cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Child Maltreatment: Consequences, Mechanisms, and Implications for Parenting

Childhood represents a period of extreme vulnerability. Children’s brains and bodies are developing at a rapid pace to navigate an increasingly complex environment and, as with other primates, are heavily dependent upon caregivers. There is a great deal of variation in the quality of parenting children receive, and children’s development is flexible enough to adapt to tremendous variation in the type of input they receive. Child maltreatment represents a threshold where parental behavior disrupts the biological systems that underlie children’s social and emotional development. In this chapter, we describe the consequences of child maltreatment and consider several target mechanisms through which child maltreatment impacts children’s development including behavioral, physiological, learning, attentional, neurobiological, and epigenetic pathways. We also discuss clinical implications of this body of research including the potential for designing effective interventions aimed at both preventing the occurrence of maltreatment and targeting specific deficits associated with the experience of maltreatment.
The Australian Accord: Coordination in a Dynamic Game

Abstract Excessive real wage claims in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s led the Australian government to impose income policies designed to decrease real wages and increase capital’s share of national income. Not surprisingly these policies encountered stiff labor opposition, suggesting a dynamic game as the appropriate modelling framework. However early on both government and labor recognized that a non cooperative Nash solution was Pareto inferior. This led to the development of the so-called ‘Accord’ struck by the government and the Trade Unions Council to coordinate behavior. This paper uses a linear dynamic game to identify an optimal design for this preplay coordination.
Telephone-Based versus In-Person Delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Veterans with Chronic Multisymptom Illness: A Controlled, Randomized Trial.

The goal of this randomized clinical trial was to examine the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral stress reduction treatment for reducing disability among veterans with chronic multisymptom illness ...
Silver-Exchanged Mordenite for Capture of Water Vapor in Off-Gas Streams: A Study of Adsorption Kinetics

Reduced silver-exchanged mordenite (Ag0Z) has been recognized as the benchmark adsorbent for radioactive iodine removal from the nuclear fuel reprocessing off-gases. It has also been shown to have ...
Square Roots of Real 3 × 3 Matrices vs. Quartic Polynomials with Real Zeros

Article on the analogy between the description of the real square roots of 3x3 matrices and the zeros of the (depressed) real quartic polynomial, using the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.
Socio-economic mobility and air passenger demand in the U.S.

Abstract In this research, we examine how socio-economic mobility affects domestic passenger enplanement volumes at U.S. airports. In addition to metrics such as income and population levels, socio-economic mobility has been identified as an important characteristic of the socio-economic fabric of market areas. As such, it is a potentially significant determinant of demand for goods and services, including air travel. Drawing on data from the U.S. domestic airline industry and newly available measures of socio-economic mobility, we empirically discern how the latter affects both yields and passenger counts at U.S. airports. The results offer compelling evidence that greater mobility is associated with lower air fares. In addition, our findings suggest that greater passenger volumes are also lower in areas marked by higher socio-economic mobility, all else equal. Collectively, our results document the significance of socio-economic mobility as a determinant of air travel demand and thereby highlight the importance of considering it in the context of forecasting, demand management and, ultimately, infrastructure planning.
The Humidity Exposure of Packaged Products

Abstract In order to predict the shelf life of packaged products, it is necessary to know the humidity levels inside the packaging. This chapter provides a comprehensive description of the methods used to simulate the humidity inside packaging, and provides the library data on packaging permeability and the moisture sorption properties of excipients necessary to carry out the simulation. Case studies are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the approach, and some of the numerous benefits and applications of performing these simulations are discussed.
A Measure of the Distinguishability of Quantum States

What do we mean when we say that two quantum states are close to each other or far from each other? Consider, for example, two states of linear polarization of a photon. We say they are close if the angle between the directions of polarization is small, but what general definition of “closeness” are we applying when we make this statement? I would claim that there are two quite distinct criteria which could be used to determine the distance between two quantum states. The first is this: we can ask how much “effort” it takes to turn one state into the other. In the case of photon polarization, for example, we can turn one state of linear polarization into another by allowing the photon to pass through a piece of birefringent material. The greater the angle between the initial and final polarizations, the thicker the birefringent crystal must be in order to effect the desired change. This is the sense in which it takes more effort to rotate the polarization by a larger angle. More generally, we can think of the angle in Hilbert space between two states as a measure of distance in this sense.
Ndr kinases regulate retinal interneuron proliferation and homeostasis

Ndr2/Stk38l encodes a protein kinase associated with the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway and is mutated in a naturally-occurring canine early retinal degeneration (erd). To elucidate the retinal functions of Ndr2 and its paralog Ndr1/Stk38, we generated Ndr1 and Ndr2 single knockout mice. Although retinal lamination appeared normal in these mice, Ndr deletion caused a subset of Pax6-positive amacrine cells to proliferate in differentiated retinas, while concurrently decreasing the number of GABAergic, HuD and Pax6-positive amacrine cells. Retinal transcriptome analyses revealed that Ndr2 deletion increased expression of neuronal stress genes and decreased expression of synaptic organization genes. Consistent with the latter, Ndr deletion dramatically reduced levels of Aak1, an Ndr substrate that regulates vesicle trafficking. Our findings indicate that Ndr kinases are important regulators of amacrine and photoreceptor cells and suggest that Ndr kinases inhibit the proliferation of a subset of terminally differentiated cells and modulate interneuron synapse function via Aak1.
Theoretical Treatment of the X(sup 1)Sigma(sup +), A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +), and B(sup 1)Pi states of LiH

Ab initio self-consistent-field plus configuration-interaction calculations are reported for the X(sup 1)Sigma(sup +), A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +), and B(sup 1)Pi states of LiH using a 22(sugma)12(pi)7(delta) function Slater basis set. The resulting dissociation energies, with the experimental values in parentheses, are D(sub e)(X(sup 1)Sigma(sup +)) = 19 972 (20288)/ cm, and D(sub e)(A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +)) = 9042 (8682)/ cm, and D(sup e)(B(sup 1)Pi) = 284 (288) /cm. This is the first ab initio treatment to quantitatively account for the binding in the B(sup 1)Pi state. Calculated dipole moments and electronic transition moments for the X(sup 1)Sigma(sup+)-A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +), X(sup 1)Sigma(sup +)-B((sup 1)Pi, and A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +)- B(sup 1)PI band systems are in excellent agreement with existing theoretical and experimental data. Radiative transition probabilities and lifetimes, including both the bound-bound and bound-free contributions, are computed for all vibrational levels of the A(sup 1)Sigma(sup+) and B(sup 1)Pi states. Comparison with previous results using experimentally based potentials provides insight into the sensitivity of the radiative lifetimes to the detailed nature of the uppermost region of the potentials. Our calculated lifetimes for the lower vibrational levels of the A(sup 1)Sigma(sup +) state are within the experimental uncertainty. Our calculated lifetimes for the three vibrational levels of the B(sup 1)Pi state are in excellent agreement with those of Zemke and Stwalley (values in parentheses), increasing with (upsilon)' from 11.3 (11.3) nsec at (upsilon)' = 0, to 17.0 (17.0) nsec at (upsilon)' = 1, and then to 23.5 (24.0) nsec at (upsilon)' = 2.
The independent and joint effects of race, crime, and social location on the dispositional decisions of juvenile girls

The nexus of race, gender, and social location remain a habitual line of inquiry for many criminologists. However, quantitative studies of intersectionality are rare and especially rare as it relat...
Damage Caps and Defensive Medicine: Reexamination with Patient Level Data (Appendix)

Full paper is available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2816969 This Appendix contains additional methods details and results for Moghtaderi, Farmer, and Black, Damage Caps and Defensive Medicine: Reexamination with Patient Level Data (working paper 2018).
Disparity in child welfare referrals from public schools: An example of Simpson's Paradox?

Abstract Background Black children continue to be found in child welfare outcome measures at rates nearly double those of White children in the United States. Researchers have turned from bias theory to risk theory, arguing that disparity disappears when considering only the subgroup of children in poverty. In this study, we consider whether this phenomenon is an example of Simpson’s Paradox, where aggregate findings are confounded by a third factor. Participants We created a dataset by matching child welfare data to schools in a metropolitan California county. Methods We consider measures of poverty and racial-ethnic student composition as possible confounders, utilizing compositional data analysis for the latter. Traditional linear and ridge regression models were used to calculate the unadjusted and adjusted effects of each independent variable. Results We find only partial evidence of Simpson’s Paradox, in that Black to White disparity only disappears in the highest quartile of poverty. Holding poverty constant, only increasing student population non-White composition was significantly associated with reducing Black to White disparity ratios. Conclusion In a small, exploratory study, we find that while poverty may serve as an equalizer, diversity racial/ethnic student body composition may serve as a neutralizer. We find that underlying causes of disparity are complex and caution against endorsement of single theories to explain the disproportionate representation of Black children in child welfare. We find utility in analyzing child welfare data with concepts and techniques common in other disciplines and highlight several weaknesses of current child welfare informatics which impact both program evaluation and research.
Optimizing Nonlinear Parameters of Sugeno Type Fuzzy Rules using GWO for Data Classification

In this paper, a Sugeno type fuzzy system based on the fuzzy clustering has been developed for a variety of datasets. The number of rules for each dataset is based on the optimum number of clusters...
Achieving a trusted, reliable, AI-ready infrastructure for military medicine and civilian care

It is envisioned that significant improvements in medical capabilities may be required to meet formidable conditions expected in future military conflicts and global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar challenges may exist for large-scale humanitarian assistance missions and civilian mass casualty events that do not conform to prior assumptions for care delivery including evacuation within the golden hour and availability of large medical footprints in non-traditional and field settings. The importance of standardization and foundational infrastructure for medical devices, sensors, and data management is presented in order to achieve safe, and effective medical systems that deliver dramatic advances in functionality made possible by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). The concept of autonomous, artificial intelligence based learning systems for medical support in military Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) to meet evolving demands is presented. Drivers towards greater use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Medical Autonomy to solve anticipated gaps in forward resuscitative and stabilization care, as well as associated relevance and implications for the management of civilian disasters are introduced. Finally, the central role of application architecture and robust technology frameworks necessary to advance the state of the science are discussed.
Colorectal carcinomas with mucinous differentiation are associated with high frequent mutation of KRAS or BRAF mutations, irrespective of quantity of mucinous component

Mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) is a distinct type of colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with poor response to treatment and poorer prognosis. MAC is diagnosed by WHO definition when the extracellular mucin is more than 50% of the lesion. We aimed at assessing the gene expression profiles of the CRCs with any mucinous features (> 5%) in a retrospective study. The data of a 50-gene next generation sequencing (NGS) panel of 166 CRCs was analyzed and the gene mutational profile with morphologic features was correlated. We identified the different genetic mutation profiles between CRCs with and without mucinous component, but noticed a similar genetic profile between MACs and CRCs with mucinous component, irrespective of the percentage (if mucinous component more than 5%). The different genetic mutation profile related to MSI status was also identified between two groups of tumors. The most frequent mutations in CRCs with mucinous component are KRAS (28/49, 57.1%) and BRAF (19/49, 38.7%), PIK3CA (16/49, 32.6%), followed by APC (12/49, 24.5%) and TP53 (11/49, 22.5%). The combined mutation frequency of the two key factors in the EGFR signaling pathway, KRAS and BRAF, in the CRCs with and without mucinous component is 95.9 and 52.1%, respectively. The dysregulation of EGFR pathway plays a critical role in the development of CRCs with mucinous component, irrespective of the percentage. The result suggested that the current cut off of 50% mucin component to define mucinous adenocarcinoma might be challengeable.
Health Care Experience Among Women Who Completed Group Prenatal Care (CenteringPregnancy) Compared to Individual Prenatal Care Within Military Treatment Facilities.

This study compared TRICARE, the health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System, beneficiaries in CenteringPregnancy, an enhanced prenatal care model, to wome...
Association of cerebral blood flow with myelin content in cognitively unimpaired adults.

Background Myelin loss and cerebral blood flow (CBF) decline are central features of several neurodegenerative diseases. Myelin maintenance through oligodendrocyte metabolism is an energy-demanding process, so that myelin homeostasis is particularly sensitive to hypoxia, hypoperfusion or ischaemia. However, in spite of its central importance, little is known about the association between blood supply and myelin integrity. Objective To assess associations between cortical and subcortical CBF, and subcortical myelin content, in critical brain white matter regions. Materials and methods MRI was performed on a cohort of 67 cognitively unimpaired adults. Using advanced MRI methodology, we measured whole-brain longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates (R1 and R2), sensitive but non-specific markers of myelin content, and myelin water fraction (MWF), a direct surrogate of myelin content, as well as regional CBF, from each of these participants. Results All quantitative relaxometry metrics were positively associated with CBF in all brain regions evaluated. These associations between MWF or R1 and CBF, and, to a lesser extent, between R2 and CBF, were statistically significant in most brain regions examined, indicating that lower regional cortical or subcortical CBF corresponds to a decrease in local subcortical myelin content. Finally, all relaxometry metrics exhibited a quadratic, inverted U-shaped, association with age; this is attributed to the development of myelination from young to middle age, followed by progressive loss of myelin in later years. Conclusions In this first study examining the association between local blood supply and myelin integrity, we found that myelin content declines with CBF across a wide age range of cognitively normal subjects.
Introduction: Understanding Civil Courage in International Migration

To broaden civil solidarity, agents of civil repair are bound to breach the horizon of cultural expectations that, within a civil community, codes certain social groups as excluded. On the other hand, they must also fit the new coding of prior outsiders into that horizon, if such coding is to make any cultural sense to the members of their community. Navigating the chasm between breach and conformity, while preparing to face the defensive responses by the guardians of the social order, makes up a relevant dimension of civil courage. Cultivating that courage, in turn, is about teaching the competence to move across that space and about making it imaginable. In this introduction, I show how this volume contributes to both fronts while also explaining why the study of civil courage might call for a turn to civil intervention on the part of scholars interested in this topic.
Graph Neural Network for Metal Organic Framework Potential Energy Approximation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are nanoporous compounds composed of metal ions and organic linkers. MOFs play an important role in industrial applications such as gas separation, gas purification, and electrolytic catalysis. Important MOF properties such as potential energy are currently computed via techniques such as density functional theory (DFT). Although DFT provides accurate results, it is computationally costly. We propose a machine learning approach for estimating the potential energy of candidate MOFs, decomposing it into separate pair-wise atomic interactions using a graph neural network. Such a technique will allow high-throughput screening of candidates MOFs. We also generate a database of 50,000 spatial configurations and high-quality potential energy values using DFT.
Information integration for counter terrorism activities: requirements for context mediation

The National Research Council has noted that "[A]lthough there are many private and public databases that contain information potentially relevant to counterterrorism programs, they lack the necessary context definitions (i.e., metadata) and access tools to enable interoperation with other databases and the extraction of meaningful and timely information." In this paper we present examples of these problems and a technology developed at MIT, called context mediation, which provides an approach for addressing these problems.
Primary Tritanium acetabular components have increased rates of radiolucency associated with inferior clinical outcomes at short-term follow-up.

Introduction:Cementless fixation is the standard for acetabular fixation in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). There are various surface finishes thought to improve osteointegration, although li...
Relationship between forest lighting fire occurrence and weather factors in Daxing'an Mountains based on negative binomial model and zero-inflated negative binomial models

Aims Much research has been carried out on the relationship between forest fire occurrence and weather factors by use of modeling in recent years.However,the data organization used in past research can not satisfy the requirements of models well.Our aims are to determine the regression model that best fits the forest fire data set and provides a new model theory for research on forest fire and its influencing factors in order to forecast lighting fire occurrence.Methods We used negative binomial(NB) and zero-inflated negative binomial(ZINB) models to describe the relationship between lighting fire occurrence and weather factors in the Daxing'an Mountains for 1980–2005 using SAS 9.1 version and R-Project statistic software and comparing results from these models by use of AIC and Vuong methods.Important findings Both NB and ZINB models produced results with high significance for each weather factor.Comparison of the two models according to AIC,Vuong and other methods showed that the fitting ability and predictive power of ZINB model are better than those of the NB model.The advantage was also found when we compared the modeling results with Ordinary Least Squares.Then we obtained the best model for the relationship between lighting fire and weather factors.
mTORC2-mediated direct phosphorylation regulates YAP activity promoting glioblastoma growth and invasive characteristics

The Hippo and mTOR signaling cascades are major regulators of cell growth and division. Aberrant regulation of these pathways has been demonstrated to contribute to gliomagenesis and result in enhanced glioblastoma proliferation and invasive characteristics. Several crosstalk mechanisms have been described between these two pathways, although a complete picture of these signaling interactions is lacking and is required for effective therapeutic targeting. Here we report the ability of mTORC2 to directly phosphorylate YAP at serine 436 (Ser436) positively regulating YAP activity. We show that mTORC2 activity enhances YAP transcriptional activity and the induction of YAP-dependent target gene expression while its ablation via genetic or pharmacological means has the opposite affects on YAP function. mTORC2 interacts with YAP via Sin1 and mutational analysis of serine 436 demonstrates that this phosphorylation event affects several properties of YAP leading to enhanced transactivation potential. Moreover, YAP serine 436 mutants display altered glioblastoma growth, migratory capacity and invasiveness both in vitro and in xenograft experiments. We further demonstrate that mTORC2 is able to regulate a Hippo pathway resistant allele of YAP suggesting that mTORC2 can regulate YAP independent of Hippo signaling. Correlative associations between the expression of these components in GBM patient samples also supported the presence of this signaling relationship. These results advance a direct mTORC2/YAP signaling axis driving GBM growth, motility and invasiveness.
Methadone Maintenance Comes of Age

Methadone maintenance treatment in the United States is reaching maturity. During the past three decades it has progressed from an innocent childhood, through a turbulent adolescence, to recognition as an essential medical procedure. At present approximately 115.000 former heroin addicts in the United States are being treated in 750 clinics located in 40 of the 50 states. The treatment has survived challenge by professional sceptics, by ideologically hostile agencies, by competitive modalities, and even by well-intentioned clinicians in methadone programs who have prescribed inadequate doses of the medication.
Work-Study: Time Use Tradeoffs, Student Work Hours and Implications for Youth Employment Policy

Does paid employment during high school and college displace the time students spend in educational activities? Most enrolled college students in the US now work in paid jobs, almost half of whom work 25 or more hours per week. An economic approach suggests that students consider the tradeoffs involved with work versus study time allocation in terms of both current income and future earnings capacity and well being. There may be some complementarity, not just substitutability, between work and education time, regarding educational outcomes. Previous research tends to find that when paid hours exceed some threshold level, typically somewhere between 15 and 25 hours per week, various indicators of students‘ academic performance are lower. Longer work hours also undermine certain aspects of mental health. This research applies the pooled 2003-2005 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data (n=47k#) to empirically investigate four main questions: (1) Are paid work hours of students associated with time spent doing homework or research and/or attending class? (2) If so, at what threshold point of paid work hours are hours of student work displaced? (3) Are there differences between college and high school students in the above relationships? They are addressed with econometric analyses of the ATUS sample of college (n = 1,314, with 1,121 full-time) students and high school students. (4) Is student employment in certain industries or occupations associated with more time spent studying? Work hours are found to be inversely related to hours in educational activities among those aged 16-24. Moreover, there are nonlinearities by the number of actual hours. In contrast to previous studies and samples, students who work as little as 5 or more hours spend a statistically significant lesser amount of time studying than their cohorts who are not employed. The extent to which work displaces time spent studying is consistent across levels of weekly work hours, but becomes largest when hours are 40 or more, even when controlling for various demographic and occupational characteristics, but not time spent in class. The conclusion explores how to investigate whether students who work during the school year have a relatively lower well being, as indicated by available estimates of net affect associated with particular uses of time? It also explores implications for policies, such as extending youth employment regulatory protections to students if it is warranted by clear threats to their mental or physical well being.
Momentary atrial electrical axes: II. Atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, and paroxysmal tachycardia

Abstract Curves representing the consecutive atrial electrical axes for each 0.01 second have been derived for the frontal, horizontal, and sagittal planes from patients with atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, and paroxysmal tachycardia, and three-dimensional models have been constructed. The clinical experimental results of Lewis, Drury, and Iliescu have been reproduced and extended in flutter and fibrillation. The same procedure has been applied in eight cases of paroxysmal tachycardia. The type of curve in this disturbance of atrial mechanism has been found to resemble that obtained during sinus rhythm; it differs only in direction. The characteristic features of flutter and fibrillation are not present. This fails to support the idea that a circus movement is present in paroxysmal tachycardia, and although the possibility of a circus involving the S-A node is not finally excluded, we believe that the weight of the evidence points to the existence of an ectopic site of impulse generation. The available information on the physiology and pharmacology of the atrial musculature and nodal tissues has been reconsidered insofar as it bears on the behavior of paroxysmal tachycardia, and the view that in it an ectopic pacemaker may be operative.
Design concepts study of a special nuclear material cargo vehicle

Concepts were formulated to provide a basis for the design of a secure vehicle for surface transport of special nuclear materials. The design features are to provide for vehicle immobilization and ...
Abstract 5568: CYP17A1 and abiraterone: Implications for breast cancer endocrine therapy

The cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) inhibitor abiraterone, which blocks synthesis of all steroid hormones including androgens and estrogens, is an effective treatment for castrate resistant prostate cancer. Its utility for treating hormone receptor-positive breast cancer has yet to be established. In prostate cancer, the anti-proliferative effects of abiraterone are mediated by inhibiting CYP17A1 activity resulting in a significant reduction in circulating concentrations of the sex steroids dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Recently, it has been proposed that the reduction in aromatizable androgens by abiraterone may make this drug useful for the management of hormone-dependent breast cancer. However, data from our lab suggests that abiraterone has estrogenic properties and can induce proliferation in breast cancer cells expressing the estrogen receptor (ER). Crystal violet assays were used to assess abiraterone-induced proliferation in the ER-positive, estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and T47D. We show that abiraterone induced a dose dependent increase in cell proliferation with an IC50 of 3.7 μM and maximal stimulation (200%) observed at 8μM, compared to vehicle treated cells. Abiraterone also induced the expression of the ER response gene, GREB1. Abiraterone-induced proliferation and gene expression was blocked by increasing doses of the selective estrogen receptor down-regulator (SERD) fulvestrant. Abiraterone induced the dose-dependent expression of luciferase in MCF-7 cells transfected with an estrogen responsive luciferase reporter construct. In conclusion, our data suggest that abiraterone can induce ER-positive breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro by acting as a weak ER agonist. Further studies are underway to determine whether estrogenic effects of abiraterone are also observed using in vivo models of ER response. If abiraterone exhibits estrogenic effects in vivo then these data would suggest that abiraterone should be combined with an ER antagonist if used for the clinical management of women with ER+ tumors. Citation Format: Cameron P. Capper, Michael D. Johnson, Jose M. Larios, James M. Rae. CYP17A1 and abiraterone: Implications for breast cancer endocrine therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5568. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5568
Why You Should Be Alarmed by the ADM FCPA Enforcement Action

Like all statutes, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has specific elements that must be met in order for there to be a violation. However, with increasing frequency in this new era of FCPA enforcement, it appears that the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have transformed FCPA enforcement into a free-for-all in which any conduct the enforcement agencies find objectionable is fair game to extract a multimillion-dollar settlement from a risk-averse corporation. A case in point is the recent $54 million FCPA enforcement action against Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) and related entities. After discussing the principal features of this enforcement action - namely that ADM and its shareholders were victims of a corrupt Ukraine government - this article highlights why anyone who values the rule of law should be alarmed by the ADM enforcement action.
Forecasting Management Philosophy Life Cycles: A Comparative Study of Six Sigma and TQM

Although Six Sigma has been successfully used by many organizations to cut costs, its basic tenets and history have been compared to total quality management (TQM), which is considered by many to be a management fad. Based on the number of articles publ..
Parameterization of Eddy Fluxes near Oceanic Boundaries

Abstract In the stably stratified interior of the ocean, mesoscale eddies transport materials by quasi-adiabatic isopycnal stirring. Resolving or parameterizing these effects is important for modeling the oceanic general circulation and climate. Near the bottom and near the surface, however, microscale boundary layer turbulence overcomes the adiabatic, isopycnal constraints for the mesoscale transport. In this paper a formalism is presented for representing this transition from adiabatic, isopycnally oriented mesoscale fluxes in the interior to the diabatic, along-boundary mesoscale fluxes near the boundaries. A simple parameterization form is proposed that illustrates its consequences in an idealized flow. The transition is not confined to the turbulent boundary layers, but extends into the partially diabatic transition layers on their interiorward edge. A transition layer occurs because of the mesoscale variability in the boundary layer and the associated mesoscale–microscale dynamical coupling.
A BOOK REVIEW ESSAY: ASSESSING FIVE NEW PERSPECTIVES ON INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

The article reviews several books about international competitiveness, including “The Seven Cultures of Capitalism,” by Charles Hampden-Turner and Anfons Trompenaars, “Country Competitiveness: Technology and the Organizing of Work,” edited by Bruce Kogut, and “National Innovation Systems: A Comparative Analysis,” edited by Richard R. Nelson.
Content-masking methods as determinants of results of studies of nonverbal communication

The present study was designed to determine whether the technique used to control the semantic content of emotional communications might influence the results of research on the effects of gender, age, and particular affects on accuracy of decoding tone of voice. Male and female college and elementary school students decoded a 48-item audio tape-recording of emotional expressions encoded by two children and two college students. Six emotions — anger, fear, happiness, jealousy, pride and sadness — were expressed in two types of content-standard messages, namely letters of the alphabet and an affectively neutral sentence. The results of the study indicate that different methods for controlling content can indeed influence the results of studies of determinants of decoding performance. Overall, subjects demonstrated greater accuracy when decoding emotions expressed in the standard sentence than when decoding emotions embedded in letters of the alphabet. A technique by emotion interaction, however, revealed that this was especially true for the “purer” emotions of anger, fear, happiness and sadness. Subjects identified the less “pure” emotions of jealousy and pride relatively more accurately when these emotions were embedded in the alphabet technique. The implications of these results for research concerning the vocal communication of affect are briefly discussed.
Lateral Positioning With Differential Lung Ventilation and Unilateral PEEP Following Unilateral Acid Aspiration in the Dog

Body position can significantly alter the efficiency of gas exchange following unilateral lung injury. We systematically examined three positions during differential lung ventilation with unilateral positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) following unilateral hydrochloric acid aspiration in the dog. Twelve mongrel dogs were intubated with a double-lumen endobronchial tube and mechanically ventilated with a microcomputer-controlled pair of ventilators. A tidal volume of 7.5 ml/kg was delivered to each lung. The PaCO2 was maintained at 4.67 kPa. A unilateral injury was induced with an injection of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (2.5 ml/kg) into one lumen of the endobronchial tube. 0.984 kPa PEEP was applied to the injured lung and the dogs were placed sequentially in one of three positions (supine, lateral decubitus with injured lung non-dependent, and lateral decubitus with injured lung dependent) for 1 h apiece. There was no significant difference between the three positions with regard to PaO2 (F (2, 10) = 1.60, P = 0.25) of venous admixture (F (2, 10) = 0.49, P = 0.63). Our data indicated that position did not alter oxygenation. This was probably due to the use of differential ventilation with unilateral PEEP which eliminated redistribution of ventilation between the two lungs and minimized position-dependent changes in pulmonary blood flow.
Pharmacokinetic estimation for therapeutic dosage regimens (PETDR)--a software program designed to determine intravenous drug dosage regimens for veterinary applications.

Riviere, J.E., Frazier, D.L. & Tippitt, W.L. Pharmacokinetic estimation for therapeutic dosage regimens (PETDR) – a software program designed to determine intravenous drug dosage regimens for veterinary applications. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 11, 390–396. Pharmacokinetic estimation for therapeutic dosage regimens (PETDR) is a software program used to design individualized intravenous dosage regimens, determine concentration–time profiles, predict serum concentrations at a specific time after intravenous dosing and predict the time after the last dose to achieve a specified concentration of drug. The reference pharmacokinetic parameters may be based on an individual anima's pharmacokinetic disposition of drug or on FARAD (Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank) mean population kinetic parameters. An individual anima's kinetic parameters may be input for predetermined analysis or the program can calculate these values by input of raw serum concentration–time data. The program allows the user to specify certain parameters of the dosage regimen, then calculates the other parameters (given desired maximum and minimum serum concentrations, dose and interval are calculated; given desired maximum serum concentration and interval, dose is calculated, etc.). Given the kinetic parameters, the dose and dosing interval, the program calculates and plots the serum concentration-time profile of the drug for that animal. The time and the number of doses to reach steady state can be calculated as well as the determination of loading dose. The percentage of the time of a dosing interval at steady state that the serum concentration is above a specific minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) allows evaluation of efficacy of an antimicrobial regimen. Similarly, the time to reach a specific concentration (e.g. residue tolerance) or the MIC of a drug can be calculated. Legal tissue tolerances can be accessed from FARAD to aid in predicting for what period of time illegal residues will remain in the animal. These calculations allow design of dosage regimens that maximize therapeutic efficacy and minimize toxicity to the patient as well as to decrease the incidence of drug residues in food animals.
Two-phase stratigraphic model of foreland-basin sequences

Application of flexural models to nonmarine foreland-basin evolution indicates that two different stratigraphic styles of basin fill may develop over time. Basin subsidence is most rapid during times of thrust-load emplacement; associated sedimentation is coarse grained immediately adjacent to the thrust front and grades rapidly into fine-grained deposits that cover most of the basin. The distal part of the basin may also contain deposits derived from streams that flow from beyond the basin toward the thrust belt. Subsequent removal of the thrust load by erosion and other processes results in flexural rebound of the thrust belt and adjacent foreland basin. During this postorogenic phase of adjustment, a regional unconformity develops in the proximal part of the foreland basin. Proximal deposits, along with thrust-derived sediment, are redeposited in the distal foreland basin and beyond. This two-phase model of foreland sedimentation predicts that coarsening-upward sequences in the proximal and distal parts of the basin have reciprocal significance: the proximal sequence represents thrust-belt advance, whereas the distal sequence represents thrust-belt cessation.
A New Supersymmetric String Model and the Supergauge Constraints in the Dual Resonance Models

Abstract We present a new supersymmetric string model which can carry spin and other quantum numbers and in which the supergauge constraints arise naturally. We obtain the known dual models involving fermions as special cases.
Tianeptine interferes with microtubule organization and hormone secretion of pheochromocytoma cells

Pheochromocytoma originates from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and sympathetic paraganglia. 36–53% of pheochromocytoma becomes malignant and, thereafter, resistant to conventional treatments. Pheochromocytoma also causes hyper-secretion of catecholamines that cause severe hypertension. We found that an antidepressant, tianeptine, interfered with normal life cycle of pheochromocytoma cells at its clinical doses. Treatment with tianeptine caused microtubule bundling and specific degradation of cytoplasmic dynein, a retrograde microtubule motor that mediates various microtubule-dependent processes during interphase and mitosis, in the rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Tianeptine also increased the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins, slowed cell cycle progression, and increased apoptosis in PC12 cells. Importantly, tianeptine treatment decreased high K+-stimulated secretion of norepinephrine and chromogranin A in PC12 cells and of epinephrine in the mouse pheochromocytoma MPC cells. Our study demonstrates, for the first time, that tianeptine interferes with normal life cycle of pheochromocytoma cells.
Bases de la gobernabilidad y del derecho: un ensayo sobre la evolución del derecho en Latinoamérica colonial

The contemporary legal systems of Latin America were all established on institutional foundations that had evolved during not only the course of four centuries of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule, but also from the fusion of pre-existing institutions formed in previous evolutionary processes. This article is an attempt first to develop an analytical framework in which such developments can be meaningfully analysed and second to identify the principal features of these prior regimes. It begins with a detailed set of propositions defining law, its basic elements and attributes as well as a theory of legal evolution. It continues with an application of this framework in the context of the Aztec and Inca civilizations, the evolution of law on the Iberian Peninsula, and finally the principal features of Spanish colonial law that ultimately emerged in the context of the Latin American colonial experience.
Linking ligand perception by PEPR pattern recognition receptors to cytosolic Ca2+ elevation and downstream immune signaling in plants

Little is known about molecular steps linking perception of pathogen invasion by cell surface sentry proteins acting as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to downstream cytosolic Ca2+ elevation, a critical step in plant immune signaling cascades. Some PRRs recognize molecules (such as flagellin) associated with microbial pathogens (pathogen-associated molecular patterns, PAMPs), whereas others bind endogenous plant compounds (damage-associated molecular patterns, DAMPs) such as peptides released from cells upon attack. This work focuses on the Arabidopsis DAMPs plant elicitor peptides (Peps) and their receptors, PEPR1 and PEPR2. Pep application causes in vivo cGMP generation and downstream signaling that is lost when the predicted PEPR receptor guanylyl cyclase (GC) active site is mutated. Pep-induced Ca2+ elevation is attributable to cGMP activation of a Ca2+ channel. Some differences were identified between Pep/PEPR signaling and the Ca2+-dependent immune signaling initiated by the flagellin peptide flg22 and its cognate receptor Flagellin-sensing 2 (FLS2). FLS2 signaling may have a greater requirement for intracellular Ca2+ stores and inositol phosphate signaling, whereas Pep/PEPR signaling requires extracellular Ca2+. Maximal FLS2 signaling requires a functional Pep/PEPR system. This dependence was evidenced as a requirement for functional PEPR receptors for maximal flg22-dependent Ca2+ elevation, H2O2 generation, defense gene [WRKY33 and Plant Defensin 1.2 (PDF1.2)] expression, and flg22/FLS2-dependent impairment of pathogen growth. In a corresponding fashion, FLS2 loss of function impaired Pep signaling. In addition, a role for PAMP and DAMP perception in bolstering effector-triggered immunity (ETI) is reported; loss of function of either FLS2 or PEPR receptors impaired the hypersensitive response (HR) to an avirulent pathogen.
The Charles H. Kerr Company: Books To Change the World

One of the most colorful and free‐spirited publishers in U.S. history, the Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company of Chicago has also made an impressive mark on that history. As this country's oldest alternative publishing house—founded in 1886—it has been closely associated with such movements as populism, freethought, socialism, and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), as well as various currents of labor and social radicalism of more recent years. The Kerr Company has also established itself as a leading publisher of original works and reprints in the field of labor and radical history. Several generations of America's progressives and dissidents have relied heavily on Kerr publications for their education and inspiration. For libraries with a focus on labor, politics, women, reform movements, anarchism, socialism, pacifism, radical fiction, popular culture, and the broad counter‐culture, Kerr books are indispensable.
Gastric Bypass Does Not Influence Olfactory Function in Obese Patients

Morbidly obese individuals have altered sense of taste and smell. Gastric bypass (GBP) alters taste but olfactory function has not been evaluated. Changes in these senses may influence dietary preferences following GBP. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of abdominal operation, specifically GBP, and weight loss on olfactory function. Fifty-five persons undergoing GBP and cholecystectomy and 40 persons undergoing cholecystectomy (CC) alone were administered the Cross Cultural Smell Identification Test (CC-SIT) preoperatively and 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Patients undergoing GBP underwent further tests at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Body mass index (BMI) was also assessed. Mean BMI was significantly greater preoperatively in the GBP group (50.6 ± 8.0 vs. 30.6 ± 7.3 kg/m2, p < 0.05). Significantly more GBP patients had abnormal CC-SIT results preoperatively (12.7% vs. 5.0%). There were no significant differences in percentage of abnormal tests at 2 and 6 weeks within groups but remained lower in CC patients (2 weeks, GBP 6.2% vs. CC 5.7%; 6 weeks, GBP 9.8% vs. CC 3.2%, p < .05). BMI decreased in the GBP group at 12 months (50.6 ± 8.0 preoperatively to 31.9 ± 6.9 p < 0.05). Absolute olfactory dysfunction (AOD) was present at each interval up to 12 months after GBP. Only 22% of patients with AOD remained obese. GBP does not appear to influence olfactory function. AOD present in morbidly obese persons is not affected by weight loss. These findings support that olfactory dysfunction may be a contributing factor to the development of obesity.
Why non-superconducting metallic elements become superconducting under high pressure

Abstract We predict that simple metals and early transition metals that become superconducting under high pressures will show a change in sign of their Hall coefficient from negative to positive under pressure. If verified, this will strongly suggest that hole carriers play a fundamental role in ‘conventional’ superconductivity, as predicted by the theory of hole superconductivity.
Improving inter-fragmentary alignment for virtual 3D reconstruction of highly fragmented bone fractures

This article describes two new algorithms that, when integrated into an existing semi-automatic virtual bone fragment reconstruction system, allow for more accurate anatomic restoration. Furthermore, they spare the user the painstaking task of positioning each fragment in 3D, which can be extremely time consuming and difficult. The virtual interactive environment gives the user capabilities to influence the reconstruction process and that allows idiosyncratic geometric surface reconstruction scenarios. Coarse correspondences specified by the user are refined by a new alignment functional that allows geometric surface variations such as ridges and valleys to more heavily influence the final alignment solution. Integration of these algorithms into the system provides improved reconstruction accuracy, which is critical for increasing the likelihood of satisfactory clinical outcome after the injury.