cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detailed electromagnetic simulation for the structural color of butterfly wings

Many species of butterflies exhibit interesting optical phenomena due to structural color. The physical reason for this color is subwavelength features on the surface of a single scale. The exposed surface of a scale is covered with a ridge structure. The fully three-dimensional, periodic, finite-difference time-domain method is used to create a detailed electromagnetic model of a generic ridge. A novel method for presenting the three-dimensional observed color pattern is developed. Using these tools, the change in color that is a result of varying individual features of the scale is explored. Computational models are developed that are similar to three butterflies: Morpho rhetenor, Troides magellanus, and Ancyluris meliboeus.
Brazil’s growth performance: a comparative perspective to the Asian giants

We compare economic efficiencies in Brazil, India, and China, where economic efficiency measures the gap between potential and actual output for a given input combination and technological factor. We use stochastic production frontier models to measure the contributions of factors of production and technology to growth and estimate non-positive error terms that capture production inefficiencies in each country. The results suggest that China and India had relatively inefficient production in the early 1980s but have since improved production efficiency substantially. In the same period, production efficiency in Brazil has lagged those of China and India. The gap between Brazil’s production efficiency and those of its Asian peers has narrowed in recent years. However, production remains more efficient in China and India, supporting more rapid growth in these countries relative to Brazil.
Leg development in flies versus grasshoppers: differences in dpp expression do not lead to differences in the expression of downstream components of the leg patterning pathway

All insect legs are structurally similar, characterized by five primary segments. However, this final form is achieved in different ways. Primitively, the legs developed as direct outgrowths of the body wall, a condition retained in most insect species. In some groups, including the lineage containing the genus Drosophila, legs develop indirectly from imaginal discs. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating leg development is based largely on analysis of this derived mode of leg development in the species D. melanogaster. The current model for Drosophila leg development is divided into two phases, embryonic allocation and imaginal disc patterning, which are distinguished by interactions among the genes wingless (wg), decapentaplegic (dpp) and distalless (dll). In the allocation phase, dll is activated by wg but repressed by dpp. During imaginal disc patterning, dpp and wg cooperatively activate dll and also indirectly inhibit the nuclear localization of Extradenticle (Exd), which divide the leg into distal and proximal domains. In the grasshopper Schistocerca americana, the early expression pattern of dpp differs radically from the Drosophila pattern, suggesting that the genetic interactions that allocate the leg differ between the two species. Despite early differences in dpp expression, wg, Dll and Exd are expressed in similar patterns throughout the development of grasshopper and fly legs, suggesting that some aspects of proximodistal (P/D) patterning are evolutionarily conserved. We also detect differences in later dpp expression, which suggests that dpp likely plays a role in limb segmentation in Schistocerca, but not in Drosophila. The divergence in dpp expression is surprising given that all other comparative data on gene expression during insect leg development indicate that the molecular pathways regulating this process are conserved. However, it is consistent with the early divergence in developmental mode between fly and grasshopper limbs.
An algorithm for projective point matching in the presence of spurious points

Point matching is the task of finding correspondences between two sets of points such that the two sets of points are aligned with each other. Pure point matching uses only the location of the points to constrain the problem. This is a problem with broad practical applications, but it has only been well studied when the geometric transformation relating the two point sets is of a relatively low order. Here we present a heuristic local search algorithm that can find correspondences between point sets in two dimensions that are related by a projective transform. Point matching is a harder problem when spurious points appear in the sets to be matched. We present a heuristic algorithm which minimizes the effects of spurious points.
Ideas of human nature in contemporary conflict resolution theory

A quick overview of the developing field of conflict resolution would draw attention to the sources from which it has arisen and its shared positions, argu­ ments, and controversies. A strong impetus toward contributing to the solu­ tion of seemingly intractable and violent conflict situations, combined with a profound skepticism about the ability of ordinary social science to offer much in this area, has led many scholars to attempt to create a new interdisciplinary field in which an effective practice and a powerful theory would emerge together. These scholars have tended to come particularly from social science disciplines such as international relations, peace research (itself closely related to history and sociology), and social psychology. The current state of conflict resolution theory and practice reflects the diverse backgrounds of those who have been drawn together to invent it. Not surprisingly, the impulse toward activism and the dissatisfaction with standard social science have not in themselves comprised enough common ground to allow an uncontentious development of theory and practice. Some of the most important conceptual issues that trouble the field seem to be: ( 1) The special characteristics of "deep-rooted" conflict and thus the rela­ tionship of conflict resolution to conflict management (or settlement), particularly in the burgeoning Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) movement.
Environmental Conditions Promoting Non-native Phragmites australis Expansion in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

The invasion and expansion of the non-native Phragmites australis in Great Lakes coastal wetlands is of increasing concern, but quantitative studies of the extent, rate, and causes of invasion have been lacking. Here we revisited 307 plots in 14 wetlands along the Great Lakes coast in 2005 that had previously been sampled for vegetation in 2001–2003. During the 2–4 years between sample events, Phragmites occurred in 101 plots. Genetic analysis revealed that none of the Phragmites samples collected at the 14 wetlands belonged to the native genotype. Decreases in water depth and bare soil area were associated with the greatest increases in Phragmites cover. Phragmites invasion was greater on Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Erie than it was on Lake Ontario, and occurred predominantly on sandy substrates. Soil water concentrations of NO3-N, NH3-N, and soluble reactive P did not differ significantly between plots with and without Phragmites. Monitoring coastal wetlands where water level has dropped and controlling Phragmites at early stages of invasion are essential for maintaining healthy Great Lakes coastal wetlands of high species diversity and wildlife habitat. This becomes important as water levels in the Great Lakes have reached extreme lows and are expected to decline with future climate change.
An optoelectronic processor/interconnection employing smart logic and routing pixel arrays

The authors describe on optoelectronic processor/interconnection based on two multifunctional integrated optoelectronic smart pixel arrays which can be used to solve a large class of calculational and routing problems. The novel smart pixel technology is based on a circuit which can by dynamically configured to perform a complete Boolean logic set or routing bypass/exchange operations. System control and performance characteristics are calculated based on demonstrated performance of smart pixels similar to those described here. >
Nef Does Not Affect the Efficiency of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Fusion with Target Cells

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory protein Nef stimulates viral infectivity by an unknown mechanism. Recent studies have suggested that Nef may act by regulating the efficiency of virus entry into cells. Here we provide evidence to the contrary. Using a quantitative assay of HIV-1 virus-cell fusion, we observed equivalent rates and extents of fusion of wild-type and Nef-defective HIV-1 particles with MT-4 cells and CD4-expressing HeLa cells. In studies using soluble CD4 (sCD4) to inhibit infection, wild-type and Nef-defective HIV-1 escaped the sCD4 block with similar kinetics. We conclude that Nef acts at a postentry step in infection, probably by facilitating intracellular transport of the HIV-1 ribonucleoprotein complex.
The freezing lesion. III. The effects of diphenylhydantoin on potassium transport within nerve terminals from the primary foci.

Abstract Possible mechanisms by which diphenylhydantoin (DPH) controls seizures were examined. The effects of intraperitoneal DPH on seizure discharges within epileptogenic freeze lesions were correlated with DPH action on in vitro potassium uptake within synaptosomes isolated from the same freeze foci. When in vitro DPH suppressed seizure discharges, it stimulated in vitro potassium uptake within synaptosomes incubated in a high-K + (10 m M ) media. With 2–5 m M Na + and 10 m M K + , DPH stimulation of synaptosome potassium uptake was reversed by ouabain. With 50 m M Na + and 10 m M K + , DPH stimulation of potassium uptake was not reversed by ouabain. In low-K + (0.2–5 m M ) media, DPH did not affect potassium uptake even when sodium concentrations were varied at 10–100 m M . In sham-operated controls and in non-epileptogenic lesions, the effects of DPH on synaptosome potassium uptake were identical to those previously reported in normal brains. These results strongly suggest that DPH controls the epileptogenic state by stimulating potassium uptake within synaptic terminals. DPH enhances synaptic potassium uptake by stimulating the (Na + -K + ) pump and a second potassium uptake process which is insensitive to ouabain.
Generation of noble-gas binding sites for crystallographic phasing using site-directed mutagenesis.

In recent years, the use of noble-gas complexes for the de novo phasing of protein structures has proven to be a useful alternative to selenomethionine and more traditional derivatives, largely owing to improvements in methods for incorporating noble gases within protein crystals. Advantages of noble-gas derivatives include a high degree of isomorphism when using xenon for multiple isomorphous replacement (MIR) and an easily accessible absorption edge when using krypton for multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) phasing. One problem with this approach is that not all proteins contain cavities which bind noble gases. Even in proteins which do bind noble gases, the resulting derivative may not be sufficient for phasing. Using T4 lysozyme as an example, it is illustrated how this limitation might be overcome by using `large-to-small' mutations to introduce potential noble-gas binding sites. Wild-type T4 lysozyme contains a single xenon-binding site. By truncating leucine and phenylalanine residues to alanine, it is possible to generate additional noble-gas binding sites within the core of the protein. Combining rotating-anode data from xenon complexes of wild-type and mutant lysozymes yields MIR phases which compare favorably with those determined from a selenomethionine MAD experiment conducted at a synchrotron. Experience with T4 lysozyme suggests that a leucine-to-alanine substitution made at random in a protein of unknown structure has about a 30% chance of providing a useful derivative. This procedure holds promise for the determination of unknown protein structures, especially when selenomethionine-containing protein is not available or when access to a synchrotron is limited.
Role of the Fas-Signaling Pathway in Photoreceptor Neuroprotection

Objective To determine whether inhibiting the Fas proapoptosis pathway will result in increased photoreceptor survival after separation of the retina from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Methods Retina/RPE separation was induced in rat and mouse eyes by the subretinal injection of hyaluronic acid, 1%. Fas-pathway signaling was inhibited by the concomitant injection of a Fas receptor–neutralizing antibody, small inhibitory RNA against the Fas-receptor transcript (siFAS), or the use of the Fas-receptor defective mouse strain LPR. Indices of photoreceptor death included terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, cell counts, and retinal thickness measurements. Retinas were immunostained with antibodies against rhodopsin and cone opsin to evaluate rod and cone photopigment production, respectively. Results Inhibition of Fas signaling using Fas receptor–neutralizing antibody, siFas, or LPR mice resulted in a significant reduction in the number of TUNEL-positive photoreceptor cells as well as in a significant preservation of outer nuclear layer cell counts and thickness as compared with retina/RPE separation in eyes with intact Fas signaling. Fas-pathway inhibition resulted in preservation of both rhodopsin- and cone opsin–positive cells. Conclusions Inhibition of the Fas proapoptosis pathway results in significant photoreceptor preservation after retinal separation from the RPE. Clinical Relevance Fas-pathway inhibition might serve as a novel mechanism for preserving photoreceptor cells during retinal disease.
Electromagnetic properties of nonreciprocal composite chiral-ferrite media

The theoretical properties of a composite chiral-ferrite medium are developed, The composite is constructed from a general chiral medium and a nonreciprocal ferrite medium. Application of the reaction theorem allows proof of nonreciprocity based on the constitutive relationships. Vector Helmholtz E- and H-field equations are derived, and from these equations reciprocal space Green's function dyadics are found. The direct space dyadics are then determined. Characteristic dispersion equations are found from the sourceless vector phasor Helmholtz equations. E-field polarization is obtained by projecting the E-field vector onto the polarization plane selected. Diagonalization of the elliptic equation through coordinate rotation allows major and minor axis determination. >
Follow-On Biologics: Implementation Challenges and Opportunities

The March 23, 2010, enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the companion Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 ushered in landmark reform of the American health care system. Along with sweeping overhauls of the health care system generally, PPACA also provides a new regulatory challenge for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A subtitle within PPACA, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA), bestows upon FDA broad authority to implement an abbreviated approval route to market for biological products (also known as biologics) that are “biosimilar” to an existing marketed product. This brief article will provide a basic comparison of biologics and conventional pharmaceutical drugs that will prove central to the FDA’s development of this follow-on biologic pathway as well as specifically examine the content and scope of the BPCIA provisions and identify future challenges for the FDA. It will conclude by highlighting details of presentations during the roundtable held at the Seton Hall University School of Law and introduce the two resulting articles contained within Volume 41 of the Seton Hall Law Review.
RETINOBLASTOMA CANCER SUPPRESSOR GENE PRODUCT IS A SUBSTRATE OF THE CELL CYCLE REGULATOR CDC2 KINASE

The retinoblastoma gene product (RB) is a nuclear protein which has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor. It is phosphorylated from S to M phase of the cell cycle and dephosphorylated in G1. This suggests that the function of RB is regulated by its phosphorylation in the cell cycle. Ten phosphotryptic peptides are found in human RB proteins. The pattern of RB phosphorylation does not change from S to M phases of the cell cycle. Hypophosphorylated RB prepared from insect cells infected with an RB-recombinant baculovirus is used as a substrate for in vitro phosphorylation reactions. Of several protein kinases tested, only cdc2 kinase phosphorylates RB efficiently and all 10 peptides can be phosphorylated by cdc2 in vitro. Removal of cdc2 from mitotic cell extracts by immunoprecipitation causes a concomitant depletion of RB kinase activity. These results indicate that cdc2 or a kinase with similar substrate specificity is involved in the cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation of the RB protein.
Trace Elements in Human Nutrition

Clinical recognition of the role of trace elements in human nutrition is increasing. Heretofore, many clinicians felt that the development of deficiency states was not likely except in very extreme conditions because the presence of trace elements in nature was so ubiquitous. The increased use of total parenteral nutrition seems to have made this viewpoint untenable. The recognition of additional genetic diseases of trace element metabolism such as Menkes' kinky hair syndrome and acrodermatitis enteropathica has also served to focus clinical attention on trace elements. As time passes, no doubt, additional diseases of trace element metabolism will be recognized.
Abstract A110: Associations between genetic variations in inflammation and innate immunity pathways and colorectal cancer

A strong association between chronic inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has been observed. We postulated that common variation in genes involved in the inflammation and innate immunity pathways may result in a chronic pro-inflammatory state that may lead to increased CRC risk. We comprehensively examined the associations of 724 tagSNPs in 37 key genes in these pathways with CRC in two large well-characterized studies. The screening phase included 2,322 discordant sibships (2,535 cases, 3,915 unaffected sibling controls) from the Colon Cancer Family Registry. Nineteen gene regions spanned by 99 top hits from main-effect or interaction-effect analyses in phase 1 were followed up by genotyping 351 well-chosen tagSNPs in 4,783 subjects (2,153 cases, 2,630 controls) in five ethnic groups in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. One SNP rs9858822 in PPAR gamma gene was statistically significantly associated with CRC in the replication phase (p=1.5 × 10-4, odds ratio per allele = 1.36), based on a conservative Bonferroni-corrected significance level 0.05 adjusted for the “effective” number of markers (n=306). The risk allele C was common (frequency 0.3) in African Americans but was rare (frequency Citation Format: Hansong Wang, Darin Taverna, Daniel O. Stram, Iona Cheng, Lynne R. Wilkens, Terrilea Burnett, Polly A. Newcomb, Laurence N. Kolonel, Brian E. Henderson, David Duggan, Cornelia M. Ulrich, Loic Le Marchand. Associations between genetic variations in inflammation and innate immunity pathways and colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A110.
Effect of Phosphate Loading on Leukocyte Labelling with Inorganic P32.

SummaryThe effect of an intravenous load of non-isotopic inorganic phosphate following P32 on plasma clearance and on leukocyte labelling has been studied. Such a load produces immediate dilution of plasma phosphate activity, decreases rate of clearance of plasma radioactivity during the period of loading, diminishes the level of labelling of circulating leukocyte acid soluble and DNA phosphorus, and prevents development of a peak in DNA-P specific activity. The findings suggest that marrow labelling during the first 2 hours after P32 injection is responsible for development of the peak in DNA-P specific activity found in peripheral blood leukocytes.
Flue gas desulfurization through liquid-phase catalytic oxidation by transition metal ions

Flue gas desulfurization is a key technology urgently needed in the environmental protection market in China.Flue gas desulfurization through liquid phase catalytic oxidation by transition metal ions can use dilute H 2SO 4 to produce many byproducts with high added value such as gypsum,fertilizer and polymeric ferric sulfate.The reaction mechanism,absorbent and facility of flue gas desulfurization were introduced.Effects of absorbent pH value,temperature,liquid/gas ratio,gas flow rate and inlet concentration on desulfurization efficiency were described.Metal ion synergistic effects,technical paths and byproducts were also analyzed.
The Public's Motivated Response to Supreme Court Decision-Making

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes how the public perceives the Supreme Court's decision-making in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (2014) and National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012). Using theories of motivated reasoning and cognitive dissonance, I hypothesize that whether an individual approves or disapproves of the Court's decision will influence how they perceive the Court's decision-making. Specifically, those who approve of the Court's decision are more likely to be motivated to perceive the Court's decision-making in a legalistic fashion. However, those who disapprove of the decision are more likely to be motivated to perceive the Court's decision-making in a non-legalistic fashion. I find support for these hypotheses in analysis of both cases. The results presented in this article suggest that scholars need to consider how the public reacts to individual Court cases when studying how the public perceives the Court's decision-making. Further, these findings help explain the gro...
Functional properties of carrageenan on color stability and sensory characteristics of beef steaks

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the effects of ingredients and USDA beef quality grade response on meat quality attributes and sensory characteristics. Beef strip loins representing two quality grades (USDA Choice and Select) were enhanced with either 0.25 CG [0.25% kappa-carrageenan+1% sea salt+0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate]; 0.50 CG [0.50% kappa-carrageenan+1% sea salt+0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate]; or 2.5 KL [2.5% potassium lactate+1% sea salt+0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate]; or NEC=non-enhanced control. Changes in surface color, visual appearance, discoloration, and metmyoglobin formation during a 7 d retail display at 2 °C were evaluated. Enhancement with 0.50 CG and 2.5 KL affected ( P P
Balloon angioplasty in the treatment of pulmonary valve stenosis and coarctation of the aorta.

When balloon angioplasty of the pulmonary valve was attempted in 42 children, aged 1 day to 19 years (mean, 3.1 years), immediate relief of pulmonary stenosis was achieved in 37 cases. In two groups, angioplasty was not uniformly successful: these included (1) two neonates and (2) three out of seven children with dysplastic pulmonary valves, who had an unsuccessful early result. Long-term (>1-year) follow-up of 28 successful cases supports the contention that balloon angioplasty provides effective long-term relief of pulmonary valve stenosis and that it should be considered the treatment of choice for this lesion. The results of angioplasty were also studied in 36 children who underwent this procedure to treat coarctation of the aorta (involving 21 native and 15 recurrent lesions). Angioplasty effectively relieved the obstruction in 30 cases (17 native and 13 recurrent lesions). In the six unsuccessful cases, poor hemodynamic results were due to age (three failures occurred in children less than 2 years old), tubular hypoplasia of the aorta (in one case), and the use of an undersized angioplasty balloon (in four cases, the diameter of the balloon was ≥3 mm less than that of the aortic isthmus). The 36 patients had two major complications: A cerebral vascular accident occurred in one case, and a late aortic aneurysm developed in another. Our results indicate that angioplasty is an effective form of therapy for most cases of coarctation of the aorta (whether native or recurrent). (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1986; 13:377-385)
Transthyretin Mass Determination for Detection of Transthyretin Familial Amyloid

The concentration range of plasma proteins exceeds the dynamic range of any single analytical method. It has been estimated that the concentration range of serum proteins exceeds ten orders of magnitude (1). Because of this, prior immunoselection of even abundant proteins facilitates the relative nonquantitative observations required to show structural abnormality in primary or in posttranslational structure. Determination of atypical proteins by mass measurement has been reported for genetic defects in glycosylation (2, 3) and for monitoring for transthyretin (TTR) defects (4). Here we describe a rapid method of purification and electrospray introduction of TTR into a mass spectrometer to detect mass changes due to amino acid substitutions. The method currently forms the basis for a clinical assay to ascertain TTR mutations resulting in amyloidosis.
Myotonic Dystrophy: Severity and Maternal Age

The severity of myotonic dystrophy in 17 affected sibling pairs from 15 families in which 2 or more affected children were born to mothers with myotonic dystrophy is reported from the Hospital for Sick Children, London and the Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Transcriptional Regulation of γ-Globin Gene Expression by KLF4

Abstract Abstract 645 Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of Cys2His2 zinc-finger DNA binding proteins that regulate gene expression through CACCC/GC/GT box binding in various gene promoters. The CACCC element is also critical for developmental regulation of the human γ-globin and β-globin genes; therefore studies to identify transcription factors that bind the CACCC element to alter gene expression are desirable. By microarray-based gene profiling, we identified two Kruppel-like factors, KLF4 and KLF12 whose expression levels decreased simultaneously with γ-globin silencing during in vitro erythroid maturation. Subsequent reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis confirmed KLF4 and KLF12 mRNA levels decreased 56-fold and 16-fold respectively in erythroid progenitors from day 7 to day 28 with over 90% γ-globin gene silencing. The effects of known fetal hemoglobin inducers hemin (50μM) and sodium butyrate (2mM) on KLF factor expression was tested in K562 cells. Hemin and sodium butyrate increased KLF4 3-fold (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
African Literature in Defence of History. Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe. Dakar, Senegal: African Renaissance, 2001. 200 pp. ISBN 1-903625-10-6.

African Literature in Defence of History by Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is an elaborate interdisciplinary study and a critical appraisal of African history illustrated and validated by Chinua Achebe’s African-centered literary contributions to African literature, history and politics. His book is divided into five parts. Each chapter’s title reflects the cyclical nature of African history.
The development of biological therapies for neurological diseases: moving on from previous failures.

Introduction: Although years of research have expanded the use of biologics for several clinical conditions, such development has not yet occurred in the treatment of neurological diseases. With th...
Deformation and yield of epoxy networks in constrained states of stress

A series of epoxy networks were made with molecular weights between crosslinks, Mc, ranging from 380 to 1790 g mol-1. Resins were cast into thin walled hollow cylinders and tested in stress states ranging from uniaxial compression to biaxial tension. These tests elucidated the effects of stress state, strain rate, and Mc on the yield and fracture response of epoxy networks. Throughout the study, the strain rate along the octahedral shear plane, γoct, was maintained constant independent of stress state, for each failure envelope. The hollow cylinder tests showed that the yield behaviour of epoxy networks can be described by a modified von Mises criterion, τocty=τocty0−μσm where τoctg is the octahedral shear stress at yield, τocty0 is the octahedral shear stress at yield in pure shear, μ is the coefficient of internal friction and Vm is the hydrostatic tensile stress imposed on the sample. Furthermore, these tests showed that changes in γoct and Mc only affect τocty0, while μ remains constant. Standard tensile and compression tests were run to confirm the hollow cylinder result and to test the effect of temperature on the yield and brittle response. Tensile tests showed that changes in Mc only affect the glass transition temperature, Tg, of the materials, and the glassy modulus remained independent of Mc. With regard to the yield strength, changes in Mc cause a shift in the Tg of the materials, and the yield strengths of all the materials collapse together at a constant temperature relative to Tg. Finally, yielding of these epoxies was shown to follow an Eyring type flow model over the range of temperatures and strain rates tested.
The Role of Cognition and Ethical Judgment in Earnings Management Behavior

We investigate whether individuals' cognitive processes and ethical judgment contribute to earnings management behavior apart from economic incentives. If the motivation for earnings management is purely economic, earnings management behavior should not occur in a setting that lacks economic incentives. Drawing on cognitive psychology theories (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979; Simon, 1996), we theorize that earnings targets establish implicit aspiration levels that act as mental frames of reference against which unmanaged earnings performance is evaluated and, ultimately, affect whether earnings are managed. Using an experimental method, we find that in the absence of direct economic incentives, a considerable proportion of participants managed earnings to achieve earnings targets. We document patterns of earnings management behavior that are consistent with the tenets of cognitive psychology. Interestingly, we observe earnings management behavior even when such behavior is judged to be highly unethical. While we find that ethical judgment can help regulate earnings management behavior, ethical judgment mitigates earnings management behavior to a lesser extent when earnings management can help achieve an otherwise unmet earnings target. Our findings suggest that cognition and ethical judgment play important roles in earnings management behavior.
Cigarette smoking promotes bladder cancer via increased platelet‐activating factor

Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for bladder cancer development and epidemiological data suggest that nearly half of all bladder cancer patients have a history of smoking. In addition to stimulating the growth of a primary tumor, it has been shown that there is a correlation between smoking and tumor metastasis. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is expressed on the cell surface of the activated endothelium and, through binding with the PAF-receptor (PAF-R), facilitates transendothelial migration of cells in the circulation (McHowat et al. Biochemistry 40:14921-14931; 2001). In this study, we show that the exposure of bladder cancer cells to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) results in increased PAF accumulation and increased expression of the PAF-R. Furthermore, treatment with CSE increases adherence of bladder cancer cells to bladder endothelial cells and could be abrogated by pretreatment with ginkgolide B. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor biopsy samples from bladder cancer patients who smoked revealed increased PAF and the PAF-R in tumor regions when compared to normal tissue. These data highlight a pathway in bladder cancer that is influenced by CSE which could facilitate primary tumor growth and increase metastatic potential. Targeting of the PAF-PAFR interaction could serve as a beneficial therapeutic target for managing further growth of a developing tumor.
2019 Whitney Biennial

With the most visible face of the US being the authoritarian face of the American presidency, the current 2019 Whitney Biennial provides a refreshing counterweight to that oppressive fact. The cura...
The Role of NHS Leaders in Times of Austerity

This paper evaluates the role of leadership in the NHS in times of austerity, times that are characterised by budgetary cuts and privatisation. As state employees, the role of today’s NHS leaders is to enforce austerity measures by administering thought and praxis, socially reproducing, at microlevels, ideologies and politics that are circumscribed by the government that employs them. The paper inspects the moral worth of NHS leaders and the mechanisms they utilise upon the workforce to enable them to take forward austerity, that is, to fulfill their role.
Trace element and textural evidence favoring lunar, not terrestrial, origin of the mini-granite in Apollo sample 14321

Abstract The 14321 lunar granite (14321g) has recently been reinterpreted (Bellucci et al., 2019) as a piece of the Hadean Earth, impact-transported to the Moon. In principle, samples of such derivation may afford important insights into the nature of Earth's Hadean crust. We have tested the terrestrial provenance hypothesis by comparing trace-element data from 14321g versus other lunar evolved rocks and a large data base for terrestrial granites. Volatile trace metals Zn, Ga and Ge are depleted in 14321g below the terrestrial granite ranges; and relative to the terrestrial granite averages by factors of 27, 2.0 and 18, respectively. Evidence from shocked chondrites, martian meteorites, and impact-shock studies in general, indicates that such major depletions are unlikely to develop without near-complete shock-melting, which clearly did not occur in the mostly still-crystalline 14321g. Moreover, other aspects of compositional disparity between 14321g and terrestrial granites involve exclusively refractory trace elements. Compared to terrestrial granites of similarly high Ba content, 14321 is enriched in Ta by a factor of 10; and the few terrestrial granites that are as Ta-rich as 14321 have 10 times lower Ba. The refractory-element ratio Lu/Sm is also close to 10 times higher in 14321g than in terrestrial granites of similarly high Ba content. Other highly evolved lunar rocks, “felsites”, strongly resemble 14321g in all these respects. We conclude that 14321g is probably of wholly lunar derivation. This finding stands in contradiction to a recent inference from Ti-in-quartz modeling (Bellucci et al., 2019) that 14321g crystallized at a pressure of 0.69 GPa. The geodynamically limited Moon was presumably never capable of forming, or burying, such a highly granitic material ~100 km below the base of its crust, nor of excavating material from such a depth to the surface.
Body mass index and plasma leptin in psychiatric suicide attempters.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate body mass index (BMI) and its correlate plasma leptin levels that have been associated with psychiatric morbidity and suicidal behaviour, in relation to clinical features in psychiatric patients after a suicide attempt. METHODS BMI and plasma leptin were assessed in 198 patients (66 males, age range of 21 to 80 years) who were admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt, 98 with major depressive disorder, 28 with bipolar disorder, 30 with psychosis, and 42 with personality or adjustment disorder, compared to data of 134 healthy subjects, and evaluated in relation to gender, diagnosis, mode of attempt, and pharmacological treatment before attempt. The ratio leptin/BMI was used as a measure of adipocyte leptin secreting activity. RESULTS Drugs taken for treatment before attempt, among them atypical neuroleptics, were not associated either to BMI or to plasma leptin. The positive correlation between BMI and leptin was significant in all groups. Compared to same gender controls, significant differences were found only for female patients, namely higher BMI for patients with psychosis and patients with bipolar disorder, while leptin/BMI ratio was higher only in females with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSION BMI and plasma leptin in psychiatric suicide attempters are elevated in certain diagnostic groups in females, not related to previous pharmacologic treatment. The lack of a control group without a history of suicide attempts does not allow the attribution of enhanced leptin secreting activity found in female bipolar attempters specifically to suicidal behavior or to the disorder as a diagnostic entity.
COMPARATIVE STATICS OF LESS NEOCLASSICAL AGENTS

The study of the optimization problems of demand and producer theories is extended to models where agents exhibit more complex characteristics than those of the neoclassical agent. Here the objective functions are parameterized, there may be many, not necessarily linear constraints, and non convexities in both the objectives and the constraints. We study generic differentiability properties of the optimal solutions. We also give a generalized Slutsky type decomposition, and sufficient conditions on the objective and constraints for its symmetry and negative semidefiniteness.
Waiting on the Courts: Effects of Policy Uncertainty on Pollution and Investment

Legal challenges and transitions of political power cause the future of regulatory policies to be uncertain. In this article, I investigate how uncertainty about environmental policy affects investment and emissions at coal-fired power plants. I exploit a legal challenge to the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) that created variation in the probability that individual plants would need to comply with the new policy. I use a difference-in-differences approach to compare pollution reductions at power plants located in states subject to more uncertainty to plants in states that that were not. I find that plants with a lower probability of being regulated invested in fewer capital-intensive pollution controls and reduced pollution by 13% less on average. Many of these plants did switch to capital-intensive pollution controls after the court upheld CAIR. Regulatory uncertainty increased compliance costs by $124 million by delaying efficient investments.
Measuring Democratic Listening: A Listening Quality Index:

Recent political theory in the area of deliberative democracy has placed listening at the normative core of meaningfully democratic deliberation. Empirical research in this area, however, has strug...
‘I had no idea that greenwashing was even a thing’: identifying the cognitive mechanisms of exemplars in greenwashing literacy interventions

As individuals become more aware and concerned about their own contribution to global climate change, empowering consumers to make informed decisions that are beneficial to the environment is of ch...
TDZ-specific plant regeneration in salad burnet.

Various explants of salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba L.=Sanguisorba minor Scop.) were cultured on semi-solid MS or B5 media containing factorial combinations of various plant growth regulators. Hypocotyl and petiole explants, after initial callus stage, regenerated prolific adventitious shoots via organogenesis, when placed on Murashige and Skoog basal medium containing 1–2 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid and 4-20 μM thidiazuron. Any other growth regulator combination tested failed to respond. The addition of the biocide, Plant Preservative Mixture, was effective in controlling contamination and did not impair regeneration. Elongated shoots at 2–4 cm were transferred to rooting medium containing semi-solid Murashige and Skoog plus 1 μM α-naphthaleneacetic and rooted plants were transferred to the glasshouse. This is the first report on in vitro plant regeneration within the genusPoterium.
Malaria as understood by soldiers.

Abstract : Questionnaires about malaria were administered to 194 American, 182 Australian, and 280 Korean soldiers serving in Vietnam. Analysis of their responses indicate that the Australians had the best understanding of malaria and very high standards of malaria discipline. Although over two-thirds of American and Korean troops are adequately instructed about malaria and practice good malaria discipline, there is room for significant improvement if the malaria attack rates current at the time of this report continue to occur. Such improvement might be achieved by a better understanding of practical epidemiology by the troops; correction of lapses in protective clothing discipline; and assiduous attention by commanders to the logistics of antimalaria chemoprophylaxis, particularly during operations.
TFDEA application for solar industry

The interest in solar technology as a very promising source of energy is accelerating. The industry is developing with a great speed; technology experts along with researchers propose different methods to predict the future state of the industry, especially in terms of efficiency of solar panels and their cost. This paper applies TFDEA for forecasting the solar technology with focus on the main technologies of thin film and crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar panels.
Quantitative Modeling of Planetary Magnetospheric Magnetic Fields

Three new quantitative models of the earth's magnetospheric magnetic field have recently been presented: the Olson-Pfitzer model, the Tsyganenko model, and the Voigt model. The paper reviews these models in some detail with emphasis on the extent to which they have succeeded in improving on earlier models. The models are compared with the observed field in both magnitude and direction. Finally, the application to other planetary magnetospheres of the techniques used to model the earth's magnetospheric magnetic field is briefly discussed.
Chitin and yeast budding. Localization of chitin in yeast bud scars.

Yeast cells were extracted with alkali and acetic acid according to the method of Bacon et al. (Biochem. J., 101, 36C (1966)). Examination of the extracted cell ghosts under the electron microscope revealed very thin cell envelopes with prominent bud scars in the shape of a shallow crater with a raised rim. The extracted cell ghosts, which had a high chitin content (15%), were treated with purified chitinase and glucanase. Electron micrographs showed that chitinase treatment did not destroy the integrity of the cell envelope, but largely eliminated the bud scar rims. On the other hand, after incubation with glucanase only fragments in the shape of bud scars, isolated or in groups, were observed. It is concluded that chitin is localized in a ring around the bud scar, sandwiched between two layers of glucan. The possible function of chitin during budding is discussed on the basis of this localization. During extraction of the yeast cells, a glucan fraction was isolated, which is soluble above pH 10, but rapidly forms a gel upon neutralization. This glucan was used to adsorb and purify the glucanase.
Application of Environmental Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy to Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

Abstract : The spatial/chemical relationship between bacteria, their biofilms, and metal substrata was examined in an environmental cell transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy loss spectrometer. The advantage of environmental cell transmission electron microscopy is that unfixed, hydrated specimens can be examined, in more or less their natural state, with high spatial resolution.
The Transatlantic Shift in Health, Safety, and Environmental Risk Regulation, 1960 - 2010

This paper describes and explains an important discontinuity in the politics of consumer and environmental risk regulation in Europe and the United States, If a regulation was adopted between 1960 and 1990, American regulations were more likely to be more risk averse, innovative and comprehensive than those adopted in Europe. Since around 1990, the EU has adopted many more stringent risk regulations than the United States. This policy shift is due to three factors. First, there have been more public pressures for more stringent regulations in Europe than in the United States: more health, safety and environmental risks have been more politically salient in Europe than in the United States. Second, influential policy-makers in the European Union have been more supportive of stricter regulations than have policy-makers in Washington. Third, the criteria for assessing risks has changed on both sides of the Atlantic: while the precautionary principle has become more influential in Europe, regulatory impact assessments have grown in importance in the United States. The final section of the paper explores the factors that shape the political construction and public perception of risks.
A study of22Ne via the20Ne(t, pγ)22Ne Reaction

The22Ne states lying in the excitation energy range 5.14⩽Ex⩽7.48 MeV have been studied via the20Ne(t, pγ)22Ne reaction at a bombardment energy of 3.00 MeV. Proton-gamma angular correlation studies were performed in a collinear geometry. The results establishJ=1 assignments for the 5.33, 6.82, 7.05 and 7.48 MeV22Ne states andJ=2 for the 6.12 MeV level. Probable spin assignments ofJ=3 and 1 are found for the respective 5.63 and 7.35 MeV levels. The contradictory nature of information concerning the 5.92 MeV state as obtained in the present study and a previous one is discussed. The results of the present and previous studies on22Ne levels belowEx=7.5 MeV are synthesized and compared with an existing deformed shell model calculation.
ACCELERATED PROCESSING SYSTEMS FOR USDA CHOICE AND GOOD BEEF CARCASSES

Seventy-two sides from 36 U.S. Choice and Good grade carcasses were used to study the effects of USDA grade, postmortem excision time, storage method, and electrical stimulation (ES) on the quality traits, storage properties, chemical traits, and sensory ratings of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. Postmortem boning time had significant effects on weight loss during storage and leakage ratings of the vacuum bag, with values being most favorable when sides were boned nearer to the time of slaughter. Muscles boned at 48 hr were more tender than muscles boned at 1 or 4 hr; however, as the time between slaughter and boning increased, percent thaw and cooking loss increased: Electrical stimulation tended to offset the negative effects of excision time on tenderness. Muscles that were frozen immediately or before 24 hr were borderline in tenderness. Electrical stimulation increased the tenderness of these muscles but not enough to equal the muscles that were aged 20 days. Freezing muscles immediately would involve some tenderness risk even with ES. With ES, muscles can be frozen after 24 hr.
Protocols for Assessing Radiofrequency Interactions with Gold Nanoparticles and Biological Systems for Non-invasive Hyperthermia Cancer Therapy

Cancer therapies which are less toxic and invasive than their existing counterparts are highly desirable. The use of RF electric-fields that penetrate deep into the body, causing minimal toxicity, are currently being studied as a viable means of non-invasive cancer therapy. It is envisioned that the interactions of RF energy with internalized nanoparticles (NPs) can liberate heat which can then cause overheating (hyperthermia) of the cell, ultimately ending in cell necrosis. In the case of non-biological systems, we present detailed protocols relating to quantifying the heat liberated by highly-concentrated NP colloids. For biological systems, in the case of in vitro experiments, we describe the techniques and conditions which must be adhered to in order to effectively expose cancer cells to RF energy without bulk media heating artifacts significantly obscuring the data. Finally, we give a detailed methodology for in vivo mouse models with ectopic hepatic cancer tumors.