cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supply Chain Quality Control Strategy Under Condition of Moral Hazard

Based on principal-agent theory,this paper presents a study of the problem of quality control strategy in supply chain under the condition of moral hazard.We set up the expected revenue function of suppliers and buyers to design the qucontract in the following three cases such as the single moral hazard on the part of the supplier(quality prevention probability concealed) and the single moral hazard on the part of the buyer(quality inspection probability concealed),and double moral hazard(both quality prevention probability and quality inspection probability concealed).According to the optimization theory,the supplier's and buyer's moral hazard values were solved.A quantitative description of the information rents was presented and a simulation test was made.The simulation results show that when there is a single moral hazard on the part of the supplier,the buyer's information rents and expected revenues will reduce,supplier's expected revenues will increase;when there is a single moral hazard on the part of the buyer,the supplier's information rents and expected revenues will reduce,buyer's expected revenues will increase;when there is a double moral hazard,the information rents of supplier chain are the sum of supplier's and buyer's information rents in single moral hazard,the loss of the jointed expected revenues of the supply chain will be maximum.
Reparative Readings: Re-Claiming Black Feminised Bodies as Sites of Somatic Pleasures and Possibilities.

ABSTRACTBlack girls and women in the west reside at the nexus of racism and sexism, pinned down by a vitriolic hate for the black feminised body that is wedded to legacies of slavery. Dominant discourses configure these bodies as animalistic and other (than human), thus informing a range of (educational) policies, practices, and programmes. These narratives shape teachers’ curricular and pedagogical practices in ways that potentially objectify and wound black girls. In this paper, we use Andrea Lee’s Sarah Phillips [Lee, Andrea. 1984. Sarah Phillips. Boston, MA: Northeastern University Press] and Danzy Senna’s Caucasia [Senna, Danzy. 1999. Caucasia. New York: Riverhead] to trouble said dominant discourses by engaging in ‘reparative readings’ [Sedgwick, Eve. 2003. Touching Feeling: Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity. Durham: Duke University Press Books] of the texts’ black female protagonists. We re-read these main characters' bodies as sites of pleasure and possibility, not singularly or solely harm. In doi...
Gas Chromatography | Column Technology

Abstract General procedures for the manufacture and laboratory preparation of wall coated open tubular (WCOT), porous layer open tubular (PLOT), and packed columns for gas–liquid and gas-solid chromatography are described. The solvation properties of modern stationary phases is detailed along with methods for their characterization to facilitate selection. Specialty stationary phases such as ionic liquids and chiral stationary phases are described with details of their use.
Intention Semantics and Trust Evidence

When technologists develop trust, security and privacy features in devices, applications, networks, and systems, they plan for certain functionality and outcomes. Early stages of planning include threat modelling, vulnerability analysis as well as formal or informal development practices that are aimed at fulfilling the security objectives. But with the complexity of today’s systems, interoperability requirements and other adaptations and the nature of the development processes, the actual outcomes and resulting security features frequently do not reflect or do not reflect completely the intent of the developers.
Intelligent security cycle: A rule based run time malicious code detection technique for SOAP messages

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), based on producer consumer model, is vulnerable for malicious code attacks. Web Services are prone to malicious code attacks due to the non-availability of state of the art detection and filtration techniques. There has been considerable work on Web Services security in the domain of query classification based on XML structured message. However, there is lack of research work on malicious code detection based on independent platforms. During the detection process a scheme should be maintained in a way which supports the current state of threat and as well as the coming threats. A rule-based intelligent security cycle, for malicious code detection, filtration and threat analysis of SOAP Messages is presented in this research paper. The proposed technique suggests addressing malicious code detection early in the design phase of a Web Service. In order to validate this technique, a case study was devised to detect and filter malicious code using rule based SOAP service composition. Moreover, the results showed that by applying this technique the capability of SOAP Web Service to detect malicious code attacks at runtime was significantly improved.
Tethered Capsule Endomicroscopy: A New Window Into the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract Tethered capsule endomicroscopy (TCE) is an emerging technology for conducting in vivo microscopy (IVM) in the gastrointestinal tract using a tethered, swallowable pill. TCE devices have implemented multiple optical IVM technologies, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) for cross-sectional architectural imaging and spectrally-encoded confocal microscopy (SECM) for transverse cellular-resolution assessment. Advantages of TCE include its capacity to be used in unsedated patients, the provision of rapid microscopic imaging of large areas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and its capability to be withdrawn by the tether and reused following disinfection. These properties of TCE make it a promising technology for upper GI tract screening for a variety of diseases.
Application of collocation method to stochastic conservation laws

In this chapter we demonstrate how to apply the methods we presented in the previous chapters to stochastic nonlinear conservations laws. Specifically, since the problem is nonlinear we apply the stochastic collocation method (SCM) using Smolyak’s sparse grid for a one-dimensional piston problem and test its computational performance. This is a classical problem in every aerodynamics textbook with an analytical solution if the piston velocity is fixed. However, here we consider a piston with a velocity perturbed by Brownian motion moving into a straight tube filled with a perfect gas at rest. The shock generated ahead of the piston can be located by solving the one-dimensional Euler equations driven by white noise using the Stratonovich or Ito formulations. We apply the Lie-Trotter splitting method before we approximate the Brownian motion with its spectral truncation and subsequently apply stochastic collocation using either sparse grid or the quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) method. Numerical results verify the Stratonovich-Euler and Ito-Euler models against stochastic perturbation results, and demonstrate the efficiency of sparse grid collocation and QMC for small and large random piston motions, respectively.
Aging alters voltage-gated calcium channels in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons in the HIV brain.

We assessed firing and voltage-gated Ca2+ influx in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pyramidal neurons from older (12 months old) HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rats. We found that neurons from older Tg rats showed increased firing compared to non-Tg rats, but Ca2+ spikes were unchanged. However, stronger excitatory stimulation was needed to evoke Ca2+ spikes, which was associated with reduced mPFC Cav1.2 L-type Ca2+ channel (L-channel) protein. In contrast, L-channel protein was unaltered in younger (6–7 weeks old) Tg rats, which we previously found had enhanced neuronal Ca2+ influx. These studies demonstrate that aging alters HIV-induced Ca2+ channel dysfunction that affects mPFC activity.
Global Spencerism: The Communication and Appropriation of a British Evolutionist

Global Spencerism comprises twelve essays, an introductory essay by Bernard Lightman, an afterword by Gowan Dawson and Greg Radick, and a useful bibliography. There is no essay on how Britons read ...
Divergence Effect Analysis in Disease-Modifying Trials

In this article, we propose a novel slope analysis which we call the divergence effect analysis. The slope analysis has been used in disease-modifying neurodegenerative disorder trials to show whet...
Oculoplastic Considerations in Boston Keratoprosthesis

Oculoplastic considerations are relatively common in patients with Boston keratoprosthesis as severe corneal and ocular surface disease may also adversely affect the eyelids and adnexal structures. Thus, a significant number of patients require preoperative and postoperative oculoplastic interventions including fornix reconstruction, tarsorrhaphy, and repair of eyelid malpositions and blepharoptosis, which are important to maintain viability of the implanted keratoprosthesis. In addition, oculoplastic procedures are part of the standard operative technique in Boston keratoprosthesis type 2 and play a critical component in the ongoing management of postoperative complications such as skin retraction. Despite the complexity of addressing the periocular issues in these patients, oculoplastic and eyelid procedures are well tolerated and play an important role in maximizing the success of Boston keratoprosthesis implantation.
A profile of chronic mental and physical conditions among African-American and Latino children in urban public housing.

OBJECTIVE This study provides a profile of chronic mental and physical conditions among African-American and Latino children in urban public housing communities in Los Angeles, California. METHODS The study focused on 187 African-American and Latino households with children, 65% of a random sample of 287 households in three urban public housing communities. RESULTS The findings suggest that minority children residing in public housing are one of the more severely health-compromised groups among under-served communities. Children of Latino and African-American families in our sample are two to four times more likely to suffer from chronic physical and mental conditions than the general population. The top five childhood chronic conditions reported by parents for one or more children in their households were asthma (32%), eye/vision problems (24%), dental problems (16%), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (17%), and depression (8%). CONCLUSION This study documents significant health disparities in this population and strongly suggests the need for future investigations in similar settings nationwide.
Soil horizon development and the tempo and modes of vegetation change during the Holocene in a Sonoran Desert basin, USA:

Silt-rich and clay-rich vesicular horizons (V horizons) that develop beneath desert pavements limit infiltration and plant-available soil moisture. A radiocarbon date from buried charcoal constrain...
Chronic effects of vaping with and without nicotine on arterial stiffness in rats

The use of electronic cigarette (E-cig) devices has increased over the last decade. However, little is known about the cardiovascular effects of vaping over prolonged periods of time. Preliminary d...
Disability in higher education: A social justice approach

Disability in Higher Education provides a thorough literature review and road map for understanding disability as it relates to higher education. The work is the result of a collaborated effort bet...
Congress, Foreign Policy & Financial Reporting

I examine the economic consequences of expanding the scope of financial disclosure to include a foreign policy objective. I use the disclosure requirements of Iran Threat Reduction Act of 2012 (ITRA), which attempts to isolate Iran by forcing SEC issuers to disclose ties with Iranian-affiliated entities, as my empirical setting. I find ITRA disclosures impose penalties on firms who do business with Iran along several dimensions: (i) Iran revenue declines by 70 percent following implementation, (ii) disclosure generates negative abnormal returns and (iii) institutional ownership declines. I also document other unintended consequences of ITRA disclosures. First, I find that foreign issuers are more likely to delist from U.S. exchanges following ITRA disclosures and domestic issuers’ political action committees increase their campaign contributions. Second, I document a financial reporting distortion through a temporary pattern of depressed reported income but stable cash flows. Third, I find that disclosing firms’ annual filings have a more negative tone. Overall, the evidence suggests that adapting securities regulation to serve political objectives, while effective at achieving those objectives, also entails unintended consequences.
Estimation of a significance threshold for genome-wide association studies

Selection of an appropriate statistical significance threshold in genome-wide association studies is critical to differentiate true positives from false positives and false negatives. Different multiple testing comparison methods have been developed to determine the significance threshold; however, these methods may be overly conservative and may lead to an increase in false negatives. Here, we developed an empirical formula to determine the statistical significance threshold that is based on the marker-based heritability of the trait. To develop a formula for a significance threshold, we used 45 simulated traits in soybean, maize, and rice that varied in both broad sense heritability and the number of QTLs. A formula to determine a significance threshold was developed based on a regression equation that used one independent variable, marker-based heritability, and one response variable, − log10 (P)-values. For all species, the threshold –log10 (P)-values increased as both marker-based and broad-sense heritability increased. Higher broad sense heritability in these crops resulted in higher significant threshold values. Among crop species, maize, with a lower linkage disequilibrium pattern, had higher significant threshold values as compared to soybean and rice. Our formula was less conservative and identified more true positive associations than the false discovery rate and Bonferroni correction methods.
Single-cell Bottlenecks and Dead-ends During Glioma Premalignancy

Abstract Cancer evolves from premalignant clones that accumulate mutations and adopt unusual cell states to achieve transformation. Tracking a cancer cell-of-origin through the cell-state alterations of premalignancy could provide clues for early-detection and cancer-prevention strategies. Previously we pinpointed the oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) as a cell-of-origin for glioma. However, the early adaptations and cell-state changes of mutant OPCs during premalignancy are unknown. Using a genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of inducible Nf1–Trp53 loss in OPCs, we acutely isolated labeled mutant OPCs by laser-capture microdissection and determined gene-expression changes in two ways: global changes in gene expression were measured by differential analysis of wild-type and mutant OPCs after bulk RNA sequencing; cell-to-cell state variations were identified by a fluctuation analysis, called stochastic profiling, which uses RNA-sequencing measurements from random pools of 10 mutant cells. We chose two time points for the analysis. At 12 days after Nf1–Trp53 deletion, while bulk differences were mostly limited to increases in mitotic hallmarks and decreases in ribosome biosynthesis, stochastic profiling of mutant OPCs revealed a spectrum of stem-progenitor, proneural, and mesenchymal states as potential starting points for gliomagenesis. At 90 days after Nf1–Trp53 deletion, while bulk sequencing detected very few differentially expressed transcripts, stochastic profiling revealed multiple cell states that are absent from glial tumors, suggesting that they marked dead-ends for gliomagenesis. In parallel, we identified cells without dead-end markers but abundantly expressing key effectors of nonsense-mediated decay and homology-dependent DNA repair. This suggests that resolution of replication stress may pose a considerable bottleneck for glioma initiation in premalignant mutant OPCs. Statement of significance In situ heterogeneity profiling of cell states in a mouse model of glioma uncovers regulatory confusion in a glioma cell-of-origin and defines a state of replication stress that precedes tumor initiation.
Chapter Three – Shapes

Publisher Summary This chapter presents pbrt's abstraction for geometric primitives such as spheres and triangles. Careful abstraction of geometric shapes in a ray tracer is a key component of a clean system design, and shapes are the ideal candidates for an object-oriented approach. All geometric primitives implement a common interface, and the rest of the renderer can use this interface without needing any details about the underlying shape. This makes it possible to isolate the geometric and shading subsystems of pbrt. Without this isolation, adding new shapes to the system would be unnecessarily difficult and error prone. pbrt hides details about its primitives behind a two-level abstraction, including the Shape class and the Primitive class. The Shape class provides access to the raw geometric properties of the primitive, such as its surface area and bounding box, and provides a ray intersection routine. This chapter focuses on the geometry-only Shape class. The interface for Shapes is in the source file core/shape.h, and definitions of common Shape methods can be found in core/shape.cpp. The Shape class in pbrt is reference counted—pbrt keeps track of the number of outstanding pointers to a particular shape and automatically deletes the shape when that reference count goes to zero. All shapes are defined in object coordinate space. In order to place a sphere at another position in the scene, a transformation that describes the mapping from object space to world spacemust be provided. The Shape class stores both this transformation and its inverse. All Shapes in the system are given a unique 32-bit numeric id, stored here in the shapeId member variable. This identifier has a variety of uses, among them the adaptive image sampling routines that take additional samples in the areas of pixels that have multiple shapes overlapping them
Absence of efficiency droop in fin Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

We introduce a novel fin LED architecture that eliminates “efficiency droop”. Efficiency droop, which is the decline in internal quantum efficiency with increasing current density, is one of the significant challenges facing wide bandgap LED. In this presentation, we present data on how nanofins as quasi one-dimensional nanoLEDs would operate at low and high injection current densities and how electron-hole recombination is influenced because of the shape and size of the recombination region. Results include temperature-dependent electroluminescence of fin LEDs as well as dependence of their total radiant flux (optical output power) on injected current. We show unique examples of droop-free operation of fin LEDs at extremely high injection current densities beyond 1 million A/cm2. A three-parameter model based on the radiative and nonradiative processes (ABC) including the SRH and Auger recombination is presented that provides insight on how the non-radiative Auger recombination proces
Response to: Real effect vs placebo effect.

Citation:Vgontzas AN, Puzino K, Fernandez-Mendoza J. Response to: Real effect vs placebo effect. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(5):1143–1144.
Associations of Sleep With Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Patterns Across Pregnancy Trimesters.

Abstract Introduction Sleep, sedentary behavior, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are altered in pregnancy and may affect pregnancy health; however, how these behaviors are associated with each other is unclear. Methods Pregnant women (N = 120) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and wore an activPAL3 micro and ActiGraph GT3X for 7 days in each trimester to assess sleep, sedentary behavior, and MVPA, respectively. Latent trajectories described patterns of sleep duration, efficiency, and quality as well as sedentary behavior and MVPA. Multinomial logistic regression examined associations of sleep patterns with sedentary behavior and MVPA patterns and, in exploratory analyses, with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Results Trajectories were identified for sleep duration (consistently short, 20.7% of sample; consistently adequate, 79.3%), efficiency (consistently low, 17.5%; consistently high, 82.5%), and quality (consistently poor, 15.1%; worsening, 23.5%; and consistently good, 61.5%). Compared with those in more optimal sleep groups, women in the short duration, low efficiency, and worsening quality groups had lower odds of being in the moderate and/or high sedentary behavior group (odds ratio range, 0.21–0.31; 95% confidence interval range, 0.09–0.65). Women in the worsening quality group had greater odds of being in the low MVPA group (odds ratio, 2.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–5.38). Trends were observed with women in less optimal sleep groups having greater odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes and lower odds of excessive gestational weight gain. Conclusions Less optimal sleep patterns in pregnancy are associated with less sedentary behavior and MVPA; additional research is needed to confirm associations between sleep and pregnancy outcomes.
After Trump: Achieving a New Social Gospel: by Donald Heinz, Eugene, Oregon, Wipf and Stock, 2020, 250 pp., $28/£21 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-5326-9531-5

Rarely have I encountered a work of confessional yet critical theology that has so greatly missed its mark as Donald Heinz does in After Trump: Achieving a New Social Gospel. To begin, in the spiri...
End-of-life decision making in critical illness: Perspectives of Asian parents.

OBJECTIVE To explore parents' perspectives regarding end-of-life (EOL) decisions, factors and possible barriers that influence the EOL decision making process, and to understand parental preferences for communication about EOL care in an Asian population. METHOD A prospective questionnaire cohort study conducted in a university-based tertiary care hospital. 30 parents of children who had been admitted to general pediatric wards for acute ailments and/or were being followed up in general pediatric outpatient clinics after inpatient admissions or emergency department visits completed 30 interviewer-administered questionnaires. With the first 10 completed questionnaires, we sought feedback on the design of the four case vignettes and related questions. Responses to specific questions related to each case vignette were rated on a Likert scale. RESULTS The majority of parents were able to comprehend and identify with the issues in the case vignettes, which allowed them to respond appropriately. Parents tended to avoid active withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment. The top three priorities for parents making EOL decisions for their children were: the chance of improvement, the presence of pain or discomfort, and information provided by healthcare staff. Parents reported that they would prefer to know immediately if their child is at risk of dying; they also preferred to get as much information as possible from the healthcare team and thought that meeting with the healthcare team before making EOL decisions was pivotal. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS Parents place highest priorities on their child's likelihood of improvement, perception of their child's pain, and information provided by healthcare professionals in making EOL decisions.
Probing exchange bias at the surface of a doped ferrimagnetic insulator

With the realization of stress-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, efficient spin-orbit torque switching, and room temperature topological Hall effect, interest in rare earth iron garnets has been revived in recent years for their potential in spintronic applications. In this study, we investigate the magnetic properties of micrometer-thick Bi and Ga substituted thulium iron garnets (BiGa:TmIG) grown by the liquid-phase epitaxy method. Above the magnetization compensation (MC) temperature, anomalous triple hysteresis is observed in BiGa:TmIG/Pt heterostructures by anomalous Hall effect measurements. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements reveal its origin as an internal exchange bias (EB) effect arising from inhomogeneities localized at the surface of the film. Possibly depending on the difference in thickness and defect realization of the EB layer, two types of magnetization reversal mechanisms, namely, the Stoner-Wohlfarth type and the reversible domain-wall motion type, are observed. Our results show that rich meta-magnetic phases exist in garnets close to MC, which can be robustly tuned by chemical composition engineering and conveniently probed by electrical transport measurements.
Hydrometallurgical Recycling of Red Mud to Produce Materials for Industrial Applications: Alkali Separation, Iron Leaching and Extraction

Red mud is a polymetallic waste generated during Bayer's process of alumina production. High alkalinity (pH > 11), multiple elements, and micron-sized particles make red mud recycling energy-intensive and challenging. The following work presents a hydrometallurgical flowsheet for separation of different red mud elements and recovery of high purity Fe (II) product using cost-effective reagents, energy-efficient processes, and minimal waste generation. Red mud preprocessing was carried out by mild hydrochloric acid wash (1 M, 13 pct pulp density, 40 °C 15 minutes), followed by leaching of hematite from neutralized red mud in oxalic acid (2 M, 10 pct pulp density, 95 °C, 2.5 hours). UV light-assisted photochemical reduction of oxalic leach solution of red mud separated more than 98 pct Fe in the form of ferrous oxalate (purity more than 99 pct) within 5 hours. The process's material balance shows a overall recovery of more than 85 pct Fe value as solid ferrous oxalate of high purity and concentrating titanium oxide in the residue and aluminum in the leaching solution.
Mean Versus Variability: Disentangling Stress Effects on Alcohol Lapses Among Individuals in the First Year of Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery.

Objective: Although stress is a well-known predictor of alcohol use lapses among individuals seeking recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD), most research has relied on retrospective self-report ...
72 The Vapor-Phase Hydrogenation of Benzene on Ruthenium Rhodium, Palladium, and Platinum Catalysts

The reaction kinetics of the vapor-phase hydrogenation of benzene was studied on ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, and platinum catalysts supported on alumina at temperatures ranging from 25 to 225° and I atm. pressure. On ruthenium catalysts, the rate of the reaction was found to be first order with respect to hydrogen and independent of benzene and cyclohexane. The derived reaction mechanism was found consistent with changes in catalytic activity observed during the initial state of the reaction after the pretreatment of the catalysts with reactant gases. The order of the catalytic activity among the metals studied was found to be as follows: Rh > Ru > Pt > Pd. Observed activation energy for the reaction was approximately 12 keal./mole for all catalysts except palladium. In the latter instance, the activity was so low that the activation energy could not be computed. These results were discussed in terms of the known affinities of metals for hydrogen chemisorption.
The moral courage of nursing students who complete advance directives with homeless persons

Background:Homeless persons in the United States have disproportionately high rates of illness, injury, and mortality and tend to believe that the quality of their end-of-life care will be poor. No studies were found as to whether nurses or nursing students require moral courage to help homeless persons or members of any other demographic complete advance directives.Research hypothesis:We hypothesized that baccalaureate nursing students require moral courage to help homeless persons complete advance directives. Moral courage was defined as a trait of a person or an action that overcomes fears or other challenges to achieve something of great moral worth.Research design:The hypothesis was investigated through a qualitative descriptive study. Aside from the pre-selection of a single variable to study (i.e. moral courage), our investigation was a naturalistic inquiry with narrative hues insofar as it attended to specific words and phrases in the data that were associated with that variable.Participants and r...
Chest discomfort associated with liposomal amphotericin B: report of three cases and review of the literature

Liposomal formulations of amphotericin B are designed to maintain therapeutic efficacy of amphotericin B deoxycholate while reducing its associated toxicities. In three patients chest discomfort occurred during planned 1-hour infusions of liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) 3 mg/kg/day during an open-label trial. The first patient experienced chest tightness and difficulty breathing and the second had dyspnea and acute hypoxia, both within 10 minutes of the start of the infusion. The third patient complained of chest pain 5 minutes after the start of two infusions. All symptoms resolved on terminating therapy. Two patients were later rechallenged with slower infusions and tolerated the drug well. A review of the English-language literature revealed only two other case reports of infusion-related chest or pulmonary reactions with the drug, although similar reactions were noted in several reports of clinical trials. Further review of the literature revealed reports of chest and pulmonary adverse events with other liposomal formulations of amphotericin B, liposomal daunorubicin, liposomal doxorubicin, and liposomes. The pathophysiology of such reactions remains unclear, and premedication with diphenhydramine did not completely prevent this reaction in one of our patients. We recommend infusing liposomal amphotericin B over at least 2 hours with careful monitoring for adverse reactions.
Criminal Responsibility and Psychopathy: Do Psychopaths Have a Right to Excuse?

This contribution to the Handbook on Psychopathy and Law argues that the characteristics of persons with psychopathy that support the strongest case for exemption from criminal responsibility also undermine a right to excuse. Whether the criminal law should hold them responsible may be settled by consequentialist considerations, which, I argue, speak in favor of criminal responsibility. Part I attempts to establish the strongest prima facie case for legally excusing persons with psychopathy. It does so by addressing two distinct questions: First, should the law require moral competency (the capacity to respond to distinctly moral reasons) as a requirement of responsibility, or should the minimal ability to follow the law’s commands be sufficient? Second, do criminal law doctrines, in fact, contemplate morally competent agents or, rather, agents who merely possess rational capacities sufficient for following rules? The prima facie argument concludes that the law should require and does contemplate moral competence for criminal responsibility, thus implying a prima facie reason to excuse persons with extreme psychopathy. Part II counters this prima facie case. It argues that treating the psychopath as criminally responsible does not harm his interests. Punishment’s association with moral blame distinguishes it from civil commitment, and a psychopath’s well-being, whether defined by his subjective experience or objective factors, is not impaired by being the target of moral blame. As such, the psychopath lacks the interest grounding the right to excuse. Finally, pragmatic and other moral considerations speak strongly in favor of holding psychopaths legally responsible regardless of whether they are, in fact, morally responsible for wrongdoing.
Cystic fibrosis: a disease of altered protein folding.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR. Previously we demonstrated that the common ΔF508 mutation in the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) alters the ability of the domain to fold into a functional three-dimensional structure, providing a molecular explanation for the observation that the mutant CFTR is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and does not traffic to the apical membrane of affected epithelial cells. Notably, when conditions are altered to promote folding of the mutant protein, it can assume a functional conformation. Correcting the folding defect may have therapeutic benefit for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Here we summarize these results and discuss the implications in vitro folding studies have for understanding the pathobiology of CF.
Robust and efficient plan recognition for dynamic multi-agent teams

This paper addresses the problem of plan recognition for multi-agent teams. Complex multi-agent tasks typically require dynamic teams where the team membership changes over time. Teams split into subteams to work in parallel, merge with other teams to tackle more demanding tasks, and disband when plans are completed. We introduce a new multi-agent plan representation that explicitly encodes dynamic team membership and demonstrate the suitability of this formalism for plan recognition. From our multi-agent plan representation, we extract local temporal dependencies that dramatically prune the hypothesis set of potentially-valid team plans. The reduced plan library can be efficiently processed to obtain the team state history. Naive pruning can be inadvisable when low-level observations are unreliable due to sensor noise and classification errors. In such conditions, we eschew pruning in favor of prioritization and show how our scheme can be extended to rank-order the hypotheses. Experiments show that this robust pre-processing approach ranks the correct plan within the top 10%, even under conditions of severe noise.
90 YEARS AGO : THE BEGINNING OF HYBRID MAIZE

IN early 1908, George Harrison Shull, then at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, published a paper with the unimposing title, “The composition of a field of maize.” This marked the beginning of the exploitation of heterosis in plant breeding, surely one of genetics' greatest triumphs. It is
Stability in Urea as a Measure of Cardiac Lactate Dehydrogenase on the Centrifugal Analyzer

Kinetic methods are described for determination of total, heat-stable, and urea-stable lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) activity on the centrifugal analyzer. In the urea-stable method we present, 2.6 molar urea is used to differentiate lactate dehydrogenase originating from heart and liver. This urea concentration, greater than that used by most other investigators, better differentiates between cardiac and liver lactate dehydrogenase and is as sensitive and specific for cardiac lactate dehydrogenase as the heatstable method; excellent correlation was obtained on 200 specimens assayed by both methods. The ureastable method has the advantages of speed and simplicity, better precision, and decreased serum volume, and is, therefore, preferred to the heat-stable method for determination of cardiac lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators and the combination therapy conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene: A review of effects on the breast

Traditional menopausal hormone therapy containing estrogens/progestin has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and estrogen exposure is known to promote growth and proliferation of a majority of breast cancers. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to consider the breast safety profile of any hormone-based therapy used in postmenopausal women. This review provides an overview of the breast safety and tolerability profiles of currently marketed selective estrogen receptor modulators, antiestrogens, and the first tissue selective estrogen complex combining conjugated estrogens with the selective estrogen receptor modulator bazedoxifene in postmenopausal women. Selective estrogen receptor modulators and antiestrogens act as estrogen receptor antagonists in the breast. Tamoxifen, toremifene, and the selective estrogen receptor degrader fulvestrant are used to treat breast cancer, and tamoxifen and raloxifene protect against breast cancer in high-risk women. Postmenopausal women using selective estrogen receptor modulators for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis (raloxifene, bazedoxifene) can be reassured that these hormonal treatments do not adversely affect their risk of breast cancer and may, in the case of raloxifene, even be protective. There are limited data on breast cancer in women who use ospemifene for dyspareunia. Conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene use for up to two years did not increase mammographic breast density or breast pain/tenderness, and there was no evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer, suggesting that conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene has an improved breast safety profile compared with traditional menopausal hormone therapies. Future research will continue to focus on development of selective estrogen receptor modulators and selective estrogen receptor modulator combinations capable of achieving the ideal balance of estrogen receptor agonist and antagonist effects.
Toxin production by Corynespora cassiicola

Abstract Isolates of Corynespora cassiicola highly pathogenic to tomato produce a toxin in synthetic medium which induced symptoms in susceptible, but not in resistant, tomato selections similar to the disease. Toxin production was maximal after 12 days' incubation between 24 and 28 °C at an initial glucose concentration of 3% and a pH between 6 and 7 in the medium. Using 28 fungal isolates varying in virulence to tomato, it was found that toxin production was correlated with virulence. A fraction with the same properties as the toxin was isolated from diseased but not healthy tomatoes.
Multigap superconductivity and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in single crystals of the layered boride OsB 2

Single crystals of superconducting ${\text{OsB}}_{2}$ $[{T}_{\text{c}}=2.10(5)\text{ }\text{K}]$ have been grown using a Cu-B eutectic flux. We confirm that ${\text{OsB}}_{2}$ crystallizes in the reported orthorhombic structure (space group $Pmmn$) at room temperature. Both the normal and superconducting state properties of the crystals are studied using various techniques. Heat capacity versus temperature $C(T)$ measurements yield the normal state electronic specific heat coefficient $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.95(1)\text{ }\text{mJ}/\text{mol}\text{ }{\text{K}}^{2}$ and the Debye temperature ${\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{\text{D}}=539(2)\text{ }\text{K}$. The measured frequencies of Shubnikov--de Haas oscillations are in good agreement with those predicted by band structure calculations. Magnetic susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}(T,H)$, electrical resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}(T)$, and $C(T,H)$ measurements ($H$ is the magnetic field) demonstrate that ${\text{OsB}}_{2}$ is a bulk low-$\ensuremath{\kappa}$ $[\ensuremath{\kappa}({T}_{\text{c}})=2(1)]$ type-II superconductor that is intermediate between the clean and dirty limits $[\phantom{(}\ensuremath{\xi}(T=0)/\ensuremath{\ell}=0.97)]$ with a small upper critical magnetic field ${H}_{\text{c}2}(T=0)=186(4)\text{ }\text{Oe}$. The penetration depth is $\ensuremath{\lambda}(T=0)=0.300\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$. An anomalous (not single-gap BCS) $T$ dependence of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ was fitted by a two-gap model with ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}(T=0)/{k}_{\text{B}}{T}_{\text{c}}=1.9$ and ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{2}(T=0)/{k}_{\text{B}}{T}_{\text{c}}=1.25$, respectively. The discontinuity in the heat capacity at ${T}_{\text{c}}$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}C/\ensuremath{\gamma}{T}_{\text{c}}=1.32$, is smaller than the weak-coupling BCS value of 1.43, consistent with the two-gap nature of the superconductivity in ${\text{OsB}}_{2}$. An anomalous increase in $\ensuremath{\Delta}C$ at ${T}_{\text{c}}$ of unknown origin is found in finite $H$; e.g., $\ensuremath{\Delta}C/\ensuremath{\gamma}{T}_{\text{c}}\ensuremath{\approx}2.5$ for $H\ensuremath{\approx}25\text{ }\text{Oe}$.
Cytochrome P-450 reduction exhibits burst kinetics.

Cytochrome P-450 reduction kinetics can be described by sequential reactions involving a rapid reduction of cytochrome P-450 in the high spin state, followed by a slower reduction controlled by formation of high spin P-450 from the low spin configuration. The burst kinetics observed would be the result of the equilibrium between low and high spin states prior to addition of reducing equivalents. The initial reduction velocity (burst) can therefore be described as vi=k3mhs0 and the slower velocity observed at longer times is controlled by the net rate of formation of the high spin conformation.
THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF A COROTATING INTERACTION REGION IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

In its three years of operation, the HI2 imagers on the two Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft have imaged many corotating interaction regions (CIRs) in the interplanetary medium, allowing the study of their three-dimensional (3D) morphology. Using an entirely empirical analysis technique, we construct a 3D model of one CIR, which is able to reproduce the general appearance and evolution of the CIR in HI2 images. The model CIR is also consistent with in situ data. Its curvature is compatible with the observed speed of the slow wind that is acting as the barrier for the fast wind piling up against it, and the width of the model CIR is consistent with the duration of the observed density pulse. Perpendicular to the equatorial plane, the model CIR has a parabolic shape that maps beautifully back to a bifurcated streamer observed at the Sun, which surrounds a coronal hole. This implies that this particular CIR is due to fast wind emanating from low latitudes that is impinging against slow wind in overlying streamers.
Contraceptive choice among teenagers: A multivariate analysis

Contraceptive choices made by sexually active teenagers are considered in this study. The idea that teenagers are rational decision-makers who weigh the perceived costs and benefits of specific contraceptive methods along with the option to not contracept guides the analysis. A regression model is estimated using observations of teenage women from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth. Results generally support the rational decision-making hypothesis. Perceptions of pregnancy risks, resulting from knowledge of reproductive biology and contraceptive options or from a previous pregnancy, appear particularly important in determining contraceptive choices.
A 0.5 G, 60 HZ MAGNETIC FIELD SUPPRESSES MELATONIN PRODUCTION IN PINEALOCYTES

The objective of this study was to develop a model for testing various hypotheses concerning possible mechanisms whereby electromagnetic fields might induce suppression of nighttime melatonin production in rodents. A published method for digesting freshly obtained pineal glands to the single cell level was modified, yielding better than 95% viability. An in vitro exposure facility developed for the Food and Drug Administration was used for 12-h overnight exposures of primary pinealocyte cultures to 0.05 mT, 60 Hz, vertical AC and 0.06 μT, DC fields. After exposure, cells were separated from the supernatant by centrifugation. Supernatant melatonin was measured by ELISA assays. Data from 10 experiments demonstrated an average 46% reduction in norepinephrine-induced production of melatonin in the pinealocytes. The results support the hypothesis that EM exposure can produce pineal gland melatonin suppression by affecting individual cells. Bioelectromagnetics 19:123–127, 1998. Published 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stalking the “Vividness Effect” in the Preventive Health Message: The Moderating Role of Argument Quality on the Effectiveness of Message Vividness

Vividness strategy used in marketing communications has generated much controversy in empirical research. This study explores the potency and the influencing factors of “vividness effect” in preventive health related messages. Through a controlled experiment, this study demonstrates that two conflicting processing tendencies can co-exist as they are prompted respectively by message valence and message vividness. It shows that in a complex negative message context, where prevention goals are heightened, substance- and affect- based processing modes can co-exist. Moreover, the quality of message arguments plays a significant moderating role in determining the impact of message vividness on people's judgments and evaluations.
Neuropeptide VF-associated satiety involves mu and kappa but not delta subtypes of opioid receptors in chicks.

Abstract Neuropeptide VF (NPVF) induces satiety through hypothalamic interactions; however, the central mechanism that mediates these effects is poorly understood. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore some possible opioid receptor associated mechanisms of NPVF-induced satiety using chicks as models. Co-injection of NPVF and a mu opioid receptor antagonist (beta-funaltrexamine, FNA) did not have an additive suppressive effect on food intake compared to NPVF and FNA when injected alone. Contrary, co-injection of NPVF and a delta opioid receptor antagonist (ICI-174,864, ICI) caused a greater reduction in food intake than when both were injected alone. Co-injection of NPVF and a kappa opioid receptor antagonist (nor-binaltorphimine, BNI) did not cause an additive suppressive effect on food intake than when the two were injected alone. A reversal of neuropeptide Y and β-endorphin induction of food intake occurred when NPVF was co-injected. These results support that NPVF-induced satiety is mediated through mu and kappa but not delta subtypes of opioid receptors, and their ligands including neuropeptide Y and β-endorphin. Thus, NPVF-associated anorexia may be mediated via modulation of the chick's innate opioid-associated orexigenic system.
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) for treatment of prostate cancer: first results and review of the literature.

Tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) for treatment of prostate cancer: first results and review of the literature
Lower Extremity Venous Anatomy

The lower extremity venous system includes the superficial, deep, and perforating veins. The antegrade flow of blood within these veins is ensured by a system of muscular venous pumps and bicuspid valves. Dysfunction of the system may result from degeneration of the vein wall, post-thrombotic valvular damage, chronic venous obstruction, or dysfunction of the muscular pumps. Although chronic venous disease often receives less attention than arterial disease, it includes an array of manifestations resulting from a complex interaction of anatomy and hemodynamic failure. A thorough understanding of the highly variable venous anatomy is essential to understanding the underlying pathophysiology as well as in directing treatment.