Divorced from knowledge: Perceptions of Alimony Fairness in Relation to Educational Discrepancies

Spousal support or alimony is a cash transfer from one spouse to another after divorce. The amount awarded might seem arbitrary and unfair to either one or both individuals. The public often does not see the fact patterns associated with alimony awards or agreements, and their input may provide information to policymakers and decision-makers about what a fair amount of alimony might be. This study examines data collected from 1,285 U.S. participants randomly assigned to a vignette condition that details a hypothetical alimony scenario where one spouse supported the other spouse to gain education, resulting in significantly increased income prior to divorce. Analyses conducted included logistic regression to determine the likelihood a participant would suggest alimony be awarded. A multivariate Heckman selection model was also applied, suggesting that younger generations believe an educational discrepancy does not necessarily mean the person earning less money should have more alimony. T-tests indicate participants think men who are supported through their education should pay more than women who are. A comparison was made to three commonly used alimony formulas across the United States. Evidence suggests that financial therapists should be aware of the generational differences in how individuals might feel about paying or receiving alimony when there is an educational discrepancy

Money and Betrayal: Perceptions of Alimony Fairness in Relation to Infidelity

Alimony is a contentious topic often argued over during a divorce. Individuals getting divorced seek fairness in an alimony settlement, but due to how laws are written this can seem arbitrary. Public policy suggests laws should reflect the suggestions of the people it affects. Thus, public perception of alimony fairness is an important component in the discussion of what is fair for spouses. In addition, infidelity in marriage might change how the public views what is fair. This study collected data from 1,285 individual United States participants. Participants were randomly assigned a vignette condition related to a hypothetical alimony scenario where one of the spouses had committed infidelity. Using logistic regression and multivariate Heckman selection models, we find when the higher wage earner has an affair, they are punished with a higher alimony amount for a longer period. Further, t-tests indicate that men are punished more than women. Finally, comparisons are made to three alimony formulas used across the United States. Financial therapists may be able to use this information to help divorcing couples separate the emotional aspect of an affair and the needs or ability to pay related to alimony. The results of this can be two-fold: keep the marital estate intact and help the couple heal emotionally

Wealth management and divorce: how stress adjustment affects the accumulation, management and distribution of wealth

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Human Ecology-Personal Financial PlanningStuart HeckmanThe dearth of research on short and long-term effects of divorce on financial behaviors warrants further investigation. This study investigates the effects of divorce on precautionary and retirement savings, proportion of assets in risk investments, and bequest intentions. Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan Center for Social Research, exponential fractional regression models (EFRM) were specified to examine changes in savings behaviors and risky asset share post divorce. Binary logistic regressions were specified on bequest intentions for leaving assets to children, religious organizations, and non-religious charities. For all subgroups, precautionary savings behaviors and retirement savings intially decreased post-divorce, then stabilized and increased in later years. Similarly, for all subgroups risky asset share decreased over time. Sub-analyses also indicate differences between divorced individuals for single income versus double income households, as well as differences between the sexes. Divorced individuals were more likely to hold bequest intentions for children and less likely to bequest to religious and non-religious organizations than married individuals. Practical implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided

Investigation on SS316, and SS440C and Titanium alloy Grade-5 used as a single point cutting tool

The main objective of this work is to find alternative materials for the cutting tools used in turning operations. The conventional materials like tungsten carbide(WC), titanium carbide(TiC), cubic boron nitride (CBN) and diamond used as cutting tools for turning operations on lathe are expensive. Titanium grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), SS440C/AISI440C and SS316 are some of the materials which satisfy the necessary requirements for turning metals and polymer materials. These materials are machined as per the standard tool signature of high-speed steel tool (HSS) and are subjected to necessary heat treatment for hardening and then finish ground. The machined tools thus prepared were used to turn mild steel and aluminium workpieces. The cutting forces at play are determined using lathe tool dynamometer and plotted on a MCD (Merchant’s Circle Diagram). The cutting tools are also subjected to tests to determine tool life, wear and work hardening. It is found that the performance and tool life of SS440C is better and cost effective compared to existing tools. Even though Ti-6Al-4V is comparatively costly it could be used for obtaining good surface finish

Integración de la arquitectura cognitiva SOAR en un entorno ROS sobre un Parrot AR.Drone 2.0

En la vida diaria, el uso de aplicaciones de Inteligencia Artificial (IA) está creciendo. Sin embargo, todavía se necesita de un mayor apoyo para su integración en los robots, lo que conllevará el desarrollo de seres inteligentes capaces de tomar decisiones. Los algoritmos de inteligencia artificial hacen el trabajo más fácil y eficaz. En este documento integramos una Arquitectura Cognitiva (SOAR) desde el dominio de la IA computacional en un Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, un drone cuatrimotor. El principal objetivo es hacerse cargo de la mision con el Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 mediante el establecimiento de una conexion entre el sistema operativo ROS, con la arquitectura cognitiva SOAR, en el que la informacion de los sensores de aviones no tripulados se utiliza para llevar a cabo la tarea requerida. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo la comunicacion bidireccional entre SOAR y ROS, a la vez que interactuar con los seres humanos.Postprint (published version

Antioxidant and Anti-Apoptotic Effect of Melatonin on the Vestibular Hair Cells of Rat Utricles

ObjectivesAminoglycosides are commonly used antibiotic agents, and they are known to generate free oxygen radicals within the inner ear and to cause vestibulo-cochlear toxicity and permanent damage to the sensory hair cells and neurons. Melatonin, a pineal secretory product, has the properties of being a powerful direct and indirect antioxidant. The aim of the present study was to prove the antioxidant effect of melatonin against gentamicin-induced ototoxicty.MethodsThe utricular maculae of Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared from postnatal day 2-4, and these maculae were were divided into 6 groups as follows: 1) control, 2) melatonin only, 3) gentamicin only, and 4), 5), and 6) gentamicin plus melatonin (10, 50, and 100 µM, respectively). To count the number of hair cells, 5 utricles from each group were stained with phalloidin-FITC on the 1st, 4th, and 7th days after drug administration. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by using the fluorescent probe hydrofluorescent diacetate acetyl ester. The caspase-3 activity was also examined with using the fluorescent caspase-3 substrate and performing Western blotting.ResultsThe result of this study showed that gentamicin induced the loss of utricular hair cells, and this loss of hair cells was significantly attenuated by co-administration of melatonin. Melatonin reduced ROS production and caspase-3 activation in the gentamicin treated utricular hair cells.ConclusionOur findings conclusively reveal that melatonin has protective effects against gentamicin-induced hair cell loss in the utricles of rat by inhibiting both ROS production and caspase-3 activity

Pathway analysis of dilated cardiomyopathy using global proteomic profiling and enrichment maps

Global protein expression profiling can potentially uncover perturbations associated with common forms of heart disease. We have used shotgun MS/MS to monitor the state of biological systems in cardiac tissue correlating with disease onset, cardiac insufficiency and progression to heart failure in a time-course mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy. However, interpreting the functional significance of the hundreds of differentially expressed proteins has been challenging. Here, we utilize improved enrichment statistical methods and an extensive collection of functionally related gene sets, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the progressive alterations associated with functional decline in dilated cardiomyopathy. We visualize the enrichment results as an Enrichment Map, where significant gene sets are grouped based on annotation similarity. This approach vastly simplifies the interpretation of the large number of enriched gene sets found. For pathways of specific interest, such as Apoptosis and the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cascade, we performed a more detailed analysis of the underlying signaling network, including experimental validation of expression patterns

An Epithelial Serine Protease, AgESP, Is Required for Plasmodium Invasion in the Mosquito Anopheles gambiae

Background: Plasmodium parasites need to cross the midgut and salivary gland epithelia to complete their life cycle in the mosquito. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanism and the mosquito genes that participate in this process is still very limited. Methodology/Principal Findings: We identified an Anopheles gambiae epithelial serine protease (AgESP) that is constitutively expressed in the submicrovillar region of mosquito midgut epithelial cells and in the basal side of the salivary glands that is critical for Plasmodium parasites to cross these two epithelial barriers. AgESP silencing greatly reduces Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum midgut invasion and prevents the transcriptional activation of gelsolin, a key regulator of actin remodeling and a reported Plasmodium agonist. AgESP expression is highly induced in midgut cells invaded by Plasmodium, suggesting that this protease also participates in the apoptotic response to invasion. In salivary gland epithelial cells, AgESP is localized on the basal side–the surface with which sporozoites interact. AgESP expression in the salivary gland is also induced in response to P. berghei and P. falciparum sporozoite invasion, and AgESP silencing significantly reduces the number of sporozoites that invade this organ. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that AgESP is required for Plasmodium parasites to effectively traverse the midgut and salivary gland epithelial barriers. Plasmodium parasites need to modify the actin cytoskeleton of mosquito epithelial cells t

Mycobacterium indicus pranii Supernatant Induces Apoptotic Cell Death in Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages In Vitro

Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP), also known as Mw, is a saprophytic, non-pathogenic strain of Mycobacterium and is commercially available as a heat-killed vaccine for leprosy and recently tuberculosis (TB) as part of MDT. In this study we provide evidence that cell-free supernatant collected from original MIP suspension induces rapid and enhanced apoptosis in mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. It is demonstrated that the MIP cell-free supernatant induced apoptosis is mitochondria-mediated and caspase independent and involves mitochondrial translocation of Bax and subsequent release of AIF and cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Experiments with pharmacological inhibitors suggest a possible role of PKC in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of macrophages

Icariside II Induces Apoptosis in U937 Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells: Role of Inactivation of STAT3-Related Signaling

Background: The aim of this study is to determine anti-cancer effect of Icariside II purified from the root of Epimedium koreanum Nakai on human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line U937. Methodology/Principal Findings Icariside II blocked the growth U937 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In this anti-proliferation process, this herb compound rendered the cells susceptible to apoptosis, manifested by enhanced accumulation of sub-G1 cell population and increased the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. Icariside II was able to activate caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in a time-dependent manner. Concurrently, the anti-apoptotic proteins, such as bcl-xL and survivin in U937 cells, were downregulated by Icariside II. In addition, Icariside II could inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation and function and subsequently suppress the activation of Janus activated kinase 2 (JAK2), the upstream activators of STAT3, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Icariside II also enhanced the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) SH2 domain-containing phosphatase (SHP)-1, and the addition of sodium pervanadate (a PTP inhibitor) prevented Icariside II-induced apoptosis as well as STAT3 inactivation in STAT3 positive U937 cells. Furthermore, silencing SHP-1 using its specific siRNA significantly blocked STAT3 inactivation and apoptosis induced by Icariside II in U937 cells. Conclusions/Significance: Our results demonstrated that via targeting STAT3-related signaling, Icariside II sensitizes U937 cells to apoptosis and perhaps serves as a potent chemotherapeutic agent for AML