Missing Women and Bare Branches: Gender Balance and Conflict

The emerging subfield of “security demographics” examines the linkages between population dynamics and the security trajectories of nation-states. For the last 5 to 10 years, researchers have examined the security aspects of such topics as the demographic transition, the sub-replacement birth rates of developed economies, the proportion of young men as compared to older men in the population, the effects of legal and illegal immigration, and the effects of pandemics such as AIDS and drug-resistant tuberculosis. This paper aims to add the variable of gender balance to the discussion: are societies with an abnormal ratio between men and women less secure

Menthol sensory qualities and smoking topography: a review of tobacco industry documents.

ObjectiveTo determine what the tobacco industry knew about the potential effects of menthol on smoking topography-how a person smokes a cigarette.MethodsA snowball strategy was used to systematically search the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) between 1 June 2010 and 9 August 2010. We qualitatively analysed a final collection of 252 documents related to menthol and smoking topography.ResultsThe tobacco industry knew that menthol has cooling, anaesthetic and analgesic properties that moderate the harshness and irritation of tobacco. Owing to its physiological effects, menthol contributes to the sensory qualities of the smoke and affects smoking topography and cigarette preference.ConclusionOur review of industry studies suggests that the amount of menthol in a cigarette is associated with how the cigarette is smoked and how satisfying it is to the smoker. If menthol in cigarettes was banned, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently considering, new/experimental smokers might choose not to smoke rather than experience the harshness of tobacco smoke and the irritating qualities of nicotine. Similarly, established menthol smokers might choose to quit if faced with an unpleasant smoking alternative

Familicide: Risk Factors, Characteristics of the Offender, Characteristics of the Crime of Familicide, and the Prevalence of Suicide Following Familicide

This study will be examining the risk factors to familicide, the characteristics of the offenders of familicide, the characteristics of the crime, and the prevalence of suicide following familicide. Of the literature reviewed it has been found that there are risk factors to familicide, there are known characteristics of the crime of familicide, and suicide is prevalent following familicide (Wilson et at., 1995; Brewer & Paulsen, 1999; Harper &Voigt, 2007). Findings are expected to suggest that there will be a higher proportion of cases in which the offender felt as though they were under immense stress due to the stresses and expectations of society, there will be a higher proportion of male offenders that commit suicide following familicide, that a larger proportion of familicide cases occurred in homes in which stepchildren did reside, and that indicate pre-existing drug and alcohol use is prevalent in the offenders of familicide

Prospects for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in the United States and Japan: A General Equilibrium Analysis

Abstract and PDF report are also available on the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://globalchange.mit.edu/)The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) may offer a potential near term, low carbon alternative to today's gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. A representative vehicle technology that runs on electricity in addition to conventional fuels was introduced into the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model as a perfect substitute for internal combustion engine (ICE-only) vehicles in two likely early-adopting markets, the United States and Japan. We investigate the effect of relative vehicle cost and all-electric range on the timing of PHEV market entry in the presence and absence of an advanced cellulosic biofuels technology and a strong (450ppm) economy-wide carbon constraint. Vehicle cost could be a significant barrier to PHEV entry unless fairly aggressive goals for reducing battery costs are met. If a low cost vehicle is available we find that the PHEV has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions, refined oil demand, and under a carbon policy the required CO2 price in both the United States and Japan. The emissions reduction potential of PHEV adoption depends on the carbon intensity of electric power generation and the size of the vehicle fleet. Thus, the technology is much more effective in reducing CO2 emissions if adoption occurs under an economy-wide cap and trade system that also encourages low-carbon electricity generation.BP Conversion Research Project and the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change through a consortium of industrial sponsors and Federal grants

Velocity profiles in laminar diffusion flames

Velocity profiles in vertical laminar diffusion flames were measured by using laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Four fuels were used: n-heptane, iso-octane, cyclohexane, and ethyl alcohol. The velocity profiles were similar for all the fuels, although there were some differences in the peak velocities. The data compared favorably with the theoretical velocity predictions. The differences could be attributed to errors in experimental positioning and in the prediction of temperature profiles. Error in the predicted temperature profiles are probably due to the difficulty in predicting the radiative heat losses from the flame

Measuring the Discrepancy Between Current and Ideal Spiritual and Religious Functioning in Problem Drinkers

The idea that spiritual and religious functioning (SRF) is associated with alcohol misuse is generally supported, but problems with typical research methods limit the utility of findings. Problems in SRF were conceptualized as discrepancies between current and ideal SRF. Two separate studies were conducted to develop and evaluate a scale to measure the subjective importance and adequacy of aspects of SRF that seem to be associated with alcohol problems. The 1st study suggested that a questionnaire developed to evaluate self-reported ratings of current and ideal SRF is both internally consistent and temporally stable. In the 2nd study, the questionnaire was administered to persons seeking treatment for alcohol problems and persons who indicated that they had never sought treatment for an alcohol problem. Results indicate that those with a drinking problem were more likely to report substantial discrepancies between current and ideal SRF, supporting the validity of the measure as an indicator of problems in SRF. The usefulness of this method for treatment and research is discussed

Perceptions of Public Health 3.0: Concordance Between Public Health Agency Leaders and Employees

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND: The newest era of public health, deemed "Public Health 3.0," supports cross-sector collaborations to address social determinants of health. These activities often require collaborations with nontraditional public health entities. As this new era begins, it is important to understand perceptions of the public health workforce with regard to Public Health 3.0. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of support toward Public Health 3.0 activities by the public health workforce, identify characteristics associated with support, and measure concordance in support between agency directors and the general workforce. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study utilizes the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey to understand support and concordance regarding Public Health 3.0 activities by a nationally representative sample of governmental public health employees. Logistic regression models are used to identify characteristics associated with support of each 3.0 activity and concordance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Governmental public health employees' opinions on how involved their agency should be in the K-12 education system, the economy, the built environment, transportation, housing, social connectedness, and health equity within their jurisdiction and concordance in support of involvement between agency directors and the general workforce. RESULTS: Overall, individual perceptions supporting involvement were highest for health equity and social connectedness and lowest for transportation. Supervisory status, education, and being at a local health department were associated with greater odds of supporting all 3.0 activities. Concordance with agency directors was greatest among other executives relative to nonsupervisors. CONCLUSIONS: There is overall generally high support of many 3.0 activities, but there are gaps in agreement by supervisory status, gender, race/ethnicity, education, role type, and jurisdiction. Findings may help support agency leaders in better communicating the role of their agencies in Public Health 3.0 activities, and workforce education regarding such activities may be necessary for the success of Public Health 3.0's success

Metallo-intercalators and metallo-insertors

Since the elucidation of the structure of double helical DNA, the construction of small molecules that recognize and react at specific DNA sites has been an area of considerable interest. In particular, the study of transition metal complexes that bind DNA with specificity has been a burgeoning field. This growth has been due in large part to the useful properties of metal complexes, which possess a wide array of photophysical attributes and allow for the modular assembly of an ensemble of recognition elements. Here we review recent experiments in our laboratory aimed at the design and study of octahedral metal complexes that bind DNA non-covalently and target reactions to specific sites. Emphasis is placed both on the variety of methods employed to confer site-specificity and upon the many applications for these complexes. Particular attention is given to the family of complexes recently designed that target single base mismatches in duplex DNA through metallo-insertion

Determination of combustion gas temperatures by infrared radiometry in sooting and nonsooting flames

Flame temperatures in nonsooting and sooting environments were successfully measured by radiometry for pre-mixed propane-oxygen laminar flames stabilized on a water-cooled, porous sintered-bronze burner. The measured temperatures in the nonsooting flames were compared with fine-wire thermocouple measurements. The results show excellent agreement below 1700 K, and when the thermocouple measurements were corrected for radiation effects, the agreement was good for even higher temperatures. The benefits of radiometry are: (1) the flow is not disturbed by an intruding probe, (2) calibration is easily done using a blackbody source, and (3) measurements can be made even with soot present. The theory involved in the radiometry measurements and the energy balance calculations used to correct the thermocouple temperature measurements are discussed