cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protects early myeloid progenitors in a murine model of cyclophosphamide-induced myelotoxicity.

Expression of hematoregulatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) in response to cytotoxic chemotherapy hastens hematopoietic recovery, but may also potentiate myelotoxicity if myeloid progenitors enter cell cycle before drug clearance. In the present study, the ability of recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) to protect hematopoietic progenitors was studied in a murine model of cyclophosphamide (CPA)-induced myelotoxicity. CF-1 female mice received 200 mg/kg CPA and either 10 mg/kg IL-1ra or an equal volume of 0.05% human serum albumin (HSA) intraperitoneally (i.p.), followed 12 hours later by IL-1ra or HSA. CPA and IL-1ra increased absolute neutrophil counts (ANCs) at days 2 (P = .001) and 14 (P = .0025) after CPA. In IL-1ra-treated mice, colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM)/tibia were increased twofold and threefold at days 2 (P = .0047) and 7 (P = .023), respectively, whereas high proliferative potential colony-forming cells (HPP-CFC)/tibia were decreased twofold to threefold at 8 hours (P = .039) and 24 hours (P = .0033), but were approximately threefold higher than HSA-treated mice at day 7 after CPA. Coadministration of CPA and IL-1 enhanced myelotoxicity compared with mice injected with CPA and IL-1ra or HSA. In vivo, IL-1ra protected HPP-CFC, but not CFU-GM, from hydroxyurea suicide after a single dose of CPA, suggesting that IL-1ra inhibited cycling of HPP-CFC. In vitro, IL-1ra did not alter proliferation of CFU-GM, but inhibited IL-1-enhanced proliferation of HPP-CFC. These data suggest that IL-1ra acts as an indirect negative regulator of hematopoiesis and protects HPP-CFC from CPA, possibly by inhibiting IL-1-enhanced proliferation of early myeloid progenitors.
Somatic HNF1A mutations in the malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenomas: a retrospective analysis of data from MSK-IMPACT and TCGA.

Summary Mutations of Hepatocyte-Nuclear-Factor-1-Homeobox-A (HNF1A) gene and loss of Liver-Fatty-Acid-Binding-Protein (LFABP) are well documented in hepatocellular adenoma. However, the role of HNF1A mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be determined. In this study, all hepatocellular neoplasms evaluated by our institutional Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutational Profiling of Actionable Clinical Targets assay or the Cancer Genome Atlas sequencing, and cases reported in the literature, were queried for HNF1A mutations. Together, 11 of 672 (1.6%) hepatocellular carcinomas harbored HNF1A mutations. The single case from our institution (n = 153) was extremely well differentiated, arising in a background of adenomatosis. Both the adenoma and carcinoma component contained the same 2 somatic HNF1A mutations (p. E32* and L214Q), with loss of LFABP. From the literature, 2 of 146 (1.4%) hepatocellular carcinomas had HNF1A mutations, and both arose in a background of adenomatosis. Information on pre-existing adenoma for the remaining cases (8/373, from The Cancer Genome Atlas) was not available. HNF1A mutations in carcinomas were associated with negative viral hepatitis status (p = .004), mutually exclusive with catenin beta-1 (CTNNB1) hotspot mutations, and trended to occur more in females (p = .06) and without cirrhosis (p = .03). Grade was not associated with HNF1A status (p = .28). Somatic HNF1A mutations occur in approximately 1% to 2% of hepatocellular carcinoma, often in a background of adenomatosis. Our findings suggest that malignant transformation of HNF1A-mutated hepatocellular adenoma occurs, albeit infrequently. Hepatocellular adenomas with HNF1A mutation or adenomatosis with loss of LFABP warrant thorough sampling and examination.
Analyzing Genomic Data Using Tensor-based Orthogonal Polynomials

Rapid increases in the availability of genomic data for diverse organisms has spurred the search for better mathematical and computational methods to investigate the underlying patterns that connect genotypic and phenotypic data. Large genomic datasets make it possible to search for higher order epistatic interactions, but also highlight the need for new mathematical tools that can simultaneously represent sequences and phenotypes. We propose a multivariate tensor-based orthogonal polynomial approach to characterize nucleotides or amino acids in a DNA/RNA or protein sequence. Given phenotype data and corresponding sequences, we can construct orthogonal polynomials using sequence information and subsequently map phenotypes on to the space of the polynomials. This approach provides information about higher order associations between different parts of a sequence, and allows us to identify both linear and nonlinear relationships between phenotype and genomic or proteomic sequence data. We use this method to assess the relationship between sequences and transcription activity levels in a large raw mammalian enhancer dataset downloaded from NCBI. We provide insights into the bioinformatics and computational pipeline necessary to curate and translate large-scale genomic data to extract and quantify complex genome-phenotype interactions.
Recent Advances in the Use of Algal Polysaccharides for Skin Wound Healing

Background Chronic skin wounds and pressure ulcers represent major health care problems in diabetic individuals, as well as patients who suffered a spinal cord injury. Current treatment methods are only partially effective and such wounds exhibit a high recurrence rate. Open wounds are at high risk of invasive wound infections, which can lead to amputation and further disability. An interdisciplinary approach is needed to develop new and more effective therapies. Methods The purpose of this work is to review recent studies focusing on the use of algal polysaccharides in commercially available as well as experimental wound dressings. Studies that discuss wound dressings based on algal polysaccharides, some of which also contain growth factors and even living cells, were identified and included in this review. Results and conclusion Algal polysaccharides possess mechanical and physical properties, along with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability that make them suitable for a variety of applications as wound dressings. Furthermore, algal polysaccharides have been used for a dual purpose, namely as wound covering, but also as a vehicle for drug delivery to the wound site.
Relationship of Steady-State Power Loss and Configurable Tripping Time in Z-Source Circuit Breakers

DC-nature distributed energy resources like solar and fuel cells are emerging in electric power systems as a part of DC microgrids/nanogrids, MVDC and HVDC transmission and distribution networks. But limitation of fault current in DC network is an essential challenge that needs careful attention. In this paper, the relationship between its steady-state power loss and configurable tripping time in Z-source circuit breakers (ZCBs) is analyzed. It is found that the power delivery efficiency of ZCB decreases while the demand of tripping time increasing. But, when the demand of tripping time is around or less than at a level of 0.1ms, the ZCB still remain at a high efficiency (> 94.6%) as a good candidate for DC protection. The results have been verified on testbed and useful for protection coordination design in DC power networks.
Proposal for Development of a Computerized Version of the Talking, Feelings and Doing Game

Summary The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for development and initial assessment of a computerized version of the Talking, Feeling, and Doing Game (Creative Therapeutics, 1973). The Talking, Feelings and Doing Game was developed by Richard A. Gardner M.D., in order to facilitate the therapeutic process for those children who are “inhibited, constrained, or resistive” (Gardner, 1986, p. 609) or as an alternative therapeutic tool for children who are not characterized as resistant and thus freely reveal information. This game provides children an opportunity to talk about themselves in a way that is less anxiety provoking than traditional methods of eliciting information about their underlying psychodynamics.
High-speed on-chip light sources at the nanoscale

Following a similar trend in the scaling of electronic integrated circuits (ICs), the downscaling of optical sources promises revenues such as higher energy efficiency and faster operation speed in...
Diffusion Kinetics of CO 2 , CH 4 , and their BinaryMixtures in Porous Organic Cage CC3

The sorption kinetics of single- and binary-component mixtures of CO2 and CH4 in porous organic cage (POC) CC3 was investigated by the zero-length column (ZLC) technique for the purpose of understa...
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound measurement of pancreatic blood flow dynamics predicts type1 diabetes therapeutic reversal in preclinical models

In type 1 diabetes (T1D) immune-cell infiltration into the islets of Langerhans (insulitis) and β-cell decline occurs many years before diabetes presents. Non-invasively detecting insulitis and β-cell decline would allow diagnosis of eventual diabetes and provide a means to monitor the efficacy of therapeutic intervention. However, there is a lack of validated clinical approaches for specifically and non-invasively imaging disease progression leading to T1D. Islets have a dense microvasculature that reorganizes during diabetes. We previously demonstrated contrast-enhanced ultrasound measurements of pancreatic blood-flow dynamics could predict disease progression in T1D pre-clinical models. Here we test whether these measurements can predict successful therapeutic treatment for T1D. We performed destruction-reperfusion measurements using a small-animal ultrasound machine and size-isolated microbubbles, in NOD-scid mice receiving an adoptive transfer of diabetogenic splenocytes (AT mice). Mice received vehicle control or either of the following treatments: 1) antiCD4 to deplete CD4+ T-cells; 2) antiCD3 to block T-cell activation, 3) Verapamil to reduce β-cell apoptosis and 4) TUDCA to reduce ER stress. We compared measurements of pancreas blood-flow dynamics with subsequent progression to diabetes. In AT mice blood-flow dynamics were altered >2 weeks after splenocyte transfer. AntiCD4, antiCD3 and verapamil provided a significant delay in diabetes development. Those treated AT mice with delayed or absent diabetes development showed significantly altered blood flow dynamics compared to untreated AT mice. Conversely, treated AT mice that developed diabetes, despite therapy, showed similar blood-flow dynamics to untreated AT mice. Thus, contrast-enhanced ultrasound measurement of pancreas blood-flow dynamics can predict the successful or unsuccessful delay or prevention of diabetes upon therapeutic treatments that target both immune activity or β-cell protection. This strategy may provide a clinically-deployable predictive marker for disease progression and therapeutic reversal in asymptomatic T1D.
Self-reported traumatic etiology of pain and psychological function in tertiary care pain clinic patients: a collaborative health outcomes information registry (CHOIR) study.

Background and aims A sizable body of research has elucidated the significant role of psychological reactions to trauma on pain coping and outcomes. In order to best inform intervention development and clinical care for patients with both trauma and pain at the tertiary care level, greater clarity is needed regarding the magnitude of these effects and the specific pathways through which they may or may not function at the time of first presentation to such a treatment setting. To achieve this, the current study examined the cross-sectional relationships between traumatic etiology of pain, psychological distress (anger, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms), and pain outcomes (pain catastrophizing, physical function, disability status). Methods Using a structural path modeling approach, analyses were conducted using a large sample of individuals with chronic pain (n = 637) seeking new medical evaluation at a tertiary pain management center, using the Collaborative Health Outcomes Information Registry (CHOIR). We hypothesized that the relationships between traumatic etiology of pain and poorer pain outcomes would be mediated by higher levels of psychological distress. Results Our analyses revealed modest relationships between self-reported traumatic etiology of pain and pain catastrophizing, physical function, and disability status. In comparison, there were stronger relationships between indices of psychological distress and pain catastrophizing, but a weaker pattern of associations between psychological distress and physical function and disability measures. Conclusions To the relatively small extent that self-reported traumatic etiology of pain correlates with pain-related outcomes, these relationships appear to be due primarily to the presence of psychiatric symptoms and manifest most notably in the context of psychological responses to pain (i.e. catastrophizing about pain). Implications Findings from this study highlight the need for early intervention for patients with traumatic onset of pain and for clinicians at tertiary pain centers to include more detailed assessments of psychological distress and trauma as a component of comprehensive chronic pain treatment.
An unforeseen story of alpha-woman: breadwinner women are more likely to quit the job in work-family conflicts

Extensive research studied the effect of work-family conflicts on employee turnover, however, limited studies explored how work-family conflicts might influence the turnover decision. This paper ut...
The Association of Pretransplant Pulmonary Hypertension With Patient and Graft Survival After Kidney Transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been well characterized in end-stage kidney disease and carries a grave prognosis. Its relationship to kidney transplantation outcomes is uncertain. The purpose of the present study was to characterize PH in kidney transplant candidates and to evaluate the relationship of PH to post-transplantation outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of medical records and echocardiographic findings in all patients listed and transplanted at a large urban academic medical center from 2010 to 2015 was undertaken. PH (defined as echocardiographic evidence of pulmonary artery systolic pressure ≥ 35 mm Hg) was assessed along with demographics, and comorbidities for its relationship to patient, and graft survival by univariable and multivariable analysis. Results Of 733 patients, 15.6% (115) had PH. PH in this population was primarily due to left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Patient survival (78.3% vs 89.6%, P = .02) and the composite of patient and graft survival (70.7% vs 85.0%, P = .04) was reduced at 5 years in patients with PH as compared to patients with No PH, respectively. However, multivariable analysis suggested that age at presentation, race, and left ventricular systolic function but not PH were significantly associated with patient mortality or graft loss. Conclusion Reduced patient and graft survival seen in patients with pulmonary hypertension appears to be related to risk factors other than the pulmonary hypertension itself; therefore, pretransplant PH should not be considered as a barrier to kidney transplantation.
Frequency tuning and bandwidth measurements for a high power 13 CH 3 F laser

A heterodyne receiver system has been developed for measuring the frequency spectrum of individual pulses from a high power optically pumped 13CH 3 F laser. Results obtained thus far are for superradiant emission from the 245 and 248 GHz lines. The pump is a single mode TEA CO 2 laser, tunable ±800 MHz about line center. The superradiant emissions are found to consist of two or more individual frequency components, each is of narrow bandwidth (10–20 MHz FWHM). These components are found to remain fixed as the pump laser is tuned.
Introduction: Order Without Leviathan

The twin concepts of state sovereignty and international anarchy underpin much of contemporary theorizing about world politics. Although many theorists believe that the absence of a higher authority condemns nation-states to an existence of endless discord, the type of international normative order within which national leaders interact sets the tone for politics among nations. This chapter compares two variations on Rousseau’s allegory of the stag hunt to illustrate how different normative contexts affect the prospects for cooperating under anarchy.
Factors Affecting Outcomes in Patients With Stage III & IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Oropharynx: The Importance of p16 Status, BMI, and Race

Objective To identify racial disparities in survival outcomes among Stage III & IV patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCa) of the oropharynx treated with definitive radiation therapy (RT), with concurrent chemotherapy. Method This is a retrospective analysis of patients with stage III & IV SCCa of oropharynx treated with definitive RT at the State Academic Medical Center. All patients were treated to 70 Gy utilizing intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT), and received concurrent chemotherapy with weekly cisplatin or cetuximab. Chi-square test was used to test the goodness of fit, overall survival (OS), and locoregional control (LRC) comparing races were generated by using Log-rank test & Kaplan-Meier method. The covariables associated with the OS and LRC were determined by the Cox regression model. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The SPSS 24.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used. Results In the total 73 eligible patients, 54.8% were black, and 45.2% white patients. Stage distribution (per American Joint Committee on Cancer-AJCC 8th Ed) between black patients vs. white patients, Stage III (45.5% vs. 54.5%) and for Stage IV (56.5% vs. 43.5%); p=0.499. Median follow-up for the entire group was 41 months (range: 4-144 months). In the univariate analysis, variables p16 status, body mass index (BMI), alcohol history and tumor subsite were found to be significant. In the multivariate analysis, only BMI has shown to be significant. Three-year LRC for black patients was 37.8% vs.66.8% in white patients (p=0.354) and three-year OS for black patients was 51.8% vs. 80.9% for white patients (p=0.063), respectively. Five-year OS for p16 positive patients was 69.7% vs. 43% for p16 negative patients (p=0.034). Five-year OS for Stage IV black patients was 34% vs. 69.5% for Stage IV white patients (p=0.014). Conclusion Among all the co-variables examined, only BMI has shown affecting the OS outcomes; gender and BMI shown to be affecting the LRC. Racial factor appears to be significant in Stage IV patients.
Peroxidase-mimetic activity of FeOCl nanosheets for the colorimetric determination of glutathione and cysteine.

For the first time the enzyme mimic activity of iron oxychloride (FeOCl) nanosheets has been studied. The intrinsic peroxidase-mimetic activity of the nanosheets in the presence of H2O2 was approved by the efficient oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The Michaelis–Menten constant of the nanosheets toward TMB was about six times lower than that of natural horseradish peroxidase. The superiority of the nanosheets’ catalytic property ascribes to their H2O2 activation ability. Based on the inhibition of the nanozymes’ catalytic reaction, an assay was developed for the quantitative measurement of glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys). The linear range for both biomolecules was over the range of 3–33 μM. The LOD values (3σ/slope) for GSH and Cys were 2.23 μM and 2.76 μM, respectively. Importantly, we succeeded in colorimetric discrimination of GSH and Cys kinetically. We achieved high selectivity toward GSH and Cys. This work extends the feasibility of using FeOCl as nanozymes to construct biosensors, colorimetric probes for medical diagnosis, and nanozyme-based cancer therapy.
Occurrence of Ethyl Carbamate in Foods and Beverages: Review of the Formation Mechanisms, Advances in Analytical Methods, and Mitigation Strategies.

Ethyl carbamate (EC) is a process contaminant that can be formed as a byproduct during fermentation and processing of foods and beverages. Elevated EC levels are primarily associated with distilled spirits, but this compound has also been found at lower levels in foods and beverages, including breads, soy sauce, and wine. Evidence from animal studies suggests that EC is a probable human carcinogen. Consequently, several governmental institutions have established allowable limits for EC in the food supply. This review will discuss EC formation mechanisms, occurrence of EC in the food supply, and EC dietary exposure assessments. Analytical methods currently used to detect EC, and advances in experimental technologies, such as nanosensors and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) will also be discussed. Finally, application of mitigation methods to maintain levels of EC under allowable limits will be covered, including distillation practices, enzymatic treatments, and genetic engineering of yeast. Ongoing research in this field is needed to refine mitigation strategies and develop methods to rapidly detect EC in the food supply.
Rules, culture, and fitness.

Behavior analysis risks intellectual isolation unless it integrates its explanations with evolutionary theory. Rule-governed behavior is an example of a topic that requires an evolutionary perspective for a full understanding. A rule may be defined as a verbal discriminative stimulus produced by the behavior of a speaker under the stimulus control of a long-term contingency between the behavior and fitness. As a discriminative stimulus, the rule strengthens listener behavior that is reinforced in the short run by socially mediated contingencies, but which also enters into the long-term contingency that enhances the listener’s fitness. The long-term contingency constitutes the global context for the speaker’s giving the rule. When a rule is said to be “internalized,” the listener’s behavior has switched from short- to long-term control. The fitness-enhancing consequences of long-term contingencies are health, resources, relationships, or reproduction. This view ties rules both to evolutionary theory and to culture. Stating a rule is a cultural practice. The practice strengthens, with short-term reinforcement, behavior that usually enhances fitness in the long run. The practice evolves because of its effect on fitness. The standard definition of a rule as a verbal statement that points to a contingency fails to distinguish between a rule and a bargain (“If you’ll do X, then I’ll do Y”), which signifies only a single short-term contingency that provides mutual reinforcement for speaker and listener. In contrast, the giving and following of a rule (“Dress warmly; it’s cold outside”) can be understood only by reference also to a contingency providing long-term enhancement of the listener’s fitness or the fitness of the listener’s genes. Such a perspective may change the way both behavior analysts and evolutionary biologists think about rule-governed behavior.
Models for Predicting the Risk of Naturalization of NonNative Woody Plants in Iowa

Nursery and landscape professionals have introduced many useful non-native woody plants for managed landscapes, but the potential exists for new introductions to escape from cultivation and become pests. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive strategy to assess the risk of naturalization of non-native woody plants in Iowa. We examined life-history traits and native distributions of 100 woody plant species, including 28 species known to naturalize in Iowa and 72 other species not known to naturalize in the state. We tested three approaches to predict naturalization of woody plants in Iowa: (1) direct application of a previously developed decision tree designed to predict naturalization on a continental scale within North America; (2) application of the continental model modified to include traits important on a regional scale, and (3) development of a new regional model that included a geographic-risk component along with life-history traits. Our modifications to the continental model and the new regional model all were more powerful than the unmodified, continental model, as measured by their ability to classify species (classification rate) based on risk of naturalization, without reducing accuracy, as measured by the frequency of misclassification (error rate). Classification rates ranged from 65% for the unmodified continental model to 90% for the modified continental model. Error rates varied from 6% for the new regional model to 20% for the unmodified continental model, including horticulturally limiting error rates of 4 to 17%, respectively.
Sublimation of Flat-Nosed Cones with Various Axisymmetric Steps in Supersonic Flow

A method of sintering powdered camphor and naphthalene after deaeration under vacuum which is well suited for making models for wind-tunnel experiments on the aerodynamics of subliming bodies is described. Exploratory tests on cones with flat and hemispherical noses and on several complex conical shapes, featuring downstream and upstream facing steps, rectangular grooves and shoulders are presented. The experiments were performed at a Mach number of 3, blowing parameters up to 0.35 and model Reynolds numbers up to 200,000. Emphasis is placed on the general evolution of the profiles, the history of the tips, and the occurrence of grooves, striations, and surface markings. I. Introduction P AST work on ablative heat shields was dominated by thermal and structural problems, and focused mainly on applications to blunt bodies. Recent experiments1"5 have focused on fine details of the surface features left on the ablated skin after flight, which are of considerable fundamental interest. These include grooves associated with identifiable three-dimensional roughness elements, turbulence wedges, and even more surprising patterns, only recently identified, which look like crosshatching by grooves spiraling in both directions over the surface. In these applications, a relatively thin shell of material ablates without substantially influencing the geometry or the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. However, recent emphasis on low-fineness- ratio re-entry shapes has given prominence to changes in shape of the ablating surface, particularly in the neighborhood of the nose. These changes can seriously affect the drag, the aerodynamic stability parameters of the vehicle, and the amount and aerothermochemistry of observables left in the wake of the body. Some features of complex (composite) initial shapes with corners, steps, etc., are eroded smoothly and stably, whereas others tend to magnify and induce further self-perpetuating nonuniformities. There have been virtually no studies of such phenomena published and the possible uses of the coupling between the trajectory and the history of shape/ drag/ablation thermochemistry of such composite shapes has not been considered. The present report describes a method of sintering camphor and naphthalene which results in very satisfactory models for wind-tunnel investigations of the shape change of ablating bodies, and presents exploratory results on the surface recession history of cones, blunted cones, and composite shapes having expansion corners, upstream and downstream flow separations, and notches. The experiments were performed over a period of three years,6'7 with limited resources. Only photographic records were collected which are not sufficient to allow a detailed and quantitative reduction of data and a comparison with theory. As an exploratory program, however, the tests were quite successful, and further exploitation of the technique seems quite worthwhile.
Is there any place for magnetocardiographic imaging in the era of robotic ablation of cardiac arrhythmias

This article reviews major problems and difficulties faced by the authors along more than twenty years of clinical application of magnetocardiography (MCG) as a tool to improve the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic mechanism(s), noninvasively. It is also emphasized that an exhaustive understanding of individual electrophysiology is mandatory before any intervention, which can modify the substrate and complicate the treatment of patients in the case of ablation failure. The reasons for scarce acceptance of MCG, compared with the success of recent methods for invasive three-dimensional electroanatomical imaging (3D-EAI), are discussed to provide suggestions for needed changes in R&D strategy. MCG might be a powerful method for non-invasive 3D-EAI, but appropriate tools for its clinical applicability are still lacking and need to be urgently developed, through serious investments and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Classes of equations of the type $y^{2}=x^{3}+k$ having no rational solutions

The equation y 2 = x 3 + k, k an integer, has been discussed by many authors. Mordell [1] has found many classes of k values for which the equation has no integral solutions. Fueter [2], Mordell [3] and Chang [4] have found classes of k values for which the equation has no rational solutions. The following two theorems exhibit two more sets of conditions which give rise to classes of k values for which the corresponding equations have no rational solutions.
Emotions and the emotional disorders: a quantitative hierarchical perspective

Resumen en: Previous evidence has established that general negative affect represents a non-specific factor common to both anxiety and depression, whereas low positi...
The Material Culture of Astronomy in Daily Life: Sundials, Science, and Social Change:

Sundials are among the most ancient of astronomical instruments. The earliest surviving examples date from 1500 B.C. By tracing the length and angles of shadows and by employing mathematical projections of the celestial sphere, early dials marked the passage of time, the recurring seasons, and the apparent motion of the sun in the sky. They refl ected time consciousness. Sundials have also been time discipliners. Since Hellenistic times, they have been used to coordinate activities such as meals, prayers, and business. With the rise of commercial society in the late Middle Ages, a new sense of time pressure led to increased production and further development of sundials. Personal timepieces kept busy people on schedule. One goal of this paper is to show how the material culture refl ected changes in people’s experience of time consciousness, time discipline, and time pressure. A second goal is to explore the place of sundials in consumer culture. People acquired sundials, like other consumer goods, for many reasons: because they needed or desired them; or because the goods had symbolic value or projected a particular image of their owners (cf. Figure 1). As material goods, sundials offer instances of social hegemony, class structure, and regional taste. Their diverse mathematical forms and designs reveal how people spent their time and the degree to which religion and politics were valued. Historiographically, this is a new way of looking at old sundials. Often curators and sundial enthusiasts focus their attention on the mathematics of the different types of dials, the panoply of shapes and designs, or the craftsmanship of particular instrument makers. These are worthwhile projects and require considerable connoisseurship. I aim to go beyond these studies in order to explore not only the supply side, but also the demand side of the sundial trade. Mathematicians designed and instrument makers produced sundials to serve and please their customers. The three groups — mathematicians, makers, and consumers — were not in mutual isolation. Material culture was the link between theory, production, and consumption, and it sheds light on all. I take as my foundation a careful study of over two thousand historic sundials preserved in museums worldwide. Although literary evidence is useful, it is only by the close inspection and comparison of many dials from different places and periods that one can build a picture of astronomy and mathematics in daily life. Two great sundial collections are at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago and the Harvard Collection of Historical Scientifi c Instruments. This paper will be illustrated by instruments in both museums. JHA, xxxii (2001)
Pre-Existing Immunity to Tyrosinase-Related Protein (TRP)-2, a New TRP-2 Isoform, and the NY-ESO-1 Melanoma Antigen in a Patient with a Dramatic Response to Immunotherapy

We have performed a detailed analysis of the recognition of melanoma Ags by the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) 1790, isolated from a patient who experienced a dramatic tumor regression following immunization with peptides from the gp100, MART-1, and tyrosinase Ags. This TIL was found to recognize HLA-A2-restricted CTL epitopes in tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-2 (clone MR7) and NY-ESO-1 (clone M8). These epitopes were the same as the previously identified nonapeptide TRP-2: 180-188, and the overlapping NY-ESO-1 peptides, obtained by using lymphocytes from in vitro stimulation. We also cloned a previously unknown TRP-2 mRNA isoform (TRP-2-6b) that contained two novel exons alternatively spliced from the sixth intron between exons 6 and 7 of TRP-2 mRNA. The isoform encoded an HLA-A2-restricted antigenic epitope recognized by TIL clone MB4. An immunologic analysis of the patient's PBMC obtained before treatment showed the presence of high reactivity against NY-ESO-1 and both TRP-2 Ags, but not the Ags used for immunization. Because immune response against these Ags was less pronounced, it is possible that NY-ESO-1, TRP-2, and TRP-2-6b may be of importance in the generation of CTL-mediated tumor destruction and may have played a role in the dramatic tumor regression seen in this patient.
Anterior determinants in embryos of Chironomus samoensis: characterization by rescue bioassay

Embryos of Chironomus samoensis are programmed, by anterior u.v. irradiation, to form the abnormal body pattern ‘double abdomen’. Most double abdomen embryos show a mirror-image duplication of abdominal segments in the absence of cephalic or thoracic segments. Such embryos can be ‘rescued’, i.e. restored to normal development, by microinjection of cytoplasm or RNA from unirradiated donor embryos. Most of the rescued embryos look completely normal and many of them hatch spontaneously. The rescuing activity decreases from the anterior to the posterior pole in the donor cytoplasm and must be delivered near the anterior pole of the recipient for maximum efficiency. Rescuing activity is present in total RNA extracted from whole, unirradiated embryos. Upon fractionation, the activity is associated with poly(A)+ RNA, with LiCl precipitate depleted of RNA smaller than 250 nucleotides (nt) and with a sucrose gradient fraction depleted of RNA larger than 500 nt. Corresponding fractions of RNA from Xenopus oocytes have no rescuing activity. The activity of Chironomus RNA is sensitive to u.v. irradiation with low fluence affecting less than 2% of the pyrimidine bases. Rescuing activity is present in cytoplasm until the blastoderm stage but disappears earlier from poly(A)+ RNA. Rescuing activity is also present, and localized, in cytoplasm of embryos from two related dipterans, Smittia sp. and Drosophila melanogaster, although the extent of rescue observed in Chironomus decreases with the phylogenetic distance between donor and recipient. The results of these and previous experiments indicate that dipteran embryos contain localized RNP particles acting as anterior determinants. In Chironomus, the activity of these particles seems to depend on the integrity of polyadenylated RNA of about 250 to 500 nt length.
Communication Technologies for AHS

The world is going digital, exclusively, and wireless—to a good degree. Anyone with a digital wristwatch, a computer, or a fax machine is well aware of the first truth, and anyone who owns a cordless phone is familiar with the second. Digital cellular technology will soon be used in all forms of broadcasting, from satellite Direct Audio Broadcasting (DAB) of high-quality FM directly to home or car, to High-Definition TV (HDTV), interactive TV (pay-per-view movies and assorted transactions from the home), wireless Personal Communications Services (PCS), including Low-Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite systems now being designed, and multimedia machines for education and entertainment. A huge eager market already exists for these technologies, or is fast being created, the industrial players have the resources to design and deploy them, and the legal/regulatory framework is being readjusted to accommodate them.
Bolt clampup relaxation in a graphite/epoxy laminate

A simple bolted joint was analyzed to calculate bolt clampup relaxation for a graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) laminate. A viscoelastic finite element analysis of a double-lap joint with a steel bolt was conducted. Clampup forces were calculated for various steady-state temperature-moisture conditions using a 20-year exposure duration. The finite element analysis predicted that clampup forces relax even for the room-temperature-dry condition. The relaxations were 8, 13, 20, and 30 percent for exposure durations of 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, and 20 years, respectively. As expected, higher temperatures and moisture levels each increased the relaxation rate. The combined viscoelastic effects of steady-state temperature and moisture appeared to be additive. From the finite-element analysis, a simple equation was developed for clampup force relaxation. This generalized equation was used to calculate clampup forces for the same temperature-moisture conditions as used in the finite-element analysis. The two sets of calculated results agreed well.
Web-based communities scholarship: from silence to dialogue

The IADIS International Conference on Web Based Communities 2004 is examined through a critical lens to understand the extent of conference subject coverage, the inclusion of both research and practice, web-based communities as a multidisciplinary field of research, and the voices engaged in this academic production. This critical examination places at center stage the interests and priorities privileged at WBC 2004 and those rendered invisible: under-represented voices in cybercommunities, their participation or non-participation in research and their non-representation at the conference. This paper concludes with new possibilities to enhance the coverage and process of future WBC scholarly exchange and production through dialogue.
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL CALCULATION OF PHENOXYL RADICAL AND PHENOLATE ANION : AN EXAMINATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF DFT METHODS

Abstract Density functional theory calculations using several popular exchange and correlation functionals and two popular basis sets, 6-31 G* and 6-311 + +G(2d,p), were carried out on phenoxyl radical and phenolate anion. The radical structure is predicted satisfactorily by all functionals and both basis sets, but the mode composition and 17 O isotope shift of ν 5 are predicted satisfactorily only by local spin density approximation. All the functionals predict an unexpectedly short CO distance (≈ 1.26 A) of the anion and a CO stretching frequency over 100 cm −1 higher than experimental result.
CCD imaging of Neptune at methane-band wavelengths

Ground-based CCD imaging of Neptune in the near-IR clearly shows discrete cloud features. The brightest cloud features on Neptune are confined to latitudes from about 30 to 50 deg (in both hemispheres). Fainter enhanced regions are sometimes seen at even higher latitudes. Imaging obtained prior to 1986 showed bright clouds in both northern and southern midlatitudes, giving Neptune the appearance of having a dark equatorial belt. But since 1986, only the southern hemisphere has shown clouds; no bright features have been seen in the northern hemisphere. The equatorial region is not significantly darker than the northern midlatitudes. Discrete features are most obvious in the strongest methane band (8900 A), but brightness asymmetry is seen in weaker methane bands (7270 and 6190 A). Disk-integrated photometry obtained from the 1986 and 1987 imaging was calibrated absolutely with the same flux standard. In both years, variability at 8900 A was dominated by scattered light from a single bright cloud feature. The amplitude of the variability was a factor of two higher in 1987. The brightness of the less active hemisphere appears relatively constant between the two years, although some variability is seen on this hemisphere in 1987.
Pulmonary thromboembolism: current status report on the role of nuclear medicine.

The normal perfusion study continues indisputably to rule out the presence of pulmonary embolism (PE) with reasonable certainty. However, the abnormal perfusion study requires additional specificity. Many retrospective and one prospective correlation of contrast pulmonary angiography (CPA) have largely substantiated the efficacy of ventilation imaging and increasing specificity, especially with a high-probability (HP) interpretation to approximately a 90% predictive value. In most studies, the predictive value of a low-probability (LP) interpretation also approaches 90%. Intermediate-probability (IP) ventilation-perfusion (V-P) studies are the most frequent reason for performing pulmonary angiography, although LP studies with a stated prior clinical HP should also have CPA. Ventilation imaging technique is not as uniformly established as for perfusion studies, leading to some continued variability in interpretative criteria; yet criteria proposed by Biello and his colleagues have begun to be widely adopted. Aerosol inhalation imaging is developing, but has not been widely used, while problems continue with central airways deposition. The importance of contemporary correlative chest x-rays (CXR) especially when normal, have been emphasized, as well as new findings of the import of serial post-V-P CXRs, especially in HP studies without CPA or negative CPA. CPA continues to be the most specific diagnostic test for PE when properly performed, and is complimented and enhanced by use of prior V-P findings; although it is clear that too few CPAs are being performed. Consequently, there has been too much clinical dependence on V-P imaging. The value of prospective clinical probability estimates in patient management has been better substantiated. Reemphasis on thromboembolism as a systemic disease with use of some objective evaluation of the presence of peripheral thrombosis is becoming a part of clinical rationale, with the integrated long-leg radionuclide venograms (RNV) being one of the reasonable approaches. Multicenter studies have demonstrated, contrary to prior contentions, that V-P imaging leads to a significant net reduction and use of anticoagulants, as well as having overall significant efficacy in effecting patient management in suspected PE. Some of the controversies surrounding V-P imaging are expected to be resolved with the completion of the ongoing multiinstitute Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolic Diagnosis (PIOPED) study. Availability of newer methodologies for achieving more specificity in diagnosis in thromboembolism appear to be on the horizon, especially with thrombus-avid agents, such as monoclonal antibodies to fibrin products.
Storm-generated, episodic sediment movements off Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii

Abstract The area off Kahe Point, Oahu, Hawaii, has been the focus of recent oceanographic research in preparation for a large-scale Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Project. Underwater instrument arrays moored to the bottom in this area were damaged, shifted or lost during Hurricane Iwa in 1982. Four underwater telephone cables located at greater depths were severed during the same period. SeaMARC II images show that most of the sea floor in this area is represented by light gray tones. Cores collected from this smooth sediment cover contain thick sequences of hemipelagic silt and clay. Darker acoustic reflection patterns trend downslope across this light gray background. Cores containing coarse sands and gravels and displaced shallow benthic foraminifera were collected from rough bottom represented by these patterns. The pattern configurations, sediment types within them and their benthic foraminiferal content indicate that these darker tones represent downslope sediment flow. Telephone cables were damaged and instrument arrays moved during Hurricane Iwa in places and along trajectories coincident with the orientation of the dark tones.
Using Educative Curriculum Materials to Support Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Curricular Planning: A Comparison Between Two Different Forms of Support

AbstractEducative curriculum materials—materials designed to promote both teacher and student learning—may help novice teachers learn how to engage in productive curricular planning. However, little is known about how educative supports within these materials should be written to best support teachers. This quasi-experimental study examines the affordances and constraints of two different forms of educative support, general supports and lesson-specific supports, in helping preservice elementary teachers critique and adapt science curriculum materials. The lesson-specific narrative supports helped the preservice teachers identify specific adaptations that they could make to lesson plans. They also led the preservice teachers to view the educative supports as useful and relevant, motivating them to use the supports in their analysis. In contrast, the general expository supports helped the preservice teachers identify principles of practice to use in their analysis of lesson plans. Implications for teacher e...
Assessing and Visualizing Tourism Impacts from Urban Residents’ Perspectives

This study is an attempt to help scholars and practitioners visualize the consequences of tourism development and urban residents’ support for future tourism expansion. In September 1998, 2,400 questionnaires were mailed to residents of southeastern Virginia. Three hundred sixteen useful questionnaires were analyzed. An urban tourism impact scale composed of 24 attributes was purified by a factor analysis, revealing four impact factors: Economic Benefits, Social Costs, Cultural Enrichment, and Environmental Deterioration. Using a path analysis, the relationships between tourism impacts and different levels of endorsement of tourism were exhibited. A correspondence analysis was used to further pinpoint the influences of tourism on three groups of residents with different attitudes toward tourism; these groups were categorized as supporters, moderators, and opponents. Further study adopting a segmentation approach is advocated.
SMEE: a tool to extract sorting motif data from PubMed Central abstracts and full text documents

Data from biological research experiments is being posted online at a phenomenal rate. Even in a fairly narrow topic, one can easily become overloaded trying to keep up with information relevant to a single researcher. An automated method for analyzing and presenting this data is the key to conducting efficient and fruitful research in any biological field. Before now, there has not been a freely available semi-automated protein sorting motif text mining solution.This paper details a current work in progress to create a novel procedure for text mining protein sorting motif data from both full text documents and abstracts retrieved from PubMed Central. A full set of processing stages are currently implemented and early results are promising. We expect further work to yield a valuable tool to be made freely available for the community.