cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Miscoding properties of 6alpha- and 6beta-diastereoisomers of the N(2)-(estradiol-6-yl)-2'-deoxyguanosine DNA adduct by Y-family human DNA polymerases.

Treatment with estrogen increases the risk of breast, ovary, and endometrial cancers in women. DNA damage induced by estrogen is thought to be involved in estrogen carcinogenesis. In fact, Y-family human DNA polymerases (pol) η and κ, which are highly expressed in the reproductive organs, miscode model estrogen-derived DNA adducts during DNA synthesis. Since the estrogen−DNA adducts are a mixture of 6α- and 6β-diastereoisomers of dG-N2-6-estrogen or dA-N6-6-estrogen, the stereochemistry of each isomeric adduct on translesion synthesis catalyzed by DNA pols has not been investigated. We have recently established a phosphoramidite chemical procedure to insert 6α- or 6β-isomeric N2-(estradiol-6-yl)-2′-deoxyguanosine (dG-N2-6-E2) into oligodeoxynucleotides. Using such site-specific modified oligomer as a template, the specificity and frequency of miscoding by dG-N2-6α-E2 or dG-N2-6β-E2 were explored using pol η and a truncated form of pol κ (pol κΔC). Translesion synthesis catalyzed by pol η bypassed both the...
Analgesic and opioid involvement in the shock-elicited activity and escape deficits produced by inescapable shock☆

Abstract Three experiments examined the involvement of analgesic processes and endogenous opioids in the production of the shuttlebox escape acquisition and unconditioned activity deficits which follow exposure to inescapable shock. Experiment 1 found that the opiate antagonist naltrexone administered before the inescapable shock session interfered with the shuttlebox escape acquisition deficit which would normally follow. Experiment 2 found naltrexone to completely prevent the unconditioned activity deficit. The final experiment revealed that dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid which abolishes the analgesia produced by inescapable shock, reversed the activity deficit. These results indicate that endogenous opioids may be involved in the production of both the escape acquisition and activity deficits. They also suggest that the analgesia produced by these opioids may participate in the mediation of the activity deficit, even though analgesia is not involved in producing the shuttlebox acquisition deficit.
Pancreatic islet expression profiling in diabetes-prone C57BLKS/J mice reveals transcriptional differences contributed by DBA loci, including Plagl1 and Nnt.

C57BLKS/J (BLKS) mice are susceptible to islet exhaustion in insulin-resistant states as compared with C57BL6/J (B6) mice, as observed by the presence of the leptin receptor (Lepr) allele, Leprdb/db. Furthermore, DBA2/J (DBA) mice are also susceptible to β-cell failure and share 25% of their genome with BLKS; thus the DBA genome may contribute to β-cell dysfunction in BLKS mice. Here we show that BLKS mice exhibit elevated insulin secretion, as evidenced by improved glucose tolerance and increased islet insulin secretion compared with B6 mice, and describe interstrain transcriptional differences in glucose response. Transcriptional differences between BLKS and B6 mice were identified by expression profiling of isolated islets from both strains. Genomic mapping of gene expression differences demonstrated a significant association of expression differences with DBA loci in BLKS mice (P = 4×10-27). Two genes, Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) and Pleiomorphic adenoma gene like 1 (Plagl1), were 4 and 7.2-fold higher respectively in BLKS islets, and may be major contributors to increased insulin secretion by BLKS islets. Contrary to reports for B6 mice, BLKS mice do not harbor a mutant Nnt gene. We detected 16 synonymous polymorphisms and a two-amino acid deletion in the Plagl1 gene in BLKS mice. Several inflammatory glucose-responsive genes are expressed at a higher level in BLKS, suggesting an inflammatory component to BLKS islet dysfunction. This study describes physiological differences between BLKS and B6 mice, and provides evidence for a causative role of the DBA genome in β-cell dysfunction in BLKS mice.
Expression of multiple forms of brain cytochrome P450

Multiple forms of cytochrome P450 (P450) in brain tissue have been demonstrated to be expressible in brain tissue using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques, Northern blotting, hydroxylation activity assessment and cloning approaches. The antidepressant drug imipramine is metabolized by brain microsomes to multiple products by pathways inhibitable by quinidine, 7,8-benzoflavone, and ketoconazole, well-known inhibitors of P450-catalyzed reactions. Moreover, PCR studies revealed that a number of P450s are expressible in brain tissue and in glioma C6 cells. Quantitative PCR studies further demonstrated the response of many of these forms to induction in agreement with hydroxylation activity results.
Spatial analysis of land suitability, hot-tub cabins and forest tourism in Appalachian Ohio

Abstract After decades of falling real commodity prices in agriculture, forestry and mining, natural amenities have become central components of regional growth strategies. While the prospects for amenity-led growth are perceptible, there are still many open questions regarding how natural resources become valuable amenity assets. In this manuscript, we investigate spatial patterns of natural amenity-based tourism; i.e., tourist lodging in so-called hot tub cabins (HTCs) in Hocking County, Ohio. A rare events logistic regression (RELR) is used to examine which spatial factors are most strongly associated with the observed patterns of HTCs. We evaluate how apparent spatial conflicts (water availability and exurbanization), tourist and natural amenities (forest cover, topography, state parks and federal forestland) and legacy effects (past mining areas and an urban density instrumental variable) influence the suitability for HTCs. Prior literature on natural amenity tourism has largely focused on regional or continental scales in order to have a large sample size for analysis. In so doing, finer-scale variation in land suitability is difficult to represent. We use RELR to control for the rarity of tourism lodging at the county scale. Our findings suggest that accessibility combined with tree cover and topography explains much of the variation in HTC locations. While protected areas are likewise important, past activities like mining impact current recreation possibilities, appearing to be incompatible with the natural experiences sought by HTC visitors. HTCs are also more likely to be located in remaining “remote areas”, or inversely related to the patterns of urban density. Policymakers wishing to enhance regional competitiveness in amenity-led growth should consider fine scale characteristics and environmental legacies in their development planning.
Effect of Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising Exposure on Information Search

Objective To compare the effectiveness of disease-specific (help-seeking) direct-to-consumer drug advertising (DTCA) and product-specific (product-claim) DTCA to stimulate postexposure external information search behaviors regarding drug and disease information from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, family, and friends, as well as the use of medical references and the Internet in the United States.
PCI IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH SYNCOPE AND OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Ischemia is an important consideration in syncope evaluation, especially among older adults. Yet evidence supporting the benefit of PCI among syncope patients found to have obstructive CAD is sparse. We studied patients > age 65 undergoing cardiac catheterization for syncope in the CathPCI Registry
Thioamide Quenching of Fluorescent Probes through Photoinduced Electron Transfer: Mechanistic Studies and Applications

Previously we have shown that thioamides can be incorporated into proteins as minimally perturbing fluorescence-quenching probes to study protein dynamics, folding, and aggregation. Here, we show that the spontaneity of photoinduced electron transfer between a thioamide and an excited fluorophore is governed by the redox potentials of each moiety according to a Rehm–Weller-type model. We have used this model to predict thioamide quenching of various common fluorophores, and we rigorously tested more than a dozen examples. In each case, we found excellent agreement between our theoretical predictions and experimental observations. In this way, we have been able to expand the scope of fluorophores quenched by thioamides to include dyes suitable for microscopy and single-molecule studies, including fluorescein, Alexa Fluor 488, BODIPY FL, and rhodamine 6G. We describe the photochemistry of these systems and explore applications that demonstrate the utility of thioamide quenching of fluorescein to studying pr...
Myosin Storage Myopathy Mutations Disrupt Myofibrillar Assembly/ Stability and Cause Progressive Muscle Degeneration in a Drosophila Model

Myosin storage myopathy (MSM) is a congenital disorder caused by dominant missense mutations in the β-cardiac MHC rod and characterized by subsarcolemmal accumulation of β-cardiac myosin that has a hyaline appearance. These mutations map near to or within the assembly competence domain known to be crucial to filament assembly. The mutations disrupt hydropathy or charge of residues in the heptad repeat, altering interactions that stabilize myosin coiled-coil dimers and thick filaments. This potentially disrupts ordered myofibrillar assembly, causing myofibrillar disarray and myosin aggregation. Our Drosophila models for MSM make it possible to examine interactions between wild-type and mutant full-length myosins for pursuing mechanistic investigations. We introduced the R1845W, L1793P or the E1883K mutation into a Drosophila MHC transgene and expressed each in the indirect flight/jump muscles and in the heart. Our studies show a severe reduction in the flight and jump ability of the transgenic flies in both homozygous and heterozygous states, with an age-dependent worsening of muscle function. Electron and confocal microscopy of the indirect flight muscles of transgenic lines show myofibrillar disarray with large areas of granular/ filamentous inclusions similar to hyaline bodies found in affected humans. Semi-automated optical heartbeat analysis of the mutant heterozygotes shows restrictive cardiac physiology and diastolic dysfunction with evidence of worsening cardiac phenotype with age. Lifespans of the MSM mutants are also reduced in comparison to the transgenic control. Future studies will aim at analyzing in vitro filament forming ability of the mutant myosin to determine if defective filament formation and/or instability of the myosin filaments are the basis of MSM. Our model would also potentially help discern if specific chaperones, small molecule chaperone inducers or enhanced autophagy can ameliorate myopathic defects in MSM.
Transit Use and Proximity to Rail: Results from Large Employment Sites in the San Francisco, California, Bay Area

Survey data from more than 1,000 large employment sites in the San Francisco Bay Area are used to examine the link between transit use and proximity to rail stations. The data were collected as part of an employer trip-reduction rule. Findings show that sites within one-quarter mile of a rail station have significantly higher rates of transit use than sites between one-quarter and one-half mile from stations. Transit use drops even further one-half mile from stations. That relationship holds true for all three rail systems in the Bay area. A closer look at 20 work sites near two light rail stations in Santa Clara County reveals that actual walking distance is also an important factor related to transit use. However, site design often lengthens walking distance unnecessarily. In addition, certain types of employers have higher rates of transit use than others.
Variation in Drug Prices at Pharmacies: Are Prices Higher in Poorer Areas?

Objective To determine whether retail prices for prescription drugs are higher in poorer areas.
Identification of evodiamine as the bioactive compound in evodia (Evodia rutaecarpa Benth.) fruit extract that activates human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)

The dried unripe fruit from Evodia rutaecarpa Benth., known as Wu zhu yu in China, has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. In this research, we provide evidence that evodia fruit extract activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and, as identified through HPLC fractionation and mass spectroscopy, the activating phytochemical is evodiamine. Evodiamine was shown to bind to and activate PPARγ. It was also shown to activate PPARγ-regulated gene expression in human hepatoma cells similar to known PPARγ ligands and that the expression was blocked by a PPARγ specific antagonist.
Evaluation of a canine total-elbow arthroplasty system: a preliminary study in normal dogs.

Objective— Short-term, in vivo evaluation of a total-elbow arthroplasty (TEA) system in normal dogs. Study Design— Prospective evaluation comparing pre- and postoperative findings. Animals— Six normal, skeletally mature, large-breed dogs. Methods— Physical, radiographic, and force-plate gait examinations were performed on all dogs before surgery. TEA was performed in the dogs using a canine TEA system. Examinations were repeated every 8 weeks for 24 weeks, with an additional examination at 52 weeks. Pre- and postoperative findings were compared. Results— The TEA led to an excellent outcome in 3 of 6 dogs. Force-plate gait examination found that the dogs continued to improve over time and had a peak vertical force (PVF) in the surgical limb that was 99.6% of normal (range, 95.8% to 106.4%) 52 weeks after surgery. Major problems encountered during the postoperative time period were non-weight-bearing lameness (1 dog), osteomyelitis (1 dog), and fracture of the ulna (1 dog). Conclusions— TEA can be successfully performed in dogs. Clinical Relevance— Based on 1-year data, TEA can be successfully performed in dogs and could be considered as a treatment alternative for adult dogs with severe osteoarthritis and lameness of the elbow joint.
Magnetic vortex dynamics in the presence of pinning

We have measured the frequency ${f}_{G}$ of the gyrotropic mode of a magnetic vortex formed in individual soft ferromagnetic disks with diameters from 600 nm to $2\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$. For low excitation amplitudes, we observe fluctuations in ${f}_{G}$ as a function of applied magnetic field. The relationship between the applied field and the spatial displacement of the vortex core from the center of the disk indicates that the fluctuations are due to a distribution of nanoscale defects that pin the vortex core, which has a diameter of $\ensuremath{\sim}10\text{ }\text{nm}$. In the limit of high excitation amplitude, the gyrotropic frequency is independent of field, indicating that the core is depinned. In this limit ${f}_{G}={f}_{ideal}$ where ${f}_{ideal}$ is the frequency predicted by analytical models and micromagnetic simulations of ideal vortex behavior. We also find both experimentally and in simulations that the average frequency shift $⟨\ensuremath{\Delta}f⟩=⟨{f}_{\text{max}}\ensuremath{-}{f}_{ideal}⟩$ is independent of disk diameter. From this observation we argue that $\ensuremath{\Delta}f$ for a particular fluctuation is proportional to the interaction energy ${W}_{P}$ of the vortex core with a single nanoscale defect and estimate the average energy to be ${W}_{P}/e\ensuremath{\approx}2\text{ }\text{eV}$ for the defects in these sputtered permalloy films.
SU-C-9A-02: Structured Noise Index as An Automated Quality Control for Nuclear Medicine: A Two Year Experience

Purpose: Flood-field uniformity evaluation is an essential element in the assessment of nuclear medicine (NM) gamma cameras. It serves as the central element of the quality control (QC) program, acquired and analyzed on a daily basis prior to clinical imaging. Uniformity images are traditionally analyzed using pixel value-based metrics which often fail to capture subtle structure and patterns caused by changes in gamma camera performance requiring additional visual inspection which is subjective and time demanding. The goal of this project was to develop and implement a robust QC metrology for NM that is effective in identifying non-uniformity issues, reporting issues in a timely manner for efficient correction prior to clinical involvement, all incorporated into an automated effortless workflow, and to characterize the program over a two year period. Methods: A new quantitative uniformity analysis metric was developed based on 2D noise power spectrum metrology and confirmed based on expert observer visual analysis. The metric, termed Structured Noise Index (SNI) was then integrated into an automated program to analyze, archive, and report on daily NM QC uniformity images. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated over a period of 2 years. Results: The SNI metric successfully identified visually apparent non-uniformities overlooked by the pixel valuebased analysis methods. Implementation of the program has resulted in nonuniformity identification in about 12% of daily flood images. In addition, due to the vigilance of staff response, the percentage of days exceeding trigger value shows a decline over time. Conclusion: The SNI provides a robust quantification of the NM performance of gamma camera uniformity. It operates seamlessly across a fleet of multiple camera models. The automated process provides effective workflow within the NM spectra between physicist, technologist, and clinical engineer. The reliability of this process has made it the preferred platform for NM uniformity analysis.
Some complex chlorides of uranium tetrachloride and thorium tetrachloride

Abstract The preparation of the five anhydrous complex chlorides [(CH3)4N]2UCl6, [(C2H5)4N]2 UCl6, Cs2UCl6, [(CH3)4N]2ThCl6, and Cs2ThCl6 is described. The results of powder X-ray diffraction studies of these compounds are given, and the possibility of hydrates existing for the thorium complexes is discussed.
The dynamics of interpersonal spacing in monkeys and man.

Data from primate studies suggest that social spacing in many species is controlled by conditioning effects. As do monkeys, humans divide up their social space in ways that closely reflect underlying personality factors and social patterns. Although much of social spacing is beyond conscious awareness in daily life, the study of animals and humans has begun to establish the factors that govern proxemic behavior.
Passing out IT Toys

We need to ask ourselves if the advantages of new technology are worth the security risks, costs, and loss of quality personal time.
Depletion of the cap-associated isoform of translation factor eIF4G induces germline apoptosis in C. elegans.

Depletion of the cap-associated isoform of translation factor eIF4G induces germline apoptosis in C. elegans
Conception in an infertile patient following obliteration of a huge anterior sacral meningocele: case report.

Introduction We present the case of a 35-year-old woman with a large anterior sacral meningocele who had been unable to conceive.
Erratum: “Frameshifting dynamics,” Biopolymers 99, 1147–1166 (2013)

Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1460Received 11 March 2013; revised 14 May 2013; accepted 20 May 2013Published online 31 May 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/bip.22293Erratum Published online 6 December 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/bip.22424In the article entitled, “Frameshifting Dynamics,” Biopoly mers 2013;99(12):1147–1166, a minor error in Figure 3 was published.The ﬁrst author of the article has notiﬁed us of that the numbers 10 and 6 in the ﬁgure were switched. Below is the correctedﬁgure.Theauthorsapologizefortheerrorandanyinconveniencecaused.
Modeling consumers' choice behavior: an application in banking

The study proposes and tests a model of consumer bank choice behavior in a south eastern city in the USA, based on the economics of information theory. The model expands the domain of inquiry beyond the initial level attributes to the first‐order latent construct and the second‐order (composite) levels. Results suggest that consumer bank choice behavior can be represented as a global construct with three viable components (search, credence and experience) and provide implications for bank managers.
Modeling of a thermal wall panel using phase change materials

Abstract This work presents a model for a phase-change material (PCM) thermal wall being tested at the University of Delaware, Solar One House under the auspices of the Institute of Energy Conversion. The PCM is contained in small diameter tubes with staggered arrangement. Charging of the unit is done during the periods of insolation using direct solar radiation. The discharge of the unit is provided by air flow across the tube arrangement to carry heat; for which a computer model is developed to predict the response of the unit during its discharge from a given initial state. The tubes are lumped in groups of three along the air stream. The Biot Number is found to be less than 0.1 which indicates that the error associated with lumping is less than 5%. Each bundle of tubes is considered in three distinct regimes: presolidification, solidification, postsolidification. The model developed thus far has been used to predict the time response of the wall panel in satisfactory agreement with the actual performance. The simulation helped to establish the important system parameters.
Platinum–copper nanotube electrocatalyst with enhanced activity and durability for oxygen reduction reactions

The activity and the durability of Pt based electrocatalysts constitute the major challenges in the current fuel cell technology. Motivated by the improved activity and ameliorated durability for Pt based cathode catalysts achieved from the compositional and morphological control, respectively, in this paper, a rationally designed, PtCu based, 1-dimensional electrocatalyst was prepared via a facile and scalable procedure. The detailed materials characterization revealed that the as-prepared nanotubes (NTs) were composed of a PtCu alloy bulk and a Pt-enriched surface with downshifted d-band center position. Towards the electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction, PtCu NTs have displayed a distinguished specific activity with more than a 10-fold improvement relative to the commercial catalysts and more than a 3-fold improvement relative to the 2015 DOE technical target (0.72 mA cmPt−2 @ 0.9 V). Meanwhile, PtCu NTs have shown greatly ameliorated durability in the aspects of both ECSA and mass activity compared to Pt/C (40%) and Pt black after a 6000-cycle accelerated durability test.
Common sense investing: bridging the gap between expert and novice

In this paper, we describe Common Sense Investing (CSI), an interactive investment tool that uses a knowledge base of common sense statements in conjunction with domain knowledge to assist personal investors with their financial decisions, primarily asset-allocation. In interfaces that provide expert advice, one key problem is elicitation - how to ask questions that enable the expert model to make decisions, and at the same time, are understandable to the novice. The second problem is explanation - how to explain rationale behind expert decisions in terms that the user can understand. Many programs already encode expert models, but few have good models of novice knowledge, especially where broad knowledge of everyday life might bear on the subject. OMCSNet, a semantic network representation of the OpenMind Common Sense Knowledge Base, is the source of a wide range of facts about day-to-day life. CSI maps the user's goals, expressed in concepts from OMCSNet, to the expert's goals, expressed in technical financial terms. Instead of asking "What is your tolerance for risk?" where the user might not understand the concept of risk tolerance, we can ask, "Do you usually have a lot of credit card debt?" Aligning the expert's questions and decisions with common sense knowledge pertinent to the user increases the user's confidence in the ability of the system to meet their needs.
An Experimental Comparison of Stereo Algorithms

While many algorithms for computing stereo correspondence have been proposed, there has been very little work on experimentally evaluating algorithm performance, especially using real (rather than synthetic) imagery. In this paper we propose an experimental comparison of several different stereo algorithms. We use real imagery, and explore two different methodologies, with different strengths and weaknesses. Our first methodology is based upon manual computation of dense ground truth. Here we make use of a two stereo pairs: one of these, from the University of Tsukuba, contains mostly fronto-parallel surfaces; while the other, which we built, is a simple scene with a slanted surface. Our second methodology uses the notion of prediction error, which is the ability of a disparity map to predict an (unseen) third image, taken from a known camera position with respect to the input pair. We present results for both correlation-style stereo algorithms and techniques based on global methods such as energy minimization. Our experiments suggest that the two methodologies give qualitatively consistent results. Source images and additional materials, such as the implementations of various algorithms, are available on the web from http://www.research.microsoft.com/~szeliski/stereo.
Exception Handling for Conflict Resolution in Cross-Organizational Workflows

Workflow management systems (WfMSs) are being increasingly deployed to deliver e-business transactions across organizational boundaries. To ensure a high service quality in such transactions, exception-handling schemes for conflict resolution are needed. The conflicts primarily arise due to failure of a task in workflow execution because of underlying application, or controlling WfMS component failures or insufficient user input. So far, little progress has been reported in addressing conflict resolution in cross-organizational business processes, though its importance has been recognized. In this paper, we identify the exception handling techniques that support conflict resolution in cross-organizational settings. In particular, we propose a novel, “bundled” exception-handling approach, which supports (1) exception knowledge sharing—sharing exception specifications and handling experiences, (2) coordinated exception handling, and (3) intelligent problem solving—using case based reasoning to reuse exception handing experiences. A prototype of this exception handling mechanism is developed and integrated as a part of the METEOR Workflow Management System. An evaluation of our approach is also presented through some sample workflow applications.
Current understanding of mechanisms of acoustic emission

This article reviews recent advances in acoustic emission (AE) studies, primarily on mechanisms and modelling. Methods of signal analysis used in acoustic emission have improved significantly, allowing various AE signals to be evaluated critically. The understanding of AE from materials during fracture has advanced greatly, but that due to deformation processes remains elusive. Current status is summarized and new goals are discussed in conjunction with analytical, experimental, and electronic tools now available.
Optoelectronic implementation of filtered-back-projection tomography algorithm

An optoelectronic structure for implementing the iterative filtered-back projection image reconstruction algorithm is proposed. The forward projection and back projection operations in the iterative procedure are performed via optoelectronic devices, which include spatial light modulators and charge coupled device detector arrays. The optical Fourier transform is applied to speed up the reconstruction and feed-back is used to minimize the distortion caused by optical transforms.
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine Sputum Homogenization and Its Mechanism of Action on Isolation of Tubercle Bacilli

The mechanism of action of acetyl cysteine on the isolation of mycobacteria from sputa was studied. Comparative experiments with 2% sodium hydroxide with and without acetyl cysteine showed that the final positive results are increased by 1.1%. In one-quarter of the positive plates the cultures presented more colonies where acetyl cysteine was used. Viscosimetric tests and pH measurements presented small differences between sputa digested with or without acetyl cysteine. The large increase in positive results obtained by other authors with 2% NaOH and acetyl cysteine compared with 4% NaOH seems to be due to the lower NaOH concentration and not to acetyl cysteine. As acetyl cysteine does not significantly increase the percentage of positivity and only in a few cases improves liqudection, it is of little practical value as an adjunct substance to sodium hydroxide for sputum digestion.
2-D motion estimation with hierarchical content based meshes

Two-dimensional mesh-based models provide a good alternative to motion estimation and compensation. The estimation of the best motion vectors at the node-point motion vectors is a challenging task. To this effect, Nakaya et al. (1994), proposed a hexagonal matching procedure. Toklu et al. (1996) improved the hexagonal search algorithm in terms of both motion estimation accuracy and computational complexity by employing a hierarchy of regular meshes. Recognizing the limitations of regular meshes, Van Beek et al. (1999), extended Toklu's work by utilizing content-based meshes. Here, we provide an alternative hierarchical motion estimation method with content-based meshes where hierarchical representations are employed for images as well as meshes in order to provide further improvements in computational complexity as well as motion accuracy.
Memory, language, and ageing

This overview provides both theoretical and empirical reasons for emphasizing practice and familiar skills as a practical strategy for enhancing cognitive functioning in old age. Our review of empirical research on age-related changes in memory and language reveals a consistent pattern of spared and impaired abilities in normal old age. Relatively preserved in old age is memory performance involving highly practised skills and familiar information, including factual, semantic and autobiographical information. Relatively impaired in old age is memory performance that requires the formation of new connections, for example, recall of recent autobiographical experiences, new facts or the source of newly acquired facts. This pattern of impaired new learning versus preserved old learning cuts across distinctions between semantic memory, episodic memory, explicit memory and perhaps also implicit memory. However, familiar verbal information is not completely preserved when accessed on the output side rather than the input side: aspects of language production, namely word finding and spelling, exhibit significant age-related declines. This emerging pattern of preserved and impaired abilities presents a fundamental challenge for theories of cognitive ageing, which must explain why some aspects of language and memory are more vulnerable to the effects of ageing than others. Information-universal theories, involving mechanisms such as general slowing that are independent of the type or structure of the information being processed, require additional mechanisms to account for this pattern of cognitive aging. Information-specific theories, where the type or structure of the postulated memory units can influence the effects of cognitive ageing, are able to account for this emerging pattern, but in some cases require further development to account for comprehensive cognitive changes such as general slowing.
Quantifying structural and physiological controls on variation in canopy transpiration among planted pine and hardwood species in the southern Appalachians

Recent studies have shown that planted pine stands exhibit higher evapotranspiration (ET) and are more sensitive to climatic conditions compared with hardwood stands. Whether this is due to management and stand effects, biological effects or their interaction is poorly understood. We estimated growing season canopy- and sap flux-scaled leaf-level transpiration (Ec and EL) in five major overstory species over 3 years. Four hardwood species, Liriodendron tulipifera, Carya spp., Quercus rubra and Quercus prinus, were measured in an unmanaged watershed. Pinus strobus was measured in an adjacent planted pine watershed. We hypothesized that (1) species would differ in EL and stomatal conductance (GS), and their relationship with vapour pressure deficit (D); and (2) differences in growing season ET between the stands would result primarily from the differences in interception (Ei). Growing season ET in the planted pine stand exceeded hardwood ET by twofold during all 3 years. Transpiration and Ei contributed similarly to the ET difference, suggesting that physiological differences were equally as important as structural factors to the overall difference in ET. Among species, mean EL and GS differed significantly, as did their relationship with D. EL and GS of oaks and hickories were least responsive to changing D, while L. tulipifera and P. strobus were most responsive. This species-level understanding of variation in EL and GS and their interactions with climatic driving variables has important implications for predicting watershed-level responses to stand management, species invasion and loss, and climate variability. Published in 2010. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Reducing pipeline energy demands with local DVS and dynamic retiming

The quadratic relationship between voltage and energy has made dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) one of the most powerful techniques to reduce system power demands. Recently, techniques such as Razor DVS, voltage overscaling, and Intelligent Energy Management have emerged as approaches to further reduce voltage by eliminating costly voltage margins inserted into traditional designs to ensure always-correct operation. The degree to which a global voltage controller can shave voltage margins is limited by imbalances in pipeline stage latency. Since all pipeline stages share the same voltage, the stage exercising the longest critical path will define the overall voltage of the system, even if other stages could potentially run at lower voltages. In this paper, we evaluate two local tuning mechanisms in the context of Razor DVS, a local voltage controller scheme that allows each pipeline stages it's own voltage level, and a lower cost dynamic retiming scheme that incorporates per-stage clock delay elements to allow longer-latency pipeline stages to "borrow" time from shorter-latency stages. Using simulation, we draw two key insights from our study. First, mitigating pipeline stage imbalances renders additional DVS energy savings. A Razor pipeline design with dynamic retiming finds an additional 12% energy savings over global voltage control (resulting in an overall energy savings of more than 28% compared to fully-margined DVS). Second, we demonstrate that imbalances arise not only from design factors, but also from run-time characteristics. As the program (or program phase) changes, we see different logic paths in multiple stages exercised frequently, necessitating a dynamic fine-tuning of local control. This result suggests that even well-balanced pipelines could benefit from dynamic retiming.
Non-Executive Stock Options and Firm Performance

We examine whether options granted to rank and file employees have effects on the performance of the firm, by exploring the link between broad-based option grants, option portfolio implied incentives and firm operating performance. We employ an instrumental variables approach that combines information about the labor market characteristics in which firms compete with information on firm option programs from the Investor Responsibility Research Center to identify causal effects. Firms that broadly grant options to non-executive employees exhibit higher operating performance than firms that do not grant options broadly. We find a similar positive relationship between the implied incentives of the portfolio of outstanding non-executive options and subsequent firm operating performance. Consistent with economic theory, we find that the incentive-performance effect is larger in smaller firms, and in firms with higher growth opportunities and higher growth options per employee. Finally, we find that the performance effect is concentrated solely in firms that grant options broadly to non-executive employees, supporting the argument that options may induce monitoring among co-workers.
Antithrombotic Therapy in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

A comprehensive understanding of periprocedural anticoagulation is an important component of interventional cardiovascular medicine. Rapid and ongoing advancement in adjunctive pharmacotherapy has made percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) considerably safer, thereby facilitating the rapid international growth. Nevertheless, debate regarding the optimal pharmacologic ingredients and potency of anticoagulation for PCI persists. This chapter will review the specific value of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy to prevent thrombotic complications during PCI, targeting the most contemporary evidence available for each. The focus will be on agents that are routinely available and commonly used.
How Will the Billions of 'Free' Climate Change Allowances Under Cap-and-Trade Affect U.S. Companies’ Balance Sheets?

This study examines the impact of the “free” climate change allowances under the proposed American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 on the balance sheets and income statements of companies in the S&P 500, estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to be as high as $700 billion over 2010-2019. Some observers contend that these allowances will generate “large windfall profits to various politically favored industries at the expense of U.S. consumers.” (Chamberlain 2009). This study states and tests an economic model that accounts for the relation between greenhouse gas emissions and financial statement variables at the individual company level to assess this contention. My analysis suggests that under the likely accounting treatments for emission allowances, U.S. companies’ balance sheet and profit ratios will show a modest but variable impact, depending on the accounting choice and industry. Some treatments, however, will allow companies to move these allowances and much of the liability “off balance sheet,” so that in these cases the financial impact of emission allowances could be unclear to many investors. When companies use diverse or unclear accounting treatments for similar economic benefits, this can raise the cost of capital and hurt share prices.
Conceal, Surprise, and Change Paradigms Persuasion Without Common-Support Priors

Persuaders often have greater knowledge of a subject than their audience. In these cases, what they say can change how the audience thinks: its worldview or paradigm. This possibility brings out two unexplored aspects of the persuaders’ problem: They can conceal their superior knowledge and take advantage of the audience’s ignorance, or they can surprise the audience with unexpected evidence. The paper examines how persuaders manage the audience’s beliefs when its paradigm can change, how they trade off concealing and surprising, and how they communicate. It shows when they surprise the audience as well as which parts of their knowledge they may conceal. The paper sheds light on how experts advise policymakers.
Mini-review: Prediction errors, attention and associative learning

Most modern theories of associative learning emphasize a critical role for prediction error (PE, the difference between received and expected events). One class of theories, exemplified by the Rescorla-Wagner (1972) model, asserts that PE determines the effectiveness of the reinforcer or unconditioned stimulus (US): surprising reinforcers are more effective than expected ones. A second class, represented by the Pearce-Hall (1980) model, argues that PE determines the associability of conditioned stimuli (CSs), the rate at which they may enter into new learning: the surprising delivery or omission of a reinforcer enhances subsequent processing of the CSs that were present when PE was induced. In this mini-review we describe evidence, mostly from our laboratory, for PE-induced changes in the associability of both CSs and USs, and the brain systems involved in the coding, storage and retrieval of these altered associability values. This evidence favors a number of modifications to behavioral models of how PE influences event processing, and suggests the involvement of widespread brain systems in animals' responses to PE.
Abstract 48: Age-associated Imbalance of Vasorin/TGF-β1 Signaling in VSMC Facilitates Collagen Production

Collagen deposition, a hallmark of arterial aging that resembles post-injury arterial restenosis, is perpetrated by angiotensin II (Ang II) signaling in arterial wall. Collagen aggregation at sites of arterial injury is regulated by the coordinated signaling of pro-fibrotic TGF-β1 and anti-fibrotic vasorin within VSMCs. The Ang II/TGF-β1/vasorin signaling relationship within VSMCs with aging, however, remains unknown. In vivo studies in old vs. young FXBN rats show that aortic transcription and translation of vasorin markedly decrease with aging. In vitro studies in VSMCs isolated from old vs. young aortae. Ang II-associated reduction of vasorin protein abundance in young VSMCs and age-associated changes in vasorin protein levels are reversed by the AT1 antagonist, Losartan (Los) (Figure). Dual immunolabeling and co-immunoprecipitation demonstrate that the co-incidence and physical interaction of vasorin and TGF-β1 within VSMCs are significantly decreased with aging. Importantly, exposure of young VSMCs to Ang II that increases p-SMAD2/3 and collagen type I production, mimicking old cells, and this effect is abolished or substantially mitigated by Los treatment, overexpression of ectopic vasorin, or exogenous recombinant human-vasorin protein. In contrast, exposure of old VSMCs to Los decreases p-SMAD2/3 and collagen type I production.Thus, an imbalance of the Ang II/TGF-β1/vasorin signaling cascade, a feature of the aged arterial wall, enhances the collagen production by VSMCs. Maintaining this signaling balance is a novel measure to retard adverse extracellular matrix remodeling, a determinant of arterial stiffening with aging. (MW and GP co-first authors)
The Question of Parthenogenesis in the Greater Wax Moth

Females of 3 strains of Galleria mellonella (L.) were obscene for oviposition and parthenogenesis. Virgin females produced Fewer eggs than mated females. No embryonic development was observed in eggs from virgin females, and no eggs hatched.
Combined Influence of Mulches and Transplanting on Earliness and Yield of Muskmelon, Cucumis Melo L.

SummaryAn investigation of the combined effect of mulching and transplanting muskmelons showed that transplanting increased early yield appreciably; mulching in conjunction with transplanting further increased earliness. Total yield also was increased by some treatments. Clear polyethylene (polythene), black polythene, and Kraft paper coated with clear polythene were evaluated as mulches on transplanted and field-seeded melons. Clear polythene generally induced greater early yields in field-seeded melons, but the response to black polythene, clear polythene and polythene-coated paper was comparable for transplanted melons. Waxed paper and aluminium foil also were tested as mulches for transplanted melons.
Continuous Flow Enzyme-Catalyzed Polymerization in a Microreactor

Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform these heterogeneous reactions in continuous mode, in organic media, and at elevated temperatures. Using microreactors, we achieved faster polymerization and higher molecular mass compared to using batch reactors. While this study focused on polymerization reactions, it is evident that similar microreactor based platforms can readily be extended to other enzyme-based systems, for example, high-throughput screening of new enzymes and to precision measurements of new processes where continuous flow mode is preferred. This is the first reported demonstration of a solid supported enzyme-catalyzed polymerization reaction in continuous mode.
Discussion on Status of National Health Foods and Its Problems

Objective To describe the status of the certification and circulation of the products for national health foods and discuss the influence factors of the sustainable development of national health foods.Method The numbers of major function items of national health foods were summarized and the production sales in industries were inspected by questionnaire.Results Improvements were made in both output and total sales of national health foods. The problems of the safety of raw materials were very serious, and the functions of national health foods were concentrated on a few functions and the relationship between effective contents and functions should be explored.Conclusion More attention should be paid on research of safety of raw materials and effective contents of national health foods.
AnyCore: A synthesizable RTL model for exploring and fabricating adaptive superscalar cores

Adaptive superscalar cores have the ability to dynamically adjust their execution resources to match the instruction-level parallelism (ILP) of different program phases. The goal of adaptivity is to maximize performance in as energy-efficient a manner as possible. This is achieved by disabling execution resources that contribute only marginally to performance for the code at hand. Researchers have proposed many adaptive features, including structures, superscalar width, and pipeline depth. The benefits of adaptivity are eroded by its circuit-level overheads. Unfortunately, circuit-level overheads cannot be effectively estimated or appreciated without a hardware design. To this end, we developed a register-transfer-level (RTL) design of a highly adaptive superscalar core, called AnyCore. AnyCore can be used to quantify logic overheads of an adaptive core with respect to fixed cores, synthesize and compare different adaptive cores, synthesize and compare an adaptive core to a multi-core comprised of multiple fixed core types, and fabricate adaptive superscalar cores. We provide examples of these use-cases.