cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The study of urban history in the People's Republic of China

Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, most of the topics associated with the study of urban history have languished largely unstudied beneath a pall of ideologically based neglect. The list of understudied subjects includes urban population, physical structure, social structure, economic activity, urban politics, urban planning and the environment, and urban culture. This lack of interest in urban history directly reflects the emphasis on the role of the peasantry as a creative force in Chinese history. The history of Chinese peasant uprisings and wars became the focus of attention and left little interest for what changes might have taken place in urban settings. Today, a combination of forces has generated considerable changes in the institutional structure of historical studies in China, as well as compelling historians to reconsider established research preferences. In this atmosphere it appears that for the first time since 1949 topics that concern urban historians in the West and Japan are receiving serious attention in the People's Republic of China. While it is still too early to speak of urban history in China, continuation of current trends in historical research over the next five to ten years will almost certainly bring this specialization into existence.
31.1: Invited Paper: A Touching Story: A Personal Perspective on the History of Touch Interfaces Past and Future

Touch screens have a 40+ year history. Multi-touch and some of the gestures associated with it, are over 25 years old. This paper aspires to provide some perspective on the roots of these technologies, and share some future-relevant insights from those experiences. Since the scope of the article does not permit a comprehensive survey, emphasis has been given to projects and insights that are relevant, but less-well known.
The ATM/p53/p21 pathway influences cell fate decision between apoptosis and senescence in reoxygenated hematopoietic progenitor cells

Hematopoietic cells are often exposed to transient hypoxia as they develop and migrate between blood and tissues. We tested the hypothesis that hypoxia-then-reoxygenation represent a stress for hematopoietic progenitor cells. Here we report that reoxygenation-generated oxidative stress induced senescence, tested as staining for SA-β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal), of bone marrow progenitor cells. Reoxygenation induced significant DNA damage and inhibited colony formation in lineage-depleted bone marrow cells enriched for progenitor cells. These reoxygenated cells exhibited a prolonged G0/G1 accumulation without significant apoptosis after 24 h of treatments. Reoxygenated bone marrow progenitor cells expressed SA-β-gal and senescence-associated proteins p53 and p21WAF1. Reoxygenated Fancc-/- progenitor cells, which underwent significant apoptosis and senescence, tested as staining for SA-β-gal, also expressed p16INK4A. Suppression of apoptosis by the pan-caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-VAD-fluoromethyl ketone dramatically increased senescent Fancc-/- progenitor cells. Senescence induction, tested as staining for SA-β-gal, in reoxygenated progenitor cells was closely correlated with extent of DNA damage and phosphorylation of ATM at Ser-1981 and p53 at Ser-15. Moreover, inhibition of ATM signaling reduced SA-β-gal positivity but increased apoptosis of reoxygenated progenitor cells. Thus, these results suggest that the ATM/p53/p21 pathway influences cell fate decision between apoptosis and senescence in reoxygenated hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Stability in computed optical interferometric tomography (Part II): in vivo stability assessment

Stability is of utmost importance to a wide range of phase-sensitive processing techniques. In Doppler optical coherence tomography and optical coherence elastography, in addition to defocus and aberration correction techniques such as interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy and computational/digital adaptive optics, a precise understanding of the system and sample stability helps to guide the system design and choice of imaging parameters. This article focuses on methods to accurately and quantitatively measure the stability of an imaging configuration in vivo. These methods are capable of partially decoupling axial from transverse motion and are compared against the stability requirements for computed optical interferometric tomography laid out in the first part of this article.
The Historiography of Sectarianism in Lebanon

Lebanese history has been more or less defined by its engagement with the problem of sectarianism. Surprisingly rare have been the attempts to systematically trace this trajectory of historical engagement with the problem of sectarianism, though. This article argues that historians, legal scholars, and other writers have employed numerous conceptual and methodological approaches to examine, diagnose, and propose treatments for the problem of sectarianism, and that these approaches, moreover, have changed over time. Ranging from defenses of sectarianism as cultural specificity to condemnations of it as a foreign plot to divide and rule, the historiography of sectarianism in Lebanon has relied on such diverse fields as social science, constitutional law, political theory, and various kinds of historicism. Unfortunately, despite this empirical density, intellectual, legal, and historical discourses on sectarianism have failed to mitigate the material, political, and, most importantly, human costs incurred by the phenomenon of sectarianism in practice.
Beyond heuristics and biases: A contingency model of judgemental forecasting

The conflicting viewpoints about the quality of judgemental forecasts are examined and a model is proposed that attempts to resolve the conflict. The model sees forecasts as contingent upon the repertory of forecasting strategies that the forecaster brings to the forecasting task, the strategy that he or she selects as a function of the characteristics of the task, and the rigour with which he or she applies the strategy as a function of the motivating characteristics of the environment in which the task is encountered. The implications of differences in subjects' and experimenters' assumptions about which strategies are appropriate in experimental studies are examined, as are the implications of the differences between the motivating aspects of experimental and applied settings on both performance and on the generatizability of the results of experiments to applied judgemental forecasting.
Calcium-Mediated Translocation of Fission Protein DLP1 to Mitochondria and Augmentation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Levels in Heart

Background: Mitochondrial fission/fusion/movement plays a critical role in bioenergetics, Ca2+ homeostasis, redox signaling, and apoptosis. We have recently shown that Ca2+ regulates mitochondrial fission, ROS production, and mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in several cell types. The adult heart mitochondria in vivo are continuously exposed to cytosolic Ca2+ transients. They situate orderly in the sarcomeres so that their movement is minimal. Here we test the hypothesis that cardiac muscle cells contain DLP1 and its translocation to mitochondria is regulated by Ca2+. The translocation of DLP1 is a critical step for Ca2+-mediated ROS increases.Results: Western blots showed fission proteins DLP1 and hFis were present in the mitochondria of adult and neonatal ventricular myocytes. To raise cytosolic Ca2+, we used: 1) 50 mM KCl to open L-type Ca2+ channels, 2) 1 μM thapsigargin to inhibit Ca2+ uptake into sarcoplasmic reticulum, and 3) combination of electrical and β-adrenergic receptor stimulation to increase the frequency and magnitude of Ca2+ transients. All three interventions increase translocation of DLP1 to mitochondria (p<0.01) and elevation of ROS levels (3 fold). Overexpression of dominant-negative mutant DLP1-K38A led to web-like interconnected long mitochondria in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes that no longer respond to the Ca2+-mediated ROS increases. The translocation of DLP1 was also observed in mitochondria isolated from Langendorff hearts perfused with 10 nM isoproterenol (p<0.05) suggesting the Ca2+-mediated mitochondrial fission could occur in vivo. Current experiments are addressing whether the DLP1 translocation could promote MPT openings.Conclusion: Adult cardiac myocytes possess the key proteins involved in mitochondrial fission. Ca2+ increases DLP1 translocation to mitochondria and thus augments ROS generation. Therefore, the mitochondrial fission machinery could play a critical role in physiological regulation of cardiac energy metabolism and ROS homeostasis.
Object-oriented database for intelligent engineering applications (abstract)

Intelligent engineering systems are often developed utilizing the object-oriented paradigm. These applications of the object-oriented paradigm require the persistent storage of instance objects. One solution to this storage problem is the development of object-oriented databases.The development of large software systems requires the coordination of many of different types of documents. Specifications, designs, documentation, and code segments must all be available for retrieval by multiple users. Many versions of each code segment may be maintained.The development environment should handle all the data on the system under development in a uniform manner. Code, design diagrams, and screen images should all be available through a uniform interface. The flexibility of the object-oriented database permits the construction of data types to represent these diverse kinds of informationThe intelligent system can interact with the database to assemble versions of a software system for a given hardware configuration or for varying capacities of the underlying data structures. The intelligent environment would generate queries against a database of complex and varying objects.Object-oriented database technology has several implications for intelligent engineering applications:Management of Complexity - The object-oriented paradigm packages complexity and relieves the outside world of details of its structure and functionality.Accurate Modeling - The rich variety of data representations possible in the object-oriented environment provides the modeler with sufficient power to model complex data structures and their associated functionality.Data Integrity - Many engineering applications have been too complex to allow for database support. The object-oriented paradigm encapsulates all of the data for one event into one integral representation
A two-dimensional mean problem

Let 0 < rn < 1 and wn = ei2πn, n = 1, 2,…. For a function f holomorphic in the open unit disc U, we consider the linear functionals sn defined by the means sn(rn, f) = (1/n) ∑k = 1n f(rnwnk). If 0 < rn ⩽ ϱ < 1, we prove that f is uniquely determined by sn(rn, f), n = 1, 2,…, and in fact, f can be represented by a polynomial series whose coefficients involve sn(rn, f). The case 0 < rn ⩽ 1 is also considered. In particular, if rn = 1 for all large n, there exist nontrivial functions f, holomorphic in U and continuous on the closure of U, such that sn(rn, f) = 0 for n = 1, 2,….
Welcome, Mr. Director, and Good Luck!

Abstract Museum education leaders often find themselves thrust into greater responsibility without an opportunity to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead. In this article, I discuss my own struggles transitioning from manager of a specific program area to oversight of an entire education department. This transition happened unexpectedly, and the opportunity for promotion arose faster than I had planned for. I recount the difficulty learning the content and pedagogy associated with programs with which I was not familiar, concerns I had advocating for these program areas to senior management and external partners, my feeling of isolation given I had no peers at the institution with the same responsibilities as myself, and my struggle to balance the needs of the institution as a whole with those of my department - especially when they seemed at odds. I recount the efforts I have made to grow into the position, my successes and continuing challenges, and the need for opportunities to more formally prep...
Pressure Loss Distribution in Three-Pass Rectangular Channels With Rib Turbulators

The objective of the present study was to investigate the combined effects of the rib turbulator configuration, the sharp 180-deg turn, and the flow channel aspect ratio on the distributions of the local pressure drop in three-pass rectangular channels for Reynolds numbers from 15,000 to 60,000, which are typical values in turbine cooling passages. The present investigation was aimed at determining the effect of these parameters on the average friction factors and obtaining the average friction factor correlations to account for these parameters
Attenuation of myocardial reperfusion injury by sulfhydryl-containing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

Recent studies have suggested the beneficial effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors against myocardial ischemic-reperfusion injury. This study was designed to compare the cardioprotective effects of two sulfhydryl ACE inhibitors, captopril and zofenopril, with those of a nonsulfhydryl ACE inhibitor, fosinopril. The efficacy of these ACE inhibitors to scavenge oxygen radicals in vitro were also examined. Isolated rat hearts perfused by the Langendorff technique were preperfused in the presence or absence of ACE inhibitors (50 μm for 15 minutes), and the hearts were then subjected to 30 minutes of ischemia followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Zofenopril and captopril, but not fosinopril, improved postischemic left ventricular functions and reduced myocardial cellular injury, as evidenced by improved recovery of the first derivative of left ventricular pressure development and reduced creatine kinase release compared with control (p<.05). Coronary flow was significantly increased by captopril and zofenopril only. The same two drugs also inhibited the enhanced lipid peroxidation during reperfusion. Although significant differences were not noticed in the postischemic myocardial membrane phospholipid composition, captopril and zofenopril reduced nonesterified fatty acid contents, including palmitic, linoleic, oleic, and arachidonic acids. In vitro studies demonstrated that captopril and zofenopril were able to scavenge hydroxyl radicals. These results indicate that among three ACE inhibitors, two sulfhydryl-containing drugs, captopril and zofenopril, possess cardioprotective as well as free-radical scavenging abilites. Attenuation of phospholipid degradation and lipid peroxidation may be contributory to the protective effects observed in this study.
DETERMINATION OF COPPER, IRON, LEAD, MAGNESIUM, MANGANESE, AND POTASSIUM IN RICE FROM INDIA AND UNITED STATES BY INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA-OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROMETRY

Rice from several regions in India and two areas of the U.S. were determined for selected metals following sample preparation using microwave technology for subsequent determination by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Lead was not detectable in four of the rice samples and sub-part per million (ppm) for the remaining three rice samples. Concentrations of copper and manganese were in the ppm range, iron in the tens of ppm, and magnesium and potassium in hundreds to thousands of ppm.
Dynamical systems with generalized hyperbolic attractors: hyperbolic, ergodic and topological properties

We introduce a class of dynamical systems on a Riemannian manifold with singularities having attractors with strong hyperbolic behavior of trajectories. This class includes a number of famous examples such as the Lorenz type attractor, the Lozi attractor and some others which have been of great interest in recent years. We prove the existence of a special invariant measure which is an analog of the Bowen-Ruelle-Sinai measure for classical hyperbolic attractors and study the ergodic properties of the system with respect to this measure. We also describe some topological properties of the system on the attractor. Our results can be considered a dissipative version of the theory of systems with singularities preserving the smooth measure.
Poly(ethylene glycol)-Modified Proteins: Implications for Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-Based Microsphere Delivery

The reduced injection frequency and more nearly constant serum concentrations afforded by sustained release devices have been exploited for the chronic delivery of several therapeutic peptides via poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) microspheres. The clinical success of these formulations has motivated the exploration of similar depot systems for chronic protein delivery; however, this application has not been fully realized in practice. Problems with the delivery of unmodified proteins in PLG depot systems include high initial “burst” release and irreversible adsorption of protein to the biodegradable polymer. Further, protein activity may be lost due to the damaging effects of protein-interface and protein-surface interactions that occur during both microsphere formation and release. Several techniques are discussed in this review that may improve the performance of PLG depot delivery systems for proteins. One promising approach is the covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to the protein prior to encapsulation in the PLG microspheres. The combination of the extended circulation time of PEGylated proteins and the shielding and potential stabilizing effects of the attached PEG may lead to improved release kinetics from PLG microsphere system and more complete release of the active conjugate.
Hyperactivity in developing rats: sex differences in 6-hydroxydopamine and amphetamine effects.

Abstract Possible sex-related differences in the effects of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and d-amphetamine on activity were investigated in rats administered intracisternal injections of 6-OHDA or its vehicle at 5 days of age. Administration of the dopamine neurotoxin resulted in a significant depletion of whole brain dopamine to 62.2% of controls as indicated when the brains of animals sacrificed at 35–36 days of age were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography. In normal developing rat pups, activity for rats of both sexes increased from low levels at 12 days of age to fairly high levels at 21–24 days of age. Thereafter, activity levels in control male pups decreased to levels typical for adults, whereas female rats displayed little decrease from their peak level of activity. Hyperactivity was detected in 6-OHDA treated male rats at 24 and 27 days of age, after the decline in activity to adult levels in control (vehicle-treated) pups. Females treated with 6-OHDA, on the other hand, were hypoactive at 27 days of age relative to vehicle-injected female controls. Furthermore, d-amphetamine injections increased the activity of 6-OHDA treated males to a lesser extent than it did in their vehicle-injected controls, at 24 and 27 days of age, while just the opposite was true for female 6-OHDA treated rats administered d-amphetamine. This altered responsiveness to d-amphetamine associated with the 6-OHDA treatments was not related to body weight, which was virtually unaffected by the 6-OHDA treatment. Thus, no conclusive evidence was found for the ability of d-amphetamine to decrease 6-OHDA-induced hyperactivity. However, the results implicate the role of sex of subjects in modulating the effects of 6-OHDA and d-amphetamine on activity in developing rats and generally support clinical findings which suggest that hyperactivity may be largely confined to male, pre-adolescent organisms.
Pharmacokinetics of L-arginine during chronic administration to patients with hypercholesterolaemia

Acute administration of L-arginine, the precursor of endothelial nitric oxide, has been shown to improve endothelial function in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits and humans. Animal studies suggest that this beneficial effect, which is thought to be related to the increased availability of nitric oxide, may not be sustained during chronic oral administration. Pharmacokinetic alterations may contribute to this observation. The present study was designed to examine the disposition of L-arginine in hypercholesterolaemic subjects during long-term administration. Plasma L-arginine concentrations were determined by HPLC in 10 patients (eight women and two men; mean age 46+/-16 years) after an intravenous dose of 10 or 30 g and an oral dose of 5 or 7 g. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed at regular intervals (4 weeks) during a 12-week period of oral L-arginine administration (14-21 g/day). The average plasma L-arginine concentrations before (baseline) and during administration were 16.1+/-1.2 and 22.5+/-1.3 microg/ml respectively (P 0.05). The mean non-renal clearance of L-arginine during the four visits remained constant. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of L-arginine may be useful in the design of clinical trials involving this agent, as well as in the interpretation of the pharmacodynamics of this important precursor of nitric oxide.
Single Molecule Analysis of Group I Ribozyme Folding Reveals Pronounced Ruggedness Throughout Its Folding Landscape

It is well established that biological activity of macromolecules is intimately related to their structures. Significant efforts are directed at characterizing macromolecular structures and structure-function relationships. It is less appreciated that because of their complexity macromolecules are likely to fold not into unique structures, but into ensembles of different conformations distinct in their biological activity. Strong evidence for such complex behavior has been recently obtained in several macromolecular systems, mostly by single molecule methods. Understanding biological activity of macromolecules requires detailed characterization of the species that co-exist in the “folded” states, in other words - mapping of their folding energy landscape.We used single molecule FRET to map folding energy landscape of a catalytic RNA - ribozyme derived from a group I intron. Labeling several different positions within the ribozyme allowed us to probe different parts of the folding landscape: from essentially unfolded to fully folded ribozyme. These experiments revealed broad heterogeneity of folding behaviors of individual molecules. Strikingly, even in conditions in which the ribozyme is fully folded and active, different conformations retain distinct activity. Distinct folding behaviors are “remembered” by individual molecules upon long incubation in conditions in which the ribozyme lacks most of its tertiary structure. This finding suggests that the origins of heterogeneity might appear at the level of secondary structure. Pinning down the structural basis for ruggedness of RNA folding landscapes and understanding its role in biology represents an exiting future challenge.
Precise Determination of T1 Relaxation Values by a Method in Which Pairs of Nonequilibrium Magnetizations Are Measured across a Constant Relaxation Period

Abstract The constant- re laxation- pe riod (CREPE) method for spin-lattice ( T 1 ) relaxation measurement presented here offers a significant improvement over other methods currently in use. The CREPE approach involves the measurement of both the initial and the final magnetizations flanking a constant relaxation period; the relaxation rates can be extracted from the data by linear regression without the necessity of additional parameters to correct for off-resonance effects or errors in pulse-width settings. Computer simulations used to compare the accuracy of T 1 measurements made by the new method with those by the fast inversion-recovery (FIR) approach (generally considered to be the best general method for T 1 measurements) showed that the CREPE method provides about a twofold reduction in errors over a wide range of signal-to-noise in the input data. Experimental data collected by the two approaches showed that the CREPE method provides the same precision in T 1 values as the FIR method with one-fourth the data-collection time.
DC Kerr measurement in a silica channel waveguide

We describe interferometric measurements of the DC Kerr susceptibilities in an SiO2-GeO2 channel waveguide. The measured magnitude of (chi) 1111(3)(-(omega) ; (omega) , 0,0) equals 2.44 +/- 0.2 X 10-22 m2/V2 is comparable to the previously measured optical Kerr susceptibility. However, the ratio of nonlinear tensor elements (chi) 1111(3)/(chi) 1122(3) equals 1.1 for the DC Kerr effect differs from that observed in the optical Kerr effect where (chi) 1111(3)/(chi) 1122(3) equals 3. We provide theoretical interpretation for this difference in the polarization dependence.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Microfabrication of a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) with an internally sealed pivot

We present an unconventional capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer in which a vacuum-sealed cavity beneath a diaphragm layer is comprised of an internal beam that pivots and has a first rocking or rotational vibration mode and a second flapping mode of vibration. It is anticipated that the unique structure may find application in biologically-inspired ultrasound sensors that simultaneously detect omnidirectional sound pressure and pressure gradient. Vacuum sealing the cavity in which the pivoting beam resides eliminates squeeze-film damping that would otherwise cause excessive damping and/or stiffness. This paper presents scanning electron micrographs of successfully fabricated and sealed prototypes and dynamic frequency response measurements, which reveal a fundamental rocking mode of vibration at 480 kHz.
Some Observations on the Structures of Liquid Alcohols and Their Heats of Vaporization

From comparisons of the differences in heats of vaporization of alcohols (ROH) and their analogous hydrocarbons (RCH3) which turned out to be 6.1 ± 0.1 kcal/mol at 298 K it was concluded that this ...
Cerebrovascular Risk Factors and Depressed Mood in Inner City Older Adults

The vascular depression theory of late-life depression suggests that people with cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have an increased probability of experiencing depression. This study examined how CVRFs related to depressed mood, in a sample of 600 randomly selected, urban elders (mean age = 74 years). Participants reported their mood with a single Likert-scale item. The prevalence rate of depressed mood among those with vascular burden was significantly higher than those without vascular burden. Depressed mood was related to a higher number of days in bed sick and visits to a medical doctor. These findings provide support for the posited relation between CVRFs and depression, and highlight the relationship between depression and medical burden.
Wave analysis of the acoustic material signature for the line focus microscope

A model is presented for the computation of the acoustic material signature for a line focus scanning acoustic microscope, based on a boundary element calculation and an electromechanical reciprocity identity. This identity is used to relate the voltage at the terminals of the microscope's transducer to the acoustic wavefields at the interface between the specimen and the coupling fluid. A Gaussian beam, launched in the buffer rod, is tracked through the lens and its matching layer. A model for the matching layer that is convenient for use with the boundary element technique is presented. The wavefields scattered from the surface of the specimen, including the leaky Rayleigh wave, are then calculated. Knowing the wavefields incident on and scattered from the specimen, the acoustic signature is calculated using the reciprocity relation. Results are presented for a defect free halfspace, and are compared with those of an analytical model and an experimental measurement. >
Basic principles of forest fuel reduction treatments

Successful fire exclusion in the 20th century has created severe fire problems across the West. Not every forest is at risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire, but drier forests are in need of active management to mitigate fire hazard. We summarize a set of simple principles important to address in fuel reduction treatments: reduction of surface fuels, increasing the height to live crown, decreasing crown density, and retaining large trees of fire-resistant species. Thinning and prescribed fire can be useful tools to achieve these objectives. Low thinning will be more effective than crown or selection thinning, and management of surface fuels will increase the likelihood that the stand will survive a wildfire. Five empirical examples of such treatment are discussed: Hayfork fires, California, 1987; Tyee fire, Washington, 1994; Megram fire, California, 1999; Hayman fire, Colorado, 2002; and the Cone fire, California, 2002. Applying treatments at an appropriate landscape scale will be critical to the success of fuel reduction treatments in reducing wildfire losses in Western forests. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In Vivo and in Vitro Suppression of T-Cell Receptor α/β CD4-CD8- T Lymphocytes by Cyclosporine A

We treated a patient with a combined immunodeficiency and disease pathology resembling GvHD with cyclosporine. This disorder was characterized by exfoliative dermatitis, lymphadenopathy, and lymphocytosis of a novel T-cell phenotype (CD3+ TCR alpha/beta+ CD4- CD8-). The patient's peripheral blood T cells had elevated cytolytic activity and expressed increased levels of IL2R, HLA-DR, and CD45RO. Treatment with CsA resulted in marked clinical improvement, resolution of the lymphocytosis, and reduced cytolytic activity of peripheral blood T cells. T-cell HLA-DR and IL2R expression was reduced by cyclosporine, but CD45RO remained intact on virtually all circulating T cells. CsA also inhibited the cytolytic activity and cytokine production of in vitro cultured TCR alpha/beta+ CD4- CD8- cell lines. Our data suggest that alleviation of the patient's clinical symptoms resulted from cyclosporine-mediated suppression of proliferation, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory cytokine production of TCR alpha/beta+ CD4- CD8- T lymphocytes in vivo. The response of this patient to cyclosporine, which was similar to that seen in true GvHD, provides further evidence that these conditions share common pathogenetic pathways.
Cardiac tamponade in Taiwan.

We retrospectively reviewed all of the patients who were treated for cardiac tamponade at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between January 1991 and December 1995. There were a total of 112 patients (57 males, 55 females) with a mean age of 51±14 years (53±15, 49±13, respectively). Dyspnea was the most common complaint (85%). The mean blood pressure was 129±24/78±17 mmHg, and only 8% had a systolic blood pressure of less than 90 mmHg. Sinus tachycardia was the most frequent electrocardiographic finding (72%, 62/86). Diffuse low voltage was noted in 35% (30/86) of the patients and electrical alternans was seen in 17% (15/86). The mean volume of pericardial effusion was 610±263 ml. Sixty-five percent of the pericardial effusions were bloody, 31% were serosanguineous, 2% were purulent and 2% were chylous. Overall, 54.5% of the patients had malignant diseases. Of the 61 patients who died, 79% had malignancies. Thirty-five (57%) of these 48 patients had lung cancer. The mean survival time from emergent pericardiocentesis was 3.4 months. In conclusion, non-traumatic cardiac tamponade had a poor prognosis because most patients had malignant etiologies. There is still no definitive treatment for recurrent malignant pericardial effusion-induced cardiac tamponade. Percutaneous pericardiocentesis as clinically required may be the most appropriate treatment, since it is questionable whether such subjects should be subjected to the unnecessary pain and suffering associated with an operative procedure, considering their short mean survival time. (Jpn Circ J 1997; 61: 767 - 771)
Migration signatures across the decades: Net migration by age in U.S. counties, 1950-2010

Background Migration is the primary population redistribution process in the United States. Selective migration by age, race/ethnic group, and spatial location governs population integration, affects community and economic development, contributes to land use change, and structures service needs. Objective Delineate historical net migration patterns by age, race/ethnic, and rural-urban dimensions for United States counties. Methods Net migration rates by age for all US counties are aggregated from 1950-2010, summarized by rural-urban location and compared to explore differential race/ethnic patterns of age-specific net migration over time. Results We identify distinct age-specific net migration 'signatures' that are consistent over time within county types, but different by rural-urban location and race/ethnic group. There is evidence of moderate population deconcentration and diminished racial segregation between 1990 and 2010. This includes a net outflow of Blacks from large urban core counties to suburban and smaller metropolitan counties, continued Hispanic deconcentration, and a slowdown in White counterurbanization. Conclusions This paper contributes to a fuller understanding of the complex patterns of migration that have redistributed the U.S. population over the past six decades. It documents the variability in county age-specific net migration patterns both temporally and spatially, as well as the longitudinal consistency in migration signatures among county types and race/ethnic groups.
Modeling dynamic propagation of characteristic gases in power transformers oil-paper insulation

This paper presents and verifies a new mathematical model to explain the dynamic behavior of characteristic gases in the oil-cellulose insulation of high voltage devices like power transformers. The model is based on the diffusion process. Parameters of the model are already quantified from experiments and presented in previous publications. The mathematical model and assumptions are presented here. The model solution is obtained analytically and gas concentration change inside the paper insulation as a function of time is simulated. The results are converted to the concentration change in the oil using the principle of conservation of mass and validated with experimental measurements. The presented model can be used to reduce the error of dissolved gas analysis due to the migration of characteristic gases inside a healthy power transformer.
Biogeochemistry of Nitrogen Across the Everglades Landscape

Compared to phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N) has received little attention across the Everglades landscape. Despite this lack of attention, N plays important roles in many Everglades systems, including being a significant pollutant in Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the limiting nutrient in highly P-impacted areas, and an important substrate for microbial metabolism. Storage and transport of N throughout the Everglades is dominated by organic forms, including peat soils and dissolved organic N in the water column. In general, N sources are highest in the northern areas; however, atmospheric deposition and active N2 fixation by the periphyton components are a significant N source throughout most systems. Many of the processes involved in the wetland N cycle remain unmeasured for most of the Everglades systems. In particular, the lack of in situ rates for N2 fixation and denitrification prevent the construction of system-level budgets, especially for the Southern mangrove systems where N export into Florida...
Feedback Control Architecture and Design Methodology for Service Delay Guarantees in Web Servers

This paper presents the design and implementation of an adaptive Web server architecture to provide relative and absolute connection delay guarantees for different service classes. The first contribution of this paper is an adaptive architecture based on feedback control loops that enforce desired connection delays via dynamic connection scheduling and process reallocation. The second contribution is the use of control theoretic techniques to model and design the feedback loops with desired dynamic performance. In contrast to heuristics-based approaches that rely on laborious hand-tuning and testing iteration, the control theoretic approach enables systematic design of an adaptive Web server with established analytical methods. The adaptive architecture has been implemented by modifying an Apache server. Experimental results demonstrate that the adaptive server provides robust delay guarantees even when workload varies significantly
Age-dependent changes in the gut environment restrict the invasion of the hindgut by enteric neural progenitors

The enteric nervous system (ENS) develops from neural crest cells (NCCs) that enter the foregut and hindgut to become enteric neural-crest-derived cells (ENCCs). When these cells of neural crest origin fail to colonize the terminal hindgut, this aganglionic region becomes non-functional and results in a condition in humans known as Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR). One of the genes associated with HSCR is endothelin receptor type B (Ednrb). To study the development of colonic aganglionosis we have utilized a novel knockout mouse (Ednrb(flex3/flex3)), in which the expression of a null Ednrb allele and YFP is confined to NCCs. We have identified two primary cellular defects related to defective EDNRB signaling. First, ENCC advance in Ednrb(flex3/flex3) embryos is delayed shortly after NCCs enter the gut. Apart from this early delay, Ednrb(flex3/flex3) ENCCs advance normally until reaching the proximal colon. Second, as Ednrb(flex3/flex3) ENCCs reach the colon at E14.5, they display migratory defects, including altered trajectories and reduced speed, that are not dependent on proliferation or differentiation. We constructed grafts to test the ability of donor ENCCs to invade a recipient piece of aganglionic colon. Our results indicate that the age of the recipient, and not the age or genotype of donor ENCCs, determines whether the colon is invaded. We identify changes in laminin expression that are associated with the failure of ENCCs to invade recipient tissue. Together, our data suggest that a defect in pre-enteric Ednrb(flex3/flex3) NCCs results in delayed colonic arrival, which, due to environment changes in the colon, is sufficient to cause aganglionosis.
Correlation between genetic polymorphisms and stroke recovery: analysis of the GAIN Americas and GAIN International Studies.

Author(s): Cramer, SC; Procaccio, V; GAIN Americas; GAIN International Study Investigators | Abstract: Background and purposeRecovery after stroke occurs on the basis of specific molecular events. Genetic polymorphisms associated with impaired neural repair or plasticity might reduce recovery from stroke and might also account for some of the intersubject variability in stroke recovery. This study hypothesized that the ApoE e4 polymorphism and the val(66) met polymorphism for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are each associated with poorer outcome after stroke. Associations with mitochondrial genotype were also explored.MethodsGenotypes were determined in 255 stroke patients who also received behavioral evaluations in the Glycine Antagonist In Neuroprotection (GAIN) clinical trials. The primary outcome measure was recovery during the first month post-stroke, as this is the time when neural repair is at a maximum and so when genetic influences might have their largest impact. Two secondary outcome measures at 3 months post-stroke were also examined.Results Genotype groups were similar acutely post-stroke. Presence of the ApoE e4 polymorphism was associated with significantly poorer recovery over the first month post-stroke (P = 0.023) and with a lower proportion of subjects with minimal or no disability (modified Rankin score 0-1, P = 0.01) at 3 months post-stroke. Indeed, those with this polymorphism were approximately half as likely to achieve minimal or no disability (18.2%) versus those with polymorphism absent (35.5%). Findings were confirmed in multivariate models. Results suggested possible effects from the val(66) met BDNF polymorphism and from the R0 mitochondrial DNA haplotype.Conclusions Genetic factors, particularly the ApoE e4 polymorphism, might contribute to variability in outcomes after stroke.
Birth of U.S. Naval Aeronautical Engineering and Phenomenal Rise to Excellence

In January of 1911, a small airplane landed on a specially prepared wooden platform on the cruiser Pennsylvania, then a few hours later took off. The following month, near the coast of San Diego, a small hydroplane took off directly from the surface of the water, landed back on the water, and was hoisted from the water aboard ship. With these early demonstrations, Naval Aviation in the United States was born. Thousands of miles away at the Washington Navy Yard, then Captain David W. Taylor and his assistants were beginning work in aeronautics that would lead to a wind tunnel larger than any in the world at that time. Within a few short years, Taylor’s vision brought the U.S. Navy to the forefront of aeronautical engineering and naval aircraft design. His focus on rigorous scientific methods and state-of-the-art experimental facilities was rooted in his earlier experience as an accomplished naval architect, and his pivotal role in the establishment of the Experimental Model Basin at the Washington Navy Yard in the late 19th century. The wind tunnel facility would form the foundation of the Navy’s Aerodynamics Laboratory and began a new era in aeronautics in the United States. Early tests at the Aerodynamics Laboratory covered a broad range of models including airplane control surfaces, semi-span wing models, and complete aircraft, as well as battleships and flat deck carriers. Less than nine years after those early demonstrations, the U.S. Navy would rise to become a world leader in sea based aviation. The spectacular progress in the design of flying boats by Taylor and his team culminated in 1919 with the first crossing by air of the Atlantic Ocean. This paper highlights the early development of aeronautical engineering and scientific methods for aircraft model testing within the U.S. Navy, and the extraordinary successes achieved in the short span of history from 1911 to 1919. It is written from the authors’ present perspective as Aerospace Engineers at the Navy’s David Taylor Model Basin located at the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
Suppression of In Vitro Lymphocyte Transformation During an Experimental Dermatophyte Infection

During primary Trichophyton mentagrophytes infection of strain 2 guinea pigs, the colony-forming units (CFU) of fungi present within the lesion peaked between days 7 and 14, whereas the severity of the lesion itself peaked between days 11 and 16. Concomitant with the latter peak, a pronounced depression in the in vitro mitogenic activity of spleen cells (SPC) and lymph node cells (LNC) was observed. Only after resolution of the primary infection (day 21) did LNC show increased deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in the presence of fungal antigens. During cutaneous reinfection, there was no distinct peak fungal load and CFU appeared to decrease steadily during the accelerated course of a reinfection disease. LNC from guinea pigs with severe, ulcerated reinfection lesions generally exhibited a heightened response to fungal antigen in vitro. LNC from guinea pigs with mild reinfection dermatophytosis had depressed in vitro reactivity to mitogens and dermatophyte antigen. The suppression of blastogenic activity during dermatophyte infection appeared to be associated with autologous serum components, since increased DNA synthesis resulted when SPC or LNC were cultured with fetal calf serum. The depressed in vitro DNA synthesis of lymphocytes (cultured with dermatophyte antigens) that were harvested during reinfection was not accompanied by an impaired ability of infected guinea pigs to respond with a delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test in vivo. These results support the hypothesis that experimental T. mentagrophytes dermatophytosis is a cell-mediated hypersensitivity disease that can be modified by immunosuppressive control mechanisms elaborated or induced by the fungus.
Face processing in humans and new world monkeys: the influence of experiential and ecological factors

This study tests whether the face-processing system of humans and a nonhuman primate species share characteristics that would allow for early and quick processing of socially salient stimuli: a sensitivity toward conspecific faces, a sensitivity toward highly practiced face stimuli, and an ability to generalize changes in the face that do not suggest a new identity, such as a face differently oriented. The look rates by adult tamarins and humans toward conspecific and other primate faces were examined to determine if these characteristics are shared. A visual paired comparison (VPC) task presented subjects with either a human face, chimpanzee face, tamarin face, or an object as a sample, and then a pair containing the previous stimulus and a novel stimulus was presented. The stimuli were either presented all in an upright orientation, or all in an inverted orientation. The novel stimulus in the pair was either an orientation change of the same face/object or a new example of the same type of face/object, and the stimuli were shown either in an upright orientation or in an inverted orientation. Preference to novelty scores revealed that humans attended most to novel individual human faces, and this effect decreased significantly if the stimuli were inverted. Tamarins showed preferential looking toward novel orientations of previously seen tamarin faces in the upright orientation, but not in an inverted orientation. Similarly, their preference to look longer at novel tamarin and human faces within the pair was reduced significantly with inverted stimuli. The results confirmed prior findings in humans that novel human faces generate more attention in the upright than in the inverted orientation. The monkeys also attended more to faces of conspecifics, but showed an inversion effect to orientation change in tamarin faces and to identity changes in tamarin and human faces. The results indicate configural processing restricted to particular kinds of primate faces by a New World monkey species, with configural processing influenced by life experience (human faces and tamarin faces) and specialized to process orientation changes specific to conspecific faces.
Some Induced-Pressure Measurements in a High-Rise Office Building

Induced-pressure measurements were made in the tower of an eleven-story office building using a fan of 7.55-m 3 /s capacity. The fan was used to depressurize the entire tower as well as a single floor. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) tracer gas was used to trace air movements from floor to floor during single-floor depressurization. Average flow coefficients of approximately 5 X 10 - 4 m 3 /m 2 . s . Pa 0 . 6 5 for the tower and 7 X 10 - 4 m 3 /m 2 . s . Pa 0 . 6 5 for the single floor were estimated from single point measurements. The effect of opening and closing office doors also was determined. By simultaneous solution of flow equations for the whole tower and a single floor, it was estimated that about 80 to 90% of the airflow during depressurization of a single floor came from floors above and below. From SF 6 tracer gas measurements, it was estimated that about 50% of the flow could be traced to the floor below. The pressure difference measurements upon which the previous estimates are based were in the 3- to 10-Pa range. Uncertainties in the estimates of flow coefficients and airflow from above and below are discussed in the text. The results essentially are descriptive, but they suggest an experimental approach to the determination of flow coefficients for modeling through the wall and for floor-to-floor components of airflow in building ventilation.