Pornography and erotica: Definitions and Prevalence

In this paper, we offer some observations regarding the sex industry, in particular the pornography and erotica sectors. Marketing literature observing pornography and erotica is scant. We find that following exponential growth of the sex industry (given use of the Internet) an evaluation of consumer behaviour and marketing practices is justified. In order to begin a study of these industry sectors, we find it necessary to define both pornography and erotica. Following the development of definitions, we consider these industries from a marketing perspective in the hope that we may encourage research into these areas

Algorithmic Decision-Making and Corporate Risk: Toward Transparency Through Corporate Disclosures

Consider this hypothetical scenario: a national car seller implements an algorithmic decision-making system to raise profits by ten percent in the next year. The algorithm will target the most competitive geographic market for a particular vehicle, recommend a price, and screen consumers for creditworthiness. The algorithm is immensely successful, and the corporation achieves its goal for increased profits. But a disturbing trend emerges when multiple consumers file lawsuits alleging discriminatory practices. Consumers claim that the corporation gave Black borrowers with otherwise equal credentials less favorable loan terms than white borrowers. Barred from bringing suit by a contractual arbitration provision and class action waiver, the consumers take to the media. In turn, shareholders demand transparency and ultimately file suit alleging securities fraud under the Securities Exchange Act. This fact pattern may be a familiar one. It is analogous to algorithmic discrimination in fintech, employee hiring, and consumer data privacy. Consumers themselves face hurdles and contractual bars to bringing suit, and the enforcement agencies struggle to keep pace with advances in technology. Securities regulations present a final check on the untethered use of algorithmic decision-making. With modest development, securities laws can provide transparency and enforcement to deter inappropriate use of algorithmic decision systems in the corporate context. This Comment proposes three concepts to enable that development: modernize Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure requirements, adapt the scienter and causation elements in securities fraud claims, and create a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and SEC working group. After scoping the problem in this introduction, this Comment proceeds in three parts. Part II evaluates corporate reliance on algorithmic decision-making. Parts III and IV take a critical look at how corporate filing requirements under the Exchange Act have adapted, or not adapted, to algorithmic decision-making. Part V proposes a new approach to advance the policy goals of the Exchange Act. I conclude with a proposal that corporations should disclose these risks in SEC filings now rather than wait for legislation. More realistically, Congress and the SEC should consider updating the SEC’s regulations

A Facile Preparation of Imidazolinium Chlorides

A process for the preparation of symmetric and unsymmetric imidazolinium chlorides that involves reaction of a formamidine with dichloroethane and a base (a) is described. This method makes it possible to obtain numerous imidazolinium chlorides under solvent-free reaction conditions and in excellent yields with purification by simple filtration. Alternatively, symmetric imidazolinium chlorides can be prepared directly in moderate yields from substituted anilines by utilizing half of the formamidine intermediate as sacrificial base (b)

Nonproductive Events in Ring-Closing Metathesis Using Ruthenium Catalysts

The relative TONs of productive and nonproductive metathesis reactions of diethyl diallylmalonate are compared for eight different ruthenium-based catalysts. Nonproductive cross metathesis is proposed to involve a chain-carrying ruthenium methylidene. A second more-challenging substrate (dimethyl allylmethylallylmalonate) that forms a trisubstituted olefin product is used to further delineate the effect of catalyst structure on the relative efficiencies of these processes. A steric model is proposed to explain the observed trends

Effects of NHC-Backbone Substitution on Efficiency in Ruthenium-Based Olefin Metathesis

series of ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with varying degrees of backbone and N-aryl substitution have been prepared. These complexes show greater resistance to decomposition through C−H activation of the N-aryl group, resulting in increased catalyst lifetimes. This work has utilized robotic technology to examine the activity and stability of each catalyst in metathesis, providing insights into the relationship between ligand architecture and enhanced efficiency. The development of this robotic methodology has also shown that, under optimized conditions, catalyst loadings as low as 25 ppm can lead to 100% conversion in the ring-closing metathesis of diethyl diallylmalonate

Satellite Observations for Identifying Continental-Scale Climate Change over Australia

Australia’s large extent and relatively low population density, as well as its range of climates, means that it is heavily dependent upon satellite observations to identify the extent and magnitude of climate change. This work examines three types of satellite missions that are used to assess different aspects of climate change. The first involves the use of radio occultation measurements based on signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) spacecraft made by low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites to identify changes in the height of the tropopause, a sensitive indicator of climate change owing to its response to temperature changes in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The second deals with rainfall over Australia, as measured by the Tropical Rainfall Monitoring Mission (TRMM), in conjunction with other satellite- and ground-based observations. Such observations are invaluable, given the scarcity of ground-based observations over vast areas of Australia.While a comparison between the TRMM product and existing ground-based data is very good, there appears to be a decrease in the correlation between datasets, the reason for which is still being investigated. Finally, we examine the state of terrestrial water storage over Australia as determined from variations in the regional gravity field as measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) twin-satellite mission. The loss of substantial volumes of ground water from the Murray-Darling River Basin in the southeast corner of the continent is very apparent, as is an increase over the northern parts of the country. Together, such satellite missions provide a continental-scale picture of climate change over Australia, with temperature and rainfall variations, as well as water resources, able to be monitored, providing valuable information to natural resource managers and climate modellers who endeavour to predict future changes

Improving language mapping in clinical fMRI through assessment of grammar.

IntroductionBrain surgery in the language dominant hemisphere remains challenging due to unintended post-surgical language deficits, despite using pre-surgical functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) and intraoperative cortical stimulation. Moreover, patients are often recommended not to undergo surgery if the accompanying risk to language appears to be too high. While standard fMRI language mapping protocols may have relatively good predictive value at the group level, they remain sub-optimal on an individual level. The standard tests used typically assess lexico-semantic aspects of language, and they do not accurately reflect the complexity of language either in comprehension or production at the sentence level. Among patients who had left hemisphere language dominance we assessed which tests are best at activating language areas in the brain.MethodWe compared grammar tests (items testing word order in actives and passives, wh-subject and object questions, relativized subject and object clauses and past tense marking) with standard tests (object naming, auditory and visual responsive naming), using pre-operative fMRI. Twenty-five surgical candidates (13 females) participated in this study. Sixteen patients presented with a brain tumor, and nine with epilepsy. All participants underwent two pre-operative fMRI protocols: one including CYCLE-N grammar tests (items testing word order in actives and passives, wh-subject and object questions, relativized subject and object clauses and past tense marking); and a second one with standard fMRI tests (object naming, auditory and visual responsive naming). fMRI activations during performance in both protocols were compared at the group level, as well as in individual candidates.ResultsThe grammar tests generated more volume of activation in the left hemisphere (left/right angular gyrus, right anterior/posterior superior temporal gyrus) and identified additional language regions not shown by the standard tests (e.g., left anterior/posterior supramarginal gyrus). The standard tests produced more activation in left BA 47. Ten participants had more robust activations in the left hemisphere in the grammar tests and two in the standard tests. The grammar tests also elicited substantial activations in the right hemisphere and thus turned out to be superior at identifying both right and left hemisphere contribution to language processing.ConclusionThe grammar tests may be an important addition to the standard pre-operative fMRI testing

Implementing Fee-Based ICM Services

Since 1993, a group of agrichemical dealers and public sector agencies, including Iowa State University Extension (ISUE) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), have been exploring the potential for fee-based crop management services in northwest Iowa. The Agribusiness Association of Iowa helped to bring the public and private sector groups together. In 1995, funding from USDA, and later also U.S. EPA through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, established the Northwest Iowa Agribusiness ICM Project. The objective of the project is to demonstrate comprehensive, fee-based ICM services by dealers, ideally as separate profit centers. All dealers in a nine-county area of northwest Iowa are eligible to work with the project, which provides both agronomic and business planning assistance

Integrated Crop Management Services Selling Advice for Profit

Some progressive Iowa dealers are developing comprehensive, fee-based integrated crop management (ICM) services that increase profitability for their own businesses as well as for their customers\u27 operations. More commonly, dealers provide crop management services free in support of product sales, but these services are limited in scope and generally involve diagnosing and reacting to problems. In contrast, the principal focus of fee-based ICM services is on field-by-field planning from a systems perspective (Brown et al, 1995). ICM aims to manage (avoid or control) nutrient and pest problems, if possible, not just rescue the crop once a problem has occurred. ICM services also provide recommendations on manure management, timing, varieties, equipment and other aspects of the client\u27s operation where profit-limiting variables can be identified and refined