cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Link Lengths Optimization Based on Multiple Performance Indexes of Anthropomorphic Manipulators

How to determine the optimal link length parameters according to task requirements and constraints is a key problem in the design of anthropomorphic manipulators. Considering multiple performance indexes such as dexterity and end stiffness, this article presents a method on how to maximally improve the comprehensive motion performance of anthropomorphic manipulators by optimizing the link lengths. Firstly, the joint motion ranges of human arm are obtained through analyzing the motion mechanism and the motion forms. Then the kinematics model of manipulators with the optimal configuration is established by using screw theory, and a comprehensive evaluation index for the motion performance is proposed by considering the Jacobian matrix condition number, manipulability, and end stiffness. Taking the evaluation index as the objective function, the corresponding constraints and the optimization model are established to optimize the link lengths of manipulators with both flexibility and stiffness. Through comparative analyses, it can be seen that the global comprehensive performance index value of the optimized anthropomorphic manipulators increases by about 23.97%, and the motion performance is significantly improved.
One nation under the fed? The asymmetric effects of US monetary policy and its implications for the United States as an optimal currency area

Abstract Is the United States best served by a single currency? This question is explored in this paper by looking at the regional effects of US monetary policy shocks through the perspective of the optimal currency area framework. Using monthly state-level data for the period 1983:1–2008:3, this paper finds that some regions of the United States during this time may have benefited from having their own currency.
Structure of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase. IV. Structural features revealed by treatment with urea and Ellman's reagent.

Abstract Native 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase from Pseudomonas putida and three other forms generated by experimental manipulation were investigated with respect to catalytic activity, reactivity with bisdithiodinitrobenzoate (Ellman's reagent), and, in some instances, were also partially characterized by optical rotatory dispersion measurements. These include: (a) the form present in 8 m urea; (b) the aldolase reconstituted after urea treatment, and (c) the ϵ- N -(1-carboxyethyl)-substituted aldolase generated by treatment with pyruvate and NaBH 4 . The native form had an apparent α-helix content of 31–33%. It reacted with 5.2 moles of Ellman's reagent per mole of aldolase without loss in activity. In the presence of 8 m urea, the α-helix content was zero and 12.1 moles of Ellman's reagent reacted per mole of aldolase. Thus, the four cysteinyl groups known to be present per subunit of the trimeric structure are distributed such that two are readily accessible and two are buried. The rate of reaction with Ellman's reagent depended upon the buffer present, as follows: HCO 3 > Tris = imidazole > arsenate ≧ phosphate > sulfate. Further, incomplete titration was observed in urea-phosphate as compared with urea-bicarbonate. After inactivation in 8 m urea-phosphate, as much as 90% of the original activity could be recovered. However, reactivation could not be achieved after treatment with urea-bicarbonate. The reconstituted aldolase behaved identically to the native aldolase by the criteria of titration with Ellman's reagent, density-gradient centrifugation, disc-gel electrophoresis, fractionation, crystal structure, α-helix content, and specific activity. Titration of ϵ- N -(1-carboxyethyl)lysyl 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase with Ellman's reagent resulted in much lower reactivity of both free and buried SH groups. Analysis in urea density gradients revealed that dissociation in 8 m urea was very incomplete, thereby explaining the greater inaccessibility of thiol groups.
Endotoxin-induced alterations in hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity and gene expression

The mechanisms responsible for the glycemic changes associated with endotoxic shock are not fully understood, but are known to involve the ability of the liver to produce glucose. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether endotoxin (LPS) influences the expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) during the early hyperglycemic phase and the later hypoglycemic phase. Rats were injected with a relatively large dose of LPS (20 mg/kg) or saline (control), and sacrificed at 1 or 5 h post-injection. Both the plasma glucose concentration and glucose production were elevated 1 h post-LPS (2-fold) and both decreased at 5 h postinjection (50%). Compared to time-matched control values, hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate levels were significantly decreased at both 1 and 5 h. Hepatic Glu-6-Pase activity and mRNA levels were moderately increased, 1 h after injection of LPS. At 5 h, an 88% decrease in mRNA abundance for Glu-6-Pase was associated with a 30% decrease in activity of this enzyme. Plasma insulin concentrations were not different 1 h after LPS and were elevated 2-fold from control values at 5 h. Circulating levels of glucagon and corticosterone were elevated at both time points following LPS. Our data indicate that the LPS-induced hypoglycemia and reduction in hepatic glucose production were accompanied by a depression in Glu-6-Pase activity and gene expression. ((Mol Cell Biochem 196: 79-83, 1999)
An Open Environment for Real-Time Applications

This paper describes an open system architecture that allows independently developed hard real-time applications to run together and supports their reconfiguration at run-time. In the open system, each real-time application is executed by a server and scheduled by a two-level hierarchical scheduler. At lower level, the OS scheduler schedules all the servers on the EDF basis. At the upper level, the server scheduler of each server schedules the ready jobs of the application that the server executes according to the algorithm chosen for the application. The two-level scheduler never accepts a real-time application that may not be schedulable in the open system, and once it accepts a real-time application, it guarantees the schedulability of the application regardless of the behaviors of other applications in the system. The paper also describes the design and implementation of the open system within the framework of the Windows NT operating system. The implementation consists of three key components: the two-level hierarchical kernel scheduler, common system service providers, and real-time application programming interface.
Aspartate Transcarbamylase STUDIES OF THE CATALYTIC SUBUNIT BY ULTRAVIOLET DIFFERENCE SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract The binding of substrates and substrate analogues to the catalytic subunit of aspartate transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli can be detected by difference spectroscopy between 275 and 310 mµ; the chromophores giving rise to these difference spectra are tentatively identified as a tryptophyl residue perturbed by the binding of carbamyl phosphate and a tyrosyl residue perturbed by the binding of l-aspartate. Dissociation constants for several l-aspartate analogues have been determined by difference spectroscopy. When the carbamyl phosphate site is unoccupied, l-aspartate, succinate, l-malate, and d-malate each bind weakly at the l-aspartate site. In the presence of carbamyl phosphate, only succinate and d-malate, the two dicarboxylic acids which lack l-α-substituents, bind tightly to the enzyme. In striking contrast, when carbamyl phosphate is replaced by phosphate, only l-aspartate and l-malate, the two dicarboxylic acids which have l-α-substituents, bind tightly to the enzyme. The magnitudes of the difference spectra for the ternary complexes are substantially greater than the sum of the magnitudes of the binary complexes formed by each analogue individually only when binding of the dicarboxylic acid is enhanced. We suggest, as an explanation for these observations, that the enzyme converts a portion of the electrostatic binding energy of l-aspartate into energy for the mechanical act of forcing the substrates together. A detailed model for the catalytic mechanism is presented, based on the data presented in this and the accompanying papers.
Cell wall extension results in the coordinate separation of parallel microfibrils: evidence from scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

*† ‡ § Summary Enlargement of the cell wall requires separation of cellulose microfibrils, mediated by proteins such as expansin; according to the multi-net growth hypothesis, enlargement passively reorients microfibrils. However, at the molecular scale, little is known about the specific movement of microfibrils. To find out, we examined directly changes in microfibril orientation when walls were extended slowly in vitro under constant load (creep). Frozen-thawed cucumber hypocotyl segments were strained by 20‐30% by incubation in pH 4.5 buffer or by incubation of heat-inactivated segments in a-expansin or a fungal endoglucanase (Cel12A). Subsequently, the innermost layer of the cell wall was imaged, with neither extraction nor homogenization, by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images revealed that sample preparation for FESEM did not appreciably alter cell wall ultrastructure. In both FESEM and AFM, images from extended and non-extended samples appeared indistinguishable. To quantify orientational order, we used a novel algorithm to characterize the fast Fourier transform of the image as a function of spatial frequency. For both FESEM and AFM images, the transforms of non-extended samples were indistinguishable from those of samples extended by a-expansin or Cel12A, as were AFM images of samples extended by acidic buffer. We conclude that cell walls in vitro can extend slowly by a creep mechanism without passive reorientation of innermost microfibrils, implying that wall loosening agents act selectively on the cross-linking polymers between parallel microfibrils, rather than more generally on the wall matrix.
Gastric mill activity in the lobster. I. Spontaneous modes of chewing

1. The gastric central pattern generator (CPG) driving the three teeth of the gastric mill inside the lobster stomach has often been used as a model for the study of central nervous systems, but the actual functioning of the mill has never been observed directly. By using a small endoscope inserted through the esophagus a video analysis of the tooth movements was performed with restrained, but otherwise intact lobsters. 2. The teeth show spontaneous periodic chewing (cycle duration from 4 to 70 s) in two different basic modes. In the squeeze mode only the cusps of the three teeth move together simultaneously. In the cut-and-grind mode the lateral teeth close first with not only their cusps, but also their serrated edges. After this cut phase the lateral teeth grind backward along the file of the medial tooth, which simultaneously moves forward. 3. Simultaneous endoscope recordings of the teeth, filming of stomach muscles and ossicles combined with electrical stimulation of selected muscles reveal that muscle gm3c is responsible for this hitherto unknown backward grinding of the lateral teeth. 4. The complete behavioral repertoire includes the following modifications of the two basic modes. 1) The lateral teeth can perform chewing movements while the medial tooth stays still and vice versa, forms of chewing regarded even weaker than the squeeze. 2) There do not appear to be intermediates between the squeeze and cut-and-grind movements, with the latter as the strongest form of chewing. Transitions only occur as switching on a cycle-by-cycle basis. 3) A gradual change of the cut-and-grind chewing was observed as the gradual development of an additional opening over the time course of several periods. 4) After their grind phase, the lateral teeth can even move further back beyond the medial tooth. This can serve to push food into the pyloric filter apparatus. 5. Inflation of the cardiac sac can elicit single bites in a resting gastric mill. 6. The behavioral repertoire is compared with the in vivo activity of the gastric oscillator represented by simultaneous intracellular recording from 7 representative cells of the 11 CPG neurons.
Cyclopropanes from Unsaturated Compounds, Methylene Iodide, and Zinc-Copper Couple

The reaction of the organozinc reagent prepared from methylene iodide and zinc-copper couple with substituted unsaturated compounds has proved to be a versatile and convenient method for the synthesis of cyclopropanes. The synthesis is stereospecific with regard to the stereochemistry of the unsaturated compound and is usually free from serious side reactions; it can be carried out under mild conditions in diethyl and affords cyclopropanes often in good yields. This method can be easily adapted to large-scale preparations. Two useful variations of the cyclopropanation reaction have appeared which involve the same or a similar organozinc intermediate: (1) diazomethane reacts with iodide in ether to form a reagent which converts unsaturated compounds to cyclopropanes; (2) methlyene iodide and diethyl zinc react in ether in the presence of unsaturated compounds to cyclopropanes. Processes are known in which a divalent carbon fragment adds to carbon-carbon double bonds either as a free carbene or as an organometallic complex. Keywords: cyclopropanes; methylene iodide; zinc-copper couple; alkenes; zinc reagent; hydroxyalkenes; allenes; angular methylation; experimental conditions
Barriers to Entry: Who Builds Fortified Boundaries and Why?

Fortified boundaries are asymmetrical, physical barriers placed along borders. These boundaries are more formidable in structure than conventional boundary lines, but less robust than militarized boundaries. Their goal is to impose costs on infiltrators and in so doing deter or impede infiltration. A novel dataset of all such boundaries worldwide shows that states are constructing these barriers at an accelerating rate. More than half of barrier builders are Muslim-majority states, and so are the vast majority of targets. A multivariate analysis demonstrates that, contrary to conventional wisdom, states that construct such barriers do not tend to suffer disproportionately from terrorism, nor are they apt to be involved in a significant number of territorial disputes. Instead, differences in state wealth and migration rates are the best predictors of barrier construction. Qualitative case studies suggest that the most effective fortified boundaries are found where the initiating state controls the territory beyond a boundary that blocks the only access route into the state.
Maternal work schedules and child outcomes: Evidence from the National Survey of American Families

Abstract Using the 1997 and 1999 waves of a nationally representative dataset collected by the Urban Institute and Child Trends, this paper investigates the associations between contemporary maternal nonstandard work schedules and children's outcomes at various ages through 17 years of age. Some weak associations were found between mothers' contemporary nonstandard work hours and children's outcomes at ages 6–11 and 12–17. In particular, children's school engagement at ages 6–11 and attending extracurricular activities at ages 12–17 were negatively associated with maternal nonstandard work schedules. The patterns of the results suggest complex links between contemporary maternal work schedules and child outcomes. Implications for further research are discussed.
Power symmetric stochastic matrices

Abstract Stochastic matrices A which satisfy the equation AT=Ap are characterized for integral values of p > 1.
Instructional Comparative Advantages May Exist Despite the “Comprehensive Uniformity” of Traditional Public Schools

A special tabulation of individual student scores from the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test allowed a ranking of Texas schools according to test score changes (“value added”). The rankings varied greatly by student subpopulation. That is, the vast majority of schools are much more effective with some kinds of students than others. The implied comparative advantages suggest possibly large academic gains just from indicated student movement, even among unchanged, traditional, “comprehensively uniform” public schools, perhaps through well-informed public school choice. Further gains from specialization are also implied by the results.
Effective mass and exchange current effects in finite nuclei

Abstract The connection between the effective mass of nucleons in nuclei due to the velocity dependence of the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction and the change in the orbital g -factor of a nucleon due to exchange current effects is discussed. The relationship of these two quantities with the enhancement to the photonuclear E1 sum rule is also investigated. Nuclear structure effects are found to be important in the interrelationships of these quantities.
Large Block CLOCK (LB-CLOCK): A write caching algorithm for solid state disks

Solid State Disks (SSDs) using NAND flash memory are increasingly being adopted in the high-end servers of datacenters to improve performance of the I/O-intensive applications. Compared to the traditional enterprise class hard disks, SSDs provide faster read performance, lower cooling cost, and higher power efficiency. However, write performance of a flash based SSD can be up to an order of magnitude slower than its read performance. Furthermore, frequent write operations degrade the lifetime of flash memory. A nonvolatile cache can greatly help to solve these problems. Although a RAM cache is relative high in cost, it has successfully eliminated the performance gap between fast CPU and slow magnetic disk. Similarly, a nonvolatile cache in an SSD can alleviate the disparity between the flash memory's read and write performance. A small write cache that reduces the number of flash block erase operations, can lead to substantial performance gain for write-intensive applications and can extend the overall lifetime of flash based SSDs. This paper presents a novel write caching algorithm, the Large Block CLOCK (LB-CLOCK) algorithm, which considers ‘recency’ and ‘block space utilization’ metrics to make cache management decisions. LB-CLOCK dynamically varies the priority between these two metrics to adapt to changes in workload characteristics. Our simulation based experimental results show that LB-CLOCK outperforms the best known existing flash caching algorithms for a wide range of workloads.
Effect of mifepristone on endometrial matrix metalloproteinase expression and leukocyte abundance in new medroxyprogesterone acetate users.

Abstract Purpose This double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the molecular mechanism of mifepristone controlling breakthrough bleeding (BTB) in new depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) users. Method A total of 50 regularly cycling women who were new starters of DMPA were randomized to receive 50 mg of mifepristone or placebo once every 14 days for six cycles. Endometrial biopsies were obtained on each patient before, during and after treatment. Endometrial matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and MMP-9 protein and mRNA were determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR, respectively. The number of T lymphocytes (CD3-positive) and mast cells (mast tryptase-positive) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results MMP-1, MMP-9, CD3-positive and mast tryptase-positive cells increased following the DMPA treatment. Addition of mifepristone to DMPA-exposed endometrium for 1 week significantly decreased stromal MMP-9 expression and numbers of CD3-positive and mast tryptase-positive cells. Conclusion The decreased rates of BTB in new users of DMPA by mifepristone are associated with decreased MMP-1 and MMP-9 expression and fewer mast and T cells.
Villin promoter-mediated transgenic expression of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 6 (TRPV6) increases intestinal calcium absorption in wild-type and vitamin D receptor knockout mice.

Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 6 (TRPV6) is an apical membrane calcium (Ca) channel in the small intestine proposed to be essential for vitamin D–regulated intestinal Ca absorption. Recent studies have challenged the proposed role for TRPV6 in Ca absorption. We directly tested intestinal TRPV6 function in Ca and bone metabolism in wild-type (WT) and vitamin D receptor knockout (VDRKO) mice. TRPV6 transgenic mice (TG) were made with intestinal epithelium–specific expression of a 3X Flag-tagged human TRPV6 protein. TG and VDRKO mice were crossed to make TG-VDRKO mice. Ca and bone metabolism was examined in WT, TG, VDRKO, and TG-VDRKO mice. TG mice developed hypercalcemia and soft tissue calcification on a chow diet. In TG mice fed a 0.25% Ca diet, Ca absorption was more than three-fold higher and femur bone mineral density (BMD) was 26% higher than WT. Renal 1α hydroxylase (CYP27B1) mRNA and intestinal expression of the natural mouse TRPV6 gene were reduced to 15 times in TG mice. TG-VDRKO mice had high Ca absorption that prevented the low serum Ca, high renal CYP27B1 mRNA, low BMD, and abnormal bone microarchitecture seen in VDRKO mice. In addition, small intestinal calbindin D9K mRNA and protein levels were elevated in TG-VDRKO. Transgenic TRPV6 expression in intestine is sufficient to increase Ca absorption and bone density, even in VDRKO mice. VDR-independent upregulation of intestinal calbindin D9k in TG-VDRKO suggests this protein may buffer intracellular Ca during Ca absorption. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Field tests of synthetic Manduca sexta sex pheromone

In field experiments traps were baited with live females or with a two-, four-, or eight-component blend of the 16-carbon aldehydes previously identified as components of the sex pheromone emitted by femaleManduca sexta moths. The blends were formulated on rubber septa. Traps baited with a blend of all eight aldehydes captured moreM. sexta males than any other treatment. Septa loaded with 600 μg of the eight-component blend were attractive to males for about seven days in the field. Septa loaded with the eight-component blend and stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for a year released the conjugated diene and triene aldehydes at the same rate as freshly prepared septa and were equally attractive in the field.
Using origami design principles to fold reprogrammable mechanical metamaterials

Although broadly admired for its aesthetic qualities, the art of origami is now being recognized also as a framework for mechanical metamaterial design. Working with the Miura-ori tessellation, we find that each unit cell of this crease pattern is mechanically bistable, and by switching between states, the compressive modulus of the overall structure can be rationally and reversibly tuned. By virtue of their interactions, these mechanically stable lattice defects also lead to emergent crystallographic structures such as vacancies, dislocations, and grain boundaries. Each of these structures comes from an arrangement of reversible folds, highlighting a connection between mechanical metamaterials and programmable matter. Given origami’s scale-free geometric character, this framework for metamaterial design can be directly transferred to milli-, micro-, and nanometer-size systems.
Electric Dipole Moment of Diatomic Molecules by Configuration Interaction. V. Two States of 2Σ+ Symmetry in CN

In previous papers we developed techniques for the accurate calculation of dipole moments using moderate‐sized (200 configuration) CI calculations. In this paper we consider the modifications necessary to treat higher excited states of a symmetry. It is shown that states below the state of interest must be considered simultaneously to a similar degree of accuracy. Calculations were performed on the 2Σ+ states of CN. For the X 2Σ+ state the SCF, CI, and experimental dipole moments (in debye) are 2.301, 1.465, and 1.45±0.08; for B 2Σ+ the CI and experimental values are −0.958 and −1.15±0.08. Spin hyperfine constants, and in particular spin density at the nucleus, are considered in the context of one‐electron operator properties which may be calculated by the same methods used for the dipole moment. SCF and CI values for the spin density are compared with experimental values for several diatomic molecules.
Parathyroid hormone expression in a patient with metastatic nasopharyngeal rhabdomyosarcoma and hypercalcemia.

Ectopic PTH secretion by tumor cells has been described as the cause of hypercalcemia associated with malignancy in the absence of osteolytic bone lesions. Although there have been case reports of elevated PTH and hypercalcemia in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, to date ectopic PTH secretion by malignant cells has not been definitively shown. The possibility of PTH production by pleural-based metastatic nasopharyngeal rhabdomyosarcoma cells in a 62-yr-old Japanese male with hypercalcemia was investigated. The patient’s serum PTH level was found to be elevated at 62.22 pmol/L, and pleural fluid PTH level was 47.28 pmol/L and PTHrP level was 3.7 pmol/L. RT-PCR of mRNA extracted from rhabdomyosarcoma cells in the pleural fluid was performed with the addition of PTH and PTHrP exonic primer sets yielded only a cDNA fragment of approx 150 bp consistent with the expected PTH fragment. Sequence analysis of a nested primer PCR fragment confirmed PTH mRNA sequence. We believe this patient to have had hypercalcemia secondary to ectopic PTH secretion, as we have identified the presence of PTH mRNA in tumor cells. We speculate that the overexpression of PTH in rhabdomyosarcoma cells results from molecular rearrangement of the PTH gene. The finding of a normal PTH DNA sequence of the PCR fragment suggests the likelihood of alterations in regulatory sequences.
Some Real Analysis behind Optimization of Projectile Motion

This article addresses the problem of maximizing the lateral displacement of a projectile that is launched from atop a tower and is subject only to gravity. Here, the surface to which we launch is represented by a continuous function whose intersection with every flight path is a single point. In this general setting, we are forced to access tools from real analysis to gain detailed information about the shape of the graph and the maximum of the distance function. In particular, we derive manageable formulas for the maximal lateral displacement of the projectile and the corresponding optimal launch angle.
Let's Play: The Contribution of the Pretend Play of Children to Religious Education in a Pluralistic Context.

Pluralism presents faith communities with the challenge of continuity and discontinuity in relation to the community's tradition. The educational question becomes: How do we initiate persons into the tradition of the faith community so that they will function as agents who can extend the tradition in creative ways in changing contexts? Play is one area of human activity that is concerned with what is and what might be. This paper explores the nature of the pretend play of young children, especially its “as‐if'” and “what‐if” dimensions. It suggests possibilities for using play in the education of children and adults.
Between pedagogy and practice: developing and delivering international justice coursework in North America

While the need for new and innovative international coursework in North America has been recognized, developments in North American Universities have been few. Building on Mathias Reimann’s (Penn State International Law Review 22:397–415 [23]) useful justification for a new basic course in international law, this paper provides a discussion of a new approach to international justice coursework. Based on the nascent ICC and the jurisprudential developments of past international tribunals, a discrete international legal order has emerged. This may provide an opportunity for a broader examination of international criminal justice drawn from disciplines such as history, sociology, psychology, and criminology. By offering practical classroom techniques to assist in the delivery of international justice coursework, this paper attempts to provoke debate and discussion about how international coursework ought to be designed and delivered to a wider audience of undergraduate students.
A receptor decoy inhibits the enterotoxic effects of Clostridium difficile Toxin A in rat ileum

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Clostridium difficile toxin A causes secretion and intestinal inflammation in rodents by binding to a specific trisaccharide Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-4 GlcNAc on enterocyte receptors. The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of Synsorb 90 (Synsorb Biotech Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada), and inert support carrying this trisaccharide, to bind toxin A in vitro and to inhibit its enterotoxic effects in vivo. METHODS: Binding of [3H]toxin A to Synsorb 90, Synsorb 83 (beta-mannose attached), and Chromosorb P (inert support with no sugar attached) (Synsorb Biotech Inc.) was measured. The inhibitory effects of these compounds on toxin A-mediated fluid secretion, mannitol permeability, and histological damage were measured in ileal loops in vivo. RESULTS: Toxin A showed specific binding to Synsorb 90, bearing the specific trisaccharide that binds toxin A, but not to Synsorb 83 or to Chromosorb P. Pretreatment of rats with Synsorb 90 by gavage (200 mg/kg body wt), but no Synsorb 83 or Chromosorb P at the same doses, dramatically reduced toxin A-associated fluid secretion and permeability. CONCLUSIONS: An immobilized toxin A receptor sequesters toxin A in the intestinal lumen and inhibits its effects of ileal mucosa. These results suggest a potential use for this agent in treating patients with C. difficile colitis. (Gastroenterology 1996 Aug;111(2):433-8)
Numerical simulation of the Gulf Stream System: The Loop Current and the deep circulation

[1] The Loop Current and the deep circulation in the Gulf of Mexico are numerically investigated by a primitive equation, sigma coordinate ocean model with realistic surface fluxes obtained from an atmospheric forecast model. A deep cyclonic circulation, bounded by the deep basin in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, is spun up by the Loop Current; the deep cyclonic circulation is coincident with a southward current of the Loop Current eastern limb and weakens after Loop Current ring separation and cessation of the southward current. The anticyclonic, semienclosed Loop Current also induces anticyclonic lower layer columnar eddies in the eastern gulf. These lower layer eddies decouple from the upper layer Loop Current. The westward translation speed of a Loop Current ring is about 2.16–5.18 km d−1; the lower layer eddies have a higher speed and lead the rings into the central gulf. The time-averaged surface circulation of the Gulf of Mexico basin is anticyclonic, mainly because of the transport of anticyclonic vorticity by Loop Current rings in the surface layer an average lower layer cyclonic circulation occurs along the continental slope of the basin.
"Ain't One Limb Enough?" Historicizing Disability in the American Novel

This essay traces disability's entry into the American novel. It argues that disability was largely absent from the first US novels and that it emerged into US fiction only after the War of 1812 (1812-1815). The cultural logic of disability in later periods was largely incompatible with the historical circumstances and the generic conventions of the early national novel. Furthermore, when impaired figures entered American fiction in the late 1810s and 1820s, their bodies were not stigmatized, but rather crippled bodies most often signified a legible and laudable history of patriotism. I conclude by returning to Moby-Dick to demonstrate how this genealogy of disability representation opens up new ways of reading canonical disability-studies texts and of illuminating the cultural shift from impairment to identity. More broadly, this essay urges scholars to carefully historicize discussions of disability in American literary and cultural studies.
Quasi-Charge-Sheet Model for Inversion Layer Mobility in 4H-SiC MOSFETs

The mobility of electrons in the inversion layer of 4H-Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs is lower than the ideal value due to the various scattering mechanisms that takes place at the surface. These scattering mechanisms are strong function of both the interface-trapped charge density and inversion-layer electron density. In this work, we develop a quasi-charge-sheet model to quantify coulomb scattering due to interface trapped-charge in SiC MOSFET inversion layers and calculate the inversion layer electron mobility.
Environmental Remediation of High-Level Nuclear Waste in Geological Repository: Modified Computer Code Creates Ultimate Benchmark in Natural Systems

Isolation of high-level nuclear waste in permanent geological repositories has been a major concern for over 30 years due to the migration of dissolved radio nuclides reaching the water table (10,000-year compliance period) as water moves through the repository and the surrounding area. Repositories based on mathematical models allow for long-term geological phenomena and involve many approximations; however, experimental verification of long-term processes is impossible. Countries must determine if geological disposal is adequate for permanent storage. Many countries have extensively studied different aspects of safely confining the highly radioactive waste in an underground repository based on the unique geological composition at their selected repository location. This paper discusses two computer codes developed by various countries to study the coupled thermal, mechanical, and chemical process in these environments, and the migration of radionuclide. Further, this paper presents the results of a case study of the Magma-hydrothermal (MH) computer code, modified by the author, applied to nuclear waste repository analysis. The MH code verified by simulating natural systems thus, creating the ultimate benchmark. This approach based on processes similar to those expected near waste repositories currently occurring in natural systems.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Sectored Compact Space Reactor (SCoRe) concepts with a supplementary lunar regolith reflector

Abstract Design concepts of the Sectored Compact Space Reactor for Small power (SCoRe-S) have been developed for the avoidance of single-point failures in reactor cooling and energy conversion and a wide range of thermal powers. These modular, fast neutron spectrum, lithium cooled reactors with 16.0 cm thick BeO radial reflector are designed for at least +$2.00 hot-clean excess reactivity, and with a sufficient reactivity shutdown margin. They employ 157 GdN additives in the UN fuel and a 0.10 mm thick coating of 157 Gd 2 O 3 on the outer surface of the reactor vessel to ensure that the bare reactors, when submerged in wet sand and flooded with seawater following a launch abort accident, remain at least −$1.00 subcritical. In addition to identifying the smallest SCoRe-S concept that satisfies the design reactivity requirements, the benefit of using a lunar regolith as a supplementary reflector to decrease the thickness of the BeO radial reflector and hence, the launch mass of the SCoRe-S concepts for a lunar outpost is investigated. Calculations performed using MCNP5 confirmed that SCoRe-S 7 with a 16 cm thick BeO reflector is the smallest to satisfy the stated reactivity requirements. Results also show that a lunar regolith reflector alone is inadequate for this reactor to achieve a critical state at the beginning of life. However, when the regolith is used in conjunction with a BeO reflector of a reduced thickness, this reactor not only becomes critical, but also satisfies the reactivity design requirements at a significantly reduced launch mass. Using a supplementary reflector of regolith decreases the thickness of the BeO reflector for the SCoRe-S 7 from 16 cm to 8.0 cm, and to 5.7 cm for the SCoRe-S 11 of the largest core. The resulting decreases in the launch mass of the SCoRe-S concepts are ∼34% or 150–200 kg.
Ileal Interposition Surgery Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Delays Diabetes Onset in the UCD-T2DM Rat

Background & Aims Bariatric surgery has been shown to reverse type 2 diabetes; however, mechanisms by which this occurs remain undefined. Ileal interposition (IT) is a surgical model that isolates the effects of increasing delivery of unabsorbed nutrients to the lower gastrointestinal tract. In this study we investigated effects of IT surgery on glucose tolerance and diabetes onset in UCD-T2DM (University of California at Davis type 2 diabetes mellitus) rats, a polygenic obese animal model of type 2 diabetes. Methods IT or sham surgery was performed on 4-month-old male UCD-T2DM rats. All animals underwent oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). A subset was killed 2 months after surgery for tissue analyses. The remainder was followed until diabetes onset and underwent oral fat tolerance testing (OFTT). Results IT surgery delayed diabetes onset by 120 ± 49 days compared with sham surgery (P Conclusions IT surgery delays the onset of diabetes in UCD-T2DM rats which may be related to increased nutrient-stimulated secretion of GLP-17–36 and PYY and improvements of insulin sensitivity, β-cell function, and lipid metabolism.
Frequency combs: Combs for dark energy

By using laser frequency combs to stabilize astronomical spectrometers, it may be possible to better understand our expanding Universe.
USING STATE-SPACE MODEL WITH REGIME SWITCHING TO REPRESENT THE DYNAMICS OF FACIAL ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) DATA

Facial electromyography (EMG) is a useful physiological measure for detecting subtle affective changes in real time. A time series of EMG data contains bursts of electrical activity that increase in magnitude when the pertinent facial muscles are activated. Whereas previous methods for detecting EMG activation are often based on deterministic or externally imposed thresholds, we used regime-switching models to probabilistically classify each individual’s time series into latent “regimes” characterized by similar error variance and dynamic patterns. We also allowed the association between EMG signals and self-reported affect ratings to vary between regimes and found that the relationship between these two markers did in fact vary over time. The potential utility of using regime-switching models to detect activation patterns in EMG data and to summarize the temporal characteristics of EMG activities is discussed.
Factors associated with daytime sleep in nursing home residents

A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the occurrence of daytime sleep (DS) and to examine factors associated with DS in nursing home residents. We used the Minimum Data S...
Modeling and control of film porosity in thin film deposition

Systematic methodologies are developed for modeling and control of film porosity in thin film deposition. The deposition process is modeled via kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulation on a triangular lattice. The microscopic events involve atom adsorption and migration and allow for vacancies and overhangs to develop. Appropriate definitions of film site occupancy ratio (SOR), i.e., fraction of film sites occupied by particles over total number of film sites, and its fluctuations are introduced to describe film porosity. Deterministic and stochastic ordinary differential equation (ODE) models are also derived to describe the time evolution of film SOR and its fluctuation. The coefficients of the ODE models are estimated on the basis of data obtained from the kMC simulator of the deposition process using least-square methods and their dependence on substrate temperature is determined. The developed ODE models are used as the basis for the design of model predictive control (MPC) algorithms that include penalty on the film SOR and its variance to regulate the expected value of film SOR at a desired level and reduce run-to-run fluctuations. Simulation results demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed film porosity modeling and control methods in the context of the deposition process under consideration.
Vibrio cholerae: lessons for mucosal vaccine design

The ability of Vibrio cholerae to persist in bodies of water will continue to confound our ability to eradicate cholera through improvements to infrastructure, and thus cholera vaccines are needed. We aim for an inexpensive vaccine that can provide long-lasting protection from all epidemic cholera infections, currently caused by O1 or O139 serogroups. Recent insights into correlates of protection, epidemiology and pathogenesis may help us design improved vaccines. This notwithstanding, we have come to appreciate that even marginally protective vaccines, such as oral whole-cell killed vaccines, if widely distributed, can provide significant protection, owing to herd immunity. Further efforts are still required to provide more effective protection of young children.
On grappling with meta-information in the internet

The Internet has changed dramatically in recent years. In particular, the fundamental change has occurred in terms of who generates most of the content, the variety of applications used and the diverse ways normal users connect to the Internet. These factors have led to an explosion of the amount of user-specific meta-information that is required to access Internet content (e.g., email addresses, URLs, social graphs). In this paper we describe a foundational service for storing and sharing user-specific meta-information and describe how this new abstraction could be utilized in current and future applications.
College Males' Academic Field and Attitudes toward Women

Summag.-This study investigated the relation between college males in the Social Sciences or Business Administration and their attitudes toward women's roles. Two groups each containing 40 junior or senior majors were given Spence and Helmreich's Attitudes Toward Women Scale. The Social Science group was significantly more liberal in their attitudes. Further research is suggested on college students' attitudes and their choice of study.
Of texts and textiles … : colonial ethnography and contemporary Moroccan material heritage

Conducting ethnographic research on ‘traditional’ craftsmanship and its objects in contemporary Morocco, one cannot help but acknowledge an uncomfortable proximity to French colonial scholarship. In no small part current constructions of ‘traditional’ handicrafts reflect the discursive residues of colonial knowledge production. The massive Protectorate project of ethnographic documentation and description focused in large part on mapping out craft guild structures, handicraft techniques, types of objects and regional styles of dress. These earlier French models treat handicrafts as expressions of collective identities, categorised in terms of gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, residency, and tribe. Present day representations of artisans and handicraft objects recapitulate these early definitions and standardisations in multiple ways. This is particularly true in the case of ‘traditional’ textiles and dress, which are defined in relation to the nation's past but whose forms and iconography are drawn he...
Contrasting effects of d-amphetamine on affiliation and aggression in monkeys

Amphetamine has been observed to alter conditioned or learned behavior in individually housed animals, as well as naturally-occurring behavior characteristic of animals living in groups. This study is concerned with the effects of d-amphetamine on affiliative and aggressive behavior in adult male stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) living in a large, heterogeneous social group. Using standardized observational techniques, the affiliative and aggressive behaviors initiated by five adult male monkeys were characterized and quantitated in the absence of and following drug administration. Acute administration of a range of doses of d-amphetamine (0.003-0.56 mg/kg) resulted in a monotonically depressive effect on the rate of affiliative behavior initiated by the experimental animals. In contrast, d-amphetamine increased the rate of aggressive behavior initiated by the highest- and lowest-ranking monkeys, and had little or no effect in the mid-ranking monkeys. These results show that d-amphetamine can have qualitatively different effects on affiliative and aggressive behavior in the same subjects. The results also provide evidence that the effects of d-amphetamine can be determined by the hierarchical or dominance position of the subject in the group.
Developing a large lexical database for information retrieval, parsing, and text generation systems

Abstract This paper shows that it is possible to construct a lexical database by combining material from a number of machine-readable sources. We discuss the kind of lexical information required for applications in information retrieval and in other natural language processing areas, such as database interfaces and automatic filing systems. We describe the organization of our lexical database, which is stored in an Oracle Relational Database Management System and the design of the tables that comprise the database. In addition to the traditional alphabetic listing, access is provided from roots to derived forms and from derived forms to roots, and also through lexical and semantic relations between words, so that the database functions as a thesaurus as well as a dictionary. The database is designed to be open-ended and self-defining. Every attribute of every table is defined in the database itself. The lexical database can easily be extended through an SQL forms interface that facilitates additions to the tables.
Time-delay estimation for filtered Poisson processes using an EM-type algorithm

We develop a modified EM algorithm to estimate a nonrandom time shift parameter of an intensity associated with an inhomogeneous Poisson process N/sub t/, whose points are only partially observed as a noise-contaminated output X of a linear time-invariant filter excited by a train of delta functions, a filtered Poisson process. The exact EM algorithm for computing the maximum likelihood time shift estimate generates a sequence of estimates each of which attempt to maximize a measure of similarity between the assumed shifted intensity and the conditional mean estimate of the Poisson increment dN/sub t/. We modify the EM algorithm by using a linear approximation to this conditional mean estimate. The asymptotic performance of the modified EM algorithm is investigated by an asymptotic estimator consistency analysis. We present simulation results that show that the linearized EM algorithm converges rapidly and achieves an improvement over conventional time-delay estimation methods, such as linear matched filtering and leading edge thresholding. In these simulations our algorithm gives estimates of time delay whose mean square error virtually achieves the CR lower bound for high count rates. >
A survey of red and white muscle in marine fish

The proportion of the mytomal muscle that comprises red or slow muscle fibres was assessed histologically for 84 species of marine fish. The results are discussed in relation to their mode of life.