cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Generalized Timoshenko Model for Smart Beams with Axial Electric Field

A generalized Timoshenko beam model has been developed for smart slender structures using the variational asymptotic method. Particularly, we discuss the problem where the electric fleld has a variation along the axial dimension of the slender structure. Taking advantage of the slenderness of the structure, we asymptotically split the original three-dimensional formulation of the geometrically nonlinear, electromechanical problem into a two-dimensional electromechanical cross-sectional analysis and a onedimensional, geometrically linear or nonlinear, electromechanical beam analysis. The cross-sectional analysis, implemented using the flnite element method into the computer program VABS, provides a one-dimensional electromechanical constitutive model, for smart slender structures without special assumptions regarding the geometry of the cross section and the location of smart materials. For axial electric fleld variation, an extra one-dimensional electric degree of freedom exists along with the six components of mechanical strains, giving a seven by seven electromechanical stifiness matrix for the beam model. As a unifled analysis tool, this model can be used as a coupled sensor and actuator simultaneously. Some simple examples are used to demonstrate the application and accuracy of this generalized Timoshenko model for smart beams.
On a semantic argument against conceptual role semantics

Jerry Fodor and Ernest Lepore have announced the discovery of a 'crack in the foundations of the structure in which semanticists and philosophers of language have been cohabiting' ([5], p. 342). They go on to 'urge that somebody do something about' this crack in the foundation of semantics 'not later than sometime before the roof falls in'. I argue in this paper that Fodor and Lepore have triggered a false alarm. The trouble starts, according to Fodor and Lepore, with the following traditional question that arises for a theory of meaning: Where do semantic properties come from? Fodor and Lepore, following contemporary practice, replace this traditional question with the following question: What do the semantic properties of symbols supervene upon? We are told that there have been two main answers to this question. 'Old Testament Semantics' claims that the meaning of an expression supervenes on the relations that the expression bears to things in the world. 'New Testament Semantics' claims that the meaning of a term supervenes on its role in a language. Although Hume, Skinner, Dretske, Fodor, and others are cited as Old Testament Semanticists, New Testament Semantics, due in part to the Fregean Evening Star/Morning Star objection, is said to be 'held practically as gospel not only in linguistics and philosophy, but throughout the Cognitive Sciences' ([5], p. 331). This near universal acceptance of New Testament Semantics persists, we are told, in spite of powerful objections to New Testament Semantics, objections centring around claims that New Testament Semantics implies semantic holism.1 The 'holism' objections to New Testament Semantics, though 'serious',
Influence of filter aid on MBR perfomance and fouling after high salt shock

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of diatomite filter aid on fouling and performance of membrane bioreactor(MBR) after high salt shock.The results show that diatomite additive is an effective approach for the performance improvement of both membrane fouling and pollutants removal when MBR was suffering high salt shock.Compared with the control reactor,the performance of MBR is enhanced by addition of 60 mg·L-1 diatomite addition,the removal of COD,NH+4-N and TP increases by 4.9%,3.2% and 74.5%,respectively.It was observed that after high salt shock the membrane fouling rate is significantly higher,about four-fold,for the contrast than for the MBR with diatomite addition.The flocculating and adsorption capacities of diatomite make soluble products of microbial metabolism(SMP) significant decrease.So,the rate of membrane fouling was significantly mitigated.Furthermore,the addition of diatomite makes mean flocs sizes(dp) and its related hydrophobic(RH) increase,which would be beneficial to the mitigation of membrane fouling.
Clinical Features and Prognostic Factors of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Objective To investigate the clinical features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors,and to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis. Methods Collecting clinical data in 46 cases with gastrointestinal stromal tumors in the hospital from February,2009 to March, 2013,and retrospectively analyzing the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors. Results Gastrointestinal stromal tumors were common in middle- aged people,with more occurance in stomach,accounting for 58. 60%,intestine accounting for 26. 09%; tumor diameter 5cm accounting for 67. 39%; mitotic count 5 /50 accounting for 71. 74%,and CD117 positive rate accounting for 78. 26%; among different degrees of risk of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients,1 to 3 years survival rates of high- risk persons were 60%,0 and 0,which were significantly lower than the low degree with 100%,100% and 90%,with statistically significant difference( P 0. 05); while 1 to 3 year patient survival rates were 89. 13%,78. 26% and 67. 39%,with no statistically significant difference( P 0. 05). The prognosis in age,gender and other aspects of the difference was not statistically significant( P 0. 05); while differences in the tumor site, tumor size,mitotic,CD117 side difference were statistically significant( P 0. 05). Conclusion Tumor location,tumor size,nature, number of mitotic figures,CD117 and postoperative adjuvant therapy are important prognostic indicators. Among them,tumor size,nature and adjuvant therapy is an important factor affecting the prognosis.
Study on the technology of correcting point mutation of dystrophin gene by modified single-stranded oligonucleotides

[Objective]To attempt to correct the point mutation of dystrophin gene by specially designed single-stranded oligonucleotides(ODN).[Methods]DMDmdx mice were given low does and high does ODN by intramuscular injection,while some mice received the hyaluronidase pretreatment and didelectroporation in vivo in addition.The corrected gene was detected by amplification refractorymutation system(ARMS) assay.[Results]There was no expected strap of corrected gene,whether by low does or high does ODN intramuscular injection,or additional electroporation.[Conclusion]This method cannot correct the point mutation of dystrophin gene in vivo,or the repair efficiency is too low to be detected by ARMS assay.
Undergraduate Software Engineering: Addressing the Needs of Professional Software Development: Addressing the Needs of Professional Software Development

In the fall semester of 1996 RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) launched the first undergraduate software engineering program in the United States. The culmination of five years of planning, development, and review, the program was designed from the outset to prepare graduates for professional positions in commercial and industrial software development.
Evaluation of Non-visual Zooming Operations on Touchscreen Devices

The limited screen real estate of touchscreen devices necessitates the use of zooming operations for accessing graphical information such as maps. While these operations are intuitive for sighted individuals, they are difficult to perform for blind and visually-impaired (BVI) people using non-visual sensing with touchscreen-based interfaces. We address this vexing design issue by investigating the perceptual and cognitive factors involved in: (1) non-visual zooming operations, and (2) integrating information across multiple zoom levels to build a global cognitive map. A behavioral study compared map learning performance between two zoom-mode conditions and a no-zoom control. Results revealed that non-visual zooming operations are not only possible, but actually lead to improved efficiency of touch-based non-visual learning. Findings provide compelling evidence for the efficacy of incorporating zooming operations on touchscreen-based non-visual interfaces and have significant broader impacts for improving the accessibility of a wide range of graphical information for BVI people.
Iron Deficiency Anemia and Neurologic Deficits

A 14 year old black female adolescent with focal neurological abnormalities complicating severe iron deficiency anemia is reported from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
An empirical investigation of audit fees in the us for-profit healthcare sector

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the market for audit services for publicly traded companies operating in the US for-profit (FP) healthcare sector. Complex national and local healthcare laws and regulations suggest the importance of assessing fee effects of joint nationallevel and city-specific expertise among auditors. Using cross-sectional OLS regression analysis, we find that joint expertise significantly affects audit pricing in the healthcare sector. We find a fee premium of 33.6 percent on engagements where auditors are both national and city-specific specialists. We also find that Big-4 auditor reputation is significantly priced over and above the effects of joint auditor expertise, and a significant positive association exists between audit and non-audit service fees-indicating the presence of knowledge spillover effects among healthcare company auditors.
Concluding Thoughts—Now What?

We hope the reflections have left you inspired or crying (like they did us several times while compiling this volume) or energized or scared. It’s okay to feel all of those reactions and more. Our goal was openness and honesty with you, our readers. We asked scholars who we knew—and many more we have only “met” via online platforms such as Twitter or Facebook—to share their stories with us and you. Each and every one of them did it out of a desire to make academic life better. No one earned a stipend.
Herbivory impacts of elk, deer and cattle on aspen forest recruitment along gradients of stand composition, topography and climate

Abstract The abundance and composition of large ungulate communities are changing dramatically across terrestrial ecosystems due to human activities. This has resulted in novel herbivory regimes that create strong top-down effects on biological communities, and can reduce ecosystem resilience. Biotic and abiotic conditions that influence the population structure and behavior of ungulate herbivores are highly variable across space and time, making it difficult to predict ungulate impacts across complex landscapes. Where multiple ungulate species co-exist, it can be challenging to differentiate species impacts on plant communities. We examined the effects of cattle, American elk, and mule deer on aspen regeneration and recruitment along gradients of forest composition and physiographic conditions in 3 National Forests of Utah, USA. Aspen regeneration and recruitment increased with winter precipitation, elevation and higher abundance of overstory aspen. Binned fecal count densities of elk, mule deer, and cattle showed strong inverse correlations with aspen height (elk: r 2 = 0.83; deer: r 2 = 0.92; cattle: r 2 = 0.35) and aspen recruitment (elk: r 2 = 0.51; deer: r 2 = 0.59). Aspen stem density was negatively correlated with elk (r 2 = 0.35) and cattle fecal densities (r 2 = 0.71). We found that 60% of the sites we surveyed had low ungulate activity and good aspen regeneration, 32% were intermediate use sites that warrant additional monitoring, and 8% of sites showed high ungulate use that exhibited aspen regeneration failure and lack of recruitment where targeted management is recommended. We conclude that ungulate impacts in aspen forests should be considered on a site by site basis and should primarily be evaluated based on the total abundance of the ungulate community with precipitation, elevation and stand composition as secondary factors.
Principles and Implementation Techniques of Software-Based Fault Isolation

When protecting a computer system, it is often necessary to isolate an untrusted component into a separate protection domain and provide only controlled interaction between the domain and the rest of the system. Software-based Fault Isolation (SFI) establishes a logical protection domain by inserting dynamic checks before memory and control-transfer instructions. Compared to other isolation mechanisms, it enjoys the benefits of high efficiency (with less than 5% performance overhead), being readily applicable to legacy native code, and not relying on special hardware or OS support. SFI has been successfully applied in many applications, including isolating OS kernel extensions, isolating plug-ins in browsers, and isolating native libraries in the Java Virtual Machine. This monograph discusses the SFI policy, its main implementation and optimization techniques, as well as an SFI formalization on an idealized assembly language. It concludes with a brief discussion on future research directions and a look at other properties that provide strong integrity and confidentiality guarantees on software systems.
Transition of ‘The Economics Industry’ in Albania: A Bibliometric Approach

This paper examines the socio-economic evolution of professional academic economics in Albania from their period of isolation beginning in 1978 through the transition to a market economy. Exploring the relationship between government structure and economic thought and practice allows one to understand important features of the Albanian transition. Bibliometric techniques are used to construct a data-driven picture of economics dissertations and publications in Albania. Two critical components of economics practice are identified as missing. First, a history of isolation and Hoxha-dominated political economy undermined perceptions about the usefulness and necessity of citations. Second, constrained resources has limited access to and interest in high quality theoretical research. Albanian economics remains disconnected from both contemporary and historical economic theory and disciplinary formative papers. This has implications for the quality of work that can be produced. Albania’s transition from most isolated country in the world to potential member of the European Union holds lessons for today’s rogue regimes. Understanding the implications of isolation on economic thought and practice could suggest strategies for building necessary and effective academic infrastructures that support economic transitioning.
Parkinson’s Disease: An Overview of Etiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment

The clinical understanding of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has expanded from that of a tremor disorder to a complex neuropsychiatric disease with motor and non-motor symptoms. Treatment options likewise have expanded from levodopa to also include monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors, dopamine agonists, and surgical treatment in the form of deep brain stimulation (DBS). While the etiology remains unknown, there is a consensus that both genetics and environmental factors play a role.
Regulation of prolactin secretion during pregnancy and lactation.

Abstract Prolactin plays major roles in maintaining the corpora lutea of pregnancy and in the synthesis of milk during lactation. The hypothalamic mechanisms involved in these functions have been investigated. Mating leads to a surge of prolactin and programs daily surges during early pregnancy. The expression of Fos-immunoreactivity shows that mating activates several hypothalamic nuclei, particularly the arcuate nucleus and medial preoptic area. In the arcuate nucleus, mating is associated with Fos expression in β-endorphin neurons, and infusion of naloxone blocks both mating-induced and diurnal prolactin surges. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive dopamine neurons appear not to participate in surge generation. However, after day 10 of gestation the secretion of placental lactogens suppresses prolactin secretion via activation of dopamine neurons without involvement of β-endorphin neurons. Intracerebroventricular implantation of placental lactogen-secreting cells will block pregnancy prolactin surges, increase Fos expression in dopamine neurons, and increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity. During lactation the mechanisms regulating dopamine and β-endorphin neurons are further modified. In early lactation a prolactin-induced increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity leads to negative feedback, but this effect is lost by mid-lactation. Overriding this negative feedback is the inhibitory effect that suckling has on dopaminergic activity. This may involve β-endorphin-mediated inhibition of dopamine neurons, as naloxone causes a marked increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity and suppression of circulating prolactin. However, removal of tonic dopamine inhibition is not sufficient to account for the high levels of prolactin attained during lactation, and additional releasing factors are probably involved. In situ hybrization histochemistry for the most recent candidate, prolactin-releasing peptide, suggests that this may involve brain stem neurons that co-localize noradrenaline. Thus, prolactin secretion during pregnancy and lactation involve complex interactions of regulatory factors and plasticity of neuronal responsiveness.
Gender differences in restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in youth with autism

Previous work has found gender differences in restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBI) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to girls, affected boys have increased stereotyped and restricted behaviors; however much less is known about gender differences in other areas of RRBI. This study aims to identify whether specific RRBI (i.e., stereotyped, self-injurious, compulsive, insistence on sameness, ritualistic, and restricted), as measured by item-level data on the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), can distinguish girls from boys with ASD. Participants included 615 individuals with ASD (507 boys; 82.4%), ages 3-18 years of age (M = 10.26, SD = 4.20), who agreed to share data with the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR). Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis (DFA) were used to determine whether item-level RBS-R data could correctly classify cases by gender. DFA results suggest that RBS-R items significantly differentiate gender. Strongly differentiating RBS-R items had greater success in correctly classifying affected boys (67.90%) than girls (61.00%). Items that best-discriminated gender were heightened stereotyped behaviors and restricted interests items in boys and compulsive, sameness, restricted, and self-injurious behavior items in girls. This study is the first to find that girls with ASD may have increased compulsive, sameness, and restricted RRBI compared to boys. Additionally, findings support heightened self-injurious behaviors in affected girls. Future research should disentangle whether elevated rates of RRBI in girls are central to the presentation of ASD in girls or an epiphenomenon of the high rates of co-occurring disorders (e.g., anxiety) noted in girls. Autism Res 2019, 12: 274-283 © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This study is the first to examine a comprehensive measure of repetitive behavior in children with autism, with findings of increased compulsive, insistence on sameness, and self-injurious behavior characterizing girls and increased stereotyped and restricted behavior characterizing boys. Future research should determine whether these elevated behaviors in girls are directly part of the autism presentation in girls or symptoms of co-occurring psychopathology. It is important for autism diagnostic measures to best capture the types of repetitive behavior girls may demonstrate.
Image-Guided Navigation and Robotics in Spine Surgery

Image guidance (IG) and robotics systems are becoming more widespread in their utilization and can be invaluable intraoperative adjuncts during spine surgery. Both are highly reliant upon stereotaxy and either pre- or intraoperative radiographic imaging. While user-operated IG systems have been commercially available longer and subsequently are more widely utilized across centers, robotics systems provide unique theoretical advantages over freehand and IG techniques for placing instrumentation within the spine. While there is a growing plethora of data showing that IG and robotic systems decrease the incidence of malpositioned screws, less is known about their impact on clinical outcomes. Both robotics and IG may be of particular value in cases of substantial deformity or complex anatomy. Indications for the use of these systems continue to expand with an increasing body of literature justifying their use in not only guiding thoracolumbar pedicle screw placement, but also in cases of cervical and pelvic instrumentation as well as spinal tumor resection. Both techniques also offer the potential benefit of reducing occupational exposures to ionizing radiation for the operating room staff, the surgeon, and the patient. As the use of IG and robotics in spine surgery continues to expand, these systems' value in improving surgical accuracy and clinical outcomes must be weighed against concerns over cost and workflow. As newer systems incorporating both real-time IG and robotics become more utilized, further research is necessary to better elucidate situations where these systems may be particularly beneficial in spine surgery.
Cloud radiative feedbacks and El Niño-Southern Oscillation

AbstractCloud radiative feedbacks are disabled via “cloud-locking” in the Community Earth System Model, version 1.2 (CESM1.2), to result in a shift in El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) periodicit...
Black-White Achievement Gaps Differ by Family Socioeconomic Status from Early Childhood through Early Adolescence.

Theory and limited research indicate that race and socioeconomic status (SES) interact dynamically to shape children’s developmental contexts and academic achievement, but little scholarship examines how race and SES intersect to shape Black–White achievement gaps across development. We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (N ≈ 9,100)—which tracks a nationally representative cohort of children in the United States—to investigate how race and family SES (i.e., parental education and household income) intersect to shape trajectories of academic skills development from kindergarten entry through the spring of eighth grade. Results reveal that household income and parental education were differentially related to academic development, with Black–White gaps narrowing (and Black children’s skills growing slightly faster) at higher income gradients but widening (and Black children’s skills developing more slowly) at higher levels of educational attainment. Despite performance advantages at kindergarten entry, large baseline disparities meant that higher-income Black students underperformed their White peers by middle school, whereas Black students with better-educated parents consistently trailed their White counterparts. Taken together, these findings suggest that failure to examine how race and SES intersect to shape achievement gaps may obscure complex patterns of educational inequality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Scored out of 10: Experiences with Binary Grading Across the Curriculum

Perhaps no other task has frustrated us as instructors as much as grading. While we recognize the importance of providing meaningful feedback and accurate assessment, our traditional grading had quickly become a task of administrative minutiae instead of helpful coaching. Like many faculty, we have searched for ways to reduce our grading load without harming student learning. We have tried a variety of approaches, from modifying our existing assignments all the way to rethinking our entire course design. The past few years we have been refining a binary grading system : a set of grading principles based upon the practice of scoring student assessments simply as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory ($10_2$ possible scores, thus the paper title). We believe this approach has significantly improved our students' attitudes towards our courses and holds promise as a way to significantly reduce the time we spend grading. In this paper, we describe our experiences with our binary grading system in several undergraduate computer science courses. We discuss the general practices of our binary grading, how we have implemented it in our courses, and what our experiences have taught us regarding the future refinement of our grading practices. We hope our experiences will spur discussion and assist other computer science educators in improving their assessment process.
Cryptosporidium Enteritis in an Immunosuppressed Child: Applying the Adult HIV Treatment Regimen

Introduction: Cryptosporidium is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can cause a varied severity of disease from a self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent hosts and severe debilitating diarrhea with weight loss and malabsorption in immunocompromised patients. Patients with symptoms greater than two weeks typically are treated with nitazoxanide for three days. Case Report: 11 year old female with a history of SLE, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, and hypertension was admitted to the pediatric hospital for persistent worsening watery diarrhea and a six kilogram weight loss over a three week period. Her stool …
Phosphate binder therapy for attainment of K/DOQI™ bone metabolism guidelines

Phosphate binder therapy for attainment of K/DOQI™ bone metabolism guidelines. Hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease leads to secondary hyperparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy, and it is independently associated with mortality risk. The exact mechanism by which hyperphosphatemia increases mortality risk is unknown, but it may relate to enhanced cardiovascular calcification. The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI™) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Bone Metabolism and Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease recommends maintenance of serum phosphorus below 5.5 mg/dL, calcium-phosphorus (Ca × P) product less than 55 mg2/dL2, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) 150 pg/mL to 300 pg/mL, and bicarbonate (HCO3) greater than 22 mEq/L. Although calcium-based phosphate binders (CBPB) are cost effective, there are long-term safety concerns pertaining to their postulated role in the progression of cardiovascular calcification. Sevelamer hydrochloride has been recommended as an alternative noncalcium phosphate binder. Results from the Calcium Acetate Renagel Evaluation (CARE) study indicate that calcium acetate is more effective than sevelamer hydrochloride in controlling serum phosphorous, Ca × P product, and HCO3 in hemodialysis patients. In the Treat-to-Goal study, dialysis patients treated with sevelamer hydrochloride had slower progression of coronary and aortic calcification than patients treated with CBPB. The mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of sevelamer hydrochloride is unknown but may relate to decreased calcium loading, or to dramatic reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in sevelamer hydrochloride-treated patients. At present, evidence incriminating CBPB in the progression of cardiovascular calcification in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains largely circumstantial. As calcium acetate is more efficacious and cost effective than sevelamer hydrochloride, it remains an accepted first-line phosphate binder. This review examines these issues and provides rational guidelines for the use of CBPB in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.
Forced migration experiences, mental well-being, and nail cortisol among recently settled refugees in Serbia.

Abstract Refugees are exposed to a wide breadth of traumatic and psychosocially stressful experiences that have long-term implications for their health and resilience. Most prior research on this topic has focused on long-settled refugee populations, as opposed to those who find themselves in more intermittent transitional stages of the forced migration process. Specifically, few studies have explored how refugees' experiences during their recently completed journeys correlate with their mental well-being or physiological profiles that are responsive to psychosocial stress and trauma. Using data from recently settled refugees in Serbia (n = 111), our study helps address this existing gap by examining the associations between refugees’ experiences during their arduous journeys, fingernail cortisol concentrations (CORT), and self-reports of psychosocial stress and PTSD symptomology. We found that refugees who reported experiencing longer journeys had higher recent perceived stress as well as poorer well-being and physical health. Refugees who experienced trauma during their journeys also reported higher recent perceived stress and tended to have higher CORT than those who did not experience trauma. In addition, we also observed sex differences in mental health and CORT profiles. Women tended to report poorer mental well-being and physical health and also had lower CORT compared to men. While longitudinal research is needed, our correlative findings are consistent with the notion that reducing exposure to extreme trauma and stress by establishing safe migration pathways for people fleeing hardship could potentially help attenuate forced relocation-related illnesses and improve health outcomes among refugees as they await resettlement.
The reverse Magnus effect in golf balls

The following considers the lift and drag response of three commercially available golf balls. The balls were projected with spin through still air in a laboratory setting to investigate a reverse Magnus effect, where balls move in the opposite direction of the expected lift force. The drag and lift coefficients were found by measuring ball position and speed at three points along its trajectory. Three ball types, with different dimple patterns, exhibited reverse Magnus behavior between 5 × 104 < Re < 7 × 104 and 750 < ω < 2250 rpm. The golf ball with circular dimples had the least severe reverse Magnus effect, CL = − 0.1, while the ball with hexagonal dimples had the greatest, CL = − 0.15. The magnitude of the reverse Magnus effect was related to the drag crisis of each ball model. As the slope of the drag crisis became steeper, the magnitude of the reverse Magnus effect increased.
Designing referenda: An economist's pessimistic perspective

Abstract Recently, a trend has developed around the world for referenda to be used to determine binary social decisions. In a couple of setups, we prove impossibility results of the following form: a binary social goal can be achieved via a referendum if and only if it is dictatorial. Hence, our results challenge the conventional wisdom in social choice theory that social decisions are permissive in two-outcome environments (May's Theorem).
Rogue Brokers and the Limits of Agency Law

Rogue brokers and their counterparts among registered investment advisers—overall a relatively small but persistent cohort among securities-market professionals—defraud their clients, execute unauthorized transactions, or otherwise betray the trust clients necessarily repose in them. Many rogues are recidivists: fired by one firm, they move to another and often engage in new misconduct. Firms that appear to welcome rogues may enhance the risks of harm imposed on clients as well the adverse reputational consequences that follow for the industry and its regulators. This paper, written as a chapter for a forthcoming book, introduces the vocabulary and structures of common law agency as a framework to examine structural features that underlie the challenges posed by individual rogues. This framework is also helps to situate the distinct role of securities-market regulation. The paper incorporates the results and implications of other scholars’ recent quantitative inquiries into securities-market rogues as well as other cohorts daunted by recidivists, in particular law-enforcement officers and insurance producers. A securities-market rogue links two distinct types of agent-principal relationships: (1) between an individual representative and the firm with which the professional is associated; and (2) between the firm, its representative, and the clients or customers with whom the representative interacts on the firm’s behalf. Both types of relationships are characterized by asymmetries that work to the disadvantage of investors, especially so for unsophisticated retail investors. This is because an individual rogue and the firm represented by the rogue have access to material information unavailable to the investor, in particular textured information about the rogue’s history and present propensities as well as the firm’s own practices. Separately, a firm’s powers of control over its representatives exceed an investor’s powers of control as a principal in an agency relationship once the investor engages the broker or adviser. Although agency-law doctrine accounts for both asymmetries, its responses operate only retrospectively once a client suspects problems with an account. In contrast, regulation can facilitate several distinct strategies for proactive intervention; it also can expand liability to encompass personnel charged with supervisory responsibilities. Within this framework, the paper examines recent proposals from FINRA to address persistent concerns with individual rogues and broker-dealer firms that employ them.
Evidence-Based Practice Culture and Mentorship Predict EBP Implementation, Nurse Job Satisfaction, and Intent to Stay: Support for the ARCC© Model

Background The Advancing Research and Clinical practice through close Collaboration (ARCC© ) Model is a system-wide framework for implementing and sustaining evidence-based practice (EBP) in hospitals and healthcare systems. The model involves assessing organizational culture and readiness for EBP in addition to the development of a critical mass of EBP mentors who work with point-of-care clinicians to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based care. Determining how the various components of the ARCC© Model relate to one another is important for understanding how EBP culture and mentorship impact EBP implementation, nurses' job satisfaction, and intent to stay. Aims The current study aimed to test a model that could explain the relationships and direct pathways among eight key variables in the ARCC© Model: (1) EBP culture, (2) mentorship, (3) knowledge, (4) beliefs, (5) competency, (6) implementation, (7) nurses' job satisfaction, and (8) intent to stay. Methods Structural equation modeling was used to test relationships among the variables in the ARCC© Model with data obtained from an earlier cross-sectional descriptive study with 2,344 nurses from 19 hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States. Results The final structural equation model found that EBP culture and mentorship were key variables that positively impacted EBP knowledge, beliefs, competency, implementation, job satisfaction, and intent to stay among nurses. Linking evidence to action As described in the ARCC© Model, establishing a strong sustainable EBP culture along with a critical mass of EBP mentors is crucial for the development of EBP competency and consistent implementation of evidence-based care by nurses. A strong EBP culture along with EBP mentorship also can result in higher job satisfaction and intent to stay. Implementation of the ARCC© Model is a key strategy in assisting systems to reach health care's Quadruple Aim.
Effects of changes in permit-to-purchase handgun laws in Connecticut and Missouri on suicide rates

In 2013, more than 40,000 individuals died from suicide in the United States. Restricting access to lethal means has the potential to prevent suicide, as suicidal thoughts are often transient. Permit-to-Purchase (PTP) laws for handguns could potentially reduce suicides by making it more difficult for persons at risk of suicide to purchase a handgun. We used a quasi-experimental research design with annual, state-level suicide data to evaluate changes to PTP laws in Connecticut and Missouri. Data were analyzed for 1981-2012. We used synthetic control modeling as the primary method to estimate policy effects. This methodology provided better prediction of pre-PTP-law-change trends in the two states with PTP law changes than econometric models and are thus likely to provide more accurate estimates of policy effects. The synthetic control model estimated a 15.4% reduction in firearm suicide rates associated with Connecticut's PTP law. Missouri's PTP law repeal was associated with a 16.1% increase in firearm suicide rates. Evidence that PTP laws were associated with non-firearm suicide rates was mixed in Connecticut and negative in Missouri. The findings are consistent with prior research linking firearm availability to increased risk of suicide and lower suicide risks to PTP handgun laws. Language: en
Palabras de Juan Rulfo sobre el Comal. Imágenes míticas, desvelos y relaciones precortesianas en Pedro Páramo

En el presente articulo se analiza la novela Pedro Paramo del escritor mexicano Juan Rulfo a partir de simbolismos de origen prehispanico asi como de expresiones caracteristicas del imaginario catolico colonial hispanico. El estudio busca profundizar en diversas concepciones sobre la vida y la muerte, la sonrisa y la culpa, las cuales han sido reelaboradas por el novelista en un contexto cuyo substrato de creencias posee notables elementos de las cosmovisiones indigenas. El analisis procura profundizar en el simbolismo del comal, o plato de barro que se usa para la coccion de las tradicionales tortillas de maiz. El comal, en tanto utensilio de origen precortesiano, es analizado como simbolo del mundo mitico rural que acapara Pedro Paramo, gran senor del pueblo de Comala.
Potential Production of Sterigmatocystin on Country-Cured Ham

In laboratory media, 10 of 16 isolates of Aspergillus versicolor from country-cured ham were capable of producing sterigmatocystin. Three of these isolates were tested and found to produce sterigmatocystin on country-cured ham after 14 days of incubation at 20 or 28 C.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology – Choose an exciting venture for the scientific future

The Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology (RB&E) journal was established by devoted reproductive scientists from around the world during the spring of 2002 in response to the gap in electronic publishing in this field among the journals associated with BioMed Central, London, United Kingdom (http://www.biomedcentral.com), and elsewhere. I am proud of being the initiator of the birth of our journal and have had the honor of being elected Editor-in-Chief by board members. Between the time of the birth of the journal and its launching, the RB&E Editorial Board, in cooperation with our publisher, BioMed Central, gradually developed important aspects of the journal's scope and peer review policy, and other rules required for the successful launch of this revolutionary journal. Prior to its launch, the RB&E already had 20 research articles to be published. They were contributed by board members and other scientists, and have passed the two- or three-step process of peer review by three experts in the field. Additional manuscripts are under review/re-review or pending resubmission, and several have been rejected. Yet, such is our principal rule – only good science will be distributed globally. Our peer-review policy is that the reviewer's comments provide constructive criticism with the intent to help the authors improve their manuscript. These are exciting times for revolution in scientific communication through electronic journals. Emerging electronic journals are the basis for the purely electronic distribution of scientific publications in the future. Just imagine no book shelves and mountains of unorganized reprints, no work nights or secretaries required to organize and search for articles of interest. Yet, this will become reality in the very near future for most active scientists. To do science without a web connection is not imaginable nowadays, and most 'top ranked' conventional journals offer web access to recent publications and to less or more distant archives. However, not everyone has the luxury of full access through a University or his/her prepaid subscription, or can afford to pay $35 per electronic reprint. Hence, the traditional journals develop electronic scientific communication through resources from individual subscribers and private and state owned Institutions, page charges from authors, and charges for color illustrations. Altogether, the conventional science publishing industry limits access to scientific contributions to scientists in developed countries while, in many cases, leaving the rest of the world unattended. In launching the new RB&E electronic journal that aspires to join the 'top tier' of reproductive science and reproductive medicine publications, we have chosen an approach that differs noticeably from traditional journals in several ways. The most important journal rules follow:
The Primacy of Race in the Geography of Income-Based Voting: New Evidence from Public Voting Records

Why does the relationship between income and partisanship vary across U.S. regions? Some answers to this question have focused on economic context (in poorer environments, economics is more salient), whereas others have focused on racial context (in racially diverse areas, richer voters oppose the party favoring redistribution). Using 73 million geocoded registration records and 185,000 geocoded precinct returns, we examine income-based voting across local areas. We show that the political geography of income-based voting is inextricably tied to racial context, and only marginally explained by economic context. Within homogeneously nonblack localities, contextual income has minimal bearing on the income-party relationship. The correlation between income and partisanship is strong in heavily black areas of the Old South and other areas with a history of racialized poverty, but weaker elsewhere, including in urbanized areas of the South. The results demonstrate that the geography of income-based voting is inseparable from racial context.
Narrowing in on Cardiovascular Disease: The Atheroprotective Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ

Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor γ (PPAR γ ) is a nuclear receptor that has been suggested to play protective roles in the pathogenesis of diseases that are characterized by chronic inflammation, such as atherosclerosis. The study of nuclear receptors, including PPAR γ , has led to the discovery of anti-inflammatory processes that are collectively known as transrepression. In this review, we will highlight some of the mechanisms of PPAR γ -mediated transrepression that have surfaced throughout the past decade. We will also discuss the existing evidence for an atheroprotective role of PPARγ as a repressor of inflammatory genes and as a key determinant of distinct monocyte-derived subpopulations that may serve an anti-inflammatory, homeostatic role in atherogenesis.
170 GHz transferred-substrate heterojunction bipolar transistor

The authors report transferred-substrate HBTs with an fmax of 170 GHz and fτ of 120 GHz. Devices scaled to deep submicrometre dimensions should obtain an fmax of ~500 GHz.
A note on sampling to locate rare defectives with strong prior evidence

Inference about the number of defectives in a finite population is considered. Using a Bayesian model for computing the probability of unobserved defectives given the results of the sample, a criterion for sample size determination is introduced for two cases: (i) when there is a uniform prior, and (ii) when there is strong prior information. Depending on the value of the population size N, the savings in terms of a sampling effort rather than a census can be significant. When there is strong prior information, an explicit decision rule is given for determining whether a sample is needed or if the prior information alone is sufficient
Effect of the headline height of gillnets on species selectivity in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract Species selectivity of two types of low height experimental gillnets, 8 mesh deep (MD) and 12 MD, was compared with that of the standard cod gillnet (25 MD) and the tie-down flounder gillnet in inshore waters of the western Gulf of Maine. The experiment was designed to investigate whether using the lower nets could reduce the catch of the Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) while maintaining comparable catch of flounders. The results indicate that the 8 MD experimental net caught significantly less cod than the standard cod net ( t -test, P t -test, P P P Limanda ferruginea , American plaice, Hippoglossoides platessoides , witch flounder, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus , and winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus ) than the standard cod net ( P = 0.05), but significantly less than the tie-down net ( P P > 0.05). In addition, the tie-down net caught twice as much monkfish, Lophius americanus , sea raven, Hemitripterus americanus , and rock crab, Cancer irroratus , three times more American lobsters, Homarus americanus , and four to eight times more thorny skates, Amblyraja radiata , than the other three types of nets. On the other hand, the standard cod net caught significantly more spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias , and white hake, Urophycis tenuis , than the other three nets ( P
Compressive deformation behaviour of coral Porites Cylindrica

Abstract Porites Cylindrica was used to understand their compressive deformation behaviour along the growth direction. Powder X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and uniaxial compression testing were employed to study microstructure, phase analysis and mechanical properties, respectively. An average strength of 8.85±1 MPa and modulus of 12.22±2.4 GPa were measured. Failure analysis showed the influence of nanoscale microstructural features on fracture surface with steps and striations on flat fracture of struts.
Review: Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Interpretation of Current Data

ABSTRACT The available evidence concerning the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus suggests that although insulin antagonism is common to many patient groups (i.e., obese, older), overt NIDDM will only develop in a subset who may have a genetic susceptibility for inadequate β-cell reserves. Since the role of a receptor defect in causing type 2 diabetes is doubtful, the insulin antagonism in these patients is due to a post-receptor defect.
Temperature-Dependent Growth Models for South Dakota Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, Fingerling Production

Abstract Temperature-dependent growth models were developed for juvenile yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchell), in eastern South Dakota. Age-0 yellow perch were held in a circular culture tank for two months and trained to accept a pelleted diet. Five temperature treatments (16, 19, 22, 25, and 28°C) were randomly assigned in triplicate to 15, 38-L tanks containing 10 fish averaging 84±0.4 mm total length and 7.4±0.1g. Instantaneous growth rates (biweekly) for weight were highest for the 25°C treatment and lowest for the 16°C treatment. Mean length increases for the 84-day trial were 16.6, 33.3,41.1,45.1, and 40.5 mm at 16, 19,22,25, and 28°C, respectively. Mean weight increases at those respective temperatures were 4.0,11.6 15.3,17.3, and 16.6 g. Cubic polynomial equations were empirically derived to predict maximum growth rates for total length (AL, mm/day) and weight (AW, g/day) from temperature (T): ΔL = -1.2299 + 0.1015·T + 5.566e−04·T2-7.206e−05·T3(r2 =0.99);and ΔW = -0.6052 + 0.0508 · T - 2.287...