cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
JIP1-Mediated JNK Activation Negatively Regulates Synaptic Plasticity and Spatial Memory

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal transduction pathway is implicated in learning and memory. Here, we examined the role of JNK activation mediated by the JNK-interacting protein 1 (JIP1) scaffold protein. We compared male wild-type mice with a mouse model harboring a point mutation in the Jip1 gene that selectively blocks JIP1-mediated JNK activation. These male mutant mice exhibited increased NMDAR currents, increased NMDAR-mediated gene expression, and a lower threshold for induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation. The JIP1 mutant mice also displayed improved hippocampus-dependent spatial memory and enhanced associative fear conditioning. These results were confirmed using a second JIP1 mutant mouse model that suppresses JNK activity. Together, these observations establish that JIP1-mediated JNK activation contributes to the regulation of hippocampus-dependent, NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity and learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The results of this study demonstrate that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation induced by the JNK-interacting protein 1 (JIP1) scaffold protein negatively regulates the threshold for induction of long-term synaptic plasticity through the NMDA-type glutamate receptor. This change in plasticity threshold influences learning. Indeed, mice with defects in JIP1-mediated JNK activation display enhanced memory in hippocampus-dependent tasks, such as contextual fear conditioning and Morris water maze, indicating that JIP1-JNK constrains spatial memory. This study identifies JIP1-mediated JNK activation as a novel molecular pathway that negatively regulates NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity and memory.
Reasoning about sensing uncertainty and its reduction in decision-making for self-adaptation

Abstract Adaptive systems are expected to adapt to unanticipated run-time events using imperfect information about themselves, their environment, and goals. This entails handling the effects of uncertainties in decision-making, which are not always considered as a first-class concern. This paper contributes a formal analysis technique that explicitly considers uncertainty in sensing when reasoning about the best way to adapt, together with uncertainty reduction mechanisms to improve system utility. We illustrate our approach on a Denial of Service (DoS) attack scenario and present results that demonstrate the benefits of uncertainty-aware decision-making in comparison to using an uncertainty-ignorant approach, both in the presence and absence of uncertainty reduction mechanisms.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Ruptured or Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms.

The aim of this study is to examine how health outcomes varied by treatment selection and race/ethnicity among hospitalized US patients with ruptured or unruptured IAs. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a sample of 62,224 hospital discharges from the 2002–2012 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Logistic regression models evaluated treatment selection as predictor of in-hospital survival (IHS: “yes,” “no”) and length of stay (LOS ≤ 7 days, > 7 days), overall and across racial/ethnic groups, taking hospital- and patient-level confounders into account, while stratifying by IA rupture status. Compared to surgical clipping, endovascular coiling was associated with better IHS, after controlling for confounders. Compared to surgical clipping, LOS ≤ 7 days was less likely in patients with combination of treatments and more likely among patients with endovascular coiling as well as balloon- or stent-assisted coiling. Observed relationships varied significantly by race and ethnicity for IHS, but not for LOS ≤ 7 days. Whereas combination of treatments were associated with worse IHS than surgical clipping among Blacks alone, endovascular coiling was associated with better IHS than surgical clipping among White and Other racial/ethnic subgroups. These relationships were for the most part consistent among patients with and without IA rupture. Racial and ethnic subgroups of IA patients experienced differential IHS by treatment selection, irrespective of IA rupture status. Prospective cohort studies are needed to further elucidate these racial and ethnic disparities, while collecting data on IA size, location, and morphology as well as Hunt and Hess grade for ruptured IA.
An oomycete RXLR effector triggers antagonistic plant hormone crosstalk to suppress host immunity

ABSTRACT Understanding the mechanisms through which pathogens alter plant cell networks is essential for understanding plant-pathogen interactions and will inform efforts to reduce crop diseases. Oomycetes secrete diverse effector proteins into plant cells. The mechanisms through which these effectors promote virulence are largely unknown. We show that the HaRxL10 effector protein from the Arabidopsis thaliana pathogen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis (Hpa) targets a transcriptional repressor (JAZ3) involved in jasmonic acid (JA) signalling. This manipulation activates a regulatory cascade that inhibits salicylic acid (SA) signalling, which normally restricts Hpa infection. This virulence mechanism is functionally equivalent to but mechanistically distinct from activation of the antagonistic JA-SA hormone crosstalk by the bacterial JA-mimicking toxin coronatine and by bacterial Type III effectors. These results reveal a key role for JAZ3 in plant immunity and emphasize that JA-SA crosstalk is an Achilles’ heel in the plant immune system, vulnerable to manipulation by diverse microbes.
Latent goal models for dynamic strategic interaction.

Understanding the principles by which agents interact with both complex environments and each other is a key goal of decision neuroscience. However, most previous studies have used experimental paradigms in which choices are discrete (and few), play is static, and optimal solutions are known. Yet in natural environments, interactions between agents typically involve continuous action spaces, ongoing dynamics, and no known optimal solution. Here, we seek to bridge this divide by using a “penalty shot” task in which pairs of monkeys competed against each other in a competitive, real-time video game. We modeled monkeys’ strategies as driven by stochastically evolving goals, onscreen positions that served as set points for a control model that produced observed joystick movements. We fit this goal-based dynamical system model using approximate Bayesian inference methods, using neural networks to parameterize players’ goals as a dynamic mixture of Gaussian components. Our model is conceptually simple, constructed of interpretable components, and capable of generating synthetic data that capture the complexity of real player dynamics. We further characterized players’ strategies using the number of change points on each trial. We found that this complexity varied more across sessions than within sessions, and that more complex strategies benefited offensive players but not defensive players. Together, our experimental paradigm and model offer a powerful combination of tools for the study of realistic social dynamics in the laboratory setting.
The revolving door of families in the child welfare system: Risk and protective factors associated with families returning

Abstract The number of families involved in the child welfare system (including child protective services, foster care, juvenile court) has increased since 2011(Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, 2015). Professionals involved in these systems have discussed the increase in number of families who return to the child welfare system after an initial case closure. We aim to identify risk and protective factors associated with families returning to the system within a social ecological framework, to identify gaps in the current literature, and to discuss areas for future research. A literature search was conducted using PsycInfo, PubMED, and SociIndex through June 2017 on three case outcomes: reunification, re-entry/reactivation, and termination of parental rights. The authors then reviewed the articles located and highlight the findings using a social ecological framework.
IMicrobe: Tools and data-driven discovery platform for the microbiome sciences

BACKGROUND Scientists have amassed a wealth of microbiome datasets, making it possible to study microbes in biotic and abiotic systems on a population or planetary scale; however, this potential has not been fully realized given that the tools, datasets, and computation are available in diverse repositories and locations. To address this challenge, we developed iMicrobe.us, a community-driven microbiome data marketplace and tool exchange for users to integrate their own data and tools with those from the broader community. FINDINGS The iMicrobe platform brings together analysis tools and microbiome datasets by leveraging National Science Foundation-supported cyberinfrastructure and computing resources from CyVerse, Agave, and XSEDE. The primary purpose of iMicrobe is to provide users with a freely available, web-based platform to (1) maintain and share project data, metadata, and analysis products, (2) search for related public datasets, and (3) use and publish bioinformatics tools that run on highly scalable computing resources. Analysis tools are implemented in containers that encapsulate complex software dependencies and run on freely available XSEDE resources via the Agave API, which can retrieve datasets from the CyVerse Data Store or any web-accessible location (e.g., FTP, HTTP). CONCLUSIONS iMicrobe promotes data integration, sharing, and community-driven tool development by making open source data and tools accessible to the research community in a web-based platform.
Future forest composition under a changing climate and adaptive forest management in southeastern Vermont, USA

Abstract Global change represents the greatest challenge facing forest managers today. The uncertainty and variability of potential future impacts of shifting climatic and disturbance regimes has led resource managers to seek out alternative approaches to sustain the long-term delivery of forest ecosystem services. We use a spatially explicit forest landscape simulation model, LANDIS-II, to examine and evaluate a range of long-term effects of current and adaptive forest management under three projected climate scenarios within a forested landscape in southeastern Vermont, USA. We found that land-use legacies and the inertia associated with long-term forest successional trajectories are likely to be the dominant driver of future forest composition and biomass conditions for the next 100 years. Nevertheless, climate is projected to have a greater influence on species composition and aboveground biomass over the next 200 years. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and red spruce (Picea rubens) are likely to experience reductions in aboveground biomass and a compression of relative dominance on the landscape. American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are projected to persist within the landscape and are likely to continue to occupy a prominent compositional position in the forests of this region. Extreme climate warming under RCP 8.5 projections resulted in compositional shifts and reductions in landscape-scale aboveground biomass (120.09 ± 4.51 M g · h a - 1 ) at the end of the 200 year simulation when compared to RCP 4.5 (150.55 ± 1.04 M g · h a - 1 ) and current climate projections (147.90 ± 0.79 M g · h a - 1 ). These findings highlight the expected lag effects of a changing climate, which present significant challenges and opportunities as managers seek to sustain critical ecosystem services in the region.
Step Zero: Determinants and Implications of Reliance on the Qualitative Goodwill Impairment Assessment

I examine the use of qualitative versus quantitative impairment testing methods and their differential implications for future impairments and goodwill valuation. Using hand-collected data, I find that the likelihood of reliance on a qualitative assessment is decreasing in both the complexity of goodwill and the risk of an underlying goodwill impairment. I also find that the likelihood of large future goodwill impairments is lower on average for firm-years in which the firm relies on a qualitative assessment. Finally, I investigate investor perceptions of this choice and find evidence that investors place a premium on goodwill when firms rely on a qualitative assessment versus a quantitative test. This finding suggests that investors perceive a firm’s goodwill impairment testing method choice as reflective of management’s private information. Overall, results suggest that managers are not using the discretion in ASU 2011-08 opportunistically, which was a concern in implementing this new standard.
ATSC Signal Cramér-Rao Lower Bound for Emitter Selection in Passive Radar Systems

In passive radar systems, using multiple transmitters and one receiver site yields multiple bistatic geometries which leads to a better coverage and better estimation accuracy for target parameters. There is a need to compute the bistatic Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the range and velocity measurement accuracy for the advanced television systems committee (ATSC) signal that is a pervasive transmitter of opportunity for North American passive radar systems. A relationship between the ambiguity function of a signal and the CRLB will be used to calculate the bounds. For the bistatic configuration, the modified Cramer-Rao lower bound (MCRLB) for the ATSC signal is used to select the optimal emitter that exhibits the minimum MCRLB at each region in the Columbus, OH area where the Ohio state university passive radar is located. A plot of Columbus area with the receiver and multiple emitters locations is presented, the plot shows the optimal emitter in each location on the map based on the minimum bistatic MCRLB for the Tx-Rx pairs.
Trend and Economic Burden of Intravenous Narcotic Analgesic Utilization in Major Vascular Interventions in the United States.

Background The use of IV narcotic analgesics (IVNA) within the context of vascular procedures is not fully described. We sought to evaluate the burden of IVNA including narcotic analgesia–related adverse drug events (NARADE), associated mortality and hospitalization cost in open and endovascular vascular procedures, and to compare it with nonnarcotic analgesia (IVNNA). Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study in hospitals participating in Premier database (2009–2015). Logistic regression analysis was implemented to report the risks of NARADE and in-hospital mortality. Negative binomial regression was used to assess length of stay and generalized linear modeling was used to estimate the hospitalization cost. Results A total of 171,473 patients were identified. NARADE occurred in 6.2% of the cohort. NARADE group was similar in gender and race but was slightly older (median age 71 vs. 70; P Conclusions and Relevance The use of opioid-based narcotics had increased the risk of NARADE, resources utilization and NARADE-related mortality. Yet the use of nonopioid-based analgesic was safe, did not increase the cost and reduced mortality in open AA repair. This entices shifting the paradigm toward exploring nonopioid-based analgesia options in order to replace or minimize opioid requirements.
Creating a World Stage: Revolution Airport and the Illusion of Power

In 1970, at the height of the hijacking era, with resentment at Israeli occupation smoldering across the Arab world, and with Palestinian commandos poised to topple the U.S.-allied Jordanian monarc...
The Ironic Defense of Socrates: Prooemium (17a1–18a6)

The Problem of Truthfulness Socrates' Simple Truthfulness Socrates' first speech to the jury has six parts: (1) prooemium or introduction (17a1–18a6); (2) prothesis or statement of the case (18a7–19a7); (3) defense against the charges of the “first accusers” (19a8–24b2); (4) defense against the present accusers (24b3–28b2); (5) digression (28b3–34b5); and (6) epilogue (34b6–35d8). In the prooemium or introduction, Socrates takes up the question of telling the truth. His accusers, he says, spoke very persuasively, but almost everything they said was a lie. And of all their lies, the most astonishing and shameless was the lie that Socrates is a clever speaker. Now, isn't this strange? Socrates stands accused of terrible crimes, crimes he denies having committed, crimes that carry the death penalty – yet what really astonishes him is the prosecution's claim that he is a clever speaker! Despite the gravity of his tone, there is something lighthearted about his assessment (cf. Euthyphro 3d9–e2). Perhaps what Socrates finds so astonishing is that his accusers have told a lie that will be quickly and easily exposed. For as soon as he begins to speak, he says, he will “appear not to be a clever speaker in any way at all” (17b2–3). But isn't this precisely how a clever speaker in Socrates' situation would want to appear? Besides, if hearing Socrates is enough to refute the claim that he is a clever speaker, why do the Athenians, who have heard him speaking for many years now, still believe that he is not only a clever speaker himself, but a most effective teacher of clever speaking?
A 0.65-mW-to-1-W Photovoltaic Energy Harvester With Irradiance-Aware Auto-Configurable Hybrid MPPT Achieving >95% MPPT Efficiency and 2.9-ms FOCV Transient Time

This article presents an integrated photovoltaic (PV) energy harvester for mobile applications. In the energy harvester, an irradiance-aware hybrid algorithm (IAHA) is developed to automatically select appropriate maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme and control methodology under different irradiance levels in order to provide high tracking efficiency and power efficiency across wide power ranges. A slew-rate-enhanced (SRE) fractional open-cell voltage (FOCV) method is also proposed to shorten the transient time for MPPT in light loads, thereby increasing energy capture from the solar panel. The proposed input-regulated boost energy harvester was developed in a 0.35- $\mu \text{m}$ CMOS process. With IAHA, the harvester achieves the MPPT efficiency >95% over an output power range from 0.65 mW to 1 W that is significantly wider than other previous state-of-the-art designs. This harvester also provides at least five times improvement in the output power range for achieving >85% power efficiency. The SRE FOCV MPPT scheme achieves a 2.9-ms MPPT transient time that reduces the prior FOCV transient time by 86 times.
Cognitive Biases at Bedside Resulting in Diagnostic Error of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (P2.440)

Objective: The objective was to identify the types of cognitive biases that resulted in diagnostic error of Guillain-Barre Syndrome and clinical factors which led to the cognitive error. Background: Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder presenting with rapid onset progressive weakness. We defined misdiagnosis/delayed diagnosis (diagnostic error) of GBS as when patients were diagnosed with a different condition initially and thus treatment delayed (or not given) when they actually had GBS. Design/Methods: Retrospective study of 250 patient charts (from 2011–2017) with ICD-9 code of 357.0. Those patients who met our definition of diagnostic error were included and chart reviewed for the cause of the error. Results: 40 patients, median age 36 years (SD=+/−17), 16 women and 24 men were included. Treatment delay from symptom onset to treatment varied from 3 days to 63 days. In 20 (50%) of those, no diagnosis given. 5 patients were given peripheral neuropathy and in 4 diagnoses of lumbosacral radiculopathy. Rest of the patients had diagnosis of stroke, fatigue, anxiety. In 22 patients the diagnosis was delayed due to framing effect (sensory predominant symptoms, normal reflexes were thought to rule out GBS) 4 blind obedience (based on evaluation by neurology) 9 anchoring effect (symptoms attributed to preexisting neurological conditions such as neuropathy, radiculopathy), 5 availability heuristic (diagnosed as stroke, anxiety, numbness/tingling which are common diagnoses/conditions in the emergency room). Conclusions: Presence of sensory predominant symptoms, normal reflexes, preexisting neurological conditions, over exposure to conditions like stroke, anxiety in the emergency room and sometimes not questioning expert opinion are common causes of diagnostic error in GBS. Disclosure: Dr. Gummi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pathikonda has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bollu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Surpur has nothing to disclose. Dr. Govindarajan has nothing to disclose.
Evaluation of Simulated Shelf-Life Conditions for Food Service Applications on Chicken Tenderloins

The objective of this study was to validate the shelf-life of marinated and frozen chicken tenderloins. Treatments were randomly assigned to the age of the tenderloins post-harvest, days aged (DA): DA4, DA5, DA6, DA7, and DA8. Microbial analyses were used to analyze the growth of aerobic, psychotropic, and lactobacilli bacteria to assess the shelf-life of bulk-packaged chicken tenderloins. Tenderloins were sampled fresh, then vacuum tumbled in a marinade. After marination, the tenderloins were sampled with the remaining tenderloins packaged and frozen (−25 °C). After freezing the chicken tenderloins were slacked in a refrigerated cooler (2.2 °C) for up to 132 h (h) and sampled at 36 h, then every 24 h following. After marination, each treatment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in aerobic and psychotropic counts except DA4. During slacking, no treatment crossed the threshold of 106 CFU/mL (Log 6) set for this study. Though none crossed the threshold, treatments DA4, DA5, and DA6 had significant (p < 0.05) increases in aerobic bacteria after 7 days of age. The psychotropic bacteria continuously grew at each sampling period, with DA4 and DA5 surpassing the other treatments (p < 0.05) at 108 h and 132 h reaching 105 CFU/mL. Every treatment remained below the spoilage threshold, suggesting that this method of storage is suitable for chicken tenderloin shelf-life.
From 1927 to 1960, and a Favor Returned

The Second International Congress of Soil Science was held in St. Petersburg and Moscow in July 1930. Konstantin Glinka had been elected the President of the International Society of Soil Science, but he had suddenly died in 1927. The congress was attended by 460 soil scientists, and included presentations, exhibits and an excursion that lasted 24 days. The Third International Congress of Soil Science was held in Oxford, UK, in August 1935. The congress had a similar setup to the first two congresses but lacked the brilliance and vitality. A fourth congress was to be held in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1940 but the world went to war. In 1945, efforts were made to establish a new global organization of soil science and to disremember the war years of the International Society of Soil Science. However, in 1947, the society was resurrected. In 1950 the Fourth International Congress of Soil Science was held in Amsterdam, and there were almost 500 attendees, with 120 from the Netherlands. Soils of the tropics was an important theme at the congress, and it decided that the next congress was to be held in Congo in 1954. The congress was held in Kinshasa in 1954 had only 200 participants but had an impact on soil research in tropical countries. The sixth congress was held in Paris in 1956, had almost 800 attendees, of which 200 were from France, and over 40 American attendees.
Perspectives of General Surgery Program Directors on Paternity Leave During Surgical Training.

Importance Although men are increasingly involved in childrearing, little is known about paternity leave in surgical residency. Conflict between professional and family duties contribute to burnout and decreased career satisfaction for surgeons of both sexes. With men more likely than women to have children during their clinical years of surgical training, understanding the issues surrounding paternity leave is imperative to ensuring the longevity of our workforce. Objective To explore surgical program directors’ perspectives on the challenges of providing paternity leave. Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative descriptive study of transcripts collected from semistructured interviews of US surgical program directors was performed from October 2018 to June 2019. Program directors were selected using purposive-stratified criterion-based sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with emergent themes identified using content analysis. Exposure Paternity leave. Main Outcomes and Measures Program directors’ perspectives on paternity leave were categorized into common themes. Results A total of 40 US general surgery program directors were interviewed (28 male [70%]; mean [SD] age, 49.7 [6.8] years; 36 [90%] were university-based programs). Twenty (50%) reported providing paternity leave of 1-week duration. Five major themes were identified: (1) paternity leave policies are poorly defined by many programs and require self-initiation by residents; (2) residents often do not take the full amount of time offered for leave; (3) stigma against male residents taking parental leave is common and may be even greater than that facing women taking maternity leave; (4) paternity leave has little to no impact on colleagues’ workload owing to the brevity of time taken; and (5) men desire longer leave than what they are currently offered and wish to receive equal time off compared with childbearing parents. Conclusions and Relevance Surgical program directors report male residents take brief paternity leave despite a desire for more time off, which may be influenced by fear of stigma and surgical culture that avoids handing off work, even for short periods of time. A cultural shift toward supporting family planning as a normal part of young adult life, rather than a medical condition to be accommodated, is necessary to promote life balance and behaviors that will sustain a long career in surgery. Implementation of defined leave policies at individual programs for the nonchildbearing parent is critical to make parental leave socially acceptable among surgical residents.
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough go Shopping: A Fresh Look at Consumer Shopping Motivations

Understanding why people shop and buy is of paramount importance to retail operators, however much of the existing research in this area really concerns what consumers purchased and where they shopped; not why they exhibited a certain behavior. This research examines underlying consumer motivations in an attempt to provide a theoretical basis for explanation and future prediction of consumer/retailer interaction. Specifically, this research provides an investigation of the differences between consumers who are motivated to shop primarily for symbolic and/or experiential reasons and those whose shopping motivations are functional in nature. A set of hypotheses concerning the relationship between shopping motivations and behavior are formulated and tested and implications for retail strategists and future researchers are provided.
HOBBLING AND TORTURE AS PERFORMATIVE VIOLENCE

Violent interactions have three distinct actors: aggressors, victims and witnesses. Social identities of individuals within these groups are created and enforced through performative violence such as hobbling or torture. The Sacred Ridge site is a Pueblo I (AD 700–900) habitation site in Southwestern Colorado; during excavation, an assemblage consisting of 14,882 bone fragments representing at least 33 individuals was discovered. Perimortem trauma and tool marks indicate heavy processing of all individuals; the remains were deposited completely commingled within a pit structure. Foot and ankle bones from the Sacred Ridge processed assemblage have damage suggesting hobbling by blows to the sides of the ankle and torture by beating the soles and tops of the feet. These performative acts form the basis for social control of victims and witnesses by aggressors. Taphonomic analysis of human remains can be used to examine behaviors of each group creating the assemblage.
Why China's Crackdown on Commercial Bribery Threatens Multinational Companies in China

China’s recent crackdown on several high profile cases involving bribes made by multinational companies doing business in China raises the issue China’s larger motives in targeting corporate bribery. Other corruption campaigns periodically launched by China throughout its history focused on the receipt or the demand side of bribes by corrupt government and Party officials. By contrast, the current campaign has an emphasis on the supply side or payment of bribes by private businesses. Some media reports suggest multinational companies are to blame because these companies are exploiting weaknesses in China’s developing economy and legal system to give bribes. These developments raise the larger issue of whether China is deliberately targeting multinational companies in its current crackdown. While China seems to have placed emphasis on corporate bribery and on the payor or supply side of the bribe, China’s current crackdown does not pose any serious threats to multinational companies doing business in China. Rather, the crackdown on corporate bribery serves political and symbolic purposes by helping to shift the attention of China’s public away from the recipient of the bribe, usually a government or Communist Party official. Most people in China harbor a deep cynicism about the integrity of government and Party officials and corruption scandals embarrass the Party. A focus on corporate bribery serves the twin goals of demonstrating that China is serious about cracking down on bribery without the political embarrassment that erupts whenever a high level official is exposed for receiving bribes.While multinational companies do not face any serious threats in China due to the current crackdown, China’s campaign against corruption might trigger enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which reaches bribes given by U.S. companies to foreign officials in countries abroad. China’s enforcement against corporate bribery helps to expose bribery schemes that would otherwise be unknown to the U.S. Department of Justice. Enforcement of the FCPA could create serious burdens and entail serious consequences for U.S. companies. The risk of a U.S. investigation under the FCPA as a result of China’s crackdown on corporate bribery is the most serious risk to multinational companies as a result of China’s current campaign against corruption.
Problem Determination Using Dependency Graphs and Run-Time Behavior Models

Key challenges in managing an I/T environment for e-business lie in the area of root cause analysis, proactive problem prediction, and automated problem remediation. Our approach as reported in this paper, utilizes two important concepts: dependency graphs and dynamic runtime performance characteristics of resources that comprise an I/T environment to design algorithms for rapid root cause identification in case of problems. In the event of a reported problem, our approach uses the dependency information and the behavior models to narrow down the root cause to a small set of resources that can be individually tested, thus facilitating quick remediation and thus leading to reduced administrative costs.
The NLNAC mentoring program: demystifying the accreditation process.

ACCREDITATION IS IMPORTANT for nursing programs, their graduates, and for the profession of nursing. It indicates that a program has met certain predetermined criteria set by representatives of the profession. Achieving - or maintaining - accreditation provides recognition to society at large, employers, the nursing profession, and other health care professionals that a program's graduates are sufficiently prepared and are qualified to compete in an ever-changing and challenging environment. During the accreditation process, programs must demonstrate compliance with established operating guidelines and principles and complete a self-evaluation document. Faculty and nurse administrators frequently describe the process as daunting and time consuming. To facilitate their success, the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission has created a mentoring program in which NLNAC professional staff work with nursing programs to develop mentor-mentee relationships with faculty and administrators who are involved in the process. In this way, realistic timelines are established, and NLNAC and the nursing program unit are better able to assess the program's readiness for accreditation. Mentoring assists nursing programs to navigate the accreditation process efficiently, demystifies the process by providing appropriate information, and increases the probability of success. It is anticipated that participating in the mentoring program will increase the likelihood of successful outcomes for those programs requesting initial accreditation and for those seeking continuing accreditation. The mentoring program is designed to accomplish the following: * Provide timely, practical, and focused assistance throughout the accreditation process. * Provide an avenue for addressing questions about the interpretation of accreditation standards and criteria. * Provide guidance to faculty in writing the self-study report. * Offer an avenue for review of a draft of the self-study report. * Foster the ability of programs to remain accredited. * Assess a program's compliance with accreditation standards and criteria. * Assist faculty to prepare for a site visit. * Support accreditation and quality nursing education standards. * Help programs find ways to deal with immediate accreditation difficulties. * Facilitate the accreditation process by providing resources and information. Since its inception in 2002, the mentoring program has assisted nursing programs on warning status as well as programs applying for initial accreditation or submitting required monitoring reports. Of 13 programs that were on warning, 12 received full accreditation. Of 49 programs that went through mentoring, 46 received initial accreditation. And, in the past year, 93 programs satisfactorily completed the follow-up report required by the NLNAC Board of Commissioners. These findings suggest that involvement in the mentoring process helps programs achieve their accreditation goals. …
Treatment of Parasomnias

The treatment of parasomnia includes three main aspects: (1) evaluation for sleep fragmenting factors, (2) safety measures to prevent injury, and in some instances (3) targeted pharmacological treatment. In many patients, identifying and treating a primary sleep disorder that leads to sleep fragmentation is sufficient to reduce the number of events. Explanation of optimal sleep hygiene is helpful to reduce sleep disruption. Safety precautions to prevent injury are recommended. In some cases, bed alarms can be helpful as well.
Translational Control Protein 80 Stimulates IRES-Mediated Translation of p53 mRNA in Response to DNA Damage

Synthesis of the p53 tumor suppressor increases following DNA damage. This increase and subsequent activation of p53 are essential for the protection of normal cells against tumorigenesis. We previously discovered an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that is located at the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of p53 mRNA and found that the IRES activity increases following DNA damage. However, the mechanism underlying IRES-mediated p53 translation in response to DNA damage is still poorly understood. In this study, we discovered that translational control protein 80 (TCP80) has increased binding to the p53 mRNA in vivo following DNA damage. Overexpression of TCP80 also leads to increased p53 IRES activity in response to DNA damage. TCP80 has increased association with RNA helicase A (RHA) following DNA damage and overexpression of TCP80, along with RHA, leads to enhanced expression of p53. Moreover, we found that MCF-7 breast cancer cells with decreased expression of TCP80 and RHA exhibit defective p53 induction following DNA damage and diminished expression of its downstream target PUMA, a proapoptotic protein. Taken together, our discovery of the function of TCP80 and RHA in regulating p53 IRES and p53 induction following DNA damage provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate IRES-mediated p53 translation in response to genotoxic stress.
Maintaining a COTS Component-Based Solution Using Traditional Static Analysis Techniques

Even as a process that integrates commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products into new homogeneous systems replaces “traditional” software development approaches, software maintenance problems persist. This work reports on the use of static analysis techniques on several medium-sized COTS solutions that have become difficult to maintain. We found that by exploiting semantic information, traditional techniques can be augmented to handle some of the unique maintenance issues of component-based software.
Loci: A Deductive Framework for Graph-Based Algorithms

Modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software is complex. Often CFD simulations require complex geometries, flexible boundary conditions, multiple integrated computational models (for example, heat conduction, structural deformations, gas dynamics, etc.), as well as grid adaptation. As a result of this complexity, the correct implementation of numerical simulation components is actually less challenging than guaranteeing the correct coordination of complex component interactions. If one is to consider the development of CFD applications that reliably incorporate a broad selection of numerical models, then one must consider technologies that simplify, automate, and validate the numerical model coordination mechanisms. The Loci system presented here addresses these issues by introducing a deductive framework for the coordination of numerical value classes constructed in C++.
Experimental Effects of Pressure, Subcooling, and Diameter on Thin-Wire Film Boiling of Liquid Nitrogen

Because of its low temperature, a cryogenic fluid can film-boil by simply bringing it in contact with an ambient or room-temperature surface. As a result, film boiling is an important aspect of cryogenic heat transfer. It is also important in conventional boilers, in quenching, and in similar applications.
Bacterial killing by complement. C9-mediated killing in the absence of C5b-8

Abstract The ability of serum complement to kill Gram-negative bacteria requires assembly of the membrane attack complex (MAC) on the cell surface. The molecular events that lead to cell killing after MAC assembly are unknown. We have investigated the effect of C9 on bacterial survival in the presence and absence of its receptor, the C5b-8 complex, on the outer membrane. A fluorescence assay of the membrane potential across the inner bacterial membrane revealed that addition of C9 to cells bearing the performed C5b-8 complex caused a rapid and complete dissipation of the membrane potential. No fluorescence change was observed in serum-resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Addition of trypsin, after C9 was bound to C5b-8, did not rescue the cells from the lethal effects of C9. Furthermore, assays of cell killing kinetics and C9 binding indicate that formation of tubular poly(C9) is not required for killing. When C9 was introduced into the periplasmic space in the absence of its receptor by means of an osmotic shock procedure, cell killing occurred. Other proteins, such as C8 or serum albumin, were not toxic, and C9 was ineffective against two resistant strains. The results presented here and previously [Dankert & Esser (1986) Biochemistry 25, 1094-1100], when considered together, indicate that the 'lethal unit' in complement killing of some Gram-negative bacteria is a C9-derived product that acts by dissipation of cellular energy.
The Role of Competition and Seed Production Environment on the Success of Two Perennial Grass Species in a Roadside Restoration

When large-scale restorations are undertaken using local genotypes, wild-collected sources often undergo a generation in an agronomic environment for seed propagation. Currently, there is little information on how a single generation of agronomic production can alter seed success in restoration. In this study, we compare plants grown from wild-collected and agronomically-grown seed sources, originally sampled from the same wild populations. We asked if emergence and growth differed between seed sources (agronomically-grown or wild-collected) when initial levels of competition were manipulated in the first growing season by simultaneously sowing annual forbs and cataloging plant neighbors to assess competition at later stages. Our two study species, western wheatgrass ( Pascopyrum smithii ) and green needlegrass ( Nassella viridula ) did not exhibit a competitive response to annuals in the first growing season, and by the middle of the second growing season there was no effect of source environment on plant performance. Greater green needlegrass emergence from the agronomic source in the first year did not translate into more abundance or plant biomass by the middle of the second growing season. Competition was rarely important in suppressing the growth of these two native perennial grass species, but facilitation from neighboring forbs increased productivity of both species in the second growing season. Any maternal effects or selection imposed by the agronomic increase environment does not appear to affect seedling establishment and growth. Sowing annual forbs as part of restoration mixes may promote perennial grass growth as well as provide services to pollinators.
α1-Antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin in human milk: origin, concentrations, and stability

Background The protease inhibitors alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin are present in human milk, but little is known about their roles in protein digestion during infancy. It has been hypothesized that alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin may modulate digestion in the infant gut. Objective We determined whether the mammary gland expresses alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin, measured alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin throughout lactation, assessed the resistance of alpha(1)-antitrypsin to proteolysis, and determined the potential of alpha(1)-antitrypsin to affect the survival of other milk proteins. Design A pool of complementary DNA from the human mammary gland was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction to detect genes for alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin. alpha(1)-Antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin concentrations were measured in milk samples obtained longitudinally (days 4-47) from 8 women. An in vitro model of infant digestion was used to assess the digestive stability of alpha(1)-antitrypsin against pepsin and pancreatin. Lactoferrin, with alpha(1)-antitrypsin present, was digested by pancreatin, and the digested proteins were separated. Results Alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin concentrations were high in early milk and decreased throughout lactation. Polymerase chain reaction products were detected for both genes. After in vitro digestion, much of the alpha(1)-antitrypsin was still intact, whereas many other milk proteins were digested. Much of the lactoferrin was still intact after digestion, but only when alpha(1)-antitrypsin was added. Conclusions The results suggest that alpha(1)-antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin are produced by the mammary gland and are present in milk in relatively high amounts in early lactation. alpha(1)-Antitrypsin may survive digestion and may affect the survival of other proteins.
Penetrating trauma in children

Penetrating injuries account for 10% to 20% of all pediatric trauma admissions at most centers. Gunshot wounds are responsible for the overwhelming majority of penetrating traumatic injuries and have a significantly higher mortality rate than do blunt injury mechanisms. The management of penetrating injuries can be quite challenging and often requires rapid assessment and intervention. Specific management principles are guided by the anatomic location of injury, the determination of trajectory, and the suspected organs injured. Management approaches have been adopted in large part from the more robust adult experience. However, application of these strategies to similar life-threatening injuries in the pediatric population appears appropriate.
An example of a nonregular semimonotone Q-matrix

In their paper, Aganagic and Cottle gave necessary and sufficient conditions for aP 0-matrix to be aQ-matrix. In his paper, Pang showed that the same characterization holds for anL-matrix. In this paper, we show that a similar characterization for anE 0-matrix (semimonotone orL 1-matrix) is not possible. This is done by providing a counterexample to the inclusionE 0 ⋂ Q ⊂R 0, thus answering in the negative a question first posed by Pang.
Experimental consequences of the s-wave cos(k(x))cos(k(y)) superconductivity in the iron pnictides

The experimental consequences of different order parameters in iron-based superconductors are theoretically analyzed. We consider both nodeless and nodal order parameters, with emphasis on the cos(k(x))cos(k(y)) nodeless order parameter recently derived b
Illusions of safety in a risky world: a study of college students condom use.

Perceptions of invulnerability comprise a major barrier to safe sex and other health promoting practices among adolescents. To refine understanding of this phenomenon a questionnaire that focused on condom use prevalence perceived personal susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and the cost-benefit ratio of condom use was administered to 211 California students at community and four-year colleges. The average report of personal risk for HIV was 16% 23 percentage points lower than the 39% risk assigned to members of the students college reference group. Condoms were used during intercourse an average of 47% of the time in the past year. The likelihood of condom use at next intercourse was identified as definite by 46% probable by 23% probably not by 13% and definitely not by 17%. The perception of being at low risk of HIV was positively associated with a view of condoms as ineffective and interfering with pleasure; perceived invulnerability was further correlated with a lower rate of current and anticipated condom use. Also associated with non-use of condoms was inexperience with the method. Unexpectedly students who felt more invulnerable were more likely to have used condoms in the past. An open-ended question on factors that place students at low risk of HIV revealed several invalid assumptions e.g. monogamy not using drugs discussing HIV with ones partner. It is hypothesized that exposure to educational material on the risk factors for HIV has lulled many students into a false sense of security about their personal vulnerability.
Making the Past into Prologue: A Response to Professor Bennett.

put differently, the examples of Merriam and Jennings show that successful scholars can also be committed civic educators, but in the final analysis it is wise to remember (in Professor Bennett's own words) that "success in political science departments, as is true throughout academe, comes to researchers and, in lesser measure, trainers of graduate students." Consider, too, Bennett's attempt to resuscitate the civic education credentials of William Bennett
Enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis rate of olive oil in water by dimethyl β-cyclodextrin

The hydrolysis rate of olive oil byCandida cylindracea lipase in an aqueous solution without surfactants can be increased up to 6-fold by the addition of up to 60 mg/ml of dimethyl β-cyclodextrin (DMCD).
Incorporating Analytical Chemistry into an Introductory Course in Chemistry

Abstract This paper highlights a new introductory level course entitled “Thermodynamics, Equilibria, and Kinetics” that provides students with an early introduction to incorporating analytical chemistry into their laboratory work. The rationale for creating the course and the course's format are outlined. Examples highlighting the use of spectroscopy illustrate the development of a student's ability to think as an analytical chemist.