cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Fruit Bat

Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight. Their wings are thin double membranes stretched between their fingers, arms, furry bodies, hindlimbs, and tails. The thumb and small hind feet are clawed. Bats have sharp teeth, although many eat only insects. Most are nocturnal, roosting by day in caves, trees, attics, and other sequestered places, hanging by their clawed feet with their heads downward. Poor vision is attributed to their small, beady eyes. Perhaps as a substitute, they have developed a sonar system called echolocation. They emit supersonic sound waves that bounce back from solid objects, enabling them to avoid head-on crashes in night flight and to locate their food: fruits or flying insects. Bats live in the temperate zones of the world. In frigid weather, some bats migrate to warmer climates, while others hibernate.
Ultrasonographic Nonalcoholic Fatty Pancreas Is Associated with Advanced Fibrosis in NAFLD: A Retrospective Analysis

Nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAF-P) is strongly linked with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but its relationship with advanced liver disease is unknown. This study investigated the association between NAF-P and both advanced fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This retrospective study evaluated adults with biopsy-proven NAFLD with a sonogram within 1 year of liver biopsy. NAF-P was diagnosed by comparing the echogenicity of the pancreas to the kidney and was graded by severity. The primary outcome was the effect of NAF-P on the presence of advanced fibrosis and NASH, while secondary outcomes included the association of extensive NAF-P (grade II/III). Propensity score matching for independent risk factors of advanced fibrosis (age, gender, body mass index, and diabetes) was performed. One hundred and four patients were included in the study and 91 (87.5%) had NAF-P. After propensity score matching, NAF-P was significantly associated with advanced fibrosis (OR 10.52, p < 0.001) but not NASH (p = 0.27). Extensive NAF-P was predictive of advanced fibrosis (OR 3.35, p = 0.006) and NASH (OR 5.37, p < 0.001). NAF-P had a negative predictive value (NPV) of 93% for advanced fibrosis. When matching for the NAFLD fibrosis score in addition to the variables above, both NAF-P (OR 5.36, p = 0.001) and extensive NAF-P (OR 5.38, p = 0.002) still significantly predicted advanced fibrosis. NAF-P is predictive of advanced fibrosis, even when controlling for independent predictors of advanced fibrosis and the NAFLD fibrosis score. NAF-P has an excellent NPV and is a safe, inexpensive finding that can rule out advanced fibrosis.
A multi-objective stochastic programming model for project-oriented human-resource management optimization

ABSTRACTHuman resource policy is one of the key factors in managing a project. The cost associated with the individuals assigned to a project and the quality of the tasks completed by the assigned ...
3113 Formative Evaluation of a Safety Baby Shower Intervention for Rural African American Parents and Community Advisors

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To explore rural African American parents’ and their community advisors’ perspectives on the Safety Baby Shower’s acceptability, feasibility, and adaptability. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Collaborating with a local community organization, we explored community advisors’ and expectant women’s SBS experiences to understand intervention delivery and adoption in a rural underserved community (RUC). The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided our data collection and analysis using focus groups and key informant interviews. We used directed content analysis to generate themes and sub codes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Five focus groups (21 participants) and one key informant interview were conducted. Identified barriers that hinder feasibility and acceptability included resources, time/ flexibility, intervention location, cultural norms and beliefs, and the lack of a birthing hospital in the county. “Baby proofing”, “reinforcement products” and “teaching sleep safety on the same day as infant clinical appointment” are expectant mothers’ exemplars for what comes to their minds when asked to think about safety baby showers. To improve feasibility, both community advisors and expectant mothers suggested adaptations ranging from decentralizing or rotating intervention location, using different delivery sites such as churches, scheduling intervention outside business hours, to incorporating intervention into school health fairs and barbeque events. Social media emerged as a facilitator, and integrating safe sleep education into personal baby showers emerged as an implementation strategy. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The community advisors and expectant mothers identified a wide spectrum of potential adaptations that have potential to improve safe sleep knowledge and practices. In the next study phase, identified themes will inform intervention adaptation and suggested implementation strategies will support uptake of the adapted SBS. Identifying transformative implementation strategies and conducting a community-informed SBS adaptation using a collective decision-making process between intervention experts and local community partners will support improved safety baby shower delivery, adoption and sustainability in RUCs.
Aberration-free multi-plane imaging of neural activity from the mammalian brain using a fast-switching liquid crystal spatial light modulator.

We report a novel two-photon fluorescence microscope based on a fast-switching liquid crystal spatial light modulator and a pair of galvo-resonant scanners for large-scale recording of neural activity from the mammalian brain. The spatial light modulator is used to achieve fast switching between different imaging planes in multi-plane imaging and correct for intrinsic optical aberrations associated with this imaging scheme. The utilized imaging technique is capable of monitoring the neural activity from large populations of neurons with known coordinates spread across different layers of the neocortex in awake and behaving mice, regardless of the fluorescent labeling strategy. During each imaging session, all visual stimulus driven somatic activity could be recorded in the same behavior state. We observed heterogeneous response to different types of visual stimuli from ∼ 3,300 excitatory neurons reaching from layer II/III to V of the striate cortex.
A 61-Year-Old Woman with Progressive Distal Limb and Deltoid Muscle Weakness

We report a case of granulomatous myositis to illustrate the clinical presentation, muscle pathology features, differential diagnosis, and management.
Single-Ended-to-Differential Sampling Technique for Sigma Delta ADCs in X-Ray Detectors

A sampling technique for X-ray detectors is presented, which performs a two channel single-ended-to-differential sampling, and buffers the sampled signals serially to the incremental Sigma Delta ADC. This sampling technique maximizes the readout speed of the X-ray detectors, while allowing the ADC to sample the input signal multiple times for reduced thermal noise and higher resolution. The sampler is implemented in 0.25 µm CMOS technology, as a part of a mixed signal processing backend for the pixel signal, consists of buffering, ADC conversion and readout circuits. Measured performance shows a high resolution of >77 dB SNR at 3.3 Kfps, which emphasizes the speed advantage and high linearity of the proposed approach.
The Government's Speech and the Constitution - Introduction (Excerpt)

When we discuss constitutional law, we usually focus on the constitutional rules that apply to what the government does. Far less clear are the constitutional rules that apply to what the government says. When does the speech of this unusually powerful speaker violate our constitutional rights and liberties? More specifically, when does the government’s expression threaten liberty or equality? And under what circumstances does the Constitution prohibit our government from lying to us? In “The Government’s Speech and the Constitution,” Professor Helen Norton investigates the variety and abundance of the government’s speech, from early proclamations and simple pamphlets, to the electronic media of radio and television, and ultimately to today’s digital age. This helps us understand how the government’s speech has changed the world for better and for worse, and why the government’s speech deserves our attention and at times our concern.
Déjà view: spatio-temporal compute reuse for energy-efficient 360° VR video streaming

The emergence of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) has revolutionized our lives by enabling a 360° artificial sensory stimulation across diverse domains, including, but not limited to, sports, media, healthcare, and gaming. Unlike the conventional planar video processing, where memory access is the main bottleneck, in 360° VR videos the compute is the primary bottleneck and contributes to more than 50% energy consumption in battery-operated VR headsets. Thus, improving the computational efficiency of the video processing pipeline in a VR is critical. While prior efforts have attempted to address this problem through acceleration using a GPU or FPGA, none of them has analyzed the 360° VR pipeline to examine if there is any scope to optimize the computation with known techniques such as memoization. Thus, in this paper, we analyze the VR computation pipeline and observe that there is significant scope to skip computations by leveraging the temporal and spatial locality in head orientation and eye correlations, respectively, resulting in computation reduction and energy efficiency. The proposed Deja View design takes advantage of temporal reuse by memoizing head orientation and spatial reuse by establishing a relationship between left and right eye projection, and can be implemented either on a GPU or an FPGA. We propose both software modifications for existing compute pipeline and microarchitectural additions for further enhancement. We evaluate our design by implementing the software enhancements on an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 GPU board and our microarchitectural additions on a Xilinx Zynq-7000 FPGA model using five video workloads. Experimental results show that Deja View can provide 34% computation reduction and 17% energy saving, compared to the state-of-the-art design.
Who's On First In 5G Mobile Networks: Equalizers or Polarization Diversity Combiners?

This paper studies combine-then-equalize and equalize-then-combine receiver architectures in a multicarrier scenario motivated by 5G cellular systems. The BER performance of these two receiver architectures with polarization diversity is compared. The results show that the combine-then-equalize approach better exploits the inherent diversity in the system.
Ocular Toxoplasmosis after Exposure to Wild Game.

Purpose: To describe eight patients with toxoplasma retinochoroiditis following exposure to wild game. Methods: Retrospective, multicenter case series Results: Eight men, aged 29 to 71 (mean, 56 ye...
Carotid Artery Dissection and Hemorrhagic Stroke in the Setting of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

An alarming and distressing delayed inflammatory response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged in children and adolescents, a population previously thought to have been largely spared by this global pandemic. In April 2020, clinicians in the United Kingdom identified eight cases of previously healthy children testing positive for current or recent infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presenting with Kawasaki disease-like features. From April 16 to May 4, 2020, New York City reported that 15 patients aged 2-15 years were hospitalized with a similar multisystem inflammatory syndrome, many requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. This syndrome is referred to either as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We present the case of an eight-year-old with MIS-C who developed carotid artery dissection following venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) cannulation, followed by a subsequent hemorrhagic stroke in the basal ganglia.
Not a single spinal cord injury due to direct needle trauma in over 1.3 million epidural steroid injections.

To the Editor We commend Eworuke et al on their study of serious spinal adverse events (SSAEs) associated with epidural steroid injections (ESIs) in the Medicare population.[1][1] ESIs are a commonly performed procedure, so improving our knowledge of the rate of SSAEs following these injections is
A richly illustrated book about a worthwhile project

Carmen Moreno Adan, Susana Oses, Raquel Pena Lopez and Giamila QuattroneOuled Youssef, an old ksar in the M’Hamid OasisINTBAU Espana, 2020
Computational approaches to understanding Clostridioides difficile metabolism and virulence

The progress of infection by Clostridioides difficile is strongly influenced by metabolic cues it encounters as it colonizes the gastrointestinal tract. Both colonization and regulation of virulence have a multi-factorial interaction between host, microbiome, and gene expression cascades. While these connections with metabolism have been understood for some time, many mechanisms of control have remained difficult to directly assay due to high metabolic variability among C. difficile isolates and difficult genetic systems. Computational systems offer a means to interrogate structure of complex or noisy datasets and generate useful, tractable hypotheses to be tested in the laboratory. Recently, in silico techniques have provided powerful insights into metabolic elements of C. difficile infection ranging from virulence regulation to interactions with the gut microbiota. In this review, we introduce and provide context to the methods of computational modeling that have been applied to C. difficile metabolism and virulence thus far. The techniques discussed here have laid the foundation for future multi-scale efforts aimed at understanding the complex interplay of metabolic activity between pathogen, host, and surrounding microbial community in the regulation of C. difficile pathogenesis.
Tribology and Mechanical Components Branch Overview

An overview of NASA Glenn Research Center's Tribology & Mechanical Components Branch is provided. Work in space mechanisms, seals, oil-free turbomachinery, and mechanical components is presented. An overview of current research for these technology areas is contained in this overview.
Characterization of the pollen growth transition in self-incompatible Petunia inflata

In Petunia inflata, as in other species that shed bicellular pollen, early pollen tube growth in the pistil is slow, then increases 2- to 5-fold depending on the genotype of the female parent. We refer to the time point at which pollen tubes enter the accelerated phase of growth as the pollen growth transition (PGT). Here, we present evidence that pre-PGT and post-PGT growth are quantitatively and qualitatively different, and that the PGT is triggered when pollen tubes reach the transition zone (TZ) below the stigma. The capacity of various pistil zones to precipitate the PGT was tested through 'stump' pollinations: varying lengths of the pistil apex were excised, the cut surface of the remaining pistil (the stump) coated with stigmatic exudates then dusted with compatible pollen. Pollen applied to TZ tissues entered the PGT earlier than pollen growing in intact control pistils; the PGT was delayed in stylar stumps, largely because of delayed germination and reduced pre-PGT growth. In immature pistils, the PGT was delayed by several hours relative to its onset in mature pistils. The PGT fails to occur in pollen cultured in vitro. Collectively, the data suggest that pollen tubes become competent to enter the PGT when they reach a critical size, but the physicochemical environment of the transmitting tissue is necessary for triggering the cellular changes that result in accelerated growth. An analysis of the distribution of pollen tube tips before and after the PGT suggests that pollen competition is most intense during the pre-PGT phase.
Magnetically driven metal liners for plasma compression

Adiabatic compression of a plasma can be accomplished by the implosion of a metal liner driven by an outer magnetic field. An inner magnetic field insulates the plasma from the metal. Analytic and computer studies have been done in cylindrical geometry for a copper liner. The minimum input energy per pulse Emin is found as a function of final plasma density, volume fill factor, liner compressibility, liner thickness, and the desired value of fusion energy multiplication α. We find that at optimum deuterium-tritium reaction temperatures (10–20 keV) Emin ∝ α 3/nf, where of is the final plasma density. For given values of Emin and nf, one can then determine the requirements for the outer magnetic field power supply that drives the liner implosion. Two possible cases are considered: an axial (Bz) magnetic field with azimuthal eddy current in the liner and an azimuthal (B θ ) magnetic field. The latter is shown to be inherently more efficient for transferring energy from the outer magnetic field to the liner. Finally, certain practical problems of liner formation and replacement in a fusion reactor vessel are briefly discussed.
Endocrine control of yolk sac membrane glycogen in the developing chick embryo ☆: II. Effects of hypophysectomy

Abstract The effect of hypophysectomy upon glycogen accumulation by the yolk sac membrane of the developing chick embryo has been studied. Animals were hypophysectomized at 33- to 38-hours of incubation by the “partial decapitation” method of Fugo (1940) , Yolk sac membranes were collected at 24-hour intervals from day 9,5 through 19.5 of incubation. Glycogen levels were determined by the anthrone method ( Carroll et al. , 1956 ). Although hypophysectomy produces no change in glycogen levels of yolk sac membranes of 9.5-, 10.5-, and 11.5-day embryos, by day 12.5 of incubation a statistically significant reduction in rate of glycogen accumulation has occurred. Glycogen levels of operated animals on days 13.5, 14.5, 15.5, 16.5, and 17.5 of incubation remain at the 12.5-day level. The period of 15.5 to 19.5 days of incubation is characterized by a sharp increase and decline in yolk sac membrane glycogen levels in normal animals. This increase and reduction is reflected in hypophysectomized animals, however it is out of phase by 1 day. A single administration of cortisone acetate on day 13.5 to pituoprivic embryos raises glycogen levels above normal on days 14.5 and 15.5 of incubation. The data demonstrate that the developing chick embryo does exert hormonal control over metabolic events within this membrane.
Timing of low frequency responses of anterior and posterior canal vestibulo-ocular neurons in alert cats

The pitch vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is accurate and symmetrical when tested in the normal upright posture, where otolith organ and central velocity storage signals supplement the basic VOR mediated by the semicircular canals. However, when the animal and rotation axis are together repositioned by rolling 90° to one side, head forward pitch rotations that excite the anterior semicircular canals elicit a more accurately timed VOR than do oppositely directed rotations that excite the posterior canals. This suggests that velocity storage of posterior canal signals is lost when the head is placed on its side. We recorded from 47 VOR relay neurons, second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons, of alert cats to test whether asymmetries are evident in the responses of neurons in the medial and superior vestibular nuclei during earth-horizontal axis rotations in the normal upright posture. Neurons were identified by antidromic responses to oculomotor nucleus stimulation and orthodromic responses to labyrinth stimulation, and were classified as having primarily anterior, posterior, or horizontal canal input based on response directionality. Neuronal response gains and phases were recorded during 0.5 Hz and 0.05 Hz sinusoidal oscillations in darkness. During 0.5 Hz rotations, anterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons responded approximately in phase with head velocity (mean phase re head position, ±SE, 80°±3°, n=18), as did posterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons (mean phase 81°±1°, n=25). Lowering the rotation frequency to 0.05 Hz resulted in only slight advances in response phases of individual anterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons (mean phase 86°±6°, mean advance 7°±5°, n=12). In contrast, posterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons behaved more like semicircular canal afferents, with responses markedly phase-advanced (mean advance 28°±5°, n=14) by lowering rotation frequency to 0.05 Hz (mean phase 111°±5°, n=14). In summary, low frequency responses of anterior and posterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons recorded during horizontal axis pitch correspond to the VOR they excite during vertical axis pitch. These results show that velocity storage is evident at anterior but not posterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons. We conclude that responses of posterior canal second-order vestibulo-ocular neurons are insufficient to explain the accurate low frequency VOR phase observed during backward head pitch in the upright posture, and that velocity storage or otolith signals required for VOR accuracy are carried by other neurons.
Logical omniscience and common knowledge: WHAT do we know and what do WE know?

Two difficult issues for the logic of knowledge have been logical omniscience and common knowledge. Our existing logics of knowledge based on Kripke structures seem to justify logical omniscience, but we know that in real life it does not exist. Also, common knowledge appears to be needed for certain real life procedures to work. But it seems quite implausible that it actually exists in real people.We suggest two procedure based semantics for knowledge which seem to take care of both these issues in a relatively realistic way.What this suggests is that if we really want to understand knowledge, then existing customs and plans must play a greater role than we are used to assigning them.
A Comparison of Neural Network and Fuzzy Logic Control Systems

Neural network and fuzzy logic control systems share many common characteristics and properties. They can be implemented into Practical applications either independently or in combined network topologies. This paper will compare and constrast their differences with emphasis on control system applications. It will also consider some of the benefits that can be derived by integrating the two network configurations into combined systems. The combination of systems resonbles an adaptive system with sensory and cognitive components as the neural perameter estimators embed directly in an overall fuzzy architecture.
The state of the art in cross-layer design for wireless sensor networks

The literature on cross-layer protocols, protocol improvements, and design methodologies for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is reviewed and a taxonomy is proposed. The communication protocols devised for WSNs that focus on cross-layer design techniques are reviewed and classified, based on the network layers they aim at replacing in the classical open system interconnection (OSI) network stack. Furthermore, systematic methodologies for the design of cross-layer solution for sensor networks as resource allocation problems in the framework of non-linear optimization are discussed. Open research issues in the development of cross-layer design methodologies for sensor networks are discussed and possible research directions are indicated. Finally, possible shortcomings of cross-layer design techniques such as lack of modularity, decreased robustness, and instability are discussed, and precautionary guidelines are presented.
Protein kinase C β/early growth response-1 pathway : A key player in ischemia, atherosclerosis, and restenosis

Atherosclerosis, restenosis, and the consequences of ischemia are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Elucidation of key contributing pathways in animal models of ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, and restenosis consequent to vascular injury may lead to great interest in determining if blocking these pathways could prevent vascular disease in human subjects. This review details the evidence that the protein kinase C (PKC) β/early growth response-1 axis plays a central role in the response to both acute and chronic vascular stresses in animal models and also indicates the clinical implications of a specific inhibitor of PKCβ, ruboxistaurin (LY333531).
NAFTA Stories: Fears and Hopes in Mexico and the United States

NAFTA Stories: Fears and Hopes in Mexico and the United States. Ann E. Kingsolver. Boulder: Lynn Rienner Publishers, 2001. 252 pp.
Urban Planning, the State, and Political Regimes: The Italian Case

In this article, a study of State intervention in urban planning in post-World-War-II Italy is presented. These interventions are explained dialectically as attempted solutions to the contradictions and conflicts surrounding the use of urban land. The major contradiction centers around the necessity for a more rational urban development and the private control of urban land. The conflicts generated by this contradiction arc seen as historically specific and tied to changes in the class struggle. Through historical analysis, I show how various planning laws were the response to legitimation needs raised by developments in the class struggle. The Italian State, however, is constrained by: (1) its commitment to supporting capital accumulation through the private appropriation of urban land; and (2) its political indebtedness to real-estate interests, thus making attempts at land-use planning cither stillborn or inadequate and contradictory, generating, in turn, other contradictions and struggles.
Behavior of decaying states in applied fields

Abstract The behavior of decaying atomic states in applied fields is studied. Corrections to expected line shapes of order α 3 Z 2 are found and calculated for the hydrogen n = 2 system.
Community Service from the Perspective of Alumni: Shaping Caring Christian Citizens at Grove City College

This study at Grove City College, a private, Christian liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania, assessed the effectiveness of the college's mission of service and engagement with others in society. An on-line survey with forced option and open-ended questions was used to collect data from Grove City College graduates between the classes of 1996 and 2001. Hopefully, the survey results will be beneficial for other liberal arts colleges of like size and mission as a framework for assessing alumni to determine the effectiveness of an institution's ability to connect service to the curriculum and cocurriculum in order to shape caring citizens.
Monitoring subsidence and vent wall collapse on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii

Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaii experienced its first summit eruption in 26 years when a new vent along the east wall of Halema'uma'u Crater opened in March 2008. Since that time, the vent has become wider as parts of the wall around it became unstable and collapsed into the active lava lake within the vent, sometimes triggering small explosions. Richter et al. have monitored surface deformation in the area around the new vent since 2008 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) from the TerraSAR-X satellite along with a digital elevation model of the topography based on lidar data. The scientists were able to generate interferograms (a type of image) with a pixel resolution of about 3 meters, which revealed centimeter-scale subsidence in the area within 100 meters of the vent rim. They note that this deformation cannot be detected by other techniques.
Level crossings and turbulence in free-space laser communications

We consider general theoretical aspects of level crossings of multidimensional fluctuating functions. Examples of such functions are turbulent fields such as refractive-index functions or turbulence-aberrated fields such as laser intensity functions in free-space laser communications. From a practical point of view, it is important to consider level crossings because they correspond to the temporal instances or spatial occurrences of when or where a signal of interest reaches, exceeds, or falls below a particular threshold. For example, the statistics of level crossings for a laser communication signal at a threshold corresponding to the minimum detection signal are important in order to study the probability density of the extent of intervals of down-time for communication links. For 1-D signals, the concept of the level crossing scale is clear and well established as it is the extent of the interval between successive level crossings. However, for multidimensional fields, this concept cannot be utilized directly because it is not clear how to define or identify successive level crossings, and therefore level crossing scales, in multiple dimensions. We describe a theoretical formulation which enables a consistent definition of level crossing scales for multidimensional fields, i.e. consistent with the traditional 1-D definition. We use the recently-developed concept of the shortest-distance scale because the latter applies naturally to multiple dimensions. We define the probability density function of level crossing scales, in any number of dimensions, in terms of a derivative of the probability density function of shortest-distance scales. Analytically, we illustrate this approach using exact theoretical examples with 2-D objects and we also provide results for exponential, lognormal, and power-law level crossing statistics which are basic models for applications involving turbulence and free-space laser communications.
A thermodynamic and kinetic investigation of amorphous (1−x)As2Se3 · xSb2Se3 alloys

Abstract The heats of formation of amorphous (1− x )As 2 Se 3 · x Sb 2 Se 3 ( x = 0 to 0.4) referred to crystalline As 2 Se 3 and Sb 2 Se 3 were measured by liquid metal solution calorimetry. The values of heats of formation of amorphous (1− x )As 2 Se 3 · x Sb 2 Se 3 decreased from 1.39 ± 0.03 kcal · (g-at) −1 at x = 0 to 1.27 ± 0.04 kcal · (g-at) −1 at x = 0.4. The glass transition temperature and the temperatures of the maximum rates of crystallization and fusion were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The glass transition temperature increased and the temperatures of the maximum rates of crystallization and fusion decreased with increasing Sb 2 Se 3 content. The relaxation process in amorphous (1− x )As 2 Se 3 · x Sb 2 Se ( x = 0.3) was investigated by measuring changes in microhardness, small-angle X-ray scattering and heat capacity with time of annealing at several temperatures ranging from room temperature to 413 K. With increasing annealing time the microhardness, the height and the temperature of the glass transition peak increased whereas the intensity of small-angle X-ray scattering decreased. These changes reflect relaxation towards a more stable structure of smaller molecular mobility. The changes in the enthalpy with annealing time and the activation energy spectra for relaxation were derived from the heat capacity data. The effects of temperature and time of annealing on the various properties are explained in terms of structural changes and relaxation kinetics.
Photodynamic therapy: a promising alternative in oncology

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that is based on the administration of a photosensitizer and the following application of light in a wavelength range matching the absorption spectrum of the photosensitizer. Ideally the photosensitizer retains in the tumor tissue more than in normal tissue and thus allows targeted destruction of cancerous tissue. The use of PDT is slowly being accepted as a standard treatment for certain types of cancer. This includes mainly treatment strategies with only palliative intentions (obstructive esophageal cancer and advanced lung cancer) while for certain malignant conditions new applications exists that are already intended for cure (e.g. early stage of lung cancer). The main advantage of PDT is that the treatment can be repeated multiple times safely without major side effects. PDT can be safely combined with already established treatment options like surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. A disadvantage of PDT is the only localized effect of the therapy, which usually cannot significantly alter the outcome of a systemic disease. In this paper we review the history of PDT as well as current clinical applications in oncology and future directions.
Pulmonary Function and Electrolyte Balance Following Spironolactone Treatment in Preterm Infants with Chronic Lung Disease. • 321

Oral diuretic therapy is often required by premature infants with chronic lung disease (CLD). Although spironolactone (SP) is frequently used in combination with chlorthiazide (CT), the effects of SP on electrolyte losses, electrolyte supplementation and pulmonary function have not been evaluated. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of SP to CT administration will not improve pulmonary mechanics or minimize the need for dietary electrolyte supplementation. 16 infants received CT + placebo, and 17 infants received CT+ SP in a randomized, double-blind study. Baseline mean measurements in the two groups: BW 859 vs 837 gm, GA 26 vs 26 wks, PCA 32.5 vs 33 wks, lung compliance (CL)(1.15 vs 1.14 ml/cmH2O/kg), total lung resistance(RL) (56.8 vs 52.5 cmH2O/1/sec), FiO2 0.25 vs 0.27 and serum electrolytes were similar (p=ns). Mean data after 14 days of treatment:Table
Using Genetic Algorithms to Evaluate Aircraft Ground Holding Policy Under Static Conditions

The U.S. airline industry regularly has delays due to congestion problems in the air transportation network. These delays lead to increased costs and also have safety related implications. Some of the costs related to such delays could be minimized by holding aircraft on the ground at the originating airport when congestion delays are expected en route or at the destination airport. Aside from reducing operating costs, the ground holding policy (GHP) also has beneficial implications on some safety concerns, as it is generally considered to be better to hold an aircraft on the ground than in the air. The GHP is formulated as an integer programming problem and solved using heuristic techniques. However, the presence of discrete and binary integer variables increases the complexity involved when solved using traditional algorithms. Genetic algorithms (GAs) offer a powerful alternative for efficiently solving such problems. A GA is a search and optimization technique based on natural genetics and selection. This paper presents a discussion of GAs and their applicability to evaluating the GHP. Specific examples are presented to illustrate such applications. Results obtained from the test problems are consistent with expectations, indicating that GAs can be used as a solution technique. It is observed that the program run time was reasonably low.
Taxonomic review of immature dung beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Discussion of the taxonomy of scarabaeine larvae includes: (i) a redescription of the subfamily Scarabaeinae based upon larval characters, (ii) descriptions of known genera based upon larvae, and (iii) a key to known genera. Twenty-five genera representing each of the six currently recognized tribes and most subtribes are considered: Onthophagus, Liatongus, Oniticellus, Onitis, Bubas, Dichotomius, Ontherus, Ateuchus, Scatimus, Canthidium, Neocanthidium, Copris, Heliocopris, Phanaeus, Coprophanaeus, Sulcophanaeus, Sisyphus, Gymnopleurus, Scarabaeus, Megathopa, Canthon. Deltochilum, Canthochilum, Arachnodes and Eurysternus. Four others are treated briefly: Chironitis, Synapsis, Catharsius, Nesosisyphus. On morphological and other grounds, Scatimus and Heliocopris are removed from the subtribe Coprina and reassigned to Dichotomiina. There is little about the variation among larvae studied which supports or weakens the current tribal classification based upon adults as there emerge no combinations of larval characters which satisfactorily define generic groupings. Discussion of scarabaeine pupae is limited to description of pupal support projections of known genera and to definition of the support system characteristic of the subfamily, which is functionally related to nesting behaviour culminating in metamorphosis within a spheroid pupation chamber.
Input Impedance, Nanocircuit Loading, and Radiation Tuning of Optical Nanoantennas

Here we explore the radiation features of optical nanoantennas, analyzing the concepts of optical input impedance, optical radiation resistance, impedance matching, and loading of plasmonic nanodipoles. We discuss how the concept of antenna impedance may be applied to optical frequencies and how its quantity may be properly defined and evaluated. We exploit these concepts in the optimization of nanoantenna loading by optical nanocircuit elements, extending classic concepts of radio-frequency antenna theory to the visible regime for the proper design and matching of plasmonic nanoantennas.
Levels in N 14 at 11.74 and 11.82 Mev

The known angular distribution of the ${\mathrm{C}}^{13}(p, {p}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma}){\mathrm{C}}^{13}$ 3.68-Mev gamma rays is not sufficient to determine uniquely the spin and parity of the 11.74-Mev ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$ level for the case of arbitary channel-spin mixing. To resolve this ambiguity the angular distribution of the inelasticity scattered protons has been measured. Of the previous possibilities, ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={1}^{+}, {2}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}, \mathrm{and} {3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, the assignment ${1}^{+}$ is selected. A new level is found at 11.82 Mev in ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$ having a width of about 100 kev, and decaying through the 3.09-Mev level in ${\mathrm{C}}^{13}$. An angular distribution of the inelasticity scattered protons from this new level shows strong interference effects.
Microfracture in polycrystalline solids

Abstract This paper is concerned with the nucleation of microcracks in single-phase and polyphase polycrystalline solids. Since microcracks in polycrystalline solids are mostly formed at grain boundaries, the subject of microcracking at grain boundaries is given considerable attention. It is emphasized that in certain single-phase polycrystalline solids such as metals and ceramics, spontaneous microcracks do not form; on the other hand, the stress-induced microcracks have a tendency to propagate indefinitely under a uniaxial tensile loading. A fracture process is suggested for single-phase polycrystalline solids, which is consistent with the dislocation theories of microcracking, and adequately explains the effect of hydrostatic loading on fracture.
Lectin−Erythrocyte Interaction with External Transmembrane Glycophorin Saccharides Controlling Membrane Internal Cytoskeleta

Human red blood cell (RBC, erythrocyte) membranes have internal protein skeletons that govern the cells' distinctive discocyte-echinocyte morphology (shape) changes, seen in conventional microscopy. Glycophorin, the cell's transmembrane protein, presents all of its saccharides outside the cell. The protein sector of glycophorin is linked inside to the RBC cytoskeleton, enabling lectins binding to the external saccharides to gain profound control over internal cytoskeleton behavior, expressed by governance of the visibly seen cell shape. Critical lectin binding stoichiometries ((125)I-labeled lectins) equate to the number of glycophorin monomers per RBC, 7 x 10(5) copies/cell. Wheat germ agglutinin lectin (sialic acid specific) binds to glycophorin's outermost (exo) saccharides and exerts tight control over the cell's morphology. Removal of sialic acid groups (desialation) exposes the endosaccharides of glycophorin, enabling peanut agglutinin and Osage orange lectins to gain equally tight control over the RBC's morphology behavior in simple stoichiometric ratios, bound lectin molecules/glycophorin receptor. Thus, lectin specificities for saccharides are sharply in register with the glycophorin external saccharide composition, the sequence along the chains, and the number of copies of protein (stoichiometry). These relationships were determined via RBC shape change equilibria and also via shape change rates. Rate data are somewhat laborious to determine, but are exquisitely sensitive to lectin specificities and in very small lectin concentrations. Both classes of data enable these interactions to be analyzed in lectin and RBC concentrations approximately 100-fold smaller than agglutinating levels.
Stochastic analysis of oxygen-limited biodegradation in heterogeneous aquifers with transient microbial dynamics

A stochastic theory of multiple species transport and transformation is developed for the problem of oxygen-limited biodegradation of contaminants in aquifers, considering the presence of transient microbial growth dynamics. The theory incorporates the effects of physical, chemical and microbiological heterogeneities into a stochastic analysis of the coupled transport/transformation equations for a system consisting of a contaminant, an oxidizer, i.e., dissolved oxygen, and active biomass in heterogeneous and anisotropic aquifers. The developed theory is used to quantify the effects of mean concentrations on the field scale coefficients of decay, retardation and macrodispersion, and to evaluate the assumption of a steady-state biomass, previously reported in the literature. A comparison between the steady state assumption [Miralles-Wilhelm, F., Gelhar, L.W., Kapoor, V., 1997. Stochastic analysis of oxygen-limited biodegration in three dimensionally in heterogeneous aquifers. Water Resour. Res., 33 (6)] and this work for hypothesized field conditions shows that the effects of transient microbial growth on the effective retardation factor and macrodispersivities are minor, while the effects are modest for the effective decay rate. Transient microbial growth dynamics are found to occur over most contaminant and dissolved oxygen mean concentration ranges, and therefore a transient mean balance equation for biomass should be included in modeling efforts directed at quantifying oxygen-limited biodegradation at field scales. As in previous research, the effective decay rate is found to be less than the mean, which results in a larger field scale contaminant half-life in a heterogenous aquifer, compared to that in a homogeneous aquifer.
Saccadic eye movements and the perception of visual direction

The extant research literature concerning intrasaccadic stimuli implies that if a spot of light is flashed in the dark during a saccadic eye movement, one should subsequently look for the light in one direction while professing to see it lying in another. This paper accounts for this paradox in terms of two hypothesized varieties of sensed eye orientation, one estimating actual eye orientation (efference copy) and the other corresponding to intended eye orientation (afference copy).
FUNCTIONAL REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASES ENCODED BY A-TYPE MOUSE LINE-1 : DEFINING THE MINIMAL DOMAIN BY DELETION ANALYSIS

Long interspersed elements, or LINEs, are retrotransposons that move via an RNA intermediate. In mice, one polymorphic variant of L1 has amplified relatively recently, giving rise to the A-type subfamily in species belonging to the genus and subgenus Mus. Retrotransposition of LINE-1 (L1) requires the function of the L1-encoded reverse transcriptase that is produced from open reading frame 2 (ORF2). Here, we employ a convenient yeast genetic assay to determine the reverse transcriptase activity of the ORF2 obtained from three A-type L1 elements: one, a cDNA from the RNA in ribonucleoprotein particles; another with a purported inactivating mutation; and the third, a hypothetical ancestral construct. Because there are no examples of A-type elements that have transposed recently to inactivate a gene, this assay is the first step towards demonstrating the functional capability of mouse A-type LINE-1 elements. One of the three elements was believed to have been inactivated during evolution by the substitution of leucine for a highly conserved phenylalanine or tryptophan residue among known reverse transcriptases. This mutation did not inactivate the L1 reverse transcriptase in the yeast assay; thus, all three of the elements tested encoded reverse transcriptase activity. We further examined the minimal reverse transcriptase domain within ORF2 by creating a series of deletions. The results demonstrate that removal of the L1 endonuclease domain from the N-terminal region of ORF2 does not affect reverse transcriptase activity as determined by this assay, and that approximately half of the ORF2 coding sequence from mouse A-type L1 elements is required for functional reverse transcriptase.
Eruption Age of a Pleistocene Basalt From ^(40)Ar-^(39)Ar Analysis of Partially Degassed Xenoliths

We have applied ^(40)Ar−^(39)Ar dating to potassium-rich granitic xenoliths and host basalt from the Pleistocene Big Pine volcanic field, California. These xenoliths had been partially degassed upon their inclusion in the basaltic lava. Argon released from the xenoliths at extraction temperatures below ∼900°C yielded plateau ages indistinguishable from the total K-Ar age of the basalt. The best estimate of the age of eruption was 1.18±0.05 (2σ) m.y. ^(40)Ar extracted at higher temperatures included radiogenic argon not degassed from the late Cretaceous xenoliths 1.18 m.y. ago, causing an increase in the apparent age for the high-temperature fractions. The agreement of the low-temperature xenolith plateau ages and the basalt K-Ar ages demonstrates that ^(40)Ar−^(39)Ar analysis of xenoliths may be used to measure the age of eruption of very young lavas. This is significant because in many instances ages cannot be reliably determined by analysis of the lavas themselves.
A pilot study of diethyldithiocarbamate in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the AIDS-related complex.

Abstract We investigated the use of diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC, or Imuthiol r , Merieux Institute) as a therapeutic agent in patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-Related Complex (ARC). Patients were prospectively stratified and randomized to receive DTC 200mg/m 2 intravenously weekly for 16 weeks or no therapy, followed by crossover to the opposite arm for an equal period. Forty-four patients were entered and forty were evaluable. There was a statistically significant decrease in symptoms in the DTC treated patients compared to the controls (p=.002). There was a significant improvement in lymphadenopathy in the treated patients compared to the controls (p=.005). One patient showed disappearance of splenomegaly, one clearing of antifungal agent-resistant perianal moniliasis, and one clearing of hairy leukoplakia. No significant differences in progression were noted. No changes were seen in any of the immunological parameters measured. There was no significant toxicity. Because of the changes in symptoms and in lymphadenopathy, we suggest that further study of DTC, both alone and in combination with other agents, may be indicated. 1