Digital Commons Network^™

August 29, 2005, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Service-Oriented E-Learning Architecture Using Web Service-Based Intelligent Agents, Nasir Hussain, M. Khalid Khan

International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies

There is no doubt that e-learning has found its way in our lives. From the very start to the Ph.D. level one can find e-learning courses every where and all the big names are supporting it. One thing that is needed to be understood is that e-learning is basically the integration of various technologies. Now this technology is maturing and we can find different standards for e-learning .New technologies such as agents and web services are promising better results. In this paper we have proposed an e-learning architecture that is dependent on multi-agent systems and web services. These communication technologies …

Deafdigest: Blue Edition, August 28, 2005, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Blue 2005

No abstract provided.

The Ethics Of Interspecies Interactions, Joel Bignell

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The Ethics of Interspecies Interactions. This report is written to inquire as to whether there are certain circumstances when bestiality is morally permissible. There may be a point where an animal has a sufficiently high degree of freedom and intelligence, among other things, to qualify as a willing and otherwise legitimate sex partner for a human. Perhaps the thoughts and theories of philosophers who are concerned with sex and/or the relationships between humans and animals can be used to define guidelines for such legitimate sex. Is sex between humans and animals wrong, even under theoretically favorable circumstances? The criteria for …

Keynote: Hexagonal Structure For Intelligent Vision, Xiangjian He, Wenjing Jia

International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies

Using hexagonal grids to represent digital images have been studied for more than 40 years. Increased processing capabilities of graphic devices and recent improvements in CCD technology have made hexagonal sampling attractive for practical applications and brought new interests on this topic. The hexagonal structure is considered to be preferable to the rectangular structure due to its higher sampling efficiency, consistent connectivity and higher angular resolution and is even proved to be superior to square structure in many applications. Since there is no mature hardware for hexagonal-based image capture and display, square to hexagonal image conversion has to be done …

Assessing The Health Of Fringing Salt Marshes Along The Fore River And Its Tributaries, Pamela A. Morgan, Lucas Curci, Cayce Dalton, Jeremy Miller

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Casco Bay has experienced two significant oil spills in recent history - the Tamano Tanker spill in 1972 and the Julie N spill in 1996. In addition, the Fore River and its tributaries have experienced numerous small spills over the years, including the August 2002 fuel oil spill (2,900 gallons) and the April 2003 jet fuel spill (6,000 gallons). The impacts of these spills on the fringing salt marshes that line the edges of the Fore River and its tributaries are not well understood. Are these salt marshes resilient enough to withstand these impacts and still act as healthy marshes …

The Murray Ledger And Times, August 27, 2005, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

The New Hampshire, Vol. 95 [96], No. 1 (Aug. 27, 2005), The New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Print Edition

An independent student produced newspaper from the University of New Hampshire. This volume was printed as 95, but it is the 96th volume in the series. This was corrected in pencil.

Controlling Conflicts Of Interest: A Tale Of Two Industries, Ahmed E. Taha

ExpressO

Large corporate conglomerates are being formed in many industries. Although a conglomerate may be able to use its multiple businesses to offer better products or services or lower prices, conglomeration can also create conflicts of interest within a corporation, harming consumers. Other researchers and observers have long been aware of these conflicts of interest, however, this Article’s empirical analyses identify what specific characteristics of a conglomerate cause conflicts of interest to actually result in harm to consumers. In doing so, the Article also guides policymakers regarding how to regulate conflicts of interest.

This Article examines two industries – financial services …

Studies Differ On Effects Of Fumigation, Ladb Staff

NotiSur

No abstract provided.

Daily Eastern News: August 26, 2005, Eastern Illinois University

August

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Summer Grazing Strategies On Organic Reserves And Root Characteristics Of Big Bluestem, E. M. Mousel, Walter H. Schacht, C. W. Zanner, Lowell E. Moser

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Quantifying root structure response to multiple defoliation events in a grazing situation is critical in developing management plans for warm-season tall grasses. A pasture experiment was conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 near Mead, NE. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of timing and frequency of grazing on big blue- stem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) etiolated tiller growth and root and rhizome structure. Paddocks were grazed at a stocking rate of 9.9 Animal Unit Month (AUM) ha^-1 in two to four cycles from mid-May to early-September. In April 2002, five 6.6- 132-cm soil cores were …

Washington University Record, August 26, 2005

Washington University Record

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Dietary Curcumin Or N-Acetylcysteine On Nf-Kappab Activity And Contractile Performance In Ambulatory And Unloaded Murine Soleus, Mehran Farid, Michael B. Reid, Yi-Ping Li, Eric Gerken, William J. Durham

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Unloading of skeletal muscle causes atrophy and loss of contractile function. In part, this response is believed to be mediated by the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB). Both curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, inhibit activation of NF-kappaB by inflammatory stimuli, albeit by different mechanisms. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that dietary curcumin or NAC supplementation would inhibit unloading-induced NF-kappaB activity in skeletal muscle and thereby protect muscles against loss of mass and function caused by prolonged unloading.

METHODS: We used hindlimb suspension to unload the hindlimb muscles of …

Generation Of Biomarkers From Anthrax Spores By Catalysis And Analytical Pyrolysis, Phillip R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Anthrax spores, in weaponized form, are dangerous biological warfare agents. Handheld technology for the rapid detection of anthrax is greatly needed to improve national security. Methods to detect anthrax spores are diverse, with most taking at least an hour for positive identification. A viable option for rapid detection is analytical pyrolysis (AP), which produces chemicals containing taxonomical information (biomarkers). AP methods are reviewed and critically analyzed to show that reproducible detection of anthrax spores in a rapid manner (< 5 min) with a handheld device is not currently possible. A promising alternative to AP is the use of a catalyst to produce biomarkers from anthrax spores with improved selectivity and reproducibility. Catalytic materials having promise for this include platinum, nickel, and superacids. Experiments evaluating several of these materials are described. A biomarker mass spectral library was created, based on information available in the scientific literature, to facilitate analysis and identification of the biomarkers produced experimentally. The RAMFAC algorithm was used to deconvolute chromatographic peaks to produce clean mass spectra and match them against entries in the biomarker library. While the library is not complete, its use with the RAMFAC algorithm enabled detection of many important biomarkers in experiments involving catalytic breakdown of anthrax spores. Experimental results from preliminary tests of several catalysts are presented and discussed. Addition of catalysts in the form of platinum nanoclusters and superacids to bacterial spores in a commercial pyrolyzer effected an increase in the amount of biomarkers produced at mild conditions over traditional pyrolysis methods. Electroformed nickel mesh, on the other hand, demonstrated low catalytic activity for the production of biomarkers, likely due to poor contact of the spores with the mesh. Biomarkers similar to those published in the literature were observed, including dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid, propionamide, acetamide, diketopiperazines, fatty acids, furfuryl alcohol, and DNA bases. A statistically designed factorial study was used to determine the importance of temperature, spore loading, and nanocluster loading on the production of three important biomarkers. The relative importance of these variables differs for each of the three important biomarkers, suggesting they are produced by different reaction mechanisms.

Automatic Attention To Aggression Cues And Alcohol Cues Using A Dichotic Listening Task And A Parafoveal Visual Task, Michelle Edington Levasseur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ongoing investigations of drunken aggression tend to focus on 1) situational cues, and 2) individual variables such as personality traits. This study investigated the hypothesis that an undergraduates attention would be pulled toward a nonconscious presentation of aggression stimuli, especially in the presence of alcohol cues, and especially if he or she was high on trait anger [as measured using the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI); Spielberger, 1988] and had high expectancies for behaving aggressively while drinking alcohol [as measured using the Expectancy Questionnaire for Alcohol and Aggression Lo Dose (EQAAL); Epps, Hunter, LeVasseur, Steinberg, and Hancock, unpublished manuscript]. …

Stormwater Intelligent Control System (2005), Martin Wanielista

BMP Trains Research and Publications

Water restrictions, pollution control, volume balances, and the emergence of stormwater utilities have lead to the development of an automated intelligent system (“I-Water”) for water use and control. With the use of this system, water stored in stormwater ponds or in the surficial aquifer is not discharged to surface waters because it is used to meet water demands, such as, lawn irrigation, environmental protection, agriculture, drinking and industrial uses.

The drop in groundwater levels and the increasing use of reclaimed water illustrates a need for alternative water supplies. Ground water depletion is occurring which is adding to the destruction of …

[2005-08-25 Part1] Minutes Of A Regular Meeting Of The Board Of Visitors Of Virginia Commonwealth University August 25, 2005., Virginia Commonwealth University. Board Of Visitors

VCU Board of Visitors Minutes

Official minutes of the VCU Board of Visitors and its Executive Committee.

The Statesman, V. 49, I. 01, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v. 49, i. 01

The Antelope, University Of Nebraska At Kearney

The Antelope

No abstract provided.

Biodiesel Plant Investment—Making The Correct Decisions, Leland Tong, Steve Howell

Industrial Agricultural Products Center: Publications and Information

Overall Purpose of IBFG:
• Provide the most accurate, up-to-date, detailed, independent information on biodiesel and the biodiesel industry
• Provide Information you need to make an intelligent decision on a biodiesel plant….

Daily Eastern News: August 25, 2005, Eastern Illinois University

August

No abstract provided.

Soy Isoflavone Glycitein Protects Against Beta Amyloid-Induced Toxicity And Oxidative Stress In Transgenic Caenorhabditis Elegans, Astrid Gutierrez-Zepeda, Ross Santell, Zhixin Wu, Marishka Brown, Yanjue Wu, Ikhlas Khan, Christopher D. Link, Baolu Zhao, Yuan Luo

Faculty Publications

Background

Epidemiological studies have associated estrogen replacement therapy with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, but a higher risk of developing breast cancer and certain cardiovascular disorders. The neuroprotective effect of estrogen prompted us to determine potential therapeutic impact of soy-derived estrogenic compounds. Transgenic C. elegans, that express human beta amyloid (Aβ), were fed with soy derived isoflavones genistein, daidzein and glycitein (100 μg/ml) and then examined for Aβ-induced paralysis and the levels of reactive oxygen species.

Results

Among the three compounds tested, only glycitein alleviated Aβ expression-induced paralysis in the transgenic C. elegans. This activity of …

The Political State And Christianity, Michael Lee

Honors College Theses

The highest duty of the Christian on Earth is to God no matter the consequence found within human law.

"Mark In This": Strategies Of Persuasion And Argument In John Donne's Poetry, Nazreen Laffir

Honors College Theses

Whether he is writing an erotic lyric, a mutual love poem or a holy sonnet, John Donne's poems employ a similar argumentative structure. Although "The Flea", an erotic lyric, "The Canonization", a mutual love poem, and "Batter My Heart", a holy sonnet portray different types of love, Donne's argumentative structure in these poems is similar to each other. In "The Flea", "The Canonization" and "Batter My Heart", Donne's speakers present a claim or command which they defend throughout the rest of the poem. The speakers use persuasive strategies to defend and validate their assertion. As the poems conclude, the speakers …

Environmental Refugees, Hidden Costs Of Development And Ecological Terrorism In Ecuador, Monsur Khan

Honors College Theses

Development can have serious environmental consequence. This paper is intended to address the issue of environmental problems in Ecuador caused by Texaco.

Central Florida Future, Vol. 38 No. 03, August 25, 2005

Central Florida Future

University police and on-campus residents unite to take bite out of crime: Through the Adopt-A-Cop program officers are hoping students will end illegal activities; Trustees to meet with faculty union to begin collective bargaining; Local residents defend need to move stadium's location; Against the grant: Gay students fear discrimination in workplace and campus.

Life V. Death: Or Why The Death Penalty Should Marginally Deter, Charles N. W. Keckler

George Mason University School of Law Working Papers Series

Econometric measures of the effect of capital punishment have increasingly provided evidence that it deters homicides. However, most researchers on both sides of the death penalty debate continue to rely on rather simple assumptions about criminal behavior. I attempt to provide a more nuanced and predictive rational choice model of the incentives and disincentives to kill, with the aim of assessing to what extent the statistical findings of deterrence are in line with theoretical expectations. In particular, I examine whether it is plausible to suppose there is a marginal increase in deterrence created by increasing the penalty from life imprisonment …

Psychoanalysis & The Films Of Federico Fellini, Mark Hayes

Honors College Theses

This paper explores the connection between the study of psychoanalysis and the films of Italian filmamaker Federico Fellini. It looks at four of his works in detail: I Vitelloni, 8 1/2 [Eight and one half], Juliet of the Spirits and Amarcord and analyzes psychoanalytic themes and symbolism in each. Included is also a brief biography of the filmmaker and an outline of his experiences with psychoanalysis, chiefly the writings of Carl Jung.

Xenophilic Mating Preferences Among Populations Of The Jumping Spider Habronattus Pugillis Griswold, Eileen Hebets, Wayne P. Maddison

Eileen Hebets Publications

Sexual selection is thought to have driven the diversification of courtship behavior and associated ornamentation between geographically isolated populations of the jumping spider Habronattus pugillis Griswold. In an attempt to understand the pathways of sexual selection during this diversification, we conducted reciprocal mating trials between two populations of H. pugillis (Santa Rita [SR] and Atascosa [AT]) that differ in both male courtship display and secondary sexual ornamentation. Observations of mating frequencies show a xenophilic mating preference in which SR females have a stronger response to AT males than to SR males, while AT females show no difference in mating frequency. …