cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunobiology of Human Melanoma Antigens MART-1 and gp100 and their Use for Immuno-Gene Therapy

Two genes encoding human melanoma antigens MART-1 and gp100 recognized by HLA-A2 restricted melanoma reactive CTL derived from tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were isolated by cDNA expression cloning methods. Multiple unmutated self peptides were identified as T cell epitopes in these melanocyte/melanoma specific proteins (2 from MART-1 and 5 from gp100). Most of these melanoma epitopes contain non-dominant anchor amino acids at the primary anchor positions and have intermediate binding affinity to HLA-A2.1. Melanoma reactive CTL were efficiently induced from PBL and TIL of patients by in vitro stimulation with PBMC pulsed with these epitopes. There is a significant correlation between vitiligo development and clinical response to IL2 based immunotherapy, suggesting that autoreactive T cells are involved in melanoma regression in vivo. These results have implications for understanding the nature of tumor antigens recognized by T cells and for the development of new cancer immunotherapies.
False Prerequisites in the Teaching of Reading.

This study is an attempt to identify false pre-requisites to the task of reading aloud passages which are novel to the readers. Of 15 skills, generally considered pre-requisites for independence in recognizing and pronouncing written words, at least three skills were found to be false pre-requisites; four skills were identified as possibly necessary, but not sufficient; seven skills were associated with competency on the reading aloud task.
Controlled laryngoplasty for vocal cord medialization: a technique using tissue expansion.

Laryngeal framework surgery has become an increasingly popular alternative to Teflon® injection for vocal rehabilitation. Vocal cord medialization requires custom tailoring of the implant's size and shape to optimize individual vocal quality, whether it be via the interposition of Silastic® implants between the thyroid ala and the inner thyroid perichondrium or through a cartilage window. A new technique is described for vocal cord medialization using an implanted miniature tissue expander. Intra-operative and postoperative vocal cord medialization was achieved in a canine model by controlled percutaneous filling of a remote injection valve. The implants were well tolerated and allowed continued control of vocal cord position for several weeks. Using this technique, vocal quality can be fine-tuned with a degree of precision not previously possible. The advantages, limitations, and technical aspects of expansion laryngoplasty are discussed.
Low temperature bonding for microfabrication of chemical analysis devices

Abstract A low temperature bonding process was developed for the fabrication of microchip devices for liquid and heterogeneous phase chemical analysis. Photolithographically etched microchannels on glass substrates were closed by bonding a glass cover plate using a spin-on sodium silicate layer as an adhesive. Good channel sealing was achieved by curing at 90°C for 1 h or room temperature overnight. The fluidic performance of the device was evaluated by monitoring the electroosmotic flow on the chip. The results compared well with those obtained from devices made by high temperature direct bonding of the substrate and cover plate. The dielectric and mechanical strength for bonds, created using the low and high temperature methods, were compared. A dielectric strength of 400 kV cm−1 was obtained for the sodium silicate bonding and 1100 kV cm−1 for the high temperature bonding. Mechanical strength measurements gave a surface energy value of ≈2.7 J m−2 for sodium silicate bonding, compared to 6.5 J m−2 for direct bonding. The mechanical strength of glass bonds obtained with sodium silicate at low temperature was comparable to that reported for the sodium silicate bonding of silicon wafers at >200°C or by conventional direct bonding of oxidized silicon at 1400°C. The low temperature bonding performance is adequate for microfabricated fluidic devices that employ electrokinetic transport phenomena. The reduced temperature of the bonding process will allow chemical surface modification prior to bonding.
Microgels for estimation of DNA strand breaks, DNA protein crosslinks and apoptosis

This report describes a part of the evolution of microgel electrophoresis in the author's laboratory for the last 15 years. It also describes the importance of estimation of DNA single and double strand breaks, DNA crosslinks and apoptosis. Some experiments based on each methodology are included here. A new protocol for rapid and efficient precipitation of DNA in microgel is included. A step by step description of laboratory protocol is also included.
Capillary refilling sign demonstrated by capsule endoscopy

Patients with occult GI bleeding frequently are referred for evaluation of the small intestine as a potential source of bleeding after a negative upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. Capsule endoscopy is a novel technique for examination of the small intestine of patients with chronic GI bleeding. It increasingly is being used as a first-line diagnostic modality in the evaluation of chronic GI bleeding because of patient preference owing to the absence of discomfort and the high sensitivity compared with push enteroscopy in the diagnosis of small bowel lesions. 1-3 Although the primary purpose of capsule endoscopy is the evaluation of suspected small bowel bleeding, experience with push enteroscopy has demonstrated that a substantial proportion of patients presumed to have such bleeding actually have lesions within the stomach that have been overlooked at EGD. 4 A patient is described in whom capsule endoscopy demonstrated capillary blanching followed by refilling of red lesions in the gastric antrum, previously mistaken as hemorrhagic gastritis, indicating the presence of an underlying vascular, instead of inflammatory, disorder. Case report. A 72-year-old man with iron deficiency anemia was referred for localization by capsule endoscopy of a source of GI bleeding. The medical history included cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and resection of the terminal ileum after a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Herecoveredwellfromtheilealsurgeryexceptfordiarrhea
The identification of a novel inositol lipid, phosphatidylinostiol trisphosphate (PIP3), in rat cerebrum using in vivo techniques

Rats received intraventricular injections of 20 uCi of [3H]-myo-inositol, and were sacrificed 24 hrs later by high-power head-focused microwave fixation. Two inositol lipid extraction methods were compared: The Hauser and Eichberg method yielded higher recovery of inositol lipids, but a lower inositol phosphate content. The Schacht method yielded reduced radiolabel in the lipid fractions, but increased water soluble phosphates. Both methods extracted a novel inositol lipid (PIP3) which contained inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4) as its polar head group. This was determined by alkaline hydrolysis and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with authentic IP4 standard. Furthermore, preliminary studies of the fatty acid composition indicated a similarity with other inositol lipids. The radiolabel ratio of PIP2:PIP3 was 5:1. In summary, we have isolated a novel inositol phospholipid in rat brain, PIP3, the parent compound for inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4).
Mortality and morbidity by month of birth of neonates admitted to an academic neonatal intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND Clinical expertise and skill of pediatric housestaff improve over the academic year, and performance varies despite supervision by faculty neonatologists. It is possible that variation in clinical expertise of housestaff affects important clinical outcomes in infants in ICUs. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to test the hypothesis that there is a decrease in morbidity and mortality in infants admitted to an NICU over the course of the academic year. DESIGN/METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted using data on infants with birthweight 401 to 1500 g and >or=24 weeks' gestation (n = 3445) and infants with birth weights >1500 g (n = 7840) admitted to a regional NICU from January 1991 to June 2004. All infants were cared for by pediatric and neonatal housestaff supervised by neonatologists. Analysis of mortality and morbidity (intraventricular hemorrhage grades 3-4/periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis >or= Bell stage 2, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) over time were performed by repeated measures analysis of variance and the chi(2) test. RESULTS Mortality rate in the 401 to 1500 g cohort, as well as the >1500 g cohort did not decrease over time during the academic year and was similar between the first (July-December) and second (January-June) halves of the academic year. There were no differences noted over the academic year for any of the morbidities. CONCLUSIONS Morbidity and mortality in infants admitted to an academic NICU did not change significantly over the academic year. These observations suggest that the quality of care of critically ill neonates is not decreased early in the academic year.
Lactate dehydrogenase activity and anaerobic metabolism during embryonic development in Artemia salina.

Abstract 1. 1. When incubated aerobically, encysted gastrulae of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, utilize trehalose and synthesize glycogen and glycerol during pre-emergence development; anaerobiosis prevents those changes and does not result in the accumulation of lactic acid. 2. 2. Under aerobic conditions newly hatched nauplii (larvae) appear to conserve glycogen by utilizing glycerol. When made anaerobic they utilize glycogen, not glycerol, and accumulate large concentrations of lactic acid. 3. 3. Under anaerobic conditions the nauplii lose motility within the first 2 hr and die in less than 12 hr. In contrast, encysted embryos are not killed by prolonged anaerobiosis. 4. 4. Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activity remains constant at a low level during pre-emergence development but increases markedly during emergence and hatching. 5. 5. This increase in LDH activity is correlated with the onset of lactic acid production in response to anaerobiosis and with the emergence of the embryos and their subsequent transformation into nauplii.
Lithium Diisopropylamide Solvated by Hexamethylphosphoramide: Substrate-Dependent Mechanisms for Dehydrobrominations

Lithium diisopropylamide-mediated dehydrobrominations of exo-2-bromonorbornane, 1-bromocyclooctene, and cis-4-bromo-tert-butylcyclohexane were studied in THF solutions and THF solutions with added hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA). Rate studies reveal a diverse array of mechanisms based on mono-, di-, and trisolvated monomers as well as triple ions. The results are contrasted with analogous eliminations in THF in the absence of HMPA.
The Pneumatic Common: Learning in, with and from the air

AbstractAir is an immersive substance that envelopes us and binds us together, yet it has dominantly been taken for granted and left out of educational and other theorizations. This article develops a conceptualization of the pneumatic common in order to address this gap. The specific intervention staged is within recent educational literature on the common by Noah De Lissovoy, Tyson E. Lewis, and Alexander Means. This literature is surveyed and analyzed in relation to educational theory, curriculum, pedagogy, and policy. Claiming that the air is a central feature of and paradigm for the common, I then concentrate on making the air conditions of the educational common explicit. I do this through a theoretical, historical, and sociological reading of air conditioning. While this explicitation is itself educational, I return to the educational common at the end of the article to ask how and what we can learn in, with, and from the air.
Assessing Psychologists' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Near-Death Phenomena

Abstract: Nina Thornburg's (1988) Near-Death Phenomena Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire was distributed to 326 randomly selected Illinois psychologists. Of 117 usable questionnaires received, the mean score for knowledge questions was 7.5 of a maximum score of 18. Respondents were most knowledgeable about near-death elements of peace, out-of-body transcendence, and tunnel/light phenomena. The mean score for the attitude portion of the instrument was 61.3 of a maximum score of 85 points for the most positive attitude. Seven percent of the respondents indicated having had a near-death experience, 19% indicated having counseling near-death experiencers, and 28% indicated having had personal contacts with an experiencer.
Sequential classification of radar targets

The M-ary sequential probability ratio test MSPRT is used to recognize unknown non-cooperative radar targets. Radar returns representing the unknown target backscatter coefficients are tested sequentially using MSPRT. At each stage of the recognition process all observations are used in MSPRT, if no identification decision can be made, additional information is requested and MSPRT is implemented again. The goal is either to minimize the number of observations needed to identify an unknown target assuming a certain predetermined error probability, or to minimize the probability of error assuming a predetermined maximum number of observations. The experimental phase of this study involves radar cross-section signatures of four commercial aircraft models recorded in a compact range environment. Scenarios representing various degrees of azimuth uncertainty are examined in this paper. In all cases, it is assumed that the unknown target is corrupted with additive white Gaussian noise.
Azole-based inhibitors of AKT/PKB for the treatment of cancer.

Abstract Through a combination of screening and structure-based rational design, we have discovered a series of N1-(5-(heterocyclyl)-thiazol-2-yl)-3-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1,2-propanediamines that were developed into potent ATP competitive inhibitors of AKT. Studies of linker strand-binding adenine isosteres identified SAR trends in potency and selectivity that were consistent with binding interactions observed in structures of the inhibitors bound to AKT1 and to the counter-screening target PKA. One compound was shown to have acceptable pharmacokinetic properties and to be a potent inhibitor of AKT signaling and of in vivo xenograft tumor growth in a preclinical model of glioblastoma.
Quantifying anisotropy from experimental testing of radiation recrystallized snow layers

Abstract Anisotropic materials exhibit directional properties which deviate from isotropic configurations. Radiation recrystallized snow is one such material that achieves an anisotropic structure following metamorphism from randomly structured isotropic snow. Using meteorological conditions associated with radiation recrystallized snow obtained from the field, such layers have been produced in a laboratory setting. Shear and compression testing of isotropic samples prior to laboratory induced metamorphism provided baseline results for investigating directional departures from isotropy of a faceted layer. Following the production of radiation recrystallized layers, mechanical testing provided useful but limited anisotropic properties for comparison to the isotropic result. A specific fabric tensor derived from the orientation of grain to grain contacts, called a contact tensor, can be calculated from the compression and shear mechanical tests to describe the degree of anisotropy of the radiation recrystallized layer. Mechanical testing in compression indicates that radiation recrystallization produces an increase in the Young's modulus perpendicular to the snow surface. Shear testing indicates a decrease in shear modulus parallel to the snow surface when compared to the isotropic material properties. The change in moduli from an isotropic to an anisotropic configuration allowed for the calculation of the contact tensor coefficients, which showed a significant departure from isotropy following radiation recrystallization. In addition, shear strength and compressive strength of the radiation recrystallized layer generally decreased from its isotropic configuration. Agreement of the results between separate compression and shear testing indicates that the contact tensor provides a suitable approximation of mechanical behavior following radiation recrystallization. However, the contact tensor employed here does not contain information about breaking strength following the growth of near-surface facets to the breaking strength of isotropic structured snow.
A simple and effective method to assess murine delayed type hypersensitivity to proteins

Abstract Mice sensitized with various protein antigens emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant by a subcutaneous injection at the base of the tail exhibited both immediate and delayed type hypersensitivities 7–8 days following sensitization. Hypersensitivity was assessed by the degree of footpad swelling elicited by challenge with a heat-aggregated form of the antigen. The swelling response was specific for the antigen used for sensitization and often resulted in a near doubling of footpad thickness. Histological examination in conjunction with studies involving passive transfer of serum and adoptive transfer of either T cell-enriched or T cell-depleted preparations indicated that whereas the immediate swelling response was achieved with serum, the delayed swelling response was mediated by T lymphocytes. Adoptive transfer of specific delayed type hypersensitivity was also accomplished with small numbers of lymph node T cells obtained following in vitro enrichment and propagation.
Both CP15 and CP25 are left as trails behind gliding sporozoites of Cryptosporidium parvum (Apicomplexa)

Sporozoites of Cryptosporidium parvum were examined after gliding upon glass microscope slides using monoclonal antibodies to the 15 and 25 kDa surface molecules and immunogold-silver enhancement. Both antibodies bound to surface antigen deposited as trails behind parasites, suggesting that both surface molecules are involved in substrate attachment.
The use of “shark repellents” to prevent corporate takeovers: An ethical perspective

Certain types of corporate charter antitakeover amendments, or “shark repellents,” may not serve the interests of the stockholders or the stakeholders of the firm. This paper extends the examination of the use of shark repellents by taking an ethical perspective to synthesize prior research on shark repellents and their relationship to stockholder and stakeholder welfare. Some shark repellents seem to benefit certain interest groups at the expense of other groups.
The observation of Be8 in the ground state

Abstract This investigation demonstrates the feasibility of detecting Be8 in the ground state as a reaction product in the presence of competing reaction products. The requisite techniques are described. The Be9+He3 reaction at E(He3) ≦ 2.0 MeV was employed in this study. Angular distributions of Be9(He3, α)Be8 and Be9(Be3, p)B11 at E(He3) = 2.0 MeV are also presented.
The GPR88 receptor agonist 2-PCCA does not alter the behavioral effects of methamphetamine in rats

GPR88 is a novel orphan G protein-coupled receptor that is primarily located at the striatum. Genetic knockout studies reveal phenotypes of increased dopamine D(2) receptor sensitivity in mice, suggesting that GPR88 receptors may be involved in the modulation of dopaminergic system. However, there is no study that examines the pharmacological effects of GPR88 receptor ligands in in vivo preparations. This study examined the effects of a GPR88 receptor agonist, (1R, 2R)-2-pyridin-2-yl-cyclopropane carboxylic acid ((2S, 3S)-2-amino-3-methyl-pentyl)-(4'-propylbiphenyl-4-yl)-amide (2-PCCA), on the motor activity in rats and on methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity and discriminative stimulus effects. 2-PCCA (0.1-3.2mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased the locomotor activity in rats and, when studied in combination with 1.0mg/kg methamphetamine, also dose-dependently decreased methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity. However, the dose of 2-PCCA that significantly attenuated methamphetamine-induced hyperactivity was also the dose that by itself markedly decreased the baseline locomotor activity. In rats discriminating 0.32mg/kg methamphetamine, 2-PCCA (1-3.2mg/kg) itself did not produce methamphetamine-like discriminative stimulus effects and, when studied in combination, did not alter the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine. Together, these data have provided the first line of evidence that activation of GPR88 receptors does not alter the behavioral effects of methamphetamine. The potential implications of these findings are also discussed.
Correlation between Sex Hormone Binding and Peritumoral Edema in Intracranial Meningiomas

Estrogen and progesterone receptor binding activity was measured in 22 intracranial meningioma surgical specimens. None of the tumors was estrogen receptor-positive, whereas 19 were progesterone receptor-positive. Of these 19 patients, all demonstrated significant computed tomographic (CT) evidence of peritumoral edema. None of the 3 patients who lacked progesterone receptor binding had CT evidence of peritumoral edema (P less than 0.005). Peritumoral edema associated with intracranial meningiomas seems to be related, at least in part, to progesterone binding activity. This implicates the potential use of progesterone antagonists for the treatment of incompletely resected or recurrent meningiomas.
A Study of the Time-dependent Background and Continuum Flux Levels in IUE High-Dispersion SWP Images

The extraction of net spectral Nuxes from echellogram images for the creation of the Ðnal International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) archive was accomplished by the processing system NEWSIPS computing a background surface from unilluminated pixels over a wide area of the image for any given echellogram order. Although this technique facilitates the computation of net Nuxes by automated computer-processing techniques, it does not always lead to optimal background solutions, especially when interorder Nux between closely spaced orders at short wavelengths is comparable to the net Nux to be determined. In this study we investigate the reason for a reported spurious time dependence in NEWSIPS- computed background Nuxes of high-dispersion short-wavelength prime (SWP) camera images in the region of Lya obtained for the calibration target q Scorpii (B0.2 V). We show that the temporal change of the zero-Nux ("" null II) surface of the SWP camera changes markedly with position across the camera Ðeld. As this IUE camera aged, these changes caused a relaxation in a steep gradient in the region where short- wavelength Nuxes were imaged. The NEWSIPS background-determining algorithm could not follow this gradient accurately for pre-1982 high-dispersion images, a fact which produced an undercorrection for the background near the Lya line for these images. Ironically, the changed null surface actually permits better background Nux solutions in the short-wavelength region of the camera for late-epoch images. As a conse- quence of time-dependent errors both the in background determination and in the intensity transfer function for the SWP camera, both gross and background Nuxes of spectra may exhibit spurious changes in time. We quantify these changes for the continuum net Nuxes of high-dispersion SWP images of q Sco over the lifetime of the IUE mission.
Slow steady fall of rigid bodies in a second-order fluid

We consider the steady, slow translational fall of a rigid body B in a second-order fluid, under the action of the force of gravity g. We find a general expression for the total force and torque acting on B. In particular, the force per unit area is always compressive, if the first normal stress coefficient Ψ1 is positive. We then specialize these formulas to the case when B is a prolate spheroid of eccentricity e, and show that, when 0 0, only this latter orientation is stable to small disorientations, in agreement with the recent experimental results of Joseph and coworkers.
Efficient management of dynamic tables

We show how to maintain efficiently a collection of k dynamic tables in a sequential segment of memory so that the amortized cost of an insertion or deletion is O(k). As a corollary, this provides a simple method of maintaining a set of paired stacks.
Challenging topics in child abuse imaging: improving our understanding.

Child abuse is a frighteningly common scourge of modern society. Medical work up of a child who may be the victim of abuse is conducted with great diligence because the ramifications ofmaking or not making the diagnosis are both great.We always seek to get it right. The abuse of a child is a horrible thought—it is not a diagnosis that any physician wishes to make. As responsible physicians, we routinely consider differential diagnoses. It is our duty to consider other diagnoses and explanations that offer plausible explanation for injury to a child. In many children, probably more often than not, child abuse is ruled out and other diagnoses are made. This journal is committed to publishing well-conducted research to improve our understanding of child abuse, its differential considerations and the pathophysiology of both. We are also committed to education. The more we know, the better we are prepared to clinically handle cases in day-to-day work and the better we are equipped to address those who question the diagnosis of child abuse, appropriate or not. To this end, this mini-symposium reiterates a commitment of Pediatric Radiology to provide educational material on child abuse and related topics. Richard Shore, MD, and Russell Chesney, MD, have authored a superb two-part manuscript on rickets. Although one might find the topic intimidating and the length of the articles formidable, I urge you to take the time to read the articles. Drs. Shore and Chesney do an extraordinary job of explaining a difficult topic in an understandable fashion. Separate articles by Dr. Gary Hedlund and Dr. Jennifer Bracken et al. provide elucidation on pathophysiology and imaging of cerebral sinus venous thrombosis. Finally, Joelle Moreno, JD, provides a very practical overview of implications of the Daubert ruling regarding medical evidence in the courtroom. Each of these articles serves to improve our understanding of a challenging topic. I hope you find them informative.
Dynamics of Rhodamine 6G Sorption into a Porous Tri-block Copolymer Thin Film

The dynamics of sorption of the laser dye rhodamine 6G (R6G+) into a thin ion-exchange polymer film was measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The system under study consisted of a nanometer-sized polymer film in direct contact with a liquid phase. A thin film of a partially sulfonated tri-block copolymer preconcentrated the dye from dilute solutions (10-5 M) driven by ion-exchange to a film concentration of about 0.1 M. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to simultaneously measure the dynamics of the film physical (thickness) and optical changes (refractive index n(λ) and extinction coefficient k(λ)). The sorption is ultimately accompanied by dye aggregation in the film, which results in shifts and splitting of features in the monomer absorbance spectrum. The formation of nonluminescent aggregates was also confirmed by emission spectroscopy. Desorption of the dye from the film resulted in a reversal of film physical changes. Spectroscopic results were quantitatively accounted for by constructing an opti...
Dilemmas of Teaching the "Greatest Silence": Rape-as-Genocide in Rwanda, Darfur, and Congo

The author describes the dilemmas of teaching about rape-as-genocide, focusing on Rwanda, Darfur, and Congo. While theoretically and methodologically sophisticated academic writings are a crucial part of the pedagogical approach described here, the author's focus is on the dilemmas associated with using testimonials and memoirs, documentaries, and commentaries. It is argued that such discourse helps make the subject matter more accessible to undergraduates. One of the key issues that arises from this discussion is students' preference for first-hand accounts. Excerpts from the students' writing dispersed throughout the article provide an essential and frank assessment of the importance of the approach described. The method of instruction encompasses pedagogical issues that cut across disciplines and will appeal to instructors in a broad range of fields. The author systematically analyzes students' written work for evidence of learning.
Reproductive Biology of the Cuban Dogfish in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Within the northern Gulf of Mexico, the Cuban Dogfish Squalus cubensis is the most frequently encountered squalid in continental shelf and slope waters. Despite the relatively high abundance of Cuban Dogfish in the region, there is a dearth of information regarding even the most basic aspects of the species’ biology. Furthermore, what has been reported is conflicting and of questionable utility. From 2005 to 2012, 139 male and 252 female Cuban Dogfish were collected opportunistically. The analyses indicated that male Cuban Dogfish reach 50% maturity at 379 mm stretch total length (STL) and are capable of reproducing throughout the year. Females reach 50% maturity at 466 mm STL and 50% maternity at 478 mm STL. Brood size ranges from one to four, and vitellogenesis and gestation are concurrent. Although samples were not collected during all months of the year, the presence of ova in the blastodisc stage of development during the summer and fall, coupled with the relatively high variability of embry...
Modification of the random-search type II functional response equation for incorporation into simulation models

Abstract Because of the assumptions implicit in the Royama-Rogers' Type II Random Search Parasitoid Equation (RSPE), the estimates of parameters are valid only within an area unit equal to the experimental area used to estimate them. This assumption was tested using different values of Nt (host density) and Pt (parasitoid density), while maintaining the host: parasitoid ratio constant at 10:1. If the RSPE is valid at any area unit, then the value of F(Nt, Pt) (probability of being parasitized) should be constant at all values of Nt and Pt provided that the Nt:Pt ratio remains constant. Instead, the value of F(Nt, Pt) showed an asymptotic rise to a plateau. This result supports the assumption that the RSPE validity is limited by the area unit in which its parameters are estimated. Such a limitation precludes the incorporation of this Type II equation into an age-structured simulation model. A modification to the RSPE which lacks these space-dependence limitations is proposed. The modification consisted of the division of the coefficient a' by parasitoid density (t). This modification transforms the instantaneous rate of discovery into a per capita basis.
Tahiti Intertwined: Ancestral Land, Tourist Postcard, and Nuclear Test Site

In this article, I apply ideas from Foucault, Lefebvre, and Soja about thirdspace, or space beyond dualisms, to an understanding of'Tahiti" as a complex, intertwined place. For most Tahitians, a sense of place is rooted in land, which individuals describe as a nurturing mother. Genealogical ties to land define personal identities and social relationships. For the world at large, however, the perception of Tahiti is based on seductive, mass-mediated, touristic images. The perpeiuation of these images, whose origins go back two-hundred years, has become increasingly enmeshed in the economic and political agendas of the French colonial government. The resumption of nuclear testing in French Polynesia in 1995-96 and the subsequent rioting by Tahitians, which disseminated negative images throughout the world, provide a setting for an analysis of Tahiti that moves beyond dualisms. Tahiti is understood instead as an intertwined thirdspace, equally real and imagined, immediate and mediated, [place, colonialism, imagery, tourism, nuclear testing]
Estimation of albedo effect in pavement life cycle assessment

Abstract In the modeling of life cycle assessment (LCA) of pavement, the usage module is un-avoidable to reach comprehensive conclusions but far from perfect till date. Typically, the usage module consists of rolling resistance, albedo, lighting requirement, carbonation (for cement concrete pavement), leachate, and others. None of the aforementioned components is well studied among the pavement community. This research makes contribution to better modeling of the albedo effect of pavements, a traditionally ignored aspect. A time-dependent climatological model was developed to estimate the CO2 offset due to pavement albedo in the life cycle, in an either deterministic or probabilistic mode. A case study suggests that the albedo effect produces a non-negligible contribution to the life cycle inventory. Specifically, it reduces the CO2-equivalent emission for the portland cement concrete pavement by 9.2% but increases 19.1% for the hot mixture asphalt pavement.
Infection Due to Penicillium marneffei, an Emerging Pathogen: Review of 155 Reported Cases

A disseminated and progressive infection, penicilliosis marneffei is the third most common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in certain parts of Southeast Asia. Penicillium marneffei is endemic in Southeast Asia and the southern part of China. Cases have been reported from both Eastern and Western countries. This review discusses the history, epidemiology, mycology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of penicilliosis marneffei, on the basis of 155 cases of the infection. About 80% of the patients are immunocompromised. P. marneffei can infect various organs, particularly the lung, liver, and skin. The most common clinical features include fever, weight loss, and anemia. The organism has been isolated most commonly from skin, blood, and bone marrow. Immunologic identification of fungal isolates can be done with exoantigen tests and immunohistochemical methods. Treatment of disseminated penicilliosis marneffei in HIV-infected patients with parenteral amphotericin B and itraconazole is relatively effective and safe.
A network theory of bronchial gas mixing applied to single breath nitrogen washout

A purely convective network theory of lung washout is developed and applied to analyze the standard single breath N2 washout test. The theory shows that if convective mixing only is assumed during washout, it is always possible to describe the washout curve as the output from an equivalent symmetric bronchial tree plus a presumably small remainder term due to asymmetry. By using this theory, Weibel’s and Horsfield and Cummings’ models of bronchial anatomy, and the assumption that a steady state N2 concentration profile is washed out, an estimate is obtained of the number and total cross section of the alveolar ducts contributing gas to the alveolar plateau. This estimate agrees well with anatomical estimates and suggests that the theory can be useful in obtaining information about peripheral airways in living subjects. It is also shown in a qualitative manner how the theory can account for cardiogenic oscillations superimposed on phase III of the single breath N2 washout curve. The theory can be generalized to include the effects of a complete asymmetric airway geometry and unsteady bronchial flow; however, at the present time, insufficient physiological data are available to analyze the most general convective washout problem.
The incorporation of construction history in architectural history: the HISTCON interactive computer program

Abstract Current teaching methods for architectural history seldom embrace building technology as an essential component of study. Accepting the premise that architectural history is a fundamental component to the overall architectural learning environment, it is argued that the study of construction history will further enhance student knowledge. This hypothesis created an opportunity to investigate how the study of construction history could be incorporated to strengthen present teaching methods. Strategies for teaching architectural history were analyzed with the determination that an incorporation of educational instructional design applications using object-oriented programming and hypermedia provided the optimal solution. This evaluation led to the development of the HISTCON interactive, multimedia educational computer program. Used initially to teach 19th Century iron and steel construction history, the composition of the program provides the mechanism to test the significance of construction history in the study of architectural history. Future development of the program will provide a method to illustrate construction history throughout the history of architecture. The study of architectural history, using a construction oriented methodology, is shown to be positively correlated to increased understanding of architectural components relevant to architectural history and building construction.
Interpersonal expectancy effects: the first 345 studies

The research area of interpersonal expectancy effects originally derived from a general consideration of the effects of experimenters on the results of their research. One of these is the expectancy effect, the tendency for experimenters to obtain results they expect, not simply because they have correctly anticipated nature's response but rather because they have helped to shape that response through their expectations. When behavioral researchers expect certain results from their human (or animal) subjects they appear unwittingly to treat them in such a way as to increase the probability that they will respond as expected.In the first few years of research on this problem of the interpersonal (or interorganism) self-fulfilling prophecy, the “prophet” was always an experimenter and the affected phenomenon was always the behavior of an experimental subject. In more recent years, however, the research has been extended from experimenters to teachers, employers, and therapists whose expectations for their pupils, employees, and patients might also come to serve as interpersonal self-fulfilling prophecies.Our general purpose is to summarize the results of 345 experiments investigating interpersonal expectancy effects. These studies fall into eight broad categories of research: reaction time, inkblot tests, animal learning, laboratory interviews, psychophysical judgments, learning and ability, person perception, and everyday life situations. For the entire sample of studies, as well as for each specific research area, we (1) determine the overall probability that interpersonal expectancy effects do in fact occur, (2) estimate their average magnitude so as to evaluate their substantive and methodological importance, and (3) illustrate some methods that may be useful to others wishing to summarize quantitatively entire bodies of research (a practice that is, happily, on the increase).
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in sera and tumor cells of patients with testicular seminoma. A prospective study

The HCG and AFP have been quantitated in the sera of 130 patients with the diagnosis of testicular seminoma utilizing a specific double antibody radioimmunoassay. These tumor markers also were localized in tumor cells of some of these patients utilizing an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. 11 of 130 patients had elevated serum levels of HCG. The HCG molecules have been localized in the syncytiotrophoblastic giant cell (STGC) that is occasionally observed in seminomas. None of the patients with pure seminoma had an elevated level of serum AFP. We have concluded that in patients with pure seminoma the level of serum HCG can be elevated (10 of 130 or 7.6%), but we have not observed elevated serum levels of AFP in these patients.
No generation effect without semantic activation

Previous studies have demonstrated a memorial advantage for self-generated words when compared with these same words when they have been read (generation effect). The present study attempted to discover whether this memorial advantage would still occur if the self-generated items were retrieved from short-term memory instead of from long-term memory, as is customary. Findings replicated the usual generation effect, but no generation effect was found from shortterm memory. This result is consistent with an explanation of the generation effect’s being due to semantic activation in long-term memory.
Decentralized finite-time sliding mode estimators with applications to formation tracking

In this paper, a simple but efficient framework is proposed to achieve finite-time decentralized formation tracking of multiple autonomous vehicles with the introduction of decentralized sliding mode estimators. First, we propose and study both first-order and second-order decentralized sliding mode estimators. In particular, we show that the proposed first-order decentralized sliding mode estimator can guarantee accurate position estimation in finite time and the proposed second-order decentralized sliding mode estimator can guarantee accurate position and velocity estimation in finite time. Then the decentralized sliding mode estimators are employed to achieve decentralized formation tracking of multiple autonomous vehicles. In particular, it is shown that formation tracking can be achieved for systems with both single-integrator kinematics and double-integrator dynamics in finite time. Because accurate estimation can be achieved in finite time by using the decentralized sliding mode estimators, many formation tracking/flying scenarios can be easily decoupled into two subtasks, that is, decentralized sliding mode estimation and vehicle desired state tracking, without imposing a stringent condition on the information flow.
The phylogenetic content of flavonoid point scores

Abstract The history of flavonoid point scores is discussed and the advantages of each system are described. A variation of the Wagner Groundplan-divergence Method can be used to reveal the phylogenetic content of flavonoid point scores. Flavonoid features evolving on more than one occasion are readily detectable.
An interactive teaching approach based on student-teams

This paper discusses the advantageous instructional experience of adding the ldquostudent-teamrdquo feature to the ldquoclassicalrdquo interactive teaching approach. The classical approach consists of three phases: 1) Presentation of an interesting engineering problem by the instructor, 2) Solution of the problem by students, resulting in the generation of a ldquotheoretical expectationrdquo usually represented graphically in the form of a sketch, and 3) Computer simulation of the problem with the aim of verifying the theoretical expectation. The approach presents a potential problem: students with less power of abstraction often get frustrated when they cannot generate a theoretical expectation, so they tend to skip phase 2), in an attempt to use computer simulation as a substitute for thinking. If the instructor allows this to happen, interactive teaching fails. To solve the above problem, I incorporated student-teams into the interactive learning process. In each team, a student with strong power of abstraction operates as the leader. She or he leads the discussion to generate a theoretical expectation. The paper presents useful implementation details of this new instructional experience, as well as a measurement of the resulting learning improvement.
Link Maintenance Protocol for Cognitive Radio System with OFDM PHY

For secondary usage of spectrum in a cognitive radio system, in order to maintain reliable continuous communication among secondary users, secondary radios need to make contact, communicate and switch to an open RF channel simultaneously when the current channel is reclaimed by a primary user. In this paper, we describe a link maintenance protocol aimed at solving this issue. The communication channel is monitored and dynamically updated based on spectrum availability. Spectral sensing is employed at the receivers to monitor the spectrum and assist in RF channel synchronization between transmitter and receiver. Simulation results characterizing the performance of this protocol are provided. A prototype system with a pair of cognitive radios featuring this protocol is also introduced.
Reliability and maintenance modeling for systems subjected to multiple dependent competing failure precesses

For complex systems that experience Multiple Dependent Competing Failure Processes (MDCFP), the dependency among the failure processes presents challenging issues in reliability modeling. This article, develops reliability models and preventive maintenance policies for systems subject to MDCFP. Specifically, two dependent/correlated failure processes are considered: soft failures caused jointly by continuous smooth degradation and additional abrupt degradation damage due to a shock process and catastrophic failures caused by an abrupt and sudden stress from the same shock process. A general reliability model is developed based on degradation and random shock modeling (i.e., extreme and cumulative shock models), which is then extended to a specific model for a linear degradation path and normally distributed shock load sizes and damage sizes. A preventive maintenance policy using periodic inspection is also developed by minimizing the average long-run maintenance cost rate. The developed reliability and ma...
Water Activity and the Challenge for Life on Early Mars

In situ and orbital exploration of the martian surface has shown that acidic, saline liquid water was intermittently available on ancient Mars. The habitability of these waters depends critically on water activity ( \(a_{\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}}\) ), a thermodynamic measure of salinity, which, for terrestrial organisms, has sharply defined limits. Using constraints on fluid chemistry and saline mineralogy based on martian data, we calculated the maximum \(a_{\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}}\) for Meridiani Planum and other environments where salts precipitated from martian brines. Our calculations indicate that the salinity of well-documented surface waters often exceeded levels tolerated by known terrestrial organisms.
Rest in Drosophila Is a Sleep-like State

To facilitate the genetic study of sleep, we documented that rest behavior in Drosophila melanogaster is a sleep-like state. The animals choose a preferred location, become immobile for periods of up to 157 min at a particular time in the circadian day, and are relatively unresponsive to sensory stimuli. Rest is affected by both homeostatic and circadian influences: when rest is prevented, the flies increasingly tend to rest despite stimulation and then exhibit a rest rebound. Drugs acting on a mammalian adenosine receptor alter rest as they do sleep, suggesting conserved neural mechanisms. Finally, normal homeostatic regulation depends on the timeless but not the period central clock gene. Understanding the molecular features of Drosophila rest should shed new light on the mechanisms and function of sleep.