cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient flow-control algorithm cooperating with energy allocation scheme for solar-powered WSNs

Recently, solar energy emerged as a feasible supplement to battery power for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which are expected to operate for long periods. Since solar energy can be harvested periodically and permanently, solar-powered WSNs can use the energy more efficiently for various network-wide performances than traditional battery-based WSNs of which aim is mostly to minimize the energy consumption for extending the network lifetime. However, using solar power in WSNs requires a different energy management from battery-based WSNs since solar power is a highly varying energy supply. Therefore, firstly we describe a time-slot-based energy allocation scheme to use the solar energy optimally, based on expectation model for harvested solar energy. Then, we propose a flow-control algorithm to maximize the amount of data collected by the network, which cooperates with our energy allocation scheme. Our algorithms run on each node in a distributed manner using only local information of its neighbors, which is a suitable approach for scalable WSNs. We implement indoor and outdoor testbeds of solar-powered WSN and demonstrate the efficiency of our approaches on them. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Translocation of Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, and Zinc in Tomato

Tomato plants in solution culture were treated with 0 to 50 mum Mn, Co, or Zn in the presence of 5 mum Fe. Stem exudates were analyzed to determine quantities and forms of the metals translocated.Mn had no effect on exudate volume. Co and Zn at 5 mum and above depressed exudate volumes. Nutrient Mn was concentrated 2 to 5 times in the exudates. Co and Zn concentrations were between 1 and 3.Tomato roots treated with 0 to 10 mum Mn released into the exudate an average of 29% of the Fe they absorbed. They released 21% of the absorbed Fe when treated with 50 mum Mn. On 50 mum Co or Zn, the roots released only about 1% of the absorbed Fe.The exudates contained 12 to 47 mum citrate, which was usually considerably in excess of Fe. Electrophoresis of exudate revealed Fe as the only metal in anionic form. Mn, Co, and Zn migrated as cations.The concentration of Ca was >3 mm and Mg >1.5 mm in the exudates. Estimates based on metal-citrate equilibrium constants and constants of metal displacement caused by Ca and Mg confirmed that Mn, Co, and Zn were transported predominantly as inorganic cations in the stem exudates.
Reaction of House Prices to a New Rapid Transit Line: Chicago's Midway Line, 1983–1999

This study examines the effect of the new rapid transit line from downtown Chicago to Midway Airport on single-family house prices before and after the opening of the line. The results show that the housing market anticipated the opening of the line. House prices were being affected by proximity to the stations in the late 1980s and early 1990s—after the plans for the line were well known. The difference between the increase in the value of homes within the sample area as compared with properties farther away from the new transit stations was approximately $216 million between 1986 and 1999.
Stretching submicron biomolecules with constant-force axial optical tweezers.

Optical tweezers have become powerful tools to manipulate biomolecular systems, but are increasingly difficult to use when the size of the molecules is <1 μm. Many important biological structures and processes, however, occur on the submicron length scale. Therefore, we developed and characterized an optical manipulation protocol that makes this length scale accessible by stretching the molecule in the axial direction of the laser beam, thus avoiding limiting artifacts from steric hindrances from the microscope coverslip and other surface effects. The molecule is held under constant mechanical tension by a combination of optical gradient forces and backscattering forces, eliminating the need for electronic feedback. We demonstrate the utility of this method through a measurement of the force-extension relationship of a 1298 bp ds-DNA molecule.
Effect of declining renal function on bone density in aging women

The factors that are responsible for trabecular bone loss in aging women are not completely understood. To evaluate declining renal function as a possible factor, we studied 19 Caucasian women (average age 67) who were from 6 to 41 years postmenopausal. Trabecular bone density was quantitated by computerized tomography of the spine. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and creatinine were normal in all subjects. Creatinine clearance averaged 74 ml/min (range 38-122), decreased with age (r = -0.60, P = 0.003), and was inversely related to serum creatinine (r = -0.51, P = 0.01). Bivariate regression demonstrated that bone density decreased with age (r = -0.59, P = 0.004); controlling for the effect of creatinine clearance weakened this correlation to r = -0.45 (P = 0.03); controlling additionally for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and parathyroid hormone (PTH) reduced the correlation coefficient to r = -0.34 (P = 0.11). Bone density also decreased in direct proportion to the decrement in creatinine clearance (r = 0.44, P = 0.03); controlling for the effects of 1,25(OH)2D and PTH reduced this correlation coefficient to r = 0.34 (P = 0.11). These results suggest that occult renal insufficiency may contribute to bone loss in aging women, and that this effect may be mediated in part by 1,25(OH)2D and PTH. In this age group renal function should be assessed by measuring creatinine clearance rather than the serum creatinine concentration since renal insufficiency can be masked by apparently normal circulating creatinine levels.
A Re-Examination of Piper's Shape Analysis Technique

An image shape analysis technique which measured the angles between adjacent vectors on the image edge was previously proposed by Piper, but the accompanying data was scant. This method is shown to have great promise when applied to several images obtained using a video camera with a computer. Better data representation is obtained using a single plot of the average measured angle at each step length versus the step length. Both scale and degree of maximum roughness are immediately evident on this plot. The measured angles may be corrected to remove image circularity effects from the angles, in which case some macroscopic shape effect is also described by the plot. Similarity with the Richardson (fractal dimension) plot is discussed.
Prior experience, social network, and levels of entrepreneurial intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose two new constructs reflecting different levels of entrepreneurial intentions which precede actual venture creation: impulsive entrepreneurial intention and deliberate entrepreneurial intention. With a large survey database, this research empirically illustrates the importance in differentiating these two constructs and explores factors facilitating entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, it examines how different types of prior experiences and social networks contribute to these two levels of entrepreneurial intentions.Design/methodology/approach – Data for the analysis come from a survey database on immigrant professionals in Silicon Valley, where 17 key professional associations in Silicon Valley participated (15 of which are Chinese and Indian). The survey was distributed to 10,840 individuals, and 2,273 responses were received.Findings – This research enriches the understanding of a widely‐discussed concept of entrepreneurial intention by introducing...
β-Catenin Signaling and Roles in Liver Homeostasis, Injury, and Tumorigenesis

β-catenin (encoded by CTNNB1) is a subunit of the cell surface cadherin protein complex that acts as an intracellular signal transducer in the WNT signaling pathway; alterations in its activity have been associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver diseases. Other than WNT, additional signaling pathways also can converge at β-catenin. β-catenin also interacts with transcription factors such as T-cell factor, forkhead box protein O, and hypoxia inducible factor 1α to regulate the expression of target genes. We discuss the role of β-catenin in metabolic zonation of the adult liver. β-catenin also regulates the expression of genes that control metabolism of glucose, nutrients, and xenobiotics; alterations in its activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Alterations in β-catenin signaling may lead to activation of hepatic stellate cells, which is required for fibrosis. Many hepatic tumors such as hepatocellular adenomas, hepatocellular cancers, and hepatoblastomas have mutations in CTNNB1 that result in constitutive activation of β-catenin, so this molecule could be a therapeutic target. We discuss how alterations in β-catenin activity contribute to liver disease and how these might be used in diagnosis and prognosis, as well as in the development of therapeutics.
On the role of the crystal environment in determining protein side-chain conformations.

The role of crystal packing in determining the observed conformations of amino acid side-chains in protein crystals is investigated by (1) analysis of a database of proteins that have been crystallized in different unit cells (space group or unit cell dimensions) and (2) theoretical predictions of side-chain conformations with the crystal environment explicitly represented. Both of these approaches indicate that the crystal environment plays an important role in determining the conformations of polar side-chains on the surfaces of proteins. Inclusion of the crystal environment permits a more sensitive measurement of the achievable accuracy of side-chain prediction programs, when validating against structures obtained by X-ray crystallography. Our side-chain prediction program uses an all-atom force field and a Generalized Born model of solvation and is thus capable of modeling simple packing effects (i.e. van der Waals interactions), electrostatic effects, and desolvation, which are all important mechanisms by which the crystal environment impacts observed side-chain conformations. Our results are also relevant to the understanding of changes in side-chain conformation that may result from ligand docking and protein-protein association, insofar as the results reveal how side-chain conformations change in response to their local environment.
Leverage in the Board Room: The Unsung Influence of Private Lenders in Corporate Governance

The influence of banks and other private lenders pervades public companies. From the first day of a lending arrangement, loan covenants and built-in contingency provisions affect managerial decision making. Conventional corporate governance analysis has been slow to notice or account for this lender influence. Corporate governance discourse has traditionally focused only on corporate law arrangements. The few existing accounts of creditors' influence over firm managers emphasize the drastic actions creditors take in extreme cases - when a firm is in serious trouble - but in fact, private lender influence is a routine feature of corporate governance even absent financial distress. While lenders of course intervene when their borrowers encounter distress, recent empirical work demonstrates private lender influence at much earlier points in the debtor-creditor relationship. In addition to the effects of covenant constraints and other initial loan terms, a subsequent covenant violation may trigger active lender intervention, including imposition of additional limits on managerial discretion. Covenant violations and lender intervention, however, do not typically signal the borrower's financial distress. Instead, this interactive response to ex post contingency is routine. Borrower and lender expect future modification of their deal terms, and they contract in anticipation of it. Initial covenants and subsequent violations effectively reallocate degrees of control from managers to lenders, in a fluid process that commences with the inception of the lending arrangement. In this Article, I explain the regularity of lender influence on managerial decision making - "lender governance" - comparing this routine influence to conventional governance arrangements and boards of directors in particular. I show that the extent of private lender influence rivals that of conventional governance mechanisms, and I discuss the doctrinal and policy implications of this unsung influence. Accounting for lender governance requires a new examination of corporate fiduciary duties, debtor-creditor laws, and the regulatory reform proposals that have emerged to address the current financial crisis. I also discuss the implications of private lender influence for future corporate governance research.
Efficient content distribution with managed swarms

Content distribution has become increasingly important as people have become more reliant on Internet services to provide large multimedia content. Efficiently distributing content is a complex and difficult problem: large content libraries are often distributed across many physical hosts, and each host has its own bandwidth and storage constraints. Peer-to-peer and peer-assisted download systems further complicate content distribution. By contributing their own bandwidth, end users can improve overall performance and reduce load on servers, but end users have their own motivations and incentives that are not necessarily aligned with those of content distributors. Consequently, existing content distributors either opt to serve content exclusively from hosts under their direct control, and thus neglect the large pool of resources that end users can offer, or they allow end users to contribute bandwidth at the expense of sacrificing complete control over available resources. This thesis introduces a new approach to content distribution that achieves high performance for distributing bulk content, based on managed swarms . Managed swarms efficiently allocate bandwidth from origin servers, in-network caches, and end users to achieve system-wide performance objectives. Managed swarming systems are characterized by the presence of a logically centralized coordinator that maintains a global view of the system and directs hosts toward an efficient use of bandwidth. The coordinator allocates bandwidth from each host based on empirical measurements of swarm behavior combined with a new model of swarm dynamics. The new model enables the coordinator to predict how swarms will respond to changes in bandwidth based on past measurements of their performance. In this thesis, we focus on the global objective of maximizing download bandwidth across end users in the system. To that end, we introduce two algorithms that the coordinator can use to compute efficient allocations of bandwidth for each host that result in high download speeds for clients. We have implemented a scalable coordinator that uses these algorithms to maximize system-wide aggregate bandwidth. The coordinator actively measures swarm dynamics and uses the data to calculate, for each host, a bandwidth allocation among the swarms competing for the host's bandwidth. Extensive simulations and a live deployment show that managed swarms significantly outperform centralized distribution services as well as completely decentralized peer-to-peer systems.
In vitro reduction of endotoxin concentrations with the 5S fragment of immunoglobulin G.

Endotoxin has long been implicated as an inducer for the development and progression of gram-negative sepsis. Accordingly, antiendotoxin therapy has been considered one of the major targets for the treatment of sepsis. To investigate the influence of a human immunoglobulin G (IgG) derivative, the 5S fragment of IgG (5S-IgG; Gamma-Venin, Centeon Pharma GmbH, Frankfurt-Niederrad, Germany), on endotoxin release during bacterial proliferation and under antibiotic bactericidal action, time-kill studies were performed by using Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 starting inocula of 10 3 ,1 0 5 , and 10 7 CFU/ml with cefotaxime (120 mg/ml) alone and in combination with 5S-IgG (2,100 mg/ml). Samples were collected for bacterial colony count and endotoxin concentration determinations; the area under the free endotoxin concentration curve (AUFEC) was calculated by using the trapezoidal rule. Colony counts showed that cefotaxime had a rapid bactericidal effect because it achieved greater than a 4-log decrease in the numbers of E. coli CFU per milliliter over the first 2 h; the addition of 5S-IgG did not appear to alter the kinetics of killing. Comparison of the AUFEC revealed that the addition of 5S-IgG resulted in a mean reduction of 50, 66, and 27% in the free endotoxin concentration at starting inocula of 10 3 ,1 0 5 , and 10 7 CFU/ml, respectively. Moreover, experiments were conducted with a starting inoculum of 10 5 CFU/ml and various amounts of 5S-IgG (2 to 20 mg/ml) to further investigate the dose-effect relation of 5S-IgG on endotoxin release. Decreased AUFECs were observed with increasing concentrations of 5S-IgG, suggesting the dose-dependent antiendotoxin activity of 5S-IgG. Further study is required to investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for this observation, the biological significance of this antiendotoxin activity, and the potential utility of 5S-IgG as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of gram-negative sepsis. Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide), an integral component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, has long been implicated as an important inducer of inflammation associated with gram-negative bacteremia and meningitis and may play a major role in the pathogenesis of sepsis (5). Abundant experimental evidence shows that endotoxin precipitates the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, and IL-8 (3, 8, 12), and the exaggerated or prolonged release of these cytokines may culminate in septic shock. Endotoxin may exist either in the bound form on the preserved bacterial outer membranes or as a free moiety that has been shed from lysed organisms. Free endotoxin may be liberated from organisms during proliferation or may be released upon antibiotic treatment both in vitro and in vivo (10, 19, 27).
Harmonic tuning of power FETs at X-band

A study is presented of high-efficiency, harmonic-tuned, class-B operation of power MESFETs at X-band. Hybrid, single-stage 1200- mu m power FET (field-effect transistor) amplifiers were fabricated with the output circuit designed to provide optimum load impedance at the fundamental frequency (10 GHz) and short at the second harmonic. Power-added efficiency of 61% at an output power level of 450 mW and 7-dB power gain were obtained at 10 GHz. The corresponding drain efficiency was 75%. The second harmonic level in the output was suppressed to less than -40 dBc over a 4% frequency bandwidth. The efficiency was improved at the expense of a lower operating voltage and power density (0.4 W/mm) when compared with class-A or class-AB amplifiers made from similar devices. Theoretical harmonic-balance analyses of these tuned class-B amplifiers were also performed, and the results agree fairly well with the measured data. >
Phosphorylation of Nodulin 26 on Serine 262 Affects Its Voltage-sensitive Channel Activity in Planar Lipid Bilayers*

Abstract Nodulin 26 is an symbiosome membrane protein of soybean nodules that shows ion channel activity in planar lipid bilayers. Serine 262 of nodulin 26 is phosphorylated by calmodulin-like domain protein kinase. To study the effects of phosphorylation, nodulin 26 with Ser, Ala, or Asp at position 262 were expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed protein possessed a histidine-rich leader sequence for purification by Nichelate fast protein liquid chromatography. Upon reconstitution into planar lipid bilayers, the recombinant proteins showed a large single channel conductance (3.1 nanosiemens (nS) in cis/trans and 1.6 nS in cis/trans) and weak anion selectivity, similar to native soybean nodulin 26. Nodulin 26 with Ser- or Ala-262 occupied the maximal open conductance state greater than 97% of the time (3.1 nS in cis/trans) regardless of applied voltage. However, nodulin 26 with Asp-262 showed increased gating and preferential occupancy of lower subconductance states (1.8 and 0.6 nS in cis/trans) at high applied voltages (e.g. 70 mV). In situ phosphorylation of Ser-262 of nodulin 26 by calmodulin-like domain protein kinase also resulted in increased voltage-dependent gating and preferential occupancy of lower subconductance states. These results suggest that phosphorylation of serine 262 of nodulin 26 modulates channel activity by conferring voltage sensitivity.
A MAC protocol to reduce sensor network energy consumption using a wakeup radio

For increasing the life of sensor networks, each node must conserve energy as much as possible. In this paper, we propose a protocol in which energy is conserved by amortizing the energy cost of communication over multiple packets. In addition, we allow sensors to control the amount of buffered packets since storage space is limited. To achieve this, a two-radio architecture is used which allows a sensor to "wakeup" a neighbor with a busy tone and send its packets for that destination. However, this process is expensive because all neighbors must awake and listen to the primary channel to determine who is the intended destination. Therefore, triggered wakeups on the primary channel are proposed to avoid using the more costly wakeup procedure. We present a protocol for efficiently determining how large the period for these wakeups should be such that energy consumption is reduced.
Occupational Segregation and the Devaluation of Women's Work across U.S. Labor Markets

Previous research on the devaluation of women's work has investigated whether the net effect of gender composition varies across jobs and organizational settings. We extend that research by using hierarchical linear models that combine data from a random sample of U.S. work establishments with metropolitan-area data to explore whether macro-level gender inequality also influences the tendency to devalue women's work roles. Thus, we offer the first attempt to examine processes that lead to organizational gender inequality in local labor market contexts. Specifically, we hypothesize that gender devaluation will be strongest in highly gender-segregated labor markets. One reason for this may be that in segregated markets, men are in a stronger position to benefit from devaluation while women are less able to resist it. The results strongly support this hypothesis: Higher levels of occupational segregation at the labor market level are associated with a significantly increased tendency to devalue women's work roles. This finding is not explained by a diverse set of controls at both the establishment and local labor market level. Our findings highlight an additional way that gender segregation intensifies labor market inequality.
Perceptual Grouping from Motion Cues Using Tensor Voting in 4-D

We present a novel approach for motion grouping from two frames, that recovers the dense velocity field, motion boundaries and regions, based on a 4-D Tensor Voting computational framework. Given two sparse sets of point tokens, we encode the image position and potential velocity for each token into a 4-D tensor. The voting process then enforces the motion smoothness while preserving motion discontinuities, thus selecting the correct velocity for each input point, as the most salient token. By performing an additional dense voting step we infer velocities at every pixel location, motion boundaries and regions. Using a 4-D space for this Tensor Voting approach is essential, since it allows for a spatial separation of the points according to both their velocities and image coordinates. Unlike other methods that optimize a specific objective function, our approach does not involve initialization or search in a parametric space, and therefore does not suffer from local optima or poor convergence problems. We demonstrate our method with synthetic and real images, by analyzing several difficult cases - opaque and transparent motion, rigid and non-rigid motion, curves and surfaces in motion.
Optimal distributed microphone phase estimation

This paper presents a minimum mean-square error spectral phase estimator for speech enhancement in the distributed multiple microphone scenario. The estimator uses Gaussian models for both the speech and noise priors under the assumption of a diffuse incoherent noise field representing ambient noise in a widely dispersed microphone configuration. Experiments demonstrate significant benefits of using the optimal multichannel phase estimator as compared to the noisy phase of a reference channel.
Femorotibial contact mechanics and meniscal strain after serial meniscectomy.

Objective: To evaluate changes in femorotibial contact areas (CA) and pressures and meniscal strain after serial meniscectomies of the caudal pole of the medial meniscus. Study Design: Ex vivo biomechanical study. Sample Population: Unpaired pelvic limbs from 8 adult dogs weighing 28–35 kg. Methods: All specimens underwent sequentially, a 30% radial width partial meniscectomy, a 75% radial width partial meniscectomy, and a segmental caudal pole hemi-meniscectomy. Digital pressure sensors were used to measure lateral and medial peak and mean contact pressures and areas before and after serial meniscectomies. Meniscal strain was measured under load in the intact meniscus and after 30% and 75% radial width meniscectomy. Repeated measures analysis of variance with a post hoc Bonferroni's test (P<.05) was used for statistical analysis. Results: A 30% radial width meniscectomy had no significant effect on contact mechanics. A 75% radial width caused a 60.9% increase and hemi-meniscectomy an 87.4% increase in peak contact pressures compared with control. Medial CA decreased by 34.7% after 75% radial width meniscectomy and 47.2% after hemi-meniscectomy. A 30% radial width meniscectomy resulted in 38.5%, and a 75% radial width meniscectomy a 69.2%, decrease in medial meniscal strain compared with control, but these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: In this cadaveric model, smaller (30%) partial meniscectomies had minimal effect on the biomechanics of meniscal function, whereas larger partial (75%) and segmental meniscectomies resulted in significant changes in meniscal and femorotibial contact mechanics. Clinical Relevance: This ex vivo data should be considered in clinical decision making for treatment of meniscal problems in dogs.
Using focus groups: lessons from studying daycare centers, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina:

The purpose of this article is to examine focus groups as a qualitative research method. We describe and evaluate the use of focus groups based on three separate research projects: a study of teach...
Robust signal extrapolation using wavelets

A new approach for signal extrapolation based on wavelet representation: known as scale-time limited extrapolation and a denoising process is investigated in this research. We first examine a new signal modeling technique using wavelets and the corresponding scale-time limited signal extrapolation algorithm. Then, the sensitivity of the algorithm to noise is discussed, and a denoising algorithm based on the time-localization property of the wavelet transform is proposed. By integrating the denoising process and the iterative scale-time limited extrapolation algorithm, we obtain a very robust signal extrapolation algorithm for noisy data. A simulation result of signal extrapolation from noisy observed data is presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed robust signal extrapolation algorithm. >
Health Promotion and Black Elders: Subgroups of Greatest Need

This article profiles three subgroups of African American elders that are at risk in terms of health. Major barriers to optimum health for older rural Blacks are a lack of confidence in the formal health care system, greater rates of poverty than urban elders, geographic isolation, and lack of access to health care and to social supports; for older Black women, barriers include attitudes that reflect an overestimation of health, health pessimism, a lack of confidence in the health care system, lower economic resources, and major family responsibilities that affect the availability of money for, and time to seek, health care; and for older-aged Blacks, barriers are lack of confidence in the formal health care system, dependence on informal supports for health care and an underutilization of formal supports, and lower socioeconomic levels due to this cohort’s education and occupational status. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed.
Interactive manipulation of object-oriented views

An approach to providing view support in object-oriented (O/sub 2/) databases is presented. The approach uses what is called a hyper-view and combines results from research on database design and man-machine interfaces. A mechanism that allows interacting with databases through hyper-views and built on top of the O/sub 2/ system is described. The approach is based on conciliating stored data and their visualization. Not only views corresponding to one class, but also multiclass views are considered. Hyper-views are supported by ToonMaker, a user interface generator system implemented for the O/sub 2/ database management system. >
A STUDY OF THE ACCURACY OF SUBKOVIAK'S SINGLE‐ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATE OF THE COEFFICIENT OF AGREEMENT USING TWO TRUE‐SCORE ESTIMATES

Recently, Subkoviak (1976) developed a single-administration procedure for estimating the reliability of a criterion-referenced test composed of dichotomously scored items. The resulting reliability index is termed the coefficient of agreement. The procedure represents an important methodological development for criterion-referenced testing because, in line with suggestions by Hambleton and Novick (1973), the coefficient estimates the proportion of mastery classifications that are consistent on two test administrations, while avoiding the necessity of multiple test administrations. Application of the procedure requires an estimate of each examinee's relative true score (subsequently referred to as true score). The true score is defined as the expected value of the proportion-correct score. Subkoviak (1976) suggests using linear regression true-score estimates, but raises a question about the adequacy of the estimates. Although it is unlikely that the regression of true score on observed score is precisely linear, the regression function should be monotonically non-decreasing. Therefore, a linear regression function should provide a good approximation to the regression function (Dawes and Corrigan, 1974). In particular, when the true-score variance is small, a situation that is common in criterion-referenced testing (Hambleton and Novick, 1973; Popham and Husek, 1969), the approximation of the linear to the true regression function should be quite good. Thus, the use of linear regression estimates may be expected to produce reasonably accurate estimates of the coefficient of agreement.
Combining Local and Global History for High Performance Data Prefetching

In this paper, we present our design of a high performance prefetcher, which exploits various localities in both local cache-miss streams (misses generated from the same instruction) and the global cache-miss address stream (the misses from different instructions). Besides the stride and context localities that have been exploited in previous work, we identify new data localities and incorporate novel prefetching algorithms into our design. In this work, we also study the (largely overlooked) importance of eliminating redundant prefetches. We use logic to remove local (by the same instruction) redundant prefetches and we use a Bloom filter or miss status handling registers (MSHRs) to remove global (by all instructions) redundant prefetches. We evaluate three different design points of the proposed architecture, trading off performance for complexity and latency efficiency. Our experimental results based on a set of SPEC 2006 benchmarks show that the proposed design significantly improves the performance (over 1.6X for our highest performance design point) at a small hardware cost for various processor, cache and memory bandwidth configurations.
Kallistatin induces breast cancer cell apoptosis and autophagy by modulating Wnt signaling and microRNA synthesis.

Kallistatin is an endogenous protein that regulates differential signaling pathways and biological functions. Our previous studies showed that kallistatin gene therapy inhibited angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis in mice, and kallistatin protein suppressed Wnt-mediated growth, migration and invasion by blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in breast cancer cells. In this study, we show that kallistatin reduced cell viability, and increased apoptotic cell death and caspase-3 activity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Kallistatin also induced cancer cell autophagy, as evidenced by increased LC3B levels and elevated Atg5 and Beclin-1 expression; however, co-administration of Wnt or PPARγ antagonist GW9662 abolished these effects. Moreover, kallistatin via its heparin-binding site antagonized Wnt3a-induced cancer cell proliferation and increased PPARγ expression. Kallistatin inhibited oncogenic miR-21 synthesis associated with reduced Akt phosphorylation and Bcl-2 synthesis, but increased BAX expression. Kallistatin via PKC-ERK activation reduced miR-203 levels, leading to increased expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), a tumor suppressor. Conversely, kallistatin stimulated expression of the tumorigenic suppressors miR-34a and p53. Kallistatin’s active site is essential for suppressing miR-21 and miR-203, and stimulating miR-34a and SOCS3 expression. This is the first study to demonstrate that kallistatin’s heparin-binding site is essential for inhibiting Wnt-mediated effects, and its active site plays a key role in regulating miR-21, miR-203, miR-34a and SOCS3 synthesis in breast cancer cells. These findings reveal novel mechanisms of kallistatin in inducing apoptosis and autophagy in breast cancer cells, thus inhibiting tumor progression by regulation of Wnt/PPARγ signaling, as well as miR-21, miR-203 and miR-34a synthesis.
The courage of conviction

Is there a sense in which we exercise direct volitional control over our beliefs? Most agree that there is not, but discussions tend to focus on control in forming a belief. The focus here is on sustaining a belief over time in the face of ‘epistemic temptation’ to abandon it. It is argued that we do have a capacity for ‘doxastic self-control’ over time that is partly volitional in nature, and that its exercise is rationally permissible.
Ligand-Controlled Microwave Synthesis of Cubic and Hexagonal CdSe Nanocrystals Supported on Graphene. Photoluminescence Quenching by Graphene

We have developed a facile, fast, and scalable microwave irradiation method for the synthesis of graphene and CdSe nanocrystals of controlled size, shape, and crystalline structure dispersed on graphene sheets. The reduction of graphite oxide into graphene takes place in DMSO within 2 min of microwave irradiation as opposed to 12 h of conventional thermal heating at 180 °C. The method allows the simultaneous reduction of graphite oxide and the nucleation and growth of CdSe nanocrystals using a variety of capping agents. Cubic and hexagonal CdSe nanocrystals with average sizes of 2−4 and 5−7 nm, respectively, have been prepared by the proper choice of the capping agent within a few minutes of microwave irradiation. High-quality nearly monodisperse CdSe nanocrystals have been supported on graphene with no evidence of aggregation. Direct evidence is presented for the efficient quenching of photoluminescence from the CdSe nanocrystals by graphene. The results provide a new approach for exploring the size-tuna...
Magnetic Studies of Layered Cathode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

The magnetic properties of layered LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 and NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 cathode materials are studied using AC susceptibility and DC magnetization techniques in order to elucidate magnetic interactions within transition metal (TM) layers and between them in samples with various TM distributions. In NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 antiferromagnetic (AF) ordering transition is found at 60 K and a spin-flop transition at high magnetic field. In LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 obtained by ion exchange from NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 ferrimagnetic ordering is found at around 100 K. The saturation magnetization and the hysteresis loop size of ion-exchanged compounds vary from sample to sample, which implies that the Ni2+ ions migrate upon ion exchange process. Magnetic properties of high-temperature and ion-exchanged LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 are compared; magnetic ordering models for all compounds are proposed based on experimental results and Goodenough-Kanamori rules.
Fluoride Determination in Drinking Water

[Objective]To investigate the method and the buffer solution concentration in determining fluoride in drinking water.[Methods]Fluoride Ion Selective Electrode was adopted.The electrode was inserted into the mixture of 10.0 ml water and 10.0 ml buffer solution to find out the equilibrium potential,the data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows.[Results]The method could meet the requirement of GB/T 5749-2006,the average recovery rate was 99.4%,and relative standard deviation was 0.37%~1.70%.[Conclusion]This method is simple,rapid,with high sensitivity and reproducibility,and accurate and reliable results.
Software Tools for Systems Biology

Publisher Summary This chapter surveys some of the software tools and emerging standards for representing, simulating, and analyzing cellular networks. Model databases, model exchange standards, ontologies, and computational approaches that are relevant to the study of dynamics in biochemical networks have also been discussed. There has been a significant increase in the availability of computer software to help in modeling, simulating, and analyzing dynamic models of cellular processes. Many tools have been developed by practicing scientists and are therefore available free, whereas others are commercial. The software discussed in this chapter is concerned with analyzing two particular types of problem. One is the classical problem of solving systems of differential equations that describe the deterministic evolution of molecular species concentrations in time. The second problem of interest is the realization of the master equation. This equation describes the time evolution of the concentration probabilities. However, because we need one time evolution equation for every particle state in the system, the system of equations becomes unwieldy very rapidly as the size of the system increases. There are still some areas that are lacking, most notably bifurcation analysis and model composition. There are some very notable tools for bifurcation analysis, but they have been written more for general use than specifically for systems biology. One of the issues that have plagued software development in systems biology is chronic reinvention. Many tools, particularly those listed at SBML.org, carry out similar functions at their core. The fact that each tool reimplements the same functionality is arguably a waste of resources, and it would be of great benefit to the community if some of the core functionality could be released in the form of reusable software libraries.
Family Conflict Moderates the Relation Between Negative Mood and Youth Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Higher negative (or lower positive) mood is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems among some, but not all youth, suggesting that contextual factors may influence these temperament-symptom relations. Family conflict also is associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, although it is unclear whether family conflict influences the relation between negative mood and symptoms. To address this gap, we examined whether family conflict moderates the relations between temperamental negative mood and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Participants were 775 youth (69 % male, 76 % Caucasian). Mothers and youth completed questionnaires when youth were ages 10–12 (time 1) and 12–14 (time 2). When exposed to higher family conflict at time 1, children higher in negative mood experienced higher time 2 internalizing and externalizing problems than children lower in negative mood. When exposed to lower family conflict, children’s internalizing and externalizing symptom levels were similar regardless of their levels of negative mood. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing youth’s risk for internalizing and externalizing symptoms should address conflictual interactions within the larger family system, particularly among youth with higher negative mood.
V for Vendetta: Government Mass Killing and Domestic Terrorism

ABSTRACTScholarship explores the impact of human rights abuse and state repression on terrorism. Heretofore, scholarship has ignored the impact of government-sponsored killings on domestic terrorism. This article proposes that mass killings create a focal point for terrorist mobilization. The vendetta agenda fuels violence by animating retributory violence. Additionally, mass atrocities create a permissive environment for violent nonstate activity. A spiral of violence ensues whereby groups resort to terrorism. Utilizing data from the Global Terrorism Database, 1971–2011, the study shows that mass killings significantly increase domestic terrorism. It contributes to emerging scholarship examining how state policies influence terrorist activity.
Working memory components and problem-solving accuracy: are there multiple pathways?

This study determined the working memory (WM) components (executive, phonological short-term memory [STM], and visual–spatial sketchpad) that best predicted mathematical word problem-solving accuracy in elementary schoolchildren (N = 392). The battery of tests administered to assess mediators between WM and problem-solving included measures of domain-general knowledge (fluid intelligence, reading, calculation), domain-general processes (naming speed, inhibition), domain-specific knowledge (word-problem representation, planning) and domain-specific processes (estimation and numerical magnitude judgments). Structural equation modeling analyses indicated (a) the executive component of WM and phonological STM yielded significant direct paths to problem-solving accuracy in the fully mediated model; (b) domain general knowledge (reading, calculation), domain-specific knowledge (problem representation, magnitude judgments) and domain general processes (inhibition) uniquely mediated the relationship between components of WM (executive, phonological STM) and problem-solving accuracy; and (c) those processes failing to uniquely mediate the relationship between WM and problem-solving accuracy in the full mediation model were measures of fluid intelligence, planning and estimation. The results support the notion that both the executive and phonological storage components of WM draw upon some of the same resources in predicting problem-solving, but none of the aforementioned mediation variables completely compensated for the influence of these 2 WM components on children’s mathematical word problem-solving. More importantly, the findings suggest there are multiple pathways that mediate the relationship between components of WM performance and problem-solving accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Social construction: big-G grounding, small-g realization

The goal of this paper is to make headway on a metaphysics of social construction. In recent work (forthcoming), I’ve argued that social construction should be understood in terms of metaphysical grounding. However, I agree with grounding skeptics like Wilson (Inquiry 1–45, 2014) that bare claims about what grounds what are insufficient for capturing, with fine enough grain, metaphysical dependence structures. To that end, I develop a view on which the social construction of human social kinds (e.g., race) is a kind of realization relation. Social kinds, I argue, are multiply realizable kinds. I depart from the Wilson by further arguing that an appeal to grounding is not otiose when it comes to social construction. Social construction, I claim, belongs to the “big-G” Grounding genus, but it is the specific “small-g” relation of realization at work in cases of human kind social construction.
Suicide across the Life Span

Scholars in one nation sometimes write as if they believed that the data from their own nation are typical of all nations at all times, and this belief is not always valid. A cross-cultural perspective helps us to identify which aspects of a phenomenon are unique to the nation in which the phenomenon was first identified and which have generality bevond that limited region.
Gender matters: Experiences and consequences of digital dating abuse victimization in adolescent dating relationships

Digital dating abuse (DDA) behaviors include the use of digital media to monitor, control, threaten, harass, pressure, or coerce a dating partner. In this study, 703 high school students reported on the frequency of DDA victimization, whether they were upset by these incidents, and how they responded. Results suggest that although both girls and boys experienced DDA at similar rates of frequency (with the exception of sexual coercion), girls reported that they were more upset by these behaviors. Girls also expressed more negative emotional responses to DDA victimization than boys. Although DDA is potentially harmful for all youth, gender matters. These findings suggest that the experience and consequences of DDA may be particularly detrimental for girls.
Parallel quadtree construction on collections of objects

Abstract We present a parallel quadtree algorithm that resolves between geometric objects, modeling space between objects rather than the objects themselves. Our quadtree has the property that no cell intersects more than one labeled object. A popular technique for discretizing space is to impose a uniform grid—an approach that is easily parallelizable but often fails because object separation is not known a priori or because the number of cells required to resolve closely spaced objects exceeds available memory. Previous parallel algorithms that are spatially adaptive, i.e., discretizing finely only where needed, either separate points only or make no guarantees of object separation. Our 2D algorithm is the first to construct an object-resolving discretization that is hierarchical (saving memory) yet with a fully parallel approach (saving time). We describe our algorithm, demonstrate experimental results, and discuss extension to 3D. Our results show significant improvement over the current state of the art.
Restoring Technology as an Engine of Opportunity

This chapter uses what we have learned about technology and inequality to find new opportunities for reducing inequality in a more digital world. Our key strategy is to focus on the ways financial value is created by the digital technology sector, and the specific ways that value is captured. Digitally mediated markets are a new and growing phenomenon, and new digital business models have created valuable products and services through their unprecedented abilities to experiment, amass unique data, and deploy to huge populations, offering new ways to capture and concentrate that value on a seemingly unprecedented scale. Inequality can be addressed through the remedies proposed by the technological and institutional context schools , but we think these will be incomplete without paying attention to the business models being used to deploy these technologies. Specific technological mediation choices, or the mobilization of stakeholders that technologies depend on, may be part of the strategy, but these issues in the end always return to the question of how to invent alternative business models that will share the value captured more evenly. Whatever path we choose, the wealth shifts associated with digital technology are too large to ignore if we want to seriously reverse increasing inequality and create more widespread opportunity.