cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing the Resilience of Asian Supply Chains to Natural Disasters: The Role of the Financial Sector

The financial sector is a part of the vital infrastructure of the economy. It can play an important role in mitigating the economic dislocation caused by natural disasters. Resilient financial institutions can ease anxiety and maintain confidence following a disaster. Robust insurance markets provide funds for reconstruction and are an efficient way to prepare for catastrophes. Deep and efficient bond markets allow governments to finance expenditures for emergency relief at lower cost. This paper considers steps that member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can take to develop the financial sector in these ways and thus be better prepared for the earthquakes, typhoons, tidal waves, and other catastrophes that buffet the region.
Hormonal Diabetes Secondary to Extrapancreatic Endocrinopathies

Several endocrine disorders exhibit varying degrees of glucose intolerance. Most of these syndromes are associated with only mild hyperglycemia, glycosuria, or a decreased tolerance that returns to normal after correction of the underlying disease. Overt diabetes with symptomatic hyperglycemia and ketosis as well as diabetic complications are uncommon, unless an underlying genetic predisposition is also present in the same patient.
Viability of phantom dark energy as a quantum field in first-order perturbation theory of FLRW spacetime

In the standard cosmological framework of the zeroth-order FLRW metric and the use of perfect fluids in the stress-energy tensor, dark energy with an equation-of-state parameter $wl\ensuremath{-}1$ (known as phantom dark energy) implies negative kinetic energy and vacuum instability when modeled as a scalar field. However, the accepted values for present-day $w$ from Planck and WMAP9 include a significant range of values less than $\ensuremath{-}1$. A flip of the sign in front of the kinetic energy term in the Lagrangian remedies the negative kinetic energy but introduces ghostlike instabilities, which perhaps may be rendered unobservable, but certainly not without great cost to the theory. Staying within the confines of observational constraints and general relativity, for which there is good experimental validation, we consider a reasonable departure from the standard zeroth-order framework in an attempt to see if negative kinetic energy can be avoided despite an apparent $wl\ensuremath{-}1$, all without flipping the sign of the kinetic energy term. We consider a more accurate description of the Universe through the perturbing of the isotropic and homogeneous FLRW metric and the components of the stress-energy tensor to first order. We treat dark energy as a quantum scalar field in the background of this first-order FLRW spacetime, find an approximation for the Green's function, and calculate the expectation value of the field's kinetic energy for $wl\ensuremath{-}1$ using adiabatic expansion to renormalize and obtain a finite value. We find that the kinetic energy is positive for values of $w$ less than $\ensuremath{-}1$ in zeroth- or first-order FLRW space, thus giving more theoretical credence to observational values of $wl\ensuremath{-}1$ and demonstrating that phantom dark energy does not categorically have negative kinetic energy. For a nonminimal coupling parameter $\ensuremath{\xi}=0$, kinetic energy is positive for $w\ensuremath{\gtrsim}\ensuremath{-}1.22$, which includes virtually all values of constant $w$ allowed by cosmological data constraints, and more negative values of $w$ give positive kinetic energy for nonzero values of $\ensuremath{\xi}$. Also, our results are generally applicable for a massive free field or a field with a small potential in a zeroth- or first-order FLRW background dominated by a fluid with a constant $w$.
The Development of Positive Literate Identities Among Emerging Bilingual and Monolingual First Graders

In this study, the researchers examined how first-grade students initially positioned as struggling readers took up literacy practices to reposition themselves as capable competent readers and part...
Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome): part I. Diagnosis: clinical and histopathologic features and new molecular and biologic markers

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS) comprise approximately 53% of cutaneous lymphomas. Both MF and SS may clinically and histologically mimic benign skin conditions, posing a diagnostic challenge to the dermatologist. Precise clinicopathologic correlation is necessary to support a diagnosis, especially in the early stages of disease. In addition to the identification of histopathologic criteria, ancillary studies, including the identification of CD4+ T cells with aberrant immunophenotypes and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements within skin lesions and peripheral blood are used to support the diagnosis. Recent studies evaluating the pathogenesis of MF have found that the skin microenvironment, including immune cells, such as dendritic cells and reactive cytotoxic and regulatory T cells, plays a crucial supporting role in MF. The skin-homing ability of malignant T cells is the result of chemokines, cytokines, adhesion molecules, and defective apoptosis, and is believed to play a role in disease pathogenesis and progression. In addition, recent studies have also suggested that MF and SS arise from distinct memory T cell subsets and advanced/erythrodermic MF and SS may be distinguished by identification of certain molecules, including Programmed-Death-1.
Stability of faults with heterogeneous friction properties and effective normal stress

Abundant geological, seismological and experimental evidence of the heterogeneous structure of natural faults motivates the theoretical and computational study of the mechanical behavior of heterogeneous frictional fault interfaces. Fault zones are composed of a mixture of materials with contrasting strength, which may affect the spatial variability of seismic coupling, the location of high-frequency radiation and the diversity of slip behavior observed in natural faults. To develop a quantitative understanding of the effect of strength heterogeneity on the mechanical behavior of faults, here we investigate a fault model with spatially variable frictional properties and pore pressure. Conceptually, this model may correspond to two rough surfaces in contact along discrete asperities, the space in between being filled by compressed gouge. The asperities have different permeability than the gouge matrix and may be hydraulically sealed, resulting in different pore pressure. We consider faults governed by rate-and-state friction, with mixtures of velocity-weakening and velocity-strengthening materials and contrasts of effective normal stress. We systematically study the diversity of slip behaviors generated by this model through multi-cycle simulations and linear stability analysis. The fault can be either stable without spontaneous slip transients, or unstable with spontaneous rupture. When the fault is unstable, slip can rupture either part or the entire fault. In some cases the fault alternates between these behaviors throughout multiple cycles. We determine how the fault behavior is controlled by the proportion of velocity-weakening and velocity-strengthening materials, their relative strength and other frictional properties. We also develop, through heuristic approximations, closed-form equations to predict the stability of slip on heterogeneous faults. Our study shows that a fault model with heterogeneous materials and pore pressure contrasts is a viable framework to reproduce the full spectrum of fault behaviors observed in natural faults: from fast earthquakes, to slow transients, to stable sliding. In particular, this model constitutes a building block for models of episodic tremor and slow slip events.
Transformative Citizenship Education and Intercultural Sensitivity in Early Adolescence

As our world continues to evolve into an increasingly diverse, interconnected, and interdependent global society, it is becoming more important for tomorrow’s citizens (today’s early adolescent students) to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they will need to understand and communicate with individuals who come from many diverse cultural backgrounds. Yet, relatively few researchers have examined the effects of specific curriculum interventions, strategies, and/or educational approaches designed to improve intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes during early adolescence. In this study, a causal-comparative quantitative research design was used to explore differences in intercultural sensitivity between a group of 4th–6th grade students at a school that embraces a transformative approach to citizenship education (School 1), and a group of students at a comparison school (School 2). An independent t–test revealed students at School 1 scored significantly higher than students at School 2 on a quantitative measure of intercultural sensitivity (AISI). These results suggest a transformative approach to citizenship education can promote the development of intercultural sensitivity during early adolescence. In light of these results, several key aspects of this particular school’s transformative citizenship curriculum are discussed in detail.
Kolsky Compression Bar for Dynamic Triaxial Experiments

Triaxial experiments are commonly performed under quasi-static loading conditions on pressure-sensitive materials. In such an experiment, a cylindrical specimen is placed inside a pressure chamber where hydrostatic pressure is applied. Further axial pressure is then applied to measure the material response in terms of principal stress difference verses pressure or axial strain. A compression Kolsky bar can be modified through integration of pressure chambers such that further axial load is applied dynamically after hydrostatic pressure on the specimen. This chapter describes the design principle of a dynamic triaxial test system consisting of a Kolsky bar and two pressure vessels, the instrumentation for pressure and specimen deformation measurement inside a pressure chamber, and an example of using such a system to characterize the dynamic compressive response of sand under various hydrostatic pressures. In addition to the pressure boundary conditions on the lateral surface of the specimen, snug-fit sleeve can be used to supply dynamic triaxial load through displacement boundary conditions during a Kolsky compression bar experiment. Examples are given to determine the mechanical responses of an EPDM rubber and an epoxy syntactic foam under such dynamic lateral confinement.
Chemical and Physical Properties That Affect the Interaction Between Plants and Contaminated Groundwater

This short summary of a true story received national media attention in January 2000 on the TV show “60min.” Although this specific incident occurred in California, the scenario could have occurred at any of the 400,000 leaky USTs across the United States in which gasoline that contained MTBE may have been stored. A leaky UST that contains gasoline enhanced with the fuel oxygenate MTBE can be accidentally released to the subsurface through corrosion in the joints of underground piping. After escape from the UST, gasoline as pure free product can migrate through the pore spaces of the unsaturated zone under the influence of gravity until it encounters the water-table surface. There, the lighter specific gravity of the gasoline will cause it to float on the water table as a separate phase. MTBE, and other gasoline compounds such as benzene, will then partition between the gasoline source itself and the air present in the unsaturated zone above the free product, the water present in the unsaturated zone as well as the water table, and the organic matter present in the soil.
Apo-Opsin Exists in Equilibrium Between a Predominant Inactive and a Rare Highly Active State.

Bleaching adaptation in rod photoreceptors is mediated by apo-opsin, which activates phototransduction with effective activity 105- to 106-fold lower than that of photoactivated rhodopsin (meta II). However, the mechanism that produces such low opsin activity is unknown. To address this question, we sought to record single opsin responses in mouse rods. We used mutant mice lacking efficient calcium feedback to boosts rod responses and generated a small fraction of opsin by photobleaching ∼1% of rhodopsin. The bleach produced a dramatic increase in the frequency of discrete photoresponse-like events. This activity persisted for hours, was quenched by 11-cis-retinal, and was blocked by uncoupling opsin from phototransduction, all indicating opsin as its source. Opsin-driven discrete activity was also observed in rods containing non-activatable rhodopsin, ruling out transactivation of rhodopsin by opsin. We conclude that bleaching adaptation is mediated by opsin that exists in equilibrium between a predominant inactive and a rare meta II-like state. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Electrophysiological analysis is used to show that the G-protein-coupled receptor opsin exists in equilibrium between a predominant inactive and a rare highly active state that mediates bleaching adaptation in photoreceptors.
Use of Visible-Near-Infrared (Vis-NIR) Spectroscopy to Detect Aflatoxin B1 on Peanut Kernels.

Current methods for detecting aflatoxin contamination of agricultural and food commodities are generally based on wet chemical analyses, which are time-consuming, destructive to test samples, and r...
Insights into the antigenic advancement of influenza A(H3N2) viruses, 2011-2018.

Influenza A(H3N2) viruses evade human immunity primarily by acquiring antigenic changes in the haemagglutinin (HA). HA receptor-binding features of contemporary A(H3N2) viruses hinder traditional antigenic characterization using haemagglutination inhibition and promote selection of HA mutants. Thus, alternative approaches are needed to reliably assess antigenic relatedness between circulating viruses and vaccines. We developed a high content imaging-based neutralization test (HINT) to reduce antigenic mischaracterization resulting from virus adaptation to cell culture. Ferret reference antisera were raised using clinical specimens containing viruses representing recent vaccine strains. Analysis of viruses circulating during 2011–2018 showed that gain of an N158-linked glycosylation in HA was a molecular determinant of antigenic distancing between A/Hong Kong/4801/2014-like (clade 3C.2a) and A/Texas/50/2012-like viruses (clade 3C.1), while multiple evolutionary HA F193S substitution were linked to antigenic distancing from A/Switzerland/97152963/2013-like (clade 3C.3a) and further antigenic distancing from A/Texas/50/2012-like viruses. Additionally, a few viruses carrying HA T135K and/or I192T showed reduced neutralization by A/Hong Kong/4801/2014-like antiserum. Notably, this technique elucidated the antigenic characteristics of clinical specimens, enabling direct characterization of viruses produced in vivo, and eliminating in vitro culture, which rapidly alters the genotype/phenotype. HINT is a valuable new antigenic analysis tool for vaccine strain selection.
Impact of Radial Margin Status After Esophagectomy for Adenocarcinoma.

The clinical impact of a positive radial margin after esophagectomy for cancer has not been clearly identified. The goal of this study was to identify risk factors for a positive radial margin and determine the impact on recurrence and survival. Retrospective review of 196 patients with pathological T3 N0-3 esophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing esophagectomy between 2002 and 2017. Mortality data was extracted from Electronic Medical Records and Social Security Death Index. Mean age was 63.7 ± 11.4 years, and there were 166 (84.7%) men. Neoadjuvant therapy was given in 141(71.9%) patients. We identified 29(14.8%) patients with a positive radial margin. Factors significantly associated with a positive radial margin include not receiving neoadjuvant therapy and presence of lymphatic, vascular, or perineural invasion. Overall, there were 94(48%) recurrences during a mean follow-up of 24.7 months. Involvement of the radial margin was not significantly associated with recurrence-free survival (HR 1.24, CI 95% 0.73–2.12, p = 0.425). Overall survival for the entire cohort was 41.6% and 28.9% at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Involvement of the radial margin did not have a significant impact on overall survival (HR 1.23, CI 95% 0.68–2.22, p = 0.493). The likelihood of encountering a positive margin is associated with lack of neoadjuvant treatment and the presence of lymphatic, vascular, or perineural invasion in the esophagectomy specimen. An involved radial margin after esophagectomy for locally advanced cancer was not associated with tumor recurrence or overall survival in our cohort, and other factors such as lymph node involvement are stronger in determining outcome.
Strain Rate Sensitivity of the Nanoindentation Creep of Ag, Cu, and Ni Thin Films

Ag, Cu, and Ni films each of 150 nm, 300 nm, 600 nm and 1000 nm thickness were deposited on Si using E-beam evaporation. The structural and surface properties were explored using FE-SEM and AFM. The crystal structure and orientation of the films were examined using x-ray diffraction. Nanocrystalline grain structure formation was observed to dominate the crystal film growth. The nanomechanical and creep properties were measured using nano-indentation. The hardness results as calculated based on tip calibration and contact stiffness for Ag differ due to excessive pile-up. Since Cu and Ni endure less pile-up, the hardness results exhibit little or no difference. For Ag films, the hardness based on tip calibration increases with the normalized depth of indentation as the film thickness decreases and remains nearly flat (no size effects). On the other hand, the hardness based on contact stiffness remains the same with the normalized depth of indentation regardless of the film thickness. For creep experiments, the strain rate sensitivity, m, of the hardness for the Ag, Cu, and Ni films is reported as 0.033 ± 0.001, 0.03 ± 0.003, and 0.04 ± 0.005 respectively. The normalized activation volume (V*/b3), when plotted versus the hardness (H), decreases with increasing hardness. V*/b3 measured at the surface of the bulk materials, i.e., shallow indents, is similar to V*/b3 measured for thin films when tested at 10–20% of the film thickness to circumvent substrate effects. V*/b3 coalesces with the literature data from conventional uniaxial testing and nano-indentation data for bulk Ag, Cu, and Ni samples. Although m is different from bulk to thin films due to the differences in grain sizes, the activation volume results for thin films extrapolate substantially to the bulk material except for Ni as the results experience a slight deviation.
Consuming the Caribbean: Tourism, Sex Tourism, and Land Development in Nicole Dennis-Benn's Here Comes the Sun

In Here Comes the Sun, Nicole Dennis-Behn explores the interplay of structural inequalities and questions who benefits from the commoditization of land and women’s bodies. The author utilizes the space of a fictional resort, a site where racial and economic tensions play out, to examine asymmetrical power relations. The novel situates sexual exploitation and environmental devastation as parallel forces and demonstrates that the stigma against homosexual intimacy functions as a site of social control. This article extends scholarship on the trope of Caribbean paradise by reading the service economies in the novel as a set of consumptive industries that are reliant on consumer fantasies. My analysis considers the novel in light of recent scholarship on the relationship between landscape and power, the function of racial-sexual economies in the Caribbean, and the construction of the Caribbean picturesque. I argue that Dennis-Behn positions Jamaican citizens as perpetrators as well as beneficiaries of extractive and exploitative practices to complicate understandings of intersecting systems of oppression.
Neoliberal energy transitions: The renewable energy boom in the Chilean mining economy:

Political-economic approaches are increasingly used in the study of low-carbon energy transitions. This article brings attention to two dimensions that have been less explored by this scholarship. ...
COMPARISON OF OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH CARDIOMYOPATHY UNDERGOING TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: ISCHEMIC VS. NON-ISCHEMIC

Patients with cardiomyopathies (CM) undergoing Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are known to have worse outcomes when compared to patients with normal ejection fraction. The impact of the presence of ischemic vs non ischemic etiology on TAVR outcomes is less defined. We identified all
Can Texas Mess With Other States’ Elections? Maybe So, under the Guarantee Clause

This essay contests the dominant narrative about the post-election lawsuit that Texas filed against four battleground States alleging election irregularities in those States. The dominant narrative characterizes Texas’s lawsuit as “outlandish,” partly on the ground that Texas lacks a legally enforceable interest in how other States conduct their elections. This essay argues that—assuming Texas’s factual allegations were plausible—Texas had a plausible claim under the Guarantee Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The claim rests primarily on the history of the Clause, which recognizes the States’ interest in each other’s having a substantially similar form of government.
Focal Neurologic Deficit After Epidural Catheter Removal Leads to Meningioma Diagnosis

We present an unusual case of a 60-year-old female who developed subtle, new-onset left upper and lower extremity weakness on day five of perioperative thoracic epidural placement. The onset of a focal neurological deficit after epidural placement usually raises suspicion for the presence of an epidural hematoma, abscess, or traumatic cord lesion. However, in this patient, brain imaging revealed a large, previously undiagnosed intracranial mass. Classically, the risk of mass-related intracranial pressure shifts leading to neurological changes is associated with spinal techniques, including diagnostic lumbar puncture, combined spinal-epidural catheter analgesia, and unintended dural puncture during epidural placement. However, based on this case and our summary of case reports in the literature, we determined that symptom onset associated with an intracranial mass may also arise after apparently uncomplicated epidural placement. Symptom onset in our case series ranged from six hours to ten days and was highly variable depending on tumor location, with reported signs and symptoms including headache, vision changes, focal deficits, or alterations of consciousness. Further studies are required to establish definitive causation between the epidural technique and changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressures leading to symptom onset. Though rare, this is a time-sensitive diagnosis that must be considered for any patient with unexplained neurological findings after neuraxial anesthesia.
Nonviolent struggle between norm and technique

Standard stories about the development of the study of nonviolent struggle characterize the maturation of the field as moving from principle to pragmatics, norm to technique. This big story about t...
How the Research Design Can Be a Structure, a Process, and a Product for Learning Political Science

When students learn research methods concepts without having to apply them to their own research the learning is quickly forgotten and not well understood. In this chapter the author shows that students can do their own original research and describes how the research design, as both a process and a product, can structure the learning process for students and break it into manageable stages. Three premises underlie this approach: A belief that students can do research, that students learn best when grappling with ideas that interest them, and starting at the student’s own level. As a result, students learn key research skills as well as developing a deeper understanding of the provisional and social nature of the way knowledge is produced.
Management of incisional hernias in liver transplant patients: Perioperative optimization and an open preperitoneal repair using porcine-derived biologic mesh

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe an optimal management strategy for incisional hernias in liver transplant patients. METHODS: Patients were identified who underwent open preperitoneal hernia repair for incisional hernia following liver transplantation. Perioperative management and surgical technique were described; wound complications and hernia recurrence were the primary outcomes assessed. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients met our criteria. All patients were on immunosuppression, and one patient (5.9%) had sirolimus stopped prior to the operation. One patient (5.9%) quit smoking, and two patients (11.8%) required optimization of their diabetes to have an A1c ≤7.2. Two patients (11.8%) received botulinum toxin A preoperatively due to significant loss of domain. The mean size of the biologic mesh was 818.8 ± 210 cm2, one patient (5.9%) received an anterior component separation and four (23.5%) received a panniculectomy. Postoperatively, three patients (17.7%) developed wound complications and one patient required reoperation for seroma. There were no 30-day readmissions and no hernia recurrences with mean follow-up time of 21.6 ± 11.6 months. CONCLUSION: The use of preperitoneal biologic mesh is an effective method for the management of incisional hernia in liver transplant patients; perioperative optimization and care are also influential in assuring positive outcomes for patients.
Supporting Parents, Siblings, and Grandparents of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders have a profound impact not only on the development of the individual with the diagnosis, but on the functioning of the family as a whole. Parents, siblings, and grandparents of individuals with autism face a range of unique challenges and experiences that can affect their psychological adjustment. Social support, available coping strategies, and family-focused treatment approaches will all impact the psychological functioning of family members, and should be addressed in treatment to maximize outcome for the individual with autism. Keywords: ASD; autism; coping; grandparents; parents; siblings
A novel keratin 5 mutation in a familial cluster

We report a case of epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) associated with a family cluster of EBS and a novel KRT5 mutation. The case is presented in the context of recent advances in the study of the disease.
Management of the Hip Fracture Patient

Hip fracture is a frequent and disabling injury among older adults, defining a distinctly vulnerable subset of the orthopedic trauma population. Hip fractures are associated with profound consequences, including an associated mortality of approximately 20 % at 1 year, and high rates of morbidity and loss of function among survivors. Occurring approximately 340,000 times annually in the United States, the number of hip fractures is expected to rise to 500,000 per year by the year 2040 due to the aging of the American population. As these frequent adverse events are due both to a high burden of preexisting comorbidities among hip fracture patients and to the combined effects of immobilization, surgical stress, and pain, anesthesia providers play a potentially critical role in optimizing outcomes after hip fracture. This chapter is divided into two sections; the first provides background regarding hip fracture as a clinical syndrome, outlining the anatomy, epidemiology, risk factors for hip fracture, and data on outcomes following hip fracture. The second discusses the management of hip fracture patients in the perioperative period from the perspective of anesthesia care, highlighting recent evidence identifying opportunities for anesthesia providers to contribute to improved outcomes among hip fracture patients.
Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) has been reported to predict an increased mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. However, its prognostic value in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) remains unclear. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of NSTEMI patients who underwent coronary angiography between January 2013 and June 2014. We excluded patients who did not undergo LVEDP measurements. Baseline and angiographic characteristics, in-hospital heart failure as well as in-hospital mortality were recorded. Results: After exclusion, 367 patients were included in the final analysis. The median (interquartile range) LVEDP was 19 mm Hg (14 - 24 mm Hg). By receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value for predicting in-hospital mortality was 22 mm Hg (area under the curve 0.80, sensitivity 80%, and specificity 71%). Of 367 patients, 109 patients (29.7%) had LVEDP > 22 mm Hg. Patients with LVEDP > 22 mm Hg had a greater number of comorbidities. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of multi-vessel disease. Patients with LVEDP > 22 mm Hg had a significantly higher rate of in-hospital heart failure (22.0% vs. 13.2%, P = 0.03) and in-hospital mortality (3.7% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.03) than those with LVEDP ≤ 22 mm Hg. Conclusion: Elevated LVEDP was significantly associated with a higher in-hospital mortality in patients with NSTEMI. Cardiol Res. 2015;6(4-5):301-305 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/cr406w
Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) with a Focus on F‐actin

In this unit on fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), an imaging approach to study protein-protein interactions in situ is described. The protocols presented use confocal microscopy to examine the mobility of a fluorescent protein by measuring the recovery of the protein in a bleached area. The data gained in FRAP studies is qualitative and yields insight into relative binding affinity, binding characteristics, and the effect of treatments or mutations on protein mobility.
Measuring the Performance of the Secondary Market for Life Insurance Policies

INTRODUCTION The secondary market for individual life insurance policies in the United States has grown from about $200 million in 1993 to $44 billion in 2010. (1) The market began with policies on individuals with less than 2 years of life expectancy (called viaticals) and grew to include those with more than 2 years of life expectancy (life settlements). Our data source includes both; hence, we refer to these life insurance investments collectively as viatical life settlements investments (VLSI). Except for recent work by Braun, Gatzert, and Schmeiser (2012) (hereafter BGS) and Davo, Resco, and Barroso (2013) (hereafter DRB), there is little research that systematically analyzes the return characteristics of these investments. We add to this line of research. BGS provide a detailed analysis of the performance of an index of 17 open-end life settlements mutual funds, covering December 2003-June 2010. They also provide an excellent overview of the life settlements market and the life settlements mutual fund industry. DRB combine two life settlements mutual funds with fixed income and equity index funds over September 2006-February 2010 to form efficient portfolios. To our knowledge, our article is the first to examine the risk and return characteristics of an index composed of direct life insurance policies, including 1,724 policies with a face value of about $300 million. Specifically, we develop a quarterly index of VLSI returns starting from the fourth quarter of 1993 through the fourth quarter of 2009. We provide three advances compared to BGS and DRB. First, we use data on individual VLSI contracts instead of mutual fund portfolios. This allows us to show that VLSI returns differ across disease types; for example, VLSI from AIDS patients have relatively low returns. Second, we cover a longer sample period; thus we are able to illustrate how major VLSI-related events lead to VLSI return volatility. Third, we use the repeat sales method to compute a VLSI return index, because the method was created by Bailey, Muth, and Nourse (1963) to handle infrequently traded assets such as VLSI. It is used to compute the widely quoted SP however, breakthroughs in AIDS drug treatments extended the lives of many AIDS patients, driving down VLSI returns from 1997 to 1999. Changes in institutional investor demand and supply of VLSI could also affect return volatility. The newness and general illiquidity of the VLSI market could partly explain the high volatility. Our results show that VLSI earn about 8 percent annually compared to 7 percent for long-term corporate bonds, and 5.5 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index (S&P 500). If we exclude the market crash between 2008 and 2009 from our sample period, we find that VLSI earn about 7.3 percent compared to 8.5 percent for the S&P 500 and about 7.1 percent for bonds. But the VLSI return volatility is about twice that of the S&P 500, and about four times that of bonds. …
Deacylation of aminoacyl transfer RNA: Comparison of enzyme preparations from different tissues of the rabbit

Abstract Possible tissue differences in the content of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific for degenerate tRNA species for the same amino acid were investigated in the rabbit through measurements of PP i -dependent deacylation of aminoacyl-tRNA. Using a double-label procedure, comparisons were made of the relative activity of a given enzyme preparation towards a tRNA mixture previously acylated either by that same preparation (homologous deacylation) or by a different preparation (heterologous deacylation). Marked differences in homologous vs. heterologous deacylation could be readily demonstrated with two partially purified leucyl-tRNA synthetase preparations known to differ in specificity in the forward reaction, however, little evidence was found for differences in tissue synthetase specificity among crude, unfractionated preparations from four tissues. The synthetases for seven amino acids were surveyed. The evidence suggests that presence-absence differences between tissues in codon-specific aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are rare or generally confined to tRNA species or synthetases present in low concentrations, undetected by the present method.
Analysis of leakage currents in CMOS/SOS devices

Understanding the origin and mechanism of leakage currents in CMOS/SOS transistors constitutes an important step towards the advancement of SOS technology for VLSI applications. In this letter, the bias and geometrical dependence of both n- and p-channel transistors has been analysed in detail. These variations have been correlated with independent lifetime measurements, which indicate that both bulk generation and back surface inversion play important roles in controlling leakage in SOS devices.
Institutionalization of ethics and its consequences: a survey of marketing professionals

Because of increasing ethical problems in business, organizations have tried to control these problems by institutionalizing ethics, such as by creating new ethics positions and formulating codes of ethics. In this study, the authors develop a scale for measuring the institutionalization of ethics in organizations and assess it for dimensionality, reliability and validity. Two separate studies are conducted, both using samples drawn from an American Marketing Association practitioner population. In Study 1, using a sample of 126 marketing practitioners, we performed exploratory factor analysis on 44 institutionalization items resulting in two separate dimensions of the institutionalization of ethics construct: implicit and explicit institutionalization. Using a national sample of 306 marketing practitioners in Study 2, we performed confirmatory factor analysis on these two dimensions and investigated the effects of these dimensions on perceived importance of ethics, job satisfaction, esprit de corps and organizational commitment. Implicit institutionalization had a significant direct affect on all four of these constructs. On the other hand, explicit institutionalization significantly influenced only the perceived importance of ethics.
Factors Associated With Weight Gain in Women After Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Abstract Objective To identify the factors associated with weight gain after diagnosis of breast cancer in a heterogeneous population of women. Design Descriptive cross-sectional study. Subjects 1,116 patients who had been diagnosed with stage I, stage II, or stage IIIA primary, operable breast cancer within the previous 4 years. Patients were recruited during enrollment into a diet intervention trial to reduce risk for breast cancer recurrence. Analysis Demographic data, weight history, and physical activity information obtained by questionnaire and medical information obtained by chart review; dietary assessment based on four 24-hour dietary recalls collected by telephone. Associations between weight change after the diagnosis of breast cancer and prediction variables were examined using univariate and multiple linear regression analyses. Results Overall, 60% of the subjects reported weight gain, 26% reported weight loss, and 14% reported no change in weight after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The overall mean weight change was a gain of 2.7kg (6lb). Factors positively and independently associated with weight gain were time since diagnosis of breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy, African-American ethnicity, current energy intake, and postmenopausal status at time of study entry. Factors inversely and independently associated with weight gain were prediagnosis body mass index, age at diagnosis, education level, and exercise index score. Applications Higher energy intake and lower level of physical activity are independently associated with increased risk for weight gain after the diagnosis of breast cancer. Strategies to modify these behaviors are likely to influence the long-term pattern of weight change. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:1212–1218,1221 .
Efficient and Allele-Specific Genome Editing of Disease Loci in Human iPSCs

Efficient and precise genome editing is crucial for realizing the full research and therapeutic potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Engineered nucleases including CRISPR/Cas9 and transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALENs) provide powerful tools for enhancing gene-targeting efficiency. In this study, we investigated the relative efficiencies of CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs in human iPSC lines for inducing both homologous donor-based precise genome editing and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ)-mediated gene disruption. Significantly higher frequencies of NHEJ-mediated insertions/deletions were detected at several endogenous loci using CRISPR/Cas9 than using TALENs, especially at nonexpressed targets in iPSCs. In contrast, comparable efficiencies of inducing homologous donor-based genome editing were observed at disease-associated loci in iPSCs. In addition, we investigated the specificity of guide RNAs used in the CRISPR/Cas9 system in targeting disease-associated point mutations in patient-specific iPSCs. Using myeloproliferative neoplasm patient-derived iPSCs that carry an acquired JAK2-V617F point mutation and α1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency patient-derived iPSCs that carry an inherited Z-AAT point mutation, we demonstrate that Cas9 can specifically target either the mutant or the wild-type allele with little disruption at the other allele differing by a single nucleotide. Overall, our results demonstrate the advantages of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in allele-specific genome targeting and in NHEJ-mediated gene disruption.
Campaign Finance Laws and Candidacy Decisions in State Legislative Elections

This article examines the influence of campaign election laws on patterns of candidacy in state legislative elections. Previous studies demonstrate that restrictions on campaign contributions affect levels of campaign spending and competition, but do such legal conditions influence the likelihood that incumbents running for reelection are even challenged? How important is this effect relative to other factors, such as ballot access laws and district political variables, in influencing rates of contestation in primary and general elections? Analyses of state- and district-level features in 1994, 1996, and 1998 show that low contribution limits increase challenger emergence in general elections.
Arterial Transit Time Effects in Pulsed Arterial Spin Labeling CBF Mapping: Insight From a PET and MR Study in Normal Human Subjects

Arterial transit time (ATT), a key parameter required to calculate absolute cerebral blood flow in arterial spin labeling (ASL), is subject to much uncertainty. In this study, ASL ATTs were estimated on a per-voxel basis using data measured by both ASL and positron emission tomography in the same subjects. The mean ATT increased by 260 +/- 20 (standard error of the mean) ms when the imaging slab shifted downwards by 54 mm, and increased from 630 +/- 30 to 1220 +/- 30 ms for the first slice, with an increase of 610 +/- 20 ms over a four-slice slab when the gap between the imaging and labeling slab increased from 20 to 74 mm. When the per-slice ATTs were employed in ASL cerebral blood flow quantification and the in-slice ATT variations ignored, regional cerebral blood flow could be significantly different from the positron emission tomography measures. ATT also decreased with focal activation by the same amount for both visual and motor tasks (approximately 80 ms). These results provide a quantitative relationship between ATT and the ASL imaging geometry and yield an assessment of the assumptions commonly used in ASL imaging. These findings should be considered in the interpretation of, and comparisons between, different ASL-based cerebral blood flow studies. The results also provide spatially specific ATT data that may aid in optimizing the ASL imaging parameters.
Identification of the Functional Activity of the [A−4] Amelogenin Gene Splice Product in Newborn Mouse Ameloblasts

In the mouse tooth organ, shortly after birth, ameloblasts acquire their secretory phenotype, which is characterized by the prominent expression and subsequent secretion of two isoforms of amelogenin, M180 and M59 (LRAP, [A−4]). Amelogenin deposition into the ameloblast extracellular matrix promotes enamel biomineralization. A complex set of intercellular signaling events, reciprocal communications between the developing oral epithelium and its underlying dental mesenchyme, guide the expression of amelogenin mRNA, and limit it to a defined period of tooth development. In tooth germ organ culture, addition of the [A−4] isoform, lacking amelogenin exon 4 and exon 6 segments a, b, c, was shown to affect ameloblast development. To understand the basis for this regulatory activity, we have studied the effects of r[A−4] on ameloblast-like LS8 cells, and the role of the putative [A−4] cell surface receptor, LAMP1, as well as the related receptor LAMP3. In the LS8 cells, the expression of the spliced isoforms of amelogenin, LAMP1, and LAMP3 were identified by RT-PCR, and real-time PCR semi-quantitative analysis assessed the modulation of M180 message. M180 mRNA was up-regulated by exogenous [A−4], and this was further increased by blockade of LAMP1, suggesting additive effects between the intracellular signaling pathways activated by the discrete agonists. Immunofluorescence staining identified the patterns of [A−4] and LAMP1 localization in LS8 cells. Internalized r[A−4] was co-localized with LAMP1 in late endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Thus, the LAMP1 and [A−4] intracellular sorting pathways are interrelated. The nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway was activated by exogenous [A−4]. [A−4] modulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, NOS2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, NOS3) expression, albeit, to different extents. NOS2 was significantly up-regulated after 4 h, while NOS3 increased slightly after 24 h. Co-treatment of LS8 cells with r[A−4] and anti-LAMP1 antibodies further enhanced NOS2 expression. Anti-LAMP1 antibodies did not abrogate NO production in LS8 cells treated for 4 h with r[A−4], but the iNOS inhibitor, L-Nil, down-regulated both NO production and the expression of M180 mRNA. These data suggest that [A−4] modulates M180 mRNA expression, partly, via the NO signaling pathway.
Terabit speed retrieval of femtosecond accumulated photon echoes

An accumulated photon echo readout speed as fast as 27 Tbits/s was demonstrated by a new single-shot cross-correlation method for a femtosecond four-pulse packet stored by spectral hole burning in an octaethylporphine-doped polystyrene sample.
A stabilized molten globule protein

A predominant conformational isomer of non-native α-lactalbumin (α-LA) has been purified by thermal denaturation of the native α-LA using the technique of disulfide scrambling. This unique isomer retains a substantial content of α-helical structure. It is stabilized by two native disulfide bonds within the α-helical domain and two scrambled non-native disulfide bonds at the β-sheet domain. This denatured isomer of α-LA exhibits structural characteristics that are consistent with the well-documented molten globule state. The ability to prepare a stabilized and structurally defined molten globule provides a useful model for studying the folding and unfolding pathways of proteins.
Analysis of oligonucleotides by capillary gel electrophoresis

Abstract Analysis of oligonucleotides with gel-filled capillary columns is a fast, efficient and automated way to check their purity. Gel-filled columns were optimized to separate oligonucleotides which were 20–50 nucleotides in length. The influence of sample size on resolution is discussed. A comparison between capillary gel electrophoresis and slab gel electrophoresis in terms of analysis time per sample is made. In addition to homopolymeric samples, the separation of heteropolymeric oligonucleotides with one nucleotide difference in size is presented and suggests the possibility of using capillary gel electrophoresis as a tool for DNA sequencing.
A comparison of two techniques for studying sediment desorption kinetics of hydrophobic pollutants

Abstract A comparison of two techniques (gaseous purge and vial desorption) for studying the kinetics of desorption of hydrophobic pollutants from natural sediments was conducted using identical, pre-equilibrated pollutant-sediment suspensions. Desorption profiles for the two techniques [for Lindane, Aldrin, 2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl (2,2′-DCB), 4,4′-dichlorobiphenyl (4,4′-DCB), and 2,2′,6,6′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB)] were then compared, based on the distribution of pollutant mass between the labile (fast) and non-labile (slow) desorption phases and the release rate constants for each phase of release. The vial desorption technique shows many practical advantages over the gaseous purge technique, including its more realistic mixing conditions, the use of an independent sample for each data point (as opposed to a calculation of a cumulative mass purged at each time point), the fact that the vials constitute a closed system and are therefore less subject to ambient contamination, and the relatively low demands of time and money for the vial technique. No consistent trends in labile rate constants or in pollutant distribution between the labile and non-labile phase were observed between the two techniques. A comparison of kinetic parameters shows much faster non-labile rate constants for the gaseous purge technique, attributed to the violent, continuous agitation employed, which likely disrupted sediment aggregates and oxidized the natural organic matter associated with the sediment. Non-labile rate constants have implications for the long-term fate of compounds adsorbed to repetitively disturbed sediments. This study suggests that the traditionally less popular vial desorption technique may yield more realistic non-labile desorption rate constants.