cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acceleration on Heterogeneous Architectures for Synthesis of Coherent Sparse Arrays

Radio frequency aperture synthesis from multiple free-flying collectors is traditionally dependent on highly accurate intra-constellation metrology and shared clocks. We demonstrate that coherent alignment of independent collectors with poor knowledge of relative positioning and clocking can be achieved through computational means in post processing. This allows the synthesis of a coherent sparse array of RF collectors with the time and position knowledge available from a cheap and commercial GPS receiver. This paper extends our previous publication in the 2018 IEEE Aerospace conference with several key advances, including on-GPU execution of the CAF algorithm, on-GPU multi-emitter tracking, and interpolation-based correction adaptation. The alignment algorithm has significantly increased in performance and capability since 2018. The Complex Ambiguity Function (CAF) is used for simultaneous estimation of time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) for multiple pairs of received signals. These time, frequency, and phase corrections are applied to the data, bringing them into alignment with each other. Maintaining this alignment over a longer time span is the challenge, addressed through overlapped sequential CAF estimates to estimate the evolving TDOA/FDOA of multiple emitters. Achieving good alignment over millions of samples requires an evolving model of the collection geometry. By breaking a long signal into successive, overlapping frames, we can estimate the signal parameters; however, the computation time is untenable on traditional CPUs. In this paper, we explore the use of heterogeneous architectures to speed up the CAF algorithm and to make it suitable for the alignment of larger signal lengths. We show that the optimized GPU implementation provides a performance improvement of 150x compared to the sequential implementation. We also demonstrate a dynamic load balancing scheme for MPI that can distribute the work across multiple GPU nodes. Using the accelerated code, we demonstrate the signal alignment using CAF with the NOAA satellite full-pass collects using multiple collectors on the ground around the Los Alamos townsite.
Spatial compartmentalization of lipid droplet biogenesis

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous organelles that store metabolic energy in the form of neutral lipids (typically triacylglycerols and steryl esters). Beyond being inert energy storage compartments, LDs are dynamic organelles that participate in numerous essential metabolic functions. Cells generate LDs de novo from distinct sub-regions at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but what determines sites of LD formation remains a key unanswered question. Here, we review the factors that determine LD formation at the ER, and discuss how they work together to spatially and temporally coordinate LD biogenesis. These factors include lipid synthesis enzymes, assembly proteins, and membrane structural requirements. LDs also make contact with other organelles, and these inter-organelle contacts contribute to defining sites of LD production. Finally, we highlight emerging non-canonical roles for LDs in maintaining cellular homeostasis during stress.
Typing Slowly but Screen-Free: Exploring Navigation over Entirely Auditory Keyboards

Accessible onscreen keyboards require people who are blind to keep out their phone at all times to search for visual affordances they cannot see. Is it possible to re-imagine text entry without a reference screen? To explore this question, we introduce screenless keyboards as aural flows (keyflows): rapid auditory streams of Text-To-Speech (TTS) characters controllable by hand gestures. In a study, 20 screen-reader users experienced keyflows to perform initial text entry. Typing took inordinately longer than current screen-based keyboards, but most participants preferred screen-free text entry to current methods, especially for short messages on-the-go. We model navigation strategies that participants enacted to aurally browse entirely auditory keyboards and discuss their limitation and benefits for daily access. Our work points to trade-offs in user performance and user experience for situations when blind users may trade typing speed with the benefit of being untethered from the screen.
Exposure to predators, but not intraspecific competitors, heightens herbivore susceptibility to entomopathogens

Abstract Prey commonly must compete with conspecifics for resources while also defending themselves against predators. Both competition and defense can reduce feeding opportunities, or otherwise strain prey energy reserves, even when the prey is not killed. This suggests that stress from competition and anti-predator defense might yield non-lethal harm that differs quantitatively rather than qualitatively. We examined this possibility for an herbivorous prey species, the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), feeding among differing numbers of intraspecific competitors while also avoiding predation by Nabis alternatus and Hippodamia convergens. In a field cage experiment, predators and intraspecific competitors similarly reduced the herbivores’ larval survival. Yet, only exposure to predators heightened the risk of beetles later being killed by entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi, as the beetles pupated in the soil. This suggests that the threat of predation was exerting physiological harm to the prey, although it was also possible that a tradeoff existed where those beetles most resistant to predator attack were most susceptible to pathogen infection. In a second experiment, we found that regular touching of larvae by predatory Nabis or Hippodamia, in the absence of actual predation, consistently induced predator-avoidance behaviors by the larvae (e.g., rearing, vomiting, wiggling, etc.) that might be energetically costly. Indeed, only being touched by predators, but not by a wooden dowel as a disturbance control, led to greater susceptibility to entomopathogens as pupae. Altogether, our findings suggest that non-lethal interactions with predators might carry a particular cost to beetles in heightened pathogen susceptibility, not seen when facing competitors or simple disturbance. Additional work is needed to determine the specific physiological mechanism underlying this apparent synergism in the effects of predators and entomopathogens, which spans prey life stages.
Model-Based Estimation of Forest Canopy Height and Biomass in the Canadian Boreal Forest Using Radar, LiDAR, and Optical Remote Sensing

One of the fundamental technical challenges of any new spaceborne vegetation remote sensing mission is the determination of what sensor(s) to place onboard and what, if any, overlapping modes of operation they will employ as each onboard sensor adds significant cost to the overall mission. In this article, the remote sensing of forest parameters using multimodal remote sensing is presented. In particular, polarimetric radar, Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR), and near-IR passive optical sensing platforms are employed in conjunction with physics-based models. These models are used to accurately estimate forest aboveground biomass as well as canopy height in homogeneous areas. It is shown that this proposed method is capable of achieving high accuracy estimates while using minimal ancillary data in the estimation process. We present a method to combine measured data sets with our geometric and electromagnetic sensor models to develop a forest parameter estimation algorithm that fuses multimodal remote sensing technologies with a minimal amount of ground information and yields an accurate estimate of forest structure including dry biomass and canopy height with rms errors of 1.6 kg/m2 and 1.68 m respectively.
Grow Local Manufacturing along US/Mexico Border Region for an Integrated Supply Chain in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The current coronavirus disease pandemic, plus the strong movement of manufacturing reshoring, provide a unique opportunity for many US regions to grow local manufacturers This technical note attempts to review the current situation and trend in US manufacturing We then discuss challenges and necessary steps, such as asset mapping, required to grow local suppliers Suggestions are then made to support growing local suppliers along the US/Mexico border region © 2020 by ASTM International
Abstract 14590: Cardiac Rehabilitation Utilization After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Remains Exceedingly Low and is Strongly Associated With the Treating Hospital and Operator: Insights From the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium

Introduction: Despite its proven benefits, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) use remains low. Identifying the sources of variation in CR referral and downstream use may help direct policies and quality i...
Transnational terrorism, US military aid, and the incentive to misrepresent

This study proposes a strategic explanation for the USA’s continued provision of military aid to host states with problems of terrorism, despite its poor empirical record. Using a game theoretic mo...
History of Marketing Channels in North America: An Abstract

As the history of marketing thought is disappearing in doctoral education, there is a need to analyze the development of marketing channels from a historical perspective. There is an opportunity for marketing education and practice to make better decisions by understanding more about how marketing channels developed and the forces behind the present. This paper uses a descriptive approach, which focuses on a synthesis of the work of early scholars, recorded facts, census data and our acquired knowledge. Proceedings from the Conference on Historical Analysis and Research (CHARM) and the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing provide a rich source of information. In addition, Robert Bartels provided books on the history of marketing thought (Bartels 1976). Various other scholars provided facts on the development of retailing (Hollander 1959) and wholesaling (Beckman 1926). Our purpose is to provide an overview that helps to explain how marketing channels and their institutional members provide a foundation for the existing structure. In other words, how did we get here?
Practical Capacity of Digital Watermarks

A practical approach for evaluating the capacity of watermarks is presented. In real applications of watermarks, reliability is one of the most important metrics. The problem focused on in this paper is maximizing the number of embedded bits when there are some constraints on detection reliability. Error rates are formulated under some assumptions about the watermarking scheme, and the capacity can be determined by setting the bounds on each error rate. Experiments are performed to verify the theoretical predictions using a prototype watermarking system which conforms to the assumptions, and the resulting capacity agrees with the theory. Further, the theoretical effects of employing error-correcting codes are considered. It is shown that this approach yields the practical capacity of watermarks, as compared with channel capacity in communication theory.
Model checking genetic regulatory networks with parameter uncertainty

The lack of precise numerical information for the values of biological parameters severely limits the development and analysis of models of genetic regulatory networks. To deal with this problem, we propose a method for the analysis of genetic regulatory networks with parameter uncertainty. We consider models based on piecewise-multiaffine differential equations, dynamical properties expressed in temporal logic, and intervals for the values of uncertain parameters. The problem is then either to guarantee that the system satisfies the expected properties for every possible parameter value - the corresponding parameter set is then called valid - or to find valid subsets of a given parameter set. The proposed method uses discrete abstractions and model checking, and allows for efficient search of the parameter space. This approach has been implemented in a tool for robust verification of gene networks (RoVerGeNe) and applied to the tuning of a synthetic network build in E. coli.
Rapid migration of lymphocytes via murine spleen (CAM1P.226)

Spleen is the major secondary lymphoid organ in mammals playing an important role in initiation of adaptive immune response to blood-borne pathogens. Yet, the kinetics of lymphocyte recirculation via spleen in resting and inflammatory conditions remain poorly defined. By perfusing blood and lymphocytes via murine spleen in vitro Ford (Cell Tissue Kinetics 1969) measured accumulation of lymphocytes in circulation over the time of perfusion. I developed a novel mathematical model of lymphocytes recirculation via spleen and fitted that model to Ford's experimental data. The model explains well the majority of experimental data and predicts the average residence time of thoracic duct lymphocytes in the murine spleen of 3 hours. The model predicted that antigenic stimulation of the spleen induces increased migration into the spleen (or increased retention in the spleen) of blood lymphocytes, while cells that recently exited the spleen were nearly not affected. Interestingly, the model was not able to accurately explain the kinetics of lymphocyte migration via the irradiated spleen suggesting that irradiation impacts lymphocyte migration kinetics in a not easily predictable way. Taken together, our analysis provides important insights into kinetics of migration of lymphocytes via spleen.
Interconvertible molecular forms of soluble hexokinase in frog skeletal muscle.

Abstract Soluble hexokinase from frog skeletal muscle has been purified 180-fold. Interconvertible molecular forms of hexokinase were found in the 105,000 x g supernatant. They may be separated by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration into a "heavier" molecule, hexokinase-H, and a "lighter" molecule, hexokinase-L (apparent mol wt, 100,000). On sucrose gradient, hexokinase-H may be separated into polyaggregates of hexokinase-L with apparent molecular weights ranging from 300,000 to 3 million. The molecular species are interconvertible with changes in ionic strength and appear to be in equilibrium with each other. Hexokinase-H is activated by orthophosphate, particularly at high ATP concentration, whereas hexokinase-L is not. Thus 8 mm orthophosphate raised the Vmax 2-fold for hexokinase-H. 1,5-Anhydroglucitol-6-P (analogue of glucose-6-P) served as an inhibitor competitive with respect to ATP and noncompetitive with respect to glucose. Hexokinase-H was more resistant to the noncompetitive inhibition of glucose. The Ki values for noncompetitive inhibition of glucose by 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-P for hexokinase-H and hexokinase-L were 0.62 and 0.32 mm, respectively. Similar kinetic constants for both the purified hexokinase-H and hexokinase-L were: Km for ATP, 1.48 mm; Ki of 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-P for ATP, 0.058 mm; Km for glucose, 0.100 mm. Varying the ATP concentration had no effect on the Km for glucose. Physiological concentrations of orthophosphate could overcome the competitive or noncompetitive inhibition of both hexokinase-H and hexokinase-L by 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-P.
Rapid plate test for evaluating phage induction capacity.

An agar plate test is presented as a screening test for phage induction capacity of various chemicals.
Phospholipid-mediated delivery of anti-GAP-43 antibodies into neuroblastoma cells prevents neuritogenesis.

The neuronal growth-associated protein GAP-43 is expressed during axonal outgrowth and regeneration (for review, see Benowitz and Routtenberg, 1987). In the present study, we demonstrate that GAP-43 is constitutively expressed by NB2a/d1 neuroblastoma cells. The initial, most rapid outgrowth period of neuritogenesis [0–4 hr after dibutyryl adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (dbcAMP) treatment] is accompanied by intense GAP-43 immunoreactivity along the entire length of most neurites. However, this immunoreactivity declined nearly to background levels within hours during continued neurite outgrowth and persisted only at varicosities and growth cones. GAP-43 was detectable by metabolic labeling and immunoblot analysis in undifferentiated cells, and synthetic rates and steady-state levels of GAP-43 underwent only a modest (approximately twofold) increase during dbcAMP-induced differentiation. Unlike levels observed in neurites, perikarya of undifferentiated and differentiated cells contained similar, intense levels of GAP-43 immunoreactivity. Neurite elaboration and GAP-43 immunoreactivity were unaffected by treatment with cycloheximide, suggesting that translocation of perikaryal GAP-43 pools, rather than de novo synthesis, contributes to the transient burst of GAP-43 observed in developing neurites. Phosphatidylcholine-mediated delivery of anti-GAP-43 antibodies (alpha GAP) into cells immediately before dbcAMP treatment arrested neuritogenesis but did not induce the retraction of existing neurites. These results indicate that, while GAP- 43 expression is insufficient to induce neuritogenesis in NB2a/d1 cells, GAP-43 is nevertheless essential for the initial, dynamic phase of neurite outgrowth.
Gastric Motor Abnormalities in Diabetic and Postvagotomy Gastroparesis: Effect of Metoclopramide and Bethanechol

Gastroparesis is a relatively uncommon but clinically troublesome disorder that develops in some patients with diabetes mellitus or after gastric operations. Its pathogenesis remains obscure. We used a manometric technique to record pressure changes in fasting patients in the gastric fundus, distal stomach, and adjacent small bowel of patients with severe gastroparesis, asymptomatic diabetic patients, asymptomatic postsurgical patients, and healthy controls. Patients with gastroparesis had normal interdigestive motor cycles (phase III) in the intestine but not in the stomach. Sporadic motor activity in the stomach (phase II) also was markedly reduced. Metoclopramide and bethanecol significantly increased gastric motor activity in these patients, often triggering an intense burst of motor activity in the stomach, similar to phase III. These observations suggest that gastroparesis is a potentially reversible disorder and should encourage further attmpts for pharmacologic control of the syndrome.
Lectures: laptop computers and the Internet

In spite of the availability of powerful computing, display and communications technologies, many lectures are still presented employing backboard and chalk, or their modern-day equivalents. At the same time, Internet-based techniques are providing the impetus to rapidly change the mode of interacting with students. These and other innovative teaching methods are explored. While many of these methods involve large amounts of time and money, meaningful changes can be made with modest investments. With this in mind, widespread participation by the educational community is encouraged with emphasis on the interface between technology and pedagogical strategies.
Darwin, Galton and the Statistical Enlightenment

Summary. On September 10th, 1885, Francis Galton ushered in a new era of Statistical Enlightenment with an address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Aberdeen. In the process of solving a puzzle that had lain dormant in Darwin's Origin of Species, Galton introduced multivariate analysis and paved the way towards modern Bayesian statistics. The background to this work is recounted, including the recognition of a failed attempt by Galton in 1877 as providing the first use of a rejection sampling algorithm for the simulation of a posterior distribution, and the first appearance of a proper Bayesian analysis for the normal distribution.
Swagged superconducting wires

Abstract A “powder-in-tube” technique was used to produce long superconducting wires. Calcined YBa2Cu3O7−δ powder was put into a copper tube and swagged down to wire of approximately 0.7 mm in diameter. The copper sheath was then removed chemically and the superconductor core was sintered in oxygen at 910°C. The critical current densities at 77 K and zero field were comparable to those of other bulk specimens, typically ranging from 200 to 600 A/cm2.
Manhood, Lorain-Style

Manhood, Lorain Style is a narrative essay in which the author discusses issues of masculinity and gender identity in the working-class environment of his hometown Lorain, Ohio. Written mostly as a story, the essay recounts a fistfight that the author provoked and participated in when he was sixteen years old in order to prove he wasn’t “gay” based on the standards of what he considers Rust Belt masculinity.
Solution of the Graetz–Brinkman problem with the Laplace transform Galerkin method

Abstract The present study concentrates on the effects of viscous dissipation in laminar forced convection. A power law fluid rheology model is applied and the effect of heat conduction in the axial direction is considered negligible. The physical properties are considered constant. Assuming fully developed velocity profile, the development of the temperature profile and its asymptotic behavior are investigated. For the solution of the problem the Laplace transform Galerkin technique is used. The method allows for the most general boundary conditions. A detailed comparison with previously published results provides a verification of the numerical technique. An important feature of the approach is that derivatives and integrals with respect to the axial location can be obtained through the operational rules of the Laplace transformation and hence no numerical derivation or integration is needed. As an application of the numerical model, we focus on the natural cooling regime, when the viscous dissipation of energy is counter-balanced by keeping the wall temperature at the ambient value. We derive a correlation for the asymptotic behavior of the Nusselt number in the natural cooling regime. This correlation reproduces the known value for the Newtonian case and provides a convenient means to normalize the Nusselt number for a wide range of flow behavior indices.
A retrospective comparative provider workload analysis for femoral nerve and adductor canal catheters following knee arthroplasty.

Adductor canal catheters preserve quadriceps strength better than femoral nerve catheters and may facilitate postoperative ambulation following total knee arthroplasty. However, the effect of this newer technique on provider workload, if any, is unknown. We conducted a retrospective provider workload analysis comparing these two catheter techniques; all other aspects of the clinical pathway remained the same. The primary outcome was number of interventions recorded per patient postopera- tively. Secondary outcomes included infusion duration, ambulation distance, opioid consumption, and hospital length of stay. Adductor canal patients required a median (10-90th percentiles) of 0.0 (0.0-2.6) interventions com- pared to 1.0 (0.3-3.0) interventions for femoral patients (p \ 0.001); 18/23 adductor canal patients (78 %) com- pared to 2/22 femoral patients (9 %) required no inter- ventions (p \ 0.001). Adductor canal catheter infusions lasted 2.0 (1.4-2.0) days compared to 1.5 (1.0-2.7) days in the femoral group (p = 0.016). Adductor canal patients ambulated further (mean (SD)) than femoral patients on postoperative day 1 (24.5 (21.7) vs. 11.9 (14.6) meters, respectively; p = 0.030) and day 2 (44.9 (26.3) vs. 22.0 (22.2) meters, respectively; p = 0.003). Postoperative opioid consumption and length of stay were similar between groups. We conclude that adductor canal catheters offer both patient and provider benefits when compared to femoral nerve catheters.
Impact of folic acid supplementation in the United States: markedly diminished high maternal serum AFPs

Abstract Objective: Folic acid supplementation of breads and grains was implemented in the United States in 1998 to try to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Complete birth registry outcome data will take several years to accumulate. Here we sought to use high maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) values as a surrogate for likelihood of NTDs, both before and after folic acid supplementation. Methods: From 1997 and 2000, 61,119 AFP values were assessed for MOM at Quest Diagnostics Laboratory, Teterboro, NJ. Patients were characterized by MOM value. Results: Comparative data show a 42% decrease of patients with MOMs of 3.00+ (1.7% –1.33%). Further categorization revealed similar decreases. n ≤2.75 2.76–4.00 4.00+ n % n % n % 1997 27,020 26,330 97.4 488 1.80 202 0.75 2000 34,099 33,511 98.3 409 1.20 179 0.52 % decrease 61,119 59,841 — 897 33% 381 30% Conclusions: The introduction of folic acid supplementation has produced a profound decrease in the number of high AFPs, reflective of a decreased incidence of NTDs. This represents a highly successful public health policy for birth defect prevention.
Alpha‐mannosidosis: analysis of urinary oligosaccharides with high performance liquid chromatography and diagnosis of a case with unusually mild presentation

Mannose containing oligosaccharides (OS) excreted in the urine of patients with alpha-mannosidosis have been analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method provides a highly sensitive assay for detection of the urinary oligosaccharides and was employed for diagnosis of a fifteen-year-old female with an unusually mild presentation of the disease. Dysostosis multiplex and coarse facies were absent; mental impairment was particularly mild. The elution profile of the urinary OS from this patient and two, more severely affected, patients with mannosidosis were nearly identical, containing nine major OS fractions. The concentrations of the OS were eight fold lower in our patient but, when calculated relative to creatinine, the levels of the urinary OS of all patients were similar.
OC109: Sequence of cardiovascular changes occurring in severe IUGR fetuses—part II

Objective: To characterize the velocity profiles of the uterine and hypogastric vessels before and after ovarian stimulation in the setting of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), using MSDA and GASP software. Methods: The MSDA system consisted of commercial ultrasound machine (Aloka SSD1400), a personal computer and a proprietary electronic board. Interogated vessels consisted of the uterine and hypogastric arteries and veins in a total of 21 women (15 IVF recipients and 6 egg donors) during ovarian stimulation at different time points. Velocity profiles, relative wall distension rate [WDR (%)] and shear rate [WSR (1/s)] were calculated over multiple consecutives cardiac cycles. The designation of arterial laminar flow was applied if one peak occurred in systole, while if > 1 peak in systole was classified as turbulent. Statistical analysis consisted of Spearman correlation. Results: All vessels displayed a laminar flow pattern, except in 4 cases (2 egg donors and 2 IVF patients), where the arterial flow was turbulent. Interestingly, there were qualitative differences in the velocity profiles in circumstances where conventional Doppler waveforms were identical. Hypogastric artery WDR (left, 2.5 ± 0.5; right, 1.9 ± 1) was highly correlated with the ipsilateral uterine WDR (left, 2.6 ± 0.5; right, 1.9 ± 1, rs = 1.00, p < 0.01). The hypogastric artery WSR (left, 455 ± 217; right, 389 ± 212) was highly correlated with the ipsilateral uterine WDR, (rs = 0.883, p < 0.01). Uterine wall shear rate (left, rs = 0.703; right, 0.805, p < 0.01) but not wall distension rate, was highly correlated to the cycle day. Conclusion: Real time velocity profiles are now possible using MSDA and GASP software. We found substantial differences between our new technology and conventional Doppler. These parameters are being evaluated in ongoing studies to determine their relationship to endometrial receptivity, ovarian function and success or failure of IVF attempts.
Teaching Engineering Practices

Engineering is featured prominently in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and related reform documents, but how its nature and methods are described is problematic. This paper is a systematic review and critique of that representation, and proposes that the disciplinary core ideas of engineering (as described in the NGSS) can be disregarded safely if the practices of engineering are better articulated and modeled through student engagement in engineering projects. A clearer distinction between science and engineering practices is outlined, and prior research is described that suggests that precollege engineering design can strengthen children’s understandings about scientific concepts. However, a piecemeal approach to teaching engineering practices is unlikely to result in students understanding engineering as a discipline. The implications for science teacher education are supplemented with lessons learned from a number of engineering education professional development projects.
Synchronous intra-myocardial ventricular pacing without crossing the tricuspid valve or entering the coronary sinus

Abstract Ventricular pacing is most commonly performed at the right ventricular (RV) apex. This is not without risk as placement requires crossing the tricuspid valve (TV) and may cause valvular dysfunction and dyssynchronous activation of the ventricles. The fact that the tricuspid valve lies more apically than the mitral valve allows for the possibility of pacing the ventricles from the right atrium (RA) via the “atrio-ventricular septum” without crossing the TV or entering the coronary sinus (CS). In order to mitigate far field activation inherent to current pacing technology, we constructed a novel lead in which the cathode and anode are both intra-myocardial. We demonstrate safety and efficacy of this novel lead for ventricular pacing at the atrio-ventricular septum in canines, including improved synchronous activation of both ventricles, improved differentiation in ventricular versus atrial sensing, while providing reliable ventricular capture, opening novel and a potentially safer alternative to human cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) potentiates the cytotoxicity of rotenone in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells

Exposure to rotenone, a widely used pesticide, has been suggested to increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Studies indicate that the neurotoxicity of rotenone may be related to its ability to generate reactive oxygen species. The present work was conducted to determine to what extent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a widely used dietary supplement, modulates the cytotoxicity of rotenone in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Our results indicate that EGCG shows concentration-dependent effects on ROS production and cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Treatment of these dopaminergic cells with rotenone (1-50 microM) alone or EGCG (25 or 50 microM) alone caused a significant decrease in cell viability. Pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with 25 or 50 microM EGCG potentiated the cytotoxicity of rotenone. The exacerbating effect of EGCG on rotenone toxicity may involve an apoptotic mechanism as shown by the enhancement of caspase-3 activity and activation of other caspases in rotenone-treated SH-SY5Y cells. The potentiating effect of EGCG on rotenone toxicity may be attributed to the enhanced production of intracellular superoxide in SH-SY5Y cells. The enhanced intracellular production of ROS by rotenone-EGCG combination may also account for the increased formation of protein carbonyls in 10,000xg fraction of SH-SY5Y cells detected by anti-HNE antibody. For instance, core histones and nuclear ribonuclear proteins were identified as major putative in vivo targets of HNE. Our present findings indicate that more detailed mechanistic studies are necessary to fully understand the chemistry of EGCG and to justify its use as potentially health-promoting dietary supplement, e.g. in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress.
Dichloroacetic acid pretreatment of male and female rats increases chloroform-induced hepatotoxicity

Abstract Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) and chloroform (CHCl 3 ) are both major by-products of drinking water chlorination and DCA increases the hepatotoxicity of CHCl 3 . In this study, we further characterized this effect and investigated DCA-induced alterations of CHCl 3 disposition and metabolism as a possible mechanism for this interaction. Both adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged with three doses (09:00, 16:00 and 09:00 the next morning) of DCA (each 2.45 mmol/kg), then challenged with an i.p. injection of CHCl 3 (3.12 or 9.35 mmol/kg). Hepatic damage was assessed 24 h after CHCl 3 administration as increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), ornithine carbomyl transferase (OCT) and bilirubin in plasma. In a separate experiment, rats were pretreated with DCA or were given 14 CHCl 3 at the same dosages. The disposition of 14 C in various tissues and covalent binding of 14 CHCl 3 -derivatives to liver proteins and lipids were determined 1 h later. CHCl 3 -induced hepatotoxicity was significantly more severe in DCA-pretreated groups. ALT and OCT were more markedly elevated in DCA+CHCl 3 (3.12 mmol/kg) groups than NaCl+CHCl 3 animals. Plasma bilirubin content was elevated only in DCA+CHCl 3 groups and females were more susceptible to this effect. The responses of rats to DCA treatment were somewhat gender-different. DCA treatment increased total cytochrome P450 in females, but not in males. Hepatic glutathione concentration was elevated in males after DCA treatment, but not in females. In the present study we confirmed that DCA pretreatment potentiates the CHCl 3 -hepatotoxicity of both male and female rats. However, there was little evidence that DCA pretreatment significantly affected CHCl 3 disposition or increased CHCl 3 binding in vivo.
SIGNATURES OF NEW PHENOMENA IN ULTRARELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR COLLISIONS

Abstract Three classes of observables are discussed which may shed light on the properties of the quark-gluon plasma formed in ultrarelativistic nuclear coilisons. They are (1) thermometers: the penetrating probes μ + μ − , γ, c, (2) barometers: transverse flow via 〈p⊥〉, and (3) seismometers: fluctuations of dN/dy and dE ⊥ /dy. The need for reliable estimates of the background due to the non-equilibrium processses is emphasized.
Heightened blood pressure responsiveness to intracarotid infusion of angiotensins in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that intracarotid infusion of angiotensin via a brachial arterial catheter results in a heightened pressor response in the alert spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) as previously observed for intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of angiotensin. We infused angiotensin II and III since these ligands are equivalently potent with respect to peak pressor effect when delivered ICV. We measured somewhat greater pressor responsiveness to AII than to AIII in the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive control strain from a baselevel of 133.1±5.8 ( mean±SEM ) to 151.3±6.2 mmHg (+13.7%) at the 100 pmol/kg/min dose of AII, and from 132.5±5.8 to 146.0±6.1 mmHg (+10.2%) for AIII. The SHR revealed a heightened pressor sensitivity to AII, from a baselevel of 170.0±3.8 to 200.6±5.9 mmHg (+18%) while the response to AIII was less dramatic, from 171.3±2.1 to 189.8±2.4 mmHg (+10.8%) . These findings suggest that a similar heightened pressor responsiveness occurs to peripheral infusion of angiotensin II in the SHR as previously observed to ICV injection.
Epidemiology as it relates to screening for glaucoma (summary)

One problem in studying glaucoma is the lack of a clear definition of the disease. Glaucoma is generally defined as a variable combination of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), optic disc abnormalities, and visual field defects. While we do not understand the mechanism or mechanisms underlying glaucoma, we do know that it is the fifth leading cause of blindness in white Americans and the leading cause of blindness in blacks (Fig. l).‘” There is no cure for glaucoma as yet, but screening provides us with the chance to detect individuals at risk at a point where we may slow or stop the progression of the disease. The rationale for glaucoma screening rests on the assumption that there is a stage at which effective intervention can curb the disease. Some of the results presented in other papers in this volume suggest strongly that this may be the case.
Leisure in community life of older rural residents

Much of the research on leisure among older people has focused on the impact of leisure on psychological well‐being. However, there appears a need to examine leisure from a more sociological level in terms of its impact on the social structures in which elderly people are embedded. The purpose of this study was to examine leisure as a context for interaction within the community lives of two subgroups of older residents in one rural region of South Carolina. Research methods were consistent with an interpretive approach. Findings indicated that older lifelong residents of the region had experienced a steady erosion of social leisure interaction due to changes in social structures. In contrast, older in‐migrant residents had created and maintained their communities principally through social leisure involvements. The findings are discussed in terms of the role of leisure in both the creation and dissolution of social bonds.
Paconius and the pedestal for Apollo: A case study of error in conceptual design

A classic case history of an engineering failure related by Vitruvius is presented as a paradigm of human error in the design process. It is argued that a familiarity among designers with such case studies could be instrumental in reducing conceptual errors in the design process generally.
Retrocaval renal artery bifurcation is not a contraindication to laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy.

Background Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is preferentially performed on the left side vs the right, even in instances where more complex arterial vasculature is present on the left. This finding is significant given the observation that living donor kidneys with multiple arteries are associated with increased incidence of ureteral complications in the recipient. One common anatomic variant, retrocaval bifurcation of the right renal artery, has potential risks that prompt the decision to procure left-sided kidneys with more complex arterial anatomy. However, these risks may be mitigated by the surgical approaches that can successfully procure right kidneys with this type of arterial variant. Study Design Of 321 total nephrectomies performed, there were 44 right-sided laparoscopic donor nephrectomies. Nineteen of these 44 patients had retrocaval bifurcation and were compared with a cohort of 25 patients without this variant. Standardized parameters were collected including demographics, donor and recipient outcomes, graft function, and renal artery anastomotic velocity. The Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test were used to show statistical significance. Results Donor and recipient outcomes and complication rates were not significantly different between the retrocaval bifurcation group and the nonbifurcation group. Notably, graft anastomotic velocity and rates of delayed graft function (DGF) were the same between recipients in the 2 study groups. Comparisons between left-sided nephrectomies and kidneys from the retrocaval bifurcation group showed a slower reduction in immediate creatinine clearance in the retrocaval group; however, both groups had similar outcomes 30 days post-transplantation. Conclusions This study provides a detailed, technical laparoscopic methodology for procurement of right-sided kidneys with retrocaval arterial bifurcation, which was associated with outcomes similar to right and left kidneys with single arteries.
Theoretical investigation of the peroxidase-oxidase chemical oscillator for quantitative enzyme analysis

Abstract The theoretical basis for quantitative enzyme determinations by using the features of chemical oscillations is developed. An existing model of the peroxidase-oxidase chemical oscillator, consisting of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase, oxygen and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), is modified to include a competing (analyte) reaction. The competitive effect between the analyte and the peroxidase on the observed periodic and chaotic oscillations forms the basis of the modified model. Corresponding differential equations are numerically integrated to produce plots of dissolved oxygen concentration vs. time. The calculated oscillatory oxygen transient shows a sensitive dependence on the analyte concentration. Utilizing the property of period doubling, a theoretical calibration graph can be generated for the determination of an analyte enzyme concentration. Special properties of the technique offer a potential combination of wide dynamic range and selectable precision. This demonstrates that the oscillator should prove experimentally useful for quantitative analysis.
An invariance property of common statistical tests

Abstract Let A be a symmetric matrix and B be a nonnegative definite (nnd) matrix. We obtain a characterization of the class of nnd solutions Σ for the matrix equation AΣA = B . We then use the characterization to obtain all possible covariance structures under which the distributions of many common test statistics remain invariant, that is, the distributions remain the same except for a scale factor. Applications include a complete characterization of covariance structures such that the chi-squaredness and independence of quadratic forms in ANOVA problems is preserved. The basic matrix theoretic theorem itself is useful in other characterizing problems in linear algebra.
Bisexual desire and familism: Latino/a bisexual young men and women in New York City.

Families are of critical importance for Latino communities in the USA. Familism – or the cultural value that weighs on interdependence between nuclear and extended family members for support, emotional connectedness, familial honour, loyalty and solidarity – has been demonstrated to reduce sexual health risks among heterosexual youth, yet this relationship has not been examined among Latino bisexual teenagers. In this study, we examined how familism shapes sexual‐decision making regarding behaviour and expressions of bisexuality among Latino youth. To accomplish this, we conducted 25 in‐depth interviews and ethnographic observations among bisexual male and female youth (15–19 years of age) for nine months in New York City. We carried out a recurrent theme analysis together with the selection of case studies to illustrate key themes regarding familism and Latino teenage bisexuality. Findings suggest that bisexual Latino youth valued closeness to their families by maintaining family ties and seeking their e...
Elemental analysis for biomass determination in the presence of insoluble substrates

Growth determination in the presence of solid substrates presents a unique set of experimental difficulties which limit the utility of most commonly used techniques for biomass measurement. In an effort to develop a method for routine growth determination in the presence of elemental sulfur and other insoluble substrates, we evaluated an approach by which the cell carbon of bacteria collected on glass-fiber filters was measured directly with a Carlo Erba elemental analyzer. Even in the presence of large excesses of elemental sulfur, iron and manganese oxides or smectite clays, cell carbon measurement proved effective with a sensitivity at least equal to that of spectrophotometric optical density determination. Sample preparation was rapid and required no costly materials. The results obtained here indicate that this approach is well suited for bacterial growth detection in the presence of inorganic solid substrates.
Effect of iron deficiency on the cell mediated immune response.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has been termed a major public health problem in many parts of both the industrialized and developing world 1-11. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that children under 6 years of age with hemoglobin concentrations below llg~, and children 6-14 years with levels below 12% be considered anemic 4'5. As Pollitt and Leibel have pointed out in a recent review 12, if the cut-off were raised shghtly to l l.4g~o, the prevalence of iron deficiency among young children in the United States would be about 20%. Meanwhile, a report from India indicates that, by WHO criteria, 35-50~, of children in rural areas and low income groups have anemia in. The etiology and epidemiology of iron deficiency indicate that a considerable proportion of the population is at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. The deficiency state arises through a variable combination of inadequate dietary intake, increased metabolic requirements
Ultrasonic identification and examination of fetal heart structures

Ultrasonic studies were performed on normal fetuses ranging from 36 to 40 weeks gestational age in an attempt to visualize anatomical details of the fetal heart. We were able to visualize cardiac structures hitherto thought to be unidentifiable. Two-dimensional B-scan exposures of sections showed transverse and longitudinal sections of the fetal heart, including the cardiac septa and inlet and outlet sites of the large vessels. To attempt to elucidate the dynamics of the fetal heart, the motility patterns of the cardiac structures were examined by time-motion mode scanning and the patterns obtained were compared to those observed in the postnatal heart. The reliability of the theories advanced and the further prospects are discussed.
Rate coefficients for the gas-phase reaction of the hydroxyl radical with CH2=CHF and CH2=CF2.

Rate coefficients, k, for the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with CH2═CHF (k1) and CH2═CF2 (k2) were measured under pseudo-first-order conditions in OH using pulsed laser photolysis to produce OH and laser-induced fluorescence (PLP-LIF) to detect it. Rate coefficients were measured over a range of temperature (220−373 K) and bath gas pressure (20−600 Torr; He, N2). The rate coefficients were found to be independent of pressure. The measured rate coefficient for reaction 1 at room temperature was k1(296 K) = (5.18 ± 0.50) × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, independent of pressure, and the temperature dependence is given by the Arrhenius expression k1(T) = (1.75 ± 0.20) × 10−12 exp[(316 ± 25)/T] cm3 molecule−1 s−1; the rate coefficients for reaction 2 were k2(296 K) = (2.79 ± 0.25) × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and k2(T) = (1.75 ± 0.20) × 10−12 exp[(140 ± 20)/T] cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The quoted uncertainties are 2σ (95% confidence level) and include estimated systematic errors. The fall-off parameters for reactio...
Rodent Preclinical Models for Developing Novel Antiarthritic Molecules: Comparative Biology and Preferred Methods for Evaluating Efficacy

Rodent models of immune-mediated arthritis (RMIA) are the conventional approach to evaluating mechanisms of inflammatory joint disease and the comparative efficacy of antiarthritic agents. Rat adjuvant-induced (AIA), collagen-induced (CIA), and streptococcal cell wall-induced (SCW) arthritides are preferred models of the joint pathology that occurs in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Lesions of AIA are most severe and consistent; structural and immunological changes of CIA best resemble RA. Lesion extent and severity in RMIA depends on experimental methodology (inciting agent, adjuvant, etc.) and individual physiologic parameters (age, genetics, hormonal status, etc.). The effectiveness of antiarthritic molecules varies with the agent, therapeutic regimen, and choice of RMIA. All RMIA are driven by overactivity of proinflammatory pathways, but the dominant molecules differ among the models. Hence, as with the human clinical experience, the efficacy of various antiarthritic molecules differs among RMIA, especially when the agent is a specific cytokine inhibitor.