cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kantian epistemology as an alternative to heroic astronomy

Theoretical and observational methods in astronomy have advanced to a point where certain of their outcomes are difficult to comprehend with the traditional categories of human knowledge. The philosophical discipline of epistemology, the theory of knowledge, is used here to address four current problems in observational astronomy, exobiology, cosmology, and quantum mechanics. The problems are united by an epistemological content which, when unrecognized, has resulted in some heroic solutions of an ad hoc nature. Kant's critical philosophy is employed because his work is consistent with basic attitudes in present-day physics and biology.
FSO communications: atmospheric effects for an airborne backbone

Free-space optical communications (FSOC) has become an important application area because of the increasing need for larger bandwidths and high-data-rate transfer of information that is available at optical wavelengths. In this paper we discuss some of the atmospheric issues that are important to consider in the design of a FSOC link between aircraft at large separation distances, including aero-optical effects around the aircraft itself.
A simple rule for spike-timing-dependent plasticity: local influence of AHP current

A classical Hebbian learning rule was adapted to produce spike-timing-dependent plasticity. The shape of the plasticity curve for this rule is shown to depend on local mechanisms such as the strength and length of afterhyperpolarization of the postsynaptic cell. The suggested rule can serve as a good approximation for network models that use simplified dynamics of membrane currents.
Dynamics of the Plant Nuclear Envelope and Nuclear Pore

The nucleus is the most prominent compartment of any eukaryotic cell and home to its genetic information. The nucleoplasm is surrounded by a double membrane system, the nuclear envelope (NE). The outer nuclear membrane (ONM) and the inner nuclear membrane (INM) are separated by the perinuclear space
Total Ionizing Dose Effects on Data Retention Capabilities of Battery-Backed CMOS SRAM

Data retention capabilities of commercial battery-backed static random access memories (SRAMs) exposed to different ionizing dose are investigated. Pattern imprinting is observed for devices exposed to a total dose of 50 kR and above. Room temperature annealing and recovery is also recorded. A model for the pattern imprinting behavior in SRAMs is presented based on the general understanding of defects produced in MOSFETs due to ionizing radiation.
A New Lagrangian Method for Three-Dimensional Steady Supersonic Flows

In this paper, the new Lagrangian method introduced by Loh and Hui is extended for 3D steady supersonic flow computation. We present the derivation of the conservation form and the solution of the local Riemann solver using the Godunov and the high resolution TVD schemes. The new approach is accurate and robust, capable of handling complicated geometry and interactions between discontinuous waves. As shown in the test problems, the current Lagrangian method retains all the advantages claimed in the 2D method, e.g., crisp resolution of a slip-surface (contact discontinuity) and automatic grid generation. In this paper, we also suggest a novel 3D Riemann problem in which interesting and intricate flow features are present.
Dietary fermented ammoniated condensed whey and postprandial effects on blood and urine acid-base metabolites in lactating cows

Effects of a fermented whey product containing 38% lactic acid, time post-feeding, and temperature on acid-base metabolism were studied with four lactating Jersey cows in a 4 X 4 Latin square. Treatments included 0, 33, 66, and 100% replacement in soybean meal with fermented whey in a 60% corn silage, 40% concentrate diet (dry basis). Increasing fermented whey to 100% reduced intake and mild production, 27 and 32% compared to animals fed 0 and 33% fermented whey diets. Fermented whey had no effect on blood pH, carbon dioxide tension, bicarbonate, and potassium whereas increasing fermented whey about 33% replacement reduced glucose and sodium in plasma 15 and 40 mg/100 ml from controls. Increasing consumption of fermented whey to 100% replacement increased urinary ammonium excretion 1365/meq per day and slightly decreased urine pH, which suggested changes in acid excretion. Effects of time postfeeding on blood traits were measured from samples taken at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 h. Blood pH was higher at 1 to 3 h as compared with 4 to 8 h postfeeding, whereas carbon dioxide tension and bicarbonate increased 10.6 mm mercury and 6.3 meq/liter at 1 h and declined afterward. Period effects for blood acid-based characteristics showed decreasing blood carbon dioxide tension with increasing ambient temperature.
The effect of certain antispasmodics on the oxygen uptake of rat jejunum and liver.

Abstract The direct manometric method of Warburg was employed for an in vitro study of antispasmodics. Ringer-phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) with 0.2 per cent glucose was used as the respiration medium. Papaverine was found to be the most potent in-hibitor of tissue respiration using rat Jejunum slices, and it had little effect on jejunum homogenates. Varying degrees of inhibition were noted with other antispasmodics tested. It was not possible to correlate antispasmodic activity with inhibition of oxygen uptake. Acetylcholine, eserine, and methylene blue did not antagonize the inhibition caused by the antispasmodics. Acetylcholine increased the oxygen uptake of control liver with little or no effect on the jejunum slices. Qualitatively, the antispasmodics produced the same effects on the liver as on the jejunum slices.
Transverse Emittance of a 2.0-MeV RFQ Beam with High Brightness

One major purpose of the accelerator test stand (ATS) is to see if particle simulation codes can correctly predict the output beam parameters of our radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) linac. By injecting a very bright 100-keV beam (100 mA, 0.02 ?.cm.mrad) and comparing the measured output beam parameters with those predicted (using PARMTEQ), we can investigate PARMTEQ's performance in a high space-charge regime. PARMTEQ has successfully simulated the RFQ beam transmission and energy distribution; it is more difficult to simulate output transverse emittance. Transverse emittance is also difficult to measure because of the high-power-density beam. Special modification of our interceptive slit and collector equipment was required. This paper will compare measured transverse emittances with those predicted.
Root-n-consistent and efficient estimation in semiparametric additive regression models

Abstract In this paper we consider the semiparametric additive regression model whose regression function is the sum of a linear parametric component and several smooth nonparametric components. We construct root-n-consistent and then efficient estimators of the finite dimensional parameter.
Diamond field emission arrays (DFEAs) for high-power free electron lasers

Compared to the present prevalent use of photocathodes for free-electron lasers (FELs), the field-emitter array (FEAs) possesses several advantages as an electron source, namely, high brightness, ruggedness, no drive laser requirement and minimal heat generation. And, compared to Spindt-type molybdenum (Mo) and silicon-tips FEAs, diamond FEAs (DFEAs) have strong carbon-carbon covalent bonding (high activation energy for electromigration), are chemically inert, mechanically and thermally stable, with a low sputter coefficient (resistant to bombardment of positive ions) and low electron affinity for efficient electron emission.
Tumor Necrosis Factor α-dependent Up-regulation of Lrh-1 and Mrp3(Abcc3) Reduces Liver Injury in Obstructive Cholestasis

Mrp3(Abcc3) is markedly induced following bile duct ligation (BDL) in the rat and in some human cholestatic liver diseases and is believed to ameliorate liver injury in this setting. Recently, the orphan nuclear receptor fetoprotein transcription factor/cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase promoter factor (CPF/FTF/Lrh-1) has been shown to activate Mrp3 expression. However, whether inflammatory cytokines or elevated bile acid levels increased Lrh-1/Mrp3 expression in obstructive cholestasis was not known. We hypothesized that induction of Mrp3 would be associated with Lrh-1 up-regulation and would require intact cytokine signaling. Male tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) receptor I (Tnfr–/–) mice and C57BLJ wild type (WT) controls were subjected to sham surgery or bile duct ligation. HepG2 cells were treated with bile acids or cytokines. Immunoblot assay and real time reverse transcriptase-PCR were used to determine expression of MRP3/Mrp3, CPF/Lrh-1, Mrp2, and Bsep. CPF/Lrh-1 DNA binding to the MRP3/Mrp3 promoter was assessed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and promoter activity was determined by luciferase assay. Total bile acids and lactate dehydrogenase were measured using colorimetric assays, and cytokine abundance was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lrh-1 and Mrp3 were significantly induced after BDL in WT but not Tnfr–/– mice. This was associated with more severe hepatocellular necrosis in Tnfr–/– mice. Lrh-1 binding to the Mrp3 promoter increased after BDL in WT but not in Tnfr–/– mice. Tnfα treatment of HepG2 cells also up-regulated CPF and MRP3, increased CPF binding to the MRP3 promoter, and up-regulated MRP3 promoter activity. These results indicate that induction of Mrp3 after BDL is due to Tnfα-dependent up-regulation of Lrh-1. They provide strong evidence that induction of Mrp3 plays a significant role in hepatocyte protection during obstructive cholestasis.
The frisson of No-Touch: A Fan’s Gallant Allegory of the Senses

The double-sided Allegory of the Senses, shows, on one side, a late- seventeenth-century courtly depiction of hearing, sight, and smell. It is possible to read these as three vignettes depicting gallant sociability in elite society: the very sociability in which the fan played a crucial role. Our interpretation must change, however, if we acknowledge both the ‘missing’ senses of taste and touch not directly depicted on the fan, and the fan’s reverse, a rural scene of a couple. The play of absent and present senses, and the tension between the courtly vignettes of the primary image and its humbler other side, suggest also a possible ‘fluttering’ of signification, not unlike the motion of a fan itself, which may undo some of the gallant visual rhetoric which at first glance appears to dominate an understanding of this fan.
The double row layout problem

This research explores the double row layout problem (DRLP) that deals with how to place departments or machines on both sides of a central corridor. This type of layout problem is commonly observed in production and service facilities. Over the last 40 years, researchers have extensively studied a similar problem called the single row layout problem (SRLP) or one dimensional space allocation problem (ODSAP); as a result, several practical approaches are currently available for the problem. However, the DRLP has not received much attention in the literature although it often provides a better structure for layout designers. In this research, we first develop an MIP model for the DRLP that involves more variables and constraints than existing formulations of the SRLP. In turn, conditions yielding a good solution are analysed based on the proposed model. Five heuristic algorithms are developed to provide a reasonably good initial solution and corresponding upper bound of the DRLP. The performance of these heuristic algorithms, as well as MIP solutions by CPLEX 10.2, is compared in a series of experiments.
A look at curriculum integration from the bridge

This article looks at the popularity of curriculum integration in the 1990s in the United States. It offers evidence from national curriculum standards documents, books in print, journal articles, national coalitions and organizations, and curriculum in use to suggest that curriculum integration is experiencing a peak in interest, much like the early era of progressive education, and the open education movement of the 1960s. It further traces the intellectual roots of the current movement and looks at the conceptual differences in the two factions in the curriculum integration movement: the correlated/fused and the core. Different assumptions about the primary source of the curriculum lie at the heart of the split. An extensive reference section offers a sample of the writings on curriculum integration in the 1990s.
CHELATES OF 4-HYDROXYBENZOTHIAZOLE WITH THE RARE EARTHS

Abstract The rare earth chelates of 4-hydroxybenzothiazole have been prepared and analyzed by a titrimetric method as well as a microgravimetric method. The infrared spectra of these chelates have been determined.
Perceptions and use of the national kidney foundation KDOQI guidelines: a survey of U.S. renal healthcare providers.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) developed guidelines to care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). While these are disseminated through the NKF’s website and publications, the guidelines’ usage remains suboptimal. The KDOQI Educational Committee was formed to identify barriers to guideline implementation, determine provider and patient educational needs and develop tools to improve care of patients with CKD. An online survey was conducted from May to September 2010 to evaluate renal providers’ familiarity, current use of and attitudes toward the guidelines and tools to implement the guidelines. Most responders reported using the guidelines often and felt that they could be easily implemented into clinical practice; however, approximately one-half identified at least one barrier. Physicians and physician extenders most commonly cited the lack of evidence supporting KDOQI guidelines while allied health professionals most commonly listed patient non-adherence, unrealistic guideline goals and provider time-constraints. Providers thought that the guidelines included too much detail and identified the lack of a quick resource as a barrier to clinical implementation. Most were unaware of the Clinical Action Plans. Perceived barriers differed between renal clinicians and allied health professionals; educational and implementation tools tailored for different providers are needed.
A marginal return?—The problematic in Zhang Chengzhi's reinvention of ethnic identity

Amidst frantic economic and social changes in China today, Zhang Chengzhi, like most other humanists, must redefine the humanist role and reconfigure his individual identity accordingly. What he does is to rediscover his ethnic identity as a Muslim Chinese, which rehearses a problematic shared by other humanists: self‐reinvention must be contested and negotiated via social contingency and acculturation; one cannot renew a cultural entity without recourse to ‘the other‘—an allegorical subject, a suppressed ethnicity or a transcendental self. Zhang overcomes the void of a disoriented self by first recounting the muted history of Jahriyya Muslims (in his book History of the Soul) from the narrative stance of ‘a defamiliarized self and then engaging the primordial with the circumstantial in his effort to evoke the obscured awareness of his ethnic root. In his next book The Heroes’ Paths in Wilderness, Zhang recaptures key moments of his recuperation from the disoriented self through his psychoanalytic diagnos...
Winter rye as a cover crop following soybean under conservation tillage

Rotation of corn (Zea mays L.) with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] provides certain economic and environmental advantages over monoculture corn. Low soybean residue production and persistence, however, promote potentially excessive soil erosion following soybean harvest. An irrigated field experiment was conducted in eastern Nebraska for 4 yr (1990-1993) under various tillage treatments and N rates to evaluate the effects of a winter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop following soybean on (i) rye dry matter yield, (ii) surface residue cover for erosion protection, and (iii) corn establishment and production. The soil was a Sharpsburg silty clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Typic Argiudolls). Treatments were (i) no-tillage and disk tillage; (ii) corn following soybean with a winter rye cover crop (CBR), corn following soybean without rye (CB) and corn following corn (CC); and (iii) 0, 50, 100, 150, and 300 kg N ha -1 (applied to corn). Rye aboveground dry matter yield, surface residue cover, and corn yield parameters were estimated. Rye dry matter yield ranged from 0.25 to 2.9 Mg ha -1 and was influenced by tillage, N rate, and weather conditions in different years. During the years of high rye dry matter yield, presence of rye in the corn-soybean system gave approximately 16% additional surface residue cover prior to planting through cultivation, compared with soybean residue alone. Surface cover by rye and soybean residues in CBR was equivalent to corn residue in CC under both disk and no-till management. In 1 of the 3 yr, corn plant population and grain yield were reduced following rye (CBR) compared with the no rye system (CB), possibly due to apparent allelopathic effects related to the age of rye. No significant difference in N response was observed between CBR and CB corn yields. In general, rotation of corn with soybean (with and without rye) resulted in an increase of approximately 27% in corn grain yield and N uptake over continuous corn. During the years of high rye dry matter production, rye accumulated approximately 45 kg N ha -1 through aboveground dry matter. Overall, including a winter rye cover crop in the corn-soybean rotation system was beneficial.
New Directions in Economic Anthropology? A Comment on Kunkel

Kunkel is quite correct in arguing that Foster's view of the factors influencing social and economic change in peasant communities is not completely opposite to mine. There are several bridges between our work, and Kunkel has certainly pointed out some of them. In many respects, Kunkel is not so much disagreeing with either Foster's work or my own as he is trying to bring out the underlying axioms and presuppositions behind our work. However, it is important to recognize that Kunkel is carrying on his analysis with an unusual set of concepts in mind. In the long run, the concepts that he is using may be far more important than anything he has to say about either Foster or myself. Certainly they warrant discussion, for they point economic anthropology in a very different direction than the one it is now taking.
Analysis and simulated diagenesis of kerogen in a Recent bottom mud from Mono Lake, California: a comparison with selected ancient kerogens

The insoluble organic matter, or kerogen, in a Recent bottom mud (<1000yr old) from Mono Lake, California, has been analyzed by vacuum pyrolysis-GC-MS and compared with the kerogen from several Precambrian rocks, including the Belingwe and Transvaal stromatolites. The Mono Lake kerogen consists mainly of cyclic and acyclic aliphatic components with lesser amounts of aromatics present. It is less aromatic and more susceptible to thermal degradation than the Precambrian kerogens, and its products show a much greater diversity especially among the unsaturated aliphatics and the heteroatomic components. The presence of these compounds, most notably 2,5-dimethylfuran, in the Mono Lake kerogen indicates a relatively rapid formation and incorporation into a young kerogen and suggests that their presence in the Precambrian kerogens, such as the Belingwe stromatolite, may be consistent with an ancient biological origin. In simulated diagenesis experiments the Recent mud was heated at 150°C for 3 months or 225°C for 8 months. The former was insufficient to affect the kerogen pyrolysis products. The latter, however, caused a large decrease in the heteroatomic components and a slight increase in the abundance of n-alkanes relative to that of the cyclic and branched alkanes. This suggests that the presence of some of these components in Precambrian rocks should be consistent with a high degree of preservation of these rocks, as appears to be the case for the Belingwe and Transvaal stromatolites.
Book Selections of Economically Disadvantaged Black Elementary Students

The author identified books most often selected among a sample of economically disadvantaged Black 8- to 12-year-old participants (N = 293) and investigated reasons participants offered for choosing specific books. Participants self-selected books at a book fair providing 412 books. The most commonly selected books supplied descriptive data. Participants most frequently chose fiction and series books and books reflective of the media and mass marketing. Girls selected nonfiction books more often than boys. In addition to the descriptive data, the author used participants' spontaneous talk and interview responses to formulate a grounded theory regarding why participants selected certain books. The author discusses the theory that everyday culture overarched participants' books selection descriptions and sources of familiarity.
Microfiber-Directed Boundary Flow in Press-Fit Microdevices Fabricated from Self-Adhesive Hydrophobic Surfaces

We report a rapid microfluidic device construction technique which does not employ lithography or stamping methods. Device assembly physically combines a silicon wafer, an elastomer (poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)), and microfibers to form patterns of hydrophobic channels, wells, elbows, or orifices that direct fluid flow into controlled boundary layers. Tweezers are used to place glass microfibers in a defined pattern onto an elastomeric (PDMS) hydrophobic film. The film is then manually pressed onto a hydrophobic silicon wafer, causing it to adhere to the silicon wafer and form a liquid-tight seal around the fibers. Completed in 15 min, the technique results in an operable microdevice with micrometer-scale features of nanoliter volume. Microfiber-directed boundary flow is achieved by use of the surface wetting properties of the hydrophilic glass fiber and the hydrophobicity of surrounding surfaces. The simplicity of this technique allows quick prototyping of microfluidic components, as well as complete biosensor systems, such as we describe for the detection of pathogenic bacteria.
New high performance self-bonding magnet wire

A novel high-performance self-bonding wire (SBWG) with better flowability at low temperature and higher bond strength at elevated temperature than the previously used self-bonding wire (SBW5) has been developed. The wire was developed by introducing new polymers and a new curing agent as self-bonding resin formulas. SBWG can reduce the thickness of the bonding layer because of its good flowability and high bond strength. SBWG shows excellent refrigerant resistance, equal to that of SBW5. >
Nanoantenna Absorbers for Thermal Detectors

We present a mid-infrared absorber based on the nanoantennas for thermal infrared detectors. Our design utilizes a fraction of the noble metal used in conventional absorbers and is only one layer thick, which allows for extremely small thermal conductance leading potentially to very low thermal detector noise. In this numerical study, we demonstrate that the proposed nanoantenna absorber having an areal coverage of only 2.5% can absorb 10 times more efficiently than a single uniform metal layer of the same thickness.
Myocardial Structure, Function, and Scar in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background—We report relationships between cardiovascular disease risk factors and myocardial structure, function, and scar in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study. Methods and Results—Cardiac magnetic resonance was obtained in 1017 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Gadolinium cardiac magnetic resonance was also obtained in 741 patients. The mean age was 49±7 years; 52% were men; and mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 28±5 years. Associations of cardiovascular disease risk factors with cardiac magnetic resonance parameters were examined with linear and logistic regression models. History of macroalbuminuria was positively associated with left ventricular mass (by 14.8 g), leading to a significantly higher ratio of left ventricular mass to end-diastolic volume (by 8%). Mean hemoglobin A1c levels over the preceding 22 years were inversely associated with end-diastolic volume...
Molecular dynamics simulations of helical antimicrobial peptides in SDS micelles: what do point mutations achieve?

We report long time scale simulations of the 18-residue helical antimicrobial peptide ovispirin-1 and its analogs novispirin-G10 and novispirin-T7 in SDS micelles. The SDS micelle serves as an economical and effective model for a cellular membrane. Ovispirin, which is initially placed along a micelle diameter, diffuses out to the water–SDS interface and stabilizes to an interface-bound steady state in 16.35 ns of simulation. The final conformation, orientation, and the structure of ovispirin are in good agreement with the experimentally observed properties of the peptide in presence of lipid bilayers. The simulation succeeds in capturing subtle differences of the membrane-bound peptide structure as predicted by solid state NMR. The novispirins also undergo identical diffusion patterns and similar final conformations. Although the final interface-bound states are similar, the simulations illuminate the structural and binding properties of the mutant peptides which make them less toxic compared to ovispirin. Based on previous data and the current simulations, we propose that introduction of a bend/hinge at the center of helical antimicrobial peptides (containing a specific C-terminal motif), without disrupting the helicity of the peptides might attenuate host-cell toxicity as well as improve membrane binding properties to bacterial cellular envelopes.
The potential and limitations of automatic sentence extraction for summarization

In this paper we present an empirical study of the potential and limitation of sentence extraction in text summarization. Our results show that the single document generic summarization task as defined in DUC 2001 needs to be carefully refocused as reflected in the low inter-human agreement at 100-word1 (0.40 score) and high upper bound at full text2 (0.88) summaries. For 100-word summaries, the performance upper bound, 0.65, achieved oracle extracts3. Such oracle extracts show the promise of sentence extraction algorithms; however, we first need to raise inter-human agreement to be able to achieve this performance level. We show that compression is a promising direction and that the compression ratio of summaries affects average human and system performance.
A quasioptical resonant-tunneling-diode oscillator operating above 200 GHz

A quasioptical resonant-tunneling-diode (RTD) oscillator is demonstrated at frequencies above 200 GHz. The oscillator is stabilized by a semiconfocal open cavity. The maximum output power and the linewidth are approximately 50 mu W and 20 kHz, respectively, at a fundamental frequency of 210 GHz. By varying the cavity length, the oscillator frequency can be adjusted over a 0.4-GHz range in a repetitive manner. This behavior is explained by analogy with laser oscillators. The quasioptical RTD oscillator is well suited as a local oscillator for low-power radiometric mixers. >
Studies of host responses during experimental gingivitis in humans. II. Changes in acute phase reactants, serum immunoglobulins and complement during the development of gingival inflammation.

To determine if the early accumulation of plaque in experimental gingivitis is associated with systemic alterations in acute phase serum proteins, immunoglobulins and complement, serial serum specimens were obtained from experimental subjects and matched controls. Therre were no singnificant changes in acute phase reactants (C-reactive protein, transferrin, alpha-1-antitrypsin) or IgG, IgA or IgM. Total hemolytic complement (CH50) and C4 quantitative levels rose significantly in the experimental subjects 21 days after discontinuing oral hygiene, but not in the controls. There were no significant changes in C3 or Factor B levels in either group. Thus, there was no evidence of gross activation of the complement system by either pathway (e.g. consumptive depletion). On the other hand, functional analysis of the sera for spontaneous, complement derived, neutrophil chemotactic activity (SCA) revealed the following: (1) significant elevation in SCA occurred in the experimental subjects 3 and 21 days after discontinuing oral hygiene (compared to the Day 0 baseline value) but did not occur in the controls; (2) the elevated SCA was C5-dependent; and (3) elevated serum SCA at days 3 and 21 was correlated with the enhancement of plaque mediated lysosomal release from polymorphonuclear leukocytes, incubated with aliquots of these sera. The data suggest that subtle degrees of systemic complement activation occur in experimental gingivitis but are only detected by sensitive, functional assays.
High-level automatic pipelining for sequential circuits

This paper presents a new approach for automatically pipelining sequential circuits. The approach repeatedly extracts a computation from the critical path, moves it into a new stage, then uses speculation to generate a stream of values that keep the pipeline full. The newly generated circuit retains enough state to recover from incorrect speculations by flushing the incorrect values from the pipeline, restoring the correct state, then restarting the computation.We also implement two extensions to this basic approach: stalling, which minimizes circuit area by eliminating speculation, and forwarding, which increases the throughput of the generated circuit by forwarding correct values to preceding pipeline stages. We have implemented a prototype synthesizer based on this approach. Our experimental results show that, starting with a non-pipelined or insufficiently pipelined specification, this synthesizer can effectively reduce the clock cycle time and improve the throughput of the generated circuit.
RB101‐mediated Protection of Endogenous Opioids: Potential Therapeutic Utility?

The endogenous opioids met- and leu-enkephalin are inactivated by peptidases preventing the activation of opioid receptors. Inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes increases endogenous enkephalin levels and stimulates robust behavioral effects. RB101, an inhibitor of enkephalin-degrading enzymes, produces antinociceptive, antidepressant, and anxiolytic effects in rodents, without typical opioid-related negative side effects. Although enkephalins are not selective endogenous ligands, RB101 induces these behaviors through receptor-selective activity. The antinociceptive effects of RB101 are produced through either the mu-opioid receptor alone or through activation of both mu- and delta-opioid receptors; the antidepressant-like and anxiolytic effects of RB101 are mediated only through the delta-opioid receptor. Although little is known about the effects of RB101 on other physiologically and behaviorally relevant peptides, these findings suggest that RB101 and other inhibitors of enkephalin-degrading enzymes may have potential as novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of pain, depression, and anxiety.
Reducing power with an L0 instruction cache using history-based prediction

Advances in semiconductor technology have several impacts on processor design. One impact is that faster clock rates and slower wires will limit the number of transistors reachable in a single cycle. Another impact is that power management is becoming a design constraint due to increase in power density. A small L0 cache on top of a traditional L1 cache has the advantages of shorter access time and lower power consumption. The downside of a L0 cache is possible performance loss in the case of cache misses. In this paper, we have analyzed L0 instruction cache miss patterns and have proposed an effective L0 instruction cache management scheme through history-based prediction. For SPEC2000 benchmarks, the prediction hit rate is as high as 99% and the average hit rate is more than 93%. Compared to other L0 instruction cache management schemes, our scheme reduces more than 95% the performance degradation in L0 caches while maintaining the energy advantage as shown by a lower energy-delay product.
Glass microelectrode studies on intramural papillary muscle cells. Description of preparation and studies on normal dog papillary muscle.

Although the electrophysiological properties of intramural ventricular myocardial cells are important to an understanding of cardiac excitation and conduction, they have not been well defined. The paucity of information stems from limitations on the depth of penetration by glass microelectrodes and from difficulties in perfusing the deep layers. Therefore, a tissue slicing technique that satisfactorily exposes all the layers of a papillary muscle specimen from the endocardium to the epicardium was developed for electrophysiological examination. Glass microelectrodes were then used to explore these slice preparations to define the electrophysiological characteristics of intramural cells in the normal dog. Transmembrane potentials recorded from subendocardial and deep myocardial cells in the papillary muscle slices were comparable to those recorded from standard preparations. Similarities included action potential duration and configuration, relationships among resting potential, action potential configuration, and extracellular potassium concentration, and dependency of action potential duration on cycle length. However, the average magnitudes of measured electrophysiological characteristics were consistently greater in the subsurface cells tested in papillary muscle slices than they were in the surface cells tested in the standard preparations, i.e., resting potential was 2-4 mv more negative, action potential amplitude was 7-9 mv larger, and maximum rate of voltage change (maximum dV/dt) was 40-140 v/sec larger. Deep myocardial tissues also exhibited enhanced responsiveness (the curve relating activation potential to maximum dV/dt of the response shifted up and to the left), cell populations with large maximum dV/dt, and estimated conduction velocities in excess of three times those in the surface cell layers. These findings provide a reasonable explanation for (I) discrepancies between previously reported values for ventricular conduction velocity. (2) rapid impulse spread to the papillary muscle tip. and (3) bidirectional activation of the papillary muscle and large trabeculae. They also suggest the possibility of functional pathways that facilitate rapid activation of the deep myocardial lavers.
Streptococcus pyogenes Serotype M1 Encodes Multiple Pathways for Entry into Human Epithelial Cells

The ability of a serotype M1 strain of Streptococcus pyogenes to efficiently invade A549 human lung epithelial cells was previously shown to be dependent on bacterial exposure to human or bovine serum proteins or synthetic peptides containing the sequence RGD. In this study, stimulation by invasion agonists was determined to be dependent on expression of the streptococcal cell surface protein, M1. Fetal bovine serum (FBS), fibronectin (Fn), the extracellular matrix protein laminin (Lm), and RGD-containing peptides were tested for their abilities to promote epithelial cell invasion and adherence by isogenic M1(+) and M1(-) strains of S. pyogenes. In the absence of an agonist, invasion and adherence were comparable for the two bacterial strains. FBS, Fn, and Lm stimulated invasion of the M1(+) strain as much as 70-fold but failed to significantly affect invasion by the M1(-) mutant. Adherence of the wild-type strain was stimulated by these same agonists. Epithelial cell adherence by the M1(-) strain, however, was unaffected by the presence of Fn or Lm. Several RGD-containing peptides were found to promote invasion independently of M1 expression. Binding of 125I-Fn was reduced 88% by the M1(-) mutation and Fn was found to bind purified M1 protein, suggesting that Fn mediates invasion by direct binding to M1. To determine if host integrins might be involved in internalization of streptococci, several anti-integrin monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were tested for their abilities to inhibit invasion. Antibody directed against integrin beta1 inhibited FBS-, Fn-, and Lm-mediated invasion but did not abrogate RGD-peptide-stimulated invasion. MAb directed against the epithelial cell Fn receptor, integrin alpha5beta1, inhibited Fn and FBS-mediated invasion but did not specifically inhibit Lm-mediated invasion. These results indicate that S. pyogenes has evolved multiple mechanisms for invasion of eukaryotic cells, at least two of which involve interactions between M1 protein, host integrins, and integrin ligands.
Rapid and reflexive feature-based attention

Performance on a visual task is improved when attention is directed to relevant spatial locations or specific visual features. Spatial attention can be directed either voluntarily (endogenously) or automatically (exogenously). However, feature-based attention has only been shown to operate endogenously. Here, we show that an exogenous cue to a visual feature can lead to improved performance in visual search. Response times were measured as subjects detected or discriminated a target oval among an array of disks, each with a unique color. An uninformative colored cue was flashed at the beginning of each trial that sometimes matched the location and/or color of the target oval. Subjects detected or discriminated the target faster when the color of the cue matched the color of the target, regardless of the cue's location relative to the target. Our results suggest evidence for a previously unknown exogenous cuing mechanism for feature-based attention.
African Slaves in 19th-Century Rural Egypt

By all accounts, the population of enslaved Africans in Egypt increased in the 19th century compared to earlier times. An estimated 5,000 African slaves were imported annually during the 1840s and 1850s, and as few as 1,000 in 1860. However, during the cotton boom (1861–64), some 25,000 to 30,000 slaves were brought to Egypt each year to satisfy the demand for labor generated by the rapid expansion of cotton cultivation.
Delay stabilizes stochastic motion of bumps in layered neural fields

a b s t r a c t We study the effects of propagation delays on the stochastic dynamics of bumps in neural fields with multiple layers. In the absence of noise, each layer supports a stationary bump. Using linear stability analysis, we show that delayed coupling between layers causes translating perturbations of the bumps to decay in the noise-free system. Adding noise to the system causes bumps to wander as a random walk. However, coupling between layers can reduce the variability of this stochastic motion by canceling noise that perturbs bumps in opposite directions. Delays in interlaminar coupling can further reduce variability, since they couple bump positions to states from the past. We demonstrate these relationships by deriving an asymptotic approximation for the effective motion of bumps. This yields a stochastic delay-differential equation where each delayed term arises from an interlaminar coupling. The impact of delays is well approximated by using a small delay expansion, which allows us to compute the effective diffusion in bumps’ positions, accurately matching results from numerical simulations.
The Effect of Sequence Error and Partial Training Data on BLAST Accuracy

Metagenomics is the study of environmental samples. Because few tools exist for metagenomic analysis, a natural step has been to utilize the popular homology tool, BLAST, to search for sequence similarity between DNA reads and an administered database. Most biologists use this method today without knowing BLAST’s accuracy, especially when a particular taxonomic class is under-represented in the database. The aim of this paper is to benchmark the performance of BLAST for taxonomic classification of metagenomic datasets in a supervised setting, meaning that the database contains microbes of the same class as the ‘unknown’ query DNA reads. We examine well- and under-represented genera and phyla in order to study their effect on the accuracy of BLAST. We investigate the degradation in BLAST accuracy when genome coverage is reduced in the training database as well as the performance when errors are introduced into the query DNA reads. We conclude that on fine-resolution classes, such as genera, the accuracy of BLAST does not degrade very much with under-representation, but in a highly variant class, such as phyla, performance degrades significantly when whole genomes are used in the training database. BLAST accuracy at the genus level is affected greater than phyla when coverage in the training database is reduced or when 1% sequence error is introduced into the query DNA reads. Our analysis includes five-fold cross validation to substantiate our findings.
A Graphics Preprocessor for Computer-Aided Design and Drafting of frame Structures

An interactive microcomputer-based graphics preprocessor has been developed for computer-aided design and drafting of plane frame structures. The graphics preprocessor has been developed in Advanced BASIC version 3.0 on an IBM Personal Computer. The preprocessor allows various manipulations of the frame structure such as zooming, panning, shrinking, expanding, node labeling, and element labeling. The flow between the graphics display and the data input is very easy and allows the user to enter new frame data, visually check it, and edit the data quickly.
A Vision for the Third Millennium the Age of Global Dialogue Dialogue or Death

In his article «A Vision for the Third Millennium, The Age of Global Dialogue: Dialogue or Death», Swidler attempts to show that humankind is in a crucial transition from a stage where monologue is the chief characteristic of relations, to one where dialogue is the chief characteristic. Because of technological advances, dialogue is both more possible than ever before and also more necessary than ever before. The change from monologue to dialogue is a change from a way of interacting modeled on confrontation to one modeled on listening. The change is being caused by a number of important parallel shifts, such as an increased awareness of the tenacity of knowledge and the shrinking of the world to a «global community». But while Swidler characterizes the change from monologue to dialogue as «the most fundamental, most radical and utterly transformative of the key elements of the newly emerging paradigm,» he warns that this change is not a guaranteed event. With the great technological advances that make dialogue more possible than ever come new opportunities for technological abuses. Therefore, he warns, we are faced with two choices: dialogue or death.
Effects of Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) Lodge Construction on Invertebrate Communities in a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland

Abstract Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) herbivory and lodge construction create open water areas in stands of emergent vegetation. This study examined how aquatic invertebrates are affected by changes in the physical structure of plant stands created by muskrats. We compared density, species composition and functional feeding groups of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and abiotic conditions in open water areas at muskrat lodges and in adjacent cattail stands. Although total numbers of macroinvertebrates were not affected by muskrat activities, communities at muskrat lodges were less diverse than in cattail stands. Gathering collectors such as chironomid midges that feed on fine particulate organic matter were the dominant trophic group; these were significantly more abundant at muskrat lodges than in cattail stands. Scrapers, such as gammarid scuds that feed on periphyton, were also abundant; these were significantly more abundant in cattail stands than at muskrat lodges. Water temperature, dissolved o...
ZnT2-Mediated Zinc Import Into Paneth Cell Granules Is Necessary for Coordinated Secretion and Paneth Cell Function in Mice.

Background & Aims Defects in Paneth cell (PC) function are associated with microbial dysbiosis and intestinal inflammation. PC granules contain antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and substantial stores of zinc (Zn). We hypothesized that Zn, transported into the granule through the Zn transporter (ZnT)2, is critical for signature PC functions. Methods ZnT2 was localized to PC granules using immunofluorescence and sucrose gradient fractionation in wild-type ( wt ) mice, and consequences of ZnT2 loss were characterized in ZnT2 knockout ( ZnT2ko ) mice. Terminal ilea were harvested for immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, and fluorescent imaging with the Zn reporter Zinpyr-1. Alterations in fecal microbiota were characterized using 16s ribosomal RNA sequencing. PC degranulation, bacterial translocation, cytokine response to Escherichia coli endotoxin lipopolysaccharide, crypt viability after exposure to the oxidant monochloramine (NH 2 Cl), and bactericidal activity of luminal contents of terminal ilea against enteropathogenic E coli were assessed. Results ZnT2 was localized to the membrane of PC granules. In ZnT2ko mice, spontaneous degranulation was observed more frequently than among wt mice. Secretory granules were hypodense with less active lysozyme, and there was evidence of autophagosome accumulation and granule degradation in PCs from ZnT2ko mice. Gut microbiota of ZnT2ko mice were enriched in Bacteroidales S24-7 and relatively depleted of species commonly found in wt mice. Evidence of PC dysfunction in ZnT2ko mice included impaired granule secretion and increased inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide, less bactericidal activity, and greater susceptibility to cell death from NH 2 Cl. Conclusions ZnT2 is critical for Zn import into PC granules, and the inability to import Zn leads to profound defects in PC function and uncoordinated granule secretion.
Issues and Perspectives on Retail Productivity

Retail productivity continues to be of significant concern to many organizations across the country. However, the various perspectives in the literature often imply inconsistent definitions and measurementofkey productivity-related concepts. The thrust of this paper is to provide definitional and conceptual clarity to the area and to discuss some significant productivity measurement problems.
The demandingness of morality: toward a reflective equilibrium

It is common for philosophers to reject otherwise plausible moral theories on the ground that they are objectionably demanding, and to endorse “Moderate” alternatives. I argue that while support can be found within the method of reflective equilibrium for Moderate moral principles of the kind that are often advocated, it is much more difficult than Moderates have supposed to provide support for the view that morality’s demands in circumstances like ours are also Moderate. Once we draw a clear distinction between Moderate accounts of the content of moral principles, and Moderate accounts of morality’s demands in circumstances like ours, we can see that defenses of Moderate views that include both of these components are subject to both methodological and substantive objections. I consider arguments for Moderate views that have been made by Samuel Scheffler and Richard Miller, and argue that both are methodologically problematic because they rely on appeals to intuitions that we have strong grounds to think are unreliable. I conclude that we must take seriously the possibility that Moderate principles, applied to well off people in circumstances like ours, imply demands that are much more extensive than Moderates typically accept.