cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging Market Multinationals: An Analysis of Performance and Risk Characteristics

ABSTRACT This study explores the risk and performance characteristics of emerging market multinationals (EMNCs). We use a sample composed of 79 EMNCs from 15 countries located in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe-Russia, and Latin America. Our risk and performance analyses are based on monthly share price returns collected over 1996–2003 period and annual accounting data. We find that EMNCs on average perform better than their respective country market indices, a widely used EM benchmark, S&P500 and, global market index (MSCI-World) during the period of analysis. Our sample firms on average earn 13.21% return on assets, 8.97% return on equity, and 11.96% return on invested capital. We also find that EMNC returns are highly volatile, and despite some level of diversification achieved by EMNCs, their returns remain highly sensitive to local market shocks. The cross-sectional analysis of the determinants of the performance of the EMNCs reveals that leverage and systematic risk are the most important factors, foll...
Protein secretion and surface display in Gram-positive bacteria

The cell wall peptidoglycan of Gram-positive bacteria functions as a surface organelle for the transport and assembly of proteins that interact with the environment, in particular, the tissues of an infected host. Signal peptide-bearing precursor proteins are secreted across the plasma membrane of Gram-positive bacteria. Some precursors carry C-terminal sorting signals with unique sequence motifs that are cleaved by sortase enzymes and linked to the cell wall peptidoglycan of vegetative forms or spores. The sorting signals of pilin precursors are cleaved by pilus-specific sortases, which generate covalent bonds between proteins leading to the assembly of fimbrial structures. Other precursors harbour surface (S)-layer homology domains (SLH), which fold into a three-pronged spindle structure and bind secondary cell wall polysaccharides, thereby associating with the surface of specific Gram-positive microbes. Type VII secretion is a non-canonical secretion pathway for WXG100 family proteins in mycobacteria. Gram-positive bacteria also secrete WXG100 proteins and carry unique genes that either contribute to discrete steps in secretion or represent distinctive substrates for protein transport reactions.
Raising the bar: a training program for student workers

Computing and Information Services at Texas A & M University expanded its Open Access Labs (OALs) from approximately 700 machines to 1200 machines in August 1998. The expansion of services required that we double our student worker staff. We recognized extensive training needs to achieve high customer service and technical skill standards in our five computer labs across campus. We met our immediate challenge, providing training in basic customer service skills, by creating a ninety-minute class designed specifically for our environment for all fulland parttime employees. We followed by creating a program to address ongoing training needs in one-hour weekly training sessions covering technical and customer service skills. We also instituted a half-day orientation program for all newly hired student workers covering customer service skills, our problem-tracking software, our online scheduler program, and other administrative and security issues. Some of the stumbling blocks we encountered were creating an appropriate mix between customer service and technical topics, selecting timely training topics, identifying qualified instructors, and identifying optimum times for training sessions. We are able to constantly refine our training program with input from lab supervisors, our student worker Training Advisory Board, and from training class evaluation forms.
SoftSTAPLE: Truth and performance-level estimation from probabilistic segmentations

We introduce here a new algorithm, called softSTAPLE, for computing estimates of segmentation generator performance and a reference standard segmentation from a collection of probabilistic segmentations of an image. These tasks have previously been investigated for segmentations with discrete label values, but few techniques exploit the information available in probabilistic segmentations. Our new method may be used to evaluate classification algorithms, to fuse “weak” classifiers in a performance-weighted fashion, or to combine the results of a previous fusion of manual segmentations in an hierarchical manner. We describe and validate our new algorithm, and compare its performance to other techniques in two applications with “real-world” data.
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL EXTRACTION OF COTTONSEED COLLETS: EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is one of the most favorable alternatives to hexane for oil extraction. Compared to hexane and other solvents such as ethanol, IPA is less flammable and less toxic and is free of restrictive governmental regulations. Thus, the effects of collets versus flake with hexane and IPA as extraction solvents at various alcohol concentrations (88, 93, 95 and 97% IPA levels) were examined. Cottonseed meats were flaked and cooked before they were processed using a Hivex expander. The solvent extractions were carried out using a seven-stage countercurrent laboratory extraction unit. Extractability of collets with 95% IPA was better than that of flakes. The residual oil content and solvent hold-up of the collets were 1.6 and 33.0% compared 4.5; and 53.2% for the flakes, respectively. The aqueous IPA extraction proceeded more slowly and showed a lower oil carrying capacity than that of hexane. The residual oil content of the cottonseed collets extracted with hexane was 1.2% while the solvents containing 97, 93, and 88% IPA resulted in 1.5, 1.9, and 2.4%, respectively. Reduction in water content improved the extraction efficiency of IPA.
Health status and microbial (Pasteurellaceae) flora of free-ranging bighorn sheep following contact with domestic ruminants

Eighteen bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) with known or suspected contact with domestic ruminants on public or private land were removed to prevent possible disease transmission. Live bighorns maintained in captivity were monitored for evidence of respiratory disease. Contacts with cattle (n = 4) occurred in December, January, and July; whereas, most contacts with domestic sheep (n = 10), goats (n = 3), or both (n = 1) occurred between April and October. Four bighorns died within 7 days following capture and 10 survived from 47 days to 57 months in captivity. Five bighorns had gross and/or histological evidence of pneumonia. Pasteurellaceae were isolated from 17/18 bighorns, and domestic ruminants that were contacted by 4 bighorns. Isolates included multiple biovariants of Mannheimia spp. and Bibersteinia trehalosi, and Pasteurella multocida subspecies and biotypes. Pasteurellaceae from pneumonic lungs included Mannheimia spp. biovariant 1, P. multocida subsp. multocida a, and B. trehalosi biovariant 2B. The Mannheimia spp. biovariant 1, isolated from 2 pneumonic bighorns and contacted domestic sheep, had restriction fragment-length pattern similarity coefficient values of 1.0, indicating high similarity and likely sharing between the species. Management implications include the need for species separation and rapid responses to contact situations because 28% of the bighorns died with evidence of respiratory disease following domestic ruminant contact. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Performance evaluations of for-profit and nonprofit U.S. hospitals since 1980

This synthesis of studies examines whether the published literature shows an evidence-based consensus on performance differences between private for-profit and nonprofit hospitals in the United States since 1980. The author systematically and comprehensively surveyed peer-reviewed publications to clarify this question. The author's second objective was to learn what proportion of all research assessing for-profit and nonprofit health care providers is devoted to hospitals compared to all other providers. The third goal was to discover how any trends in observed performance differences among hospitals compare with trends among other provider types. Computerized bibliographic searches of all relevant databases yielded seventy-five studies (ninety-three assessments) that compared the performance of for-profit and nonprofit hospitals on four performance criteria: access, quality, cost or efficiency, and amount of charity care. The author coded findings on performance in one of three ways: for-profit superiority, nonprofit superiority, or inconclusive. Most studies (60 percent) reported that nonprofit hospitals have better relative performance than for-profit hospitals, clear evidence of their organizational effectiveness. Thirty-one percent were inconclusive, and 8 percent reported that for-profits were better.
T cell avidity and tumor recognition: implications and therapeutic strategies.

In the last two decades, great advances have been made studying the immune response to human tumors. The identification of protein antigens from cancer cells and better techniques for eliciting antigen specific T cell responses in vitro and in vivo have led to improved understanding of tumor recognition by T cells. Yet, much remains to be learned about the intricate details of T cell – tumor cell interactions. Though the strength of interaction between T cell and target is thought to be a key factor influencing the T cell response, investigations of T cell avidity, T cell receptor (TCR) affinity for peptide-MHC complex, and the recognition of peptide on antigen presenting targets or tumor cells reveal complex relationships. Coincident with these investigations, therapeutic strategies have been developed to enhance tumor recognition using antigens with altered peptide structures and T cells modified by the introduction of new antigen binding receptor molecules. The profound effects of these strategies on T cell – tumor interactions and the clinical implications of these effects are of interest to both scientists and clinicians. In recent years, the focus of much of our work has been the avidity and effector characteristics of tumor reactive T cells. Here we review concepts and current results in the field, and the implications of therapeutic strategies using altered antigens and altered effector T cells.
Oxidation of 5′-dGMP, 5′-dGDP, and 5′-dGTP by a platinum(IV) complex

We previously reported that a Pt(IV) complex, [Pt(IV)(dach)Cl4] [trans-d,l-1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetrachloroplatinum(IV)] binds to the N7 of 5'-dGMP (deoxyguanosine-5'-monophosphate) at a relatively fast rate and oxidizes it to 8-oxo-5'-dGMP. Here, we further studied the kinetics of the oxidation of 5'-dGMP by the Pt(IV) complex. The electron transfer rate constants between 5'-dGMP and Pt(IV) in [H8-5'-dGMP-Pt(IV)] and [D8-5'-dGMP-Pt(IV)] were similar, giving a small value of the kinetic isotope effect (KIE: 1.2 ± 0.2). This small KIE indicates that the deprotonation of H8 in [H8-5'-dGMP-Pt(IV)] is not involved in the rate-determining step in the electron transfer between guanine (G) and Pt(IV). We also studied the reaction of 5'-dGDP (deoxyguanosine-5'-diphosphate) and 5'-dGTP (deoxyguanosine-5'-triphosphate) with the Pt(IV) complex. Our results showed that [Pt(IV)(dach)Cl4] oxidized 5'-dGDP and 5'-dGTP to 8-oxo-5'-dGDP and 8-oxo-5'-dGTP, respectively, by the same mechanism and kinetics as for 5'-dGMP. The Pt(IV) complex binds to N7 followed by a two-electron inner sphere electron transfer from G to Pt(IV). The reaction was catalyzed by Pt(II) and occurred faster at higher pH. The electron transfer was initiated by either an intramolecular nucleophilic attack by any of the phosphate groups or an intermolecular nucleophilic attack by free OH(-) in the solution. The rates of reactions for the three nucleotides followed the order: 5'-dGMP > 5'-dGDP > 5'-dGTP, indicating that the bulkier the phosphate groups are, the slower the reaction is, due to the larger steric hindrance and rotational barrier of the phosphate groups.
Aspirin-induced increases in soluble IL-1 receptor type II concentrations in vitro and in vivo.

This study examined the influence of low-dose aspirin on interleukin (IL)-1alpha , IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and soluble receptor type II (sIL-1RII) secretion in vivo and in vitro. Blood mononuclear cells were isolated from healthy young men who ingested 81 mg of aspirin on alternate days for 2 weeks and from unmedicated controls. Aspirin had minor effects on ex vivo secretion of IL-1beta and no influence on IL-1ra. In contrast, unstimulated ex vivo secretion of sIL-1RII was over twice as high by cells from aspirin-treated subjects (1115+/-123 vs. 460+/-77 pg/mL, P = 0.02). Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated sIL-1RII secretion was influenced similarly. Plasma sIL-1RII concentrations were 23% higher in aspirin-treated subjects (10.2+/-0.6 vs. 8.4+/-0.3 ng/mL, P = 0.03). In addition, cells from unmedicated subjects cultured in vitro with aspirin (10 microg/mL) secreted significantly greater amounts of sIL-1RII. Thus, low-dose aspirin therapy may prevent inflammation by increasing soluble receptor secretion, thereby preventing IL-1 from binding target cells.
Evaluating seafood eco-labeling as a mechanism to reduce collateral impacts of fisheries in an ecosystem-based fisheries management context

Abstract By considering not only target species catch but also bycatch of non-target species and habitat damage, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has the potential to minimize the environmental impact of fisheries. Defining and benchmarking EBFM strategies for these incidental environmental impacts has been challenging, and this lack of consensus has, in part, resulted in a proliferation of eco-labeling schemes with variable and vague criteria for environmental targets. The performance of fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the most prominent eco-labeling certifier, was compared to non-certified fisheries and evaluated against target reference points for a suite of metrics derived from the EBFM literature. Specifically we compared marine mammal bycatch, finfish discard rates, and gear impacts between MSC-certified fisheries and non-certified fisheries. Discards of non-target finfish and bycatch rates of marine mammals were no different between certified and non-certified U.S. fisheries. Observer coverage was no higher in certified fisheries, and many fisheries failed to meet the coverage level thought adequate to document bycatch of protected species. MSC-certified fisheries did have lower average gear destructiveness scores than non-certified stocks when weighted by landings but not when weighted by the number of fisheries. Our analysis indicates that MSC-certified fisheries perform better on some ecosystem-based sustainability metrics but are indistinguishable from non-certified stocks on others, and improvement is needed for all certified fisheries to meet quantitative goals for the collateral impacts of fishing.
Updating a Classic

![Figure][1] Having temporarily run out of “Qs” to kick off a true “Q&A” lineup for this issue’s column, I will instead describe the recently released draft of the Addendum update to the International Conference on Harmonization’s (ICH’s) Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty and the Minnesota Iron Ranges

IN fixing that segment of the international boundary which extends westward from Lake Superior to Rainy Lake, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty resolved a dispute over a tract of land that contained valuable deposits of iron ore and that lay near other significant deposits. Were the Minnesota iron ranges known to Daniel Webster or Lord Ashburton? One scholar has asserted that in 1842 the Mesabi Range was "known to be rich in iron ore" and has implied that while Ashburton shared this knowledge he falsely professed to believe the area of little value and consciously surrendered the British claim.' To support these statements only President John Tyler's message accompanying the treaty to the Senate is offered as evidence. Tyler, however, said no more than that the land to which the United States gained clear title was "considered valuable as a mineral region."2 He cited no authority and did not specify iron. No evidence has been found to support the assertion that any of the Minnesota iron deposits were known in 1842; abundant testimony contradicts it. Neither the Mesabi nor any other range, inside or outside the disputed area, was known for many years after that date. The object of this note is to identify the dates of discovery and to indicate the geographical relationship of the iron deposits to the boundaries established by the treaty of 1842. The area substantially in dispute composed a triangle of which the base is the shore of Lake Superior from its western tip northeastward one hundred fifty miles to the mouth of the Pigeon River. The northern leg of the
Effect of Zectran, Sevin, and Other New Carbamate Insecticides Upon Insect Populations Found on Vegetable and Field Crops in Southern California

Sevin® (1-naphthyl N -methylearbamate) and Zectran® (4-di- methylamino-3,5-xylyl N -methylcarbamate) were evaluated for their effectiveness against insects occurring on the following crops: cauliflower, celery, corn, cotton, peppers, and tomatoes. A 5% Sevin dust provided effective control of the corn earworm (Heliothis zea (Boddie)) on sweet corn; on cotton, Sevin at 2 pounds of toxicant per acre gave evidence of a lasting residual control of cotton leaf perforator ( Bucculatrix thurberiella Busck), salt-marsh caterpillar (Estigmene acrea (Drury)), and cotton bollworm (=corn earworm) larvae. Zectran, applied at from 0.5 to 1 pound per acre, provided excellent control of western flower thrips ( Frankliniella occidentalis is (Pergande), leafminers, ( Liriomyza spp.), and various species of lepidopterous larvae and flea beetles. On cotton, effective residues of Zectran do not seem to persist so long as those of Sevin. Both compounds were destructive to a variety of beneficial insect species on cotton. The addition of piperonyl but oxide did not consistently and markedly increase the toxicity of Sevin to larvae of the cabbage looper ( Trichoplusia ni (Hubner)), beet armyworm ( Spodoptera exigua (Hubner)), cabbage aphid ( Brevicoryne brassicae (L.)), and green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae (Sulzer)) on cauliflower and celery. Five per cent dusts of Bayer 37344 (3,5-dimethyl-4-methylthiophenyl N -methylcarbamate), Bayer 39007 ( o -isopropoxyphenyl N -methyl carbamate), and Union Carbide 10854 ( m -isopropylphenyl N -methyl carbamate) gave fair control of corn earworms on sweet corn. Beet armyworms on celery were not effectively controlled by l.2 pounds per acre of Bayer 37344.
Remote Site Instruction in Physics: A Test of the Effectiveness of a New Teaching Technology:

This study tested the effectiveness of a remote site instructional system utilizing audio-graphic teleconferencing technology. The subject matter taught was high school level physics. The test site was Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah. The study consisted of a treatment-control group comparison in which the treatment group (9 males and 2 females) received the remotely delivered instruction and the control group (14 males and 3 females) received traditional high school physics instruction. The dependent variable was performance on physics tests that were administered periodically during the intervention period. A two-step hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the data. During the first step, the experimental and control groups were equated for pre-existing differences in student ability. During the second step, the two groups were tested for differences in performance due to the experimental manipulation. No significant differences in performance were found. The results lead us to be...
Reactive Power Planning Principles Suitable to Power Networks in Large-and Medium-Size Cities

In this paper,the existing problems in current configuration,operation and management of reactive power equipments in power networks of large-and medium-sized cities in China are summarized.The technical principles suitable to reactive power planning for power networks in large-and medium-sized cities are proposed,and the approaches and procedures of reactive power planning for urban main power networks,urban high-voltage distribution network,urban medium-voltage distribution network are given respectively.It is pointed out that for huge urban power networks of extra-large-sized cities,where the 500kV frame network has been formed,the load density is concentrated and high proportion of power is sent inwards by external power grid,the depth of reactive power planning should be enhanced;on the basis of calculation of power frequency overvoltage and secondary-arc current and normal analysis on reactive power balance,the analysis on optimal configuration of reactive power equipments,the analysis and assessment of voltage stability and the research on configuration scheme of dynamic reactive power equipments as well as the control measures of reactive power and voltage should be performed.
Infected fractures of the hand and wrist

Infected fractures of the hand and wrist are uncommon, occurring most often after open crushing injury in a contaminated environment. Fundamental principles of treatment include thorough debridement of necrotic material, appropriate antibiotic selection, and adequate stabilization of bone. Delayed reconstruction of bone and soft tissue is at times aided by the use of free tissue transfer.
Regulation of rat heart ornithine decarboxylase: change in affinity for ornithine evoked by neuronal, hormonal, and ontogenetic stimuli.

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of polyamines, is markedly elevated in the adult rat heart 4 hr after isoproterenol or 24 hr after triiodothyronine treatment. The rate of degradation of ODC activity, measured after administration of cycloheximide, was not affected by these stimuli: half-lives of the enzyme remained between 18 and 24 min. After isoproterenol or triiodothyronine stimulation of adult rat heart, and in neonatal rats, kinetic data revealed the presence of a different form of the enzyme, with a K m of 30-50 µM, compared with 260 µM in the adult control. Pretreatment with actinomycin D did not prevent elevation of ODC activity caused by isoproterenol, nor did cyclic AMP appear to be involved in the ODC stimulation. These results suggest that heart ODC regulation involves mechanisms different from those seen in other tissues.
Ultraviolet laser ablation of benzene monolayers

The overall goal of our work is to understand etching by high-fluence excimer laser pulses. The primary experimental technique is to measure the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) from atoms and diatomic molecules in the etch plume. One of the materials originally under Investigation1 was sapphire, Al2O3. The primary conclusion is that UV photons incident on sapphire produce a high electron-hole density and consequent photochemical breakdown and ablation of the surface. Major evidence for this conclusion is that the LIF determined surface temperature Increased only to ≲500 K even at the ablation threshold, which is 800 mJ/cm2 at 193 nm.
Liquid Exfoliated Natural Silk Nanofibrils: Applications in Optical and Electrical Devices

A method to directly extract silk nanofibrils from native silk fibers at the single nanofibrils scale is reported. The resulting silk nanofibrils, which retain structural features and physical properties of native silk fibers, show potential utility in optical and electronic devices.
Alcance teórico y práctico del transnacionalismo: la participación política de los inmigrantes nigerianos en la Ciudad de Nueva York

El concepto de migracion transnacional reconoce los lazos que los inmigrantes mantienen con sus paises de origen. A pesar del gran numero de estudios sobre los inmigrantes transnacionales, pocas investigadores han dedicado atencion a las formas y mecanismos de participacion simultanea en las comunidades de origen y recepcion. En este articulo se analiza las motivaciones, mecanismos de y barreras a la participacion politica de los inmigrantes nigerianos en Nueva York y Nigeria. Basado en un estudio cualitativo con esta poblacion, se concluye que el transnacionalismo politico es un fenomeno que alcanza solamente una pequena proporcion de la comunidad de inmigrantes nigerianos, y que el acto de inmigrar altera la posicion social relativa de los individuos con respecto a los nigerianos y estadounidenses, proporcionandoles los recursos necesarios para participar en Nigeria y limitando su involucramiento en EE.UU. The concept of transnational migration recognizes the ties that migrants retain with their origin countries. Despite numerous studies about transmigrants, few researchers have dedicated attention to the forms and mechanisms of simultaneous participation in origin and reception communities. In this article I analyze the motivations, mechanisms of and barriers to transnational political participation of Nigerians in New York City and Nigeria. Based on a qualitative study with the migrant community, the article concludes that political transnationalism is limited to a small proportion of Nigerian immigrants, and that the act of migrating alters the relative social position of individuals with respect to Nigerians and Americans, providing the resources they need to participate in Nigeria but limiting their involvement in the United States.
Clinical implementation of a novel applicator in high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment of esophageal cancer

Purpose In this study, we present the clinical implementation of a novel transoral balloon centering esophageal applicator (BCEA) and the initial clinical experience in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment of esophageal cancer, using this applicator.
Micropropagation of flame azalea.

Shoots tips excised from an actively growing stock plant of flame azalea [Rhododendron calendulaceum (Michx.) Torr.] were surface sterilized, the terminal portions were removed (decapitated) and th...
Pheromone-based decision support tools for management of Halyomorpha halys in apple orchards: development of a trap-based treatment threshold

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), has become a serious pest in mid-Atlantic apple orchards. Because no decision support tools exist for H. halys management, calendar-based insecticide applications have been the only successful technique for mitigating H. halys injury in orchards. Following the identification of the two-component aggregation pheromone of H. halys, we conducted a study to determine whether biological information generated by traps baited with this pheromone and pheromone synergist could be used to make management decisions. In this study, experimental apple orchards were treated with a H. halys-targeted insecticide only when a predetermined cumulative threshold of either 1, 10, or 20 adults per trap was reached. Once threshold was reached, two alternate row middle sprays 1 week apart were triggered and the threshold was reset. For comparison, some orchards were also subjected to a weekly alternate row middle spray or left untreated as controls. At harvest, significantly less fruit injury was observed when treated weekly or using a threshold of 1 or 10 H. halys adults per trap to trigger insecticide applications. Orchards treated using a cumulative threshold of 20 adults per trap or when left unsprayed had significantly higher fruit injury. In addition, insecticide applications were reduced by 40% using a threshold of 10 adults per trap. Our results suggest that baited pheromone traps can be used as decision support tools to trigger insecticide applications when needed to mitigate risk and effectively manage H. halys in apple orchards.
Swept into Puritanism: Emerson, Wendell Phillips, and the Roots of Radicalism

Abstract This essay charts how Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wendell Phillips found common ground in militant abolitionism through a reimagination of their Puritan heritage. It argues that in embracing their ancestors as Cromwellian spiritual warriors, they depart from usual “concepts of Puritan ancestry” and offer a way to heed calls for new literary histories.
Modulation recognition using side information and hybrid learning

Recent applications of machine learning to modulation recognition have demonstrated the potential of deep learning to achieve state-of-the-art performance. We propose to further extend this approach by using flexible time-space decompositions that are more in line with the actual learning task, as well as integrate side-information, such as higher order moments, directly into the training process. Our promising preliminary results suggest that there are many more benefits to be reaped from such approaches.
Vocal restoration and the large irregular tracheostoma

L'obliteration du tracheostome avec une balle de silicone montee sur une tige ne necessite pas un mouvement de grande amplitude du bras chez le malade dont l'epaule est raide
EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE YEARS

AbstractThis session will focus on cutting edge research that aims to extend quality life years. The presentations will approach this topic ranging from identifying important molecular mechanisms to identifying population health strategies. Topics included in this session will focus on molecular mechanisms of lifespan expansion, modifiable risk factors to prevent cognitive decline, reasons for under treatment of hearing loss, the use of the arts to promote health, and global oral health disparities in older adults.
Chain Dispersity Effects on Brush Properties of Surface-Grafted Polycaprolactone-Modified Silica Nanoparticles: Unique Scaling Behavior in the Concentrated Polymer Brush Regime

Silica nanoparticles (Rh = 70 nm) were functionalized with high dispersity (Đ > 2.3) polycaprolactone at various grafting densities, and the brush properties were investigated using dynamic light scattering. Owing to recent advances in controlled polymerization techniques, low dispersity brushes are easily grafted from nanoparticle surfaces, and these systems have been well studied. However, the effect of high dispersity brushes on nanoparticle surfaces is largely unexplored. Here we discuss the brush properties of high dispersity polycaprolactone-grafted silica nanoparticles. Because of the polymerization conditions used, transesterification events are induced during the polymerization to give brushes with increasing dispersity both as brush length increases and as grafting density is increased (e.g., Đ from 1.32 to 2.39 for σ from 0.21 to 0.61 chains/nm2). All grafting densities showed extended chains in the concentrated polymer brush regime, with brush length, lb, scaling with degree of polymerization,...
Leveraging Developmental Insights to Improve Early Childhood Education

Public investments in early childhood education have increased sharply over the past three decades. Nonetheless, many children in the United States do not have access to high-quality early education settings and large sociodemographic gaps in children's early learning remain. In this article, we argue that to address these issues, early learning policies must not only invest more in children's earliest years, but invest smarter. We describe three insights from developmental science and provide evidence that the current system of supports for early learning is at odds with what we now know about when and how children develop. We end with recommendations for anchoring early childhood policy and practice in developmental science, and improving children's interactions and learning experiences in their first years of life.
The practice of eating

Alan Warde is arguably the most systematic thinker working today on the sociology of eating. I have learned much from his previous work on culinary antinomies of novelty and tradition, change and c...
On Defining ‘Argument’

There is no concept more central to logic and critical thinking than the concept of an argument. I here address the definition of ‘argument’ in the logical sense of the term and defend the claim that many current proposals, once they are interpreted in a way that makes them sufficiently precise, are extensionally inadequate. Definitions found in some contemporary, prominent critical thinking textbooks will serve as a springboard. I claim that each may be interpreted in an absolutist way (i.e., as providing a definition of ‘argument’ simpliciter) or a relativistic way (as providing a definition of ‘argument-for-S’, where S is some agent or group of agents), yet all turn out to be objectionable no matter which route is taken. I finish with a proposal on which the definition of ‘argument’ is an absolutist one, yet one that avoids the problems discussed for the earlier proposals.
No-go theorem for topological insulators and high-throughput identification of Chern insulators

For any symmorphic magnetic space group $G$, we prove that topological band insulators (with vanishing first Chern numbers) cannot have a ground state composed of a single, energetically isolated band. This no-go statement means that such topological insulators cannot be realized in tight-binding models with a single, filled, low-energy band. An implication is that the minimal dimension of the tight-binding Hamiltonian (at each wave vector) is four, if the topological insulator is stable, i.e., the filled bands remain topological upon addition of nontopological bands. Otherwise, if the topological insulator is unstable, the minimal dimension is three. In addition to our no-go statement, we present a surefire recipe to model Chern insulators and unstable topological insulators, by energetically splitting elementary band representations; this recipe, combined with recently constructed Bilbao tables on band representations, can be systematized for high-throughput identification of magnetic and time-reversal-invariant topological materials. All stated results follow from our theorem which applies to any single, isolated energy band of a $G$-symmetric Schr\"odinger-type or tight-binding Hamiltonian: for such bands, being topologically trivial (in the category of complex vector bundles) is equivalent to being a band representation of $G$.
Disentangling the effects of promotion mix on new product sales: An examination of disaggregated drivers and the moderating effect of product class

Abstract The typical firm invests 20% of its promotional budget on sales promotions in an effort to drive short-term sales, Limited insight into the differential impacts of various sales promotions as well as the conditions under which they are most effective in lifting the sales of new products remain despite the rich body of research on sales promotions in the marketing literature. This research seeks to address these gaps by demonstrating the effects of two types of sales promotions on high-value consumer durable goods. Specifically, we investigate the effects of cash rebates and financing incentives on consumer perceptions of value and sales across luxury and mass goods in the automobile industry. Our findings suggest that although both categories of promotional strategies are effective sales booster, cash rebates are more effective in the mass market while financing rates offer significant new product sales benefits in the luxury market.
A PLAGUE UPON YOUR HOUSE: COMMERCIAL CRISIS AND EPIDEMIC DISEASE IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND

The transfer of metaphors does not only take place between well-defined sciences: it is also a commonplace of what another contributor to this volume has called “everyday” language.1 Within that realm, however, the problem of transfer and the meaning of metaphors take on different dimensions. This paper, in discussing nineteenth-century uses of epidemic language to describe commercial crises, demonstrates some of these differences. For one thing, the strong claim that metaphor transfer plays a generative role in discovery is more difficult to sustain when the participants in a debate are interested in implementing policy (for example) rather than in forming new theories. The commercial reformers described below used metaphors to enrich the meaning of their new forms of action, but the actions themselves derived at least as much from professional interests and perceptions as from the intellectual content of the borrowed language. Related to this claim is the idea that everyday language, to a greater degree than self-consciously “scientific” discourse, is embedded in a more general moral discourse. As a result, the meaning of the metaphors is not as stable as in the more formal language of science, the purveyors of which at least make an effort to shelter themselves from wider moral concerns. Although instability of meaning is also present in the more restricted domain of “science,” its significance becomes more apparent as one descends from more to less technical discourse. As a result, the meaning of the metaphors is not a stable as in the more formal language of science, the purveyors of which a least make an effort to shelter themselves from wider moral concerns.
oxLDL specifically impairs endothelium-dependent, NO-mediated dilation of coronary arterioles.

Our previous studies implicated that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), a putative atherogenic agent, impairs endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated dilation of isolated coronary ...
Violins and Bowed Strings

The use of vibrating strings in musical instruments was certainly known to the ancient Greeks. However, bowed string instruments probably originated in Asia. One author suggests that the invention of the bow on that continent may be traced to the fact that Asiatic peoples were among the first to use horses as domestic animals—horse hair being the most suitable material for stringing a bow. The southern Slavs actually used horsehair for the bow and the string in a primitive instrument called the gusle. The earliest instruments had crude sound boxes consisting of a drum or hollow wooden tube. The two-stringed Chinese erhu, which used two silken strings with the bow hair passing between them, is still in use today and may even be heard in the New York subways.
Plant responses to gravity

Tropisms are directed growth-mediated plant movements which allow plants to respond to their environment. Gravitropism is the ability of plants to perceive and respond to the gravity vector and orient themselves accordingly. The gravitropic pathway can be divided into three main components: perception, biochemical signaling, and differential growth. Perception of the gravity signal occurs through the movement/sedimentation of starch-filled plastids (termed statoliths) in gravity sensing cells. Once perceived, proteins interact with the settling statoliths to set a cascade of plant hormones to the elongation zones in the roots or shoots. Plant growth regulators that play a role in gravitropism include auxin, ethylene, gibberellic acid, jasmonic acid, among others. Differential growth on opposing sides of the root or shoot allow for the plant to grow relative to the direction of the perceived gravity vector. In this review, we detail how plants perceive gravity and respond biochemically in response to gravity as well as synthesize the recent literature on this important topic in plant biology. Keywords: auxin, gravitropism, gravity perception, plant growth regulators, space biology, statolith.
Yet another Ersatz World: The ICER Final Evidence Report for Additive Cardiovascular Therapies.

Previous commentaries in the Formulary Evaluation section of INNOVATIONS in Pharmacy have pointed to the lack of credibility in modeled claims for cost-effectiveness and associated recommendations for pricing by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). The principal objection to ICER reports has been that their modeled claims fail the standards of normal science: they are best seen as pseudoscience. The purpose of this latest commentary is to consider the recently released ICER report for Additive Cardiovascular Disease therapies. This report should not be taken seriously in its claims for cost-effectiveness and pricing in cardiovascular disease (CVD). The analytical framework applied by ICER fails to meet the standards of normal science in demarcating science from pseudoscience. Irrespective of the value judgements and recommendations of an ICER report, these lack credibility. They were never intended to be evaluable and replicable across treatment settings. The claims made are constructed, driven by assumption, and should be put to one side by health system decision makers. In this review the focus is on to the ICER modeled estimates of utility scores in CVD, the insistence on utilizing a generic utility algorithm (the EQ-5D-3L) and the consequent quality adjusted life year (QALY) estimates. Two issues are raised that will be the subject of future commentaries: the lack of appreciation of fundamental measurement and (ii) the importance of the patient voice in benefit claims. Given the importance in the ICER methodology of QALYS, the ad hoc nature of the ordinal utilities introduced to the cardiovascular model must raise concerns over the role the ICER evidence report may play in health care decision-making. These concerns extend to the claim by ICER that, on ICER’s own affordability threshold for individual new molecular entities, the anticipated uptake of these therapies may raise questions of overall affordability. Again, we are dealing with an arbitrary construct that may adversely impact patient access. Article Type: Commentary
Courts, the Law, and LGBT Rights in Asia

Courts have played an integral part in advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities in many parts of Asia. For example, Taiwan’s highest court ruled in 2017 that it was unconstitutional to exclude same-sex couples from marriage. As a result, in 2019, Taiwan became the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Among judicial decisions from Asia, Taiwan’s marriage ruling has gone the furthest in affirming same-sex relationships, but it is not alone in vindicating the rights of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals. Courts in Asia have also advanced transgender rights. For example, building on earlier cases from Nepal and Pakistan, the Indian Supreme Court stated in 2014 that transgender persons have a right to select gender markers on identity documents based on self-determination. The judgment also directed the government to implement affirmative action programs to support transgender communities. This judgment broke new ground, not only for Asia but for the world. While LGBT rights advocates have celebrated these court victories, litigation to advance LGBT rights has failed in other parts of Asia. Indeed, courts in some parts of Asia have entrenched LGBT subordination. A vast expanse separates Asia’s most progressive judicial decisions from the most oppressive. The landscape of judicial decisions is further complicated by the fact that it continues to change at a rapid clip. This article examines this mixed and quickly changing landscape of judicial developments concerning LGBT rights in Asia. This article starts by providing an overview of the divergent roles that Asian courts have played with respect to LGBT rights. It then highlights — and offers preliminary answers to — three questions prompted by the judicial development of LGBT rights in Asia: (1) What factors have contributed to the divergence among Asian jurisdictions? (2) How should developments in Asia inform existing narratives about the development of LGBT rights? (3) How do politics and public opinion affect courts’ ability to advance LGBT rights in Asia?
Introducing an anthropology of convenience

This article serves to introduce the Special Issue of Economic Anthropology dedicated to ?Convenience as a Driver, Mediator, and Moderator of Social Economies.? The twelve articles in this issue are based on papers presented at the fortieth annual meeting of the Society for Economic Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame from April 30 to May 1, 2020. In this introductory article, I briefly introduce, conceptualize, and generally define ?convenience? as a heuristic and part of doxa and as a powerful force driving social economies, freshly revealed in the fractures left by the global COVID-19 pandemic. I then discuss the etymology of the term convenience and review previous research on the topic of convenience within marketing, technology, business, and the medical sectors, which reveal it to be a fluid, multidimensional concept centered on key concepts such as efficiency, efficacy, ease, comfort, and/or advantage, but also culturally circumscribed. The articles in this issue speak to the complexities of ?convenience? with ethnographic cases from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Being one of the cornerstones of consumption driving contemporary global economies, ?convenience? as a driver of economies has significant and even positive impacts for issues such as poverty alleviation. It also has, in this hyperscale global economic landscape, negative implications for human societies in its impacts on health and the environment. As such, I argue that convenience is a crucial topic for future anthropological concern.
Who Does America Want

Who does America want? Not the immigrant, not the poor, not the Brown, and certainly not the Black person. When America cannot kill Black and Brown people with its knees, it suffocates them with fines and fees. Black, Brown, and poor people are deliberately excluded from society through fines and fees for traffic offenses. If America treats its own citizens with such contempt, why should immigrants expect better treatment? This paper juxtaposes immigration-related fees with the fines and fees for traffic violations to help the reader understand that America’s racism and classism exist both at and within its borders. Most of the people in county jails for unpaid traffic tickets are Black and Brown. The fees for the H-1B visa (commonly referred to as the work visa) and naturalization through marriage, two of the main pathways to citizenship, are so excessive that the only message received by immigrants is: “Stay out.”
Cyclescapes of the Unequal City: Bicycle Infrastructure and Uneven Development: John G. Stehlin. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2019. xxii and 290 pp., maps, photos, notes, bibliography, index. $108.00 cloth (ISBN 973-1517903800); $27.00 paper (ISBN 973-1517903817).

The bicycle is a keystone for a sustainable mobility future. For many people (although certainly not all) the bicycle can replace many car trips, and have a transformative impact on our cities, our...
Role of Herpes simplex Virus Thymidine Kinase Expression in Viral Pathogenesis and Latency

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase (TK) expression and the HSV TK gene have been evaluated in studies of gene control, as well as in animal and human studies of viral pathogenesis, including HSV latency. In investigations of the biological role of HSV TK, enzyme expression was noted to be important for HSV infection of nonreplicating cells in culture; and, in experimental animal studies, HSV TK was shown to be important for in vivo latent infection of sensory ganglion neurons. Latency in these studies was determined by the ability of HSV to reactivate from sensory ganglion explants. In recent studies, investigators sought to determine whether the role HSV TK expression plays in latency is primarily in the establishment and maintenance of latency or in the reactivation process. Following infection of experimental animals with HSV TK-deficient mutants, the presence of HSV in ganglia was detected in complementation, rescue, and molecular biological studies. Results suggest that HSV TK expression may be important for HSV reactivation from latency. This was supported by in situ hybridization investigations. In the latter studies, HSV latency associated transcript (LAT) was present in ganglion neurons, although reactivation of HSV from such ganglia was defective. LAT-expressing, reactivation-defective infections established by TK mutants of HSV are considered examples of incomplete latency. From the present review, it appears that HSV TK expression, particularly TK expression of HSV-1, is important for the reactivation of latent HSV infection of sensory ganglion neurons, probably because of limited neuronal TK expression and absent replication capacity of these cells.