Probable Intent vs. Certainty: The Missouri Probate Court and the Uniform Probate Code

This Note seeks to address how increasingly complex family situations should impact intestacy statutes. In In re Brockmire, the Supreme Court of Missouri specifically addressed what occurs when a decedent predeceases his biological granddaughter and his biological daughter, who had been adopted as an adult by her stepfather. Unfortunately, the court, bound by statute, was unable to even contemplate a remedy consistent with the probable intent of the decedent

OER Incentive Programs: Reflection and Learning as You Go to Establish Approaches and Tactics for Campus Success

The University of Arkansas Libraries along with campus partner, Global Campus, initiated their OER Incentive Program in the 2017 spring semester. The program provides faculty with structured financial awards to create, adapt, or adopt open education textbooks and other learning resources, publish these resources with open licenses, and use them in University of Arkansas courses in lieu of traditional textbooks. This presentation will provide an overview of the inception of the program, its structure, and management, as well as lessons learned by the OER team through reflection processes. Changes that have been implemented post-reflection will also be discussed. Audience members will gain insight on how to start and administer similar programs on their respective campuses as well as learn methods to help with reflection and assessment of program planning and administration

The Effects of Administrative Burden on Program Equity and Performance: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in a Foreclosure Prevention Program

In this article, we examine the effects of reforms to reduce administrative burden in a foreclosure prevention program by streamlining the application process and reducing applicant wait times. We find that the reforms are associated with a significant 23 percent increase in the rate of benefit receipt and a 7.5 percent decrease in the foreclosure rate. These effects are even larger for applicants with more difficult-to-document hardship situations. However, we also find evidence of congestion, where the elimination of documentation requirements increased processing times for applicants, undoing some of the positive benefits. These findings suggest that shifting the documentation burden to the state without sufficiently expanding state capacity may substitute one form of administrative burden for another

Childhood poly-victimization and perceived family environment

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the necessity of examining multiple victimizations when studying childhood victimization histories. Several studies have found poly-victimization (i.e., high cumulative levels of victimization) common in non-clinical samples and associated with greater trauma symptomatology than experiencing a single type of victimization (Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner, 2007; Richmond, Elliott, Pierce, Aspelmeier, & Alexander, 2009; Saunders, 2003). This study examined the relative contribution of six different categories of childhood victimization and poly-victimization in predicting the Conflict and Cohesion subscale scores of the Family Environment Scale (FES). In a sample of 330 female college undergraduates, the results showed that victimization was common in a non-clinical sample, and most participants who endorsed one type of victimization also endorsed multiple types. Poly-victimization accounted for significant proportions of variability in participants\u27 perceptions of their family conflict and cohesion, but these contributions were small to moderate. Finally, polyvictimization and the simultaneous entry of all six categories of victimization accounted for large, and statistically significant, amounts of variance for perceived family conflict and cohesion

Size-at-maturity of Brown Crab (Cancer pagurus) in Scottish waters based on gonadal and morphometric traits

CRediT authorship contribution statement Carlos Mesquita: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft. Helen Dobby: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision. Stephanie Sweeting: Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis. Catherine S. Jones: Supervision, Writing - review & editing. Graham J. Pierce: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision.Peer reviewedPostprin

Effects of in vitro Brevetoxin Exposure on Apoptosis and Cellular Metabolism in a Leukemic T Cell Line (Jurkat)

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, produce red tide toxins, or brevetoxins. Significant health effects associated with red tide toxin exposure have been reported in sea life and in humans, with brevetoxins documented within immune cells from many species. The objective of this research was to investigate potential immunotoxic effects of brevetoxins using a leukemic T cell line (Jurkat) as an in vitro model system. Viability, cell proliferation, and apoptosis assays were conducted using brevetoxin congeners PbTx-2, PbTx-3, and PbTx-6. The effects of in vitro brevetoxin exposure on cell viability and cellular metabolism or proliferation were determined using trypan blue and MTT (1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan), respectively. Using MTT, cellular metabolic activity was decreased in Jurkat cells exposed to 5 – 10 μg/ml PbTx-2 or PbTx-6. After 3 h, no significant effects on cell viability were observed with any toxin congener in concentrations up to 10 μg/ml. Viability decreased dramatically after 24 h in cells treated with PbTx-2 or -6. Apoptosis, as measured by caspase-3 activity, was significantly increased in cells exposed to PbTx-2 or PbTx-6. In summary, brevetoxin congeners varied in effects on Jurkat cells, with PbTx-2 and PbTx-6 eliciting greater cellular effects compared to PbTx-3

Updated Distributional Records of Selected Kentucky Fishes

Distribution records for 15 fish species of conservation interest are included for Kentucky. Notropis dorsalis, previously undocumented in Kentucky, is reported for the first time (Mayfield Creek drainage). Also reported are state rediscoveries of three species thought to be extirpated from Kentucky: Ichthyomyzon gagei (Tennessee River drainage), Hemitremia flammea (Lower Cumberland and Green river drainages), and Hybopsis amnis (upper Cumberland River drainage). Unreported drainage records comprise nine species: Ichthyomyzon castaneus (Salt River drainage and Upper Green River drainage); Ichthyomyzon unicuspis (Salt River drainage and upper Big Sandy River drainage); Campostoma pullum (Tennessee River drainage); Umbra limi (Obion Creek drainage); Lepomis marginatus (Blood River system); Ammocrypta pellucida (Tygart’s Creek drainage); Nothonotus camurus (Kinniconick Creek drainage); Percina sciera (Salt River drainage); and Percina squamata (Laurel River system). Finally, we report range extensions of Notropis maculatus (Mayfield Creek drainage and Clarks River system) and Typhlichthys subterraneus (Cumberland River drainage). All but four species (I. unicuspis, C. pullum, N. camurus, and P. sciera) have a state conservation status designation because they are rare or have limited (e.g., peripheral) distributions in Kentucky

Combining geometric morphometrics and finite element analysis with evolutionary modeling:towards a synthesis

<p>Geometric morphometrics (GM) and finite element analysis (FEA) are increasingly common techniques for the study of form and function. We show how principles of quantitative evolution in continuous phenotypic traits can link the two techniques, allowing hypotheses about the relative importance of different functions to be tested in a phylogenetic and evolutionary framework. Finite element analysis is used to derive quantitative surfaces that describe the comparative performance of different morphologies in a morphospace derived from GM. The combination of two or more performance surfaces describes a quantitative adaptive landscape that can be used to predict the direction morphological evolution would take if a combination of functions was selected for. Predicted paths of evolution also can be derived for hypotheses about the relative importance of multiple functions, which can be tested against evolutionary pathways that are documented by phylogenies or fossil sequences. Magnitudes of evolutionary trade-offs between functions can be estimated using maximum likelihood. We apply these methods to an earlier study of carapace strength and hydrodynamic efficiency in emydid turtles. We find that strength and hydrodynamic efficiency explain about 45% of the variance in shell shape; drift and other unidentified functional factors are necessary to explain the remaining variance. Measurement of the proportional trade-off between shell strength and hydrodynamic efficiency shows that throughout the Cenozoic aquatic turtles generally sacrificed strength for streamlining and terrestrial species favored stronger shells; this suggests that the selective regime operating on small to mid-sized emydids has remained relatively static.</p> <p>SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/UJVP" target="_blank">www.tandfonline.com/UJVP</a></p> <p>Citation for this article: Polly, P. D., C. T. Stayton, E. R. Dumont, S. E. Pierce, E. J. Rayfield, and K. D. Angielczyk. 2016. Combining geometric morphometrics and finite element analysis with evolutionary modeling: towards a synthesis. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1111225.</p