cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct ESR detection and spin trapping of radicals generated by reaction of oxygen radicals with sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membranes

Abstract The stability of membranes under the strong oxidizing conditions in fuel cells is one of the major challenges in the development of fuel cells based on proton exchange membranes (PEMs). This study is centered on the determination of the susceptibility to degradation of SPEEK membranes exposed to OH radicals, using both direct ESR and spin trapping with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide (DMPO). In order to achieve a complete picture on SPEEK degradation, two types of experiments were performed: 1. UV irradiation at 77 K of SPEEK membranes swollen by aqueous solutions of H2O2; 2. UV irradiation of SPEEK membranes swollen by aqueous solutions of H2O2 in the presence of DMPO as a spin trap. UV irradiation without oxygen of SPEEK at 77 K in acid or basic form in the presence of H2O2/H2O produced phenoxyl radicals as the predominant radicals detected by direct ESR or spin trapping methods. At pH 4, the oxygen radicals produced phenyl radicals as the predominant species detected by spin trapping methods. The hydroperoxyl radical, as DMPO/OOH adduct, was detected only when the DMPO/OH adduct was absent. The appearance of phenyl and phenoxyl radicals provides the evidence that OH radicals react with the aromatic ring of SPEEK or leading to the scission of its ether bridge.
Early change in proteinuria as a surrogate end point for kidney disease progression: an individual patient meta-analysis.

Background It is controversial whether proteinuria is a valid surrogate end point for randomized trials in chronic kidney disease. Study Design Meta-analysis of individual patient-level data. Setting & Population Individual patient data for 9,008 patients from 32 randomized trials evaluating 5 intervention types. Selection Criteria for Studies Randomized controlled trials of kidney disease progression until 2007 with measurements of proteinuria both at baseline and during the first year of follow-up, with at least 1 further year of follow-up for the clinical outcome. Predictor Early change in proteinuria. Outcomes Doubling of serum creatinine level, end-stage renal disease, or death. Results Early decline in proteinuria was associated with lower risk of the clinical outcome (pooled HR, 0.74 per 50% reduction in proteinuria); this association was stronger at higher levels of baseline proteinuria. Pooled estimates for the proportion of treatment effect on the clinical outcome explained by early decline in proteinuria ranged from −7.0% (95%CI, −40.6% to 26.7%) to 43.9% (95%CI, 25.3% to 62.6%) across 5 intervention types. The direction of the pooled treatment effects on early change in proteinuria agreed with the direction of the treatment effect on the clinical outcome for all 5 intervention types, with the magnitudes of the pooled treatment effects on the 2 end points agreeing for 4 of the 5 intervention types. The pooled treatment effects on both end points were simultaneously stronger at higher levels of proteinuria. However, statistical power was insufficient to determine whether differences in treatment effects on the clinical outcome corresponded to differences in treatment effects on proteinuria between individual studies. Limitations Limited variety of interventions tested and low statistical power for many chronic kidney disease clinical trials. Conclusions These results provide new evidence supporting the use of an early reduction in proteinuria as a surrogate end point, but do not provide sufficient evidence to establish its validity in all settings.
Instrumental analysis of ethanol-induced intoxication in human males.

A study was conducted to assess subjective reports of intoxication during the ascending phase of the plasma ethanol curve. Eighteen male social drinkers were divided into three groups and were given either placebo, 0.347 g/kg ethanol or 0.694 g/kg ethanol under double-blind conditions. Subjects reported levels of intoxication both instrumentally, by moving a joystick device, and verbally using an 11-point self-rating scale. Compared to placebo, ethanol produced significantly higher verbal self-rating scores, but there were no differences in the scores between the low-and high-dose ethanol groups. Instrumental responses of ethanol effects did, however, distinguish between the two ethanol treatments. All subjects who received ethanol reliably detected its effects when plasma ethanol levels reached 32 mg/dl, but only the subjects who received the high dose reported episodes of intense well-being or euphoria. Ethanol-induced euphoria occurred while plasma ethanol levels were rapidly rising, and was characterized by multiple, paroxysmal episodes that typically lasted about 3 min each. This study demonstrated that a continuously available instrumental response provided sensitive and reliable measures of rapidly changing behavioral states associated with ethanol-induced intoxication.
Compact, High Impedance and Wide Bandwidth Detectors for Characterization of Millimeter Wave Performance

Root mean square (RMS) Schottky barrier diode (SBD) detectors with detector gain of 4.6 V-1 , operating frequency range around 30-50 GHz or bandwidth greater than 20 GHz, and an area of 36 μm2 are demonstrated in 45-nm SOI CMOS. The maximum detector insertion loss up to 50 GHz is 0.1 dB relative to that for a thru structure with a maximum loss of 0.25 dB. The detectors for the first time are simultaneously compact, high impedance, and wide bandwidth. The Schottky diode and detectors are also the first demonstration in nano-scale SOI CMOS. The detectors allow measurements of internal-node voltages of millimeter wave circuits with a DC voltmeter. Using the detectors, the frequency responses of node voltages and gains in a millimeter wave mixer are measured. Adding the detectors to the mixer, while improving mixer IIP3, should not degrade the mixer's noise and gain characteristics, and does not increase the die area. With an external micro-controller, autonomous bias optimization for maximum conversion gain is also demonstrated.
The Other Breadwinners : the Mobilization of Secondary Wage Earners in Early Twentieth-Century Black Families

This study examines black families' reliance on secondary wage earners in Atlanta, GA during the early twentieth century (1900 and 1936). In periods of economic prosperity and decline, two-parent black families routinely relied on the employment of mothers, children, and extended kin to supplement the family income. These other breadwinners had different positions within the black family economy, and families' reliance on them was affected by diverse, albeit complementary factors. The employment of mothers and children was affected by economic need and the demands associated with the family life cycle. The presence of working relatives in extended family households was affected by the age of relatives, household size, and, to a limited degree, the ages of the host families' children.
Unique Signaling Properties of CTAR1 in LMP1-Mediated Transformation

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene is considered the EBV oncogene as it is necessary for EBV-mediated transformation of B lymphocytes and itself transforms rodent fibroblasts. LMP1 activates the NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Jun N-terminal protein kinase signaling pathways through its two signaling domains, carboxyl-terminal activating regions 1 and 2 (CTAR1 and CTAR2). CTAR1 and CTAR2 induce signal transduction pathways through their direct (CTAR1) or indirect (CTAR2) recruitment of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs). CTAR1 is necessary for LMP1-mediated transformation as well as activation of PI3K signaling and induction of cell cycle markers associated with G 1 /S transition. In this study, activation of PI3K-Akt signaling and deregulation of cell cycle markers were mapped to the TRAF-binding domain within CTAR1 and to the residues between CTAR1 and CTAR2. LMP1 CTAR1 also activated the MEK1/2-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling pathway, and this activation was necessary for LMP1-induced transformation of Rat-1 fibroblasts. Dominant-negative forms of TRAF2 and TRAF3 inhibited but did not fully block LMP1-mediated transformation. These findings identify a new signaling pathway that is uniquely activated by the TRAF-binding domain of LMP1 and is required for transformation.
Lactate: Brain Fuel in Human Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparison with Normal Healthy Control Subjects

We evaluated the hypothesis that lactate shuttling helps support the nutritive needs of injured brains. To that end, we utilized dual isotope tracer [6,6-(2)H2]glucose, that is, D2-glucose, and [3-(13)C]lactate techniques involving arm vein tracer infusion along with simultaneous cerebral (arterial [art] and jugular bulb [JB]) blood sampling. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients with nonpenetrating brain injuries (n=12) were entered into the study following consent of patients' legal representatives. Written and informed consent was obtained from control volunteers (n=6). Patients were studied 5.7±2.2 (mean±SD) days post-injury; during periods when arterial glucose concentration tended to be higher in TBI patients. As in previous investigations, the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRgluc, i.e., net glucose uptake) was significantly suppressed following TBI (p<0.001). However, lactate fractional extraction, an index of cerebral lactate uptake related to systemic lactate supply, approximated 11% in both healthy control subjects and TBI patients. Further, neither the CMR for lactate (CMRlac, i.e., net lactate release), nor the tracer-measured cerebral lactate uptake differed between healthy controls and TBI patients. The percentages of lactate tracer taken up and released as (13)CO2 into the JB accounted for 92% and 91% for control and TBI conditions, respectively, suggesting that most cerebral lactate uptake was oxidized following TBI. Comparisons of isotopic enrichments of lactate oxidation from infused [3-(13)C]lactate tracer and (13)C-glucose produced during hepatic and renal gluconeogenesis (GNG) showed that 75-80% of (13)CO2 released into the JB was from lactate and that the remainder was from the oxidation of glucose secondarily labeled from lactate. Hence, either directly as lactate uptake, or indirectly via GNG, peripheral lactate production accounted for ∼70% of carbohydrate (direct lactate uptake+uptake of glucose from lactate) consumed by the injured brain. Undiminished cerebral lactate fractional extraction and uptake suggest that arterial lactate supplementation may be used to compensate for decreased CMRgluc following TBI.
Anal-Sac Secretions Deposited with Feces by Captive Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

La proportion de feces qui contiennent des secretions anales a ete etudiee chez le renard roux captif, ainsi que l'eventuelle difference dans la frequence de secretion anale pour les mâles et les femelles
A modular framework to enable rapid evaluation and exploration of energy management methods in smart home platforms

Numerous efforts focus on developing smart grid and smart home platforms to provide monitoring, management, and optimization solutions. In order to more effectively manage energy resources, a holistic view is needed; however the involved platforms are complex and require integration of a multitude of parameters such as the end-user behavior, underlying hardware components, environment, etc., many of which operate on varying time scale at various levels of detail. A general and modular framework is presented to enable designers to focus on modeling, simulating, analyzing, or optimizing specific sub-components without requiring a detailed implementation across all levels. We incorporate two case studies in which the proposed framework is utilized to help an end user evaluate platform configurations given an energy usage model, as well as integrate an energy optimization module to investigate rescheduling of appliance usage times in an effort to lower cost.
Monomelic amyotrophy with late progression

Monomelic amyotrophy is a sporadic juvenile-onset disease that presents with gradual onset of weakness and atrophy in the hand muscles unilaterally. Generally, this disease is considered a 'benign' and non-progressive motor neuron disease, which stabilizes within five years of onset. We discuss a case that illustrates that monomelic amyotrophy may rarely exhibit late clinical progression to the lower extremities after a prolonged period of disease stability.
Short-term effects of burning and disking on songbird use of floodplain conservation easements

Abstract Extensive conversion of Midwestern riparian areas for agricultural production has had many consequences including reduced habitat for nesting birds. However, more than 120,000 ha of riparian habitat have been restored in this region through USDA conservation programs. In 2001 and 2002, we assessed songbird responses to burning and disking for management of conservation easements in east-central Iowa. We randomly assigned herbaceous riparian fields to burning and disking treatments and collected data on density and species richness of songbirds in these habitats. Total density of grassland and wetland species and red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were reduced by burning in the first and second breeding seasons after burning; common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) density decreased with burning only in the first season. Disking led to increased density of grassland and wetland birds and greater overall avian conservation value on treated relative to untreated fields in the year after tr...
Notes From the 2005 ASA Annual Meeting

T 3 FROM OCTOBER 22-26, 2005, ASPAN leaders attended the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting was originally scheduled for New Orleans but due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, ASA leaders made the difficult decision to move the meeting to Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Center just 5 weeks before the meeting. Social events and committee meetings were cancelled, the Gala 100th Anniversary Celebration dinner and reception postponed, and House of Delegates activities and educational sessions moved to the new venue. Despite the move, the meeting attracted more than 14,000 members, nonmembers, exhibitors, and guests.
The poverty problem and the industrialization solution

Despite decades of effort, abject poverty remains a serious problem in many countries around the world. The effects of five approaches to poverty alleviation—foreign aid, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, base of the pyramid initiatives, and the establishment of property rights among the abjectly poor—are briefly reviewed. While each of these approaches has some benefits, none have fulfilled their promise of poverty alleviation. Ironically, as these efforts have gone forward, international industrialization has had a more significant impact on poverty alleviation in at least some countries.
Variability-aware optimization of nano-CMOS Active Pixel Sensors using design and analysis of Monte Carlo experiments

We propose a novel design f ow for mismatch and processvariation aware optimization of nanoscale CMOS Active Pixel Sensor (APS) arrays. As a case study, an 8 × 8 APS array is designed using the proposed methodology for 32nm CMOS technology. Performance metrics such as power, output voltage swing, dynamic range (DR) and capture time (delay) have been measured. The baseline results show a power consumption of 16.32µW, output voltage swing of 428mV, dynamic range (DR) of 59.47dB and a capture time of 5.65µs. The baseline APS array is subjected to 5% ?intra-pixel? mismatch and 10% ?inter-pixel? process variation and the effect on power and output voltage swing has been observed. The APS array is subjected to a design and analysis of Monte Carlo experiments based optimization. Using this approach, we have been able to achieve 21% reduction in power (including leakage). To the best of our knowledge, this is the f rst ever nano-CMOS implementation of an APS array optimized to be mismatch and process variation tolerant.
The Independent Effects of Goal Contents and Motives on Well-Being: It’s Both What You Pursue and Why You Pursue It

The assertion that both the content of goals and the motives behind goals affect psychological well-being has been controversial. Three studies examined this issue directly, showing that both what goals people pursue (i.e., whether they strive for extrinsic vs. intrinsic goal contents) and why people pursue them (i.e., whether they strive for autonomous vs. controlled motives) make significant independent contributions to psychological well-being. The pattern emerged in between-person and within-person studies of cross-sectional well-being and also emerged in a year-long study of prospective change in well-being. Implications for prescriptive theories of happiness are discussed.
Genetic variation at chromosome 8q24 in osteosarcoma cases and controls

Osteosarcoma is a primary bone malignancy that typically occurs during the pubertal growth spurt. Only a few small association studies have evaluated common germ line variation in individuals with osteosarcoma. The 8q24 chromosomal region contains several loci that are associated with risk of many different cancers. We conducted an association study of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 8q24 to explore the role this region may play in osteosarcoma risk. We genotyped 214 tag SNPs in 99 osteosarcoma cases and 1430 controls (65 controls from a hospital-based case-control study and 1365 controls from a population-based study). Additive, dominant and recessive genetic models were evaluated using unconditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Analyses of nine SNPs previously associated with cancer did not show strong statistically significant associations. Of the remaining 205 SNPs, 7 were statistically significant (P </= 0.05) in one or more genetic models; the most significant association was observed for the additive effect of the minor allele at rs896324 (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.13-2.69, P = 0.01). This study suggests that several SNPs in 8q24 may be associated with osteosarcoma, but the susceptibility observed was modest. Future large studies of osteosarcoma genetic risk factors are warranted to improve our understanding of the genetic contribution to this cancer of adolescents and young adults.
Improvement in the health-related quality-of-life symptoms of hyperparathyroidism is durable on long-term follow-up.

Background Subjective symptoms such as decreased energy, chronic fatigue, and depression are associated with hyperparathyroidism. Studies have shown that these symptoms are improved during short-term follow-up after parathyroidectomy. This study evaluates the durability of this subjective improvement in quality-of-life symptoms in a large population of patients with follow-up greater than 1 year after operation. Methods Between 2002 and 2005, 258 patients underwent parathyroidectomy, 100 (81 females and 19 males) of whom were available for this study. The patients were evaluated with a survey based on the Health Outcomes Institute Health Status Questionnaire. Some answers were quantified on a 1 to 6 scale, while others consisted of “yes” or “no” responses. Patients completed a questionnaire prior to parathyroidectomy and postoperatively at 1 month, 3 to 6 months, and 1 to 2 years or greater intervals. Statistical analysis was used to detect changes attributable to parathyroidectomy. A P value Results At 1-month follow-up, patients’ perceptions of their overall health, energy level, and mood significantly improved. At 6-month follow-up, significant improvements in muscle strength, health, endurance, and relief of anxiety were documented. At the interval of 1 to 2 years, overall health, energy level, endurance, and relief of anxiety were improved. There was no significant decrement in the quality of life in these patients after parathyroidectomy. Conclusions Parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism is associated with significant lasting improvement in subjective symptoms. The potential durable improvement in these quality-of-life symptoms is a valid indication for parathyroidectomy.
Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: What’s New?:

As providers of care for children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), it is imperative that the school nurse is familiar both with the legal framework guiding protection of these students’ rights in school and with ongoing developments regarding management of this disorder. Federal legislation, designed to prevent discrimination and to allow children and adolescents with certain disabilities and chronic disorders such as Type 1 DM to fully participate in activities within the academic setting, is a major consideration for those providing care in schools. Understanding of recent developments and future trends in the management of Type 1 DM is essential for the school nurse to facilitate optimal care for students with this disorder. These consist of new types and activity of insulin preparations, alternative devices for insulin delivery, improvements in glucose monitoring, and changes in nutritional management along with upcoming developments in Type 1 DM management.
A Cost Analysis Approach to Optimizing Test Selection

The problem of choosing the best combination of educational and psychological tests for use in identifying students with learning disabilities is discussed within a cost-efficiency framework. An efficiency index for estimating the classification accuracy of tests, easily determined from local data samples and base-rate information, is presented as a key component of the cost-effectiveness (CE) model. A review of the literature on cost-effectiveness analysis suggests the use of expert judgment in addition to a strictly quantitative CE ratio. The use of the efficiency index, the judgmental approach, and the CE ratio is demonstrated with a numerical example.
Clevidipine: An Ultra Short-Acting Calcium Channel Antagonist for Acute Hypertension

Objective:To review the safety, efficacy, and pharmacologic characteristics of clevidipine, a new ultra short-acting intravenous antihypertensive agent for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hypertension.Data Sources:A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE (1966–March 2009), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–March 2009), and EMBASE (1988–March 2009) using the search terms clevidipine, H324/38, hypertension, and hypertensive crisis.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Available studies, abstracts, and review articles published in English that evaluated the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and clinical efficacy of clevidipine were reviewed and critically evaluated.Data Synthesis:Clevidipine is a new third-generation dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker available for intravenous management of moderate-to-severe hypertension. Clevidipine is an ultra short-acting, selective arteriolar vasodilator that acts similar to other L-type dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers by inhibi...
Laboratory set-up for real-time study of electric drives with integrated interfaces for test and measurement

This paper presents a real-time instrumentation setup for laboratory experiments in the course on electric drives that is adapted to incorporate the integrated response and analysis interfaces developed in the course on test and measurement. The experimental setup is modeled after the one proposed by the University of Minnesota. However, the setup along with the modification to the model with the electric drives assembly as hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) is first correctly executed under the RT-LAB real-time system solution. The paper focuses on the design and validation of the electric drives experiments with RT-LAB solution and the LabVIEW API capability provided by RT-LAB that allows user-designed virtual instrumentation-based human-machine interfaces. With this setup, students are not only able to use the same laboratory platform for electric drives studies in the electric drives class, but are also able to study LabVIEW design as part of the Test and Measurement class. The intention is to further develop this setup as a central laboratory platform for use in other courses such as electronics system design, and control. However, for this paper, the focus is on the illustration of how this setup can benefit the subject matter in two courses: electric drives and test and measurement.
An integrated visualization system for surgical planning and guidance using image fusion and an open MR.

A surgical guidance and visualization system is presented, which uniquely integrates capabilities for data analysis and on-line interventional guidance into the setting of interventional MRI. Various pre-operative scans (T1- and T2-weighted MRI, MR angiography, and functional MRI (fMRI)) are fused and automatically aligned with the operating field of the interventional MR system. Both pre-surgical and intra-operative data may be segmented to generate three-dimensional surface models of key anatomical and functional structures. Models are combined in a three-dimensional scene along with reformatted slices that are driven by a tracked surgical device. Thus, pre-operative data augments interventional imaging to expedite tissue characterization and precise localization and targeting. As the surgery progresses, and anatomical changes subsequently reduce the relevance of pre-operative data, interventional data is refreshed for software navigation in true real time. The system has been applied in 45 neurosurgical cases and found to have beneficial utility for planning and guidance. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;13:967-975.
Users' individual communicative responses to intraorganizationally implemented innovations and other planned changes

Although innovations traditionally have been treated as having consistent effects on whole organizations, previous scholarly literature suggests that users demonstrate important individual differen...
Recent aqueous floods from the Cerberus Fossae, Mars

[1] Streamlined forms and longitudinal grooving seen in Mars Orbital Camera (MOC) images indicate recent aqueous flooding occurred downslope (south) of the southern-most Cerberus Fossae fissure. Topography from the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA), in conjunction with the absence of fluvial features in MOC images immediately to the north of the Fossa, substantiate the idea that floods emanated from this fissure. The floodwater flowed southward onto the western Cerberus Plains, where it probably percolated into existing lava flows. Thus, shallow ice may still be extant beneath young lava flows in this equatorial region.
Coherence principles in dose-finding studies

of the methods. This paper shows examples in which coherence is violated, and discusses how the coherence principles may be applied to calibrate a two-stage design and to deal with situations with delayed toxicity.
Replacement of the Replication Factors of Porcine Circovirus (PCV) Type 2 with Those of PCV Type 1 Greatly Enhances Viral Replication In Vitro

Porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1), originally isolated as a contaminant of PK-15 cells, is nonpathogenic, whereas porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes an economically important disease in pigs. To determine the factors affecting virus replication, we constructed chimeric viruses by swapping open reading frame 1 (ORF1) (rep) or the origin of replication (Ori) between PCV1 and PCV2 and compared the replication efficiencies of the chimeric viruses in PK-15 cells. The results showed that the replication factors of PCV1 and PCV2 are fully exchangeable and, most importantly, that both the Ori and rep of PCV1 enhance the virus replication efficiencies of the chimeric viruses with the PCV2 backbone.
Transformative Learning as a Condition for Transformational Change in Organizations

Current organizational change literature points to the continuing high rate of failure for transformational change efforts in organizations. Mergers, acquisitions, global competition, and new techn...
Towards more active biocatalysts in organic media: increasing the activity of salt-activated enzymes.

The activation of freeze-dried subtilisin Carlsberg (SC) in hexane has been systematically studied and partially optimized with respect to the freezing method, the addition of inorganic salts and lyoprotectants, the initial concentration and final weight percent of additives, and the amount of water added to the organic solvent. Activity and water content were found to correlate directly with the kosmotropicity of the activating salt (kosmotropic salts bind water molecules strongly relative to the strength of water-water interactions in bulk solution). Combinations of kosmotropic salts with known lyoprotectants such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and sugars did not yield an appreciably more active catalyst. However, the combination of the kosmotropic sodium acetate with the strongly buffering sodium carbonate activated the enzyme more than the individual additives alone. Enzyme activity was enhanced further by the addition of small amounts of water to the organic solvent. Under optimal conditions, enzyme activity in hexane was improved over 27,000-fold relative to the salt-free enzyme, reaching a catalytic efficiency that was within one order of magnitude of k(cat)/K(m) for hydrolysis of the same substrate in aqueous buffer. Further activation to attain even higher catalytic efficiencies may be possible with additional optimization.
Review of Preclinical Studies on Treatment of Mucositis and Associated Pain

Oral mucositis is a significant problem in cancer patients treated with radiation or chemotherapy, often hindering definitive cancer treatment. For patients with oral mucositis, pain is the most distressing symptom, leading to loss of orofacial function and poor quality of life. While oral mucositis has been well-described, its pathophysiology is poorly understood. Oral health professionals treating patients with mucositis have almost no effective therapies to treat or prevent oral mucositis. The purpose of this review is to (1) describe the current preclinical models of oral mucositis and their contribution to the understanding of mucositis pathophysiology, (2) explore preclinical studies on therapies targeting mucositis and discuss the clinical trials that have resulted from these preclinical studies, and (3) describe the proposed pathophysiology of oral mucositis pain and preclinical modeling of oral mucositis pain.
Communicate This! Does Consensus Lead to Advocacy and Pluralism?:

This article preseints a critique of communicative planning theory. especially its consensus based variatrion. Limitations in communicative planning theory are pinpointed. ConlselnsLIs processes as practiced anid theorized in the UnitedStates tend to be divorced fromn powei-, to shun iroportanit issoLes,anid to result in genieral and thin agreements. Consensus pi-o- cesses also rely oni position-based an-d interest- based methods that overlook norms and meaning. Finally, commuLnicative planning theory has focussed on words and niot iml- ages a severe shortcoming in a society wherc images exert a dominating influenice. Recent literatures on images are briefly examined, and a question about the shape of a moi-e rich anid
Biofuels, cropland expansion, and the extensive margin

Recently, several papers have assessed land use consequences of biofuel expansion. In the absence of empirical evidence, these papers assigned subjective values to extensive margin (productivity of new croplands over productivity of existing croplands). This paper fills the gap in this area and provides a new data set which estimates land productivity at 0.5° × 0.5° (longitude × latitude) grid-cell level using a process-based biogeochemistry model, the terrestrial ecosystem model (TEM) calibrated for a C4 crop. The results obtained from the TEM can be used in connection with economic models which are designed to assess land use changes induced by economic factors. To show a real application, a set of regional extensive margins are calculated based on the new data set. The calculated regional extensive margins are then introduced in a computable general equilibrium (CGE) economic model which has been frequently used to assess the land use implications of ethanol production. Finally, land use changes due to US ethanol production are examined using the augmented CGE model with the new extensive margins. The approach developed here provides estimates of extensive margins disaggregated by the country and agroecological zone, replacing the earlier assumption of a globally uniform value. Using these new parameter values, the estimation of land required for ethanol production is 25% lower than earlier published results.
PSoup: a system for streaming queries over streaming data

Abstract.Recent work on querying data streams has focused on systems where newly arriving data is processed and continuously streamed to the user in real time. In many emerging applications, however, ad hoc queries and/or intermittent connectivity also require the processing of data that arrives prior to query submission or during a period of disconnection. For such applications, we have developed PSoup, a system that combines the processing of ad hoc and continuous queries by treating data and queries symmetrically, allowing new queries to be applied to old data and new data to be applied to old queries. PSoup also supports intermittent connectivity by separating the computation of query results from the delivery of those results. PSoup builds on adaptive query-processing techniques developed in the Telegraph project at UC Berkeley. In this paper, we describe PSoup and present experiments that demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
On the Coexistence of an Evaporation Minimum and Precipitation Maximum in the Warm Pool

Climatologically, the equatorial western Pacific warm pool region is a local minimum in surface evaporation and a local maximum in precipitation. The moist static energy budget in this situation requires a collocated minimum in radiative cooling of the atmosphere, which is supplied by the greenhouse effect of high clouds associated with the precipitation. However, this diagnostic statement does not explain why the evaporation minimum should coexist with the precipitation maximum. A simple physical model of the Walker circulation is used as the basis for an argument that the surface heat budget and the radiative effects of high clouds are essential to the existence of this feature, while variations in surface wind speed are not, though the latter may play an important role in determining the sea surface temperature.
The vacuum bell for treatment of pectus excavatum: an alternative to surgical correction?

Objective: Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common chest wall malformation and one of the most frequent major congenital anomalies. The surgical repair of PE in childhood is a well-established procedure. Previously used operative techniques to correct PE were largely based on the Ravitch technique. Today, the minimally invasive repair (MIRPE) by Nuss is well established. Conservative treatment with the vacuum bell to elevate the funnel in patients with PE represents a potential alternative. Methods: A suction cup is used to create a vacuum at the anterior chest wall. A patient-activated hand pump is used to reduce the pressure up to 15% below atmospheric pressure. Three different sizes of vacuum bell exist which are selected according to the individual patients age. When creating the vacuum, the lift of the sternum is obvious and remains for a different time period. The device should be used for a minimum of 30 min (2 per day), and may be used up to a maximum of several hours daily. Presently, a 12—15-month course of treatment is recommended. In addition, the device was used intraoperatively during the MIRPE procedure to enlarge the retrosternal space to ensure safer passage of the introducer in a few patients. Results: Thirty-four patients (31 males, 3 females), aged 6—52 years (median 17.8 years) used the vacuum bell for 1 to maximum 18 months (median 10.4 months). Follow-up included photography and clinical examination every 3 months. Computed tomographic scans showed that the device lifted the sternum and ribs immediately. In addition, this was confirmed thoracoscopically during the MIRPE procedure. After 3 months, an elevation of more than 1.5 cm was documented in 27 patients (79%). After 12 months, the sternum was lifted to a normal level in five patients (14.7%). Relevant side effects were not noted. Conclusions: The vacuum bell has proved to be an alternative therapeutic option in selected patients with PE. The initial results proved to be dramatic, but long-term results are so far lacking, and further evaluation and follow-up studies are necessary. In addition, the method may assist
When the Password Doesn't Work: Secondary Authentication for Websites

Nearly all websites that maintain user-specific accounts employ passwords to verify that a user attempting to access an account is, in fact, the account holder. However, websites must still be able to identify users who can't provide their correct password, as passwords might be lost, forgotten, or stolen. In this case, users will require a form of secondary authentication to prove that they are who they say they are and regain account access. Websites can use a variety of secondary authentication. The article discusses secondary authentication mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of assembling an arsenal of mechanisms that meet users' security and reliability needs.
Hsp75/mortalin and Protection from Ischemic Brain Injury

Mortalin is a vital mitochondrial chaperone that is important to normal brain functioning. Several studies have shown that overexpression of mortalin reduces damage in both in vitro and in vivo models of ischemic stroke. This neuroprotection is likely mediated by mortalin’s ability to preserve mitochondrial function and reduce reactive oxygen species following ischemic injury. In addition, by improving mitochondrial function after stroke, mortalin may contribute to recovery by additional beneficial actions, including improved neurogenesis. Thus, mortalin is a promising new candidate among chaperones as a potential target to reduce ischemic brain injury. Ways to increase expression of mortalin in the brain should be developed and tested for neuroprotection in additional models of ischemic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease.
Principal Axes and Invariants

We have seen (on p. 46) how the force transmitted in an arbitrary area element dA can be described in terms of the nine components σ ij of the stress tensor. We may ask whether, among all the area elements passing through a given point, one can find a special one for which the force σ ij dA i happens to be normal to the area on which it is acting. In that case the stress would be a simple tension or compression, not accompanied by a shear stress. The normal to such an area element and, hence, the direction of the stress in it, is called a principal direction or a principal axis of the stress tensor σ ij .
Mathematical Reasoning in Computing Education: Connecting Math We Teach with Writing Correct Programs (Abstract Only)

Computing students often have difficulty understanding the relevance of the math we teach, though educators appreciate the significance. This BoF will discuss ways to connect this math with what computing students think they should be doing: programming. This BoF will focus on the benefits (and perils) of connecting math to the development of correct programs with the goal of motivating the relevance of the math-related portion of the ACM/IEEE Computer Society CS2013 curriculum. The discussion will continue the spirit and essence held by the math-thinking working group, a distributed working group of approximately 170 people who have been promoting and clarifying the importance of mathematics in computer science education.
Effect of advancing age on thyroid hormone secretion rate of male and female rats.

SummaryThe thyroid hormone secretion rate (TSR) of the same group of 36 male rats was estimated at 30 days and at 30-day intervals to 120 days. They declined from a mean of 1.40 μg/100 g bw to 1.03 μg at 120 days or 26%. A group of 118 male rats at 30 days of age had a mean TSR of 1.34 μg 100 g bw with a range from 0.75 μg to 2 μg /100 g bw. The TSR of a group of 29 females at 30 days of age was 1.47 μg/100 g bw and gradually declined to 0.87 μg at 240 days of age or 41%. It was shown that the TSR of both male and female rats decline with age but the rate of decline may vary in different groups of animals.
Overestimation of Corneal Endothelial Cell Density in Smaller Frame Sizes in In Vivo Confocal Microscopy.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of frame size on the calculated corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) in images of laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS Forty-nine corneal endothelial images acquired by laser scanning IVCM (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 3 with Rostock Corneal Module) with different endothelial cell densities were analyzed. In each image (160,000 μm), the CECD was calculated using the fixed-frame method by counting cells in the following frame sizes: 80,000 μm, 40,000 μm, 20,000 μm, 10,000 μm, 5000 μm, and 2500 μm. The calculated CECD was then compared with that of the variable-frame method as the reference value. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the calculated CECD between the variable-frame method (2004 ± 832 cells/mm), and the fixed-frame method using a 40,000-μm frame (2023 ± 810 cells/mm). On the other hand, the calculated CECD showed significant overestimations in frame sizes of 20,000 μm (2066 ± 820 cells/mm), 10,000 μm (2156 ± 785 cells/mm), 5000 μm (2352 ± 783 cells/mm), and 2500 μm (2715 ± 754 cells/mm), with P < 0.001 in all. This resulted in overestimations of 4.8 ± 9.8%, 11.9 ± 16.2%, 24.9 ± 23.1%, and 49.1 ± 38.8% for these frame sizes, respectively. Images with lower CECD demonstrated higher overestimations of cell density in smaller frame sizes. CONCLUSIONS In laser scanning IVCM images, there is significant overestimation of CECD if the cells are counted in frames smaller than 25% of the image. Similar frame sizes should be used when monitoring CECD over time.
Solution to rate equations of a double-clad fiber laser

In order to obtain more exact analytical solution to study the output characteristics of double-clad fiber lasers,according to the continuous-wave rate equations of fiber lasers,using typical parameters of double-clad fiber lasers(DCFLs),the contribution of the re-emission effect arising from the interaction between the upper-level atoms and pump light was estimated.Taking into account the predominant part of the re-emission to improve the accuracy of the integration approximated rate equations,the integration of the product of the loss and radiation should be found and explicit analytical expressions for the output of the DCFLs and gradient efficiency of the pump radiation,were deduced,and certain issues of concern were discussed.As an example,for laser wavelength 1090nm,if the pump wavelength is 915nm,920nm,and 975nm,respectively,the gradient efficiency of 975nm is the maximum and it is about 87%.The result shows that the analytical solutions are fit to investigate the output characteristics of fiber lasers extending the application range.
The Franchise Selection Decision: A Decision Systems Analysis

A descriptive model is developed of the franchisor selection decision process. It depicts real processes used by businessmen and women in making decisions. Actual criteria rather than normative criteria in the decision are obtained. Also, this approach enables one to view the criteria and decision rules used at each stage of the process. Implications for franchisees and franchisors are offered. It is proposed that further models similar to the one outlined be developed to better understand the franchise selection process.
Imaging transplanted stem cells in real time using an MRI dual-contrast method

Stem cell therapies are currently being investigated for the repair of brain injuries. Although exogenous stem cell labelling with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) prior to transplantation provides a means to noninvasively monitor stem cell transplantation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), monitoring cell death is still a challenge. Here, we investigate the feasibility of using an MRI dual-contrast technique to detect cell delivery, cell migration and cell death after stem cell transplantation. Human mesenchymal stem cells were dual labelled with SPIONs and gadolinium-based chelates (GdDTPA). The viability, proliferation rate, and differentiation potential of the labelled cells were then evaluated. The feasibility of this MRI technique to distinguish between live and dead cells was next evaluated using MRI phantoms, and in vivo using both immune-competent and immune-deficient mice, following the induction of brain injury in the mice. All results were validated with bioluminescence imaging. In live cells, a negative (T2/T2*) MRI contrast predominates, and is used to track cell delivery and cell migration. Upon cell death, a diffused positive (T1) MRI contrast is generated in the vicinity of the dead cells, and serves as an imaging marker for cell death. Ultimately, this technique could be used to manage stem cell therapies.
Multiple mitigation mechanisms: Effects of submerged plants on the toxicity of nine insecticides to aquatic animals.

Understanding the processes that regulate contaminant impacts in nature is an increasingly important challenge. For insecticides in surface waters, the ability of aquatic plants to sorb, or bind, hydrophobic compounds has been identified as a primary mechanism by which toxicity can be mitigated (i.e. the sorption-based model). However, recent research shows that submerged plants can also rapidly mitigate the toxicity of the less hydrophobic insecticide malathion via alkaline hydrolysis (i.e. the hydrolysis-based model) driven by increased water pH resulting from photosynthesis. However, it is still unknown how generalizable these mitigation mechanisms are across the wide variety of insecticides applied today, and whether any general rules can be ascertained about which types of chemicals may be mitigated by each mechanism. We quantified the degree to which the submerged plant Elodea canadensis mitigated acute (48-h) toxicity to Daphnia magna using nine commonly applied insecticides spanning three chemical classes (carbamates: aldicarb, carbaryl, carbofuran; organophosphates: malathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos; pyrethroids: permethrin, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin). We found that insecticides possessing either high octanol-water partition coefficients (log Kow) values (i.e. pyrethroids) or high susceptibility to alkaline hydrolysis (i.e. carbamates and malathion) were all mitigated to some degree by E. canadensis, while the plant had no effect on insecticides possessing intermediate log Kow values and low susceptibility to hydrolysis (i.e. chlorpyrifos and diazinon). Our results provide the first general insights into which types of insecticides are likely to be mitigated by different mechanisms based on known chemical properties. We suggest that current models and mitigation strategies would be improved by the consideration of both mitigation models.