Digital Commons Network^™

Social Science Studies And The Children Of Lesbians And Gay Men: The Rational Basis Perspective, Carlos A. Ball

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Article seeks to determine whether the social science literature on the children of lesbians and gay men precludes the government from relying on child welfare considerations to justify same-sex marriage bans and parenting restrictions affecting lesbians and gay men under the highly deferential rational basis test. Under that test, courts must uphold laws and regulations that have any conceivable basis of fact which is rationally related to a legitimate state interest. After comprehensively reviewing the social science literature, the Article concludes that the empirical evidence showing the lack of an association between parental sexual orientation and the psychological and …

Crossing The Final Border: Securing Equal Gender Protection In Immigration Cases, Michelle L. Sudano

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Not Extinct: A Year In The Life Of The American Chesnut, Kristen Julina Stanfill

Honors Theses

After the widespread infection of the American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) due to the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica the species was nearly brought to extinction and now merely exists as stump sprouts. Since the fungus infects the bark of the tree but not the root systems new shoots are able to emerge and grow before once again being girdled by the fungus. Cryphonectria parasitica is believed to have been brought to America on Asian species of chestnut which possess resistance to the blight caused by the fungus. It is the plan of the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) to integrate the genes …

Robust Image Analysis With Sparse Representation On Quantized Visual Features, Bingkun Bao, Guangyu Zhu, Jialie Shen, Shuicheng Yan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Recent techniques based on Sparse Representation (SR) have demonstrated promising performance on high-level visual recognition, exemplified by the high-accuracy face recognition under occlusions and other sparse corruptions [1]. Most research in this area has focused on classification algorithms using raw image pixels, and very few have been proposed to utilize the quantized visual features, such as the popular Bagof- Words (BOW) feature abstraction. In such cases, besides the inherent quantization errors, ambiguity associated with visual word assignment and mis-detection of feature points due to factors such as visual occlusions and noises, constitutes the major causes to the dense corruptions of …

Effects Of Flow Rates And Composition Of The Filter, And Decay/Ingrowth Correction Factors Involved With The Determination Of In Situ Particulate 210Po And 210Pb In Seawater, Mark Baskaran, Thomas Church, Gi Hong, Anupam Kumar, Ma Qiang, Hui Choi, Sylvain Rigaud, Kanchan Maiti

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Accurate measurements of particulate ²¹⁰Po (²¹⁰Po_p) and ²¹⁰Pb (²¹⁰Pb_p) are required in the investigation of (i) partitioning of Po and Pb between particulate and dissolved phases and (ii) export estimates of carbon and other key trace metals from the euphotic zone via sinking particulate matter. Based on the intercomparison of different composition of the filter material (QMA, Supor, Millipore, and Pall GN6) and flow rates (2 to 8 L min), we show how these factors affect the measured concentrations of ²¹⁰Po_p and ²¹⁰Pb_p and their activity …

A Bayesian Regression Tree Approach To Identify The Effect Of Nanoparticles Properties On Toxicity Profiles, Cecile Low-Kam, Haiyuan Zhang, Zhaoxia Ji, Tian Xia, Jeffrey I. Zinc, Andre Nel, Donatello Telesca

COBRA Preprint Series

We introduce a Bayesian multiple regression tree model to characterize relationships between physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles and their in-vitro toxicity over multiple doses and times of exposure. Unlike conventional models that rely on data summaries, our model solves the low sample size issue and avoids arbitrary loss of information by combining all measurements from a general exposure experiment across doses, times of exposure, and replicates. The proposed technique integrates Bayesian trees for modeling threshold effects and interactions, and penalized B-splines for dose and time-response surfaces smoothing. The resulting posterior distribution is sampled via a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. This …

Biological Sex Differences In The Workplace: Reports Of The End Of Men Are Greatly Exaggerated (As Are Claims Of Women’S Continued Inequality), Kingsley R. Browne

Law Faculty Research Publications

Common examples of perceived workplace inequality – the “glass ceiling,” the “gender gap” in compensation, and occupational segregation, among others – cannot be well understood if the explanation proffered for their existence is limited exclusively to social causes such as discrimination and sexist socialization. Males and females have, on average, different sets of talents, tastes, and interests, which cause them to select somewhat different occupations and exhibit somewhat different workplace behaviors. Some of these sex differences have biological roots. Temperamental sex differences are found in competitiveness, dominance seeking, risk taking, and nurturance, with females tending to be more “person oriented” …

Staying In The Target Language While Teaching Middle School And High School, William Worden

Dimensions

This article advocates the use of the target language at all times in the classroom at all levels of language instruction. While addressed specifically to middle school and high school teachers, the article suggests an approach to language instruction that can be implemented for students of all ages. After recounting how the author’s experience teaching high school students convinced him to teach exclusively in Spanish, the article then addresses possible objections to the instructional method, presents topics to cover when teaching Day 1 of Level 1 of a language, and discusses ways to help students thrive in an all-target-language classroom.

Administering Mayo To Patents In Medicine And Biotechnology: Appropriate Dosage Or Risk Of Toxic Side Effects?, Lauren Miller

Mercer Law Review

In Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., the United States Supreme Court considered whether it would uphold patents on the "bounty" arising from laws of nature, specifically, diagnostic tests based on natural laws that determined the efficacy and toxicity of certain thiopurine drugs. In a unanimous ruling, the Court invalidated the patents, which were held by respondent Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. (Prometheus). The Court ultimately concluded that the processes for which Prometheus claimed patents did not add "significantly more" to the underlying laws of nature, and thus did not warrant patent protection. The Mayo decision is likely to have …

Introducing Computer Science In An Integrated Science Course, Barry Lawson, Doug Szajda, Lewis Barnett Iii

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

This paper describes our implementation and experience of incorporating computer science concepts into a team-taught, first-year interdisciplinary course for prospective science majors at the University of Richmond. The course integrates essential concepts from each of five STEM disciplines: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Including computer science in this course faces three primary challenges: few of the students have any CS background; the time devoted to CS instruction is reduced compared to a traditional introductory CS course; and the spirit of the course requires the CS material to be highly integrated with the other disciplines. Here we discuss our …

A Graph-Theoretical Approach To The Selection Of The Minimum Tiling Path From A Physical Map, Serdar Bozdag

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

The problem of computing the minimum tiling path (MTP) from a set of clones arranged in a physical map is a cornerstone of hierarchical (clone-by-clone) genome sequencing projects. We formulate this problem in a graph theoretical framework, and then solve by a combination of minimum hitting set and minimum spanning tree algorithms. The tool implementing this strategy, called FMTP, shows improved performance compared to the widely used software FPC. When we execute FMTP and FPC on the same physical map, the MTP produced by FMTP covers a higher portion of the genome, and uses a smaller number of clones. For …

Effect Of Passive Vibration On Skin Blood Flow In Good Glycemic Control And Poor Glycemic Control Type 2 Diabetics, Kanikkai Steni Balan Sackiriyas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Microcirculation regulated by the sympathetic system and vascular endothelium plays a significant role in the homeostasis of temperature and wound healing. Damage to the autonomic nervous system and endothelial system resulting from aging and diabetes decreases the potential of wound healing. Insulin resistance and impaired wound healing associated with type 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic foot ulceration (DFU). Factors such as the increased insulin resistance, impaired wound healing and DFU can increase the risk of amputation in type 2 diabetics (T2D). In research, passive vibration (PV) was effective in increasing skin blood flow (SBF) in healthy individuals as well …

Mitochondrial Handling Of Excess Ca2+ Is Substrate-Dependent With Implications For Reactive Oxygen Species Generation, Mohammed Aldakkak, David F. Stowe, Ranjan K. Dash, Amadou K.S. Camara

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The mitochondrial electron transport chain is the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during cardiac ischemia. Several mechanisms modulate ROS production; one is mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake. Here we sought to elucidate the effects of extramitochondrial Ca²⁺ (e[Ca²⁺]) on ROS production (measured as H₂O₂ release) from complexes I and III. Mitochondria isolated from guinea pig hearts were preincubated with increasing concentrations of CaCl₂ and then energized with the complex I substrate Na⁺ pyruvate or the complex II substrate Na⁺ succinate. Mitochondrial H₂O₂ release rates were assessed after …

March 2013, University Archives And Special Collections Department

This Month in UT Tyler History

No abstract provided.

Dying In Detention: Are Life Without Parole Sentences For Juvenile Non-Homicide Offenders Always Unconstitutionally Cruel And Unusual Under The Eighth Amendment?, Stephanie O'Banion

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Is Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor A Possible Mechanism Underlying Risperidone Sensitization In Adolescent Rats?, Qing Shu, Gang Hu, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Risperidone is one of the most widely used atypical antipsychotic drugs and is approved for the treatment of mental disorders (eg. schizophrenia, autism) in children and adolescents. The present study investigated the repeated treatment effect of risperidone and associated neurotropic mechanism in the phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion model in adolescent rats. We examined whether repeated risperidone treatment would cause a sensitized inhibition of PCP-induced hyperlocomotion in adolescent rats, and whether such a sensitization effect was mediated by risperidone-induced alterations in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), an important biomarker which plays a role in neuropathology of schizophrenia and action of antipsychotic medications. Male …

An Assessment Of Long-Term Biosand Filter Use And Sustainability In The Artibonite Valley Near Deschapelles, Haiti, Andrew J. Sisson, Peter J. Wampler, Richard R. Rediske, Azizur R. Molla

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

A non-randomized assessment of long-term biosand filter (BSF) use and sustainability in the Artibonite Valley near Deschapelles, Haiti was conducted during March, 2011. Of the 55 BSFs visited, 47% were no longer in use. Filter lifespan ranged from <1 year to systems still in use after 12 years. Interviews with BSF owners revealed problems related to intermittent filter use due to travel for employment or personal matters; broken or missing filter parts; and fears that the filter would not be effective against cholera. In addition, 17 BSF field studies were reviewed to identify common issues impacting usage. Culturally appropriate technologies and education materials explaining proper maintenance and operation are essential for improved filter performance and sustainability. For Haiti, education materials should be provided in Creole and French and should include, (1) diagrams and descriptions of how the BSF works, (2) how to troubleshoot common problems, (3) how to properly maintain filters, and (4) a contact in case of questions. Operational problems can be minimized by providing long-term technical support, periodic water quality monitoring, and maintenance assistance for filter users.

Unconscious Processing Of Unattended Features In Human Visual Cortex, Tatiana Aloi Emmanouil, Philip Burton, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

Unconscious processing has been convincingly demonstrated for task-relevant feature dimensions. However, it is possible that the visual system is capable of more complex unconscious operations, extracting visual features even when they are unattended and task irrelevant. In the current study, we addressed this question by measuring unconscious priming using a task in which human participants attended to a target object's shape while ignoring its color. We measured both behavioral priming effects and priming-related fMRI activations from primes that were unconsciously presented using metacontrast masking. The results showed faster RTs and decreases in fMRI activation only when the primes were identical …

Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Testing: A Survey Of Consuming Perceptions, Albert Blankley

Theses

INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE

New technology presents difficulties for policy makers in that it is impossible to determine every subsequent impact of a novel technology when it is introduced to society. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing exemplifies this problem while presenting the additional complication of having an impact on both individual and public health. Little research has been done on what consumer perceptions of information presented to them are. Some studies have demonstrated a need for further work and expert consensus has identified issues with advertisements but no research has been

done on consumer perceptions.

METHODOLOGY

A cohort of faculty and staff …

When Pregnancy Is An Injury: Rape, Law, And Culture, Khiara M. Bridges

Faculty Scholarship

This Article examines criminal statutes that grade more severely sexual assaults that result in pregnancy. These laws, which define pregnancy as a “substantial bodily injury,” run directly counter to positive constructions of pregnancy within culture. The fact that the criminal law, in this instance, reflects this negative, subversive understanding of pregnancy creates the possibility that this idea may be received within culture as a construction of pregnancy that is as legitimate as positive understandings. In this way, these laws create possibilities for the reimagining of pregnancy within law and society. Moreover, these laws recall the argumentation that proponents of abortion …

Lagoon Startup And Maintenance For Optimal Livestock Waste Treatment, Rhonda Miller, Jennifer Major

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the importance of lagoon maintenance and maintenance for livestock waste treatment.

Molecular Basis For Jagged-1/Serrate Ligand Recognition By The Notch Receptor, P Whiteman, Bh De Madrid, P Taylor, D Li, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

We have mapped a Jagged/Serrate-binding site to specific residues within the 12th EGF domain of human and Drosophila Notch. Two critical residues, involved in a hydrophobic interaction, provide a ligand-binding platform and are adjacent to a Fringe-sensitive residue that modulates Notch activity. Our data suggest that small variations within the binding site fine-tune ligand specificity, which may explain the observed sequence heterogeneity in mammalian Notch paralogues, and should allow the development of paralogue-specific ligand-blocking antibodies. As a proof of principle, we have generated a Notch-1-specific monoclonal antibody that blocks binding, thus paving the way for antibody tools for research and …

New Tools For Quantitative Decision Analysis In Applied Ecology And Conservation, Adam W. Schapaugh

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Scientists have generated a massive body of theory aimed at predicting and managing the impacts of anthropogenic activities on populations, species, and ecosystems. Transforming this research into knowledge that informs complex decision-making problems remains a major challenge in environmental management and conservation. My dissertation research aims to address this issue through the development and application of mathematical and statistical models. I integrate tools, concepts, and techniques from ecology, applied mathematics, computer science, and statistics to build structured decision-making frameworks for spatial prioritization, resource allocation, and optimal scheduling. I also tackle several of the technical challenges limiting the utility of such …

Parsimony And Model-Based Analyses Of Indels In Avian Nuclear Genes Reveal Congruent And Incongruent Phylogenetic Signals, Tamaki Yuri, Rebecca T. Kimball, John Harshman, Rauri Ck Bowie, Michael J. Braun

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Insertion/deletion (indel) mutations, which are represented by gaps in multiple sequence alignments, have been used to examine phylogenetic hypotheses for some time. However, most analyses combine gap data with the nucleotide sequences in which they are embedded, probably because most phylogenetic datasets include few gap characters. Here, we report analyses of 12,030 gap characters from an alignment of avian nuclear genes using maximum parsimony (MP) and a simple maximum likelihood (ML) framework. Both trees were similar, and they exhibited almost all of the strongly supported relationships in the nucleotide tree, although neither gap tree supported many relationships that have proven …

Teaching Physiology Online: Successful Use Of Case Studies In A Graduate Course, Giovanni Casotti, John T. Beneski, Maureen T. Knabb

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Searching For Electrical Properties, Phenomena And Mechanisms In The Construction And Function Of Chromosomes, Ivan Kanev, Wai-Ning Mei, Akira Mizuno, Kristi Dehaai, Jennifer Sanmann, Michelle Hess, Lois Starr, Jennifer Grove, Bhavana Dave, Warren Sanger

Physics Faculty Publications

Our studies reveal previously unidentified electrical properties of chromosomes: (1) chromosomes are amazingly similar in construction and function to electrical transformers; (2) chromosomes possess in their construction and function, components similar to those of electric generators, conductors, condensers, switches, and other components of electrical circuits; (3) chromosomes demonstrate in nano-scale level electromagnetic interactions, resonance, fusion and other phenomena similar to those described by equations in classical physics. These electrical properties and phenomena provide a possible explanation for unclear and poorly understood mechanisms in clinical genetics including: (a) electrically based mechanisms responsible for breaks, translocations, fusions, and other chromosomal abnormalities associated …

March 1-2, 2013, Vs. Bemidji State, University Of North Dakota

UND Athletics Publications: Men's Hockey

Program for the March 1-2, 2013, weekend series against the Bemidji State Beavers.

The Echo: March 1, 2013, Taylor University

2012-2013 (Volume 100)

2013 SBP-SBVP Primaries – Student body president race down to two – Push My Button seeks to cross cultural divide – Juniors feeling housing crunch – Top five news events of the week – Ball State ministry returns to action revamped – In The Loop – Real world thinking – Wildcat Wind Project takes Grant County by storm – Weather Forecast – Bomb threats at Eastbrook – Political popery – Hilarious Headlines – Top 10 pictures in 2013…so far – Around The World – The Geek Briefs – Computer science students program hope – Fracking: known benefit, unknown cost – …

Increasing California Dairy Exports To Japan And South Korea, Kristina Soper

Dairy Science

The opportunities for increasing exports of California dairy products to the Japanese and South Korean markets were determined by identifying current obstacles in the California dairy industry and determining the characteristics of consumers in the Japanese and South Korean markets. As the largest milk-producing state and the supplier of 7.5% of total U.S. dairy exports, California’s economic activity greatly affects the rest of the nation and the world. The trends in the California dairy industry include increasing total milk production and per-cow milk production, a diminishing number of total dairy operations, and a rising number of large dairy operations. These …

Why Marriage Is Still The Best Default In Estate Planning Conflicts, Lynne Marie Kohm

Dickinson Law Review (1908-2003)

By analyzing a Tennessee bigamy case, a New York same-sex marriage case, and the growing cultural trend toward cohabitation over marriage, this article discusses how and why marriage is the best estate plan to protect vulnerable parties as they age. The article examines how marriage assists vulnerable parties in avoiding potential conflicts in estate planning and distribution, particularly when those parties have entered into alternative relationships. By focusing on the cases of Witherspoon, in which John Witherspoon entered into a bigamous second marriage, and Windsor, in which Edie Windsor is suing the U.S. government over the lack of federal tax …