cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined Osmotic and Membrane Distillation for Concentration of Anthocyanin from Muscadine Pomace

Bioactive anthocyanins from aqueous extracts of muscadine grape pomace were concentrated using osmotic distillation (OD) and direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) using polypropylene (PP) and poly(ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene) (ECTFE) membranes. The driving force for OD is created by using a high concentration brine solution while the driving force for DCMD is generated by elevating the feed temperature relative to the permeate temperature. The brine concentration used was 4 M. The lowest fluxes were obtained for OD. Given the temperature sensitive nature of anthocyanins, the maximum temperature difference during DCMD was limited to 30 °C. The feed temperature was 40 °C and the permeate at 10 °C. Consequently, the maximum flux during DCMD was also limited. A combination of OD and DCMD was found to give the highest fluxes. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and HPLC-electrospray mass spectrometry were used to identify and quantify anthocyanins, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, delphinidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, petunidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, peonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, and malvidin-3,5-O-diglucoside. The results obtained here suggest that, though water fluxes for DI water feed streams for PP and ECTFE membrane were similar, the fluxes obtained for the two membranes when using muscadine pomace extracts were different. Concentration factors of close to 3 was obtained for anthocyanins. Membranes also showed slightly different performance in the concentration process. Membrane surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. The results suggest that adsorption of these anthocyanins on the membrane surface lead to performance differences. In an actual operation, selection of an appropriate membrane and regeneration of the membrane will be important for optimized performance. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Anthocyanins are valuable therapeutic compounds, which are found in the solid residue left following fruit juice pressing. However, recovery and concentration of these therapeutic compounds remains challenging due to their stability. Here, a novel membrane-based unit operation has been investigated in order to concentrate the anthocyanins that have been extracted into aqueous solutions. The unit operation investigated here use mild processing conditions. Insights into the factors that need to be considered when optimizing of the unit operation for commercialization are discussed.
Timing of Referral to Early Intervention Services in Infants With Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

This study is a secondary analysis of an observational prospective case series of 50 infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia that describes patient factors associated with the time between i...
Teacher Selection: School Principal Hiring Practices, Level of Training, and Confidence

Student success is dependent on teacher quality; therefore, principals must hire the most effective teachers in order to ensure continuous school improvement. This study investigated teacher hiring processes to determine the extent to which principals use research-based practices that are most likely to identify high-quality teachers. This study also sought information about the type of personnel selection training principals receive and confidence of the principal in their ability to hire high-quality teachers. Data were gathered using a survey e-mailed to principals in ten states in the southern and western regions of the United States. Analysis indicated that principals favor traditional interviews as the primary teacher selection instrument and are unlikely to utilize predictive screening tools or research-based structured interviews. In most cases, principals do not make final hiring decisions based on measurable data or research-based qualities known to be predictive of high teacher performance. Most principals reported minimal teacher selection training through one-time workshops and graduate courses and yet possess a high degree of confidence in their skill to hire the best teachers.
The Appropriateness of Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) Administration in Three Community Teaching Hospitals

Objective: Although Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) is indicated in critically ill patients, there are growing concerns about it's cost effectiveness and adverse effects in instances that do not conform to evidence-based indications. Despite a range of adverse reaction with the inappropriate usage of FFP, its usage has significantly increased over the last decade. We previously evaluated the overuse of FFP in our community teaching hospital in 2010-2011 and 2016-2017. The interventions to reduce the inappropriate FFP transfusion were implemented after the results from 2016-2017. The present multicenter study is a post-interventional study that describes practices regarding administration of FFP in three community teaching hospitals between 2017-2018. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients who received FFP transfusion in three community teaching hospitals between 2017-2018 were included in our study. Criteria were established to evaluate the appropriateness of FFP. Descriptive statistics were utilized to compare the appropriateness of FFP transfusion among the participating hospitals. Results: Overall, 306 participants were evaluated where 25% of the participants (77 out of 306) received inappropriate FFP transfusions. The most common rationale for inappropriate FFP transfusions were bleeding with INR less than 1.5 followed by INR over 1.5 (without any evidence of active bleeding).Based on our study criteria, the proportion of inappropriate FFP transfused out of the total FFP transfused decreased from 49% in the study period 2016-2017 to 25% in the study period 2017-2018. 15% of the study population received inappropriate FFP transfusion for bleeding in 2017-2018 compared to 42% in 2016-2017. Conclusion: Our study showed a reduction in inappropriate FFP transfusions in 2017-2018 compared to 2016-2017. This can be attributed to the interventions implemented after obtaining study results from 2016-2017. The interventions included creating fliers educating about lack of effectiveness of FFP to reduce INR below 1.6 and arranging educational talks from transfusion committee about the evidence-based usage of FFP transfusion. Such interventions are essential to reduce healthcare expenditure and transfusion related adverse events. Download : Download high-res image (125KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A thing of the past? household surveys in a rapidly evolving (agricultural) data landscape: insights from the LSMS‐ISA

Household surveys, a pivotal component of every country's national statistical system, continue to be criticized and praised in equal manner. While recognizing their limitations, it is clear that certain types of data must continue to be collected through household surveys, preferably in an integrated manner with other data sources. This is particularly true in the agricultural space for which household and farm surveys will be critical both to collect primary data as well as to validate alternative data sources. Recent methodological gains and technological innovations offer a unique opportunity to address many of the shortcomings of agricultural data. In this article, we briefly describe select examples of such methodological and technological changes, drawing from the Living Standards Measurement Study‐Integrated Surveys on Agriculture, a survey program aimed at improving the availability, quality, and relevance of agricultural data in multitopic, multipurpose household surveys.
The rate of convergence of parabolic difference schemes with constant coefficients

The paper describes how estimates can be obtained for the rate of convergence of certain parabolic difference schemes. These schemes approximate a Cauchy problem with constant coefficients. Interpolation technique is used for many of the proofs. The results are compared with previous work by several authors.
Limiting the Neighborhood: De-Small-World Network for Outbreak Prevention

In this work, we study a basic and practically important strategy to help prevent and/or delay an outbreak in the context of network: limiting the contact between individuals. In this paper, we introduce the average neighborhood size as a new measure for the degree of being small-world and utilize it to formally define the de-small-world network problem. We also prove the NP-hardness of the general reachable pair cut problem and propose a greedy edge betweenness based approach as the benchmark in selecting the candidate edges for solving our problem. Furthermore, we transform the de-small-world network problem as an OR-AND Boolean function maximization problem, which is also an NP-hardness problem. In addition, we develop a numerical relaxation approach to solve the Boolean function maximization and the de-small-world problem. Also, we introduce the short-betweenness, which measures the edge importance in terms of all short paths with distance no greater than a certain threshold, and utilize it to speed up our numerical relaxation approach. The experimental evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of our approaches.
Abstract 100: Neuroprotection Provided by Transnasal Airflow-Induced Brain Cooling in a Model of Pediatric Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: High transnasal airflow at ambient temperature increases evaporative cooling of the nasal passages and drives a countercurrent heat exchange between cooled venous blood draining the n...
Urticaria: Diagnosis and Treatment with Osteopathic Considerations

Urticaria is a common benign dermatologic condition. It is primarily manifested by well marginated pruritic wheals typically surrounded by erythema caused by the release of histamine into the skin. Urticaria may occur with or without angioedema and typically resolves within 24 hours. Urticaria that persists or recurs past six weeks is known as chronic urticaria. Urticaria may be caused by various medications and illnesses, though in most cases, a trigger cannot be identified. Certain forms of urticaria may be triggered by physical stimuli such as pressure, heat, cold, water, or sunlight. Antihistamines are the mainstay of pharmacotherapy for acute and chronic urticaria. Trigger avoidance should be emphasized when a trigger is identified. Other treatments include oral steroids, doxepin and omalizumab. Topical steroids are ineffective. This article reviews the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic urticaria.
Multisensory perception in Argus II retinal prosthesis patients: Leveraging auditory-visual mappings to enhance prosthesis outcomes.

Abstract Crossmodal mappings associate features (such as spatial location) between audition and vision, thereby aiding sensory binding and perceptual accuracy. Previously, it has been unclear whether patients with artificial vision will develop crossmodal mappings despite the low spatial and temporal resolution of their visual perception (particularly in light of the remodeling of the retina and visual cortex that takes place during decades of vision loss). To address this question, we studied crossmodal mappings psychophysically in Retinitis Pigmentosa patients with partial visual restoration by means of Argus II retinal prostheses, which incorporate an electrode array implanted on the retinal surface that stimulates still-viable ganglion cells with a video stream from a head-mounted camera. We found that Argus II patients (N = 10) exhibit significant crossmodal mappings between auditory location and visual location, and between auditory pitch and visual elevation, equivalent to those of age-matched sighted controls (N = 10). Furthermore, Argus II patients (N = 6) were able to use crossmodal mappings to locate a visual target more quickly with auditory cueing than without. Overall, restored artificial vision was shown to interact with audition via crossmodal mappings, which implies that the reorganization during blindness and the limitations of artificial vision did not prevent the relearning of crossmodal mappings. In particular, cueing based on crossmodal mappings was shown to improve visual search with a retinal prosthesis. This result represents a key first step toward leveraging crossmodal interactions for improved patient visual functionality.
Timing of Gastrografin administration in the management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO): Does it matter?

Abstract Background Gastrografin challenge is increasingly used as a diagnostic tool to predict patients who may benefit from nonoperative management in adhesive small bowel obstruction. This study explores the optimal timing of Gastrografin in the management of adhesive small bowel obstruction by comparing early versus late Gastrografin challenge. Methods A retrospective chart review from January 2016 to January 2018 identified patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction who underwent Gastrografin challenge. A receiver operating characteristic curve, to predict a duration of stay less than 5 days, calculated a 12-hour limit which separated early and late groups. Nonoperative and operative patients were compared separately. Our primary outcome was duration of stay. Secondary outcomes included operative requirement, time to the operating room, complication rate, and 1-year mortality. In a separate analysis, multivariable logistic regression identified independent risk factors for 1-year mortality. Results One hundred thirty-four patients were identified (58 early, 76 late). In nonoperative patients, the early group had a shorter duration of stay (3.2 days vs 5.4 days), fewer complications, and a lower complication and 1-year mortality rate (P Conclusion Gastrografin administration within 12 hours of adhesive small bowel obstruction diagnosis had favorable outcomes in terms of duration of stay, complications, and mortality in nonoperative patients. Moreover, in operative patients, preoperative duration of stay was shortened. Our findings suggest protocolizing early Gastrografin challenge may be an important principle in adhesive small bowel obstruction management.
Periapical abscess progressing to parotitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis with thoracic abscess in a patient on etanercept: A case report

Patients on Type 2 biologics, such as etanercept, are at increased risk for aggressive infections. This may be further exacerbated by concomitant systemic corticosteroid use or comorbidities such as diabetes. We report a case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on etanercept with poor dentition and periodontal disease, who developed parotitis with peritonsillar abscess and descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) with periaortic abscess arising from a periapical abscess. Morbidity and mortality of such infections is high. A multimodal assessment and treatment team is required to optimize patient survival and outcomes. This manuscript discusses the diagnostic and treatment challenges of DNM of immunocompromised patients.
Attitudes Toward Organ Donation for Persons Who Have a Substance Use Disorder Relative to Other Health Conditions

Background: Increases in opioid-related overdose and death have led to increases in the number of organs available for donation and transplant, however persons who have a substance use disorder (SUD) may be disadvantaged relative to other health conditions with regard to receiving an organ for transplant. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate perceptions regarding acceptability and priority for organ donation versus a control condition (resuscitation) for hypothetical persons with nine target health conditions including a substance use disorder, among persons recruited as part of an online survey. Methods: Respondents (N=285; male=172, female=113) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk rated acceptability and priority that hypothetical persons representing nine target health conditions expected to influence transplant success (including a SUD) receive an organ transplant and resuscitation via a survey hosted by Qualtrics. Primary outcomes of stigma ratings and priority ranking of persons as a function of the hypothetical target health condition were analyzed using Repeated Measures Analyses of Variance and Bonferroni-corrected t-tests. Demographic information was presented descriptively for all respondents. Results: Ratings for acceptability and priority for persons who had a SUD were generally lower than ratings for other conditions for both organ for transplant and resuscitation, though respondents reported less stigma towards resuscitation, F(8) = 22.35, p < .001 overall. Respondents were least supportive of persons who smoked cigarettes receiving an organ, p’s < .001. Priority rankings favored persons who were young or had a history of heart disease. Multivariable models determined that target health condition, F (8) = 33.64, p < .001, was a better and more consistent predictor of response than demographic variables that were examined. Conclusions: Data suggest that general perception of acceptability and priority ranking for receipt of life-saving interventions was lower for persons who have a SUD relative to other clinically-relevant health conditions. Research to examine this effect among persons working in the donation system are warranted and efforts to reduce stigma towards persons who have a SUD should be continued.
Erratum to: Choosing Wisely: Prevalence and Correlates of Low-Value Health Care Services in the United States.

Erratum to: J Gen Intern Med DOI 10.1007/s11606-014-3070-z On page 225 of the initial publication, the results for cervical cancer screening in Table 2 mistakenly excluded HCPCS codes G0123, G0124, G0141, G0143–145, G0147, G0148, P3000, P3001 and Q0091. After incorporating these additional codes, the mean annual prevalence of cervical cancer screening increased to 9.8% from the reported 3.1%. The coefficients in Table 3 and the categorization of HRRs were not meaningfully affected. We regret this error. Table 2 updates: Low-value diagnostic services: Annual Cervical Cancer Screening: Mean: 9.8%, Affected National Population (Millions): 14.3 Min/Max: 4.3–18.6%, IQR: 8.1%–11.0%, COV: 0.24, Annual Waste: $23.4M
General Principles for Nonlinear Systems

Although nonlinear systems vary a great deal throughout science, their study is unified by fundamental mathematical principles. In this section we outline the simplest of these principles and illustrate just how they arise in practice. Of course, we saw in Chapter 1 how certain abstract principles were used in studying the simplest nonlinear systems, namely, integrable systems and their perturbations. These principles have the virtue of great “robustness” in the sense that they also have great value in studying more complicated nonlinear systems. In fact, one of the goals of this chapter is to illustrate just how the principles discussed briefly in Chapter 1 can be extended to study more general nonlinear systems such as occur throughout science and technology. Such systems are generally nonintegrable, even with our extended definition.
Activity Level, Organization, and Social-Emotional Behaviors in Post-Institutionalized Children

ABSTRACT Using a parent-report questionnaire, this study examined activity level, organization, and social-emotional behaviors in 124 children ages 36–82 months, adopted from Romanian orphanages. The Romanian children were divided into two groups: 63 children institutionalized for more than six months, and 61 children institutionalized for less than two months, and were compared to age and gender-matched American-born control groups. Each Romanian group scored significantly higher (indicating more problems) in activity level, organization, and social-emotional behaviors than its matched control group. Item analyses indicated that parents of Romanian children in the longer institutionalized group rated behaviors significantly higher in comparison to the control group on 74% of items; shorter institutionalized children were rated significantly higher than controls on 47% of items. Results indicate persisting effects of early de privation on social-emotional, activity level, and behavioral organization.
1.5.3 Case Study: Tailoring CMMI®‐based Command Media for a Company's Individual Business Areas

This paper describes a prescribed methodology for tailoring Command Media derived from the Carnegie Mellon®1 University's Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model® Integration for a company's business areas. The paper illustrates a case study for a specific Harris GCSD business area, Cronus, whose methodology was tailored to be generally applicable to the projects executed within the Cronus Business Area and still be compliant with Harris GCSD CMMI® Level 3 Command Media requirements. This tailoring becomes the basis for all projects within Cronus without the need for additional waivers and tailorings. This does not preclude any project from adopting the more general methodology; from further tailoring the Cronus methodology; or, continuing the process further to differentiate between studies, development contracts, quick-react contracts, and other program types. This paper represents the results of the case study and may be applicable to other business areas within Harris and at other companies.
Stable Adaptive Systems

Stability theory simple adaptive systems adaptive observers the control problem persistent excitation error models robust adaptive control the control problem - relaxation of assumptions multivariable adaptive systems applications of adaptive control.
Adiabat_1ph: A new public front‐end to the MELTS, pMELTS, and pHMELTS models

The program adiabat_1ph is a simple text-menu driver for subroutine versions of the algorithms MELTS, pMELTS, and pHMELTS [Asimow et al., 2004; Ghiorso et al., 2002; Ghiorso and Sack, 1995]. It may be used to calculate equilibrium assemblages along a thermodynamic path set by the user and can simultaneously calculate trace element distributions. The MELTS family of algorithms is suitable for multicomponent systems, which may be anhydrous, water-undersaturated, or water-saturated, with the options of buffering oxygen fugacity and/or water activity. A wide variety of calculations can be performed either subsolidus or with liquid(s) present; melting and crystallization may be batch, fractional, or continuous. The software is suitable for Linux, MacOS X, and Windows, and many aspects of program execution are controlled by environment variables. Perl scripts are also provided that may be used to invoke adiabat_1ph with some command line options and to produce output that may be easily imported into spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel. Benefits include a batch mode, which allows almost complete automation of the calculation process when suitable input files are written. This technical brief describes version 1.04, which is provided as ancillary material. Binaries, scripts, documentation, and example files for this and future releases may be downloaded at http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~asimow/adiabat. On a networked computer, adiabat_1ph automatically checks whether a newer version is available.
A Hydrogeological Perspective of the Status of Ground Water Resources Under the Un Watercourse Convention

When the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses in 1997, it took a decisive step in recognizing the important role that transboundary ground water resources play in human progress and development. In so doing, it also acknowledged the need to establish principles of law governing this "invisible" but valuable natural resource. Transboundary ground water historically has been neglected in treaties, ignored in projects with international implications, and cursorily misunderstood in much of legal discourse. While the Convention provides substantial clarification on the status of ground water under international law, it also leaves considerable gaps and generates confusion about the types of aquifers that fall within the scope of the treaty. A close review of the scope and definitions of the treaty reveals that the Convention's focus on surface water overshadows its ground water cousin and excludes many of the world's aquifers. Focusing on the scope and definitions, this article critically examines the treatment of ground water under the Convention from a hydrogeological perspective. Using six science-based aquifer models with transboundary implications (representing the majority of transboundary aquifers presently known in nature), the analysis identifies the types of aquifers that are included within the scope of the Convention and assess the rationale for excluding other aquifer types. The article also considers the special case of non-recharging aquifers.
Privacy through Accountability: A Computer Science Perspective

Privacy has become a significant concern in modern society as personal information about individuals is increasingly collected, used, and shared, often using digital technologies, by a wide range of organizations. To mitigate privacy concerns, organizations are required to respect privacy laws in regulated sectors e.g., HIPAA in healthcare, GLBA in financial sector and to adhere to self-declared privacy policies in self-regulated sectors e.g., privacy policies of companies such as Google and Facebook in Web services. This article provides an overview of a body of work on formalizing and enforcing privacy policies. We formalize privacy policies that prescribe and proscribe flows of personal information as well as those that place restrictions on the purposes for which a governed entity may use personal information. Recognizing that traditional preventive access control and information flow control mechanisms are inadequate for enforcing such privacy policies, we develop principled accountability mechanisms that seek to encourage policy-compliant behavior by detecting policy violations, assigning blame, and punishing violators. We apply these techniques to several U.S. privacy laws and organizational privacy policies, in particular, producing the first complete logical specification and audit of all disclosure-related clauses of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
Improved methods for estimating monthly and growing season ET using METRIC applied to moderate resolution satellite imagery

Satellite-based algorithms based on surface energy balance are now routinely applied to produce evapotranspiration (ET) products on an operational basis for use in water resources management. Landsat satellite imagery, or imagery with similar spatial resolution, is commonly used to produce estimates of ET at field scale because of the presence of an onboard thermal imager and the high spatial resolution of the imagery. The downside of using high-resolution imagery is less frequent image acquisition. As a result, monthly and ultimately seasonal ET estimates may be based on only one or two satellite image snapshots per month. A potential shortfall in basing integrated ET averages on periodic snapshots from satellites is that local or regional precipitation events antecedent to the satellite images may unduly dominate the ET image, or conversely, effects may be absent from the image, and therefore the image-based product may not represent evaporation from rainfall averaged over the monthly period. Methods for accounting for precipitation events when interpolating from daily to seasonal or longer periods are presented, including a recently developed soil-water balance procedure that adjusts the ET derived from the satellite overpass date for background evaporation from soil caused by rainfall over monthly or longer integration periods. The result of the adjustment is an ET image and consequently final ET map that better represents the average evaporative conditions over the period. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Column Technology in Gas Chromatography

Column technology has fostered the development of gas chromatography (GC). As the manufacture of columns, especially capillary columns, has become more reproducible, the instruments have also improved. Chromatographic theory helps to guide the development of both the column and instrument in GC. Aspects of the theory directly related to the construction of columns are summarized. While packed columns can still be made in the local laboratory, the construction of capillary columns has moved to commercial vendors with the introduction of thin-walled fused-silica capillary columns. The technology required for the construction of columns is described.
The Challenge of Management Scholarship in Africa

In her speech marking the opening of the second biannual meeting of the Africa Academy of Management (AFAM) in Gabarone, Bostwana, in January 2014, the Honorable Linah K. Mohohlo, Governor of the Bank of Bostwana, raised three important issues that caught the attention of scholars focusing on management research and practice in Africa. The three issues were: (1) How can we make management theories relevant to the African context? (2) How can management contribute to sustainable development in Africa? And (3) how can management help promote a business environment conducive to the creation and sustainability of small and medium-size businesses in Africa? The aim of this article is to explore the extent to which management scholarship in Africa could indeed address these challenges.
THE USE OF SELECTED STRAINS OF YEASTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PROCESSING WASTEWATER FROM LYE-PEELED AND STEAM-PEELED POTATOES1

The feasibility of using suitable strains of yeast cultures to reduce the wastewater strength of potato processing effluent and the recovery of the biomass produced by the microorganisms was studied. Effective chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction was achieved in lye-peeled and steam-peeled potato effluents by fermentation with the yeast S. fibuliger ATCC 9947. The COD of the actively fermented activated wastewater from lye-peeled potato was reduced by 69, 79 and 85% of the initial values after 24, 48 and 72 h of fermentation, respectively. Using steam-peeled potato effluent, 85% of the initial COD was reduced after 24 h of fermentation. Greater reductions in COD were achieved by centrifugation of the fermented wastewater samples. The centrifuged yeast solids recovered from the fermented steam-peeled potato effluent ranged from 1.55 to 2.0 g/l (dry wt.) after 6 to 28 h of fermentation, and had a crude protein content of 29 to 31%.
Use of clickers vs. mobile devices for classroom polling

An increasing number of instructors are using mobile devices in place of "clickers" to acquire student responses to questions posed by the instructor during class. This exploratory study compared the number of correct, incorrect, and missing responses of students who responded to in-class polling questions using clickers or mobile devices. In one of two classes, students using mobile devices had a greater number of missing responses and fewer correct responses than students using clickers, but there were no differences in final grades. In the other class, there were no differences on these measures. Overall, students' attitudes toward using clickers and mobile devices were favorable, but 31% of those who reported using a mobile device could not connect to the Internet "sometimes" or "most of the time." Of those who completed the technology survey, the majority (58%) reported being "never" or "rarely" distracted by other uses of their mobile device during class. Instructors who desire to have students use mobile devices for classroom polling should be aware of the possible differences in missing and correct responses, and the potential challenges unique to mobile technology. In one class, using mobile devices resulted in more missing responses and fewer correct answers.Final grades did not differ between students using clickers and students using mobile devices.Students generally report positive experiences with clickers and mobile devices.Mobile devices can be distracting for some students.
ELEMENTAL SULFUR IMPREGNATED WITH IRON AS A FERTILIZER SOURCE FOR KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS

Elemental sulfur (S) impregnated with Fe (S-Fe) fertilizer was evaluated on Kentucky bluegrass (KBG; Poa pratensis L.) in three glasshouse studies: (1) with/without Fe as S-Fe, ferrous sulfate (FS), or iron-ethylenediamine-N,N’-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (Fe-EDDHA) to soil (49 kg Fe ha−1), or foliar Fe-EDDHA (5 kg Fe ha−1) on two cultivars; (2) 0, 49, 197, or 592 kg Fe ha−1 of S-Fe deep mixed or surface mixed on two soils; (3) 0 or 49 kg Fe ha−1 applied as S-Fe on four cultivars. A field study comparing 0 and 49 kg Fe ha−1 applied as S-Fe to KBG was also conducted. Soil applied S-Fe was assimilated in shoots as efficiently as Fe-EDDHA applied to soil or foliage. Shoot Fe increased significantly with increasing S-Fe in a curvilinear response when deep mixed with soil and in a linear response when surface applied. However, no Fe source tested impacted yield or verdure in these studies.
Preparation, properties & corrosion resistance of composites of cement mortar and organic polymers

Abstract Polymer-cement and polymer-mortar composites, based on styrene and MMA, have been investigated as to methods of preparation, strength, corrosion resistance and other properties. Methods of investigation employed were: compressive strength measurement, optical and electron microscopy as well as other physical and chemical tests. Remarkable improvement in structural properties (three-to fourfold increase in strength) and corrosion resistance was observed when performed specimens were impregnated with monomer and polymerized.
Aeromonas Hydrophila Corneal Ulcer

Two healthy men developed acute corneal ulcers caused by Aeromonas hydrophila after receiving traumatic foreign body injuries to the cornea. The ulcers resolved after treatment for gram-negative bacterial corneal ulceration. A history of contamination by water, soil, or material from an aquatic source was a significant factor in each case.
Diseases of the Pinna

Many diseases can affect the pinna of the dog and cat. These diseases represent most categories of cutaneous disease, from infectious to neoplastic. Although some diseases affect primarily the pinna, most pinnal dermatoses occur in conjunction with other integumentary disorders. This article considers auricular hematomas, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, immune-mediated and vascular diseases, environmental diseases, neoplastic diseases, and various miscellaneous dermatoses of the pinna.
Effects of dystrophy and age on hamster tracheal smooth muscle function.

Abstract Pharmacological and morphometic evaluations of airway smooth muscle were performed on tracheal segments from control and dystrophic hamsters at 50, 145 and 315 days of age. An age-related change in muscle volume index (a measure fo the total smooth per tracheal segmetn) was not observed in the control group but decreased with age in the dystrophic strain. In the control strain, correlations were not observed between age and maximum pharmacological response to the drugs tested, but a change in sensitivity to carbachol and KCl was noted at 145 days. In contrast, tracheal segments of dystrophic hamsters exhibited decreased maximum responses to carbachol, KCl, histamine, and isoproterenol at 315 days of age. When maximal contractile responses were normalized by muscle volume index, only the KCl maximum tension at 315 days was less than at 50 days of age. Changes in sensitivity to carbachol and KCl were also seen in tracheal smooth muscle of the dystrophic hamster at 145 days of age. At 315 days, histamine and isoproterenol-induced relaxation was less in dystrophic than in control tracheal smooth muscle. It is not possible to ascertain whether the decreased responses of the tracheal segments from the oldest dystrophic hamsters are due to dystrophy alone, or to a combination of dystrophy and aging.
Dixie A. Jones, AHIP Medical Library Association President, 2013–2014

As Dixie Jones's name immediately reveals, she is from the South. Her interests, her values, her strengths, and her commitment to family have all been shaped by her rural Southern heritage.
Effects of basolateral amygdaloid lesions on schedule induced and schedule dependent behavior

Abstract Rats were reduced to 80% body weight and were exposed to an FI-1 min food reinforcement schedule for 30 min daily until lever presses, licks, and water consumption stabilized for at least 10 days. Bilateral lesions were then made in the basolateral amygdala of all animals. Animals were tested for 40 days following the lesions at 80% body weight, were permitted to recover body weight by increasing food rations, and were tested for an additional 15 days under ad lib feeding. Animals were then subjected to the following tests: food consumption following food deprivation, drinking following water deprivation, and salt arousal of drinking. In addition, consumption of 6.85% sucrose, 25% sucrose, 8% glucose, 21% glucose, and 0.125% Na saccharin on a FI-1 min food reinforcement schedule and under home cage conditions were measured. On the basis of these data and lesion locus the 8 animals were divided into 2 groups, bilaterally symmetrical experimentals and asymmetrical controls. Although no effects were observed in licking, water consumption, and lever pressing, animals with bilateral symmetrical lesions of the basolateral amygdala displayed relatively permanent deficits in their responses to various taste stimuli. The effects of these lesions are evaluated and discussed in terms of the lateral hypothalamic involvement in schedule induced and schedule dependent behavior.
FalconSAT-7: a membrane space telescope

The USAF Academy Department of Physics has built FalconSAT-7, a membrane solar telescope to be deployed from a 3U CubeSat in LEO. The primary optic is a 0.2m photon sieve - a diffractive element consisting of billions of tiny circular dimples etched into a Kapton sheet. The membrane, its support structure, secondary optics, two imaging cameras and associated control/recording electronics are all packaged within half the CubeSat volume. Once in space, the supporting pantograph structure is deployed, extending out and pulling the membrane flat under tension. The telescope will then be directed at the Sun to gather images at H-alpha for transmission to the ground. Due for launch in 2015, FalconSAT-7 will serve as a pathfinder for future surveillance missions consisting of a 0.3m aperture deployed from a 12U satellite. Such a telescope would be capable of providing sub-meter resolution of ground-based objects.
Identification of XMAP215 as a microtubule-destabilizing factor in Xenopus egg extract by biochemical purification

Microtubules (MTs) polymerized with GMPCPP, a slowly hydrolyzable GTP analogue, are stable in buffer but are rapidly depolymerized in Xenopus egg extracts. This depolymerization is independent of three previously identified MT destabilizers (Op18, katanin, and XKCM1/KinI). We purified the factor responsible for this novel depolymerizing activity using biochemical fractionation and a visual activity assay and identified it as XMAP215, previously identified as a prominent MT growth-promoting protein in Xenopus extracts. Consistent with the purification results, we find that XMAP215 is necessary for GMPCPP-MT destabilization in extracts and that recombinant full-length XMAP215 as well as an NH2-terminal fragment have depolymerizing activity in vitro. Stimulation of depolymerization is specific for the MT plus end. These results provide evidence for a robust MT-destabilizing activity intrinsic to this microtubule-associated protein and suggest that destabilization may be part of its essential biochemical functions. We propose that the substrate in our assay, GMPCPP-stabilized MTs, serves as a model for the pause state of MT ends and that the multiple activities of XMAP215 are unified by a mechanism of antagonizing MT pauses.
Ecological Relationships of Verticillium Wilt Suppression of Potato by Green Manures

Studies show that once a suppressive effect has been established, a green manure treatment for a single season is sufficient to either maintain or to re-establish the control of Verticillium wilt of potato. Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., was controlled on the first years of Russet Burbank potato cropping following 2–3 successive years of green manure treatments. Following this control, yields were increased with the first year of potato cropping, but were reduced during the second consecutive year of cropping with potato. In the second year of continuous cropping with Russet Burbank, total yields were reduced by 10% and U.S. #1 tubers by 40%, and these yield reductions were accompanied by increased soil populations of V. dahliae by >5- fold. Yet, with a single season of an earlier–used green manure treatment (e.g. Austrian winter pea, sudangrass, Dwarf Essex rape, Bridger rape, oats, rye, or sweet corn), Verticillium wilt was again controlled and yields of Russet Burbank were increased to higher levels or to levels that were equivalent to those initially observed following either 2 or 3 successive seasons of green manure treatment. Green manures also demonstrated significant effects on microbial activities, which were inversely related to the incidence of Verticillium wilt. More specific effects on microbial activity and soilborne ecology were shown with increased populations of Fusarium spp. Verticillium wilt was negatively correlated with infections of potato feeder roots and stem-ends of potato tubers by F. equiseti. Exemplifying the effect of a green manure on fungal ecology, sudangrass treatments were shown to have lasting effects on Fusarium avenaceum populations with quantitative changes that extended 5 years beyond the time of soil incorporation with sudangrass.
Prospective Elementary Teachers' Mathematics Subject Matter Knowledge: The Real Number System

As the nation's educators attempt to prepare children who can be productive adults in a quantitative, technological, and global society, much emphasis is placed on children's learning and success i...
Fiber optic cable thermal preparation to ensure stable operation

Fiber optic cables are widely used in modern systems that must provide stable operation during exposure to changing environmental conditions. For example, a fiber optic cable on a satellite may have to reliably function over a temperature range of -50 C up to 125 C. While the system requirements for a particular application will dictate the exact method by which the fibers should be prepared, this work will examine multiple ruggedized fibers prepared in different fashions and subjected to thermal qualification testing. The data show that if properly conditioned the fiber cables can provide stable operation, but if done incorrectly, they will have large fluctuations in transmission.
Hybrid information processing

Quantum algorithms and computational models primarily focus on processing quantum states via qubit manipulations and measurements. While this allows for hardware independent algorithm development, it does not necessarily reflect the full capabilities of even imperfect physical implementations - which typically have access to additional degrees of freedom not routinely considered in quantum algorithm development. In analogy with electrical mixed-signal (analog and digital) processing, here we investigate the prospects of incorporating the strengths of the native physical platform into the quantum information processor. Although the treatment here will be limited to optical systems the general approach should apply to other physical systems as well.
Cloning and characterization of an Mx gene and its corresponding promoter from the zebrafish, Danio rerio

Type I interferons (IFNs) represent a crucial component of the innate immune response to viruses. An important downstream effector of IFN is the Mx gene, which is activated solely through this pathway. Mx proteins are characterized by a tripartite GTP-binding domain, dynamin family signature, and leucine zipper motif. Mx genes are transcribed upon activation of an interferon-stimulated response element (ISRE) located in the Mx promoter region. In this article, we describe the cloning and analysis of an Mx gene and its corresponding promoter from the zebrafish (Danio rerio). The deduced amino acid sequence of zebrafish Mx contains the conserved GTP-binding domain, dynamin family signature, and leucine zipper motif common to Mx proteins, and shows a 50% identity to human MxA and 69% identity both to rainbow trout and to Atlantic salmon. Zebrafish liver cells produced high levels of Mx mRNA in response to induction by the known IFN-inducer polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly[I:C]). The zebrafish Mx promoter contains two ISREs homologous to those found in the promoter regions of many IFN-inducible genes, and was able to drive transcription of a luciferase reporter gene when induced by either purified zebrafish IFN or Poly[I:C].
Separation of the enantiomers of the 3,5-dinitrobenzamide derivatives of α-amino phosphonates on four chiral stationary phases

Abstract Four commercially available higher-performance liquid chromatography columns containing chiral stationary phases (CSPs) have been evaluated for the separation of the enantiomers of a variety of α-amino phosphonates as the 3,5-dinitrobenzamide derivatives. The CSPs are divided into two mechanistic classes, the π-acidic N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)phenylglycine / N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)leucine class and the π-basic N-(2-naphthyl)alanine / N-(1-naphthyl)leucine class. As expected, the π-basic CSPs are found to be more effective for separating the enantiomers of these π-acidic analytes, separation factors being sufficiently large to make preparative or reversed-phase separations possible. A chiral recognition rationale consistent with the observed elution orders is postulated for the π-basic CSPs.
A Mechanism for Generating Aluminum Debris in the Roll Bite and Its Partitioning between the Surface of the Work Roll and the Surface of the Sheet as Smudge

A series of tests of cold rolling aluminum on a laboratory rolling mill showed that the amount of debris generated in the roll bile, increased with an increase in the amount of reduction. It also showed at light reductions, the debris generated distributed evenly between the surface of the sheet exiling the mill as smudge and the surface of the work roll where it was washed off. The rate of generating debris at light reductions also followed the Archard equation. At higher reductions, however, it was shown that much more debris adhered to the work roll and was washed off than that which remained on the surface as smudge. The rate of generating debris also deviated from the, Archard equation. 'To explain this deviation, it was proposed that the mechanism for generating debris in the roll bite was due to abrasive wear at light reductions but at higher reductions, the mechanism was due to adhesive wear. Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois May 14–19, 1995