cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QuRiNet: A wide-area wireless mesh testbed for research and experimental evaluations

Research in wireless mesh networks has been growing in recent years. Many testbeds have been created to study networking protocols in wireless mesh networks. In this work, we describe QuRiNet, an outdoor wide-area wireless mesh network deployed in a natural reserve. QuRiNet comprises of over 30 wireless nodes, spread over 2000 acres of wilderness. QuRiNet provides the backbone infrastructure for transporting ecological and environmental data from the natural reserve to the on-campus laboratories. Mesh nodes in QuRiNet are powered by solar energy, and comprise of multiple radios per node. Physical link distances in QuRiNet range from hundreds to thousands of meters. A parallel goal of deploying QuRiNet is to create a novel platform for advanced research in wireless mesh networks. In this report, we share our experiences in the deployment and maintenance of QuRiNet in its unique setting. We also describe various research efforts that have been leveraging the QuRiNet testbed. Several interesting measurement results are reported, along with the impact of various network configurations and technological variations on the functionality of the testbed. QuRiNet has been used for a variety of experimental studies including: channel assignment, network monitoring, and mobility studies. Current and future study plans include experimental evaluations of various security and reliability research.
Metastatic Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Orbit

Metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma in the orbit is extremely rare. We review the literature and report a case of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma of the orbit in a 37-year-old male with primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
The persistent relevance of IPC performance: new techniques for reducing the IPC penalty

Although there have been substantial improvements in interprocess communication (IPC) performance (in particular round-trip IPC time) in recent years, further reduction of the IPC penalty is still important for parallel applications and microkernel-based operating systems. We describe a number of new software and hardware techniques that we are investigating for reducing various components of the IPC penalty. >
FLEXIBILITY OF RNA

One of the fundamental properties of the RNA helix is its intrinsic resistance to bend- or twist-deformations. Results of a variety of physical measurements point to a persistence length of 700-800 A for double-stranded RNA in the presence of magnesium cations, approximately 1.5-2.0-fold larger than the corresponding value for DNA. Although helix flexibility represents an important, quantifiable measure of the forces of interaction within the helix, it must also be considered in describing conformational variation of nonhelix elements (e.g. internal loops, branches), since the latter always reflect the properties of the flanking helices; that is, such elements are never completely rigid. For one important element of tertiary structure, namely, the core of yeast tRNAPhe, the above consideration has led to the conclusion that the core is not substantially more flexible than an equivalent length of pure helix.
Predictors of recurrence following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation using an irrigated-tip ablation catheter.

Introduction: The aims of this study were to identify predictors of recurrence after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and to report the safety and efficacy of catheter ablation of AF using an irrigated-tip ablation catheter. Methods and Results: Seventy-five consecutive patients (51 men [68%]; age 54 ± 13 years) with symptomatic drug-refractory paroxysmal (42 patients), persistent (21 patients), or permanent (12 patients) AF underwent catheter ablation of AF using an irrigated-tip ablation catheter and a standard ablation strategy, which involved electrical isolation of all pulmonary veins (PVs) and creation of a cavotricuspid linear lesion. At 10.5 ± 7.5 months of follow-up following a single (n = 75) or redo ablation procedure (n = 11), 39 (52%) of the 75 patients were free of AF, 10 were improved (13%), and 26 had experienced no benefit from the ablation procedure (35%). Seventy-six percent of patients with paroxysmal AF were free from recurrent AF. The most significant complications were two episodes of pericardial tamponade, mitral valve injury in one patient, two strokes, and complete but asymptomatic PV stenosis in one patient. Cox proportional hazards multivariate regression analysis identified the presence of persistent AF, permanent AF, and age >50 years prior to the ablation are the only independent predictors of AF recurrence after the first PV isolation procedure. Conclusion: Catheter ablation of AF using a strategy involving isolation of all PVs and creation of a linear lesion in the cavotricuspid isthmus using cooled radiofrequency energy is associated with moderate efficacy and an important risk for complications. The best results of this procedure are achieved in the subset of patients who are younger than 50 years and have only paroxysmal AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 15, pp. 692-697, June 2004)
A +0.4°C accurate high-speed remote junction temperature sensor with digital Beta correction and series-resistance cancellation in 65nm CMOS

A true remote junction temperature sensor (RTS) with 3σ accuracy of 0.4 degrees over a temperature range of -40 to 130 degrees is presented. Using a novel digital beta compensation technique and series resistance cancellation (SRC), the sensor is capable of handling parasitic BJTs buried in other SoCs on a PCB located at large distances. The IC is manufactured in a 65nm digital CMOS process.
Penalties, rewards, and inspection: provisions for quality in supply chain contracts

Rewards for better quality, penalties for poorer quality, and the type of inspection policy are among the most common quality-related provisions of supply chain contracts. In this paper, we examine the effect of rewards, penalities, and inspection policies on the behaviour of an expected cost minimizing supplier. We assume that the supplier selects a batch size and target quality level in order to meet a buyer's deterministic demand. We show that the reward and/or penalty that motivates a supplier to deliver the buyer's target quality depends upon the inspection policy. We also show that, when sampling inspection is used, penalties and rewards are substitutes for one another in motivating the supplier and that there exists a unique reward/penalty combination at which the buyer's expected cost of quality is zero.
Reconsidering Cegar: learning good abstractions without refinement

Abstraction techniques have been very successful in model checking large systems by enabling the model checker to ignore irrelevant details. Most abstraction techniques in literature are based on refinement. We introduce the notion of broken traces which capture the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an error path in the abstract model. We formulate abstraction as learning the abstract model from samples of broken traces. Our iterative algorithm for abstraction-based model checking is not based on refinement and can generate the smallest abstract model that proves the property. We present an implementation of this algorithm for the verification of safety properties on gate-level net-lists with localization abstraction. Experimental results prove the viability of our techniques.
Cell and Molecular Aspects of Human Intestinal Biotin Absorption

Humans cannot synthesize biotin and thus must obtain this vitamin from exogenous sources. The intestine is exposed to 2 sources of biotin: a dietary source and a bacterial source, which is normal microflora of the large intestine. Dietary protein-bound biotin is converted to free biotin prior to absorption. Absorption of free biotin in the small and large intestine involves a saturable and Na(+)-dependent carrier-mediated process that is shared with pantothenic acid and lipoate. For this reason, the involved transport system is referred to as the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT); in humans, it is designated as hSMVT. The hSMVT system has been cloned, demonstrated to be exclusively expressed at the apical membrane of enterocytes, and shown, by means of gene-specific short interfering RNA, to be the main biotin uptake system that operates in human intestinal epithelial cells. The 5'-regulatory region of the hSMVT gene has also been cloned and characterized both in vitro and in vivo. Further, the human intestinal biotin uptake process was adaptively up-regulated in biotin deficiency via a transcriptionally mediated mechanism(s) that involves Kruppel-like factor 4 sites. Studies on cell biology of hSMVT have shown a region in the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain of the polypeptide to be essential for its targeting to the apical membrane domain of epithelial cells. Intracellular trafficking of the hSMVT protein appears to involve distinct trafficking vesicles that require an intact microtubules network and the motor protein dynein for their mobility.
A Comparison of Three Classes of Spectrum Sensing Techniques

Spectrum sensing is used to identify the (temporarily) unused (licensed) frequency bands and as such plays a key role in dynamic spectrum access. Spectrum sensing is currently being investigated by a number of researchers. In this paper we compare the performance of three classes of algorithms-energy detectors, autocorrelation detectors, and the cyclic autocorrelation detector. The focus of the study is on the trade-offs of the three approaches under fixed false alarm and detection probabilities.
Accelerated Parallelizable Neural Network Learning Algorithm for Speech Recognition.

We describe a set of novel, batch-mode algorithms we developed recently as one key component in scalable, deep neural network based speech recognition. The essence of these algorithms is to structure the singlehidden-layer neural network so that the upper-layer’s weights can be written as a deterministic function of the lower-layer’s weights. This structure is effectively exploited during training by plugging in the deterministic function to the least square error objective function while calculating the gradients. Accelerating techniques are further exploited to make the weight updates move along the most promising directions. The experiments on TIMIT frame-level phone and phonestate classification show strong results. In particular, the error rate is strictly monotonically dropping as the minibatch size increases. This demonstrates the potential for the proposed batch-mode algorithms in large scale speech recognition since they are easily parallelizable across computers.
Spatial patterns and functional profiles for discovering structure in fMRI data

We explore unsupervised, hypothesis-free methods for fMRI analysis in two different types of experiments. First, we employ clustering to identify large-scale functionally homogeneous systems. We formulate a generative mixture model, derive the EM algorithm and apply it to delineate functional systems. We also investigate spectral clustering in application to this problem and demonstrate that both methods give rise to similar partitions of the brain based on resting state fMRI data. Second, we demonstrate how to extend this approach to include information about the experimental protocol. Specifically, we formulate a mixture model in the space of possible profiles of brain response to stimuli. In both applications, our methods confirm previously known results in brain mapping and point to new research directions for exploratory analysis of fMRI data.
The influence of vitamin A on the utilization and amelioration of toxicity of cholecalciferol, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, and 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol in young broiler chickens

Three experiments were conducted to determine the influence of vitamin A on the utilization and amelioration of toxicity of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25-(OH)D3], and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] in young broiler chicks. Two levels of vitamin A (1,500 and 45,000 IU/kg or 450 and 13,500 microg) were fed in all experiments. In Experiment 1, chicks were fed six levels of vitamin D3 (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 microg/kg). High dietary vitamin A decreased bone ash (P < 0.001), and increased the incidence of rickets (P < or = 0.02). Linear and quadratic responses to vitamin D3 levels were significant (P < 0.01) for body weight, bone ash, incidence and severity of rickets, and plasma calcium. In Experiment 2, six levels of 25-(OH)D3 (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 microg/kg) were added to the basal diet. Adding 25-(OH)D3 increased (P < 0.001) body weight, bone ash, and plasma calcium, and decreased rickets and plasma vitamin A. Adding 25-(OH)D3 overcame the reduction in bone ash produced by high dietary vitamin A showing a significant (P < 0.02) interaction. In Experiment 3, six levels of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 microg/kg) were added to the basal diet. High dietary vitamin A increased (P < 0.01) the incidence and severity of rickets. Adding 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased (P < 0.01) body weight, bone ash, plasma calcium, and reduced rickets and plasma and liver vitamin A. Adding 1,25-(OH)2D3 overcame the reduction in bone ash, and the increase in rickets produced by high vitamin A was significant (P < or = 0.05). These results indicate that high dietary vitamin A (45,000 IU/kg) interferes with the utilization of vitamin D3, 25-(OH)D3 and 1,25-(OH)2D3, increasing the requirement for each of them. Moreover, 45,000 IU/kg of dietary vitamin A ameliorated the potential toxic effects of feeding high levels of vitamin D3, 25-(OH)D3 and 1,25-(OH)2D3 to young broiler chickens. Further work is necessary to find the minimum levels of these vitamins needed to cause these effects.
A computer program that demonstrates the difference between main effects and interactions

This article describes a QuickBASIC program for demonstrating the difference between main effects and interactions in factorial designs. The program guides the student through the construction of data patterns corresponding to different combinations of the main effects and the interaction in a 2 times 2 design. Program feedback provides tailored guidance to help students produce the requested patterns of means. The program also generates ideal solutions for comparison. To simulate actual experience, the program generates a data set (N = 80) for each constructed pattern of means and calculates the tests of significance for the main effects and interaction. The program can be used in conjunction with a traditional lecture on factorial designs to improve student understanding of main effects and interactions and to develop student skill in recognizing main effects and interactions from graphical displays.
Pressure Dependence of the Magnetic Properties of some Rare Earth Intermetallic Systems

The magnetization and susceptibility of several rare earth in-termetallic compounds have been measured under hydrostatic pressure, P, up to 10 kbar and in magnetic fields, H, up to 60 kG. For all the materials studied the magnetic properties are strongly influenced by crystalline electric field (CEF) effects. For the Pr-mono-chalcogenides and TmAl3 the low temperature van Vleck-like susceptibility, χ, decreases with increasing P. This is consistent with an increase of the CEF interaction as the lattice constant is reduced. This trend is also observed for the CEF level structure of dilute Tb in superconducting LaAl2 (where the impurity pairbreaking is reduced with increasing P). However, for the Pr- and Tm- monopnic-tides χ increases with increasing P. The pressure dependence of the magnetic ordering temperatures for singlet ground state TbSb, Pr3Tl and TmS is also reported. The effect of P is very strong on the low temperature magnetic anomalies of TmSe; the transition fields increase with increasing P at a rate of +1.7 kG/kbar, and these results are discussed in terms of the mixed-valence nature of TmSe.
Integrated sorting and detection of circulating tumor cells in blood using microfluidic cell sorting and surface plasmon resonance

Metastatic tumors can spread via release of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) into the bloodstream. Early detection of these CTCs could greatly improve cancer survival rates by enabling diagnosis, and therefore treatment, before secondary tumors arise. However, tumor cells are typically present in very low concentrations, making them difficult to detect in a fluid dominated by red blood cells (RBCs), leukocytes and serum proteins. Separation of CTCs from blood plasma, leukocytes and RBCs is predicted to improve cell capture via antibody-based methods and reduce interference in capture/detection assays. Previously, members of our team have demonstrated microfluidic, size-based separation of blood components, but have yet to integrate this sorting capability with an affinity-based detection technology. To this end, we have developed a microfluidic platform to separate CTCs from mouse blood and detect them using grating coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR). We have implemented a size-based sorting array, which separates objects based upon their diameter, within a microfluidic channel. Separation of beads (2 μm, 6 μm, 10 μm) has been demonstrated, as well as separation of white blood cells and CTCs from blood. The resulting stream of large blood cells (including CTCs) is then directed onto an integrated SPR grating for affinity based capture and detection. Using GCSPR vs. conventional SPR enables detection of multiple cell types across the grating in an array-based format. We have demonstrated differential capture and detection of cells on GCSPR gratings following size-based separation of blood. Using capture antibodies specific to unique CTC surface proteins enables identification of cell types and may provide prognostic capability, beyond the diagnostic capacity of this system.
Consonance-Based Musical Analysis

The measurement of (sensory) consonance and dissonance is applied to the analysis of music using dissonance scores. Comparisons with a traditional score-based analysis of a Scarlatti sonata show how the contour and variance of the dissonance score can be used to concretely describe the evolution of dissonance over time. Dissonance scores can also be applied in situations where no musical score exists, and two examples are given: a xenharmonic piece by Carlos, and a Balinese gamelan performance. Another application, to historical musicology, attempts to reconstruct probable tunings used by Scarlatti from an analysis of his extant work.
George Melnyk, Film and the City: The Urban Imaginary in Canadian Cinema

George Melnyk’s book investigates the multi-faceted meanings attached to the representation of the city and urban life in contemporary Canadian cinema. As stated in the opening pages, he wishes to ...
State Of The Art On The Development Of The Implantable Hearing Device For Partial Hearing Loss

Abstract This article summarizes the state of the art of the implantable hearing devices for partial hearing loss. Devices such as temporal bone stimulators and piezoelectric and electromagnetic middle and inner ear transducers are discussed. Cochlear implants are excluded. (See "Update on Cochlear Implantation" in this issue.) Those readers interested in a more in-depth study of implantable hearing devices should consult the February 1995 issue of The Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America which is dedicated to this matter (Guest Editor: Anthony J. Maniglia, MD).
Causes and cures V: the sociology and anthropology of violence

Abstract The past two years have been a landmark moment for violence prevention, with the publication of The Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 ; a historic resolution on violence by the 67th World Health Assembly; and the release of multiple documents on violence by international and United Nations entities, with a corresponding building of momentum in scholarship. Most notably, in September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , addressing the need for violence prevention at an unprecedented scale. In this context, more than ever, violence studies have become a field of its own right. Still, a systematic approach of the topic has been lacking, and no textbook yet synthesizes the knowledge of multiple disciplines toward a cogent understanding. This article is the fourth of a series of fifteen articles that will cover, as an example, an outline of the Global Health Studies course entitled, “Violence: Causes and Cures,” reviewing the major bio-psycho-social and structural-environmental perspectives on violence. Based on the tenet that individual violence does not occur in isolation from social and cultural forces, it reviews the contributions of sociology and anthropology. Although much of sociology has shied away from the topic of violence other than through its study of deviance and crime, and much of anthropology's ethnographic methods have made research difficult in contexts of violent conflict, both bring new potentials. Concepts such as social belonging and cultural symbols can bring important insight into the nature of violence.
SIMS Depth Profiling Free of Martix Effects

We present a method of determining elemental depth profiles with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) corrected by all non-linearities between the SIMS countrate and the elemental concentration caused by chemical matrix effects, resulting in an absolute concentration depth profile. The key to this method is a low dose ion implantation step of corresponding reference isotopes prior to SIMS depth profiling. Spectra evaluation is performed on the basis of a selfconsistent evaluation in which the depth dependent influence of the matrix is determined. The technique is demonstrated for sequentially high dose ion implanted Cd and Se in SiO2.
Clinical Spectrum of Pseudotumor Cerebri

Investigators at Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey, studied the etiological and clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) in 42 consecutive patients (average age at symptom onset 10 years; range 12 months to 17 years).
Characterization of trans-2-[4-[(dimethylamino)styryl]benzothiazole as an ultrafast isomerization probe and a modifed Kramers theory analysis.

The photophysics of trans-2-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]benzothiazole (DMASBT) was investigated by electronic structure calculations and steady-state and time-resolved emission spectroscopy in a wide range of solvents, including temperature and pressure dependence. DMASBT undergoes a facile photoinduced trans–cis isomerization similar to the reaction of trans-stilbene. The cis isomer has a lifetime of ∼1 ps and does not contribute appreciably to the steady-state emission spectrum. The absorption spectrum of the cis form overlaps that of the trans form such that considerable care is needed in determining correct emission quantum yields. The approximate equality of absorption and emission transition moments of DMASBT in all solvents indicates that absorption and emission involve a single excited state with high radiative rate. The low quantum yields of DMASBT in low-viscosity solvents reflect emission lifetimes in the 20–50 ps range. The nonradiative rates of DMASBT, which are assumed to measure the rate of is...
Differential Expression of Kv4 K+ Channel Subunits Mediating Subthreshold Transient K+ (A-Type) Currents in Rat Brain

Serodio, Paulo and Bernardo Rudy. Differential expression of Kv4 K+ channel subunits mediating subthreshold transient K+(A-type) currents in rat brain. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 1081–1091, 1998. The mam...
On almost sure convergence in a finitely additive setting

In their book “How To Gable If You Must”, Dubins and Savage introduced finitely additive stochastic processes in discrete time and they obtained some results about finitely additive probability measures on infinite product spaces. In the paper, “Some Finitely Additive Probability”, Purves and Sudderth showed how to extend these finitely additive probability measures and it thus became possible to consider many of the classical strong convergence theorems. In this paper, we extend many of the classical strong convergence theorems to a finitely additive setting. Since all proofs in this paper are valid for a countably additive setting if we consider the problem on a coordinate representation process, the results in this paper are generalizations of the classical results on such a process. Some examples are also provided for contrasting a finitely additive setting with a countably additive setting.
HBV effection analysis of the foodstuff,dining-employee and public workers in Urumchi

Objective:In order to get a better understanding of the distribution about the effection of HBV in the foodstuff,dining-employee and public workers,and to provide the basis for prevention and control of the hepatitis B.Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test the serological markers of HBV.Results: The 272764 cases from2006 to 2009 were tested,and the average positive rate of HBsAg was 0.98%,the positive rate of HBsAg decreased from 1.22% to 0.64% and it showed statistical difference.The accumulative positive rate of every quarter in four year except 2008 showed statistical differences also.There are 14 different infection types,among them HBsAg,HBeAb,HBcAb,HBsAg,HBeAg,HBcAb and HBsAg,HBcAb positive rates were 51.81%,17.92% and 17.81%,the total of the three were 87.54%.Conclusion: Hepatitis B in Urumchi city is lower than that in the whole nation and presented decreasing trend annually.
Comparative Study on the Effects of the Osteogenic Differentiation of Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Cells by Icaritin and Dehydrated Icaritin

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of icaritin and dehydrated icaritin on the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells(rBMSCs).METHODS rBMSCs were cultured by adherence screening method.Icaritin and dehydrated icaritin were supplemented into the culture at 1×10-5 mol·L-1,respectively.The osteogenic differentiation markers including alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity,CFU-FALP,osteocalcin secretion,calcium deposition and mineralized bone modulus were compared among the icaritin,dehydrated icaritin and the control groups.The gene expressions of IGF-1,Osterix and Runx-2 were examined by Real Time RT-PCR.Total protein also was isolated,and the secretion of collagenⅠwas examined by Western-blot.RESULTS Icaritin improved ALP activity,CFU-FALP amount,osteocalcin secretion,calcium deposition and mineralized modulus significantly.Besides,they enhanced the gene expression of IGF-1,Osterix and Runx-2.The secretion of collagenⅠalso was promoted by Icaritin.But these effects could not be detected in dehydrated icaritin group.CONCLUSION Icaritin is stronger than dehydrated icaritin at enhancing the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs.It is suggested that the difference of configuration between icaritin and dehydrated icaritin lead to the stronger bioactivity of the former chemical.So,we can develop new drugs for antiosteoporosis through reforming the structures of drugs,to enhance the effects while decrease the toxicity.
Health Risk Assessment of Contaminants in Milk in Wuhan Country

Concentrations of contaminants(Cd , Pb)in milk obtained from supermarkets in Wuhan were studied based on a total of 19 random samples. Health risks associated with concentrations of contaminants in drinking water were assessed by using USEPA health risk assessment mode1. The results showed that the chemical carcinogen Cd is the principal pollutant. Individual annual risk (IAR) of Cd is 1.80×10-6 a-1, as health risk 99.94% in the total risks and far more important than that of the other chemical carcinogen Pb. However, the annual risk factor caused by Cd and Pb for milk is far lower than the recommended maximum risk factor of 5 × 10-5a-1 according to the international coalition of radioactive protection (ICRP), so not risky to health.
Author redux: an opportunity for our readers.

Peer reviewed publication is an important component of scientific progress. This journal, like many of its sister publications, has a rigorous peer review procedure. An initial selection of submitted articles is made by the editorial team to decide which ones merit further consideration. The
Nitrogen dynamics in plant growth systems.

The predominant nitrogen source for the plants in closed environmental systems is the mineral nitrogen (i.e., nitrate and/or ammonium) in the nutrient medium. The following focuses on the processes through which plants obtain nitrate and ammonium from the rhizosphere and on the influences that each form has upon plant performance. Most plant species can sustain full growth at nitrate or ammonium concentrations that are over two orders of magnitude lower than those provided in most plant growth systems. Under the high concentrations (mM) normally used, root nitrogen absorption is downregulated: a) both the affinity and capacity of the transport systems for ammonium or nitrate are diminished, b) efflux of either ion becomes a significant percentage of influx, and c) root growth is inhibited. High concentrations also promote accumulation of ammonium or borate in plant tissues to potentially deleterious levels and foster microbial outbreaks. Several lines of evidence argue that roots in natural soils are normally exposed to lower concentrations (micromoles) of nitrate or ammonium: models of root nutrient absorption indicate that roots deplete rhizosphere nitrate and ammonium to such levels; the high-affinity transport systems for nitrate and ammonium have optimal control in this range; and root growth and development is maximized under such conditions. The high-affinity transport systems are distinct for nitrate and ammonium. In general, the affinity of the nitrate system for nitrate is less than the ammonium system for ammonium. Nitrate absorption is induced by the presence of ammonium or nitrate. Roots most rapidly absorb nitrate in the zone where root hairs emerge and ammonium in the zone of division near the apex. Nitrate absorption tends to alkalinize the rhizosphere, whereas ammonium absorption acidifies the rhizosphere. The energy requirements for absorption and assimilation of nitrate are several fold higher than those of ammonium. Root growth and elongation are more extensive when ammonium is provided as the sole nitrogen source, perhaps as a consequence of the lower energy requirements or the increased rhizosphere acidity.
Prevalence, clinical and economic burden of mucormycosis-related hospitalizations in the United States: a retrospective study.

Mucormycosis is a rare but devastating fungal infection primarily affecting immunocompromised patients such as those with hematological malignancy, bone marrow and solid organ transplantation, and patients with diabetes, and, even more rarely, immunocompetent patients. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and burden, both clinical and economic, of mucormycosis among hospitalized patients in the U.S. This is a retrospective study using the Premier PerspectiveTM Comparative Database, with more than 560 participating hospitals covering 104 million patients (January 2005-June 2014). All hospitalizations in the database were evaluated for the presence of mucormycosis using either an ICD-9 code of 117.7 or a positive laboratory result for Mucorales. Hospitalizations were further required to have prescriptions of amphotericin B or posaconazole to be considered as mucormycosis-related hospitalizations. The prevalence of mucormycosis-related hospitalizations among all hospital discharges was estimated. Mortality rate at discharge, length of hospital stay, and readmission rates at 1 and 3 months were evaluated among mucormycosis-related hospitalizations. Cost per hospital stay and average per diem cost (inflated to 2014 USD) were reported. The prevalence of mucormycosis-related hospitalizations was estimated as 0.12 per 10,000 discharges during January 2005-June 2014. It increased to 0.16 per 10,000 discharges if the definition of mucormycosis was relaxed to not require the use of amphotericin B or posaconazole. The median length of stay was 17 days, with 23% dead at discharge; readmission rates were high, with 30 and 37% of patients readmitted within one and three months of discharge, respectively. The average cost per hospital stay was $112,419, and the average per diem cost was $4,096. The study provides a recent estimate of the prevalence and burden of mucormycosis among hospitalized patients. The high clinical and economic burden associated with mucormycosis highlights the importance of establishing active surveillance and optimizing prophylactic and active treatment in susceptible patients.
Engaging Students in Real-World Chemistry through Synthesis and Confirmation of Azo Dyes via Thin Layer Chromatography To Determine the Dyes Present in Everyday Foods and Beverages

In order to make science more appealing to students, it is imperative that a real-world approach to the principles of chemistry be taught in the classroom enabling students to see the applicability of chemistry to their everyday lives. In this laboratory activity, students were asked to bring in everyday food items that contain food dyes. The students then synthesized the FD&C dyes yellow 5 and yellow 6. The dyes were then run, along with their food items, on a TLC plate in order to determine what dyes were present in the foods and drinks they consume.
Mind the gap: responsible robotics and the problem of responsibility

The task of this essay is to respond to the question concerning robots and responsibility—to answer for the way that we understand, debate, and decide who or what is able to answer for decisions and actions undertaken by increasingly interactive, autonomous, and sociable mechanisms. The analysis proceeds through three steps or movements. (1) It begins by critically examining the instrumental theory of technology, which determines the way one typically deals with and responds to the question of responsibility when it involves technology. (2) It then considers three instances where recent innovations in robotics challenge this standard operating procedure by opening gaps in the usual way of assigning responsibility. The innovations considered in this section include: autonomous technology, machine learning, and social robots. (3) The essay concludes by evaluating the three different responses—instrumentalism 2.0, machine ethics, and hybrid responsibility—that have been made in face of these difficulties in an effort to map out the opportunities and challenges of and for responsible robotics.
Abstract SY07-02: Adipose stromal cells: A player in cancer progression and a therapeutic target

Prostate cancer (PCa) is promoted by white adipose tissue (WAT) overgrown in obesity. As an underlying mechanism, we have discovered the recruitment of adipose stromal cells (ASC) by tumors. We reported that CXCL1 expressed by cancer cells chemoattracts ASC expressing its receptor CXCR1. As a candidate upstream mechanism, we identified interleukin 22 secreted by WAT-infiltrating leukocytes and signaling through IL-22R in cancer cells. Our experiments in Hi-Myc mice indicate that obesity promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We show that ASC directly induce EMT in adenocarcinoma cells. To test whether cancer progression can be blocked by ASC targeting, we have used a hunter-killer peptide D-WAT composed of an ASC-homing and a pro-apoptotic domain. D-WAT administration depleted prostate stromal cells expressing a chemokine SDF1α and suppressed the EMT. Our results indicate that ASC promote the EMT, at least in part, via SDF1a paracrine signaling and validate ASC as a therapeutic target. Citation Format: Mikhail Kolonin. Adipose stromal cells: A player in cancer progression and a therapeutic target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY07-02. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-SY07-02
Characterizing the clinical relevance of an embryonic stem cell phenotype in lung adenocarcinoma

11001 Background: Cancer cells possess traits reminiscent of those ascribed to normal stem cells. It is unclear whether these phenotypic similarities between normal/embryonic stem cells and mature ...
Understanding the implementation of the Grow! parenting program: Findings from a mixed methods pilot study

Abstract Evaluating the implementation of parenting interventions is critical to program diffusion and quality across populations and settings, and to enhancing treatment outcomes. This article presents implementation findings from a pilot study of Grow!, a universal parenting program targeting parents of five to eight years olds that aims to improve child outcomes through strengthened parenting. Grow! was implemented at two community sites in central Pennsylvania by trained facilitators. Implementation data was gathered from facilitators and participants using mixed methods, including surveys, observation checklists, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. These data were analyzed and integrated to explore, within the context of Proctor et al.'s (2011) implementation outcome framework, four implementation outcomes (i.e., acceptability, appropriateness, fidelity, and feasibility). Overall, these findings demonstrate that Grow! can be, and was, implemented effectively in a community setting. Moreover, they demonstrate how the Proctor et al. (2011) framework can be operationalized and applied specifically to hybrid effectiveness-implementation design studies.
Nonpolar ${m}$ -Plane InGaN/GaN Micro-Scale Light-Emitting Diode With 1.5 GHz Modulation Bandwidth

We demonstrate a high-speed nonpolar ${m}$ -plane InGaN/GaN micro-scale light-emitting diode (LED) with a record electrical −3 dB modulation bandwidth of 1.5 GHz at a current density of 1 kA/cm2. A differential carrier lifetime (DLT) of 200 ps at 1 kA/cm2 was extracted using a rate-equation model. The short DLT is attributed to the high electron–hole wave function overlap in polarization-free nonpolar InGaN/GaN quantum wells, which leads to a higher spontaneous emission rate at low current densities compared to polar $c$ -plane quantum wells. LEDs with improved high-speed performance at low current densities will help to reduce power dissipation and increase efficiency in Gb/s visible-light communication systems.
A River Designed

The purpose of designing this garment was to express the architectural, and abstract art pieces I was lucky enough to experience in my recent trip to Quebec, Canada. Quebec is a mecca for art, culture and all things unique. Murals, sculptures, street performers, words, and even graffiti crowd the great cities and streets, making the view of the scenery a very exciting and intriguing experience. This look is designed for an adventurous, spontaneous, and creative woman who is never afraid to take chances. She often attends art expositions, museum galas, and loves going to the theater. The world is her blank canvas, which she paints constantly!
Off-label studies on apremilast in dermatology: a review.

Purpose: Apremilast is a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor FDA approved for psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In recent years, multiple studies have suggested other potential uses for apremilast in dermatology. A summary of these various studies will be a valuable aid to dermatologists considering apremilast for an alternative indication.Materials and methods: The PubMed/MEDLINE and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were queried with the term 'apremilast,' with results manually screened to identify published data on off-label uses of apremilast. The article was structured by the quality of evidence available.Results: Apremilast use in dermatology beyond plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is frequently described in the literature, with a mixture of positive and negative results. Randomized controlled data is available for Behcet's disease, hidradenitis suppurativa, nail/scalp/palmoplantar psoriasis, alopecia areata, and atopic dermatitis.Conclusion: The relatively safe adverse effect profile of apremilast and its broad immunomodulatory characteristics may make it a promising option in the future for patients with difficult to treat diseases in dermatology, refractory to first line therapies, but further studies will be necessary to clarify its role.
Data augmentation in dermatology image recognition using machine learning.

Background Each year in the United States, over 80 million people are affected by acne, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, and impetigo. Artificial intelligence and machine learning could prove to be a good tool for assisting in the diagnosis of dermatological conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of data augmentation in machine learning image recognition of five dermatological disease manifestations-acne, atopic dermatitis, impetigo, psoriasis, and rosacea. Materials and methods Open-source dermatological images were gathered and used to retrain TensorFlow Inception version-3. Retraining was done twice-once with and once without data augmentation. Both models were tested with the same images, and R software was used to perform statistical analysis. Results The average of each of the statistical measures (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPN, MCC, and F1 Score) increased when data augmentation was added to the model. In particular, the average Matthews correlation coefficient increased by 7.7%. Each of the five dermatological manifestations had an increase in area under the curve (AUC) after data augmentation with the average increase in AUC of 0.132 and a standard deviation of 0.033. Atopic dermatitis had the highest increase in AUC of 0.18. With data augmentation, the lowest AUC was 0.87 for psoriasis and the highest was 0.97 for acne, indicating that the model performs well. Conclusion With a deep learning-based approach, it is possible to differentiate dermatological images with appreciable MCC, F1 score, and AUC. Further, data augmentation can be used to increase the model's accuracy by a significant amount.
Salvation by good works? Offshoring, corporate philanthropy, and public attitudes toward trade policy

American consumers are routinely reminded of the fact that the products sold by American companies are often manufactured abroad. We use a survey‐based priming experiment to explore whether and when those reminders depress Americans’ enthusiasm for free trade. We consider in particular that offshoring's effects on policy preferences may be linked to negative perceptions of the offshoring firm, such that portraying the offshoring firm in a positive light might mitigate that effect. We also consider that offshoring's effect may be exaggerated among individuals whose position in the labor market makes them especially sensitive to trade‐related labor market disruption. Our experiment suggests support for both propositions.
Multi-Level Minimum Cross Entropy Thresholding Using Gamma Distribution

Thresholding is one of the popular and fundamental techniques for conducting image segmentation. Many thresholding techniques have been proposed in the literature. Among them, the minimum cross entropy thresholding has been widely adopted. Most minimum cross entropy thresholding methods use Gaussian distribution as an ideal reference histogram for the images to be thresholded. Clearly, it is doubtful that any natural images would generate a histogram with such a distribution. In this paper, a new minimum cross entropy thresholding method using Gamma distribution is proposed, since it is more general than other distributions. The new entropy thresholding method using Gamma distribution is extended to multi-level thresholding. The experimental results manifest that the proposed method can derive multiple thresholds which are very close to the optimal ones. The convergence of the proposed method is analyzed mathematically and the results validate that the proposed method is efficient and is suited for different real time applications.
Quantitative Middle-Down MS Analysis of Parkin-Mediated Ubiquitin Chain Assembly

Misregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin and the kinase PINK1 underlie both inherited and idiopathic Parkinson's disease-associated neurodegeneration. Parkin and PINK1 work together to catalyze the assembly of ubiquitin chains on substrates located on the outer mitochondrial membrane to facilitate autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria through a process termed mitophagy. Quantitative measurements of Parkin-mediated chain assembly, both in vitro and on mitochondria, have revealed that chains are composed of Lys6, Lys11, Lys48, and Lys63 linkages. The combinatorial nature of these chains is further expanded by the ability of PINK1 to phosphorylate individual subunits. The precise architecture of chains produced by the coordinated action of PINK1 and Parkin, however, are unknown. Here, we demonstrate that quantitative middle-down mass spectrometry using uniformly 15N-labeled ubiquitin variants as internal standards informs on the extent of chain branching. We find that Parkin is a prolific branching enzyme in vitro. Quantitative middle-down mass spectrometry also reveals that phospho-Ser65-ubiquitin (pSer65-Ub)-a key activator of Parkin-is not incorporated into chains to a significant extent. Our results suggest that Parkin-mediated chain branching is "on-pathway", and branch points are the principal targets of the deubiquitinase USP30.
Abstract A18: Characterization of K-RasG13D as a unique activating allele in a mouse model of colorectal cancer

The K-RAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma) oncoprotein is mutationally activated in ~40% of colorectal cancers (CRCs), and K-RAS mutation state is an excellent predictor of the failure of a cancer to respond to conventional chemotherapy or targeted therapy. The colonic epithelium provides a biologically interesting context in which to study the allele-specific characteristics of K-RAS, because CRC displays a broad spectrum of activating mutations that occur at lower frequencies than K-RAS-mutant tumors of other organs. Of particular interest to us, activating G>D mutations in codon 13 of K-RAS occur in 10-20% of K-RAS-mutant CRC, are biochemically distinct from the G12D mutation in mechanism of RAS activation, and have a different epidemiologic profile in patient survival. We established a novel mouse model to compare the colon phenotype of the K-RasG13D allele to that of the previously characterized K-RasG12D allele. In the context of homeostasis and colorectal cancer, we characterized the murine colonic epithelium at histologic, proteomic and transcriptomic levels. Ultimately, we aim to elucidate mutant-specific drug sensitivities by deeply understanding K-Ras biology in the genetically controlled setting of our mouse models. Citation Format: Yi-Jang Lin, Patrick Dischinger, Carrie Graveel, Matthew Steensma, Kevin M. Haigis. Characterization of K-RasG13D as a unique activating allele in a mouse model of colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr A18.
The Public’s Foreign Aid Priorities: Evidence from a Conjoint Experiment:

Foreign aid is one of the few areas where Americans say the government should spend less. We leverage a unique conjoint experiment to assess how characteristics of an aid package, as well as charac...
Preservice teachers’ use of a translation app with dual language learners

This article explores preservice teachers’ (PSTs), use of a translation app with dual language learners (DLLs). The TPACK (technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge) framework serves as the...
Gerontology Education Offerings: Experiences of Iowa Human Sciences Extension and Outreach Educators.

Iowa State University Human Sciences Extension and Outreach (HSEO) provides informal educational opportunities to older adults and their families in rural Iowa within the subject areas of family li...