The effects of encoding task on age-related differences in the functional neuroanatomy of face memory.

Age-related differences in brain activity mediating face recognition were examined using positron emission tomography. Participants encoded faces using a pleasant-unpleasant judgement, a right-left orientation task, and intentional learning. Scans also were obtained during recognition. Both young and old groups showed significant effects of encoding task on recognition accuracy, but older adults showed reduced accuracy overall. Increased brain activity in older adults was similar to that seen in young adults during conditions associated with deeper processing, but was reduced during the shallow encoding and recognition conditions. Differential correlations of brain activity and behavior were found that suggest older adults use unique neural systems to facilitate face memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparative psychology: The next 100 volumes.

Comparative psychologists study the "mind" of animals by studying what animals do and what animals are capable of doing. Different investigators address questions of proximal cause, motivation, physiological mechanism, evolutionary and ontogenetic considerations, as well as functional consequences. Some use animal subjects to explore universal theories of behavior; others focus on the diversity of behavior itself. A number of theoretical positions guide the different approaches. Some theories have been proven woefully inadequate, even fatally flawed, but no discipline thrives solely on the validity of a single theory. Let us preserve the data and discard discredited hypotheses, but let us continue to advance our discipline and refrain from wallowing in remorse over erroneous earlier ideas. Ideas are exciting but data endure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress processes and the misuse of drugs in older adults.

There is increasing concern about the misuse of drugs among the elderly. We assessed misuse, including drug usage, drug interactions across pharmacologic classes, and multiple drugs in the same pharmacologic class, in a community sample of sixty-five 74-year-olds, and evaluated its relation to stress and coping processes and psychological and somatic health. Assessments were made repeatedly over a 6-month period. Results indicated that misuse was multidimensional and widespread. Misusers did not differ from nonmisusers on antecedent psychosocial variables, nor did they report more hassles or cope differently than nonmisusers. However, misusers and nonmisusers differed on their subjective experience of stressful encounters; misusers experienced their hassles as more intense, and they experienced more threat emotions and more dissatisfaction with their coping than did nonmisusers. Misuse was also associated with long-term psychological satisfaction, psychological symptoms, and somatic health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of retained austenite in stress corrosion cracking of steels

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The ability of retained austenite to affect stress corrosion cracking susceptibility has been examined in two steels, containing mechanically stable and...     

Note on the interpretation of electroluminescence images using their spectral information

We show how to use the reciprocity between electroluminescence and solar cell quantum efficiency for the simulation and interpretation of electroluminescence images. The analysis of the spectral properties of the electroluminescence images obtained by using different short- and long-pass filters yields information about surface recombination velocity, bulk diffusion length and reflection of the back side in flat and textured solar cells.     

Potent Inhibition of Acid Sphingomyelinase by Phosphoinositide Analogues

The different mammalian sphingomyelinases are involved in cell regulation, apoptosis and inflammatory events. Recent reports suggest pharmacological potential especially for inhibitors of the acid sphingomyelinase. Phosphatidyl inositol‐3,5bisphosphate (PtdIns3,5P₂) is the most potent selective acid sphingomyelinase inhibitor known to date. In the present study, we synthesized analogues of PtdIns3,5P₂ for initial structure–activity‐relationship (SAR) studies. We identified an inhibitor that is easy to synthesize, that has superior chemical and biophysical properties when compared to PtdIns3,5P₂ and that should be stable against virtually all phospholipases. Last but not least, the new inhibitor partially protected cells from dexamethasone‐induced cell death.     

Processing behavior and mechanical properties of autopolymerizing hypoallergenic denture base polymers

Driven by the phenomenon of increasing irritations and allergic reactions of dental prosthesis carriers preferably due to residual methyl methacrylate monomer in conventional dental materials, autopolymerizing hypoallergenic denture base polymers were prepared as two‐component materials in the shape of paste/paste‐ or powder/liquid systems. The processing behavior of these materials was investigated regarding the processing and solidification times also in dependence on the polymerization catalyst concentration, whereas the whole processing and curing characteristics and the final polymer properties were evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis in shear mode in the temperature range from ?145°C to 200°C. The mechanical properties of the hypoallergenic denture base polymers were validated regarding stiffness (flexural modulus E') and fracture toughness (maximum factor of loading intensity , total work of fracture ) and the effects of monomer composition, kind of resin powder, impact modification by the liquid component, and water immersion on these properties were investigated. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41378.     

Improved Second Generation Iron Pincer Complexes for Effective Ester Hydrogenation

Hydrogenation of esters to alcohols with a well‐defined iron ^iPr2PNP pincer complex has been recently reported by us and other groups. We now introduce a novel and sterically less hindered ^Et2PNP congener that provides superior catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of various carboxylic acid esters and lactones compared to the known complex. Successful hydrogenation proceeds under relatively mild conditions (60 °C) with lower catalyst loadings.

     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Carbonylative Synthesis of 2,3‐Disubstituted Chromones

An unexpected palladium‐catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of 2,3‐disubstituted chromones has been developed. Starting from 2‐bromofluorobenzenes and ketones, the corresponding chromones were produced in good yields. By control experiments, this transformation was found to proceed through a sequential carbonylation/Claisen–Hasse rearrangement/intramolecular nucleophilic aromatic substitution approach (S_NAr). More specifically, the reaction sequence started with a palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation of the ketone with o‐bromofluorobenzene to give the vinyl benzoates, which subsequently transformed into 1,3‐diketones via a Claisen–Hasse rearrangement. The final products were produced after an intramolecular S_NAr reaction of the in situ formed 1,3‐diketone.