cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Market-driven versus market-driving behaviours: preliminary evidence for developing competitive advantage in high-technology markets

Market orientation is considered an important means of achieving competitive advantage. While the concept appears to have particular relevance for high-technology markets, it has yet to be adequately examined in this context. Hence, the generalisability of the market orientation concept to high-technology markets has yet to be established. Additionally, while market-driven behaviour has been a central construct in market orientation research, market-driving behaviour has received much less attention. As such, the relative influence that each of these has on an organisation's performance remains unknown. This study addresses these issues by examining the relationship between market orientation, competitive advantage and financial performance using a sample of marketing and senior managers from 164 diverse high-technology organisations. Results suggest that successful organisations are those that exhibit relatively high levels of customer-driven, customer-driving, and competitor-driving behaviours. Competitor-driven behaviour was negatively associated with success. Implications and future research are discussed.
Approximation to the Lorentzian coefficient for efficient calculation of transmittance profiles.

A major problem in the calculation of line-by-line profiles of atmospheric transmittance lies in the excessive computational times associated with the evaluation of the Lorentzian coefficient for every gas, wavenumber, line, temperature, and pressure along the path. An approach to the solution of this problem is presented, whereby use is made of an approximating function that allows for the quantities involving temperature and pressure to be factored out of the wavenumber-dependent terms. Although the approximating function is restricted to wavenumbers farther than about a line halfwidth at STP from the line center, a numerical procedure is presented for dealing with the remaining few cases. This approach results in a significant reduction in the number of arithmetic operations from the use of the exact coefficient and generally yields a transmittance with a numerical accuracy of four significant figures or better. An application is made to five Nimbus 6 center-filter frequencies in the 4.3-μm CO2 band for H2O, CO2, N2O, and CO in a 33-level atmosphere with average computational times reduced by a factor of over 9.
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF ORAL AND WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK IN THE ESL CLASSROOM

This article examines whether there is any difference between the effect of oral and written corrective feedback (CF) on learners’ accurate use of English articles. To this end, the current research presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, immediate-posttest, delayed-posttest design, using 12 intact intermediate English-as-a-second-language classes with adult learners of various first language backgrounds. Five groups were formed: oral recasts (n = 26), oral metalinguistic (n = 26), written direct correction (n = 31), written direct metalinguistic (n = 32), and control (n = 28). All four experimental groups completed two 30-min communicative narrative tasks. For the oral CF groups, students were asked to retell a story during which CF was provided. For the written CF groups, students were first asked to rewrite a story and then given CF. The acquisition of English articles was measured by means of a speeded dictation test, a written narrative test, and an error correction test. One-way ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons indicated that all CF groups, except for oral recasts, significantly outperformed the control group in the immediate and delayed posttests. These findings show that, whereas implicit oral recasts that involve article errors were not facilitative to learning, the other CF types were effective in helping learners improve the grammatical accuracy of English articles irrespective of language analytic ability. Overall, these results suggest that the degree of explicitness of both oral and written CF—rather than the medium in which the CF is provided—is the key factor that influences CF effectiveness.
Design and Implementation of Effective Checkpointing for Multithreaded Applications on Future Clouds

Multithreaded applications are common in high performance cloud computing systems, able to take advantage of elastic resource availability and cost fluctuation inherent to the systems. When applications involve many threads over more cores leased from the RaaS (Resource-as-a-Service) cloud under spot instance pricing for faster execution, resource unavailability are more likely to occur, undercutting execution performance gains potentially offered by those more cores. As a result, checkpointing is required to lower the adverse impact of resource unavailability on execution performance of such multithreaded applications. Given checkpointing often incurs expensive I/O to remote storage, this work presents design and implementation of our adaptive incremental checkpointing (AIC) for multithreaded applications on the RaaS clouds. AIC utilizes the idle cores for adaptive delta compression and remote checkpointing, significantly reducing the expected job turnaround time and the aggregated file size at remote storage. To ensure high compatibility and portability for AIC, we exploit techniques to avoid using kernel-specific data structures. AIC has been evaluated using PARSEC benchmarks on our established testbed, which resembles a multicore system acquired from the RaaS cloud. The results show that AIC noticeably reduces the expected turnaround time (by up to 37%) and the aggregated file size (by up to 8.3×) when compared to a recent multi-level checkpointing scheme with fixed checkpoint intervals.
Separable Potentials and Coulomb Interactions

The scattering of two nonrelativistic charged particles interacting via a short-range separable potential and a repulsive Coulomb potential is studied. The "nuclear" phase shift is given by an explicit formula, identical to that for the neutral-particle case except that the separable potential functions are replaced by their Coulomb-modified counterparts. A simple one-term $S$-wave separable potential of the Yamaguchi type is used to illustrate this result. A perturbation theory is developed and used to relate the proton-proton scattering length and effective range and the corresponding neutron-neutron parameters. The result is in resonable agreement with experiment and with previous calculations using local potentials.
Management of massive postpolypectomy hemorrhage: report of a technique.

A case of massive rectal hemorrhage following colonoscopic polypectomy is reported. A simple technique to gain control of the bleeding using the “plumber's helper” (or polypectomy grasping forceps) is described. The literature is briefly reviewed.
The growth and development of colonies of the ant Myrmica

Colony growth and development is conveniently divided into stages: pre-worker, juvenile, adolescent and mature. The pre-worker stage is one in which small workers are produced by the queen from her body reserves. The juvenile stage is characterised by a gradual increase in the egg production of the queen, and in the size of the workers. No doubt this is partly due to an improvement in food capture but other factors also exist; of great importance is the influence that the queen exerts on the growth and, development of individuals, an influence which is independent of population tension The adolescent stage is transtional; in it males first appear. The mature stage is one of full-sized workers and male and female sexual production.
Results from the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry global magnetospheric model for the electrojet challenge

Abstract This paper presents the results from the Lyon–Fedder–Mobarry global magnetosphere model (LFM) for the Electrojet prediction challenge sponsored by the Space Environment Center (SEC). The SEC selected the March 19–20, 1999 interval, a period with relatively simple solar wind conditions, as an initial test bed for methods of predicting the strength and location the auroral electrojets. The challenge consisted of predicting responses of ground magnetometers using a near real-time model driven by ACE solar wind observations and/or input from real-time magnetometer stations geographically isolated from the target output stations. The LFM was run in a real time mode using input from ACE to drive the simulation for the entire 2 day period. The currents extracted from the ionospheric portion of the simulation were used with a Biot–Savart integration technique to determine the ground magnetic field perturbations for the target output stations. The results indicate the simulation predicts electrojets which are wider in latitudinal extent than the observations and that the current strength in the afternoon sector is larger than inferred from the observations. In general, the results show the simulation can qualitatively reproduce the observations but, the RMS errors indicate significant disparity between the observations and the predictions from the LFM.
Reflections on the scholarship of teaching: A report on the Colloquium on Change in accounting education, 2005

Abstract The ninth annual meeting in a series entitled Colloquium on Change in Accounting Education recently concluded. My attendance at this meeting prompted a broader reflection on the scholarship of teaching and the purpose of academic conferences.
Influence of the M(III) cation on proton conduction in rhomboclases

Abstract Complex-impedance measurements over the frequency range 10 2 –10 7 Hz were made under dynamic vacuum on the layered rhomboclose hydrated salts H 5 O 2 {M(SO 4 ) 2 ·2H 2 O}, where M=Fe, In, or TI. TGA indicated loss of bulk water only above room temperature. The protonic conduction exhibits a single activation energy over the temperature range 220≦ T ≦300 K with E a =0.32 and 0.23 eV for M=In and Tl. The room-temperature conductivities increase from 6 × 10 -8 to 1.5 × 10 −6 to 1.3 × 10 -5 (Ω cm) −1 on changing M from Fe to In to Tl. This variation with the M(III) ion is interpreted qualitatively in terms of the influence of ionic size and the inductive effect on the strength of the hydrogen bonding.
Exenatide-Induced Acute Pancreatitis

Objective: To report acute pancreatitis in a patient with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) receiving exenatide and critically review previous reports.Methods: We describe clinical and laboratory data of a woman with probable exenatide-induced pancreatitis and apply the same criteria to previously published cases.Results: A 64-year-old, nonalcoholic woman with NIDDM presented with a 1-month history of epigastric pain beginning 2 days after starting exenatide. Serum lipase concentration was 2700 U/L (reference range, 114-320 U/L), and serum amylase concentration was 131 U/L (reference range, 30-110 U/L). Liver function test results, lipid profile, and serum creatinine concentration were normal. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed changes consistent with pancreatitis, and the gallbladder was absent. Exenatide was discontinued. Conservative therapy resulted in rapid resolution of symptoms, normal lipase concentration (151 U/L), and normal findings from CT of the pancreas 90 days later. Th...
DESIGN OF ENERGY CONSERVING ALGORITHMS FOR FRICTIONLESS DYNAMIC CONTACT PROBLEMS

This paper proposes a formulation of dynamic contact problems which enables exact algorithmic conservation of linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy in finite element simulations. It is seen that a Lagrange multiplier enforcement of an appropriate contact rate constraint produces these conservation properties. A related method is presented in which a penalty regularization of the aforementioned rate constraint is utilized. This penalty method sacrifices the energy conservation property, but is dissipative under all conditions of changing contact so that the global algorithm remains stable. Notably, it is also shown that augmented Lagrangian iteration utilizing this penalty kernel reproduces the energy conserving (i.e. Lagrange multiplier) solution to any desired degree of accuracy. The result is a robust, stable method even in the context of large deformations, as is shown by some representative numerical examples. In particular, the ability of the formulation to produce accurate results where more traditional integration schemes fail is emphasized by the numerical simulations. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methadone disposition in patients with chronic liver disease

Chronic liver disease is common in methadone-maintained patients. We studied the disposition of this drug in 14 patients with biopsy-proved chronic liver disease and five otherwise healthy subjects receiving methadone maintenance treatment. The patients were divided into three groups based on the severity of liver disease, with group I having the most severe disease. The apparent terminal half-life of methadone was longer in group I than in group II and III (moderate and mild chronic liver disease, P less than 0.01) and the contrast group (P less than 0.05). All other kinetic indices determined for group I and all kinetic indices in groups II and III were essentially the same as those in the contrast subjects or in the other patient groups. Seven patients, including al five in group I, had flattened plasma methadone concentration-time curves. The data suggest that the maintenance dosage of methadone need not be changed in stable chronic liver disease.
An exploratory study of student pharmacists’ perceived value of specific and general learning objectives

Abstract Objective Although experts in higher education recommend use of specific, measurable objectives, little is known about students' perception of their value. The aim of this pilot study is to determine whether student pharmacists prefer to use general or specific learning objectives for exam preparation. Methods After receiving general and specific sets of objectives for a therapeutics lecture, students were given a pre-assessment questionnaire to assess preferences, and post-assessment questionnaire designed to elicit information regarding which objectives they used and whether they found them useful. Secondary outcomes included examining the difference in exam scores when students use specific vs. general objectives. Results In the pre-test questionnaire, over 75% of students who were surveyed believed it important to use detailed learning objectives prior to preparation of lecture and examinations. Data from the post-test questionnaire revealed that two-thirds of students found more value in the specific vs. general objectives. Conclusions Our pilot study reveals that students value the use of specific learning objectives, particularly when related to broader outcomes. Academicians should consider aligning specific learning objectives into over-arching goals in lesson and exam preparation.
Synthesis of N1-tritylethane-1,1,2,2-d4-1,2-diamine: a novel mono-protected C-deuterated ethylenediamine synthon

A convenient and high-yield synthesis for N1-tritylethane-1,1,2,2-d4-1,2-diamine, a novel mono-protected ethylenediamine-C-d4, is reported. N1-tritylethane-1,1,2,2-d4-1,2-diamine was prepared in three steps from ethylene oxide-d4 in a combined yield in the range 68-76%. Also reported is a synthesis of ethylenediamine-C-d4 in two steps from 1,2-dibromoethane-d4 in a combined yield in the range 61-65%.
[11C]GR103545: novel one-pot radiosynthesis with high specific activity.

Abstract Introduction GR103545 is a potent and selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist. Previous studies in non-human primates demonstrated favorable properties of [ 11 C]GR103545 as a positron emission tomography tracer for in vivo imaging of cerebral kappa-opioid receptor. Nonetheless, advancement of [ 11 C]GR103545 to imaging studies in humans was hampered by difficulties of its multiple-step radiosynthesis, which produces a final product with low specific activity (SA), which in turn could induce undesirable physiological side effects resulting from the mass associated with an injected amount of radioactivity. We report herein an alternative radiosynthesis of [ 11 C]GR103545 with higher SA and radiochemical yields. Methods The TRACERLab FXC automated synthesis module was used to carry out the two-step, one-pot procedure. In the first step, the desmethoxycarbonyl precursor was converted to the carbamic acid intermediate desmethyl-GR103545 via transcarboxylation with the zwitterionic carbamic complex, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene–carbon dioxide, in the presence and/or absence of cesium carbonate and tetrabutylammonium triflate. In the second step, the intermediate was radiolabeled at the carboxyl oxygen with [ 11 C]methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate to give [ 11 C]GR103545. Results This novel synthesis produced [ 11 C]GR103545 with ≥90% chemical and radiochemical purities and an SA of 290.45±99.9 MBq/nmol at the end of synthesis ( n =26). Injectable radioactivity was 1961±814 GBq/μmol with 43 min of average synthesis time from the end of beam. Conclusion We have developed a practical one-pot method for the routine production of [ 11 C]GR103545 with reliably high SA and radiochemical yield, thus allowing the advancement of this radiotracer to imaging applications in humans.
The marginal costs of instruction

This is a study of the costs of instruction in a large public research university. It departs from other work on instructional costs in its attempt to draw inferences about the economic costs of incremental or “marginal” enrollments. Focusing on graduate education, we examine how the costs directly facing faculty differ from those incurred by the institution's administration and legislature as reflected in the budgetary rewards for instruction. These cost differences provide the wherewithal for a university to carry out basic research and other important functions that lack a paying clientele. The study also explores the roles of economic costs in the institution's pricing of graduate education.
Solar home systems for rural India: Survey evidence on awareness and willingness to pay from Uttar Pradesh ☆

Abstract While solar home systems hold considerable promise for improving access to electricity in developing countries in tropical regions, scholars and practitioners argue that the lack of awareness, interest, and ability to pay for the technology undermines the growth of the market. We describe and explain patterns of awareness and interest in solar home systems (SHS) in a survey of 760 respondents in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. We conducted the surveys in collaboration with a local solar enterprise, Boond, and chose villages that are prime locations for the installation of solar home systems. We found that high household income and education levels, as well as young age, predict awareness of SHS products. In addition to wealthy and educated households, willingness to pay is higher in households that have electricity. The findings can help policymakers identify and target households with low levels of awareness and solar entrepreneurs identify suitable customers for their products.
Chemical bonding and intermolecular interactions in energetic materials: 1,3,4-trinitro-7,8-diazapentalene.

The electron density and related properties of the red-colored energetic material 1,3,4-trinitro-7,8-diazapentalene (space group Pca21) have been determined from a low-temperature [90.0 (1) K] X-ray diffraction experiment. Intensity data were measured with a 2 K CCD Bruker diffractometer using Ag Kα radiation. One detector setting, several φ settings, 0.15° ω scans and 96 s exposure time per frame gave Rint = 0.0188 for 31 952 (10 283 unique) reflections and (sin θ/λ)max = 1.15 A−1. The electron density was modeled using the Hansen–Coppens [(1978), Acta Cryst. A34, 909–921] multipole model and refined to R = 0.026 for 9455 unique observed reflections. The electron density, Laplacian and electrostatic potential distributions are reported and discussed. The properties of the bond (3,−1) critical points are analyzed. All results are indicative of multiple bonds in the five-membered rings. In addition, a significant number of weak intermolecular interactions (O⋯H, O⋯O, O⋯N, O⋯C) have also been characterized by the properties of their critical points. A comparison of experimental results with those obtained from theoretical calculations (periodic, CRYSTAL98; single molecule, GAUSSIAN98) is also reported.
Plant Availability of Phosphorus in Swine Slurry and Cattle Feedlot Manure

To utilize manure P for crop production, P release and plant availability needs to be quantified. An incubation study was conducted to determine P availability from swine (Sus scrofa) and cattle (Bos taurus) feedlot manure in three soils. Treatments for each manure included temperature (11, 18, 25, and 32°C), water regime [constant 60% water-filled pore space (WFPS) vs. four dry-down cycles of 60 to 30% WFPS], time, and soils (Catlin silt loam, Sharpsburg silty day loam, and Valentine fine sand). In another study, synthetic P fertilizer was used to determine the fraction of P that becomes unavailable with time to compare with manure P. Time, soil, and manure application were factors that influenced soil test P and water-soluble P during incubation. At the low synthetic P fertilizer rate of 6 μg g - 1 , about 12 kg P ha - 1 , none of the applied P remained available in the Catlin soil while about one-third remained plant available in the Sharpsburg soil and two-thirds in the Valentine soil. At the high P rate, 68 mg kg - 1 , 38 to 83% of fertilizer P remained available in the three soils. Phosphorus availability was 60 to 100% of applied cattle manure P and 52 to 100% of swine slurry P in the three soils. Phosphorus availability in the Sharpsburg soil was 100% of P in both manure types. Phosphorus availability from manure is high, and manure can be used similar to inorganic P fertilizer in soils where P-based application is made in areas susceptible to P loss in runoff. In P-deficient soils, a P availability of 70% should be used.
Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) scores: stability and relationships with psychological adjustment.

We examined the structural validity, internal consistency (alpha and omega), and test–retest reliability of scores on the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS; Vandiver et al., 2000; Worrell, Vandiver, & Cross, 2004), as well as the relationship between CRIS scores and several variables related to psychological adjustment. Participants consisted of several groups of African American college students (34 ≤ n ≤ 340) attending a predominantly White university in a Western state. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated an acceptable fit of the data to the theoretical model, and alpha and omega coefficients indicate that CRIS scores have moderate to high internal consistency. CRIS scores also demonstrated stability over periods between 2 and 20 months in ranges that suggest long-term stability of racial attitudes. As predicted by the expanded nigrescence model (Cross & Vandiver, 2001), only self-hatred attitudes had consistent, meaningful relationships with psychological adjustment.
Piezoelectric coupled LISA for guided wave generation and propagation

Recently there has been an increased utilization of composite structures in aerospace and other industries due to their superior physical attributes compared to traditional metallic structures. This has spurred the need for structural health monitoring (SHM) systems to support structural integrity. Guided wave (GW) based techniques for health monitoring have shown to be reliable and promising. The local interaction simulation approach (LISA), a finite difference based numerical method, has been proven to be efficient in modeling GW propagation in isotropic and composite plate structures. Piezoelectric actuators are traditionally used to generate GW in structures. In this work, iterative equations which form the basis of the LISA method are derived for a generic orthotropic laminated structure with a piezoelectric actuator on top. The piezoelectric actuator is modeled by considering the coupled electromechanical equations.
An Analysis of Student Enrollment Demand.

Abstract This paper analyzes the sensitivity of white and black enrollment yields to changes in real net cost at a large (21,000), urban, public university over a six year time period (1988–1993). Estimation is by GLS random effects and controls for a number of financial, academic, and qualitative variables. The major conclusion is that, while enrollment yields are generally insensitive to changes in net cost, sensitivity for blacks is roughly two-thirds higher than for whites. This would suggest that since minority students have been responding positively to financial aid, cuts in grant funding by state legislators or Congress may restrict minority access to higher education in the future. [ JEL I21]
Thrombolytic therapy for prosthetic valve thrombosis in children: two case reports and review of the literature.

Thrombotic occlusion of a mechanical valve prosthesis can be life threatening and requires urgent evaluation and treatment. Traditionally, the treatment for mechanical valve thrombosis has been urgent reoperation with attempted declotting of the valve or valve rereplacement. Unfortunately, this is associated with a high mortality, and efforts have been made to pursue nonoperative treatment with thrombolytics. There are many reports of the successful use of thrombolytics in adults, but very little data are reported in the pediatric population. We review the literature, report 2 cases of successful treatment of mechanical mitral valve thrombotic occlusion with thrombolytic therapy in children, and summarize the major reports of thrombolytic use for prosthetic valve occlusion in the pediatric population.
Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide and the designer natriuretic peptide, CD-NP, are resistant to proteolytic inactivation

Designer natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent an active area of drug development. In canine and human studies, the designer natriuretic peptide CD-NP demonstrated more desirable therapeutic potential than recombinant B-type NP (BNP), which is known as nesiritide and is approved for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. However, why CD-NP is more effective than BNP is not known. We previously reported that CD-NP is a poorer activator of human guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) and a better activator of human guanylyl cyclase-B than BNP. Here, guanylyl cyclase bioassays were used to compare the susceptibility of CD-NP verses ANP, BNP, CNP and DNP to inactivation by human kidney membranes. The half time (t1/2) for CD-NP inactivation was increased by factors of 13, 3 and 4 compared to ANP, BNP and CNP, respectively, when measured in the same assay. Surprisingly, DNP failed to undergo complete inactivation and was the most degradation resistant of the peptides tested. The neutral endopeptidase (NEP) inhibitor, phosphoramidon, blocked inactivation of CNP and CD-NP, but not BNP or DNP. In contrast, the general serine and cysteine protease inhibitor, leupeptin, completely blocked the degradation of BNP and CD-NP, but did not block CNP inactivation unless phosphoramidon was included in the assay. Thus, NPs with shorter carboxyl tails (ANP and CNP) are degraded by phosphoramidon-sensitive proteases and NPs with extended carboxyl tails (BNP, DNP and CD-NP) are resistant to NEP degradation and degraded by leupeptin-sensitive proteases. We conclude that DNP and CD-NP are highly resistant to proteolysis and that proteolytic resistance contributes to the beneficial cardiovascular properties of CD-NP. We suggest that this property may be exploited to increase the half-life of NP-based drugs.
Use of Aqueous Micellar Mobile Phases in Reverse Phase TLC

Abstract Aqueous micellar solutions can be used in reverse phase TLC providing the ionic strength of the solution is sufficiently high to prevent the destruction of the stationary phase. Stability curves have been determined for sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride containing aqueous mobile phases. These “pseudophase” solutions allow the unique separation of hydrophobic from hydrophilic compounds. Indeed one can estimate the relative hydrophobicity of a compound by observing its chromatographic behavior in this system.
“So We Die before Our Own Eyes”: Willful Sterility in The Country of the Pointed Firs

This essay locates Sarah Orne Jewett's The Country of the Pointed Firs in relation to contemporaneous sociological discourse decrying New England's diminished birthrate as a harbinger of national decline. Jewett's pairing of nativist nostalgia with a progressive vision of women's independence illuminates the conflicting demands of white nationalism and feminism in Roosevelt's America.
Microwave-assisted Low-temperature Growth of Thin Films in Solution

Thin films find a variety of technological applications. Assembling thin films from atoms in the liquid phase is intrinsically a non-equilibrium phenomenon, controlled by the competition between thermodynamics and kinetics. We demonstrate here that microwave energy can assist in assembling atoms into thin films directly on a substrate at significantly lower temperatures than conventional processes, potentially enabling plastic-based electronics. Both experimental and electromagnetic simulation results show microwave fields can selectively interact with a conducting layer on the substrate despite the discrepancy between the substrate size and the microwave wavelength. The microwave interaction leads to localized energy absorption, heating, and subsequent nucleation and growth of the desired films. Electromagnetic simulations show remarkable agreement with experiments and are employed to understand the physics of the microwave interaction and identify conditions to improve uniformity of the films. The films can be patterned and grown on various substrates, enabling their use in widespread applications.
Modified W.K.B. method for coupled ionospheric equations

Abstract The W.K.B. method has been successfully applied to the coupled ionospheric equations, but this method breaks down where there is strong coupling between any two of the four characteristic waves. Here it is shown how this method can be modified to produce a uniformly valid approximation in the presence of strong coupling of the waves. The uniform approximation involves the Airy function and its derivative, and it reduces to the W.K.B. approximation outside of the coupling region. The variables and coefficients in the uniform expansion are expressed in terms of those for the W.K.B. expansion.
Amplitude zeros in radiative decays of scalar particles

We study amplitude zeros in radiative decay processes with a photon or a gluon emission of all possible scalar particles (e.g., scalar leptoquarks) which may interact with the usual fermions in models beyond the standard model. For the decays with a photon emission, the amplitudes clearly exhibit the factorization property and the differential decay rates vanish at specific values of a certain variable which are determined only by the electric charges of the particles involved and independent of the particle masses and the various couplings. For the decays with a gluon emission, even though the zeros are washed away, the differential decay rates still have distinct minima. The branching ratios as a function of leptoquark masses are presented for the scalar leptoquark decays. We also comment on the decays of vector particles into two fermions and a photon.
Data Visualization by Pairwise Distortion Minimization

ABSTRACT Data visualization is achieved by minimizing distortion resulting from observing the relationships between data points. Typically, this is accomplished by estimating latent data points, designed to accurately reflect the pairwise relationships between observed data points. The distortion masks the true pairwise relationships between data points, represented by the latent data. Distortion can be modeled as masking the pairwise distances between data points (i.e., pair-wise distance distortion) or, alternatively, as masking dissimilarity measures between data points (i.e., pair-wise dissimilarity distortion). Multidimensional scaling methods are usually used to model pairwise distance distortion. This class of methods includes principal components analysis, which minimizes the global distortion between observed and latent data. We employ an algorithm which we call stepwise forward selection, for purposes of identifying appropriate initializing values and determining the appropriate dimensionality o...
Drug-coated percutaneous balloon catheters

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty revolutionized coronary and peripheral revascularization. However, it is always accompanied by major drawbacks such as elastic recoil and neointimal hyperplasia. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty along with bare metal stents reduced elastic recoil, but in-stent restenosis (ISR) and peripheral artery stenting remain problems. Drug-eluting stents addressed the issue of ISR, but late stent thrombosis and delayed endothelialization, along with longer dual antiplatelet therapy, are of concern. Non-stent-based delivery such as drug-coated balloons (DCBs) that can deliver drugs to inhibit ISR or to de novo lesions, are emerging at a rapid pace. DCBs carry an active drug and a nonpolymeric carrier molecule or excipient that enhance the bioavailability of the drug to the vessel wall. Preliminary studies of paclitaxel show sustained delivery is not required to inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, which leds to the development and evolution of DCBs. Recent clinical trials have been successful in mitigating ISR in coronary and peripheral arteries, but not in de novo lesions of coronary arteries. Clinical studies, although limited to date, show a promising future for DCBs.
Strategies for managing mature products

Purpose – Two leading technology companies, Intel and H‐P, illustrate both the challenges that managing mature successful products pose and some of the responses companies need to consider.Design/methodology/approach – A major consulting firm studied public data about two firms and consulted with their senior managers.Findings – Both Intel and H‐P have recognized that the marketplace and the evolving value requirements of customers and potential customers should drive every decision a business makes about what activities to focus on; what innovations to add to products; what to outsource; and when and how to change.Research limitations/implications – More studies are needed on selecting the right RD staying competitive is about learning new tricks sooner and...
EXAMINATION OF THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF ALTERNATIVE MEASURES OF FIELD DEPENDENCE/INDEPENDENCE

The present study investigated the relationship between alternative measures of field dependence/independence. Two fundamental issues have centered around (a) whether field dependence/independence is a cognitive style or cognitive ability and (b) the use of multiple measures of the construct. Consistent with past research, the results tended to support a cognitive-ability interpretation but only when the Group Embedded Figures Test was the measure. Using the Portable Rod-and-Frame Test, results were more compatible with a stylistic interpretation. The implications of these findings for the operational measurement and application of the construct are discussed.
Identifying College Students Likely to Participate in a Travel Abroad Volunteer Project

Foreign travel provides excellent opportunities for college students to broaden their global mindset. While empirical research focusing on variables that influence student participation in study abroad programs are available, there is a paucity of research that focuses on travel abroad programs relating to participating in volunteer projects. Using a sample of 193 undergraduate business students, this study attempts to develop profiles of students that are “not likely,” “maybe,” and “most likely” to participate in a travel abroad volunteer project. Those who were “mostly likely” to participate had traveled abroad before, demonstrated high levels of self-congruity and diversity seeking, and stated financial costs to be less of a constraint in participating in such a project. Discussion of findings and direction for future research is also provided.
A Level Set Approach to a Unified Model for Etching, Deposition, and Lithography

Previously, Adalsteinsson and Sethian have applied the level set formulation to the problem of surface advancement in two and three-dimensional topography simulation of deposition, etching, and lithography processes in integrated circuit fabrication. The level set formulation is based on solving a Hamilton?Jacobi type equation for a propagating level set function, using techniques borrowed from hyperbolic conservation laws. Topological changes, corner, and cusp development, and accurate determination of geometric properties such as curvature and normal direction are naturally obtained in this setting. Part I presented the basic equations and algorithms for two dimensional simulations, including the effects of isotropic and uni-directional deposition and etching, visibility, reflection, and material dependent etch/deposition rates. Part II focused on the extension to three dimensions. This paper completes the series, and add the effects of redeposition, reemission, and surface diffusion. This requires the solution of the transport equations for arbitrary geometries, and leads to simulations that contain multiple simultaneous competing effects of visibility, directional and source flux functions, complex sputter yield flux functions, wide ranges of sticking coefficients for the reemission and redeposition functions, multilayered fronts and thin film layers.
Review of periodic limb movement and restless leg syndrome

Periodic limb movement (PLM) and Restless leg syndrome (RLS) are types of sleep disorders that are not very well recognized in clinical practice. While RLS is a clinical diagnosis, the diagnosis of PLM is made by polysomnography. They share the same pathophysiology and often respond to the same treatment. To date all the epidemiological studies have reported the prevalence between 2% and 15%. It has recently become known that mild obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) can masquerade as PLM syndrome. New discoveries have been made with regard to genetics and PLM and RLS. Detailed review on this subject should improve the awareness of these disorders, both among general physicians and specialists. Extensive review of journals in the past 20 years was made using Medline search.
An asymptotic solution for short-time transient heat conduction between two similar contacting bodies

Abstract A short-time asymptotic solution is developed for the problem of a half-space, part of the surface of which is raised to a prescribed temperature. A Green's function formulation is used to demonstrate that the heat flux at the surface can be determined from a one-dimensional analysis of the local heat conduction problem, except in the immediate vicinity of the edge of the heated area, where there is a boundary layer, the thickness of which grows with time. This boundary layer is then analyzed in more detail, using Williams' asymptotic technique. In particular, the additional total heat flux to the half-space due to the boundary layer is determined and hence a two-term asymptotic expression for the transient thermal resistance is obtained, which depends only on the area and the perimeter of the heated region. The results are compared with existing solutions for the case of a circular heated area and show good agreement up to Fourier numbers of the order of 0.3. Errors at large times—including the steady state—are still moderate, not exceeding 30% except for heated areas of large aspect ratio.
Effect of Breakfast Consumption on Academic Performance of College Students

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine effect of breakfast consumption and content on academic performance of college students. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of breakfast consumption and content on academic performance of college students. Data were collected from 132 college students from three university classes. Over a four week period subjects recorded their breakfast intake. Food intake was converted into grams of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, then calculated into calories or percent of calories. Subjects' test scores were recorded from two exams in the class. Data were analyzed for patterns in breakfast consumption and breakfast content. Participating students reported patterns of consumption as "regular, occasional" or "never" breakfast eaters. Each class day participants turned in a record of what they had eaten that day for breakfast, as well as amounts of each item. From that record, each personl's intake of carbohydrate, protein, and fat was estimated in grams using the Diabetic Exchange List, when possible, or information obtained from labels. Total caloric content and percentage of calories from each energy nutrient were calculated. No effect on test grades was attributable to patterns in breakfast consumption. Regression analyses indicated no significant relationship between average test scores and percentage of calories from carbohydrate, protein, or fat on all days of data collection. Breakfast content on test day, however, was important; carbohydrate content greater (p
Functional Brain Activation Differences in Stuttering Identified with a Rapid fMRI Sequence.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether brain activity related to the presence of stuttering can be identified with rapid functional MRI (fMRI) sequences that involved overt and covert speech processing tasks. The long-term goal is to develop sensitive fMRI approaches with developmentally appropriate tasks to identify deviant speech motor and auditory brain activity in children who stutter closer to the age at which recovery from stuttering is documented. Rapid sequences may be preferred for individuals or populations who do not tolerate long scanning sessions. In this report, we document the application of a picture naming and phoneme monitoring task in three minute fMRI sequences with adults who stutter (AWS). If relevant brain differences are found in AWS with these approaches that conform to previous reports, then these approaches can be extended to younger populations. Pairwise contrasts of brain BOLD activity between AWS and normally fluent adults indicated the AWS showed higher BOLD activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right temporal lobe and sensorimotor cortices during picture naming and and higher activity in the right IFG during phoneme monitoring. The right lateralized pattern of BOLD activity together with higher activity in sensorimotor cortices is consistent with previous reports, which indicates rapid fMRI sequences can be considered for investigating stuttering in younger participants.
Enhancing early identification and coordination of intervention services for young children with autism spectrum disorders: report from the Act Early Regional Summit Project.

Abstract Background Increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the merits of early intervention support the importance of early identification and detection. The Act Early Initiative attempts to address the states' capacity to support this process of early identification and early intervention. Objective The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) collaborated with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) to develop strategies that will address state capacity for responding to the increasing demand for earlier identification, earlier diagnoses, and coordination of service systems for children with ASDs and other developmental disabilities (DD). Methods Act Early regional summits were held to engage stakeholders from the early detection and intervention community including parents, state agencies, provider groups, autism and related disability organizations, and academia. The stakeholders then used the Logic Model to facilitate the teams' planning process. The Logic Model enables teams to understand the strengths and gaps within their state resources and plan specific activities to achieve concrete outcomes. Results States identified opportunities and challenges in early identification of children with delay. One of the particular challenges identified were low income, rural and non-English speaking populations encountering more challenges than others in accessing diagnosis and early intervention services. Conclusions The Summits are a unique model that demonstrates the importance of developing comprehensive state plans to advance the collaboration and coordination of early detection and intervention service systems for children with ASDs and related DDs from all racial, ethnic, geographical, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
FRAGMENTAL BRECCIAS AND THE COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION OF ORDINARY CHONDRITE PARENT BODIES

The present investigation is concerned with the results of a survey of gas-poor, melt-rock, or exotic clast-bearing fragmental breccias among the ordinary chondrite groups. It is found that such breccias constitute 5 percent, 22 percent, and 23 percent of H, L, LL chondrites respectively. Four melt-rock-clast-bearing fragmental breccias were selected for more detailed study to determine petrologic relationships between blasts and hosts. Attention is given to the abundances of melt-rock or exotic clast-bearing fragmental breccias, the formation of fragmental breccias, and the implications of breccia abundances in different chondrite groups.
Desiring Presence, Romancing the Real

barren of holding properties indeterminate, devoid of form not inhabited, not inhabitable bereft of body cannot hold mathematical, geometrical, mental wildness, openness, the uncharted
Tools of the Serials Trade: Reviews

Trina Boukin Nolen reviews Dancing with Digital Natives, Stephanie Rosenblatt reviews The Embedded Librarian and Sarah D. Tusa reviews Collection Development in the Digital Age.
Electronic structural study of liquid, phase epitaxy grown AlxGa1−xAs:Be using temperature dependent (≥10 K) laser excited photoluminescence

Crystals of Al0.26Ga0.74As doPed witn Be were grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE), and their laser excited photoluminescence (PL) spectra were accurately explored in the bandgap to deep level energy range. The temperature dependent (10 K ≤ T ≤ 70 K) and laser excitation power dependent PL data revealed that the 1.808 eV recombination is of D-A origin. From the thermal quenching and other experiments a 13.9 meV activation energy was found and is believed to be DSi. From the data about the 1.808 eV recombination and the one at 1.841 eV, it was also determined that the activation energy is 38 meV for ABe. No radiative deep level defects were found to be present in these LPE AlGaAs:Be crystals. The unintentionally introduced donor creates D-A recombinations competitive with CB-A recombinations and suggest the exercise of greater care in LPE growth of AlGaAs.
The fixed point formulation for large sample PGNAA—Part 2: experimental demonstration

We present composition estimation results using fixed point iteration compared to the true composition of sample for prompt gamma measurements. The analysis showed that the fixed point iteration algorithm converges very rapidly to true composition of the sample independent of the initial guess when there is no significant background contribution. Even in the presence of significant background contribution, the true composition of the sample was estimated with high precision but with slower convergence. Although approximate data for neutron source spectrum and relative efficiency of the detector was used for analysis, the results showed that the method is not very sensitive to the details of the model since it is based on ratios. Despite the approximate data used for computations, the composition estimation results are in excellent agreement with chemical analysis.