cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tackling the Global Profitarchy

Sectoral segregation is often used to explain a large part of a well-documented gender earnings gap in business profits. Women tend to sort into different sectors than men, and the sectors dominated by women tend to be less profitable. This paper investigates the horizontal dimension of sectoral segregation by studying global data on female and male enterprises operating in sectors that are typically dominated by the same and opposite sex. The analysis uses the novel Future of Business dataset, which spans 97 countries and was administered to enterprise owners, managers, and employees who use Facebook. The analysis finds that some of the earnings gap can indeed be explained by sector choice: female-owned businesses in male-dominated sectors make significantly higher profits than those in traditionally female sectors. The evidence points to a hierarchy of earnings, with male-owned businesses in male-dominated sectors earning the most, women in male-dominated sectors and men in female-concentrated sectors in the middle tier, and women in female-concentrated sectors at the bottom. Correlational analysis suggests that women who own businesses in male-dominated sectors are younger, married, and more likely to have inherited the business than women in female-concentrated sectors. They have similar education to women in female-concentrated sectors and present higher self-efficacy but lower entrepreneurial identity and commitment to the sector. Male support networks appear to be key for female-owned firms, with co-ownership with husbands and male role models factoring into the decision to cross over.
Joint Replacements in Individuals With Skeletal Dysplasias: One Institution's Experience and Response to Operative Complications.

Abstract Background Skeletal dysplasias are a heterogeneous group of >400 genetic disorders characterized by abnormal bone growth. Many individuals experience joint pain and limitation, coming to require joint replacement much earlier than the average-statured population. In addition, prosthesis survival rate is less in the dysplastic population. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for surgery and provide recommendations to improve surgical outcomes. Methods This a retrospective review of 29 individuals with a skeletal dysplasia who had 64 joint replacements between April 1985 and January 2019 at a single institution. We collected demographics, physical examination, medical history, imaging studies, surgical indication, and complications. Results Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia was the most common skeletal dysplasia (7), followed by pseudoachondroplasia (4) and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (4). Average age of the cohort was 40.6 years (range 14-64). Hip arthroplasty (34) was the most commonly performed surgery. The majority of arthroplasties (75%) required custom components. Complication rate was 37.3%, most commonly pulmonary embolism (3) and pneumonia (3). Most complications (81.8%) occurred in individuals with either a pre-existing cardiopulmonary comorbidity or lumbar/sacral deformity. Body mass index did not correlate with complication severity (R = −0.042, P = .752) or rate (R = 0.006, P = .963). Conclusion Surgical complications are highest in patients with pre-existing cardiopulmonary conditions. Body mass index does not predict complications in this cohort. Preoperative evaluations for individuals with skeletal dysplasias should include comprehensive work-up of spine issues and extraskeletal systems that present an operative risk. Intraoperative protocol should include special consideration for placement on the table, airway maintenance, and spinal cord monitoring in select cases.
On the Lyapunov Foster criterion and Poincar\'e inequality for Reversible Markov Chains

This paper presents an elementary proof of stochastic stability of a discrete-time reversible Markov chain starting from a Foster-Lyapunov drift condition. Besides its relative simplicity, there are two salient features of the proof: (i) it relies entirely on functional-analytic non-probabilistic arguments; and (ii) it makes explicit the connection between a Foster-Lyapunov function and Poincare inequality. The proof is used to derive an explicit bound for the spectral gap. An extension to the non-reversible case is also presented.
An Effective Field Theory for Fractional Quantum Hall Systems near $\nu=5/2$

We propose an effective field theory (EFT) of fractional quantum Hall systems near the filling fraction $\nu=5/2$ that flows to pertinent IR candidate phases, including non-abelian Pfaffian, anti-Pfaffian, and particle-hole Pfaffian states (Pf, APf, and PHPf). Our EFT has a 2+1$d$ O(2)$_{2,L}$ Chern-Simons gauge theory coupled to four Majorana fermions by a discrete charge conjugation gauge field, with Gross-Neveu-Yukawa-Higgs terms. Including deformations via a Higgs condensate and a fermion mass term, we can map out a phase diagram with tunable parameters, reproducing the prediction of the recently-proposed percolation picture and its phase transitions. Our EFT captures known features of both gapless and gapped sectors of time-reversal-breaking domain walls between Pf and APf phases. Moreover, we find that Pf$\mid$APf domain walls have higher tension than domain walls in the PHPf phase. Then the former, if formed, may transition to the energetically-favored PHPf domain walls; this could, in turn, help further induce a bulk transition to PHPf.
Autoignition of CRC diesel surrogates at low temperature combustion conditions: Rapid compression machine experiments and modeling

Abstract As federal programs require increasingly stringent engine emissions and fuel economy standards, these ambitions can only be met if next-generation combustion technology is developed focusing on high-efficiency and low-emissions engines. Recent research has indicated the need to operate engines at higher compression ratios and with low temperature combustion (LTC) to achieve the needed gains in engine efficiency and reductions in emissions. Because there is a lack of understanding of the chemistry of diesel fuel components and their mixtures at these LTC conditions, this limits the ability to develop predictive chemical kinetic models that can be used to optimize engine combustion. The current study aims to fill in gaps in fundamental combustion data on surrogate fuel mixtures relevant to diesel fuels. Specifically, four multicomponent diesel surrogates formulated by the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) to emulate an ultra-low-sulfur research-grade #2 certification diesel fuel (CFA), namely V0a (4 components), V0b (5 components), V1 (8 components), and V2 (9 components), have been investigated in a rapid compression machine (RCM) through determination of total and first-stage ignition delay times. Autoignition characteristics of lean to rich fuel/O2/N2 mixtures, for the four CRC surrogates and CFA, have been measured using an RCM at LTC relevant pressures and temperatures, in the ranges of 10–20 bar and 650–1000 K, respectively. The equivalence ratios have been varied by independently changing the oxygen mole fraction and the fuel mole fraction in the test mixtures, thereby illustrating the individual effects of oxygen concentration and fuel loading on diesel autoignition. Autoignition results of these four CRC surrogates are compared among them and with those of CFA. Some degree of agreement in autoignition response between each CRC surrogate and CFA is observed, while discrepancies are also identified and discussed. In addition, a detailed chemical kinetic model for diesel surrogates has been developed and validated against these newly-acquired RCM data. This model shows reasonable agreement with the overall ignition delay time results of the current RCM experiments. Chemical kinetic analyses of the developed model were further conducted to help identify the reactions controlling the autoignition processes and the consumption of fuel components in CRC surrogates.
Perigastric solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) diagnosed on fine needle aspiration: A case report and review of literature

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a mesenchymal tumor initially described in the pleura. When the tumor is located in the pleura and the classic histologic findings are present, the diagnosis of SFT can be straightforward. However, the cytologic diagnosis of perigastric SFT can be challenging due its rarity with only one cytology case report. Another confounding factor is its potential mimicry with other perigastric/gastric mesenchymal tumors. Herein, we report a case of perigastric SFT diagnosed on cytology in conjunction with immunohistochemical stains. The patient is a 79-year-old woman who presented with an enlarging perigastric mass on computerized tomography scan which was highly concerning for a saccular aneurysm. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) revealed a 6.6 cm hypoechoic lesion abutting the stomach. An EUS-guided fine needle aspiration was performed. The smears showed singly scattered to clusters of bland spindle cells with scant cytoplasm dispersed in a bloody background. The cell block showed similar spindle cells focally supported by a collagenized stroma. Immunohistochemical stains performed on the cell block showed the tumor cells were positive for CD34, BCL2, and STAT6 and negative for CD117, DOG1, CD31, ERG-ENDO, AE1/AE3, S-100, desmin, and synaptophysin, supporting the diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumor.
Future Elementary Teachers’ Perspectives on the Importance of STEM

This study builds on prior work analyzing future elementary teachers’ views on the importance of STEM (Madden L, Beyers J, O’Brien S, Electron J Sci Edu 20(5), 2016). We used a survey to determine whether future elementary teachers viewed STEM as important and what their reasons were for why it was important. We analyzed responses using the framework developed in our earlier work, and found that it was a useful tool for describing future teachers’ views on the importance of STEM. We also followed the survey with a focus group discussion in which a subset of respondents were able to provide more detailed responses to the question: Is STEM important at the elementary level, why or why not? We found that the respondents largely agreed that STEM was important at the elementary level and provided more nuanced responses in their reasons, though these varied considerably by content area major. Implications for pre- and in-service teacher education are discussed.
Switching Strategy of Electronic Divider for Hybrid On-load Tap Changers Based on Zero-crossing Signal

This paper presents an expanded electronic divider for the hybrid on-load tap changers, and the associated switching strategy to determine the make and break of the power electronic devices is proposed. Depending on the state of the thyristor, the switching process of the studied design can be divided into three stages, and the equations of signal waveform in each stage are derived in detail. In this way, the variation of the waveform parameters, such as withstand voltage and flow capacity, along with the operating conditions can be illustrated quantitatively. Result analysis shows that the zero-crossing instant of the voltage across thyristor to be turned on is an effective timing for a continuous commutation between the electronic devices. The robustness and effectiveness of the proposed strategy has been validated by means of simulation tests.
Changes in social relationships during an initial "stay-at-home" phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal survey study in the U.S.

Abstract Rationale Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, and consequent social distancing directives have been observed to negatively impact social relationships but the impact of these changes on the quality of social relationships at a population level has not been explored. Objective To evaluate changes in social relationships in a U.S. population sample during a time of social distancing. Methods We deployed a matched, longitudinal survey design of the National Institutes of Health Adult Social Relationship Scales to assess the social aspects of emotional support, instrumental support, friendship, loneliness, perceived hostility, and perceived rejection from a time without social distancing (February 2018) to a time where social distancing directives were active (May 2020). Changes in social relationships were compared using paired t-tests, and generalized linear regression models were constructed to identify subpopulations experiencing differential changes in each subdomain of social relationships during social distancing. Results Within our sample population, individuals experienced an increased sense of emotional support, instrumental support, and loneliness, and decreased feelings of friendship and perceived hostility during a period of social distancing. Individuals with low self-rated health experienced a decreased sense of emotional support, and females experienced increased feelings of loneliness compared with males. Conclusions Social distancing measurably impacts social relationships and may have a disproportionate impact on females and individuals with lower self-rated health. If novel emergent infectious diseases become more commonplace, social interventions may be needed to mitigate the potential adverse impact of social distancing on social relationships.
Compactness and Convergence in the Space of Analytic Functions

In this chapter a metric is put on the set of all analytic functions on a fixed region G, and compactness and convergence in this metric space is discussed. Among the applications obtained is a proof of the Riemann Mapping Theorem.
Abstracting Interaction Patterns: A Programming Paradigm for Open Distributed Systems

This paper discusses mechanisms addressing the complexity of building and maintaining Open Distributed Systems. It is argued that a new programming paradigm based on modular specification of interaction patterns is required to address the complexity of such systems. Our research is based on developing abstraction mechanisms to simplify the task of developing and maintaining open systems. We define actors as a model of concurrency for open systems. We then review a number of programming abstractions that are useful in modular specification and implementation of open systems. Such abstractions include activators, protocols, synchronizers, and actorspaces. We observe that defining such abstractions for complex interaction patterns requires a sort of system decomposition that is not supported by standard execution models of concurrent programming, including actors and process algebras. Rather, a suitable meta-architecture is needed to allow the implementation of abstract representations of interaction patterns. Currently there is no entirely satisfactory formal theory of meta-architectures.
Geomorphologic Evidence for Ground Ice on Mars

For ground ice to exist on Mars, two conditions have to be met. One is the presence of permafrost; the second is the availability of water. Because the mean temperature of Mars’surface is − 80 C., permafrost 1–3 km thick occurs over the entire planet. Remote-sensing measurements suggest that water presently exists in the atmosphere and in the polar caps; frost has been observed at the Viking landing sites. Landforms that support the contention that ground ice exists on Mars include lobate ejecta from craters, small valley networks, and numerous features that may be attributed to thermokarst. Chaotically collapsed terrain, chain craters, irregular depressions, and valleys tributary to canyons all appear to be related to loss of ground ice. Patterned ground has dimensions similar to that on Earth as well as dimensions of giant size. Masswasting features are common on scarps Even though individual features may be explained as results of other processes, the combined evidence indicates that a large reservoir of ground ice has existed on Mars.
ARGENTINA'S GRAND STRATEGY IN TIMES OF HEGEMONIC TRANSITION: CHINA, PERIPHERAL REALISM AND MILITARY IMPORTS

This paper applies peripheral realist theory to the analysis of the opportunities open to Argentina as a result of the ascent of China, which is already a more important importer of Argentina, Brazil and Chile than the United States. It assumes that the decline of a superpower that does not complement itself well with Argentina's, and its replacement by a power that needs part of its production, is beneficial to its interests. It reminds us that Argentina is a case of declining state mobility, and that its decay was accentuated by two main historical policies: its neutrality during World War II, and the Falkland/Malvinas War of 1982. These policies showed that its leadership did not understand how the interstate order works. Indeed, world order is hierarchical: a handful of states are rule-makers; a great many are rule-takers; and another handful are rebels. The study concludes that Argentina's rebellions are mainly to blame for its notable degradation, whereby it has lost its capacity to defend itself vis-a-vis neighbors that are not great powers. The new changes in world order, however, could help it recover its lost status, so long as it develops an adequate relation with China. The study concludes that Argentina's rebellions are mainly to blame for its degradation, whereby it has to-date lost its capacity to defend itself vis-a-vis neighbors that are not great powers: a quasi-protectorate. The new changes in the world order, however, could help it recover its lost status, so long as it develops a modus vivendi with China.
Stroke prevention: modifying risk factors

Risk factor modification remains as the principal aspect of care for stroke prevention. Understanding of risk factors has advanced and several options are now available to treat modifiable risk factors. However, effective treatment remains a challenging task in clinical practice. Prevention begins with awareness of risk factors by patients and clinicians. Risk factor assessment along with overall stroke risk estimation should be part of evaluation of patients with stroke, and used with careful clinical judgment. In this review we discuss the impact of modifiable traditional vascular risk factors on ischemic stroke, interventions for stroke prevention, and evidence for early treatment of risk factors where available as well as areas of research progress. Emphasis should be paid in education of patients, the community and medical personnel. Future research in the field of genetic determinants of vascular risk factors and stroke will increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cerebrovascular disease and likely result in development of new therapies and individualized programs for stroke prevention.
BLOOD-FREE MEDIUM FOR THE RAPID GROWTH OF PASTEURELLA TULARENSIS.

A medium composed of (in g/100 ml) Tryptose broth with thiamine (Difco), 2.6; cysteine-HCl, 0.12; glucose, 1; FeSO4, 7H2O, 0.005; KCl, 0.02; histidine, 0.1; tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tris) buffer, 0.3; and agar, 1; will support rapid growth of the fully virulent SCHU-S4 strain of Pasteurella tularensis. Although the test organism grew rapidly on medium from which KCl and tris buffer were omitted, these two components increased the stability of the medium upon storage at 4 C. It was necessary to (i) control carefully the relative concentration of the ferrous iron and cysteine-HCl, (ii) incubate the prepared medium overnight prior to use, and (iii) incubate the inoculated plates in an atmosphere of high relative humidity. Rapid growth of the organism was obtained also from very small inocula in the liquid form of the medium. Biochemical studies designed to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the enhancement of growth of P. tularensis in this relatively simple blood-free medium were initiated.
Segmental Aortic Stiffness in Children and Young Adults With Connective Tissue Disorders Relationships With Age, Aortic Size, Rate of Dilation, and Surgical Root Replacement

Background—Aortic diameter is an imperfect predictor of aortic complications in connective tissue disorders (CTDs). Novel indicators of vascular phenotype severity such as aortic stiffness and vertebral tortuosity index have been proposed. We assessed the relation between aortic stiffness by cardiac MRI, surgical root replacement, and rates of aortic root dilation in children and young adults with CTDs. Methods and Results—Retrospective analysis of cardiac MRI data on children and young adults with a CTD was performed to derive aortic stiffness measures (strain, distensibility, and β-stiffness index) at the aortic root, ascending aorta, and descending aorta. Vertebral tortuosity index was calculated as previously described. Rate of aortic root dilation before cardiac MRI was calculated as change in echocardiographic aortic root diameter z score per year. In 83 CTD patients (median age, 24 years; range, 1–55; 17% <18 years of age; 60% male), ascending aorta distensibility was reduced in comparison with pub...
The Wild Side of Agro-food Studies: On Co-experimentation, Politics, Change, and Hope

Noting that the field of agro-food studies has undergone numerous ‘turns’ over the years, this article first seeks to make sense of this evolving literature by examining aspects of the metaphysical foreground upon which this ‘turning’ takes place. Doing this highlights a coalescing of sorts within the field; a movement the author describes as being less toward a specific theoretical framework as it is around a general way of doing agro-food scholarship. This style of scholarship embraces relationality, process, and multiplicity while emphasising the generative capacities of what agro-food scholars do for enacting novel political, ontological, and normative practices. The reminder of the article co-experiments with what it means to be open to these productive capacities as researchers, in terms of making the un-thought thinkable and un-doable routine. In doing this the article offers an account of agro-food imaginaries that is hopeful precisely because it is unsettling.
Silicon-carbide composite materials for the ARIES-I reactor study

Until recently, the brittle failure behavior of monolithic ceramic materials has posed a problem for using ceramics as structural materials. Recent developments in manufacturing and processing fiber-reinforced ceramics make SiC/SiC composites a promising candidate for future power plants. Silicon carbide composites are advantageous from a safety and waste-disposal standpoint because of the low activation and their very low decay after-heat respectively. The thermomechanical properties and neutron irradiation response of SiC/SiC composite materials are reviewed. Composite design equations are used to approximate a window of allowable design stresses for the first wall and blanket structure of the ARIES-I tokamak reactor. With minor extrapolations from present manufacturing experience, SiC/SiC composites offer a viable structural material choice, thus improving the safety and environmental aspects of future fusion power plants when compared with coal or nuclear plants. >
Goodwill impairment charges under SFAS 142: role of executives' incentives and corporate governance

I provide evidence on the roles of managers' stock option holdings and corporate governance in managers' choice to recognize goodwill impairment losses in the years subsequent to the adoption of SFAS 142. I find that the likelihood of recognizing the existing impairment losses significantly decreases when the managers have sizable holdings of in-the-money stock options. On the other hand, the likelihood of recognizing the existing impairment losses significantly increases when firms have stronger corporate governance, as measured by percentage of outside directors, percentage of outside directors' ownership, number of busy directors, and separation of CEO and Chair titles. These inferences hold after controlling for firm-specific and industry variables as well as other determinants of write-offs. The results have implications for the debate surrounding SFAS 142's effectiveness which centered on whether the level of managerial discretion allowed by the standard could lead to biased decisions in managers' determination of goodwill impairment.
Partial least squares as a target-directed structure-seeking technique

Partial least square (PLS) has enjoyed considerable success in a variety of applications. One of the reasons it is so popular is that it can be applied in many different ways, with a host of different endpoints of interest for the analysis. In chemometrics, the focus has traditionally been on calibration or regression. There has been very little discussion about how to use PLS as a target-directed structure-seeking technique in kinetic studies. It turns out that this is a very natural use of PLS, one that emerges as preferable to the standard approach that employs a least-squares fit of selected component directions to the kinetic target. In this paper, we explore this comparison within the context of brain mapping studies employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
The effect of substrate misorientation on the optical, structural, and electrical properties of GaN grown on sapphire by MOCVD

We report the growth and characterization of unintentionally doped GaN on both exact and vicinal (0001) sapphire substrates. The GaN heteroepitaxial layers are grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on c-plane A12O3 substrates either on-axis or intentionally misoriented 2° toward the a-plane (1120) or 5 or 9° toward the m-plane (10 10). The samples are characterized by 300K photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and Hall-effect measurements as well as by triple-axis x-ray diffractometry to determine the effect of the misorientation on the optical, electrical, and structural properties of heteroepitaxial undoped GaN. Ten different sample sets are studied. The data reveal enhanced photo-luminescence properties, increased electron mobility, a reduced n-type background carrier concentration, and a somewhat degraded surface morphology and crystalline quality for the misoriented samples compared to the on-axis samples.
Commentary: revision lumbar surgery and revisiting the role of preoperative depression screening.

COMMENTARY ON Adogwa O, Parker SL, Shau DN, et al. Preoperative Zung Depression Scale predicts outcome after revision lumbar surgery for adjacent segment disease, recurrent stenosis, and pseudarthrosis. Spine J 2012;12:179–85 ( in this issue ).
System approaches in pharmacokinetics: II. Applications.

Pharmacokinetic system approaches mathematically describe a general property of a pharmacokinetic system without modeling in specific terms the kinetic processes responsible for the general property. Certain applications of the system approach including methods for evaluating drug delivery, drug distribution, drug secretion, and biotransfor-mation in linear and nonlinear pharmacokinetics are presented and discussed. Linear system formulae for various mean time disposition parameters and a disposition decomposition-recomposition system approach for predicting drug levels when the drug clearance changes are presented and discussed. System approaches offer certain advantages over traditional approaches for many practical applications.
Prosthodontic treatment considerations for patients with oral sinonasal mucosal malignant melanoma: A clinical report

Patients with a diagnosis of mucosal malignant melanoma involving the maxilla or paranasal sinuses requiring surgery are referred to the maxillofacial prosthodontist for treatment. The standard protocol of surgical, interim, and definitive obturator treatment is usually anticipated. Depending upon the stage and presence or absence of metastasis, it is generally accepted that the prognosis for cure of this disease is poor. This clinical report reviews the current literature regarding treatment and the overall guarded prognosis for this disease, and reports the prosthodontic treatment intervention for 8 patients. Prosthodontic treatment strategies are recommended that are consistent with the reality of the diagnosis to achieve optimal function and quality of life for these patients. (J Prosthet Dent 2009;101:85–91)
Wage Bargains, Threshold Effects, and the Phillips Curve

I. The need for a study based on wage contracts, 601. — II. Hypotheses on structural differences, 503. — III. Data and methodology, 505. — IV. Estimates of the wage equations, 510. — V. Negotiated wage increases and the guideposts, 513. — VI. Conclusions, 516. — Appendix: calculation of the wage changes series for General Motors, 517.
Converting the Queen: gender and polemic in the Book of ‘Aḥiṭub and Ṣalmon

The fifteenth-century Book of ‘Aḥiṭub and Ṣalmon (Sefer Aḥiṭub ve-Ṣalmon), a Hebrew anti-Christian prose narrative from Iberia written in the wake of the 1413–14 Disputation of Tortosa, tells the story of a just queen who ruled an island without any worldly religion. After deciding to seek the true religion by sending out three wise men, who later return as a Jew, a Muslim, and a Christian, respectively, the queen holds a debate between the Christian and the Jew. When the Muslim, who arbitrates the debate, adjudicates in favor of the Jew, the whole island joins the queen in converting to Judaism while the Christian hangs himself in disgrace. This study focuses on the role of the queen as a narratological device and as a polemical tool. It argues that the queen is presented as a symbol of both reason and wisdom—a sort of Lady Wisdom—and as a counterpoint to the Virgin Mary. In this way, the figure of the queen constitutes a Jewish response to Christian arguments according to both rational proofs and religi...
Loss of Zap-70 and low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase occurs after therapy in a patient with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Loss of Zap-70 and low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase occurs after therapy in a patient with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Bilateral Lateral Geniculitis Associated With Severe Diarrhea

Purpose We examined a 28-year-old woman who developed incongruous binasal and bitemporal visual field defects one week after having a febrile gastroenteritis characterized by severe diarrhea while traveling in Mexico. Methods The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone sodium succinate, 1 g daily for three days, followed by an eight-week course of oral prednisone. Results Neuroradiologic examination demonstrated bilaterally increased signal intensity within the lateral geniculate bodies. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis disclosed isolated protein increase. Conclusion Severe diarrhea may be associated with an aseptic bilateral lateral geniculitis resulting in hourglass-shaped visual fields. Corticosteroid therapy may provide mild improvement.
Gender differences in predicting delinquent behavior: Do individual differences matter?

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of individual differences (i.e., belief in a just world and authoritarianism), and attitude (i.e., attitudes toward the criminal legal system), in predicting delinquent behavior. High school students (412 males, 423 females) completed questionnaires that measured demographics, belief in a just world (BJW), authoritarianism (RWA), attitudes toward the criminal legal system (ATCLS), and delinquent behavior. Two models were assessed in this study. The first was a direct model, which assessed whether individual differences or attitude best predicted rule-violating behavior. The second was an integrating model, which assessed the role of both factors, individual differences and attitude, as predictors of rule-violating behavior. For male adolescents, the direct model best predicted delinquency, suggesting negative ATCLS was the sole significant predictor of rule-violating behavior. In contrast, for females, the integrating model best predicted delinquency, as negative ATCLS mediated the negative relation between BJW and delinquency, and partially mediated the negative relation between RWA and delinquency. The implications of gender differences in predicting delinquent behavior are discussed.
Environmental disclosures: electric utilities and Phase 2 of the Clean Air Act

Abstract In 1999, American Electric Power, anticipating its future need to comply with Phase 2 of Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA), spent about $37 million to purchase sulfur dioxide emissions allowances on the spot and futures markets [EPA, 2004. Emissions tracking site for acid rain. ETS/CEMS, website: http://www.epa.gov/ardpublic/edata.html ]. This information was not disclosed in the company's 1999 annual report to shareholders or in its Form 10-K annual report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). No information was included in these reports regarding how the firm planned to achieve the emission standards of Phase 2. Potomac Electric Power Company disclosed in its 1999 Form 10-K that it planned to spend $5 million to comply with Phase 2 and would sell its remaining electric-generating plants [ PEPCO, 1999 . Potomac Electric Power Form 10-K report]. Stakeholders and regulators might view these two “events” and wonder why there is no consistency in disclosure concerning the CAA requirements. This is especially so given that the Clean Air Act mandates specific remedies for non-compliance and is known to have given rise to significant capital expenditures. In this study, we examine 1999 and 2001 CAA Phase 2 disclosures made by the owners of the named Phase 1 coal-fired plants to assess how they informed their stakeholders about plans for Phase 2 compliance. This analysis includes the emissions, along with allocated and banked allowances for each of the plants, so that a fair assessment can be made as to each owner's status in terms of Phase 2.
Causal Beliefs and Effects upon Mental Illness Identification Among Chinese Immigrant Relatives of Individuals with Psychosis

Identifying factors that facilitate treatment for psychotic disorders among Chinese-immigrants is crucial due to delayed treatment use. Identifying causal beliefs held by relatives that might predict identification of ‘mental illness’ as opposed to other ‘indigenous labels’ may promote more effective mental health service use. We examine what effects beliefs of ‘physical causes’ and other non-biomedical causal beliefs (‘general social causes’, and ‘indigenous Chinese beliefs’ or culture-specific epistemologies of illness) might have on mental illness identification. Forty-nine relatives of Chinese-immigrant consumers with psychosis were sampled. Higher endorsement of ‘physical causes’ was associated with mental illness labeling. However among the non-biomedical causal beliefs, ‘general social causes’ demonstrated no relationship with mental illness identification, while endorsement of ‘indigenous Chinese beliefs’ showed a negative relationship. Effective treatment- and community-based psychoeducation, in addition to emphasizing biomedical models, might integrate indigenous Chinese epistemologies of illness to facilitate rapid identification of psychotic disorders and promote treatment use.
Unusual band structure, wave functions and electrical conductance in crystals with incommensurate periodic potentials

Abstract The subject of electronic and phonon states in crystals with incommensurate periodic potentials is reviewed. The emphasis is on the physics behind the various theoretical methods of treating this problem and on showing the relationships between them. This review is meant to complement the reviews of mathematically rigorous results on the problem by Simon and by Bellissard. Although the review is primarily theoretical, there is a section which discusses possible experimental application of the theory, as well as experimental observations that have already been made. Some new theoretical results are presented and some old results are reinterpreted.
Strain dependence of transition temperatures and structural symmetry of BiFeO3 within the tetragonal-like structure

The influence of strain-imposed in-plane lattice symmetry on the structural and magnetic properties of tetragonal-like BiFeO3 is investigated by x-ray and elastic neutron scattering. We find that an increase in the in-plane distortion results in an increase of the Neel temperature from 313 ± 5 K to 324 ± 3 K for films grown on YAlO3 and LaAlO3, respectively. The change in magnetic ordering temperature is reproduced in three-dimensional Heisenberg Monte-Carlo simulations. These results show that strain cannot be treated as a single scalar number or simply as a direct consequence of the lattice mismatch between the film material and the substrate.
"Just sometimes in our presence...:" An interview with H. Ward Greer on the Role of Black Churches in Building Community

INTRODUCTION Albany, New York is characteristic of other urban areas in the United States: it is highly segregated and African Americans in particular tend to live in impoverished, high-crime ghet­ tos. In 2000, for example, only 13% of Albany's white residents lived in integrated neighbor­ hoods, whereas 78% lived in nearly exclusively white neighborhoods.' Another way to consider the intensity of Albany's segregation is that at least 50% of the city's black popula­ tion would need to move into other (whiter) neighborhoods in order for integration to occur. This, of course, ignores the larger metropolitan context in which blacks are concentrated in the City of Albany, making the suburbs nearly all white. Segregation exists within the city, and especially between the city and its suburbs. As it stands, the black neighborhoods of Albany are the most economically depressed and suffer the highest crime rates. The predo­ minately black Arbor Hill neighborhood had the highest rates ofhomicide and robbery in the city in 2000. Eight of the city's 13 homicides" occurred within a short walk of the Albany United Methodist Society (AUMS), an urban ministry dedicated to ameliorating the social devastation of this area. We interviewed the director of this ministry, the Rev. Dr. H. Ward Greer, as well as some of his staff, to gain insight into the role of the black church in rebuilding such a troubled community. AUMS was formed in 1960. Dr. Greer became its Executive Director in 1993. Before coming to Albany, he had pastored congregations in Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware. We were joined in our interview with Dr. Greer by Peter Fish, the Deputy Director of AUMS, and the organization's caseworker, Rev. Senley Jack. We began the interview by asking
Global Influences on U.S. Auto Innovation

There is a growing interest in the role that patents in one country have on product innovation in other countries. This paper contributes to the existing literature by using a firm fixed-effects model to investigate the connection between industry innovation (specifically that of the U.S. automobile industry) and a variety of micro and macroeconomic factors. Knowledge spillovers between countries are modeled using data from the Patent and Trademark Office, Census Bureau, and COMPUSTAT. The results indicate that German innovations affect U.S. firms differently from Japanese innovations: Japanese patents have a larger negative influence on U.S. auto manufacturers' patenting behavior.
Northward range extension of a diminutive-sized mammal (Ectocion parvus) and the implication of body size change during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Abstract An abrupt global warming event marks the Paleocene–Eocene boundary, known as the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The event is distinguished in the strata globally by a significant negative excursion of δ 13 C ratio values. The response of the terrestrial biota to the abrupt climatic change has been well studied in northern Wyoming in the Bighorn Basin, where it has been observed that the mammalian fauna during the global warming event is represented by smaller, but morphologically similar species to those found later in the Eocene. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the observation smaller body sizes during the global warming event. In this article, evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that the observed body size decrease during the PETM was influenced by the appearance of smaller southern species who extended their geographic range northward during the abnormal global warming event. Using disperse organic carbon isotopic ratios of bulk sediment, the negative excursion of δ 13 C was located in the Piceance Creek Basin of western Colorado, 400 km to the south of the Bighorn Basin. Below the stratigraphic level marking the negative carbon excursion in the Piceance Creek Basin are five specimens of the phenacodontid mammal ( Ectocion parvus ), a diminutive species of the genus Ectocion restricted to the basal Eocene (Wa-0 Biozone) in northern Wyoming. The five specimens of E. parvus are associated with a late Paleocene (Clarkforkian) mammalian fauna in Colorado, implying that the diminutive species extended its geographic range northward during the global warming event. This evidence supports biogeographic models that assume poleward biogeographic shifts during global warming events, and will have modern day implications for the conservation of species as global temperatures rise in the near future.
Federated authentication to support information sharing: Shibboleth in a bio-surveillance information grid

Abstract This paper explores the potential of Shibboleth, a grid middleware tool set and foundation technology, to support inter-domain authentication, in a medical information environment. Shibboleth is an open standards-based solution that meets the requirements of organizations needing to exchange information about users securely to protect the privacy of their information. Shibboleth is part of the Internet2 middleware initiative, headed by a group of leading higher education middleware architects and corporate partners, and funded by Internet2 and the National Science Foundation. The project targets organizations that need to exchange information including higher education, their partners, digital content providers, federal agencies and others with whom universities do business. The purpose of the exchange is to determine if a person using an application has the permissions to access a resource at a target site based on information such as being a member of an institution or some specific class. The system is engineered to preserve privacy and allows users to determine whether to release additional information about themselves or not. Shibboleth has an open architecture with a functioning, open source implementation. It ensures information exchanged between organizations can interoperate with that from other solutions. The presenters are engaged, with a team of researchers, at Georgetown University and Washington Hospital Center, to test the validity of Shibboleth technology. The goal is to ensure the secure exchange of information among users of an innovative emergency room management information system at their hospitals and to further expose that information across the network to emergency management decision makers. Shibboleth use in this highly private and confidential environment and how its design meets HIPAA and other security and privacy requirements are discussed. This design could connect many decision makers and incorporate other sources of secure information such as environmental data. This work will help organize medical data communities to support inter-domain authentication and extend its use for bio-surveillance on a larger scale.
GAT1 and GAT3 expression are differently localized in the human epileptogenic hippocampus

The gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 were localized by immunohistochemistry in hippocampi removed for the control of medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The study aimed to determine the relationship of GABA transporter expression to known patterns of hippocampal hyperexcitability and extracellular GABA levels. GAT-1 was localized in axon terminals and small neuronal cell bodies, and in non-sclerotic hippocampi was strongly expressed throughout all regions of the hippocampal formation. In the epileptogenic hippo- campus exhibiting Ammon's horn sclerosis, immunore- activity was reduced in the sclerotic regions CA3 and CA1, and around the cell bodies of dentate granule cells, but was increased along granule cell dendrites. GAT-3 was weakly expressed, if at all, in non-sclerotic hippo- campi, but more prominently expressed in sclerotic hippocampi. GAT-3 expression was confined to cells resembling protoplasmic astrocytes, which were located in regions of relative neuronal sparing such as the den- tate gyrus and hilus of the sclerotic hippocampus. The reduction in GAT-1 around granule cells in the sclerotic hippocampus could explain the prolonged GABA re- sponses in this region. The loss of GAT-1 (a marker of GABAergic terminals) would also suggest a reduced GABAergic input to the granule cells, thus facilitating hyperexcitability. The increased GAT-3 expression in astrocytes in regions of relative neuronal sparing in the sclerotic hippocampus may be related to the overall low levels of extracellular GABA observed in the sclerotic hippocampus and their increased excitability.
Multiconstrained QoS multipath routing in wireless sensor networks

Sensor nodes are densely deployed to accomplish various applications because of the inexpensive cost and small size. Depending on different applications, the traffic in the wireless sensor networks may be mixed with time-sensitive packets and reliability-demanding packets. Therefore, QoS routing is an important issue in wireless sensor networks. Our goal is to provide soft-QoS to different packets as path information is not readily available in wireless networks. In this paper, we utilize the multiple paths between the source and sink pairs for QoS provisioning. Unlike E2E QoS schemes, soft-QoS mapped into links on a path is provided based on local link state information. By the estimation and approximation of path quality, traditional NP-complete QoS problem can be transformed to a modest problem. The idea is to formulate the optimization problem as a probabilistic programming, then based on some approximation technique, we convert it into a deterministic linear programming, which is much easier and convenient to solve. More importantly, the resulting solution is also one to the original probabilistic programming. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.