cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is forward head posture relevant to cervical muscles performance and neck pain? A case-control study.

Abstract Background Forward head posture (FHP) and muscular dysfunction are likely contributing factors to chronic neck pain (CNP) but there are inconsistent findings on the relevance of these factors to clinical CNP characteristics. Objective To compare FHP, cervical muscles size and endurance between CNP and asymptomatic participants and to investigate their association with pain and disability and relative involvement of deep/superficial and flexor/extensor muscles. Methods Thirty-two patients with CNP and 35 asymptomatic participants were included in this case–control study. FHP in standing, extensor and flexor muscles endurance and dimensions were assessed using digital photography, clinical tests and ultrasonographic imaging, respectively. The visual analog scale and neck disability index were also used to evaluate CNP patients’ clinical characteristics. Results Deep flexor (mean difference = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.02–0.11) and extensor muscles size (mean difference = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01–0.12) were found to be significantly smaller in CNP patients. CNP patients also demonstrated lower levels of flexor (mean difference = 14.68, 95% CI = 3.65–25.72) and global extensor endurance capacity. FHP was neither different between the groups nor correlated with any of the dependent variables. Neither FHP nor endurance was correlated with pain/disability. Extensor endurance in both groups and flexor endurance in the asymptomatic group showed significant correlations with muscles size. Conclusions FHP was found neither different between groups nor correlated with muscle performance or CNP clinical characteristics. While cervical endurance was found lower in CNP patients, it did not show any association with pain/disability. The muscular size–endurance relationship seems to become more complex in the presence of NP. While deep muscles seem to be differentially affected in the presence of CNP, the alterations do not seem to be uniform in the flexor and extensor groups.
Resting metabolic rate in muscular physique athletes: validity of existing methods and development of new prediction equations

Estimation of resting metabolic rate (RMR) is an important step for prescribing an individual’s energy intake. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of portable indirect calorimete...
IOP, IOP Transient Impulse, Ocular Perfusion Pressure, and Mean Arterial Pressure Relationships in Nonhuman Primates Instrumented With Telemetry.

Purpose To characterize relationships between intraocular pressure (IOP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), IOP transient impulse, and IOP baseline impulse using continuous telemetry in nonhuman primates. Methods We used our validated implantable telemetry system to wirelessly record bilateral IOP and arterial BP at 500 Hz in 7 eyes of 4 male rhesus macaques, aged 4 to 5 years. IOP, MAP, OPP, IOP transient impulse, and IOP baseline impulse were averaged into 1-hour periods over 20 days for each NHP. IOP transient impulse was defined as the portion of total IOP due to transient IOP fluctuations <0.5 seconds duration alone and IOP baseline impulse as the remaining area under the IOP versus time curve. OPP was defined as arterial BP-IOP (calculated continuously), and MAP was the hourly average of the continuous BP curve. Relationships between the variables were analyzed for each 24-hour period using either multivariate linear regression or Spearman Correlation Coefficients as appropriate. Results Over twenty 24-hour periods, IOP transient impulse and OPP showed significant positive relationship in all eyes, which was driven largely by the data during waking hours. There was no significant relationship between IOP and MAP, IOP transient impulse and MAP, or IOP baseline impulse and IOP transient impulse. Conclusions There are significant positive relationships between the frequency and/or size of transient IOP fluctuations (IOP transient impulse) and OPP. A possible explanation of this finding is that higher OPP, as well as a greater number of blinks and saccades (the primary sources of IOP transients), are associated with increased activity.
Resale price maintenance: A managerial perspective

Managers can improve firm profits by selecting the appropriate pricing strategy. In this article, we show how managers can use one particular controversial pricing strategy—resale price maintenance (RPM)—to enhance firm profits. We first discuss the antitrust treatment of RPM, both in the United States and internationally. Then we examine the economic effects of implementing RPM in several key contexts: product promotion, quality certification, prestige goods, and online retail. We also discuss the effects of RPM on entry of new firms.
The 2017–2018 U.S. Snow Report: Snowfall Hopscotch

The July 2017 to June 2018 U.S. snow season was one in which the number and frequency of snowstorms varied considerably across the nation. This hopscotch behavior resulted in enough flakes landing ...
Mechanical properties and microstructural characterization of simulated heat-affected zones in 10 wt pct Ni steel

Abstract The effects of welding thermal cycles on the mechanical properties of a high strength, high ballistic resistance 10 wt pct Ni steel were studied. Welding simulations were performed using a Gleeble 3500 thermal-mechanical simulator to replicate microstructures observed in the heat-affected zone of this steel, which is a transformation induced plasticity or TRIP steel. The microstructural influences on austenite content, strength, and toughness were determined using a variety of characterization techniques including XRD, SEM, EBSD, and STEM/EDS. The results demonstrate that with increasing peak temperature of the welding thermal cycle, the amount of austenite present in the microstructure decreases. However, the toughness results do not directly correlate with the austenite contents. Poor toughness is observed in the intercritical heat-affected zone as a result of brittle high carbon martensite in this region. This region represents the greatest challenge in terms of maintaining high ballistic resistance of welds of 10 wt pct Ni steel. These results are significant in that the toughness of this steel is not solely based on the austenite content, which would be expected given it is a TRIP steel, but instead is a function of other microstructural influences.
Processing of object motion and self-motion in the lateral subdivision of the medial superior temporal area in macaques

Retinal image motion reflects contributions from both the observer’s self-motion and the movement of objects in the environment. The neural mechanisms by which the brain dissociates self-motion and...
Emerging Targeted Therapies for the Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Genetic and molecular profiling of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has led to the discovery of actionable oncogenic driver alterations, which has revolutionized treatment for this disease. This review will move beyond traditional mutational drivers such as EGFR and ALK and will instead focus on emerging targets and the efficacy of new precision therapies. Here, we discuss both established and emerging targeted therapy approaches, as well as ongoing challenges for the treatment of NSCLC patients harboring oncogenic alterations of the following types—gene fusions (ROS1, RET, NTRK), receptor tyrosine kinases (MET amplification and exon 14 mutations and EGFR/HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations), and MAPK signaling (SHP2 and altered BRAF and NF1). The treatment of lung cancer is increasingly biomarker-driven, as patients are selected for targeted agents based on the identification of genetic alterations amenable to inhibition. Our ability to further improve patient outcomes with this precision medicine approach will require continued efforts to identify, characterize, and target lesions driving lung cancer tumorigenesis and progression.
Total Hip Arthroplasty Performed for Coxarthrosis Preserves Long-Term Physical Function: A 40-Year Experience:

BackgroundMeasures of long-term success of total hip arthroplasty (THA) over the past 50 years have focused primarily on implant survival, with less evidence on long-term functional outcomes.Questi...
Response to Christian Gudehus

Christian Gudehus’s reflections on the Editors’ Introduction to the first issue of the Journal of Perpetrator Research (JPR) raise a host of profound and challenging critiques for this field. I sympathize with many of Gudehus’s points, though in some instances they appear compatible with the general thrust of the research program set out by the JPR editors. These remarks, then, are meant as a friendly engagement with his own provocative points, but also an invitation to pursue a topic that is not extensively covered in either of those two contributions, namely how to theorize moral responsibility in light of the empirical advances of perpetrator research.
Dynamic Linkages among the Stock Exchanges of the Emerging Tigers of the Twenty First Century

This paper analyzes the dynamic interrelationships among the stock exchanges of the United States and of the four Emerging Tigers of the Twenty First Century, namely Brazil, China, India, and Russia. Using Vector Auto-Regression Models and daily data that span from May 1995 until October 2005, the dynamic linkages among these markets are studied.
Anatomic and Biomechanical Evaluation of Ulnar Tunnel Position in Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction.

Background:Although numerous techniques of reconstruction of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (mUCL) have been described, limited evidence exists on the biomechanical implication of changing th...
Re-evaluation of birth trends and pregnancy complications among female urologists: Have we made any progress?

Aims Females are becoming surgeons at ever-increasing rates and doing so while many have or wish to have children. This study follows up on a 2007 effort to study the problems and conditions such women faced. We ask here if these challenges are different after a decade that included changes in working rules. Methods A survey was sent to all female American Board of Urology diplomates. Birth trends, pregnancy complications, infertility service requirements, and satisfaction were evaluated in respondents (n = 183) and compared to the previous survey of female urologists who completed residency before August 2007 as well as Center for Disease Control data. Results Seventy-six physicians completed the survey who were residents before 2007, while 107 replied who experienced residency after. The first group's average age was 50.2 and the second's 38.3. Overall, these women gave birth 6 to 7 years later than the US mean. Complications did not decrease, infertility occurred at similar levels, and both were higher than US norms. Length of maternity leave correlated with respondents' level of overall satisfaction. The most positive responses came from those with more than 8 weeks off (P = .002). Conclusions Women practicing in urology gave birth later, had greater fertility issues, used assisted reproductive technology (ART) more and reported a higher level of at least one complication during pregnancy than American women overall. Changes in hours and awareness of this issue have not made giving birth a healthier event for these physicians. Further investigation into factors other than work hours is needed.
GSST-Based Photonic Memory Multilevel Perceptron

Here we demonstrate an on-chip programmable multi-level non-volatile photonic memory based on an ultra-compact (<4μm) hybrid GSST-silicon Mach Zehnder modulator, with low insertion losses (3dB), used as node in a photonic neural network that effortlessly perform inference.
Psycholinguistic Abilities of Black and White Children from Four SES Levels

The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, revised edition, was administered to 160 black and white children of average mental ability from the lower lower, upper lower, lower middle, and upper middle socioeconomic status (SES) levels as determined by the McGuire-White Index of Socioeconomic Status. The results indicate that the level of performance and pattern of psycholinguistic abilities of black children is relatively free of a systematic influence from SES but the performance of white children is related to socioeconomic status. The lower SES levels and black children showed more variability than the middle SES and white children. The reported lower SES visual-motor orientation and middle SES auditory-vocal orientation were not supported in this study.
Childhood maltreatment and adulthood proneness to shame and guilt: The mediating role of maladaptive schemas

The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) in the associations between types of childhood maltreatment and adulthood proneness to shame and guilt. A path analysis was tested to examine the direct and indirect effects of neglect, sexual abuse, and punishment on shame and guilt via EMSs of incompetence, failure, social isolation, emotional inhibition, and unrelenting standards, over and above gender. Data were collected from 415 university students (73% female) aged 18–26. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, EMSs, and shame and guilt. Neglect was indirectly associated with increased shame-withdraw via incompetence. Sexual abuse was directly associated with decreased guilt-repair. Punishment was indirectly associated with increased guilt-repair via unrelenting standards. Results identified different developmental pathways of proneness to shame and guilt and supported the mediating role of EMSs of incompetence and unrelenting standards. Findings provide support for treatments of shame that target childhood neglect and maladaptive schemas.
A playbook for characterization of multi-domain information

A recent publication entitled, “The US Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028”1 stated that the current strategic environment is characterized by continuous competition involving “great powers”, particularly China and Russia, which challenge in all domains and leverage the “competition” space to achieve operational and strategic objectives. For example, diplomatic, economic actions, information warfare, unconventional and conventional operations are being integrated to fracture alliances (e.g., NATO) and partnerships. In the transition from “competition” to conflict, space, cyber, electromagnetic and information would be integrated to create standoff in order to separate friendly forces over time, space and function. In response to the realization that information has significant impacts on national security (e.g., foreign manipulation of elections), Information was declared the 7th joint warfighting function. Information Operations is a subset of the Information function focused on the employment of military capabilities to change adversary behavior. Operating successfully requires the ability to characterize and assess the impact of various actions, messages, events on actors, communities and a mastery of the tools, techniques and activities to affect the dimension of the information environment (individuals, organizations and systems that collect, process, disseminate or act on information).2 This paper will introduce a Playbook concept to enable successful operations in the Information Environment (IE) based on the characterization of multiple domain information using the BEND framework3, extended beyond Social Media to encompass Information Domains or Information Related Capabilities (IRC). An example of Playbooks based on a historical scenario will be provided. Exemplars of analytics to support IE characterization will be included, along with a discussion of remaining research gaps.
Desalination membranes by deposition of polyamide on polyvinylidene fluoride supports using the automated layer-by-layer technique

Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with a polyamide (PA) active layer are the industry standard in desalination applications. The layer-by-layer (LbL) approach provides more precise control over t...
Introduction: An Educational Linguistics Perspective on Refugee Education: Bringing into Focus the Language and Literacy Dimensions of the Refugee Experience

Refugee resettlement has never been more urgent. With dramatic increases in global ethnic conflict, religious persecution, political instability, disasters caused by extreme weather, drought and famine, the number of forcibly displaced persons had surpassed 80 million by the summer of 2020 (UNHCR Press Release, December 2, 2020). In 2020, 80% of the world’s refugees were being hosted (temporarily) in developing countries (UNHCR Fact Sheet, March 2020). Recent news headlines demonstrate that the convergence of multiple global and local forces (political, economic, environmental) has created conditions of extreme uncertainty and precarity in a growing number of regions – creating unstable or unsafe conditions that have pushed large numbers of people to uproot themselves, their families and their lives in search of safety and security. New displacements are also driven by recent increases in violence in Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Somalia, Yemen, and Central America.
Leadership development programming in higher education: an exploration of perceptions of transformational leadership across gender and role types

Transformational leadership, a type of leadership commonly promoted within higher education, has been shown to positively affect performance, collaborative behavior, and goal accomplishment. Such skills may correlate with the level of job responsibility one has been given and the technical, human, and conceptual skills needed for one to be successful. This study sought to bridge a research gap by exploring correlations between transformational leadership and skills-approach leadership with an exploration of the role of gender within perceptions. An unexpected result based on gender was found: As females achieve higher roles within the Land-Grant University System, the perception of their transformational leadership decreases while that of males increases. Transformational leadership and skills-approach leadership is discussed within the context of gender.
On the Importance of Sampling in Training GCNs: Tighter Analysis and Variance Reduction.

Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have achieved impressive empirical advancement across a wide variety of semi-supervised node classification tasks. Despite their great success, training GCNs on large graphs suffers from computational and memory issues. A potential path to circumvent these obstacles is sampling-based methods, where at each layer a subset of nodes is sampled. Although recent studies have empirically demonstrated the effectiveness of sampling-based methods, these works lack theoretical convergence guarantees under realistic settings and cannot fully leverage the information of evolving parameters during optimization. In this paper, we describe and analyze a general doubly variance reduction schema that can accelerate any sampling method under the memory budget. The motivating impetus for the proposed schema is a careful analysis of the variance of sampling methods where it is shown that the induced variance can be decomposed into node embedding approximation variance (zeroth-order variance) during forward propagation and layerwise-gradient variance (first-order variance) during backward propagation. We theoretically analyze the convergence of the proposed schema and show that it enjoys an $\mathcal{O}(1/T)$ convergence rate. We complement our theoretical results by integrating the proposed schema in different sampling methods and applying them to different large real-world graphs.
Recent Advances in Intraoperative Neuromonitoring of Spinal Cord Function: Pedicle Screw Stimulation Techniques

ABSTRACT.The evolution of internal spinal instrumentation is grounded in the therapeutic constructs and spinal biomechanics associated with spinal deformities. Newer instrumentation methods for spinal fusion, which involve placing screws into the vertebral pedicles to hold the rods, have evolved for the treatment of degenerative spinal disease and traumatic insult to the lumbosacral spine. Two significant advantages of spinal instrumentation using segmental, transpedicular, screw fixation are enhanced rigidity and stability of the spine, and greater flexibility for the surgeon to accommodate a patient's individual anatomy. Despite these advances in instrumentation design, neurological deficits from improper screw placement may occur. The determination of screw placement using traditional methods like anatomical identification of bony landmarks and radiographic techniques have significant limitations. An alternative method for monitoring pedicle screw placement involves an electrophysiological approach cal...
Summary of Special Issue on Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Learning Since 1987

(1996). Summary of Special Issue on Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Learning Since 1987. Journal of Research on Computing in Education: Vol. 28, Special Issue on Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Learning Since 1987, pp. 554-556.
Diffuse Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the malignancies of which are usually of intermediate grade. The causes are unknown and it has been linked to AIDS, to immunosuppressive drugs prior to transplantation, and to the exposures characteristic of farmers. Diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma is slightly more common among men than women, and is less common in Los Angeles County than in San Francisco. By age, incidence gradually increases throughout adulthood. The racial/ethnicity groups are all at roughly equal risk, except African-Americans, who are at lower risk. These malignancies are more common among those of a higher social class and are increasing in frequency over time and among residents of the county as a whole as well as among residents of high-risk census tracts. The higher risk in San Francisco and the higher risk among men suggest that these lymphomas commonly occur because of the immunosuppression produced by AIDS. The presence of high-risk census tracts in and around West Hollywood is consistent with that suspicion.
Can Healthcare IT Save Babies

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) facilitate fast and accurate access to patient records, which could improve diagnosis and patient monitoring. Using a 12-year county-level panel, we find that a 10 percent increase in births that occur in hospitals with EMRs reduces neonatal mortality by 16 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is driven by a reduction of deaths from conditions requiring careful monitoring. We also find a strong decrease in mortality when we instrument for EMRs adoption using variation in state medical privacy laws. Rough cost-effectiveness calculations suggest that EMRs are associated with a cost of $531,000 per baby's life saved.
Subcellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Bile Secretion

One of the liver's principal functions is the formation of bile, which is requisite for digestion of fat and elimination of detoxified drugs and metabolites. Bile is a complex fluid made up of water, electrolytes, bile acids, pigments, proteins, lipids, and a multitude of chemical breakdown products. In this review, we have summarized the source of various biliary components, the route by which they end up in bile, including the underlying subcellular and molecular mechanisms, and their contribution to bile formation. One of the reasons why bile formation is so complex is that there are many mechanisms with overlapping substrate specificities, i.e., many biochemically unrelated biliary constituents share common transport mechanisms. Additionally, biliary constituents may reach bile by more than one pathway. Some biliary components are critical for bile formation; others are of minor significance for bile formation but play a major physiological role. The major driving force for bile formation is the uptake and transcellular transport of bile salts by hepatocytes. The energy for bile formation comes from the sodium gradient created by the basolateral Na+/K(+)-ATPase, to which bile salt transport is coupled. The secretory pathway for bile salts involves uptake at the basolateral surface of the hepatocyte, vectorial transcellular movement, and transport across the canalicular membrane into the canalicular lumen. Hydrophilic bile salts are taken up via a sodium-dependent, saturable, carrier-mediated process coupled to the Na+/K(+)-ATPase. This uptake mechanism is also shared by other substrates, such as electroneutral lipids, cyclic oligopeptides, and a wide variety of drugs. Hydrophobic bile acids are taken up by a sodium-independent facilitated carrier-mediated mechanism in common with other organic ions, including sulfated bile acids, sulfobromophthalein, bilirubin, glutathione, and glucuronides, or by nonsaturable passive diffusion. Two major carrier proteins have been identified on the hepatocyte basolateral membrane: a 48-kDa protein that appears to be involved with Na(+)-dependent bile salt uptake, and a 54-kDa protein, thought to be associated with Na(+)-independent bile salt uptake. The intracellular transport of bile salts may involve cytosolic carrier proteins, of which several have been identified. Some evidence suggests a vesicular transport mechanism for bile salts. Since bile acids clearly do not enter the cell by endocytosis, formation of transport vesicles must be a more distal event in the transcellular translocation process. Some bile salts appear to be transported within the same unilamellar vesicles that are involved in the secretion of cholesterol and phospholipid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Education Viewed Through a Cosmopolitan Prism

The ancient idea of cosmopolitanism has taken on renewed significance. In part, this interest springs from concerns about cultural fracturing and violence around the globe. To many observers, the end of the Cold War two decades ago led not to hopedfor international harmonies but to an intensification of ethnic, national, religious, and other conflicts. The turn to cosmopolitanism also reflects worries about consumerist individualism juxtaposed with fears that political resources lag behind economic forces unleashed by global capitalism. At the same time, the reanimated focus expresses the energy people are finding in new modes of cooperation made possible by expanding means of mobility, powerful communication technologies, and proliferating nongovernmental organizations. Such changes are rendering the world’s cultural resources more accessible to people everywhere.
Cigarette smoke induces proteasomal-mediated degradation of DNA methyltransferases and methyl CpG-/CpG domain-binding proteins in embryonic orofacial cells.

Abstract Orofacial clefts, the most prevalent of developmental anomalies, occur with a frequency of 1 in 700 live births. Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy represents a risk factor for having a child with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Using primary cultures of first branchial arch-derived cells (1-BA cells), which contribute to the formation of the lip and palate, the present study addressed the hypothesis that components of cigarette smoke alter global DNA methylation, and/or expression of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) and various methyl CpG-binding proteins. Primary cultures of 1-BA cells, exposed to 80 μg/mL cigarette smoke extract (CSE) for 24 h, exhibited a >13% decline in global DNA methylation and triggered proteasomal-mediated degradation of Dnmts (DNMT-1 and -3a), methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 3 (MBD-3). Pretreatment of 1-BA cells with the proteasomal inhibitor MG-132 completely reversed such degradation. Collectively, these data allow the suggestion of a potential epigenetic mechanism underlying maternal cigarette smoke exposure-induced orofacial clefting.
Gliadin Stimulation of Murine Macrophage Inflammatory Gene Expression and Intestinal Permeability Are MyD88-Dependent: Role of the Innate Immune Response in Celiac Disease

Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of TLR signaling in intestinal homeostasis. Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy triggered in susceptible individuals by the ingestion of gliadin-containing grains. In this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that gliadin initiates this response by stimulating the innate immune response to increase intestinal permeability and by up-regulating macrophage proinflammatory gene expression and cytokine production. To this end, intestinal permeability and the release of zonulin (an endogenous mediator of gut permeability) in vitro, as well as proinflammatory gene expression and cytokine release by primary murine macrophage cultures, were measured. Gliadin and its peptide derivatives, 33-mer and p31-43, were found to be potent inducers of both a zonulin-dependent increase in intestinal permeability and macrophage proinflammatory gene expression and cytokine secretion. Gliadin-induced zonulin release, increased intestinal permeability, and cytokine production were dependent on myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), a key adapter molecule in the TLR/IL-1R signaling pathways, but were neither TLR2- nor TLR4-dependent. Our data support the following model for the innate immune response to gliadin in the initiation of CD. Gliadin interaction with the intestinal epithelium increases intestinal permeability through the MyD88-dependent release of zonulin that, in turn, enables paracellular translocation of gliadin and its subsequent interaction with macrophages within the intestinal submucosa. There, the interaction of gliadin with macrophages elicits a MyD88-dependent proinflammatory cytokine milieu that facilitates the interaction of T cells with APCs, leading ultimately to the Ag-specific adaptive immune response seen in patients with CD.
Wetland dicots and monocots differ in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and dark septate endophytes.

As an initial step towards evaluating whether mycorrhizas influence composition and diversity in calcareous fen plant communities, we surveyed root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytic fungi (DSE) in 67 plant species in three different fens in central New York State (USA). We found colonization by AMF and DSE in most plant species at all three sites, with the type and extent of colonization differing between monocots and dicots. On average, AMF colonization was higher in dicots (58±3%, mean±SE) than in monocots (13±4%) but DSE colonization followed the opposite trend (24±3% in monocots and 9±1% in dicots). In sedges and cattails, two monocot families that are often abundant in fens and other wetlands, AMF colonization was usually very low (<10%) in five species and completely absent in seven others. However, DSE colonization in these species was frequently observed. Responses of wetland plants to AMF and DSE are poorly understood, but in the fen communities surveyed, dicots appear to be in a better position to respond to AMF than many of these more abundant monocots (e.g., sedges and cattails). In contrast, these monocots may be more likely to respond to DSE. Future work directed towards understanding the response of these wetland plants to AMF and DSE should provide insight into the roles these fungal symbionts play in influencing diversity in fen plant communities.
Derivations of Skew Polynomial Rings

Abstract Let F be a field of characteristic 0 and let λi,j ∈ F. for 1 ≤ i,j ≤ n. Define R = F[ x 1, x 2,..., x n] to be the skew polynomial ring with x i x j = λi,j x j x i and let S = F[ x 1, x 2,..., x n, x −11, x −12,..., x −1n] be the corresponding Laurent polynomial ring. In a recent paper, Kirkman, Procesi, and Small considered these two rings under the assumption that S is simple and showed, for example, that the Lie ring of inner derivations of S is simple. Furthermore, when n = 2, they determined the automorphisms of S, related its ring of inner derivations to a certain Block algebra, and proved that every derivation of R is the sum of an inner derivation and a derivation which sends each xi to a scalar multiple of itself. In this paper, we extended these results to a more general situation. Specifically, we study twisted group algebras Ft[G] where G is a commutative group and F is a field of any characteristic. Furthermore, we consider certain subalgebras Ft[H] where H is a subsemigroup of G which generates G as a group. Finally, if e: G × G → F is a skew-symmetric bilinear form, then we study the Lie algebra Fe[G] associated with e, and we consider its relationship to the Lie structure defined on various twisted group algebras Ft[G].
On superperiodic features on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

We present scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) results that show the superstructure on the highly oriented pryrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface. The superlattice appears to be the result of an apparent twist boundary dislocation. The crucial point of the observation is that the superlattice changes simultaneously its constant from 18 to 72 nm when we go around the screw dislocation in the plane perpendicular to the dislocation vector. Based on available models of the graphite surface top layers, we are able to simulate observed STM images. Our STM observation of the superstructure lattice, whose lattice constant varies continuously, gives strong evidence that the superlattice is of Moire pattern nature, but a correct model can be built only if the graphite electronic structure is taken into consideration.
Identifying the optimal capital structure for a second stage growth company using mezzanine financing

This paper demonstrates how mezzanine financing can be used to minimise the weighted average cost of capital for a second stage growth firm waiting to obtain equity capital from an IPO. A model is provided that allows entrepreneurs to fit their available mezzanine financing cost structure to a continuous function to determine the appropriate amount of mezzanine financing for planning purposes.
Molecular Organization in Nematic Polymers. 2. Evolution of the Mesophase

The orientational dynamics in a magnetic field and the thermomechanical behavior of a nematic copolyester based on pimelic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroquinone was studied by 1 H NMR and torsion braid analysis,respectively. It was found that the fluid mesophases undergo an evolution to a more stable state which has a reduced tendency to order when solidification occurs. This more stable state has longer range orientational order and aligns very rapidly in external magnetic fiels relative to the unaged nematic state.
Luminescence of F+ centers in CaO crystals under pulsed-laser excitation.

Luminescence of ${\mathit{F}}^{+}$ centers (oxygen vacancies each with one electron) has been investigated in thermochemically reduced, electron-irradiated, and neutron-irradiated CaO crystals. Time-dependent emission spectra following laser excitation into the ${\mathit{F}}^{+}$ absorption band at 351 nm were measured for the three types of crystals. We observed a fast component with a lifetime \ensuremath{\le}10 ns and a slow decay attributed to charge trapping and transport. The intensity and decay kinetics of the ${\mathit{F}}^{+}$ phosphorescence depended on the method by which the defects had been produced. Estimated gain coefficients for stimulated emission under pulsed laser pumping are less than 0.1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. These values are significantly smaller than the absorption coefficient at the emission wavelength.
Acquiring Accurate Human Responses to Robots' Questions

In task-oriented robot domains, a human is often designated as a supervisor to monitor the robot and correct its inferences about its state during execution. However, supervision is expensive in terms of human effort. Instead, we are interested in robots asking non-supervisors in the environment for state inference help. The challenge with asking non-supervisors for help is that they may not always understand the robot’s state or question and may respond inaccurately as a result. We identify four different types of state information that a robot can include to ground non-supervisors when it requests help—namely context around the robot, the inferred state prediction, prediction uncertainty, and feedback about the sensors used for the predicting the robot’s state. We contribute two wizard-of-oz’d user studies to test which combination of this state information increases the accuracy of non-supervisors’ responses. In the first study, we consider a block-construction task and use a toy robot to study questions regarding shape recognition. In the second study, we use our real mobile robot to study questions regarding localization. In both studies, we identify the same combination of information that increases the accuracy of responses the most. We validate that our combination results in more accurate responses than a combination that a set of HRI experts predicted would be best. Finally, we discuss the appropriateness of our found best combination of information to other task-driven robots.
Jungian/Myers-Briggs Personality Types of Librarians in Films

Summary The Myers-Briggs personality typology provides a useful tool for characterizing the probable personality types of librarians portrayed in films. In this study, the probable personality types of librarians in 28 films are determined. Then comparisons with the personality types reported in Scherdin (1994) are made. Sex roles and stereotyping are revealed by these comparisons and are discussed.
Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease Outcomes

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a national public health problem. Although the prevalence of early stages of CKD is similar across different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups, the prevalence of end-stage renal disease is greater for minorities than their non-Hispanic white peers. Paradoxically, once on dialysis, minorities experience survival rates that exceed their non-Hispanic white peers. Advancing our understanding of the unique interplay of biological, genetic, environmental, sociocultural, and health care system level factors may prompt reorientation of our approach to health promotion and disease prevention. The potential of this new approach is to create previously unimagined gains to improve patient outcomes and reduce health inequities for patients with CKD.
Neuron simulation environment

Domain of Utility NEURON is a “domain-specific” simulator in the sense that, by design, it has features that make it particularly well suited for constructing and simulating certain kinds of models. It emerged from a collaboration between John Moore and Michael Hines at Duke University. Their initial aim was to develop software for models used to complement experimental research on spike initiation and conduction in squid axon (Hines 1992, 1994). NEURON’s domain of utility subsequently broadened in response to requests and contributions from other neuroscientists who began to adopt their software and apply it to a much wider range of problems (see http://neuron.yale.edu/neuron/ credits). At the center of this domain are anatomically detailed models of biological neurons with detailed anatomical structure and complex membrane properties, and networks of such neurons. It has also been used to implement and simulate models as diverse as the following: networks of artificial spiking cells (Lytton and Omurtag (2007), ModelDB accession number 105507); hybrid nets that combine artificial spiking cells and mechanistic models of biological neurons (Yu et al. (2013), ModelDB accession number 144570); cardiac muscle cells (Courtemanche et al. (1998), ModelDB accession number 3800); and networks of arteriolar smooth muscle (Crane et al. (2001), ModelDB accession number 3785). For a more complete perspective on the range of models that have been
Some quantitative considerations in iron nutrition of higher plants.

Among the essential elements taken up by the roots none offers as troublesome a problem as iron with respect to its solubility in aqueous solutions. From the equilibrium constants for the reactions of iron ions with hydroxyl ions (11) it is apparent that the ferric iron concentration drops below one part per billion between the pH values of 4 and 5, and that it decreases by a factor of 1,000 for each unit increase of pH value. Ferrous iron is not very susceptible to precipitation as the hydroxide. However, in aqueous solutions in the presence of oxygen ferrous iron is thermodynamically unstable. Under atmospheric oxygen pressure the ferric ion is more stable in acid solutions, while at a basic pH the equilibrium favors ferrous iron (13). In order that ionic iron supply sufficient iron to the plants it is necessary that the minimum concentration required for adequate growth be no higher than the saturation concentration given by the solubility product. At a pH of 9 the saturation concentration of both cationic forms of iron drops below 10-20 M/liter in a solution in equilibrium with atmospheric oxygen. Since on many occasions plants do not suffer from iron deficiencies when growing in soils having such high pH values, it may be possible that iron is taken up by plants through exchange phenomena or complex formation. Evidence for the importance of some contact effects between roots and iron compounds has been demonstrated by Eaton (3) and subsequently confirmed by others (2, 5, 17). The present paper deals with a comparison between the thermodynamically possible saturation concentration and the minimum required concentration of iron ions in nutrient solutions. In this study inorganic compounds of iron and iron ethylenediaminetetraacetate (FeEDTA) have been used.
The Dialectics of (in)Competence

The study of interpersonal communication competence, like many other constructs in social science, has been unduly biased by an ideology of positivity. This article attempts to redress this emphasis by examining a variety of dialectical and problematic tensions in human relations. These tensions reflect potential dilemmas for social actors who face potentially incompatible objectives in their lines of action. In addition, several dialectical tensions reflect dilemmas in the attribution of competence in the stream of interaction. The intent of this analysis is to direct conceptual and empirical efforts toward a richer and more complex understanding of interpersonal competence.
Professional Service Ventures, Performance, and the Gender Effect

It has been found in other occupations that there is a gender effect on the earning power of women: women earn less than men. Various studies have examined if there is a gender effect among profess...
A Partial Weight Bearing Reminder Device for Rehabilitation After Lower Extremity Surgery

Annually, in the United States there are roughly 352,000 incidents of hip fractures [1], 300,000 total hip replacements, and 270,000 total knee replacements, most of which are in adults over age 50 [2]. During rehabilitation, patients who have undergone total knee or hip replacement, cartilage cell transplant, cruciate ligament replacement, meniscus debridement, or complex fracture repairs may be instructed to restrict weight bearing. Partial weight bearing (PWB) includes everything from toe-touch to strict PWB (10–50% of the patients’ body weight), to full weight bearing as tolerated [3]. The restrictions following a hip replacement with a cement-less implant typically require a 6-week PWB regimen [4].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Book and Media Recommendations: A New Flavia de Luce Novel, The Simpsons Math, Gödelian Puzzles, and Research Defending Public Education

Four books are reviewed: a new novel in a series featuring a chemical prodigy; the mathematical content of a popular satirical television program; a book of puzzles and games loosely based on the work of Kurt Godel; and a defense of public education in the United States.
Origins of Linear Viscoelastic Behavior of Polymer−Nanoparticle Composites

We use computer simulations to study the mechanisms governing the linear viscoelasticity behavior of composites of spherical nanofillers dispersed in polymer melt matrices. Our results suggest that particles can influence the viscoelastic properties of the system by a variety of different mechanisms. On one hand, the particle-induced effects on the dynamics of polymer segments modify the relaxation spectrum of the polymers. Second, particle jamming effects lead to slow relaxations and substantial enhancements in elasticity. Finally, our results suggest that the strain field distortion caused by the presence of rigid inclusions also affects the overall modulus of the composite. For our model system, we delineate the regimes and frequencies at which the different effects manifest and also suggest how the picture can be generalized for parametric conditions different from our simulations.
Trait-based diversification shifts reflect differential extinction among fossil taxa

Evolution provides many cases of apparent shifts in diversification associated with particular anatomical traits. Three general models connect these patterns to anatomical evolution: (i) elevated net extinction of taxa bearing particular traits, (ii) elevated net speciation of taxa bearing particular traits, and (iii) elevated evolvability expanding the range of anatomies available to some species. Trait-based diversification shifts predict elevated hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility (i.e., primitive→derived→highly derived sequences) among pairs of anatomical characters. The three specific models further predict (i) early loss of diversity for taxa retaining primitive conditions (elevated net extinction), (ii) increased diversification among later members of a clade (elevated net speciation), and (iii) increased disparity among later members in a clade (elevated evolvability). Analyses of 319 anatomical and stratigraphic datasets for fossil species and genera show that hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility exceeds the expectations of trait-independent diversification in the vast majority of cases, which was expected if trait-dependent diversification shifts are common. Excess hierarchical stratigraphic compatibility correlates with early loss of diversity for groups retaining primitive conditions rather than delayed bursts of diversity or disparity across entire clades. Cambrian clades (predominantly trilobites) alone fit null expectations well. However, it is not clear whether evolution was unusual among Cambrian taxa or only early trilobites. At least among post-Cambrian taxa, these results implicate models, such as competition and extinction selectivity/resistance, as major drivers of trait-based diversification shifts at the species and genus levels while contradicting the predictions of elevated net speciation and elevated evolvability models.