cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat Release Property and Fire Performance of the Nomex/Cotton Blend Fabric Treated with a Nonformaldehyde Organophosphorus System

Blending Nomex® with cotton improves its affordability and serviceability. Because cotton is a highly flammable fiber, Nomex®/cotton blend fabrics containing more than 20% cotton require flame-retardant treatment. In this research, combination of a hydroxyl functional organophosphorus oligmer (HFPO) and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) was used for flame retardant finishing of the 65/35 Nomex®/cotton blend woven fabric. The system contains HFPO as a flame retardant, BTCA as a bonding agent, and triethenolamine (TEA) as a reactive additive used to enhance the performance of HFPO/BTCA. Addition of TEA improves the hydrolysis resistance of the HFPO/BTCA crosslinked polymeric network on the blend fabric. Additionally, TEA enhances HFPO’s flame retardant performance by reducing formation of calcium salts and also by providing synergistic nitrogen to the treated blend fabric. The Nomex®/cotton blend fabric treated with the HFPO/BTCA/TEA system shows high flame resistance and high laundering durability at a relatively low HFPO concentration of 8% (w/w). The heat release properties of the treated Nomex®/cotton blend fabric were measured using microscale combustion calorimetry. The functions of BTCA; HFPO and TEA on the Nomex®/cotton blend fabric were elucidated based on the heat release properties, char formation, and fire performance of the treated blend fabric.
Integrity Monitoring of Digital Elevation Models using Corner Edge Detection of Accumulated X-Band Radials

Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) provides pilots with displays of stored geo-spatial data representing terrain, obstacles and cultural features. This system has the potential to improve flight safety by providing situational awareness and reducing the likelihood of Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT). In order to enable the safe use of SVS at low altitudes, real-time range-to-terrain measurements may be necessary to ensure integrity of terrain data for civil aviation applications. This paper describes an integrity monitor which uses a novel approach to check the consistency between a terrain elevation profile synthesized from an X-Band Weather Radar (WxR) sensor and the profile given in a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Features, in the form of edge locations and associated curvature strengths, are extracted and placed in a graph representation. A comparison is performed on the relationships that are drawn from the node attributes using the approximate graph matching technique in order to confirm the integrity of the terrain dataset. Terrain scans from NASA's Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck (IIFD) program are used to validate the proposed integrity monitoring approach.
Evaluating Electronic Commerce Acceptance with the Technology Acceptance Model

As many retailers struggle with their on-line operations and dot corns close their virtual doors, it has become critical to understand why consumers buy online. This study applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to electronic commerce participation using a sample of 138 college students. Ease of use was found to have an impact on whether someone would buy a product online and on usefulness. Usefulness had an impact on the number of times a respondent purchased items online. The number of hours spent using the internet per week had a significant impact on all four measures of electronic commerce participation, whether they bought something online, how many times they bought something online, how frequently and how much was spent buying online. Surprisingly, security and privacy concerns did not have an impact on electronic commerce participation. The implications, limitations and directions for future research are addressed.
Cancer cell of origin controls epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in skin squamous cell carcinoma.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer is a process wherein epithelial tumor cells lose their differentiated characteristics, such as cell-cell adhesion and apical-basal polarity, and acquire a more motile mesenchymal and invasive/metastatic phenotype (1-3). Although, a minor population of cancer cells acquires EMT, which reflects the intrinsic properties of their cell of origin, the cell of origin of EMT in cancer is largely unknown. The identification of the cell type and the molecular signaling alterations that lead to the EMT process will provide new insights into the regulation of tumor heterogeneity and possible therapeutic interventions (4-6).
Proof of Mordell’s Finite Generation Theorem

In this chapter we prove that the rational points E(Q) on an elliptic curve over the rational numbers Q form a finitely generated group. We will follow a line of argument which generalizes to prove A. Weil’s extension to number fields. The Mordell-Weil group E(k) of points over a number field k on an elliptic curve E is a finitely generated group.
Effective Fisher vector aggregation for 3D object retrieval

We formulate the task of 3D object retrieval as a visual search problem where a database containing videos of objects captured manually from different viewpoints is queried using a single image. We propose to aggregate visual information of similar views and use the Fisher vector (FV) framework to compactly represent a database of objects. Large-scale experiments on an existing video dataset that we complemented with image queries, shows that our aggregation schemes significantly outperform standard retrieval techniques. When representing our database with only 4 FVs per object, our approach performs with a mean average precision (mAP) of 73.0% on our dataset while the baseline (no aggregation) only reaches a mAP of 43.8%. It can also reach a 72.0% mAP level with a 10× smaller database than the baseline.
Surgical Landmarks to Locating the Main Trunk of the Facial Nerve in Parotid Surgery: A Systematic Review

Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe distances from commonly used anatomic landmarks to the main trunk of the facial nerve during parotid surgery. Materials and Methods A systematic search of the published literature was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All studies from January 1, 1990 to January 1, 2017 that measured distances to the main trunk of the facial nerve from common anatomic landmarks were eligible. Inclusion criteria were English-language articles with distances measured from the main trunk of the facial nerve to anatomic landmarks. The primary outcome variable was the distance from the respective anatomic landmarks. Other variables included surgical approach, year, and existential status of subject (cadaveric or living). Results The search yielded 1,412 studies (1,397 by PubMed, 15 by reference searching), with 10 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Within the 10 studies, there were 30 reported means and 375 dissected cadavers. The most common incision was the standard preauricular incision; the mean distances to the facial trunk from landmarks were 13.6 ± 11.0 mm (n = 6 reported means) for the tragal pointer, 8.79 ± 3.99 mm (n = 7 reported means) for the posterior belly of the digastric muscle, 10.5 ± 1.4 mm (n = 4 reported means) for the tip of the mastoid process, 14.99 ± 1.68 mm (n = 3 means) for the transverse process of C1, 3.79 ± 2.92 mm (n = 6 means) for the tympanomastoid fissure, 9.80 ± 0 mm (n = 1 mean) for the styloid process, and 11.77 ± 1.42 mm (n = 3 means) for the external auditory meatus. Formal assessment of inter-study variability could not be assessed because of the small number of studies and measurements. Conclusion There are substantial variations in measurements from anatomic landmarks to the main trunk of the facial nerve in the literature. Therefore, multiple landmarks can be used to identify the main trunk of the facial nerve during parotid surgery. The distances reported in this study can guide surgeons during parotid surgery to decrease the risk of facial nerve damage.
Momentum and betting market perceptions of momentum in college football

Past research has demonstrated that bettors believe positive momentum carries over from contest to contest. This article examines whether there is any empirical support for this belief by testing f...
Media vs. reality: Who sets the public agenda on health?

This study advances agenda-setting theory by applying it to understand the media influence on the public’s perception of health issues. The longitudinal analysis compared news indices, public opinion polls, and reality indicators in the United States from 2001 to 2010. The results show that news media, especially print media, did have some agenda-setting effects on the public’s health priorities. However, the coverage had little to do with reality and, ironically, the media representation of certain health issues showed an opposite trend to that of the reality indicators. These findings call into question the responsibility of journalists in providing a complete and proportional representation of health concerns.
Identification of Microscopic Flaws Arising in Thermal Tomography by Domain Decomposition Method

Recently, interest in computed thermal tomography has grown, particularly for application to the detection of corrosions or microcrack cLusters which often occur in passenger airplanes or space flight systems. The purpose of the method is to detect cracks inside a material rapidly and nondestructively by analyzing thermogra.phical data collected from the front surface of the material. Figure 1.1 ilLustrates this thermal technique using the infrared imaging. As depicted in, adding the heat source to the front, such as a laser beam, the thermographical data can be recorded by the infrared camera. Mathematically, to estimate the structural information with the thermal data can be formulated as a geometrical heat inverse problem. Previous efforts on the the inverse formulation of 2-D thermal tomography have been discussed in [1] [2] using the so-called “method of mapping”. The efficacy of the algorithm proposed in [1] and [2] has been supported by various kinds of simulation and laboratory data. However, for practical use of our inverse algorithm, we further pay our attention to the following points. The objects which we have to inspect are generally complicated. Hence a simple mapping technique applied in the previous reports is not always sufficient to the practical use. Moreover, in large and complicated objects such as passenger airplanes, rapid inspections are definitely required. The fast and compact algorithm is highly desirable for practical application. Taking into account these, we propose a new method using the domain decomposition approach. The domain decomposition method is very classical tool for solving elliptic partial differential equations. Recently there has been a strong revival of the interest in this method due to its potential in highly parallel computing environments. Our aim of this paper is to show the applicability of the inverse approach based on the domain decomposition method to the practical thermal technique.
Demulen-21® (Searle)

Demulen-21 is a combination oral contraceptive preparation. It acts mainly through the mechanism of gonadotropin suppression due to the estrogenic and progestational activity of the constituents. The predominant effect of estrogen is to inhibit secretion of FSH, while continued action of progesterone (related, but not equated to progestins) is to inhibit LH. Alterations in the genital tract, such as changes in the cervical mucus and the endometrium, may also contribute to the contraceptive effectiveness.
O multiculturalismo para alem do jugo do positivismo

In this article the author makes a critique of the dictatorship of positivism in the field of social sciences in general but more particularly in the field of education. According to the author this dictatorship has been an accomplice in the construction of both false platforms of identity and in the perversion of certain curriculum initiatives such as multiculturalism. The author claims that there is an urgent need to question the presence of an intolerable “tolerance”, a structuring force of multicultural studies. He defends an educational and curricular platform that has as its goal a truly just and democratic society.
Assessment of Heterogeneity in Malignant Brain Tumors

Primary malignant brain tumors are highly lethal cancers and vary in their histology, due to the many cell types in the brain and also the multipotent cells of origin (Singh et al. 2003, 2004). The most notorious among these is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive glioma subtype, carrying the highest World Health Organization (WHO) grade of IV. As the name suggests, GBM can have features of several cell types, which can be regionally distinct, depending on the evolution of the tumor from CNS precursor cells. The varied cellular composition of these tumors can give rise to differences in phenotype, which alter therapeutic response. To better characterize the varied molecular phenotype of malignant brain tumors, we devised methodology which utilizes preoperative MR imaging to define areas of interest for stereotactic biopsy, image guided biopsy, followed by nucleic acid extraction with an “in-process” histopathological scoring during tissue processing. The procedure is followed by molecular phenotyping using any highly reliable oligonucleotide microarray platform for molecular characterization. We have used Affymetrix gene expression microarrays due to the high reproducibility of these assays. The global gene expression profiling approach also allows a highly robust analysis to be performed on individual tumors, revealing a much more complete assessment of the overall molecular phenotype.
A Comparison of Column Subset Selection Methods for Unsupervised Band Subset Selection in Hyperspectral Imagery

This paper explores the use of column subset selection (CSS) for unsupervised band subset selection (BSS) in hyperspectral imaging. CSS is the problem of selecting the most independent columns of a matrix. Many deterministic and randomized algorithms have been proposed in the literature for CSS. This paper presents a comparison between different algorithms for CSS for BSS. The cosine of the angle between the range space spanned by the selected bands and the corresponding left singular vectors is used to evaluate the quality of the selected bands to represent the image. Numerical experiments are conducted using multispectral and hyperspectral data. Results show that SVDSS outperforms other deterministic algorithms while producing comparable results to a 2-stage randomized CSS in small images and in centered data. However, the randomized algorithm significantly outperforms deterministic approaches in large images.
The discovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole

Abstract The author Nassim Taleb has coined the term “Black Swan” event to describe a very low probability event that come as a surprise and has a major effect in the field in which it occurs. He suggests that such events have occurred in history, finance, science, and technology more frequently than one can expect from stochastic theory. The discovery of the Antarctic Ozone Hole fits this description well. In this paper, we describe the events surrounding this discovery and the role of NASA satellite data before and soon after the seminal paper by Farman et al., in May 1985 that first brought this phenomenon to the attention of the broader science community.
Real-time accident detection: Coping with imbalanced data.

Abstract Detecting accidents is of great importance since they often impose significant delay and inconvenience to road users. This study compares the performance of two popular machine learning models, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN), to detect the occurrence of accidents on the Eisenhower expressway in Chicago. Accordingly, since the detection of accidents should be as rapid as possible, seven models are trained and tested for each machine learning technique, using traffic condition data from 1 to 7 min after the actual occurrence. The main sources of data used in this study consist of weather condition, accident, and loop detector data. Furthermore, to overcome the problem of imbalanced data (i.e., underrepresentation of accidents in the dataset), the Synthetic Minority Oversampling TEchnique (SMOTE) is used. The results show that although SVM achieves overall higher accuracy, PNN outperforms SVM regarding the Detection Rate (DR) (i.e., percentage of correct accident detections). In addition, while both models perform best at 5 min after the occurrence of accidents, models trained at 3 or 4 min after the occurrence of an accident detect accidents more rapidly while performing reasonably well. Lastly, a sensitivity analysis of PNN for Time-To-Detection (TTD) reveals that the speed difference between upstream and downstream of accidents location is particularly significant to detect the occurrence of accidents.
Goal Setting in Teams

Over the last twenty years, organizations have shifted their structures from hierarchical, individualized work to ﬂ atter, team-based work structures. While these ﬂ atter structures are beneﬁ cial to organizational outcomes in many circumstances, there are also a number of additional considerations to be made. First, as noted in multilevel theory, not all constructs and relationships operate in the same fashion across levels (e.g., as work structure moves from the individual to the team level; Kozlowski & Klein, 2000 ). For instance, effectiveness at the individual and team levels may look the same in terms of results or outcomes (i.e., functional equivalence), but the structure of the construct is rather different. In team-based structures, individuals do not operate in a vacuum. Rather, they must engage in interpersonal interaction and various other processes in order to accomplish the team’s goal. For instance, various team processes such as a communication and coordination that simply do not exist within individual tasks are required for successful task accomplishment at the team level. Furthermore, the social factors inherent to teams as social entities can impact outcomes as evidenced by numerous studies on team process and performance (e.g., Kozlowski & Ilgen, 2006 ; LePine, Piccolo, Jackson, Mathieu, & Saul, 2008 ).
Estimation Procedures for Simulation Applications

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the approximation and estimation of the inverse cumulative function F−1. The nonparametric procedure aims at the graphical display of the functions f or F, with only indirect reference to any parameterization. The chapter describes a procedure that is closely connected to the definition and estimation of location and scale parameters. Most of the work presented in this chapter concerns the estimation problem. However, several aspects of the approximation problem are also treated, especially where constructs such as parameter confounding and invariance have important implications to the estimation process. The approach undertaken in the chapter differs from the usual problem of location and scale estimation in that the underlying distribution G1 is treated as the basis for an expansion of F−1. The usual parametric estimation problem is a special case with all but two coordinates equal to zero. However, as is true of other nonparametric approaches, a wide class of distributions and applications can be covered by a single approximation or estimation procedure.
Anomalous Origins of Coronary Arteries

Normally the right and left coronary arteries arise from the corresponding right and left coronary sinuses, respectively. Coronary arteries typically arise from the coronary sinuses closest to the pulmonary artery. Embryologically, the coronary arteries develop in the epicardial atrioventricular and interventricular grooves and then connect to the aorta late in their development. There is a wide spectrum of where along the coronary artery ostium their origin can occur on the path of the coronary sinus. The coronary ostium may normally arise up to 5 mm above the aortic sinotubular junction. There is also a wide range in the number of coronary arteries that may arise. Origins include a single coronary artery, two origins from the same sinus, multiple origins from multiple sinuses, oblique origins frequently seen with an intramural course, and high origins along the sinotubular junction. Right or left coronary arteries may arise from the contralateral coronary artery as well. These anomalies are briefly discussed here and then more fully examined in the chapter on coronary artery course anomalies (see Chap. 5). Coronary origins may be normal but have an unusual appearance in infants and children with congenital heart disease. We will review a few of these cases in this chapter.
The influence of education on health: an empirical assessment of OECD countries for the period 1995–2015

A clear understanding of the macro-level contexts in which education impacts health is integral to improving national health administration and policy. In this research, we use a visual analytic approach to explore the association between education and health over a 20-year period for countries around the world. Using empirical data from the OECD and the World Bank for 26 OECD countries for the years 1995–2015, we identify patterns/associations between education and health indicators. By incorporating pre- and post-educational attainment indicators, we highlight the dual role of education as both a driver of opportunity as well as of inequality. Adults with higher educational attainment have better health and lifespans compared to their less-educated peers. We highlight that tertiary education, particularly, is critical in influencing infant mortality, life expectancy, child vaccination, and enrollment rates. In addition, an economy needs to consider potential years of life lost (premature mortality) as a measure of health quality. We bring to light the health disparities across countries and suggest implications for governments to target educational interventions that can reduce inequalities and improve health. Our country-level findings on NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) rates offer implications for economies to address a broad array of vulnerabilities ranging from unemployment, school life expectancy, and labor market discouragement. The health effects of education are at the grass roots-creating better overall self-awareness on personal health and making healthcare more accessible.
Beauty Production with ALICE at the LHC

In this manuscript, various beauty production measurements using the ALICE detector will be presented. We will show new measurements of non-prompt D\(^0\) mesons in pp collisions at \(\sqrt{s} = 5.02\) TeV and beauty-tagged jet production in p–Pb collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{\mathrm {NN}}} = 5.02\) TeV. The \(R_{\mathrm {AA}}\) of beauty-hadron decay electrons in central Pb–Pb collisions and the \(v_{2}\) of beauty-hadron decay electrons in semi-central Pb–Pb collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{\mathrm {NN}}} = 5.02\) TeV will also be discussed.
Major element composition controls rare earth element solubility during leaching of coal fly ash and coal by-products

Abstract Coal combustion ash and pre-combustion coal refuse are currently under consideration as potential sources of rare earth elements. One of the early steps in recovering REEs from coal by-products is often acid leaching, which can result in low pH leachates with complex aqueous chemistry. The aim of this work was to understand the connection between REE solubility, pH, and major elemental components of leachates for coal by-products. To accomplish this, we investigated the effects of solids concentration (i.e., pulp density) and pH adjustment on REE solubility in acid leachates of coal fly ashes from the Powder River Basin (PRB) and Appalachian Basin in the United States, and a coal processing refuse from the Southwestern U.S. For PRB ashes, the concentrations of soluble REEs generally increased with increasing pulp density; however, at pulp density values above 80–100 g/L, the soluble REE concentrations in the leachates were markedly lower. Similarly, the soluble concentrations of other major solutes (Fe, Al, Si) that leached from PRB fly ashes were also non-linear with pulp density. These major elements tended to reach maximum concentration values at 60–70 g/L pulp density. In contrast, for the Appalachian fly ashes and the coal by-product, soluble concentrations of REE and major elements in leachates increased linearly with pulp density. Chemical equilibria calculations of mineral saturation indices indicated that trends in soluble REE concentrations could be explained by saturation conditions for Fe and Al-(hydr)oxides and possibility sulfate minerals, but not lanthanide hydroxides. Furthermore, pH adjustment of the acid leachates showed that REEs and many major solutes were removed from solution at pH values above 4.5, also consistent with Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxide precipitation. These results highlight the importance of understanding the chemical composition of leachates when designing REE recovery processes for low-grade geologic feedstocks and that precipitation of hydr(oxide) or sulfate minerals of major elements rather than discreet formation of REE mineral phases could be used for process optimization.
Transnational Feminist Therapy: Recommendations and Illustrations

This article summarizes the contributions of authors to a special issue on transnational feminist practice and integrates their recommendations. The three-part outline for organizing transnational ...
Foliar pathogens of California grasses infect multiple hosts: implications for grassland diversity

Pathogen infection is common in wild plants and animals, and may regulate their populations. If pathogens have narrow host ranges and increase with the density of their favored hosts, they may promote host species diversity by differentially limiting common species while giving rare species advantages. Yet because many pathogens infect multiple co-occurring hosts, they may not strongly respond to the relative abundance of a single host species. Are natural communities dominated by specialized pathogens with species-specific responses to host density or by pathogens with broad host ranges and limited responses to host density? The answer determines the potential for pathogens to promote host diversity, as hypothesized in many plant communities, or to have negligible or even negative effects on host diversity. We lack a systematic understanding of the impacts, identities, and host ranges of pathogens in natural communities. Here we characterize the community of fungal pathogens associated with symptomatic grass leaves and evaluate their host specificity and fitness impacts in a California grassland community of native and exotic grass species. We found that most of the commonly isolated fungal pathogens were multi-host and exhibited intermediate to low specialization. The amount of pathogen damage each host experienced was independent of the local relative abundance of each host species. Despite pathogen sharing among the host species, fungal communities slightly differed in composition across host species. Plants with high pathogen damage tended to have lower seed production but the relationship was weak, suggesting limited fitness impacts of pathogen damage. Moreover, seed production was not dependent on the local relative abundance of each plant species, suggesting that coexistence mechanisms may operate at larger spatial scales in this community. In sum, pathogens in this grassland community are multi-host and have small fitness impacts. As a result, foliar pathogens are unlikely to promote negative frequency-dependence, nor to promote plant species coexistence, in this system. Still, given that pathogen community composition differentiates across host species (effective specialization), some more subtle feedbacks between host relative abundance and pathogen community composition, damage, and fitness impacts are possible, which could in turn promote either coexistence or competitive exclusion.
A Comprehensive COVID-19 Database for the United States

The diversity in responses to and conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has provided rich data for researchers to study, especially as the pandemic continues to progress. With more than a full year of data available in different regions and at different granularities, methods of analysis requiring larger datasets are now worth examining or refining. Furthermore, as the United States seeks to move away from national and state-wide policies into approaches focused on individual communities, open data must be provided at both the state and county levels. In this paper, a comprehensive database encompassing COVID-19 data and a large body of related data is proposed. The database includes data on cases and deaths, testing, mobility, demographics, weather, and more at both the US state and county levels. The system was implemented using the Python framework Django and the high-performance RDBMS PostgreSQL. A data-processing pipeline was implemented using the asynchronous task library Celery to gather and clean data from various verified sources. This database has been used to build a web application for concise reporting and an open API for public access to the data. A reference web application using the API is currently available at www.bigdatacovid.com, and the API is available at www.bigdatacovid.com/api/v1, with API documentation available on the website.
RELIGIOUS DEMOCRATS: DEMOCRATIC CULTURE AND MUSLIM POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN POST-SUHARTO INDONESIA

Most theories about the negative relationship between Islam and democracy rely on an interpretation of the Islamic political tradition. More positive accounts are also anchored in the same tradition, interpreted in a different way. While some scholarship relies on more empirical observation and analysis, there is no single work which systematically demonstrates the relationship between Islam and democracy. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by defining Islam empirically in terms of several components and democracy in terms of the components of democratic culture social capital, political tolerance, political engagement, political trust, and support for the democratic system and political participation. The theories which assert that Islam is inimical to democracy are tested by examining the extent to which the Islamic and democratic components are negatively associated. Indonesia was selected for this research as it is the most populous Muslim country in the world, with considerable variation among Muslims in belief and practice. Two national mass surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2002. This study found that Islam defined by two sets of rituals, the networks of Islamic civic engagement, Islamic social identity, and Islamist political orientations (Islamism) does not have a negative association with the components of democracy. The only negative relationship is found between Islamism and tolerance toward Christians. However, intolerant Islamism is not a real threat to democratic stability because intolerant Islamists tends to be passive, not active, political participants. There is no association between intolerant Islamism and protest activity that might have the potential to destabilize the democratic system. On the contrary, almost all components of Islam have a positive and significant relationship with secular civic engagement, with political engagement, and with political participation. These three components of democracy reinforce support for the democratic system as whole. Therefore, Islam helps Muslim citizens to be active in politics and this activity is congruent with the democratic system as a whole. What emerges is not religious Muslims who are against democracy, nor non-religious democrats, but rather religious Muslims who contribute to strengthening democracy. They are religious democrats.
Paper Chromatography as an Adjunct in the Identification of Anaerobic Bacteria

Modified paper chromatography procedures for the analysis of fatty acids produced by anaerobic bacteria are described. Both ethylamine and hydroxylamine derivatives of fatty acids were prepared from inoculated anaerobic culture broth. The derivatives were spotted on chromatography paper and developed with appropriate solvents. Paper chromatography is a valuable alternative to gas liquid chromatography as an ancillary procedure in the identification of anaerobic bacteria in the clinical bacteriology laboratory.
Design issues in 2-port network models of bilateral remote manipulation

A two-port impedance-network model of a single-degree-of-freedom remote manipulation system in which a human operator at the master port interacts with a task object at the slave port in a remote location is presented. The design of the network involves the selection of feedback gains for the servomechanisms that transmit motion and force information from one port of the two-port to the other in both directions. The proposed methodology allows this selection to be based on both stability requirements and specifications of desired port impedances, given models of the task and the human operator. The resulting design guidelines guarantee stability for any passive task object at the slave port and any passive human impedance at the master port. >
Assessing Systemic Risk to Cloud‐Computing Technology as Complex Interconnected Systems of Systems

This paper presents a methodology for modeling cloud-computing technology (CCT), its users, and, most important, would-be malicious intruders as complex interdependent and interconnected systems of systems (S-o-S). The paper posits and demonstrates that due to the inherent structure of CCT as S-o-S, users of public CCT are at a higher risk of unlawful intrusion than users of non-CCT systems. At the same time, the flexibility and the agility of CCT S-o-S provide advantages relative to most non-CCT S-o-S. The need is for the CCT community to employ these advantages as an integral part of its cyber security strategy. Our analysis builds on the following theory and methodology: we consider CCT and its users as complex interconnected hardware and software subsystems that interact as S-o-S through shared states, resources, and subsystems, which are connected in series (rather than in parallel, as is the case for most non-CCT systems); exploiting the serial connectivity of CCT S-o-S, we use fault-tree analysis to demonstrate the resulting unreliability of CCT S-o-S; building on the published literature, we incorporate Pareto-optimal frontiers to compare the risks faced by security-conscious users of CCT (e.g., large corporations) versus those faced by cost-conscious users (e.g., small or startup companies); and we show that users of CCT as S-o-S are at a higher risk than users of non-CCT systems for certain assumptions and types of cyber attacks. The paper is structured as follows: Part A outlines the characteristics of CCT S-o-S, addresses the inherent vulnerability of CCT S-o-S to cyber intrusion and attack, and provides a brief literature review; Part B offers a rationale for modeling CCT as interconnected and interdependent S-o-S; Part C demonstrates, through the use of fault-tree analysis, the higher risk faced by CCT and its users as complex S-o-S; Part D presents an economic analysis of the security of CCT as S-o-S; and Part E offers conclusions and lessons learned.
New insights into the role of hilar ectopic granule cells in the dentate gyrus based on quantitative anatomic analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction

The dentate gyrus is one of two main areas of the mammalian brain where neurons are born throughout adulthood, a phenomenon called postnatal neurogenesis. Most of the neurons that are generated are granule cells (GCs), the major principal cell type in the dentate gyrus. Some adult-born granule cells develop in ectopic locations, such as the dentate hilus. The generation of hilar ectopic granule cells (HEGCs) is greatly increased in several animal models of epilepsy and has also been demonstrated in surgical specimens from patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Herein we review the results of our quantitative neuroanatomic analysis of HEGCs that were filled with Neurobiotin following electrophysiologic characterization in hippocampal slices. The data suggest that two types of HEGCs exist, based on a proximal or distal location of the cell body relative to the granule cell layer, and based on the location of most of the dendrites, in the molecular layer or hilus. Three-dimensional reconstruction revealed that the dendrites of distal HEGCs can extend along the transverse and longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. Analysis of axons demonstrated that HEGCs have projections that contribute to the normal mossy fiber innervation of CA3 as well as the abnormal sprouted fibers in the inner molecular layer of epileptic rodents (mossy fiber sprouting). These data support the idea that HEGCs could function as a "hub" cell in the dentate gyrus and play a critical role in network excitability.
Implementation of a DSP-based, acceleration feedback robot controller: practical issues and design limits

The authors present the practical issues and design limits found by rigorous implementation of acceleration feedback in a DSP (digital signal processor)-based controller for a 5-axis industrial robot. They identify and quantify the effects of the feedback transducer and their interfaces in implementing acceleration feedback as part of a digital motion controller. Extensive experimental results document the performance issues which are fundamental to proper application of acceleration feedback in robot motion control. >
Quantum-Everted Meta-Scientific Lensing as an Arbiter of the Hard Problem

A specific modification of metascientific epistemological standards is developed for the purpose of assessing the putative applicability of quantum mechanics to a physical understanding of consciousness. Formal properties of this epistemic alteration are summarized in a virtual construct called the quantum-everted meta-scientific (QuEMS) Lens. The feasibility of programming a digital approximation of the QuEMS Lens, inputting well accepted data from mainstream neurocognitive research, and inferring the relevance of quantum constructs from the output, is proposed.
Fabrication of Interpenetrating Networks of Poly (vinyl alcohol-g-acrylamide) and Chitosan-g-polyacrylamide Chains and Evaluation of Water Sorption, Blood Compatibility and Cytotoxicity Behaviors

In the present study an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of poly (vinyl alcohol-g-acrylamide) and chitosan-g-polyacrylamide chains were prepared by the redox polymerization method. The prepared network was characterized by FTIR, DSC and ESEM techniques. The hydrogels were evaluated for their water intake potential and influence of various factors such as chemical composition of the hydrogels, pH and temperature of the swelling bath; various simulated biological fluids were investigated on the water sorption capacity of the IPNs. The in-vitro blood compatibility of the prepared IPN was judged by blood-clot formation, percent haemolysis, protein (BSA) adsorption, and cytotoxicity methods.
Off-diagonal long-range order, restricted gauge transformations, and Aharonov-Bohm effect in conductors

The electrons in a conductor surrounding an external magnetic field are acted on by a vector potential that cannot be removed by a gauge transformation. Nevertheless, a macroscopic normal conductor can experience no Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect. That is proved by assuming only that a normal conductor lacks off-diagonal long-range order (ODLRO), which means that the electrons lack long-range phase coherence. Then by restricting the Hilbert space to density matrices which lack ODLRO, one can introduce a restricted gauge transformation that removes the interaction of the conductor with the vector potential. Consequently, the AB effect on a beam particle is not shielded by the conductor. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Spectroscopic, structural, and thermodynamic aspects of the stereochemically active lone pair on lead(II): Structure of the lead(II) dota complex

Abstract Steric, thermodynamic, and spectroscopic consequences of a stereochemically active lone pair (Lp) in Pb(II) complexes are discussed. The structure of Na3[Pb(dota)]NO3·2H2O (dota = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate) is reported: the four Pb–N bonds average 2.665 A, while the four Pb–O bonds to the acetate groups average 2.772 A. Normally, M–N bond lengths are longer than M–O bond lengths, as reported for the Sr(II) dota complex. This reversal in bond length order is attributed to the Pb–O bonds being closer to a stereochemically active Lp on Pb(II). In line with the latter, a very long Pb⋯O contact of 3.022 A is found to a water molecule coordinated over the proposed site of the Lp on Pb in its dota complex. Steric control of whether the Lp is stereochemically active, that produces long Pb–N bonds close to 2.8 A in length, can be exerted by ligands such as cryptands that prevent the N donors of the ligand from coordinating close together near the site on the Pb(II) opposite the Lp, the ‘antipodal’ site. The intense band that occurs in the electronic spectrum of Pb(II) complexes in the range 210–270 nm, that is attributed to a 6s2 → 6sp transition, is examined. The band shifts from 209 nm in the Pb2+(aq) ion in aqueous solution to about 260 nm as the number of N donors increases in a series of ligands containing only N and O donors. Within this shift it is found that in Pb(II) complexes with the same number of N donors, there is a shift to shorter wavelength, that appears to correlate with a change in the Lp from stereochemically inactive to stereochemically active. DFT calculations support the idea that the observed band in Pb(II) complexes is due to a transition from the filled 6s orbital to an empty 6p orbital, and suggest that the 6s orbital increasingly becomes hybridized with the 6p orbital as the Lp becomes more stereochemically active. The DFT calculations also support the interpretation that for complexes with the same number of N donors, the 6s2 → 6sp transition shifts to shorter wavelength as the Lp becomes stereochemically active.
Chemically Amplified, Positive Tone, Cross-Linkable Thick-Film Polymer

A new class of positive tone, permanent materials has been demonstrated, which are chemically amplified (CA), aqueous- developable, and cross-linkable. The intended purpose is a patterning and cross-linking method to create high sensitivity permanent dielectrics for microelectronic devices and packages. The photochemistry is based on traditional CA, acid-catalyzed deprotection of a protected organic functionality to yield an aqueous base soluble group such as a carboxylic acid or alcohol. This CA chemistry pro- duces high contrast and high photo-speed patterning, which is especially valuable for thick-film applications where high UV exposure doses are required for non-CA materials. The photospeed is about an order of magnitude faster than commercial materials at a simi- lar thickness. Subsequent to patterning, the remaining films or features can be cross-linked by a variety of chemical mechanisms. The working photo-patterning and cross-linking mechanisms are demonstrated on a random copolymer of tert-butyl methacrylate (TBMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The optical contrast (at 248 nm) was found to be 12.7 and the sensitivity, D100, was calculated to be 50.2 mJ/cm 2 in a 9.07-lm-thick film. Undeveloped regions were cross-linked after patterning. The esterification reaction is much slower than the TBMA deprotection, so that the cross-linking reaction does not interfere with the photopatterning. Cross-linking was also evident by the change in thin film stress 6.2 to 17.9 MPa during a thermal cure. Other polymers for Fischer esterification are discussed with their advantages and disadvantages along with other cross-linking chemistries. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 759-765, 2013
Interface Couples in Crystals

Joel and Wooster1 have discussed cases in which ‘volume couples’ can arise in certain classes of crystals due to strains, and have mentioned that in such cases the stress tensor is not symmetrical (σyz ≠ σzy). Actually, it is possible for asymmetry of the stress tensor to arise in any class of crystals, due to distributed couples which are acting across an interface rather than being distributed throughout a volume. These distributed interface couples have the same relation to the distributed volume couples that stresses have to distributed body forces.
Qualitative analysis of living with heart failure

BACKGROUND: The incidence of heart failure has been described as epidemic in proportion. Although literature abounds surrounding issues of epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment issues for those with heart failure, little is known about the day-to-day experiences of adults living with this chronic illness. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the experience of adults who are living with heart failure. The specific aims were to describe the problems, challenges, and processes of living with heart failure, to identify strategies and tactics adults use to live with heart failure, and to provide a model that articulates what the participants described. METHODS: Principles of naturalistic inquiry were used to describe problems, challenges, and processes of living with heart failure. Six women and 5 men participated in in-depth interviews that lasted from 40 minutes to 100 minutes. Data were collected and analyzed with the constant, comparative method. RESULTS: Participants' use of language referring to wind and water in describing their heart failure symptoms led to discovery of navigating and aspects of navigational science as metaphors for living with heart failure. The 3 main categories of the resulting model were called experiencing turbulence, navigating, and finding safe harbor. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the model for living with heart failure may provide for creation of interventions for adults to improve their ability to manage their own care in the face of this potentially devastating illness.
Hyperspectral scene simulation from the visible through the LWIR

Spectral Sciences, Inc., in collaboration with NASA and AFRL, are developing a high fidelity model for hyperspectral image (HSI) simulation. The simulation is based on a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) approach for modeling topographic effects. Synthetic “ground-truth” is specified as surface and atmospheric property inputs, and it is practical to consider wide variations of these properties. The model includes treatment of land and ocean surfaces, 3D terrain and bathymetry, 3D surface objects, and effects of finite clouds with surface shadowing. The computed HSI data cubes can serve as both a surrogate for and a supplement to field validation data for algorithm development efforts or for sensor design trade-studies. The initial version of the software package developed in collaboration with NASA treated the reflective spectral domain from the visible to the SWIR. In this paper, we review the reflective spectral domain model and present our approach for extending the HSI scene simulation package into the thermal infrared. The model is demonstrated with a variety of Visible and LWIR scene simulations.
A parallel integer linear programming algorithm

Abstract The solution of large scale integer linear programming models is generally dependent, in some way, upon the branch and bound technique, which can be quite time consuming. This paper describes a parallel branch and bound algorithm which achieves super linear efficiency in solving integer linear programming models on a multiprocessor computer. The algorithm is used to solve the Haldi and IBM test problems as well as a system design model.