cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of potassium concentration on Ca45 uptake in frog sartorius muscle.

Radiocalcium uptake by frog sartorius muscle is increased as the potassium concentration of the bathing Ringer is increased from 1.6 mM to 32.0 mM; at higher concentrations of K+ no further increase in radiocalcium uptake occurs. Substitution of the chloride of Ringer solution by nitrate increases the amount of radiocalcium uptake at potassium concentrations between 1.6 and 32.0 mM but not at higher concentrations. The nitrate anion enhances both the maximum tension and the area of the contracture curves that occur between 16 and 80 mM K+. Comparison of paired muscle preparations in nitrate Ringer at 32 mM K+ and 80 mM K+ shows no difference in total radiocalcium uptake and no difference in the area under the contracture curves. When a three minute prequilibration period in Ca45 is omitted, the radiocalcium uptake by the sartorius muscle in 80 mM K+, Ca45 Ringer nitrate is reduced by 50% as compared to its mated muscle soaked in 32 mM K+, Ca45 Ringer nitrate. Within the limitations of the experimental techniques employed, it appears that calcium uptake is more prolonged at lower levels of potassium (32.0 mM) but the total amount taken up is the same as at higher levels of potassium (80 mM).
Cardiac fibrosis and arrhythmogenesis: The road to repair is paved with perils

In the healthy heart, cardiac myocytes form an electrical syncytium embedded in a supportive fibroblast-rich extracellular matrix designed to optimize the electromechanical coupling for maximal contractile efficiency of the heart. In the injured heart, however, fibroblasts are activated and differentiate into myofibroblasts that proliferate and generate fibrosis as a component of the wound-healing response. This review discusses how fibroblasts and fibrosis, while essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the heart wall after injury, have undesirable electrophysiological effects by disrupting the normal electrical connectivity of cardiac tissue to increase the vulnerability to arrhythmias. We emphasize the dual contribution of fibrosis in altering source-sink relationships to create a vulnerable substrate while simultaneously facilitating the emergence of triggers such as afterdepolarization-induced premature ventricular complexes-both factors combining synergistically to promote initiation of reentry. We also discuss the potential role of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in directly altering myocyte electrophysiology in a pro-arrhythmic fashion. Insight into these processes may open up novel therapeutic strategies for preventing and treating arrhythmias in the setting of heart disease as well as avoiding potential arrhythmogenic consequences of cell-based cardiac regeneration therapy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Myocyte-Fibroblast Signaling in Myocardium."
The concentration susceptibility in He3He4 mixtures near the superfluid transition

Abstract We report direct measurements of the concentration susceptibility in He 3 He 4 mixtures by observing the gravity-induced concentration change δ X 3 over a height of 2 mm in the mixture. The predicted peak at the superfluid transition is observed for the investigated mixtures, 0.60 ≲ X 3 ≲ 0.67.
The Circulatory Response to the Valsalva Maneuver of Patients with Mitral Stenosis with and without Autonomic Blockade

Patients with clinically significant mitral stenosis have been demonstrated to differ from other subjects in their circulatory responses to the Valsalva maneuver. During forced expiration most patients with mitral stencsis are able to maintain systolic pressure in the brachial artery at a level equal to or greater than the resting value, whereas most control subjects cannot. Autonomic blockade does not affect the ability of patients with mitral stenosis to maintain systolic pressure, whereas it abolishes such ability, when it is present, in control subjects. The unique response of patients with mitral stenosis under autonomic blockade is attributed to the physiologic consequences of the volume of blood in the dilated left atrium.
Channel Selection and Feature Extraction of ECoG-Based Brain-Computer Interface Using Band Power

Electrocorticography (ECoG) signals have been proved to be associated with different types of motor imagery and have used in brain-computer interface (BCI) research. This paper studies the channel selection and feature extraction using band powers (BP) for a typical ECoG-based BCI system. The subject images movement of left finger or tongue. Firstly, BP features were used for channel selection, and 11 channels which had distinctive features were selected from 64 channels. Then, the features of ECoG signals were extracted using BP, and the dimension of feature vector was reduced with principal components analysis (PCA). Finally, Fisher linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used for classification. The results of the experiment showed that this algorithm has got good classification accuracy for the test data set.
Individual, social and environmental correlates of physical activity in overweight and obese African American and Hispanic women: A structural equation model analysis.

Abstract Objective Ecologic frameworks account for multilevel factors related to physical activity (PA) and may be used to develop effective interventions for women. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of individual, social and environmental factors on PA among African American and Hispanic women using structural equation modeling. Methods Overweight and obese women ( N = 164, 65.9% African American) completed a 7-day accelerometer protocol, a physical assessment, and questionnaires on body image, self-efficacy, motivational readiness, social support, home environment for physical activity and perceived environment. Trained assessors evaluated each participant's neighborhood and collected objective measures of physical activity resources and the pedestrian environment. Assessments were completed between 2006 and 2008. Results Structural model fit was acceptable (RMSEA = .030). Body composition and image was negatively associated with PA, and motivational readiness had an indirect effect on PA through body composition and image. PA resources and the pedestrian environment operated through the perceived environment to positively influence neighborhood cohesion, which was positively associated with body composition and image. Conclusion PA is more heavily influenced by intrapersonal factors related to weight. Improving intrapersonal factors related to weight and perceptions of the environment may lead to increased PA in African American and Hispanic women.
The Civic Duty to Report Crime and Corruption

Is the civic duty to report crime and corruption a genuine moral duty? After clarifying the nature of the duty, I consider a couple of negative answers to the question, and turn to an attractive and commonly held view, according to which this civic duty is a genuine moral duty. On this view, crime and corruption threaten political stability, and citizens have a moral duty to report crime and corruption to the government in order to help the government’s law enforcement efforts. The resulting duty is triply general in that it applies to everyone, everywhere, and covers all criminal and corrupt activity. In this paper, I challenge the general scope of this argument. I argue that that the civic duty to report crime and corruption to the authorities is much narrower than the government claims and people might think, for it only arises when the state (i) condemns genuine wrongdoing and serious ethical offenses as “crime” and “corruption,” and (ii) constitutes a dependable “disclosure recipient,” showing the will and power to hold wrongdoers accountable. I further defend a robust duty to directly report to the public—one that is weightier and wider than people usually assume. When condition (ii) fails to obtain, I submit, citizens are released of the duty to report crime and corruption to the authorities, but are bound to report to the public, even when the denunciation targets the government and is risky or illegal.
Endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactive factor (DLIF) serum concentrations are decreased in manic bipolar patients compared to normal controls.

Background: A decrease in sodium pump activity in erythrocytes has been associated with manic episodes of bipolar illness relative to euthymic moods. Since red blood cells are long-lived and lack a nucleus, it is likely that a plasma factor is responsible for the observed decrease in sodium pump activity. Methods: Utilizing a radioimmunoassay, we examined the serum concentrations of the digoxin-like immunoreactive factor (DLIF) in ill and well bipolar patients and compared the values to those of normal controls. Results: DLIF was significantly decreased in manic individuals as compared to normal controls (143.6±S.E.M. 20.94 vs 296.6±12.76 pg digoxin equivalents/ml, respectively, F=4.77, P<0.05), but not compared to euthymic bipolar subjects 213.8±86.92, P=0.77). There were no significant differences in DLIF concentrations between manic and euthymic bipolar individuals (P=0.8). Since relapse in bipolar patients appears to display a seasonal pattern, we also measured the plasma concentration of this factor over a 12-months period. Normal controls exhibited a seasonal pattern of change in serum DLIF concentrations with a nadir in the winter months. Plasma concentrations of DLIF in bipolar patients did not show a seasonal pattern and maintained low levels throughout the year. Limitations: Due to the nonspecificity of our antibody, we could measure only total DLIF. Furthermore, it is unclear what the role of circulating DLIF, if any, may be on brain function. Conclusion: DLIF may be involved in the pathophysiology of mania.
Stability analysis of fluidized beds

Abstract A theory is proposed for the modelling of fluidized beds based on ideas in mixture theory. The analysis is strictly limited to purely mechanical (isothermal) systems in which no chemical reaction or interconversion of mass takes place between the constituents. The mixture is considered to be made up of saturated granular materials infused with a linearly viscous fluid. The governing equations of motion and the equations describing the linearized stability of the state of uniform fluidization are derived.
Flexural properties of native and tissue-engineered human septal cartilage.

ObjectiveTo determine and compare the bending moduli of native and engineered human septal cartilage.Study DesignProspective, basic science.SettingResearch laboratory.Subjects and MethodsNeocartilage constructs were fabricated from expanded human septal chondrocytes cultured in differentiation medium for 10 weeks. Constructs (n = 10) and native septal cartilage (n = 5) were tested in a 3-point bending apparatus, and the bending moduli were calculated using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory.ResultsAll samples were tested successfully and returned to their initial shape after unloading. The bending modulus of engineered constructs (0.32 ± 0.25 MPa, mean ± SD) was 16% of that of native septal cartilage (1.97 ± 1.25 MPa).ConclusionHuman septal constructs, fabricated from cultured human septal chondrocytes, are more compliant in bending than native human septal tissue. The bending modulus of engineered septal cartilage can be measured, and this modulus provides a useful measure of construct rigidity while undergoing...
Morphological Alterations in Euglena gracilis Induced by Treatment with CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide) and Triton X‐100: Correlations with Effects on Photophobic Behavioral Responses*

SYNOPSIS. Treatment of Euglena gracilis with the cationic detergent CTAB at concentrations of 0.05 mM or higher selectively inhibited the ability of the cells to respond with flagellar reorientation to a sudden decrease of light intensity (step-down photophobic response). The ability to respond similarly to an increase in light intensity (step-up photophobic response) was unaffected even at detergent concentrations at which the step-down response was completely inhibited. Electron microscopy of cells treated with 1.0 mM CTAB revealed selective destruction of the membrane of the reservoir and flagellum. No selective effects upon the step-down or step-up photophobic responses were found upon treatment of the cells with Triton X-100.
Effects of chronic naloxone treatment on brain-stimulation reward

Rats were tested on a rate-free psychophysical procedure in order to determine the absolute reinforcement thresholds for self-stimulation behavior. The administration of naloxone (16 mg/kg) for five days failed to alter the reinforcement thresholds on this procedure. To the extent that naloxone is an effective antagonist of endogenous opioids, we conclude that central endorphin systems are not necessary to support self-stimulation behavior.
Biliary hyperkinesia: A potentially surgically correctable disorder in adolescents

Biliary colic, which is characterized by intermittent, usually postprandial, right upper quadrant pain, is a common complaint in the pediatric population and usually prompts further evaluation with an abdominal ultrasound. Those patients without evidence of cholelithiasis are sometimes referred for a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan with cholecystokinin stimulation (CCK-HIDA) to assess gallbladder function. When the gallbladder empties poorly, the diagnosis of biliary dyskinesia, defined as a gallbladder ejection fraction less than 35%, is made, and cholecystectomy can be considered. There is a subset of symptomatic patients, however, who have an abnormally high ejection fraction, defined as greater than 65%. The approach to the treatment of these patients with biliary hyperkinesia is still undetermined, as there is little in the literature regarding this entity. With IRB approval (protocol #1307002185), we report our series of three adolescent females found to have biliary hyperkinesia whose symptoms immediately resolved following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Roles of Nuclear Factor κB in Neuronal Survival and Plasticity

The transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is moving to the forefront of the fields of apoptosis and neuronal plasticity because of recent findings showing that activation of NF-kappaB prevents neuronal apoptosis in various cell culture and in vivo models and because NF-kappaB is activated in association with synaptic plasticity. Activation of NF-kappaB was first shown to mediate antiapoptotic actions of tumor necrosis factor in cultured neurons and was subsequently shown to prevent death of various nonneuronal cells. NF-kappaB is activated by several cytokines and neurotrophic factors and in response to various cell stressors. Oxidative stress and elevation of intracellular calcium levels are particularly important inducers of NF-kappaB activation. Activation of NF-kappaB can interrupt apoptotic biochemical cascades at relatively early steps, before mitochondrial dysfunction and oxyradical production. Gene targets for NF-kappaB that may mediate its antiapoptotic actions include the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase, members of the inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins, and the calcium-binding protein calbindin D28k. NF-kappaB is activated by synaptic activity and may play important roles in the process of learning and memory. The available data identify NF-kappaB as an important regulator of evolutionarily conserved biochemical and molecular cascades designed to prevent cell death and promote neuronal plasticity. Because NF-kappaB may play roles in a range of neurological disorders that involve neuronal degeneration and/or perturbed synaptic function, pharmacological and genetic manipulations of NF-kappaB signaling are being developed that may prove valuable in treating disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.
Differentiation of Placental Trophoblast Giant Cells Requires Downregulation of p53 and Rb

Trophoblast giant cells in the rodent placenta form the outermost layer of the extraembryonic compartment, establish direct contact with maternal cells, and produce a number of pregnancy-specific cytokine hormones. Giant cells differentiate from proliferative trophoblasts as they exit the cell cycle and enter a genome-amplifying endocycle, a process we show involves decreased expression of the G1 checkpoint proteins p53 and Rb. Although p53 mRNA levels are unchanged in proliferative compared to differentiated trophoblasts, p53 protein levels are markedly reduced in giant cells. Forced expression of wild type p53 in trophoblasts inhibits differentiation, and expression of a dominant negative p53 peptide stimulates differentiation. Consistent with the loss of p53 protein, differentiated trophoblasts become resistant to apoptosis-inducing agents. Decreased expression of Rb is also detected during differentiation, and overexpression of Rb in trophoblasts inhibits giant cell differentiation. Although an increase in E2F activity would be expected with the loss of Rb, what is observed is an overall decrease in E2F DNA-binding complexes, a shift to new complexes, and a decrease in E2F-dependent gene expression in differentiating trophoblasts. Overall, these results indicate that the combination of a decrease in p53 and Rb represents a functionally important part of the transition of trophoblasts from a proliferative cell cycle to an endocycle in the giant cell differentiation programme.
Shoulder injuries in young athletes

With increasing levels of competition at earlier ages, young athletes are becoming more susceptible to shoulder injuries. Overuse injuries in throwers are common conditions seen in pediatric and adolescent athletes. Little League shoulder and superior labial injuries are common due to the repetitive and high rotational forces placed on the shoulder during the throwing motion. Shoulder instability as a result of traumatic events occurring in collision sports is another frequent reason for young athletes to present to a sports medicine clinic. Although no operative treatment is often the first-line treatment for most of these injuries, shoulder surgery is becoming increasingly warranted in these young patients. Advanced cross-sectional imaging is important in guiding treatment for many of these injuries.
Convective Instability of a Mushy Layer - I: Uniform Permeability

Mushy layers arise and are significant in a number of geophysical contexts, including freezing of sea ice, solidification of magma chambers and inner-core solidification. A mushy layer is a region of solid and liquid in phase equilibrium which commonly forms between the liquid and solid regions of a solidifying system composed of two or more constituents. We consider the convective instability of a plane mushy layer which advances steadily upwards as heat is withdrawn at a uniform rate from the bottom of a eutectic binary alloy. The solid which forms is assumed to be composed entirely of the denser constituent, making the residual liquid within the mush compositionally buoyant and thus prone to convective motion. In this article we focus on the large-scale mush mode of instability, arguing that the 'boundary-layer' mode is not amenable to the standard stability analysis, because convective motions occur on that scale for any non-zero value of the Rayleigh number. We quantify the minimum critical Rayleigh ...
Radical Rudeness: Ugandan Social Critiques in the 1940s

This article asks how the people of colonial Uganda, especially the kingdom of Buganda, understood themselves in the 1940s not just as imperial subjects, but as citizens capable of mobilizing for change. To understand activism and agency in such a context, I explore how power in the protectorate was encoded in manners, politeness, and conventional rituals of sociability—built from complementary Ganda and British expectations—that could be disrupted by activists using tactics of rudeness. Activists lacked a clear issue-based politics, or the resources to engage in active state-building. Instead, they performed a rude, publicly celebrated strategy of insults, scandal mongering, disruption, and disorderliness that broke conventions of colonial friendship, partnership, and mutual benefit. They sought to delineate and make public the real clashes of interest both among Baganda, and between Baganda and Britons, as a way of opening up to public scrutiny the covert practices of negotiation that had produced land deals, cotton policy, bureaucratic appointments, and power within the kingdom and protectorate. By juxtaposing cultural analysis and political history, and using concepts, such as rudeness or manners, that are rooted in local practices, we can gain insights into big historical concepts such as popular activism and nationalist mobilization.
Scaffolding proteins mediating membrane-initiated extra-nuclear actions of estrogen receptor

Estrogen mediates biological effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, and homeostasis through estrogen receptor (ER). In addition to functioning as a ligand-activated nuclear transcription factor to directly regulate gene transcription, ER also mediates rapid activation of signaling pathways independent of its transcriptional activity. A subpopulation of ER localized to the cell membrane or cytoplasm has been proposed to mediate ER activation of signaling pathways. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of mechanisms responsible for ER cytoplasm/membrane localization, where rapid extra-nuclear signaling is initiated. These mechanisms include lipid modification of the receptor (palmitoylation) and interactions with membrane and cytoplasmic adaptor proteins including caveolins, striatin, p130Cas, Shc, HPIP, MTA-1s, and MNAR/PELP1. While it is clear that ER mediates rapid extra-nuclear signaling resulting in activation of signaling pathways such as Src/MAPK and PI-3 kinase/Akt, how ER extra-nuclear signaling influences overall ER/estrogen physiology is still not well understood. Future studies defining physiological roles of ER extra-nuclear actions and crosstalk with its nuclear counterparts will be important to our overall understanding of estrogen and ER biological functions.
Association of heparin-dependent antibodies and adverse outcomes in hemodialysis patients: A population-based study

OBJECTIVE To determine whether some adverse outcomes of hemodialysis could be explained by subclinical heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). PATIENTS AND METHODS Platelet factor 4 (PF4)-heparin antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a population-based cohort of hemodialysis patients. Participants were then followed up prospectively for thromboembolic events, cardiovascular events, or death. RESULTS Of the 59 hemodialysis patients residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 57 (97%) agreed to study participation. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 64±17 years (median hemodialysis duration, 23 months), and 27 (47%) were women. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive for PF4-heparin antibodies in 2 patients (3.5%). The PF4-heparin antibody content varied over a 10-fold range and was not associated with the duration of hemodialysis (P=.99). During a median follow-up of 798 days, 16 thrombotic events, 37 cardiovascular events, and 23 deaths (including 13 cardiovascular deaths) occurred. After adjusting for the Framingham risk score, the all-cause mortality rate was significantly higher for patients with the highest tertile of PF4-heparin antibody content compared with patients in the lower tertiles (hazard ratio, 2.47; P=.03). Furthermore, 8 (73%) of deaths in this tertile were due to cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 4.14; P=.02). CONCLUSIONS Despite repetitive heparin exposure, the prevalence of HIT in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis is no greater than that anticipated for other patient populations. However, to our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between elevated PF4-heparin antibodies and increased mortality rates in hemodialysis patients.
Exercise pulmonary hypertension in primary mitral regurgitation: what does it predict?

Identifying the optimal time for mitral valve surgery in the setting of severe mitral regurgitation (MR) remains an ongoing challenge due to continually improving surgical options and outcomes. Hence, the threshold for surgical intervention has been reduced in successive iterations of the valve disease guidelines of the American and European cardiology communities.1 ,2 Nevertheless, timing of surgical intervention in primary MR remains arbitrary, as patients can remain apparently asymptomatic for prolonged periods and are understandably reluctant to undergo a potentially hazardous procedure without objective evidence of definitive benefit. This is compounded by the diverse variation in outcomes of morbidity, mortality, size of incision and likelihood of repair at different centres. Hence, in the asymptomatic patient, objective evidence of impaired exercise capacity or other pathophysiological surrogates may be valuable in optimising the timing of surgery. Exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) has been widely used for this purpose to assess symptoms and exercise capacity, determine MR severity with exercise, examine LV contractile reserve and establish peak exercise pulmonary pressure.3 These variables have been used to predict the need for surgical intervention based upon the likelihood of adverse outcomes. Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is seen in a minority of patients with severe primary MR at rest. It is usually associated with more severe MR and with higher surgical morbidity, although it typically improves and may even normalise after successful mitral valve surgery. The mechanism of PHT relates to high left atrial (LA) pressure from the regurgitant mitral jet, though individual factors related to the pulmonary vasculature may also be important.4 The significance of exercise PHT in primary MR is somewhat more controversial. Prior to the 2014 revision of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines in valve …
The Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) of America North of Mexico

The five species of Cybocephalidae in America north of Mexico are revised. Included are redescriptions of Cybocephalus californicus Horn, Cybocephalus nigritulus LeConte, and Cybocephalus nipponicus Endrody-Younga and descriptions of two new species, Cybocephalus kathrynae and Cybocephalus randalli. A key to species, illustrations of morphological features, including detailed drawings of male genitalia, distribution data, and host lists are provided. The confusion involving Cybocephalus nipponicus and Cybocephalus binotatus Grouvelle is discussed and the differences between them are made evident.
Corporate board attributes, team effectiveness and financial performance

Researchers have recently begun to integrate the literatures on corporate boards and team effectiveness in an effort to better understand how boards function and impact company performance. This study identifies five attributes of high-performing teams – knowledge, information, power, incentives and opportunity/time – and argues that these attributes will promote board effectiveness, which in turn influence corporate financial performance. These relationships are investigated using combined survey and archival sources of data for 210 Fortune 1000 companies. Findings indicate that most team effectiveness attributes are associated with higher levels of board effectiveness as rated by the board directors, and that board effectiveness is significantly related to corporate financial performance.
Depending on the Kindness of Strangers: Current National Data Initiatives and Developmental Research

This article provides a brief review of current large-scale, longitudinal data collection initiatives focusing on children. These studies will be available for secondary data analyses in the twenty-first century. In addition to child outcome data, process-oriented information is being collected on child-parent interactions, quality of child care, elementary school teacher reports and classroom observations, accessibility and use of health, educational and social services, parental mental health, family violence, fathering, parental residence patterns, income and income sources, child support, employment patterns, and community characteristics. Several of these studies are randomized trials of the efficacy of early childhood intervention services and housing mobility programs. The usefulness of these efforts for exploring policy-relevant issues (child support enforcement, work requirements for welfare recipients, antipoverty strategies, housing subsidies and relocation, availability of child care, child-care subsidies) are discussed.
Integrated quantum-well-laser transmitter compatible with ion-implanted GaAs integrated circuits

The fabrication of an integrated optoelectronic transmitter consisting of an MOCVD-grown quantum-well laser and ion-implanted metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) is described. The transmitter is characterised by a laser threshold current of 30 mA, differential quantum efficiency of 50%, MESFET transconductance of 60 mS/mm, and operation at frequencies up to 2 GHz.
The Faint-End Slopes of Galaxy Luminosity Functions in the COSMOS Field*

We examine the faint-end slope of the rest-frame V-band luminosity function (LF), with respect to galaxy spectral type,of fieldgalaxieswithredshiftz < 0:5,usingasampleof80,820galaxieswithphotometricredshiftsinthe2deg 2 Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. For all galaxy spectral types combined, the LF slope ranges from � 1.24 to � 1.12,fromthelowestredshiftbintothehighest.Inthelowestredshiftbin(0:02 < z < 0:1),wherethemagnitude limit isMV P � 13, the slope ranges from � �� 1:1 forgalaxies with early-type spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to � �� 1:9 forgalaxies with low-extinction starburst SEDs. In each galaxy SED category (early-type, Sbc, Scd+Irr, and starburst), the faint-end slopes grow shallower with increasing redshift; in the highest redshift bin (0:4 < z < 0:5),
The Exit Place of Brownian Motion in an Unbounded Domain

For Brownian motion in an unbounded domain we study the influence of the "far away" behavior of the domain on the probability that the modulus of the Brownian motion is large when it exits the domain. Roughly speaking, if the domain expands at a sublinear rate, then the chance of a large exit place decays in a subexponential fashion. The decay rate can be explicitly given in terms of the sublinear expansion rate. Our results encompass and extend some known special cases.
Perceptions of Long-Term Care, Autonomy, and Dignity, by Residents, Family and Care-Givers: The Houston Experience

Houston, Texas, is a major U.S. city with, like many, a growing aging population. The purpose of this study and ultimate book chapter is to explore the views and perceptions of long-term care (LTC) residents, family members and health care providers. Individuals primarily in independent living and group residential settings were interviewed and studied. Questions emphasized the concepts of personal autonomy, dignity, quality and location of care and decision making. Although a small sample of participants were involved, consistency was noted. Keeping the elderly in caring and loving home situations (theirs or family) was most preferred. Personal choice and independence were emphasized by residents, but family members needed to act as advocates. We also noted that the legal system emphasizes family control over individual decision making as competency declines with aging. Optimal personal decision making in the residents' best interest also became more difficult with loss of individual mental capacity.
Fault tolerant EHA architectures

Fault-tolerant electrohydrostatic actuator (EHA) architectures have been defined and evaluated for future military aircraft applications. The fault tolerances of these EHA architectures have been measured in terms of mission success probability and safety reliability. The functional level failure modes of an EHA and its interfacing equipment are used to analyze the required levels of redundancy and fault coverage for satisfying MIL-F-9490 probability of loss of control (PLOC), MIL-F-9490 probability of mission abort (PMA), and MIL-STD 882B fail-operational/fail-operational redundancy requirements. The study is concluded by estimating and comparing fault tolerance, performance, and weight of candidate EHA architectures. The results are summarized in a comparison matrix which may be used to select a preferred architecture for a given application. >
Complementation of Saccharomycescerevisiae Strains Containing Fatty Acid Activation Gene (FAA) Deletions with a Mammalian Acyl-CoA Synthetase

Abstract Four unlinked fatty acid activation (FAA) genes encoding acyl-CoA synthetases have been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and characterized by noting the phenotypes of isogenic strains containing all possible combinations of faa null alleles. None of these genes is required for vegetative growth when acyl-CoA production by the fatty acid synthetase (Fas) complex is active. When Fas is inhibited by cerulenin, exponentially growing cells are not viable on media containing a fermentable carbon source unless supplemented with fatty acids such as myristate, palmitate, or oleate. The functionally interchangeable FAA1 and FAA4 genes are responsible for activation of these imported fatty acids. Analysis of lysates prepared from isogenic FAA1FAA4 and faa1Δfaa4Δ strains indicated that Faa1p and Faa4p together account for 99% of total cellular myristoyl-CoA and palmitoyl-CoA synthetase activities. Genetic complementation studies revealed that rat liver acyl-CoA synthetase (RLACS) rescues the viability of faa1Δfaa4Δ cells in media containing a fermentable carbon source, myristate or palmitate, plus cerulenin. Rescue is greater at 37°C compared with 24°C, paralleling the temperature-dependent changes in RLACS activity in vitro as well as the enzyme's ability to direct incorporation of tritiated myristate and palmitate into cellular phospholipids in vivo. Complementation by RLACS is blocked by treatment of cells with triacsin C (1-hydroxy-3-(E, E, E,2′,4′,7′-undecatrienylidine)triazene). Even though Faa1p, Faa4p, and RLACS are all able to activate imported myristate and palmitate in S. cerevisiae, the sensitivity of Faa4p and RLACS, but not Faa1p, to inhibition by triacsin C suggests that the rat liver enzyme is functionally more analogous to Faa4p than to Faa1p. Finally, an assessment of myristate and palmitate import into FAA1FAA4 and faa1Δfaa4Δ strains, with or without episomes that direct overexpression of Faa1p, Faa4p or RLACS, indicated that fatty acid uptake is not coupled to activation in S. cerevisiae.
Effect of exogenous acid on the rat gastric mucosal microcirculation in hemorrhagic shock

In vivo microscopy and histology were used to study the effect of exogenous acid (0.1 N HCl) on the rat corpus mucosal microcirculation and bleeding in hemorrhagic shock. Systemic blood pressure was reduced stepwise by bleeding. Mucosal blood flow showed a significant linear correlation with mean systemic blood pressure. The flow stopped in half of the rats at 25% of control blood pressure, but red blood cells were always present within the microvessels. In contrast, the topical application of 0.1 N HCl accelerated the decrease of blood flow with graded hypotension and caused progressive disappearance of the honeycomblike network of red blood cell-filled superficial mucosal microvessels. After retransfusion, mucosal bleeding occurred in the area in which the blood-filled microvessels had disappeared. Histology revealed that the bleeding extended from the middle of the depth of the mucosa and was associated with tissue necrosis. These results indicate that exogenous acid in hemorrhagic shock causes increased mucosal ischemia and tissue damage with bleeding on retransfusion.
Using Mediation To Defuse Potential Title VII Situations

This paper will provide an introduction to the use of mediation techniques used to defuse possible Title VII situations. The authors feel that many Title VII situations can be effectively handled through the use of properly conducted mediation. As a learning tool, students in the classroom have been given the chance to assume the role of plaintiff, defendant, lawyer and mediator. This gives the student an important insight to the situations they may be required to deal with during their careers. This paper will address several scenarios in which mediation has been undertaken, and the authors will analyze the correct methods that could have been used, as well as areas that were effectively managed. As a reference, video clips of actual mediation cases will be used to set up scenario discussions. These video clips are taken from several classroom situations that students have performed as course requirements.
The Ontogenesis of the Field of Second Language Learning Research

The question of how a second language is acquired has occupied the interest of scholars for millennia. Nevertheless, it seems fair to say that throughout most of history, the question of second language learning has been inextricably bound up with that of second language teaching. Indeed, until very recently, second language learning as an intellectual discipline barely existed: even the principal theoretical proposals addressing the acquisition of a second language have typically been embedded in works whose main goal is wholly practical, namely, how most effectively to teach that language.
Beyond Regulation A Cooperative Approach to High-Frequency Trading and Financial Market Monitoring

Some people are concerned that existing market structure regulation and liquidity incentives have skewed financial markets in favor of algorithmic and high-frequency trading (HFT). This type of market activity involves the use of computer programs to automatically trade securities in financial markets. This is a problem, critics say, because it creates unfair informational asymmetries between different types of market participants and because it increases the risk of a “flash crash” — a sudden market downturn driven by computer-automated trading.According to these critics, additional regulation should be introduced to level the playing field. However, this approach neglects to recognize that problems with market fragmentation, price synchronization, information dissemination, and market technology long predate the advent of HFT. In fact, these problems have persisted for at least 40 years — despite repeated good-faith efforts to find regulatory solutions. What’s more, there is evidence to suggest that HFT has led to increased liquidity, lower spreads and transaction costs, more efficient price discovery, and wider participation in financial markets.That still leaves legitimate concerns about how to ensure market integrity and avoid flash crashes. Yet, further regulation may be counterproductive, since it risks creating an adversarial environment that gives market participants an incentive to hide errors associated with HFT. Instead, a cooperative solution should be pursued: firms could confidentially report human/automation interface errors to a neutral third party, which would anonymize, aggregate, and analyze such incidents in order to identify patterns that could help prevent a major market-disrupting event.A successful model for such an approach already exists in the airline industry, where NASA’s Aviation Reporting System gathers and publishes data on human and technology errors — including those caused by automation — with the aim of preventing catastrophes and educating flight crews.
Effect of Light on the Behavior of the Alfalfa Weevil, Hypera postica

Adults of the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), under controlled conditions were subjected to various durations and intensities of artificial light. The results show that the majority of the weevils were sensitive to light intensity as low as 4 foot-candles. The reaction of the weevils to light could be modified, since starved weevils were much less sensitive to light than normal ones. The study revealed that the diel periodicity exhibited by the adults in the field is of the exogenous type.
Current practices and guidelines for clinical next-generation sequencing oncology testing

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been rapidly integrated into molecular pathology, dramatically increasing the breadth genomic of information available to oncologists and their patients. This review will explore the ways in which this new technology is currently applied to bolster care for patients with solid tumors and hematological malignancies, focusing on practices and guidelines for assessing the technical validity and clinical utility of DNA variants identified during clinical NGS oncology testing.
Narrowband Interference Reconstruction and Mitigation Based on Compressive Sensing

In this paper,a novel approach of narrowband interference( NBI) reconstruction for time-domain synchronous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing( TDS-OFDM) systems is proposed. Exploiting the difference measuring of the adjacent frame heads of TDS-OFDM,the NBI can be accurately recovered and cancelled with high spectrum-efficiency without relying on channel estimation,which improves the robustness of transmission systems.
On Foreign Study in Fuzziness of Translation Criteria

Translation criteria are used to measure the quality of translation.This paper analyses some translation criteria put forward by some foreign scholars.Although they hold different ideas about translation criteria,their nature is fuzzy.It is very important to recognize the fuzziness of translation criteria for enriching translation theories and instructing translation practice.
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting as Substantive and Symbolic Behavior: A Multilevel Theoretical Analysis

This article describes a multilevel theoretical framework that examines the multiple causes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in the social environment of business. We argue that substantive and/or symbolic reporting flows from individual-, aggregate-, organizational-, and institution-level phenomena, and is thus a complex outcome of CSR and corporate social performance (CSP). Theoretical lenses range from reinforcement theory at the microlevel to legitimacy and stakeholder theories at the macrolevel, and include a discussion of the emergence of lower-level CSR-relevant characteristics to higher level constructs. Our goal is to clarify how this behavior develops from microlevel, mesolevel, and macrolevel processes with a view toward assisting corporations to better enact CSR reporting, and their stakeholders to effectively promote substantive reporting behavior.
Significance of hematuria after trauma

There were 142 consecutive patients with post-traumatic hematuria evaluated prospectively during a 7-month period. Of these 142 cases 22 involved penetrating injuries and 120 were secondary to blunt trauma. There were 19 patients with 24 demonstrable genitourinary injuries at urologic injury. Only 8 of the 142 patients required an operation for the urologic injuries. The degree of hematuria did not correlate with the severity of injury. Liberal use of arteriography and renal scanning is proposed to delineate precisely the urologic injury.
How Pretrial Expectations and Anticipated Obstacles Impact University Brand Identification

ABSTRACTDespite the growing interest in brand identification as a mechanism of soliciting organizational citizenship behaviors, little is known about the role of expectations and anticipated obstacles as antecedents of the construct. To address this gap, this study examines antecedents of brand identification including academic and social expectations as well as academic, financial, and personal obstacles in first-time incoming first-year college students. Results align with the theoretical underpinnings of brand identification, namely social identity theory, by showing that social expectations explain far more variance in brand identification than the other antecedents in the model. The resulting insights provide guidance to administrators on the pretrial consumer perceptions of students that correlate with brand identification.
Identifying economic ramifications resulting from accepting equity vs. requiring traditional licensing payment methods

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze the economic ramifications resulting from research universities' acceptance of equity positions in spin-off companies as an alternative to traditional forms of licensing payments. The study was conducted using the most recent three years (i.e., 2011, 2012, and 2013) of the Licensing Activity Survey conducted by the Association of University Technology Managers. Universities that had accepted equity in start-up companies had statistically significantly higher licensing revenue, in all three years, than universities that did not accept equity positions in start-up ventures. However, higher total licensing revenue earned by universities could be attributed to increases in running royalty revenues received in each of those same years. Revenues from cashed-in equity positions fell precipitously in years 2011, 2012, and 2013. Universities may continue to take equity positions in start-up, joint venture companies despite decreasing revenues from cashed-in equity positions because the potential exists to create (a) a positive impact on regional economies, (b) new jobs for the schools' graduates and, (c) windfall profits for equity holders if the companies' technologies or inventions become commercially successful.
Optoelectronic generation and detection of 80 Gbit/s pulse train

A novel technique for time-division-multiplexing of femtosecond laser pulses has been developed. Optical pulse trains of up to 80 Gbit/s were produced and used to trigger picosecond photoconductive switches incorporated in a coplanar waveguide transmission line. Electrical pulses at ultrahigh repetition rates were generated and detected with the correlation sampling technique. Propagation characteristics of the signal along the waveguide were studied. >
Rapid Quantification of Mitogen-induced Blastogenesis in T Lymphocytes for Identifying Immunomodulatory Drugs

Lymphocyte proliferation in response to antigenic or mitogenic stimulation is a readily quantifiable phenomenon useful for testing immunomodulatory (i.e., immunosuppressive or immunostimulatory) chemical compounds and biologics. One of the earliest steps during mitogenesis is cell enlargement or blastogenic transformation, whereupon the cell volume increases before division. It is usually detectable in the first several hours of T-lymphocyte stimulation. Here, we describe a rapid method to quantify blastogenesis in T lymphocytes isolated from mouse spleens and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using an automated cell counter. Various commonly used proliferation assays for the most part are laborious and only reflect the overall population effect rather than individual cellular effects within a population. In contrast, the presented automated cell counter assay provides rapid, direct, and precise measurements of cell diameters that can be used for assessing the effectiveness of various mitogens and immunomodulatory drugs in vitro.