Predictors of Readiness to Exit Commercial Sexual Exploitation Among Women in India and the U.S.

Exiting commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) is a difficult and prolonged process. This study examines the predictors of readiness to exit CSE, using the stages of change model as an underlying framework, among women in India (n=163) and the U.S. (n=87). Constructs such as years of schooling, residence, unemployment, age of entry, causes of entry, types of exploitation, addictions, presence of perpetrator, culture – individualistic and collectivistic, stigma, social support, empowerment, and current involvement in CSE were assessed. Results of a multi-group analysis indicated significant differences in the relationships between readiness to change and the predictor measures. For the Indian sample, years of schooling, economic conditions/abuse/runaway behavior as reasons for entry, individualistic and collectivistic culture approaches, and stigma were associated with readiness to change. For the U.S. sample, living by oneself, abuse/runaway behavior as reasons for entry, indoor experiences of exploitation, substance abuse problems, collectivist cultural approach, social support, and current involvement in CSE were associated with readiness to change. However, some similarities were also found. The findings suggest that service provision must focus on addressing the constructs that increase the readiness to exit, while also being culturally competent

Sialic Acid Mutarotation Is Catalyzed by the Escherichia coli β-Propeller Protein YjhT

The acquisition of host-derived sialic acid is an important virulence factor for some bacterial pathogens, but in vivo this sugar acid is sequestered in sialoconjugates as the {alpha}-anomer. In solution, however, sialic acid is present mainly as the β-anomer, formed by a slow spontaneous mutarotation. We studied the Escherichia coli protein YjhT as a member of a family of uncharacterized proteins present in many sialic acid-utilizing pathogens. This protein is able to accelerate the equilibration of the {alpha}- and β-anomers of the sialic acid N-acetylneuraminic acid, thus describing a novel sialic acid mutarotase activity. The structure of this periplasmic protein, solved to 1.5Å resolution, reveals a dimeric 6-bladed unclosed β-propeller, the first of a bacterial Kelch domain protein. Mutagenesis of conserved residues in YjhT demonstrated an important role for Glu-209 and Arg-215 in mutarotase activity. We also present data suggesting that the ability to utilize {alpha}-N-acetylneuraminic acid released from complex sialoconjugates in vivo provides a physiological advantage to bacteria containing YjhT

Mapping premodern small war: the case of the Thirty Years War (1618-48)

The example of the Thirty Years War (1618–48) demonstrates that small war was already integral to the conduct of premodern hostilities. Commanders employed these methods with a purpose and generally tried to limit the accompanying violence to preserve discipline and effectiveness, as well as their claims to be waging a just war. We explain why conventional histories have neglected the presence of small war in premodernity, and show how its importance, methods, and wider impact can be reconstructed through innovative digital mapping techniques, which have the potential to be applied to conflicts in other times and places

Precise numerical results for limit cycles in the quantum three-body problem

The study of the three-body problem with short-range attractive two-body forces has a rich history going back to the 1930's. Recent applications of effective field theory methods to atomic and nuclear physics have produced a much improved understanding of this problem, and we elucidate some of the issues using renormalization group ideas applied to precise nonperturbative calculations. These calculations provide 11-12 digits of precision for the binding energies in the infinite cutoff limit. The method starts with this limit as an approximation to an effective theory and allows cutoff dependence to be systematically computed as an expansion in powers of inverse cutoffs and logarithms of the cutoff. Renormalization of three-body bound states requires a short range three-body interaction, with a coupling that is governed by a precisely mapped limit cycle of the renormalization group. Additional three-body irrelevant interactions must be determined to control subleading dependence on the cutoff and this control is essential for an effective field theory since the continuum limit is not likely to match physical systems ({\it e.g.}, few-nucleon bound and scattering states at low energy). Leading order calculations precise to 11-12 digits allow clear identification of subleading corrections, but these corrections have not been computed.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figures, LaTeX, uses graphic

Size scaling relationships in the active fault networks of Japan and their correlation with Gutenberg-Richter b values

Fractal properties of active fault systems in Japan are evaluated and compared to Gutenberg-Richter h values Properties of the active fault network and seismicity were evaluated at 20 km intervals along three lines oriented along the length of Honshu, the main island of Japan Fractal dimensions for the active fault network are calculated using the box counting method. The box curves often reveal the presence of an abrupt transition in slope at ∼8 km scales. This transition separates linear regions in the box curves that span box sizes of 17.5 to 8.5 km and 7.75 to 2 km Power law coefficients were computed for the 17.5 to 8.5 km (DL) and 7.75 to 2 km (DS) range of box sizes from overlapping 70x70 km regions of the active fault complex. The maximum likelihood method is used to estimate b value from earthquakes occurring in the seismogenic zone (upper 20 km). The correlation between D and h value are found to vary considerably throughout Japan. In general, D and b are negatively correlated, which suggests that increased complexity in the active fault network accommodates rupture along fault planes of relatively larger surface area. Areas of significant positive correlation are also observed in Japan. The positive correlations arise through joint increases in b and D In such areas the probability of large magnitude earthquakes decreases in response to increased fragmentation of the active fault network and increased possibility that stress release will take place along faults of smaller surface area. Negative correlations between b and D generally occur when increases in n are paralleled by decreases in h. Negative correlation areas bound the intensely faulted region of central Japan An area of negative correlation also occurs in the intensely faulted high D area of central Japan where continued increases in D are paralleled by decreases in b. In general, these observations suggest that as fault complexity increases (as measured by D), interconnected planes of larger and larger surface area will accommodate strain release. However, with continued rise in fault complexity, strain release begins to occur on smaller fragments resulting in higher h and lower-magnitude seismicity. The analysis may provide insights into the relationship between seismicity associated with large-scale faults populations and earthquake hazard assessment