Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive speed of processing training delays driving cessation.

BACKGROUND As our population ages, interventions that can prolong safe driving for older adults will be increasingly important. METHODS Data from two studies were combined in order to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive training in delaying driving cessation. Stratified Cox hazard regressions were used to examine risk of driving cessation as a function of training participation, baseline driving, and visual acuity. RESULTS Older drivers with cognitive speed of processing difficulties who completed speed of processing training were 40% less likely to cease driving over the subsequent 3 years (hazard ratio = 0.596, 95% confidence interval 0.356-0.995, p = .048). Whereas 14% of older drivers who did not receive speed of processing training ceased driving, only 9% of those who completed eight or more sessions of speed of processing training ceased driving. CONCLUSION Speed of processing training may delay driving cessation among older drivers with speed of processing difficulty.
Prevalence of heavy smokers in the year 2000 in the province of Varese, Italy.

BACKGROUND Knowing the prevalence of heavy smokers (HS) by gender and age is a pre-requisite for bringing into effect public health measures against smoking-related diseases. Smoking prevalence data is available for the Italian Regions, however it is generally unknown for the Italian Provinces. METHODS In the year 2000 a survey of smoking prevalence was conducted by 47 general practitioners (GPs), by personal interview, in a large sample of the Varese Province population 45-74 years of age (28,034 subjects; 13,528 men, 14,506 women). Each surveyed subject was categorised either as ever HS (current/former smoker of at least 10 pack-years) or as non HS. The information on smoking habit collected by the GPs was anonymously pooled for analysis. Prevalence figures of smoking were tabulated by gender and by 5-year age-strata. RESULTS In the population 45-74 years of age the percentage of ever HS overall was 22.3% (34.4% of men; 11.0% of women). The prevalence of ever HS in both sexes combined progressively decreased with advancing age, from 23.6% (45-49 year stratum) to 19.5% (70-74 year stratum). Current HS were 24.5% of men and 9.5% of women. CONCLUSIONS The year 2000 survey on smoking habit, showing 22.3% prevalence of ever HS in age range 45-74 years, is the first conducted in the Varese Province using a large population sample. The data on heavy cigarette smoking presented in this paper, stratified by gender and age, may be used to monitor changes in the smoking habit and in the incidence of smoking-related illnesses at the provincial level.
Corporate reputation management in the US pharmaceutical industry

The reputations of firms may be linked to the degree to which they have formal reputation management programs. To examine that hypothesis the authors surveyed firms in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry where reputation is a highly visible challenge. We compared the reputation measurement and management efforts of the most admired firms with those of less admired firms. The data indicate a positive correlation in five areas – that is, between reputation and having an ongoing reputation measurement program; having an active reputation management program; having a formal reputation management plan; having an individual or unit charged with responsibility for coordinating / overseeing reputation management; and having the chief communication officer as a member of the company‘s executive committee.
Structure borne noise analysis for estimating fuel injection durations

Abstract Abstract A method for estimating the true injection duration of a fuel injection valve is proposed in this paper. In order to reduce the error in the injected fuel mass, the injection duration needs to be adapted during the engine operation. The structure borne noise caused by the injection process is used to obtain an estimate of the injection duration and thus the actual injected fuel mass. Based on parametric modeling techniques, a method using the standard knock sensor of a custom four cylinder gasoline direct injection engine is proposed for detecting the beginning and the end of injection. This method allows for an efficient and easy-to-implement detection strategy.
Third Party Logistics Services: A Comparison of Experienced American and European Manufacturers

Provides a comparison of third‐party logistics services utilization between large manufacturing firms in the USA and Western Europe. All these firms had been utilizing third‐party providers for at least three years, although many had been doing so for five years or longer. The group of Western European firms is more committed to outsourcing, as evidenced by the substantially greater percentage of their total corporate logistics budget allocated to third‐party firms. The strategic decision to utilize third‐party companies is more often made at the corporate level and includes input more frequently from other functional areas in Western European firms. However, many of the findings indicate that the issues faced by both groups of executives are very similar, such as their reservations to outsourcing and their experiences with implementation. Almost all the executives indicated that they are satisfied with the performance of third‐party providers, and would, at least moderately, increase their use of such firms.
Integration of human herpesvirus 6 in a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) genome has been found in several human lymphoid malignancies, but configuration of the HHV‐6 genome has not been well delineated. We established the HHV‐6‐positive, Epstein‐Barr virus‐negative Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Katata. In this study we investigated the status of the HHV‐6 genome in Katata cells. Neither linear nor circular HHV‐6 DNA was detected by Gardella gel analysis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization technique enabled us to directly visualize the integrated HHV‐6 DNA at the single‐cell level. Only one integrated site of viral DNA was detected in metaphase chromosomes and it was preferentially located at the long arm of chromosome 22 (22q13). Treatment of the cells with 12‐O‐tetradecanoyl‐phorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) or with calcium ionophore A23187 led to induction of the HHV‐6 immediate‐early gene as well as the late gene. Sodium n‐butyrate also gave rise to expression of the HHV‐6 genes. The TPA inducibility was synergistically enhanced when combined with A23187 or n‐butyrate. Our study provides, for the first time, an in vitro model system of latent HHV‐6 infection whose genome is integrated into host DNA of lymphoma cells.
Value of POSSUM physiology scoring to assess outcome after intra‐arterial thrombolysis for acute leg ischaemia (short note)

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Characterization of a member of the NnrR regulon in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.3 encoding a haem-copper protein.

Upstream of the nor and nnrR cluster in Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4. 3 is a previously uncharacterized gene that has been designated nnrS. nnrS is only expressed when 2.4. 3 is grown under denitrifying conditions. Expression of nnrS is dependent on the transcriptional regulator NnrR, which also regulates expression of genes required for the reduction of nitrite to nitrous oxide, including nirK and nor. Deletion analysis indicated the sequence 5'-TTGCG(N4)CACAA-3', which is similar to sequences found in nirK and nor, is required for nnrS expression. Mutation of this sequence to the consensus Fnr-binding sequence by changing two bases in each half site caused nnrS expression to become nitrate independent. Inactivation of nnrS did not affect nitric oxide metabolism, nor did it affect expression of any of the genes involved in nitric oxide metabolism. However, taxis towards nitrate and nitrite was affected by nnrS inactivation. Purification of a histidine-tagged NnrS demonstrated that NnrS is a haem- and copper-containing membrane protein. Genes encoding putative orthologues of NnrS are sometimes but not always found in bacteria encoding nitrite and/or nitric oxide reductase.
A precise optical determination of nanoscale diameters of semiconductor nanowires

Electrical and optical properties of semiconducting nanowires (NWs) strongly depend on their diameters. Therefore, a precise knowledge of their diameters is essential for any kind of device integration. Here, we present an optical method based on dark field optical microscopy to easily determine the diameters of individual NWs with an accuracy of a few nanometers and thus a relative error of less than 10%. The underlying physical principle of this method is that strong Mie resonances dominate the optical scattering spectra of most semiconducting NWs and can thus be exploited. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated using GaAs NWs but it should be applicable to most types of semiconducting NWs as well. Dark field optical microscopy shows that even slight tapering of the NWs, i.e. diameter variations of a few nanometers, can be detected by a visible color change. Abrupt diameter changes of a few nanometers, as they occur for example when growth conditions vary, can be determined as well. In addition a profound analysis of the elastic scattering properties of individual GaAs NWs is presented theoretically using Mie calculations as well as experimentally by dark field microscopy. This method has the advantage that no vacuum technique is needed, a fast and reliable analysis is possible based on cheap standard hardware.
The Importance of Call Delays and Cash Flow Positions in Evaluating the Information Content of Convertible Preferred Stock Calls

We examine a sample of in-the-money convertible preferred stock calls and find that they are delayed. We find that the length of the call delay does not depend on the relation between the preferred stock dividends and the pro rata common dividends to be paid on conversion. Thus, our evidence suggests that preferred stock calls may be used for signaling purposes. In support of this, we find that only delayed calls (i.e., those with potential signaling elements) are viewed negatively by equity investors. We also show that, in responding to delayed call announcements, investors appear to react to two distinct information elements. First, price responses to delayed calls are increasingly negative the larger the cash flow disadvantage to calling. In other words, common investors respond more negatively to calls when the forced conversion results in convertible holders receiving larger dividends than were previously required. Second, both cash flow advantage and cash flow disadvantage firms experience significant downward shifts in earnings growth during post-call periods, suggesting that delayed calls are timely signals of decreasing profitability.
Visually guided grasping in 3D

This paper addresses the problem of planning two fingered grasps of unmodelled 3D objects using visual information. A family of simultaneous, interacting contour trackers is used to pick the top object off a pile, viewed from a camera on the end of a robot arm. Then a closed contour localises the silhouette of the chosen object. Geometric information is obtained from the analysis of image motion as the robot executes deliberate world motions around its vantage point. This is used to guide the selection of new vantage points in search of a view that contains a more favourable grasp on the new rim (the surface curve that projects to the silhouette). In this way, costly global reconstruction of object surfaces is avoided and planning is coupled with sensing in an efficient manner. <<ETX>>
Relating e‐satisfaction to behavioral outcomes: an empirical study

Prior work has examined antecedents and behavioral outcomes of satisfaction in an offline setting but few studies explore whether the findings hold for increasingly important online settings. This paper extends the prior work to explore the antecedents of e‐satisfaction and the relations between e‐satisfaction and two new behaviorial outcomes related to an online setting; customers' stated purchasing behavior (i.e. conversion) and actual browsing behavior (i.e. stickiness). Using a sample of 145 predominantly multi‐channel retail firms, the paper highlights two main results. First, existing models that examine the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction in the offline setting, also apply to an online setting. Second, Web site characteristics had a significant impact on all three types of behavioral outcomes, while Web site customer service was a significant driver of only retention/referral outcomes. Further, Web site customer service may be a necessary but not sufficient condition to achieving favourable outcomes in online settings.
Multiexposure and multifocus image fusion with multidimensional camera shake compensation

Abstract. Multiexposure image fusion algorithms are used for enhancing the perceptual quality of an image captured by sensors of limited dynamic range. This is achieved by rendering a single scene based on multiple images captured at different exposure times. Similarly, multifocus image fusion is used when the limited depth of focus on a selected focus setting of a camera results in parts of an image being out of focus. The solution adopted is to fuse together a number of multifocus images to create an image that is focused throughout. A single algorithm that can perform both multifocus and multiexposure image fusion is proposed. This algorithm is a new approach in which a set of unregistered multiexposure/focus images is first registered before being fused to compensate for the possible presence of camera shake. The registration of images is done via identifying matching key-points in constituent images using scale invariant feature transforms. The random sample consensus algorithm is used to identify inliers of SIFT key-points removing outliers that can cause errors in the registration process. Finally, the coherent point drift algorithm is used to register the images, preparing them to be fused in the subsequent fusion stage. For the fusion of images, a new approach based on an improved version of a wavelet-based contourlet transform is used. The experimental results and the detailed analysis presented prove that the proposed algorithm is capable of producing high-dynamic range (HDR) or multifocus images by registering and fusing a set of multiexposure or multifocus images taken in the presence of camera shake. Further, comparison of the performance of the proposed algorithm with a number of state-of-the art algorithms and commercial software packages is provided. In particular, our literature review has revealed that this is one of the first attempts where the compensation of camera shake, a very likely practical problem that can result in HDR image capture using handheld devices, has been addressed as a part of a multifocus and multiexposure image enhancement system.
Immune-Mediated Protection and Pathogenesis of Chikungunya Virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging alphavirus that causes debilitating acute and chronic arthritis. Infection by CHIKV induces a robust immune response that is characterized by production of type I IFNs, recruitment of innate and adaptive immune cells, and development of neutralizing Abs. Despite this response, chronic arthritis can develop in some individuals, which may be due to a failure to eliminate viral RNA and Ag and/or persistent immune responses that cause chronic joint inflammation. In this review, based primarily on advances from recent studies in mice, we discuss the innate and adaptive immune factors that control CHIKV dissemination and clearance or contribute to pathogenesis.
Vestibular-Cognitive Integration: A Concussion Case Study

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Abbreviations: mTBI: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury; AIB: The American Institute of Balance; VCI: Vestibular Cognitive Integration; PC-BPPV: Posterior Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo; GSOP: Gans Sensory Organizational Performance Test; VR: Vestibular Rehabilitation; BPM: Beats Per Minute; NAB: Neuropsychological Assessment Battery; HVLT: Hopkins Verbal Learning Task; SDMT: Symbol-Digit Modalities Task
Index Revision and Firm Size Effect

Any stock market index represents the general movement in the market. The indices are regularly revised and updated in terms of exclusion of some firms and inclusion of more eligible firms. Previous studies have produced evidence that the market reacts strongly to these additions and deletions. Although these revisions are done according to previously decided and well laid down policies, there is still strong evidence of price pressure present. However our focus in this paper is not to document the evidence of price pressure but to study the impact of the revision process on the different sizes of firms. The total sample has been divided into three portfolios: small, medium and large depending on firm size. The reaction of these portfolios, to inclusion and exclusion from the index, has been studied using the standard event study methodology.
ISOLATION OF SYNAPTIC VESICLES AND STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE ACETYLCHOLINE SYSTEM WITHIN BRAIN NERVE ENDINGS *

THE DISCOVERY of synaptic vesicles as the most significative component of nerve endings (DE ROBERTIS and BENNETT, 1954, 1955) led to the suggestion that they could be the site of storage and synthesis of transmitter substances. Since then this concept has become associated with the notion of a “quantized” release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction (DEL CASTILLO and KATZ, 1956). At the same time several indirect indications of the role of these vesicles in synaptic transmission were demonstrated (DE ROBERTIS, 1959). The stimulation of some cholinergic terminals by DE ROBERTIS and VAZ FERREIRA (1957) and subsequent electronmicroscope observations suggested that within the endings a balance exists between the formation and release of synaptic vesicles, related to the frequency of stimulation. The isolation of such a subcellular component remained as the most direct approach to the elucidation of the chemical nature and physiological significance of synaptic vesicles. An approach to such a goal was made independently by DE ROBERTIS et al. (1960, 1961a) and GRAY and WHITTAKER (1960) with the demonstration that the so-called mitochondrial fraction of the brain contained a considerable number of isolated nerve endings in addition to free mitochondria and myelin. In our first paper we reported an attempt to isolate synaptic vesicles by disrupting the endings mechanically and subfractionating the microsomes in a continuous gradient. However the vesicles isolated in one of the four microsomal fractions were not as regular in size as the true synaptic ones. At that time we postulated that: “the further purification of intact synaptic terminals may provide a good starting point for the isolation of pure synaptic vesicles”. We also stated that : “when this is done, the synaptic vesicles will be probably found in one of the submicrosomal fractions”. More recently a technique was developed in our laboratory which allows the subfractionation of the mitochondrial fraction (Mit)? into five separated layers which in order of increased density are essentially composed of: A, myelin; B, fragments of endings and membranes; C , cholinergic nerve endings; D, non-cholinergic nerve endings; and E, free mitochondria (see methods and electronmicrographs in DE ROBERTIS et al., 1962a). The two subfractions C and D of nerve endings provided an excellent material for the isolation of synaptic vesicles. However it was observed
Learning Negotiation Support Systems in Competitive Negotiations: A Study of Negotiation Behaviors and System Impacts

Prior research on negotiation support systems (NSS) has paid limited attention to the information content in the observed bid sequences of negotiators. Cognitive characteristics of individual negotiators and their impacts on negotiation performance have also received limited attention. In this paper, we examine the accuracy of an exponential functional form in representing observed bid sequences. Results indicate that the exponential function is a good model for observed bids. To leverage the information content in observed bids, we predict reservation values of negotiators based on their observed bids. Based on the negotiation behaviors of human subjects, we find that accurate estimates of opponent reservation values lead to improved negotiation outcomes. Results also show that bids are correlated with reservation values. We study the impact of negotiation support systems in helping users realize superior negotiation outcomes. Results indicate that automated negotiations using NSS can lead to superior negotiation outcomes compared to human subjects.
Facultative symbionts are associated with host plant specialization in pea aphid populations

The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, shows significant reproductive isolation and host plant specialization between populations on alfalfa and clover in New York. We examine whether specialization is seen in pea aphids in California, and whether fitness on alternative host plants is associated with the presence of bacterial symbionts. We measured the fitness of alfalfa- and clover-derived aphids on both types of plants and found no evidence for specialization when all aphid lineages were considered simultaneously. We then screened all aphids for the presence of four facultative bacterial symbionts: PAR, PASS, PABS and PAUS. Aphids with PAUS were host-plant specialized, having twice as many offspring as other aphids on clover, and dying on alfalfa. Other aphids showed no evidence of specialization. Additionally, aphids with PABS had 50% more offspring than aphids with PASS when on alfalfa. Thus, specialist and generalist aphid lineages coexist, and specialization is symbiont associated. Further work will resolve whether PAUS is directly responsible for this variation in fitness or whether PAUS is incidentally associated with host-plant specialized aphid lineages.
The role of microeconomic policy reform in regional integration Ã¢â‚¬â€ analytical and empirical issues

Economic integration should not be an end in itself, but the outcome of domestic reforms that increase the general contestability of markets. The paper finds that for India, comprehensive domestic regulatory reform dominates as an integration strategy, while an ASEAN+6 PTA would fail to deliver gains. Multilateral action is an intermediate strategy, important for delivering trade liberalisation in sensitive sectors and in highly protected economies. The paper then considers what institutional approaches might facilitate further domestic structural reforms. Key to this are mechanisms to review the desirability and performance of all regulations and institutions on an ongoing basis, and in a way that involves all relevant stakeholders. Such policy review institutions can provide technical solutions, helping to identify particular reform options. They can also be part of a strategy to manage the domestic political economy of reform, by providing a forum in which countervailing interests could marshal against vested interests, thus helping to build a coalition in favour of reform. Finally, they can facilitate policy coordination within and across levels of government. The paper considers desirable characteristics of such institutions, and provides examples from around the Asian region.