cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Omelettes and broken eggs: Politics in the fictional works of Simone de Beauvoir

Abstract Simone de Beauvoir's fictional works of the 1940s and 1950s reflect the author's personal struggle to weigh her lifelong commitment to her writing against her growing conviction about the need to participate in political action in order to bring about a socialist society free of class distinction and privelege. Her female protagonists mirror both her reluctance to devote the necessary hours to the meetings and committee assignments which are an integral part of the political process and her experience of the euphoria of group action during and immediately after World War II. In moving chronologically through Beauvoir's novels and play, the reader finds a progressive disillusionment with the effectiveness of political activism which in no way diminishes the author's expressed determination to opt for the U.S.S.R. over the U.S.A., for socialism over capitalism. Just as her autobiography devotes many pages to explanations of Jean-Paul Sartre's political activities and the rationale behind them, the women in her fiction generally relate to the political arena by listening and reacting to decisions made by men. Several of them, however, go beyond the role assigned to them by the male protagonists to achieve a political identity of their own.
Coral reef fish communities: a compromise view

The fishes associated with coral reefs offer excellent opportunities for the study of the factors that determine the species composition of complex, highly interactive communities. Amenable to sampling and direct observations many patch reefs are small enough to be studied as entire units and yet diverse enough to include a wide range of interactions.
Sparse hidden Markov models for purer clusters

The hidden Markov model (HMM) is widely popular as the de facto tool for representing temporal data; in this paper, we add to its utility in the sequence clustering domain - we describe a novel approach that allows us to directly control purity in HMM-based clustering algorithms. We show that encouraging sparsity in the observation probabilities increases cluster purity and derive an algorithm based on lp regularization; as a corollary, we also provide a different and useful interpretation of the value of p in Renyi p-entropy. We test our method on the problem of clustering non-speech audio events from the BBC sound effects corpus. Experimental results confirm that our approach does learn purer clusters, with (unweighted) average purity as high as 0.88 - a considerable improvement over both the baseline HMM (0.72) and k-means clustering (0.69).
Autologous growth factor injections in chronic tendinopathy.

Reference: de Vos RJ, van Veldhoven PLJ, Moen MH, Weir A, Tol JL. Autologous growth factor injections in chronic tendinopathy: a systematic review. Br Med Bull. 2010;95:63–77. Clinical Question: The authors of this systematic review evaluated the literature to critically consider the effects of growth factors delivered through autologous whole-blood and platelet-rich–plasma (PRP) injections in managing wrist-flexor and -extensor tendinopathies, plantar fasciopathy, and patellar tendinopathy. The primary question was, according to the published literature, is there sufficient evidence to support the use of growth factors delivered through autologous whole-blood and PRP injections for chronic tendinopathy? Data Sources: The authors performed a comprehensive, systematic literature search in October 2009 using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane library without time limits. The following key words were used in different combinations: tendinopathy, tendinosis, tendinitis, tendons, tennis elbow, p...
Serum amyloid P inhibits dermal wound healing.

The repair of open wounds depends on granulation tissue formation and contraction, which is primarily mediated by myofibroblasts. A subset of myofibroblasts originates from bone-marrow-derived monocytes which differentiate into fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes. Serum amyloid P (SAP) inhibits differentiation of monocytes into fibrocytes. Thus, we hypothesized that the addition of exogenous SAP would hinder the normal wound healing process. Excisional murine dorsal wounds were either injected with SAP (intradermal group) or the mice were treated with systemic SAP (intraperitoneal group) and compared with animals treated with vehicle. Grossly, SAP-treated wounds closed slower than respective controls in both groups. Histologically, the contraction rate was slower in SAP-treated wounds in both groups and the reepithelialization rate was slower in the intraperitoneal group. Furthermore, significantly less myofibroblasts expressing α-smooth muscle actin were noted in the intraperitoneal group wounds compared with controls. These data suggest that SAP delays normal murine dermal wound healing, probably due to increased inhibition of fibrocyte differentiation, and ultimately a decreased wound myofibroblast population. SAP may provide a potential therapeutic target to prevent or limit excessive fibrosis associated with keloid or hypertrophic scar formation. Furthermore, SAP removal from wound fluid could potentially accelerate the healing of chronic, nonhealing wounds.
Dynamics of DNA in the flow-gradient plane of steady shear flow: Observations and simulations

The dynamical behavior of DNA in steady shear flow has been elucidated using a combination of Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation and single molecule visualization using fluorescence microscopy. Observations of DNA motion in the flow-gradient plane of shear flow using a novel flow apparatus allow for measurement of the gradient-direction polymer thickness (δ2), a microscopic conformational property that has direct influence on macroscopic polymer solution properties. To complement experimental results for λ-phage DNA (22 μm in length) and 84 μm DNA, we present BD simulation results for DNA in terms of both free-draining bead−spring models and models including both intramolecular hydrodynamic interactions (HI) and excluded volume (EV) interactions. Good agreement between experiments and BD simulations is obtained for ensemble averaged measurements of polymer extension, δ2, and orientation angle over a wide range of flow strengths. Macroscopic solution properties, including the polymer contribution to the she...
Visual motion ambiguities of a plane in 2-D FS sonar motion sequences

Sonar is the most common imaging modality in underwater, and high-resolution high data rate 2-D video systems have been emerging in recent years. As for visually guided terrestrial robot navigation and target-based positioning, the estimation of 3-D motion by tracking features in recorded 2-D sonar images is also a highly desirable capability for submersible platforms. Additionally, theoretical results dealing with robustness and multiplicity of solution constitute important fundamental findings due to nature of sonar data, namely, high noise level, narrow field of view coverage, scarcity of robust features, and incorrect matches. This paper explores the inherent ambiguities of 3-D motion and scene structure interpretation from 2-D forward-scan sonar image sequences. Analyzing the sonar image motion transformation model, which depends on the affine components of the projective transformation (or homography) of two plane views, we show that two interpretations are commonly inferred. The true and spurious planes form mirror images relative to the zero-elevation plane of the sonar reference frame. Even under each of pure rotation or translation, a spurious motion exists comprising both translational and rotational components. In some cases, the two solutions share certain motion components, where the imaged surface becomes parallel to a plane defined by two of the sonar coordinate axes. A unique solution exists under the very special condition where the sonar motion aligns the imaged plane with the zero-elevation planes. We also derive the relationship between the two interpretations, thus allowing closed-form computation of both solutions.
If You Have Any Questions or Concerns, Please Contact…

“When the going gets tough, you don't want a criminal lawyer. You want a CRIMINAL lawyer.” AMC's hit show Breaking Bad (Gilligan and Gould 2009) I am not a fan of administrative speak. Too much cor...
Proton-proton spin correlation measurements at 200 MeV with an internal target in a storage ring

Measurements of the $\mathrm{pp}$ spin correlation coefficients ${A}_{\mathrm{xx}},$ ${A}_{\mathrm{yy}},$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{xz}}$ and analyzing power ${A}_{y}$ for $\mathrm{pp}$ elastic scattering at 197.8 MeV over the angular range $4.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$--$17.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ have been carried out. The statistical accuracy is approximately $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$ for ${A}_{\mathrm{mn}}$ and $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004$ for ${A}_{y},$ while the corresponding scale factor uncertainties are 2.4% and 1.3%, respectively. The experiment makes use of a polarized hydrogen gas target internal to a proton storage ring (IUCF Cooler) and a circulating beam of polarized protons. The target polarization $(Q=0.79)$ is switched in sign and in direction $(x,y,z)$ every 2 s by reversing a weak guide field (about 0.3 mT). The forward-scattered protons are detected in two sets of wire chambers and a scintillator, while recoil protons are detected in coincidence with the forward protons by silicon strip detectors placed 5 cm from the proton beam. The background rate from scattering by the walls of the target cell is $(0.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2)$% of the good event rate. Analysis methods and comparisons with $\mathrm{pp}$ potential models and $\mathrm{pp}$ partial wave analyses are described.
Dialectical Sociology: An Exemplar for the 1970s

The three levels of "paradigms" held applicable to all knowledge communities by Thomas Kuhn are discussed, and the fourth-exemplars-deemed by Kuhn to be applicable only to natural scientific communities, is found to be of heuristic value in comprehending the paradigmatic communal life of sociologists as well. This is illustrated through the presentation of an exemplar rooted in a dialectical epistemology conditioned by a "prophetic" self-image consciously in dialogue with one's existential commitments and offered as a likely archetype of one of the paradigmatic modes which social research is apt to take in the 1970s. paradigm, n. 1) Gram. a) a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, esp. the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme.... 2) an example; pattern.... -Syn. 2. model, mold, ideal standard, paragon, touchstone exemplar, n. 1) a model or pattern to be copied or imitated... 2) a typical example or instance. 3) an original or archetype ... (Stein,
Evidence for a Chemical Discontinuity near the Basalt–Andesite Transition in Many Anorogenic Volcanic Suites

There is a chemical gap between basalts and intermediate lavas in numerous anorogenic volcanic suites. The principal cause is thought to be in situ closed-system high-pressure partial crystallization of bodies of basaltic magma, with release of evolved liquid residua only when the masses are approximately half solid. This implies that most tholeiitic andesites, hawaiites and trachyandesites are generated at upper mantle depths, not in high-level sub-volcanic magma reservoirs.
Uranus occults SAO158687

Experience gained in obtaining atmospheric parameters, oblatenesses, and diameters of Jupiter and Mars from recent stellar occultations by these planets is used to predict what can be learned from the March 1977 occultation of the star SAO158687 by Uranus. The spectra of this star and Uranus are compared to indicate the relative instrument intensities of the two objects, the four passbands where the relative intensities are most nearly equal are listed, and expected photon fluxes from the star are computed on the assumption that it has UBVRI colors appropriate for a K5 main-sequence object. It is shown that low photon noise errors can be achieved by choosing appropriate passbands for observation, and the rms error expected for the Uranus temperature profiles obtained from the occultation light curves is calculated. It is suggested that observers of this occultation should record their data digitally for optimum time resolution.
Restoration of wetland vegetation with transplanted wetland soil: An experimental study

Restoration of drained wetlands requires the re-establishment of a native wetland plant community. This can be difficult in areas where long-term drainage has eliminated wetland vegetation and significantly reduced the number of viable wetland plant seeds in the seed bank. This study of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland restoration sites in northern New York examines the effectiveness of transplanting wetland soil from small remnant wetlands in the drainage ditches to the area that becomes shallow marsh following reflooding. The results of two experiments are reported, including a small-scale study of transplantation techniques using small plots with treatments and controls established by hand, and a large-scale application of soil transplantation and site-preparation techniques using heavy equipment to establish large plots across entire wetland basins. In the small-scale study, the transplant plots had significantly lower wetland index values, indicating greater dominance of wetland plants, after one growing season but not after two. Transplant plots also had more wetland plant species and more wetland plant cover than natural control plots, and these differences persisted through the second growing season. Litter removal and soil disturbance also lowered the wetland index values and increased wetland plant species number and cover, but only for the first growing season. In the large-scale study, soil transplantation significantly increased both the number of species and the amount of cover of wetland plants and of plants valuable as wildlife food sources. Mowing and plowing treatments increased wetland plant establishment, but much less than soil transplantation, and plowing significantly increased the establishment of cattail (Typha spp.), an undesirable invasive species in small wildlife marshes. Soil transplantation should be a particularly effective technique for improving wetland plant establishment and limiting cattail encroachment in areas disturbed by dike construction.
Platelet-activating factor and metastasis: calcium-independent phospholipase A2β deficiency protects against breast cancer metastasis to the lung

We determined the contribution of calcium-independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β) to lung metastasis development following breast cancer injection into wild-type (WT) and iPLA2β-knockout (iPLA2β-KO)...
Eikonal calculation of electron-capture cross sections in collisions of H-atoms with fast projectiles

We have employed the eikonal method to calculate the cross section for the capture of an electron into an arbitrary $\mathrm{nl}$ subshell in collisions between hydrogen atoms and fast projectiles. The projectiles were protons, ${\mathrm{C}}^{6+}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{8+}$, and ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{24+}$. The energy ranges considered were 20-100 keV in the proton case and 40-200 keV per nucleon in the other cases. These projectiles were selected because of their importance in fusion plasmas. For the highly charged case of ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{24+}$ we found that our formulas, while exact, involved a high degree of cancellation and produced unreliable numerical results, so that a numerical integration of the penultimate formula was substituted. In the proton case, agreement with recent experimental data is excellent.
Concurrent trajectories of BMI and mental health patterns in emerging adulthood.

Abstract Affective disorders and weight status have been consistently linked in childhood and adult research, and this comorbidity has synergistic effects leading to more severe health consequences. We map the co-development of these developmental processes in the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth – 1997 (NLSY97) cohort ages 15 to 27 to inform the targeting of public health interventions. We estimate profiles of youth mental health and weight status through parallel process growth mixture modeling within a person-centered framework controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and poverty status. Fit statistics indicate a 5-class parallel process model for the concurrent trajectories of BMI and mental health. The concurrent trajectories model reveals latent class trajectories of "stable normal weight, stable good mental health" (82.2%); "consistently obese, stable good mental health" (6.8%); "overweight becoming obese, declining mental health" (5.6%); "stable normal weight, improving mental health" (3.3%); and "morbid obesity, stable good mental health" (2.1%). The risk of developmental trajectories of poor mental health and BMI outcomes is greater for females, blacks, Hispanics, and individuals living below the poverty line. These results should help public health professionals to better target subpopulations approaching or already experiencing developmental pathways of risk for poor mental health and weight comorbidities. Multilevel investigation of lifestyle and contextual factors will foster further refinement of public health interventions.
Cobaltaustinite, CaCo(AsO4)(OH)

This study presents the first structural report of a natural cobaltaustinite sample (calcium cobalt arsenate hydroxide) based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Cobaltaustinite, with the ideal formula CaCo(AsO4)(OH), belongs to the adelite mineral group. The CoO6 octa­hedra share edges to form chains extending parallel to the c axis, which are cross-linked by Ca2+ ions and by sharing vertices with isolated AsO4 tetra­hedra. The Ca2+ ions are situated in square anti­prisms formed by eight O atoms. The major structural difference between the five calcium arsenates in the adelite group is shown in the bonding environments around the octa­hedrally coordinated M2+ cations (M = Cu, Zn, Co, Ni and Mg), with the average M—O distance decreasing from Cu—O in conichalcite, CaCu(AsO4)(OH) to Zn—O in austinite, CaZn(AsO4)(OH), Co—O in cobaltaustinite, Ni—O in nickelaustinite, CaNi(AsO4)(OH), and Mg—O in adelite, CaMg(AsO4)(OH). The donor–acceptor O—H⋯O distance [2.721 (7) A] in cobaltaustinite is similar to those in austinite and nickelaustinite, but different from those in adelite and conichalcite.
“Is It The Spirit or The Body?”: Syncretism of Health Beliefs Among Hmong Immigrants to Alaska

Because of the emphasis within the Hmong folk health system on spirituality and nonphysiological etiologies, there has been a significant degree of conflict between Hmong refugees and the Western health care system since the beginning of the Hmong migration to the United States in the mid-1970s. This conflict has been well documented in the literature, but previous research on Hmong health has tended toward a totalization of Hmong health beliefs to emphasize its distinctness from Western biomedicine and subsequently advocate culturally sensitive health care. In doing so, however, researchers have overlooked the burgeoning syncretism of health beliefs among Hmong in the United States. The present study seeks to explain how and why the Hmong health system in Alaska is developing into a syncretism of the folk beliefs and elements from the Western biomedical paradigm. This syncretism has lead to an intricate system of combined physical and spiritual diagnoses that significantly affects the way health care decisions are made within the Hmong community. Alaskan Hmong use contextual factors (regularity, longevity, and spiritual manifestations) as well as the course of traditional and biomedical treatments to assign and reassign spiritual or biomedical root causes to ailments. As this argument unfolds, I also address the use of “syncretism” as a theoretical construct and ultimately argue that it is the most useful concept for understanding changing health beliefs among the Hmong in Alaska, despite the pejorative historical use of the term. Understanding health seeking behaviors through a syncretic paradigm, health care professionals and anthropologists can better account for the multifaceted treatment paradigms that Hmong seek as well as account for changes between traditional and biomedical treatment regimes.
Public talk about human affairs

Anthropology Today. Editor Jonathan Benthall. Royal Anthropological Institute, 56 Queen Anne Street, London W1M 9LA, UK. 6/yr. UK £10 (institutional), £7 (individual): North America $14 (institutional), $12 (individual).
Materials Removals During Femtosecond Laser Non-Thermal Ablation of Dielectrics

It remains a big challenge to theoretically predict the material removals mechanism in femtosecond laser ablation. To bypass this unresolved problem, many calculations of femtosecond laser ablation of non-metals have been based on free electron density distribution without the actual consideration of the phase change mechanism. However, this widely-used key assumption needs further theoretical and experimental confirmations. By combining the plasma model and improved two-temperature model developed by the authors, this study focuses on investigating ablation threshold fluence, depth, and shape during femtosecond laser ablation of dielectrics through non-thermal processes (the Coulomb explosion and electrostatic ablation). The predicted ablation depths and shapes in fused silica, by using 1) the plasma model only and 2) the plasma model plus the two-temperature equation, are both in agreement with published experimental data. The widely-used assumptions for threshold fluence, ablation depth, and shape in the plasma model based on free electron density are validated by the comparison study and experimental data.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Fast Contraction of Coronal Loops at the Flare Peak

On 2005 September 8, a coronal loop overlying the active region NOAA 10808 was observed in TRACE 171 A to contract at ~100 km s–1 at the peak of an X5.4-2B flare at 21:05 UT. Prior to the fast contraction, the loop underwent a much slower contraction at ~6 km s–1 for about 8 minutes, initiating during the flare preheating phase. The sudden switch to fast contraction is presumably corresponding to the onset of the impulsive phase. The contraction resulted in the oscillation of a group of loops located below, with the period of about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the contracting loop exhibited a similar oscillatory pattern superimposed on the dominant downward motion. We suggest that the fast contraction reflects a suddenly reduced magnetic pressure underneath due either to (1) the eruption of magnetic structures located at lower altitudes or to (2) the rapid conversion of magnetic free energy in the flare core region. Electrons accelerated in the shrinking trap formed by the contracting loop can theoretically contribute to a late-phase hard X-ray burst, which is associated with Type IV radio emission. To complement the X5.4 flare which was probably confined, a similar event observed in SOHO/EIT 195 A on 2004 July 20 in an eruptive, M8.6 flare is briefly described, in which the contraction was followed by the expansion of the same loop leading up to a halo coronal mass ejection. These observations further substantiate the conjecture of coronal implosion and suggest coronal implosion as a new exciter mechanism for coronal loop oscillations.
Changes in electrochemical impedance with microstructural development in TBCs

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are improving the performance and efficiency of advanced gas turbine engines by allowing higher inlet temperature and insulation of critical hot-section components. Monitoring the integrity of TBCs prior to failure is critical to the overall performance of gas turbine en gines and requires a robust nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique. In this paper, changes in electrochemical impedance with microstructural degradation of critical constituents in TBCs are summarized for the development of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as an NDE technique for TBCs.
Optimal Gaits for Mechanical Rectifier Systems

The essential mechanism underlying animal locomotion can be viewed as mechanical rectification that converts periodic body movements to thrust force through interactions with the environment. This paper defines a general class of mechanical rectifiers as multi-body systems equipped with such thrust generation mechanisms. A simple model is developed from the Euler-Lagrange equation by assuming small body oscillations around a given nominal posture. The model reveals that the rectifying dynamics can be captured by a bilinear, but not linear, term of body shape variables. An optimal gait problem is formulated for the bilinear rectifier model as a minimization of a quadratic cost function over the set of periodic functions subject to a constraint on the average locomotion velocity. We prove that a globally optimal solution is given by a harmonic gait that can be found by generalized eigenvalue computation with a line search over cycle frequencies. We provide case studies of a chain of links for which snake-like undulations and jellyfish-like flapping gaits are found to be optimal.
Corticobasal degeneration: a pathologically distinct 4R tauopathy

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder with onset in the 5(th) to 7(th) decade of life. It is associated with heterogeneous motor, sensory, behavioral and cognitive symptoms, which make its diagnosis difficult in a living patient. The etiology of CBD is unknown; however, neuropathological and genetic evidence supports a pathogenetic role for microtubule-associated protein tau. CBD pathology is characterized by circumscribed cortical atrophy with spongiosis and ballooned neurons; the distribution of these changes dictates the patient's clinical presentation. Neuronal and glial tau pathology is extensive in gray and white matter of the cortex, basal ganglia, diencephalon and rostral brainstem. Abnormal tau accumulation within astrocytes forms pathognomonic astrocytic plaques. The classic clinical presentation, termed corticobasal syndrome (CBS), comprises asymmetric progressive rigidity and apraxia with limb dystonia and myoclonus. CBS also occurs in conjunction with other diseases, including Alzheimer disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Moreover, the pathology of CBD is associated with clinical presentations other than CBS, including Richardson syndrome, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasia and posterior cortical syndrome. Progress in biomarker development to differentiate CBD from other disorders has been slow, but is essential in improving diagnosis and in development of disease-modifying therapies.
The Influence of Cultural Health Beliefs on Self-Reported Mental Health Status and Mental Health Service Utilization in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Older Adults

Beliefs about health are influenced by culture; psychological phenomena are interpreted and dealt with in diverse ways across cultures. Cultural health beliefs are especially important in the area of mental health in which there is often an aversion toward seeking help, especially outside the family, and client behavior is often regarded as problematic (Williams & Healy, 2001). Guided by the Health Beliefs Model (Rosenstock, 1990), we explored the influence of cultural health beliefs, physical health, ethnicity, and gender on self-reported general mental health and the use of mental health services in a racially diverse sample (African American (N = 56), non-Hispanic White (N = 140)) of adults aged 65 years and older. The sample was obtained from a rural, economically disadvantaged county in southwest Virginia in 2005. Results from the hierarchical and logistic regression analyses are reported, followed by discussion and recommendations.
Competing Pathways for Isocyanate Loss from Cu(001) with Co-adsorbed Oxygen

Abstract Cu(0 0 1)-bound isocyanate species (NCO ( a ) ) have been prepared with two distinct methods. Isocyanic acid (HNCO) exposures at room temperature resulted in adsorbed NCO ( a ) alone. The exposure of Cu(0 0 1) to cyanogen (C 2 N 2 ) and O 2 leads to surfaces displaying co-adsorbed oxygen (O ( a ) ), cyanide (CN ( a ) ), and NCO ( a ) species. O 2 exposure of submonolayer NCO/Cu(0 0 1), followed by brief annealing at 473 K, initiated NCO ( a ) oxidation, giving rise to CO 2( g ) desorption and a surface-bound atomic N ( a ) species. CO 2( g ) evolution was observed over a wide range of initial O ( a ) coverages. In contrast, comparable thermal treatments of CN + O + NCO/Cu(0 0 1) samples, at 473 K, yield both CO ( g ) and CO 2( g ) . Both TPRD and XPS studies of pre- and post-annealed surfaces indicated the two gaseous products. The co-adsorption of CN ( a ) promotes the dissociation of NCO ( a ) into CO ( g ) and N ( a ) , and dissociation can become the dominant means for NCO ( a ) removal.
The public debate about broadcasting in the twenties: An interpretive history

This article examines the discussions, written and oral, concerning broadcasting at its birth and leading up to the passage of the first law regulating radio. An attempt is made to identify certain models and metaphors through which men sought to envision the future of the new technology. Finally, the significance of using these models, rather than others, is noted.
The Neuromuscular Transform of the Lobster Cardiac System Explains the Opposing Effects of a Neuromodulator on Muscle Output

Motor neuron activity is transformed into muscle movement through a cascade of complex molecular and biomechanical events. This nonlinear mapping of neural inputs to motor behaviors is called the neuromuscular transform (NMT). We examined the NMT in the cardiac system of the lobster Homarus americanus by stimulating a cardiac motor nerve with rhythmic bursts of action potentials and measuring muscle movements in response to different stimulation patterns. The NMT was similar across preparations, which suggested that it could be used to predict muscle movement from spontaneous neural activity in the intact heart. We assessed this possibility across semi-intact heart preparations in two separate analyses. First, we performed a linear regression analysis across 122 preparations in physiological saline to predict muscle movements from neural activity. Under these conditions, the NMT was predictive of contraction duty cycle but was unable to predict contraction amplitude, likely as a result of uncontrolled interanimal variability. Second, we assessed the ability of the NMT to predict changes in motor output induced by the neuropeptide C-type allatostatin. Wiwatpanit et al. (2012) showed that bath application of C-type allatostatin produced either increases or decreases in the amplitude of the lobster heart contractions. We show that an important component of these preparation-dependent effects can arise from quantifiable differences in the basal state of each preparation and the nonlinear form of the NMT. These results illustrate how properly characterizing the relationships between neural activity and measurable physiological outputs can provide insight into seemingly idiosyncratic effects of neuromodulators across individuals.
The Effect of Phytosterols on Quality of Life in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

In the United States, phytosterols are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements and are promoted as a safe and natural way to maintain a healthy prostate. In men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), evidence suggests that the agents improve urologic symptoms and flow measures to a greater extent than placebo and to a similar extent as finasteride. The primary goal for treating men with BPH is to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms and increase quality of life (QOL). Therefore, QOL has become an increasingly important end point in clinical trials. We reviewed all seven studies that determined the effect of phytosterols on QOL in patients with BPH. All trials assessed QOL with international prostate symptom score questions. Six studies found phytosterols to have beneficial effects on QOL; however, poor study design limits what can be learned from these evaluations. Most studies included a limited number of patients, and many were not placebo controlled. Since few of them evaluated the effect of phytosterols beyond 6 months, little evidence exists of the agents' long-term efficacy in reducing symptomatology or increasing QOL. Finally, phytosterols have not been adequately compared with alpha-blocking agents, one of the most widely administered and effective pharmacologic treatments of BPH. Larger studies comparing phytosterols with other treatments of BPH such as alpha-blockers should be conducted. In addition, a consensus should be reached as to which questionnaires are best to evaluate potential changes in QOL after treatment of BPH.
Looking to the past, uncertain about the future: Japan's politics in an era of disaster and stagnation

The Japanese state and society face major challenges due to more than 20 years of economic stagnation and steady political transformation. The books reviewed here dissect a nation in the midst of change: its politics, political economy, and response to the triple disaster of the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear incident (commonly referred to by the Japanese as 3.11) in 2011. John Dower considers Japanese difficulty in confronting its wartime past, while Frances Rosenbluth and Michael Thies lay out the broad sweep of Japan's political history. Ellis Krauss and Robert Pekkanen focus an institutional lens on the evolution of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from hegemonic to merely dominant party, while Leonard Schoppa and colleagues examine the emergence of a two-party system since the political shakeup of 1993–1994. Robin LeBlanc employs a gender approach to parse the nature of male values and show how they shape the actions of political candidates and activists. Lucy Birmingham and David McNeill provide an on-the-ground view of individuals reacting to the 3.11 calamity. The McKinsey & Co. collection includes varied articles, from optimistic pieces urging Japan towards a quick rebound to more sober assessments of long-term national decline. Together, these books provide an excellent snapshot of Japan at a metaphorical turning point.
A 1Gsample/Sec non-recursive sharpened cascaded integrator-comb filter with 70 dB alias rejection and 0.003 dB droop in 0.18-µm CMOS

A new architecture for the implementation of very high speed digital decimation filters is de-scribed. It combines the cascaded integrator-comb (CIC) multirate filter structure with filter sharpening techniques to improve the filter's passband response. A SPT-encoded non-recursive technique is further applied to realize parallel computation and improve the maximum clock rate of the filter. With a 0.18-µm CMOS process, the filter can achieve a greater than 1 GHz clock rate even as we trade off speed for power consumption and area. The maximum achievable clock rate exceeds 2.5 GHz in 0.18-µm CMOS. Such high speed capability enables it to be employed in wide-band communication systems such as 3G cellular applications.
Computer networking on cable TV plants

The limitations relative to the potential for creating cable TV system-based metropolitan area networks (MANs) are discussed. The topology and terminology of a cable TV system, the signals transmitted over the cable, and the problems of external noise on the system and noise created by the system are reviewed. A collection of services that can be provided on a cable TV-based network and problems associated with doing so are discussed. Solutions to the obstacles caused by attempting to graft a bidirectional network onto a unidirectional broadcast medium are presented. The ways in which the resulting MAN will relate to the IEEE 802.6 and the ISDN standard are outlined. >
Skeletonization of noisy handdrawn symbols using parallel operations

Abstract Digital images of handdrawn characters are treated by a noise insensitive process to yield a skeleton-like structure which preserves the main features of the original stroke pattern, but has a local syntax which allows its points to be classified in a way useful for recognition of the pattern. The computations, although lengthy, if executed in series, take about a millisecond on a proposed parallel picture processor with a retina like structure of two-dimensional words of a few hundred bits coupled to a 256 word 8 bit processor serving mainly to supply instructions
Frequency locking in an index-guided semiconductor laser array

A theory is developed for investigating frequency locking in an index-guided semiconductor laser array. This theory, which is based on the expansion of the laser field in terms of the passive array eigenmodes, and on the use of semiclassical laser theory to treat the interaction of these modes among themselves, is valid for all values of coupling between lasers and for all array sizes. To illustrate the application of this theory, we use it to determine the lockband of a two-laser array with dissimilar waveguides.
A Partitioning and Storage Based Built-In Test Pattern Generation Method for Scan Circuits

We describe a built-in test pattern generation method for scan circuits. The method is based on partitioning and storage of test sets. Under this method, a precomputed test set is partitioned into several sets containing values of different primary inputs or state variables. The on-chip test set is obtained by implementing the Cartesian product of the various sets. The sets are reduced as much as possible before they are stored on-chip in order to reduce the storage requirements and the test application time.
The relationship of various audience composition factors to television program types

The mountains of data amassed by the various audience research services are rarely mined for the underlying factors of audience behavior. Published as part of the rating service reports is a vast amount of qualitative information that can be used to build a coherent picture of some of the many audiences to broadcast programs. (See “Qualitative Information Concerning Audiences of Network Television Programs” by Harrison B. Sommers, Journal op Broadcasting, Vol. V, No. 3, pp.147–160, Spring 1961.) The present study offers some predictable and some unpredictable findings from such published data on television program types and audience composition.
Layout Decomposition for Triple Patterning

Layout decomposition is a key challenge for multiple patterning lithography (MPL) (Fig. 2.1). When the distance between two input features is less than minimum coloring distance min s , they need to be assigned to different masks to avoid a coloring conflict. Sometimes coloring conflict can also be resolved by inserting stitch to split a pattern into two touching parts. However this introduces stitches, which lead to yield loss because of overlay error. Therefore, two of the main objectives in layout decomposition are conflict minimization and stitch minimization.
Physical layer network security based on optical processing using compact passive devices

We propose the use of optical processing for enhancing network security. Optical steganography, anti-jamming, and optical encryption is experimentally demonstrated. Service availability is also improved during physical infrastructure attacks using optical CDMA for backup channels.
Data structures and algorithms in pen-based computing environments

Data structure visualization (or animation) has been studied for more than twenty years, though existing systems have not gained wide acceptance in the classroom by students and their instructors. The main reason is that animation preparation is too time consuming. A more technical reason is that when a particular data structure is encoded into an animation, it does not have the flexibility often needed in a classroom setting. There is also a pedagogical reason: a number of prior studies have found that using algorithm visualization in a classroom had no significant effect on student's performance. We believe that the Tablet PC, empowered by digital ink, will challenge the current boundaries imposed upon algorithm animation. One of the potential advantages of this new technology is that it allows the expression and exchange of ideas in an interactive environment using sketch based interfaces. In this paper we discuss teaching and learning Tablet PC based environment in which students using a stylus would draw a particular instance of a data structure and then invoke an algorithm to animate over this data structure. A completely natural way of drawing using a digital pen will generate a data structure model, which (once it is checked for correctness) will serve as a basis for execution of various computational algorithms.
An image‐based method for shoreline mapping on complex coasts

[1] The ready availability of satellite and other images of the Earth together with increasing societal interest in coastal processes and morphology make it desirable to have a consistent way of defining and mapping shorelines from images. The obvious choice, the land-water interface, is inadequate because it includes the back sides of islands and the edges of river and tidal channels that are not directly exposed to open water. On complex coasts, inclusion of these portions of the land-water interface would significantly affect quantitative measures of shoreline geometry. Here we propose a method to map shorelines consistently while accounting for ambiguity. The Opening AngleMethod (OAM) uses a visibility criterion to define the shoreline. First a region of unambiguous open water is defined. Next, the shoreline is defined as the locus of points for which the sum of viewing angles extending to open water, unobstructed by land, exceeds a specified critical value. Shorelines defined by the OAM follow the land-water interface where the shoreline is unambiguous, and in more complex cases OAM shorelines are consistent with the idea that the shoreline is that part of the land-water interface that is directly exposed to open water.
An investigation of wall-layer dynamics using a combined temporal filtering and correlation

The relative role of outer- and wall-layer structures in the dynamics of the near-wall region of a turbulent boundary layer was explored by examining the scaling of the spanwise correlation coefficient between the wall shear stress and the streamwise velocity fluctuation, RTu(z), within narrow frequency bands spanning the entire turbulence spectrum. The scaling characteristics of RTu( z) within the individual frequency bands indicate that one can separate the contribution to the streamwise velocity fluctuations, in the buffer and logarithmic regions, due to outer-layer structures from those due to wall-layer events. Results provide insight into the lack of wall scaling for the conventional correlation coefficient, RTU(z), in the near-wall region. Moreover, the ‘negative dip’ in R,,(x+), which has often been associated with the low-speed streaks, was found to exist within certain frequency bands for all Reynolds numbers investigated (1579 < Re, < 5961). More interestingly, it is shown that, although the energy of the outer-layer structures increases with Reynolds number to overwhelm the streamwise velocity fluctuations in the near-wall region, the production of the Reynolds shear stress is dominated by wall-layer eddies. The findings of the current investigation provide strong support for Townsend’s hypothesis of ‘active’ and ‘inactive ’ motions.
Early Language Development in Children Exposed to or Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Objectives. To compare language development in infants and young children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to language development in children who had been exposed to HIV but were uninfected, and (among subjects with HIV infection) to compare language development with cognitive and neurologic status. Design. Prospective evaluation of language development in infected and in exposed but uninfected infants and young children. Setting. Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic, State University of New York–Health Science Center at Syracuse. Subjects. Nine infants and young children infected with HIV and 69 seropositive but uninfected infants and children, age 6 weeks to 45 months. Results. Mean Early Language Milestone Scale, 2nd edition (ELM-2) Global Language scores were significantly lower for subjects with HIV infection, compared with uninfected subjects (89.3 vs 96.2, Mann–Whitney U test). The proportion of subjects scoring >2 SD below the mean on the ELM-2 on at least one occasion also was significantly greater for subjects with HIV infection, compared with uninfected subjects (4 of 9 infected subjects, but only 5 of 69 uninfected subjects; Fisher9s exact test). Seven of the 9 subjects with HIV infection manifested deterioration of language function. Four manifested unremitting deterioration; only 1 of these 4 demonstrated unequivocal abnormality on neurologic examination. Three subjects with HIV infection and language deterioration showed improvement in language almost immediately after the initiation of antiretroviral drug treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography of the brain were performed in 6 of 7 infected subjects with language deterioration, and findings were normal in all 6. ELM-2 Global Language scaled scores showed good agreement with the Bayley Mental Developmental Index or the McCarthy Global Cognitive Index ( r = 0.70). Language deterioration, or improvement in language after initiation of drug therapy, coincided with or preceded changes in global cognitive function, at times by intervals of up to 12 months. Conclusions. Language deterioration occurs commonly in infants and young children with HIV infection, is seen frequently in the absence of abnormalities on neurologic examination or central nervous system imaging, and may precede evidence of deterioration in global cognitive ability. Periodic assessment of language development should be added to the developmental monitoring of infants and young children with HIV infection as a means of monitoring disease progression and the efficacy of drug treatment.
Collaborating With Businesses to Support and Sustain Research

Financial assistance is necessary for sustaining research at universities. Business collaborations are a potential means for obtaining these funds. To secure funding, understanding the process for obtaining these business funds is important for nursing faculty members. Although faculty rarely request funding from businesses, they are often in a position to solicit financial support due to existing relationships with clinical agency administrators, staff, and community leaders. The economic support received from businesses provides outcomes in nursing research, research education, academic–service partnerships, and client health care. This article describes the steps and processes involved in successfully obtaining research funding from businesses. In addition, case examples for securing and maintaining funding from health care agencies (evidence-based practice services) and from a health manufacturing company (product evaluation) are used to demonstrate the process.
Insolvency, moral hazard and expense preference behavior: Evidence from US savings and loan associations

This article applies the expense preference methodology to a study of determinants of employee compensation and occupancy costs for large samples of mutual and stock savings and loan associations. Strong evidence that insolvency is associated with significant increases in these costs is obtained. Further, we find that the effect of insolvency on managerial expense preference behavior is more pronounced for mutual than stock associations.
1H nuclear magnetic resonance of α-hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (RDX) and the α-, β-, γ- and δ-polymorphs of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX)

1H NMR spectra of the energetic materials α-hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine (RDX) and the α-, β-, γ- and δ-polymorphs of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) have been obtained in the solid phase. Primary and secondary dipole-dipole interactions can be observed, which allows calculation of the intramolecular H … H distances. The spectra suggest that γ-HMX, the molecular structure of which is unknown, possesses a chair-chair ring conformation similar to that of α- and δ-HMX.