cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Communication Professionals’ Sensemaking of CSR: A Case Study of a Financial Services Firm:

This case study explores corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the perspective of communication professionals at a large financial services firm. These employees rely on both external commu...
Outcomes of HIV-Positive Patients Post Cardiac Transplantation

Purpose Contrary to prior practice, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive status is no longer a contraindication to heart transplantation (HT) in many centers due to demonstrated satisfactory outcomes post-HT. However, knowledge about the long-term outcomes post-HT of this cohort is limited. We characterized the long-term post-HT outcomes of HIV+ patients compared to HIV- patients. Methods A total of 59,796 HT patients were analyzed from the UNOS registry from 1987 to 2019, of which 76 were HIV+. Characteristics of HT patients with and without HIV infection were compared using standard statistical methods. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed for survival analysis. Results The mean age and gender between the HIV+ and HIV- HT recipients were comparable. HIV+ patients were less likely to have undergone prior cardiac surgery (65.8% vs 79.1%, p=0.004). In terms of transplant-related factors, HIV+ HT recipients had a trend towards receiving older donors (p=0.06) but had similar ischemic times. At the time of HT, HIV+ patients more frequently required intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) (11.8% vs 5.5%, p=0.016) and ventricular assist device (VAD) support (47.4% vs 26.7%, p Conclusion Post HT survival of HIV+ recipients was similar to HIV- recipients despite greater acuity as demonstrated by the increased use of IABP and VADs. Therefore, HT is a feasible and safe option for carefully selected HIV+ recipients. Further study is warranted to understand long-term implications.
Intangible Determinants of Market Value in the New Economy: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis of the Indian Software Industry

Intangible assets like human capital and organization capital have driven the success of India's software industry. This article analyzes the impact of intangible assets on the market value of Indian software firms using a dynamic panel data model. Measures of tangible and intangible assets are constructed using firm-level panel data. The estimation technique uses system generalized method of moments (GMM) and minimum distance estimation (MDE). This methodology accounts for unobserved firm heterogeneity, endogenous explanatory variables and persistent variables. The results conclusively show that intangible assets have a significant impact on market values of Indian software firms.
Placenta Accreta Spectrum: Correlation between FIGO Clinical Classification and Histopathologic Findings.

Objective Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) covers a wide spectrum of placental adherence/invasion with varied clinical significance. Histopathologic examination is considered the confirmatory gold standard, but is only obtained sometime after definitive treatment. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) has published a new clinical classification that can be assigned at delivery, and we aimed to investigate the association between this new FIGO classification and histopathology and also to assess its correlation with maternal outcomes. Study Design We studied a retrospective cohort of 185 subjects with histopathologically proven PAS managed at our referral center between September 2012 and January 2019. Two experienced surgeons retrospectively reviewed charts and assigned the FIGO grading based on findings reported at delivery. A third experienced reviewer adjudicated to determine the classification used for final analysis. Categorical outcomes were compared with the use of chi-squared and the Fisher exact test, as appropriate. A multivariate model was designed to adjust outcomes in different FIGO groups for the involvement of a formal multidisciplinary management team. Results Among 185 subjects, there were 41 (22%) placenta accreta, 44 (24%) placenta increta, and 100 (54%) placenta percreta on histopathology. The inter-rater reliability was found to be substantial with Kappa = 0.661 (p Conclusion The new FIGO clinical classification is strongly associated with histopathologic findings. A better understanding of the depth and extent of invasion as afforded by the clinical classification system will help standardize reporting and future research. Key Points
Reduction in Sporadic Norovirus Infections Following the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019-2020, Philadelphia.

Norovirus infections are common in the USA and worldwide. Detection of norovirus in fecal samples is now common in routine tests for enteric pathogens using molecular methods. We observed a change in positivity rates for norovirus after the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in our laboratory and performed a more detailed analysis of testing results. We reviewed the positivity rates for detection of common enteric pathogens from stool samples submitted to an academic medical center laboratory pre (2016–2019) and post the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). In contrast to other enteric pathogens, norovirus positivity rates dropped dramatically from a yearly average of 3.9% in 2016–2019 to 0.76% from March 2020 through the end of 2020. A sustained reduction in norovirus positivity rates was temporally associated with COVID-19 mitigation processes in the Philadelphia area, while positivity rates for other common enteric pathogens were only intermittently reduced.
Subset selection for linear mixed models

Linear mixed models (LMMs) are instrumental for regression analysis with structured dependence, such as grouped, clustered, or multilevel data. However, selection among the covariates--while accounting for this structured dependence--remains a challenge. We introduce a Bayesian decision analysis for subset selection with LMMs. Using a Mahalanobis loss function that incorporates the structured dependence, we derive optimal linear actions for any subset of covariates and under any Bayesian LMM. Crucially, these actions inherit shrinkage or regularization and uncertainty quantification from the underlying Bayesian LMM. Rather than selecting a single "best" subset, which is often unstable and limited in its information content, we collect the acceptable family of subsets that nearly match the predictive ability of the "best" subset. The acceptable family is summarized by its smallest member and key variable importance metrics. Customized subset search and out-of-sample approximation algorithms are provided for more scalable computing. These tools are applied to simulated data and a longitudinal physical activity dataset, and in both cases demonstrate excellent prediction, estimation, and selection ability.
Use of Musculoskeletal Modeling to Examine Lower Limb Muscle Contribution to Gait Balance Control: Effects of Overweight

This study aimed to examine the contributions of lower limb muscles to the whole-body center of mass (COM) acceleration during walking in overweight adults. Simulations of the weight transfer phase of walking for five overweight and five non-overweight adults were analyzed using a musculoskeletal model. Compared to non-overweight adults, overweight adults revealed greater gastrocnemius contributions to the mediolateral COM accelerations, which may be linked to an elevated risk of gait imbalance.
DNK – Some Recollections, in Celebration

I first met David in Taipei's old International House, late in the summer of 1965. We were about to begin what turned out to be two years of study at the Stanford Center. Both of us started studying Chinese history in graduate school after having majored in something else in college, both of us had married recently, and we both were in Taiwan for the first time. We were pretty green, though David was somewhat wiser in the ways of the world (and would remain so), since he had spent ten years in publishing in New York before deciding that Chinese history was too important to be left entirely to others. That single decision tells you all you need to know about David Keightley's self-confidence and fundamental seriousness.
Initiation of Staphylococcal Growth in Laboratory Media

The effects of pH and NaCl concentration on the probability of aerobic growth initiation in Brain Heart Infusion broth at 30 C by five staphylococcal strains producing enterotoxins A, B, C, and D were studied in a factorial design experiment. Statistical analysis of the data indicated: (i) significant effects of pH, NaCl, and strain on the probability of growth; (ii) diverse effects of NaCl with various pH levels and strains; (iii) essentially a linear relationship between NaCl concentration and probability of growth initiation when data for all strains were pooled; (iv) the relationship between NaCl concentration and probability of growth initiation varies from linear to sigmoid, depending on the pH of the broth, when the statistically untreated (raw) data are plotted for each strain. Equations were derived which relate the decimal reductions of the number of cells of a staphylococcal population to the concentration of NaCl and pH of broth to which the population was exposed. From the equations, the probability that one cell is capable of initiating growth can be calculated. The impact of these types of studies on the development of realistic staphylococcal standards in foods is discussed.
Teacher Training, Sexuality Education, and Intellectual Disabilities: An Online Workshop

The focus of this study was to assess the impact of an online workshop on teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy beliefs toward sexuality education and intellectual disabilities. A pretest-post-test group design was implemented for this study. Sixty-eight teachers were randomly assigned to one of two training conditions or a control group. Results demonstrated that teachers in both training groups, information and information/reflection, scored significantly higher compared to the control group on the Knowledge toward Sexuality Education and Intellectual Disabilities Questionnaire, the Attitudes toward Sexuality Education and Intellectual Disabilities Survey, and the Self-Efficacy toward Sexuality Education and Intellectual Disabilities Survey. Teachers in the information/reflection group scored the highest of all three groups on the Attitudes toward Sexuality Education and Intellectual Disabilities Survey.
Older Driver Safety: A Report from the Older Drivers Project

Older driver safety is a growing public health concern for which interventions are currently being sought. Statistics show that older drivers suffer a disproportionately high rate of motor vehicle fatalities compared with other adult drivers. This disproportion is due to two factors: an increased crash rate per vehicle mile driven and an increased risk of fatality in the event of a crash. Traditionally, traffic safety efforts for the older population have focused on methods to identify unsafe drivers to enforce driving cessation, but driving cessation deprives the majority of older Americans of their primary form of transportation and has been associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. In response to these concerns, the Older Drivers Project, created by the American Medical Association in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, describes and advocates a more acceptable approach to traffic safety. The primary objective of this approach involves helping older drivers stay on the road safely to preserve their mobility and independence. This can be accomplished through three methods: (1) optimizing the driver, (2) optimizing the driving environment, and (3) optimizing the vehicle. In this approach, driving cessation is recommended only after the safety of the driver cannot be secured through any other means.
When a Man Loves a Robot: Blade Runner's Humanism

What are the powers and limits of representation, both aesthetic and political? Many have pointed to Blade Runner’s humanization of its ‘replicants’ as compelling statement against exploitation and domination. I argue, however, that the film has another kind of agenda: a Rousseauvian concern about the dangers of representation, about confusing the imitation with the real and confusing the consumption of images with political action. This political danger is two-fold. On the one hand, our relation to a representation has the potential to dehumanize us insofar as it deprives us of the mutuality of experience that is the token of real political solidarity. Our emotional connection to a filmed representation (or an elected representative) is not wrong because it is unreal or because the object of our affection is celluloid or luminous. The fault is not cured by replacing the filmed image with a live politician. The problem is rather that, even with a person who breathes and feels, the relationship is not mutual in the sense of being reciprocal. Though the representative may genuinely respond to and care about the audience that is not the kind of reciprocity democratic politics requires. The second part of the danger is therefore one of power – but not simply the ‘power of the image’ to seduce or fool us (which is real enough, but manageable). We should think of it more as the power of the representative institution that we believe we control (whether political or artistic) to hold us under surveillance even as we watch individual images on the screen. Just as we believe ourselves to be acting throughout our dreams, while in fact we are chemically inhibited from moving, so too, as we watch our representatives and replications are we held in place by the speculation that is, in the end, our own reflected observation. To break the power of that institution, it is not enough to grant the audience more rights. Nor is it enough to remind them of the illusory character of what they witness. Rather, they must be protected, or must protect themselves, from the all-seeing eye. They must turn their mutual surveillance into mutual regard. Whether or not we shutter the theatres or simply leave them, we can only be fully human, as Blade Runner shows us in its final irony, by closing the eye of the camera and looking directly into eye of the other in an unmediated way. Rather than humanizing the other, then, Blade Runner’s concern is to humanize our own social and political relationships, which are in danger of falling into the same trap Rousseau outlined in his Letter to D’Alembert.
Our Gods: Variation in Supernatural Minds

In this chapter we examine variation in the contents of supernatural minds across cultures and the social correlates of this variation. We first provide a sketch of how humans are capable of representing supernatural minds and emphasize the significance of the types of knowledge attributed to supernatural agents. We then argue that the contents of supernatural minds as represented cross-culturally will primarily rest on or between two poles: knowledge of people’s moral behavior and knowledge of people’s ritualized costly behavior. Communities which endorse omniscient supernatural agents that are highly concerned with moral behavior will emphasize the importance of shared beliefs (cultural consensus), whereas communities which possess supernatural agents with limited social knowledge who are concerned with ritual actions will emphasize shared behavioral patterns (social consensus).We conclude with a brief discussion about the contexts in which these patterns occur.
Information Science Experiment System (onboard information)

The Information Sciences Experiment System (ISES) is conceived as a computer resource in space. Its tasks are to assist space-science experiments to develop and demonstrate information-processing concepts that eventually may be used onboard dedicated spacecraft and to provide an experiment base to develop information technology for use in space systems. The authors describe the computer and information science aspects of ISES and its development program. They discuss areas where useful computer and space science experiments may be synthesized. They consider where both space and information science experiments can be developed that will provide a basis for defining ISES. They then discuss the concept by which ISES can be included in the Space Station Freedom (SSF) or earth observing satellite (EOS) systems. They also discuss some organizational aspects of ISES, involving bringing teams together to define ISES and experiments it will conduct. >
Optimality of the Adaptive Controllers

Results presented in [1] can be considered as the fundamental one in the adaptive control theory. Essentially, it is shown that if the system is exactly modelled, a self-tuning controller provides the same performance as the minimum-variance controller. It turns out that similar results are valid even in the presence of a modelling error. In this paper it is proved that in the presence of unmodelled dynamics, adaptive controller guarantees in a certain sense the same performance as the best non-adaptive controller. Despite the fact that the estimation algorithm has a vanishing gain sequence, uniform boundedness of all signals is established.
First high-frequency and power demonstration of InGaAlAs/GaAsSb/InP double HBTs

InGaAlAs/GaAsSb/InP Double HBTs with micrometer emitter size were designed, processed and characterized with DC, microwave and power performance for the first time. In addition to the advantages of using type-II band line-up at base-collector junction, the DHBT structure results in small turn-on voltage and ballistic launching of electrons due to the positive conduction band discontinuity from the emitter to base. Fabricated large DHBTs showed high DC gain (>80), small turn-on voltage of 0.62V, almost zero offset voltage, and nearly ideal base and collector current characteristics. Small DHBTs demonstrated V/sub CEO/ >8V and stable operation at high current density exceeding 100kA/cm/sup 2/. Maximum f/sub T/ of 57GHz and maximum f/sub max/ of 66GHz were achieved from 1/spl times/20/spl mu/m/sup 2/ device at J/sub C/ = 8.0/spl times/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ and V/sub CE/ =3.5V. Preliminary power measurement of 2/spl times/15/spl mu/m/sup 2/ device showed a linear gain of 10dB and compressed output power of 5dBm at 5GHz.
Photodissociation of NOCl and NO2 in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

The photodissociation of NOCl and NO2 in the vacuum ultraviolet yields the electronically excited NO molecule which fluoresces in the near ultraviolet. The fluorescence spectrum, which lies mostly in the region 2200-4000 A, extends below 2200 A as the wavelength of incident light decreases. This is interpreted in terms of the production of the NO C2Π, D2Σ+, B2Δ, E2Σ+ along with the production of the NO A3Σ+, B2Π. The fluorescence intensity and the yield have been measured as a function of incident wavelength. The fluorescence curves thus obtained are correlated with the absorption spectrum. The absorption coefficient of NOCl in the region 1100-2200 A has been measured. The absorption spectrum of NOCl between 1100 and 1700 A may be divided into three regions, respectively, corresponding to transitions providing the NO A2Σ+, NO C2Π, D2Σ+ and NO B′2Δ, E2Σ+ with a simultaneous production of the ground state NO or other products. The absorption by NO2 in the spectral region from 1100-1450 A involves transitions yielding the NO A2Σ+, B2Π, NO C2Π, D2Σ and NO B'2Δ, E2Σ+ below their respective threshold wavelengths of incident light. Besides it has another transitions giving products other than the electronically excited NO. The threshold energy of the incident photon producing the NO A2Σ+B2Π gives an upper limit of bond dissociation energy. The bond energies obtained are D(NO-Cl) ≤ 1.77 ± 0.05 eV and D(NO-O) ≤ 3.22 ± 0.05 eV which are 0.17 eV and 0.10 eV higher than the respective values obtained from the heat of formation.
Genetics of a Difference in Male Cuticular Hydrocarbons between Two Sibling Species, Drosophila Simulans and D. Sechellia

In seven of the eight species of the Drosophila melanogaster group, the predominant cuticular hydrocarbon of males is Ftricosene, but in the island endemic species D. sechellia it is 6-tricosene. The phylogeny of the group implies that the novel hydrocarbon profile of D. sechellia is a derived character. Genetic analysis of hybrids between D. sechellia and its close relative D. simulans show that each of the five major chromosome arms carries at least one gene affecting the ratio of the two tricosene isomers, with the right arm of the third chromosome having the largest effect. The species difference in this character is therefore polygenic with the effects of the different chromosome arms generally additive, although there is some epistasis among third-chromosome genes. Observations of courtship by males who have been coated with foreign hydrocarbons suggest that a male9s hydrocarbon profile may slightly affect the degree of sexual isolation in one of the reciprocal hybridizations between these species, but that this role is small compared to that played by hydrocarbon differences between females.
Propofol Amnesia – What is Going on in the Brain?

By necessity, all anesthetic drugs produce amnesia (lack of memory) at high enough concentrations. However, certain amnesic drugs, exemplified by propofol or midazolam, produce dense amnesia at low drug concentrations while a person is still awake. This chapter reviews human memory systems, with a focus on episodic memory. This memory system is the one most affected by amnesic drugs. It is also the one most difficult to define and study in animal models. Potential mechanisms by which amnesia is produced in humans are defined in this chapter using propofol as an exemplar drug. Episodic memory is considered in terms of information flow from the outside world into long-term memory. Propofol has little effect on encoding, thus permitting memories to be formed in its presence. However, these memories are quickly forgotten, and electrophysiologic measures (event-related potentials, ERPs) of recognition memory reveal effects of propofol on memory within seconds of encoding. Potential targets for propofol’s amnesic actions on the chain of physiologic events activated by learning, termed consolidation, are discussed.
Affective disorders, DST, and treatment in PTSD patients: Clinical observations

A study of 109 chronic, post-traumatic stress disorder patients found 65 suffered current major affective disorders. Of these 65, 84.8% had major depression and 15.2% had bipolar disorder. Nonsuppression of the DST occurred only in those cases with concurrent major affective disorder, the incidence of nonsuppression was 32.3%. Treatment effectively attained clinical improvement and conversion of nonsuppressor to suppressor state in these cases. The DST, cortisol suppression index, and inhibition of cortisol production index were useful to support the clinical diagnosis of major affective disorders in post-traumatic stress disorder patients, in an exclusively clinical setting.
Chemical oxidation of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and its in vivo metabolism in rat brain and liver

We investigated in vivo the metabolism of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in the brain and liver of rats 45 min after the systemic administration of 50 mg/kg of the neurotoxin. The metabolites present in brain and liver extracts were identified through multiple analytical methods by comparison to authentic compounds obtained from a number of chemical oxidations of MPTP. Our results indicate the presence of approximately 15% unreacted MPTP and relatively large amounts of both 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) and a mixture of three nonpolar lactams: 1-methyl-4-phenyl-5,6-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridinone, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-2(1H)-pyridinone, and a previously unreported metabolite 1-methyl-4-phenyl-2-piperidinone. Whereas MPP+ was more prevalent in the brain than in the liver, the lactam metabolites were more predominant in the liver. The amounts of the N-oxide and N-demethylated metabolites of MPTP were minimal.
Buckling and vibration analysis for stiffened orthotropic shells of revolution.

Development of a numerical method, using the multistep integration approach, in which the buckling and vibration analyses are formulated as a succession of linear eigenvalue problems. The method does not require an estimate of the eigenvector, and once an eigenvalue has been converged good estimates for other eigenvalues are automatically available. This is accomplished through the use of an in-core Householder scheme for solution of the eigenvalue problem. Furthermore, since the method uses an eigenvalue solution, the possibility of missing modes is eliminated.
Likelihood methods for treatment noncompliance and subsequent nonresponse in randomized trials

While several new methods that account for noncompliance or missing data in randomized trials have been proposed, the dual effects of noncompliance and nonresponse are rarely dealt with simultaneously. We construct a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the causal effect of treatment assignment for a two-armed randomized trial assuming all-or-none treatment noncompliance and allowing for subsequent nonresponse. The EM algorithm is used for parameter estimation. Our likelihood procedure relies on a latent compliance state covariate that describes the behavior of a subject under all possible treatment assignments and characterizes the missing data mechanism as in Frangakis and Rubin (1999, Biometrika 86, 365-379). Using simulated data, we show that the MLE for normal outcomes compares favorably to the method-of-moments (MOM) and the standard intention-to-treat (ITT) estimators under (1) both normal and non-normal data, and (2) departures from the latent ignorability and compound exclusion restriction assumptions. We illustrate methods using data from a trial to compare the efficacy of two antipsychotics for adults with refractory schizophrenia.
Heterogeneity of glycans at each N-glycosylation site of horseradish peroxidase

The tryptic glycopeptides of horseradish peroxidase isozyme c (HRPc) were studied by methylation linkage analysis, exoglycosidase degradation, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDITOFMS). Over 90% of the predicted tryptic peptides and glycopeptides of HRPc could be identified in the unfractionated digest. Four glycans, namely (Xyl)Man3(Fuc)GlcNAc2 (major species), (Xyl)Man2(Fuc)GlcNAc2, (Xyl)Man3GlcNAc2, and Man3(Fuc)GlcNAc2 (minor species), were observed at all of the N-glycosylation sites and account for greater than 95% of the carbohydrate. Other members of this glycan family, namely (Xyl)xManm(Fuc)f GlcNAc2 (x = 0 or 1, f = 0 or 1, m = 4, 5, 6, or 7), account for the rest of the glycans. Only traces of high mannose-type glycans were detected in HRPc. Two sites, namely those at Asn-57 and Asn-267, were found to be more heterogeneous than the sites at Asn-13, Asn-158, Asn-186, 198 (doubly glycosylated peptide), Asn-214, and Asn-255. Two of the glycopeptides were observed as part of disulfide-linked species. MALDITOFMS confirmed the N-glycosylation sites previously reported [K.G. Welinder, Eur. J. Biochem., 96 (1979) 483-502] and was used to determine the heterogeneity of the glycan pool at each site.
Opioid overdose prevention with intranasal naloxone among people who take methadone

Overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) is an intervention that addresses overdose, but has not been studied among people who take methadone, a drug involved in increasing numbers of overdoses. This study describes the implementation of OEND among people taking methadone in the previous 30 days in various settings in Massachusetts. From 2008 to 2010, 1553 participants received OEND who had taken methadone in the past 30 days. Settings included inpatient detoxification (47%), HIV prevention programs (25%), methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTP) (17%), and other settings (11%). Previous overdose, recent inpatient detoxification and incarceration, and polysubstance use were overdose risks factors common among all groups. Participants reported 92 overdose rescues. OEND programs are public health interventions that address overdose risk among people who take methadone and their social networks. OEND programs can be implemented in MMTPs, detoxification programs, and HIV prevention programs.
Professional burnout among head and neck surgeons: Results of a survey

Burnout may develop in highly productive, hard-working individuals from all walks of life. Extending working hours under stressful circumstances may produce a sense of frustration resulting in emotional exhaustion, loss of empathy for patients, and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment. The membership of the American Society of Head and Neck Surgery and the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons was surveyed by mail relative to burnout. A total of 395 head and neck surgeons responded. Mean age was 48 years. The average individual worked an average of 66 hours per week. More than 70% of work was devoted to patient care of which 30% to 50% was devoted to the management of head and neck cancer. A total of 128 (34%) individuals responded that they felt “burned out.” Only 27%, however, indicated frustration with disease, whereas 67% indicated frustration by government and 58% indicated frustration by the economics of medical practice. Most respondents enjoy their work, nevertheless, the stress of extending working hours dealing with severely ill patients, and the increased need to deal with government and economic issues is of concern to the community of physicians practicing head and neck surgery. Discussion about and confrontation with these issues are appropriate to facilitate and enhance an individual's ability to continue to function productively in this environment.
Pricing Stock Options in a Jump‐Diffusion Model with Stochastic Volatility and Interest Rates: Applications of Fourier Inversion Methods

Fast closed form solutions for prices on European stock options are developed in a jump-diffusion model with stochastic volatility and stochastic interest rates. The probability functions in the solutions are computed by using the Fourier inversion formula for distribution functions. The model is calibrated for the S and P 500 and is used to analyze several effects on option prices, including interest rate variability, the negative correlation between stock returns and volatility, and the negative correlation between stock returns and interest rates.
The Effect of Palladium Additions on the Solidus/Liquidus Temperatures and Wetting Properties of Ag-CuO Based Air Brazes

A new ceramic brazing technique referred to as reactive air brazing (RAB) has recently been developed for potential applications in high temperature devices such as gas concentrators, solid oxide fuel cells, gas turbines, and combustion engines. At present, the technique utilizing a silver-copper oxide system is of great interest. The maximum operating temperature of this system is limited by its eutectic temperature of ~945°C, although in practice the operating temperature will need to be lower. An obvious strategy that can be employed to increase the maximum operating temperature of the braze material is to add a higher melting noble alloying element. In this paper, we report the effects of palladium addition on the melting characteristics of the Ag-CuO system and on the wetting properties of the resulting braze with respect to alumina. It was found that the addition of Pd will cause an increase in the melting temperature of the Ag-CuO braze but possibly at a sacrifice of wetting properties depending on composition.
Ypt1p implicated in v-SNARE activation

Synaptobrevin-like membrane proteins that reside on transport vesicles, called the vesicle SNARE (v-SNARE), play a key role in ensuring that a vesicle targets and fuses with its correct acceptor compartment. Here we show that Bos1p, the v-SNARE of yeast endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi transport vesicles, pairs with another integral membrane protein of similar topology (Sec22p) on vesicles. This pairing, which appears to require functional Ypt1p (Rab in mammalian cells), may aid the activity of Bos1p on this compartment. These findings suggest that Rabs regulate the specificity of membrane fusion by selectively activating the v-SNARE on carrier vesicles. Because the v-SNARE resides on more than one membrane, such a regulated activation step may be necessary to prevent the premature fusion of donor and acceptor compartments.
The biochemical effects of physiologic amounts of dietary boron in animal nutrition models.

This review summarizes evidence that supports working hypotheses for the roles of boron in animal model systems. It is well established that vascular plants, diatoms, and some species of marine alg...
Exercise Through Dual-Purpose Activity in the Institutionalized Elderly

This study focused on the elderly nursing home resident's preference when presented with two kinds of exercise. Twenty-eight subjects were offered a choice between performing a single-purpose exercise or performing a dual-purpose craft-and-exercise activity. Both were designed to elicit glenohumeral joint shoulder flexion. The craft activity required the articipant to make a wall hanging using a stencil and a stencil roller. Analysis of the data failed to indicate significant differences between the number of individuals who chose the dual-purpose activity and the number who chose the single-purpose activity. Separate analysis of the data from the female participants (n = 18 with 12 choosing the dual-purpose activity) approached statistical significance despite the small sample site. Implications of these findings for the occupational therapist and possible procedural modifications for further research are discussed.
Synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves: influence of aluminum source on Al incorporation in MCM-41

Three series of mesoporous aluminosilicate molecular sieves, MCM-41, with various Si/Al ratios were synthesized using different aluminum sources (aluminum isopropoxide, pseudo boehmite and aluminum sulfate). XRD analysis, temperature programmed desorption ofn-butylamine,27Al and29Si MAS NMR, and catalytic alkylation test indicated that aluminum isopropoxide is a better source for incorporating aluminum in the framework of MCM-41 type molecular sieves with better crystallinity and acid characteristics.
Minimum sum of diameters clustering

The problem of determining a partition of a given set ofN entities intoM clusters such that the sum of the diameters of these clusters is minimum has been studied by Brucker (1978). He proved that it is NP-complete forM≥3 and mentioned that its complexity was unknown forM=2. We provide anO(N 3 logN) algorithm for this latter case. Moreover, we show that determining a partition into two clusters which minimizes any given function of the diameters can be done inO(N 5) time.
Math—time capital matters: A cross-country analysis

Abstract We compute and compare the rate of accumulation of one component of educational capital — “math-time capital” — through eighth grade in a sample of countries that includes Japan and the US, and measure the impact on math achievement of raising the rate of accumulation of US math-time capital. We examine the 1982 IEA math exam administered to 13-year olds on which the US mean score was substantially below Japan. We find that Japan is the highest math-time country — the Japanese 8th grader has accumulated 30% more math time than the American 8th grader — and that math-time capital matters for math achievement. We estimate that if the US lengthened its school year by three weeks and assigned required summer math homework, it would close 26% of the gap between the US and Japanese mean scores, and move the US from 13th to 8th in score rank.
Differential sensitivity and mechanism of inhibition of COX-2 oxygenation of arachidonic acid and 2-arachidonoylglycerol by ibuprofen and mefenamic acid.

Ibuprofen and mefenamic acid are weak, competitive inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) oxygenation of arachidonic acid (AA) but potent, noncompetitive inhibitors of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) oxygenation. The slow, tight-binding inhibitor, indomethacin, is a potent inhibitor of 2-AG and AA oxygenation whereas the rapidly reversible inhibitor, 2′-des-methylindomethacin, is a potent inhibitor of 2-AG oxygenation but a poor inhibitor of AA oxygenation. These observations are consistent with a model in which inhibitors bind in one subunit of COX-2 and inhibit 2-AG binding in the other subunit of the homodimeric protein. In contrast, ibuprofen and mefenamate must bind in both subunits to inhibit AA binding.
Dynamic Workspace and Control of Planar Active Tensegritylike Structures

This paper addresses the issues of control and workspace determination of planar active tensegrity or tensegritylike structures. The motion of such structures is generally produced by actuated cables, which cannot tolerate compressive forces. Hence, a controller, which not only satisfies the system dynamic equations but also maintains positive tension in cables, is necessary. A null-space controller based on feedback linearization theory is developed for this purpose. This controller utilizes redundant active cables to overactuate the system. The concept of a "dynamic workspace" for these structures is then introduced. This workspace consists of all configurations that are achievable from a given initial configuration while maintaining positive tensions throughout the entire system motion, and it is a powerful tool in analyzing the performance of a variety of tensegrity structures. This idea extends the concept of the static workspace, which consists of statically maintainable configurations, by incorporating system motion and dynamics to guarantee positive tensions during transition between the states. A critical benefit of this procedure is that it may be used to find the dynamic workspace of a system regardless of whether actuator redundancy is utilized, and thus it can be used to objectively illustrate the degree to which overactuation improves mobility of a tensegrity structure. The effectiveness of the developed concepts is demonstrated through computer simulation and actual physical experimentation.
Gifted students dropping out: Recent findings from a southeastern state

Dropping out of school has been presented as a serious problem affecting gifted students, with some authors suggesting that 20% or more of dropouts could be gifted (e.g., Rimm, 1995; Robertson, 1991). Longitudinal data from North Carolina were used to investigate high‐school dropout rates among gifted students (N = 7916) who had participated in a regional talent search program as seventh graders. In contrast to some prior estimates, results indicate that dropout rates among this particular gifted population are extremely low. Dropout rates among all gifted subgroups, as well as across this entire population, were below 1%. Gifted students differed from the general dropout population in being less likely to report dropping out due to attendance problems and more likely to drop out to attend a community college. Limitations of the findings are discussed, and implications for gifted education policy and practice are offered.
Analysis of fuzzy queues

Abstract A general approach for queuing systems in a fuzzy environment is proposed based on Zadeh's extension principle, the possibility concept and fuzzy Markov chains. To illustrate the approach, analytical results for M/F/1 and FM/FM/1 systems are presented. Fuzzy queues are much more realistic than the commonly used crisp queues in many practical situations. A simple numerical example is also presented.
The efficacy of a multivalent calicivirus, herpesvirus and parvovirus vaccine and a rabies vaccine is not affected when administered in combination

Abstract The results of a serological study examining the antibody responses generated in cats following administration of a trivalent feline vaccine (feline calicivirus [FCV], feline herpesvirus [FHV] and feline panleucopaenia virus [FPV]; Versifel CVR) in combination with an inactivated rabies vaccine, in compliance with European Pharmacopoeia requirements to support new product registrations, are presented. Nine week old cats were allocated to one of three groups, 10 cats per group. Group 1 received the CVR vaccine on days 0 and 21, group 2 received the rabies vaccine on day 21 and group 3 received the CVR vaccine on day 0 and the CVR vaccine reconstituted with the rabies vaccine (i.e., administered simultaneously) on day 21. Blood samples were collected from each animal, on days 0, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49; and antibody titres determined using haemagglutination inhibition assay or virus neutralisation test. FHV and FPV antibody responses in the group 3 combination administration were considered non-inferior to the responses in the group 1 CVR-only at all time points (days 28, 35, 42 and 49). However for FCV, group 3 was considered non-inferior to the responses in group 1 on days 28, 35 and 42; but not on day 49. For rabies, group 3 was only considered non-inferior to the responses in group 2 on day 49; an apparent inferiority was observed on days 28, 35 and 42. However, in all cases cats that received the combination administration seroconverted with antibody titres at a magnitude shown in other studies to be protective against virulent challenge, and also at a titre deemed adequate by the European Pharmacopeia monograph 04/2013:0451 (Rabies vaccine [inactivated] for Veterinary use). In conclusion, the data show that combining these two separate vaccines in one administration has limited impact on their ability to generate serological responses, and that these responses are still of a magnitude previously demonstrated to be protective.
Red Blood Cells: Why or Why Not?

It is commonly stated that, if hemoglobin were dissolved in the blood plasma rather than enclosed in corpuscles, the viscosity of the blood would be greatly increased. We found that when the corpuscles of dog or goat blood were disrupted with ultrasound, giving a solution with the same hemoglobin concentration, the relative viscosity was drastically reduced. It appears, therefore, that the existence of blood corpuscles does not contribute to a reduced viscosity of blood.
Computers Have Taken Us to the Brink in Mathematics ...and We Have Balked

Computers have been available to teach and do mathematics for decades. There have been spikes of interest, energy, and results in their use over the years. However, there is little sustained use of computers as they could be used to permit students to learn and do mathematics. To be effective computers need to be embedded in the learning process. They need to be ubiquitous and part of every student's learning kit. Indeed, they should be a first tool of choice for most of what students do with mathematics; that is, plotting, algebraic manipulation, optimization, playing “what if” games, data analysis, etc. I outline a number of scenarios and experiences to show just how pervasive computer use can and should be. I put computer use in context with its most important applications for teaching mathematics—namely, modeling and inquiry or problem-based learning.
Interlayer Josephson coupling of thermally excited vortices in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-y

Measurements of the zero-field resistive transition of Bi[sub 2]Sr[sub 2]CaCu[sub 2]O[sub 8] single crystals suggest that a bulk zero-resistance state develops through a sequential process characterized by two transition temperatures. The upper transition corresponds to Josephson coupling of parallel CuO bilayers, and the lower transition to the conventional Kosterlitz-Thouless dissociation of bound vortex excitations. Measurements using a flux transformer'' electrode geometry indicate a pronounced peak in the secondary voltage, which is suppressed by an external magnetic field.
Elastic magnetic electron scattering

Abstract We discuss in Born approximation 180° elastic scattering of electrons from nuclei, as in the recent experiments of Goldemberg and Torizuka, and indicate the corrections expected to arise from a static magnetic moment.
Inhibition profile of Leishmania mexicana arginase reveals differences with human arginase I.

Abstract Arginase (ARG), the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea, is the first and committed step in polyamine biosynthesis in Leishmania . The creation of a conditionally lethal Δ arg null mutant in Leishmania mexicana has established that ARG is an essential enzyme for the promastigote form of the parasite and that the enzyme provides an important defense mechanism for parasite survival in the eukaryotic host. Furthermore, human ARGI (HsARGI) has also been implicated as a key factor in parasite proliferation. Thus, inhibitors of ARG offer a rational paradigm for drug design. To initiate a search for inhibitors of the L. mexicana ARG (LmARG), recombinant LmARG and HsARGI enzymes were purified from Escherichia coli . Both LmARG and HsARGI were specific for l -arginine and exhibited no activity with either d -arginine or agmatine as possible substrates. LmARG exhibited a K m of 25 ± 4 mM for l -arginine, a pH optimum ∼9.0, and was dependent upon the presence of a divalent cation, preferentially manganese. A K m of 13.5 ± 2 mM for l -arginine was calculated for the HsARGI. A collection of 37 compounds was evaluated against both enzymes. Twelve of these compounds were identified as being either strong inhibitors of both LmARG and HsARGI or differential inhibitors between the two enzymes. Of the 12 compounds, six were selected for further analysis and the type and extent of inhibition determined.
Basic sequences and norming subspaces in non-quasi-reflexive Banach spaces

A Banach spaceX is non-quasi-reflexive (i.e. dimX**/X=∞) if and only if it contains a basic sequence spanning a non-quasi-reflexive subspace. In fact, this basic sequence can be chosen to be non-k-boundedly complete for allk. A basic sequence which is non-k-shrinking for allk exists inX if and only ifX* contains a norming subspace of infinite codimension. This need not occur even ifX is non-quasi-reflexive. Every norming subspace ofX* has finite codimension if and only if for every normingM inX*, everyM-closedY inX,M∩YT is norming overX/Y. This solves a problem due to Schaffer [19].
Dual mechanism of the antidotal action of atropine‐like drugs in poisoning by organophosphorus anticholinesterases

ABSTRACT Although more potent anti-acetylcholine drugs than atropine have been described, attempts to find atropine-like drugs that are significantly superior to atropine for the treatment of poisoning by anticholinesterases have been unsuccessful. Possible reasons for this have been investigated by comparing enantiomeric pairs of atropine-like drugs in a variety of tests for anti-acetylcholine activity (e.g. affinity constants on ileum, mydriasis, blockade of oxotremorine-induced tremors and salivation) and for their anticholinesterase antidotal properties. Large and consistent anti-acetylcholine enantiomeric potency ratios were observed, thereby providing an indication of a similar receptor structure in the PNS, CNS and in different species. However, the enantiomers of any compound studied showed equal antidotal properties. The conclusion reached was that atropine-like drugs have anti-convulsant as well as anti-acetylcholine properties.