California\u27s Three Strikes Law - Should a Juvenile Adjudication be a Ball or a Strike?

This Comment discusses California\u27s Three Strikes sentencing law as it applies to non-jury trial juvenile adjudications. It analyzes the due process and equal protection issues raised by Three Strikes\u27 use of juvenile adjudications as strikes under California law. The author concludes that the classification of these adjudications as strikes will probably withstand a due process challenge. The author recognizes, however, that some equal protection claims may be meritorious. The author concludes by recommending several amendments to the Three Strikes provisions, which would eliminate equal protection challenges

Characterization of Photosynthetic Reaction Centers from Bradyrhizobium Strain BTAi 1

Photosynthetic rhizobia have been studied for about 15 years now. They are now considered to be metabolically aligned with a relatively recently discovered group of bacteria, the anoxygenic aerobic phototrophs (AAP’s).Rhizobia form symbiotic relationships with plants from the Fabaceae family. Photosynthetic rhizobia not only nodulate the roots, as most other rhizobia do, but they also form nodules on the stems of certain leguminous plants. The plant provides carbon to the bacteria and the bacteria provides the plant with soluble nitrogen fixed from the biologically inert but abundant atmospheric N2. A key question regarding photosynthetic rhizobia and other AAP’s derives from the observation that photosynthesis in these organisms shuts down under anaerobic conditions. It has been proposed, and is the hypothesis of this thesis that the primary electron acceptor (QA) in the photosynthetic reaction center has a higher midpoint potential than in reaction centers found in the AAP’s counterparts, the anaerobic purple bacteria. If QA had a higher midpoint potential, it would be more labile to overreduction under anoxic conditions, and if QA is reduced, then photosynthetic electron transport is blocked. A redox titration was done to measure the midpoint potential of Q in the reaction centers of BTAi 1. This was done by observing the level of P (primary electron donor) bleaching upon excitation with bright light at different ambient redox potentials. The level of P bleaching is proportional to the fraction of QA that is not reduced, since P cannot bleach and donate an electron if QA is already reduced. Reaction centers from BTAi 1 were purified using two techniques, both involving ion exchange chromatography and one involving ammonium sulfate precipitation. Reaction centers were characterized by spectrophotometric studies, mass spectroscopy studies (MALDI TOF) and the cofactor composition was determined.Themidpoint potential of QA in BTAi 1 is –44 mV vs. SHE. The molecular weights of the subunits are very comparable to other photosynthetic reaction centers, from both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The pigment stoichiometry of reaction centers from BTAi1 is 2:1 bacteriochlorophyll:bacteriopheophytin. Both absorbance and light minus dark absorbance spectra are nearly identical to that found in anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria.Photosynthetic reaction centers in BTAi 1 are very similar to reaction centers of anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria. The midpoint potential of QA cannot account for its overreduction under anaerobic conditions. It is likely that AAP’s lack a key enzyme that would participate in redox homeostasis of the photosynthetic electron transport chain

Cultural Value Orientations as an Antecedent to the Formation of International Interfirm Relationships: The Developmentof Cultural Value Dimensions in a Business Context

With the importance of international interfirm relationships increasing, it becomes critical to understand the antecedents and consequences of relationship formation. Difficulty in relationships occur when firms with differing cultural value orientations attempt to engage in exchange. Culture affects the international firm in several ways: 1) difficulty in establishing a single organizational culture when a firm is comprised of multi-national employees; 2) difficulty in serving the market when cultural differences exist in the consumer; and 3) difficulty in establishing interfirm relationships across cultural boundaries. Individually, these problems are difficult to resolve, combined they can lead to failure. The first two have received considerable treatment in the management and marketing literature. The third area, international interfirm relationships, is just beginning to be investigated. It is this third area that is the subject of this investigation. In order to test the relationship between culture and relationship structure, we must be able to measure the cultural value orientations of firms. Current measures of cultural value orientations are insufficient. Most existing measures of culture focus on societal culture without specifically recognizing the specialized environment of business. The measures that are operationalized in a business context have received heavy criticism concerning their development, and the validity of the resulting measures. The primary focus of this study is to develop a set of measures of cultural value orientations within a business context. These measures are then used to test the relationship between culture and interfirm interaction. In this study, a conceptual framework of business decision making within a cultural context is developed and tested. The conceptual framework consists of a matrix created by intersecting five cultural value dimensions: individualism/collectivism, Logic/Emotion, Tolerance for Ambiguity, Equality/Hierarchy, and Time Orientation; with seven business context variables. The result is a thirty-five cell matrix with each cell identifying a particular behavioral situation. The situation is described by a pair of terms representing the polar extremes of the cultural dimension. Scale items were developed for each behavior situation and were administered along with measures of channel relationship preferences. Data was collected from Hungarian managers, and from U.S. managers. This sample allowed for known group comparisons for each of the five cultural value dimension scales. Comparisons are made between the scales under development, and Hofstede\u27s scales measuring the same dimensions. Finally, tests of predictive ability were made between the scales and measures of business relationships. The results of the study show moderate evidence of the scales\u27 validity. Findings include the identification of a set of post-socialism cultural values that are unique to the Hungarian experience, and may reflect the values held by many throughout Central and Eastern Europe

The Association Between Access to Marriage Rights and the Well-Being of White Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals in the United States.

The present study aimed to examine factors related to having access to marriage rights among same-sex couples (N = 221). Having access to, or being denied access to, marriage rights in participants' state of residence was the predictive variable of interest. Well-being, social support, gay-related stress and relationship satisfaction were factors of interest, with well-being the primary outcome variable of interest. While there has been a significant amount of research conducted over the past 15 years which has found discrimination against lesbians, gays and bisexuals [LGBs] to be prevalent (Herek & Sims, 2007; Meyer, 2003), and linked to a direct negative impact on LGBs psychological and physical well-being (Balsam, Rothblum & Beauchaine, 2005), little research has been done to examine the impact of institutional discrimination, such as marriage laws. This study utilized constructs measuring experiences of discrimination, couples' access to social support, relationship satisfaction, and overall well-being, as research has suggested that marriage impacts a couple's access to social support from family and larger community networks, which has been found to be associated with overall well-being and relationship satisfaction (Gove et al., 2005). This dissertation attempts to make a contribution to an emerging but primarily understudied area of research by providing insight into the experiences of same-sex couples. Primary hypotheses tested were whether access (or denial) to marriage rights impacts gay-related stress, relationship satisfaction, one's access to social support within their relationship, and how these variables are associated with one's overall well-being

The Role Of Flextime Appeal On Family And Work Outcomes Among Active And Non-Active Flextime Users: A Between Groups And Within Groups Analysis

The influence of schedule flexibility, including flextime, on work-family balance and job outcomes has been of great interest to both members of academia and practitioners.  However, the role that the desirability of flextime has on such constructs has been largely ignored in past literature.  Additionally, relatively few studies have investigated differences between work-family balance and job satisfaction among those who are actively using flextime and those who are not currently using flextime.  Results of this study strengthen the need for an increased understanding of the role that flextime appeal serves in work-family balance and job satisfaction, and the impact that flextime has on enhancing these important work-related constructs.  Other meaningful differences between flextime users and non-flextime users, including the roles of gender and the presence of children living at home are also explored

Trust As A Precursor Or Outcome Of Relational Norm Development: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of US And Hungarian Managers

This study proposes and tests a model delineating relational norms and their relationship with the construct Trust and compares the results across two culture groups.  The norms of Solidarity, Flexibility, and Mutuality are proposed as precursors to the formation of Trust.  SEM results confirm two opposing models for U.S. and Hungarian respondents.  Relational Norms have a strong positive relationship with formation of Trust for the Hungarian respondents, acting as a precursor of Trust.  Whereas, the relationship between trust and the relational norms is weak for the U.S. respondents, and indicates that Trust is a precursor to the formation of Relational Norms

The Influence Of Coaching On Employee Perceptions Of Supervisor Effectiveness And Organizational Policies

This study investigates the effects of the use of coaching as a management style on supervisor effectiveness and key employee-related organizational policies.  Specifically, we examine the direct effects of coaching on employee perceived supervisor effectiveness and organizational work-family balance support, as well as the impact of supervisory effectiveness on employee perceived effectiveness of organizational rewards programs.  Ordinal regression was used to test the hypotheses, and data from 134 undergraduate and graduate business students enrolled in a Northeast university who indicated that they were currently employed on a full-time basis support these relationships.  Results show that the degree to which employees view their supervisor as acting as a coach positively influences perceived supervisor effectiveness and organizational work-family balance support.  Additionally, results support the notion that organizational work-family balance support also leads to perceived supervisor effectiveness which, in turn, positively influences employee perception regarding the effectiveness of organizational rewards programs

Maternal treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and delayed neonatal adaptation: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use is common in pregnancy. It is associated with delayed neonatal adaptation. Most previous studies have not adjusted for the severity of maternal mental health disorders or examined the impact of SSRI type and dosage. We examined whether treatment with SSRIs in late pregnancy (after 20 weeks) is associated with delayed neonatal adaptation independent of maternal depression and anxiety. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS: Retrospective population-based birth cohort of 280 090 term infants born at 15 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals, 2011-2019. Individual-level pharmacy, maternal, pregnancy and neonatal data were obtained from electronic medical records. EXPOSURE: Dispensed maternal SSRI prescription after 20 weeks of pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Delayed neonatal adaptation defined as a 5 min Apgar score ≤5, resuscitation at birth or admission to a neonatal intensive care unit for respiratory support. Secondary outcomes included each individual component of the primary outcome and more severe neonatal outcomes (pulmonary hypertension, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and seizures). RESULTS: 7573 (2.7%) infants were exposed to SSRIs in late pregnancy. Delayed neonatal adaptation occurred in 11.2% of exposed vs 4.4% of unexposed infants (relative risk 2.52 (95% CI 2.36 to 2.70)). After multivariable adjustment, there was an association between SSRI exposure and delayed neonatal adaptation (adjusted OR 2.14 (95% CI 1.96 to 2.32)). This association was dose dependent. Escitalopram and fluoxetine were associated with the highest risk of delayed neonatal adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: Infants exposed to SSRIs have increased risks of delayed adaptation in a type and dose-dependent relationship, pointing toward a causal relationship

Photosynthetic growth despite a broken Q-cycle

Central in respiration or photosynthesis, the cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes are regarded as functionally similar quinol oxidoreductases. They both catalyse a redox loop, the Q-cycle, which couples electron and proton transfer. This loop involves a bifurcated electron transfer step considered as being mechanistically mandatory, making the Q-cycle indispensable for growth. Attempts to falsify this paradigm in the case of cytochrome bc1 have failed. The rapid proteolytic degradation of b6f complexes bearing mutations aimed at hindering the Q-cycle has precluded so far the experimental assessment of this model in the photosynthetic chain. Here we combine mutations in Chlamydomonas that inactivate the redox loop but preserve high accumulation levels of b6f complexes. The oxidoreductase activity of these crippled complexes is sufficient to sustain photosynthetic growth, which demonstrates that the Q-cycle is dispensable for oxygenic photosynthesis