cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching Balance to Reduce Possible Injuries and Promote Skill Acquisition

This article describes three balance activities and some basic teaching tips, as well as examples of how to increase the difficulty of each activity in a safe and supervised environment.
Convergence analysis of least-squares mixed finite elements

The least-squares finite element method for first order systems corresponding to second order linear two-point boundary value problems is considered. A theoretical analysis and error estimates are developed and the estimates are seen to be consistent with our previous numerical studies in Carey and Shen [5]. The method is not subject to the LBB condition and we consider, in particular, the estimates when the polynomial degree differs for the corresponding variables. Superconvergence estimates are also developed.
Semi-boustrophedon coverage with a dubins vehicle

This paper addresses the problem of generating coverage paths — that is, paths that pass within some sensor footprint of every point in an environment — for vehicles with Dubins motion constraints. We extend previous work that solves this coverage problem as a traveling salesman problem (TSP) by introducing a practical heuristic algorithm to reduce runtime while maintaining near-optimal path length. Furthermore, we show that generating an optimal coverage path is NP-hard by reducing from the Exact Cover problem, which provides justification for our algorithm's conversion of Dubins coverage instances to TSP instances. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the algorithm does indeed produce length paths comparable to optimal in significantly less time.
Bariatric Surgery, Vitamin D, and Bone Loss

Abstract Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for weight loss in those with severe obesity. There are many beneficial effects on obesity-related comorbidities and mortality, but also there is well-documented evidence of bone loss, with increased bone turnover and bone mineral density decline. There are a number of potential mechanisms for bone loss: nutritional deficiencies; mechanical unloading; muscle loss; and changes in adipokines, sex steroids, gut hormones, and bone marrow fat. In particular, vitamin D and calcium homeostasis are important for skeletal health but are disrupted after bariatric surgery. Vitamin D can be malabsorbed; therefore routine supplementation is recommended with individual adjustments. Calcium absorption is impaired because of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, lack of active transcellular calcium transport in the bypassed duodenum or jejunum, or change in gastrointestinal acidity. Professional guidelines offer several recommendations about supplementation and skeletal health monitoring, although there is limited supporting evidence.
Two Step, Differential Evolution-Based Identification of Parameters of Jiles-Atherton Model of Magnetic Hysteresis Loops

Paper presents new method of identification of parameters of Jiles-Atherton model of magnetic hysteresis loops. The method utilizes physical principles of this model. In the described solution, parameters of anhysteretic curve are identified first. Next, parameters determining hysteresis are calculated on the base of set of hysteresis loops measured for different amplitudes of magnetizing field. Both identifications use differential evolutionary strategies method. The efficiency of proposed method is shown on the basis of parameters identification results for Mn-Zn ferrite for power applications.
PAF binding to a single receptor in corneal epithelium plasma membrane.

PURPOSE. TO study the binding characteristics and the expression of platelet-activating factor receptors (PAF-R) in corneal epithelium to elucidate the site of action of PAP. METHODS. Binding of [ 3 H]PAF was investigated in subcellular fractions of the epithelia of bovine corneas and in membranes from cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells. Dose-response inhibition curves of [ 3 H]PAFspecific binding were generated using increasing concentrations of several PAF-R antagonists. RNA from rabbit corneal epithelial cells was probed for PAF-R expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with specifically designed degenerated primers. RESULTS. Scatchard analysis showed a high-affinity binding site in bovine and rabbit corneal epithelium. The dissociation constant (K^) and the maximum binding sites (Bmax) in a bovine membrane preparation and similar rabbit fraction were 0.77 ± 0.03 nM and 180 ± 21 femtomoles/mg protein and 4.3 nM and 1.3 picomoles/mg protein, respectively. Specific PAF-binding sites were found in bovine preparations enriched in plasma membranes with a Kd — 69-6 pM and Bmix = 80 femtomoles/mg protein; no specific binding was found in nuclei or microsomal fractions. RT-PCR of rabbit corneal epithelium generated a single product of the predicted size (478 bp). The deduced amino acid sequence of the purified PCR product was 87% homologous to human PAF-R. The hetrazepines BN 50727 and BN 50730 and the PAF structural analogues CV 3988 and CV 6209 competitively inhibited [ 3 H]PAF binding to corneal epithelium with similar potency. WEB 2086 BS was two orders of magnitude less active in antagonizing PAF binding. CONCLUSIONS. Corneal epithelium contains a single population of receptors localized in the plasma membrane. PAF antagonists exert their actions by blocking this PAF-R. The partial sequence deduced in rabbit corneal PAF-R show a higher homology to the human PAF-R. (Invest Ophthalmol VisSci. 1999;40:790-795)
Faddeev’s Solution

The solutions of the Schrodinger equation on which the methods discussed up to this point were based are all ultimately defined by the Lippmann-Schwinger equation. The Green’s function contained in that integral equation is the kernel of the resolvent of the Laplacian on L2(IR3). We now turn to procedures that are based on the use of a family of Green’s functions introduced by Faddeev, which may be regarded as resolvent kernels of the Laplacian on weighted L2-spaces (on which the Laplacian is not essentially self-adjoint). The Green’s function (1.4) is one member of this family. There is a variety of ways of approaching these Green’s functions, but we shall do so by an avenue originally used by Faddeev.
Long-Term Monitoring of Human Impacts to the Terrestrial Environment at McMurdo Station

The largest of the three scientific bases operated by the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), McMurdo Station has experienced numerous localised environmental impacts over its fifty-plus years of occupation. Since 1999 a long-term environmental monitoring programme has examined human impacts in the terrestrial and marine environments in proximity to the station. The programme was developed from an assessment of system attributes amenable to monitoring, an understanding of the nature of historical and ongoing environmental impacts and a consideration of the spatial scales over which impacts would be expected. While station operations continue to impact the local environment, the ‘footprint’ of human disturbance observed at McMurdo Station today primarily represents vestiges of historical practices. In the terrestrial environment, the impact of human activities is typically confined to within a few hundred meters of the station and contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons and metals are found where expected. This ongoing monitoring programme represents an important step in understanding how a legacy of human activities can affect the local environment surrounding an Antarctic scientific base. The developed framework is suitable for adaptation to other Antarctic research stations with similar physical settings and mix of human activities. The programme has provided, and will continue to provide, crucial baseline environmental information which can serve as the scientific basis for future assessments of the impact of human activities at McMurdo Station over the next 50 years.
Sperm and Generative Cell

The generative cell and sperm spend their natural lives encased by the vegetative cell. The generative cell is formed at the first division of the microspore and divides in the pollen grain or pollen tube to form two sperm cells. Thus, the generative cell is never “free” of the vegetative cell in which it is embedded. Sperm are similarly embedded in the vegetative cell of pollen grain or pollen tube, but are released from the pollen tube into the embryo sac, usually into the degenerating synergid. They are briefly free of the vegetative cell during which time they travel a short distance to the egg or central cell where they fuse with the female nuclei. In vivo, sperm release occurs spontaneously within the embryo sac, and free sperm cannot be collected for experimentation.
Limbic Intrinsic Connectivity in Depressed and High-Risk Youth.

Objective Depression runs in families and has been associated with dysfunctional limbic connectivity. Whether aberrant limbic connectivity is a risk factor for or a consequence of depression is unclear. To examine this question, we compared resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in youth with depressive disorders (DEP), healthy offspring of parents with depression (DEP-risk), and healthy comparison (HC) youth. Method Magnetic resonance imaging at rest was acquired from 119 youth, aged 8 to 17 years (DEP, n = 41, DEP-risk, n = 39, and HC, n = 39) and analyzed using seed-based RSFC in bilateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens (NAcc), covarying for age, IQ, and sex. Results We found distinct risk- and disorder-specific patterns of RSFC across groups. DEP-risk and DEP youth shared reduced negative amygdala−right frontal cortex RSFC and reduced positive amygdala−lingual gyrus RSFC compared to HC youth (p Conclusion RSFC in the amygdala and NAcc may represent selective disorder- and risk-specific markers in youth with, and at familial risk for, depression. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these patterns predict long-term clinical outcomes.
Some Open Problems in Fine-Grained Complexity

Fine-grained complexity studies problems that are "hard" in the following sense. Consider a computational problem for which existing techniques easily give an algorithm running in a(n) time for inputs of size n, for some a. The algorithm is often brute-force, and despite decades of research, no O(a(n)1-∈) time algorithm for constant " > 0 has been developed.There are many diverse examples of such problems. Here are two: CNF-SAT on n variables and m clauses can be solved via exhaustive search in O(2nmn) time, and no 2(1-∈)npoly(m; n) time algorithm for constant " > 0 is known. The Longest Common Subsequence (LCS) problem on strings of length n has a classical O(n2) time algorithm, and no O(n-∈) time algorithm for " > 0 is known. Let's call these running times the "textbook running times". (Note that this is not well-defined but for many fundamental problems such as SAT or LCS, it is natural. The textbook runtime is the runtime of the algorithm a bright student in an algorithms class would come up with.)
Sustainable Inorganic Chemistry: Metal Separations for Recycling

Inorganic materials are critical components of clean energy technology. For example, rare earths are key for the function of electric car batteries and in permanent magnets used in wind turbines, and palladium helps to reduce harmful exhaust in automotive three-way catalysts. Many of the critical elements for these materials are of low abundance in the earth’s crust, found in few places globally, and/or require energy- and resource-intensive purification. By comparison, many of these elements are concentrated in waste electrical and electronic equipment, which represents an attractive secondary resource. Inorganic chemists are ideally positioned to develop new chemistry and greener processes that are more efficient and use less hazardous reagents to separate high-value metals from waste electronics. The purpose of this Viewpoint is to highlight recent discoveries in fundamental inorganic chemistry that can contribute to new recycling technologies for gold, lithium, palladium, germanium, and rare earths, e...
Probing the Nature of Noncovalent Interactions in Dimers of Linear Tyrosine-Based Dipeptides.

Tyrosine-based dipeptides self-assemble to form higher order structures. To gain insights into the nature of intermolecular interactions contributing to the early stages of the self-assembly of aromatic dipeptides, we study the dimers of linear dityrosine (YY) and tryptophan–tyrosine (WY) using quantum-chemical methods with dispersion corrections and universal solvation model based on density in combination with energy decomposition and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. We find that hydrogen bonding is a dominant stabilizing force. The lowest energy structure for the linear YY dimer is characterized by Ocarboxyl···H(O)tyr. In contrast, the lowest energy dimer of linear WY is stabilized by Ocarboxyl···H(N)trp and πtyr···πtyr. The solvent plays a critical role as it can change the strength and nature of interactions. The lowest energy for linear WY dimer in acetone is stabilized by Ocarboxyl···H(O)tyr, πtrp···H(C), and πtrp···H(N). The ΔG of dimerization and stabilization energies of solvated dipeptides ...
Regeneration of Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) from Rhizome Sections in Sand, Pine Bark, and Soil Substrates

Abstract Regenerative potential of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) rhizome sections has not been quantified when rhizomes are transplanted into substrates encountered in landscapes and nursery fiel...
Responsiveness of U.S.-China Trade Flows to Relative Prices and Nominal Exchange Rate

Most previous research did not find powerful evidence suggesting the depreciation of Chinese yuan had contributed significantly to the trade imbalances between the United States and China. In our c...
Enriching Non-negative Matrix Factorization with Contextual Embeddings for Recommender Systems

Abstract Recommender Systems (RS) are used to give customized recommendations about specific items to users in a variety of applications including social web sites applications, media recommendation and commerce sites etc. Collaborative Filtering (CF) along with the Content Based Filtering (CBF) are two widely used methods which are being efficiently applied in RS implementation. CF suffers with sparseness problem where user-to-item ratings are amply sparse. On the other hand, CBF performance rely on methods of feature extraction for efficient use of items’ description. The sparseness of user-to-item ratings and features extraction impede the performance of RS. Quality of rating prediction and item recommendation further degrades due to the negative values present in users/items latent factors. This paper proposes a novel RS that is built upon the semantics based items’ content embedding model, enriched with contextual features extracted through Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF), supplied with improvised embedding is used as CF technique. Embedding model captures the item details, thus resolving the sparsity, whereas, NMF caters for information loss due to negative values in latent factors. The proposed RS with contextually enriched NMF (Contx-NMF) simultaneously overcomes both the issues of sparseness and loss due to negative values, thus enhancing the rating prediction accuracy. The proposed model is evaluated on three public datasets (MovieLens 1M, MovieLens 10M)and Amazon Instant Video (AIV). The results demonstrate significant improvement in performance of Contx-NMF over state of the art RS models for sparse user-to-item ratings.
Soft Magnetic Tactile Skin for Continuous Force and Location Estimation Using Neural Networks

Soft tactile skins can provide an in-depth understanding of contact location and force through a soft and deformable interface. However, widespread implementation of soft robotic sensing skins remains limited due to non-scalable fabrication techniques, lack of customization, and complex integration requirements. In this work, we demonstrate magnetic composites fabricated with two different matrix materials, a silicone elastomer and urethane foam, that can be used as continuous tactile surfaces for single-point contact localization. Building upon previous work, we increased the sensing area from a 15 mm 2 grid to a 40 mm 2 continuous surface. Additionally, new preprocessing methods for the raw magnetic field data, in conjunction with the use of a neural network, enables rapid location and force estimation in free space. We report an average localization of 1 mm 3 for the silicone surface and 2 mm 3 for the urethane foam. Our approach to soft sensing skins addresses the need for tactile soft surfaces that are simple to fabricate and integrate, customizable in shape and material, and usable in both soft and hybrid robotic systems.
The evolution of cytokinin signaling and its role in development before Angiosperms

Cytokinin signaling by way of a multistep two-component signaling pathway has been highly examined over the last 20 years with a lot of attention to how its signaling components regulate essential growth and developmental processes from seedlings to senescence. Most studies have focused on Angiosperm plants, particularly Arabidopsis, with very little attention across the rest of the plant kingdom, making it difficult to know if cytokinin-regulated developmental processes are have remained evolutionarily conserved or distinct among different plant groups. Here the prevalence of cytokinin signaling components throughout plants, algae, and other organisms are examined. Particular examination is paid to how minimal sets of these base signaling components are related to development in Bryophytes, a primary group of study outside of Angiosperms. General comparisons of the role of signaling components between these distant groups suggest some evolutionary conservation of function has been maintained across plants as a whole. This review also highlights the need to investigate how cytokinin signaling components, recently identified in every plant group, contribute to development; this will give higher resolution to our understanding of cytokinin roles in development across plant taxa. Also revealed is a strong need to further pursue how cytokinin signaling components recently identified in every plant group contribute to development in order to further dissect these connections.
Catheter placement selection for convection-enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents to brain tumors

Background: Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of therapeutic agents to brain tumors allows clinicians to bypass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to infuse virus therapy, biological, or chemotherapy directly into a brain tumor through convection. However, the effectiveness of infusions via CED may depend on catheter placement. Methods: This study used diffusion maps from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human brain tumors and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to assess therapy volume distribution percentages based on catheter placement locations. Results: The primary outcome showed differences in volume distribution based on the catheter placement location. Total tumor volume filled ranged from 144.40 mm 3 to 317.98 mm 3 . Percent filled of tumor volume ranged from 2.87% to 6.32%. Conclusions: The selection of the location for catheter placement using the region with the highest volume filled may provide optimal therapeutic effect. The researchers conclude that CFD may provide guidance for catheter placement in CED of therapeutic agents.
Effects of individual toxic behavior on team performance in League of Legends

Toxic behavior in online video games is frequent and problematic. Previous research has linked toxic behavior with worsened performance. No study, however, has investigated a causal relationship be...
The Role of Corporate Cultural Similarity in Corporate Acquisitions: Does Cultural Similarity Affect Managerial Learning?

This study examines whether the corporate cultural similarity between a target and an acquiring firm influences the acquiring managers’ decision to abandon a corporate acquisition attempt conditional on the acquiring firm's stock price reaction at the announcement of the deal. We find that higher cultural similarity decreases the propensity of acquiring managers to listen to the stock market. We use the inclusion in the annual list of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens as an exogenous shock to establish a causal link. We interpret the findings to imply that acquiring managers are subject to a confirmatory bias that leads them to give an overly optimistic valuation to target firms that share similar corporate culture. Therefore, cultural similarity between a target and an acquiring firm could have detrimental effects on the acquiring firm.
Barriers to recruitment, retention and intervention delivery in a randomized trial among patients with firearm injuries.

We discuss barriers to recruitment, retention, and intervention delivery in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of patients presenting with firearm injuries to a Level 1 trauma center. The intervention was adapted from the Critical Time Intervention and included a six-month period of support in the community after hospital discharge to address recovery goals. This study was one of the first RCTs of a hospital- and community-based intervention provided solely among patients with firearm injuries. Barriers to recruitment included limited staffing, coupled with wide variability in length of stay and admission times, which made it difficult to predict the best time to recruit. At the same time, more acutely affected patients needed more time to stabilize in order to determine whether eligibility criteria were met. Barriers to retention included insufficient patient resources for stable housing, communication and transportation, as well as limited time for patients to meet with study staff to respond to follow-up surveys. These barriers similarly affected intervention delivery as patients who were recruited, but had fewer resources to help with recovery, had lower intervention engagement. These barriers fall within the broader context of system avoidance (e.g., avoiding institutions that keep formal records). Since the patient sample was racially diverse with the majority of patients having prior criminal justice system involvement, this may have precluded active participation from some patients, especially those from communities that have been subject to long and sustained history of trauma and racism. We discuss approaches to overcoming these barriers and the importance of such efforts to further implement and evaluate hospital-based violence intervention programs in the future. Developing strategies to overcome barriers to data collection and ongoing participant contact are essential to gathering robust information to understand how well violence prevention programs work and providing the best care possible for people recovering from injuries. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02630225 . Registered 12/15/2015.
We Are Anxious Every Day": COVID-19 Impacts on Youth with Spina Bifida."

Objective This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a national sample of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with spina bifida (SB) and parents of youth with SB. Methods AYA with SB (15-25; n = 298) and parents of children with SB (n = 200) were recruited to complete an anonymous, online survey in English or Spanish. Participants provided information about demographic and condition characteristics, as well as their technology access and use for behavioral health care. They also completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey (CEFIS), which includes Exposure, Impact, and Distress subscales. Exploratory correlations and t-tests were used to examine potential associations between CEFIS scores and demographic, medical, and access characteristics. Qualitative data from the CEFIS were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Scores on the Exposure, Impact, and Distress subscales demonstrated significant variability. Demographic associations with Exposure differed for those with higher Impact and Distress (e.g., White, non-Hispanic/Latino AYA reported higher rates of exposure [p = .001]; AYA who identified with a minoritized racial/ethnic identity reported greater impact [p ≤ .03]). Impacts to mental and behavioral health (n = 44), interference with medical care (n = 28), and interpersonal challenges (n = 27) were the most commonly occurring qualitative themes. Conclusions The current findings implicate differential impacts to individuals with SB and their families based on demographic, medical, and systemic factors (e.g., minoritized status). Recommendations to support families with SB and other pediatric conditions are made.
Role of cell rearrangement in axial morphogenesis.

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the role of cell rearrangement in processes as diverse as chick neurulation, archenteron formation, elongation in sea urchin gastrulation, epiboly, and convergent extension in Xenopus gastrulation and epiboly in teleost fish gastrulation. Cell rearrangement is merely one of a number of the fundamental cell behaviors having morphogenetic consequences. The extensive cell rearrangements occurring during gastrulation and neurulation lead to the formation of the axial and associated rudiment. It is highly unlikely that any single, particular morphogenetic movement is driven by only one cell behavior. Rather, various behaviors typically act in concert. One possible interaction among three cell behaviors—change in cell shape, change in cell position, and change in cell number—is cell division during shaping and bending of the avian neural plate. All three of these behaviors are involved in neurulation.
Feeding the Low Birth Weight Infant: Orally or Parenterally? Preliminary Results of a Comparative Study

Fifteen normally grown premature (NG-P), seven intrauterine growth retarded premature (IGR-P) and six intrauterine growth-retarded mature (IGR-M ) neonates were randomly assigned to oral (PO) or parenterally supplemented (SUP) oral feeding regimens. Supplemented babies did not have greater mean caloric intakes. Although supplementation in the NG-P group decreased postnatal weight loss, reduced the time to regain and maintain birth weight and increased the mean daily weight gain during supplementation, mean daily weight gains during the whole hospital course and the babies9 weight and postconceptional age at discharge were similar for both feeding regimens. For the most part, the same trends were evident in the ICR group. These data and the fact that mean daily increases of other growth parameters (length, head circumference, skinfolds) were not influenced by mode of feeding suggest water retention rather than tissue accretion as an explanation for the early postnatal weight "advintage" in the SUP group. Severe metabolic disturbances (hyperglycemia, serum and urine hyperosmolality, metabolic acidosis) were the rule in the premature neonates with infusate glucose concentrations in excess of 12 gm/100 ml or with amino acid concentrations higher than 2 gm/100 ml. Two of seven neonates supplemented by central catheter developed sepsis arid died whereas no systemic infections occurred in the PO or peripherally supplemented babies.
Intractable pruritus after traumatic spinal cord injury.

AbstractBackground: This report describes a young woman with incomplete traumatic cervical spinal cord injury and intractable pruritus involving her dorsal forearm.Method: Case report.Findings: Anatomic distribution of the pruritus corresponded to the dermatomal distribution of her level of spinal cord injury and vertebral fusion. Symptoms were attributed to the spinal cord injury and possible cervical root injury. Pruritus was refractory to all treatments, including topical lidocaine, gabapentin, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, intravenous Bier block, stellate ganglion block, and acupuncture.Conclusions: Further understanding of neuropathic pruritus is needed. Diagnostic workup of intractable pruritus should include advanced imaging to detect ongoing nerve root compression. If diagnostic studies suggest radiculopathy, epidural steroid injection should be considered. Because the autonomic nervous system may be involved in complex chronic pain or pruritic syndromes, sympatholysis via such tech...
An Empirical Investigation of Biased Survey Data

AbstractThis paper investigates response bias in survey data on annual driving mileage and evaluatesthe performance of an econometric remedy proposed in the literature, Orbit. There are threecontributions in this paper. I ﬁrst discuss pseudo-precision bias, caused by asking respondents toquantify something they have never precisely measured, and estimate the bias in a self-report ofannual mileage driven. The estimation of the bias accounts for the non-standard censoring of thedata. Individuals systematically exaggerate their deviation from the sample average, and using theself-reported data leads to misleading estimates of the income elasticity of travel mileage. Second,I extend the Orbit procedure, which has been proposed to correct for reporting bias, to allowmisreporting at the lower censoring point. This generalized version may be useful in other settingsas well. Finally, I demonstrate that in this application Orbit does not improve the accuracy of theestimation and does not correctly uncover the direction of the pseudo-precision bias. The messagefor practitioners using biased data is therefore a cautionary one.Keywords: Orbit, responsebias, travel demand, semiparametricestimation, censoring, orderedchoice data.
Studying the Human Immunome: The Complexity of Comprehensive Leukocyte Immunophenotyping

A comprehensive study of the cellular components of the immune system requires both deep and broad immunophenotyping of numerous cell populations in an efficient and practical manner. In this chapter, we describe the technical aspects of studying the human immunome using high-dimensional (15 color) fluorescence-based immunophenotyping. We focus on the technical aspects of polychromatic flow cytometry and the initial stages in developing a panel for comprehensive leukocyte immunophenotyping (CLIP). We also briefly discuss how this panel is being used and the challenges of encyclopedic analysis of these rich data sets.
Indian consumers and their mall patronage:Application of cultural-self and the theory of planned behavior to patronage intentions

This study investigated Indian consumers’ motivations and intentions to patronize contemporary retail formats, such as shopping malls. The study attempts to explain the effect of cultural-self (Brewer & Chen, 2007) on Indian consumers’ shopping attitudes and subjective norms in addition to motivations on the intentions to patronize malls in India. In addition to the cultural-self, this study is also framed by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1988, 1991). Data were collected from shoppers present in four different zones (i.e., north, south, west, and east) of New Delhi, India. Trained data collection staff approached 845 Indian mall shoppers at the various malls in New Delhi. Three hundred and one completed surveys were used for the statistical analysis. Two phases of data analysis were conducted: preliminary analysis and model testing. Preliminary analysis of research data consisted of descriptive analysis, principal components analysis, internal reliability assessment of research variables using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, and correlation analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis for each construct and measurement model testing was performed using Mplus version 6 statistical software (Muthen & Muthen, 2000). Structural model testing was conducted through two steps: testing of the proposed model and alternative model testing. Model testing was performed through maximum-likelihood estimation procedures using Mplus statistical software (Muthen & Muthen, 2000). An important contribution of this study is the identification of cultural groups based on the dimensions of cultural-self (Brewer & Chen, 2007). The emergence of five cultural clusters or groups in this study—“enthusiasts,” “autonomous,” “sociables,” “affables,” and
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

From the Publisher: What do flashlights, the British invasion, black cats, and seesaws have to do with computers? In Code, they show us the ingenious ways we manipulate language and invent new ways to communicate with each other. And through Code, we see how this ingenuity-and our very human compulsion to communicate-have driven the technological innovations of the past two centuries. Using everyday objects and familiar language systems such as Braille and Morse code, author Charles Petzold provides non-programmers an illuminating narrative for anyone who's ever wondered about the secret inner life of computers and other smart machines. It's a cleverly illustrated and eminently comprehensible story-and along the way, you'll discover that you've gained a real context for understanding today's world of PCs, digital media, and the Internet. No matter what your level of technical savvy, Code will charm you-and perhaps even awaken the technophile within.
Program Evaluation of “Young at Heart”: Examining Elderly Volunteers' Generativity

Abstract We conducted a program evaluation study of “Young at Heart,” a Texas (United States) program that places elderly volunteers in childcare settings. The main constructs evaluated in this research-based article are Erikson's generativity (a motivation to guide younger generations) and life satisfaction. We compared four groups of elderly persons on these constructs: Young at Heart volunteers, Meals on Wheels volunteers (who deliver food to other elderly persons and thus gain volunteer experience, but not with children), non-volunteers drawn from the general population of one Texas community, and individuals in the same community who volunteered in a variety of activities (“miscellaneous volunteers”). Our guiding assumption was that volunteering with children would appear to be a clear expression of generativity; we thus hypothesized that YAH volunteers would score highest in it. Contrary to prediction, the miscellaneous volunteers averaged the highest generativity, followed by YAH volunteers. Philos...
A kinetics method for the identification of coordinatively-unsaturated substituted metal carbonyl transients: cis-[(triphenylphosphine)tetracarbonyltungsten(O)]

The specifically solvated five-coordinate intermediate [(triphenylphosphine)-tetracarbonyltungsten(O)] was produced via pulsed laser flash photolysis from cis-(piperi-dine)(triphenylphosphine)tetracarbonyltungsten(O) in chlorobenzene. This five-coordinate species was identified through comparison of the “competition ratio” k2/k−1, for its interaction with piperidine (governed by k−1) and tri(isopropyl) phosphite (governed by k2) as determined through parallel flash photometric and thermal studies. This method offers a broadly applicable means of identification of transients generated upon flash photolysis and of obtaining values of all rate constants for ligand-displacement reactions of substituted octahedral metal carbonyls by Lewis bases.
Equivalent circuit and simulations for the Landau-Khalatnikov model of ferroelectric hysteresis

We present the circuit equivalent of the Landau-Khalatnikov dynamical ferroelectric model. The differential equation for hysteretic behavior is subject to numerical computer simulations. The size and shape of the simulated hysteretic loops depend strongly on the frequency and the amplitude of the driving electric field. In previous experiments, this dependence made extraction of the coercive field rather difficult. An alternative experimental method for the determination of the coercive field is here suggested. We also develop in detail the dynamics of bifurcation of a driven Landau-Khalatnikov ferroelectric.
Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery Versus Standard Sternotomy in Obese Patients Undergoing Isolated Valve Surgery

Background We hypothesize that composite in-hospital surgical complications are lower in obese patients who undergo minimally invasive valve surgery for aortic and (or) mitral valve disease, when compared with the standard median sternotomy approach. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 2,288 heart operations done at our institution between January 3, 2005 and January 10, 2010, and identified 160 consecutive obese patients, defined as patients with a body mass index of greater than 30 kg/m 2 , who underwent isolated mitral and (or) aortic valve surgery. The outcomes of those who had minimally invasive valve surgery were compared with a matched control group who had valve surgery through a median sternotomy approach. Results Of the 160 patients, 64 underwent the minimally invasive approach and 96 had a median sternotomy. The mean age was 69.4 ± 11 years for the minimally invasive group, and 64.7 ± 11.5 for the median sternotomy group ( p = 0.015). Composite postoperative complications occurred in 15 (23.49%) versus 49 (51.0%) patients ( p = 0.034) in the minimally invasive group versus median sternotomy, respectively. The difference was driven by a lower incidence of acute renal failure (0 vs 6 patients [6.25%], p = 0.041), prolonged intubation (12 [18.7%] vs 33 [34.3%], p = 0.049), reintubation (3 [4.68%] vs 15 [15.6%], p = 0.032), deep wound infections (0 vs 4 [4.1%], p = 0.098), and death (0 vs 8 [8.3%], p = 0.041), respectively. All patients in the minimally invasive group were alive at 30 days. Conclusions Minimally invasive surgery for isolated valve lesions in obese patients has a lower morbidity and mortality when compared with the standard median sternotomy approach.
Mutual fund objective misclassification

Abstract Mutual funds are usually classified based on their stated objectives. If the stated objectives are not the actual objectives the funds pursue, conclusions drawn by investors and researchers based on the stated objectives will be misleading. This study classifies funds based on their attributes (characteristics, investment style, and risk/return measures). We find that the stated objectives of more than half the funds differ from their attributes-based objectives, and over one third of the funds are severely misclassified. However, contrary to the reports in the financial press, we do not find that mutual funds are gaming their objectives, i.e., deviating from their stated objectives to earn a higher relative performance ranking. Keywords: Mutual funds; Investment objectives JEL classification: G11, G23
Estimation of Giardia Ct values at high pH for the Surface Water Treatment Rule.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently recommends Ct (disinfectant concentration multiplied by the exposure time) values to achieve required levels of inactivation of Giardia lamblia cysts by different disinfectants including free chlorine. Current guidance covers inactivation levels in the pH range between 6 and 9. Subsequent to the publication of these criteria, studies on the inactivation kinetics of Giardia cysts by chlorine have been performed at pH levels greater than 9. It has been shown that the chlorine inactivation process for Giardia cysts is pH dependent. The objective of this paper is to extend the current Ct values for higher pH levels. The Chick-Watson first order kinetics model was used to develop Ct values for pH levels from 6 to 11.5. A formula is provided to calculate a 100(1 - alpha)% upper confidence bound for these values.
Interacting effects of climate change and agricultural BMPs on nutrient runoff entering Lake Erie

Abstract Agricultural best management practices (BMPs) have been implemented in the watersheds around Lake Erie to reduce nutrient transfer from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems and thus protect and improve the water quality of Lake Erie. However, climate change may alter the effectiveness of these BMPs by altering runoff and other conditions. Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we simulated various climate scenarios with a range of BMPs to assess possible changes in water, sediment, and nutrient yields from four agricultural Lake Erie watersheds. Tile drain flow is expected to increase as is the amount of sediment that washes from land into streams. Predicted increases in tributary water flow (up to 17%), sediment yields (up to 32%), and nutrient yields (up to 23%) indicate a stronger influence of climate on sediment compared to other properties. Our simulations found much greater yield increases associated with scenarios of more pronounced climate change, indicating that above some threshold climate change may markedly accelerate sediment and nutrient export. Our results indicate that agricultural BMPs become more necessary but less effective under future climates; nonetheless, higher BMP implementation rates still could substantially offset anticipated increases in sediment and nutrient yields. Individual watersheds differ in their responsiveness to future climate scenarios, indicating the importance of targeting specific management strategies for individual watersheds.
Genetic susceptibility to accelerated cognitive decline in the US Health and Retirement Study.

Abstract Age-related cognitive decline is a major public health concern facing a large segment of the US population. To identify genetic risk factors related to cognitive decline, we used nationally representative longitudinal data from the US Health and Retirement Study to conduct genome-wide association studies with 5765 participants of European ancestry, and 890 participants of African ancestry. Mixed effects models were used to derive cognitive decline phenotypes from data on repeated cognitive assessments and to perform single nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability estimation. We found 2 independent associations among European-Americans in the 19q13.32 region: rs769449 (APOE intron; p = 3.1 × 10 −20 ) and rs115881343 (TOMM40 intron; p = 6.6 × 10 −11 ). rs769449 was also associated with cognitive decline among African-Americans ( p = 0.005), but rs115881343 was not. Cross-sectional cognitive function showed moderate heritability (15%–32%) across several age strata (50–59, 60–69, 70–79 years), but the cognitive decline heritability estimate was low (∼5%). These results indicate that despite multiple association signals for cognitive decline in the 19q13.32 region, inter-individual variation is likely influenced substantially by environmental factors.
Breeding Biology of the Threadstalk Milkvetch, Astragalus filipes (Fabaceae), with a Review of the Genus

Abstract Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is an enormous and diverse plant genus with a cosmopolitan distribution, but relatively few breeding biologies are known for its member species. Threadstalk (or basalt) milkvetch, Astragalus filipes Torrey ex. A. Gray, is common and widespread throughout the U.S. Intermountain West, including the Great Basin. It is being studied and ultimately propagated for extensive rangeland restoration projects throughout the sagebrush steppe. Understanding the breeding biology of A. filipes will be necessary for reliable and consistent commercial seed production with this species. We examined reproductive output from four manual pollination treatments (autogamy, geitonogamy, xenogamy and distant xenogamy) in a common garden. As measures of fitness, we counted fruit and seed set, then germinated viable seeds, to assess reproductive output. This species is weakly self compatible; xenogamous pollen transfer results in nine times more seed per pollination. Pollen transfer between geograp...
Lp harmonic analysis and Radon transforms on the Heisenberg group

In this paper, harmonic analysis in the Heisenberg group Heisn = Cn × R with group law (z, t) · (z′, t′) = (z + z′, t + t′ − 12Im z · z′) is taken to mean the joint spectral theory of the operators L (Heisenberg Laplacian) and T = ∂∂t. The spectral decomposition of ƒ e L2 is given explicitly as ƒ = Σλ Σe∝0κƒ ∗ ϑλ, κ, e dλ, where e = ±1, k = 0, 1, 2, … and ϑλ, κ,e(z, t) = λn(2π)n + 1 (n + 2k)n · 1 × exp(−ieλtn + 2k) exp (−λ ¦z¦24(n + 2k)) Lkn − 1(λ¦z¦22(n + 2k)), where Lkn − 1 denotes the Laguerre polynomial. The eigenvalues are iTƒ ∗ ϑλ,κ,e = (eλ(n + 2k)) ƒ ∗ ϑλ,κe and −Lƒ∗ϑλ,k,e·=λƒ∗ϑλ,k,e·. This decomposition is essentially well known, but has not previously been described in this light. It is also the decomposition into irreducibles of the representation of the Heisenberg motion group (semi-direct product of Heisn and U(n)) on L2(Heisn). The main result is a summability in Lp of the decomposition for ƒ e Lp, 1 < p < ∞, ƒ = limr → 1 Σλ Σβ rk∝0∞ ƒ ∗ ϑλ,κ,edλ. For p = 1 only a weaker substitute is available, and for p = ∞ the decomposition is false. There is also a Plancherel formula for ƒ ϵ L2, ‖ƒ2=2φ∑k∑e(n+2k)∫0∞|ƒ∗ϑλ,k,e(z,0)|2dzdλ A number of explicit examples of the decomposition are computed, including part of the Schrodinger propagator eisL. The Heisenberg Radon transform is defined by Rƒ(z, t) = ∝n ƒ((z, t) · (w, 0)) dw. This operator was studied by Geller and Stein. It is shown to be bounded from Lp to Lq if and only if p = (2n + 2)(2n + 1) and q = 2n + 2. Some generalizations of these results to the free step two nilpotent Lie groups are given, but the results are not as complete.
Bloodstream Infections Due to Candida Species: SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program in North America and Latin America, 1997-1998

An international program of surveillance of bloodstream infections (BSI) in the United States, Canada, and Latin America detected 306 episodes of candidemia in 34 medical centers (22 in the United States, 6 in Canada, and 6 in Latin America) in 1997 and 328 episodes in 34 medical centers (22 in the United States, 5 in Canada, and 7 in Latin America) in 1998. Of the 634 BSI, 54.3% were due to Candida albicans, 16.4% were due to C. glabrata, 14.9% were due to C. parapsilosis, 8.2% were due to C. tropicalis, 1.6% were due to C. krusei, and 4.6% were due to other Candida spp. The percentage of BSI due to C. albicans decreased very slightly in the United States between 1997 and 1998 (56.2 to 54.4%; P = 0.68) and increased in both Canada (52.6 to 70.1%; P = 0.05) and Latin America (40.5 to 44.6%; P = 0.67). C. glabrata was the second most common species observed overall, and the percentage of BSI due to C. glabrata increased in all three geographic areas between 1997 and 1998. C. parapsilosis was the third most prevalent BSI isolate in both Canada and Latin America, accounting for 7.0 and 18.5% of BSI, respectively. Resistance to fluconazole (MIC, ≥64 μg/ml) and itraconazole (MIC, ≥1.0 μg/ml) was observed infrequently in both 1997 (2.3 and 8.5%, respectively) and 1998 (1.5 and 7.6%, respectively). Among the different species of Candida, resistance to fluconazole and itraconazole was observed in C. glabrata and C. krusei, whereas isolates of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis were all highly susceptible to both fluconazole (98.9 to 100% susceptible) and itraconazole (96.4 to 100% susceptible). Isolates from Canada and Latin America were generally more susceptible to both triazoles than U.S. isolates were. Continued surveillance appears necessary to detect these important changes.