cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What the Dead Can Teach the Living: Systemic Nature of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the most common form of HF. Approximately 90% of new HF cases in older women are HFpEF.1 Adverse outcomes – exercise intolerance, poor quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, and reduced survival – approach those of HF with reduced EF (HFrEF). In contrast to HFrEF, the prevalence of HFpEF is increasing and its prognosis is worsening.2 Despite the strong public health importance of HFpEF, its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Our lack of understanding of HFpEF and its treatment is punctuated by the fact that 6 large, well-designed, randomized, clinical trials and several smaller ones were all neutral on their primary outcomes. The combination of high prevalence and lack of evidence-based treatments makes HFpEF a high-priority topic for research in cardiovascular disease. Article see p 550 A glaring absence among HFpEF studies has been a systematic autopsy-based study. Such studies have become more difficult as autopsy rates have declined with the availability of advanced multimodality imaging and deep-tissue biopsy techniques. Despite the increasing array of modern research techniques, postmortem methods continue to be uniquely valuable because of the ability to perform comprehensive, in-depth, detailed examinations of tissues and organs in humans. In this issue of Circulation , Mohammed and colleagues3 at the Mayo Clinic fill this critical gap with the first autopsy series of HFpEF. From a tissue registry patiently accumulated over a period of 19 years, their multidisciplinary team methodically collected and comprehensively analyzed specimens, medical records, electrocardiograms, and echocardiograms from 255 individuals, including patients with premortem diagnosis of HFpEF (n=124) and HFrEF (n=27), and from age-matched case controls who died of noncardiovascular causes (n=104). Characteristics of the HFpEF patients were relatively similar to community-based reports, including advanced age and a high prevalence of common comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes …
Time-resolved IR studies of monolayer self-assembly on a gold substrate using planar array infrared (PA-IR) spectroscopy.

Time-resolved and spatially resolved infrared spectra (line images) of self-assembled monolayers of octadecylthiol (ODT) on gold substrates were investigated by planar array infrared (PA-IR) spectroscopy, with a grazing incidence reflection attachment. It was observed that PA-IR spectra with a good signal-to-noise ratio that is comparable to those obtained from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy could be acquired with a significantly shorter collection time. Focusing on the peak intensities and peak positions of the CH 2 asymmetric stretch (approximately 2918 cm - 1 ) and the CH 3 symmetric stretch (approximately 2960 cm - 1 ), respectively, the molecular orientation and organization of the monolayers were determined. The ODT formed a uniform monolayer on the surface of the gold whether it was deposited within 1-2 s or over a 40 h period. Disordered monolayers formed instantly, and with an increase in dipping time, the monolayer became more ordered, becoming highly ordered after dipping times of many (>24) hours.
Can ventricular function be assessed by echocardiography in chronic canine mitral valve disease

Mitral regurgitation (MR) related to chronic degenerative valvular disease is the most important cause of heart failure in dogs. Ultrasound examination of the heart can identify valve lesions, confirm the presence of valvular regurgitation, document cardiac remodeling, estimate intracardiac pressures, and quantify systolic ventricular function. These findings can influence prognosis or selection of medical therapy. Reductions in ventricular systolic function may be detected on serial echocardiographic examinations in some dogs with MR. However the changes in ventricular loading that accompany MR often complicate these measurements. For example, shortening and ejection fractions are often increased in severe MR, even in the setting of congestive heart failure. Echocardiography with Doppler is also used to assess ventricular diastolic function and filling pressures. This information helps predict the risk of congestive heart failure. However these findings are often rendered ambiguous by age-related impairment of ventricular relaxation, elevations in left atrial pressure due to MR, and effects of volume overload on myocardial tissue velocities. These factors limit the usefulness of ventricular filling and tissue velocities, as well as derived ratios such as the E/E' ratio, for predicting congestive heart failure in MR. More advanced Doppler and tissue echocardiographic methods, as well as prospective clinical studies, are needed to reduce the ambiguity involved with assessment of ventricular function and filling pressures in the setting of MR.
Inflammation, endothelial cell activation, and coronary microvascular dysfunction in women with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease

Background Coronary artery microvascular dysfunction is prevalent in women with chest pain in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and is manifested by attenuated coronary flow reserve (CFR). Markers of inflammation and endothelial cell activation have been found to be elevated in patients with chest pain but without CAD. The relationship between inflammation, endothelial activation, and CFR is not known. Methods Ninety-four women with chest pain in the absence of obstructive angiographic CAD underwent catheterization-based assessment of CFR and measurement of levels of inflammatory markers (n = 78) and endothelial cell activation in the NHLBI WISE study. Results Coronary flow reserve did not correlate with levels of C-reactive protein (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) ( r s = −0.07, P = .53), interleukin (IL)-6 ( r s = −0.12, P = .31), IL-18 ( r s = 0.14, P = .23), tumor necrosis factor α ( r s = −0.09, P = .43), transforming growth factor β1 ( r s = 0.02, P = .84), and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 ( r s = 0.04, P = .68). Median levels of markers of inflammation and endothelial cell activation did not differ between the 57 women with abnormal CFR ( P = .80; IL-6 2.89 vs 2.39 pg/mL, P = .63; IL-18 218 vs 227 pg/mL, P = .59; tumor necrosis factor α 2.7 vs 2.4 pg/mL, P = .43; transforming growth factor β1 9928 vs 12436 pg/mL, P = .76; soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 286 vs 287 pg/mL, P = .95). Multivariable models demonstrated no evidence of associations between markers of inflammation and of endothelial cell activation and CFR. Conclusions Coronary microvascular dysfunction is not associated with markers of inflammation and endothelial cell activation in women with chest pain in the absence of obstructive CAD. These results suggest that inflammation and endothelial cell activation may not play a pathophysiological role in coronary microvascular dysfunction.
Limbic system mechanisms of stress regulation: hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.

Limbic dysfunction and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis dysregulation are key features of affective disorders. The following review summarizes our current understanding of the relationship between limbic structures and control of ACTH and glucocorticoid release, focusing on the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala. In general, the hippocampus and anterior cingulate/prelimbic cortex inhibit stress-induced HPA activation, whereas the amygdala and perhaps the infralimbic cortex may enhance glucocorticoid secretion. Several characteristics of limbic–HPA interaction are notable: first, in all cases, the role of given limbic structures is both region- and stimulus-specific. Second, limbic sites have minimal direct projections to HPA effector neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN); hippocampal, cortical and amygdalar efferents apparently relay with neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hypothalamus and brainstem to access corticotropin releasing hormone neurons. Third, hippocampal, cortical and amygdalar projection pathways show extensive overlap in regions such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, hypothalamus and perhaps brainstem, implying that limbic information may be integrated at subcortical relay sites prior to accessing the PVN. Fourth, these limbic sites also show divergent projections, with the various structures having distinct subcortical targets. Finally, all regions express both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors, allowing for glucocorticoid modulation of limbic signaling patterns. Overall, the influence of the limbic system on the HPA axis is likely the end result of the overall patterning of responses to given stimuli and glucocorticoids, with the magnitude of the secretory response determined with respect to the relative contributions of the various structures.
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Examination of Cell Distribution in Macroporous Microcarriers

Macroporous microcarriers are often used to cultivate animal cells. The pores in the interior of the beads provide surface and space for cell growth. It is not clear how anchorage-dependent and suspension cells populated these microcarriers during cultivation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed to perform time lapse observation of the cells in the interior. The structure of the bead was stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate for visualization, while the cells were stained with dialkyl indocarbocyanines for tracking over time. It was observed that mouse fibroblastic cells CRE BaG2 did not move extensively after initial attachment. Some cell divisions were observed during the course of the experiments, and essentially all cells remained viable throughout. Few hybridoma cells were deposited into the pores in the interior of the microcarriers. The results suggest that the occupancy of the internal volume by cells after prolonged cultivation is largely due to the growth of cells that are deposited in the interior as opposed to the migration of cells from the external surface into the interior. This method of observing cell behavior in a three-dimensional structure may find applications in other three-dimensional cell culture systems. The animation of time lapse sections is available on the worldwide web at http:/ www.cems.umn.edu/ approximately wshu_grp/acre/microcarrier.html.
Bioenergetic model estimates of interannual and spatial patterns in consumption demand and growth potential of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the Gulf of Alaska

A bioenergetic model of juvenile pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) was used to estimate daily prey consumption and growth potential of four ocean habitats in the Gulf of Alaska during 2001 and 2002. Growth potential was not significantly higher in 2002 than in 2001 at an alpha level of 0.05 (P ¼ 0.073). Average differences in growth potential across habitats were minimal (slope habitat ¼ 0.844 g d � 1 , shelf habitat ¼ 0.806 g d � 1 , offshore habitat ¼ 0.820 g d � 1 , and nearshore habitat ¼ 0.703 g d � 1 ) and not significantly different (P ¼ 0.630). Consumption demand differed significantly between hatchery and wild stocks (P ¼ 0.035) when examined within year due to the interaction between hatchery verses wild origin and year. However, the overall effect of origin across years was not significant (P ¼ 0.705) due to similar total amounts of prey consumed by all juvenile pink salmon in both study years. We anticipated that years in which ocean survival was high would have had high growth potential, but this relationship did not prove to be true. Therefore, modeled growth potential may not be useful as a tool for forecasting survival of Prince William Sound hatchery pink salmon stocks. Significant differences in consumption demand and a two-fold difference in nearshore abundance during 2001 of hatchery and wild pink salmon confirmed the existence of strong and variable interannual competition and the importance of the nearshore region as being a potential competitive bottleneck. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Elevated Phosphocholine and Phosphatidylcholine Following Rat Entorhinal Cortex Lesions

Abstract At early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, phosphomonoesters (PMEs) including phosphocholine (P-choline) are present at elevated levels. PMEs also are elevated in the developing brain during the period of neurite extension. To determine if the elevation of PMEs in AD could reflect neuritic sprouting, 31P-NMR was used to examine phospholipid metabolites and membrane phospholipids at various times following unilateral lesions of the entorhinal cortex, a well-defined model of neuritic sprouting. Two to 7 days postlesion, P-choline levels were elevated 48% in the hippocampus ipsilateral to the entorhinal cortex lesion, but not in the contralateral hippocampus or cerebral cortex. P-choline levels declined by day 15, and reached control levels 45 days following the lesion. The lesion-induced elevation in P-choline could result from increased P-choline synthesis via choline kinase, decreased activity of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase, or breakdown of phosphatidylcholine (PC). To distinguish between these possibilities, the membrane phospholipids PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were measured. Both phospholipids were maintained at or above control levels at each of the postlesion time points, arguing against membrane breakdown or decreased PC synthesis contributing to the elevation in P-choline levels. Other alterations included a widespread elevation in inositol phosphate 2 days postlesion, but not at later time points. The alterations in phospholipid metabolites observed in the rat hippocampus following entorhinal cortex lesions closely resemble those observed in the human brain in the early stages of AD.
A Distinction between Bolting and Flowering Effects on Senescence

IT is well known that flowering and fruiting processes bring about the senescence of most annual species of plants. Molisch1 interpreted this senescence as due to the mobilization of food materials into the fruits. His interpretation has been questioned by Leopold, Kamien and Janick2, for staminate as well as unpollinated pistillate plants of spinach show senescence after flowering. Both staminate and pistillate spinach plants develop a large seed stalk with the commencement of reproductive development, and it may be that Molisch's interpretation could be made more correct by including the mobilization of food materials into the stalk as an explanation of the imposition of senescence. The application of gibberellin to spinach which has not experienced photoperiodic induction will result in the formation of a stalk without the further development of flowers, providing an opportunity for distinguishing between the effects of bolting and of flowering on senescence.
Zernike moment-based image shape analysis and its application

This paper presents a novel pattern recognition application, the application in agronomy and proposes a roundness measurement concept to analyze the roundness of rose flower shapes for the new application. The rationality of this concept is theoretically analyzed and its mathematical definition is given. Experiment results show that this measurement is an efficient parameter for image shape analysis.
A smooth output interpolation process for BDF codes

The original line of codes developed and popularized by C.W. Gear and A.C. Hindmarsh (which use the backward differentiation formulae appropriate for solving stiff problems) produce discontinuous derivative approximations at all mesh points and discontinuous solution approximations at certain mesh points when a change in the order of the method takes place. We discuss the changes necessary to eliminate these discrepancies and define a globally smooth interpolation process. These improvements are particularly important in the context of defining a mathematically sound root solving algorithm.
The Policy-Making Role of the Courts of Appeals in Northern School Desegretation: Ambiguity and Judicial Policy-Making:

rT nHE PURPOSE of this research is to examine the decisions made by the courts of appeals in the important policy area of Northern school desegregation in order to advance our understanding of the courts' role in judicial policy-making. Specifically, we concentrate on how the courts of appeals have responded to the uncertainty and ambiguity found in the policy pronouncements of the Supreme Court. In doing so, we explore the relevant legal standards that these courts have adopted to determine when school officials have acted with discriminatory purpose. In turn, we also focus on how the Supreme Court has reacted to the standards employed by the courts of appeals. Here the focus represents a significant departure from earlier studies on courts and school desegregation where the objectives were mostly twofold: (1) to explain lower courts' (Vines, 1963; Steamer, 1960) efforts to enforce the mandates of Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 347 U.S. 483 (1954), and subsequent decisions; and (2) to explain the voting behavior of lower court judges in terms of social background variables (Giles and Walker, 1975). Broadly speaking, except for Peltason (1971), these studies did not seek to explain the policy-making role of the courts of appeals; nor did they seek to explain the relationship that might exist between policy pronouncements of the Supreme Court and those of the courts of appeals. While not ignoring the policy-making activities of the courts of appeals, the overriding concern of these studies was to emphasize compliance or non-compliance with Supreme Court decisions. For the most part, the scholarly emphasis was to document the movement of litigation toward or away from the Supreme Court. But, as we know, most federal litigation is terminated in the courts of appeals (Abraham, 1980: 173; Howard, Jr., 1973). Even so, this research enhanced our understanding of the role of the courts of appeals in the school segregation controversy and the political system more generally. However, due to the regional focus of the previous research and the apparent variations in the complexions of Northern and Southern school segregation, what we know about the behavior of the courts of appeals in the South may not hold true for the Northern phase of school desegregation. The major purpose of our efforts here is to analyze how selected circuits' of the appellate court have responded to the ambiguity in Supreme
Phase separation and atomic ordering in mixed III nitride layers

Abstract It is demonstrated that group III atomic species in the mixed III nitrides, differing in their covalent tetrahedral radii, are not distributed at random on their sub-lattice. Two types of deviations from randomness are observed: phase separation and atomic ordering. Phase separation lowers the strain energy of the layer. The absence of phase separation in InGaN quantum wells is attributed to the stress imposed by the GaN barrier layers. Atomic ordering doubles the periodicity along the [0 0 0 1] direction.
The dynamics of expressive piano performance: Schumann’s ‘‘Träumerei’’ revisited

Ten graduate student pianists were recorded playing Robert Schumann’s ‘‘Traumerei’’ three times on a Yamaha Disclavier. Their expressive dynamics were analyzed at the level of hammer (MIDI) velocities. Individual dynamic profiles were similar across repeated performances, more so for the right hand (soprano and alto voices) than for the left hand (tenor and bass voices). As expected, the soprano voice, which usually had the principal melody, was played with greater force than the other voices, which gained prominence only when they carried temporarily important melodic fragments. Independent of this voice differentiation, there was a tendency for velocity to increase with pitch, at least in the soprano and alto voices. While there was an overall tendency for velocities to increase with local tempo, there were salient local departures from this coupling. Individual differences in expressive dynamics were not striking and were only weakly related to individual differences in expressive timing.
Association of induction of a fully tumorigenic phenotype in murine radiation-induced T-lymphoma cells with loss of differentiation antigens, gain of CD44, and alterations in p53 protein levels.

We investigated the mechanism of radiation induction of murine thymic lymphomas by studying the characteristics of primary x-ray-induced thymic lymphoma (PXTL) cell lines and of their oncogene-induced, progressed progeny. It is widely thought that proto-oncogene alterations are associated with the induction of murine lymphomas; however, few, if any primary murine radiation-induced lymphomas possess (proto-)oncogene alterations. Independently derived cell lines grown directly (i.e., without in vivo transplantation) from thymic lymphomas of irradiated C57BL/6 mice possess the properties of immortalized pre-T cells and lack many of the characteristics of "tumor cells". PXTL cells are poorly tumorigenic upon transplantation, do not clone in methylcellulose cultures, are growth factor dependent and autocrine, and lack consistent chromosome and oncogene abnormalities. However, the thymic lymphomas are malignant and cause the death of each afflicted mouse. PXTL cells expressed two immunologically distinct forms of the tumor suppressor protein p53 that have moderately increased stability (t1/2 = 1 h) when compared with p53 of normal splenic T lymphocytes. Early PXTL cells could progress in vitro to a fully tumorigenic phenotype after infection with retroviruses encoding the c-myc and v-ras oncogenes. Progressed T-lymphoma cells acquired growth factor independence, a highly transplantable and tumorigenic phenotype, and the ability to quantitatively clone in methylcellulose cultures. Progressed lymphoma cells coordinately downregulated the expression of five T-cell differentiation markers, upregulated the expression of CD44 (Pgp-1), and harbored vastly elevated levels of two immunologically distinct forms of p53. Our results suggest that the early thymic lymphomas consist of differentiation-inhibited, immortal pre-T cells that are precursors to progressed, fully tumorigenic T-lymphoma cells.
Statistical Classification of Spectral Data for Laser Weld Quality Monitoring

Signals from several sensors were employed for real-time laser weld quality monitoring. Sheet-metal butt-joint laser welds of three quality classes (full penetration, partial penetration, gapped) were produced in experimental trials. Optical, air-born acoustic and plasma charge signals acquired during welding were subsequently Fourier-transformed and the spectra were analyzed individually to determine relationships to laser weld quality. The frequency bands most highly correlated to weld quality were identified by stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of the spectra. Testing of the quality discriminators formulated by LDA of the spectral data showed that the acoustic signal was most reliably correlated with weld quality. Fusing the data from all three sensors prior to LDA analysis produced a discriminator that had about the same reliability as one based on acoustic data alone.
On Making Sense (and Nonsense) of Heidegger

Herman Philipse's Heidegger's Philosophy of Being is an attempt to interpret, analyze, and ultimately discredit the whole of Heidegger's thought. But Philipse's reading of the texts is uncharitable, and the ideas he presents and criticizes often bear little resemblance to Heidegger's views. Philipse relies on a crude distinction between “theoretical” and “applicative” interpretations in arguing that Heidegger's conception of interpretation as a kind of projection (Entwurf) is, like the liar's paradox, formally self-defeating. But even granting the distinction, the charge of reflective incoherence is fallacious and question-begging. Finally, Philipse advances the astonishing “interpretive hypothesis” that the seemingly morbid existential themes in Being and Time were part of a deliberate “Pascalian strategy” to win converts to Heidegger's own idiosyncratic “postrnonotheist worship of Being.” In short, notwithstanding its nearly comprehensive coverage of Heidegger's works, the book does not represent a sufficiently serious effort to understand the complexities and obscurities of Heidegger's thinking.
Microwave spectrum and molecular structure of bromoacetonitrile

Abstract The ground state microwave spectrum of BrCH2CN has been observed and assigned in the P- and R-band regions. For two isotopic species a series of strong Q-branch transitions, several clusters of μa-typeR-branch transitions and scattered μb-type and R- and P-branch transitions were fit using both the rigid rotor approximation and the reduced hamiltonian of Watson. The hyperfine structure due to the bromine atom has been analyzed and the complete field gradient tensor determined. A least-squares structure consistent with the observed rotational constants has been determined, has been shown to exhibit internal consistency and has been found to be in agreement with the structures of similar molecules.
Exploiting the linearity of radiative transfer

Abstract A standard problem in radiative transfer is finding the external and internal radiative fields produced by uniform, parallel rays illuminating the top of a one-dimensional, scattering and absorbing medium of finite optical thickness. This problem has been solved in several ways with various physical restrictions. One approach is by finding the source function that represents the rate of production of scattered radiation per unit volume per unit solid angle at each point in the medium. The present paper develops and uses the idea that the standard source function is an influence function for a given medium. The linearity of radiative transfer is then used to find certain general source functions in terms of the standard one. The usefulness of the above concept is demonstrated by the following four problems: (1) derivation of Chandrasekhar's four principles of invariance from the radiative transfer equation, (2) derivation of the equations governing Chandrasekhar's X - and Y - functions without using the invariance principles or resolvent kernels, (3) finding the source function for a medium with a Lambert's-law bottom, and (4) finding the source function for a medium with a bottom that is a perfect specular reflector.
Complete Reductive Dechlorination of Trichloroethene by a Groundwater Microbial Consortiuma

Bioremediation promises to be an important technique in the removal of trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE) from contaminated waste sites and contaminated groundwater systems. However, the use of aerobic degradation to degrade these compounds is not always possible. Thus, anaerobic degradation is a promising alternative that may be used to remediate these sites. Recently, literature reports indicate complete anaerobic dechlorination of TCE and PCE by microorganisms enriched from wastewater treatment plants. We report here the complete dechlorination of TCE to ethene in anaerobic microcosms by microorganisms enriched from a TCE contaminated groundwater aquifer using glucose as an electron donor. Initial TCE degradation activity occurred after 10 days of incubation and TCE was no longer detected after 20 days of incubation. During the incubation period, the reductive dechlorination products associated with TCE degradation were detected. Ultimately, all of the TCE was converted to ethene. The glucose culture was further enriched and demonstrated increased rates of TCE conversion to ethene. Our results show that organisms isolated from a contaminated groundwater site are capable of completely degrading TCE to ethene at appreciable rates, and indicate the potential of using in situ anaerobic bioremediation to clean up TCE contaminated sites.
“Cautiously Optimistic” Comments on “Black Americans in the 21st Century: Should we be Optimistic or Concerned?”

This is a commentary on Angel Harris’ examination of the current state and challenges facing the black community. Harris provides a comprehensive overview of the socio-economic status of the black Americans and questions America’s ability to achieve the American “creed of opportunity”. My response to Harris’ question, “Should we be pessimistic or optimistic”, is that I am cautiously optimistic. My optimism is rooted in postsecondary progress of black despite challenges to affirmative action and the lingering test score gap between blacks and whites. However, I am “cautious” about the willingness of policy makers to use “race targeted” or “wealth-based-tested” programs to arrest practices which hinder employment, income and wealth opportunity.
A 7ppm, 6°/hr frequency-output MEMS gyroscope

We report the first frequency-output MEMS gyroscope to achieve <7 ppm scale factor accuracy and < 6°/hr bias stability with a 3.24mm2 transducer. By implementing continuous-time mode reversal in an FM gyro, the rate signal is modulated away from DC, making the system insensitive to the resonant frequency of the transducer. The scale factor is almost entirely ratiometric, depending primarily on the mechanical angular gain factor of the transducer and the accuracy of the timing reference. Scale factor sensitivity to variations in quality factor, electro-mechanical coupling coefficients, and circuit drift is significantly reduced compared to conventional open-loop and force-rebalance operating modes.
Understanding the development of behavior risk factors for cardiovascular disease in youth : the Bogalusa Heart Study

Lifestyle behaviors, societal structure and process, as well as psychological functioning are critical for a comprehensive understanding of the development, progression, and potential interventions for cardiovascular disease in children and young adults. Several behavior factors emerge as mediators of pathogenesis, either alone or in interaction with biologic processes as major contributors. In the Bogalusa Heart Study, four of these behaviors are identified that relate either directly or indirectly to the development of cardiovascular disease. They are tobacco, alcohol, oral contraceptive (OC) use, and type A behavior pattern. Limitation of space allows for only a brief review of previous work. The purpose of this report is to give a general overview of the research questions, methodology, measurements, and analysis of some of these behaviors. Because the Bogalusa Heart Study has a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, the study of the influence of lifestyle factors on the development of heart disease from early childhood remains a work in progress. A full understanding of the development of heart disease from childhood so that effective interventions can be designed remains elusive.
A study of high‐velocity flow in curved channels of rectangular cross‐section

In the following paper is given a short and general outline of certain hydraulic research, which has been carried on at the Hydraulic Structures Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology under the direction of Professor R. T. Knapp for the past half year. This study was made possible through the cooperation of the Los Angeles County Flood-Control District, the Chief Engineer, C. H. Howell, and members of his technical staff. The problems are of a nature scarcely treated so far in hydraulic literature. They arose in connection with the building and design of concrete-lined flood-channels of rectangular cross-section, which are supposed to carry the flood-waters of the so-called Foothill Area north of Glendale safely down through the settled districts of La Canada, La Crescenta, and Glendale to the Los Angeles River. The Los Angeles County Flood-Control District is in charge of this work and the engineers responsible for the design of these flood-channels found themselves faced with the following problems.
Increased adherence of Staphylococcus aureus from cystic fibrosis lungs to airway epithelial cells

Airway colonization by Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent feature of cystic fibrosis (CF). To assess the pathogenesis of selective colonization with this organism, we compared the capacity of S. aureus isolated from the respiratory tract of CF and non-CF patients to adhere to epithelial cells from the upper and lower airways of CF and control subjects. Bacterial adherence to bronchial epithelial cell lines was significantly greater for CF than for non-CF isolates (p 1 bacterium per cell; this was true for only 1 of 14 non-CF isolates. CF S. aureus isolates also bound more avidly than non-CF isolates to ciliated (p < 0.05) and squamous nasal cells (p < 0.02) and buccal epithelial cells (p < 0.005) freshly harvested by scraping. Each S. aureus isolate bound with equal avidity to epithelial cells from CF patients and healthy individuals. Adherence was not related to sex, age, severity of pulmonary disease, presence of other microorganisms in the ...
Electron transfer initiated heterogenerative cascade cyclizations: polyether synthesis under nonacidic conditions.

Single-electron oxidation has been employed to initiate heterogenerative cascade cyclization reactions that form polyether compounds under essentially neutral conditions. The reactions proceed through mesolytic benzylic carbon−carbon bond cleavages of homobenzylic ether-derived radical cations followed by intramolecular epoxonium ion formation, leading to further cyclizations. Both oligotetrahydrofuran and tetrahydropyran structures can be prepared by altering substrate topography.
Development of 2201 intergrowths during melt processing Bi2212/Ag conductors

Abstract Development of 2201 intergrowths in melt-processed Bi2212/Ag tapes was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The density of intergrowths evaluated from the shifts of 0 0 l peaks in the XRD patterns was found to increase with increasing maximum processing temperature Tmax, as well as the annealing time tmax at Tmax varying from ∼3% (Tmax=887°C, tmax∼0.5 h) to ∼50% (Tmax=906°C, tmax∼20 h). In the tapes with high density of intergrowths, an intermediate phase of composition Bi:Sr:Ca:Cu=4:4−x:1+x:3 (x≈0.5) formed as evidenced from EDS data and the presence in the XRD patterns of “superstructure” (2201/2212) reflections corresponding to the lattice parameter c=2.77 nm. A rather high stability of this intermediate phase and 2201 intergrowths is related to the texture development, because, in the layered crystal structure of Bi2212, the mass transfer perpendicular to the layers is much slower than along the layers. The main implication of these findings is the understanding that achieving high grain alignment and high phase purity appear to be competitive processing goals when the microstructure develops in Bi2212/Ag tapes during melt processing.
Polyhydroxybenzoates inhibit ascorbic acid activation of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: implications for glucose metabolism and insulin secretion.

Abstract Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from pig brain mitochondria was stimulated 2.2-fold by the addition of 50 μm l-ascorbic acid. Enzyme activity, dependent upon the presence of l-ascorbic acid, was inhibited by lauryl gallate, propyl gallate, protocatechuic acid ethyl ester, and salicylhydroxamic acid. Homogeneous pig brain mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was activated by either 150 μm l-ascorbic acid (56%) or 300 μm iron (Fe2+ or Fe3+ (62%)) and 2.6-fold by the addition of both l-ascorbic acid and iron. The addition of l-ascorbic acid and iron resulted in a significant increase of k cat from 21.1 to 64.1 s−1, without significantly increasing theK m of l-glycerol-3-phosphate (10.0–14.5 mm). The activation of pure glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by either l-ascorbic acid or iron or its combination could be totally inhibited by 200 μm propyl gallate. The metabolism of [5-3H]glucose and the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from rat insulinoma cells, INS-1, were effectively inhibited by 500 μm or 1 mm propyl gallate and to a lesser extent by 5 mm aminooxyacetate, a potent malate-aspartate shuttle inhibitor. The combined data support the conclusion that l-ascorbic acid is a physiological activator of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, that the enzyme is potently inhibited by agents that specifically inhibit certain classes of di-iron metalloenzymes, and that the enzyme is chiefly responsible for the proximal signal events in INS-1 cell glucose-stimulated insulin release.
Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect(s)

We have performed a sequence of high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations of structure formation in a ΛCDM model to study the thermal and kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effects. Including only adiabatic gas physics, we demonstrate that our simulations for the thermal effect are converged down to subarcminute scales. In this model, the angular power spectrum of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies induced by the thermal effect peaks at l 104, and reaches an amplitude just below current observational upper limits. Fluctuations due to the kinetic effect are a factor of 30 lower in power and peak at slightly smaller angular scales. We identify individual SZ sources and compute their counts as a function of source strength and angular size. We present a preliminary investigation of the consequences of an early epoch of energy injection, which tends to suppress power on small angular scales, while giving rise to additional power on large scales from the reheated intergalactic matter (IGM) at high redshift.
The isolation of whole cells from the ciliary epithelium together with some observations on the metabolism of the two cell types.

The cells of bovine ciliary epithelium have been isolated from the underlying stroma and separated into pigmented and non-pigmented fractions. Enzymic digestion of the tissue by papain or pronase, followed by collagenase, was required to free the cells from the tissue and, after filtration, the cell suspension was fractionated by centrifugation on a concentration gradient of colloidal silica. The cells were recovered from the gradient in zones which had only a 10% contamination by the minority cell type. In addition to the enzymic method small sheets of non-pigmented cells were obtained from calf eyes by manual dissection. Respiratory and glycolytic activities were determined and both were found to be higher in the non-pigmented cells than in the pigmented cells. Succinate-tetrazolium reductase activity was also found to be higher in the non-pigmented cells, but lactic dehydrogenase was equally distributed in the two types of cell. The rates of respiration and glycolysis of the pigmented cells were, respectively, little affected by succinate and by anaerobic conditions, whereas the non-pigmented cells showed much greater changes in metabolic activity in response to variations in substrate and oxygen supply. These findings lead to the conclusion that it is the non-pigmented cells that play the major role in the provision of energy for sodium transport by the ciliary epithelium.
Forced sex on dates: It happens to men, too.

(1988). Forced sex on dates: It happens to men, too. The Journal of Sex Research: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 234-241.
I am driving through sound space

"I Am Driving Through Sound Space" (IADTSS) is an interactive audio-visual installation for browsing audio databases. By using sound spatialization and a strong physical interface, IADTSS simulates a driving experience through a virtual sound space. IADTSS immerses the user in a sea of sound, allowing the quick navigation of big collections of audio clips.The installation consists of a computer equipped with a steering wheel, running custom made software that maps individual audio clips into a virtual world using a process called sound spatialization. Additionally, the system simulates the Doppler effect, providing additional spatial clues. While the sounds are played simultaneously, the spatialization allows the user to differentiate individual sources.To facilitate the quick navigation through big databases, IADTSS uses a driving wheel and a set of foot pedals, simulating a driving experience. The simulation allows traveling through the database at variable speeds, allowing the user to hear the overall content in a fast and compelling manner. Furthermore, the interface creates a powerful physical control of the virtual world, engaging the full attention of the user.The result is a complete immersive virtual reality navigational system that does not use intensive and sophisticated computer graphics, focusing more on the use of auditory and physical interfaces.The system was created as part of a larger project called MIT Treehouse Studio, an ongoing effort of the Physical Language Workshop group directed by Prof. John Maeda at the MIT Media Laboratory. http://plw.media.mit.edu/people/rocha/iadtss/.
Nanostructured ZnO: Building Blocks for Nanoscale Devices

ZnO is attracting intensive attention for its versatile applications in transparent electronics, UV emitter, piezoelectric devices, chemical sensor and spin electronics. As one of the direct wide band gap semiconductors, it has advantages over GaN due to its larger exciton binding energy, better lattice match on heteroepitaxial growth and availability of single crystal substrate. Large effort has been invested in the growth of nanostructured ZnO to explore its potentials for nanoscale device applications. ZnO nanobelts, nanowires, nanorings, and nanohelixes demonstrate the diversity of ZnO nanostructures family. This review presents recent research on ZnO nanostructures. Issues of synthesis methods, optical, electrical, gas sensing and magnetic properties are summarized. These progresses constitute the basis for developing future applications in nanoscale electronics, optoelectronics, chemical sensor and spintronics.
Met-enkephalin immunoreactivity in the basal ganglia in symptomatic and asymptomatic MPTP-exposed monkeys : correlation with degree of parkinsonian symptoms

Abstract The immunohistochemical localization of Met-enkephalin (Enk) was examined in the brains of normal monkeys ( Macaca nemistrina ), monkeys made parkinsonian by systemic MPTP administration and sacrificed while symptomatic, and monkeys exposed to low doses of MPTP over several months and sacrificed while asymptomatic for a gross parkinsonian motor disorder. The animals that had severe parkinsonian features had a large number of intensely Enk-immunoreactive perikarya in the putamen. Normal control animals had no Enk-immunoreactive perikarya while asymptomatic animals had small numbers of lightly to moderately stained perikarya in the putamen. Symptomatic animals also showed the most intense Enk immunoreactivity in the lateral globus pallidus (LGP) while the asymptomatic animals showed LGP Enk immunoreactivity intermediate between that seen in symptomatic and normal animals. These results suggest an increase in putamen Enk synthesis and LGP Enk content in animals with massive striatal dopamine depletions (⩾ 97%) and which actively show parkinsonian features. Animals with slightly less striatal dopamine depletion and with no parkinsonian symptoms, had increased activity in this system but not to the extent seen in symptomatic animals.
A comparison of observed and modeled surface waves in southern Lake Michigan and the implications for models of sediment resuspension

[1] Subsurface pressure sensors were used to make measurements of surface waves during 18 deployments in southern Lake Michigan between 1998 and 2000. Most of the observations were made during the unstratified period (November–May) in water depths between 10 and 55 m. The observations (as well as those obtained from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoy 45007, which is located in the middle of the southern basin of the lake) were compared to the results obtained from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)-Donelan wave model implemented on a 2-km grid. The results show that the wave model does a good job of calculating the wave heights, but consistently underestimates the wave periods. In over 80% of the cases the bottom stresses calculated from both the observations and the wave model results agree as to whether or not resuspension occurs, but over 70% of this agreement is for cases when resuspension does not occur; both stresses predict resuspension about 6% of the time. Since the bottom stresses calculated from the model results are usually lower than those calculated from the observations, resuspension estimates based on the wave model parameters are also lower than those calculated from the observed waves.
System theoretic challenges and research opportunities in military C3 systems

The purpose of this paper is to discuss, in an informal way, some of the challenging research opportunities that arise in the analysis and synthesis of Command, Control, and Communications (C3) systems. It is concluded that significant advances in the theory of distributed decision theory under dynamic uncertainty are necessary to properly understand and synthesize complex military C3 systems, and to advance the state-of-the-art.
Results of Cryotherapy for Eyelid Malignancies

A total of 164 nodular and infiltrative eyelid basal cell carcinomas were treated with liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy and followed up for a minimum of five years. For lesions less than 10 mm in diameter, nodular basal cell carcinomas had a 97% cure rate with cryotherapy and infiltrative basal cell carcinomas had a 94% cure rate. However, nodular of infiltrative basal cell carcinoma lesions larger than 10 mm in diameter had 85% and 82% cure rates with cryotherapy, respectively. After a minimum four-year follow-up period, 25 recurrent basal cell carcinomas previously treated by various methods had a 93% cure rate when re-treated with cryotherapy. Data for other malignant eyelid lesions treated with cryotherapy were insufficient for statistical analysis.
Phase estimation using the bispectrum and its application to image restoration

We propose algorithms for estimating the phase of a deterministic signal using its bispectrum. The bispectrum of a signal is the (discrete) Fourier transform of its triple correlation. While second-order statistics (e.g., correlation function, power spectrum, etc.) do not provide any information about the phase of the signal, third-order statistics (e.g., triple correlation, bispectrum, etc.) allow the recovery of the phase of the signal. We showthatthe applicability oftwo commonly used algorithms for phase estimation using the bispectrum is restricted to signals with simple phase characteristics. We propose algorithms for estimating the phase of arbitrary signals such as images, by taking into account the ambiguity due to the use of the principal value of the phase component. The resulting estimated phase is incorporated into a restoration filter. Image lines and images are used in our experiments to test the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Possibilities and pitfalls in quantifying the extent of cysteine sulfenic acid modification of specific proteins within complex biofluids

Cysteine sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH) plays important roles in the redox regulation of numerous proteins. As a relatively unstable posttranslational protein modification it is difficult to quantify the degree to which any particular protein is modified by Cys-SOH within a complex biological environment. The goal of these studies was to move a step beyond detection and into the relative quantification of Cys-SOH within specific proteins found in a complex biological setting--namely, human plasma. This report describes the possibilities and limitations of performing such analyses based on the use of thionitrobenzoic acid and dimedone-based probes which are commonly employed to trap Cys-SOH. Results obtained by electrospray ionization-based mass spectrometric immunoassay reveal the optimal type of probe for such analyses as well as the reproducible relative quantification of Cys-SOH within albumin and transthyretin extracted from human plasma--the latter as a protein previously unknown to be modified by Cys-SOH. The relative quantification of Cys-SOH within specific proteins in a complex biological setting can be accomplished, but several analytical precautions related to trapping, detecting, and quantifying Cys-SOH must be taken into account prior to pursuing its study in such matrices.