cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foot Pain in Relation to Ipsilateral and Contralateral Lower-Extremity Pain in a Population-Based Study

Background: Clinical observations note that foot pain can be linked to contralateral pain at the knee or hip, yet we are unaware of any community-based studies that have investigated the sidedness of pain. Because clinic-based patient samples are often different from the general population, the purpose of this study was to determine whether knee or hip pain is more prevalent with contralateral foot pain than with ipsilateral foot pain in a population-based cohort. Methods: Framingham Foot Study participants (2002–2008) with information on foot, knee, and hip pain were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Foot pain was queried as pain, aching, or stiffness on most days. Using a manikin diagram, participants indicated whether they had experienced pain, aching, or stiffness at the hip or knee and specified the side of any reported pain. Sex-specific multinomial logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for the association of foot pain with knee and hip pai...
The elusive effects of CAFE standards

Abstract Despite decades of empirical assessment, economists have not reached consensus on key impacts of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, including how much they reduce fuel consumption. Evaluating CAFE is complicated by factors such as consumers’ expectations of future fuel prices, their valuation of and responsiveness to changes in fuel economy, automakers’ optimal technological and strategic behavior, changes in used-vehicle markets, and the path of energy prices. I investigate the effects of many of those factors in a quantitative assessment of CAFE. I do so by modifying the US Department of Energy's National Energy Modeling System and using it to simulate variations from a set of reference assumptions. Results are especially sensitive to consumers’ valuation of expected fuel cost savings and to the future course of oil prices.
The public's perception of humanlike robots: Online social commentary reflects an appearance-based uncanny valley, a general fear of a “Technology Takeover”, and the unabashed sexualization of female-gendered robots

Towards understanding the public's perception of humanlike robots, we examined commentary on 24 YouTube videos depicting social robots ranging in human similarity — from Honda's Asimo to Hiroshi Ishiguro's Geminoids. In particular, we investigated how people have responded to the emergence of highly humanlike robots (e.g., Bina48) in contrast to those with more prototypically-“robotic” appearances (e.g., Asimo), coding the frequency at which the uncanny valley versus fears of replacement and/or a “technology takeover” arise in online discourse based on the robot's appearance. Here we found that, consistent with Masahiro Mori's theory of the uncanny valley, people's commentary reflected an aversion to highly humanlike robots. Correspondingly, the frequency of uncanny valley-related commentary was significantly higher in response to highly humanlike robots relative to those of more prototypical appearances. Independent of the robots' human similarity, we further observed a moderate correlation to exist between people's explicit fears of a “technology takeover” and their emotional responding towards robots. Finally, through the course of our investigation, we encountered a third and rather disturbing trend — namely, the unabashed sexualization of female-gendered robots. In exploring the frequency at which this sexualization manifests in the online commentary, we found it to exceed that of both the uncanny valley and fears of robot sentience/replacement combined. In sum, these findings help to shed light on the relevance of the uncanny valley “in the wild” and further, they help situate it with respect to other design challenges for HRI.
Are dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin precursors of biologically reactive intermediates involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative brain disorders?

During the past two or three decades an immense amount of research has been carried out to understand the fundamental molecular mechanisms that underlie the neurotoxicity evoked by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), methamphetamine (MA) and related amphetamine drugs of abuse. The neurotoxicity of MPTP is of particular interest because it not only mimics the symptoms and major pathobiochemical changes that occur in Parkinson’s disease (PD) but also arguably provides the best model of PD in animals (Gerlach et al.,1991; Gerlach and Riederer, 1996; Royland and Langston, 1998). Interest in the neurotoxicity evoked by MA derives not only from the fact that this compound is a widely abused psychoactive drug but in animals it also mimics many of the major pathobiochemical changes that occur in PD (Gerlach and Riederer, 1996) although it is a less selective neurotoxin than MPTP. Transient cerebral ischemia, or ischemia-reperfusion (I-R), can also lead to neurodegeneration although this is even less selective than MA. Nevertheless, there are a rather striking number of similar factors that appear to be key steps in a complex cascade of processes that compromise the neurotoxic mechanisms evoked by MPTP, MA and I-R. In this communication similarities associated with the neurotoxicity evoked by MPTP, MA and I-R will be briefly reviewed. Subsequently, these will be integrated into a working hypothesis for the underlying neurotoxic mechanisms in which one or more of the neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) are proposed to be the precursors of biologically reactive intermediates in the pathological processes.
Genetic Mouse Models for Female Reproductive Toxicology Studies

The incidence of reproductive problems such as infertility and cancers in women has increased at an alarming rate, particularly in developed countries. One potential cause of the rising incidence of reproductive problems is exposure to by-products of industrialization such as man-made chemicals and additives. These man-made chemicals could mimic or interfere with reproductive hormones and their functions, therefore leading to reproductive disorders. In addition, certain populations could be more susceptible to particular types of man-made chemicals due to genetic polymorphisms. The advancement of transgenic technology in mice over the past decade has brought the field of reproductive toxicology to a critical crossroad. These genetic models create unique opportunities for reproductive toxicologists to explore questions that could never before be imagined. To take full advantage of the power of these genetic models, a basic understanding of both female reproduction and the strengths and limitations of the genetic models is necessary. It is hoped that this chapter will trigger interest in and promote better use of transgenic mouse models in female reproductive toxicology.
Power beyond the state: a reply to Allen

ABSTRACTThis commentary takes up the question of social movements introduced in Kieran Allen’s contribution, to argue for a more sustained reflection on the vitality and necessity of an autonomous grassroots left. Such movements are responding to both the economic conditions of neoliberalism and the racist, anti-immigrant discourse deployed as its justification. In these movements, we may find exactly the complex theorization of state power for which Allen calls.This is a reply to:Allen, K. 2018. “Strategies for a radical left.” Global Discourse. https://doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2018.1468581.
The legends of topographical men: the American army and mapmaking in World War I

The skill level of American army mapmakers and draftsmen varied considerably when the United States entered World War I in 1917. Desperate to fill the ranks with qualified personnel, the army turned to civilians who had honed their craft with the U.S. Geological Survey and other professional mapmaking entities. Since the men had but a short period of time to prepare for mapping in wartime conditions, the Americans wisely deferred to the methodologies employed by their allies. The Americans adopted the French system of coordinates, the metric system, and most importantly, they utilized French military survey maps to overlay the latest intelligence, which hastened the creation of maps that were needed for military operations. It would be a mistake, however, to cast the American mappers as mere imitators; rather, they innovated methods of printing, distribution, and intelligence gathering that resulted in accurate maps that were widely and quickly distributed to troops at the front, where detailed an...
Equine ulcerative keratitis with furrow: A review of the outcomes of 72 cases from 1987 to 2015.

Background Ulcerative keratitis with peripheral furrow formation is a poorly-described condition which has been associated with a grave prognosis due to rapid necrosis of the cornea. Objective To describe the infectious aetiologies associated with furrow-forming ulcerative keratitis, its overall clinical course and the efficacy of medical and surgical intervention in horses. Study design Retrospective clinical case series. Methods Medical records of 72 horses which presented with furrow-forming ulcerative keratitis at the University of Florida between 1987 and 2015 were reviewed. Results Seventy-two horses (72 eyes) with furrow-forming ulcerative keratitis were treated at the University of Florida between 1987 and 2015. Of these, a definitive aetiologic diagnosis was available for 37 eyes. Ten of 37 eyes (27%) were diagnosed with fungal keratitis based on cytology of corneal scraping, culture, histopathology and/or fungal PCR. Fourteen of 37 eyes (38%) were diagnosed with a mixed fungal and bacterial keratitis. Thirteen of 37 eyes (35%) were diagnosed with bacterial keratitis. Overall, 26 of 72 total eyes were treated with medical therapy alone (36%). Forty-six of 72 eyes were treated medically and surgically (64%). Of the 26 eyes which received medical therapy, 20 healed with a positive visual outcome (77%) and 6 eyes were non-visual (23%). Of the 46 eyes which received surgical intervention, 40 healed with a positive visual outcome (87%), while six eyes were non-visual (13%). Altogether, 60 of 72 eyes healed with a positive visual outcome following medical or surgical treatment of furrow-forming ulcerative keratitis (83%). Twelve of 72 eyes failed treatment (17%), with six eyes requiring enucleation and six globes becoming phthisical after treatment. Main limitations Inconsistencies in available medical record data due to the large span of time (1987-2015) are inherent in this retrospective study, along with gradual evolution of corneal surgical techniques and medical therapies over the decades. Conclusions Furrow-forming ulcerative keratitis was associated with a positive visual outcome in 83% of horses treated at the University of Florida between the years 1987 and 2015. Furrow formation may be associated with either fungal or bacterial infection.
Gnawa: Music and Beyond: Gnawa: Music and Beyond. Jacques Willemont, dir.; Viviana Pâques, scientific direction. Produced by Espaces, 2012; DVD includes English and French versions, both have Arabic with English or French subtitles; color, 58 mins.

Jacques Willemont’s documentary Gnawa: Music and Beyond explores the history, symbolism and ritual practice of Morocco’s Gnawa traditions. The Gnawa are a population brought to Morocco from West Af...
Effect of Venture Capital Investments on Ventures’ Product Failures

This study examines the impact of venture capital funding on ventures’ product innovation. Building on an assumption that ventures and venture capitalists (VCs) have an aligned interest in ventures...
Greening the alliance: the diplomacy of NATO’s science and environmental initiatives: by S. Turchetti, Chicago and London, University of Chicago Press, 2019, 256 pp., 19 plts, $37.50 (paperback), ISBN 9780226595795

This book traces the NATO Science Committee’s engagement with ‘environmental’ issues from its formal inauguration in 1958 to the present day. The concept of ‘environmental’ needs to be understood v...
Compare Inquiry-Based Pedagogical Instruction with Direct Instruction for Pre-service Science Teacher Education

Formal teacher preparation programs are facing the challenge of ineffective instruction of educational theories. It is partly because educational theories are taught through direct instruction, which could lead to problems such as impersonality and low motivation of pre-service teachers. In addition, it is also an unwieldy task for teacher educators to cover meaningfully a tremendous amount of theories through direct instruction within a limited time. This study presents an innovative approach of Inquiry-based Pedagogical Instruction (IPI) as a possible solution. The IPI approach has two key features: explicit modeling and scaffolding. In this quasi-experimental study, I compare IPI and direct instruction in promoting preservice teachers’ competence in terms of their knowledge associated with science teaching and their disposition in terms of their sense of belonging to science and science teaching. The participants are 39 preservice teachers in Phase 1 with 23 of them receiving IPI and the other 16 receiving direct instruction and 92 preservice teachers in Phase 2 with 42 receiving IPI and 50 receiving direct instruction. The results from two-way ANOVA and effect size analyses suggest that IPI is a promising alternative to direct instruction for the instruction of pedagogical knowledge. IPI has the potential to empower pre-service teachers with the competence and disposition with which they are capable and willing to construct their knowledge of teaching. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Refractory Crohn’s disease

The diagnosis of common variable immunodeficiency starts with evaluation for increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmune manifestations, granulomatous disease, or unexplained polyclonal lymphoproliferation, and rule-out of secondary cause for loss of immunoglobulin Evaluations should include measurement of serum immunoglobulin levels, antibody responses to vaccination, and T lymphocyte deficiency through lymphocyte subset enumeration
Opioid Prescriptions and Short-Term Mortality: a U.S. National Study.

Opioid-related mortality continues to rise. Though risks of prescription opioid misuse and abuse are well known, short-term mortality across a range of prescription opioid exposure is unclear. This study was conducted in order to assess the short-term mortality associated with quantity of reported opioid prescriptions, An observational analysis was performed using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, years 2005–2015, a population-based, nationally representative household survey. This study included adults (age 18+) with prescription data and death status reported during their 2-year survey participation. Key exposure is the number of opioid prescriptions (0, 1–5, 6 or more) in year 1 of survey participation. The main outcome is all-cause mortality reported during the 2-year survey participation. Of 90,622 participants, 14% reported at least 1 opioid prescription. There were 774 (0.9%) deaths during the survey period, 551 (0.7%) among those not reporting opioids, 127 (1.2%) among those reporting 1–5 opioid prescriptions, and 96 (3.9%) among those reporting 6 or more opioid prescriptions. After adjusting for sociodemographics, health status, and utilization, there was no significant association between category of opioid prescriptions and death during the study period; adjusted odds ratios = 0.86 (95% CI = 0.66, 1.22, p = 0.27) and 0.99 (95% CI = 0.74, 1.34, p = 0.96), respectively, for 1–5 prescriptions and 6 or more prescriptions. In a nationally representative sample, opioid prescriptions were associated with increased short-term mortality only without adjustment for sociodemographics, health status, or utilization. The relationship between prescription opioid use and mortality risk is more complex than previously reported, meriting further examination.
Non-Malignant Tumoural Lesions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive and specific structural imaging technique available to demonstrate non-malignant or low-grade tumours in patients with epilepsy (Lee et al., 1985; Bergen et al, 1989). The low-grade neoplasms associated with chronic seizure disorders include gangliogliomas, gliomas and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours (Cascino, 1990) (Figures 1–3).
Reproductive management of swine

Abstract Swine reproductive management is a multifaceted discipline that has both developmental and functional components. The biggest challenge for replacement boars and sows during the developmental phase is the establishment of physiological benchmarks that are correlated with their adult reproductive performance. Birthweight and weaning weights appear to have strong positive relationship lifetime sperm and piglet production in boars and sows, respectively. Their refinement and use in selection programs should be enthusiastically pursued. Delaying training for semen collection towards the end of their pubertal development appears to be beneficial for lifetime productivity in boars while inducing puberty early and breeding at subsequent estrous periods is positively correlated with adult reproductive performance in gilts. The primary emphasis for both during the functional phase is creating management conditions that minimize their exposure to environmental stressors. A working knowledge of the physiology associated with spermatogenesis and the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy is absolutely critical for this process. The importance of colostrum in the development of both male and female reproductive organs; identification of sperm characteristics that have a quantitative relationship with boar fertility; and use of nutritional programming to enhance embryonic and fetal development in sows are areas of future research that hold potential for further enhancements in reproductive efficiency for the swine industry.
Mesofluidic separation versus dead-end filtration

Abstract Here we compare dead-end filtration to mesofluidic separation, which produces filtrate depleted of particles larger than a desired cutoff size. Dead-end filtration is well-established across a broad range of industries but rapidly loses throughput with even modestly concentrated slurries due to significant depth and cake fouling. Periodic back pulsing reduces but does not eliminate fouling. In contrast, mesofluidic separation is an emerging technique that uses periodic arrays of posts (here 500 μm in diameter 800 μm apart) instead of membranes or porous media to achieve separation with continuous inlet and outlet flows. Large internal void volumes reduce or eliminate cake and depth fouling, permitting operation at significant flowrates. Mesofluidic separators are similar to microfluidic separators but operate at higher flowrates (e.g., ~1 L/min and higher versus ~10 mL/h) and have larger dimensions (e.g., millimeters versus microns). Yet, mesofluidic separation has not been compared directly to dead-end filtration. Here we compare and contrast these two approaches on two key performance metrics: pressure drop and flowrate over time. We find that mesofluidic separation maintains high throughput and low pressure drop orders of magnitude longer than dead-end filtration. Head-to-head comparison with “sticky” slurries finds mesofluidic separators lose 55% both over 7 h. Logarithmic projection supported by the data projects
Electronic Part of the Thermal Conductivity of a Thin, Superconducting Film Composed of Lead and Gadolinium

There has been considerable interest in the properties of superconductors with paramagnetic impurities (localized spin). These impurities perturb the electrons in a way which is antisymmetric with respect to time reversal, and they therefore tend to break up the Cooper pairs in the superconductor.1 This pair-breaking effect can be used as a probe to investigate both the microscopic properties of the superconductor and the interactions between an impurity spin and the conduction electrons or other impurity spins. Any impurity spin ordering which occurs is expected to affect both the transition temperature2 and the thermal conductivity,3 which is the phenomenon of immediate interest in this investigation.
Response: The case for reforming presidential elections by subconstitutional Means: The electoral college, the national popular vote compact, and congressional Power

It is particularly fitting that my exchange with Professor Norman Williams, concerning national popular election of Presidents, should take place in the 100th Anniversary Volume of The Georgetown Law Journal. The Journal published its first pages precisely at a time when federal legislators across town on Capitol Hill—and reformers throughout the rest of the nation—were in the thick of a contentious national movement to bring about popular election of United States senators. And quite instructively, that movement (although it culminated in a formal constitutional amendment, introduced in Congress almost exactly a century ago, in 1912) was driven and accomplished largely at the subconstitutional level by creative and energetic people acting first in state, and only later in national, arenas. Every law student learns that the original Constitution assigned the power and duty to select U.S. Senators to the state legislatures, and that the Seventeenth Amendment—codifying direct election of Senators—was a product of the Progressive Era. But the story of the Seventeenth Amendment is one primarily about state-level innovation. Beginning in the mid-1800s, state-level political parties and organizations sought ways to involve the people more directly in selecting electors. The famous Lincoln–Douglas debates were designed to allow voters to consider whom state legislators would, if elected, likely select for the U.S. Senate. But because voters must consider many different issues—not just Senate selection—when they elect state legislatures,
Colonialism, Coloniality, and Colonial Rule in Africa

Using primary source documents of explorers, missionaries, colonialists, and extant literature, this chapter examines the underlying factors behind European colonial conquest of Africa, nature and structure of the different colonial systems imposed, and the impacts of colonial rule and coloniality on Africa. As the chapter concludes, the living legacies of colonialism include self-opposition that now shapes relation between Africa and the European ‘other’ that continues to impose boundaries on knowledge and practices, culture, and relationship about Africa on Africans.
Identifying Distinguishing Factors in Predicting Brain Activities – An Inclusive Machine Learning Approach

The human brain forms a large-scale, interconnected network when performing different activities. To compare networks extracted from different subjects, they are first converted into sparse graphs with similar densities to reveal topological differences. Graph analysis is then applied to the sparse graphs to extract global and local graph invariants for quantitative comparisons. However, many previous works not only studied global and local graph invariants separately, but also created only one single sparse graph for each subject, potentially excluding important factors in connectome analysis. In this work, we adopt a more inclusive approach: generating multiple graphs using different density thresholds for each subject; and describing each graph with both global and local graph invariants. A machine learning approach is then applied to analyze these comprehensive datasets. We show that our inclusive approach can help machine learning methods to automatically identify most discriminating factors in predicting brain activities with much higher accuracy than the previous exclusive approaches.
Rashba Spin–Orbit Coupling Enhanced Carrier Lifetime in CH3NH3PbI3

Organometal halide perovskites are promising solar-cell materials for next-generation photovoltaic applications. The long carrier lifetime and diffusion length of these materials make them very attractive for use in light absorbers and carrier transporters. While these aspects of organometal halide perovskites have attracted the most attention, the consequences of the Rashba effect, driven by strong spin–orbit coupling, on the photovoltaic properties of these materials are largely unexplored. In this work, taking the electronic structure of CH3NH3PbI3 (methylammonium lead iodide) as an example, we propose an intrinsic mechanism for enhanced carrier lifetime in three-dimensional (3D) Rashba materials. On the basis of first-principles calculations and a Rashba spin–orbit model, we demonstrate that the recombination rate is reduced due to the spin-forbidden transition. These results are important for understanding the fundamental physics of organometal halide perovskites and for optimizing and designing the ...
Robust Design of Multivariable Feedback Systems with Real Parameter Uncertainty and Unmodelled Dynamics

This paper presents a design methodology for the synthesis of a robust controller that accounts for both unmodelled dynamics and structured real parameter uncertainty for multiple-input, multiple-output systems. In a design aimed at constraining both the H ? norm of a certain disturbance transfer matrix and a quadratic gaussian performance index under their respective bounds, a surrogate system may be formed by modelling the structured real parameter uncertainty as additional noise inputs and additional weights at the existing noise inputs and measurement outputs of the system. Application of a Riccati equation approach to this surrogate system then yields a robust controller which, when used in the actual system, will result in a closed-loop system having the same H ? bound and quadratic gaussian performance index bound as the surrogate system, even in the presence of given real parameter variations.
Application of a microcomputer-based system to control and monitor bacterial growth.

A modular microcomputer-based system was developed to control and monitor various modes of bacterial growth. The control system was composed of an Apple II Plus microcomputer with 64-kilobyte random-access memory; a Cyborg ISAAC model 91A multichannel analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converter; paired MRR-1 pH, pO2, and foam control units; and in-house-designed relay, servo control, and turbidimetry systems. To demonstrate the flexibility of the system, we grew bacteria under various computer-controlled and monitored modes of growth, including batch, turbidostat, and chemostat systems. The Apple-ISAAC system was programmed in Labsoft BASIC (extended Applesoft) with an average control program using ca. 6 to 8 kilobytes of memory and up to 30 kilobytes for datum arrays. This modular microcomputer-based control system was easily coupled to laboratory scale fermentors for a variety of fermentations.
Reducing branch misprediction penalty via selective branch recovery

Branch misprediction penalty consists of two components: the time wasted on misspeculative execution until the mispredicted branch is resolved and the time to restart the pipeline with useful instructions once the branch is resolved. Current processor trends, large instruction windows and deep pipelines, amplify both components of the branch misprediction penalty. We propose a novel method, called selective branch recovery (SBR), to reduce both components of branch misprediction penalty. SBR exploits a frequently occurring type of control independence - exact convergence - where the mispredicted path converges exactly at the beginning of the correct path. In such cases, SBR selectively reuses the results computed during misspeculative execution and obviates the need to fetch or rename convergent instructions again. Thus, SBR addresses both components of branch misprediction penalty. To increase the likelihood of branch mispredictions that can be handled with SBR, we also present an effective means for inducing exact convergence on misspeculative paths. With SBR, we significantly improve performance (between 3%-22%, average 8%) on a wide range of benchmarks over our baseline processor that does not exploit SBR.
Insights for LES from structure-based turubulence modeling

The structure of the turbulence plays a dynamically important role during the distortion of homogeneous turbulence by mean deformation, especially in non-equilibrium flows. Some of the most important shortcomings of standard one-point eddy-viscosity and Reynolds Stress Transport (RST) models are caused by the lack of structure information in these models. In Large Eddy Simulations (LES) local homogeneity is usually assumed by most sub-grid scale (SGS) models and the distortion of sub-grid turbulence by the large eddies is like the distortion of homogeneous turbulence by mean deformation. Therefore our understanding of how the evolution of the Reynolds stresses is influenced by the turbulence structure can provide valuable insights for SGS modeling.
Mixing, aeration and cell damage, 30+ years later: what we learned, how it affected the cell culture industry and what we would like to know more about

Greater than $100 billion in sales of human biopharmaceuticals are produced in large scale, animal cell culture in stirred tank bioreactors. Despite initial and continuing concerns of the “shear sensitivity” of animal cells, over the last 30 years, incredible advances have been made in the productivity of suspended animal cells to produce biopharmaceuticals, from mg/L of product to over 5 g/L. In this contribution, a summary of the current state of this “shear sensitivity” concerns will be discussed, demonstrating that it is not in general a problem with current bioprocesses. Examples of what is considered the current limits above which effects of hydrodynamic and interfacial phenomena become a concern and begin to negatively impact the cells and the bioprocess will be presented.
Implementing SB 3: Adopting Environmental Flows in Texas

Senate Bill 3 emerged from the Texas Legislature in 2007 as an attempt to create certainty over how the state deals with allocating water to environmental flows. Senate Bill 3 created a process in the Water Code requiring regional stakeholder groups (referred to as Basin and Bay Area Stakeholder Committees or BBASCs) to develop consensus-based environmental flow standards and strategies to meet the environmental flow standards specific to the rivers and bay systems in a particular region. The concept of “environmental flows” describes the flows of water necessary to protect the ecological health of rivers and of the bays and estuaries that are the ultimate recipients of these flows. The consensus of the scientific community is that for environmental flow standards to be adequate to support a sound ecological environment in a stream system, they must include minimum subsistence flows, varying levels of base flows, high flow pulses, and overbank pulses that vary throughout the year. Environmental flow standards establish requirements that govern when a water right holder may remove water from a stream or a river (instream flow requirements), thus protecting that water for instream and bay or estuary environmental needs. The Water Code directs the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), after considering the stakeholder committees’ recommendations, to adopt environmental flow standards “adequate to support a sound ecological environment, to the maximum extent reasonable considering other public interests and other relevant factors.” This paper summarizes the environmental flow standard and strategy recommendations made by the six stakeholder committees that submitted reports to the TCEQ and compares these to the standards the TCEQ ultimately adopted. The adopted standards only apply to permits seeking a new appropriation of water or to an amendment to an existing water right that increases the amount of water authorized to be stored, taken, or diverted.
Seeking Spatial Justice - By Edward W. Soja.

Edward Soja is a distinguished professor of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His book is a 256-page descriptive work, divided into six chapters. The basic argumen...
On the $b$-Independence Number of Sparse Random Graphs

Let graph $G=(V,E)$ and integer $b\geq 1$ be given. A set $S\subseteq V$ is said to be $b$-independent if $u,v\in S$ implies $d_G(u,v)>b$, where $d_G(u,v)$ is the shortest distance between $u$ and $v$ in $G$. The $b$-independence number $\a_b(G)$ is the size of the largest $b$-independent subset of $G$. When $b=1$ this reduces to the standard definition of independence number.We study this parameter in relation to the random graph $G_{n,p},\,p=d/n$, in particular, when $d$ is a large constant. We show that w.h.p. if $d\geq d_{\epsilon, b}$, $$ \left| \alpha_b(G_{n,p}) - \frac{2bn}{d^b} \biggl(\log{d} - \frac{\log{\log{d}}}{b} - \frac{\log{2b}}{b} + \frac{1}{b}\biggr)\right| \leq \frac{\epsilon n}{d^b}.$$
Characterizing Combinatorial Geometries by Numerical Invariants

We show that the projective geometry PG(r? 1,q ) for r& 3 is the only rank- r(combinatorial) geometry with (qr? 1)/(q? 1) points in which all lines have at least q+ 1 points. For r= 3, these numerical invariants do not distinguish between projective planes of the same order, but they do distinguish projective planes from other rank-3 geometries. We give similar characterizations of affine geometries. In the core of the paper, we investigate the extent to which partition lattices and, more generally, Dowling lattices are characterized by similar information about their flats of small rank. We apply our results to characterizations of affine geometries, partition lattices, and Dowling lattices by Tutte polynomials, and to matroid reconstruction. In particular, we show that any matroid with the same Tutte polynomial as a Dowling lattice is a Dowling lattice.
Fluorometric determination of urea by flow injection analysis

Urea was determined using fluorometry with flow injection analysis. O-phthalaldehyde (OPA) reacts with enzymatically generated ammonia and sulfite in alkaline medium to give a highly fluorescent compound that has an excitation wavelength of 372 nm and an emission wavelength of about 430 nm. The method is more selective to ammonia than the one which uses mercaptoethanol in place of the sulfite. Urease was immobilized to a Pall Immunodyne membrane which is commercially available. The immobilization occurs through covalent bonding which results in a highly stable enzyme preparation. The enzymatic membrane was fitted in a 5 cm long, 0.125 inch o.d. Teflon tubing which served as the enzymatic reactor. The system is difficult to use for the analysis of urea in serum because some compounds normally present in serum fluoresce at the same wavelength. This results in higher values for urea. If the reaction system is to be used for the evaluation of urea in serum, a blank should be run so that urea concentration can be calculated by difference.
Adsorption of rhizobia to cereal roots

Abstract The attachment of Rhizobium japonicum 61A89 to the roots of wheat and rice seedlings is an equilibrium process that follows a Langmuir adsorption isotherm. This model predicts a maximum of 8 × 109 viable bound bacteria per g of root. Different strains of bound rhizobia have both characteristic appearances and surface densities on the root surface. The bound rhizobia did not fix nitrogen.
Synthetic block-replicate bubble memory organization

The design and operation of a novel block-replicate bubble memory organization are described. The organization consists of folded minor loops with the usual true swap switches on one end of the minor loops. On the other end, two paths of an equal number of steps are provided between a simple transfer switch and a merge element. Without current in the transfer switch conductor, bubbles will propagate along the first path which is essentially a portion of the minor loop. With current in the transfer switch conductor, a bubble at the switch will be transferred into the second path wherein a novel passive replicator is located. The bubble will be replicated into two bubbles. One of the two bubbles will propagate into the read channel which leads to a detector while the other bubble will continue on the second path to merge into the "hole" in the minor loop at the merge element. The function of the replicate-transfer switches which require large current is thus accomplished with simple transfer switches which require much less current. The operation of this synthetic block-replicate design has been demonstrated on experimental chips with cell size of 8.4 μm × 7μm. At 200 KHz, a bias margin of 9%, which is limited by the swap switches, is obtained at 50 Oe drive with 20 mA current for the switches. With proximity effects of the input channel eliminated, a bias margin of 19% is obtained and is limited at 180° reverse turns in the minor loops.
Aronia melanocarpa (chokeberry) polyphenol-rich extract improves antioxidant function and reduces total plasma cholesterol in apolipoprotein E knockout mice

Abstract We hypothesized that a polyphenol-rich chokeberry extract (CBE) would modulate hepatic lipid metabolism and improve antioxidant function in apolipoprotein E knockout ( apoE −/− ) mice. ApoE −/− mice were fed diets containing 15% fat with 0.2% cholesterol alone or supplemented with 0.005% or 0.05% CBE for 4 weeks. CBE polyphenol content was determined by the total phenols, 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde, and ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. The 0.05% CBE diet provided mice with mean daily doses of 1.2 mg gallic acid equivalents of total phenols, 0.19 mg anthocyanins, 0.17 mg phenolic acids, 0.06 mg proanthocyanidins (as catechin-equivalents), and 0.02 mg flavonols. The 0.05% CBE group had 12% less plasma total cholesterol concentrations than the control. Despite the hypocholesterolemic effect of CBE, hepatic mRNA levels of low-density lipoprotein receptor, hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase in CBE-fed mice were not significantly different from controls. Dietary CBE did not alter hepatic lipid content or the hepatic expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and fatty acid β -oxidation such as fatty acid synthase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 and acyl-CoA oxidase. Plasma paraoxonase and catalase activities were significantly increased in mice fed 0.05% CBE. Both CBE diets increased hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity but the 0.05% CBE group had 24% less proximal intestine GPx activity relative to controls. Thus, dietary CBE lowered total cholesterol and improved plasma and hepatic antioxidant function at nutritionally-relevant doses in apoE −/− mice. Furthermore, the CBE cholesterol-lowering mechanism in apoE −/− mice was independent of hepatic expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism.
Physical simulation: The use of scaled-down fully functional components to analyze and design automated production systems

Abstract This paper presents and discusses the physical simulation methodology currently employed in the Industrial Automation Laboratory in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Texas AM constructing scaled-down, functionally-equivalent generic models of the components with mechanical breadboarding kits; and then using these generic models to construct fully functional scaled-down systems. Thus, it allows us to evaluate the dynamic physical interactions using the models to confirm design decisions and to develop and test system software in parallel with the construction of the full-sized system. This approach should allow a cost reduction in the design cycle for complex automation because (1) through it we can identify design errors early, and (2) it provides a mechanism for the parallel development of both the computer hardware/software control system and the system's machinery. The methodology is currently under development in the Industrial Automation Laboratory in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Response of liquid scintillator assemblies as a function of angular orientation

Abstract Liquid scintillator detector assemblies contain an inert nitrogen expansion volume to allow for expansion of the liquid with changing temperature. Measurements and Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations are performed to study the dependence of pulse height distribution shapes as a function of detector angle for two liquid scintillators assemblies filled with 97% organic-liquid cocktail and a 3% expansion volume. A 12.7-cm diameter by 12.7-cm long and a 7.6-cm diameter by 9.1-cm long EJ-309 liquid scintillator assemblies are investigated using a 137 Cs gamma-ray source. Aside from the differences in dimensions, the detector assemblies also differed in the design of the active detector volume: there is no light guide in the 12.7-cm-diameter detector assembly, whereas the 7.6-cm-diameter detector contains a BK7 light guide between the scintillation liquid and optical coupling to the photomultiplier tube. Results for the 12.7-cm-diameter detector show a decrease in the position of the Compton edge ranges from 4% to 40% at detector orientations where the expansion volume exists between scintillating medium and the photomultiplier tube. Results for the 7.6-cm-diameter detector show that the position of the Compton edge is relatively unaffected at all detector orientations due to the presence of light guide.
Hemodynamics of the Mitral Valve Under Edge-to-Edge Repair: An In Vitro Steady Flow Study

Edge-to-edge repair (ETER) is a mitral valve repair technique that restores valvular competence by suturing together the free edges of two leaflets. This repair technique alters mitral valve inflow and thus left ventricle hemodynamics during diastole. Our objective was to investigate fluid mechanics immediately downstream of the mitral valve under ETER during diastole. Fresh porcine mitral valves of the annulus size M32 with chordae removed were installed into a steady flow loop simulating a peak diastolic inflow through the mitral valve. Digital particle image velocimetry was used to measure the velocity field immediately downstream of the mitral valve under normal and ETER conditions. First, to study the suture length effect, suture was applied in the central position of the leaflet edge with suture lengths of 3 mm, 6 mm, and 9 mm, respectively. Then, 3 mm suture was set in the central, lateral, and commissural positions of the leaflet edge to study the suture position effect. Flow rate was 15 l/min. Velocity, Reynolds shear stress (RSS), and effective orifice area were assessed. A total of five mitral valves were tested. The normal mitral valve without the ETER had one jet downstream of the valve, but the mitral valve with the central or lateral sutures under the ETER had two jets downstream of the valve with a recirculation region downstream of the suture. The maximum velocity, the maximum RSS in the jets, the pressure drop across the mitral valve, and the jet deflection angle increased with the increase in suture length in the central position. When the suture position effect was investigated with the 3 mm suture, the maximum velocity, the maximum RSS, and the pressure drop across the valve in the central suture position were greater than those of the lateral and the commissural suture positions. The lateral suture demonstrated major and minor jets with the greater maximum velocity and maximum RSS in the major jet. When the suture was in the commissural position, the flow field downstream of the mitral valve was similar to that of the normal mitral valve without the ETER. The effective orifice area was smallest when the suture was applied in the central position as compared with other suture positions. Both suture length and position have an important impact on fluid mechanics downstream of the mitral valve under the ETER in terms of flow pattern, maximum velocity, and RSS distribution. The altered hemodynamics of the mitral valve and thus of the left ventricle by the ETER may change mitral valve and left ventricle function.
Articulations of Place, Poverty, and Race: Dumping Grounds and Unseen Grounds in the Rural American Northwest

This project extends poverty research by addressing the lack of knowledge about place and race differences in poverty processes (Blank 2005). Rural places experience a range of modes of articulation within the global division of rural labor and we observe three distinct modes of articulation in the American Northwest: “playgrounds,” “dumping grounds,” and “unseen grounds.” We attend to the recursive relations between political-economic restructuring and the discursive production of social difference across class and race lines. Poverty is produced in the reciprocal relations among local historical, ecological, and social processes and the articulation of those places with new rounds of capital accumulation under neoliberal restructuring. Our empirical investigation focuses on white and Latino poverty across nonmetropolitan counties of the American Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana). We first map county-level patterns of white and Latino poverty in relation to county-level economic restructurin...
Nuclear receptor binding to the retinoic acid response elements of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene in vivo: effects of vitamin A deficiency☆

Vitamin A deficiency decreases hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene expression in mice and expression is restored with retinoic acid treatment in vivo. This report examines further the mechanism of retinoid regulation of the PEPCK gene in vivo. We have identified nuclear receptors that bind to retinoic acid response elements (RAREs) in the PEPCK promoter by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and have verified these in vivo using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in mouse liver. Based on the results of our ChIP assay, hepatic nuclear factor (HNF)-4alpha, retinoid X receptor (RXR) alpha, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF) II bind to the downstream retinoic acid response unit RARE1/RARE2, and PPARalpha and RXRalpha bind to the upstream RARE3 of the PEPCK gene. HNF-4alpha, RXRalpha, RARalpha, PPARalpha and COUP-TFII bind PEPCK RAREs in a specific pattern that, with the exception of PPARalpha, does not change significantly with vitamin A deficiency. PPARalpha binding to the upstream retinoic acid response element is decreased in the vitamin A-deficient liver, when compared to the vitamin A-sufficient state. These results provide the first in vivo measures of nuclear receptor binding to the upstream and downstream RAREs of the PEPCK gene under conditions where the nucleosomal structure of the chromatin is maintained and the nuclear receptors are physically cross-linked in situ to the PEPCK DNA in intact liver.
Discriminative stimulus effects of monohydroxylated phencyclidine metabolites in rhesus monkeys

Rhesus monkeys were trained to discriminate saline from an injection of ketamine. In tests of stimulus generalization, phencyclidine (PCP) produced dose-related ketamine-appropriate responding in each monkey. Two monohydroxylated PCP metabolites also produced ketamine-like discriminative effects, although only at considerably higher doses than did PCP. A third monohydroxylated PCP metabolite produced only sham-appropriate responding. The results suggest that these PCP metabolites contribute little to the behavioral actions of PCP in the monkey.
Froude-Krylov force coefficients for bodies of rectangular section in the vicinity of the free-surface and sea-bed

Abstract A two-dimensional linear diffraction solution for submerged bodies of rectangular section is utilized to calculate the Froude-Krylov force coefficients for the case when the body is located close to the free-surface or sea-bed. Numerical results are presented for the Froude-Krylov force coefficients for a range of wave and structural parameters. It is found that the force coefficients in these situations may be significantly different than those for the same body located away from these boundaries.