cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE AND OSTEOGENESIS IN VITRO.

SummaryA study has been made of the role of alkaline phosphatase in the osteogene-sis of 7-day embryonic chick femora during 21 days in organ culture. The femora were analyzed for their content of inorganic P, acid-soluble ester P, lipid P, total nucleic acid P and residual P, after increasing culture periods. The results indicate that there is a close parallel between inorganic P content and alkaline phosphatase activity. Acid soluble ester P content shows a roughly reciprocal relationship to phosphatase activity, while the other P fractions do not appear to be related.
Hybrid Adaptive Launch Vehicle Ascent Flight Control

One of the main challenges facing the designers of launch vehicle ascent flight control systems is dealing with the effects of un-modeled dynamics or operation under off-nominal flight conditions. An adaptive control system would allow the plant dynamics to deviate beyond their nominal design limits while sustaining satisfactory operation. For the purpose of maintaining stability and improving performance in adverse flight conditions, a hybrid adaptive control scheme is selected and implemented as a launch vehicle flight controller. This architecture merges both direct and indirect adaptive elements within a classical dynamic inversion controller. The combination of these elements enables the control system to retain the nonlinear capabilities of an adaptive network while relying heavily on the linear element to dictate the dynamic response under most operating conditions. Initially, the ascent dynamics of a launch vehicle resembling the Crew Launch Vehicle are summarized in both nonlinear and linearized form. Development of the hybrid adaptive launch vehicle flight control architecture, which includes the conversion of guidance command input and progression of the neural network weight update law, is then discussed. To validate the hybrid adaptive flight controller, a high-fidelity launch vehicle ascent flight simulator was obtained from NASA Marshall along with a traditional PID ascent flight controller for performance comparison. Ascent simulations indicate that the hybrid adaptive flight controller is able to reduce guidance tracking errors significantly more than its traditional PID counterpart. However, this reduction in tracking error is coupled with the appearance of small spikes in the engine gimbal commands. Consequently, the avoidance of harmful interactions with structural bending modes needs to be investigated.
Abstract 957: Aurora kinase and N-myc are involved in neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer and are new drug targets

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Background: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive variant of prostate cancer that can arise de novo or from existing prostate adenocarcinoma (PCA), and is promoted by the use of androgen deprivation therapy. We sought to better understand the molecular transformation of NEPC and identify new drug targets. Methods: Using Next Generation RNA sequencing and oligonucleotide arrays, we profiled NEPC, PCA, and benign prostate (BEN), and validated findings on tumors from a large cohort of patients using IHC and FISH. Functional studies were performed using NCI-H660 (NEPC), VCaP and LnCaP (PCA), RWPE (BEN) cell lines and xenografts. Results: There was a spectrum of NEPC, ranging from pure NEPC to those with mixed features of PCA and NEPC. ERG rearrangement was detected by FISH break-apart in 47% of NEPC, but ERG protein expression by IHC was absent and corresponded directly with lack of androgen receptor expression. We sequenced 7 NEPC, 30 PCA, 5 BEN. There were significant molecular differences between NEPC and PCA, with 936/25932 genes differentially expressed (P 80%) of NEPC showed Aurora kinase A and B overexpression, and 35% harbored AURKA and co-existent MYCN amplification. A small subset of PCA (5%) and no BEN were positive. Transfection of MYCN induced AURKA expression as well as Aurora kinase activity in RWPE in vitro, and AURKA could also induce MYCN expression. MYCN and AURKA independently induced expression of the neuroendocrine (NE) markers, SYP and NSE. After validating NCI-H660 as model of NEPC, we observed enhanced in vitro and in vivo sensitivity to the Aurora kinase inhibitor PHA-739358 compared to LnCaP and VCaP, with > 50% tumor shrinkage in NEPC xenografts and minimal to no effect in PCA. Phosphorylated histone 3 expression, a downstream marker of Aurora kinase activity, was significantly inhibited in the treated NCI-H660 but not in treated PCA xenografts. Notably, NE marker expression was completely suppressed in the treated NCI-H660 xenografts, again supporting a role of Aurora kinase in modulating the NE phenotype. Conclusions: There is likely clonal origin of NEPC from PCA (with ERG fusion positivity seen in both), but ERG expression is limited to PCA and driven by AR signaling. We discovered significant overexpression and gene amplification of Aurora kinases and N-myc in NEPC and a small subset of PCA, and evidence that that they cooperate and induce a NE phenotype in prostate cells. In vitro and in vivo data confirms that these are novel drug targets for NEPC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 957. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-957
On Proving the Absence of Zero-Divisors for Semi-Group Rings

For any semi-group S and any ring Λ with unit 1 (always taken to be distinct from 0, the neutral element of Λ under addition) there is known to exist a ring Λ[S] ⊇S which is a A-bimodule such that (i) S is a sub semi-group of the multiplicative semi-group of Λ[S], (ii) λs = sλ, (iii) λ(st) = (λs)t = s(λt) ( s, t ∊ S and λ∊Λ) and (iv) Sis a Λ -basis of Λ[S]. This ring is uniquely determined by these conditions and is usually called the semi-group ring of S over Λ. It may be described explicitly as consisting of the functions f: S → Λ which vanish at all but finitely many places, with functional addition (f+g) (s) = f(s) + g(s) and convolution (fg) (s) = Σf(u) g(v) (uv = s) as the ring operations, the functional A-bimodule operations (λf) (s) = λf(s) and (fλ) (s) - f(s)λ, and each s ∊ S identified with the characteristic function of { s} with values in Λ.
Efficacy of directional microphone hearing aids: a meta-analytic perspective.

The literature suggests that directional microphone hearing aids (DMHAs) are a viable means for improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for hearing-impaired listeners. The amount of directional advantage they provide, however, remains relatively unclear because of variability observed among individual studies. The present investigation was undertaken in an attempt to establish the degree of advantage provided by DMHAs . Data were synthesized from 72 and 74 experiments, respectively, on omnidirectional hearing aids and DMHAs representing both favorable and unfavorable outcomes . Using a meta-analytic approach, 138 weighted averages were derived for a variety of comparable independent and dependent variables. Comparisons were made for hearing-impaired and normal-hearing listeners. Findings are discussed with regard to their clinical and research implications.
How the RBMS Exhibition Catalogue Awards Got from There to Here, from Then to Now

In March 1985 the RBMS Exhibition Catalogue Awards Committee issued a press release through ACRL announcing that three annual awards would be granted in the Spring of 1986 for the best catalogues published by American or Canadian institutions in conjunction with exhibitions of books and/or manuscripts. For the first year of the awards, catalogues published between January 1, 1983, and August 31, 1985, were eligible and would be divided into three budget categories—expensive, moderately expensive, and inexpensive—based upon production costs, thereby allowing institutions of similar publishing resources to compete within the same category. This call for entries in . . .
Minority Teachers as Change Agents in the People's Republic of China.

China is becoming an increasingly polarized society, in large part due to the inaccessibility of basic education for minority children. Schools can be vehicles for social change and community build...
Acceptance of the Mineralogical Society of America Award for 2016

Thank you Ed for those really kind words. Madame President, Members of the Society, Colleagues, and Guests: Thank you for this incredible honor. I felt extremely humbled when I found out that I would be receiving this award and then even more so when I looked at the list of previous awardees. I am truly honored to be in the cohort of such a remarkable group of scientists. I can’t say that I was one of those people that always knew what they would become. The only thing I knew as a child was that I loved math but that most of all I loved to learn. My goal was to stay in school as long as possible as I loved nothing more than opening a crisp new notebook at the beginning of the school year and writing down pages and pages of notes that my teachers would recite. I couldn’t think of anything better. I was an engineering major in undergrad but had no clear path forward until I started hiking around …
New technologies, patient experience, theoretical approaches and heuristics in RHM: guest editorial

In the August 2015 Communication Design Quarterly (CDQ) special issue on Rhetoric of Health and Medicine (RHM), Lisa Meloncon and Erin Frost introduced readers to this "emerging field." Since a Poiroi commentary in 2013 written by Scott, Segal, and Keranen, numerous scholars that earlier identified our sub-discipline with the terms medical rhetoric, have embraced this what might be seen as a more inclusive term, although I would argue that for some of us, the term rhetoric already included at least every possible manifestation of health, medicine and language. However, RHM does indeed cast a wider net, as pointed out in the 2015 issue, including essays on architecture, social work, and psychology. While rhetoric per se is certainly found within all fields, if writing about such fields and especially from such fields is included in RHM, then such a transdisciplinary impulse takes us very much further indeed. While this particular issue can easily find itself under the RHM umbrella, these particular scholars writing here were invited because they had participated in 2016 as a very successful panel at SIGDOC annual conference. These five scholars have much to share and teach us, as well as move us forward in our thinking, research, writing and participation in health and medical settings.
Energy efficiency and resource allocation of IEEE 802.15.6 IR-UWB WBANs: Current state-of-the-art and future directions

Network life time of Wireless Body Area Network (WBANs) is essential for its operation. An integral part of the network life time is the energy efficiency of the devices and enabling their transmissions with the optimal choice of Physical layer (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) parameters. Particularly, in the next generation wireless networks, where devices and sensors are heterogeneous and coexist in the same geographical area creating possible collisions and interference to each other, the battery power needs to be efficiently used. This paper consists of four complementing parts. In the first two parts, we study the two optimization algorithms proposed in our prior work. The first algorithm, Cross-Layer Optimization for Energy Efficiency (CLOEE), enables us to carry out a cross-layer resource allocation that addresses the rate and reliability trade-off in the PHY as well as the frame size optimization and transmission efficiency for the MAC layer. The second algorithm, Energy Efficiency Optimization of Channel Access Probabilities (EECAP), studies the case where the nodes access the medium in a probabilistic manner and jointly determines the optimal access probability and payload frame size for each node. These two algorithms address the problem from an optimization perspective. In the third part of the paper, we study the same problem from a game theoretical point of view. The last part of the paper is devoted to summarizing the challenges ahead and future research directions to increase the energy efficiency and network life time of WBANs.
Belizean creole folk songs

(1983). Belizean Creole Folk Songs. Caribbean Quarterly: Vol. 29, Caribbean Traditional Music, pp. 44-65.
Rethinking Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi Bay was named by Spanish or French explorers in honor of the liturgical feast day of Corpus Christi on which the region was initially encountered during the sixteenth century. But the inland Corpus Christi, now the eighth largest city in Texas, did not come about and was not named until much later, during the 1840s. The standard assumption, that Corpus Christi is a toponym derived from Spanish (or French) colonial history should be reconsidered. The creation and naming of a place called Corpus Christi offers some fascinating insights into anxieties about religion, race and national identity during a critical period of nineteenth century US expansion.
Temperature-dependent electrical resistance of conductive polylactic acid filament for fused deposition modeling

This study characterizes the microstructure and temperature dependence of resistance of two commercially available electrically conductive polylactic acid (PLA) composites for fused deposition modeling (FDM): PLA-carbon black and PLA-graphene. No microstructural changes were observed between the filament and the printed parts; however, the resistivity of the filament was found to drop by four to six times upon FDM. Also, compared to the resistivity of individual extruded wire, the resistivity of the printed parts was found to be up to 1500 times higher for PLA-graphene and up to 300 times higher for PLA-carbon black. The raw PLA-carbon black filament and printed wire showed a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (α) value between ~ 0.03 and 0.01 °C−1, which makes them more suitable for sensor development. The raw PLA-graphene filament and printed wire did not exhibit a significant α, which makes them more suitable for printing wires. However, the parts made with multilayer FDM exhibited a negative or a negligible α up to a certain temperature prior to exhibiting a positive α; further, these α values were significantly lower than those obtained for the filaments before or after extrusion. These findings enable proper selection of commercial conductive FDM filaments for enabling quicker prototyping of electronics and sensors.
Successful and Rapid Treatment of Nail Psoriasis Using Topical Indigo Naturalis Oil Extract

BackgroundNail psoriasis, characterized by chronic inflammation, is a debilitating disease that affects many patients worldwide. Currently, we are lacking standardized therapeutic treatment regimen...
RESPONSE: What Will Echocardiography Look Like in the Future?

Echocardiography has come a long way from the days of M-mode. As discussed by Dr. Wan, ultrasound technology has greatly expanded its imaging armamentarium in a relatively short period of time in historical terms. Presently, echocardiography is able to provide invaluable information about cardiac
Anxiolytic Antidepressant Augmentation

The administration of anxiolytic drugs often accompanies treatment with antidepressant medications. Although benzodiazepines help alleviate the secondary depressive symptoms of anxiety and sleep disturbance, they do not actually enhance antidepressant response. On the other hand, the anxiolytic agent buspirone does facilitate direct antidepressant response, largely through its ability to activate both presynaptic and postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors and thus modulate serotonin release. Several case studies and open-label trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of buspirone as an augmentation agent. Because buspirone is also associated with few adverse effects, it appears to be both effective and safe in the augmentation of antidepressant pharmacotherapy.
Erythrocyte Flow in the Cerebral Capillary Network During Ischemia and Hypoxemia: Observations with Intravital Microscopy

Intravital microscopic studies into the cerebral cortical capillary circulation suggest that during physiological challenges to cerebral perfusion and oxygen supply, selective adjustments in flow of individual capillaries take place. Both global ischemia and hypoxemia produce redistribution of red blood cell flow so that the homogeneity of perfusion in the capillary network increases. An equalization of red blood cell flow between nutritive capillaries and thoroughfare channels may contribute to this response. In addition, hypoxemia induces the recruitment erythrocyte flow in the cerebral capillary network. Nitric oxide from a neuronal source contributes to the maintenance and enhancement of erythrocyte flow in cerebral capillaries during hypoxemia. The anatomical structure responsible for selective regulation of capillary flow is unclear; it may be an endothelial or specialized pericapillary contractile cell that is influenced by nitric oxide.
Social Antecedents and Consequences of Self-Referent Cognition

Here we consider what we know (with varying degrees of certainty) about the social influences on self-referent cognitive (self-conceiving) processes and, to a lesser degree, about their social consequences. Self-conceiving processes, for our present purposes, is meant to encompass the range of self-referent cognitive activities—imagining oneself, holding beliefs about oneself, self-perception, self-conception, sensing oneself, and being aware of oneself. Self-referent cognitive responses collectively define what others have called the phenomenal self, that is, “a person’s awareness, rising out of interactions with his environment, of his own beliefs, values, attitudes, the links between them, and their implications for his behavior” (p. 716) (Jones & Gerard, 1967).
SiN x bilayer grating coupler for photonic systems

We present an apodized bilayer low-temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) SiNx grating coupler for foundry-based, dual SiNx layer, photonic applications. The grating coupler was designed for TE polarization in the C-band (1530–1565 nm). It has a simulated fiber-to-chip efficiency of −2.28 dB (59.1%) and a −1 dB bandwidth of 57.7 nm. Its measured fiber-to-chip efficiency and −1 dB bandwidth were −2.56 dB (55.4%) and 46.9 nm respectively. It was fabricated in a state-of-the-art 300 mm CMOS foundry with 193 nm deep UV argon-fluoride (DUV ArF) excimer-laser immersion lithography.
Protocol to Improve Genotyping of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosed Using EBUS-TBNA.

OBJECTIVES Targeted therapies for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) are based on the presence of driver mutations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) translocation. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a first-line modality for diagnosing and staging NSCLC. A quality improvement protocol maximizing tissue acquisition for molecular analysis has not been previously described. METHODS We instituted a standardized protocol designed from a multidisciplinary meeting of the pulmonology, oncology, and pathology departments for the acquisition and on-site processing of samples obtained through EBUS-TBNA to improve the yield for genetic analysis of EGFR and ALK testing. RESULTS Preprotocol there were 50 NSCLCs (29 adenocarcinomas) and postprotocol there were 109 NSCLCs (52 adenocarcinomas). A statistically significant increase in yield for molecular analysis was seen in both EGFR (36% preprotocol and 80% postprotocol, P < 0.01) and ALK (41% preprotocol and 80% postprotocol, P < 0.01). There was no difference in complications preprotocol and postprotocol. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a standardized protocol with EBUS-TBNA was associated with an increase in adequacy for molecular genetic analysis in NSCLC.
Survey of Public Safety Communications: User-Side and Network-Side Solutions and Future Directions

To prevent economic losses, maintain social order, and protect the well-being of the populace during public safety and crisis recovery scenarios, such as man-made and natural disasters, the efficient and effective delivery of time-critical information to first responders and victims plays a key role. Nonetheless, too often, the communication infrastructures that enable time-critical information delivery become dysfunctional, due to traffic overloads or physical damage. Thus, the user-side solution [e.g., device-to-device (D2D) communications] and the network-side solution [e.g., dynamic wireless networks (DWNs)] are essential communication techniques that can enhance or restore communication for responders and victims in the harsh environment associated with public safety scenes. While D2D has been widely studied and investigated in legacy/commercial communication networks, as well as DWN, little work has been done toward adapting D2D and DWN from a public safety perspective. In this survey, we first design a layered structure, consisting of the public safety service layer, time-critical information delivery layer, and physical object layer, from which to consider the public safety system and its key components. We then extensively review research efforts on both D2D and DWN as complimentary user-side and network-side communication techniques toward effective public safety communications. Particularly, we investigate the approaches and standardization progress of D2D and DWN for public safety communications. Finally, we provide insights into challenges and potential solutions regarding D2D, DWN, security and resilience, and performance evaluation of public safety communication, as well as the integration of state-of-the-art communication and computing technologies to further improve time-critical information delivery in various public safety scenarios.
Overview: Semisolid Foods

Composition and microstructure can significantly influence the rheological and texture behaviors of semisolid food. It is important for food manufacturers to modify their formulations and processing methods to produce products with desirable texture, appearance, and processing properties. This chapter gives an overview on key semisolid food rheological behaviors, including non-Newtonian, viscoelastic, and creep-recovery behaviors, as well as rheological models used for semisolid foods. Examples of and mechanism for modifying rheological and texture behaviors by composition, microstructure, and physical treatments are provided. Typical semisolid foods, including yogurt, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter spread, and sauce, are used as examples.
“They Didn’t Even Talk About Oppression”: School Leadership Protecting the Whiteness of Leadership through Resistance Practices to a Youth Voice Initiative

In this article, we deepen understandings of leadership resistance to youth voice initiatives (YVIs) by interrogating the resistant actions of a group of white district leaders who initiated a stud...
Cross efficiency evaluation of decision-making units using the maximum decisional efficiency principle

Abstract This paper uses maximum decisional efficiency (MDE) principle to derive cross efficiency (CE) scores for input and output oriented frontier efficiency models. The MDE CE models are parametric models that derive their cross efficiencies by either maximizing log-likelihood (input-oriented models) or minimizing negative log-likelihood (output-oriented models). Using real-world and simulated datasets, we compare our MDE models with several competing CE models from the literature. Our results illustrate that the MDE models based CE scores have higher CE averages when inputs are independent or correlated with half-normal inefficiency distributions. We also find that MDE models provide model consensus scores that are highly consistent. When inputs are correlated and inefficiency distributions are exponential, the log-likelihood estimation procedures appear to suffer in performance when compared to data envelopment analysis models with secondary objectives.
Exciton energy transfer reveals spectral signatures of excited states in clusters

Electronic excitation and concomitant energy transfer leading to Penning ionization in argon-acetylene clusters generated in a supersonic expansion are investigated with synchrotron-based photoionization mass spectrometry and electronic structure calculations. Spectral features in the photoionization efficiency of the mixed argon-acetylene clusters reveal a blue shift from the 2P1/2 and 2P3/2 excited states of atomic argon. Analysis of this feature suggests that excited states of argon clusters transfer energy to acetylene, resulting in its ionization and successive evaporation of argon. Theoretically calculated Arn (n = 2-6) cluster spectra are in excellent agreement with experimental observations, and provide insight into the structure and ionization dynamics of the clusters. A comparison between argon-acetylene and argon-water clusters reveals that argon solvates water better, allowing for higher-order excitons and Rydberg states to be populated. These results are explained by theoretical calculations of respective binding energies and structures.
Colonic Adenocarcinoma at Advanced Stage in Adolescence: Report of 2 Cases.

Background Carcinoma of colon is rare in children and adolescents. The staging criteria of the carcinoma is the same as those for adults. However, the pathogenetic background in pediatric cases is different from adults and usually involves mismatch repair gene mutations or familial polyposis syndromes. Case report. We describe two adolescents diagnosed with advanced stage colon carcinoma and discuss the histological appearance, testing for mismatch repair genes and contrast- it with carcinoma occurring in the setting of familial polyposis syndrome. Conclusion Colonic carcinoma occurring in pediatric patients should prompt a work-up for mismatch repair gene mutation status. Despite higher stage of presentation, some of the pediatric patients may respond favorably to chemotherapy and surgical resection.
What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence: by Stephen A. Schwarzman Simon & Schuster UK 2019.

What it Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence is the autobiography of Stephen A. Schwarzman, founder of The Blackstone Group and now legendary icon of the private equity industry. This book h...
Inferring the Number of Attributes for the Exploratory DINA Model

Diagnostic classification models (DCMs) are widely used for providing fine-grained classification of a multidimensional collection of discrete attributes. The application of DCMs requires the specification of the latent structure in what is known as the $${\varvec{Q}}$$ matrix. Expert-specified $${\varvec{Q}}$$ matrices might be biased and result in incorrect diagnostic classifications, so a critical issue is developing methods to estimate $${\varvec{Q}}$$ in order to infer the relationship between latent attributes and items. Existing exploratory methods for estimating $${\varvec{Q}}$$ must pre-specify the number of attributes, K. We present a Bayesian framework to jointly infer the number of attributes K and the elements of $${\varvec{Q}}$$ . We propose the crimp sampling algorithm to transit between different dimensions of K and estimate the underlying $${\varvec{Q}}$$ and model parameters while enforcing model identifiability constraints. We also adapt the Indian buffet process and reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to estimate $${\varvec{Q}}$$ . We report evidence that the crimp sampler performs the best among the three methods. We apply the developed methodology to two data sets and discuss the implications of the findings for future research.
The effects of inbound open innovation, outbound open innovation, and team role diversity on open source software project performance

Abstract This manuscript delineates two open innovation strategies, inbound and outbound, to examine how their trade-off effects on open source software project performance are affected by project team role diversity. We leverage Opportunity-Motivation-Ability (OMA) theory to explain that inbound open innovation provides opportunities to access external knowledge in open innovation community networks; but whether a project can absorb and utilize such external knowledge depends on outbound open innovation and project team role diversity, which influence the team members' motivation and ability to do so. Using a large sample of open source software projects, the empirical findings suggest project performance should be distinguished as internal (technical performance) and external (market performance) to understand the effects of open innovation strategy. Technical performance is enhanced with a coupled open innovation strategy that leverages both high outbound open innovation and high inbound open innovation, in conjunction with low team role diversity. However, an inbound open innovation strategy is optimal for market performance, particularly when team role diversity is high. Thus, project team role diversity explains the trade-off effects of inbound and outbound open innovation strategies on project technical performance and market performance.
Safety and Feasibility Evaluation of Step Count Informed Meal Boluses in Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study.

Background:Physical activity can cause glucose fluctuations both during and after it is performed, leading to hurdles in optimal insulin dosing in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We conducted a ...
Nitrapyrin-based nitrification inhibitors shaped the soil microbial community via controls on soil pH and inorganic N composition

Abstract Nitrate is a major source of N nutrition for plant production, but it is prone to loss from an arable soil via leaching and denitrification. Chemicals that inhibit biological NO3− production, known as nitrification inhibitors or N stabilizers, have been widely applied to slow nitrification and therefore minimize soil NO3− accumulation. However, the impacts of nitrification inhibitors on microbes other than nitrifying bacteria and archaea are largely unknown. Here we examined the diversity, abundance, and composition of the soil microbial community following the addition of two nitrification inhibitors, both containing nitrapyrin as the active ingredient but different solvents or emulsifying agents. Two silt loam soils of different acidities were used for a two-month microcosm incubation. Each soil was subjected to six treatments of soil alone, soil with the addition of each nitrification inhibitor at 4 μg nitrapyrin g−1 soil, soil with the addition of ammonium sulfate at 60 μg N g−1 soil, and soil with the addition of both ammonium sulfate and each nitrification inhibitor. Periodically during the incubation, soil NH4+ and NO3− were quantified. In addition to measurements of soil pH and potential rate of nitrification at the end of incubation, 16S rRNA and ITS marker gene libraries were prepared for high throughput sequencing. Our data showed clear targeted effects of nitrapyrin-based nitrification inhibitors on nitrification as well as ammonia oxidizing bacteria and archaea; and these effects were little affected by different solvents for dissolving or emulsifying nitrapyrin. However, the use of a nitrification inhibitor generated some non-target effects on the soil microbial community. Microbes of copiotrophic life strategy, e.g., Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Ascomycota were promoted, whereas microbes of oligotrophic life strategy, e.g., Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Basidiomycota were suppressed. The degree of non-target effects appeared to be soil and microbial domain specific, with stronger effects in the acidic soil than neutral soil on the bacterial community and yet comparable effects on the fungal community between the two soils. Spearman's rank correlations suggested that non-target effects of nitrification inhibitors were primarily attributed to changes in soil pH as well as soil inorganic N composition, i.e., the percentage of ammonium (or nitrate) in inorganic N. Further research is needed for better understanding soil microbial ecology under high NH4+ concentrations so that the management practice of keeping more NH4+ in soil can be well adopted to improve crop N use efficiency and soil sustainability.
Chapter 20 Methods for Measuring the Length of the Mitotic Cycle and the Timing of DNA Synthesis for Mammalian Cells in Culture

Publisher Summary This chapter presents some methods for measuring intermitotic times of individual cells, average intermitotic times of cultures, and the length of each of the parts of the mitotic cycle. These methods emphasize on mammalian cells in vitro , however many of the techniques can be applied to material in vivo also. Time-lapse cinemicrography method is used for measuring the intermitotic time of individual cells and the average intermitotic time of cultures. For this type of measurement, the basic requirements of the culture are that enough cells should be present to constitute a good sample and that they should not wander out of the microscopic field. This method works best, therefore, with epithelial-like cells, which are seeded in clusters. To keep them this way, they are scraped from the inner surface of stock culture bottles with a rubber policeman and drawn into a syringe through a 15-gauge hypodermic needle. For measurements of intermitotic time, the event that usually marks the beginning or end of a mitotic cycle is the separation of chromosomes at the beginning of anaphase. The methods that have been developed to measure growth rates of cultures involve analyses of changes in cell numbers, in a chemical constituent of the cells, or in some physical dimension of the culture.
Are massive halos baryonic

The problems with massive halos being composed of baryonic matter are discussed. Specifically, a halo composed of either gas, snowballs, dust and rocks, low mass stars, Jupiters, dead stars or neutron stars is shown to be unlikely. Halos could be composed of black holes less than 100 M0 if they, unlike the stars in this mass range, are extremely efficiently accreting or primordial. At present, however, particles from supersymmetric theories appear to offer the most interesting possibilities as the constituents of halos.
Nursing Needs Big Data and Big Data Needs Nursing

Purpose Contemporary big data initiatives in health care will benefit from greater integration with nursing science and nursing practice; in turn, nursing science and nursing practice has much to gain from the data science initiatives. Big data arises secondary to scholarly inquiry (e.g., -omics) and everyday observations like cardiac flow sensors or Twitter feeds. Data science methods that are emerging ensure that these data be leveraged to improve patient care. Organizing Construct Big data encompasses data that exceed human comprehension, that exist at a volume unmanageable by standard computer systems, that arrive at a velocity not under the control of the investigator and possess a level of imprecision not found in traditional inquiry. Data science methods are emerging to manage and gain insights from big data. Methods The primary methods included investigation of emerging federal big data initiatives, and exploration of exemplars from nursing informatics research to benchmark where nursing is already poised to participate in the big data revolution. We provide observations and reflections on experiences in the emerging big data initiatives. Conclusions Existing approaches to large data set analysis provide a necessary but not sufficient foundation for nursing to participate in the big data revolution. Nursing's Social Policy Statement guides a principled, ethical perspective on big data and data science. There are implications for basic and advanced practice clinical nurses in practice, for the nurse scientist who collaborates with data scientists, and for the nurse data scientist. Clinical Relevance Big data and data science has the potential to provide greater richness in understanding patient phenomena and in tailoring interventional strategies that are personalized to the patient.
Internal Adaptive-Model Control of Wastewater pH

Control of a highly nonlinear, multi-acid plus common ion salt wastewater flow-through pH neutralization process is simulated with an Internal Adaptive-Model Controller (IAMC). The reduced phenomenological model of the "expert" controller considers the wastewater as a single fictitious acid of unknown concentration and of unknown Gibbs free energy of dissociation. Measurable process information is used to parameterize the two-coefficient model which is then used to predict a base flow rate setpoint for conventional PI flow control. IAMC control simulation over a wide range of wastewater composition and upsets indicate rapid and effective control even without the blending volume required in conventional pH control schemes.
Calibrating pan-tilt cameras with telephoto lenses

Pan-tilt cameras are widely used in surveillance networks. These cameras are often equipped with telephoto lenses to capture objects at a distance. Such a camera makes full-metric calibration more difficult since the projection with a telephoto lens is close to orthographic. This paper discusses the problems caused by pan-tilt cameras with long focal length and presents a method to improve the calibration accuracy. Experiments show that our method reduces the re-projection errors by an order of magnitude compared to popular homography-based approaches.
Lymphocyte propionyl-CoA carboxylase and its activation by biotin are sensitive indicators of marginal biotin deficiency in humans

Background Marginal biotin deficiency may be a human teratogen. A biotin status indicator that is not dependent on renal function would be potentially useful in studies of biotin status during pregnancy. A previous study of experimental biotin deficiency suggested that propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) is a sensitive indicator of biotin status.
Koordination des Stoffwechsels

Beim Studium der Biochemie des Stoffwechsels haben wir die Stoffwechselwege immer separat betrachtet. Wir haben festgestellt, wie nutzlich die Energie ist, die aus Brennstoffen gewonnen wird, und wie sie Biosynthesen und Signaltransduktionswege antreibt. In den Kapiteln 28 bis 30 werden wir unsere Untersuchungen der biosynthetischen Reaktionen um die Synthese von Proteinen und Nucleinsauren erweitern. Bevor wir jedoch dazu kommen, werden wir in diesem Kapitel einen Schritt zuruck gehen, um das Zusammenspiel von biochemischen Reaktionen, die die Physiologie von Organismen ausmachen, auf hoherer Ebene zu betrachten. Im Einklang mit dem zentralen Thema des Lebens – der Veranderung des Energiezustandes – werden wir die Regulation des Energiestoffwechsels auf organismischer Ebene besprechen, die sich auf eine nur auf den ersten Blick einfache, tatsachlich jedoch komplizierte Frage reduzieren lasst: Durch welche biochemischen Vorgange weis ein Organismus, wann er Nahrung aufnehmen muss und wann er gesattigt ist? Die Fahigkeit, passende und nicht ubermasig gefullte Energiespeicher anzulegen, wird als kalorische Homoostase oder Energiehomoostase bezeichnet.
Auctions of Real Options: Security Bids and Moral Hazard

Governments and corporations frequently sell assets with embedded real options to competing buyers using security bids. Examples include the sales of natural resources, real estate, patents and licenses, and start-up companies. This paper models these auctions of real options, incorporating both endogenous auction timing and post-auction option exercise. I characterize the ways common security bids distort investments and strategic auction timing affects auction initiation, security ranking, equilibrium bidding, and investment. Revenue-maximizing sellers inefficiently delay auctions, including optimal auctions which align investment incentives using a combination of down payment and royalty payment. When sellers do not restrict security design, bidding and allocation outcomes are equivalent to cash auctions. Finally, informed bidders always initiate the auctions when they could. The results are broadly consistent with empirical observations and underscore that auction timing and sellers' commitment should be jointly considered with security design in selling real options.
Rapid Molecular Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission

Close sequence homology between strains of HIV-1 have been used to corroborate cases of epidemiologically identified transmission. As an alternative to extensive DNA sequence analysis, genetic relateness between pairs of HIV quasispecies was estimated using the reduced electrophoretic mobilities of HIV-1 envelope DNA heteroduplexes through polyacrylamide gels. All six infections acquired in a dental practice in the late 1980s and four of six infections acquired through blood product transfusions and sexual contact in 1984-1985 could be rapidly identified. A rising level of genetic diversity within HIV-1 subtype B facilitated the detection of later transmission events. Transmission linkages could be detected up to 4 years following infection. The simple and rapid technique of DNA heteroduplex tracking can therefore assist epidemiological investigations of HIV transmission and potentially of other genetically variable infectious agents.
Search for Magnetic Monopoles Trapped in Matter

There have been many searches for magnetic monopoles in flight, but few for monopoles in matter. We have searched for magnetic monopoles in meteorites, schists, ferromanganese nodules, iron ores, and other materials. The detector was a superconducting induction coil connected to a superconducting quantum interference device with a room temperature bore 15 cm in diameter. We tested a total of more than 331 kg of material including 112 kg of meteorites. We found no monopole and conclude the overall monopole $/$nucleon ratio in the samples is $l1.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}29}$ with a 90% confidence level.
Glucose quantification in highly scattering media using diffuse reflectance polarization imaging

Recently, polarization based optical approaches have received considerable interest due to their potential medical applications. Glucose, a chiral molecule, has the ability to rotate the plane of linearly polarized light, commonly referred to as optical activity, as well as affecting the refractive index of the media which is therefore affects the overall scattering coefficient in a given media. The magnitude of each effect is related to the concentration of glucose. Based on these effects, it would be expected that a change in glucose concentration would alter the diffuse reflectance polarization patterns from turbid media. In this study, we investigate how each of these effects is correlated to glucose concentration in a physiological range for highly scattering biological media. Furthermore, it is shown how diffusely polarized imaging when coupled with chemometrics techniques can be used to quantify glucose concentration.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A new species of the Devonian lycopod genus, Leclercqia, from the Emsian of New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract A new species of the fossil lycopsid genus, Leclercqia , is reported from the Early Devonian (Emsian) of northern New Brunswick, Canada. The plant remains consist of dochotomizing axes covered with numerous, small, closely spaced leaves. The leaves are laminar and divided distally into five segments which curve upwards. An ellipsoidal sporangium attaches to the adaxial surface, proximal to divisions, of many leaves. Sporangia contain abundant and well-preserved spores assigned to the sporae dispersae genus Acinosporites . The habit of the plant is proposed to be that of an herbaceous lycopsid. Leclercqia andrewsii differs from the type species, L. complexa , in the organization of its leaf segments: all five segments curve or bend upward after the point of forking. The genus has previously been described from mostly Middle Devonian sediments of North America, South America (Venezuela), Australia (Queensland), and Europe, and also from the Early Devonian of North America. This account adds another Emsian occurrence of the genus Leclercqia in North America, documents a new species, and presents evidence of novel variation in early Devonian leclercqioid lycopsids relative to those present in the Middle Devonian.
Possible sources of new information in the magnetocardiogram.

Abstract The theoretical basis for the relationship between the electric and magnetic fields of the heart is examined in terms of impressed currents, J j , from a biologically active region imbedded in an Ohmic conductor. For quasistatic sources in a uniform conductor, it is shown that the problem of measuring the electrocardiogram or magnetocardiogram is an inverse problem rendered non-unique by the presence of so-called silent sources. An important class of sources, toroidal J j , are silent electrically and not silent magnetically and these sources result in inherent differences between the information content of the electric and magnetic measurement techniques. A hypothetical example of cardiac activation departing from the conventional uniform double-layer model is presented to indicate that electrically silent sources cannot be ruled out a priori without careful magnetic measurements.
A space-time-filtered Viterbi receiver for CCI/ISI reduction in TDMA systems

In this paper, we present a hybrid space-time-filtered Viterbi receiver using multiple antennas for co-channel interference (CCI) reduction and intersymbol interference (ISI) equalization in a slow Rayleigh fading channel. In this approach, a space-time filter is first applied at the antenna outputs to maximize the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), and the scalar output is then sent to a Viterbi equalizer. We propose a closed-form solution to jointly determine the weight vector for the space-time filter and the channel vector for the Viterbi equalizer. We also examine the need for a whitening filter prior to the Viterbi equalizer and show that it only marginally improves the performance. Simulation results are provided to validate our approach and to compare the performance of our receiver with that of different existing receivers.