cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elliptic genera on non-spin Riemannian symmetric spaces with b2=0

We prove that the elliptic genera of the real Grassmannian Gr4(R2m+5), m≥1, and the space F4/Sp(3)Sp(1) are identically zero. These vanishings are consistent with the rigidity under S1 actions of the elliptic genera on these non-spin manifolds, and imply that their signatures are zero.
Left main coronary artery stenosis: clinical spectrum, pathophysiology, and management.

Abstract Atherosclerosis is the major cause of LMCAS. Isolated LMCAS occurs only rarely. Marked narrowing of the LMCA is usually indicative of severe, diffuse coronary atherosclerosis. Physiologically significant LMCAS is present in less than 15% of patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease. Angina pectoris is the most common symptom in patients with LMCAS. The incidence of unstable angina is higher in these patients when compared to patients without LMCAS. Stress testing may help identify patients with LMCAS if the following criteria are met: (1) greater than 2 mm ST segment depression. (2) prolonged duration of ST segment change after exercise, (3) blunted or decreased heart rate response to exercise, and (4) ST segment change suggesting ischemia at a low heart rate. Coronary angiography provides definitive anatomic description of the location, length, and severity of LMCAS. The procedure can be performed at low risk if proper precautions are taken. Experimentally, 85% reduction in diameter of the LMCA is required to reduce resting coronary blood flow. Parameters of LV function begin to deteriorate at this level and progress as the degree of narrowing increases. General principles of good medical therapy for patients with ischemic heart disease also apply to patients with LMCAS. However, it is important to exercise caution when using agents that lower blood pressure. Patients with LMCAS who are in an unstable state should be hospitalized, monitored, and treated vigorously with pharmacologic agents. If pain persists, intraaortic balloon counterpulsation can be tried as a temporizing measure. Prognosis of medically treated patients with LMCAS is influenced adversely by poor ventricular function, coexistent disease of the right coronary artery, and severity of the narrowing in the left main coronary artery. When surgery is being considered, intraaortic balloon counterpulsation can be useful adjunct in patients with continuing chest pain. However, in the usual patient with LMCAS who is responsive to pharmacologic agents, intraaortic balloon counterpulsation is not necessary. Survival of patients with LMCAS treated surgically is better than that of comparable medically treated patients. However, there are subsets of high- and low-risk patients related to ventricular function, degree of narrowing of the LMCA, and associated disease of other coronary vessels. We conclude that current aggressive medical therapy has eliminated the need for emergency or urgent coronary artery surgery in all but a few patients with LMCAS and persistent symptoms. However, despite the initial success of medical management, the long-term prognosis in these patients is poor. At the present time, surgery should be considered in all symptomatic patients with ≥50% LMCAS.
Growth trajectories of shell and soft tissue in bivalves: Seasonal variation in Mytilus edulis L.

Abstract A commonly used method for examining productivity in marine bivalves and other species with skeletal structures is to employ regression statistics to adjust dry tissue weights to an individual of standard size (usually length). Temporal variation in adjusted weights are then taken to reflect changes in productivity, fecundity or condition. This procedure assumes that changes in the covariate (length) are trivial. Here I describe a method that utilizes the presence of growth checks to determine separately rates of shell and soft tissue growth in the mussel Mytilus edulis L. The results indicate that rates of growth in shell and soft tissue do not occur simultaneously; in this case shell growth precedes the growth of soft tissue. Uncoupled patterns of growth seriously affect the results obtained using tissue weights adjusted to a standard length. Seasonal variation in adjusted weight provided no indication of true levels of productivity.
MARM Processes Part I: General Theory

This paper introduces a new class of real vector-valued stochastic processes, called MARM (Multivariate Autoregressive Modular) processes, which generalizes the class of (univariate) ARM (Autoregressive Modular) processes. Like ARM processes, the key advantage of MARM processes is their ability to fit a strong statistical signature consisting of first-order and second-order statistics. More precisely, MARM processes exactly fit an arbitrary multi-dimensional marginal distribution and approximately fit a set of leading autocorrelations and cross-correlations. This capability appears to render the MARM modeling methodology unique in its ability to fit a multivariate model to such a class of strong statistical signatures. The paper describes the construction of two flavors of MARM processes, MARM+ and MARM−, studies the statistics of MARM processes (transition structure and second order statistics), and devises MARM-based fitting and forecasting algorithms providing point estimators and confidence intervals. The efficacy of the MARM fitting and forecasting methodology will be illustrated on real-life data in a companion paper.
Thermoacoustic transport in supercritical fluids at near-critical and near-pseudo-critical states

Abstract Thermoacoustic wave induced transport in carbon dioxide near its critical and pseudo-critical states is investigated numerically. A real-fluid computational fluid dynamic model has been developed considering all of the relevant fluid property variations (including bulk viscosity) near the critical and pseudo-critical states. The predicted results provide interesting details regarding the thermal transport mechanisms at near-critical and pseudo-critical state fluids. As a layer of supercritical fluid (near the critical or the pseudo-critical states) is heated rapidly, the combination of very high thermal compressibilities and vanishingly small thermal diffusivities affect the thermal energy propagation, leading to the formation of acoustic waves as carriers of thermal energy (the so called piston effect). The results show that under the same temperature perturbation at the boundary, the induced acoustic field becomes stronger as the critical point or the corresponding pseudo-critical state is approached. The heating rate, at which the boundary temperature is raised, is a key factor in the generation of these acoustic waves. We also study the effect of critically diverging bulk viscosity and different rates of boundary heating on the temperature equilibration mechanism near the critical point. An application of the piston effect in near-critical and near-pseudo-critical fluids for effective thermal transport over a long distance is demonstrated for a supercritical heat pipe.
A Time Off Incentive Was Not Associated with Influenza Vaccination Acceptance among Healthcare Workers

Objectives. The national influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains low despite clear benefits to patients, coworkers, and families. We sought to evaluate formally the effect of a one-hour time off incentive on attitudes towards influenza vaccination during the 2011-2012 influenza season. Methods. All HCWs at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey. We described respondents' characteristics and attitudes toward influenza vaccination and determined the relationship of specific attitudes with respondents' acceptance of influenza vaccination, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results. We analyzed survey responses from 154 HCWs employed at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, with a response rate of 8%. Among 121 respondents who reported receiving influenza vaccination, 34 (28%, 95% CI 20–37%) reported agreement with the statement that the time off incentive made a difference in their decision to accept influenza vaccination. Conclusions. Our study provides evidence that modest incentives such as one-hour paid time off will be unlikely to promote influenza vaccination rates within medical facilities. More potent interventions that include mandatory vaccination combined with penalties for noncompliance will likely provide the only means to achieve near-universal influenza vaccination among HCWs.
Availability bars for calendar scheduling

Calendar scheduling is a difficult task for people who have overbooked calendars with many constraints. Currently, calendar applications do not allow users to specify scheduling constraints such as how preferable a free time is for scheduling a new meeting or to what extent an existing meeting can be rescheduled. This paper introduces the "availability bar," an interaction and visualization technique for complex calendar scheduling constraints. Availability bars, embedded in calendar applications, can help users who manually schedule meetings. Availability bars can also mediate communication with calendar scheduling agents that gather availability constraints, search for times that satisfy the constraints, and negotiate with invitees when no satisfactory time is found for the constraints.
Dental fluctuating asymmetry in the Gullah: Tests of hypotheses regarding developmental stability in deciduous vs. permanent and male vs. female teeth

In this investigation, deciduous teeth (canines, c; first molars, m1; second molars, m2) and their permanent successors (canines, C; first premolars, P1; second premolars, P2) were used to test two related hypotheses about fluctuating asymmetry (FA). First, based on the biology of the developing dentition, it was predicted that deciduous teeth would be more developmentally stable and thus exhibit less dimensional FA than their permanent successors. Second, based on sex differences in tooth development, it was predicted that female canines would have greater developmental stability (less FA) than male canines. Bucco-lingual measurements were made on dental casts from a single Gullah population. Using a repeated-measures study design (n = 3 repeated measures), we tested these hypotheses on sample sizes ranging from 63-82 antimeric pairs. Neither hypothesis was supported by our data. In most cases, Gullah deciduous teeth did not exhibit statistically significantly less FA than their permanent successors; indeed, statistically significant differences were found for only 3 of 12 deciduous vs. permanent contrasts, and in two cases, the deciduous tooth had greater FA. Female mandibular canines exhibited statistically significantly greater FA than those of males, while there was no statistically significant sex difference in FA for the maxillary canine. FA in these Gullah samples is high when compared to Archaic and late prehistoric Ohio Valley Native Americans, consistent with historical and archaeological evidence that environmental stress was relatively higher in the Gullah population. We suggest that when environmental stress in a population is high, the impact of differences in tooth formation time spans and developmental buffering upon FA may be minor relative to the effect of developmental noise.
γ-Tocopherol-enriched mixed tocopherol diet inhibits prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice

Gamma-tocopherol (gamma-T) alone or in combination with alpha-tocopherol has been shown to suppress biomarkers of oxidative stress in asthamatics and human subjects with metabolic syndrome. Oxidative stress has been implicated as a key event in prostate carcinogenesis. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gamma-tocopherol-enriched mixed tocopherol diet on prostate carcinogenesis in a murine prostate cancer model (TRAMP). 8 week old TRAMP males were fed 0.1% gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherol diet that contained 20-fold higher levels of gamma-tocopherol, and roughly 3-fold higher levels of alpha-tocopherol. The effect of such diet on tumor and PIN development was observed. The expression of phase II detoxifying, antioxidant enzymes and Nrf2 mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blotting techniques. Treatment with gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherols significantly suppressed the incidence of palpable tumor and Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) development without affecting the expression of the transgene (SV-40). Tumor progression occurred with a significant suppression of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, heme-oxygenase-1 and phase II detoxifying enzymes. Treatment with gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherol diet upregulated the expression of most detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes. Nrf2-a redox sensitive transcription factor known to mediate the expression of phase II detoxifying enzymes, was also significantly upregulated following treatment with gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherol diet. Gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherols significantly up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and its related detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes thereby suppressing PIN and tumor development.
The Ethics of Branding in the Age of Ubiquitous Media: Insights from Catholic Social Teaching.

Branding has long been seen as an effective means of marketing products. The use of brand-based marketing campaigns, however, has come under intense scrutiny over the past 10 years for its power to facilitate deception and emotional manipulation. As a way of proceeding through the many differing moral assessments, this paper turns for insight to the tradition of writing on social ethical issues within the Roman Catholic Church. The author suggests that Catholic Social Teaching offers a distinctive approach to advertising ethics that charts a middle course between the two poles of the debate on branding. This article introduces readers to the approach to advertising developed within Vatican documents on media, highlighting the basic values at stake and the particular moral norms for advertising that are articulated. The article then applies these values and norms to the case of brand-based advertising, ultimately suggesting that advertisers approach their work through the virtue of solidarity.
Motor patterns of herbivorous feeding: electromyographic analysis of biting in the parrotfishes Cetoscarus bicolor and Scarus iseri.

The motor patterns of the herbivorous feeding bite were investigated in two species of parrotfish (Cetoscarus bicolor and Scarus iseri) with functionally distinct biting modes using electromyographic recordings. Behavioral data revealed that S. iseri utilized faster bites, took more bites per feeding bout, and bit at a higher frequency than did C. bicolor. EMGs recorded from the epaxialis (EP), levator operculi (LOP), 3 subdivisions of the adductor mandibulae (A1–A3), and the sternohyoideus (SH) muscles displayed a high degree of within-individual variance. Duration of muscle activity and onset time relative to LOP were shorter in S. iseri than in C. bicolor and S. iseri displayed a greater EMG amplitude in the LOP and SH muscles than did C. bicolor. We calculated the duty factors of the muscles as the relative timing of EMG variables divided by the total feeding cycle time. Patterns of duty factors of the feeding muscles were similar in both species, though muscles were active for a longer portion of the total bite cycle in S. iseri. In addition to its typical bite, S. iseri employed additional motor patterns when taking particularly hard bites. A multivariate comparison of EMGs from biting and suction feeding taxa revealed that the biting motor pattern was significantly different from suction feeding, although there was a high degree of overlap among all feeding strikes. The activity of the sternohyoideus muscle was significantly different between suction feeders and biters. Despite strong similarities of the general motor pattern in a wide range of teleost fishes, components of this pattern are shown to be evolutionarily plastic.
Formal semantics for database schemas

Abstract We propose an abstract semantics for database schemas which considers the interaction between the disjointness and the “is-a” relationships between data types. Our approach is based on a system of axioms introduced and proven sound and complete by Atzeni and Parker. By introducing the concept of mergeable family of schemas we propose a design methodology of database schemas whose goal is to generate schemas which are free of inconsistencies and redundancy. We also investigate the generalization and specialization methods of abstraction as a useful tool in the specification of database semantics using as a staring point the conditions formulated by Abiteboul and Hull for the IFO model when the disjointness constraints are present.
Covariance analysis for deep-space satellites with radar and optical tracking data

Covariance analysis for the special perturbations orbit determination problem for deepspace satellites is considered to determine the relative merit of radar and optical tracking data. Deep-space radars provide very accurate range measurements, but less accurate angle measurements. Optical sensors provide very accurate angle measurements, but make no range measurements since they are passive systems. The relationship of the size of the spatial part of the covariance to the relative track density of radar and optical tracks in the orbit determination fit interval is illustrated for satellites in semi-synchronous circular orbits. Similar results apply to highly eccentric semi-synchronous and geosynchronous orbits.
A comparative study of compressed sensing approaches for 3-D synthetic aperture radar image reconstruction

This paper investigates two compressed sensing (CS) approaches that can be used to reconstruct 3-D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with undersampled measurements. Combining CS with the range migration algorithm (RMA), using either Stolt transform or non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT), yields two different approaches: Stolt-CS and NUFFT-CS. These approaches can decrease the load of data acquisition while recovering satisfactory 3-D SAR images through l"1-norm optimization. A simulated image is used as the ground truth to facilitate the comparative study. The 2-D structured similarity (SSIM) index is extended to 3-D to assess the quality of the reconstructed images. Both the simulation and the experimental reconstruction results demonstrate that the Stolt-CS contributes little to image quality improvement or computational complexity reduction due to the inaccuracy of the Stolt transform. In contrast, the NUFFT-CS achieves a good tradeoff between the reconstruction quality and the computational costs.
Theory of Charge Carrier Transport in Aromatic Hydrocarbon Crystals

Evidence is presented that the dominant electron–phonon coupling in aromatic hydrocarbons is quadratic in molecular out‐of‐plane vibrational coordinates. A linear‐chain model based on this interaction, previously treated in the hopping transport limit, is extended to the coherent transport limit. Both limits are also studied for a model with two oscillators per lattice site. Hopping transport varies little with the number of oscillators, but coherent transport decreases approximately as the square of this number. Carrier mobilities in three‐dimensional lattices comprise contributions from mobilities along nearest‐neighbor directions. The model calculations and literature values of intermolecular electronic couplings are used to determine the dominant contributions to carrier drift mobilities in anthracene self‐consistently from the experimental data. Transport of electrons in the c′ direction by hopping accounts for the observed magnitude, temperature dependence, and deuterium effect. The other diagonal m...
The medical license number accurately identifies the prescribing physician in a large pharmacy claims database.

Background Medical license numbers that identify physicians in pharmacy claims data are used increasingly for both research and quality improvement efforts; however, little is known about how well this information identifies the physician who wrote the prescription. We studied the accuracy of the medical license number in data from a state-run drug benefit plan by assessing its consistency with 2 external sources of data. Methods We studied a cohort of new users of osteoporosis medications who participated in Medicare and a state-run pharmaceutical benefit program. The medical license number from the prescription data were merged with the American Medical Association's (AMA) Masterfile to determine if the physician on the pharmacy claim existed in the AMA directory and practiced in the area under study. The prescription data were then merged with Medicare Part B data to determine if the physician on the prescription had an outpatient visit with the patient who received the medication. Results Of the 40,002 index prescriptions, 38,671 (96.7%) were written by physicians or doctors of osteopathy. Of those, 38,618 (99.9%) could be matched to the AMA Masterfile of which 37,375 (98%) had a local address. Of the AMA-matched prescriptions with a valid Unique Physician Identification Number (UPIN), 28,888 (96.1%) could be matched to Medicare Part B data, indicating that the physician whose license number appeared on the prescription had at least 1 outpatient visit with the patient who received the medication. Conclusions The state medical license number in the pharmacy claims dataset studied seems to identify the prescribing physician with a high degree of accuracy.
Successful coronary artery bypass surgery in a patient with AIDS

We report the case of a 47-year-old man with AIDS who underwent a successful quadruple coronary artery bypass operation. The improving prognosis of patients with HIV/AIDS, in addition to the reported incidence of plasma lipid abnormalities in patients receiving protease inhibitors, are laying the groundwork for a larger population in which premature coronary artery disease develops. Operative risk, immunosuppressive effect of cardiopulmonary bypass, and practical considerations in the care of these patients are discussed.
The salinity tolerance of Ophiothrix angulata (Say) (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) in latitudinally separate populations☆

Abstract Ophiothrix angulata (Say) from an estuary in South Carolina were less tolerant of reduced salinity than those from an estuary in Florida. Animals from North Inlet, South Carolina, became incapacitated more rapidly after exposure to a reduced salinity, and were less able to recover after return to normal salinity. This difference probably results from the more severe selection for salinity tolerance at Cedar Key, Florida. The Florida estuary has a lower average salinity (25‰) than that in South Carolina (30‰), and has more frequent extended periods of reduced salinity. The two populations are of different color varieties and size; there may be differences in the breeding seasons as well. The South Carolina and Florida populations of Ophiothrix angulata may represent different races.
Interaction theory: Relativistic hydrogen atom and the Lamb shift

The Dirac relativistic equation for the hydrogen atom as augmented by dual interaction terms is solved exactly and the eigenvalues for the bound states are determined. These areEn =μ[1 +κ2/ (n + s)2]−1/2, withs2=k2−κ2(1±Λ)2, where Λ is a constant which is a measure of the strength of the dual interaction relative to the standard interactionγµAµ. It is shown that the ratios of the experimental values for the Lamb shifts of various energy levels in hydrogen and singly ionized helium are correctly given by the theory. The origin of the anomalous magnetic moment and, in fact, the operator for the total magnetic moment is given.
Financial Analysis of Well-known Disasters Using Utility and Reliability Values

This paper is a significant extension of Putcha (2011), where detailed financial analyses are conducted and reliability levels are calculated for well-known disasters. In this research, three methods, namely deterministic method, utility method, and probabilistic method, are developed to calculate the probability of a disaster associated with the calculation of reliability levels for various well-known disasters. Specifically, the probabilistic method is based on the limit state chosen, functional relationship between various dependent and independent parameters and the uncertainty in the associated parameters. Our analyses are done from the financial point of view based on the concept of utility functions (Ang and Tang, 2007) and previous literature such as Putcha et al. (2008).
Structural decomposition of time series with implications in economics, accounting, and finance research

Recent literature on the decomposition of a time series into components has produced several alternative methodologies. This situation has arisen because of a lack of consensus on how components should be defined, and on the appropriate decomposition structure. Uncertainty about components structure seems to be inevitable when it is accepted that the behavior of a typical business or economic time series implies evolving rather than fixed components patterns. None of the existing procedures can be viewed as uniquely appropriate for the isolation of unobserved components.
Electrical conductivity of Jupiter's shallow interior and the formation of a resonant planetary-ionospheric cavity

Abstract The hydrogenic ion composition and electrical conductivity are evaluated for the shallow interior of Jupiter extending from the 1-bar surface to a depth of 4000 km below this level. The atmosphere is assumed to be a mixture of hydrogen and helium with a standard mass density ratio of 78/22. The pressure and temperature are modeled assuming the gas is adiabatic, obeys the perfect gas law, and is in hydrostatic equilibrium. In this preliminary study the effects of impurities are ignored. The densities of free electrons, molecular and atomic hydrogen, and their positive and negative ions are computed assuming the atmosphere is in local thermodynamic equilibrium. From these quanteties are evaluated the electron- and ion-neutral collision frequencies and mobilities, and the electrical conductivity. Results of the calculation show that for a hydrogen/helium atmosphere electrical currents within the shallow interior of Jupiter are carried primarily by molecular hydrogen ions, but with nonnegligible contributions from electrons near the surface, and atomic hydrogen ions at greater depths. The electrical conductivity is sufficiently large to form a conducting “boundary” to electromagnetic waves propagating within the shallow interior. The location of this boundary is frequency dependent, ranging from a depth of 1000 km at 1 mHz to 3000 km at 1 MHz. The existence of a conducting boundary suggests that Jupiter possesses a closed planetary-ionosphere cavity similar to the earth-ionosphere cavity. Preliminary calculations yield eigenfrequencies of approximately 0.76, 1.35, and 1.93 Hz for the lowest three transverse-magnetic normal modes, respectively, with corresponding Q -factors of roughly 7. It is speculated that the normal modes of this system may be excited by Jovian lightning in a manner similar to the terrestrial Schumann resonances. Measurements of these modes could be used to diagnose the conductivity of the shallow interior.
Fused-s-triazino heterocycles. XI: Displacement reactions of 7,9-dichloro-2,5-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,4,6,9b-pentaazaphenalene

The preparation of 7,9-dichloro-2,5-bis(trichloromethyl)-1,3,4,6,9b-pentaazaphenalene (1e) by the chlorination of 2-trichloromethyl-5-methyl-1,3,4,6,9b-pentaazaphenalene (1a) using molecular chlorine is described. Displacement of one or both trichloromethyl groups of 1e by a variety of nucleophiles led to the corresponding 7,9-dichloro-2,5-bis-substituted or 7,9-dichloro mixed 2,5-disubstituted derivatives. The reaction of 1a with N-chlorosuccinimide proved not to be a useful route to 1e but instead led primarily to substitution of positions 7 and/or 9 by chlorine.
A Follow-Up Meta-analysis for Word-Problem-Solving Interventions for Students with Mathematics Difficulties

ABSTRACT Following a meta-analysis study conducted by Y. P. Xin and A. Jitendra (1999), the authors carried out a follow-up meta-analysis of word problem-solving interventions published from 1996 to 2009 for students with learning problems in mathematics. The authors examined the influence of education reforms as moderator variables on intervention effects, including inclusive movement, response to intervention model, standard movement, and mathematics education reform. The researchers analyzed 29 group-design studies and 10 single-subject-design studies that met the criteria for inclusion. Separate analyses were performed for group-design studies and single-subject studies using standardized mean change and percentage of nonoverlapping data (PND), respectively. The overall mean-weighted effect size (d) and PND for word problem-solving instruction were positive across the group-design studies (d = 1.848) and single-subject studies (PND = 95%). Implications for policymakers and researchers were discussed w...
Obesity and Mortality After Breast Cancer by Race/Ethnicity: The California Breast Cancer Survivorship Consortium

We investigated body size and survival by race/ethnicity in 11,351 breast cancer patients diagnosed from 1993 to 2007 with follow-up through 2009 by using data from questionnaires and the California Cancer Registry. We calculated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals from multivariable Cox proportional hazard model–estimated associations of body size (body mass index (BMI) (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)) with breast cancer–specific and all-cause mortality. Among 2,744 ascertained deaths, 1,445 were related to breast cancer. Being underweight (BMI <18.5) was associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality compared with being normal weight in non-Latina whites (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 3.20), whereas morbid obesity (BMI ≥40) was suggestive of increased risk (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.84, 2.43). In Latinas, only the morbidly obese were at high risk of death (HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.23, 4.15). No BMI–mortality associations were apparent in African Americans and Asian Americans. High WHR (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1) was associated with breast cancer mortality in Asian Americans (HR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.21, 4.03; P for trend = 0.01), whereas no associations were found in African Americans, Latinas, or non-Latina whites. For all-cause mortality, even stronger BMI and WHR associations were observed. The impact of obesity and body fat distribution on breast cancer patients' risk of death may vary across racial/ethnic groups.
Computing Individual Path Marginal Cost in Networks with Queue Spillbacks

"Individual path marginal cost" (IPMC) is defined as the change in travel cost of one unit of flow on a time-dependent path caused by one unit of flow on another time-dependent path. Knowledge of IPMC is central to dynamic transportation modeling, for instance, to compute system-optimal network performance, to solve a dynamic origin-destination (O-D) estimation problem, and to analyze equity issues for travelers with different origins and destinations. This paper proposes a method of approximating IPMC for general networks, in which a cell transmission model-based kinematic wave model is used to model traffic dynamics. By tracing the changes in the cumulative flow curves of the bottleneck links on which queues form during dynamic network loading, an approximation method is developed to obtain the IPMC for the cases of merge junctions, diverge junctions, and general junctions. This method was applied to compute the total path marginal cost in a network. The results showed that vehicles at the beginning of ...
Diffraction from Small Volumes

A very important concept in TEM is that we only diffract from small volumes. By definition, no specimens are infinite in all directions and all defects are small. Of course, the beam is also never infinitely wide! This chapter therefore discusses how the size of what we are examining influences the appearance of the DP. Although we will discuss many different aspects of diffraction, there are three important ideas which underlie all this discussion: We are diffracting from small volumes. We are diffracting from crystals. We need to index the DPs we see and relate the patterns to the image.
Bank-firm relationships, financing and firm performance in Germany

Abstract Close bank–firm relationships that characterize the financial systems in Germany and Japan are often credited for reducing agency costs and increasing access to capital, thus improving the performance of firms. Critics of these banking systems cite the alternative possibility that conflicts of interests may also arise from both the banks’ multiple roles with the firm, and the opportunity the banks have to use private information to shift risk or to otherwise participate in rent-seeking activities. We extend the empirical literature by systematically investigating the impact of bank-influence on the financing choices and performance of the firm. We find that bank-influenced firms in Germany do benefit from increased access to capital. There is, however, no evidence to support the hypothesis of either higher profitability or growth for bank-influenced firms. Results suggest that the interest payments to debt ratio is significantly higher for bank-influenced firms, which supports the hypothesis that German universal banks may engage in rent-seeking activities and provides evidence of a conflicting interests between creditors and shareholders.
A Review of: “Let's Talk About Taking Care of You:”

Let's Talk About Taking Care of You: An Educational Book about Body Safety , by Stauffer, L., & Deblinger, E. Hatfield, PA: Hope for Families, Inc. ISBN 0-9676489-1-2 (www.hope4families.com; 215-36...
Genetic determination of HDL variation and response to diet in baboons

We fed 634 baboons three diets to assess the separate effects of increasing dietary fat and cholesterol intakes on three independent measures of HDL phenotype: concentrations of HDL cholesterol and apoAI, and size distributions of HDL cholesterol. Increasing dietary fat significantly increased concentrations of HDL cholesterol and apoAI (both, P<0.0001), but did not affect HDL particle sizes, whereas increasing dietary cholesterol increased HDL cholesterol (P<0.0001) concentrations and HDL particle sizes (P=0.08), but did not affect apoAI concentrations. A substantial proportion of variation in each of the HDL traits was influenced by genes (heritabilities ranged from 25 to 61%) and a common set of genes influenced HDL variation on each of the diets (genetic correlations ranged from 0.64 to 1.0). However, genes exerted a smaller effect on HDL response to changes of dietary fat and of dietary cholesterol. Therefore, dietary fat and cholesterol alter HDL levels and characteristics, but the dietary responses are not strongly mediated by additive genetic effects.
Robustness quantification of recurrent neural network using unscented transform

Artificial recurrent neural network has been proved to be a valuable tool in modeling nonlinear dynamical systems. Robustness study of recurrent neural network is critical to its successful implementation. The goal of robustness study is to reduce the sensitivity of modeling capability to parametric uncertainties or make the network fault tolerant. In this study, an uncertainty propagation analysis is performed to quantify the robustness of a recurrent neural network output due to perturbations in its trained weights. An uncertainty propagation analysis-based robustness measure has been proposed accordingly and further compared with available performance loss-based and sensitivity matrix-based approaches. Results show that the proposed robustness measure approach is more efficient, generic, and flexible to quantify the robustness of a recurrent neural network.
Regional Amazon basin and global analyses of MODIS vegetation indices: early results and comparisons with AVHRR

Vegetation indices (VI) have emerged as important tools in the monitoring, mapping, and resource management of vegetation. They are radiometric measures of the amount, structure, and condition of vegetation, which serve as useful indicators of seasonal and inter-annual variations in vegetation. The recently launched Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra platform offers many improvements for land studies and VI production from that provided by the AVHRR sensor. These include improved sensitivity to chlorophyll and contamination by atmospheric water vapor through narrower bandwidths in the red and NIR, respectively. In addition, the finer pixel size provides improved VI monitoring and change detection capability. The MODIS VI products are produced at spatial resolutions of 250m, 500m, 1km and 0.25/spl deg/ and at temporal intervals of 16 days and 1 month. They include two VI formulations, the normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI. An improved, or enhanced vegetation index (EVI) is also produced with the goal of providing complimentary information on vegetation spatial and temporal variations, while minimizing much of the contamination problems present in the NDVI. Whereas the NDVI is chlorophyll sensitive and responds mostly to red band variations, the EVI is more NIR sensitive and, as a result of the penetrating properties of the NIR band, is more responsive to canopy structural variations, including LAI, canopy type, and canopy architecture. In this study, early images from MODIS are used to evaluate NDVI and EVI for global and regional vegetation monitoring.
Laying the Foundation for Successful Team Performance Trajectories: The Roles of Team Charters and Performance Strategies

This study examined the influences of team charters and performance strategies on the performance trajectories of 32 teams of master's of business administration students competing in a business strategy simulation over time. The authors extended existing theory on team development by demonstrating that devoting time to laying a foundation for both teamwork (i.e., team charters) and taskwork (performance strategies) can pay dividends in terms of more effective team performance over time. Using random coefficients growth modeling techniques, they found that teams with high-quality performance strategies outperformed teams with poorer quality strategies. However, a significant interaction between quality of the charters of teams and their performance strategies was found, such that the highest sustained performances were exhibited by teams that were high on both features. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).
MASS COMPOSITION IN PRE-ERUPTION QUIET SUN FILAMENTS

Filament eruptions are extremely important phenomena due to their association with coronal mass ejections and their effects on space weather. Little is known about the filament mass and composition in the eruption process, since most of the related research has concentrated on the evolution and disruption of the magnetic field. Following up on our previous work, we present here an analysis of nineteen quiet Sun filament eruptions observed by Mauna Loa Solar Observatory in Hα and He I 10830 A that has identified a compositional precursor common to all of these eruptions. There is a combined trend of an apparent increase in the homogenization of the filament mass composition, with concurrent increases in absorption in Hα and He I and in the level of activity, all starting at least one day prior to eruption. This finding suggests that a prolonged period of mass motions, compositional mixing, and possibly even extensive mass loading is occurring during the build up of these eruptions.
Perseverative reaching in infancy: The roles of hidden toys and motor history in the AB task

Abstract Two experiments tested the roles of hidden toys and motor history in the AB task with 10-month- old infants. In Experiment 1 ( N = 24), infants were tested in lid and toy versions of the task, each comprised of A and B trials. No toys were ever hidden in the lid condition. On all A trials, an experimenter directed infants' attention to one of two lids (the A lid) and allowed infants to reach following a 5-s delay. On B trials in the lid condition, the experimenter directed infants' attention to the other, B lid. On B trials in the toy condition, the experimenter directed infants' attention to a toy that was then hidden underneath the B lid. Following a 5-s delay, infants reached perseveratively to A —producing the AB error—in the lid condition (replicating Smith, McLin, Titzer, & Thelen, 1995), but not in the toy condition. In Experiment 2 ( N = 24), infants were tested in similar lid and toy versions of the task, except that on all A trials the experimenter directed attention to a toy that was then hidden underneath the A lid. Infants produced AB errors across lid and toy conditions. Contrary to Smith et al.'s (1995) claims, these findings indicate that infants distinguish hidden toys from lids alone in the AB task. The presence of hidden toys on A trials and on B trials, not simply infants' motor history, influence production of the AB error.
Apriority, Metaphysics, and Empirical Content in Kant's Theory of Matter

This paper addresses problems associated with the role of the empirical concept of matter in Kant's Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science, offering an interpretation emphasizing two points consistently neglected in the secondary literature: the distinction between logical and real essence, and Kant's claim that motion must be represented in pure intuition by static geometrical figures. I conclude that special metaphysics cannot achieve its stated and systematically justified goal of discovering the real essence of matter, but that Kant requires this failure for his larger philosophical presentation of the dialectic that ‘irremediably attaches to human reason’ (A298/B354).
Ideas, Inheritances, and the Dynamics of Budgetary Change

Long the lifeblood of public administration, budgeting in the United States acquired a new importance during the 1980s and 1990s because of the fiscalization of the policy debate. But how much has American national budgeting really changed? This article examines the evolution of federal budgeting over the past half-century, exploring such developments as the massive growth of entitlements, congressional budget reform, and the protracted battle over the budget deficit. It finds that year-to-year changes in budget results have been relatively small even while budgetary rules and procedures have experienced sweeping change. At the same time, the composition of federal spending has undergone a quiet revolution. The traditional concept of budgetary incrementalism offers an incomplete explanation for these dynamics. To make sense of them, the article focuses on two key factors: the impact of policy inheritances, and the role of actors' causal and normative beliefs. These factors shape the ideational and material context within which boundedly rational actors negotiate decisions. The tension between changes in ideas and entrenched budgetary commitments has often served to stimulate institutional reform.
Variable upwinding and adaptive mesh refinement in convection‐diffusion

An analysis of the stability and oscillation properties of upwind finite element methods for convection-diffusion is given and used to develop a variable upwinding formulation. This formulation is particularly well suited to problems with nonconstant coefficients, nonlinearity or non-uniform meshes. We present the theoretical analysis and numerical studies for a standard steady-state and transient model one-dimensional convection-diffusion problem. The variable upwind strategy can also be used to significant advantage in conjunction with adaptive mesh refinement. Numerical results for the steady-state case in which convection dominates and the mesh is adaptively refined into a boundary layer confirm the efficacy of the scheme.
Automated simulation of areal bone mineral density assessment in the distal radius from high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography

Summary An automated image processing method is presented for simulating areal bone mineral density measures using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in the ultra-distal radius. The accuracy of the method is validated against clinical dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This technique represents a useful reference to gauge the utility of novel 3D quantification methods applied to HR-pQCT in multi-center clinical studies and potentially negates the need for separate forearm DXA measurements.
Model predictive control based on state space model with dead time

A state-space formulation of multi-variable model predictive control has already been developed. In this existing method, inequality constraints on the manipulated variables and outputs are satisfied as in Quadratic Dynamic Matrix Control (QDMC) (1985) and related algorithms. However, this control strategy does not take it into account the existence of dead time and, consequently it can not be applied to systems featuring dead time. So, in this paper, we propose to modify this optimal control method and to make it possible to accommodate dead time. >
Understanding critical geopolitics: Geopolitics and risk society

(1999). Understanding critical geopolitics: Geopolitics and risk society. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 22, Geopolitics, Geography and Strategy, pp. 107-124.
The institutionalization and pace of fertility in American stepfamilies

This paper compares nonparametric fertility rates for American women in stepfamilies and intact families using data from the June 1995 Current Population Survey. Results show that childbearing behaviors in stepfamilies resemble those in intact families. Regardless of stepfamily status timings and levels of fertility for second and third marital births are identical for all women at the same lifetime parity. Fertility patterns are also similar for all first marital births with the exception of a constant three-year difference in the pace of fertility and a "fertility penalty" for stepfamily women. These findings are consistent with (1) the institutionalization hypothesis of stepfamily processes; (2) the hypothesis that lifetime parity is the primary determinant of female fertility; and (3) a speculation that women in stepfamilies attempt to catch up on lost fertility outside of marriage. These findings also imply that increasing prevalence of stepfamilies will not lead to increased completed fertility. (authors)