Welfare Reform and the Devolution of Decision Making Authority: Changes in Administrative Infrastructure for TANF Implementation

The growing demand for welfare reform represented a devolution of authority from federal administration and enabled state governments to seek ways to improve efficiency and enhance coordination in managing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. This shift in authority from the federal government to the state and from the state to county administration empowered interagency collaboration and partnership by expanding organizational linkages between state agencies and local governments, nonprofit, and for-profit agencies for the shared goal of welfare reform.Based on a theoretical framework from New Public Management and governance theories, this research is a small-n comparative case study that explores how the shift in authority emerged at state and local administrative levels, and how states have changed TANF implementation structure in two states: New York and Pennsylvania. It also examines whether the evolution in TANF administrative infrastructure changed the decision making capacity of organizations at state and local welfare jurisdictions and contributed to economic self-sufficiency of TANF clients. The practices of Albany County, New York and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania are examined to explore how county government has implemented TANF programs in partnership with other organizations. This research conducts qualitative, quantitative, and network analysis using data from interviews, surveys, and archival records. It finds that state and county governments in New York and Pennsylvania have not substantially reinvented internal structures, but have expanded the collaboration and partnership with state or county sister agencies and nongovernmental organizations for improving efficiency. The experimentation of New York and Pennsylvania reveals that the involvement of other organizations made a substantial contribution to the decision making capacity of the organizations involved in TANF implementation. It did not yet contribute significantly to an increase in family income for TANF clients. The data also show that a larger proportion of TANF clients left welfare not for employment, but for other reasons. States sought to reduce welfare rolls without a thorough assessment of the impact of participation on the real lives of TANF clients and the reasons why clients left the program until the reauthorization in 2002. TANF clients still face difficult circumstances in becoming economically self-sufficient

Ulmus davidiana var japonica Attenuates Neuroinflammatory Responses in Activated BV2 Murine Microglial Cells via Nuclear Factor-KappaB Signaling Pathway

Purpose: To investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Ulmus davidiana extract (UDE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 cells.Methods: Antioxidant activity was measured using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Cell viability was evaluated using 3 (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. BV-2 cells were stimulated with LPS to study protein expression and production of inflammatory mediators, and determined by Western blot analysis.Results: UDE significantly inhibited DPPH-generated free radicals showing maximum inhibition at 40 μg/mL (p < 0.001). UDE alone did not exhibit any signs of cytotoxicity towards BV-2 cells up to 100 μg/mL concentration. The LPS induced increase in the production of nitric oxide was concentration dependently suppressed with half-maximal concentration (IC50) of 67.4 μg/ mL of UDE (p < 0.05 at 10 μg/mL, p < 0.01 at 20 μg/mL and p < 0.001 at 40 μg/mL, respectively). UDE also inhibited dosedependently the LPS-induced increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expressions with IC50 of 52.3 ug/ mL. Furthermore, the production of pro inflammatory cytokines, via tumor necrosis factor-α by LPS-stimulation in BV2 murine cells was inhibited dosedependently with IC50 of 85.1 ug/ mL by UDE pretreatment. Mechanistic studies revealed that UDE acts by regulation of nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells.Conclusion: This study shows, for the first time, that UDE possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and can be developed as a potential therapeutic agent for ameliorating macrophage-mediated inflammation.Keywords: Ulmus davidiana, Anti-oxidant, Anti-inflammatory, iNOS, NF-κB, MCP-1, ER

Progressive evolution of tunneling characteristics of in-situ fabricated intrinsic Josephson junctions in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+delta} single crystals

Stacks of a few intrinsic tunnel junctions were micro-fabricated on the surface of Bi-2212 single crystals. The number of junctions in a stack was tailored by progressively increasing the height of the stack by ion-beam etching, while its tunneling characteristics were measured in-situ in a vacuum chamber for temperatures down to ~13 K. Using this in-situ etching/measurements technique in a single piece of crystal, we systematically excluded any spurious effects arising from variations in the junction parameters and made clear analysis on the following properties of the surface and inner conducting planes. First, the tunneling resistance and the current-voltage curves are scaled by the surface junction resistance. Second, we confirm that the reduction in both the gap and the superconducting transition temperature of the surface conducting plane in contact with a normal metal is not caused by the variation in the doping level, but is caused by the proximity contact. Finally, the main feature of a junction is not affected by the presence of other junctions in a stack in a low bias region.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Suppressed Superconductivity of the Surface Conduction Layer in Bi2_2Sr2_2CaCu2_2O8+x_{8+x} Single Crystals Probed by {\it c}-Axis Tunneling Measurements

We fabricated small-size stacks on the surface of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ (BSCCO-2212) single crystals with the bulk transition temperature $T_c$$\simeq$90 K, each containing a few intrinsic Josephson junctions. Below a critical temperature $T_c'$ ($\ll$ $T_c$), we have observed a weakened Josephson coupling between the CuO$_2$ superconducting double layer at the crystal surface and the adjacent one located deeper inside a stack. The quasiparticle branch in the $IV$ data of the weakened Josephson junction (WJJ) fits well to the tunneling characteristics of a d-wave superconductor($'$)/insulator/d-wave superconductor (D$'$ID) junction. Also, the tunneling resistance in the range $T_c'$$<$$T$$<$$T_c$ agrees well with the tunneling in a normal metal/insulator/d-wave superconductor (NID) junction. In spite of the suppressed superconductivity at the surface layer the symmetry of the order parameter appears to remain unaffected.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Earnings Management Of Mergers And Acquisitions Of Target Candidates And Deal Withdrawn

In this paper, we investigate the tendencies of target candidate companies to manage earnings, which affects financial reporting quality, in order to increase transaction value, and the withdrawal of deals as a result of low financial reporting quality in M&amp;A in a sample of 316 mergers and acquisitions in South Korea between 2002 and 2011. Using the accruals quality measure developed by Dechow and Dichev (2002) as a proxy for financial reporting quality, we find the following. First, the financial reporting quality of target candidate firms is lower than that of non-target candidate firms because target candidate firms engage in earnings management prior to M&amp;A. Second, low-quality financial reporting of target firms is positively related to the likelihood of deal withdrawal as a result of poor financial reporting quality

A photonic-crystal optical antenna for extremely large local-field enhancement

We propose a novel design of an all-dielectric optical antenna based on photonic-band-gap confinement. Specifically, we have engineered the photonic-crystal dipole mode to have broad spectral response (Q ~70) and well-directed vertical-radiation by introducing a plane mirror below the cavity. Considerably large local electric-field intensity enhancement ~4,500 is expected from the proposed design for a normally incident planewave. Furthermore, an analytic model developed based on coupled-mode theory predicts that the electric-field intensity enhancement can easily be over 100,000 by employing reasonably high-Q (~10,000) resonators

Seismic Improvement of RC Beam-Column Joints Using Hexagonal CFRP Bars combined with CFRP Sheets

Under severe earthquake conditions, the lack of strength and ductility in reinforced concrete beam–column joints with non-seismic details raises serious concerns for overall structural safety. In this study, experimental research was carried out in order to try and improve the seismic strength and performance of reinforced concrete exterior beam–column joints by applying embedded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars combined with CFRP sheets. CFRP bars have a flat-typed hexagonal cross-section. Specimens of reinforced concrete exterior beam–column joints were manufactured based on a newly developed strengthening method by applying embedded CFRP hexagonal bars combined with externally bonded CFRP sheets, and tested for comparison with the specimen of a conventional reinforced concrete exterior beam–column joint. The newly developed design approach could minimize damage and improve the overall structural performances of beam–column joints under cyclic load reversals

Effects of Distilled Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu and Rehmannia glutinosa Pharmacopuncture at GB21 (Jianjing) on Heart Rate Variability: A Randomized and Double-blind Clinical Trial

AbstractBackground/PurposeThe purpose of this study was to use heart rate variability (HRV) to investigate the effects of distilled Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu pharmacopuncture and Rehmannia glutinosa pharmacopuncture on the autonomic nervous system.Materials and methodsForty healthy male participants were divided into two groups: the participants of the C-group received distilled Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu pharmacopuncture and those of the R-group received Rehmannia glutinosa pharmacopuncture. The study design was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Each participant received one of the two solutions injected at GB21 (Jianjing). The changes in HRV were measured seven times using the QECG-3: LXC3203 system (LAXTHA Inc. Korea). Time-dependent changes in HRV for each group were analyzed using the paired t test (significance level: p < 0.05), and the difference in the HRV fluctuations between the two experimental groups was evaluated using the independent sample test (significance level: p < 0.05).Results and conclusionThe results showed that Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu pharmacopuncture and Rehmannia glutinosa pharmacopuncture tended to activate the autonomic nervous system within the normal range. Cervi Pantotrichum Cornu pharmacopuncture tended to activate the sympathetic nervous system, whereas Rehmannia glutinosa pharmacopuncture tended to activate both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin isolated from peels of immature Shiranuhi fruit exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on LPSinduced RAW264.7 cells

Purpose: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol extract of the immature fruit of a citrus, Shiranuhi, and to identify the active ingredient.Methods: The immature Shiranuhi peel was extracted with 80 % ethanol, and the extract was fractionated with solvents (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol) to afford the corresponding fractions and water residue. Among them, the EtOAc-soluble portion was subjected to medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) over a reversed-phase SiO2 column to give compound 1. The isolated compound was identified based on the proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The release of nitric oxide, prostaglandin (PG)E2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 secreted by mouse macrophages was measured using RAW264.7 cell culture supernatant.Results: Shiranuhi (Korean name, Hallabong) is an important citrus species cultivated in Jeju Island, Korea. A polymethoxyflavonoid (PMF), tetramethyl-O-scutellarin (1), was isolated from the peels of immature Shiranuhi fruit. Upon the evaluation of anti-inflammatory effects, the flavonoid 1 decreased the nitric oxide production in macrophage cells with high efficiency, viz, 50 % inhibition concentration, IC50 of 57.4 μM. Subsequent studies demonstrated that PMF 1 effectively inhibited the generation of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokine in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin (1) has been successfully isolated from Shiranuhi species for the first time. Thus, Shiranuhi fruit peel extract containing PMF 1 can potentially be applied as an antiinflammatory ingredient in food or cosmetic industries.Keywords: Shiranuhi fruit, Nitric oxide, Tetramethyl-O-scutellarin, Anti-inflammator