cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Language and Dialect Discrimination Using Compression-Inspired Language Models

The DSL 2016 shared task continued previous evaluations from 2014 and 2015 that facilitated the study of automated language and dialect identification. This paper describes results for this year’s shared task and from several related experiments conducted at the Johns Hopkins University Human Language Technology Center of Excellence (JHU HLTCOE). Previously the HLTCOE has explored the use of compression-inspired language modeling for language and dialect identification, using news, Wikipedia, blog post, and Twitter corpora. The technique we have relied upon is based on prediction by partial matching (PPM), a state of the art text compression technique. Due to the close relationship between adaptive compression and language modeling, such compression techniques can also be applied to multi-way text classification problems, and previous studies have examined tasks such as authorship attribution, email spam detection, and topical classification. We applied our approach to the multi-class decision that considered each dialect or language as a possibility for the given shared task input line. Results for test-set A were in accord with our expectations, however results for test-sets B and C appear to be markedly worse. We had not anticipated the inclusion of multiple communications in differing languages in test-set B (social media) input lines, and had not expected the test-set C (dialectal Arabic) data to be represented phonetically instead of in native orthography.
Fractures of the Proximal Femur

Fractures of the proximal femur are a modern day epidemic. This is related to the ever increasing age of the population and the related age-induced osteoporosis. They are classified according to their anatomical location as follows: femoral neck (proximal to the intertrochanteric line), intertrochanteric (between the greater and the lesser trochanter), and subtrochanteric (at and below the lesser trochanter). Another recent development is the recognition of atypical fractures related to increasing use of biphosphonates and increasing incidence of fractures around prosthetic devices (periprosthetic fractures).
On Solving Diophantine Quadratic Equations with Two Unknowns in Z and N

In this short note we study the existence and number of solutions in the set of integers (Z) and in the set of natural numbers (N) of Diophantine equations.
Augmented Reality for Deaf Students: Can Mobile Devices Make It Possible?

Digital and real world events can be combined to create powerful learning opportunities for students, but time, tools, and expertise have been traditional barriers to teacher-created enhancements. This paper provides a rationale for using emerging, teacher-friendly tools, to merge real space and virtual space through video and 2D barcodes. The results of three pilot studies combine to illustrate the potential for using these tools. Results indicate that cell phones have the potential to facilitate augmented reality experiences for deaf students and adults.
Multi gene panel testing in unselected patients (pts) with endometrial cancer (EC).

e17119Background: Inherited mutations (muts) in Lynch Syndrome genes (LS) & PTEN are associated with EC. The prevalence of other cancer predisposition genes is unclear. The majority of studies have...
Effect of light intensity adjusted for species-specific spectral sensitivity on blood physiological variables of male broiler chickens

ABSTRACT Replacing outdated incandescent light sources provides the opportunity to modify lighting systems according to the needs of different species and according to their spectral sensitivity. Providing a lighting environment geared towards poultry vision may improve bird welfare and blood physiological homeostasis. The influence of two LED light sources (red-supplemented vs. un-supplemented) adjusted to either human spectral sensitivity (lux) or poultry spectral sensitivity (CLUX) was investigated on selected blood physiological variables of male broilers. A total of 960 1-d-old male chicks were randomly distributed into 16 environmentally controlled rooms (60 chicks/room). Birds were provided a diet formulated to meet NRC recommendations with feed and water provided ad libitum. The treatments consisted of two LED light sources (red-supplemented (RS) vs. un-supplemented (WL)) adjusted to either human spectral sensitivity (CIE) or poultry spectral sensitivity (CLUX) arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial. Blood samples were collected from the brachial wing vein of six birds per room on d 21, 28, 42, and 56, which were then analyzed immediately for whole blood physiological variables. Blood plasma samples were analyzed for corticosterone. In comparison to broilers reared under RS, broilers reared under WL had lower levels of pO2, SaO2, angap, and Osmo, which were within physiological ranges. Also, birds reared under CIE had lower levels of Na+, which were also within the physiological range. In addition, blood glucose and plasma corticosterone concentrations were not affected by treatments, suggesting an absence of physiological stress. In conclusion, it is suggested that minor differences in lighting programs such as lighting source should not be expected to compromise broilers welfare, but rather is primarily an economic decision driven by capital and operation costs.
Sarcopenia Index Is a Simple Objective Screening Tool for Malnutrition in the Critically Ill.

Background Reliable and valid tools to screen for malnutrition in the intensive care unit (ICU) remain elusive. The sarcopenia index (SI) [(serum creatinine/serum cystatin C) × 100], could be an inexpensive, objective tool to predict malnutrition. We evaluated the SI as a screening tool for malnutrition in the ICU and compared it with the modified-NUTRIC score. Materials and methods This was a historical cohort study of ICU patients with stable kidney function admitted to Mayo Clinic ICUs between 2008 and 2015. Malnutrition was defined by the Subjective Global Assessment. Diagnostic performance was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and multivariable logistic regression. Results Of the 398 included patients, 181 (45%) had malnutrition, with 34 (9%) scored as severely malnourished. The SI was significantly lower in malnourished patients than in well-nourished patients (64 ± 27 vs 72 ± 25; P = 0.002), and reductions in SI corresponded to increased malnutrition severity (P = 0.001). As a screening tool, the SI was an indicator of malnutrition risk (AUC 0.61) and performed slightly better than the more complex modified-NUTRIC score (AUC = 0.57). SI cutoffs of 101 and 43 had >90% sensitivity and >90% specificity, respectively, for the prediction of malnutrition. Patients with a low SI (≤43) had a significantly higher risk of mortality (HR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.06-6.48, P = 0.038). Conclusion The frequency of malnutrition was high in this critically ill population, and it was associated with a poor prognosis. The SI could be used to assess nutrition risk in ICU patients.
Utilizing Learning Analytics to Map Students' Self-Reported Study Strategies to Click Behaviors in STEM Courses

Informed by cognitive theories of learning, this work examined how students' self-reported study patterns (spacing vs. cramming) corresponded to their engagement with the Learning Management System (LMS) across two years in a large biology course. We specifically focused on how students accessed non-mandatory resources (lecture videos, lecture slides) and considered whether this pattern differed by underrepresented minority (URM) status. Overall, students who self-reported utilizing spacing strategies throughout the course had higher grades than students who reported cramming throughout the course. When examining LMS engagement, only a small percentage of students accessed the lecture videos and lecture slides. Applying a negative binomial regression model to daily counts of click activities, we also found that students who utilized spacing strategies accessed LMS resources more often but not earlier before major deadlines. Moreover, this finding was not different for underrepresented students. Our results provide some initial evidence showing how spacing behaviors correspond to accessing learning resources. However, given the lack of general engagement with LMS resources, our results underscore the value of encouraging students to utilize these resources when studying course material.
Our Main Goals

The core of this work lies on developing a novel Seesaw-type macromonomer strategy for the preparation of “perfect” hyperbranched model samples with uniform subchains and the investigation on their related solution properties.
Pricing for efficiency and revenue in public recreation areas.

Microeconomic theory is used to consider issues related to setting a price for the use of publicly provided outdoor recreation. The necessary conditions for pricing recreation to achieve economic e...
What Color is Black: Epistemic Disobedience in Jean Genet’s The Blacks

Jean Genet’s writing has generated controversies over the years, particularly his advocacy for demoting whiteness and its means of domination. He is primarily regarded as an angry homosexual white French male who portrays grotesque shadows of humanity in his work. In his 1959 Play The Blacks, Genet describes the way Blacks are categorized in France through the mediation of abjecting politics of disgust, which cast black bodies as repulsive and outside the pole. At the same time, The Blacks considers the strategies of resistance and critique that are available to these bodies and those working alongside with them. Characters in The Blacks conform to the roles that they are given, therefore creating a visual mask over their identity. For Genet acting becomes a (positively) perverse and subversive mean for gaining power over oppression by taking an art from something that is traditionally based in strict role playing and turning it into a form of individual and collective expression necessary to “negatively” creating what can then be conceived as an assertively “positive” socio-political identity.
Making the Most of General Education Foreign Language Requirements.

Given that most postsecondary institutions have recognized the need to prepare interculturally competent undergraduates, this study used the Intercultural Development Inventory to measure the extent to which one group of undergraduate learners demonstrated increased intercultural competence after taking a first‐semester foreign language (FL) course. Drawing on research on the role of culture in the FL curriculum and on intercultural competence development, the findings illustrate that (a) beginner‐level language courses contribute minimally to students’ intercultural competence development, and (b) FL departments need to substantially redesign their beginner‐level curriculum if they hope to contribute in meaningful ways to their institution's intercultural, diversity, global learning, and/or 21st‐century goals. The data suggest that in addition to re‐envisioning the beginner and intermediate FL instructional sequence, universities need more robust FL requirements for general education.
Defining the Burden of Emergency General Surgery in Transplant Patients: A Nationwide Examination.

Abstract Background Transplant patients are at the risk of serious sequelae from medical and surgical intervention. The incidence and burden of emergency general surgery (EGS) in transplant patients are scarcely known. This study aims to identify predictors of outcomes in transplant patients with EGS needs. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2007-2011) was queried for adult patients (aged ≥16 y) who underwent abdominal visceral transplantation. These were further queried for a secondary diagnosis of an American Association for the Surgery of Trauma–defined EGS condition. Outcome measures included mortality, complications, length of stay, and cost of care. Propensity scores were used to match patients across baseline characteristics. Multivariate analysis was used to further adjust propensity score quintiles and hospital-level characteristics. Results A total of 35,573 transplant patients were identified. Of these, 30% (n = 10,676) developed an EGS condition. Most common EGS conditions were resuscitation (7.7%), intestinal obstruction (7.3%), biliary conditions (3.9%), and hernias (3.2%). Patients with public insurance, those in the highest income quartile, and those treated at larger hospitals had a lower likelihood of developing an EGS condition (P Conclusions Transplant patients fare poorly after developing an EGS condition. The results of this study will help in identifying at-risk patients and determining outcomes.
Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) problem solving strategies in response to a novel interactive apparatus.

Abstract The problem solving capabilities of dolphins are suggested to be indicative of advanced cognition. When confronted with a novel problem, dolphins can plan their behavior to create a more efficient strategy than that which was previously modeled. The present study investigated dolphins’ ability to plan their behaviors using an interactive apparatus with accompanying weights. Two problems were presented to evaluate dolphins’ ability to plan by collecting several weights at once, thus solving the apparatus more efficiently. In contrast to previous findings, dolphins in the present study failed to plan their behavior. Rather, individual differences in problem solving strategies arose throughout the study and are described here. Dolphins engaged in several strategies in order to attempt to obtain the fish reward, including approaches that were not modeled. Strategies for solving the submerged interactive apparatus (SIA) included emulation, freeloading, water flow manipulation, and physical manipulation of the SIA. The SIA was continually solved by a single individual who rarely consumed the food reward, suggesting that she may have been motivated to participate for the challenge itself. Though not indicative of planning, the results of the present study demonstrate the plasticity of dolphin problem solving capabilities and spatial reasoning.
Modeling the formation of attentive publics in social media: the case of Donald Trump

Previous research has shown the importance of Donald Trump’s Twitter activity, and that of his Twitter following, in spreading his message during the primary and general election campaigns of 2015–...
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Intimate Violence

Intimate Violence investigates the anti-Jewish pogroms that broke out in the first six weeks of World War II on the eastern front. Building upon the work of others and our own archival research, we...
Comparison of Coverage-Dependent Binding Energy Models for Mean-Field Microkinetic Rate Predictions

The binding energies of adsorbates at catalytic surfaces are in general functions of adsorbate coverage, with corresponding consequences for equilibrium surface coverages and reaction rates under r...
Structural evidence for a latch mechanism regulating access to the active site of SufS-family cysteine desulfurases.

Cysteine serves as the sulfur source for the biosynthesis of Fe–S clusters and thio-cofactors, molecules that are required for core metabolic processes in all organisms. Therefore, cysteine desulfurases, which mobilize sulfur for its incorporation into thio-cofactors by cleaving the Cα—S bond of cysteine, are ubiquitous in nature. SufS, a type 2 cysteine desulfurase that is present in plants and microorganisms, mobilizes sulfur from cysteine to the transpersulfurase SufE to initiate Fe–S biosynthesis. Here, a 1.5 A resolution X-ray crystal structure of the Escherichia coli SufS homodimer is reported which adopts a state in which the two monomers are rotated relative to their resting state, displacing a β-hairpin from its typical position blocking transpersulfurase access to the SufS active site. A global structure and sequence analysis of SufS family members indicates that the active-site β-hairpin is likely to require adjacent structural elements to function as a β-latch regulating access to the SufS active site.
The likelihood of having a household emergency plan: understanding factors in the US context.

Individual household emergency planning is the most fundamental and can be the least expensive way to prepare for natural disasters. However, despite government and nonprofit educational campaigns, many Americans still do not have a household plan. Using a national sample of Americans, this research observes factors that influence people's likelihood of developing a household emergency plan. Based on the analysis, people's efficacy in preparedness activities, previous exposure to disasters and preparedness information positively influence the likelihood that someone will have developed a household emergency plan. Alternatively, demographic variables such as being Hispanic/Latino, identifying as Asian, and being a renter decrease the likelihood that someone will have developed a plan in the American context. But, the reason for these negative relationships are unclear. Subsequent to the analysis, recommendations for future research are provided to better understand observed relationships.
Long-Term English Language Learners’ Educational Experiences in the Context of High-Stakes Accountability:

Background/ContextA large number of emergent bilinguals, also known as English language learners (ELLs), in secondary schools have experienced academic difficulties, grade repetition, inappropriate...
Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of F-18-labeled isoxazole analog for imaging of sigma-2 receptor status

1090 Objectives: Sigma (σ) receptors are known to be overexpressed in most of solid tumors and differentiate proliferative cells from quiescent cells by density of population. Since expression of σ2 are 8-10 times higher than σ1 receptors, identification of σ2 receptors status is helpful for the appropriate cancer treatment. In here, we synthesized F-18-labeled 5-(4-(6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)butyl)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)isoxazole([18F]SL-2) and evaluated PET and biodistribution for σ2 receptors status in EMT-6 tumor Xenograft BALB/c mice. Methods: Precursor was prepared from 4-BPin benzaldehyde via a 5 step synthesis. Fluorine-18 radiofluorination was performed at 110oC for 20 min using copper catalyst and 4-DMAP (eluent and base) in a Synthera module. Purification was performed using preparative HPLC and the purified tracer was analyzed by analytical HPLC. Dynamic PET images of EMT-6 Xenograft BALB/c mice were obtained for 120 min (female, n=1) and Static PET images were obtained at 60-80 min (female, n=4) after intravenous injection of [18F]SL-2 (3.8±0.2 MBq). In vivo biodistribution was performed at 30 and 60 min post-injection of tracer (17.5 kBq) in EMT-6 Xenograft BALB/c mice (female, n=4)Results: Non-radioactive SL-2 showed high affinity of σ2 receptors (0.05 nM) vs σ1 receptors (769 nM). Total radiosynthesis time was 70 min including HPLC purification. Radiochemical yield was 2-5% (decay corrected to EOB). Radiochemical purity and molar activity were 98% and 1.65 Ci/µmol, respectively. In PET studies on Fig 1, the uptake of [18F]SL-2 accumulated slowly in tumor and showed relatively high uptake on the periphery (2.70±0.47 %ID/cc) than tumor core (1.47±0.77 %ID/cc). Tumor to muscle ratio was 1.2. In biodistribution studies (Fig 2), liver and pancreas showed high uptake. Tumor uptake was 0.86±0.22 %ID/g at 30 min and 1.17±0.29 %ID/g at 60 min, which was consistent with the PET data. Tumor : blood ratio was 2.14±0.79 and 3.79±3.52 and Tumor : muscle ratio was 0.89±0.17 and 1.86±1.44 at 30 min and 60 min, respectively. Conclusions: [18F]SL-2 was synthesized by copper mediated radiofluorination in automation module which was applicable for human and non-human research. In vitro binding assay suggested that SL-2 is a selective σ2 receptors ligand with high affinity. In vivo studies demonstrated [18F]SL-2 may differentiate proliferative cells from quiescent cells by measuring σ2 receptors status.
“I Wanted Diversity, But Not So Much”: Middle-Class White Parents, School Choice, and the Persistence of Anti-Black Stereotypes:

This interview study examines the school choices of white middle class parents who live in a large Northeastern city. Interviewees identify as progressive urbanites and express an appreciation for ...
Subject Ontogeny: subject access through time and the dimensionality of classification

Classification schemes undergo revision. However, in a networked environment revisions can be used to add dimensionality to classification. This dimensionality can be used to help explain conceptual warrant, explain the shift from disciplinary to multidisciplinary knowledge production, and as a component method of domain analysis. Further, subject ontogeny might be used in cooperative networked projects like digital preservation, online access tools, and interoperability frameworks.
An adaptive resolution tree visualization of large influenza virus sequence datasets

Rapid growth of the amount of influenza genome sequence data requires enhancing exploratory analysis tools. Results of the preliminary analysis should be represented in an easy-to-comprehend form and allow convenient manipulation of the data. We developed an adaptive approach to visualization of large sequence datasets on the web. A dataset is presented in an aggregated tree form with special representation of sub-scale details. The representation is calculated from the full phylogenetic tree and the amount of available screen space. Metadata, such as distribution over seasons or geographic locations, are aggregated/refined consistently with the tree. The user can interactively request further refinement or aggregation for different parts of the tree. The technique is implemented in Javascript on client site. It is a part of the new AJAX-based implementation of the NCBI Influenza Virus Resource.
Computational strategies and improvements in the linear algebraic variational approach to rearrangement scattering

We discuss the computational steps in calculating quantum mechanical reactive scattering amplitudes by the ℒ 2 generalized Newton variational principle with emphasis on computational strategies and recent improvements that make the calculations more efficient. We place special emphasis on quadrature techniques, storage management strategies, use of symmetry, and boundary conditions. We conclude that an efficient implementation of these procedures provides a powerful algorithm for the accurate solution of the Schroedinger equation for rearrangements.
Regulatory changes underlying expression differences within and between Drosophila species

Differences in gene expression are an important source of phenotypic variation, and can be caused by changes in cis and/or trans regulation. cis-regulatory variants alter allele-specific expression, whereas trans-regulatory variants influence expression of both alleles in a diploid cell. Because of this difference, we hypothesize that natural selection may favor one type of change over the other. Here, we investigate contributions of cis- and trans-regulatory changes to variable intra- and interspecific gene expression using four strains of Drosophila melanogaster, three strains of D. simulans and a total of 78 genes. We show that cis-regulatory changes account for a greater proportion of the expression differences observed between rather than within species. These data are inconsistent with a neutral model assuming equal probabilities of fixation for cis- and trans-regulatory polymorphisms, suggesting that natural selection influences the molecular mechanisms underlying divergent gene expression. Specifically, cis-regulatory changes seem to accumulate preferentially over time.
Appropriate use of health risk appraisals with school-age children.

: Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) use personal risk assessment as an educational approach to encourage adoption of positive health-related behavior. An individual's behavior and health history are compared to morbidity and mortality tables to estimate a level of personal risk. Current trends suggest HRAs will continue to be popular with school health educators. Appropriate use of HRAs requires an understanding of the assumptions, interpretations, and limitations of these instruments. This article reviews the development, validity, and reliability of HRA methodology. The educational usefulness of HRAs designed for school-age populations is examined. Recommendations are offered to optimize the instructional benefits of HRAs while minimizing potential deficiencies.
Heat Activation of Temperature-Gated Ion channels Studied by Fast Temperature Jumps

Temperature-gated ion channels are distinct for their extraordinarily high thermal sensitivity. Activation by temperature is made possible with large changes in enthalpy and entropy and appropriate compensation between them, yet the source of the energy and the molecular basis of temperature sensing have remained elusive. The present knowledge on the thermal gating of these channels has resulted largely from equilibrium measurements of temperature responses. Nonsteady-state properties of the gating have been lacking because of the difficulty in rapid perturbation of ambient temperature. To address these issues, we have developed a laser-based fast-heating approach and used it to investigate the heat activation of the vanilloid receptor TRPV1. In response to a temperature step, the channel was activated with an exponential time course, and the responses were sustained at hyperpolarization but became slowly inactivated at depolarization. The rate of activation was variable depending on cell conditions, but had a time constant generally on the order of milliseconds. The activation showed saturation in both kinetics and steady-state currents at temperatures above 50oC. Strong activation occurred in saturating temperatures independent of membrane potentials. Nonlinear relaxation behavior was observed especially during the deactivation process under extreme hyperpolarization. Our data indicate that, despite large energetic changes, the temperature activation can occur rapidly, and consists of multiple states involving both temperature-dependent and independent transitions. The results provide further constraint on the locality of the energetic distributions and novel insights for understanding the mechanism of temperature sensing.
The Social Integration of Queers and Peers

Sex delinquency is a major form of behavior deviating from the normative prescriptions of American society. A large number of behaviors are classified as sex delinquency-premarital heterosexual intercourse, pederasty, and fellation, for example. Investigation of sex behavior among males largely focuses on the psychological structure and dynamic qualities of adult persons who are described as "sexual types" or on estimating the incidence, prevalence, or experience rates of sex acts for various social groups in a population. There is little systematic research on the social organization of sexual activity in a complex social system unless one includes descriptive studies of the social organization of female prostitution. An attempt is made in this paper to describe the sexual relation between "delinquent peers" and "adult queers" and to account for its social organization. This transaction is one form of homosexual prostitution between a young male and an adult male fellator. The adult male client pays a delinquent boy prostitute a sum of money in order to be allowed to act as a fellator. The transaction is limited to fellation and is one in which the boy develops no self-conception as a homosexual person or sexual deviator, although he perceives adult male clients as sexual deviators, "queers" or "gay boys." There has been little research on social aspects of male homosexual prostitution; hence the exploratory nature of the investigation reported here and the tentative character of the
Grading Teachers' Grading Policies.

What constitutes sound testing and grading strategies? Here is one set of guidelines that principals might find useful when evaluating teach ers. Holding teachers more accountable for their grading practices should have a positive effect on the overall school climate.
Residual lignin studies of laccase delignified kraft pulps

Abstract The delignification of chemical pulps with laccase and n -hydroxybenzotriazole was explored employing a pre- and post-O 2 delignified softwood draft pulp. The delignification properties of laccase were shown to be improved with n -hydroxybenzotriazole was used as a mediator instead of 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid). Analysis of the structure of residual lignin before and after laccase/ n -hydroxybenzotriazole treatment indicated that the biobleaching system oxidizes the phenolic component of lignin and that the residual lignin is demethylated and significantly enriched in carboxylic acid groups.
Five Guidelines for Parent-Teacher Conferences

(1983). Five Guidelines for Parent-Teacher Conferences. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 56, No. 7, pp. 319-320.
A STUDY IN THE RISK FACTOR IMPLICIT IN SECURITIES PRICES

"SECURITY ANALYSIS can be defined as the study of the record and characteristics of a security for the practical purpose of determining its future potential, and its quality and value relative to other securities."l The security analyst would be aided by an understanding of the risks implied by the current price of a common stock. The measure generally used to quantify risk, the earnings-price ratio (or its reciprocal, the earnings multiplier), is based on several unrealistic assumptions, particularly those about future earnings growth.2 This dissertation seeks to fashion a better measure of the risk implicit in commonstock prices based on more realistic assumptions about future returns from the stock. Three measures of the risk implied in common stock prices are developed and tested to determine their performance as risk measures in relation to the earnings price ratio. These are the implied discount rate:
Effect of Body Mass Index on Left Ventricular Cavity Size and Ejection Fraction

Extreme obesity is known to be associated with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The relation of lesser degrees of obesity and LV systolic function is controversial. This study assessed the relation between body mass index (BMI; weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) and the LV ejection fraction (EF) and volumes in 1,806 subjects with normal technetium-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging results. BMI was evaluated as a continuous and a categorical variable (normal >18.5 and 2 ). The prevalence of an EF ≤50% was similar in normal, overweight, obese, and severely obese subjects. On univariate analysis, only severely obese women had mildly reduced LVEFs. LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes increased linearly from normal to obese men and women, respectively (each p
Dimensions of strong n-point sets

Abstract n -point sets (plane sets which hit each line in n points) and strong n -point sets (in addition hit each circle in n -points) exist (for n ⩾ 2 , n ⩾ 3 respectively) by transfinite induction, but their properties otherwise are difficult to establish. Recently for n -point sets the question of their possible dimensions has been settled: 2- and 3-point sets are always zero-dimensional, while for n ⩾ 4 , one-dimensional n -point sets exist. We settle the same question for strong n -point sets: strong 4- and 5-point sets are always zero-dimensional, while for n ⩾ 6 , both zero-dimensional and one-dimensional strong n -point sets exist.
Overcoming basic problems between manufacturers and distributors

Abstract Manufacturers selling to industrial and commercial markets rely heavily on distributors for many diverse marketing functions and marketing support functions. These relationships evolve over time to cover many different complex situations and issues. This article examines the critical factors that differentiate the highly successful suppliers that grab the largest share of an industrial distributor's business and summarizes the route to success.
Late Wisconsinan Vegetation and Environment of the Tunica Hills Region, Louisiana/Mississippi

Pollen, plant macrofossil, and radiocarbon-dating studies of seven exposures of fluvial sediments in the Tunica Hills region of southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi provide new information on late Wisconsinan vegetation, flora, and environment of the region. The assemblages date between 25,250 and 17,530 yr B.P. Pollen and macrofossil assemblages are dominated by Picea, which comprises 40-70% of the pollen assemblages. Abies and Larix pollen and macrofossils are absent, in contrast to sites to the north in the central Mississippi Valley. Deciduous hardwoods (Quercus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Carya, Juglans nigra, Acer, Ulmus) are minor components of both pollen and macrofossil assemblages. Radiocarbon dates of Picea and Quercus wood indicate that these two genera grew contemporaneously in the region. Regional upland forests were dominated by Picea. Picea cones and cone fragments are not typical of any extant North American species, and probably represent either an extinct species or an extinct variety or subspecies of Picea glauca. Late Wisconsinan climate of the region was cooler than present, but not necessarily as cool as implied by P. glauca or other "boreal" taxa.
Not so luck of the Irish: four-leaf clover-shaped quadricusp aortic valve found around St. Patrick's day.

A 43-year-old man was evaluated by his primary care physician for atypical chest pain and worsening dyspnea on exertion. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed at our institution to evaluate for an underlying cardiomyopathy. Much to the surprise of the sonographer and the interpreting physician, the only abnormality discovered was a quadricusp aortic valve (QAV). The valve had 4 leaflets or cusps instead of the normal 3-leaflet configuration and had associated mild to moderate aortic regurgitation (Figures 1 to 3; and Cine 1 and 2). QAV is a rare congenital valve disease first described in 1862 with an incidence of 0.013%. QAV can occur in isolation but it is also associated with other cardiac defects including coronary artery anomalies, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, ruptured sinus of Valsalva, or complete heart block. The most common manifestation is valvular insufficiency that may progress throughout life. It can be speculated that abnormal valve motion and stress distribution may lead to early fibrotic changes and, therefore, to later valve dysfunction. Although the findings on the echocardiogram were not believed to account for his symptoms of atypical chest pain and dyspnea, the patient in this case was, in a way, lucky. The incidental QAV will need to be periodically
The structure of the pineal organ of the bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus.

The pineal organ of the bluefin tuna was studied using light and electron microscopy. The pineal, an evagination in the diencephalic pallium, consists of a distal expanded end-organ and a stalk. A pineal nerve connects this end-organ to the habenular area of the diencephalon. The tissues above the pineal are modified for light transmission. Supporting cells are the most numerous type seen in the pineal tissue. The cytoplasm often contains glycogen, while the golgi apparatus is seldom seen. The plasma membrane is a complex of folded membranes interdigitating with adjacent cells. The sensory cells are characterized by a basal nucleus, a constricted neck region, and an ellipsoid region that is capped distally by lamellae. Sensory cells have the basic appearance of retinal photoreceptors. The lamellae are more disorganized than those of retinal rods, and some lamellae appear to be discharged from the cell. This study indicates that the pineal may function to deliver photoperiodic stimuli to the central nervous system, through the transmission of nerve impulses.
A possible relationship between metal abundance and luminosity for disk galaxies

Near-infrared colors have been measured for a sample of 31 late-type galaxies in the Pegasus I and Pisces clusters; system luminosities in the sample cover the range of M(H) between -19 and -23.5. The color index (J - K) correlates strongly with the absolute H magnitude; lower-luminosity systems have bluer colors. These observations are consistent with the assumption that the mean metal abundance of the old disk population decreases systematically with luminosity. The systematic variation (B - H) with absolute H magnitude reported recently by Tully et al. (1982) derives in part from this proposed systematic change of metallicity with luminosity. However, a relative increase in the number of newly formed stars and/or a systematic smaller age for lower-luminosity disks must still be posited in order to fully explain the observed (B - H), H relation.
Essential oil poisoning.

A review of essential oils used in the natural product pharmacopoeia with detailed evaluations of nutmeg(myristicin, eugenol); eucalyptus (1, 8 cineole); mint (menthol); cinnamon (cinnamaldehyde); ...
Transcribing refugees: the entextualization of asylum seekers' hearings in a transidiomatic environment

This article explores the link between asylum seekers' verbal performances and their transidiomatic entextualization by documenting the procedure through which asylum seekers' claims are examined by judicial authorities and translated into a public record Every year thousands of displaced people seek the protection of various European states by filing political asylum claims which are examined by national commissions. In their depositions, asylum seekers are interviewed by immigration officials for approximately an hour. After this interview they are presented with a judgment: a short text that summarizes their story and spells out the commission's decision on the case. The claim of this article is that these commissions are structurally unaware of the need to address the transidiomatic nature of the hearing. In this light, the entextualization of the asylum seeker's verbal performance becomes much more than the process of rendering a single instance of talk into text, detachable from its local context ; rather, it reveals how public officials, faced with the intrinsic alterity of the asylum seekers, rely on commonsensical, but at times inappropriate, knowledge of social, cultural, and linguistic values to construct, process, and eventually determine the validity of each claim. As a result, this procedure is fraught with unexamined assumptions about language, national identity, and communicative competence, leading to egregious violations of the asylum seekers' human rights.
Unemployment, Underemployment, and Employment Policy in China's Cities:

Compared with other large and populous developing nations, China shows little sign of large-scale urban unemployment. There are two main reasons for this a long-standing policy of actively discouraging rural-urban migration and the allocation of new urban labor force entrants to permanent positions in state or collective enterprises. The former policy limits the supply of urban workers below what it would be in the absence of restrictions on labor mobility, and the practice of job assignment limits the incidence of unemployment among designated urban residents. Furthermore, the small numbers of unemployed workers in Chinese cities consist largely of recent graduates, many of whom willingly pursue extended job searches in the hope of finding attractive positions. Even though urban unemployment is a small fraction of the labor force and is partly voluntary in nature, it would be a mistake to conclude that unemployment and policies intended to prevent unemployment can be excluded from consideration as factors that crucially affect the outcome of China's reform efforts. China's very success in avoiding urban unemployment is partly responsible for important
Low-variance direct Monte Carlo simulations using importance weights

We present an efficient approach for reducing the statistical uncertainty associated with direct Monte Carlo simulations of the Boltzmann equation. As with previous variance-reduction ap- proaches, the resulting relative statistical uncertainty in hydrodynamic quantities (statistical uncer- tainty normalized by the characteristic value of quantity of interest) is small and independent of the magnitude of the deviation from equilibrium, making the simulation of arbitrarily small deviations from equilibrium possible. In contrast to previous variance-reduction methods, the method presented here is able to substantially reduce variance with very little modification to the standard DSMC algo- rithm. This is achieved by introducing an auxiliary equilibrium simulation which, via an importance weight formulation, uses the same particle data as the non-equilibrium (DSMC) calculation; subtract- ing the equilibrium from the non-equilibrium hydrodynamic fields drastically reduces the statistical uncertainty of the latter because the two fields are correlated. The resulting formulation is simple to code and provides considerable computational savings for a wide range of problems of practical interest. It is validated by comparing our results with DSMC solutions for steady and unsteady, isothermal and non-isothermal problems; in all cases very good agreement between the two methods is found.
Visual and systemic outcomes in pediatric ocular myasthenia gravis.

Purpose To evaluate visual and systemic outcomes in pediatric patients with purely ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) treated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Design Retrospective chart review. Methods Pediatric patients with OMG seen at a single institution over a 16-year period with a minimum follow-up of 1 year were reviewed. Associations of demographic and clinical characteristics with disease resolution, amblyopia, and development of generalized symptoms of myasthenia gravis were analyzed. Results Thirty-nine patients were identified, with a mean age of 5.4 ± 4.8 years and mean follow-up of 4.8 ± 4.3 years. Fifteen patients were treated with pyridostigmine only, 19 (49%) also received steroids, and 15 (38%) underwent thymectomy. Four patients (10%) received steroid-sparing immunosuppressive therapy. Resolution occurred in 10 patients, and generalized symptoms eventually occurred in 9 patients. Although 10 patients were treated for amblyopia, only 1 had amblyopia at the final visit. There was no correlation between sex or age with amblyopia or development of generalized symptoms. Thymectomy, when performed before the onset of generalized symptoms, showed a trend toward protection from the development of generalized symptoms ( P = .07). Conclusions In our series, 24% of patients had disease resolution and 23% had generalized symptoms. Our larger cohort confirms previous findings that treated and untreated pediatric patients with OMG have a relatively low risk of developing generalized symptoms and that related amblyopia is readily reversible. Although our treatments were more aggressive than those previously reported, our rates of amblyopia and development of generalized symptoms are comparable.
Biocompatibility assessment of next generation materials for brain implantable microelectrodes

Abstract Proper interfacing between the microelectrode device and the cells is very important for functional stimulation of brain; the microelectrodes need to be in close proximity to the cells. The materials currently being used in device or research (silicon, polymer, platinum) do not support neuronal attachment on their surfaces. Here, we investigated primary neuronal cell attachment on Pyrex glass, sapphire, and iridium oxide as promising alternative materials. Sapphire was found to be an excellent substrate to support neuron attachment in serum free condition. Using micro-patterning, sapphire was shown to have great potential as a substrate for next generation neural implants.
Positive solutions to X = A−BX-1 B∗

Abstract We study the positive (semidefinite) solutions to the matrix equation X = A− BX -1 B ∗ under the assumption that A⩾0. We show that a positive solution exists if and only if a certain block tridiagonal operator is positive, in which case the solution is given by the shorted operator (or generalized Schur complement) of that operator.
Homogeneous quantization and multiplicities of group representations

Let B be a compact manifold. A cone over B is a principal R+-bundle, X, with base B. Let (a, x) → ϱa(x) be the mapping associated with the action of a ϵ R+ on X. X is called a symplectic cone if it possesses a symplectic form, ω, such that ϱa∗ω = aω. A compact Lie group, G, is said to act in a homogeneous fashion on X if it acts on X in such a way that both ω and the principal bundle structure are preserved. It is known that to such an action one can associate in a fairly canonical way a representation of G on a Hilbert space H. (See [3].) In this paper we propose a symplectic recipe for the multiplicities with which H decomposes into G-irreducibles and show that this recipe is correct “generically”.
Subcooled forced-convection film boiling in the forward stagnation region of a sphere or cylinder

Abstract An analysis is made of forced-convection film boiling in stagnation flow of subcooled liquids. The role of liquid viscosity in film boiling is determined by postulating the existence of a hydrodynamic boundary layer superposed on potential flow and using a perturbation technique. The viscous boundary layer due to shear stress at the vapor-liquid interface is shown to perturb the velocity field only slightly at large liquid subcooling. While the inviscid solution cannot be used to describe liquid motion when the liquid temperature is near its saturation temperature, the vapor is found to move only under the influence of the potential flow pressure distribution, thereby eliminating the coupling between the liquid boundary layer and vapor film without any significant errors in the heat-transfer problem. A rational interpolation formula between these two limiting cases leads to a simple expression for the film boiling heat transfer incorporating the major effects of wall superheat and liquid subcooling. The applicability of this formula to subcooled film boiling from a sphere or a cylinder is demonstrated.
Third-order non-linear optical properties of oriented films of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) investigated by femtosecond degenerate four wave mixing

Abstract The third-order non-linear optical susceptibility, χ(3), has been investigated at wavelengths of 602 and 580 nm for a 10:1 stretch-oriented uniaxial film of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) using femtosecond degenerate four wave mixing. A relatively large χ(3) with a subpicosecond response is observed. A large anisotropy in the χ(3) value is found, the largest component of χ(3) being along the draw direction.
The orbiting astronomical observatory thermal test program

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory thermal test and evaluation program, discussing equipment and role in experimental design