cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Valuation Implications of Market Incompleteness: A Robust Empirical Characterization of Stock Market Incompleteness

This study shows listings of new issues that occur in order of increasing, or decreasing average quality are general equilibrium listing paths, equivalently necessary conditions for maintenance of best valuations within stock markets. This finding demonstrates robustness of an existing price equilibrium never is independent of entire listing sequence of new innovations within stock markets. Introduction of pragmatism of nigh impossibility of satisfaction of the general equilibrium necessary conditions induces either of systemic undervaluation, or overvaluation of new issues. Given either of undervaluations or overvaluations are robust to presence of certifying financial intermediaries, credible signals of issuer quality, presence of rational investors, and efficiency of aggregation of information, stock markets inherently are imperfect mechanisms for allocation of capital. Consistent with relevance of stock markets only in context of management of market imperfections, presence of information asymmetries within populations of investors is associated with better equilibriums than homogeneity of investors' information. Study findings yield an empirically tractable, yet formal theoretical characterization for severity of stock market incompleteness, which is, severity of deviations from, or perturbations to general equilibrium listing paths. An important side outcome of the formal theoretical modeling is arrival at the first fully rational formal theoretical rationalizations for stock return momentum, stock return reversals, and intermittency of arrival of price correction events within stock markets.
Role of child neurologists and neurodevelopmentalists in the diagnosis of cerebral palsy: A survey study

Objective To contextualize the role of child neurologists and neurodevelopmentalists (CNs/NDDs) in cerebral palsy (CP) care, we review the changing landscape of CP diagnosis and survey stakeholder CNs/NDDs regarding their roles in CP care. Methods The optimal roles of the multiple specialties involved in CP care are currently unclear, particularly regarding CP diagnosis. We developed recommendations regarding the role of CNs/NDDs noting (1) increasing complexity of CP diagnosis given a growing number of genetic etiologies and treatable motor disorders that can be misdiagnosed as CP and (2) the views of a group of physician stakeholders (CNs/NDDs from the Child Neurology Society Cerebral Palsy Special Interest Group). Results CNs/NDDs felt that they were optimally suited to diagnose CP. Many (76%) felt that CNs/NDDs should always be involved in CP diagnosis. However, 42% said that their patients with CP were typically not diagnosed by CNs/NDDs, and 18% did not receive referrals to establish the diagnosis of CP at all. CNs/NDDs identified areas of their expertise critical for CP diagnosis including knowledge of the neurologic examination across development and early identification of features atypical for CP. This contrasts with their views on CP management, where CNs/NDDs felt that they could contribute to the medical team, but were necessary primarily when neurologic coexisting conditions were present. Discussion Given its increasing complexity, we recommend early referral for CP diagnosis to a CN/NDD or specialist with comparable expertise. This contrasts with current consensus guidelines, which either do not address or do not recommend specific specialist referral for CP diagnosis.
CD38-expressing macrophages drive age-related NAD+ decline

The restoration of the progressive decline in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels mitigates certain age-associated dysfunctions. A fundamental question is how the NAD+-consuming enzyme CD38 decreases NAD+ levels during ageing. Two new studies by Chini et al. and Covarrubias et al. in this issue of Nature Metabolism show that CD38 expression in macrophages induced by senescence-associated inflammation accounts for the age-related decline in NAD+ levels.
Zebrafish Polycomb repressive complex-2 critical roles are largely Ezh2- over Ezh1-driven and concentrate during early embryogenesis

Polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2) methylation of histone H3 lysine-27 (H3K27me) is associated with stable transcriptional repression. PRC2 famously silences Hox genes to maintain anterior-posterior segment identities but also enables early cell fate specification, restrains progenitor cell differentiation, and canalizes cell identities. Zebrafish PRC2 genetic studies have focused on ezh2, which, with its paralog ezh1, encodes the H3K27 methyltransferase component. ezh2 loss-of-function mutants reinforce essential vertebrate PRC2 functions during early embryogenesis albeit with limited contributions to body plan establishment. However, redundancy with ezh1 and the lethality of maternal-zygotic homozygous ezh2 nulls could obscure additional early developmental and organogenesis roles of PRC2. Here, we combine new and existing zebrafish ezh1 and ezh2 alleles to show collective maternal/zygotic ezh2 exclusively provides earliest embryonic PRC2 H3K27me3 activity. Zygotic ezh1, which becomes progressively expressed as ezh2 levels dissipate, has minor redundant and non-compensatory larval roles but itself is not required for viability or fertility. Zygotic Ezh2/PRC2 promotes correct craniofacial bone shape and size by maintaining proliferative pre-osteoblast pools. An ezh2 allelic series including disrupted maternal ezh2 uncovers axial skeleton homeotic transformations and pleiotropic organogenesis defects. Further, once past a critical early window, we show zebrafish can develop near normally with minimal bulk H3K27me3. Our results suggest Ezh2-containing PRC2 stabilizes rather than instructs early developmental decisions while broadly contributing to organ size and embellishment.
COVID-19 pneumonia in a pediatric sickle cell patient requiring red blood cell exchange

Abstract Patients with sickle cell disease are already at high risk for respiratory complications, which SARS-CoV-2 can rapidly worsen The case emphasizes the importance of efficiently maximizing standard therapies in sickle cell patients with COVID-19
Honey Child New Beginnings: Combating the Trickle Down Effects of Maternal Obesity: Changing the Trajectory of Neonatal Outcomes

Program Description: Honey Child New beginnings is a faith based initiative designed to tackle nutritional disparities by educating and empowering African American mothers to improve neonatal outcomes. The program utilized prenatal education, one-on-one mentoring with a nutrition coach, faith based support, and community resources to target inequality in access and to help reshape nutritional lifestyle choices. Studies show that maternal obesity is not only associated with an increased risk of hypertension and diabetes, but it also impacts newborn health which can have life-long consequences. (Godfrey, 2017) The high rate …
Integrating human services and criminal justice data with claims data to predict risk of opioid overdose among Medicaid beneficiaries: A machine-learning approach

Health system data incompletely capture the social risk factors for drug overdose. This study aimed to improve the accuracy of a machine-learning algorithm to predict opioid overdose risk by integrating human services and criminal justice data with health claims data to capture the social determinants of overdose risk. This prognostic study included Medicaid beneficiaries (n = 237,259) in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania enrolled between 2015 and 2018, randomly divided into training, testing, and validation samples. We measured 290 potential predictors (239 derived from Medicaid claims data) in 30-day periods, beginning with the first observed Medicaid enrollment date during the study period. Using a gradient boosting machine, we predicted a composite outcome (i.e., fatal or nonfatal opioid overdose constructed using medical examiner and claims data) in the subsequent month. We compared prediction performance between a Medicaid claims only model to one integrating human services and criminal justice data with Medicaid claims (i.e., integrated model) using several metrics (e.g., C-statistic, number needed to evaluate [NNE] to identify one overdose). Beneficiaries were stratified into risk-score decile subgroups. The samples (training = 79,087, testing = 79,086, validation = 79,086) had similar characteristics (age = 38±18 years, female = 56%, white = 48%, having at least one overdose = 1.7% during study period). Using the validation sample, the integrated model slightly improved on the Medicaid claims only model (C-statistic = 0.885; 95%CI = 0.877-0.892 vs. C-statistic = 0.871; 95%CI = 0.863-0.878), with small corresponding improvements in the NNE and positive predictive value. Nine of the top 30 most important predictors in the integrated model were human services and criminal justice variables. Using the integrated model, approximately 70% of individuals with overdoses were members of the top risk decile (overdose rates in the subsequent month = 47/10,000 beneficiaries). Few individuals in the bottom 9 deciles had overdose episodes (0-12/10,000). Machine-learning algorithms integrating claims and social service and criminal justice data modestly improved opioid overdose prediction among Medicaid beneficiaries for a large U.S. county heavily affected by the opioid crisis.
Access Control Schema for Smart Locks using a Wifi Bridge: An exploration of a smart lock access control system based around the SimSim retrofitting smart lock.

This paper presents an access control schema using a WIFI bridge for smart locks and explores its implementation in one such pair of devices. The schema outlines the interaction between a smart lock (SimSim), accompanying WIFI bridge (Freedom), a cloud server, and a group of users operating smartphones. The schema leverages AES256 symmetric encryption, Bluetooth Low Energy, and HTTPS communications to provide enhanced access control for short-term landlords participating in the sharing economy. These additional features include facilitating a larger quantity of users, 24/7 permissions management, 24/7 monitoring, all without requiring physical proximity to the app.
Dance2Music: Automatic Dance-driven Music Generation.

Dance and music typically go hand in hand. The complexities in dance, music, and their synchronisation make them fascinating to study from a computational creativity perspective. While several works have looked at generating dance for a given music, automatically generating music for a given dance remains under-explored. This capability could have several creative expression and entertainment applications. We present some early explorations in this direction. We present a search-based offline approach that generates music after processing the entire dance video and an online approach that uses a deep neural network to generate music on-the-fly as the video proceeds. We compare these approaches to a strong heuristic baseline via human studies and present our findings. We have integrated our online approach in a live demo! A video of the demo can be found here: this https URL.
Discovering metasurface robustness through deep learning

Deep learning has recently become an important part of nanophotonic device design, with many researchers leveraging the power of neural networks to aid in inverse-design analysis. Acting as surrogate models for full-wave solvers, neural networks are now employed to develop new metasurface elements and gain insight into the underlying physics which dictate their behavior. A new avenue of discovery, which has been facilitated by the recent developments in deep learning, lies in the domain of metasurface robustness, a subject that presents many challenges to traditional solvers. Characterizing even relatively simple designs with a full-wave solver may be computationally expensive enough to make optimization challenging or even intractable. On the other hand, robustness must be measured by introducing some form of tolerance analysis into an optimization. Structures must be perturbed many times over, perhaps even in an exhaustive fashion. When the process is further complicated by considering complex design parameterizations (with many degrees of freedom), these full-wave optimizations are no longer tractable. However, deep neural networks can help to counter these challenges owing to their GPU speedup and powerful learning characteristics. By evaluating many full-wave metasurface designs ahead-oftime and investing them into neural network training, the network can then be used in tolerance analysis for substantial speedups down the road. This work showcases how we designed a suitable neural network for this purpose, as well as several studies conducted using this deep learning platform in this important area of metasurface robustness.
Choleoeimeria pogonae Alters the Bile Acid Composition of the Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

The coccidian parasite Choleoeimeria pogonae infests the biliary ducts and gallbladder of the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps). Endogenous C. pogonae development occurs in the epithelium of the gallbladder and bile ducts, leading to significant tissue injury. To determine whether bile composition in the gallbladder was disrupted by the parasite, bile samples were collected from one normal and one C. pogonae–infected central bearded dragon. Bile acid species were identified and quantified with liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Tauroallochoic acid was the predominant bile acid (82.2%) in the normal bearded dragon, whereas the deconjugated allocholic acid was the predominant bile acid (40.1%) in the bearded dragon with C. pogonae. Taurine conjugation inhibits calcium precipitation in bile and bile acid–mediated ductal epithelial cytotoxicity. The shift in bile acid content identified in the C. pogonae infected bearded dragon may contribute to cholelithiasis and mucosal damage.
Molecular genetic evaluation of Pediatric Renovascular hypertension due to renal artery stenosis and abdominal aortic Coarctation in Neurofibromatosis type 1.

The etiology of renal artery stenosis (RAS) and abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC) causing the midaortic syndrome (MAS), often resulting in renovascular hypertension (RVH), remains ill-defined. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is frequently observed in children with RVH. Consecutive pediatric patients (N = 102) presenting with RVH secondary to RAS with and without concurrent AAC were prospectively enrolled in a clinical data base, and blood, saliva, and operative tissue when available, were collected. Among the 102 children were 13 having a concurrent clinical diagnosis of NF-1 (12.5%). Whole exome sequencing was performed for germline variant detection and RNASeq analysis of NF1, MAPK pathway genes, and MCP1 levels were undertaken in five NF-1 stenotic renal arteries, as well as control renal and mesenteric arteries from children with no known vasculopathy or NF-1. In 11 unrelated children with sequencing data, 11 NF1 genetic variants were identified, of which 10 had not been reported in gnomAD. Histologic analysis of NF-1 RAS specimens consistently revealed intimal thickening, disruption of the internal elastic lamina, and medial thinning. Analysis of transcript expression in arterial lesions documented an approximately 5-fold reduction in NF1 expression, confirming heterozygosity, MAPK pathway activation, and increased MCP1 expression. In summary, NF-1 related RVH in children is rare but often severe and progressive and as such, important to recognize. It is associated with histologic and molecular features consistent with an aggressive adverse vascular remodeling process. Further research is necessary to define the mechanisms underlying these findings.
Built Infrastructure Renewal and Climate Change Mitigation Can Both Find Solutions in CO2

From technology to policy, the US is thinking about construction differently. The federal government is motivated to address the aging infrastructure across the country, and policy proposals are surfacing that seek green methods of performing this construction. This paper reviews the current status of concrete technology and policy to provide insight into the current state of the art. The scale of CO2 emissions from concrete production and use is elucidated. Current embodied emissions reduction methods show that action can be taken today in small and large projects alike. Additionally, developing concrete technologies offers pathways to reuse and rely on concrete for longer service lifetimes and reduce their lifetime embodied emissions. These concrete technologies must be implemented, and public procurement proves a unique tool to develop a nationwide demand signal for low embodied carbon building materials. Local governments closely interact with concrete producers, state governments oversee large infrastructure projects, and the federal government invests massively in construction. All three levels of government must coordinate for the effective rollout of low embodied carbon construction practices. Disparate policy approaches show successes and pitfalls to developing an effective construction policy that is aligned with climate. Importantly, approaches to addressing the twin challenge of climate change and crumbling infrastructure must consider the whole lifetime of the concrete. Throughout this paper, we examine the sector to highlight current practices and provide a vision for effective implementation.
Mechanics of circular breathing in wind musicians using cine magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Objectives/Hypothesis To investigate the mechanics of circular breathing using cine magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). Study Design Pilot study. Methods Eight musicians were asked to sustain a note by circular breathing while being studied inside a Siemens Trio 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Subjects were imaged in the midsagittal plane using an innovative T1-weighted cMRI. Our study population included six professionals and two experienced amateurs (two saxophonists, two trombonists, and four trumpeters). Five predetermined oropharyngeal distances were measured frame by frame. Data were analyzed for displacement and percentage change over time. Oral airway area was measured using automated bounding box techniques. Results All subjects were observed to complete the same series of steps characterized by 1) superior/posterior tongue displacement, 2) inferior/anterior soft palate displacement, 3) anterior tongue/soft palate displacement, 4) superior/posterior soft palate displacement, and 5) return of the tongue to baseline. Posterior oropharyngeal occlusion was demonstrated in bounding box data. Relative occlusion time was significantly longer among experienced amateurs than professionals (P = .01), with a similar trend in absolute occlusion time (P = .08). A trend toward a longer circular breathing cycle time was observed among saxophonists and trumpeters (P = .2), although the difference among trumpeters disappeared when amateurs were excluded. Conclusions Circular breathing has been investigated as therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. This study defines the mechanics of circular breathing for use in training—and potentially in therapy—if proven useful. We demonstrated similar mechanics across subgroups, and increased efficiency among professionals. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of cMRI in the dynamic assessment of oropharyngeal motion. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 125:412–418, 2015
Cracks in the Foundation of Federal Law: Ameliorating the Ongoing Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis through Broader Predatory Lending Relief and Deterrence

A. Under-Inclusivity and Inflexibility of the Major Federal Anti Predatory Lending Laws: RESPA, TILA, and HOEPA.2061 B. External Barriers to Existing Remedies: The "Do Equity" Requirement and the "Holder in Due Course" Doctrine.2065 III. Crafting a Litigation-Based Private Enforcement Scheme to Expand Relief from Predatory Loans and Deter Predatory Lending.2069 A. Adopting a Flexible Anti-Predatory Lending Standard Through a Lender Suitability Duty of Care.2070 1. The Suitability Doctrine in Securities Law.2071 2. Existing Proposals for a Lender Suitability Duty and Further Recommendations.2073 3. Potential Remedies for Violations of the Suitability Duty.2078 4. The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009.2079 B. Eliminating Practical Barriers to Suit: Targeted Abrogation of the "Do Equity" Requirement and "Holder in Due Course" Doctrine.2080 IV. Expanding Regulatory Oversight to All Mortgage Lenders Under the
A Broad Look at Tree-Building

Inferring Phylogenies . by Joseph Felsenstein. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, 2004. 684 pp. Paper, $59.95, £33.99, €48.87. ISBN 0-87893-177-5. In a work that can serve both as a text and a reference, Felsenstein explains the assumptions and logic that underlie the reconstruction and use of evolutionary trees.
Advancing Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons: Enough Already?

In this issue, the ACP makes recommendations on addressing the health disparities in the LGBT community and Agi?½nor and colleagues report on the underuse of the HPV vaccine in lesbian women. The e...
Specialized Training versus Experience in Helicopter Navigation at Extremely Low Altitudes

Abstract : An experiment was performed to determine if navigation skills acquired in general flight would transfer to flight at extremely low levels and if the transfer could be matched by specialized training. Since the effects of extensive experience were matched by only 15 hours of special training, transfer may not be as extensive as previously assumed.
Accountability of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in Global Governance

The issue of the accountability on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in global governance has received increased attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the issue, to consider whether any public problems exist, and to make recommendations on what should be done. The paper contains three parts. Part I examines the historical context of NGO accountability starting with the Papal Encylical Rerum Novarum of 1891 and considering episodes relating to the League of Nations and the founding of the United Nations. Part II provides an overview of the contemporary debate on NGO accountability and uses a recent article by Robert Keohane and Ruth Grant as a point of entry. Part III offers my own framework for how to think about the challenge of NGO accountability and suggests that more attention be given to the individual as the unit of analysis. The paper makes recommendations for what should be done to improve NGO accountability and more importantly what should not be done. This paper was prepared for a conference at New York University Law School in April 2005 on the emerging field of global administrative law (GAL).
Humeral Retroversion and Its Relationship to Glenohumeral Rotation in the Shoulder of College Baseball Players

BackgroundPrevious studies have documented changes in musculature, bony anatomy, and glenohumeral rotation in the dominant shoulder of baseball players.HypothesisIn a group of asymptomatic college baseball players the total range of motion in the dominant and nondominant shoulders will be similar. Any measured increase in external rotation and decrease in internal rotation occurring between the two sides will be consistent and directly correlate with an increased angle of humeral retroversion in the dominant extremity.Study DesignDescriptive anatomic study.MethodsFifty-four asymptomatic college baseball players were examined. Standard measurements of glenohumeral range of motion were made and humeral retroversion was determined radiologically.ResultsTotal rotational motion, measured at 90° of glenohumeral abduction, was 159.5° for the dominant shoulders and 157.8° for the nondominant shoulders. Mean differences in external and internal rotation in the dominant versus nondominant extremities were 9.7° and ...
Sub-Bergman Hilbert spaces in the unit disk, II

Abstract For a finite Blaschke product B let TB denote the analytic multiplication operator (also called a Toeplitz operator) on the Bergman space of the unit disk. We show that the defect operators (I−T B T B ∗ ) 1/2 and (I−T B ∗ T B ) 1/2 both map the Bergman space to the Hardy space and the Hardy space to the Dirichlet space.
PAK1 limits the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bad in pancreatic islet β-cells.

Human type 2 diabetes is associated with β-cell apoptosis, and human islets from diabetic donors are ∼80% deficient in PAK1 protein. Toward addressing linkage of PAK1 to β-cell survival, PAK1–siRNA targeted MIN6 pancreatic β-cells were found to exhibit increased caspase-3 cleavage, cytosolic cytochrome-C and the pro-apoptotic protein Bad. PAK1+/− heterozygous mouse islets recapitulated the upregulation of Bad protein expression, as did hyperglycemic treatment of human or mouse islets; Bad levels were exacerbated most in PAK1+/− islets subjected to hyperglycemic stress. These data implicate PAK1 in β-cell survival via quenching of Bad protein expression, and suggest PAK1 as potential molecular target to preserve β-cell mass.
Modeling the longitudinality of user acceptance of technology with an evidence-adaptive clinical decision support system

This paper presents multiple innovations associated with an electronic health record system developed to support evidence-based medicine practice, and highlights a new construct, based on the technology acceptance model, to explain end users' acceptance of this technology through a lens of continuous behavioral adaptation and change. We show that this new conceptualization of technology acceptance reveals a richer level of detail of the developmental course whereby individuals adjust their behavior gradually to assimilate technology use. We also show that traditional models such as technology acceptance model (TAM) are not capable of delineating this longitudinal behavioral development process. Our TAM-derived analysis provides a lens through which we summarize the significance of this project to research and practice. We show that our application is an excellent exemplar of the ''end-to-end'' IS design realization process; it has drawn upon multiple disciplines to formulate and solve challenges in medical knowledge engineering, just-in-time provisioning of computerized decision-support advice, diffusion of innovation and individual users' technology acceptance, usability of human-machine interfaces in healthcare, and sociotechnical issues associated with integrating IT applications into a patient care delivery environment.
Evaluation of an FAA Maintenance Agency Using an Organization Development Approach

An action research approach was used to plan for organization development (OD) in centers within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responsible for remote monitoring and coordination of maintenance. Research participants worked in one of three centers. The participants were asked questions about their technical background; interdependencies, structure, complexity, and workload inherent in the job; cohesion and trust among co-workers; and perceived operational effectiveness and job satisfaction. Results were summarized and categorized as related to workload, resources, and knowledge of results. Strategies to address one or more of the factors identified were proposed. Strategies included the use of small teams to organize work, a revised training approach for new employees and leaders, internal and external mechanisms for performance feedback, and a fatigue risk management approach to improve shift work practices. The next step will be to work with managers to tailor and implement selected strategies.
Image-guided spectroscopy of cancer: Translating optical technology into clinical tools

Integration of localized molecular spectroscopy into standard medical imaging instrumentation has been slow in developing, yet today there have been major developments which make it achievable on a routine basis. Perhaps the most striking thing about optical imaging is the incredibly wide range of technologies available, and the correspondingly large range of resolutions in which they target, from microscopic imaging at 1 micron resolution, upto macroscopic imaging with 1–5mm resolution. The choice of technology must be done for the application desired. In cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring, MR spectroscopy of tumors is done routinely in some centers, and the potential for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is also available. The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) has sponsored the first multicenter trial in NIRS to track response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. NIRS can also be combined with image-guided recovery of the tissue components, using standard MR images, to quantify the spectroscopic features of breast cancer. A prototype system integrating NIRS into a 3T MR breast coil is outlined, and the ongoing study using the MR image as the template upon with spectroscopy is completed will be presented, with results from neoadjuvant chemotherapy monitoring. In radiology research, two prototype systems broadband spectral imaging of tissue are discussed, and it is shown that the spectral tomography system is ideal for fluorescence or emission tomography in vivo. This type of hybrid imaging is still in its infancy, yet using it to guide therapy or to properly individualize therapy choice is the next logical step. Use of MRI or CT as the backbone technology to exploit NIRS is a logical step for integration of this modality into clinical use. Imaging of molecular features is provided by this approach, such as Raman vibrational fingerprint of bone tissue, and uptake of multiple exogenous fluorescent agents in the same subject. Additional examples of how emission tomography could guide radiation therapy are demonstrated. In imaging for surgical guidance, molecular tracers such as Epidermal Growth Factor and Protoporphyrin IX are shown to be increased in glioma tumors, and are providing actually superior detection of the tumor tissue using standard white light surgical guidance. The state of the art in fluorescence guidance of surgery will be discussed, as well as future directions looking for peptide markers which could be translated to other tumor organ sites.
Patents and product development strategies: a model of antecedents and consequences of patent value

Innovation management has been acknowledged as a crucial activity for the growth and survival of firms. An important element of a firm’s innovation management strategy is the acquisition and management of patents. Although the role of patents has been widely discussed in the economics literature, only limited effort has been devoted toward examining the issue in the marketing context. To address this important gap in the literature, this article focuses on the factors governing the perceived value of patents and how such perceptions affect the firm’s product development strategies. A conceptual model is developed and a number of research propositions based on existing research derived. The research has the potential to make a contribution to the academic literature, to offer insights for managers, and to provide guidelines for public policy makers.
Sea urchin population explosion in southern california coastal waters.

The alleged population "explosion" of coral-eating sea stars (Acanthaster planci) in the west tropical Pacific (1) may be comparable to the apparent population "explosion" of herbivorous sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus and S. purpuratus) along the coast of southern California. Many luxuriant kelp beds, supporting a rich association of other organisms, have all but disappeared during the past few decades, and in the place of the holdluxuriant holdfasts are barren areas supporting extremely dense populations of the urchins (2).
A world-sheet regularization for Witten's string field theory

Abstract We regulate Witten's string field theory by discretizing the world-sheet sigma coordinate. String fields are then functions of a finite number of real variables x j j and Grassmann variables C j + if 1 2 and b j . We give explicit formulas for the kinetic operator Q , the integration operator ∫∫, the multiplication operator ∗, and the identity field I . The regulated theory is gauge invariant and generally coordinate invariant in any number of dimensions. We speculate that negative norm states decouple from the physical sector only in 26 dimensions.
Cluster-and-conquer: hierarchical multi-metric query processing in large-scale database federations

The federated database architecture has been introduced to maintain the autonomy of individual data sources yet accomplish federated task for diverse applications from traditional enterprises to computational sciences. We identify two challenging problems of query optimization in large-scale database federation systems. First, run-time conditions of data sources have a profound effect on the performance of database federations, yet the distributed environment of database federations makes it prohibitively expensive for the optimizer to gather rapidly fluctuating run-time conditions from remote data sources. Second, large-scale database federation systems are often widely distributed and built on heterogeneous networks, thus efficiently utilizing network resources is of ever increasing importance for query scheduling. In this paper, we propose to exploit the clustered hierarchical structure of database federations to solve these two problems. Our Cluster-and-Conquer strategy coordinates hierarchical clusters of data sources to optimize and process queries cooperatively. Within each cluster we employ an I/O-bound cost model with run-time conditions being accessible with relatively little delay. While among clusters a network-bound cost model is instead utilized to capture the network heterogeneity and optimize the query plans for efficient network utilization. The experimental study on the prototype database federation system with real-world network settings shows the effectiveness of our Cluster-and-Conquer strategy for scheduling data-intensive queries, as well as demonstrates the performance benefits of our proposed strategies over existing state-of-art solutions.
Web portal implementation to support public participation in transportation decision making

In this paper we describe the start of system implementation in the participatory geographic information system for transportation (PGIST) project. The PGIST web portal is being developed to support public participation in transportation improvement decision making in the central Puget Sound region of Washington State. Implementation has followed design considerations. A web services architecture forms the basis of the implementation.
Serum testosterone may be associated with calcium oxalate urolithogenesis.

Abstract Background: The incidence of urolithiasis is twofold to threefold higher in men than in women. Several animal studies have suggested an association between testosterone levels and the formation of kidney stones. Specifically, castration has been shown to decrease stone formation in rat models. The association between testosterone and stone formation in humans, however, has not been well investigated. Patients and Methods: Early morning total and free testosterone levels were recorded for 55 male patients. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, and clinical records of enrolled subjects were reviewed. When available, stone composition was determined in the stone formers. Mann-Whitney tests and logistic regression models were used to examine the data. Results: Of the 55 patients, 25 had no history of urolithiasis and 30 had a history of urolithiasis. Although the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant, the stone formers compared with stone-free controls t...
Transmission in squid giant synapses: the importance of oxygen supply and the effects of drugs.

Synaptic transmission was studied in giant synapses of the stellate ganglion of the squid. When bathed in air-saturated sea water, the synapses deteriorate in 10 to 20 min.; if the sea water is saturated with 100 per cent oxygen, they function steadily for up to 12 hours. Optimal results probably require a medium with lower magnesium and higher calcium than the sea water used. Of eighteen compounds known to affect other synapses (Table I), none had stimulatory effects when applied to the preparation, but ten produced synaptic depression in concentrations of 10–3 gm. per ml. or higher. The only exception was procaine, which blocked at 6 x 10–5 gm. per ml. Intracellular recording with microelectrodes near the synapse showed that the block was associated with a slower rise of the excitatory post-synaptic potential, without a change in the depolarization required to initiate the spike. Procaine was exceptional in also increasing the depolarization at which the spike occurred.
Experimental strategy in three-dimensional structure determination of crotoxin complex thin crystal

Abstract Electron images and diffraction patterns of crotoxin complex thin crystals contain high-resolution structural information in projection at both room and low temperatures. This paper outlines our strategy for collecting three-dimensional amplitude and phase data from these uniquely well-ordered toxin thin crystal. Preliminary experiments in support of the feasibility of this approach are presented.
Autoradiographic Localization of Receptors in the Cochlear Nucleus of the Mouse

Abstract Light microscopic autoradiography of bound radiolabeled ligands was used to describe the distribution of six receptor types in the dorsal and ventral mouse cochlear nuclei: Glycine receptor ([ 3 H]strychnine); GABA receptor ( 3 H]muscimol); benzodiazepine receptor ([ 3 H]flunitrazepam); adenosine receptor ([ 3 H]cyclohexyladenosine); muscarinic ACh receptor ([ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate); histamine receptor ([ 3 H]mepyramine). The most intense [ 3 H] strychnine labeling was observed in the deep region of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), with slightly lower levels in the molecular and pyramidal layers. Highest density of [ 3 H] muscimol binding sites was observed in the granule cell layer of the posterior ventral nucleus (PVCN) and in the pyramidal layer of the DCN. Diffuse [ 3 H] flunitrazepam labeling was distributed over all laminar regions of the DCN; the highest grain density was observed over the granule cell layer of the PVCN. Intense [ 3 H] cyclohexyladenosine labeling was seen over the molecular layer, possibly extending into the pyramidal layer, of the DCN. The granule cell layer of the PVCN was also densely labeled. High concentrations of [ 3 H] qiuinuclidinyl benzilate sites were seen in the molecular layer, possibly extending into the pyramidal layer, of the DCN. A thin band of high grain density was also visible over the granule cell layer of the PVCN. Moderate, diffuse [ 3 H] mepyramine labeling was visible throughout the DCN, with slightly higher grain density over the molecular and possibly the pyramidal layers, than over the deep region of the DCN.
R2D2: regulating beam shape and rate as directionality meets diversity

We design, implement, and evaluate a vehicular communication system that improves uplink connectivity through multi-lobe beam pattern switching on a smart antenna. Directionality and base station-diversity are two well-known, independently developed mechanisms for improving the uplink connectivity of mobile clients. In this paper, we highlight that a system combining both mechanisms can achieve significant improvement in performance with multi-lobe beams that strike a tradeoff between directionality and diversity. This is in contrast to the mere steering of narrow beams used in conventional smart antenna systems. For tractability at vehicular speeds, our R2D2 system searches through a limited set of beam patterns with different numbers of lobes, and includes a two-stage algorithm that uses both runtime adaptation and cached candidate patterns. We design and evaluate several variants of run-time adaptation that tune the number and angle of lobes in the beam, and the bit rate. The design of these algorithms is guided by both analysis and real-world measurements with a smart antenna system mounted on a vehicle. These measurements with our prototype implementation show that R2D2 can achieve an uplink throughput increase of up to 154% over pure beamsteering and 45% over pure basestation diversity.
Crystal-field symmetry and ordered phases in arrays of helical XY spin chains.

The effect of crystal-field symmetry and strength on the nature of ordered phases in three-dimensional systems consisting of arrays of helical XY spin chains is investigated. The phase diagrams of chiral chains in arrays with twofold symmetry always exhibit a Lifshitz point, where paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and incommensurate phases meet. In contrast, the phase diagrams of chains in arrays in which the crystal field has higher symmetry than twofold have no Lifshitz point, whether the chains are chiral or not. In these arrays, the initial phase transition is always paramagnetic to incommensurate. The existence of a Lifshitz point in the phase diagram of nonchiral chains in arrays with twofold symmetry depends sensitively on the interchain coupling.
Sharp bounds for complier average potential outcomes in experiments with noncompliance and incomplete reporting

Abstract Published reports of experiments with noncompliance often fail to report information necessary for recovering average potential outcomes for compliers. We derive sharp bounds on the average potential outcomes for compliers, when given only average outcomes for units assigned to treatment, average outcomes for units assigned to control, and the difference in average take-up between assignment statuses.
Identification of novel tan spot resistance loci beyond the known host-selective toxin insensitivity genes in wheat

Tan spot, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, is a destructive foliar disease of wheat causing significant yield reduction in major wheat growing areas throughout the world. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring resistance to tan spot in the synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) line TA4152-60. A doubled haploid (DH) mapping population derived from TA4152-60 × ND495 was inoculated with conidia produced by isolates of each of four virulent races of P. tritici-repentis found in North America. QTL analysis revealed a total of five genomic regions significantly associated with tan spot resistance, all of which were contributed by the SHW line. Among them, two novel QTLs located on chromosome arms 2AS and 5BL conferred resistance to all isolates tested. Another novel QTL on chromosome arm 5AL conferred resistance to isolates of races 1, 2 and 5, and a QTL specific to a race 3 isolate was detected on chromosome arm 4AL. None of these QTLs corresponded to known host selective toxin (HST) insensitivity loci, but a second QTL on chromosome arm 5BL conferred resistance to the Ptr ToxA producing isolates of races 1 and 2 and corresponded to the Tsn1 (Ptr ToxA sensitivity) locus. This indicates that the wheat-P. tritici-repentis pathosystem is much more complex than previously thought and that selecting for toxin insensitivity alone will not necessarily lead to tan spot resistance. The markers associated with the QTLs identified in this work will be useful for deploying the SHW line as a tan spot resistance source in wheat breeding.
Synthesis gas as substrate for the biological production of fuels and chemicals

Synthesis gas provides a simple substrate for the production of fuels and chemicals. Synthesis gas can be produced via established technologies from a variety of feedstocks including coal, wood, and agricultural and municipal wastes. The gasification is thermally efficient and results in complete conversion of the feedstock to fermentable substrate.Clostridium ljungdahlii grows on the synthesis gas components, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Production of acetic acid and ethanol accompanies growth with synthesis gas as sole source of energy and carbon. Rate and yield parameters are compared forC. ljungdahlii grown on carbon monoxide, or hydrogen with carbon dioxide.
Accounting eudcation research methodolgy

This paper discusses how research methodology can be applied in accounting education studies in order to provide dependable results. Experimentall and expost facto research designs are reviewed. Survey research, a popular form of ex post factoresearch, is discussed. Accounting education researchers are encouraged to limit the use of survey research. When the survey method is deemed necessary, researchers are encouraged to make every effort to eliminate the types of bias associated with survey research such as non-response bias and uninformed respondent bias. The paper also provides a review of control of variance which addresses: variance around the dependent and independent variables, variance from sources outside the research design, and error variance.
Relationship between histologic grading and extrapelvic nodal metastases in cervical carcinoma

One hundred fifty-nine patients with cervical carcinoma were evaluated to determine the association between histologic grade and the presence of extrapelvic nodal metastases. Patients with poorly differented tumors, regardless of clinical stage, demonstrated extrapelvic nodal metastases more frequently than those with differentiated tumors. Surgical staging is suggested for patients with poorly differentiated tumors.
Comments on the source of petroleum hydrocarbons in hydrous pyrolysis

Abstract The D-isomer distribution of alkanes isolated following hydrous pyrolysis of Messel shale in D2O by Hoering is much more broad than that predicted by statistical, sequential D/H exchange. This result is in contrast to the D-isomer profile for deuterated alkane generated in the system through the purposeful addition of alkene, which yields a profile in agreement with calculation. Thus, the generation of the alkanes from kerogen involves precursors which can undergo simultaneous deuteration at several sites, or accumulation and linking of smaller, preexchanged units. These scenarios receive some support from Hoering's data for recovered pristane, which displayed a bimodal D-isomer distribution. In this case the distribution was very well matched by the sums of two distributions calculated on the basis of two separate H/D exchanges taking place at different sites at different rates.
Degradation of glycosaminoglycans by extracts of calf vitreous hyalocytes.

Abstract The ability of extracts of calf vitreous hyalocytes to catalyze the degradation of glycosaminoglycans was studied by incubation with radioactively labeled substrates. The degradation of the polymeric substrates to lower molecular weight products was assayed by three methods; (1) paper chromatographic separation of low molecular weight, mobile digestion products from undigested, high molecular weight material which remains at or near the origin; (2) loss of the ability of the glycosaminoglycan to be precipitated by cetylpyridinium chloride; (3) gel chromatography to separate low molecular weight digestion products, which appear in the retarded volume, from undegraded, high molecular weight material, which is eluted in the void volume. The acidic pH optimum of the reaction suggests a lysosomal origin of the enzyme activity.