cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corporate financial performance and corporate social performance: an update and reinvestigation

For some time, researchers have been investigating the relationship between a firm's corporate financial performance (CFP) and its corporate social performance (CSP). Although most studies indicate that CSP is a determinant of CFP, other aspects of this research have been inconsistent. Some studies are criticized for using unreliable CSP measures; others for missing control variables; and still others for assuming linearity without valid testing. This paper responds to these issues with an updated study of the CSP–CFP relationship, testing two approaches to measuring CSP, controlling for key variables identified in the literature, and testing for nonlinearity of certain independent variables. Chief among our findings is a positive CSP–CFP relationship, which supports proponents of stakeholder theory. We also determine that empirical models specifying two CSP component measures are stronger than those using a fully aggregated measure. Lastly, we find that control variables must be properly specified to avoid bias and that some of these measures are quadratically related to CFP. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Evaluation and Long-Term Prognosis of New-Onset, Transient, and Persistent Anemia in Ambulatory Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Objectives This study sought to determine the characteristics and long-term prognosis of anemia in ambulatory patients with chronic heart failure. Background Anemia is prevalent in heart failure, and may portend poor outcomes. Methods We reviewed 6,159 consecutive outpatients with chronic stable heart failure at baseline, short-term (3-month) follow-up, and long-term (6-month) follow-up between 2001 and 2006. Clinical, demographic, laboratory, and echocardiographic data were reviewed from electronic medical records. Mortality rates were determined from 6-month follow-up to end of study period. Results Prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin [Hb] Conclusions These observations in a broad unselected outpatient cohort suggest that anemia in patients with heart failure is under-recognized and underevaluated. However, resolution of anemia was evident in up to 43% of patients who presented initially with anemia, and did not pose greater long-term risk for all-cause mortality. However, the presence of persistent anemia conferred poorest survival in patients with heart failure when compared with that of incident, resolved, or no anemia.
Hemocompatibility and Hemodynamics of Novel Hyaluronan–Polyethylene Materials for Flexible Heart Valve Leaflets

Polymeric heart valves (PHVs) hold the promise to be more durable than bioprosthetic heart valves and less thrombogenic than mechanical heart valves. We introduce a new framework to manufacture hemocompatible polymeric leaflets for HV (PHV) applications using a novel material comprised of interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of hyaluronan (HA) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). We establish and characterize the feasibility of the material as a substitute leaflet material through basic hemodynamic measurements in a trileaflet configuration, in addition to demonstrating superior platelet response and clotting characteristics. Plain LLDPE sheets were swollen in a solution of silylated-HA, the silylated-HA was then crosslinked to itself before it was reverted back to native HA via hydrolysis. Leaflets were characterized with respect to (1) bending stiffness, (2) hydrophilicity, (3) whole blood clotting, and (4) cell (platelet and leukocyte) adhesion under static conditions using fresh human blood. In vitro hemodynamic testing of prototype HA/LLDPE IPN PHVs was used to assess feasibility as functional HVs. Bending stiffness was not significantly different from natural fresh leaflets. HA/LLDPE IPNs were more hydrophilic than LLDPE controls. HA/LLDPE IPNs caused less whole blood clotting and reduced cell adhesion compared to the plain LLDPE control. Prototype PHVs made with HA/LLDPE IPNs demonstrated an acceptable regurgitation fraction of 4.77 ± 0.42%, and effective orifice area in the range 2.34 ± 0.5 cm2. These results demonstrate strong potential for IPNs between HA and polymers as future hemocompatible HV leaflets. Further studies are necessary to assess durability and calcification resistance.
Approximating TSP on metrics with bounded global growth

The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a canonical NP-complete problem which is known to be MAX-SNP hard even on (high-dimensional) Euclidean metrics [39]. In order to circumvent this hardness, researchers have been developing approximation schemes for low-dimensional metrics [4, 38] (under different notions of dimension). However, a feature of most current notions of metric dimension is that they are "local": the definitions require every local neighborhood to be well-behaved. In this paper, we consider the case when the metric is less restricted: it has a few "dense" regions, but is "well-behaved on the average"? To this end, we define a global notion of dimension which we call the correlation dimension (denoted by dimC), which generalizes the popular notion of doubling dimension. In fact, the class of metrics with dimC = O(1) not only contains all doubling metrics, but also contains some metrics containing uniform submetrics of size √n. We first show, using a somewhat "local" argument, that one can solve TSP on these metrics in time 2O(√n); we then take advantage of the global nature of TSP (and the global nature of our definition) to give a (1 + e)-approximation algorithm that runs in sub-exponential time: i.e., in 2O(nΔe-4dimC)-time for every constant 0
On the phenomenological model of preferred sputtering for SIMS and Auger profiling: A critical analysis

Abstract Analysis of the existing model of preferred sputtering for SIMS and Auger depth profiling shows that while the model is theoretically sound, there are some inconsistencies related to time scale, sputter yield, matrix effect, etc., which arise from implicit assumptions made without due regard to their physical origin. To appreciate and thus remove these inconsistencies a generalized formulation of the model is introduced, and from it various particular cases are derived for sputtering of binary alloys and compounds. It will be shown that the model can be extended to include the ion impregnation effect, and that the model is applicable to monocrystalline targets, but has only limited usefulness for inhomogeneous compounds.
THE INCLUSION OF CAPITATION REIMBURSEMENT IN SOLO PRACTICE

Capitation reimbursement has been an integral part of prepaid group practices in both medicine and dentistry, and claims have been made for its ability to influence the delivery of services favorably. Experts have suggested that if capitation is implemented, more preventive care will be provided, more diagnostic services will be provided, there will be better continuity of care, utilization of high-cost services will be reduced, and clinical outcome will be improved. This study focused on the dominant mode of practice in dentistry, the general, solo practitioner, to determine if these contentions held. A sample of 245 patients whose care was paid for by a capitation mechanism was matched to a sample of 245 similar patients whose care was paid for on a standard fee-for-service basis--all from three dentists' practices. All services in all years of care for each patient were analyzed. It was determined that the rate of restorations was lower, while rates of diagnostic testing and prophylaxis were higher for capitation patients. Continuity was also better under capitation, but rates of extractions were virtually identical for the two groups.
Influence of age and caloric restriction on liver glycolytic enzyme activities and metabolite concentrations in mice

The influence of caloric restriction (CR) from 2 months of age on the activities of liver glycolytic enzymes and metabolite levels was studied in young and old mice. Livers were sampled 48 h after the last scheduled feeding time. Old mice on CR showed significant decreases in the activities of all the enzymes studied, except for aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase and phosphoglycerate mutase, which were unchanged. The metabolites glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, pyruvate and lactate were lower while fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate were increased in old CR. Young mice on CR also showed reduced enzyme activities, except for aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase and enolase which were unchanged when compared with young controls. The metabolites glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate and pyruvate were decreased when compared with young controls, while phosphoenolpyruvate was increased. Ketone bodies increased (65%) in old, but not young, CR mice while fructose-2,6-bisphosphate decreased in both young (22%) and old CR (28%) mice. The results indicate that decreased hepatic glucose levels in CR mice are associated with decreased enzyme activities but not a uniform decrease in metabolite levels. Increased ketone body levels indicate increased utilization of non-carbohydrate fuels while decreased fructose-2,6-bisphosphate level suggests its importance in the control of glycolysis in CR.
On the size distribution of Antarctic icebergs

Abstract Composites are given of six reported Antarctic iceberg size distributions and theoretical Rayleigh distributions are fitted with reasonable small errors. A modal length of 0.4km is found for observations in East Antarctica; this increases to 0.7km when size data for icebergs observed by satellite in or near the pack ice in the Bellingshausen Sea are added. Results of model investigation of the equilibrium or standing population size distribution, based on the Gordienko observations of sizes near the Amery Ice Shelf as initial conditions and annual input together with the constraints of uniform sidewall wastage rate and that length/width ratios be maintained within the range 1.1 to 2.2 by iceberg fracturing into equal parts, show a distribution much unlike the Rayleigh in that the highest probability of occurrence is of icebergs of widths 0 – 0.2km. The model size distribution attains equilibrium after 21 years, at which time it is fitted very well to a Weibull distribution with parameters β = 0.5, η = 1.6 and γ = 0. A method is outlined by which the size distribution of freshly-calved icebergs might be assessed for use as the initial condition to such models.
Mechanisms of symptomatic improvement after gastric electrical stimulation in gastroparetic patients.

Abstract The aims were to investigate the effects of gastric electrical stimulation (GES) on autonomic function, gastric distention and tone, and central control mechanisms in gastroparetic patients. Ten gastroparetic patients refractory to standard medical therapy participated in this study and data were collected at baseline, within two weeks before surgery for implantation of GES system, and at follow-up sessions between 6 and 12 weeks after GES therapy was initiated. In each session, electrocardiogram, electrogastrogram (EGG) and gastric barostat measurements were conducted before and after a caloric liquid meal. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain scans were performed on a separate day. During GES therapy there was a significant increase in the discomfort threshold for mean pressure from 21 mmHg at baseline to 25 mmHg at follow-up, and for mean volume from 561 mL to 713 mL. A significant increase in the postprandial EGG power (amplitude) was observed between baseline and follow up. The sympathovagal balance was significantly decreased after GES therapy, indicating a significant increase in vagal activity. The cumulative PET data showed an increase in quantitative radioactive counts relative to the standardized data base in both the thalamic and caudate nuclei after chronic GES therapy. We conclude that our data suggest that the symptomatic improvement achieved by GES in gastroparesis is best explained by activation of vagal afferent pathways to influence CNS control mechanisms for nausea and vomiting accompanied by enhanced vagal efferent autonomic function and decreased gastric sensitivity to volume distention which enhances postprandial gastric accommodation.
Ultrasonographic differential diagnosis and neurodevelopmental outcome of cerebral white matter lesions in premature infants.

Ultrasonographic Differential Diagnosis and Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Cerebral White Matter Lesions in Premature Infants
The Stream of Consciousness: IX. James's Ejective Consciousness (Second Part)

As in the preceding article of the present series, I continue to examine William James's thought in The Principles of Psychology regarding what he there called “ejective consciousness.” James held that, in certain altered states, and perhaps at other times as well, mental occurrences may take place that are not components of the individual's original stream of consciousness. Usually if not always, such “split-off” occurrences comprise a second stream, which, according to James, is no less conscious and personal than the original stream is. However, the components of the second stream must be distinguished from nonconscious mental occurrences. Whereas James argues at some length against the existence of the nonconscious mental, of which there cannot be any inner awareness by definition, James does countenance the unusual presence of a second stream of consciousness, of which the first stream can have knowledge only inferentially, and vice versa. Both streams include inner awareness of their own basic durat...
Vortex loops in the critical Casimir effect in superfluid and superconducting films

Abstract Vortex-loop renormalization techniques are used to calculate the magnitude of the critical Casimir forces in superfluid and superconducting thin films. The force is found to become appreciable when the size of the thermally excited vortex loops is comparable to the film thickness, and the results for T T c are found to match very well with perturbative renormalization-group theories that can only be carried out for T > T c . In helium films the Casimir force leads to a change in the film thickness close to T c that has been observed experimentally. A similar effect is predicted to occur near the transition temperature of high- T c superconducting films, which is also a vortex-loop phase transition. In this case the Casimir force takes the form of a voltage difference that will appear at the junction between a thin film and a bulk sample. Estimates show that this voltage can be appreciable (tens of microvolts), and it may be possible to observe the effect by measuring the voltage across two Josephson tunnel junctions to the film and to the bulk, using a SQUID voltmeter.
Would You Watch It? Creating Effective and Engaging Video Tutorials

Video tutorials are a common form of library instruction used with distance learners. This paper combines professional experience and literature reviews from multiple disciplines to provide a contextual overview of recommendations and findings for effective and engaging videos. The tools for tutorials appear in five main categories: screencasts, slidecasts, live action video, animation, and interactivity. Not all tools work for every task or skill level, so it is important to have an understanding of the options available to creators. While the category and combination of tools used can vary, some general design principles and considerations apply to any form of online video. The type and length of content, compatibility with different devices, accessibility to all viewers, and quality audio are vital to making video tutorials that distance learners will want to watch.
Front Structure Design Procedure for Optimal Pedestrian Leg Impact Performance

This paper describes a procedure to optimize the front structure of a vehicle for improved performance in the leg impact portion of pedestrian safety regulations proposed by the European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee (EEVC). The first step in this procedure was to perform a simulation of the EEVC leg impact test with detailed finite element models of the EEVC leg impactor and the baseline design of a vehicle front structure. Next, a simplified, parametric finite element model of the vehicle front structure was used with the leg impactor model to simulate the leg impact test, and the results were correlated to the detailed finite element model and the test results. The leg impact simulation with the parametric vehicle model was then incorporated into an optimization procedure developed within the optimization code ISIGHT. In this procedure the parameters that controlled the vehicle geometry and structural stiffness in the simplified model were altered by ISIGHT to improve performance in the leg impact test.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A Discrete-Time Single-Parameter Combined Feedforward/Feedback Adaptive-Delay Algorithm With Applications to Piezo-Based Raster Tracking

We evaluate the performance of a combined feedforward/feedback control architecture applied to the raster scan of a piezo-based positioning system. Proper design of feedforward filters for minimum and nonminimum-phase plants is discussed. Further, empirical work suggests that a nontraditional variation upon the feedforward plant-injection architecture allows our system to track a raster pattern at a greater performance level than previously achieved in our research. This variation is manifested as additional delay inserted in the feedforward control system rather than a unity-gain filter constructed from plant parameters. An online adaptive technique is used to determine the required amount of additional delay. The key benefit of the algorithm is an adaptation calculation that does not require knowledge of plant parameters. This method can be applied to piezo-based positioning systems including atomic force microscopes, other scanning probe microscopes, probe-based data storage systems or other systems in which raster tracking is a critical control objective.
Oscillations in cerebral blood flow detected with a transcranial Doppler index

Although transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) has been used to detect oscillations in CBF, interpretation is severely limited, since only blood velocity and not flow is measured. Oscillations in v...
RIMS analysis of ion induced fragmentation of molecules sputtered from an enriched U3O8 matrix

Resonance ionization mass spectrometry was used to measure the composition of the sputtered flux from 15 keV Ga+, Au+, Au2 + and Au3 + primary ions impacting a 235U enriched U3O8 standard. We demonstrate that molecular fragmentation decreases as the primary ion mass and nuclearity increases. Stopping and range of ions in matter calculations show that cluster ions (Au2 + and Au3 +) deposit more of their energy via direct knock-ons with near-surface target atoms, whereas monatomic ions (Ga+ and Au+) penetrate much deeper into the target sub-surface region. We correlate these results to the experimental observations by showing that increased cluster ion sputter yields partition the projectile energy over a larger number of sputtered molecules. Therefore, while cluster ions deposit more total energy into the near surface region of the target compared to monatomic ions, the energy per molecule decreases with projectile mass and nuclearity. Less energy per molecule decreases the number of U–O bond breaks and, consequently, leads to a decrease in molecular fragmentation. Additionally, the extent of molecular fragmentation as a function of ion dose was evaluated. We show that molecular fragmentation increases with increased ion dose; primarily as a result of sub-surface chemical damage accumulation. The relative intensity of this effect appears to be projectile independent.
'I Cut a Head': Gendered Slave Production and the Gendering of Atlantic Diasporas Among the Ohafia-Igbo

Focusing on the Bight of Biafra, a region that accounted for at least 1.6 million people exported as slaves to the Americas, this essay argues that Ohafia-Igbo men’s slave production was a gendered practice that shaped the gender categories of slaves exported to the new world between the 17th and 19th centuries, and also led to a reconfiguration of masculinity among the Ohafia-Igbo. The Atlantic slave trade ushered Ohafia-Igbo society into a slave mode of production, and shaped the emergence of a heroic ethos that redefined the society’s conceptions of masculinity (ufiem), ethnic identity, and gendered power and authority. Whereas warriors had cut human heads in battle as proof of manhood and a psychological means of defense in a bellicose environment before the Atlantic slave trade, the growing trade in slaves resulted in the substitution of human heads with live captives, as proof of ufiem (masculinity). Increased post-abolition slave trading and transformations in uses of slaves among the Ohafia-Igbo also created a new form of ufiem premised on wealth — ogaranya masculinity, and shaped changes in indigenous conceptions and practices of gendered power and authority.
Contact scanning mode AFM for nanomechanical testing of free-standing structures

A technique for performing nanomechanical testing of free-standing structures using contact scanning mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been developed and implemented. The technique consists of performing a contact mode scan of an area of a cantilever test structure as well as of an area that does not deform. The use of two different values of the force during the scan allows the effect of the topography of the test structure to be eliminated. Also note that in this constant force scan, the bending moment in the test cantilever changes continuously with the position of the applied force, allowing both the stress and strain to change even though the force remains constant. With the dimensions of the structure known, material properties (i.e. the elastic modulus) can be determined from the relationship between the applied force and the structural deflection. This method is not susceptible to nonlinearities in the AFM photodetector and allows for piezo drift during testing to be quantified and corrected. 50 nm thick chromium cantilever structures were fabricated for testing using electron-beam lithography. The determination of the elastic modulus gave consistent results as the AFM tip was scanned along the cantilever. As is the case with AFM fixed position force–displacement measurements, the accuracy of the results is affected by uncertainties in the measured AFM cantilever stiffness and by uncertainties in the test structure dimensions. This testing method can be performed by any AFM capable of scanning in the contact mode without requiring specialized software. Fabrication of the cantilevers requires only a single-mask process.
Rheological Innovations for Characterizing Food Material Properties

Rheological methods are continually evolving to encompass novel technologies and measurement methods. This review highlights novel techniques used to analyze the rheological properties of foods over the previous decade. Techniques reviewed include large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) testing and rheological techniques coupled with other measurement methods, such as microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Novel techniques are briefly overviewed and discussed in terms of advantages and disadvantages, previous use, and suggested future utilization.
Effects of hearing impairment on use of health services among the elderly.

Objectives:To assess the effects of hearing impairment on health-service use in an elderly population, controlling for factors associated with hearing difficulties known to affect utilization. Methods:Diagnoses of hearing impairment, depression, and chronic illnesses were used in hierarchical regression procedures to predict the volume and probability of any service use among 1,436 randomly selected 65-year-old health maintenance organization members. Results:Hearing impairment substantially increased the likelihood of making at least one visit to a health care provider (OR = 3.31, 95%; CI = 1.55-7.06). Among those who made such visits, however, hearing impairment did not lead to use of additional services despite expectations to the contrary. Discussion:Further research should explore whether underutilization of services exists, and, if so, whether it stems from clinician or patient attitudes about the seriousness of hearing impairment, from a paucity of available treatment strategies, or from some combi...
Model-based estimation of ethanol content in flexible fuel vehicles

Presented in this paper is a model-based method for accurately estimating the percent ethanol content of an ethanol-gasoline fuel blend used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). Few methods exist in literature addressing the problem of ethanol estimation in production FFVs. The proposed approach has a distinct advantage as it uses the existing sensor set on a production vehicle. Measurements from the sensors are used to adapt a steady state parametric model relating the engine speed, throttle angle opening and the air-fuel ratio to the fuel injector pulse width command. A first-principles physics-based approach is used to develop the model structure. The fuel composition information is embedded in the adapted model coefficients whose variation is used for ethanol content estimation. The method is validated with experiments on a 2005 Ford 5.4-L V8 port fuel injected engine.
Novel surface wave exciters for power line fault detection and communications

A novel conformal surface wave (CSW) exciter is introduced which can excite electromagnetic (EM) surface waves along unshielded power line cables non-intrusively. The CSW exciter is small, cost effective and can be easily placed on a power cable compared to conventional monopole type launchers or horn type launchers. Besides cable fault detection, the potential applications of the proposed exciter include broadband power line (BPL) communication and high frequency power transmission.
Preliminary considerations for flexural endurance testing of semicrystalline polymers for biomedical materials standards

Semicrystalline polymers used as restorative prostheses in the cardiovascular system require more detailed consideration of flexural fatiguing with simple physical characterization and mechanical measurements as one basic means for developing test standards and specification levels for biomedical research materials. Such initial means are considered with polytetrafluoroethylene as a reference polymer nominally inert chemically used to illustrate one approach to assessing morphological and structural changes with a flex tester. Density measurements and void content have been carried out to provide one means of assessment whereby the corresponding crystallinity and permeation can be considered for more detailed correlation to cytological interactions as the polymers are used as replacement components in the cardiovascular system. Progressive flexural cycling up to 106 cycles at a 3 cps rate indicate significant decreases in crystallinity simultaneously with increasing void content. As an accelerated test, the implications for extrapolation to 25-year fatiguing in normal physiological cycling rate are conjectured to provide a starting point for more realistic, cyclic ex vivo screening of biomaterials.
Differential competitive learning for centroid estimation and phoneme recognition

A comparison is made of a differential-competitive-learning (DCL) system with two supervised competitive-learning (SCL) systems for centroid estimation and for phoneme recognition. DCL provides a form of unsupervised adaptive vector quantization. Standard stochastic competitive-learning systems learn only if neurons win a competition for activation induced by randomly sampled patterns. DCL systems learn only if the competing neurons change their competitive signal. Signal-velocity information provides unsupervised local reinforcement during learning. The sign of the neuronal signal derivative rewards winners and punishes losers. Standard competitive learning ignores instantaneous win-rate information. Synaptic fan-in vectors adaptively quantize the randomly sampled pattern space into nearest-neighbor decision classes. More generally, the synaptic-vector distribution estimates the unknown sampled probability density function p(x). Simulations showed that unsupervised DCL-trained synaptic vectors converged to class centroids at least as fast as, and wandered less about these centroids than, SCL-trained synaptic vectors did. Simulations on a small set of English phonemes favored DCL over SCL for classification accuracy. >
Effects of need for touch, centrality of visual product aesthetics and gender on channel preference for apparel shopping

The purpose of this study was to examine how apparel consumers' preference for physical or virtual shopping channels is related to gender and consumers' dispositional traits of need for touch (NFT) and centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA). A survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 276 US college students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, MANOVA and ANOVA. Results of this study indicate that participants with high NFT or CVPA had a greater preference for virtual channels than participants with low NFT or CVPA. Gender by itself was not an important influence in preference for shopping channels; however, the results of this study revealed that gender interacted with NFT and CVPA on preference for virtual channels. Men with high NFT or CVPA showed the highest preference for virtual channels, while women with high NFT or CVPA did not differ from other groups in their preference for virtual channels. There were no main effects and no interactions among variables on preferenc...
Temporal Effects of a Begomovirus Infection and Host Plant Resistance on the Preference and Development of an Insect Vector, Bemisia tabaci, and Implications for Epidemics

Persistent plant viruses, by altering phenotypic and physiological traits of their hosts, could modulate the host preference and fitness of hemipteran vectors. A majority of such modulations increase vector preference for virus-infected plants and improve vector fitness, ultimately favouring virus spread. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how these virus-induced modulations on vectors vary temporally, and whether host resistance to the pathogen influences such effects. This study addressed the two questions using a Begomovirus-whitefly-tomato model pathosystem. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) -susceptible and TYLCV-resistant tomato genotypes were evaluated by whitefly-mediated transmission assays. Quantitative PCR revealed that virus accumulation decreased after an initial spike in all genotypes. TYLCV accumulation was less in resistant than in susceptible genotypes at 3, 6, and 12 weeks post inoculation (WPI). TYLCV acquisition by whiteflies over time from resistant and susceptible genotypes was also consistent with virus accumulation in the host plant. Furthermore, preference assays indicated that non-viruliferous whiteflies preferred virus-infected plants, whereas viruliferous whiteflies preferred non-infected plants. However, this effect was prominent only with the susceptible genotype at 6 WPI. The development of whiteflies on non-infected susceptible and resistant genotypes was not significantly different. However, developmental time was reduced when a susceptible genotype was infected with TYLCV. Together, these results suggest that vector preference and development could be affected by the timing of infection and by host resistance. These effects could play a crucial role in TYLCV epidemics.
Fusion of physically-based registration and deformation modeling for nonrigid motion analysis

In our previous work, we used finite element models to determine nonrigid motion parameters and recover unknown local properties of objects given correspondence data recovered with snakes or other tracking models. In this paper, we present a novel multiscale approach to recovery of nonrigid motion from sequences of registered intensity and range images. The main idea of our approach is that a finite element (FEM) model incorporating material properties of the object can naturally handle both registration and deformation modeling using a single model-driving strategy. The method includes a multiscale iterative algorithm based on analysis of the undirected Hausdorff distance to recover correspondences. The method is evaluated with respect to speed and accuracy. Noise sensitivity issues are addressed. Advantages of the proposed approach are demonstrated using man-made elastic materials and human skin motion. Experiments with regular grid features are used for performance comparison with a conventional approach (separate snakes and FEM models). It is shown, however, that the new method does not require a sampling/correspondence template and can adapt the model to available object features. Usefulness of the method is presented not only in the context of tracking and motion analysis, but also for a burn scar detection application.
Family Size, Satisfaction, and Productivity in Dual-Career Couples:

Responses by 196 couples—in which both spouses were members of the American Psychological Association—to a series of questions regarding domestic satisfaction, job satisfaction, and productivity were examined as a function of years since final degree and number of children in the family. There were consistent differences between the sexes in responses to these questions, indicating that wives were less satisfied and less productive than husbands in these couples. However, prior differences between groups in age, years since final degree, and rate of full-time employment disallowed any meaningful interpretations of these differences. Family size was found to influence satisfaction with time available for domestic activities, job, and avocations. Significant interactions indicated that these effects were more severe for the wife than for the husband, indicating that wives in dual-career couples bear a disproportionate share of the burden for child care. Influences of family size on satisfaction with rate of...
Stability of supervised adaptive control

A stability proof of a recently introduced supervised adaptive control algorithm is presented. The novel premise of the algorithm is its dual model architecture. The approach addresses the well known parameter burst and infinite drift phenomena. The stability result demonstrates that the dual model supervised adaptive control algorithm is robust with respect to small model/plant mismatch and bounded disturbances. Ydstie's Switching Lemma and Lyapunov stability results constitute the foundations of the theoretical results. Monte Carlo simulations illustrate the algorithm's potential.
An experimental test of female choice relative to male structural coloration in eastern bluebirds

Several experimental studies have shown that female birds use ornamental melanin and carotenoid plumage coloration as criteria in mate choice. Whether females choose mates based on natural variation in structural coloration, however, has not been well estab- lished. Male eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis )d isplay brilliant ultraviolet (UV)-blue plumage coloration on their head, back, wings, and tail, which is positively correlated with condition, reproductive effort, and reproductive suc- cess. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that female eastern bluebirds prefer as mates males that display brighter structural coloration by presenting breeding-condition females with males of variable coloration. We conducted two types of mate-choice experiments. First, females chose between males whose coloration was manipulated within the natural range of variation in the population; feathers were either brightened with violet marker or dulled with black marker. Second, females chose between males with naturally dull or bright plumage coloration. In both manipulated and unmanipulated coloration trials, female choice did not differ significantly from random with respect to structural coloration. We found no support for the hypothesis that the UV-blue coloration of male eastern bluebirds functions as a criterion in female mate choice.
Minimum-power & energy-balancing cellular ad hoc augmented networks

We propose the cellular ad hoc augmented networks architecture where each mobile terminal can communicate with either the base station or to a peer mobile located within the ad hoc communication range. We introduce a set of schemes, which are designed towards enabling energy-efficient communications for all entities within the network. Furthermore, the solutions proposed distribute the load across all mobile units. We measure performance through simulations where the results suggest considerable reduction in the average overall power consumption in the network achieved by using CAHAN as opposed to conventional cellular operation. The savings applies to both the uplink and the downlink directions. It is also noted that transmit power reduction is particularly notable in case of large network density. Also, the mobile battery life is increased as a result of energy-efficient communications.
Lack of balance in continuously stratified rotating flows

Periodic linear waves in a vertically sheared flow are considered in a continuously stratified layer of rotating fluid between homogeneous layers along a sloping bottom. This generalized Phillips' configuration has cyclonic horizontal shear and supports the Rossby modes related to the thickness variations of the homogeneous layers and inertia-gravity waves (IGW). While long Rossby modes with streamwise wavenumber K f/V are found to have an inertial critical level and unbalanced gravity-wave-like structure beyond this level. Such ageostrophic unstable normal modes are shown explicitly to couple short Rossby waves with Doppler-shifted gravity waves. They exist even for small Froude number, although the growth rate of ageostrophic unstable modes is exponentially small in Froude number as in the Eady model. This lack of balance in continuously stratified flows agrees with the ultraviolet problem for Ripa's sufficient conditions of stability in a multi-layer model when the number of layers tends to infinity.
Ventilatory management of asphyxiated infant during hypothermia

Hypothermia is used for its neuroprotective effect in perinatal asphyxia. Mechanical ventilation is often used as a supportive therapy for severe asphyxiated infants who can present various degrees of respiratory failure. Animal studies demonstrated a protective effect of cooling on the lungs due to reduced ventilatory requirements. Even if actual knowledge on the effects of hypothermia and rewarming on respiratory parameters during mechanical ventilation is limited, nevertheless human studies seem to demonstrate that hypothermia is safe and does not cause significant changes in the level of respiratory supports.
Coping Strategies as Moderators of the Relation Between Individual Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Symptoms for African American Women:

The purpose of this investigation was to examine coping strategies as moderators of the relationship between individual race-related stress and mental health symptoms among a sample of 128 African American women. Coping strategies refer to efforts used to resolve problems and those used to manage, endure, or alleviate distress. Culture-specific strategies were examined in the current study (i.e., efforts that are commonly used by members of a cultural group). Culture-specific efforts were hypothesized to influence the severity of psychological symptoms associated with individual race-related stress, such that frequent use of culture-specific efforts would lessen the strength of the relationship between race-related stress and psychological symptoms. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed that high use of ritual-centered strategies to address race-related stress was related to severe anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. No moderating effect of coping strategies was found for depression, obse...
Modular forms and abelian varieties

In this article we prove a theorem concerning the relation between the Galois representations associated to modular forms of higher weight and those defined by the etale cohomology of abelian varieties.
Aging : increased responsiveness of colorectal mucosa to carcinogen stimulation and protective role of folic acid

Recent investigations have demonstrated a protective role for folic acid in dysplasia and neoplasia, through an unknown mechanism. The current study was designed to evaluate whether the protective role of folic acid is due, in part, to its antiproliferative properties. In addition, because colorectal neoplasia is more common with increasing age, we have compared results in both old (22 months) and young (3 months) rats. Colorectal mucosal explants of rats treated with the known carcinogen methylazoxymethanol, were supplemented with folic acid. Ornithine decarboxylase was then measured as an index of cellular proliferative activity. We observed that supplemental folic acid suppressed carcinogen-induced ornithine decarboxylase activity by 64% in the old and 74% in the young rats. Furthermore, a similar phenomenon was observed for tyrosine kinase, which was measured for comparison. The suppression of hyperproliferative activity by supplemental folic acid may contribute to the protective effect of folic acid in colorectal neoplasia.
Rate determination of azide click reactions onto alkyne polymer brush scaffolds: a comparison of conventional and catalyst-free cycloadditions for tunable surface modification.

The postpolymerization functionalization of poly(N-hydroxysuccinimide 4-vinylbenzoate) brushes with reactive alkynes that differ in relative rates of activity of alkyne–azide cycloaddition reactions is described. The alkyne-derived polymer brushes undergo “click”-type cycloadditions with azido-containing compounds by two mechanisms: a strain-promoted alkyne–azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) with dibenzocyclooctyne (DIBO) and azadibenzocyclooctyne (ADIBO) or a copper-catalyzed alkyne–azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) to a propargyl group (PPG). Using a pseudo-first-order limited rate equation, rate constants for DIBO, ADIBO, and PPG-derivatized polymer brushes functionalized with an azide-functionalized dye were calculated as 7.7 × 10–4, 4.4 × 10–3, and 2.0 × 10–2 s–1, respectively. The SPAAC click reactions of the surface bound layers were determined to be slower than the equivalent reactions in solution, but the relative ratio of the reaction rates for the DIBO and ADIBO SPAAC reactions was consistent between soluti...
Analysis and optimization of interior logic for final breaker protection

The design principle of final breaker protection for Wunan transformer substation is:when the four breakers of line 5273 and line 5274 are all tripped,Zhengping station must stop transmitting power to Wunan station as soon as possible,according to which,its logic is analyzed in two parts:two breakers are open,the other two trip at the same time;three breakers are open,the fourth trips.The logic is optimized based on the analysis and the scheme of direct connecting the action contactor of switch protection to the final breaker protection is proposed,which makes the external circuit simple and the operating time shorter.
Different Content of Trace Elements on Children's Hair

Objective To observe the impact of trace element changes on hair structure by testing the hair of children with abnormal trace elements. Methods The selected children with abnormal trace elements in blood were allowed a free choice of occipital hair before and after treatment,which surface and cross-section were observed under electron microscope. Results The comparison before and after treatment showed no significant changes. Conclusion Trace element changes in children can not have a significant impact on hair structure.
Inhomogeneity of thin films and its influence on the spectral characteristics of antireflection coatings

Based on the theory of inhomogeneous thin films,a model for stratified refractive index is put forward.The inhomogeneous thin films can be divided into N homogeneous sublayers,subsequently,the theoretical analysis has been carried out utilizing the characteristic matrix of optical thin films.The influence of the negative inhomogeneity of ZrO2 and CeO2 thin films on the spectral characteristics of antireflection coatings has been simulated with coatings design software.The results indicate that the negative inhomogeneity will increase the reflectance of AR coatings,which makes the spectral characteristics become worse at reference wavelength and brings the whole spectral curve of reflectance to move towards the longer wavelength,as a result the spectral characteristics of antireflection coatings will deviate from ideal conditions greatly.
The Exposome: Embracing the Complexity for Discovery in Environmental Health.

Summary:Environmental exposures are ubiquitous and play a fundamental role in the development of complex human diseases. The exposome, which is defined as the totality of environmental exposures ov...
Werfel's Unfinished Novel: Saga of the Marginal Jew

(1970). Werfel's Unfinished Novel: Saga of the Marginal Jew. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 105-114.
Entrepreneurship and the Built Environment

This Article will explore the relationship between entrepreneurship and the built environment by examining a significant obstacle to transportation network startups' expansion: outdated land use regulations that require significant parking requirements that decrease urban density and, in turn, consumer demand for such startup's services. Some of the resistance likely originates from landowners who, for example, anticipate their holdings will decrease in property value due to higher density and traffic. To these interest groups, reforming land use laws in this way represents a significant wealth transfer to transportation network startups. This Article proposes that one way transportation network startups might earn the support of these landowners – and, in turn, the city councils and zoning boards that represent their interests – could be to recognize reform of the laws and regulations governing the built environment as a capital raising strategy. In exchange, landowners and cities would be given a stake in the capital structure of transportation network startups that benefit from land use reforms that drive higher passenger demand and otherwise monetize underutilized urban spaces.
Twisted Amides: From Obscurity to Broadly Useful Transition-Metal Catalyzed Reactions by N-C Amide Bond Activation.

The concept of using amide bond distortion to modulate amidic resonance has been known for more than 75 years. Two classic twisted amides (bridged lactams) ingeniously designed and synthesized by Kirby and Stoltz to feature fully perpendicular amide bonds, and as a consequence emanate amino-ketone-like reactivity, are now routinely recognized in all organic chemistry textbooks. However, only recently the use of amide bond twist (distortion) has advanced to the general organic chemistry mainstream enabling a host of highly attractive N−C amide bond cross-coupling reactions of broad synthetic relevance. In this Minireview, we discuss recent progress in this area and present a detailed overview of the prominent role of amide bond destabilization as a driving force in the development of transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions by N−C bond activation.
Laboratory methods for measuring drugs of abuse in urine

This chapter will provide an overview of measuring various drugs in urine using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry, along with a discussion on screening tests using various immunoassays and sources of false positive test results. Moreover, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration guidelines for drugs of abuse testing in urine is also discussed, including recently developed guidelines for testing hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone.