cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relation of binge eating age of onset to functional aspects of binge eating in binge eating disorder.

Objective This study examined whether age of binge eating onset in binge eating disorder (BED) is related to affective binge eating antecedents and consequences. Method Participants included women (N = 44) with BED who participated in a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) study. Measures included the Eating Hedonics Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Negative Emotionality factor, Restraint Scale, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Restraint factor, and Eating Behaviors-IV. Participants were classified according to reported age of binge eating onset, with early onset defined as ≤13 years (EOB; n = 25) and later onset >13 years (LOB; n = 19). Results Compared with LOB, EOB was associated with reductions in postbinge subjective anxiety, but not depression. Discussion This study suggested that EOB in BED may be associated with binge eating as an affective means of coping, particularly with anxiety, and further supported age of binge eating onset as a clinically meaningful way to delineate BED subclassifications. © 2004 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 35: 286–292, 2004.
Simulated effect of a forest road on near‐surface hydrologic response: redux

In the work reported here the comprehensive physics-based Integrated Hydrology Model (InHM) was employed to conduct both three- and two-dimensional (3D and 2D) hydrologic-response simulations for the small upland catchment known as C3 (located within the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon). Results from the 3D simulations for the steep unchannelled C3 (i) identify subsurface stormflow as the dominant hydrologic-response mechanism and (ii) show the effect of the down-gradient forest road on both the surface and subsurface flow systems. Comparison of the 3D results with the 2D results clearly illustrates the importance of convergent subsurface flow (e.g. greater pore-water pressures in the hollow of the catchment for the 3D scenario). A simple infinite-slope model, driven by subsurface pore-water pressures generated from the 3D and 2D hydrologic-response simulations, was employed to estimate slope stability along the long-profile of the C3 hollow axis. As expected, the likelihood of slope failure is underestimated for the lower pore pressures from the 2D hydrologic-response simulation compared, in a relative sense, to the higher pore pressures from the 3D hydrologic response simulation. The effort reported herein provides a firm quantitative foundation for generalizing the effects that forest roads can have on near-surface hydrologic response and slope stability at the catchment scale. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlates of suicide rates calculated in different ways: Denmark 1950-1985.

The associations of divorce, marriage, and birth rates with suicide rates in Denmark from 1950-1985 were similar regardless of whether suicide rates were based on the total population or the population 15 years and older. Language: en
The coupling of vinculin to the cytoskeleton is not essential for mechano-chemical signaling in F9 cells.

Abstract It is well established that mechanical forces can regulate cell growth and guide tissue remodeling, yet little is known about how mechanical signals act at the cell surface membrane to produce biochemical changes in the cell. To explore this question, I used a mouse embryonic F9 vinculin-deficient cell line (γ229), which, unlike wild-type cells, shows no fibronectin-dependent cell spreading. The wild-type cell line exhibited a twofold increase in area over four hours. I observed (i) an earlier rise in intracellular free calcium from ∼0.2 to ∼3 μ m in wild-type compared with γ229 cells, thus similar calcium levels after 4 h; (ii) an initial higher ratio of p-MAP/MAP-Kinase for γ229, but similar FA-Kinase activation; and (iii) a marginal change in intracellular pH [pH]i in both F9 cell lines. When I applied controlled local stresses directly to integrin receptors using RGD-coated magnetic beads, they displaced to a lesser extent in wild-type than in γ229 cells. Both F9 cell lines showed a small stress-dependent rise in [Ca2+]i levels and similar PKA-c activity. In summary, the mechanical linkage of integrin-vinculin-cytoskeleton seemed not to be essential for chemical signal transduction.
HIV transmission Prevention of Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission in the United States

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Identify the primary modes of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). 2. List the major risk factors for mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1. 3. List the primary strategies employed to prevent vertical transmission of HIV-1. During the past decade, significant advances have been made in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world in preventing transmission of perinatal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).1,2,3,4,5,6 In 1994, prevention of perinatal HIV-1 transmission became a reality, when the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 076 (PACTG 076) showed that a three-part zidovudine (ZDV) regimen given during pregnancy and labor and to the neonate significantly reduced perinatal HIV-1 transmission.7 In 1995, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) issued guidelines recommending universal counseling and testing for pregnant women and use of ZDV to reduce perinatal transmission.8 A steep and sustained decline in pediatric acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases has been noted following rapid implementation of these guidelines and increased prenatal HIV counseling and testing.9,10,11 It is now known that the use of ZDV prophylaxis in combination with elective cesarean section delivery or treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy that reduces maternal viral load to undetectable levels can reduce the rate of perinatal transmission to less than 2%.12,13,14 Despite these advances, perinatal HIV-1 transmission continues to occur for a variety of reasons, including new infections, rare prophylaxis failure, and missed prevention opportunities in pregnant women who do not receive prenatal care.2 In this article, we briefly review the recent advances in the prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV-1 with regard to risk factors, antiretroviral therapy, and the role of elective cesarean …
Information structure and equilibrium asset prices

Abstract In a continuous trading economy, it is shown that if information is revealed continuously and if agents' preferences are continuous in a certain topology, then equilibrium asset price processes must have continuous sample paths. Except for uninteresting cases, the sample paths of price processes will be of unbounded variation. In particular, if the information is generated by a Brownian motion,then equilibrium asset price processes are Ito integrals. When information is not revealed continuously, the times (which may be random) at which prices can have jumps are identified.
The National Energy Center at Bismarck State College

Energy production is an essential part of American society and the economy. In the best tradition of community colleges, Bismarck State College (BSC) has responded to the specialized training needs...
The Role of Empathic Accuracy in Adolescents' Peer Relations and Adjustment

This study investigated whether children's empathic accuracy is associated with their peer relationships and adjustment. It also examined whether, and how, empathic accuracy moderated the known influence of peer relations on adjustment. Participants were 116 (58 boys) fifth-through eighth-graders. At school, child participants completed measures assessing their peer relationships. In the lab, child participants completed a performance-based measure of empathic accuracy and measures of adjustment. Teachers and parents also provided assessments. Results revealed that children who were less adept at inferring other people's thoughts and feelings were more likely to experience adjustment problems. Empathic accuracy acted as a buffer against adjustment problems when peer relationships were poor: Previously found links between poor peer relationships and poor adjustment were found for adolescents with low empathic accuracy but not for those with high empathic accuracy.
Cleavage development in dolomite of the Elbrook Formation, southwest Virginia

Well-developed cleavage in argillaceous Cambrian Elbrook Formation dolomite has been analyzed petrographically and chemically to evaluate the deformation mechanisms responsible for cleavage formation and the lithologic controls on these mechanisms. Two main types of cleavage occur: moderately spaced cleavage defined by coarse, continuous, wavy domains, and narrowly to closely spaced cleavage defined by fine, discontinuous, anastomosing domains. The two most important deformation mechanisms during cleavage formation were pressure solution and mechanical rotation. Evidence for pressure solution includes off-set sedimentary structures, grain dissolution, syn-cleavage fibrous veins, and accumulations of quartz, phyllosilicates, and pyrite in cleavage domains. Pressure solution was enhanced by the presence of clay minerals. A model for cleavage development in dolomite is presented in which cleavage initiates by the dissolution of dolomite grains at dolomite-phyllosilicate grain boundaries. Rotation of phyllosilicate grains concomitant with dolomite removal resulted in a strong preferred orientation of layer silicates within cleavage domains. Finer cleavage domains coalesced to form coarser domains as the intervening lithon dolomite was dissolved. This model is comparable to those previously proposed for cleavage development in argillaceous limestones and siltstones.
Linking TCAD to EDA—benefits and issues

This paper shows the benefits of a tighter coupling between Technology CAD and Electronic Design Au­ tomati on (EDA) for the design of high speed digi­ tal and analog circuits, for the design of more man­ ufacturable systems with improved reliability, and for future technology and circuit development. Require­ ments for incorporating TCAD and EDA into a frame­ work are presented.
The spatial harmonic analysis of FEM results in magnetostatics

Approaches to the spatial harmonic characterization of the field due to a symmetrically shielded permanent bar magnet are presented. At first, exact spherical harmonic coefficients are obtained for a given unshielded magnet and comparisons are made with the coefficients of unshielded numerical models. In the calibration test, the scalar magnetic potential is separately calculated by the integral equation method (IEM) and finite-element method (FEM) with a layer of "infinite" elements on the interface boundary. While the values from the IEM data are nearly exact, the analysis of the FEM data demonstrates greater errors. For the selection of the coefficients from the discrete data from either unshielded or shielded magnets, discrete selective functions are additionally orthonormalized at the boundary surface. For the discrete selective functions generated for the grid of 612 points, which are uniformly distributed over the unit sphere with angular steps of 10/spl deg/ in /spl phi/ and /spl theta/ directions, the maximal error of nonorthogonality is below 10/sup -8/.
Status of Borrelia burgdorferi Infection after Antibiotic Treatment and the Effects of Corticosteroids: An Experimental Study

Sixteen specific-pathogen-free beagles were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Three groups of 4 dogs were treated with antibiotics for 30 consecutive days starting 120 days after tick exposure; 4 dogs were untreated controls. At day 420 after tick exposure and again before euthanasia, 2 dogs of each group were treated with prednisone for 14 days. All dogs contracted infection and 11 developed acute arthritis 50‐120 days after exposure. After day 120, one of 12 antibiotic-treated dogs and 2 of 4 untreated dogs became lame. Antibiotic therapy reduced the frequency of Borrelia-positivity in subsequent skin biopsy samples. After prednisone treatment, both control dogs developed severe polyarthritis. At euthanasia, single tissues of the antibiotic-treated dogs and multiple tissues of all control dogs were Borrelia-positive by polymerase chain reaction. Viable spirochetes were not recovered from antibiotic-treated dogs. Two antibiotic-treated dogs showed histologic evidence of minimal lesions, whereas all control dogs had mild polyarthritis with periarteritis. Lyme disease is caused by the tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete that infects a wide range of mammals and birds, including humans, dogs, cats, cows, horses, and blackbirds [1‐4]. After transmission of the bacterium from the tick into the mammalian host, infection is established in the skin, and from there the spirochete disseminates through the body [5]. During the course of the infection, a variety of organs can be affected, especially the skin, large joints, the heart, and the central and peripheral nervous system. Early acute symptoms may be followed by chronic disorders [6].
Dielectrically isolated saturating circuits

A description of the three main substrate preparation processes to achieve silicon dioxide dielectric isolation are described. The use of dielectric isolation for high-speed and low-power circuits is outlined, with calculations of saturation resistance and transient characteristics. Introduction of carrier lifetime-reducing gold into a dielectrically isolated wafer can cause problems, which are delineated. Final results are listed and Photomicrographs of working circuits are presented.
A genetic approach for conjunction scheduling in symbolic equivalence checking

A key issue in symbolic equivalence checking algorithms is image computation. Conjunction scheduling is a strategy to keep the size of BDDs small for the intermediate results of image computation. Conjunction scheduling consists of ordering bit transition relations, clustering subsets of them and ordering the clusters. We present a genetic algorithm (GA) approach for conjunction scheduling based on the dependency matrix of transition relations. Our GA approach offers improvement over existing algorithms by minimizing the active lifetime of variables at the same time. Our experimental results show the effectiveness of the algorithm.
AN ALGORITHM FOR IDENTIFYING STRUCTURAL MODELS OF MULTI-VAR1ATE DATA

With applications in the social sciences in mind, an algorithm for analysing a system's structure in the form of many-valued relations is presented. The algorithm proceeds by evaluating a succession of increasingly simple models until a best fit is achieved. The relations (or the structure) of interest are characterized as non-uniform probability distributions in multivariate space. A model for such data is seen as specified by relational parameters of the analyst's choice and as generating an artificial probability distribution with which data may be compared. When models contain loops or circular dependencies, a generalization of the Deming-Stephan algorithm is used for generating the artificial data. When such loops are absent, (recursive systems), the result of the algorithm is shown to correspond to well-known algebraic (closed form) expressions for such probabilities. To assess the difference between two models and to quantify how much structure in data a model respectively omits and represents, inf...
Reactive information foraging: an empirical investigation of theory-based recommender systems for programmers

Information Foraging Theory (IFT) has established itself as an important theory to explain how people seek information, but most work has focused more on the theory itself than on how best to apply it. In this paper, we investigate how to apply a reactive variant of IFT (Reactive IFT) to design IFT-based tools, with a special focus on such tools for ill-structured problems. Toward this end, we designed and implemented a variety of recommender algorithms to empirically investigate how to help people with the ill-structured problem of finding where to look for information while debugging source code. We varied the algorithms based on scent type supported (words alone vs. words + code structure), and based on use of foraging momentum to estimate rapidity of foragers' goal changes. Our empirical results showed that (1) using both words and code structure significantly improved the ability of the algorithms to recommend where software developers should look for information; (2) participants used recommendations to discover new places in the code and also as shortcuts to navigate to known places; and (3) low-momentum recommendations were significantly more useful than high-momentum recommendations, suggesting rapid and numerous goal changes in this type of setting. Overall, our contributions include two new recommendation algorithms, empirical evidence about when and why participants found IFT-based recommendations useful, and implications for the design of tools based on Reactive IFT.
Increased renal phosphodiesterase-5 activity mediates the blunted natriuretic response to a nitric oxide donor in the pregnant rat

Pregnancy is characterized by plasma volume expansion and renal sodium retention with loss of natriuretic response to atrial natriuretic peptide due to increased medullary phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5...
Modeling and Performance Evaluation of 3G CDMA Networks with Beamforming

The second generation (2G) code-division multiple access (CDMA) IS-95A cellular network has been deployed for almost ten years. Although the system design rules and operating procedures for voice services are well established and understood, these rules and procedures need to be re-examined in light of several technology innovations. These innovations include the launch of third generation (3G) cdma2000 1× high-rate data services and the new research results in interference cancellation, antenna array and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technologies. We have built a 3G cdma2000 1× cellular simulator, which simulates the physical layer using MATLAB and networking layers using OPNET Modeler, to investigate various design issues of cdma2000 1× networks. This paper explores the use of a simple beamforming model and investigates the effectiveness of deploying antenna array techniques in cdma2000 1× networks. The capacity improvement for CDMA networks using antenna array techniques is evaluated under different deployment scenarios (voice versus data services and various number of antenna elements). Based on the performance evaluation results it is proposed to utilize beamforming as one of the elements in quality of service (QOS) provisioning for data services and to couple antenna arrays with dynamic soft handoff threshold adjustment for further improvement in the system capacity.
Liquid‐crystalline polyethers and copolyethers based on conformational isomerism, 5. Thermotropic copolyethers based on 1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐(2‐methyl‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)ethane and flexible spacers containing odd and even numbers of methylene units

Synthese par polyetherification sous azote a 80°C en solution aqueuse/o-dichlorobenzene/NaOH
Stable, flexible, peephole pretty-printing

Programmers working on large software systems are faced with an extremely complex, information-rich environment. To help navigate through this, modern development environments allow flexible, multi-window browsing and exploration of the source code. Our focus in this paper is on pretty-printing algorithms that can display source code in useful, appealing ways in a variety of styles. Our algorithm is flexible, stable, and peephole-efficient. It is flexible in that it is capable of screen-optimized layouts that support source code visualization techniques such as fisheye views. The algorithm is peephole-efficient, in that it performs work proportional to the size of the visible window and not the size of the entire file. Finally, the algorithm is stable, in that the rendered view is identical to that which would be produced by formatting the entire file. This work has 2 benefits. First, it enables rendering of source codes in multiple fonts and font sizes at interactive speeds. Second, it also allows the use of powerful (but algorithmically more complex) visualization techniques (such as fish-eye views), again, at interactive speeds. We have built a pretty-printing plug-in for Eclipse that allows the use of sophisticated formatting techniques, including such features as multiple fonts and fish-eye views. Our incremental algorithm enables this plug-in to produce readable layouts (without ugly line-wrapping) within a wide range of window sizes, at interactive speeds.
Bayesian Statistics for Strategic Decision-Making

Understanding how decisions are made plays an important role in strategic management. Exploration is conducted as to whether the classical approach or the Bayesian approach is more frequently used in the strategic management decision-making literature. A sample of 51 decision-related articles is collected from the Strategic Management Journal and provides for relatively alarming results. The Bayesian approach is rarely mentioned and almost never used. Upon review, the remaining portion examines decision-making in strategic management and places emphasis on increasing the use of the Bayesian approach as a complementary statistical tool bridging the gap between research and practice.
Treatment of depression in children and adolescents

Depressive disorders during youth occur frequently, are chronic and recurrent, and are associated with significant functional impairment, morbidity, and mortality. Two psychotherapeutic approaches-cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal therapy-are each better than wait-list or treatment-as-usual approaches. Several antidepressants have proven efficacious compared with placebo; however, more than half the studies comparing antidepressant treatment with placebo in children and adolescents with depression have not shown any benefit of the active compounds. Suicide rates are decreasing overall in adolescents, and there seems to be a correlation between the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and a decrease in completed suicide. However, there was a signal for increase in suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in patients on acute antidepressant treatment when all antidepressants were assessed as a single group. Thus, there is substantial debate about the best approach to treat this serious disorder. Here, we discuss the treatment options for depression in children and adolescents.
Principles for interactive acquisition and validation of workflows

Workflows, also known as process models, are essential in many science and engineering fields. Workflows express compositions of individual steps or tasks that assembled together account for various aspects of an overall process. When workflows include dozens of components and many links among them, the creation of valid workflows becomes challenging since users have to track many interdependencies and constraints. This article describes principles for assisting users to create valid workflows that are based on two knowledge acquisition systems that we have developed. A shared goal in these projects was to enable end users who do not have computer science backgrounds, such as biologists, military officers or engineers, to create valid end-to-end process models or workflows. Our approach exploits knowledge-rich descriptions of the individual components and their constraints in order to validate the composition, and uses artificial intelligence planning techniques in order to systematically verify formal properties of valid workflows. Both systems analyse partial workflows created by the user, determine whether they are consistent with the background knowledge that the system has, notifies the user of issues to be resolved in the current workflow, and suggests to the user what actions could be taken to correct those issues.
In vivo fluorescence microscopy via iterative multi-photon adaptive compensation technique

Iterative multi-photon adaptive compensation technique (IMPACT) has been developed for wavefront measurement and compensation in highly scattering tissues. Our previous report was largely based on the measurements of fixed tissue. Here we demonstrate the advantages of IMPACT for in vivo imaging and report the latest results. In particular, we show that IMPACT can be used for functional imaging of awake mice, and greatly improve the in vivo neuron imaging in mouse cortex at large depth (~660 microns). Moreover, IMPACT enables neuron imaging through the intact skull of adult mice, which promises noninvasive optical measurements in mouse brain.
Dynamic Adaptations in ab-initio Nuclear Physics Calculations on Multicore Computer Architectures

Computational resource availability often changes during the course of execution of an application. This is especially true in modern multi-user cluster environments where users can run many high-performance applications simultaneously which share resources such as Processing Elements (PEs), I/O, main memory, network. In such a scenario, it would be greatly advantageous to have applications augmented with adaptive capabilities, particularly during run-time. This involves targeting a computationally intensive part of the application and invoking appropriate adaptations so as to be able to adjust to the dynamically changing system conditions, to prevent drastic performance loss. In this paper, the parallel application MFDn (Many Fermion Dynamics for nuclear structure) used for ab-initio nuclear physics calculations is integrated with a middleware tool for invoking such adaptations. In particular, the multi-threaded Lanczos diagonalization procedure in MFDn is targeted to observe the effect on performance of dynamically changing the number of threads during the iterative process. Performance gains between two to seven times were observed in the presence of competing applications by incorporating these adaptation strategies.
Fictionalized facts; “The Young Fossil Hunters” by Charles H. Sternberg

“As the explorer approaches the beds of the Niobrara Group, he often sees in the distance a city of imposing grandeur. Wide streets, lined with buildings of dazzling whiteness meet his eye, and only a near approach will convince him that he is looking at nature's handiwork. The rains of ages have cut and fashioned the soft limestone into the semblance of cities.” Charles H. Sternberg, “The Niobrara Group.” (1881) “On the first day of May, 1876, three young men were seated around a campfire at Buffalo Station on the Kansas Division of the Union Pacific Railway in western Kansas. The party was in the immediate employ of Professor E. D. Cope, the noted paleontologist of the United States Geological Survey… Is this the enchanted city of the Arabian Nights?… We see indeed a beautiful city but it is the city of the dead.” C. H. Sternberg, “The Young Fossil Hunters: A True Story of Western Exploration and Adventure.” (1889) “What vivid memories I have of that first expedition! Memories of countless hardships and...
Disconfirmation and dual hypotheses on a more difficult version of wason's 2–4–6 task

This paper reports two experiments in which subjects worked to solve a more difficult version of Wason's 2–4–6 task: instead of the usual “numbers must ascend in order of magnitude” rule, a more general rule, “the three numbers must be different”, was used. The first experiment established that instructing subjects to disconfirm on the “three different numbers” did not significantly improve their performance, as compared with confirmatory and control groups. Disconfirmatory subjects did try to propose more triples at variance with their hypotheses but were unable to obtain the necessary disconfirmatory information. To help subjects represent the task in a way that facilitated disconfirmation, the second experiment utilized a procedure in which subjects were told that they were looking for two rules, Dax and Med–the Dax rule corresponding to “three different numbers” and the Med rule to its complement, i.e. two or more numbers the same. Of subjects in the Dax–Med condition, 88% solve the rule, as opposed t...
Want to Add Pizazz to Your Weight Training Class? Try Sport Education!

Weight training classes are offered in many secondary level physical education classes. The type of instruction used during weight training is crucial, ensuring students understand the content knowledge and the enjoyment weight training has to offer as a lifetime activity. By using the sport education model (SEM) in weight training classes, teachers can encourage physical activity and physical fitness and students will have a positive experience. The purpose of this paper was to provide teachers who implement weight training the steps necessary to incorporate the SEM within a weight training program.
Development of a New Horizontal Rotary GDP Coater Enabling Increased Production

AbstractProviding glow discharge polymer (GDP) coatings is a key step in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) target production. Typical target delivery quantities may require several GDP coating runs consisting of up to 80 mandrels per batch. This work undertakes research and development to create a new configuration for the GDP coating apparatus that will enable batch sizes into the hundreds or thousands. This will reduce costs associated with target production and make delivery of ICF targets more efficient. In addition, there is a synergy between this work and Inertial Fusion s’Energy (IFE’s) need for half a million targets per day for energy production, as well as future commercial applications. Recently we have demonstrated the capability to meet the NIF CH surface standard, confirmed via statistical sampling, in a 400 capsule batch coated with 10 μm of GDP, a key benchmark for successful coatings.
FRSAD, Semiotics, and FRBR-LRM

ABSTRACTPhilosophy grapples with the deepest and most difficult questions in human life. In a 2012 article, Jonathan Furner raises questions about the “Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Data” (FRSAD) model. Can the FRSAD framers really avoid tackling philosophical questions as they attempt to do—the long-running dispute between nominalists and realists, in particular? This article attempts to flesh out a realist position while showing some implications for the new Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records-Library Reference Model. It is not clear that FRSAD really takes a realist view, as Furner claims, and a position on the nominalist–realist debate is not necessary for information professionals.
Addressing Imbalances and Limits of Self Regulation: Corporate Governance Mechanisms and Cooperative and Competitive Enforced Self Regulation (Extended Abstract and References)

In its aims to illustrate the limits and potentials of self regulation, this book not only makes reference to the Enforced Self Regulation model, but also the Competitive and Cooperative Enforced Self Regulation model. In so doing it aims to consolidate on previous results derived from previous research by the author. Furthermore it aims to contribute to present and previous literature on the topic of self regulation by incorporating an aspect which was not really addressed under the Enforced Self Regulation model, namely, the regulation of self regulated firms by professional self regulated bodies such as professional accounting bodies which are involved in the issuing and enforcement of financial reporting standards. Through the Enforced Self Regulation model, the role played by government in the direct monitoring of firms is highlighted. In incorporating the Co-operative and Competitive Enforced Self Regulation model, it attempts to draw attention to the fact that the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms will restrict the maximization potential of such a model. As well as accentuating how corporate responsibility and accountability could be fostered through monitoring and the involvement of governments in the regulation of firms, this book aims to further consolidate on, as well as explain how corporate governance structures which operate in various systems function (and attempt) to address gaps which may arise as a result of lack of adequate mechanisms of accountability. Even though self governance is criticized based on several grounds, which include namely, costs involved in monitoring management’s actions in ensuring that their goals are kept closely aligned with those of the investors and stakeholders of the firm, as well as the ultimate objective of maximization of the enterprises’ profits, other arguments and justifications in favor of self governance may well supersede those which serve to discredit the merits and potentials of self regulation and self governance.
An Empirical Analysis of Convertible Debt Financing by NYSE/AMEX and NASDAQ Firms

We study announcements of convertible debt issues by a large sample of 503 NYSE/AMEX and 303 NASDAQ firms. Pre-issue share price performance is abnormally good for both sets of firms. Announcement period returns are significantly negative for both sets of firms, and post-issue performance also is poor for both. We document a common set of factorsthat governs the design of convertible debt. These factors are consistent with a bondholder-stockholder agency conflict explanation for the design of convertible debt. We also examine and test a number of alternative theories that attempt to explain share price reactions to announcements of convertible debt offers. The factors that partially explain security price reactions differ across NYSE/AMEX and NASDAQ firms. Although no one theory appears to fully explain share price reactions, information asymmetries do influence the share price reactions of both sets of firms. However, we find that the source of the information asymmetry differs between NYSE/AMEX and NASDAQ firms. The well-known size effect does not account for the different reactions across exchanges.
Researches on Obstacle Location-allocation Problem Based on Clonal Selection Principle

Obstacle location-allocation problem is more complicated than general one.This paper puts forwards a simple arithmetic flow of solving obstacle location-allocation problem based on clonal selection principlel(CLONALG),together with other models.Then makes a simple example using the new arithmetic flow method and obtains a well result.
Quantum Computing and the Hunt for Hidden Symmetry.

In 1994, Peter Shor gave e cient quantum algorithms for factoring integers and extracting discrete logarithms [20]. If we believe that nature will permit us to faithfully implement our current model of quantum computation, then these algorithms dramatically contradict the Strong Church-Turing thesis. The e ect is heightened by the fact that these algorithms solve computational problems with long histories of attention by the computational and mathematical communities alike. In this article we discuss the branch of quantum algorithms research arising from attempts to generalize the core quantum algorithmic aspects of Shor's algorithms. Roughly, this can be viewed as the problem of generalizing algorithms of Simon [21] and Shor [20], which work over abelian groups, to general nonabelian groups. The article is meant to be self-contained, assuming no knowledge of quantum computing or the representation theory of nite groups. We begin in earnest in Section 2, describing the problem of symmetry nding : given a function f : G → S on a group G, this is the problem of determining {g ∈ G | ∀x, f(x) = f(gx)}, the set of symmetries of f . We switch gears in Section 3, giving a short introduction to the circuit model of quantum computation. The connection between these two sections is eventually established in Section 4, where we discuss the representation theory of nite groups and the quantum Fourier transform a unitary transformation speci cally tuned to the symmetries of the underlying group. Section 4.2 is devoted to Fourier
Antigen depolarizes guinea pig bronchial parasympathetic ganglion neurons by activation of histamine H1 receptors.

Myers, Allen C., and Bradley J. Undem. Antigen depolarizes guinea pig bronchial parasympathetic ganglion neurons by activation of histamine H 1 receptors. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 12) : L879-L884, 1995.-Studies were carried out to evaluate the mechanism by which neurotransmission through airway parasympathetic ganglia may be modulated during immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Guinea pigs were passively sensitized by injection of guinea pig serum containing high-titer anti-ovalbumin antibodies. Intracellular recordings were obtained from intrinsic parasympathetic ganglion neurons from the right mainstem bronchus in vitro. Ovalbumin (10 μg/ml) elicited a membrane potential depolarization and changes in membrane resistance in bronchial ganglion neurons from passively sensitized guinea pigs. Histamine mimicked the depolarizing effect of ovalbumin in a concentration-dependent manner (0.1-10 μM) and caused a transient increase and decrease in membrane resistance. Pyrilamine, a histamine H 1 -receptor antagonist, inhibited the histamine-induced membrane depolarization and decrease in resistance. By contrast, blocking histamine H 2 and H 3 receptors did not inhibit histamine-induced depolarization. Pyrilamine also reduced the antigen-induced depolarization of ganglion neurons, demonstrating a role for histamine H 1 receptors in this response. The data provide evidence that the antigen-induced depolarization of airway ganglion neurons is secondary to an antigen-antibody interaction on intrinsic mast cells and the consequential effect of histamine on H 1 receptors. These studies demonstrate that histamine released during an immediate hypersensitivity reaction has direct effects on airway parasympathetic nerves.
Constructive edge of uridylation-induced RNA degradation

RNA uridylation is a significant transcriptome-shaping factor in protists, fungi, metazoans, and plants. The 3' U-additions are catalyzed by terminal uridyltransferases (TUTases), a diverse group of enzymes that along with non-canonical poly(A) polymerases form a distinct group in the superfamily of DNA polymerase β-like nucleotidyl transferases. Within and across studied organisms and subcellular compartments, TUTases differ in nucleotide triphosphate selectivity, interacting partners, and RNA targets. A general premise linking RNA uridylation to 3'-5' degradation received support from several studies of small RNAs and mRNA turnover. However, recent work on kinetoplastid protists typified by Trypanosoma brucei provides evidence that RNA uridylation may play a more nuanced role in generating functional small RNAs. In this pathogen's mitochondrion, most mRNAs are internally edited by U-insertions and deletions, and subjected to 3' adenylation/uridylation; guide RNAs (gRNAs) required for editing are U-tailed. The prominent role of uridylation in mitochondrial RNA metabolism stimulated identification of the first TUTase, RNA editing TUTase 1 (RET1). Here we discuss functional studies of mitochondrial uridylation in trypanosomes that have revealed an unorthodox pathway of small RNA biogenesis. The current model accentuates physical coupling of RET1 and 3'-5' RNase II/RNB-type exonuclease DSS1 within a stable complex termed the mitochondrial 3' processome (MPsome). In the confines of this complex, RET1 initially uridylates a long precursor to activate its 3'-5' degradation by DSS1, and then uridylates trimmed guide RNA to disengage the processing complex from the mature molecule. We also discuss a potential role of antisense transcription in the MPsome pausing at a fixed distance from gRNA's 5' end. This step likely defines the mature 3' end by enabling kinetic competition between TUTase and exonuclease activities.
Transvection Arising from Transgene Interactions in Zebrafish.

Abstract There has been a rapid expansion in use of transgenic technologies in zebrafish. We report a novel example of transinteractions of genetic elements, or transvection. This interaction led to a novel expression pattern and illustrates a precautionary example regarding use of transgenes in zebrafish.
Multi‐Functional Polyurethane Hydrogel Foams with Tunable Mechanical Properties for Wound Dressing Applications

Polyurethane hydrogel foams synthesized through a facile one-pot, solvent-free process are described. The roles of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weight, crosslinking density, and foam stabilizer concentration on polymer properties are evaluated for potential applications as wound dressing materials. Material characterization and wound dressing relevant performance evaluations are performed to understand effects of individual components and identify promising formulations. Surprisingly for a solvent-free reaction, complete polymerization is confirmed by IR and gel fraction analyses. Foam stabilizing agent loading increases mechanical properties including Young's modulus, extensibility, and toughness while decreasing pore size and drug release rate. Mechanical properties are also dependent on the crystalline melting temperature of the PEG diol. Utilizing caffeine as a drug surrogate, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) drug-release analysis identifies that polyurethane hydrogel foams exhibit initial burst release kinetics followed by sustained release over 24 h. Antibiotic compatibility and release is demonstrated for all formulations by zone of inhibition testing against gram-positive and negative bacteria.
Monitoring Calcium Activity in Intact Islet of Langherans α-Cells using a Genetically Encoded Biosensor and Light-Sheet Illumination Microscopy

Aberrant glucagon secretion from islet of Langerhans α-cells is known to exacerbate hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Thus, improved control of glucagon presents a promising avenue for novel therapeutic approaches. The development of such approaches, though, requires improved understanding of α-cell function and glucagon regulation. A major impediment in the study of α-cells has been the lack of reliable methods to identify them and measure their dynamic properties within the intact islet. Transgenic mice expressing fluorescent proteins targeted specifically to α-cells have been used for identification, but monitoring dynamics, such as free calcium activity, required extrinsic indicator dyes, which are problematic for labeling intact tissue. To overcome this limitation, we combined an ultra-sensitive fluorescent protein calcium sensor (GCaMP6) with an improved glucagon-promoter driven Cre recombinase (Glu-iCre). These islets allow us to measure dynamics over a range of time scales from sub-seconds to hours with high specificity of α-cell dynamics throughout the whole islet of Langerhans. We used this novel mouse model to monitor calcium activity in live intact islets under different environmental conditions and physiological stimuli known to trigger calcium responses and/or glucagon secretion. We used light-sheet fluorescence microscopy to obtain fast, three-dimensional reconstructions of the whole islet's α-cells calcium activity. Additionally, the multicolor capability of our microscope allows the simultaneous use of other biosensors (cAMP, zinc) for investigations of interactions between multiple possible intrinsic, juxtacrine, paracrine pathways that have been proposed to modulate glucagon secretion in vivo.
Maternal determinants of renal mass and function in the fetus and neonate

The impact of adverse maternal and early gestational issues, ranging from maternal-fetal interactions all the way through to premature birth, are recognized as having influence on the subsequent development of chronic diseases later in life. The development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as a direct result of early life renal injury or a sequela of diseases such as hypertension or diabetes is a good model example of the potential impact that early life events may have on renal development and lifelong function. The global monetary and human resource cost of CKD is exorbitant. Socio-economic factors, along with other factors (genetic and environmental) may significantly influence the timing and display of phenotypic expression in fetuses and neonates at risk for developing CKD, yet very few of these factors are studied or well understood. In general our focus has been directed at treatment once CKD is established. This strategy has been and remains short-sighted and costly. Earlier understanding of the intrauterine determinants of renal mass development (i.e. environmental "biomes", poor maternal-fetal health, socio-economic factors impacting early life events, diet, access to value based health care and educational opportunities on disease evolution) may allow us an opportunity for earlier intervention. This article aims to provide some foundation for improved understanding of the maternal determinants of renal mass and function in the fetus and neonate.
Cinema e televisione, da conflitto a sinergia: La mafia uccide solo d’estate di Pier Francesco Diliberto:

Il rapporto della televisione con il cinema e stato spesso considerato in termini di opposizione. Questo saggio analizza La mafia uccide solo d’estate (2013), opera prima di Pier Francesco Dilibert...
Schools at the Rural-Urban Boundary: Blurring the Divide?:

Schools often mirror the communities in which they are located. Research on rural-urban school inequality tends to focus on the contrast among urban, suburban, and rural schools, glossing over the ...
Opioid Drug Use and Acute Cardiac Events Among Pregnant Women in the United States

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in the United States. The extent to which increasing opioid use among pregnant women contributes to fatal cardiovascular events is unknown. We examined trends in opioid use among pregnant women over the previous decade and the association between changes in temporal trends in opioid drug use and the incidence of acute cardiac events among mothers. Methods In this retrospective analysis of the Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project, we used a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling of all inpatient hospital discharges from nonfederal hospitals from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2014. The study population comprised pregnant women aged 13-49 years and related hospitalizations, including delivery. The primary exposure of interest was opioid use during pregnancy. The primary outcome was the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest during pregnancy or childbirth. Results Among the estimated 57.4 million pregnancy-related inpatient hospitalizations, 511,469 (approximately 1%) had documented use of opioids, cocaine, and/or amphetamines. There was a 300% increase in the use of opioids during pregnancy over the study period, whereas cocaine consumption significantly decreased and that of amphetamine remained stable. Over the 13-year period, the rise in opioid use paralleled a 50% increase in the incidence of acute cardiac events among mothers. Conclusion Over the previous decade opioid use during pregnancy increased significantly, in parallel with the rise in the incidence of acute cardiac events in pregnancy and childbirth. An effective national policy is needed to address this emerging public health challenge.