cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF INDUSTRIAL R&D

Abstract There is a long history of debate about the appropriateness of the National Science Foundation's classification of industrial R&D into the categories of basic research, applied research, and development. This paper presents empirical evidence that this classification accurately describes the scope of R&D that is self-financed and conducted in most industrial firms. However, larger firms are more likely to disagree about the appropriateness of the classification, and the disagreement relates in large part to the narrowness of the definition of development.
(2x1)→c(4x2) transition at the Si(100) surface: a first-principles-based Monte Carlo study

Abstract Tight-binding molecular dynamics simulations have been performed for the Si(100) surface, with parameters fitted to first-principles calculations for a variety of surface geometries. The simulations yield a value J =-15meV for the dimer-dimer coupling constant along a row, and an upper limit of |J′|=5meV for the coupling across rows. These values, which differ from those of a previous study, give a two-dimensional Ising-model phase transition below 300 K, in agreement with LEED and low-temperature STM studies.
The record in the meteorites—II on the presence of aluminium-26 in meteorites and tektites☆

Abstract A search for cosmic-ray produced Al26 has been undertaken in meteorites and tektites, using γ—γ coincidence spectrometry. The sensitivity and specificity of this method were sufficient to permit non-destructive measurement of Al26 in a 70 g specimen of the Plainview chondrite; the specific activity found, 0·058 ± 0·005 positrons min−1 g−1, agrees well with the value of Ehmann and Kohman . In the case of tektites, chemical separation of the aluminium fraction was required because of interference by the U and Th series. Although a very small amount of activity was found in the aluminium fraction from an australite, corresponding to an apparent Al26 content of 0·005 ± 0·009 positrons min−1 g−1, and a “flight time” of 1·1 ± 2·0 × 105 years, it is shown that even this low counting rate was due to some contaminant, rather than Al26. Corrected for this contaminant, the counting rate becomes 0·000 ± 0·009 positrons min−1 g−1, and the upper limit for the Al26 content of australites, ⩽ 0·022 disintegrations min−1 g−1 in contrast to the Ehmann and Kohman value of 0·040 ± 0·011. This limit corresponds to a “flight time” of ⩽ 5 × 105 years. In view of this result, a terrestrial origin of tektites has once more become a possibility.
Effects of Polyculture and Manure Fertilization on Water Quality and Heterotrophic Productivity in Macrobrachium rosenbergii Ponds

Abstract Water quality effects of high densities of silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, and water hyacinths Eichhornia crassipes in semi-intensive pond culture of prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii were examined. Additional effects of isonitrogenous additions (8 kg N˙hectare−1˙week−1) of dried chicken manure and chicken broiler feed were evaluated. Excretion, grazing, and sediment resuspension by the carps stimulated phytoplankton productivity and turnover rates of microplankton, led to high early-morning dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, and, in the ponds fed manure, increased phytoplankton biomass. Removal of phosphorus from the water by water hyacinths led to reduced chlorophyll-α concentrations, primary productivity, and microplankton turnover, and to low morning DO concentrations: In hyacinth ponds fed chicken broiler feed, there were large percentage fluctuations in phytoplankton biomass. Additions of manure stimulated autotrophic productivity about 3.0 tim...
Synthesis and photochemical behavior of coumarin-caged cholesterol

The syntheses of three coumarin-caged cholesterols are reported that contain the 6-diethylaminocoumarin (DEACM), 6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin (BHC) and 6-bromo-7-methoxycoumarin (BMCM) photocleavable groups. Upon photolysis, the best caged derivative was found to be BHC-cholesterol whose quantum yield was determined to be 0.032 at 350 nm.
Diapause in the horn fly, Haematobia irritans.

Adult Haematobia irritans (L.) collected in the field from the last week of September through November produced progeny that diapaused as pupae if they were reared in bovine manure at a regimen of 8-hours light and 21°C or a regimen of no light and temperature cycled for 12 hours at 16° and 12 hours at 26°C. However, few pupae diapaused that were reared at a regimen of 8-hours light and 27°C or a regimen of no light and 27°C Apparently the interaction between the photoperiod to which the adult flies are exposed and the temperature to which the developing immature stages are exposed is necessary for pupal diapause.
Systematics of the electronic spectra of some substituted and bridged indole derivatives

Abstract Many indole derivatives possess desirable scintillation qualities, such as high quantum yield and short decay time. The fluorescence and absorption spectra, fluorescence decay time, quantum yield, the width of each spectrum, and Stokes loss of 14 substituted and bridged analogues of indole in nonpolar (cyclohexane) and polar (ethanol) solutions have been measured. Fluorescence spectra are shifted more toward the red, values of Stokes loss are larger, the molar extinction coefficients are smaller, and the natural fluorescence lifetimes and decay times are longer in ethanol than in cyclohexane solution. In the derivatives of 2-phenyl indoles, the fluorescence transition appears to be allowed and long-axis polarized.
Intra- and interspecific social and aggressive behaviour in the siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens

Abstract Siamese fighting fish and paradise fish were operantly conditioned to swim through a cylinder to open a door allowing them to explore visually conspecifics, non-conspecifics, or inanimate objects. All stimuli significantly elevated response levels compared to control conditions, but response rate for conspecifics was not higher than for other stimuli. In experiments 2 and 3, fighting fish threatened and attacked non-conspecifics as well as conspecifics, and using a blind procedure, displays to different fish could not be easily differentiated. A final experiment with models failed to reveal any specific shape critical to the elicitation of the threat display. Discussion considers the possibility that the operant behaviour of the fighting fish may be motivated by visual exploration as well as by aggression, and that in actual fighting the social behaviour of the opponent may be more crucial than any particular visual stimulus.
Investigation of arsenic speciation on drinking water treatment media utilizing automated sequential continuous flow extraction with IC-ICP-MS detection.

Three treatment media, used for the removal of arsenic from drinking water, were sequentially extracted using 10 mM MgCl2 (pH 8), 10 mM NaH2PO4 (pH 7) followed by 10 mM (NH4)2C2O4 (pH 3). The media were extracted using an on-line automated continuous extraction system which allowed the arsenic in each of the extraction fluids to be speciated on-line using IC-ICP-MS. The 10 mM MgCl2 preferentially extracted As(III) from each of the media. The percentage of the arsenic extracted by the MgCl2, relative to a HNO3/H2O2 digestion of the media, ranged from 0.1–2.3% for the three solids. The next sequential extraction fluid, 10 mM NaH2PO4, extracted some of the residual As(III) remaining on each of the media but the predominant species extracted was As(V). The 10 mM NaH2PO4 extracted 15.3 to 42.8% of the total arsenic relative to a total digested concentration for each of the media. The As(III) and As(V) stability studies conducted in these two extraction fluids indicated that conversion between As(III) and As(V) was not significant for the short extraction fluid sample contact time associated with the on-line continuous flow extraction cell. Finally, the 10 mM (NH4)2C2O4 extraction fluid was utilized in an off-line analysis mode because the Fe and As concentrations extracted from the media were not compatible with direct ICP-MS detection. The (NH4)2C2O4 extracted 2.9–29% As(III) for all three media and caused an oxidation of As(III) to As(V) during the extraction period for one of the three media. The sum of the arsenic from each of the three extraction fluids represented 92%, 44% and 53% of the available total arsenic for the three media, respectively. The speciation results for each media were obtained by adding all the speciation results from all three extraction fluids together and the resulting distribution of As(III)/As(V) compared well with the speciation results obtained via XANES.
Spatial variability of early season nitrogen availability indicators in corn

Abstract The pre‐sidedress nitrate test (PSNT), a soil test used to refine sidedress fertilizer nitrogen (N) recommendations in corn (Zea mays L.), has shown great potential to reduce the excessive use of N fertilizer in corn production systems in the Northeast. The research reported in this paper evaluated the application of the PSNT to site‐specific management by investigating the spatial variability of several early season soil and plant indicators of N availability in a uniformly managed 16‐ha no‐till corn production field. The spatial variation in PSNT nitrate concentrations, total organic carbon (C) and N in the soil, and corn biomass yield and N content at the fifth leaf development stage were characterized from 189 samples taken during the 1994 growing season on a triangular grid with a 30 m minimum separation distance. There were no significant correlations found between any of the variables studied. All the variables studied were normally distributed with the exception of total organic C and bio...
What is Conscious Attention

Everyone knows what attention is. It is the taking possession by the mind, in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought. Focalization, concentration, of consciousness are of its essence. It implies withdrawal from some things in order to deal effectively with others. William James Principles of Psychology
The Relationship between State of Maturity and Chemical Composition of the Whiting, Gadus merlangus L

In the whiting, no significant changes occur in the composition of the muscle substance, either throughout the year, or with increasing age, or during ripening of the gonads.The amount of fat in the liver is very low in immature fishes, increasing greatly with age, and reaching its maximum just after the commencement of the ripening of the gonads. It then falls off, reaching its lowest value amongst mature fishes in the “Spent” stages. Males are richer in liver fat than females.Immature fish have a decidedly higher protein content in the liver than have mature fish.
The Dual-Relationship Concept of Right-Ownership in Akan Musical Tradition: A Solution for the Individual and Communal Right-Ownership Conflicts in Music Production

There are apparently two legal systems of “rights ownership” in Ghana, which are (1) the individuals' rights—a system that overemphasizes the exclusive protection of the individual musicians' rights to ownership, and (2) the communal or governmental rights—a system that provides an exclusive protection of the government's (or community's) rights to ownership. Thus, for while the first are the inalienable rights that empower the autonomous musician universally, and are seen as a “private property” of mutually independent individuals; the second are the inalienable rights that empower the collective rights of the community/government, which are seen as a “public property” for a group, with cultural, communal or linguistic rights; systems that are contrary to the Akan systems of right ownership. My aim in this essay contest is to discuss the Akan “individual-communal” dual-relationship with respect to ownership that embraces these two seemingly unrelated concepts of “rights-ownership.”
High Morbidity of Enterostomy and Its Closure in Premature Infants With Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Objective To review the morbidity and mortality among 68 premature infants treated with enterostomy for necrotizing enterocolitis. Design Data were collected retrospectively from hospital medical records to include the period between January 1, 1987, and September 30, 1997. Setting Tertiary care children's hospital. Patients A group of 68 infants aged 2 to 35 days (mean age, 12.5 days), weighing 1500 g or less, with necrotizing enterocolitis necessitating surgical enterostomy for treatment. Interventions Creation of any enterostomy during exploratory laparotomy for necrotizing enterocolitis and subsequent closure. Main Outcome Measures Morbidity and mortality associated with infant enterostomy and its closure. Results Thirty-nine infants underwent ileostomy with mucous fistula, 16 underwent ileostomy with a Hartmann pouch, 7 had jejunostomy with mucous fistula, 2 had colostomy with mucous fistula, and 4 had colostomy with a Hartmann pouch. Eighteen (26%) of the 68 infants died in the postoperative period of sepsis (n=10), continuing necrotizing enterocolitis (n=5), or respiratory distress (n=3). Of the remaining 50 infants, complications developed in 34 (68%). These complications included strictures requiring further resection at the time of enterostomy closure in 20 infants; stricture of the enterostomy requiring surgical revision in 6; incisional hernia in 3; parastomal hernia in 4; enterostomal prolapse or intussusception in 6 and 1, respectively; wound dehiscence in 4; wound infection in 8; small-bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy in 2; and anastomotic complications in 2. Only 16 enterostomies were closed uneventfully, with 3 of these infants subsequently dying of sudden infant death syndrome between 6 and 8 months after the operation. Of the surviving infants, 3 (6%) continue to require home hyperalimentation. Conclusions Although enterostomy in infants with low birth weight with necrotizing enterocolitis may be lifesaving, it is also a major cause of morbidity. These data suggest the feasibility of a prospective study comparing resection and primary anastomosis with resection and enterostomy.
Prevention of malignant spinal-cord compression.

With their review on malignant spinal-cord compression, Prasad and Schiff provide an excellent multidisciplinary perspective on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options for one of the most devastating complications resulting from cancer spread to the axial skeleton. However, they do not comment on the prevention of this disorder. Drugs inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption have been reported to prevent malignant spinal-cord compression both in animals and in people; in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 227 Japanese women with bone metastases from breast cancer, antiresorptive therapy reduced the 1-year incidence of malignant spinal-cord compression by 70% from 11·5% to 3·5%. Antiresorptive drug treatment should, therefore, be regarded as an integral element in the fight against this cancer complication.
Histological evidence for recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis after liver transplantation

Whether primary biliary cirrhosis recurs after orthotopic liver transplantation remains a controversial issue. Sixty consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis with at least 1 yr of follow-up after liver transplantation were studied. All patients were treated with triple-drug immunosuppression (cyclospoine, prednisone, azathioprine). Hepatic biochemical parameters and protocol liver biopsy specimens were evaluated 1 wk, 3 wk, 4 mo and yearly after orthotopic liver transplantation and at times of liver dysfunction. Antimitochondrial antibody titers and IgM levels were determined at 4 mo and yearly. At the time of last follow-up, all patients had marked symptomatic improvement compared with their pretransplant condition, and 91% of the patients had normal hepatic biochemical parameters, including serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, ALT and IgM. In addition, all patients had significant decreases in antimitochondrial antibody titer (p = 0.0001) and significant decreases in serum levels of IgM (p = 0.0001). Forty-one of the 60 patients had near-normal liver histological appearance. Of those with abnormal histological appearance, five patients, 2 to 6 yr after orthotopic liver transplantation, had histological features typical of a florid duct lesion, suggesting recurrent primary biliary cirrhosis. All five patients with portal granulomas had normal hepatic biochemical values and were clinically asymptomatic. Two of the five patients had persistent antimitochondrial antibody titers. We consider the documented histological changes highly suggestive of recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis after liver transplantation but, so far, have no evidence that the condition in these patients is progressive. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:1392–1398.)
The Evolution and Application of Toxicity Criteria

The assessment and reporting of toxicity plays a central role in oncology. The foundation of toxicity reporting is the toxicity criteria system. Multiple systems have been developed and have evolved substantially since first introduced more than 20 years ago. The wide adoption of a standardized criteria system can facilitate comparison between institutions and clinical trials. The Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) system was revised and expanded substantially in 1997 and now includes acute radiation criteria as part of multimodality grading. In contrast to the progress made in standardizing acute effects, the current use of multiple late effects grading systems by different groups hinders comparability of clinical trials, impedes the development of toxicity interventions, and encumbers the proper recognition and reporting of late effects. Just as the revised CTC has provided a new common standard for the grading of acute effects, a similar effort is needed in the late effects area. The creation of a unified late effects system is under active development.
CO2/N2 separations with mixed-matrix membranes containing Mg2(dobdc) nanocrystals†

Nanocrystals of M2(dobdc) (M = Mg, Ni, Zn; dobdc4− = 1,4-dioxido-2,5-benzenedicarboxylate), also known as M-MOF-74 or CPO-27-M, with diameters of ∼100 nm or less were synthesized using a room-temperature reaction of 2 h duration. Adsorption data collected for CO2 and N2 show slightly lower surface areas but similar adsorption selectivites relative to the bulk materials. High-quality mixed-matrix membranes containing Mg2(dobdc) nanocrystals were fabricated using three different polymers for testing under conditions relevant to the removal of CO2 from flue gas. Significant enhancements in CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity over a pure polymer membrane were observed when a glassy polyimide was employed as the matrix, while membranes made with rubbery polymers showed decreased permeabilities, presumably due to the plugging of Mg2(dobdc) pores by polymer chains having a high mobility at room temperature.
Maternal PPARγ protects nursing neonates by suppressing the production of inflammatory milk

Lactation is a highly demanding lipid synthesis and transport process that is crucial for the development of newborn mammals. While PPARγ is known to promote adipogenesis and lipogenesis in adipose tissue, its role in the lactating mammary gland is unexplored. Here, we report that a targeted deletion of PPARγ in mice results in the production of “toxic milk” containing elevated levels of inflammatory lipids. Surprisingly, ingestion of this “toxic milk” causes inflammation, alopecia, and growth retardation in the nursing neonates. Genomic profiling reveals that PPARγ deficiency leads to increased expression of lipid oxidation enzymes in the lactating mammary gland. Consistently, metabolomic profiling detects increased levels of oxidized free fatty acids in the pups nursed by PPARγ-deficient mothers. Therefore, maternal PPARγ is pivotal for maintaining the quality of milk and protecting the nursing newborns by suppressing the production of inflammatory lipids in the lactating mammary gland.
Corpus callosotomy in refractory idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Summary Rationale A small percentage of patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) do not respond to medical therapy. Generalized tonic–clonic (GTC) seizures are especially debilitating and can be associated with severe injuries. The benefit, safety and effect of corpus callosotomy (CC) in patients with IGE have not been studied. Methods We reviewed patients with presumed IGE who underwent CC between 1991 and 2000. Criteria for selection included history, examination, brain imagining, interictal and ictal EEG. All patients had refractory and debilitating tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS) and had failed four or more antiepileptic drugs. Seizure frequency was calculated per month over the last year and pre-operative baseline was compared to last follow-up using paired t -tests. IQ, executive function, language and verbal, non-verbal memory and quality of life (QOL) was compared before and after surgery. Serial EEGs after surgery were reviewed. Results There were nine patients (seven men), mean age 37.9 (range: 22–49), mean IQ 87.3 (range: 75–107). All had anterior CC. Mean follow-up time was 5.4 years (range: 0.6–10.3 years). One patient died from sudden death in epilepsy 9 months after surgery. There was a significant reduction of GTC seizures from 6.3 to 1.1 ( p Conclusion CC can be effective in reducing GTC, absence and myoclonic seizures in patients with refractory IGE. These findings suggest that interhemispheric communication of the cerebral cortices plays an important role in the generation of seizures in IGE. Anterior CC appears safe while complete callosotomy has a risk of disconnection syndrome.
CYTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF THE GASTRODERMAL GLYCOCALYX OF GORGODERINA ATTENUATA AND HAEMATOLOECHUS MEDIOPLEXUS

The filamentous surface coating on the caecal cytoplasmic extensions of Gorgoderina attenuata and Haematoloechus medioplexus is found to contain macromolecular diglycols as cytochemically demonstrated by the PATCO method. This cytochemical evidence suggests that these structures can now be characterized as “glycocalyces”.
Quantitative comparison of the water permeable zone among four types of dental adhesives used with a dual-cured composite.

Clinical Relevance When placing a dual-cured composite, variation in the permeability of adhesive interfaces may affect bonding quality and longevity.
The Impact of Parent Groups on Mothers of Infants with Disabilities

This paper examines the correlates and consequences of participation in professionally-organized parent groups for 150 mothers receiving early intervention services for their infants and toddlers w...
Observation of Lambda -hypernuclei in the reaction 12C( pi +,K+) 1 Lambda 2C.

The observation of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-hypernuclear levels in $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ by associated production through the (${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}, {K}^{+}$) reaction is reported. The $_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ excitation-energy spectra were recorded at laboratory scattering angles of 5.6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 10.3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and 15.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. They show two major peaks---one attributed to the ground state, and one about 11 MeV higher. These results are compared to the strangeness-exchanging (${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}, {\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$) reaction. The measured cross sections are compared to relativistic distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations.
A nonparametric algorithm for edge localization

A nonparametric algorithm for edge localization is presented. When an edge detector is applied to the edge of interest, nearby edges introduce interference into the detection process and cause detected edge locations to differ from the true edge locations. The algorithm recovers the true edge location by removing the edge interference which is estimated by adapting nonparametric methods in statistics and employing robust statistics. >
Steering for a class of dynamic nonholonomic systems

We derive control algorithms for a class of dynamic nonholonomic steering problems, characterized as mechanical systems with nonholonomic constraints and symmetries. We use a simplified geometric framework in developing two types of control algorithms for such systems. The first targets local configuration controllability, using a perturbation approach to establish results similar to steering using sinusoids. The second method builds on this approach by utilizing kinematic steering algorithms for mobile robots in generating more nonlocal motion plans for this class of systems.
Association of mediterranean diet with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background/Objective To conduct a systematic review of all studies to determine whether there is an association between the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) and cognitive impairment.
Statistical shape learning for 3D tracking

In this note, we consider the use of 3D models for visual tracking in controlled active vision. The models are used for a joint 2D segmentation/3D pose estimation procedure in which we automatically couple the two processes under one energy functional. Further, employing principal component analysis from statistical learning, can train our tracker on a catalog of 3D shapes, giving a priori shape information. The segmentation itself is information-based. The allows us to track in uncertain adversarial environments. Our methodology is demonstrated on some real sequences which illustrate its robustness on challenging scenarios.
Effect of Temperature on Development and Population Parameters of Copitarsia decolora (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature on survival, development, and reproduction of Copitarsia decolora. Both linear and nonlinear models were used to model temperature-dependent development and population growth for C. decolora reared on asparagus and artificial diet. We used @Risk Software to bootstrap model parameters so that variability in observations could be incorporated into model predictions. C. decolora eggs required ≈69 DD to complete development with a base temperature of 7.8°C. C. decolora developed through four to six instars depending on temperature and food source. Development of larvae from neonate through prepupa required 341.4 DD above a base of 7.3°C on asparagus, whereas 254.5 DD were needed on artificial diet, where the base temperature was 7.7°C. Pupae required ≈236 DD (base temperature 8.2–8.4°C) to develop when reared on asparagus or artificial diet. Female moths laid significantly more eggs at 14.6 and 20.1°C than at higher or lower temper...
A Note on Dual Hedging

Under current Internal Revenue Services guidelines, gains from futures contracts serving price (quantity) risk management purposes are treated as ordinary (capital) income. This paper finds that, although dual hedging opportunities are available, the asymmetric tax treatment prevents firms from trading "quantity" futures contracts.
A flavin-sulfite adduct as an intermediate in the reaction catalyzed by adenylyl sulfate reductase from Desulfovibriovulgaris

Abstract A mechanism is postulated for adenylyl sulfate (APS) reductase, considered as the oxidation of sulfite to the level of sulfate (APS), which involves three steps in the absence of an added electron acceptor. The first step involves the reversible association of sulfite with enzyme-bound FAD to form a flavin-sulfite adduct; the second, a transfer of the sulfur moiety from FAD to a mononucleotide acceptor to yield the corresponding nucleotide 5′-phosphosulfate; and the third, the internal reduction of an as yet unknown chromophore to yield oxidized FAD.
Bacteriophage exploitation of bacterial biofilms: phage preference for less mature targets?

Robust evidence is somewhat lacking for biofilm susceptibility to bacteriophages in nature, contrasting often substantial laboratory biofilm vulnerability to phages. To help bridge this divide, I review a two-part scenario for heterogeneous phage interaction even with phage-permissive single-species biofilms. First, through various mechanisms, those bacteria which are both more newly formed and located at biofilm surfaces may be particularly vulnerable to phage adsorption, rather than biofilm matrix being homogeneously resistant to phage penetration. Second, though phage infection of older, less metabolically active bacteria may still be virion productive, nevertheless the majority of phage population growth in association with biofilm bacteria could involve infection particularly of those bacteria which are more metabolically active and thereby better able to support larger phage bursts, versus clonally related biofilm bacteria equivalently supporting phage production. To the extent that biofilms are physiologically or structurally heterogeneous, with phages exploiting particularly relatively newly divided biofilm-surface bacteria, then even effective phage predation of natural biofilms could result in less than complete overall biofilm clearance. Phage tendencies towards only partial exploitation of even single-species biofilms could be consistent with observations that chronic bacterial infections in the clinic can require more aggressive or extensive phage therapy to eradicate.
When and why are log-linear models self-normalizing?

Several techniques have recently been proposed for training “self-normalized” discriminative models. These attempt to find parameter settings for which unnormalized model scores approximate the true label probability. However, the theoretical properties of such techniques (and of self-normalization generally) have not been investigated. This paper examines the conditions under which we can expect self-normalization to work. We characterize a general class of distributions that admit self-normalization, and prove generalization bounds for procedures that minimize empirical normalizer variance. Motivated by these results, we describe a novel variant of an established procedure for training self-normalized models. The new procedure avoids computing normalizers for most training examples, and decreases training time by as much as factor of ten while preserving model quality.
Frequent hemodialysis: a way to improve physical function?

Whether using quantified tests to assess physical capabilities, or via validated questionnaires, physical function is notably reduced in chronic hemodialysis patients ([1][1]). Physical function is a major component of quality-of-life assessment in this population ([2][2]) and is best defined as an
Accessibility of Responsive End-Caps in Films Composed of Stimuli-Responsive, Depolymerizable Poly(phthalaldehydes)

Polymers that are capable of depolymerizing completely from head-to-tail upon cleavage of an end-cap from the terminus of the polymer have emerged recently as a new strategy for creating stimuli-responsive solid-state materials with amplified responses. In theory, solid-state materials made from these polymers will respond most efficiently to a stimulus in solution when the polymer end-caps are displayed into solution at the solid–liquid interface, rather than being buried in the solid-state material. This article defines two strategies for increasing the likelihood that end-caps are displayed at this interface. A microscale-pump made from films of depolymerizable poly(phthalaldehyde) serves as a test system for evaluating the location of end-caps in the films. By measuring the flow rate initiated by depolymerization of the polymers within the films, we determined that both the polymer length and hydrophilicity of the end-caps affect the density of end-caps at the solid–liquid interface.
Thermal aggregation properties of nanoparticles modified with temperature sensitive copolymers.

In this paper, we describe the use of a temperature responsive polymer to reversibly assemble gold nanoparticles of various sizes. Temperature responsive, low critical solution temperature (LCST) pNIPAAm-co-pAAm polymers, with transition temperatures (TC) of 51 and 65 °C, were synthesized with a thiol modification, and grafted to the surface of 11 and 51 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The thermal-responsive behavior of the polymer allowed for the reversible aggregation of the nanoparticles, where at T TC, the polymer shell undergoes a hydrophilic to hydrophobic phase transition and collapses, decreasing interparticle distances between particles, allowing aggregation to occur. The AuNP morphology and polymer conjugation were probed by TEM, FTIR, and 1H NMR. The thermal response was probed by UV–vis and DLS. The structure of the assembled aggregates at T > TC was studied via in situ small-angle X-ray scattering, which rev...
A Demonstration of the Incompleteness of Calculi of Inductive Inference

A complete calculus of inductive inference captures the totality of facts about inductive support within some domain of propositions as relations or theorems within the calculus. It is demonstrated that there can be no complete, non-trivial calculus of inductive inference.
Mechanism and Design Method of a Dust Cleaning System:Rotary Blowback Bag Filter

A design method was proposed for the rotary blowback bag filter,based on the understanding of its dust cleaning mechanism in depth.The flow field caused by blowback airflow in the bag was investigated theoretically and experimentally,with a test done on the Φ100 mm×6 000 mm model of bag filter and a method presented to determine the flowrate and pressure of blowback airflow.The results showed that the filtered dust cake on the bag filter surface will form a resistance to the radial blowback airflow,i.e.,there is a proper correlation between the force resulting from airflow to peel off the dust cake and dust peel-off rate.
Near real time SST retrievals from Himawari-8 at NOAA using ACSPO system

Japanese Himawari-8 (H8) satellite was launched on October 7, 2014 and placed into a geostationary orbit at ~ 140.7°E. The Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) onboard H8 provides full-disk (FD) observations every 10 minutes, in 16 solar reflectance and thermal infrared (IR) bands, with spatial resolution at nadir of 0.5-1 km and 2 km, respectively. The NOAA Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) SST system, previously used with several polar-orbiting sensors, was adapted to process the AHI data. The AHI SST product is routinely validated against quality controlled in situ SSTs available from the NOAA in situ SST Quality monitor (iQuam). The product performance is monitored in the NOAA SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) system. Typical validation statistics show a bias within ±0.2 K and standard deviation of 0.4-0.6 K. The ACSPO H8 SST is also compared with the NOAA heritage SST produced at OSPO from the Multifunctional Transport Satellite (MTSAT-2; renamed Himawari-7, or H7 after launch) and with another H8 SST produced by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). This paper describes the ACSPO AHI SST processing and results of validation and comparisons. Work is underway to generate a reduced volume ACSPO AHI SST product L2C (collated in time; e.g., 1-hr instead of current 10-min) and/or L3C (additionally gridded in space). ACSPO AHI processing chain will be applied to the data of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), which will be flown onboard the next generation US geostationary satellite, GOES-R, scheduled for launch in October 2016.
Low-Head Gravity Bubbler Irrigation System

Low-head gravity bubbler irrigation systems apply water to the soil as a small stream from a small diameter tubes known as delivery hoses. To avoid runoff, small basins around the plant are sometimes needed when the application rate from the delivery hoses exceed the infiltration rate of the soil. The system is particularly well-suited for irrigation of perennial tree crops such as orchards, olives, vines, and palm trees. Traditional irrigation systems, such as furrows, can be easily converted into bubbler systems. As the name implies the systems are based on gravity where the flowrate through the delivery tube is dependent on the elevation difference between the source and the outlet of the tube. For that reason, the systems can operate at a pressure head as low as 1 meter (3.3 ft) and do not require mechanical pumps. Because the emmision point of the delivery tubes are large compared to other microirrigation emitters, the system does not require an elaborate filtration system. Keller (1990, Modern irrigation in developing countries. In: Proceedings of the 14th international congress on irrigation and drainage. Rio de Janeiro, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, No 1-E, pp 113–138) ranked bubbler systems in the same low-risk category as surface irrigation systems, since both systems are based on gravity flow and they do not require mechanical pumps or filtration systems. The initial cost of installing bubbler systems is comparable to or lower than the cost of most other microirrigation systems that include pumps and filters. Operation and maintenance costs for bubbler systems are substantially less than for other systems due to lower energy requirements and no mechanical breakdowns.
Imaging Paradigm for Studying Brain-Wide Activity Patterns in a Drosophila Neural Circuit

Behavior is the result of patterned activity in motor neurons produced by the action of central neural circuits. Abnormalities in these circuits lead to behavioral disorders in a way that is poorly understood because the circuits themselves are complex and highly distributed. The circuits of the fruitfly nervous system are like those found in humans, but the fly nervous system is small enough that brain-wide circuit analysis at subcellular resolution is conceivable with cutting edge microscopy. We are developing a custom dual-view selective plane illumination microscope (diSPIM) for brain-wide imaging in order to characterize the fruit fly neural circuit that drives the ecdysis sequence. This sequence is a hormonally-induced behavioral program that is executed to shed the old exoskeleton. It consists of distinct phases of activity and is governed by ∼300 neurons that express the Ecdysis Triggering Hormone receptor (ETHR).We hypothesize that patterned activity within these neurons drives downstream motor neuron activity to generate the ecdysis sequence. We will use the diSPIM together with recently developed genetic targeting techniques to simultaneously measure Ca2+ activity in ETHR-expressing neurons and motor neurons and create spatiotemporal maps of their activity with subcellular spatial resolution and ∼1 Hz temporal resolution. Collectively, these maps will be used to generate a predictive model of the circuit underlying the ecdysis sequence. Currently, we are constructing and characterizing the diSPIM, testing analysis methods using data collected by conventional confocal microscopy, and generating fly lines that will allow us to simultaneously interrogate the Ca2+ activity in two different populations of neurons.
Initial processing and analysis of forward- and side-looking data from the Spectrally Agile Frequency-Incrementing Reconfigurable (SAFIRE) radar

A new, versatile, UHF/L band, ultrawideband (UWB), vehicle-mounted radar system developed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has recently been exercised at an arid U.S. test site. The unique switching scheme implemented to record data from all receive channels is described, along with the current calibration procedure. Radar and global positioning system (GPS) data collected in both forwardand side-looking configurations are processed, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images are formed. Results are presented for various target emplacement scenarios.
Islam Meets Cyberspace: Geographies of the Muslim Internet

About 200 million people in Muslim-majority countries used the Internet in 2010, forming one-ninth of the world's population of netizens. Literature on the Muslim Internet tends to focus disproportionately on radical fundamentalism, overlooking the large numbers of ordinary Muslims for whom the Internet is an increasingly important instrument of daily life. This article explores the spatiality of the Internet in 41 Muslim-majority countries in several steps. First, it outlines the important roles of telecommunications policies and infrastructure in structuring patterns of usage in the Muslim ecumene. Next, it depicts the distribution and growth of users. Third, it summarizes the contours of Muslim e-commerce and e-government, which, while still in their infancy, are nonetheless having substantial impacts on lives and communities. Finally, it illustrates the types and levels of Internet censorship that are found unevenly across the Muslim realm.
Irreversibility effects in piezoelectric wafer active sensors after exposure to high temperature

This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of irreversible change in piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS) electromechanical (E/M) impedance and admittance signature under high temperature exposure. After elevated to high temperatures, change in the material properties of PWAS can be quantified through irreversible changes in its E/M impedance and admittance signature. For the experimental study, circular PWAS transducers were exposed to temperatures between 50 °C and 250 °C at 50 °C intervals. E/M impedance and admittance data were obtained before and after each heating cycle. Irreversible temperature sensitivity of PWAS resonance and anti-resonance frequency was estimated as 0.0246 kHz °C−1 and 0.0327 kHz °C−1 respectively. PWAS transducer material properties relevant to impedance or admittance signature such as dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor, mechanical loss factor, and in plane piezoelectric constant were determined experimentally at room temperature before and after the elevated temperature tests. The in-plane piezoelectric coefficient was measured by using optical-fiber strain transducer system. It was found that the dielectric constant and in-plane piezoelectric coefficient increased linearly with temperature. Dielectric loss also increases with temperature but remains within 0.2% of initial room temperature value. Change in dielectric properties and piezoelectric constant may be explained by depinning of domains or by domain wall motion. The piezoelectric material degradation was investigated microstructurally and crystallographically by using scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction method respectively. There were no noticeable changes in microstructure, crystal structure, unit cell dimension, or symmetry. The degraded PWAS material properties were determined by matching impedance and admittance spectrums from experimental results with a closed form circular PWAS analytical model. Analytical results showed that impedance and admittance strongly depend on elastic coefficient, dielectric constant, mechanical loss factor, dielectric loss tangent and in plane piezoelectric constant. These properties were found to be susceptible to change after high temperature exposure.
Two-dimensional solidification of viscous flow over a semi infinite plate with constant heat removal

Two-dimensional solidification of forced viscous flow over a semi infinite flat plate is considered. The plate is initially maintained at a constant temperature above the freezing point of the liquid. At time t>0, heat is removed from the plate so that the liquid freezes. The continuity equation and the two-dimensional, nonsteady, momentum and energy equations in the liquid and solid phases are solved numerically. The growth of the solid layer as a function of time and position along the plate is determined.
The 2015 Baltimore Protests: Human Capital and the War on Drugs

In order to show how what Michel Foucault described as Chicago School neoliberalism in The Birth of Biopolitics devalues human life while masking that devaluation, I examine the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, and the following civil unrest. Through an exploration of the concept of human capital, I argue that this concept, while seeming to answer a question regarding labor in economics, exacerbates the devaluation of human life in the U.S. generally and in the case of Freddie Gray more specifically. Foucault’s Birth of Biopolitics lectures illustrates why the devaluation of life has gone largely unrecognized. As the concept of human capital, along with other ‘market values,’ proliferated beyond the realm of economics into daily life, human beings have come to be characterized as ‘enterprise units.’ I will argue that the prosecution of the War on Drugs provides a paradigmatic case of characterizing human beings as enterprise units, some useful and others surplus, looking to Baltimore to provide concrete examples.
Irrigation Technology Adoption Decisions: Empirical Evidence

The widespread adoption of low-volume irrigation technologies in arid regions may reduce the agricultural demand for water and lessen the production of contaminated drainage water. Research on the adoption and diffusion of irrigation technologies is relatively new, but it is based on a well-established adoption literature in both development economics and industrial organization. Many of the irrigation adoption studies are derived from a threshold model that shows how adopters and nonadopters can be differentiated by a critical level of a heterogeneous characteristic such as land quality. Several empirical normative studies demonstrated the effects of price changes and environmental policies on the profitability of each irrigation system. In these normative models, it was assumed that the most profitable technology would be adopted, so the resulting output supply, water demand, and drainage production could also be computed. The positive models used data on actual adoption decisions obtained primarily in the United States and Israel to estimate the probability of adopting modern irrigation technology. The most significant factors influencing adoption appear to be land quality and water cost savings. The theoretical models and empirical evidence support what has been observed--that microirrigation equipment is used most often with high value crops, low quality land, saline waters, or where water costs are high. These promising results will form the basis of further work that is needed to predict the consequences of pricing and environmental policies on the adoption of low-volume irrigation technologies and, hence, on the agricultural sector and the resource base.
Using GAL4-Inducible Transgenics to Modulate Rho GTPase Activity in Zebrafish

Rho GTPases are Ras-family G proteins that regulate many critical cellular functions. Due to their requirement during early embryonic development, investigations into the function of Rho GTPases at a tissue-specific level require inducible and spatially targeted modulation of Rho GTPase activity. Here, we describe the use of ten novel zebrafish transgenics enabling GAL4-specific expression of Rho GTPases to modulate Rho GTPase activity with spatial and temporal control.