cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poly(Sodium 4-Styrene Sulfonate): An Effective Candidate Topical Antimicrobial for the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Presently marketed vaginal barrier agents are cytotoxic and damage the vaginal epithelium and natural vaginal flora with frequent use. Novel noncytotoxic agents are needed to protect women from sexually transmitted diseases. One candidate compound is a high-molecular-mass form of soluble poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (T-PSS). The antimicrobial activity of T-PSS was evaluated in primary culture systems and in a genital herpes murine model. Results obtained indicate that T-PSS is highly effective against herpes simplex viruses, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Chlamydia trachomatis in vitro. A 5% T-PSS gel protected 15 of 16 mice from vaginal herpes, compared with 2 of 16 mice treated with a placebo gel. Moreover, T-PSS exhibited little or no cytotoxicity and has an excellent selectivity index. T-PSS is an excellent candidate topical antimicrobial that blocks adherence of herpes simplex virus at low concentrations, inactivates virus at higher concentrations, and exhibits a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.
Polling Analysis: Public Support For Health Reform Was Broader Than Reported And Depended On How Proposals Were Framed

The excessive focus of news organizations on “horse race” public opinion polls during the debate about health reform in 2010 left the impression that the public was fickle, as well as sharply divided on whether the government’s role in health care should expand. We examined polling data and found that public support for health reform depended very much on how individual policies were described. For example, support for the public insurance option, which was not included in the final version of the Affordable Care Act, ranged from 46.5 percent to 64.6 percent depending on how pollsters worded their questions. Our findings indicate that public support for health reform was broader and more consistent than portrayed at the time. Going forward, policy makers should strive to communicate how health care policy choices are consistent with existing public preferences or should make changes to policy that reflect those preferences.
Fisher-Collected Sampling Data: Lessons from the New Zealand Experience

Abstract The New Zealand fishing industry has adopted a strategy of using fishers to collect biological sampling data from their fisheries, usually on a voluntary basis. This approach can be adopted for data-poor fisheries to obtain data that would otherwise not be available. This article describes a wide range of such programs implemented in fisheries spanning a period of 15 years. This article also reveals the designs employed, how these data have been used in stock assessment and fisheries management situations, and some of the problems encountered in administering these programs. I conclude that while these programs need supervision and support in order to succeed, the benefits that can accrue are considerable. These benefits include a dynamic sampling design that should ensure good representation of the fishery and the involvement of fishers in collecting the data used to manage their fishery.
Platelet Activation and Analysis of Organelles in Migraineurs

SYNOPSIS We used transmission electron microscopy to investigate selected aspects of the platelet response (surface activation as well as aggregation) and quantify cytoplasmic organelles within the cytoplasm of platelets obtained from both healthy control women and women diagnosed as having either common or classic migraine. Comparisons between controls and migraineurs showed no differences for: (1) the number of circulating platelets, (2) degree of surface activation, (3) amount of aggregate formation or (4) percent of hyperactive platelet populations. In contrast, platelets of migraine sufferers uniformly containeda significantly greater number of dense bodies compared to control platelets. Although we did not find functional abnormalities for the platelets obtained from migraineurs, we did demonstrate that they were altered structurally.
High-energy laser beam diagnostics

The proof of principle for a new technique to determine the laser beam spatial profile on a surface was demonstrated. The technique proposed herein involves the use of a target surface with a back surface mounted array of thermocouples to obtain temperature history data of the back surface. These data provide input to a one-dimensional transient space marching inverse conduction code to solve the inverse problem and determine the absorbed flux and temperature conditions at the front surface. The packaged code allows for temperature dependent thermophysical properties of the material. The results of this technique are compared, in a qualitative sense, with the spatial beam profile derived using staring array infrared cameras viewing a diagnostic scatter plate. These two different measurement methods yielded consistent results. In addition, an absorbed temporal beam profile and total integrated absorbed energy for the surface were calculated.
Field Trials Comparing Salinomycin (Coxistac), Monensin, and Lasalocid in the Control of Coccidiosis in Broilers

Abstract Salinomycin a broad spectrum ionophore anticoccidial, was evaluated for toleration and efficacy at 60 ppm in the feed of broiler reared to market weight under floor pen conditions. Approximately 13,500 broilers of three different breeds were used in 5 trials, two conducted in Maine and one each in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. The related ionophore anticoccidials, monensin and lasalocid, were included for comparison at 100 and 75 ppm respectively. Coccidial exposure was provided by used litter. In addition, 1 to 2 cycles of seeder birds were used in Texas and North Carolina. Five chicks/pen were necropsied at about 3 weeks of age to determine the extent of coccidial infection and to ascertain the lesion control provided by the anticoccidials. Five birds/pen were also necropsied at trial termination to check for untoward drug effects. Coccidiosis was not detected in the Georgia and North Carolina trials, but mild infections occurred in Texas and in one Maine trial. A moderate outbreak occurred in the second trial conducted in Maine. Salinomycin and monensin had equivalent lesion control which was statistically superior (P
Analysis of FPGA Logic Block Architectures and Functional Improvement of Fine Grained Cells

Up to date, many different FPGA logic block architectures, varying in size, functionality and complexity [1], [2], have been proposed. The most common FPGA logic blocks either have multiplexers or look-up-tables (LUTs). This article evaluates the performance of logic block architectures of both kinds. For this purpose, logic cells from leading FPGA vendors are considered along with a few from the academia. A comparative study of number of logic cells required for a particular design, area occupied by a design, speed of implementation and utilization is performed. Based on this study, three novel fine grained logic block architectures have been proposed which show improved performance.
Explaining differences in age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: A critical review:

The diagnosis of autism is often delayed, which translates into a missed opportunity to provide treatment during a critical developmental period. This study reviews studies that assessed factors associated with age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and provides recommendations on future research, programs, and policies to improve early detection. A search for all peer-reviewed articles containing the words autism, age, and diagnosis in either the title or abstract was performed. A total of 42 studies published from January 1990 through March 2012 were identified. Mean age at diagnosis for all autism spectrum disorders ranged from 38 to 120 months and has decreased over time. Factors associated with earlier diagnosis included greater symptom severity, high socioeconomic status, and greater parental concern about initial symptoms. Family interactions with the health and education systems prior to diagnosis also influenced age at diagnosis. Geographic variation in age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was identified in a number of studies, suggesting that community resources and state policies play a role in early identification. Early detection efforts should include enhanced parental and provider education on the early recognition of developmental problems, interventions aimed at streamlining the process from first concern to eventual diagnosis, and strategies that target underserved populations.
Work in progress - first year engineering student responses on exit surveys as indicators of program effectiveness

Improving student retention rates in first year engineering courses is of critical importance, especially considering the one-way migration pattern out of engineering. Our program retains approximately 70% of new students in engineering disciplines. Students who choose to leave engineering by the end of their first year at our institution voluntarily complete a survey with questions regarding their certainty upon entry, motivating factors to enter and to leave engineering, and what appeals to them about their new majors. We have analyzed nearly 400 surveys over a five-year period to examine correlations between reasons for leaving and how students come to that decision, with changes in program resources, specifically refining career information, personality profile assessment, and mastery assessment. Open-ended survey responses were categorized based on concerns about the profession, the curriculum, self-awareness and institutional (or programmatic) issues. Using career theory as a framework, the survey responses were evaluated in light of programmatic changes that have been implemented.
Post-compaction register assignment in a retargetable compiler

The authors discuss graph-coloring register assignment in a retargetable compiler for long-instruction-word architectures. Of specific concern is when, during the compilation process, should register assignment be performed. The authors conclude that, for best results, register assignment should follow compaction. They discuss methods of circumventing the implementation problems inherent in such late register assignment. >
Insect P450s: mounted for battle in their war against toxins

Transcriptome profiling methods are rapidly changing the ways in which insect responses to the environment can be assessed. One article featured in this issue of Molecular Ecology utilizes global expression analysis to extend previous studies examining the basis of insecticide resistance in Helicoverpa species that are devastating crop pests worldwide. In this issue Tao et al. (2012) have used a wide spectrum of biochemical and molecular techniques to examine the extent to which naturally occurring plant compounds and one synthetic insecticide change transcriptome profiles of Helicoverpa armigera larvae (Fig. 1) to enhance their adaptation to plant toxins and insecticides in their diet and environment. With their data highlighting an array of P450 transcripts and a few esterase transcripts that are correlated with increased tolerance to the insecticide deltamethrin, these researchers provide the first comprehensive evaluation of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and esterase (Est) gene responses in a lepidopteran species repeatedly subjected to pyrethroid selection. Building on this information, these researchers venture into the realm of the biorational in showing that RNAi-mediated destruction of one prominent toxin-inducible P450 transcript can increase sensitivity to deltamethrin, thereby compromising larval growth in the presence of this insecticide. The fact that the resulting levels of deltamethrin tolerance in the RNAi-silenced larvae are not restored completely to the levels in larvae whose defences are not stimulated by consuming plant compounds provides further evidence that their adaptive strategies for survival in toxin-rich environments include many different P450, esterase and, possibly, other genes. Together, their data highlight the complexity of the defence systems evolving in lepidopterans and other insect pests.
The jamming game for packet timing channels

This work focuses on covert timing channels, in which information is conveyed in the timing of packets. Jamming strategies and coding strategies are developed for various timing channel models.
The Assessment and Application of Lineage Information in Genetic Programs for Producing Better Models

One of the challenges in data mining, and in particular Genetic Programs, is to provide sufficient coverage of the search space in order to produce an acceptable model. Traditionally, Genetic Programs generate equations (chromosomes) and consider all chromosomes within a population for breeding purposes. Considering the enormity of the search space for complex problems, it is imperative to examine Genetic Programs breeding efforts in order to produce better solutions with less training. This research examines chromosome lineage within Genetic Programs in order to identify breeding patterns. Fitness values for chromosomes are sorted, then partitioned into five classes. Initial experiments reveal a distinct difference between upper, middle, and lower classes. Based upon initial results, a novel Genetic Programming process is proposed which breeds a new generation exclusively from the top 20 percent of a population. A second set of experiments statistically validate this proposed approach.
Interventional Gastrointestinal Oncology

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), initially developed in Japan to treat early gastric cancer, has evolved into a minimally invasive alternative treatment approach for early cancers throughout the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. This endoscopic technique involves removal of affected mucosal tissue, in most cases with the use of preresection saline injection lifting of the target lesion to separate it from the submucosal layer. The lesion is most often removed with an endoscopic snare that applies electrocautery. The advantage of EMR is the added information provided by deeper en-bloc resection specimens for histological analysis.
Measures of striatal insulin resistance in a 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Clinical evidence has shown a correlation between Parkinson's disease (PD) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), as abnormal glucose tolerance has been reported in > 50% of PD patients. The development of insulin resistance and the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons are both mediated by oxidative mechanisms, and oxidative stress is likely a mechanistic link between these pathologies. Although glucose uptake in neuronal tissues is primarily non-insulin dependent, proteins involved in insulin signaling, such as insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), are present in the basal ganglia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nigrostriatal DA depletion affects measures of insulin resistance in the striatum. Six weeks after 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) infusion into the medial forebrain bundle, rats were classified as having either partial (20–65%) or severe (90–99%) striatal DA depletion. Increased IRS2 serine phosphorylation, a marker of insulin resistance, was observed in the DA-depleted striatum. Additionally, severe depletion resulted in decreased total IRS2, indicating possible degradation of the protein. Decreased phosphorylation of AKT and expression of the kinase glycogen synthase kinase-3 alpha (GSK3-α) was also measured in the striatum of severely DA-depleted animals. Finally, expression of heat shock protein 25 (Hsp25), which is protective against oxidative damage and can decrease stress kinase activity, was decreased in the striatum of lesioned rats. Together, these results support the hypothesis that nigrostriatal DA depletion impairs insulin signaling in the basal ganglia.
Hypersonic swizzle sticks: jets, fossil cavities and turbulence in molecular clouds

The ubiquity and high density of outflows from young stars in clusters make them an intriguing candidate for the source of turbulence energy in molecular clouds. In this contribution we discuss new studies, both observational and theoretical, which address the issue of jet/outflow interactions and their ability to drive turbulent flows in molecular clouds. Our results are surprising in that they show that fossil cavities, rather than bow shocks from active outflows, constitute the mechanism of re-energizing turbulence. We first present simulations which show that collisions between active jets are ineffective at converting directed momentum and energy in outflows into turbulence. This effect comes from the ability of radiative cooling to constrain the surface area through which colliding outflows entrain ambient gas. We next discuss observational results which demonstrate that fossil cavities from “extinct” outflows are abundant in molecular material surrounding clusters such as NGC 1333. These structures, rather than the bow shocks of active outflows, comprise the missing link between outflow energy input and re-energizing turbulence. In a separate theoretical/simulation study we confirm that the evolution of cavities from decaying outflow sources leads to structures which match the observations of fossil cavities. Finally we present new results of outflow propagation in a fully turbulent medium exploring the explicit mechanisms for the transfer of energy and momentum between the driving wind and the turbulent environment.
The electrical response of carbon nanotube-based thin film sensors subjected to mechanical and environmental effects

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are a popular alternative to traditional metal alloys. However, their internally occurring damage modes call for strategies to monitor these structures. Multi-walled carbon nanotube-based polyelectrolyte thin films were manufactured using a layer-by-layer deposition methodology. The thin films were applied directly to the surface of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites, with the purpose of structural monitoring. This work focuses on characterizing the sensitivity of the electrical properties of the film using time- and frequency-domain methods under applied quasi-static and dynamic mechanical loading. In addition, environmental effects such as those of temperature and humidity are varied to characterize the sensitivity of the electrical properties to these phenomena. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Mapping the anthrax protective antigen binding site on the lethal and edema factors.

Entry of anthrax edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF) into the cytosol of eukaryotic cells depends on their ability to translocate across the endosomal membrane in the presence of anthrax protective antigen (PA). Here we report attributes of the N-terminal domains of EF and LF (EFN and LFN, respectively) that are critical for their initial interaction with PA. We found that deletion of the first 36 residues of LFN had no effect on its binding to PA or its ability to be translocated. To map the binding site for PA, we used the three-dimensional structure of LF and sequence similarity between EF and LF to select positions for mutagenesis. We identified seven sites in LFN (Asp-182, Asp-187, Leu-188, Tyr-223, His-229, Leu-235, and Tyr-236) where mutation to Ala produced significant binding defects, with H229A and Y236A almost completely eliminating binding. Homologous mutants of EFN displayed nearly identical defects. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed that the LFN mutations impact intoxication. The seven mutation-sensitive amino acids are clustered on the surface of LF and form a small convoluted patch with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic character. We propose that this patch constitutes the recognition site for PA.
Rational inner functions in the Schur-Agler class of the polydisk

Every two-variable rational inner function on the bidisk has a special representation called a unitary transfer function realization. It is well known and related to important ideas in operator theory that this does not extend to three or more variables on the polydisk. We study the class of rational inner functions on the polydisk which do possess a unitary realization (the Schur-Agler class) and investigate minimality in their representations. Schur-Agler class rational inner functions in three or more variables cannot be represented in a way that is as minimal as two variables might suggest.
Sulfate-Rich Eolian and Wet Interdune Deposits, Erebus Crater, Meridiani Planum, Mars

This study investigates three bedrock exposures at Erebus crater, an ~ 300 m diameter crater approximately 4 km south of Endurance crater on Mars. These outcrops, called Olympia, Payson, and Yavapai, provide additional evidence in support of the dune–interdune model proposed for the formation of the deposits at the Opportunity landing site in Meridiani Planum. There is evidence for greater involvement of liquid water in the Olympia outcrop exposures than was observed in Eagle or Endurance craters. The Olympia outcrop likely formed in a wet interdune and sand sheet environment. The facies observed within the Payson outcrop, which is likely stratigraphically above the Olympia outcrop, indicate that it was deposited in a damp-wet interdune, sand sheet, and eolian dune environment. The Yavapai outcrop, which likely stratigraphically overlies the Payson outcrop, indicates that it was deposited in primarily a sand sheet environment and also potentially in an eolian dune environment. These three outcrop exposures may indicate an overall drying-upward trend spanning the stratigraphic section from its base at the Olympia outcrop to its top at the Yavapai outcrop. This contrasts with the wetting-upward trend seen in Endurance and Eagle craters. Thus, the series of outcrops seen at Meridiani by Opportunity may constitute a full climatic cycle, evolving from dry to wet to dry conditions.
Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised:

The Present Study Examined The Factor Structure, reliability, and validity of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R; Wong, Reker, & Gesser, 1994) using a sample of 403 hospital and hospice nurs...
LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION, PATCH SIZE, AND DISTANCE TO EDGES: INTERACTIONS AFFECTING DUCK REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS

Prairies and other North American grasslands, although highly fragmented, provide breeding habitat for a diverse array of species, including species of tremendous economic and ecological importance. Conservation and management of these species re- quires some understanding of how reproductive success is affected by edge effects, patch size, and characteristics of the landscape. We examined how differences in the percentage of grassland in the landscape influenced the relationships between the success of nests of upland-nesting ducks and (1) field size and (2) distance to nearest field and wetland edges. We collected data on study areas composed of 15-20% grassland and areas composed of 45-55% grassland in central North Dakota, USA during the 1996 and 1997 nesting seasons. Daily survival rates (DSRs) of duck nests were greater in study areas with 45-55% grassland than with 15-20% grassland. Within study areas, we detected a curvilinear relationship between DSR and field size: DSRs were highest in small and large fields and lowest in moderately sized fields. In study areas with 15-20% grassland, there was no relationship between probability of hatching and distance to nearest field edge, whereas in study areas with 45-55% grassland, there was a positive relationship between these two variables. Results of this study support the conclusion that both landscape composition and config- uration affect reproductive success of ground-nesting birds. We are prompted to question conservation strategies that favor clustering moderately sized patches of nesting habitat within agricultural landscapes because our results show that such patches would have low nest success, most likely caused by predation. Understanding the pattern of nest success, and the predator-prey mechanisms that produce the pattern, will enable design of patch configurations that are most conducive to meeting conservation goals.
Impact of the Intestinal Microbiota on the Development of Mucosal Defense

The gastrointestinal tract is a dynamic ecosystem composed of an organized matrix of host eukaryotic cells, including a fully functional immune system, and numerous microbial habitats normally colonized by a diverse array of microbes. Recent analyses of the gastrointestinal microbiota by use of molecular-based methods indicate that bacterial populations vary substantially among but appear relatively stable within individuals. These observations raise many important questions about the role of the normal microbiota in the development of both the innate and the adaptive immune systems of the host and about how perturbations in this relationship may contribute to various intestinal or immunologic disorders. Here, 3 critical issues pertaining to the intestinal microbiota are briefly reviewed: what are the microbes, where are the microbes, and what controls the composition of the microbiota.
Imaging multiple focal planes simultaneously: Multifocal, photon counting, multiphoton microscopy

Multiple image planes in a multiphoton microscope are acquired simultaneously through novel photon counting electronics and previous scaling limitations are overcome by a new Yb:KGW femtosecond oscillator laser design.
Statistical mechanics of secondary structures formed by random RNA sequences

The formation of secondary structures by a random RNA sequence is studied as a model system for the sequence-structure problem omnipresent in biopolymers. Several toy energy models are introduced to allow detailed analytical and numerical studies. First, a two-replica calculation is performed. By mapping the two-replica problem to the denaturation of a single homogeneous RNA molecule in six-dimensional embedding space, we show that sequence disorder is perturbatively irrelevant, i.e., an RNA molecule with weak sequence disorder is in a molten phase where many secondary structures with comparable total energy coexist. A numerical study of various models at high temperature reproduces behaviors characteristic of the molten phase. On the other hand, a scaling argument based on the external statistics of rare regions can be constructed to show that the low-temperature phase is unstable to sequence disorder. We performed a detailed numerical study of the low-temperature phase using the droplet theory as a guide, and characterized the statistics of large-scale, low-energy excitations of the secondary structures from the ground state structure. We find the excitation energy to grow very slowly (i.e., logarithmically) with the length scale of the excitation, suggesting the existence of a marginal glass phase. The transition between the low-temperature glass phase and the high-temperature molten phase is also characterized numerically. It is revealed by a change in the coefficient of the logarithmic excitation energy, from being disorder dominated to being entropy dominated.
Logical Strength and Demarcation

Many years ago I proposed a generalization of Karl Popper’s theory of falsification.1 This generalization, having to do with a separation between justification and criticism that transcends the separation between verification and falsification, has been useful to most of those concerned with Popper’s thought; and nowadays Popperian thought is most often presented and interpreted in terms of it.
The chronology of Cenozoic volcanism and deformation in the Yerington area, western Basin and Range and Walker Lane

High-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar isotopic ages obtained from Cenozoic volcanic rocks and subvolcanic intrusions document the age of initiation and the temporal evolution of extensional and strike-slip faulting in the western Basin and Range Province. In the northern Wassuk Range, faulting began between ca. 26 and 24.7 Ma; both normal and strike-slip faults are bracketed between 23.1 and 22.2 Ma, and between 15 and 14 Ma. These ages document inception of the Ancestral Walker Lane, a northwest-trending zone of right-transtensional faulting in western Nevada that separated extending crust on the east from the unextended Sierra Nevada block on the west at lat 39°N. We speculate that the southwesterly migrating, episodic Oligocene–early Miocene, east-west extensional faulting in the Basin and Range thinned and weakened the crust, allowing right-slip faults to develop in the Walker Lane in response to San Andreas right-shear in California. Southwest of the Walker Lane there was no faulting prior to 15 Ma. Here, in the Yerington district, andesitic magmatism began at ca. 15 Ma and was followed by >150% east-west extension along closely spaced (1–2 km) normal faults with up to 4 km of offset each (Proffett, 1977). These faults tilted older Cenozoic rocks 35°–40°W. Our new 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages substantially revise earlier K-Ar ages of the timing of extension and establish that andesite lava flows cut by normal faults are 13.8–15 Ma, and that these faults are intruded by 12.6–13.0 Ma dacites. Rapid extension is thus bracketed to a 0.7–1.7 m.y. interval at 95% confidence, indicating local, east-west strain rates of 2–4 × 10 −14 /s (5–10 mm/yr). Following this period, lower rates of extension prevailed near Yerington along more widely spaced normal oblique-slip faults that localized clastic sedimentation of the Wassuk Group between 11 and 8 Ma. These faults and sedimentary rocks are more abundant southwest of Yerington in a belt parallel to the Walker Lane in previously little-extended crust. From 7 Ma to present, normal right-oblique slip faults with a lower rate of extension than the previous two periods produced the modern ranges near Yerington and extend 100 km southwest of the Walker Lane, which continues to be the locus of strike-slip faulting. Thus, since 15 Ma the margin of the Basin and Range has moved progressively 100 km west creating the broad Walker Lane belt and lower strain rates near Yerington.
Principles for the Development of Contemporary Bioassessment Indices for Freshwater Ecosystems

Bioassessment can be broadly defined as the use of biota to assess the nature and magnitude of anthropogenic impacts to natural systems. We focus on an important and specific type of bioassessment: the use of ecological assemblages, primarily fish, macroinvertebrates, and algae, as indicators of anthropogenic impairment in aquatic systems. Investigators have long known that biota provide spatially and temporally integrative indicators of impairment. This chapter provides an introduction to the process of developing assemblage-level indices that provide quantitative estimates of the ecological integrity of freshwater ecosystems. We discuss important developments made in the latter half of the twentieth century which are still relevant and useful for bioassessment, as well as more recent developments that have improved the effectiveness of bioassessment strategies. Throughout the chapter, we focus on analytical approaches for improving the effectiveness of bioassessment indices for detecting anthropogenic impairment. In the concluding section of the chapter, we widen our perspective and include excerpts from discussions with three expert practitioners on topics that are more broadly applicable to the assessment of the ecological integrity of aquatic systems. The major challenge for all bioassessment programs is to separate the effects of anthropogenic impairment on biota from the effects of natural environmental variability unrelated to impairment. Analytical developments, such as advanced predictive modeling techniques, coupled with emerging technologies and the development of large-scale bioassessment programs will continue to increase our ability to meet this challenge and to improve our understanding of how aquatic assemblages are affected by anthropogenic impairment.
The Principle of Legality in International and Comparative Criminal Law, Chapter 7: Legality as a Rule of Customary International Law Today & Conclusion: The Endurance of Legality

This is Chapter 7 and Conclusion of a book, Kenneth S. Gallant, The Principle of Legality in International and Comparative Criminal Law (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2009), now available at www.cambridge.org and other booksellers. Chapter 7 demonstrates that both nullum crimen and nulla poena (in reasonably strong - though not the strongest - forms) have become rules of customary international law which bind both states and international organizations. They apply as binding customary and treaty international human rights protections to prosecutions brought under both national and international criminal law, and in both national and international tribunals. It shows how the principles of notice, foreseeability and accessibility of law can provide a working definition of non-retroactivity of crimes and punishments, even though language itself always has some indeterminacy. This chapter demonstrates, contrary to views popular in some circles, that nullum crimen and nulla poena (the prohibitions of retroactive crime creation or increases in punishments) truly apply in international criminal law.
Specific protein synthesis in isolated epithelium of guinea-pig seminal vesicle. Effects of castration and androgen replacement

Four intrinsic soluble secretory proteins are synthesized in vitro by isolated seminal-vesicle mucosa from sexually mature guinea pigs. Newly synthesized specific proteins labelled with [ 14 C]glycine and [ 14 C]lysine were precipitated by using double-antibody immunoprecipitation techniques and their radioactivity was assessed. Rates of synthesis were determined on each of 5 days after castration. By 5 days after castration the wet weight of the epithelium decreased to 42% of intact control values; the absolute amount of specific protein synthesized in vitro after 60min incubation decreased to 28% and the 27500 g cytoplasmic protein content decreased to 31%. Thus androgen deprivation leads to a decrease in general protein synthesis in vivo , as well as to a decrease in specific protein synthesis in vitro . Specific protein synthesis comprised 76% of the total protein formed in isolated tissue from animals 5 days after castration as compared with 99–100% in tissue from intact animals. At 72h after an injection of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, seminal-vesicle epithelium wet weight, cytoplasmic protein content and capability for synthesizing specific proteins in vitro were restored to approx. 70% of normal values. At 72h after onset of therapy with 3α-androstanediol, both epithelium wet weight and cytoplasmic protein content had increased significantly, but without a corresponding increase in the capability of the isolated tissue to synthesize specific proteins. The soluble labelled proteins synthesized in vitro by isolated epithelium from intact animals during 60 or 120min incubation were essentially entirely immunoprecipitable, i.e. specific. In contrast, approx. 29% of all soluble protein newly synthesized by isolated epithelium from animals 5 days after castration was acid-precipitable, but not immunoprecipitable, i.e. ‘non-specific’. The injection of testosterone into castrated animals inhibited the synthesis of the non-specific fraction by isolated tissue. The effects of castration on the ultrastructure of guinea-pig seminal-vesicle epithelium are also presented.
Immunodetection of human topoisomerase I-DNA covalent complexes

A number of established and investigational anticancer drugs slow the religation step of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I). These agents induce cytotoxicity by stabilizing topo I-DNA covalent complexes, which in turn interact with advancing replication forks or transcription complexes to generate lethal lesions. Despite the importance of topo I-DNA covalent complexes, it has been difficult to detect these lesions within intact cells and tumors. Here, we report development of a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes covalent topo I-DNA complexes, but not free topo I or DNA, by immunoblotting, immunofluorescence or flow cytometry. Utilizing this antibody, we demonstrate readily detectable topo I-DNA covalent complexes after treatment with camptothecins, indenoisoquinolines and cisplatin but not nucleoside analogues. Topotecan-induced topo I-DNA complexes peak at 15-30 min after drug addition and then decrease, whereas indotecan-induced complexes persist for at least 4 h. Interestingly, simultaneous staining for covalent topo I-DNA complexes, phospho-H2AX and Rad51 suggests that topotecan-induced DNA double-strand breaks occur at sites distinct from stabilized topo I-DNA covalent complexes. These studies not only provide new insight into the action of topo I-directed agents, but also illustrate a strategy that can be applied to study additional topoisomerases and their inhibitors in vitro and in vivo.
Biodiversity, biogeography, and bibliography of the cicadas of Thailand (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae)

A total of 148 species in 35 genera of cicadas is reported for Thailand. Of these, 11 species and one genus ( Muda ) are reported for the first time from the country. Fifteen undescribed species were discovered (to be described at a later date), in our collections and among museum holdings, thereby adding to the diversity of the known cicada fauna of Thailand. Ten other species are removed from the Thai cicada fauna. Major areas of diversity are the northwestern region of the country and peninsular Thailand.
Integrating and applying architectural design patterns in space flight software product lines

The unmanned space flight software (FSW) domain contains a significant amount of variability within its required capabilities. Although all FSW execute commands from the ground station to control the spacecraft, there is significant amount of variability in the volume of commands that must be processed, the amount of control given to the ground station versus onboard autonomy, and the amount and type of hardware that requires controlling. This degree of architectural variability makes it difficult to develop a FSW software product line (SPL) architecture that covers the all possible variations. In order to address this challenge, this paper presents a SPL approach for FSW SPLs that manages variability at a higher level of granularity using software architectural design patterns and requires less modeling during the SPL engineering phase. Specifically it describes how variable design patterns can be interconnected to form FSW SPL software architectures. The design patterns are tailored to individual FSW applications during application engineering. The paper describes in detail the application and validation of this approach.
A methodology for evaluating the operational performance of an aircraft in a tactical environment

A methodology for evaluating the operational performance of an aircraft in a tactical environment is presented. The methodology quantifies the operational performance of an aircraft in terms of (1) aircraft reliability/survivability characteristics, (2) aircraft mission planning and maintenance strategies, and (3) the tactical environment. The methodology is used to evaluate and compare measures of mission effectiveness, cost effectivenes and availabiliy for three different flight control architectures: simplex, hardware redundant, and self-repairing. Results indicate that in a wartime tactical environment, the selfrepairing flight control architecture is 10 times more cost effective than the simplex and hardware redundant architectures.
An Analysis of Employee Motivation

Abstract This article presents the results of a survey that was designed to measure the attitude of employees toward the various phases of industrial quality motivation programs. This study was conducted with three categories of employees (engineers, factory workers, and supervisors), and the data are analyzed to determine the group attitudes as well as where and why significant differences in attitudes occur between the groups.
‘Babylon’: Then, Now and ‘Not Yet’: Anti-Roman Rhetoric in the Book of Revelation

This article is the third and final essay in a three-part series concerned with an analysis of current scholarship and anti-imperial rhetoric in the writings of the New Testament. The focus of this...
The General Chinese Remainder Theorem

(1952). The General Chinese Remainder Theorem. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 59, No. 6, pp. 365-370.
Determining the Ecological Impacts of Organic Contaminants in Biosolids Using a High-Throughput Colorimetric Denitrification Assay: A Case Study with Antimicrobial Agents

Land application accounts for ∼50% of wastewater solid disposal in the United States. Still, little is known regarding the ecological impacts of nonregulated contaminants found in biosolids. Because of the myriad of contaminants, there is a need for a rapid, high-throughput method to evaluate their ecotoxicity. Herein, we developed a novel assay that measures denitrification inhibition in a model denitrifier, Paracoccus denitrificans Pd1222. Two common (triclosan and triclocarban) and four emerging (2,4,5 trichlorophenol, 2-benzyl-4-chlorophenol, 2-chloro-4-phenylphenol, and bis(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)methane) antimicrobial agents found in biosolids were analyzed. Overall, the assay was reproducible and measured impacts on denitrification over 3 orders of magnitude exposure. The lowest observable adverse effect concentrations (LOAECs) were 1.04 μM for triclosan, 3.17 μM for triclocarban, 0.372 μM for bis-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)methane, 4.89 μM for 2-chloro-4-phenyl phenol, 45.7 μM for 2-benzyl-4-chor...
Effects of the Timing of Venous Thromboembolic Events on Survival of Patients with Uterine Cancer

Background: Cancer patients are at high risk for venous thromboembolic event (VTE), and the occurrence of VTE can affect the prognosis. However, it is unclear if the timing of VTE can influence the prognosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and impact of the timing of VTE (early vs late) on the survival of patients with uterine cancers. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The study population included all uterine cancer patients who had newly diagnosed episode of VTE from January 1st 2006 to December 31st2007 at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Medical records of these patients were reviewed for cancer diagnosis, patient demographics, metastasis, date of diagnosis of VTE, type of VTE, the site of VTE, and any recurrences during the follow up period of 2 years since the first VTE. Clinical and laboratory parameters predictive for survival were also reviewed. All VTE episodes, including symptomatic as well as incidental VTEs were confirmed by the radiological studies using CT ANGIO, CT scan, Doppler compression ultrasound or V/Q perfusion scans. The survival time was defined as the time from the date of cancer diagnosis to the date of death, or to the date of last follow up. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Of the 2151 patients with newly diagnosed VTEs within the 2 years study period, 33 patients were found to have uterine cancers. The median age was 60 years (range 41-84 years). Among all the primary VTEs, 42% were pulmonary embolus (PE); 45% were deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and 12% were concurrent PE/DVT (diagnosed on the same day). The median time of VTE from the date of cancer diagnosis was 8 months (range 0 - 88 months). The majority of these VTE events (55%) were found to occur within 1 year from the date of cancer diagnosis. A total of 8 patients had 10 recurrent episodes of VTE (2 patients had 2 recurrent VTE episodes) during the follow up period. The median survival time was 33 months (range 2.6-121.6 months); 82% of these patients had a metastatic disease. Multivariate proportional hazards model showed that the diagnosis of VTE within 6 months from the cancer diagnosis [Hazard ratio: 3.8, 95% CI (1.1-12.9), p=0.03] and the presence of baseline white blood cell (WBC) count of greater than 11,000/uL [Hazard ratio: 3.5, 95% CI (1.0-12.2), p=0.045] were statistically significant independent predictors for 2 year survival adjusting for age, presence of central venous catheter (CVC), and the baseline platelet count of greater than 350,000/uL. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the timing of VTE is an important indicator of prognosis in patients with uterine cancer; patients who had VTE within 6 months from cancer diagnosis had a shorter 2 year survival. Future larger studies may better define the impact of timing of VTE on survival of patients with Uterine Cancers. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
An alternate approach to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in “poor responders”: pretreatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog

Pharmacologic hypophysectomy was induced with a subcutaneous injection of leuprolide acetate before the administration of exogenous gonadotropins for multiple follicle development in 27 women who had previously responded poorly to conventional controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Pituitary desensitization occurred within 6 days and concurrent COH with exogenous gonadotropins resulted in an enhanced yield of oocytes in comparison to previous COH attempts (P less than 0.05). Fertilization and pregnancy rates also were higher with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment (P less than 0.01). The administration of leuprolide acetate effectively suppressed endogenous gonadotropin secretion when initiated in the follicular or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. GnRHa therapy can appreciably facilitate the management of gonadotropin therapy, and increase the probability of oocyte collection and pregnancy.
Effects of tertiary amine local anesthetics on von Willebrand factor- dependent platelet function: alteration of membrane reactivity and degradation of GPIb by a calcium-dependent protease(s)

I recently reported that agents that disrupt either microtubules or microfilaments prevent the inhibition of von Willebrand factor (vWf) dependent platelet function induced by increasing platelet cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Since local anesthetics are known to disrupt both microtubules and microfilaments. I have now investigated their effects on vWf-dependent platelet agglutination. In support of the previous studies, these agents also prevented cAMP-induced inhibition. Moreover, upon brief exposure of platelet-rich plasma to these agents, there was enhancement of the initial slope of vWf-dependent platelet aggregation despite their causing total inhibition of the release reaction. This increased platelet responsiveness could be fixed in place by formaldehyde, thus indicating an alteration of membrane composition or shape. Studies of the binding of vWf antigen to platelets in the presence of ristocetin demonstrated decreased binding to anesthetic-treated platelets, a paradoxical result indicating that the membrane alteration responsible for the enhancement is not at the vWf binding site. When anesthetic-treated platelets were employed in a ristocetin cofactor assay, the assay proved to be more sensitive and no less specific. Preincubation with anesthetics for greater than 1 hr, however, produced marked inhibition of vWf-dependent platelet agglutination. This inhibition was temporally associated with proteolysis of GPIb. The responsible proteasels) was inhibited, at least in part, by EDTA. It is proposed that there is a tonic inhibition of vWf-dependent platelet agglutination mediated through the cytoskeleton that is released by local anesthetics and accentuated by increasing platelet cAMP. The local anesthetics' effects may result from the displacement of calcium from membranes which, in turn, may (1) inhibit enzymes that have both calcium and lipid cofactor requirements and (2) prevent the calcium-dependent fusion of granules with membranes.