cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of ostomy surgery on body image in patients with cancer

A one group repeated measures design was used to describe changes in body image in 45 patients treated with ostomy for bowel or bladder cancer. Body image was measured preoperatively and at two postoperative points: 1 month and in 6 months or postclosure. The Body Cathexis Scale, Draw-a-Person, and subjective responses to open-ended questions were used. There was a significant difference in Body Cathexis scores between the immediate 1 month postoperative period and 6 months later ( F (2, 88) = 3.13, p = .049). Body image scores did not change significantly between the preostomy and first postostomy measures. Qualitative data suggested that cancer diagnosis and its associated concerns were paramount on subjects' minds preoperatively and thus negatively influenced body image before the creation of the ostomy. Although altered body image is an appropriate nursing diagnosis for patients with ostomy in both the preoperative and postoperative periods, other issues may be dominant especially in the preoperative period.
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTIONS DURING HEAT/HOLD PROCESSING OF FOOD

The unsteady-state differential equations for conduction heating were solved for the heat/hold process. The heat/hold process consists of heating the food to a certain mass average temperature and then adiabatically holding the piece until the desired reactions are complete. Charts for predicting the center and mass average temperatures for three basic geometries (infinite cylinders, infinite slabs and spheres) are presented along with methods to combine these solutions for other geometries. The use of these charts in blanching situations is shown
Protein electrophoresis as an aid to oat variety identification

Ten cultivars of oats (Avena sativa L.) were investigated for their isozymes of esterase (E), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and anodal and cathodal peroxidase (APX and CPX).
Putting on a Happy Face: Emotional Expression in Parents of Children with Serious Illness

Abstract Context Communication is widely acknowledged as a crucial component of high-quality pediatric medical care, which is provided in situations in which parents typically experience strong emotions. Objectives To explore emotion using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and a self-report questionnaire to better understand the relationship between these two measures of emotion in a pediatric care context. Methods Sixty-nine parents of 47 children who were participants in the Decision Making in Pediatric Palliative Care Study at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia took part in this study. Parents completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and a semistructured interview about their children and experience with medical decision making. The transcribed interviews were analyzed with the LIWC program, which yields scores for positive and negative emotional expression. The association between LIWC and PANAS scores was evaluated using multivariate linear regression to adjust for potential confounders. Results Parents who used more positive words when speaking about the illnesses of their children and the experience of medical decision making were more likely to report lower levels of positive affect on the PANAS: increase in the standard deviation of positive emotional expression was associated with an unadjusted 7.4% decrease in the self-reported positive affect (P = 0.015) and an adjusted 7.0% decrease in the self-reported positive affect (P = 0.057) after modeling for potential confounders. Increase in the standard deviation of negative emotional expression was associated with an adjusted 9.4% increase in the self-reported negative affect (P = 0.036). Conclusion The inverse relationship between parents' positive emotional expression and their self-reported positive affect should remind both researchers and clinicians to be cognizant of the possibilities for emotional miscues, and consequent miscommunication, in the pediatric care setting.
Chemotherapy of ovarian germ cell tumors and sex cord stromal tumors

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT) and sex cord stromal tumors (SCST) are much less common than epithelial ovarian cancer, each accounting for less than 5% of all ovarian malignancies. The combination of vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide (VAC) became the standard chemotherapy for patients with OGCT in the 1970s; it produced excellent sustained remission rates in patients with stage I disease but less than 50% sustained remission rates in those with metastatic tumor. With the introduction of cisplatin for the treatment of testicular cancer in the late 1970s, platinum-based regimens replaced the VAC regimen by the mid-1980s. Currently, the most popular regimen for all patients with OGCT is the combination of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP). The BEP regimen appears to be superior to VAC, with sustained remission rates of more than 75% in patients with metastatic tumor. For patients with metastatic pure dysgerminoma, chemotherapy appears to have supplanted radiotherapy as standard treatment with the advantage of preserving fertility in most patients. For patients with SCST, no standard therapy exists. Surgery alone is currently acceptable treatment for all patients with SCST except those with metastatic disease, sarcomas, or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors with poor differentiation or heterologous elements. Currently, platinum-based combination chemotherapy is favored for these latter patients but activity with such regimens is only modest.
Gender inequality in childhood: toward a life course perspective

Gender inequality does not begin with adulthood, yet scholarship has dealt most appreciably with indicators summarizing patterns for adults. Life course differences need to be recognized and incorporated into the study of gender inequality. I propose various societal practices (such as female infanticide, harsher punishment, social ceremonies, and inclusion) and beliefs (such as son preference, affection, and evaluation) as cross-cultural indicators of gender inequality in childhood. The analysis of preindustrial societies in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (Murdock and White, 1969) finds that childhood gender inequality is related to hunger, warfare, patrilocality, and the economic contribution and control of women. Childhood gender inequality shares some similarities with adulthood gender inequality but differs in theoretically relevant ways; for example, familial explanations, which are often relegated to secondary status in gender inequality theory, are high-lighted. The implications of focusing on childhood and the life course for gender inequality theory are discussed.
Adult attachment orientations, self-other boundary regulation, and splitting tendencies in a college sample

In a sample of 247 college students, the contributions of adult attachment orientations and several other boundary regulation variables to measures of self-splitting (i.e., the tendency to report diffuse and chaotic self-experiences) and other-splitting (i.e., the tendency to acknowledge unstable perceptions of and feelings toward one's friends) were explored. Adult attachment orientations and self-other boundary regulation variables, respectively, explained unique variance in each criterion measure. High levels of attachment anxiety and self-concealment and low levels of self-other differentiation contributed most prominently to self-splitting, whereas high attachment anxiety, low emotional reactivity, and high needs for social approval best predicted other-splitting. Implications of these findings for advancing a more delineated understanding of splitting tendencies are discussed.
Mineral and chemical variations within an ash-flow sheet from Aso caldera, Southwestern Japan

Although products of individual volcanic eruptions, especially voluminous ash-flow eruptions, have been considered among the best available samples of natural magmas, detailed petrographic and chemical study indicates that bulk compositions of unaltered Pleistocene ash-flow tuffs from Aso caldera, Japan, deviate significantly from original magmatic compositions. The last major ash-flow sheet from Aso caldera is as much as 150 meters thick and shows a general vertical compositional change from phenocryst-poor rhyodacite upward into phenocryst-rich trachyandesite; this change apparently reflects in inverse order a compositionally zoned magma chamber in which more silicic magma overlay more mafic magma. Details of these magmatic variations were obscured, however, by: (1) mixing of compositionally distinct batches of magma during upwelling in the vent, as indicated by layering and other heterogeneities within single pumice lumps; (2) mixing of particulate fragments—pumice lumps, ash, and phenocrysts—of varied compositions during emplacement, with the result that separate pumice lenses from a single small outcrop may have a compositional range nearly as great as the bulk-rook variation of the entire sheet; (3) density sorting of phenocrysts and ash during eruption and emplacement, resulting in systematic modal variations with distance from the caldera; (4) addition of xenocrysts, resulting in significant contamination and modification of proportions of crystals in the tuffs; and (5) ground-water leaching of glassy fractions during hydration after cooling. Similar complexities characterize ash-flow tuffs under study in southwestern Nevada and in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, and probably are widespread in other ash-flow fields as well. Caution and careful planning are required in study of the magmatic chemistry and phenocryst mineralogy of these rocks.
The Garden Wonder Wall: Fostering Wonder and Curiosity on Multi-Day Garden Field Trips

Field trips to the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden must provide rich science learning experiences for students and teachers. A key to this is getting students to ask questions. To facilitate student question asking we developed the Wonder Wall, a “wall” where students could write their questions. Student questions were answered as part of the field trip and written answers were provided following the field trip. Nearly 75% of the 455 2nd and 3rd grade students in this study posted questions. Questions were both basic information (50%) and wonderment (50%). Basic information questions were simple questions that focused on the garden, plants, staff, and field trip activities. Wonderment questions were more complex questions that focused on field trip learning activities. The 50% wonderment questions was greater than expected, suggesting that students posted these questions after carefully thinking about what they had learned. Student questions provided a real-time assessment of student understanding and inte...
Energy and Pitch Angle Distributions for Auroral Ions Using the Current Sheet Acceleration Model

Using a dipole-plus-tail magnetic field model, H(+), He(+2), and O(+6) ions are followed numerically, backward in time, from an output plane perpendicular to the axis of the geomagnetic tail, to their point of entrance to the magnetosphere as solar wind particles in the magnetosheath. An adiabatic or guiding center approximation is used in regions where the particles do not interact directly with the current sheet. A Maxwellian distribution with bulk flow is assumed for solar wind particles in the magnetosheath. Bulk velocity, density, and temperature along the magnetopause are taken from the fluid calculations of Spreiter. Using Liouville's theorem, and varying initial conditions at the output plane, the distribution function is found as a function of energy and pitch angle at the output plane. These results are then mapped to the auroral ionosphere using guiding center theory.
Uncertainties in evaluating periodic motor vehicle inspection by death rates

THIS PAPER DEVELOPS AN ANALYSIS FOR OBSERVING THE VARIATIONS IN DEATH RATES WITHIN STATES AS PERIODIC MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION (PMVI) PROGRAMS ARE INTRODUCED AND FOR COMPARING THEM TO VARIATIONS OCCURRING IN CONTROL STATES DURING THE SAME PERIODS. ANALYSES OF DATA SHOW THAT DEATH RATES DECREASE NO MORE IN STATES WHERE PMVI IS BEGUN THAN THEY DO IN THE CONTROL STATES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT DEATH RATE IS AN IMPROPER PARAMETER TO USE IN PROMOTING PMVI. /HSL/
Hypothesis: the systemic circulation as a regulated free-market economy. A new approach for understanding the long-term control of blood pressure.

SUMMARY 1. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the long-term regulation of arterial blood pressure. Current thinking on the topic favours the theory that tight regulation is achieved through the action of a central (or primary) controller, usually assumed to be in either the brain or kidneys. 2. Here, an alternative explanation is considered; namely, that the average long-term level of arterial pressure is an emergent property of a decentralized control system. The goal of the system is to deliver nutrient-rich blood to distinct vascular regions based on their energy demand. 3. Specifically, the circulation is conceptualized as a free-market economy where tissues ‘compete’ for a scarce resource (the energy contained in blood) supplied by the heart–lung unit; the ‘price’ of the resource (analogous to the reciprocal of arterial pressure) is determined primarily by the dynamic relationship between supply and demand, not by a central mechanism. 4. Based on this concept of the circulation as an energy market, economic analogies are used to suggest novel mechanisms by which the brain and kidney may affect the long-term control of blood pressure. 5. Market-based control, a process derived from quantitative theoretical analysis of the performance of economic markets, is proposed as a new, potentially useful strategy for mathematically modelling the behaviour of the circulation.
Methodological issues in school-based evaluation

Abstract Methodology in school-based evaluation is importantly affected by economic and ethical constraints often absent or less pressing than in larger-scale evaluations. These and other factors also operate in the specialized school-based evaluations such as that of school psychological services. Defensible evaluation designs must take into account the impossibility of random assignment and reduced options for the use of control groups. In addition there are numerous pressures on the construction and deployment of measuring devices and a need for ingenuity in performing statistical analyses. This article explicates these issues and outlines alternative approaches to methodology which can result in usable data for school decision making.
An improved analysis and design methodology for RF Class-E power amplifiers with finite DC-feed inductance and switch On-resistance

Previous analytical efforts to incorporate the impact of finite switch ON-resistance into the design procedure of Class-E power amplifiers (PAs) have imposed one or both of the so-called “Class-E switching conditions”, namely zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero derivative of voltage at switching (ZDVS). These are essential for high efficiency operation only in the absence of losses. In this work, more general design equations have been derived without imposition of either ZVS or ZDVS. The optimal design is found to exhibit neither ZVS nor ZDVS, thereby validating the analysis. For the first time, an attempt has been made to incorporate the input power into the analysis, which facilitates optimization of power-added efficiency (PAE). The resulting designs exhibit better performance in terms of output power and PAE compared to existing design approaches. The analytical results have been verified through Spectre-RF simulations at 5GHz in 0.18µm and 65nm CMOS. Through this design procedure, we further demonstrate that Class-E PAs at 5GHz based on thick-oxide devices in 0.18µm CMOS, despite their lower speed, outperform those based on 65nm CMOS devices due to their higher voltage-handling capability.
Innate immune response to Streptococcus iniae infection in zebrafish larvae

Streptococcus iniae causes systemic infection characterized by meningitis and sepsis. Here, we report a larval zebrafish model of S. iniae infection. Injection of wild-type S. iniae into the otic vesicle induced a lethal infection by 24 h postinfection. In contrast, an S. iniae mutant deficient in polysaccharide capsule (cpsA mutant) was not lethal, with greater than 90% survival at 24 h postinfection. Live imaging demonstrated that both neutrophils and macrophages were recruited to localized otic infection with mutant and wild-type S. iniae and were able to phagocytose bacteria. Depletion of neutrophils and macrophages impaired host survival following infection with wild-type S. iniae and the cpsA mutant, suggesting that leukocytes are critical for host survival in the presence of both the wild-type and mutant bacteria. However, zebrafish larvae with impaired neutrophil function but normal macrophage function had increased susceptibility to wild-type bacteria but not the cpsA mutant. Taking these findings together, we have developed a larval zebrafish model of S. iniae infection and have found that although neutrophils are important for controlling infection with wild-type S. iniae, neutrophils are not necessary for host defense against the cpsA mutant.
Identification of a Replication-Independent Replacement Histone H3 in the Basidiomycete Ustilago maydis*

Ustilago maydis is a haploid basidiomycete with single genes for two distinct histone H3 variants. The solitary U1 gene codes for H3.1, predicted to be a replication-independent replacement histone. The U2 gene is paired with histone H4 and produces a putative replication-coupled H3.2 variant. These predictions were evaluated experimentally. U2 was confirmed to be highly expressed in the S phase and had reduced expression in hydroxyurea, and H3.2 protein was not incorporated into transcribed chromatin of stationary phase cells. Constitutive expression of U1 during growth produced ∼25% of H3 as H3.1 protein, more highly acetylated than H3.2. The level of H3.1 increased when cell proliferation slowed, a hallmark of replacement histones. Half of new H3.1 incorporated into highly acetylated chromatin was lost with a half-life of 2.5 h, the fastest rate of replacement H3 turnover reported to date. This response reflects the characteristic incorporation of replacement H3 into transcribed chromatin, subject to continued nucleosome displacement and a loss of H3 as in animals and plants. Although the two H3 variants are functionally distinct, neither appears to be essential for vegetative growth. KO gene disruption transformants of the U1 and U2 loci produced viable cell lines. The structural and functional similarities of the Ustilago replication-coupled and replication-independent H3 variants with those in animals, in plants, and in ciliates are remarkable because these distinct histone H3 pairs of variants arose independently in each of these clades and in basidiomycetes.
Source of F series prostaglandins during the early postpartum period in cattle.

In vivo and in vitro studies were conducted to determine the contribution of the bovine uterus to concentrations of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-prostaglandin F30 (PGFM) in peripheral plasma of postpartum cows. In Experiment 1, cows were assigned to three groups: untreated control (n=4), hysterectomy following a manually induced prolapse of the uterus (n5) and sham operation (n3: prolapse of the uterus and replacement). Surgery was performed within 8 h of parturition, and blood samples collected frequently on the day of surgery and once (0800 h) or twice (0800 and 1700 h) daily from Day 1 to Day 15 postpartum. Following hysterectomy, PGFM concentrations decreased precipitously, became essentially undetectable by 5 h, and remained so for the rest of the experimental period. In contrast (P<0.01), PGFM concentrations, which remained elevated during the day of surgery in the sham-operated group, peaked on Day 2 (sham-operated group: 1339 pg/mI) or Day 3 (untreated control: 2143 pg/mI), and declined to a basal concentration between Days 10 to 15. In Experiment 2, in vitro metabolism of tritiated arachidonic acid ([� HI AA: 10 DCi) and production of PGF30 and PGFM were studied in explants of early postpartum intrauterine tissues (myometrium, caruncle and intercaruncular endometrium). Extracts of [3HIAA metabolites released into the incubation medium were separated on Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Metabolites of [3 HI AA, having the same chromatographic mobility as PGF20, PGFM and PGE3, were detected. Percent metabolism of 12HI AA (25 ± 2.0 vs. 44.3 ± 4.3 and 39.5 ± 5.7) and amount of F series prostaglandins (PGF20 + PGFM) released into incubation medium (0.52 vs. 8.70 and 6.92 ng/mg dry tissue; SEM ± 0.61) were lower (P<0.01) for myometrium than caruncular and intercaruncular endometrial tissues, respectively. The quantity of PGFM produced and released into incubation medium (ng/mg dry tissue) was higher (P<0.01) for caruncular than intercaruncular endometrium (3.25 vs. 1.07; SEM ± 0.10). The bovine uterus is the primary source of F series prostaglandins during the early postpartum period, and caruncular tissue is a very active site of synthesis and metabolism of PGF1 �.
SGLT inhibitors attenuate NO-dependent vascular relaxation in mouse pulmonary artery (677.3)

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new class of oral drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and they reduce plasma blood glucose levels by inhibiting renal glucose reabsorp...
Improving Parallel I/O Performance with Data Layout Awareness

Parallel applications can benefit greatly from massive computational capability, but their performance suffers from large latency of I/O accesses. The poor I/O performance has been attributed as a critical cause of the low sustained performance of parallel computing systems. In this study, we propose a data layout-aware optimization strategy to promote a better integration of the parallel I/O middleware and parallel file systems, two major components of the current parallel I/O systems, and to improve the data access performance. We explore the layout-aware optimization in both independent I/O and collective I/O, two primary forms of I/O in parallel applications. We illustrate that the layout-aware I/O optimization could improve the performance of current parallel I/O strategy effectively. The experimental results verify that the proposed strategy could improve parallel I/O performance by nearly 40% on average. The proposed layout-aware parallel I/O has a promising potential in improving the I/O performance of parallel systems.
Data farming coevolutionary dynamics in RePast

This paper describes the application of data farming techniques (Brandstein and Horne 1998) to explore various aspects of coevolutionary dynamics (McKelvey 2002) in organization science. Data farming is an iterative process using high-performance computing to execute and vary agent-based models, collect and explore statistical results, and integrate these results for the purposes of growing more data by virtue of generative analysis. The tool of choice for creating these agent-based models is the University of Chicago's Social Science Research Computing's (2004) REcursive Porous Agent Simulation Toolkit (Re-Past). The paper concludes with a brief description of Tivnan's (2004) Coevolutionary model of Boundary-spanning Agents and Strategic Networks (C-BASN), an extension of Hazy and Tivnan's (2004) Model of Organization, Structural Emergence, and Sustainability (MOSES).
n-relative categories: a model for the homotopy theory of n-fold homotopy theories

We introduce, for every integer n � 1, the notion of an n-relative category and show that the category of the small n-relative categories is a model for the homotopy theory of n-fold homotopy theories, i.e. homotopy theories of ... of homotopy theories.
Inelastic Energy Loss: Newer Experimental Techniques and Molecular Orbital Theory

The measurement of the inelastic energy losses which occur when heavy ions and atoms strike other atoms or molecules has provided information of unique importance to chemists and physicists. The inelastic energy loss in a collision is the portion of translational energy which is transferred to electronic, vibrational, and rotational excitation energy by the collision. After, or sometimes even during such a collision, the electron shells surrounding the collision participants may rearrange themselves so as to lose most of this excess energy. In atomic systems the ionization of electrons and the emission of photons are the primary mechanisms through which this energy is removed from the system. In collisions with molecular partners dissociation energies are important. In ordinary spectroscopy the energies of the ejected photons and electrons are measured, but such measurements are primarily concerned with deexcitation of the atom or ion. In contrast to this, inelastic energy-loss spectroscopy is primarily concerned with the excitation process. The inelastic energy loss Q represents the excitation energy of the collision system, and it follows that the sum of all deexcitation energies, together with any metastable excitation energy or dissociation energy resulting from that collision, must equal Q. For a very wide range of excitation processes, inelastic energy-loss spectroscopy has shown that the excitations are molecular in nature and have their origin in the transitory molecule formed during the collision. This chapter concentrates exclusively on collisions for which this is the case. Broadly speaking, these are the collisions in which the relative nuclear velocities are lower than the characteristic velocities of the electrons in question. When this is true, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation is valid and the nuclear and electronic motions may be considered separately.
Alternaria toxins and plant diseases: an overview of origin, occurrence and risks

The genus Alternaria includes both plant-pathogenic and saprophytic species, which may affect crops in the field or cause harvest and postharvest decay of plant products. The taxonomy of the genus Alternaria is not well-defined yet. A polyphasic approach based on morphological features, phylogeny and toxin profiles could be the key to a correct identification at species level and the evaluation of mycotoxin risks associated with fungal contamination. Species of Alternaria are known to produce many metabolites, mostly phytotoxins, which play an important role in the pathogenesis of plants. However, certain species, in particular the most common one A. alternata, are capable of producing several mycotoxins in infected plants and/or in agricultural commodities. The major Alternaria mycotoxins belong to three structural classes: the tetramic acid derivative, tenuazonic acid; the dibenzopyrone derivatives, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether and altenuene; and the perylene derivatives, the altertoxins. T...
FPGA implementation of a lossless to lossy bitonal image compression system

This paper presents an FPGA implementation of a lossless to lossy image compression system that incorporates region of interest processing. Block Arithmetic Coder Image Compression is combined with Low-Latency Greedy Flipping Utilizing Forgetful Error Diffusion for loss introduction. The system allows for perfect quality, associated with lossless compression, or three levels of reduced image quality, high, medium and low, associated with various levels of loss introduction. Region of interest processing can be incorporated by adjusting the system parameters for maximum visual benefit.
EMERGENCE TRAP COLLECTIONS OF TRICHOPTERA FROM AN OREGON STREAM

Adult Trichoptera of 39 species representing 11 families were collected from 4 emergence traps in Oak Creek, Corvallis, Ore., between May 1968 and December 1970. Glossosomatidae and Limnephilidae were the most abundant families, but Rhyacophilidae was represented by the most species. Relative abundance, seasonal occurrence, sex ratios, and ecological segregation of related species are discussed.
American Rules and Chinese Faces: The Games of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

The sensational commercial success of Amy Tan’s debut novel, The Joy Luck Club (1989), and the book’s subsequent cultural ubiquity led Karl Taro Greenfeld of The Paris Review to comment recently that “if Oprah Winfrey had had a book club in 1989 she surely would have selected it” (13). Yet it is perhaps precisely because that powerful arbiter of middlebrow taste did not yet exist that The Joy Luck Club became as much of a sensation as it did, for in many ways, the book club and the novel fulfill similar functions. Just as Oprah’s Book Club has been lauded for its remarkable ability to transform obscure novels into overnight bestsellers and expose its largely white middleto upper-class female demographic to a plethora of so-called minority works, The Joy Luck Club has been praised in both the popular and critical milieux for its ability to foster a “sister-centered” (Welsch 29) sense of community both within and beyond the text itself. Yet it is this very same talent that has earned both Tan and Winfrey the derision of numerous literary critics; Scott Stossel, the editor of The Atlantic, remarked that “[t]here is something so relentlessly therapeutic, so consciously self-improving about [Winfrey’s] book club that it seems antithetical to discussions of serious literature. Literature should disturb the mind and derange the senses; it can be palliative, but it is not meant to be the easy, soothing one that Oprah would make it” (qtd. in Minzesheimer). In similar fashion, Asian American literary critics have, on the whole, taken umbrage at Tan’s penchant for constructing a bridge to and among her “predominantly white and female” readership (Wong 180), resulting in a loyal following that Sau-ling Cynthia Wong has derisively dubbed a “sugar sisterhood” (181). Like Stossel, Wong and many like-minded Asian American critics have argued that Tan’s novels are far too “soothing” to be “serious”: their “exoticizing” (191) depictions of China and traditional Chinese culture, in particular, “enable Orientalism to emerge in a form palatable to middle-class American readers” (181). The aim of this essay is neither to endorse nor refute such perspectives. What strikes me as especially interesting about the extremely polarized response to The Joy Luck Club is rather its persistent preoccupation with the serious and the playful—whether defined as the popular, the “easy,” the “palatable,” or the ......
Single View Human Action Recognition using Key Pose Matching and Viterbi Path Searching

3D human pose recovery is considered as a fundamental step in view-invariant human action recognition. However, inferring 3D poses from a single view usually is slow due to the large number of parameters that need to be estimated and recovered poses are often ambiguous due to the perspective projection. We present an approach that does not explicitly infer 3D pose at each frame. Instead, from existing action models we search for a series of actions that best match the input sequence. In our approach, each action is modeled as a series of synthetic 2D human poses rendered from a wide range of viewpoints. The constraints on transition of the synthetic poses is represented by a graph model called Action Net. Given the input, silhouette matching between the input frames and the key poses is performed first using an enhanced Pyramid Match Kernel algorithm. The best matched sequence of actions is then tracked using the Viterbi algorithm. We demonstrate this approach on a challenging video sets consisting of 15 complex action classes.
A Fermentor System for Regulating Oxygen at Low Concentrations in Cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The growth of yeast cells to high densities at low, but constant, oxygen concentrations is difficult because the cells themselves respire oxygen; hence, as cell mass increases, so does oxygen consumption. To circumvent this problem, we have designed a system consisting of a computer-controlled gas flow train that adjusts oxygen concentration in the gas flow to match cellular demand. It does this by using a proportional-integral-differential algorithm in conjunction with a three-way valve to mix two gases, adjusting their proportions to maintain the desired oxygen concentration. By modeling yeast cell yields at intermediate to low oxygen concentrations, we have found that cellular respiration declines with oxygen concentration, most likely because of a decrease in the expression of genes for respiratory proteins. These lowered rates of oxygen consumption, together with the gas flow system described here, allow the growth of yeast cells to high densities at low oxygen concentrations. This system can also be used to grow cells at any desired oxygen concentration and for regulated shifts between oxygen concentrations.
Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography of invasive basal cell carcinoma

Skin cancer is the most common human malignancy, with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) the most frequent type. Aggressive forms of BCC are associated with extensive dermal invasion and destruction of collagen. Surgery is the most common treatment, but identification of tumor borders is a challenge. Polarization-sensitive optical coher- ence tomography (PS-OCT) is an optical method to examine collagen birefringence. To date, it has not been exploited for cancer manage- ment. As part of a pilot exploratory study to examine the use of OCT in skin cancer, we examined several tumors that pose a challenge to the surgeon due to their large size and histological subtype. In normal perilesional skin, OCT identifies epidermal and dermal structure; PS- OCT identified dermal birefringence. In BCC, tumors lost normal structure and gained the appearance of lobular impressions. PS-OCT identified an alteration of dermal birefringence. Examination of a bor- der area revealed a gradual transition from more normal appearing image to frank tumor. These results indicate that PS-OCT can identify features that distinguish normal skin from tumor and may have the potential to guide surgeons in the treatment of aggressive skin cancer.
Extraclassical Receptive Field Phenomena and Short-Range Connectivity in V1

Neural mechanisms of extraclassical receptive field phenomena in V1 are commonly assumed to result from long-range lateral connections and/or extrastriate feedback. We address two such phenomena: surround suppression and contrast dependent receptive field size. We present rigorous computational support for the hypothesis that the phenomena largely result from local short-range (< 0.5 mm) cortical connections and LGN input. Surround suppression in our simulations results from (A) direct cortical inhibition or (B) suppression of recurrent cortical excitation, or (C) action of both these mechanisms simultaneously. Mechanisms B and C are substantially more prevalent than A. We observe an average growth in the range of spatial summation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs for low contrast. However, we find this is neither sufficient nor necessary to explain contrast dependent receptive field size, which usually involves additional changes in the relative gain of these inputs.
Realizing Planning's Emancipatory Promise: Learning from Regime Theory to Strengthen Communicative Action

This article informs communicative action theory with insights from urban regime theory. The synthesis proposes a model of planning that is more comprehensive in its treatment of the linkages betwe...
Double-effect reasoning and the conception of human embryos

Some commentators argue that conception signals the onset of human personhood and that moral responsibilities toward zygotic or embryonic persons begin at this point, not the least of which is to protect them from exposure to death. Critics of the conception threshold of personhood ask how it can be morally consistent to object to the embryo loss that occurs in fertility medicine and research but not object to the significant embryo loss that occurs through conception in vivo. Using that apparent inconsistency as a starting point, they argue that if that embryo loss is tolerable as a way of conceiving children, it should be tolerable in fertility medicine and human embryonic research. Double-effect reasoning shows, by contrast, that conception in vivo is justified even if it involves the death of persons because the motives for wanting children are not inherently objectionable, because the embryo loss that occurs in unassisted conception is not the means by which successful conception occurs, and because the effect of having children is proportionate to the loss involved. A similar outcome holds true for in vitro fertilisation in fertility medicine but not for in vitro fertilisation for research involving human embryos.
Ultracold fermions and the SU(N) Hubbard model.

We investigate the fermionic $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ Hubbard model on the two-dimensional square lattice for weak to moderate interactions using renormalization group and mean-field methods. For the repulsive case $Ug0$ at half filling and small $N$ the dominant tendency is towards breaking of the $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ symmetry. For $Ng6$ staggered flux order takes over as the dominant instability, in agreement with the large-$N$ limit. Away from half filling for $N=3$ two flavors remain half filled by cannibalizing the third flavor. For $Ul0$ and odd $N$ a full Fermi surface coexists with a superconductor. These results may be relevant to future experiments with cold fermionic atoms in optical lattices.
INVESTMENT BANKING AND THE CAPITAL ACQUISITION PROCESS

This paper reviews the theory and evidence on the process by which corporations raise debt and equity capital and the associated effects on security prices. Findings from related transactions are used to test hypotheses about the stock price patterns accompanying announcements of security offerings. Various contractual alternatives employed in security issues are examined; for example, rights or underwritten offers, negotiated or competitive bid, best efforts or firm commitment contracts, and shelf or traditional registration. Finally, incentives for underpricing new issues are analyzed.
Identification of carotid vascular receptors that control adrenal catecholamine secretion in dogs

The role of carotid sinus and thyrocarotid mechanoreceptors in the reflex control of adrenal medullary function was assessed in anesthetized dogs with adrenal vein catheters. Dogs underwent carotid sinus, thyrocarotid junction, combined carotid sinus and thyrocarotid junction, or sham denervation. On the day after surgery, catecholamine secretion was measured after carotid occlusion proximal to the thyrocarotid junction, cervical vagotomy, and repeat carotid occlusion, each separated by 90 min. After combined carotid denervation, baseline norepinephrine secretion was increased, resulting in a decreased epinephrine-to-norepinephrine ratio. Carotid occlusion before vagotomy did not change the secretion of catecholamines or the epinephrine-to-norepinephrine ratio. After sham carotid denervation, acute vagotomy did not affect catecholamine secretion. However, after denervation of the carotid sinus or thyrocarotid junction, vagotomy resulted in small increases in catecholamine secretion without changing the epinephrine-to-norepinephrine ratio; the magnitude of the response was augmented after combined denervation. At 90 min after vagotomy in dogs with intact carotid baroreceptors, carotid occlusion increased adrenal secretion of catecholamines and decreased the epinephrine-to-norepinephrine ratio. After denervation of carotid sinus or thyrocarotid junction receptors, carotid occlusion increased secretion of catecholamines without changing the epinephrine-to-norepinephrine ratio; the response was abolished by combined denervation. These results show that both carotid sinus and thyrocarotid receptors contribute to the adrenomedullary response to carotid occlusion and to acute vagotomy. Also, reduction in the activity of carotid sinus and thyrocarotid junction receptors chronically (by denervation) or acutely (by carotid occlusion) results in preferential secretion of norepinephrine over epinephrine.
Tort Reform, Innovation, and Playground Design

This essay directly confronts a key claim underlying calls for tort reform: that current product liability law negatively impacts innovation. It begins by outlining the current state of the product liability/innovation debate, and details the arguments and empirical evidence for and against a negative correlation. The essay then argues that when confronted by potential product liability entrepreneurial companies do not simply patch failed products, they fully rethink and redesign them. As such, product liability can actually spur innovation. The essay also indulges in a discussion of the economist Joseph Schumpeter's entrepreneurial mindset and a Calabresian argument that manufacturers are probably in the best position to innovate and "make lemonade" out of the lemons of design defects. The essay then applies these theories to playground design and argues that product liability law and heightened safety concerns have actually resulted in a quality revolution in public playgrounds. We have eliminated the stark and joyless concrete and steel "traditional" playground in favor of new playgrounds that are not only safer, but vastly superior on every count: more fun, more interactive, and more gauged towards play.
Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War.: By Paul Fussell., Oxford University Press, 1989, 350 pp., $24.95, Cloth

(1991). Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World War. American Journalism: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 77-79.
Vortex Dynamics in Flow Instabilities and Biomimetic Flows

Flow patterns around bodies undergoing flow-induced vibrations and biomimetic flows have intriguing similarities, and similar flow mechanisms can be used to understand their principal properties and find ways to alter their behavior. The long history and extensive study of flow-structure interaction allowed the rapid development of the new field of biomimetic fluid mechanics. In return, the properties that were revealed and the discoveries that were made through the study of the swimming of fish and cetaceans and of bird flight are now entering the engineering domain, suggesting new ways to control the flow and how to devise new technology as well as invigorating our profession.
Heterogeneity of Muscle Fibers in Some Burrowing Mammals

Proportional differences in type of fibers within homologous muscles of different burrowing mammals may be a paramount factor determining variation in strength, especially in the relatively unspecialized diggers. The proportions of types of fibers in seven pectoral muscles from two individuals of each of three species of Spermophilus , one species of Scapanus , and one species of Eutamias are demonstrated by comparing variations in glycogen content and differences in diameter. Results indicate the number and kinds of motor units present and thus something about potential gradations in tension. In all species of Spermophilus , muscles showed marked heterogeneity with red fibers predominating. Juveniles of S. beecheyi had a greater proportion of red fibers in most muscles compared to adults, which had a greater proportion of white fibers. This is attributed to ontogenetic change from relatively slow contracting muscles at birth to faster muscles in the adult. Muscles of Eutamias amoenus were primarily red-fibered, which is associated with the high metabolic rate for this species. Muscle fibers of Scapanus latimanus contained high amounts of glycogen but resembled the red fibers of ground squirrels in diameter. Differences in strength between the species of Spermophilus are probably not due to heterogeneity because of the similarity in this factor between muscles. Differences in strength of Scapanus latimanus and Eutamias amoenus when compared to the three species of Spermophilus may be due partly to differences in heterogeneity of muscles. When the proportions of fiber type within a muscle approach equality this implies a greater potential number of motor units that can be recruited. I believe that the heterogeneous muscles of ground squirrels allow the development of relatively great forces, whereas moles develop large forces because of more muscle per body weight and greater mechanical advantage.
Integral Transforms and Boundary Value Problems

(1952). Integral Transforms and Boundary Value Problems. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 59, No. 3, pp. 149-155.
Hematocrit, Hemoglobin and Plasma-Protein Levels of Broilers Reared under Constant Temperatures

Abstract WINTER (1935) found that during cold weather the hemoglobin content of the blood of hens increased significantly. Huston (1960, 1965) and Washburn and Huston (1968) compared the packed erythrocyte volume of birds in controlled-temperature environments and found that it increased in the colder environmental temperatures. Olson (1937) found that the number of erythrocytes in the domestic fowl increased during the winter. Squibb et al. (1959) compared the serum protein level of birds exposed at 5 weeks of age for 7 days to temperatures of 23.9° and 37.2°C. This had no effect on serum protein level. A study was conducted to determine the development of broilers reared under various constant temperatures from 1 to 56 days of age as measured by blood hematocrit, hemoglobin and total plasma protein. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Duplicate experiments were conducted. For each experiment, 120 commercial broiler chicks were placed immediately after hatching in each of three environmental…
The Language of Nature

In 1960 Eugene Wigner published an article titled “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences.”
BIOENERGETICS AND GROWTH: THE WHOLE AND THE PARTS

It is somewhat disconcerting to have been asked to give the Samuel Brady Memorial lecture for the second time. Clearly my first attempt must have been regarded as less than satisfactory and I can only conclude that the organizers thought that I should be given a second chance! This I welcome because it enables me once more to pay tribute to a remarkable man whom I had the pleasure and stimulus of meeting and to show how his prescience continues to illuminate much of what we do in the biological sciences. Morgan (I960), in her biography of Samuel Brody, wrote of his culminating research (Brody, 1945), "seldom has so comprehensive, scholarly and original a tome been added to our scientific heritage." With her view I wholeheartedly agree; one can find in that book ideas related to overall aspects of metabolism that are still central to much current investigational research.
Microwave Drying of Water Soaked Books

ABSTRACTCurrent methods for drying of water soaked books are generally slow and tedious, and it is often necessary to freeze large numbers of volumes to prevent mold growth while awaiting time to conduct the drying. We have investigated the possibility of using microwave drying to achieve rapid water removal from water soaked books, so that freezing and other slow treatments may be unnecessary. Results show that sufficient water can be rapidly removed so that the books may be opened and handled without evident danger to the pages. No noticeable changes in paper quality have been observed following the microwave drying process.
High Tc SQUID Gradiometer

We have fabricated a YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) single layer SQUID gradiometer with step-edge Josephson junctions. We have measured the noise of the gradiometer with and without a magnetic shield. Each case was measured both in the zero field cool (ZFC) and in the field cool (FC). The noise spectra with the magnetic shield in the ZFC and in the FC are almost the same, which means that there is no flux trapping or that the flux trapping does not contribute to the noise increase. We have also measured the magnetic field of a watch with the gradiometer without the magnetic shield. The signal to noise ratio of the gradiometer is about twenty times larger than that of a commercial fluxgate at a distance of 60 mm.