cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Tissue-Specific Mutagenesis Reveals Gene Redundancy and Perdurance in Drosophila

Tissue-specific loss-of-function (LOF) analysis is essential for characterizing gene function. Here, we present a simple, yet highly efficient, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated tissue-restricted mutagenesis (CRISPR-TRiM) method for ablating gene function in Drosophila This binary system consists of a tissue-specific Cas9 and a ubiquitously expressed multi-guide RNA (gRNA) transgene. We describe convenient toolkits for making enhancer-driven Cas9 lines and multi-gRNAs that are optimized for mutagenizing somatic cells. We demonstrate that insertions or deletions in coding sequences more reliably cause somatic mutations than DNA excisions induced by two gRNAs. We further show that enhancer-driven Cas9 is less cytotoxic yet results in more complete LOF than Gal4-driven Cas9 in larval sensory neurons. Finally, CRISPR-TRiM efficiently unmasks redundant soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor gene functions in neurons and epidermal cells. Importantly, Cas9 transgenes expressed at different times in the neuronal lineage reveal the extent to which gene products persist in cells after tissue-specific gene knockout. These CRISPR tools can be applied to analyze tissue-specific gene function in many biological processes.
Digital Technology and the Future of Health Systems

Digital health is having a profound effect on health systems, changing the balance of power between provider and patient, enabling new models of care, and shifting the focus of health systems toward client-centered health care within low- and middle-income countries. Though many of these changes are just being felt due to resistance by organizations and individuals reluctant to change the status quo, the explosive growth of digital technology globally means that these changes are inevitable. We can expect to see increasing use of telemedicine for remote diagnostics and treatment, protocol-driven health care to improve quality of care, and better access to goods and services through changes in the organization of transportation and delivery services. Data will become central to health systems, whether big data and artificial intelligence tools for surveillance, planning, and management or "personalized data" in the form of universal electronic record systems and customized treatment protocols. As with any disruptive innovation, the growth of digital health will also bring challenges, including who owns, controls, and manages the data being collected and how to maintain privacy and confidentiality in this data-rich world.
New K/Ar age values and context from published clay mineralogy and Sr and Nd isotopes as tracers of terrigenous Atlantic Ocean sediments

Abstract Sediment particles derived from the continents have compositional variability that allows them to be used as tracers from their sources. Because of the patchwork of geological terrains that make up the continents, radiogenic isotope daughters of long-half-life parents provide a powerful tool for understanding the origins and dispersal patterns of sediments. Weathering processes that prevail in different climatic zones further imprint the geochemical signature of sources. Fine-grained sediments, clays and silts, can travel long distances in winds and ocean currents, and changes in their composition through time may allow understanding changes in their transporting media and climate significance. This paper presents new K/Ar age values of fine sediments in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The paper also presents a brief overview of the important factors of sediment delivery to the Atlantic Ocean, and reviews the new K/Ar data within the context of published clay mineralogy and 87Sr/86Sr from the same samples. Additionally, the paper presents previously published K/Ar and 87Sr/86Sr and eNd from Atlantic Ocean sediments, and uses the map distributions as a way to qualitatively compare the compositional trends of the four tracers as many of the data are from different samples. Although the information for all of these provenance tracers is incomplete and it would be fruitful to fill in many different aspects, this compilation of previously published K/Ar, 87Sr/86Sr and eNd data compared with the new data demonstrates that the distribution of K/Ar ages is broadly consistent with the other compositional information and with the geology of the surrounding continents. K/Ar provenance ages offer a simple and reliable tracer of sediment sources that is complementary to other methods.
Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata, Pinaceae) seedling sprouting responses: Clipping and burning effects at various seedling ages and seasons

Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata (Mill.)) can sprout after stem injury or top kill. Currently, evidence regarding the effects of seedling age and disturbance timing on sprouting potential are limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of clipping and season of burning on shortleaf pine seedling survival, number of sprouts, and total seedling height at three different seedling ages. Treatments included: a March clip, an April burn, a July burn, a November burn, and a control. All treatments were applied to 1-, 2-, and 3-yr-old planted shortleaf pine seedlings located in Morgan County, TN. Seedling survival did not differ by season of burning for any age tested. Sprout production of early season disturbances were similar for each age tested. Total heights of sprouts were greater with treatments conducted early in the growing season rather than later for the second and third growing years, but not the first year. Some 2-yr-old seedlings burned in November and most 3-yr-old burn seedlings burned in either burn treatment were large enough that they were not top-killed by the treatment burns. Burning of artificially regenerated shortleaf pine seedlings should be delayed for at least 3 yrs after planting in the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains regions to reduce top-kill rates, growth losses, and mortality experienced by younger seedlings.
Temperature dependent absorption and emission enhancement factors in plasmon coupled semiconductor heterostructures

Localized surface plasmon resonances can increase the quantum efficiency of photon emitters through both absorption and spontaneous emission enhancement effects. Despite extensive studies, experimental results that clearly distinguish the two plasmonic enhancement effects are rarely available. Here, we present clear spectral signatures of the plasmonic enhancement effects on the absorption (excitation) and spontaneous emission (Purcell factor) by analyzing the temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) properties of InGaAs/GaAs single quantum well (QW) coupled to colloidal gold nanorods (AuNRs) at different GaAs capping layer thickness (d). We find that when the emitting InGaAs layer is close to the AuNRs (d = 5 nm), the plasmonic enhancement effect on the QW PL is dominated by the Purcell factor that significantly increases the external quantum efficiency of the QW that otherwise barely emits. When d is increased to 10 nm, the temperature dependence of the PL enhancement factor (F) reflects absorption enhancement in the capping layer followed by carrier diffusion and capture by the well. First F increases with temperature and then decreases following the temperature dependence of the carrier diffusion coefficient in GaAs. By factoring out the contribution of the captured carriers to F, it is shown that carrier transfer to the well reaches saturation with increasing incident laser power. In addition to providing insight into the plasmonic enhancement mechanism, the results presented in this work suggest that colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles can be used as simple probes for understanding carrier transport phenomena in arbitrary semiconductor heterostructures.
Multi-target Approach for Oxidative Stress Modulation by Aspirin, Salicylates and Other NSAIDs: Clinical Implications in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial process with oxidative stress being implicated in its pathophysiology. Aspirin and salicylates have pleiotropic effects. Among these pleiotropic effects, modulation of stress response by salicylates is quite interesting. Salicylates modulate stress response in prokaryotic organisms as well as in eukaryotic cells. Modulation of stress response by salicylates is due to the effect of salicylates on cell signalling pathways as well as to the pro-oxidant–antioxidant effects of salicylates. Aspirin and salicylates target oxidative stress in atherosclerosis through multiple antiplatelet-independent mechanisms of action, including scavenging of reactive oxygen species, enhancement of nitrous oxide release, inhibition of superoxide anion release, induction of GSH-dependent antioxidant mechanisms and epigenetic regulation of antioxidant enzymes. Thus, aspirin and salicylates are promising multi-target agents against oxidative stress implicated in atherosclerosis. Based on this evidence, the role of aspirin in the primary prevention of atherosclerosis should be revisited.
Regulating the Sanctuary: The Dangers of Anti-Cohabitation Laws

Non-married cohabitant households total approximately 1.01 million in Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Virginia — the states that still retain some form of anti-cohabitation statute. This means at least 2 million Americans, on a daily basis, are subject not only to criminal sanctions, including possible prison time, but also to some of the other harsh penalties discussed in this Comment. Part II of this Comment begins by laying out the remaining and recently repealed anti-cohabitation laws. The second portion of Part II deconstructs those statutes into three parts for easier comparison and discussion. In Part III, this Comment discusses the biggest problem with the continued “enforcement” of these anti-cohabitation laws — secondary enforcement. Part IV begins with a detailed summary of both the majority and concurring opinions in the Lawrence v. Texas case of 2003. The remainder of Part IV discusses the application of Lawrence to the constitutionality of anti-cohabitation laws. In Part V, I conclude that anti-cohabitation laws are unconstitutional and must be repealed or declared as such in order to avoid the continuing and devastating problem of secondary enforcement.
Pan-genomics of model bacteria and their outcomes

Abstract Next-generation sequencing technologies have produced extensive genome sequence data for genomic analyses. Consequently, genome analyses have transformed from a single or few genomes to hundreds and thousands of genomes. The comparative studies of different strains of a species revealed that sequences of a single genome (strain) are not sufficient to describe the level of genetic diversity in a species. It is essential to perform comparative analyses of all the available sequenced strains of a species to completely understand their actual genomic contents. The concept of pan-genome was created in 2005, when six strains from five Streptococcus agalactiae serotypes were analyzed to estimate the genomic repertoire of the species. Since then, several other bacterial pan-genomes have been analyzed including model bacteria, that is, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae to explore the level of genomic diversity within species. These studies followed diverse parameters for estimations such as a number of genomes analyzed, the prediction models, and alignment algorithms and associated threshold values. This chapter explores analyses of some of these model organisms, methods adapted to accomplish these analyses, and their outcomes.
SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FEATURES OF VITREORETINAL LYMPHOMA IN 55 EYES.

PURPOSE To evaluate spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL). METHODS Review of records and SD-OCT images of vitreoretinal lymphoma evaluated at Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital between July 1, 2000, and April 1, 2019. RESULTS There were 55 eyes of 32 patients included. At presentation, SD-OCT features included vitreous opacities (n = 36, 65%), preretinal deposits (n = 7, 13%), intraretinal deposits (n = 8, 15%), subretinal deposits (n = 20, 36%), retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities (n = 35, 64%), and subretinal pigment epithelium deposits (n = 35, 64%). Of 36 eyes with observed tumor progression, comparison (initial visit vs. time of progression) revealed more intraretinal deposits (17% vs. 50%, P = 0.005) at progression. Of 15 eyes with tumor recurrence, comparison (initial visit vs. time of recurrence) revealed more intraretinal deposits (7% vs. 47%, P = 0.04) at recurrence. At last visit, 39 eyes demonstrated tumor regression. By comparison (initial presentation vs. regression), there were less frequent vitreous opacities (67% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), intraretinal deposits (15% vs. 0%, P = 0.03), subretinal deposits (36% vs. 0%, P < 0.001), and subretinal pigment epithelium deposits (69% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) at regression. CONCLUSION Using SD-OCT in patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma, local tumor regression correlated with a reduction in vitreous opacities, intraretinal deposits, subretinal deposits, and subretinal pigment epithelium deposits. SD-OCT is useful in judging vitreoretinal lymphoma response to therapy.
Laboratory Evaluation of Partial Depth Patching Materials for Use in Winter Climates

Over the course of their service life, concrete pavements undergo significant traffic and climatic loads, which lead to a gradual accumulation of damage. This accumulation of damage and distress comes from the effects of changing weather conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture) and continuous vehicular traffic. Repeated environmental and traffic loading leads to cracking and spalling of the concrete at the joint edges. States in the northern portion of the United States and the provinces of Canada have climates that fluctuate greatly in temperature throughout the seasons. Greater temperature differentials cause greater deflections in rigid pavements; these deflections lead to more prevalent spalling and a greater need for partial depth repair. Many U.S. state departments of transportation (DOTs) use partial depth repair as routine practice to maintain concrete pavements (e.g., the DOTs of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wisconsin). Enhanced acceptance criteria of rap...
Does the sequential addition of accelerometer-based navigation and sensor-guided ligament balancing improve outcomes in TKA?

Aims A significant percentage of patients remain dissatisfied after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to determine whether the sequential addition of accelerometer-based navi...
Merit of an ursodeoxycholic acid clinical trial in COVID-19 patients

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected over 8 million people worldwide. We underscore the potential benefits of conducting a randomized open-label unblinded clinical trial to evaluate the role of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in the treatment of COVID-19. Some COVID-19 patients are characterized with cytokine storm syndrome that can cause severe and irreversible damage to organs leading to multi-organ failure and death. Therefore, it is critical to control both programmed cell death (apoptosis) and the hyper-immune inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients to reduce the rising morbidity and mortality. UDCA is an existing drug with proven safety profiles that can reduce inflammation and prevent cell death. National Geographic reported that, “China Promotes Bear Bile as Coronavirus Treatment”. Bear bile is rich in UDCA, comprising up to 40–50% of the total bile acid. UDCA is a logical and attainable replacement for bear bile that is available in pill form and merits clinical trial consideration.
Abstract 1188: The effect of insurance status on diagnosis stage and overall survival among children and adolescents with cancer: A propensity score weighting analysis

Background. Differences in access, delivery or utilization of health care may impact childhood and adolescent cancer survival. In this study, we evaluated the impact of insurance coverage on diagnosis stage, treatment received, and overall survival among children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer based on a counterfactual framework. Methods. We identified 58,421 individuals diagnosed with any cancer type at ≤ 19 years old from 2004-2010 from the National Cancer Database. We applied the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) estimator to correct for observed selection biases generated by insurance enrollment at diagnosis or initial treatment and examined associations between insurance status and diagnosis stage, treatment received (any vs. none), and all-cause mortality using weighted logistic and weighted Cox proportional hazard regressions. Results. Compared to privately insured individuals, there was a higher percentage of younger individuals in the Medicaid category for all cancers, whereas the uninsured category had a higher percentage of older individuals. Children and adolescents with Medicaid and no insurance were more likely to be non-White and from lower income counties. Applying the IPTW estimator, all the imbalances on the above covariates were removed. Results from weighted analysis showed a 15% (95 confidence interval (CI): 0.78-0.93) lower odds of being diagnosed at metastatic stage had children and adolescents with Medicaid been enrolled on private insurance but comparable odds for uninsured individuals (odds ratio: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.79-1.22), vs. those with private insurance. The odds of receiving any treatment were 17% (95%CI: 1.08-1.28) and 68% (95%CI: 1.39-2.04) higher had those with Medicaid and no insurance been enrolled on private insurance at diagnosis or initial treatment. Medicaid and uninsured individuals would have a 24% (95%CI: 0.72-0.80) and 24% (95%CI: 0.66-0.87) lower hazard of death during 5 years of follow-up if they were enrolled on private insurance at diagnosis or initial treatment. Conclusion. Children and adolescents without private insurance would have a lower risk of being diagnosed at metastatic stage, higher odds of receiving any treatment, and lower hazard of death within five years following cancer diagnosis had they been enrolled on private insurance at diagnosis or initial treatment. Additional research is needed to further understand underlying mechanisms. Citation Format: Xiaoyan Wang, Kimberly Johnson. The effect of insurance status on diagnosis stage and overall survival among children and adolescents with cancer: A propensity score weighting analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1188.
Playing Rule Article Eight Decreases the Rate of Sport Related Concussion in NFL Players Over Two Seasons.

The objectives of this study were to determine if rule article 8 significantly reduced (1) the rate of concussions sustained by NFL players during regular season games, (2) the average games missed...
The effect of cathodic voltage-controlled electrical stimulation of titanium on the surrounding microenvironment pH: An experimental and computational study

Abstract Cathodic voltage-controlled electrical stimulation (CVCES) is being explored for the treatment and prevention of orthopedic implant associated infections. However, the precise mechanism of the antimicrobial action of CVCES is not fully understood. Here, we present a combined experimental and computational study evaluating the spatial and temporal evolution of pH in a saline electrolyte near a titanium electrode in response to CVCES magnitudes of -1.0 V, -1.5 V, and -1.8 V vs Ag/AgCl. Scanning electrochemical microscopy was used to make spatially resolved measurements of pH with potentiometric microelectrodes. COMSOL Multiphysics was utilized to construct a computational model to predict the effects of the CVCES on the surrounding microenvironment. The outcomes showed that an alkalization of the microenvironment occurs that is voltage-dependent, with application of greater cathodic potentials resulting in greater alkaline pH shifts. The pH displayed a rapid, logarithmic-like increase over time at a distance of 10 µ from the polarized titanium surface. The pH increase was more sluggish at a distance of 5 mm from the titanium surface, due to the longer diffusion length for the reduction reaction products that are responsible for the alkalization. The computational methods developed herein show sufficiently good agreement with the experimental results to warrant further development as a tool to help guide the development of antimicrobial electrochemical treatment methodologies.
Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on electricity demand and the unit commitment problem: a long–short-term memory-based machine learning approach

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected many behaviours and aspects of society. Electricity consumption has been considerably affected by the pandemic, with significant effects on the electricity load demand profile. In this article, the impact of COVID-19 on electricity demand in the state of Florida is investigated through a novel machine learning technique. The LSTM technique shows good accuracy in forecasting the load profiles for all days studied (weekdays and weekends) and also before and during the pandemic. The UC problem is solved considering the load profiles, and the impact of COVID-19 on power plant scheduling is evaluated. The simulation results show an increase in residential demand for electricity at weekends, while both residential and commercial demand are reduced during weekdays. Therefore, the operating cost of a weekday in 2020 was lower than that in 2019, while the operating cost of a weekend was higher in 2020 than in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Engineering Optimization is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Assessment of Positive and Stimulating Home Environments for Global Monitoring

Non-optimal early childhood development adversely affects educational attainment, productivity, and income, and may result in inter-generational cycles of non-optimal development and poverty. Optimal development requires multiple inputs including a stimulating environment and responsive care. Given the interest in being able to monitor, at a global level, children’s exposure to positive and stimulating home environments, this paper aims to evaluate the suitability of the Family Care Indicators for this purpose. We review existing research about the features of home environments that are most important for supporting optimal early childhood development and how these features have been measured, with attention to the Family Care Indicators that have several distinct advantages for global monitoring. We report on several analyses using data from multi-country Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys that address the validity and international comparability of the Family Care Indicators. We conducted these analyses using correlations and item response theory models to examine validity and cross-country equivalence. Based on prior studies that established validity of Family Care Indicators and on analyses reported in this paper, the items on early stimulation and responsive care from the set of Family Care Indicators will provide a valid and cross-country equivalent measure to monitor the percentage of young children experiencing positive and stimulating home environments. Additional work examining relationships between the Family Care Indicators and child development measures would further establish predictive validity.
Intracerebral grafting of solid tissues and cell suspensions: the blood-brain barrier and host immune response.

Publisher Summary Neither the immunological privilege of the central nervous system (CNS) nor the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is absolute. This belief is exemplified by solid tissue and cell suspension grafts placed intracerebrally. With the exception of homografts, grafts allogeneic or xenogeneic to the adult host are likely to be the target of a host immune response in the absence of immunosuppression. Whether a BBB or a “mini” circumventricular organ permeable to blood-borne protein develops within an intracerebral graft is determined intrinsically by the grafted tissue/cells and not by the surrounding host CNS. These statements affect upon experimental and clinical intracerebral grafting of solid tissues and cells of peripheral or CNS origin. The presence or absence of a BBB within solid tissue or cell suspensions grafted intracerebrally is determined by the graft and not by the surrounding host parenchyma. Solid CNS grafts are supplied with a mosaic of host and donor vessels, whereas solid peripheral tissue grafts are supplied solely with donor vessels. Homogeneous cell suspension grafts necessarily are supplied with host BBB vessels that may surrender their BBB properties, depending upon the type of cell suspension graft.
Effects of physical training on the body composition add diet of females.

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the effects of two different physical training programs on the body composition and dietary patterns of college females. Ten members of the women's tennis team and five members of the women's swimming team at the University of California, Santa Barbara, were subjects. Measurements were made of body density by underwater weighing, subcutaneous skinfold fat, estimated percent of body fat, and calorie intake by seven-day dietary histories. Both groups were measured three times during 16 weeks of sports training. No significant F ratios (.05 level) were found within or between the two groups for any of the experimental variables measured. Apparently, physical activity without strict dietary control has little effect in modifying the body composition or dietary patterns.
Evaluating scheduling in integrated-services networks using a semi-fluid-flow model

An integrated?services network carries diverse traffic, which leads to diverse performance objectives. For example, voice and video packets typically have performance objectives based on the fraction of packets that will be delivered within a given delay bound, while data packets often have objectives based on mean delay. Greater loads can be supported in networks in which a voice or video packet is given priority over data packets if and only if the former is in danger of missing its deadline. Algorithms that allow this include Cost?Based Scheduling, occupancy?based algorithms, the Priority Token Bank, and to a lesser extent, the Leaky Bucket. This paper presents an approach to evaluating performance with these algorithms in the realistic case where data arrivals are highly bursty, but voice and video packets are not. Mean queueing delay for data bursts is determined analytically in some important scenarios, and an efficient simulation approach based on the same model is described for cases where analysis is not currently possible. The model is a semi?fluid?flow model in which voice or video packets are assumed to arrive as a continuous fluid flow, whereas data packets arrive in large bursts at discrete instants in time.
Survival after second primary lung cancer: a population-based study of 187 Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer accounts for the largest absolute risk of second malignancies among Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors. However, no population-based studies have compared overall survival (OS) between HL survivors who developed nonsmall cell lung cancer (HL-NSCLC) versus patients with first primary NSCLC (NSCLC-1). METHODS: The authors compared the OS of 178,431 patients who had NSCLC-1 and 187 patients who had HL-NSCLC (among 22,648 HL survivors), accounting for sex, race, sociodemographic status, calendar year, and age at NSCLC diagnosis, and NSCLC histology and stage. All patients were reported to the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Hazard ratios (HRs) were derived from a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Although the NSCLC stage distribution was similar in both groups (20% localized, 30% regional, and 50% distant), HL survivors experienced significantly inferior stage-specific OS. For patients with localized, regional, and distant stage NSCLC, the HRs (95% confidence interval [CI]) for death among HL survivors were 1.60 (95% CI, 1.08-2.37; P < .0001), 1.67 (95% CI, 1.26-2.22; P = .0004), and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.06-1.61; P = .013), respectively. Among HL-NSCLC patients, significant associations were observed between more advanced NSCLC stage and the following variables: younger age at HL diagnosis (P = .003), younger age at NSCLC diagnosis (P = .048), and longer latency between HL and NSCLC diagnoses (P = .015). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with patients who had de novo NSCLC, HL survivors experienced a significant 30% to 60% decrease in OS after an NSCLC diagnosis. Further research is needed to not only elucidate the clinical-biologic underpinnings of NSCLC after HL, including the influence of previous HL treatment, but also to define the role of lung cancer screening in selected patients. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
Internal spatial modes of one-dimensional photonic bandgap devices imaged with near-field scanning optical microscopy

Photonic bandgap (PBG) devices have been used to improve optoelectronic device performance through modification of spontaneous emission and are currently of much interest due to the control of the photonic state, which incorporated defects can provide. The concept of defect localized photon states has led to the design of structures that guide light on the nanometer scale. Near-field scanning optical microscopy length band-edge transmission spectra of a sample consisting of four air gaps on each side of a central defect with a 400-nm periodicity is displayed. The topographic image, taken simultaneously with the 856-nm data set, is used to correlate the spatial modes to the PEG structure.
Adaptive computation of self sorting in-place FFTs on hierarchical memory architectures

Computing "in-place and in-order" FFT poses a very difficult problem on hierarchical memory architectures where data movement can seriously degrade the performance. In this paper we present recursive formulation of a self sorting in-place FFT algorithm that adapts to the target architecture. For transform sizes where an in-place, in-order execution is not possible, we show how schedules can be constructed that use minimum work-space to perform the computation efficiently. In order to express and construct FFT schedules, we present a context free grammar that generates the FFT Schedule Specification Language. We conclude by comparing the performance of our in-place in-order FFT implementation with that of other well known FFT libraries. We also present a performance comparison between the out-of-place and in-place execution of various FFT sizes.
The components and nature of tourism: The tourism market basket of goods and services

Abstract This paper will provide a background discussion on several basic aspects of tourism, based on an examination of tourism as an industry and as a phenomenon. The focus of the discussion is on some of the constituent elements in tourism supply and tourism demand, and some peculiar elements and distinctive features of the tourism phenomenon which may have resulted in the underdeveloped tourism discipline. Due to the complexity involved in the study of tourism, the subject matter is treated in a special way; First, tourism is viewed from a small window and only the most common aspects of it are illustrated. Later, the scope is gradually broadened and new elements which have made the tourism phenomenon complex and unusual are brought into the picture.
The structure of the abortive diphosphopyridine nucleotide-pyruvate-lactate dehydrogenase ternary complex as determined by proton magnetic resonance analysis.

Abstract The ternary complex, consisting of DPN+, pyruvate, and chicken heart lactate dehydrogenase, can be dissociated in base to yield a stable cyclic binary adduct. This DPNpyruvate adduct, which is a dihydropyridine derivative, is identical in structure with one of the two diastereomers produced chemically by the addition of pyruvate to DPN+ in basic solution. A structural analysis of this enzyme-generated adduct by proton magnetic resonance has led to the following conclusions concerning the 322-nm-absorbing ternary complex of DPN+, enolpyruvate, and the lactate dehydrogenases: (a) a covalent bond forms between DPN+ and enolpyruvate; (b) the substitution of pyruvate on DPN+ occurs at the nicotinamide C4 position of DPN+; (c) the substitution takes place on the A side of the nicotinamide ring; and (d) this pyridine C4-substituted adduct of DPN+ is capable of dissociating intact from lactate dehydrogenase.
Design of an ultra-wideband low noise amplifier in 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS

A low noise amplifier (LNA) in 0.13 /spl mu/m CMOS for ultra-wideband (UWB) front-ends is presented. The LNA has a peak gain of 11.3 dB and a 3.0-10.7 GHz -3 dB bandwidth. Its broadband matching is better than -10 dB for S11 and -15 dB for S22. Its lowest noise figure (NF) is 2.2 dB and the average NF is 3 dB. The LNA achieves NF/sub min/ performance over the entire bandwidth by using a power-constrained simultaneous noise and input matching concept. It consumes only 4.8 mW with a 1.2 V supply for the amplifier core and 1.6 mW in the output buffer. A comparison with recently published UWB LNAs shows this design has the best overall performance among both CMOS and SiGe designs.
A reduced complexity decoder architecture via layered decoding of LDPC codes

We apply layered belief propagation decoding to our previously devised irregular partitioned permutation LDPC codes. These codes have a construction that easily accommodates a layered decoding and we show that the decoding performance is improved by a factor of two in the number of iterations required. We show how our previous flexible decoding architecture can be adapted to facilitate layered decoding. This results in a significant reduction in the number of memory bits and memory instances required, in the range of 45-50%. The faster decoding speed means the decoder logic can also be reduced by nearly 50% to achieve the same throughput and error performance. In total, the overall decoder architecture can be reduced by nearly 50%.
The CADE-20 automated theorem proving competition

The CADE ATP System Competition (CASC) is an annual evaluation of fully automatic, first order Automated Theorem Proving systems. CASC-20 was the tenth competition in the CASC series. Seventeen ATP systems and system variants competed in the various competition and demonstration divisions. An outline of the competition design, and a commentated summary of the results, are presented.
Intracellular Autoantigens: Diagnostic Fingerprints but Aetiological Dilemmas

Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease and dermato/polymyositis are each characterized by distinct sets of autoantigens and antibodies which confer on each disease a specific immune profile or fingerprint. These immune fingerprints have advanced our management of this group of diseases, as aids in differential diagnosis and earlier recognition. In lupus and scleroderma, multiple antigen/antibody systems characterize these fingerprints and the autoantigens appear to be located in separate cell compartments of the nucleus, nucleolus and cytoplasm. Because these antibodies are so distinctive for each disease, the response must be antigen driven or at least antigen directed. However, the apparent multi-focus location of the autoantigens poses a problem. It now appears that in scleroderma this dilemma may be explained by the consideration that at a certain time point in cell metabolism all the known autoantigens may be assembled at one location to form a single structural entity. It is possible that this assembly of antigens may be required for a specific cellular function. An autoimmune response to this transiently assembled structure comprising several different proteins and nucleic acids could result in the complex immune response seen in this disease.
Féminisme et mouvement des femmes au Québec. Un bilan complexe

Ce texte fait etat en premiere partie des questionnements actuels sur le feminisme. Cette reflexion sert de toile de fond pour presenter les resultats d’une enquete originale sur les strategies politiques des groupes de femmes au Quebec que nous avons realisee aupres de vingt groupes, laquelle montre que ces groupes agissent sur le terrain a partir de strategies visant l’efficacite, et qu’ils consacrent une bonne partie de leurs energies a reflechir sur ces enjeux. Mais les debats plus theoriques se font en parallele aux mobilisations du mouvement de femmes, temoignant d’une cesure importante entre la theorie et la pratique.
Allylindation in Aqueous Media: Methyl 3‐(Hydroxymethyl)‐4‐Methyl‐2‐Methylenepentanoate

Allylindation in aqueous media: methyl 3-(hydroxymethyl)-4-methyl-2-methylenepentanoate reactant: 15.8 g (0.10 mol) of methyl 3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-methylenepentanoate product: Methyl 3-(hydroxymethyl)-4-methyl-2-methylenepentanoate intermediate: 11.0 g (0.05 mol) of methyl Z-2-(bromomethyl)-4-methylpent-2-enoate Keywords: addition, to CO; addition, to CO; alkenylation, C-alkenylation; metalation reactions, indium; rearrangements; rearrangements; replacement reactions, hydroxy by halogen
On Building a Bibliography

To the Editor.— We read with interest "A Rogue's Gallery of Medical Manuscripts" (1980;244:700) and offer the following response: Make eight copies of this letter. Delete the name of the author on the top of the list and add your name to the bottom. Send the letters to eight other journals. In this way your name will appear on 37,448 letters and be first author on 32,768 of these. Your coauthors will include many of the most prominent medical figures in the world. Do not break this chain. The last editor who failed to publish this letter was found in a local library buried under the last ten years' issues of the Cumulated Index Medicus . 1
Neutral lipid and fatty acid composition of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris).

Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) were extracted with chloroform-methanol (2∶1) and examined primarily for neutral lipids and fatty acids. TLC showed spots for sterols, hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, phospholipids and pigments but none for glycerides (tri-, di- or mono). Saponification of the crude lipid extract yielded 32% fatty acids, 25% unsaponifiables and 43% unidentified. The lipid contained 3% hydrocarbon and 16% sterols. GLC of the hydrocarbons showed at least 13 components. GLC of the sterol fraction showed peaks corresponding to cholesterol (the major component), γ-sitosterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and ergosterol. GLC showed that at least 38 fatty acids were present, with 18∶1, 18∶2, 18∶0, 20∶1 and 17∶0 predominanting.
Implications of ancient DNA for phylogenetic studies

The utility of DNA sequence characters from fossil specimens is examined from a phylogenetic perspective. Four ways that fossil characters can alter phylogenetic hypotheses are discussed. Two empirical examples and a third hypothetical example concerning amber-preserved insects are presented to illustrate these phenomena. Fossil DNA sequences as characters will be affected by the problem of missing data and missing taxa. In general, cladogram accuracy will be more greatly affected by missing taxa and cladogram resolution will be affected more acutely by missing data. Due to these points, an examination of the importance of the phylogenetic question being addressed, the utility of the fossil DNA sequences and the rarity of the fossil should be considered before damage of a fossil is undertaken.
Anisotropies in carbon-13 chemical shift tensor, H-C-H bond angles and the signs of the coupling constants in 13CH3I, 13CH3Br, 13CH3Cl

A pulsed fast Fourier transform N.M.R. spectrometer is used to investigate the temperature dependence of the 13C chemical shifts in the nematic liquid crystal solutions of the following halides: 13CH3I, 13CH3Br, 13CH3Cl. The H-C-H bond angles are accurately measured in this investigation from proton magnetic resonance studies. The signs of the coupling constants D 13CH , D HH, J 13CH and the ordering parameter have been assigned to be all positive. The 13C magnetic shielding anisotropy is found to become more positive with the increasing electronegativity of the halogen substituents. The values of the anisotropies are: Δσ = σ ∥ - σ ⊥ = - 101 ± 15 p.p.m. (13CH3I), - 10 ± 5 p.p.m. (13CH3Br), 22 ± 5 p.p.m. (13CH3Cl). Results for Δσ obtained from the slope of σn versus S 33 agree with those obtained from the nematic-isotropic phase subtraction method.
Quasi-differential equations and generalized semigroup relations

Abstract The differential equations and semigroup relations satisfied by exponential matrix junctions of the form exp (Bt) are generalized to hold for the case of arbitrary matrix junctions A(t). The analysis is confined to the class of matrix functions A(t) obeying several restrictions, the most important of which is that A(t) be continuous and have a continuous first derivative. The generalizations consist of a quasi-differential (i.e., integro-differential) equation that A(t) satisfies, a companion quasi-differential equation with matrix multiplications performed in opposite order, and a semigroup relation modified by an integral correction term. It is noteworthy that the integral terms in the two quasi-differential equations and in the generalized semi-group relation all involve a single new matrix function K(t).
Foreign-born scholars in US universities: Issues, concerns, and strategies

This symposium focuses on foreign-born geographers pursuing careers in US colleges and universities. Though foreign-born scholars make up a significant portion of the US geography professoriate, little is known about their experiences, the cultural problems and legal issues they confront in the US, and policy and institutional changes that might be implemented to support them. These papers address some of these challenges—particularly in American classrooms—as well as some of the opportunities these scholars have to offer international perspectives on geographic issues to students and colleagues. While we address the situation in the US, the symposium suggests the need to consider the experiences of foreign-born academics in other nations experiencing similar growth in intellectual immigration.
Effect of hot isostatic pressing temperature on the properties of inert gas atomized maraging steel

Abstract Pre-alloyed 250-grade maraging steel powder formed by inert gas atomization was hot isostatically pressed (HIP) at five different temperatures ranging from 1285 to 1535 K. Both conventional and non-conventional aging treatments were applied to the resulting compacts. At HIP temperatures below approximately 1400 K incomplete densification resulted in poor mechanical properties, notably poor ductility. At a HIP temperature of 1480 K optimal properties were obtained, with a slight additional benefit being derived from an altered aging cycle involving an 800 K pre-age. The strength, ductility and toughness approached those of wrought material. At lower HIP temperatures, where the ductility was low, both titanium segregation and low density were observed. This segregation at prior particle surfaces was reduced and the density was improved at higher HIP temperatures.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS FROM NORTH AMERICA ARE MORE VIOLENT THAN THOSE FROM EUROPE

It is commonly believed by hockey fans that European hockey players rely more on skill while. North American players are more violent. The number of penalty minutes gathered by European and North American players in the National Hockey League's 1995-1996 season was examined. When corrected for the low proportion of European players, North American players had significantly more penalty minutes than European players. Language: en
Selective augmentation of visual pathways by morphine in α-chloralose-anesthetized cats

Abstract Morphine sulfate, 0.1 to 5.0 mg/kg, was tested for effects on afferent sensory activity in acutely prepared α-chloralose-anesthetized cats. Morphine increased the responsiveness of the primary projection tracts of the visual system to electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm but did not augment responses in the primary somatosensory system to stimulation of the radial nerve. Preferential sensory augmentation was observed in cortical areas which exhibited responses to both sensory modalities. Anterior marginal association activity evoked by stimulation of the optic chiasm was augmented by morphine but activity elicited by radial nerve stimulation was not. In cats anesthetized with dial-urethane or midcollicularly transected, morphine was without significant effect on the visual afferent pathways. A possible brain stem site for morphine facilitation of visual tract responsiveness is discussed.
Spectroscopic Isotope Shift in Lead II

An investigation is made of the spectroscopic isotope shift in the Pb II visible spectrum by using enriched isotopes. The isotope structure of Pb204, Pb206, and Pb208, and the hyperfine structure of Pb207 in the transitions; 15 011 cm-1(6s2 7s S21/2-6s2 7p P21/2°),17 824 cm-1(6s2 7p S21/2-6s2 7p P23/2°),18 032 cm-1 (6s2 7p P23/2°-6s2 7d D25/2),18 609 cm-1 (6s 6p2 P45/2-6s2 5f F21/2°)are analyzed with a Fabry-Perot interferometer crossed with a constant-deviation Hilger spectrograph. The samples are excited in a Schuler hollow cathode discharge tube. Spacings between consecutive even isotopes, (205–206), (206–208), the centroid of the odd isotope and the isotope 208 (207c.g.–208), and the ratios (204–206)/(206–208), (206–207c.g.)/(207c.g.–208) are given.
Permeability properties of cell-to-cell channels: kinetics of fluorescent tracer diffusion through a cell junction

We have analyzed the intracellular and cell-to-cell diffusion kinetics of fluorescent tracers in theChironomus salivary gland. We use this analysis to investigate whether membrane potential-induced changes in junctional permeability are accompanied by changes in cell-to-cell channel selectivity. Tracers of different size and fluorescence wavelength were coinjected into a cell, and the fluorescence was monitored in this cell and an adjacent one. Rate constants,kj, for cell-to-cell diffusion were derived by compartment model analysis, taking into account (i) cell-to-cell diffusion of the tracers; (ii) their loss from the cells; (iii) their binding (sequestration) to cytoplasmic components; and (iv) their relative mobility to cytoplasm, as determined separately on isolated cells. In cell pairs, we compared a tracer'skj with the electrical cell-to-cell conductance,gj.