cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Value of Promotions with Delayed Incentives: An Empirical Investigation of Gift Card Promotions

A gift card promotion provides customers an incentive to spend more than an expenditure level on regularly priced (as opposed to discounted) products, by rewarding customers with a gift card to be redeemed against a future purchase. This type of promotion is widely used by luxury fashion, department, and consumer electronic stores. In this paper, we empirically test and quantify the causal effects of gift card promotion on the retailers' revenue and the mechanisms through which it impacts customers' purchase behavior. To do so, we collaborate with a major U.S.-based fashion retailer that regularly runs gift card promotions on its online channel by targeting its customers through promotion emails. We utilize our partner retailer's targeting policy to run a regression discontinuity design analysis. We find that gift card promotion increases retailer's revenue by up to 113%. The magnitude of this effect, however, reduces with the customers' recency of purchase from the retailer's website and becomes insignificant for customers who made their last online purchase more than 13 months ago. We also find that frequent purchasers, who are likely to have lower cost of redeeming a gift card, are more likely to participate in the promotion. Using our estimations, we attribute $554K to $1.14M (i.e., 18.50% to 38.14%) of the retailer's $2.99M total online channel revenue during promotion days to gift card promotion, on average. We find that the gift card promotion email increases sales even among customers who do not participate in the promotion. Specifically, advertising the gift card promotion through an email increases customers' preference for the retailer but has no significant informative or reminder effects. We attribute 70 to 89% of the promotion's total impact to this advertisement effect. We also run a propensity score matching analysis and find that customers who redeem their earned gift cards increase their expenditures (beyond the face value of the gift card) by 23.3%, on average. Therefore, we show that redemption of gift cards induces additional expenditure and, hence, can be profitable for the retailer offsetting any promotional costs incurred.
Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Exchange Connect Program: A story of two markets and different groups of stocks

Abstract The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program connects the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by allowing investors in each market to trade authorized shares on the other market, using their local brokers and clearing houses. We study the differential impact of the program on different groups of stocks on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong Stock Exchange: Shanghai A-shares with/without a corresponding H-share, H-shares and non-H Hong Kong shares. The study provides insights into why the prices for A-shares and corresponding H-shares do not converge after the program. It provides some evidence supporting Merton’s (1987) investor base prediction in the Chinese stock market and supports the informational advantage argument for investors when they invest in a new market.
Women Leaders and Policy Compliance during a Public Health Crisis

How does the gender of a political leader affect policy compliance of the public during a public health crisis? State and national leaders have taken a variety of policy measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, with varying levels of success. While many female leaders have been credited with containing the spread of COVID-19, often through implementing strict policy measures, there is little understanding of how individuals respond to public health policy recommendations made by female and male leaders. This article investigates whether citizens are more willing to comply with strict policy recommendations about a public health issue when those recommendations are made by a female leader rather than a male leader. Using a survey experiment with American citizens, we compare individuals’ willingness to comply with policy along three dimensions: social distancing, face covering, and contact tracing. Our findings show that a leader's gender has little impact on policy compliance in general during the pandemic. These findings carry important implications for successful crisis management as well as understanding how a crisis in a nonmasculine issue context influences the effectiveness of a leader's ability to implement measures to mitigate the crisis.
JUSTFAIR: Judicial System Transparency through Federal Archive Inferred Records

In the United States, the public has a constitutional right to access criminal trial proceedings. In practice, it can be difficult or impossible for the public to exercise this right. We present JUSTFAIR: Judicial System Transparency through Federal Archive Inferred Records, a database of criminal sentencing decisions made in federal district courts. We have compiled this data set from public sources including the United States Sentencing Commission, the Federal Judicial Center, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system, and Wikipedia. With nearly 600,000 records from the years 2001-2018, JUSTFAIR is the first large scale, free, public database that links information about defendants and their demographic characteristics with information about their federal crimes, their sentences, and, crucially, the identity of the sentencing judge.
Gauge and gravity amplitudes on the celestial sphere

The analytic structures of scattering amplitudes in gauge theory and gravity are examined on the celestial sphere. The celestial amplitudes in the two theories---computed by employing a regulated Mellin transform---can be compared at low multiplicity. It is established by direct computation that up to five external particles, the double copy relations of Kawai, Lewellen, and Tye continue to hold identically, modulo certain multiplicative factors which are explicitly determined. Supersymmetric representations of the amplitudes are utilized throughout, manifesting the double copy structure between $\mathcal{N}=4$ super Yang-Mills and $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity on the celestial sphere.
Working with young children in Museums: weaving theory and practice: edited by Abigail Hackett, Rachel Holmes, and Christina MacRae, 2020, London, Routlege, 222 pp., 34.50 British pounds (paperback), 94.05 British pounds (hardback); ISBN 978-1-13835-300-8-(paper)/978-1-13835-296-4-(hardback)

The editors of Working with Young Children in Museums: Weaving Theory and Practice, offer a thoughtful and powerful metaphor of weaving, as a way to rethink the ways in which theory and practice mi...
Examining Online Traffic Patterns to Popular Direct-To-Consumer Websites for Evaluation and Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction.

Abstract Background Direct-to-consumer (DTC) Internet-based prescription and pharmacy platforms offer electronic consultation for evaluation and pharmacologic treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) without a physical exam or in-person visit, presenting a potentially dramatic shift in care for this condition. Aim To characterize the extent to which DTC prescribing sites for ED generate traffic and attract individual users. Methods Using SEMRush, a marketing software platform that provides analytics regarding website traffic, we examined online site visits to 6 major DTC prescribing websites offering ED evaluation and treatment from October 2017 through December 2019. Outcomes We recorded trends in the number of unique visitors over time, visitor referral patterns, and the proportion of overall visitors to individual sites. Results During the study period, the total number of unique, quarterly visitors increased by 1,688% from 655,733 in the 4th quarter (Q4) 2017 to over 11 million in Q4 2019. In 2019, there were on average 4,971,674 visits to all sites combined each month. For the 2 largest sites (Hims and Roman), visitors predominantly reached the site via direct web address (27.3%) or search engine referral (27.3%). Clinical implications An increasingly large number of potential patients are utilizing DTC prescribing platforms for the diagnosis and treatment of ED, which do not require physical exams or treatment of other comorbid conditions. Strength & Limitations Demonstrates high demand for ED DTC prescribing services using independent market research software and characterizes the number of visits for the first time. Limitations include the lack of individual demographics and lack of information regarding what proportion of unique visits lead to evaluation and treatment using the services. Conclusion The dramatic increase in visits to DTC prescribing sites that treat ED represents a paradigm shift in ED care, and it is imperative that clinicians and researchers work to understand how patients utilize online telemedicine, the safety and efficacy of online management of ED, and the potential downstream implications of its widespread use. Wackerbarth JJ, Fantus RJ, Darves-Bornoz A, et al. Examining Online Traffic Patterns to Popular Direct-To-Consumer Websites for Evaluation and Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction. Sex Med 2021;9:100289.
Cardiovascular Disease in Pregnancy

Cardiovascular disease remains a major contributor to rising maternal morbidity and mortality. Both the pregnant woman and fetus are exposed to many potential complications as a result of the physiologic changes of pregnancy. These changes can exacerbate existing cardiac disease, as well as lead to the development of de novo issues during gestation, delivery, and the postnatal period. For women with preexisting cardiac disease, including congenital malformations, valvular disease, coronary artery disease, and aortopathies, it is crucial that they receive multidisciplinary evaluation, counseling, and optimization before conception, as well as close monitoring and medication management during pregnancy. Close monitoring is also essential for patients who develop cardiovascular complications such as preeclampsia, cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, coronary events, and arrhythmias during pregnancy. In addition, concerning disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality exist across many dimensions, in part because of the lack of uniformity of care in different treatment settings. Establishment of multidisciplinary cardio-obstetric teams including representatives from cardiology, anesthesia, obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, and specialized nursing has proven instrumental to delivering evidence-based and equitable care to high-risk patients. Multidisciplinary teams should work to guide these patients through the preconception, antepartum, delivery, and postpartum phases to ensure appropriate care for weeks to years after pregnancy.
Is Income Inequality Reflected in Consumption Inequality in Iran

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the evolution of labor supply, income, and consumption inequality in Iran using the 2005-2015 waves of the survey of Household Expenditure and Income (HIES). We document that the sharp decline in income and consumption inequality after the Subsidy Reform in 2010 was accompanied by a slight but persistent rise in respective inequality measures. We find that not only the levels of income inequality is higher than consumption inequality but also that the fluctuations in income inequality are larger than that of consumption inequality. Moreover, income and consumption inequalities among rural households are higher compared to urban families. Finally, we show that within-group inequality, the inequality due to circumstances, can explain a considerable portion of the divergence observed between income and consumption inequalities.
Enhanced Biological Removal of Toluene from Aqueous Systems

Steady-state cultures of aquatic microorganisms have been shown to respond to the presence of hydrocarbons in a variety of ways. Dichlorobiphenyl in μg/1 concentrations stopped phosphate transport in the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum, while several mg/1 of toluene and more than one g/1 of methanol were required to achieve the same effect. Other organisms (e.g., Pseudomonas putida F1) have been shown to tolerate and/or metabolize toluene when it is present as the sole carbon source in mg/1 concentrations.
Removing Biases in Computed Returns: An Analysis of Bias in Equally-Weighted Return Indexes of REITs

In this paper, we apply the method for removing the upward bias in returns in equally-weighted return indexes developed by Fisher, Weaver, and Webb (2010) to real estate investment trust (REIT) stocks in the US. While we find significant bias in this index, two trends are evident: first, there is less overall bias than in non-REIT stocks, and second, the bias of REIT stocks has declined over time. These trends are consistent with growing listings of REIT stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), as well as with increasingly higher stock prices. They also support the hypothesis that there have been significant improvements in the market micro-structure environment of REIT stocks since the early 1970s. We further apply our methodology to REIT stocks listed in the two countries with the largest number of REITs outside the US: Germany and Australia. The results support the hypothesized relationship between index bias and market microstructure environment.
Neuropsychological impairment in alcoholic cirrhosis: correlates and effects on One-year outcome

Materials and methods One hundred ten subjects with alcoholic cirrhosis were interviewed and followed for one year for alcoholism relapse and death. Subjects completed at baseline the Shipley Institute of Living scale, the Trails B test, the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire and other measures of alcoholism severity. Subjects were followed for one year using daily diaries, interviews with collateral sources and medical record review. Statistical analysis included the Spearman correlation coefficient, ANOVA and KaplanMeier survival analysis.
Corporate Governance and Business Cycles in the G-7 Countries: Do Institutions Really Matter?

Research in corporate governance indicates that the relational framework within which firms make business decisions is very different across countries and these differences might be important in explaining differences in real economic phenomena such as growth rates in real output. On the other hand, research in business cycles indicates that many of the stylized facts of business cycles, themselves the result of business decisions that corporate governance presumably influences, are qualitatively similar. The objective of this paper is to see in what ways business cycles are similar and in what ways they are different across the G-7 countries, and whether any differences are related to differences in corporate governance and ownership structures. This research finds that business cycles across the G-7 countries tend to be more similar when comparing economic relationships from the product market where competition and the macroeconomic environment seem all important. On the other hand, business cycles are less similar across the G-7 countries when comparing certain financial relationships, and in certain cases these differences are related to differences in corporate governance and ownership structures.
Response to activewear apparel advertisements by US baby boomers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of cognitive- versus chronological-age factors in activewear apparel advertisements targeting female baby boomers in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 50 female participants aged 41-65 were asked to view two print advertisements: one showing activewear apparel worn by a cognitive-age model and the other by a chronological-age model. Participants then responded to a four-part questionnaire that included a measurement of cognitive age, physical activity, response to the advertisements, and purchase intent. Findings – The responses indicated that the participants view themselves as younger than their chronological age and were more inclined to respond favorably toward the advertisement using the cognitive age model. Research limitations/implications – Although this study focuses on only one consumer group – US baby boomers – it reveals their current attitudes toward advertisements of activewear apparel as well as their motivations for purchasing activewear apparel. More research on this age demographic and the impact of cognitive age vs. chronological age on their perceptions of advertising is needed. Originality/value – Currently one of the largest age demographics in the USA, baby boomers are known for having higher amounts of disposable income as compared to other age cohorts and for their interest in physical fitness and leading active lifestyles. The results of this study point to the need to understand the age-related perceptions of this consumer group in order to successfully market activewear apparel products directly to them.
Red cell mass and plasma volume measurements in polycythemia: evaluation of performance and practical utility.

BACKGROUND Despite the absence of any systematic evidence for diagnostic utility, red cell mass (RCM) measurement has been endorsed as a major diagnostic criterion for polycythemia vera (PV) based on a set of eligibility criteria for a clinical trial formulated by an International PV Study Group in 1967. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on a consecutive series of 105 patients who underwent blood volume measurements for evaluation of polycythemia. In a previous study, the authors had systematically compared RCM measurement by 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes and 125I-labeled human serum albumin and demonstrated equivalence between the two methods. In the current study, they used the latter method and applied the International Committee for Standardization in Haematology recommendations for result interpretation in order to evaluate test performance and practical utility. RESULTS RCM exceeded the 98–99% limits of the reference range in 76%, 20%, 22%, and 57% of patients with PV (n = 25), secondary polycythemia (n = 35), spurious or apparent polycythemia (n = 38), and essential thrombocythemia (n = 7), respectively. Decreased plasma volume was rarely seen in any of the disease categories. In all instances of PV, the diagnosis was readily apparent, based on alternative clinical and laboratory tests, and did not require the additional information from blood volume measurement. Furthermore, alternative methods of PV diagnosis, based on disease-specific biological markers as well as bone marrow histology, are now available. CONCLUSIONS The continued use of RCM and plasma volume measurements for the diagnosis of PV is no longer warranted. Cancer 2005. ©2005 American Cancer Society.
The unit cell of poly-p-xylylene and the structure of solution-grown crystals

A further refined unit cell of alpha poly-p-xylylene is proposed. It is monoclinic with the parameter a = 5.92, b = 10.64, c (chain axis) = 6.55 A, and β = 134.7°. Darkfield electron microscopic observation of solution-grown lamellae revealed a tent-like shape of the lamellae. A possible packing of the chains in the crystal is given. Eine weiter verbesserte Elementarzelle fur α-Poly-p-xylylen wird vorgeschlagen. Sie ist monoklin. Die Parameter weisen folgende Werte auf: a = 5,92, b = 10,64, c (Kettenachse) = 6,55 A und β = 134,7°. Die dunkelfeldelektronenmikroskopische Beobachtung von aus der Losung gezogenen Lamellen ergab eine zeltartige Gestalt der Lamellen. Eine mogliche Packung der Ketten im Kristall wird angegeben.
Today we have naming of parts.

Although we share the planet with plants and depend on them for food, raw materials and energy, we know very little about them. But this is beginning to change. On pages 761 and 769 of this issue, Lin et al. and Wambutt et al. report the DNA sequences of chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively, from Arabidopsis thaliana. The sequences include about 30% of the plant’s genes, and show that although many plant genes are familiar homologues of known animal and fungal genes, many others are plant specific. The sequences also show an evolving genome, with evidence for ancient and recent duplications of both single genes and large chromosomal regions.
Delegation, Commitment, and the Regulatory Mandate

Administrative law is concerned with the rules governing the delegation of authority to administrative agencies by legislatures. Agencies carry out a wide array of rule-making, enforcement, and adjudicatory activities. Agencies exercise substantial independence in policy-making subject to restrictions imposed by statutory law and the Constitution, and legislative, executive, and judicial oversight of agency actions. In this article, we focus on three instruments of control over agencies that are employed by the legislature and executive branch: appointments, statutes, and oversight. The characteristics and effects of these instruments are explored in a formal model involving policy-makers, the agency, and regulated firms. To focus on issues of political control, judicial oversight is not addressed at length. It is shown that these instruments accomplish different strategic objectives for policy-makers. Multiple instruments can be applied by policy-makers in circumstances where complementary results are achieved. In addition, multiple instruments may be employed when the legislature and the executive branch pursue divergent objectives. A crucial aspect of the instruments of executive and legislative control over administrative agencies is the timing of the control action relative to the
Production is at the left edge of the PDC but still central: response to commentaries.

In one of the commentaries to my target article (MacDonald, 2013) advocating the Production Distribution Comprehension (PDC) account, Ramscar and Baayen (2013) generously suggest that it's an “intellectual pleasure” to contemplate the PDC claims, even if they don't entirely agree with them. This characterization—both the genuine pleasure and the not entirely agreeing—equally applies to me in reading these 11 stimulating commentaries, and I address some major themes below.
The semiconducting behavior of thermally evaporated amorphous germanium-tellerium alloy thin films

Abstract Measurement of the electrical resistance and its variation with temperature and of the spectral dependence of the transmission in the photon energy range 0.5–2.0 eV, and studies of structural details by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, were carried out on amorphous Ge x Te 1− x films prepared by thermal evaporation. The structural studies showed that alloy films containing up to approximately 60% tellurium in germanium are amorphous. The conductivity of all the alloy films is thermally activated. An intrinsic type of conduction was observed for Ge 0.6 Te 0.4 and Ge 0.5 Te 0.5 alloy films at all temperatures and an intrinsic type of showed an extrinsic type of conduction at low temperatures and an intrinsic type of conduction at high temperatures. The values of the optical gap and the refractive index of amorphous alloy films are about 0.8 eV and about 4.0 respectively; neither of these parameters showed a systematic dependence on composition.
Sporotrichosis in children. Report of an epidemic.

Nine cases of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis in children occurred in Kansas in the fall of 1969. All the children had played in stacks of baled prairie hay from which Sporotrichum schenckii was recovered. This outbreak is, to our knowledge, the largest reported outbreak of sporotrichosis in children and the first outbreak reported due to contaminated prairie hay. It is suggested that when adequately exposed to contaminated material children are as susceptible as adults.
A model for degradation of electrochemical devices based on linear non-equilibrium thermodynamics and its application to lithium ion batteries

Transport through ionic conducting membranes is examined. An equation describing the chemical potential, μs, of electrically neutral species, s, in the membrane is derived in terms of ionic and electronic currents, and ionic and electronic transport resistances. It is shown that the μs in the membrane need not be mathematically bounded by the values at the two electrodes (reservoirs) if the ionic and the electronic currents through the membrane are in the same direction. Conditions could develop under which the μs in the membrane may exceed the thermodynamic stability of the membrane even when exposed to stable conditions at the two electrodes. It is shown that during charging, chemical potential of lithium, μLi, in the electrolyte of a lithium-ion battery may exceed that corresponding to pure lithium thus causing lithium precipitation and/or reaction with the electrolyte. It is also shown that in a lithium ion battery pack containing several cells, degradation may occur during discharge due to cell imbalance. In unbalanced cells, the SEI layer may form at both the anode/electrolyte and the cathode/electrolyte interfaces. A bi-layer separator comprising an electronic conductor and an electronic insulator is proposed for improved stability of lithium batteries.
Microbial growth in a fixed volume: studies with entrapped Escherichia coli

Stresses exerted by a growing entrapped colony of Escherichia coli up to 3 atmospheres were measured by incorporating a pressure transducer into a specially designed immobilized cell reactor. This stress is comparable in magnitude to the turgor pressure generated by Gram negative bacteria. In complementary experiments, cell densities as high as 850 grams dry weight per liter were measured in aggregates of starved E. coli subjected to controlled applied stresses up to 9 atmospheres. Cell volume reduction was quantitatively described by a model which incorporated the fundamental osmotic properties of the cell. compression of entrapped cells was qualitatively corroborated by electron microscopic examination. These results suggest that entrapped growing bacteria can exert a substantial stress on their surroundings and that dewatering of the starved cell population in an entrapped system may occur. Both of these consequences of entrapped cell growth can be understood in terms of the osmotic behavior of the cells.
Diophantine definability over non-finitely generated non-degenerate modules of algebraic extensions of ℚ

We investigate the issues of Diophantine definability over the non-finitely generated version of non-degenerate modules contained in the infinite algebraic extensions of the rational numbers. In particular, we show the following. Let k be a number field and let K inf be a normal algebraic, possibly infinite, extension of k such that k has a normal extension L linearly disjoint from K inf over k. Assume L is totally real and K inf is totally complex. Let M inf be a non-degenerate O k -module, possibly non-finitely generated and contained in O Kinf . Then M inf contains a submodule M¯ inf such that M inf /M¯ inf is torsion and O k has a Diophantine definition over M¯ inf .
CERVANTES - A SYSTEM SUPPORTING TEXT ANALYSIS

CRL is engaged in the development of document management software and user interfaces to support government analysts in their information analysis tasks. It is also continuing to develop language technologies to support document detection and information extraction in a variety of languages. It has also been responsible for the integration and delivery of both the six and twelve month Tipster demonstration systems and the development of the first Tipster document manager.
An archaeological test of the “Exchange Expansion Model” of contact era change on the Northwest Coast

Abstract Recent anthropological studies show that traditional views of indigenous communities in the wake of European colonialism are constrained by Eurocentric biases. These biases can be overcome, in part, by greater reliance on archaeological data as an independent line of evidence and increased attention to indigenous internal sociocultural processes. This study uses these strategies to examine colonial era shifts in indigenous exchange systems on the Northwest Coast of North America. Obsidian artifact data from late precontact and early postcontact deposits are used to test what I call the “Exchange Expansion Model” (EEM) of colonial period shifts in Northwest Coast exchange systems. According to the EEM, both the volume and geographic scope of supralocal exchange among indigenous communities increased as a result of European influences. This study tests the model using obsidian artifact data from three Lower Columbia River sites – Cathlapotle (45CL1), Clahclellah (45SA11), and Meier (35C05). The results support the hypothesized increase in volume, but not the hypothesized increase in geographic scope, of indigenous supralocal exchange. To explain the departure from expectations, I propose a revised version of the EEM which considers more fully how Native demography and internal sociocultural dynamics developed in the context of introduced diseases, horses, and the fur trade. I suggest these variables facilitated increases in the flow of prestige goods, but declines in the flow of less valued goods such as obsidian, from interior sources to the Lower Columbia River. Exchange alliances between Lower Columbia Chinookans and nearby Willamette Valley inhabitants were more resistant to disruption, so obsidian importation from the Willamette Valley to the Lower Columbia stabilized, and perhaps intensified, during the postcontact era. These findings illustrate the power of archaeology for empirically testing ethnohistorical models of colonialism and for illuminating the significance of indigenous internal sociocultural processes in colonial entanglements.
A proper orthogonal decomposition approach to approximate balanced truncation of infinite dimensional linear systems

We extend a method for approximate balanced reduced order model derivation for finite dimensional linear systems developed by Rowley (Int. J. Bifur. Chaos Appl. Sci. Eng. 15(3) (2005), pp. 997-1013) to infinite dimensional systems. The algorithm is related to standard balanced truncation, but includes aspects of the proper orthogonal decomposition in its computational approach. The method can be also applied to nonlinear systems. Numerical results are presented for a convection diffusion system.
Role of SUPERMAN in maintaining Arabidopsis floral whorl boundaries

The Arabidopsis gene SUPERMAN (SUP) is necessary for the proper spatial development of reproductive floral tissues1–3. Recessive mutations cause extra stamens to form interior to the normal third whorl stamens, at the expense of fourth whorl carpel development. The mutant phenotype is associated with the ectopic expression of the B function genes, AP3 and PI, in the altered floral region, closer to the centre of the flower than in the wild type, and ap3 sup and pi sup double mutants exhibit a phenotype similar to ap3 and pi single mutants. These findings led to SUP being interpreted as an upstream negative regulator of the B function organ-identity genes, acting in the fourth whorl, to establish a boundary between stamen and carpel whorls. Here we show, using molecular cloning and analysis, that it is expressed in the third whorl and acts to maintain this boundary in developing flowers. The putative SUPERMAN protein contains one zinc-finger and a region resembling a basic leucine zipper motif, suggesting a function in transcriptional regulation.
How users reciprocate to computers: an experiment that demonstrates behavior change

We conducted an experiment to investigate if computers could motivate users to change their behavior. By leveraging a social dynamic called the "rule of reciprocity," this experiment demonstrated that users provided more helping behavior to a computer that had helped them previously than to a different computer. Users also worked longer, performed higher quality work, and felt happier. Conversely, the data provide evidence of a retaliation effect.
When is liver biopsy needed in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis

Background & Aims: Liver biopsy has been largely replaced by less invasive measurements applied to mathematical models in defining the prognosis of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The need for liver biopsy in the diagnosis of patients with positive antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) in the setting of biochemical cholestasis remains uncertain. This study was undertaken to determine which variables indicate the need for liver biopsy in patients with positive AMA and suspected PBC. Methods: A total of 3198 patients that were tested for AMA in 1999 and 2000 were identified. Of these, 198 (6.2%) were AMA positive. Forty-two patients were excluded because of unavailable laboratory data or liver biopsy specimens. Data on the remaining 156 patients were analyzed to determine which variables among patients with positive AMA with and without a histopathologic diagnosis of PBC indicate the need for liver biopsy. Results: In 131 of 156 (84.6%) patients, a diagnosis of PBC was established by liver biopsy. The histological diagnosis of PBC was associated with a cholestatic biochemical profile (alkaline phosphatase [AP] >1.5 times the upper limits of normal [ULN] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] 1.5 times the ULN and AST 1.5 times the ULN), and absence of markedly elevated AST ( 5 times the ULN.
Effects of rhizobium, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and anion content of simulated rain on subterranean clover

Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine the extent to which rhizobia, mycorrhizal fungi, and anions in simulated rain affect plant growth response to acid deposition. Germinating subterranean clover seeds were planted in steam-pasteurized soil in pots and inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum, Glomus intraradices, Glomus etunicatum, R. leguminosarum + G. intraradices, R. leguminosarum + G. etunicatum, or no microbial symbionts. Beginning 3 weeks later, plants and the soil surface were exposed to simulated rain in a greenhouse on 3 days week−1 for 12 weeks. Rain solutions were deionized water amended with background ions only (pH 5.0) or also adjusted to pH 3.0 with HNO3 only, H2SO4 only, or a 50/50 mixture of the two acids. Glomus intraradices colonized plant roots poorly, and G. intraradices-inoculated plants responded like nonmycorrhizal plants to rhizobia and rain treatments. Variation in plant biomass attributable to different rain formulations was strongest for G. etunicatum-inoculated plants, and the effect of rain formulation differed with respect to nodulation by rhizobia. The smallest plants at the end of the experiment were noninoculated plants exposed to rains (0.38 g mean dry weight total for 3 plants pot−1). Among nonnodulated plants infected by G. etunicatum, those exposed to HNO3 rain were largest, followed by plants exposed to HNO3 + H2SO4, pH 5.0, and H2SO4 rain, in that order. Among plants inoculated with both R. leguminosarum + G. etunicatum, however, the greatest biomass occurred with pH 5.0 rains, resulting in the largest plants in the study (1.00 g/3 plants). Treatment-related variation among root and shoot biomass data reflected those for whole-plant biomass. Based on quantification of biomass and N concentrations in shoot and root tissues, total N content of plants inoculated with G. etunicatum alone and exposed to the HNO3 + H2SO4 rains was approximately the same as plants inoculated with R. leguminosarum + G. entunicatum and exposed to pH 5 rains. Thus, the acid-mixture rains and rhizobia under no acid deposition provided approximately equal amounts of N in biomass. The significant interactions among rain formulation and the symbiotic status of the plants suggest that conclusions concerning the impact of acid deposition on plants in the environment cannot be considered reliable because most experiments on which such assessments are based have not tested confounding influences of microorganisms and precipitation characteristics.
Nonlinear dynamics of vortices in high-Jc Josephson contacts

Nonlinear dynamics of vortices in high-Jc overdamped Josephson contacts with time-dependent transport current J(t) is considered. It is shown that equations of nonlocal Josephson electrodynamics which describe an Abrikosov vortex with Josephson core can be solved exactly for any J(t). Different nonlinear regimes, such as vortex acceleration after a stepwise change of J(t) and oscillations of a vortex for periodic AC currents are calculated analytically.
Lesión del nervio cutáneo antebraquial lateral relacionada con la venopunción: ¿qué debemos saber?

Resumen Justificacion y objetivos la venopuncion es uno de los procedimientos mas comunes en la practica anestesica cotidiana. Aunque en general es inocua, se han descrito lesiones de los nervios perifericos con secuelas graves despues de la venopuncion. Presentamos un caso de lesion de nervio cutaneo antebraquial lateral relacionada con la venopuncion, conjuntamente con la informacion de diagnostico y pronostico que son esenciales para la practica cotidiana. Caso paciente del sexo masculino, de 27 anos, sometido a venopuncion de la fosa antecubital derecha con una aguja de calibre 20 para evaluacion metabolica de rutina. El paciente sufrio un dolor agudo de tipo descarga electrica, recorriendo el lateral del antebrazo desde la fosa antecubital proximal hasta la muneca derecha y la base del pulgar derecho. Despues 24 h, el paciente todavia sentia un dolor parecido a una descarga electrica que fue clasificado como 8/10 en el brazo distal lateral derecho, en la muneca derecha y en la base del pulgar, acompanado de parestesia. Hicimos una revision de la literatura y el paciente recibio orientacion sobre los resultados publicados respecto a ese tipo de lesion. Durante el seguimiento, el paciente relato que la disestesia disminuyo aproximadamente 3-4 semanas despues de la lesion inicial y no informo deficit neurologico. Conclusiones se han descrito lesiones de nervios perifericos tras venopuncion, pero la literatura es limitada. Los nervios de la fosa antecubital estan clasicamente localizados en un plano inmediatamente inferior (y muy cercanos) a las venas, lo que los hace susceptibles a lesiones durante la flebotomia. Ademas, se sabe que existe una extensa variacion anatomica, sugiriendo que incluso una venopuncion satisfactoria no traumatica puede perjudicar directamente esos nervios. El anestesiologo debe ser consciente de esa posible complicacion y tambien del diagnostico y del pronostico para orientar a los pacientes de forma adecuada en el caso de que ocurra esa complicacion.
Cost premium prediction of certified green buildings: A neural network approach

Built environment has a substantial impact on the economy, society, and the environment. Along with the increasing environmental consideration of the building impacts, the environmental assessment of buildings has gained substantial importance in the construction industry. In this study, an artificial neural network model is built to predict cost premium of LEED certified green buildings based on LEED categories. To verify the viability of the model, multiple regression analysis is used as a benchmarking model. After validating the prediction power of the neural network model, a global sensitivity analysis is utilized to provide a better understanding of possible relationships between input and output variables of the prediction model. Sustainable Sites and Energy & Atmosphere LEED categories were found to have the highest sensitivity in cost premium prediction. In this study, our goal was to reveal the significant relationships between LEED categories and the cost premium, and offer a decision model that can guide owners to estimate cost premiums based on sought LEED credits.
Egg Destruction as a Response to Reduced Living Space in Japanese Quail

Abstract Japanese quail, housed one to a cage, were exposed to reduced living areas caused by an accumulation of their own eggs. After an average of 14 eggs had accumulated, these birds began to destroy their eggs at the same rate they laid them. The effect was to maintain about .026 m.2 of clear floor area. No changes in egg production were found. Behavioral control of living space is suggested by these results.
The H2-H infrared absorption bands at temperatures from 1000 K to 2500 K

H2-H collision-induced absorption spectra are computed for temperatures from 1000 K to 2500 K and frequencies from 100 cm 1 to 10 000 cm 1 . The calculations are quantum mechanical and the isotropic potential approximation has been applied. The computed absorption in the fundamental band agrees roughly with the one determined by Patch (1974). However, the absorption in the translational band, which has not been obtained before, is significantly stronger than in the fundamental band.
Some new sulfur containing chelating agents

Abstract Nine new sulfur containing chelating agents have been prepared by the reaction of aldehydes with appropriate compounds containing sulfhydryl groups. These compounds all contain thioether donor groups and several contain carboxylate groups as well. Three of the compounds which are tetracarboxylic acids have carboxyl groups whose ionization is practically independent and give titration curves with but a single inflection point. A method is presented for obtaining all four dissociation constants in such cases.
Experimental and computational investigation of the polar ferrimagnet VOSe2O5

We have re-examined the crystal structure and the physical properties of VOSe2O5 by performing single crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction, alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) magnetization measurements, heat capacity, dielectric properties, and second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. From these studies, we observed that the compound undergoes three magnetic transitions near 4, 5.5, and 8 K. In addition, we observed ferrimagnetic behavior as the magnetic ground state, confirmed by the isothermal magnetization measured below 8 K that reveals a saturated magnetic moment of 0.5 μB per formula unit, consistent with density functional calculations of the magnetically ordered ground state. We propose a ferrimagnetic spin arrangement that is consistent with neutron diffraction measurements as well. Frequency dependence in the AC magnetic susceptibility, observed at 5.5 K, is considered as short-range magnetic ordering and may be associated with the competition between nearest neighbor...
Location and identification of radioactive material with the GRETA (Gamma-Ray Experimental Telescope Assembly)

We previously reported Compton imaging measurements of 137Cs and 60Co laboratory sources using the full 15-channel readout of the Gamma-Ray Experimental Telescope Assembly (GRETA). We have since modified the detector geometry to accommodate a wider range of Compton scattering angles and implemented a neural networking method for the location of interaction positions with a 3-cm resolution inside the detector volumes. This paper describes the implementation of the neural networking method and culminates in the imaging of 137Cs, 60Co, and 252Cf sources using this technique.
Specific phobia 10-16 years after treatment.

Twenty eight participants, initially treated for specific phobia as part of a comparative treatment study, were evaluated 10 to 16 years (X=12 years) later. A comprehensive, in-person, semi-structured diagnostic interview was utilized, which also assessed comorbid disorders. Of 21 patients who had been rated as responders (much improved or very much improved) at treatment termination, 13 (62%) had clinically significant avoidance or endurance with dread subsequent to treatment. Among a subgroup of these responders who had been considered completely recovered (n=11), 5 (45%) had clinically significant symptoms following treatment. None of the seven subjects who had been considered unimproved at treatment termination recovered from phobia symptoms in the intervening years. Positive response to treatment was associated with better long term outcome. Clinical characteristics, such as phobia subtype, age of onset, baseline severity, and lifetime comorbidity of other psychiatric disorders were not associated with long term outcome in this sample. Type of treatment was not associated with long term outcome. Results challenge the notion that recovery from specific phobia following treatment is characterized by complete and enduring cessation of symptoms. Depression and Anxiety 10:105–111, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of Habitat Disturbance on Texas Horned Lizards: An Urban Case Study

Abstract: Disturbance caused by habitat restoration or urbanization can threaten populations of sensitive wildlife species. We examined the effects of habitat disturbance on the ecology of an urban population of Texas Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum), a species of conservation concern in several states as a result of range-wide declines. We quantified changes in spatial distribution, survival rates, and population size and density over 9 yr (2003–2011) for a P. cornutum population on an urban reserve. The project was divided into three, 3-yr stages based on level of habitat disturbance. Spatial analyses did not support the hypothesis that disturbance associated with restoration activities affected the spatial ecology of P. cornutum on our study site. However, these results were not entirely conclusive due to the logistical constraints of working on a single site with an uncommon species. Survival (n = 147 lizards) was affected by season (inactive-season survival was higher), stage (declining survival...
Relative stabilities of triple helices composed of combinations of DNA, RNA and 2′-O-methyl-RNA backbones: chimeric circular oligonucleotides as probes.

Described is a systematic study of the effects of varied backbone structure on the stabilities of pyr.pur.pyr triple helices. The effects were measured using six circular 34 base oligonucleotides containing DNA (D), RNA (R) and/or 2'-O-methyl-RNA (M) residues designed to bind a complementary single-stranded purine target strand by triple helix formation. Eighteen different backbone combinations were studied at pH 5.5 and 7.0 by optical melting experiments and the results compared with the stabilities of the corresponding Watson-Crick duplexes. When the target purine strand is DNA, all circles form pH-dependent triple helical complexes which are considerably stronger than the duplexes alone. When RNA is the target, five of the nine complexes studied are of the pH-dependent triplex type and the other four complexes are not significantly stronger than the corresponding duplexes. The results are useful in the design of the highest affinity ligands for single- and double-stranded DNAs and RNAs and also point out novel ways to engender DNA- or RNA-selective binding.
Trilateral retinoblastoma-incidence and outcome: A decade of experience

Abstract Purpose : This report examines the incidence and outcome of trilateral retinoblastoma in children treated for retinoblastoma. A group of patients who are at highest risk for the development of trilateral retinoblastoma is defined. Methods and Materials : Between 1979 and 1990, 117 children were treated with external beam radiation therapy for retinoblastoma, ( 97 117 , bilateral). Median follow-up time was 68 months. The median age at diagnosis was 7 months. Results : Six cases of trilateral retinoblastoma were identified. The incidence of trilateral retinoblastoma in children with bilateral retinoblastoma was 6% ( 6 97 ) and 10% in those with a family history of retinoblastoma. The median age at diagnosis of RB in the children with trilateral retinoblastoma, was 3 months, younger than the median age of the entire retinoblastoma group. In all cases, the pineal region was excluded from the radiotherapy fields. Treatment for the trilateral retinoblastoma consisted of craniospinal axis radiation therapy and chemotherapy in three patients, chemotherapy alone in two, and no treatment in one. All patients died from this disease. Overall, of the 117 children treated at our institution for retinoblastoma with a median follow-up of 68 months, 12 have died. Trilateral retinoblastoma was the major cause of death, accounting for 50% ( 6 12 ) of deaths. Conclusion : Trilateral retinoblastoma is a major and under-appreciated cause of mortality in the first 5 years after the diagnosis of bilateral retinoblastoma. A more aggressive approach toward screening a defined population of childhood retinoblastoma survivors may be warranted.