cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Permeability properties of the intact mammalian bladder epithelium

Because the mammalian bladder must store urine of composition which differs markedly from that of plasma for prolonged periods, the bladder permeability barrier must maintain extremely low permeabilities to substances which normally cross membranes relatively rapidly, such as water, protons, and small nonelectrolytes like urea and ammonia. In the present studies, permeabilities of the apical membrane of dissected rabbit bladder epithelium to water, urea, ammonia, and protons were measured in Ussing chambers and averaged (in cm/s) for water, 5.15 +/- 0.43 x 10(-5); for urea, 4.51 +/- 0.67 x 10(-6); for ammonia, 5.14 +/- 0.62 x 10(-4); and for protons, 2.98 +/- 1.87 x 10(-3), respectively. These permeability values are exceptionally low and are expected to result in minimal to no leakage of these normally permeable substances across the epithelium. Water permeabilities in intact whole rabbit bladders were indistinguishable from those obtained in the dissected epithelial preparation. Moreover, addition of nystatin to the apical solution of dissected epithelia rapidly increased water permeability in conjunction with loss of epithelial resistance. These results confirm that the apical membrane of the bladder epithelial cells represents the bladder permeability barrier. In addition, they establish a model system that will permit examination of how membrane structure reduces permeability and how epithelial injury compromises barrier function.
A Circulating Humoral Pressor Agent in Dahl S Rats with Salt Hypertension

1. In Dahl S rats becoming hypertensive while on a diet of high NaCl content there appears to be a blood-borne humoral agent which produces vasoconstriction in a bioassay using the isolated hindquarters of rats. 2. This vasoconstrictor effect strongly suggests the presence of a humoral pressor agent or the lack of a vasodilator agent in the blood of hypertensive S rats. 3. The vasoconstrictor effect is not due to high renin concentrations. 4. This humoral vasoconstrictor action could partly account for the high vascular resistance in the hypertensive S rat.
Simulation of micro-seismicity in response to injection/production in large-scale fracture networks using the fast multipole displacement discontinuity method (FMDDM)

Abstract Analysis of fluid flow, permeability, and micro-seismicity in large fracture networks are essential for economical production from engineered geothermal and petroleum reservoirs. In this work, the fluid pressure change, as a result of injection and production inside a stochastic, deformable, non-propagating fracture network is modeled using the fast multipole displacement discontinuity method combined with the finite difference method. The former is employed to simulate the response of the fracture network to changes in the pressure due to fluid injection. In addition to pressure changes inside the fracture network, changes in fracture status with respect to normal (“joint” versus hydraulic fracture) and shear (stick versus slip) deformation, dilation, and friction coefficient are considered. Rate-and-state friction model and the Mohr-Coulomb criterion are used to model slip and potential micro-earthquakes and their seismic moments. Simulation results show that increase in pressure inside a fracture network leads to permanent slip and nucleation of micro-earthquakes which are mostly influenced by the orientation of the fractures and the magnitude of fluid pressure and the injection rate. Injecting the same volume of water over a longer time period decreases the number and magnitude of seismic events.
Comparison of Tl-201 SPECT and CT scans in evaluation of brain tumors after therapy

We have carried out a prospective study of 34 patients with malignant brain tumors to determine if Tl-201 SPECT can distinguish radiation necrosis from recurrent or residual brain tumor more accurately than CT.
Hydraulic regulation of brain parenchymal volume.

AbstractA mechanism for the hydraulic regulation of brain parenchymal volume is hypothesized. Ventricular fluid pressure is transmitted to parenchymal capillaries and affects the pressure difference across the capillary wallthereby influencing the rate of movement of fluid from the capillary lumen to interstitial fluid. The tendency for brain parenchyma to expand results from the resistance encountered by interstitial fluid as it slowly passes through the complex interstices of extracellular space. The tendency for the brain parenchyma to become smaller resultsnot . from compression of tissue by ventricular fluid, but from an inherent elasticity of brain tissue. The parenchymal volume is stable only when the opposing tendencies are balanced. The critical site of action for the hydraulic control of parenchymal volume is the capillary walland the fundamental relationship governing this can be expressed mathematically.
Metal transport, subcellular localization, and tissue distribution of Zip8, a Zip14 homologue

We have previously demonstrated that Zip14, a member of the ZIP family of metal-ion transport proteins, can transport zinc and iron into cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate metal...
Agents and Agency in Branching Space-Times

Branching time puts an indeterminist causal structure on instantaneous but world-wide “super-events” called moments. This theory has “action at a distance” as an inevitable presupposition. In contrast, branching space-times puts an indeterminist causal order on tiny little point events. The benefit of branching space-times theory is that it can represent local indeterminist events with only local outcomes. The “seeing to it that” or “stit” theory of agency developed in Belnap, Perloff and Xu, 2001 employs branching time as a substructure, and thus has the following shortcoming: It is inevitably committed to an account of action-outcomes that makes them instantaneously world-wide. This essay asks how the stit theory of agency can be adapted to branching space-times in such a way that action-outcomes are local.
Computer Simulation as a Means of Physiological Integration of Biochemical Systems

Traditionally biochemistry has been concerned with analyzing the components of living systems, and has paid less attention to how they interact. While the information available about individual entities such as proteins and nucleic acids is now immense and still growing rapidly, the task of determining how they interact to form a living system is now only beginning, especially with respect to quantitative behavior. In reviewing a recent book, Dr. J. S. King (1975), the editor of Clinical Chemistry has written “biochemistry was mainly a reductionist science; only lately has it become possible to fit together facts and observations into what is beginning to be a coherent -- and thus more interesting -- whole”.
Enumerating Top-k Quasi-Cliques

Quasi-cliques are dense incomplete subgraphs of a graph that generalize the notion of cliques. Enumerating quasi-cliques from a graph is a robust way to detect densely connected subgraphs, with applications to bio-informatics and social network analysis. However, enumerating quasi-cliques from a graph is a challenging problem, even harder than the problem of enumerating cliques. We consider enumerating top-k degree-based quasi-cliques: (1) We show that even the task of detecting if a given degree-based quasi-clique is maximal (i.e. not contained within another quasi-clique) is NP-hard (2) We present a novel heuristic algorithm KERNELQC to enumerate the k largest quasi-cliques in a graph. Our method is based on identifying kernels of extremely dense subgraphs within a graph, following by growing subgraphs around these kernels, to arrive at quasi-cliques that satisfy required thresholds on degree (3) Experimental results show that our algorithm is accurate, often more than three orders of magnitude faster than the prior state-of-the-art methods, and scales to larger graphs than current methods.
Territory, enclosure, and state territorial mode of production in the Russian imperial periphery

Abstract. After the imperial land consolidation acts of 1906, the Russian land commune became a center of territorial struggle where complex alliances of actors, strategies, and representations of territory enacted land enclosure beyond the exclusive control of the state. Using original documentation of Russian imperial land deals obtained in the federal and municipal archives, this study explores how the Russian imperial state and territories in the periphery were dialectically co-produced not only through institutional manipulations, educational programs, and resettlement plans but also through political and public discourses. This paper examines how coalitions of landed nobility and land surveyors, landless serfs, and peasant proprietors used enclosure as conduits for property violence, accumulation of capital, or, in contrast, as a means of territorial autonomy. Through this example, I bring a territorial dimension into Russian agrarian scholarship by positioning the rural politics of the late imperial period within the global context of capitalist land enclosure. At the same time, by focusing on the reading of territory from the Russian historical perspective, I introduce complexity into the modern territory discourse often found in Western political geographic interpretations.
The natural history of type B aortic dissection in patients with PRKG1 mutation c.530G>A (p.Arg177Gln)

Abstract Objective The c.530G>A (p.Arg177Gln) mutation in PRKG1 has been shown to be associated with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. This rare mutation accounts for an estimated 1% of nonsyndromic heritable thoracic aortic disease. We sought to describe the clinical presentation of type B aortic dissection (TBAD), management, and outcomes in patients with this mutation. Methods This is a descriptive multi-institutional retrospective study of patients from six families with the PRKG1 mutation. Patients with TBAD were selected for analysis. Demographics, family histories, TBAD management, and outcomes were reviewed. Results Of the 29 individuals diagnosed with the PRKG1 mutation, 12 (41.3%) had TBAD (50% male, TBAD median age: 31 years [range, 16-58 years], median follow-up: 6 years [range, 3-15 years] after TBAD). All had a family history of aortic dissections and none had features of Marfan syndrome. The median size of the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) at TBAD was 4.1 cm (range, 3.8-5 cm). Most cases (9 acute TBAD, 1 incidental TBAD diagnosis during screening) were managed medically. One case had open DTA repair the acute phase. Repair for dissection-related aneurysmal degeneration was performed in seven cases (58.3%) in the chronic phase at a median of 2 years (range, 1-8 years) after TBAD. In four cases (33.3%), the DTA remained stable in size over a range of 1 to 7 years after TBAD. Type A aortic dissection subsequent to TBAD occurred in three cases (25%). There were four (33.3%) deaths in the series, all aortic related at a median age of 24 years (range, 19-43 years). Conclusions The PRKG1 (p.Arg177Gln) mutation although rare is associated with nonsyndromic TBAD in young and middle-aged patients. Workup for this gene mutation should be included as part of the workup for TBAD etiology in relatively young patients and those with familial history of aortic dissections. Once diagnosed, testing of first-degree family members is warranted. In all individuals with a PRKG1 mutation, close follow-up for aortic root dilatation and hypertension control is essential to reduce the risk of type A or type B aortic dissection, and in cases of TBAD, to decrease the risk of dissection-related aneurysmal degeneration.
Direct and indirect influences of warming on leaf endophytic fungi: A physiological and compositional approach

Abstract Endophytic fungi inhabit the leaf tissues of all living plants where they can buffer or exacerbate plant responses to climate change. Because many of these fungi have only recently been discovered and sequenced, the independent and interactive responses of plants and their fungal symbionts to a warming climate is an area of active research. Here we describe a conceptual framework linking the range of phenotypic plasticity and rates of shifts in community composition of each symbiont (plants and fungal leaf endophytes) to overall changes in abundance of each organism in a 26-year-long warming experiment in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In this system, leaf endophytic fungi exhibit large plasticity in growth rates in response to experimental warming in the laboratory, but no shifts in composition after 26 years of warming in the field. Instead, fungal composition in the field changed in response to plant species composition. In contrast, the C3 grasses examined in this study shifted in composition in response to field warming within 4 years. In addition, the abundance of individual fungi was much more variable among field temperatures than that of plants. Overall, we find support that fungi are potentially more phenotypically plastic in response to warming whereas plants are more likely to shift composition.
Positive curvature and symmetry in small dimensions

Extending existing work in small dimensions, Dessai computed the Euler characteristic, signature, and elliptic genus for 8-manifolds of positive sectional curvature in the presence of torus symmetr...
Formulation of Dronedarone Hydrochloride-Loaded Proliposomes: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation Using Caco-2 and Rat Model

The objective of the present study was to develop a proliposomal formulation to increase the oral bioavailability of dronedarone hydrochloride (dronedarone HCl) by enhancing solubility, dissolution, and/or intestinal absorption. Proliposomes were prepared by using solvent evaporation method. In this process, different ratios of drug, phospholipids, such as soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC), Phospholipon 90H, hydrogenated egg phosphatidylcholine (HEPC), and dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG), and cholesterol were used. Physical characterization and in vitro dissolution studies were evaluated for the prepared formulations. In vitro transport across the membrane was carried out using Caco-2 cells. Among all the formulations, the amount of drug released in dissolution was higher with DPF8 formulation (drug:DMPG Na:cholesterol:::1:2:0.2) compared to the pure drug. Also, Caco-2 cell permeability studies resulted in 2.6-fold increase in apparent permeability. Optimized formulation was evaluated in vivo in male Sprague-Dawley rats. After single oral administration of optimized formulation (DPF8), a relative bioavailability of 148.36% was achieved compared to the pure drug. Improved oral bioavailability of dronedarone could be provided by an optimized proliposomal formulation with enhanced solubility, permeability, and oral absorption.
In search of pathogenic amyloid β-peptide in familial Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is pathologically and clinically similar to the more common late-onset sporadic form of the disease. The study of rare genetic mutations that cause FAD should provide insight into the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. FAD mutations have only been found in the substrate (amyloid precursor protein, APP) and protease (γ-secretase) that produces the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). The secreted, aggregation-prone 42-residue Aβ peptide (Aβ42) has long been considered the pathogenic entity in Alzheimer's disease. However, recent understanding of the complexity of the processing of APP by γ-secretase and the effects of FAD mutations on this processing suggest other forms of Aβ as potentially pathogenic.
Topology optimization with accessibility constraint for multi-axis machining

Abstract In this paper, we present a topology optimization (TO) framework to enable automated design of mechanical components while ensuring the result can be manufactured using multi-axis machining. Although TO improves the part’s performance, the as-designed model is often geometrically too complex to be machined and the as-manufactured model can significantly vary due to machining constraints that are not accounted for during TO. In other words, many of the optimized design features cannot be accessed by a machine tool without colliding with the part (or fixtures). The subsequent post-processing to make the part machinable with the given setup requires trial-and-error without guarantees on preserving the optimized performance. Our proposed approach is based on the well-established accessibility analysis formulation using convolutions in configuration space that is extensively used in spatial planning and robotics. We define an inaccessibility measure field (IMF) over the design domain to identify non-manufacturable features and quantify their contribution to non-manufacturability. The IMF is used to penalize the sensitivity field of performance objectives and constraints to prevent formation of inaccessible regions. Unlike existing discrete formulations, our IMF provides a continuous spatial field that is desirable for TO convergence. Our approach applies to arbitrary geometric complexity of the part, tools, and fixtures, and is highly parallelizable on multi-core architecture. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework on benchmark and realistic examples in 2D and 3D. We also show that it is possible to directly construct manufacturing plans for the optimized designs based on the accessibility information.
A hemipteran insect reveals new genetic mechanisms and evolutionary insights into tracheal system development.

The diversity in the organization of the tracheal system is one of the drivers of insect evolutionary success; however, the genetic mechanisms responsible are yet to be elucidated. Here, we highlight the advantages of utilizing hemimetabolous insects, such as the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, in which the final adult tracheal patterning can be directly inferred by examining its blueprint in embryos. By reporting the expression patterns, functions, and Hox gene regulation of trachealess (trh), ventral veinless (vvl), and cut (ct), key genes involved in tracheal development, this study provides important insights. First, Hox genes function as activators, modifiers, and suppressors of trh expression, which in turn results in a difference between the thoracic and abdominal tracheal organization. Second, spiracle morphogenesis requires the input of both trh and ct, where ct is positively regulated by trh As Hox genes regulate trh, we can now mechanistically explain the previous observations of their effects on spiracle formation. Third, the default state of vvl expression in the thorax, in the absence of Hox gene expression, features three lateral cell clusters connected to ducts. Fourth, the exocrine scent glands express vvl and are regulated by Hox genes. These results extend previous findings [Sanchez-Higueras et al., 2014], suggesting that the exocrine glands, similar to the endocrine, develop from the same primordia that give rise to the trachea. The presence of such versatile primordia in the miracrustacean ancestor could account for the similar gene networks found in the glandular and respiratory organs of both insects and crustaceans.
Preparing the Next Generation of Educators for Active Learning

Graduate students across the United States are currently playing an important role in the education of students, as they often teach laboratories, recitations, and discussion sections. It is important to provide professional development for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), not only because this will have a positive impact on students now but also because it can have an impact on the students of tomorrow. This chapter summarizes the relevant literature on faculty adoption of active learning strategies, as it is relevant to TA training, as well as the literature on effective TA programs. It then provides an example of a TA program at a specific institution and discusses the evaluation of the program, in particular, as it pertains to the instructional practices of the GTAs.
Research progress of pertussis treatment

Macrolides are the first selective drugs for pertussis.If it is not taken in the early phase (catarrhal stage), antibiotic treatment could only eliminate the respiratory pathogens, and then reduce the possibility of transmi-ssion while it would not improve the clinical presentation of the patients.In recent years, some studies have suggested that Bordetella pertussis was usually resistant to macrolides in China and it might have effect on antibiotic treatment.The effects of other measures in symptomatic treatment to pertussis are uncertainty. Key words: Pertussis; Treatment; Child
The development and reliability of a national survey of police officers regarding the enforceability of cell phone use while driving laws.

Abstract Even though numerous types of cellphone use while driving (CPWD) laws have been passed in the United States, it does not appear that these laws are heavily enforced by police. Two studies conducted among officers from West Virginia and Washington states found that numerous barriers to CPWD enforcement exist. However, no studies have investigated whether barriers to enforcement exist for officers nationally. The purpose of this study was to design a national survey of police regarding the enforcement of CPWD laws and to assess the survey's reliability. The survey was designed based on the existing literature, cognitive tested, and assessed for face validity among experts. Officers were recruited via convenience sampling to assess the survey for test-retest correlation, test-retest agreement, and internal consistency reliability using standardized Cronbach's α and weighted Kappa statistics. Among participants, the test-retest correlations for most sections of the survey showed acceptable correlation (Cronbach α's > 0.7) (N = 6). For test-retest agreement, the median Kappa equaled 0.77 (N = 6). As for internal consistency reliability, responses thought to be associated showed acceptable correlation with Cronbach α ranging from 0.41 to 0.94 (N = 353). Despite the limited number of officers that participated in test-retest correlation and agreement, the survey appeared quite reliable.
Indoor air quality and energy management in buildings using combined moving horizon estimation and model predictive control

Abstract We present a novel approach for energy-optimal control of indoor air quality in the presence of system-model mismatch. We develop a physics-based building model that predicts concentrations of indoor pollutants (ozone, formaldehyde, and particulate matter) as a function of time-varying outdoor concentrations and instantaneous indoor emissions. We use a combined moving horizon estimation (MHE) and model predictive control (MPC) approach for simultaneous control of indoor air pollutants and energy consumption related to a dedicated ventilation system (DVS). The impact of model inaccuracies on MPC performance is addressed by combining the MPC with an MHE to predict the model parameters at each time instant based on a series of past measurements. The control performance of the proposed framework is shown through a case study, that also considers the impact of location and seasonality.
Visual selection and response selection without effector selection in tasks with circular arrays.

Charles Eriksen and colleagues conducted influential visual-search experiments with circular arrays for which the responses were either vocal naming or unimanual left–right switch movements. These methods have the advantages of the stimuli being equidistant from a centered fixation point and allowing study of visual selection and response selection when effector selection is not required, as in the more typical case in which responses are key presses of distinct fingers. Other researchers have used similar spatial arrangements, but with aimed movements of the limb or of a mouse-controlled cursor to study effects of stimulus identification, visual search, spatial stimulus–response compatibility, response–effect compatibility, and practice/transfer in isolation and jointly. We systematically review studies in these areas that include visual selection and response selection and execution, and examine implications of their results for the role of effector selection. Also, we illustrate that as one moves from simpler to more complex tasks, the results are consistent with a basic information-processing framework in which stimulus identification and selection of a target response location are distinct from selecting, planning, and moving an effector to the targeted location.
Exploring the feasibility of collecting multimodal multiperson assessment data via distance in families affected by fragile X syndrome.

IntroductionTelehealth is an important tool in helping to provide services for hard-to-reach populations. One population that might benefit from telehealth are individuals with fragile X syndrome (...
An Integrated Centrifugal Degassed PDMS-Based Microfluidic Device for Serial Dilution

We propose an integrated serial dilution generator utilizing centrifugal force with a degassed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic device. Using gas-soluble PDMS as a centrifugal microfluidic device material, the sample can be dragged in any arbitrary direction using vacuum-driven force, as opposed to in a single direction, without adding further actuation components. The vacuum-driven force allows the device to avoid the formation of air bubbles and exhibit high tolerance in the surface condition. The device was then used for sample metering and sample transferring. In addition, centrifugal force was used for sample loading and sample mixing. In this study, a series of ten-fold serial dilutions ranging from 100 to 10−4 with about 8 μL in each chamber was achieved, while the serial dilution ratio and chamber volume could easily be altered by changing the geometrical designs of the device. As a proof of concept of our hybrid approach with the centrifugal and vacuum-driven forces, ten-fold serial dilutions of a cDNA (complementary DNA) sample were prepared using the device. Then, the diluted samples were collected by fine needles and subject to a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and the results were found to be in good agreement with those for samples prepared by manual pipetting.
High-resolution asymmetric structure of a Fab–virus complex reveals overlap with the receptor binding site

Canine parvovirus is an important pathogen causing severe diseases in dogs, including acute hemorrhagic enteritis, myocarditis, and cerebellar disease. Overlap on the surface of parvovirus capsids between the antigenic epitope and the receptor binding site has contributed to cross-species transmission, giving rise to closely related variants. It has been shown that Mab 14 strongly binds and neutralizes canine but not feline parvovirus, suggesting this antigenic site also controls species-specific receptor binding. To visualize the conformational epitope at high resolution, we solved the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the Fab-virus complex. We also created custom software, Icosahedral Subparticle Extraction and Correlated Classification, to solve a Fab-virus complex with only a few Fab bound per capsid and visualize local structures of the Fab-bound and -unbound antigenic sites extracted from the same complex map. Our results identified the antigenic epitope that had significant overlap with the receptor binding site, and the structures revealed that binding of Fab induced conformational changes to the virus. We were also able to assign the order and position of attached Fabs to allow assessment of complementarity between the Fabs bound to different positions. This approach therefore provides a method for using cryo-EM to investigate complementarity of antibody binding.
Cultivating discerning citizens

"Are vaccines safe for my baby?" wonders a new mother. After reading a few articles online that seem authoritative, she steps away from the computer and decides that there is not enough evidence to answer her question definitively. This scenario appears in the first of many vignettes in Science Denial that educational psychologists Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer use to confront a worrisome problem that extends beyond ideological science denial itself: the denial of science to those who seek credible information and who are often in great need of it.
Catalytic atroposelective dynamic kinetic resolutions and kinetic resolutions towards 3-arylquinolines via SNAr

Herein we report the catalytic atroposelective syntheses of pharmaceutically relevant 3-arylquinolines via the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) of thiophenols into 3-aryl-2-fluoroquinolines mediated by catalytic amounts of Cinchona alkaloid-derived ureas. These reactions displayed a spectrum of dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) and kinetic resolution (KR) characters depending upon the stereochemical stability of the starting material. Low barrier substrates proceeded via DKR while higher barrier substrates proceeded via KR. On the other hand, substrates with intermediate stabilities displayed hallmarks of both DKR and KR. Finally, we also show that we can functionalize the atropisomerically enriched quinolines into pharmaceutically privileged scaffolds with minimal observed racemization.
Fluorescence Studies of Very Short-Lived Excited States of Aromatic Molecules

When a molecule absorbs light, a chain of events is set in motion the outcome of which may have considerable importance in nature, such as in photosynthesis or the visual process, and in modern technology in such diverse areas as photocatalysis and information processing and storage. A detailed knowledge of the fundamental processes in a molecule following excitation by light also leads to valuable information about molecular structural fluctuations as well as the interactions between a molecule and its immediate environment. One of the most basic issues of interest at present is to achieve a fundamental understanding of of internal energy transfer within a molecule, a sequence of processes spanning roughly seven decades of time in the sub- microsecond region. At the focus of this is the region below 100 ps, where intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution and electronic energy transfer within a given spin manifold take place.
On the probable origin of the unilocular ovary of the Compositæ from the Stylidiaceæ

It is suggested that the unilocular ovary of the Compositae may have originated as a result of the gradual suppression or incomplete development of the septum separating the two locules in the ovary of the Stylidiaceae. It is also possible that the unilocular condition of the Compositae may have been derived as a result of abortion of one of the locules, for, this tendency is already evident in certain species ofStylidium likeS. adnatum.
Framing "The Liar"

In Notes on Novelists, Henry James discusses, from a critic's point of view, the merits of using a central intelligence, "a large, lucid reflector," who can lift the narrative "out of the sphere of anecdote and place it in the sphere of drama." Such a dramatized center of consciousness is Oliver Lyon, the narrator of the story 'The Liar," whose "highest sensibility, highest capacity and most admirably agitated mind" (406) recommended him as the reflector of the story. However, since Lyon's consciousness is seriously flawed, the direction of the narrative is in every respect also determined by James's effort to realize for the reader that apart from the story of Colonel Capadose which Lyon is telling there is also Lyon's own story, from which the reader must infer the truth about the narrator/hero by penetrating his own beclouded vision and confused viewpoint. For Lyon is basically a self-deceived and distorting reflector whose consciousness controls the narrative perspective, enlarges the narrator's role, and reconstructs his personal character and identity until he overshadows the original subject, Colonel Capadose.
Modelisation numerique dE la separation centribuge d'un melange

Le code SEPSOM etudie la separation centrifuge d'un melange liquide vapeur dans un tuyau a l'aval d'une helice. On emploie un modele a 2 fluides. Les champs de pression, vitesseset concentration sont calcules pas a pas de l'amont vers l'aval. La methode de resolution des equations est une adaptation de l'algorithme IPSA de D.B. Spalding. La divergence a fort couplage entre phases est evitee grâce a l'algorithme d'elimination partielle du meme auteur.
Global Capital Markets: Integration, Crisis, and Growth

This book presents an economic survey of international capital mobility from the late nineteenth century to the present. The authors examine the theory and empirical evidence surrounding the fall and rise of integration in the world market. A discussion of institutional developments focuses on capital controls and the pursuit of macroeconomic policy objectives in shifting monetary regimes. The Great Depression emerges as the key turning point in recent history of international capital markets, and offers important insights for contemporary policy debates. Its principal legacy is that the return to a world of global capital is marked by great unevenness in outcomes regarding both risks and rewards of capital market integration. More than in the past, foreign investment flows largely from rich countries to other rich countries. Yet most financial crises afflict developing countries, with costs for everyone.
Associations of Computed Tomography-Based Trunk Muscle Size and Density With Balance and Falls in Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Deficits in balance and muscle function are important risk factors for falls in older adults. Aging is associated with significant declines in muscle size and density, but associations of trunk muscle size and density with balance and falls in older adults have not been previously examined. METHODS: Trunk muscle size (cross-sectional area) and attenuation (a measure of tissue density) were measured in computed tomography scans (at the L2 lumbar level) in a cohort of older adults (mean ± SD age of 81.9±6.4) residing in independent living communities. Outcome measures were postural sway measured during quiet standing and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at baseline, and falls reported by participants for up to 3 years after baseline measurements. RESULTS: Higher muscle density was associated with reduced postural sway, particularly sway velocities, in both men and women, and better Short Physical Performance Battery score in women, but was not associated with falls. Larger muscle size was associated with increased postural sway in men and women and with increased likelihood of falling in men. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that balance depends more on muscle quality than on the size of the muscle. The unexpected finding that larger muscle size was associated with increased postural sway and increased fall risk requires further investigation, but highlights the importance of factors besides muscle size in muscle function in older adults. Language: en
Current antiarrhythmic drugs: an overview of mechanisms of action and potential clinical utility.

Reorientation in drug therapy to control cardiac arrhythmias continues to evolve in the wake of ongoing refinements in techniques and indications for radiofrequency ablation and the use of implantable devices for atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. The role of sodium channel blockers continues to be questioned, and data from clinical trials indicate that the use of this class of drugs should be limited to control symptoms in patients who have arrhythmias and either no or minimal heart disease. The decline in the use of sodium channel blockers has led to greater use of beta blockers and complex Class III agents, such as sotalol and amiodarone, as both primary therapy and adjunctive therapy with implantable defibrillators in patients with cardiac disease of varying degrees of ventricular dysfunction. Success with these Class III agents in the context of their side effects has led to the synthesis and characterization of compounds with simpler ion channel-blocking properties. The need for such compounds stemmed from the observation that atrial fibrillation (AF) as an arrhythmia is, for the most part, still not amenable to curative therapy by interventional procedures. The isolated block of the rapid component of the delayed rectifier current (IKr) has been found to have either a neutral (e.g., dofetilide) or deleterious (e.g., d-sotalol) effect on mortality in survivors of myocardial infarction. Thus, the objective of drug development should be the appropriate match between the substrate and an antiarrhythmic drug. The so-called pure Class III agents have been shown to have beneficial antifibrillatory effects in patients with AF. They are effective in inducing acute chemical conversion, preventing paroxysmal AF, and maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with persistent AF restored to sinus rhythm with DC cardioversion. AF is a complex arrhythmia, undoubtedly a result of multifaceted derangement of atrial ionic currents. Attention has therefore focused on newer compounds that have the propensity to block more than one ion channel. Examples of such agents are tedisamil and azimilide, the latter having been studied extensively in humans. It is the first of the Class III agents that block both components (IKr and IKs) of the delayed rectifier current, which results in a spectrum of electrophysiologic properties that includes lack of rate or use dependency in terms of effect on repolarization and refractoriness of atrial and ventricular myocardium. Available but unpublished clinical data indicate that azimilide may be effective over a wide range of tachycardia cycle lengths with a low incidence of torsades de pointes. In these respects, its properties, at least in terms of its use in AF, resemble those of amiodarone. However, the drug has little or no effect on AV conduction, which precludes the modulation of ventricular response in patients relapsing to AF.
ATTACHMENT SECURITY IN THREE-YEAR-OLDS WHO ENTERED SUBSTITUTE CARE IN INFANCY

This study assessed relations among number of out-of-home placement changes, time in caregivers' care, caregiver type (i.e., foster parent, adoptive parent, kinship relation, and biological parent), child gender, and caregiver-child emotional availability (EA) as predictive of child attachment security when children were 3 years old in a sample of 104 caregivers and children. Children entered court-ordered care by 6 months of age. On average, children at the age of 3 years spent 30 months with their caregivers, and nearly half of them were adopted by that time. Child attachment was assessed using the Attachment Q-Set (E.E. Waters & K. Deane, 1985), and caregiver-child EA was assessed using the Emotional Availability Scales, fourth edition (Z. Biringen, 2008). Sixty-six percent of children at age 3 years showed secure attachments with caregivers, and EA subscale scores also were relatively high on average. The study predictor variables of EA caregiver sensitivity, child responsiveness, and child involvement predicted attachment security, with girls more likely to be securely attached to their substitute caregivers at age 3 years than were boys. Study limitations and direction sf or future research are discussed. Abstracts translated in Spanish, French, German, and Japanese can be found on the abstract page of each article on Wiley Online Library at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imhj.
Intergenerational Education: Breaking the Downward Achievement Spiral of Teen Mothers

(1994). Intergenerational Education: Breaking the Downward Achievement Spiral of Teen Mothers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 143-145.
Value of condition monitoring for optimal replacement in the proportional hazards model with continuous degradation

This article investigats the value of perfect monitoring information for optimal replacement of deteriorating systems in the Proportional Hazards Model (PHM). A continuous-time Markov chain describes the condition of the system. Although the form of an optimal replacement policy for system under periodic monitoring in the PHM was developed previously, an approximation of the Markov process as constant within inspection intervals led to a counterintuitive result that less frequent monitoring could yield a replacement policy with lower average cost. This article explicitly accounts for possible state transitions between inspection epochs to remove the approximation and eliminate the cost anomaly. However, the mathematical evaluation becomes significantly more complicated. To overcome this difficulty, a new recursive procedure to obtain the parameters of the optimal replacement policy and the optimal average cost is presented. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the computational procedure and the ...
Designing an effective immunocontraceptive

Abstract The immunological inhibition of fertilization is the goal of gamete immunocontraception. To achieve this goal a gamete-specific antigen target must be defined and the presentation of the immunogen to the immune system must be clearly understood in order to elicit a defined immune response which will target the native gamete molecule. Almost 20 years ago C.B. Metz suggested six studies which would answer the questions necessary for the development of a successful immunocontraceptive, and although much work has gone into answering each of these questions, none has been completed. Hyaluronidase is an example of a well studied sperm antigen whose native, membrane bound form (PH-20) is a successful immunocontraceptive in female guinea pigs. However, it remains to be demonstrated that a successful native antigen can be a successful synthetic or recombinant gamete immunocontraceptive (GAMICON). The problem of converting a successful native contraceptive antigen into an effective synthetic or recombinant GAMICON is at the heart of the problem of GAMICON design. If the epitopes of native and synthetic immunogens are not the same, then can a conversion ever be made? One approach to understanding how to make this conversion is to use defined, synethetic B- T-cell epitopes as specific B-cell epitopes on native antigens affect fertility.
Principles of pleasure prediction: Specifying the neural dynamics of human reward learning

Accumulating evidence from nonhuman primates suggests that midbrain dopamine cells code reward prediction errors and that this signal subserves reward learning in dopamine-receiving brain structures. In this issue of Neuron, McClure et al. and O'Doherty et al. use event-related fMRI to provide some of the strongest evidence to date that the reward prediction error model of dopamine system activity applies equally well to human reward learning.
Is the amino acid but not the nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli araC gene conserved

The nucleotide sequence of the ara C regulatory gene from Escherichia coli K-12 was determined. Comparison with the ara C gene sequence from strain B/r reveals nine base-pair differences, two in the 163-base messenger leader region and seven in the translated region. All seven differences in the translated region are in the third, “wobble”, position of the codon and none results in an altered amino acid. This drift in nucleotide sequence, but conservation in amino acid sequence, suggests that few amino acid substitutions in ara C regulatory protein are tolerated on an evolutionary time-scale.
Positive perspectives on adolescent sexuality: Contributions of the national longitudinal study of adolescent health

In this article we examine the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (the Add Health Study) and its contributions to providing positive perspectives on adolescent sexuality. We focus on research that utilizes the Add Health Study data, with particular attention paid to ways that it can be further utilized to increase our understanding of positive sexuality development. We suggest avenues for future research that include experimentation with measurement strategies and additional investigation of adolescent romance. Such work could lead to the identification of characteristics and experiences that define sexually resilient adolescents.
A partial differential equation with infinitely many periodic orbits: Chaotic oscillations of a forced beam

This paper delineates a class of time-periodically perturved evolution equations in a Banach space whose associated Poincar´e map contains a Smale horseshoe. This implies that such systems possess periodic orbits with arbitrarily high period. The method uses techniques originally due to Melnikov and applies to systems of the form x˙ = f0(x) + "f1(x, t), where x˙ = f0(x) is Hamiltonian and has a homoclinic orbit. We give an example from structural mechanics: sinusoidally forced vibrations of a buckled beam.
Recognition of wives' emotional expressions: a mechanism in the relationship between psychopathology and intimate partner violence perpetration.

Among a community sample of 88 couples, husbands’ emotion recognition skills were examined as a mechanism accounting for the relationships between two dimensions of psychopathology that commonly describe violent husbands (i.e., borderline/dysphoric and psychopathic personality characteristics) and their perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). Husbands’ diminished sensitivity to their wives’ expressions of happiness partially mediated the relationship between their borderline/dysphoric characteristics and their IPV perpetration, supporting Dutton’s (1995) theory of IPV. These relationships were specific to expressions displayed by husbands’ wives (as opposed to unfamiliar men and women), demonstrating the significance of the intimate relationship. Partial support was found for Blair’s (1995) violence inhibition mechanism model, such that husbands’ IPV was associated with their diminished sensitivity to expressions of fear and their psychopathy was associated with misidentifying fearful expressions as neutral. However, the strength of husbands’ diminished sensitivity to fear as a mediator of the psychopathy–IPV relationship was suboptimal. Moreover, sensitivity to wives’ expressions of happiness also mediated the psychopathy–IPV relationship, potentially because of overlap in psychopathology constructs or inadequate examination of the temporal specificity of the two theories tested.
Spent Coffee Grounds as a Versatile Source of Green Energy

The production of energy from renewable and waste materials is an attractive alternative to the conventional agricultural feed stocks such as corn and soybean. This paper describes an approach to extract oil from spent coffee grounds and to further transesterify the processed oil to convert it into biodiesel. This process yields 10-15% oil depending on the coffee species (Arabica or Robusta). The biodiesel derived from the coffee grounds (100% conversion of oil to biodiesel) was found to be stable for more than 1 month under ambient conditions. It is projected that 340 million gallons of biodiesel can be produced from the waste coffee grounds around the world. The coffee grounds after oil extraction are ideal materials for garden fertilizer, feedstock for ethanol, and as fuel pellets.
On Becoming a Legislative Aide: Enhancing Civic Engagement Through a Digital Simulation

ABSTRACT Civics education in the United States often is designated as a low priority in the curriculum and is typically characterized by passive, rote learning that is centered around content and materials provided by textbook companies. Results from recent assessments of America's students suggest that the current generation possesses only a superficial knowledge of civics and is less engaged in traditional political activities. Some educators are looking beyond traditional methods of instruction and exploring how technology, computing, and gaming may be integrated with student learning, including service learning. This article describes the implementation of Legislative Aide software into high schools to support community-based research and service learning. Young people use this technological tool to role-play as aides to an imaginary local elected official in a virtual legislative office. The software guides the students in investigating real community problems and proposing real community action plan...