cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of occupational stress and related factors on insomnia occurrence of workers in chip manufacturing industry

Objective: To investigate the prevenlence of insomnia on workers and related influcecing factors in chip manufacturing industry. Methods: By using cluster sampling method, 2 251 workers in chip manufacturing industry were selected as study subjects. The simple Job Demand-Control model Questionnnaire (JDC) , Effort-Reword Imbalance (ERI) Questionnnaire and Insomnia Symptoms Scale were used to evaluate JDC occupational stress, ERI occupational stress and insomnia symptoms respectively. Results: 22.6% (509/2251) workers were found high level of insomnia. The risk factors of insomnia symptoms were high score of effort and overcommitment (P< 0.05) . The risk of insomnia symptoms in high effort was 1.689 times that of low score (95%CI: 1.334-2.138) . The risk of insomnia symptoms in high overcommitment was 1.835 times that of low score (95%CI: 1.461-2.305) . The protective factors for insomnia symptoms were women, monthly income of more than 3000 yuan, college dregree or above, high work control and high reward (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The high scores of effort and overcommitment are the risk factors for insomnia symptoms of employees in manufacture electronic devices. Enterprises should take comprehensive measures to pay attention to the occurrence of insomnia symptoms among employees with high score of effort and overcommitment.
The African Epistemic Logic of Peacemaking: A Model for Reconciling the Sub-Saharan African Christians and Muslims:

It is becoming evident that failure to reconcile African Christians and Muslims is partly due to the misinterpretation of the African epistemology of peace. This work argues that Christian-Muslim p...
Radiomics-based assessment of ultra-widefield leakage patterns and vessel network architecture in the PERMEATE study: insights into treatment durability.

Aim To evaluate the potential of radiomics-based ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFA)-derived imaging biomarkers in retinal vascular disease for predicting therapeutic durability of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI). Methods The Peripheral and Macular Retinal Vascular Perfusion and Leakage Dynamics in Diabetic Macular Edema and Retinal Venous Occlusions During Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection (IAI) Treatment for Retinal Edema (PERMEATE) study prospectively evaluated quantitative UWFA dynamics in diabetic macular oedema or macular oedema secondary to retinal vascular occlusion. 27 treatment-naive eyes were treated with 2 mg IAI q4 weeks for the first 6 months, and then administered q8 weeks. Morphological and graph-based attributes were used to model the spatial distribution of leakage areas, while tortuosity measures were used to model the vessel network disorder. Eyes were grouped based on functional tolerance of the first 8-week treatment interval challenge. ‘Non-rebounders’ (N=15) maintained/improved best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) following the 8-week challenge. ‘Rebounders’ (N=12) exhibited worsened BVCA. The image biomarkers were used with a machine learning classifier to preliminarily evaluate their ability to predict BCVA stability. Results Two new UWFA image-derived biomarkers were identified and extracted. The cross-validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.77±0.14 using baseline leakage distribution features and 0.73±0.10 for the UWFA baseline tortuosity measures. Additionally, the change in vascular tortuosity between month 4 and baseline yielded an AUC of 0.73±0.08. Three baseline clinical features of letter score, macular volume and central subfield thickness yielded a corresponding AUC of 0.42±0.09. Conclusions Two computer-extracted UWFA radiomics-based descriptors were identified as potential biomarkers for predicting treatment durability and tolerance of longer treatment intervals. Conventional treatment parameters were not significantly different between these same groups.
Obesity Accelerates Cardiac Senescence in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Introduction Obesity and aging are prominent risk factors for HFpEF. Obese versus non-obese patients are typically younger, but the effects of obesity on premature cardiac senescence remain insufficiently explained. Recent data suggest that cardiac senescence might be estimated from a 12-lead ECG by artificial intelligence (AI). Hypothesis Obese versus non-obese patients with HFpEF have true premature adverse cardiac remodeling, associated with diastolic dysfunction and a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), which is reflected by faster ECG aging. Methods This retrospective cohort study of 408 patients with HFpEF, hospitalized for decompensation and treatment with intravenous loop diuretics, assessed ECG age upon admission with a previously validated AI algorithm. Differences in the relationship between chronological versus ECG age and underlying cardiac remodeling and function on echocardiography, as well AF risk, were evaluated and compared between obese versus non-obese patients. Age- and gender normalized echocardiography parameters were calculated according to regression equations determined from the PAVD study in Olmsted County (MN, US) Results Obese (n = 255) versus non-obese (n = 153) HFpEF patients were on average 9 years younger. ECG minus chronological age as surrogate for premature cardiac senescence was higher in the obese (P-value Conclusions Obesity is associated with older ECG compared to chronological age in HFpEF, which probably reflects premature cardiac senescence given its association with structural remodeling, more pronounced diastolic dysfunction, and a higher AF risk.
Divorce: Gateway to Reduced Child Wellbeing

Divorce is a gateway event that is implicated in most life trajectories that lead to departures from the “nuclear family”, a category defined by the CDC as a married father and mother with their own biological or adoptive children. This review summarizes the research literature documenting consistently lower well-being for children in non-nuclear family situations, including single parents, remarried step-families, cohabiting parents and same-sex partnerships. Children in post-divorce arrangements exhibit poorer health and well-being on almost every indicator examined. Research has focused on three main negative outcomes: poverty, higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems, and reduced educational attainment.
Understanding Provider Cognition in Opioid Dosing and Prescribing for Hospitalized Children through Think Aloud Talk Aloud Scenarios

BACKGROUND: As key stakeholders in addressing the opioid epidemic, pediatric providers should consider evaluating their individual and collective prescribing processes and practices. Think Aloud theory has been utilized in research and clinical education contexts to understand provider thought processes and metacognition. OBJECTIVE: This study utilized aThink Aloud approach to describe thought processes that influence provider’s inpatient opioid prescribing, with specific attention to cognitive steps involved in dosing. The study objective was to develop insight into provider …
Arthroscopic capsular release to treat idiopathic frozen shoulder: How much release is needed?

Abstract Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide consensus regarding the degree of optimal extended arthroscopic capsular release in addition to a standard rotator interval release in the treatment of idiopathic frozen shoulder. Materials and methods The systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All articles that reported the outcomes of capsular release in idiopathic frozen shoulder were included. A total of 18 articles with 629 patients and 811 shoulders were included. Clinical outcomes analysed include differences between pre and postoperative ranges of motion (ROM), Visual Analog Score (VAS) reduction, Simple Shoulder Test (SST) scores and Constant scores. Patients were grouped by technique: anterior-inferior capsular release (Group 1), anterior-inferior-posterior capsular release (Group 2), and 360-degree capsular release (Group 3) at follow up points 3,6 and 12 months. Results Comparing ROM, Group 1 had greater early abduction (p Comparing VAS scores, the less extensive releases saw the greatest significant postoperative reduction. Group 2 had greater mean improvements in postoperative Constant scores than Group 1 (p Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that less extensive releases may result in better functional and pain scores. Addition of a posterior release offers increased early internal rotation, which was not sustained over time, but provides early and sustained flexion improvements. A complete 360 release may not provide any further benefit. There were no significant differences in the complication rates amongst the 3 techniques. Level of study II; Meta-analysis and systematic review.
Challenges and effective routes for formulating and delivery of epidermal growth factors in skin care

Epidermal growth factors are important morphogenetic proteins that instruct cell behaviour. They have many inferred applications within regenerative medicine and have shown promising results in skincare treatments. Many growth factors are known to have skin anti-ageing benefits along with further potential in resolving scarring, acne and other skin disorders. Incorporation of these biologics into skincare formulations has been greatly hindered by low transdermal delivery efficacy, intricate material interactions and protein instability - especially within common cosmetic emulsions. This review explores the cosmeceutical capability of growth factors in skin care, current understandings of constituent interactions and advantageous delivery approaches for more effective topical delivery. The first section highlights the influences growth factor product formulation has on stability and synergy. Current understandings of growth factor formulating techniques in cosmetic products is limited, and the performance of other protein structures is an adequate point of reference. The second section examines emerging drug delivery systems to overcome the challenges of topical growth factor treatment. It is important to consider the coaction and durability of all components in a formulation simultaneously: active ingredients, product format and delivery vehicle, in order to engineer an optimal cosmeceutical product.
The use of metformin as an add-on therapy to insulin in the treatment of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus in adolescents

The aim of this integrative literature review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Metformin as an add-on therapy to insulin in poorly controlled overweight adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The research problem centered on providing optimum disease management during the most critical growth period and reducing the potential for cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality in the future. The findings suggested that Metformin, in conjunction with insulin therapy, helped patients to achieve better metabolic control. The quality of metabolic control varied between studies according to differences in study design, exclusion and inclusion criteria, and methods. Adjunctive Metformin therapy has a positive effect on diabetes management, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular-related complications with a minimal risk of side effects. Suggestions for further exploration of the research results and clinical implications are included in the review.
Anxiety among fathers during the prenatal and postpartum period: a meta-analysis.

The purpose of this review was to determine the prevalence of anxiety among fathers during the perinatal (pre- and post-natal) period.A systematic search was conducted to identify studies published...
Sources of Inertia in Health Plan Choice in the Individual Health Insurance Market

Publicly subsidized private health insurance markets in the United States were created under the assumption that competition would maximize consumer welfare. However, consumers in these markets are willing to pay thousands of dollars to stay in the same health plan, even after accounting for premiums and coverage generosity. While this inertial behavior can undermine welfare gains from competition, it is unclear whether policymakers should attempt to reduce it. One reason not to reduce inertia is that it may result from consumers’ desire to maintain continuity of care with their health care providers, which has strong positive effects on health. On the other hand, inertia may result from inattention and hassle costs. Using administrative data from California’s Health Insurance Marketplace, we present descriptive evidence of inertial plan choice and inattention. We then separately identify three sources of inertia—tastes for provider continuity, inattention, and hassle costs—using two-stage models of inattention and plan choice. We find that nearly all inertial plan choice results from inattention and hassle costs, the former more so than the latter. As a result of these two sources of inertia, consumers lost over a billion dollars in forgone surplus in 2018, or $1,440 to $1,584 per household per year—roughly half the annual premium paid by the median household in California’s Marketplace. We conclude that inertia is amenable to policy remediation, and that interventions to reduce hassle costs and especially inattention can improve consumer welfare and efficiency in private health insurance markets.
Electoral Balancing, Divided Government, and Midterm Loss in German State Elections

This paper takes a fresh look at the midterm loss in German elections and argues that government type is a crucial determinant of midterm loss. Using panel regressions on a newly compiled data set covering all state elections during the period 1949-2004, we find that systematic midterm losses occur only when both chambers of the federal legislature (Bundestag and Bundesrat) are controlled by one party or a party coalition. Prior research has failed to discover this important regularity. These findings lend strong support to electoral balancing models while calling into doubt more traditional explanations of midterm loss.
Juxtaposing Constitution-Making and Constitutional-Infringement Mechanisms in Israel and Canada: On the Interplay between Common Law Override and Sunset Override†

This article explores the often neglected relationships between constitution-making (including amendment) mechanisms and constitutional-infringement mechanisms by focusing on the override as one of the possible tools to depart from a Constitution. The article suggests that there are two types of override: a ‘common law override’, which is not uniquely Canadian, and a ‘sunset override’. The common law override evolves in the judicial decisions of a given country when the courts require the legislature to explicitly take responsibility for an action. Under the common law override, we may couple together phenomena that are not typically connected, including a means of protecting common law rights, a judicial presumption against delegation of power to administrative agencies, and mechanisms of dealing with procedural or substantive legislative entrenchment. In contrast, the sunset override is a Canadian invention. For the tool to be part of the infringement mechanisms of a country's Constitution, it must be provided for explicitly in that Constitution, and its exercise must be temporary.This article follows the various possible uses of the common law override. It shows that Israel has vast experience with the common law override which may shed light on Israel's future possible exploitation of the sunset override. The article then shows that Israel has adopted the sunset override following the Canadian example. When the Rabin government adopted the tool as part of an exchange deal with the ultra-orthodox religious political party Shas, the terms of the deal included Shas' acquiescence to the peace process in exchange for the Rabin government's use of the override to protect the religious status quo from judicial intervention. In addition, the Israeli justices played an active and unique role in the birth and formulation of the Israeli override. As has happened with the Canadian override, supposedly these circumstances should have made the override illegitimate in Israel. However, this article argues that it is not the political uses of the override that result in its lack of use. Rather, the determining factor is the override's compatibility with the constitution-making process in a given country. From a normative perspective, it is easier for the Israeli legislature to override its own earlier enactments, even those titled Basic Laws, than it is for the Canadian legislature to override the People's enactment of the Charter. Thus, it is expected that Israel might more freely deploy the sunset override were it to become a general mechanism embodied in the Basic Laws, while, in contrast, the sunset override has fallen into disuse in Canada.
Influence of Polymorphs and Local Defect Structures on NMR Parameters of Graphite Fluorides

The role of local molecular structure on calculated 13C and 19F NMR chemical shifts for graphite fluoride materials was explored by using gauge-including projector augmented wave (GIPAW) computatio...
A species-specific fish passage model based on hydraulic conditions and water temperature

Abstract Stream corridors contain many features that act as barriers to fish during migration. We built a model to determine the likelihood that each of 776 dams, culverts and waterfalls in New Jersey act as barriers to each of thirteen fish species during migration. We assessed each fish species at each potential barrier to determine if the fish could jump high enough to clear the barrier, swim fast enough to overcome the velocity of water to reach the barrier, dive deep enough in the plunge pool to reach maximum jump height, and persist with migration given predicted water temperatures. If all four were possible, the potential barrier was deemed passable. Blockages were mostly the result of predicted weak jumping abilities and water temperatures outside the acceptable range during migration. The model successfully predicted presence and absence above potential barriers for all species except the ubiquitous white sucker (C. commersonii). All locations with possible barriers were predicted to block at least two migratory fish species; 89% were predicted to block all species. Alewife (A. pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis) were predicted to be blocked the most. Results allow prediction of which potential barriers block passage for each species, the length of waterways blocked by each barrier, and the reasons each barrier is predicted to block each species. We present our fish passage model as a tool for identifying possible barriers which if restored or removed, given appropriate field assessment, might reconnect migratory fish species with additional spawning habitat.
Bistable Latch Ising Machines.

Ising machines have been attracting attention due to their ability to use mixed discrete/continuous mechanisms to solve difficult combinatorial optimization problems. We present BLIM, a novel Ising machine scheme that uses latches (bistable elements) with controllable gains as Ising spins. We show that networks of coupled latches have a Lyapunov or “energy” function that matches the Ising Hamiltonian in discrete operation, enabling them to function as Ising machines. This result is established in a general coupled-element Ising machine framework that is not limited to BLIM. Operating the latches periodically in analog/continuous mode, during which bistability is removed, helps the system traverse to better minima. CMOS realizations of BLIM have desirable practical features; implementation in other physical domains is an intriguing possibility.
A Nationwide Medical Student Assessment of Oncology Education

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA, but there is minimal data on how oncology is taught to medical students. The purpose of this study is to characterize oncology education at US medical schools. An electronic survey was sent between December 2014 and February 2015 to a convenience sample of medical students who either attended the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting or serve as delegates to the American Association of Medical Colleges. Information on various aspects of oncology instruction at participants’ medical schools was collected. Seventy-six responses from students in 28 states were received. Among the six most common causes of death in the USA, cancer reportedly received the fourth most curricular time. During the first, second, and third years of medical school, participants most commonly reported 6–10, 16–20, and 6–10 h of oncology teaching, respectively. Participants were less confident in their understanding of cancer treatment than workup/diagnosis or basic science/natural history of cancer (p < 0.01). During the preclinical years, pathologists, scientists/Ph.D.’s, and medical oncologists reportedly performed the majority of teaching, whereas during the clinical clerkships, medical and surgical oncologists reportedly performed the majority of teaching. Radiation oncologists were significantly less involved during both periods (p < 0.01). Most schools did not require any oncology-oriented clerkship. During each mandatory rotation, <20 % of patients had a primary diagnosis of cancer. Oncology education is often underemphasized and fragmented with wide variability in content and structure between medical schools, suggesting a need for reform.
The Status of our Ordinary Three Dimensions in a Quantum Universe 1

There are now several, realist versions of quantum mechanics on offer. On their most straightforward, ontological interpretation, these theories require the existence of an object, the wavefunction, which inhabits an extremely high-dimensional space known as configuration space. This raises the question of how the ordinary three-dimensional space of our acquaintance fits into the ontology of quantum mechanics. Recently, two strategies to address this question have emerged. First, Tim Maudlin, Valia Allori, and her collaborators argue that what I have just called the ‘most straightforward’ interpretation of quantum mechanics is not the correct one. Rather, the correct interpretation of realist quantum mechanics has it describing the world as containing objects that inhabit the ordinary three-dimensional space of our manifest image. By contrast, David Albert and Barry Loewer maintain the straightforward, wavefunction ontology of quantum mechanics, but attempt to show how ordinary, three-dimensional space may in a sense be contained within the high-dimensional configuration space the wavefunction inhabits. This paper critically examines these attempts to locate the ordinary, three-dimensional space of our manifest image “within” the ontology of quantum mechanics. I argue that we can recover most of our manifest image, even if we cannot recover our familiar three-dimensional space.
Monte Carlo and mean field slow cooling simulations for spin glasses: relation to NP-completeness

We discuss the dependence of the ground state energy as the Monte Carlo (MC) cooling rate in a variety of spin glass and other optimization problems. Our work is motivated by recent interest in the concept of simulated annealing and the need to find efficient numerical optimization schemes. We find that the ground state energy for six spin-glass models and the optimal tour length for the N-city traveling salesman problem are a sensitive function of the cooling rate. For the one dimensional nearest neighbor Gaussian and two two dimensional spin-glass models, the nearest neighbor ± J and Gaussian models, we find E(r) = E0 + C1 rx, while for the three dimensional t J model, a two layer t J model, the infinite range model and the N-city traveling salesman problem, the dependence on r is slower, E(r) = Eo - C2 (Inr)-1.Here C1 and C2 are constants.We believe that this difference is related to the fact that finding the ground state energy for the latter four problems is an intractable problem, i.e., it is Np-complete. We assert that a logarithmic cooling rate dependence for finding the ground state is a necessary consequence of Np-completeness. Non Np-complete problems may depend on the cooling rate either as a power-law or logarithmically. However, we have found no example for the latter.
Fresh meat water-holding capacity

Water-holding capacity and its corollary, drip-loss, are important to the meat industry as they affect both palatability traits and economic traits. Even though water-holding capacity/drip-loss of fresh meat (particularly pork) has been studied for years, there is still much that is not understood. Prevention of water loss and management of moisture retention are challenging subjects, both for processors and for researchers. The mechanism underlying the retention of water in fresh meat is rooted in the structure of the muscle cell and in the state of key proteins associated with the myofibril. This chapter explores some of the major causes of drip-loss in fresh meat and relates some of the current hypotheses regarding its development.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF SMOKING TO THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY.

Abstract 1. 1. Four thousand four hundred and forty postpartum women representing 16,158 pregnancies were interviewed regarding smoking habits and previous pregnancies. 2. 2. A significant decrease in birth weights of infants born to mothers who smoke was found. This increased directly with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the socioeconomic status. 3. 3. A twofold increase in prematurity occurred in smokers again directly proportioned to the cigarettes smoked per day. 4. 4. A slight increaes in abortion rate was found among smokers, but generally not significantly elevated. 5. 5. No significant increase in stillbirths, major fetal anomalies, or maternal complications occurred between smokers and non-smokers, although there was a suggestion of an increase in the incidence of premature rupture of membranes in smokers. 6. 6. Smoking does not interfere with breast feeding to any significant degree.
The Influence of Dietary Selenium Levels on Blood Levels of Selenium and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in the Horse

Twenty mature geldings, averaging 535 kg, were used to determine the influence of dietary selenium (Se) on the blood levels of Se and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGSH-Px) activity in the horse. Horses were randomly assigned within breed to four treatments consisting of five horses each and fed a basal diet containing .06 ppm of naturally occurring Se. Diets were supplemented with .05, .10 and .20 ppm Se, as sodium selenite. Blood was drawn for 2 wk before, and for 12 wk following, the inclusion of supplement Se in the diets. Whole blood and plasma Se concentrations and plasma SeGSH-Px activities were determined from all blood samples. Selenium concentrations in plasma and whole blood increased linearly from wk 1 to wk 5 and 6, respectively, in Se-supplemented horses. After these times, no significant changes in Se concentration were observed in Se-supplemented or in unsupplemented horses throughout the remainder of the 12-wk trial. Plasma Se reached plateaus of .10 to .11, .12 to .14, and .13 to .14 micrograms/ml in horses supplemented with .05, .10 and .20 ppm Se, respectively. Whole blood Se reached plateaus of .16 to .18, .19 to .21, and .17 to .18 micrograms/ml in horses supplemented with .05, .10 and .20 ppm Se, respectively. Plasma SeGSH-Px activity was not significantly affected by dietary treatment. Therefore, this enzyme was not a good indicator of dietary Se in these mature horses.
Complement Component C3 Is Required for Protective Innate and Adaptive Immunity to Larval Strongyloides stercoralis in Mice

This study examines the role of complement components C3 and C5 in innate and adaptive protective immunity to larval Strongyloides stercoralis in mice. Larval survival in naive C3(-/-) mice was increased as compared with survival in wild-type mice, whereas C3aR(-/-) and wild-type mice had equivalent levels of larval killing. Larval killing in naive mice was shown to be a coordinated effort between effector cells and C3. There was no difference between survival in wild-type and naive C5(-/-) mice, indicating that C5 was not required during the innate immune response. Naive B cell-deficient and wild-type mice killed larvae at comparable levels, suggesting that activation of the classical complement pathway was not required for innate immunity. Adaptive immunity was equivalent in wild-type and C5(-/-) mice; thus, C5 was also not required during the adaptive immune response. Larval killing was completely ablated in immunized C3(-/-) mice, even though the protective parasite-specific IgM response developed and effector cells were recruited. Protective immunity was restored to immunized C3(-/-) mice by transferring untreated naive serum, but not C3-depleted heat-inactivated serum to the location of the parasites. Finally, immunized C3aR(-/-) mice killed larvae during the adaptive immune response as efficiently as wild-type mice. Therefore, C3 was not required for the development of adaptive immunity, but was required for the larval killing process during both protective innate and adaptive immune responses in mice against larval S. stercoralis.
Growth and hormonal response of heifers to various photoperiods.

Body growth and dry matter intake were measured in three groups of 16 Holstein heifers exposed to (1) natural, (2) 16 hr light: 8 hr dark (16L:8D) or (3) 24L:0D photoperiods for November 11 to March 10. Average daily gain (ADG) of heifers subjected to 16L:8D was 11 (P less than .05) and 17% (P less than .02) greater than ADG of animals receiving 24L:0D or natural photoperiod, respectively. Heifers subjected to 16L:8D consumed 6.9 and 8.3% more (P less than .01) dry matter per day than did animals exposed to 24L:0D or natural photoperiod, respectively. Yet feed to gain ratio of heifers exposed to 16L:8D was lower than that of heifers exposed to 24L:0D or natural photoperiod. Serum prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) were measured in six heifers in each treatment group at 30-min intervals, and serum total glucocorticoids were measured at 2-hr intervals over a 6-hr period on December 26, February 6 and March 7. Concentrations of serum PRl remained low (less than 3 ng/ml) regardless of photoperiod treatment; this would be expected, however, because mean ambient temperatures were below 0 C on all sampling days. Serum GH and total glucocorticoids were likewise unaffected by photoperiod treatment. This study demonstrates that an 8-hr period of darkness is necessary to achieve increases in weight gain when Holstein heifers are supplemented with light during the autumn-winter season in Michigan, but the mechanisms whereby photoperiod affects body growth remain unknown.
Racial Disparities in Sentencing: Can Sentencing Reforms Reduce Discrimination in Punishment?

Of the many functions of punishment in a democratic society, consider two extremes: punishment as a means of controlling crime, and punishment as a means of just deserts. The former is concerned with altering the behavior of individual criminals so as to achieve the desired social end of lower levels of criminal activity. As such, punishment as a means of controlling crime serves as what might be regarded in economic terminology as the "efficiency" goal of punishment. The latter is concerned with achieving a fair or equitable match between illegal acts and penalties, and thus can be termed an "equity" or "fairness" goal of punishment.Racial disparities in punishment are a by-product of the operation of a criminal justice system that labors under these conflicting objectives in sentencing and imprisonment. On one hand, there is an attempt to equate the punishment to the crime, a process that will result in racially disparate punishments if, for historical reasons, the crimes that are perpetuated by some groups are considered more heinous than those perpetuated by other groups. Or stated differently, if blacks happen to commit in disproportionate numbers those crimes that are more likely to be punished by imprisonment, they will be found in disproportionate numbers among those imprisoned. Thus, for example, black street-criminals who rob the local convenience store may receive prison sentences while white professionals who embezzle from their corporations receive sentences of probation, if legislatures perceive the former crime as a greater threat to society than the latter. Because racial disparities are inherent in the historical development of sanctions, sentencing guidelines and other reforms which evaluate only the characteristics of the crime in the determination of the punishment to accompany the crime will not necessarily eliminate ex post racial disparities. The objective, nonetheless, is to achieve an element of fairness or equity in punishment whereby people who commit identical crimes should receive identical punishments.
Allies in the Break Room: The Effect of Accounting Alumni on Auditor Choice and the Hiring Agenda

Using job history data on accounting employees working at S&P 1500 firms, we study whether firms display a preference for auditors from whom they have more alumni, as well as if auditor selection affects a firm’s subsequent hiring agenda. We find that a one standard deviation increase in an auditor’s alumni rate within a firm increases the likelihood of that auditor being chosen by 5.1 percentage points. This is economically significant given that no single Big 4 firm accounts for more than 31.6% or less than 20.9% of the audits within our sample. Our switch analyses are consistent with these results, suggesting that firms favor auditors from whom they have more alumni when selecting a new external auditor. We also find that firms alter their hiring agenda in favor of the incoming auditor after a switch and that the changes to hiring preferences persist as auditor tenure grows. Robustness tests indicate that these findings are not a result of reverse causality.
Lymphocytes and Leukemia Viruses: Tropism and Transtropism of Murine Leukemia Virus

The tropism of naturally occurring murine leukemia virus (MuLV) was investigated in short-term lymphocyte cultures. The tropism of MuLV was readily defined in fibroblast cultures, but not in lymphocyte cultures. Lymphocytes free of infectious MuLV could be infected across the tropism barrier by partially purified MuLv or by in vitro contact with MuLV-producing lymphocytes. Stimulation of lymphocytes was not required for this cross-infection and replication of MuLV. When cross-infected lymphocytes and was specifically associated with lymphocytes were stimulated in vitro by allogeneic cells, they facilitated MuLV infection of ordinarily non-permissive fibroblasts. This phenomenon (transtropism) required antigenically stimulated lymphocytes and was specifically associated with infection of the lymphocyte by MuLV across the tropism barrier. Thus in contrast with the resting lymphocyte, the transformed lymphocyte acquired the ability to disseminate infectious MuLV to nonpermissive cells. These findings suggest a novel relationship between lymphocytes and leukemia viruses. They indicate one mechanism whereby antigenic stimulation may enhance the development of virus-induced lymphoid neoplasms.
Moving Beyond Global Warming Potentials to Quantify the Climatic Role of Ecosystems

For decades, ecosystem scientists have used global warming potentials (GWPs) to compare the radiative forcing of various greenhouse gases to determine if ecosystems have a net warming or cooling effect on climate. On a conceptual basis, the continued use of GWPs by the ecological community may be untenable because the use of GWPs requires the implicit assumption that greenhouse gas emissions occur as a single pulse; this assumption is rarely justified in ecosystem studies. We present two alternate metrics—the sustained-flux global warming potential (SGWP, for gas emissions) and the sustained-flux global cooling potential (SGCP, for gas uptake)—for use when gas fluxes persist over time. The SGWP is generally larger than the GWP (by up to ~40%) for both methane and nitrous oxide emissions, creating situations where the GWP and SGWP metrics could provide opposing interpretations about the climatic role of an ecosystem. Further, there is an asymmetry in methane and nitrous oxide dynamics between persistent emission and uptake situations, producing very different values for the SGWP vs. SGCP and leading to the conclusion that ecosystems that take up these gases are very effective at reducing radiative forcing. Although the new metrics are more realistic than the GWP for ecosystem fluxes, we further argue that even these metrics may be insufficient in the context of trying to understand the lifetime climatic role of an ecosystem. A dynamic modeling approach that has the flexibility to account for temporally variable rates of greenhouse gas exchange, and is not limited by a fixed time frame, may be more informative than the SGWP, SGCP, or GWP. Ultimately, we hope this article will stimulate discussion within the ecosystem science community about the most appropriate way(s) of assessing the role of ecosystems as regulators of global climate.
Astrophysics: the inconstant constant?

Has the value of the fine-structure constant changed over the history of the Universe? An earlier analysis of radiation from distant quasars suggested the answer is yes — a new analysis says no.
Ultrastructural changes in the crayfish sinus gland following electrical stimulation.

Abstract Ultrastructural examination of the sinus glands of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii , following in vivo and in vitro electrical stimulation revelas significantly fewer granules within the neurosecretory axon terminals than in similarly treated but unstimulated controls. Granule depletion appears to be nonspecific with respect to the different terminal types. Most effective depletion of granules is achieved with stimuli of 0.5–2.0/second, while higher frequencies are progressively less effective. Further evidence concerning the mechanism of granule release is also presented.
Distinct post-receptor alterations generate gene- and signal-selective adaptation and cross-adaptation of TLR4 and TLR2 in human leukocytes.

Gene- and signal-specific adaptation/tolerance of blood leukocytes to lipopolysaccharide endotoxin (LPS) occurs during human and animal septicemia. These phenotypes can be modeled in vitro. LPS-TLR4-adapted human THP-1 promonocytic cells cross-adapt to lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-TLR2-induced IL-1β/TNF-α production, suggesting disruption of a common intracellular signaling event(s). A plausible explanation for homologous adaptation of TLR4 with heterologous adaptation of TLR2 is a persistent inactivation and degradation of IRAK1 following TLR4 activation. LTA stimulation of TLR2 also produces homologous adaptation of TLR2 with inactivation of IRAK1, but there is no detectable degradation of IRAK1. Strikingly, such LTA-adapted cells still respond to LPS stimulation of TLR4 with rapid activation and degradation of IRAK1, and robust IL-1β/TNFα production. Moreover, cells adapted to either LTA- or LPS-production of IL-1β/TNF-α normally produce soluble interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1Ra) anti-inflammatory ...
Performance of selected coatings applied to polystyrene block walls under simulated mine fire conditions

A test program was undertaken by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to determine the feasibility of coating polystyrene block walls for fire protection. Selected coatings, used in the mining industry, were tested under semilarge scale, simulated mine fire conditions to determine the appropriate thicknesses of these coatings for protection of the polystyrene foam block against fire for specified time periods. Building plasters containing gypsum and perlite and an expanded vermiculite, portland cement, and limestone coating were particularly effective in protecting the foam blocks against the heat of the simulated mine fire.
The Skills of Poverty Survival: One Woman's Life and Stories:

Previous research has determined that American women living in poverty depend upon resources such as kinship networks, employment, and agency assistance in order to get by. However, researchers hav...
Parametric sensitivity and runaway in chemical reactors

In certain regions of operating conditions, chemical reactors may exhibit parametric sensitivity; i.e., small changes in one or more of the reactor input parameters lead to much larger changes in the output variables. Since such behaviour leads to deleterious performance, it is of practical interest to identify regions of parametric sensitivity in the reactor parameter space. Until recently, this could be done only to describe thermal runaway, and only for those systems where a temperature profile could be defined. Both of these limitations can be removed by consideringthe generalized criterion for parametric sensitivity, whereby sensitivity ofany output of the model toany input can be treated. Applications of the generalized criterion are discussed, with specific examples including pseudohomogeneous and heterogeneous model tubular reactors, a nonisothermal CSTR, and a polymerization reactor.
Colonization and infection associated with Malassezia and Candida species in a neonatal unit

The objectives of this study were to determine, in neonates of < 1250 g birthweight (N = 57), the initial time of skin colonization by Malassezia furfur, rate of colonization by Candida spp., and whether skin colonization by these yeasts was predictive of central line colonization or fungaemia. By age two weeks, 51% of neonates were culture-positive for M. furfur on umbilical or groin skin. During hospitalization, positive skin cultures for M. furfur or Candida spp. were obtained in 70% and 37% of neonates, respectively. Risk factors associated with positive skin cultures were mechanical ventilation and three or more episodes of suspected sepsis. Eight of the 52 infants with central venous catheters, had positive blood cultures withdrawn from the lines; five (62%) of these had positive skin surveillance cultures. Although positive skin cultures for M. furfur, Candida spp., or both were commonly observed in this population, they were not predictive of positive central line cultures or systemic illness.
Descent of the Base of the Left Ventricle: An Echocardiographic Index of Left Ventricular function

Mitral annular apical systolic excursion or descent of the base (DB) of the left ventricle has been qualitatively observed by two-dimensional echocardiography studies to decrease as left ventricular systolic function deteriorates. On the basis of this observation a quantitative assessment of DB was examined as a means to estimate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Two-dimensional echocardiographic apical images were obtained in 100 subjects, 26 normal individuals and 74 clinical patients. Major diagnoses in the clinical patients were dilated cardiomyopathy in 24, coronary artery disease in 13, valvular disease in 16, left ventricular hypertrophy in 8, and no evident heart disease in 12. Wall motion was visually assessed; 22 subjects had a segmental wall motion abnormality, and 21 had a diffuse wall motion abnormality. All patients had a complete Doppler examination, and 31 had mitral and/or aortic regurgitation judged to be 2+ (moderate) or greater in severity. To quantitate DB the difference of the distance from the apex of the sector fan to the middle-mitral annular plane between end-diastole and end-systole in both two- and four-chamber views was calculated. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume and LVEF were calculated with a modified Simpson's rule algorithm applied to planimetered apical two- and four-chamber images. The mean DB of the normal subjects was 12 +/- 2 mm with both two- and four-chamber images. All normal subjects had a DB of 8 mm or greater. LVEF in percentage was linearly related to DB (millimeters) as follows. Two-chamber view, LVEF = 3.8 DB + 21; r = 0.78; standard error of the estimate = 14% Four-chamber view, LVEF = 4.1 DB + 17; r = 0.84; standard error of the estimate = 12% A four-chamber DB of less than 8 mm was associated with a depressed LVEF (less than 50%) with 82% specificity and 98% sensitivity. DB for a given LVEF was slightly increased in patients with 2+ or greater mitral and/or aortic regurgitation (p less than 0.001). Similarly, DB for a given LVEF in patients with a diffuse wall motion abnormality was slightly increased compared with those patients with a segmental wall motion abnormality (p less than 0.001). Comparison of left ventricular end-diastolic volume to DB showed a poor linear correlation. In conclusion, DB quantitation provides a useful, noninvasive method to estimate LVEF.
Phase field simulation of grain growth in porous uranium dioxide

A novel phase field model has been developed to investigate grain growth in porous polycrystalline UO2. Based on a system of Cahn–Hilliard and Allen–Cahn equations, the model takes into consideration both the curvature driven grain boundary motion and pore migration by surface diffusion. As such, the model accounts for the interaction between pore and grain boundary kinetics, which tends to retard the growth process. The phase field model parameters are found in terms of measurable material properties. Hence, quantitative results that can be compared with experiments were obtained. The model has been used to investigate the effect of porosity on the kinetics of grain growth in UO2. It is found that, as the amount of porosity increases, grain growth in UO2 gradually changes from boundary controlled growth to pore controlled growth. For high porosity levels, the grain growth completely stops after a short evolution time. It is also found that the inhomogeneous distribution of pores leads to abnormal grain growth even without taking into account the anisotropy in grain boundary energy and mobility. The effects of porosity, temperature and initial microstructure on grain growth were thoroughly investigated. The model predictions are in good agreement with published experimental results of grain growth in UO2.