Labor supply and social welfare benefits in the United States /

August 1978.

The social security program. An analysis of the Federal social security act and the testimony preceding its passage with special application to Kansas.

sect. 1. Old-age pensions, federal old-age benefits, aid to dependent children, maternal and child welfare, aid to crippled children, vocational rehabilitation, aid to the blind, public health, unemployment compensation.--sect. 2. Unemployment compensation, federal old-age benefits.

Making public employment a model of equal opportunity : a report of the proceedings of Regional Civil Rights Conference II, sponsored by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Boston, Massachusetts, September 22-24, 1974.

Mode of access: Internet.

TRAP220 is modulated by the antineoplastic agent 6-Mercaptopurine, and mediates the activation of the NR4A subgroup of nuclear receptors

The NR4A1-3 (Nur77, NURR1 and NOR-1) subfamily of nuclear hormone receptors (NRs) has been implicated in Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, manic depression, atherogenesis, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and apoptosis. This has driven investigations into the mechanism of action, and the identification of small molecule regulators, that may provide the platform for pharmaceutical and therapeutic exploitation. Recently, we found that the purine antimetabolite 6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP), which is widely used as an anti-neoplastic and anti-inflammatory drug, modulated the NR4A1-3 subfamily. Interestingly, the agonist-mediated activation did not involve modulation of primary coactivators' (e.g. p300 and SRC-2/GRIP-1) activity and/or recruitment. However, the role of the subsequently recruited coactivators, for example CARM-1 and TRAP220, in 6-MP-mediated activation of the NR4A1-3 subfamily remains obscure. In this study we demonstrate that 6-MP modulates the activity of the coactivator TRAP220 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we demonstrate that TRAP220 potentiates NOR-1-mediated transactivation, and interacts with the NR4A1-3 subgroup in an AF-1-dependent manner in a cellular context. The region of TRAP220 that mediated 6-MP activation and NR4A interaction was delimited to amino acids 1-800, and operates independently of the critical PKC and PKA phosphorylation sites. Interestingly, TRAP220 expression does not increase the relative induction by 6-MP, however the absolute level of NOR-1-mediated trans-activation is increased. This study demonstrates that 6-MP modulates the activity of the NR4A subgroup, and the coactivator TRAP220.

Conservation action in the Galapagos: Feral pig (Sus scrofa) eradication from Santiago Island

Introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction and ecosystem change. As omnivores, feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are responsible for wholesale adverse effects on islands. Here, we report on the eradication of feral pigs from Santiago Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador, which is the largest insular pig removal to date. Using a combination of ground hunting and poisoning, over 18,000 pigs were removed during this 30-year eradication campaign. A sustained effort, an effective poisoning campaign concurrent with the hunting program, access to animals by cutting more trails, and an intensive monitoring program all proved critical to the successful eradication. While low and fluctuating control efforts may help protect select native species, current eradication methods, limited conservation funds, and the potential negative non-target impacts of sustained control efforts all favor an intense eradication effort, rather than a sustained control program. The successful removal of pigs from Santiago Island sets a new precedent, nearly doubling the current size of a successful eradication, and is leading to more ambitious projects. However, now we must turn toward increasing eradication efficiency. Given limited conservation funds, we can no longer afford to spend decades removing introduced mammals from islands.

The mode of action of the plant antimicrobial peptide MiAMP1 differs from that of its structural homologue, the yeast killer toxin WmKT

The plant antimicrobial peptide MiAMP1 from Macadamia integrifolia and the yeast killer toxin peptide WmKT from Williopsis mrakii are structural homologues. Comparative studies of yeast mutants were performed to test their sensitivity to these two antimicrobial peptides. No differences in susceptibility to MiAMP1 were detected between wild-type and several WmKT-resistant mutant yeast strains. A yeast mutant MT1, resistant to MiAMP1 but unaffected in its susceptibility to plant defensins and hydrogen peroxide, also did not show enhanced tolerance towards WmKT. It is therefore probable that the Greek key beta-barrel structure shared by MiAMP1 and WmKT provides a robust structural framework ensuring stability for the two proteins but that the specific action of the peptides depends on other motifs. (C) 2004 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attenuation of cardiovascular remodeling in DOCA-salt rats by the vasopeptidase inhibitor, omapatrilat

Omapatrilat, a vasopeptidase inhibitor, inhibits both neutral endopeptidase and angiotensin-converting enzyme with similar potency. The aim of this study was to investigate whether omapatrilat prevents or reverses cardiovascular remodeling and hypertension in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats. Male Wistar rats (313 2 g, n=114) were uninephrectomized (UNX) with or without further treatment with DOCA and 1% NaCl in the drinking water. Compared with UNX control rats, DOCA-salt rats developed hypertension, cardiovascular hypertrophy, perivascular and interstitial cardiac fibrosis and inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and the prolongation of ventricular action potential duration within four weeks. The administration of omapatrilat (40 mg/kg/day po) for two weeks commencing two weeks after surgery attenuated the development of cardiovascular hypertrophy, inflammation, fibrosis, and ventricular action potential prolongation. In contrast, omapatrilat treatment did not lower systolic blood pressure nor improve endothelial dysfunction. This study concludes that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone, natriuretic peptide, and bradykinin systems are directly involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular remodeling in the DOCA-salt model of hypertension in rats, which may be independent of their effects on blood pressure.

Are Sri Lankan entrepreneurs motivated by the need for achievement?

The entrepreneurship models in existence in Sri Lanka are often based on the assumptions of n-Ach and personality trait theory. In this paper we describe empirical research into entrepreneurial motivations in Sri Lanka that addresses the neglect of socio-cultural factors. Our findings suggest that entrepreneurial motivation in Sri Lanka is rooted not in a need for individual achievement, but in the conscious or unconscious need to satisfy a sense of social intimacy. The emphasis on social power, social relations and collectivism create a setting for entrepreneurial motivation in Sri Lanka that drives almost directly counter to western ideologies of entrepreneurial motivation (from paper).

Harnessing diversity and collective action in the top management team

Diversity has become an important issue at all levels of the company from the boardroom to the back office. It is increasingly apparent that diversity is vital to productivity, with academic research indicating an important link between diverse top management team (TMT) composition and corporate performance. However, the nature of this link remains elusive, as there is little accessible research that can help top teams to evaluate how diversity impacts on their strategic capacity. This paper seeks to fill this gap by developing a conceptual framework, illustrated with case examples, to explain the relationships between TMT diversity and TMT collective action. As collective action is difficult to attain from top teams that are high in diversity, six practical processes are developed from this framework for establishing and exploiting top team strategic capacity. The paper concludes by outlining the theoretical implications of the framework. © Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of action of the tetraflex accommodative intraocular lens

PURPOSE:To investigate the mechanism of action of the Tetraflex (Lenstec Kellen KH-3500) accommodative intraocular lens (IOL). METHODS:Thirteen eyes of eight patients implanted with the Tetraflex accommodating IOL for at least 2 years underwent assessment of their objective amplitude-of-accommodation by autorefraction, anterior chamber depth and pupil size with optical coherence tomography, and IOL flexure with aberrometry, each viewing a target at 0.0 to 4.00 diopters of accommodative demand. RESULTS:Pupil size decreased by 0.62+/-0.41 mm on increasing accommodative demand, but the Tetraflex IOL was relatively fixed in position within the eye. The ocular aberrations of the eye changed with increased accommodative demand, but not in a consistent manner among individuals. Those aberrations that appeared to be most affected were defocus, vertical primary and secondary astigmatism, vertical coma, horizontal and vertical primary and secondary trefoil, and spherical aberration. CONCLUSIONS:Some of the reported near vision benefits of the Tetraflex accommodating IOL appear to be due to changes in the optical aberrations because of the flexure of the IOL on accommodative effort rather than forward movement within the capsular bag.

The effects of persistent articholinesterase action at the neuromuscular junction

The effects of organophosphorus compounds which form a rapidly-ageing complex with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (e.g. pinacolyl S-(2- trimethylaminoethyl)methylphosphonothioate (BOS)) and hence exert a persistent anticholinesterase (anti-ChE) action have been compared with other compounds with a shorter time course of inhibition (e.g. ecothiopate iodide (ECO)). Although the inhibition of AChE produced by BOS lasted longer than that seen with ECO, the time course of the myopathy appeared very similar. BOS also possessed a number of properties which have been seen with other anti-ChEs. BOS and ECO produced significant increases in neuromuscular "jitter" 5 days after injection, not only in the diaphragm but also in the soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. Increases in "jitter" produced by ECO could be prevented by pyridostigmine prophylaxis or rapid treatment with pyridine-2- aldoxime methiodide. Some protection from the BOS-induced increases in "jitter" could be gained by repeated treatment with pyridine-2-aldoxime methiodide, an effect which could not be accounted for simply by enzyme reactivation. From experiments performed in Rej 129 mice it was determined that increases in "jitter", although demonstrated in some dystrophic muscles, could not be used as an early diagnostic tool. Because sequalae of inhibition were present some time after intoxication, by which time AChE appeared biochemically normal, experiments were performed to investigate inactivation of physiologically important AChE. The time course of extracellular MEPPs was utilised as an indicator of physiologically important AChE and compared with the AChE activity measured by the technique of Ellman et al. (1961). It was concluded that the degree of persistence of anti-ChE action was unimportant for the induction of myopathy with a time course of 3-24 hours, but had some importance in events of longer duration.

Parabolic optical pulses under the action of the third-order dispersion

Recent developments in nonlinear optics reveal an interesting class of pulses with a parabolic intensity profile in the energy-containing core and a linear frequency chirp that can propagate in a fiber with normal group-velocity dispersion. Parabolic pulses propagate in a stable selfsimilar manner, holding certain relations (scaling) between pulse power, width, and chirp parameter. In the additional presence of linear amplification, they enjoy the remarkable property of representing a common asymptotic state (or attractor) for arbitrary initial conditions. Analytically, self-similar (SS) parabolic pulses can be found as asymptotic, approximate solutions of the nonlinear Schr¨odinger equation (NLSE) with gain in the semi-classical (largeamplitude/small-dispersion) limit. By analogy with the well-known stable dynamics of solitary waves - solitons, these SS parabolic pulses have come to be known as similaritons. In practical fiber systems, inherent third-order dispersion (TOD) in the fiber always introduces a certain degree of asymmetry in the structure of the propagating pulse, eventually leading to pulse break-up. To date, there is no analytic theory of parabolic pulses under the action of TOD. Here, we develop aWKB perturbation analysis that describes the effect of weak TOD on the parabolic pulse solution of the NLSE in a fiber gain medium. The induced perturbation in phase and amplitude can be found to any order. The theoretical model predicts with sufficient accuracy the pulse structural changes induced by TOD, which are observed through direct numerical NLSE simulations.

Shaping strategic action through the rhetorical construction and exploitation of ambiguity

This paper extends existing understandings of how actors' constructions of ambiguity shape the emergent process of strategic action. We theoretically elaborate the role of rhetoric in exploiting strategic ambiguity, based on analysis of a longitudinal case study of an internationalization strategy within a business school. Our data show that actors use rhetoric to construct three types of strategic ambiguity: protective ambiguity that appeals to common values in order to protect particular interests, invitational ambiguity that appeals to common values in order to invite participation in particular actions, and adaptive ambiguity that enables the temporary adoption of specific values in order to appeal to a particular audience at one point in time. These rhetorical constructions of ambiguity follow a processual pattern that shapes the emergent process of strategic action. Our findings show that (1) the strategic actions that emerge are shaped by the way actors construct and exploit ambiguity, (2) the ambiguity intrinsic to the action is analytically distinct from ambiguity that is constructed and exploited by actors, and (3) ambiguity construction shifts over time to accommodate the emerging pattern of actions.

Dynamic learning as entrepreneurial action in the context of open innovation:an instrumental case from a communities-of-practice perspective

Recent scholarly discussion on open innovation put forward the notion that an organisation's ability to internalise external knowledge and learn from various sources in undertaking new product development is crucial to its competitive performance. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to how growth-oriented small firms identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities (i.e. take entrepreneurial action) related to such development, in an open innovation context, from a social learning perspective. This chapter, based on an instrumental case-firm, demonstrates analytically how learning as entrepreneurial action takes place, drawing on situated learning theory. It is argued that such learning is dynamic in nature and is founded on specific organising principles that foster both inter- and intracommunal learning. © 2012, IGI Global.

Parabolic optical pulses under the action of the third-order dispersion

Recent developments in nonlinear optics reveal an interesting class of pulses with a parabolic intensity profile in the energy-containing core and a linear frequency chirp that can propagate in a fiber with normal group-velocity dispersion. Parabolic pulses propagate in a stable selfsimilar manner, holding certain relations (scaling) between pulse power, width, and chirp parameter. In the additional presence of linear amplification, they enjoy the remarkable property of representing a common asymptotic state (or attractor) for arbitrary initial conditions. Analytically, self-similar (SS) parabolic pulses can be found as asymptotic, approximate solutions of the nonlinear Schr¨odinger equation (NLSE) with gain in the semi-classical (largeamplitude/small-dispersion) limit. By analogy with the well-known stable dynamics of solitary waves - solitons, these SS parabolic pulses have come to be known as similaritons. In practical fiber systems, inherent third-order dispersion (TOD) in the fiber always introduces a certain degree of asymmetry in the structure of the propagating pulse, eventually leading to pulse break-up. To date, there is no analytic theory of parabolic pulses under the action of TOD. Here, we develop aWKB perturbation analysis that describes the effect of weak TOD on the parabolic pulse solution of the NLSE in a fiber gain medium. The induced perturbation in phase and amplitude can be found to any order. The theoretical model predicts with sufficient accuracy the pulse structural changes induced by TOD, which are observed through direct numerical NLSE simulations.