Reflections on Cosmology: an Outsider's Point of View

Some of the assumptions of cosmology, as based on the simplest version of General Relativity, are discussed. It is argued that by slight modifications of standard gravitation theory, our notion of the sources of gravity {the right hand side of Einstein's equations{, could be something radically different from what is usually expected. One example is exhibited to prove the point, and some consequences are discussed

On dB spaces with nondensely defined multiplication operator and the existence of zero-free functions

In this work we consider de Branges spaces where the multiplication operator by the independent variable is not densely defined. First, we study the canonical selfadjoint extensions of the multiplication operator as a family of rank-one perturbations from the viewpoint of the theory of de Branges spaces. Then, on the basis of the obtained results, we provide new necessary and sufficient conditions for a real, zero-free function to lie in a de Branges space.Comment: 13 pages, no fugures. Theorem and remark have been added, typographical erros correcte

Dispersion Estimates for One-Dimensional Schr\"odinger Equations with Singular Potentials

We derive a dispersion estimate for one-dimensional perturbed radial Schr\"odinger operators. We also derive several new estimates for solutions of the underlying differential equation and investigate the behavior of the Jost function near the edge of the continuous spectrum.Comment: 26 page

Singular Schroedinger operators as self-adjoint extensions of n-entire operators

We investigate the connections between Weyl-Titchmarsh-Kodaira theory for one-dimensional Schr\"odinger operators and the theory of $n$-entire operators. As our main result we find a necessary and sufficient condition for a one-dimensional Schr\"odinger operator to be $n$-entire in terms of square integrability of derivatives (w.r.t. the spectral parameter) of the Weyl solution. We also show that this is equivalent to the Weyl function being in a generalized Herglotz-Nevanlinna class. As an application we show that perturbed Bessel operators are $n$-entire, improving the previously known conditions on the perturbation.Comment: 14 page

An Exploratory Study of the Impact of Acculturation on Fashion Consumption Among Hispanic Immigrants in the U.S.

With a population of 58 million in 2016, the Hispanic immigrant population in the U.S. is expected to grow nearly 30% by 2060 (Hispanic influence, 2016). Immigrants are affected by acculturation and often have difficulty maintaining their culture of origin. Prior studies have revealed acculturation influences on consumer behaviors, but despite the increased population and purchasing power of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., few studies have explored the ways in which acculturation influences shopping behaviors for fashion products among Hispanic consumers. The purpose of this study is to explore the general attitude related to shopping (i.e., shopping orientation) of Hispanic immigrants, the acculturation level of those consumers, and the relationship between acculturation and shopping orientation. A snowball sampling was used to recruit a total of 15 married couples who were born and raised in a Hispanic country and moved to the U.S. after the age of 18. Interviews were conducted in Spanish, lasted about 60 minutes, and asked 20 open-ended questions. During the NVivo analysis process, interview data was categorized into key themes. Interview findings revealed that Hispanic immigrants maintain their original culture while adopting the host culture (i.e., integration). The majority of participants indicated that they prefer buying fashion products in the U.S. due to superior product quality (93%), affordable price (77%), convenient shopping (66%), national brands (63%), and customer service (43%). However, almost 70% of female participants indicated difficulties finding appropriate size and fit when buying clothing in the U.S. Hispanic immigrants tend to shop for clothing in their home countries when they want ethnic designs or leather goods and they are generally quality-conscious, price-conscious, brand-conscious, time-conscious, and recreational shoppers. These findings suggest a positive relationship between the integrated cultural values and shopping orientations of Hispanic immigrant