cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scenario planning: Pierre Wack’s hidden messages

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to distill and interpret Pierre Wack’s original views on scenario planning based on his personal papers and documents now accessible at the Pierre Wack Memorial Library at the University of Oxford. Design/methodology/approach This article is based on a practical and historical review of several key documents at the Pierre Wack Memorial Library. The theoretical scope of the paper is to view current scenario planning practices in light of the foundational ideas of its originator. Findings Pierre’s personal materials contain several important practical implications for using scenarios. These are summarized after analyzing, synthesizing and reviewing his ideas. Research limitations/implications Because the article is based on Wack’s personal views about scenario planning, it is necessarily limited. However, the goal is to revisit the original intent of scenario planning by reviewing the personal documents of one of its originators. Practical implications The main goal of the paper is to distill practical advice from Wack’s documents. These are: (a) scenarios must be part of a larger strategy system and the elements are clarified, (b) scenarios should not be positioned or sold as the product/outcome of scenario planning, (c) the two-day workshop approach to scenario planning is not adequate, and (d) scenario planning should not primarily be practiced as group process. These issues are discussed and further explanations and solutions are examined. Social implications This article is intended to provoke challenging questions about the nature of current scenario planning practices. We hope this work might change the common approach to scenario planning and offer guidance for avoiding disappointment in scenario planning because it is increasingly practiced inadequately. Originality/value This article features some of Wack’s original views about what is required for successful scenario planning. Further, this article uses his own words and is based on his personal documents, videos, presentation transcriptions and personal writings that have not before been in the public domain. This article will be of value to any executive, manager or consultant considering scenario planning, who wants to learn how it was originally intended to be practiced, how to get the most out of it, and what to avoid.
Mouse Lemur Phylogeography Revises a Model of Ecogeographic Constraint in Madagascar

Mouse lemurs (genus Microcebus) are small nocturnal primates that are ubiquitously distributed throughout Madagascar. Until the past decade or so, it was believed that there were only two species, one that occupied the eastern regions of Madagascar (M. rufus) and one that occupied the western regions of Madagascar (M. murinus). Intensive field studies, accompanied by genetic analysis, have revealed that the two species taxonomy vastly underestimates the actual species diversity, however, with eight species now recognized. There are numerous indicators that even the eight species taxonomy is an insufficient representation of their actual evolutionary diversity. Our chapter reviews some of the evidence both for the presently acknowledged species diversity, and clarifies the evidence for supposing that there are other species yet to be identified. Primarily, the chapter focuses on the unexpected phylogeographic patterns revealed by mitochondrial DNA analysis. These data show that mouse lemur species do not form western and eastern clades, as ecogeographic evidence might suggest. Rather, there appears to be a historical separation of species into northern and southern clades. We emphasize the point, however, that this latter pattern is based on incomplete species and geographic sampling. Only complete sampling of populations from all regions of Madagascar will reveal the true historical patterns of mouse lemur evolution.
Fiscal Federalism and Tax Progressivity: Should the Federal Income Tax Encourage State and Local Redistribution?

One of the central tenets of fiscal federalism is that redistributive policies should be undertaken by the most central level of government rather than state or local governments. This Article highlights and critically examines the ways in which the current federal deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) frustrates this goal. As presently designed, the federal SALT deduction encourages state and local redistribution in a variety of ways. For example, current law (i) limits SALT deductions to itemizing taxpayers, (ii) favors progressive income and property taxes over regressive sales taxes, and (iii) confers the largest subsidy on taxpayers with the highest incomes. In combination, these features of the SALT deduction give state and local governments an incentive to skew tax burdens in favor of greater progressivity - an outcome that is exactly contrary to the central normative prescription of fiscal federalism regarding the assignment of redistributive policies to the national government. Working from this insight, the Article makes the normative case against the deduction for state and local taxes as currently designed. The principal argument is that the state and local tax deduction should be distributionally neutral - i.e., the amount of the SALT subsidy flowing to residents of any state or local government should not vary based upon the distributional properties of that government's tax burden. Various reform options that would satisfy the principle of distributional neutrality are examined, including outright repeal and flat-rate refundable tax credits. While such reforms would make the federal income tax burden more progressive, they would also likely encourage state and local governments to adopt less progressive tax systems. The article concludes that this outcome - a more progressive federal tax structure and a less progressive state and local tax structure - is more consistent with basic principles of fiscal federalism than current law.
Abstract 155: MicroRNA-146a Suppression of NF-κB-driven Monocyte/Macrophage Activation and Atherosclerosis is Regulated by Cellular ApoE Expression

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) exerts anti-inflammatory properties that protect against atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanisms by which apoE suppresses the activation of leukocytes remain incompletely understood. An assessment of apoE expression levels among major leukocyte subsets in wild-type mice revealed that only macrophages and monocytes express apoE abundantly. An absence of Apoe expression in mouse macrophages and monocytes resulted in enhanced NF-κB signaling and an exaggerated inflammatory response upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. This correlated with reduced levels of microRNA-146a, a critical negative regulator of NF-κB signaling. Restoration of apoE expression in Apoe-/- macrophages and monocytes enhanced miR-146a levels, while silencing apoE expression in wild-type mouse monocytes reduced miR-146a levels. Mechanistically, apoE increased the expression of transcription factor PU.1, which raised levels of pri-miR-146 transcripts, demonstrating that apoE exer...
Changes in the menu of manipulation: Electoral fraud, ballot stuffing, and voter pressure in the 2011 Russian election

Vote-buying and voter intimidation are costly, complicated, and risky ways to manage elections. Why, then, do hybrid regimes utilize such tactics rather than ballot stuffing or election falsification? Such methods to mobilize voters require the construction of patronage networks that can be used to mobilize or demobilize clients beyond the election, and to display the incumbent's organizational strength. These networks are most valuable in places where opposition groups are active; consequently direct voter pressure should be more common in competitive areas. This paper uses data from Russia's 83 regions during the 2011 election to compare patterns of extra-legal mobilization with patterns of ballot stuffing and falsification. I conclude that local political competitiveness structures the mix of electoral manipulation tactics employed.
Autoantibody Production by Human B Lymphocytes which Spontaneously Proliferate

The ability of spontaneously proliferating lymphocytes to produce autoantibodies was examined. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from autoimmune patients and normal individuals were maintained in culture. In many cases lymphocytes grew spontaneously resulting in stable cell lines. Most of the cell lines secreted immunoglobulins. Supernatants were tested for the presence of autoantibodies by screening against normal tissues. Autoantibodies were present in supernatants derived from cells cultured from both autoimmune and normal individuals.
An Elementary Proof that the Unit Disc is a Swiss Cheese

(1976). An Elementary Proof that the Unit Disc is a Swiss Cheese. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 83, No. 7, pp. 552-554.
Drawing Moving Objects from Gray Scale Image Sequences

To draw moving objects accurately from gray scale image sequences. an algorithm-smooth template-aimed multiplication is put forward. The method would be used to trail and recognize the objects and draw them accurately . Experiments indicate that the degree of distortion of the objects drawn with the method is less, its error is low, of which the performance is better than that of differential value method.
Intercostal pedicle method for control of postresection esophagitis. Thirteen-year clinical study.

In attempting to solve the problem of gastroesophageal reflux esophagitis, we tested an experimental technique in 1967. In the past 13 years we have applied that intercostal pedicle method to prevent reflux in 43 patients. Thirty-four patients had esophagogastrectomy and esophagogastrostomy for cancer. Six additional patients underwent palliative, nonresective esophagogastrostomy. In another two patients the lower esophagus was resected for complete full-wall thickness fibrous stricture. One patient had severely symptomatic reflux. Six patients treated by resection for cancer are long-term survivors. The two patients with benign stricture were followed for 2 years and the last patient with severe reflux symptoms was followed for 13 years. History, esophagography, fluoroscopy, and fiberoptic esophagoscopy were used for follow-up in 40 of 43 patients. Motility and pH studies were used for follow-up in 21 instances. There have been no symptoms of regurgitation and reflux. No stricture has been seen even though one patient needed a few dilatations for the first 2 years and none in the last 2 years. The esophagogram shows a typical sling like appearance. The lower esophageal sphincter-like pressure has been as high as 26 mm Hg in the immediate postoperative period, settling to 12 to 15 mm Hg in the long-term follow-up. The pH is definitely alkaline in the esophagus. Competence has also been observed in the only two patients who had an ephemeral anastomotic leak. We recommend the intercostal pedicle technique in all cases of esophagogastrostomy performed in the chest.
Regional flood frequency analysis using spatial proximity and basin characteristics: Quantile regression vs. parameter regression technique

Abstract Despite wide use of regression-based regional flood frequency analysis (RFFA) methods, the majority are based on either ordinary least squares (OLS) or generalized least squares (GLS). This paper proposes ‘spatial proximity’ based RFFA methods using the spatial lagged model (SLM) and spatial error model (SEM). The proposed methods are represented by two frameworks: the quantile regression technique (QRT) and parameter regression technique (PRT). The QRT develops prediction equations for flooding quantiles in average recurrence intervals (ARIs) of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 100 years whereas the PRT provides prediction of three parameters for the selected distribution. The proposed methods are tested using data incorporating 30 basin characteristics from 237 basins in Northeastern United States. Results show that generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution properly represents flood frequencies in the study gages. Also, basin area, stream network, and precipitation seasonality are found to be the most effective explanatory variables in prediction modeling by the QRT and PRT. ‘Spatial proximity’ based RFFA methods provide reliable flood quantile estimates compared to simpler methods. Compared to the QRT, the PRT may be recommended due to its accuracy and computational simplicity. The results presented in this paper may serve as one possible guidepost for hydrologists interested in flood analysis at ungaged sites.
A comment on the thermal conductivity of (U,Pu)O2 and (U,Th)O2 by molecular dynamics with adjustment for phonon-spin scattering

In this study, a new approach for adjusting molecular dynamics results on UO2 thermal conductivity to include phonon-spin scattering has been used to improve calculations on Ux Pu1–x O2 and UxTh1xO2. We demonstrate that by including spin scattering a strong asymmetry as a function of uranium actinide fraction, x, is obtained. Greater degradation is shown for UxTh1–xO2 than UxPu1-xO2. Minimum thermal conductivities are predicted at U0.97Pu0.03O2 and U0.58Th0.42O2, although the degradation in UxPu1–xO2 is negligible relative to pure UO2.
Realizing communication services using model-driven development

The advances in technology to support complex communication services, such as the pervasiveness of mobile devices and the convergence of multimedia communication over digital networks, has resulted in a need for a new approach to model and realize communication services. The stovepipe approach used to develop today's communication applications is no longer effective since it results in a lengthy and costly development cycle. In this paper we present an approach that allows a user (end-user or domain expert) to model and realize communication services using a model-driven approach. We describe a semi-formal communication logic which is the meta-model for creating instances of user communication services. To show the applicability of our approach we demonstrate how models are created and realized using our prototype and a scenario from the healthcare domain.
Predicting Detection Times with Perceptual Euclidian Distance

How should we select a set of symbol colors to optimize detection times? Here we suggest a simple, easy- to-calculate technique for predicting symbol detection times in cued and uncued visual search tasks. We used Perceptual Euclidian Distance (PED) to measure color similarity among symbols within the set (PEDset) and between each symbol color and the background color (PEDbg). Post hoc analyses of data from two previous change-detection experiments indicated that PEDbg was negatively correlated with detection time, but only in uncued visual search. PEDset, in contrast, was negatively correlated with detection time in cued search. In the current experiment, we designed a new symbology set that included three symbols that were equidistant in PED color space and a fourth symbol that was farther away in PED color space. We used this symbol set in a change detection experiment using the flicker paradigm. Consistent with the results of our previous analyses, we found that cued detection time was correlated with...
Rethinking Lymphatic Vessels and Antitumor Immunity

Lymphatic vessels facilitate fluid homeostasis, immune cell trafficking, and lipid transport, and contribute to solid tumor progression as routes of metastasis. Given new evidence that lymphatic vessels both correlate with intratumoral lymphocytes and directly suppress immune function, I reevaluate the passive lymphatic vessel paradigm and discuss its relevance to antitumor immunity.
Annual colonoscopy volume and maintenance of competency for surgeons.

To determine whether the annual case volume of general surgeons (greater or less than 200 colonoscopies) is associated with quality outcomes. This retrospective cohort study involved all adults who underwent colonoscopy by a surgeon in the city of St. John’s, NL, during the first 6 months of 2012. Subjects were identified through records from the health authority, and data were recorded on a standardized data sheet. Univariate analysis followed by stepwise multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine whether there was an association between quality outcomes (colonoscopy completion rate, adenoma detection rate) and predictors of these outcomes including annual colonoscopy volume, patient age, gender, indication for colonoscopy, and ASA score. A Chi-squared test was used to determine whether other outcomes were associated with annual colonoscopy volume. Data were collected on 1060 patients. Mean age was 59.5 (sd 12.2) years with 550 females. A total of 13 surgeons were studied, of which 7 performed less than 200 annual colonoscopies over the previous 2 years (low-volume group) and 6 performed more than 200 annual colonoscopies over the previous 2 years (high-volume group). While there was a significant difference in the colonoscopy completion rate favoring the high-volume group (82.2 vs. 91.1 %, p < 0.001), no difference was noted in the adenoma detection rate between groups (16.7 vs. 17.7 %, p = 0.762). The regression model revealed that colonoscopy completion was also associated with an indication of screening or surveillance and an ASA score of 1 or 2. The adenoma detection rate was associated with older age and male gender. There was no statistically significant association between annual colonoscopy volume and other safety outcome measures. Performing over 200 colonoscopies annually is associated with higher colonoscopy completion rates, but does not appear to be associated with other quality measures.
Coping Power Dissemination Study: Intervention and Special Education Effects on Academic Outcomes.

This study examines whether a school-based preventive intervention for children with aggressive behavior affects children's academic outcomes when it is implemented by school counselors in a dissem...
Can a Reasonable Doubt Have an Unreasonable Price? Limitations on Attorneys' Fees in Criminal Cases

The disciplinary rules of every state prohibit attorneys from charging unreasonable fees. However, these provisions are virtually never enforced based on the size of the fee alone; almost all cases involve independent forms of misconduct, such as falsifying billing records, or demanding fees in excess of an agreed upon amount. The only two cases the authors could find in which attorneys have been disciplined solely based on the size of the fee involved blue-chip civil attorneys - former Harvard and Yale law school faculty members - who represented working-class defendants in criminal matters. In both cases, the conclusion that the fee was excessive was questionable; the clients were completely exonerated of criminal charges and the amounts involved would have been unexceptional in elite civil practice. These disciplinary prosecutions were particularly doubtful, the authors argue, because the Sixth Amendment right to retain counsel of choice prohibits the government from limiting the amount of money criminal defendants can pay their lawyers. The reasonable fee rules are either unenforced or perversely enforced because they are not designed to limit lawyer's fees or incomes per se, but to ensure that lawyers do not take advantage of clients, and that clients understand the nature of the legal services they are buying. The mismatch between the purpose of the rules and their language should be remedied by making clear that lawyers are obligated to talk with their clients about their legal options and offer some estimate of what they might cost. But fees negotiated after appropriate disclosure should not subject an attorney to discipline.
A Robust and Efficient 3D LADAR Odometer with Outlier Detection

This paper discusses the estimation algorithms for Three-Dimensional (3D) displacement and 3D rotation using Two-Dimensional (2D) laser scanners. An efficient outlier detection method is proposed for both algorithms to help protect the integrity of navigation. The algorithms have been evaluated using both simulation and field test results. They are able to produce a robust odometry solution for an autonomous aircraft in an indoor environment.
An Allied Anesthetic?: De Preissac's Political Cartoon of Hitler's Surgery

During World War II, the French Resistance used political cartoons while fighting for France's freedom from Nazi domination. Reprinting Jean de Preissac's 1945 political cartoon of Allied leaders operating as Hitler's anesthetist and surgeons, a commemorative postcard was issued on the 20th anniversary of the radio broadcast credited with founding the French Resistance, General Charles de Gaulle's "Appeal of 18 June 1940."
Collective optimization problems with optimal decentralized selfish strategies

Abstract In this paper, we consider cooperative multi-agent systems minimizing a social cost. Cooperation is induced by the cost that penalizes the divergence of each agent from the average collective behavior. In principle, the optimal solution is centralized and requires a complete communication graph. We study this problem for two important system input-output norms, the l1 induced norm and the per-agent H2 norm squared, as function of the number of agents, n, and various cost structures. For the case of identical agents, and the simplest cost setting, we show that the optimal social solution is always the optimal decentralized selfish solution. For more general cost functions, we show that the optimal solution is always decentralized in the l1 induced norm case. In the case of the per-agent H2 norm squared cost, we show that the optimal decentralized selfish solution is socially optimal in the limit of large n. All of these also hold for several classes of problems with nonidentical agents. In simple terms, these results, identify important problem classes where decentralized/selfish behaviors are socially optimal, and for which inter-agent communication is or becomes unnecessary for large n.
Visualizing API Usage Examples at Scale

Using existing APIs properly is a key challenge in programming, given that libraries and APIs are increasing in number and complexity. Programmers often search for online code examples in Q&A forums and read tutorials and blog posts to learn how to use a given API. However, there are often a massive number of related code examples and it is difficult for a user to understand the commonalities and variances among them, while being able to drill down to concrete details. We introduce an interactive visualization for exploring a large collection of code examples mined from open-source repositories at scale. This visualization summarizes hundreds of code examples in one synthetic code skeleton with statistical distributions for canonicalized statements and structures enclosing an API call. We implemented this interactive visualization for a set of Java APIs and found that, in a lab study, it helped users (1) answer significantly more API usage questions correctly and comprehensively and (2) explore how other programmers have used an unfamiliar API.
On complexity of the mixed volume of parallelograms

Let K = (K{sub 1}...K{sub n}) be a n-tuple of convex compact subsets in the Euclidean space R{sup n}, and let V({center_dot}) be the Euclidean volume in R{sup n}. It is well known Herman Minkowski result (see for instance 5), that the value of the V{sub K}({gamma}{sub 1}K{sub 1} + ... {gamma}{sub n}K{sub n}) is a homogeneous polynomial of degree n, called the Minkowski polynomial, in nonnegative variables {gamma}{sub 1}...{gamma}{sub n1}, where '+' denotes Minkowski sum, and {gamma}K denotes the dilatation of K with coefficient {gamma}. The coefficient V(K{sub 1}...K{sub n}) of {gamma}{sub 1}{center_dot}{gamma}{sub 2}...{center_dot}{gamma}{sub n} is called the mixed volume of K{sub 1}...K{sub n}. Alternatively, V(K{sub 1}...K{sub n}) = ({partial_derivative}{sup n} / {partial_derivative}{gamma}{sub 1}...{partial_derivative}{gamma}{sub n})V{sub K}({gamma}{sub 1}K{sub 1}+...{gamma}{sub n}K{sub n}).
Coherent Moment-Based Approximations of Risk Functionals

The paper introduces a new, moment-based representation of version independent, coherent risk functionals for distributions with a finite second moment. The representation is based on L-moments. We analyze the second- and the third-order approximations and provide a method for constructing coherent approximations with the first few moments of the distribution. The method can be applied to coherent and non-coherent risk functionals and is interpreted in terms of a weighted average of particular Bayesian versions of Conditional Value-at-Risk. We formulate a conservative risk functional and a minimax portfolio construction problem which is non-parametric, convex, and exhibits a relative statistical robustness of the optimal solution compared to the classical utility-based approach. The developed approach bridges the gap between the intuitive utility-based higher-order moment portfolio construction and the formal construct of coherent risk functionals.
Developing Engineering Internships in France

This article provides a rationale for international internships and gives concrete tips on how to develop them. It surveys works extolling the advantages of professional internships and those proving the value of study abroad. Combining these two into international internships is the focus of a growing number of programs. However, little has been said about how to develop international internships for students. The author specifically addresses France as a destination, explaining the process for obtaining visas for students wishing to make an internship in France part of their education. The author provides suggestions for making contact with French companies and with multinational companies with facilities in France.
Assembly of Complete Programs

This chapter discusses the assembly of complete programs. Many assembly programs that go beyond the regional in their capabilities often prepare an intermediate version, in regional form, of the programs they are putting together. The SURAP type of assembly program employs a format that gives the region tag in numerical form. Each program for assembly must be initiated by a Program Name statement and be terminated with an End statement. The subroutine INTERP is entered by a return jump to the symbolic address INTERP from the upper instruction of a program step in the main program. The INTERP program itself is a subroutine of the program from which it draws the interpretive instructions that it interprets and executes.
DNA Repair Schemes in Bacteria and in Human Cells

This symposium on Repair of Radiation Damage deals with our current understanding of the various mechanisms by which living systems respond to damage in their genetic material. Most of the important discoveries in the field of DNA repair have resulted from the study of the response of cells to radiation. Also we know more about the repair of one particular type of ultraviolet light induced damage than any other. Ultraviolet light produces a variety of photo-products in DNA, intrastrand pyrimidine dimers being the most abundant. Dimers serve as model lesions for the study of DNA repair processes. An unrepaired dimer poses a block to normal DNA replication in vivo although replication may resume at a new initiation site beyond the dimer leaving a gap. Unless the dimers are removed or the post-replication gaps are filled the system becomes inviable.
A Second Look at the Golf Stroke

The result of computer calculations of the swing may be met by considerable skepticism by many, and downright distrust by some, particularly the result that the torque on the club produced in the swing itself is very large and quite adequate to bring the clubhead to the ball at high speed without help from the golfer through the action of his wrists. The belief that wrist action by the golfer is a necessary part of the downswing is almost universal.
Health Care Reform Bill H. R. 3200--America's Affordable Health Choices Act: what is missing?

The House of Representatives recently introduced its Health Care Reform Bill that is labeled America9s Affordable Health Choices Act. It seeks to provide affordable health care for all Americans and curb medical expense growth by offering coverage and choice, affordability, shared responsibility, prevention and wellness measures, and workforce investments. However, it fails to address the escalating threat of medical liability, the lack of patient accountability, and the absence of outcome measures in health care delivery that may jeopardize the cost and quality of accessible medical care.
Semantic inference from natural language privacy policies and Android code

Mobile apps collect dierent categories of personal information to provide users with various services. Companies use privacy policies containing critical requirements to inform users about their data practices. With the growing access to personal information and the scale of mobile app deployment, traceability of links between privacy policy requirements and app code is increasingly important. Automated traceability can be achieved using natural language processing and code analysis techniques. However, such techniques must address two main challenges: ambiguity in privacy policy terminology and unbounded information types provided by users through input elds in GUI. In this work, we propose approaches to interpret abstract terms in privacy policies, identify information types in Android layout code, and create a mapping between them using natural language processing techniques.
Always Be Converting: Moralizing a Postpurchase Funnel Media Environment

The ubiquity of digital communication channels such as social media platforms, video sites, and mobile apps has transformed the relational experience between audiences and brand entities. Whether e...
Effects of cold plasma treatment on interlayer bonding strength in FFF process

Abstract Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is the most popular additive manufacturing method because of its numerous capabilities and relatively low cost. This comes with a trade off as FFF printed parts are typically weak in the layer deposition direction due to insufficient interlayer bonding. This research adopts the method of cold plasma treatment and investigates the potential enhancement of interlayer bonding by altering the printed surface prior to the deposition of the next layer. Polylactic acid (PLA) is used as the printing material, due to its ubiquity in industry. The bonding strength is measured by the shear bond strength test. The results show that bond strength improved over 100% with 30 s of treatment and over 50% with 300 s of treatment. A mechanically polished surface is also included in the comparison for the high surface wettability, but the result shows no improvement. This indicates that wettability may not be the dominant mechanism for enhanced bonding after treatment.
Is recreation a landscape value?: Exploring underlying values in landscape values mapping

Abstract Landscape values mapping (LVM) is a participatory process used to gather public input for park and forest management. Respondents assign landscape values or ecosystem benefits to places on a map using a typology that usually includes the value “recreation.” Whereas other landscape values in the typology reflect personal guiding principles and enduring beliefs, recreation represents a diverse set of human behaviors influenced by their values and beliefs. For a more accurate comparison to other mapped values, and to better inform land managers of the underlying factors determining people's preferences, it is important to deconstruct the values that people draw upon when mapping recreation. In this study, we compare maps that included and excluded “recreation” in the values options. In the absence of recreation, other values surfaced variably by individual, providing insight to its complexity and suggesting that LVM exercises that incorporate recreation may not be eliciting underlying, and often conflicting, values.
Partisanship, politics, and the energy transition in the United States: A critical review and conceptual framework

Abstract Partisan rancor has markedly increased in the U.S., with significant divides between Republicans and Democrats in both the public and in government on a range of policy issues. Current partisanship extends beyond policy differences, however, in that Republicans and Democrats also hold different understandings of several empirical issues—such as climate change or the public health impacts of energy development. We propose a four-part conceptual framework to understand the role of partisanship in energy transition with a focus on the United States. We suggest that partisanship has four key dimensions: cue receptivity, expressive partisanship, negative partisanship, and performative partisanship. We identify research needs to understand and mitigate the role of partisanship in energy transition.
Investigation of Dipicolinic Acid Isosteres for the Inhibition of Metallo-β-Lactamases

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) poses an immediate threat to our most effective and widely prescribed drugs, the β-lactam-containing class of antibiotics. There are no clinically relevant inhibitors to combat NDM-1, despite significant efforts toward their development. Inhibitors that use a carboxylic acid motif for binding the ZnII ions in the active site of NDM-1 make up a large portion of the >500 inhibitors reported to date. New and structurally diverse scaffolds for inhibitor development are needed urgently. Herein we report the isosteric replacement of one carboxylate group of dipicolinic acid (DPA) to obtain DPA isosteres with good inhibitory activity against NDM-1 (and related metallo-β-lactamases, IMP-1 and VIM-2). It was determined that the choice of carboxylate isostere influences both the potency of NDM-1 inhibition and the mechanism of action. Additionally, we show that an isostere with a metal-stripping mechanism can be re-engineered into an inhibitor that favors ternary complex formation. This work provides a roadmap for future isosteric replacement of routinely used metal binding motifs (i.e., carboxylic acids) for the generation of new entities in NDM-1 inhibitor design and development.
On Saying No: Evidence Based Practice and the Hijacking of the Empirical

Poorly framed descriptions of psychotherapy serve as a pretext for the requirement that the efficacy of therapy requires demonstration through randomized control trials. Such restriction involves an inadequate conceptualization of the nature of psychotherapeutic engagement but is an understandable reaction to the conceptual confusion that continues to exist in most theories of psychotherapy. Descriptive Psychology is offered as a partial antidote to this problematic state of affairs.
MICROSCALE SERUM EXTRACTION METHOD FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS ANALYSIS OF CORTICOSTERONE AND LIPIDS

Corticosterone is an important steroid for the regulation of metabolism and stress response. Existing methods for the measurement of corticosterone include radioimmunoassay (RIA), enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). While each of these approaches have their advantages, RIAs use radioactive isotopes that necessitate specially regulated usage and disposal. Furthermore, both ELISAs and RIAs require expensive kits and can only measure a single analyte. In this study, we establish a new sample preparation technique based on a modified Folch extraction that allows for the simultaneous isolation of corticosterone and lipids from serum. The extract is then analyzed by LC-MS. Using only 5 µL of serum, quantification of corticosterone was achieved with coefficients of variation at 3% or less and a detection limit of 0.12 µM. Overall, the results of this study should be beneficial to the measurement of circulating corticosterone and lipids for a variety of studies using small volumes of samples.
Disturbing Dreams and Transcendence in Birdman and The Tempest

In Alejandro G. Inarritu’s 2014 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), the implications of a man who situationally resembles Shakespeare’s Prospero are played out in the St. James Theatre in New York City. A washed-up action film star, 20 years past his prime, mounts a stage production of a short story he has adapted, accompanied by his mental alter-ego, the superhero Birdman. Along with its meditation on the dangers of adaptation itself, the film traces the arc of the hero’s life in extraordinary sympathy with Prospero’s experience in The Tempest: both heroes are on an island, with their daughters, desperately seeking restitution and a form of resurrection before they die.
Visible and invisible hands intertwined: State-market symbiotic interactions and changing income inequality in urban China.

Abstract Analyzing the restructured political economy in 21st-century urban China, this project develops a “symbiotic interaction” model and reconceptualizes the state-market relationship to appreciate the changing inequality patterns. As the state and market have formed a long-term, intimate relationship, dynamic state policies interact with the fragmented labor market to redefine a set of socioeconomic capitals and statuses in affecting income inequality. Drawing empirical evidence from the Chinese General Social Survey 2003 and 2013 data, this paper employs linear and unconditional quantile regressions to compare income disparity patterns along both temporal and socio-spatial dimensions. The findings show that multiple key factors, including human capital (e.g., college education), political capital (e.g., party membership), occupational status (e.g., self-employment), and organizational type (e.g., state-owned enterprise), have all changed their economic returns over time and also played different roles for various earning groups. These findings suggest that we should conduct substantive institutional analyses of the evolving state-market relationship and their interplay to achieve a deeper understanding of the reshuffled stratification order in contemporary China. The proposed analytical framework also has broad implications in the research of other transitional economies.
Antecedents of opportunity recognition : the role of perceived self-efficacy /

If opportunity recognition lies at the heart of entrepreneur-like behavior, then we need to better understand the antecedents of opportunity perceptions. Perceived opportunity was hypothesized as situational, depending on perceptions of competence. Results demonstrated: (1) perceived self-efficacy directly influences perceptions of opportunity and threat; (2) self-efficacy indirectly influences strategic risk taking through opportunity and threat perceptions; (3) effects are task-specific. Research design used experiments to manipulate task-specific self-efficacy. Self-efficacy changes were significant antecedents of changes in opportunity recognition and risk taking. Results suggest broad implications for managerial decision-making research (e.g., prospect theory).
Found in translation-core network preservation across liver diseases and species.

Esmaili et al.1 conducted co-expression network analysis to uncover core homeostatic modules critical to a broad spectrum of liver diseases in mouse and human. Perturbation state of core modules may underlie disease stages across species and serve as therapeutic targets.
Designing Si/Si1−xGex Superlattices With Tailored Thermal Transport Properties

Si/Si1−x Gex superlattices are promising candidates for thermoelectric energy conversion applications [1, 2], as the phonon transport through them can be inhibited while maintaining desirable electrical transport properties. No comprehensive experimental study has been performed to map the thermal conductivity design space accessible by Si/Ge nanocomposites. By using atomistic modeling tools, interesting areas of the design space can be identified and then further explored experimentally.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The Global Pattern of Evolution of Plasmaspheric Drainage Plumes

We present observations of an 18 June 2001 erosion event obtained by the IMAGE extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager. Following a 0304 UT southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the plasmasphere on both nightside and dayside surged sunward, reducing the plasmasphere radius on the nightside and creating a broad drainage plume on the dayside. Over several hours this plume narrowed in magnetic local time (MLT), until shortly after a northward IMF turning between 1430 UT and 1500 UT, when the plume began corotating with the Earth. On a global scale, the 18 June EUV plasma sphere observations are consistent with the interpretation that dayside magnetopause reconnection (DMR) during southward IMF produced a sunward convection field in the inner magnetosphere. Using the Volland-Stern electric potential model normalized to the solar wind E-field, we performed a simple plasmapause test particle (PTP) simulation of the 18 June event and found good global agreement with EUV observations, but important sub-global differences as well. On a sub-global scale, proper treatment of plasmaspheric dynamics requires consideration of sub-auroral polarization streams (SAPS) and penetration electric field to explain narrow duskside plumes and preferential pre-dawn plasmapause motion, respectively. The 18 June 2001 EUV images contain evidence of a double plume (or bifurcation of a single plume) and dayside crenulations of the plasmapause, both of which remain unexplained. The observations suggest that strong convection suppresses or smooths plasmapause structure, which tends to increase during times of weak or absent convection. Analysis of the motion of the plasmapause on 18 June 2001 reveals some ofthe details of the initial erosion process, which apparently involves partial indentation of the plasmapause and subsequent widening of this indentation to other MLT sectors eastward and westward of the initial indentation, and produces 'rotated V' signatures in the electric field. Early erosion on 18 June was bursty, and modulated by the solar wind electric field; convection was turned on during southward IMF and turned off during northward IMF. Northward IMF apparently triggered overshielding, causing the formation of a midnight-to-dawn plasmapause bulge that subsequently corotated. It is clear that more detailed information about the inner magnetospheric E-field is required to fully understand plasmaspheric dynamics.
Treatment changes among older patients with dementia treated with antipsychotics.

Background Prescribing practice patterns and factors associated with treatment changes in older patients initiating antipsychotic treatment for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia is not well known. Objectives The objective of this study is to study 90-day prescribing practice patterns across the three most commonly prescribed antipsychotics. Methods This is a retrospective study using national data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The study included patients older than 65 years diagnosed with dementia who began outpatient treatment with an antipsychotic medication between 2005 and 2008. Patients were followed for 90 days from their antipsychotic start. The primary event of interest was changing to another psychotropic medication. Cumulative incidence of treatment change was determined with antipsychotic discontinuation and death as competing risks. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios for treatment change were determined using competing risk regression models. Results During the study period, 15,435 patients initiated an atypical antipsychotic; 14,791 started olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone. Over half (55%) of the patients discontinued index treatment within 90 days, 36% continued, 3% died while on index treatment, and 6% changed to another psychotropic medication. Compared with quetiapine, the adjusted hazard of treatment change was higher by 43% (p = 0.005) for olanzapine and by 12% (p = 0.08) for risperidone. Conclusion The higher hazard of treatment change with olanzapine suggests patients either responded worse to or experienced more adverse events with olanzapine compared with quetiapine. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PHASE EQUILIBRIA IN THE H2/CH4 SYSTEM AT TEMPERATURES FROM 92.3 TO 180.0 K AND PRESSURES TO 140 MPa*

Experimental measurements of liquid-vapor phase equilibria in the system H2/CH4 are reported for ten temperatures in the range 92.3 to 180 K, and pressures to 140 MPa. The mixture critical line and the pressure-temperature trace of the three-phase region solid-liquid-vapor have been located. The three-phase region and the critical line intersect at T = 91.5 K and P = 147 MPa to form an upper critical end point. Experimental results have been compared with predictions of three equations of state, Peng-Robinson, Reclich-Kwong and Deiters, and with calculations based on statistical mechanical perturbation theory.
Prozessmodelle und Ratingskalen

Drei theoretische Modelle ermoglichen die Erfassung und Beschreibung von gunstigen und weniger gunstigen Mustern von Familienbeziehungen und-strukturen durch externe Beobachter und durch die Selbstberichte der Familienmitglieder: ⁃ das „Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems“ (Olson et al. 1979 b). ⁃ das „Beavers Systems Model“ (Beavers et al. 1990) und ⁃ das „McMaster Model of Family Functioning“ (Epstein et al. 1978). Die drei Modelle und ihre Untersuchungsinstrumente werden in diesem Kapitel beschrieben.
Energy storage materials: A perspective

Abstract Storage of electrical energy generated by variable and diffuse wind and solar energy at an acceptable cost would liberate modern society from its dependence for energy on the combustion of fossil fuels. This perspective attempts to project the extent to which electrochemical technologies can achieve this liberation. Realization of a reversible plating of a Lithium or Sodium anode through a solid Li + or Na + electrolyte would offer the best solution for a rechargeable battery that powers electric vehicles, thereby replacing the internal combustion engines that are creating a distributed emission of polluting gases from an increasing fleet of automobiles. Removal from the cathode to an external store of the product of the chemical reaction on discharge of a rechargeable battery can increase the capacity and lower the cost of stationary electrical energy storage in a battery. The ability to store electrical energy from wind and/or solar energy in rechargeable batteries at distributed sites can lower the cost and enhance the security of energy availability. The contributions from electrochemical capacitors and reversible fuel cells are also considered.
Neural Cell Specification during Development

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the early stages of stem cell to glial-precursor cell differentiation. Glial differentiation parallels and overlaps neuronal differentiation and can be, likewise, examined in separable stages. Like neuronal cells, glial cells are formed from the induced neuroectoderm. This chapter describes the development of the nervous system from the process of neural induction to the development of cell type-specific progenitors. A process of CNS/PNS segregation, regionalization, ventricular zone/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ) formation, stem-cell proliferation, and differentiation into intermediate precursors that subsequently undergo further maturation characterizes rodent and human neural development. The origin of various glia are discussed. Oligodendrocytes are thought to arise predominantly from ventral regions of the developing neural tube while astrocyte from more dorsal regions. However, both ventral and dorsal regions are capable of generating both types of glia when exposed to appropriate signals. Further maturation of glial precursors includes migration to appropriate locations, aggregation with neurons, and maintenance of overall cell number and a prolonged process of myelination.