cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drainage subsidence associated with Arctic permafrost degradation

[1] Arctic sources of greenhouse gas associated with permafrost degradation constitute a large uncertainty in existing climate models. Greenhouse gas release from the Arctic subsurface is mediated by numerous interconnected physical processes; one facet of these is the interplay between surface deformation and melting of subsurface ice. First, we construct analytic solutions describing fluid drainage and soil subsidence subsequent to thawing of a 1-D permafrost column. These solutions lead to formulas giving the total amount of subsidence as well as the time over which subsidence occurs. We give an example application of the analytic model to peat plateau degradation in the Canadian Hudson Bay Lowland and show that the degree of subsidence predicted from our model is consistent with recorded subsidence of peat in western Norway that was drained for cultivation purposes. Second, we numerically model an initially frozen, fluid-saturated, 2-D soil matrix with a thaw zone advancing from the surface downward. With the surface temperature fixed at 5°C, a thaw front propagates to ∼10 m depth within 20 years, and due primarily to drainage of fluid from the pore space, a region of soil depressed by ∼3 m forms above an initially ice-rich subsurface zone. Soil underlying this depressed zone may have its permeability reduced by between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude; this reduction in permeability can act as a negative feedback to thawing.
Identification of early apoptosis in Feulgen-stained cultured cells in situ by computerized image analysis

A method is presented in which Feulgen-stained apoptotic cells are identified among cultured cells in situ using computerized image analysis of their nuclei. Images of either control (untreated) human lymphoblastoid cell nuclei or of similar cells treated with 3mM methyl methanesulfonate for 1 h, which induces apoptosis in 100% of the cells, were converted to a standard size (80 × 80 pixels) and Fourier transforms and boundary images based on 21 proportional mean gray-level thresholds obtained. The perimeter and the mean fractal dimension of the latter and 39 selected coefficients of the former were then obtained from which data were chosen heuristically and subjected to multivariate linear discrimination analysis. Eighty-two percent of a teaching set of 50 nuclei and 69% of a test set of 29 nuclei were correctly identified as apoptotic versus nonapoptotic by the computer, compared with 57% identified correctly by a panel of 7 pathologists. This study shows the feasibility of using this type of analysis to directly identify apoptotic cells in culture, and probably also in tissues, by direct observation using computerized imaging technology. Cytometry 33:420–427, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Adverse Effects of Parents' School Selection Errors on Academic Achievement: Evidence from the Beijing Open Enrollment Program.

Abstract One major concern with public school open enrollment programs is the potential for parents’ school selection errors to adversely affect their children's academic achievement. In this study of the Beijing middle school open enrollment program, we estimate the degree to which children's school outcomes were negatively affected by the poor choices their parents made during the school selection process. We do this by examining parents’ responses to a survey on school choices combined with actual school applications, school admission records, and High School Entrance Examination test scores for 4717 students entering middle schools in Beijing via randomized lotteries. We find that the children of parents who made judgment errors in school selection were admitted to lower quality schools and achieved lower test scores on the High School Entrance Examination. Parents who had less education, whose children performed at lower levels in primary school, and who were less attentive to teachers’ opinions about schools were more prone to make these errors. Providing assistance to parents, especially those less prepared to make informed choices about school selection, is consequently important for supporting more efficient and equitable open enrollment programs.
Archaeological Investigations of a Lithic Reduction Activity Area, Herring Island (18 CE 146), Cecil County, Maryland

Salvage archaeological investigations at the Herring Island site revealed a major base camp dating to Middle Archaic—Late Woodland times. During the Late Archaic and Early Woodland periods there is...
Molecular Basis for Substrate Specificity of Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase 1B *

Protein-tyrosine phosphatases can exhibit stringent substrate specificity in vivo, although the molecular basis for this is not well understood. The three-dimensional structure of the catalytically inactive protein-tyrosine phosphate 1B (PTP1B)/C215S complexed with an optimal substrate, DADEpYL-NH2, reveals specific interactions between amino acid residues in the substrate and PTP1B. The goal of this work is to rigorously evaluate the functional significance of Tyr46, Arg47, Asp48, Phe182, and Gln262 in substrate binding and catalysis, using site-directed mutagenesis. Combined with structural information, kinetic analysis of the wild type and mutant PTP1B using p-nitrophenyl phosphate and phosphotyrosine-containing peptides has yielded further insight into PTP1B residues, which recognize general features, as well as specific properties, in peptide substrates. In addition, the kinetic results suggest roles of these residues in E-P hydrolysis, which are not obvious from the structure of PTP1B/peptide complex. Thus, Tyr46 and Asp48 recognize common features of peptide substrates and are important for peptide substrate binding and/or E-P formation. Arg47 acts as a determinant of substrate specificity and is responsible for the modest preference of PTP1B for acidic residues NH2-terminal to phosphotyrosine. Phe182 and the invariant Gln262 are not only important for substrate binding and/or E-P formation but also important for the E-P hydrolysis step.
A developmental model of maternal and child contributions to disruptive conduct: the first six years

Background: The parent–child relationship is considered important for children’s future conscience, and conscience is seen as protecting them from disruptive behavior problems, but specific mechanisms of this developmental process are rarely studied. Methods: This multi-trait multi-method study examined, in a longitudinal design, paths linking early maternal responsiveness to the child with the child’s future conscience and disruptive behavior in 102 mother–child dyads. We tested a conceptual model where maternal responsiveness to the child, observed at 7 and 15 months, engenders a responsive stance in the child, observed at 25 and 38 months; that stance, in turn, becomes enduring and generalized, promoting multiple aspects of the child’s conscience, observed at 52 months. In turn, conscience serves as a protective factor from disruptive behavior problems, rated by mothers and fathers at 67 months. Results: The postulated paths were examined using sequential regressions and mediation effects were tested using bootstrapping analyses. Child responsive stance at 25–38 months fully mediated the link between maternal responsiveness in infancy and conscience at 52 months, and conscience fully mediated the link between child responsive stance and future disruptive behavior at 67 months. Conclusions: Examination of developmental links among early maternal behavior, the child’s responsive stance toward the mother, conscience, and disruptive behavior is a promising step toward elucidating mechanisms of children’s adaptive and maladaptive trajectories.
Development of Robust Control Algorithms for Shape Memory Alloy Bending Actuators

In this paper, we present a systematic approach to developing robust control algorithms for a single-tendon shape memory alloy (SMA) bending actuator. Parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification are accomplished using Bayesian techniques. Specifically, we utilize Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to estimate parameter uncertainty. The Bayesian parameter estimation results are used to construct a sliding mode control (SMC) algorithm where the bounds on uncertainty are used to guarantee controller robustness. The sliding mode controller utilizes the homogenized energy model (HEM) for SMA. The inverse HEM compensates for hysteresis and converts a reference bending angle to a reference temperature. Temperature in the SMA actuator is estimated using an observer, and the sliding mode controller ensures that the observer temperature tracks the reference temperature. The SMC is augmented with proportional-integral (PI) control on the bending angle error.© 2012 ASME
BRANCHIAL WATER MOVEMENT IN THE GRAPSID CRAB SESARMA RETICULATUM SAY

Dehydrated Sesarma reticulatum first "test" water with their setose pereopods before immersing themselves in it. Water is then conducted from the substrate to the branchial chamber by capillary action of closely spaced plumed setae at the bases of pereopods 1-5. In contrast to the case of the ocypodid crabs Ocypode and Uca, there is no negative pressure in the branchial chamber to assist in water uptake. Branchial water flows out of the mouth primarily across the pterygostomial region of the branchiostegite where geniculate setae and pairs of cuticular ridges are present. The face of each ridge is covered by a thin cuticle beneath which is a pore opening to the spongy vascular epithelium of the dorsal branchial chamber. Staining with reduced methylene blue suggests that some gas exchange may occur across the cuticular ridges and that the spongy vascular epithelium may act as a lung. Stout comb setae on the medial surface of the cheliped clean the geniculate setae of the pterygostomial region. The morphology of the cuticular terraces of the lateral, dorsal surface of the carapace and the setae and ridges of the branchiostegal region both aid in returning water to the branchial
Kidins220/ARMS depletion is associated with the neural-to Schwann-like transition in a human neuroblastoma cell line model.

Abstract Peripheral neuroblastic tumors exist as a heterogeneous mixture of neuroblastic (N-type) cells and Schwannian stromal (S-type) cells. These stromal cells not only represent a differentiated and less aggressive fraction of the tumor, but also have properties that can influence the further differentiation of nearby malignant cells. In vitro neuroblastoma cultures exhibit similar heterogeneity with N-type and S-type cells representing the neuroblastic and stromal portions of the tumor, respectively, in behavior, morphology, and molecular expression patterns. In this study, we deplete kinase D-interacting substrate of 220 kD (Kidins220) with an shRNA construct and thereby cause morphologic transition of the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line from N-type to S-type. The resulting cells have similar morphology and expression profile to SH-EP1 cells, a native S-type cell line from the same parent cell line, and to SH-SY5Y cells treated with BrdU, a treatment that induces S-type morphology. Specifically, both Kidins220-deficient SH-SY5Y cells and native SH-EP1 cells demonstrate down-regulation of the genes DCX and STMN2, markers for the neuronal lineage. We further show that Kidins220, DCX and STMN2 are co-down-regulated in cells of S-type morphology generated by methods other than Kidins220 depletion. Finally, we report that the association of low Kidins220 expression with S-type morphology and low DCX and STMN2 expression is demonstrated in spontaneously occurring human peripheral neuroblastic tumors. We propose that Kidins220 is critical in N- to S-type transition of neural crest tumor cells.
Carbanion-accelerated Claisen rearrangements 5. Studies on stereocontrol with phosphorus-stabilized anions

Abstract The allyl vinyl ethers 1 undergo facile and highly diastereoselective carbanionic Claisen rearrangements. The selectivity of the reaction depends on the counterion and the size of the group on the 1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinane nitrogen atom. The origin of the high selectivity is discussed.
Magnetic and transport properties of single-crystal R2Cu2In (R=Gd–Tm, Lu)

Abstract Magnetic and transport properties of the heavy-rare-earth-containing series of compounds R 2 Cu 2 In (R=Gd–Lu, excepting Yb) are presented for the first time. Measurements were made using single-crystal samples grown via a self-flux technique. The magnetic rare-earth compounds all order ferromagnetically. Ordering temperatures vary between 26.7 (R=Ho) and 85.5 K (R=Gd), but strong crystal electric field anisotropies result in T C values that do not scale with the de Gennes factor of the rare earths. The compound Dy 2 Cu 2 In shows clear evidence of a second phase transition at a lower temperature than T C =45.5 K to an antiferromagnetic ground state at T N =22.0 K.
Application of a stereospecific RhCl(PPh3)3 decarbonylation reaction for the total synthesis of 7 - (± ) -deoxypancratistatin

Abstract A highly efficient total synthesis of 7-deoxypancratistatin is described. The synthesis features the ready preparation of the phenanthridone skeleton by a Stille-IMDAF cycloaddition cascade. The resulting cycloadduct is converted into a key aldehydic intermediate, which is then induced to undergo a stereospecific decarbonylation reaction using Wilkinson’s catalyst to set the trans B–C ring junction of the target molecule.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with primary raynaud's phenomenon

Pregnancy outcomes were assessed in 67 women who had well-defined primary Raynaud's phenomenon and in 30 controls, each of whom had been pregnant at least once. Twenty-seven patients had onset of Raynaud's phenomenon prior to any pregnancy, and 37 patients had onset of Raynaud's phenomenon after their last pregnancy. The frequency of miscarriage, stillbirth, and small full-term infants was similar in all 3 study groups. Among the 4 Raynaud's phenomenon patients who had second-trimester miscarriages, 2 of 3 who were tested had moderately positive levels of IgG or IgM anticardiolipin antibody. Premature births were significantly more common in pregnancies that occurred after the onset of Raynaud's phenomenon (24%) than in pregnancies that occurred prior to the onset of Raynaud's phenomenon or in pregnancies among control subjects (9% and 1%, respectively). In addition, the mean weight of the full-term babies of women in both Raynaud's phenomenon groups was significantly less than that of babies born to controls. There were no neonatal deaths or other serious adverse outcomes. These findings may represent yet another manifestation of systemic vasospasm in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon.
Hypogonadism Following Long-term Treatment with Diethylstilbestrol

ABSTRACT The authors describe the abnormalities of gonadal function developing in a patient with prostate cancer who had received estrogen therapy continuously for 6 years. The pretreatment prostate biopsy showed well developed acini consistent with normal androgenization and adenocarcinoma. Twelve years later, 6 years after discontinuation of estrogen treatment, the patient presented with severe hypogonadism, gynecomastia, and primary hypothyroidism. Testicular biopsies showed ghosts of seminiferous tubules with absence of Leydig eells, and prostatic biopsies showed atrophic acini without evidence of malignancy. Despite undetectable serum testosterone levels, serum gonadotropins were inappropriately normal and responded minimally to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) administration. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine did not correct gonadal dysfunction. Thus, prolonged estrogen therapy may result in irreversible testicular destruction and loss of the feedback response of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis.
A PSAM-Based Estimator of Noise and Fading Statistics for Optimum Receivers of Free Space Optics Signals

Incoherent receivers of Free Space Optical (FSO) signals have no knowledge of instantaneous channel state. Thus, the receiver requires some information about the noise and fading statistics for a maximum likelihood (ML)-based optimal detection. Using pilot-aided symbols, we develop a simple multi slot averaging (MSA) estimation technique to approximate the values of parameters required at the incoherent detector. No channel state information (CSI) is available at the receiver side and this work will not be also trying to estimate it. But the estimation of noise and fading statistics will be practically investigated. We evaluate the bit error rate (BER) performance of FSO links with MSA estimation over both Gaussian and lognormal atmospheric turbulence fading (scintillation) channels. Numerical simulation will be completed to evaluate the estimation error of the MSA estimator. We will see that at signal to noise ratio (SNR)=13dB, the performance loss of the Gaussian estimator improves from 3dB to 0.4dB when we increase the number of pilot symbols from 16 to 64. This paper also presents the hardware design of the estimator using Xilinx system generator.
Information and the Cost of Capital

We investigate the role of information in affecting a firm's cost of capital. Using a multi-asset rational expectations model, we show that differences in the composition of information between public and private information affect the cost of capital, with investors demanding a higher return to hold stocks with greater private information. This higher return arises because informed investors are better able to shift their portfolio weights to incorporate new information, and uninformed investors are thus disadvantaged. The model demonstrates how in equilibrium the quantity and quality of information affect asset prices, resulting in cross-sectional differences in firms' required returns. We show how a firm can influence its cost of capital by choosing features like accounting treatments, financial analyst coverage, and market microstructure.
Amine permeation sources characterized with acid neutralization and sensitivities of an amine mass spectrometer

Abstract. An acid titration method for quantifying amine permeation rates was used to calibrate an Ambient pressure Proton transfer Mass Spectrometer (AmPMS) that monitors ambient amine compounds. The method involves capturing amines entrained in a N2 flow by bubbling it through an acidified solution (~10−5 M HCl), and the amines are quantified via changes in solution pH with time. Home-made permeation tubes had permeation rates (typically tens of pmol s−1) that depended on the type of amine and tubing and on temperature. Calibrations of AmPMS yielded sensitivities for ammonia, methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine that are close to the sensitivity assuming a gas-kinetic, ion-molecule rate coefficient. The permeation tubes were also designed to deliver a reproducible amount of amine to a flow reactor where nucleation with sulfuric acid was studied. The high proton affinity compound dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), linked to oceanic environments, was also studied and AmPMS is highly sensitive to it. AmPMS was deployed recently in two field campaigns and, using these sensitivities, mixing ratios for ammonia and the alkyl amines are derived from the signals. Correlations between these species and with particle formation events are discussed.
Empiric antimicrobial therapy for bacteremia: get it right from the start or get a call from infectious disease.

The difficulty in reporting microbiologic data has always been how to transfer this information to the treating physician in a timely fashion to optimize patient care. Exactly how to achieve this data transfer has always been problematic. The physician is not always informed of the preliminary microbiologic reports of blood culture data, particularly Gram stain results, even if reported to the ward or chart. Furthermore, the treating physician does not always interpret Gram stain information correctly or is often unable to relate Gram stain results to the clinical scenario [1-5]. The indication of "gram-positive cocci" in blood culture reports represents isolated information that, by itself, is unhelpful. If there are gram-positive cocci in blood cultures, the arrangement of the organisms must be stated (i.e., whether the grampositive cocci are arranged in pairs, chains, or clusters), which helps enormously. Additional helpful information includes the times between when blood culture samples were drawn and when blood culture results were determined to be positive. How many blood culture results are pos-
Chlorotrifluoroethylene oligomer based nonflammable hydraulic fluid. 1 Fluid, additive, and elastomer development

A chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) based nonflammable hydraulic fluid for use in the −54 °C to 175 °C temperature range has been developed for use in future aircraft and armoured land vehicles to reduce fire losses and improve survivability. The desired flammability, chemical, and physical properties of a non- flammable hydraulic fluid were defined in the 1970s and extensive screening tests were performed to determine the best candidate nonflammable hydraulic fluid basestock. CTFE was selected because it had the best overall properties of all the candidates investigated. Structurelproperty correlation studies were conducted better to understand the behaviour capabilities and limitations of the CTFE basestock. Extensive research and development have been per- formed to develop soluble, effective antiwear and antirust additives to improve some of the critical properties of CTFE. A successful formulation utilising a stabilised zinc, containing corrosion inhibitor and a sulphonamide antiwear additive, has been developed which meets all temperature, lubricity, compatibility, and thermal stability requirements. Research was concurrently conducted to develop elastomers and seals compatible with the CTFE fluid. Several materials have been developed which are usable in somewhat limited applications and Viton GLT has been found to be successful for wide temperature range applications. This paper also discusses toxicity studies and results, environmental effects, future plans and applications, and the current military specification, MIL-H-53119.
Whites Excrete a Water Load More Rapidly Than Blacks

A recent report demonstrated a racial difference in response to furosemide compatible with increased ion reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle in blacks. Urinary dilution is another function of the loop-diuretic–sensitive Na,K,2Cl cotransporter in the thick ascending limb, and racial differences in urinary diluting capacity have not been reported previously. We assessed diluting segment (cortical thick ascending limb and distal convoluted tubule) function in black and white normotensives in 2 studies using a water-loading approach. In both studies, we found that whites excreted a water load more rapidly than blacks. In the first study, the final free water clearance rates (mean±SD) were 7.3±4.7 mL/min in whites (n=17, 7 females and 10 males) and 3.8±3.6 mL/min in blacks (n=14, 9 females and 5 males; P P
Knowledge-based production management approaches, results and prospects

Abstract Over the past decade, a large (and continually increasing) number of efforts (both research and development) have sought to investigate and exploit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) concepts and techniques in production management applications. In some cases, AI-based concepts have provided frameworks for making traditional operations research (OR) techniques more accessible and usable in practical production management settings. In others, novel concepts and techniques have been developed that offer new opportunities for more cost-effective factory performance. While this field of ‘knowledge-based’ production management is still fairly young and the literature is still dominated by experimental research systems, results are nonetheless starting to have an impact in actual production environments. In recent years, several systems have made their way into operation, and many have been attributed with substantial manufacturing performance gains. In this paper, we provide an overview of resear...
PREDICTING COMMUTE TIME OF NON-WORKERS IN THE CONTEXT OF WELFARE REFORM

Within the context of recent welfare reform efforts, researchers have examined strategies for attracting jobs to inner cities, dispersing inner city residents to suburban job-growth areas, and creating transportation connections between inner cities and suburban job-growth areas. However, little has been done to estimate the extent of potential commute of non-workers who are expected to become active workers as a result of welfare reform. This paper attempts to predict the extent of non-workers' commute by using modeling techniques employed in labor economics. Data from the 1995 U.S. Nationwide Transportation Survey is employed. Conforming to theoretical premises and logical expectations, the author estimates that mean commute time of non-workers is likely to be substantially lower than those currently working. Policy implications of the empirical findings are discussed.
Students go to court: Experiential learning about domestic violence

A unique educational module focused on domestic violence was developed at a large southeastern university to prepare nurses to deal with the complexities of family violence. This module included experiential learning to capture the full impact of violence, desensitize students to the “stories” of violence, and encourage maturity as the students developed wisdom beyond classroom knowledge. The goals were for students to recognize violence as significant, pervasive, and a long-term problem affecting health, safety, and well-being and to learn interventions appropriate for victims and perpetrators. Data from four semesters indicated a significant increase in knowledge about domestic violence and resources, decreased anxiety, increased confidence, and improvement in communication and assessment skills.
An Efficient Hardware Support for Control Data Validation

Software-based, fine-grain control flow integrity (CFI) validation technique has been proposed to enforce control flow integrity of program execution. By validating every indirect branch instruction, it can prevent various control flow attacks, but at the cost of non-trivial overhead: up to 50% and on average 21% as reported in a case study. We propose a new hardware mechanism to accelerate the CFI validation. It utilizes the branch prediction unit of modern processors to reduce the frequency of necessary validation, and proposes to use a small hardware structure called indirect branch filter cache (IBF cache) to further reduce the frequency of validation. The small IBF cache buffers and reuses previous validation results, which dramatically reduces the frequency of validation for all workloads we have studied. We collect the trace of indirect branch of various workloads on an Intel P4 computer and conduct trace-based simulation to estimate the performance overhead. Our results show that the overhead is negligible for all SPEC CPU2000int, SPEC CPU2006intprograms, TPC-C, WebStone and FTP server benchmarks.
History of Speech Spectrum Analysis

This chapter traces the history of sound (and in particular, speech) spectrum analysis from its very beginnings in the theory developed by Fourier in the early 1800s. A particular goal of this historical outline is to describe not just the events and developments through the years, but also the beliefs and attitudes of scientists as these changed with the development of a better understanding. Some of the scientists whose work is discussed here are still widely known and cited, while others’ contributions have been unjustly forgotten. With this chapter, I also hope to straighten out the historical record in this respect, giving all due credit to those pioneers who uncovered many facts about speech spectra that are now taken for granted.
Finite Element Model Tuning with 3D Mode Shapes from FalconSAT-5

The US Air Force Academy constructed the second of two structural engineering models of FalconSAT-5 (FS-5) to validate design modifications resulting from a change in payload requirements. Accurate predictions of the dynamic responses of space launch payloads are required by launch vehicle integrators, but not achieved easily. The goal of this research effort is to develop a process for extensive modal testing and finite element (FE) model tuning to create a finite element model whose dynamic response closely matches the measured response of FS-5. The first step in the process involves measuring and tuning models of the satellite structure panels individually. In tuning the structural panels, material stiffness is the major design variable. The tuned panel FE models are integrated into the full satellite model which is then tuned, where the spring constants of panel connection elemetns are the primary tuning variables. The first eight modes of each side panel, six modes of the top panel, and five modes of the base panel were tuned with eigenvalues matching measured natural frequencies within 2%. Next, the first five modes ranging through 154 Hz were tuned on the full satellite FE model. Predicted natural frequencies were within 3% of measured values for most cases and modes. Modal assurance criterion values comparing tuned FE model eigenvectors and measured mode shapes decreased with increasing numbers of modes tuned, but remained above 0.75 through tuning five modes.
Restrained eating and risk of gaining weight and body fat in middle-aged women: a 3-year prospective study.

Abstract Purpose. Examine the extent to which restrained eating (RE) and changes in RE influence the risk of weight and fat gain over 36 months in women. design. Prospective cohort. setting. Several communities. subjects. Baseline and follow-up assessments were completed by 192 middle-aged women (ages 40.0 ± 3 years). measures. Body weight was measured with an electronic scale, body fat (BF) was assessed using the Bod Pod, energy intake was evaluated using 7-day weighed food records, physical activity was measured objectively using accelerometers, and RE was indexed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. analysis. Relative risk (RR) was calculated using incidence data. results. The risk of weight gain (≥1 kg) over the 36 months was 69% greater in women who did not increase in RE compared with their counterparts (RR = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–2.52). The risk of substantial weight gain (≥3 kg) was 138% greater in women who did not increase in RE compared with women who did (RR ...
Segmentation of multiple salient closed contours from real images

Using a saliency measure based on the global property of contour closure, we have developed a segmentation method which identifies smooth closed contours bounding objects of unknown shape in real images. The saliency measure incorporates the Gestalt principles of proximity and good continuity that previous methods have also exploited. Unlike previous methods, we incorporate contour closure by finding the eigenvector with the largest positive real eigenvalue of a transition matrix for a Markov process where edges from the image serve as states. Element (i, j) of the transition matrix is the conditional probability that a contour which contains edge j will also contain edge i. We show how the saliency measure, defined for individual edges, can be used to derive a saliency relation, defined for pairs of edges, and further show that strongly-connected components of the graph representing the saliency relation correspond to smooth closed contours in the image. Finally, we report for the first time, results on large real images for which segmentation takes an average of about 10 seconds per object on a general-purpose workstation.
Caught in the act: the impact of audience on the neural response to morally and socially inappropriate behavior.

We examined the impact of witnesses on the neural response to moral and social transgressions using fMRI. In this study, participants (N=16) read short vignettes describing moral and social transgressions in the presence or absence of an audience. In line with our hypothesis, ventrolateral (BA 47) and dorsomedial (BA 8) frontal cortex showed increased BOLD responses to moral transgressions regardless of audience and to social transgressions in the presence of an audience relative to neutral situations. These findings are consistent with the suggestion that these regions of prefrontal cortex modify behavioral responses in response to social cues. Greater activity was observed in left temporal-parietal junction, medial prefrontal cortex and temporal poles to moral and to a lesser extent social transgressions relative to neutral stories, regardless of audience. These regions have been implicated in the representation of the mental states of others (Theory of Mind). The presence of an audience was associated with increased left amygdala activity across all conditions. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Warfarin Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate a clinical practice model that addresses special needs for managing anticoagulation in a community-dwelling elderly population with atrial fibrillation and high risk of stroke.METHODS:Medical records of 18 patients (mean age 82 y) followed by the Geriatric Ambulatory Program over 2 years, with a target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.0–3.0, were reviewed. Risk factors for stroke, number and results of INR tests, suspected reasons for suboptimal response, and adverse events were analyzed. Patients were defined as having cognitive impairment if they had a Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam score ≤26. Functional impairment was defined by ≥2 disabilities in activities of daily living.RESULTS:Eighty-three percent (15/18) had ≥2 additional stroke risk factors. Fifty-one percent (273/541) of INR responses were therapeutic. Female gender (p = 0.015) and cognitive (p = 0.019) and functional impairment (p = 0.001) were associated with supratherapeutic INR response. All patients with cog...
Optimality of semiquantum nonlocality in the presence of high inconclusive rates

Quantum nonlocality is a counterintuitive phenomenon that lies beyond the purview of causal influences. Recently, Bell inequalities have been generalized to the case of quantum inputs, leading to a powerful family of semiquantum Bell inequalities that are capable of detecting any entangled state. Here, we focus on a different problem and investigate how the local indistinguishability of quantum inputs and postselection may affect the requirements to detect semiquantum nonlocality. To this end, we consider a semiquantum nonlocal game based on locally indistinguishable qubit inputs, and derive its postselected local and quantum bounds by using a connection to the local distinguishability of quantum states. Interestingly, we find that the postselected local bound is independent of the measurement efficiency, and the achievable postselected Bell violation increases with decreasing measurement efficiency.
Image Guided Hypofractionated Postprostatectomy Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Purpose Hypofractionated radiation therapy (RT) has promising long-term biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) with comparable toxicity for definitive treatment of prostate cancer. However, data reporting outcomes after adjuvant and salvage postprostatectomy hypofractionated RT are sparse. Therefore, we report the toxicity and clinical outcomes after postprostatectomy hypofractionated RT. Methods and Materials From a prospectively maintained database, men receiving image guided hypofractionated intensity modulated RT (HIMRT) with 2.5-Gy fractions constituted our study population. Androgen deprivation therapy was used at the discretion of the radiation oncologist. Acute toxicities were graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Late toxicities were scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scale. Biochemical recurrence was defined as an increase of 0.1 in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from posttreatment nadir or an increase in PSA despite treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the time-to-event outcomes. Results Between April 2008 and April 2012, 56 men received postoperative HIMRT. The median follow-up time was 48 months (range, 21-67 months). Thirty percent had pre-RT PSA Conclusions The biochemical control in this series appears promising, although relatively short follow-up may lead to overestimation. Late grade 3 GU toxicity was higher than anticipated with hypofractionated radiation of 65 Gy to the prostate bed, although most resolved.
Effects of gonadectomy on sexually dimorphic antidiuretic action of vasopressin in conscious rats

The present study examined whether the antidiuretic response to vasopressin is affected by the estrous cycle and by gonadectomy in conscious, chronically instrumented hydrated rats. Infusion of vasopressin (10-100 pg.min-1.kg body wt-1) resulted in a dose-dependent antidiuresis. Urine volume and free water clearance decreased and urinary osmolality increased with no significant changes in mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, osmolar clearance, and urinary sodium and potassium excretion. The antidiuretic response to vasopressin was significantly greater in intact male and estrous female rats than in intact female rats in the other phases of the estrous cycle. Thus the calculated doses of vasopressin to reduce urine flow and free water clearance, as well as to increase urinary osmolality 50% from their control values, were significantly higher in nonestrous females than in males and estrous females. Gonadectomy was without effect on the antidiuretic potency of vasopressin in males, but in gonadectomized females the antidiuretic response to vasopressin was enhanced to a level similar to that observed in intact males. These data indicate that the antidiuretic activity of vasopressin is affected not only by gender but also by phase of the estrous cycle and that the ovarian hormone(s) may modulate the antidiuretic action of vasopressin.
Zielgerichtete Krebstherapien: Nebenwirkungen lindern

Die neuen zielgerichteten Krebstherapien — Targeted Therapies — sind speziell auf die biologischen und zytologischen Eigenarten des Tumorgewebes gerichtet. Verschiedene Funktionen einer Zelle werden durch sie blockiert oder manipuliert und der Zelltod dadurch eingeleitet. Aber: Targeted Therapies sind auch mit neuartigen Nebenwirkungen verbunden.
Initial performance results from the upgraded OMEGA laser

The goal of inertial-confinement-fusion (ICF) research at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is to validate high-performance direct-drive fusion capsules as a part of the U.S. strategy toward demonstrating ignition and modest gain in the laboratory. The upgraded OMEGA laser system will be the primary tool for this research and will be used to address five key issues associated with ICF capsule implosions: (i) irradiation uniformity, (ii) energy coupling and transport, (iii) hydrodynamic- stability constraints, (iv) hot-spot physics, and (v) main-fuel-layer physics.
The Effects Of Hindsight Bias On Auditors Confidence In Going-Concern Judgments And On The Audit Opinion Decision

This paper examines the extent to which hindsight bias influences auditors confidence in their going-concern judgments and the resulting audit opinion decision. According to auditing standards, auditors are required to determine if substantial doubt exists regarding an audit clients likelihood of continuing as a going concern for one year from the date of the financial statements being audited. If substantial doubt does exist, an unqualified opinion modified with an explanatory paragraph describing the going-concern issue is required. Prior research indicates that auditors are prone to hindsight bias when making going-concern judgments. Hindsight bias is the tendency for individuals who have been provided the outcome of an event to overstate their abilities to have predicted that outcome in foresight. Prior research assumes that the presence of hindsight bias creates overconfidence and that this overconfidence will influence the audit opinion decision and will adversely affect the accuracy of subsequent probability judgments made in foresight. This assumption has never been tested, however, and non-hindsight studies found in the confidence literature suggest that the assumption might not hold true for experienced professionals, such as auditors. Using an experimental methodology, this study finds that auditors are prone to hindsight bias, but finds no evidence that this bias leads auditors to be overconfident in their going-concern judgments, nor does the bias influence their opinion decisions.
Temperley–Lieb algebra approach to Catalan states of generalized crossing and lattice crossing

Using algebraic approach, we show which elements of a basis (in the reduced form) of Temperley–Lieb algebra can be obtained as Kauffman states of lattice crossing and generalized crossing. In addition, we give an algorithm for finding them and we obtain further results concerning coefficients of the Catalan states that can be obtained as Kauffman states of m × 2 lattice crossing.
The Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Task Type on Malevolent Creativity

Malevolent creativity (MC), or intending to inflict harm in original ways, is an aspect of creativity that has received little empirical attention. It reasons that generating malevolently creative products in response to a problem is dependent upon individual differences and environmental factors, especially with regard to the social and emotional content of a particular problem. A personality variable strongly associated with how individuals acknowledge and respond to such social and emotional content is emotional intelligence (EI). Individuals with higher EI often solve problems in cooperative, beneficial, and positive ways, which seems contrary to solving a problem with MC. In addition to testing whether EI is negatively related to MC in general, we analyzed whether that negative relationship would persist even after controlling for cognitive ability and task effects. Those questions were examined across two studies. Results suggest that individuals with lower EI are more likely to respond to different types of problems with increased instances of MC even when the social or emotional content of those problems are factored out. The implications and limitations of these studies, as well as future directions for the study of MC, are discussed.
Weak Galerkin finite element methods for elliptic PDEs

The weak Galerkin finite element method (WG) is a newly developed and efficient numerical technique for solving partial differential equations (PDEs). The central idea of WG is to interprete partial differential operators as generalized distributions, called weak differential operators, over the space of discontinuous functions including boundary information. The weak differential operators are further discretized and applied to the corresponding variational formulations of the underlying PDEs. This paper introduces the basic principle and the theoretical foundation for the WG method by using the second order elliptic equation. The WG method is further applied to several other model equations, such as the Stokes, biharmonic, and Maxwell equations to demonstrate its power and efficiency as an emerging new numerical method. The main strengths of the WG method are: (1) the finite element partition can be of polytopal type; (2) the global stiffness matrix can be assembled by adding up local stiffness matrices; (3) the weak finite element space is easy to construct with any given stability and approximation requirement; and (4) the WG schemes can be hybridized so that some unknowns associated with the interior of each element can be locally eliminated, yielding a system of linear equations involving much less number of unknowns than what it appears.
‘Smash the Myth of the Fascist Rocket Baron’: East German Attacks on Wernher von Braun in the 1960s

After launching the first American satellite in early 1958, Wernher von Braun was feted as a space hero in the West, but stimulated a Stasi investigation into his Nazi past in East Germany. Beginning in 1962, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) launched a campaign to undermine him, leading to the publication of Das Geheimnis von Huntsville by Julius Mader in 1963, which received wide Soviet bloc distribution, but was largely ignored elsewhere. This chapter explores the reasons for the ultimate failure of the GDR campaign outside the Soviet bloc. As a result, the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp story remained largely unknown until the US declassification of damaging information about von Braun and the German rocketeers in 1984.
The Matrix Protein of Nipah Virus Targets the E3-Ubiquitin Ligase TRIM6 to Inhibit the IKKε Kinase-Mediated Type-I IFN Antiviral Response.

For efficient replication, viruses have developed mechanisms to evade innate immune responses, including the antiviral type-I interferon (IFN-I) system. Nipah virus (NiV), a highly pathogenic member of the Paramyxoviridae family (genus Henipavirus), is known to encode for four P gene-derived viral proteins (P/C/W/V) with IFN-I antagonist functions. Here we report that NiV matrix protein (NiV-M), which is important for virus assembly and budding, can also inhibit IFN-I responses. IFN-I production requires activation of multiple signaling components including the IκB kinase epsilon (IKKe). We previously showed that the E3-ubiquitin ligase TRIM6 catalyzes the synthesis of unanchored K48-linked polyubiquitin chains, which are not covalently attached to any protein, and activate IKKe for induction of IFN-I mediated antiviral responses. Using co-immunoprecipitation assays and confocal microscopy we show here that the NiV-M protein interacts with TRIM6 and promotes TRIM6 degradation. Consequently, NiV-M expression results in reduced levels of unanchored K48-linked polyubiquitin chains associated with IKKe leading to impaired IKKe oligomerization, IKKe autophosphorylation and reduced IFN-mediated responses. This IFN antagonist function of NiV-M requires a conserved lysine residue (K258) in the bipartite nuclear localization signal that is found in divergent henipaviruses. Consistent with this, the matrix proteins of Ghana, Hendra and Cedar viruses were also able to inhibit IFNβ induction. Live NiV infection, but not a recombinant NiV lacking the M protein, reduced the levels of endogenous TRIM6 protein expression. To our knowledge, matrix proteins of paramyxoviruses have never been reported to be involved in innate immune antagonism. We report here a novel mechanism of viral innate immune evasion by targeting TRIM6, IKKe and unanchored polyubiquitin chains. These findings expand the universe of viral IFN antagonism strategies and provide a new potential target for development of therapeutic interventions against NiV infections.
Lipidic Cubic Phase Technologies for Structural Studies of Membrane Proteins

Lipidic cubic phase (LCP) is a gel-like liquid crystalline membrane-mimetic matrix. It has been successfully used to stabilize and crystallize challenging membrane proteins, such as G protein-coupled receptors, the structure of which is often difficult to obtain by other methods. Despite many advantages, the LCP crystallization method has not been widely adopted because of difficulties associated with handling highly viscous LCP material. Recent advances in the development of tools and instruments for LCP crystallization are aimed at facilitating the research in this area and to help structural biologists in integrating these technologies in their working routine.