Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perception and Haptic Rendering of Friction Moments

This paper considers moments due to friction forces on the human fingertip. A computational technique called the friction moment arc method is presented. The method computes the static and/or dynamic friction moment independent of a friction force calculation. In addition, a new finger holder to display friction moment is presented. This device incorporates a small brushless motor and disk, and connects the human's finger to an interface finger of the five-fingered haptic interface robot HIRO II. Subjects' perception of friction moment while wearing the finger holder, as well as perceptions during object manipulation in a virtual reality environment, were evaluated experimentally.
Conservatives negatively evaluate counterstereotypical people to maintain a sense of certainty

Significance People often evaluate others in a negative manner when they do not fit the stereotypes that are generally believed about their group. Here, we not only show that political conservatives are more likely to negatively evaluate people who deviate from stereotypes than are liberals, but also explain why. Previous research has heavily emphasized that people endorse stereotypes because they hold negative attitudes toward members of minority groups and because doing so helps to maintain the current structure of society. In contrast to these perspectives, we demonstrate that conservatives negatively evaluate and economically penalize people who deviate from stereotypes because those stereotypes help them to efficiently categorize people into groups, which provides a greater sense of certainty about the world. People frequently use physical appearance stereotypes to categorize individuals when their group membership is not directly observable. Recent research indicates that political conservatives tend to use such stereotypes more than liberals do because they express a greater desire for certainty and order. In the present research, we found that conservatives were also more likely to negatively evaluate and distribute fewer economic resources to people who deviate from the stereotypes of their group. This occurred for people belonging to both preexisting and novel groups, regardless of whether the stereotypes were real or experimentally fabricated. Critically, conservatives only negatively evaluated counterstereotypical people when the stereotypes were functional—that is, when they expected that they would need to use the stereotypes at a later point to categorize individuals into groups. Moreover, increasing liberals’ desire for certainty led them to negatively evaluate counterstereotypical people just like conservatives did. Thus, conservatives are not only more likely to use stereotypes than are liberals, but are especially likely to negatively evaluate counterstereotypical people to organize the social world with greater certainty.
Trading, Communication and the Response of Asset Prices to News

The dynamic behavior of security prices is studied in a setting where two agents trade strategically and learn over time from market prices. The model introduces an information structure that is intended to capture the notion that information is difficult to interpret. Strategic interaction and the complexity of the information result in a protracted price response. Equilibrium price paths of the model may display reversals in which the two traders rationally revise their beliefs, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, even though no new information has entered the system. Copyright 1993 by Royal Economic Society.
Income and Wealth of Older American Households: Modeling Issues for Public Policy Analysis

This paper evaluates the extent to which current knowledge of retirement, savings, pension and related behavior is sufficient for determining the effects of major policy initiatives on the incomes and wealth of the aged population of the United States. Data are presented from two new surveys, the Health and Retirement Study and the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old Survey, describing the distributions of the major components of income and wealth to be explained by these behavioral models. The data suggest that the amount of wealth held by the older population has been severely understated in earlier surveys. Disagreements and inconsistencies in models of savings indicate that there is no agreed upon behavioral model upon which to base policy analysis. Similar problems characterize the pension literature. Most strikingly, central features of these three major branches of behavioral analysis are mutually inconsistent. Although there are important linkages among the behaviors determining retirement, savings and pension outcomes, research in each area ignores or misspecifies the related behavior from other areas. Consequently, significant advances are required before we can confidently predict the effects of contemplated changes in policies on income and wealth in retirement.
New York City Zoning -- 1961-1991: Turning Back The Clock -- But With An Up-To-The-Minute Social Agenda

Since the last update over 30 years ago, there is a need to once again change our zoning laws. Over the years, societal concerns and priorities have fluctuated with the times and, as a result, exceptions have been made to the zoning regulations which reflect these changing social interests. The result is a Zoning Resolution which stands at 806 pages (and still counting). It is an ad-hoc, convoluted, chaotic non-plan for the City, held together by binders rather than a common vision. This essay examines the zoning history of New York City and concludes that a new Comprehensive Reassessment, which will guide future development in accordance with the needs and values of today’s society, is needed to unify the goals of city planning and to reinvigorate the potential effectiveness of zoning in New York City.
Both Normal Memory Counts and Decreased Naive Cells Favor Intrinsic Defect Over Early Senescence of Down Syndrome T Lymphocytes

Because of their increased malignancies, autoimmune diseases, and infections, patients with Down syndrome (DS) show features of immunodeficiency. The DS thymus and T lymphocyte subsets have indeed proven to be different, and this has been interpreted as precocious aging. Our study on T lymphocyte subpopulations in DS shows that the normal expansion of naive helper (CD4+CD45RA+) and cytotoxic (CD8+CD45RA+CD27+) T lymphocytes is lacking in the first years of life; this is more logically explainable with an intrinsic T lymphocyte defect. Furthermore, memory cell numbers are not different from age-matched controls (AMC), which does not support the hypothesis of precocious aging. Although the absolute numbers of T lymphocyte subpopulations approach AMC levels toward adulthood, the persistent clinical problems suggest that these cells may not function optimally. However, the clinical picture does not fit severe T lymphocyte deficiency. The latter concept is also supported by our finding that cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive DS children show similar numbers of terminally differentiated cytotoxic T lymphocytes when compared with healthy children, not increased numbers as are seen in immunocompromised hosts.
Changes in Fat Mass in Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review

Background Stroke survivors have less muscle mass in their paretic limbs compared with nonparetic limbs, which may or may not be accompanied by changes in regional and/or whole body fat mass. Aim To examine the current evidence regarding differences in regional fat mass between paretic and nonparetic limbs and changes in whole body fat mass over time in stroke survivors. Methods A systematic search of relevant databases. Studies measuring whole body or regional fat mass using dual-energy X-ray absorpiometry, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging were included. Results Eleven trials were identified. Fat mass differences between paretic and nonparetic limbs and change in fat mass over time were not consistent. Meta-analyses were conducted using dual-energy X-ray absorpiometry-derived data from 10 trials (n = 324). There were no differences in fat mass between paretic and nonparetic legs (pooled mean difference 31.4 g, 95% confidence interval −33.9 to 96.6, P = 0.35), and slightly greater fat mass in the paretic arms compared with nonparetic arms (pooled mean difference 84.0 g, 95% confidence interval 30.7 to 137.3, P = 0.002). Whole body fat mass did not increase significantly between one-month and six-months poststroke (pooled mean difference 282.3 g, 95% confidence interval −824.4 to 1389, P = 0.62), but there was an increase between six- and 12 months poststroke (pooled mean difference 1935 g, 95% confidence interval 1031 to 2839, P < 0.001). Conclusions There were inconsistent findings regarding changes in fat mass after stroke. Large, well-designed studies are required to further investigate the impact of body composition changes on the health of stroke survivors.
Phytoplankton functional types: a trait perspective

Phytoplankton functional types are groupings of many species into a smaller number of types according to their ecological or biogeochemical role. Models describe phytoplankton functional types by a set of traits that determine their growth rates or fitness. Traits for functional types are often determined from observations on a small number of species under laboratory conditions. Functional types can be composed of a large number of species with very different trait values, so the representation of a type by an average trait value may not be appropriate. A potential solution is to estimate trait values from observations of the aggregate biomass of phytoplankton functional types in natural populations. We report on some recent efforts to extract trait values from time-series data using Bayesian statistical models and discuss some challenges of this approach.
WLC07-2: Simultaneous Routing and Resource Allocation in Multihop Wireless Networks using Optimization

Wireless multihop networks hope to provide increased total capacity and enhanced coverage at possibly low cost. In this paper, we are interested in the jointly optimal routing and power allocation, i.e. cross-layer design between the physical and the network layer. We formulate this as a convex mathematical programming problem, with objective function to minimize the total power, and propose a distributed solution method. Based on the theoretical results we implement a heuristic solution algorithm and study the performance on a set of test problems. We manage to establish convergence for the standard solution method and also for a more practically realistic model where the information passing between the nodes is limited.
Prescribed Performance Output Feedback/Observer-Free Robust Adaptive Control of Uncertain Systems Using Neural Networks

A neural network output feedback/observer-free continuous controller for multiple-input-multiple-output uncertain nonlinear systems is designed, which is capable of guaranteeing prescribed performance bounds on the system output, as well as the boundedness of all other closed-loop signals, despite the presence of additive external disturbances and unmodeled dynamics. The assumptions that were made concern the satisfaction of an unboundedness observability property and an output Lagrange stability condition of the unmodeled dynamics subsystem and that the nominal system is output feedback equivalent to a strictly passive one. Simulations on an induction motor system illustrate the approach.
Exopolysaccharide production by viridans streptococci in experimental endocarditis

Light and electron microscopy with histochemical staining were used to estimate exopolysaccharide production by strains of viridans streptococci recovered from patients with endocarditis. Six strains were selected for study because they represented a wide range of in vitro polysaccharide production. By light microscopy, there was good agreement between three polysaccharide stains (ruthenium red, periodic acid-Schiff and calcifluor white) in the amount of glycocalyx produced, which ranged from minimal (0 to 1+) to maximal amounts (4+). Two strains selected for minimal (strain 1) and maximal (strain 6) in vitro exopolysaccharide production were studied after we used them to experimentally infect cardiac vegetations. Glycocalyx could be demonstrated surrounding organisms in cardiac vegetations, and the relative amounts produced were similar to those seen in vitro. Vegetations formed by glycocalyx-producing strains were also larger than those formed by glycocalyx-deficient strains. Viridans group streptococci which produce exopolysaccharide in vitro also do so within cardiac vegetations. The relationship of exopolysaccharide production to maintenance of endocardial infection is discussed.
Novel mode of transcription regulation of divergently overlapping promoters by PhoP, the regulator of two‐component system sensing external magnesium availability

PhoP is a response regulator of the PhoQ‐PhoP two‐component system controlling a set of the Mg(II)‐response genes in Escherichia coli. Here we demonstrate the mode of transcription regulation by phosphorylated PhoP of divergently transcribed mgtA and treR genes, each encoding a putative Mg(II) transporter and a repressor for the trehalose utilization operon respectively. Under Mg(II)‐limiting conditions in vivo, two promoters, the upstream constitutive P2 and the downstream inducible P1, were detected for the mgtA gene. Gel‐shift analysis in vitro using purified PhoP indicates its binding to a single DNA target, centred between –43 and –24 of the mgtAP1 promoter. This region includes the PhoP box, which consists of a direct repeat of the heptanucleotide sequence (T)G(T)TT(AA). Site‐directed mutagenesis studies indicate the critical roles for T (position 3), T (position 4) and A (position 6) for PhoP‐dependent transcription from mgtAP1. DNase I footprinting assays reveal weak binding of PhoP to this PhoP box, but the binding becomes stronger in the simultaneous presence of RNA polymerase. Likewise the RNA polymerase binding to the P1 promoter becomes stronger in the presence of PhoP. For the PhoP‐assisted formation of open complex at the mgtAP1 promoter, however, the carboxy‐terminal domain of α subunit (αCTD) is not needed. For transcription in vivo of the treR gene, four promoters were identified. The most upstream promoter treRP4 divergently overlaps with the mgtAP1 promoter, sharing the same sequence as the respective –10 signal in the opposite direction. In vitro transcription using mutant promoters support this prediction. In the presence of PhoP, transcription from the promoter treRP3 was repressed with concomitant activation of mgtAP1 transcription. The PhoP box is located between −46 and –30 with respect to treRP3, and the αCTD is needed for this repression.
Nucleus Accumbens Core Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Pathway Is Critical for Cue-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking in Rats

Relapse to drug seeking was studied using a rodent model of reinstatement induced by exposure to drug-related cues. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates cell growth and survival by controlling translation in response to nutrients and growth factors, has been demonstrated to be involved in neuronal adaptations that underlie drug addiction and learning and memory. We investigated the potential role of the mTOR signaling pathway in relapse to cocaine seeking by using the cue-induced reinstatement model in self-administering rats. We found that exposure to a cocaine-related cue induced reinstatement to cocaine seeking and increased phosphorylation of p70s6 kinase (p70s6k) and ribosomal protein s6 (rps6), measures of mTOR activity, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core but not shell. Furthermore, inhibition of NAc core but not shell p70s6k and rps6 phosphorylation by rapamycin decreased cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Finally, stimulation of NAc core p70s6k and rps6 phosphorylation by NMDA enhanced cue-induced reinstatement, an effect reversed by rapamycin pretreatment. Additionally, rapamycin infusion into the NAc core or shell did not alter ongoing cocaine self-administration or cue-induced reinstatement of sucrose seeking. These findings indicate that cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking is mediated by activation of the mTOR signaling pathway in the NAc core.
High diversity in DNA of soil bacteria

Soil bacterium DNA was isolated by minor modifications of previously described methods. After purification on hydroxyapatite and precipitation with cetylpyridinium bromide, the DNA was sheared in a French press to give fragments with an average molecular mass of 420,000 daltons. After repeated hydroxyapatite purification and precipitation with cetylpyridinium bromide, high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis showed the presence of 2.1% RNA or less, whereas 5-methylcytosine made up 2.9% of the total deoxycytidine content. No other unusual bases could be detected. The hyperchromicity was 31 to 36%, and the melting curve in 1 X SSC (0.15 M NaCl plus 0.015 M sodium citrate) corresponded to 58.3 mol% G+C. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of two DNA samples gave 58.6 and 60.8 mol% G+C. The heterogeneity of the DNA was determined by reassociation of single-stranded DNA, measured spectrophotometrically. Owing to the high complexity of the DNA, the reassociation had to be carried out in 6 X SSC with 30% dimethyl sulfoxide added. Cuvettes with a 1-mm light path were used, and the A275 was read. DNA concentrations as high as 950 micrograms ml-1 could be used, and the reassociation rate of Escherichia coli DNA was increased about 4.3-fold compared with standard conditions. C0t1/2 values were determined relative to that for E. coli DNA, whereas calf thymus DNA was reassociated for comparison. Our results show that the major part of DNA isolated from the bacterial fraction of soil is very heterogeneous, with a C0t1/2 about 4,600, corresponding to about 4,000 completely different genomes of standard soil bacteria. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Harvested rainwater: quality, adequacy, and proximity in Ghanaian rural communities

This article presents a study that aimed to assess the accessibility, use, and quality of harvested rainwater in three rural communities in Ghana where the government of Ghana and local and international development organisations have sponsored domestic rainwater harvesting. The results showed that rainwater storage facilities were within the recommended distance of 1000m from each house. The amount of rainwater per person per day was below the recommended amount. The majority of the respondents therefore depended on other sources of water. Though the physico-chemical quality of rainwater met the WHO guideline limit for drinking water, the bacteriological quality did not. The majority of common water-associated infections experienced prior to the project have not been experienced after the project.
REDUCED GENE FLOW AT PERICENTROMERIC LOCI IN A HYBRID ZONE INVOLVING CHROMOSOMAL RACES OF THE HOUSE MOUSE MUS MUSCULUS DOMESTICUS

The West European house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, is a particularly suitable model to investigate the role of chromosomal rearrangements in reproductive isolation. In fact, it exhibits a broad range of chromosomal polymorphism due to Robertsonian (Rb) fusions leading to various types of contact zones between different chromosomal races. In the present study, we analyzed a parapatric contact in central Italy between the Cittaducale chromosomal race (CD: 2n= 22) and the surrounding populations with standard karyotype (2n= 40) to understand if Rb fusions play a causative role in speciation. One hundred forty‐seven mice from 17 localities were genotyped by means of 12 microsatellite loci. A telomeric and a pericentromeric locus situated on six chromosome arms (four Rbs and one telocentric) were selected to detect differences in the amount of gene flow for each locus in different chromosomal positions. The analyses performed on the two subsets of loci show differences in the level of gene flow, which is more restricted near the centromeres of Rb chromosomes. This effect is less pronounced in the homozygotes populations settled at the border of the hybrid zone. We discuss the possible cause of the differential porosity of gene flow in Rbs considering “hybrid dysfunctions” and “suppressed recombination” models.
Licensing to Enhance Demand for New Technologies

This article presents a model in which licensing competitors expands demand for a new proprietary product and, therefore, may be a profit-maximizing strategy for the licensor even when licensing increases industry cost. In the model buyers care about price and quality, sellers can contract on price but not on quality, and a single supplier has monopoly power. Licensing induces quality competition and allows the supplying firms to make a quality commitment that would not be credible for a single firm. As a result, licensing increases industry demand and may generate an increase in industry revenue sufficient to offset any increase in industry cost. Some of the characteristics of the model are informed by observations in the semiconductor industry.
Dose‐related efficacy and safety of formoterol (Oxis®) Turbuhaler® compared with salmeterol Diskhaler® in children with asthma

To compare the dose‐related bronchodilator efficacy and tolerability of formoterol (Oxis®) Turbuhaler® with salmeterol Diskhaler® and placebo in children with asthma. A single‐dose, randomized, double‐blind, incomplete crossover study of 68 children (7–17 years), with moderate‐to‐severe asthma, 82% receiving inhaled corticosteroids. Patients received four of six treatments [4.5, 9, 18, or 36 μg formoterol (6, 12, 24 or 48 μg metered doses), 50 μg salmeterol (metered dose) or placebo] at 12‐h visits, separated by ≥3 days. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), pulse, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, adverse events and urine formoterol were assessed. The therapeutic ratio of formoterol vs. salmeterol was estimated from the efficacy and systemic effects results. All active treatments significantly improved FEV1 compared with placebo. Formoterol 9–36 μg provided dose‐related increases over salmeterol in lung function: average 12‐h FEV1 (increases of 4.9–8.7%, p < 0.001) and FEV1 at 12 h post‐dose (7.0–12.2%, p < 0.001). The onset of effect of formoterol was also significantly faster than salmeterol for doses ≥9 μg. Salmeterol 50 μg was estimated to be equieffective to 3.3 μg formoterol for 12‐h average FEV1 and the estimated equieffective dose for a variety of systemic effects was 7.8–13.5 μg formoterol. All treatments were well tolerated. Formoterol (Oxis) Turbuhaler 4.5–36 μg provided dose‐related improvements in bronchodilator efficacy in children with asthma. Formoterol ≥9 μg provided superior bronchodilator efficacy over 12 h compared with salmeterol Diskhaler 50 μg with no increase in systemic effects.