal distribution model to evaluate spatiotemporal trends for emergency event rates and corresponding response strategies to inform the probabilistic modeling of future rescue events respective locations, frequencies, and demands for support. In the second stage, the results from the aforementioned analysis enable the parameterization and solution of a integer linear programming formulation to identify the best locations at which to station limited heterogeneous search and rescue assets. Considering both the 50th and 75th percentile levels of forecast event and asset demand distributions using 7.5 years of historical event data, our models identify asset location strategies that respectively yield a 9.6 percent and 17.6 percent increase in coverage over current asset basing when allowing locations among current homeports and airports, as well as respective 67.3 percent and 57.4 percent increases in coverage when considering a larger set of feasible basing locations. Keywords: search and rescue, spatiotemporal forecasting, location-allocation modeling, p-median location problem, multi-objective optimization
Effect of Interference on Multi-Sensory Haptic Perception of Stretch and Squeeze

Multi-sensory haptic systems have the potential to transfer a wide variety of information to a human user by delivering multiple types of haptic cues simultaneously. However, these systems may cause undesirable perceptual interference, which has already been observed in wearable systems that simultaneously convey skin stretch and squeeze cues. To investigate this observed perceptual interference, we conducted a psychophysical evaluation of the just-noticeable difference (JND) in skin stretch and squeeze cue magnitudes independently as well as in the presence of an interfering cue. A haptic testbed delivered each cue to a user’s proximal forearm. First, the JNDs of the two haptic cues were each measured alone. Then, the cues were delivered simultaneously and the JND values for stretch with squeeze interference and squeeze with stretch interference were measured. We found that the JND for the stretch cue increased with the addition of an interference squeeze cue, while the JND for the squeeze cue did not change with interference. Results suggest that there is an interference effect between multi-sensory haptic cues that, depending on cue type, can negatively impact haptic perception. Further development of multi-sensory devices that convey salient cues has the potential to mitigate this observed interference.
Using Force Concept Inventory Data to Develop Impactful Class Activities.

Examination of my students’ individual gains on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) over the course of several semesters led to the realization that student pretest knowledge on certain key questions appeared to be correlated to enhanced gain during the class. Acting under the hypothesis that early intervention aimed at helping the class perform better on those select key questions might result in enhanced test-wide gains, I developed two class activities targeted at just one of the key questions. I have tested those activities over the course of four semesters and there is evidence that they significantly increased the class-wide normalized gains on the FCI.
Investigating the Future of Transportation Engineering Education

This Research student poster paper discusses an investigation into the future of transportation engineering education. The transportation engineering field has a history of rapid change that coincides with the evolution of technology. As such, there is a need to prepare the transportation engineering students of today for the careers that will be available to them in the future. While there are numerous graduate transportation engineering programs in the United States, there is little research being conducted on the education given at this level. Currently, the majority of research on transportation engineering education is focused on the undergraduate level, specifically, on the average introductory course and capstone design course. The investigation presented here is therefore targeted toward transportation engineering graduate curricula at the master's level. We aim to answer the following questions: How will employment opportunities for transportation engineers evolve in the coming 5-10 years? How will the work that transportation engineers perform on a day-to-day basis evolve in the coming 510 years, both in private-sector and public-sector organizations? What topics should graduate-level transportation engineering curricula include in the future, such that the students develop the skills to be successful in the transportation sector of the next 5-10 years? Our investigation consists of in-depth one on one interviews with a range of academics involved in the teaching of graduate level transportation engineering courses and practitioners working in the field who have participated in the hiring of transportation engineers. We will be asking questions about the current and future needs of the field and the professionals within it. We will then compare the responses to current transportation engineering graduate programs' learning outcomes. This comparison will allow us to make recommendations for changes to established programs and to inform the creation of future programs.
Stability Analysis for the Helmholtz Equation with Many Frequencies

This paper concerns the inverse source problem for the time-harmonic wave equation in a one dimensional domain. The goal is to determine the source function from the boundary measurements. The problem is challenging due to complexity of the Green's function for the Helmholtz equation. Our main result is a logarithmic estimate consists of two parts: the data discrepancy and the high frequency tail.
The Demography of Gentiana autumnalis in Populations under Varying Management Regimes in New Jersey

Gentiana autumnalis (pine barren gentian) is a rare, fall-flowering perennial that is endemic to pine barren habitat from New Jersey to South Carolina. This disturbance-adapted, early successional species is at risk in New Jersey as a result of human interactions, namely growing season mowing and fire suppression. We used a repeated measures design to compare the differences between managed (mowing and prescribed fire) and unmanaged G. autumnalis populations for density, life stage, mortality, and fecundity. Managed populations had a greater gentian density, proportion of reproductive individuals, and seedlings compared to unmanaged populations. Implementing prescribed burns and mowing at previously unmanaged sites prior to spring growth increased gentian density, flowering, and seed set the same year. Our data support that prescribed burning and mowing can be beneficial management tools for the conservation of G. autumnalis and other disturbance-adapted species that require open early-successional habitat. However, their implementation can have negative consequences if conducted during the growing season, especially for roadside populations that are periodically mowed. Declining rare plant populations have the potential to benefit from management practices that facilitate ideal growing conditions and influence life stage transitions that will best improve population growth rate over time.
What happens at radiographic disease progression in patients with metastatic cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors? A single institution analysis.

e15157Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely adopted for multiple indications across various malignancies. Despite the surge in their use, what occurs at radiographic progressio...
Internal Model Based Current Control with Embedded Active Damping on a Three-Level PV Flying Capacitor Multilevel Inverter with LCL Filter

Multilevel converters are becoming favorable topologies to maximize the power transfer from solar panels to utility grids. As the harmonic emission of multilevel inverters are generally lower than their conventional two-level counterparts, not a bulky passive filter is required to eliminate the harmonic currents. However, the zero impedance of LCL filters at certain frequencies may expose the network to instability. In this paper, an embedded active damping technique based on virtual resistance method, within an internal model control scheme, has been implemented on a PV-flying capacitor multilevel inverter. An internal model of the LCL filter and the feeder line resistances are encapsulated in the controller and the difference between the control current output and the actual one passing through a compensator leads to the accurate control objective. Hardware-in-the-Loop case studies in Matlab/Simulink and Xilinx System Generator environment proves the robustness of the proposed control method.
Supereulerian Graphs with Constraints on the Matching Number and Minimum Degree

A graph is supereulerian if it has a spanning eulerian subgraph. We show that a connected simple graph G with $$n = |V(G)| \ge 2$$ and $$\delta (G) \ge \alpha '(G)$$ is supereulerian if and only if $$G \ne K_{1,n-1}$$ if n is even or $$G \ne K_{2, n-2}$$ if n is odd. Consequently, every connected simple graph G with $$\delta (G) \ge \alpha '(G)$$ has a hamiltonian line graph.
Actin flow-dependent and -independent force transmission through integrins

Integrin-dependent adhesions mediate reciprocal exchange of force and information between the cell and the extracellular matrix. These effects are attributed to the "focal adhesion clutch," in which moving actin filaments transmit force to integrins via dynamic protein interactions. To elucidate these processes, we measured force on talin together with actin flow speed. While force on talin in small lamellipodial adhesions correlated with actin flow, talin tension in large adhesions further from the cell edge was mainly flow-independent. Stiff substrates shifted force transfer toward the flow-independent mechanism. Flow-dependent force transfer required talin's C-terminal actin binding site, ABS3, but not vinculin. Flow-independent force transfer initially required vinculin and at later times the central actin binding site, ABS2. Force transfer through integrins thus occurs not through a continuous clutch but through a series of discrete states mediated by distinct protein interactions, with their ratio modulated by substrate stiffness.
An Illusion of Safety: Why Congress Should Let FISA's Lone Wolf Amendment Expire

FISA’s lone wolf amendment is set to expire on March 15, 2020. Created in the wake of 9/11 to address evolving threats — specifically, lone wolf terrorists — it has served no useful purpose. It has never been used in the course of a government investigation, despite the significant number of lone wolf attacks that have occurred during its existence. A look at the legislative history reveals that the “gap” in the intelligence architecture that the amendment was supposed to fill never even existed. And it is doubtful that the amendment would ever be able to effectively confront lone wolves. Some argue that because the lone wolf amendment has done no harm, it should be renewed, just in case it might be needed some day. But this article argues that Congress should instead use this as an opportunity to exercise its oversight role, let the lone wolf amendment expire, and create the tools to actually address the lone wolf threat.
Reflecting on educational preparedness and professional development for early-career nurse faculty: A phenomenological study

Abstract Bedside nurses are assuming the faculty role without the necessary skill set to meet their role’s rigorous expectations. The researchers sought to explore the lived experiences of early-career nursing faculty and what it feels to be unprepared to teach. A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews served as the primary data collection method. The purposive sample consisted of nine graduate-prepared early-career nursing faculty with less than five years’ experience teaching who felt unprepared for the faculty role. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) balance between theory and practice; (2) socialization to the role; (3) real-world experience; and (4) ownership for ongoing learning. The findings bring transparency for nurse faculty to assess the educational and transitional process outcomes from early-career nursing faculties’ perspectives.
A Standardized Order-Set Improves Variability in Opioid Discharge Prescribing Patterns After Surgical Fixation of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures.

Objective To evaluate institutional opioid prescribing patterns following percutaneous fixation of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures before and after implementation of a standardized discharge order set. Design A retrospective review of patients who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous skeletal fixation of a Type II or III supracondylar humerus fracture in 2017 (prior to pain protocol implementation) and again in 2019 (after pain protocol implementation) Setting Single Tertiary Care Children's Hospital Participants In total, 106 patients met inclusion criteria between years 2017 (n = 49) and 2019 (n = 57). Exclusion criteria included miscoded patients, open fractures, patients who presented with vascular injury or nerve palsy, polytrauma patients with multiple fractures in the same upper extremity, and supracondylar humerus fractures that underwent an open procedure. Results There were no significant differences between inpatient pain scores (p = 0.91) and MDE prescribed (p = 0.75) between the 2 cohorts. In 2017, large variability was noted in day supply of opioids (0-11.4 days) and MDE (0-8.45 mg/kg), with significant differences between prescribing patterns of junior and senior level residents (mean day supply of opioids (p = 0.045), mean MDE prescribed on discharge (p = 0.001)). After implementation of a standardized opioid discharge order set, there was a tenfold increase in the number of patients discharged without an opioid prescription (2017: 4%, 2019: 44%). Additionally, any discrepancies between prescribing practices of junior and senior level residents were eliminated (mean day supply of opioids (p = 0.65), mean MDE prescribed on discharge (p = 0.69)). Conclusions The introduction of a standardized post-operative opioid discharge order set led to a 10-fold increase in the number of patients discharged without an opioid prescription. Additionally, the order set decreased the variability in the prescribing patterns of discharge opioid medications without change in pain control. The resident prescribing variability based upon level of experience resolved with the use of the order set.
‘Failing forward’: a critique in light of covid-19

This article examines the policy responses of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) to the Covid-19 pandemic during its first twelve months. The intensity of the policy challenge, and ...
Decrease in the Degree of Polarization of Chlorophyll Fluorescence upon the Addition of DCMU to Algae

If polarized light is used to excite Chlorophyll (Chl) a molecules in the photosynthetic unit, only those Chl a molecules with absorption dipoles parallel to the polarization of the incident light are excited. As energy is transferred among the Chi a molecules, the “memory” of the initial polarization is lost if the Chi a molecules are arranged in a random fashion within the chloroplast. This loss of memory is reflected in the low degree of polarization (p = 0.01 to 0.06) of fluorescence of Chl a in vivo (ARNOLD & MEEK 1956, GOEDHEER 1957, WEBER 1958, TEALE 1960, GOEDHEER 1966, GOVINDJEE 1966, CEDERSTRAND & GOVINDJEE 1966, WEBER 1954).
Very sparse leaf languages

Unger studied the balanced leaf languages defined via poly-logarithmically sparse leaf pattern sets. Unger shows that NP-complete sets are not polynomial-time many-one reducible to such balanced leaf language unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses to Θ$^{p}_{\rm 2}$ and that Σ$^{p}_{\rm 2}$-complete sets are not polynomial-time bounded-truth-table reducible (respectively), polynomial-time Turing reducible) to any such balanced leaf language unless the polynomial hierarchy collapses to Δ$^{p}_{\rm 2}$ (respectively, Σ$^{p}_{\rm 4}$). This paper studies the complexity of the class of such balanced leaf languages, which will be denoted by VSLL. In particular, the following tight upper and lower bounds of VSLL are shown: 1. coNP ⊆ VSLL ⊆ coNP/poly (the former inclusion is already shown by Unger). 2. coNP/1 $\not\subseteq$ VSLL unless PH = Θ$^{p}_{\rm 2}$. 3. For all constant c>0, VSLL $\not\subseteq$ coNP/nc. 4. P/(loglog(n)+O(1))⊆ VSLL. 5. For all h(n) = loglog(n) + ω(1), P$/h \not\subseteq$ VSLL.
Natural occurrence of homocitrulline. I. Excretion in the urine.

Abstract Homocitrulline was found to be normally present in the urine of infants and young children up to the age of 6 years, in amounts varying from 1 to 65 mg./24 hr. With few exceptions, the amount found in the urine of adults was too low to be estimated accurately. It was not present in milk or milk products. Homoarginine could not be detected in urine.
Evidence for two different forms of guanylate cyclase in rat heart.

Abstract We assayed guanylate cyclase activity in preparations of heart and other rat tissues. Enzymatic activity was found in both particulate and supernatant fractions of homogenates from a number of different tissues, and the distribution of activity varied with the tissue examined. All tissues studied, however, had a significant amount of activity associated with the particulate fraction. In heart the activity was about equally divided between the 1,000 x g particulate and the 100,000 x g supernatant fractions with small amounts of activity in other fractions. The two apparently different enzymatic activities were separable with gel filtration due to their dissimilar sizes. For both enzymes plots of activity versus Mn2+ concentration were sigmoidal, and the slopes of Hill plots were about 2. This indicates that there are two or more interactive sites for Mn2+ on each enzyme. The ratio of Mn2+ to GTP for apparent maximal activity was 4 for the soluble enzyme and 2 for the particulate enzyme. With 1 mm GTP, concentrations of Mn2+ greater than 2 to 4 mm markedly inhibited the particulate enzyme but had little effect on the supernatant enzyme. The apparent Km for GTP of the latter was 0.065 mm. With the particulate enzyme plots of activity versus GTP concentration were sigmoidal, double reciprocal plots were not linear, and the slope of Hill plots was 1.74 which indicates that there are two or more interactive sites for GTP. Calcium ion increased the activity of the supernatant enzyme and inhibited the activity of the particulate enzyme. Both enzymes were also inhibited with ATP. Half-maximal inhibition of the supernatant enzyme occurred with 0.4 mm ATP while greater than 1 mm ATP was required for the particulate enzyme. Triton X-100 increased the activity of the particulate enzyme 4- to 5-fold with its solubilization. Triton X-100 increased the activity of the 100,000 x g supernatant enzyme about 50 to 60%. In the presence of Triton X-100, 80% of the homogenate activity was derived from particles and 20% from the supernatant fraction. The properties of heart guanylate cyclase were clearly different from those of adenylate cyclase. From these studies it is apparent that two forms of guanylate cyclase activity are present in cell-free preparations of rat heart.
Internet Access to Remotely Sensed Data

Abstract Internet access to Landsat and other remotely sensed data sets, at little or no cost to the public, is an important emerging trend. This has many implications, including more widespread application of remotely sensed data and improved educational opportunities at all levels. The overall goal of improving public access is the “demystification” of remote sensing, which will result in a greater awareness about the benefits and limitations of the technology and its more frequent inclusion in public discourse. This paper outlines several programs that provide the public with access to free or inexpensive Landsat data sets via the Internet.
Expanding the Conversation: American and Canadian Experiences of Constitutional Dialogue in Comparative Perspective

In recent years, theories of constitutional dialogue have become increasingly popular in the United States and Canada as a way of describing the nature of interactions between courts and non-judicial actors in the area of constitutional decision-making. Dialogue theory has been most popular in Canada, due to the unique institutional mechanisms adopted in that country to promote an interactive relationship between courts and legislatures. Despite this, use of the dialogue metaphor has become the subject of increasing criticism in Canada over time, as scholarly critics charge that the Canadian constitutional system is actually evolving into one of judicial supremacy. In contrast, although the United States is widely regarded as the paradigmatic example of a system of judicial supremacy, scholars are increasingly asserting that dialogue exists as an observable feature of strong-form constitutionalism in this country. This Article sheds light on - and ultimately resolves - this paradox in the scholarly literature on constitutional dialogue by revealing critical methodological differences that dialogue theorists in each country employ. Drawing on American approaches to dialogue, the Article also applies a novel methodology to reassess the potential for constitutional dialogue in Canada, and illustrates the explanatory power of this approach by examining recent developments in the area of gay rights and same-sex marriage in Canada. Not only does this innovative approach provide a more accurate description of how judicial review operates in Canada, but it also provides a unique framework for rethinking the possibilities of dialogue in a range of other nations.
Simulated changes in atmospheric dust in response to a Heinrich stadial

[1] Heinrich stadials (HS), thought to be triggered by increased ice discharge in the high-latitude North Atlantic at glacial periods, resulted in large freshwater forcing that weakened the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). These events are strongly expressed in paleoclimate records throughout the Atlantic basin and much of the tropics. Compared to the Last Glacial Maximum, recent proxy data suggest HS were much drier and dustier in large parts of the tropics. We use a global climate model coupled to a prognostic dust model to examine the response of dust to changes in climate during HS. Despite some significant changes in regional precipitation patterns in response to the simulated shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, we find that changes in winds have a larger effect on dust mobilization and deposition patterns than soil moisture or vegetation changes associated with a weaker AMOC. Although Europe was colder and drier during HS, the annual mean glaciogenic dust emission rate is lower because a southward shift in the Northern Hemisphere jet stream leads to weaker winds and less dust mobilization. The proximity of the westerly wind anomaly associated with the jet stream shift increases gustiness and dust mobilization over northwestern Africa and shifts the African Easterly Jet southward resulting in less African dust transport and deposition over the North Tropical Atlantic. Drier conditions over the Sahel region of North Africa, however, do not lead to increased dust mobilization in our model. When we perturb Sahelian soil characteristics, our results are in better agreement with proxies.
Physiological basis of the low calcium response in Yersinia pestis.

It is established that duplication in vitro of that amount of Ca2+ (2.5 mM) and Mg2+ (1.5 mM) present in blood permits vegetative growth of Yersinia pestis with repression of virulence factors encoded by the Lcr plasmid (Lcr+); similar simulation of intracellular fluid (no Ca2+ and 20 mM Mg2+) promotes bacteriostasis with induction of these virulence determinants. However, proliferation of yersiniae in mice occurs primarily within necrotic focal lesions (supplied by Ca(2+)-deficient host cell cytoplasm) within visceral organs rather than in Ca(2+)-sufficient blood. The present study addressed this enigma by defining conditions necessary for achieving vegetative growth of Lcr+ yersiniae at 37 degrees C in simulated intracellular fluid. Maximum optical densities were increased by substitution of K+ for Na+ and elimination of Cl-; the combination of Na+ plus L-glutamate was selectively toxic to Lcr+ cells. This phenomenon was attributed in part to the absence of aspartase in Y. pestis (a lesion known to facilitate massive accumulation of L-aspartate via transamination of the oxalacetate pool by L-glutamate). Replacement of L-glutamate by exogenous L-aspartate or alpha-ketoglutarate reversed this toxicity by favoring retention of oxalacetate. Proliferation of Lcr+ cells in a medium containing K+ and L-aspartate but lacking added Ca2+ and Na+ was markedly enhanced by increasing the concentration of fermentable carbohydrate. Accordingly, in the worst-case scenario (i.e., added Na+, Cl-, and L-glutamate), Lcr+ yersiniae underwent restriction of growth after one doubling, and in the best-case scenario (i.e., added K+ and L-aspartate), the organisms completed more than five doublings, thereby achieving full-scale growth. Both of these Ca(2+)-deficient media promoted maximum induction of Mg(2+)-induced V antigen, a virulence factor encoded by the Lcr plasmid.
A survey paper on independent component analysis

Independent component analysis (ICA) is a statistical and computational technique for revealing hidden or underlying factors in data. The independent components or sources can be found using ICA provided that all components are independent and non-Gaussian.
Big Five personality traits and performance anxiety in relation to marching arts satisfaction

Objective: To examine the Big Five personality traits and performance anxiety in relation to marching arts satisfaction. Participants: Data were collected from 278 instrumentalists (i.e., brass players and percussionists) and color guard performers (e.g., dancers) representing six world class drum and bugle corps. Method: Participants completed three measures: the Adolescent Personal Style Inventory was used to measure the Big Five personality factors: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Openness; the Performance Anxiety Questionnaire - used to assess somatic and cognitive symptoms of performance anxiety; and the Marching Arts Satisfaction - used to assess for the physical, social, and contextual environments of drum and bugle corps. Results: Correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed concurrent relationships between the Big Five and performance anxiety with satisfaction. A linear combination of the Big Five traits and Performance Anxiety accounted for 36% of the total variance in satisfaction, with Extraversion, Emotional Stability, and Performance Anxiety contributing significant unique variance. Conclusions :T hefindings of the present study suggest that performers who are extraverted, conscientious, and effective at managing general stress - and performance stress in particular - find a greater sense of satisfaction with their participation in world class drum and bugle corps.
Noise Analysis Of Spatial Phase Coding In Analog Acoustooptic Processors

Optical beams can carry information in their amplitude and phase; however, optical analog numerical calculators such as an optical matrix processor use incoherent light to achieve linear operation. Thus, the phase information is lost and only the magnitude can be used. This limits such processors to the representation of positive real numbers. Many systems have been devised to overcome this deficit through the use of digital number representations, but they all operate at a greatly reduced efficiency in contrast to analog systems. The most widely accepted method to achieve sign coding in analog optical systems has been the use of an offset for the zero level. Unfortunately, this results in increased noise sensitivity for small numbers. In this paper, we examine the use of spatially coherent sign coding in acoustooptical processors, a method first developed for digital calculations by D. V. Tigin. This coding technique uses spatial coherence for the representation of signed numbers, while temporal incoherence allows for linear analog processing of the optical information. We show how spatial phase coding reduces noise sensitivity for signed analog calculations.
Chaos, multiplicity, crisis, and synchronicity in higher-order neural networks

We study a randomly diluted higher-order network of spinlike neurons that interact via Hebbian-type connections and derive and solve exact dynamical equations for a general block-sequential updating algorithm. The system has a variety of static and oscillatory solutions. The bifurcation parameters in the present model include neuronal interaction coefficients, the synchronicity parameter, and a rescaled noise level, which represents the combined effects of the random synaptic dilution, interference between stored patterns, and additional background noise.
Comparison of bacteria isolated from emergency department patients versus hospitalized patients.

Purpose The frequencies and corresponding susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from patients in the emergency department (ED) were compared with those from hospitalized patients. Methods A microbiology laboratory report of all positive bacterial cultures obtained in the ED, regardless of the source (e.g., blood, urine, sputum), was obtained. In the case of duplicate cultures, only the first isolate cultured from a single patient was included. Colonization-site cultures (e.g., nasal swabs) and culture reports identified by the laboratory as contaminant organisms were excluded from the evaluation. Antimicrobial susceptibility results were then compiled into a standardized ED-specific antibiogram. Antimicrobial susceptibilities for each pathogen in the ED antibiogram were compared with those in the hospitalwide antibiogram. If there was a difference of ≥5% between the susceptibility of a single antimicrobial agent, chi-square tests were conducted, and unadjusted odds ratios were calculated. Pathogens with fewer than 30 isolates were excluded from the susceptibility comparison. Results A total of 3140 cultures were evaluated (1417 from the ED, 1723 from the hospital). The frequencies of pathogens isolated in the ED and hospitalwide were similar, with the exception of Escherichia coli , which were more commonly isolated in ED patients, and Enterococcus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , which were more common in hospitalized patients. Significant differences in susceptibility profiles were identified for Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa . Conclusion Significant differences in the frequencies of bacteria isolated and corresponding susceptibilities were found in cultures obtained in ED patients compared with those obtained in hospitalized patients.
Neurite bridging across micropatterned grooves.

Abstract After injury, regenerating axons must navigate complex, three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments. Topographic guidance of neurite outgrowth has been demonstrated in vitro with culture substrates that contain micropatterned features on the nanometer-micron scale. In this study we report the ability of microfabricated biomaterials to support neurite extension across micropatterned grooves with feature sizes on the order of tens of microns, sizes relevant to the design of biomaterials and tissue engineering scaffolds. Neonatal rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were cultured on grooved substrates of poly(dimethyl siloxane) coated with poly- l -lysine and laminin. Here we describe an unusual capability of a subpopulation of DRG neurons to extend neurites that spanned across the grooves, with no underlying solid support. Multiple parameters influenced the formation of bridging neurites, with the highest numbers of bridges observed under the following experimental conditions: cell density of 125,000 cells per sample, groove depth of 50 μm, groove width of 30 μm, and plateau width of 200 μm. Bridges were formed as neurites extended from a neuron in a groove, contacted adjacent plateaus, pulled the neuron up to become suspended over the groove, and the soma translocated to the plateau. These studies are of interest to understanding cytoskeletal dynamics and designing biomaterials for 3D axon guidance.
Constraints on composite models of quarks and leptons

Abstract The previously noted difficulty of obtaining Dirac magnetic moments in composite models is combined with the observation that a “light” bound fermion state with a small size must have the Dirac moment in a renormalizable theory since its anomalous moment is determined by its excitation spectrum. New constraints on composite models are given, including the decoupling of low-lying excitations and the “superconfinement” condition that creation of virtual electron-positron pairs by the superstrong gluons responsible for binding the constituents of the electron must be strictly forbidden in photon-electron scattering.
Group Therapy for Children After Homicide and Violence: A Pilot Study

Objective: This pilot study evaluated a group intervention designed to reduce posttraumatic stress among children after homicide and/or violence. Method: Employing a secondary data analysis of 117 participants in 21 group interventions, pretest and posttest differences in posttraumatic stress levels and between child witnesses and nonwitnesses, males and females, and younger and older children were conducted. Results: Analyses indicate a significant decrease in posttraumatic stress postintervention and no pretest differences between proximity status and gender and developmental status, although results suggest child witnesses and older girls do not fare as well. Conclusion: This intervention may be effective for children after homicide and violence; however, treatment effect needs to be strengthened, and additional research is needed. Modifications to the intervention are suggested.
The social norms of alcohol-related negative consequences

Social norms for alcohol use are important influences on individual college student drinking. The present study extends social norms research by examining alcohol-related consequences and, in particular, whether similar misperceptions exist regarding the frequency and evaluation of these consequences over time. College student drinkers (N = 624) participating in a longitudinal study completed Web-based surveys assessing alcohol use and related consequences, as well as their beliefs about frequency and evaluation of consequences for the typical college student. Findings suggest that students overestimated how often typical college students experience negative consequences and underestimated how negatively other students evaluated those consequences. Finally, results support a bidirectional model for alcohol-related consequences, possibly indicating a reciprocal, mutually influential feed-forward loop of norms and consequences that promotes maintenance of college student drinking and consequences.
Statistical evaluation of biodegradation of news ink vehicles and ink formulations

Soybean oil, commercial news ink vehicles—consisting of either soy or mineral oil and petroleum resins—and United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 100% modified soy oil-based vehicles were subjected to biodegradation. Soybean oil and each vehicle were inoculated with monocultures and a mixed culture of Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium citrinum, and Mucor racemosus. Fermentations were allowed to proceed for 5, 12, and 25 d. Results show that, in 25 d, soy oil was degraded the most, followed by the USDA’s ink vehicles (USDA I–III), Newspaper Association of America’s (NAA) hybrid soy oil-based and commercial mineral oil-based vehicles. Some differences were found in the abilities of the cultures to degrade the different inks. Color did not appear to affect the degradation rate in soy oil, the USDA inks, or the NAA ink but was a factor in the commercial ink.