cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Management of Missile Injury to Right Ventricle and Subsequent Pulmonary Embolization

Pulmonary embolization of a missile is a rare phenomenon. Localization after embolization can be confounding, and there is no consensus on management. This report describes a case of a gunshot wound to the chest with preoperative and initial intraoperative imaging localizing the bullet to the right ventricle but a negative intraoperative exploration of the right-sided cardiac chambers. Intraoperative fluoroscopy allowed for immediate localization of the bullet to the hilum of the left lung, with subsequent endovascular retrieval.
Characterizing and Detecting Integrity Issues in OWL Instance Data.

We view OWL instance data evaluation as a process in which instance data is checked for conformance with application requirements. We previously identified some integrity issues raised by applications demanding closed world reasoning. In this paper, we present a formal characterization of those integrity issues using autoepistemic operators, and a practical SPARQL-based issue checking approach that is a sound approximation for detecting integrity issues.
Early Renal Involvement in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Nonhodgkin’s Lymphoma in Children

AbstractClinical manifestations of kidney disease, particularly renal failure, caused by malignant infiltration in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or nonHodgkin’s lymphoma have been described rarely. We report 1 case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 3 cases of nonHodgkin’s lymphoma in which renal disease was the only or one of the presenting manifestations of malignancy. Of these patients 2 had rapidly progressive renal failure with nephromegaly, 1 presented with bilateral abdominal masses caused by severe nephromegaly and with microscopic hematuria, and 1 had microscopic hematuria without nephromegaly. In all 4 patients kidney biopsy revealed malignant infiltration. In the 2 patients who presented with renal failure kidney function promptly returned to normal after chemotherapy and irradiation of the kidneys. Prompt and correct diagnosis of nephropathy, when it is the only or one of the presenting signs of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, is necessary to expedite initi...
Role of Sperm Morphology in Deciding Between Various Assisted Reproduction Technologies.

Abstract Sperm morphology has long been used as a clinical tool in the assessment of men with infertility. In the past, high percentages of abnormal sperm have been associated with lower pregnancy rates. However, significant intra- and interlaboratory variation has been found for sperm morphology assessment and several recent meta-analyses have demonstrated that sperm morphology is no longer predictive of lower pregnancy rates when using assisted reproduction technology (ART). As the validity of the test and the predictive nature of sperm morphology are no longer as robust as before, clinicians should not rely on percentage thresholds for normal sperm when deciding on which ART to opt for. Instead, clinicians should base ART decisions on other reproductive factors.
Incentives for environmental research and development: Consumer preferences, competitive pressure and emissions taxation

Abstract This paper examines the incentives of firms in exerting research and development (R&D) efforts to reduce the environmental cost of their production processes. Firms in almost every sector face mounting pressures from consumers, competitors and regulators to conduct environmental R&D. However, many are standing still due (mainly in part) to the trade-offs between benefits and costs, uncertainties and effectiveness of R&D activities. This paper presents a two-stage duopoly model that demonstrates how consumer demands, competitor actions and regulatory requirements can impact firms’ environmental R&D incentives. On the policy front, firms are regulated by a constant unit emissions cost under an emissions tax. On the demand side, in addition to deriving economic value from the product, consumers incur heterogeneous intrinsic costs (due to altruistic concerns) to consume environmentally inferior products, and exhibit “egoistic” preferences to consume their favorite brand. On the supply side, the efforts exerted by a firm generate a probability of R&D success with which the firm decreases the environmental cost of its production process, and the R&D cost exhibits diminishing returns to scale for R&D efforts. In this context, two firms compete on their R&D and pricing decisions in a two-stage game framework. Our results showcase a number of scenarios in which those external forces can induce firms to exert higher R&D efforts, some of which are counter-intuitive and contrary to commonly held assumptions and arguments about the role of consumer, competitive and regulatory pressures in environmental development.
Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement in a 5-year-old patient: Modifications for the smallest patients.

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) has become a valid alternative to the traditional transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in patients who do not require antitachycardia/antibradycardia pacing or cardiac resynchronization therapy.1 The absence of intravascular or intracardiac components removes several complications of transvenous systems that make it particularly favorable in younger patients. Limiting factors in children have been the relatively large size of the pulse generator, concerns of device erosion, and a mandatory distance between sensing electrodes.
Abstract 393: Covalently Connected Apolipoprotein A-I Molecules Provide Support for the Double Belt Model in Reconstituted HDL

Because of its critical role in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism, significant work has been devoted to studying apolipoprotein (apo)A-I structure in its lipid-bound state, particularly rec...
Boundary integral element method for linear diffusion—reaction problems with discontinuous boundary conditions

Abstract A numerical procedure based on the boundary integral element method has been implemented for the solution of the linear diffusion-reaction equation in two dimensions. In this method the dimensionality of the problem is reduced by one by choosing the modified zero-order Bessel function of the second kind as the weighting function. Thus the discretization of only the enclosing perimeter is needed for numerical computations using this method. Discontinuous boundary conditions and irregular shapes are easily handled by this technique. The method can be extended to three-dimensional problems with the associated benefits of reduction in dimensionality. A number of examples are presented to illustrate the method. One such case study presented is the calculation of catalyst effectiveness factor in trickle beds under conditions of partial wetting. The paper also presents the numerical and analytical investigation of the region near the singularity due to the presence of the discontinuous boundary condition.
Using the Teaching and Guidance Policy Essentials Checklist to Develop Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Behavior Guidance Policies

The purpose of this study was to extend our previous work using the Teaching and Guidance Policy Essentials Checklist (TAGPEC) by examining the extent to which early childhood behavior guidance policies address language and culture and support program practices that promote fairness and equity for all children. Policies previously collected from 282 programs accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) were reexamined using an updated version of the TAGPEC, which was revised to more fully address cultural and linguistic diversity and implicit bias. Overall, policies failed to address evidence-based practices, and findings are situated within the discourse on the prevalence of challenging behaviors, troubling data on preschool suspension and expulsion rates, and the current ECE context.
A Systems Approach for Analyzing Operational Energy Requirements for the Warfighter

Warfighters are carrying increasing amounts of electronics to provide them a tactical edge. These electronics are now imposing a substantial operational energy burden where missions are often constrained by energy requirements. Current operational energy analyses typically only look at the power draw of individual equipment. However, a systems approach more holistically captures these operational energy requirements. A system is defined to consist of the following three components: the soldier, their equipment, and the mission. This analysis then defines each component and then evaluates the interactions between them. These definitions and interactions are captured through a series of tables that can be built in Microsoft Excel which allows for tradespace analysis. This paper outlines this process and presents two case studies. The first case study evaluates adding energy harvesters to a dismounted rifle squad during a 72-hour movement to contact. The second case study evaluates adding a solar blanket to power electronics in a military vehicle during a 24-hour overwatch mission.
Facial Expression-Based Emotion Classification using Electrocardiogram and Respiration Signals

Automated emotion recognition from physiological signals is an ongoing research area. Many studies rely on self-reported emotion scores from subjects to generate classification labels. This can introduce labeling inconsistencies due to inter-subject variability. Facial expressions provide a more consistent means of generating labels. We generate labels by selecting locations at which subjects either displayed a visibly averse/negative reaction or laughed in video recordings. We next use a supervised learning approach for classifying these emotional responses based on electrocardiogram (EKG) and respiration signal features in an experiment where different movie/video clips were utilized to elicit feelings of joy, disgust, amusement, etc. As features, we extract wavelet coefficient patches from EKG RR-interval time series and respiration waveform parameters. We use principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and support vector machines for classification. We achieved an overall classification accuracy of 78.3%.
Dilemmas of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence has confronted us with a raft of dilemmas that challenge us to decide what values are important in our designs.
How Hispanic Should Hispanic-Serving Institutions Be?

The Board of Regents appointed President Thomas to the helm of Nuestra University, a large and urban Hispanic-Serving University. In the first years of his presidency, Nuestra achieved important mi...
Upgrade at excisional biopsy after a core needle biopsy diagnosis of classic lobular carcinoma in situ.

Abstract Background Management of patients with classic lobular carcinoma in situ diagnosed on core needle biopsy remains controversial, in part because of clinicopathologic overlap with atypical lobular hyperplasia. Although atypical lobular hyperplasia on core needle biopsy is observed because of its low upgrade rate (~1%), consensus is lacking for lobular carcinoma in situ. Therefore, we evaluated lobular carcinoma in situ upgrade rates. Methods With institutional review board approval, we identified 90 patients (from October 2008 to December 2019) with lobular carcinoma in situ on core needle biopsy as their highest-risk lesion. We excluded patients with concurrent ipsilateral cancer. Variables associated with upgrade were assessed with logistic regression. Results Of the 90 patients, 81 (90%), median age 55 y, underwent surgical excision. Indications for diagnostic core needle biopsy included mammographic calcifications (48, 53.3%), mass/distortion (28, 31.1%), and non-mass enhancement (12, 13.3%). Final surgical pathology upgraded 11 of 81 patients (13.6%, 95% CI: 7.8%–22.7%) to cancer: invasive lobular (n = 7), invasive ductal (n = 1), and ductal carcinoma in situ/pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ (n = 3). Only 1 patient with invasive cancer was node-positive. Concurrent contralateral cancer (OR 4.41, 95% CI: 1.06–17.38, P = .04) and larger lesion size (OR 1.78 per 1 cm, 95% CI: 1.19–2.95, P = .005) predicted upgrade. Conclusion Our data suggest that, unlike atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ identified on core needle biopsy should be surgically excised. The high proportion of upgrades to early stage invasive lobular carcinoma underscores the value of this approach.
Contents of US Food and Drug Administration Refuse-to-File Letters for New Drug Applications and Efficacy Supplements and Their Public Disclosure by Applicants.

Importance Before reviewing drug applications, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducts “filing reviews” to assess whether they are complete enough for full review. If the applications are incomplete, the FDA issues refuse-to-file (RTF) letters identifying deficiencies. The FDA does not make these RTF letters public at the time of issuance. Why the FDA issues RTF letters and how often the letters and their contents are made publicly available are unknown. Objectives To quantitatively analyze the FDA’s reasons for issuing RTF letters and assess the public transparency of RTF letters and their contents. Design and Setting This cross-sectional study analyzes RTF letters issued in response to new drug applications and efficacy supplements (applications for new indications or patient populations for already approved drugs) submitted to the FDA between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017. Statistical analysis was conducted in July 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Two types of information were extracted and cataloged from RTF letters: (1) the reasons why the FDA refused to file applications and (2) the FDA comments that, while not a basis for RTF letters, conveyed important information to applicants. The extent to which applicants publicly disclosed the FDA’s refusal reasons were also assessed. Results The study included 103 RTF letters containing a total of 644 identified FDA refusal reasons. Among the 2475 applications that the FDA received during the study time frame, 98 (4.0%) received RTF letters. Overall, 84.5% (544 of 644) of the refusal reasons were for scientific deficiencies; most reasons were related to drug efficacy and safety (196 [30.4%]) and drug quality (125 [19.4%]). The remaining 15.5% of refusal reasons (100 of 644) were for application organization deficiencies or legal issues. A total of 26.2% of the RTF letters (27 of 103) identified presubmission advice from the FDA that applicants did not follow; the most frequently ignored advice was related to clinical trial design (33.3% [9 of 27]), followed by product chemistry and manufacturing (25.9% [7 of 27]). Applicants publicly disclosed the existence of 16 of 103 RTF letters (15.5%); however, only 5.4% of applicant-disclosed reasons (35 of 644) matched the refusal reasons that the FDA had provided in the RTF letters. Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study found that the FDA refused to file applications for substantive reasons related to quality, safety, and efficacy, and applicants’ disclosure of those reasons was incomplete. This work sheds light on the FDA’s regulatory decision-making processes and the RTF reasons that could delay availability of therapies to patients.
Angiotensin II Potentiation Contributes to Inter-Endothelial Cell Gap Formation in Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells Through Regulatory Myosin Light Chain 2 Phosphorylation

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe yet predictable complication of covid-19, the novel coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (sars-cov-2). Comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19-induced ARDS at the cellular and molecular levels is important for developing effective early preventive and therapeutic interventions. Sars-cov-2 utilizes angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the surface of the host cell to gain its entry and, in the meantime, suppresses ACE2 expression and function. The decrease in available ACE2 results in excessive production of angiotensin II (Ang II), a potent Gq-linked agonist that can increase cytosolic Ca2+ concentration causing lung vascular endothelial cell barrier disruption, an essential early step in the pathogenesis of ARDS, ultimately leading to pulmonary edema and subsequent respiratory compromise. In the present study, we first established that pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) possess a Ca2+/MLC2 (regulatory myosin light chain 2) signaling pathway that controls endothelial cell barrier function. Ionomycin, a potent Ca2+-selective ionophore, induced a rapid inter-EC gap formation along with a rapid, dose-dependent MLC2 phosphorylation in PMVECs. Chelation of extracellular Ca2+ or direct inhibition of MLC2 phosphorylation abolished the ionomycin-induced inter-EC gap formation. Next, we demonstrated that Ang II also induced inter-EC gap formation and a dose-dependent increase in MLC2 phosphorylation in PMVECs. Thus, Ang II may activate the Ca2+/MLC2 signaling pathway to disrupt lung microvascular endothelial barrier. These findings suggest a potential causative link between sars-cov-2 infection, Ca2+-dependent regulatory myosin light chain activation, and lung vascular endothelial barrier disruption in COVID-19-induced ARDS.
COVID-19 and the pre-existing language teacher supply crisis

The insufficient supply of K-12 language – world language (WL) and English as a second language (ESL) – teachers in the United States has been a pervasive challenge for school administrators seekin...
Fossil Invertebrate Evidence For Late Wisconsin Environments At The Lamb Spring Site, Colorado

Interdisciplinary studies of Quaternary fossil groups strengthen the paleoenvironmental interpretations of archaeological sites. In this paper, we present the results of an investigation of an asse...
Analysis and Valuation of Privately Held Companies

This chapter discusses how an analyst deals with problems associated with valuation of privately held companies. A privately owned corporation is a firm whose securities are not registered with state or federal authorities. Consequently, they are prohibited from being traded in the public securities markets. The lack of such markets makes valuing private businesses particularly challenging. However, the need to value such businesses may arise for a variety of reasons. Investors and small business owners may need a valuation as part of a merger or acquisition, for settling an estate, or because employees wish to exercise their stock options. Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) also may require periodic valuations. This chapter focuses on the challenges of valuing private firms. The chapter provides a brief discussion of such businesses, and then discusses in detail the hazards of dealing with both limited and often unreliable data associated with private firms. The chapter then focuses on how to properly adjust questionable data, as well as how to select the appropriate valuation methodology and discount or capitalization rate. The chapter presents discussion on how to apply control premiums, minority discounts, and liquidity discounts in valuing businesses. This chapter also includes a discussion of how corporate shells, created through reverse mergers, and leveraged ESOPs are used to acquire privately owned companies and how PIPE financing may be used to fund their ongoing operations.
Interactions of the Commensal Flora with the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

This chapter surveys recent information on the roles of the commensal intestinal flora and provides an overview of how the natural symbiosis can be enhanced. The dominant microbial genera of the human gastrointestinal tract include Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Fusobacterium, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Escherichia, and Veillonella. The ability of the commensal flora to persist in the intestinal lumen stands in stark contrast to the abundance and vigor of the intestinal immune system. The intestinal mucosa must maintain a highly selective barrier function, capable of permitting the absorption of highly variable nutrients and the sampling of antigens while excluding pathogenic microorganisms. Just as the presence of the commensal flora is needed to drive the maturation of the immune system, several studies have suggested that the flora is required to establish normal epithelial barrier function. The studies by Gordon and Hooper have illuminated dramatically the contributions of the commensal flora to ontogeny of the intestinal mucosa. The study of health-promoting effects conferred by administration of a live commensal flora, so called probiotic species, has a long but often confusing history. The contribution of the enteric commensal flora to human health is only beginning to be appreciated, and many more studies are required. The availability of molecular approaches will greatly accelerate laboratory investigations, but careful clinical observations are required to ascertain the full scope of these effects.
Audio modeling and loudness estimation with IJDSP mobile simulations

Audio signal modeling and simulation is important in several coding, noise removal, and recognition applications. This paper focuses on implementing models for loudness estimation and their use in estimating parameters on iOS mobile devices (iPhones and iPads). We briefly address estimating excitation patterns and loudness through auditory models. These loudness estimation and other algorithms were implemented in the award winning educational iOS app iJDSP for performing DSP simulations on mobile devices. The modules were introduced to graduate students in the general signal processing area, to evaluate their effectiveness as teaching tools. The evaluation process involved giving the students a pre-quiz, guiding them through hands-on activities on the iOS app, and finally, a post-quiz. Assessments results were positive with noticeable improvement of student understanding of topics such as spectrograms and linear predictive coding.
Yours, Mine, or Ours: Discussing Ownership of Collaborative Works in the Cloud

Increased usage of cloud storage and other networking technologies in knowledge management (KM) systems leave companies vulnerable to loss of proprietary rights as intellectual property law struggles to keep up with these advances. This paper reviews the current legal environment surrounding cloud and collaborative KM, discusses the implications for KM, and makes recommendations for how gaps between legal protection for intellectual property and KM can be overcome/corrected.
Monitoring Steam Sterilization of Surgical Instruments: a Dilemma

The study of two biological indicators in monitoring “flash” sterilization demonstrated that indicator construction often leads to a false interpretation of spore survival.
Better survival for victims of cardiac arrest occurring in sports facilities: From speculations to facts

American Heart Journal - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since lundi 25 mai 2015
The Controversy Over Controversies: A Plea for Flexibility and for “Soft-Directive” Teaching

A controversy rages over the question of how should controversial topics be taught. Recent work has advanced the “epistemic criterion” as the resolution to this controversy. According to the epistemic criterion, a matter should be taught as controversial when contrary views can be entertained on the matter without the views being contrary to reason. When an issue is noncontroversial, according to the epistemic criterion, the correct position can be taught “directively,” with the teacher endorsing that position. When there is a legitimate controversy, the view should be taught “nondirectively,” with the teacher remaining neutral. In response, Bryan Warnick and Spencer Smith argue that the proponents of the epistemic criterion fail to recognize the multidimensional nature of what it means to learn to be rational. Recognizing this complexity undermines the link between the epistemic status of the controversy and directiveness of one's teaching, suggesting more flexibility in how teachers approach controversial issues. It also implies the need for a new category of teaching, which Warnick and Smith call “soft-directive” teaching.
Measurement of rat heart fatty acid binding protein by ELISA. Tissue distribution, developmental changes and subcellular distribution.

A class of soluble, low molecular weight proteins collectively called fatty acid binding proteins (FABP) are thought to function in the intracellular movement of fatty acids. To understand more clearly the role of FABP in cardiac metabolism, we used ELISA and immuno-blotting techniques to study the distribution of heart FABP in several rat tissues, compare male and female rat heart content, quantitate developmental changes, and determine its subcellular distribution. Immunoreactive protein was found in appreciable amounts in rat heart, red skeletal muscle and kidney. Adult rat heart contained about 1.5 mg FABP/g tissue wet weight with the atrial content being approximately 50% of the ventricular concentration. No significant difference was detected between the sexes. The amount of FABP increased progressively during development from fetal to adult animals, and measureable amounts were found in 17-day-old fetal tissue. Comparisons between myoglobin and FABP showed that FABP appeared carlier than myoglobin in development, but myoglobin was more abundant than FAPB at birth. Using immunoblots it was determined that rat heart FABP was localized in the cytosol with no detectable intramitochondrial material.
Inhibition of steroid-mediated induction of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase by 2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A)

The inhibition of the steroid-mediated induction of delta-aminolevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic porphyrin-heme biosynthesis, by 2-diethylaminoethyl-2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A) as studied in cultured chick embryo liver cells. The formation of porphyrins in response to cyproterone, a synthetic steroid, was inhibited in a time-dependent manner by SKF 525-A, an inhibitor of several drug metabolizing enzyme systems. This action is a result of an inhibitory effect of SKF 525-A on the cyproterone-mediated induction of delta-aminolevulinate synthase; SKF 525-A also inhibited the induction of the enzyme by the naturally occurring 5 beta-H steroids, etiocholanolone and pregnanolone. Employing [3H]etiocholanolone, we provide evidence that this inhibition is not associated with either decreased uptake or an altered metabolism of the steroid. Moreover, approx 4-6-fold more radioactivity was associated with [3H]etiocholanolone-treated cells cultured in the presence of SKF 525-A. Alternative mechanisms for the induction of delta-aminolevulinate synthase by steroids are proposed which do not require the interaction of steroid-receptor complex with the genome.
Five-color flow cytometric analysis of swine lymphocytes for detection of proliferation, apoptosis, viability, and phenotype.

Background The objective of this study was to develop a method to simultaneously examine phenotype, proliferation, apoptosis, and death of antigen-stimulated porcine lymphocytes. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from pigs vaccinated with a Brachyspira hyodysenteriae bacterin. Results Once isolated, PBMCs were stained with the fluorescent membrane intercalating dye, PKH67, and cultured with or without B. hyodysenteriae whole-cell sonicate antigen. Serial samples of nonstimulated and B. hyodysenteriae–stimulated PBMCs were harvested for flow cytometric analysis. Fluorochrome excitation was performed with spatially separated air-cooled argon and red helium neon laser beams. Five-color analysis included signal detection of PKH67 (proliferation), phycoerythrin (cell surface antigen), Texas Red phycoerythrin tandem (cell surface antigen), allophycocyanin (annexin V), and 7-amino-actinomysin D (7AAD; viability). For analysis, gates were set on live (annexin V−, 7AAD−), intact apoptotic (annexin V+, 7AADdim), and live plus intact apoptotic (annexin V+/−, 7AADdim/−) cells, and the phenotypes of PBMCs within these populations were determined during the course of the in vitro response. Dead cells (i.e., 7AADbright) were excluded from the analysis. Conclusion Application of this method for the determination of porcine lymphocyte subset proliferation is presented. Cytometry 48:146–152, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electrochemical aspects of grinding media-mineral interactions in magnetite ore grinding

Electrochemical aspects of grinding media-mineral interactions in magnetite ore grinding are illustrated from the viewpoint of corrosive wear of grinding balls and changes in the surface properties of the ground minerals. The corrosive wear of mild steel and HCLA steel was found to be small in contact with magnetite, while the combined presence of pyrrhotite and oxygen accelerated the corrosion of the above ball materials. Austenitic stainless steel exhibited passive behavior under all the above conditions. Galvanic coupling of mild steel with magnetite or pyrrhotite resulted in the formation of a surface reaction product consisting of iron hydroxide species on the mineral.
A spike train analysis for correlating burst firings in neurons

Abstract We introduced a multiple single-unit spike train analysis technique to deduce the burst firing patterns in one neuron that are temporally correlated to the spike generation in another neuron. This analysis considers the contribution of temporal summation of burst firings in one neuron that is correlated to the probability of spike firing in another neuron. The result shows that the analysis can extract the number of spikes and the duration of burst pattern.
Rhabdomyosarcoma Manifesting as Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction

A 5-month-old boy with acquired epiphora developed a right inferonasal lower eyelid mass, which was shown on computed tomography to involve the inferior and medial recti muscles and the nasolacrimal duct. Orbital exploration and excision of the mass disclosed this to be an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. This case illustrates the importance of distinguishing acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction in infancy from true congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
Definition of adventure travel: conceptual framework for empirical application from the providers' perspective.

The growth of adventure travel has been accompanied by an enormous variety and availability of adventure travel products in international travel and tourism. This study attempts to search for a comprehensive definition of adventure travel from the providers’ perspective in order to build a conceptual framework for empirical application. A qualitative analysis of past leisure or recreation theories identified six major component variables which define adventure travel. Together with these six components, several alternative definitions of adventure travel are studied in detail as part of the research. This study proposes a new definition of adventure travel, as a standard tool for measuring and segmenting the adventure travel market.
Conformational dynamics of individual DNA molecules during gel electrophoresis.

GEL electrophoresis is widely used in molecular biology to separate DNA molecules according to their sizes. The physical basis of this size separation is, however, poorly understood. Here we report observations of individual, fluorescently stained DNA molecules as they migrate during various kinds of gel electrophoresis. Their movement, under the influence of either a steady electric field or a pulsed-field, is characterized by cycles of elongation and contraction. Initially relaxed coils of DNA lengthen into 'hook-shaped' configurations which temporarily 'hang-up' on obstacles in the gel matrix before sliding off, contracting and entering another cycle. The effects of a new electrophoresis technique, termed 'pulse-oriented electrophoresis", which allows the effective angle of the electric field, and hence the molecular orientation of DNA, to be varied without electrode rearrangement, are also studied. In this case the DNA adopts a 'staircase' configuration showing that the net orientation in a direction is given by the vector sum of the pulses used.
Functional database query languages as typed lambda calculi of fixed order (extended abstract)

We present a functional framework for database query languages, which is analogous to the conventional logical framework of first-order and fixpoint formulas over finite structures. We use atomic constants of order 0, equality among these constants, variables, application, lambda abstraction, and let abstraction; all typed using fixed order (≤ 5) functionalities. In this framework, proposed in [21] for arbitrary order functionalities, queries and databases are both typed lambda terms, evaluation is by reduction, and the main programming technique is list iteration. We define two families of languages: TLI=i or simply-typed list iteration of order i+3 with equality, and MLI=i or ML-typed list iteration of order i+3 with equality; we use i+3 since our list representation of databases requires at least order 3. We show that: FO-queries ⊆TLI=0 ⊆MLI=0 ⊆LOGSPACE-queries ⊆TLI=1 =MLI=1 = PTIME-queries ⊆ TLI2, where equality is no longer a primitive in TLI2. We also show that ML type inference, restricted to fixed order, is polynomial in the size of the program typed. Since programming by using low order functionalities and type inference is common in functional languages, our results indicate that such programs suffice for expressing efficient computations and that their ML-types can be efficiently inferred.
Educational Social Climates and Delinquency in Iceland: An Integrated Perspective

This study tests the viability of an educational social climate model in explaining delinquency in Iceland. The model represents an integration of the conceptual ideas found in the educational environment literature and the literature on delinquency and the schools. The model specifies the relationships among perceptions of the school's social climate, school out comes, association with delinquent peers (differential association) and four types of delinquency. Using survey data from a sample (N = 578) of adolescents in Reykjavik, Iceland, the path analysis findings from this study offer modest support for the model School outcomes and differential association have the strongest direct effect on all types of delinquency. Perceptions of the school's social climate mainly have an effect on delin quency through their relationship with school outcomes and differential association.
Simulation of the 200 MWe Tonghae Thermal Power Plant Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor by using IEA-CFBC Model

The 200 MWe Tonghae thermal power plant CFB boiler (2-units) is the largest boiler to fire a Korean anthracite coal for generation of electric power. The #1 unit CFB has been operated commercially since October 1998, and the #2 unit CFB, which will begin commercial operation in October 1999, is currently under construction. However, there is little operational data of the large CFB combustor firing anthracite coal, so it is necessary to predict the performance of the CFB combustor with variation of the operation conditions. Therefore, in this study, the simulation of the Tonghae CFB has been carried out to predict the performance with various nominal rates, coal particle size distribution and operating conditions. The simulation results with various loads could be fitted well to the design values at the given operation conditions. At the various operation conditions, the simulation results could explain the performance of the Tonghae CFBC well.
Edge noise in document images

A degradation model that describes many image degradations produced by desktop scanning is used to study the edge noise that is present in bilevel document images. The standard deviation of the additive noise does not adequately describe the noise present after the image is converted to a bilevel image. A measure of noise called Noise Spread is developed which describes the edge noise and is a function of the scanner parameters. If phase effects are removed this Noise Spread quantity is directly proportional to the expected value of the Hamming distance between scans with and without edge noise. The Noise Spread has also been correlated with the ability to accurately estimate edge locations. A simple method to estimate this quantity is proposed.
Nephromium arcticum (L.) Fr., a lichen new to Britain

Nephromium arcticum (L.) Fr. is reported for the first time in Britain from three separate localities in the north of Scotland. Morphology and distribution of this species, and of the closely related N. antarcticum (Wulf.) Nyl. are briefly described. A few ecological notes are given for each Scottish locality.
Association of axonally transported heparan sulfate with isolated synaptic plasma membrane.

Studies on isolated synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) have detected little if any heparan sulfate or other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), while more recent studies employing proteoglycan antibodies have localized heparan sulfate proteoglycan in presynaptic plasma membrane of intact tissue. To further address the issue of proteoglycans in synaptic plasma membrane of intact tissue. To further address the issue of proteoglycans in synaptic plasma membrane, we have investigated the possible presence of axonally transported GAGs in SPM isolated from the goldfish optic tectum. SPMs isolated from tecta following rapid axonal transport of35SO4 labeled molecules down the optic nerve, showed specific radioactivity approximately two-fold higher than the starting homogenate. Treatment of the transport labeled SPM with the enzyme heparitinase liberated 21% of the radioactivity, indicating the presence of a significant fraction of trnasported label in heparan sulfate. In a separate series of experiments a GAG fraction was isolated from transport labeled SPM and was found to consist of heparan sulfate containing 28% of transported radioactivity. Chondroitin (4 or 6) sulfate, which undergoes axonal transport in the goldfish optic system, was not found associated with SPM. Taken together the results support immunological evidence for the presence of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in presynaptic plasma membrane.
DNA immunization: mechanistic studies

DNA immunization works, as has been amply demonstrated in a variety of microbial and tumor models. However, the mechanisms which underpin its success remain unclear. Using intramuscular delivery of DNA, we wish to precisely define how DNA-encoded antigens induce CD8+ T-cells (most cytotoxic T-cells; CTL), CD4+ T-cells (mostly helper cells) and antibodies; and to use the accrued knowledge to rationally manipulate DNA vaccines, thus enabling us to optimize each of the above three types of immune response. We consider it likely that different mechanisms operate in each case. We have designed a DNA vaccine which induces CTL, but not antibodies. We will present evidence that CTL are induced by endogenously-synthesized protein, not by protein released from cells; and that in the absence of release of intact protein, antibodies are not induced, while CTL induction remains strong. We have used plasmid-encoded minigenes and have found that these short sequences also induce CTL; this, too, argues that CTL are induced by antigens presented following endogenous synthesis. We are attempting to determine how antigens are released from transfected cells, to interact with B-cells and induce antibodies, and are currently evaluating the CD4 responses induced by DNA vaccines.
Spectroscopic Investigations of a Tetrasubstituted Aluminum Naphthalocyanine Near-Infrared Compounds

Abstract The spectroscopic characteristics in methanol of tetra substituted aluminum 2,3-napthalocyanines (2,3-NcAl) derivatives have been investigated. The tetra substitution of an aluminum naphthalocyanine molecule produces a bathochromic shift of the Q and B band. The N band showed almost no effect by the presence of the functional group and remained at a constant frequency; however, multiple overlapping of bands occurred between 25000 cm−1 (400 nm) and 35000 cm−1 (250 nm). The degree of bathochromic shift of the Q band was affected by the electron withdrawing or electron donating property of the substituents. Changes in the absorption of the Q, B and N band will be discussed. The fluorescence, quantum yield and molar absorptivity of the Q-band due to structural modifications are reported. The molar absorptivity (∊) of the dyes was in the order of 3.5 (log ∊); however, higher ∊ values were obtained with sulphonic groups. Solubility of these compounds in various solvents will be discussed. Possible use ...
A characterization of Tutte invariants of 2-polymatroids

Abstract This paper develops a theory of Tutte invariants for 2-polymatroids that parallels the corresponding theory for matroids. It is shown that such 2-polymatroid Invariants arise in the enumeration of a wide variety of combinatorial structures including matchings and perfect matchings in graphs, weak colourings in hypergraphs, and common bases in pairs of matroids. The main result characterizes all such invariants proving that, with some trivial exceptions, every 2-polymatroid Tutte invariant can be easily expressed in terms of a certain two-variable polynomial that is closely related to the Tutte polynomial of a matroid.
Improved Inference for Moving Average Disturbances in Nonlinear Regression Models

This paper proposes an improved likelihood-based method to test for first-order moving average in the disturbances of nonlinear regression models. The proposed method has a third-order distributional accuracy which makes it particularly attractive for inference in small sample sizes models. Compared to the commonly used first-order methods such as likelihood ratio and Wald tests which rely on large samples and asymptotic properties of the maximum likelihood estimation, the proposed method has remarkable accuracy. Monte Carlo simulations are provided to show how the proposed method outperforms the existing ones. Two empirical examples including a power regression model of aggregate consumption and a Gompertz growth model of mobile cellular usage in the US are presented to illustrate the implementation and usefulness of the proposed method in practice.
INJECTION OF SUPERNOVA DUST IN NEARBY PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

The early solar system contained a number of short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) such as {sup 26}Al with half-lives <15 Myr. The one-time presence of {sup 60}Fe strongly suggests that the source of these radionuclides was a nearby supernova. In this paper, we investigate the 'aerogel' model, which hypothesizes that the solar system's SLRs were injected directly into the solar system's protoplanetary disk from a supernova within the same star-forming region. Previous work has shown that disks generally survive the impact of supernova ejecta, but also that little gaseous ejecta can be injected into the disk. The aerogel model hypothesizes that radionuclides in the ejecta condensed into micron-sized dust grains that were injected directly into the solar nebula disk. Here, we discuss the density structure of supernova ejecta and the observational support for dust condensation in the ejecta. We argue that supernova ejecta are clumpy and describe a model to quantify this clumpiness. We also argue that infrared observations may be underestimating the fraction of material that condenses into dust. Building on calculations of how supernova ejecta interact with protoplanetary disks, we calculate the efficiency with which dust grains in the ejecta are injected into a disk. We find that about 70%more » of material in grains roughly 0.4 {mu}m in diameter can be injected into disks. If ejecta are clumpy, the solar nebula was struck by a clump with higher-than-average {sup 26}Al and {sup 60}Fe, and these elements condensed efficiently into large grains, then the abundances of SLRs in the early solar system can be explained, even if the disk lies 2 pc from the supernova explosion. The probability that all these factors are met is low, perhaps {approx}10{sup -3}-10{sup -2}, and receiving as much {sup 26}Al and {sup 60}Fe as the solar system did may be a rare event. Still, the aerogel model remains a viable explanation for the origins of the radionuclides in the early solar system, and may be the most plausible one.« less
Effective electron affinities in doped a-Si:H and μc-Si films as determined from studies of MOS capacitors

We have prepared heavily-doped a-Si:H and μc-Si by remote plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition, Remote PECVD; and have used these materials as electrodes in MOS capacitors. Shifts in the flatband voltages of MOS devices with heavily-doped a-Si:H and μc-Si electrodes are used to determine effective electron affinities for these electrode materials. Shifts in V FB for capacitors with lower doping concentrations can not be attributed to differences in the Fermi levels alone.
Ion collection by probes in strong magnetic fields with plasma flow.

Fluid-theory calculations are presented of ion collection by electric probes in strongly magnetized plasmas with parallel flow. In the first calculations the problem is treated in a one-dimensional approximation but the cross-field transport of momentum is included in such a way as to model different ratios of viscosity to diffusivity. The results show that the flow deduced from probe measurements is not particularly sensitive to the assumed viscosity, provided it is finite. However, results with zero viscosity are qualitatively different from those with nonzero viscous momentum transport. The second set of calculations is two dimensional but only for fixed (unity) ratio of viscosity to diffusivity. The results are in remarkably good agreement with the corresponding one-dimensional model.
Pigmented concealing powders for the hair loss patient.

Summary Patients suffering from alopecia may experience low self-esteem, low self-image, and other psychological consequences. While medical and surgical options for treating hair loss exist, these may be prohibitively expensive or have an unpredictable outcome. In lieu of or in addition to therapeutic approaches, cosmetic options have long been an approach to hair loss. However, patients and clinicians alike often regard cosmetic options to be limited to hairstyling and hairpieces, unaware that newer options, namely pigmented concealing powders, may offer a more practical and seemingly natural camouflage. This article introduces the clinician to concealing powders as a viable option for the hair loss patient.
A simplified interpretation of the radiances from the SSM/T-2

A microwave radiometer with channels near the 18 GHz water vapor line and in nearby windows, the Special Sensor Microwave/Temperature-2 (SSM/T-2) was launched on a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite in November of 1991. The instrument is intended to provide data for the retrieval of atmospheric water vapor profiles. Because the relationship between the radiances observed by the instrument and the water vapor profile are both non-linear and non-local and because of the influence of clouds, the interpretation of the radiances is inherently complex. Here we develop a simplified, albeit approximate, algorithm for the profile retrievals and test it with simulation studies. Specifically it is shown that for each channel of the instrument near the 183 GHz line there is a nearly constant overburden of water vapor above the height at which the atmospheric temperature equals the observed brightness temperature. This relationship, in turn, provides the basis for a simple analytic algorithm for the relative humidity immediately above that height.